ran’s parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as defense minister on Sunday, with 237 lawmakers voting in favor, 15 against and none abstaining, out of 277 votes cast.
Iran’s parliament has officially approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi to serve as the country’s Minister of Defence, according to state media reports. Iran’s former Defence Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, 2026. Majid Ebn al-Reza served as acting defense minister following Nasirzadeh’s death.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh on Sunday asked its nationals to take note of and follow updated directives issued by Saudi authorities for people receiving emergency warnings through the National Early Warning Platform for Emergencies amid heightened security concerns following strikes by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The instructions, shared through social media platforms, ask people to remain calm, follow official directions, and immediately move to the nearest safe place inside a building, preferably an interior room away from windows, until the danger has passed.
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The United States and Iran each claim control of the Strait of Hormuz, as attacks on commercial ships continue in the key oil route. The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that the strait is “closed”, while US Central Command (CENTCOM) says it remains open and that most ships pass through safely. Five tankers have been hit since Friday, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says one of them was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a small boat. UKMTO has logged 135 incidents in the strait since the Iran-US conflict began. At the same time, drones were shot down over Saudi Arabia, and Egypt’s president has asked parliament to approve help for Riyadh.
What the US and Iran are saying about the strait: CENTCOM spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital that about 97 per cent of ships trying to cross the strait have done so without being hit by an Iranian projectile. He said the US military has helped protect thousands of vessels and that traffic was still moving on Saturday. “It is open, it is available for transit,” he said.
The IRGC said a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil hit a sea mine while trying to pass through what it calls the “unauthorised” strait. Iran’s ISNA agency said the blast caused a severe fire.
Key World developments
- The IRGC navy says the Strait of Hormuz is “closed”, while CENTCOM says it is open and 97 per cent of ships get through safely.
- Five tankers have been reported hit since Friday, including one struck by an RPG fired from a small boat, per UKMTO.
- The GFS Pride container ship was hit by an Iranian projectile on Wednesday and sank while under tow; UKMTO has logged 135 incidents in the strait.
- The Saudi-led coalition says it shot down four drones over Riyadh, Eastern and Southern provinces, and destroyed two missile launch platforms in Yemen’s Saada.
- India asks its nationals in Saudi Arabia to follow safety directives amid security concerns.
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