The war in the Middle East is now one month old, and continues to claim more casualties.
President Donald Trump’s claim of an ongoing negotiation for a ceasefire agreement has been repeatedly dismissed by Iran, which has vowed to continue fighting.
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Thousands of people have been killed in the region, and an even higher number have been injured or displaced across Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and other parts of the region.
Attacks on major gas facilities in four Middle Eastern countries worsened the war’s economic impact.
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The war entered its fourth week and 30th day on Sunday (today).
PREMIUM TIMES brings you the key events around the war on the 29th day.
US/Israel attack Iranian universities, Iran threatens retaliation
US-Israel struck Iran’s University of Science and Technology in the northeast of Tehran early Saturday morning. No casualties were recorded.
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Tertiary academic institutions in Israel and across the Gulf are now likely to face significant attacks.
Iran’s Islamic Resolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) has threatened retaliation by attacking universities linked to the US or Israel in the Middle East.
The IRGC advised staff and students of any such universities to leave the premises.
“We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas to stay a kilometer away from campuses,” the IRGC said in a statement, according to Tasnim News Agency.
Israelis protest against war with Iran
Hundreds of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest the US-Israel war.
Since the start of the war, small groups have carried out a weekly protest to demand an end to the violence in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other parts of the country.
The protest on Saturday, however, drew a larger crowd. Footage shared by the AFP showed security agencies trying to disperse the protesters.
About 21 protesters were arrested by the police, according to The Times of Israel
Israel kills three Lebanese journalists
Israel’s attack on Lebanon on Saturday led to the death of three journalists.
The journalists were killed in a targeted strike in Southern Lebanon, the BBC reported.
One of the journalists killed, Ali Shoeib, was a reporter for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV.
He was killed in the town of Jezzine alongside another reporter, Fatima Ftouni, and her brother, cameraman Mohamed Ftouni. Fatima and Mohamed worked with the channel Al Mayadeen.
The BBC reports that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the assassination of Mr Shoeib, tagging him an Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist who had “operated for years under the guise of a journalist”. The IDF did not provide any evidence to back its claims.
Thousands of US Marines arrive in ME
A US Navy ship carrying 3,500 marines also arrived in the Middle East on Saturday.
CENTCOM announced its arrival in a post on X.
The ship is the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship that was based in Taiwan before being deployed to the Middle East.
“US Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility, March 27.
“The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, composed of about 3,500 Sailors and Marines in addition to transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets,” CENTCOM wrote.
Iran condemns US invasion plot
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has criticised the US for plotting a ground invasion amidst diplomatic engagement.
His statement follows the arrival of a US navy ship and 3,500 marines in the Middle East.
Al Jazeera, quoting state media IRNA news, said Mr Trump expressed willingness to negotiate while “secretly planning a ground attack”.
“The enemy is openly sending a message of negotiation and secretly planning a ground attack,” he said.
He also declared that Iranian soldiers are “waiting for the arrival of American soldiers on the ground to set them on fire.”
Houthis fire more missiles and drones at Israel
Yemen’s rebel group, Houthis, officially joined the war by launching a strike on Israel on Friday.
Since then, the group has attacked Israel with a barrage of ballistic missiles.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Houthis said the attack was retaliation for the continued attacks on Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine.
The group said the operations would continue until the US and Israel end their act of “aggression.”
The spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said strikes “will continue until the declared objectives are achieved and until the aggression against all fronts of the resistance cease.”
Qatar signs defence treaty with Ukraine
Amid the war, Qatar signed a defence pact with Ukraine — a country that has been at war with Russia for three years.
The countries signed a 10-year pact that included cooperation to counter the threat posed by missiles and drones.
Qatar’s defence ministry, in a statement, said the deal includes collaboration in technological fields, joint investment, and the exchange of expertise in countering missiles and unmanned aerial systems.
Kyiv will use its expertise in downing Russian missiles and drones to assist Gulf nations.
It has already deployed anti-drone experts to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Ukraine also signed an air defence agreement with Saudi Arabia during Zelensky’s visit to the kingdom earlier this week.
American protesters oppose war
Americans gathered on Saturday to protest against the Donald Trump administration.
Although the protest cut across the country, Minneapolis was the epicenter, with thousands on the streets waving “No King” banners. This is a sign used to reflect and reject what is considered authoritarian leadership.
The crowd was protesting the US war on Iran, among other things.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that multiple US polls show that the majority of Americans are opposed to the war, which has now claimed the lives of at least 13 US soldiers and injured many others.
READ ALSO: US/Israel-Iran War: WHO says nine paramedics killed in Lebanon attacks
A recent poll conducted by Fox News showed that 58 per cent of voters surveyed are opposed to the military action against Iran and are displeased with how Mr Trump has been handling the situation.
This is as opposed to 42 per cent of voters who support the war.
Iran, US condemn Kurdistan drone attack
Both Iran and the US condemned the attack on Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence on Saturday.
They also trade blame for the attack.
Iraq has disclosed that a drone had targeted the residence of the president of the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.
Washington condemned the attack and attributed it to an Iran-linked militia.
The US State Department described it as “a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, unity and stability,” and the “cowardly and indiscriminate terrorist acts” by Iran and its affiliated groups.
IRGC, on the other hand, blamed the US and Israel for the “act of terrorism.”
It also declared that it “unequivocally and forcefully” condemned the strikes, and tagged them a “despicable terrorist attack.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered an investigation into the incident.
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