West Asia conflict

April 7, 2026 10:56 PM

‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’ says Trump as Iran defies looming deadline

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that "a whole civilization will die tonight" as Iran showed no sign of accepting his ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening. Trump has given Iran until 8 p.m. in Washington - 3:30 a.m. in Tehran - to end its blockade of Gulf oil or see the U.S. destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran. Iran says it would retaliate against U.S. allies in the Gulf, whose desert cities would be uninhabitable without power or water. As the clock ticked ...

April 7, 2026 10:27 PM

Gunfight outside Israeli consulate in Istanbul leaves one attacker dead

One attacker was killed and two others were wounded in an extended gun battle with police outside the tower building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Footage showed the backpack-wearing attackers firing with automatic rifles and handguns, and police officers returning fire and seeking cover, as they manoeuvred among parked white police buses near a checkpoint. One body lay on the street. Shots rang out for at least 10 minutes among the glass towers in Turkey's main financi...

April 7, 2026 10:26 PM

Russia delays lunar missions as US marks historic flight

Russia has pushed back the launch of three moon missions, the Interfax news agency said on Tuesday, a setback to its ambitious lunar exploration programme as longtime space rival, the United States, celebrated an historic flight around the moon. The launches of Russian spacecraft Luna-28, Luna-29, and Luna-30 have been postponed to 2032–2036, Interfax quoted Russian Academy of Sciences Vice President Sergei Chernyshev as saying. It did not say when they had originally been slated to lift off...

April 7, 2026 10:23 PM

Russia says Middle East war disruption opens up new trade opportunities

Global supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East have opened up new trade opportunities for Russia, but price stability in the domestic market remains a priority, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Tuesday. Russia, the world's second-largest oil exporter, the largest wheat exporter, and a major producer and exporter of fertilisers, is seen by many experts as one of the main economic beneficiaries of the conflict. "For our country, the current situation - if we consi...

April 7, 2026 10:17 PM

Oil prices mixed; Brent flat, US crude up as Iran keeps Hormuz shut ahead of Trump deadline

Oil prices were mixed on Tuesday with Brent futures flat, while U.S. crude remains on track for its highest close since 2022, ahead of a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on power plants and other infrastructure. Brent futures fell 29 cents, or 0.3%, to $109.48 a barrel at 11.59 a.m. EDT (1559 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $2.58, or 2.3%, to $114.99. Typically WTI trades at a discount to Brent, but this has r...

April 7, 2026 10:14 PM

US hits military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, Vance says no change to strategy

U.S. strikes on Iran's Kharg Island do not represent a change in American strategy, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday as a U.S. official separately told Reuters the additional strikes on military targets did not impact oil infrastructure. The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, described at least some of the strikes as targeting sites that had been previously struck before and said the attack occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday. Vance, speaking separ...

April 7, 2026 10:10 PM

Iran has attacked Saudi Arabia’s Jubail petrochemical complex: IRGC

Iran on Tuesday attacked Saudi Arabia's Jubail petrochemical complex, the heart of the kingdom's downstream sector, its Revolutionary Guards said, the latest evidence of Tehran's ability to strike back in response to U.S.-Israeli attacks ahead of a U.S. deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the attack was in response to attacks against its Asaluyeh petrochemical plants, which are connected to its massive South Pars gas field and were reportedly hit by multiple explosions overnight. ...

April 7, 2026 8:35 PM

West Asia conflict escalates as Israel, US strike Iran; Trump warns of ‘devastating’ action over Strait of Hormuz

Tensions across West Asia are intensifying, with Israeli forces saying they have completed a large-scale wave of strikes targeting dozens of Iranian regime sites, including a key railway bridge in Kashan. Israeli officials said the strikes aimed to disrupt military logistics and infrastructure as the confrontation between Israel and Iran continues to expand At the same time, US President Donald Trump has warned of destructive attacks on Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened or a deal is r...

April 7, 2026 7:01 PM

Government outlines multi-sector response amid West Asia crisis; aviation, fuel supply and repatriation efforts stabilised

The Centre on Tuesday detailed a comprehensive, multi-ministerial response to the ongoing West Asia conflict, highlighting measures taken to stabilise aviation operations, ensure fuel availability, maintain maritime safety, and assist Indian nationals in the region. At an inter-ministerial briefing held at the National Media Centre, officials from key ministries, including Civil Aviation, Petroleum and Natural Gas, External Affairs, and Ports Shipping and Waterways, said the government has adop...

April 6, 2026 10:27 PM

Trump says April 7 deadline to make a deal with Iran is final

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the April 7 deadline he has set for Iran to make a deal is final and unlikely to be extended, calling Iran's peace proposal significant but not good enough. Trump has warned U.S. forces will unleash broad attacks on Iranian infrastructure if his Tuesday night deadline for a deal is not met. "They made a proposal, and it's a significant proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough," Trump told reporters during an Easter egg event for childre...