Israel and Iran carried out new attacks on Thursday as fighting in the Middle East entered its sixth day. Israeli forces said they struck a missile launcher in Qom and an air defence system in Isfahan. Explosions were also reported in Tehran. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks toward Israel. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israeli defence systems intercepted several strikes in the sky. Meanwhile, the UK delayed a planned evacuation flight for its citizens from Oman due to a technical issue. In the United States, lawmakers voted against a proposal that would have limited the authority of Donald Trump to order further military action against Iran. (PC: BBC)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck a US oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf hours after an American torpedo sank an Iranian warship. Iranian state media said the tanker caught fire. Casualties were not immediately known.   The strike followed a US submarine attack on Iran’s frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. The ship had been returning from naval exercises in Visakhapatnam, India.   Iranian officials said 87 sailors were killed and more than 60 remain missing.   The attack happened off Sri Lanka’s southern coast in international waters. US forces have recently increased strikes on Iranian naval assets in the region. (PC: India Today)

Iran has condemned the US for sinking its naval frigate IRIS Dena in international waters near Sri Lanka. Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi called the strike an “atrocity at sea”.   He said the warship had recently visited India for naval exercises hosted by the Indian Navy. The vessel was returning from Visakhapatnam when it was struck by a torpedo fired from a US submarine.   Aragchi said the ship carried about 130 sailors and was attacked without warning far from Iran’s shores. “Washington will bitterly regret setting such a precedent,” he said.   Reports say around 80 sailors may have died. Sri Lankan naval teams rescued about 30 survivors.(PC: X)

Residents in Iran say daily life has become frightening as US and Israeli strikes continue across the country. Many people in Tehran say the attacks feel constant and unpredictable.   “Each day has felt like a month. The volume of attacks is so high,” said Salar, a Tehran resident whose name was changed for safety.   The strikes began on February 28 and have targeted military and political sites. Iranian officials say more than 160 people were killed when a girls’ school in Minab was hit. The White House said it does not target civilians and is investigating.   Residents say streets are mostly empty and security checkpoints have increased. “There are checkpoints everywhere,” one student said.

The UK Ministry of Defence said a “Shahed-type drone” that struck the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was not launched from Iran. The Iranian-made drone hit the runway at the RAF base near Limassol around midnight on March 2. Officials said the strike caused minimal damage and no injuries. It is believed to be the first attack on the military facility since 1986. In a statement, the ministry said: “A Shahed-like drone which targeted RAF Akrotiri was not launched from Iran.” The UK also said it has resupplied air defence systems to British and allied bases in the region. Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles will arrive in Cyprus soon. (PC: The Indian Express)

Iran fired another round of missiles at Israel on Thursday as the conflict with the US and Israel entered its sixth day. Air raid alerts were triggered in several Israeli areas, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The Israeli military issued three warnings of incoming Iranian missiles within two hours. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Local media also reported explosions in Tehran. The fighting began after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, the US sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ship “thought it was safe in international waters”. (PC: X)

The US Senate voted 53–47 against a bipartisan resolution that sought to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military action in Iran without congressional approval. The vote largely followed party lines. Democratic Senator John Fetterman opposed the measure, while Republican Senator Rand Paul supported it. Democrats said Trump had sidelined Congress and changed his reasons for the war. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer asked, “Do you stand with the American people who are exhausted with forever wars in the Middle East?” Republican Senator Susan Collins said passing the bill would send the wrong signal to Iran and US troops. The resolution will now go to the House of Representatives for a vote. (PC: BBC)

A US-Israel airstrike in Iran’s Minab city killed about 160 schoolgirls aged seven to twelve, according to Iranian authorities. The students were at Shajareh Tayyebeh School when the strike hit on February 28. The operation reportedly targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi criticised Washington, saying this is how America “rescues”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was “looking into it” and called Iran a “terror state”. Reports said the school was near facilities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, checks showed the closest IRGC barracks is about six kilometres from the school. (PC: India Today)

Iran has postponed the funeral ceremony for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as US-Israeli bombardment continues. The event, initially scheduled at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall, was delayed without explanation, though officials confirmed a three-day public mourning period will be held, with the funeral procession date to be announced later. Iran’s Consulate in Mumbai denied reports that leadership candidates had been selected. Russia blamed Washington and Tel Aviv for escalating the conflict and urged the IAEA to assess radiological risks. The death toll from five days of strikes has reportedly surpassed 1,000 in Iran, while regional energy and security concerns continue to mount. (PC: X)

A Pakistani businessman, Asif Merchant, on trial in New York, testified that he was recruited in 2022 by a handler from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to plan assassinations of Donald Trump, then President Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. Merchant said his family in Iran was under threat and he “had no other choice.” Arrested on July 12, 2024, he admitted traveling to the United States to hire hitmen, who were actually undercover FBI agents. Prosecutors argue he never alerted authorities. The IRGC, designated a foreign terrorist organisation by Washington, allegedly assigned him additional tasks including theft and money laundering. (PC: X)