53 people rescued from Taliban prison in Afghanistan

In his first address to the Iranian people. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei called for the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a move that will raise tensions.

"The countries of the region must clarify their stance regarding the aggressors against our dear homeland and the killers of our people. I recommend that they shut down those bases as soon as possible; for they must surely have realized by now that America's claim of establishing security and peace has been nothing but a lie," he said.

India on Thursday rejected Pakistan's allegations of aggravating skirmishes with Afghanistan, calling them "baseless" and accusing Pakistan of blaming others for its own misdeeds.

An Indian crew member was killed after the US-owned tanker Safesea Vishnu was attacked near Basra, Iraq, on March 11. The Indian Embassy in Baghdad confirmed that 15 other Indian sailors were successfully evacuated and are receiving assistance as regional maritime tensions continue to escalate.

Speaking to ANI, Nasheed said the conflict could disrupt the country's fragile economic stability. "Tourist arrivals have come down. So that is going to have a very big impact on our economy and the prosperity of the people. So, yes, it is very, very difficult," he added.