Israel's Haifa-based Bazan group confirms missile attack, reports no casualties
Israel's Haifa-based Bazan group has confirmed missile attack on roof of a distillates tank in Haifa bay, saying that damage is not material.
They added that there were no casualties from the attack.
US Treasury secretary Bessent says 'any supply will be helpful'
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that the global oil market is well supplied, with more boats traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Over time, the US is going to retake control of the Straits and there will be freedom of navigation, whether it is through US escorts or a multinational escort," Bessent said in an interview with Fox News.
Donald Trump says US in talks with ‘more reasonable’ Iranian leadership to end war
US President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a fresh threat to Iran, saying the US will destroy Iran's electricity plants, oil wells and Kharg Island unless there is a peace deal.
The US president said on social media that his administration "is in serious discussions" with Iran to end military operations, while also threatening mass destruction of the country's energy resources unless a deal is reached "shortly."
Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately Open for Business, we will conclude our lovely stay in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)" Trump posted.
Spain blocks US military flights linked to Iran attacks amid escalating tensions
Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in the Iran war, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said Monday.
Spain had already said the US could not use jointly operated military bases in the country for operations related to the Middle East conflict.
"This was made perfectly clear to the American military and forces from the very beginning. Therefore, neither the bases are authorised, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorised for any actions related to the war in Iran," Robles told reporters.
Spain's government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been Europe's most critical voice of US and Israeli military actions in the Middle East.
"I think everyone knows Spain's position; it's very clear," Robles said, calling the war in Iran "profoundly illegal and profoundly unjust."
Egypt’s President urges US President Trump to stop Iran war, fears oil prices could go over $200
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged US President Donald Trump on Monday to stop the Iran war and said fears of the oil price going above $200 were not exaggerated.
"I tell President Trump: nobody can stop the war in our region in the Gulf but you," Sisi said at the Egypt Energy Show 2026 energy conference in Cairo.
Noting the impact of supply shortages and price rises, Sisi cited analysts' concerns that "the price of a barrel of oil could reach more than $200, and this is not an exaggeration."
Egypt, long a recipient of US military aid and support from wealthy Gulf countries, has condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states and pushed diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider regional war.
Hezbollah group bombs Israeli force in Beit Leef: Report
Hezbollah says the group bombed an Israeli force inside a house in the town of Beit Leef with a guided missile, as reported by Al Jazeera.
It claimed to have caused deaths and injuries.
Iran questions non-proliferation treaty's value amid attacks, says it still respects treaty obligations
Iran's parliament is reviewing a possible exit from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday, while insisting Tehran has not and will not seek nuclear weapons.
Iranian lawmakers had also raised the possibility of leaving the NPT, which recognises the right to develop, research, produce and use nuclear energy as long as nuclear weapons are not pursued, after the 12-day-war last June when Israel and the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities.
"What is the benefit of joining a treaty in which bullying parties at the international level not only do not allow us to benefit from its rights but also attack our nuclear facilities?" Baghaei said, adding that Tehran would respect the treaty as long as it is a member.
Iranian ambassador to continue work in Beirut 'despite Lebanon order to leave'
Iran's ambassador will continue his work in Beirut, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Monday, defying instructions from the Lebanese foreign ministry last week for him to leave.
The Lebanese foreign ministry last week said it had decided to withdraw accreditation for Iran's ambassador-designate, Mohammad Reza Shibani, declaring him persona non grata and asking him to leave by March 29.
Iranian attack hits Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, some damage reported
An Iranian missile attack hit Israel's Oil Refineries in the northern port city of Haifa but did not cause "significant damage", Israel's Energy Ministry said on Thursday.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen said power was briefly disrupted, with electricity restored to most of those who were affected.
"The damage to the power grid in the north is localized and not significant," Cohen said. "Also, in the barrage towards the north, there was no significant damage to Israeli infrastructure sites."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted refineries in Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, and in Ashdod, in the country's south, "along with a range of security targets and military support centres of the Zionist regime", which it said "were hit by pinpoint missiles".
There was no immediate word on whether the Ashdod refinery was hit.
Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection said debris from a missile that was intercepted fell in Haifa and was being examined as a hazardous materials incident.
Israel Electric Corp said a power line in the Haifa area was hit by shrapnel, causing a brief outage, but that electricity was restored to all customers within about 45 minutes.
Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said debris fell in two locations at Oil Refineries and caused a fire that disconnected supply sources but there were no casualties.
"Full control has been achieved over the impact incident at the Haifa refineries," it said after examining the site for hazardous materials. "Tests carried out by monitoring teams found no abnormal air values and there is no danger to the public."
Last June, Oil Refineries in Haifa was hit by an Iranian missile, which killed three people and halted operations.
Israel economy to grow 3.3% to 3.8% in 2026, depends on war length: Finance ministry
Israel's economy is expected to grow 3.3 per cent to 3.8 per cent in 2026 depending on how long fighting continues on the various fronts, such as in Iran and southern Lebanon, the Finance Ministry said on Monday.
Growth is forecast at 5.3 per cent to 6.1 per cent in 2027, the ministry said.
Dented by the war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel's economy grew 2.9 per cent in 2025. In the wake of a Gaza ceasefire last October, growth was initially projected at more than 5% in 2026.
Iran says it will ‘punish aggressors’ and prevent future war
Iran’s acting defence minister has said Tehran will continue to “punish aggressors, create deterrence and ensure the war won’t repeat itself” during talks with his Turkish counterpart, according to IRNA. The remarks signal Iran’s continued hardline stance amid the ongoing conflict.
Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasised retaliation and deterrence as core strategy, indicating that military responses will persist if hostilities continue. The statement comes even as diplomatic efforts remain uncertain and tensions across the region stay high.
Israel strikes Hezbollah infrastructures in Beirut
Israeli military says it begun striking Hezbollah infrastructures in Beirut
Iran confirms death of Revolutionary Guards Navy Commander Tangsiri
Iran on Monday confirmed the death of Revolutionary Guard navy chief Alireza Tangsiri. Israel had claimed on Thursday that it killed Tangsiri, a rear admiral in the Iran navy.
A statement from the Guard on Monday, read on state television, said Tangsiri "joined the ranks of Allah due to the severity of his injuries."
It praised his efforts, particularly in helping Iran maintain a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. "Every fighter is a Tangsiri, and we will see what surprises they will bring in the days and months ahead," the statement added.
Meanwhile, a petrochemical plant located some 530 km northwest of Tehran was hit an a strike on Monday, state media reported, adding that firefighters put out a blaze at the site.
Israel says finished goods warehouse sustained damage from Iranian missile debris
Israeli pesticides maker ADAMA said on Monday that debris from an interception of an Iranian missile attack on Sunday caused damage to a finished good warehouse along with production equipment and systems.
ADAMA, part of Chinese-owned Syngenta Group, said there were no injuries from the attack that hit its Ne'ot Hovav chemicals plant in southern Israel, which is now closed.
"Efforts are underway to resume normal operations in a gradual and safe manner as soon as possible," ADAMA said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
"The Company is assessing the impact on its operations and financial results, as well as the expected timeline for restoring the affected facilities to full operation."
Australia PM calls for clarity from Trump on objectives of Iran war
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said he wanted more certainty from US President Donald Trump on the objectives of the ongoing war in Iran.
"I want to see more certainty in what the objectives of the war are and I want to see a de-escalation," Albanese said, responding to a question about his view on how Trump was prosecuting the war.
Australia has deployed aircraft to support the defence of the UAE following a request but it has ruled out sending naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Israeli strike hits Beirut's southern suburbs
A strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, AFP reported, after Israel issued a warning for people in the Hezbollah stronghold to leave.
The strike is the first since Friday in the area, which is now largely deserted since Israel began frequent attacks against Hezbollah in early March.
Asian shares decline as oil prices soar amid war in Iran
Asian shares mostly dipped in Monday morning trading as worries continued about soaring oil prices and the potential for further escalation in the US war with Iran.
The drops in Asia follow the deep declines on Wall Street last Friday that finished off a fifth straight losing week, its longest such streak in nearly four years.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 4.5 per cent in morning trading to 50,979.54. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.2 per cent to 8,417.00. South Korea's Kospi dove 3.2 per cent to 5,264.32. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.7 per cent to 24,519.63, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.7 per cent to 3,884.57.
Worries have been great in Japan and the rest of Asia about the effective lack of access to the Strait of Hormuz because of the war in Iran, as the region relies greatly on such access for oil shipments.
In energy trading, benchmark US crude jumped USD 2.28 to USD 101.92 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, soared USD 2.88 to USD 115.45 a barrel. Before the war, brent had been price at about USD 70 to a barrel.
Investors are now bracing for the war to last for some time, which would likely set off inflation in global markets, and eventually may stunt Asia's economic growth.
"Although we do not expect the conflict to be protracted, we anticipate heightened volatility in the near term," said Xavier Lee, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research.
Oil prices are again climbing after momentarily easing when President Donald Trump extended a self-imposed deadline to "obliterate" Iran's power plants to April 6.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 1.7 per cent to close its worst week since the war with Iran began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 793 points, or 1.7 per cent, and fell more than 10 per cent from its record set last month, while the Nasdaq composite sank 2.1 per cent.
The S&P 500 is 8.7 per cent below its all-time high set in January. Big Tech stocks were among the heaviest weights on the market, including Amazon and Nvidia.
All told, the S&P 500 fell 108.31 points to 6,368.85 last Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 793.47 to 45,166.64, and the Nasdaq composite sank 459.72 to 20,948.36.
In the bond market, the yield for the 10-year Treasury rose as high as 4.48 per cent before pulling back to end last week at 4.43 per cent. That's up from 4.42 per cent late Thursday and from just 3.97 per cent before the war began.
In currency trading, the US dollar inched down to 159.97 Japanese yen from 160.32 yen. The euro cost USD 1.1505, down from USD 1.1510.
Israel's defence ministry to buy $48 million worth of Elbit artillery shells
Israel's ministry of defence on Monday said that it had placed a $48 million order for "tens of thousands" of 155mm artillery shells from Israeli defence company Elbit Systems.
The order was part of a broader ministry strategy to reduce Israel's reliance on foreign munitions and expand domestic production, the ministry said in a statement.
It did not say when the munitions would be delivered.
Kuwait shoots down more drones
The spokesperson for Kuwait’s National Guard said on Monday that forces had shot down a drone along with four other unmanned aerial vehicles in areas under their control.
Earlier in Kuwait, an Indian national was killed in Iranian strikes on a power and water desalination plant, the Indian Embassy said on Monday.
US negotiating with Iran directly and indirectly
US President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning and continuing over the next few days "out of a sign of respect."
"I would only say that we're doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up," Trump told reporters Sunday night board Air Force One as he flew to Washington.
Trump was asked if Iran had responded to the 15-point ceasefire plan the US has proposed and he said, they did and added, "They gave us most of the points. Why wouldn't they?"
But Trump didn't offer details when asked about Iran, by his telling, appearing to make major concessions. "They're agreeing with us on the plan," Trump said.
He also said Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei "may be alive but he's obviously, very seriously in trouble. He's seriously wounded."
