LIVE: Missile debris kills Indian in Abu Dhabi; Trump issues fresh threat to Iran
Israel reportedly drops plan to target Araghchi after Pakistan's request; Trump continues to claim that Iran is negotiating and wants to make a deal badly
Here is the top, trending news of Thursday, March 26, 2026, including Iran war, Indian politics, states' politics, geopolitics, federal issues, economics, development issues, sports, entertainment, and so on.
Read updates below.
Live Updates
- 26 March 2026 6:42 PM IST
Ships queue up at Asian ports due to closure of Strait of Hormuz
With the Strait of Hormuz almost closed amid the ongoing war in the Gulf region, merchant vessels, including oil tankers, have started to queue up at ports across Asia while operators wait for clarity, a media report said Thursday.
Sourcing data that showed longer queues and delays at major Asian ports, including at the richest city-state, The Straits Times pointed out that more vessels carrying Gulf-bound cargoes could seek anchorage in Singapore and Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas and Klang ports in the coming weeks, if the crisis drags on.
While a trickle of ships has made its way in or out of the Gulf so far this month, a growing number of vessels bound for Gulf ports have chosen to anchor, mostly at transshipment ports like Singapore, fearing for the safety of their crew and assets, according to the Singapore broadsheet.
It takes about five to seven weeks for ships to travel from the Gulf region to Singapore, depending on the size and type of vessel, and vice versa.
The seven-day average of vessels waiting at anchorage in Singapore has risen to 30.3 as of March 25, compared with 20 before February 28 when the conflict started. The worst-hit ports include Busan in South Korea where the average reached 12.9 versus 5.4 before February 28.
- 26 March 2026 5:27 PM IST
PM Modi to interact with CMs on West Asia conflict tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact on Friday with the chief ministers of all states, barring those which are going to polls, to review their preparedness and plans in the wake of the West Asia conflict, PTI reported citing sources.
This is the first time that the prime minister will hold a meeting with the chief ministers on the West Asia conflict which started on February 28 with the attack by the US-Israel on Iran. The Persian nation has also retaliated by firing on its Gulf neighbours and Israel.
The chief ministers of election-bound states will not be part of this meeting due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Cabinet Secretariat will hold a separate meeting with the chief secretaries of poll-bound Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
- 26 March 2026 4:34 PM IST
India has 60 days of fuel stocks: Govt
India has about 60 days of fuel stock cover, the government said on Thursday, adding that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG as it dismissed reports of shortages as a "deliberate misinformation campaign" aimed at triggering panic buying.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said all petrol pumps across the country are adequately stocked and operating normally, with no rationing of petrol or diesel.
India, the world's fourth-largest refiner and fifth-largest exporter of petroleum products, has structurally assured domestic fuel availability and continues to supply refined fuels to over 150 countries, the ministry said in a statement.
"Every Indian refinery (which turn crude oil into fuels like petrol and diesel) is running at over 100 per cent utilisation," it said.
"Crude oil supplies for next 60 days have already been tied up by Indian oil companies. There is no supply gap." India, it said, has 74 days of total crude oil and fuel stocking capacity.
"Actual stock cover is around 60 days right now (including crude stocks, products stocks and the dedicated strategic storage in caverns) even as we are on the 27th day of the Middle East crisis," it said.
"Nearly two months of steady supply is available for every Indian citizen regardless of what happens globally." With next two months of crude procurement already secured, India is completely secure for next many months and the quantity in strategic cavern storage becomes secondary in such a supply situation, it said.
"Any representation that India's reserves are depleted or insufficient should be dismissed with the disdain it deserves," the ministry said.
- 26 March 2026 4:32 PM IST
Moscow to provide naval escort to merchant ships carrying Russian cargo
Moscow will provide naval escort to ships carrying Russian cargo following growing cases of Western navies intercepting such vessels, the country's maritime board said.
The Maritime Board of Russia, headed by the top Kremlin aide, Nikolai Patrushev, in a meeting on Wednesday, devised a set of rules for countering detention of Russian ships on high seas and international shipping lanes, portnews.ru web portal for seafarers reported.
Although these guidelines primarily cover the Azov-Black Sea basin and the Baltic Sea region, ensuring secure and efficient navigation, it was not clear whether the naval escort would be provided beyond these parts of the World.
The decision comes as European nations have stepped up efforts to disrupt Russia's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to deliver hydrocarbons to its traditional customers in India and China, and growing demand in Asian markets in the wake of the West Asia crisis and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. - 26 March 2026 3:28 PM IST
Israel drops plan to target Araghchi after Pakistan's request: Report
Israel is said to have dropped plans to target Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf following intervention by Pakistan, which urged the United States to prevent any strike on the two officials.
According to a Reuters report citing a Pakistani source, Israeli forces had already tracked their locations and were prepared to act. "The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take them out, we told the U.S. if they are also eliminated then there is no one else to talk to, hence the U.S. asked the Israelis to back off," the source said.
- 26 March 2026 3:23 PM IST
Drone strike hits Russian oil tanker near Bosphorus: Report
A vessel transporting Russian crude came under attack in the Black Sea, with Turkish media reporting a drone boat strike near Turkey’s coastline on Thursday.
The tanker, identified as “Altura”, was hit roughly 15 nautical miles (28 kilometres) from the Bosphorus off Istanbul, broadcaster NTV reported, noting that all 27 crew members were unharmed. Tracking data shows the Sierra Leone-flagged ship had departed Novorossiysk carrying close to one million barrels of oil. The vessel is currently under sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom.
NTV said an explosion occurred on the ship’s bridge, allowing water to flood into the engine room. Turkish authorities dispatched coast guard and emergency response teams to assist, according to Reuters, and the crew was brought to safety.
The incident follows a similar drone strike earlier this year and comes after attacks in late 2025 that drove up maritime insurance costs and heightened regional tensions.
- 26 March 2026 3:17 PM IST
IRGC naval chief Tangsiri killed in strike: Israeli media
Reports in Israeli media, citing an Israeli official, say Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval chief Alireza Tangsiri was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike near Bandar Abbas. Tangsiri had overseen Iran’s enforcement measures in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Times of Israel account. Neither Tehran nor the Israeli military has confirmed the claim. If verified, his death would add to a growing list of senior figures lost in a war now entering its fourth week.
A long-serving commander since 2018, Tangsiri had survived earlier assassination attempts and played a central role in restricting maritime movement through the strait. Iran has halted vessels it links to US and Israeli interests while allowing limited traffic to continue.
This pressure has sharply reduced shipping flows through a passage that typically carries 20 per cent of global energy trade. Transit volumes have collapsed, with only a fraction of normal crossings recorded in March, according to shipping data.
- 26 March 2026 2:26 PM IST
X outage disrupts feeds, login, and posting worldwide
Users of X reported widespread disruptions on March 26, with many unable to access feeds, log in, or post content on the platform. Data from outage tracker Downdetector showed a sharp spike in complaints within a short window, pointing to a sudden breakdown rather than a gradual slowdown. Reports came from several regions, affecting both the mobile app and web version.
Many users said their feeds would not load or appeared blank, while others struggled to sign in or engage with posts. Some noted that content failed to publish or vanished unexpectedly. Downdetector flagged issues across key functions, including timeline loading, login access, server connectivity, and overall site performance.
The surge in reports suggests the disruption hit quickly. It remains unclear whether the issue is global or region-specific. X has not issued a statement on the cause or timeline for restoration. Such outages are typically resolved within hours, and users are advised to wait.
- 26 March 2026 2:14 PM IST
Case registered against X platform over 'defamatory' AI video against PM, ECI
The cyber wing of Kerala police has registered a case against social media platform X and one of its handles for circulating an AI-generated video allegedly depicting the PM and ECI in a "misleading and defamatory manner".
The video in question refers to the incident of an EC letter carrying the seal of the BJP's Kerala unit -- an issue which has turned into a political controversy in the poll-bound state.
Police said that the video has not yet been removed from the X handle where it was posted.
Police, in a statement, further said the allegedly defamatory content was brought to its notice through official channels, including the Election Commission of India (ECI).
"Upon verification, it was assessed that the material had the potential to mislead the public, undermine the credibility of constitutional bodies, and adversely impact the conduct of free and fair elections," it said.
It said that a case was registered against the X (Twitter) account Laxmi N Raju (@valiant_Raju), and others -- which includes X Corp -- at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram City, late Wednesday night and an investigation has been commenced to ascertain culpability and take action in accordance with law.
The FIR was lodged under sections 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 336(forgery),353(statements conducing to public mischief), 3(5)(common intention) and 174 (punishment for undue influence or personation at an election) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 66C (identity theft) of the Information Technology Act.
According to the FIR, the 1 minute 17 second video was posted on the social media platform with the intention of causing riots in society and X, despite directions from the authorities to delete the content, allowed it to be circulated.
- 26 March 2026 1:42 PM IST
Trump says Iran eager to make deal after Tehran dismisses ceasefire plan
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a deal to end the Iran war is near, after Tehran dismissed his 15-point ceasefire plan and issued its own sweeping demands to stop fighting as it launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries.
Two officials from Pakistan described the 15-point US proposal broadly, saying it included sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran's nuclear program, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is normally shipped.
Iran issued its own plan via state TV, which includes a halt to killings of its officials, means to make sure no other war is waged against it, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities, and Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
“No negotiations have happened with the enemy until now, and we do not plan on any negotiations,” Iran's foreign minister later told state TV.
Trump insisted at a Republican fundraiser Wednesday night that talks were underway with Iran's leaders.
“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people,” Trump said.
