Iran on Monday confirmed the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri after he sustained severe injuries, Iranian media reported citing a guards’ statement. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz had said on March 26 the IDF “in a precise and lethal operation” eliminated Tangsiri along with senior naval command officials.
Key developments:
– US President Donald Trump publicly said he considered seizing Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal, and repeatedly said he wanted “to take the oil in Iran,” calling the move one of several possible options. He also said the US was negotiating with Iran “directly and indirectly.”
– Despite tentative signs of progress in nascent ceasefire talks, US and Israeli strikes on Iran continued.
– Iran executed two men convicted of links to the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran and plotting armed attacks, its judiciary reported.
– Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for clarity from President Trump on the objectives of the war and urged de-escalation.
– Rising global fuel prices driven by the conflict have hit economies worldwide, including businesses in Kosovo facing higher operating costs.
– Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire days after a temporary pause in fighting, increasing regional tensions as Islamabad prepared to host US-Iran talks.
– The US deployed additional forces: several hundred special operations personnel arrived in the region, joining thousands of marines already sent aboard amphibious assault ships.
– Israel’s military reported launching more than 140 air strikes on central and western Iran, including Tehran, over a 24-hour period, targeting ballistic missile sites and storage facilities.
– Markets reacted to the widening conflict: Asian stocks fell and Brent crude moved toward a record monthly rise. The US dollar held firm amid concerns of a prolonged Middle East war.
– Australia announced a temporary halving of its fuel excise for three months to relieve domestic fuel costs.
– President Trump said his intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, was “softer” than him on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
– US- and Israeli-led air raids reportedly struck a petrochemical unit in Tabriz, Iran.
– An Indian worker was killed in an Iranian attack on a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, which also damaged a service building, Kuwaiti authorities said.
– Iran’s parliament speaker warned the US against any ground invasion and said Tehran would respond if American soldiers were deployed, rejecting humiliation.
Image reports: Smoke rose from Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli strike amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and the wider US-Israel conflict with Iran. (Agencies)
