US Iran tensions updates: IndiGo releases travel advisory amid tensions around Tehran

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Iran's top diplomat met with the head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Monday, ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and said he would also meet with Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi of Oman, which is hosting the US-Iran talks in Geneva on Tuesday.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

Oil edged higher as traders monitored geopolitical risks ahead of talks between the US and Iran, expected to resume on Tuesday.

Brent traded above $68 a barrel after its first back-to-back weekly drop this year, while West Texas Intermediate neared $64. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard are conducting naval drills in the “region of” the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that ships about a fifth of the world’s barrels, according to the nation’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

IndiGo on Monday extended the cancellation of flights to and from Tbilisi, Almaty, Baku and Tashkent till March 28 due to developments related to Iran.

Earlier, the carrier had cancelled the services to these cities till February 28.

IndiGo and Air India have stopped using the Iranian airspace and are flying alternative routes for their long-haul flights.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday began a series of military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported, on the eve of talks with the United States.

The war games, the duration of which was not specified, aim to prepare the Guards for "potential security and military threats" in the strait, state TV said, after the United States deployed a large naval force to the area.

Iranian hardline politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the strait, especially during times of heightened tensions with the United States, but it has never been closed.

(AFP)

US Iran tensions live updates: IndiGo on Monday issued a travel advisory citing “ongoing developments in the region around Iran.” It said that flights to and from Tbilisi, Almaty, Baku and Tashkent remain impacted.

“The previously announced cancellations have been extended until 28th March 2026. The safety and well-being of our customers and crew remain our highest priority, and we continue to closely monitor the situation while reviewing schedules to minimise inconvenience,” the post read.

US Iran tensions live updates: The direct meeting between Rafael Grossi, director-general of theIAEA with Iran is a significant step after Iran suspended all cooperation with the organisation following the June war with Israel.

The two also met briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The IAEA said it has been unable to verify the status of Iran’s near weapons-grade uranium stockpile since the war. Iran has allowed IAEA some access to sites that were not damaged, but has not allowed inspectors to visit other sites.

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran said on Monday that the United States's position on Iran's nuclear programme "has moved towards a more realistic one", a day ahead of a second round of US-Iranian talks in Geneva, AFP reported

Tehran's foreign minister arrived in Geneva for the new round of indirect negotiations with the US, as the Revolutionary Guards began military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and gas.

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Monday said that "at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one."

He added that Iran's "inalienable rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) were recognised", referring to the "peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including enrichment".

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran said on Monday that the US position on Tehran's nuclear programme "has moved towards a more realistic one", a day ahead of a second round of talks.

"A cautious assessment is that, from the discussions that have taken place in Muscat to date, at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

US Iran tensions live updates: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said that making a deal with Iran will be difficult, during a visit to the Hungarian capital, Budapest on Monday.

The second round of talks between the United States and Iran is set to take place on Tuesday. As per local reports, the talks are likely to be held in the Embassy of Oman, with Muscat acting as a mediator.

US Iran tensions live updates: EOS Risk Group said that sailors passing through the region received by radio a warning that the northern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iranian territorial waters, likely would see a live-fire drill on Tuesday.

This is the second time in recent weeks sailors have received warning about an Iranian live fire drill. During the previous exercise, announced at the end of January, the US military's Central Command issued a strongly worded warning to Iran and the Revolutionary Guard.

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday began a series of military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. The exercises, overseen by Guards chief General Mohammad Pakpour, aim to bolster the IRGC's ability to react quickly, Iranian media reported. The Guards are the ideological arm of Iran's military.

US Iran tensions live updates: The direct meeting between Rafael Grossi, director-general of theIAEA with Iran is a significant step after Iran suspended all cooperation with the organisation following the June war with Israel.

The two also met briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The IAEA said it has been unable to verify the status of Iran’s near weapons-grade uranium stockpile since the war. Iran has allowed IAEA some access to sites that were not damaged, but has not allowed inspectors to visit other sites.

US Iran tensions live updates: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said that making a deal with Iran will be difficult, during a visit to the Hungarian capital, Budapest on Monday.

The second round of talks between the United States and Iran is set to take place on Tuesday. As per local reports, the talks are likely to be held in the Embassy of Oman, with Muscat acting as a mediator.

US Iran tensions live updates: The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passageway through which ships pass for oil trade. It flows from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world. The Strait sees a fifth of all oil traded pass through the tight corridor.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps began a series of military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state media reported, a narrow and strategic waterway in the Gulf.

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy held a drill in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a day prior to renewed Iran-US nuclear negotiations.

The drill, named "Smart Control of Hormuz Strait", aimed at testing the readiness of operational forces in the face of "possible security and military threats", Reuters repoted citing Tasnim news agency.

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran's revolutionary guards conducted a navy drill in Strait of Hormuz to test readiness in the face of ‘possibile security and military threats,’ Reuters reported citing Tasnim news agency

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Monday, ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Rafael Grossi and said he would also meet with Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi of Oman, which is hosting the US-Iran talks in Geneva on Tuesday.

US Iran tensions live updates: Earlier, on Sunday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signalled that Tehran could be open to compromise on the nuclear issue, but is looking for an easing of international sanctions led by the United States.

“The ball is in America’s court. They have to prove they want to have a deal with us. “If we see a sincerity on their part, I am sure that we will be on a road to have an agreement," he was quoted as saying.

US Iran tensions live updates: Ahead of his meeting with IAEA head Rafael Grossi, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that his meeting is related to ‘technical discussion.’ In a post on X, Araghchi wrote, “Joined by nuclear experts, I will meet Rafael Grossi for deep technical discussion. Also meeting ahead of diplomacy with US on Tuesday.”

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” the post read.

US Iran tensions live updates: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, on Monday said that he held detailed discussions with Iran’s foreign minister ahead of planned negotiations in Geneva.

In an X post, Rafael Grossi said he had “just completed in-depth technical discussions” with Abbas Araghchi “in preparation for important negotiations scheduled for tomorrow in Geneva.”

US agencies are struggling to find the best method to fund additional software for millions of Iranian civilians to get around their government’s strict internet censors, amid a surge in demand over weeks of domestic unrest.

The State Department, US senators, and other agencies have advocated for funding virtual private networks that would allow about a quarter of the people in Iran to access the internet.

US Iran tensions live updates: The second round of talks between the United States and Iran are set to take place on Tuesday. As per local reports, the talks are likely to be held in the Embassy of Oman with Muscat acting as a mediator.

US Iran tensions live updates: Iran’s Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said authorities should not delay issuing indictments against what he described as the “main protesters” involved in the unrest, adding that the public expected trials and punishment.

“We must not delay in issuing indictments related to the main elements of the disturbances,” Ejei said, according to state media.

He added that investigations may take longer in some cases because of the “multi-layered” nature of the alleged actions.