West Asian War Daily Bulletin – March 28, 2026 | Day 29 of Operation Epic Fury

Houthis enter the war, firing the first ballistic missiles at Israel since February 28. Iran rejects US 15-point ceasefire plan and issues a five-point counteroffer. Chinese-linked Mubarak Al Kabeer Port in Kuwait struck. Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base injures 15 US troops including five critically. ‘Mass exodus’ of foreign residents from Gulf cities underway.

March 28, 2026

Iran
West Asia

Authors

Today’s Key Developments

This space provides a daily brief tracking key developments in the West Asian conflict.

India

Foreign Policy & Neighbourhood

  • Air India and Air India Express continued operations to and from West Asia, maintaining evacuation and travel corridors for Indian nationals in the region.
  • More than two dozen US troops were reported wounded at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia over the past week — a base in close proximity to where a significant number of Indian workers are employed across the broader Riyadh region. The MEA has not issued additional advisories beyond existing guidance.

Geopolitics

Strait of Hormuz

  • The Port of Salalah in Oman was briefly disrupted after drone activity caused a terminal crane to sustain damage and a port worker to suffer minor injuries. Operations were temporarily suspended. Danish shipping giant Maersk confirmed no Maersk vessels or cargo were affected.
  • The UN established a new task force, led by Jorge Moreira da Silva, specifically to ensure ships carrying fertiliser and raw materials can safely cross the strait, in response to warnings of a potential global agricultural crisis.

Pakistan

  • Pakistan’s role as the primary mediator between the US and Iran was confirmed by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who described the country as the channel through which Washington’s 15-point ceasefire framework was delivered.
  • Iran confirmed it would allow 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the strait, with two crossing daily.

China

  • Chinese-affiliated infrastructure in Kuwait sustained material damage. The Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, under construction as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, was struck in an attack on Shuwaikh Port and the surrounding area. This appears to be one of the first times a Chinese-linked project in the Gulf has been directly struck in the conflict.

The United States

  • US Special Envoy Witkoff said he believes meetings to negotiate directly with Iran could take place “this week,” signalling cautious optimism despite Tehran’s rejection of the 15-point plan.
  • 2,500 US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in West Asia.
  • Iran rejected the US 15-point plan and issued its own five-point counteroffer, which includes: a complete halt to attacks, concrete guarantees against future war, payment of war reparations, a comprehensive end to all fronts including attacks on resistance groups, and formal recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The US indicated the sovereignty demand would be a “non-starter.”

Global Systems

Energy & Supply Chains

  • Brent crude traded at approximately $107 per barrel in morning trading on March 28, still over 45% above pre-conflict levels.
  • Iran agreed, following a UN request, to “facilitate and expedite” the movement of humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the strait, in a limited concession that stopped short of reopening the waterway for general commercial traffic.
  • Iran’s Parliamentary speaker warned that Tehran was “closely monitoring” US troop movements, citing concerns about a possible effort to seize an Iranian island.
  • Egypt imposed a business curfew, ordering shops, restaurants, and shopping malls to close by 9 PM, in a bid to curb energy bills.
  • Ethiopia saw overnight queues of vehicles seeking petrol, as shortages caused by the war’s disruption to global supply chains began to take hold in the Horn of Africa. The country imports all of its petroleum, primarily from the Gulf.
  • Between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of Kenyan tea worth approximately $24 million is stranded at the Port of Mombasa, as disruptions to Red Sea and Hormuz shipping routes blocked the primary trade corridor to Asia and West Asia.

Diaspora

  • The war has triggered a “mass exodus” of foreign residents across Gulf cities.
  • The International Labour Organization estimates there are over 24 million migrant workers in Arab states; rights groups have raised particular alarm about the vulnerability of low-income workers from the Indian subcontinent who lack the means or documentation to exit rapidly.

Defence & Security

Weapons Systems & Defence Tech

  • The Houthis entered the Iran war on March 28, firing the first ballistic missiles at Israel since the conflict began on February 28. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier-General Yahya Saree said the attack targeted “sensitive Israeli military sites” and pledged to continue “until the aggression on all resistance fronts stops.” A second missile was subsequently launched toward Eilat. Both were intercepted.
  • An Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia injured at least 15 US service members — including five critically — and damaged a refuelling tanker aircraft. The base had already been struck twice earlier in the week.
  • Israel’s military struck sites “in the heart of Tehran,” targeting ballistic missile and weapon production facilities. Explosions were reported across northeastern, western, central, and eastern Tehran.
  • The Parchin military-linked area near Tehran and the Iran University of Science and Technology were also struck. The IRGC responded by threatening Israeli and US universities “in the region.”
  • Israel struck an Iranian facility for the research and development of naval weapons.
  • Israeli strikes in western Iran killed at least 20 people. At least five people were killed in a US-Israeli strike on a residential area of Zanjan.
  • Eight impact sites were reported in Tel Aviv from Iranian strikes, including a university. One person was killed and two injured.

War Tactics & Strategy

  • The IDF stated that its campaign to complete strikes on Iran’s “critical defence production sites” would be finished “within a few days,” suggesting an effort to degrade Iran’s missile manufacturing capacity before any ceasefire.

This bulletin is prepared by the Takshashila West Asia Desk. For queries, contact research@takshashila.org.in.