Civilian deaths in Iran pass 200 amid fear of bombs and regime clampdown
At least 200 civilians have been killed since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran last weekend, according to rights groups, as people inside Iran told the Guardian they were fearful of a rising death toll, The Guardian reported.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that at least 555 people had been killed across Iran. However, in its latest update, the Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said the death toll on day three had reached at least 1,500, including 200 civilians and 1,300 members of the Iranian forces.
Hengaw said it was concerned about the rising number of civilian deaths, with the highest number of civilian fatalities recorded in Hormozgan province in southern Iran, after a missile strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab at the weekend, which reportedly killed more than 150 people, including children, according to The Guardian.
US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel’s plan to launch attack, Rubio says
Israel’s determination to attack Iran and the certainty that US troops would be targeted in response forced the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes, secretary of state Marco Rubio said, in a new explanation for Washington’s surprise entry into the conflict, The Guardian reported.
The rationale drew divided reviews from top members of Congress who on Monday evening received the first briefing by the Trump administration since it ordered the air campaign to begin over the weekend.
Rubio, CIA director John Ratcliffe and joint chiefs of staff chair Dan Caine spoke to the lawmakers behind closed doors in the Capitol ahead of a vote expected later this week in the House of Representatives on a war powers resolution that presents an unlikely opportunity to force Trump to end hostilities against Iran, according to The Guardian.
Three US fighter jets mistakenly shot down over Kuwait
Three US fighter jets were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait early Monday in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, military officials said. All six crew members ejected safely, The Guardian reported.
According to a statement from US Central Command (Centcom), Kuwait’s air defences fired on the F-15 war planes during a combat mission on the third day of conflict following Saturday’s launch of US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
The crew members who ejected were recovered and are in “stable condition”, Centcom said, according to The Guardian.
India and Canada reset ties with 'landmark' nuclear energy deal
India and Canada have announced a host of agreements, including a 10-year nuclear energy deal, after their prime ministers met in Delhi to reset ties that plummeted due to diplomatic tensions, BBC reported.
Narendra Modi and Mark Carney also struck agreement in areas such as technology, critical minerals, space, defence and education.
Carney said they agreed to conclude a free trade deal, years in the making, by the end of 2026. Both countries want to reduce exposure to punitive US trade tariffs, according to BBC.
