What Actually Happens If Muslims Are Caught Eating During Ramadan in Malaysia

OPINION | What Actually Happens If Muslims Are Caught Eating During Ramadan in Malaysia


11 Mar 2026 • 5:00 PM MYT



Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)

Photo credit: Hungry Onion


I went for a lunch meeting the other day with two non-Muslim friends.


The plan was simple. Eat, chat, discuss work.


But the moment we sat down, one of them leaned in and whispered, “Eh… are you sure it’s okay for you to be here? What if people from Jabatan Agama come?”


I laughed.


“There’s food on the table, yes,” I told her. “But I’m not the one eating it. Relax.”


The other friend looked at both of us like we were speaking Martian.


“Jabatan Agama? Why are you worried about them?”


So we explained about how Muslims in Malaysia can technically get into trouble for eating in public during fasting hours in Ramadan.


Her eyes widened. “You’re serious ah?”


Apparently she had been living under a tempurung kelapa. And to be fair, she’s not alone.


Every year during Ramadan, the topic pops up. People whisper about “raids”, “getting caught”, “summonses”. But there are still some non-Muslim Malaysians who are so blur about the whole ordeal.


And to be fair, even most of us who do, don't really know what happens when someone is caught.


So for those who are curious, here’s the general process.


First, enforcement officers from the state religious department may conduct monitoring during fasting hours. Sometimes they patrol . Sometimes they sit quietly in eateries. Sometimes they act on complaints.


If they see someone eating or drinking, the first thing they do is check the person’s identity card. This is because the rule only applies to Muslims. If the person turns out to be non-Muslim, that’s the end of the story. No offence committed.



If the person is Muslim, the officers may ask a few questions: Why are you not fasting? Are you sick? Are you travelling? Are you on your period? Why are you eating in public space?


Islam does allow exemptions from fasting under certain circumstances. If there is a valid reason, the matter usually ends there. But if the person is a healthy Muslim with no valid reason, the officers may issue a summon.


Contrary to what some people imagine, there’s usually no dramatic arrest scene. No handcuffs. No police cars.


The officers simply record the person’s details and issue a notice asking them to report to the religious department later.


When the person goes to the office, the officers may take a statement and decide whether to offer a compound. A compound is basically a fine to settle the matter without going to court. Typically, it is lower than the maximum penalty of RM1,000 allowed under the law. If the person pays the compound, the case is considered closed.


If they refuse or ignore it, the case may then proceed to the Syariah court under laws such as the Syariah Criminal Offences (Penang) Enactment 1996. The maximum penalty allowed under these laws can be a fine of up to RM1,000, up to six months jail, or both - though jail for this offence is extremely rare.


And that, in a nutshell, is how the process generally works.


No, officers don’t drag people away while they’re halfway through a plate of nasi kandar.


No, they don’t storm every restaurant at lunchtime.


And no, you don’t instantly get thrown into jail for taking a bite of roti canai.


But yes - there is a system in place.


Whether people agree with that system or not is another conversation entirely.


For now, at least you know what actually happens.


Because clearly, not everyone does.

***

Recall when I was in school (Form 1) my Muslim-Malay classmate would carry a bottle with him during fasting month. He was so pious he wouldn't even swallow his own saliva but spit it out into the bottle.  I knew coz I was sitting next to him. Bless him - wonder where is he now?

Military Watch:

Iran War to Delay Delivery of U.S. Reaper Drones to the Republic of China Air Force

Asia-Pacific , Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

March-11th-2026

---

MQ-9 Reaper Drone

The loss of multiple U.S. Armed Forces MQ-9 Reaper drones during attacks on Iran from February 28 are expected to seriously delay plans to delivery four of the aircraft to the Republic of China Air Force, according to reports from multiple Taipei-based sources, as the U.S. is expected to prioritise urgently replenishing its own losses before continuing exports. An estimated dozen MQ-9 drones have been lost during engagements, following prior sustained losses exceeding 10 aircraft during engagements with Ansurulalh Coalition forces in Yemen from October 2023. Footage and images from Iran have also shown widespread losses of Israeli Heron drones, which are used for many of the same roles, as Israel has been a leading participant in the war effort alongside the United States. The delivery of MQ-9s to the Republic of China Armed Forces was originally scheduled for 2025, but this was postponed to 2026-2027, with the first two aircraft reported to have been slated for delivery in the third quarter of 2026. 

U.S. MQ-9 Reaper Drone Destroyed Over Iran

The Republic of China Ministry of National Defence purchased four MQ-9B drones in 2020, and allocated 21.7 billion New Taiwan Dollars ($684 million) from 2022 to 2029 to finance the procurement, averaging over $171 million per aircraft. In its latest budget submission to the legislature, the Air Force stated that the MQ-9B can perform maritime and land target surveillance missions during peacetime, as well as tactical reconnaissance of specific targets. In wartime, its real-time reconnaissance capabilities allow for the immediate transmission of imagery for analysis and use, supporting operations, deterring enemy forces, disrupting operational rhythm and actions, and maximising the effectiveness of defensive operations. The aircraft’s demonstrated very limited survivability against adversaries with far more constrained military capabilities, however, have led to expectations that the aircraft would have very little impact in the event of a new Taiwan Strait war. 

The U.S.-led assault on Iran has had significant implications for American defence clients across the world, most notably operators of U.S. air defence systems who have widely been asked to return surface-to-air missiles due to the extreme depletion of U.S. arsenals. South Korea has seen its security particularly seriously affected due to the large scale withdrawals of U.S. guided bomb and Patriot and THAAD air defence systems, with the withdrawal of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters in early January also widely speculated to have been related to planned attacks on Iran. Preceding the outbreak of full scale hostilities in the Middle East, U.S. arms supplies to multiple clients, most notably Japan and the Republic of China, had faced serious delays, with new data from the Taiwan Arms Sales Backlog Tracker in December revealing that backlogs to the latter had reached over $21.45 billion. In January, the Japanese government Board of Audit revealed that military equipment worth approximately 1.1 trillion yen ($6.9 billion) purchased from the U.S. under the Foreign Military Sales program more than five years ago had yet to be delivered.

Trump says he is not worried about Iran-backed attacks on US soil

FMT:

Trump says he is not worried about Iran-backed attacks on US soil

The US president responds to an FBI warning of potential Iranian drone attacks on California from an offshore vessel

US president Donald Trump, accompanied by press secretary Karoline Leavitt, addresses the media before leaving the White House. (EPA Images pic)

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was not worried about Iran-backed attacks on US soil, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of Iranian drones potentially striking the US West Coast, ABC News reported.

In response to US and Israeli strikes that killed top Iranian officials, Tehran has carried out attacks of its own.

When asked on Wednesday if he was worried that Iran may increase its retaliation to include strikes on US soil, Trump told reporters, “No, I’m not.”


ABC News later reported the FBI had last month warned police departments in California that Iran could launch drones at the West Coast from an unidentified vessel off the coast.

“We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack,” ABC cited the alert as saying.

California governor Gavin Newsom’s office said the bulletin was one of many security updates the state received from federal partners daily. California, it said, had elevated its security posture since the start of the conflict.

“The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is actively working with state, local and federal security officials,” said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Newsom.

Spokespeople for the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles mayor did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Iran and its proxies could target the US with attacks.

A threat assessment produced by the department of homeland security said Iran ​and its proxies “probably” pose a threat of targeted attacks on the United States, although a large-scale ​physical strike was unlikely.

Hasten reforms or lose Chinese support, DAP warned

FMT:

Hasten reforms or lose Chinese support, DAP warned

3 hours ago
Minderjeet Kaur

However, analysts say, Chinese voters are more likely to skip the polls than support the rival camp

The Chinese have become disillusioned with the DAP and this may cost the party dearly in the next general election.

PETALING JAYA: DAP’s grip on urban and mixed seats is at risk of weakening amid growing disillusionment among the Chinese over the Pakatan Harapan-led government’s slow pace of reforms, say analysts.

But rather than shift their support to the opposite camp, they are more likely to sit out the next general election, political scientist Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University told FMT.

Wong Chin Huat.

Wong pointed out that the Chinese community’s unhappiness with the DAP had been building up since 2023 despite relatively strong economic conditions.


“In the 2022 general election, many Chinese voters saw it as a choice between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN),” he said, adding that support for the DAP, a PH component, was strong then.

He said that apart from unfulfilled promises, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s pursuit of former economy minister Rafizi Ramli’s ex-aide James Chai could also trigger a backlash among those who view the graftbuster’s actions as heavy-handed.



However, Wong added that unless they see meaningful reforms, the Chinese are more likely to skip voting.


The next general election must be held no later than February 2028, while the Melaka and Johor state polls must take place by February and June 2027, respectively.

DAP will hold a special congress on July 12 to decide whether the party’s leaders should resign from their positions in the unity government while continuing to back Anwar Ibrahim’s administration in Parliament.


Economic stability and moderation

Sivamurugan Pandian.


Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Sivamurugan Pandian said a drop in Chinese voter turnout would diminish support for the DAP, and this could lead to more intense contests in urban and semi-urban seats.

“DAP may still win in its strongholds, but the margins could be reduced, while results would tilt either way in mixed seats as Malay voters are expected to come out in full force,” he said.

Sivamurugan also expects opposition parties to adjust their messaging to broaden their appeal to Chinese voters.

However, he said, voting patterns since the 2018 general election show that Chinese voters tend to be more strategic in their choices rather than automatically supporting any party.


“Since 2018, they have supported parties seen as reformist, but that does not mean their backing is automatic. My reading is that Chinese voters are currently prioritising economic stability and moderation rather than ethnic-based politics.”

On March 7, MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon said voters, particularly those from the Chinese community, can no longer be regarded as guaranteed supporters of any political party.

Chong pointed to the Nov 29 Sabah state election, which saw DAP wiped out of the state assembly, saying it served as a clear warning that voters will punish those who fail to deliver on their promises.

Oh Ei Sun.

Oh Ei Sun of the Pacific Research Center said DAP will need to work hard to retain its traditional voter base amid their disappointment over slow reforms and the lack of resolution to longstanding issues, such as recognition for the Unified Examination Certificate, or UEC.

“In particular, they have to convince their traditional supporters that they remain committed to the reform agenda and to ensuring more equal treatment for all Malaysians,” he added.

US ignites Iran war, but Gulf Arab states pay the price, Gulf sources say, as fallout spreads

US ignites Iran war, but Gulf Arab states pay the price, Gulf sources say, as fallout spreads



Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. New attacks hit three commercial ships in the Gulf on March 11, with one of the vessels in flames as Iran pressed its campaign against its oil-exporting neighbours, threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and plunging the global energy economy into crisis.

Wednesday, 11 Mar 2026 9:00 PM MYT

• War exposes limits of US security guarantees, analysts warn
• Shakes assumptions about implicit trade-offs in US-Gulf ties
• Unease echoes disquiet over US inaction on 2019 attack on Saudi
• Hormuz disruption jolts oil markets, Gulf aviation, trade

DUBAI, March 11 — The US may have pulled the trigger on the Iran war, but it is the oil-producing Gulf that will pay the price, Gulf sources and analysts say, signalling unease in ties between a region under Iranian attack and the superpower it relies on for protection.

Behind the scenes, resentment is mounting in Gulf Arab capitals at being drawn into a war they neither initiated nor endorsed but are now paying for economically and militarily, with airports, hotels, ports and military and oil installations hit by Iranian strikes, said three regional sources, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak publicly.


“It is not our war. We did not want this conflict, yet we are paying the price in our security and our economy,” Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, President of the Emirates Policy Centre, told Reuters.

That doesn’t mean Iran is “innocent”, she said. Gulf governments had assured Tehran they would not allow their territories or airspace to be used by Washington in the war. Yet Iran has unleashed waves of drone and missile strikes across the region despite those assurances, denting business confidence in the process.


‘Injured lion’ post-war scenario is another Gulf worry

While disquiet about US President Donald Trump is growing over a conflict many believe he launched without consultation, some regional sources argue that having started the war, Washington should now see it through to eliminate what they see as a persistent Iranian threat on their doorstep.

“If America leaves the war now without achieving victory, it will be like abandoning an injured lion,” Ketbi said. “Iran will remain a threat to the region, capable of striking again. And if the regime collapses, leaving a power vacuum, neighbouring states will suffer the consequences.”


Asked for comment, the White House said US and Israeli strikes had reduced Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks by 90 per cent, “crushing their ability to shoot these weapons or produce more”.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly added that Trump was in close contact with Middle East partners and that Iran’s attacks on its neighbours underscore why the threat had to be eliminated.

There was no immediate response from Gulf states to requests for comment.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the war. Tehran responded by hitting Israel and Gulf states hosting US military installations, effectively halting oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — a conduit for roughly a fifth of the world’s petroleum and LNG.

Across the region, airspace closures have resulted in airlines cancelling some 40,000 flights, the largest disruption to global air travel since the Covid-19 pandemic. Gulf tourism meanwhile ⁠is also taking a hit, putting at risk the region’s carefully crafted image as a safe and high-end vacation ⁠hotspot.



A United Arab Emirates Air Force F-16 fighter jet flies over Dubai on March 11, 2026. The Gulf countries have long been seen as islands of stability in the Middle East, but the war in the region could threaten their prosperity, analysts said, pointing to risks to their revenues and reputations as business havens. — AFP pic



Gulf states project resolve, reassess security

Amid the turmoil, Gulf states have sought to project calm and resolve. The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin ⁠Zayed Al Nahyan, said on Friday his nation was in ⁠a time of war but was well and told his ⁠enemies it was no easy prey, in his first public comments since Iran fired missiles at the UAE.

At the same time, analysts say the war has left Gulf states reassessing both their security dependence on Washington and the prospect of eventually engaging Tehran on new regional security arrangements—even as trust in Iran has collapsed.

For decades, relations between Washington and the Gulf states rested on an implicit trade-off: Gulf energy and capital—including hundreds of billions of dollars spent on US ⁠arms, advanced technology and goods and services—in return for US protection, said Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics.

Gerges said the war had shaken those assumptions. Now, he said, Gulf states would accelerate efforts to diversify their foreign and security partnerships, realising “they cannot really rely on the United States to protect their energy, oil, gas, their people and their sovereignty.”

The Gulf’s latest misgivings about Washington echo disquiet felt in Saudi Arabia at the US failure to retaliate against Iran after drone and missile attack in 2019 on the kingdom’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities. Washington and Riyadh blamed the attacks on Tehran, which denied responsibility.

Abdulaziz Sager, Chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center, said Washington had failed to prepare safeguards for its regional allies or ensure oil and gas flows during wartime, saying the cost on the Gulf states’ economies is “horrendous”.


Businessman decries ‘dragging the gulf into a conflict’

Sager said the war had demonstrated the limits of relying solely ⁠on external security guarantees, particularly from the United States, adding that Gulf countries need to strengthen their own defence capabilities and prepare for future crises.

“External powers also tend to make decisions based on their own strategic interests rather than those of the Gulf. As a result, Gulf states will likely pursue a more cautious and balanced approach in their relations with both Iran and major international partners,” ⁠added Sager.

In a rare public rebuke, prominent Emirati businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor questioned the objectives of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

“If the strikes were aimed at containing Iran, did they take into account the regional consequences—or was the cost ⁠of dragging the Gulf into a conflict ⁠it was not party to simply ignored?” said Al Habtoor, founder of the Al Habtoor Group.

Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser warned yesterday that continued disruption to shipping through Hormuz would have “catastrophic consequences” for oil markets.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, however, said they would not allow “one litre of oil” to be shipped from the Middle East if US and Israeli attacks continued. Trump has warned Washington would strike Iran harder if it blocked oil exports.

Sources close to Gulf Arab government circles say frustration with Trump privately runs deep across the region. Many believe he dragged the Gulf into a war shaped heavily by Israel, without sharing a plan and acting hastily and without fully weighing the political and economic fallout for allies.

One Gulf source familiar with US policymaking said key decisions were crafted by a small inner circle around Trump operating largely outside traditional US policy channels.

“They are businessmen and dealmakers, not career policymakers,” the source said, adding this approach left Gulf partners exposed to the consequences of this circle’s decisions. — Reuters

Narrow lanes, Iranian firepower and a fifth of global oil at stake: Why securing the Strait of Hormuz is so difficult

Narrow lanes, Iranian firepower and a fifth of global oil at stake: Why securing the Strait of Hormuz is so difficult



A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is seen behind a 3D printed oil pipeline in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz but Iran, which lies on its northern coast, has effectively closed it. — Reuters pic

Thursday, 12 Mar 2026 7:00 AM MYT


WASHINGTON, March 12 — The Pentagon is looking at ways to escort ships safely through the Strait of Hormuz, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said yesterday.

About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait but Iran, which lies on its northern coast, has effectively closed it. Traffic through the strait has dropped by 97 per cent since the US-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28, according to United Nations data.

The US is seeking to calm oil markets concerned that a protracted war could cause a global energy crisis.


What is at stake?

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman that links the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is the only sea exit for oil- and gas-producing countries such as Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.


Oil prices briefly climbed to their highest level since 2022 on Monday. High oil prices could trigger another cost-of-living crisis, as happened after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to the United Nations.

A prolonged conflict could also cause a fertiliser shock, risking global food security. About 33 per cent of the world’s fertilisers, including sulphur and ammonia, pass through the Strait, according to analytics firm Kpler.


An extended war could fuel fears of a global economic crisis similar to those that followed the Middle East oil shocks of the 1970s.

What has Iran threatened?

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that any ship passing through the strait will be fired on. At least 11 ships have been attacked since the conflict began.

But most of the traffic has halted, partly out of caution and also because insurance companies have raised premiums by as much as 300 per cent.



Tankers are seen off the coast of Fujairah, as Iran vows to fire on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. — Reuters pic



What have the US and other countries promised?

President Donald Trump said on March 3 that the US would provide protection through the strait for oil tankers.

He also said he had ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation to provide insurance and guarantees for shipping companies.

French President Emmanuel Macron said several European countries, India and other Asian states were planning a joint mission to provide protection. But he said such an operation could happen only once the conflict ends.

France is deploying about a dozen naval vessels, including its aircraft carrier strike group, to ⁠the eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea and potentially the Strait of Hormuz.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ⁠spoken to the German and Italian leaders about options to provide support for commercial shipping in the strait, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

“We’re looking ⁠at a range of options there,” General Caine told reporters ⁠at the Pentagon on Tuesday without providing details.


Why ⁠is the Hormuz so difficult to secure?

The Strait of Hormuz is a difficult stretch of water to defend. Shipping lanes are just two nautical miles wide and ships must make a turn opposite Iranian islands and a mountainous coast that provides cover for Iranian forces, according to shipping broker SSY Global.



The Galaxy Globe bulk carrier and the Luojiashan tanker sit anchored as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 9, 2026. — Reuters pic



How feasible is it to protect ships through Hormuz?

Iran’s conventional navy has largely been destroyed but the Islamic ⁠Revolutionary Guard Corps still has plenty of weapons in its arsenal to cause damage, including fast attack crafts, uncrewed surface vessels, speedboats, mini submarines, mines and even jet skis packed with explosives, said Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy commander.

Tehran has the capacity to produce around 10,000 drones a month, according to the Centre for Information Resilience, a non-profit research group.

Escorting three or four ships a day through the strait would be feasible in the short-term using seven or eight destroyers providing air cover, and would depend on whether the risk from mini submarines has been reduced, but doing so sustainably for months would require more resources, Sharpe said.

Even if Iran’s capacity to deploy ballistic missiles, drones and floating mines were destroyed, ships would still face a threat from suicide operations, said ⁠Adel Bakawan, Director of the European Institute for Middle East and North African Studies.

If the war does continue for weeks, some kind of escort will come together, said Kevin Rowlands, Editor of the RUSI Journal at the Royal United Services Institute.

“The world needs oil to flow through from the Gulf, and so there is planning ongoing to ⁠put protection measures in place,” he said.

What happened in other shipping chokepoints in the region?

Yemen’s Houthis, a group allied with Tehran but with a far smaller military arsenal at their disposal than Iran, ⁠managed to shut down most ⁠traffic passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait on its way to the Suez Canal for more than two years despite protection provided by US and European Union-led forces.

Most shipping companies are still using a far longer route via the southern tip of Africa. Danish shipping company Maersk had said it would begin a staggered return to the Suez route from January.

An EU-led force has been more successful at countering piracy off Somalia’s coast, but that has been against forces far less well equipped than Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.


Are there any alternatives to using the strait?

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sought to find ways to bypass the strait by building more oil pipelines.

But those are not currently operational and an attack on an east-west Saudi pipeline by Houthi militia in 2019 showed those alternatives were also vulnerable. — Reuters

Astonishing cost of Iran war revealed

News.com.au:

 2:29 AM

Mar 12, 2026

HIGHLIGHT

Astonishing cost of Iran war revealed

Benedict Brook

The astonishing cost the US is paying to attack Iran has been revealed.

The Trump administration has said it spent $US5.6 billion ($7.8bn) in munitions alone just the first two days of the war, reported Reuters.

There are some reports the conflict is costing $US2bn ($2.8bn) per day meaning the cost could be around $35 billion so far.

USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) firing a Tomahawk land attack missile, while underway, on March 5, 2026. (Photo by US NAVY / AFP)

The White House has not publically released the figures. But it is soon expected to request a further $US50 billion ($70bn) from Congress to fund the war, although Reuters said some Washington staffers believe that figure is low.

While drones are relatively cheap, costing tens of thousands of dollars each, Tomahawk missiles can cost millions.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who was part of a two-hour classified briefing on Tuesday night, US time, has said the Trump administration’s plans for the conflict were “incoherent and incomplete” and threatened an “endless war” as the US went continually back to knock out Iran’s military after it was rebuilt.

Middle East crisis: three ships hit in strait of Hormuz as ‘largest ever’ oil reserve release agreed by 32 countries

Middle East crisis: three ships hit in strait of Hormuz as ‘largest ever’ oil reserve release agreed by 32 countries

A Thai bulk carrier on fire after being hit near the strait of Hormuz Photograph: ROYAL THAI NAVY/AFP/Getty Images

Lucy Campbell (now); Tom Ambrose, Vivian Ho and Eva Corlett (earlier)Thu 12 Mar 2026 05.13 AEDT

From 2h ago
03.32 AEDT

Summary of today so far

Three ships were hit by unknown projectiles in the strategic strait of Hormuz abutting Iran. Two of the ships sustained damage, while another, which the Thai navy identified as a Thai bulk carrier, caught fire, forcing the crew to evacuate.


International Energy Agency has ordered the largest release of government oil reserves in its history in an effort to calm the oil price shock triggered by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. All 32 members of the world’s energy watchdog agreed unanimously to release about 400m barrels of emergency crude, a third of the group’s total government stockpiles and more than double the IEA’s previous biggest release, the IEA said.


Iran’s military on Wednesday said any ships belonging to the United States, Israel or their allies passing through the strategic strait of Hormuz could be targeted. “Any vessel whose oil cargo or the vessel itself belongs to the United States, the Zionist regime or their hostile allies will be considered legitimate targets,” said the military’s central operational command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, in a statement carried by state TV.


Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in the 28 February attack that killed six of his family members, including his father, Tehran’s ambassador to Cyprus has confirmed. In an interview conducted at his embassy compound in Nicosia, Alireza Salarian elaborated on the circumstances in which Khamenei, 56, was injured, saying he was lucky to survive the strike, which levelled the late ayatollah’s residence.


The deadly strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran, that left at least 175 people, mostly children, dead was the result of an American missile attack, the New York Times reports. Outdated targeting data was the cause of the tragedy, with US bombs hitting the school complex which was previously part of a nearby Iranian military base, sources told the New York Times.


Iran has deployed about a dozen mines in the strait of Hormuz, two sources familiar with the matter said, in a move likely to complicate the reopening of the narrow waterway, an important route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas. One source told Reuters that the locations of most of the mines are known but declined to say how the US planned to deal with them.


Israel pounded Lebanon with a new wave of attacks, setting an apartment block in central Beirut alight. Earlier strikes in southern Lebanon killed five people in the Nabatieh district and two in the Tyre district.


US forces have conducted airstrikes on more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said in a post on X. Cooper provided an update on Wednesday on US operations in the Middle East, in which he said US forces “continue delivering devastating combat power against the Iranian regime”.


Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the joint bombing campaign with the US against Iran would go on “as long as necessary”, insisting the strikes had inflicted heavy casualties on Tehran’s forces. “This operation will continue without any time limit, as long as necessary, until we achieve all the objectives and decide the outcome of the campaign,” he said, adding that the Iranian leadership was fleeing “like mice into tunnels”.

EU and UK demand Israel stop surge in West Bank settler violence since Iran war

EU and UK demand Israel stop surge in West Bank settler violence since Iran war

3 hours ago
David Gritten

Reuters
The Palestinian vice-president said the deadly attacks constitute "a major escalation of settler terrorism"


The European Union and United Kingdom have demanded that Israel halt a surge in violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has taken place since the start of the country's war with Iran.


Six Palestinians have been killed during attacks by settlers across the West Bank over the past 11 days, according to the United Nations.


The UK said it was appalled by the killings, while the EU said the level of settler violence was unacceptable. Both urged Israeli authorities take action to ensure accountability and prevent further attacks.


The Israeli military condemned the violence and said it was working to bring those responsible to justice.


Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state - during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.


The settlements are illegal under international law.

Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian boy and stood around as he bled to death, video shows

Family of Palestinian-American man killed in West Bank demand accountability

Palestinian Authority in dire straits as Israel's hold on West Bank deepens


On Sunday, three Palestinians were killed during a settler attack on the Palestinian village of Khirbet Abu Falah, north-east of Ramallah.


Witnesses told the Reuters news agency that dozens of settlers raided the village before dawn that day. When residents confronted them, including by throwing stones, armed settlers arrived and opened fire, they said.


The Palestinian health ministry said two residents - Thaer Hamayel, 24, and his cousin, Farea Hamayel, 57 - were both shot in the head and killed.


A third resident, Mohammed Murra, 55, suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital after inhaling tear gas that was fired by Israeli security forces, according to medics.


The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said security forces were dispatched to the area following a report of Palestinians being attacked by Israeli civilians near their homes, and that they acted to disperse those involved. It added that a criminal investigation had been opened.


On Saturday, Amir Shanaran, a 28-year-old man, was shot dead by settlers and his brother, Khaled, 34, was seriously wounded on their land in Wadi al-Rakhim, near Susya in the South Hebron Hills, according to the Palestinian health ministry.


The head of the nearby Tuwani village council told AFP news agency that settlers entered Palestinian homes in the area and attacked the Shanaran family.


The IDF said soldiers and police were dispatched to the scene after reports of a violent confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians. Initial information indicated that a reserve soldier opened fire, it added, without identifying him as a settler.


The previous Monday, settlers shot and killed two brothers - Mohammed Azem, 51, and Fahim Azem, 47 - during an attack on the village of Qaryut, which is located between Ramallah and Nablus, according to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.

Reuters
A Palestinian flag was planted at the site in an olive grove where Thaer Hamayel was killed


Another Israeli rights group, Yesh Din, said 109 separate incidents of settler violence, included shootings, physical assaults, property damage, and threats, had been reported in 62 Palestinian communities during the first 10 days of the war with Iran.


"These criminal and deadly attacks are carried out with the backing of the state and almost complete impunity, advancing Israel's objective of forcibly displacing Palestinians and annexing the West Bank," Yesh Din warned.


The Palestinian Authority's Vice-President, Hussein al-Sheikh, said on Sunday that the attacks constituted "a major escalation of settler terrorism" and called on the international community to take "serious punitive measures" against the perpetrators.


The commander of the IDF's Central Command, which is responsible for the West Bank, insisted it saw the incidents "with the utmost severity".


"There will be zero tolerance for civilians who take the law into their own hands," Maj Gen Avi Bluth said. "We are working together with all security agencies to quickly reach those responsible and bring them to justice."


He added: "Especially at a time when the IDF is striking our bitter enemies, Iran and Hezbollah, with a firm hand - we cannot allow reckless internal violence to undermine the rule of law and the security of the region."

The British consulate-general in Jerusalem said in a statement that the UK urged the IDF to match its statements with "swift, thorough investigations and accountability for those responsible". "Settler violence which terrorises communities must be stopped," it added.


The EU's spokesperson, meanwhile, warned that "impunity for such acts risks provoking further violence", and urged the Israeli government to "abide by its obligations under international law to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied territory".