How Israel-US war on Iran puts $50bn in Indian remittances at risk
As the United States-Israeli war on Iran completes two weeks, it has triggered a global energy crisis, even as Iran’s retaliation threatens to pull the rest of the Middle East into the conflict. The Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20 to 30 percent of global crude and liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass, has effectively been closed because of the conflict, sending crude prices soaring and disrupting oil and gas supplies. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list From Southeast Asia to Pakistan, the ripple effects of the war are being felt across Asia and beyond. But one country in particular could face a double whammy if the conflict intensifies: India, the world’s fourth-largest economy, depends on the Gulf for its energy needs and also for remittances sent by a vast workforce resident in the Middle East. We unpack how the war is bleeding India’s economy. Energy shortage More than 80 percent of India’s gas and up to 60 percent of its oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is currently at the centre of retaliatory tactics Iran is deploying against the US and Israel. By threatening all shipping coming through, Iran has effectively closed the strait – leaving Gulf oil producers with no sea route by which to deliver oil and LNG. Most shipping insurers have cancelled war risk coverage for tankers in the strait. Then on Wednesday, a Thai ship heading to India was attacked, drawing criticism from India. Hotels and restaurants in India are already weighing closure and people are queueing to stock up on LPG (cooking gas) cylinders amid fears of a shortage, even though the government assures the public it has approximately one month’s supply in storage. Such is the panic, however, that the government has gone as far as to invoke emergency measures to discourage hoarding, urging people to remain calm. Advertisement Iran has invoked the right to self-defence to justify the retaliatory attacks and has used the strait as leverage in an attempt to end the war. More than 1,300 civilians have been killed and properties have been damaged across Iran amid the US-Israeli attacks. Iran’s tactics seem to be working, as stocks have plunged and oil prices have spiked, reaching nearly $120 a barrel on Sunday before settling at about $100 this week, which is still about $40 more than before the war began. This week, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would not allow “one litre of oil” to pass the strait, and warned the world to expect oil to reach $200 per barrel. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) move on Wednesday to release a record 400 million barrels of crude oil has failed to stabilise oil prices. “India’s energy security will be impacted significantly, as it relies on the Middle East for a substantial portion of its energy requirements,” said Harsh V Pant, vice president of the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi. “Energy markets are already volatile and costs are rising, which could eventually translate into broader economic and inflationary pressures,” he said. Indian expats in the Gulf India is also worried for some 9.1 million of its citizens who work in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. They send some $50bn in annual remittances back home. If the war is prolonged, Pant says, “it will result in the loss of remittances … part of that also helps in balancing the trade balance”. “It will hurt the wider economic robustness of the Indian economy. India’s hope of continuing to have a high rate of growth will suffer,” Pant said. “It’s not simply a question of energy security – it is also a question of economic security.” Several Indian blue-collar workers and professionals across the Gulf have told Al Jazeera they fear potentially losing jobs if the war escalates further. Several oil and gas firms have shut operations amid the Iranian attacks. “I hope this does not prolong as I support my family with this job,” an Indian construction worker, who chose to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera. “Every Indian who works in the Gulf supports at least four to five people back home. Forty to 50 million Indians directly benefit from their employment in the Gulf,” Talmiz Ahmad, a former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told Al Jazeera. Another concern is the physical safety of people amid expanding Iranian attacks. Several Asian workers, including Indians, are among those killed in the Iranian attacks across the Gulf. Indian nationals Ram Krishna, who works on his laptop, and his wife Vijian Lakshmi at a government provided shelter for people living near the US Navy Base during Iranian drone attacks, at Ghazi Al Gosaibi Secondary Girls School in Hamad Town, Bahrain, March 4, 2026 [Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters] Can India evacuate nine million citizens? If the war escalates beyond control, India could be faced with the huge challenge of evacuating its people, who form the largest expatriate community in most Gulf nations. Advertisement Thousands of Western expats have already left or been evacuated by their countries, but the sheer scale of Indian population makes it a logistical nightmare. Some 35 million expats live in the Gulf countries, which have emerged as major economic and aviation hub in addition to the oil wealth. Of them, 9.1 million are from India – almost double the 4.9 million Pakistanis who come in second place. Ahmad, the former Indian ambassador, said that “there is no way, in a war situation, any country, including India, can evacuate nine or 10 million people”. His message to Indians in the region: “We have been shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf brethren in the good times; we will be shoulder to shoulder with them in the bad times.” Ahmad, however, pointed out that India had successfully evacuated nationals in past conflicts, including the 1991 Gulf War, when he was India’s
Iran war: What is happening on day 14 of US-Israel attacks?
Listen to this article Listen to this article | 6 mins info Heavy Israeli strikes have hit Tehran, Iran, as its allies launch attacks across Gulf states, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted, sending global oil prices soaring. Meanwhile, political pressure is mounting in Washington as the conflict spreads across the region. Recommended Stories list of 1 itemend of list Here is what we know about what has been happening in the past 24 hours: In Iran Supreme leader speaks: Appointed last week following the assassination of his father, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued his first statement, warning that attacks on Israel and US military assets and infrastructure in the Middle East will continue unless bases hosting US forces in the region are closed. Heavy strikes on Tehran: The Israeli military has launched a new “extensive wave” of air attacks on Iran’s capital, Tehran, leaving the city covered in thick smoke on Friday morning. Strait of Hormuz closure and surging oil prices: The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is closed, causing Brent crude oil prices to surge past $100 per barrel. The strait, which falls into the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, is the only waterway to the open sea available to oil and gas producers in the Gulf. Iran has stated that the strait is under Iranian control and US-and Israel-linked ships are banned. Other vessels must receive Iranian permission to pass. Civilian casualties: Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said at least 1,348 civilians have been killed, with victims ranging in age from eight months to 88 years old. A navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz [Sahar Al Attar/AFP] In Gulf countries Regional retaliation and attacks: Iran has launched waves of drones and missiles towards Gulf countries that host US military assets and troops, and has targeted oil tankers and facilities. Advertisement Bahrain: The nation has reported intercepting 114 missiles and 190 drones since the war began on February 28. Saudi Arabia: The country intercepted 10 drones over its eastern region and later destroyed an additional 28 drones that breached its airspace. Attacks on the UAE: The country has strongly condemned Iranian strikes on the region, and said they have hit Dubai International Airport and some hotels. Evacuations: Australia has ordered all “non-essential” officials to leave the United Arab Emirates and Israel, and urged its citizens to evacuate the Middle East while it is still safe to do so Qatar’s response: Qatar’s airspace is officially closed, but Qatar Airways has scheduled more than 140 special flights to help repatriate stranded residents and citizens. Qatar has strongly rejected Israeli media claims that it intentionally paused liquefied natural gas (LNG) production to manipulate US energy prices; officials clarified that the suspension was actually forced by an Iranian drone attack. A view of the damaged part of the Dubai Creek Harbour tower after it was hit by an Iranian drone attack in Dubai, United Arab Emirates [EPA] In the US Trump claims war moving ‘rapidly’: US President Donald Trump told reporters the war against Iran was moving “very rapidly”. “It’s doing very well, our military is unsurpassed,” he said at the White House, not directly responding to the latest comments from Iran’s new supreme leader. Domestic opposition: More than 250 US organisations have signed a letter calling on Congress to halt funding for the war. They argue the $11.3bn spent in the first six days of the conflict is diverting crucial funds from urgent domestic needs, such as food benefits. No ‘need’ for ground troops in Iran: US Senator Lindsey Graham has played down the possibility of US troops being deployed to Iran, but suggested the war could continue for some time. “I don’t see this conflict ending today,” the Republican senator told reporters in Washington, DC. In Israel New missile wave launched at Israel: The Israeli military said early on Friday that Iran had fired a new barrage of missiles towards Israel, and instructed people in affected areas to head to shelters. Israel strikes Basij force: Israel’s military said it had struck checkpoints set up in Tehran by the Basij force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as part of efforts to undermine control by the authorities. Regime change: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel can create conditions for regime change, but it is up to Iran’s people to take to the streets. He also said Israel is aiming to stop Iran from moving nuclear and ballistic projects underground. Advertisement In Lebanon, Iraq Downed US aircraft: A US KC-135 refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. While the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed it shot the aircraft down using air defence systems, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated the aircraft went down in “friendly airspace” and was not the result of hostile fire. Iraqi port closures: Iraq has shut its port operations after an Indian crew member was killed during an attack on a US-owned oil tanker in Iraqi waters. Six French soldiers hurt: A drone attack wounded six French soldiers in Erbil, in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday. Deadly attacks in southern Lebanon: Israeli bombardments continue on southern towns and villages. A strike on the village of Arki, near Sidon, killed nine people, including five children. Mounting death toll and mass displacement: Lebanese officials have reported that at least 687 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since last Monday, including 98 children. The intense bombardments have displaced an estimated 700,000 to 750,000 people from their homes. Adblock test (Why?)
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Sen Schmitt reups push for expanding denaturalization after recent acts of violence by naturalized citizens
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., on Thursday renewed the push for his bill to expand the denaturalization process for people who commit fraud, serious felonies or join terrorist organizations. Schmitt brought up his legislation, the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act, after a naturalized citizen originally from Lebanon allegedly rammed his vehicle into a Michigan synagogue and a naturalized citizen originally from Sierra Leone allegedly opened fire at Old Dominion University in separate incidents on Thursday in the latest violent attacks in the U.S. committed by naturalized citizens. “After the SAVE America Act, we must pass the SCAM Act so we can denaturalize & deport those who are here to hurt Americans,” Schmitt said on X, referring to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters in federal elections to prove citizenship by providing a photo ID and other documentation, such as a passport or birth certificate. OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY SHOOTER IDENTIFIED AS MOHAMED JALLOH, FORMER NATIONAL GUARD MEMBER, ISIS SUPPORTER “We must denaturalize those who shouldn’t be here,” the senator continued. Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, was shot and killed by security officers on Thursday after driving through Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit before the vehicle caught on fire, according to authorities. Ghazali arrived in the U.S. 15 years ago on an immediate relative visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and was granted citizenship in 2016, the Department of Homeland Security said. PAXTON DEMANDS STRICTER VETTING AFTER DEADLY TEXAS RAMPAGE BY SUSPECT WHO WAS NATURALIZED CITIZEN Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, served in the Virginia National Guard from 2009 until he received an honorable discharge in 2015. Previously convicted of attempting to offer material support to the Islamic State, Jalloh reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University on Thursday, killing one person and wounding two others. The gunman was also killed. In another incident earlier this month, a shooting was carried out outside a bar in Austin, Texas, by a naturalized citizen, Ndiaga Diagne, 53, who was born in Senegal, leaving three people dead and more than a dozen wounded. Schmitt’s SCAM Act was originally introduced in January in response to allegations of fraud by Somalians in Minnesota. “American citizenship is a privilege, and anyone hoping to be a part of our great nation must demonstrate a sincere attachment to our Constitution, upstanding moral character, and a commitment to the happiness and good order of the United States,” he said at the time. “People who commit felony fraud, serious felonies, or join terrorist organizations like drug cartels shortly after taking their citizenship oaths fail to uphold the basic standards of citizenship,” the lawmaker added. “They must be denaturalized because they have proven they never met the requirements for the great honor of American citizenship in the first place. We must protect and restore the institution of American citizenship.”
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Mamdani touts landmark court victory against repeat offender landlord in housing enforcement push
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday touted a Bronx Supreme Court judgment he said has already topped $2.1 million against Bronx landlord Seth Miller, portraying the case as a new template for City Hall to squeeze owners who don’t fix violations. Speaking at Bronx Borough Hall, Mamdani said the court found that “years of uncorrected code violations at 919 Prospect Avenue constitute a public nuisance,” and ordered penalties of “$1,000 a day” for violations dating back to April 21, 2019, “totaling more than $2.1 million so far,” with “fines continuing to accrue” if repairs are not made. “Since your landlord, a repeat offender on New York City’s annual Worst Landlord Watch List, purchased the property in 2011, your tenants have faced an unending stream of violations that have taken a toll on their health, safety and well-being,” he said. “We are speaking of infestations of, mice, rats and cockroaches; leaking pipes; collapsed ceilings; black mold; and lead paint. The list of abuses and failures, frankly, goes on.” “This is a landmark victory,” he said, saying it was “the first time that the court has levied the maximum civil penalties allowed on a landlord under the Nuisance Abatement Law.” IS MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST PUSH FOR RENT CONTROLS ABOUT TO WRECK THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING MARKET? He also warned other owners: “If you do not change your ways, we now have a strong precedent to pursue the same kind of legal action against you.” Mamdani’s corporation counsel, Steven Banks, declined to spell out how the city would force compliance if the landlord attempts bankruptcy tactics. “There are multiple ways forward. I’ve always learned [that] when dealing with somebody like this particular landlord, it’s best not to telegraph exactly what we’re going to do,” Banks said. “But rest assured: we will be ready.” The mayor said the city has “allocated more than $85 million in our preliminary budget to add 200 new attorneys and 100 support staff to our Law Department,” arguing the goal is compliance, not revenue. The push escalates Mamdani’s day-one posture that targeted landlords and promised aggressive legal intervention. On Jan. 1 at his inauguration, Mamdani vowed, “We will make sure that 311 violations are resolved.” “Today is the start of a new era for New York City,” Mamdani said. “It is inauguration day. It is also the day that the rent is due.” HOURS AFTER TAKING OFFICE, NYC MAYOR MAMDANI TARGETS LANDLORDS, MOVES TO INTERVENE IN PRIVATE BANKRUPTCY CASE During his day one action plan, Mamdani announced an executive order creating a LIFT task force, or a land-inventory effort designed to leverage city-owned land and accelerate housing development. He said the task force will review city-owned properties and identify sites suitable for housing development no later than July 1. He also announced the SPEED task force, which Mamdani said stands for Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development. He said the task force will work to remove permitting barriers that slow housing construction. Both task forces will be overseen by Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Lila Joseph, he said. “These are sweeping measures, but it is just the beginning of a comprehensive effort to champion the cause of tenants,” Mamdani said. WATCH: Landlord groups have attacked Mamdani’s tenant-protection chief, Cea Weaver, a longtime housing activist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), over past comments linking homeownership to “White supremacy,” calling them “racist” and evidence of hostility to property owners. Speaking about housing policy and equity in a March 2021 DSA video, Weaver said, “For centuries, we’ve really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good, and we are going to … in transitioning to treating it as a collective good and towards a model of shared equity, will require that we think about it differently.” “Families, especially White families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well, are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have,” she added. Fox News Digital’s Nikolas Lanum and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Soros-backed DA sparks backlash after blaming Old Dominion shooting on pro-gun lawmakers: ‘F— right off’
The George Soros-backed district attorney in Norfolk, Virginia, where Thursday’s mass shooting at Old Dominion University took place, doubled down on his viral comments, saying community members looking to place blame on the shooting should direct it towards pro-gun lawmakers and judges. Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi was pressed by Fox News Digital to elaborate on his comments during the press conference earlier, prompting him to stand by his comments. “I absolutely stand by what I said. It is the truth, no matter how much the gun lobby wants to deny it,” Fatehi said when asked if he stood by his comments despite Thursday’s mass shooter in Virginia having a public record of supporting Islamic terrorism. The shooter, a former National Guardsman and naturalized citizen from Sierra Leone, was previously sentenced in 2017 for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, but appears to have been released by the federal Bureau of Prisons in late 2024 during the Biden administration. NYC BOOSTS PATROLS AMID ‘HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT,’ AFTER GUNMAN RAMS TRUCK INTO MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE “We have confirmed reports that prior to him conducting this act of terrorism, he shouted all our stated Allahu Akbar,” Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans said in a Thursday evening news conference. “No matter the ideology of an attacker, that attacker is more dangerous with a gun than without one,” Fatehi, whose top two donors include the Soros-subsidized Justice and Public Safety PAC and Democracy PAC, said. A Fox News Digital review found that the two Soros-funded PACs donated over $650,000 combined to his campaign coffers between 2021 and 2025. A conservative group that tracks nonprofit spending, The Capital Research Center, reported that across a decade, between 2012 and 2022, Soros spent $40 million on the Justice and Public Safety PAC, which is known for supporting left-wing prosecutors. Democracy PAC, a super PAC created by Soros in 2019, was given nearly $30 million during the first three months of 2020, The Capital Research Center also reported. Some of the better-known liberal prosecutors supported by these Soros-backed groups include recalled San Francisco district attorney, Chesa Boudin, former Chicago district attorney, Kim Foxx, and former Los Angeles district attorney, George Gascon, according to the Capital Research Center. On Thursday, Fatehi, who has served as the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Norfolk since 2022, walked up to the podium during a post-shooting press conference unprovoked before giving his remarks about who should be to blame – at least in part – for the shooting. “I’m constrained in what I can say about the facts of the case, but I can speak a little more freely about the bigger questions,” Fatehi said after walking up to the podium. ‘UNDER SIEGE’: INSIDE THE GROWING RADICAL ISLAM THREAT CRITICS SAY IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT IN DEEP RED TEXAS “These men work every day to make people safe,” he continued, referring to law enforcement officials. “People are as safe on the ODU campus as anywhere, arguably safer than in other parts of Norfolk. But this is not an ODU problem. This is a national sickness. We live in a country where people care more about guns than they care about 6-year-old children. They care more about guns than they care about synagogue worshipers. And they care more about guns than they do about college students.” The left-wing prosecutor went on to say that it doesn’t matter “how hard” law enforcement or the university works to ensure tragic incidents like what happened Thursday, are not repeated, adding that “somebody will be a victim eventually.” These remarks sparked backlash on social media, with several conservatives attacking him and bringing up the criminal history of the shooter. “I really try not to cuss here, but Fatehi can f— right off with this statement,” BearingArms editor Cam Edwards posted on X. “Given this lunatic is the DA, there’s like a 90% chance he’s going to charge the hero who stabbed the Islamist to death to stop the attack,” RedState writer Bonchie wrote on X. “You see, ISIS terrorists wouldn’t be terrorists if it weren’t for Republican gun culture or something,” Bonchie said in another X post. “Mind-numbing.” “I generally stop short of telling bad faith morons to go to hell because eternal damnation isn’t a trifling matter, but this level of intentional and malicious imbecility is testing my resolve,” Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, wrote on X. “Until there is the political will to break the spell of the cult of gun absolutism, you will see more incidents like this. So, if you are looking for somebody to blame, don’t look at anybody up here, look at our lawmakers who don’t have the courage to implement sensible gun control measures, look to a Supreme Court that enables them, and do something about it,” Fatehi continued. “That is the lesson – let’s mourn the people who’ve died, let’s decry what has happened, but let’s keep the focus where it belongs. It belongs on us, and having to change something so that we don’t have to suffer through this.” Multiple federal sources confirmed to Fox News that the suspected shooter at ODU was Mohamed Jalloh. The shooting occurred shortly before 10:49 a.m., the university said in an emergency alert. The gunman was later pronounced dead when responding officers arrived following a shooting near ROTC cadets, Police Chief Garrett Shelton told reporters during a news conference. Reporting from the New York Post indicated that Jalloh was targeting ROTC members on campus, before one eventually stepped in to stop the madness, stabbing and killing the suspect. Later in the day Thursday, ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton indicated one victim died from the shooting, along with the gunman, while two others were injured. FBI Director Kash Patel also indicated Thursday that federal authorities were investigating the matter as an act of terrorism.