KYIV, March 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine returned 200 prisoners of war in its latest swap with Russia, including troops captured in Moscow's siege of Mariupol in early 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday.

"Every time our people come home, it proves that Ukraine is working to bring everyone back. No one is forgotten," he said on X.

"We involve mediators. I am grateful to everyone who helps Ukraine. I thank the United States for its support in making this exchange possible."

ZURICH, March 5 (Reuters) - The current turmoil in the Middle East is a direct result of the erosion in international law, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday.

In a speech at the University of Zurich, Kallas said the international order has been undermined by major powers acting unilaterally, pointing the finger particularly at Russia, but also directing criticism at China and the United States.

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - Seafarers have the right to refuse to sail on ships passing through the Middle East Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, after the threat level for the region was raised to its highest level, the leading labour union and shipping industry groups said on Thursday.

Around 300 ships are anchored on both sides of the Strait while the U.S.-led war against Iran escalates. Since February 28, nine ships have been damaged and at least one seafarer has been killed.

March 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday that he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader.

"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Axios quoted Trump as saying in an interview.

"I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy (Rodriguez) in Venezuela," Trump said.

By Katharine Jackson

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - A man protesting the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran was injured in a struggle with U.S. Capitol Police and Republican Senator Tim Sheehy on Wednesday.

The man, Brian McGinnis, a former Marine who is a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, interrupted a Senate Armed Services hearing shouting "Israel is the reason for this war, America does not want to fight for Israel."

By Andrew Gray

BRUSSELS, March 5 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday he was "not deaf" to criticism that he goes overboard in praising Donald Trump but argued the U.S. president deserved it.

However, in an interview with Reuters, Rutte also offered praise for Spain - a target of Trump's ire for refusing to allow U.S. military bases on its soil to be used in the American-Israeli assault on Iran.

The US House of Representatives on Thursday rejected an effort to curb Donald Trump's authority to wage war against Iran, as the president faces fierce criticism over launching the conflict without seeking approval from Congress.

Lawmakers voted down a bipartisan resolution led by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna that would have required Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations against Tehran.

BEIRUT, March 5 (Reuters) - Israel warned residents to leave Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs on Thursday, sparking panic as people fled a swathe of the Lebanese capital on the fourth day of full-scale hostilities between the Iran-backed group and Israel.

An Israeli military spokesperson, in a post on X, ordered residents of the southern suburbs to move east and north, posting a map showing four sprawling districts of the capital he said they must leave, part of the area is adjacent to Beirut airport.

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday that four additional Typhoon fighter jets would be sent to Qatar as the conflict in the Middle East escalates, insisting that the UK has the right plan for defence.

Britain's cautious response to the Iran crisis and a drone attack on its key military base in Cyprus have led to doubts among partners about its military effectiveness.

U.S. President Donald Trump has also criticised Starmer for failing to provide sufficient support for his strikes on Iran.

PIRAEUS, Greece, March 5 (Reuters) - Greek seafarers began a 24-hour strike on Thursday, halting local ferry services, as they protested over vessel crews stranded in the Gulf amid the escalating Middle East war, and demanded the area is declared a war risk zone to enable their repatriation.

The Iran conflict threatens Gulf ports and has already disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery accounting ​for about 20% of global oil and gas supply. Although the Strait is not shut, Iran has warned that it will fire on ⁠any ship trying to pass through.