&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US-Israel-Iran war LIVE | US counterterrorism chief resigns over Iran war")
Eighteen days on, and there is no end in sight to the West Asian war. What began as Israel and the US' joint military strike in Iran on February 28 has spread across the region far and beyond. Following the attack which killed Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran conducted airstrikes on American bases in West Asia.
Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba Khamenei has been chosen to lead the country. While Trump has said that the new leader of Iran won't last long without his approval, Israel has threatened that he is the “target.” The three sides are bombing relentlessly, with Israel having expanded its offensive to target Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The ripple effect: Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Lebanon have also been targets of drones and missiles. The Strait of Hormuz has been blocked, and that has led to a situation even back home in India. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, in its briefing, said the LPG situation in the country is “a concern" though no official shortage has been mentioned. New Delhi has used diversified channels to procure crude.
In the latest: President Donald Trump on Monday (Mar 16) demanded that US allies help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but European powers pushed back on a possible mission to reopen the vital waterway shut by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks.
Trump criticised the lukewarm response to his call for world powers to send warships to escort tankers through the strait, which normally carries a fifth of global crude oil, demanding nations "get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm".
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President Emmanuel Macron said France would never take part in operations to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, pushing back on comments by US President Donald Trump that Paris was willing to help.
Canada has no intention of joining military operations against Iran, Bloomberg reported, citing the country’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, effective today, Joe Kent said in a Statement.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
It has been an honour serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the killing of Tehran's national security chief Ali Larijani was part of efforts to give Iranians a chance to remove their rulers. However, Iran has not confirmed the killing of Largiani.
Amid ongoing tensions in West Asia and rising concerns over energy supply, India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has outlined a series of measures to accelerate the adoption of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and expand city gas infrastructure across the country.
Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, stated that "Iranians are safer" without top security official Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. The remarks followed after the Israeli military confirmed that it had killed both of them in strikes. Speaking in Jerusalem, Saar stated that Israel is weakening Iran's "repression mechanism", adding that the regime can only be removed by the Iranian people, but that cannot be achieved without external help.
The World Food Programme said in its latest reports that an additional 45 million people are likely to experience acute hunger if the US-Israeli war on Iran continues until June. The organisation’s deputy executive director, Carl Skau, said in Geneva that tens of millions are expected to be pushed into acute hunger as a result of rises in food, oil and shipping costs. He added that it will lead the global tally for acute hunger above its current record level of 319 million.
Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday following evacuation warnings issued by Israel, according to state media. These attacks followed an earlier strike at dawn on a building in central Beirut.
Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, denied media reports claiming that the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, is receiving medical treatment in Moscow, the TASS news agency of Russia confirmed on Tuesday. The claim came after the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported that 56-year-old Khamenei was shifted to Russia for treatment after being severely injured following a US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father.
India’s Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that officials have not discussed potentially returning three seized Iran-linked tankers to Iran as part of a potential security arrangement. The statement of the spokesman follows reports that Iran had sought the return of the tankers, seized near Iranian waters in February, in response to ensuring the safe passage of India-bound vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has rejected proposals sent to the foreign ministry through two intermediary countries and told a foreign policy meeting that it was “not the right time for peace,” Reuters cited a senior Iranian official as saying.
No energy shortage, said the Indian govt amid the West Asia war. Points measure on natural gas.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday (March 17) that Iran’s top security chief, Ali Larijani, had been killed.
The Israeli military, in a statement, said, “Yesterday, the IDF targeted and eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years.”
It added, “Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.”
Loud explosions shook Tehran Tuesday after a night of bombing, as US President Donald Trump pressed allies to help in the war that has engulfed the West Asia and sparked global economic turmoil.
Oil prices rose more than five percent Tuesday after several countries pushed back on Trump's demand they help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that is key to the transit of crude and liquefied natural gas.
The war, now in its third week, has killed hundreds and seen Iran launch retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf nations, as well as a front opening in Lebanon with Israel battling Hezbollah.
Israel targeted Iran national security chief Larijani in strike: Israeli media
Oil prices surged more than five percent Tuesday as several countries pushed back against Donald Trump's demand that they help secure the key Strait of Hormuz, while Iran continued to target crude-producing neighbours.
They recovered the previous day's sharp losses that came after the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said more stockpiles could be tapped if needed.
Still, most equities extended Monday's gains as tech firms rallied after Nvidia said it expected to make at least $1 trillion in revenue through the end of 2027.
Investors are also awaiting a slew of central bank decisions this week that analysts say could see a resumption of interest rate hikes aimed at offsetting a possible spike in inflation caused by the surge in crude prices.
China said on Tuesday it will provide humanitarian assistance to Middle Eastern countries, including Iran and Lebanon, targeted in US and Israeli strikes in the conflict now in its third week.
Beijing is a close partner of Iran and has urged the United States and Israel to cease their attacks on the country, while also criticising Tehran's strikes against Gulf states housing US military bases.
China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the war had caused "grave humanitarian catastrophes" in Iran and other Middle Eastern nations.
"China has decided to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. It is hoped this will help alleviate the humanitarian plight faced by the local populations," Lin told a press conference, without providing further details.
Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani said that the country has reached an understanding with Iran for its oil tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
Loud explosions in the Iranian capital, reports Al Jazeera
China's foreign ministry has issued a statement on Trump's visit to Beijing and said, "Discussing the dates of the visit, says no further info to add."
The Israeli military’s Division 36 has joined expanded ground “operations” in southern Lebanon
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said publically that “this is not Europe’s war." “Europe has no interest in an open-ended war,” she added
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday their forces had arrested 10 "foreign spies." "Ten mercenary, treacherous elements were identified and arrested," the Guards intelligence organisation in the northeastern Razavi Khorasan province said, according to ISNA news agency, without identifying their nationalities.
The price of oil jumped more than five percent Tuesday as several countries pushed back against Donald Trump's demand that they help secure the key Strait of Hormuz, while Iran targeted crude-producing neighbours.
At around 0615 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up 5.16 per cent at $98.32 a barrel while Brent Crude also rose above five per cent before easing back.
A new drone strike hit the Fujairah oil complex on the UAE's east coast on Tuesday, causing a fire but no injuries, local authorities said.
“Civil defence teams from the emirate intervened immediately on site and are continuing their efforts to bring the situation under control,” the authorities said in a statement on X.
The facility, which sits on the Gulf of Oman and enables the UAE to bypass the Strait of Hormuz for some exports, was already hit on Monday, with a source telling AFP that oil loading into storage tanks was suspended.
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday (Mar 17) announced an “exceptional precautionary measure”, temporarily closing its airspace after its military reported incoming missile and drone threats from Iran. This marks a sharp escalation in the Gulf amid the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran. The country’s General Civil Aviation Authority said the move was intended to ensure flight safety and protect the national airspace. It remains unclear how long the closure will stay in place.
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Falling shrapnel from an intercepted missile killed a Pakistani national in Abu Dhabi, the government media office said Tuesday.
The incident took place in the Bani Yas area "following the interception of a ballistic missile by air defences", the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
Pakistan’s prime minister reviewed the country’s economic situation and directed petroleum distribution companies to sell fuel strictly at government-set rates while ensuring transparency in their operations.
He also ordered a third-party audit to verify the implementation of all ongoing measures in the fuel supply chain.
The move comes as the government raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs 55 per litre, driven by a surge in global oil prices linked to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, which has increased pressure on domestic energy costs.
Pakistan could face a major energy crunch after April 14 as liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies dry up due to disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict, a Senate panel was told.
Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum said LNG imports from Qatar, Pakistan’s primary supplier, have been suspended since March 2, raising concerns over fuel availability for power generation.
Of the eight LNG cargoes scheduled for March, only two arrived, while six expected shipments in April are unlikely to reach the country. As a result, authorities warned that LNG will not be available after mid-April, with demand in the power sector expected to go unmet.
Pakistan relies heavily on Qatari LNG to run electricity plants during peak demand, and the disruption threatens to strain power supply in the coming weeks.
Officials said alternative arrangements are being explored, including possible imports from Azerbaijan. However, spot purchases could cost around $24 per unit, significantly higher than the $9 under existing Qatari contracts, potentially driving up electricity prices.
Oil prices resumed their push higher as several countries pushed back against US President Donald Trump's demand that they help secure the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran continued to target crude-producing neighbours.
Traffic in the Gulf waterway, through which a fifth of global crude oil passes, has been severely disrupted by the war.
International benchmark Brent North Sea crude pushed up 2.6 per cent to $102.84 per barrel, while the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, had increased 2.4 per cent to $95.77 at around 0230 GMT.
Iran's football federation is "negotiating" with FIFA to relocate the country's first-round matches at the World Cup to Mexico from the United States, citing the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's embassy in Mexico said Monday.
"When (US President Donald) Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj said in remarks posted on the embassy's X account.
"We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's matches in the World Cup in Mexico."
Iran's participation at this summer's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been thrown into doubt since the war began late last month. The team is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt in Seattle.
Three explosions echoed across Dubai after a missile alert early on Tuesday, according to an AFP correspondent. The blasts followed a mobile phone alert to residents to "immediately seek a safe place" over "potential missile threats".