United News of Bangladesh

Hezbollah has said it carried out a series of attacks targeting Israeli forces and positions in northern Israel and along the southern Lebanon border. In statements issued by its military media wing, the group said it detonated an explosive device against Israeli troops near the town of Shamaa in southern Lebanon and later opened fire on what it described as a rescue force arriving at the scene. Hezbollah also claimed it launched rocket attacks on Israeli positions and troop gatherings near the town of Ainata, and fired rockets toward the northern Israeli towns of Nahariya and Metula. In a separate statement, the group said it targeted the Meron air operations command and control base in northern Israel with a barrage of rockets. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the claims.  #From Al Jazeera

Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz only after receiving compensation for war-related damages, a senior official said. Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy for communications at the Iranian president’s office, said the compensation would be paid under a “new legal regime” based on transit fees. In a social media post, Tabatabaei also criticised US President Donald Trump, who earlier threatened to target Iran’s civilian infrastructure over the strait’s closure, saying he had “resorted to obscenities and nonsense out of sheer desperation and anger”.   #From Al Jazeera

Iran has called on the international community to act against what it described as threats of “atrocious acts,” following recent remarks by US President Donald Trump. In a statement posted on X, Iran’s mission to the United Nations condemned Trump’s comments, saying he is threatening “to destroy infrastructure essential to civilian survival” in the country. “If the conscience of the United Nations were alive, it would not remain silent in the face of the overt and shameless threat by the war-mongering President of the United States to target civilian infrastructure. Trump seeks to drag the region into an endless war,” the mission said. “This is direct and public incitement to terrorise civilians and clear evidence of intent to commit [a] war crime,” it added. “The international community and all States have legal obligations to prevent such atrocious acts of war crimes. They must act now. Tomorrow is too late.” #From Al Jazeera

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of severe consequences if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.” He added, “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”   #From Al Jazeera

Iran and Oman have begun diplomatic discussions focused on restoring movement through the Strait of Hormuz, with officials confirming the talks are underway between the two neighbouring countries. The confirmation comes after earlier indications that communication was taking place, and just a day before a deadline set by Donald Trump regarding potential escalation of military action against Iran, giving the talks added urgency. The discussions are expected to centre on ensuring the safe passage of ships through the crucial maritime route, which has faced severe disruption. The situation has significantly affected global trade, with maritime traffic, including oil and energy shipments, largely stalled and thousands of vessels waiting on either side of the strait. Iran is likely to approach the talks with a long-term perspective, maintaining leverage over the strategic waterway as an economic pressure point. While it lacks nuclear deterrence, control over the strait has enabled Tehran to influence global trade and energy flows. Oman, meanwhile, is expected to push for measures to prevent further disruptions, including arrangements to safeguard shipping routes, establish security frameworks for vessels and develop mechanisms to de-escalate both the current conflict and potential future crises. Reopening the Strait of Hormuz remains a key objective for Oman and the broader international community, with the talks seen as a significant diplomatic effort at the deputy minister level to stabilise the situation and avoid further escalation. #From Al Jazeera

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, issued a veiled threat late Friday to disrupt traffic through a second strategic waterway in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb. The strait, 32 kilometers (20 miles) wide, links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. More than a tenth of seaborne global oil and a quarter of container ships pass through it. “Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?” Qalibaf wrote. More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began. In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. In Lebanon, more than 1,400 people have been killed and more than 1 million people have been displaced. Ten Israeli soldiers have died there.

A U.S. service member who went missing after Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet on Friday has been rescued, President Donald Trump announced on social media Sunday. A second crew member had been rescued earlier. Trump said the rescued aviator was injured but “will be just fine.” He described a massive search-and-rescue operation involving “dozens of aircraft” and 24-hour monitoring of the service member’s location. This was the first U.S. aircraft lost in Iranian territory since the conflict began in late February. The downing occurred amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. Trump renewed his threat for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Monday or face severe retaliation. In response, Iran’s Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi warned that the “doors of hell will be opened” on U.S. and Israeli infrastructure in the region. Meanwhile, a second U.S. aircraft, an A-10 attack jet, also went down, though details of its crew and crash site remain unclear. Iranian state media said it was struck in the Persian Gulf. Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire are ongoing, with Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt mediating talks. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Tehran’s willingness to attend Islamabad-hosted talks. The proposed plan would halt hostilities to allow a diplomatic settlement. The conflict, involving U.S.-Israel strikes on Iranian infrastructure, has killed over 1,900 people in Iran, more than 1,400 in Lebanon, dozens in Gulf Arab states and the West Bank, and 13 U.S. service members. Iran has also threatened strategic waterways, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major global shipping route. The situation remains volatile as both sides continue air and missile operations, raising international concerns over civilian casualties and regional escalation.

At least 30 universities in Iran have been affected by US and Israeli strikes since the start of the war, authorities said, as attacks increasingly hit infrastructure linked to research, health and industry. Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei Saraf said parts of dozens of universities have been damaged since fighting began on February 28. The latest strike hit the Laser and Plasma Research Institute at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran on Friday, leaving the facility in ruins. There were no casualties at the university as classes had already been moved online, though nearby dormitories sustained minor damage. Iranian officials condemned the attack, calling it a blow to scientific research and academic security. Other institutions, including Iran University of Science and Technology and the Pasteur Institute in Tehran, have also been hit. The World Health Organization said the Pasteur Institute sustained significant damage, disrupting its ability to provide health services, though no deaths were reported. The escalation comes as US and Israeli forces widen their strikes beyond military targets to include economic and industrial infrastructure. Heavy bombardment in the southern city of Mahshahr damaged refineries, while Iranian authorities reported casualties. Iranian officials say more than 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on civilian areas, including homes, schools and businesses, though the figures could not be independently verified. Meanwhile, tensions remain high over the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington warning of further action if Iran does not reopen the key shipping route. Tehran has vowed retaliation, raising fears of a broader regional escalation.

Iran has warned it will target US and Israeli infrastructure if attacks against it intensify, amid growing regional tensions following fresh threats and military actions. Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, commander of Iran’s joint military command, said Saturday that Iran would strike all infrastructure used by the US military in the region as well as Israeli facilities if aggression escalates. His remarks were carried by Iranian state media. The warning came hours after former US President Donald Trump urged Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning of severe consequences if it failed to comply. “Time is running out — 48 hours before all hell will reign down on them,” Trump said on social media, reiterating an earlier deadline. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli forces had launched new strikes on Iranian targets. In a video statement, he said Israel had attacked petrochemical facilities after previously damaging Iran’s steel production capacity. The Israeli military said its air force struck a petrochemical complex in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran earlier on Saturday, alleging the site was used to produce materials for explosives, ballistic missiles, and other weaponry. “I promised that we will continue to act against the regime in Tehran, and that is exactly what we are doing,” Netanyahu said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has denied any involvement in a reported drone attack on the US embassy in Riyadh on March 3, instead blaming Israel for the incident. The statement came after The Wall Street Journal reported that the attack caused more extensive damage than Saudi authorities had acknowledged. While Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry described the incident as a limited fire with minor damage, the report claimed the blaze lasted for hours and resulted in significant destruction, reports Al Jazeera. Rejecting the report, the IRGC said the attack “has absolutely nothing to do with the Iranian armed forces,” adding that, given Israel’s regional strategy, it was “certainly carried out by Zionists.” The IRGC also warned Muslim countries about what it described as the “Zionist regime’s sedition in the region,” urging neighboring states to remain vigilant against what it called an “American-Zionist” effort to destabilize the region.