FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 264 | INDORE | MONDAY | MARCH 2, 2026 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Healy’s heavenly goodbye - 158 reasons to remember P.10 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN MONEY PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit India redefining Israel equation P.6 Oil’s risk premium is back! Nation I love my India, I’m not corrupt: Kejri P.7 KHAMENEI KILLED, WAR ESCALATES Iran vows revenge, targets Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait Agencies DUBAI Iran vowed revenge on Sunday after the killing of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and traded strikes with Israel, which launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran. Hours after the US and Israel said an air strike killed Khamenei, Iran’s state media confirmed the 86-year-old leader had died. “You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.” Trump warned that the US would hit Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if it strikes back after the attacks on it. The US military said three service members were killed and five seriously wounded in the Iran operation. US and Israeli strikes — and Iranian retaliation — sent shock- 3 US soldiers killed in Iran op, 9 Israelis dead in Iran strikes Israel renews attacks, wave of strikes hits ‘heart of Tehran’ waves through sectors from shipping to air travel to oil, amid warnings of rising energy costs and disruption to business in the Gulf, a strategic waterway and global trade hub. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council composed of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardians Council had temporarily assumed the duties of Khamenei. The US military said it had sunk an Iranian ship, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched an attack on the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles, state media reported. In a sign of widening turmoil, Israel's ambulance service said nine people were killed by a missile strike in the town of Beit Shemesh, the UAE said Iranian attacks killed three people and Kuwait reported one dead in Iranian raids. Modi speaks to UAE prez PM Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and condemned the Iranian attacks on the West Asian nation. The PM also condemned the loss of lives and thanked the UAE president for taking care of the Indian community there. In a post on X, Modi said India wants peace in the region, and called for a de-escalation. "Strongly condemned the attacks on the UAE and condoled the loss of lives in these attacks. India stands in solidarity with the UAE in these difficult times," Modi said. 4Continued on | P8 Cynical murder: Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin said the killing of Khamenei and members of his family was “cynical” murder that violated all the norms of human morality and international law. North Korea said Israel’s attacks on Iran and the US military operation were “illegal aggression”. China: Blatant killing “The blatant killing of the leader of a sovereign state and the incitement of regime change are unacceptable,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. “These actions violate international law and basic norms governing international relations.” CM to conduct surprise inspections of police stations Peace and harmony to be ensured in MP amid US-Iran unrest Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav conducted a law and order review meeting at the Commissioner of Police office in Bhopal on Sunday and said he would carry out surprise fp Briefs inspections of police stations in the coming days. The Chief Minister reviewed police preparedness in view of the upcoming festivals of Holi, Eid and Navratri. During the meeting, Yadav said he would con- US military strikes Iranian warship at a port on Gulf of Oman duct surprise inspections and directed police personnel at stations to remain alert. He also asked officials to keep a close watch on developments in Iran and other countries in the wake of the US-Iran unrest. He directed INDIA ON SAMSON(G) them to maintain peace, harmony and law and order in the state. Director General of Police Kailash Makwana, Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar and other senior officers were present at the meeting. Blast at Nagpur factory, 17 dead FP News Service BHOPAL NAGPUR 2-day public holiday on Holi The state government has declared a two-day public holiday on Holi on March 3 and 4. It is for the first time that the government has declared two days' holiday on Holi. Earlier, the government had declared a Holi holiday on March 3, while March 4 has been declared a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Sanju Samson with teammates celebrates after winning last Super 8 match in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 against West Indies PTI KOLKATA: Sanju Samson's majestic unbeaten 97 powered India to a five-wicket win over West Indies in a must-win Super 8 clash, booking their semifinal spot at Eden Gardens. Chasing 196, Samson's 50-ball masterclass (12 fours, 4 sixes) ensured India reached home with four balls to spare. (Detail Report on Sports Page) At least 17 persons were killed and 18 injured in a powerful explosion at an explosives manufacturing factory in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district on Sunday morning, officers said. The blast occurred at the SBL Energy Limited facility, a manufacturer of mining and industrial explosives, located in Raulgaon in Katol tehsil, about 50 km from the district headquarters, police said. Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, prompting authorities to collect DNA samples from family members to establish their identities. Grief-stricken relatives gathered outside the factory premises, anxiously awaiting information about their loved ones. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a thorough probe into the cause of the explosion. See Nation offgrid Yadav releases turtles, gharials into Kuno river Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL CM Mohan Yadav released turtles of endangered species and gharials into Kuno river in Sheopur on Sunday. A total of 33 turtles and 53 gharial were released into Kuno river as part of biodiversity conservation measures. The released tortoises were brought from Tortoise Centre, Barhai of Morena. Out of 33 turtles, 25 were three striped roofed turtles and 8 were Indian flap shelled turtles. The gharials were brought from Deori Gharial Centre. While releasing turtles into the river, CM highlighted the importance of biodiversity among aquatic animals and how they contribute to ecological balance. Notably, turtles and gharials are rare aquatic species found in Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins. They are invaluable components of biodiversity and play a crucial role in maintaining natural ecological balance of rivers. 4Continued on | P8 Revolutionary Guards attack USS Abraham Lincoln with 4 missiles CIA intel fed Israel ‘precise operation’ Agencies JERUSALEM Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was targeted in a “precise, large-scale operation”, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Sunday, sharing details of the attack. The Israeli army said in a statement: “Ali Khamenei was targeted in a precise, largescale operation carried out by the Israeli Air Force, guided by accurate IDF intelligence, while he was in his central leadership compound in the heart of Tehran, where he was together with additional senior officials.” CIA had been tracking Khamenei for months, according to people familiar with the operation. It learned that Khamenei would attend a meeting of top Iranian officials on Saturday morning at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran, NYT reports. US passed the CIA intelligence to Israel and the two countries, who had been planning the operation for months, decided to adjust the timing of their attack. They had originally planned to launch a strike at night under the cover of darkness. 4Continued on | P8 READY TO TALK: TRUMP US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran's new leadership wants to talk to him and that he has agreed, according to an interview with Atlantic magazine. "They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long," Trump said. He told Fox News that 48 Iranian officials were killed in the joint US-Israel strikes. Talking to CNBC, Trump said the operation in Iran was “moving along very well, very well, ahead of schedule.” “It’s a very violent regime, one of the most violent regimes in history,” Trump said. “We’re doing our job not just for us but for the world. And everything is ahead of schedule.” Who’ll be the new Protests at US mission Supreme Leader? in Karachi, 10 dead PTI Agencies TEHRAN Alireza Arafi was appointed on Sunday as the jurist member of Iran’s Leadership Council, the body tasked with carrying out the supreme leader’s duties until the Assembly of Experts selects a successor. A cleric member of the Guardian Council, Arafi will serve on the temporary council alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Arafi, who was appointed to the Guardian Council in 2019 by late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is also a member and deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, which is responsible for choosing the next leader. 4Continued on | P8 KARACHI At least 10 people were killed, and several injured on Sunday as clashes broke out between police and protesters as they tried to storm the gates of the US consulate in Pakistan’s Karachi, following the killing of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli air strike. Dr Sumaiya Syed said so far 10 bodies have been brought to the Civil Hospital, and some appeared to have bullet wounds. The protesters began gathering on the road leading to the consulate building as soon as Khamenei’s death was confirmed. Syed said that around 30 injured persons are getting treatment at the hospital’s trauma centre. The injured include four policemen. 4Continued on | P8