Sri Lankan Muslims along with Iranian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alireza Delkhosh, centre in black, protest against US-Israel led strikes on Iran in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, March 6. AP/PTI
Live! Only goal is regime change in Iran, says Israeli minister
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says the ongoing military operation as “amazing successes” during the last five days
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar declared on Friday (March 6) that the primary objective of ongoing US-Israeli military strikes on Iran is the removal of "existential threats," with the ultimate goal being "regime change."
Speaking via video conference at the 11th Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Saar stressed that while the military operations aim to create the necessary conditions, the collapse of the current administration must be led by the Iranian people.
"The regime change will take place and will happen by the people of Iran," Saar said, describing the first five days of the conflict as "amazing successes." He added that while it is too early to judge the final outcome, Israel possesses the "patience and determination" to see the mission through, whether the shift occurs during or after the current military campaign.
Here is the top, trending news of Friday, March 6, 2026, including Iran war, Indian politics, states' politics, geopolitics, federal issues, economics, development issues, sports, entertainment, and so on.
Follow below for Live updates.
Live Updates
- 6 March 2026 6:36 PM IST
West Indies players remain stranded in Kolkata after their T20 World Cup exit
West Indies players remained stranded in Kolkata for the fifth straight day after their exit from the T20 World Cup as international airspace restrictions triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran continued to disrupt travel plans.
While a charter flight has been arranged for the Caribbean side to return home, the local sources said the final air traffic approvals are awaited. "WI & SA both teams’ departure details still awaited,” a Cricket Association of Bengal official told PTI.
However, the official said four South African players are likely to depart for New Zealand on Friday (March 5) night for an upcoming bilateral series. "Four SA players might leave for NZ tonight... formal details awaited,” the official added.
The West Indies were knocked out of the T20 World Cup after India defeated them by five wickets at the Eden Gardens on Sunday (March 1).
South Africa's campaign in the T20 World Cup also ended after their defeat to New Zealand in the first semifinal on Wednesday (March 4).
The Proteas are scheduled to take on the Kiwis in a five-match T20I series in New Zealand beginning from March 15.
It is still not clear when the rest of the South Africa squad will depart from the city.
- 6 March 2026 6:14 PM IST
Did India provide intelligence inputs on Iranian warship to US?
Government sources on Friday (March 6) denied reports that the Indian Navy supplied intelligence to the US on an Iranian frigate sunk by an American submarine two days ago, calling the claims “baseless and preposterous.” There is no question of providing any input to the US on it and the claims are completely baseless, the sources said.
On Thursday, the Indian Navy said it had received a distress call and was assisting the Sri Lanka Navy in search-and-rescue efforts. INS Taringini, located in the vicinity, and a long-range Boeing P-8I Poseidon aircraft were deployed to bolster the operation.
- 6 March 2026 4:17 PM IST
Four held in London on suspicion of spying for Iran on Jewish community
London police said on Friday (March 6) that four men have been arrested on suspicion of aiding Iran by spying on the Jewish community.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said the suspects — one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals — were taken into custody on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service. The men, who were arrested at addresses in and around north London shortly after 1 am, are suspected of spying on locations and individuals.
Police said the men arrested are aged 22, 40, 52 and 55 and that searches are ongoing at the addresses as well as other properties nearby.
Six other men were also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and have been taken into custody, the force said.
The arrests come as the US and Israel continue to strike Iran, which has kept up retaliatory strikes on Israel, US bases and across the region. Britain is not involved in offensive operations but is assisting in regional defence.
- 6 March 2026 3:44 PM IST
Azerbaijan pulls diplomats from Iran after drone attack on its territory
Azerbaijan has begun withdrawing its diplomatic staff from Iran, with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov confirming the evacuation of personnel from its embassy in Tehran and its consulate general in Tabriz, citing safety concerns. Tehran denied any involvement in the incident.
The move follows a rapid escalation between the two countries. A day earlier, Baku accused Iran of launching drones into its Nakhchivan exclave, injuring four civilians and damaging an airport building — an incident that President Ilham Aliyev called "a groundless act of terror and aggression."
- 6 March 2026 3:33 PM IST
Australia's government says 3 of its personnel were on US submarine that fired torpedo
Australia's government revealed on Friday that three Australian personnel were aboard a US submarine that sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean this week, killing at least 87 people.
The Australians were part of the trilateral US, Australian and British AUKUS training programme.
Neil James, executive director of the Australian Defence Association policy think tank, says it is “reasonably rare” for Australians embedded with another nation's military to go to war against a country such as Iran that Australia wasn't at war with.
- 6 March 2026 3:33 PM IST
Indonesia holds off on Board of Peace discussions
The Indonesian government is currently holding off on all discussions related to Trump's Board of Peace as the country focuses on the safety of Indonesian nationals in the Middle East, officials said Friday.
Yvonne Mewengkang, spokesperson for Indonesia's Foreign Affairs, said “any decision regarding Indonesia's participation in any international mechanism will be based on the principle of Indonesia's foreign policy and the most important thing, our national interests.” More than 5,19,000 Indonesian nationals live across the Middle East, including 329 in Iran, mostly students.
Indonesia plans to begin evacuating its citizens from Iran on Friday.
- 6 March 2026 3:32 PM IST
Phone alerts go off in Dubai
Mobile phone alerts sounded just before noon in Dubai, warning of a possible missile attack.
- 6 March 2026 3:32 PM IST
Israeli military warns of missile fire coming from Iran
The Israeli military is warning its public about incoming missile fire from Iran.
- 6 March 2026 2:44 PM IST
Dubai residents get missile threat alert as explosions reported across the city
Dubai residents received an emergency alert from the UAE interior ministry on Friday urging them to seek immediate shelter in secure buildings and stay away from windows, doors and open areas amid potential missile threats, AFP correspondents reported. Unconfirmed reports of sirens and explosions being heard in the city also emerged, with some social media users posting that blasts had been audible, as Iran continued its retaliatory campaign against Gulf targets.
- 6 March 2026 12:55 PM IST
SpiceJet to operate 14 special flights from UAE on Friday
SpiceJet will operate 14 special flights from the UAE on Friday to bring passengers who have been stranded due to the Middle East conflict.
Indian carriers cancelled 281 international flights on Thursday due to the Middle East crisis, and the government is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the region.
In the last three days, SpiceJet said it has operated 25 special flights from the UAE to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.
On Friday, the carrier will operate 9 flights from Fujairah to Mumbai, 4 services to Delhi and 1 from Dubai to Pune, according to a statement.
The escalating conflict involving US, Israel and Iran have significantly impacted flight operations due to airspace closures.
