Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early on March 15, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Photo credit: X/PMO

Air France has said that it has decided to suspend overflight of Iraq’s airspace. (Representational)

Jerusalem:

Israel’s invasion of Lebanon this week and Iran’s missile attack on its regional foe, all while war rages on in Gaza, have heightened the risk of a high-intensity conflict across the Middle East.

The spiralling violence now threatens to engulf more and more of the region despite diplomatic efforts to calm tensions, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning of a “sickening cycle of escalation after escalation”.

AFP spoke to analysts to assess what could happen next:

– Will Israel retaliate? –

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly condemned the launch of some 200 missiles at his country on Tuesday, declaring: “Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it.”

David Khalfa, a Middle East expert at the Jean-Jaures Foundation, a Paris-based think-tank, said Israel has little choice but to respond to the Iranian attack “because of the scale and the fact that the nature of the targets has changed” to include sensitive military sites.

It was the second time Iran directly attacked Israel. In April, a barrage of around 300 drones and missiles triggered a measured Israeli retaliation that saw a single Iranian air defence radar installation destroyed.

The response this time is expected to be of far greater magnitude, according to analysts.

With many Israelis celebrating the Jewish New Year this week, the holidays may “not be a good time to retaliate”, said Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran specialist at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv.

“But I don’t think it will take much time,” he said.

– What are Israel’s options? –

Since the Iranian attack, Israeli officials have argued there was a potential “historic opportunity to decisively deal with the Iranian regime”, according to Khalfa.

Former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, was one of the first to call for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, which Israel regards as an existential threat.

But the most sensitive equipment is believed to be buried deep underground where Israel may be unable to hit.

US President Joe Biden has advised against even trying, urging Israel to respond “in proportion” — although Netanyahu has often ignored his guidance in the past.

Other possible Israeli responses include targeted assassinations, strikes on Iranian industrial sites or cyberattacks, according to experts and Israeli media reports.

Biden has also mentioned ongoing discussions about potential strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure, which sent prices for crude spiking on Thursday.

Khalfa said that after decades of tension, Israel and Iran are now “no longer in a low-intensity confrontation but an open war”, which could evolve into a “regional war of attrition”.

– Do Iran and Israel want war? – 

Iran has “already thought things through, to some extent at least. They are ready,” said Citrinowicz, suggesting that Tehran’s response to any Israeli retaliation would be “swift”.

Sima Shine, another Iran expert at the INSS, said that the Islamic republic possessed “undeniable” destructive capabilities.

“They can launch more than 200, or even 300 missiles, and they also have drones,” she said, while also warning about “terrorist operations abroad” that could include attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions or Jewish community centres.

“Everything right now hinges on Israel’s response, whether it escalates into a regional war,” said Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington.

Both Netanyahu and Iran were “taking huge gambles”, he said.

And with each escalation, the risks increase.

However, both Iran and Israel have repeatedly insisted that they do not want to be drawn into a spiral of retaliatory violence.

Israel is already engaged on several military fronts.

In the Gaza Strip, the military is fighting Hamas, aiming to rescue the 97 hostages taken on October 7 who are still held there.

In Lebanon, after days of air strikes against Hezbollah, troops are now battling the Iran-backed militants on the ground.

And elsewhere in the region, Israel confronts armed groups like Yemen’s Huthi rebels who have increased their missile and drone attacks.

Ultimately, Citrinowicz said, both Iran and Israel “will look for a political solution” that may be supported by the United States and France, whose influence particularly in Lebanon could play a critical role in restoring calm.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Iranians follow a truck, centre, carrying the coffins of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard during their funeral ceremony at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) Square in Tehran, Iran, on Aug. 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Iran on Tuesday (August 13, 2024) rejected Western calls to stand down its threat to retaliate against Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month.

The Islamic republic and its allies have blamed Israel for Haniyeh’s killing on July 31 during a visit to the Iranian capital for the swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not commented.

Iran has vowed to avenge the death, which came hours after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.

Western diplomats have scrambled to prevent a major conflagration in the Middle East, where tensions are already high due to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In a statement on Monday (August 12, 2024), the United States and its European allies urged Iran to de-escalate.

The White House warned that a “significant set of attacks” by Iran and its allies was possible as soon as this week, saying Israel shared the same assessment.

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and a guided missile submarine to the region in support of Israel.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani criticised the Western call for restraint.

“The declaration by France, Germany and Britain, which raised no objection to the international crimes of the Zionist regime, brazenly asks Iran to take no deterrent action against a regime which has violated its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said in a statement.

Far-right minister opposes talks

The United States and its European allies also called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with difficult talks set for Thursday on halting the conflict.

The Gaza war began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants also seized 251 people, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 39,929 people, according to a toll from the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant deaths.

International mediators have invited Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations this week on a ceasefire and hostage release deal, an invitation Israel has accepted.

Far-right parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition strongly oppose any ceasefire in Gaza, a point rammed home by firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on a visit to Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound that was swiftly condemned by its custodian Jordan.

Defying longstanding rules that allow Jews and other non-Muslims to visit the compound but not to pray there, Ben Gvir led hundreds of Israelis in singing Jewish hymns and performing Talmudic rituals, images posted on social media networks showed.

In a video filmed inside the compound, Mr. Ben Gvir renewed his opposition to any let-up in the Gaza war.

“We must win and not go to the talks in Doha or Cairo,” the Minister said, referring to the truce talks planned for Thursday (August 15).

Mr. Netanyahu’s office said Mr. Ben Gvir’s visit “deviated from the status quo”. It said Israel’s policy on the Temple Mount remained unchanged.

Hamas has urged mediators to implement a truce plan earlier presented by U.S. President Joe Biden instead of holding more talks.

Analyst Esfandyar Batmanghelidj said Iran was considering how to retaliate against Israel without derailing the ceasefire talks.

“The renewed push for a ceasefire offers Iran a way out of this escalatory cycle,” Mr. Batmanghelidj, CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation think-tank, told AFP.

“Iranian officials still feel obliged to hit back at Israel, but they must do so in a way that doesn’t derail the prospects for a ceasefire summit.”

‘Who will take care of her now?’

Pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza has grown since emergency services in the Hamas-run territory said an Israeli air strike on Saturday (August 10, 2024) killed 93 people at a school housing displaced Palestinians.

Israel said it targeted militants operating out of the school and mosque.

In the latest Gaza violence, an Israeli strike killed 10 members of one family in the territory’s southern district of Khan Yunis, leaving only one survivor — a three-month-old girl, a medic said.

“Ten members of the Abu Haya family were killed in an Israeli strike on Abassan in east Khan Yunis,” the medic from Nasser Hospital told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“There is only one survivor from the family, a baby girl named Rim. She is just three months old,” he said, identifying the 10 other members of the family — two parents and their eight children.

The girl, wrapped in a black cloth, stirred strong emotion in the courtyard of Nasser Hospital, a place now known for grieving families searching for dead or wounded loved ones.

“This little girl was pulled out of the rubble. Her whole family is dead. Who will take care of her now?” asked Ibrahim Barbakh, a resident of Khan Yunis, as he held the baby.

Tel Aviv:

The Israeli intelligence community believes Iran has decided to attack Israel directly and may do so within days, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on Sunday, citing two sources.

The attack would be in retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, Ravid added. Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility for the killing.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Friday praised Israel for strongly defending its borders amidst sharp escalation by Hamas and other terror outfits and explained how its harnessing of technology thwarted the evil designs of a ‘gang of rivals’.

Addressing the 21st BSF Investiture Ceremony, NSA Ajit Doval said: “Some days ago, there were a series of missile attacks on Israel from Iran. Out of 1500 missiles, 99 per cent of missiles were stopped while only two to three could hit its territory. This is the strength of technology.”

Further explaining the importance of intelligence gathering, he said that given the size of the country and its vast population, India was ‘better placed’ in mounting defence of its borders.

He said that the lack of ‘tactical intelligence’ proved to be the major reason for the October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in hundreds of Hamas infiltrators breaching its territory and massacring its citizens.

“We are fortunate to have a huge force, a bustling population on our borders. Villagers here, familiar to terrains and local languages, can serve as eye and ear for the forces, in intelligence gathering,” he told the audience.

NSA Doval lauded the Border Security Forces (BSF) for doing a splendid and impressive job in guarding the nation’s frontiers and also helping in internal security on special occasions.

On a lighter note, Mr Doval also recalled the mantra of Chanakya, the famed strategist and said, “You can’t control the borders where the local population is hostile to you.”

Dishing out tips on security management in border areas, he said: “You must befriend the border population. Locals shouldn’t feel that people in uniforms are here to control them, to impose restrictions on them, to make their lives more regulated and complicated. It should be rather friendly and warm.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Iran’s Ambassador to India Iraj Elahi.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

India can play an important role in stopping Israel’s operations in Gaza, said Iran’s Ambassador to India Iraj Elahi, adding that Iran would also “welcome” any mediatory role by India to bring peace and stability to the region.

Mr. Elahi said Iran has kept India fully briefed about last week’s air attack on Israel, and said its main objectives, to “deter Israel” and demonstrate the “possible costs of transgressing red lines”, had been achieved. The U.S. White House has described Iran’s attack, sending about 350 drones and missiles on Israeli targets on April 13, a “spectacular and embarrassing failure”, as more than 90% were intercepted by the US, Israel and Jordan.

“This is what Israel and Western countries say. But the reality is something else, and the Israeli regime understood what Iran’s missile capability is. Every operation has its own objective. The main objective of this operation was to deter Israel and to warn them of the dangerous consequences of their reckless deeds,” Mr. Elahi told The Hindu in a written response to a question about the US statement. He said the operations had “proven” that all the “vital military bases” of the Israeli Defence Forces would be “easily accessible” if Iran decided to use “more developed weapons”.

Iran has said its attacks were a “legitimate” response to Israel’s bombing of the Iranian Embassy building in Damascus on April 1 that killed seven military advisors including a senior Iranian general, which Mr. Elahi said was a violation of the Vienna Convention and other conventions on the protection for diplomats. The Ministry of External Affairs’ response to both Israel’s attack and Iran’s counterattack has been seen as neutral, with no direct condemnation of either country but expressing serious concerns about the escalation of tensions in the region.

“I cannot speak for the Indian government. Each country has its own position in such situations. But what is certain is that attacking diplomatic places is prohibited according to international conventions,” Mr. Elahi said. He said India should condemn Israeli operations in Gaza in retaliation for the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas, that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead, and dozens taken hostage. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli operations since then, mostly women and children.

“We believe that India can play a very important role in stopping” Israel operations in Gaza, Mr. Elahi said, adding that “the Indian government can play an active role in condemning these actions of Israel.” When asked whether India could play mediator in the region given its strong strategic ties with both Iran and Israel, the Iranian Ambassador said his government would “welcome any action to reduce tension and establish peace and stability in the region”.

Israel’s Ambassador Naor Gilon has said Iran’s attacks “cannot go unanswered”. “We have to make it clear to Iran that these are unacceptable, and our capabilities to retaliate are reasonable,” he told various news channels this week.

The Iranian Ambassador also said bilateral cooperation with India over the Chabahar port project, where India operates a terminal, is “going well”, and promised that there would be “good news in this regard in the coming days”. When asked about India’s 2018 decision to cancel import of Iranian oil due to U.S. sanctions, Mr. Elahi said that as an oil exporter, Iran was ready to sell to any country. “If there is a request from the Indian government to buy oil, Iran will definitely welcome it,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tirunelveli on April 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Country being pushed towards black money; everyone will regret attacking Electoral Bond scheme, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 15 said that the country had been pushed towards black money in elections after the Supreme Court scrapped the electoral bonds scheme, and that on honest reflection, “everyone will regret it”. In his first detailed take on the electoral bond scheme after its scrapping, Mr. Modi in an interview to news agency ANI said that the scheme should also be viewed a success story as it had shown who made contributions to political parties.

Modi and Shah visiting TN to make up for the loss that awaits them in the North, says Stalin

DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on April 15, in an interview with The Hindu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had been visiting southern States, particularly Tamil Nadu, to make up for the loss awaiting them in the northern States that used to be their stronghold. Mr. Stalin said the purpose of this election was to decide who should not come to power rather than who should come to power.

Largest ever seizure of inducements before general elections: Election Commission

The Election Commission (EC) on April 15 said it was on track to seize the largest amount of inducements, including drugs and cash during an election in the last 75 years. Even before polling begins for the Lok Sabha elections, it has seized ₹4,650 crore, an amount which is higher than that recovered in the 2019 elections. During the 2019 general elections, ₹3,475 crore had been recovered by the EC.

Denial of pre-certification for poll ads can be challenged only before Supreme Court, not any other court, says ECI

The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to explain the rationale behind its insistence that denial of pre-certification for election advertisements can be challenged only before the Supreme Court and not any other court. Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice J. Sathya Narayana Prasad granted time till Wednesday for the ECI counsel to take instructions after senior counsel R. Shunmugasundaram for DMK argued that the ECI had no right to take away the writ jurisdiction of the High Courts.

Centre removed free movement regime along India-Myanmar border to thwart conspiracy to change Manipur’s demography, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the Narendra Modi-led government had ended the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the 1,600 km India-Myanmar border to thwart a “conspiracy” to change the demography of Manipur. “No matter how hard anyone tries, we will not let anyone divide Manipur,” he said at a campaign rally in support of the BJP’s Inner Manipur candidate in Imphal.

Taliban is ‘particularly committed’ to protect rights of Hindus and Sikhs: Spokesperson of Taliban ‘Justice Ministry’

The Taliban is in “continuous contact” with the Hindus and Sikhs of Afghanistan who were forced to flee and had their homes taken by warlords, said a senior official of the outfit’s ‘Justice Ministry’ on Monday. In a written statement to The Hindu, the representative said the Taliban will respect the property rights of the minority communities of Afghanistan and that they are “particularly committed” to defending the rights of Hindus and Sikhs in the country.

Singapore PM Lee to step down on May 15, hands over power to deputy Lawrence Wong

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday that he will step down on May 15 after two decades at the helm, and hand power to his deputy Lawrence Wong. Mr. Lee, 72, will formally advise the city-state’s president to appoint Mr. Wong, who is currently deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, to succeed him, his office said in a brief statement. Mr. Wong, who has the unanimous support of lawmakers in the long-ruling People’s Action Party, will be sworn in at the national palace later the same day, it said.

Europe joins U.S. in urging restraint by Israel after Iranian attack

Israel’s European allies urged the administration on April 15 to show restraint over Iran’s weekend missile and drone attack, calling on Israeli leaders to step away from “the edge of the cliff” of escalation in West Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war Cabinet, which is empowered to decide on the country’s response, was set to convene on April 15 afternoon, a government source said.

Former England spinner Derek Underwood passes away

Derek Underwood, England’s best spinner in the post-World War II era, who gave a torrid time to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, passed away at Kent on April 15. He was 78. Underwood, a practitioner of slow left-arm orthodox spin, was highly regarded by his contemporaries because of his pin-point accuracy, something which made him ‘Deadly’ on uncovered pitches of the 60s and 70s.

IPL-17: RCB vs SRH | Sunrisers win by 25 runs in highest-scoring match in T20 history

Travis Head’s destructive hundred fused splendidly with skipper Pat Cummins’ resolve as Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a well-crafted 25-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring affair. Head’s maiden T20 hundred (102, 41b, 9×4, 8×6) and Heinrich Klaasen’s pillaging 67 (31b, 2×4, 7×6) drove Sunrisers to a record-breaking 287 for three, also going past their own 277/3 against Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad this March 27.