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.
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Live Updates
- 6 March 2026 7:07 AM IST
Israel strikes Beirut's southern suburbs after issuing blanket evacuation order
Israel launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate.
Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon's capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel's military issued an evacuation notice telling residents to “save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” and specified which routes they should take to escape. Hours later, strikes began to hit the Beirut suburbs.
Since the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, Israel has struck sites in Beirut's suburbs and issued a blanket warning for residents south of the Litani River — an area in southern Lebanon stretching to the border with Israel — to evacuate their homes, but had not previously issued a blanket evacuation order for Beirut's southern suburbs.
After the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran triggered a new war in the Middle East, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones into Israel on Monday for the first time in over a year, and Israel has retaliated with bombardment of southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.
The conflict had claimed 123 lives and forced the displacement of more than 83,000 people in Lebanon before Thursday's evacuation order.
Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, warned Thursday that the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a strong presence, will look like Khan Younis, a city in Gaza that Israel has decimated during the war triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in southern Israel.
- 6 March 2026 6:49 AM IST
US House joins Senate in rejecting war powers resolution to halt Trump's attacks on Iran
House lawmakers rejected a war powers resolution to halt Trump's attack on Iran in a 212-219 vote, a day after the Senate voted down a similar measure.
The US Embassy in Kuwait shut down after retaliatory Iranian strikes on the country, becoming the second American diplomatic mission to fully halt work as the war in Iran escalates. Kuwait is also where six American soldiers were killed by an Iranian drone on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he should have a role in choosing Iran's next supreme leader, raising questions about whether Washington and Israel seek regime change or policy concessions as the conflict has appeared increasingly open-ended.
Tehran has warned of the destruction of the Middle East's military and economic infrastructure, and the war has rattled financial markets, with the Dow dropping 1,000 points as oil prices climb further.
The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries.
- 6 March 2026 6:39 AM IST
India gets 30-day US waiver to buy Russian oil shipments stranded at sea
The United States has issued a temporary waiver allowing Russian oil cargoes currently stranded at sea to be sold to India, two senior US officials told Reuters on Thursday, a move aimed at easing pressure on global oil markets amid geopolitical tensions.
Washington approved a 30-day waiver to allow the shipments to proceed despite restrictions tied to sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, the officials said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the measure, saying it is intended to keep oil flowing into global markets. “To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the US is issuing a 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil,” Bessent said.
He said the temporary waiver would apply only to cargoes already at sea and would not significantly benefit Moscow financially.
“This short-term measure will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government as it only authorises transactions involving oil already stranded at sea,” Bessent said.
