Israel Kills 2 Journalists in Lebanon Strike, Claims 1 Was Hezbollah Member
NDTV's @nazir_masoodi reports LIVE from Lebanon's Capital Beirut pic.twitter.com/4I5KBv6aWR

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 29, 2026

The UAE defence ministry said Sunday its air defence system was actively responding to missiles and drones, as Iran pressed strikes in the Gulf a month into the regional war.

"UAE Air Defences system(s) are actively engaging with missiles and UAV threats," the ministry posted on X, adding that the "sounds heard across the country are the result of ongoing engaging operations".

(AFP)

Seafarers' helplines say they are overwhelmed with messages from crews stuck in the Gulf by the Middle East war, desperately seeking repatriation, compensation and onboard supplies.

"Writing to urgently inform you that our vessel is currently facing a critical situation regarding provisions and one crew health conditions," read an email from one seafarer on March 24 to the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)'s Seafarer Support team.

"Immediate supply of food, drinking water, basic necessities is required to sustain the crew," said the message to the team's helpline.

The ITF said it had received more than 1,000 emails and messages from seafarers stuck around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region since the war erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

(AFP)

The Israeli military said Saturday it had struck an industrial complex in Tehran used for the research and development of naval weapons.

"The IDF struck the headquarters of the Iranian terrorist regime's Marine Industries Organization," the military said, adding the strike was part of a wave of attacks conducted overnight from Friday to Saturday.

"This headquarters is responsible for the research, development, and production of a wide range of naval weaponry, including surface and sub-surface vessels, manned and unmanned equipment, as well as engines and weapons."

US President Donald Trump says the United States is winning the war with Iran even as thousands of additional American troops deploy to the Middle East.

He has pilloried other countries for not helping the US, only to say later he does not need their assistance. He has twice delayed deadlines for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He has both threatened to “obliterate” Iran's energy plants if the vital waterway remains largely shuttered and said the US was “not affected" by the closure.

At one point this month, Trump said one of his predecessors — who, he strongly suggested, was a Democrat — privately told him he wished he had taken similar action against Iran. Representatives for every living former president quickly denied that such a conversation happened.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday they had found and dismantled more than 120 unexploded cluster bombs, alleging they were dropped during US and Israeli attacks on a southern province. 

"So far, 122 cluster bombs have been discovered and destroyed around Shiraz and in several towns,"the ISNA news agency quoted Jalal Yarmohammadi, deputy head of public relations for the Guards in Fars province, as saying. 

It was not immediately clear when the bombs, which involve a single projectile that releases multiple bomblets, were dropped, though the statement said it was "several days ago". 

(AFP)

Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt will likely meet in Islamabad for talks on the war in the Middle East, the Pakistani government said on Saturday.

According to reports, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had invited his counterparts and that they would be in the Pakistani capital on Sunday and Monday.

The radar system at Kuwait's international airport was heavily damaged in a drone attack on Saturday, Kuwaiti authorities said.

The attack on the tiny Gulf country caused no casualties, a civil aviation spokesperson told Kuwait's official news agency, but the radar system was badly damaged.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed their first strike on Israel since the start of the Middle East war a month ago, after the Israeli military said it was intercepting an attack.

The attack came after the Yemeni group had threatened to join the regional war if its ally Tehran, continued to be attacked or if more countries joined the conflict.

In a video statement posted on X, spokesman Yahya Saree said the group, which controls most of northern Yemen and targeted Israel with drones and missiles throughout much of the Gaza war, had launched ballistic missiles at Israeli military sites.

A few hours earlier, the Israeli military said in a statement it had "identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat".

Five Indian nationals were injured after debris from intercepted missiles and drones sparked fires in an industrial area of Abu Dhabi today.

"As part of the ongoing follow-up to the previously reported incident in the vicinity of Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi - KEZAD caused by falling debris following the successful interception of a ballistic missile by air defence systems, authorities confirm that the incident has resulted in injuries ranging from moderate to minor sustained by five individuals of Indian nationality," the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

It added, "The public is advised to obtain information only from official sources and to avoid spreading rumours or unverified information".

As part of the ongoing follow-up to the previously reported incident in the vicinity of Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi - KEZAD caused by falling debris following the successful interception of a ballistic missile by air defence systems, authorities confirm that the incident has…

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) March 28, 2026

Iran kept firing missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab nation on Friday, including a strike at a military base in Saudi Arabia that US officials said wounded at least 10 US service members, two of them seriously.

The attack on Prince Sultan Air Base also damaged several US refueling aircraft, said two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. One of the officials said two of the troops were seriously wounded.

Israel, meanwhile, warned Friday it will expand its attacks on Iran, while the US military also continued striking Iran. President Donald Trump delayed his threat to obliterate Iran's energy plants over its effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The UN nuclear watchdog said Friday it had been informed by Iran of a new strike in the area of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the third such incident in 10 days.

Tehran told the agency there was no damage to the operating reactor and no radiation release, and that the plant was functioning normally, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on X.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned that that any strike damaging a reactor could trigger a major radiological incident, urging "maximum military restraint".

The United Arab Emirates said its air defences were responding to an incoming missile and drone attack from Iran early Saturday, as Tehran pressed strikes in the Gulf a month into the regional war.

A defence ministry statement said forces were "intercepting cruise missiles and UAVs (drones)" fired from Iran.

Israel's military said it launched strikes on Iranian "regime targets" early Saturday, as an AFP journalist in the capital Tehran reported hearing around 10 intense blasts and seeing a plume of black smoke.

A brief military statement said Israeli forces were "currently striking Iranian terror regime targets across Tehran", without elaborating.

Iran kept firing missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab nation on Friday, including a strike at a military base in Saudi Arabia that US officials said injured at least 10 US service members, two of them seriously.

The attack on Prince Sultan Air Base also damaged several US refueling aircraft, said two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. One of the officials said two of the troops were seriously wounded.

Israel has hit 2 of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the U.S.
Attack contradicts POTUS extended deadline for diplomacy.
Iran will exact HEAVY price for Israeli crimes

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 27, 2026

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said that the United States can accomplish its military objectives in the war against Iran "without any ground troops", even as Washington is considering sending additional ground troops to West Asia despite the talks with Iran amid the conflict.

Speaking to reporters following the Foreign Ministers meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) here, the US Secretary of State said that the country would destroy all military capabilities of the Islamic Republic in order to keep Tehran from acquiring any nuclear weapons.

"We're going to destroy their navy, we are going to destroy their air force, and we are going to significantly destroy their missile launchers so they can never hide behind these things to get a nuclear weapon," Rubio said

Emergency responders said a man was killed in Israel on Friday after the Israeli military reported missiles fired from Iran, as air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem and explosions were heard from Jericho.

A man, thought to be around 60, died in Tel Aviv following the latest attack, the Magen David Adom emergency service reported, adding that two people suffered mild injuries.

There was a heavy presence of emergency responders at the scene of a missile impact and a main road was partially cordoned off, images from Magen David Adom showed.

.@POTUS: "We're negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up. They have to open up the Strait of Trump—I mean Hormuz. Excuse me, I'm so sorry. Such a terrible mistake." 🤣 pic.twitter.com/TqZptrkEo0

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 27, 2026

Israel's military warned late Friday that Iran had fired missiles toward it as AFP correspondents reported the sound of air raid sirens in Jerusalem.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the military said on its official Telegram channel.

US President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Friday he believes Iran will hold talks with Washington "this week" to end the month-long war in the Middle East.

"We think there will be meetings this week, we're certainly hopeful for it," Witkoff told a business forum in Miami when asked about Iran negotiations.

Elon Musk joined phone call between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump to discuss Iran War: news agency Reuters

The United Nations atomic watchdog repeated its call on Friday for "restraint" in the Middle East war after Israel struck two Iranian nuclear facilities, including a uranium processing plant.

"IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterates (his) call for military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident," the International Atomic Energy Agency said on X, reporting "no increase in off-site radiation levels" at the Shahid Rezayee Nejad Yellow Cake Production Facility.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a virtual meeting with Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors of States and Union Territories to review India's preparedness in view of the war in the Middle East and its potential implications for the country.

Iran state media says nuclear facilities, including heavy-water plant and yellowcake production plant have been targeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meeting with Chief Ministers through video conferencing on the Middle East conflict to review state preparedness and plans.

Chief Ministers of poll-bound states are not attending the meeting. The Model Code of Conduct is in force in these states.

The government had convened an all-party meeting on the Middle East crisis earlier this week. PM Modi also made a statement on the Middle East crisis in the two Houses of Parliament.

Iran-linked hackers have publicly claimed the breach of FBI Director Kash Patel's personal inbox, publishing photographs of the director and his purported resume to the internet. 

Strike on south Beirut without Israeli warning: AFPTV 

Putin hopes Iran war will 'divert attention from his crimes in Ukraine': German FM

"Here's the problem. The strait was open before the war began, we are now seeking to solve a problem that we created. This is insanity!" he said.

Oil prices rose and stocks mostly fell Friday as initial optimism over US President Donald Trump's decision to again delay his deadline for strikes on Iran's energy assets faded.

The cautious response came as governments around the world looked to shore up their economies against surging energy costs, which are adding to inflationary pressures.

Trump has extended a deadline for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy assets, pushing it from Friday to April 6.

The announcement largely failed to lift the mood for markets, with European stocks falling and oil prices up around 2.5 per cent.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday that they had turned back three ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, adding the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports linked to its "enemies".

"This morning, following the lies of the corrupt US president claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was open, three container ships of different nationalities... were turned back after a warning from the IRGC Navy," the Guards said on their Sepah News website.

"The movement of any vessel 'to and from' ports of origin belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies, to any destination and through any corridor, is prohibited," it added.

(AFP)

The deadly bombing of an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war was a "calculated" assault by the United States, Iran's foreign minister said Friday.

In a video address to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Abbas Araghchi slammed the "calculated, phased assault" on an elementary school "in the city of Minab, south of Iran, where more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood".

"The United States' contradictory remarks aimed at justifying their crime could not, in any manner, elude their responsibility," he said, describing the February 28 attack as "a war crime and a crime against humanity".

(AFP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards urged civilians across the region on Friday to stay away from areas near US forces, nearly a month into the war with the United States and Israel. 

"The cowardly American-Zionist forces... are attempting to use civilian locations and innocent people as human shields," said the Guards in a statement on their Sepah News website. 

"We recommend that you urgently leave locations where American forces are stationed so that no harm comes to you." 

The deadly bombing of an Iranian school spurred "visceral horror", the UN rights chief said Friday, urging Washington to conclude its probe and demanding justice "for the terrible harm done".

Speaking at the start of an urgent debate in the UN Human Rights Council focused on the February 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab on the first day of the Middle East war, Volker Turk said that "whatever differences countries have, we can all agree they will not be solved by killing schoolchildren".

The bombing "evoked a visceral horror", Turk told the United Nations' top rights body.

"The images of bombed-out classrooms and grieving parents showed clearly who pays the highest price for war: civilians with no power in the decisions that led to conflict," he said.

"In this case, a reported 168 pupils, teachers, school staff, and their loved ones."

(AFP)

Iran's military has warned that hotels housing US soldiers across the region would be targets in its war with the United States and Israel.

"When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American," armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television on Thursday. 

"Should we just stand by and let the Americans strike us? When we respond, naturally we have to strike wherever they are." 

(AFP)

The government's decision to slash excise duties for petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre each was taken at a late-night emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last night, with the Centre stepping in to cushion consumers from the impact of rising global crude prices amid the Middle East crisis.

Sources said the Prime Minister reviewed the situation and directed officials to ensure that any surge in international oil prices does not burden the common people. 

The United Arab Emirates has told the US and other Western allies it would participate in a multinational maritime taskforce to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The UAE is trying to push dozens of countries to create a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort shipping, the report added.

Kuwait's main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack on Friday, authorities said, as Iran pressed on with its campaign in the Gulf in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.

The Shuwaikh port was targeted at dawn "by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties", the Kuwait port authority said in a statement on X.

(AFP)

Appreciating the centre's move to cut excise duty amid the Middle East conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said this will cushion consumers from rising prices. 

A swift and decisive intervention by PM @narendramodi ji to shield 1.4 billion Indians from global price and supply shocks amid the #WestAsia crisis impacting energy & commodity markets.
✅ Central excise duty on petrol & diesel for domestic consumption cut by ₹10/litre each,…

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 27, 2026

Japan's government plans to temporarily lift restrictions on coal-fired power plants as it seeks to ease an energy crunch caused by the Middle East war, an official said on Friday. 

Japanese media, including Jiji Press, had earlier reported the industry ministry was set to announce the proposal, citing unnamed sources. 

"The reported fact is true" and the plan would be presented at an expert panel meeting later in the day, Takahide Soeda, an industry ministry official, told AFP.

(AFP)

Vietnam temporarily waived an environmental tax on fuel to cut soaring petrol prices by more than a quarter on Friday, the trade ministry said, as the Middle East war disrupts global energy supplies.

The environmental protection tax rate on gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel would be slashed to zero from Friday to April 15, according to a trade ministry statement. 

"This is considered an urgent and effective solution to stabilize the petroleum market and ensure national energy security amidst the escalating conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, which is creating the 'biggest energy bottleneck ever'," the trade ministry said in the statement.

(AFP)

US troops could likely seize the Kharg Island relatively quickly, but that would not necessarily lead to a quick and decisive end to the war Trump has been seeking, given its unpopularity at home ahead of November midterm elections.

"A seizure and occupation of Kharg Island is more likely to expand and extend the war than it is to deliver any sort of decisive victory," Ryan Brobst and Cameron McMillan of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies wrote.

They said US troops would be exposed to missile and drone attacks, including, potentially, small but lethal camera-wielding "first-person view drones" that are already used by the millions in Ukraine.

"Upon any successful strikes, the Iranian regime would be expected to release videos of those attacks online, using the graphic deaths of American service members as propaganda," they said.

An airstrike with three missiles targeted a building in Beirut's southern suburbs early on Friday, security sources said.

No further details were immediately available. Israel launched an offensive against Hezbollah after the group opened fire on Israel on March 2, with Hezbollah saying it was acting in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

(Reuters)

Iran on Thursday announced a ban on sending sports teams to events in countries considered "hostile", ahead of a scheduled game between an Iranian and an Emirati club in Saudi Arabia.

It comes nearly a month after US-Israeli attacks on Iran sparked the Middle East war on February 28.

The Iranian ministry of sports and youth announced that "the presence of national and club teams in countries that are considered hostile and are unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice", according to a statement carried by the ISNA news agency.

It cited "the publication of some news about the confrontation of the Tractor team against a team from the Emirates in Saudi Arabia" in the AFC Champions League as the reason behind the ban.

"The Football Federation and clubs will be obliged to notify the Asian Football Confederation of this matter in order to relocate the games," it added.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday they had carried out missile and drone strikes the previous day targeting sites in Israel and military facilities in the Gulf used by US forces.

The strikes involved long- and medium-range missiles and "destructive and roaming drones", and targeted sites in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, the Guards said in a statement carried by the IRNA and Fars news agencies.

The statement said a maintenance facility for US air defence system Patriot was targeted in Bahrain.

(AFP)

The Indian rupee hit a record low past the 94-per-dollar mark on Friday, hammered by worries that the energy supply crisis sparked by the Middle East war will drag on, deepening the pressure on energy importing economies.

The rupee fell to 94.1575 per dollar, eclipsing its previous all-time low of 93.98 hit earlier this week. It has declined about 3.5% since the war began late last month.

(Reuters)

"In view of the West Asia crisis, the central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption has been reduced by Rs 10 per litre each. This will provide protection to consumers from rise in prices," wrote Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Finance Minister informed that duties have been imposed on exports of diesel at Rs 21.5 per litre and on ATF at Rs 29.5 per litre. "This will ensure adequate availability of these products for domestic consumption. The Parliament has been notified about the same," she added.

In view of the West Asia crisis, the central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption has been reduced by ₹10 per litre each. This will provide protection to consumers from rise in prices. Hon. PM @narendramodi has always ensured that citizens are protected from…

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) March 27, 2026

The Centre on Thursday said India's energy supply is secure for "many months" and urged people not to resort to panic buying of fuel and LPG based on social media rumours.  

India, the ministry stressed, has 74 days of total reserve capacity and around 60 days of actual stock cover (including crude stocks, product stocks and the dedicated strategic storage in caverns). 

"Nearly two months of steady supply is available for every Indian citizen, regardless of what happens globally. The next two months of crude procurement have also been secured. India is completely secure for the next many months and the quantity in strategic cavern storage becomes secondary in such a supply situation. Therefore, any representation that India's reserves are depleted or insufficient should be dismissed with the disdain it deserves," it said. 

Industry sources say the reduction in excise duty is unlikely to translate into lower prices at fuel stations for most consumers as the cut will larely be absorbed by oil marketing companies (OMCs) to offset heavy losses on pump sales.

OMCs are currently losing Rs 48.8 per litre of petrol or diesel sold, in large part due to the surge in Brent crude prices; the global benchmark crossed US$100 per barrel red line after the US-Israel war on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

The excise duty cut also comes a day after Nayara Energy, the country's largest private fuel retailer with an 8.4 per cent market share and backing by Russian company Rosneft and Kesani Enterprises, hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs 5.3 and Rs 3 per litre, respectively, NDTV Profit reported.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri welcomes the government's move to cut excise duty as petro and diesel prices rise globally amid US-Isael conflict with Iran.

"International crude prices have gone through the roof in the last 1 month from around 70 dollars/barrel to around 122 dollars/barrel. Consequently, petrol and diesel prices for consumers have gone up all over the world. Prices have increased by around 30%-50% in South East Asian countries, 30% in North American countries, 20% in Europe and 50% in African countries," Puri wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He said India had two choices, either to increase prices drastically or bear the brunt on its finances. 

He went on to thank PM Modi for "taking a hit on its own finances again to safeguard the Indian citizen."

International crude prices have gone through the roof in the last 1 month from around 70 dollars/barrel to around 122 dollars/barrel. Consequently, petrol and diesel prices for consumers have gone up all over the world. Prices have increased by around 30%-50% in South East Asian…

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 27, 2026

A Thai-flagged cargo ship that was hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month has run aground off Iran's Qeshm Island, Iran's Tasnim news agency said on Friday.

Thailand said 20 crew members were rescued by the Omani navy, while three were missing after an explosion in the stern of the ship, Mayuree Naree, caused a fire in the engine room.

(Reuters)

Watch #TheBreakfastShow with @divyawadhwa | PM Modi to chair meeting with Chief Ministers today on West Asia crisis pic.twitter.com/TJ1bocl5gl

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 27, 2026

The government on Friday slashed excise duties for petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre each, bringing them down to Rs 3 per litre of petrol and zero for a litre of diesel.

The reduction comes amid a global energy crisis due to the US-Israel war on Iran and the consequent Tehran-imposed blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's crude oil and gas supply - between 20 and 25 million barrels per day - is shipped.

Pre-war, India bought 12 to 15 per cent of that oil.

US President Donald Trump said that taking control of Iran's oil supply remains "an option", although he did not elaborate when asked about the possibility amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters during a Cabinet meeting in the White House on Thursday, the US President, referring to the idea of seizing Iran's oil as part of broader strategic considerations in the region, said, "I mean, I wouldn't talk about it, but it's an option."

Indian carriers will operate a little over 23,000 weekly domestic flights from March 29 to October 24, according to the summer schedule released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This is about 10 per cent fewer than the same period last year, Last summer, airlines operated 25,610 weekly flights. A 10 per cent reduction brings that number down by roughly 2,560 services to around 23,049 flights a week this year.

Based on export estimates from Tankertrackers.com and prices for the country's flagship grade Iranian Light, Tehran would have earned about $139 million a day from sales of its main Iranian Light crude blend so far in March, up from $115 million in February.

🔴#BREAKING | Iran Earning $139 Million A Day From Oil Amid Hormuz Crisis: Report
NDTV's @NewshoundArjun joins @reetksahni with more details pic.twitter.com/jWOhOlYiyo

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 27, 2026

'Jag Vasant' vessel carrying 47,000 metric tons of LPG arrives at Gujarat's Vadinar Port. 

A Thai-flagged cargo ship that was hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month has run aground off Iran's Qeshm Island, Iran's Tasnim news agency said on Friday.

Thailand said 20 crew members were rescued by the Omani navy, while three were missing after an explosion in the stern of the ship, Mayuree Naree, caused a fire in the engine room.

The United States has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon said.

🔴ELIMINATED: Hassan Mohammad Bashir, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s anti-tank array in the Hajir area.
Bashir advanced hundreds of terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians. He commanded several terrorist cells & recently, he had begun integrating into the…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 26, 2026

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would not yet strike Iranian power plants as previously threatened after a request from the government in Tehran, and added that talks with the Islamic republic were "going very well."

"As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

"Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well."

The Israeli military said on Thursday it requires additional troops for deployment in southern Lebanon, where forces are engaged in fighting Hezbollah as part of efforts to establish a buffer zone.

"On the Lebanese front, the forward defensive zone that we are creating requires additional IDF forces," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised briefing, noting that the military is operating simultaneously across multiple fronts, including the West Bank, Gaza and Syria.

"For that, more combat soldiers are needed in the IDF."

Israel's main opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the government Thursday of steering the country toward a "security disaster" due to a shortage of combat soldiers.

"The IDF is stretched to the limit and beyond. The government is leaving the army wounded out on the battlefield," Lapid said in a televised statement, echoing a warning delivered a day earlier by military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir to the security cabinet, according to Israeli media reports. 

"The government is sending the army into a multi-front war without a strategy, without the necessary means, and with far too few soldiers," Lapid said.

Trump insists Iran operations 'extremely' ahead of schedule.

(AFP)

The EU's top diplomat Thursday accused Russia of providing intelligence support to Iran in the Middle East war to "kill Americans", calling on the United States to increase pressure on Moscow.

"We see that Russia is helping Iran with intelligence to target Americans, to kill Americans, and Russia is also supporting Iran now with the drones so that they can attack neighbouring countries and also US military bases," Kaja Kallas told journalists at a G7 meeting outside Paris.

"These wars are very much interlinked... If America wants the war in the Middle East to stop, Iran to stop attacking them, they should also put the pressure on Russia so that they are not able to help them in this," she added, referring to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Iran has responded through unnamed intermediaries to a 15-point US plan to end the war, news agency Tasnim reported on Thursday, and is now waiting for Washington's reply.

The exact contents of the US plan, conveyed to Iran via Pakistan according to Pakistani officials, are not officially known.

"Iran's response to the 15 points proposed by the US was officially sent last night through intermediaries, and Iran is awaiting the other side's response," Tasnim reported, citing an informed source.

(AFP)

The United States on Thursday confirmed the death of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Navy commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri from an Israeli airstrike, according to a post on X from US Central Command.

🔴#BREAKING | Security alert over Iran-aligned attacks; US Embassy in Iraq urges citizens to leave nation
NDTV's @GaurieD joins @radhika1705 with more details pic.twitter.com/D2czYFT4Dm

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

China on Thursday urged parties to the Middle East conflict to "create conditions for starting truly meaningful and sincere peace talks".

"The pressing priority is to actively promote peace talks, seize the opportunity of peace and promote the cessation of the war," Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular briefing when asked if China was aware of any ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States.

His remarks come after China's foreign minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that he saw "a glimmer of hope for peace" in the wake of signals about negotiations between the US and Iran.

(Reuters)

🔴#BREAKING | Iran moves to prevent supply chain disruption, prioritises rebuild of damaged factories
NDTV's @tejshreethought joins @radhika1705 with more details pic.twitter.com/YyGAYyrrgb

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

South Korea will roll out a $17 billion "wartime" supplementary budget and expand fuel tax cuts as the war in Iran pushes up energy prices, the government said Thursday.

"The government will draw up a supplementary budget worth 25 trillion won next month -- funded by excess tax revenue -- in response to the prolonged Middle East conflict," the government said in a statement.

(AFP)

After being stranded near the Strait of Hormuz for nearly 23 days due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Indian-flagged LPG tanker Jag Vasant is expected to reach Vadinar port in Gujarat by midnight today.

Iran levels counter-conditions to US' peace proposal - War endgame sees sharp divide@VishalV054 pic.twitter.com/YyLMVFEpxZ

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

🔴#BREAKING | Iran missile strike hits Israel's Beit Shemesh, civilian casualties feared
NDTV's @tejshreethought joins @radhika1705 with more details pic.twitter.com/ArNaWU6MT1

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

🔴#BREAKING | Iran Naval Commander Alireza Tangsiri Overseeing Hormuz Blockade Killed: Israelhttps://t.co/Plye2JAVha
NDTV's @GaurieD joins @radhika1705 with more details pic.twitter.com/3zCb4EuGkT

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

Watch #BreakingGround with @VedikaS | Iran war: Reports say Trump may announce truce on Saturday
NDTV's @GaurieD reports more details pic.twitter.com/FP4CEOYq9y

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

Two people were killed and three were wounded by falling debris after air defences intercepted a ballistic missile on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, the government media office said on Thursday.

"The incident resulted in the deaths of two unidentified individuals, three injuries, and damage to a number of cars," the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a post on X.

(AFP)

Watch #BreakingGround with @VedikaS | Iran levels counter-conditions to US' peace proposal - War endgame sees sharp divide
NDTV's @Journo_yusef reports more details from Tehran pic.twitter.com/0FBWUyK99D

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

Watch #BreakingGround with @VedikaS | What are the possible obstacles to ending the Iran war? Here are the details pic.twitter.com/RGG8CcpSme

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 26, 2026

The Israeli military said air defences responded to missile attacks from Iran on Thursday that according to medics left six people lightly wounded and caused some damage.

A spokesperson for Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said paramedics were providing medical treatment to "six people who were lightly injured by blast effects", updating an earlier toll of two injured.

The military said Home Front Command rescuers were called to an impact site "in central Israel".

In three separate statements in around 90 minutes, the military said it had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel".

(AFP)

Iran 'junks' Trump's peace proposal, fires back with 5 conditions pic.twitter.com/cfxR7LCzPH

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Why Mohammad Ghalibaf Could Be A Critical Cog In Trump's Iran Project pic.twitter.com/Rxrt36OOPn

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🔴#BREAKING | Trump wants to end Iran war in coming weeks, wants to avoid protracted war, reports Wall Street Journal
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Iran Preps For Island Warfare Amid Talk Of US Ground Offensive On Kharghttps://t.co/LkWuE96sun pic.twitter.com/JQ9AuilJOv

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The Israeli military said air defences were responding to "missiles launched from Iran" early Thursday, with sirens activated across central Israel, parts of Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," a military statement said, more than 14 hours after announcing a previous missile attack.

(AFP)

Emirati air defences were responding to an Iranian missile and drone attack on Thursday, the UAE's defence ministry said.

"UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran," the ministry said in a post on X.

(AFP)

🔴#BREAKING | Hormuz control demand by Iran amid war conditions; Tehran drafts law for shipping fees, as per reports
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Taiwan has been targeted by a wave of online disinformation claiming the self-ruled island's gas supplies will soon be completely depleted due to disruptions from the Middle East war -- a narrative officials say could cause panic and undermine confidence in the government.

The false social media posts, which have amassed thousands of views on Chinese-language platforms, include a persistent claim that Taiwan will run out of liquefied natural gas (LNG) within 11 days and face electricity blackouts due to Iran's restrictions on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

AFP fact-checkers found around two dozen Douyin posts from China-based accounts pushing the narrative, many of them rehashing the same video script. Some also criticised Taiwan's decision to shut down its nuclear reactor last year, while others promoted Beijing's offer for "peaceful reunification" as a path to energy security.

Taiwanese authorities have refuted the rumours, saying there are sufficient LNG reserves for March and April.

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump said Iran was desperate to make a deal to end nearly four weeks of fighting, contradicting the Iranian foreign minister who said his country was reviewing a US proposal but had no intention of holding talks to wind down the conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said while there had been no dialogue or negotiation with the US, various messages had been exchanged through intermediaries.

"Messages being conveyed through our friendly countries and us responding by stating our positions or issuing the necessary warnings is not called negotiation or dialogue," Araghchi said in a state television interview on Wednesday. "It is simply an exchange of messages through our friends."

(Reuters)

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo is ready to host talks to support de-escalation between the US and Iran and backs President Donald Trump's push for negotiations, adding he hopes there will be direct talks between the two sides, according to an Al-Jazeera report.

🔴#BREAKING | Iran Claims It Shot Down American F-18 Jet, Then A US Fact-Check
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Israel's military said Thursday its forces had carried out a wave of strikes across Iran, including in the central city of Isfahan.

A brief military statement said Israeli forces "completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in several areas across Iran".

(AFP)

Asian stocks struggled for direction while the dollar held firm on Thursday as investors treaded cautiously amid dizzying developments in the Middle East, where Iran said it would weigh a U.S. proposal to end the Gulf conflict.

The widening war has jolted global markets, sending oil prices soaring, reigniting inflation fears and scrambling global rate expectations.

It was a mixed picture in Asia in early trading with Japan's Nikkei up 0.6% while South Korean stocks were down 1.2%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged 0.23% lower, set for a 8.7% decline in the month, its biggest monthly drop since October 2022.

The dollar held firm near recent highs and was on track for a 2% monthly gain, cementing its status as the markets' preferred safe haven.

(Reuters)

Australia banned visitors from Iran on Thursday, saying war in the Middle East increased the risk they would refuse to fly home once their short-term visas expired. 

For the next six months people travelling on Iranian passports will be barred from visiting Australia for tourism or work, the Home Affairs department said. 

"The conflict in Iran has increased the risk that some temporary visa holders may be unable or unlikely to depart Australia when their visas expire," it said in a statement. 

Some exceptions would be made on a case-by-case basis, the department added, such as for the parents of Australian citizens. 

"There are many visitor visas which were issued before the conflict in Iran which may not have been issued if they were applied for now," Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said. 

"Decisions about permanent stays in Australia should be deliberate decisions of the government, not a random consequence of who booked a holiday." 

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that Iran was taking part in peace talks, suggesting Tehran's denials were because Iranian negotiators fear being killed by their own side.

"They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they're afraid to say it, because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.

"They're also afraid they'll be killed by us."

The US leader's comments came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that "we do not intend to negotiate".

(AFP)

🔴#BREAKING | "US requesting conversations, sending messages via mediators" : Iran
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🔴#BREAKING | Iran Speaker Warns "Enemies Are Preparing To Occupy" Island
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🔴#BREAKING | "Fully stop aggression" : Iran issues own plan to end war
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Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said negotiations with Israel under fire would amount to "surrender", as the Iran-backed group launched attacks and Israel said it was expanding a "buffer zone" inside Lebanon.

Israel, which occupied southern Lebanon for around two decades until 2000, has kept up strikes on its northern neighbour and sent ground troops to take control of a strip up to the Litani River, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had already "created a genuine security zone" and was now expending it, pushing deeper into Lebanon.

"We are simply creating a larger buffer zone" that could prevent a ground invasion of Israel and missile attacks, Netanyahu said in a video shared by his office.

(AFP)