Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed that contacts with Iran were taking place but suggested negotiations had yet to reach a decisive stage. “Yes, we’re talking to them,” Trump said when asked whether diplomatic efforts were underway to end the conflict. “But I don’t think they’re ready

. But they are getting pretty close.”The war, which has rattled global markets and spread across parts of the Middle East, intensified after coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets on Feb. 28. The opening day of the campaign killed several senior Iranian officials, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Trump offered few details about the nature or level of the contacts, and suggested uncertainty about who currently represents Iran’s leadership after the initial strikes.“I’m not sure I want to make a deal, because first of all nobody even knows who you’re dealing with, because most of their leadership has been killed,” he said.

Iranian officials, however, rejected the notion that talks were underway.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was not engaged in negotiations with Washington and criticized the United States for pursuing diplomacy after launching military strikes.“We are stable and strong enough. We are only defending our people,” Araghchi said in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” broadcast on Sunday.

“We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us,” he added. “There is no good experience talking with Americans.”Trump nonetheless maintained that Iranian authorities were seeking an agreement to end hostilities.

“They want to make a deal badly,” he said, without elaborating on possible terms or channels for future negotiations.

The conflicting statements highlight uncertainty over whether diplomatic efforts could emerge alongside the continuing military confrontation that has expanded across the region since late February.

The aircraft was conducting aerial refueling missions tied to the ongoing U.S. strikes on Iran when the crash occurred. The U.S. military said the incident involved another aircraft but was not caused by hostile action or friendly fire. Officials said the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.

Three of the airmen were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base. The Defense Department identified them as Major John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Captain Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; and Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky.

The remaining three airmen served with the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base. They were identified as Captain Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Captain Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Technical Sergeant Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.

U.S. officials have not released further details about the sequence of events leading to the crash as the investigation continues.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said the younger Khamenei had issued only a written statement following the attacks and had not appeared publicly in audio or video since an Israeli strike early in the war killed members of his family, including his father, former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei.

“We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” Hegseth said. He added that the absence of a public appearance suggested the Iranian leader was injured and in hiding, questioning his legitimacy and ability to govern.Iranian officials have acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded but dispute the severity of the injuries.

Iran’s ambassador to Japan, Peyman Saadat, told Asahi TV that the Iranian leader had suffered injuries during the conflict but remained capable of carrying out his duties. “He is a functioning leader,” Saadat said, adding that his condition had not impaired his ability to govern.

Hegseth and Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. military operations in Iran have focused on degrading Tehran’s missile and drone capabilities as well as elements of its naval forces.

The briefing came as Washington increased military pressure on Iran following nearly two weeks of strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iranian military infrastructure.

Officials said additional U.S. firepower was being sent to the region as the conflict widened across the Middle East.

During the briefing, Hegseth said U.S. forces would continue their campaign without easing pressure on Iran’s military.

“We will keep pressing, keep pushing, keep advancing,” Hegseth said. “No quarter, no mercy for our enemy.

”The phrase “no quarter” refers to refusing to spare an opponent who attempts to surrender, a practice prohibited under the laws of armed conflict.

Reports during the conflict have indicated Iranian drone activity in several countries across the Gulf and Middle East, including Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The fighting has also affected U.S. forces in the region. Six U.S. service members died in an aircraft crash in Iraq during the conflict, U.S. officials said.

In a social media post, Trump said U.S. forces had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target” on the island while deliberately leaving oil export infrastructure intact. Kharg Island, located about 16 miles (26 km) off Iran’s coast, handles roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

The president said the decision not to strike oil facilities could be reconsidered if Iran or other actors interfere with the “Free and Safe Passage of Ships” through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply moves.

Iran has been attacking vessels in the waterway during the conflict, halting most commercial shipping traffic and intensifying volatility in energy markets.

Kharg Island lies roughly 300 miles (483 km) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz and serves as Iran’s principal crude export terminal. Satellite imagery reviewed by tanker monitoring service TankerTrackers.com showed multiple very large crude carriers loading at the island earlier this week.

Despite escalating military tensions in the Gulf, Iran has continued shipping crude from Kharg. Between Feb. 28, when the conflict began, and Wednesday, exports ranged between 1.1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day.

Other Gulf producers have temporarily halted shipments because of security concerns linked to Iranian attacks on shipping routes.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump declined to provide a timeline for the conflict’s conclusion.

“I can’t tell you that,” the president said. “I mean, I have my own idea, but what good does it do? It’ll be as long as it’s necessary.

”Oil markets have fluctuated sharply in recent days as investors reacted to shifting signals from Washington about the duration and scope of the conflict.

The United States is sending additional military forces to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate around the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also said Iran had “no ability to defend against U.S. attacks,” urging Iranian forces to lay down their arms.

The confrontation has raised concerns among energy analysts and governments about the risk of a prolonged disruption to global oil supply, with the International Energy Agency previously warning that the conflict could trigger one of the largest supply shocks in modern energy markets.

No injuries were reported and no arrests had been made as of Friday morning, police said, adding that the fire had been extinguished.

Police said the blaze began at about 3:40 a.m. local time.“Around 3:40 a.m., a fire was started at the synagogue,” Rotterdam police said in a post on X, noting that the flames burned briefly before being brought under control.

Authorities have appealed for witnesses or anyone with relevant information to come forward as investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The fire comes days after another synagogue about 200 kilometres away in Belgium was struck by an explosion earlier this week, which authorities described as an antisemitic attack.

That incident caused property damage but no injuries.Separately, in the U.S. state of Michigan, a Lebanon-born American citizen drove a truck into a synagogue and its preschool before being shot dead, according to authorities.

Authorities and community groups have warned of rising risks to Jewish institutions worldwide following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent response.

The Rotterdam investigation is ongoing as police seek to establish the motive and identify those responsible.

A strong majority of economists, 24 of 26 surveyed between March 9 and 12, forecast the central bank would keep its benchmark seven-day reverse repurchase rate unchanged at 4.75%. The overnight deposit and lending facility rates are also expected to remain steady at 3.75% and 5.50%, respectively.

The Indonesian central bank has maintained its policy stance since October, prioritising currency stability as the rupiah weakened amid global uncertainty. Renewed geopolitical tensions following the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran have intensified pressure on emerging-market currencies, including Indonesia’s.

The rupiah fell to a record low earlier this week and has declined more than 1% so far this year after losing about 4% in 2025, effectively closing the window for an immediate rate cut.

Bank Indonesia has previously signalled its willingness to support economic growth but has refrained from easing policy as currency volatility remains a central concern. Maintaining exchange-rate stability is a key element of the bank’s mandate.

“The central bank will hold as it can’t resume its accommodative stance given how much the rupiah has weakened over the past month, especially in the last couple of weeks after the U.S.-Iran conflict,” said Tay Qi Hang, economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Investor sentiment has also been weighed down by concerns over fiscal credibility linked to the spending plans of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, which economists say could widen budget deficits.

Questions surrounding central bank independence after the appointment of the president’s nephew as a deputy governor have further unsettled markets, contributing to capital outflows.

The latest poll reflects a shift from an earlier Reuters survey in which about 85% of economists had anticipated rate cuts beginning in the second quarter.

Hang said February’s higher inflation reading alone was unlikely to determine the central bank’s decision but that currency weakness would delay any easing cycle.

“The timing of its next rate cut will likely be delayed until June at the earliest, as rupiah weakness constrains both the willingness and ability of the central bank to ease earlier,” he said.

President Donald Trump issued the warning after global financial markets swung sharply on Monday amid signs that Iran’s security establishment was consolidating behind newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, signalling Tehran may be preparing for a prolonged confrontation.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would prevent “one litre of oil” from leaving the Middle East if strikes by the United States and Israel persist, according to Iranian state media.

Trump said Washington had already inflicted heavy damage on Iran’s military infrastructure and warned that any attempt by Tehran to halt tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would trigger far stronger U.S. retaliation.

“We will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to ever recover that section of the world,” Trump said during a news conference on Monday.

In a later post on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated that warning, saying the United States would strike Iran “twenty times harder” if the country attempted to block oil shipments through the narrow waterway, which handles roughly one-fifth of global crude supply.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded by saying the end of the conflict would be determined by Tehran, not Washington. A spokesperson quoted by state media said Iran would ensure that no oil exports leave the region if the attacks by the United States and Israel continue.

The comments came as large crowds gathered in Iran in support of Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iranian media, suggesting the country’s leadership is seeking to demonstrate domestic backing following the escalation of hostilities.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have been killed and thousands wounded since the United States and Israel launched air and missile strikes across Iran at the end of February.

Washington and its allies say the strikes are aimed at crippling Iran’s missile capabilities and nuclear programme. Israel has said its objective is to topple Iran’s clerical leadership, while Trump has said the conflict could end only if Tehran accepts a government compliant with U.S. demands.

Financial markets reacted sharply to the escalating rhetoric. Crude oil prices and global stock markets swung between gains and losses as investors weighed the risk that the conflict could disrupt energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

The outbreak of war in the Middle East has placed hundreds of ballistic missiles and attack drones into airspace near major regional hubs, raising safety concerns for commercial aviation as retaliatory strikes and military activity disrupt normal flight operations.

Iran’s response to U.S. and Israeli attacks has included strikes that hit airports and forced the grounding of numerous flights across the Gulf, from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and prompting emergency rescue flights to evacuate some travelers.

Industry experts and pilots say the risks confronting civilian aviation have steadily increased as armed conflicts across multiple regions have restricted available flight corridors and introduced new military threats into commercial airspace.

Reuters interviewed eight airline pilots and more than half a dozen aviation and security specialists who said the accumulation of wars in regions including Ukraine, Afghanistan and Israel has tightened airspace and forced pilots to operate in increasingly complex conditions.

These constraints require pilots to navigate around restricted zones, rapidly changing security advisories and new hazards posed by unmanned aerial systems and missile activity far beyond traditional combat areas.

The pressure is compounded by the need to make quick operational decisions to ensure passenger safety while maintaining adherence to strict aviation protocols.

The aviation sector has also seen a surge in disruptive technologies affecting air navigation, including drones and GPS spoofing, a form of electronic interference that can mislead aircraft navigation systems about their location.I

ndustry specialists say these factors have worsened airspace safety over the past two and a half years as conflicts expand and new technologies are increasingly deployed in military and hybrid warfare.

Drone incursions have not been limited to conflict zones. European airports have also experienced disruptions linked to unauthorized drones, adding to safety concerns for commercial aircraft operating in busy flight corridors.

Pilots say the growing overlap between military operations and civilian aviation is creating a challenging environment for crews trained primarily for commercial transport.

“We are not military pilots. We are not trained to deal with these kinds of threats in the air,” Tanja Harter, president of the European Cockpit Association and a pilot with experience in the Middle East, told Reuters.

Harter said the succession of global crises affecting aviation in recent years could create fear and anxiety among pilots responsible for passenger safety.Airlines have increasingly introduced peer support programs to help pilots cope with stress related to security threats and operational uncertainty, she added.

The intensifying conflict has already caused disruptions to international flight operations.An Air France flight dispatched to repatriate stranded French nationals from the United Arab Emirates turned back on Thursday due to missile activity in the region.A pilot for Lufthansa diverted a flight from Riyadh to Cairo on Friday after assessing potential security risks linked to the regional escalation.

Aviation analysts say such diversions reflect the broader challenge facing airlines attempting to maintain operations amid rapidly evolving security conditions.With missile launches, drone activity and shifting conflict lines affecting large sections of Middle Eastern airspace, pilots and airlines are increasingly reliant on real-time intelligence and international coordination to avoid potential threats.

The growing overlap between military operations and civilian flight paths is forcing aviation authorities and airlines to continually reassess risk calculations as the conflict reshapes the security landscape for global air travel.

-Israeli war with Iran pushed global oil prices above $100 a barrel and intensified military and diplomatic tensions across the Middle East.Iran’s Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting the supreme leader, said it had voted decisively to appoint Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third leader of the Islamic Republic, according to a statement issued shortly after midnight Tehran time.

Mojtaba Khamenei replaces his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in one of the first strikes launched against Iran during the conflict that erupted more than a week ago between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli alliance.The supreme leader holds ultimate authority over Iran’s political system, armed forces and strategic decision-making.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric known to wield influence within Iran’s security establishment and the vast economic networks built during his father’s rule, had long been viewed as a leading contender to succeed the elder Khamenei.The Assembly of Experts said the vote followed deliberations over the succession after the death of the longtime leader.

The appointment signals continuity in Iran’s ideological leadership during a period of escalating military confrontation.Iran’s armed forces leadership pledged allegiance to the new supreme leader following the announcement, reinforcing the authority of the office at a moment when the country is engaged in active conflict with regional and Western adversaries.The war has already produced significant military and economic repercussions. Oil markets reacted sharply, with U.S. crude futures surging more than 20% amid fears the conflict could disrupt energy flows from the Middle East, a region that accounts for a substantial share of global oil supply.

U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier suggested Washington should influence the selection of Iran’s next leader, remarks that risked inflaming tensions further.“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump told ABC News on Sunday when asked about the succession.

After Mojtaba Khamenei was named, Trump declined to comment directly on the appointment in an interview with the Times of Israel, saying only, “We’ll see what happens.”Trump also told the newspaper that any decision to end the war would be made jointly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Israel had previously warned it could target whoever emerged as Iran’s next supreme leader, underscoring the stakes surrounding the succession during wartime.

The military confrontation has continued to escalate across the region. Israel struck major fuel storage facilities near Tehran as part of its campaign against Iranian infrastructure.Iran has also launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. facilities in the Middle East.The U.S. military said a seventh American service member had died from wounds sustained during Iran’s initial counter-attack a week ago. The announcement came a day after Trump oversaw the return to the United States of the remains of six other U.S. personnel killed in the same attack.Amid mounting security concerns, Washington on Sunday ordered the departure of non-emergency employees from its embassy in Saudi Arabia, the latest drawdown of American diplomatic staff in the region as the conflict deepens.

The Iranian amphibious landing vessel IRIS Lavan docked in Kochi on Wednesday following an urgent request from Tehran, according to an Indian government source familiar with the matter. The docking occurred the same day a U.S. submarine struck the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast, killing at least 87 people, officials said.Speaking at the annual Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the vessel and two accompanying ships had originally been scheduled to attend a fleet review in India but were caught amid the rapidly deteriorating security environment in the region.“We really approached it from the point of view of humanity,” Jaishankar said, referring to India’s decision to allow the vessel entry despite the complex legal and geopolitical circumstances. “I think we did the right thing.”humanitarian docking amid naval escalationAccording to the Indian government source, New Delhi received Tehran’s request on Feb. 28, the day hostilities between Iran and the United States and its allies intensified.

The request said the Lavan had developed technical issues and required urgent assistance.The ship’s 183 crew members have since been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi while repairs are assessed, the source said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.The docking highlights India’s attempt to balance humanitarian obligations with its broader diplomatic relationships as tensions in the Indian Ocean region rise.U.S. strike sinks Iranian frigateThe Lavan’s arrival coincided with the sinking of the Dena, an Iranian frigate that had earlier participated in naval activities linked to India. The vessel was struck approximately 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s coast, outside the island nation’s territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone, officials said.The attack was carried out by a U.S. submarine as part of the widening conflict launched by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel against Iran, Washington has said. Trump previously stated that degrading Iran’s naval capabilities was among the objectives of the military campaign.The Dena, a domestically built frigate commissioned in 2021 and capable of carrying anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, had been returning from naval activities associated with India shortly before the strike. Regional response and rescue efforts.

Sri Lankan authorities said they were escorting another Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Booshehr, to a harbour on the country’s eastern coast. Most of its crew members were being transferred to a navy camp near Colombo as a precaution, officials said.The incident has underscored growing security risks in the Indian Ocean as the conflict between Washington and Tehran spreads beyond the Middle East into critical maritime routes linking South Asia and the Persian Gulf.India has not commented on the broader military developments but officials said its decision to assist the Iranian vessel was based solely on humanitarian considerations.