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The Illegal Assets Investigation Division has taken steps to freeze assets believed to have been obtained through proceeds from drug trafficking.

The investigation began after the division received information alleging that a suspected trafficker had accumulated significant wealth through illegal narcotics activities. Following inquiries, authorities identified a luxury vehicle valued at Rs. 15.5 million that had been registered under the name of the suspect’s wife.

Officials stated that the vehicle had allegedly been purchased using funds generated through drug-related activities. Acting under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, an order was issued to freeze the asset.

The freeze order was later extended by the Colombo High Court after it was presented before the judiciary.

Investigators also arrested the female suspect in connection with the case and produced her before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Further inquiries uncovered that the suspected trafficker had allegedly acquired additional property under the same individual’s name. This included a three-storey residence and land valued at approximately Rs. 40 million located in the Weligampitiya within the Ja-Ela Police Division.

Authorities have issued a temporary order to freeze the property for seven days starting from March 13, 2026, while investigations continue.

Officials confirmed that the Illegal Assets Investigation Division is continuing further inquiries into the case.

The United States is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including its new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

The reward targets 10 officials associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the State Department website. The military force, created after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, is loyal to the supreme leader and tasked with protecting the Shiite clerical establishment.

Mojtaba Khamenei recently succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s supreme leader after the elder Khamenei was killed along with several other top Iranian officials in joint US and Israeli strikes that began on February 28. The younger Khamenei, believed to have been injured in the strikes, hasnt been seen publicly since, although he released his first statement on Thursday.

In addition to the supreme leader, the US is seeking information about Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and two officials in Khamenei’s office.

Larijani appeared Friday in videos verified by Reuters alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attending a rally in Tehran, despite an assertion by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s leadership was “cowering” underground.

The reward website also lists four other officials, including the IRGC commander and secretary of the defense council, but doesn’t include their names or photos.

“These individuals command and direct various elements of the IRGC, which plans, organizes, and executes terrorism around the world,” the State Department said.

The Revolutionary Guards could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday — the weekly day of rest in Iran. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US has designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing it of being responsible for attacks that have killed US citizens. Washington has also accused Iran of orchestrating assassination plots against President Donald Trump and other US officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Iran denies being a sponsor of terrorism. Iranian officials routinely dismiss US terrorism allegations as baseless political attacks, arguing Washington raises such claims to justify pressure campaigns or sanctions.

Source:adaderana.lk

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he’s not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran despite the country’s willingness to do so “because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” but declined to say what those terms would be.

In a wide-ranging, nearly 30-minute telephone interview with NBC News, the president also said he is working with other countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid surges in global oil prices, and he dismissed Americans’ concerns about rising gas prices since the U.S. and Israel launched their joint military operation two weeks ago.

The president also questioned whether Iran’s new supreme leader is “even alive.”

Trump said he was “surprised” that Iran decided to attack other Middle Eastern countries in response to the U.S.-Israeli operation, and that U.S. strikes on Kharg Island on Saturday “totally demolished” most of the island but that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”

He also slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he was “far more difficult to make a deal with” than Russian President Vladimir Putin over efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump’s comments follow criticism from global leaders after the U.S. eased sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to mitigate surging global oil prices.

Trump says he’s not ready to make a deal with Iran

On the phone call, Trump said he was unwilling to make a deal to end the war with Iran at this stage.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said, adding that any terms will have to be “very solid.”

When asked what the terms of a potential deal to end the war would be, the president responded: “I don’t want to say that to you.” But he agreed that a commitment from Iran to completely abandon any nuclear ambitions would be part of it.

Trump’s comments come after Reuters reported that the Trump administration had brushed aside efforts to advance talks to end the war.

He also previewed what the rest of the U.S. military operation in Iran could look like. It began last month with Israeli and U.S. forces launching joint strikes on the nation and Iran responding by launching strikes on Israel and U.S. targets in nearby countries. Thirteen active U.S. service personnel have died since the conflict began, including six U.S. crew members who died Friday after their military refueling plane crashed in Iraq.

Trump administration officials have sent mixed messages in the last two weeks about what the U.S. military goals are in Iran and how long the conflict could last, with Trump at times saying it could take a month or longer and at other times times saying “we are way ahead of the timetable” and there’s “practically nothing left to target.”

On Saturday, the president said that “the only power they have, and it’s a power that can be closed off relatively quickly, is the power of dropping a mine or shooting a relatively short-range missile. But when we get finished with the shoreline, they’re not going to have that power either.”

He added later: “We’ve knocked out most of their missiles. We’ve knocked out most of their drones. We knocked out their manufacturing of missiles and drones, largely. Within two days, it’ll be totally decimated.”

Securing the Strait of Hormuz

Trump on Saturday said he is asking “numerous countries that are affected by the thuggery of Iran” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz — a key marine passageway for oil tankers — as global oil prices have surged amid the war.

Iran’s leaders, meanwhile, have vowed to keep the strait closed and have called for even higher oil prices since the conflict began.

The president said several countries have committed to helping secure the strait, but declined to name any of them.

“They’ve not only committed, but they think it’s a great idea,” he said.

In a Truth Social post on Saturday morning, Trump wrote: “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” adding: “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area.”

On the phone call, Trump said it’s not clear whether Iran has dropped mines into the strait.

“We’re going to be sweeping the strait very strongly, and we believe we’ll be joined by other countries who are somewhat impeded, and in some cases impeded from getting the oil,” he added.

The president demurred when asked whether the U.S. Navy would start escorting ships through the strait, saying, “I don’t want to tell you anything about that,” but adding that “it’s possible.”

The president also confirmed that U.S. forces carried out strikes on Kharg Island, a strategic island off the coast of Iran that is home to an oil terminal responsible for the majority of the nation’s oil exports.

U.S. Central Command said Saturday morning it had conducted “precision strikes” on 90 military targets while “preserving the oil infrastructure,” but Trump said later Saturday that “we totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”

“We’ve totally decimated it,” the president added. “Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years.”

Trump questions whether Iran’s new supreme leader is ‘even alive’

The president on Saturday questioned whether Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive after Khamenei did not appear on camera to issue his first statement as Iran’s leader on Thursday.

In a written statement, Khamenei, the son of slain predecessor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz and attacking U.S. allies in the region.

“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” Trump said on the phone Saturday.

“I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender,” Trump added, but called the news of his death “a rumor.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday said that the younger Khamenei was “wounded and likely disfigured” and called his written statement a “weak one.”

“Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father: dead; he’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy,” Hegseth added.

Khamenei was named the new supreme leader earlier this week after the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran killed his father a week earlier.

Trump declined to say whether there was one particular Iranian leader whom he would like to see take over as supreme leader, saying instead, “We have people that are living that would be great leaders for the future of the country.”

Asked whether he’s in touch with any of the potential leaders, the president said: “I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to put them in jeopardy.”

Trump ‘surprised’ that Iran targeted other Middle Eastern countries

The president said Saturday that U.S. allies in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, “have been terrific” and “they got shot at unnecessarily.”

“I was very surprised,” Trump said about Iran targeting other Middle Eastern countries, adding it was “the biggest surprise I had of this whole thing.”

According to an NBC News analysis, Iran has been firing drones into Middle Eastern countries including those Trump mentioned, plus Bahrain and Kuwait, and targeting oil infrastructure, logistics hubs and government centers.

The U.S. does not release data on the number of drones it faces or intercepts, but data from the UAE says that 1,475 unmanned aerial vehicles had been fired at the country as of March 10.

On Saturday morning, Iraqi officials said an Iranian strike hit a helipad inside a U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. Also on Saturday, in the wake of the U.S. strikes on Kharg Island, Iran threatened to destroy oil and gas infrastructure throughout the region if the U.S. struck oil infrastructure on the island.

Trump ‘not concerned’ about rising gas prices

Trump, who in 2024 repeatedly attacked then-President Joe Biden over high gas prices, dismissed concerns on Saturday about whether rising gas prices in the U.S. could hurt Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.

“I think they’ll go lower than they were before, and I had them at record lows,” Trump said about gas prices, promising that they would drop soon after the war in Iran ends.

On March 1, the day after the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran, gas was averaging $2.94 a gallon in the U.S., per GasBuddy. On Saturday, the average price was $3.66.

“There’s so much oil, gas — there’s so much out there, but you know, it’s being clogged up a little bit. It’ll be unclogged very soon,” the president added.

Asked directly about whether gas prices could affect the midterms, Trump said, “I’m not concerned at all.

“The only thing I want to do is make sure that Iran can never be the bully of the Middle East again,” he added.

Trump says Russia is ‘perhaps’ sharing information with Iran

Asked about his decision to temporarily lift some sanctions on Russian oil amid surging global oil prices, the president said: “I want to have oil for the world. I want to have oil,”

He added that the sanctions, which were imposed when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, will “go back as soon as the crisis is over.”

On Saturday, when asked about criticism from some foreign leaders about lifting the sanctions, Trump didn’t directly answer but trained his ire on the Ukrainian president, saying over the phone, “I’m surprised that Zelenskyy doesn’t want to make a deal. Tell Zelenskyy to make a deal because Putin’s willing to make a deal.”

“Zelenskyy is far more difficult to make a deal with,” the U.S. president added.

Zelenskyy earlier this month offered to help U.S. forces and their allies in the Middle East with intercepting Iranian drones, using the Ukrainian military’s experience with shooting down Russian drones.

But on Saturday, Trump said that “we don’t need help,” adding that the “last person we need help from is Zelenskyy.”

The president declined to comment on whether the U.S. has accepted Ukraine’s help with drone interception technology.

In a post on X on Friday, Zelenskyy wrote: “Countries in the Middle East have reached out to us, asking to share our expertise in intercepting Iranian ‘shahed’ drones during massive strikes. That is why we have already sent expert teams to three countries.”

Earlier Saturday, an Iranian politician said Ukraine was a “legitimate and lawful target” for Iran because Ukraine offered help defending against Iranian drones.

Asked to respond to reports that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran about the location of U.S. forces, Trump said, “Russia is perhaps giving information, perhaps they’re not.”

He added that the U.S. is “doing that against them,” because “we’re giving a little information to Ukraine and we’re trying to make peace between the two nations.”

Source: adaderana.lk

After US forces struck military targets on Iran’s main oil hub, Kharg Island, Iran’s Armed Forces’ unified combatant command warned on Saturday that any attack on the country’s oil and energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory strikes on facilities owned by oil companies cooperating with the United States in the region, reported Reuters citing Iranian media.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that American forces attacked military installations on Kharg Island but deliberately avoided striking oil export facilities.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the US military had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target” on the island but had chosen to leave the oil infrastructure intact.

“However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump wrote.

The confrontation has increasingly centred on the narrow waterway, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Iranian forces have already attacked vessels in the strait, fuelling volatility in global oil markets and raising fears of supply disruptions.

Speaking to reporters, the US President said the American Navy would soon begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

He described Iran’s attacks on shipping as “a last-ditch effort” and warned that US forces would continue to strike Iran “very hard over the coming week.”

Why Kharg Island matters

Kharg Island handles about 90% of Iran’s crude exports and is the backbone of the country’s oil shipping network.

The island lies roughly 300 miles (483 km) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical link between Iranian oil fields and global markets.

Because of its central role in Iran’s energy sector, the island has long been viewed as one of the most strategically sensitive oil facilities in the Middle East.

War spreads across the region

The war between Iran and Israel, now nearing two weeks, has spread across much of the Middle East.

Around 2,000 people have been killed, most of them in Iran, with casualties also reported in Lebanon and across the Gulf; while millions have been displaced as the conflict widens.

Israel has, meanwhile, also intensified its campaign against Iranian-linked targets.

Israeli warplanes have pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah is based, while the Israeli military said it struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran in the past day, including ballistic missile launchers, air-defence systems and weapons production sites.

Iran has responded by firing more missiles and drones at Israel, while Iranian drones have also been reported entering the airspace of Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The United States is also increasing its military presence in the region.

Washington has further deployed the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and its Marine expeditionary unit, along with about 2,500 additional Marines and supporting naval forces.

However, US forces have not remained untouched from the growing conflict. The Pentagon confirmed that all six crew members aboard a KC-135 refuelling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq were killed.

With Kharg Island at the centre of Iran’s oil exports and tensions rising around the Strait of Hormuz, analysts warn the conflict could increasingly pivot toward energy infrastructure across the region.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Department of Meteorology has forecast showers and thundershowers in several regions of Sri Lanka after 2.00 p.m. today (15).

According to the weather outlook, rainfall is likely in parts of the Western Province, Sabaragamuwa Province, Central Province, North Western Province and Uva Province, as well as in the districts of Galle District, Matara District, Mannar District and Anuradhapura District.

Meteorologists also noted that some locations in the Central Province, Sabaragamuwa Province and North Western Province could receive fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 50 millimetres.

Meanwhile, misty conditions are expected during the early hours of the morning in parts of the Central Province, Sabaragamuwa Province and Uva Province, as well as in the Galle District and Matara District.

The department has also advised the public to remain cautious during thundershowers and to take necessary safety measures to reduce potential risks from strong gusty winds and lightning.

North Korea fired a projectile towards the sea on Saturday, South Korea and Japan said, with Tokyo saying it may have been a ballistic missile, while the U.S. and South Korea conducted military drills.

The projectile was fired toward the sea off ⁠North Korea’s east coast, the South Korean military said in a brief message to reporters. It gave no further details. Japan’s coast guard said the projectile appeared to have fallen into the sea.

It appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported, citing defence ministry sources.

Seoul and ⁠Washington five days earlier launched the major drills, which they say are purely defensive, aimed at testing readiness against military threats from North Korea.

Nuclear-armed North Korea frequently displays ⁠its anger and objections to such exercises, saying they are “dress rehearsals” for armed aggression against it by the allies.

On ⁠Thursday, South Korea’s prime minister met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss ways to ⁠reopen dialogue with the North, which has been suspended since 2019.

Source:adaderana.lk

Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials are set to launch a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday to iron out kinks in their trade truce and clear a smooth path for U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.

The discussions, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, are expected to focus on shifting U.S. tariffs, the flow of Chinese-produced rare earth minerals and magnets to U.S. buyers, American high-tech export controls and Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products.

The two sides will meet at the Paris headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a source familiar with their planning said. China is not a member of the club of 38 mostly wealthy democracies and considers itself a developing country.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will also join the talks, which continue a string of meetings in European cities last year aimed at easing tensions that threatened a near collapse of trade between the world’s two largest economies.

U.S.-China trade analysts said that with little time to prepare and Washington’s attention focused on the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, prospects for a major trade breakthrough are limited, in Paris or at the Beijing summit.

‘‘Both sides, I think have a minimum ⁠goal of having a meeting, which sort of keeps things together and avoids a rupture and re-escalation of tensions,’’ said Scott Kennedy, a China economics expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Trump may want to come away from Beijing with major Chinese commitments to order new Boeing aircraft and buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas and soybeans, but to get that he may need to offer some concession on U.S. export controls, Kennedy added.

Instead, Kennedy said chances were high for a summit that ‘‘superficially suggests progress but that really just leaves things about where they’ve been for the last four months.’’

Trump and Xi could potentially meet three other times this year, including at a China-hosted APEC summit in November and a U.S.-hosted G20 summit in December that could yield more tangible progress.

IRAN WAR OIL CONCERNS

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran will likely come up at the Paris talks, especially in reference to the spike in oil prices and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which China gets 45% of its oil. Bessent on Thursday night announced a 30-day waiver of sanctions to allow the sale of Russian oil stranded at sea in tankers, a move to raise supplies.

On Saturday, Trump urged other nations to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, after Washington bombed military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island oil loading hub and Iran threatened to retaliate.

China’s state-run China Daily newspaper in an editorial called for continuity in the U.S.-China dialogue ⁠as a ‘‘stabilizing anchor’’ amid the uncertainty of the ‘‘ongoing crisis in the Middle East’’ and the best way to address specific differences on issues including strategic materials, technology, market access and agriculture.

‘‘In a moment like this, the last thing the world needs is a trade war between its two largest economies,’’ China Daily said.

TRADE TRUCE REVIEW

The two sides are expected to review their progress in meeting commitments under the October 2025 trade truce declared by Trump and Xi in Busan, South Korea. The deal forestalled a major flare-up in tensions, trimmed U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, and paused for a year China’s draconian export controls on rare earths. It also paused the expansion of a U.S. blacklist of Chinese companies banned from buying high-technology U.S. goods such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

China also agreed to ⁠buy 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans during the 2025 marketing year and 25 million tons in the 2026 season, which will start with the fall harvest.

U.S. officials, including Bessent, have said that China has so far met its commitments under the Busan deal, citing soybean purchases that met initial goals.

But while some industries are receiving rare earth exports from China, which dominates global production, U.S. aerospace and semiconductor firms are not and are facing worsening shortages of key materials, including yttrium, used in heat-resistant coatings for jet engines.

‘‘U.S. priorities ⁠will likely be about agricultural purchases by China and greater access to Chinese rare earths in the short term’’ at the Paris talks, said William Chou, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank.

NEW TRADE PROBES

Greer and Bessent also bring a new irritant to the Paris talks, a new ‘‘Section 301’’ investigation into unfair trade practices targeting China and 15 other major trading partners over alleged excess industrial capacity that could lead to a new round of tariffs within months. ⁠Greer also launched a similar probe into alleged forced labor practices in 60 countries, including China, that could ban certain imports into the U.S.

The probes aim to rebuild Trump’s tariff pressure on trading partners after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump’s global tariffs under an emergency law as illegal.

The ruling effectively reduced Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods by 20 percentage points, but he immediately imposed a 10% global tariff under another trade law.

China on Friday denounced the probes and said it reserved the right to take countermeasures. The China Daily editorial added that the probes were ‘‘representative of unilateral actions that complicate negotiations.’’

Source:adaderana.lk

Amir Hatami, commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, has warned that the killing of 104 crew members from the IRIS Dena, one of the country’s newest warships, in the Indian Ocean upon returning from a military exercise, “will not go unanswered”.

“The crew of the Dena destroyer had completed a peaceful mission and were targeted while on their way back to Iran,” he was quoted as saying by Iran’s IRNA news agency, adding that the sailors were attacked despite not being engaged in a direct battle.

“The name of Dena and the sacrifice of its crew will remain a symbol of courage and dedication in Iran’s naval history,” Hatami said. “The army will defend Iran’s maritime borders and strengthen its naval power with even greater determination.”

Source:adaderana.lk

President Donald Trump said Friday the US military had heavily bombed targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports, and he threatened to hit the island’s oil infrastructure.

“The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump said on social media.

“I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider.”

The United States and Israel have treaded carefully around the island, but Trump administration officials have been reported as saying that capturing Kharg was on the table as the war in West Asia persists.

The island, located around 30 kilometers (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude exports, according to a recent JP Morgan note.

Any move on the territory, which is about one-third the size of Manhattan, would have swift repercussions, experts said.

“A direct strike would immediately halt the bulk of Iran’s crude exports, likely triggering severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure,” JP Morgan said.

Iranian strikes have all but halted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass -- and have also impacted oil infrastructure in other Gulf states.

Trump on Friday said the US Navy would start escorting tankers through the straits “very soon” to restore oil exports as he struggles to tackle soaring US gas prices.

Kharg underwent key developments during Iran’s oil expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, with much of the country’s coast too shallow for supertankers.

Source:adaderana.lk

China’s Foreign Ministry has announced that the ⁠Red ⁠Cross Society of China will send $200,000 in emergency ⁠humanitarian aid to the Iranian Red ⁠Crescent Society.

It said the funds will be specifically designated for parents of students who have been killed in the war.

Speaking at a press briefing, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing “condemns all indiscriminate attacks on civilians. 

(Source:Newswire)

The American military has ordered 2,500 Marines and an amphibious assault ship to the Middle East, a U.S. official said Friday, in a major addition of forces in the region after nearly two weeks of war with Iran.

Hours later, President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island — the primary terminal that handles Iran’s oil exports — and warned that the island’s oil infrastructure there could be next. A day earlier, the speaker of the Iranian parliament warned that such a strike would provoke a new level of retaliation.

Meanwhile in the Iranian capital, a large explosion rocked a central square where thousands were gathered for an annual state-organized rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel’s demise. Israel had warned that it would target the area in central Tehran.

There were no reports of casualties. But the decision to proceed with the mass demonstration attended by some senior government officials, and Israel’s threat to target the area, underscored the fierce determination on both sides in a war that has rattled the global economy and shows no sign of letting up.

Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes, even as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let up.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the war would end “when I feel it in my bones.” He was also more measured about the prospect of opponents toppling the Islamic government.

“So I really think that’s a big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons,” Trump said, citing Iran’s paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests.
Marines and assault ship will add to US forces

Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East, according to the U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Marine Expeditionary Units are able to conduct amphibious landings, but they also specialize in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief. The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.

The new Marine deployment was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well the Tripoli and other amphibious assault ships carrying the Marines, are based in Japan and have been in the Pacific Ocean for several days, according to images released by the military. The Tripoli was spotted by commercial satellites sailing alone near Taiwan, putting it more than a week away from the waters off Iran.

Earlier in the week, the Navy had 12 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers, operating in the Arabian Sea. Should the Tripoli join this flotilla, it would be the second-largest ship behind the Lincoln in the region.

While the total number of U.S. service members on the ground in the Middle East is not clear, Al-Udeid Air Base alone, one of the largest in the region, typically houses some 8,000 U.S. troops.

US strikes Persian Gulf island after Iran’s warning

The U.S. strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf targeted military sites but left alone its oil infrastructure for now, Trump said in a social media post.

But he warned that if Iran or anyone else interferes with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he will reconsider his decision not to “wipe out the Oil Infrastructure.”

On Thursday, the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned in a social media post that attacks on the islands on Iran’s southern maritime frontier would cause Iran to “abandon all restraint,” underscoring how central they are to the country’s economy and security.

Explosion rocks area of mass demonstration

The explosion in Tehran rocked the Ferdowsi Square area midday, where thousands had gathered for an annual Quds Day rally, chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America.”

Israel had issued a warning on a Farsi-language X account for people to clear the area shortly before the blast. But few Iranians would have seen it, as authorities have almost completely shut down the internet. Footage showed people chanting “God is greatest,” as smoke rose in the area.

The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Iran’s judiciary was at the rally and criticizing Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning.

The hard-liner who leads Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, was giving an interview on state television at the demonstration when the strike happened. His bodyguards encircled him, as he raised his fist and said Iran “under this rain and missiles will never withdraw.”

US says 15,000 targets struck in Iran since the start of the war

Israel earlier announced another wave of strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, and said its air force had hit more than 200 targets in the last 24 hours, including missile launchers, defense systems and weapons production sites.

In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that over 15,000 enemy targets have been struck — more than 1,000 a day since the war began.

He also sought to address concerns about the bottling of the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters: “We have been dealing with it and don’t need to worry about it.”

All six crew of US refueling plane confirmed dead after crash
The U.S. military confirmed on Friday that all six crew members of an American KC-135 refueling plane were killed when it crashed in Iraq, bringing the U.S. death toll to at least 13 service members.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said three of the victims were from his state and had deployed with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing.

U.S. Central Command said the crash wasn’t related to friendly or hostile fire, and that two aircraft were involved, including one that landed safely.

The KC-135 is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the U.S. military’s operations against Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.

New Iranian attacks across the region

Iran continued its daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure across the Gulf. In Oman, two people were killed when two drones crashed in the Sohar region, the Oman News Agency reported.

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Oscar Austin shot down an Iranian ballistic missile over Turkey on Friday, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing military operations. It was the third such interception over the NATO member in the last two weeks.

Fighting escalates between Israel and Hezbollah

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon hit a health care center in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah, killing 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early Saturday.

Earlier, at least eight people were killed in a strike on the southern coastal city of Sidon, the ministry said Friday.

The ministry said 773 people — including more than 100 children and 18 paramedics — have been killed since fighting erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants 10 days ago.

Source:adaderana.lk

“By undermining Chinese projects [in Afghanistan], the ISI seeks to remind Beijing that Pakistan remains a critical gatekeeper for regional connectivity, especially through CPEC.”

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan recently announced that on February 21, it had intercepted a consignment of weapons from Pakistan that was headed for the Wakhan Corridor, a sliver of strategic Afghan territory that borders Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan. On the same day, the Pakistan Air Force launched a series of air strikes on alleged camps inside Afghanistan of not only the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) but also the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), in retaliation for recent deadly attacks by these groups in Bajaur, Bannu, and Islamabad.

Pakistan’s relationship with various militant and jihadist groups in the region has been complex. Its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was the Taliban’s patron-in-chief for around 25 years, but the two are now at loggerheads. Particularly complex is the ISI’s relationship with ISKP. ISKP has targeted Pakistan several times, as it did with the deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad on February 6. However, reports have also drawn attention to ISKP operating in Balochistan with the support of the ISI.

Afghan intelligence analyst and counterterrorism expert Ajmal Sohail, who is a co-founder and co-president of the Counter Narco-Terrorism Alliance Germany, shared his insights into the complex scenario. In an interview with The Diplomat’s South Asia editor Sudha Ramachandran, Sohail said that “while ISKP poses a threat to Pakistani security, its utility as a strategic asset has grown, enabling Pakistan to manipulate regional power balances and influence developments in Afghanistan.”

You have reported that Taliban intelligence intercepted a consignment of weapons from Pakistan on Feb 21 that was headed for the Wakhan Corridor. For whom was it meant and why?

On February 21 this year, Taliban intelligence intercepted a shipment of approximately 525 weapons and 27,000 rounds of ammunition at the Torkham border. The arms, concealed within trucks, were headed toward the Omari refugee camp and destined for the Wakhan Corridor, and represented a significant escalation in covert operations targeting the Taliban regime.

Intelligence reports attribute the operation to Pakistan’s ISI and Military Intelligence, which orchestrate the supply of arms to anti-Taliban groups and separatists in Afghanistan. Newly active organizations, such as the Afghanistan Independence Front, along with regional factions, ISKP, and other contracted armed groups, were given weapons to conduct attacks against Chinese mining companies and foreign investors, particularly in the Wakhan Corridor.

Additionally, a portion of the weapons was designated for the “Tajikistan Taliban,” a group led by Mahdi Arslan and Muhammad Sharipov, now operating from the Chitral mountain range with Pakistani intelligence support. Their activities target Chinese investors and Tajik border forces in Badakhshan province.

Why is the ISI targeting the Chinese in Badakhshan province?

Pakistan’s ISI has increasingly shifted towards targeting Chinese infrastructure and investment projects in Afghanistan. This strategy reflects Islamabad’s concern that Beijing’s growing direct engagement with Kabul, particularly through mining operations, foreign investment, and potential transit routes, could diminish Pakistan’s geopolitical leverage. By undermining Chinese projects, the ISI seeks to remind Beijing that Pakistan remains a critical gatekeeper for regional connectivity, especially through the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Part of this doctrine involves encouraging guerrilla-style attacks on foreign tourists and investors, with Chinese nationals singled out as symbolic targets. The aim is to create insecurity around Chinese ventures and to complicate Beijing’s ability to operate independently in Afghanistan. A particular focus is the Wakhan Corridor, which could serve as an alternative trade route bypassing Pakistan. If China succeeds in building direct infrastructure links through Afghanistan, Pakistan’s role as a strategic intermediary weakens. The ISI’s intrigue, therefore, is designed to redirect Beijing’s reliance back toward Pakistan, preserving its geoeconomic relevance and ensuring that CPEC remains the primary artery for China’s regional ambitions.

The February 21 seizure of the weapons consignment exposed the ongoing proxy conflict between Pakistan and the Taliban, highlighting the role of intelligence agencies in shaping regional security. Pakistan’s use of extremist proxies to advance its strategic interests reflects a long-standing pattern, dating back to the Soviet era and continuing through the post-9/11 period. The incident underscores the risks posed by arms proliferation, cross-border militancy, and the manipulation of refugee populations for covert operations.

For regional security, the episode raised concerns about the potential for escalation, retaliation, and the involvement of external actors such as China and Russia. The Taliban’s assertion of sovereignty through intelligence operations signals a shift in Afghanistan’s security posture, challenging Pakistan’s influence and complicating the calculus for neighboring states. Policymakers and analysts must consider the broader implications for stability, border management, and the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies.