Current Affairs: Iran–Israel Conflict, Russia–Ukraine War & Places in News
JKSSB Exam – One-Liner Revision Notes
PART 1: 🇮🇷 IRAN–ISRAEL CONFLICT
Important One-Liners
Iran–Israel conflict — A major geopolitical conflict in West Asia with implications for energy security, maritime trade and regional stability.
28 February 2026 — The current large-scale Iran war began with major US-Israeli attacks against Iran.
Iran — A major West Asian country whose capital is Tehran.
Israel — A Middle Eastern country whose major political and economic centres include Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Benjamin Netanyahu — Prime Minister of Israel and a major personality in the Iran–Israel conflict.
Masoud Pezeshkian — President of Iran and an important Iranian political personality.
Ali Khamenei — Iran's former Supreme Leader and one of the most important figures associated with Iran's political system.
Donald Trump — President of the United States and a major international personality in the 2026 Iran conflict.
IRGC — Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military-security organisation of Iran.
Strait of Hormuz — One of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints and a major flashpoint during the Iran conflict.
Persian Gulf — A major petroleum-producing region situated between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
Gulf of Oman — Connects the Persian Gulf region with the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz.
Larak Island — Iranian island located in the Strait of Hormuz and an important location in the 2026 conflict.
Kharg Island — Important Iranian island and major oil-export location.
Bandar Abbas — Major Iranian port city located near the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman — Important regional mediator in discussions concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
Mohsen Rezaei — Senior Iranian security official associated with Iran's position on reopening the Strait of Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz crisis — Disruption of shipping through Hormuz has created major concerns for global energy supplies.
Persian Gulf countries — Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE are among the important countries associated with the Gulf region.
Energy security — The Iran conflict is important for the world because of the region's importance in oil and natural-gas supplies.
PART 2: 🚢 IMPORTANT WEST ASIAN PLACES IN NEWS
1. Strait of Hormuz
Located between Iran and Oman.
Connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.Provides access towards the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.
One of the world's most important oil and LNG shipping chokepoints.
JKSSB Trick: Hormuz = Iran + Oman + Persian Gulf + Gulf of Oman.
2. Persian Gulf
Located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
Famous for its huge oil and natural-gas resources.Major countries associated with the Gulf include Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE.
Exam Trick: Persian Gulf = Oil + Iran + Arab countries.
3. Gulf of Oman
Lies between Iran, Oman and the Arabian Peninsula region.
Connects the Strait of Hormuz with the Arabian Sea.Important route for ships entering or leaving the Persian Gulf.
4. Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
Connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
Djibouti and Eritrea are on the African side.
Yemen lies on the Arabian Peninsula side.
Important maritime chokepoint for Europe–Asia trade.
Exam Trick: Bab-el-Mandeb = Yemen + Red Sea + Gulf of Aden.
5. Red Sea
Located between northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Connected to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal.
Southern entrance is through Bab-el-Mandeb.
Important route for international shipping.
6. Gulf of Aden
Lies between Yemen and Somalia.
Connects the Arabian Sea with the Red Sea through Bab-el-Mandeb.
Important maritime route between the Indian Ocean and Europe.
7. Suez Canal
Located in Egypt.
Connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
Provides a shorter maritime route between Europe and Asia.
Exam Trick: Suez = Mediterranean + Red Sea + Egypt.
PART 3: RUSSIA–UKRAINE WAR
Important One-Liners
Russia–Ukraine War — Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Vladimir Putin — President of Russia and the principal Russian political leader in the conflict.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy — President of Ukraine and the principal Ukrainian political leader in the war.
Russia — Largest country in the world by geographical area.
Ukraine — Large Eastern European country and an important Black Sea state.
Moscow — Capital of Russia.
Kyiv — Capital of Ukraine.
Black Sea — Major strategic water body associated with the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
Crimea — Strategically important peninsula on the northern Black Sea.
Crimea — Russia annexed Crimea in 2014; the annexation is not recognised by Ukraine and most of the international community.
Donbas — Eastern Ukrainian region primarily associated with Donetsk and Luhansk.
Donetsk — Major conflict region in eastern Ukraine.
Luhansk — Eastern Ukrainian region and major area of the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
Zaporizhzhia — Important Ukrainian region associated with the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — One of the world's largest nuclear power plants and an important nuclear-safety concern during the war.
Kerch Strait — Connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.
Sea of Azov — Connected to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait.
Odesa — Major Ukrainian Black Sea port city and important for maritime trade.
Kyiv — Political centre of Ukraine and repeatedly affected by Russian missile and drone attacks.
Moscow — Political centre of Russia and seat of the Russian government.
NATO — Ukraine's relationship with NATO remains an important geopolitical issue in the war.
European Union — Major political and economic supporter of Ukraine.
Black Sea grain trade — The conflict has had major consequences for global grain and food security.
Drone warfare — Drones have become a major feature of modern Russia–Ukraine warfare.
August 2026 — Russian drone and missile attacks against Ukraine continued, including heavy attacks around Kyiv.
Peace negotiations — Diplomatic efforts concerning the Russia–Ukraine war continued during 2026 but remained unresolved.
PART 4: 🌊 BLACK SEA & PLACES IN NEWS
1. Black Sea
Located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
Six countries border it:
RussiaUkraine
Türkiye
Bulgaria
Romania
Georgia
Important for trade, energy, agriculture and military strategy.
Exam Trick: Remember R-U-T-B-R-G.
2. Kerch Strait
Connects the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
Separates the Crimean Peninsula from Russia's Taman Peninsula.
Strategically important in the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
3. Sea of Azov
Located north of the Black Sea.
Connected with the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait.
Important in Russia–Ukraine maritime geography.
4. Crimea
Peninsula located in the Black Sea.
Strategically important because of its location and naval facilities.
Controlled by Russia since 2014.
5. Donbas
Located in eastern Ukraine.
Mainly associated with Donetsk and Luhansk.
One of the most important conflict zones.
6. Zaporizhzhia
Region in southeastern Ukraine.
Associated with the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Important because of nuclear-safety concerns.
PART 5: 👤 IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES
| Personality | Country | Important for Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | USA | Major personality in Iran conflict & Ukraine diplomacy |
| Benjamin Netanyahu | Israel | Israeli Prime Minister |
| Masoud Pezeshkian | Iran | President of Iran |
| Ali Khamenei | Iran | Former Supreme Leader of Iran |
| Mohsen Rezaei | Iran | Senior Iranian security official |
| Vladimir Putin | Russia | President of Russia |
| Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Ukraine | President of Ukraine |
| John Ratcliffe | USA | CIA Director; involved in Ukraine diplomacy |
| Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Türkiye | Important in Black Sea and Ukraine diplomacy |
| Emmanuel Macron | France | Important European leader in Ukraine diplomacy |
| Mohammed bin Salman | Saudi Arabia | Important Gulf leader |
| Sultan Haitham bin Tariq | Oman | Important Gulf diplomatic personality |
| Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | Egypt | Important because of Suez Canal and Red Sea |
| Andrii Biletskyi | Ukraine | Ukrainian military commander |
| Denys Prokopenko | Ukraine | Ukrainian military commander |
PART 6: ⭐ MOST IMPORTANT CAPITALS
| Country | Capital |
|---|---|
| Iran | Tehran |
| Israel | Jerusalem |
| Russia | Moscow |
| Ukraine | Kyiv |
| Oman | Muscat |
| Yemen | Sana'a |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh |
| UAE | Abu Dhabi |
| Qatar | Doha |
| Bahrain | Manama |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City |
| Egypt | Cairo |
| Türkiye | Ankara |
| Jordan | Amman |
| Iraq | Baghdad |
| Syria | Damascus |
| Lebanon | Beirut |
| Georgia | Tbilisi |
PART 7: 🔥 SUPER-FAST JKSSB REVISION
Memorise these pairs
Hormuz → Iran + Oman
Hormuz → Persian Gulf + Gulf of OmanBab-el-Mandeb → Yemen + Djibouti/Eritrea
Bab-el-Mandeb → Red Sea + Gulf of Aden
Suez Canal → Egypt + Mediterranean Sea + Red Sea
Gulf of Aden → Yemen + Somalia
Black Sea → Russia + Ukraine + Türkiye + Bulgaria + Romania + Georgia
Kerch Strait → Black Sea + Sea of Azov
Donbas → Donetsk + Luhansk
Crimea → Black Sea
Zaporizhzhia → Nuclear Power Plant
Kyiv → Ukraine
Moscow → Russia
Tehran → Iran
Muscat → Oman
Sana'a → Yemen
Riyadh → Saudi Arabia
Cairo → Egypt
Ankara → Türkiye
PART 8: 📝 STATEMENT-TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Consider the following statements about Strait of Hormuz:
It connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
Iran and Oman are the principal countries associated with the strait.
It is an important global energy chokepoint.
Answer: All three statements are correct.
Q2. Consider the following statements about Bab-el-Mandeb:
It connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen lies on one side of the strait.
It is an important route for international shipping.
Answer: All three statements are correct.
Q3. Which waterway connects the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea?
Answer: Suez Canal
Q4. Which strait connects the Black Sea and Sea of Azov?
Answer: Kerch Strait
Q5. Donbas is mainly associated with which two regions?
Answer: Donetsk and Luhansk
Q6. Which country has Kyiv as its capital?
Answer: Ukraine
Q7. Which country has Tehran as its capital?
Answer: Iran
Q8. Which country has Muscat as its capital?
Answer: Oman
Q9. Which country is most directly associated with the Suez Canal?
Answer: Egypt
Q10. Which sea is bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye, Bulgaria, Romania and Georgia?
Answer: Black Sea
🎯 JKSSB Final Memory Formula
HORMUZ → OIL → IRAN–OMAN
BAB-EL-MANDEB → RED SEA → YEMEN–AFRICA
SUEZ → EGYPT → MEDITERRANEAN–RED SEA
BLACK SEA → RUSSIA–UKRAINE–TÜRKIYE
KERCH → BLACK SEA–SEA OF AZOV
DONBAS → DONETSK + LUHANSK
CRIMEA → BLACK SEA
ZAPORIZHZHIA → NUCLEAR PLANT
PUTIN → RUSSIA
ZELENSKYY → UKRAINE
PEZESHKIAN → IRAN
NETANYAHU → ISRAEL
TRUMP → USA