A woman reacts on meeting her husband, unseen, and one of the twin infants upon their arrival from Abu Dhabi at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport amid disruptions to flight services caused by escalating conflict in the Middle East, in Mumbai, Tuesday, March 3. PTI
Live! Qatar cuts gas supplies to India; Trump says too late for talks with Iran
Qatar supplies about 40 per cent of the nearly 27 million tonne of LNG which India imports annually; Tehran says it is open to dialogue
As tensions in West Asia continue to escalate, United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday flatly dismissed the prospect of renewed negotiations with Iran, declaring it was "too late" for talks.
"Their air defence, Air Force, Navy, and the leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said 'Too Late'," Trump posted on Truth Social, suggesting Iran's key military and political structures had been effectively dismantled.
The remarks came shortly after Dr Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, a representative of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said that Tehran remained open to dialogue — but on its own terms. "Iran is ready for negotiations but with dignity," he said.
US says it destroyed IRGC centres
The Iran-US conflict intensified sharply on Tuesday (March 3), with Washington claiming it has destroyed key Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command centres, air defence systems and missile launch sites, even as Tehran announced a “massive drone and missile attack” on a US air base in Bahrain, alleging it set critical facilities ablaze.
The IRGC, on the other hand, said it carried out a “massive drone and missile attack” on a US air base in the Sheikh Isa area of Bahrain this morning. It said it deployed 20 drones and three missiles, “destroying the main command and headquarters building of the US air base and setting its fuel tanks on fire”.
With no sign of the conflict abating anytime soon, US President Donald Trump said operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.” In a sign of concern over the potential for spiralling violence, the State Department on Monday urged US citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks.
Also read | Iran-Israel conflict marks return of Western power politics
Trump earlier warned Iran of imminent retaliation after two Iranian drones struck the US Embassy compound in Riyadh, causing a fire and material damage. “You’ll find out soon what the retaliation will be,” Trump said in response to the drone strikes.
Meanwhile, Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared the Strait of Hormuz “closed” and warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the strategic waterway would be set ablaze. The IRGC announcement marks one of the most significant geopolitical escalations in the ongoing armed conflict between Iran on one side and Israel and the US on the other.
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Live Updates
- 3 March 2026 1:44 PM IST
Israel is striking Tehran and Beirut
The Israeli military said Tuesday it was conducting “simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut,” without elaborating. - 3 March 2026 1:43 PM IST
Iran threatens shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran is continuing to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes.
Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, issued the threat on Iranian state television on Monday.
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Anyone who wants to pass, our devotee heroes in the IRGC navy and the army will set those ships on fire,” he said. “Don't come to this region.” - 3 March 2026 1:43 PM IST
Drone strikes hit Amazon data centres
Amazon said on Monday that two of its data centres in the United Arab Emirates were hit by drones, while a drone strike near one of its facilities in Bahrain “caused physical impacts to our infrastructure.”
The tech giant said on its website that the strikes have caused structural damage and gotten in the way of power getting to infrastructure. The company did not say who was responsible for the strikes.
“We are working to restore full service availability as quickly as possible, though we expect recovery to be prolonged given the nature of the physical damage involved,” Amazon said. - 3 March 2026 1:43 PM IST
All England missed, Sindhu lands back in Bengaluru from Dubai
Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star PV Sindhu, who was stranded in Dubai due to closure of airspace in the Gulf region, has returned to the country after pulling out of the All England Championships in Birmingham.
Sindhu posted on X to announce that she is back in the city.
"Back home in Bangalore and safe. The last few days have been intense and uncertain, but I'm truly grateful to be back to my house," she posted.
"A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and took such good care of us during a very difficult time. The empathy and professionalism meant more than words can say.
"For now, it's time to rest, reset, and figure out the next steps," she added.
- 3 March 2026 1:38 PM IST
Shipping authority says 3 Indian seafarers killed in West Asia, issues advisory
At least three Indian seafarers on board foreign-flagged vessels were killed and one was injured in the Middle East region, the Directorate General of Shipping said on Tuesday as it issued an advisory for maritime operators to assess voyage-specific risks, amid escalated military actions involving the US, Israel and Iran that threaten disruptions of major trade routes.
“There have been four reported incidents involving Indian seafarers in the region, resulting in three casualties and one injured seafarer, all of whom were serving on board foreign-flagged vessels,” the Directorate General of Shipping said.
In an advisory, the Directorate General of Shipping said it is closely monitoring the evolving maritime security situation in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and adjoining sea areas. It said the threats of the recent geopolitical developments included missile and drone activity, electronic interference, and other maritime security concerns.
- 3 March 2026 1:36 PM IST
India's 100 mn barrels of crude stock can cover 40-45 days if Hormuz remains closed
India holds about 100 million barrels of commercial crude oil stocks—in storage tanks, underground strategic reserves and on ships voyaging towards the country—which could cover roughly 40-45 days of requirement if flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, according to Kpler.
India imports about 88 per cent of the crude oil it needs—the raw material for fuels such as petrol and diesel—with more than 50 per cent supplied by Middle Eastern countries and transiting the narrow Strait of Hormuz, flows from which have been disrupted amid the Iran crisis.
If Middle Eastern crude supply were to halt completely for a temporary period, the immediate impact would be logistical and price-driven, with supply risks intensifying if movement through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted for longer, said Sumit Ritolia, Lead Research Analyst, Refining & Modeling at Kpler.
- 3 March 2026 1:34 PM IST
13 Iranian troops killed in airstrike at air base
Airstrikes targeting an air base in south-eastern Iran killed at least 13 Iranian troops there, local media reported.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency and the Hammihan daily newspaper reported the strike in Kerman, 800 km southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran.
The Kerman Air Base is known to house military helicopters.
- 3 March 2026 1:31 PM IST
Magnitude 4.3 earthquake hits Iran's Gerash amid escalating Israeli-US attacks
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck the Gerash region in Iran on Tuesday, amid the ongoing escalation of the conflict involving Israeli and US military strikes against the Islamic Republic.
The tremor added to the already tense regional situation, though there were no immediate reports of significant damage or casualties.
- 3 March 2026 1:07 PM IST
Shinde arranges flights to bring back 164 stranded in UAE; govt launches helpline
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has arranged two aircraft to bring back 164 citizens of the state stranded in the United Arab Emirates amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict, his office informed on Tuesday.
The state government has also launched an emergency WhatsApp helpline for hundreds of state residents stranded in the Middle East.
Shinde's office in a statement said two flights will take off from Fujairah Airport at 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm and are expected to land in Mumbai in the evening. The 164 passengers include 84 students of the Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies and residents from Thane, Ahilyanagar and Pune, it stated.
The deputy chief minister has been in touch with those stranded since the West Asia conflict started on Saturday.
According to officials, several hundred people from Maharashtra are stranded in the Middle East due to airspace closure caused by the Iran war, though all are safe.
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO), in a post on X, said that CM Devendra Fadnavis is personally monitoring the situation and is in constant contact with various agencies. He is also coordinating regularly with the Central government, which is extending all possible assistance, while Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan has been tasked with coordination efforts.
The CMO stated that the state government, in coordination with the Indian People's Forum in Dubai, has issued a WhatsApp helpline number +971 50 365 4357 for stranded citizens who require assistance.
- 3 March 2026 12:11 PM IST
Protests in Rajouri against killing of Khamenei
Protests erupted in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Tuesday against the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In Budhal, residents gathered in front of the Sheikh-ul-Alam Masjid to stage a demonstration and condemned the joint military action by the US and Israel in Iran. Raising slogans against Israel and the US, they termed the attack a violation of international law and an act of aggression against the Muslim world. They also expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and called for peace and respect for sovereignty.
Senior PDP leader Mohammad Farooq Inqlabi addressed the gathering and described the killing as “highly unfortunate and dangerous for global peace.” He said "targeting the leadership of a sovereign nation was against international norms and could have serious consequences for regional and global stability".
Inqlabi also expressed disappointment over what he termed as the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said no official statement or outreach to the Iranian leadership had been reported during the crisis.
In the main town of Rajouri, Muslim youth organised an “Iran Solidarity march.” The protestors assembled on Bela road and marched through the town, raising slogans against the US and Israel. Some protesters were seen burning posters of the American and Israeli leadership during the demonstration.
