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Senior security official dismisses speculation that Pakistan could be next target after US-Israeli strikes on Iran

ISLAMABAD: A senior security official on Monday dismissed speculation that after Iran , Pakistan could be the next target of US-Israeli military action, saying such perceptions were “devoid of facts” and were being spread by “agents of chaos”. According to a brief shared with Dawn , the official said Pakistan was unlike Iran, that it was fully integrated with the world and fully capable of defending itself. He said that those spreading “alarmist narratives” were pursuing “nefarious and vested interests.” His remarks came amid an escalating war in the Middle East in which Israel and the United States, for the second time in eight months, launched coordinated strikes against Iran. Tehran retaliated by targeting Israeli territory and American military facilities in neighbouring countries, raising fears of a wider regional conflagration. Following the US-Israeli airstrikes, there has been speculation and concerns that Pakistan could face similar aggression. Some analyses from Western t...
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Death toll from girls’ school attack in Iran surges to 148

• Israeli military says ‘unaware of the attack’ • US claims strike reports being looked into • Malala urges all states, parties to ‘safeguard schools’ PARIS: The death toll from the Israeli strikes that hit a girls’ school in southern Iran surged to 148, with nearly 100 others wounded, Al Jazeera reported. While Iranian officials claimed the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in the Minab city killed more than 100 people, neither the United States nor Israel confirmed that any such attack has taken place. Israel’s military on Sunday said it was “not aware” of any US or Israeli strike on any school in Iran. When asked about the strikes on school, Israel’s military spokesman Lt-Col Nadav Shoshani said, “At this point not aware of an Israeli or an American strike there… We’re operating in an extremely accurate manner.” However, The New York Times later quoted a CENTCOM spokesperson as saying: “We are aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ...
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UAE halts stock markets for two days after Iran strikes

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ordered its stock markets closed on Monday and Tuesday as the country reels from Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes , in a sign of the growing economic disruption sweeping the Gulf. Iran carried out the strikes in Gulf countries that have US bases and assets after joint attacks on the Islamic republic by Israel and America. The UAE Capital Markets Authority said the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial Market would remain shut on March 2 and March 3, citing its supervisory and regulatory role over the country’s capital markets. “The Authority will continue to monitor developments in the region and assess the situation on an ongoing basis, taking any further measures as necessary,” it said in a statement. The UAE’s two exchanges are home to some of the region’s most valuable listed companies. The closure keeps billions of dollars in listed assets in suspension as investors await clarity on the scale of damage from Saturda...
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As US-Iran tensions rise, oil emerges as Pakistan’s biggest economic risk

If the war between Iran and the United States escalates, the single biggest economic threat to Pakistan will come from oil. Brent crude settled around $72.5 a barrel on Friday, already up nearly 19 per cent year-to-date, according to CNBC . Rumours are swirling of oil touching $100. For Pakistan, even modest increases carry heavy consequences. For every $10 rise in oil prices, the current account deficit increases by roughly $1.5–$2 billion, explains former chief executive officer of the Pakistan Business Council, Ehsan Malik. “If prices were to climb to $100, the deficit could expand by $5–$7bn on an annualised basis, potentially undoing recent gains that allowed FY25 to post a $2bn current account surplus.” Markets are extremely erratic right now, says energy analyst Syed Rashid Husain. Iran produces roughly 3–3.5 million barrels of oil per day, exporting about 1–1.5m barrels. While this is far lower than the output of the United States (about 13.5m barrels per day) or Saudi Ar...
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Who is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?

US President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “is dead”. His claim came hours after Israel and the US launched an attack on Iran and followed reports quoting Israeli officials as saying that Khamenei had been assassinated. But, subsequent Iranian media reports said that Khamenei was “steadfast and firm in commanding the field”. Khamenei, 86, became Iran’s highest authority in 1989, following the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. As supreme leader, he has held ultimate control over Iran’s political, military and religious institutions, shaping domestic policy and guiding foreign relations. An article published in Al Jazeera says “critical to Khamenei’s power is the loyalty of two of Iran’s premier security institutions – the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij paramilitary forces, which have hundreds of ⁠thousands of volunteers”. Khamenei upheld the conservative vision of his predecessor, Khomein...
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Govt hikes petrol price by Rs8, high-speed diesel by Rs5

The government on Saturday raised the price of petrol by Rs8 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs5.16 per litre for the next fortnight, according to a press release issued by the Petroleum Division. Following the increase, the price of petrol has jumped from Rs258.17 to Rs266.17 while the HSD price now stands at 280.86. According to the press release, the government has revised the petroleum products’ prices based on the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s recommendations. The new prices are effective from March 1, the press release said. Petrol is mostly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers and has a direct bearing on the budget of the middle and lower-middle class. While the heavy transport sector runs on HSD, its price is considered inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube-wells and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables a...
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PM chairs meeting on overall security situation in country, directs authorities to ensure strict measures

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed all relevant institutions at the federal and provincial levels to immediately ensure comprehensive and effective security measures in view of the prevailing situation. The premier chaired a high-level review meeting in Lahore on the overall security situation in the country, according to the report. The development comes in the wake of Pakistan launching Operation Ghazab lil-Haq after the Afghan Taliban opened unprovoked fire on multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday. PM Shehbaz emphasised that all institutions must discharge their responsibilities with mutual coordination and complete harmony. The participants of the meeting informed the prime minister that all security agencies were on alert in light of the current situation and that all necessary measures were being taken to safeguard national security. In view of the evolving situation in Iran, which was struck by US and Israel earlier in the d...
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