'War Crime': Iran Says US Airstrike Hits India-bound Aircraft Scheduled For Humanitarian Mission

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plane owned by Iran’s privately owned Mahan Air scheduled to depart Mashhad for New Delhi has been damaged in US airstrikes. The aircraft at Mashhad International Airport in Iran was reportedly struck in a strike on Sunday, according to Iranian sources, as cited by ANI. It was scheduled to fly to New Delhi for a humanitarian aid mission on April 1, where it was to pick up supplies, including medicines, for people affected by the conflict. Tehran called the incident a ‘war crime’. However, the US has not yet confirmed the strike.

8 Indians have lost their lives in Middle East conflict

When it comes to the larger Middle East conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday said eight Indian nationals have lost their lives while one remains missing in "various incidents" in the region. At an inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia situation, Additional Secretary (Gulf), MEA, Aseem R Mahajan, also said, "Yesterday, an Indian national unfortunately lost his life in an attack in Kuwait." However, he did not elaborate upon the circumstances of this death."We express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our Mission in Kuwait is in touch with the family of the deceased and is coordinating closely with the local authorities to render all support and for early return of his mortal remains to India," he said.Moreover, nearly 1,000 Indian nationals, including students, have successfully crossed out of the region as of March 25. The ministry informed that a total of 1,043 Indian nationals, including 717 students, returned from the region with the assistance of the mission in Tehran.Also Read: Iran's Nuclear Paradox: How Trump's War Is Making Nukes Great AgainThe conflict in the Middle East entered day 30 on Sunday (March 29). More than 3,000 people have been killed in the war that began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Iranian attacks against Israel and US military assets and other sites in neighbouring Gulf Arab states.Iran's grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices as 20 percent of global oil trade passes through this critical waterway. As per the AP report, now the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels' entry into the war could threaten shipping on another crucial waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea.(With agency inputs)