Iran US War News Updates: Protesters ejected from Senate hearing as Hegseth faces questions

Asian shares traded mixed early Tuesday as optimism encouraged by a record rally on Wall Street clashed with anxiety about surging oil prices and a possible AI bubble.Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.7% to 62,881.03. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.2% to 7,726.30, in what analysts are categorizing as fallout from overreliance on fraying AI hopes. “Global equities remain dangerously dependent on a tiny cluster of AI leaders, creating a rally structure that looks powerful on the surface but increasingly fragile underneath,” said Stephen Innes, analyst with SPI Asset Management.

Europe's embattled chemicals industry is getting an unexpected lift from the Iran war, as supply disruptions raise costs for Asian rivals and customers prioritise reliability over price.

"The conflict in the Middle East is, in our view, leading to temporarily more favourable market conditions for the European chemical industry," Lanxess CEO Matthias Zachert said, citing reduced ⁠competitive pressure ​from Asia.

Far-right Israeli settler and Knesset member Zvi Sukkot disrupted a Nakba Day memorial at Hebrew University on Monday marking the 78th anniversary of the 1948 expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. According to Wafa, Sukkot made direct threats, including of violence, toward the students, but the student group organizing the event said the threats would not deter them from asserting “our right to memory, identity and belonging.”

The group called the incident part of an escalating campaign of incitement and persecution against Palestinian students in Israeli universities, and vowed to continue commemorating the Nakba and preserving their narrative despite what they described as intensifying repression and intimidation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate calls with his Australian and British counterparts on Monday to discuss Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department said.

Here are some details:

Rubio discussed "Iran and ongoing efforts to restore freedom of navigation in ⁠the ​Strait of Hormuz," the State Department said in separate statements after his calls with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

Trump is reportedly becoming more exasperated with Tehran’s approach to peace talks, leading some advisers to suggest that a return to large-scale military action is being weighed more heavily than in previous weeks.

According to a report in US media, citing sources close to the negotiations, Trump’s frustration stems from the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and what he views as fractured leadership in Iran.

The Israeli military has ordered residents of the Lebanese town of Sohmor to flee their homes or remain and expose “their life to danger”.

In a post on social media, the Israeli military said the order was an “urgent warning to residents” who must leave the town, located in the Bekaa Valley, and move to “a distance of no less than 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) to open areas”.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has announced news sanctions on seven Iranian individuals and four entities, due to Tehran’s “ongoing brutal oppression of its people and destabilisation of the region”.

Wong said in a statement that the Iranian “regime massacred thousands of its own citizens and carried out mass arrests of peaceful protesters”.

“The seven individuals and four entities sanctioned today include senior officials and entities involved in these horrific acts, including violence against women and children,” she said.

The Reuters news agency reports that the Trump administration is providing 53.3 million barrels of crude oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to energy firms under a global pact to steady markets rattled by the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and global supply constraints.

This move comes after nine energy corporations—including Exxon Mobil, Trafigura, and Marathon Petroleum—tapped into just 58 percent of the 92.5 million barrels that the Department of Energy (DOE) had made available in a similar loan last month.

Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Tuesday as negotiations to end the war between the United States and Iran appeared fragile, with Tehran's response to a U.S. proposal highlighting stark differences that kept supply concerns alive.

Brent crude futures were up 30 cents, or 0.29%, at $104.51 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas ⁠Intermediate gained ​31 cents, or 0.32%, to $98.38 by 0002 GMT. Both benchmarks increased nearly 2.8% on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the ceasefire with Iran was "on life support," pointing to disagreements over several demands, such as the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, the removal of a ​U.S. naval ​blockade, the resumption of Iranian oil sales, and compensation ⁠for war damage.

Tehran also emphasized sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

Iran has said it is “ready for every option” as talks with the United States remain unresolved, with both sides holding firm positions.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X that Tehran was prepared to respond if tensions escalate.

“Our armed forces are prepared to deliver a lesson-giving response to any aggression,” he said. “We are prepared for every option. They will be surprised.”

Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Iran’s response to the US peace plan was a “stupid proposal” and “a piece of garbage” that he didn’t finish reading.

He said he has the “best plan ever” and it’s very simple: “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and they won’t have a nuclear weapon”.

“If they did have it, the Middle East would be gone. Israel would be gone. And it would hit Europe probably next. We’re doing a service to the world,” Trump said.

The Iraqi armed forces have issued a statement on X addressing reports of unauthorised foreign military installations, specifically dismissing claims of a secret military presence in the deserts of Karbala and Najaf.

The military clarified that the rumors stem from a clash on March 5, 2026, involving Iraqi security forces and “unidentified, unlicensed detachments.” According to the statement, the Iraqi units forced the group to retreat despite the detachments having air cover. The engagement resulted in the death of one Iraqi soldier and the wounding of two others.

Iranian authorities have executed a man accused of spying for the US and Israeli intelligence services, according to the country’s state-run Mehr news agency.

It identified the man as Erfan Shakurzadeh and said he was working with one of the country’s scientific organisations, focused on the satellite field.

The Lebanese group says its fighters targeted an Israeli military position inside a house in Baydar al-Faqani in the town of Taybeh, forcing its troops to retreat.

Hezbollah said its fighters attacked the position three times until an Israeli helicopter intervened to evacuate the wounded.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Iranian junior tennis player Hana Shabanpour has withdrawn from the final of a J60 tennis tournament in Turkiye to avoid playing against an Israeli opponent.

According to Iran’s ISNA news agency, the decision was a protest against Israeli actions against Palestinians.

Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin has presented a bill to impose the death penalty and conduct public trials for Palestinians involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, according to Israeli media.

The bill, which will be voted on in the Knesset today, is supported by both the governing and opposition parties.

“Since there is full authority to impose the death penalty, any such penalty, if imposed, will also be executed,” Levin said.

Trump rejects Iran’s reply: US President Donald Trump called Iran’s response to Washington’s peace proposal “totally unacceptable.”

Drones spotted in the Gulf: Kuwait and the UAE reported detecting several drones in their airspace, and Qatar said a commercial cargo ship was targeted by a drone in its waters.

Iran issues new warning: Iran’s military warned the US and Israel that if “aggression” resumes, “they will certainly face other surprising options.”

Fighting continues in Lebanon: Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon persists as Hezbollah claims further attacks on Israeli troops. An Israeli strike on emergency centers in Bint Jbeil killed two Lebanese medics and a civilian.