Iran’s Hormuz chokehold has reshaped India’s oil purchase pattern, with a sharp drop in Gulf supplies this month pushing refiners towards Russia and smaller producers to keep supplies steady. So far in March, crude imports into the country are down 23% compared to February, according to shipping data and analyst estimates cited by ET. The plunge comes as inflows from the Middle East have contracted significantly, with disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz adding to supply concerns. If the crisis continues, total imports for the month could decline by about a fifth sequentially.

Hardik Pandya (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: It was at an intimate dinner hosted by Irfan Pathan that a young, dynamic Hardik Pandya was first introduced to one of his idols — Wasim Jaffer. Years later, the India all-rounder’s admiration for the domestic stalwart has only grown stronger, with Pandya once again naming Jaffer as his cricketing idol at the Naman Awards.While Jaffer represented India just 33 times, his legacy was built in domestic cricket, where he scored nearly 20,000 first-class runs over a remarkable 25-year career.

Recalling his first interaction with Pandya, Jaffer went back to the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy season, when Mumbai faced Baroda and Pandya was still an emerging talent.Speaking on his Instagram profile, Jaffer said: “The first time I met him was during the 2014 or 2015 Ranji season. Mumbai were playing Baroda in Baroda. Irfan (Pathan), Yusuf (Pathan), and Munaf (Patel) were playing in the opposition team. I was not playing that match because I was injured, but I traveled with the team.”“I remember that we went to Irfan’s house for dinner, and that is when I met Hardik and Krunal for the first time,” said Jaffer. “Irfan told me, ‘Meet Hardik, he is going to play very soon.’ And I think he was picked by the Mumbai Indians that season itself.”At the time, Pandya was just beginning to make a name for himself, but his admiration for Jaffer was already evident.“Irfan told me that he is a big fan of mine. Hardik himself said, ‘Main aapki batting bahut dekhta hoon aur mujhe bahut apka khelne ka andaz pasand hai (I watch your batting a lot and I really like the way you play).’”“It’s very nice of him that he still takes my name in front of big stars. And that is why there has been so much news about who Wasim Jaffer is,” reflected Jaffer. “People keep hearing other names very often, but they might not remember Wasim Jaffer because I made a name for myself in First-Class cricket.”

US President Donald Trump on Friday suggested ‘winding down’ US military operations in the Middle East as he listed the ‘5 objectives’ that Washington is nearing to achieve in its war in the Middle East, ruling out the possibility of a ceasefire. The announcement comes as Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei claimed victory over the US and Israel.In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that the United States was close to achieving its military objectives while ruling out a ceasefire.“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran,” he said.

What are the 5 objectives listed by Trump?

Trump further listed five main objectives that Washington aims to achieve in its war with Iran.

He also indicated that responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz should shift to other nations using it, with the US providing assistance.

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Speaking at the White House alongside Senator Marco Rubio, Trump rejected calls for a ceasefire. “I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You know you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” he said. Trump further said, “I think we have won.”The remarks came as the United States deployed additional Marines to the Middle East, signalling a potential expansion of military options, though Washington maintained there are no current plans to send ground troops into Iran.

‘Enemy has been defeated’: Khamenei claims victory in ongoing war

Responding to the ongoing conflict, Mojtaba Khamenei claimed victory in a message marking the Persian New Year, Nowruz.“At the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you our compatriots, the enemy has been defeated,” he said.Khamenei described US and Israeli attacks as an illusion aimed at overthrowing Iran’s government and accused them of plotting attacks in Turkey and Oman to sow divisions among regional nations. “We share with neighboring countries the creed, the interests, and the confrontation against the forces of global arrogance,” he said, commending Iranians for creating strongholds across cities, neighbourhoods, and mosques.The Supreme Leader has yet to appear publicly since being named successor to his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike at the start of the war. Earlier on Friday, Iran released a video showing Mojtaba Khamenei teaching religious studies to students.Since the conflict began, more than 1,300 people have died in Iran. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than a million, while Iranian missile attacks in Israel have claimed at least 15 lives. The United States has reported at least 13 military deaths in the ongoing hostilities.

Iran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, but neither struck the US-UK military base, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing US officials.According to the report, one missile broke apart during flight, while a US warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the second. It remains uncertain whether the interceptor successfully destroyed its target. The timing of the launch was not disclosed.

The White House, the British embassy in Washington, and the Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.Diego Garcia is a strategically located atoll in the central Indian Ocean that hosts a key US-UK military facility. Part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, the base is operated primarily by the United States and serves as a critical hub for air and naval operations across a vast region spanning Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.The base has played a central role in US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing a launch point for long-range bombers and supporting naval deployments, including submarines and surveillance missions. Its remote location makes it a secure site for pre-positioning military supplies, fuel and equipment, enabling rapid response during regional crises.Diego Garcia is also seen as vital to Washington’s strategic posture in the Indian Ocean, allowing it to monitor and counter activities by rivals such as Iran and China. Its isolation and heavy fortification make it one of the most secure overseas military installations available to the US.

Diego Garcia

War escalates unhindered

The development comes when the United States is deploying thousands of additional Marines and sailors to West Asia, three US officials said on Friday, as Washington steps up its military presence in the region. While no decision has been taken to send troops into Iran, the reinforcements are aimed at strengthening operational capacity for potential future action, the officials said on condition of anonymity.One official said the USS Boxer, along with two other amphibious assault ships and about 2,500 Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is headed to West Asia from its home port of San Diego. Two other US officials confirmed the deployment but did not disclose the ships’ destination. The same official noted that the troops are leaving the US nearly three weeks ahead of schedule. The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment.

A contested legacy

The latest deployment will add to the roughly 50,000 US troops already stationed in West Asia and is expected to bring two Marine Expeditionary Units into the region. Typically comprising around 2,500 Marines each, these units can conduct a range of operations, including airstrikes from onboard aircraft or ground deployments. Earlier reports had indicated that the US military was preparing for possible next steps in the ongoing conflict.Separately, US forces are intensifying efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route. US warplanes and attack helicopters have increased strikes against Iranian drones and naval vessels as part of a broader campaign to keep the sea lanes open, officials said.

Gen Dan Caine said Thursday that low-flying Air Force A-10 Warthog aircraft were “hunting and killing fast-attack watercraft” operated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in the contested waters. He added that some regional allies, which he did not identify, were using Apache helicopter gunships to “handle one-way attack drones,” a tactic increasingly used by Iran across the Persian Gulf.The US is also weighing plans to occupy Kharg Island to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Friday, citing four sources.

Iran’s attempted long-range strike on the US-UK military base at Diego Garcia has showcased a sharp escalation in both capability and intent, pushing the geography of the ongoing conflict far beyond the Middle East, as per a report by the Washington Post. The base, located roughly 4,000 kilometres from Iran’s coastline, was targeted with two intermediate-range ballistic missiles, according to US officials, in what appears to be one of Tehran’s longest-range strike attempts to date.Iran continues to strike Gulf nations — Follow live updatesNeither missile hit its target. One reportedly failed mid-flight, while the second was engaged by a US Navy destroyer using an SM-3 interceptor, though it remains unclear whether the interception was successful. Despite the lack of impact, the attempt itself has triggered alarm in Washington and allied capitals, as it suggests Iran may now possess or is willing to demonstrate strike capabilities far beyond its previously declared limits.Also read: Iran fires 2 ballistic missiles towards US, UK military bases in Diego GarciaThe strike came amid intensifying hostilities between Iran and a US-Israel alliance, even as Donald Trump indicated that Washington was “very close” to achieving its military objectives and could consider winding down operations. Yet the attack on Diego Garcia, a remote but critical military hub, suggests Tehran is widening both the scope and signalling of its retaliation.

A strike across 4,000 kilometres

The attempted strike stands out primarily for its distance. Diego Garcia lies deep in the Indian Ocean, more than 3,800 kilometres from Iran, well beyond the 2,000-kilometre range Tehran has long claimed as the upper limit of its missile programme.US officials believe the missiles used were likely from the Khorramshahr-4 class, an intermediate-range ballistic missile that analysts had previously assessed to have a potential range exceeding 4,000 kilometres, though publicly demonstrated capabilities had remained lower. If confirmed, the strike would mark the first operational indication that Iran can hit targets at such distances.

The implications extend far beyond this single incident. A 4,000-kilometre strike radius from Iran would place large parts of Europe including cities such as Paris and London within theoretical reach. For NATO countries that have largely viewed the conflict as regionally contained, the attempted strike alters that calculation significantly.The Khorramshahr-4 itself is a liquid-fuelled missile capable of carrying a warhead exceeding one tonne, with the option of deploying cluster munitions. Its design, derived in part from earlier North Korean and Soviet systems, combines relatively simple architecture with high payload capacity. The missile is also believed to feature manoeuvrable re-entry capabilities, making interception more difficult.

Why Diego Garcia matters

The choice of target is as significant as the distance. Diego Garcia is one of the most strategically important military installations operated jointly by the United States and the United Kingdom. Situated in the Chagos Archipelago, the base serves as a critical logistics and operations hub for long-range missions.It has historically supported US bombing campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as more recent operations in the Middle East. Its airfield is capable of hosting heavy bombers, surveillance aircraft, and pre-positioned military equipment, allowing rapid deployment across Asia, Africa and the Gulf.The base’s isolation far from conventional conflict zones has long been considered one of its key advantages. Iran’s decision to target it challenges that assumption, demonstrating a willingness to strike even remote strategic assets.The attack also comes amid renewed scrutiny over the future of the base. The United Kingdom recently agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining long-term access to Diego Garcia under a lease arrangement, a move that has drawn political criticism in Washington.

Missile defence and widening conflict

The attempted interception reportedly using the SM-3 system highlights the growing importance of missile defence in the conflict. The SM-3, deployed on US Navy warships, uses a “hit-to-kill” approach relying on kinetic force rather than explosives to destroy incoming missiles. Its effectiveness against intermediate-range threats is well established, but the uncertainty around this interception underscores the challenges posed by advanced ballistic systems.At the same time, the strike on Diego Garcia fits into a broader pattern of Iranian escalation. Tehran has stepped up attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf, including reported drone strikes on Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, while issuing warnings to countries hosting US forces.Iranian officials have also expanded their rhetoric, warning that targets linked to their adversaries could extend beyond traditional battlefields. These signals point to a strategy that combines conventional missile strikes with the threat of asymmetric attacks.Meanwhile, the United States has reinforced its regional posture, deploying additional warships and thousands of Marines. Despite talk of winding down operations, Washington’s military build-up suggests preparations for a prolonged confrontation.