UN Stockpiles Aid in Uzbekistan Amid Iran Crisis
The Termez logistics hub, located on the Uzbek–Afghan border, has become a key center for emergency relief in Central Asia.
Originally set up to support humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, it is now part of the global stockpile network of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), allowing for the rapid deployment of core relief items such as tents, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, jerry cans, and solar lamps.
On March 5, the UNHCR said in a situation update that these pre-positioned supplies remain limited but can be deployed quickly if the displacement of people increases. The agency also noted that it is coordinating closely with governments and humanitarian partners across the region.
The UNHCR update highlights that the recent escalation in the war involving Iran has displaced over 300,000 people, mostly within their own countries. Most of the displacement remains internal, and the agency has not reported any major cross-border movements from Iran so far.
The report also notes that return of Afghans from Iran is continuing, adding pressure to already fragile humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan.
Central Asian governments are monitoring the situation closely.
Regional foreign ministers held a conversation about the evolving situation in the Middle East to coordinate preparedness and exchange information.
In Kazakhstan, officials said that no formal requests for refugee admission related to the Iran conflict have been received.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev said that protocols are in place for refugee applications and relevant government agencies are prepared to carry out any necessary measures.
Israel Pounds Beirut After Ordering Evacuation Of Southern Suburbs
Israel carried out heavy air strikes on Beirut on March 6 after ordering residents to evacuate the entire southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, a major escalation of the war with Iran that began a week ago alongside the United States.
Israeli forces said the strikes targeted Hezbollah command centers and weapons depots after the Iran-backed group fired on Israel earlier in the week.
Explosions lit up the sky over the southern districts as thousands of civilians fled, with many forced to sleep in cars, on beaches, or in central Beirut streets.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks had killed at least 123 people and wounded 683. The scale of the evacuation and bombardment marks one of the most intense attacks on Beirut in years.
With reporting by Reuters
US, South Korea Discuss Redeploying Patriot Missiles Amid Iran War
South Korea and the United States are discussing whether to redeploy some US Patriot missile defense systems currently stationed in South Korea to support operations in the ongoing war with Iran, according to Seoul’s foreign minister, Cho Hyun.
The talks follow media reports that certain Patriot units had recently been moved to Osan Air Base from other locations within South Korea.
The discussions come as Washington reviews military deployments during the Iran war.”
The potential shift has raised attention in South Korea because Patriot batteries help defend against North Korean missile threats.
Officials emphasized that any decision would take into account the need to maintain the peninsula’s defensive readiness.
With reporting by Reuters
Tears Of Joy And Sorrow: Mixed Emotions In Tehran As Toll Of War Mounts
With Iran coming under daily attack from US and Israeli air strikes, the toll of the expanding war is adding up both physically and mentally for the country's 92 million people.
Tehran came under intense bombardment in the early hours of March 6, with witnesses reporting multiple explosions, particularly around major government buildings, as the United States and Israel look to weaken the Islamic republic, which has already seen Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military leaders killed.
“The destruction has been very extensive. We’re experiencing very conflicting emotions," one woman who lives in the capital told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.
"One of them is happiness about the dictator being gone, and, for example, the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards and people like that -- honestly, you can’t say their deaths aren’t sweet; they really are. But, on the other hand, parts of the city that we had memories with for years are being destroyed,” she added.
Read the full article by Kian Sharifi, Roya Karimi Majd, and Vahid Pourostad here.
Tehran Hit By Most Intense Strikes Of War
Iran's capital city saw the heaviest strikes witnessed so far on March 6, the seventh day of joint US-Israeli air attacks, according to social videos shared online. Verified user-generated video showed central areas of Tehran and government buildings coming under intense attacks.
RFE/RL's graphics department has issued a map outlining the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Paralympian To Miss Milano Cortina Games Due To Travel Conditions Amid War
Two-times Paralympian Aboulfazl Khatibi, Iran's sole entrant to the 2026 Paralympic Milano Cortina Games, will not participate due to the unsafe travel conditions in the Middle East.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed on March 6 that Iran's National Paralympic Committee (NPC) could not find a safe route for Khatibi, a cross-country skier, to make it to Italy.
“Since the conflict began on Saturday, the IPC and Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee have been working tirelessly behind-the-scenes with the NPC and national ski federation to find alternative routes for the safe passage of the Iran delegation to the Games. However, with the conflict ongoing across the Middle East, the risk to human life is too high," the IPC said.
The games' opening ceremony is set to take place later on March 6 in Verona.
Trump Says Only Iran 'Unconditional Surrender' Acceptable
US President Donald Trump says that he will not strike a deal with Tehran other than "unconditional surrender."
"After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before," Trump said in a social media post on March 6.
Report: Russia Gave Iran Intelligence On US Military Targets
The Washington Post reports that Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence on the locations of US military assets in the Middle East, citing three officials familiar with the matter.
The assistance could mark the first sign that another US adversary is indirectly involved in the conflict.
According to the report, Moscow has shared information on US warships and aircraft since the fighting began, potentially helping Iran target US forces.
Analysts say the precision of recent Iranian strikes suggests outside assistance.
Iran May Hope For 'Saddam Scenario' If US Invades, Says Analyst
- By Current Time
Iranian studies expert Mikhail Borodkin says the Tehran regime hopes that a potential US ground invasion would mirror the 1980 invasion of Iran by then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, which sparked an eight-year conflict.
He explained that back then Iranians rallied against the external enemy, allowing the regime, despite its lack of legitimacy, to not only to survive but also to strengthen its position.
"They hope that if a ground invasion begins, then the people will once again rally around this leadership, despite the fact that this leadership has exhausted all credit and lost all legitimacy in the eyes of the population," Borodkin told Current Time on March 6.
When asked how long the military operation against Iran could last, Borodkin said, it "could be halted the moment a government comes to power in Tehran that says it is prepared to meet the demands made by the Americans."
"But at the moment no such government exists there," he added.