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Washington: The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, further boosting American firepower in a region that has seen a massive military buildup ahead of potential strikes against Iran. Below, AFP examines key US military assets deployed in or near the Middle East.Washington's ShipsWashington currently has 13 warships in the Middle East: one aircraft carrier -- the USS Abraham Lincoln -- nine destroyers and three littoral combat ships, a US official said.The Ford -- the world's largest carrier -- was seen transiting Strait of Gibraltar toward the Mediterranean in a photo taken on Friday. It is accompanied by three destroyers, and when in position will bring the total number of US warships in the Middle East to 17.Both carriers are crewed by thousands of sailors and have air wings comprised of dozens of warplanes. It is rare to have two of the massive warships in the Middle East at the same time.Also read: US military strikes on Iran could target individual leaders, officials sayUS military aircraftIn addition to the aircraft on the carriers, the United States has sent dozens of other warplanes to the Middle East, according to open-source intelligence accounts on X, flight-tracking website Flightradar24 and media reports.These include F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning stealth fighter jets, F-15 and F-16 warplanes, and the KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft that are needed to sustain their operations.Air defensesThe United States has also reportedly boosted its land-based air defenses in the Middle East, while the numerous guided-missile destroyers in the region provide air defense capabilities at sea.Also read: U.S.-Iran war anytime? Trump deadline ticks down as US forces mobilize; Tehran issues dire warningUS forces on basesWhile ground forces are not expected to take part in offensive action against Iran, the United States has tens of thousands of military personnel on bases in the Middle East that are potentially vulnerable to a counterattack.Tehran launched missiles at a US base in Qatar after Washington struck three Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, but they were shot down by air defenses.

Gift Nifty surged nearly 400 points from its lows on Friday after the US Supreme Court struck down former President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, a move that has also triggered a rally in US equities. The US top court rejected Trump's use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad-based tariffs, ruling against one of the most controversial assertions of executive authority in recent years.The decision has significant implications for global trade flows and financial markets that have been grappling with tariff-related uncertainty. Following the ruling, Wall Street's main indices rallied on Friday, with investors interpreting the decision as a potential reset for global trade tensions.Trump had made tariffs a central pillar of his economic and foreign policy agenda. Shortly after beginning his second term, he imposed levies under emergency powers legislation originally designed for national crises.In April, under what he termed "Liberation Day" tariffs, a baseline duty of 10% was slapped on all imports into the United States, along with additional country-specific tariffs ranging from 15% to 50%. While several of these were later renegotiated and reduced, the broader tariff framework had remained in place.The tariffs were projected to generate trillions of dollars in revenue over the next decade. However, they also sparked a global trade war, strained ties with key trading partners and contributed to heightened volatility in global financial markets.The Supreme Court's ruling effectively dismantles the legal foundation for those sweeping levies. This development could be a potential turning point in global trade dynamics, especially for export-oriented economies and multinational corporations that had adjusted supply chains around the tariff regime.For India, the ruling comes at a crucial time when broader markets have been facing volatility due to Fed uncertainty and slump in IT stocks. Earlier this month, India and the United States reached an interim trade understanding aimed at easing tariff tensions.Under that arrangement, the US agreed to lower reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, while India committed to reducing certain tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American imports. That agreement had already offered some relief to Indian markets, which had faced sustained pressure amid global trade uncertainties.Now, with the broader tariff framework struck down, the landscape could shift again. It remains unclear how the US administration will respond and whether new trade measures could be introduced under different legal provisions.

The National Stock Exchange will introduce Gold 10 grams futures contracts in its commodity derivatives segment from March 16 after receiving approval from regulator Sebi. The exchange said the new contract will be available for trading in monthly series.Risk management, clearing and settlement norms will be communicated separately by NSE Clearing. The Gold 10 grams futures contract will have a trading unit of 10 grams, with the symbol GOLD10G and description format GOLD10GYYMMM.Contracts will be listed on a monthly basis, with expiry on the last calendar day of the contract month. If the last calendar day falls on a holiday, the preceding working day will be treated as the expiry date.Trading will take place from Monday to Friday between 9:00 am and 11:30 pm or 11:55 pm, depending on the US daylight saving period. The tick size has been set at Re 1 per 10 grams, and the maximum order size will be 10 kg.The price quote will be ex-Ahmedabad and inclusive of all taxes and levies relating to import duty and customs, but excluding GST and any additional GST-related surcharges.On price movement safeguards, the base daily price limit has been fixed at 6%. If this limit is breached, after a 15-minute cooling-off period the limit may be relaxed up to 9%.In case of significant movements in international markets, the exchange may further relax limits in steps of 3% beyond the maximum permitted limit, with appropriate notice to the market.Margins will be determined based on volatility category or SPAN, whichever is higher, along with an extreme loss margin of 1%. Additional or special margins may be imposed in case of heightened volatility.Position limits have also been specified. For a member collectively for all clients, the maximum allowable open position will be 50 metric tonnes or 20% of the market-wide open position, whichever is higher, across all gold contracts combined. For individual clients, the cap will be 5 metric tonnes or 5% of the market-wide open position, whichever is higher.The contract will be compulsory delivery-based. The delivery unit is 10 grams of 999 purity gold, serially numbered and supplied by LBMA-approved or other NSE-approved suppliers, accompanied by a quality certificate. The designated delivery centre will be clearing house facilities at Ahmedabad.Delivery pay-in will be on an E+1 basis by 11:00 am, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and trading holidays. The staggered delivery period will comprise the last three working days, including the expiry day.The final settlement price will be based on the Ahmedabad spot price for gold (10 grams) of 995 purity, converted to 999 purity, polled on the expiry day around 5:00 pm. In case of non-availability of the polled spot price due to sudden closure of the physical market, the exchange will determine the final settlement price in consultation with Sebi.The introduction of a smaller 10-gram gold futures contract is expected to enhance participation by retail and smaller market participants in the commodity derivatives segment, while aligning contract size more closely with domestic bullion trading practices.