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Late in February 2026, Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to carry out retaliatory attacks across the region.

Stanislav Pritchin, head of the Central Asia sector at Russia’s Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told Kursiv Uzbekistan that the escalation is unlikely to have a direct impact on Uzbekistan.

According to the expert, none of the parties involved in the conflict are major trade or investment partners for Tashkent, which limits the immediate economic consequences for the country.

However, Pritchin warned that instability in the Middle East, along with clashes between Afghanistan and...

Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover rose by 29.2% in January, reaching $5.83 bn, according to the National Statistics Committee.

Imports accounted for the majority of the total, exceeding export revenues by about two and a half times.

The country earned roughly $1.7 bn from exports, largely driven by services and industrial goods. At the same time, spending on imported products reached $4.1 bn, with purchases of foreign machinery, transport equipment and chemical products making up a significant share.

China and Russia remained Uzbekistan’s leading trade partners. Trade turnover with China totalled $1.6 bn, while transactions with Russia reached $1.1 bn.

A drone struck a British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus overnight, damaging a runway but causing no casualties, officials from Cyprus and the United Kingdom.

The unmanned aerial vehicle hit the runway at RAF Akrotiri shortly after midnight, causing minor damage when it crashed into the military facility, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said. It was the first attack on the base since a rocket strike by Libyan militants in 1986.

Authorities said the drone was a Shahed-type aircraft believed to be Iranian-made. It was not immediately clear where it had been launched from. Two sources initially said British...

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery after it was struck by a drone, Reuters reports.

The Ras Tanura complex, located on the kingdom’s Gulf coast, is one of the Middle East’s largest refineries, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. It also functions as a key export terminal for Saudi crude. The closure was a precautionary measure, and authorities said the situation remains under control. Two drones were intercepted at the site, and falling debris caused a minor fire, according to a Saudi defence ministry spokesperson on Al Arabiya TV. No injuries were...

Protests against the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran turned deadly in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday. Iranian exiles in Europe and other regions took to the streets to celebrate the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

At least 23 people were killed in Pakistan, including 10 in the port city of Karachi, where security personnel at the U.S. consulate opened fire on demonstrators who breached the outer wall. 11 people died in the northern city of Skardu after protesters set a U.N. office on fire, and two were killed in the capital Islamabad. In Iraq, police used tear...

Global markets came under pressure on Monday as oil prices surged and equities declined amid fears that escalating conflict in the Middle East could drag on for weeks and disrupt the fragile global economic recovery, Reuters reports.

Benchmark Brent crude climbed 6.4% to $77.57 a barrel after briefly rising above $82 earlier in the session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude increased 6.2% to $71.17 per barrel, while Gold rose 1.6% to $5,360 an ounce as investors sought safe-haven assets.

The surge followed continued military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, alongside Iranian missile attacks

Israel launched new air strikes on Tehran while widening its military campaign to include attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, Reuters reports.

Israeli forces said the latest attacks targeted locations tied to Hezbollah after the group acknowledged firing missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Israeli air strikes hit Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, with more than a dozen explosions reported across the city. Israel also said it struck senior Hezbollah figures near the capital.

Conflict spreads across the region

The exchange of attacks between Hezbollah and Israel...

Actors Zendaya and Tom Holland have quietly tied the knot, according to comments made by Zendaya’s stylist on a red carpet.

Stylist Law Roach revealed the news while speaking to reporters at the Actor Awards. When asked about the couple’s wedding plans, he responded,

«The wedding has already happened. You missed it,» before confirming with a laugh that the marriage had indeed taken place.

The pair first met in 2016 while filming the Marvel movie Spider-Man: Homecoming and later made their relationship public in 2021. Engagement speculation began after Zendaya appeared at the Golden...

At least 153 people, including children, have died after a reported strike hit a school in southern Iran, according to BBC.

Authorities in Tehran blamed the United States and Israel for the incident. However, the United States Central Command said it was reviewing reports of the strike, while the Israel Defense Forces said it was not aware of any operations carried out by its forces in the area.

The school, described as a girls’ school, is located in the city of Minab in southern Iran. The site is situated near a base belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps...

Iran’s naval forces appear to have suffered damage during the U.S.-Israeli operation known as Operation Epic Fury, with satellite imagery and early reports indicating strikes on key naval facilities.

Images from late February showed smoke and debris at the Konarak naval basin near Chah Bahar, where a frigate was believed to be docked. Analysts said the vessel appeared heavily damaged, with debris scattered across the dockside. Nearby airbase infrastructure linked to anti-ship drones may also have been hit.

The strikes come amid broader attacks targeting Iranian military infrastructure following coordinated US-Israeli operations launched on February 28. U.S. President...

Prominent Iranian cleric Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has declared jihad against the United States and Israel following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to Iranian state-linked media, the senior Shia authority described avenging Khamenei’s death as a religious duty for Muslims worldwide. The statement comes amid intensifying tensions after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.

Makarem Shirazi is one of Iran’s most influential religious figures, and his remarks are likely to heighten fears of further escalation across the region.

The declaration follows a series of retaliatory actions and...

Several senior Iranian officials, including top military commanders, were reportedly killed during coordinated US-Israeli strikes on key targets across Iran, according to multiple media and intelligence reports.

The operation, launched on February 28, targeted strategic sites including nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure and bases linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Areas near Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound in Tehran were also reportedly struck.

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Khamenei had been killed, calling the operation a major success. However, details surrounding the Supreme Leader’s fate remain contested.

Reports citing sources familiar with the...

Iran has confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following reported U.S.-Israeli strikes, marking a major development in the escalating regional conflict.

Confirmation appeared in a message posted on Khamenei’s official social media account, written in religious language, after earlier denials from Iranian officials. The statement signalled acknowledgment from within Iran’s leadership amid mounting speculation about his fate.

The announcement follows claims by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had earlier suggested Khamenei had been killed in the strikes. Trump later wrote on social media that the Iranian leader was dead, calling the reported killing «justice» for...

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that Iranian missile and drone attacks on American bases in the Middle East caused no casualties and did not disrupt military operations.

In a statement, CENTCOM said U.S. and allied forces conducted coordinated strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, including Revolutionary Guard command centers, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

The command added that allied defences intercepted hundreds of incoming Iranian missiles and drones, limiting damage to U.S. facilities and preserving operational readiness.

According to the statement, the operation involved precision-guided munitions launched from air, land and sea...

A fire at a hotel in Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah area has been linked to a suspected Iranian strike, with local officials confirming several people were injured.

The Dubai Media Office said the blaze was contained and the site secured, urging the public to remain calm and rely on official information. Authorities did not provide full details on the cause, describing the event only as an «incident» in the area.

Emergency services responded after reports of a loud explosion, and initial accounts suggested the fire may have been triggered by debris from an intercepted aerial attack amid escalating regional...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded message released Saturday that the latest attacks could allow Iranians to «take their fate into their own hands.» He added that Israel intends the current operation to be «much more powerful» than the 12-day conflict it launched against Iran in June.

He spoke in Hebrew. Here’s an English-language transcript of Netanyahu’s address:

My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel. A short while ago, Israel and the United States embarked on a joint campaign, Operation Lion’s Roar. The aim of the operation is to put an end to the threat from...

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social that the United States had launched «major combat operations in Iran.» He accused Tehran of continuing its nuclear ambitions and developing long-range missiles that could threaten American interests and urged Iranians to «take over your government.»

Here’s Trump’s address in full:

A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States...

Iran retains a significant missile arsenal but faces growing doubts over its ability to sustain prolonged retaliatory strikes against the United States and Israel, according to regional security experts.

The debate comes after reported joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, followed by Iranian missile and drone responses against Israel and US bases in the Gulf.

Analysts say Iran still holds a sizeable ballistic missile inventory despite heavy losses during the 2025 conflict with Israel. Estimates suggest Tehran may possess roughly 1,500 to 2,000 missiles, supported by domestic production and underground storage networks.

However, Iran’s capabilities...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has instructed security agencies to prepare an emergency response plan as tensions surrounding Iran escalate, raising concerns about potential regional instability.

According to presidential press secretary Aibek Smadiyarov, Tokayev tasked the Security Council and law enforcement bodies with developing coordinated urgent measures. All security agencies have been placed on a 24-hour operational footing, while a government monitoring group has been established under the Foreign Ministry.

Regional governors have also been told to take precautionary steps in response to developments in the Middle East. The move comes as tensions intensified following reported strikes on Iranian...

Iran’s humanitarian authorities say dozens of people have been killed after a strike hit a girls’ primary school in southern Iran, as rescue teams continue to respond to attacks across the country, IRNA reports.

In a statement, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said that 57 students and teachers were killed when the school in the city of Minab was struck. Most of the victims were reported to be schoolchildren.

According to the statement carried by the state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, the attack was part of a broader wave of strikes that have hit 115 locations across...

Uzbekistan will build a museum in Tashkent to document the history and lives of the Koryo-in, ethnic Koreans forcibly relocated from Russia’s Primorsky region to Central Asia in 1937, Yonhap reports.

The project marks the 90th anniversary of the forced migration and aims for completion by the end of 2027. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Overseas Koreans announced on 27 February that it had appointed advisory committee members for the Koryo-in History Museum and held their first meeting at the Incheon office.

Advisory members include researchers, architects and museum directors from numerous universities across South Korea.

Officials from...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has presented newly developed sniper rifles to senior party and military officials, describing the weapon as a «wonderful» symbol of his confidence in them, according to state news agency Korean Central News Agency.

The ceremony took place on Friday at the headquarters of the Workers’ Party of Korea, where Kim met leading party cadres and military commanders. Each recipient was handed a new-generation sniper rifle produced by the country’s Academy of Defence Science.

«As was already made public, this new-generation sniper’s rifle our Academy of Defence Science developed and...

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Telegram that it had launched a wave of missiles and drones targeting Israel in response to U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.

The statement comes as internet access in Iran dropped to just 4% of normal levels, according to monitoring group NetBlocks. The disruption follows a recent nationwide blackout imposed during a state crackdown on protests. Iranians also experienced days without internet during last June’s war with Israel and the United States.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s state news agency reported that the service centre of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Juffair, Manama, had been targeted in...

A spokesperson for Uzbekistan Airways told Kursiv Uzbekistan that the airline has developed alternative routes to ensure safe flights amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

«For upcoming scheduled flights passing over Iran and Israel, we will provide updates as the situation evolves. Uzbekistan Airways, together with the Civil Aviation Agency, has planned alternatives, and passenger and crew safety will be fully ensured,» the representative said.

He added that flights from Dubai to Tashkent and Sharm El-Sheikh to Tashkent will bypass Iranian and Israeli airspace. The announcement follows the joint strikes by Israel and...