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Nepal Army Bids to Restore Order after Deadly Protests Oust PM

Army personnel patrol along a street outside the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu. Paavan MATHEMA / AFP
Army personnel patrol along a street outside the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu. Paavan MATHEMA / AFP
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Nepal Army Bids to Restore Order after Deadly Protests Oust PM

Army personnel patrol along a street outside the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu. Paavan MATHEMA / AFP
Army personnel patrol along a street outside the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu. Paavan MATHEMA / AFP

Nepali soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday, seeking to restore order after protesters set parliament ablaze and forced the prime minister to quit in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan nation in two decades.

Protests had began Monday in the Nepali capital against the government's ban on social media and over corruption, but escalated into an outpouring of rage nationwide with government buildings set on fire after a deadly crackdown claimed at least 19 lives, said AFP.

The rapid descent into chaos shocked many, and Nepal's military warned against "activities that could lead the country into unrest and instability" in the country of 30 million people.

Soldiers issued orders via loudspeakers on the streets, as tanks rumbled past the carcasses of burnt vehicles and tyres.

The army warned Wednesday that "vandalism, looting, arson, or attacks on individuals and property in the name of protest will be treated as punishable crimes".

Kathmandu's airport is expected to resume operations later on Wednesday at 6:00 pm (1215 GMT), manager Hansa Raj Pandey told Nepali media.

Smoldering plumes of smoke rose from the government buildings, residences of politicians, supermarkets and other buildings targeted by protesters, an AFP reporter said Wednesday.

Firefighters doused remaining blazes, including at the tower block of the key Kantipur media group.

"It is quiet today, the army is on the streets in all places", one soldier inspecting cars at a makeshift street checkpoint said, who could not be named as he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Gangs on Tuesday had attacked and set fire to the house of KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party.

He later quit to allow "steps towards a political solution". His whereabouts are not known.

'Call it off'

Nepali Army chief, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, has appealed for talks, in a video message issued late Tuesday.

"To provide the nation with a peaceful resolution, we urge all groups involved in the protest to call it off and engage in dialogue", he said.

The International Crisis Group called it a "major inflection point in the country's uneasy experience with democratic rule".

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged "restraint to avoid a further escalation of violence", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of neighboring India said that the "stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal are of utmost importance to us".

What happens next is unclear.

"The protesters, leaders who are trusted by them and the army should come together to pave the way for a caretaker government," constitutional lawyer Dipendra Jha told AFP.

But with the speed of the youth-led uprising, it remained unclear who the young protesters will mobilize behind to lead the country out of the political vacuum.

People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics -- while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita is just $1,447, according to the World Bank.

Several social media sites -- including Facebook, YouTube and X -- were blocked on Friday, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms.

Since then, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.

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World

Russia Expresses Concern Over the Spread of Iran War to the Caspian

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadii following their talks in Moscow, Russia, 16 March 2026. (EPA/Tatyana Makeyeva / Pool)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadii following their talks in Moscow, Russia, 16 March 2026. (EPA/Tatyana Makeyeva / Pool)
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Russia Expresses Concern Over the Spread of Iran War to the Caspian

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadii following their talks in Moscow, Russia, 16 March 2026. (EPA/Tatyana Makeyeva / Pool)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadii following their talks in Moscow, Russia, 16 March 2026. (EPA/Tatyana Makeyeva / Pool)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Monday and expressed concern ‌over ‌the spread ‌of ⁠the Iran war to the ⁠Caspian Sea.

"Mutual concern was expressed about the dangerous ⁠spread of the ‌conflict ‌provoked by ‌Washington and ‌Tel Aviv to the Caspian Sea area," Russia's ‌foreign ministry said.

Lavrov also said that ⁠attacks ⁠on Iran's nuclear infrastructure including Bushehr posed "unacceptable risks to the safety of Russian personnel and are fraught with catastrophic environmental consequences".

Araghchi and Lavrov held their call after US President Donald Trump revealed Washington and Tehran had held "very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities."

Lavrov called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities and a political settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of all parties involved, above all Iran," the Russian foreign ministry said in a readout of the call, which it said was initiated by Tehran.

World

Trump Postpones Military Strikes on Iranian Power Plants

Iranian Red Crescent emergency workers use a bulldozer to clear rubble from a residential building that was hit in an earlier US-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iranian Red Crescent emergency workers use a bulldozer to clear rubble from a residential building that was hit in an earlier US-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Trump Postpones Military Strikes on Iranian Power Plants

Iranian Red Crescent emergency workers use a bulldozer to clear rubble from a residential building that was hit in an earlier US-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Iranian Red Crescent emergency workers use a bulldozer to clear rubble from a residential building that was hit in an earlier US-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

President Donald Trump said on Monday the US has ⁠had good and ⁠productive conversations with Iran ⁠and he will order the military to postpone any military strikes against ⁠Iranian power ⁠plants and energy infrastructure.

Trump's move followed a threat by Iran to attack Israel's power plants and those supplying ⁠US bases across the region if the US targets Iran's power network.

The United States and Iran "have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East," Trump wrote, in all capitals, early Monday on his Truth Social platform.

"Based on the tenor and tone" of the talks, "witch (sic) will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings," he added.

World

Moscow Bets on Tehran’s Resilience, Western Rift

The Russian President attends events marking “Defender of the Fatherland Day” in Moscow on February 23 (AP)
The Russian President attends events marking “Defender of the Fatherland Day” in Moscow on February 23 (AP)
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Moscow Bets on Tehran’s Resilience, Western Rift

The Russian President attends events marking “Defender of the Fatherland Day” in Moscow on February 23 (AP)
The Russian President attends events marking “Defender of the Fatherland Day” in Moscow on February 23 (AP)

The Kremlin’s expectations appeared markedly pessimistic in the fourth week of the Iran war, as confidence grew that Russia’s ability to influence the conflict was waning and that the repercussions for one of its key partners could be severe.

With limited leverage, the Kremlin’s main options now seem to be avoiding direct involvement while closely monitoring the fallout, particularly signs of widening divisions between Washington and European capitals — and what one veteran Russian diplomat described as “driving the final wedge” into transatlantic relations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov summed up the mood: “No reasonable person would dare predict how the situation in the Middle East will evolve, but it is clear that things are moving toward the worse.”

From the outset, Russian assessments have focused on two key assumptions: that air strikes alone cannot topple Iran’s political system, regardless of their scale, and that ending the war without a costly ground intervention would be difficult for the attacking parties.

A second assumption is that any cessation of hostilities would resemble the outcome of the brief 12-day war of 2025, with each side claiming success without achieving its ultimate objectives, particularly Israel’s stated goal of dismantling Iran’s ruling system.

Such a scenario would suit Moscow, even if Iran were to emerge weakened but still cohesive under its leadership.

Despite increasingly pessimistic forecasts about a potential geographic expansion of the conflict, Moscow believes Tehran has so far absorbed the initial blow and shifted the confrontation into a war of attrition. Russian officials are also banking on possible internal developments within Washington and Tel Aviv, as well as growing divergences with European allies.

Peskov has repeatedly stressed that military operations against Iran have led to greater cohesion among the Iranian people around their leadership, adding that attempts at regime change tend to produce the opposite effect.

He also condemned ongoing assassination campaigns targeting Iranian leaders, calling the situation “abnormal” and warning of “serious consequences.” In a pointed remark, he added that Iran is “actively defending itself against attacks on its territory.”

These statements underline Russia’s primary bet: that Iran’s internal stability will hold, while divisions deepen among its adversaries.

Putin’s mediation effort

President Vladimir Putin initially sought to use the crisis to bolster Russia’s diplomatic standing by proposing rapid mediation to halt the war.

During the first week, he held a series of calls with regional leaders, criticizing Iranian strikes on Gulf countries while emphasizing Moscow’s ability to send “direct messages” to Tehran.

Russia also revived earlier proposals discussed in Oman concerning Iran’s nuclear capabilities and missile program. Moscow offered to take control of enriched uranium and transfer it to Russian territory, while guaranteeing that Iran’s missile capabilities would not be used against Israel or neighboring states.

The proposal was also raised during Putin’s only call with US President Donald Trump in the second week of the war. However, it failed to gain traction in either Tel Aviv — which insists on a military solution — or Washington, where Trump signaled that Putin should first resolve the Ukraine conflict before seeking a role elsewhere.

Limited support for Iran

Against this backdrop, the Kremlin’s options for meaningful intervention appear extremely limited. Complicating matters are accusations that Moscow has provided valuable intelligence support to Iran.

These claims gained weight when US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly issued a strong warning to Moscow, and the issue was raised directly during the Trump-Putin call.

Nevertheless, Russian circles argue that Moscow has little choice but to continue offering indirect assistance to Tehran while avoiding provoking Washington.

According to Russian media sources, this support takes two main forms: sharing limited intelligence on Israeli movements — carefully calibrated to avoid harming US interests — and providing indirect backing through private companies specializing in cyber technologies, an area where Russia and China have made significant advances.

European repercussions

Another key aspect of Russia’s strategy is its close monitoring of how the war is affecting Ukraine and European positions, which Moscow still sees as the main obstacle to ending the conflict on its terms.

There is little concealment of Russian satisfaction at Europe’s difficulties amid the war, particularly fears over rising oil and gas prices and the prospect of easing sanctions on Moscow to offset supply shortages.

Kremlin commentary suggests that European priorities are shifting, with energy costs replacing Ukraine at the top of government agendas.

Veteran Russian diplomat Alexander Yakovenko argued that the Middle East crisis, combined with the fallout from Ukraine, is intensifying tensions within the transatlantic alliance.

He pointed to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejecting a US request to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as evidence of deepening strains. Trump, he noted, responded by describing NATO as a “paper tiger.”

According to Yakovenko, the coming weeks will be decisive for the Iran conflict and its broader consequences. He added that transatlantic relations are facing a severe crisis, with disagreements over Ukraine fueling European opposition to Trump, a factor that could influence the US midterm elections in November.

More broadly, he warned that a US setback in Iran would weaken Washington’s position vis-à-vis Beijing, noting that China has already used export controls on rare earth minerals to counter US trade pressure.

In this context, Yakovenko sees the emergence of three dominant global powers — the United States, China and Russia — with Europe increasingly sidelined.

Such a shift, he suggested, would echo the post-World War II Yalta-Potsdam order, albeit with China replacing Britain, marking the end of two centuries of Western containment of Russia.