The United States is deploying the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and thousands of Marines to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate, Axios reports. Shipping disruptions intensified in the Strait of Hormuz.
After the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted, the United States deployed the USS Tripoli aircraft carrier and Marine Corps to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo (Reuters)
Officials told Axios that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved the deployment after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) requested additional troops to expand military options in the region.
The move would bring more Marines, warships and advanced aircraft to support U.S. troops already stationed there.
Iran has recently taken action in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments. Iran has disrupted maritime traffic, raising concerns about energy supplies and global economic stability.
President Donald Trump said the United States would crack down on Iran “next week,” shortly after the United States issued a 30-day partial exemption for purchases of sanctioned Russian oil in hopes of easing a rise in oil prices triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Trump’s changing comments on the likely duration of the war have caused price swings, prompting Iran to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has previously said the war is “done” and pledged to keep ships in the Strait safe. Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired Friday that the United States would escort ships heading there “if necessary.” Benchmark Brent crude fell about 0.6% to around $99.80, still up nearly 40% since the war began. After nearly two weeks of fighting, 2,000 people have been killed, mostly in Iran but many also in Lebanon and increasingly in the Gulf, which for the first time in decades is on the frontline of a conflict in West Asia. As Israeli warplanes struck Beirut suburbs with airstrikes, Lebanon’s interior minister said authorities could not accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people seeking asylum in the capital. Israel has also distributed leaflets threatening widespread destruction in Gaza, deploying more troops to fight Iran-backed Hezbollah and warning of more attacks on Lebanese infrastructure. Iran launched more missiles and drones at Israel, with Iranian drones reportedly flying into Kuwait, Iraq, the UAW, Bahrain and Oman. A massive explosion rocked a central square in the Iranian capital on Friday, where thousands of people had gathered for a state-organized annual rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel’s demise. Israel has warned that it will target central Tehran. Iran’s Press TV said a woman was killed in the airstrike. President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Security Chief Ali Larijani were all seen on video attending rallies publicly in a show of defiance. “People are not afraid of these attacks. As you can see, people are coming out in this rain, in these sufferings,” Justice Minister Gholam Hussein Mohseni-Eje said at the march. “We will not back down in any way.” In Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said more than 15,000 enemy targets had been hit. He also sought to address concerns about effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, saying: “We have been dealing with this issue and there is no need to worry.” With gasoline and diesel prices rising around the world, the United States on Thursday issued 30-day licenses to countries to buy Russian oil and petroleum products already at sea – where it is not uncommon to sell cargoes or change buyers. The U.S. exemption for Russian oil was welcomed by Moscow but angered Kyiv and its allies. “Six members of the G7 expressed a very clear opinion that this is not the right signal,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Norway. “This morning we learned that the US government has apparently made a different decision.” Ukrainian President Zelensky said the move could provide Russia with $10 billion, adding: “It certainly does not contribute to peace.” Trump said in a Fox News Radio interview that aired Friday that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin might be providing “a little bit” of help to Iran. “I think he might be helping him (Iran) a little bit, yes, I think. He might think we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump said on “The Brian Kilmeade Show.”
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir police chief and his wife died and their son was injured when the vehicle they were traveling in skidded off the road and fell into a stream in Doda district on Friday.The family, who hailed from Bani in Kathua district, were heading to Bhaderwah in their SUV when the accident occurred near Basti village at around 9 am. Inspector Zulfikar Ali (47) and his wife Rehana Begum (42) of the Badwah district special branch died on the spot, an official said.“Police and medical teams from SDH Bhaderwah rushed to the spot and shifted the family to Bhaderwah Hospital where the couple was declared dead. Their sons Arshad Ahmed (20) and Kamran Ahmed (24) are still undergoing treatment,” the official said.Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh expressed his condolences over the death in an X post.
The U.S. Marine Corps is sending a force of Marines to the Middle East as tensions continue to rise in the region. About 2,200 Marines are heading to the area aboard three U.S. Navy ships, ABC News reported.
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which has about 2,200 Marines aboard U.S. Navy ships, has been ordered to the Middle East. (Representative Image/Unsplash)
The unit being deployed is the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st Marine Expeditionary Unit). It is usually headquartered in Japan and typically operates in the Indo-Pacific region USA But Indo-Pacific Command has now been ordered to march toward the Middle East.
According to the official website, the Marine Expeditionary Unit is a mobile military group of the United States Marine Corps that operates at sea. The ships act like floating bases, allowing troops to move quickly and respond to crises in different parts of the world. The force includes air and ground forces and is associated with USA navy.
A typical Marine Expeditionary Unit consists of approximately 2,200 Marines and sailors traveling aboard multiple amphibious ships. Prior to deployment, they undergo approximately 26 weeks of training to prepare them for many different types of missions.
Marine Expeditionary Force Structure and Mission
A Marine Expeditionary Force consists of four major elements that work together during operations.
The command element serves as the force’s headquarters and is responsible for managing command and control of all ground, aviation, and support forces.
The ground combat element provides the main combat capability. It is centered around a Marine infantry battalion and can include tanks, artillery, amphibious vehicles, engineers and reconnaissance teams.
Aviation combat forces include helicopters and jets used for transport, attack missions, air defense and air support, as well as the personnel and equipment required to operate them.
Logistics combat elements provide necessary support, such as medical care, transportation, equipment maintenance, and supplies, to enable units to operate on the battlefield.
Once deployed, expeditionary forces can conduct a wide range of missions, such as peacekeeping, humanitarian and disaster relief operations, security missions, evacuating civilians from hazardous areas, military reinforcements, amphibious assaults, reconnaissance, and operations to secure airports, ports, or offshore energy facilities.
Why deploy the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit?
The deployment does not necessarily mean the unit will be used as a ground force, according to officials Iran. Instead, the force provides a range of military capabilities that commanders can use when needed.
New Delhi: The annual FASTag fee for private cars will increase by 2.5% to Rs 3,075 from April 1. Currently, the annual pass costs Rs 3,000 and allows cars to travel through 200 toll plazas without interruption. The pass can be recharged multiple times within a year.Officials said that when the Road Transport Ministry notified the FASTag annual pass, it mentioned the provision for annual price adjustment. The pass has been a huge success with more than 5.2 million motorway car users subscribing to the annual pass since August 15th.“The increase is in line with the formula for highway tolls across the country, which are revised every year. People who have recharged before this month can buy it by paying Rs 3,000,” an official said.
More than 15 years after she was wrongfully imprisoned for being pregnant in the UK Post Office Horizon IT scandal, Indian-origin former deputy postmaster General Seema Misra is still waiting for full compensation and says the fight has claimed more than two decades of her life.Mishra, who ran a post office in West Byfleet, Surrey, was jailed in 2010 after being accused of causing financial differences due to a glitch in Horizon accounting software. Her conviction was quashed in 2021, but the final resolution of her compensation claims remains pending.“To be honest, it took me 21 years,” Misra told the BBC, recalling the ordeal that began almost immediately after she and her family bought the post office in June 2005. “We had problems on day one and then legal proceedings started in 2008.”According to the BBC, accountants and lawyers are still working on the final details of her compensation claim.
“The land of two laws”
Misra said reparations for all victims remained important, but she stressed it was even more important to hold those responsible for wrongful prosecution accountable.“At the moment it seems there are two laws in the land,” she told the BBC. “One law applies to ordinary people like me and you, and another law applies to people in authority.”She also objected to the use of the word “compensation.” “All we want is our own money,” Mishra said.Her case is one of hundreds linked to the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history. A flaw in the Horizon accounting system developed by Japanese IT company Fujitsu has led to thousands of deputy postmasters being wrongly accused of theft or fraud.
MPs point to ‘serious structural flaws’
A report by the UK Parliament’s Business and Trade Committee found that the victims’ compensation process continues to suffer from “serious structural flaws”, including delays, administrative errors and undervalued settlement offers.Commission chairman Liam Byrne said justice was coming “too slowly” for many victims who had struggled for years to clear their names.MPs also heard evidence that some initial compensation payments under the Horizon Shortage Scheme were significantly increased following appeals – in some cases rising from hundreds of thousands of pounds to more than £1 million.The report notes that despite ongoing government efforts, thousands of claimants are still awaiting full compensation.
Victims recount delays
Another former postmaster, Jo Hamilton, who ran a branch in South Warnborough, Hampshire, told the BBC her own compensation process had taken more than three years and involved high legal fees.“The attorney fees were definitely more than what I actually got,” she said.Due to her husband’s failing health, Hamilton initially accepted 80% of the claim and later received the remaining amount. She has since started speaking out for other victims who are still waiting for reconciliation.“If the claims are realistic, why don’t they just pay them?” she criticized the ongoing delays.
Fujitsu has not yet paid compensation
The parliamentary report also highlighted that Fujitsu had yet to fund a compensation bill of nearly £2 billion, despite acknowledging a “moral obligation”.Byrne said taxpayers should not bear the full cost of the scandal when the company continues to benefit from public contracts.To date, more than 11,500 claimants have received payments totaling approximately £1.48 billion through three redress schemes: Horizon Shortfall, Group Action Orders and Horizon Convictions Redress.The Post Office said 87% of eligible Horizon Shortage Scheme claimants had received a compensation package, with around £882m paid out through the scheme.A spokesperson said: “We are processing applications as quickly as possible to provide solutions for applicants.”‘We never expected this to happen in a democracy’ Despite what authorities say is progress, Misra said the system still feels unchanged.“We never thought these things would happen in a democracy,” she told the BBC.She added that those affected know the legal battle will be lengthy, but not this long.For Misra and many others caught up in the Horizon scandal, the fight is no longer just about money, but about proving that justice will eventually come to those who have been wronged.
president Donald Trump Said Friday he trusts Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin Help Iran confront the United States and Israel.Trump made the comments during a radio interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, a week after the president lashed out at Fox News reporter Peter Doocy for questioning him at the White House about reports of Russian aid to Iran.Kilmeade asked Trump on Friday: “Do you think Putin is helping them?”Trump responded: “I think he might help them a little bit, yes.”“I guess he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump continued.“Yes, we are helping them too,” Trump said, referring to Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since an invasion in early 2022.“So he [Putin] You know, China would say the same thing,” Trump told Kilmeade.“It’s like, ‘Hey, to be fair, they did it and we did it,'” Trump said. “They do it and so do we.”Trump spoke by phone with Putin on Monday.U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told CNBC on Tuesday that during that call, “the Russians said they would not share” the intelligence with Iran.“So, you know, we can take their word for it,” Witkov said that day. “We hope they don’t share.”
New Delhi: Pakistan national cricket team defeated Bangladesh by 128 runs through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the second ODI at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday to level the series at 1-1 in the three-match series.The star of the match was Maaz Sadaqat who excelled with both bat and ball. He started with a quick knock of 75 off 46 balls and later came back to take three wickets to seal the victory for Pakistan.
Suryakumar Yadav makes grand return after India’s T20 World Cup win
With strong contributions from several batsmen, Pakistan were bowled out for 274 in 47.3 overs. Sadaqat and Sahibzada Farhan got the visitors off to a good start, adding an opening partnership of 103 runs in 13 overs. Farhan scored 31 while Salman Agha followed with 64 and shared a score of 109 with Mohammad Rizwan who scored 44 runs.Chasing the target, Bangladesh got off to a bad start. Tanzid Hasan scored 1 and Saif Hassan scored 12 and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was dismissed for a duck by Shaheen Shah Afridi as the home team managed 27 for 3 in 6.3 overs. At that time, a sudden thunderstorm and hail forced the players to leave the stadium for about two hours.When play resumed, the target was revised to 243 in 32 overs under the DLS method. Litton Das tried to fight back with an attacking 41, hitting several boundaries and hitting 2 sixes, while Towhid Hridoy made 28.However, Bangladesh soon collapsed once Litton was dismissed LBW by Sadakat. Haris Rauf and Sadaqat took 3 wickets each to bowl out Bangladesh for 114 runs in 23.3 overs to give Pakistan a comprehensive victory.
one cyber attack An attack on a major U.S. company has sparked new concerns among security experts, who warn it could mark the beginning of a wider cyberattack against Western organizations.
Experts warn that Iran’s cyberattack on Stryker could mean more attacks are coming. (Representative picture/Unsplash)
Previously, hackers launched an attack on Stryker, a medical technology company based in Michigan, causing its global network to be disrupted and thousands of employees paralyzed.
one IranA related hacking group called Handala later claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said the operation was in retaliation for a U.S. attack on a school in Minab.
Experts warn this could be the start of a larger movement
According to the “Daily Mail” report, Lee Sult, chief investigator of cybersecurity company Binalyze, said that the Stryker vulnerability may mark the beginning of a wider cyber operation against Western targets.
“The Stryker attacks appear to be the first bloodshed of nation-state and hacker activity. Iran Conflict,” he said.
“This attack confirms that Western groups are not only targeted by adversaries, but also available for shooting. More shooting is coming.”
Sirte warned that the attack on Stryker “is the first of a wave of attacks.”
The Handala group later posted on Telegram that it wiped more than 200,000 systems and stole approximately 50 terabytes of data.
The group also claims to have closed Stryker offices in 79 countries. Stryker operates in more than 100 countries around the world.
“Our major cyber operation has been a complete success,” Handala said in a statement.
The hackers described the operation as retaliation for a “brutal attack on Minab schools” and “ongoing cyberattacks on the Axis of Resistance infrastructure.”
U.S. critical infrastructure could be targeted
Frank A. Ross, who formerly served in the U.S. Department of Defense, warned that these cyber incidents may mean that hackers may start targeting U.S. infrastructure.
He said systems such as data centers, banking networks, energy facilities and other private infrastructure could be possible targets, the Daily Mail reported.
“When the Iranians know very well that they can’t compete militarily with us in the United States, they’re going to look for asymmetric responses,” Ross said.
“An attack on U.S. infrastructure could be one of these asymmetric vulnerabilities.”
He added that much of America’s infrastructure is run by private companies, which often approach security differently than government national security organizations.
“You want private sector companies to understand the evolving threats and start hardening critical systems such as data centres, banking networks and their network infrastructure,” Ross told MailOnline.
“But it costs money. When I was working on cyber issues in government, we often didn’t make the investment we needed because there were always other budget priorities.”
“We have improved the security of critical infrastructure since 9/11, but it’s still not 100 percent.”
The cyber operation came as the United States and Israel launched a massive military offensive against Iran, killing the country’s top leader and several senior officials.
NEW DELHI: Iranian Ambassador to India Mohammad Fatali said on Friday that Indian ships would soon be able to move safely amid tensions affecting sea lanes in the region, stressing the strong ties between the two countries.Responding to a question on whether Iran would allow safe travel to India, Fatali said the development may be evident soon and reiterated that India remains an important partner for Tehran.
EAM Jaishankar holds fourth phone call with Iranian foreign minister as tensions rise in Strait of Hormuz
“…Yes, because India is our friend. Within two or three hours you will see it. We believe that Iran and India share common interests in the region…”The comments come as tensions rise in the Middle East, with growing concerns about shipping routes and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.Separately, Dr. Abdul Majeed Hakim Elahi, Representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader to India, also discussed discussions on allowing Indian ships to transport energy resources.“In fact, there has been some discussion about this and I believe India will benefit from oil, gas and other resources. But I think the full solution is that world leaders have to come together. They should go to the United States and convince President Trump that this war is an unjust war against civilians and must stop. They should also put pressure on the Zionist regime to stop this war. We did not create this war, we did not start this war, we did not start this war… We are ready to share our blood on earth, but we are not ready to sell our dignity. “His comments suggest Tehran expects international diplomatic efforts to push for an end to the ongoing conflict in the region.The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints for oil and gas shipments, and any disruption to shipping in the region would cause concern among major energy importers including India.
