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A driver in the US state of Louisiana was charged with impaired driving after plowing into a crowd and injuring at least 15 people celebrating Lao New Year on Saturday. Footage from the scene showed injured people on the ground and at least one trapped under a vehicle.

During a trip to Damascus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the two countries agreed to work together to provide ‘more security and opportunities for development for our societies’.

The leaders of Ukraine and Syria have pledged greater security cooperation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Kyiv offers its military expertise to governments across the Middle East region amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Zelenskyy held talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Sunday, in his first trip to the Syrian capital since former leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted in 2024.

Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that the leaders agreed to work together to provide “more security and opportunities for development for our societies”.

“There is a great interest in exchanging military and security experience,” he said.

Since the war began on February 28, Iran and its allied groups have attacked US and Israeli targets, as well as targets in Gulf countries, using a range of missiles and drones.

Ukraine, which has developed expertise in countering drone attacks in its more than four-year war with Russia, has offered its country’s expertise during Zelenskyy’s visits to countries in the region, and has sent teams to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

During his visit to the Gulf states last week, Zelenskyy signed long-term military cooperation deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Syria is not known to have any air defences capable of dealing with Iranian drones or missiles.

Zelenskyy also told al-Sharaa that Kyiv was a reliable grain supplier and said the two leaders “discussed joint opportunities to strengthen food security across the region”,

According to Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry on X, the country’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, also met Zelenskyy in Damascus on Sunday, as well as his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani and Ukraine’s Andrii Sybiha.

The meeting with foreign ministers came a day after Zelenskyy visited Turkiye, met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed on “new steps” in security cooperation, and discussed joint gas infrastructure projects and gasfield developments.

Unbelievably, Russia is no longer at the geopolitical and economic crossroads. Kazan, the famous city in the autonomous Republic of Tatarstan, and St. Petersburg, known as the second largest city in the Russian Federation, for the past few years, have become the most frequently visited by foreign guests, elite politicians, academic scholars, and corporate entrepreneurs. Kazan and St. Petersburg are described as transformative platforms for driving business growth and investment in Russia. In practical terms, Russia is no longer at the crossroads, but it has noticeably been evolving into a strategic economic landscape, where there is unprecedented potential for foreign visitors, the majority originating from Africa, Asia, and Pacific regions. While those from the United States have seemingly disappeared, few European business executives are not prominently seen, playing active, focused roles with traditional aspects of business proposals.

St. Petersburg was booming in early April 1st-3rd, 2026. It attracted entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders with keen interests in transport and logistics, which organizers say the April 2026 edition provided a platform for networking, deal-making, and discussions on emerging opportunities across key sectors in the changing global economy. Discussions at the plenary sessions outlining diverse geographical regions with huge deficits in transport facilities and the need for upgrading logistics further highlighted strategies for expanding access to finance and capital, as well as supporting medium- and large-scale enterprises.

With participation from wide geographical regions, foreign and Russian stakeholders experienced a unique scale of entrepreneurial community, increasingly exhibited a quality approach in their presentations, fostered understanding of transport innovations, and shifted investment and possibility for economic growth.

Forum Participants Include Unfriendly Countries

“The MTLF has become a platform for open international dialogue amid the current challenges facing the global transport industry. The first forum brings together over 6,000 participants from 82 countries, including 14 unfriendly countries: Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Finland, Switzerland, Estonia, and Japan. Russia strives to build an equal and constructive dialogue with members of the international community and continues to generate significant interest from the global business community,” said Anton Kobyakov, advisor to the president of the Russian Federation and executive secretary of the MTLF Organizing Committee.

In promoting comprehensive cooperation in diverse spheres, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, spoke of his country’s decision to invest significant money in the development of its railway infrastructure, with work already underway to connect to Oman by rail and open up new opportunities for freight transportation to Africa and Asia.

“We continue to invest in the development of our country’s logistics network and alternative routes. Russia is an important exporter of raw materials, and development in its regions will contribute to economic growth across the globe. Central Asia is also emerging as a key player, and we are investing in the region’s infrastructure and connecting China to the global economy through Russia and the Middle East,” he said.

Minister Delegate for Maritime Economy of the Ministry of Maritime Economy, Fisheries, and Coastal Protection of the Togolese Republic, Kokou Edem Tengue, spoke of the importance of understanding the African perspective on changing maritime routes as the situation around the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz creates new opportunities for West Africa.

The Port of Lomé, the largest container port in Sub-Saharan Africa, handles approximately 30 million tonnes of goods annually, and its importance for the region is difficult to overstate. “We are actively working with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger; the Port of Lomé is a key logistics hub for the landlocked nations of the Sahel,” he said. “It should be noted that Africa relies on chemical fertilizers and grain produced in Russia. We believe that the Port of Lomé could be a part of new sea routes between Africa and Russia.”

Brazil and Russia Within the BRICS+ Framework

Within the framework of the discussions, Russia and Brazil reviewed a new stage of transport and logistics cooperation and adopted joint approaches to the development of legislation for unmanned and digital technologies. The Russian–Brazilian Commission on Cooperation emphasized the growing interest of the Brazilian side in Russia’s experience in maritime transport, digitalization, aviation, railways, and unmanned technologies. “Russian legislation in this area is among the most advanced in the world. We understand Brazilian colleagues are actively developing interest in this area. We are ready to share our developments to integrate our legislation into the BRICS framework so that it becomes consistent,” said Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Andrei Nikitin, at the meeting. 

Russia is a global leader in unmanned technologies and is eager to share its experience with its Brazilian counterparts, particularly in launching and operating drones for agriculture, driverless trains, trucks, taxis, and delivery rovers. Russian legislation, in this area, is among the most advanced in the world. The minister noted that cooperation in the maritime sector is already picking up pace, with shipments reaching 16 million tonnes last year. One potential new project is the launch of a direct container service between St. Petersburg and Brazilian ports, which will make it possible to transport additional freight volumes within convenient timeframes. An important issue for the Russian maritime industry is the recognition of insurance documents issued by Russian insurers and reinsurers and the creation of protection and indemnity clubs, including within BRICS.

Brazil is interested in studying Russia’s experience in high-speed railway construction, especially given the unique climatic conditions in which the project is being implemented in Russia. Resuming air travel between the two countries continues to be an important step. One possibility that is being discussed is having Brazilian airlines operate flights, with the necessary facilities for access to Russian airports and transit services. 

Further, the BRICS Extended Advisory Council on Civil Aviation is seriously considering cooperation in the export of transport infrastructure technologies, the exchange of existing know-how, and transport education. Russian transport universities are ready to participate in training personnel for the implementation of joint projects. 

Andrei Nikitin also held working meetings with representatives of Brazilian transport agencies. Following the talks, the Russian side presented a draft transport cooperation plan, which will consolidate the agreements reached and outline practical steps for their implementation.

Russian University of Transport to Play Leading Role

Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Andrey Nikitin; Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov; and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Anton Alikhanov tabled a motion for engineering and transport education in Russia to become a platform for scientific and engineering teams, scientists, and students from around the world who are working on cutting-edge solutions for the transport sector.

In his speech, Falkov spoke about the development of a network of advanced engineering schools. Fifty of these schools have already opened their doors, and another 50 will do so by 2030. “Numerous schools serve the needs of the transport industry. A prime example is the school opened by Transmashholding and Russian Railways at Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University,” the minister explained.

According to Falkov, leading engineering schools serve as talent magnets, platforms for experimentation, and the ultimate hub for interaction between universities and employers. They create unique conditions for the development of innovative projects, allowing students to bring their ideas to life almost immediately. 

Another key program mentioned by Falkov is Priority 2030, in which the Russian University of Transport plays a leading role. The program helps universities strengthen their positions in a competitive environment and provides additional resources for implementing unique scientific and educational projects. In order to ensure the global competitiveness of Russia’s transport corridors, implement decrees as part of Russia’s national goals up to 2030 and for the period up to 2036.

New mobility technologies are turning into the main driver of the restructuring of the global economy and everyday life. Autonomous driving, transport electrification, and the integration of artificial intelligence are blurring the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds, creating a seamless transportation environment. Today, Russian developers are offering comprehensive solutions for smart cities: from driverless vehicle control systems to hi-tech infrastructure for electric and hydrogen transport. 

Andrey Nikitin pointed to the fact that the transport system both ensures the movement of people and goods and influences the development of cities and towns. The lack of necessary transport links can cause the degradation of localities, while developing these areas contributes to economic growth.

One of the key steps on this path is the transition to digital technologies. Digitalization allows artificial intelligence to be integrated into management processes, improving the quality and effectiveness of decisions. For example, the introduction of driverless technologies in road construction allows for real-time process monitoring, creating digital twins of objects. Decades from now, we will be able to see how the road was built and what materials were used.

Another important area is autonomous transport. “Today, we are moving from experiments and trials to the formation of a fundamentally new way of life. It will be based on digital platforms and unified standards, as the entire system must operate on principles that everyone can understand. And this, of course, must be safe for people. We need to adhere to cybersecurity requirements. A critical mass of knowledge and experience is accumulating that allows us to clearly see the path ahead and move forward with confidence,” Andrey Nikitin said.

Putin’s Message to the Forum

Russian President Vladimir Putin, vehemently, underscored those points above in his message to participants. As the first International Transport and Logistics Forum, the overwhelmingly large crowd indicated the vitality and resilience of transport and supply chains and the extent to which the challenges are becoming decisive factors in the global economy. In Putin’s own words, “Russia can offer such solutions to the world and play an important role in forming a new architecture of global logistics and international trade.” For our partners, Russian logistics routes can be advantageous both economically—by reducing delivery times—and from the point of view of diversifying global transport flows.”

The current technological revolution in transport and logistics, including the expanding use of digital solutions based on artificial intelligence, is another long-term challenge. Naturally, these processes must be taken into account in planning for decades ahead. This concerns the development of core logistics corridors at a whole new technology level and, of course, the introduction of cutting-edge modes of transport.

For example, the use of robotics and autonomous systems is opening up broad opportunities for cargo delivery. They are replacing routine operations at airports and railway stations, in warehouses and terminals, while in urban environments small rovers are being used for so-called last-mile deliveries.

According to Putin’s characterization of the sector, Russia intends to use digital platforms as the foundation for integrating all elements of the transport services market, establishing unmanned systems and logistics management, introducing unified transport documents for international shipments, and monitoring the condition of infrastructure and vehicles on a near-constant basis. In addition, Russia is ready to share its experience through joint science and technology programs and, of course, by training specialists able to ensure the development of transport and logistics in the 21st century, using this new technological foundation. 

The Transport and Logistics forum, the biggest industry-focused event for the first time in Russia, was held under the theme “Development Through Access to Global Markets” and was organized by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, and serving as the operator was the Roscongress Foundation in St. Petersburg, second largest city in the Russian Federation.

The activists were protesting the alleged use of the RAF base as a departure point for US aircraft involved in the US-Israel war on Iran.

British police have arrested seven people on suspicion of supporting the banned group Palestine Action at a protest near a Royal Air Force (RAF) air base in eastern England used by United States forces.

The five men and two women arrested at a peace encampment just outside the Lakenheath airbase had gathered with other activists on Sunday to protest the alleged use of the base as a departure point for US aircraft involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, which organised the protest, said the seven had been arrested wearing clothing with the message: “We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action.”

Police said the protesters had been arrested “on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation”.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government banned Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation last year, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group.

In February, a court ruled the ban was “disproportionate” and interfered with the right to free speech. But the government has appealed, and the ban remains in effect in the meantime.

More than 2,700 people have been arrested and hundreds charged over rallies in support of the group, according to protest organisers Defend Our Juries.

Police said in a statement on the latest arrests that they had a duty to enforce the law “as it currently stands, not as it might be in the future”.

Two protesters were also arrested on Saturday at Lakenheath and charged with obstructing public thoroughfares, police said.

US President Donald Trump has railed against Starmer for what he calls insufficient support in the US-Israel war on Iran, straining the countries’ longtime alliance.

The United Kingdom has authorised the US to use British military bases to carry out “defensive” operations against Iran and protect the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil passes in peacetime.

The Israeli Air Force has released a picture of F-16I Sufa fighters taking part in strikes on Iran, and the jets appear to be carrying cluster munitions. What submunitions might be inside is unknown. However, just three days before the image was posted, Iranian officials accused the United States of employing air-dropped BLU-91/B anti-tank mines, which are delivered via cluster bomb. This seems most likely to be part of a limited-use area denial strategy to contain long-range missile launches, as you can read about in our previous reporting here.

“In parallel, the Air Force struck sites used for storing and launching ballistic missiles, which pose a direct threat to the citizens of the State of Israel, as well as several defense systems of the terror regime. More than 150 fighter jets struck, over the past day, weapons production sites throughout Tehran,” the Israeli Air Force wrote in a Hebrew language post on X accompanying the picture on March 29, according to a machine translation. “The strikes on the regime’s military industries in Tehran continue at this hour as well. The Air Force continues to deepen the strikes on the regime’s military industries in order to deny the production capabilities it has built up over [the] years.”

The picture, seen at the top of this story and in parts below, is a nighttime shot, making it hard to definitively identify the munitions under the wings of the F-16Is. However, they look to have blunt noses with prominent fuzes sticking out from the center, as well as largely straight bodies and flat tail ends. This is all in line with features typically seen on air-dropped cluster munitions, especially U.S. types that make use of variants of the Tactical Munitions Dispenser (TMD), which we will come back to later on. TMDs, as well as other types of bomb-shaped ‘dispensers,’ can be loaded with different payloads, and each specific configuration generally has its own designation.

It is possible that the munitions seen under the wings of the F-16I are not cluster bombs, but this seems less likely to be the case. The features that are visible are distinctly different from the kinds of precision-guided bombs and missiles more typically seen loaded on Israeli tactical jets.

In terms of what submunitions might be inside the dispensers, as already noted, Iran has previously alleged the use of air-dropped BLU-91/B anti-tank mines, which it blamed on the United States. Reports about the employment of the mines first emerged last week, with Iranian state and quasi-state media publishing what it said were pictures of examples recovered in outlying areas around the city of Shiraz, as seen below.

جنایت جدید آمریکایی ـ صهیونی در برخی مناطق کشور

رهاسازی بسته‌های انفجاری با جنگنده

این بسته‌های انفجاری شبیه کنسرو آماده بوده و حاوی مواد منفجره‌ای است که بعد از بازگشایی منفجر شده و باعث تلفات جانی می‌گردد
#انتقام_سخت pic.twitter.com/0mChpxVhLP

— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) March 26, 2026

Part of a larger scatterable mine system called Gator, BLU-91/Bs, as well as a companion anti-personnel mine designated the BLU-92/B, can be employed via TMD-series dispensers. They can also be dropped using the Mk 7 or SUU-58/B dispensers, the former of which has a notably different nose shape from what is seen in the picture the IAF released. The SUU-58/B is derived from the Mk 7, but has a distinct nose profile. Examples of complete cluster munitions loaded with Gator mines include the CBU-78/B (45 BLU-91/Bs and 15 BLU-92/Bs loaded in either a Mk 7 or SUU-58/B) and the CBU-89/B (72 BLU-91/Bs and 22 BLU-92/Bs loaded in a SUU-64/B TMD).

“The US is the only participant in the Iran war known to possess Gator Scatterable Mines,” Bellingcat reported last week. However, “known users of the CBU-89/B and the CBU-78/B weapons include Israel, the Netherlands, and the United States,” according to a 2003 report from Forecast International.

The F-16 is also on the broad list of platforms that can drop cluster munitions loaded with Gator mines.

As to why BLU-91/Bs might have been scattered over parts of Iran, as TWZ previously wrote:

“Iran has been able to preserve a number of its missile launchers, which could involve moving them in and out of underground facilities like the one near Shiraz or hiding them elsewhere in the area and moving them to designated launch points. This is occurring even after these facilities have been repeatedly bombed. These aerial attacks have focused on keeping their entrances caved in. These strikes are on top of the vast, resource-consuming interdiction effort to hunt for and strike launchers that are exposed. So, continued launches from these areas would be a major reason why resorting to deploying anti-tank mines there makes sense and would have a high military value. Mining the entrances of the underground missile cities would also make it harder for heavy equipment to access them in order to open them back up.“

🚨 WATCH: CENTCOM releases footage of strikes on fortified missile bases in southern Iran. The first footage includes hits on tunnel entrances and on mobile and stationary launchers at the missile base in Hajjiabad, Iran. pic.twitter.com/wuoi5GEhqp

— Major Sammer Pal Toorr (Infantry Combat Veteran) (@samartoor3086) March 22, 2026

The IDF publishes footage showing a recent airstrike on an Iranian ballistic missile launcher in western Iran that it says was primed for an attack on Israel.

In additional strikes yesterday, the military says the Israeli Air Force hit several ballistic missile storage and… pic.twitter.com/UVE5bTAJNd

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 24, 2026

CENTCOM:

The Iranian regime is using mobile launchers to indiscriminately fire missiles in an attempt to inflict maximum harm across the region.

U.S. forces are hunting these threats down and without apology or hesitation, we are taking them out.pic.twitter.com/l4lxbTlAf4

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 3, 2026

“Designed to attack tanks and trucks, the mines could destroy or disable the launchers and likely the payloads they carry. They could also make roads to and around the underground missile cities unpassable. Even limiting where the launchers could go within these areas could make them more vulnerable.“

This would also align with the IAF’s post on X accompanying the image of the two F-16Is, which discussed new strikes on “sites used for storing and launching ballistic missiles.”

Israel does have, or at least had, other air-dropped cluster munitions in its inventory. The IAF employed Cold War-era CBU-58/Bs during the country’s intervention in Lebanon in 2006. Each of those munitions consists of 650 grenade-like BLU-63/B anti-personnel bomblets in a SUU-30-series dispenser, which has a distinctly tapered tail section that is not seen on the munitions in the recently released IAF picture. Israel has also received Rockeye cluster bombs from the United States in the past, which consist of 247 Mk 118 anti-tank bomblets in Mk 7-series dispensers. The current status of either of these munitions in Israeli service is unclear.

Israel Military Industries (IMI) also previously developed an air-dropped cluster bomb called the Runway Attack Munition, which is filled with submunitions specifically designed to crater runways. The RAM has reportedly been in Israeli service since 2008.

Runways at Iranian air bases have been cratered by U.S. and Israeli strikes in the course of the current conflict, but there have been no signs so far of the use of cluster munitions to do so. Israel could be employing anti-personnel and/or anti-tank cluster munitions against various other targets in Iran, including missile and drone launchers, but, again, there has been no evidence of this so far.

The employment of BLU-91/Bs in the current conflict with Iran also remains unconfirmed, though the picture of the IAF F-16Is with what look to be cluster munitions does add to the existing evidence. Whether the employment of those mines, whether by the United States or Israel, was an isolated event or a new part of the ongoing campaign is also still not clear. As mentioned earlier, dropping the mines fits with an effort to deny access to remote missile storage and launch areas.

Cluster munitions and landmines are both controversial weapons in their own right, particularly given the risks they can pose to civilians well after a conflict has ended. Many countries have agreed to ban their use. At the same time, the U.S. military and others continue to stress the operational utility these weapons offer, and the steps that can be taken to mitigate the risks of their use. The BLU-91/B, for instance, has a built-in self-destruct feature. Cluster munitions and landmines can also be employed under tightly controlled parameters to reduce the dangers they might pose to innocent bystanders, such as targeting only facilities far from population centers.

If cluster munition use by Israeli and/or U.S. forces does become a more widespread aspect of the ongoing conflict, more evidence of this could continue to emerge.

Special thanks to user @blocksixtynine on X for bringing the IAF picture of the two F-16Is carrying what look to be cluster munitions to our attention.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Videos have been going viral of A-10s doing strafing runs on targets in Iraq, largely focused on force protection of U.S. interests in the country. The threat from Iranian-aligned militias and other groups in Iraq has spiked since Operation Epic Fury began over four weeks ago. While seeing videos shot overseas of the Warthog using its GAU-8 30mm Avenger cannon is anything but new, the duration of some of the ‘trigger pulls’ shown certainly is.

One of these caught on camera appears to be roughly nine seconds long, with another being around six seconds long:

Leinster thought they had made the perfect start to the second half when Josh van der Flier crossed, but, after a television match official [TMO] review, the try was chalked off for a knock on.

They continued to pile the pressure on in the early stages of the second half as they looked to extend their advantage, but failed to add to their tally and were caught out on 53 minutes when Edinburgh went ahead for the first time.

The ball bounced favourably for Darcy Graham after Thompson’s charged down kick and he gleefully took full advantage, chipping the ball over Keenan before touching down ahead of Gibson-Park.

Leinster responded well as van der Flier made amends for his failure to ground the ball 15 minutes earlier as he scored following a tap and go from Sheehan.

Two tries in quick succession from Thomas Clarkson and Ioane finally gave the hosts the breathing space their attacking display deserved.

Ioane set up Clarkson to power over on 63 minutes before the New Zealand international sold a dummy to Graham, skipped down the left-hand side and scored two minutes later to seal the victory for the four-time European Cup winners.

Leinster: Keenan; T O’Brien, Ioane, Osborne, J O’Brien; Byrne, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong; J McCarthy, Baird; Conan, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: G McCarthy, Usanov, Clarkson, Deeny, Deegan, McGrath, Frawley, Henshaw.

Edinburgh: Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Gilchrist, McConnell, Richardson, Muncaster; Shiel, Thompson, Satala, Lang, Currie, Graham, O’Conor.

Replacements: Blyth-Lafferty, Venter, Hill, Young, Douglas, Vellacott, Tuipulotu, Brown.

The rise is largely symbolic as some key members are unable to raise ​production amid the US-Israel war on Iran.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has agreed to increase oil output quotas by 206,000 barrels per day for May, a rise that is largely symbolic as some of its key members are unable to raise production due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The war has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz – the world’s most important oil route – since the end of ⁠February and cut exports from OPEC+ members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Iraq.

In a statement on Sunday, eight members of OPEC+, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, agreed to increase May quotas during a virtual meeting.

“The countries will continue to closely monitor and assess market conditions, and in their continuous efforts to support market stability,” the statement read.

“The eight countries also expressed concern regarding attacks on energy infrastructure, noting that restoring damaged energy assets to full capacity is both costly and takes a long time, thereby affecting overall supply availability,” it added.

While the quota increase represents less than two percent of the supply disrupted by the closure of the strait, OPEC+ sources told the Reuters news agency that the pledge had signalled readiness to raise output once the waterway reopens.

Crude prices have surged to a four-year high amid the war, close to $120 a barrel, leading to higher prices for transport fuels.

On Thursday, JPMorgan said oil prices could spike above $150, an all-time high, if oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain disrupted into mid-May.

May’s increase is the same as the eight members had agreed on for April at their last meeting on March 1. But amid the war, oil supply disruption on record is estimated to have removed as much as 12 to 15 million bpd or up to 15 percent of global supply.

With the strait still closed, Iran has allowed some countries in the region to use the waterway.

Iran has said Iraq was exempt from any transit restrictions through the strait, with shipping data on Sunday showing a tanker loaded with Iraqi crude passing through the waterway.

Oman’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that deputy foreign minister-level talks were being held with Iran to discuss ⁠⁠options to ensure the smooth transit of vessels through the Strait ‌‌of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump threatened to escalate attacks and target Iranian civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by Monday.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fires projectiles at northern Israel while Israeli troops push deeper into southern Lebanon.

Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, have killed at least 14 people, a day after Israel threatened to hit Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria, forcing its closure.

Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed at least four people while 10 people – including a family of six – were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.

A further 39 people were wounded in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s Jnah neighbourhood, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. The strike hit about 100 metres (330ft) from Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the country’s largest public medical facility, a medical source told the AFP news agency.

Israel has launched air strikes across Lebanon since March 2 after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to the United States-Israeli war on Iran. Israeli forces have also launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah on Sunday claimed to have fired a cruise missile at an Israeli warship 126km (78 miles) off the Lebanese coast. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Al Jazeera was not able to verify the claim.

Although most Israeli strikes against Hezbollah have been conducted by jets and drones, some have come by sea.

In a statement, the Israeli military warned it had “begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites” in Beirut’s southern suburbs without providing evidence for its claims.

On Saturday, Israel said it would carry out strikes on the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria. Masnaa serves as a vital trade route for both countries and a key gateway to the rest of the region for Lebanese people.

The border post was quickly evacuated on the Lebanese side, and the site was virtually deserted early on Sunday with only a few guards still on duty, according to AFP.

In Syria, Mazen Aloush with the General Authority for Borders and Customs insisted that the crossing, known as Jdeidet Yabous on the Syrian side, was “exclusively for civilian use and is not used for any military purposes”.

Aloush said traffic through the crossing would be temporarily suspended due to the Israeli threat.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed more than 1,400 people, including 126 children, and displaced over 1.2 million, according to Lebanese authorities.

In the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Hatta, an Israeli strike killed seven people including a four-year-old girl and a Lebanese soldier, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The previous evening, the Israeli army issued a forced evacuation order for the town, where many displaced people from other parts of southern Lebanon have fled.

In another air strike on southern Lebanon, at least three people were killed and others injured early on Sunday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.

As Israeli troops push deeper across their border into southern Lebanon and destroy villages, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated his call for talks with Israel, saying he wanted to spare southern Lebanon from destruction on the scale seen in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“Why don’t we negotiate … until we can at least save the homes that have not yet been destroyed?” he proposed in a televised address on Sunday.

US president threatens to strike power plants and bridges on Tuesday in an expletive-laden social media post.

United States President Donald Trump has threatened to attack civilian infrastructure inside Iran, including bridges and power plants, if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by his stated deadline of Monday.

Trump made the threat in an expletive-laden social media post on Sunday, in which he repeated previous threats to pummel vital infrastructure across Iran.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

On March 26, Trump set a 10-day deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for the global energy market, where traffic has ground to a halt since the US and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28.

He told Fox News on Sunday that Iran was currently negotiating with the US and that he believed the two could reach a deal before the deadline.

The US president has frequently repeated that Iran is seeking a deal to end the war and that fighting will end soon since the conflict began. Iran has stated that it is not seeking to end the war and has vowed to step up escalation across the region if its infrastructure is targeted.

Throughout the war, US officials have threatened Iran with overwhelming violence if it does not capitulate to US demands. Last week, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened to send Iran “back to the Stone Age”.

US-Israeli strikes have already targeted civilian infrastructure and facilities, including bridges, schools, healthcare facilities, and universities. Experts have warned that some of those strikes could constitute war crimes.

The US president has said that he will hold a news conference in the White House on Monday.

Trump also offered additional details about the operation to locate and extract the pilot of an F-15E fighter jet that was shot down over Iran on Friday.

“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran,” he said in a separate social media post on Sunday.

“An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!”

In a trip that included visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE to discuss tensions brought about by the US-Israeli war on Iran, Italian PM Meloni emphasized the importance of the Gulf to Italian and European national security.

New images have emerged that appear to show the destroyed special operations C-130s (MC-130Js Commando IIs) at the forward improvised airfield in Iran. The austere operating location acted as a hub (and forward arming and refueling point or FARP) for the rescue mission of the downed F-15E Weapon System Officer. You can read our latest coverage on the rescue here. It has been reported that the two C-130s were demolished in place as they were incapable of departing, with three more aircraft coming in and extracting the special operations force. Amongst this wreckage appears to be two burned-out wrecks of MH-6/AH-6 Little Birds of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, better known as the Night Stalkers.

As is typically the case, the images of the crash site look authentic after a cursory examination, but that could change in the future.

These helicopters, if in AH-6 configuration, were likely delivered to the landing site to provide close air support and force protection for the larger force deployed there. Reports now state that there may not have been a major firefight on the ground as originally reported, but Iranians were fired upon from the air when trying to approach the base. Video supposedly showing one of these engagements does look like the firing aircraft could be an AH-6.

The Little Birds could have also been used to help find and support the extraction of the pilot if in MH-6 configuration. Little Birds can be configured in the AH-6 attack and MH-6 assault configurations.

The force protection role for exactly this kind of mission is a key one for the AH-6. Night Stalker AH-6 crews train heavily for it. The Little Birds can be rapidly delivered to forward locations aboard aircraft as small as a C-130, but it’s their ability to be rolled out and flying in mere minutes that suits them so well for this mission set. The MC-130 can act as transport, weapons hauler and a gas station on the ground for the Little Birds.

You can read all about the Little Bird’s ability to be rapidly deployed virtually anywhere in our past feature linked here.

The Little Birds could possibly have flown directly to the site, and then refueled from MC-130J on the ground and operated out of the makeshift base, although the range on these aircraft is limited, even with auxiliary fuel tanks. Even flying from Kuwait or a commercial ship in the northern Persian Gulf, a direct flight over Iranian airspace would have been very risky and required much of the Little Bird’s range. Overall, this option seems very likely.

As to why the Little Birds were destroyed in place, that isn’t clear. Extracting the force was likely done in a big hurry, especially due to the immobilization of two C-130s. If the Little Birds flew in aboard them, there may have been no time (or room) to load them onto the replacement aircraft. They could have also been damaged by enemy fire. If they flew in directly themselves, the mission may not have gone as planned and they could not be fueled while on the ground by the stricken MC-130s. There are many possibilities.

Destroying stranded special operations aircraft is absolutely critical as they are packed with sensitive sensors, communications, defensive systems and more.

Regardless, the inclusion of the Little Birds is another indication of just how complex this mission, which was thrown together in just a matter of hours, was. It’s also a reminder of just how versatile and forward deployable the MH/AH-6s truly are.

UPDATE: 6:02 AM PDT—

The landing zone has been geolocated to just south of Isfahan. This puts it about 200 miles from the Iranian coastline and roughly 230 miles from a land border. It is very unlikely the Little Birds made this trip on their own (can rule it out almost entirely) beyond the tactical issues with doing so.

SACRAMENTO — Every morning, Jack Kavanagh brews himself a cup of coffee or tea, pads down a short hallway, past the dining room, and turns left into his small home office, where he brings California to the world.

It’s been his routine for decades, through all manner of upheaval and events — social, political, natural and man-made.

Kavanagh, a somewhat-retired former TV newsman, has documented the policy and personalities behind those developments one curated paragraph at a time, complete with links, so others can follow his trail, feel the pulse of the state and take away what they will.

California: Unbiased and unvarnished.

What began as a summary for colleagues at a television station in Sacramento has developed a worldwide following, an achievement noteworthy not just for its duration — Kavanagh’s catalog may be the state’s longest-running news aggregator — but for all the things his website is not.

There are no flashy graphics on Rough & Tumble. No eyeball-grabbing videos, no partisan commentary or agenda, and none of the edge or snark that greases the gears of the perpetual-political-outrage machine.

There are just headlines and short summaries, presented as simply and unadorned as the plain-spoken Kavanagh himself. “The bottom line,” he said, “is trust” — vouching that an article is credible and worthy of a reader’s time.

“It all comes down to that. And now, with the age of AI fakes and all the other social media and stuff like that, it’s even more important. It’s even more unique.”

Kavanagh, 78, is a New Englander by birth and Californian by choice.

He grew up in Providence, R.I., and by his own account was aimless until his 21st year. One night, in June 1968, Kavanagh watched the small black-and-white television in his bedroom as live coverage of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination unfolded. Captivated, he knew from that moment on what he wished to do with his life.

A low-level job at a local radio station led to an on-air position at its TV affiliate, where Kavanagh’s big break came in 1978 when a massive blizzard hammered the Northeast. His marathon coverage garnered national notice and, two years later, an offer to move to a larger market in Milwaukee. He was prepared to go, when another offer came from a TV station out West.

“Do you know many nanoseconds it takes,” Kavanagh asked rhetorically, “to make a decision between Milwaukee, Wisc., and Sacramento, Calif.?”

Especially after an epic snowstorm or two.

Two Emmys for television reporting adorn Jack Kavanagh’s home office in Sacramento.

(Sara Nevis/For The Times)

Kavanagh had never set foot in the state and part of his steep California learning curve was devouring as many newspapers — back when they abounded — as he could. He noticed a large stack that sat untouched each day in the newsroom; most of his colleagues, he said, were simply too busy to dive in. So he began typing up a summary of the top headlines and stuffing copies in people’s mailboxes.

When the internet was still in its infancy — Kavanagh guesses the year was 1994, or so — he began putting his compendium online, so those working at the station’s Stockton bureau could partake as well.

There wasn’t much interest. But people in the capital began noticing. Kavanagh’s daily wrap-up developed an audience among political insiders — lawmakers, lobbyists, legislative staffers — and then a following that grew to include other reporters and, eventually, readers throughout California and beyond.

Rough & Tumble — the name captures the sweat and grit of politics — has continued without interruption for 30-plus years. In that time, Kavanagh has missed only a few days here and there.

That includes in 2004, when he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Another time, when Kavanagh was suffering ulcerative colitis, he brought his laptop and worked from a hospital bed. (The laptop also accompanies Kavanagh and his very indulgent wife of 42 years on their vacations.)

Kavanagh typically starts each morning scanning dozens of news sites. He posts the big headlines of the day. He also looks for trends and stories that connect the dots, which are collected beneath subheads — AI, water, housing, education and the like.

“I want it to be a tip sheet for anybody who is in a Fortune 500 company, or who is a kid on a scholarship in a high school somewhere,” Kavanagh said over lunch at a favorite Mexican restaurant. “I want them both to be able to zoom through this and figure out what’s going on and move onto something else.”

Mindful of his global audience, he updates his site with fresh headlines starting in the late afternoon. (Analytics allow Kavanagh to watch as the world wakes up and readers from as far away as Russia and China, represented by a blue dot, begin showing up on his computer monitor.) In all, he said, he devotes four to five hours a day to his one-man enterprise.

Rough & Tumble gets about 1.1 million page views a year, Kavanagh said, and while it’s not a huge moneymaker, the business allows him to write off his many subscriptions. A small amount of advertising also helps pay for the occasional trip.

Years after leaving the television business and a brief career as a media coach, Kavanagh runs the site as a kind of public service and a way to stay engaged and keep mentally fit. He’s still captivated by his adopted home state. “Every day,” he said, “I learn something new about California that I didn’t know yesterday.”

Kavanagh has no succession plan. He said Rough & Tumble will end the day he does — or sooner, if artificial intelligence renders Kavanagh and his role as host, news-gatherer and California guide obsolete.

Either way, it will be a loss.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has proposed a roadmap for ending the United States-Israeli war on Iran as tensions escalate across the Middle East.

Zarif’s plan was published by Foreign Affairs magazine on Friday and goes “beyond a temporary ceasefire”.

The war, which erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, has spread across the Middle East and convulsed the global economy as Tehran attacked its neighbours, claiming to be targeting US assets there and restricting movement of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Regional hostilities showed no signs of abating on Sunday, a day after US President Donald Trump said Iran had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all hell”.

Against this backdrop, Zarif’s roadmap said that although Iran viewed itself as successful in the war, prolonging the conflict – while potentially “psychologically satisfying” for Tehran – would only result in further loss of civilian lives and destruction of infrastructure.

Iran should, therefore, offer to “place limits on its nuclear program” under international monitoring as well as “reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions”, Zarif wrote.

Since the war began, Iran has virtually blocked the key waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas supplies normally pass.

Nuclear limits on Iran would include a commitment to never seek nuclear weapons and to blend its entire stockpile of enriched uranium so its enrichment levels fall below 3.67 percent, Zarif said.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates, Iran is believed to have about 440kg (970lb) of uranium enriched to 60 percent, a level at which uranium can be quickly enriched to the 90 percent threshold needed to produce a nuclear weapon.

Zarif called Trump’s demand for zero enrichment “fanciful” thinking.

Iran should also “accept a mutual nonaggression pact with the United States” in which both countries pledge to not strike each other in the future, the former minister said.

The US should also end all sanctions and United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iran, he added.

Regional consortium

Zarif also outlined potential roles for regional and international actors.

He suggested that China and Russia along with the US could help create a regional fuel-enrichment consortium with Iran and its Gulf neighbours at West Asia’s sole enrichment facility with Iran transferring all enriched material and equipment there.

Zarif additionally proposed that Gulf states, UN Security Council powers and possibly Egypt, Pakistan and Turkiye should form a regional security framework to “ensure nonaggression, cooperation and freedom of navigation”, including arrangements to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

“To further consolidate peace, Iran and the United States should initiate mutually beneficial trade, economic and technological cooperation,” Zarif added.

The Iranian politician said this roadmap would benefit Trump, offering him a “well-timed off-ramp” and an opportunity to claim peace.

“Emotions may be high, and each side is boasting about its war-front victories. But history best remembers those who make peace,” he said.

The US has presented Iran with a 15-point plan for a ceasefire as Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt have been trying to achieve direct talks, but there has been no signs of progress on the diplomatic front.

What about the Gulf?

Officials from Gulf states have responded to Zarif’s proposal, criticising it for overlooking Tehran’s attacks against its neighbours.

“Reading M. Javad Zarif’s article in Foreign Affairs ignores one of the core flaws in Iran’s strategy: aggression against its Gulf Arab neighbors,” Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, said on X on Saturday.

“Thousands of missiles & drones targeting infrastructure, civilians, even mediators, is not strength; it is hubris & strategic failure. The Arab world has seen this before: destruction peddled as victory,” he added.

Former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani also responded to Zarif’s plan, writing on X on Sunday that he “agreed with much of it” and it took a “clever” approach.

Still, he pushed back, stating that the war has “led us all into a path that is more complicated and dangerous” and chiding Iran for its attacks on the Gulf.

“You may believe that you have achieved progress in some aspects, and perhaps temporary tactical gains, but the cost was clear: the loss of an important part of your friends in the region, and the erosion of the trust that was built over years,” he wrote.

“Today, we need a voice like yours [Zarif’s] merging from within Iran to propose solutions to this war,” he added.

Economist James Meadway says US President Donald Trump offers threats but no clear plan to end the crisis, leaving markets unsettled as disruption from the Strait of Hormuz closure spreads beyond Asia and into Europe.

The talks have focused on a ‘smooth passage’ through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran effectively blocks the vital waterway.

Oman and ⁠⁠Iran ⁠⁠have held deputy foreign ⁠⁠minister-level talks, discussing ⁠⁠options to ensure the smooth transit of vessels through the Strait ‌‌of Hormuz, according to the Omani Foreign Ministry.

The meeting was held on Saturday “at the level of undersecretaries in the foreign ministries of the two countries”, the ministry said on Sunday in a post on X, adding that it was “attended by specialists from both sides”.

“Possible options were discussed regarding ensuring the smooth passage through the Strait of Hormuz during these circumstances witnessed in the region,” it added. “During the meeting, experts from both sides presented a number of visions and proposals that will be studied.”

On Sunday, three Omani ships appeared to be transiting the Strait of Hormuz, outside Iran’s “approved corridor” near Larak Island, according to tracking data monitored by shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

The convoy consists of two large oil supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that are sailing “unusually close to the Omani coast”, according to the United Kingdom-based outlet.

The developments come after an Iranian ⁠⁠official said on ⁠⁠Thursday that Iran was drafting a protocol with ⁠⁠Oman to monitor ⁠⁠traffic in the ⁠⁠strait, through which about a fifth of global ‌‌oil supplies travel, and which Iran has severely restricted in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli war on the country.

Since the war began on February 28, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has allowed some vessels to transit, including Pakistani, French, and Turkish-linked vessels. But about 3,000 others are stranded.

Strait effectively blocked

The waterway is a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments, especially oil and gas moving from the Gulf to Europe and Asia.

Disruptions there have injected volatility into the market and pushed oil- and gas-importing countries to seek alternative sources.

United States President Donald Trump, in a social media post over the weekend, threatened to unleash “all Hell” if it is not opened by Monday.

Egypt’s ⁠⁠Foreign ⁠⁠Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate calls ⁠⁠to discuss proposals for regional de-escalation ⁠⁠with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and regional counterparts, including Iranian ‌‌Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Egyptian ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Amin Saikal, a professor emeritus at the Australian National University, said an expansion of the war “is going to be hell for the whole region”. “There has to be some kind of negotiated settlement,” he told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

“But at this stage, the door for a diplomatic solution seems to be very narrow, unless President Trump decides that this conflict has caused so many problems for him domestically, as well as internationally, that it is really time to reach some compromise with the Iranians,” Saikal concluded.

Yamal’s unhappiness at the end of the match against Atletico Madrid was over missed scoring opportunities, Flick says.

Lamine Yamal’s apparent anger at the end of Barcelona’s win over Atletico Madrid stemmed from his inability to score a goal during the crucial La Liga fixture and was not linked to any off-field incidents, says the Catalan club’s manager, Hansi Flick.

The Spanish forward was visibly unhappy in the closing moments of the closely fought match in Madrid and did not celebrate with teammates when Robert Lewandowski scored the winner in the 87th minute on Saturday.

“He was a little bit angry,” La Liga leaders’ head coach, Flick, told reporters after the match.

The 18-year-old hit the post with a dinked effort after Fermin Lopez laid the ball off to him during the first half in a tense battle on the pitch.

A few minutes earlier, Yamal displayed great control, skill and vision to receive a ball in his own half, nutmeg an Atletico player and provide an open pass for Lopez in front of goal, but the 22-year-old failed to convert it into a goal.

“He [Yamal] gave it his all but was unlucky when it came to scoring or providing the final pass,” the German coach said.

“In the end, everything is fine.

“Of course, he has emotion. This was the game, with emotion, but he’s in the dressing room, and everything is good.”

Lewandowski’s dramatic late winner was celebrated by the Barcelona players on the pitch and bench, but Yamal looked subdued as he trudged on the pitch by himself.

Once the referee blew the full-time whistle, Yamal walked past Flick, who tried to placate his star player, and the two exchanged a few words before the forward headed back towards the dressing room.

Flick said Yamal’s reaction, or lack of it, was not “because of how he played, he played good”, and elaborated on his star player’s exasperation. “At the moment, he does not have this fortune that he scores the goals, but it can come back.”

Yamal has been at the centre of an Islamophobia controversy in Spanish football after he slammed anti-Muslim chants during his national team’s friendly match against Egypt in Barcelona on Tuesday.

At the ⁠⁠RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the home ground of La Liga club Espanyol, Spanish supporters chanted “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim” during the ⁠⁠World Cup warm-up match, which ended in a goalless draw.

It was the latest in a string of similar incidents to overshadow Spanish football in recent years, with Real Madrid’s Brazilian attacker Vinicius Junior in particular repeatedly racially abused.

Yamal is a Muslim player whose father moved from Morocco to Spain. He issued a damning statement on Instagram in the wake of the controversy.

“I am a Muslim. Yesterday at the stadium the chant ‘the one who doesn’t jump is the Muslim’ was heard,” he posted on Instagram in the aftermath of the match.

“I know I was playing for the rival team and it wasn’t something personal against me, but as a Muslim person it doesn’t stop being disrespectful and something intolerable.”

Yamal and Barcelona will return to action against the same opposition on Tuesday, as they host the fourth-ranked Spanish team in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal at the Camp Nou.

The fixture will provide another opportunity for the young player to add to his goal tally of 19 this season. He has scored 14 goals in La Liga and five in European competition.

“We have three days now to prepare for the next match,” Flick said when asked about the upcoming fixture.

“It’s a very important one, and he [Yamal] will be in a better mood than after the game.”

Drivers lined up for free gas in Chicago as fuel prices surge, driven by the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupting global oil supplies, with some blaming President Donald Trump.

CCTV footage circulated online shows the moment that a military dog attacks a worshipper leaving a mosque during an Israeli raid on Tarqumiyah in the occupied West Bank.

United States President Donald Trump said early on Sunday that an American soldier who went missing in Iran after the downing of his F-15E jet has been rescued following what observers called a dramatic firefight between Iranian and US rescue forces.

The US and Iran were racing to find the airman for about two days, with Tehran calling on the public to hand over the soldier to the authorities in what appeared to be attempts to capture an American prisoner of war as the US-Israel war on Iran entered its 37th day.

That scenario would have delivered a significant win to Tehran amid the ongoing pummelling of its territory, and for Washington, a stunning blow, analysts say. It could have been the moment that parts of Trump’s support base, which has so far supported the war, started to rethink their stance, they say.

“It was a major test for the American military because they really don’t want to leave any of their servicemen behind enemy lines,” Amin Saikal, a professor of Middle East and Central Asian studies at the Australian National University, told Al Jazeera.

But this rescue “also really frees up President Trump to pursue whatever strategy he has in mind”, Saikal added, referencing Trump’s 48-hour deadline for Iran to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz “before all Hell will reign down on them”. Trump has already threatened to bomb energy plants in Iran. Targeting of civilian infrastructure is seen as a violation of the laws of war.

At least 2,076 people have been killed, and 26,500 have been injured in Iran since February 28, when the US and Israel first launched strikes on Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and several other senior military and political leaders.

The conflict has since escalated into a regional war with Iran retaliating against Gulf countries hosting US military and commercial assets.

What happened to the missing airman?

The F-15E jet carrying two members was flying over southern Iran when it was shot down on Friday morning local time.

According to Tehran, the aircraft was shot down by Iran’s “new advanced air defence system”, which it said remained effective despite claims by the US that it had been destroyed.

It was the first time during the war, and the first time since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, that a US aircraft had been shot down.

Washington immediately launched a rescue mission. Although US forces rescued one crew member hours after the crash, the second pilot, believed to be a colonel-rank weapons system officer, was yet to be found.

At least one Black Hawk helicopter was hit in the initial rescue, but US officials said it managed to stay airborne.

Trump suggested that the US appeared to have the location of the airman and was tracking him as the rescue mission unfolded in an area with difficult, mountainous terrain that made physical recovery challenging.

An A-10 Warthog aircraft was also hit near the Strait of Hormuz around the same time as the F-15E, but its pilot was able to eject before the plane crashed and was subsequently rescued. Iranian media reported that this aircraft was also hit by Iran’s defence system.

How did Iran react?

Following the downing of the F-15E, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cordoned off some parts of the mountainous southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province because they believed the airman went down in the vicinity.

Iranian media also reported that parts of the southern Khuzestan region, an important energy hub, were being scrutinised. That region was the focus of heavy US-Israeli strikes on Saturday that killed at least five people and injured dozens.

Iranian authorities, in a rare move, called on the public on Friday to help find and capture the missing American soldier. State media reported that Tehran offered a $60,000 reward for the airman as clips on state TV repeatedly played footage showing the remnants of the downed US aircraft.

Nomadic tribes in the area, appearing to heed the calls, set about searching for the US airman. Footage from state media showed men carrying rifles and Iranian flags moving in between the mountains of the country’s southwest region.

Some successfully shot at two US Black Hawks that were part of the rescue mission, Iranian officials said. The BBC also verified footage appearing to show Iranian men firing their rifles at US helicopters.

Nomadic groups in Iran, and elsewhere, usually carry rifles to protect their cattle from wildlife and bandits.

The IRGC on Sunday claimed that Iranian forces destroyed two C-130 aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters during the operation to rescue the US pilot in southern Isfahan.

What did the US do to retrieve the soldier?

Early on Sunday morning, Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that the missing soldier had been rescued in “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S History”.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” Trump said in his message.

The president revealed some details of the high-risk operation. He had ordered that dozens of aircraft carrying “lethal weapons” be sent in to retrieve the airman who had managed to evade Iranian forces for two days. All the while, the US was tracking the airman.

Although Trump did not reveal details of the firefight believed to have ensued when the US closed in on the airman and went to retrieve him, he confirmed that the officer “sustained injuries” and added that “he will be just fine”.

Al Jazeera’s John Hendren gathered that there was a “heavy firefight” as what was meant to be a “get-in and get-out” rescue operation dragged on.

While US forces had aimed to use the cover of night to conduct the rescue mission after closing in on the airman, enemy fire prolonged the mission into daylight, making it more dangerous.

“We’ve heard it described to us as a heavy firefight,” Hendren reported. “In the end, they managed to spirit that airman out of the country … and into safety, but it didn’t come without injuries, including injuries to that airman himself, but in the end, the US was allowed to avoid a situation where they would have a prisoner of war inside of Iran.”

Hendren added that the US had earlier started a disinformation campaign in Iran, according to officials, claiming the airman was already rescued, to jeopardise Iran’s search.

Iran has not yet confirmed the incident. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said the firefight appeared to have occurred in the Kohgiluyeh Boyer-Ahmad region, and that nine people have been reported killed in “strikes”, although it is unclear if it was related to the US rescue mission.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities said on Sunday morning that yet another US aircraft – a Lockheed C-130 Hercules – had been downed.

The US has not responded to those claims. At least one such aircraft was spotted flying low over southwest Iran, along with two smaller refuelling helicopters, during the rescue mission effort of the last 48 hours.

Bahrain and the UAE also reported attacks resulting in fires, which were put out quickly.

Kuwait has said Iranian drone attacks damaged two power and water desalination plants and sparked a fire at an oil complex, without causing injuries.

Gulf countries have borne the brunt of Tehran’s response to the US and Israeli strikes on Iran since February 28.

Fatima Abbas Johar Hayat, a spokesperson for Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, said on Sunday the “criminal aggression” caused “serious material damage” overnight to the two plants and the outage of two electricity-generating units.

The attack is the latest to target civil infrastructure in Kuwait. Other drone attacks overnight caused a fire at the Shuwaikh Oil Sector Complex and “significant damage” to a government office complex.

Reporting from Kuwait City, Al Jazeera’s Malika Traina referred to the incident as “devastating news” because “water desalination here and across the Gulf is extremely important. In Kuwait, around 90 percent of the country’s drinking water comes from these plants”.

Alongside the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait has been at the “epicentre” of Iranian attacks over the past few days, said Al Jazeera’s Victoria Gatenby, reporting from Doha, Qatar.

“The concern here in the region is that if President [Donald] Trump and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, follow through on those threats to escalate attacks on Iran, the result may be that Tehran attacks similar facilities here in the Gulf,” said Gatenby.

Gulf patience is not ‘unlimited’

Bahrain also faced Iranian attacks on Sunday.

Bahrain’s Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co said that several of its operational units were subjected to an attack by Iranian drones, while earlier in the day, the country’s national oil company, Bapco Energies, said an oil tank at one of its storage facilities was hit.

Both attacks caused a fire but were later brought under control and extinguished, Bahraini media reported.

No casualties were reported in either attacks, and damage from both was being assessed.

Earlier, Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior had reported on the Bapco Energies fire without specifying where the blaze had broken out.

The Interior Ministry has said civil defence crews “extinguished a fire in the facility” that broke out “as a result of the Iranian aggression”.

The announcement came an hour after Bahrain activated air raid sirens.

Authorities in neighbouring Abu Dhabi on Sunday also stated they responded to several fires that broke out at the Borouge petrochemical plant, caused by falling debris from an interception.

“Operations at the plant have been immediately suspended pending a damage assessment,” read a statement issued by Abu Dhabi Media Office.

No injuries have been reported so far, it added.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, intercepted missiles early on Sunday, the kingdom said.

“Iran has said that it is only really attacking US military bases and US assets in the region, but we know from what’s been happening over the past five weeks and from what Gulf leaders have been saying that they have very much been targeting civilian infrastructure and critical energy infrastructure in this region as well,” said Gatenby.

While Gulf countries have shown “incredible restraint” in the face of attacks over the past five weeks, it is not because they lack the ability to respond and, increasingly, countries are talking about the fact that their patience is not unlimited, said Gatenby.

Saudi Arabia, in particular, has been talking in the past week about its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, she said.

“The GCC countries continue to say their main priority is de-escalation and dialogue, but some others have been saying this defensive posture may have to change if they continue to be attacked,” said Gatenby.

Spectators have been told to stay away from Durham’s Riverside ground at Chester-le-Street after it was hit by Storm Dave overnight.

The start of the third day’s play in the County Championship Division Two match between Durham and Kent has been delayed.

A club statement said “damage has been caused within the venue” and fans have been advised to stay away.

The statement continued: “The club have been in discussions with the match officials and venue staff this morning and following the impact on the pitch and structures within the ground it is confirmed that play will not commence on time, and a further update will be provided in due course.

“The safety of all in attendance is our number one priority in any decisions we make.”

The extent of the damage at the Riverside, an international cricket venue, has not yet been disclosed.