Page 75 - Israel Iran Conflict

Trump downplays reports of Russia sharing data with Iran to target US

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that it was inconsequential if Russia has provided Iran with information to help Tehran target US military personnel and assets in the Middle East as the week-old war rages. The president dismissed the import of such information-sharing after he attended the dignified transfer for six Army reservists who were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait the day after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran that has unsettled the global economy. Trump stopped short of confirming reports by The Associated Press and other news outlets that US intelligence officials believe Russia has provided Iran with such targeting information. But if Moscow is passing on such details, he said Iran was getting little out of it. "If you take a look at what has happened to Iran in the last week, if they are getting information, it is not helping them much," Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Miami, where he is spending the rest of the weekend. The presid

Air India to operate special flights for UAE on March 8 amid Gulf crisis

The airlines announced additional non-scheduled flights on March 8 with approvals from Indian and local authorities to facilitate travellers affected by the regional restrictions

Trump grieves with families during return of soldiers killed in Iran war

President Donald Trump on Saturday joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base at the dignified transfer for the six US soldiers killed in the war in the Middle East. The dignified transfer, a ritual that returns the remains of US service members killed in action, is considered one of the most sombre duties of any commander in chief. During his first term, Trump said bearing witness to the transfer was "the toughest thing I have to do" as president. "It is a very sad day," Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Florida later on Saturday afternoon, saying that he was "glad we paid our respects". He said the relatives of the deceased are "great people, great parents, wives, family" and said that the "parents were so proud". Both Trump and Vice President J D Vance were present for the transfer, as were their spouses. A host of top administration officials were in attendance, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote in a social media post on Friday of "a

West Asia crisis: 52,000 Indians returned after partial opening of airspace

India on Saturday said it is continuously monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia, especially in the context of the safety of its citizens stranded in the region. In a late night statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said more than 52,000 Indians have returned to the country following the partial opening of the airspace across the region. It also urged all Indian nationals in the region to follow the guidelines of the local authorities and the advisories issued by the Indian missions. The safety and welfare of Indian nationals abroad is of utmost priority to the government and it remains engaged with the governments across the region to work towards facilitating all those in need of assistance, the MEA said. The security situation in West Asia remains precarious as the US and Israel continue their bombardment of Iranian targets while Tehran retaliates with strikes against Israeli positions and US military bases across the region. "The government of India is ...

New strikes hit oil facility in Tehran as Israel vows 'many surprises'

The Iran war exploded further late on Saturday as pillars of flame rose above an oil storage facility in Tehran and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "many surprises" for the next phase of the week-old conflict. Iranian state media confirmed the strike as Associated Press video showed the horizon glowing against the night sky. Israel's military confirmed new strikes that shook neighbourhoods in Tehran's east and south but did not immediately comment on targets. It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. State media blamed "an attack from the US and the Zionist regime" at the facility that supplies the capital and neighbouring provinces in the north. Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised for attacks on "neighbouring countries", even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states and hard-liners asserted that Tehran's war strategy would not budge. A rift between more pragmatic ...

Kuwait cuts oil, refinery output as Strait of Hormuz remains blocked

The country, like its Gulf neighbors, has been heavily targeted by Iranian missiles and drones in an expanding war in the region

One President's Whim. A World in Crisis.

A week into Trump's war in Iran, his strategy is still a mystery

US strikes on Iran spark concerns over shrinking weapons stockpiles

The US and Israeli strikes on Iran have raised concerns among Democrats and others about diminishing American stockpiles of certain weapons, illustrating a long-standing production problem that some experts say could present challenges if another conflict emerges. The Trump administration has repeatedly said American forces have all of the weapons they need to fight the Iran war, now in its second week. President Donald Trump posted Friday on social media that several defense contractors had agreed to quadruple production of weapons "as rapidly as possible," although he did not detail the specific systems being manufactured. Questions about the nation's weapons stockpiles have grown as the US campaign against Iran escalates, with many Democratic lawmakers arguing that Trump is waging a "war of choice." Missile defense systems are under the most strain, according to experts, with Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptors in high demand in Ukraine and ...

Israeli minister warns Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah or face 'heavy price'

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Saturday told residents of a northern Israeli city close to the border with Lebanon to evacuate and head south

CBSE postpones Class 12 board exams in West Asia amid Iran-Israel war

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday postponed the Class 12 board exams scheduled on March 9, 10 and 11 in the Middle East region amid the Iran-Israel conflict, officials said. "Due to the current situation in parts of the Middle East--Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, the board has decided to postpone 12 exams on March 9, 10 and 11," said CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj. The new dates will be announced later, and for further exams, the situation will be reviewed on March 10, Bhardwaj added. Previously, the board had postponed the exam scheduled on March 2, March 5 and March 7 in the region. The board has cancelled Class 10 exams till March 11 and said mode of declaration of results will be announced separately. The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting

Sri Lanka to repatriate bodies of Iranian sailors killed in US strike

Sri Lanka will repatriate the bodies of the Iranian sailors who were killed on IRIS Dena, the first Iranian ship that was torpedoed by the US, the Deputy Defence Minister said on Saturday. Sri Lanka said on Wednesday it had recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors after the US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Galle on the island's southern coast. The ship had been returning to Iran from Visakhapatnam, India, where it had participatedin a naval fleet review exercise. "The bodies are kept under refrigeration and action will be taken to send them back to Iran," Minister Aruna Jayasekera told reporters answering a query here on Saturday. The government maintains that the situation has not improvedyet to try sending them by air or by sea. The magisterial inquiry and the post-mortem on 84 bodies were concluded in the southern port town of Galle on March 5. Eighty of the 84 were identified by the survivors. The government announced on Saturday that at the Food Polic

Pakistan, Saudi discuss security measures after Iran strikes in Gulf

Field Marshal Asim Munir met Khalid bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the Pakistan military's press wing on Saturday

At least 41 killed, 40 wounded in Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon

Lebanese health officials said on Saturday that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 16 people and wounded 35 others in overnight Israeli airstrikes in the mountain town of Nabi Chit. The Lebanese Health Ministry offered the figure. The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with an Israeli force that landed late Friday in the mountains of eastern Lebanon. Israel has yet to comment on the fighting there.

Iran now 'loser of Middle East': Trump after Tehran apology to neighbours

Trump said that Iran's apology came only after sustained military pressure from the United States and Israel

West Asia crisis: Govt asks ports to consider waiving charges, issues SoP

Union Shipping, Ports and Waterways Ministry has proposed that ports may consider requests regarding reduction, waiver or remission of charges, including change of vessel charge, and also rolled out a standard operating procedure (SoP) for them to deal with issues arising from the West Asia crisis. As part of the SoP that followed extensive consultations with all stakeholders on Friday, each port will appoint a nodal officer at the level of head of department or deputy head of department, who will be the single point of contact for addressing the issues coming up for consideration at ports. The nodal officer will be responsible for taking up the matter with the competent authority and ensure that the action is taken within 24-72 hours. Also, as per the SoP, port chairpersons should have periodical meetings with stakeholders such as shipping lines, exporters, terminal operators, customs, among others to closely monitor the situation and ascertain and address legitimate concerns. The

Govt grants exporters relief on export obligations amid West Asia crisis

The government has granted certain relaxations to exporters in fulfilling their export obligations, as the trading community is facing difficulties in the movement of goods due to the ongoing West Asia crisis, according to a notification. "In view of the prevailing geo-political developments affecting international shipping routes and global supply chains, and with a view to facilitating exporters, the export obligation (EO) period/block wise EO period in respect of specified advance authorisations and EPCG authorisations expiring between March 1, 2026 and May 31, 2026 has been automatically extended up to August 31, 2026 without payment of composition fee," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said in a public notice. Under Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme, domestic firms are allowed to import duty-free machines but they have to meet certain export obligations against that. This relaxation is in addition to the existing facility already available under ..

Shipper MSC to impose emergency fuel surcharge on cargo from March 16

It said the surcharge would be $30 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) from the Mediterranean and Black Sea to the Red Sea for dry containers, and $50 per TEU for refrigerated containers

Dubai says airport, Emirates to resume operations after Iran attack

Dubai and its long-haul carrier Emirates said Saturday the airline would resume operations after temporarily halting them following an Iranian attack on the city-state. The news brought cheers in Dubai International Airport, where passengers had been sheltering after hearing a large boom overhead. Authorities have not explained if there was an interception or damage at the airport, which is the world's busiest for international travel.

Iran President apologises to neighbours, rejects US' 'surrender' demand

In a televised address, Pres. Masoud Pezeshkian said his country will halt attacks on regional countries, even as the US warned that the most intense bombing campaign of the war was yet to come

IndiGo to operate flights to 5 West Asia destinations today amid Iran war

This comes in the backdrop of flight cancellations and rescheduling due to the airspace in West Asia being affected by the ongoing conflict between US-Israel and Iran