25-26 days
Requested Saudi Arabia for fuel route
Hello all on Thursday, March 5.
I’m heading to Islamabad for a day right now and realising how strange it is to balance day six of a war and living life like everything is normal. As a friend in Dubai said to me yesterday, that she always thought that it would be us that she would be concerned about, living in Pakistan, and here we are asking her if she and her family are safe, in what was deemed to be one of the safest cities in the world.
I’ve listed out the Iran updates with the most important being that the US Senate was unable to stop the Trump war, oil might jump to $150 a barrel but Pakistan is already working on alternate plans. And in local news, the Punjab govt’s controversy with the private jet isn’t over yet.
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Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir said peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan is only possible if the Afghan Taliban stop supporting militant groups targeting Pakistan. During a visit to Wana, where he was debriefed on what was going on, he warned that Pakistan would take all necessary steps to neutralise threats coming from across the border.
Pakistan is preparing emergency steps to manage rising fuel costs after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, including weekly petrol price revisions, compensating oil companies for higher shipping and insurance costs, and even considering work-from-home measures to reduce fuel use. Officials say the country currently has enough petrol and diesel for about a 25–26 days cover, and Saudi Arabia has already been requested to provide oil supplies through an alternative Red Sea route.
The Punjab government could face higher expenses after purchasing a VIP Gulfstream G500 jet, with a summary reportedly seeking an additional Rs861.5 million for operations and maintenance. Officials say costs will also rise due to training pilots in the US, higher insurance, and hiring more technical staff for the aircraft.
The UK will stop issuing student visas to nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, citing a sharp rise in asylum claims by students from those countries. The move is part of a broader government crackdown on migration and misuse of the visa system, in what the UK is calling, ‘exploitation of their generosity’.
THE UPDATE: DAY SIX
Israel has bombarded Iran overnight, and continues this morning, hitting the western part of Tehran. Eyewitnesses reported seeing fireballs in the sky last night and the shockwaves of the strikes were so intense they were felt in far off parts of the city. It is not clear what they are targeting. Death toll in Iran is now more than 1,000. This morning, Iran has vowed to launch another wave of attacks on US bases and Israel, with explosions being heard in Jerusalem.
Last night, Iran has launched multiple waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US assets in the region, claiming strikes on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport and advanced radar systems.
The US military has also sunk an Iranian naval vessel in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, killing at least 87 sailors, after claiming the ship posed a threat to American forces.
Hitting Muslim Countries
A ballistic missile fired from Iran entered Turkish airspace and was shot down by NATO defence systems, raising fears of broader international involvement. Iran has also carried out strikes in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region targeting Iranian Kurdish opposition groups. Saudi Arabia says it intercepted three drones, Qatar temporarily evacuated residents near the US embassy in Doha as a precaution, and a large explosion was reported near an oil tanker off Kuwait.
Israel’s attacks on Lebanon
At the same time, Israel has intensified its military operations in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah following cross-border rocket and drone attacks. Israeli strikes have killed several people, including in attacks on Beirut’s airport highway and a Palestinian refugee camp. Israel has also issued evacuation warnings in parts of southern Lebanon as concerns grow that its forces could push deeper into Lebanese territory.
Economic hit from the war
Analysts warn oil prices could spike to as high as $150 a barrel, while LNG and gas prices have already surged sharply. Technology companies, especially in South Korea, are also concerned that instability in the Middle East could delay plans for major AI data centres and disrupt supplies of key materials used in semiconductor manufacturing. Meanwhile, Iran says that they are in complete control of the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20 million barrels of oil passed through per day in 2025.
US Senate unable to block Trump
The US Senate rejected a motion to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers, effectively allowing the military campaign against Iran to continue, even though polls suggest the war remains unpopular with most Americans.
During the Senate hearing, a US Marine veteran Brian McGinnis, was forcibly removed from a congressional hearing after protesting the war with Iran and shouting, “No one wants to fight for Israel.”
Supreme Leader Nominations
Former Iranian president Hassan Rouhani is again being discussed within Iran’s political circles. Rouhani, known as a pragmatic figure who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) and promoted moderation and diplomacy, represents a potential balancing force within Iran’s political system.
Since yesterday however, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also been discussed as a leading candidate. However, critics argue that Mojtaba lacks the senior clerical credentials typically expected of the position. He has never held an official government role but has long been viewed as a powerful gatekeeper to his father. He also rarely spoke in public despite occasionally appearing at loyalist rallies.
Take a long drive today to clear your head. It helps especially if you have a great playlist.
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