The first United Arab Emirates ambassador to India Hussain Hassan Mirza expressed his frustration with the ongoing war between Iran and the United States-Israel alliance on Monday and hinted towards something that could potentially deescalate the issue — a phone call from PM Modi.. Explosions continued to rock Iran and Israel on the 10th day of the war. (File Photo/AFP). While talking to NDTV, Mizra put weight to Modi’s global standing and said that he commands great respect in the Gulf region.. “One phone call from Mr Modi to the counterparts in Iran and Israel can solve this issue, can end this issue. One phone call,” Mirza said.. Also read: How much is US spending on Iran war? Huge per-day figure emerges, Trump unfazed. Emphasizing on what makes him confident of it, Mirza said that it is Modi’s standing with both the sides who, he said, are fighting “on our soil”.. ‘No reason for UAE to be involved’. Making it clear that UAE does not intend to get caught up in the war between Iran and the US, Israel, Mirza said that he is not sure why UAE has gotten involved in the conflict.. Track live updates of Israel-Iran war here. “To be honest, I’m not sure why we are involved. There is no reason for the UAE to be involved in this,” he told NDTV.. He added that it is UAE’s crucial geopolitical position, being a neighbour to Iran and a partner to Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, which makes it useful. “We can negotiate between the two,” Mirza said.. Also read: What is Kharg Island? US mulls targeting backbone of Iran’s oil exports. Iran-US war rages in second week. Even as the war between Iran and the United States entered its second week, there are no signs of de-escalation. Explosions continued to rock Iran and Israel on the 10th day of the war.. After Khamenei’s assassination on the first day of the war, Iran got its new Supreme Leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, whose appointment did not sit well with US President Trump. 

 The first United Arab Emirates ambassador to India Hussain Hassan Mirza expressed his frustration with the ongoing war between Iran and the United States-Israel alliance on Monday and hinted towards something that could potentially deescalate the issue — a phone call from PM Modi.. Explosions continued to rock Iran and Israel on the 10th day of the war. (File Photo/AFP). While talking to NDTV, Mizra put weight to Modi’s global standing and said that he commands great respect in the Gulf region.. “One phone call from Mr Modi to the counterparts in Iran and Israel can solve this issue, can end this issue. One phone call,” Mirza said.. Also read: How much is US spending on Iran war? Huge per-day figure emerges, Trump unfazed. Emphasizing on what makes him confident of it, Mirza said that it is Modi’s standing with both the sides who, he said, are fighting “on our soil”.. ‘No reason for UAE to be involved’. Making it clear that UAE does not intend to get caught up in the war between Iran and the US, Israel, Mirza said that he is not sure why UAE has gotten involved in the conflict.. Track live updates of Israel-Iran war here. “To be honest, I’m not sure why we are involved. There is no reason for the UAE to be involved in this,” he told NDTV.. He added that it is UAE’s crucial geopolitical position, being a neighbour to Iran and a partner to Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, which makes it useful. “We can negotiate between the two,” Mirza said.. Also read: What is Kharg Island? US mulls targeting backbone of Iran’s oil exports. Iran-US war rages in second week. Even as the war between Iran and the United States entered its second week, there are no signs of de-escalation. Explosions continued to rock Iran and Israel on the 10th day of the war.. After Khamenei’s assassination on the first day of the war, Iran got its new Supreme Leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, whose appointment did not sit well with US President Trump. 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had a conversation with Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chairman Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah, who is poised to lead the next government in the Himalayan nation.. PM Modi on Monday spoke with Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chairman Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah. (PTI). In a social media post, PM Modi said he congratulated both leaders on their electoral victories and RSP’s resounding success in the Nepal elections.. “Had warm telephone conversations with Mr. Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Mr. Balendra Shah, Senior Leader of the RSP,” Modi said in post on X.. He added that he conveyed India’s commitment to work with Nepal’s new government for the prosperity and well-being of both the nations.. “Congratulated both leaders on their electoral victories and RSP’s resounding success in the Nepal elections. Conveyed my best wishes for their forthcoming new Government and India’s commitment to work with them for mutual prosperity, progress and well-being of our two countries,” he wrote.. “I am confident that with our joint endeavours, India and Nepal relations will scale new heights in the years ahead,” he added.. Also read: What Balen Shah’s win in Nepal means for New Delhi. Modi’s conversation with the RSP leaders come days after Nepal held its general elections last week on Thursday, March 5 , after the country’s government was ousted as a result of widespread protests led by the youth of the country.. 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah’s RSP emerged as the biggest winner with a landslide victory, pointing to Nepal’s shift from the traditional “old guard” parties.. The results of Nepal’s elections were reflective of its population’s frustration with issues such as political instability, corruption and youth unemployment.. In regards to India, the RSP has maintained that it intends to have strong relations with both its neighbours but aims to remain independent of any direct influence.. Balendra Shah also has a personal connection with India as he hails from Madhesi community and did his Masters in structural engineering from Karnataka. 

 India on Monday issued an advisory for citizens in Iran, warning them against travelling outside the country without coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Tehran, as the conflict in West Asia entered its second week.. The Indian Embassy’s advisory noted that once any Indian national crosses Iranian territory and is unable to enter a third country, the embassy will not be able to provide assistance. (AFP). The embassy also asked Indian nationals to not go near any land border without explicit guidance.. “Indian nationals are hereby advised not to approach any of the land borders of Iran for travel outside the country without prior coordination with the Embassy. Any movement towards land border points should be undertaken only after obtaining explicit guidance from the Embassy,” the Embassy said in the advisory on Monday, March 9.. Further, the advisory also noted that once any Indian national crosses Iranian territory and is unable to enter a third country, the embassy will not be able to provide assistance.. “It may please be noted that the Embassy will not be in a position to extend assistance once individuals have exited Iranian territory and are unable to enter the third country concerned,” it said before mentioning emergency contact helplines for Indian nations in Iran which includes mobile numbers — +98 912 810 9115, +98 912 810 9102, +98 912 810 9109, +98 993 217 9359 — and email: cons.tehran@mea.gov.in. India’s fresh advisory for its nationals in Iran comes as the condition in the country remains volatile even though the Islamic Republic got its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.. United States President Donald Trump, as expected, called Mojtaba’s elevation as Iran’s new Supreme Leader ‘unacceptable’ and has demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender.. With no de-escalation in the ongoing war in sight even with appointment of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Iran’s defence council said in a statement, “We will obey the commander-in-chief until the last drop of our blood.” 

 The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday released the first National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI), establishing a baseline for measuring vegetation along the country’s highway network using satellite-based assessment.. The first assessment cycle has covered around 30,000 kilometres of national highways across 24 states. (Image sourced from Doordarshan). Subsequent annual cycles will track year-on-year changes along the same highway stretches, enabling monitoring of improvements in roadside vegetation over time, NHAI said in a statement.. The index was prepared in coordination with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after a memorandum of understanding was signed by both agencies in January 2024 to develop a scientific and quantitative framework for assessing plantations along national highways.. The index uses high-resolution satellite sensors to detect chlorophyll content along highway corridors, enabling an estimate of vegetation within the right of way on both sides of the road.. The first assessment cycle has covered around 30,000 kilometres of national highways across 24 states for the period between July and December 2024.. Also Read: NHAI to build bridge, 2 km road to ease traffic at Masani Barrage. According to NHAI, the index is a technology-based approach for macro-level estimation of green cover along highways and could help identify stretches with relatively lower vegetation levels where plantation management may require attention. The framework also enables comparison and ranking of highway sections based on green cover. It said the use of satellite data offers a cost-effective and time-efficient method for monitoring vegetation along the expanding national highway network.. The release of the NH-GCI report follows NHAI’s publication of its sustainability report in July 2025, which outlined the agency’s sustainability initiatives and environmental performance across highway development and operations site.