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Israel’s Minister of Defence Israel Katz says Ali Larijani has been killed.

In a statement, Katz says he was just informed of the top Iranian security official’s death following Israeli strikes overnight.

Source:ADaderana.lk

President Donald Trump was warned that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against U.S. Gulf allies despite his claims on Monday that Tehran’s reaction came as a surprise, said a U.S. official and two sources familiar with U.S. intelligence reports.

Pre-war intelligence assessments did not say that Iran’s response was “a guarantee, but it certainly was on the list of potential outcomes,” said one source, who like the other two requested anonymity to discuss the issue.

The president twice on Monday said that Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait were a surprise, the first time at a Kennedy Center board meeting in the White House.

“They (Iran) weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,” he said. “Nobody expected that. We were shocked.”

Trump’s assertion followed other administration claims that have not been backed by U.S. intelligence reporting, such as that Iran would soon have a missile capable of hitting the U.S. homeland and that it would need two to four weeks to make a nuclear bomb and would then use it.

Those allegations and an imminent threat posed by Iran to the U.S. and its forces in the region have been among varying reasons that Trump and some top aides have given to justify his decision to join Israel in launching their air war against Iran on February 28.

Trump was also briefed ahead of the operation that Tehran would likely seek to close the economically vital Strait of Hormuz, according to two other sources familiar with the matter.

Over the past two weeks, Iranian drones and missiles have struck targets in the Gulf states that have included U.S. military bases and an Emirates base hosting French troops, civilian structures, including hotels, airports, and energy facilities.

Iran has also halted almost all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of oil supplies move, causing global energy prices to spike.

Democratic lawmakers emerged from administration briefings on the war last week saying they heard of no imminent threat that required the U.S. and Israel to launch the war.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

WARNINGS OF A REGIONAL WAR

The U.S. official said that Trump was briefed before the war that striking Iran could trigger a broader regional conflict that would include Iranian retaliation against Gulf capitals, especially if Tehran saw those countries condoning or actively supporting the U.S. attacks.

Trump repeated his claim later on Monday during a signing event in the Oval Office. He was asked if he was surprised that nobody had briefed him about that risk that Iran would strike back at the Gulf states.

“Nobody, nobody, no, no, no. The greatest experts, nobody thought they were going to hit,” replied Trump.

The second source familiar with the matter said that before the U.S.-Israeli attacks, the U.S. intelligence community assessed that Israel’s plan to launch strikes aimed at killing top Iranian leaders likely would result in retaliation against U.S. military and diplomatic outposts.

The administration did not order departures of diplomatic staff from several regional embassies until after the air strikes began. 

The community also warned that Iran “could” widen its retaliation to American allies in the region, the source said.

Source:adaderana.lk

Israel targeted Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a Tehran strike on Monday night, according to an Israeli Military spokesperson.

The Israeli military is still awaiting the results of the strike, known as a battle damage assessment, to determine if Larijani was killed.

On Tuesday morning, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said, “We recorded significant achievements in Iran last night.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a wave of simultaneous strikes on Monday evening against the cities of Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz. The IDF made no mention of targeting Larijani, instead naming missile production sites and command centers as the goals.

“Alongside the ongoing damage and erosion of military capabilities and industrial production capacities, we are acting against elements of the Revolutionary Guards and the regime’s repression apparatus,” Zamir said at a situation assessment.

Israel also targeted senior figures in Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Iran-backed militant group in Gaza, in a separate attack a few days ago, the Israeli source told CNN.

Source:adaderana.lk

Iran’s navy commander Shahram Irani warned that Tehran’s enemies would face retaliation for the killing of dozens of sailors after the IRIS Dena was sunk in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka.

“We will not forget the enemy’s crime, and we will exact retribution for the blood of our martyrs,” Irani was quoted as saying by Iran’s English-language broadcaster Press TV.

“The enemy should know that we will punish it with deadly strikes from where it least expects,” he said.

The IRIS Dena was sunk on March 4 by a US submarine torpedo off the coast of Galle while sailing in international waters after a joint naval exercise with India, killing at least 87 sailors.

Thirty-two were rescued and several others remain missing.

Source:adaderana.lk

Public transport across Sri Lanka, including train services, will operate on a limited schedule on Wednesdays, which have been designated as government holidays.

The announcement was made by Nalinda Jayatissa, who stated that the reduction in services is in line with ongoing efforts to manage the prevailing situation in the country.

According to officials, the scaled-back operations are expected to affect multiple modes of public transport, with adjustments being made to accommodate reduced demand and conserve resources.

Authorities are expected to provide further details on revised timetables and service availability in the coming days.

At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike by Pakistan on a drug users rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday, a sharp escalation in the conflict between the neighbours.

Pakistan rejected the claim as false and misleading and said it “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure” on Monday night.

The air strike came hours after China said it remained ready to continue efforts to ease tensions between the South Asian Islamic nations and urged both to avoid expanding the war and return to the negotiating table.

The conflict that began last month is the worst ever between the neighbours who share a 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border. It had ebbed amid attempts by friendly countries, including China, to mediate and end the fighting before flaring up again.

The escalation comes amid wider instability in the neighbourhood where the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation have plunged the Middle East into a crisis.

At the site, a blackened single-storey structure bore ⁠the marks of flames. In other places, buildings were reduced to heaps of wood and metal, with only a few bunk beds still intact in some, while blankets, personal belongings and bedding were strewn about.

“When I arrived (last night), I saw that everything was burning, people were burning,” ambulance driver Haji Fahim told Reuters. “Early in the morning they called me again and told me to come back because there are still bodies under the rubble.”

Ambulances and police vehicles were parked near the gate of the damaged facility, which a sign identified as a “drug addiction treatment hospital” with 1,000 beds, while security personnel maintained guard.

NO COLLATERAL DAMAGE, SAYS PAKISTAN

Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said the air strike took place at 9 p.m. (1630 GMT) on Monday and targeted the state-run Omid hospital, which he said was a 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation centre.

“Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties,” he said in a post on X. “Sadly, the number of those killed has so far reached 400, with up to 250 others injured.”

Rescue teams were at the scene working to control the fire and recover the victims, he added.

Reuters could not verify the casualty ⁠numbers and the Pakistani military could not be reached for comment outside business hours.

The Pakistani Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the Afghan Taliban claim was “misreporting of facts”.

In an overnight post on X, it said that Pakistan targeted military installations and “terrorist support infrastructure” including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban militants in Kabul and Nangarhar that were being used against Pakistani civilians.

“Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted,” the post said. “This misreporting of facts as drug rehabilitation facility seeks to stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism.”

FLAMES ENGULF BUILDING, MEDIA SHOWS

The Omid hospital ⁠was established in 2016 and has treated hundreds of people, also providing them with vocational training such as tailoring and carpentry to make them more employable, according to local media reports.

Overnight visuals from local media showed flames engulfing a single-storey building, while thick smoke billowed from another section of the same complex. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.

Fierce fighting between the South Asian neighbours, who were close allies earlier, erupted ⁠last month with Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.

Afghanistan called the strikes a violation of its sovereignty that targeted civilians and launched its own attacks.

Both sides have claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on the other but independent verification has not been possible.

Islamabad says Kabul provides a safe haven to militants launching attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban deny the allegation, ⁠saying tackling militancy is Pakistan’s internal problem.

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan, said he was “dismayed” by fresh reports of Pakistani air strikes and resulting civilian deaths.

“My condolences. I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint and respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals,” he said in a post on X.

Source:adaderana.lk

The US embassy in Baghdad has been targeted by a wave of drone and rocket attacks, according to reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Iraqi security sources have told the latter that it was “the most intense assault since the attacks began”.

The embassy had issued a fresh security alert to US citizens in Iraq roughly six hours prior, where they warned that “Iran-aligned terrorist militias have repeatedly attacked the International Zone” in central Baghdad.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday issued a strong statement condemning the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East blaming the United States and Israel for what it described as a ‘‘treacherous and unprovoked attack on Iran’‘ and calling for an immediate end to hostilities.

The ministry accused Washington and Tel Aviv of instigating an ‘‘unprecedented spiral of violence’‘ that has caused extensive civilian casualties and widespread damage to infrastructure across the region.

According to the official text, the toll of victims from what Moscow terms ‘‘American-Israeli aggression’‘ now runs into ‘‘hundreds and thousands,’‘ with significant harm inflicted on civilian infrastructure. 

The statement points to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global maritime trade, which it says has been effectively paralysed by ongoing retaliatory Iranian strikes. Once viewed as a relatively stable and prosperous region, the Persian Gulf now faces ‘‘chaos and uncertainty,’‘ with economic effects being felt far beyond the immediate conflict zone.

The ministry sharply criticised the continuing intensification of mutual hostility, arguing that rather than seeking avenues for de-escalation and a return to diplomatic negotiations, the parties involved are escalating with ‘‘increasingly lethal and destructive strikes.’‘ It voiced particular concern over the ongoing attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure, underlining that such actions must stop in order to prevent further death and suffering among innocent populations in Arabian Gulf states and Iran.

In its call to action, the statement reiterated Moscow’s ‘‘resolute call to all parties for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a shift of the situation onto a political and diplomatic track.’‘ The ministry emphasised that political negotiation, not military confrontation, is the only path to a sustainable resolution of the crisis.

The Russian government also expressed its readiness to contribute, ‘‘within the scope of its available capabilities,’‘ to efforts aimed at reaching a long-term and durable settlement of the conflict. 

This echoes separate diplomatic efforts by Russian officials, including phone calls between President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s leadership, in which Moscow reiterated support for de-escalation and political solutions amid the widening Middle East crisis.

The statement comes against the backdrop of a broader international reaction to the crisis, with global leaders and organisations urging restraint, emphasising the danger of further escalation, and warning of profound economic and humanitarian repercussions should the conflict deepen further. 

Source: adaderana.lk

Several U.S. allies rebuffed Donald Trump’s call on Monday to send warships to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, drawing criticism from the U.S. president, who accused Western partners of ingratitude after decades of support.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in sight. The critical Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow, remains largely closed off, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.

The conflict has already imposed economic costs on U.S. allies, who were not consulted before the airstrikes on Iran and who have endured months of harsh criticism and bellicose threats from Trump since he returned to office.

A number of U.S. partners, including Germany, Spain and Italy, said they had no immediate plans to send ships to help reopen the strategic waterway, which Iran has effectively shut with drones and naval mines.

‘‘We lack the mandate from the United Nations, the European Union or NATO required under the Basic Law,’‘ German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin, adding that Washington and Israel had not consulted Germany before launching the war.

Trump, speaking at a White House event in Washington, said many countries had told him they were prepared to help, but voiced frustration with some long‑standing allies.

‘‘Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t,’‘ he said, without offering specifics. ‘‘Some ⁠are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me."

ISRAEL STILL HAS ‘THOUSANDS’ OF TARGETS IN IRAN

Israel said on Monday it had drawn up detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war as it pounded sites across Iran overnight, while Iranian drone attacks temporarily shut Dubai airport and hit a key oil facility in the United Arab Emirates.

Israel troops pushed into new parts of southern Lebanon, part of an expanding operation after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.

In a joint statement, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain warned that any ‘‘significant Israeli ground offensive would have devastating humanitarian consequences and could lead to a protracted conflict,’‘ and that such an operation ‘‘must be averted.’‘ 

Israel has said it wants to weaken Iran’s capacity to threaten it, striking ballistic missile infrastructure, nuclear facilities and the security apparatus, and that it still has thousands of targets to hit.

‘‘We want to make sure that they are as weak as possible, this regime, and that we degrade all their capabilities, all parts and all wings of their security establishment,’‘ Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would target U.S. industrial facilities in the Middle East and urged people living near U.S.-owned plants to leave.

Iran also responded to Trump’s threat that he might attack oil facilities on Kharg Island, the country’s main oil hub, if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces destroyed military targets on Kharg on Friday.

A spokesperson for the armed forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, ⁠said Iran would target oil and gas facilities in any country from which U.S. attacks were launched on Kharg Island.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had not asked for a ceasefire or exchanged messages with the U.S., according to Iran’s semi-official Student News Network.

In a post on X, Araqchi also said some ‘‘neighbouring states’‘ that host U.S. forces and permit attacks on Iran were actively encouraging the killing of Iranians.

He said 200 children were among the hundreds of Iranian civilians killed in U.S. or Israeli bombings.

Rescue workers in Tehran worked to pull people from the wreckage of a building in what an Iranian Red Crescent aid worker said was an entirely residential alleyway.

ISRAEL CLAIMS STRIKES ON IRAN’S SPACE PROGRAM

Israel said its air force had struck sites linked to Iran’s space program, including destroying a research facility in Tehran involved in developing a satellite launched in 2024.

One Tehran resident told Reuters that ⁠there had been no internet overnight and Iranians felt isolated from the world.

‘‘People are being killed,’‘ Shahnaz, 62, said via WhatsApp. ‘‘Just days before Nowruz (Iranian New Year, on March 20), but people are not in the mood to celebrate. When will this end?"

Asked if she supported the Islamic Republic, Shahnaz said: ‘‘No, I don’t. How can I? They killed my granddaughter in (January’s) protests. We want this regime to go. We want this misery to end."

In Tel Aviv, air raid sirens sounded late into the night, warning of incoming Iranian missiles and underscoring that, after more than two weeks of war, Tehran still ⁠retained the capacity to carry out long-range attacks. The IRGC said earlier that Iran had launched strikes on areas in Tel Aviv, the U.S. Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, the U.S. naval base in Bahrain and Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base.

On the UAE’s coast along the Gulf of Oman, oil loading operations at the port of Fujairah partially resumed after an Iranian drone strike. Fujairah is a key exit point for the UAE’s Murban crude - a volume equivalent to roughly 1% of global demand.

Flights at Dubai International Airport, one of ⁠the world’s busiest, were suspended for several hours after a drone strike on a nearby fuel storage facility sent plumes of black smoke into the sky. Saudi Arabia intercepted 34 drones in its eastern region in one hour, state media said. No injuries were reported in either incident.

Despite the turbulence, oil prices , , which had been above $100 a barrel, fell and stocks rallied after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC the U.S. was ‘‘fine’‘ to let some Iranian fuel vessels through the strait, and believed Indian and Chinese tankers had also passed through.

Source:adaderana.lk

Kumara Jayakodi has indicated that while uninterrupted electricity supply is currently being maintained, the country may have to consider power cuts if fuel constraints persist.

Speaking in Parliament today (17), the Minister responded to a query raised by Sajith Premadasa under Standing Order 27.2 regarding the likelihood of electricity interruptions.

Jayakodi noted that authorities have so far succeeded in providing continuous power without any outages, even for a single hour, despite the ongoing fuel crisis.

However, he cautioned that the situation remains uncertain, adding that power cuts could become unavoidable in the future depending on the availability of fuel resources.

Air traffic operations have returned to normal in the United Arab Emirates after a temporary closure earlier on Tuesday, state media is reporting, as cited by Reuters.

Earlier on Tuesday, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) ‘‘announced a temporary closure of the country’s airspace amid rapidly evolving regional security developments’’, Reuters reports.

The GCAA has since said air navigation had returned to normal across the UAE’s airspace, state news agency WAM reports, external.

GCCA emphasised ‘‘that continuous real-time monitoring remains in place to ensure the highest levels of safety of air navigation.’’

Source:adaderana.lk