As the war in the Middle East intensifies, US President Donald Trump said that the US has “the capability to go far longer” than its projected four-to-five-week time frame for its military operations against Iran.Across Tehran, the sound of explosions rang out through the night and into the early morning hours on Tuesday, as the US and Israel have continued to pound Iran since killing its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday.Tehran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighbouring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.The intensity of the attacks and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Israel and the US have given conflicting answers about what exactly the war’s objectives are or what the endgame might be. (With agencies)’Someone from within’ Iranian regime best choice to take power once US-Israel campaign finishes: TrumpMarch 3, 2026 10:56 pmWashington: President Donald Trump on Tuesday said someone from within Iranian regime might be best choice to take power once US-Israel campaign is finished. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran’s last Shah, is not someone that his administration has considered in depth to take over leadership in Iran. APIsrael steps up airstrikes in Tehran, as Iran widens response across regionMarch 3, 2026 10:26 pmDubai: Israel stepped up airstrikes against Iranian missile launchers and factories on Tuesday, and Iran retaliated across the Gulf region, disrupting energy supplies and travel. As explosions rang out in Tehran and in Lebanon – where Israel said it struck Hezbollah militants – the American embassy in Saudi Arabia came under drone attack. Four days into a war that President Donald Trump suggested would last several weeks but perhaps longer, hundreds of people have been killed, the vast majority in Iran, where information has been limited in part by an internet shutdown. The spiralling nature of the war raised questions about when and how it would end. Trump seemed to leave open the possibility for more extensive US military involvement, telling the New York Post on Monday that he was not ruling out the possibility of boots on the ground. APLebanon sucked deeper into war as Hezbollah, Israel trade blowsMarch 3, 2026 9:22 pmBeirut/Jerusalem: Lebanon was pulled deeper into the war in the Middle East on Tuesday as the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel for a second consecutive day and Israel sent troops into the south and carried out waves of airstrikes. The theatre of numerous conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon was drawn into the spillover from the war between the United States, Israel and Iran on Monday, when the group opened fire with drones and missiles. With dozens of people killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes, Hezbollah’s move to enter the conflict has sharpened long-standing divisions in Lebanon over its status as an armed group – the only Lebanese faction to keep its weapons after the 1975-90 civil war. ReutersPutin in close contact with Gulf leaders to facilitate de-escalation: KremlinMarch 3, 2026 7:59 pmMoscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin is making all possible efforts to de-escalate the crisis in the Gulf and is in close contact with the regional leaders as Iran is retaliating with massive strikes on the US facilities and infrastructure on their territories, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. The US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on Saturday, assassinating 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside family members, including his daughter and grandchildren. Since then, Iran has targeted multiple US bases in the surrounding Gulf States. “Putin will certainly make every effort to facilitate at least a minor easing of tensions. In this regard, we discussed with virtually all of our interlocutors yesterday,” the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. PTIAverage price for gallon of gas rises 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 in USMarch 3, 2026 7:46 pmNew York: The average price for a gallon of gasoline jumped 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 in the US, according to motor club AAA. Gas prices were already rising before the US launched strikes on Iran as refiners switch over to summer blends of fuel, but crude futures have risen sharply this week because of the war. On Tuesday, oil futures soared to levels not seen in more than a year as Iran launched a series of retaliatory attacks, including a drone strike on the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Benchmark US crude jumped 8.6% to $77.36 a barrel. APAirline stocks slide as passengers scramble to leave Middle EastMarch 3, 2026 7:42 pmSydney/Hong Kong/London: Airline stocks in Asia and Europe extended losses on Tuesday as the US and Israeli air war against Iran escalated, with carriers monitoring fuel price spikes and passengers scrambling to find flights or alternative routes out of the Middle East. Major Gulf hubs including Dubai, the world’s busiest international airport and normally handling more than 1,000 flights a day, remained closed for a fourth day, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. Aviation data firm Cirium said over 19,000 flights to the Middle East have been cancelled since Saturday. ReutersNot very helpful: Trump rebukes UK PM Starmer’s approach to Iran strikesMarch 3, 2026 7:41 pmLondon: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “not very helpful” with his stance on the joint American and Israeli strikes on Iran and praised European neighbours like France and Germany for their response to the war. In a phone interview from the White House with ‘The Sun’ newspaper in London, Trump said he is “very sad” to see that the so-called UK-US special relationship is “not what it was”. He had earlier accused Starmer of taking “far too long” to allow the use of British airbases by US forces to attack Iran. “He (Starmer) has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK,” said Trump. “It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.” PTIIsrael sends troops into southern Lebanon as Hezbollah says it is ready for open warMarch 3, 2026 7:09 pmBeirut: Israel sent additional troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday and ordered residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate as the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group said it is ready for an open war, escalating the already volatile situation in the region. The latest exchanges started after Hezbollah fired rockets and drones early on Monday towards northern Israel. Israel retaliated with a wave of airstrikes that killed 52 people in Lebanon, including a Palestinian militant and a Hezbollah intelligence official in Beirut’s southern suburbs. More than 150 people were wounded and tens of thousands displaced. Hezbollah said on Tuesday morning it fired two salvos of rockets towards northern Israel while Israeli airstrikes overnight damaged a building housing Hezbollah’s TV and radio stations. Beirut’s southern suburbs were subjected to a series of strikes in the early afternoon on Tuesday that came without warning, and the Israeli military later said it targeted Hezbollah officials. APTrump says US war supplies mean it can fight ‘forever’March 3, 2026 6:43 pmWashington: Donald Trump said the US military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars “forever”, as the Republican president and his administration continued their push to justify a broad, open-ended war on Iran with shifting aims and timeline. In a social media post overnight, Trump said there was a “virtually unlimited supply” of US munitions and that “wars can be fought ‘forever’, and very successfully, using just these supplies”. “The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!” he wrote. His comments late on Monday come as the conflict enters its fourth day following US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on Saturday. ReutersIsraeli military says it is striking Hezbollah commanders in BeirutMarch 3, 2026 5:26 pmIsraeli military says it is striking Hezbollah commanders in BeirutAt least 30,000 displaced people in shelters in Lebanon, more on the way: UN agenciesMarch 3, 2026 4:56 pmAt least 30,000 displaced people have sought protection in shelters in Lebanon since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated this week, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday, while many more were expected to join them. The Israeli army has conducted air strikes across Lebanon since Monday, after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel late on Sunday in reaction to US and Israeli strikes against Iran. ReutersTrump says ‘sad to see’ US-UK relationship deteriorate over Iran strikesMarch 3, 2026 4:56 pmPresident Donald Trump criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a second time this week, saying it was “sad to see” the so-called special relationship deteriorate after Britain initially held off providing support for US strikes on Iran. Starmer said Britain did not take part in the assault on Tehran by the United States and Israel because any British military action must have a “viable, thought-through plan” and he did not believe in “regime change from the skies”. But he has since allowed the US to use UK bases to launch what he called “limited and defensive strikes” to weaken Tehran’s capabilities. ReutersIndia has sufficient energy reserves to deal with Gulf crisis: MinisterMarch 3, 2026 4:56 pmIndia has sufficient energy reserves to deal with the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the country’s oil minister said in a post on X on Tuesday. Indian companies have reduced natural gas supplies to industries in anticipation of tighter supply from the region after top producer Qatar halted production. ReutersIsraeli troops carry out incursions along parts of Lebanese borderMarch 3, 2026 1:39 pmIsraeli troops were carrying out incursions along some parts of the Lebanese border, a Lebanese official told Reuters on Tuesday. Witnesses said the Lebanese army had pulled out of at least seven forward operating positions along the border.Drone hits fuel tank at Oman’s Duqm portMarch 3, 2026 1:33 pmA fuel tank at Oman’s Duqm commercial port was hit on Tuesday when the facility came under attack from several unmanned aircraft, the state news agency said, citing a security source, on the fourth day of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which has responded by targeting neighbouring countries. The attack comes a day after Qatar halted its production of liquefied natural gas – about a fifth of global supply – while Saudi Arabia suspended production at its largest domestic refinery. Major Israeli gas fields, including Leviathan, were offline, and most output in the Iraqi Kurdish region had been shut down as Iran continued to target infrastructure, including energy facilities, ports and airports, over recent days. Oman had been acting as mediator in talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme before the attacks on Iran. The resulting damage at Duqm was contained and no casualties were recorded, Oman’s news agency added. Duqm had also been targeted by two drones on Sunday, wounding one worker. Oman had been spared from attacks on Saturday, the day the U.S. and Israel launched their attack.Trump says ‘sad to see’ US-UK relationship is not what it wasMarch 3, 2026 1:27 pmU.S. President Donald Trump said it was “sad to see” the relationship with Britain was “not what it was” after Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially held off giving military support to the strikes against Iran. Trump said the likes of France had been more supportive and said he had never expected to see the once “most solid of all” relationships change in this way. “It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was,” Trump told the Sun newspaper on Tuesday, his second interview to a British newspaper in as many days where he criticised the British leader. Starmer said late on Sunday that he would allow the U.S. to use British military bases for defensive strikes after they were not used in the initial attack on Iran.Air India plane from Dubai with 149 passengers lands in New DelhiMarch 3, 2026 1:27 pmAir India welcomed 149 passengers from Dubai, amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, onboard its flight at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi today. “Air India welcomes back stranded passengers from Dubai on flight AI916D that landed at 1058 hrs IST at Delhi Airport. The aircraft, VT-EDC, ferried a total of 149 passengers. This is the first flight operated by an Indian carrier for the homecoming of passengers amid the ongoing situation in the Middle East,” a spokesperson for the airline said.3 Indian seafarers serving on board foreign-flagged vessels killedMarch 3, 2026 1:12 pmThree Indian seafarers, serving on board foreign-flagged vessels, were killed and one person was injured amid the escalating tensions in the West Asia region, the Directorate General of Shipping said in a statement. Directorate General of Shipping said that there have been four incidents in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and adjoining sea areas involving Indian seafarers.Tensions escalate in West Asia as Israel strikes targets in Tehran, BeirutMarch 3, 2026 12:41 pmAs the conflict escalates in West Asia, Israel conducted strikes in both Tehran and Beirut, while the US Embassy in Riyadh was struck by drone on Tuesday. The Israeli Defence Forces said in a post on X that it is currently conducting simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut.Iran-Israel conflict: CBSE postpones class 10, 12 board exams in Middle East regionMarch 3, 2026 12:36 pmThe Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday postponed the class 10 and 12 board exams scheduled for March 5 in the Middle East region amid the Iran-Israel conflict, officials said. “Due to the current situation in parts of the Middle East—Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, the board has decided to postpone class 10, 12 exams on March 5,” said CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj. The new dates will be announced later, and for further exams, the situation will be reviewed on March 5, Bhardwaj added.Indian passengers stuck in Abu Dhabi heave sigh of relief on arrival at Bengaluru airportMarch 3, 2026 11:35 amIndian passengers stranded in the UAE arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, marking an end to a period of high tension. Recalling the anxiety of missile alerts and sudden flight cancellations in Abu Dhabi, many expressed relief on touching down in Bengaluru on Monday night.US State Department orders evacuation of non-emergency personnel, family in Bahrain, JordanMarch 3, 2026 11:24 amThe US State Department on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Bahrain and Jordan. The State Department announcement online said the decision came “due to safety risks.” The State Department has urged Americans across the Mideast to leave over the ongoing war with Iran. The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia has acknowledged coming under attack from Iranian drones on Tuesday and urged Americans to avoid the diplomatic post for the time being.Sonia slams Modi govt’s silence on Khamenei killing, demands debate in ParliamentMarch 3, 2026 11:01 amIn a scathing criticism of the Modi government, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said its silence on the targeted assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not neutral but an abdication, and raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of India’s foreign policy. The former Congress president also demanded that when Parliament reconvenes for the second part of the Budget session, the government’s “disturbing silence” over the breakdown of international order must be debated openly and without evasion.Trump takes unconventional approach to communicating to the public about war in IranMarch 3, 2026 10:59 amTypical of an unconventional presidency, the Trump administration waited more than 48 hours to make any live, public communication to the American people about why it had decided to go to war with Iran.Protests against Khamenei’s killing: Curbs remain in force in KashmirMarch 3, 2026 10:54 amStrict restrictions remained imposed in Kashmir for the second consecutive day on Tuesday following massive protests across the valley against the killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While educational institutions were shut for two days and mobile internet speed throttled on Monday as precautionary measures, the authorities cancelled all movement of security force convoys in the valley on Tuesday as protests started turning violent at some places. In order to avoid tensions, they have also decided not to have any road opening parties of the security forces deployed on Tuesday.SpiceJet to operate four special flights from UAE’s FujairahMarch 3, 2026 8:53 amSpiceJet on Tuesday said it will operate four special flights from Fujairah in the UAE to bring back stranded passengers. Flight operations have been disrupted due to the close of airspaces in the Middle East amid the escalating conflict involving US, Israel and Iran. In a statement, SpiceJet said it would operate four special flights to connect Fujairah with Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi on Tuesday and for the next few days. Out of them, two flights would be operated to Mumbai.US will take action to mitigate oil price spike for Americans, says RubioMarch 3, 2026 8:44 amThe US will take action to mitigate rising energy prices due to a spike in the price of oil caused by the Iran conflict, Secretary of State Rubio said on Monday. Speaking to reporters at Capitol Hill, Rubio said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright would announce the plans today.Limited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle EastMarch 3, 2026 8:34 amTravellers stranded by a widening war began departing the United Arab Emirates aboard a small number of evacuation flights Monday, even as most commercial air traffic across the Middle East remained suspended. The limited flights out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi took place as the US State Department urged its own citizens in 13 countries, including UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman, to “depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks.”Amazon cloud unit’s data centers in UAE, Bahrain damaged in drone strikesMarch 3, 2026 8:26 amAmazon said on Monday some of its data centres in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were damaged by drone strikes in the Middle East conflict, disrupting cloud services and making a recovery “prolonged”. “In the UAE, two of our facilities were directly struck, while in Bahrain, a drone strike in close proximity to one of our facilities caused physical impact to our infrastructure,” Amazon’s cloud unit Amazon Web Services (AWS) said in an update on its status page.Two drones attack US Embassy in Riyadh, causing ‘limited fire’March 3, 2026 8:18 amIsrael and the United States pounded Iran on Monday in an escalating campaign that US President Donald Trump said would likely take several weeks. Tehran and its allies hit back across the region, striking Israel and a variety of targets inside Gulf states, including energy facilities in Qatar and the American embassy in Saudi Arabia. The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Safe havens in the Mideast like Dubai have seen incoming fire; hundreds of thousands of airline passengers are stranded around the globe; energy prices shot up; and U.S. allies pledged to help stop Iranian missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia said early Tuesday that the US Embassy in Riyadh came under attack from two drones, which caused a “limited fire” and minor damage. Further details weren’t immediately available. On Monday, the US Embassy compound in Kuwait was struck.