Live Reporting
Edited by Toby Mann and James Chater, with Jon Donnison in Jerusalem, Frank Gardner in Riyadh, Wyre Davies in Lebanon, and reporting from BBC Persian
Trump says Iran wants to negotiatepublished at 05:45
05:45
Aboard Air Force One, Trump also spoke more generally about the war. He said Iran wants to negotiate and is using to AI to put out disinformation, while he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:Trump repeated his assertion that Iran wants a deal badly, saying about diplomatic talks that "we're talking to them but I don't think they're ready, but they're getting pretty close"
When asked if he was ready to declare victory over Iran he said "there's no reason to" and added that the US has caused significant damage so that "if we left them right now it would take them 10 years to rebuild"
Trump alleged that images of thousands of people gathered in a square to show support for Mojtaba Khamenei, as well as reports about "kamikaze boats" and strikes on the USS Abraham Lincoln were all AI-generated, but did not provide evidence
Asked if he had argued with Netanyahu, Trump said: "No, we really get along well." He said he would call his relationship with Netanyahu "extraordinary"
Trump also said oil prices "are going to come tumbling down as soon as it's over and it's going to be over pretty quickly"
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Trump says he's talking to countries about 'policing' the Strait of Hormuzpublished at 05:16
05:16
Lisa Lambert
Live reporter
On his flight back to Washington from Florida just now, Donald Trump spoke to the White House press traveling with him.
Here is what we heard aboard Air Force One about the possibility of creating a coalition to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz:The administration has talked to "about seven" countries about "policing" the Strait of Hormuz
Trump said he asked China "would you like to come in?" and said we'll find out what they decide. He repeatedly mentioned that China is heavily reliant on shipments through the Strait for its oil
Trump wouldn't name any other countries he'd approached, but brought up Nato and other countries he believes need to "defend their own territory," defining that territory as "where they get their energy"
Trump said he told his counterparts that "we will remember" if they do not help
He said some countries have minesweepers and a "certain type of boat" that "could help us"
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Authorities responding to 'drone-related incident' near Dubai International Airportpublished at 04:53
04:53
Dubai officials say they are currently responding to a fire in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport, after a "drone-related incident" affected a fuel tank.
According to an official post to X, authorities are working to bring the fire under control and taking "all necessary measures" to ensure public safety.
No injuries have been reported at this stage.
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Trump says he expects China to help secure Strait of Hormuzpublished at 04:36
04:36
Following his comments on Nato, Donald Trump also spoke to the Financial Times about his upcoming summit in Beijing with China’s President Xi Jinping.
He said the visit, scheduled for the end of March, could be delayed but did not give any further clarifying details.
The president told the outlet that he expected China to assist in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz ahead of the meeting, and said that the nation receives "90% of its oil" via the Strait.
We have previously reported that China buys roughly 90% of Iran's oil, but this only makes up about 12 per cent of its total oil purchases.
Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says about 40% of China's oil transits through the Strait of Hormuz.
For a more detailed analysis on the impact of the Strait's closure on China, read this piece by BBC correspondent Laura Bicker.
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Trump says 'very bad for the future of Nato' if allies don't help unblock Strait of Hormuzpublished at 04:12
04:12
US President Donald Trump has told the Financial Times that it is "only appropriate" for nations that benefit from the Strait of Hormuz to assist in re-opening it, arguing that Europe and China are heavily dependent on oil that comes from the Gulf.
He warned that if there was no response from other nations, it could be "very bad for the future of Nato", remarking that the US has been "very sweet" to its European allies.
The president went on: "We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us . . . But we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us. And I’m not sure that they’d be there."
Trump's comments have come just one day after he called on China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to join a "team effort" to open up the Strait.
The channel is regarded as the world's busiest oil shipping waterway and approximately 20% of global oil supplies pass through it.
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Middle East wakes up to sixteenth morning of warpublished at 03:30
03:30
Freya Scott-TurnerLive reporter
Image source,Getty ImagesImage caption,A house in the Beryanak district of Tehran after it was damaged in missile attack on Sunday
With the US and Iran giving contradictory messages about their hopes moving forward in this conflict, the prospect of a deal to end the war in the Middle East - now in its sixteenth day - seems far off. This is what's happened today.No deal: The Iranian Foreign Minister has contradicted comments from Donald Trump - who said Iran was ready for a deal. Tehran "never asked for a ceasefire, we have never asked even for negotiation", he told the BBC's US partner CBS News
In Iran: People shared their fears with the BBC that their country will be "ruined", as it was subject to further "wide-scale" strikes by Israel that left piles of rubble scattered across its capital. Amid the ongoing internet blackout, a key telecommunications line has also collapsed
In Israel: Emergency services said the death toll had risen to 15 people, while cluster bombs caused damage to parts of Tel Aviv. The military also said it was expanding the scope of its strikes against Iran, adding later that it still has "thousands" of targets left to hit
In Lebanon: The death toll has risen to 850, says the health ministry. The Israel Defense Forces issued fresh evacuation orders for several neighbourhoods in Beirut, before carrying out strikes on its southern suburbs. The prospect of any peace talks was dismissed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sar
Meetings: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a phone call with Donald Trump focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. No 10 added that he will meet his Canadian counterpart on Monday to discuss the war
Oil: The International Energy Agency says emergency reserves it's releasing will be available "immediately" in Asia and Oceania. Iran's foreign minister told US media that the government was "open" to talks with individual countries about passage through the Strait of Hormuz
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A call between Trump and Starmer about the Strait of Hormuz - what happens next?published at 02:54
02:54
Paul AdamsDiplomatic correspondent
Tonight, there has been word from Downing Street of a call between the UK prime minister and Donald Trump. Officials say they discussed the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
But how? No-one truly knows what dangers lurk in these waters and ships aren’t taking the risk.
What are the options?
Foreign navies could offer to escort tankers through the strait. Efforts could be made to hunt down and deal with mines. And America could focus its attacks on any Iranian forces interfering with shipping.
The US has already targeted mine-laying vessels. But Iran claims to have other cards up its sleeve, including hundreds of fast boats capable of firing missiles at ships.
Trump says Tehran wants a deal, but that’s not the message from Iran’s foreign minister, interviewed on American television earlier.
No-one doubts America’s overwhelming power. It is, gradually, dismantling Iran’s military, piece by piece. It’s planned and systematic.
But dealing with the war’s unintended consequences is something else. Among America’s allies, there’s deep anxiety at the seeming lack of a plan.
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Emergency services say 15 in Israel have died since Iran war startedpublished at 02:03
02:03
Image source,EPAImage caption,Emergency services at the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile strike in Yehud, 9 March
Fifteen Israelis have been killed since the start of the war in the Middle East on 28 February, according to emergency organization Magen David Adom (MDA).
It says that, on Sunday, 69 people have been injured "in light condition", and one person "moderately injured".
Over the course of the conflict, more than 900 people have been injured, MDA adds, with five of those being "seriously injured".
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India says it negotiated passage of two ships through Strait of Hormuzpublished at 01:43
01:43
Sameer HashmiMiddle East business correspondent, reporting from Riyadh
Image source,AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says that direct talks with Iran have helped enable the passage of Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Jaishankar says negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the strategic waterway on Saturday.
“I am at the moment engaged in talking to them and my talking has yielded some results,” he says, adding that discussions with Iranian officials are continuing.
India imports around 60% of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used by households, with nearly 90% of those supplies coming from Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Much of that fuel is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
More than 330 million Indian households rely on LPG cylinders for cooking.
Videos circulating on social media show long queues outside cooking-gas dealers in several Indian cities, as concerns over supply disruptions grow. Some restaurants have also temporarily closed because of shortages.
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Fifth member of Iranian women's football team withdraws Australia asylum applicationpublished at 01:29
01:29
Simon AtkinsonAustralia producer, BBC News
Image source,ReutersImage caption,Iran players pose prior to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A match, 8 March
A fifth member of the Iranian women's football team has withdrawn a claim of asylum in Australia and left the country overnight, the federal government has confirmed to the BBC.
Though not officially named by officials in Canberra, local activists and Iran state media says it is the captain, Zahra Ghanbari.
The IRNA news agency in Iran says Ghanbari was “returning to the embrace of the homeland”. The Mehr news agency calls it a “patriotic decision”.
Of the delegation's seven members who initially sought to stay in Australia and were given humanitarian visas, only two remain in the country.
Australian authorities have confirmed that three other women also dropped their asylum applications, while another had a change of heart last week.
The group had originally sought sanctuary after concerns the team would face repercussions for staying silent during the country's anthem at their opening Asian Cup match.
The BBC understands that the Australian government has found "no evidence" to support a theory suggested by human rights activists within the Iranian diaspora in Australia that one of the seven had been acting on behalf of the government and pressuring teammates to return home.
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'Many contingency plans were taken' on Strait of Hormuz - US energy secretarypublished at 01:17
01:17
Image source,ReutersUS Energy Secretary Chris Wright earlier told ABC News that the United States "knew there would be a temporary interruption of flows" through the Strait of Hormuz after launching strikes on Iran.
There were many contingency plans, he said, and it involved "some allies", including Saudi Arabia, positioning "over 100 million barrels" of oil in storage outside the Middle East before the conflict.
"Meticulous planning went into what might happen with the Strait of Hormuz, how to deal with that," he said.
Speaking to NBC shortly after, he conceded that the strait is currently not safe for shipping, and that the US goal is to "reopen it" and help bring down rising gas prices.
"Americans are feeling it right now. Americans will feel it for a few more weeks, but in the end, we will have removed the greatest risk to global energy supplies," he adds.
Asked if this statement means he believes the war will be over in a few weeks, he says: "I think that's the likely time-frame, yes."
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'I always wear colourful clothes - now I don't': Iranians tell BBC about fear of security checkpoint searchespublished at 01:06
01:06
Ghoncheh HabibiazadSenior reporter, BBC Persian
Image source,AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,An Iranian security force officer in the capital of Tehran
Iranians in the country's capital have been telling the BBC about the security checkpoints around the city, where many people are being stopped and searched.
One man in his twenties, who has been providing internet access amid the blackout in the country, tells the BBC of his fear while passing through one in a taxi.
"What I do as a job is considered a crime in Islamic Republic," he explains. "I was really worried, because I had my laptop and phone with me."
"They had stopped cars. But luckily, they didn't search the car that I was in," he says.
Another man, also in his twenties, lays out his strategy for getting through a checkpoint: "I started saying things like 'thanks for your hard work' and that sort of thing.. as if they were genuinely putting in a lot of effort and I appreciated it."
The authorities let him go afterwards.
"I always wear colourful clothes. But now I don’t," says a woman, also in her twenties. "I’m afraid of their patrols, worried that if I wear something too bright it might annoy them."
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Five injured in rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport, official sayspublished at 00:48
00:48
Image source,AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,File photo of Baghdad International Airport
Five people have been injured in a rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport, says the head of Iraq's Security Media Cell.
At 19:00 local time, the airport and its surroundings were attacked with five rockets, says Lt Gen Saad Maan.
Rockets landed within the airport premises, at a water desalination station and near to both the Iraqi Martyr Alaa airbase and the central Karkh prison, he says.
A missile launcher "hidden inside a vehicle" to the west of the Baghdad was seized by authorities in the aftermath of the attack, Maan adds.
He lists the injured as an engineer and four airport staff and security personnel.
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Starmer to hold meeting on Middle East with Canadian PM on Mondaypublished at 00:30
00:30
Image source,EPAMore now from the phone call that Keir Starmer has been holding with Donald Trump.
The call with Trump lasted for 15 minutes, says a Downing Street spokesperson.
Beyond discussing the Strait of Hormuz with the US president, Starmer "also expressed his condolences for the American service personnel who have lost their lives during the conflict".
In a separate call, with Canadian PM Carney, No 10 says Starmer agreed to "discuss the ongoing conflict further in their meeting tomorrow [Monday], among other bilateral issues".
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Starmer and Trump discuss ongoing war, including Strait of Hormuz, on phone - UK governmentpublished at 00:10
00:10Breaking
Image source,EPAUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump have discussed "the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping", in a call on Sunday, No 10 says.
We'll bring you more on this in our next post.
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We have thousands more targets to hit in Iran, says Israeli military spokespersonpublished at 00:02
00:02Breaking
Effie Defrin, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, has given a televised briefing.
During it, he says the Israeli military still has "thousands" of targets to hit in Iran.
Defrin's quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: "We are identifying new targets every day."
Further translation from Reuters cites him as saying the Israeli military will "continue to strike in Iran and against Hezbollah until we remove the threats and achieve the objectives of the operation".
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Netanyahu adviser: No talks between Israel and Lebanon until Hezbollah disarmedpublished at 23:52 15 March
23:52 15 March
Earlier, a foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed suggestions that Lebanon-Israeli peace talks could soon take place - echoing earlier comments from the country's foreign minister.
"Well talks are nice, but action is much more important," Dr Ophir Falk told the BBC News channel.
He said Israel has an agreement in place from November 2024 "that the Lebanese government needs to dismantle Hezbollah".
"They should disarm Hezbollah and they should do that immediately," he added. "If there's a will there's a way."
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UN 'peacekeepers' shot at in Lebanonpublished at 23:03 15 March
23:03 15 March
Image source,REXImage caption,File photo of United Nations Interim Force (Unifil) vehicles in southern Lebanon
"Peacekeepers were fired upon, likely by non-state armed groups" in Lebanon, the UN says.
The attacks happened at three different UN bases, in Yatar, Dayr Kifa and Qallaqiyah, according to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).
The shots were as close as five metres from peacekeepers in one of the locations, it says, adding none were injured.
Unifil is a peacekeeping mission which was created in 1978 to monitor hostilities and help ensure humanitarian access to civilians.For context: UN peacekeepers can be military, police and civilians, according to the UN's website. It adds that peacekeeping operations have "developed from simply monitoring ceasefires to protecting civilians, disarming ex-combatants, protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, supporting free and fair elections, minimizing the risk of land-mines and much more".
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Israeli military says it has 'eliminated' Palestinian man who worked with Iranpublished at 22:55 15 March
22:55 15 March
The Israeli military says it has eliminated Muhammad Majid Abdul Salam Tawfiq Zaydan, who it describes as a Palestinian "terrorist" working for the Iranian regime, in a strike on Lebanon.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Avichay Adraee says the strike, which occurred on Friday, was carried out as a joint operation between the IDF and Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet.
We have not heard any acknowledgement of the death from Iran.
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'I'm willing to die on these streets': Iranians caught between hope and fearpublished at 22:40 15 March
22:40 15 March
Azadeh MoshiriSouth Asia correspondent, reporting from Dubai
In the first days of the war, I’d spoken to a man in his 40s who’d fled to the countryside the moment he heard bombings in Tehran. Despite his fear, he had hope. It’s now waning.
"As a general rule, I always expect the worst case scenario," he tells me. After years of disappointment, he finds it difficult to imagine this war leading to a toppled regime and a new future for the country.
"I think the US will declare victory soon, and Iran will enter a sad year of super inflation, unrest, bloodshed, lack of food and drugs."
He says the people he speaks to are less afraid of the bombings, but terrified of a bleak and dangerous future for Iranians. "But there are people who don’t believe the US will abandon Iran. They say he’s spent too much money to leave without an absolute victory," he adds.
It’s extremely difficult to speak to people inside Iran, amid an internet blackout and landlines residents fear are monitored.
But someone else managed to get in touch, and he refuses to let go of hope.
"It’s only a few days until Norouz [Persian New Year], and we are in great difficulty. But I’m so desperate I’m willing to die on the
Live Reporting
Edited by Toby Mann and James Chater, with Jon Donnison in Jerusalem, Frank Gardner in Riyadh, Wyre Davies in Lebanon, and reporting from BBC Persian
Trump says Iran wants to negotiatepublished at 05:45
05:45
Aboard Air Force One, Trump also spoke more generally about the war. He said Iran wants to negotiate and is using to AI to put out disinformation, while he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:Trump repeated his assertion that Iran wants a deal badly, saying about diplomatic talks that "we're talking to them but I don't think they're ready, but they're getting pretty close"
When asked if he was ready to declare victory over Iran he said "there's no reason to" and added that the US has caused significant damage so that "if we left them right now it would take them 10 years to rebuild"
Trump alleged that images of thousands of people gathered in a square to show support for Mojtaba Khamenei, as well as reports about "kamikaze boats" and strikes on the USS Abraham Lincoln were all AI-generated, but did not provide evidence
Asked if he had argued with Netanyahu, Trump said: "No, we really get along well." He said he would call his relationship with Netanyahu "extraordinary"
Trump also said oil prices "are going to come tumbling down as soon as it's over and it's going to be over pretty quickly"
Image source,Getty ImagesShare
Trump says he's talking to countries about 'policing' the Strait of Hormuzpublished at 05:16
05:16
Lisa Lambert
Live reporter
On his flight back to Washington from Florida just now, Donald Trump spoke to the White House press traveling with him.
Here is what we heard aboard Air Force One about the possibility of creating a coalition to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz:The administration has talked to "about seven" countries about "policing" the Strait of Hormuz
Trump said he asked China "would you like to come in?" and said we'll find out what they decide. He repeatedly mentioned that China is heavily reliant on shipments through the Strait for its oil
Trump wouldn't name any other countries he'd approached, but brought up Nato and other countries he believes need to "defend their own territory," defining that territory as "where they get their energy"
Trump said he told his counterparts that "we will remember" if they do not help
He said some countries have minesweepers and a "certain type of boat" that "could help us"
Image source,Getty ImagesShare
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Authorities responding to 'drone-related incident' near Dubai International Airportpublished at 04:53
04:53
Dubai officials say they are currently responding to a fire in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport, after a "drone-related incident" affected a fuel tank.
According to an official post to X, authorities are working to bring the fire under control and taking "all necessary measures" to ensure public safety.
No injuries have been reported at this stage.
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Trump says he expects China to help secure Strait of Hormuzpublished at 04:36
04:36
Following his comments on Nato, Donald Trump also spoke to the Financial Times about his upcoming summit in Beijing with China’s President Xi Jinping.
He said the visit, scheduled for the end of March, could be delayed but did not give any further clarifying details.
The president told the outlet that he expected China to assist in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz ahead of the meeting, and said that the nation receives "90% of its oil" via the Strait.
We have previously reported that China buys roughly 90% of Iran's oil, but this only makes up about 12 per cent of its total oil purchases.
Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says about 40% of China's oil transits through the Strait of Hormuz.
For a more detailed analysis on the impact of the Strait's closure on China, read this piece by BBC correspondent Laura Bicker.
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Trump says 'very bad for the future of Nato' if allies don't help unblock Strait of Hormuzpublished at 04:12
04:12
US President Donald Trump has told the Financial Times that it is "only appropriate" for nations that benefit from the Strait of Hormuz to assist in re-opening it, arguing that Europe and China are heavily dependent on oil that comes from the Gulf.
He warned that if there was no response from other nations, it could be "very bad for the future of Nato", remarking that the US has been "very sweet" to its European allies.
The president went on: "We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us . . . But we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us. And I’m not sure that they’d be there."
Trump's comments have come just one day after he called on China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to join a "team effort" to open up the Strait.
The channel is regarded as the world's busiest oil shipping waterway and approximately 20% of global oil supplies pass through it.
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Middle East wakes up to sixteenth morning of warpublished at 03:30
03:30
Freya Scott-TurnerLive reporter
Image source,Getty ImagesImage caption,A house in the Beryanak district of Tehran after it was damaged in missile attack on Sunday
With the US and Iran giving contradictory messages about their hopes moving forward in this conflict, the prospect of a deal to end the war in the Middle East - now in its sixteenth day - seems far off. This is what's happened today.No deal: The Iranian Foreign Minister has contradicted comments from Donald Trump - who said Iran was ready for a deal. Tehran "never asked for a ceasefire, we have never asked even for negotiation", he told the BBC's US partner CBS News
In Iran: People shared their fears with the BBC that their country will be "ruined", as it was subject to further "wide-scale" strikes by Israel that left piles of rubble scattered across its capital. Amid the ongoing internet blackout, a key telecommunications line has also collapsed
In Israel: Emergency services said the death toll had risen to 15 people, while cluster bombs caused damage to parts of Tel Aviv. The military also said it was expanding the scope of its strikes against Iran, adding later that it still has "thousands" of targets left to hit
In Lebanon: The death toll has risen to 850, says the health ministry. The Israel Defense Forces issued fresh evacuation orders for several neighbourhoods in Beirut, before carrying out strikes on its southern suburbs. The prospect of any peace talks was dismissed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sar
Meetings: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a phone call with Donald Trump focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. No 10 added that he will meet his Canadian counterpart on Monday to discuss the war
Oil: The International Energy Agency says emergency reserves it's releasing will be available "immediately" in Asia and Oceania. Iran's foreign minister told US media that the government was "open" to talks with individual countries about passage through the Strait of Hormuz
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A call between Trump and Starmer about the Strait of Hormuz - what happens next?published at 02:54
02:54
Paul AdamsDiplomatic correspondent
Tonight, there has been word from Downing Street of a call between the UK prime minister and Donald Trump. Officials say they discussed the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
But how? No-one truly knows what dangers lurk in these waters and ships aren’t taking the risk.
What are the options?
Foreign navies could offer to escort tankers through the strait. Efforts could be made to hunt down and deal with mines. And America could focus its attacks on any Iranian forces interfering with shipping.
The US has already targeted mine-laying vessels. But Iran claims to have other cards up its sleeve, including hundreds of fast boats capable of firing missiles at ships.
Trump says Tehran wants a deal, but that’s not the message from Iran’s foreign minister, interviewed on American television earlier.
No-one doubts America’s overwhelming power. It is, gradually, dismantling Iran’s military, piece by piece. It’s planned and systematic.
But dealing with the war’s unintended consequences is something else. Among America’s allies, there’s deep anxiety at the seeming lack of a plan.
Share
Emergency services say 15 in Israel have died since Iran war startedpublished at 02:03
02:03
Image source,EPAImage caption,Emergency services at the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile strike in Yehud, 9 March
Fifteen Israelis have been killed since the start of the war in the Middle East on 28 February, according to emergency organization Magen David Adom (MDA).
It says that, on Sunday, 69 people have been injured "in light condition", and one person "moderately injured".
Over the course of the conflict, more than 900 people have been injured, MDA adds, with five of those being "seriously injured".
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India says it negotiated passage of two ships through Strait of Hormuzpublished at 01:43
01:43
Sameer HashmiMiddle East business correspondent, reporting from Riyadh
Image source,AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says that direct talks with Iran have helped enable the passage of Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Jaishankar says negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the strategic waterway on Saturday.
“I am at the moment engaged in talking to them and my talking has yielded some results,” he says, adding that discussions with Iranian officials are continuing.
India imports around 60% of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used by households, with nearly 90% of those supplies coming from Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Much of that fuel is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
More than 330 million Indian households rely on LPG cylinders for cooking.
Videos circulating on social media show long queues outside cooking-gas dealers in several Indian cities, as concerns over supply disruptions grow. Some restaurants have also temporarily closed because of shortages.
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Fifth member of Iranian women's football team withdraws Australia asylum applicationpublished at 01:29
01:29
Simon AtkinsonAustralia producer, BBC News
Image source,ReutersImage caption,Iran players pose prior to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A match, 8 March
A fifth member of the Iranian women's football team has withdrawn a claim of asylum in Australia and left the country overnight, the federal government has confirmed to the BBC.
Though not officially named by officials in Canberra, local activists and Iran state media says it is the captain, Zahra Ghanbari.
The IRNA news agency in Iran says Ghanbari was “returning to the embrace of the homeland”. The Mehr news agency calls it a “patriotic decision”.
Of the delegation's seven members who initially sought to stay in Australia and were given humanitarian visas, only two remain in the country.
Australian authorities have confirmed that three other women also dropped their asylum applications, while another had a change of heart last week.
The group had originally sought sanctuary after concerns the team would face repercussions for staying silent during the country's anthem at their opening Asian Cup match.
The BBC understands that the Australian government has found "no evidence" to support a theory suggested by human rights activists within the Iranian diaspora in Australia that one of the seven had been acting on behalf of the government and pressuring teammates to return home.
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'Many contingency plans were taken' on Strait of Hormuz - US energy secretarypublished at 01:17
01:17
Image source,ReutersUS Energy Secretary Chris Wright earlier told ABC News that the United States "knew there would be a temporary interruption of flows" through the Strait of Hormuz after launching strikes on Iran.
There were many contingency plans, he said, and it involved "some allies", including Saudi Arabia, positioning "over 100 million barrels" of oil in storage outside the Middle East before the conflict.
"Meticulous planning went into what might happen with the Strait of Hormuz, how to deal with that," he said.
Speaking to NBC shortly after, he conceded that the strait is currently not safe for shipping, and that the US goal is to "reopen it" and help bring down rising gas prices.
"Americans are feeling it right now. Americans will feel it for a few more weeks, but in the end, we will have removed the greatest risk to global energy supplies," he adds.
Asked if this statement means he believes the war will be over in a few weeks, he says: "I think that's the likely time-frame, yes."
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'I always wear colourful clothes - now I don't': Iranians tell BBC about fear of security checkpoint searchespublished at 01:06
01:06
Ghoncheh HabibiazadSenior reporter, BBC Persian
Image source,AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,An Iranian security force officer in the capital of Tehran
Iranians in the country's capital have been telling the BBC about the security checkpoints around the city, where many people are being stopped and searched.
One man in his twenties, who has been providing internet access amid the blackout in the country, tells the BBC of his fear while passing through one in a taxi.
"What I do as a job is considered a crime in Islamic Republic," he explains. "I was really worried, because I had my laptop and phone with me."
"They had stopped cars. But luckily, they didn't search the car that I was in," he says.
Another man, also in his twenties, lays out his strategy for getting through a checkpoint: "I started saying things like 'thanks for your hard work' and that sort of thing.. as if they were genuinely putting in a lot of effort and I appreciated it."
The authorities let him go afterwards.
"I always wear colourful clothes. But now I don’t," says a woman, also in her twenties. "I’m afraid of their patrols, worried that if I wear something too bright it might annoy them."
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Five injured in rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport, official sayspublished at 00:48
00:48
Image source,AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,File photo of Baghdad International Airport
Five people have been injured in a rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport, says the head of Iraq's Security Media Cell.
At 19:00 local time, the airport and its surroundings were attacked with five rockets, says Lt Gen Saad Maan.
Rockets landed within the airport premises, at a water desalination station and near to both the Iraqi Martyr Alaa airbase and the central Karkh prison, he says.
A missile launcher "hidden inside a vehicle" to the west of the Baghdad was seized by authorities in the aftermath of the attack, Maan adds.
He lists the injured as an engineer and four airport staff and security personnel.
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Starmer to hold meeting on Middle East with Canadian PM on Mondaypublished at 00:30
00:30
Image source,EPAMore now from the phone call that Keir Starmer has been holding with Donald Trump.
The call with Trump lasted for 15 minutes, says a Downing Street spokesperson.
Beyond discussing the Strait of Hormuz with the US president, Starmer "also expressed his condolences for the American service personnel who have lost their lives during the conflict".
In a separate call, with Canadian PM Carney, No 10 says Starmer agreed to "discuss the ongoing conflict further in their meeting tomorrow [Monday], among other bilateral issues".
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Starmer and Trump discuss ongoing war, including Strait of Hormuz, on phone - UK governmentpublished at 00:10
00:10Breaking
Image source,EPAUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump have discussed "the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping", in a call on Sunday, No 10 says.
We'll bring you more on this in our next post.
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We have thousands more targets to hit in Iran, says Israeli military spokespersonpublished at 00:02
00:02Breaking
Effie Defrin, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, has given a televised briefing.
During it, he says the Israeli military still has "thousands" of targets to hit in Iran.
Defrin's quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: "We are identifying new targets every day."
Further translation from Reuters cites him as saying the Israeli military will "continue to strike in Iran and against Hezbollah until we remove the threats and achieve the objectives of the operation".
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Netanyahu adviser: No talks between Israel and Lebanon until Hezbollah disarmedpublished at 23:52 15 March
23:52 15 March
Earlier, a foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed suggestions that Lebanon-Israeli peace talks could soon take place - echoing earlier comments from the country's foreign minister.
"Well talks are nice, but action is much more important," Dr Ophir Falk told the BBC News channel.
He said Israel has an agreement in place from November 2024 "that the Lebanese government needs to dismantle Hezbollah".
"They should disarm Hezbollah and they should do that immediately," he added. "If there's a will there's a way."
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UN 'peacekeepers' shot at in Lebanonpublished at 23:03 15 March
23:03 15 March
Image source,REXImage caption,File photo of United Nations Interim Force (Unifil) vehicles in southern Lebanon
"Peacekeepers were fired upon, likely by non-state armed groups" in Lebanon, the UN says.
The attacks happened at three different UN bases, in Yatar, Dayr Kifa and Qallaqiyah, according to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).
The shots were as close as five metres from peacekeepers in one of the locations, it says, adding none were injured.
Unifil is a peacekeeping mission which was created in 1978 to monitor hostilities and help ensure humanitarian access to civilians.For context: UN peacekeepers can be military, police and civilians, according to the UN's website. It adds that peacekeeping operations have "developed from simply monitoring ceasefires to protecting civilians, disarming ex-combatants, protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, supporting free and fair elections, minimizing the risk of land-mines and much more".
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Israeli military says it has 'eliminated' Palestinian man who worked with Iranpublished at 22:55 15 March
22:55 15 March
The Israeli military says it has eliminated Muhammad Majid Abdul Salam Tawfiq Zaydan, who it describes as a Palestinian "terrorist" working for the Iranian regime, in a strike on Lebanon.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Avichay Adraee says the strike, which occurred on Friday, was carried out as a joint operation between the IDF and Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet.
We have not heard any acknowledgement of the death from Iran.
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'I'm willing to die on these streets': Iranians caught between hope and fearpublished at 22:40 15 March
22:40 15 March
Azadeh MoshiriSouth Asia correspondent, reporting from Dubai
In the first days of the war, I’d spoken to a man in his 40s who’d fled to the countryside the moment he heard bombings in Tehran. Despite his fear, he had hope. It’s now waning.
"As a general rule, I always expect the worst case scenario," he tells me. After years of disappointment, he finds it difficult to imagine this war leading to a toppled regime and a new future for the country.
"I think the US will declare victory soon, and Iran will enter a sad year of super inflation, unrest, bloodshed, lack of food and drugs."
He says the people he speaks to are less afraid of the bombings, but terrified of a bleak and dangerous future for Iranians. "But there are people who don’t believe the US will abandon Iran. They say he’s spent too much money to leave without an absolute victory," he adds.
It’s extremely difficult to speak to people inside Iran, amid an internet blackout and landlines residents fear are monitored.
But someone else managed to get in touch, and he refuses to let go of hope.
"It’s only a few days until Norouz [Persian New Year], and we are in great difficulty. But I’m so desperate I’m willing to die on the
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