United News of Bangladesh

Amid growing tensions over Iran-Israel conflicts, the first batch of Bangladesh nationals, willing to return home from Iran, is expected to arrive in Dhaka next week. “The ministry is trying to ensure that the first group of those interested in repatriation reaches Bangladesh next week,” Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Shah Asif Rahman told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday. Briefing reporters at the ministry, he said the repatriation process will be completed with the cooperation of Iran's neighboring countries. Asif said the government has started the necessary process to repatriate all Bangladeshi citizens living in Iran who wish to return to Bangladesh. The process of bringing back others to Bangladesh will be completed in phases, said the Spokesperson, adding that the ministry is in touch with the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment regarding repatriation. All Bangladeshi citizens interested in returning home have been requested to register with the Bangladesh Embassy in Tehran along with their names, addresses and other necessary information. Dhaka voices deep concern over attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities The Bangladeshis in Iran and their relatives in Bangladesh have also been encouraged to contact the following hotlines (including WhatsApp) of the Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly if necessary: Bangladesh Embassy, Tehran-Hotline numbers are: +989908577368, +989122065745 and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka-Hotline number is +8801712012847.

Senior Iranian military officials have warned that Tehran’s military response against Israel is far from over, declaring that further strikes are imminent and will be “very painful and regrettable for the aggressors”. “This confrontation will not end with last night’s limited actions,” one unnamed official was quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. “Iran’s strikes will continue,” he said. The development follows a dramatic escalation in hostilities between the two long-standing rivals, with Iran and Israel exchanging missile and air strikes overnight. The confrontation began after Israel launched its largest-ever air offensive against Iran early on Friday, targeting key military and nuclear infrastructure. In retaliation, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones early Saturday morning, resulting in the deaths of at least three people and injuring dozens more, according to Iranian state media reports cited by AP and Al Jazeera. Iran strikes back after Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites The Israeli strikes, reportedly involving warplanes and drones—some of which had allegedly been smuggled into Iran in advance—targeted strategic facilities, military commanders, and nuclear scientists. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations claimed the Israeli attacks left 78 people dead and more than 320 injured. Israel defended its actions, stating that the operation aimed to prevent Iran from nearing nuclear weapons capability. This stance, however, contrasts with assessments from international experts and the United States, who have said Tehran was not actively pursuing nuclear arms at the time of the attack. Iran strikes Israel in retaliation, 3 dead The UN and several international actors have called for de-escalation, warning that further conflict could have catastrophic consequences across the region. Yet, with both nations vowing continued action, fears of a broader war continue to mount. Source: AP/Al Jazeera

Hossein Salami, the chief of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been killed in an Israeli strike on Tehran’s nuclear facility, according to Iran’s state media. The report said that several other senior Iranian officials were also killed in the early Friday morning attack. Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on multiple locations, including the Iranian capital Tehran, on Friday at dawn. Their state television reported that the IRGC’s headquarters in Tehran was among the sites targeted. Over the past 20 months, Tehran has found itself entangled in multiple crises amid mounting instability in the Middle East. Salami’s death, analysts suggest, is a major blow to Iran’s leadership, as he was one of the country’s most powerful figures. Hossein Salami was born in 1960 in the Iranian city of Golpayegan. He joined the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq war in 1980 while still a college student. Rising through the ranks, he went on to lead the IRGC’s air forces and later served as its deputy commander. Trump urges Iran to make nuclear deal as conflict with Israel escalates Salami gained notoriety both inside Iran and internationally for his hardline stance against the United States and its allies. In a 2016 speech, he declared, “A fertile ground has been prepared to deactivate, collapse, and destroy the Zionist regime.” During the same speech, he also issued threats against the United States. On April 21, 2019, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Salami as the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, replacing Maj Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari. His appointment came during a critical time when President Trump, during his first term at office, had withdrawn the nuclear deal and imposed severe sanctions on Iran. The Trump administration had also designated the IRGC as a “terrorist organisation.” In 2020, following a US drone strike that killed IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad Airport, Salami warned that American and Israeli commanders would become retaliatory targets. “If our commanders are threatened, no enemy commander will be safe,” he declared.

Oil surged, stocks fell and investors sought safety in the US dollar and government bonds Friday after Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military targets in an attack that raised the risk of war between the two countries and broader instability in the Middle East. Futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.9% before the opening bell, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 1%. Nasdaq futures slid 1.1%. US benchmark crude oil rose by $4.73, or 6.9%, to $72.77 per barrel, its biggest gain since the early days of Russia's attack on Ukraine more than three years ago. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed $4.58 to $73.94 per barrel, also the largest single-day jump since the Russian invasion, reports AP. Oil prices are likely to rise in the short term but the key question is whether exports are affected, said Richard Joswick, head of near-term oil at S&P Global Commodity Insights. Asian shares slide while oil prices surge after Israel's strike on Iran “When Iran and Israel exchanged attacks previously, prices spiked initially but fell once it became clear that the situation was not escalating and there was no impact on oil supply,” he wrote in an emailed analysis. “Oil price risk premiums could rise sharply if Iran conducts broader retaliatory attacks, especially if on targets other than in Israel,” Joswick said. China is the only customer for Iranian oil but could seek alternative supplies from Middle Eastern exporters and Russia, he said. Trump urges Iran to make nuclear deal as conflict with Israel escalates Iran's oil trade is restricted by Western sanctions and import bans, and Israel exports only small amounts of oil and oil products. Boeing shares are down 1% after falling nearly 5% Thursday when one of the aerospace giant's planes crashed in India, killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as several on the ground. The plane operated by Air India was the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since it went into service in 2009. GE Aerospace, which makes engines for Boeing, is down close to 2% after it announced it was postponing next week's investor day in light of the tragic crash. In Europe at midday, Germany’s DAX dropped 1.3% and the CAC 40 in Paris gave up 0.9%. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.2%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.35% from 4.41% late Wednesday and from roughly 4.80% early this year. In currency trading early Friday, the US dollar rose to 144.12 yen, while the euro eased to $1.1511. The yield on US 10-year Treasurys fell to 4.35%. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions. Treasurys and the dollar often rise when investors feel less inclined to take risks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation against Iran after what he described as a serious miscalculation. His statement came in response to Iran launching over 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict between the two nations and their regional allies, raising concerns of a broader Middle East war. Iran claimed the missile strike was in retaliation for recent Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah, a militant group supported by Iran, has been launching rockets into Israel since the onset of the Gaza conflict. Iran fires at least 180 missiles into Israel as regionwide conflict grows Earlier that day, Israel initiated a limited ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Air raid sirens blared across Israel, prompting civilians to seek shelter, as the country’s missile defense systems intercepted many of the incoming missiles. However, some missiles hit central and southern Israel, resulting in two injuries. In the West Bank, Palestinian officials reported the death of a Palestinian man near Jericho, though the origin of that missile remains unclear. This escalating conflict has intensified fears of a regionwide war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran of attacking an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman last week.

A top Iranian security official on Monday accused Israel of using “electronic devices” to remotely kill a scientist who founded the Islamic Republic’s military nuclear program in the 2000s.