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Comelec says impeachment complaint recycled allegations

GEORGE ERWIN M. GARCIA — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed the allegations of election mismanagement raised in a looming impeachment complaint against its chairman and six commissioners as recycled and unfounded, pushing back as complainants finalize their bid before Congress.

In a statement released on Monday evening, the poll body said the accusations “are not new and have repeatedly been clarified,” adding that the issues cited by complainants had already undergone legal processes, technical reviews, and independent certification.

It also rejected allegations of bias in campaign finance enforcement related to the clearing of Senators Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero and Rodante D. Marcoleta, saying its resolutions were based on law and that recusals were made to safeguard impartiality.

The response came as the impeachment complaint, led by lawyers Eldridge Marvin B. Aceron and Sikini C. Labastilla, is being prepared for filing before the House of Representatives.

“We are still soliciting for one signature from a Congressman,” Mr. Aceron told BusinessWorld via Facebook Messenger chat. He said a major move is expected next week as his group prepares to “join forces” with another organization also seeking to impeach the Comelec leadership.

Seven commissioners comprising the entirety of the Comelec en banc are being scrutinized in the complaint over alleged mismanagement of the last two major election cycles.

In their 26-page complaint made public on Monday, the plaintiffs detailed grounds for impeachment, including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust involving undisclosed servers and transmission architecture, and selective enforcement of campaign finance rules.

The Comelec maintained it did not commit any wrongdoing in the 2022 and 2025 elections and said it would face the impeachment complaint. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

DA deploys trucks for Benguet farmers

JOLLIBEE GROUP FOUNDATION

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it has dispatched 18 trucks to transport vegetables from Benguet amid reports of oversupply, leaving farmers struggling to sell their harvest.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DA said its logistics teams, including the KADIWA program under the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, are working to link Benguet farms to key markets in Metro Manila.

The DA said high fuel prices have prevented many traders from purchasing or transporting vegetables, exacerbating losses for local farmers.

“The issue was brought to my attention last week, and we immediately instructed our regional directors and logistics teams to act. Our goal is to move the vegetables efficiently and prevent waste while supporting our farmers,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said in the statement.

Mr. Laurel said the department is also working on infrastructure projects, including cold storage facilities, to avoid future oversupply problems.

The DA said it is also working to connect farmers from La Trinidad and other key producing areas to KADIWA sites in Metro Manila and other urban markets, ensuring a broader distribution network beyond local trading centers.

Meanwhile, the Baguio City Council has approved the immediate use of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund’s Quick Response Fund (QRF) to assist residents affected by the ongoing national emergency.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong earlier sought the city council’s authorization to tap the fund to fast-track relief, essential services, and support for livelihoods, food security, and transport following the declaration under Executive Order No. 110.

Mr. Magalong is underscoring the need for coordinated local action aligned with national directives, citing the local government’s need to act in mitigating the crisis’ impact here.

Mr. Magalong said the QRF would fund the activation of emergency response mechanisms, procurement of essential goods and equipment, food and medical assistance, and logistical support for frontline personnel to ensure swift delivery of services.

The city council also passed a resolution placing the city under a state of emergency, reinforcing the national directive and ensuring proper and compliant use of funds, particularly in line with audit rules.

The council also urged all barangays to adopt the local emergency declaration and mobilize their own QRFs to strengthen response efforts at the community level, as authorities brace for larger economic shocks in the coming days. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel and Artemio A. Dumlao

Nueva Vizcaya braces for fuel crunch, may halt projects

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Nueva Vizcaya Governor Jose V. Gambito has ordered urgent measures to cushion the province from the impact of the national energy emergency, warning of possible supply shortages and wider economic strain.

Mr. Gambito convened an emergency meeting on March 30 with Provincial Administrator King Webster B. Balawing and department heads to assess the oil crisis’ effect on government operations, with offices flagging disruptions to fuel-dependent activities.

Officials are now eyeing the suspension of nonessential infrastructure projects as the province shifts focus to social safety nets and aid programs to soften the blow of rising fuel costs on households.

The provincial government is also preparing budget realignments toward critical services, as authorities warned that dwindling fuel supply — not just higher prices — could trigger a crisis likened to a potential food shortage if left unchecked.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has been tasked to roll out preemptive measures for rising heat index and a possible El Niño, adding to mounting risks.

Cost-cutting measures are already in place, including scrapping nonessential activities, shifting to virtual meetings, and reducing fuel use. The province is also considering scaling down the Ammungan Festival, with some towns withdrawing participation.

Despite the planned cutbacks, officials said small businesses will still be allowed to operate during the festival, as the province balances economic activity with energy conservation.

Mr. Gambito said the provincial government remains focused on safeguarding public welfare and sustaining essential services amid the ongoing global energy uncertainty. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Bargain hunting lifts stocks as Iran war continues

REUTERS

PHILIPPINE SHARES rebounded on Tuesday as investors picked up cheap names following a three-day slump and amid news of government efforts to reduce war-related oil trade disruptions.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose by 1.35% or 79.45 points to close at 5,948.94, while the broader all shares index went up by 1.15% or 38.07 points to end at 3,333.92.

“The market witnessed a strong rebound, bucking the regional slide despite intensifying conflict within the Middle East,” AP Securities, Inc. said in a market note.

“The local market rose upon news that the government is planning to pursue talks with Iran for safe passage of Philippine-bound vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The news caused investors to hunt for bargains,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Manager Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has instructed Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa P. Lazaro to begin discussions with Iran’s ambassador to the Philippines to secure safe passage for Philippine-bound vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a briefing on Tuesday.

The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments, has been shut due to an Iranian blockade as its war with the United States and Israel rages on, compounding supply pressures.

The Philippines is a net importer of oil and relies heavily on Middle East crude, which accounts for roughly 98% of its imports, making it vulnerable to global price shocks.

Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on early on Tuesday, after President Donald J. Trump warned the United States would obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

The strike on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi is the latest attack on merchant vessels by missiles or explosive air and sea drones in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Crude oil prices briefly spiked again after the attack on the tanker, which can carry around 2 million barrels of oil worth more than $200 million at current prices.

Majority of sectoral indices closed in the green on Tuesday. Mining and oil jumped by 2.53% or 389.33 points to 15,769.45; holding firms went up by 2.49% or 112.43 points to 4,627.75; property increased by 2.29% or 44.38 points to 1,980.61; industrials climbed by 1.90% or 166.70 points to 8,916.05; and financials rose by 1.03% or 18.91 points to 1,846.35. Meanwhile, services went down by 0.43% or 11.72 points to 2,707.40.

Advancers outnumbered decliners, 124 to 79, while 62 names closed unchanged.

Value turnover went up to P9.82 billion on Tuesday with 1.04 billion shares traded from the P8.29 billion with 746.28 million issues that changed hands on Monday.

Net foreign selling decreased to P712.33 million from P1.55 billion in the previous session. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno with Reuters

More Filipinos traveling for Holy Week amid oil, energy crisis

Travelers line up to check in at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, Pasay City in this file photo. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

Travel service provider Trip.com said on Tuesday that more Filipinos are traveling to international and local destinations for the Holy Week, despite the country’s current oil and energy crisis.

“Holy Week is rapidly emerging as one of the Philippines’ biggest travel moments, with Filipinos increasingly using the extended holiday to take longer leisure trips both domestically and abroad,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the travel platform, outbound travel among Filipinos increased by 50% year-on-year (YoY) for Holy Week, underscoring the Christian holiday as one of the country’s emerging travel periods.

It added that Filipinos are taking advantage of the holidays to take longer leisure trips, with the average length lasting up to 9.57 days. “Longer stays allow travelers to explore multiple attractions or combine city visits with leisure experiences.”

Popular outbound destinations include Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei, Osaka, Seoul, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, and Hanoi.

“Major cities across the region remain particularly popular for quick getaways, offering a mix of leisure, entertainment, and culinary experiences suited to the extended holiday break,” the company said.

Domestic travels also sustained a central role during the Holy Week, as bookings grew by 25% YoY.

Top local spots include Manila City, Cebu, Palawan, Boracay, Davao del Sur, Bohol, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Leyte, and Misamis Oriental.

AirAsia Move, the online travel agency (OTA) of the AirAsia group, reflects the same positive figures on domestic travel.

The platform underscored that 86% of its flights during this period are domestic, with 55% of the trips departing from Manila.

Other key departures are from Cebu (12%), Iloilo and Tacloban (5%), Caticlan and Puerto Princesa (2%), and other regional airports nationwide (19%).

For Manila-based travelers, 56% will be traveling alone, while 18% are couples, followed by 15% children, and 11% group of friends.

According to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), passenger traffic from Mar. 29 to Apr. 5 could reach up to 2.46 million, up from the 2.41 million recorded during the same period last year.

Similarly, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) projects daily passenger traffic for both local and international flights to reach 1,353,265, slightly higher than the 1,326,730 in 2025.

The daily passenger volume for the period is also expected to remain above 143,000.

While Trip.com expects Good Friday to be the busiest travel date, NNIC forecasts Easter Sunday as the busiest day of the period with projected traffic of 158,884 travelers.

“Passenger demand remains strong, although the increase is lower than earlier expected due to flight suspensions and operating restrictions affecting some Middle East services,” NNIC said in a statement on Saturday. — Almira Louise S. Martinez

Alex Eala braces for three clay tourneys ahead of French Open

ALEX EALA — REUTERS/MAURICIO PAIZ/NURPHOTO

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA is taking an extended break with her family in observance of the Holy Week, then it’s go-time for her much-awaited campaign in the clay season starting on Monday in Austria.

Ms. Eala is slated for three big tournaments beginning with the Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open on April 6 to 12 after the Lenten season for a huge swing from her productive runs in hardcourt tournaments in Asia and the United States.

The 20-year-old Filipina, who celebrated the birthday of her mother Rizza on Monday, then shifts to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany on April 13 to 19 before returning to the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain on April 21 to May 3.

Ms. Eala will be playing for the first time in Linz Open and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, both 500-level tours, while she’s out for vengeance in the 1000-level Madrid after a 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 defeat to world No. 4 Iga Swiatek of Poland last year in the first round.

All of these tournaments will serve as part of Ms. Eala’s long and rigid preparations for the French Open, the crème of the crop of the clay season, on May 24 to June 7.

As a Top 100 player, Ms. Eala will have a direct entry in Roland Garros alongside the other three Grand Slams including the first major last January at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Up next for her after Paris is the Wimbledon in London and the US Open in New York.

Ms. Eala, this week, slid to No. 45 from a new career-best of No. 29 in the official Women’s Tennis Association rankings after failing to defend the 390 ranking points she gained from a magical Final Four finish last year.

The lefty ace reached as far as the Round of 16 this time around after a 6-0, 6-2 defeat to world No. 11 Karolina Muchova of Czechia, good for only 270 points as she fell to 1255 points from 1525 before the Miami Open.

Good thing for Ms. Eala, there will be no ranking points to defend for the rest of her campaign this season for a pretty chance to recollect more points and rise back in the world rankings anew.

And that will start in Austria, where a stacked field is waiting for her.

Reigning champion and world No. 13 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia headlines the players list in the main draw so far alongside other top-ranked players in Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia (No. 23), Emma Navarro of the United States (No. 25), Emma Raducanu of Great Britain (No. 28) and Sorana Cirstea of Romania (No. 29).

Seasoned players and Grand Slam mainstays Barbora Krejcikova of Czechia (No. 52), Katie Boulter of Great Britain (No. 64) and two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolina Pliskova of Czechia (No. 257) are also in the fray. — John Bryan Ulanday

Karakoa wins Bank of the Philippine Islands Boracay 200

KARAKOA — BPI

THE 2026 Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Boracay 200 stood as tests of endurance and seamanship in the BPI Private Wealth Signature Yacht Race Series, as 12 yachts braved the 200-nautical-mile offshore passage from Subic to Boracay, followed by two days of intense inshore racing around Boracay’s famed waters.

The crews contended with highly variable winds — from light patches to bursts exceeding 25 knots — alongside rolling swells and choppy cross-seas, demanding constant adjustments and sustained tactical precision over an extended stretch of open water.

Organized by the Ocean Racing Club of the Philippines, the BPI Boracay 200 stands as offshore races on the Philippine sailing calendar. Held from March 10 to 15. Two new boats from Hong Kong joined the fleet and signaling the expanding regional reach of the competition.

“What we’re seeing is a regatta that continues to grow in both scale and impact,” said Andy Aguila, Regatta chairman for the 2026 BPI Boracay 200. “Each edition brings stronger competition and broader participation, which is vital for the continued development of the sport. The momentum behind this series is helping strengthen the sailing community while positioning the Philippines as an emerging destination for offshore racing in the region.”

Now in its third season, the BPI Private Wealth Signature Yacht Race Series continues to bring together world-class sailors, iconic Philippine destinations.

“The BPI Boracay 200 represents sailing at its highest level, where endurance, preparation, and disciplined execution ultimately determine success,” said Maria Theresa Marcial, president and chief executive officer of BPI Wealth.

Leading the fleet was Karakoa, an Excel 53, which swept all major honors for the leg: the Line Honors, the IRC Class Overall title, and the coveted Overall Winner of the 2026 BPI Boracay 200. Skippered by father-and-son tandem Ray Ordoveza and Francis Ordoveza.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nets 47 to lead Thunder past Pistons in overtime

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER scored 47 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 114-110 overtime win over the short-handed Detroit Pistons at home on Monday.

The win was a critical one for the Thunder, who stayed 2 1/2 games ahead of San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference and reached the 60-win mark for the second consecutive season.

The Pistons’ two-game win streak was snapped, though they remained four games ahead of Boston after the Celtics also lost on Monday. Detroit (54-21) was short-handed, playing without its top five scorers and one regular starter.

But the Pistons fought back from an early deficit to hang in there with Oklahoma City, thanks in large part to a 16-4 advantage in second-chance points.

The Thunder, on a second night of a back-to-back, were without starters Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Gilgeous-Alexander opened overtime with a step-back jumper, found Alex Caruso for a corner 3-pointer with just more than a minute remaining and then hit six free throws in the final minute.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 21 of 25 from the free-throw line, his second-most free-throw attempts of his career.

Detroit had struggled from the free-throw line, missing 11 free throws by the time Paul Reed stepped to the line with 31.2 seconds to play.

Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to put the Thunder ahead in the closing seconds after his steal gave Oklahoma City the ball back with time winding down.

He elevated for a step-back 3-pointer, draining the shot with four seconds left but was called for an offensive foul for pushing off to create space for the shot.

Daniss Jenkins’ 3-point try at the buzzer was online but bounced off the back of the rim to send the game into overtime.

The Pistons didn’t take their first lead until Kevin Huerter’s transition 3-pointer just less than five minutes into the fourth after Ronald Holland III’s steal on the other end to create the chance.

Back-to-back Gilgeous-Alexander buckets put Oklahoma City back in front following Huerter’s 3-pointer, but the Pistons responded with a 10-1 run to take a 97-90 lead.

The Thunder responded quickly, with six consecutive points by Gilgeous-Alexander.

Reed led Detroit with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

NBA APPROVES SALE OF TRAIL BLAZERS TO TOM DUNDON-LED GROUP
The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers from the estate of Paul Allen to a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, the league announced on Monday.

Valued at approximately $4.25 billion, the transaction will be a two-part deal, with 80.1% being bought this week, closing by March 31, and the remaining 19.9% to close no later than Sept. 1, 2028, according to multiple reports.

Under the agreement, the team will remain in Portland, and Dundon will serve as the Trail Blazers’ governor.

At least two members of the ownership group have connections to Oregon. Sheel Tyle is the founder of Collective Global, based in Portland. And Peggy Cherng, part of the family that owns Panda Express restaurants, attended Oregon State. — Reuters

Mullins’ Madness

It began, as things often do in March, with numbers that made no sense. Down 19. Missing 17 of their first 18 from beyond the arc. Outplayed, outshot, and, for long stretches, outclassed by the top Blue Devils. And yet, when it mattered most, the Huskies found themselves with the ball, a sliver of time, and a chance that defied logic.

What followed will settle into the NCAA’s collective memory with the ease of inevitability. Freshman Braylon Mullins, scoreless from deep until the final minute, gathered a loose ball near midcourt, took one rhythm dribble, and launched from roughly 35 feet. The shot, however hurried, dropped with 0.4 second left, sealing a 73-72 victory and sending the Huskies to yet another Final Four.

For longtime hoops fans, the development brings with it a temptation to frame the moment as a lightning strike that fits neatly within the randomness of March Madness. But the lure and allure of chance figures to undersell what has, over time, become the defining trait of the Huskies’ program under head coach Dan Hurley. They do not merely survive chaos; they seem to anticipate it, bend toward it, and trust that if they remain within reach, their discipline, instinct, and sheer belief will tilt the balance in their favor. This is, after all, their third Final Four in four years, a run that brings with it thoughts of a dynasty.

And yet, for all the Huskies’ programmatic excellence, the contest should not have belonged to them. The Blue Devils dictated terms for nearly 39 minutes. With the Boozer brothers taking charge, they were composed on offense and suffocating on defense. Even late, when the margin was trimmed, they still held the advantage: up two with single-digit seconds remaining, one clean set of passes away from closing the door. Instead, another turnover, forced under pressure, snatched defeat from the throes of victory.

This is the cruelty, and the beauty, of the tournament. It rewards timing as much as it crowns consistency. For the Blue Devils, the loss will linger not because they were outplayed, but because they failed to outlast. For the Huskies, the triumph reinforces a subtler truth: greatness at this level is not always about dominance. Sometimes, it is about remaining confident long enough for the improbable to happen.

In time, Mullins’ shot will take its place alongside the tournament’s canonical moments; it will be replayed and reinterpreted until revisionist history makes it all but preordained. In the fleeting moment before it left his hands, however, it was a last resort: born of desperation, suspended between defeat and deliverance. That it found the net says as much about the Huskies’ enduring poise as about the tournament itself: unforgiving, unscripted, and, on occasion, impossibly kind.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Philippines to impose price cap on imported rice

BW FILE PHOTO

MANILA — Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday that the government will cap the price of imported well-milled rice at 50 pesos per kilo ($0.8238) to keep food prices in check as rising fuel costs caused by the Middle East crisis threaten to stoke inflation.

“We will issue the executive order at the soonest possible time to implement it,” Mr. Marcos said in an address. — Reuters

Malaysia says its tankers will be exempt from Iran’s Hormuz toll

Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. — REUTERS

Malaysian tankers allowed to sail through the Strait of Hormuz won’t be subject to a toll imposed by Iran, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

“The Iranian ambassador has mentioned that no toll is being imposed on Malaysian vessels,” Loke said at an event on Tuesday. “We are a friendly party, we have good diplomatic relationship with the Iranian government.”

On Saturday, Malaysia’s foreign affairs minister said Iran has cleared seven Malaysian tankers to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a flashpoint of the war in the Middle East. The vessels, which are currently stranded in the vital waterway, include those owned by Malaysian energy giant Petroliam Nasional Bhd., shipping firm MISC Bhd. and Sapura Energy Bhd.

Iran has now passed a law introducing a toll and banning US and Israeli vessels from transiting the strait. The bill formalizes a system which multiple shipowners have already been reporting, as tankers are asked — through intermediaries — for detailed cargo and crew lists, and, in some cases, for payment.

Malaysia has long had a pragmatic policy toward Iran. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has recognized Tehran’s right to protect its sovereignty while also urging a rapid resolution to the conflict. Anwar, in a televised address on Thursday, thanked Iran’s president for facilitating early passage for the vessels. — Bloomberg

Giant oil tanker off Dubai hit by Iranian strike after Trump’s latest threats

A blaze after Israel's Fire and Rescue Service said that an industrial building and a fuel tanker at Israel's Oil Refineries were hit by debris from an intercepted Iranian missile, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Haifa, Israel March 30, 2026. — REUTERS/RAMI SHLUSH ISRAEL OUT NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

TEL AVIV/WASHINGTON — Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday, as President Donald J. Trump warned the US would obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz.

The strike on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi is the latest in a string of assaults on merchant vessels by missiles or explosive air and sea drones in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.

The month-long conflict has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands, disrupting energy supplies and threatening to send the global economy into a tailspin.

Crude oil prices briefly spiked anew after the attack on the tanker, which can carry around 2 million barrels of oil worth more than $200 million at current prices.

Kuwait Petroleum Corp., the ship’s owner, said the attack happened early on Tuesday, causing a fire and hull damage, but there were no reported injuries.

Authorities in Dubai later said they had been able to bring the fire under control following a drone attack on the tanker. No injuries have been reported, they said.

The jump in oil and fuel prices has started to weigh on US household finances and become a political headache for Mr. Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections, having vowed to lower energy prices and ramp up US oil and gas production.

The US national average retail price of gasoline crossed $4 a gallon for the first time in more than three years on Monday, data from price-tracking service GasBuddy showed, as tightening global supplies push US crude prices above $101 a barrel.

TROOPS DEPLOY AS TALKS CONTINUE
Attacks by both sides are showing no signs of easing, with fears of a wider conflict growing.

Iran-aligned Houthis entered the war by firing missiles and drones at Israel in recent days and Turkey reported a ballistic missile launched from Iran had entered Turkish airspace before being shot down by North Atlantic Treaty Organization air and missile defenses.

Israel carried out missile strikes on what it called military infrastructure in Tehran and infrastructure used by Iran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut, leaving black smoke hanging over the Lebanese capital.

Sounds of explosions were heard in parts of eastern and western Tehran minutes after Israel issued a warning of imminent strikes in the city, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. Residents in the eastern Pirouzi district reported power outages after the blasts, while officials from Iran’s energy ministry began efforts to restore power, Tasnim added.

The Israeli military said early on Tuesday that four soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon, the same area as three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in recent days.

Iran’s military spokesman said on state television that targets in the latest wave of Tehran’s missile and drone attacks included “hideouts” of US military personnel in five bases in the region and in Israel.

Thousands of soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have started arriving in the Middle East, two US officials told Reuters on Monday, part of reinforcements that would expand Mr. Trump’s options to include a ground assault in Iran, even as he pursues talks with Tehran.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr. Trump wanted to reach a deal with Iranian leaders before a second deadline, now April 6, for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

Ms. Leavitt said talks with Iran were progressing, adding that what Tehran says publicly differs from what it tells US officials in private.

Iran said earlier on Monday it had received US peace proposals via intermediaries, following weekend talks between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the proposals were “unrealistic, illogical and excessive.”

“Our position is clear. We are under military aggression. Therefore, all our efforts and strength are focused on defending ourselves,” he told a press conference.

NEW TRUMP THREAT TO OBLITERATE IRAN ENERGY, OIL PLANTS
Soon after Mr. Baghaei’s remarks, Mr. Trump said the US was in talks with a “more reasonable regime” to end the war in Iran but also issued a new warning over the Strait of Hormuz.

“Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island,” Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post, also threatening to attack Iranian desalination plants.

However, the Wall Street Journal reported Mr. Trump had told aides he is willing to end the military campaign even if the Strait remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date. That helped oil prices retreat and lifted stock markets off their lows as investors hoped for some way for hostilities to end swiftly.

Asked about the report, the White House referred to comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told Al Jazeera the strait would be open “one way or another” after the US military operation.

The White House said Mr. Trump was considering asking Arab nations to pay for the cost of the war. “It’s an idea that I know that he has and something that I think you’ll hear more from him on,” Ms. Leavitt said in response to a reporter’s question about the idea.

His administration requested an additional $200 billion in funding for the war. The request faces stiff opposition in the US Congress which must approve new spending. — Reuters

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