AFTER a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean was targeted by two long-range missiles, there are conflicting claims about who fired the projectiles, which reportedly had a range of 4000km and were successfully intercepted.
Reports indicate that one missile failed mid-flight, while the other was intercepted by a US warship before reaching the island. According to an Al Jazeera report, the incident happened just hours before UK ministers were to assemble in London to discuss the Iran war. At the meeting, the UK agreed to let the US use its military bases for collective self-defence, it reported.
The UK condemned what it described as “reckless” Iranian actions after missiles, while Iran denied carrying out the attack.
However, a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Tehran was not responsible for the alleged missile launch.
Earlier this month, Iran’s foreign minister said that Tehran kept its missile range under 2000km because it did not want the world to perceive them as a threat. It may be noted that during the course of the war, there were multiple attacks, for instance, those targeting Turkiye, which were pinned on Iran, but Tehran denied the responsibility.
Israel’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, claimed that Iran used “a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 4,000km” to target the US-UK base in Diego Garcia. He claimed Iran was a “direct threat” to Europe.
“Our approach to this conflict has been the same throughout. We were not and continue not to be involved in offensive action, and we’ve taken a different view from the US and Israel on this,” said UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper while condemning the strikes.
An analyst quoted by Al Jazeera said the missile attack signalled that any “continuation of the war will come with increasingly high risk”.
The UK-US military airbase is home to nearly 2,500 mostly American personnel and has supported US military operations from Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan and strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
KARACHI: Three people were arrested after a huge fire erupted in the gutted structure of Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping centre on Sunday, which was brought under control by over half a dozen fire tenders after several hours, according to police and rescue services officials.
The development comes after a huge fire erupted at the shopping centre in January this year, claiming the lives of over 70 people and destroying hundreds of shops.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the service received information about a fire in the basement at around 5:00pm.
“Six fire tenders managed to control the blaze after hectic efforts up to 70 per cent, but thick smoke and heat is still emanating from the building,” he stated.
Khan added that a “special response team” — set up after the previous Gul Plaza fire and equipped with the latest equipment — was deployed to the scene.
He said initially, they were informed that the fire had erupted “spontaneously” in bushes inside Gul Plaza’s basement.
“Since there was no ventilation inside the basement, firemen faced immense difficulties in controlling the blaze,” he explained.
He noted that there was no vegetation in the basement, but the fire had been fuelled by the remains of merchandise.
“Heavy machinery was called to extinguish it,” he added.
South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that police received information about the fire erupting at around 4:53pm.
“Three drug addicts have been taken into custody as initial findings suggest that the fire was started by them,” he said.
The South police chief added that drug addicts thronged the place, though he denied allegations of the theft of metals from the site.
“Eight policemen on duty at Gul Plaza have been suspended on charges of negligence,” DIG Raza said, adding that the relevant authorities had sealed the shopping centre and covered it with a green cloth.
“During recent rains, the damaged parts [of the building], which were previously covered, were further damaged. Because of this, the building was accessible and was not properly secured,” he explained.
The official said police had written a letter to the relevant authorities about the risk of drug addicts entering Gul Plaza, which may create a “security problem” and put lives at risk.
He said authorities were urged to “repair and secure the place as soon as possible to avoid any issue”. The DIG said police had asked the district administration for “enhanced security and re-sealing” of Gul Plaza after the rainfall in the metropolis this week.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday called on India to immediately restore full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in accordance with international obligations.
In a message on World Water Day, President Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the unilateral suspension of the treaty by India.
“This deliberate weaponisation of shared water resources is a matter of deep concern. India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance, disrupt hydrological data-sharing, impede agreed mechanisms and undermines both the letter and spirit of a long-standing international agreement that has governed equitable sharing of the Indus river system for over six decades,” he said.
“Such conduct threatens food and economic security, jeopardises the livelihoods of millions who depend on these waters and sets a dangerous precedent for the management of transboundary resources under international law,” he said.
The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates the three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — largely to Pakistan, and the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — to India.
In April 2025, India announced a unilateral suspension of its obligations under the IWT following the attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence.
In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration — an organisation that provides a framework for international disputes — had issued a Supplemental Award of Competence, stating that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance.
Meanwhile, in his message, the president said that this year, World Water Day drew attention to the theme ‘Water and Gender’ and highlighted that “water insecurity is not experienced equally”.
“Women and girls often carry the heaviest burden when safe water is not available close to home,” he said.
“In many parts of Pakistan, households still rely on distant or unreliable water sources. Women and girls spend long hours each day collecting water, time that could otherwise be spent in school, at work or with their families,” he said.
“The absence of safe water also brings health risks and places additional strain on household life. Addressing this gap is, therefore, not only a matter of public service delivery but also of fairness and opportunity,” he said.
“Access to safe water and sanitation is a basic right recognised under our Constitution. Ensuring reliable and safe water supply must remain a national priority. It requires careful management of our water resources, investment in water systems and greater participation of women in planning and decision-making,” he said.
“Households and communities can contribute directly by adopting rainwater harvesting and other simple measures to capture and store water. These practices help replenish underground aquifers and increase the water table. Small steps by citizens can have a tangible impact on water availability for all,” he said.
“Water sustains our agriculture, our cities and our natural environment. As pressures on water resources grow due to population demands and climate variability, we must use water with greater care,” he said.
Rescuers were searching for the crew and passengers of a Qatari military helicopter that crashed in the Gulf state’s waters after a “technical malfunction”, the government said early Sunday.
“A Qatari helicopter had a technical malfunction during a routine duty, which led to its crash in the regional waters of the state,” Qatar’s defence ministry said in a statement posted to X.
“Searching operation for its crew members and passengers is in progress,” it said.
The interior ministry said that several specialised teams have been deployed.
Qatar has not specified where the helicopter was flying or the number of people on board.
While Qatar has been targeted by several strikes since the start of the Middle East war, no connection has been made between this chopper and the conflict triggered by US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Fourteen people were killed in a fire in a car parts factory in South Korea that also injured 59 others, authorities told AFP on Saturday, updating a previous toll of 11 fatalities.
Fire crews were initially unable to enter the factory in the central city of Daejeon to look for survivors due to the risk of the building collapsing.
The response was also hampered by sodium stored at the site, which can explode if improperly handled, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
Around 170 workers were at the plant when the fire broke out at about 9:00am PKT (0400 GMT) on Friday, according to Yonhap.
“We can confirm the latest death toll has risen to 14, with no one reported missing,” an official from the interior ministry’s department that handles fires and other disasters told AFP.
Officials have not said what may have caused the fire, which spread rapidly. A witness told Yonhap about hearing an explosion.
Fire crews could be seen shooting water onto the site from cranes while a thick column of black smoke filled the sky in images released by Yonhap.
The fire was extinguished by Saturday afternoon.
President Lee Jae Myung visited the site and met bereaved families, promising to provide full support for victims and their families, Yonhap said.
“The government will thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident and prepare fundamental measures to prevent such tragedies,” Lee wrote on X.
Wealthy South Korea has a patchy record on labour safety, with more than 10,000 worksite deaths between 2000 and 2024, according to official statistics.
In September, South Korea sentenced the CEO of battery maker Aricell to 15 years in prison over one of the country’s worst industrial fires.
The 2024 blaze at the lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, south of capital Seoul, killed 22 people, most of them Chinese nationals.
In its verdict, the Suwon District Court said the company had prioritised profit over workers’ safety.
QUETTA: Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail said on Thursday that brain drain is seriously affecting higher education in public universities of the province as senior professors are migrating to other provinces due to lack of facilities and job insecurity in public sector universities of Balochistan.
“The lack of necessary facilities and opportunities is forcing the province’s bright minds to migrate to other provinces,” Mr Mandokhail said during a meeting with vice-chancellors of various public sector universities of the province.
He stressed the need for formulating a comprehensive policy to reverse this trend and to pave the way for “brain gain” instead of brain drain.
“Universities and their campuses in the province’s remote districts are currently facing a severe shortage of facilities,” the governor said.
He said the government will provide professors, associate professors, and assistant professors with both job security and benefits to enable them to work wholeheartedly.
On the twenty-first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, a sombre Nowruz and Eidul Fitr eve set the domestic mood in Iran, as fresh military developments and a shifting coalition posture pointed to an imminent widening of the war.
Across Iran, the Persian New Year arrived without usual festivities associated with it. Celebrations were scaled down, with war, blackouts and economic strain shaping public sentiment. Markets remained open but subdued, and even among diaspora communities, observances lacked the usual fervour.
‘Rare moral boost’
Against this backdrop, a reported Iranian air defence success provided a rare morale boost.
Iranian systems are said to have damaged a US F-35 during a combat mission, forcing it to make an emergency landing at Al-Dhafra Airbase in the United Arab Emirates. While the operational impact appears limited, the symbolic value of hitting a stealth fifth-generation aircraft would be considerable.
The Iranian media is projecting it as evidence that advanced US platforms can be challenged. Under stressful situations, such narratives serve to reinforce resilience.
Meanwhile, an Israeli reservist working for the Iron Dome air defence system was arrested on allegations of spying for Iran. The individual is reported to have maintained covert contact with Iranian handlers over an extended period and to have shared sensitive operational details in return for payment.
While the full extent of the breach remains unclear, the case has been described by investigators as among the more serious incidents of its kind, underscoring the increasing role of intelligence operations alongside the ongoing military confrontation.
Evolving military balance and a diplomatic shift
The military balance, however, has continued to evolve. The imminent arrival of the USS Tripoli and USS Boxer, with their embarked Marine forces, is expected to boost US capabilities in the region, thereby expanding Washington’s options in the Gulf, including potential operations linked to securing maritime routes or seizing strategic islands. This would increase the risk of direct confrontation in the littoral space.
At the same time, a notable diplomatic shift has emerged. Several Western and allied countries, after initially expressing reluctance, have signalled their willingness to support efforts aimed at ensuring maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
While details remain unclear, the move suggests a gradual hardening of positions after weeks of hesitation. For Washington, this provides some support to its effort to internationalise the issue, though questions remain about the scale and sustainability of such involvement.
Diverging war aims
Despite this, divergences in war aims are becoming more visible. The US focus remains on reopening the Strait and containing the conflict, whereas Israeli objectives appear broader, with indications that long-term strategic change in Iran remains part of its calculus. This gap is complicating coordination and adds another layer of uncertainty to the trajectory of the war.
On the ground, Iran continues to rely on a strategy of endurance and horizontal escalation. Pressure is being maintained through missile and drone operations, as well as proxy activity across multiple fronts. Developments in Lebanon and Iraq indicate that these fronts remain active, reinforcing the pattern of distributed pressure that has defined the conflict in recent days.
The economic dimension is also becoming more pronounced. Disruptions linked to energy flows, supply chains and insurance costs are beginning to accumulate, with potential knock-on effects extending beyond the region. These pressures are likely to intensify if the conflict continues along its current trajectory, particularly if energy infrastructure and maritime routes remain contested.
The situation at the end of Day 21 reinforced the assessment that the conflict was steadily expanding in scope while becoming harder to control.
The combination of domestic strain in Iran, incremental coalition building on the US side, and continued military pressure across multiple theatres suggests that the coming days, particularly around the Nowruz period, could prove decisive in determining whether the war stabilises or moves into a more dangerous phase.
Header image: An Iranian flag flutters as a digger arrives to help remove the debris from destroyed buildings following a military strike on the Iranian capital Tehran on March 15, 2026. — AFP/ File
