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The US-Israel war on Iran has entered its 30th day, with diplomatic efforts intensifying to bring an end to the conflict. Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to hold talks in Islamabad, aimed at de-escalating the situation.The conflict has escalated across the Middle East, with Yemen's Houthis joining the war by firing missiles at Israel on Saturday. Tehran has threatened retaliatory attacks on Israeli and US universities in the region after the United States and Israel bombed Iranian universities.US-Israeli strikes have continued, with powerful explosions rocking Tehran on Sunday morning, killing two people and wounding five in a residential area. The Iranian Fars news agency reported that US-Israeli attacks also hit the Saadat Abad neighbourhood of northern Tehran and another residential area in the west of the capital.In the Gulf, Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed 10 drones in the early hours of Sunday, while the UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defences responded to missiles and drone threats. Emirates Global Aluminium reported that an Iranian attack on Saturday inflicted significant damage on one of its sites in Abu Dhabi and wounded six employees.Iran's power has been underestimated, according to Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran. He said that one month into the war, Iran has proved that its power was underestimated by the enemy, who thought that the war would be a short excursion and that the country would capitulate after just a few days of bombardment.The conflict has also led to protests in Lebanon, with protesters taking to the streets in Beirut after Israeli forces killed journalists Fatima Ftouni and her brother and colleague, Mohammed, of Al Mayadeen, as well as Al-Manar's Ali Shuaib on Saturday.In Israel, people took to the streets in Tel Aviv, rallying against the war and increased settler violence, as they clashed with police. The Israeli military announced the death of a soldier, Moshe Yitzhak HaCohen Katz, in southern Lebanon as Hezbollah's attacks on northern Israel continue.The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said some 3,500 additional soldiers arrived in the Middle East on board the USS Tripoli. The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, although Al Jazeera could not independently verify the report.

Recent air strikes on Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) have resulted in the deaths of three PMF fighters and two Iraqi police officers. The attacks, which occurred near northern Iraq's Kirkuk Airport, also left two fighters wounded and six Iraqi soldiers injured.An Iraqi security source revealed that the double-bombing was part of the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, which has been spilling over into Iraq's eastern border. The PMF, a coalition now integrated into the regular Iraqi army, accused the US and Israel of a 'treacherous Zionist-American' attack.In a separate incident, Reuters reported that two members of the Iraqi police were killed in an air strike targeting the PMF in Mosul, approximately 105 miles northwest of Kirkuk. This development has contributed to the escalating tensions in the region.Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reported from Baghdad that Iraq is becoming an 'expanding battleground' in the crisis. The conflict began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and now threatens to engulf the region in a protracted conflict.The PMF, formed in 2014 to fight ISIL (ISIS), has been targeted by pro-Iran armed groups within the coalition. These groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on US interests in Iraq and beyond.Haque noted that the PMF takes its orders from Baghdad, but some factions are loyal to Tehran. This complex dynamic makes it challenging for Baghdad to manage the different factions effectively.Iraq finds itself 'on a tightrope' between the US and Iran, said Haque, due to its economic and security ties with both countries. The government must balance its relationships with its biggest neighbor, Iran, and the United States.In related incidents, two drones targeted an airbase serving as a hub for US and coalition forces near Erbil airport in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. The US C-RAM air defence system successfully intercepted the drones.French President Emmanuel Macron described the increased attacks in Iraq as a 'worrying development' after speaking to Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdish region.

Demonstrators took to the streets of cities across the United States for the first 'No Kings' protest since the joint US and Israeli war against Iran began one month ago. The protests, which mark the third round of nationwide 'No Kings' demonstrations, saw over 3,300 events planned across all 50 states, with large crowds expected in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.The main event was scheduled for the Minneapolis-St Paul area in Minnesota, known as the Twin Cities, which became a focal point for Trump's hardline immigration crackdown in December. More than 3,000 federal immigration agents descended on the Twin Cities, leading to accusations of excessive force during deportation raids.In January, agents shot and killed two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, prompting nationwide outrage and calls for reform. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed as a result of the operation, which was wound down in February.Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders addressed attendees, and rock icon Bruce Springsteen performed at the event, along with folk singer Joan Baez. Actor Robert De Niro told the crowd in Minnesota in a pre-recorded address, 'You've shown bravery in the face of armed attack by government thugs, and you stood together and ran them out of town'.The previous two 'No Kings' marches took place in June and October and drew millions of people. Trump responded to the October protest by posting an AI-generated video depicting himself dumping faeces on the protesters. The US is currently in the midst of campaigns for its pivotal midterm elections in November, which will see Trump's Republican Party seek to defend its majorities in both chambers of Congress.Democrats are hoping to gain seats as Trump's popularity droops. Sanders was among the speakers who reminded protest attendees of the importance of the upcoming vote, saying, 'We will not allow this country to descend into authoritarianism or oligarchy. In America, we the people will rule'.

Iran has agreed to permit 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global oil supplies. This development is seen as a significant step towards alleviating the severe energy crisis affecting the region.Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, announced the agreement, stating that two ships will cross daily under the arrangement. He described Iran's decision as 'a harbinger of peace' and a 'welcome and constructive gesture'.The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering a war that has resulted in significant loss of life and disruptions to global markets. The conflict has killed about 2,000 Iranians and over 1,100 people in Lebanon.The strait is a critical passage for oil supplies, with an estimated 2,000 vessels stranded on either side. This blockade has caused oil prices to surge past $100 a barrel, up by roughly 40 percent. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has turned the strait into a checkpoint, requiring ships to submit cargo details and receive clearance codes.At least two vessels have reportedly paid $2 million per crossing, settled in Chinese yuan, to secure passage. Iran's parliament is now moving to legalize this arrangement as a potential source of revenue.This agreement is the result of intense Pakistani diplomacy, with Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir speaking to US President Donald Trump and Foreign Minister Dar holding calls with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts.

Iran launched a significant attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, wounding at least 15 American soldiers, with five in serious condition. The assault involved at least six ballistic missiles and 29 drones.The base, located about 96km from the Saudi capital Riyadh, is operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force but also serves as a critical location for American forces. The injured US troops were inside a building at the base during the strike.According to reports, the Iranian attack resulted in the destruction of one refuelling aircraft and damaged three others, putting them out of service. Satellite images published by Iran's Press TV showed significant damage to several aircraft at the airbase.This incident marks a continuation of the escalating conflict in the region, which began with a joint assault by Israel and the United States on February 28. Iran has been conducting retaliatory attacks on Gulf nations it accuses of serving as a launchpad for US strikes.The conflict has seen significant casualties on both sides. At least 13 US military service members have been killed since the war on Iran started, with over 300 American troops wounded. Iran's government has not released an updated casualty toll, but the US-based activist group HRANA reported 1,167 Iranian soldiers killed and 658 troops with unknown status as of March 23.The attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base is part of a broader pattern of Iranian retaliation. The base has been consistently targeted since the war began, highlighting the strategic importance of the location and the ongoing tensions in the region.

The Iranian men's national football team made a poignant gesture before their friendly match against Nigeria in Turkey, wearing black armbands and posing with pink and purple school bags with ribbons on them. This powerful display was a tribute to the victims of a devastating air strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran, which occurred on the first day of the Middle East war on February 28. The air strike killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers. The attack happened on the day the United States and Israel launched the war with attacks across Iran. Iran's foreign minister accused the US of a "calculated, phased assault" on the school. According to The New York Times, preliminary findings of a US military investigation indicate that a US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting mistake. The US military had been bombing an adjacent Iranian base, of which the school building was formerly a part, using outdated data to set the target coordinates. US President Donald Trump initially suggested that Iran itself may have been responsible for the attack, despite the country not having Tomahawk missiles. The incident has added to the tensions between Iran and the US, with Iran qualifying for the World Cup finals this summer but asking for its matches to be moved from the US to Mexico due to concerns over player safety. In the friendly match, Iran lost 2-1 to Nigeria. The team's gesture was a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict and the impact on innocent civilians, particularly children.

The US-Israeli war against Iran shows no signs of abatement as it enters its second month, with regional tensions escalating through multiple fronts. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have confirmed their first attack on Israel since the conflict began, launching a ballistic missile that was intercepted by Israeli defense systems. The targeted strike aimed at Israeli military sites located in the south of the occupied West Bank, marking a significant expansion of the conflict beyond direct US-Israeli operations against Iran.In a separate development, Israel killed three journalists in a targeted strike on their vehicle in southern Lebanon. The incident highlights the growing dangers facing media personnel in the increasingly volatile region as the conflict continues to spread across multiple borders and involve various non-state actors.These developments underscore the complex and widening nature of the conflict, which has evolved beyond direct military confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran to include regional proxies and civilian targets.

Russian forces have launched deadly strikes on two Ukrainian cities, killing at least four people and wounding over a dozen others. The attacks, which hit Odesa and Kryvyi Rih, damaged residential areas, a maternity hospital, and an industrial site.In Odesa, one person died in hospital from injuries sustained in the strikes, according to Serhiy Lysak, head of the city's military administration. He reported that 11 people were wounded, including a child, and that the strikes caused damage to a maternity hospital roof, high-rise buildings, and homes in several districts.In Kryvyi Rih, two men were killed and two wounded in a morning strike that hit an industrial site, said Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipro regional administration. He reported that fires erupted at the facility.The latest deadly strikes come as diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis and reach a ceasefire deal remain entangled, dimming hopes of a quick resolution. There are currently no talks underway between Russia and Ukraine.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of lying about US demands, and voiced openness to diverting weapons to Kyiv to support the joint US-Israel attack on Iran. Zelenskyy had claimed that the US is pressing Ukraine to give up the eastern Donbas region to Russia before finalizing any post-war security guarantees to Kyiv.Rubio denied these claims, stating that security guarantees are not going to kick in until there's an end to the war, and that there was no condition attached to giving up territory.

Nepal's police have arrested former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-Home Affairs Minister Ramesh Lekhak over their alleged involvement in a deadly crackdown on protesters last year.The detentions on Saturday came a day after Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his cabinet were sworn in after the first elections since the 2025 uprising that toppled Oli's government.According to The Kathmandu Post, Oli, 74, was taken into custody from his residence in Bhaktapur, a suburb of the capital, Kathmandu. Images later showed Oli walking into a hospital, dressed all in white, and surrounded by police officers.Lekhak was also detained on Saturday from another area of Bhaktapur, his personal secretary Janak Bhatta told the Post.In a statement on Facebook, new Home Minister Sudan Gurung wrote, "promise is a promise: No one is above the law"."This is not vengeance against anyone, it is simply the beginning of justice. I believe the country is now headed in a new direction," said Gurung.Oli has yet to issue a statement regarding the arrest.At least 77 people were killed in the anticorruption uprising on September 8-9, 2025, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship.At least 19 young people were killed in the crackdown on the first day of protests.The demonstrations spread nationwide the following day as parliament and government offices were set ablaze, resulting in the government's collapse.During the caretaker administration, a government-backed commission into the deadly uprising recommended the prosecution of Oli and other senior officials.Its report said it was "not established that there was an order to shoot", but said "no effort was made to stop or control the firing and, due to their negligent conduct, even minors lost their lives".Oli has previously denied ordering security forces to open fire on protesters. During his failed bid for re-election in the March 5 poll, he blamed "infiltrators" for the violence.Prime Minister Shah, 35, a rapper-turned-politician, and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections this month on a platform of youth-driven political change.Shah challenged and defeated Oli in the four-time ex-prime minister's own constituency.At Shah's first cabinet meeting on Friday, it was decided to implement the recommendations made by the investigative commission.