Iran-Israel

Iran is blocking with missiles and mines the strait through which 20 per cent of global crude oil transits. After China, India and Bangladesh are trying to get Iran’s approval for their ships to avert a crisis. According to EIA data, up to 82 per cent of oil going through Hormuz reach Asian markets. Starting 16 March, Tokyo intends to release part of its oil reserves on its own.

The president accuses Hezbollah of trying “to provoke the collapse of Lebanon [. . .] on behalf of Iran." The country’s parliament votes to postpone May elections, extending its term due to “force majeure”. Syria supports Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah and boosts its presence on the border. The risk of annexation and the disappearance of historic Christian villages is high.

Speaking to AsiaNews, the Chaldean prelate described a situation on hold, with schools and universities closed amidst great instability. Iraqi Kurdistan is once again impacted by foreign wars. People are concerned about the future and are trying to avoid being dragged into the conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran. Christians pray for peace, remember Francis’s visit to Iraq, and receive support from Pope Leo XIV.

Yesterday, long queues of vehicles formed at petrol stations; the panicked population fears that stocks will run out and prices will escalate. Arguments and tensions among motorists in the queues. Power cuts also reported by large industrial groups. In Saudi Arabia, another Bangladeshi migrant worker killed by an Iranian missile strike on a residential complex.

The Lebanese government is working for a ceasefire through diplomatic channels. On the ground, Hezbollah continues its asymmetrical fight with the Jewish state. Christian residents are resisting evacuation orders. Originally scheduled for next May, Lebanon’s parliamentary elections are set to be postponed.

In a letter to the authorities and the people, the apostolic vicar speaks of days “marked by the pain and uncertainty of war”. He calls for a “common and tireless commitment to peace”. Iranian attacks continue, with two buildings and a hotel hit overnight. In the background are the sectarian tensions between Shiites and Sunnis that have inflamed the country in the past.

The chapel and ecclesiastical buildings of the archbishopric in Erbil hit by missiles and drones. Chaldean woman in Baghdad arrested for celebrating Khamenei's killing, faces four years in prison. Iraqi scholar tells AsiaNews: the country risks becoming an arena for external powers to “settle scores”. Institutional crisis fuels fears, emergency government needed.

The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences issued an appeal for dialogue in the face of a war that is spreading from the Middle East. Asia’s Catholic bishops call for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”, urging the “leaders of the great religious traditions present in the region, to witness together to the sacredness of life.” The prelates also call on Christian communities to “Intensify prayer”.

Attieh Fard, a political leader and lawyer who has lived in the United Kingdom for many years, spoke to AsiaNews about a country willing to accept war to end the clerical regime, its torture and killings. The nomination of Mojtaba Khamenei is a source of concern as some see him as "worse than his father”, Ali Khamenei. The lack of external support for the popular uprisings and the need to protect the borders are important issues.

No statement has come from Xi Jinping yet, while the condemnation of the attack on Iran has been entrusted to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who spoke today with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar. The evacuation of Chinese citizens from Tehran has been completed, with 200 choosing to stay. Trump's trip to China (31 March-2 April) is still on the agenda, for now, matching the "four weeks" the US leader gave yesterday as the timeframe for war.

The Lebanese government has outlawed the armed activities of the pro-Iranian party. A rift has emerged in the relationship between Hezbollah and the Shia Amal movement, which endorses the government's resolution. The Jewish state is hitting Lebanese territory hard again, putting pressure on the “buffer zone”. US mediation has "saved" the airport, which remains open. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people crowd the streets.

Two Palestinian brothers were shot dead in a raid in Qaryut, south of Nablus. New attacks and assaults also in the Christian village of Taybeh. Fr Bashar: not isolated incidents, but a ‘growing pattern of violence’ that raises “concerns”. Barriers and isolation, the West Bank increasingly similar to the Strip, victim of ‘state violence’.