American University of Beirut shifts to online learning after Iran threats

Qatar condemned an attack targeting the residence of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Iraq’s Duhok governorate, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the State of Qatar's firm stance against violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of their motives or justifications,” the ministry said.

“The Ministry affirms the State of Qatar's categorical rejection of all acts that threaten security and stability in the brotherly Republic of Iraq,” it added.

Two India-bound LPG tankers carrying about 94,000 metric tons of cooking gas have safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz and are heading to India, the government said on Sunday.

India’s petroleum ministry said BW Tyr and BW Elm are due to arrive in Mumbai on March 31 and New Mangalore on April 1. The ministry added that port operations across India remain normal.

The shipments come despite severe disruption to traffic through the waterway.

Four LPG tankers have already completed the crossing, while three more are still in the western section of the strait, LSEG ship tracking data showed on Friday.

India said 18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region.

A senior UAE official said any political solution to Iranian attacks on Persian Gulf states must include reparations and guarantees against future aggression.

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said a deal should enshrine non-aggression principles and require Iran to compensate for strikes on civilian infrastructure and populations.

He added that Iran had misled its neighbors before the war about its intentions and now posed a primary threat to Persian Gulf security.

Iran’s navy commander warned the United States that the USS Abraham Lincoln would face shore-to-sea missile fire if it entered what he described as Iran’s strike range.

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said Iran was closely monitoring the carrier group’s movements and its requests to regional countries in real time.

He added that the eastern Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, which he described as the gateway to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, were under the full control of Iran’s navy.

Iran war has disrupted global helium supplies, raising concerns for semiconductor manufacturing and healthcare systems that rely on the gas, the Financial Times reported,

The FT said output has fallen as Iranian strikes and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have curtailed exports from the Persian Gulf, a key source of helium, which is used in chipmaking and MRI scanners.

According to the report, Air Liquide warned customers it may not be able to fulfil orders, while industry figures said supply chains were tightening and prices had surged, with some contracts nearly tripling compared with pre-war levels.

The report added that Qatar, which accounts for roughly a third of global helium production, has seen output hit by the conflict, while buyers in Asia and elsewhere are scrambling to secure alternative supplies.

Analysts and industry experts told the FT that prolonged disruption could begin to affect chip production and force some medical systems to shut down, although critical sectors are likely to be prioritized for deliveries.