United News of Bangladesh

Iran fired on three vessels and seized two of them in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, escalating its actions against shipping in the vital route a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports. The confrontation between the United States and Iran has severely disrupted exports through the strait, a key passage that normally handles about 20 percent of the world’s traded oil, with no clear resolution in sight. Iranian media reported that the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was taking the seized vessels to Iran, marking a further escalation. However, the White House said the seizures did not breach the terms of the ceasefire. The ongoing tensions have already pushed up global fuel prices and increased the cost of food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, has surged past $100 per barrel, rising around 35 percent compared to pre-conflict levels, although global stock markets have shown limited reaction so far. Dan Jørgensen, the European Union’s energy commissioner, warned that the disruption could have long-term consequences for both consumers and businesses, comparing it to major energy crises over the past 50 years. He said the situation is costing Europe an estimated 500 million euros, or about $600 million, each day.

Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was killed and another journalist Zeinab Faraj injured in an Israeli airstrike, with both trapped under rubble for more than an hour before rescue teams could reach them. A senior Lebanese military official said Khalil’s body was later recovered from the debris following the strike. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the attack hit a house where the two journalists had taken shelter after an earlier strike, accusing Israel of targeting the location. Rescue efforts were initially delayed as teams struggled to access the site. A Red Cross team later evacuated Faraj to a hospital along with the bodies of two civilians killed in a previous attack. During the evacuation, the ambulance reportedly came under fire and was struck by multiple bullets. Faraj underwent surgery and is now in stable condition, while Khalil’s employer confirmed she had been killed in the Israeli attack earlier in the day. However, the Israeli military denied deliberately targeting journalists in the incident. #By Middle East Eye

Israeli attacks in Lebanon have damaged or destroyed more than 62,000 housing units, according to a government estimate. Chadi Abdallah, head of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), said at a news conference that within about 45 days, 21,700 housing units were destroyed while 40,500 were damaged. The CNRS also estimated that 428 housing units were destroyed and 50 were damaged during the first three days of a ceasefire, he added. Right-wing ‘Pioneers of Bashan’ settlers stopped in bid to enter Syria: media says Lebanese Environment Minister Tamara Zein told reporters that Israeli strikes did not spare residential areas, civilian infrastructure or places of worship, adding that large agricultural and forested areas were also affected. Since the resumption of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 2,400 people and displaced over one million, according to officials. Source- Al Jazeera

The Israeli army said it stopped around 40 Israeli settlers who attempted to enter Syria earlier on the day. According to the army, the civilians gathered near the border and managed to infiltrate several hundred metres into the Israeli military-controlled buffer zone inside Syria before being turned back. They were later returned to Israel and taken into police custody. Iran ready for talks but only after blockade ends Israeli media identified the infiltrators as members of a right-wing group known as “Pioneers of Bashan”, which advocates for establishing Jewish settlements in Lebanon and Syria. Source- Al Jazeera

US President Donald Trump has said a second round of peace talks with Iran could begin within the next few days, raising cautious hopes for diplomatic progress. According to a report by the New York Post, Pakistani officials indicated that talks might take place within the next 36 to 72 hours. When asked about the possibility, Trump replied in a text message, “It’s possible! President DJT.” The development comes a day after Trump announced the extension of a ceasefire with Iran, which was initially set to expire on Wednesday evening. The extension is aimed at giving Tehran more time to present a “unified proposal” to end the ongoing conflict. While uncertainty remains over Iran’s participation, the prospect of renewed talks signals a potential diplomatic opening amid heightened tensions between the two sides. Source: BBC

Iran has said it will continue talks in Islamabad as long as the United States lifts its blockade, according to sources. The extension of the ceasefire has been seen as a positive signal, although mixed indications are still emerging from Tehran. The situation can be described through three key factors. First, ambiguity, as time had been running out but the ceasefire extension has now created space, while the risk of renewed confrontation still remains. Second, breakability, with expectations of unpredictability and uncertainty being the only constant at present. 34 Iran-linked tankers slipped past US Hormuz blockade: Report Third, complexity, as discussions involve extending the ceasefire alongside potential diplomatic engagement, despite major unresolved issues. These include the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear dossier, sanctions relief, frozen assets, ballistic missile programme, war reparations, and regional relations. The positions of both sides remain significantly apart on these matters. Sources indicate that the issue has moved beyond mistrust, now reflecting deep suspicion over any possible rapprochement with the United States. Source- Al Jazeera

At least 34 tankers linked to Iran have reportedly passed through or around the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz despite Washington’s claims of tightly restricting maritime movement, according to a Financial Times report. The report said that of these vessels, 19 Iran-linked tankers exited the Gulf, while 15 others entered from the Arabian Sea heading toward Iran, reports NDTV. Citing data from maritime tracking sources, the report claimed that at least six of the outbound ships carried Iranian crude oil, transporting an estimated 10.7 million barrels. Based on discounted pricing due to sanctions, the shipments could be worth around $910 million. One Iranian-flagged supertanker, Dorena, reportedly passed through the region after switching off its transponder, a device used for tracking location and identity. It was later involved in a ship-to-ship transfer off the coast of Malaysia, allegedly to conceal the oil’s origin. The developments come amid heightened tensions following the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, which Washington says aims to restrict Tehran’s oil revenues. US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States “totally controls” the Strait of Hormuz and that the blockade strategy has been a “tremendous success,” saying restrictions will remain until a final agreement with Iran is reached. However, the US Central Command said American forces have directed dozens of vessels to turn back or return to port since the blockade began. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global oil transit route, with Iran and its allies asserting new restrictions on navigation in the area, further escalating maritime tensions.

Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has attacked a third vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian news agencies reported on Wednesday, in an apparent escalation of maritime tensions. Semi-official outlets including Nour News, Fars and Mehr said the Guard targeted a ship identified as Euphoria, which they claimed later became “stranded” along the Iranian coast. No further details were immediately provided. In a separate report, Iranian state television said two other vessels attacked earlier in the day—MSC Francesca and Epaminodes—are now in the custody of the Revolutionary Guard and are being taken to Iran. According to a statement from the Guard, the ships were accused of operating without authorization, violating maritime regulations, manipulating navigation systems and attempting to leave the Strait covertly, thereby “endangering maritime security.” The seizures mark a significant escalation following earlier US actions against Iranian vessels, as fragile ceasefire talks are underway. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, had traditionally been considered an international waterway open to all vessels, despite lying between Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

Pakistan has requested the United States to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports and release a seized Iranian vessel in a bid to revive stalled negotiations, according to sources. The sources said Islamabad conveyed its request to Washington, urging the release of the detained ship and its crew, and received “positive signals” from the US side. However, no timeline has been set for their release. The move comes amid ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions between the two countries. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request while awaiting a “unified proposal” from Tehran, even as US forces continue enforcing the blockade. The announcement came ahead of the scheduled expiry of the truce on Wednesday, with both Washington and Tehran indicating the possibility of renewed hostilities if no agreement is reached. Meanwhile, the White House has postponed Vice President JD Vance’s planned visit to Pakistan for a second round of talks, after Iran signalled reluctance to engage further at this stage. Trump said the ceasefire would remain in effect “until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

A senior Iranian adviser has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire extension, saying it “means ‘nothing’” and is “certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike”. Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, made the remarks in a post in Persian on X. He said the continuation of Trump’s “siege” is “no different from bombardment” and must be “met with a military response”. He added: "The time for Iran to take the initiative has come." Tensions remain high as U.S. naval forces continue to enforce a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. American forces also boarded an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday, after Iran had effectively closed the key shipping route for weeks.  #From BBC