West Asian War Daily Bulletin – March 29, 2026 | Day 30 of Operation Epic Fury

Iran’s Hormuz blockade has now disrupted approximately 20% of global oil supply and nearly a third of global fertiliser trade. Houthis launch a second missile toward Eilat. The White House warns it will strike Iran ‘harder than ever’ if talks prove unproductive before the April 6 deadline. Israel’s military expects to complete its campaign against Iran’s critical defence production infrastructure ‘within a few days.’

March 29, 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

  • India’s position — permitting its flagged vessels to transit via Iran’s designated corridor while refusing to join the US-led naval coalition — remains unchanged.

Economy

  • Global nitrogen fertiliser prices are projected to roughly double from 2024 levels, with phosphate prices expected to rise approximately 50%.

Geopolitics

Strait of Hormuz

  • Ships linked to India have been waved through the strait following Iran’s March 26 announcement permitting passage for Indian-flagged vessels.
  • Iran’s limited corridor for neutral nations continues, with Pakistan, India, China, Russia, and Iraq the designated permitted flag states.
  • The UN task force on humanitarian maritime passage, established on March 28, is working to operationalise the movement of fertiliser and food-critical shipments through the strait ahead of the global spring planting season. Around one-third of global seaborne fertiliser trade typically transits the strait.

The United States

  • Iran dismissed the US ceasefire plan and the two sides have hardened their positions.
  • US and Israeli strikes continued overnight across Tehran and other parts of Iran. The White House said the US would strike Iran “harder than ever” if talks prove unproductive before the April 6 deadline.
  • Trump criticised NATO allies again, saying they “weren’t there” when asked to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, calling NATO “a paper tiger.”

Global Systems

Energy & Supply Chains

  • Iran’s near-total stranglehold on the waterway has disrupted approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply and nearly a third of global fertiliser trade.
  • Iran’s Hormuz blockade has disrupted the global supply of sulfur — Gulf countries account for roughly 45% of the global commodity — with downstream effects projected on the copper industry, sulfuric acid production, and fertiliser costs.
  • Significant shortages of domestic petroleum products have begun appearing across Southeast Asia as the war’s supply shock propagates through the region. Countries including the Philippines are now managing fuel security on a day-to-day basis.
  • Global agricultural analysts have flagged the risk to staple crop yields such as wheat, rice, and maize, as fertiliser supply constraints coincide with the Northern Hemisphere’s spring planting season.

Diaspora

  • The total number of Indians who have returned to India since February 28 has exceeded 3,75,000.

Defence & Security

Weapons Systems & Defence Tech

  • The Houthis launched a second missile toward Israel’s Red Sea resort city of Eilat overnight, following their formal entry into the war on March 28. The Houthis claim to have fired “a salvo of cruise missiles and drones targeting vital and military targets” in southern Israel. The missile triggered sirens in the Eilat area and was likely intercepted per initial IDF assessments.
  • Iran continued firing ballistic missiles at Israel. Concurrent Hezbollah rocket fire from Lebanon was also reported; five rockets toward the Galilee were all intercepted.
  • Israeli strikes continued across Tehran, with the IDF targeting what it described as dozens of pieces of infrastructure across the capital. An Israeli strike also targeted an Iranian research facility for naval weapons.
  • Iran reported that at least 120 historical sites across the country have now sustained damage from US-Israeli strikes since February 28.

War Tactics & Strategy

  • The Houthi entry into the war has opened a potential second maritime front. Should the Houthis resume attacks on Red Sea shipping and move to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the combined impact on global maritime trade would be the most severe yet.
  • A series of loud explosions continued to rattle Tehran as night fell on March 29, with Iranian media reporting strikes on multiple civilian and industrial areas. Iran’s IRGC issued a threat against Israeli and US universities in the region in retaliation for the strike on the Iran University of Science and Technology.
  • Israel’s military said it expects to complete its campaign against Iran’s critical defence production infrastructure “within a few days,” signalling the IDF may be moving toward a new operational phase.

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