During a two-day visit to Israel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed multiple agreements with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strengthen bilateral relations. In his address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Modi expressed unwavering support for Israel and condemned the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack as barbaric, but avoided mentioning Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza or the humanitarian crisis there. Analysts said Modi’s position marks a clear departure from India’s traditional foreign policy on Palestine.

Modi highlighted India-Israel cooperation through the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the I2U2 group, which includes India, Israel, the UAE, and the United States. IMEC aims to connect India, the Middle East, and Europe through integrated transport networks, while I2U2 focuses on joint projects in energy, food security, and technology. Experts noted that these initiatives reflect India’s growing role in regional trade and strategic connectivity.

The visit occurred amid rising regional tensions, including Israel’s expansion in the occupied West Bank and U.S.-Iran friction. Netanyahu also proposed forming a new regional bloc including India, though no country has formally endorsed it.

Bangladesh’s Jamuna River in Bogura is facing a severe navigability crisis during the dry season, reportedly due to India’s upstream water control. Local sources said eight river routes have already closed, disrupting transport and causing major hardship for residents. Sandbars have emerged across the river, and ferry operators report that even small boats are struggling to move. Around 200,000 people in 141 riverine villages are suffering from the loss of waterway connectivity.

Officials from the Water Development Board said the Jamuna’s average depth has dropped from about 9.5 meters to around 2 meters, mainly because of dam construction in India and China. The river’s Bangladesh section covers 220 kilometers of its 4,000-kilometer length. Local residents described losing homes and farmland to erosion and facing unemployment during the dry months.

Authorities acknowledged that while dredging has been planned for the Bangali River, no government project currently exists for the Jamuna. Engineers warned that continued upstream damming could turn the region into a desert unless natural water flow is restored.

Iran has formed a three-member interim council to lead the country following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the state news agency IRNA, Khamenei was killed in a joint attack by the United States and Israel. The temporary council includes the country’s president, the head of the judiciary, and a jurist from the Guardian Council, who will collectively assume all leadership responsibilities.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aged 86, became Iran’s Supreme Leader in 1989 after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic. As Supreme Leader, Khamenei held ultimate authority over Iran’s political, military, and religious institutions, as well as domestic and foreign policy. The position of Supreme Leader was created after the 1979 revolution and enshrined in the constitution to grant absolute power to a top religious figure above the president and parliament.

The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body, is formally responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader. The formation of the interim council marks the beginning of a transitional phase in Iran’s leadership structure.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced plans to launch what it described as a 'devastating attack' targeting US military bases and Israel. The declaration was made in an official statement, which said the operation would be the most destructive offensive in the history of Iran’s armed forces and would begin shortly.

The announcement came shortly after Iranian state television confirmed the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In an emotional broadcast, the presenter declared a 40-day period of national mourning. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had claimed that Khamenei died following attacks by the United States and Israel.

The IRGC’s statement and the leadership transition signal a period of heightened tension in the region, with Iran’s interim leadership council already naming a new commander for the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Nearly 40 senior Iranian officials, including Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour, were reportedly killed in joint attacks by the United States and Israel, according to CBS News citing intelligence and military sources. The report did not specify whether the officials died in a single strike or separate incidents.

The attacks also reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, plunging the country into mourning. The IRGC issued a statement expressing strong reaction to the killing. In response, the Iranian government declared seven days of public holiday and 40 days of national mourning.

The report did not provide further details about the nature or location of the attacks, leaving uncertainty about how and where the incidents occurred.

Iran has plunged into mourning after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint United States and Israeli attack, according to Iranian media reports. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement expressing deep grief and condemning the killing, calling it proof of Khamenei’s legitimacy and service to the nation. The statement, published by the Fars news agency, warned that the Iranian nation’s hand of revenge would not spare those responsible.

Fars, an IRGC-affiliated outlet, reported that Khamenei was killed early Saturday while on duty in his office. The attack also claimed the lives of his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Following the incident, the Iranian government declared 40 days of national mourning and announced a seven-day public holiday.

The IRGC’s statement and subsequent government actions signal a period of heightened tension and possible retaliation against the United States and Israel, as Iran’s leadership and public institutions prepare to respond to the loss of their top leader.

The United States and Israel jointly launched extensive airstrikes across at least 24 Iranian cities, including Tehran, on Saturday, following the collapse of nuclear negotiations in Geneva mediated by Oman. The attacks targeted both military and civilian sites, killing 201 people and injuring 747, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. The deadliest strike hit a girls’ school in Minab, where 85 people died. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were reported safe, though Israel claimed several senior Iranian officials were killed.

In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at Israeli cities and US bases across the Middle East, causing damage in Iraq, Syria, and Gulf states. The escalation prompted regional airspace closures and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of a global oil price surge. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes as necessary for national security, while Iran’s foreign minister called them illegal acts of aggression.

World leaders, including those from the UN, China, France, Turkey, and Russia, urged restraint and immediate ceasefire. Several Gulf nations condemned Iran’s counterattacks, warning of sovereignty violations and potential regional destabilization.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Sunday, March 1, 2026, according to reports from Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies cited by Al Jazeera. Tehran later confirmed the martyrdom of Khamenei and several senior officials following a missile strike on a government complex in central Tehran. The attack occurred after U.S. and Israeli intelligence reportedly exchanged detailed information about Khamenei’s location and movements.

Khamenei, 86, became Iran’s Supreme Leader in 1989 after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and held ultimate authority over the country’s political, military, and religious institutions. His leadership was strongly supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia. The position of Supreme Leader, created after the 1979 revolution, grants absolute power over the president and parliament.

According to The New York Times, the CIA had tracked Khamenei for months and shared precise intelligence with Israel, prompting a change in the timing of the strike. The attack targeted a complex housing Iran’s top leadership, including the president and national security officials, marking a major escalation in regional tensions.

Reports from Iran indicate that a recent Israeli attack killed the daughter, son-in-law, and grandson of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The information was first shared by Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and later cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters. The incident reportedly occurred in Iran, though the exact location and timing were not specified.

The United States and Israel have claimed that Ayatollah Khamenei himself was also killed in the strike. U.S. President Donald Trump posted this claim on his Truth Social account. However, Iranian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Mehr stated that the Supreme Leader remains steadfast and continues to lead on the battlefield.

The conflicting accounts highlight uncertainty over the situation in Iran, with no official confirmation yet from Tehran regarding the reported deaths or the broader implications of the attack.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has carried out missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base, according to Iranian state media. The base has been used by US forces for decades. Iranian media also reported strikes on Iraq’s Al-Harir Air Base, another facility under US control. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were available.

The attacks followed a joint strike by the United States and Israel on Iran early Saturday, February 28. Tehran responded by targeting US military installations across the Middle East, including those in Israel and neighboring countries. Iranian state outlets described the operations as retaliatory actions following the earlier assault.

The situation marks a sharp escalation in regional tensions, with both US and Iranian forces engaging in direct hostilities across multiple territories. Further developments remain uncertain as no official statements on potential next steps were reported.

The death toll from an Israeli attack on a girls’ school in southern Iran has risen to 108, according to Iranian media reports cited by Al Jazeera. The strike occurred on Saturday in Minab, a city in Hormozgan province, where the school was operating at the time of the attack. The Minab prosecution office confirmed the updated casualty figure.

Reports indicate that 170 students were present at the school when the attack took place. Authorities fear the number of deaths could increase further as rescue and recovery efforts continue. The incident marks one of the deadliest reported attacks on a civilian educational facility in the region.

No additional details were provided in the report regarding the broader context or responses from Iranian or Israeli officials.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, declared that Iran will target all United States and Israeli bases, facilities, and assets in self-defense. Speaking at the UN, he said Iran considers all enemy bases and installations in the region as legitimate military targets under the legal framework of self-defense. He emphasized that Iran will continue exercising its right to defend itself fully and without hesitation until all aggression ceases completely.

Iravani also stated that Iran remains firmly committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring countries. He further claimed that Israel has succeeded in drawing the United States into a battlefield confrontation with Iran. The remarks were reported by Al Jazeera.

The statement underscores heightened tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, with Tehran asserting its readiness to respond militarily under international self-defense provisions.

Qatar’s Ministry of Interior reported that eight people were injured in a missile attack, with one in critical condition. The ministry’s public relations chief, Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah, stated on Saturday that a total of 66 missiles were fired at Qatar. Authorities also identified 114 pieces of metal debris scattered across the country. Additionally, an early-warning radar system was damaged after being struck by an Iranian drone.

Ibrahim Sultan Al Hashemi, head of public relations at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the repeated targeting of Qatar, calling Iran’s actions reckless and irresponsible. He said such behavior violated the principles of good neighborly relations.

Officials did not provide further details on the origin or timing of the attacks, and no information was released about potential responses or ongoing investigations.

Israeli military spokesperson Efi Defrin announced that seven senior Iranian officials were killed in a military operation conducted inside Iran on Saturday. The statement was broadcast on Israeli television, where Defrin detailed that the operation targeted high-ranking figures within Iran’s security and defense establishment.

According to the Israeli claim, the dead include Ali Shamkhani, former secretary of Iran’s National Security Council and a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Shamkhani had previously survived an attack at his Tehran residence in June 2025. The list also reportedly includes Iran’s Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour.

The report did not include confirmation or reaction from Iranian authorities, and no independent verification of the Israeli claim was mentioned in the source.

All flights from Bangladesh to the Middle East have been suspended due to escalating conflict and tension in the region, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Many of the affected travelers are expatriate workers and passengers with connecting flights to Europe and America. On Saturday night, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury visited the airport to assess the situation and oversee assistance measures.

During a press briefing, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman called the minister to inquire about the condition of stranded passengers and the government’s response. The minister assured him that the ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority were jointly arranging food and accommodation for the affected travelers. According to Ariful Haque, 50 passengers were housed under the ministry’s management, while Civil Aviation arranged lodging for 800 more.

Flights remain suspended following the closure of Middle Eastern airspace, including Iran’s, and the government has organized hotel stays and transport for passengers whose flights were canceled. The resumption of flights remains uncertain until the regional situation improves.