Live! India had permitted all 3 Iranian ships, including torpedoed Dena, to dock: EAM

BSE Sensex crashes 2,000 points at open; Nifty below 24,000

The BSE Sensex index cracked over 2% in early deals on Monday. The index opened over 1,800 points lower but deepened losses to trade at 76,872 levels, down by 2,047 points or 2.59%. The NSE Nifty50 index has breached the psychologically important level of 24,000. 

Asian markets also tumbled on Monday with Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 6.05%, slipping below 53,000, and South Korea's Kospi dropping 6.5%. Meanwhile, Australia's ASX 200 was down 3.68% in early trade. 

Earlier on Friday as well, the 30-stock index had fallen over 1,000 points and the 50-share index settled near 24,450.

Congress' Manish Tewari demands debate on West Asia conflict, energy security

Congress MP Manish Tewari has moved an Adjournment Motion in the Lok Sabha, seeking suspension of Question Hour, Zero Hour and other listed business to discuss the escalating West Asia conflict and its implications for India’s energy security.

Surjewala seeks Rajya Sabha debate on West Asia crisis

Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala moved a Suspension of Business notice in the Rajya Sabha under Rule 267, seeking an immediate discussion on the implications of the West Asia tensions for India.

‘Matter of relief’: No Indians killed in Saudi projectile strike, says embassy

The Indian embassy in Riyadh clarified on Monday that no Indian national was killed after a projectile fell on a residential area in Saudi Arabia the previous day, adding that the mission is in touch with Saudi authorities.

Earlier on Sunday, a Saudi Civil Defense official said in a statement that the two individuals killed in the incident in Al-Kharj city included an Indian and a Bangladeshi national.

"It is a matter of relief that there has been no Indian fatality in the unfortunate incident at Al Kharj yesterday evening,' the Indian embassy in Riyadh said in a post on X. The Indian mission said it has been in touch with the concerned Saudi authorities regarding this issue.

"Counsellor (CW) Shri Y. Sabir visited Al Kharj last night and met the injured Indian national involved in this unfortunate incident. He is currently receiving treatment at a government hospital in Al Kharj," it added.

Japan's Nikkei 225 share index falls more than 6% as oil soars over $100 a barrel

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged more than 7% early Monday and other Asian markets also tumbled after oil prices soared to about $114 a barrel due to disruptions from the war in the Middle East, casting a shadow over economies heavily dependent on imported crude and gas from the region.

The Nikkei was down just over 7% at 51,694.16 shortly after trading began. South Korea's Kospi sank 7.4% to 5,162.83 and shares in Australia and New Zealand fell more than 3%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 3.1% and the Shanghai Composite index was down 1.7%. The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 2%.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude, was trading at $114.11 a barrel and US benchmark crude jumped to $114.00 a barrel. Both were more than 20% above their closing prices Friday.

Crude prices are at their highest level since shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Supply concerns have driven crude and gasoline higher as the war ensnares major oil-producing countries and hinders exports from the Persian Gulf.

“The market woke up to the sound every macro trader dreads. The oil alarm bell. And this time it was not a polite chime. It was a fire siren,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

Surging oil and gas prices, if they persist, could cascade through the global economy, further complicating matters for countries still adjusting to higher tariffs on exports to the United States under President Donald Trump.

US begins large military drill with South Korea while waging war in Middle East

The United States began a large military exercise with South Korea involving thousands of troops on Monday while also waging an escalating war in the Middle East.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has said about 18,000 Korean troops will take part in Freedom Shield, which runs through March 19. US Forces Korea has not confirmed the number of American troops participating in the training in South Korea.

The allies' combined exercise comes amid South Korean media speculation that Washington is relocating some assets from South Korea to support fighting against Iran.

US Forces Korea said last week it would not comment on specific movements of military assets for security reasons. South Korean officials also declined to comment on the reports that some US Patriot anti-missile systems and other equipment were being moved to the Middle East, but they said there would be no meaningful impact on the allies' combined defence posture.

Freedom Shield may trigger an irritated response from North Korea, which has long described the allies' joint exercises as invasion rehearsals and used them as a pretext to ramp up its own military demonstrations and weapons tests. The allies say the drills are defensive in nature.

North Korea has suspended all meaningful dialogue with Washington and Seoul following the 2019 collapse of a summit between leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump during his first term. Tensions rose in recent years as Kim used Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a window to accelerate the development of his nuclear arsenal and increase his leverage by aligning militarily with Moscow, which has received thousands of North Korean troops and large weapons shipments to help fuel its warfighting.

US military kills 6 in strike on alleged drug boat in Eastern Pacific

The US military said it killed six men on Sunday in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean as part of the Trump administration's campaign against alleged traffickers.

Sunday's attack brought the death toll to at least 157 people since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in small vessels in early September.

As with most of the military's statements on the more than 40 known strikes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. It posted a video on X that showed a small boat being blown up as it floated on the water.

President Donald Trump has said the US is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing "narcoterrorists".

In a meeting with Latin American leaders on Saturday, Trump encouraged them to join the US in taking military action against drug-trafficking cartels and transnational gangs, which he said pose an "unacceptable threat" to the region's national security.

To that end, Ecuador and the United States conducted military operations this past week against organised crime groups in the South American country.

Crude oil prices surpass USD 100 a barrel as Iran war impedes production and shipping

Oil prices eclipsed USD 100 per barrel for the first time in more than three-and-a-half years on Sunday as the Iran war hinders production and shipping in the Middle East.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was at USD 107.97 after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, up 16.5 per cent from its Friday closing price of USD 92.69.

West Texas Intermediate, the light, sweet crude oil produced in the United States, was selling for about USD 106.22 a barrel. That is 16.9 per cent higher than it closed Friday at USD 90.90. Both could rise or fall as market trading continued. 

The increases followed the US crude price jumping by 36 per cent and Brent crude rising by 28 per cent last week. Oil prices have surged as the war, now in its second week, ensnared countries and places that are critical to the production and movement of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf.

Roughly 15 million barrels of crude oil -- about 20 per cent of the world's oil -- typically are shipped every day through the Strait of Hormuz, according to independent research firm Rystad Energy. The threat of Iranian missile and drone attacks has all but stopped tankers from travelling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE have cut their oil production as storage tanks fill due to the reduced ability to export crude. Iran, Israel and the United States also have attacked oil and gas facilities since the war started, exacerbating supply concerns.

The last time US crude futures traded above USD 100 per barrel was June 30, 2022, when the price reached USD 105.76. For Brent, it was July 29, 2022, when the price hit USD 104 per barrel.

Indian airlines cancel 279 international flights on Sunday, govt monitoring airfares

Indian airlines cancelled 279 international flights on Sunday due to the Middle East conflict while the Civil Aviation Ministry said it is closely monitoring the situation.

The airlines plan to operate 50 flights from the region on Monday, the ministry said and added it was also closely monitoring airfares to ensure that there was no undue surge in the ticket prices.

The escalating conflict in the Middle East involving the US, Israel and Iran has significantly disrupted flight operations due to airspace closures and restrictions.

The ministry on Sunday said that due to the ongoing situation in the Gulf, flight operations have been impacted across several sectors. "A total of 49 flight operations were scheduled today by Indian domestic carriers from West Asia to India. As on 8 March, 279 flights scheduled to be operated today by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled," the ministry said in a post on X.

The 49 flights had been scheduled from various cities in the Middle East, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat and Jeddah subject to operational feasibility. "Passenger movement data for 7th March, 2026 shows that a total of 51 inbound flights operated by Indian carriers arrived in India from the region carrying 8,175 passengers," the ministry said in a statement. 

An official said a total of 66 flights, including 34 departures and 32 arrivals, were cancelled at the Mumbai airport on Sunday.

Delhi airport operator DIAL said that due to the current geopolitical developments in the Middle East, some west-bound international flights may experience delays or schedule changes.

On Monday, Air India and Air India Express will operate 10 flights to and from Jeddah while Air India Express will operate 14 flights to and from Muscat. In addition, Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 32 ad-hoc non-scheduled flights to the UAE on Monday to assist in bringing stranded travellers back to India, subject to the availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the respective point of departure at the time, Air India said in a statement.

Iran war's targets widen into civilian infrastructure and Saudi Arabia reports first deaths

The Iran war's targets widened dangerously into civilian infrastructure on Sunday as Bahrain accused Iran of striking one of the desalination plants that are crucial for Gulf nations' drinking water. Oil depots smoldered in Tehran after Israeli strikes, prompting environmental warnings.

In a sign of rising anger in the region, the Arab League chief lashed out at Iran for its "reckless policy" of attacking its neighbours. Gulf countries have already been struck by hundreds of missiles and drones, and Iran's president vowed to expand attacks on US targets on the ninth day of the war.

Saudi Arabia reported its first deaths, saying a military projectile fell onto a residential area and killed two people of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality. It said 12 other Bangladeshis were wounded. Foreign residents and workers have made up most of the war's deaths in Gulf nations.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have vowed to press ahead with the coordinated campaign against Iran, even as Washington's stated war aims have varied. Trump told ABC News he wants a say in who comes to power in Iran once the war is over, adding that new leader "is not going to last long" without his approval.

In Israel, the military reported the first soldier deaths since the war began, saying two were killed in southern Lebanon while Israel targets the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Three people were injured in Israel in an afternoon strike.

The US military said a service member died of injuries from an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1. Seven US soldiers have now been killed in the war.

The conflict has rattled global markets, disrupted air travel and left Iran's leadership weakened by several thousand Israeli and US airstrikes.