Pak-Afghan War

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Pakistan-Afghan 'war' Fresh clashes near key Torkham border crossing after PM Sharif's ‘crush’ Taliban warning​

Feb 27, 2026 12:33:17 PM IST

Fresh gunfire and shelling was reported near the key Torkham border crossing. Incoming shelling was heard from the Afghan side from around 9:30 am (0500 GMT) on Friday.​

Key Events

• 15 Mins ago Russia urges Pakistan and Afghanistan to halt fighting
• 48 Mins ago Fresh clashes reported near key Torkham border crossing
• 53 Mins ago Fresh clashes reported near key Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing
• 1 Hr 25 Mins ago UN officials call for de-escalation amid border clashes
• 1 Hr 28 Mins ago Afghans ‘will respond to aggression with courage,’ says Karzai
• 1 Hr 43 Mins ago Saudi and Pakistani ministers discuss regional tensions
• 10:47 AM IST, Feb 27 Picture shows Islamabad soldiers patrolling near Chaman border after overnight clashes
• 10:41 AM IST, Feb 27 Taliban fighters wave ‘white flags’ amid Pakistani strikes, report says
• 10:30 AM IST, Feb 27 Pakistan says Taliban takeover linked to rise in terrorism
• 10:27 AM IST, Feb 27 Pak President warns of ‘comprehensive and decisive’ response
• 10:18 AM IST, Feb 27 Taliban positions destroyed in Pakistani shelling, fighters flee, report says
• 10:06 AM IST, Feb 27 How Islamabad and Kabul compare in air power
• 9:55 AM IST, Feb 27 Purported video shows aerial view of Pakistan strikes
• 9:48 AM IST, Feb 27 Iran offers to mediate between Kabul and Islamabad
• 9:44 AM IST, Feb 27 Mohsin Naqvi warns Taliban of ‘serious consequences’
• 9:39 AM IST, Feb 27 Pakistan jets patrolling skies above Kandahar, says state media
• 9:36 AM IST, Feb 27 Pakistan state TV lists Taliban targets hit in latest strikes
• 9:27 AM IST, Feb 27 Video shows injured civilians hospitalised after airstrikes hit Kabul
• 9:02 AM IST, Feb 27 Pakistan claims massive destruction, over 130 Afghan fighters killed
• 8:51 AM IST, Feb 27 Afghanistan says three locations hit by Pakistani bombs
• 8:50 AM IST, Feb 27 What did Pakistan PM say after the Kabul airstrikes?
• 8:39 AM IST, Feb 27 Top developments
• 8:24 AM IST, Feb 27 Kabul launches retaliatory attack after airstrikes on Afghan cities
• 8:17 AM IST, Feb 27 UN chief António Guterres urges restraint, protection of civilians
• 8:09 AM IST, Feb 27 What is Pakistan's ‘Operation Ghazab lil Haq’ on Kabul
• 8:03 AM IST, Feb 27 Shehbaz Sharif says forces can ‘crush’ any aggression
• 7:57 AM IST, Feb 27 Mohsin Naqvi calls strikes a ‘befitting response’ to Afghan action
• 7:52 AM IST, Feb 27 Khawaja Asif declares ‘open war’ with Afghan Taliban
• 7:46 AM IST, Feb 27 What triggered the latest round of clashes?
• 7:39 AM IST, Feb 27 Pakistan says 2 soldiers killed, over 130 Afghan fighters dead
• 7:37 AM IST, Feb 27 Afghanistan claims 55 Pakistani soldiers killed in border retaliation
• 7:29 AM IST, Feb 27 Pakistan targets Kabul, Kandahar in fresh airstrikes
• 7:22 AM IST, Feb 27 Pakistan's Khawaja Asif declares 'open war' with Taliban

Pak-Afghanistan 'open war'
130 Taliban fighters killed, says Islamabad amid ‘open war’ and ‘crush aggressor’ warning
Pak-Afghanistan 'open war'
Pakistan has reportedly claimed that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded in its latest military offensive. Warning Kabul of escalation, Islamabad Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the armed forces have the capability to “crush any aggressive ambitions,” while defence minister Khawaja Asif declared that “our patience has reached its limit” and warned that it was now “open war” between the two sides.
Fresh gunfire and shelling was reported by news agency AFP journalists near the key Torkham border crossing. Incoming shelling was heard from the Afghan side from around 9:30 am (0500 GMT) on Friday, followed by cross-border exchanges.
Pakistani Air Force (PAF) jets are reported to be patrolling the skies over Afghanistan’s Kandahar region, Pakistan’s Dawn reported citing State media. “The Pakistan Armed Forces are fully prepared for any aggression and possess the capability to deliver a befitting response,” the broadcaster quoted security sources as saying.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated sharply overnight, with both sides claiming heavy losses and launching retaliatory strikes across the disputed border. Explosions and gunfire were reported in Kabul and Kandahar even as leaders in Islamabad and Kabul traded accusations of aggression.
The ministry of national defence of Afghanistan said 55 Pakistani soldiers were reportedly killed in retaliatory operations carried out along the Durand Line on Thursday. The 2,611-km border – known as the Durand Line – has never been officially recognised by Afghanistan and has long remained a flashpoint.
In a press release, the ministry said the operation began at 8:00 PM on the 9th of Ramadan, corresponding to February 26. It described the action as a response to what it called a violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani military forces days earlier.
According to the ministry, Afghan forces targeted Pakistani military posts in the eastern and southeastern directions along the Durand Line, near Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
Pakistan calls strikes ‘befitting response’
Islamabad, however, pushed back strongly. Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said Friday that the strikes on Afghanistan were a “befitting response”, as blasts and gunfire rang out in Kabul and Kandahar.
“Pakistan's armed forces have given a befitting response to the Afghan Taliban's open aggression,” Naqvi said, hours after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops. He described the Afghan action as “open aggression,” reported AFP.
Pakistan’s information ministry said Afghanistan had “opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations” across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It added that the firing was “being met with immediate, and effective response”.
Pakistan gives ‘open war’ warning after Afghanistan’s retaliatory strikes: 10 top developments
1. Pakistan carried out airstrikes on major Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, triggering fresh retaliation from the Taliban government.
2. Afghan forces launched cross-border attacks on Pakistani troops, describing them as retaliation for earlier deadly air raids.
3. Kabul claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a four-hour operation along the Durand Line, saying two bases and 19 posts were captured.
4. The Taliban government also said eight Afghan fighters were killed and 11 injured, and alleged that 13 civilians were wounded in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.
5. Pakistan disputed the figures, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reportedly saying only two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three injured.
6. Islamabad claimed at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and over 200 wounded, and said 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and nine captured, reported PTI.
7. Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil Haq, describing it as a retaliatory campaign after alleged Taliban attacks on border posts.
8. Defence minister Khawaja Asif declared an “all-out confrontation”, saying: “Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you.”
9. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s forces have the capability to “crush any aggressive ambitions,” while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the strikes a “befitting response.”
10. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both sides to protect civilians under international law and resolve differences through diplomacy, as tensions continue to spiral.

Russia urges Pakistan and Afghanistan to halt fighting​

Russia has called on Pakistan and Afghanistan to immediately stop cross-border attacks and resolve their differences through diplomacy, reported RIA news agency on Friday, citing the Russian foreign ministry.
Feb 27, 2026 12:00:14 PM IST

Fresh clashes reported near key Torkham border crossing​

Gunfire and shelling was reported by news agency AFP journalists near the key Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday, as deadly clashes resumed between the neighbours.
Incoming shelling was heard from the Afghan side from around 9:30 am (0500 GMT), followed by cross-border exchanges, while distant gunfire echoed across the frontier.
One journalist saw additional Afghan soldiers moving toward the border before being instructed to leave the area by security forces.
Despite the fighting, the Torkham crossing has remained open for Afghans returning from Pakistan, even though most of the land border has been largely closed since deadly clashes in October.

Feb 27, 2026 11:55:04 AM IST

Fresh clashes reported near key Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing​

The news agency AFP's journalists on the ground have reported fresh clashes near a major Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing.

Feb 27, 2026 11:49:38 AM IST Pak benefits from war while Pashtun, Baloch civilians suffer, says Mariam Solaimankhil

Reacting to Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan, Mariam Solaimankhil, a member of Afghanistan’s Parliament in Exile, said she does not believe Pakistan’s intelligence agency is truly opposed to the Taliban, arguing that the links run deep.
“Please show me one leader of the Taliban that's gone... The fighting is happening in Pashtuns and Baloch area and they are the ones who are dying... The story is a lot more twisted than it seems,” she said.
She also alleged that Pakistan stands to gain from the conflict, claiming it could use the skirmish to seek fresh financial assistance, including loans from the IMF.
(ANI)

Feb 27, 2026 11:40:49 AM IST
Pak created the terror it now fights, says Mariam Solaimankhil
Commenting on Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan, Mariam Solaimankhil, a member of Afghanistan’s Parliament in Exile, said, "Every time Pakistan conducts an airstrike, they say they are killing 'terrorists,' yet I have not heard a single name of a terrorist they say they killed. Meanwhile, Pakistan has long harboured and worked with groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, and it sheltered Osama-bin-Laden... Now Pakistan is fighting the monster it helped create. They made a business out of terrorism; destabilisation has been foundational to how the state has operated in the region... They are the cancer in the region."
"It’s women and children being killed... Look at Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: civilians are dying. People jailed right now include activists such as Mahrang Baloch and politicians such as Ali Wazir... Pakistan remains tied to the networks it helped create, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Afghan Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba and many others... This extremist ideology wasn’t natural to our region; it was manufactured in places like Rawalpindi," she added.
(ANI)
Feb 27, 2026 11:23:01 AM IST

UN officials call for de-escalation amid border clashes​

Pakistan-Afghanistan 'war' live updates: Calls for calm are growing as tensions continue along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, urged “calm and respect for international human rights & humanitarian law, in particular the protection of civilians.”
“Immediate de-escalation is essential,” Bennett said in a post on X.
Similar warnings have been issued earlier by UN secretary-general António Guterres.

Feb 27, 2026 11:20:25 AM IST

Afghans ‘will respond to aggression with courage,’ says Karzai​

Pakistan-Afghanistan 'war' live updates: Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has vowed that Afghans will defend their country with unity and courage amid Pakistan’s recent airstrikes.
“The Pakistani aircraft once again bombed Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. The Afghans will defend their beloved homeland with complete unity in all circumstances and will respond to aggression with courage,” Karzai wrote on X.
He added, “Pakistan cannot free itself from the violence and bombings—those problems it has created itself—but must change its own policy and choose the path of good neighborliness, respect, and civilized relations with Afghanistan.”
Feb 27, 2026 11:10:20 AM IST

Wounded Afghan women treated in Jalalabad after Pak strike​

(AFP)
Wounded Afghan women are receiving treatment at a hospital in Jalalabad on February 27, 2026, after a Pakistani mortar shell hit a camp for returnees from Pakistan.
Feb 27, 2026 11:05:48 AM IST
Saudi and Pakistani ministers discuss regional tensions

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud spoke with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in a phone call to discuss “developments in the region” and “ways to reduce tensions,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement posted on X.
Dar is currently in Saudi Arabia for an official visit.
Feb 27, 2026 10:47:33 AM IST

Picture shows Islamabad soldiers patrolling near Chaman border after overnight clashes​

(AFP)
A new image shows Pakistani soldiers patrolling near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing in Chaman on February 27, 2026, following overnight fighting between the two countries.

Feb 27, 2026 10:41:42 AM IST

Taliban fighters wave ‘white flags’ amid Pakistani strikes, report says​

Pakistan-Afghanistan 'war' live updates: Pakistani armed forces have “completely destroyed multiple key posts” of the Afghan Taliban, according to a report by Dawn citing state broadcaster PTV News and security sources.
The sources added that following the decisive response, Taliban fighters had “waved white flags” over their positions, signaling surrender or retreat.
Feb 27, 2026 10:30:39 AM IST Pakistan says Taliban takeover linked to rise in terrorism

In its weekly briefing, Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs highlighted a surge in attacks inside the country, linking it to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
In a purported video shared by news agency PTI, the ministry said, “…Terrorist attacks in Pakistan have increased after Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, more so in last 12-18 months…”

Feb 27, 2026 10:27:02 AM IST

Pak President warns of ‘comprehensive and decisive’ response​

Pakistan-Afghanistan 'war' live updates: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said the country will not compromise on its territorial integrity amid escalating tensions.
“Pakistan will not compromise on peace & territorial integrity. Our armed forces' response is comprehensive & decisive. Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a strong response — and no one will be beyond reach,” Zardari said.
Feb 27, 2026 10:18:11 AM IST

Taliban positions destroyed in Pakistani shelling, fighters flee, report says​

Pakistan-Afghanistan 'war' live updates: Afghan Taliban fighters opened fire at various locations along the Pak-Afghan border. In response, Pakistani forces launched a counter-attack that destroyed Taliban positions and forced fighters to flee, according to security sources cited by Pakistan’s Dawn.
The report added that Afghan positions across the border from the Chitral and Bajaur sectors were destroyed.
Pakistani forces reportedly responded “with full force” to what were described as incursions in the Nawagai sector of Bajaur, Tirah in Khyber, Mohmand district and the Arandu sector of Chitral.
The claims have not been independently verified.

Feb 27, 2026 10:06:24 AM IST

How Islamabad and Kabul compare in air power​

As tensions rise, air capability remains one of the clearest areas of contrast between the two neighbours. The following figures are based on data from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), cited by Reuters.
According to the IISS data, Pakistan operates 465 combat aircraft and more than 260 helicopters, including attack and transport variants.
Afghanistan, by comparison, has no fighter jets. It is known to possess at least six aircraft and 23 helicopters, though the number currently in operational condition cannot be independently assessed, Reuters report added.
Feb 27, 2026 9:55:26 AM IST

Purported video shows aerial view of Pakistan strikes​

Pakistan-Afghanistan 'war' live updates: A video shared by RT India claims to show aerial footage of the recent strikes on Kabul, which Pakistan says targeted Afghan Taliban positions.
The clip, circulated on social media, appears to capture explosions from above, though the exact locations and timing of the footage have not been independently verified.

Feb 27, 2026 9:48:36 AM IST

Iran offers to mediate between Kabul and Islamabad​

Amid escalating tensions, Iran has offered to help facilitate dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In a post on X, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, “In the blessed month of Ramadan, the month of self-restraint and strengthening solidarity in the world of Islam, it is fitting that Afghanistan and Pakistan manage and resolve their existing differences within the framework of good neighborliness and through the path of dialogue,” he wrote.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to provide any assistance in facilitating dialogue and strengthening understanding and cooperation between the two countries,” Araghchi added.
Last year, Qatar helped mediate a ceasefire between the two neighbours, an arrangement that largely held despite intermittent violations reported along the border.
Feb 27, 2026 9:44:06 AM IST

Mohsin Naqvi warns Taliban of ‘serious consequences’​

Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi has accused the Afghan Taliban of targeting civilians and vowed strong consequences.
In a statement posted by the interior ministry on X, Naqvi said Pakistan’s armed forces had responded befittingly to what he described as open aggression.
“The cowardly enemy struck in the darkness of night. The Afghan Taliban made a despicable attempt to target innocent civilians,” he said.
“The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces. The Afghan Taliban made a terrible mistake by attacking. They will have to face serious consequences. We will not allow our security to be compromised,” he added.

Feb 27, 2026 9:39:25 AM IST

Pakistan jets patrolling skies above Kandahar, says state media​

: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets are patrolling the skies over Afghanistan’s Kandahar following airstrikes on Afghan Taliban targets, according to state media.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, quoting state broadcaster PTV News, said the aerial patrols began after the strikes were carried out.
The broadcaster cited security sources as saying, “The Pakistan Armed Forces are fully prepared for any aggression and possess the capability to deliver a befitting response.”
Feb 27, 2026 9:36:50 AM IST

Pakistan state TV lists Taliban targets hit in latest strikes​

Islamabad’s state broadcaster, Pakistan TV, claimed multiple Taliban positions were “destroyed” in recent attacks, reported Al Jazeera.

• A Taliban brigade headquarters and an ammunition depot in Kandahar were among the targets.
• A Taliban post in the Wali Khan sector was also reported hit.
• Another post in Paktika near the Shawal sector was targeted, according to the broadcaster.
• Taliban positions in the Bajaur sector were also claimed destroyed.
• Posts in Angoor Adda were listed among the locations struck.

The claims have not been independently verified.

Pakistan claims massive destruction, over 130 Afghan fighters killed​

Pakistan has claimed heavy damage and high casualties on the Afghan side following the latest round of strikes.
Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for the prime minister, shared updated figures on X as of 03:45 local time (2245 GMT), though the numbers have not been independently verified.
According to Zaidi, 133 Afghan Taliban fighters have been killed and more than 200 wounded. He added that further casualties are expected following airstrikes on Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar.
Pakistan also claimed that 27 Afghan Taliban posts were destroyed and nine captured.
In addition, more than 80 “tanks, artillery pieces, and armed personnel carriers” were destroyed, signalling what Islamabad described as a significant blow to Taliban military infrastructure.

Feb 27, 2026 8:51:49 AM IST

Afghanistan says three locations hit by Pakistani bombs​

Afghanistan has said at least three locations were struck in the latest wave of Pakistani airstrikes. According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, the targets included Kabul, Kandahar and at least one site in the southeastern province of Paktika.
Posting on X, Mujahid said there were no casualties from the strikes. The claim, however, has not been independently verified.
Feb 27, 2026 8:50:21 AM IST

What did Pakistan PM say after the Kabul airstrikes?​

After Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, Prime Minister Shehbaz backed the country’s military action, saying the armed forces are fully capable of defeating any hostile move.
“Our forces have the full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions,” Sharif said in a reported post.
He added, “The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan armed forces,” signalling unified political support as tensions with the Taliban government escalated following the Kabul strikes and subsequent cross-border exchanges.

Feb 27, 2026 8:39:19 AM IST

Top developments​

1. Pakistan carried out airstrikes on major Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, triggering fresh retaliation from the Taliban government.
2. Afghan forces launched cross-border attacks on Pakistani troops, describing them as retaliation for earlier deadly air raids.
3. Kabul claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a four-hour operation along the Durand Line, saying two bases and 19 posts were captured. It added that eight Afghan fighters were killed and 11 injured, and alleged that 13 civilians were wounded in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.
4. Pakistan disputed the figures, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reportedly saying only two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three injured.
5. Islamabad claimed at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and over 200 wounded, and said 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and nine captured, reported PTI.
6. Defence minister Khawaja Asif declared an “all-out confrontation”, saying: “Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you.”

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

270 Taliban, 12 Pak soldiers killed as Islamabad declares open war on Kabul February 27, 2026 22:44 IST​

Following alleged border attacks, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil Haq targeting Afghan Taliban positions, signaling a firm stance against cross-border aggression and a commitment to national security.

Key Points​

• Pakistan initiated 'Operation Ghazab lil Haq' in response to alleged border attacks by the Afghan Taliban, resulting in significant casualties.
• Pakistani officials report the destruction of numerous Afghan Taliban posts, headquarters, and military equipment in Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar.
• Pakistani leaders, including President Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif, assert the nation's commitment to defending its sovereignty and responding decisively to aggression.
• Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accuses the Afghan Taliban of becoming a proxy for India and fostering terrorism after the withdrawal of NATO forces.
• Pakistan emphasises that its patience has run out and that it will not compromise on national security in the face of Afghan Taliban aggression.

Pakistan on Friday said it was in an "open war" with Afghanistan after its forces killed more than 270 Taliban fighters and injured over 400 others in airstrikes in response to what Islamabad described as the cross-border attack by the Afghan Taliban.
Afghanistan's Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Afghan forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and targeted what he described as "important military objectives" inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban attacked several checkposts along the border late Thursday, apparently to avenge the air strikes carried out by Pakistan in Afghanistan's border areas on Sunday. Pakistan responded by hitting targets in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia under 'Operation Ghazab lil Haq' early Friday.
The 2,611-km-long border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is known as the Durand Line, which Kabul has not formally recognised.
"Our patience has run out. Now there is an open war between us...Now it will be 'Dama Dam Mast Qalandar.' Pakistan's army did not come from across the seas. We are your neighbours; we know your ins and outs," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a post on X.
'Dama Dam Mast Qalandar' refers to a spiritual song associated with the Sindhi sufi saint Lal Shehbaz Qalandar. The phrase literally means "every breath is ecstasy of Qalandar," but in common parlance, it refers to acting impulsively without considering the consequences.
Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistani forces "killed 274 Taliban personnel and Khwarij, while another 400 were injured." Twelve Pakistani soldiers were killed, while 27 others were injured, and one was missing in action, he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where he was given a detailed briefing on the current situation, Chaudhry said.
According to a handout by the PM Office, Shehbaz said that zero tolerance should be adopted against the nexus between the Afghan Taliban and 'Fitna al Khawarij' and its malicious actions. The term 'Fitna al Khawarij' is used for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
"The Afghan Taliban, who are a master proxy, launched unprovoked attacks at 53 locations in 15 sectors along the border in coordination with terrorists," Chaudhry said, adding that Pakistan served an effective "brutal response" to the attacks.
The spokesperson said Pakistan destroyed 73 Afghan posts along the border while capturing another 18 posts, which are "in our possession."
He said that a conservative estimate showed that at least 115 tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and artillery pieces were destroyed.
He said the Afghan Taliban Corps Headquarters, Brigade Headquarters, Battalion Headquarters, and weapon depots were also destroyed in air attacks when jets hit targets at 22 places in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Khost, Paktika, and Laghman.
Taliban government spokesman Mujahid said that the recent strikes were intended to send a clear message that "our hand can reach their collar," adding that any "malicious act" by Pakistan would be answered "in Islamabad."
Mujahid said that during last night's retaliatory operations, 19 Pakistani military posts and two headquarters were seized. He claimed that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several others captured, Tolo News reported.
"Afghan forces recovered weapons, ammunition, one tank, and a military transport vehicle. 13 Islamic Emirate soldiers were killed and 22 others wounded in the fighting," he said.
Mujahid reiterated that Afghanistan seeks peaceful relations with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and India. "Our good relations with India are not directed against Pakistan," he said, emphasising that the Emirate "has never been under the control of any country."
Chaudhry said that the Taliban came armed with quadcopters and small and big weapons, but the response by Pakistan was so effective that they were repulsed completely at all 53 places, and "we gave an effective response to target all 53 places."
He said that the Afghan Taliban should choose between Pakistan and the terrorists.
"You have been hearing this lie since last night... At no place was any civilian infrastructure targeted. These are all military targets," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held telephone conversations with his Turkish and Saudi counterparts and exchanged views on the current situation.
During talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, "both leaders emphasised the importance of peace and stability in the region and agreed to stay closely engaged on evolving developments," the Foreign Office said.
Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan "reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the region and agreed to stay closely engaged," it added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last year signed a joint defence agreement, pledging to come to the aid of each other in case of attacks by a third country.
China and Russia also expressed concern over the escalation and called on both sides to resolve their differences through diplomatic means and reach a ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid more suffering.
"The Afghan Taliban made a terrible mistake by attacking. They will have to face serious consequences. We will not allow our security to be compromised," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.
President Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan would not compromise on peace and territorial integrity. "Our armed forces' response is comprehensive and decisive. Those who mistake our peace for weakness will face a strong response—and no one will be beyond reach," he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Pakistani forces "are fully capable of crushing any aggressive ambitions."
"There will be no compromise on the defence of the beloved homeland, and every aggression will be met with a befitting reply," he added.
Defence Minister Asif said that following the withdrawal of NATO forces, there was an expectation of peace in Afghanistan, with the Taliban focusing on the development of the Afghan people and regional stability.
"However, the Taliban turned Afghanistan into a colony of India. They gathered all the terrorists of the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism," he alleged, without providing any evidence in support of his claim.
"They deprived their own people of basic human rights. They snatched away the rights that Islam grants to women."
Asif said that Pakistan made every effort to keep the situation normal through direct means and through friendly countries, and it also engaged in full-fledged diplomacy, but the "Taliban became a proxy for India."
"Today, when attempts are being made to target Pakistan with aggression, our forces are giving a decisive response," he said.
The Afghan Taliban has blamed the Pakistani army's aggressive actions, including airstrikes on Kabul, for the escalation of the conflict."​

Afghanistan-Pakistan War Live Updates
1. A viral report by Tolo News claimed that the Taliban shot down Pakistan's fighter jet. The news, however, has been fact-checked. No, the Taliban did not shoot down the Pakistani F-16.
2. Iran offers to mediate after Pakistan's 'open war' threat to Afghanistan
3. Pakistan has declared an "open war" against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the country Islamabad backed for years. In this conflict, Pakistan has clear military advantage. Its armed forces are not only larger but also better organised and equipped.
4. Taliban regime opens unprovoked fire along Pak-Afghan border, claims Pakistan
5. Afghanistan Attacks Pakistan: Taliban Launches Large-Scale Offensive Alongside Shared Border
6. Pakistan Air Force Strikes Kabul and Kandahar, Kills Over 13
7. Pakistan Launches Operation Ghazab Lil Haq
8. Pak Defence Minister Declares 'Open War' With Taliban in Afghanistan
9. Pak PM Sharif Says 'No Compromise' With Country's Defence


FEB 28, 2026 05:34 IST

Pakistan vs Afghanistan: A Military Comparison Amid Rising Border Tensions-Summary​

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that escalating clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan risk regional instability and urged two nations to hold dialogue and protect civilians. Latest events on 28 Fen 2026 include
1. A viral report by Tolo News claimed that the Taliban shot down Pakistan's fighter jet. The news, however, has been fact-checked. No, the Taliban did not shoot down the Pakistani F-16.
2. Iran offers to mediate after Pakistan's 'open war' threat to Afghanistan
3. Pakistan has declared an "open war" against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the country Islamabad backed for years. In this conflict, Pakistan has clear military advantage. Its armed forces are not only larger but also better organised and equipped.
4. Taliban regime opens unprovoked fire along Pak-Afghan border, claims Pakistan
5. Afghanistan Attacks Pakistan: Taliban Launches Large-Scale Offensive Alongside Shared Border
6. Pakistan Air Force Strikes Kabul and Kandahar, Kills Over 13
7. Pakistan Launches Operation Ghazab Lil Haq
8. Pak Defence Minister Declares 'Open War' With Taliban in Afghanistan
9. Pak PM Sharif Says 'No Compromise' With Country's Defence

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

The Durand Line is a 2,611-kilometer border established in 1893 between British India and Afghanistan, marking the division of territories. Afghanistan has never formally recognized this border, leading to ongoing disputes and tensions between the two nations. This contested border complicates security operations and cross-border relations, making it a focal point for military actions and accusations from both sides. The historical context and lack of recognition contribute to the volatility in the region.
Pakistan has a significantly larger military force with 660,000 active personnel, including 560,000 in the army, 70,000 in the air force, and 30,000 in the navy. In contrast, Afghanistan's military, primarily the Taliban, has only around 172,000 active personnel. This disparity highlights the challenges Afghanistan faces in military capabilities and resources, especially in the context of ongoing border tensions and conflicts.
Pakistan's military is equipped with advanced military hardware, including 465 combat aircraft and over 260 helicopters. Additionally, it has more than 6,000 armored fighting vehicles and over 4,600 pieces of artillery. This extensive {censored}nal provides Pakistan with a considerable advantage in military operations, particularly in the context of its ongoing tensions with Afghanistan, where such capabilities can significantly impact the outcome of conflicts.
While Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country and has 170 warheads, Afghanistan does not have a nuclear {censored}nal. The Pakistani forces have an edge over the Talibani fighters due to two major reasons: continued recruitment and retention and technical support and import of equipment from China.​

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Centre to evacuate Indians from Gulf; IndiGo to operate 10 Jeddah flights​

Source March 03, 2026 01:02 IST

Amid rising tensions in West Asia, the Indian government is actively preparing to evacuate and ensure the safe return of Indian citizens stranded due to the conflict and flight disruptions.

IMAGE: Passengers stranded at Abu Dhabi airport amid flight disruptions and cancellations due to the situation in West Asia. Photograph: ANI Video Grab

Key Points​

• The Indian government is prepared to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in the Gulf region due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
• Discussions are underway with Indian missions abroad to ensure the safety and facilitate the return of affected individuals.
• The government is prioritizing the safety of Indians and is seeking expert advice regarding air travel in war-affected regions.
• Efforts are being made to assist Indians stranded in Dubai due to flight operation disruptions.

Amid escalating West Asia tensions, the Centre on Monday said it is in touch with Indian missions in the Gulf region to ensure the safe return of stranded Indian nationals as state governments across the country stepped up efforts to assist such residents.
Asserting that it was closely monitoring the evolving airspace situation in parts of the region, the civil aviation ministry on Monday evening said IndiGo plans to operate 10 special relief flights from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to various Indian cities on March 3.
A source said flights from Jeddah will be operated to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad.

"IndiGo has planned 10 special relief operations from Jeddah to India on 3 March to facilitate the return of stranded passengers, subject to required approvals and prevailing airspace conditions. IndiGo is coordinating with the Consulate General of India at Jeddah for passenger facilitation," the ministry said in a statement.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which met last evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has expressed concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the Gulf nations.
The CCS also directed all concerned departments to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments.
On Monday, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Centre is fully prepared to bring back Indians stranded in the Gulf region and is in touch with Indian missions abroad to ensure their safety.
In a statement, Joshi said discussions have been held with senior officials of the concerned embassies to facilitate the safe return of those affected by the war situation.
"Whenever Kannadigas and other Indians face distress anywhere in the world, the Central Government has ensured their safe return. Earlier, we brought back those stranded in Ukraine. Wherever Indians are, their safety remains our first priority," he said.
In Maharashtra, officials said hundreds of people from the state are stranded in the Gulf nations due to airspace closure.
Among those stranded in Dubai is Congress' Jalna Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Kale, who had gone there on Friday, just a day before the joint US-Israel strike on Iran, his brother Jagannath Kale said.
Nine other tourists from Jalna are also stranded in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two biggest cities and business nerve centres of the United Arab Emirates, the officials added.
As many as 84 students and four professors from Indira Institute of School of Business in Pimpri Chinchvad in Pune are stuck in Dubai after reaching the Gulf to attend the 'Global Immersion Programme', an official said.
A Pune official said the administration has received information about 123 persons from the district being stuck in Dubai.
Sources said 300 people from Pune district, who had gone to Dubai through a health insurance firm on February 26, are also stuck, though officials said they do not have information in this regard.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate evacuation preparedness, enhance diplomatic outreach and establish an inter-ministerial mechanism to protect Kannadigas and other
Indians stuck in the region due to disruption of flight operations to and from West Asia after the US and Israel's attack on Iran.
In a letter to PM Modi, Siddaramaiah said a large number of Kannadigas and other Indian nationals have been stranded, particularly in major transit hubs such as the UAE, including Dubai.
The chief minister said the Karnataka government has activated the State Emergency Operations Centre and all District Emergency Operations Centres to function round-the-clock.
As many as 109 people from Karnataka are stranded in the war-ravaged West Asia, his office said in a statement.



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Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the Karnataka government is making efforts to bring back those stranded in the Gulf.
"We have taken up this matter with the central government and sought their intervention," the minister said.
In Andhra Pradesh, NRI Empowerment and Relations Minister K Srinivas said the state government is taking urgent measures to safely bring back Telugu citizens stranded in the Gulf region.
The minister called on Telugu expatriates in the Gulf to make use of the helplines launched for their assistance.
"As Telugu people are facing hardships at some airports, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and I are regularly monitoring the situation," he said.
Noting that the government has alerted Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) coordinators in the Gulf region to help Telugu people in distress, Srinivas said efforts are on to provide temporary accommodation, security and help in the homes of local Telugu people.
The APNRTS has advised Telugu expats to travel to Muscat in Oman for repatriation flights to Kochi and return to India.
"The flights from Muscat have started already. We are directing them to take the Muscat-Kochi flight and then come back to India," Ravi Kumar P Vemuru, president of APNRTS, told PTI.
Meanwhile, the Telangana government on Monday set up a control room at the Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi to assist residents of the state living in crisis-hit West Asia and their family members back home.
State government officials are closely monitoring the situation in the Gulf region, an official release said.
In Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a round-the-clock helpline to assist Punjabis stranded in affected countries following the joint Israel-US attack on Iran, assuring them all possible help.
"The state government is constantly in touch with the Government of India to ensure the safe and prompt return of those stuck. Due to the conflicts in Arab countries, many Punjabis in these nations are facing serious difficulties. The Punjab government has set up a helpline," he said.
The BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also released helpline numbers for those stuck in the affected countries.
In Uttar Pradesh, police said several people from Amethi, including four students, are stranded in Iran.
They are all residents of Bhanauli village under the Musafirkhana area of the district, they said.
Israr, the father of Syed Imam Ali who is one of four stuck students, said that he had a brief conversation with his son on March 1.
"He (Syed Imam) said that we are in Qom city, but there is no talk of war right now. He then disconnected the call and since then, there has been no contact," Israr said.
In Himachal Pradesh, Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said there has been no harm to any Himachali stranded in the Middle East and asserted that everyone wishing to return would be brought safely once flights resume.
The state home secretary is in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union home secretary, Chauhan said.
"As of now, the exact number of people from the state stranded in the Middle East is not available, but the stranded people are in touch with their family members," he said.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

World War III buzz: At a time when fears of World War III are rising amid the US-Iran war, Russia has sent a chilling warning to the West. A top Russian official, Dmitry Medvedev, said that World War III could undoubtedly begin if Trump continues his insane course of criminally changing political regimes. Earlier, he said Trump showed his true colours when Israel and US jointly launched strikes on Iran. Russian political philosopher Alexander Dugin also asserted that World War III has begun

US President Donald Trump's decision to take military action in Iran has once again ignited fears of World War III. Amid the growing speculation about World War III amid the rising tensions in the Middle East, Russia has issued a chilling warning to the West that WWIII could "undoubtedly begin if Trump continues his insane course of criminally changing political regimes." Dmitry Medvedev, a top Russian official and deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that World War III will break out if US President Donald Trump "continues his insane course of criminally changing political regimes."
Speaking in an interview with the Russian state news agency Tass, Dmitry Medvedev described Washington's actions as "a war by the US and its allies to preserve global dominance." "If Trump continues his insane course of criminally changing political regimes, it will undoubtedly begin. And any event could be the trigger. Any event," he warned
He claimed that the US wants to maintain global dominance at any cost. “The pigs don’t want to give up their trough,” he said. According to Medvedev's assessment, the vulnerability of US and Israeli officials "has significantly increased" since Iran declared the war.
US President Donald Trump said the “big wave” of the American attack on Iran is still to come as fighting continues. He outlined his objectives in the war, saying the United States aims to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, annihilate its navy, end its nuclear ambitions and stop Tehran from arming militant groups.

Meanwhile, Iran has broadened its retaliatory attacks on American and Israeli targets in the Gulf region on Tuesday, as Trump warned that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran could intensify.

Americans told to leave West Asia
The US State Department urged American citizens to leave the Middle East immediately amid rising tensions. Trump told CNN that “the biggest surprise” of the conflict has been Iran’s attacks against Arab countries in the region.

Strikes and sirens across the region
On the ground, Iran and its proxies continue to target US allies in the Gulf. The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia was hit by suspected Iranian drones, while explosions were reported in Iraq and sirens sounded over Bahrain. At the same time, Israel carried out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Iran hits the American embassy in Riyadh; the US pulls staff. The incident followed a similar strike on the US Embassy in Kuwait, which has since been closed until further notice.​

IMAGE: Vehicles drive along a street near the Diplomatic Quarter, following drone strikes that hit the US embassy compound and were intercepted by Saudi air defences, according to the Defence Ministry, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 3, 2026. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters

Key Points​

• Iranian drones struck the US Embassy in Riyadh; Washington has begun evacuating staff from multiple Gulf countries.
• The war has entered its fourth day, with Israeli ground operations expanding into southern Lebanon.
• President Donald Trump signaled a prolonged campaign and did not rule out deeper US military involvement.
• The conflict has killed at least 787 people in Iran, along with casualties in Israel, Lebanon, and among US forces, while disrupting global oil and shipping markets.

Iran expanded its targets on Tuesday by striking the United States Embassy in Riyadh, even as Washington, DC began pulling staff out of several West Asian countries amid an escalating conflict that has disrupted global oil and gas supplies, shipping lanes, and air travel.

Saudi Arabia's defense ministry said two drones hit the US diplomatic compound in the capital, causing a 'limited fire.'
The embassy urged Americans to avoid the facility.

The incident followed a similar strike on the US Embassy in Kuwait, which has since been closed until further notice.

The US State Department ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, and the UAE. Washington has also advised its citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the region, although widespread airspace closures have left many stranded.

The conflict entered its fourth day with Israel deploying additional ground troops into southern Lebanon and fresh explosions reported in Tehran.

War could last for weeks: Trump​

US President Donald Trump said the war could last four to five weeks and indicated the US was prepared for a longer campaign, without ruling out the possibility of ground troops.

The initial US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, after which Trump urged Iranians to overthrow their government. However, senior US officials later clarified that regime change was not an official objective.

787 killed in Iran so far​

According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 787 people have been killed in Iran since the strikes began.

In Israel, 11 people have died in Iranian missile attacks.

Hezbollah attacks and Israeli retaliatory strikes have left 52 dead in Lebanon.

The US military has confirmed six American service members killed, while additional casualties have been reported in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

The widening hostilities have intensified concerns of a prolonged regional conflict with significant global economic repercussions.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Israel sends troops to Lebanon, Hezbollah declares 'open war'​

March 03, 2026 22:36 IST

The Israeli military said its forces had taken up new positions at several strategic points near the border as part of a 'forward defence' posture.

IMAGE: Smoke rises at the site of an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Lebanon, on March 3, 2026. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters

Key Points​

• Israel deployed additional ground troops into southern Lebanon and ordered evacuations in over 80 villages.
• Hezbollah declared readiness for an 'open war' following Israeli strikes.
• Israeli airstrikes killed 40 people in Lebanon; 246 were injured, according to revised official figures.
• UN peacekeepers reported Israeli cross-border movements amid rising tensions along the frontier.

Israel on Tuesday sent additional troops into southern Lebanon and warned residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate, as Hezbollah declared it was ready for an 'open war' amid escalating regional hostilities.
The Israeli military said its forces had taken up new positions at several strategic points near the border as part of a 'forward defence' posture.
The army's Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, urged civilians in southern Lebanon not to return to evacuated areas until further notice.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that the Lebanese army was evacuating some border positions and redeploying troops.
A Lebanese military official confirmed that Israeli troops had moved into multiple areas, prompting the army to reposition.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill 40​

The escalation followed Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel.
Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes that killed 40 people in Lebanon, according to a revised toll issued by the Lebanese health ministry.
The ministry said 246 people were wounded and tens of thousands displaced.
The Israel Defense Forces said the deployment aims to bolster security for northern Israeli residents.
Israeli forces have continued to occupy five positions in southern Lebanon since a US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its peacekeepers observed Israeli troops making incursions across the border before returning to Israeli territory.
A senior Hezbollah official said the group’s patience had run out after months of Israeli strikes despite the ceasefire.
"If it is an open war, then so be it," he said.
Lebanon's health ministry also said that 397 people had been killed in Israeli strikes since the November ceasefire and before Hezbollah's latest attacks.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Amidst the escalating conflict in West Asia, Indians returning home share their harrowing experiences of flight disruptions, financial strain, and constant fear, highlighting the urgent need for assistance for those stranded.

IMAGE: Indian passengers at the IGI. Airport as they arrive safely from Dubai amid the ongoing international tensions, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points​

• The West Asia conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has caused significant travel disruptions, leaving many Indians stranded and anxious.
• Returnees from Dubai and Muscat describe experiences of flight cancellations, financial burdens, and witnessing explosions, causing immense fear.
• Families with members in Iran express deep concern due to the proximity of missile strikes to residential areas and hostels.
• Passengers are urging authorities to provide faster clearance and better arrangements for those trying to return home amid the crisis.
• Special arrangements are needed to assist stranded Indians facing financial difficulties due to the ongoing conflict and travel disruptions.

Whether in transit or on a trip to Dubai, fliers who returned to India after being stranded in the conflict-hit region narrated their ordeal, from hearing sounds of explosions to experiencing financial woes, long waits and confusion during their stay there.

Several passengers said they heaved a sigh of relief only when their aircraft touched the Indian soil after a long and arduous journey, and thanked the central and the respective state governments for the arrangements.
Lok Sabha Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, Praveen Khandelwal, on Tuesday said his daughter, who was stranded in Dubai for the last three days amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, returned safely to India.

He said she had travelled to Dubai on a business trip and was unable to return due to flight cancellations.
Tensions have escalated following a coordinated offensive launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.

The US and Israel jointly launched military strikes on the Islamic country on Saturday.

Iran responded by firing drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations across the Gulf, and also at the global business hub of Dubai.

"I didn't feel any relief, not even during the flight, until I finally landed in Delhi," said Sunil Gupta, one of the several passengers who returned home shaken.

Gupta, who was returning from Dubai, said the uncertainty was overwhelming.

Stranded Tourists Face Financial Hardship​

Arvind, a resident of Noida who also returned from Dubai, said many people were stranded after flights got cancelled.

"People had just gone there for a few days and are not able to handle the expenses. The stranded tourists are facing a serious financial burden. That is the biggest problem right now," he said.

He said the flight that he had initially booked was cancelled, forcing him to stay back for four extra days.

"During that time, we kept hearing about and seeing incidents around us. I personally saw explosions in the sky, but they (missiles) were being intercepted.

Even though the missiles were intercepted, witnessing something like that creates fear," he said.
For some families, the distress has been far more personal.
Kunwar Shakeel Ahmed, father of an Indian student studying in Iran, said the situation near his daughter's hostel is frightening.

"Sounds of blasts can be heard. Whatever missiles are being fired are landing very close to where they are staying. She told me that after one blast nearby, parts of the roof and the plaster of the hostel building fell off. You can imagine what the girls must be going through," Ahmed said.

'Delays and uncertainty worsened the situation.'​

Another passenger, Suhail Ahmed, returning from Muscat, said delays and uncertainty at airports worsened the situation.

"There were long waits and confusion. Families with children were struggling, and many people were running short of money. In such times, authorities should ensure a faster clearance and better arrangements for those trying to return," he added.

Relief was writ large on the faces of Indian passengers who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru from the UAE, ending a period of high tension fueled by the conflict in West Asia.

Upon arrival on Monday night, the passengers recollected the tense moments of a missile attack in the Gulf nation, before flying towards safety.

Saurabh Shetty, who hails from Mangaluru and works for an oil company in Abu Dhabi, described the situation as 'worrisome and scary'.

"When I came to catch my flight on February 28, everything seemed alright. Suddenly, near the check-in area, we got an alarm and were asked to sit down. We were cautioned not to sit near the windows because of a missile threat," he told PTI videos.

"Someone said, 'The missile is going to hit.' We were shocked. We were like, "We are in the safest city -- Abu Dhabi." How can this happen here? Later, when we looked outside, we saw a missile. We never thought such things could happen here...," Shetty added.

'Coming back here is like freedom.'​

Girimalappa Kerur, originally from Bilgi in the Bagalkot district and currently based in Bengaluru, said he was traveling to Paris on a business trip but got stranded.

"We could hear explosions, and we were told around 15 missiles were intercepted in Abu Dhabi. One person reportedly died due to debris. Etihad arranged a safe hotel away from the airport... I cancelled my onward trip to Paris and returned to Bengaluru. I'm relieved to be back," he said.

Shubha, a passenger from New York, who was supposed to return to Chennai on Sunday, described how the roads wore a deserted look following the conflict and added it was a 'scary situation' in Dubai.

"Coming back here is like freedom. I am coming from New York. I had a layover in Dubai on Saturday. In the afternoon around 1 pm that day, they (airline authorities) said that the Dubai airspace had been closed," she told reporters at the airport in Bengaluru.

A passenger, Syed Ali, said, "Upon hearing the news, several children started crying due to the situation at the Dubai airport. However, the hotel authorities helped us a lot and accommodated us."

"Nearly 20,000 people were seen standing in long queues and were sent to various hotels," Ali, who hails from Nagoor in Tamil Nadu, said.

A drone attack near their hotel in Dubai and a sense of insecurity kept 23 tourists from Kolhapur district on tenterhooks, but thanks to Indian and UAE authorities, the group on Tuesday landed safely in Mumbai and returned to their hometown.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said the strike was carried out on Tuesday night amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.

IMAGE: A screengrab from the video of the strike released by US Department of War. Photograph: ANI on X

Key Points​

• US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said a torpedo fired from an American submarine destroyed an Iranian warship in international waters.
• Hegseth described the Tuesday night attack as the first time since World War II that a US submarine had sunk an enemy vessel.
• He asserted that US and Israeli forces would soon establish complete control over Iranian airspace.
• Earlier, Sri Lanka reported its Navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from a naval ship that sank off the southern coast.
• Lanka confirmed the vessel was Iranian and said the rescued crew members were wearing Iranian naval uniforms.

United States Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters.

He said it was the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War II.

"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters," Hegseth told reporters.

"Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo."

Hegseth said the US military sank the Iranian ship named after 'Soleimani', the former Iranian general Qasem Soleimani who was killed by US forces during President Donald Trump's first term.

"I guess POTUS got him twice," Hegseth said, referring to General Soleimani.
Sri Lanka said its Navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from a naval ship that sank off the southern coast, while several bodies were recovered from the site.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that an emergency message was received by the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard at 5.08 am regarding a sinking ship named IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles off the southern port district of Galle.
Herath said that the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force carried out a joint rescue operation.

"Thirty of them were rescued while around 180 were said to be on board," he said.

He said that the reason for the sinking had not yet been established.

The Iranian ship recently participated in an international naval drill hosted by India. There was no immediate comment from the Indian Navy.
Sri Lanka denied submarine attack earlier
Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath told reporters in Colombo that several bodies were found near the location of the distress signal, though the exact number was not immediately available.

"At this point, it is difficult to give any numbers, but bodies have been found. As they were found closer to the point of distress, it is accepted that they were from the same ship," he said.

"When our teams reached the scene, we observed a large oil slick, indicating that the ship had sunk," Sampath added.

In response to a question, the spokesperson had categorically rejected media reports that the ship had been sunk in a submarine attack.

"We are only concerned about our obligation to rescue them as first responders under international maritime obligations," he said.

Sampath said the cause of the distress signal would be determined later through investigations by specialised authorities.

Although the incident occurred outside Sri Lankan territorial waters, it fell within the country's search and rescue zone, he said.

Sampath confirmed the vessel was Iranian and said the rescued crew members were wearing Iranian naval uniforms.

Air Force spokesman Nalin Wewakumbura said no other vessels or aircraft were detected in the area where the distress signal originated.

Hearth said Sri Lankan is bound by international conventions on maritime rescue to assist anyone in distress, irrespective of the reason.

The rescued sailors were taken to the Navy's Southern Command headquarters and later admitted to Karapitiya Hospital in Galle, Herath added.

Security around the Southern Command had been stepped up, officials said.

Referring to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Herath said Sri Lanka deeply regretted the situation and urged a peaceful resolution.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

It remains unclear whether United States President Donald Trump or Iranian authorities will pursue the offer.

IMAGE: A woman reacts during the funeral of the victims following a reported strike on a school, in Minab, Iran, on March 3, 2026. Photograph: Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Key Points​

• Iranian intelligence operatives reportedly approached the CIA indirectly to explore peace talks.
• The offer is not currently being treated as serious in Washington, DC.
• President Trump said it was 'too late' for negotiations.
• US and Israeli strikes continue across Iran and Lebanon.

Amid escalating hostilities, operatives of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence have indirectly reached out to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict, according to officials briefed on the outreach, The New York Times reported.

It remains unclear whether United States President Donald Trump or Iranian authorities will pursue the offer.

The outreach comes as Iran's leadership faces turmoil following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli airstrike.

Israeli officials, seeking a prolonged campaign to weaken Iran’s military capabilities and potentially destabilise its government, have urged Washington to ignore the overture.

For now, the offer is not being considered serious in Washington, DC, according to The New York Times.

Will have total control of Iranian airspace soon: Hegseth
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said recent US and Israeli strikes damaged Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The reported covert contact followed President Trump's statement on Tuesday that it was 'too late' for Iran to restart negotiations.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump claimed Iran's 'air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone'.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing that the US was winning 'decisively', asserting that American and Israeli air forces would soon have complete control of Iranian airspace under Operation Epic Fury.

As uncertainty looms over Tehran, exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi has called on the diaspora to intensify lobbying efforts abroad, describing the current period as 'sensitive' and 'fateful' for Iran's future.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, Pakistan's defence chief visited Saudi Arabia to discuss regional security and the mutual defence pact between the two nations, focusing on de-escalation strategies.

IMAGE: Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir meets Saudi Arabia Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. Photograph: @kbsalsaud/X

Key Points​

• Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces met with Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister to discuss regional security amidst rising tensions.
• The meeting addressed the mutual defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in light of recent attacks on Saudi Arabia.
• Discussions focused on ways to de-escalate tensions and ensure regional stability, urging Iran to exercise restraint.
• Pakistan has been actively engaging with both Saudi Arabia and Iran to promote dialogue and prevent further escalation.

Amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir travelled to Saudi Arabia and met Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to discuss the security situation.
Saudi Arabia has come under attacks by Iran, putting in cross hairs the mutual defence pact signed between Islamabad and Riyadh last year. The countries are bound by the agreement to come to the defence of each other in case of attack by a third country.

The defence pact faced its first test after the Afghan Taliban attacked Pakistan on February 26, and Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said it was "open war" between the two countries, while Iran reportedly launched drones and missiles against the kingdom following the joint strikes by the US and Israel.

Questions were being asked if Pakistan would stand up in the defence of Saudi Arabia if a formal war began with Iran.

Discussions on Regional Stability​

Prince Khalid bin Salman in a statement posted on X early Saturday said his meeting with CDF Munir focused on ways to stop the attacks, which he said "do not serve the security and stability of the region".

He added that there is hope that the Iranian side will prioritise wisdom and reason and refrain from "wrong calculations".

"We discussed the Iranian attacks on the kingdom within the framework of the joint strategic defence agreement between our two brotherly countries, and ways to stop these attacks, which do not serve the security and stability of the region, hoping that the Iranian side will prioritise wisdom and reason and refrain from wrong calculations," he said.

Pakistan has not so far commented on the visit of CDF Munir to Saudi Arabia.

Diplomatic Efforts​

The two sides have been in contact since the start of the war against Iran and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif contacted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had talked to his Saudi counterparts more than once.

Dar told the media during the week that he also contacted the Iranian foreign minister and urged him not to target Saudi Arabia.

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Pakistan bombs 7 terrorist camps in Afghanistan in retaliatory strike​

February 22, 2026
The Pakistan military operation targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan escalated tensions between the two nations and raised concerns about regional security

• The recent attacks in Pakistan, including a suicide bombing, were allegedly perpetrated by Khwarij on the behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership.
• Pakistan claims the Afghan Taliban regime has failed to prevent terrorists from using Afghan territory to launch attacks.
• Pakistan urges the Afghan government to fulfill its obligations under the Doha Agreement to deny the use of its soil against other countries.
• Pakistan emphasizes that the safety and security of its citizens remains its top priority amid deteriorating relations with the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan, in a midnight military action, targeted at least seven terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan in retaliation for the recent rebel attacks, it emerged on early Sunday.
In the latest terrorist incident, an army lieutenant colonel and a soldier were killed in a suicide attack in the Bannu area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday.

According to a statement by the ministry of information and broadcasting, Pakistan has conclusive evidence that these acts of terrorism, including at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, one each in Bajaur and Bannu, followed by another incident in Bannu on Saturday, were allegedly perpetrated by Khwarij on the behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.
"In this backdrop, Pakistan, in a retributive response, has carried out intelligence-based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban of FAK and its affiliates and ISKP at the border region of the Pakistan-Afghan border with precision and accuracy," it said.
The minister added that Pakistan expects and reiterates that the interim Afghan government fulfill its obligations.
Pakistan also expects the international community to play a positive and constructive role by urging the Taliban regime to stand by its commitments as part of the Doha Agreement to deny use of its soil against other countries, an act vital for regional and global peace and security, it stated.
It further said that Pakistan has always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region, but at the same time, the "safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority."

Deteriorating relations​

Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have deteriorated due to the alleged failure of Kabul to stop terrorists from using its soil to attack Pakistan.
Last year in October, the two sides were briefly engaged in an armed conflict in which 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 Afghan Taliban soldiers were killed, according to the Pakistani army.
Source: PTI

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India unveils first counter-terrorism policy, Prahaar, 23 February 2026​

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The government on Monday unveiled the country's first counter-terrorism policy, "Prahaar," setting out a multi-layered strategy based on "zero tolerance," intelligence-led prevention, and disruption of extremist violence that aims to deny terrorists, their financiers, and supporters access to funds, weapons, and safe havens.

The policy unveiled by the home ministry is based on seven key pillars to counter the terror threats emanating from India or abroad—prevention, responses, aggregating internal capacities, human rights and "rule of law"-based processes, attenuating the conditions enabling terrorism including radicalization, aligning and shaping the international efforts to counter terrorism, and recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach.

"There has been a history of sporadic instability in the immediate neighborhood of India, which has often given rise to ungoverned spaces. Besides, a few countries in the region have sometimes used terrorism as an instrument of state policy," the document said, without naming Pakistan.

"Notwithstanding this, India does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality, or civilization. India has always denounced terrorism and its use by any actor for achieving any stated or unstated ends unambiguously and unequivocally," it added.

Stating that India has consistently stood by the victims of terrorism and has been steadfast in its belief that there can be no justification whatsoever for violence in the world, the document said it is this principled approach that informs New Delhi's policy of "zero tolerance" against terrorism. -- PTI

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Now that you are seeing Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Qatar and more suffering damage due to Iranian missiles, remember what happened ten months ago in India.

Pakistan had launched 300–400 Asisguard Songar Turkish Drones across 36 Indian locations in May 2025.

Plus, another 600 or so -
> Yiha-III Class Loitering Munitions.
> Swarm drones and commercial quadcopters.
> Fatah-II long-range missile.
> Fatah-I Ballistic missile.
> Chinese PL-15 long-range missiles from J-10C jets.

These thousand drones and missiles could have killed thousands of civilians in India. Could have damaged airfields and defence establishments. They were targeting 1500+ km area in India.

But almost every missile or drone was intercepted. We didn't see any major civilian casualties.

Because India had two killer punches. The Russian S-400 and the Indian Akashteer defensive shields. Plus precise satellite input from ISRO.

We should be ever thankful to great men like Prahlada Ramarao who gave India these massive life saving Akash missiles We don't thank them enough for keeping us safe in a hostile world.

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Dalvinder Singh Grewal​

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Jan 3, 2010 1,872 443 80

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How Taliban struck Pakistan where it hurts (TOI)​

Mar 09, 2026, 04:00 IST
The Afghan defence ministry says it carried out precision airstrikes on key Pakistani military facilities, as clashes between the two sides show no signs of easing
Clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified, with explosions reported in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on March 1. The Taliban government said it had thwarted a Pakistani airstrike targeting the Bagram airfield, a former US base, according to multiple reports.

Several Pakistani fighter jets attempted to bomb the site early on March 1, The New York Times reported, citing Fazal Rahim Meskinyar, a spokesman for Parwan Province police. Afghan anti-aircraft systems intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported, he said.


Afghanistan’s defence ministry also said it carried out precision airstrikes on key Pakistani military facilities, including Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi. It claimed the strikes inflicted “significant damage” on the targeted sites.

The Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi’s Chakala area was previously struck by India during Operation Sindoor last May, a campaign launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

The latest escalation follows months of cross-border tensions. Fighting flared again on February 26, when Afghan forces launched an offensive along the frontier, prompting Pakistan to respond with ground and air operations.

While Pakistan said its airstrikes had killed more than 270 Taliban fighters and wounded over 400 others, Kabul claimed Afghan forces had killed 55 Pakistani soldiers.

In a post on X, Afghanistan’s defence ministry said the operations were conducted in response to recent aerial incursions by the Pakistani military.

Footage shared by the Taliban authorities appeared to show a kamikaze drone striking Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.

“Today, the Air Force of the Ministry of National Defense conducted precise and coordinated aerial operations against key military installations in Pakistan targeting the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, the 12th Division headquarters in Quetta (Balochistan), the Khwazai Camp in the Mohmand Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as several other significant Pakistani military facilities and command centres,” the ministry said.

In recent days, {censored}-for-tat military exchanges between Afghanistan and Pakistan have intensified, with multiple rounds of cross-border fire. Afghan forces earlier claimed they had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet over Jalalabad and captured its pilot alive.

“A Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in the sixth district of Jalalabad city, and its pilot was captured alive,” a police spokesman told news agency AFP.

Wahidullah Mohammadi, a military spokesman in eastern Afghanistan, confirmed that the Pakistani jet was downed by Afghan forces “and the pilot was captured alive” — a claim Pakistan dismissed as “totally untrue”.

Twice bitten

In May 2025, India launched what a Switzerland-based think tank described as a “series of spectacular strikes” against Pakistan’s principal air force bases following the Pahalgam terror attack. The assessment said the operations were not merely symbolic but operationally decisive.

By targeting infrastructure and assets critical to sustaining Pakistani air operations, India signalled a shift from defensive deterrence to offensive dominance.

Between 2am and 5am on May 10, the Indian Air Force carried out long-range precision strikes using BrahMos, SCALP-EG and Rampage missiles. The weapons were launched from within Indian airspace by Su-30MKIs, Jaguars and Rafales, hitting seven targets up to 200 km inside Pakistan, including a surface-to-air missile battery and five major air bases.

In northern Pakistan, Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi was struck by at least one missile, reportedly destroying a Pakistan Air Force command-and-control centre. Murid Air Base, a hub for Pakistan’s medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone fleet, sustained damage to multiple hangars and a drone control centre.

Satellite imagery later confirmed damage at four Pakistani air bases: Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, PAF Base Mushaf in Sargodha, PAF Base Bholari, and PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad.

Pak targets former US airbase

Afghan officials said on March 1 that Pakistan had conducted airstrikes on Bagram Air Base, its most prized military asset and one coveted by President Donald Trump.

“This morning at around 5 am, several fighter jets belonging to Pakistan’s military regime attempted to carry out a bombing operation within the airspace of Bagram Air Base,” Fazal Rahim Meskinyar, a spokesperson for the Parwan province police, where Bagram is located, said in a statement cited by NYT.

Meskinyar said that Afghan antiaircraft weapons had repelled the missiles, and that there were no reported casualties.

Hamidullah Fitrat, a spokesperson for the Taliban government, said that Afghanistan had faced an “aerial aggression” at the base. He did not say whether the attack had caused any damage. Islamabad has not commented on this matter yet.

Bagram Airfield was the nerve centre of the 20-year US war in Afghanistan and a big trophy when the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021 after the US withdrew its forces.

Since returning to the presidency in 2025, Trump has said that the US should never have abandoned Bagram and that he wanted to reclaim it. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” he said in September.

Trump said Bagram was strategically important for the US because “it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

The Pakistani military has hit dozens of small Afghan military bases, ammunition depots and outposts in recent days, declaring that it is in “open war” against the Taliban government. Source: NYT and agencies

Pakistan-Afghanistan war Highlights: ‘Afghanistan willing to negotiate’, says Taliban rulers as conflict escalates. Amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, US President Donald Trump Friday said that Pakistan is doing “terrifically well”. He added that he gets along with Pakistan very well. Mar 1 2026 12:37 AM IST​

Taliban fighters look up while manning an armed pickup truck at the Afghan side of the Ghulam Khan crossing with Pakistan in Khost province, Afghanistan. (Photo: AP)
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Today News Highlights: Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban military entered its third day on Saturday, following overnight clashes as the international community expressed increasing concern about the conflict and called for urgent talks. Taliban rules said on Friday that Afghanistan is willing to negotiate. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahi said: “The Islamic emirate of Afghanistan has always tried to resolve issues through dialogue, and now also we want to resolve this matter through dialogue,” he said. The United States expressed support for what it called Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” against attacks from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers. President Trump also said that “Pakistan is doing terrifically well.”
What is happening?: Explosions and the sound of aircraft were heard in Kabul early Friday, hours after Afghanistan said it had launched attacks on Pakistani border posts. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X: “Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you.” Pakistan’s military said it launched an operation named “Ghazab Lil Haq” in response to what it called unprovoked firing from across the border. Afghanistan said its forces had carried out “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line.
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Casualty: Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said its forces captured more than a dozen Pakistani posts and destroyed 19 check posts and two bases. It said the fighting ended at midnight. Pakistan rejected these claims. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded. He said 36 Afghan fighters were killed. Afghanistan said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and that several were captured. It said eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 wounded. The casualty figures from both sides have not been independently verified.
How did it all start?: The escalation follows Pakistani airstrikes last Sunday along the Afghan border. Islamabad said it targeted camps of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghanistan however alleged that the strikes hit civilian areas and violated its sovereignty. Afghan spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the cross-border assault was in response to repeated Pakistani actions.
Current situation

• Pakistan said it carried out strikes targeting Afghan military facilities in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. Afghan officials reported civilian injuries near the Torkham border crossing after shelling hit a camp for returnees.
• Residents on both sides have been moved to safer areas. The situation remains tense, with both countries accusing each other of starting the violence.

Feb 28, 2026 09:13 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: Pakistani and Afghan forces clash as diplomatic efforts intensify
Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban military entered its third day on Saturday as foreign governments expressed increasing concern and called for urgent talks.
Pakistan’s strikes on Friday hit Taliban military installations and posts, some of them in Kabul and Kandahar, in one of the deepest Pakistani incursionsinto its western neighbour in years, officials said.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who it says are waging an insurgency inside Pakistan, a ⁠charge the Taliban denies. (Reuters


Feb 28, 2026 05:57 PM IST
Pak Foreign Minister Dar condemns 'unwarranted attacks' on Iran. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday condemned the “unwarranted attacks” on Iran by Israel and the US, demanding an immediate cessation of the conflict.
Dar said this while talking over the phone to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi who called the Pakistani leader after his country was attacked. (PTI)

Feb 28, 2026 11:56 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: Pakistan, Afghan Taliban forces clash as diplomatic efforts intensify
Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban forces continued into a third day on Saturday after overnight clashes, as the international community voiced growing concern and urged immediate dialogue.
On Friday, Pakistan carried out strikes targeting Taliban military sites and positions, including locations in Kabul and Kandahar. Officials said the operation marked one of Islamabad’s deepest incursions into Afghan territory in recent years.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, whom it says are responsible for an ongoing insurgency within Pakistan—an allegation the Taliban denies.
Pakistan said the strikes were carried out in response to cross-border attacks, while Kabul condemned them as a violation of its sovereignty. Afghan authorities stated they remain open to talks but cautioned that any further escalation would have serious consequences. –With inputs from Reuters

Feb 28, 2026 10:45 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War | About 300 Afghan Taliban personnel, its allied terrorist groups killed: Pak
Pakistan authorities announced that nearly 300 Afghan Taliban members and allied militant fighters have been killed as the ongoing operation continues.
In a late-night update, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said security forces had eliminated 297 fighters linked to the Afghan Taliban regime, while more than 450 Afghan operatives were wounded.
Summarizing the results of the campaign, the minister stated that Pakistan destroyed 89 Taliban posts and seized 18 others during Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. He added that about 135 tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed. According to the minister, the air force also struck 29 locations across Afghanistan.
Pakistan launched the large-scale retaliatory operation, code-named Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, after Afghan forces reportedly carried out simultaneous attacks on 53 locations along the 2,600-kilometer border. (With inputs from PTI)
Feb 28, 2026 10:41 AM IST

Pakistan-Afghanistan War: US has got measure of 'self-declared Vishwaguru': Congress' dig at PM after Trump's Pak praise
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that US President Donald Trump’s support for Pakistan in its war with Afghanistan is another setback for Indian ‘huglomacy.’
In a post on X, Ramesh said, “President Trump’s full-throated and categorical support for Pakistan in its war with Afghanistan is another setback for Indian ‘huglomacy.’ He has once again gone out of his way to praise the man whose inflammatory remarks provided the backdrop to the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam on April 22nd, 2025 that were orchestrated by Pakistan.”
He said that India’s economic diplomacy with US has “failed badly” as PM Modi surrendered to a one-sided trade deal.
“Our economic diplomacy with the US has failed badly, as evinced by Mr. Modi suddenly surrendering to a clearly one-sided trade deal in which India has made firm pledges especially to import from American farmers, while the US has made vague commitments to allow for greater exports from India.”
“Not only that, days after the agreement, the US imposed a 125.87% import duty on solar modules from India. Our strategic diplomacy has received repeated blows by President Trump repeatedly cozying up to the Pakistani establishment and reverting to the hyphenation of India and Pakistan. The Prime Minister may, through his means, manage to get awards. But the fact is that the self-declared Vishwaguru has been exposed and the world, especially the US, has got his measure,” he added.

Feb 28, 2026 09:22 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: Afghan Taliban open to talks after Pakistan bombs Kabul, Kandahar
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday they were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in major cities and said the allies-turned-foes were in “open war.”
Pakistan struck the Afghan capital Kabul, the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders are based, and other towns, a Taliban spokesman said. The attacks were its first directly targeting Afghanistan’s government over allegations it harbours militants seeking to overthrow the Islamabad government.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said there were civilian casualties on Friday but did not provide details. In Kabul, thick plumes of black smoke rose from two sites and a huge blaze was also visible in video verified by Reuters. Reuters witnesses said many ambulance sirens could be heard following loud blasts and the sound of jets on Friday. –Reuters

Feb 28, 2026 09:04 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: 'Pakistan doing terrifically well’, says Trump as conflict escalates
Amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, US President Donald Trump Friday said that Pakistan is doing “terrifically well”. He added that he gets along with Pakistan very well.
“I would, but I get along with Pakistan very well, very, very well. You have a great Prime Minister, you have a great General there. You have a great leader, two of the people that I really respect a lot, and I think that Pakistan is doing terrifically well,” he said.
Trump was responding to a question on Pakistan waging an “open war” against Afghanistan and whether he would intervene to stop the fighting.


Feb 28, 2026 08:57 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: UN chief Guterres deeply concerned by escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Speaking on the war between Pakistan and Afghanistan, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that he is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
UN chief is “deeply concerned by the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the impact that violence is having on civilian populations. He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and he reiterates his call on the parties to resolve any differences through diplomacy,” Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said at the daily press briefing Friday.
“We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law; in particular, to ensure that civilians are protected at all times, as well as civilian infrastructure,” he added. (With PTI inputs)

Feb 28, 2026 08:46 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: US says it supports Pakistan's 'right to defend itself' against Afghan Taliban
The United States Friday expressed support for what it called Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” against attacks from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers after Islamabad said earlier in the day that the neighboring countries were in “open war.”
“The United States supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group,” a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. U.S. diplomat Allison Hooker ⁠said on X she spoke on Friday with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch. –Reuters

Feb 28, 2026 07:22 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: A hero the Taliban didn’t expect. mAfter a lukewarm shower in the freezing winter of Kabul, Alireza Ahmadi combed his hair, tucked his white shirt into his black pants and stepped back onto the court.. Alireza, 17, is a phenomenon in Afghanistan, playing futsal, a faster indoor variant of soccer played with five on each side. Word had spread that he was participating in a local tournament on a recent afternoon, and fans, their smartphones raised, rushed to snap a selfie with him as he exited the locker room.
Read the full story here.


Feb 28, 2026 05:33 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War| ‘Open war’: Why Pakistan attacked Taliban in Afghanistan and what’s next
Pakistan’s air strikes on Taliban positions in Afghanistan mark the sharpest rupture yet between the two actors once seen as strategic partners. What looks like a sudden escalation is actually the result of years of mistrust, militant spillover and collapsing security understandings along one of the world’s most volatile borders.
Read the full story here.

Feb 28, 2026 05:26 AM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: ‘I get along very well with Pakistan’: Trump signals support for Islamabad amid ‘open war’ with Taliban. US President Donald Trump said he is open to intervening in the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but stressed that he shares a strong relationship with Pakistan’s leadership. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said, “I would (intervene). But I get along with Pakistan very very well. They have a great Prime Minister, a great General. They have a great leader. Two of the people that I really respect a lot. Pakistan is doing terrifically well.” His remarks were reported by Reuters.
Read the full story here.

Feb 28, 2026 04:42 AM IST
LIVE | Pakistan-Afghanistan War: Trump says he's not concerned about impact of Iran attacks on oil prices
Asked about the possible impact of US strikes against Iran on oil prices, President Donald Trump told reporters in Texas, “I’m not concerned. I’m concerned about people’s lives. I’m concerned about long term health for this country. That’s what I’m concerned.”


Feb 28, 2026 04:41 AM IST
LIVE | Pakistan-Afghanistan War: US official expresses support for Pakistan
US Undersecretary of State Allison Hooker spoke with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Amna Baloch, expressing condolences for lives lost in the recent conflict and reiterating support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks. Her statement aligns with President Trump’s comments, highlighting the strong US-Pakistan ties.

Feb 28, 2026 04:38 AM IST
LIVE | Pakistan-Afghanistan War: Why Pakistan attacked Taliban in Afghanistan and what’s next
Pakistan’s air strikes on Taliban positions in Afghanistan mark the sharpest rupture yet between the two actors once seen as strategic partners. What looks like a sudden escalation is actually the result of years of mistrust, militant spillover and collapsing security understandings along one of the world’s most volatile borders.
Read the full story here.

Feb 27, 2026 09:56 PM IST
LIVE | Pakistan-Afghanistan War: JUI-F chief calls for 'restraint and dialogue' to avoid further escalation
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday expressed concern over the prevailing situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, calling for “restraint, dialogue and a diplomatic approach to avoid further escalation”.
In a statement issued here, Rehman said Pakistan’s security concerns are legitimate and must be acknowledged. However, he emphasised that Afghanistan’s sovereignty and its internal challenges should also be respected. — PTI


Feb 27, 2026 06:45 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: 'Further provocation will be met with befitting response': Pakistan
The Pakistan foreign ministry on Friday said further provocation by Taliban will be met with befitting response.

Feb 27, 2026 06:03 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War: 'Op continuing on directions of PM': Pak military
A spokesperson of Pakistan military on Friday evening said the operation is continuing on the directions of the Prime Minister, the Reuters reported.

Feb 27, 2026 05:30 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Live | Afghanistan defense ministry takes to X
The official ‘X’ account of the Ministry of National Defense, Afghanistan posted, “Today at approximately 11:00 AM, the Air Force of the Ministry of National Defense conducted coordinated airstrikes targeting a military camp near Faizabad in Islamabad, a military base in Nowshera,…” — PTI

Feb 27, 2026 05:24 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Live | UK Foreign Secretary shares concern
UK Foreign Secretary and Labour MP Yvette Cooper took to X to share her concern amid escalation in tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. She said, ” The UK is deeply concerned by the significant escalation in tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We urge both sides to take immediate steps toward de‑escalation, avoid further harm to civilians, and re‑engage in mediated dialogue.”

Feb 27, 2026 04:33 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Live | Afghan Taliban wants to resolve conflict with Pakistan through talks, spokesperson says
Afghanistan wants to ⁠resolve its latest conflict with Pakistan through ⁠dialogue, Afghan Taliban spokesperson ‌Zabihullah Mujahid told ⁠reporters ⁠on Friday, ⁠amid ‌intense fighting between ‌the neighbours ‌this week. — Reuters

Feb 27, 2026 03:43 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Live | Russia urges Afghanistan, Pakistan to halt hostilities, seek talks
Amid an escalation of armed clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Russia on Friday urged both countries to end the conflict and resolve their differences through diplomatic means.
Pakistan launched a retaliatory operation late Thursday night in response to the alleged border attacks by the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad claimed that 133 Taliban fighters were killed in Operation Ghazab lil Haq. — PTI

Feb 27, 2026 03:03 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Live | Afghanistan says it used drones to hit targets in Pakistan
The Afghan Taliban “successfully conducted” air strikes using drones to hit military targets ⁠in Pakistan, its defence ministry and a government spokesperson said on ⁠Friday, as fighting between the neighbours ‌continued.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistani Taliban militants had tried ⁠to ⁠use drones against targets in ⁠Pakistan ‌but they were ‌brought down by anti-drone systems and ‌there was “no damage to life”. — Reuters

Feb 27, 2026 02:01 PM IST
'Afghans will defend their beloved homeland': Former Prez Hamid Karzai
Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai took to X early Friday to assert that the Afghans would continue to “defend their beloved homeland with complete unity.”
Karzai’s statement comes as Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, in what it calls an “open war” against the Afghan Taliban regime late Thursday night.
“The Pakistani aircraft once again bombed Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. The Afghans will defend their beloved homeland with complete unity in all circumstances and will respond to aggression with courage. Pakistan cannot free itself from the violence and bombings—those problems it has created itself—but must change its own policy and choose the path of good neighborliness, respect, and civilized relations with Afghanistan,” Karzai wrote on X.

Feb 27, 2026 01:49 PM IST
China voices concern over Pakistan-Afghanistan clash. China is deeply concerned over escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, news agency Reuters reported quoting China’s foreign ⁠ministry on Friday. The statement comes as Pakistani and Afghan forces clashed after ⁠the Taliban launched what ‌it called retaliatory strikes on Pakistani installations. China has been mediating ⁠the ⁠conflict through it own channels, ⁠foreign ‌ministry spokesperson, Mao ‌Ning, said during a regular ‌press conference. China is willing to play a constructive role ⁠in cooling the situation, she ‌added. (Reuters)

Feb 27, 2026 01:46 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Live | Explained: How Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘open war’ follows a long history of differences
The latest escalation in violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan follows months of {censored}-for-tat clashes over Islamabad’s accusation that Kabul harbours militants carrying out attacks inside Pakistan.
But the issues between the two countries go back much farther in history. Except for brief periods since 1947, Pakistan-Afghanistan ties have been marked by mutual distrust, rancour, recriminations, and hostility.
This negativity between the two nations has continued during both civilian and direct military rule in Pakistan, and fundamental system transformations, turmoil and two failed superpower interventions in Afghanistan — by the Soviet Union (1979-1989) and the United States (2001-2021). During both, Pakistan has helped the Afghan resistance.

How Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘open war’ follows a long history of differences​

The latest escalation in violence comes after months of {censored}-for-tat clashes over Islamabad’s accusation that Kabul harbours militants carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. But their issues are much deeper, explains a former Ambassador to Afghanistan.​

Written by: Vivek Katju
Feb 27, 2026 12:23 PM IST

Taliban soldiers carry a rocket launcher in a vehicle, following exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, near Torkham border in Afghanistan, February 27, 2026. Reuters

Pakistan on Friday (February 27) bombed Kabul and two other Afghan provinces, hours after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistani troops. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation as an “open war” with Afghanistan’s Taliban government.
The latest escalation in violence follows months of {censored}-for-tat clashes over Islamabad’s accusation that Kabul harbours militants carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. But the issues between the two countries go back much farther in history.
Except for brief periods since 1947, Pakistan-Afghanistan ties have been marked by mutual distrust, rancour, recriminations, and hostility.
This negativity between Pakistan and Afghanistan has continued during both civilian and direct military rule in the former, and fundamental system transformations, turmoil and two failed superpower interventions in the latter— by the Soviet Union (1979-1989) and the United States (2001-2021). During both, Pakistan has helped the Afghan resistance.
Regime changes in Afghanistan
nist government till 1989, during which the state unsuccessfully sought to change society and polity. Thence came a three-year stretch of nationalist President Najibullah, whose rule collapsed in 1992. That led to nine years of civil war between the erstwhile Mujahideen and the Taliban, who emerged in 1994 and with Pakistan’s help swiftly took over large swathes of Afghan territory, including Kabul, in 1996.
The Taliban were ousted from Afghanistan into Pakistan in end-2001 through a US invasion because of the Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The US created an Islamic Afghan Republic, which failed to take root. On their part, US forces were unsuccessful in defeating the Taliban insurgency.
Accepting defeat, the US withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021. The Taliban, again with Pakistan’s assistance, militarily defeated their Afghan opponents and this time became masters of all Afghanistan.
Story continues below.

Many outstanding issues
The issues that divide Afghanistan and Pakistan range from Afghanistan’s refusal to recognise the Durand Line as the international border, to control over transit and trade, and social contradictions despite the bonds of Islamic faith.
Afghans governments and peoples have the persistent resentment that Pakistan has insensitively tried to control and exploit them, especially since their monarchical system was overthrown.
Pakistan continues to consider Afghans ahsanfaramosh (ungrateful). For, they hosted millions of Afghan refugees and enabled Afghan insurgencies to defeat two super powers.

And, finally, the shadow of India has always loomed large over Afghan-Pakistan bilateral ties.

Durand Line​

For the Afghan Pashtun, the 2,640-km Durand Line is a historical wound. It derives its name from Sir Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary of British India, who compelled Afghan ruler Amir Abdul Rehman Khan to accept a division of his territories in 1893. This also meant division of the Pashtun tribes who were till then his “subjects”.
In a recent thesis on the Durand Line, Afghan scholar Nabi Sahak correctly points out that “the original purpose of the Durand Line was to define a zone of British and Afghan spheres of influence… the line was not to create a permanent international border, unlike the current popular view dominant in Pakistan and the West”.
However, once demarcated, the British rulers of India considered it as a permanent international border. That is what Pakistan during its creation also contented. Afghanistan rejected that interpretation. Prior to Britain’s departure from India in 1947, Afghanistan urged it to relinquish the Durand Line Agreement. That would have meant that all the Pashtun lands ceded to British India would revert to Afghanistan, effectively making the Indus as the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The British refused to do so. Consequently, Afghanistan became the only country to oppose Pakistan’s entry into the UN.
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Daud Khan, cousin of King Zahir Shah and Prime Minister from 1953-63, supported the cause of Pashtunistan, which aimed to merge all Pakistan’s Pashtun lands with Afghanistan. Hostilities broke out between the two countries in 1961. Pakistan closed its land border with Afghanistan, causing shortages. This led to Afghanistan’s greater dependence on the Soviet Union, its other neighbour.
Daud deposed Zahir Shah and became President in 1973. He revived the idea of Pashtunistan but had to abandon it because of Pakistan fomenting trouble and again closing the border.
Also Read | The complex history of the Durand Line that divides Pakistan and Afghanistan
By 1976, Daud and Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had normalised bilateral ties, but like others before and after him, Daud did not accept the Durand Line as the international border.
Indeed, when Pakistan extinguished Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Tribal Agencies in 2018, then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani officially protested.
Trade and transit
Central Asian Republics, which were earlier part of the Soviet Union.
Of these, the Pakistan route is preferred. All Afghan governments want Pakistan to allow India-Afghan trade to move by road from Wagah to Afghanistan, but Pakistan has stubbornly refused Indian exports — and effectively, Indian aid — to go through this route. This has caused negative feelings in Afghanistan.
However, what causes greater anger is when Pakistan prevents goods from entering Afghanistan either through land routes from Pakistan or via the Karachi port.
Thus, Pakistan uses connectivity and transit as instruments of coercion.
Pashtun-Punjabi divide

There have been historical differences between the way of life of the Pashtuns and the people living south and east of the Indus river. It is true that the Pakistan state has co-opted many Pathans in its KP province and there are large Pathan populations—both of KP and of Afghan origin—especially in Karachi, but the differences have not been bridged.
The Pakistani Pathans, supported by their Afghan brethren, have considered the extinction of the Tribal Agencies as an insult to their way of life by the Punjab-dominated Pakistan state and army. That is one reason why the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is considered as kin by the Afghan Pashtuns. Today, this is the real bone of contention.
The ‘gratitude’ question
Pakistan feels that it hosted Afghan refugees and seven Mujahideen groups during the Afghan Jihad against the Soviets. But for this, Afghanistan would have come firmly under the Soviet heel.
It is also convinced that it was its help that enabled the Taliban to defeat the US. Hence, the feeling is that Afghanistan’s present rulers and people should be grateful to it.
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On the other hand, the Afghans are bitter about their treatment in Pakistan, and hold that Islamabad’s policies during these periods served its own interests. So, Pakistan’s demand for gratitude is misplaced.
The India angle
Pakistan has always feared being squeezed by India and Afghanistan simultaneously. They therefore want Kabul to limit its ties with India. But no Afghan government wants its foreign policy choices to be made in Islamabad. That is a source of permanent tension between the two countries.
Today, Pakistan is convinced that the Taliban are hurting Pakistan’s interests by opening up to India and that is, for them, unforgivable ingratitude. (Vivek Katju India’s EX Ambassador to Afghanistan.)

Feb 27, 2026 01:43 PM IST
Pakistan-Afghanistan War Live | Video: Pakistan launches Operation Ghazab Lil Haq against Afghanistan, over 130 killed
Pakistan’s military Friday said it launched an operation named “Ghazab Lil Haq” in response to what it called unprovoked firing from across the border.
Afghanistan said its forces had carried out “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line.

Feb 27, 2026 01:16 PM IST. Pakistan bombs Taliban targets in Afghan cities, in what it calls an 'open war'
Pakistan bombed the Taliban regime targets in Afghanistan’s major cities overnight, officials from both countries said, with Pakistan’s defence minister describing the conflict as ‘open war,’ Dawn reported.

Feb 27, 2026 01:13 PM IST
Watch: Explosions, sound of aircraft heard in Kabul today, hours aftre Afghanistan attacks Pakistan's border posts
Pakistan’s defence minister has said the country is in “open war” with Afghanistan after fresh airstrikes and cross-border attacks between the two neighbours.
The escalation follows days of tension after Pakistani strikes inside Afghanistan and retaliatory action by Afghan forces along the disputed Durand Line.
Explosions and the sound of aircraft were heard in Kabul early Friday (Feb 27), hours after Afghanistan said it had launched attacks on Pakistani border posts
Pakistan’s defence minister has said the country is in “open war” with #Afghanistan after fresh airstrikes and cross-border attacks between the two neighbours.

The escalation follows days of tension after Pakistani strikes inside Afghanistan and retaliatory action by Afghan forces along the disputed Durand Line.

Explosions and the sound of aircraft were heard in Kabul early Friday (Feb 27), hours after Afghanistan said it had launched attacks on Pakistani border posts.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X: “Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you.”

Pakistan’s military said it launched an operation named “Ghazab Lil Haq” in response to what it called unprovoked firing from across the border.

Afghanistan said its forces had carried out “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line.

Quote Reply

 

[Dalvinder Singh Grewal]

Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back.
And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.

IMAGE: Fire burns and smoke rises from the Aqdasieh oil depot in Tehran after being reportedly hit by a strike. Photograph: Social Media/via Reuters

Key Points​

• The US-Israel military campaign against Iran has rapidly expanded into a broader regional conflict affecting Gulf security and global energy markets.
• Analysts warn that tactical military success lacks strategic clarity, raising fears of instability similar to Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Iran's strategy of 'horizontal escalation' targets shipping, Gulf infrastructure and oil markets to raise economic and political costs.
• Global ripple effects include rising oil prices, disrupted trade routes, and strategic advantages for Russia amid shifting geopolitical attention.
• India has focused on evacuations and humanitarian measures while avoiding a clear stance despite Iran's membership in BRICS.

George Santayana (I can't spell his full Spanish name, sorry) wrote that 'Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes.'

Over time, that pithy line spawned various paraphrases, the most famous of which is 'Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.'

Via the Twitter stream of the brilliant New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro (external link), I found this version, updated for our times:

The prompt that made me recall this cartoon is repeated mention of 'regime change' across media, particularly in the United States. Don't we ever learn?

In Afghanistan, the US and its allies took heavy losses of men and material; the US alone burned through $3.4 trillion in pursuit of regime change and managed only to replace the Taliban with Taliban V2.

On the back of a cooked-up story that Iraq has developed weapons of mass destruction, the US began a similar adventure in Iraq.

Again, thousands of lives lost, mostly of the Iraqis, and a further $3 trillion drain on the US exchequer -- for what? Saddam Hussein was killed, yes -- but the misadventure also led to the birth of ISIS and made the region far more volatile than it was before.

And now, Iran. Where regime change was necessitated, the US said, because Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a brutal dictator.

We will pick the next leader, Trump repeatedly said. And it turns out that after all this effort, after burning through $10 billion and counting (external link) at the time of writing this (and that is just the cost of the munitions the US has burned through), after creating escalating economic chaos around the world, all that the US has managed to do is replace Ali Khamenei with the reportedly far more radical Mojtaba Khamenei.

In a paywalled piece in the New York Times, Nicholas Kristof elaborates (external link) on this thought, and on what he calls 'the arrogance of power'.

Cue Santayana, whose aphorism should ideally be carved into the wall of the Oval Office and, indeed, in any space where world leaders gather to make decisions of life and death.
Iran War Expands Across Middle East

IMAGE: A person walks past a banner depicting Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran, March 10, 2026. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Essential reads:

Reuters has a useful overview (external link) of where the conflict stands as it enters its second week.

The piece notes that what began as a limited US-Israeli campaign has rapidly widened into a regional confrontation, with Iranian attacks on Gulf targets and growing fears of economic fallout and prolonged US involvement.

Reuters also has a visual explainer (external link) detailing how the conflict has spread across the region, with retaliatory strikes hitting targets in multiple Gulf states, and sending oil markets into a tailspin.

The Institute for the Study of War has a detailed operational analysis (external link) tracking US-Israel strikes on Iranian military infrastructure and its internal security apparatus.

It is particularly useful for understanding the military thinking behind the campaign. These reports are updated on a daily basis, which makes this site worth bookmarking for repeat visits.

Rania Abouzeid, writing in a paywalled piece in The New Yorker (external link), widens the lens and points out that the Iran war has now spread to Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has kept a low profile since a November 2024 ceasefire ended a 14-month war with Israel, is now back and doing battle, despite pleas by the Lebanese government to stay out of the war. And Israel is fighting back.

IMAGE: An interception attempt is made by Israel as missiles are launched from Iran on Tel Aviv, March 10, 2026. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
A first wave of attacks that took in Lebanese territory all the way to Beirut left behind 51 dead at last count.

Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper, however, reports that (external link) according to Israeli army sources, the cpounytry's military is struggling to intercept drones coming from Lebanon, and said that it might become necessary to evacuate Israeli communities near the border.

Also in the New Yorker (paywalled), Robin Wright wonders (external link) just where all this is headed, and points out that Donald Trump, with his trademark inconsistency, has asked Iranians to rise up in revolt against the entrenched theocracy, but also said he is prepared to do a deal with a new religious leader.

NB: A note on paywalls: not all the pieces I link to will be freely accessible, and I'm aware how frustrating that can be. Where possible, I'll summarise the key argument so that you are not left staring at a locked door. That said, I'll resist the easy cynicism about paywalls.

Serious reporting and quality long-form analysis costs real money: In salaries, in time, in the kind of institutional backing that allows a journalist to spend days, even weeks on a single story. The outlets that charge for that work are not the villains of the information ecosystem. (The corollary -- don't paywall your content if you are not prepared to expend resources to create actual value -- is equally true.)

Now, to step back and look at the geopolitical consequences: A Time analysis suggests (external link) that one of the early beneficiaries of the conflict may be Russia, which stands to gain from higher oil prices and from Washington's strategic attention shifting away from the war in Ukraine.

This argument finds echoes in the Foreign Policy Research Institute, which explores (external link) how the diversion of American weapons and political focus toward the Middle East could reshape the balance in the Ukraine war.

Global Oil Markets Under Pressure​

In The Guardian, Nesrine Malik shifts the focus (external link) from the Washington-Tehran-Tel Aviv triangle to the Gulf monarchies themselves.

Malik argues that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, often seen as stable petro-States insulated by wealth and by the security guaranteed by the US, are in fact undergoing fragile political transformations.

Their recent strategy has depended on suppressing geopolitics in order to turn themselves into hubs of finance, tourism and global commerce.

The sudden eruption of war, with missiles landing on Gulf infrastructure and airspace closing across the region, threatens that entire model.

The conflict, the author argues, may end up reshaping the Gulf as much as it reshapes Iran.

European analysts have begun asking an even deeper question: even if the military campaign succeeds, what exactly comes next? A thoughtful essay in Le Monde (behind a paywall) points out that battlefield dominance does not automatically translate into political stability.

The more unsettling possibility, Le Monde suggests, is that weakening the Iranian State could produce outcomes such as fragmentation, factional struggles and prolonged instability, that prove harder to manage than the status quo.

This thought, by the way, brings our conversation back to the opening segment, about those who do not learn from history.

Reuters bluntly asks (external link) how many wake-up calls Europe needs before it wakes up to the fact that Washington under Trump is an unreliable ally.

'In the short run, there is little the region can do but suffer and squirm,' says Hugo Dixon for Reuters.

'A principled response would have been to condemn Trump's attack as contrary to international law while at the same time denouncing Iran's nuclear weapons programme. But Europe is too dependent on US military support to do that, especially given the Russian threat. It is also increasingly dependent on American energy ⁠since its gas purchases from Moscow are down dramatically and now Qatar is offline.'

And then there is the diplomatic fallout. The Council on Foreign Relations looks at (external link) the uneasy position of European governments, many of whom were caught off guard by Washington's decision and who are now trying to balance alliance politics, energy concerns and fears of wider escalation.

IMAGE: A picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is displayed on a screen in Tehran, March 9, 2026. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters
The European Council on Foreign Relations is even more blunt: In a wide-ranging piece (external link) that looks at what has already happened and what could follow, the ECFR concludes that this is a war with no winners.

A useful handle to follow, if you are interested in the war and more broadly, international security, is Professor Robert A Pape (on X) (external link) of the University of Chicago.

In a sharply argued essay (external link) in Foreign Affairs (paywalled), Pape explains Iran's response to the US-Israel strikes as a classic case of 'horizontal escalation'.

Rather than confronting superior military power directly, weaker States widen the battlefield, thus drawing additional countries, economic sectors, and political actors into the conflict.

Iran's missile and drone strikes across the Gulf, its targeting of shipping and energy infrastructure, and the resulting disruption to oil markets are all part of this strategy.

The goal, Pape argues, is not battlefield victory but political leverage: prolong the conflict, raise its economic and diplomatic costs, and shift the contest from military superiority to endurance.

Confirmation of this line of thought comes from Kamal Kharazi, foreign policy advisor to Iran's supreme leader, who tells CNN's Frederik Pleitgen (external link) that there is no room for diplomacy and "only economic pain" will end this war.

Taken together, these pieces sketch the consequences of the war and how they widen in concentric circles, from the battlefield to global energy markets to the strategic competition among great powers.
Regime Change Debate Returns

IMAGE: Smoke rises following a strike on the Bapco oil refinery on Sitra Island, Bahrain, March 9, 2026. Photograph: Reuters
India Watch:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha on Monday on what the government carefully calls 'the situation in West Asia' -- a formulation that is revealing in itself. Read the full text here (external link).

It is a masterclass in saying much while committing to nothing. The humanitarian mechanics are laid out in excruciating detail: The advisories, the helplines, the 67,000 nationals evacuated, the flights in and out, the Iranian warship docked at Kochi. And for all of this, the government does deserve credit.

But on the central question -- what India's position is on a war of choice launched in violation of international law, that has destabilised a region on which India is critically dependent -- the statement offers nothing beyond formulaic triangulation: 'Dialogue and diplomacy', 'restraint', 'sovereignty and territorial integrity of all state'. It is an exercise in 'both-sides' that ends up taking no side at all.
What makes this particularly striking is the context Jaishankar chose not to mention.

India currently holds the presidency of BRICS. Every other significant member of that grouping -- China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa -- has explicitly condemned the US-Israeli strikes and called for an immediate ceasefire. And to add a layer of irony, Iran is itself a part of BRICS, having joined the bloc on January 1, 2024 as part of a major expansion of membership (there are now 11 countries in this bloc).

India's studied neutrality in Parliament amounts to a de facto abstention at precisely the moment when its presidency gives it both the platform and the moral weight to push for collective action.

Santayana would recognise this, too. Those who won't take a position when it matters are also, in their own way, condemned to watch history repeat.

Meanwhile on the ground, the ramifications of the war are beginning to multiply.

IMAGE: A huge gathering to support Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, March 9, 2026. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
PTI reports that gas crematoriums in Pune have been temporarily closed (external link) following restrictions on the use of LPG components, thanks to the ongoing conflict in the Gulf.

State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) have suspended (external link) Non-Domestic Non-Exempted (NDNE) LPG dispatches across Punjab, including 19-kg, 47.5-kg, and 425-kg commercial cylinders, effective immediately.

The suspension aims to prioritise propane and butane for domestic LPG supply, ensuring uninterrupted cooking gas for nearly 332 million households.

As a result, hotels, cafés, restaurants, industrial units, and catering services in Punjab are facing severe operational challenges.

Meanwhile, for domestic consumers, refill bookings are now restricted to once every 25 days, to regulate demand.

While the central government has clarified that there is no outright ban (external link) on commercial LPG supply, the directive has been misinterpreted by some, leading to confusion.

Mumbai hoteliers have complained about a shortage of LPG cylinders; so too have restaurateurs (external link) in Pune.

And Bengaluru's hotel body has warned (external link) that there could be a citywide hotel shut down, owing to LPG shortage.

The priority remains on domestic consumers, with refill bookings now restricted to every 25 days to regulate demand.

India Walks Diplomatic Tightrope​

IMAGE: A motorcycle passes by fire burning along Tehran's Koohsar Boulevard, Iran, in this screengrab from video obtained from social media and released on March 8, 2026. Photograph: Social Media/Reuters
Livemint (paywalled) reports (external link) that just as India was getting set to go big in world wheat markets at a time when global wheat prices have increased and with the rabi harvest due to hit markets later in March, the uncertainty in shipping has affected potential deals with major importing countries, as also procurement plans with farmers.

'Exporters are wary,' says the report, 'of committing to large shipments, given that freight rates remain volatile and vessel schedules uncertain'.

Top importing destinations for Indian wheat include the UAE, Iraq and South Korea; Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana rank among the top producers.

The United States has asked India (external link) to consider taking more than 100 million barrels of Russian crude that are currently sitting on ships waiting to unload at Chinese ports, IANS reported on Monday.

The request comes as global oil markets grow nervous due to the ongoing tensions involving Iran in the Middle East.

And while on Trump, until three days ago the US president was saying that oil tankers running the Gulf of Hormuz gauntlet would be protected by his warships.

Now, he tells Fox News (external link) that tankers should 'go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some guts, there is nothing to be afraid of...'

'Show some guts'?! Seriously?

IMAGE: Smoke rises after a reported strike on fuel tanks at an oil refinery in Tehran, March 8, 2026. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
A pointed essay (external link) in The New Yorker (paywalled) by national-security scholar Tom Nichols (external link) draws a distinction between operational success and strategic clarity.

Nichols argues that the US and Israeli militaries have demonstrated overwhelming tactical competence in the opening phase of the war, quickly establishing dominance in the air and at sea. But, he contends, these battlefield successes are occurring in a strategic vacuum, with the administration offering shifting and sometimes contradictory explanations for what the war is meant to achieve.

The danger, he suggests, is what military historians call 'victory disease', which he says is the tendency of leaders to mistake successful military operations for a coherent strategy. (In this connection, also read on the same platform a piece titled 'Six Days of War, 10 Rationales')(external link).

In a paywalled piece for the Financial Times, historian and energy analyst Daniel Yergin writes (external link) that the Iran war has triggered the biggest disruption of global oil production in history.

Whether it becomes a lasting nightmare for markets and the global economy depends on how long it lasts, Yergin argues, though the global oil and gas system is way more resilient and diversified than it has been for decades. (If you do not have access to FT, Yergin says pretty much the same thing in this chat (external link) with Bloomberg.)

Yergin is a voice well worth listening to. Any reading list on conflict in the Gulf should begin with the story of oil itself.

IMAGE: A car drives past burned buildings after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, March 7, 2026. Photograph: Reuters
In his Pulitzer-winning (1992, in the General Nonfiction category) book The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power, Yergin traces how petroleum shaped the modern world, from the birth of the oil industry in the nineteenth century to the great geopolitical struggles of the twentieth.

The book shows how control over oil fields, shipping routes, and prices repeatedly redrew the map of power, particularly in the Middle East.

It reads like a thriller but is grounded in meticulous research, and though it is now over three decades old, it remains one of the clearest guides to understanding why conflicts in the Gulf so often ripple outward into global politics and the world economy.

If you would rather watch, here is a link (external link) to an eight-part YouTube video series based on the book, and narrated by Yergin himself. And if you want to dive even deeper, Yergin's follow-up book, The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World, is worth your time.

Bloomberg's Menaka Doshi has an excellent interview (external link) with President Alexander Stubb of Finland.

Stubb's assessment is stark: The war is escalating rapidly, it lacks a clear strategic endgame and, most worryingly, has no credible mediator capable of stopping it.

He argues that the goals attributed to the US-Israeli campaign, from curbing Iran's nuclear and missile programmes to weakening its proxies or forcing regime change, are unlikely to be achieved through air power alone. (At some point, boots on the ground are going to be needed, and that is when the casualty numbers will spike.)

Stubb also warns that local conflicts increasingly spill into regional and global crises, pointing to the economic shockwaves already hitting trade and energy markets.

With Europe divided on the war, and diplomacy sidelined in what Stubb calls a more 'transactional' global order, he sees little prospect of a quick ceasefire.

Jordan Michael Smith in The New Republic comes up with a 'big frame' geopolitical essay (external link) that steps back from battlefield developments and asks how the war fits into a broader transformation of the international system.

Smith argues that the Iran war is unfolding against a far larger geopolitical shift, namely, the unraveling of the post-Cold War US-led order.

The piece traces how different power centres -- China, Europe, Russia, and Iran -- are recalibrating their strategies in response to a more transactional and unpredictable American foreign policy.

Drawing on remarks by Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, Smith suggests that middle powers may increasingly try to hedge against both Washington and Beijing, while major rivals such as Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin sit back and watch Western alliances develop cracks under the pressure.

The war with Iran, in Smith's telling, is a symptom of a rapidly changing global order.

A Conflict With No Winners​

IMAGE: An Iranian missile with cluster munitions flies towards central Israel, March 5, 2026. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Thanks to the 'arrogance of power' mentioned earlier, neither the United States nor Israel appear to have budgeted for the economic shockwaves when they unilaterally decided to go to war.

Now those shockwaves are hitting, and we are still at the first order effects -- the second, third and fourth are coming, and they will be worse.

The world is paying a price it never agreed to pay, for a war it had no say in starting. And no one, it seems, has a credible plan to stop it.

Which brings us back to where we began: to Santayana, and to Clausewitz. The Prussian theorist had another famous formulation, less quoted than his 'fog of war' but no less relevant today: No plan survives first contact with the enemy. Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson put it more pithily: 'No plan survives a punch in the face'.

Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed.