Iran continued missile and drone attacks on Gulf states on Sunday as tensions remained high in the region. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates reported being targeted by drones and missiles. Saudi Arabia said a missile was launched toward a military base. Earlier, Iran’s president apologised to neighbouring countries and said Tehran would not attack them “unless attacked first.” But Iran’s foreign minister said chances of easing tensions were quickly damaged. He said Iran’s “openness to de-escalation was almost immediately killed” by remarks from US President Donald Trump. Trump earlier said Iran had “surrendered” to its neighbours and warned the United States would hit Iran “very hard.” (PC: BBC)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has condemned a US strike on a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island. He called the attack a “blatant and desperate crime”. Araghchi said the strike disrupted water supply in about 30 villages. He warned that targeting Iran’s infrastructure could have “grave consequences”. “The U.S. committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island,” he wrote on X. He added that attacking infrastructure was a “dangerous move”. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iran had promised not to attack neighbouring countries anymore. He claimed the decision followed “relentless” US and Israeli strikes. (PC: The Tribune)

Three Iranian naval ships became central to rising tensions in the Indian Ocean during the Iran-US-Israel conflict. One vessel was sunk, while two others were allowed to dock after reporting problems. The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine on March 4 near Sri Lanka’s southern coast. The ship sank and several sailors were killed or went missing. Another vessel, IRIS Lavan, reported a technical fault and requested emergency docking in Kochi, India. Authorities granted permission. A third ship, IRIS Bushehr, reported engine trouble and was allowed to dock in Sri Lanka. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship.” (PC: NDTV)

Iran has warned that “heavy attacks” will continue against countries helping the United States in the ongoing conflict. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s office said Iran would not target regional states if they do not assist US operations against Tehran. “If countries in the region do not cooperate in the US attack on Iran, we will not attack them,” a spokesperson said. However, Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned that strikes would continue against locations used by its enemies. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had “apologised and surrendered” to its neighbours after weeks of US and Israeli strikes. Explosions and air raid sirens were reported in cities including Dubai and Doha as attacks continued. (PC: HT)

Iran has destroyed a key US missile defence radar worth about $300 million at a base in Jordan, according to a US official. Satellite images showed the RTX-made AN/TPY-2 radar and support equipment damaged at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base during the early days of the war. The radar is used by the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to track ballistic missiles. Experts said the strike could affect regional missile defence operations. “If successful, an Iranian strike on a THAAD radar would mark one of Iran’s most successful attacks so far,” said Ryan Brobst of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The US has eight THAAD systems deployed worldwide, including in South Korea and Guam. (PC: NDTV)

The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones during Iranian attacks targeting US bases in the Gulf. Officials said 16 missiles were detected on Saturday. Fifteen were destroyed and one fell into the sea. Authorities also detected 121 drones. Of these, 119 were intercepted while two landed inside UAE territory. Dubai officials said a “minor incident” occurred after debris from an intercepted missile fell in the city. Flight operations at Dubai airport were briefly affected but later resumed. The UAE said the attacks caused three deaths and more than 100 minor injuries among people of several nationalities. (PC: X)

US President Donald Trump said Iran “will be hit very hard” as the US military considers new targets in the country.   Posting on Truth Social, Trump said Iran had apologised to its Middle East neighbours and promised not to attack them again. He claimed the move came after “relentless US and Israeli attack.”   However, reports said Iran-linked strikes were still seen in the region. A drone strike was reported near Dubai International Airport, while Qatar said it intercepted a missile.   Trump warned that more targets were being reviewed. Some “areas and groups of people” not previously considered could now face attack, he said. (PC: BBC)

Airline pilots say the widening conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran is making flights more dangerous across busy airspace. The war has filled skies near several major airports with missiles and attack drones. Some Iranian strikes have also targeted airports, forcing flight operations to pause in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Tanja Harter, president of the European Cockpit Association, said pilots are not trained for such threats. “We are not military pilots. We are not trained to deal with these kinds of threats in the air,” she told Reuters. She added that many pilots feel uneasy flying near conflict zones and “don’t want to share airspace with missiles.” (PC: X)

A drone strike linked to Iran hit Dubai International Airport on Saturday, briefly disrupting flight operations at the major global travel hub.   Videos on social media showed a large cloud of smoke rising near the airport after the strike. According to reports, passengers inside the airport moved into train tunnels after alerts were issued.   Airline Emirates said flights to and from Dubai were suspended “until further notice”, but operations resumed shortly after.   Dubai authorities said air defence systems were activated after several explosions were heard in the city.   Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian later said Tehran would pause strikes on Gulf countries and apologised, saying Iran had “no intention of invading other nations”.

India on Saturday said it continues to import Russian crude oil and does not need permission from any country to do so. The statement came after the United States issued a 30-day waiver allowing Russian oil already loaded on ships to be sold to India during the Middle East conflict. “India has never depended on permission from any country to buy Russian oil,” the government said. Officials said Russia remains India’s largest crude oil supplier. Imports increased after 2022 because of discounted prices. The government also said India buys oil from wherever it is cheapest. “In the national interest, India purchases oil from wherever the most competitive and affordable rates are available,” it said.