India Urges Nationals To Exit Iran As US-Iran Ceasefire Takes Effect

Two-Week Truce Announced After Intense Diplomatic Push

India on Wednesday issued a fresh advisory for its nationals in Iran, strongly urging them to “expeditiously exit” the war-hit country even as the United States and Iran announced a conditional two-week ceasefire.

The Ministry of External Affairs advised Indian citizens to leave immediately, citing the unpredictable security situation. The advisory came shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a temporary halt to military strikes on Iran in exchange for Tehran reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Ceasefire Terms Announced By Trump

President Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said he was willing to suspend bombings and attacks for two weeks if Iran immediately reopened the strait. Washington received a “10-point proposal” from Tehran, with most longstanding disputes already seeing broad agreement, Trump added.

Trump told AFP the United States had achieved a “total and complete victory” following the deal. He also noted that China played a role in bringing Iran to the negotiating table, ahead of his planned visit to Beijing in May.

Iran Confirms Safe Maritime Passage

Iran confirmed it would guarantee safe maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, provided attacks are halted. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the arrangement would begin immediately and involve coordination with Iran’s armed forces.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council added that negotiations with the US are set to begin Friday in Islamabad and will last for two weeks, with the possibility of extension by mutual consent.

India Issues Strong Advisory For Citizens

India’s fresh advisory marked a significant escalation in its travel warning. New Delhi has been closely monitoring the conflict, which has disrupted global energy supplies and triggered volatility in financial markets.

The government has been in touch with Indian nationals in Iran through its embassy in Tehran. Officials indicated that contingency plans are being reviewed to ensure safe evacuation if the situation deteriorates further.

Israel Backs Ceasefire But Excludes Lebanon

In a statement Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks. However, the deal does not cover the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Netanyahu’s office said the ceasefire is subject to Iran immediately opening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region. The statement said Israel also supports US efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat.

Global Reactions And Market Impact

Oil prices fell sharply following the announcement, with global benchmark Brent crude dropping about 13.6% to $94.50 a barrel. Indian benchmark indices soared, with the Sensex skyrocketing 2,700 points at opening.

The United Nations, European Union, and several countries including Germany, Japan, and Indonesia welcomed the truce. However, missile alerts continued in Israel and the UAE even after the announcement, indicating lingering tensions.

What Next For The Region

Negotiations are set to begin Friday in Islamabad, with Pakistan playing a key mediating role. The two-week window will be used to finalise and implement a broader deal.

Trump has said the United States “will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz” and that “big money will be made” as Iran can start its reconstruction process. The world now watches whether this temporary pause can lead to a lasting resolution in West Asia.

With Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly vowing to kill him, Benjamin Netanyahu is not just Israel's prime minister right now — he is also its most high-value target. As Operation Roaring Lion enters its third week with no end in sight, Israel has activated some of the most intensive personal and national security measures in its modern history. Here is a full breakdown of what Israel is doing to protect its leader, its people, and its strategic interests.

Netanyahu's Personal Security: Drones, Armoured Vehicles and Fortified Safe Houses

The threat to Netanyahu is not theoretical. In October 2024, Hezbollah launched a drone attack directly targeting his private residence in Caesarea. Two drones were intercepted; a third struck the building. Netanyahu himself was not home, but the message was unmistakable — the Israeli Prime Minister is a marked man.

Now, with Iran's IRGC making public assassination threats in March 2026, Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency has dramatically stepped up its protection operation. Surveillance drones have been deployed over Netanyahu's official Jerusalem residence around the clock. Senior ministers and cabinet security members have been issued armoured vehicles — a measure reserved only for those assessed to be at the highest threat level.

The protection does not stop there. Several senior ministers' families have been quietly moved out of their homes and relocated to fortified apartments. Others have been temporarily housed in hotels. Behind closed doors, ministers who were not included in these arrangements have reportedly voiced frustration over what they see as an unequal distribution of security resources.

The Shin Bet has also tightened instructions on mobile phone usage across the entire cabinet, citing assessments that Iranian intelligence may attempt cyberattacks and phishing operations targeting senior Israeli officials.

$827 Million Emergency Defence Budget: Israel Opens the Vault

Fighting a war on this scale costs money — and Israel is not holding back. On March 15, 2026, Israel approved an emergency budget allocation of 2.6 billion shekels, equivalent to approximately 827 million US dollars, specifically for urgent military purchases. The package was approved by cabinet ministers in a telephone meeting and will be drawn from Israel's total 2026 state budget of 222 billion dollars, which the Knesset is expected to formally adopt by March 31.

The government has not publicly specified which weapons systems or equipment the funds will cover, but the context makes the priorities obvious. Since February 28, Iran has launched over 250 ballistic missiles at Israeli territory. Israel's missile defence systems — Iron Dome, David's Sling, and the Arrow system — have intercepted the vast majority, but the relentless pace of attacks is placing enormous strain on interceptor stockpiles.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly dismissed reports suggesting Israel was running low on missile interceptors, saying clearly: the answer is no. But the emergency budget approval tells a different story — Israel is preparing for a long campaign and is ensuring its defence industrial pipeline stays fully stocked.

The Missile Shield: Three Lines of Defence

Israel's layered air defence architecture is the backbone of its civilian protection strategy. Each system targets a different category of threat.

Iron Dome intercepts short-range rockets and artillery shells at lower altitudes — the same system that protected Israeli cities during the Gaza conflict and the Lebanon war.

David's Sling handles medium to long-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles — the primary threat from Iran's arsenal.

The Arrow System — Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 — targets long-range ballistic missiles at high altitudes, including exo-atmospheric interceptions outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Together, these three systems form a near-impenetrable shield. Since the war began, Iran has fired waves of ballistic missiles at Israeli cities daily, and the military has confirmed that the overwhelming majority have been intercepted. The civilian death toll, while not zero, has been dramatically lower than Iran likely intended.

Striking First: Degrading Iran's Launch Capability

Israel's security strategy is not purely defensive. The most effective protection, from Israel's perspective, is eliminating the threat at its source before missiles even launch.

The IDF has confirmed it killed two senior Iranian intelligence officials from the Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command — the nerve centre coordinating Iran's military operations. Netanyahu confirmed at his March 12 press conference that Israeli strikes had also eliminated a senior Iranian nuclear scientist.

Netanyahu framed it bluntly at the press conference: the February 28 strikes had prevented Iran from moving its nuclear and ballistic missile projects underground — a window that was closing rapidly and that Israel could not afford to miss. He declared Israel is now "stronger than ever," pointing to severe damage inflicted on the IRGC and Basij forces.

Nationwide Civil Defence: Shelters, Sirens and a Nation on Alert

For ordinary Israeli citizens, the security measures are deeply personal and daily. Air raid sirens have sounded across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and large parts of southern and central Israel on a near-daily basis since February 28. Residents have become accustomed to rushing into bomb shelters — underground parking garages, reinforced stairwells, designated public shelters — within the 90-second warning window the missile alert system provides.

Schools in high-risk areas have moved classes to sheltered floors. Public events have been modified or cancelled. The national psyche has shifted into a wartime rhythm that older Israelis recognise from previous conflicts but that younger generations are experiencing for the first time at this scale.

An overwhelming 82 percent of the Israeli public, according to a March 2026 survey, supports the ongoing military operations — with 93 percent of Jewish Israelis behind the war effort. That domestic unity is itself a form of national security, giving Netanyahu the political cover to maintain the campaign without facing the kind of internal fracture that could weaken Israel's resolve.

What Comes Next

Israel's army chief has said plainly that this war will continue for a long time. The government shelved its controversial ultra-Orthodox draft exemption law to fast-track the 2026 defence budget — a sign that the entire political system, regardless of internal differences, understands the gravity of the moment.

Netanyahu told the Iranian people last week: "We are standing by your side." He told his own people: this war will be "recorded in the annals of Israel." Whether that record ultimately reads as a victory or a cautionary tale remains to be seen.

What is certain right now is this — Israel is spending every tool at its disposal, from surveillance drones outside the prime minister's bedroom window to 827 million dollars in emergency weapons procurement, to ensure it survives this war on its own terms.

The iron shield is up. The question is how long it can hold.

The Middle East is in the most dangerous moment of this century. What began as a joint US-Israel military strike on February 28, 2026 has now spiralled into a widening regional conflict — and this weekend, Tehran crossed a new line.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly vowed to pursue and kill Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Iran's state news agency posting a chilling statement on X — calling Netanyahu a "child-killer" and threatening his life directly. The statement came after rumours spread over the weekend that Netanyahu had already been killed, forcing his office to release a statement calling the reports entirely false.

This is the war nobody fully predicted — and it is not over.

How It Started: Operation Roaring Lion

On February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States jointly launched Operation Roaring Lion, with Netanyahu announcing that the aim was to put a permanent end to the threat from the Iranian regime. The IDF struck targets of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij paramilitary force, alongside US military strikes on ballistic missile sites threatening both Israel and American forces across the region.

Netanyahu declared the goal was to remove the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime, stating that the joint action would create the conditions for the Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.

This was not a sudden decision. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz disclosed on March 4 that Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-2026, but moved the timeline forward. Katz also revealed that Netanyahu had set an objective of targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as far back as November 2025.

Where Things Stand Right Now — March 16, 2026

The conflict has now entered its third week and shows no sign of slowing down.

Iran has continued firing missiles at Israel. Israel in return targeted key members of Iran's leadership, and the IDF confirmed it had eliminated two senior Iranian intelligence officials from the Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Command.

Despite US and Israeli attacks against Iran's missile launchers and stockpiles, Iran has continued striking Israel with round-the-clock ballistic missile and drone attacks, also hitting Arab neighbours in the Gulf region, driving a sharp spike in global oil prices.

Netanyahu held his first press conference since the war began on March 12. He confirmed Israel had killed a senior Iranian nuclear scientist and said the campaign was going better than expected. When asked whether Israel would target Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Netanyahu said he would not rule anything out.

The Regime Change Question

The central strategic question of this war is what victory actually looks like.

Netanyahu's messaging has remained fixated on regime change in Iran since day one. Analysts note that for Netanyahu — seeking to recover politically from the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack — anything less than regime change could be seen as a failure by the Israeli public.

But analysts are increasingly sceptical. With no evidence of a popular Iranian uprising and the Trump administration appearing to back away from its own regime change demands, it remains unclear whether Israel has a clear endgame plan or what its fallback position might be.

A former Israeli national security adviser noted that if Israel and the US drop regime change as a stated goal, they will instead pursue objectives easier to define and measure — such as further degrading Iran's missile systems and nuclear programme.

The Nuclear Problem Is Not Solved Yet

The US-Israeli operations in February 2026 confirmed that earlier strikes had not succeeded in destroying the Iranian nuclear programme entirely. Iran still holds approximately 450 kilograms of highly enriched uranium stored in underground tunnels and refused, in pre-war talks with the United States, to export its stockpiles.

The thinking in Jerusalem was clear — waiting would only allow Iran to rebuild its nuclear and missile capabilities to a point of no return. The window to act was now or never.

Kharg Island and the Global Oil Risk

The war is no longer just a Middle Eastern conflict. It is a global economic threat.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz confirmed that President Trump is weighing strikes on oil infrastructure at Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub, saying Trump is not going to take any options off the table. Trump previously directed US Central Command to bomb Kharg Island's military infrastructure while leaving oil facilities intact — but that position could change quickly.

If that calculation shifts, global oil markets face a shock of historic proportions.

What Happens Next

Israel's army chief Eyal Zamir has said the war will likely continue for a long time. A March 2026 survey found that 82 percent of the Israeli public supports ongoing military operations, giving Netanyahu significant domestic political cover to continue.

But a former IDF strategic planning director has warned that neither the US nor Israel has set out a realistic exit strategy — and that without one, there is no exit.

The Iran-Israel war of 2026 is no longer a regional skirmish. It is a conflict with the potential to reshape the entire Middle East and the global economy alongside it. The IRGC's threat to kill Netanyahu this weekend is the latest reminder that this war has entered deeply personal and dangerously unpredictable territory.

The world is watching. And nobody knows how this ends.

In a landmark move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the elevation of India-Israel relations to a "special strategic partnership" during his ongoing state visit to Israel on February 26, 2026. Highlighting shared commitments against terrorism and innovation-driven growth, Modi revealed agreements on UPI integration in Israel, alongside advancements in defence, space, and civil nuclear energy. This visit, amid escalating West Asian tensions, underscores the deepening bilateral ties that could reshape regional stability and economic cooperation.

Historic Tributes and High-Level Engagements

PM Modi's second day in Israel began with a solemn tribute at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, where he honored millions of Jews killed during World War II. Accompanied by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Modi planted a sapling symbolizing peace and remembrance. "Humanity must never become a victim of conflict," Modi stated, praising the Gaza Peace Plan as a pathway to resolution.

Following the memorial, Modi held bilateral talks with President Herzog, who lauded India's rapid economic growth and encouraged student exchanges. Modi extended an invitation for Herzog to visit India, emphasizing people-to-people connections. Delegation-level discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on mutual interests, including counter-terrorism efforts. "There is no place for terrorism in the world," Modi asserted, committing to joint action under frameworks like IMEEC and I2U2.

Key Agreements and Economic Boost

A highlight was the signing of an agreement to link India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Israel's systems, enabling seamless digital transactions and boosting fintech ties. Modi expressed optimism about finalizing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) soon, noting ongoing negotiations that began on February 23. Bilateral trade reached $3.62 billion in 2024-25, and the FTA aims to ease customs, protect intellectual property, and support SMEs.

Defence emerged as a cornerstone, with last year's MoU paving the way for joint research, co-development, and production. Reports suggest potential deals worth $8.6 billion, including advanced drones like the Heron MK-2 and missile systems. Netanyahu praised Modi's "amazingly efficient government," while sharing a personal anecdote: his first date with wife Sara was at an Indian restaurant in Tel Aviv, symbolizing cultural bonds.

Broader Collaborations and Expert Insights

Discussions extended to AI, agri-tech, water management, and innovation. Netanyahu highlighted precision education via AI, stating, "The future belongs to those who innovate." Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the visit as "exceptional" and "productive," yielding rich outcomes in under 24 hours.

Experts like Israeli Consul General Yanee Revach view this as a boost for India's self-reliance under Make in India. For readers, practical takeaways include exploring UPI for travel to Israel, monitoring FTA for business opportunities, and supporting anti-terrorism dialogues amid global conflicts.

PM Modi's visit reinforces India-Israel strategic partnership at a critical juncture, blending historical respect with forward-looking collaborations. As Modi returns, these ties promise enhanced security, economic growth, and innovation—proving that shared values can bridge divides in a turbulent world.