Dubai: Hopes rose that the Iran war could begin winding down as US President Donald Trump said that his government was holding productive talks with Tehran, but fighting showed no signs of slowing, and Iran denied there were talks.Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, saying the US will hold off striking Iranian power plants for five more days to allow US envoys to hold talks with a “respected” Iranian leader.Iranian officials said that Trump had backed down “following Iran’s firm warning”.Relief ripped through financial markets on Monday as oil prices eased following severe losses prior to Trump’s announcement. Markets have experienced vicious swings since the war began because of uncertainty about how long it may last. APUS expected to send thousands of additional US soldiers to Middle EastMarch 24, 2026 11:01 pmUS expected to send thousands of additional US soldiers to Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. ReutersAmazon says Bahrain data centre operations disrupted by drone activityMarch 24, 2026 8:40 pmDubai: Amazon says data centre operations in Bahrain have been disrupted by drone activity, the second time that its cloud computing service in the Middle East has been affected since the Iran war erupted. The company says Amazon Web Service in the Bahrain region “has been disrupted as a result of the ongoing conflict” early on Tuesday, without providing further details. “We continue to support affected customers, helping them to migrate to alternate AWS Regions, with a large number already successfully operating their applications from other parts of the world,” the company said. APIsrael’s military said it identified additional missiles from Iran for the ninth time within hoursMarch 24, 2026 8:40 pmDubai: The missiles are aimed at southern Israel, across a region near Israel’s main nuclear research centre where two missiles struck on Saturday. APPhilippine president declares state of national energy emergencyMarch 24, 2026 8:39 pmDubai: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday declared a state of national energy emergency to respond to the impact of the Middle East war, which his administration said posed “an imminent danger of a critically low energy supply”. Under the declaration, which would initially last for a year, Marcos would lead a contingency committee that would monitor and ensure the availability and orderly distribution of fuel, food, medicines, agricultural products and other basic goods. Authorities were ordered to take action against the hoarding, profiteering and manipulation of the supply of petroleum products. The Department of Migrant Workers, meanwhile, was asked to brace for the possible rescue and evacuation of Filipinos in the Middle East. AP3 injured in Iranian missile attack on southern IsraelMarch 24, 2026 8:39 pmDubai: Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services said a 40-year-old man was in moderate condition and a woman and two-month old baby suffered minor injuries in the attack, in a day of heavy missile fire from Iran. The impact caused damage to a mobile home, according to Fire and Rescue services. Many members of Israel’s Bedouin community live in unrecognised villages in the south, often in mobile and makeshift homes. They face severe shortages of bomb shelters. Meanwhile, Israel’s military says it identified more missiles launched from Iran towards southern Israel, for the second time in an hour. It’s the tenth wave of missiles launched towards Israel from Iran on Tuesday. APAuthorities in Bahrain say Emirati soldier was killed in Iranian attackMarch 24, 2026 8:37 pmDubai: The Defence Ministry in Bahrain said on Tuesday he was killed while responding to the Iranian attacks along with Bahraini forces. It said a number of Bahraini and Emirati forces were wounded. The ministry didn’t elaborate on the circumstances of his death. APShakira concert in Doha postponed as conflict ragesMarch 24, 2026 5:59 pmA Shakira concert due to take place in Doha on April 1 has been postponed due to the “current regional situation”, Visit Qatar said in a social media post on Tuesday. Abu Dhabi’s Offlimits Music Festival, which was due to be headlined by Shakira and the Jonas Brothers, has been postponed until November, according to UAE ticketing platform Platinumlist. ReutersIranian spokesman for top military command says armed forces will fight ‘until complete victory’March 24, 2026 5:16 pmDubai: The spokesman of Iran’s top military command said on Tuesday that its armed forces will fight “until complete victory”. The comments by Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters appeared to be related to US President Donald Trump’s announcement that there were negotiations ongoing between Tehran and Washington. Iran has denied that any talks are taking place, though its foreign minister has been talking to counterparts around the region. Iranian state television quoted Aliabadi as saying: “Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and steadfast in defending Iran’s integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory.” The general did not say what “complete victory” would look like, but it appeared likely Iran’s military was trying to warn against offering concessions in any possible negotiations with the United States. APIran names ex-Revolutionary Guard commander as new secretary of Supreme National Security CouncilMarch 24, 2026 5:06 pmDubai: Iran named a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander as the new secretary of the country’s Supreme National Security Council on Tuesday, replacing Ali Larijani, who was killed in an airstrike. Iranian state television identified the new secretary as Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr. Zolghadr reached the rank of brigadier general in the Guard. He had been serving as the secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council. APCentral Tel Aviv hit by missile strikeMarch 24, 2026 5:05 pmDubai: After a recent warning about an incoming Iranian missile barrage, an explosion could be heard, and smoke could be seen in central Tel Aviv. Israel’s military said search and rescue forces were headed for several sites where impacts had been reported. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service posted images to X of a damaged site in central Israel where rescue workers thronged around cars that had been charred to ashes. APEgypt minister and US envoy discuss potential Iran negotiationsMarch 24, 2026 5:04 pmDubai: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed “potential negotiations” between the US and Iran in a phone call on Monday with US envoy Steve Witkoff, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said that the call came during concerted efforts to revive the “diplomatic path as the sole way to avert a comprehensive chaos in the region. Abdelatty also spoke with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France and Cyprus, the ministry said. APPolice say Tel Aviv blast caused by Iranian warheadMarch 24, 2026 5:03 pmDubai: Israeli Police Superintendent Fadida Yaniv confirmed damage to central Tel Aviv on Tuesday was caused by an Iranian warhead with about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of explosives. Yaniv, who serves with the police unit investigating explosions, told the Associated Press at the scene that the missile damaged homes and cars on the residential street, but there were no serious injuries reported. APIran-backed militiamen killed in Iraqi airstrikeMarch 24, 2026 5:03 pmDubai: Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, a coalition of militias backed by Iran, says 15 militiamen were killed in an airstrike in western Iraq. The dead included Saad Dawai al-Baiji, who commands the PMF operations in the province of Anbar, the PMF said in a statement. The PMF blamed the United States for the strike, which hit the coalition’s command headquarters in Anbar. APDeath toll in strike near Beirut increasesMarch 24, 2026 5:02 pmDubai: Lebanon’s Health Ministry says that another person died after the Israeli airstrike on the town of Bchamoun southeast of Beirut, raising the death toll to three. The ministry says the dead include a three-year-old girl. AP6 killed in missile attack on Kurdish base in IraqMarch 24, 2026 4:59 pmDubai: The attack on a Peshmerga base in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil also wounded 30 others. A statement from the Peshmerga forces blamed Iran for the strike and another attack, which caused no casualties. APKatz threatens Gaza-like destruction in southern LebanonMarch 24, 2026 4:56 pmDubai: Defence Minister Israel Katz says that the Israeli military will destroy homes in southern Lebanon, just as it did in Gaza, in what he says is a stepped-up effort to rid the area of Hezbollah militants. Katz says that Israel will implement “the Rafah and Beit Hanoun models”, referring to two Gaza border towns that Israel flattened in its offensive in the Palestinian territory. Katz says that the military is going beyond destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, and that it was also destroying houses in Lebanese villages near the border that he says “serve as terrorist outposts for all intents and purposes”. APIsrael gives update on Iran strikesMarch 24, 2026 4:55 pmDubai: Israel’s military says it has finished an extensive wave of strikes on Iranian “production sites”, without immediately providing more information. It also said that it has detected a new wave of missiles launched from Iran towards Israel. APIsraeli strikes near Beirut kill 2, hit targets in southern LebanonMarch 24, 2026 1:07 pmDubai: An Israeli strike early Tuesday on a residential apartment in Bchamoun, around 10 kilometres southeast of Beirut, killed at least two people, according to an initial toll from the Lebanese Health Ministry. The strike wounded five others, the ministry added. The strike came without warning and hit an area outside Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the Israeli military had previously issued evacuation notices. APIsrael issues sixth missile warning on TuesdayMarch 24, 2026 1:07 pmDubai: Israel issued another missile warning to the public for Iranian fire, the sixth warning since midnight on Tuesday. APIran must think wisely’ over Trump’s comments about talksMarch 24, 2026 1:05 pmDubai: A member of Iran’s Parliament has warned that his nation must “think wisely” about US President Donald Trump saying talks were ongoing between Tehran and Washington. APSouth Korea to increase nuclear, coal power generationMarch 24, 2026 1:04 pmDubai: South Korea says it will expand operations at nuclear and coal-fired power plants to reduce natural gas consumption. Kim Sungwhan, the climate and energy minister, said Tuesday that 15 of the country’s 26 nuclear reactors are currently in operation and five of 11 reactors now undergoing maintenance will likely be back online by May. Kim said officials also will temporarily ease emissions-related restrictions on coal-fired plants to allow them to increase output on clear days. APIran foreign minister holds talksMarch 24, 2026 1:04 pmDubai: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi since Monday has been talking with his counterparts in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Turkmenistan, his office confirmed. APDollar stands tall as markets turn cautious on Middle East warMarch 24, 2026 11:27 amHong Kong: The dollar firmed slightly on Tuesday as investor sentiment turned cautious, with the war in the Middle East raging on and markets sceptical of a swift resolution even though U.S. President Donald Trump delayed the bombing of Iran’s power grid. ReutersIran sceptical of Trump’s motives in deadline extensionMarch 24, 2026 11:23 amDubai: Trump initially set a deadline of late Monday, Washington time, for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its power plants, but on Monday he gave Tehran five more days to comply. Iran has allowed a small number of ships through the strait, which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, but has said it will continue to target vessels linked to the US, Israel or its allies. Its leaders are wary of Washington’s motives, in part because Tehran was in negotiations with the US before the surprise attack that started the war. Iran had also been in talks last year when the US and Israel attacked its nuclear facilities, starting a 12-day war. Trump’s extension of the deadline comes as a contingent of thousands of Marines is on the way to the area, raising speculation that the US may try to seize Kharg Island, which is off of Iran’s coast and vital to the country’s oil network. The US bombed the island in the Persian Gulf more than a week ago, hitting its defences but saying it had left oil infrastructure intact. Iran has threatened if the US appears to be on the verge of landing troops it could mine the Persian Gulf, which would complicate an amphibious assault and also imperil all shipping in the area. The delay could be timed to coincide with the arrival of US Marines in the region, expected Friday, wrote the New York-based think tank the Soufan Centre in an analysis. “As Trump has in the past, he could be moving military assets into place, in this case to prepare for an invasion and seizure of Kharg Island, while using negotiations as a cover until those assets are fully combat-ready.” However, the centre also noted that “Trump could be actively seeking an offramp. Whether Iran reciprocates is yet to be seen.” Trump has said he has no plans to send ground forces into Iran but has not ruled it out. Israel has suggested its ground forces could take part in the war. APIran hits Israel and Gulf neighboursMarch 24, 2026 11:21 amDubai: Iran fired three waves of missiles at Israel early Tuesday, with reports of an impact in the country’s north, the Israeli Home Front Command said. APUS to continue Iran strikes, pause applies only to energy sites, Semafor reportsMarch 24, 2026 10:37 amBengaluru: The US will continue its strikes on Iran, with the pause applying only to attacks on Tehran’s energy sites, Semafor reported on Monday, citing a US official, during what President Donald Trump has described as “productive” talks with unidentified Iranian officials. “The stop on attacks for five days is only on their energy sites,” a US official told Semafor. “It is not on the military sites and the navy, and the ballistic missiles, and the defense industrial base. The initial initiatives of (Operation) Epic Fury will continue,” he told the news agency. ReutersShares jittery, oil rebounds as fragile relief rally soursMarch 24, 2026 10:18 amSingapore: Stocks were on tenterhooks and oil prices rose in choppy trade on Tuesday as US President Donald Trump’s postponement of the bombing of Iran’s power grid proved no panacea for investors worried about the ramifications of the Middle East war. US Treasury yields pushed higher and the dollar regained lost ground, in a retracement of the relief rally that swept markets overnight after Trump added five days to his Saturday ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, citing “productive” talks Tehran. Much uncertainty remained as the world continues to grapple with an energy shock while Iran denied that it had engaged in negotiations with the US. ReutersAirlines cancel more flights as Middle East conflict escalatesMarch 24, 2026 10:15 amGlobal air travel remains severely disrupted after the war in Iran forced the closure of major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, stranding tens of thousands of passengers. ReutersAustralia, EU seal long-awaited trade deal amid global trade tensionsMarch 24, 2026 8:34 amSydney: Australia and the European Union signed a trade deal on Tuesday that was eight years in the making, removing tariffs for almost all European goods and for nearly all exports of Australian critical minerals. The agreement comes after both sides stepped up talks in the wake of significantly higher U.S. tariffs under the Trump administration. The two sides also signed an agreement to boost security and defence ties. “The EU and Australia may be geographically far apart but we couldn’t be closer in terms of how we see the world,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “With these dynamic new partnerships on security and defence, as well as trade, we are moving even closer together.” The agreement will remove over 99% of tariffs on EU goods exports to Australia, cutting 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) a year in duties for companies. EU exports to Australia are now expected to grow by up to 33% over the next decade. ReutersTrump’s claim of US, Iran talking elicits market cheers, plenty of scepticismMarch 24, 2026 8:28 amWashington: President Donald Trump started the fourth week of his war against Iran by offering the world some guarded optimism that the US could soon be winding operations down. While markets cheered the claim, Iranian officials dismissed as a ploy to buy time for a conflict that is causing economic pain around the globe. APIsraeli jets pound Beirut’s southern suburbsMarch 24, 2026 8:08 amDubai: The Israeli military carried out overnight strikes on multiple neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. No injuries were immediately reported. Low-flying jets were heard over the city as the strikes took place. APImpact reported in northern Israel after missile warningMarch 24, 2026 8:08 amDubai: Search and rescue teams operated at a site in northern Israel following reports of an impact, the Home Front Command said early Tuesday. The public was urged to avoid gathering in the area. The statement came some time after the Israeli military warned that missiles had been launched from Iran toward Israel. AP