Breaking News Live: Iran Considering Blocking Hormuz Strait, Air India To Give Additional Payment To Victims

Iran is considering blocking off the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Israel continue to escalate.

The country's lawmaker Esmaeil Kowsari said it is considering the step, hours after Israel's defense force announced it had eliminated nine nuclear scientists in military action against the country.

The news was reported by Iranian news agency Tehran Times.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, stands as one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.

Over the years, Iran has repeatedly targeted merchant ships traversing the choke point, and has even threatened to block the Strait in the past.

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are heavily reliant on the Strait for nearly all their oil and gas exports.

To know more about how the move could affect India, read the report below.

Air India has said it will be providing an interim payment of Rs 25 lakh or approximately 21,000 pounds each to the families of those who lost their lives and the survivor of the Ahmedabad plane crash.

This will be in addition to the Rs 1 crore or 85,000 pounds support Tata Sons announced for victims' families earlier this week. This takes the total compensations to victims of the tragedy to Rs 1.25 crore.

"Our teams on the ground are doing everything possible to extend care and support during this incredibly difficult time," the airline said in a statement on X.

Earlier on Saturday, Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad announced that DNA profiling of nine bodies had been completed and one had been handed over to family members.

#ImportantUpdate
Air India stands in solidarity with the families of the passengers who tragically lost their lives in the recent accident. Our teams on the ground are doing everything possible to extend care and support during this incredibly difficult time.

As part of our…

— Air India (@airindia) June 14, 2025

India's Ministry of External Affairs has issued a statement on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's stance on the rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

"India’s own position on the matter had been articulated by us on June 13, 2025, and remains the same. We urge that channels of dialogue and diplomacy be utilised to work towards de-escalation and it is essential that the international community undertake endeavours in that direction," the ministry said.

The External Affairs Minister has discussed the matter with his Iranian counterpart, urging avoidance of any escalatory steps and an early return to diplomacy, it said.

The overall position of India as stated above was communicated to other SCO members. Keeping that in mind, India did not participate in the discussions on the SCO statement, it said.

In a statement on Saturday, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization expressed concerns over the escalating tensions and condemned Israel's military strikes on Iran.

"Such aggressive actions against civilian targets, including energy and transport infrastructure, which have resulted in civilian casualties, are a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter," the body said.

The SCO went on to say its member states firmly advocate for the resolution of the situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program exclusively through peaceful, political, and diplomatic means.

The Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel's Tel Aviv until further notice, reported AFP.

Some of the Boeing 787 checks could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes especially those to airports with operating curfews, Air India said.

"Customers will be duly notified about any delays. They are advised to check the status of their flights online before heading to the airport. For customers affected by this disruption, refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling are being offered to those who opt for it."

Air India said it is in the process of completing the one-time safety checks directed by the DGCA. These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operations.

Air India has completed such checks on nine of the Boeing 787 aircraft and are on track to complete this process for the remaining 24 aircraft within the timeline provided by the regulator.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday addressed a press conference where he assured the investigation into the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad will be concluded in three months.

He said the inspections into Boeing 787 planes operated by Indian carriers are being done with urgency. Eight out of 34 in service have completed these inspections that were guided by the government on Friday.

Read the full story here.

The government has set a deadline of three months to conclude the investigation into the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 250 lives.

"Within three months we will try to bring the investigation to conclusion. All theories around this crash will be analysed. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the technical side of the incident," Aviation Minister Naidu said.

"We have given an order to do extended survey of whole fleet of Boeing 787's with immediate urgency," said the Civil Aviation Minister.

There are 34 such planes with India carriers. Eight of those have already been investigated, he said.

The high-level committee will have one representative from Gujarat government, Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, DG-BCAS, DG-DGCA, Special Director from the Intelligence Bureau and Directorate from Forensic Services will work together on this matter.

The committee will have three months to conduct their investigation.

The recovery of black box will be an important insight into crash investigation, Civil Aviation Secretary said.

"We are taking the Ahmedabad Plane crash incident with utmost seriousness. There will be another high level committee over Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau to probe the crash. Committee will be presided by Home Secretary as the Chairman," he said.

"The entire accident area has been cordoned off. The investigation is going smoothly. A high level committee has been set up under the home secretary. The committee will look at reasons for the accident and strengthen aviation safety going ahead," said Civil Aviatiuon Secretary.

Civil Aviation Secretary said the government received update of AI 171's crash through ATC Ahmedabad on June 12 around 2 p.m. According to ATC, the pilot's last words were 'Mayday' and no message post that.

The blackbox which holds flight data record has been recovered, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a three-nation tour starting June 15, during which he will take part in the G7 Summit in Canada and also visit Cyprus and Croatia, the MEA announced on Saturday.

Modi will first visit Cyprus on June 15-16 at the invitation of the country’s president, Nikos Christodoulides.

In the second leg of his visit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Kananaskis in Canada on June 16-17 to participate in the G-7 Summit at the invitation of Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The ISRO on Saturday announced that the launch date of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station is, as of now, rescheduled for June 19, 2025.

"Also, Space X team has confirmed that all the issues, that led to earlier postponement of the launch, have been duly addressed."

🚀 Update on Axiom-4 Mission to ISS 🇮🇳🌌

Launch date of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station is, as of now, rescheduled for June 19, 2025.

Also, Space X team has confirmed that all the issues, that led to earlier…

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) June 14, 2025

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi visited the Directorate of Forensic Sciences of Home Department, to review the DNA testing process. Gujarat police officials also reached the Directorate of Forensic Sciences.

"Airspace over Iran and surrounding areas, continue to be unavailable. Certain flight paths may need adjustments, leading to extended travel durations or delays," IndiGo airlines said on Saturday.

"We recommend checking your flight status on our website or mobile app prior to leaving for the airport. Our teams remain committed and available to provide any assistance you may need. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to ensure a safe and seamless journey."

The government has formed a High-Level multi-disciplinary committee for examining the causes leading to the crash of the Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12, 2025. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future.

The Committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Iranians that 'more is on the way' after the Israeli strikes. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war. "The Iranian nation must be guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured," he said.

Iran has struck the Israeli defence headquarters in Tel Aviv in an apparent failure of the Iron Dome air defence that has been protecting Israel from the barrage of missiles amid the Middle East tensions, as per reports.

Iran's retaliation followed two waves of Israeli airstrikes on Iran within 24 hours.

A video shared on social media shows a hypersonic missile hitting the target in Tel Aviv, marking a serious escalation to the conflict.

The Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13 killed at least 78 and wounded 320, the country's UN ambassador said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Israel's aggression has effectively ended the possibility of continued diplomacy with the US, blaming Washington for enabling Israel's attack on Iranian territory, as per reports.