JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said Tuesday afternoon that it has begun a fresh series of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, saying it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.The airstrikes come after Israel's warnings issued earlier in the day to evacuate the area.

BEIRUT, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday spoke over phone with Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss border security, according to a statement from Lebanon's presidency.The two leaders emphasized the need to control the Lebanese-Syrian border and prevent any security breaches from any side, the statement said.They also said the current sensitive circumstances require enhanced coordination and consultation between the two sides.Security concerns along the border have intensified as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has displaced hundreds of thousands in Lebanon, raising fears of the conflict's spillover.Syria in recent days reinforced its border with Lebanon by deploying thousands of troops and rocket units, saying the move aims to curb smuggling and prevent militant infiltration.

BEIRUT, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon since late Monday have killed at least 10 people and wounded several others, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported Tuesday.Eight people were killed in an Israeli strike in the Nabatieh district, and two died when an Israeli drone hit a car in the Tyre district, the NNA reported.Earlier on Tuesday, Israel warned residents in parts of the southern cities of Tyre and Sidon to evacuate.Separately, the Israeli military issued threats to strike several neighborhoods in Beirut's southern suburbs, urging residents to immediately leave their homes.The warnings triggered panic, with many fleeing the targeted neighborhoods and causing heavy traffic congestion on exit roads.According to Lebanese security and military sources, several points along the border area in southern Lebanon witnessed intense clashes in the morning hours on Tuesday between the Israeli army and Hezbollah members.The ongoing conflict in Lebanon has displaced 667,831 registered people, including about 31,400 families in 567 shelters nationwide, according to figures released Monday.Hezbollah announced the launch of rockets from Lebanon toward Israel at dawn on March 2 for the first time since a ceasefire was declared on Nov. 27, 2024. Israel subsequently launched what it described as an offensive military campaign against the group, including heavy airstrikes targeting Beirut's southern suburbs and areas in southern and eastern Lebanon.

BEIRUT, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Several points along the border area in southern Lebanon witnessed intense clashes in the morning hours on Tuesday between the Israeli army and Hezbollah members, according to security and military sources.The sources said that Israeli forces supported by several Merkava tanks and armored personnel carriers attempted to advance in the early hours of dawn toward the border towns of Khiam and Aitaroun and the villages of Taybeh, Adaisseh, and Rab al-Thalatheen.Hezbollah members confronted these attempts, and fierce clashes broke out between the two sides that continued until the morning hours, they added.The sources confirmed to Xinhua that the Israeli army advanced and established positions at multiple border points situated 1-2.5 km from the Blue Line, which separates Lebanon and Israel.For its part, Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli military positions near the border in response to Israeli shelling.The group claimed it has lured Israeli forces into an ambush and struck them with appropriate weapons, destroying three Merkava tanks. Its members also targeted Israeli soldiers at multiple locations: the Khanouq area in Aitaroun, Kahil Hill on the eastern outskirts of Maroun al-Ras, a newly-established artillery position in Markaba, and the Malikiya site with several rocket barrages.In Israel, the group said, it struck a military base southeast of Tel Aviv, the Giv'a drone control base east of the city of Safed, Yiftah barracks, and Tziporit base east of Haifa.Hezbollah announced the launch of rockets from Lebanon toward Israel at dawn on March 2 for the first time since a ceasefire was declared on Nov. 27, 2024. Israel subsequently launched what it described as an offensive military campaign against the group, including heavy airstrikes targeting Beirut's southern suburbs and areas in southern and eastern Lebanon.

RIYADH, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser warned Tuesday that the regional military escalation has caused a severe chain reaction in shipping and insurance, saying that prolonged disruption will worsen consequences for global oil markets and the wider economy.About 17 percent of global oil supply normally transits the affected region, with disruptions so far amounting to nearly 80 million barrels, Nasser said during a media call held alongside the release of Aramco's 2025 results, which showed adjusted net income of 104.7 billion U.S. dollars for the full year and 25.1 billion dollars for the fourth quarter.Nasser said the company is using its operational capabilities and the flexibility of its infrastructure and network to continue serving customers under rapidly evolving circumstances.Aramco is maximizing the use of the East-West pipeline, which has a capacity of nearly 7 million barrels per day, in the coming days as rerouted customers arrive at western loading terminals, he said.He said that the company's Ras Tanura oil refinery was shut down as a precaution after attacks, and that a small fire was extinguished quickly and the company is restarting the facility.The company maintains a maximum sustainable production capacity of 12 million barrels per day, he noted.

BAGHDAD, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday announced a new 72-hour extension of the country's airspace closure amid ongoing regional tensions.In a statement, the authority said that the extension, effective from 12:00 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) Tuesday until 12:00 p.m. Friday, applies to all arriving, departing and transiting aircraft.It said the suspension is a temporary precautionary measure based on a continuous security assessment, adding the situation will be reviewed in light of any updates.The move followed heightened tensions after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting Feb. 28, to which Iran responded with attacks on Israel and U.S. assets across the Middle East.

TEHRAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said the country is well-prepared to continue missile attacks against Israel and U.S. bases in the West Asia region for as long as needed.In an interview with U.S. PBS News aired Tuesday, Araghchi said U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran's missile facilities have failed to stop its retaliatory strikes, noting that Iran will continue them as long as needed and as long as it takes.The United States and Israel lack a realistic endgame, he said, adding, They have just started to attack us blindly and are targeting residential areas, hospitals, schools and infrastructure, which is a very dangerous move.Commenting on the selection of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Araghchi said it showed the continuity of Iran's anti-U.S. and anti-Israel policies and the nation's stability.Resuming negotiations with the United States is not an option, he said, citing every bitter experience of talking with Americans and saying he does not think it would be on our agenda anymore.Araghchi attributed rising global energy prices to slowed or halted regional oil production and transportation due to the U.S.-Israeli aggression against Iran, arguing that Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz and is not preventing navigation through it.On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. assets in the Middle East.The conflict's broader regional repercussions raise concerns about disruptions to oil exports and global energy markets, primarily due to risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Araghchi's remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran would be over soon.

JERUSALEM, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said on Tuesday it has begun a new series of airstrikes against Iranian government targets in Tehran, as the deadly regional conflict entered its 11th day.

NEW DELHI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Indian lawmakers on Tuesday expressed concern over Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortage as some areas in the country, particularly in the southern state of Karnataka and the southwestern state of Maharashtra, were adversely hit.The cooking gas shortage was said to be a spillover effect of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to local media reports.Only a couple of days ago, the cost of a domestic LPG cylinder increased by 60 Indian Rupees (nearly 65 U.S. cents), and a commercial LPG cylinder by 115 Indian Rupees (nearly 1.25 U.S. dollars).Hotels and restaurants were adversely hit by the LPG cylinder shortage, local media reported. India Today carried an online report titled LPG shortage shuts 20 percent of Mumbai hotels and restaurants.Tejasvi Surya, a lawmaker from the country's main ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has written a letter to federal Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, urging him to ensure continuity of LPG supply to the restaurant and hospitality sector. He also highlighted the Bangalore Hotels Association's plight over LPG supply.Reacting to the LPG shortage arising in the country, Jebi Mather, a lawmaker from the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, told reporters in New Delhi, Hoteliers of Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune have openly said that they do not have LPG, and they need to shut down their hotels. This is the case with the rest of the country. We are worried.Meanwhile, taking a stern note of the arising situation, the Indian government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 in order to regulate the availability, supply and equitable distribution of petroleum and petroleum products and natural gas.In an official order, the federal government also directed the refineries and petrochemical units to maximize production of LPG and divert key hydrocarbon streams to the LPG pool.