Oil prices eased on Wednesday (April 29, 2026) from a multi-day ​rally as investors digested the ramifications of the United Arab ⁠Emirates’ surprise decision to quit OPEC, though supply disruptions from the stalemated Iran war support the market.

Brent crude futures for June dipped 1% to $111.25 a barrel by 0413 ‌GMT, having climbed for the previous seven sessions. The June contract expires on Thursday (April 30, 2026) and the more active July contract down 28 ‌cents at $104.12.

President Donald Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die” in Iran on Tuesday (April 7, 2026) if the country does not heed his ultimatum to accept U.S. war demands.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “WHO KNOWS?”

Mr. Trump did not give details but has already said the U.S. military could bomb Iran’s bridges, power plants and other civilian infrastructure into the “stone age.”

Mohhammad Baqer Zolqadr, a veteran commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been appointed as the new Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

Mr. Zolqadr, who currently serves as the secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, an advisory body to the Supreme Leader, replaces Ali Larijani, who was assassinated by an Israeli strike on March 17.

Iran-Israel war updates on March 24, 2026

He previously served as deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces for Basij and held senior positions in the judiciary.

After the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88, Mr. Zolqadr headed the IRGC Joint Staff for eight years during the presidency of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

He headed the electoral headquarters of the ‌hardline political faction, the Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces.

Since 2022, he has served as secretary of ⁠the Expediency Discernment Council. This assembly ⁠resolves differences between parliament and the Guardian Council of Shi’ite ‌clerics and jurists, who can veto legislation and supervise elections.

The SNSC, formally chaired by the elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, coordinates security and foreign policy, ‌and includes top military, intelligence and government officials in addition to representatives of the Supreme Leader, who has ultimate ‌say over all matters of State.

(with inputs from Reuters)

President Donald Trump, whose call for assistance from allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic has largely been rebuffed, said on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) that U.S. forces “no longer need” military help in the Iran war.

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social network, adding: “WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

Iran-Israel war LIVE updates

Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.

A handful of ships have crossed through the strait, and Iran has said the vital waterway technically remains open — just not for the United States, Israel and their allies. About 20 vessels have been struck since the war began.

Earlier with oil prices rising, Mr. Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to ensure ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

But his appeals brought no immediate commitments, with many saying they are hesitant to get involved in a war with no defined exit plan and sceptical that they could do more than the U.S. Navy.

The last batch of South African and West Indian players stranded in India after the T20 World Cup have departed, the ICC announced on Thursday, ending a crisis caused by the closure of Gulf air space in the wake of the raging West Asia conflict.

The ongoing war threw travel plans into disarray, leaving the South African and West Indies teams stranded in Kolkata due to closure of air space and airports at major transit points like Dubai.

The West Indies and South Africa played their final T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata on March 1 and March 4 respectively.

While nine West Indies players had left earlier this week, the remaining 16 were booked on commercial flights. A 29-member Proteas contingent has also departed.

“Within the past 24 hours, South Africa’s remaining 29 members and the West Indies’ final 16 members have departed on flights to their respective homelands, bringing to a close a complex operation that has taken place under exceptionally challenging global travel conditions,” the ICC said.

ICC added that ensuring the “safe onward travel for all players and staff was the sole aim”, which required constant adjustments as conditions evolved.

“Throughout this period, the ICC’s operations and logistics teams have worked continuously with governments, airlines, charter providers, airport authorities and our Member boards to navigate a number of operational disruptions caused by the evolving environment.”

The ICC had earlier drawn criticism from former England captain Michael Vaughan and South African stars Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who insinuated that England players were given better travel arrangements as they were able to leave within a day of their semifinal exit.

Earlier, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy had also expressed frustration at the lack of updates from the governing body after a charter flight scheduled to depart from Kolkata was cancelled due to logistical issues.

The ICC’s airline partner Emirates has been unable to operate flights following the shutdown of airspace over Dubai.

India is “closely monitoring” the situation in Iran and there are no reports of any Indian national missing or being killed during recent protests in that country, the government informed Parliament on Thursday (February 5, 2026).

In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also said the Indian Embassy in Tehran continues to be in “regular contact” with the Indian nationals, including students, in Iran, and is providing them suitable guidance.

The crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 6,876 people, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Also Read |What is happening in Iran? 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was asked about the number of Indians currently stranded in Iran amid the ongoing anti-government protests, the number of Indians successfully repatriated since the start of the agitation and the number of Indians missing or killed during the protests.

10,000 nationals live in Iran

“Based on current estimates, there are approximately 9,000-10,000 Indian nationals residing in Iran. The government does not consider them stranded, as Iranian airspace remains open and commercial flights are operating. The Embassy of India in Tehran is in regular contact with the community and continues to provide guidance and support,” Mr. Singh said.

He said “no evacuation” has taken place since Operation Sindhu in June 2025. “With commercial flights operating, Indian nationals wishing to return to India have been advised to use regular commercial air services,” he said.

The Minister further said that there are “no reports of any Indian national being missing or killed during the recent protests”.

The government issued travel advisories on January 5 and January 14, urging avoidance of non-essential travel to Iran and advising Indians in Iran to leave via commercial flights and stay alert, he added.

The embassy continues to assist, advise and guide Indian nationals as required, the government said.

The MEA was also asked about India’s “overarching diplomatic stance” with Iran. “The government is closely monitoring the situation in Iran,” Mr. Singh said.