War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Commenting on a post about Israeli attacks killing a woman and her daughter in southern Lebanon, former US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “The entire world should condemn Israel murdering innocent people and children.

“The silence is deafening,” she added.

Qatar has confirmed that a commercial cargo vessel in its territorial waters was targeted by a drone this morning, Al Jazeera reports.

The incident resulted in a limited fire onboard the vessel that was arriving from Abu Dhabi. No injuries were reported.

“The vessel continued its journey toward Mesaieed Port after the fire was brought under control. The necessary measures were taken, and coordination was carried out with the relevant authorities,” a defence ministry statement read.

An Israeli raid on the Islamic Health Authority point in the southern Lebanese town of Qalawiya has wounded several paramedics, one seriously, NNA is reporting according to Al Jazeera.

Kuwait’s Defence Ministry says a “number of hostile drones” were detected in the country’s airspace at dawn, Al Jazeera reports.

In a post on X, a spokesperson said the drones were dealt with “in accordance with established procedures”.

Israeli air strikes have hit Majdal Selem and al-Mansouri in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera ground correspondents have reported.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, in a phone call with his Qatari counterpart, has discussed regional development.

In a post on X, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said the two “discussed developments in the region and the efforts undertaken by the two countries to maintain security and stability”.

“I was delighted to receive a telephone call from my brother,” said PM Shehbaz Sharif on X, sharing the details of his phone call with Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

“I also conveyed my sincere appreciation to my dear brother, H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, for his wise leadership and for Qatar’s continued support for Pakistan’s sincere efforts to advance regional peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy,” PM Shehbaz wrote.

“I look forward to the visit of my dear brother, the Amir of Qatar, to Pakistan very soon,” he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call earlier today from his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Jassim Al Thani, the PM’s Office says.

“During their warm and cordial conversation, the two leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation and reviewed the progress of ongoing peace efforts in the region,” the PMO statement said.

PM Shehbaz “expressed Pakistan’s sincere appreciation for Qatar’s continued and steadfast support for Pakistan’s peace initiatives, reaffirming the depth of the brotherly bonds between the two countries”.

“Both sides underscored the importance of constructive engagement by all parties to ensure the success of ongoing peace efforts,” PMO added.

In a meeting with the US Secretary of State, Qatar’s prime minister has discussed relations between the two countries, the situation in the region and Pakistan’s mediation efforts to end the war, Al Jazeera reports.

“His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed, during the meeting, the necessity for all parties to respond to the ongoing mediation efforts in a way that opens the door to addressing the roots of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, and leads to reaching a comprehensive agreement that achieves lasting peace in the region,” a statement from Qatar said.

The world has lost about 1 billion barrels of oil over the past two months and energy markets will take time to stabilise even if flows resume, Saudi Aramco’s CEO has said, as shipping disruptions choke traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports.

“Our objective is simple: keep energy flowing, even when the system is under strain,” Amin Nasser told Reuters in a statement after Aramco reported a 25pc jump in net profit in its first quarter.

“Reopening routes is not the same as normalising a market that has been deprived of about one billion barrels of oil,” Nasser said, adding that years of underinvestment have compounded the strain on already-low global inventories.

Aramco has used its East-West Pipeline to bypass Hormuz and transport crude to the Red Sea, an asset Nasser described as a “critical lifeline” to mitigate the global supply crisis.

Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has hailed Pakistan’s diplomatic role in the US-Iran conflict, as she met with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Bangladesh.

Saudi oil giant Aramco said its net profit rose by more than 25 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2025, driven by greater crude oil sales and higher prices, reports AFP.

The result comes after the Middle East war sent oil and gas prices soaring and uncertainty plagues global markets over the conflict’s trajectory.

The group, majority-owned by the state, said in a statement published on the Saudi stock exchange website that its “increase in revenue was mainly due to higher prices and volumes sold of refined and chemical products as well as higher crude oil volumes sold and higher crude oil prices”.

“That is not the way diplomacy works,” says Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam in response to a social media post by Trump, wherein he shared an AI-generated image of him aboard a ship and overseeing explosions in the sea.

An unknown projectile struck a ship off the coast of Qatar, a UK maritime agency reported, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards threatened to target US vessels in the region, reports AFP.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said a bulk carrier had reported being hit 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha by an “unknown projectile”.

“There was a small fire that has been extinguished; there are no casualties. There is no reported environmental impact,” the agency said.

A spokesperson for Iran’s military has warned that any country enforcing US sanctions on Tehran will “definitely face difficulties passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to the Tasnim news agency, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Brigadier General Akrami Nia said none of the “enemy’s objectives” were achieved during the war, adding that the political balance within Iran had not been disturbed.

“Rather, unity and cohesion inside were strengthened, which we still witness with the presence of people in the streets,” he said, adding that the enemy “could not break this resistance and was ultimately forced to accept a ceasefire.”

Nia further said that during the ceasefire, Iran had strengthened its forces and capabilities, updated its target bank, and adjusted its defensive and offensive positions.

At least one person was killed in an Israeli raid on Bedyas town in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said, reports Al Jazeera.

It added that 13 others were injured in the attack, among them six children and two women.

Israel set up a clandestine military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran and launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who nearly discovered it, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the matter, including US officials.

Israel built the installation, which housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force, with the knowledge of the US just before the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the outlet said. It also included search-and-rescue teams positioned to assist any downed Israeli pilots, WSJ said.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate response from the Israeli prime minister’s office to a Reuters request for comment.

The base was almost discovered in early March after Iraqi state media said a local shepherd reported unusual military activity, including helicopter movements in the area.

Iraqi troops were dispatched to investigate, but Israeli forces used airstrikes to keep them at a distance and prevent the site from being discovered, the paper said, citing one of the sources.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is ready to transport and store Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Putin said Russia had transported enriched uranium out of Iran in 2015 and was prepared “to repeat this experience”.

He said all parties to the conflict had agreed to have the uranium moved out of Iran. “But then the United States hardened its position and demanded that the uranium be transported exclusively to US territory. Iran then hardened its position.”

Moscow will remain in contact with both Washington and Tehran, Putin said, adding that he hopes the conflict will end “as quickly as possible”.

There was no immediate comment from Iran.

Marco Rubio has met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the US State Department says, according to Al Jazeera.

“The Secretary expressed appreciation for Qatar’s partnership on a range of issues,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

“The secretary and the foreign minister also discussed US support for Qatar’s defence, and the importance of continued close coordination to deter threats and promote stability and security across the Middle East.”

Al Jazeera’s correspondent reports that an Israeli air strike on the town of Bedias in southern Lebanon has killed one person and wounded 13 others.

Despite the “ceasefire”, Israel has killed at least 24 people in Lebanon on Saturday and left dozens wounded.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy command has warned that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial ships will be met with a large attack on its vessels as well as an American base in the region, Iran’s state-run IRIB News agency reports according to Al Jazeera.

“Any attack on Iranian oil tankers and commercial ships will be met with a wide attack on one of the American bases in the region and enemy ships,” the IRGC Navy Command was quoted by IRIB News.