US

Khamenei's son takes charge as Iran war sends oil price soaring

Israel

NATO intercepts second Iran missile in Turkish airspace

BY BURCIN GERCEK

  • "A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets in the eastern Mediterranean," it said.
  • NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace on Monday, prompting a stern warning from Turkey to Tehran not to take "provocative steps".
  • "A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets in the eastern Mediterranean," it said.
NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace on Monday, prompting a stern warning from Turkey to Tehran not to take "provocative steps".
The Turkish and Iranian presidents spoke by telephone after the second such incident over NATO member Turkey in five days, according to Iranian media. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian offered to set up a joint inquiry.
The missile was reported just after the United States urged all American citizens to leave southeastern Turkey, where US troops are stationed at several bases.
Since the US-Israeli war against Iran started, Tehran has launched strikes across the Middle East. Turkey had appeared to have been spared, despite the presence of US troops, including at Incirlik airbase just outside the southern city of Adana.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the missile incident the country would "take the necessary measures to defend our nation".
"Despite our sincere warnings, extremely wrong and provocative steps continue to be taken that will jeopardise Turkey's friendship," he said after a cabinet meeting.
"Persistence and stubbornness in wrongdoing should be avoided."
Iranian media said that in a call with Erdogan late Monday, Pezeshkian offered to set up a joint inquiry into "the allegations of countries and regimes hostile to Iran, in order to clear up the misunderstanding". 
Pezeshkian was quoted as saying that the United States and Israel wanted to "sow discord" between Iran and its neighbours.
The call came after Turkey summoned the Iranian ambassador over the incident, foreign ministry sources said. 
It did the same on March 4 after NATO forces intercepted a first Turkey-bound ballistic missile launched from Iran.

'Neutralised'

The United States closed its consulate in Adana and advised non-essential staff and all family members to leave. A US State Department travel advisory said: "Americans in southeast Turkey are strongly encouraged to depart now."
Turkey's defence ministry later confirmed that a ballistic missile fired from Iran had been intercepted by NATO defence systems.
"A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets in the eastern Mediterranean," it said.
"NATO has again intercepted a missile heading to Turkiye. NATO stands firm in its readiness to defend all Allies against any threat," alliance spokeswoman Allison Hart said on X, using Turkey's official name.
Incirlik air base is an important NATO facility that has been used by US troops for decades.
Also Monday, Turkey deployed six F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as a security measure, days after the island was hit by a drone attack. Nicosia said the Iranian-made drone was probably fired by Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, and not from Iran.

Fragments hit construction site

Some fragments from the latest munition fell in open territory in the Gaziantep area, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) east of Adana, causing no injuries, Turkey's defence ministry said.
"At around 11:30 am (0830 GMT), a fragment of ballistic munition fell onto an empty area above the TOKI housing estate," the Gaziantep governor's office said, adding there was no damage.
"We were sitting at home when suddenly we heard a big bang. Since there's a construction site here, we thought the noise was coming from there. But when we came and looked, we saw the missile fragment," resident Ramazan Akpinar told DHA news agency.
After the March 4 missile interception, NATO said it was strengthening its "ballistic missile defence posture".
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the earlier missile had been spotted by Spanish troops manning a Patriot missile battery, who are based at Incirlik. They reported the attack though they were not the ones that shot it down, she said.
bg-hmw/tw/smw

US

US, Israel see gap on Iran as Trump under pressure

BY SHAUN TANDON

  • But Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised eyebrows when he told reporters that the "imminent threat" faced by the United States -- a key legal threshold as Congress constitutionally has power to declare war -- was that Israel had already decided to attack Iran, which would have then retaliated against US forces.
  • Ten days after attacking Iran together, the United States and Israel have seen a public divergence, with President Donald Trump facing political pressure and not sharing Israel's long-term goals.
  • But Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised eyebrows when he told reporters that the "imminent threat" faced by the United States -- a key legal threshold as Congress constitutionally has power to declare war -- was that Israel had already decided to attack Iran, which would have then retaliated against US forces.
Ten days after attacking Iran together, the United States and Israel have seen a public divergence, with President Donald Trump facing political pressure and not sharing Israel's long-term goals.
The allies face a stark divide in how their publics view the war, with historically low support by Americans for an offensive enthusiastically backed by most Israelis.
With the price of oil spiking, a warning sign in US politics, Trump told CBS News on Monday that the war was "pretty much" over, despite his earlier vows with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue weeks if not months of attacks.
US officials voiced unease after Tehran residents woke up Sunday to apocalyptic scenes of black smoke blocking out the sun and choking them, following Israeli attacks on fuel depots around the city of 10 million people.
Even Senator Lindsey Graham, a hawkish Republican ally of Trump who has urged war on Iran for years, called on Israel to "please be cautious about what targets you select." 
"Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life when this regime collapses," Graham wrote on X.
Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that US and Israeli goals were mostly similar -- but not identical.
He said that Israel wants Iran, whose cleric-run government has championed Hamas, to be "permanently weakened" -- a strategy Israel has pursued across the region, notably in repeatedly bombing historic adversary Syria despite a change in government.
"The US may not have as much of an appetite for a long conflict, especially because we have priorities in other theaters that Israel obviously doesn't have, and we can pack up and go home whereas Israel can't," said Singh, who served as the top White House advisor on the Middle East under former president George W. Bush.
Both Netanyahu and Trump have spoken favorably of Iranians overthrowing the Islamic republic, which faces widespread opposition and ruthlessly suppressed protests in January, but neither has made it an explicit goal.
Trump -- who for years denounced US interventionism in the Middle East as wasteful and misguided -- has offered different explanations for attacking the country of 90 million people, mostly focusing on degrading its military.
But Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised eyebrows when he told reporters that the "imminent threat" faced by the United States -- a key legal threshold as Congress constitutionally has power to declare war -- was that Israel had already decided to attack Iran, which would have then retaliated against US forces.

Growing partisan gap

Israel retains strong support within Trump's Republican Party but the rival Democratic Party -- and a few prominent voices on the right -- have accused Trump of blindly following Israel into a regional war.
A Quinnipiac poll released Monday found that a narrow majority of Americans were against military action in Iran -- 53 percent, a striking level of opposition just days into a war -- and that 44 percent believed the United States was too supportive of Israel.
A recent Gallup poll found that for the first time more Americans sympathized with the Palestinians than the Israelis in their conflict, after Israel reduced Gaza to rubble in relentless bombardment following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, considered a likely Democratic candidate for president in 2028, recently questioned US aid to Israel and agreed that its treatment of Palestinians showed it to be an "apartheid state" -- a charaterization strongly resented by Israelis and once unthinkable for a leading American political contender.
Aaron David Miller, a veteran US negotiator on the Middle East who is now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Netanyahu has become even more dependent on Trump as Israel this year holds elections, in which the veteran prime minister will want to show he has the US president's support.
"When Donald Trump says stop, this is going to stop, no matter whether the Israelis feel it's mission accomplished or not,  because the degree of leverage that Trump has over Netanyahu is unprecedented in the history of a presidents' relations with Israeli prime ministers," Miller said.
sct/sla

Israel

UK warplanes down drones in Middle East, conduct 'defensive' sorties for UAE

  • "The UK is now conducting defensive air sorties in support of the UAE," Healey told MPs in a statement.  
  • British warplanes have begun "defensive air sorties" in support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and taken out drones elsewhere in the Middle East amid the ongoing war, the UK defence ministry said Monday.
  • "The UK is now conducting defensive air sorties in support of the UAE," Healey told MPs in a statement.  
British warplanes have begun "defensive air sorties" in support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and taken out drones elsewhere in the Middle East amid the ongoing war, the UK defence ministry said Monday.
The development came as Britain's response to the conflict was under criticism, including from the US president and the Cypriot government.
More US B-52 bombers landed at the UK air force base in Fairford, in southwestern England, on Monday, AFP witnessed, after a first one landed on Friday.
Fairford is one of two bases, along with the Diego Garcia facility in the Indian Ocean, that the UK has given the US permission to use for "specific defensive operations into Iran" to destroy Iranian missiles at source, Defence Minister John Healey said.
"The UK is now conducting defensive air sorties in support of the UAE," Healey told MPs in a statement.  
"Typhoons successfully took out two drones, one over Jordan, the second heading to Bahrain."  
The foreign office separately announced Monday that "as a precautionary measure" dependants of UK embassy staff in the UAE will be temporarily withdrawn from the country. 
The UK's two embassies in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will however "continue to operate as normal", the foreign office said.
Thousands of British citizens are thought to be stranded in the UAE because of flight chaos caused by the conflict. 
Over 170,000 people in the Middle East have registered their presence with the UK government and three chartered flights have so far taken off, Healey told MPs.
Wildcat and Merlin helicopters have arrived in Cyprus and HMS Dragon, a warship with air-defence capabilities, will set sail for the eastern Mediterranean "in the next couple of days", Healey said, following criticism from the Cypriot government over the speed of Britain's action to defend the island. 
But Downing street earlier dismissed suggestions that Britain is preparing to send its aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, to the region. 
"HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness," a spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
"The MoD (Ministry of Defence) is increasing the preparedness of the carrier, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment, but there is no decision taken to deploy her," he said.
Starmer and President Donald Trump held a call Sunday about the war, officials said, after fierce criticism of the British premier by the US leader.
Trump had lobbed insults at Starmer over the latter's initial refusal to have any role in the US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28.
mp/rmb

Iran

Australia grants asylum to Iran women footballers

  • "I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women's Soccer Team.
  • 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. 
  • "I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women's Soccer Team.
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.
"They were moved to a safe location by Australian police. I signed off last night on their applications for humanitarian visas," he told reporters.
"They are welcome to stay in Australia, and they are safe here, and should feel at home here."
US President Donald Trump earlier said he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to confirm the women were safe. 
"I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women's Soccer Team. He's on it! Five have already been taken care of," Trump said Monday on his Truth Social network, less than two hours after an initial post urging Australia to take them in.
Trump added that "some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don't return."
The Australian broadcaster ABC reported that five players evaded the team's handlers at their accommodation in the Gold Coast.
Asked about their case on Sunday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia "stands in solidarity" with the people of Iran.
The son of Iran's late shah, US-based Reza Pahlavi, warned on Monday that the refusal to sing the anthem could have "dire consequences", and urged Australia to offer the team protection.
Pahlavi, who has not returned to Iran since before the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the monarchy, has billed himself as the man to lead a democratic transition to a secular Iran as the theocratic regime fights to survive.
Politicians, human rights activists and even "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling have also called for the team to be offered official protection.
"Please, protect these young women," Rowling said in a post on social media.

'Save our girls'

A presenter on Iranian state TV had branded the players "wartime traitors" after they stood motionless during the anthem before their match against South Korea.
In subsequent games, the players saluted and sang.
Crowds gathered outside the Gold Coast stadium where the side played their last match over the weekend, banging drums and shouting "regime change for Iran".
They then surrounded the Iranian team bus, chanting "let them go" and "save our girls".
On Monday, an AFP journalist saw members of the team speaking on phones from their hotel room balconies.
Asked about the possibility of asylum, a spokesperson for Australia's Home Affairs department told AFP earlier it "cannot comment on the circumstances of individuals".
Amnesty International campaigner Zaki Haidari said the women faced persecution, or worse, if they were sent home.
"Some of these team members probably have had their families already threatened," Haidari told AFP.
"Them going back... who knows what sort of punishment they will receive?"
Iran's embassy in Australia did not respond to a request for comment.
sft-oho/mjw/msp

US

Trump hints end of Iran war in sight, saying operations 'very complete'

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, DUBAI AND BEIRUT

  • Trump told the US broadcaster that the United States was "very far" ahead of his initially stated timeframe for the war of four or five weeks.
  • President Donald Trump indicated for the first time Monday that US military operations in Iran could be coming to an end, saying the war was "very complete" and progressing ahead of schedule.
  • Trump told the US broadcaster that the United States was "very far" ahead of his initially stated timeframe for the war of four or five weeks.
President Donald Trump indicated for the first time Monday that US military operations in Iran could be coming to an end, saying the war was "very complete" and progressing ahead of schedule.
The war had sent stock markets slumping and oil prices soaring again on Monday as Tehran, under new leader Mojtaba Khamenei, fired a new barrage of missiles at its Gulf neighbours and signalled that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would likely remain closed.
But Wall Street vaulted into positive territory Monday after Trump's remarks, despite the lack of details on any solution to the conflict still raging in the Middle East.
"I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they've got no air force," Trump told CBS News by phone, repeating battle damage assessments that he has given in previous days.
Trump told the US broadcaster that the United States was "very far" ahead of his initially stated timeframe for the war of four or five weeks.
He is set to give a press conference shortly at around 5:30 pm (2130 GMT) in the ballroom of his Doral golf club near Miami.
On the first day in power for the 56-year-old son of slain leader Ali Khamenei, Iranian troops mustered a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Israel.
Another missile was also fired at NATO member Turkey, the second such incident in five days, with the alliance's air defences intercepting it before it could hit its target.
With the Strait of Hormuz off Iran blocked for almost all oil tankers, the price of benchmark crude oil contracts rocketed past $100 a barrel on Monday -- their highest levels since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 -- before edging back slightly. 
French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country and its allies were working on a "purely defensive" mission to reopen the strait, through which nearly 20 percent of the world's crude oil usually transits.
The mission would be aimed at escorting ships "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict", but experts say it would mean putting navy vessels at risk of incoming fire from the nearby Iranian coast.
Kamal Kharazi, a foreign policy adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told CNN that Tehran was calculating that "the economic pressure will be beefed up to the extent that other countries intervene" to end the war. 
Benchmark oil prices are up 40-50 percent since the US and Israel launched their attack on Iran on February 28, while stock markets around the world are down, hitting pension funds and savings.
Inflation caused by a sustained oil shock would also push up the price of goods for consumers everywhere. 
Queues at petrol stations have been seen as far afield as Vietnam and the Philippines as drivers anticipate higher prices, while Hungary and Croatia in the EU announced fuel price caps.

Rallies

Iran faced a fresh blitz of US and Israeli strikes after its Assembly of Experts, the top clerical body, appointed its first new supreme leader in 37 years.
Iranian state media carried images of tens of thousands of people celebrating Mojtaba Khamenei's selection in central Tehran on Monday, many carrying his picture. 
Iran's rebel Houthi allies in Yemen and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon pledged allegiance, while Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday promised "unwavering support".
Unconfirmed US media reports over the weekend said that Moscow has been providing targeting intelligence to the Islamic republic's military. 
Trump told the New York Post newspaper he was "not happy" about Khamenei's appointment, while Israel's foreign ministry called him a "tyrant".
Ali Ansari, a professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, told AFP the new supreme leader was a hardliner who had "been involved in all the most violent repressions that have taken place over the last 15-16 years". 
Ali Vaez, of the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, said the appointment was intended to send a defiant message that Trump's war "has only replaced one Khamenei with another".

Oil risks

Oil traders, policymakers and central bankers are all watching the Middle East for news about Gulf energy infrastructure, which is crucial for the world economy. 
About 10 vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have come under attack since Iran blocked the waterway in retaliation for the US-Israeli attack, shipping experts say.
Global shipping giant MSC announced that it was formally halting some export shipments from the Gulf, meaning goods sitting on ships would be unloaded.
Following strikes on Bahrain's Al Ma'ameer oil facility that ignited a fire, the country's state-owned energy company Bapco joined its counterparts in Qatar and Kuwait in declaring "force majeure" -- a warning that events beyond its control may lead it to miss export targets.
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.

'Resistance'

In Israel, around 10 explosions were audible in Tel Aviv after the military announced it had detected missiles inbound from Iran.
At least one Israeli was killed when he was hit by shrapnel, emergency services said.
The multi-front war also intensified in Lebanon, which was dragged into the conflict last week when Israel and Hezbollah began trading fire. 
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of working to "collapse" the state, while the head of the group's parliamentary bloc said it had "no other option to preserve honour, pride and dignity than the option of resistance".
Lebanese authorities said on Monday that Israel's attacks since March 2 have killed at least 486 people and wounded at least 1,313.
burs-adp/smw

US

France, allies preparing bid to 'gradually' reopen Strait of Hormuz

BY VALERIE LEROUX

  • Macron said during a visit to Cyprus earlier in the day that the Hormuz mission would be aimed at escorting container ships and tankers in order to gradually reopen the strait "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict".
  • France and its allies are preparing a "defensive" mission to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday as the Middle East war entered its second week.
  • Macron said during a visit to Cyprus earlier in the day that the Hormuz mission would be aimed at escorting container ships and tankers in order to gradually reopen the strait "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict".
France and its allies are preparing a "defensive" mission to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday as the Middle East war entered its second week.
The French leader landed by helicopter on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, dispatched to the Mediterranean after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered a war that has sown regional chaos and which threatens to spill into other parts of the world.
Macron said during a visit to Cyprus earlier in the day that the Hormuz mission would be aimed at escorting container ships and tankers in order to gradually reopen the strait "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict".
"This is essential for international trade, but also for the flow of gas and oil, which must be able to leave this (Gulf) region once again," Macron said during a visit to the island to discuss regional security.
Speaking alongside Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Macron said a "purely defensive, purely support mission" will be put together by European and non-European states.
The European Union on Monday said it was ready to "enhance" its operations to protect maritime traffic in the Middle East.
The EU has been discussing reinforcing its naval mission in the Red Sea after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran triggered a broader regional war.
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key Gulf waterway through which a fifth of global crude passes, has all but halted since the war broke out.
Macron visited Cyprus after the EU member was targeted by Iranian-made drones last week.
The French leader said an attack on Cyprus was an attack on all of Europe.
"When Cyprus is attacked, it is Europe that is attacked," he said.
The drone attack in Cyprus led to France's deployment of the Charles de Gaulle carrier to the Mediterranean, as well as a frigate and air defence units to the island. 
Paris has insisted its stance in the region is "strictly defensive".

Bombing won't bring change

The initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and the Islamic republic on Monday named his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor -- an appointment US President Donald Trump said he was "not happy" with.
Aboard the Charles de Gaulle, Macron said the conflict's duration depended on what US-Israeli objectives were, warning that "profound" changes to the Iranian leadership could not occur "through American-Israeli bombings alone".
"We are putting ourselves in a position to last," he said, adding that the war, "in this intense phase", could last "several days, perhaps several weeks".
The flagship Charles de Gaulle may eventually be deployed to the Strait of Hormuz as part of the announced mission, Macron said.
A French frigate was already taking part in the EU's Operation Aspides, which was launched in the Red Sea in 2024 to prevent attacks on trade vessels by Iran-backed Houthi rebel forces.
Macron earlier said that France would contribute "in the long term" with two frigates to Operation Aspides.
"What we want to do is to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security," he said. 
Separately, the French president on Monday morning spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation in the Middle East and Lebanon, the Elysee said.
vl-cc/rmb

US

Lebanon president accuses Hezbollah of working to 'collapse' state

  • Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa endorsed his Lebanese counterpart on Monday saying, "We stand alongside Lebanese president Joseph Aoun in disarming Hezbollah".
  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of working to "collapse" the state and expressed Beirut's readiness for "direct negotiations" with Israel, drawing the backing of his Syrian counterpart for his goal of disarming the Iran-backed group.
  • Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa endorsed his Lebanese counterpart on Monday saying, "We stand alongside Lebanese president Joseph Aoun in disarming Hezbollah".
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of working to "collapse" the state and expressed Beirut's readiness for "direct negotiations" with Israel, drawing the backing of his Syrian counterpart for his goal of disarming the Iran-backed group.
Lashing out at Hezbollah over its March 2 attack against Israel, which has drawn a devastating Israeli retaliation, Aoun told European officials "Whoever launched those missiles wanted to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese state, plunging it into aggression and chaos... all for the sake of the Iranian regime's calculations".
To stop the war, the Lebanese president proposed a four-point initiative and called on the international community to help implement it.
The plan included "establishing a full truce" with Israel, "logistical support" for the army to disarm Hezbollah, and "direct negotiations (with Israel) under international auspices". 
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa endorsed his Lebanese counterpart on Monday saying, "We stand alongside Lebanese president Joseph Aoun in disarming Hezbollah".
But the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad vowed on Monday evening that his group would "defend our existence whatever the cost", saying the group has "no other option to preserve honour, pride and dignity than the option of resistance".
The statements came as the war between Israel and Hezbollah pushed into a second week, with Israel carrying out heavy strikes on a financial firm linked to the group.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
Lebanese authorities said on Monday that Israel's attacks since March 2 have killed at least 486 people and wounded at least 1,313.
AFP has not been able to carry out a detailed breakdown of the figures. 
According to the government, more than 660,000 people have registered as displaced, with 120,000 sleeping at official shelters as of Monday.

Evacuation warnings

Israel said on Monday it killed the head of Hezbollah's Nasr unit operating in part of southern Lebanon, Abu Hussein Ragheb.
Earlier, the Israeli military struck branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a US-sanctioned financial firm, after issuing evacuation warnings, according to Lebanese state media and AFP correspondents.
The Israeli army said it was "striking Hezbollah infrastructure" in the southern suburbs.
An AFP photographer in the area witnessed a massive explosion, while an armed Hezbollah member fired warning shots into the air to encourage residents to evacuate from their homes.
The Israeli army renewed previous orders for people in the area to leave.
Al-Qard al-Hassan is a lifeline for mainly Shia Muslim communities battling the years-long financial crisis in Lebanon that has locked people out of their bank deposits. 
It says it has more than 30 branches nationwide, mainly in Hezbollah bastions such as Beirut's southern suburbs, but also in central Beirut and other major cities.
In Lebanon's southern city of Sidon, an area outside of Hezbollah's traditional sphere of influence, an AFP correspondent saw ambulances and civil defence vehicles gather around a branch of Al-Qard al-Hassan.
Israel also bombed the firm's branches during its last war with Hezbollah in 2024, including the one in Sidon. 
Meanwhile, in the Christian southern Lebanese town of Al-Qlayaa, Israeli tank fire killed a priest according to state media and a medical source.

'Path of allegiance'

Hezbollah on Monday celebrated the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader.
"We renew our pledge of loyalty to this blessed approach and our steadfastness on the path of allegiance," the group said in a statement.
It also claimed responsibility for at least 10 previous attacks against Israel and its forces.
Earlier on Monday, it also said it had fought Israeli troops who landed in eastern Lebanon by helicopter.
Israeli strikes on sites belonging to the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Committee in the Tyre and Jwaya areas in south Lebanon killed two paramedics and wounded six, the health ministry said, accusing Israel of "systematic targeting of rescue teams".
Despite the bombing in Beirut, Lebanon's parliament met on Monday and postponed legislative elections by two years due to the conflict.
The polls had been scheduled to take place in May.
str-nad-ris/dcp

US

Shipping giant MSC halts Gulf exports amid war risks

  • "In light of the ongoing and exceptional security situation in the Middle East... it is necessary to declare an 'End of Voyage' for certain export shipments" from Gulf ports, "whether located ashore or already onboard", MSC said in an advisory notice to customers.
  • Global shipping giant MSC announced Monday it was formally halting certain export shipments from the Gulf because of the Middle East war and that "all affected cargo will be discharged".
  • "In light of the ongoing and exceptional security situation in the Middle East... it is necessary to declare an 'End of Voyage' for certain export shipments" from Gulf ports, "whether located ashore or already onboard", MSC said in an advisory notice to customers.
Global shipping giant MSC announced Monday it was formally halting certain export shipments from the Gulf because of the Middle East war and that "all affected cargo will be discharged".
"In light of the ongoing and exceptional security situation in the Middle East... it is necessary to declare an 'End of Voyage' for certain export shipments" from Gulf ports, "whether located ashore or already onboard", MSC said in an advisory notice to customers.
The announcement from the world's biggest container shipping firm came as the Iran war sent oil prices soaring on Monday after Tehran, under a new supreme leader, fired a fresh barrage of missiles at its Gulf neighbours and signalled that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would likely remain shut.
The strait is the only sea passage from the Gulf towards the Indian Ocean, through which nearly a quarter of the world's seaborne oil supplies pass, as well as a significant amount of cargo.
MSC said its decision "reflects the exceptional nature of the current circumstances" and "does not constitute a breach of contract".
"All affected cargo will be discharged and made available to cargo interests at the designated port. From that point onwards, custody, risk, and responsibility for the cargo will transfer to the cargo interests," it said.
After discharge -- the unloading of cargo from a ship, when responsibility for it is transferred back to the client or recipient -- customers who want to continue the transport of their shipments with MSC via alternative routes or solutions can do so under a new contract of carriage, the shipping firm said.
MSC said it would try to help customers identify and organise the most appropriate onward route, for which a mandatory surcharge of $800 per container will apply, to cover associated additional operational and logistical costs.
"Customers are kindly requested to contact their local MSC office for details of the designated port and to confirm recovery or onward transport instructions," it said.
"MSC sincerely regrets the necessity of this decision, which arises from exceptional circumstances beyond its control."
The United States and Israel began their strikes on Iran on February 28. Since then, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on targets in several Gulf countries.
On March 1, MSC said it had told its vessels in the Gulf to head to safe shelter and had suspended all bookings for worldwide cargo to the Middle East.
Then on March 3, the Geneva-based company said all shipments destined for ports in the Gulf were being diverted to the nearest safe port for discharge.
rjm/nl/jhb

US

War in the Middle East: economic impact around the world

  • - G7 finance ministers -   -  France's finance minister said the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as the world's leading industrialised nations held crisis talks on the economic fallout of the Middle East war, even as they stand ready to do so.
  • Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war on Monday: - Markets -  - Oil prices shot around 30 percent higher in Asian trading.
  • - G7 finance ministers -   -  France's finance minister said the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as the world's leading industrialised nations held crisis talks on the economic fallout of the Middle East war, even as they stand ready to do so.
Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war on Monday:
- Markets - 
- Oil prices shot around 30 percent higher in Asian trading. The main international oil contract, Brent crude, is currently up roughly 41 percent from just before the outbreak of the war and up around 68 percent from the start of the year. The main US contract, WTI, is up around 50 percent from the onset of the war and around 75 percent from the start of the year.
- Russia is ready to supply energy to Europe if it asks, President Vladimir Putin said.
- G7 finance ministers -  
-  France's finance minister said the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as the world's leading industrialised nations held crisis talks on the economic fallout of the Middle East war, even as they stand ready to do so.
- G7 energy ministers are set to meet on Tuesday.
- Transport/tourism - 
- President Emmanuel Macron said France and its allies were preparing a "defensive" mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the Middle East war entered its second week.
- Several ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker MarineTraffic analysed by AFP.
- Lufthansa and Air France extended flight cancellations to Middle East destinations. 
- Global shipping company MSC announced it was formally halting certain export shipments from the Gulf due to the Middle East war and that "all affected cargo will be discharged".
- Initial measures- 
- Croatia, Hungary, South Korea and Thailand imposed price caps on fuel. 
- China asked key refiners in early March to suspend their exports of diesel and gasoline.
- Nigeria's Dangote mega-refinery pledged to prioritise the domestic market to help prevent fuel shortages.
- In Japan, the Nikkei newspaper reported that authorities have asked oil reserves to prepare for their release.
rl/rmb

US

Trump's limited options to curb Iran war oil price surge

BY DANNY KEMP AND THEO MARIE-COURTOIS

  • Trump on Saturday said he would be prepared to take similar measures in the future "just to take a little of the pressure off, the oil pressure."
  • US President Donald Trump is under pressure to curb oil prices sent skyrocketing by the war with Iran, but has only limited tools to fix a problem that is shaking the world economy and is politically toxic at home.
  • Trump on Saturday said he would be prepared to take similar measures in the future "just to take a little of the pressure off, the oil pressure."
US President Donald Trump is under pressure to curb oil prices sent skyrocketing by the war with Iran, but has only limited tools to fix a problem that is shaking the world economy and is politically toxic at home.
Trump has insisted it will be only a "short-term" issue that will end when the war ends, yet soaring gas prices are already hitting voters ahead of US midterm elections later this year in which the economy will be crucial.
"The White House is in constant coordination with the relevant agencies on this important issue, as it is a top priority to the president," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to AFP.
"President Trump and his entire energy team have had a strong game plan to keep the energy markets stable well before 'Operation Epic Fury' began, and they will continue to review all credible options."
- Strait of Hormuz - 
The key driver of the spike in oil prices is the virtual halt in sea traffic through the Strait of Hormuz -- a key Gulf waterway through which a fifth of global crude passes -- since the war broke out on February 28.
Trump said last week that the US Navy was ready to escort tankers through the strait "if necessary" and ordered the United States to provide insurance for commercial shipping.
There has however been no sign yet of such US escorts.
And while French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France and its allies are already preparing a "defensive" mission to reopen the strait, he added that it would only happen "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict."
- Strategic reserves - 
One major option under consideration around the world is tapping into strategic oil reserves -- but it is one Trump played down at the weekend.
"We've got a lot of oil, our country has a tremendous amount," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday. "That'll get healed very quickly."
Trump has somewhat replenished the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which now has 415 million barrels, enough to fill up more than 600 million cars once the oil is refined.
The US government has made four major oil withdrawals in recent history: at the end of the first Gulf War, after Hurricane Katrina, after the Libyan revolution, and during Joe Biden's presidency.
But it could have a limited effect.
"A release of the SPR can help mitigate some of the supply disruption, but it's clearly not enough to overcome the loss of 20 million barrels a day of oil through the Strait of Hormuz," Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates told AFP.
The G7 group of industrialized nations meanwhile is "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves, France's finance minister said Monday. 

Sanctions relaxation

The United States last week said it was considering lifting sanctions on more Russian oil, a day after temporarily allowing India to buy from Moscow -- a move that could ultimately fund Russia's war on Ukraine.
Trump on Saturday said he would be prepared to take similar measures in the future "just to take a little of the pressure off, the oil pressure."
But all of the above options risk having a limited effect.
"It seems as though the Trump administration may not have fully appreciated the cause and effect related to the initiation of this war in this region that's so vital for the global economy," Clayton Seigle, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP.

Venezuela Option

In the longer-term, speculation has swirled about whether Trump will seek to take control of Iran's oil, as the United States did after the military operation that toppled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January.
The US president has boasted that 80 million barrels of Venezuelan crude has been shipped to the United States under a deal with the new leadership in Caracas.
But Trump says it's too early to talk about, with the war still raging and Iran's clerical establishment just picking Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his slain father as supreme leader.
"You look at Venezuela," Trump told NBC News on Monday. "People have thought about it, but it's too soon to talk about that."
dk-tmc-aue/mlm

Global Edition

Colombia's left boosted by legislative vote

BY DAVID SALAZAR

  • Petro, a former guerrilla and Colombia's first leftist president, is barred by the constitution from running again.
  • President Gustavo Petro's left-wing coalition was on track to be the largest bloc in Colombia's next Congress on Monday, after a better-than-expected showing in legislative elections.
  • Petro, a former guerrilla and Colombia's first leftist president, is barred by the constitution from running again.
President Gustavo Petro's left-wing coalition was on track to be the largest bloc in Colombia's next Congress on Monday, after a better-than-expected showing in legislative elections.
The result gives Petro's allies a lift ahead of a tight May 31 presidential vote -- overcoming concerns about political violence, stalled reforms, government infighting, and record cocaine production.
Initial results showed Petro's Historic Pact on course to hold the biggest contingent in the Senate and possibly the lower chamber, though still far short of a majority in either.
Projections suggested the coalition could win about 25 of the Senate's 100 seats, an increase of five from the last election. Official tallies may take several days to complete.
Sunday's vote passed off largely peacefully, a relief after a campaign season marred by the killing of more than 60 political and community leaders, including a presidential hopeful.
Whoever replaces Petro in August will confront a splintered Congress that will force any incoming administration to build alliances to pass laws.
Petro, a former guerrilla and Colombia's first leftist president, is barred by the constitution from running again.
"We remain polarized both in the Chamber and in the Senate," said 56-year-old bank employee Francisco Vargas. 
"Let's hope that for the good of the people, the president who comes in is not so extreme and keeps their promises." 

Race for the presidency

The presidential frontrunners are currently leftist Ivan Cepeda and right-winger Abelardo de la Espriella.
Cepeda is the son of an assassinated communist senator and rose to prominence investigating former president Alvaro Uribe's ties with right-wing paramilitaries. 
His main conservative rival is De la Espriella, a lawyer who brands himself "The Tiger."
Critics call him extreme, though he recently told AFP he was a democrat who would "respect the constitution."
A new challenger also emerged on Sunday when Senator Paloma Valencia won a center-right primary by a wide margin.
She is backed by powerful ex-president Uribe and could appeal to conservatives uneasy with De la Espriella's harder rhetoric.
Uribe's opposition Democratic Centre was expected to rise from 13 to roughly 17 senators, according to early calculations.
But it remains well below its strength before Petro took office in 2022 and Uribe himself failed to win a seat.
Sunday's results also marked the political exit of the former FARC guerrillas. Under the 2016 peace deal, their party had held ten guaranteed congressional seats from 2018 to 2026.
With that period over, all 17 of their candidates failed to win the election, and their coalition did not clear the threshold to remain a legally recognized party. 
"We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to implementing the peace agreement," the former rebels said. Security, health, and inequality were among voters' top concerns. 
"There is still a lot to do on security," said David Murillo, a 29-year-old recruiter, who had hoped for more support for centrist candidates. 
Two activists who fielded an AI-generated candidate named Gaitana for an Indigenous-reserved seat also failed to win representation. 
bur-arb/des

US

G7 'not there yet' on release of oil reserves: French minister

BY SOPHIE LAUBIE

  • The war in the Middle East is unlikely to trigger a collapse of the world economy on the scale of the 2008 global financial crisis, Nobel prize-winning economist Philippe Aghion said Monday.
  • France's finance minister said Monday the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as the world's leading industrialised nations held crisis talks on the economic fallout of the Middle East war.
  • The war in the Middle East is unlikely to trigger a collapse of the world economy on the scale of the 2008 global financial crisis, Nobel prize-winning economist Philippe Aghion said Monday.
France's finance minister said Monday the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as the world's leading industrialised nations held crisis talks on the economic fallout of the Middle East war.
Earlier Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven advanced economies, said the G7 would this week discuss a possible release of strategic oil reserves.
A possible meeting of G7 leaders on the energy issue could take place this week, Macron told journalists on his way to Cyprus.
However, speaking to reporters after chairing a video meeting of G7 finance ministers, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said the group was "not there yet".
Asked if they had agreed on releasing stockpiles to lower prices, Lescure said from Brussels: "What we've agreed upon is to use any necessary tools, if need be, to stabilise the market, including the potential release of necessary stockpiles."
Such a measure can only be effective if it is implemented in a "coordinated" manner, Lescure added.
The war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran is fuelling fears for the global economy, with global stock markets sinking and oil rocketing above $100 a barrel for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Financial Times reported earlier Monday that the finance ministers of the G7, which also includes Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, were scheduled to discuss a joint release of strategic oil reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The report said three G7 countries, including the United States, had so far backed the idea.
France is also seeking to put together a meeting of G7 energy ministers that would take place on the sidelines of a nuclear energy summit in Paris on Tuesday.
"I wanted us to be able to mobilise close coordination at G7 level to better manage energy issues," said Macron.

'No imminent shortage'

The European Union insisted there was "no imminent oil supply" shortage in Europe.
"Per our rules, all member states must have the 90 days emergency stocks," said European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.
Oil has continued its surge as the US-Israeli war against Iran stretches into a second week and Tehran carries out retaliatory strikes against crude-producing Gulf nations, leaving governments scrambling to respond.
The Nikkei daily reported that the Japanese government had instructed domestic oil reserve bases to prepare to make releases. Tokyo said no decision had been taken.
Japan's strategic oil reserves were more than 400 million barrels as of December, and are among the world's largest. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said last week the reserves were equivalent to 254 days of domestic consumption.
Investors are concerned about the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for maritime trade.
Around 20 percent of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually transit through the strait.
Macron said France and its allies were working to put together a "purely defensive" mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the mission would be aimed at escorting container ships and tankers in order to gradually reopen the strait "after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict".
The EU said it was ready to bolster its maritime operations in the Middle East to protect shipping routes after holding talks with regional leaders.

'Temporary fix'

A G7 release of strategic oil reserves "would offset around 2 to 3 weeks of normal Strait of Hormuz flows", said Lee Hardman, a senior currency analyst at Japanese bank MUFG.
"It would be a temporary fix to help prevent an even more disruptive surge in the price of oil in the coming weeks," he added.
The IEA was created to coordinate responses to major supply disruptions after the 1973 oil crisis.
In order to ensure energy security, the IEA imposes on its members an obligation to hold emergency oil stocks equivalent to at least 90 days of net oil imports.
The war in the Middle East is unlikely to trigger a collapse of the world economy on the scale of the 2008 global financial crisis, Nobel prize-winning economist Philippe Aghion said Monday.
"I see a possible slowdown," he said on RTL radio. "I don't see a collapse."
slb-od-vl-nal-jul-fpo-raz-as/cc/jhb

US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • - G7 to talk oil reserves - French President Emmanuel Macron said the G7 would discuss a possible release of strategic oil reserves, as the Middle East war caused crude prices to steam past $100 a barrel.
  • Here are the latest events in the Middle East war on Monday: - Zelensky says tapped for help - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 11 countries had tapped Kyiv for help on how to counter Iranian drones, being launched by Tehran across the Middle East. 
  • - G7 to talk oil reserves - French President Emmanuel Macron said the G7 would discuss a possible release of strategic oil reserves, as the Middle East war caused crude prices to steam past $100 a barrel.
Here are the latest events in the Middle East war on Monday:

Zelensky says tapped for help

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 11 countries had tapped Kyiv for help on how to counter Iranian drones, being launched by Tehran across the Middle East. 
Ukraine touts itself as having world-class drone defence capabilities, built up through fending off nightly barrages of Iran-style attack drones launched by Russia.

NATO blocks missile in Turkey

Turkey's defence ministry said a ballistic missile fired from Iran was intercepted in Turkish airspace by NATO defence systems, in the second such incident in five days. 
Some fragments from the weaponry fell in open territory in the southern Gaziantep area but did not cause injuries, the ministry added.

Strike hits Iraq base

An airstrike hit a base belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi coalition in northern Iraq, according to officials from the former paramilitary alliance, which includes pro-Iran factions.
One of the officials blamed the strike on the United States, saying it hit a base in the Bartella area near the city of Mosul in Nineveh province. No casualities were reported. 

Explosions near Doha

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

EU says oil supply stable

A European Commission spokeswoman insisted there was "no imminent oil supply shortage" in Europe as the Middle East war sent energy prices soaring, with the benchmark price for a barrel of crude exceeding $100.
- 'Wide-scale' Iran strikes - 
The Israeli military said it had launched new "wide-scale" strikes on Tehran, Isfahan and southern Iran. 
AFP journalists had earlier reported heavy explosions rocking the Iranian capital.

Rally for new ayatollah

Thousands flocked to a central square in Tehran in a show of support for Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, appointed as Iran's supreme leader following the death of his father in US-Israeli strikes, AFP journalists saw. 

US urges citizens out of south Turkey

Washington has advised non-essential staff to leave its consulate near the southern Turkish city of Adana near a key NATO base. It also ordered US citizens to leave southeast Turkey, in the latest pullout of US consular services of the war.

US, Israel 'despair'

Iranian security chief Ali Larijani said the election of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father had left Israel and the United States in "despair".

Putin backs new ayatollah

Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged his "unwavering support" to Khamenei.
"At a time when Iran is confronting armed aggression, your tenure in this high position will undoubtedly require great courage and dedication," the Russian leader added.

G7 to talk oil reserves

French President Emmanuel Macron said the G7 would discuss a possible release of strategic oil reserves, as the Middle East war caused crude prices to steam past $100 a barrel.

One killed in Israel

Israel's first responders said a man was killed by shrapnel and another person severely wounded as several blasts rocked central Israel, shortly after the military reported detecting new missiles launched from Iran.
More than 10 explosions were also heard by AFP journalists in Tel Aviv.

Iran blames Europe

Iran said European countries including France had created the conditions that led to the United States and Israel attacking the Islamic republic, accusing them of not standing up to Washington's "bullying".

Qatar arrests 313

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

Israel strikes Lebanon

An air strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs, with live AFPTV footage showing large plumes of smoke rising from the area, after Israel warned it would target branches of a firm linked to Hezbollah.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group earlier said it was engaging Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon overnight by helicopter across the Syrian border.

Stocks fall

European stock markets slid at the open on the back of surging energy prices caused by the war, after Japan's Nikkei index of stocks closed down more than five percent and South Korea's Kospi by nearly six percent.

China on new leader

China said it opposes any targeting of Iran's new supreme leader, after the Israeli military threatened to target any successor to his slain father, Ali Khamenei.
The younger Khamenei's appointment was purely an internal matter, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters.

European gas spikes

European gas prices soared as much as 30 percent. The Dutch TTF natural gas contract, considered the European benchmark, jumped to 69.50 euros ($80), before paring gains slightly.
burs/giv/gil

US

Stranded Iran sailors put Sri Lanka, India in diplomatic dilemma

BY AMAL JAYASINGHE WITH UZMI ATHAR IN NEW DELHI

  • The ships had taken part in a naval exercise organised by India off the coast of Visakhapatnam, when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.
  • Sri Lanka and India are providing sanctuary to 434 sailors from three Iranian naval vessels targeted or threatened by the United States, a diplomatic conundrum as the war spills into the Indian Ocean.
  • The ships had taken part in a naval exercise organised by India off the coast of Visakhapatnam, when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.
Sri Lanka and India are providing sanctuary to 434 sailors from three Iranian naval vessels targeted or threatened by the United States, a diplomatic conundrum as the war spills into the Indian Ocean.
The ships had taken part in a naval exercise organised by India off the coast of Visakhapatnam, when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.
For Sri Lanka and India, wary of a US response, the dilemma of what to do with the ships and crew has sent legal officials scouring conventions and the laws of the sea.

What happened?

IRIS Dena, a frigate, was sunk with a torpedo fired by a US submarine on Wednesday, just outside Sri Lanka's territorial waters. Between 130 and 180 sailors were on board, and at least 84 were killed.
Sri Lanka rescued 32 survivors, many since discharged from hospital to be hosted at the Koggala air force base in the island's south.
IRIS Lavan, an amphibious landing ship, docked in India's southern port of Kochi on Wednesday. It had 183 sailors aboard, now hosted in naval facilities.
IRIS Bushehr, a supply vessel, entered Sri Lankan waters on Thursday, carrying 219 crew members.
Among those, 15 remain onboard to assist Sri Lanka's navy, which has taken full control of the vessel. The total of Iranian sailors hosted by Sri Lanka is currently 251.

What have the countries said?

The two South Asian nations have not taken sides in the Middle East war and have justified their decision to host the Iranian sailors on humanitarian grounds.
"Our approach is that every life is as precious as our own," Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in a statement.
Sri Lanka maintains close ties with the United States, its biggest export market, and Iran, a key buyer of tea, Sri Lanka's main export commodity.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar spoke in parliament in New Delhi on Monday about the sailors.
"We believe that this was the right thing to do and the Iranian Foreign Minister has expressed his country's thanks for this humane gesture," Jaishankar said.
Media reports suggested Washington was pressing Sri Lanka not to repatriate the Iranians.
But a US State Department spokesperson said their fate was up to Colombo.
"The United States, of course, respects and recognises Sri Lanka's sovereignty in the handling of this situation," the spokesperson told AFP in Washington.

What happens now?

Sri Lanka is keeping the sailors from the two vessels apart because separate international conventions apply.
International humanitarian law applies to the 32 survivors of the first vessel, the sunken IRIS Dena. That means they could be repatriated if they wish.
But the second vessel, IRIS Bushehr and its 219 sailors, falls under the 1907 Hague Convention on the rights and duties of a neutral power, a senior administration official told AFP.
That requires Sri Lanka to hold those sailors and their vessel until the end of hostilities. They are being held in a naval base, just north of Colombo.
"The two groups need to be treated differently under our treaty obligations," the official said, asking not to be named, saying Sri Lanka has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross for help.
Colombo would follow the Hague Convention, the official added, noting it says that "a neutral power which receives on its territory troops belonging to the belligerent armies shall intern them".
But the 84 bodies recovered from the IRIS Dena will be sent back to Iran once logistics are possible, the government has said.
Sri Lankan officials said India was also likely to treat the IRIS Lavan and its crew the same way as Colombo will deal with the IRIS Bushehr.
But India, for its part, has not publicly addressed the fate or status of its Iranian guests.
uzm-aj/pjm/mjw

USA

Asian economies move to limit Mideast war's impact at home

  • - Philippines keeps civil servants home - Government departments in the Philippines, a country heavily dependent on oil imports, began adopting a four-day working week Monday to cope with soaring fuel prices.
  • Faced with soaring prices and disruptions to their oil and gas supplies, Asian countries heavily dependent on fossil fuels from the war-struck Gulf are moving to protect their domestic markets.
  • - Philippines keeps civil servants home - Government departments in the Philippines, a country heavily dependent on oil imports, began adopting a four-day working week Monday to cope with soaring fuel prices.
Faced with soaring prices and disruptions to their oil and gas supplies, Asian countries heavily dependent on fossil fuels from the war-struck Gulf are moving to protect their domestic markets.
Here are some of the measures being considered to limit the war's impact:

South Korea eyes price caps

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has said the manufacturing powerhouse, the world's eighth-largest consumer of crude oil, is moving towards instituting fuel price caps to alleviate pressure on the country's energy supply.
"We should swiftly introduce and decisively implement a price ceiling system for petroleum products that have recently seen excessive price increases," he told a Monday cabinet meeting. 
His chief of staff said Friday the country had already secured the "emergency delivery" of four million barrels of crude oil from ports in the United Arab Emirates.

Vietnam moves to slash tariffs

Vietnam has prepared a draft decree that would slash import tax rates to zero on certain petroleum products in a bid to "stabilise the domestic market", its finance ministry has said. 
Current tariffs of 10 percent on unleaded gasoline and seven percent on diesel, aviation fuel and kerosene would all be temporarily removed under the decree.

Japan may tap strategic stocks

According to Japanese news agency Kyodo, Tokyo is considering drawing on its national oil reserves to protect itself against possible prolonged supply disruptions -- a measure being demanded by the country's refiners.
The government said last week that Japan had stocks equivalent to 254 days of crude oil consumption -- including reserves held by the private sector -- and three weeks of liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption.

Philippines keeps civil servants home

Government departments in the Philippines, a country heavily dependent on oil imports, began adopting a four-day working week Monday to cope with soaring fuel prices.
President Ferdinand Marcos has also ordered all government agencies to reduce their fuel and electricity consumption by 10 to 20 percent, while police have warned against hoarding as queues were seen forming at some petrol stations.

India gambles on Russia 

India has been pushing ahead with imports of Russian oil, after the United States issued a temporary waiver allowing New Delhi  to buy Moscow's oil if it was currently stranded at sea.
An Indian government source, however, said that New Delhi does not need any country's permission to source the fuel from Russia, its largest crude supplier.
The source also said India was "well stocked" with more than 250 million barrels of crude and petroleum products to "handle short-term disruptions".
The country's petroleum ministry has reassured the public that India "has sufficient energy reserves", without ruling out potential measures to mitigate the impact.

Taiwan locks down LNG supplies

Taiwan, a country dominated by the tech industry and highly dependent on hydrocarbon imports, is moving swiftly to compensate for missing LNG from Qatar.
"We need to organise the supply of about 22 shipments of LNG for March and April," economic affairs minister Kung Ming-hsin said Monday, while noting 20 of those shipments had already been secured.
The government was also seeking to keep prices "as stable as possible" for consumers via "a fuel pricing formula" that would take into account neighbouring markets, he said.

China suspends exports

According to financial outlet Bloomberg News, China, the world's second-biggest economy, has asked its main refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline to prioritise domestic needs.
The Middle East accounted for about 57 percent of China's direct imports of crude transported by sea in 2025, according to the analysis firm Kpler.

Indonesia warns subsidies won't last

Indonesia, under pressure due to a fiscal policy that worries the markets, warned of the limits of its room for manoeuvre.
"If the budget can no longer cope with (oil price increases), there is no other solution than to share... the burden with the population," Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said Friday.
"This means that fuel prices will have to rise and the budget can no longer support" increased energy subsidies, he said.

Cambodia ups prices at the pump

Cambodia's commerce ministry set retail fuel prices higher for a three-day period to Tuesday, noting the increase was due to the spike in global oil prices.
The Southeast Asian country, which relies completely on imported diesel and petroleum for its consumer fuel needs, has enough reserves to last for about three weeks, its energy minister has said.

Myanmar rations, but holds prices steady

Since Saturday, Myanmar's military government has enforced rules to ration fuel, requiring half of all private vehicles to stay off the roads each day, depending on their licence plate numbers.
AFP reporters in Yangon have seen queues outside some petrol stations and restrictions on the amount of fuel sold to each driver, but the junta has only allowed modest price hikes so far.

Thailand halts exports

Thailand said last week it had secured two months' worth of oil supplies but was suspending exports to conserve its holdings.
The government also capped the price of diesel at just under 30 baht ($0.94) per litre for a 15-day period.
burs-cwl/mjw

trial

Jail for up to 16 years for Australian hitmen who killed compatriot in Bali

  • Prosecutors had sought sentences of 17 and 18 years for the men.
  • Two Australian hitmen were sentenced to 16 years in prison Monday for shooting dead a compatriot over a debt dispute on the Indonesian resort island of Bali last year.
  • Prosecutors had sought sentences of 17 and 18 years for the men.
Two Australian hitmen were sentenced to 16 years in prison Monday for shooting dead a compatriot over a debt dispute on the Indonesian resort island of Bali last year.
A third man, convicted of organising the hit on Zivan Radmanovic at a tourist villa, was jailed for 12 years by a court in Denpasar, Bali, where violent crime is rare and guns hard to come by.
Radmanovic was killed when gunmen burst into his villa in Badung last June and opened fire. A second man, 34-year-old Sanar Ghanim, was seriously injured.
Gunmen Paea-I-Middlemore Tupou, 27, and Mevlut Coskun, 23, said they had been hired to collect a debt from Ghanim, but refused to name their client.
The third man, 27-year-old Darcy Jenson, was found guilty of supplying weapons and planning the attack.
Jenson was arrested at the airport in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, while apparently trying to flee. The other two did manage to escape, but were returned to Bali from Cambodia to stand trial.
Prosecutors had sought sentences of 17 and 18 years for the men.
Judge I Wayan Suarta found Coskun and Tupou guilty of premeditated murder and illegal gun possession, and Jenson of "aiding and abetting" the crime.
Radmanovic's wife and lawyer avoided the media after the verdict and left the court without commenting.
Gun crime is rare on the island of Bali and in wider Indonesia, and the archipelago has strict laws for illegal gun possession.
str-dsa/mlr/fox

US

Khamenei's son takes charge as Iran war sends oil price soaring

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, DUBAI AND BEIRUT

  • - Oil price spikes - As Iran retaliated against its oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbours, the benchmark price for a barrel of crude soared beyond $100 for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
  • Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader with a new barrage of missiles against Israel and the Gulf states on Monday, as the Middle East war sent oil prices soaring.
  • - Oil price spikes - As Iran retaliated against its oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbours, the benchmark price for a barrel of crude soared beyond $100 for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader with a new barrage of missiles against Israel and the Gulf states on Monday, as the Middle East war sent oil prices soaring.
As Iran entered its new era -- and the conflict its 10th day -- world oil prices soared, Saudi Arabia battled drones targeting oil fields and Bahrain's state energy company warned after a missile strike that it may be unable to fulfil export contracts.
Finance ministers from the G7 group of rich countries were due to meet on the crisis later in the day and, according to a French government source, they were to discuss releasing strategic oil reserves to dampen the pressure on energy prices and protect the world economy.
The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait also reported new attacks, and Asian economies reacted quickly. The Japanese and South Korean stock markets closed down by more than five percent, Filipino motorists queued to fill their tanks and Vietnam prepared to scrap tariffs on fuel imports.
European markets also opened sharply down, and gas prices on the continent soared 30 percent. Since the start of the war, the benchmark oil contract WTI has risen more than 75 percent and Brent more than 60. 
Iranian state media said the Assembly of Experts, Tehran's top clerical body, did not hesitate in choosing a new leader despite "the brutal aggression of the criminal America and the evil Zionist regime", then showed a missile ready for launch bearing the slogan "At your command, Sayyid Mojtaba".

Younger hardliner

Following strikes on Bahrain's sprawling Al Ma'ameer oil facility that ignited a fire and material damage, the country's state-owned energy company Bapco joined its counterparts in Qatar and Kuwait in declaring "force majeure" -- a warning that events beyond its control may lead it to miss export targets. 
The war came juts weeks after Iranian authorities under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei crushed nationwide protests against the government, killing thousands according to rights groups. 
The younger Khamenei, appointed to replace the cleric who led Iran for nearly four decades and who was killed in the first wave of US-Israeli strikes, is considered a fellow hardliner who will pursue his father's rejection of dissent. 
US President Donald Trump had previously dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a "lightweight", and insisted again Sunday on ABC News before the announcement that: "If he doesn't get approval from us he's not going to last long."
After similar threats from Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman warned that Beijing opposes targeting leaders and insists "Iran's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected."

Oil price spikes

As Iran retaliated against its oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbours, the benchmark price for a barrel of crude soared beyond $100 for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
Trump dismissed the price spike, a politically sensitive issue in the United States, as a "small price to pay" for removing the alleged threat of Iran's nuclear programme.
In a sign that the United States does not expect a quick end to the war, the State Department ordered non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia, days after a drone hit the US embassy.
As questions swirl over the length and goals of the war, Trump told the Times of Israel that any decision on when to end hostilities will be a joint one with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"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," Trump said.
Few expect major changes in Iran's stance under the younger Khamenei, a trained cleric close to Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Guards quickly pledged support for the new leader, who comes into the role with far less experience than his father, saying they were "ready for complete obedience and self-sacrifice in carrying out the divine commands".
Iran's allies and proxies also rushed to express support, with the powerful Badr organisation in Iraq saying the new leadership represents "blessed continuity of the path of the Islamic revolution". 

'Fierce clashes'

The multi-front war also intensified in Lebanon. Iran-backed militants Hezbollah said they were engaging Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon on 15 helicopters across the Syrian border and a new powerful strike hit the southern districts of Beirut.
Large plumes of smoke rose from the are after the strike, which came after the Israeli military warned it would destroy branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-linked financial firm.
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of the elder Khamenei.
Hezbollah said combat was ongoing in eastern Lebanon after its fighters "engaged the helicopters and the infiltrating force with appropriate weapons".
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency earlier reported "fierce clashes" around the town of Nabi Sheet, where an Israeli operation over the weekend killed 41 people.
Lebanon's health minister said Israeli strikes have killed at least 394 people since the start of the war, including 83 children and 42 women.
In Bahrain, the health ministry reported 32 people wounded overnight by an Iranian drone attack on the island of Sitra.
The wounded include a 17-year-old girl who suffered severe head and eye injuries, and a two-month-old baby, according to the ministry.
Saudi Arabia said Sunday that two people were killed and 12 wounded as a projectile landed in Al-Kharj province.
Iran's health ministry said Sunday that at least 1,200 civilians had been killed and around 10,000 wounded -- figures AFP could not independently verify.
In Israel, Iranian missile attacks have killed 10 people, according to authorities. Two soldiers were killed in Lebanon, the military said.
burs/dc/ser

defense

Sharp drop in Chinese military aircraft near Taiwan raises questions

BY ALLISON JACKSON AND AMBER WANG

  • An average of six Chinese warships have been spotted on a daily basis around the island in the past 10 days, which was the same as last year.
  • Taiwan has not detected a single Chinese military aircraft around the island for nine of the past 10 days, leaving experts puzzling over the reasons for the dramatic reduction in sorties.
  • An average of six Chinese warships have been spotted on a daily basis around the island in the past 10 days, which was the same as last year.
Taiwan has not detected a single Chinese military aircraft around the island for nine of the past 10 days, leaving experts puzzling over the reasons for the dramatic reduction in sorties.
China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control.
Beijing has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, deploying fighter jets and warships around the island on a near-daily basis.
But since February 28, only two Chinese aircraft have been recorded in a single 24-hour period near Taiwan, according to an AFP tally of figures released daily by the defence ministry. 
That compares with 86 for the same period last year. It is the longest stretch of no detections since AFP began recording the figures in 2024.
An average of six Chinese warships have been spotted on a daily basis around the island in the past 10 days, which was the same as last year.
Chinese military sorties around Taiwan also fell around 42 percent in January and February compared with the same period last year. The number of warships was about 4.5 percent lower than a year ago.
Experts have been speculating about the reasons for the sharp drop in Chinese aircraft deployments, with possibilities ranging from China's annual political gathering, known as the "two sessions", currently underway in Beijing, to its recent military purges.
Other reasons include US President Donald Trump's scheduled trip to Beijing later this month to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and the Middle East conflict.
"I didn't expect to be worried about the cessation of PLA operations around Taiwan, but the lack of a rational explanation is disconcerting," Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, wrote on Substack.
Another longtime observer of the Chinese military told AFP it was "not clear at all how to read it".
"I'm puzzling over the same thing."

'Significant disruption'

Ben Lewis of the analysis website PLATracker said it was "clearly a significant disruption to routine activity".
"The longer the activity gap persists, the more concerned I will be about broader implications, but I have not seen any indications that the PRC is preparing for any major kinetic action," Lewis told AFP.
Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at Taipei's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, surmised Beijing might be trying to "weaken public support" for Taiwan's plans to increase its defence spending.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has proposed $40 billion in extra defence spending by his government over eight years, but the plan has been met with strong resistance in the opposition-controlled parliament.
Other analysts were not surprised by the easing of aircraft activity. 
"PLA air incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ drop to/near zero around the time of the annual 'two sessions' every year," Brian Hart, deputy director and fellow of the China Power Project at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote on X.
"If this pattern persists well beyond the two sessions, then it would be unusual. But I don't think there's evidence of anything unusual yet."
A Taiwanese security official told AFP that Beijing may be trying to "create a false impression that China is easing its threats against Taiwan in order to deceive the US into reducing its support for Taiwan's security."
The United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but Washington is Taipei's most important backer and biggest arms provider. 
"We must not let our guard down," the official said. 
amj-aw/fox

US

Hezbollah says fighting Israeli forces who landed in east Lebanon

  • 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.
  • Hezbollah said on Monday it was fighting 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.
Hezbollah said on Monday it was fighting 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.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes.
Israel, which has kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, launched multiple waves of strikes last week across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas.
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 (NNA) 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.
Two Hezbollah officials in the Bekaa region, where Nabi Sheet is located, told AFP that an Israeli helicopter was downed.
The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the incident.
It is the second such attack after an Israeli commando operation in Nabi Sheet and its surrounding areas overnight Friday failed to find the remains of Ron Arad, an airman missing since 1986, killing 41 people.

Beirut strikes

In the Hezbollah stronghold of Beirut's southern suburbs, an AFP correspondent said a loud explosion was heard on Monday, with smoke seen rising from the area.
A brief statement from the Israeli military said it had "struck infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in Beirut".
The area was pounded by Israel over the past week but had not suffered any strikes since Saturday.
The military had told residents of the Beirut suburbs as well as Lebanon's south -- both strongholds of Hezbollah -- to evacuate, warning of attacks against the militant group.
The NNA reported several strikes early Monday, including one on the town of Tayr Debba near the southern city of Tyre, which "resulted in an initial toll of three citizens martyred and 15 others wounded".
Closer to the Israeli border, Hezbollah said on Monday that it targeted Israeli soldiers entering the towns of Odaisseh and Aitaroun with artillery shells.
It also said it clashed with Israeli soldiers in Odaisseh.
Lebanon's health minister Rakan Nassereddine said on Sunday that Israeli strikes on Lebanon had killed 394 people over the past week, including 83 children and 42 women.
Israel's military said that two of its soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon, the first fatalities among its forces since the latest offensive began on March 2.
strs-nad/ami/jfx

US

Iran launches missiles as Khamenei's son takes charge

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, DUBAI AND BEIRUT

  • Khamenei "is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts", the statement said.
  • Iran fired missiles at Israel and Gulf nations early Monday after the Islamic republic named Mojtaba Khamenei its new leader to succeed his late father despite threats by the United States and Israel to target him next.
  • Khamenei "is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts", the statement said.
Iran fired missiles at Israel and Gulf nations early Monday after the Islamic republic named Mojtaba Khamenei its new leader to succeed his late father despite threats by the United States and Israel to target him next.
Nine days after US-Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and plunged the Middle East into war, Iranian clerics picked the country's third supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Israel launched a new wave of strikes, this time targeting infrastructure in central Iran, as the expanding war sent stocks plunging and crude prices surging 30 percent on supply disruption fears.
Saudi Arabia intercepted drones headed for an eastern oil field, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported missile attacks and Bahrain said sirens were activated.
Khamenei's appointment was announced on Iranian state television, with the presenter solemnly reading a statement from the 88-member Assembly of Experts next to a picture of the new 56-year-old leader.
Khamenei "is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts", the statement said.
It said the clerical body "did not hesitate for a minute" in choosing a new leader despite "the brutal aggression of the criminal America and the evil Zionist regime".
State media then showed a projectile said to be launched at Israel bearing the slogan, "At Your Command, Sayyid Mojtaba", using an Islamic honorific.
The war came weeks after Iranian security forces crushed nationwide protests against the government, killing thousands. The younger Khamenei is considered a fellow hardliner who will pursue his father's rejection of dissent. 
US President Donald Trump had previously dismissed the Mojtaba Khamenei as a "lightweight", and insisted again Sunday that he should have a say in appointing a new leader.
"If he doesn't get approval from us he's not going to last long," he told ABC News before the announcement was made.
Israel's defence minister has warned last week that the new supreme leader would become "a target", while the military vowed to go after any successor.

Oil price spikes

As Iran retaliates against its oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbours, the benchmark price for a barrel of crude soared beyond $100 for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
Trump dismissed the price spike, a politically sensitive issue in the United States, as a "small price to pay" for removing the alleged threat of Iran's nuclear programme.
But markets across Asia, where key economies Japan and South Korea are heavily dependent on energy imports, plunged on Monday.
In a sign that the United States does not expect a quick end to the war, the State Department ordered non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia, days after a drone hit the US embassy.
As questions swirl over the length of the war, Trump told the Times of Israel that any decision on when to end hostilities will be a joint one with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"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," Trump said, in response to a question on whether he alone will decide.
Few expect major changes under the younger Khamenei, a trained cleric close to Iran's powerful military force the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Guards quickly pledged support for the new leader, who comes into the role with far less experience than his father -- a former president under the first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The Guards said in a statement they were "ready for complete obedience and self-sacrifice in carrying out the divine commands" of the new leader.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the naming of the new leader will "guarantee national sovereignty and territorial integrity" as he led Iranian diplomats in declaring "our allegiance" to Khamenei.

'Fierce clashes'

The multi-front war intensified in Lebanon on Monday, with Iran-backed militants Hezbollah saying they were engaging Israeli forces who landed in eastern Lebanon on 15 helicopters across the Syrian border.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Ali Khamenei.
Hezbollah 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" around the town of Nabi Sheet, where an Israeli operation over the weekend killed 41 people.
Israel had struck a hotel in central Beirut on Sunday, targeting five commanders of the Revolutionary Guards' international Qods Force, the patron of Hezbollah, as they met at a Beirut hotel.
Lebanon's health ministry said four people died and 10 others were injured in the Beirut strike.
Lebanon's health minister said Israeli strikes have killed at least 394 people since the start of the war, including 83 children and 42 women.
In Bahrain, the health ministry reported 32 people wounded overnight by an Iranian drone attack on the island of Sitra.
The wounded include a 17-year-old girl who suffered severe head and eye injuries, and a two-month-old baby, according to the ministry.
Saudi Arabia said Sunday that two people were killed and 12 wounded as a projectile landed in Al-Kharj province.
Iran's health ministry said Sunday that at least 1,200 civilians had been killed and around 10,000 wounded -- figures AFP could not independently verify.
In Israel, Iranian missile attacks have killed 10 people, according to authorities. Two soldiers were killed in Lebanon, the military said.
burs/hmn/ami