Day 31 of war: Strike in Kuwait kills Indian worker; Trump signals Iran deal ‘soon’

How UAE educational institutions are adapting

Distance learning will continue until further notice, as UAE authorities take a cautious approach amid the regional conflict. Even though some schools are applying to return to in-person classes, applications are being rejected for now.

However, the institutions are finding a way to make it work. Teachers, students and administrators are adapting to the situation, ensuring learning takes place and keep student wellbeing as the main focus.

Read more about how UAE schools are tackling distance learning in this report from KT's Nandini Sircar.

Will UAE increase fuel prices next month?

The UAE is set to announce petrol prices for April 2026 on March 31, in line with its policy of revising rates on the last day of each month.

Given the rise in global oil prices, fuel costs at UAE petrol stations are expected to increase. However, the official rates will be confirmed tomorrow.

Read the entire report by KT reporter Waheed Abbas here.

Trump says intel chief Tulsi Gabbard 'softer' than him on Iran nuclear issue

US President Donald Trump on Sunday hinted at differences among his top aides on their approach to Iran, saying that his intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard was "softer" than him on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Trump, who also suggested that a deal could be near to contain Tehran's nuclear ambitions, said "yeah, sure," when asked by a reporter whether he retained confidence in Gabbard, the US director of national intelligence.

"She's a little bit different in her thought process than me," Trump said aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington after a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. "But that doesn't make somebody not available to serve. I would say that I'm very strong on the fact that I don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon because if they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it immediately. I think she's probably a little bit softer on that issue, but that's okay."

Israel military says responding to missiles launched from Iran

US dollar held up by war

The US dollar held broadly steady on Monday, poised for its strongest monthly gain since July as investors fret about the ramifications of a long war in the Middle East, denting the yen past the crucial 160 level and spurring intervention jitters.

Markets have been rattled this month after the conflict effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a fifth of global oil and gas flows, driving Brent crude toward its biggest monthly rise and unsettling rate expectations.

The war, sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has since spread across the Middle East, with fears of a ground offensive and the entry of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday further souring sentiment.

Investors were largely unmoved by comments from US President Donald Trump that Washington has held "direct and indirect" talks with Iran and that its new leaders have been "very reasonable."

That left the dollar on the front foot as investors sought safety this month. The euro fetched $1.1512, on course for a 2.5 per cent drop in March, its weakest monthly decline since July.

Indonesian UN peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said a peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded at one of its positions near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr on Sunday.

Another peacekeeper was critically injured, it said in a statement early on Monday, as per AFP.

Indonesia's foreign ministry said on Monday the deceased peacekeeper was one of its citizens and that three others were injured by indirect artillery fire in the vicinity of the Indonesian UNIFIL contingent's position near Adchit al-Qusayr.

"We do not know the origin of the projectile. We have launched an investigation to determine all of the circumstances," UNIFIL said.

UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel — an area that is at the heart of clashes between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

Trump says 'big day in Iran' after 'long sought after targets taken out'

Donald Trump took to social media platform Truth Social to declare that it would be a 'big day in Iran,' saying that 'long sought after targets' were eliminated by the US military.

UN nuclear watchdog says Iran heavy water plant 'damaged' after Israeli strike

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday that Iran's heavy water production plant in Khondab was no longer operational after an Israeli military strike.

The Israeli military said Friday it carried out a strike against a heavy water plant in Arak, central Iran, describing the site as a "key plutonium production site for nuclear weapons".

On Sunday, IAEA said based on an independent analysis of satellite imagery the heavy water production plant at Khondab, which Iran reported had been attacked on 27 March, had "sustained severe damaged (sic) and is no longer operational".

It added the "installation contains no declared nuclear material".

Israel army says striking Iranian military infrastructure across Tehran

The Israeli army said on Monday morning that it was striking Iranian military infrastructure across the Islamic republic's capital.

The Israeli forces are "currently striking Iranian terror regime military infrastructure across Tehran," it said on Telegram, according to AFP.

Trump says Iran deal may be reached 'soon'

USS President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US-Israel war against Iran has achieved regime change and a deal could be reached "soon" with Tehran.

Trump, citing the number of Iranian leaders who have been killed in the month-long US-Israeli war against Iran, said regime change has already been achieved and the new leadership is "much more reasonable".

"We've had regime change," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. "We're dealing with different people than anybody's dealt with before. It's a whole different group of people. So I would consider that regime change."

Asked whether there could be a deal with Iran this coming week, Trump said he sees it happening.

Strike on Kuwait power station kills Indian worker

An Iranian strike on a power station in Kuwait killed one Indian worker and damaged a building at the site, the Gulf state's electricity ministry said on Monday, as reported by AFP.

"A service building at a power and water desalination plant was attacked as part of the Iranian aggression against the State of Kuwait, resulting in the death of an Indian worker and significant material damage to the building," said Fatima Abbas Jawhar Hayat, a spokesperson for the ministry.

Day 31 of war

Monday started with more Iranian attacks in the GCC, with a strike on a Kuwaiti power and water distillation plant killing an Indian worker.

In the UAE, air defences dealt with Iranian missile threats in the early hours of the morning.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that the war in Iran has achieved a "regime change" in the Islamic Republic, and a deal could be reached "soon" with Tehran.

Stay tuned to Khaleej Times as we bring you the latest regional and global developments in the US-Israel-Iran war.