LIVE: India deplores attack on Kandla-bound Thai ship in Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that the conflict with Iran would conclude “soon,” asserting that it could end whenever he chooses. Speaking in a phone interview with Axios, Trump remarked that there is “virtually nothing left to strike.”

Despite his suggestion that the mission’s objectives in Iran have largely been met, military operations in the Middle East have continued. Earlier in the day, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the joint campaign with the United States would persist “for as long as necessary.”

Meanwhile, Iran issued a sharp warning that crude oil prices could soar to USD 200 per barrel, as shipping routes through one of the world’s most critical oil corridors remain under serious threat. Iranian forces continued launching missiles and drones at US bases and Israeli targets across the region.

The Revolutionary Guards also declared that all vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz must obtain permission before crossing.

India is one of the largest consumers and refiners of crude oil and it is essential for New Delhi and Washington to work "hand-in-hand" to ensure stability of the energy market, US ambassador Sergio Gor said on Wednesday.

His reconciliatory overture came as the Congress maintained pressure on the government, alleging that Washington influences India's energy policy.

The opposition party has been targeting the government after the US provided a 30-day waiver for Indian refiners to purchases Russian crude oil in view of the disruptions in the energy market following the West Asia crisis.

"India has been a great partner in maintaining stable oil prices around the world. The United States recognizes ongoing purchases of Russian oil are a part of this effort," the US ambassador said.

"India is one of the largest consumers and refiners of oil and it is essential for the United States and India to work hand in hand for market stability for Americans and Indians," he said on social media.

President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the whole national security team "came to this decision because our allies in India have been good actors and have previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil", Leavitt told a press conference on Tuesday.

The US last week said it was issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil in the backdrop of the escalating West Asia conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed a massive NDA rally in Tiruchirappalli, directly addressing the growing LPG cylinder shortage gripping Tamil Nadu and assuring citizens there is “no need to panic.”

In what appears to be his first public reaction to the LPG crisis triggered by the escalating West Asia conflict, Modi declared that the country would rebound just as it did during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Even from the cylinder shortage crisis, we will recover and come out stronger; we are the people who witnessed the Corona crisis,” Modi said in English. “Cooking gas cylinder shortage – people need not fear. Do not panic.”

As many as 28 Indian vessels with 778 seafarers onboard are stuck in the Persian Gulf, a government official said on Wednesday (March 11).

Of these, 24 vessels are on the western part of the Strait of Hormuz with 677 seafarers, while 4 vessels with 101 persons are on the eastern side, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said in a media briefing.

"We are monitoring all the vessels actively for their safety and security. Authorities, ship managers and recruitment agencies...are closely coordinating with Indian embassies and local authorities to ensure safety and render medical assistance to them," the official said.

The ministry continues to closely monitor the prevailing and evolving maritime situation in the Persian Gulf region and has strengthened monitoring and preparedness measures in view of the evolving maritime situation in the West Asia region to ensure the safety of Indian vessels and seafarers, Sinha said.

Advisories have been issued by DG Shipping directing all Indian flag vessels and Indian seafarers to adopt enhanced security measures and strictly comply with reporting protocols, including submission of real-time details.

Sinha further said that port operations across India remain stable. Major ports have implemented operational measures, including continuous monitoring of vessel movement in coordination with shipping lines and vessel agents, real-time assessment of developments in the region, and regular reporting of vessels and cargo status.

Dedicated 24-hour control rooms are operating in the ministry and the DG of Shipping.

The DG Shipping is also maintaining contact with ship owners, operators, and assemblies of the seafarers to provide timely updates and necessary assistance.

Ports have been directed to extend all necessary assistance to minimise hardships faced by exporters and ensure continuity of EXIM trade.

The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that two Indian nationals have been killed and one remains missing in the ongoing West Asia conflict. All three were serving aboard merchant vessels when the incidents occurred. In addition, two other Indians have been injured — one in Israel and another in Dubai earlier in the day.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two fatalities and the disappearance of another Indian occurred while they were serving on merchant ships navigating the Gulf region. Apart from the maritime incidents, two Indians were also injured on land — one in Israel and another in a separate incident in Dubai on Wednesday (March 11) morning.

A Thai-flagged cargo ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (March 11) shortly after departing a port in the United Arab Emirates, according to the Royal Thai Navy. While 20 crew members have been rescued, three sailors are still missing.

The vessel, Mayuree Naree, a bulk carrier owned by Thai firm Precious Shipping Pcl, had left Khalifa Port in the UAE and was en route to Kandla Port in India when it came under attack while passing through the strategic waterway.

Images released by the Royal Thai Navy showed thick black smoke billowing from the ship’s hull and upper structure, with life rafts floating nearby.

In a statement, the Navy said the exact circumstances and cause of the attack remain under investigation, and no group has yet claimed responsibility.

The statement added that the Omani navy rescued 20 crew members and that search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining three sailors.

In addition to the more than 500 killed in Lebanon, Iran has said that more than 1,300 people have been killed there, and Israel has reported 12 people dead.

The US has lost seven soldiers, while another eight have suffered severe injuries.

Many foreign nationals have been getting out of the Persian Gulf region since the war began, including over 45,000 UK citizens, the British Foreign Office said. Some 40,000 people returned to the United States, according to the State Department.

Oil prices remained well below Monday's peaks, but the price of Brent crude, the international standard, was still up some 20 per cent on Wednesday (March 11) from when the war began, and consumers around the world are already feeling the pain at the pump.

The spike in oil prices has been rocking financial markets worldwide because of worries that the war could block the global flow of oil and natural gas for a long time.

The US military said on Tuesday (March 10) it had destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz, though US President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports yet of Iran mining the passage, a prospect that experts warned of preceding the war.

If the strait is mined, it could take at least weeks to clean it up once the conflict is over.

Some tankers, believed linked to Iran, are continuing to get through the strait, making so-called “dark” transits -- meaning they aren't turning on their Automatic Identification System tracks, which show where vessels are. Vessels carrying sanctioned Iranian crude often turn off their AIS trackers.

The security firm Neptune P2P Group said Wednesday there had been seven ships passing through the strait since March 8. Of them, five were linked to Iranian-associated shipping, it said. In ordinary times, the strait typically sees 100 ships or more transit daily from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman.

Meanwhile, the commodity-tracking firm Kpler said Iran has restarted crude exports through its Jask oil terminal on the Gulf of Oman. A tanker loaded roughly 2 million barrels at Jask on March 7, it said.

The attacks set a building ablaze in central Beirut's densely populated Aicha Bakkar area, engulfing the top two floors. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Other Israeli strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon killed 14 people, and a Red Cross worker also died Wednesday of wounds sustained Monday, when his team was hit by an Israeli strike while they were rescuing people from an earlier attack.

More than 500 people have been killed so far in Lebanon since Hezbollah triggered the latest round of fighting with Israel after the American and Israeli attacks on Iran started.