Middle East conflict: The operation reportedly focuses on sites related to missile systems, command centres, and security forces. US-Israel-Iran War: As the conflict in the Middle East entered its sixth day, missiles and drones launched from Iran have fallen near the Nakhchivan Airport in Azerbaijan. Apart from this, Iran's military leaders denied firing any missiles towards Turkey, according to Iranian state media.
NATO's air defences intercepted what Turkey claimed was a missile launched from Iran on Wednesday.
“The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran respect the sovereignty of the neighbouring and friendly country, Turkey, and deny any missile launch towards that country’s territory,” said Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces, the state-affiliated Fars news agency reported.
Previously, a Sri Lankan minister told the parliament that a second Iranian warship is heading towards Sri Lanka's waters on Thursday. The development comes a day after a US submarine destroyed an Iranian frigate -- IRIS Dena.
Moreover, Iranian state television on Thursday aired a message from Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli calling for the "shedding" of blood from Israelis and US President Donald Trump.
"We are now on the verge of a great test and we must be careful to fully preserve this unity, to fully preserve this alliance," he said in the statement, according to Associated Press. He called for "the shedding of Zionist blood, the shedding of Trump's blood".
Additionally, Indian carrier SpiceJet will operate 13 special flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday to repatriate stranded Indian nationals. Previously, Air India also announced that it would deploy additional capacity flights to Toronto, Frankfurt, and Paris in response to high demand amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
The death toll in Iran has crossed 1,000 as Israel and US continue to target key infrastructure in Tehran and other parts of the country. Flight operations in Muscat and Dubai are also growing as the airports have become hubs for repatriation flights, according to Flightradar24.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi condemned the US for striking Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters. Calling the incident an "atrocity at sea", he said that the vessel was visiting the Indian Navy and carried around 130 sailors.
Meanwhile, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has announced that it has launched another wave of airstrikes targeting infrastructure inside Tehran. The operation reportedly focuses on sites related to missile systems, command centres, and security forces.
New videos from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) showing strikes against Iranian forces and their military apparatus across the Middle Eastern country have gone viral as Operation Epic Fury continues.
Also Read: China asks exporters to halt new refined fuel export deals as Middle East conflict disrupts supply
The footage by CENTCOM shows multiple precision explosions across desert and urban sites, confirming degraded Iranian air defences. As per the IDF, its Air Force destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in the Qom area, armed and prepared to fire toward Israel.
A defence system in Isfahan designed to target Israeli aircraft was also struck and eliminated in the strike. The IDF said operations are a part of broader campaign to degrade Iran's missile capabilities and strengthen Israeli air superiority in the region.
Middle East crisis: Catch all the latest developments on BusinessToday.In
Adani Total Gas said that it raised the prices of gas supplied to industrial users if their consumption goes beyond the contracted daily limit. As per a notice sent to consumers, the new rate is ₹119 per standard cubic metre for additional gas used beyond 40 per cent of the daily contract quantity.
Previously, the price for such supplies was around Rs 40 per standard cubic metre, according to a source familiar with the matter.
On Thursday, Iranian state TV aired a message from Ayatollah Abdollah Javaid Amoli calling for the "shedding" of the blood of the Israelis and US President Donald Trump.
"We are now on the verge of a great test, and we must be careful to fully preserve this unity, to fully preserve this alliance," he said in the statement.
He called for "the shedding of Zionist blood, the shedding of Trump's blood."
"The Imam of the time says, Fight the oppressive America, his blood is on my shoulders,'" the ayatollah added.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for an attack on a US oil tanker that took place in the northern Persian Gulf. The attack may be connected to an earlier incident that took place near Kuwait, as per experts.
Air India also announced that it would run additional capacity flights to Toronto, Frankfurt and Paris (Charles de Gaulle) in response to high demand. The airline said that it will operate 3 additional flights between Delhi and Toronto from March 5-11 and 3 flights between Delhi and Frankfurt from March 7-10. It has also added one flight between Delhi and Paris (Charles de Gaulle).
SpiceJet will operate a total of 13 special flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 5 to facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals. Of the 13 flights, 12 will operate from Fujairah and one will operate from Dubai.
The airline will operate 7 special flights to Mumbai, 5 to Delhi, and one special flight from Dubai to Mumbai. The airline operated 12 special flights on March 3 and 4 from the UAE, repatriating stranded citizens to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.
The Israeli army has renewed its evacuation warning for south Lebanon residents and urged them to move towards the north of the Litani River. The army advised them against being near Hezbollah personnel, facilities, or equipment.
Israel also reported airstrikes on Beirut in which several Hezbollah command centres were hit, including the one used by its aerial units.
Besides this, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the country is sending its military assets to the Middle East as a precaution though he provided no details on the nature of the deployment. Two Australian military planes have already been dispatched, SBS News reported.
Two Russian oil cargoes that had been signalling East Asia as a destination have switched to India, according to ship-tracking data, suggesting New Delhi is becoming more willing to take the crude as the Middle East conflict worsens, Bloomberg reported.
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Thursday said that geopolitical shocks, such as the US-Israel joint strikes on Iran, will keep testing India's security. He said that India should focus on not only adding clean capacity but also on delivering reliable clean power at home.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said that its forces are locating and striking Iran's mobile missile launchers with "lethal precision".
Qatar Airways has said that its flight operations will remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline stated that it would resume its services only after the Qatari Civil Aviation Authority confirms that the airspace has safely reopened.
Meanwhile, the airline would operate several relief flights starting Thursday to assist stranded passengers. These flights will depart from Muscat to several European destinations, including London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome, and Amsterdam besides one flight from Riyadh to Frankfurt.
Passengers are advised to head to the airport only after getting official confirmation from the airline.
The US military has successfully conducted a test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the California coast. The launch, which took place at 11:00 pm PT from Vandenberg Space Force Base, comes at a moment of heightened geopolitical friction, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has postponed a major mourning ceremony for the country's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israel strike over the last weekend. Officials said that more preparations were needed to handle an unprecedented crowd.
"The farewell ceremony for the martyred Imam has been postponed. The new date will be announced later," Iranian state television reported.
As per authorities, the tribute would be held in Tehran before Khamenei's body is transferred to his birthplace, Mashhad, for burial.
The Saudi Arabian Defence Ministry said that air defences have intercepted another drone near the Al Jowf region, Al Jazeera reported. Authorities had shot down 3 drones east of Al-Kharj Governorate before this.
China has told the country's largest oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline as the war in the Middle East disrupts the arrival of crude from one of the world's largest producing regions, Bloomberg reported.
China is one of the several major Asian economies that depend on the Strait of Hormuz, where the traffic is currently blocked for energy. In 2025, 57 per cent of China's direct seaborne crude imports came from the Middle East.
