Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut and Tehran on Friday as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes against Israel and the Gulf countries. There was no sign of the war letting up on its seventh day, as US President Donald Trump appeared to rule out negotiations with Iran and called for its “unconditional surrender”.The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the latest conflict. Tens of thousands have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings.The war has escalated to affect more than a dozen countries across the Middle East and beyond. The United States said it had struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea as it waged an unrelenting campaign against the country’s navy that earlier included torpedoing of a warship in the Indian Ocean.The US and Israel have battered Iran with strikes, targeting their military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. The stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted, as the US has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within. With APTrump appears to rule out talks with Iran absent its ‘unconditional surrender’March 6, 2026 7:45 pmDubai: US President Donald Trump appeared to rule out negotiations with Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East. He said in a social media post on Friday that there will be no deal absent “unconditional surrender” from Tehran. “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” Trump said. APPost-mortem concluded on Iranian sailor deaths in LankaMarch 6, 2026 7:10 pmColombo: The post-mortem conducted on the bodies of Iranian sailors recovered from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena has been concluded, hospital sources said on Friday. Sri Lanka said on Wednesday it had recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors after the US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Galle on the island’s southern coast. The ship had been returning to Iran from Visakhapatnam, India, where it had participated in a naval fleet review exercise. PTIGulf carriers resume limited flights, but missile fire fuels uncertaintyMarch 6, 2026 4:40 pmHong Kong/Dubai: Emirati airlines resumed some flights to key global cities from the United Arab Emirates on Friday, but tensions remained high after a government-chartered Air France repatriation flight was forced to turn back on Thursday due to missile fire in the area. The outbreak of the US-Israel war against Iran has led to flight cancellations across the Middle East, leaving airlines and governments scrambling to support stranded passengers. Shares in carriers from New Zealand to Japan have slid meanwhile as the conflict drives up fuel prices. Passengers have been forking out huge sums to get out of the Middle East, with some who managed to travel back by commercial flight on Thursday from Oman saying it had been “absolute chaos” to find their way home from Dubai. ReutersQatar warns war will force Gulf to stop energy exports within weeks, energy minister tells FTMarch 6, 2026 3:18 pmQatar’s energy minister Saad al-Kaabi said that even if the war ended immediately it would take Qatar “weeks to months” to return to a normal cycle of deliveries, he told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday.South Korea, US militaries discuss moving Patriot missiles to Iran war, Seoul saysMarch 6, 2026 1:12 pmSouth Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Friday the US and South Korean militaries are discussing shifting some US Patriot missile defence systems based in South Korea to be deployed in the war against Iran. Cho was responding to a question at a parliamentary hearing.Sri Lankan Navy ‘safely’ transfers 204 Iranian sailors on board second ship to ColomboMarch 6, 2026 1:12 pmThe Sri Lankan Navy on Friday said 204 of the 208 Iranian personnel on board IRINS Bushehr have been “safely” transferred to the port of Colombo, two days after another Iranian frigate was sunk near the island nation. Four sailors are remaining on the ship which had developed trouble in one of the engines, the navy said. Navy spokesman Commander Buddika Sampath said the Iranian sailors will be taken to the navy camp at Welisara, a northern suburb in Colombo. “They will be subject to medical examination as a formality of registration,” Sampath said.Australians were on board US submarine that sank Iranian ship, says PM AlbaneseMarch 6, 2026 12:14 pmPrime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that three Australian defence personnel were on board a United States submarine that sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean, but stressed they did not take part in the attack. The strike, which occurred off the southern coast of Sri Lanka this week, marked the first time since World War Two that the United States has sunk an enemy vessel with a torpedo. Sri Lankan authorities recovered the bodies of 87 sailors. Albanese told Jattvibe the Australians were on board as part of training linked to the AUKUS defence pact between Australia, the US and Britain, designed to help Australia acquire and build nuclear-powered submarines.Etihad Airways resumes limited flights from Abu DhabiMarch 6, 2026 11:29 amAbu Dhabi: Etihad Airways on Friday resumed a limited commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. According to ANI, The airline will operate select routes to major global destinations until March 19. Passengers with previous bookings will be re-accommodated as soon as possible on these flights.These services will connect the UAE capital with several major international destinations across Asia, Europe and North America.Japan says 2nd Japanese person is detained in IranMarch 6, 2026 9:52 amA second Japanese national has been detained in Iran, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday and requested the early release of both people. The ministry confirmed the second person had been detained before the February 28 military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel. The ministry said the detainee is safe and in good health but gave no other details such as the timing of the detention or whether it is related to the detention of a Japanese journalist that was disclosed last month.Trump urges Iranian Kurds to attack Iran as war widensMarch 6, 2026 9:36 amUS President Donald Trump encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq to launch attacks against Iran as the Middle East conflict widened, with Azerbaijan warning it would retaliate for being targeted by Iranian missiles. Israel on Friday said it had started a “broad-scale” wave of attacks against infrastructure targets in Tehran, as Gulf cities came under renewed bombardment by Iran. The seven-day war has now seen Iran target Israel, the Gulf states, Cyprus, Turkey and Azerbaijan, and spread to the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka where a US submarine sank an Iranian naval ship.Stocks set for tough week, oil eyes big gains as Middle East war ragesMarch 6, 2026 9:36 amAsia stocks fell on Friday and were headed for their sharpest weekly drop in six years while oil prices were poised for their biggest jump in four in a turbulent week for global markets as the conflict in the Middle East showed few signs of easing. Investors sought the safety of cash as they sobered up to the fact that the U.S.-Israel war on Iran could drag on longer than initially anticipated. They also moved to price in more hawkish rate expectations from major central banks, spooked by the prospect of a resurgence in inflation if the spike in energy prices persists.India gets 30-day waiver from US to buy Russian oil amid Iran warMarch 6, 2026 8:15 amAmid the escalating conflict with Iran, the US said it is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.President Trump’s energy agenda has resulted in oil and gas production reaching the highest levels ever recorded.To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.…— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) March 6, 2026