Trump Says Iran War Could Be Over Soon, Then A Threat Over Oil https://t.co/P0TfWauruA
NDTV's @AdityaRajKaul reports pic.twitter.com/NRw2MBsDq5

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 10, 2026

The US military on Sunday announced that a service member had died after being wounded in Saudi Arabia by an Iranian attack, the seventh American combat death since the war began.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military forces in the Middle East, said in a statement that the service member died Saturday night "from injuries received during the Iranian regime's initial attacks across the Middle East" on March 1.

The six other US service members killed so far were all in Kuwait and also struck in the initial wave of retaliatory attacks from Iran.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump and other top officials attended the repatriation of the bodies of the six dead soldiers at a US military base in Delaware.

(AFP)

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday unveiled a raft of austerity measures designed to save fuel, as oil prices soar due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Oil prices have jumped above $100 a barrel for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as Iran launched retaliatory strikes at crude-producing Gulf nations.

Pakistan depends on oil and gas from the Gulf and last Friday hiked prices at the pump by about 20 percent, triggering long lines at petrol stations across the country.

Sharif, who described the decision as "difficult", said he was keen to avoid further increases that would hit the population, many of whom live in poverty.

But he said in a televised address that action was necessary, warning: "The energy crisis is the new crisis." 

(AFP)

UK finance minister Rachel Reeves warned on Monday the country could face rising inflation due to the fallout of the US and Israel's war.

"The economic impact of the situation in the Middle East will depend, of course, on its severity and its duration," Reeves told MPs in parliament after taking part in a meeting of G7 finance ministers.

"The movements that we have already seen are likely to put upward pressure on inflation in the coming months."

Britain's annual inflation rate had eased in January with the Consumer Prices Index falling to 3.0 percent from 3.4 percent in December, official data showed last month.

(AFP)

Pope Leo XIV has expressed "deep sorrow" for victims of the Middle East war, citing the "many innocent people" who have died in the conflict, including a Lebanese priest, the Vatican said Monday.

"Pope Leo XIV expresses his deep sorrow for all the victims of the recent bombings in the Middle East, for the many innocent people, including many children," said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. 

The pope also cited "those who were helping them", naming Father Pierre al-Rai of Al-Qlayaa. 

The priest died Monday from wounds sustained from Israeli tank fire that hit a house in the Christian town, according to state media and a medical source who spoke with AFP. 

(AFP)

UN chief Antonio Guterres's office warned Monday of "serious environmental consequences" from recent strikes on oil facilities and desalination plants in the Middle East, saying they pose significant threats to air quality and drinking water.

"We continue to raise the alarm over the humanitarian impact of escalating violence across parts of the Middle East, which is driving rising civilian casualties, damage to civilian infrastructure and growing displacement of people," the secretary-general's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a press conference.

He added that the United Nations was "particularly concerned by the number of reports of recent strikes on oil facilities, which could have serious environmental consequences across the region, with immediate possible impacts on safe water, on air that people need to breathe, and on food." 

(AFP)

The United States struck more than 5,000 targets during the first 10 days of the Iran war, the US military said on Monday.

Among the targets were more than 50 Iranian vessels, US Central Command -- which is responsible for American forces in the region -- said in a fact sheet.

Other targets include air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, missile and drone manufacturing, and military communications, the military command said.

(AFP)

Israel said Tuesday that it had struck an Iranian missile launcher shortly after a barrage fired from the Islamic republic triggered air raid warnings in several Israeli areas.

Late Monday, Israel's military said it identified a round of Iranian missile fire and was working "to intercept the threat."

The Iranian launches sparked air raid warnings in several parts of Israel, forcing people to head for shelter.

But the Magen David Adom emergency services said it received no reports of casualties following the latest round of Iranian fire.

The Israeli military then said it "had struck the missile launcher that launched missiles toward the State of Israel a short while ago."

Before the latest Iranian attack, Israel had announced what it called a "broad wave" of strikes on Tehran, the second such assault launched on Monday.

(AFP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they would "determine the end of the war" in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump said the conflict would end "soon". 

"It is we who will determine the end of the war," the Guards said in a statement.

"The equations and future status of the region are now in the hands of our armed forces; American forces will not end the war," the statement added.

A Kentucky man who joined the Army shortly after graduating from high school is the seventh US  service member to die in combat during the Iran war, the Pentagon announced Monday.

Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, died Sunday after being wounded during a March 1 attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, a Pentagon statement said.

Mike Bell, retired pastor of Glendale Christian Church, said he'd known Pennington since he was a toddler and got a call from Pennington's father when the soldier was hurt.

The United States struck more than 5,000 targets during the first 10 days of the Iran war, the US military said on Monday.

Among the targets were more than 50 Iranian vessels, US Central Command -- which is responsible for American forces in the region -- said in a fact sheet.

Other targets include air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, missile and drone manufacturing, and military communications, the military command said.

Donald Trump said the incident involving an attack on an Iranian school is being investigated, but denied any US role in the strike that killed more than 165 people, most of them children. He also suggested that Iran might have been behind the strike on its own school.

When asked about the Tomahawk missile reportedly used in the attack, Trump said: "I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by — you know — other countries. It is sold and used by other countries. Whether it's Iran, who also has some Tomahawks — they wish they had more.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was "disappointed" that Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the supreme leader of the country.

"We think it's going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country," Trump told reporters at a press conference in Florida.

Trump said at a news conference in Florida that Iran was going to take over Middle East.

"Iran’s a very powerful country. They were going to take over the Middle East. If we did not hit them, they were going to take over the Middle East." 

US President Donald Trump said Monday that the war on Iran would end soon, without setting a date, as he claimed the US-Israeli attack had achieved objectives.

"It's going to be ended soon, and if it starts up again they'll be hit even harder," Trump told a news conference

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened a larger attack on Iran if it blocks supplies of oil, whose prices have spiked over the Middle East war.
"I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe's oil supply. And if Iran does anything to do that, they'll get hit at a much, much harder level," Trump told a news conference in Florida.

AFP journalists reported a powerful explosion in the Iranian capital just after midnight local time on Tuesday at the same time as aircraft were heard overhead. 

Several journalists dispersed across the city reported the blast, which was felt from many kilometres away. 

They also reported several explosions in the east of the city shortly afterwards.

It was not immediately clear what had been hit.

Not long after the blasts, the Israeli military announced that "for the second time today" it had launched a "broad wave of strikes" on Tehran.

Australia will deploy a long-range military reconnaissance plane to the Gulf to protect civilians, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday.

An E-7A Wedgetail aircraft and supporting defence force personnel will be sent for an initial period of four weeks to help "protect and secure the airspace above the Gulf", Albanese told a news conference.

Australia also plans to provide advanced, medium-range air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates "in response to a request", the prime minister said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday urged Iraq's leadership to keep protecting the US embassy after angry protests over the US-Israeli attack on neighboring Iran.

In a call with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Rubio "reiterated the importance of the Iraqi government taking all possible measures to safeguard US diplomatic personnel and facilities," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

Last week authorities accused demonstrators of firing live rounds that wounded security personnel after angry protesters tried to storm the fortified Green Zone area, the site of multiple embassies and key government buildings.

Australia has granted asylum to some of Iran's visiting women's football team over fears they faced persecution at home for not singing the national anthem before a match, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Tuesday. 

Iranian players' gesture ahead of an Asian Cup tournament match in Australia last week was widely seen as an act of defiance against the Islamic republic.

Five players escaped the team hotel on Australia's Gold Coast overnight, holing up in a "safe location" while lodging their claims for asylum, Burke said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, after an incoming Iranian missile was intercepted in Turkey's airspace.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always declared its readiness to reduce tension in the region; provided that the airspace, soil and waters of our neighbours are not used to attack the Iranian people," Pezeshkian said in a statement about the call.

The missile was the second fired from Iran to be shot down in Turkish airspace in five days.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that the war against Iran would be a "short-term excursion," while insisting the offensive would continue "until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated."

"We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some people. And I think you'll see it's going to be a short-term excursion," Trump told a gathering of Republicans at his golf club in Doral, Florida.

US President Donald Trump on Monday told the New York Post in a telephonic interview that the United States is not planning to send troops into Iran to secure enriched uranium from the nuclear sites.

His remarks come after he had earlier told the media that he was mulling over the idea of sending troops to the country.

In an interview with the New York Post, Trump played down the idea of having boots on the ground to retrieve enriched uranium from Iran and said, "We haven't made any decision on that. We're nowhere near it."

President Donald Trump said Monday in an interview with CBS that the war with Iran was "very complete" and that the United States was far ahead of his initial timeline of around a month.

 Oil prices surged and stock markets slid Monday after hard-line Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to succeed his late father as Iran's supreme leader. His appointment, and new strikes on regional oil infrastructure, signaled that Iran was digging in 10 days into the war launched by the United States and Israel.

The war has choked off major supplies of oil and gas to world markets, led foreigners to flee from business hubs and prompted millions to seek shelter as bombs hit sites including military bases, government buildings, oil and water installations, hotels and at least one school.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on Monday discussed the Iran war and Ukraine conflict during a "frank and constructive" telephone call, the Kremlin said.

Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Monday congratulated Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran's new supreme leader, the official Oman News Agency reported.

"His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq -- may God protect and preserve him -- sent a cable of congratulations to His Eminence Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on the occasion of his selection as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the agency said.

Israel's foreign ministry said Monday that Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was a "tyrant" like his slain father, and would continue what it described as the Iranian "regime's brutality".

In a post on X featuring a picture of Mojtaba Khamenei and his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, holding guns, the ministry wrote: "Mojtaba Khamenei. Like Father Like Son".

"Mojtaba Khamenei's hands are already stained with the bloodshed that defined his father's rule. Another tyrant to continue the Iranian regime's brutality," the ministry said, in Israel's first reaction to Mojtaba Khamenei's selection as supreme leader following the killing of his father on February 28 in Israeli strikes.

US President Donald Trump said he would hold a news conference Monday, his first formal question-and-answer session with reporters since launching military operations against Iran. Trump said on his Truth Social network that the news conference would take place at around 5:30 pm in the ballroom of his Doral golf club near Miami, where he spent the weekend, before returning to Washington.

US President Donald Trump has warned Australia that it is making a "terrible humanitarian mistake" by allowing Iran's women's national football team to be sent back to Iran.

Trump says 'not happy' after Khamenei's son named new Iran leader

(AFP)

9 days into Operation Epic Mistake, oil prices have doubled while all commodities are skyrocketing. We know the U.S. is plotting against our oil and nuclear sites in hopes of containing huge inflationary shock. Iran is fully prepared.
And we, too, have many surprises in store. pic.twitter.com/UNQu0fVZE2

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 9, 2026

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has extended his congratulations to Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei following his appointment as the new Leader of the Islamic Revolution, according to reports by Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.

The transition was formalised on Sunday by the 88-member Assembly of Experts, who elected Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, the late Imam Khamenei.

The move follows a period of national mourning and the official process to fill the country's highest office after the martyrdom of the former leader.

(ANI)

Hezbollah on Monday welcomed the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader, pledging allegiance after his predecessor and father Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli attacks.

"We in Hezbollah extend our warmest congratulations and blessings on this occasion. We renew our pledge of loyalty to this blessed approach and our steadfastness on the path of allegiance," the group said in a statement.

Hezbollah entered the Middle East war a week ago by attacking Israel in response to Ali Khamenei's killing.

(AFP)

Mojtaba Khamenei is expected to deliver his first public speech as Iran's new supreme leader within hours, state media report.

Several more explosions were heard across Doha and warning sirens sounded in Manama on Monday, according to AFP journalists, as Iran pressed its aerial campaign against Gulf neighbours.

The oil-rich Gulf states have been targeted by waves of drones and missiles since Tehran launched its retaliation campaign in the wake of the US and Israeli attacks against Iran. 

(AFP)

Ankara on Monday confirmed a second ballistic missile was shot down by NATO defences in Turkish airspace, as Washington urged all of its citizens to leave southeast Turkey over security concerns. 

Since the US-Israeli attacks began on February 28, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the Middle East in a bid to hit US assets. 

So far, Turkey appears to have been spared, despite the fact that US troops are stationed at several of its bases, one of which is the Incirlik airbase which lies just outside the southern city of Adana. 

(AFP)

The Turkish Defense Ministry says that a ballistic missile launched from Iran that entered Turkish airspace was intercepted by NATO air defense systems. Debris fell near Gaziantep, but with no casualties reported.

Turkish Defense Ministry: "Turkey places great importance on good neighbourly relations and regional stability. However, we once again emphasize that all necessary measures will be taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at our country's territory and airspace. We also reiterate that it is in everyone's interest to heed Turkey's warnings in this regard".

Washington has advised non-essential staff to leave its consulate near the southern Turkish city of Adana near a key NATO base and ordered US citizens to leave "southeast Turkey", the US embassy to Ankara said Monday.  

Since the US-Israeli attacks began on February 28, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the Middle East in a bid to hit US assets. 

So far, Turkey appears to have been spared, despite the fact that US troops are stationed at several of its bases. 

(AFP)

An air strike hit a base of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi near the northern city of Mosul on Monday, according to two officials from the former paramilitary organisation now integrated into the country's regular forces.

One of the officials blamed the strike on the United States, saying it hit a base in the Bartella area of Iraq's Nineveh province. 

Since the start of the Middle East war, there have been multiple strikes on bases of the Hashed, an umbrella organisation of armed groups, many of which have strong ties to Iran.

(AFP)

Wall Street futures followed global markets lower early Monday and oil prices briefly spiked to nearly $120 per barrel as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East.

Futures for the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average all fell more than 1% before the opening bell after retreating more than 2% late Sunday.

Global markets also took a beating, with Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunging more than 5% and markets across Europe losing between 2% and 3%.

Shares of major US airlines continued their descent as spiking fuel prices are projected to eat into their profits. Delta, American and United all fell more than 3% in premarket trading, adding to what was already double-digit losses since the U.S. and Israel launched their attack on Iran more than a week ago.

(AP)

Saudi Arabia has started reducing oil production as the near-blockage of the critical Strait of Hormuz starts filling storage tanks, according to a person familiar with the matter, even as it rushes to reroute some supplies through the Red Sea.

One Israeli was killed while two others were critically injured after fresh Iranian missile strikes hit central Israel today. Meanwhile, AFP reported over 10 explosions in Tel Aviv since morning as the Israeli military detected new missiles launched from Iran. "A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran towards the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said. (AFP)

#BREAKING | Iran warns of energy war amid global oil shock
NDTV's @AdityaRajKaul shares insights pic.twitter.com/MA7RhNc9dd

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

Can the US‑Iran‑Israel conflict ignite the most severe energy crisis?
NDTV’s @GaurieD revisits the 1973 oil crisis, while @HimanshuNDTV shares more details and insights. pic.twitter.com/RnZPI9wrqf

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

#BREAKING | G7 to discuss joint release of emergency oil
NDTV's @himanshundtv and @Sharad9Dubey
Share more details on this story pic.twitter.com/nqebdf5ZOX

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

Heavy explosions rocked the Iranian capital on Monday, AFP journalists said, as the war with Israel and the United States raged.

It was not immediately clear what was targeted in Tehran but the blasts were heard across several parts of the city, the reporters said. 

(AFP)

Qatari authorities have arrested more than 300 people for sharing images and "misleading information" during days of attacks by Iran, the interior ministry said on Monday.

The people arrested "filmed and circulated video clips and published misleading information and rumours that could stir public opinion", a statement said.

(AFP)

An air strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, Lebanese state media reported, after Israel warned it would target branches of a firm linked to Hezbollah.

Footage on AFPTV's live broadcast showed large plumes of smoke rising from the area, a stronghold of the Iran-backed armed group.

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military warned it would strike branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-linked financial firm mainly operating in the group's strongholds.

(AFP)

Escalating hostilities in the Middle East have triggered a sharp sell-off in Indian equities, erasing nearly Rs 31 lakh crore in investor wealth since the fresh round conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran began on February 28. 

Indian benchmark indices have fallen steadily as investors grapple with surging crude oil prices, foreign fund outflows and fears of a broader economic fallout for India -- the world's third-largest crude importer.

On Monday itself, around Rs 12.78 trillion was lost in market capitalisation.

Iranian authorities will confiscate the properties and impose penalities of members of the Iranian diaspora who "cooperate" with Israel and the United States, the judiciary said on Monday.

"Iranians abroad who align, accompany and cooperate with the American-Zionist aggressor enemy will face confiscation of all their property and other legal penalties in accordance with the law," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said, quoting the prosecutor general's office.

Mizan cited a law adopted after the 12-day war in June with Israel, which saw the United States briefly joining with strikes.

(AFP)

China said on Monday it opposes any targeting of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, after threats by the Israeli military against a successor to his slain father, Ali Khamenei.

"China opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press conference.

(AFP)

China said Monday that Iran's decision to name Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader, succeeding his late father following his killing, was an internal matter.

"This is a decision by the Iranian side based on its constitution," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press conference.

(AFP)

European gas prices soared as much as 30 percent on Monday as the Middle East war roiled energy markets and spurred fears of prolonged supply disruptions.

The Dutch TTF natural gas contract, considered the European benchmark, jumped to 69.50 euros, before paring gains slightly.

Despite the surge, the price remained below the level it reached in 2022 at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

(AFP)

Iran Faces Diplomatic Backlash From Gulf Nations Amid Rising Tensions pic.twitter.com/IUAN85yK40

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

"Acid Rain" Fears In Tehran As Israeli Strikes On Oil Depots Send Toxic Smoke Over City https://t.co/Y9r3crQ9fu pic.twitter.com/X4Aa5ZWxur

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

Iraq's pro-Iran groups welcomed on Monday the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader after his predecessor and father was killed in US and Israeli strikes.

The powerful Badr organisation said the new leadership represents "blessed continuity of the path of the Islamic revolution". 

The Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction said choosing Mojtaba Khamenei shows "continuity" and "reinforcement of the Islamic republic's role as a central pillar in the axis of resistance", while Kataeb Hezbollah said it reflects a profound understanding "of the existential challenges confronting the nation".

(AFP)

The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will discuss on Monday a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reported.

Three G7 countries, including the U.S., have so far expressed support for the idea, the FT said citing sources, and added that the ministers and the IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol will hold a call to discuss the impact of the Iran war.

The report comes as oil prices surged more than 25% on Monday to their highest levels since mid-2022 as some major producers cut supplies and fears of prolonged shipping disruptions gripped the market due to the expanding U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

The IEA and the G7 presidency did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.

(Reuters)

Japan's Nikkei index of stocks closed down more than five percent and South Korea's Kospi by six percent on Monday, on the back of turmoil in the Middle East.

At the end of trading, the Nikkei 225 was 5.2 percent lower at 52,728.72 points. The Kospi ended the day 5.96 percent lower at 5,251.87 points.

(AFP)

Bahrain's state oil company declared force majeure on Monday for its shipments after an Iranian attack set its refinery ablaze.

The state-run Bahrain News Agency carried the announcement of the force majeure, a legal maneuver that releases a company of its contractual obligations because of extraordinary circumstances.

It said the company's operations "have been affected by the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East and the recent attack on its refinery complex."

It insisted that local demand could still be met.

(AP)

The human rights group Human Rights Watch said in a report Monday that the Israeli military "unlawfully" hit a village in southern Lebanon with shells containing white phosphorus, a controversial incendiary munition.

Through geolocating and verifying seven images, Human Rights Watch said Israel fired white phosphorus using artillery at residential areas in the southern Lebanese village of Yohmor. It happened hours after the Israeli military warned the residents of the village and dozens of others in southern Lebanon to evacuate.

Human Rights Watch said it couldn't independently identify if any residents were still in the area or if anyone was harmed.

Human rights advocates say the use of white phosphorus is illegal under international law when the white-hot chemical substance is fired into populated areas. It can set buildings on fire and burn human flesh down to the bone. Survivors are at risk of infections and organ or respiratory failure, even if their burns are small.

"The Israeli military's unlawful use of white phosphorus over residential areas is extremely alarming and will have dire consequences for civilians," said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch.

(AP)

Saudi Arabia lambasted Iran on Monday, calling Tehran's attacks targeting the kingdom and their Gulf neighbours "reprehensible", according to a statement from the foreign ministry. 

Saudi Arabia "renews the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's categorical condemnation of the reprehensible Iranian aggressions against the Kingdom, the Gulf Cooperation Council states, a number of Arab and Islamic countries, and friendly nations, which cannot be accepted or justified under any circumstances," the statement posted on the ministry's official X account read. 

(AFP)

#BREAKING | "I am not happy": Trump's first reaction after Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei as new Supreme Leader
NDTV's @NewshoundArjun reports pic.twitter.com/tUTV7I4xCS

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

First Came Inferno, Then Darkness: Tehran 'Blacked Out' After Oil Depots Hit pic.twitter.com/quPBmjpYDP

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

Vietnam is considering a plan to scrap tariffs on fuel imports, the government said, as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts oil supplies and pushes prices to their highest level since 2022.

The ministry of finance said Sunday it had drafted a decree that would slash import tax rates to zero on some petroleum products to "help stabilise the domestic market and ensure national energy security".

"If the conflict continues and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz persists, alternative supplies on the international market will become scarce and risk driving prices up," it said in a statement, referring to the waterway through which a fifth of global crude passes. 

(AFP)

China's envoy to the Middle East urged de-escalation in the conflict-ridden region and called for attacks on civilians to be condemned during talks with Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Beijing said Monday.

Beijing was "deeply concerned" by the current situation in the region, special envoy Zhai Jun told Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan during talks on Sunday, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

"China urges all parties to immediately cease military operations, prevent further escalation of tensions, and avoid causing greater harm to the people of regional countries," he said.

"The sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the Gulf countries are inviolable, and any attacks on innocent civilians and non-military targets should be condemned."

(AFP)

"They Have No Accuracy": Trump Blames Iran For Deadly School Strike https://t.co/mPtIG8vWwS pic.twitter.com/Wn0TNpWywg

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

The Saudi defence ministry said Monday it had thwarted a drone attack targeting an oil field in the kingdom's east, near the Emirati border.

"Four drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field were intercepted and destroyed," a defence ministry statement said.

(AFP)

#BREAKING | Saudi Arabia downs 4 Iranian drones
NDTV's @tejshreethought reports pic.twitter.com/0us0hhJMAS

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

#BREAKING | Iran has betrayed us: Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani pic.twitter.com/mKOxStKddj

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

'Will Remember Lack Of British Support During Iran War': Trump Slams Starmer https://t.co/1hGDMt5dum pic.twitter.com/TkNsS4k8vZ

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

Saudi Arabia sharpened its warnings to Iran early Monday, telling Tehran it would be the "biggest loser" if it continues to attack Arab states.

"The kingdom affirms that the Iranian side has not implemented this statement in practice, neither during the Iranian president's speech nor afterward," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Iran has continued its aggression based on flimsy pretexts devoid of any factual basis."

(AP)

US Senator Lindsey Graham sharply criticised the newly appointed Iranian leader, saying the son of the late ayatollah does not represent the change the region needs. He accused him of spreading hate, benefiting while Iranians suffered, and warned that he could face the same fate as his father.

When it comes to the future of the region and that of the Iranian people, the son of the late murderous ayatollah is not the change we’re looking for. He has lived large as the Iranian people have suffered and he’s been on the front lines of pushing hate because he too is a… https://t.co/UbBjxLmXRC

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 8, 2026

Hong Kong shares plunged more than three percent Monday amid a painful selloff across Asian markets as oil prices soared more than 25 percent and the Middle East crisis continued into a second week.

The Hang Seng Index sank 3.2 percent to 24,933.96 in the morning as the US-Israel war on Iran showed no signs of abating.

(AFP)

It is a matter of relief that there has been no Indian fatality in the unfortunate incident at Al Kharj yesterday evening.
The Embassy has been in touch with the concerned Saudi authorities regarding this issue.
Counsellor (CW) Shri Y. Sabir visited Al Kharj last night and met… https://t.co/R9syP1qW1G

— India in Saudi Arabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) March 8, 2026

A loud explosion was heard in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, an AFP correspondent said, amid the latest outbreak of war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising from the southern suburbs after the blast was heard, the AFP journalist reported.

The area, a Hezbollah stronghold whose residents the Israeli military ordered to evacuate, has been pounded by Israel over the past week but had not suffered any strikes since Saturday.

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that when to end the war with Iran will be a "mutual" decision made with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking by phone with The Times of Israel, Trump said Netanyahu will have input on resolving the conflict.

"I think it's mutual ... a little bit. We've been talking. I'll make a decision at the right time, but everything's going to be taken into account," said Trump.

(Reuters)

Israel's military chief warned on Sunday that the state of emergency in the country could last "much longer" as conflict wracked the Middle East.

"Israel has been under a state of emergency for two years; we must expect it to take much longer -- patience is required," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in video released by the military.

(AFP)

#BREAKING | Fresh missile alert sounded in Israel's Tel Aviv
NDTV's @AdityaRajKaul reports pic.twitter.com/LetxoJbRLR

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

#BREAKING | UAE Releases Dramatic Footage Of Iranian Drone Being Shot Down pic.twitter.com/XipgH7Dpbf

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

Oil Surges To $100 A Barrel As Israel-Iran War Hits Production And Shipping https://t.co/T9K9oBnKfa pic.twitter.com/QifJMYPQBN

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

The United States said Sunday that it was ordering embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran strikes the kingdom in retaliation for the attacks by Washington and Israel.

The State Department said in a travel advisory it had "ordered non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks."

The order indicated ongoing fears about strikes by Iran, as President Donald Trump warns he is ready for weeks more of war and Tehran says it is ready to respond.

The State Department said it continued to warn Americans to "reconsider travel" to Saudi Arabia, though without cautioning against all trips to the kingdom, which has assiduously courted US businesses and politicians.

(AFP)

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged more than 6% early Monday after oil prices soared to over $100 a barrel due to disruptions from the war in the Middle East, casting a shadow over economies heavily dependent on imports of crude and gas from the region.

The Nikkei was down 6.2% at 52,184.41 shortly after trading began. South Korea's Kospi sank 6.1% to 5,180.19 and shares in Australia and New Zealand fell more than 3%.

The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.9%.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude, was at $109.46 a barrel and US benchmark crude traded at $107.37 a barrel. Both were more than 18% above their closing prices Friday.Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged more than 6% early Monday after oil prices soared to over $100 a barrel due to disruptions from the war in the Middle East, casting a shadow over economies heavily dependent on imports of crude and gas from the region.

The Nikkei was down 6.2% at 52,184.41 shortly after trading began. South Korea's Kospi sank 6.1% to 5,180.19 and shares in Australia and New Zealand fell more than 3%.

The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.9%.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude, was at $109.46 a barrel and US benchmark crude traded at $107.37 a barrel. Both were more than 18% above their closing prices Friday.

(AP)

Hezbollah on Monday said it was engaging Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon by helicopter across the Syrian border, the second such operation since the outbreak of the latest conflict with Israel.

In a statement on Monday, Hezbollah said it detected "the infiltration of approximately 15 Israeli enemy helicopters" from the Syrian side of the border in eastern Lebanon, an area where Hezbollah holds sway.

The group said its fighters "engaged the helicopters and the infiltrating force with appropriate weapons, and the confrontation" was ongoing.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency earlier reported "fierce clashes... towards the outskirts of the town of Nabi Sheet to repel Israeli forces that carried out a landing by helicopters" in the area.

(AFP)