US-Israel vs Iran War News Highlights — ‘We won in the first hour’: Trump claims US victory in Iran war

The Indian government Wednesday said 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," the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a statement.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end “soon”, claiming there is “practically nothing left to target”.

Speaking to US news outlet Axios, Trump said the war is “going great”, and US forces have inflicted more damage than expected.

“We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period,” he said.

Critics, however, said Trump’s objectives in the war have shifted repeatedly, while opinion polls suggest many Americans oppose the conflict.

(Al Jazeera)

The International Energy Agency agreed Wednesday to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the effects on energy markets of the war in the Middle East, reported news agency AP.

The Paris-based organisation said it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from its members' emergency reserves. It's a larger stock than the 182.7 million barrels that were released in 2022 by the IEA's 32 member countries in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Newly-appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was lightly injured ⁠but ​is continuing to operate, an ​Iranian ​official told ⁠news agency Reuters Wednesday.

The ‌official did not give details about when ⁠he ⁠was injured or ⁠why ‌he had ​not ‌made any statement ‌to ​the ​public ​since being appointed the ​new leader.

Two Indians were killed, and one is missing, when merchant vessels came under attack during the current West Asia conflict, an External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

India, he said, remains committed to the welfare of citizens residing in the Gulf region.

(PTI)

The Iranian women’s soccer team left Australia minus seven of its members after tearful protests of their departure outside Sydney Airport and frantic final efforts inside the terminal by Australian officials, who sought to ensure the women understood they were being offered asylum.

As the team's flight time drew nearer and they passed through security late Tuesday, each woman was taken aside to meet alone with officials who explained through interpreters that they could choose not to return to Iran. Seven women ultimately accepted humanitarian visas allowing them to remain permanently in Australia after what Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described as “emotional” meetings. One has since changed her mind, underscoring the tense and precarious nature of their decisions.

(AP)

Members of the Iranian women's national soccer team arrive at Terminal 1 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport after attending a match in Group A of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia, at Sepang, Malaysia, March 11, 2026. (REUTERS)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that the ⁠war ​in Iran must be ​stopped before ​the whole ⁠region is "thrown into the ‌fire", and added that this would be possible ⁠if ⁠diplomacy is given ⁠an opportunity.

Speaking ‌in ​parliament, Erdogan ‌said Turkey was ‌engaged ​with all ​sides ​to seek an ​end to ⁠the war.

(Reuters)

Four loud booms have been heard in Bahrain after emergency sirens sounded, news agency Reuters reported.

Iran's joint military command said banks, financial institutions are now target in Middle East, reported the Associated Press.

The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters issued a statement identifying the targets. It came after Iranian media reported staff at a bank in Tehran had been killed in Israeli-American airstrikes.

The threat would put at risk, particularly Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, which is home to many international financial institutions, as well as Saudi Arabia and the island kingdom of Bahrain.

Speculation over the health of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei grew Wednesday after the son of Iran's president mentioned hearing news about him "being injured". Mojtaba, 56, is the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He long has been a secretive figure within Iran. His father and wife both were killed in an Israeli airstrike February 28 that started the war. Mojtaba has not been seen since, nor has he given any statement since becoming supreme leader on Monday.

In an overnight post on the app Telegram, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote: "I heard news about Mr Mojtaba being injured. I asked friends who were in contact. They said, thank God, he is healthy and there is no problem." He did not elaborate.

(Reuters)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday his country would keep fighting as long as necessary, casting doubt on US President Donald Trump’s insistence the previous day that the conflict would be over “soon.”

And the Islamic Republic’s security chief, Ali Larijani, dismissed Trump’s “empty” threats, insisting that the people of Iran did not fear them.

“Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation,” Larijani warned Trump on X. “Watch out for yourself — lest you be eliminated.”

The remarks from Araghchi, who also ruled out negotiations with Washington, came as Tehran launched a new wave of attacks on US-allied Gulf nations, hours after Trump’s assurances of a swift end to the rapidly widening conflict.

(Times of Israel)

British Airways has cancelled multiple flights to the Middle East due to ongoing airspace instability. Flights to Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv are suspended until March 28, while services to Abu Dhabi remain on hold until later this year.

The airline is closely monitoring the situation and offering affected passengers a range of options. Limited seats are available on repatriation flights from Muscat to London Heathrow on 11 and 12 March for existing bookings. Beyond these dates, flights will pause due to reduced demand but will remain under continuous review.

(Gulf News)

Oil prices plummeted by more than $10 a barrel Tuesday after soaring to an almost four-year high in the previous session after US President Donald Trump predicted the war in the Middle East could end soon, lowering expectations of prolonged disruptions to oil supply. Brent futures were down $10.45, or 10.6%, at $88.51 a barrel by 1504 GMT (11:04 am EDT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down $10.61, or 11.2%, at $84.16.

Oil surged to more than $119 a ⁠barrel ​on Monday to its highest since mid-2022 as supply cuts by Saudi Arabia and other producers stoked fears of major disruptions to global supplies.

Prices later retreated after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a call and shared proposals aimed at a quick settlement to the war, according to a Kremlin aide.

(Reuters)

Iran said the bodies of dozens of sailors killed when the US attacked and sank its frigate Dena will soon be returned to the country.

In a statement reported by Iran’s Fars News Agency, the army’s public relations office said 84 of 104 bodies had been identified and would soon be transferred back to Iran.

The statement said the repatriation was being carried out with the efforts of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government.

(Al Jazeera)

The Netherlands will temporarily move its embassy staff in Iran ⁠to ​Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen ​said on ​Tuesday, ⁠citing safety concerns over the ‌US-Israeli war on Iran.

"Due to increasing risks to ⁠the ⁠safety of our ⁠staff, ‌it has been ​decided ‌to temporarily relocate the ‌activities ​of ​the ​Dutch embassy in Iran ​to Baku, ⁠Azerbaijan," Berendsen wrote on ‌X.

(Reuters)

The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its 11th day. Tehran has continued its barrage of drones and missiles aimed at US bases across all Gulf states which are being used for continued US-Israeli strikes on Iran. On Saturday (March 7), Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to Arab states for the damage incurred and reiterated that Tehran had “no intention of aggression against them”, as Iran has consistently maintained. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) reiterated this, with a commitment to respecting Arab sovereignty. Read the full story here

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority of the UAE said air defence systems are currently responding to a missile threat. It urged residents to remain in a safe location and follow official channels for warnings and updates.

(Gulf News)

The Kremlin said Russian ⁠President ⁠Vladimir Putin, who on Monday, held a call with US President Donald Trump, has offered different options to mediate ⁠and reduce tensions in ⁠the war.

Speaking to reporters, spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined ⁠to offer details ⁠on the specifics of ⁠the “considerations” that Putin raised on the call, but said these proposals are still on the table.

Russia is ready to provide any help it can to reduce the ⁠tensions in the Middle ⁠East, Peskov said.

(Al Jazeera)

Bringing down the regime in Iran is in the hands of the Iranian people, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Our aspiration is to bring the Iranian people to throw off the yoke of tyranny,” said Netanyahu during a visit late last night to the National Health Emergency Operations Center.

“Ultimately, it depends on them. But there is no doubt that through the actions taken so far we are breaking their bones — and our arm is still outstretched.”

A protester holds a banner with pictures of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they hold a rally in solidarity with Iran in Quezon city, Philippines on March 2, 2026. (AP)

“If we succeed together with the Iranian people, we will bring about a permanent end — if such things exist in the life of nations — and we will bring about change,” said Netanyahu.

He added that there is already a “tremendous change” in Israel’s standing in the world.

(Times of Israel)

Pakistani warships were escorting the country’s merchant vessels in the Middle East Tuesday, as the conflict in Iran choked off oil tanker traffic and prompted President Trump to warn of even more aggressive US action if Iranian leaders continue trying to cut off access to energy supplies.

Fighting has slowed ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for about one-fifth of the world’s oil. Pakistan, which heavily relies on energy imports from the Gulf, said on Monday that it had sent warships to accompany merchant vessels to ensure its access to energy supplies.

(NYT)

Turkey said Tuesday that a US Patriot air defence system was deployed to its southeast, near a NATO radar base, as part of steps by the alliance to boost air defences in the face of missile threats from the Iran war.

It is being deployed to ⁠Malatya ​province, the location of the Kurecik NATO radar base, which provides vital data for the alliance and helped identify two Iranian ballistic missiles heading toward Turkey over the last week.

Iran ​has said ​it is not at war ⁠with regional countries and denies explicitly targeting its neighbour, Turkey. Ankara has warned Tehran against firing any ‌more missiles towards it, and the two countries' presidents discussed the issue on Monday.

"In addition to the measures we take on a national level, air and missile defence measures by NATO have been increased. In that framework, one Patriot System is being deployed to ⁠Malatya to contribute ⁠to defending our airspace," the defence ministry said.

(Reuters)

Australia's Qantas Airways and Air New Zealand said Tuesday they are hiking fares due to the Middle East conflict, underscoring how global airlines are struggling to cope with the sudden and soaring costs of fuel.

Jet fuel prices, which were around $85 to $90 per barrel prior to the conflict, have increased sharply to between $150 and $200 per barrel in recent days, New Zealand's flag carrier said as it suspended its financial outlook for 2026 due to uncertainty over the conflict.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has sent oil prices surging, upending global travel, pushing ⁠airline tickets ​on some routes sky-high, sparking fears of a deep travel slump and the potential for the widespread grounding of planes.

Highlighting the chaos around Middle Eastern airspace, planes arriving into Dubai were briefly placed in a holding pattern on Tuesday morning due to a potential missile attack, flight tracking service Flightradar24 said on X. The planes eventually landed.

(Reuters)