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The commander of Iran’s elite naval force, Alireza Tangsiri, has been killed in a strike in southern Iran, an Israeli official said, the latest high-profile casualty in the war that’s now in its fourth week.

Tangsiri, who led the naval wing of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was reportedly killed in a strike in the port city of Bandar Abbas. The official added that Commodore Tangsiri had been responsible for overseeing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s chokehold on the crucial waterway has upended oil and gas deliveries from the Middle East.

There was no immediate confirmation from Iran, and the Israel Defense Forces did not comment on the reported strike.

If confirmed, the killing would deal a major blow to Iran’s military leadership, particularly its naval operations in the strategically vital Persian Gulf.

WHO WAS ALIREZA TANGSIRI?

Born in Bushehr Province in southern Iran, Alireza Tangsiri rose through the ranks of the IRGC Navy after serving during the Iran-Iraq War and the so-called Tanker Wars, the United States’s first conflict with Iran during the 1980s.

Tangsiri went on to command the IRGC Navy’s 1st Naval District in Bandar Abbas and served as deputy commander from 2010 to 2018, before taking over as the force’s chief.

Tangsiri’s reported death adds to a growing list of senior Iranian officials assassinated since the war began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran.

Among the first, and most consequential, losses was Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. What followed was a systematic takedown of an entire echelon of the Islamic republic’s political and military brass.

On March 17, senior politician and Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli strike on the outskirts of Tehran. The bombing also reportedly claimed the lives of his family members.

Days later, Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesperson of the Revolutionary Guards, was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike. His death came hours after he appeared on national television asserting that Iran retained full missile production capability despite wartime pressures.

Source:adaderana.lk

US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in May during his first visit to China in eight years, a closely watched trip postponed due to the ongoing Iran war.

Trump’s effort to reschedule the trip reflected the Republican president’s eagerness to project confidence in a challenging Middle East war and simultaneously to manage a tense relationship between the world’s biggest economies.

Initially slated to travel next week, Trump will now visit Beijing on May 14 and 15, he said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday (Mar 25). Trump added that he would host Xi for a reciprocal visit in Washington later this year.

“Our Representatives are finalising preparations for these Historic Visits,” Trump said. “I look very much forward to spending time with President Xi in what will be, I am sure, a Monumental Event.”

China’s embassy said it had no information to provide on the announcement of the visit. Beijing normally does not detail Xi’s schedule more than a few days in ⁠advance.

The long-scheduled trip - and Washington’s broader effort to reset relations in the Asia Pacific region - have been repeatedly overtaken by events.

In February, the Supreme Court curtailed the US president’s power to impose tariffs, a source of leverage for Trump in negotiations with the US’ third-biggest trading partner. Later that month, Trump’s joint military operation with Israel against Iran introduced a new point of tension with Beijing, Tehran’s main oil buyer.

Trump’s last trip to China, in 2017, was the most recent by a US president. Trump’s visit in May will be the leaders’ first in-person talks since an October meeting in South Korea, where they agreed on a trade truce.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS XI UNDERSTANDS TRUMP’S REASONS FOR DELAY

The two-day trip is set to combine the lavish pomp and circumstance that has become a feature of Trump’s trips abroad with hard-nosed diplomacy.

While the two sides could strike goodwill agreements in Beijing on trade in agriculture and airplane parts, they are also expected to discuss areas of deep tension like Taiwan, where little progress is expected.

Trump has dramatically ramped up US arms sales to Taiwan during his second term in office. The moves have angered Beijing, which claims the democratically governed island as its own territory.

It is also not clear whether the war with Iran, which has shaken the global economy, will be settled by the time of the Xi-Trump meeting.

Trump has sought support from the world’s major oil consumers, including China, to help counter Iran’s efforts to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s request for assistance so far has largely been rebuffed. China, which imported around 12 million barrels of oil daily during the first two months of 2026, the most in the world, has not directly responded to ⁠his request. 

Asked whether the war could wind down in time for the China trip, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that “we’ve always estimated approximately four to six weeks. So you could do the math on that.”

Leavitt also said Trump and Xi spoke about rescheduling the trip and that Xi had understood the reasons for doing so.

“President Xi understood that it’s very important for the president to be here throughout these combat operations right now,” she said.

Source:adaderana.lk

A government-imposed digital blackout in Iran has entered its 27th day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

NetBlocks said in its daily update that Iran has been isolated from the global internet for 624 hours and that “rights monitors, independent media and the public are sidelined as access is granted only to those on a state-approved whitelist”.

Despite the internet blackout, which began on 28 February when the US and Israel began strikes, the BBC stated that it has been able to speak to some Iranians about the war.

Earlier, a young Iranian told the BBC of his fears of being made to do military service, and about how he recently lost a close friend in an air strike.

U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran continued today, after they launched their joint campaign to rid Tehran of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities while also pushing for regime change.

Iran has implemented internet shutdowns during periods of social unrest in the past. A similar near-blackout was imposed for several weeks in January amid widespread protests in the country.

However, some analysts said that additional factors may be contributing to the internet disruption

Source:adaderana.lk

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has firmly denied that any negotiations are taking place between Tehran and Washington to end the ongoing conflict, dismissing US claims of diplomatic engagement as posturing.

No direct talks

“There are no ongoing talks with the US,” Araghchi said in comments carried by state-run Press TV. He clarified that while Washington is sending messages through various mediators, “exchange of messages via mediators does not mean negotiations.” The distinction suggests Iran is rejecting the notion of formal diplomatic engagement despite reported back-channel communications.

Accusation of weakness

Araghchi characterized US talk about negotiations with Iran as “an admission of defeat.” He questioned Washington’s apparent shift in tone, asking: “Didn’t they claim unconditional surrender before? So why are they now mobilizing their top officials to negotiate?” The remarks reflect Tehran’s skepticism toward US overtures following weeks of intense military strikes.

Conflict continues

The denial of negotiations comes amid sustained hostilities following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran launched Feb. 28, which has killed more than 1,340 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, while the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, disrupting global energy markets.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation, Araghchi described the conflict that began with a barrage of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 as “a war of choice” that has targeted Iranian civilians and military installations alike.

“We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation,” he said. “We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes. And this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory.”

On the prospect of talks with the U.S., Araghchi said: “We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time. There is no good experience talking with Americans.”

The interview comes after President Donald Trump has claimed several times in recent days that Iran is interested in negotiating a deal, but that he has rejected those overtures. Late Friday, he posted on Truth Social that Iran “is totally defeated and wants a deal — but not a deal that I would accept.” 
The following day, he told NBC News that while Iran “wants to make a deal,” he would not pursue one because the proposed terms “aren’t good enough yet.”

Trump Administration officials have warned in recent days that the current conflict could last several more weeks, as Iran has continued to launch drones and missiles into neighboring countries hosting U.S. forces. 
Araghchi framed those strikes as defensive actions, saying countries such as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates “gave their soil to American forces to attack us… We cannot just remain silent on this.” He insisted Iran only targets American assets.

“There are, you know, people being killed only because President Trump wants to have fun,” Araghchi told CBS. “This is a war of choice by President Trump and the United States, and we are going to continue our self-defense.”
Iranian missile and drone strikes on the Gulf and Israel have killed more than 30 people, in addition to 13 U.S. service members.

Araghchi also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for global oil trade, where Iran has restricted passage to U.S. and Israeli vessels. Araghchi said Iran has provided safe passage to other countries that requested it, but declined to identify them.

“We provide security to pass because we have not closed this strait. They are not coming themselves because of the insecurity…because of the aggression by the U.S.,” he told CBS.

Araghchi further discussed Iran’s nuclear program, noting that roughly 440 kilograms of enriched material remain under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision after prior attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. While Iran had previously offered to dilute highly enriched uranium in negotiations with the U.S. officials, Araghchi said, “There is nothing on the table right now. Everything depends on the future.”

The minister dismissed concerns that Iran’s stance could isolate it internationally or jeopardize future trade.

“We are stable and strong enough. There is no experience, good experience, talking with Americans,” he said, referencing past diplomatic efforts that collapsed before attacks escalated. He added: “We were talking, so why they decided to attack us? So what is good if we go back to talk once again?”

Source:adaderana.lk

The number of U.S. military personnel wounded in Operation Epic Fury continues to rise as the campaign against Iran approaches its fourth week.

As of Tuesday, 290 American service members have been wounded in the war, according to Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command’s spokesperson.

Hawkins told DefenseScoop that 255 of those injured troops — or about 88% — have returned to duty so far, while 10 remain seriously wounded.

Around two weeks ago, in mid-March, Centcom reported that at that time approximately 200 U.S. service members had been wounded since the start of the operation on Feb. 28. At least 13 military personnel have reportedly been killed.

President Donald Trump initiated Epic Fury as a U.S.-led, Israel-coordinated campaign to destroy Iran’s leadership, military arsenals, manufacturing sites and nuclear infrastructure. Iran responded by disrupting maritime traffic near the Strait of Hormuz on a major global shipping route for oil, and striking U.S. installations around the Middle East with deadly drones and missile barrages.

Trump said on Monday that the U.S. and Iran had started productive conversations towards reaching a resolution to the war. Senior Iranian officials subsequently denied the president’s claims.

But reports surfaced on Tuesday that Iran received a message from the U.S. via mediators, which could pave a way for official dialogue between the nations.

The Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) notably made its combat debut in Epic Fury, when the long-range weapon was used against certain, undisclosed Iranian targets. The ongoing operation also marks the first combat deployment of U.S.-developed low-cost, one-way attack drones called LUCAS.

However, this conflict is also spotlighting serious vulnerabilities that the U.S. is confronting, associated with drone threats overseas and domestically.

For instance, at least six Army Reserve soldiers died as a result of injuries they sustained during an Iranian drone strike that hit a command center in Kuwait on March 1. Separately, U.S. Northern Command says it “detected and defeated” a drone threat over a “strategic installation” on American soil in the early hours of Epic Fury, although officials haven’t disclosed whether they believe there was an Iranian connection to that incident.

In response to DefenseScoop’s questions on Tuesday, Hawkins declined to provide a breakdown of the number of U.S. service members who were specifically wounded in drone attacks to date during Epic Fury.

Iran’s latest casualty figures have not been released by Tehran in recent days. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on March 21 that at least 3,230 people had been killed in the war, including more than 1,400 civilians.

Source:adaderana.lk

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned that the war in the Middle East has spiraled “out of control.”

Antonio Guterres urged an immediate halt to hostilities, called on Iran to stop attacking its neighbors, urged the US and Israel to end the war, and stressed that diplomacy remains the only path out of the crisis.

Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York, he said the conflict has exceeded even the worst expectations and risks triggering a global catastrophe.

“Just hours into the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, I warned that the fighting risked triggering a chain reaction that no one could control. More than three weeks on, this war is out of control,” he added.

“The conflict has broken past the limits even leaders thought imaginable. The world is staring down the barrel of a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock.”

Guterres said “my message to Iran is to stop attacking their neighbors,” adding that the UN Security Council has condemned such attacks and demanded they end, while reaffirming that navigational rights and freedoms must be respected in key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz.

The prolonged closure of the strait is “choking the movement of oil, gas and fertilizer at a critical moment in the global planting season,” he said.
“My message to the United States and Israel is that it is high time to end the war as human suffering deepens, civilian casualties mount, and the global economic impact is increasingly devastating.”

Declaring that “this has gone too far,” Guterres said: “It is time to stop climbing the escalation ladder and start climbing the diplomatic ladder and return to full respect of international law.”

He added that he has remained in close contact with regional and global actors, with several peace initiatives underway that “must succeed.”

The UN Chief announced the appointment of Jean Arnault as his personal envoy to lead efforts on the conflict and its consequences.

Guterres highlighted the severe humanitarian toll across the region, saying civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence.

Following a recent visit to Lebanon, he warned that the situation there must not deteriorate further.

“There, too, the war must stop,” he said. “Hezbollah must stop launching attacks into Israel. And Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which are hitting civilians the hardest.”

He added: “The Gaza model must not be replicated in Lebanon.”

Guterres warned of mounting global repercussions, with markets in turmoil and humanitarian operations increasingly constrained.

“On every front, the shockwaves are falling hardest on those who bear no responsibility for this conflict: the poorest, the most vulnerable, the least able to absorb yet another blow,” he said.

While the UN system is working to mitigate the fallout, “the best way to minimize those consequences is clear: End the war immediately,” he said.
“War is not the answer. We need a way out of this disaster. Diplomacy is the way out. Full respect of international law is the way out. Peace is the waaay out.”

Source:adaderana.lk

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said that they have permitted the passage of vessels for friendly countries, including India, through the Strait of Hormuz.

Consulate General of Iran in Mumbai said in a post, “Iran FM Abbas Araghchi: We permitted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for friendly nations including China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan.”

This follows comments by the Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, who called for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, he said, “The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking the movement of oil, gas, & fertilizer at a critical moment in the global planting season. Across the region & beyond, civilians are enduring serious harm & living under profound insecurity. The UN is working to minimise the consequences of the war. And the best way to minimise those consequences is clear: End the war - immediately.”

Guterres urged the US and Israel to end the war in West Asia. “My message to the US & Israel is that it’s high time to end the war - as human suffering deepens, civilian casualties mount & the global economic impact is increasingly devastating. My message to Iran is to stop attacking their neighbours that are not parties to the conflict,” he said.

Earlier on March 25, the Iranian mission in New York said that they will allow the passage of what it called “non-hostile vessels” through the Strait of Hormuz.

The mission announced in a post on X, “Non-hostile vessels, including those belonging to or associated with other States, may--provided that they neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran and fully comply with the declared safety and security regulations--benefit from safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the competent Iranian authorities.”

The Iranian Defence Council has announced that the transit of “non-hostile vessels” through the strategic Strait of Hormuz is now strictly dependent on prior “coordination with Iranian officials”.

Source:adaderana.lk

The former Head of the State Intelligence Service, Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay has been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital following a sudden illness.

Former SIS Chief Suresh Sallay is being held under a 90-day detention order to interrogate his links to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that family members had requested permission to visit him to check on his condition, but approval has not been granted.

He was admitted to hospital yesterday (24) after his condition was brought to the attention of the Magistrate. Following an examination, he was referred to a doctor and subsequently admitted to the National Hospital on medical advice.

Ada derana

The Iranian parliament is working on a draft bill to charge a fee in exchange for providing security to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. 

The plan is expected to be finalized next week, the agency said, citing an unnamed lawmaker. ‘‘We are pursuing a proposal in which Iran’s sovereignty, control, and oversight in the Strait of Hormuz are formally recognized in law, and through the collection of tolls, a source of revenue is also created for the country,’‘ Fars cited the lawmaker as saying.

Iran’s move to formalize a transit fee for the vital Strait of Hormuz comes as the war in the Middle East approaches the end of its fourth week. 

The waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes has been all but closed to tanker traffic, with only a trickle of ships, mainly with Chinese and Iranian affiliation, getting through.

The disruptions in Hormuz have resulted in forced shut-ins of Persian Gulf oil production, while refineries in the area have also been damaged in the war. 

Oil prices have surged as a result, with global benchmark Brent topping $114 a barrel earlier this week, and the Trump administration examining what a potential spike to $200 would mean for the economy.

Source: adaderana.lk

Iran has received America’s 15-point proposal for ending the US-Israeli attack, two Pakistani officials have told the Associated Press.

The Pakistani officials also touched on the content of the proposal, saying it included: 

Sanctions relief
Civilian nuclear cooperation
A rollback of Iran’s nuclear programme
Monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency
Limits to Iran’s missile programme 
Access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

Israel’s Channel 12 has also reported on the plan’s points - see the post below this one for a full summary.

Donald Trump yesterday claimed Washington is talking to the “right people” in Iran and “they want to make a deal so badly”.

He also said Iran had agreed with the US they will never have a nuclear weapon and gave the US “a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money” that is related to oil and gas and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has denied it’s negotiating with the US, and a military spokesman mockingly said the US was negotiating with itself.

Source .Ada derana

The Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia, Roman Marshavin has arrived in the country.

Pirhossein Kolivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society has detailed extensive damage to civilian infrastructure caused by recent attacks, describing them as “alarming acts and war crimes” by Israeli and U.S. forces.

He urged international bodies to take immediate action to halt assaults on civilians, medical personnel, relief workers, schools, and critical infrastructure, and to ensure legal accountability for perpetrators.

According to Kolivand, field assessments indicate that 81,365 civilian units have been damaged across Iran, including 61,555 residential units and 19,020 commercial units. “These figures are not just numbers,” he said.

“Behind each unit is a family, a life, a livelihood, a memory, and a future destroyed under the weight of war and violence.” In Tehran province alone, 24,605 units have been affected.

The attacks have also targeted essential services. Kolivand reported damage to 275 medical and emergency centers, 498 schools, 17 Red Crescent centers, three helicopters, and 48 operational vehicles, including ambulances, rescue, and support vehicles. “Attacks on these facilities, helicopters, and equipment are not simply destruction of property,” he emphasized. “They represent direct assaults on the lifelines that save human lives.”

Kolivand stressed that under international humanitarian law, civilians, healthcare personnel, aid workers, hospitals, schools, medical and rescue transport — including helicopters — are afforded special protection and must not be targeted.

He warned that damaging medical centers, schools, ambulances, rescue helicopters, and aid bases is not merely a material loss; it undermines fundamental principles such as the distinction between military and civilian targets, proportionality, and precaution in attacks.

“Any assault on aid workers, patients, students, teachers, and civilian families must be investigated thoroughly, independently, and transparently by competent international bodies, with perpetrators held accountable for the legal and humanitarian consequences,” he said.

Kolivand emphasized that the Iranian Red Crescent, within its humanitarian mandate, conducts continuous international follow-ups, reporting damages to civilians, medical centers, schools, aid workers, and relief infrastructure through official channels of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and other relevant institutions.

In conclusion, Kolivand called on the international community to act decisively: “Silence in the face of civilian suffering, normalization of attacks on hospitals, schools, ambulances, and aid workers, and indifference to the lives of children and patients is not only a moral failure but a direct weakening of the foundations of international humanitarian law. Today is the time for responsible, transparent, and decisive action to protect humanity.”

Source:adaderana.lk