Overview
- Iran notified the UN and the International Maritime Organization that only “non‑hostile” ships may transit the Strait of Hormuz, excluding vessels tied to the United States or Israel and requiring coordination with Iranian authorities.
- Aaj Tak reported that Israel struck Iran’s Bandar Anzali on the Caspian coast to disrupt a Russia–Iran weapons route, sharing claimed visuals and noting Russian condemnation, which, if verified, would widen the conflict’s geography.
- The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one‑fifth of global oil and gas flows, and recent fighting has slowed ship traffic and pushed prices higher, raising the risk of broader supply shocks.
- India outlined mitigation steps, saying it issued more than 250,000 new piped natural gas connections in 25 days and ran 2,700 raids that seized over 2,000 LPG cylinders, while officials said 20 ships with about 500 Indian seafarers are stuck in Gulf waters with 20 sailors brought back in the past day.
- Consumer markets in India are shifting as Renault’s new Duster challenges Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen schedules a Taigun facelift for April 9 with a panoramic sunroof and updated cabin tech expected, Hyundai launches an Exter update with a dashcam and wireless phone mirroring, and Honda’s next City is spied testing in Brazil with a global debut expected around 2027; at home, officials ordered a probe into alleged voter‑list irregularities in Balrampur and police made arrests in separate sexual‑assault cases in Surat and Goa.