DUBAI, March 24: Hopes for a slowdown in the Iran war rose after Donald Trump said the US was holding “productive” talks with Tehran and delayed planned strikes on Iranian power plants by five days. He also extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran denied any negotiations were taking place, claiming Washington had backed down after its warnings.
Despite diplomatic signals, fighting continued unabated. Iran launched repeated waves of missiles toward Israel, injuring civilians and causing damage in southern areas, while sirens also sounded in the north amid suspected fire from Lebanon. The conflict has spread across the region, including attacks affecting Bahrain and Gulf infrastructure.
The humanitarian toll is severe: more than 1,500 people have been killed in Iran, over 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 US personnel, with millions displaced in Iran and Lebanon.
Global economic concerns persist. Oil markets have been volatile, briefly stabilizing after Trump’s remarks but still reflecting uncertainty over the war’s duration. The الأزمة has also disrupted critical infrastructure, including cloud services, with Amazon reporting damage to Middle East data centers due to drone strikes.
Beyond the region, the crisis is having worldwide effects. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national energy emergency in the Philippines, citing risks to fuel supply and broader economic stability as the conflict continues with no clear resolution.
16 killed, 4,500 injured in Israel since conflict start
Sixteen people have been killed and over 4,500 injured in Israel since the conflict with Iran began late last month, according to Israel’s emergency medical service.
The conflict in West Asia began on February 28, when joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iranian military and leadership sites. Chaim Rafalowski, Disaster Management Coordinator at Israel’s national emergency medical service, Magen David Adom (MDA), said on Monday that 16 fatalities have been reported, while 4,564 people have received hospital treatment since late February.
Speaking to PTI videos from Tel Aviv, Rafalowski said the Ministry of Health confirmed the figures, with injuries stemming from direct missile impacts, shrapnel from intercepted projectiles, or accidents during shelter-seeking.
A “recent fatality occurred yesterday on the border with Lebanon, where a farmer was killed in artillery shelling by Hezbollah,” Rafalowski said.
Hezbollah has intensified rocket and artillery fire into northern Israel amid the broader escalation.
The MDA officer highlighted that despite weeks of sustained alerts, sirens, and sheltering, stress-related medical cases have remained comparatively low.
Out of 1,576 patients treated by emergency services in the period, only 263 involved anxiety or stress conditions, he said.
Rafalowski noted that transportation links remain partially functional for essential movement.
Flights and land crossings via Aqaba (Jordan) and Taba (Egypt) are operational, subject to security advisories.
Foreign workers, including Indian nurses and caregivers employed in Israel’s healthcare sector, have been urged to strictly adhere to safety protocols issued by authorities and employers.
“Indians are mainly employed here in the healthcare sector as caregivers for people with chronic diseases. They are essential, and we thank them greatly for staying and continuing the vital work they are doing under these difficult circumstances,” he said. (Agencies)
