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Iran has warned it could target parks, recreational areas and tourist spots around the world, while insisting it is continuing missile production despite ongoing attacks. The statement came nearly three weeks after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that have killed several top Iranian leaders and severely damaged its weapons and energy sectors. Iran has also launched attacks on Israel and energy facilities in nearby Gulf Arab countries during a period when many Muslims are observing a major religious occasion. At the same time, people in Iran are marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year, though celebrations are quieter than usual due to the conflict. With limited information coming from inside Iran, the full extent of damage to its military, nuclear and energy facilities remains unclear. It is also uncertain who is currently leading the country. However, Iran has shown it can still carry out attacks that are disrupting oil supplies and affecting the global economy, driving up food and fuel prices. The United States and Israel have given different reasons for the war, including attempts to weaken Iran’s leadership and stop its nuclear and missile programmes. So far, there are no visible signs of an internal uprising in Iran, and it remains unclear how the conflict will end. Iran remains defiant Iran’s military spokesperson Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi warned that tourist and recreational locations could become targets for Iran’s enemies. His comments have raised concerns that Iran might expand attacks beyond the Middle East. U.S. and Israeli officials say their strikes have significantly weakened Iran’s military. Reports indicate that several high-ranking leaders, including the country’s supreme leader and senior security officials, have been killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Iran’s naval and air forces have been largely destroyed and that its ballistic missile production has been halted. However, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard rejected this claim. Spokesman Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini said Iran is still producing missiles even during wartime and has no shortage in stockpiling. He also suggested that Iran is not seeking a quick end to the war. Shortly after his remarks were broadcast, Iranian state media reported that he was killed in an airstrike. Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in a rare statement, said Iran’s enemies should feel insecure. He has not appeared in public since taking over after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed at the start of the conflict. Attacks spread across the region Iran has increased attacks on energy facilities in Gulf countries following an Israeli strike on its South Pars gas field earlier this week. A Kuwaiti oil refinery, Mina Al-Ahmadi, was hit by Iranian drones early Friday, causing a fire. The refinery is one of the largest in the region. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also reported incidents involving intercepted projectiles and drones targeting key areas. Explosions were heard in Dubai as air defence systems responded to incoming threats during Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Meanwhile, in Iran, people continued marking Nowruz amid reports of new Israeli strikes and explosions in Tehran. Explosions were also reported in Jerusalem following warnings of incoming Iranian missiles, leaving two elderly people slightly injured. Israel has continued strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, and expanded its operations to Syria, citing attacks on the Druze community. Rising casualties and global impact More than 1,300 people have reportedly been killed in Iran since the conflict began. In Lebanon, over 1,000 people have died and more than 1 million have been displaced. Israel has reported 15 deaths from Iranian missile attacks, while additional casualties were recorded in the West Bank. At least 13 U.S. troops have also been killed. The ongoing conflict is increasing risks to the global economy. Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments, along with attacks on energy infrastructure, have raised fears of an energy crisis. Global oil prices have surged, with Brent crude rising sharply since the war began. Higher fuel costs are adding pressure to already rising prices of food and consumer goods worldwide. Disruptions in the supply of key materials are also expected to push prices higher across various industries.  

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as the new supreme leader of Iran amid the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel, according to state media reports. Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war when attacks targeted his compound in Tehran. The strike also killed Mojtaba’s mother, wife and one of his sisters. The 56-year-old cleric was reportedly not present at the time and survived the bombing. Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader, confirmed his appointment and called for national unity. In a statement carried by state media on Sunday, the assembly said Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen through a “decisive vote”. The body urged Iranians, “especially the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities”, to “pledge allegiance to the leadership and maintain unity”. Although he has never run for public office or faced a nationwide vote, Mojtaba Khamenei has long been considered an influential figure within the inner circle of Iran’s leadership. Over the years he developed strong connections with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its affiliated paramilitary forces. His rise to the top position suggests that hardline factions within Iran’s political establishment continue to hold significant influence, potentially signalling limited willingness by Tehran to enter negotiations in the near future. For years Mojtaba Khamenei had been mentioned as a likely successor to his father, who served nearly eight years as president and then ruled as supreme leader for more than three decades before his death. However, the new leader has largely kept a low public profile. He rarely gives speeches or public lectures, and many Iranians have never heard his voice despite his long-standing influence within the ruling establishment. His possible succession had long been considered sensitive because it could resemble a hereditary transfer of power similar to the monarchy that ruled Iran before the Iranian Revolution. Allegations over protest crackdowns For nearly two decades, critics inside and outside Iran have linked Mojtaba Khamenei to the suppression of anti-government protests. Reformist figures first accused him of influencing the disputed 2009 presidential election that returned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. The election triggered mass demonstrations known as the Green Movement. Opposition groups claimed that the paramilitary Basij force, which operates under the Revolutionary Guard, was used to crack down on protesters. The Basij has since played a central role in suppressing several waves of nationwide demonstrations, including recent protests in which international organisations and the United Nations said thousands of people were killed during security operations earlier this year. Iranian authorities have repeatedly blamed the unrest on “terrorists” and “rioters” allegedly supported by the United States and Israel. Military ties and economic influence Mojtaba Khamenei built close links with the Revolutionary Guard during the 1980s when he served in its Habib Battalion during the Iran–Iraq War. Many of his former comrades later secured influential positions in Iran’s security and intelligence institutions. Western governments have imposed sanctions on him, and media reports have alleged that he controls a large financial network spanning several countries. According to reports cited by Bloomberg, he has been linked to Iranian businessman Ali Ansari, whose Bank Ayandeh collapsed last year after heavy debts and controversial loans to insiders. The bank’s dissolution reportedly worsened Iran’s inflation as some losses were covered using public funds. Neither Khamenei nor Ansari has publicly responded to the allegations. Questions over religious credentials Another issue surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership is his clerical rank. He holds the title of hojatoleslam, a mid-ranking position within the Shiite clerical hierarchy, rather than the higher title of ayatollah traditionally associated with the supreme leadership. However, his father was also not an ayatollah when he assumed the role in 1989, and Iran’s laws were later adjusted to accommodate his leadership. A similar arrangement could again be made if needed. With heavy bombing continuing across Iran and authorities imposing widespread internet restrictions, it remains unclear when the government will formally announce the next steps in its leadership transition. With inputs from Al Jazeera

Pakistan has carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and other cities, marking a sharp escalation of hostilities along the two countries’ shared border. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared on Friday that Islamabad’s patience with the Taliban authorities had ended, describing the situation as “open war.” The strikes followed Afghan Taliban claims of “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani forces along the Durand Line, which separates the two countries, reports Al Jazeera. Pakistani officials said Afghan forces attacked border military posts, prompting Pakistan to hit Taliban targets in Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar provinces. The attacks reportedly destroyed brigade bases, ammunition depots, and multiple checkpoints. Gunfire and shelling were also reported near the Torkham border crossing. Casualty reports differ sharply. Pakistan’s Prime Minister spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi claimed 133 Taliban fighters were killed, over 200 wounded, and 27 Taliban posts destroyed. Pakistani media said two Pakistani soldiers died. The Taliban, however, reported only eight fighters killed and 11 wounded, while Afghanistan claimed its forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and captured military posts. Independent verification of these figures was not available. The violence reflects ongoing tensions since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Afghanistan does not formally recognize the Durand Line, arguing it was a colonial imposition that split Pashtun areas. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of sheltering armed groups like the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), responsible for attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Analysts say the Afghan Taliban has avoided cracking down on the TTP due to ideological ties and fear of defections to the Islamic State Khorasan Province, raising the risk of further escalation. Global reactions have been critical. India condemned Pakistan’s strikes, highlighting civilian casualties during Ramadan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both sides to respect international law. Iran called for resolving differences through dialogue and neighborly principles, while Russia also urged an immediate halt to cross-border attacks and offered mediation. Experts warn that Afghanistan, lacking a strong air force and conventional military, remains vulnerable. The conflict is likely to continue along the border, with Pakistan retaining the upper hand due to superior military capabilities. Both nations are expected to continue artillery exchanges and targeted strikes, raising fears of prolonged instability in the region.

Afghan media outlet TOLOnews has reported that Taliban forces carried out drone strikes on Pakistani military installations in Miranshah and Spinwam, both located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Citing unnamed security sources, TOLOnews said the attack triggered a fire at the Spinwam military base, reports Al Jazeera . According to the report, the strikes were launched in response to air attacks carried out by the Pakistan Air Force on Thursday night.

Amid the ongoing war between two SAARC countries - Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bangladesh has decided not to make any public comments but stressed that such war does not bring anything good. "It is an unfortunate matter. We are not saying anything in public but we are trying to make our friends understand that such war is not good for anyone," Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman told reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon his return from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia early Saturday. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir was also present. The Associated Press (AP) says Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged cross-border attacks overnight in a dramatic escalation of tensions that led Pakistan’s defense minister to say on Friday that the two countries are in a state of “open war.” Pakistan, Afghanistan trade strikes as Defense Minister declares “Open War” Afghanistan launched an attack on Pakistan late Thursday, saying it was in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas Sunday. Pakistan then carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces early Friday, saying it targeted military installations. On the sidelines of the extraordinary ministerial session of the executive committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Foreign Minister Dr Rahman held bilateral talks with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar; Foreign Minister of the Gambia, Sering Modou Njie; Foreign Minister of Palestine, Dr Varsen Ohanes Vartan Aghabekian; Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey, Ambassador Musa Kulaklikaya; and also the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Waleed A Elkhereiji, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday. The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to deepening ties and agreed to work closely together to promote 'peace, stability, and shared prosperity' in the region, according to Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Dr Rahman, during his recent courtesy meeting with Secretary General of SAARC Md. Golam Sarwar on February 24, reiterated Bangladesh's conviction in abiding commitment to the principles enshrined in the SAARC Charter including sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, and mutual benefit of the peoples of member states.  

Saudi Arabia has welcomed a request from Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) to convene talks in Riyadh aimed at easing a violent power struggle in southern Yemen that has intensified fighting and heightened tensions among Gulf states. In a statement issued Saturday, the Saudi foreign ministry urged southern Yemeni factions to attend the proposed forum in the capital, saying the goal is to develop a unified and fair approach to addressing southern grievances. Earlier the same day, PLC Chairman Rashad al-Alimi called on political leaders and armed groups in southern Yemen to take part in the Riyadh meeting, according to Yemen’s SABA news agency. Al-Alimi stressed the importance of the southern issue and rejected any one-sided or exclusionary solutions to the conflict. Violence has escalated in recent days after the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group, launched a major offensive in Hadramout and Al-Mahra provinces, which together account for nearly half of Yemen’s territory. Oil-rich Hadramout, which borders Saudi Arabia and has deep historical ties to the kingdom, was viewed by Riyadh as strategically sensitive. The STC’s seizure of parts of the province last month raised alarm in Saudi Arabia. Although the STC is part of the anti-Houthi coalition, it is widely believed to seek an independent southern state, putting it at odds with the internationally recognised Yemeni government led by the PLC. Saudi Arabia has accused its coalition partner, the United Arab Emirates, of supplying arms to the STC—claims Abu Dhabi has denied, saying it supports Saudi security. The UAE, meanwhile, voiced serious concern over the escalating violence and urged restraint to preserve Yemen’s stability. It also announced the withdrawal of its remaining troops from Yemen, citing the completion of counterterrorism missions, a move that may signal easing tensions with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen over shipment of weapons for separatists that arrived from UAE The Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 to push back Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, but after years of war, the Houthis still control the north while rival Saudi- and Emirati-backed groups are now clashing in the south. Analysts warn that unless the conflict is contained, the latest violence could usher in a dangerous new phase of the war, with competing forces fighting to redraw territorial control—an outcome that could have repercussions beyond Yemen itself.

Russia launched 10 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine in nighttime attacks, the Ukrainian air force said Tuesday, in its smallest drone bombardment this year as the warring countries prepare for possible peace talks in Turkey. The Kremlin hasn’t directly responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s challenge for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet him in person at the negotiations in Istanbul on Thursday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused for the second straight day Tuesday to tell reporters whether Putin will travel to Istanbul and who else will represent Russia at the potential talks. “As soon as the president considers it necessary, we will make an announcement,” Peskov said. Russia declares a 72-hour ceasefire in Ukraine marking Victory Day in World War II Russia has said it will send a delegation to Istanbul without preconditions. The U.S. has been applying stiff pressure on both sides to come to the table since President Donald Trump came to power in January with a promise to end the war. Military analysts say both sides are preparing a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield, where a war of attrition has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said Monday that Russia is “quickly replenishing front-line units with new recruits to maintain the battlefield initiative.”  Russia launches nearly 150 drones against Ukraine Zelenskyy will not be meeting with any Russian officials in Istanbul other than Putin, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said Tuesday on a YouTube show run by prominent Russian journalists in exile. Lower-level talks would amount to simply “dragging out” any peace process, Podolyak said. European leaders have recently accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he attempts to press his bigger army’s battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. Russia effectively rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire demanded by Ukraine and Western European leaders from Monday, when it fired more than 100 drones at Ukraine. Putin instead offered direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday. Russia shunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the U.S. and European leaders but offered direct talks with Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, especially Zelenskyy himself, saying his term expired last year. Under Ukraine’s constitution, it is illegal for the country to hold national elections while it’s under martial law, as it now is. In a further complication, a Ukrainian decree from 2022 rules out negotiations with Putin. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Monday with the top diplomats from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, who were meeting in London, to assess “the way forward for a ceasefire and path to peace in Ukraine,” spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. Those European countries had pledged further sanctions on Russia if it didn’t comply with a full ceasefire that Ukraine had accepted from Monday, but they made no announcement of additional punitive measures.  Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia

Pope Leo XIV, in his first Sunday blessing at the Vatican, made a heartfelt appeal to world leaders for an end to war. Addressing thousands in St Peter’s Square, he called for a "lasting peace" in the Ukraine conflict, a ceasefire in Gaza, and praised a recent agreement between India and Pakistan reached on Saturday. During the address, he also led the faithful in the Regina Caeli prayer, paying tribute to the Virgin Mary. The day before, the newly elected pope visited a shrine outside Rome and offered prayers at the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis, inside the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. His formal inauguration is scheduled for 18 May in St Peter’s Square, where he will celebrate Mass and deliver a homily attended by numerous world leaders and dignitaries. South Korean conservative party fails in a bid to switch presidential candidates Pope Leo was elected on Thursday after a two-day conclave. Since then, he has led his first Mass as pope in the Sistine Chapel and held a meeting with cardinals, where he described himself as an "unworthy choice" for the papacy and pledged to uphold the "precious legacy" of his predecessor. He emphasized the importance of missionary outreach, dialogue, and compassion for society’s marginalized, saying the Church must care for "the least and the rejected." Pope Leo explained his chosen name was inspired by a 19th-century pope recognized for championing social justice. The pontiff also noted that modern developments, including artificial intelligence, make the Church's mission to defend human dignity and justice more vital than ever. He is expected to address the media on Monday ahead of his inauguration. At 69, Pope Leo becomes the 267th leader of the Catholic Church and its first American pontiff. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, he served for years as a missionary in Peru, where he also gained citizenship and later became an archbishop. Although American-born, the Vatican considers him the second pope from the Americas, following Pope Francis of Argentina. Seen as a moderate, Pope Leo is viewed as a figure of "continuity" and "unity" after the recent passing of Francis. He shares many of his predecessor’s views on migrants, poverty, and environmental issues. In his first public message, Pope Leo told the crowd he hoped "to walk together with you as a united Church searching all together for peace and justice." Source: BBC  

Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hezbollah fighters on Friday in different areas in south Lebanon, including a coastal town that is home to the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers. A spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL told The Associated Press that they are monitoring “heavy clashes” in the coastal town of Naqoura and the village of Chamaa to the northeast. UNIFIL’s headquarters are located in Naqoura in Lebanon’s southern edge close to the border with Israel. “We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases,” UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said. Asked if the peacekeepers and staff at the headquarters are safe, Tenenti said: “Yes for the moment.” Several UNIFIL posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded. The fighting came a day after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas military leader, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively. The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. Israel’s war has caused heavy destruction across Gaza, decimated parts of the territory and driven almost the entire population of 2.3 million people from their homes, leaving most dependent on aid to survive. Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel has also launched airstrikes against Lebanon after the Hezbollah militant group began firing rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas’ attack last October. A full-blown war erupted in September after nearly a year of lower-level conflict.  

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said it would stay closed Wednesday after receiving a warning of a potentially significant Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital. The precautionary step came after Russian officials promised a response to President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets on Russian soil with U.S.-made missiles — a move that angered the Kremlin. The war, which reached its 1,000-day milestone on Tuesday, has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of North Korean troops to help Russia on the battlefield — a development which U.S. officials said prompted Biden’s policy shift. Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently lowered the threshold for using his nuclear arsenal, with the new doctrine announced Tuesday permitting a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. That could potentially include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S. Western leaders dismissed the Russian move as an attempt to deter Ukraine’s allies from providing further support to Kyiv, but the escalating tension weighed on stock markets after Ukraine used American-made ATACMS longer-range missiles for the first time to strike a target inside Russia. The U.S. Embassy said its closure and attack warning were issued in the context of ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and anticipated a quick return to regular operations. Western and Ukrainian officials say Russia been stockpiling powerful long-range missiles, possibly in an upcoming effort to crush the Ukrainian power grid as winter settles in. Military analysts say the U.S. decision on the range over which American-made missiles can be used isn't expected to be a game-changer in the war, but it could help weaken the Russian war effort, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank. “Ukrainian long-range strikes against military objects within Russia’s rear are crucial for degrading Russian military capabilities throughout the theater," it said. Ukraine has seen success in building clean energy, which is harder for Russia to destroy Meanwhile, North Korea recently supplied additional artillery systems to Russia, according to South Korea. It said that North Korean soldiers were assigned to Russia’s marine and airborne forces units and some of them have already begun fighting alongside the Russians on the front lines. Ukraine struck a factory in Russia’s Belgorod region that makes cargo drones for the armed forces in an overnight attack, according to Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counterdisinformation branch of Ukraine’s Security Council. He also claimed Ukraine hit an arsenal in Russia’s Novgorod region, near the town of Kotovo, located about 680 kilometers (420 miles) behind the Ukrainian border. The arsenal stored artillery ammunition and various types of missiles, he said. It wasn't possible to independently verify the claims.