Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Iran&#39;s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, said that Iran is not in a position to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is set to start on June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.&nbsp; The situation has become uncertain after the US and Israel launched strikes on the country.&nbsp; The crisis intensified after the killing of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and other countries hosting US military bases.&nbsp; Earlier on Wednesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said US President Donald Trump had told him Iran is &quot;welcome to compete&quot; at this summer&#39;s finals.&nbsp; In an interview with the IRIB Sports Network, Donyamali said that the current circumstances make participation impossible. &quot;Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our boys are not safe, and conditions for participation do not exist.&rdquo; Donyamali added that ongoing conflicts have heavily affected the country. &ldquo;Over the past eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousand of our people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, we definitely do not have the possibility for participation.&rdquo;

Football

Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali says the country cannot participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to the ongoing war following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iranian minister says country will not play in FIFA World Cup

ISLAMABAD: In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), former chief minister Farooq Abdullah had a narrow escape when a gunman opened fire from behind while the veteran leader was leaving a marriage venue, Indian media reported on Thursday. The incident happened during a marriage function on Wednesday night. The assailant, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, allegedly targeted Abdullah, who is the president of the ruling National Conference, during the event in the Greater Kailash area. The gunman was overpowered and arrested after he fired a gunshot, Indian media reported.&nbsp; Abdullah said the assailant had managed to get right behind his neck.&nbsp; &quot;At the last minute, he was overpowered by the security personnel, including the NSG. I was immediately put into my car and driven away safely,&quot; he added. While the senior Abdullah declined to comment on the security lapse, his son and IIOJK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern in a post on X. &quot;....what is known is that a man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point-blank range and discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot and ensured the assassination attempt failed,&quot; he said. He also said, &quot;There are more questions than answers at the moment, including how someone was able to get this close to a Z NSG-protected former CM.&quot;&nbsp; Following the incident, the chief minister drove straight to his father&#39;s residence. Measures to further tighten protection are underway, including the upgrading of jammers used in convoys.

India

The assailant, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, allegedly targeted Abdullah, who is the president of the ruling National Conference, during the event in Greater Kailash area.

Former Indian occupied Kashmir CM Abdullah survives attempt on life, man arrested  

PARIS: The Mideast war &quot;is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,&quot; as Iran&#39;s chokehold on regional supplies forces Gulf producers to slash production, the International Energy Agency said Thursday. In its latest market report, the IEA said crude production was currently down by at least 8.0 million bpd, with an additional 2.0 million related to petroleum products, including condensates, shut off. The conflict, which was triggered on Feb. 28 by American-Israeli attacks on Iran, is hampering the global economy&#39;s supply of oil and weakening production capacity. The war has seen Iran tighten its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global crude passes, &nbsp;effectively all but shutting it down. IEA said current flows through the strait were moving at less than 10% of pre-crisis levels, which in 2025 were around 15 million barrels per day -- with &quot;no signs of a de-escalation in hostilities or a clear timeline for a recovery in flows through the Strait.&quot; It stressed that a resumption of lows would be key in minimizing the war&#39;s impact on global markets. Against that backdrop, major European stock markets were off by more than 0.5% in early-morning trading. In Asia, Japan&#39;s Nikkei shed 1% at the close, while Hong Kong closed down 0.7%. A threat from Tehran to bring down the global economy overshadowed the impending IEA release of strategic crude. On Wednesday, it said its 32 members had agreed to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from reserves, their largest release ever. &#39;Stop-gap measure&#39; &quot;The coordinated emergency stock release provides a significant and welcome buffer, but in the absence of a swift resolution to the conflict, it remains a stopgap measure,&quot; the IEA warned. The United States has proposed partially lifting sanctions against Russia to offset the fallout from the squeeze on the Strait of Hormuz, but the Group of Seven nations on Wednesday rejected the idea. Oil prices have gyrated since the crisis began, rising more than 30% to around $120 a barrel only to drop back. Prices again topped $100 Thursday but then fell again to around $92 a barrel, representing a day rise of some six percent as analysts predicted elevated prices for the foreseeable future amid reports of more Iranian attacks on vessels, notably off the coast of Iraq. The IEA said in its report that the shortfall could be partially addressed by alternative routes, such as transit through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait from the Red Sea, although this route has, in recent years, &quot;carried a risk of Houthi (rebel) attacks.&quot; Despite efforts to stave off the disruption through emergency stockpiles, the IEA forecast that global oil supplies in March would drop by 8 million bpd to 98.8 million bpd, the lowest level in four years. &quot;For forecasting purposes, we have assumed only minimal flows through the Strait of Hormuz in March,&quot; it stated. Losses depend on duration of warThe IEA added that supply curtailments in the Middle East are being partly offset by higher output from non-OPEC+ producers, Kazakhstan and Russia. While overall supply losses would depend on the duration of the war, it is estimated that global oil supply would rise 1.1 million bpd in 2026 on average, with non-OPEC+ producers accounting for the entire increase. Citing the &quot;geopolitical alarm&quot; in the region, Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said that &quot;in brokerage jargon, the IEA&#39;s decision (to release emergency supplies) is equivalent to using a garden hose to put out a refinery fire.&quot; Kathleen Brooks, director of research at XTB, observed that &quot;the conflict has intensified this week, and the longer the oil price remains elevated, the more damaging and long-lasting the inflation shock will be for the global economy.&quot; The IEA concluded that even if the conflict intensity recedes to the extent oil flows can resume, &quot;it will take several days to weeks&quot; for the backlog of tankers on both sides of the Strait to clear. &quot;Additionally, shut-in upstream production will take weeks and, in some cases, months, to return to pre-crisis levels depending on the degree of field complexity and the timing for workers, equipment and resources to return to the region.

This photograph shows gas flares at the Repsol oil refinery in A Coruna, northwestern Spain, on March 11, 2026.

Middle East

In its latest market report, the International Energy Agency says crude production is down by at least 8.0 million bpd, with an additional 2.0 million related to petroleum products, including condensates, shut off.

Oil shock 'largest supply disruption' in history: IEA

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left on Thursday for a brief visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. During the visit, the prime minister is scheduled to meet with the crown prince to discuss matters of mutual interest and strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. The visit will focus on Pakistan&rsquo;s positive and active role in international diplomacy, and the country will continue to play a constructive role in this regard, the statement read.

PM Shehbaz meets Crown Prince of Saudia (APP)

Foreign Affairs

PM Sharif departed for Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss regional tensions, security, and matters of mutual interest between the two countries.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif embarks on brief Saudi Arabia visit 

ISLAMABAD: The United States Trade Representative has launched a Section 301 investigation into India and other countries regarding structural excess capacity in manufacturing, evaluating whether these practices unfairly impact US commerce, according to a statement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on Wednesday. &ldquo;Today, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the initiation of investigations regarding the acts, policies, and practices of various economies under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 relating to structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors,&rdquo; the statement said. It added that the &ldquo;investigations will determine whether those acts, policies, and practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict US commerce.&rdquo; According to the statement, India and other US trading partners are subject to these investigations. &ldquo;The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to other countries that may be exporting their problems with excess capacity and production to us. Today&rsquo;s investigations underscore President Trump&rsquo;s commitment to reshore critical supply chains and create good-paying jobs for American workers across our manufacturing sectors,&rdquo; said Ambassador Greer. Structural excess capacity and production&nbsp;The statement quoted the ambassador as stating, &ldquo;The Trump Administration&rsquo;s reindustrialization efforts continue to face significant challenges due to foreign economies&rsquo; structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors. Across numerous sectors, many US trading partners are producing more goods than they can consume domestically.&rdquo; &ldquo;This overproduction displaces existing US domestic production or prevents investment and expansion in US manufacturing production that otherwise would have been brought online. In many sectors, the United States has lost substantial domestic production capacity or has fallen worryingly behind foreign competitors.&rdquo; Section 301&nbsp;Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Trade Act), is designed to address unfair foreign practices affecting US commerce, the statement said. An investigation under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act examines whether the acts, policies, or practices of a foreign country are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict US commerce, it added.

Asia

Americas

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says, ‘The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to other countries that may be exporting their problems with excess capacity and production to us.’

US launches investigation into India, other countries' trade practices

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will observe this year&rsquo;s national day on March 23 with simplicity at all its diplomatic missions abroad, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. In a message shared on social media platform X, Dar wrote that, &quot;This year&rsquo;s 23rd March National Day will be observed with simplicity at all Pakistan&rsquo;s Missions abroad, limited to the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony. &quot;I<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">n the light of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s announced austerity measures, and as a mark of solidarity with the countries and peoples of the Middle East and the wider region affected by the ongoing conflict and the tragic loss of innocent lives, National Day receptions will not be held this year. &quot;Pakistan hopes that dialogue and diplomacy will prevail, and that peace, stability and prosperity will soon return to the entire region and beyond,&quot; the foreign minister said.

Pakistan National Day Parade (Radio Pakistan) 

Politics

In a message shared on X, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that in light of the prime minister’s announced austerity measures, and as a mark of solidarity with the countries and peoples of the Middle East and the wider region affected by the ongoing conflict and the tragic loss of innocent lives, Pakistan Day receptions at its diplomatic missions abroad will not be held this year.

Pakistan diplomatic missions to observe national day with simplicity

WASHINGTON: Here are the latest economic events in the US-Israel war on Iran on Wednesday: Container ship hit near UAE&nbsp;The UK maritime agency said Thursday that a projectile struck a container ship near the United Arab Emirates. &quot;The container ship was struck by (an) unknown projectile causing a small fire onboard,&quot; the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a statement, adding the ship&#39;s crew had been reported as safe. Oil prices surge&nbsp;Oil prices surged, with Brent crude breaking back above $100 a barrel. Brent jumped more than nine percent to as high as $101.59 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was also up more nine percent to hit $95.97. Bahrain says fuel tanks attacked Bahrain said its fuel tanks were targeted in an Iranian attack.&quot;The blatant Iranian aggression targets fuel tanks at a facility in Muharraq Governorate,&quot; the country&#39;s Ministry of Interior said on X. Drones target Saudi oil field&nbsp;Saudi Arabia&#39;s defense ministry said on X that it had intercepted two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field in the southeast of the country. It said it had intercepted seven drones heading to the oil field on Wednesday. US to release 172M barrels under IEA oil pact&nbsp;The US Department of Energy said it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic petroleum reserve as part of an agreement among International Energy Agency&#39;s members to ease market turbulence. The IEA&#39;s 32 members earlier agreed to unlock 400 million barrels, its largest ever joint release. The US release will begin next week and be completed in approximately 120 days, the DoE said. Iranian hacking group targets US medical firm&nbsp;The Iran-linked hacking group Handala claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on US medical technology giant Stryker, saying it had extracted 50 terabytes of data in retaliation for the US war on Iran. War to &#39;destroy&#39; world economy&nbsp;Iran said it was ready for a long war of attrition that would &quot;destroy&quot; the world economy. The US and Israel &quot;must consider the possibility that they will be engaged in a long-term war of attrition that will destroy the entire American economy and the world economy,&quot; Ali Fadavi, adviser to the Revolutionary Guards&#39; commander-in-chief, told state television. The country&#39;s Tasnim news agency also published a list of potential targets for Iran, including the offices of tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nvidia in Gulf countries and Israel. G7 rejects lifting Russian sanctions&nbsp;The Group of Seven nations rejected easing punitive measures against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine as the Middle East war wreaks havoc on global oil markets, France&#39;s President Emmanuel Macron said. &quot;This situation in no way justifies lifting the sanctions that exist against Russia,&quot; he said after a video call with other G7 leaders to discuss the war&#39;s economic fallout. Ships hit&nbsp;Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guard said it had struck the Liberian-flagged container ship Express Rome and the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree because they had entered the Strait of Hormuz &quot;after ignoring the warnings&quot;. Iraqi officials later said they had rescued 20 crew of an oil tanker that came under an unspecified attack in the country&#39;s territorial waters. Drones hit Oman port&nbsp;Drones struck fuel tanks at Oman&#39;s Salalah port on Wednesday, state media reported. Citi, Deloitte, PwC clear offices in Gulf&nbsp;Several major international businesses closed or evacuated offices in Gulf countries after Iran threatened US- and Israel-linked economic targets and centers in the Middle East. US finance group Citi and British consultancy Deloitte evacuated offices in Dubai&#39;s financial center, while PwC, another British consultancy, closed offices in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait. Fuel queues&nbsp;Tanker drivers in Pakistan said they were facing long waits at depots due to a shortage of fuel, as the government played down fears of another rise in prices over the war. ECB inflation vow&nbsp;European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said that &quot;everything necessary&quot; would be done to &quot;keep inflation under control.&quot; Hormuz confusion&nbsp;The US energy secretary said in a video on X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz -- but the post was deleted within minutes. The White House subsequently stated that the US Navy had not escorted any tankers through the strategic Gulf passage. Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards said no US Navy vessel has &quot;dared&quot; to approach the strait.

UK maritime agency said Thursday that a projectile struck a container ship near the United Arab Emirates; Oil prices surged, with Brent crude breaking back above $100 a barrel.

US-Israel war on Iran: Global economic fallout

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh&#39;s Finance and Planning Minister, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, announced on Wednesday that the government has requested a temporary waiver from the United States to enable Bangladesh to purchase fuel oil from Russia. The request comes in response to escalating conflicts in the Gulf region that are threatening global energy supplies. He sought the waiver during a courtesy meeting with the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent T. Christensen, at the Planning Commission in Dhaka. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the minister said that the United States had recently granted India a one-month temporary waiver to import Russian fuel oil.&nbsp; Similar support from the US would greatly benefit Bangladesh&rsquo;s economy, he said, adding that the ambassador would convey the matter to Washington. The US imposes sanctions on countries buying Russian oil, citing the protection of its national interests. According to the minister, the meeting primarily focused on volatility in the international energy market, particularly oil and gas supply disruptions stemming from the escalating conflict in the Gulf region.&nbsp; The 33-km-wide Strait of Hormuz has reportedly seen vessel movement nearly halted after joint strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran and subsequent retaliatory measures by Tehran over the past 11 days. Bangladesh, a net energy-importing country, is heavily dependent on the strait for its fuel supply. In recent years, the country has imported around six million tons of fuel oil annually, much of which passes through the strategic route. A significant portion of Bangladesh&rsquo;s imported liquefied natural gas from Qatar and Oman also transits through the Strait of Hormuz, making the country particularly vulnerable to disruptions in the waterway. During the meeting, both sides also discussed ways to increase investment, trade, and economic cooperation between Dhaka and Washington. Issues related to strengthening the capacity of various government institutions were also raised.

Amir Khasru Mahmud- Minister of Finance of Bangladesh

Bangladesh

The request comes as the escalating conflict in the Gulf region threatens global energy supplies and the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

Bangladesh seeks temporary US waiver to buy Russian oil

ISLAMABAD: Eight Islamic countries including Pakistan have condemned Israel&#39;s continued closure of gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. In a statement, the foreign ministers of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-condemns-israeli-actions-demands-protection-of-palestinian-holy-sites" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan</a>, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar affirmed their absolute rejection of this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/alaqsa-imam-says-israel-barring-him-from-entering-mosque-ahead-of-ramadan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">illegal and unjustified</a> measure, as well as Israel&rsquo;s continued provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2031801705411793132&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b7768a4fee5bf295095643c1b6023f3d677fea85&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 850px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2031801705411793132"></iframe></div></div>The statement said that security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship constitute a flagrant violation to international law. They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. The ministers reiterated that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which amounts to 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and regulate entry to it.

Foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar affirmed their absolute rejection of this illegal and unjustified measure, as well as Israel’s continued provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Eight Muslim states including Pakistan condemn Israel’s continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a tweet late Wednesday, outlined terms to end the war in the Middle East, reaffirming his country&#39;s commitment to regional peace. &quot;The only way to end this war [...] is recognizing Iran&rsquo;s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,&quot; he said in a post on X. He said he had earlier spoken with the leaders of Russia and Pakistan, reaffirming Iran&#39;s commitment to peace in the region.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2031794088526168170&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=851b3232460997a6b3b6c2bab056b2fd29af7ac1&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div> Meanwhile, Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards warned that they would strike &quot;economic centers and banks&quot; linked to US and Israeli interests.&nbsp; The defiance from Tehran came as fighting around the strategic Strait of Hormuz &mdash; the waterway carrying a fifth of the world&#39;s oil &mdash; sent shock waves through energy markets, prompting emergency releases from global reserves and a limited draw on US stockpiles. Oil prices have surged since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into conflict. Retaliatory Iranian missile strikes and drone attacks have brought shipping through the strait almost to a halt, forcing governments to scramble to contain the fallout, while US President Donald Trump said Iran was &quot;pretty much at the end of the line.&quot; &quot;Doesn&#39;t mean we&#39;re going to end it immediately, but they are,&quot; Trump told reporters. He said Iran&#39;s navy and air force had been destroyed, that it was close to running out of missiles and that US forces could knock out the electricity supply &quot;within one hour&quot; &mdash; leaving the country with a reconstruction that could take a generation. But the US leader indicated that he would rather show restraint than take actions that would make it &quot;almost impossible for them to rebuild their country.&quot; The president had earlier said the United States must &quot;finish the job&quot; in Iran, adding that US forces had struck 28 Iranian mine-laying vessels. He said Washington would tap US strategic reserves &quot;a little&quot; to help stabilize markets roiled by the war, and his administration later announced that he had authorized the release of 172 million barrels, beginning next week. The International Energy Agency agreed to release a record 400 million barrels. Israel&#39;s military, however, signaled the campaign was far from finished, and that it still had &quot;a broad bank of targets.&quot; Economic shockWith the conflict in its 12th day, Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards warned Wednesday they would strike &quot;economic centers and banks&quot; linked to US and Israeli interests, prompting more international firms to evacuate staff from Dubai. The United States and Israel &quot;must consider the possibility that they will be engaged in a long-term war of attrition that will destroy the entire American economy and the world economy,&quot; Ali Fadavi, an adviser to the Guards&#39; commander-in-chief, told state television. Iran said it targeted two commercial vessels in the Gulf after they entered the Strait of Hormuz, &quot;after ignoring the warnings&quot; of its navy. Analysts warn that a prolonged disruption to shipping through the strait &mdash; which also carries roughly a third of the fertilizer used in global food production &mdash; would deliver a severe economic shock, particularly in Asia and Europe. The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding Iran halt attacks on Gulf states, prompting the Islamic republic&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations to accuse it of a &quot;blatant misuse&quot; of its mandate. The conflict has already disrupted two pillars of the Gulf economy &mdash; energy production and commercial aviation. On Wednesday, drones fell near Dubai airport, injuring four people, authorities said. Others struck fuel tanks at Oman&#39;s Salalah port, according to the Oman News Agency. &#39;Wave of strikes&#39;&nbsp;In an apparent first since the war began, Israeli drones also struck targets in Tehran on Wednesday evening, killing members of the security forces, Iran&#39;s Fars news agency reported. The Israeli military later said it was carrying out a &quot;wide-scale wave of strikes&quot; after the IRGC announced just after midnight on Thursday that it had carried out a joint missile operation with Hezbollah against targets in Israel. Pentagon officials have meanwhile briefed US lawmakers that the cost of the war exceeded $11.3 billion in its first six days, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the classified briefing. The conflict has continued to spill across the region.

Iran Guards warn they will strike 'economic centers and banks' linked to US and Israeli interests; Iran’s president says only way to end war is recognizing Iran’s 'legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression.'

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