The White House, on Tuesday, once against stated its reasoning behind “allowing” India to purchase Russian oil. Speaking to reporters, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the decision, which has approved by US President Donald Trump and US Treasury Department comes as “our allies in India have been good actors”.. US President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington DC (Bloomberg). “We came to this decision as our allies in India have been good actors and had previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil.so as we work to appease this temporary gap of oil supply on the world because of the Iranians, we have temporarily permitted India to accept Russian oil,” said Leavitt.. Follow LIVE updates on US Iran war. She added that the US approved this decision as this Russian oil coming to India was “already at sea” and will “not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government.”. India ‘allowed’ to purchase Russian oil. Earlier this month, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also stated that India would be allowed to purchase Russian oil amid the oil supply crisis caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. A waiver was also signed by President Trump. “Indians have been very good actors, they stopped buying Russian Oil when we ordered them, now we are allowing them to accept Russian Oil to create supply,” Bessent told FOX News.. Also Read | ‘To take a little pressure off’: Trump on US waiver to India for Russian oil purchase amid Iran war. This remark from Bessent comes after the US and India announced the framework of their trade deal, which saw a reduction of tariffs on New Delhi from 50 per cent to 18 per cent. India was initially marked up at 25 per cent tariffs under Trump’s ‘liberation day’ exercise.. This was later raised to 50 per cent by Trump as a penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil, as he accused New Delhi of “fuelling the war in Ukraine”.. However, with the US-India trade deal, the White House stated that the tariff on India has been reduced based on commitment from New Delhi to reduce and halt its purchase of Russian oil.. India has not explicitly stated it will halt its purchase of Russian oil, but has stated that in a “volatile energy market environment, New Delhi will continue to prioritise it’s population of 1.4 billion.”. US-Iran war sparks oil crisis. The ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran in West Asia has sparked a crisis in the oil and energy industry after supply lines were hit. Due to the war-like conflict, Iran announced it will be closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas supply passes through.. Most oil exports from OPEC producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE and Iran, move through this strait, primarily to Asia. Qatar also sends almost all its LNG exports through these waters.. Due to this impact on supply lin 

 External affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday – their third phone call since the start of the Iran-US war last month – and discussed the latest developments in the conflict in West Asia.. Jaishankar and Araghchi had spoken earlier on February 28, shortly after Israel and the US launched military strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and on March 5, when foreign secretary Vikram Misri visited the Iranian embassy to sign the condolence book for Khamenei. (ani). Jaishankar also spoke to German foreign minister Johann Wadephul and South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun to discuss the situation in West Asia as part of India’s continuing outreach to key partners in different parts of the world to coordinate positions on the widening conflict.. Follow LIVE updates on the US Iran war here. “A detailed conversation this evening with Foreign Minister @araghchi of Iran on the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict. We agreed to remain in touch,” Jaishankar said on social media without giving details. There was no official readout on the phone call.. Jaishankar and Araghchi had spoken earlier on February 28, shortly after Israel and the US launched military strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and on March 5, when foreign secretary Vikram Misri visited the Iranian embassy to sign the condolence book for Khamenei.. Tuesday’s phone conversation was the first since a US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian frigate near Sri Lanka on March 4, while the warship was in regional waters after participating in a multi-nation exercise hosted by India and after Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to succeed his father.. Jaishankar said on social media that he and Wadephul had exchanged views on the conflict in West Asia but didn’t offer details. He also said in another post that he and Cho Hyun had discussed the “situation in West Asia, including its energy implications”, and advancing the bilateral agenda.. Cho Hyun said on social media that they discussed the situation in West Asia, “which is having a major impact on global security and the economy”, and agreed to maintain close communication on measures to ensure the safety of Indian and South Korean nationals as the situation develops.. Cho Hyun hoped high-level exchanges between the two sides this year will elevate bilateral relations to a new level. Jaishankar agreed that the two sides should work together to expand strategic economic cooperation, he said. 

 Air India fares are set to go up as the airline on Tuesday announced a hike in fuel surcharge amid the conflict in the West Asian region.. Air India said in a statement announcing the hike that the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF). (PTI). The airline has announced a “phased expansion” of fuel surcharge on its domestic and international routes, citing “the steep rise in jet fuel prices arising from the geopolitical situation in the Gulf region.”. Air India said in a statement announcing the hike that the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of an airline’s operating costs, had witnessed a significant escalation since early March 2026. The airline said that this was owing to “supply disruptions.”. The pressure in India is amplified owing to the “high excise duty and VAT” on the aviation turbine fuel in major metro cities including Delhi and Mumbai, Air India stated. It added that this eventually magnifies the cost and places substantial strain on airline operating economics.. The airline said that the new fuel surcharges will be implemented in three phases.. Air India fares are set to go up as the airline on Tuesday announced a hike in fuel surcharge amid the conflict in the West Asian region.. The airline has announced a “phased expansion” of fuel surcharge on its domestic and international routes, citing “the steep rise in jet fuel prices arising from the geopolitical situation in the Gulf region.”. Air India said in a statement announcing the hike that the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of an airline’s operating costs, had witnessed a significant escalation since early March 2026. The airline said that this was owing to “supply disruptions.”. The pressure in India is amplified owing to the “high excise duty and VAT” on the aviation turbine fuel in major metro cities including Delhi and Mumbai, Air India stated. It added that this eventually magnifies the cost and places substantial strain on airline operating economics.. |#+|. The airline expressed regret for the increase in fuel surcharges “in this manner”, but said that it was being done due to “factors outside its control.” “Absent such fuel surcharges, it is likely that some flights would be unable to cover operating cost and would have to be cancelled,” Air India said in the statement.. The airline said that the new fuel surcharges will be implemented in three phases. Under the first phase, fuel surcharge of ₹399 will be applied for bookings for domestic travel as well as SAARC countries. West Asia/ Middle East nations will also be applicable for USD 10 hike. Bookings for these regions earlier did not carry any fuel surchage.. The fuel surcharge for Southeast Asia nations will be increased from USD 40 to USD 60, and for Africa region from USD 60 to USD 90. The first phase will be rolled out from March 12.. Phase 2, which will be effective from March 18, w 

 India has maintained regular supplies of diesel to Bangladesh under an existing contract and Dhaka’s request for additional supplies will be considered while keeping in mind availability and market conditions, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.. The request from Dhaka has come at a time when both countries are engaged in efforts to repair their relations. (Image sourced from bdnews24 website). The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) made a request for 5,000 tonnes of diesel to be supplied from Numaligarh refinery in Assam over the weekend to tide over an energy crisis brought on by the Iran-US conflict, which has disrupted energy supply chains.. The people said that the cross-border Friendship Pipeline, operationalised in 2017, has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh on a commercial basis from Numaligarh Refinery Limited.. “This diesel supply is part of regular ongoing energy trade between the two countries,” one of the people said. “Fuel availability in India is being closely monitored.”. Also Read: Top Bangladesh security official visits India for meetings. Bangladesh’s request for additional diesel supplies will be considered in the context of domestic availability and conditions in the global market, the people said. The request from Dhaka has come at a time when both countries are engaged in efforts to repair their relations after a period of intense strains, and New Delhi has traditionally played a crucial role in meeting the energy needs of neighbouring countries.. Bangladesh has closed universities and introduced fuel rationing because of the worsening energy crisis. Public and private universities across the country were shut on Monday, as authorities brought forward the Eid ⁠al-Fitr holidays as part ⁠of emergency measures to conserve fuel. Bangladesh, which relies on imports for 95% of its energy requirements, imposed daily limits on fuel sales after panic buying last week.. The demand for additional diesel stocks, in order to maintain stable fuel reserves and ensure uninterrupted supplies, was raised by Bangladesh’s finance minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury during a meeting with Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma over the weekend. Reports in the Bangladeshi media said Dhaka had sought an additional 50,000 tonnes of diesel over the next four months from India.. This is in addition to an existing agreement for Bangladesh to import 180,000 tonnes of diesel from the Numaligarh refinery by December 2026. 

 IndiGo, India’s largest airline, announced on Tuesday that its chief executive officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers has resigned. Neither Elbers, who was contracted up to 2027, nor IndiGo stated a reason for the move that comes three months after the airline faced massive flight disruptions and Elbers faced direct scrutiny too.. IndiGo co-founder and MD Rahul Bhatia will run the show until a new CEO is found. (File Photo). They thanked each other, and Elbers sought a waiver of notice period in his resignation, though it was not immediately clear how long he would stay on for a handover. But his tenure is cut short by about 18 months with the move; he joined IndiGo in September 2022 for a five-year tenure that was to end in 2027.. The mass cancellations in December 2025 apparently due to pilot shortage — triggered by flight duty time limit (FTDL) norms — left tens of thousands of passengers stranded in India.. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a fine of ₹22.2 crore, and issued notices directly to Elbers. While he initially survived calls for his resignation, the crisis significantly dented the airline’s reputation for punctuality.. For now, according to the press statement released by Indigo, managing director Rahul Bhatia would manage the company until a replacement is hired.. “Rahul returns to assume management of the affairs of the airline to strengthen the Company’s Culture, reinforce Operational Excellence and deepen its commitment to delivering exceptional service, care, reliability and professionalism to its customers,” said the chairman of the board, Vikram Singh Mehta.. Bhatia told employees in internal mail after Elbers quit, that “what happened last Dec(ember) should never have taken place”.. “Our customers didn’t deserve it. nor did all of (you), esp(ecially) frontline employees who bore most of the brunt for no fault,” he said,. He underlined that he had founded “and nurtured IndiGo for twenty-two years”, and expressed “a deep sense of personal commitment and responsibility towards our nation, and towards the airline’s customers, employees, shareholders and all other stakeholders”.. He signed off with the popular Shah Rukh Khan dialogue “Main hoon na” — ‘I am there’.