International News
Trump says US ‘unaware’ of Israeli strike on South Pars, warns Iran on Qatar
Washington, March 19: US President Donald Trump said that the United States “knew nothing” about Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field and warned Tehran of massive retaliation if it “unwisely” targets Qatar again, after Iran struck a portion of Qatar’s LNG facility following the attack.
Trump on Wednesday night (Local time) said Israel had “violently lashed out” at the South Pars Gas Field, “out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East,” but stressed that “a relatively small section of the whole has been hit.”
He underlined that Washington had no prior role in the operation. “The United States knew nothing about this particular attack,” Trump said, adding that “the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen.”
According to Trump, Iran responded without full knowledge of the circumstances. “Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility,” he said.
The US President issued a clear warning aimed at deterring further escalation involving critical energy assets in the Gulf. “No more attacks will be made by Israel pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar,” he said.
Trump added that any future Iranian attack on Qatar would trigger overwhelming US action. “In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” he said.
At the same time, he signalled reluctance to escalate further. “I do not want to authorise this level of violence and destruction because of the long-term implications that it will have on the future of Iran, but if Qatar’s LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so,” Trump said.
According to The Wall Street Journal, escalating attacks on Persian Gulf oil-and-gas infrastructure are sending the US-Israeli war with Iran into a dangerous new phase that threatens to worsen the crisis over global energy supplies.
“Israel and Iran had already hit energy facilities throughout the nearly three-week-old war, but Wednesday’s attacks struck some of the world’s most important hubs and raised the prospect of tit-for-tat volleys against oil-and-gas facilities,” the financial daily said.
Already, the conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the wider world that carries about 20 per cent of the global oil and liquefied-natural gas supply during normal times, it said.
The developments have heightened tensions across the Persian Gulf, with energy infrastructure emerging as a key flashpoint. Iran warned countries around the region that a number of energy assets are now “legitimate targets” following the strike on South Pars.
South Pars, located in southwest Iran, is the country’s largest natural gas field and a central pillar of its energy system. It accounts for roughly 75 per cent of Iran’s natural gas production, while natural gas fuels about 85 per cent of the country’s electricity grid.
The field is widely regarded as the world’s largest natural gas reserve and is shared between Iran and Qatar.
International News
Iran’s supreme leader meets judiciary chief, urges compensation for US-Israeli ‘crimes’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has stressed the need for “serious” efforts to pursue the Iranian people’s rights and ensure the payment of compensation for the damages inflicted on the country during the US-Israeli attacks.
The issues were highlighted in a meeting between the supreme leader and the country’s Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, according to a statement published on the leader’s website on Saturday.
Among the issues underlined during the meeting were promoting justice, safeguarding public rights, fighting corruption and its root causes effectively, handling judicial cases promptly, precisely and decisively, enforcing judicial rulings in a timely and deterrent manner, and bringing about a “comprehensive and tangible” transformation in the country’s judicial apparatus.
The other matters included the necessity to draw up plans and make efforts to decisively fight crimes as well as to seriously pursue the restoration of the Iranian people’s rights and compensation for the material and non-material damages resulting from the “crimes perpetrated by the US-Israeli criminals,” reports Xinhua news agency.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities.
Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday raised the prospect of renewed military strikes against Iran, claiming that the United States could seize all of the country’s oil or even take over the entire country.
“Iran is not able to do much now. And we could, if we wanted to, just take all of the oil,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a rally in Florida. “We could take the whole country.”
Asked about US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz saying the conflict with Iran could drag on for another year, Trump said: “We could end it very quickly … The question is, ‘Do we want to finish it off or do we just want to let it wither?'”
Later at the Florida rally, Trump suggested another military operation against Iran was possible.
“We may do another little Epic Fury,” he told attendees, referring to the large-scale US military operation against Iran launched on February 28 alongside a coordinated Israeli offensive.
Trump’s latest remarks came amid reports that the US and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections. However, whether Trump will ultimately authorise another military operation remains uncertain, according to US media reports.
International News
Iranian Speaker Qalibaf unable to attend BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf will be unable to attend the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries in New Delhi next week due to “certain unforeseen circumstances”, the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi stated on Saturday.
The Parliament of India will host the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum on October 26-27 in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi wishes to inform that, due to certain unforeseen circumstances, H.E. Dr. Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, will be unable to attend the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries in New Delhi,” read a statement issued by the Iranian Embassy on Saturday.
“It is also emphasised that the parliamentary delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate in the meeting. As one of the members of BRICS, Iran reaffirms its commitment to active and effective participation at the highest levels in the summits and meetings of this grouping,” it added.
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the country’s delegation will continue its dialogue and consultations with delegations from BRICS member countries in New Delhi, with a view to expanding and deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of parliamentary relations and cooperation.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran also expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of India for its gracious hospitality and the arrangements made to host this meeting. It wishes the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries every success and hopes that it will yield constructive outcomes towards strengthening cooperation and engagement among member countries,” the statement added.
Several global parliamentary leaders will assemble in New Delhi for the conference being hosted under India’s chairship on the theme of people-centric development.
Earlier this week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla mentioned that the conference marks a new chapter in the history of India’s parliamentary diplomacy. It will bring together Presiding Officers and parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, Union Ministers, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, Presiding Officers of State Legislatures, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries.
The Lok Sabha Speaker stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would grace the event and meet the leaders of the visiting delegations.
He further stated that the conference would feature bilateral and multilateral interactions with the leaders of visiting delegations and parliamentary friendship groups. A meeting of the Secretaries of the delegations will be held on Monday to finalise the Joint Statement of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum.
Highlighting the central theme of the programme, he said that the forum would deliberate on the overarching theme of ‘Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development’.
He added that, building on the legacy of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum, the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum would facilitate consensus-based dialogue through four high-level sessions, titled Resilience: The critical role of parliaments in strengthening institutions to ensure a better future; Innovation: Promoting human-centred innovation in artificial intelligence and digital technologies through parliaments; Cooperation: Ensuring a more representative system of global governance through parliamentary cooperation; and, Sustainability: The role of parliaments in ensuring a sustainable and inclusive future for our countries.
Members of the delegations will visit the Parliament of India and also enjoy cultural visits in Delhi.
International News
Hindu American parents push US teachers to rethink how Hinduism is taught

A Hindu American parents’ group is taking its campaign to change how Hinduism is taught in American schools directly to teachers, saying it found educators receptive to “accurate and culturally sensitive” material at a New Jersey conference attended by about 200 teachers.
The Hindu Parents Network (HPN) said it sponsored an interactive session on “Accurate and Culturally Sensitive Teaching of Hinduism in a Changing World” at the 2026 New Jersey Teachers Conference.
The session “addressed common misrepresentations, discussed classroom challenges, and shared practical resources to support educators”, the group said in a message to supporters on Friday.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive. Educators recognised the need for accurate resources and welcomed practical solutions,” it said.
“What if we could transform how thousands of students understand Hindu Dharma and history by empowering the educators who teach them?” the group asked, as it appealed for funds to take the effort nationwide.
HPN said it wants to develop “accurate, classroom-ready educational resources”, reach more educators through conferences and workshops, and “work with school districts to address misrepresentations”.
The group says its goal is to ensure “the next generation learns about Hindu dharma through resources that are bias-free, accurate, culturally sensitive, and respectful”.
In its mid-year report, HPN said it supported six new engagements with school districts in 2026 over curriculum bias, misrepresentation of Hindus and culturally sensitive teaching.
The group publishes “Hinduism for Schools” handbooks for primary and secondary classes and free lesson plans, slides and quizzes on topics such as Holi, which it says are meant to complement textbooks.
Earlier this month, HPN launched an educational video for Hindu Heritage Month on the contributions of Hindu civilisation.
Indian American and Hindu American groups have for years contested the portrayal of Hinduism in US textbooks, most prominently in California’s history-social science curriculum debates.
The push comes at a sensitive time for the community. Hindu American organisations have reported a rise in online hate, and lawmakers have demanded a federal hate-crime investigation into the foiled plot at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, on October 11.
New Jersey has one of the largest Indian American populations in the country.
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