US-Iran war news Highlights: Mojtaba Khamenei wounded? Israel makes new claim

The Indian government on Wednesday said that it welcomes the decision from the International Energy Agency to release emergency oil stocks amid the prevailing supply disruptions. The IEA agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil, the largest such move in its history, to try to rein in crude prices which have soared due to supply shocks from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

"India stands ready to take appropriate measures, as necessary, to support global market stability in alignment with the efforts of the International Energy Agency," India's ministry of petroleum & natural gas said in a statement.

(Reuters)

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that any strikes on its territory was ‘unacceptable’. Iraq is one of the nations that has come under attack following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Nobody has yet seen Mojtaba Khamenei since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. While some reports have said that Mojtaba was injured in the strikes in Iran, the new Supreme Leader has not yet addressed the country so far, despite the relentless attacks by the US-Israel faction.

Israel has made a new claim that Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Motjaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, was wounded during the start of the war. The claim has been made by an Israeli intelligence official.

The official gave no details on the nature of the injuries.

Iran's military asks UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain residents to not stay in close proximity of banks. It said, “To the people of Bahrain, the UAE, and Kuwait: Do not remain within one kilometer of banks”

Khatam al‑Anbiya Headquarters spokesperson said, “After the U.S. and Israeli attack on an Iranian bank, we are now free to target U.S. and Israeli economic centers and banks across the region.”

As the conflict with the United States, Israel has entered Day 12, the Iranan military has said that ships of US, Israel, allies in Hormuz strait ‘legitimate targets’ – hinting at possible attacks on them.

Amid the LPG crisis, an Indian government official has said that the country's domestic LPG production is up 25 per cent after the Centre ordered to boost the output.

According to the ranian media, Tehran has accused the United States (US) and Israel of hitting maritime ambulance in Strait of Hormuz.

According to a Times of India report, the IRCTC is mulling temporary suspension of the cooked meal services on the trains for its passengers. The Railways, as per the report, may also issue refunds to the passengers who had booked meals while during their reservations.

Railways officials have told the newspaper that the shortage is affecting the base kitchens where meals are prepared before being loaded into the train pantries. IRCTC prepares as many as 17 lakh meals per day.

Iran on Wednesday fired at Israel and several targets across the Middle East, while at least three ships were hit in the Gulf, demonstrating Tehran can still fight back and disrupt energy supplies despite the most intense US-Israeli strikes yet.

Oil prices that shot up earlier this week have eased and stock markets have rebounded. The end to the war, however, is not in sight.

A loud bang, indicating an explosion, has been heard in Dubai. While the exact location of the ‘loud bang’ is not known yet, there have been explosions in the city since Iran launched attacks on the neighbouring country, saying they targeted the US bases.

As the conflict with the United States and Israel enters Day 12, Iran has threatened to target the US tech companies, according to reports.

Mint couldn't independently verify the reports

The Israeli Defence Forces have issued an evacuation order for residents in several villages in southern Lebanon. The villages that have been asked to vacate include: Yater, Qlileh (Tyre), Kafra (Bint Jbeil), Jabal al-Butm, Majdal Zoun and Hanniyeh (Tyre).

They have been asked to vacate the villages and instructed to head north of the Litani River.

The UAE's air defenses are currently dealing with missile attacks and incoming drones from Iran, and the Ministry of Defense haa confirmed that the sounds heard in various areas of the country are the result of the air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, and fighter jets intercepting drones and loitering munitions.

UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran

MOD asserts that the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones

Bahrain's Civil Aviation Affairs said it had coordinated the successful transfer of aircraft from Bahrain International Airport to alternative airports, Reuters reported.

Authorities confirm that two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) a short while ago, resulting in minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national. Air traffic is operating as normal, said Dubai Media House in a post on X.

Two Iranian drones hit near Dubai International Airport and wounded four people, though flights continue, officials say, as reported by AP.

The Iranian women’s soccer team is in a hotel in Malaysia awaiting travel arrangements to return home, officials said Wednesday, AP reported.

Iran’s embassy in Malaysia confirmed the squad members landed in the capital Kuala Lumpur early Wednesday and are expected to depart when flights are available and Iran’s airspace reopens, according to the Bernama news agency.

“They want to return home,” the embassy told Bernama. (AP)

Another ship came under attack Wednesday in the Persian Gulf, the British military said.

A bulk carrier was hit by a projectile off a distance from the United Arab Emirates, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said, AP reported.

“There is no report of any environmental impact,” the center said. “The crew are reported safe and well.” (AP)

The price of yellow metal declined ₹853 to ₹1.62 lakh per 10 grams in futures trade on Wednesday, tracking a bearish sentiment in the international markets amid mixed signals surrounding the ongoing conflict in Middle East.

According to the MCX data, the yellow metal for April delivery depreciated by ₹853, or 0.52 per cent, to ₹1,62,450 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 7,529 lots.

The United States and Israel traded air strikes with Iran across the Middle East on Wednesday as the besieged Tehran government warned its state security forces were ready with "fingers on the trigger" to confront any anti-government protests, Reuters reported.

Following an exchange of some of the heaviest bombardments in the region yet on Tuesday, the combatants renewed their attacks on opposing targets in Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf as the war stretched into its 12th day.

The United Nations has warned of significant risks to global trade and development, including higher food prices and cost-of-living, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed amid the West Asia conflict.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report Tuesday that the ongoing military escalation in the region due to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliation by Tehran has disrupted shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. (PTI)

A cargo vessel was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a fire onboard and prompting the crew to evacuate and request assistance, Reuters reported citing the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations on Wednesday. (Reuters)

A Sri Lankan court has ordered that the bodies of 84 sailors killed in an attack on an Iranian warship off the island nation's coast last week be handed over to the embassy of Iran, local media reported on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.

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, AFP reported.

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. (AFP)

About half of registered voters — 53% — oppose U.S. military action against Iran, according to a new Quinnipiac Poll conducted over the weekend. Only 4 in 10 support it, and about 1 in 10 are uncertain, as reported by AP.

A new Ipsos poll also found more disapprove than approve of the strikes.

US President Donald Trump reportedly said that his main concern is “freedom” for the Iranian people as US, Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Dubbed as 'Operation Epic Fury,' US' multi-day strike commenced at around 1 a.m. (local time) with a salvo of ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and air-launched munitions from US Air Force and Navy jets, a US official reportedly said.

Iran's Ambassador to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani on Tuesday night (local time) alleged that the US and Israel were deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure.

"They are deliberately and discriminately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure across my country. They show no respect for international law and no restraint in committing these crimes. Densely populated residential area and critical civilian infrastructure are deliberately targeted. So far, these horrific crimes have resulted in the martyrdom of more than 1,300 civilians. They have also destroyed 9,669 civilian sites, including 7,943 residential homes, 1,617 commercial and service centres, 32 medical and pharmaceutical facilities, 65 schools and educational institutions, 13 Red Cross building and several energy supply facilities," he said. (ANI)

The US military said it had destroyed 16 mine-laying Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump warned of a drastic escalation if Iran moved to mine the pivotal waterway, AFP reported.

Full-service carrier Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express have said they will together operate a total of 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on Wednesday. (PTI)

A delegation from the International Crisis Group lead by its CEO Comfort Ero, met the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (South) Neena Malhotra on Tuesday.

The delegation briefed the Secretary on the functioning of the group and the situation in West Asia.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced launching multiple new waves of its ongoing retaliatory Operation True Promise 4 against sensitive and strategic American and Zionist targets. The IRGC said it had launched the "37th wave" of the operation on late Tuesday night.

According to the IRGC, the latest wave "was carried out over more than three hours, with continuous, multi-layered missile strikes, including the heaviest type of missiles." (ANI)

"If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!" - President Donald J. Trump.

Israel's military said Wednesday that it detected missiles heading towards the country from Iran and had activated air defences, as it pressed a "wave" of strikes against Iran and Lebanon, AFP reported.

"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 account. (AFP)

Full-service carrier Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express have said they will together operate a total of 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on Wednesday. (PTI)

Iran accused Israel of killing four of its diplomats in a weekend strike on a seafront Beirut hotel in what it called a “terrorist attack”, AFP reported.

The Israeli military previously said it had "conducted a precise strike targeting key commanders" in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, its foreign operations arm. (AFP)

Qatar Airways said it will operate 29 flights to and from Doha on Thursday after receiving temporary government authorization, AFP reported.

The flights include departures to London, New York and Madrid, even as Iran continues its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf. (AFP)

Iran has launched new strikes on Israeli and American targets in the Middle East, state broadcaster IRIB said on Wednesday.

The barrage was "the most intense and heaviest since the start of the war", lasting three hours, the broadcaster said, citing a statement from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards. (AFP)

Israel's military said Wednesday that it detected missiles heading towards the country from Iran and had activated air defences, as it pressed a "wave" of strikes against Iran and Lebanon, AFP reported.

"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 account. (AFP)

An Israeli strike killed five people and wounded five others in the town of Qana in the Nabatieh district, the Health Ministry said early Wednesday, AP reported.

Another strike in the Tyre district killed one and wounded eight, while a separate strike in the Bint Jbeil district killed one and injured two, the ministry added.

Qatar Airways said it will operate 29 flights to and from Doha on Thursday after receiving temporary government authorization, AFP reported.

The flights include departures to London, New York and Madrid, even as Iran continues its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday it had intercepted seven ballistic missiles in separate attacks targeting an air base and its eastern region, as Iran renewed attacks on its Gulf neighbours, AFP reported.

"Six ballistic missiles launched towards Prince Sultan Air Base intercepted and destroyed," the Saudi defence ministry posted on X, adding in a separate post that it had intercepted another ballistic missile launched "towards the eastern region". (AFP)

The attacks happened late Tuesday, two security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists, AP reported.

Qatar Airways will operate 29 flights to and from Doha on Thursday after "temporary authorisation from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority", the company has announced, AFP reported.

"Following temporary authorisation from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority allowing limited operating corridors, Qatar Airways plans to operate select flights in the coming days to support passengers affected by the disruption," the company said in a post on X late Tuesday. (AFP)

North Korea says it supports election of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, AP reported.

Pyongyang also criticized the United States and Israel for what it called “illegal” attacks on Iran and interference in its internal affairs. (AP)

UAE says air defences responding to Iran missile, drone attack, AFP reported.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations once again criticized the U.N. and its most powerful body — the Security Council — for what he characterized as continued silence while the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran stretches into its 11th day, AP reported.

“The Council is turning a blind eye to these grave violations, despite its primary responsibility under the U.N. Charter to maintain international peace and security,” Amir Saeid Iravani told reporters Tuesday. (AP)