[
  {
    "article_id": "art_f6c10ba929fa",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Khamenei warns US of ‘regional war’ if Iran is attacked - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Tehran, Iran – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned the United States that any attack on his country would result in a “regional war” as US President Donald Trump amasses military assets in the Middle East.\n“They should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war,” the 86-year-old supreme leader, who has held absolute power for 37 years, said at an event in downtown Tehran on Sunday.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4US, Iran signal talks to avert military conflict amid tensions in the Gulf\n- list 2 of 4Iran’s president says Trump, Netanyahu, EU stirred tensions during protests\n- list 3 of 4Iran designates EU armies ‘terrorist groups’ in retaliatory move\n- list 4 of 4Appropriating the death count: Manufacturing consent for an attack on Iran\nHe was speaking to a large crowd of supporters gathered to mark the anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s return to Iran from exile in France in 1979, which led to the Iranian Revolution and the flight of the US-backed ruler, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.\nKhamenei said the US wants to “devour” Iran and its vast oil and natural gas resources, adding that what happened during the recent antigovernment protests “was similar to a coup” since a large number of government offices, banks and mosques were stormed.\nThe supreme leader described the deadly unrest as another “sedition”, a term he had previously used for the 2009 Green Movement and other such protests.\n“The recent sedition was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed,” Khamenei said. “Their goal was to destroy sensitive and effective centres involved in running the country, and for this reason, they attacked the police, government centres, [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC] facilities, banks and mosques and burned copies of the Quran.”\nFollowing Khamenei’s speech, Trump said he hoped that Iran would agree to a deal.\nAsked about the supreme leader’s warning, Trump told reporters: “Of course he is going to say that.\n“Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right.”\n‘Iranians are in mourning’\nThe protests started on December 28 after shopkeepers in Tehran’s business district protested Iran’s rapid economic decline linked to local mismanagement and corruption, as well as the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial, amid sanctions imposed by the US and its allies.\nBut the protests soon morphed into nationwide expressions of anger over curtailed personal and social freedoms, an acute energy and water crisis, and severe air pollution, among other things.\nThe United Nations, international rights groups, and foreign-based opponents of the Iranian establishment say thousands were shot dead or stabbed by security forces during the protests.\nA UN special rapporteur said the number of fatalities may surpass 20,000 as more information – stifled by a weeks-old internet blackout – comes out. US-based activists allege there were 6,713 deaths, and claim they are investigating 17,000 others. Other sources cite even higher figures.\nIranian authorities maintain that “terrorists” armed and funded by the US and Israel were responsible for the mass killings. The country’s state media said the protests killed 3,117 people, with 2,427 being civilians and the remainder being members of the security forces.\nPresident Masoud Pezeshkian this week promised to release the names and information of every person killed during the unrest soon, but has provided no timeline for this. His government also sent a text message to Iranians, saying the move will counter the “fake claims and figures”.\n“One-way text messages cannot wash away the blood. Many Iranians are in mourning,” an Iranian woman told Al Jazeera.\n‘Death to America’\nIn an apparent move to help calm the inflamed tensions within Iranian society, the government on Sunday sent another text message to citizens, telling them that women will soon be allowed to ride motorcycles in the country.\nIran’s laws have so far blocked women from riding motorcycles, while the state continues to impose a mandatory dress code and punish violators.\nInside the Iranian parliament, meanwhile, familiar images were witnessed on Sunday as hardline lawmakers once again donned IRGC uniforms and chanted “Death to America” with clenched fists.\nThe move was in reaction to the European Union earlier this week designating the IRGC as a “terrorist” organisation. Tehran responded by proscribing the bloc’s armed forces.\nThe IRGC, originally created shortly after the Iranian revolution to protect the fledgling theocratic establishment, has since transformed into a military powerhouse that also controls large parts of the Iranian economy.\n“Such moves [by the EU] will not only fail to help with regional peace and security, but will also make the path of constructive engagement and coordination harder,” the IRGC said in a statement on Sunday in response to its blacklisting.\nMeanwhile, Iranian officials are also holding “celebrations” across the country to mark the revolution’s anniversary and bolster its defiant messaging.\nTroops from the IRGC and the army, joined by the police and other security personnel, marched on the streets of Tehran on Sunday in an apparent show of strength. Soldiers on motorcycles led a parade from Mehrabad Airport to the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, where Khomeini delivered his first speech in 1979. Soldiers were also photographed at Khomeini’s mausoleum in Tehran as they “renewed their covenant with the goals and ideals of the revolution”.\nHamidreza Hajibabaei, who heads the committee organising the 10-day event marking the revolution’s anniversary, said on Sunday that large demonstrations will be held on February 11 across the country to “spell the end of the presence of global arrogance”.\nIn his speech, Khamenei also stressed the importance of state-run events, claiming that millions of people participated in a pro-government rally on January 12 while “mere thousands” rose up against the Islamic Republic during the nationwide protests.\nMeanwhile, Iranian state television and other affiliated networks continue to broadcast programmes condemning the “riots” last month. A similar show on Ofogh, an IRGC-affiliated television channel, allegedly mocked the protesters, triggering angry online reactions and forcing the authorities to sack the channel’s director.\n“They are only throwing more salt on our wounds,” a young student told Al Jazeera, requesting anonymity due to safety concerns. “They say all our youth were killed by terrorists, then go ahead and mock the people who laid down their lives on state television.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-01T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxQbHhEY1ZzLTBKQTBzbDFuQ0NrSjRtTHp6Nm54ckJWalFkVWJWb0hhRzBNQ2JaSnJ3UEl5WkU1aFY3NU1DcjNXUzFWd092WWNnTm5LeVprM1lsaDJiSkxXMERUb3hvY3dIU3VOR2tja1FHeEt3a19VSEszdmF6NkhPOTZnb2RnT2FmOGNEOUg0eTdGdlphdi15SNIBngFBVV95cUxPdk9MNUc2VE5sV0JkbXlJQzRFRDZTLU1ackJPc1RES3NIQmJ4SlctT2Nsbno3dTk4WXdMODhqR05BOTNuM1Q1T05TMDBSRE5KeFExU3UwbHRULUxUMHU0QXpkWUlZM1ktTXFNUGNzRWFrY0RXUUUzZURmTU1MbWJrWHE1R3FBRllTcjNORkVfXy1jcFVOdDQzNi00QlRLZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_031f683d6a2a",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran's supreme leader warns of regional war if US attacks - BBC",
    "body_text": "Iran's supreme leader warns of regional war if US attacks\nIran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack on his country would spark a regional conflict, as the US continues to build up its forces nearby.\n\"The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,\" Khamenei was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.\nDonald Trump earlier said Iran was in \"serious discussions\" and he hoped they would lead to something \"acceptable\", while Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN he was \"confident that we can achieve a deal\" on Tehran's nuclear programme.\nAraghchi said: \"Unfortunately, we have lost our trust [in] the US as a negotiating partner,\" but added the exchange of messages through friendly countries in the region was facilitating \"fruitful\" talks with Washington.\nIran's top security official Ali Larijani had previously said a framework for negotiations was progressing.\nAs part of its build up of forces, the US has sent its aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region and late last week US Central Command said it was operating in the Arabian Sea.\n\"[Trump] regularly says that he brought ships... The Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things,\" added Khamenei.\nIran had been expected to begin a two-day live-fire naval exercise on Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most important shipping lanes and a key route for energy supplies. However on Sunday Reuters quoted an Iranian official as saying the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) navy had no plans for such an exercise.\nAround a fifth of the world's traded oil passes through the waterway, which is about 33km (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point between Iran and Oman. Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait if it were attacked.\nThe US has warned Iran against any \"unsafe and unprofessional behaviour\" near its forces in the area.\nAraghchi responded by saying: \"The US military is now attempting to dictate how our Powerful Armed Forces should conduct target practice in their own turf.\"\nOn Saturday, two explosions in Iran heightened anxiety in the country. Local authorities said a blast that killed one and hurt 14 at a building in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas was caused by a gas leak.\nTasnim denied social media reports that a Revolutionary Guards Corps navy commander had been targeted in the blast.\nIn the south-western city of Ahvaz, at least four people were killed in another explosion, with local authorities again blaming a gas leak, according to Iran's Tehran Times.\nOn Thursday, Trump said he had told Iran that it had to do two things to avoid US military action: \"Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters.\"\nThe US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says it has confirmed the killing of more than 6,300 people since the unrest began in late December, and is investigating another 17,000 reported deaths.\nAnother group, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), has warned the final toll could exceed 25,000.\nIn his remarks on Sunday, Khamenei accused protesters of attacking police, the IRGC and other facilities including banks and mosques.\n\"The coup was suppressed,\" Tasnim quoted him as saying.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-01T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE96cEhvcDBZMlMxa0hwOHVHNUVESnFGd3M3UU5OX2xmeVBFRXQ2RlV5ck9QRldrdU9QdER0emotU1lNQnZrYXZJMlNaRGpvOUhVNmFZWERieGJFUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7238018f67dd",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The Uncontainable Consequences of a War with Iran - Gulf International Forum",
    "body_text": "Rising tensions between the United States, Iran, and Israel put the GCC and Türkiye on the front lines of a conflict with far-reaching security, economic, and geopolitical consequences.\nThe prospect of a renewed war against Iran has shifted from an abstract hypothetical scenario to a serious concern, following recent U.S. military deployments in the region and statements from U.S. officials indicating that serious negotiations with Iran have yet to begin. This situation reflects the convergence of unresolved dynamics involving Israel’s regional ambitions, Iran’s strategic miscalculations, and a fragile regional order struggling to avoid systemic collapse. For the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Türkiye, a war against Iran would not be a distant or containable conflict; it would be a disastrous shock with direct security, economic, and political consequences.\nThe Drivers of Escalation: Israel, the United States, and Iran\nAt the center of this escalation is Israel’s unfinished business with Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite unprecedented domestic polarization and sustained regional backlash, remains politically committed to completing what he defines as Israel’s strategic mission against Tehran. Israel’s expansive and increasingly overt hegemonic agenda, following the devastating war on Gaza, has placed it on a collision course with an emerging regional configuration led by Türkiye and Saudi Arabia that does not favor Israeli dominance.\nFrom the Israeli perspective, a weakened or collapsed Iranian regime, replaced by one openly aligned with Tel Aviv, would fundamentally alter the regional balance and undermine the growing strategic convergence between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. From this perspective, Iran is not merely a security threat, but an opportunity to reshape the region in Israel’s favor.\nThe United States enters this equation from a different angle. Trump’s posture toward Iran appears shaped by the assumption that the limited U.S. military action against Tehran in 2025—reportedly restraining Israel from further escalation—should have brought Iran to the negotiating table. That expectation did not materialize until February 2, which left Trump compelled to pressure Iran into negotiations—and conspicuously left the region open to the possibility that he could resort to force if negotiations fail.\nTehran, for its part, appears to have reverted to familiar patterns of behavior, suggesting that it either misread the intent behind U.S. pressure or concluded that concessions would accelerate, rather than prevent, regime vulnerability. Following its poor performance in the June 2025 “12-Day War,” Tehran has moved to revive its regional proxy networks, reinsert deeply polarizing and problematic sectarian figures into Iraqi politics, resist serious diplomatic engagement despite regional mediation efforts, and reportedly recruit intelligence assets inside countries actively working to prevent a U.S.–Iran war, including Türkiye. Collectively, these actions reinforce the perception that Iran has drawn the wrong conclusions from its defeat last year.\nThe Risks of Uncontained Conflict\nThese dynamics significantly increase the likelihood of a new war—and one that could be very different from previous conflicts. Iran today is weaker, more isolated, and more constrained than it was even last year, but it is also more desperate. If faced with a full-scale attack that threatens regime survival, Tehran would have little incentive to exercise restraint or think rationally.\nRather than calibrated escalation, Iran’s military would likely shift into a form of suicidal aggression, launching whatever capabilities remain at its disposal before they are destroyed. Actions that would have previously been unthinkable due to risk of escalation—the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, indiscriminate missile launches across multiple theaters, maritime terrorism, and activation of dormant or semi-dormant proxy cells—would become rational options for a regime that believes it has nothing left to lose. Unless the potential offensive is an unconventional operation aimed at leadership decapitation or internal regime transformation—without overt ownership—the Iranian response to a full-scale war would likely be region-wide and unconstrained.\nGulf Restraint and Strategic Caution\nIt is within this context that the positions of the GCC states and Türkiye must be understood. Notably, Gulf capitals have refrained from the kind of public commentary on Iran’s internal situation that characterized earlier periods of unrest. This restraint reflects a convergence of pragmatic considerations rather than indifference. Concurrent intra-Gulf tensions, particularly between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have absorbed political bandwidth and elevated internal strategic competition over external confrontation. At the same time, Israel’s unprecedented claims of actively fueling instability inside Iran have introduced a complicating factor, making Gulf states wary of being viewed as aligned with Israeli efforts to engineer regime change in Tehran.\nEqually important is the fact that recent de-escalation and normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran have served tangible interests on both sides. Gulf states have little incentive to provoke Tehran in ways that could unravel these fragile arrangements, especially when the identity and orientation of any potential successor regime in Iran remain deeply uncertain. Moreover, there is no guarantee that regime collapse in Iran as a result of internal unrest or an external offensive would produce a more cooperative government; it could just as plausibly yield a more radicalized or fragmented outcome, spawning a security nightmare for the other Gulf nations. For this reason, out of concern that war would carry catastrophic regional implications, the GCC—especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman—have focused their diplomatic energy on urging Washington to avoid military action.\nAmong the most acute concerns is the Strait of Hormuz. Closing the strait would create severe consequences for Gulf oil exporters, especially Qatar and Kuwait. Even a temporary closure would trigger a global energy and financial shock, the severity of which would depend on duration but would be destabilizing in any case. Beyond global markets, the militarization of the Gulf would directly implicate GCC states hosting U.S. military bases—notably Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. Saturation attacks on missile defenses or infrastructure would inevitably widen the theater of operations, dragging Gulf countries from reluctant stakeholders into active participants, regardless of their intentions.\nThe Security Costs for Türkiye\nTürkiye’s position is more explicit and openly oppositional to war against Iran. Ankara has consistently warned that a military confrontation with Tehran would not be geographically or politically containable. Such a war would undermine painstaking efforts to stabilize Syria and Iraq, reopening fault lines that have only recently begun to narrow. It would further destabilize the Gulf’s economic and security environment, amplifying shocks that Türkiye would feel through trade, energy markets, and financial flows. Perhaps most concerning for Ankara, a war against Iran would significantly empower Israel’s already expansionist posture, consolidating its freedom of action at a moment when Türkiye sees regional balance, not dominance, as the key to long-term stability.\nIn a case of total war, Türkiye would also face its own direct humanitarian and security consequences. As a primary destination for populations fleeing Iran, it would likely confront a large influx of Iranian refugees, adding to existing demographic, economic, and social pressures. At the same time, the activation of Iranian networks or spillover violence could create new internal security challenges, making neutrality functionally impossible, even if Ankara avoids direct military involvement.\nIn short, a total war against Iran would represent a disastrous scenario for the region. The key question is whether Iran will learn the right lessons from its defeat in 2025 and choose to avoid war by making prudent decisions, or whether it will opt for a self-destructive path, dragging the entire region into conflict along with it. Similarly, the final outcome will depend on how the United States manages Israel’s role in any confrontation with Iran—and whether the Gulf can avoid a war that exclusively serves an Israeli agenda at the expense of broader regional security.\nThe views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Gulf International Forum.\nOn February 28, 2026, a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran ignited a full-scale regional war. The opening strikes resulted in the deaths of Iran’s…\nFor decades, one core objective of the Gulf states’ security doctrine was to prevent direct entanglement in a U.S.–Iran war. Billions spent on advanced weaponry,…\nFollowing the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent Iranian retaliation across the Gulf, Gulf International Forum’s experts assess the implications for GCC…",
    "published_at": "2026-02-03T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieEFVX3lxTE10eHRyTVN0ejQwY3h6WnNEUTNRUjFQdDB4YVE4bzhHVjFObV94dWl4Y3pYYUN0dHlkZC1ZMU1ETXJ3dE9lcm16emJVWXl0Q29wMmh6Z0xXQl9pbFlxTlBxaVdGNFo4TFRVdEMwWTdJNHpENElxaTMycA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_13302af43d05",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "After crushing protests, Iran’s supreme leader now tries to avert a US attack - AP News",
    "body_text": "After crushing protests, Iran’s supreme leader now tries to avert a US attack\nAfter crushing protests, Iran’s supreme leader now tries to avert a US attack\nCAIRO (AP) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei crushed the protests that swept across the country last month, but only by unleashing the bloodiest crackdown of his nearly four decades in power.\nNow, with an American flotilla nearby, the 86-year-old Khamenei is trying to avert a potential U.S. attack. He has warned that if U.S. President Donald Trump strikes, a regional war will ensue. At the same time, he is allowing Iran to enter negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, reversing his previous rejection of talks.\nThe ferocious suppression of the protests is a sign of how deep a threat Khamenei and Iran’s leadership see in the widespread popular anger. Years of sanctions, economic mismanagement and corruption have gutted Iran’s economy, hitting its once-large middle class hard. Chants of “Death to Khamenei!” during January’s protests underscored how economic woes have turned to resentment of clerical rule.\nPopular discontent is not the only strain on the theocratic system that Khamenei heads. Israeli and U.S. bombardment during last summer’s 12-day war heavily damaged Iran’s nuclear program, missile systems and military capabilities. And Iran’s network of regional proxies that includes Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon — dubbed the “Axis of Resistance” — has crumbled in recent years, setting back its ability to wield influence across the Middle East.\nStill, Iran’s domestic crackdown displayed the iron grip that Khamenei and his Revolutionary Guard are capable of imposing. Thousands were killed, tens of thousands were arrested and the internet was shut down, largely cutting off Iranians from communicating with the outside world for weeks.\nHere’s what to know about Khamenei:\nHe transformed the Islamic Republic\nWhen he rose to power in 1989, Khamenei had to overcome deep doubts about his authority. A low-level cleric at the time, Khamenei didn’t have the religious credentials of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution. With thick glasses and a plodding style, Khamenei also lacked Khomeini’s fiery charisma.\nBut Khamenei has ruled three times longer than the late Khomeini and has shaped Iran’s Islamic Republic perhaps even more dramatically.\nHe entrenched the system of rule by the “mullahs,” or Shiite Muslim clerics. Under the Islamic Republic, clerics stand at the top of the hierarchy, drawing the lines to which the civilian government, the military, and intelligence and security establishment must submit. In the eyes of hard-liners, Khamenei stands as the unquestionable authority — below only that of God.\nAt the same time, Khamenei built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the dominant player in Iran’s military and internal politics.\nThe Guard boasts Iran’s most elite military and oversees its ballistic missile program. Khamenei also gave the Guard a free hand to build a network of businesses, allowing it to dominate Iran’s economy. In return, the Guard became his loyal shock force.\nHe fended off domestic challenges\nThe first major threat to Khamenei’s grip was the reform movement that swept into a parliamentary majority and the presidency soon after he became supreme leader. The movement advocated for giving greater power to elected officials – something Khamenei’s hard-line supporters feared would lead to dismantling the Islamic Republic system.\nKhamenei stymied the reformists by rallying the clerical establishment. Unelected bodies run by the mullahs succeeded in shutting down major reforms and barring reform candidates from running in elections.\nWith the failure of the reform movement, waves of popular protests have followed, each crushed by the Revolutionary Guard and Iran’s other security agencies.\nHuge nationwide protests erupted in 2009 over allegations of vote-rigging. Under the weight of sanctions, economic protests broke out in 2017 and 2019. More demonstrations broke out in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini after police detained her for not wearing her mandatory headscarf properly.\nThe successive crackdowns killed hundreds, and hundreds more were arrested amid reports of detainees tortured to death or raped in prison.\nDeadliest crackdown yet\nThe latest bloodshed has eclipsed that past unrest. The demonstrations began in late December in Tehran’s traditional bazaar after the rial currency plunged to a record low of 1.42 million to the U.S. dollar. They quickly spread to cities across Iran.\nKhamenei declared that “rioters must be put in their place,” giving a green light for a crackdown. When hundreds of thousands took the streets on Jan. 8 and 9, protesters who are veterans of past demonstrations said they were stunned by the firepower unleashed, with security forces firing on crowds.\nActivists say they have so far documented more than 6,700 killed and are working to verify potentially thousands more. The government has put the toll far lower at 3,117, still higher than past crackdowns.\nIn the past, authorities have sought to defuse public anger by easing enforcements of some of the Islamic Republic’s social restrictions or acknowledging economic woes.\nBut so far, Khamenei has only toughened his rhetoric, referring to the protests as “a coup.” Activists say tens of thousands have been detained in past weeks.\nNuclear negotiations\nBy agreeing to nuclear negotiations with the U.S., Khamenei may be seeking to buy time to avert U.S. strikes – or counting on Trump’s threats being a bluff. Turkey, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have all been working to try to arrange talks, which could take place in the coming days.\nBut the two sides are far apart. Iran has staunchly opposed the main American demands, that it halt all nuclear enrichment and that it surrender its uranium stocks.\nTrump has been vague about what the goal of airstrikes would be. He had initially threatened strikes to stop Iran’s leaders from killing peaceful protesters or prevent mass executions. He has shifted to wielding the threat to push Iran to engage seriously in nuclear negotiations.\nSome in Iran and among the large Iranian diaspora have expressed hopes that the U.S. will use military force to bring down Khamenei. But that could require potentially an enormous military operation, likely far beyond just airstrikes. There are also strong voices even among Khamenei opponents against foreign intervention toppling the theocracy.\nAnd the scenario of eliminating Khamenei only brings to the fore the question that has hung over his rule as he grows older: Who or what would come after him?\nOfficially, a panel of Shiite clerics is tasked with choosing one of their own as his successor, and multiple names touted among leading Shiite clerics, including Khamenei’s son. But under Khamenei, the Revolutionary Guard has grown to become the most powerful body behind the ruling clerics’ robes.\nViolently removing the supreme leader could prompt Guard commanders or its regular military to more overtly seize power. That could set off a bloody conflict over control of the oil-rich country of 85 million people.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-03T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPcWZhQXdtZWZhUXA1Rmd2LWlqenpETzhreFJqdjBSOTBwRFlJNm5MMmE2YVNkQnZSY2VEU1V0Mnp5eU00V1Y1WXRwWElyTU02THRVME9NbmVqbVlsY1JfWkFSY2w1TTVxeS10MDFFU2xxWW5CcVBneFNnOW9yUWVRZl9TUUVBdDlvcWRCVXgwT0E4MlJxejI0U1VaSHd3VXlWR0J5TGJFSFlYQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a8b21c12b308",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "'It's not our war': Prime Minister of Iraq's Kurdistan region determined to stay out of US-Iran conflict - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "'It's not our war': Prime Minister of Iraq's Kurdistan region determined to stay out of US-Iran conflict\nSpeaking to The National amid rising tension between the sworn enemies, Masrour Barzani says region wishes to remain neutral",
    "published_at": "2026-02-05T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi4AFBVV95cUxONHhQQ3o5dnRaRHdVQnUycmJMQ2Y5QXNqeHkwYUZXVnFRUmpsSEx3N3U0SFQtcGpJakx0QkZ0d3RmbmxSTnBVQjFlLWswVjN4NWhWdWp1SEpoamtTZFY3RjUwc1N4WjZPelRxM2h3akFqVk1GdTNaejVaWjhhckVUWXMtLS0yejFmVjU1Mi16MDUwcXVnbHVaVHpkcTh3b2hRU2hobENpU1BrVmF5UWVEZjNXc2Q5NWdQZ211M0pEZk9zLTZJcE52X21GSzBQV1FSUUFmVVFSRkw4b3lSUmlfaQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_55c4342433d8",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Russia vs. Nato war: who would win? - The Week",
    "body_text": "A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com\nYou are now subscribed\nYour newsletter sign-up was successful\nNato’s secretary general has said Ukraine will see an immediate military presence from allied forces as soon as a peace agreement with Russia is reached.\nAddressing Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday, Mark Rutte vowed that ground, air, and naval forces from countries in the “coalition of the willing” will be deployed to Ukraine “instantly”.\nIt comes after Germany’s foreign minister last week warned that Russia will still pose a threat to European security even if peace is agreed in Ukraine.\n“Putin has made confrontation with the West the guiding principle of Russia’s foreign policy and he is creating the option for a war against Nato in the future,” Johann Wadephul said on a visit to Latvia.\nMoscow has been accused of waging “hybrid warfare” against Europe, including damage to undersea data and energy cables in the Baltic Sea, drone incursions into European airspace, and disinformation campaigns targeting democratic elections.\nThe BBC said Moscow “dismisses as hysteria” claims by Western leaders and intelligence agencies that Russia is preparing to escalate tensions and, while Vladimir Putin has insisted he does not want his country to go to war, “it was ready ‘right now’ if Europe wanted to - or started a war”.\nNato’s military power\nThe last year has proved one of the most tumultuous for the world’s most successful military alliance. Even before he plunged Nato into the biggest crisis in its 80-year history by threatening to take Greenland by force, Donald Trump had used the threat of US withdrawal from the alliance as a tool to pressure other members to boost defence allocations.\nA free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com\nAmerica is by far Nato’s biggest player and spends almost as much on defence as the next 10 spenders in the world combined. Its total in 2024 was about $997 billion (£728 billion), according to Statista – nearly 40% of the total military spending worldwide that year. The UK sits in sixth place, with spending of $81.8 billion (£59.7 billion).\nAmid fears the US could even pull out of the alliance, Nato members in June agreed to an ambitious 2035 target of spending 5% GDP on defence. While the US commitment “should remain iron-clad,” said a Washington Post editorial at the time, it was only right Europe should take up more of the burden so that Washington can “make major investments” to confront the rise of China. This is still worth it to Europe: Nato is “worth fighting, and spending, to preserve”.\nRecent violations of Polish, Romanian and Estonian airspace by Russian jets and drones has “thrust Nato’s collective defence principles into the spotlight”, said Al Jazeera.\nBeing members of Nato, a drone attack on any of those countries “could trigger Article 5 of the Nato treaty”, meaning that all other Nato members, including the US, would be compelled, under the mutual assistance clause, to come to their aid. And, together, their substantial firepower could give Nato the edge in all-out war.\nNato’s resources have also been bolstered by the accession of two new member states since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine: Finland, which joined in April 2023, and Sweden, which was admitted in March 2024 after a two-year struggle to overcome vetos from Hungary and Turkey.\nWhile both have large defence industries and advance military capabilities, the biggest contribution the two new members bring to the table is “geostrategic”, said the US Institute of Peace think-tank, their location shoring up the alliance’s exposed northeastern flank and shielding the Baltic states, regarded as most vulnerable to future Russian aggression.\nBut as well as how much governments spend, how they spend that money is also important. “Duplicate and incompatible capabilities” are a problem: there are 178 weapon systems types and 17 different makes of tank in the EU alone, said the BBC. Defence contracts tend to be negotiated years in advance and production takes a long time so untangling inefficiencies and pooling resources would not be quick or easy.\nCollectively, the 32 members of Nato can field a “powerful, and modern fighting force,” said Kyiv Independent, “but – its European contingent at least – faces ammunition shortages, a fragmented defence industry, and insufficient air defence coverage”.\nWestern armies, with their artillery and armoured vehicles, are out of date whereas “it is Ukraine that today has perhaps the most combat-ready army in Europe”, wrote Oleg Dunda, a member of parliament for Ukraine, in The Spectator. The US has more weaponry but Ukraine’s army is unique in having adapted to the new, mostly electronic, unmanned systems that are the most successful elements of the Russian barrage. A potential invasion of the Baltic states might not involve a single tank.\n“It will be unexpected: with communication blackouts, drone strikes on infrastructure and civilian convoys in uniform without identification marks,” said Dunda. “Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania may simply wake up as part of Russia. Without a single shot fired by Nato.” An invasion of the Baltics could happen at any time, including while Russia is still fighting in Ukraine. Europe does not necessarily have much time to prepare but it is not necessary to spend 5% of GDP, as Nato chief Mark Rutte is pushing for, because drones cost a lot less than nuclear submarines and are more effective for the war ahead.\nWhat’s key to Nato – and a big question mark when it comes to the US under Trump – is Article 5 of its charter. This mutual assistance clause is central to the idea of collective defence. It requires that in the event one member is attacked all other members would be compelled to come to its aid. Together, their substantial firepower could give Nato the edge in all-out war.\nRussia’s military power\nDespite international sanctions and its well-publicised struggles in Ukraine, Russia has “accelerated its military production”, said UK Defence Journal. Military spending has surged to an estimated €120 billion (£103 billion) in 2025 – equivalent to over 6% of GDP – nearly quadrupling the country’s 2021 defence budget.\nThe German intelligence service and army “believe the Russian war economy is generating more output than is required solely for operations in Ukraine”, suggesting it could be preparing for a wider confrontation.\nLast year, Putin launched Russia’s biggest conscription drive in over a decade, as he looks to boost the number of active servicemen to 1.5 million. While this would give Russia a bigger army than the US alone, it still falls well behind Nato’s collective might. According to Statista, Nato has 3,439,197 active soldiers, compared to Russia’s current 1,320,000. Russia has only about 4,292 military aircraft compared with Nato’s combined 22,377, and 419 military ships compared to Nato’s 1,143. Russia is decisively outnumbered by Nato for tanks (5,750 to 11,495), and in terms of armoured vehicles overall its stock of 131,527 is dwarfed by Nato’s 971,280.\nThe two forces are evenly matched in terms of known nuclear capability, with the Nato nuclear powers – the US, UK and France – able to field 5,559 nuclear warheads to Russia’s 5,580. In October, Putin announced the successful test of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile – nicknamed the “Flying Chernobyl” because it emits radioactive exhaust from its unshielded reactor. It is capable of flying for 15 hours non-stop and covering a distance of 14,000 km (8,700 miles), putting almost all Nato states in its range.\nRussia’s war economy has so far remained remarkably resilient in the face of Western sanctions. This has allowed its “military-industrial complex to churn out tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, missiles, ammunition and artillery pieces”, said Al Jazeera.\nWhile it continues to make slow but steady gains on the battlefield, Russia is also “ramping up its war machine at breakneck speed”, said United 24.\nThe Kremlin’s ambitious production targets reveal preparations not only for its war against Ukraine but also for a potential large-scale confrontation with Nato as early as 2029 “if its armament efforts persist”, said Reuters.\nThese ambitious production targets reveal preparations not only for its war against Ukraine but also for a potential confrontation with Nato by 2030.\nA full-scale attack on a Nato member is not as far-fetched as it might seem, according to Germany’s chief of defence, General Carsten Breuer. Russia has been producing “hundreds of tanks a year”, he told the BBC – enough to attack a Nato Baltic state by the end of the decade.\nAnd the ammunition supplies that Russia is also producing, such as drones, missiles and artillery shells, aren’t all going to the war in Ukraine; “there’s a build-up of the stocks”, too, the general said. He identified the Suwałki Gap, an area on the Russian border with Poland, Lithuania and Belarus as the most “vulnerable” area for an invasion that “could trigger a larger war between Russia and the US”.\nThe cost of war\nThe cost of destruction in the warzone, higher energy prices, and a sell-off in financial markets could total $1.5 trillion (£1.14 trillion) in the first year, roughly the same as the impact of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Bloomberg Economics.\nThe human cost aside, Baltic states would naturally be the worst affected, suffering a 43% hit to their economies in the first year of fighting. Frontline Nato members such as Poland and Finland would take a “smaller but still significant hit as missiles fly” while GDP of the EU as a whole would fall by 1.2% “and debt would be put on a steeper upward trajectory”. Losses would be “much greater if the conflict spilled into other European countries”.\nWho would win then?\nDespite small signs of improvement, and the latest fighting talk from Putin, “Russia is in no shape to take on Nato”, with the alliance having been “revitalised” by the invasion of Ukraine, said Al Jazeera.\nEven without the US, the collective military capability of Nato members is “formidable”, said George Allison in The Telegraph.\n“The technological sophistication and interoperability of Nato forces significantly amplify their combat effectiveness.” The alliance’s “strength resides in its ability to leverage cutting-edge technology and integrated command structures to conduct operations adaptable to the battlefield’s rapidly changing circumstances”.\nWith an integrated command structure developed over decades, better trained and equipped troops and the “notable difference in the quality of Western weapons, all this adds up to the conclusion that Nato would quickly prevail in any conventional war against Russia”, said Al Jazeera.\nYet herein lies the “danger”: that “a series of defeats might force Moscow to use tactical nuclear weapons or face total defeat”.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-05T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid0FVX3lxTE8tRldJWWg3amtsMmpZNmsycTdYTjB4TzhzdjFwRXJ4bHlyYVFuNkR6QlNaOURjdGNScDVVVjdjTGhNbVNKTENzdUhMdUFpTk9oZ0h0bmZNaUpfdmlCQy1TSXl5czR4T0FRa1ViOEJhR0pURUxPV3VJ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_07458f17e33f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "TIMELINE – US-Iran tensions: From 12-day war to current standoff - Anadolu Ajansı",
    "body_text": "TIMELINE – US-Iran tensions: From 12-day war to current standoff\nUS and Iran will hold negotiations in Oman on Friday after months of escalating rhetoric and military signaling\nISTANBUL\nTensions between the US and Iran are rooted in a decades-long rivalry dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, shaped by sanctions, proxy conflicts, nuclear disputes and periodic military confrontations.\nOver the years, cycles of pressure and limited engagement have entrenched deep mistrust and competing security perceptions on both sides.\nFollowing years of mounting pressure and stalled diplomacy, the 12-day Iran-Israel war in mid-June 2025 marked an unprecedented escalation that drew Washington into direct military confrontation with Tehran.\nSince the ceasefire, relations have been defined by heightened rhetoric, military signaling, domestic unrest in Iran, renewed sanctions pressure and intermittent diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a wider regional conflict.\nWith a new round of talks to be held in Oman on Friday, here are the major developments that have shaped US-Iran tensions since the 12-day war:\nJune 2025: 12-day war, US strikes and ceasefire\nIsrael launched attacks on Iran on June 13, sparking a war marked by tit-for-tat airstrikes, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.\nSeveral senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists were killed in Israeli airstrikes that targeted Tehran and other cities, including Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Gen. Hossein Salami, chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and senior IRGC commander Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, head of the central headquarters of the Iranian military.\nIsraeli intelligence operatives carried out covert operations inside Iran, including sabotage and drone attacks targeting air-defense systems, missile launchers and military infrastructure, according to multiple reports.\nIran responded by striking Israeli military and intelligence facilities with missiles and drones before the US carried out a wave of strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The attack brought then-ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program to a rapid end.\nB-2 Spirit stealth bombers struck underground nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz, deploying GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-buster bombs. US submarines also launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at nuclear infrastructure in Isfahan.\nIranian authorities acknowledged damage to nuclear facilities but said no radiation leaks were detected.\nOn the evening of June 23, US President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a “complete and total” ceasefire.\nAfter the truce, Iran signaled that it would reassess its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).\nJuly to August 2025: Rhetoric and pressure\nUS officials warned Iran against further regional escalation, while Israel reiterated its objective of preventing Tehran from advancing its nuclear program.\nIn August, Iranian officials accused Washington and Tel Aviv of exploiting the war’s aftermath to justify intensified political and economic pressure.\nSeptember 2025: Snapback sanctions\nOn Sept. 29, the European Union reimposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran under the “snapback” mechanism linked to the 2015 nuclear deal.\nThe move restored a broad range of sanctions that had been lifted or suspended under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including restrictions on banking, energy, shipping, insurance and trade in sensitive goods.\nTehran rejected the legality of the move, arguing that parties which withdrew from or violated the nuclear deal have no standing to invoke snapback, and warned that the decision would further undermine diplomatic efforts.\nNovember 2025: Nuclear verification dispute\nOn Nov. 20, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution demanding full access to Iranian nuclear sites and clarification of uranium stockpiles, citing unresolved safeguards issues.\nIran warned that it would take reciprocal steps if pressure continued.\nDecember 2025: Unrest in Iran\nShopkeepers and merchants in Tehran first started protests on Dec. 28 over a deepening economic crisis as the value of the rial plunged to a record low amid biting sanctions.\nWhat began as sporadic economy-focused demonstrations morphed into broader anti-government protests across the country, leading to an internet shutdown and crackdown on demonstrations.\nThe US and other Western governments began voicing concern over reported casualties and arrests.\nJanuary 2026: Trump’s threats and military signaling\nTrump called on Iranians to continue protesting across the country, telling them on Jan. 13 that “help is on its way.”\n“Iranian Patriots, keep protesting - take over your institutions!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters stops. Help is on its way. MIGA!!!”\nTrump used an acronym that is a play on his Make America Great Again slogan, referring instead to Iran.\nThe US began bolstering its military presence in the Middle East, deploying additional personnel and naval and air assets, and describing the move as deterrence amid rising tensions.\nOn Jan. 29, the EU designated the IRGC as a “terrorist organization,” with Iran responding by passing legislation designating the armed forces of EU member states as “terrorist organizations.”\nFebruary 2026: Gulf incident and diplomacy\nAs tensions continued to soar, Trump made multiple statements indicating that the US was holding negotiations with Tehran.\nOn Feb. 3, he told reporters at the White House that talks were taking place, even after the US military said it shot down an Iranian drone that approached its aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.\nOn Feb. 4, US and Iranian officials confirmed that talks would be held in Oman’s capital Muscat later in the week, with Friday's discussions expected to focus on nuclear issues, signaling continued diplomatic engagement despite mounting military and political pressure.\nAnadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-05T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPMzVqU3RlbUJkZlJYbm9ac2M3a19FLVRqWW5LSGF5NDE0NTVveEFNVllZMlJ3cy04V2RPWGZNVE85WHFORkxEWF9uZGdReldBbUFjODZYaFg0eWcwYy1qUWVCOHNLTnFPMERWSUR5NTd5X045ZHFvUm9XWC1ESjZodlR1N0tPMHA5S19YdnFjRVJvMFZZRHZOeVhEalpSVzNPVFhiSmtEazVtQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_998e8266dee0",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran’s army says it is ready for war, if that’s what ‘the enemy chooses’ - The Times of Israel",
    "body_text": "Iran’s army spokesperson said Thursday that the military is ready for a conflict, if that is what the US wants, the official Student News Network reported, as the two countries prepare to hold talks aimed at staving off a clash.\nUS President Donald Trump has warned that “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic in a standoff that has led to mutual threats of airstrikes and stirred fears of a wider war.\nCommenting on the addition of 1,000 drones to the Iranian military, Iranian Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia said Thursday: “We have always announced that we are ready to confront any option and any scenario that the enemy considers, and if the enemy chooses the option of war, we are ready for any option in war conditions.”\nTrump “must choose between compromise or war,” he added, warning that if a war breaks out, “its scope will encompass the entire geography of the region and all US bases — from the occupied territories to the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, where the US has bases. Our access to US bases is easy, and this has increased their vulnerability.”\nMeanwhile, in a move that could further strain tensions, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for “smuggling fuel,” the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday.\nIt was not immediately clear what flags the tankers were carrying, nor the nationalities of the crews.\nAmid the saber-rattling, Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said Thursday that the military continues to “strengthen preparedness and capabilities in both defense and offense.”\n“The Air Force, and you in particular, are required to continue maintaining a high level of readiness,” Bar said while visiting a reserve Iron Dome air defense battery in northern Israel, according to remarks published by the military. “Every day, we continue to strengthen preparedness and capabilities in both defense and offense.”\nTehran, which says it has replenished its stockpile of ballistic missiles since coming under attack from Israel last year, has warned that it will unleash its missiles to defend the Islamic Republic if its security is under threat. It has threatened to hit Israel as well as US bases in the region.\nIranian and US officials are set to sit down in Oman on Friday for mediated talks.\nTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that Turkey is doing its utmost to prevent US-Iran tensions from dragging the region into new conflict and chaos, and urged American and Iranian leaders to move ahead with talks.\nSpeaking to reporters on a return flight from a visit to Egypt, Erdogan praised diplomatic efforts by the sides and said leader-level talks would be helpful after lower-level negotiations, according to a transcript of his comments shared by his office.\nWhile the talks were originally set for Turkey, Iran wanted the meeting to take place in Oman as a continuation of previous talks held in the Gulf Arab country that had focused strictly on Tehran’s nuclear program, a regional official said.\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that despite Washington’s readiness to negotiate, a deal must cover Iran’s missile and nuclear programs, its support for terror groups in the region, and its treatment of its population.\nIran has only shown willingness to discuss its nuclear program, albeit not on the terms demanded by the US — for the Islamic Republic to agree not to enrich uranium on its own territory and export all of its already enriched stockpiles out of the country.\nIn June, the United States struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in at the tail end of a 12-day war with Israel. Israel said it launched strikes against the existential threat it faced from Iran’s nuclear program.\nThough Iran, which vows to destroy Israel, insists its program is peaceful, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no civilian use and are a short technical step from weapons-grade.\nMore recently, the US built up forces in the region following Iran’s violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest since Iran’s 1979 revolution.\nThe US has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East, as well as an aircraft carrier, other warships, fighter jets, spy planes and air refueling tankers. Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene, has since demanded nuclear concessions from Iran.\nIran’s leadership is increasingly worried a US strike could break its grip on power by driving an already enraged public back onto the streets, according to six current and former Iranian officials.\nThe Times of Israel Community.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-05T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNRzJqUFhaSUFiMXBKOGxXWnFtU3ZtMmJoVE1WRDAyT2doR1hhZnd1SkplYk5fVW9XbXktZGNOekQ0aFlJUmQ5dUFlYnlRQnBqMHBHZVktbUlMS0V0SlB0NEJwbkhRc0V1RVctU3hheWdRVTNVem1MR0lzMng2WDJLR0dlUFFpUFJJc1V2elBDMWFWRlpLaDRKTW5kbDN4N03SAaQBQVVfeXFMTVVQX3hGQjY2LTNpRjRYQ2pvZ1ZNZnNDZWxRYVQ1QUUycnRDVjhjM0hrRUgtdTM2MW5ENV9XU0pYZGxFQ0g1Ti1hNGttQl83T0p5X3NkeWNrbVVObFBrdU1lYzhCNlp5c3lVZVBuZEo1VklxS3FtR1FVUHZCVnh6T250N2NSZkQwTjV5X3QtYWJLSE5NQzQtMFg5bzFGYkNkYkpGdm0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2579f74f2722",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Trump says Iran wants to make a deal 'very badly' - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Trump says Iran wants to make a deal 'very badly'\nUS President stresses that any agreement with Tehran must include a firm ban on nuclear weapons",
    "published_at": "2026-02-06T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxObHZ6dmcwZXQxM1hhdjlScFVqbU11MklGQWlRQ0g3bnNDOWcxUW53aEVDS2VFZnNBWnFIVVA5aV9JdTRFekVjTkdSRHNDa1JzY2ZWeE9kMS1PSUZDUnJmd2dBd1Z5a2I4a3lhSEl3YVVoWW00MEdxWW93dHRwalhIU1hXV3BlNUROeGxabU1uQ0toSEN6NTdMNVVFRQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a396f013d88e",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran ready for nuclear-focused talks, rejects US military build-up - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Tehran, Iran – Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the United States to respect his country as the two nations look ahead to another round of nuclear negotiations next week following mediated discussions in Oman.\n“Our reasoning on the nuclear issue is based on rights stipulated in the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he wrote in a post on X on Sunday. “The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but cannot withstand the language of force”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Hamas leader rejects disarmament while Israeli occupation of Gaza continues\n- list 2 of 3Iran-US talks in Muscat bought time, not a deal\n- list 3 of 3Families ‘inconsolable’ in Gaza as Israel returns more unidentified bodies\nPezeshkian described the indirect talks held in Oman on Friday as a “step forward” and said his administration favours dialogue.\nIranian officials are highlighting sovereignty and independence and are signalling eagerness for nuclear-only negotiations, while rejecting a military build-up in the region by the US.\nSpeaking at a forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, the country’s chief diplomat Abbas Araghchi pointed out that the Islamic Republic has always emphasised independence since overthrowing US-backed Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in a 1979 revolution.\n“Before the revolution, the people did not believe their establishment to have possessed true independence,” Araghchi said.\nThe messaging comes as the anniversary of the revolution approaches on Wednesday, when state-organised demonstrations have been planned across the country. Iranian authorities have in previous years exhibited military equipment, including ballistic missiles, during the rallies.\nAraghchi said during the event in the capital that Iran is unwilling to forego nuclear enrichment for civilian use even if it leads to more military attacks by the US and Israel, “because no one has the right to tell us what we must have and must not have”.\nHowever, the diplomat added that he told US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Muscat on Friday that “there is no way but negotiations”. He said China and Russia have also been informed of the content of the talks.\n“Being afraid is lethal poison in this situation,” Araghchi said about Washington amassing what US President Donald Trump has called a “beautiful armada” near Iran’s waters.\n‘Push the region back years’\nIran’s top military commander on Sunday issued a new warning that the entire region will be engulfed in conflict if Iran is attacked.\n“While being prepared, we genuinely have no desire to see the outbreak of a regional war,” Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi told a gathering of air force and air defence commanders and personnel.\n“Even though aggressors will be the target of the flames of regional war, this will push back the advancement and development of the region by years, and its repercussions will be borne by the warmongers in the US and the Zionist regime,” he said in reference to Israel.\nAccording to Mousavi, Iran “has the necessary power and preparedness for a long-term war with the US”.\nBut many average Iranians are left in limbo without much hope that the talks with the US will lead to results, including for the country’s heavily declining economy.\n“I was 20 when the first negotiations with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme were held about 23 years ago,” Saman, who works at a small private investment firm in Tehran, told Al Jazeera.\n“Our best years are behind us. But it’s even more sad to think that some of the youth who were born at the start of the negotiations were killed on the streets during the protests last month with many hopes and dreams.”\n‘They never returned’\nIran is witnessing tense time and threats of a massive US military strike. But the Islamic Republic has not overcome anti-government protests that shook the nation, denouncing the collapse of the national currency, soaring prices and economic hardship.\nState television continues to broadcast confessions of Iranians arrested during the nationwide protests, many of whom are accused by the state of working in line with the interests of foreign powers.\nIn a report aired late on Saturday, a woman and multiple men with blurred-out faces and in handcuffs could be seen saying they were led by a man who allegedly received weapons and money from Mossad operatives in neighbouring Iraq’s Erbil.\n“He only wanted more people to die; he shot at everyone,” one of the confessing men said about what allegedly transpired during unrest in the Tehranpars district in the eastern part of the capital, backing the state’s claim that “terrorists” are responsible for all deaths.\nIranian authorities have accused the US, Israel and European countries of instigating the protests.\nBut international human rights organisations and foreign-based opposition groups accuse state forces of being behind the unprecedented killings during the protests, which were carried out mostly on the nights of January 8 and 9.\nThe Iranian government claims 3,117 people were killed, but the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has documented nearly 7,000 fatalities and is investigating more than 11,600 cases. The United Nations special rapporteur on Iran, Mati Sato, said more than 20,000 may have been killed as information trickles out despite heavy internet filtering.\nAl Jazeera cannot independently verify these figures.\nAmid numerous reports that dozens of medical staff were arrested for treating wounded protesters and remain incarcerated in harsh conditions, Iran’s judiciary issued a rejection of the allegations late Saturday. It claimed that only “a limited number of medical personnel were arrested for participating in riots and playing a role in the field”.\nA large number of schoolchildren and university students were also reportedly among tens of thousands arrested during and in the aftermath of the nationwide protests. The Ministry of Education claimed last week that it did not know how many schoolchildren were arrested, but could confirm that all have since been released.\nThe Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations on Sunday released the four-minute video below, titled “200 empty school desks”, which shows the schoolchildren and teenagers confirmed killed during the protests. Many were accompanied by their parents when killed.\nOne month after the killings, countless families are left grieving and continue to release videos commemorating their loved ones online.\nA message on Instagram calling on the international community to keep talking about the people of Iran has now been shared more than 1.5 million times.\n“One month ago today, thousands woke up and ate breakfast for the last time without knowing it, and kissed their mother for the last time without knowing it,” the message reads. “They lived for the last time and never returned.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-08T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_2f0b2926ce87",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Russia Reacts as Non-Nuclear NATO Ally Warns of Joining Arms Race - Newsweek",
    "body_text": "The Kremlin said the world's nuclear powers must \"behave responsibly\" and deter an arms race in response to remarks by Turkey's top diplomat that the NATO ally could be forced to develop such weapons if others in the Middle East—particularly Iran—were to acquire them and alter the balance of power.\nThe United States is negotiating the nuclear issue with Iran in pursuit of a new deal after threatening Tehran with fresh military strikes. Iran denies seeking to build a nuclear bomb, but it has stockpiles of uranium that it has enriched to a level beyond the needs of civilian energy. President Donald Trump has said he will never allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.\n- Essential Reading: As US and Iran Teeter Between War and Peace, Saudi Arabia Wants a Deal\nMeanwhile, the last arms control treaty between Russia and the U.S., which set limits on strategic nuclear arsenals and mandated inspections, has now expired. While both sides have signaled the need for a new agreement, the expiration of the New START treaty has raised fears of a new nuclear arms race.\n“We believe that all countries of the ‘nuclear club’ will behave responsibly so as not to give the slightest pretext and not to allow any manifestations of a nuclear arms race,” Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in response, state news agency Tass reported.\nTurkey is a non-nuclear-weapon state under international law and has signed and ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). But under NATO's nuclear-sharing framework, there are U.S. nuclear weapons hosted at Incirlik Air Base.\nTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was asked by CNN Turk if an Iranian nuclear weapon would be a threat to Turkey, or if Ankara would welcome it. \"Frankly, we do not want to see dramatic changes that would alter the balance in the region,\" Fidan replied, originally in Turkish.\n\"There is a balance of power, and disrupting it would seriously damage the spirit of cooperation in the region. Second, such a development could push other countries—those with their own issues with Iran—to pursue nuclear weapons as well.\n\"And that, in turn, could force us to join the same race, whether we want to or not. So I don’t think this would be beneficial for the region at all.\"\n- Essential Reading: Trump and Putin Turn the Doomsday Clock Back to 1972\nThere are nine countries known to possess nuclear weapons, though only five of them are officially recognized under the NPT: The U.S., Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. All developed their nuclear arsenals before 1967 and are classified in international law as \"nuclear-weapon states.\"\nThe four other states understood to have nuclear weapons, but not recognized under the NPT, are India and Pakistan, which developed them outside of the NPT framework; North Korea, which pulled out of the NPT and has conducted tests as well as claiming an arsenal of weapons; and Israel, which has never confirmed possession of them under a policy of ambiguity.\nThe U.S. and Russia together account for roughly 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, with each estimated to possess more than 5,000 warheads each, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).\nLast week, China urged the U.S. to quickly work with Russia on a solution to manage their nuclear arsenals now that the New START arms control treaty has expired.\n\"From China’s view, the expiration of New START is truly regrettable,\" said Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, in a statement shared on social media.\n\"The treaty is vital to global strategic stability, and there is widespread concern over the impact on the international nuclear arms control system and global nuclear order after the treaty expires.\"\nUpdate 2/10/26, 9:36 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.\nIn a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not \"both sides,\" it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.\nWhen you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-10T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxOZ3RVdC1KX0hYWFVmemE1N2UxWFZTYUdWX09Zd2JlM21tSmRObzlIYTM5ajc2UmxwWS1OZkFUdE5HRHdfWEVUNXBPTE0tUzRaN21TaUpQazhObHhiSWxzOUc5bGpONHp5NU02empWMXlzMm4tSm00M1o0czVHVjRtOUk5MA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f0bcf68a781d",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel PM to meet Trump with Iran missiles high on agenda - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel PM to meet Trump with Iran missiles high on agenda\nIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday the top priority in his talks with US President Donald Trump would be the ongoing negotiations with Iran, as he presses for a tougher US approach to Tehran's ballistic missile programme.\nSo far, Iran has rejected expanding the scope of its talks with the US beyond the issue of its nuclear programme, though Washington also wants Tehran's ballistic missile programme and its support for regional militant groups on the table.\nThe two leaders are to meet in Washington on Wednesday, their sixth such encounter in the United States since Trump returned to office a year ago.\nThey also met in Jerusalem in October when Trump announced a ceasefire in Gaza.\nWednesday's meeting comes days after arch-foes Iran and the United States held talks in Oman, after which Trump said another round of negotiations would follow.\nNetanyahu and Trump will also meet amid growing international outrage over Israeli measures to tighten control of the occupied West Bank by allowing settlers to buy land directly from its Palestinian owners.\nHowever, it remains unclear whether the issue will be raised in their talks, despite Trump's past opposition to any annexation of the West Bank.\n\"On this trip we will discuss a range of issues: Gaza, the region, but of course first and foremost the negotiations with Iran,\" Netanyahu said, in a video statement before his departure.\n\"I will present to the president our views regarding the principles for the negotiations.\"\nIn an earlier statement issued over the weekend, Netanyahu's office said he will highlight Israel's concerns over Iran's missile arsenal and not just the nuclear programme.\n- Netanyahu visit 'destructive' -\nIran's foreign ministry spokesperson warned Tuesday that Netanyahu's visit would have a \"destructive\" influence on diplomacy that is \"detrimental to the region\".\nIsrael's concerns came to a head during an unprecedented war between the two longtime adversaries in June last year.\nSince then, Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that Iran's missile capabilities pose a threat distinct from, and in some ways more immediate than, its nuclear programme.\nIsraeli officials argue that Iran could strike Israel with little warning and also overwhelm the country's air-defence systems in a sustained conflict.\nDuring the June war, Iran launched waves of ballistic missiles and other projectiles at Israeli territory, striking both military and civilian areas.\nThose that landed in densely populated areas \"caused severe damage,\" said Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies.\n\"I don't think it's like existential threat, but definitely it's a major threat on the Israeli home front.\"\n- Concerns over Trump's approach -\nAnalysts say Netanyahu is very wary of any deal with the Iranians.\n\"He's concerned that President Trump is not quite as enthusiastic about a military attack on the Iranians as Netanyahu wishes were the case,\" said Guy Ziv, an associate professor at the foreign policy and global security department at American University in Washington.\n\"He wants to first convince President Trump that Iran's ballistic missiles, which he sees as a major threat to Israel, must be included in any agreement over Iran's nuclear programme,\" Ziv told AFP. \"He wants to make sure that... Trump sees that as a red line as well.\"\nThe 12-day war in June was triggered by unprecedented Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, as well as residential areas.\nThe United States later joined the offensive, striking three Iranian nuclear sites, before a ceasefire brokered by Trump came into force.\nIn Israel, the war killed 30 people and caused extensive damage to property, including a hospital and several public institutions.\nIn October 2024 Iran fired a barrage of some 200 missiles at Israel in response to the assassinations of senior Hamas and Hezbollah.\nIn April 2024, against the backdrop of the Israel–Hamas war in Gaza, Iran -- a key backer of the Palestinian Islamist group -- launched its first ever drone and missile attack on Israel.\nThat strike was in retaliation for a deadly attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus days earlier, which Tehran blamed on Israel.\nburs-jd/acc/dc",
    "published_at": "2026-02-10T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxNY3pRdXU0ZHhmcXU0dUZHZ3VCWTVZdFVmLUM1bVdWa2pDbkdzaUQ3WW5YZ2hvNjZpeE1jVmxDaFg4el82V3NfNEFFakFxVGthX24wa1ZHMDJOSFc0dklwdTdKWmZONkhaaFBXT0JMN2dBWHJTWnpEclI1cWcwOUM2OFhBRjVGWFFJVU9qZU9Ha2hyQWpDOVE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_684c4e0f234c",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Turkish foreign minister warns of nuclear arms race if Iran gets the bomb - Long War Journal",
    "body_text": "On February 9, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested that Turkey would begin developing nuclear weapons should Iran obtain them. During a televised interview with CNN Turk, Fidan warned that Iranian nuclearization would upset the “balance of power” in the Middle East and likely initiate a regional nuclear arms race, which Turkey may be compelled to join. The foreign minister declined to comment when asked if he believed Turkey should possess nuclear weapons.\nFidan’s remarks surfaced during a broader discussion of Iran’s indirect negotiations with the United States in Oman on February 6, as well as rumors of an impending US military action. The foreign minister questioned the international assessment that the Tehran regime intends to produce nuclear weapons, claiming there is “no data that they want to build them.” He also cited Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s fatwa against nuclear weapons and asserted that Iran has only pursued uranium enrichment, not weaponization. In light of Iran-US talks, Fidan stated that issuing ultimatums on Iran’s nuclearization and ballistic missile programs—which Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian deemed “unreasonable”—would be unrealistic and obstruct a peaceful settlement.\nThe Turkish government has expressed opposition to US strikes against Iran since hosting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on January 30. Regarding Khamenei’s government, Fidan said that “the problem is not the regime itself [… it] is the decisions the regime makes.” Amid speculation over an impending US military action against Tehran, he argued that an American air campaign would be insufficient to collapse the Iranian regime and claimed that the threat of war had diminished amid negotiations.\nTurkey is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). However, Turkish leaders have long suggested that all countries maintain a “right to enrich” uranium, even though such a right is not explicitly delineated in the NPT. In 2019, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the notion that “countries like the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom could possess nuclear weapons while others, including Turkey, could not.” Until now, Erdogan’s rhetoric has not been matched by noteworthy actions to potentially procure such capabilities. Comprehensive safeguards also cover sites like plants that convert or enrich uranium and plutonium separation facilities, which Turkey does not possess but may acquire in the future.\nAnkara has also signed an enhanced IAEA inspection agreement known as the Additional Protocol (AP), which gives the IAEA the authority to visit sites where Turkey does not produce nuclear material but that could support a clandestine nuclear weapons program. The AP also requires Turkey to provide information about sensitive foreign nuclear procurements. In essence, by signing the AP, Turkey better positioned the IAEA to detect activities that it might, in the future, try to hide.\nIndependent of any desire develop nuclear weapons capability, Turkey maintains a commercial relationship with Russia, which is in the process of completing the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant. The project, owned by Russia’s Rosatom Corporation, is for the cradle-to-grave construction, financing, and ownership of four nuclear power plants located in Akkuyu, a suburb of Turkey’s Mersin province. The Akkuyu plants are expected to start operating between 2026 and 2028.\nSouth Korea or Russia may build four additional units in the Black Sea province of Sinop, and China may build other reactors at Igneada, near Istanbul. The US nuclear power plant manufacturer Westinghouse is also considering contending for reactor projects in a bid to move Turkey away from Russian and Chinese suppliers.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-11T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxQMFJXam16TzFROWxyb1FYaTkxU0dHUFVTNUJKMXpJNmtsWGZhdlk2YUhRQk9sN055di1vV0FibkRiR3ZiRGtOR1F6V3NPNFFpYlVXZEZpLWk5cXdSbGxUTm8zOHR4SnhUdmdpZUp1UEQtNk9QRWdkUXNxSldiX3MzVmw1SU5WcUQ2RGw2eVBiZm9pY2MxbjAxVldCeHlyTUNwX002b0FxYklCVWpCZFRNRzZCN2I2VTNkNzBkVUJlNEpSTTQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5ae698516dd3",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Trump must defy Netanyahu's push for war on Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Trump must defy Netanyahu's push for war on Iran\nThe United States stands at the edge of a catastrophic decision, one that could reshape the Middle East, endanger millions of lives, and lock America into yet another long, costly war with no clear end.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again intensified his campaign to pressure the United States into direct military action against Iran.\nThis is not a new strategy.\nFor decades, Netanyahu has argued that Iran poses an imminent, existential threat that can only be resolved through force.\nTime and again, those warnings have been framed as urgent, unavoidable, and absolute. Time and again, the promised doomsday has failed to materialise.\nWhat has materialised - repeatedly - is regional chaos following military interventions sold as quick, decisive, and necessary.\nAn American attack on Iran would not be a limited strike. It would not be clean. And it would not be contained.\nRegional instability\nIn 2003, the United States invaded Iraq on claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. Those claims proved false.\nThe war resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, trillions of dollars in costs, and long-term regional destabilisation - while ultimately strengthening Iran’s regional position.\nIn 1964, misrepresented reports of attacks on US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin were used to justify US entry into Vietnam, a war that claimed nearly 60,000 American lives and three million Vietnamese.\nIn 2011, a Nato intervention in Libya, described as limited and \"humanitarian\", contributed to the collapse of the Libyan state and ongoing regional instability.\nEach of these conflicts was framed as urgent. Each was presented as unavoidable. Each became a lasting lesson in the cost of premature war.\nOn Wednesday, Netanyahu, who is accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically citing the use of starvation as a method of warfare in Gaza; as well as murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, and who is expected to be indicted of genocide by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), will be given another opportunity to beat the drums of war in the White House.\nHe has warned for nearly three decades that Iran is on the verge of acquiring a nuclear weapon, beginning with public statements in the mid-1990s, reiterated before the US Congress in 2015, and repeated consistently since.\nThe deadline has always been \"months away\". The proposed solution has consistently been military force.\nIran is not Iraq nor Venezuela. It is a nation of nearly 90 million people, with advanced military capabilities and regional alliances spanning Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.\nAny US attack would not be limited or contained.\nTens of thousands of innocent people will be killed and many times that number will be seriously injured. American troops stationed across the region would face retaliation.\nGlobal energy markets would be shaken as the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes, becomes a point of conflict.\nThe economic consequences would be immediate and global - fuelling inflation, market volatility, and hardship far beyond the battlefield.\nPermanent confrontation\nMost critically, war would undermine its stated objective. Military strikes do not eliminate nuclear knowledge. An attack on Iran would likely end inspections, accelerate weaponisation, and lock the region into permanent confrontation.\nUS foreign policy must be guided by US interests, international law, and the hard-earned lessons of history - not by fear-driven narratives or external pressure\nDiplomacy, by contrast, has demonstrated results.\nThe 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) significantly reduced Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, extended breakout timelines, and subjected Iran’s programme to the most intrusive inspection regime ever negotiated.\nWar would replace verification with uncertainty and restraint with escalation.\nAllies have the right to advocate for their security interests. They do not have the right to determine when Americans fight and die.\nUS foreign policy must be guided by US interests, international law, and the hard-earned lessons of history - not by fear-driven narratives or external pressure.\nHumanity today needs peace not war. And if there is a sincere desire to protect humanity, the world should be completely free of weapons of mass destruction.\nThe United States of America should listen to the voices of wisdom in the Middle East that have warned against the catastrophic results of any attack on Iran.\nIt certainly should never listen to the voices of genocide perpetrators.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye",
    "published_at": "2026-02-11T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxQdTFGeEtqV2dKVkMwYWlEd2RXZEN1SVhDSTVHZ2VwMUkzbS1SeFpmaFl2N29SVlFRYkZrY2lPX1JwNnU5bkFmYzNqUXExdjdZRC1sWlpaOXd3ei00SE1MWjNQZ3hoSFd5SzFBQXRHQUVJN2pvNzJaWi1jN1BnVE9XaG1R?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c6a3d232f5e7",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trump tells Netanyahu Iran nuclear talks must continue - BBC",
    "body_text": "Trump tells Netanyahu Iran nuclear talks must continue\nUS President Donald Trump said he insisted talks with Iran continue during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but warned he may take action against Tehran if a nuclear deal is not reached.\nThe leaders met at the White House as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East and negotiations intensify over curbing Iran's nuclear weapons programme.\nNetanyahu was expected to press Trump to pursue a deal that would not only halt Iran's uranium enrichment, but cut its ballistic missile programme and support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.\nIran has suggested it is ready to limit its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, but has rejected other demands.\nAhead of the White House meeting, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned his country would \"not yield to their excessive demands\".\nNetanyahu's visit marks his sixth trip to the US since Trump's return to office - more than any other world leader.\nThe leaders spoke for nearly three hours in an unusually low-key meeting in which Netanyahu was brought in through a side entrance, out of view of the cameras.\nTrump did not hold a press conference with him afterwards.\nIn a post on Truth Social, Trump said the meeting between the leaders had been \"very good\".\n\"There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,\" he said.\nHe added a deal was his \"preference\" but if one could not be reached \"we will just have to see what the outcome will be\".\nNetanyahu's office said the leaders had discussed \"the security needs of the State of Israel in the context of the negotiations\" and agreed to continue their \"close coordination and relationship\".\nA close Trump ally, Netanyahu has long argued that Iran represents an existential security threat to Israel and has pushed the US to curb Tehran's influence in the region.\n\"The prime minister believes that any negotiations must include limiting ballistic missiles and ending support for the Iranian axis,\" Netanyahu's office said in a statement ahead of his trip.\nAfter arriving in Washington on Tuesday, Netanyahu met Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The pair \"provided an update on the first round of negotiations they held with Iran last Friday\", according to the prime minister's office.\nNetanyahu's visit comes as the US increases its military presence in the Middle East, with Trump warning Tehran of strikes if it fails to reach a deal on its nuclear programme and to stop killing protesters.\nOn Tuesday, the president said that he was \"thinking\" about sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.\nThe USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was sent to the region last month after Trump threatened to strike Iran to stop a government crackdown on mass protests in which thousands of people were killed.\n\"We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going,\" Trump said in an interview with Axios. He said Iran \"wants to make a deal very badly\", adding that a diplomatic solution remained possible.\nTrump told Fox Business that a good deal would mean \"no nuclear weapons, no missiles\".\nIn a speech at a rally in Tehran on Wednesday marking the 47th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution, Pezeshkian said: \"Our Iran will not yield in the face of aggression, but we are continuing dialogue with all our strength with neighbouring countries in order to establish peace and tranquillity in the region.\"\nThe Iranian president also reiterated that his country was \"not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons\". \"We have stated this repeatedly and are ready for any verification,\" he added.\nIsraeli officials have also said their country reserves the right to take military action against Iran if it does not reach a nuclear agreement with the US.\nNetanyahu is under pressure from far-right allies in his government to use his ties to Trump to push for a wide-ranging US-Iran deal that meets the Israeli government's security concerns, experts say.\n\"Israel is concerned that in the haste to get a deal with Iran, the president might embrace a deal that doesn't address Iran's missile programme or support for proxy groups, or that allows it to have some remnant of its nuclear programme,\" said Daniel Byman, a professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.\n\"One worry Israel and other allies have about the US under Trump is that he wants a deal more than he wants a particular outcome,\" added Byman.\n\"The Iranian regime today is really vulnerable,\" said Mohammed Hafez, a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School and expert on Middle Eastern politics. \"The US and Israel feel they hold all the cards, Iran is on its back foot, and they can make these maximalist demands.\"\nTrump withdrew the US from an Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran in his first term in office and reinstated sanctions that have severely strained its economy. The administration restarted talks last year to reach a new deal before the war between Israel and Iran.\nDespite this heightened rhetoric in recent weeks, Trump might still wish to avoid a direct military conflict with Iran if the nations cannot strike a nuclear deal, former US officials said.\n\"I don't think Trump wants a major military confrontation with Iran going into an election year,\" said James Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq and Turkey. \"And I think the Iranians know that.\"\nThe visit also comes as the Trump administration presses Israel and Hamas to implement the next phase of their ceasefire agreement in Gaza.\nOn Wednesday, Netanyahu met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to sign up as a member of Trump's Board of Peace.\nA White House spokesperson said Israel \"has had no better friend in its history than President Trump\".\n\"We continue to work closely with our ally Israel to implement President Trump's historic Gaza peace agreement and to strengthen regional security in the Middle East,\" said Anna Kelly, the spokesperson.\nIsrael and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire last October, ending a two-year war started by the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack inside Israel. Approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage in the attack. Israel's military campaign in response has killed more than 71,000 people, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.\nIsrael and Hamas have accused each other of frequent violations of the ceasefire since the first phase of the deal went into effect.\nThe sides have not made much progress in moving to the second phase in the ceasefire deal, which calls for the disarmament of Hamas, a full withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza, and reconstruction of the coastal territory.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-11T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTFBHd1ZLRmRrMFRLblBoNUg1TzBlLVRJY2JkZ3RpMi1vODFPLVI2cWJEal9weDdkSnZwQ2hQV1hjUklTcVZSWWF3UnozeGxoM1ZMU1p0SE0xR0VXUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2413f02db71e",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Turkish foreign minister warns of nuclear arms race if Iran gets the bomb - Foundation for Defense of Democracies",
    "body_text": "Turkish foreign minister warns of nuclear arms race if Iran gets the bomb    Foundation for Defense of Democracies",
    "published_at": "2026-02-11T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQWkgzLXVGU1BuX2lnSGliVWttaERCSjlCWEpGeHpyOWFIUW5rNXBBU284Ykw0clVodXA4VzJacnR1U1ZacmRFcU1iQUg3b2pwLXVYM1ZmWDlaUWpPTVRyc2V5NzJkX2dfYnd2YUlQN1N1WlNCQ0txZnRLZ2NxN0hMSlQ5VnpPUGJHN0t6aWhmYi01TGxmWUVzMllRcU1iT1ZaVE5mdkpNV3VkWlp3Q3k5SE82dmk?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ace7e1e60e2a",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran has more options up its sleeve than Trump and Netanyahu assume - openDemocracy",
    "body_text": "Iran has more options up its sleeve than Trump and Netanyahu assume    openDemocracy",
    "published_at": "2026-02-12T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxOem5EODlfbnduS293SFdXNXRHV19YUHpMM1NSQnp6SU01dHFDSjRyYzRTT0Q0UnVweGQtNHZOa1RGTVhsMmRrNzNlT3FYbEFlaUlWbU1uRmlVeDBVcDF0cHZYTzFrcE1nN011ZVAyQWR4Z3dmTDJpdHRxN2d4M1pOLUpn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7d1a2b702a03",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why Trump Hesitates to Go to War with Iran - الجزيرة نت",
    "body_text": "After the brazen violation of international law represented by the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, tensions in the Middle East have escalated dramatically in recent weeks, prompting growing speculation about a direct clash between the United States and Iran.\nIt is crucial to understand why the United States has not yet engaged in military action against Iran. Washington is not hesitant because it lacks overwhelming military capability—far from it. It has hesitated because, in the case of Iran, power does not translate into speed, and speed is the currency Donald Trump values most.\nThe common belief in the West is that Iran is weak, overextended and just putting on a brave face. However, this belief is based on a mistaken idea: that a war with Iran would be quick, controllable, and ultimately end in a way that benefits the United States. This view is dangerously naive.\nIran has spent decades preparing not to win quickly, but ensuring that any conflict with its adversaries becomes drawn out and costly. Its strategy is not centred on territorial conquest or flashy tactical successes. Instead, it is built on endurance and the imposition of costs. Iran does not aim for a knockout blow; it seeks to draw its enemies into prolonged conflicts that drain their resources, erode political capital, and consume time—ultimately exhausting even the most powerful militaries.\nThis is precisely why the United States remains hesitant—and why Donald Trump, in particular, treads carefully. Trump is a gambler, but he is not suicidal. He is willing to roll the dice when he believes the odds are stacked in his favour, and the payout is immediate. Iran, however, represents a different reality: a conflict with enormous downside, limited upside, almost no plausible path to a decisive resolution, and no assurance of a clean victory.\nThe Simple Math of Missile Defence\nModern war between sophisticated actors is no longer primarily about weapon platforms, tactics or doctrine. It is about arithmetic. More specifically, it boils down to the exchange rate between offensive munitions and defensive interceptors—and the depth of the arsenals behind them.\nAnalysts obsess over interception rates: how many Iranian missiles were shot down, or how effectively Israeli or American missile defence systems performed. But what matters is not how well defences perform on day one, but how long they can be sustained.\nBallistic missile defence (BMD) interceptors are not only expensive but also slow to produce. Offensive missiles, especially those made in Iran, are comparatively cheap and easier to produce at scale. In practical terms, a single interceptor does not guarantee the defeat of a single missile. In reality, defenders frequently fire two interceptors per inbound threat to hedge against failure. Clearly, this is problematic for the defender.\nIran understands this dynamic. Its strategy is built around exhausting missile defence systems rather than defeating them quickly. It is irrelevant whether 80 per cent or even 90 per cent of missiles are intercepted if the small percentage that gets through can inflict economic damage, close airspace or lower morale, thereby creating political pressure. Over time, the penetration rate increases because defensive resources become depleted.\nThe June 2025 Iran-Israel War was an example of this reality at play. Israel’s Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors were heavily expended. The United States had to step in with a backstop, deploying THAAD batteries and expending large numbers of MIM-401 Talon interceptors, alongside ship-launched SM-3 interceptors from U.S. Navy destroyers. Tactically, the defence worked. Strategically, it imposed a cost that the United States cannot afford to repeat.\nThe depth of an arsenal is the most critical factor in any conflict. Replenishing high-end BMD interceptors takes years. Even with the most optimistic projections, restoring U.S. THAAD interceptor stocks to pre-June 2025 levels will not occur until around 2027. This is unfolding as China continues its military buildup, where these same interceptors are vital for deterrence in the Western Pacific.\nEvery interceptor used in Israel is not available for other purposes. Each time missile defence assets are deployed to the Middle East, there is an opportunity cost. The United States is no longer operating in isolation; it is balancing a multi-theatre competition with limited resources.\nIran, by contrast, needs only to ensure that its offensive arsenal remains larger than the defensive inventory arrayed against it. In this respect, Iran holds a decisive advantage.\nIran’s Indigenous Ecosystem\nIran’s capabilities are frequently misunderstood because they are evaluated piecemeal. Iranian systems are designed to operate as a coordinated ecosystem—a system of systems—each component optimised for specific roles within Iran’s unique military-geographical context.\nIranian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and strike drones are tailored to operate within Iran's specific environment, meeting its strategic needs. These systems are not designed to work alone; they are intended to overwhelm and exhaust the enemy's defences through constant, unrelenting pressure. This allows for a gradual increase in pressure as a higher percentage of munitions successfully penetrate enemy defences, ultimately paving the way for a resolution to the conflict.\nThe ecosystem includes ballistic missiles across multiple range classes, cruise missiles such as the Paveh family, propeller-driven strike drones like the Shahed-136, and others.\nThis is why dismissing Iranian drones as “ineffective” misses the point. Drones shot down still impose a cost. They tie up combat air patrols and force the expenditure of air-defence munitions. This is a form of attrition.\nAnsar Allah\nYemen occupies a peculiar position in Iran’s regional strategy. From a purely military standpoint, it is too far from Israel to be an optimal platform for decisive strikes. This has led some observers to dismiss Ansar Allah’s role as marginal or symbolic. This is a mistake.\nAnsar Allah's primary role is not to launch direct, decisive attacks against Israel. Instead, the focus is on maritime coercion, economic disruption and strategic harassment. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is a narrow chokepoint through which a vast volume of global commerce flows.\nMost Iranian-supplied anti-ship munitions in Ansar Allah's arsenal are optimised for range rather than payload. Their warheads are relatively small, and they are often launched in modest numbers. The objective is not to destroy warships outright, but to tie down naval assets that could be tasked elsewhere.\nIn effect, Yemen functions as a force in being. The mere existence of credible anti-ship capabilities compels various navies to conduct escort missions for merchant traffic. Warships are a limited resource; each destroyer sent to the Red Sea is one less available for areas like the Gulf or the Pacific. Additionally, these threats drive up insurance premiums, increasing the cost of transiting the Red Sea. As a result, some shipping companies opt to avoid the region altogether, considering the risk too high, even with escort protection for their vessels.\nEndurance by Design\nA common analytical mistake is to assume that escalation is binary: either Iran launches a massive, decisive strike or it does nothing. In reality, Iran’s preferred strike pattern in a prolonged conflict would likely consist of small daily launches—ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and strike drones—interspersed with periodic larger salvos.\nBallistic missile defence systems are optimised for short, intense engagements. They are not optimised for weeks of constant readiness and the resulting crew fatigue. Maintenance backlogs accumulate. Even if interception rates remain high, readiness erodes.\nThis logic applies equally to the Israeli and American air forces. Continuous air defence operations require combat air patrols that could otherwise be used for strike missions. Every aircraft tied down defending airspace is one less attacking Iran. Iran counts this as success.\nCrucially, Iran’s arsenal is diversified precisely to sustain this tempo: ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and strike drones. Each system compensates for the others’ weaknesses. None is decisive alone; together, they create an environment in which defenders are never allowed to rest. The underappreciated fact is that wars are often decided by which side can outlast the other.\nCruise Missiles\nDuring the June 2025 Iran-Israel War, Iranian cruise missiles did not play a significant role. However, this does not imply that they would not be influential in any future conflict involving the United States.\nCruise missiles matter because they solve problems that ballistic missiles cannot. They are cheaper substitutes for manned aircraft. They are more accurate than most ballistic missiles. They fly at low altitude, reducing detection time and defensive reaction windows. They are also well-suited for attacking infrastructure.\nIran’s cruise missile programme is the result of frustration with ballistic missile accuracy and airpower limitations. For some target types, such as oil facilities, ports and hardened aircraft shelters, accuracy matters more than destructive force.\nRecent design changes suggest a maturation of guidance and launcher concepts. Cruise missiles also complicate civilian–military deconfliction. Their use almost guarantees airspace closures, imposing immediate economic costs even when interceptions are successful.\nThe Maritime Aspect\nThe Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are confined environments in which surface ships are inherently disadvantaged relative to land-based strike systems.\nIran’s maritime strike capabilities are often compared unfavourably to China’s. This comparison misses the point. Iran does not need DF-21D-type systems to create a severe risk in the Gulf. It operates in much narrower waters, against slower, less manoeuvrable targets, and at ranges where intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) constraints are far more manageable. Within this envelope, even “cruder” anti-ship ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles can be strategically meaningful.\nU.S. carriers now operate hundreds of kilometres from contested coastlines. This reduces risk but also means fewer sorties, longer flight times, greater reliance on tanker support, and a heavier reliance on standoff munitions. No ships need to be sunk for this to matter.\nThe “‘Use It or Lose It” Problem\nIsraeli assassinations of senior figures—often in their homes, sometimes alongside family members—introduced a new psychological dynamic. Iranian leaders are no longer weighing abstract regime survival alone. They are weighing personal survival.\nThis creates a “use-or-lose” mindset. Restraint becomes less rational once escalation begins. Capabilities previously held in reserve become harder to justify withholding. A testament to this new reality is the unprecedented declaration by Iran’s Supreme National Defence Council that Iran reserves the right to launch pre-emptive strikes based on ‘objective signs of threat’.\nMajor General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, also remarked that, following the recent 12-day conflict, Iran revised its military doctrine, shifting from a purely defensive posture to an offensive posture and delivering a crushing response to any aggression.\nThe Davidson Window\nThe United States is no longer operating in a world in which it is the only major military player. As stated earlier, every interceptor fired in the Middle East carries an opportunity cost in the Western Pacific.\nThe depletion of THAAD and SM-3 inventories in 2025 will not be remedied until about 2027, overlapping with the so-called Davidson window regarding China and Taiwan.\nIran knows this. Israel knows this. Trump knows this. This is why symbolic action is more attractive than all-out war.\nThe Axis of Resistance After 7 October\nAny serious analysis of Iran’s current posture must begin with an uncomfortable admission: the strategy pursued by Iran and Hezbollah for nearly two decades failed after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. That strategy—often described as “no war, no peace”—was not foolish. On the contrary, it worked for a long time. It relied on a threat of regional escalation to deter Israel while avoiding the costs of full-scale war.\nFor years, Israel refrained from striking many high-value Hezbollah and Iranian targets not because it lacked intelligence or capability, but because it did not want to risk a war that could devastate its economy and society. Hezbollah’s arsenal functioned as a sword of Damocles, and Iran reinforced that deterrent balance.\nWhat broke this equilibrium was not Hezbollah’s actions, but Hamas’s unexpected success on 7 October and the psychological shock that followed. Israel went onto a full war footing in Gaza, absorbing costs that would previously have been politically unacceptable. As the Gaza war dragged on, the marginal cost of expanding the conflict northward steadily declined.\nIran and Hezbollah misread this shift. Their response—limited attacks calibrated to signal solidarity without triggering war—was strategically incoherent. They attempted to fine-tune escalation in an environment where Israel was no longer interested in calibration. The “no war, no peace” paradigm became a trap.\nIsrael escalated relentlessly. The bombing of the Iranian consulate compound in Syria in April 2024 should have been a flashing red warning sign. The assassination of Fuad Shukr in Beirut on 30 July 2024, followed by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran the next day, marked an even more dramatic turn of events. By September, the pager and handheld radio attacks against Hezbollah obliterated whatever remained of the old rules.\nHezbollah and Iran were paralysed—not because they lacked capability, but because they were trapped between two fears: the fear of all-out war and the fear of appearing impotent. Israel recognised this paralysis and exploited it. Deterrence failed not because Iran’s strategy was absurd, but because it was overtaken by political and psychological shifts triggered by mass violence.\nThis failure matters because it reshaped escalation dynamics across the region. The old equilibrium is gone. Actors are now operating in a far less stable environment, where miscalculation is more likely and restraint is harder to sustain.\nForward Deployment in Iraq\nOne of the most underappreciated shifts since early 2024 has been the growing importance of Jordan in American military planning against Iran. Iran’s strike capabilities—imperfect as they are—have succeeded in keeping most Gulf states on the fence. The threat Iran poses to their oil, gas, desalination, aviation and broader economic infrastructure is real enough to shape political behaviour.\nJordanian airbases are, for all practical purposes, as distant from Iran as Israeli airbases. Iran’s shorter-range strike munitions—those most relevant to coercing Arab states —cannot be used against Jordan.\nAs a result, Jordan has become the one place in the region—aside from Israel itself—where the United States can openly deploy offensive forces with relatively limited Iranian counter-leverage. American aircraft operating from Jordan can strike Iran while benefiting from distance, concentrated defences, and a compact footprint that economises scarce BMD assets.\nIran can respond through its Iraqi non-state allies, and it likely would. But that card can only be played so many times. Iraq is not Yemen, and Iranian influence there is constrained by domestic politics and Iraqi sensitivities to becoming a battleground once again.\nThis changing geometry helps explain why Iran has emphasised forward deployment of strike systems to Iraq. Lebanon is too close and too exposed. Yemen is too far for many systems. Iraq, on the other hand, is close enough to Israel to matter and useful for threatening American forces.\nWhy Airpower Alone Cannot Deliver a Decision\nThere remains a persistent belief that American airpower is omnipotent and can resolve the Iran problem through precision strikes: destroy missile sites, cripple production, decapitate leadership, and walk away. This belief ignores reality.\nIran’s strike systems are dispersed, mobile and increasingly hardened. Ballistic missile launchers are challenging to find and harder to destroy. Cruise missiles and drone launchers are cheap, mobile and easily concealed. Decoys further complicate targeting.\nStandoff munitions are finite and expensive. Their payloads are often insufficient to destroy hardened underground facilities. Against such targets, the weapon of choice is often a heavy penetrating bomb, which is not a true standoff munition and requires aircraft to operate closer to contested airspace.\nAirpower can impose costs. It cannot end the war. That is the reality Trump confronts—and seeks to avoid.\nEconomic Warfare\nIran’s leverage over the Arab states is often underestimated because analysts focus narrowly on oil infrastructure. In reality, Iran does not need to destroy oil fields to cause an economic catastrophe. It can close the airspace.\nCivil aviation is the lifeblood of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, which are global hubs. Airspace closures—even temporary—have cascading effects: aircraft diversions, insurance spikes, stranded passengers and reputational damage. Tens of billions of dollars’ worth of wide-body aircraft sit exposed in airports at any given time.\nThis vulnerability explains Arab mediation efforts far better than appeals to regional harmony. These states are not neutral out of altruism. They are rational actors seeking to avoid becoming collateral damage in a war they cannot control.\nThe closure of civilian airspace is also one of the clearest early-warning indicators of impending conflict. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and strike drones cannot be safely deconflicted from civilian air traffic.\nTrump\nDonald Trump is particularly susceptible to the hot-hand fallacy—the belief that a series of successes reflects inherent skill rather than favourable conditions.\nHitler was a gambler who mistook early successes for a sign of destiny. The remilitarisation of the Rhineland, the Anschluss, the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the defeat of France all built up the false belief that he was unbeatable. Each gamble succeeded, not because Germany was invincible, but because its opponents hesitated. These successes led to growing overconfidence. In the end, Hitler took a reckless risk by underestimating the industrial power, population strength and endurance of his enemies. His winning streak ended in catastrophic failure.\nTrump’s is different, but the psychological pattern is familiar. He has experienced repeated instances in which aggressive posturing has led to concessions. He believes pressure works because it has before. The danger lies in assuming it will always work.\nIran is not like Venezuela, Libya or Iraq in 2003. It is a large, resilient country with significant military capabilities, including the largest ballistic missile arsenals in the Middle East, and institutions built to endure hardship and external pressure. Its regional reach, a culture centred on resistance and survival, means it does not have to win fast; it only needs to make sure its opponents don’t.\nTrump knows how a failed military gamble can destroy a presidency. He also understands that a prolonged Middle Eastern war would shatter his narrative. This is why symbolic strikes—demonstrations of resolve without open-ended escalation—are far more attractive than full-scale war.\nConclusion\nIf the illusion of a swift victory is removed, what is left is a drawn-out war of attrition with no true winners. From this viewpoint, diplomacy becomes the only realistic option. The Middle East is already facing a host of issues, and any escalation into war would be disastrous for everyone involved.\nChinese military general and strategist Sun Tzu famously wrote, “When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.” This does not mean allowing the enemy to escape. Rather, as Chinese politician and poet Du Mu explains in his commentary on The Art of War, the purpose is to “make him believe that there is a road to safety, and thus prevent his fighting with the courage of despair.”\nThat logic applies here. Iran and the wider “Axis of Resistance” possess the means to set the region on fire, and if they believe they have nothing left to lose, there is little reason to think they would refrain from doing so. Iranian officials have hinted as much. More importantly, 2026 is a critical year for the Trump presidency. It is difficult to imagine him risking his presidency on a prolonged war in the Middle East, with its inevitable economic fallout – something that was, and likely still is, Anathema to his platform.\nTrump is motivated by the desire to win and to win fast. While victory might be possible, it would come at an enormous cost, and expecting a quick, decisive outcome is unrealistic. That’s why I believe a symbolic strike—one that shows strength without causing uncontrollable escalation—is much more likely. This could be paired with increased economic and political pressure aimed at gradually destabilising Iran, much like boiling a frog.\n(1) Ali Harb, “Trump's abduction of Maduro escalates concerns over potential war with Iran”, Al Jazeera, 5 January 2026, https://tinyurl.com/2wswxan5 (accessed 24 January 2026).\n(2) Kayla Epstein, “Trump's seizure of Maduro raises thorny legal questions”, BBC, 5 January 2026, https://tinyurl.com/376nctnw (accessed 29 January 2026).\n(3) Wes Rumbaugh, “The Depleting Missile Defence Interceptor Inventory”, Center for Strategic & International Studies, 5 December 2025, https://tinyurl.com/mtsmmmfn (accessed 30 January 2026).\n(4) Thibault Denamiel, et al., “The Global Economic Consequences of the Attacks on Red Sea Shipping Lanes”, Center for Strategic & International Studies, 22 January 2024, https://tinyurl.com/4dx68nya (accessed 1 February 2026).\n(5) Agnes Chang, Pablo Robles and Keith Bradsher, “How Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea Upended Global Shipping”, The New York Times, 21 January 2024, https://tinyurl.com/yex9tf2s (accessed 1 February 2026).\n(6) Shahryar Pasandideh, “Many appear to be making the mistake of…”, X, https://tinyurl.com/cthzmtkb (accessed 2 February 2026).\n(7) Shahryar Pasandideh, “Hizballah and Iran's strategy appear to be in tatters following…”,\nX, https://tinyurl.com/3ywzpp78 (accessed 2 February 2026).\n(8) Shahryar Pasandideh, “Whether or not the relevant Iranian decision-makers view…”, X, https://tinyurl.com/mr2w2fnf (accessed 3 February 2026).\n(9) Sun Tzu, The Art of War, chapter 7, passage 36, translated on SunTzuSaid.com, https://tinyurl.com/29fwykm8 (accessed 4 February 2026).\n(10) Roohola Ramezani, “Iran is rewriting its rules of war—and raising the stakes for everyone”, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 9 January 2026, https://tinyurl.com/3vcm6zvk (accessed 7 February 2026).\n(11) “Iran Shifts to Offensive Military Doctrine: Top General”, Tasnim News Agency, 2 February 2026, https://tinyurl.com/5ccfy32e (accessed 7 February 2026).",
    "published_at": "2026-02-12T13:34:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifEFVX3lxTE05VFF3bHRROXp2SEJlN284aUhUd29vdXJOb2xQT1EzM2pRVW9sYmphd1hXU2VKalg5YzROUXB1WXFfLW5QSTJPTWJsckNGRVQxRTlxWlZ0ekpzdzcwWEZuTDZmWGlYRGU1SHN4ZEJscEdZODJPdDVsMWlhTjA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_196d5528b020",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "Iran’s military degraded by 12-day war with Israel, but still has significant capabilities - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran’s military degraded by 12-day war with Israel, but still has significant capabilities\nIran’s military degraded by 12-day war with Israel, but still has significant capabilities\nBANGKOK (AP) — With one American carrier strike group already in the Middle East and another apparently on its way as U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear program, fears are rising of the outbreak of another war that could spread into a regional conflict.\nThe 12-day Israel-Iran war last year appeared to cripple key elements of Iran’s military, yet left its capabilities far from neutralized — a distinction that looms large as tensions rise again.\nIf hostilities erupt again, the risk of a broader protracted conflict returns, especially if Iran’s leadership sees the fight as one for its existence.\nOpen skies\nThe June 13-24 war started when Israel launched strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program and top military officials. The United States joined the conflict, hitting three nuclear sites with massive “bunker-buster” bombs dropped from B-2 stealth bombers that flew their mission from their home base in Missouri.\nIt was a risky move for Trump, who has criticized his predecessors for involving the U.S. in “stupid wars,” but Iran responded weakly, with a limited missile attack on an American military base in Qatar that it warned Washington of in advance, and which caused no casualties. Tehran and Israel then both agreed to a ceasefire.\nIsrael was able to significantly degrade Iran’s air defenses with airstrikes and covert attacks from teams on the ground. Iran, presumably aware that its older F-14 and MiG-29 fighters were no match for the fifth-generation American F-35 stealth fighters and other aircraft flown by Israel, also never sent its air force into action.\nThat left the skies clear for Israel to carry out waves of attacks, and for the U.S. to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities and get out of Iranian airspace without the B-2 bombers ever being fired upon.\nIf hostilities resume, that scenario is likely to repeat, said Sascha Bruchmann, a defense analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain.\n“In practical terms, in reductionist terms, the sky is open for American and Israeli planes,” he said. “The problem is how to defend the region from the retaliation.”\nBruchmann said in the case of an expanded war, Iran would most likely hit back by targeting U.S. bases in the region, but could also attack oil infrastructure and mine the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.\nThey could also attempt to hit the American aircraft carriers, though they’re well defended by the destroyers in their strike groups, Bruchmann said.\n“If the regime itself believes its survival is at stake, which it did not believe in June last year, I think the game is different,” he said. “If you have a ... regime that thinks it’s about to go down, when why would you hold back with retaliation?”\nIran’s missile cupboard\nIran fired hundreds of missiles during the 12-day war and used more than 1,000 attack drones, killing nearly three dozen Israeli civilians and wounding thousands.\nDanny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in Israel’s military and intelligence services, said that it remains unclear how much missile capacity Iran has rebuilt.\n“You can see through satellite imagery, attempts to restart manufacturing,” he said, adding that government leaks in Israeli media suggest that Israel assumes Iran still retains a substantial number of short-range ballistic missiles.\nIsraeli strikes last year focused on what officials saw as the most immediate threats — Iran’s medium- and long-range missiles — leaving Tehran with a reduced but far from eliminated ability to threaten Israel. Its ability to hit nearby U.S. bases with short range missiles, seems barely diminished.\n“The short-range ballistic missiles did not suffer any significant hit whatsoever in the 12-day war,” Citrinowicz said.\nIran’s exact capabilities aren’t known, but it’s thought to still have more than 1,000 long range missiles that could hit Israel, and several thousand of the shorter-range missiles that could be used to hit American bases or other targets nearby, Bruchmann said.\nMissile stockpiles matter only if a country retains the systems to launch them. Israel also took out many of Iran’s launchers, but wasn’t able to destroy them completely, and it seems likely that Iran will have been working hard to rebuild that capacity.\nVery different stakes\nIran’s military vastly outnumbers that of Israel, with about 600,000 regular troops and 200,000 in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, including the elite Quds Force.\nIn the past they have also relied on proxy forces. Those include Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. But each has been so degraded by recent fighting that it’s an open question whether they would be able — or willing — to come to Iran’s assistance from Gaza, Lebanon or Yemen.\nA bigger threat might come from Iran-linked militias in Iraq, which could threaten U.S. forces on the ground there.\nIsrael has around 170,000 members of active duty forces and another 400,000 reserves. But even though their military is smaller, many have been battle hardened by regional conflicts and they also have the latest U.S. and European equipment as well as a robust domestic defense industry.\nIt also has the support of the U.S., both with its naval assets and multiple bases in the Middle East, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts thousands of American troops and is the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.\nBut beyond comparing numbers and capabilities, Bruchmann said that when thinking about a possible all-out conflict, one has to look at what the sides are willing to risk.\n“My assumption is that Americans are trying to plan for zero casualties,” he said. “We’re talking regime survival versus a zero casualty intervention — so just phenomenally different stakes.”\n___\nMetz reported from Ramallah, West Bank.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-13T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxNdklZN1BqUjAwdEJyYkFOVXhQbHlmRXVWZWlSWDBiTXRiSEVqc3dfd25QM1Bqb2w0VWlIQUFuWmhTUWVuMklObHNlTGlvS0hPSmFVOGlvNmNYbEN4Zm9aaEY5S2FlcF9qdU9WZHE2eWlTSGRNcjh1eW9VUW84RVVWVWExSFoyU3hSN3cwcmdZemRvMF9pZkhCV3JDNGxJdzJoT1Vv?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e6a19e5512ab",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Oil posts second consecutive weekly loss as US-Iran conflict risks subside - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Oil prices were marginally higher on Friday but closed at a second consecutive weekly loss as investors' concerns about US-Iran conflict risks receded and the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast weaker than expected global oil demand growth this year.\nBrent, the global benchmark for crude, settled 0.3 per cent higher at $67.75 per barrel at the market close on Friday, after falling nearly 3 per cent on Thursday. West Texas Intermediate, which tracks US crude, inched up 0.08 per cent at $62.89 per barrel.\nFor the week, Brent settled down about 0.5 per cent, while WTI lost 1 per cent in the week.\n“The broader markets have been gripped by risk-off sentiment as the ongoing nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran are likely to drag on without a quick resolution,” said Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer of Century Financial. He added that US President Donald Trump “appears to be taking a more measured approach, allowing time for further discussions”.\n“This has tempered the possibility of short-run military action that could disrupt supplies,” Mr Valecha said.\nGold, meanwhile, was up 1.30 per cent at $5,012.90 an ounce. Mr Trump has said that he can see discussions with Iran stretching for as long as a month, reducing the possibility of imminent military action, which could threaten supplies. The market on Friday “paused to reassess the risk of a US-Iran conflict”, said Vandana Hari, chief executive of Singapore's Vanda Insights.\nPrices fell sharply on Thursday after “traders pared back the Iran war premium, following comments from [Mr Trump] that significantly lowered the perceived threat of an imminent strike on the Islamic Republic”.\nMeanwhile, the IEA on Thursday forecast that global oil supply will continue to outpace demand in 2026. In its latest monthly report, the IEA said estimated that supply will exceed demand by around 3.7 million barrels per day this year.\n“With supply continuing to outpace demand, observed oil inventories rose by a further 37 mb in December, taking global stock builds in 2025 to an extraordinary 477 mb, or 1.3 mb/d on average, a level not seen since 2020,” the report said.\nVenezuela plans to grant Chevron and Respol additional oil production rights, which could further boost output, Mr Valecha said. “However, it is a long process that will require significant time and investment,” he added.\nThe Trump administration is pushing private companies to revive the nation’s energy sector and is expected to grant additional licenses to allow oil companies to explore and produce in Venezuela without violating sanctions.\nConocoPhillips and other energy companies that lost billions of dollars after Venezuela nationalised its oil industry decades ago are in talks with the acting Venezuelan president, Delcy Rodriguez, over recouping some ground, the US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday in an interview on Bloomberg Television.\nHowever, on Friday prices rose moderately as the US was expected to send a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. Mr Trump appears set to send a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, ahead of possible military action in Iran, as he warns that any failure in nuclear deal talks would be “very traumatic” for Tehran.\nA source familiar with the US Navy’s planning told The National on Thursday that the USS Gerald R Ford is preparing to sail to the region. The vessel is the world's largest aircraft carrier. In November, it was sent to the Caribbean before the US operation to capture Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-13T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1gFBVV95cUxOV1lSWTh4Rjlsd0VTZ2xMNl84aGZlSk1uNFFULVBweHQtekVFa2R5MHdvN2xVT0lrNGZYUnpkV2pBSUpBdnRqTGJHUmhCMDJ6Rlp4aEpsUV9sZ0M0a3RiLWU4NkthTk4zYWpfMzFuTUViUmJoYTVjNDFDd0FlZ1hyaGRlczZlckNCLUZHUWd1b0xSVTNBSFlyWTNmOG9fOXdneHdyeUE3bXVwYV9od0RySnZMZ3E3bk80UkRFUlAtTjd2TVdzMk9aZ1BCcWgzYnpUWHo2akR3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_08acbf8633cc",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Prince Turki Al Faisal urges diplomacy over war with Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Prince Turki Al Faisal urges diplomacy over war with Iran\nSpeaking to Hadley Gamble during the Munich Security Conference, Prince Turki outlines Saudi Arabia's push for stability and reform in a volatile Middle East",
    "published_at": "2026-02-13T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPaHlWci1iRFdfb0JSbEZjWkZ5ZzJySG1lcGVpRFZPRnowRG5acW52MklKYnFxT1RqWFZZQmowbWJYUTRmX1lPdHRsWGpOWndZOWVDNUF2Y0NXOHpMSGxFdndYb0JJNFpTVjdPd0tJanY1MS1jaWgzOWdfVW4xUUtKQ0lOcFhTVWx5am9LRk41dzhQUVhsSTBKV055ZGt1aG9MLUJzQkdIeGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_82d79fc8899c",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran’s military degraded by 12-day war with Israel, but still has significant capabilities - The Times of Israel",
    "body_text": "BANGKOK (AP) — With one American carrier strike group already in the Middle East and another apparently on its way as US President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear program, fears are rising of the outbreak of another war that could spread into a regional conflict.\nThe 12-day Israel-Iran war last year appeared to cripple key elements of Iran’s military, yet left its capabilities far from neutralized — a distinction that looms large as tensions rise again.\nIf hostilities erupt again, the risk of a broader protracted conflict returns, especially if Iran’s leadership sees the fight as one for its existence.\nOpen skies\nThe June 13-24 war started when Israel launched strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program and top military officials, saying it was responding to an existential threat posed by the nuclear program as well as Iran’s massive ballistic missile array. The United States joined the conflict, hitting three nuclear sites with massive “bunker-buster” bombs dropped from B-2 stealth bombers that flew their mission from their home base in Missouri.\nIt was a risky move for Trump, who has criticized his predecessors for involving the US in “stupid wars,” but Iran responded weakly to the US attack, with a limited missile attack on an American military base in Qatar that it warned Washington of in advance, and which caused no casualties. Tehran and Israel then both agreed to a ceasefire.\nIsrael was able to significantly degrade Iran’s air defenses with airstrikes and covert attacks from teams on the ground. Iran, presumably aware that its older F-14 and MiG-29 fighters were no match for the fifth-generation American F-35 stealth fighters and other aircraft flown by Israel, also never sent its air force into action.\nThat left the skies clear for Israel to carry out waves of attacks, and for the US to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities and get out of Iranian airspace without the B-2 bombers ever being fired upon.\nIf hostilities resume, that scenario is likely to repeat, said Sascha Bruchmann, a defense analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain.\n“In practical terms, in reductionist terms, the sky is open for American and Israeli planes,” he said. “The problem is how to defend the region from the retaliation.”\nBruchmann said in the case of an expanded war, Iran would most likely hit back by targeting US bases in the region, but could also attack oil infrastructure and mine the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.\nThey could also attempt to hit the American aircraft carriers, though they’re well defended by the destroyers in their strike groups, Bruchmann said.\n“If the regime itself believes its survival is at stake, which it did not believe in June last year, I think the game is different,” he said. “If you have a … regime that thinks it’s about to go down, then why would you hold back with retaliation?”\nIran’s missile cupboard\nIran fired hundreds of missiles during the 12-day war and used more than 1,000 attack drones, killing nearly three dozen Israeli civilians and wounding thousands.\nDanny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in Israel’s military and intelligence services, said that it remains unclear how much missile capacity Iran has rebuilt.\n“You can see through satellite imagery, attempts to restart manufacturing,” he said, adding that government leaks in Israeli media suggest that Israel assumes Iran still retains a substantial number of short-range ballistic missiles.\nIsraeli strikes last year focused on what officials saw as the most immediate threats — Iran’s medium- and long-range missiles — leaving Tehran with a reduced but far from eliminated ability to threaten Israel. Its ability to hit nearby US bases with short-range missiles seems barely diminished.\n“The short-range ballistic missiles did not suffer any significant hit whatsoever in the 12-day war,” Citrinowicz said.\nIran’s exact capabilities aren’t known, but it’s thought to still have more than 1,000 long-range missiles that could hit Israel, and several thousand of the shorter-range missiles that could be used to hit American bases or other targets nearby, Bruchmann said.\nMissile stockpiles matter only if a country retains the systems to launch them. Israel also took out many of Iran’s launchers, but wasn’t able to destroy them completely, and it seems likely that Iran will have been working hard to rebuild that capacity.\nVery different stakes\nIran’s military vastly outnumbers that of Israel, with about 600,000 regular troops and 200,000 in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, including the elite Quds Force.\nDespite this, the Israeli Defense Forces is considered a superior army. Israel has around 170,000 members of active duty forces and another 400,000 reserves. But even though the military is smaller, it has been battle-hardened by regional conflicts and possesses the latest US and European equipment as well as a robust domestic defense industry.\nIt also has the support of the US, both with its naval assets and multiple bases in the Middle East, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts thousands of American troops and is the forward headquarters for US Central Command.\nIn the past, Iran has also relied on proxy forces. Those include Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. But each has been so degraded by recent fighting that it’s an open question whether they would be able — or willing — to come to Iran’s assistance from Gaza, Lebanon or Yemen.\nA bigger threat might come from Iran-linked militias in Iraq, which could threaten US forces on the ground there.\nBut beyond comparing numbers and capabilities, Bruchmann said that when thinking about a possible all-out conflict, one has to look at what the sides are willing to risk.\n“My assumption is that Americans are trying to plan for zero casualties,” he said. “We’re talking regime survival versus a zero casualty intervention — so just phenomenally different stakes.”\nAre you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:\nWe’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.\nYou clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.\nYour support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.\nSo today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.\nThank you,\nDavid Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel\nThe Times of Israel Community.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-13T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3ad94b468086",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US readying for potential weeks-long military campaign against Iran — sources - The Times of Israel",
    "body_text": "WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The US military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two US officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries.\nThe disclosure by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the United States and Iran.\nUS and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear program, after Trump amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action.\nUS officials said on Friday the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.\nTrump, speaking to US troops on Friday at a base in North Carolina, said it had “been difficult to make a deal” with Iran.\n“Sometimes you have to have fear. That’s the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of,” Trump said.\nAsked for comment on the preparations for a potentially sustained US military operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: “President Trump has all options on the table with regard to Iran.”\n“He listens to a variety of perspectives on any given issue, but makes the final decision based on what is best for our country and national security,” Kelly said.\nThe Pentagon declined to comment.\nThe United States sent two aircraft carriers to the region last year, when it carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.\nHowever, June’s “Midnight Hammer” operation was essentially a one-off US attack, with stealth bombers flying from the United States to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran staged a very limited retaliatory strike on a US base in Qatar.\nRisks increasing\nThe planning underway this time is more complex, the officials said.\nIn a sustained campaign, the US military could hit Iranian state and security facilities, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of the officials said. The official declined to provide specific detail.\nExperts say the risks to US forces would be far greater in such an operation against Iran, which boasts a formidable arsenal of missiles. Retaliatory Iranian strikes also increase the risk of a regional conflict.\nThe same official said the United States fully expected Iran to retaliate, leading to back-and-forth strikes and reprisals over a period of time.\nThe White House and Pentagon did not respond to questions about the risks of retaliation or regional conflict.\nTrump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and crushing of internal dissent. On Thursday, he warned the alternative to a diplomatic solution would “be very traumatic, very traumatic.”\nIran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that in case of strikes on Iranian territory, they could retaliate against any US military base.\nThe US maintains bases throughout the Middle East, including in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Trump for talks in Washington on Wednesday, saying that if an agreement with Iran were reached, “it must include the elements that are vital to Israel.”\nIran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, but has ruled out linking the issue to missiles.\nThe Times of Israel Community.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-14T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNWGEtM1JLbmdheS1aYThzTXc5NWZhakFqTlE2SnlSZlVSY3dEb0JCVGtXbjFTQ2ttNWhLOUtCRFBBRWljVXo0SDNNQW5MZFdUMTVyaXBwcHZJSGZlS3psQ3d5Q1pSX01LS05qTU4tbnJ3M0p4MFdvdV9BY0MxeGxCY2dpaVpvMTFaQWFKSEp6SGxid2M0TjVlRGRLeDU3Y1M0RFE5SnRuY0F3d9IBrwFBVV95cUxPUlVseE9leWpEd3pQUm85MGFrSmxoYnFhNlE2Z2VCTi1fRThqdmhFQmFrQUlQWV9ZajF4Vm1DeE9LSHZ6TWJ3OUd3Q1RCTkFqd25fLVRaY0pWS1c1TnRwNllJNlNMRTVkOHEzSDZJRGl2S3lrTVN3MllsekRlcHBISDc4RDlBbnFvTUptbjRqMS1YSnpKa29HR2tpM3VQdTh4RU16RzZzUEpkY29Zd0R3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_cf40f469d848",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Exclusive: US military preparing for potentially weeks-long Iran operations - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: US military preparing for potentially weeks-long Iran operations    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-15T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOdmtIQ3RocVRvbFBIaEJqMjJiVTJaSmNKNTYtSEozZXUyMHpiRlFldmRqTm94Q1JWV0Q0R1VmSmM0WXdHN2xsdHU3NWJxSlFVb3dpS05wX2lHaTZPd1ozRlNoSkJNZV9KYzRrRmN4NGstRExsQTNWdWduTW1OS1hkMkhuS25ycUdxM01JczJwTTJXUTY4ZFlFRmNYUnltRHB5QXJEWUVNQVhmbTZVVmNEbWl4Mm4?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_34d581760ba9",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US warning to American vessels puts global shipping on edge in Strait of Hormuz - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "The US issued an advisory last Monday to American-flagged ships, asking them to avoid Iranian territory when passing through the Strait of Hormuz.\nThe warning has led to intensified scrutiny throughout the global shipping industry, though markets have yet to react sharply.\nThe US accounts for only a small fraction of global commercial shipping – particularly in container trades – but analysts say the move has wider implications for non-US operators that dominate Gulf trade flows, as most vessels transiting Hormuz are owned or operated by foreign firms.\nIran poses a “credible threat” to shipping if hostilities break out, says Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at shipping association Bimco. With advanced weapons systems across nearby waters, the risk to commercial vessels is real, he says.\nThere is no alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz\nJakob Larsen,\nchief safety and security officer, Bimco\n“As demonstrated by Iran in the past, any shipping operation with business or personal links to Israel or US risks being targeted,” he tells The National. \"Add to that the omnipresent risk of being targeted due to misidentification and it becomes clear that all ships will be at risk if hostilities break out.\"\n“There is no alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz,\" he adds. \"We have seen around a 50 per cent drop in numbers of ships going through the Bab Al Mandeb strait and the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks in connection with the Israeli military operation in Gaza. These ships have indeed rerouted south of Cape of Good Hope.”\nRisk ‘always there’\nFor credit analysts, the strategic importance of Hormuz has never diminished. Alexander Perjessy, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody’s Ratings, says risk is “always there”. The advisory does not materially change the underlying risk environment, he says.\n“In our view, the risk has not changed, it’s always been there,” Mr Perjessy says, describing the Strait of Hormuz as one of the key transmission channels through which geopolitical tension can affect credit fundamentals across the region.\nDisruption to shipping traffic through the strait remains a low-probability but high-impact event.\nMr Perjessy adds that the strait represents one of the few strategic levers Iran could use in response to escalating pressure from the US and its allies, including over Tehran’s nuclear programme.\nTension is simmering between the US and Iran. Washington sent an \"armada\" to the Middle East in response to a government crackdown on protests in Iran. Concerns are high that the US might launch another attack on Tehran.\nEarlier this month, US forces shot down an Iranian drone it said had ventured too close to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.\nAmid the tension, Iran and the US have held talks on the future of Tehran's nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump, who ordered strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure in June last year, described the negotiations in Oman as \"very good\".\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a major route for shipping in the Middle East, particularly for tankers carrying oil around the world. Iran has threatened to close the waterway during times of high geopolitical tension.\nStructurally, the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical chokepoints. If tension between the US and Iran heightens, non-US shipping companies could be directly affected – through security threats, potential sanctions or sharp swings in freight rates.\nThe US Department of Transportation has advised vessels to assert their rights under international law and decline Iranian forces permission to board, but to avoid resisting should they be boarded. To avoid such issues, it warned vessels to steer clear of Iranian waters \"without compromising navigational safety\".\nIranian forces used small boats and helicopters during boarding operations and have attempted to force commercial vessels in the country's territorial waters, the US Department of Transportation said on February 9.\nUsing hybrid routes\nAs a result of the advisory, ship operators are also using hybrid routes, with a combination of sea and air routes, to avoid sensitive regions. “Some supertanker operators, nervous about rising US-Iran tensions and potential risks to shipping in the waterway, are speeding their vessels through the chokepoint,” Junaid Ansari, director of Investment Strategy and Research at Kamco Invest, tells The National.\n“In addition, shipping companies are increasing the use of AI-driven, real-time analytics to monitor threats and predict risks to container ships, allowing for rapid, proactive route changes.\"\nOperationally, companies have already adapted to years of geopolitical friction – adjusting insurance premiums, factoring higher freight rates into contracts and investing in real-time analytics to monitor threats, Mr Ansari says.\nFor non-US shipping firms, he argues, the greater concern may not be physical security but sanctions exposure.\n“Worry comes more from a sanctions perspective rather than from a security perspective,” Mr Ansari says. “We believe that shipping firms would be cautious in taking any step that would risk a sanction from the US … [and that] oil shipments will not be impacted as this will escalate to include even other producers in the region.”\nContainer flows steady ... for now\nIn the container sector, meanwhile, there has been no immediate operational shift.\nPeter Sand, chief analyst at freight pricing platform Xeneta, says geopolitical risks are “ever present” for shippers, carriers and forwarders, “these days more than ever before”.\n“A risk like this should not be ignored,” he points out. “But all maritime businesses working in the Middle East region are used to operating under elevated levels of risk.”\nData from Xeneta shows container shipping services and capacity into the Arabian Gulf and upper Indian Ocean remain unaffected so far. Capacity from China to the UAE – a trade route that transits the Strait of Hormuz – has been rising since November 2025. Since early this year, supply has outpaced demand, pushing short-term average freight rates down from $2,700 to $1,540 per 12-metre equivalent unit.\nMr Sand, however, warns that the situation could change quickly if uncertainty escalates.\nImportantly, the vast majority of container shipowners and operators are non-US entities, meaning any material shift in capacity or pricing would be driven largely by European and Asian shipowners, rather than Americans. For now, they are holding course. But that could change quickly if tension escalates, warns Mr Sand.\nWhat of shipping costs?\nWith non-US operators rerouting around alternative paths such as the wider Gulf of Oman routes or the Cape of Good Hope, shipping costs are set to soar, Mr Ansari says.\n“This will definitely increase shipping costs, but this issue has been there since the start of the geopolitical conflicts in the region,” he tells The National. \"And shipping companies have adjusted costs, insurance premiums and vessel capacity expansions to deal with the situation.\"\nAccording to Mr Larsen of Bimco, during the war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s, oil kept flowing out of the Arabian Gulf despite several attacks on tankers … and with that in mind, the most likely scenario is “probably that some shipowners will opt out of the trade” in and out of the Arabian Gulf. “And when this happens, the usual supply and demand dynamics will kick in and drive up the freight rates,” he says.\nMeanwhile, amid all the tension, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says its priority is ensuring seafarers’ lives are not affected by regional instability.\nThe body acknowledged the US advisory and urged ships sailing in the region to conduct thorough risk assessments and maintain vigilance in line with established maritime security guidelines, while monitoring updates from official channels.\nFor now, global shipping appears to be maintaining course, balancing caution with commercial necessity. But with about a fifth of the world’s oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, even a remote threat commands attention.\n“As a global industry, shipping depends on the continued safety and stability of this vital maritime corridor,” says John Stawpert, principal director of marine at ICS, which is “closely monitoring the situation” while ensuring the secure flow of international trade.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-15T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_5748dccbd793",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran conducts military drills in Strait of Hormuz - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran conducts military drills in Strait of Hormuz\nExercises come on the eve of talks between US and Iran over Iranian nuclear programme",
    "published_at": "2026-02-16T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxPWm1zc2JDTzZtU1M1RF9EbnF2NjZrdk5XUGszUjFRNmxfbWN3bDF2bC1idUItS2ZGQjloazdaN28xVlRwaTBZT0FfSl9rZTJodkJfcTBsTkdzaGpqWU5LVnNyZkoyN01QRFUwanF0cnlYNGNQQmM4aTMyWjh0VUdBckw0ZnRGeEtLUW5HVHJFaGdnMTBFd3p1dS1reF92QQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0450d19b4707",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran FM in Geneva for US talks, as IRGC holds drills in Strait of Hormuz - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "US and Iran to hold nuclear talks in Geneva as Washington builds military pressure.\nIranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Geneva for a second round of high-stakes nuclear talks with the United States, seeking to ease tensions and avert a military confrontation that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned could escalate into a regional conflict.\n“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X on Monday. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Iran’s Araghchi slams European powers for ‘irrelevance’ in nuclear talks\n- list 2 of 4Netanyahu calls for dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme in any US deal\n- list 3 of 4Trump and Netanyahu align on Iran pressure but split on endgame\n- list 4 of 4Iran seeks to get out of FATF blacklist amid domestic political divisions\nIran and the US resumed nuclear negotiations earlier this month amid heightened military tensions, with Washington deploying warships, including a second aircraft carrier, to the region, as mediators work to prevent a war.\nAraghchi met with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, on Monday, saying his team of nuclear experts expected a “deep technical discussion”.\nThe IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has been calling for access to Iran’s main nuclear facilities, which were bombed by the US and Israel during the 12-day war in June. Tehran has said there might be a risk of radiation, so an official protocol is required to carry out the unprecedented task of inspecting highly enriched uranium ostensibly buried under the rubble.\n‘Serious concessions’\nSpeaking on Monday, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Washington’s position on Iran’s nuclear programme “has moved towards a more realistic one”.\nThe state-run IRNA news agency also reported that Baghaei said the IAEA would play “an important role” in the upcoming mediated talks between Iran and the US. But Baghaei also renewed Tehran’s criticism of Grossi for the director’s refusal to condemn the military strikes on the country’s nuclear sites, which are protected under agency safeguards as part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).\nAraghchi also said he would meet his Omani counterpart, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, who earlier this month mediated the first round of talks between Iran and the US since the war.\nReporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said Iran is signalling that it is ready for “serious concessions” ahead of Tuesday’s talks.\n“The Iranians are saying that they are ready to decrease the level of the enriched uranium, and also open up its nuclear facilities with full transparency to the global inspections body,” he said.\nBut Serdar noted that the talks come in the face of a massive military build-up, which continues to grow. The Iranians, too, he said, were not stepping back, with the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launching military drills in the Gulf on Monday.\n“This military escalation is going on in parallel with the diplomatic engagement. The regional countries are also stepping up diplomacy because they have their concerns and they have their own fears,” he said.\n‘It’s going to be hard’\nThe US, meanwhile, voiced caution.\nSpeaking during a visit to Hungary on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said reaching a deal with Tehran would be difficult.\n“I think that there’s an opportunity here to diplomatically reach an agreement that addresses the things we’re concerned about. We’ll be very open and welcoming to that,” Rubio said. “But I don’t want to overstate it, either. It’s going to be hard.”\nWhile Iran has shown flexibility in discussing its nuclear programme, the US wants to widen the talks to include Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for regional armed groups.\nTehran has repeatedly emphasised that it will not agree to Washington’s demand for zero nuclear enrichment, and considers its missile programme a “red line” that cannot be negotiated.\nUS President Donald Trump, meanwhile, continues to openly discuss toppling Iran’s government.\nAsked if he wanted a change in government in Iran on Friday, Trump responded that it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen”.\nAsked why a second aircraft carrier was headed to the Middle East, Trump said: “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it… If we need it, we’ll have it ready.”\nIran has promised to retaliate to any attack, saying it will strike US bases in the Middle East.\nMilitary drills\nOn Monday, Iran’s state media reported that the IRGC had begun a series of military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow and strategic waterway in the Gulf.\nThe drill, named “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz”, is designed to test the readiness of the IRGC’s naval units to protect the waterway, the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said on Monday.\nTrump is again likely to send his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to represent the White House in the Geneva talks. Brad Cooper, the most senior US military commander in the region, had unexpectedly joined the US delegation during the Muscat talks on February 6.\nThe talks also come more than a month after Iran’s deadly crackdown against nationwide protests, with Iranian officials claiming that “terrorists” and “rioters”, armed and funded by the US and Israel, were behind the unrest.\nThe UN and international human rights organisations have blamed Iranian authorities for the widespread use of lethal force against peaceful protesters, which killed thousands, mainly on the nights of January 8 and 9.\nBut hardliners in Tehran are more concerned about any potential concessions that could be given during upcoming talks with the US.\nAddressing an open session on Monday, one of the hardest-line lawmakers in Iran’s parliament cautioned security chief Ali Larijani against giving inspection access to the IAEA before ensuring Iran’s territorial integrity, the security of nuclear sites and scientists, and the use of peaceful nuclear energy for civilian purposes under the NPT.\n“When US warships have opened their arms to embrace Iranian missiles, US bases have opened arms to take our missiles, and the homes of Zionist military personnel are anticipating the sound of the air raid sirens, it is obvious that such conditions cannot be met at the moment,” said Hamid Rasaei, a religious leader close to the hardline Paydari (Steadfastness) faction.\nIn the other diplomatic track pursued in Switzerland on Tuesday, officials will be discussing ways of ending the war in Ukraine, which is approaching the end of its fourth year after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.\nBut no immediate breakthrough appears in sight, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy telling the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Kyiv has “too often” been asked to make concessions.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-16T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_0d4bb5ac4af3",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Strait of Hormuz closes 'for few hours' due to Iranian live fire drills - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iranian state media said on Tuesday that parts of the strategic Strait of Hormuz will be closed for a few hours due to \"security precautions\" for shipping safety.\nThis comes as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducts military drills in the waterway amid rising tensions with the US.\nAbout one-fifth of the world's total daily oil consumption, or around 20 million barrels of oil, passes through the Strait of Hormuz, along with cargo to and from the Gulf states.\n\"Today, in the smart control exercise of the Strait of Hormuz, to observe safety and navigation principles, parts of the Strait of Hormuz will be closed for a few hours,\" said Iran's Fars news agency.\nIt quoted the commander of the IRGC Navy as saying \"the weapon that reaches the battlefield on the day of war is different from what is shown in the exercise\".\nThe naval military drills come amid simmering tensions and fears of renewed conflict despite continuing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. The US has warned that it would attack Iran if a deal is not reached. It has significantly ramped up its naval deployments in the Middle East, including by sending the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group to within striking distance of Iran.\nThe IRGC drills in the Strait of Hormuz appeared designed to send a warning to Washington about Iran's ability to retaliate at sea to any strikes.\nIranian state television broadcast images from the exercise, and showed military ships launching missiles aimed at “destroying enemy aerial targets,” the reporter said.\nThe launches include the Sayyad 3F surface to air missile, which has a range of 150km, he added.\nUpgrades to missile warheads means that the \"intensity of destruction and damage to enemy [naval] destroyers is greater than before. New guidance systems mean these missiles can attack their targets from any direction and location,” he added.\nThe US and Iran resumed indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday.\nThe talks, mediated by Oman, are aimed at reaching a new nuclear agreement. The US wants Iran to end any uranium enrichment, while Tehran – despite losing key nuclear sites to US strikes and the war with Israel last year – insists on preserving enrichment capability.\n“We are here with good intentions and seriousness. We are result-orientated. The time is very important for us, it is crucial,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state TV.\nHe said Iran hopes that Washington will demonstrate “the same level of seriousness and good intention” as the talks proceed.\nWhat is the Strait of Hormuz?\nIt is a narrow channel, about 35km wide at the narrowest point, located between Oman and Iran. It is one of the most important waterways in the world as it links the Middle East’s crude oil producers with other key markets, making it vital to the global energy supply.\nDespite threats, the politically sensitive strait has never been closed by Iran. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of crude, moves more hydrocarbons through the strait than any other country in the Gulf.\n“There is no alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz,\" Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at shipping firm Bimco, told The National earlier this week.\n\"We have seen around a 50 per cent drop in numbers of ships going through the Bab Al Mandeb strait and the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks in connection with the Israeli military operation in Gaza. These ships have indeed rerouted south of Cape of Good Hope.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-17T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxQQmY1ZTZJRGl3ejRGaDBmdTNSdFFCUlduZFh3ekNEcVVwaW9aSkR5NExlaHIyZ1NZUHdlaHlFTFNhNUhEaGVmZnByZHdCU3ZOTXc4Mll4cGxiVUtzM2l0R280V0VvNHhlRVdzaWpzYVpmTGhieEpvVzg3akU2QWpGSmJJLXpfTG1VZDZ3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e2f8b71f00f4",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Can a nuclear deal alone prevent war with Iran? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Can a nuclear deal alone prevent war with Iran?\nThe US and Iran have resumed indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday amid an exchange of threats",
    "published_at": "2026-02-17T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxOWDNzWVNTYklPQkx4MGZqNExOcTNtdEE2MzdlUExHMXc4b0w5YTAxRTN6Y3FhbDhKLVRhYThaUjRlcGtpUURlai1odXdNSXNBeFlsOUFpSGdvSktmaVVTc1ZjYnZTeTlpOEN4bjJESFZ6VUtrOG1ndlVidnhraFhnVENTUUZJYko2bWxNV2dVTjkxZUQtdnBfMXRR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5104a7fe46e3",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Lindsey Graham: Iran inflection point is weeks away, not months - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Lindsey Graham: Iran inflection point is weeks away, not months    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPUUNTdjEyZjVRYWJmMnNiUzhRbFI5VGxHU19MenVwYzd3eE9FU3l5XzB1SlZIUUIzX1loLWg0UmxsV0ZGVlZndkdkS2hhSVh4cVVBSmUxalNuVzdYSC1XVmpFaUkybVFTTWdOTHE0cDdoclk0eV95d2pkTmZtc1ZIRWRyaWctQ0ZHOGpnYmlDdDV1NmlKNjVZWjU4bkMwNzM0LV9ka1hRYWZOUW50Wmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_26e1eb013023",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran's brief closure of Strait of Hormuz sends message to US of potential threat to oil trade - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s temporary live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz caused minor delays to inbound shipping, with no major trade disruption anticipated, according to industry experts.\nAbout 20 million barrels of oil per day and key commodities transit the chokepoint, underscoring its strategic importance to global energy flows.\nAnalysts caution that an extended closure or escalation could lift crude by 15–20 per cent, while limited pipeline capacity offers only a partial cushion.\nJunaid Ansari, director at Kamco Invest, says the move mirrors earlier brief airspace closures and reflects geopolitical messaging rather than a threat to energy security.\n“We only expect to see a minor disruption in shipping routes,” said Junaid Ansari, director of Investment Strategy and Research at Kamco Invest.\nIran's temporary closure of parts of the strategic Strait of Hormuz due to naval drills on Tuesday sent a clear message while its officials were conducting nuclear talks with the US, but created only minor delays for the global shipping industry, said analysts.\nIran's actions in the strategic waterway occurred as Washington has been talking up the prospects of war. The closure is not expected to have a major impact on trade.\nHowever, shipping carriers \"will now have to plan for an elevated risk of disruption in the area ... as political tensions stick around\", Peter Sand, chief analyst at freight pricing platform Xeneta, told The National.\nAny major disruption to the region like a war or a closure of the route could add close to 15 per cent to 20 per cent to crude oil prices as war premium\nJunaid Ansari, director of Investment Strategy and Research, Kamco Invest\nMarineTraffic, a ships monitor, showed normal activity in the area on Wednesday morning, but there was no official comment from Iran about the Strait reopening.\nIran established a live-firing exercise area overlapping the inbound part of the Strait of Hormuz’s Traffic Separation Scheme, and requested that shipping kept clear of the area for several hours.\nShipping industry experts described the live-fire naval exercise as more geopolitical messaging than a threat to global energy security.\n“We believe that this is messaging and counter-messaging between the US and Iran,” Junaid Ansari, director of Investment Strategy and Research at Kamco Invest, told The National. “We believe that this is a part of the overall negotiation from both sides.\n“We only expect to see a minor disruption in shipping routes as it was a temporary and a partial closure of the routes.”\nThe closure of the strait was similar to the temporary closure of airspace a few weeks back, he said.\nKey route\nAbout one-fifth of the world’s total daily oil consumption, or around 20 million barrels of oil, passes through the Strait of Hormuz, along with cargo to and from the Gulf states, making it “a significant route” for world crude oil market, Mr Ansari said. “But again, there is no news of a significant halt or a major disruption caused by the naval drills.”\nIn the past few weeks, 135 crude tankers per week and 150 product tankers have passed through the strait (about half laden in the eastbound direction and half in ballast in the westbound direction), said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at shipping association Bimco.\nEchoing Mr Ansari’s thoughts, he said that the Iranian exercise had been “expected to cause minor nuisance and delays to inbound shipping” heading for the Arabian Gulf, “but no major disruptions”.\nTensions are simmering, with fears of renewed conflict despite the continuing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. The US has warned that it would attack Iran if a deal is not reached. It has significantly ramped up its naval deployments in the Middle East, including by sending the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group to within striking distance of Iran.\nUS Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that progress had been made in the talks with Iran but that “certain red lines” remain as Tehran keeps up its tough rhetoric towards Washington.\nFollowing the second round of talks in Geneva, Mr Vance said in an interview with Fox News that the Iranians “are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through” the red lines set by US President Donald Trump.\nBut he said the negotiation “in some ways … went well” and that the Iranians had agreed to meet again.\nIran agrees to 'guiding principles' for deal with US in Geneva talks\n01:28\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a major route for shipping in the Middle East, particularly for tankers carrying oil around the world. Structurally, it remains one of the world’s most critical chokepoints. The narrow channel, about 35km wide at the narrowest point, flows between Oman and Iran and links the region's crude oil producers with other key markets, making it vital to the global energy supply.\nDespite threats, the politically sensitive strait has never been closed by Iran. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude, moves more hydrocarbons through the waterway than any other country in the Gulf.\nSafeguarding oil\nIn the event of the strait closing again, Mr Ansari said: “Oil pipeline is an option for producers like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, connecting oilfields to the Red Sea ports and the Gulf of Oman, that can technically be used to reroute close to 2.6 million barrels per day of crude oil from the two countries.”\n“This alternative route can provide a cushion but the bulk of the total crude oil produced by these nations are still shipped.”\nMinimal impact on oil prices … for now\nThe closure announcement's effect on crude oil prices seemed to be minimal so far, according to Mr Ansari. However, if tensions escalated between the two countries or the closure was extended, oil prices would be impacted, he warned.\n“Oil prices have remained elevated since the start of the year due to the ongoing conflict between US and Iran. Any major disruption to the region like a war or a closure of the route could add close to 15 per cent to 20 per cent to crude oil prices as war premium.\n“This means oil could trade between $75 a barrel to $80 a barrel levels in case the situation worsens or goes out of control,” he said.\nThe Strait of Hormuz is also key to transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), fertilisers, copper and aluminium. Lombard Odier says a temporary spike in oil prices to $100 a barrel – or beyond – is plausible. “Global LNG prices would also be affected,” the Swiss bank said in a research note.\nManus on Markets: Could war with Iran bring triple-digit oil price?\n02:17\nWhat next?\nThe shipping industry is monitoring the situation for any signs of escalation. For the moment, however, shipping firms have apparently treated the closure as a temporary operational disruption rather than a significant risk to energy supply chains.\nJohn Stawpert, principal director of marine at the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to military exercises is “not an uncommon practice” for navies and should not impede the flow of trade.\n“We continue to encourage all ships operating in the region to conduct thorough risk assessments and to maintain vigilance in line with the latest BMP [best management practices] Maritime Security guidelines,” he said.\nAccording to Lombard Odier, any Iranian action in the Strait would be a “high-risk, high-cost option for Iran itself because it would shut down its own oil exports, removing the regime’s primary source of income, and negatively affecting economies in Asia and the Middle East”.\n“A risk scenario would drive increase in commodity prices, higher equity market volatility and a flight to haven assets,” it added.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_d26d082aedbe",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US, Iran weeks-long war could begin 'very soon' - The Jerusalem Post",
    "body_text": "The United States is closer to military conflict with Iran than most Americans realize, and a massive weeks-long campaign could \"begin very soon,\" Axios reported on Wednesday.\nSuch a conflict would likely involve an operation more like a war than the single-day operation in Venezuela conducted last month, the report cited \"sources\" as saying. Those same sources told Axios that it would likely be a joint US-Israeli campaign with a broader scope than the 12-day war last June.\nThe second round of talks between the United States and Iran ended on Tuesday, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meeting Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi remain.\nVice President JD Vance has also addressed the talks in an interview with Fox News, saying that while Trump wants a deal, he could decide that diplomacy has \"reached its natural end.\"\n\"We would very much like, as the President has said, to resolve this through a conversation and a diplomatic negotiation,\" Vance said, \"but the President has all options on the table.\"\nUS readies forces\nThe US has also been steadily building up its forces within the region. More than 10 F-22 fighter jets have been deployed to the Middle East. The last time they arrived in the region was just days before Operation Midnight Hammer. The largest aircraft carrier in the US Navy, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is also on its way to the Middle East.\nAxios reported that \"all signs point to [Trump] pulling the trigger if talks fail.\"\nWhile some US sources told Axios that the US might need more time to prepare, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who said strikes could be weeks away, others disagree.\n\"The boss is getting fed up. Some people around him warn against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks,\" one Trump adviser told Axios.\nUS officials claimed that Iran has two weeks to submit a detailed proposal. Some are drawing parallels between June, when a two-week window was set for Trump to decide between continuing talks and military action three days before launching Operation Midnight Hammer.\nAmichai Stein contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T08:00:00+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1f715fa0b916",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US-Iran war could be imminent and take weeks, sources warn after latest nuclear talks - The Times of Israel",
    "body_text": "A military confrontation between the US and Iran could begin in the coming days and be an intensive, multi-week campaign, sources said Wednesday, despite ongoing diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran.\nFormer IDF Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin suggested Wednesday that such a confrontation could be imminent.\n“Last week I allowed myself to fly to the Munich Security Conference. I would think twice about flying [abroad from Israel] this weekend,” Yadlin told Channel 12 news on Wednesday, a day after a second round of nuclear talks was held in Geneva.\n“We are much closer than we were before, but I remind you — a superpower does not go to war in a matter of days. There is a diplomatic path that must be exhausted,” said Yadlin, who now heads a national security consultancy.\nYadlin added that “many oppose the attack. The Pentagon is not clear what they want it to achieve. The president is very determined. The statement that all options are on the table is based on a credible military threat, which comes alongside the preparations off the coast of Iran and in the skies.”\nSources told the Axios news site on Wednesday that a potential US-Iran war would be a long, multi-week campaign, with a White House official putting the chances of a strike in the coming weeks at 90 percent.\nIt would likely be a joint US-Israeli operation, said the source, even larger than the 12-day Israeli-led bombing campaign last June. According to the sources, the war could come earlier than most people expect, and could be far larger than many anticipate. Iranian missiles in June killed 32 people and wounded over 3,000 in Israel.\nUS President Donald Trump “is getting fed up,” said a Trump adviser. “Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.”\nTwo Israeli officials told the outlet that Israel is preparing for a war to break out “within days,” adding that Israel is pushing an operation aimed at toppling the regime.\nLikud MK Boaz Bismuth, the chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said Wednesday that Israel is facing “challenging days,” following a hearing with the IDF Home Front Command chief.\n“There is no citizen of Israel who doesn’t ask himself several times a day ‘when will the Iran conflict happen?'” said Bismuth. “The public is prepared and the authorities are prepared. We in the Knesset are also ensuring that the home front is prepared for every scenario.”\nIran said following the talks on Tuesday in Geneva that the sides had agreed on “guiding principles” for a deal to avoid conflict. US Vice President JD Vance, however, said Tehran had not yet acknowledged all of Washington’s red lines.\nUS Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned Wednesday that the United States was determined to deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.\n“They’ve been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It’s entirely unacceptable,” Wright told reporters in Paris on the sidelines of meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency.\n“So one way or the other, we are going to end, deter Iran’s march towards a nuclear weapon,” Wright said.\nOn Tuesday, open-source flight tracking data showed that the US military had moved dozens of fighter jets toward the Middle East in a day. The aircraft included F-22, F-35, and F-16 jets. Several refuelers were also spotted on the move, according to social media accounts dedicated to tracking military flights.\nMeanwhile, Iranian media reported Wednesday that Iran and Russia will conduct naval maneuvers in the Sea of Oman on Thursday.\n“The joint naval exercise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow in the Sea of Oman and in the northern Indian Ocean,” the ISNA agency reported, citing drill spokesman, Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo. “The aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries,” he said, without specifying the duration of the drill.\nOn Monday, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, also launched exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a challenge to US naval forces deployed in the region. Iran announced Tuesday that it would partially close the key strait for a few hours for “security” reasons during its drills.\nThe Times of Israel Community.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5d47dfd89d69",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US, Israel could launch major military operation against Iran 'very soon': Report - The Times of India",
    "body_text": "The United States could be on the brink of a major military operation against Iran, with officials warning that conflict could break out in the coming days or weeks if diplomatic efforts fail. Sources told Axios that a potential campaign would be “massive, weeks‑long” and far larger than last month’s pinpoint operation in Venezuela, likely conducted jointly with Israel and targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.\nFormer IDF military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told Times of Israel that such a confrontation could be imminent. “Last week I allowed myself to fly to the Munich Security Conference. I would think twice about flying [abroad from Israel] this weekend,” he said.\nYadlin, now heading a national security consultancy, added: “We are much closer than we were before, but I remind you — a superpower does not go to war in a matter of days. There is a diplomatic path that must be exhausted. Many oppose the attack. The Pentagon is not clear what they want it to achieve. The president is very determined. The statement that all options are on the table is based on a credible military threat, which comes alongside the preparations off the coast of Iran and in the skies.\n”\nUS President\nDonald Trump has combined nuclear diplomacy with a major military buildup. On Tuesday, US advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva for three hours. Both sides said the talks “made progress,” but US officials remain sceptical about bridging key differences.\nHowever, US vice president JD Vance said, “The talks went well in some ways, but in other ways it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.” He added that while the president wants a deal, diplomacy could have “reached its natural end.”\nAccording to Axios, the US military presence in the Middle East is substantial. Two aircraft carriers, a dozen warships, hundreds of fighter jets, and multiple air defence systems have been deployed, with more hardware en route. Open-source tracking shows over 150 cargo flights carrying weapons and ammunition, plus 50 fighter jets including F‑35s, F‑22s, and F‑16s, headed to the region.\nAn unnamed Trump adviser told Axios: “Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.”\nTwo Israeli officials also told the news outlet that Israel is preparing for war “within days” and is pushing an operation targeting regime change. The report recalled that Iranian missiles in June 2025 killed 32 people and wounded over 3,000 in Holon. Likud MK Boaz Bismuth said: “There is no citizen of Israel who doesn’t ask himself several times a day ‘when will the Iran conflict happen?’ The public is prepared and the authorities are prepared.”\nMeanwhile, Iran and Russia announced joint naval exercises in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean, while the Revolutionary Guards conducted drills near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, partially closing it for a few hours.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_811fba1310f8",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "U.S. Military Moves Into Place for Possible Strikes in Iran - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "U.S. Military Moves Into Place for Possible Strikes in Iran    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T08:00:00+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9206b4d66c75",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Lindsey Graham questions why anyone wants Iran’s regime to survive - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Lindsey Graham questions why anyone wants Iran’s regime to survive    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T17:12:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPbkZ6TFVQeE9VWWlFaUd3emVfOTVpc2cxLURHWXdyOXVhTTFKdHJLS0dWbE5FOTE2QzdWNGJoeVlIaml0VlNLV1h0ZTdKb094VENPOEpIRHljT2tacXdZck5tYnRuaGRnRng4UzFGWG96NWhQclRJaW5tbnkzRk5STWVZcWQ5bm5mRlZoZzNZVzZVSmc2MzZZMkdPbHExWmhWWHdGQVlWaWNPa0R1OTN6d0lYSQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9f65dfa9d6e2",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Graham: Middle East must make sacrifices for Iran regime change - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Graham: Middle East must make sacrifices for Iran regime change\nUS Senator is touring Gulf as President Trump orders substantial military build-up in the region",
    "published_at": "2026-02-18T17:59:47+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cec412f4f051",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Hamas is reasserting control in Gaza despite its heavy losses fighting Israel",
    "body_text": "Gazans say Hamas is again extending its control over security, tax revenue and government services.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T00:04:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98g1klxnpxo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f3c2e697549b",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Manus on Markets: Could war with Iran bring triple-digit oil price? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Manus on Markets: Could war with Iran bring triple-digit oil price?    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T07:22:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNZjNKQUh1dU5maVl1dHBLVnczQzBCQURmM3R5VnFDQXh2TEZpb0xYSzJTaERFZGpuRUpUQkhxaTVvb3ZpLURHWTIyMWs4S2Q2LVg3QlpxbHdWd1F0cTVvWlFGdzB5cTdlRXlpUDAwUDlRSW5OcV9uZURlVmVpeVQ4Sjg3ekdLX3NKWm4wZkdvOTRLMkV2ZTJLNDhGLUhTVXpYU3BDOVcydWFrQmRkYzdxOHctRQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a935ab654eb6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What could happen if the US strikes Iran? Here are seven scenarios - BBC",
    "body_text": "What could happen if the US strikes Iran? Here are seven scenarios\nThe US appears poised to strike Iran.\nFor weeks, Washington has been building up its forces in the Middle East - and now looks set to assemble more air power in the region than at any time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.\nThis could, of course, still be a bluff designed to pressure the Iranian regime into a deal they do not want to make. America's Gulf Arab allies are known to have cautioned against a US attack that could have unintended results.\nSo while the potential targets of a US attack are largely predictable, the outcome is not.\nIf negotiations fail and President Donald Trump decides to order an attack, then what are the possible outcomes?\n1. Targeted, surgical strikes, minimal civilian casualties, a transition to democracy\nUS air and naval forces conduct limited, precision strikes targeting military bases of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Basij unit - a paramilitary force under the control of the IRGC - ballistic missile launch and storage sites as well as Iran's nuclear programme.\nAn already weakened regime is toppled, transitioning eventually to a genuine democracy where Iran can rejoin the rest of the world.\nThis is a highly optimistic scenario. Western military intervention in both Iraq and Libya did not bring a smooth transition to democracy. Although it ended brutal dictatorships in both cases, it ushered in years of chaos and bloodshed.\n2. Regime survives but moderates its policies\nThis could broadly be called the \"Venezuelan model\" whereby swift, powerful US action leaves the regime intact but with its policies moderated.\nIn Iran's case, this would mean the Islamic Republic survived, which won't satisfy large numbers of Iranians, but is forced to curtail its support for violent militias across the Middle East, cease or curtail its domestic nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as well as easing up on its suppression of protests.\nAgain, this is at the more unlikely end of the scale.\nThe Islamic Republic leadership has remained defiant and resistant to change for 47 years. It appears incapable of changing course now. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, now well into his 80s, is especially resistant to change or compromise.\n3. Regime collapses, replaced by military rule\nMany think this is the most likely possible outcome.\nWhile the regime is clearly unpopular with many, and each successive wave of protests over the years weakens it further, there remains a huge and pervasive security deep state with a vested interest in the status quo. The IRGC, for example, is deeply involved in Iran's economy.\nThe principal reasons why the protests have so far failed to overthrow the regime is because there have been no significant defections to their side, while those in control are prepared to use unlimited force and brutality to remain in power.\nIn the confusion of the aftermath of any US strikes it is conceivable that Iran ends up being ruled by a strong, military government composed largely of IRGC figures.\n4. Iran retaliates by attacking US forces, Arab neighbours and Israel\nThis is highly likely.\nIran vowed last month to retaliate against any US attack, saying that \"its finger is on the trigger\" and Ayatollah Khamenei promised to deliver \"a slap in the face\" to US forces if attacked.\nIran is clearly no match for the might of the US Navy and Air Force but it could still lash out with its arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones, many concealed in caves, underground or in remote mountainsides.\nThere are US bases and facilities dotted along the Arabian side of the Gulf, notably in Bahrain and Qatar, but Iran could also, if it chose, target some of the critical infrastructure of any nation it considered was complicit in a US attack, such as Jordan or Israel.\nThe devastating missile and drone attack on Saudi Aramco's petrochemical facilities in 2019, attributed to an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq, showed the Saudis just how vulnerable they were to Iranian missiles.\nIran's Gulf Arab neighbours, all US allies, are understandably extremely jittery right now that any US military action is going to end up rebounding on them.\nLast month, Saudi Arabia and the UAE said that they would not allow the US to use their airspace for any attack. That may not necessarily spare them from Iranian retaliation.\n5. Iran retaliates by laying mines in the Gulf\nThis has long loomed as a potential threat to global shipping and oil supplies ever since the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88 when Iran did indeed mine the shipping lanes and Royal Navy minesweepers helped clear them.\nThe narrow Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman is a critical chokepoint. Around 20% of the world's Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) exports and between 20-25% of oil and oil byproducts pass through this strait each year.\nAs talks over a US-Iran deal took place in Geneva earlier this week, Iran closed the Strait for a few hours to conduct live fire drills - the first time it's been closed since the 1980s, and a symbolic show of force.\nOn Thursday, it reportedly carried out military drills alongside Russian sailors in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.\nAnd it's also conducted exercises in rapidly deploying sea mines. If it did so again then it would inevitably impact world trade and oil prices. The biggest losers in this scenario would be Iran itself, as it relies on oil exports for revenue, and its principle customers in Asia, notably China.\n6. Iran retaliates, sinking a US warship\nA US Navy Captain onboard a warship in the Gulf once told me that one of the threats from Iran he worries about most is a \"swarm attack\".\nThis is where Iran launches so many high explosive drones and fast torpedo boats at a single or multiple targets that even the US Navy's formidable close-in defences are unable to eliminate all of them in time.\nThe IRGC Navy has long replaced the conventional Iranian Navy in the Gulf, some of whose commanders were even trained at Dartmouth during the time of the Shah.\nIran's naval crews have focussed much of their training on unconventional or \"asymmetric\" warfare, looking at ways to overcome or bypass the technical advantages enjoyed by their primary adversary, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.\nThe sinking of a US warship, accompanied by the possible capture of survivors among its crew, would be a massive humiliation for the US.\nWhile this scenario is thought unlikely, the billion-dollar destroyer the USS Cole was crippled by an Al-Qaeda suicide attack in Aden harbour in 2000, killing 17 US sailors.\nBefore that, in 1987 an Iraqi jet pilot mistakenly fired two Exocet missiles at a US warship, the USS Stark, in the Gulf killing 37 sailors.\nThe US is set to have two carrier strike groups in the region when the USS Gerald R Ford - which is currently transiting the Mediterranean - arrives in the coming weeks.\n7. Regime collapses, replaced by chaos\nThis is a very real danger and is one of the major concerns of neighbours like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.\nAs well as the possibility of a civil war, such as experienced by Syria, Yemen and Libya, there is also the risk that in the chaos and confusion, ethnic tensions could spill over into armed conflict as Kurds, Baluchis, Azerbaijanis and other minorities look to safeguard their own people amid a nationwide power vacuum.\nMuch of the Middle East would certainly be glad to see the back of the Islamic Republic, none more so than Israel which has already dealt heavy blows to Iran's proxies across the region and which fears an existential threat from Iran's suspected nuclear programme.\nBut nobody wants to see the second largest Middle East nation by population - around 93 million - descend into chaos, sparking a humanitarian and refugee crisis.\nThe greatest danger now is that President Trump, having amassed this powerful force close to Iran's borders, decides he must act or lose face, and a war begins with no clear end-state and with unpredictable and potentially damaging repercussions.\nCorrection 3 March: This article was amended to describe Iran as the second largest Middle East nation by population after we incorrectly described it as the largest, which is in fact Egypt.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTFAtaEZUUHVmSk50YUwtQlJVSkswSHNaTVJZMVVITDJRS3E2N3JRemZzWGJVU2d6cFN5WjA3TFRzRGhhQXhrcFJhSTY2OVpQSnZzVkZGYzBaZWlCZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_da1d8bb11c66",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Rubio declared a return to brutal western colonialism - and Europe applauded - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Rubio declared a return to brutal western colonialism - and Europe applauded\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio's speech at the Munich Security Conference last weekend was another troubling declaration of intent by the Trump administration.\nThe explicit goal of US foreign policy, according to Rubio, is to resurrect the western colonial order that persisted for some five centuries until the Second World War.\nOld-school, white-man's-burden colonialism is unapologetically back.\nIn Rubio's preposterous retelling, Europe's colonisation of much of the planet, and the rape and pillage of its resources, was a glorious era of western exploration, innovation and creativity. The West brought a \"superior\" civilisation to backward peoples while maintaining global order.\nReflecting on the era before 1945, he observed: \"The West had been expanding - its missionaries, its pilgrims, its soldiers, its explorers pouring out from its shores to cross oceans, settle new continents, build vast empires extending out across the globe.\"\nThat course went into reverse 80 years ago: \"The great western empires had entered into terminal decline, accelerated by godless communist revolutions and by anti-colonial uprisings that would transform the world and drape the red hammer and sickle across vast swaths of the map in the years to come.\"\nOld-school, white-man's-burden colonialism is unapologetically back\nAccording to Rubio, that decline was accelerated by what he dismissed as the \"abstractions of international law\", established by the United Nations in the immediate postwar period. In the pursuit of what he derisively termed \"a perfect world\", these new universal laws - ones that treated all humans as equal - served only to hamstring western colonialism.\nRubio neglected to mention that the purpose of international law was to prevent a return to the horrors of the Second World War: the extermination of civilians in death camps and the firebombing of European and Japanese cities.\nDuring his speech, Rubio offered Europe the chance to join the Trump administration in reviving \"The West's age of dominance\" to \"Renew the greatest civilisation in human history.\"\n\"What we want is a reinvigorated alliance that recognises that what has ailed our societies is not just a set of bad policies but a malaise of hopelessness and complacency. An alliance - the alliance that we want is one that is not paralysed into inaction by fear - fear of climate change, fear of war, fear of technology,\" he said.\nNo peace, no order\nQuite astonishingly, Rubio was greeted with enthusiastic applause throughout his speech from an audience comprising heads of state, politicians, diplomats and military officials. He is reported to have received a standing ovation from half of the attendees.\nThey seemed swept up in Rubio's triumphalist account of empire, one utterly oblivious to the well-documented realities of \"western domination\" - not least its brutal colonial tyrannies, its industrial-scale genocides and the mass enslavement of native populations.\nThese were not unfortunate episodes or mistakes in the West's imperial past. They were integral to it. They were the coercive means by which colonised peoples were stripped of their assets and labour to finance empire.\nHe also appeared blind to another downside of the colonial West, which was all too evident over those five centuries. Ruthless competition between European states, vying to be first to pillage resources in the Global South, led to endless wars in which Europeans, as well as the people they colonised, were killed.\nEmpire did not ensure order, let alone peace. Colonialism was about systematised theft - and, as the saying goes, there is rarely honour among thieves.\nIn the dog-eat-dog world that preceded international law, each colonial power was out for its own advancement against rivals. That culminated in two terrible wars in the first half of the 20th century that decimated Europe itself.\nBecause Rubio does not understand the past, his vision of the future is inevitably defective as well. Any attempt by the Trump administration to restore overt western colonial rule will prove suicidal. As we shall see, such a venture would spell doom for us all. In fact, we may already be well advanced on that path.\nImperial muscles\nThere are a number of glaring flaws in Rubio and the Trump administration's thinking.\nFirst, Rubio's assertion that the West gave up colonialism some 80 years ago is flatly wrong. At the end of the Second World War, Europe's physically battered and economically exhausted colonial powers passed the baton of empire to the US. Washington did not end colonialism. It rationalised and streamlined it.\nWashington continued the European tradition of overthrowing nationalist leaders and installing weak, obedient clients in their stead.\nIt also seeded the globe with hundreds of US military bases to project hard power, while exploiting new globalising technologies to project soft power. Economic carrots and sticks, wielded largely out of view through the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, incentivised submission to its diktats by non-western leaders.\nWashington's freedom of manoeuvre was limited chiefly by a rival power in the form of the Soviet Union, which armed and subsidised its own clients. The Cold War kept the US empire in relative check. That was not \"decline\", as Rubio claims. It was simple pragmatism: avoiding confrontation in a nuclear age that could, through a misstep, lead to global annihilation.\nOver the past 30 years, since the fall of the Soviet Union, the US has flexed its imperial muscles ever more aggressively: in the former Yugoslavia, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Iraq again, in Libya, in Syria, and now - assisted by its ultimate client state, Israel - more widely across the oil-rich Middle East, in Palestine, Lebanon and Iran.\nLong before Trump's first term as president, Washington's core bipartisan foreign policy aims involved boxing in Russia, chiefly through creeping colonisation of former Soviet states, and threatening China over Taiwan.\nIn typical Trumpian fashion, Rubio has simply made explicit what was already implicit. The US has been an imperial superpower since the 1940s and has become an ever more confrontational one in a world of diminishing resources, where it enjoys the advantage of being the sole military superpower.\nRubio is simply more honest than his predecessors about the decades-long trajectory of US foreign policy.\nHorror show\nThere is a good reason why \"godless communists\" and their God-obsessed successors waged \"anti-colonial uprisings\" that ultimately could not be contained by western empire.\nThe West's ruling colonial elite had spent centuries making life in the Global South a horror show, whether through brutal tyranny, massacres or the slave trade.\nNative populations were desperate for liberation from western-imposed \"order\", which is why, after World War Two, so many turned to a communist Soviet Union rather than the US for support.\nIn the West's last settler-colonial client outposts - apartheid South Africa until 1994, and apartheid Israel today - there were sustained mass revolts by those they oppressed.\nLiving under white-minority rule in South Africa was dangerous and soul-crushing if you were not white, just as living under a system of Jewish supremacy in Israel and occupied Palestine is dangerous and soul-crushing if you are not Jewish.\nNote too that both of these apartheid regimes spawned global solidarity movements.\nMost people - even westerners - understand that oppressing another people, denying their humanity and their right to equality, is profoundly unjust and immoral. That is not going to change because Washington has a misty-eyed view of colonialism and apartheid.\nThe lesson from history is that any intensification of US imperialism by the Trump administration will provoke intensified resistance. That should already be clear to anyone who has not been dozing through the past 20 years.\nExtortion of Ukraine\nRussian President Vladimir Putin was excoriated in the West when he set out the geostrategic rationale for his invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, for example, accused Putin of imagining himself as Peter the Great and trying to restore Russia's imperial past.\nZizek cited as proof a speech delivered by Putin to a group of young entrepreneurs in Moscow in June 2022, a few months after the invasion. Putin stated: \"Any country, any people, any ethnic group should ensure their sovereignty. Because there is no in-between, no intermediate state: either a country is sovereign, or it is a colony, no matter what the colonies are called.\"\nPutin's meaning should have been obvious at the time, given that for more than two decades a series of administrations in Washington had co-opted former Soviet states into Nato - the US empire's military alliance - and located military bases ever closer to Moscow.\nThe promise made in 2008 by Nato to allow Ukraine to join the alliance at some point in the future could be interpreted by the Russian leadership in only one way: as a threat\nThe promise made in 2008 by Nato to allow Ukraine to join the alliance at some point in the future could be interpreted by the Russian leadership in only one way: as a threat. If realised, Nato's nuclear warheads would be minutes from the Kremlin.\nPutin was determined to maintain Russian sovereignty and avoid becoming yet another \"in-between\" colony of the US empire, as it so nearly did under his drunken predecessor, Boris Yeltsin. The Russian leader rejected Europe's model of handing Washington the keys to its resources, economy and defence systems.\nDoubtless, Putin noted with smug satisfaction Trump's extortion of Ukraine last year, when President Volodymyr Zelensky was made to sign away his country's mineral wealth in return for US protection. It was a perfect illustration of Putin's point that there are no \"intermediate\" states in a world of ugly power politics: you are either sovereign or a colony of a stronger power.\nIt was that very logic that prompted Russia's decision to invade Ukraine. If that was difficult to make sense of at the time, it should be easier to comprehend now in the light of Rubio's speech.\nGiven Washington's imperial ambitions, Ukraine was going to fall into the geostrategic orbit of the US, becoming another colonial outpost for its war machine, unless Russia compelled its neighbour into its own geostrategic orbit first.\nNew normal of Gaza\nThe Trump administration is making its realpolitik clear: the genocidal erasure of Gaza is the new normal, as is the kidnapping of world leaders such as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro.\nEuropean states are increasingly nervous about Trump's unapologetic imperialism and what it might mean for them. The threat to seize Greenland from Denmark was a wake-up call; it reportedly dominated discussions at the Munich conference.\nIn line with Putin's warning four years ago, European leaders are scrambling to consider how they might regain a degree of sovereignty to stop their irreversible colonisation by the US.\nRubio tried to placate them by inviting Europe to join Washington in resurrecting western empire. The offer was pure deception.\nThis is no joint project, as they should have understood when Trump introduced tariffs as a stick to beat them into greater servitude; when he ditched support for Ukraine, their proclaimed rampart against \"Russian imperialism\"; and when he demanded ownership of Greenland.\nThose \"betrayals\" were the stimulus for a speech by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Davos World Economic Forum last month.\nThere, he warned that the 80-year-old rules-based order was a \"pleasant fiction\", a cover story that allowed US allies to benefit from American hegemony \"with public goods, open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security and support for frameworks for resolving disputes\".\nAnd for that reason, Washington's allies had colluded in the deception: \"We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false, that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient, that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And we knew that international law applied with varying rigour depending on the identity of the accused or the victim.\"\nIt was, said Carney, time to stop \"living within a lie\".\nMany assumed that the Canadian leader was voicing, on behalf of technocratic allies in Europe such as Britain's Keir Starmer and France's Emmanuel Macron, a new commitment to transparency and honesty as a counterweight to US law-breaking abroad.\nNothing could be further from the truth, as highlighted by Carney, Starmer and Macron's continuing complicity in the Gaza genocide and their silence over Trump's threats to launch a war of aggression against Iran.\nThe purpose of Carney's Davos speech was something else entirely. Trump's own honesty - his open contempt for international law and enthusiasm for old-school imperialism - threatens to expose their hypocrisy in riding on US coattails.\nThey have not changed their ways. They simply want Trump to stop blowing up the facade they constructed to conceal and prettify their collusion in US colonialism.\nRubio detonated those lies once again at Munich. When he declared a return to avowed might-is-right imperialism, the conference broke into applause.\nUrsula von der Leyen, the European Commission's technocrat-in-chief, said she felt \"very much reassured\" by Rubio's speech, calling him a \"good friend\".\nNuclear Armageddon\nThe biggest misdirection in Rubio's remarks was his omission of the real reason the West abandoned overt colonialism after the Second World War and built international institutions such as the United Nations.\nIt was not an acceptance of defeat or decline by the US, but rather a recognition that, with the rapid development of nuclear arsenals by the superpowers in the wake of the war, a system capable of mediating the worst excesses of power had become a necessity.\nIt was the only hope of preventing reckless colonial competition and confrontation that could trigger a Third World War likely to spiral quickly into nuclear armageddon.\nNothing has changed over the past eight decades.\nRubio used the Munich conference to lay bare the new reality: Washington will no longer pay lip service to being the nice guy or abiding by any red lines\nRussia and China still have large nuclear arsenals, and Moscow now has hypersonic missiles capable of carrying these warheads at unprecedented speeds.\nThere is still no failsafe mechanism to prevent misunderstandings from rapidly escalating into mutual attack.\nHuman nature has not changed since the 1940s - only the arrogance of a superpower determined to prevent great powers like China or Russia from ever ousting it from its imperial perch.\nThe threat of nuclear annihilation has not diminished. It has grown exponentially as limitations on global resources - those needed to sustain western consumption and endless \"economic growth\" - put ever greater pressure on the US to discard its mask as the guardian of superior values.\nRubio used the Munich conference to lay bare the new reality: Washington will no longer pay lip service to being the nice guy or abiding by any red lines.\nThe US is determined to crush all opposition to its permanent status as imperial top dog - even if it means destroying everything, and all of us, in the process.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_c37404bd4d8b",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran's inflection point is weeks, not months away, says Lindsey Graham - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "US senator Lindsey Graham has revealed that military planning for a strike on Iran is under way, with the decision on whether to attack hanging in the balance.\n\"The military capability is being built up as I speak. The inflection point is weeks away, not months away,\" he told The National during a visit to Abu Dhabi. \"That's why I'm here. That's why I haven't slept. Because you see this can go really good or really bad.\"\nHis comments came after a trip to Israel where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasised the need for regime change in Iran.\n\"This region will never stabilise, will never move towards the lightness, away from the darkness, until the Ayatollah [Ali Khamenei] is dispatched,\" he said on an episode of On The Record with Hadley Gamble. \"Either he changes, which I don't think will happen, or he's replaced.\"\nThe US and Iran have been engaged in nuclear talks in Geneva, but progress has been slow. Iran has insisted that negotiations focus only on its nuclear programme, rejecting US demands to discuss ballistic missiles and regional proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthi rebels.\nUS President Donald Trump previously warned he could intervene as Tehran carried out a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests that swept across the country. Praising Mr Trump's approach to Iran, Mr Graham explained: \"When Trump said, ‘Keep protesting, help is on the way’, he locked in this region in a way where the choice is really clear. [Trump] said we need new leadership in Iran ... the best way to make Iran great again is for the people to take over.\"\nThe senator’s visit to Abu Dhabi coincided with the movement of significant US military hardware to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is already in the Arabian Gulf and the USS Gerald R Ford is on its way.\nMr Graham warned that time is running out for a diplomatic resolution with Tehran, saying: \"In the next 30 days, if we don't have some resolution about the Iranian file, I think the moment may pass.\"\nMr Graham also spoke of another regional matter, after several weeks of intense criticism of the UAE through Saudi social media and TV channels. He urged the countries to put aside their differences and focus on the \"big prize\" of replacing Iran's regime.\n\"Saudi Arabia is now moving backwards. They're attacking the United Arab Emirates viciously for being in the Abraham Accords,” he said. “I'm here to get everybody back together on the big prize. The big prize is for the Iranian regime to be replaced by people that don't want to blow us all up and kill everybody all the time.\"\nHe urged Saudi Arabia to \"suck it up\" and prioritise the bigger issue in the region. \"There is no good reason for this,\" he added. \"You can have disputes about Sudan and Yemen, but they're basically declaring war.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxOdmx5UzhWLXBDLUFmRFVrbnIzaVlFcDJ0WnlpcGVjWGFudnQ5TU50LU5ERnNxVjEwQlNiMnR4bXNyM1VsUHktRkxXTnV3c2FISmdJWlJBZXZuYi1OZmZtT05yZkxCMVVMeEc4YlZIMDlPaUI4eXVudUh5M0RteDY2QkVwVzFTWW51X1gxdFdGX1JRdl8yYlZYcVQ5QXprdFFiLW56UUZOTFBtdDBrRFU3cnBUNVVxMHQ1enNoTkxn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6790f4442137",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US-Iran conflict to rattle everything from oil to stocks and commodities, Lombard Odier says - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Lombard Odier warns US-Iran tensions could roil global markets, with equities facing sharp volatility and cross-asset repercussions if confrontation escalates.\nClosure of the Strait of Hormuz could push oil above $100 per barrel, disrupt LNG flows, and intensify inflation risks worldwide.\nNannette Hechler-Fayd’herbe, chief investment officer for EMEA, says two scenarios range from limited strikes to a prolonged disruption of Hormuz with broader market fallout.\nDespite risks, the base case is a negotiated outcome, reflected in calm volatility gauges, with the VIX below long-term averages and stable risk premia.\n“While the impact of geopolitical tensions on financial markets is often limited or transitory, in this case oil markets create a direct link to the global economy,” the chief investment officer said.\nUS strikes on Iran and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz will not only rattle global energy markets – the impact of the conflict will be felt across asset classes with global stocks likely to suffer bouts of intense volatility, according to Lombard Odier.\nThe Swiss private bank says prolonged conflict between the two arch rivals could severely disrupt oil flows and will drive inflationary concerns as energy risks spill over into the global economy.\n“While the impact of geopolitical tensions on financial markets is often limited or transitory, in this case oil markets create a direct link to the global economy and broader supply chains,” Nannette Hechler-Fayd’herbe, chief investment officer for Europe Middle East and Africa, said in research note.\nTensions are simmering, with fears of renewed conflict despite the continuing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.\nThe US has warned that it could attack Iran if a deal is not reached. It has significantly ramped up its naval deployments in the Middle East, including by sending the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group to within striking distance of Iran.\nUS Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that progress had been made in the talks with Iran but that “certain red lines” remain as Tehran keeps up its tough rhetoric towards Washington.\nOn Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump's preference was for a diplomatic solution to defuse the crisis that has left the region on the brink of another conflict, but added that “there's many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran”.\nThe US military could be ready as soon as Saturday to launch strikes on Iran, according to American media reports.\nManus on Markets: Could war with Iran bring triple-digit oil price?\n02:15\nRecipe for disaster\nLombard Odier is considering two risk scenarios: the first involving US strikes but with no lasting disruption, and the second resulting in a major Iranian response, including prolonged disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, which could rattle global energy and financial markets.\nThe Swiss bank estimates that a temporary spike in oil prices to $100 per barrel – or beyond – is plausible and global LNG prices would also be affected if Iran moves to block the strait.\nHowever, any Iranian action in the waterway would be a “high-risk, high-cost option for Iran itself because it would shut down its own oil exports, removing the regime’s primary source of income, and negatively affecting economies in Asia and the Middle East”, Ms Hechler-Fayd’herbe said.\nEconomic impact\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a major route for shipping in the Middle East, particularly for tankers carrying oil around the world. Structurally, it remains one of the world’s most critical chokepoints. The channel, about 33km wide at its narrowest point, flows between Oman and Iran. It links the region's crude oil producers with other key markets, making it vital to the global energy supply.\nAbout 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products- or 27 per cent of global maritime oil trade – travelled through the channel in 2024, according to the US Energy Information Administration.\nDespite threats, the politically sensitive strait has never been closed by Iran. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude, moves more hydrocarbons through the waterway than any other country in the Gulf.\nIran currently accounts for around 4 per cent of global crude supplies, most of which is destined for Asian markets. Although sanctions have significantly weakened Iran’s oil output, Opec estimated its production at around 3.5 million barrels per day in 2025, with China as its largest customer.\n“We estimate that a sustained 20 per cent to 30 per cent increase in crude oil prices would depress global growth by between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent,” Ms Hechler-Fayd’herbe said.\n“That would raise global headline consumer price inflation by a similar margin.”\nAlthough the 1970s oil embargo triggered a deep recession, the global economy is now far less oil-dependent, and the US has shifted from being a major oil importer to the world’s largest producer, she added.\nMarket reaction\nThe stakes of escalation would be high for both the US and Iran. Although Iran is significantly weakened economically and appears to be fragile after the recent mass protests, it has vowed to strike US and its allies across the region.\nLombard Odier's base case scenario, however, remains a negotiated outcome rather than an all-out war that would have significant domestic consequences for Mr Trump before US midterm elections in November.\n“This scenario is also in line with financial markets’ calmness so far,” Ms Hechler-Fayd’herbe said.\n“The VIX, an index of US equity market volatility, remains just below its long-term average levels, and there is no sign that risk premia – the excess returns demanded by investors for holding a riskier asset – are adjusting in anticipation of an escalation.”\nIn the worst-case scenario, market reactions would include a rise in commodity prices including gold, and more volatile equity markets, as the energy sector adjusts.\n“We would also expect strong demand for haven assets, and government bond yield curves to steepen as inflation expectations rise and central banks assess the prospect of slower economic growth,” Ms Hechler-Fayd’herbe said.\nIn such an event, the Swiss franc and Japanese yen, both traditional haven currencies, would appreciate.\n“The longer-term market reactions would depend on the length and the severity of a crisis,” she added.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi5wFBVV95cUxQYzdldEVLZGRzR2I4M3EyZm1IaGJnUThTSTEzdFNvMThYQ2VjV0htQ01IYVlGRktIaGJuSWZZUVdHS0NEa2xrRWFEUTg4RW45LW40TjVYc1RmLXNDa2dfZTY0b1pDTmlaNWNPZVlMM2RDMzRkYlV6bVZRclF3TFBsdXp6cUtBTnNiR2V2ZVJIWER4UFpQc3N0NlRnSXlaN0RqSWtRTHMteS1lcWt1QjMyT0RPVWNrTEthd0NSVmd6WFItbWpjZFNnSUxGMDRLZ0xVUjJiTlh2R0xDNm1LeGs2NXhXZVRRZTg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1ac80d056326",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran tells UN it will respond decisively to any military aggression - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran warned on Thursday it would respond “decisively and proportionately” to any military aggression, according to a letter sent by its UN mission to Secretary General Antonio Guterres.\nThe US and Iran are in a tense stand-off in the Middle East, with Washington demanding Tehran quickly reach an agreement on a deal for its nuclear programme.\nThe letter warned that “all bases, facilities and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets” as part of what Tehran described as a defensive response under international law.\nIran added that the US would bear “full and direct responsibility” for any “unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences” arising from such action.\nTehran said a February 18 social media post by US President Donald Trump contained “an explicit public threat of the use of force” if Iran failed to reach an agreement with Washington.\nThe Iranian mission said references to possible use of military bases, including Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands and the RAF Fairford airfield in England, were a serious escalation.\n“Given the volatile situation in the region and the persistent movement and build-up of military equipment and assets by the United States, such a belligerent statement … must not be treated as mere rhetoric,” the letter said, warning of “a real risk of military aggression” with what could be catastrophic consequences for regional stability.\nIran called on the UN Security Council and Mr Guterres to act “without delay”, urging them to prevent threats of force from becoming “normalised” as tools of foreign policy.\nUS military build-up\nUS military preparations have meanwhile intensified. According to a Washington Post report, the Trump administration appears ready to launch an extended military assault on Iran.\nMr Trump has said he believes 10 to 15 days would be “enough time” for Iran to reach a deal with Washington.\nNegotiations have remained stalled for years, however. Iran has refused to discuss wider US and Israeli demands that it curb its ballistic missile programme and cut ties with allied armed groups across the region.\nThe Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Trump is considering an initial limited strike on military and government targets to force Iran to meet his demands for a nuclear deal. The attack would be designed to put pressure on Tehran but would fall short of a full-scale attack that could prompt a major retaliation, the report said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieEFVX3lxTE5NSnFrd3Fkd0FpWmtLTnphN29YYy0yaFNHSWdiRzFIelZseDljdnMxZUlPYndQTVJhbl9kRU5tZTAydVpyRUlUTnpyYlpEVnBvanJJYTF0WG4zNVZUUGprMllfSmFuQnFQSldRMWNWNFdZSXVoLUttYw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d6a90586001c",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "Trump warns of ‘bad things’ if Iran doesn’t make a deal, as second US carrier nears Mideast - AP News",
    "body_text": "Trump warns of ‘bad things’ if Iran doesn’t make a deal, as second US carrier nears Mideast\nTrump warns of ‘bad things’ if Iran doesn’t make a deal, as second US carrier nears Mideast\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as a second American aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East, with both the United States and Iran signaling they are prepared for war if talks on Tehran’s nuclear program fizzle out.\nPresident Donald Trump said Thursday he believes 10 to 15 days is “enough time” for Iran to reach a deal. But the talks have been deadlocked for years, and Iran has refused to discuss wider U.S. and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups. Indirect talks held in recent weeks made little visible progress, and one or both sides could be buying time for final war preparations.\nIran’s theocracy is more vulnerable than ever following 12 days of Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites and military last year, as well as mass protests in January that were violently suppressed.\nIn a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the U.N., said that while Iran does not seek “tension or war and will not initiate a war,” any U.S. aggression will be responded to “decisively and proportionately.”\n“In such circumstances, all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets in the context of Iran’s defensive response,” Iravani said.\nEarlier this week, Iran conducted a drill that involved live-fire in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow opening of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes.\nTensions are also rising inside Iran, as mourners hold ceremonies honoring slain protesters 40 days after their killing by security forces. Some gatherings have seen anti-government chants despite threats from authorities.\nTrump again threatens Iran\nThe movements of additional American warships and airplanes, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, don’t guarantee a U.S. strike on Iran — but they bolster Trump’s ability to carry out one should he choose to do so.\nHe has so far held off on striking Iran after setting red lines over the killing of peaceful protesters and mass executions, while reengaging in nuclear talks that were disrupted by the war in June.\nIran has agreed to draw up a written proposal to address U.S. concerns raised during this week’s indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, according to a senior U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.\nThe official said top national security officials gathered Wednesday to discuss Iran, and were briefed that the “full forces” needed to carry out potential military action are expected to be in place by mid-March. The official did not provide a timeline for when Iran is expected to deliver its written response.\n“It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen,” Trump said Thursday.\nWith the U.S. military presence in the region mounting, one senior regional government official said he has stressed to Iranian officials in private conversations that Trump has proven that his rhetoric should be taken at face value and that he’s serious about his threat to carry out a strike if Iran doesn’t offer adequate concessions.\nThe official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate diplomatic conversations, said he has advised the Iranians to look to how Trump has dealt with other international issues and draw lessons on how it should move forward.\nThe official added that he’s made to case to the Trump administration it could draw concessions from Iran in the near-term if it focuses on nuclear issues and leaves the push on Tehran to scale back its ballistic missile program and support for proxy group for later.\nThe official also said that Trump ordering a limited strike aimed at pressuring Iran could backfire and lead to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei withdrawing Iran from the talks.\nGrowing international concern\nPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged his nation’s citizens to immediately leave Iran as “within a few, a dozen, or even a few dozen hours, the possibility of evacuation will be out of the question.” He did not elaborate, and the Polish Embassy in Tehran did not appear to be drawing down its staff.\nThe German military said that it had moved “a mid-two digit number of non-mission critical personnel” out of a base in northern Iraq because of the current situation in the region and in line with its partners’ actions. It said that some troops remain to help keep the multinational camp running in Irbil, where they train Iraqi forces.\n“This week, another 50 U.S. combat aircraft — F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s — were ordered to the region, supplementing the hundreds deployed to bases in the Arab Gulf states,” the New York-based Soufan Center think tank wrote. “The deployments reinforce Trump’s threat — restated on a nearly daily basis — to proceed with a major air and missile campaign on the regime if talks fail.”\nIran holds drill with Russia\nIranian forces and Russian sailors conducted the annual drills in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean aimed at “upgrading operational coordination as well as exchange of military experiences,” Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.\nFootage released by Iran showed members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s naval special forces board a vessel in the exercise. Those forces are believed to have been used in the past to seize vessels in key international waterways.\nIran also issued a rocket-fire warning to pilots in the region, suggesting it planned to launch anti-ship missiles in the exercise.\nMeanwhile, tracking data showed the Ford off the coast of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean midday Wednesday, meaning the carrier could transit through Gibraltar and potentially station in the eastern Mediterranean with its supporting guided-missile destroyers.\nIt would likely take more than a week for the Ford to be off the coast of Iran.\nNetanyahu warns Iran\nIsrael is making its own preparations for possible Iranian missile strikes in response to any U.S. action.\n“We are prepared for any scenario,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, adding that if Iran attacks Israel, “they will experience a response they cannot even imagine.”\nNetanyahu, who met with Trump last week, has long pushed for tougher U.S. action against Iran and says any deal should not only end its nuclear program but curb its missile arsenal and force it to cut ties with militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.\nIran has said the current talks should only focus on its nuclear program, and that it hasn’t been enriching uranium since the U.S. and Israeli strikes last summer. Trump said at the time that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites, but the exact damage is unknown as Tehran has barred international inspectors.\nIran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. The U.S. and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons. Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons but has neither confirmed nor denied that.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Claudia Ciobanu in Warsaw, Poland; Geir Moulson in Berlin; Farnoush Amiri in New York; and Aamer Madhani and Michelle Price in Washington, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNUGh5ZUJONkNnVWpFTXBKMmNZQXNmYktJd2JJbVlZajUzWE9xeWNLV1NJMHc2SkRoMlJiTnpOa1pJTERTdEthWmtha2R1MnBMd0NJZUR5blZ1cFFxd2JoTmRlTFJOaDBHdDh6S1lZWDV4N21yYnE3bjNzMl9mWWVaUXlfYUdSOUZWVXR1VktoeHZyWi1vNUxnd3NZQnk1Y0poT0R1ckdGX3I4RmZKU19USA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4107fdf506cd",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Before striking Iran, Trump should answer these six questions - Atlantic Council",
    "body_text": "WASHINGTON—With negotiations seemingly headed nowhere, a new conflict with Iran looks increasingly likely, if not inevitable. The United States has gathered the most air power in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq war. A US military operation in Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like a full-fledged war than the early January operation to remove Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro from power.\nAt this moment, there’s no clarity on whether the United States will strike, what in Iran it would strike, or what might follow. In the absence of answers, it’s all the more important to ask the right questions. Here are six questions that US policymakers should be asking:\n1. What is the objective of a military campaign?\nThe White House has yet to outline what the administration is hoping to achieve in a military campaign. There are three likely options: 1) US President Donald Trump believes an attack will strengthen his hand in nuclear and disarmament negotiations. 2) The administration is seeking to significantly degrade or decapitate Iran’s leadership, potentially including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 3) Military strikes will largely be symbolic, fulfilling the US president’s promise to support Iranian protesters and responding to his “red line” warning the regime against using lethal force against demonstrators.\nIf these are the administration’s objectives, there are significant obstacles to achieving them. No matter how weak Iran is, it is highly unlikely that Khamenei will capitulate on key issues, such as Iran’s missile program, as the regime seems to have determined that it would be risker to dismantle its capabilities than suffer a military strike. Ideologically, Khamenei would likely rather die a martyr than be seen bowing to the United States. If regime change or decapitation is the goal, then this presents the obvious challenge of backing a successor. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s sober testimony to Congress on January 28 indicated that he believes a successor would most likely come from within the regime, but there is no clear Delcy Rodríguez figure in Iran. There is also no guarantee that Khamenei’s replacement would be better.\n2. What might Iran do in response?\nThe risk of Iranian miscalculation in determining its response to a new round of strikes is high. In the run-up to this potential conflict, Iran has repeatedly threatened to unleash a regional war on the United States and Israel. But in the past, Iran has mostly calibrated its military responses to foreign attacks to be proportional (in its estimation) to the original attack. Therefore, if Iran perceives that US strikes are primarily symbolic, then it may calibrate its response accordingly. At the same time, Iran is facing a perplexing dilemma that extends beyond this conflict. Tehran cannot win an extended war with the United States (or Israel), but there is a growing perception inside the regime that the military needs to inflict US casualties to restore a measure of deterrence against future attacks.\nThere is another unknown variable to consider, as well: Iranian proxies. While these groups have largely been absent from Iran’s past response to US and Israeli military strikes, Iran will have to quickly decide whether to seek an immediate off-ramp or, as the regime sees it, try to restore deterrence against future attacks. Otherwise, from Iran’s perspective, the United States and Israel will just continue to target Iran whenever they see fit.\n3. Will Trump face any consequences this time around?\nPart of Trump’s rationale for considering another Iran attack is that he likely has concluded that there were no real military or political repercussions for US involvement in Israel’s twelve-day war against Iran in June 2025 or the Maduro operation this past month. Perhaps—depending on the scope of a campaign—this trend continues. However, the Trump administration may find it more difficult to define the scope of a new campaign against Iran compared with the earlier, limited operations in Iran and Venezuela. If Iran does try to hit back, Trump might be compelled to expand his objectives and the trajectory of a conflict. In that case, it will be harder to replicate his pattern of decisive action and equally decisive off-ramps this time around.\n4. Is there a feasible diplomatic off-ramp prior to conflict?\nProbably not. Iran reportedly has two weeks to show concrete progress toward US red lines, but a new conflict might not wait that long. More importantly, Iran does not seem capable of making the necessary concessions needed for a meaningful deal. So far, Iran has insisted on only talking about its nuclear program, and it appears committed to the “right to enrich” even though it isn’t enriching uranium right now. Iran also foolishly objected to regional foreign ministers joining the talks, and it had to walk back some of its expected concessions (specifically shipping out its 60 percent enriched uranium) before talks even got under way.\nMore broadly, Iran is trying to negotiate a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action 2.0, while what the Trump administration wants is likely closer to an Iranian surrender pact. There isn’t much overlap or a short-term miracle in the offing. A European with regular connections to the Iranian government recently told me that some factions in Iran believe that if the country can survive another attack and inflict some damage on the United States in return, then this might help Iran’s future negotiating position. That’s another potential misperception.\n5. How will the Iranian people respond to a military campaign?\nAfter a severe crackdown on Iranian protesters in January, Iran’s security services have regained control of the street. Therefore, the window for “helping” protesters has probably passed. Still, it’s hard to predict how most Iranians will react to a new US military campaign. Nine hundred Iranians reportedly died in the twelve-day war, including many civilians. Most Iranians calling for military intervention now are probably hoping for surgical strikes, not a weekslong campaign that risks more civilian casualties. Strikes that target the security establishment might bring more Iranians back to the streets, but the Trump administration shouldn’t count on this possibility, since Iranians did not respond to outside calls to protest or rise up during the twelve-day war.\n6. What role will US regional partners play?\nFor much of the past month, Arab and Turkish partners of the United States have urged the Trump administration to deescalate and avoid conflict with Iran. Many of those partners also host US troops in their countries and have been targets of past Iranian aggression. As conflict becomes more likely, watching their next steps will be a crucial indicator. Back in 2019, during the US “maximum pressure” campaign, Iran successfully targeted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, causing significant changes in their respective policies toward Iran. The Iran-Gulf relationship is certainly stronger now, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia have already publicly said that the United States cannot use their airspace for attacks. But the United States’ Gulf partners clearly have an impact on Trump, and the Iranians know it. Will Iran lash out at the Gulf if it can’t deescalate the situation quickly this time around?\nOn the other side of the region, it is probably fair to assume that Israel will participate in the campaign in one form or another. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been clear about the threat that Iran’s missile program poses to Israel. One indicator that might impact the length of a conflict is whether Israel has sufficient air defense interceptors.\nOne final point: Americans’ opinions will likely factor in how this conflict plays out, too. Editorials urging Trump not to be like US President Barack Obama probably have an impact on his calculus. On the other side of the issue, 70 percent of Americans oppose military intervention in Iran. Trump is generally sensitive to US polling, and he has consistently campaigned against ending “stupid forever wars.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQNk5pQ1V4RV9vTlRuNTlVWF9RT3Q0cEtVT1N2Tkl6T3FCdTNoa0g0V1lmR2otcVV3WGRIb2FJZU94RjBMSjg5R3dwUmhycGVOcXE1MDNjVG9ZVmtPVlNPWHd6T1daTkdzblVuRkhSZDRvYlNiNXUtbnZHWGNKcHJQR01BWG9wSExoY1ZqSU8wRnpmTXlUa1hLa3NRZzVDMTdQRWdqeHZWMA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3f2fa0cb711f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The US could strike Iran. Here’s how Tehran is getting prepared - CNN",
    "body_text": "As the United States continues a significant military buildup in the Middle East, Iran has taken steps to signal its readiness for war, including fortifying its nuclear sites and rebuilding missile production facilities.\nIranian and US negotiators held indirect talks in Geneva for three-and-a-half hours on Tuesday, but it ended with no clear resolution. Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said both sides agreed on a set of “guiding principles,” but US Vice President JD Vance said the Iranians had not acknowledged “red lines” set by US President Donald Trump.\nDespite ongoing talks, the White House has been briefed that the US military could be ready for an attack by the weekend, after a buildup in recent days of air and naval assets in the Middle East, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.\nAmid the threat of war, Iran has spent recent months repairing key missile facilities and heavily damaged air bases while further concealing its nuclear program. It has appointed war veterans to its national security structures, conducted maritime wargames in the Persian Gulf and launched an intense crackdown on domestic dissent.\nRepairs\nIn June last year, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran that destroyed parts of its nuclear program, severely damaged missile production sites and killed key military commanders. Over the ensuing 12-day conflict, Iran retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israeli cities, while the US struck three Iranian nuclear sites – with US President Donald Trump claiming they had been “totally obliterated.”\nWestern nations have consistently failed to persuade Iran to curb its missile program, which Tehran regards as a central pillar of its military strength and a right to its self-defense.\nDespite suffering heavy losses in the war with Israel, satellite imagery analysis reveals that Iran has rebuilt damaged missile facilities.\nSatellite imagery of the Imam Ali Missile Base in Khorramabad, captured on January 5, shows that of the dozen structures destroyed by Israel, three have been rebuilt, one has been repaired while three others are currently under construction. The facility houses silo launch sites critical for firing ballistic missiles with earthwork and construction around them.\nTwo other military bases have also undergone extensive repairs. At the northwestern Tabriz air base linked to Iran’s medium-range ballistic missiles, taxiways and runways have been restored. In another a missile base in the north of the city, extensive work has been conducted after the war. All the entrances were reopened after being bombed shut, the support area by the entrance was mostly rebuilt and some tunnels are now open, according to a CNN analysis and Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies (CNS).\nAt Hamadan Airbase in western Iran, craters created by bombs on the runway have been filled and aircraft shelters repaired, according to a CNN analysis and Lair.\nIran has also swiftly rebuilt its largest and newest solid-propellant missile production facility in Shahrud, a technology that allows for the rapid deployment of longer-range missiles.\n“I think the most important site is Shahrud. The damage there was repaired very quickly,” Lair said. “There was also a new production line under construction there during the war which was not damaged and is now likely operational, which means counterintuitively solid propellant missile motor production might be greater now than before the war, at least at that site.”\nFortifying nuclear facilities\nDespite expressing flexibility in limiting its nuclear program, Iran is rapidly fortifying several of its nuclear facilities, using concrete and large amounts of soil to bury key sites, according to new satellite imagery and analysis from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS).\nHigh-resolution satellite imagery from February 10, 2026, analyzed by ISIS, shows Iran continuing to harden tunnel entrances at the underground complex carved into Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz. Fresh concrete is visible at both the western and eastern entrances, increasing protection that could help shield the facility from potential airstrikes, alongside trucks and other construction equipment at the site.\nAt a nuclear facility known as ‘Taleghan 2’ at the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran, satellite images published this week show that Iran has completed a concrete sarcophagus around the site and is now covering it with soil, according to the Washington-based institute that focuses on nuclear nonproliferation.\n“The facility may soon become a fully unrecognizable bunker, providing significant protection from aerial strikes,” ISIS president David Albright warned in a post on X.\nAt the 7th of Tir Industrial Complex near Isfahan in central Iran, which is linked to producing centrifuge parts for uranium enrichment, damaged structures have been rebuilt, according to CNN-reviewed image analysis. The complex was sanctioned by the UN in October 2025.\n“I think Iran is reconstituting its nuclear and missile programs, probably faster than Israel claimed it could during (Operation) Rising Lion,” Jeffrey Lewis, Distinguished Scholar of Global Security at Middlebury College, told CNN referring to the Israeli strikes in June.\n“The reconstruction of the buildings, as well as some other information, suggests that Iran was either able to replace that equipment or move it to safe places underground before the strikes,” he added.\nReshaping governance\nLast year’s conflict with Israel laid bare weaknesses in Iran’s command structures under pressure, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly becoming increasingly hard to reach and authority devolving to provincial governors.\nTehran has since strengthened the Supreme National Security Council headed by Khamenei confidant Ali Larijani and formed a new authority – the Defense Council – to govern in times of war.\nWar veteran and a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Ali Shamkhani, who survived an Israeli attempt on his life during last year’s war, was appointed this month as the secretary of the Defense Council, with the aim of “comprehensively strengthening defense preparations” and developing “mechanisms to counter emerging threats,” an outlet affiliated with Iran’s security apparatus, Nour News, said.\nHamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said Shamkhani’s appointment signals that Iran is preparing for the possibility of a US decapitation strike – potentially targeting the Supreme Leader himself.\n“It’s becoming a … more immediate question, the issue of post-Khamenei succession, and they are getting prepared for that … whether or not that’s going to be the case, it depends on many factors, like the scale of a potential US attack or a campaign. But this is at least what I can see happening from within the system,” he told CNN’s Becky Anderson.\nCrackdown on dissent\nIsrael’s strikes on Iran in June were preceded by a sophisticated infiltration by Israel’s Mossad spy agency, a tactic that heightened the already paranoid state of the Iranian regime.\nIran has intensified its crackdown on dissent amid concerns war could trigger regime change. Last month, security forces brutally suppressed nationwide protests, killing thousands and arresting many more in the deadliest suppression of demonstrations in the history of the Islamic Republic.\nThe regime accused protesters of being Israeli spies and deployed the brutal local paramilitary Basij force to suppress demonstrations which were sparked by poor economic conditions but transformed into calls for regime change.\nAnd the regime’s deepening paranoia has even turned inward. Last week, four prominent reformists who campaigned for President Masoud Pezeshkian were detained by Iranian security forces and accused of incitement against “the internal atmosphere” and working “to destroy national cohesion by … spreading untrue positions against the country,”\nWar games\nAs Iranian negotiators engaged with the US in Geneva, Iran launched naval drills in the Persian Gulf to demonstrate its disruptive capabilities to Washington’s regional allies.\nIn a first, the IRGC closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz for a few hours as it conducted naval exercises, according to Iranian media. The critical chokepoint is located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, through which one-fifth of daily oil global production flow every day.\nIranian officials have previously threatened to close the strait in the face of tensions with the West, a scenario that could cause upheaval in the global energy market.\nIran’s navy also held a joint exercise with Russia in the Gulf of Oman and northern Indian Ocean, where the two sides carried out a drill to “retake a mock hijacked ship,” according to Iranian state media.\nThis month, the US deployed two aircraft carriers to the region, and one of them shot down an Iranian drone that as it aggressively approached it in the Arabian Sea. And earlier, two gunboats operated by the IRGC approached a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to board and seize the ship, according to a US military spokesman.\nAmid the US military buildup and Iran’s wartime preparations, experts say Iranian officials are trying to send a message to the US.\n“The Iranian tactic is trying to convince the United States that war is going to be costly,” said Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University said. “This is not like June. This is not going to be like Venezuela, that the United States will have to face certain costs and it has to calculate those costs before it actually strikes Iran,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxOdUZGUjB0bkdJRl96Q1VodVdQQm43X2JMcTNfZGhWbFd4S2I4R09OMDRUMlpwclIzNmNjeWRmc3E4UVp6S0h2R0htdlgyU0lFOWg3YVc3ckpDeC1vWVplV0czYWI3V0VmQjROMnh2ZXR2N2gzYldVcF82MlA2LWJxR0VmS2ZVOEU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a96a352a9d02",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "As Trump signals Iran strike to ignite prolonged fight, Israel ramps up defense - Haaretz",
    "body_text": "The United States has significantly increased its military forces in the Middle East in recent days, in advance of a possible attack on Iran. The latest moves and statements from the Trump administration seem to show that the Americans are now seriously considering beginning a military campaign relatively soon. The United States is also preparing for a long campaign, which could involve Israel, in an attempt to apply heavy pressure on the regime in Tehran, and even lead to its fall.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAJBVV95cUxPN1dQeE5scUFUTnU4YV9ob2dqNU53eXp2Y2xoUzZ1NDNuX2JYczRnUUpWWFpLbnZSXzFpQmdxQWEtZXdzV19kX014TDJhS19lQV9Iem1KWE0tOUV4ckJlazhUZ3hKSDhYZ1p4UW9LODlwS0VBY1loTFVGeWYyeXFMdnBhRW1YMHpkTmlFTGlvYjFUOUJCMWg4bk9aWG55dnl5Y0ExTG5kYWNVQ3E3ZGYxQnhuMFBadmVtT0lxMDRjbDhlWnMxMEUycmd5SW90R3lHQ1F1S2dJeElqX3dRNHc5RGhka2ctbUwtWVpuSmQxU2dPRzE1RHRFX0M3a2tCbURTRDVncXdjUmk2c0w2T3VUbTdPTG9YcjlUQTBPSk9RQmo?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8fb86e8f1eed",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran builds concrete shield at military site amid acute US tensions - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Newly released satellite images show that Iran has recently built a concrete shield over a new facility at a sensitive military site and covered it in soil, advancing work at a location reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024 amid soaring tensions with the United States and the threat of regional war.\nThe images also show that Iran has buried tunnel entrances at a nuclear site bombed by Washington during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last year – which the US joined on Israel’s behalf – fortified tunnel entrances near another, and has repaired missile bases struck in the conflict.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Iranian families mark protest killings as schools observe strikes\n- list 2 of 4US renews threat of military action as Iran, Russia announce naval drills\n- list 3 of 4Iran says ‘good progress’ made in nuclear talks with US in Geneva\n- list 4 of 4Dozens of film workers slam Berlin festival’s silence on Israel’s Gaza war\nThis comes as countries in the region and across the world closely monitor the prospect of a major escalation. On Thursday, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged Polish citizens to leave Iran “immediately … and do not go to this country under any circumstances”.\nThe satellite images offer a rare glimpse of Iranian activities at some of the sites at the centre of tensions with Israel and the US.\nSome 30km (20 miles) southeast of Tehran, the Parchin complex is one of Iran’s most sensitive military sites. Western intelligence has suggested Tehran carried out tests relevant to nuclear bomb detonations there more than 20 years ago. Iran has always denied seeking atomic weapons and says its nuclear programme is purely for civilian purposes.\nNeither US intelligence nor the UN nuclear watchdog found any evidence last year that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons.\nIsrael reportedly struck Parchin in October 2024. Satellite imagery taken before and after that attack shows extensive damage to a rectangular building at Parchin, and apparent reconstruction in images from November 6, 2024. Imagery from October 12, 2025, shows development at the site, with the skeleton of a new structure visible and two smaller structures adjacent to it.\nProgress is apparent in imagery from November 14, with what appears to be a metallic roof covering the large structure. By February 16, it cannot be seen at all, hidden by what experts say is a concrete structure.\nThe Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), in a January 22 analysis of satellite imagery, pointed to progress in the construction of a “concrete sarcophagus” around a newly built facility at the site, which it identified as Taleghan 2.\nISIS founder David Albright wrote on X: “Stalling the negotiations has its benefits: Over the last two to three weeks, Iran has been busy burying the new Taleghan 2 facility … More soil is available and the facility may soon become a fully unrecognizable bunker, providing significant protection from aerial strikes.”\nThe institute also reported in late January that satellite images showed new efforts to bury two tunnel entrances at the Isfahan complex – one of the three Iranian uranium-enrichment plants bombed by the US in June during the war. By early February, ISIS said all entrances to the tunnel complex were ”completely buried”.\nOther images point to ongoing efforts since February 10 to “harden and defensively strengthen” two entrances to a tunnel complex under a mountain some 2km (1.2 miles) from Natanz – the site that holds Iran’s other two uranium enrichment plants.\nThis comes as Washington seeks to negotiate a deal with Tehran on its nuclear programme while threatening military action if talks fail.\nOn Tuesday, US and Iranian representatives reached an understanding on main “guiding principles” during a meeting in Geneva, but felt short of achieving any breakthrough. The meeting in the Swiss city came after a first round of talks in Oman on February 6.\nReports suggest that Tehran would make detailed proposals in the next two weeks to close gaps. Among the many hurdles in the negotiations is the US push to widen the scope of the deal to include restrictions on Iran’s ballistic arsenal and support for its allies in the region.\nThat is fuelled by Israel’s demands and regional narrative, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly pressing US President Donald Trump to shift from nuclear-only parameters.\nTehran has insisted that these provisions are non-negotiable but that it is open to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.\nA previous negotiating effort collapsed last year when Israel launched attacks on Iran, triggering the 12-day war that Washington joined in by bombing key Iranian nuclear sites.\nAs diplomacy forges a path, both parties are ramping up military pressure.\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held a series of war games on Monday and Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz to prepare for “potential security and military threats”.\nOn Wednesday, Tehran announced new joint naval drills with Russia in the Sea of Oman. Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou said the exercises were aimed at preventing any unilateral action in the region, and enhancing coordination against threats to maritime security, including risks to commercial vessels and oil tankers.\nThe US has also escalated its military build-up in the region. Trump has ordered a second aircraft carrier to the region, with the first, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its nearly 80 aircraft, positioned about 700 kilometres (435 miles) from the Iranian coast as of Sunday, according to satellite imagery.\nThe Trump administration also issued new threats against Tehran with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying on Wednesday that “Iran would be very wise to make a deal” with the US. Trump escalated his rhetoric on social media.\n“Should Iran decide not to make a Deal,” the US may need to use an Indian Ocean airbase in the Chagos Islands, “in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime”, he wrote on his Truth Social platform.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxQVk9zSV85U21iZ1MyZlZKT3VwdzhyLTVHcGRfbXYzamcyLU5LT0x2bktKLTNOTExSdktCTG9KWmhEbXdvMmFQTzRxY2x1UHo1MURxc1BjMjdBY2dnNDR4eDJ5b0JTLVcyTVhNaURFRm5lOGpuTGRkSHVwbzJoWk9HNWFyZk5yUTB5THRuVk5zNmxtWmZ5eEJERktyVkppSHlVakJBN09naEwtcU5z0gGyAUFVX3lxTE55NXVsMVdXNjJ5TmxyNTQ0T2twM0hHbV82cmFoS1oxc1NKQndoRjBOTER4WFlXZnZ2eXc3amRTOVNlek80N3BLazZjajVrV3E5QmJnTjg3R3NNZWNoMHRnSHJwdEFhbmRYOTNzMV94UzNXc0FocUJ5ZVN3dXRVeVZZNlpIMjk2c3djVEkxSncwRHc1b2R1MThxbk9pRi1LbXU5NDdHRUg5aDNmNV9PaVZ1cVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_61592c19d877",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel steps up Iran war preparations, keeps plans within small inner circle - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-19T17:38:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxNZEp3MldPOVhjM1loOTdhWGJocDk5NVNpNVIzaXVWcVV2THZIZmtBbDgxZUlCbTRCLVpHdlNPSGhBTUxLMUtqYjYzSXlvZGNGRkJ3NlVNME45Vi0xNER6NjZ4ZjZMdEV4Y3VsQ0FlNUJRdUdrU1U3Yk11YXNYZVpmVjVZZExrZ29xeUN5QjU1U3B6MlUxZGhGbjRYdVZMMjBHM2gtUlRFMkFVM24xb3lKODRmVTN6UVpW?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bcd57bf1b0fc",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Deterrence and Escalation Dynamics with Iran: Insights from Four Decades of Conflict and a Twelve-Day War - The Washington Institute",
    "body_text": "Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.\nIn-Depth Reports\nThe conflict in June 2025 laid bare longstanding misconceptions about escalation management with the regime and could hold lessons as the United States contemplates further military action.\nFor decades, Washington struggled to counter Tehran’s asymmetric way of war, rooted in a failure to understand the Islamic Republic’s military modus operandi and fears of another Middle East “forever war.” The twelve-day conflict in June 2025, however, confounded predictions that a U.S. attack on Iran would prompt massive retaliation, lead to thousands of American casualties, and spark an “all-out” regional war. In turn, it laid bare longstanding misconceptions regarding the ability of the United States and Israel to manage escalation with Iran. These lessons have particular relevance as the United States contemplates military action against the regime following its massacre of thousands of protesters.\nIn this timely Policy Focus, military expert Michael Eisenstadt reviews recent U.S. and Israeli conflicts with Iran and its proxies to better understand the Islamic Republic's past approach to deterrence and escalation management—which may inform its conduct in future conflicts. And it seeks to draw the right lessons from this experience—which will be critical to future efforts to deter and counter Iran and its proxies.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxNMzdtOGRMV2NVUmh6Y1Z0WlR1VDdDbGJfVDdkZ1cxTm9nYS16RFhiZndXMGwyNUZWdklUQkZSV2VSeE1FdUNldWNQTzd5TFVPdlZZUnhvcUJod3JuVWw3ek1QN1lwNk41VXlOLTBxSDgwV0NyV05adWpmdzVfSzJwWklaZHRsN1IxOFJuY0ZQaG5uaGV6N3RDYnVTaVJKMWtENTczWDZYMERYUHZKaEM4cUU0ZU1zcjFKcVhPcHUydVBrT0ItSUdaajZobldYQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1dc5c07a12a0",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran and the Persistence of US Failure in the Middle East - Cato Institute",
    "body_text": "Iran and the Persistence of US Failure in the Middle East    Cato Institute",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTFAwem9GcUp0UFczT2E5bFhoaEpGU2lpWmJBc2I0QnI3aENTNFVMV1U3WUNoRER4UDJ6SG9VMlhsYzVoMUg2bGNOLVFkTW5WVmZwTDgxWS1YRG1mRWR6RDRhSGRJc2w5X1p3TTloY0lMV0g3Sk0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d051f61dd622",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Tracking the rapid US military build-up near Iran - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The United States administration is intensifying its build-up of a vast array of military assets in the Middle East, as President Donald Trump says Iran has “10 to 15 days at most” to agree a deal over its nuclear programme and stock of ballistic missiles.\nAs well as the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, which is reportedly joining the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea, key force multipliers such as E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft have been deployed.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 1 itemend of listIn a letter to the United Nations Security Council, Iran said that while the country does not seek “tension or war and will not initiate a war”, any US aggression will be responded to “decisively and proportionately”.\n“The United States would bear full and direct responsibility for any unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences,” it said.\nHere is what we know about the recent US deployment of military assets in the Middle East – which has also led to a dispute with the United Kingdom over the use of its joint military base in Diego Garcia.\nWhat air power assets has the US deployed to the Middle East?\nAccording to open-source intelligence analysts and military flight-tracking data, the US appears to have deployed more than 120 aircraft to the region within the past few days – the largest surge in US airpower in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq war.\nThe reported deployments include E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, F-35 stealth strike fighters and F-22 air superiority jets, alongside F-15s and F-16s. Flight-tracking data shows many departing bases in the US and Europe, supported by cargo aircraft and aerial refuelling tankers, a sign of sustained operational planning rather than routine rotations.\nF-22s and F-35s previously escorted B-2 stealth bombers during Operation Midnight Hammer, the US military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites Trump ordered in June 2025 during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel.\n“Watch any movement by B-2s. That would indicate a possible replay of ‘Midnight Hammer’,” Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, told Al Jazeera.\nThis latest wave was preceded several weeks ago by the arrival of Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles. US Central Command said on social media at the time that the fighter jet “enhances combat readiness and promotes regional security and stability”.\nWhat role could Diego Garcia and the UK play?\nAttention has also focused on Diego Garcia, the joint UK-US military base in the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Islands, which is capable of hosting long-range US strategic bombers, including B-2 aircraft.\nThe remote base has historically served as a launch point for major US air campaigns in the region.\nHowever, Diego Garcia is a British sovereign territory leased to Washington, meaning London must approve its use for offensive operations. According to reports in UK media, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated to Trump that the US cannot use British airbases – including Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in the UK, which is home to the US’s heavy bomber fleet in Europe – for strikes on Iran, as this would be in breach of international law.\nTrump retaliated by withdrawing US support for the UK’s decision to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, announced last year.\nOn Wednesday, the US president said Starmer was “making a big mistake” in the agreement to transfer sovereignty of the archipelago.\n“DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, saying the base could be called upon in any future military operation to counter a potential attack from Iran.\nWhat do we know about US warships in the Arabian Sea?\nThe USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is currently being redeployed from the Caribbean to the Middle East.\nThe carrier and its accompanying strike group are expected to arrive in the region in the coming weeks.\nOn Wednesday, it briefly transmitted its location off the coast of Morocco, suggesting it is transiting the Atlantic towards the Strait of Gibraltar and will then go into the Mediterranean.\nThis is the same vessel that previously supported US military operations in Venezuela, including missions conducted under Operation Southern Spear.\nThe USS Gerald R Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which recent satellite imagery shows is operating in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman, positioning US naval power within striking distance of Iran.\nThe US Navy also has multiple guided-missile destroyers in the region equipped with advanced air defence and ballistic missile interception systems. These multi-role vessels can carry and launch Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of striking land targets deep inside Iran, alongside their anti-submarine and fleet defence missions.\nHow is Iran responding?\nIran has publicly warned that it will view any military strike by the US as a serious provocation.\nTehran has also moved ahead with its own planned military activities. It announced and began joint naval exercises with Russia in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean on Wednesday. These are intended to enhance maritime cooperation and signal deterrence amid rising US pressure.\nAs part of these manoeuvres, Iranian authorities issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for rocket launches over southern Iran from 03:30 to 13:30 GMT and temporarily closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital shipping route, during live-fire drills.\nMeanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also warned that a US strike on Iran would have serious repercussions, underscoring the risk of escalation if hostilities spread.\nSatellite images published by the Reuters news agency on Thursday showed that Iran has recently built a concrete shield over a new facility at a sensitive military site and covered it in soil, experts say, advancing work at a location reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024.\nImages also show that Iran has buried tunnel entrances at a nuclear site bombed by the US during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last year, fortified tunnel entrances near another, and has repaired missile bases struck in the conflict.\nAnalytical reports also suggest that Iran has built a multilayered defence centred on mines, missiles, submarines and drones with the intent of slowing down the US forces.\nSome analysts say Iran may seek to avoid an immediate full-scale confrontation, but this may be difficult.\n“The Iranians have, over the past six months, quietly taken additional steps to move critical assets further underground,” Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University, said during a roundtable discussion hosted by the CSIS Middle East Program this week\n“They are going to be unpredictable,” he said. “But I think they could go big at the beginning, or they might want to drag the United States into a protracted situation.\n“You hit a tanker, or you hit an oil facility, or you hit an American ship, and then it’s up to President Trump to decide whether to escalate further. And it can go beyond that.\n“We are in a scenario where this might get out of control very quickly,” Nasr added.\nIs the US likely to attack Iran?\nAccording to experts, it is a very real possibility.\n“The United States is doing all the things that it would do if it were going to conduct some sort of attack,” Cancian told Al Jazeera. “It has moved aircraft into the area, two aircraft carriers, plus enablers like AWACS.”\nBarbara Slavi, distinguished fellow at Stimson Center, agreed with this assessment. “It seems that the Trump administration has decided that it is going to attack Iran again, and I presume in conjunction with the Israelis,” she said.\n“What the objectives are, we have yet to see. Can it be contained? Will others be drawn in? These are all really important questions, and we don’t have answers.”\nIs this a similar situation to what we saw earlier this year in Venezuela?\nA build-up of US military assets in the Caribbean, close to Venezuela, which began in September 2025, led to multiple strikes on Venezuelan boats that the US claimed – without proof – were carrying drugs. It culminated in the dramatic January 3 raid on Caracas by US forces and the abduction of then-President Nicolas Maduro, who now faces trial on guns and drugs charges in New York.\n“The build-up [in the Arabian Sea] has similarities, but one key difference is the strategic context,” Cancian said.\n“Unlike the Venezuela raid, there hasn’t been a large deployment of Special Operations Forces, and Iran’s geography, far inland and heavily defended, makes a quick ground raid unlikely.\n“If there are strikes, I would expect long-range missile attacks against security forces such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Strikes against nuclear facilities are also possible, but missiles like Tomahawk can only damage above-ground facilities,” he added.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly planning to travel to Israel on February 28 to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a State Department official said.\nLast summer, the US carried out air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities even as senior American diplomats were scheduled to meet with their Iranian counterparts in ongoing talks.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9e602c1bd3d8",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Saudi crown prince sent complaint letter to UAE 'spy sheikh' about Yemen, Sudan - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Saudi crown prince sent complaint letter to UAE 'spy sheikh' about Yemen, Sudan\nSaudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a \"lengthy\" letter to UAE national security advisor Tahnoon bin Zayed complaining about the emirates' activities in Sudan and Yemen, multiple US and western officials have told Middle East Eye.\nThe letter, which was sent a few weeks ago, provided a detailed list of Saudi Arabian complaints against the UAE, even as it offered mediation through the crown prince's brother and advisor, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman.\nThe letter told Tahnoon, who is nicknamed the \"spy sheikh\", that Saudi Arabia could no longer “tolerate” Sudan’s civil war while its neighbour supported the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).\nIn addition, it justified Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen as necessary for the kingdom’s national security. Saudi Arabia attacked the UAE’s secessionist allies in southern Yemen in December and has since moved to oust its neighbour from the country entirely.\nThe letter reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia sees Yemen as its sphere of influence and that Riyadh plans to take “responsibility” for the war-torn country on its southern border.\nThe complaints raised in the letter have been echoed in public and private before, but the decision to loop in the US is notable.\nWashington\nThe US and western officials familiar with the letter's content told MEE it did not contain a signature section, but that Washington assessed it was sent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.\nThe Trump administration has been relatively quiet on the spat between its two Gulf allies.\nOne western official told MEE that the UAE demurred when asked if it would be open to behind-the-scenes US mediation.\nThe western official told MEE that the letter appeared to be written with Washington in mind, spelling out the kingdom’s issues with the UAE even as it stressed the “brotherly ties” between them.\nUS President Donald Trump acknowledged the split for the first time in public this week.\n“They do indeed have a rift,” he told reporters, adding that he could “get it settled very easily”.\nThe letter said that Saudi Arabia was shocked that the UAE believed the kingdom had pressed the US to sanction it.\nMEE was the first to reveal that the crown prince planned to lobby Trump against the UAE over its support for the RSF when he visited the White House in November.\nTrump publicly confirmed that Saudi Arabia asked him to intervene in the conflict, although he did not mention the UAE by name.\nSome analysts speculate that Saudi Arabia's lobbying was the final straw that inspired the UAE to back a sweeping offensive by secessionist forces in Yemen in December.\nThe mediators\nIn his letter, the crown prince said Saudi Arabia saw the UAE’s decision to send military aid to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) without Riyadh’s approval as a “red line”.\nSaudi Arabia bombed an Emirati weapons shipment in the port of Mukalla in late December. It then provided air support and intelligence to Yemen’s internationally recognised government to evict the STC.\nThe letter lashed out at the UAE for orchestrating a covert operation in early January to extract former STC leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, from Yemen after he was charged with high treason.\nThe correspondence puts a spot-light on the key role Tahnoon plays as a troubleshooter for the emirates.\nTahnoon is one of six brothers dubbed by Gulf watchers as the \"Bani Fatima\", sons of the UAE’s founder, Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, and his favourite wife, Fatima Bint Mubarak al-Ketbi. The list includes UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed.\nKnown for his trademark aviator sunglasses, which he wears because of an eye condition, Tahnoon overseas $1 trillion dollars of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth. As national security advisor, he also engages in shuttle diplomacy on behalf of his brother.\nCurrent and former US and Arab officials who have met Tahnoon describe him to MEE as more pragmatic than his brother. For example, Tahnoon took the lead reestablishing relations between the UAE and Qatar following the 2017 blockade of the latter.\nThe letter underscores that managing the rift is going to be a family affair for both sides.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxQeFU4T2t1OG1veWdSTUNtTmt0aFFWTGRrdTllMzlPam16TUZiVEpoQVFpeXlmREZGa3lqdEVkd2RLeXBxdW9GZDVmYWMwOVplVDNib2toVmgyUlBrVlhtZmplNWVmLVJFM0c3RHpsbTdqRXkwNENKY1U1N1ZldWtDSWVqWHNPb29yc2w4TXNZQ3VpbnlDZmdJ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_64bbbb0b8b02",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Bracing for impact: Gulf airlines could face costly reroutes as US-Iran tension threatens airspace - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Gulf carriers are preparing contingency routes and safety plans as tensions rise and potential US-led strikes on Iran threaten key regional airspace.\nExtended detours of two to three hours on wide-bodies could add $6,000 to $7,500 per flight hour in operating costs.\nLong-haul services face the greatest disruption if a broad no‑fly zone emerges, while short flights may be less affected outside direct danger areas.\nFinancial hits stem from cancellations, delays, higher fuel and crew costs, and potential lower load factors as some passengers avoid the region.\n“Preparing for wartime contingencies is important,” US-based AirInsight aviation analyst Ernest Arvai says.\nGulf airlines are bracing for the possibility of disruption and need to be prepared for contingencies and financial losses as tension between the US and Iran rises.\nAirlines in the region need to prepare contingency flight paths and brace for losses if rerouting or cancellations become necessary, analysts have said.\nIran on Thursday told airlines to avoid key Middle East fly zone amid missile drills as it planned rocket launches across its south territory and part of the Gulf of Oman ahead of broader joint exercises with Russia and China in the Strait of Hormuz.\nPotential US-led strikes on Iran could force airlines to avoid high-risk airspace, leading to higher fuel costs, stretched crew schedules and last-minute timetable changes, according to aviation experts.\nErnest Arvai, aviation analyst at US‑based AirInsight, said any escalation that triggers a broad no‑fly zone over Iran or neighbouring high‑risk areas would “push airlines on to longer routings”, particularly on long‑haul services that normally overfly the country. “However, for short flights, we don’t see a lot of disruption outside the direct danger areas,” he tells The National.\nOperational strain\nDetours of two to three hours on wide‑body aircraft could add about $6,000 to $7,500 per flight hour in operating costs, Mr Arvai warns, a move that can significantly increasing the bill for each sector that has to skirt closed airspace.\n“Losses will be dependent on the type of aircraft and its cost structure,” he said, adding that financial losses for airlines come from two sources: “the loss of revenue from flight cancellations or delays, and from higher operating costs for additional time, fuel, crews and lower load factors, if passengers prefer to avoid the region during a conflict”.\nAirlines will keep a close eye on booking levels and keep in contact with regulatory and government authorities for the best advice on security of operation, said John Strickland, a UK-based aviation analyst and director of JLS Consulting.\n“In recent weeks, airlines have introduced longer routings to avoid affected areas,” he says. “These, of course, lead to timetable disruptions and add to costs.”\nThe Gulf’s position at the nexus of Europe‑Asia traffic means any Iranian airspace closure or wider conflict would impact the whole region.\nOn Thursday, the notice-to-airmen (Notam) was issued amid heightened tension. The system provides pilots, flight crews and other airspace users with critical safety notices. Airlines have been avoiding the area for some time, and it is not clear if the Iranian-led drills will affect Middle East carriers.\nThe US has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to provide firepower and air capabilities for a sustained military campaign against Iran, and publicly available flight tracking information showed a steady stream of American warplanes heading to the region this week.\nIran held exercises in the Strait of Hormuz this week and on Wednesday announced it would hold naval drills with Russia to “enhance security and sustainable maritime interactions in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean”, Iran’s Fars news agency reported, quoting an Iranian navy commander.\nTrump: Iran must make deal or face 'very bad things'\n00:33\nUS President Donald Trump on Thursday gave Tehran a new deadline to reach a deal over its nuclear programme. He said the world would find out within 10 days whether the US is going to take military action against Iran. On Friday he hinted at action sooner, saying he is \"considering\" a limited strike.\nPrepared but cautious\n“The region’s airlines are, unfortunately, experienced in this regard from the wars in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel, and other wars,” added Mr Arvai. “They will just need to be nimble, ready for rapid schedule changes, adapt to flight cancellations in areas under attack and avoid transiting those areas for flights beyond, extending fight times and schedules.”\nSaj Ahmad, chief analyst for London-based Strategic Aero Research, believes the impact of the airspace closure will be “limited”, as airlines across the Gulf region had been on high alert already since the brief but intense Iran-Israel conflict in June last year.\n“Many airlines were already avoiding Iranian airspace out of abundance of caution,” he said. “Carriers already have preventive safety route planning in play, so that should minimise any disruption on the back of Thursday’s Notam, which in itself is a limited restriction.”\nHe believes any financial impact as a result of these changes will be “minimal”.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_6ab0bbd1b2be",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran considers its response to potential renewed US-Israeli strikes - Middle East Institute",
    "body_text": "Iran considers its response to potential renewed US-Israeli strikes    Middle East Institute",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxPaVZHQ05aZGFMR1hZUFVzbkNtNEtDRHdRVzBDbVB4WURDeHRPU1gxUmxmcVR3RzVVTmM3Q0xZd3lhcTE0Vk1vemc3aG1wczJObTZsa0pZNjFGVDl1UG0ySjNRZEJHZndJNkM4STdFeDJ4RHBCRUtCM3B6dUU5ckFQdXRBTnhLcHVoVU9CSkNqX3p6ay0zZ1Q0bFl1SE8?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5718e2cd55b1",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Here's what we know about the buildup of U.S. military assets in the Middle East - PBS",
    "body_text": "Here's what we know about the buildup of U.S. military assets in the Middle East    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_91b1128864ac",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran says US military build-up ‘unnecessary and unhelpful’, deal achievable - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran is “prepared for peace” and diplomacy with the United States, suggesting that a possible deal between the two countries remains close despite the threats from Washington.\nSpeaking to the US television network MS NOW on Friday, Araghchi stressed that Iran’s nuclear programme has no military solution.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Tracking the rapid US military build-up near Iran\n- list 2 of 3Iran builds concrete shield at military site amid acute US tensions\n- list 3 of 3Iran says US risking ‘crisis’ as Trump sets ’10, 15 days’ deadline for deal\n“A diplomatic solution is at our reach; we can easily achieve [it],” Araghchi said.\nHe hit out at the enormous US military build-up in the Middle East, which includes two aircraft carriers and dozens of fighter jets, calling it “unnecessary and unhelpful”.\n“I have been in this business in the past 20 years and negotiated with different parties. I know that a deal is achievable, but it should be fair and based on a win-win solution,” the top Iranian diplomat said.\n“[The] military option would only complicate this, would only bring about disastrous consequences – not only for us, perhaps for the whole region and for the whole international community.”\nHours after Araghchi’s interview, US President Donald Trump was asked about the possibility of limited strikes against Iran to boost Washington’s negotiating position.\n“I guess I can say I am considering that,” Trump told reporters.\nBut Araghchi had warned that Iranians are “proud people” who only respond to the “language of respect”.\n“Previous US administrations, even the current US administration, have tried almost everything against us – war, sanctions, snapback and everything, but none of them worked,” he said.\nThe US and Iran have held two rounds of talks over the past month, and officials from both countries have described the negotiations as positive.\nStill, the Trump administration has continued to amass military assets around Iran.\nSeveral ship tracking websites reported on Friday that the USS Gerald R Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar en route to the Gulf region.\nOn Thursday, the US president said Tehran has 10 days to reach a deal with Washington. He later extended the deadline to as many as 15 days. Last week, he said an agreement should be finalised over the next month.\nTrump has also been regularly issuing threats to Iran, including warning of “something very tough” and “traumatic” consequences for the country.\nThe US joined Israel’s assault on Iran in June of last year and bombed the country’s three main nuclear facilities.\nTrump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said that the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.\nTensions between Washington and Tehran spiked again late last year, when Trump threatened to renew strikes against Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear programme or missile arsenal.\nThe status of Iran’s nuclear programme has not been confirmed by international monitors, and the whereabouts of the country’s highly enriched uranium remain unknown to the public.\nTehran has insisted on its right to uranium enrichment, which it says does not violate its commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).\nBut Trump and his top aides have previously said that they want Iran to entirely dismantle its nuclear programme.\nEnrichment is the process of isolating and garnering a rare variant-isotope of uranium that can produce nuclear fission.\nAt low levels, enriched uranium can be used to power electric plants. If enriched to approximately 90 percent, it can be used for nuclear weapons.\nIran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, has said it is ready to place rigorous monitoring and limits on its enrichment operations, but not give up the programme entirely.\nOn Friday, Araghchi said, “The US side has not asked for zero enrichment,” which appears to contradict the Trump administration’s public stance.\nThe Iranian foreign minister said the next step in the talks will be for Iran to submit a written proposal for a deal to US negotiators, led by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, then the two sides can finalise the text of the agreement.\n“We agreed on a set … of guiding principles for our negotiation and how a deal can look like,” Araghchi said.\n“And we then were asked to prepare a draft of a possible deal. So next time that we meet, we can go into that draft and start negotiating about its language and hopefully, come to a conclusion.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d411a5e8489a",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "As Trump Considers Second Iran Attack, It Could Be Deadlier Than the First - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "As Trump Considers Second Iran Attack, It Could Be Deadlier Than the First    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid0FVX3lxTFBCaTNpWXFqSG1JUkNlQVRjTF9MTE5PbFBvUFJSNWVrOGxhaGswX0I2eEsyREx0Zmtrc3dsajBLV1pqV3hQTlNtcjdFLVVncjhjMTZDNkNfc0hMOHhOYUl1Tmd0el9DTzVtOG14NGFDR1AyRC1VMmJN?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2fb153319529",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "How Iran could try to defend itself if the US attacks - DW.com",
    "body_text": "Iran is staging military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, signaling readiness as tensions with the US rise. Its ballistic missiles could target regional US bases or Israel, while proxy groups — though weakened — still pose risks, especially Yemen's Houthis. Iran also has cyber tools capable of hitting infrastructure. With multiple options, any US attack carries significant escalation risks.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxQcU5mVHNMbDVaQ2RIb05QZ1J2MmNRMVpncnpTWWFOU0xQZjl6Q3NsYkh6OEc5ODk3UUZwR0dYUWtKM2Vqb1VuQmprZ3ZnWHV3MzVtenR4eTNqazV6bUx5bjFwYnJNWTRRYlRCTEdZdmZIVEZIdkdmVEdORnM2U2dxT2FWUmRxVVhkV083R3RMZ2NQdFk0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b709c2b4c551",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Trump says 'considering' limited military strike on Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Trump says 'considering' limited military strike on Iran\nUS President does not rule out attack if Tehran does not agree to nuclear deal",
    "published_at": "2026-02-20T16:34:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxNajdBQzk3X2tLVW1mOHUxeGZnR2wtT3huaWN4ZUtuNGZUaDZrWjZnZi1QbzdreGNjbzZtcGpVanJJOVFEVHRFY3YySmdleXduekJidUhwc19INXNnVHpLcWtGb2FpMVFrN3NxWFVMWG1faUZWd1FyZ213X3ZYN1RUS09NRS1ZWU95eF92d3Buc0FndzgwdVE1S2RNb0ROMlVqMURHMg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4bd3aa6464fb",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why Arab states are terrified of US war with Iran - Responsible Statecraft",
    "body_text": "As an American attack on Iran seems increasingly inevitable, America’s allies in the Persian Gulf — the very nations hosting U.S. bases and bracing anxiously for an Iranian blowback — are terrified of escalation and are lobbying Washington to stop it .\nThe scale of the U.S. mobilization is indeed staggering. As reported by the Responsible Statecraft’s Kelley Vlahos, at least 108 air tankers are in or heading to the CENTCOM theater. As military officers reckon, strikes can now happen “at any moment.” These preparations suggest not only that the operation may be imminent, but also that it could be more sustainable and long-lasting than a one-off strike in Iranian nuclear sites last June.\nThere is an increasing sense of doom among the regional observers: given the scale of the build-up, there is no face-saving way for President Donald Trump to call off strikes and rescue himself from a situation into which he has needlessly driven himself into.\nBut while U.S. military planners look at target lists, Iraq and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states see only risk.\n“They may like to see the Iranian leadership weakened, but all of them are more concerned about a scenario of chaos and uncertainty and the possibility of more radical elements coming to power there,” Anna Jacobs Khalaf, a Gulf analyst and non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, told Al Jazeera last month.\nSince January, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman, alongside Turkey and Egypt, have been engaged in intense diplomacy to pull Washington and Tehran back from the brink. This is not because they harbor any sympathy for Tehran, but because they realize they would be on the front lines of the Iranian retaliation, and what happens after if the regime were to collapse.\nAs regional analyst Galip Dalay notes, in addition to the economic and security destabilization that might occur, there is the fact that as a rising hegemon in the region, Israel greatly benefits from the regime’s collapse.\n“Iran’s power and ambition across the region is diminished, and the prospect of an Iran-centric order has receded,” he wrote for Chatham House this week. “For Middle Eastern leaders, the threats have changed: the greatest risks are now an expansionist and aggressive Israel, and the chaos of a potentially collapsed Iranian state.”\nBader al-Saif, an assistant history professor at Kuwait University, said something similar to the New York Times. “Bombing Iran goes against the calculus and interests of the Arab Gulf States, Neutralizing the current regime, whether through regime change or internal leadership reconfiguration, can potentially translate into the unparalleled hegemony of Israel, which won’t serve the Gulf States.”\nFor predominant Shi'a Iraq, the risk of political and social unrest looms. After decades of upheaval, following the U.S. invasion in 2003, Iraq is still struggling to form a stable political system and coherent government. Baghdad is desperate to stay out of this fight.\nAn expert with a profound knowledge of Iraqi politics who spoke with the Responsible Statecraft on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, said, smaller, hardline Shi'a groups like Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Nujaba might feel compelled to attack the American troops in the region in Tehran's defense.\nHowever, the same source said that the main Shi'a political forces, comprising the Shiite Coordination Framework, including the State of the Law Coalition led by prospective Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and the Fatah Alliance led by another influential commander turned politician Hadi al-Ameri, view a U.S.-Iran conflagration on their soil as an existential threat to their fragile sovereignty.\nTehran, too, is interested in ensuring Iraq stays outside the fray. What Tehran needs as it fights for its own survival is a functional neighbor and trade partner, capable of buying Iranian electricity, not a country relapsing into failure and chaos.\nThe danger to the Gulf is multidimensional. First, there is the immediate physical threat. Iran has repeatedly signaled that U.S. bases in the region are legitimate targets. The June 2025 attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, following the U.S. strikes during the 12-day war, while with no casualties, remains a fresh and terrifying memory for Gulf leaders.\nAny new, sustained campaign could see facilities in Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain come under fire from Iranian missiles or drone barrages. Statements from Iranian officials, such as Ali Shamkhani, the influential adviser to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, suggest that this time the response would be much more severe than the largely symbolic strike on Al Udeid.\nThis threat is not hypothetical; Saudi oil facilities were crippled by an Iranian strike in 2019. The lesson was clear: Iran has the capability to strike the Gulf countries' infrastructure. With nothing to lose in a war that would be seen as existential for the Iranian government, the motivation to strike at countries that host U.S. military bases would increase.\nEven if the Gulf states were to be spared Iranian strikes on their territory, there would be other devastating consequences. These states are trying to diversify their economies and attract foreign investment and talent; a threat of regional war would send capital and people fleeing.\nA potential refugee crisis is another major fear. The Iranian port of Bandar Abbas is a short boat ride from Dubai. A conflict that devastates Iran's economy or triggers internal collapse could send thousands of displaced people across the water to the UAE.\nThen there is a risk of an economic nightmare. As Iranian officials have explicitly warned, all options are on the table in the case of war, including blocking or mining the Strait of Hormuz. While a full closure is unlikely as it would severely harm Iran’s own oil exports to China, the IRGC Navy is now preparing a \"smart\" closure — selective interdiction that targets Western-linked tankers while allowing Chinese oil purchases to pass, Yemeni Houthi rebel style.\nOne-fifth of the world's oil passes through that strait. As happened with the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea in response to the Israeli attacks in Gaza, the threat of closure will send insurance premiums skyrocketing and raise global oil prices.\nThat will raise the specter of inflation. Strikes on civilian oil infrastructure designed to spike global prices and raise interest rates would be a direct attack on Trump's economic promise to Americans, in the year of the mid-terms.\nUltimately, there’s a heightened risk of a U.S. military attack ensuring Iran discards its official nuclear doctrine for civilian purposes only and opts for weaponization — ironically, the very outcome the war is ostensibly designed to prevent. Short of a full occupation of the country by the U.S. and Israel — an unrealistic prospect — there are no material obstacles for a dash for a bomb given Iran’s know-how, should such a political decision be taken in case the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is incapacitated.\nThat would leave the GCC countries in a worst possible situation – living next to a revanchist, revisionist and potentially nuclear-armed Iran down the road. It would oblige them — certainly, Saudi Arabia and UAE — to seek their own nuclear deterrent plunging the region into a perilous, destabilizing arms race.\nThis broader fear of destabilization is the key reason why the Saudi Crown Prince and de-facto ruler Mohammad Bin Salman publicly ruled out the use of the Saudi air space for an attack on Iran. The UAE is on the same position, with Anwar Gargash, a key adviser to the president, calling for a “long-term diplomatic solution between Washington and Tehran”.\nDespite the obvious risks, the Trump administration's approach has been perplexing. Even as Iran has offered serious concessions on the nuclear issue, such as suspending enrichment, and economic incentives to the U.S. during the last round of talks in Geneva, Trump appears to be seeking Tehran’s capitulation across the board – not only on the nuclear file, but also regarding the ballistic missiles – an absolute red line for Iran.\nMeanwhile, the military buildup accelerates causing profound anxiety in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Baghdad and elsewhere in the Middle East. America's Gulf allies are not cheering for war; they are desperately trying to prevent it. Trump would be wise to heed their advice – for his own, and America’s, own good.\n“The repercussions of a state collapse would far exceed what the Middle East has experienced as a result of conflict in Iraq, Syria, or Yemen, whether in the form of instability, migration, radicalism, the proliferation of armed groups, or regional spillover,” wrote Dalay. “Regional leaders believe the U.S. must give regional diplomacy a real chance. The alternative is a devastating war and another catastrophic cycle of conflict.”\n- No, even a 'small attack' on Iran will lead to war ›\n- Are Gulf states starting to embrace Iran? ›\n- All aboard America's strategic blunder train. Next stop: Iran | Responsible Statecraft ›\n- What if today's Iran is resigned to a long, hellish war with the US? | Responsible Statecraft ›\n- History tells us coercion through airpower alone won’t work | Responsible Statecraft ›\n- SOTU: Trump threatens Iran but leaves open offramp | Responsible Statecraft ›\n- Veterans urge Trump to reject war with Iran ›\n- Colby: Israel fighting different war in Iran ›\n- Exclusive: Iraq’s First Lady says ‘This is not our war’ ›",
    "published_at": "2026-02-21T05:10:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZkFVX3lxTE9NYWZXZTJGRldpaEhOWmJEdHJ1UVlJazB4WXlfa19DbGExX1FDb0xablgzeXNzZHFtazlZSnpTWkFwYWFxRzFPdkI1WlZ5VUY3ZVRHVFozdmU2T2RwRm9CSzh2cFJIdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f12cdac45da2",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Palestinian Authority in dire straits as Israel's hold on West Bank deepens",
    "body_text": "More than 30 years after its creation, there are increasing warnings that the PA is close to collapse.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-21T06:33:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wn8lw0kgjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_330d3befa603",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "US ambassador causes uproar by claiming Israel has a right to much of the Middle East - AP News",
    "body_text": "US ambassador causes uproar by claiming Israel has a right to much of the Middle East\nUS ambassador causes uproar by claiming Israel has a right to much of the Middle East\nTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East.\nHuckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land.\nHuckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.” Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.\nHis comments sparked immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States.\nSaudi Arabia’s foreign ministry described Huckabee’s comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” and called for the State Department to clarify its position on them.\nEgypt’s foreign ministry called his comments a “blatant violation” of international law, adding that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”\n“Statements of this nature — extremist and lacking any sound basis — serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions,” the League of Arab States said.\nThere was no immediate comment from Israel or the United States.\nSince its establishment in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognized borders. Its frontiers with Arab neighbors have shifted as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements.\nDuring the six-day 1967 Mideast war, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula as part of a peace deal with Egypt following the 1973 Mideast war. It also unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005.\nIsrael has attempted to deepen control of the occupied West Bank in recent months. It has greatly expanded construction in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank and has offered strong assurances that he’d block any move to do so.\nPalestinians have for decades called for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza with east Jerusalem its capital, a claim backed by much of the international community.\nHuckabee, an evangelical Christian and strong supporter of Israel and the West Bank settlement movement, has long opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he said he does not believe in referring to the Arab descendants of people who had lived in British-controlled Palestine as “Palestinians.”\nIn the latest interview, Carlson pressed Huckabee about his interpretation of Bible verses from the book of Genesis, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land from the Nile to the Euphrates.\n“That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq,” Carlson said.\nHuckabee replied: “Not sure we’d go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land.”\nIsrael has encroached on more land since the start of its war with Hamas in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.\nUnder the current ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone but still controls more than half the territory. Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw further, though the ceasefire deal doesn’t give a timeline.\nAfter Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted at the end of 2024, Israel’s military seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria created as part of a 1974 ceasefire between the countries. Israel said the move was temporary and meant to secure its border.\nAnd Israel still occupies five hilltop posts on Lebanese territory following its brief war with Hezbollah in 2024.\n___\nMagdy reported from Cairo.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-21T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQRkZIYVlvbTl5aGpPTjBKRmRwdkM3Z0RxcEY2ZUlRa041My1TcnhON0lyMGhJSjYtOVpuNWJEVEVMOEdrQmtnQjQ3TF9raDJOZnZfVnhPajB4bmY0Rms1SFpfUi1PWXIzQldYT2kzN3k3a3ZZWjRLb0RxZ254VnJBcGhZVnZBMmNNSGh2LVJ6ak9qRVJDS2twaDdBWGhnQjVmX1lROTgxMDREc3ozbHdJ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8327a4285e0a",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US and Iran slide towards conflict as military buildup eclipses talks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US and Iran slide towards conflict as military buildup eclipses talks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-21T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxNWDBxMnplYnpWM3JqdGFULXFvVGg3YXhQb3p1VWVvWUhKeWw1X3NCYW9fVW1DOEFxRW5lOGVGNXBjYXctaDBRYVZPTkl5eFZUdGhsdmgwN3N4QnZRdEhSZlJ4X2N5V0E1T181bTlCQUNzY182elZVV0lSdXM1QnVXX2ZyNkREX1g2a0NDak8wZjFVUFE3X2lTYTZwWERPYmJQWXFFVDYtMnJ6UGdCRzhfM1NxRHVXUnM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_08f5d35515c1",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Israeli officials believe US, Iran at unbridgeable impasse as they near open conflict - The Times of Israel",
    "body_text": "Iran and the United States continued to slide rapidly toward military conflict at the weekend, as hopes faded for a diplomatic solution to their standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program and regional actions, officials on both sides and diplomats across the Gulf and Europe said.\nIsrael and Iran’s Gulf neighbors now consider a conflict to be more likely than a settlement, the sources said, with Washington building up one of its biggest military deployments in the region since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.\nIsrael’s government believes Tehran and Washington are at an impasse and is making preparations for possible joint military action with the United States, though no decision has been made yet on whether to carry out such an operation, said a source familiar with the planning.\nIt would be the second time the US and Israel have attacked Iran in less than a year, following US and Israeli airstrikes against military and nuclear facilities last June.\nRegional officials say oil-producing Gulf countries are preparing for a possible military confrontation that they fear could spin out of control and destabilize the Middle East.\nTwo Israeli officials told Reuters they believe the gaps between Washington and Tehran are unbridgeable and that the chances of a near‑term military escalation are high.\nSome regional officials said Tehran was dangerously miscalculating by holding out for concessions, with US President Donald Trump boxed in by his own military buildup — unable to scale it back without losing face if there is no firm commitment from Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.\n“Both sides are sticking to their guns,” said Alan Eyre, a former US diplomat and Iran specialist, adding that nothing meaningful can emerge “unless the US and Iran walk back from their red lines — which I don’t think they will.\n“What Trump can’t do is assemble all this military, and then come back with a ‘so‑so’ deal and pull out the military. I think he thinks he’ll lose face,” he said. “If he attacks, it’s going to get ugly quickly.”\nTwo rounds of Iran-US talks have stalled on core issues, from uranium enrichment to missiles and sanctions relief.\nWhen Omani mediators delivered an envelope from the US side containing missile‑related proposals, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refused even to open it and returned it, a source familiar with the talks said.\nAfter talks in Geneva on Tuesday, Araghchi said the sides had agreed on “guiding principles,” but the White House said there was still distance between them.\nIran is expected to submit a written proposal in the coming days, a US official said, and Araghchi said on Friday he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days.\nBut Trump, who has sent aircraft carriers, warships and jets to the Middle East, warned Iran on Thursday it must make a deal over its nuclear program or “really bad things” will happen.\nHe appeared to set a deadline of 10 to 15 days, drawing a threat from Tehran to retaliate against US bases in the region if attacked. The rising tensions have pushed up oil prices.\nUS officials say Trump has yet to make up his mind about using military force, although he acknowledged on Friday that he could order a limited strike to try to force Iran into a deal.\n“I guess I can say I am considering that,” he told reporters.\nThe possible timing of an attack is unclear. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28 to discuss Iran. A senior US official said it would be mid-March before all US forces were in place.\nTwo US officials told Reuters that US military planning on Iran had reached an advanced stage, with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack and even pursuing leadership change in Tehran, if ordered by Trump.\n“Thirty-two thousand killed”\nAfter the US and Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities and some military sites last June, Trump again began threatening strikes in January as Tehran crushed widespread protests with deadly force.\nReferring to the crackdown on Friday, Trump said there was a difference between the people of Iran and the country’s leadership. He asserted that “32,000 people were killed over a relatively short period of time,” figures that could not immediately be verified.\nTime Magazine and opposition outlet Iran International have reported such numbers, citing information from officials in the Islamic Republic. The US-based group HRANA, which monitors the human rights situation in Iran, has so far recorded 7,114 verified deaths and says it has another 11,700 under review.\n“It’s a very, very, very sad situation,” Trump said, adding that his threats to strike Iran had led the leadership to abandon plans for mass hangings weeks ago.\n“They were going to hang 837 people. And I gave them the word, if you hang one person, even one person, that you’re going to be hit right then and there,” he said.\nHours after Trump’s statements on the death toll, Araghchi said that the Iranian government has already published a “comprehensive list” of all 3,117 killed in the unrest.\n“If anyone doubts the accuracy of our data, please speak with evidence,” he posted on X.\nToken enrichment\nOn Friday, a senior US official was quoted by Axios as saying the Trump administration was open to considering a proposal that would allow Iran to retain a “token” nuclear enrichment capability if Tehran’s route to an atomic bomb is fully sealed off.\nThe news site said that while there could be a small opening for a deal, US officials say the proposal that Iran is expected to submit in the coming days must clear a very high bar to win over skeptics in the administration and the Middle East.\n“President Trump will be ready to accept a deal that would be substantive and that he can sell politically at home. If the Iranians want to prevent an attack, they should give us an offer we can’t refuse. The Iranians keep missing the window. If they play games, there won’t be a lot of patience,” the senior US official says.\nAnother senior Trump adviser quoted in the report stressed that the US president “hasn’t decided to strike yet. I know that because we haven’t struck. He might never do it. He might wake up tomorrow and say, ‘That’s it.'”\nAccording to the adviser, Trump has been presented with a range of military options for Iran.\n“They have something for every scenario. One scenario takes out the ayatollah and his son and the mullahs,” the adviser elaborated, referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba. “What the president chooses no one knows. I don’t think he knows.”\nAnother adviser said, “Trump is keeping his options open. He could decide on an attack at any moment.”\nA senior US official flatly denied an unsourced report in Iran International claiming that Iran had presented a proposal during the latest round of nuclear talks in which it agreed to halt nuclear enrichment for three years and commit to not using its ballistic missiles to attack Israel.\nAsked to confirm the report, the senior US official called it “completely false.”\nCongressional involvement\nThe US Congress could vote as soon as next week on whether to block Trump’s ability to strike Iran without lawmakers’ approval.\nMembers of Congress, including a few of Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have tried — and failed — repeatedly to pass resolutions that would bar Trump from military action against foreign governments without lawmakers’ approval.\nThe US Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the power to send US troops to war, except for limited strikes for national security reasons. Reuters reported last week that the military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations if Trump orders an attack.\nTrump’s Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House and have blocked the resolutions, arguing that Congress should not restrict Trump’s national security powers.\nDemocratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky filed a Senate resolution late last month to block hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a congressional declaration of war.\n“If some of my colleagues support war, then they should have the guts to vote for the war, and to be held accountable by their constituents, rather than hiding under their desks,” Kaine said in a statement.\nAn aide to Kaine said there was no timetable yet as to when the Senate might take up the resolution.\nIn the House of Representatives, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California said they planned to force a vote on a similar resolution next week.\n“Trump officials say there’s a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can’t without Congress,” Khanna said in a post on X.\nThe New York Times reported that hundreds of US troops had been evacuated from Al Udeid base in Qatar, citing unnamed Pentagon officials.\nTroops have also been evacuated from bases in Bahrain that house the Navy’s 5th Fleet, The Times said, adding that there were no longer any American troops at bases in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.\nShortly after the story was published, however, Fox News said it was false, citing an unnamed, well-placed US official. News Nation also said CENTCOM flatly denied the report.\nThe move would be seen as a precautionary step ahead of a potential US strike on Iran, as Tehran is likely to retaliate to such an attack by targeting US personnel in the region.\nThe endgame\nAraghchi gave no specific timing as to when Iranians would get their counterproposal to the US, but said he believed a diplomatic deal was within reach and could be achieved “in a very short period of time.”\n“What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever,” he said.\nHe added that technical and political “confidence-building measures” would be enacted to ensure the program would remain peaceful in exchange for action on sanctions, but he gave no further details.\n“The president has been clear that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them, and that they cannot enrich uranium,” the White House said when asked about Araghchi’s comments.\nEuropean and regional officials believe the scale of the US deployment to the region would enable Washington to launch strikes on Iran while simultaneously defending its military bases, allies and Israel.\nThe core US demand remains unchanged: no uranium enrichment on Iranian soil. Iran, for its part, says it must keep its nuclear capability and refuses to discuss its ballistic missiles. It denies planning to build a nuclear weapons arsenal.\nIf talks fail, defense analyst David Des Roches said, US activity in the Gulf already signals how any strike would begin: blind Iran’s air defence and then hit the Revolutionary Guards Navy, the force behind years of tanker attacks and threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, the route for a fifth of global oil.\nBut some Arab and European officials say they are unsure what Trump’s endgame is, and European governments want the US to spell out what strikes would be meant to achieve — to degrade Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, deter escalation, or pursue something more ambitious such as “regime change.”\nSome regional and European officials question whether military action can alter the trajectory of Iran’s ruling establishment, led by Khamenei and protected by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.\nSome say that, with no obvious alternative political force in Iran and the leadership’s resilience largely intact, it is perilous to assume strikes could trigger regime change.\nMilitary action may be easier to start than to control, and much harder to translate into a strategic outcome, they say.\nThe Times of Israel Community.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-21T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_86de9d63e86d",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "US says ambassador’s comments on Israel and the Middle East were taken out of context - AP News",
    "body_text": "US says ambassador’s comments on Israel and the Middle East were taken out of context\nTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An uproar continued Sunday after the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East, as more Arab and Muslim countries objected and the U.S. said his comments were taken out of context.\nHuckabee spoke in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include much of the Middle East, including parts of modern-day Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. He quoted from Genesis Chapter 15 and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land.\nHuckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.”\nA spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy said Sunday that Huckabee’s comments were taken out of context and that there is no change to U.S. policies on Israel.\nIn the interview, Huckabee added: “They’re not asking to go back and take all of that, but they are asking to at least take the land that they now occupy, they now live in, they now own legitimately, and it is a safe haven for them.” He added that Israel isn’t trying to take over Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, or Iraq but is trying to protect its own people.\nCondemnation by Arab countries\nA joint statement Sunday by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian Authority and several Arab governing bodies called Huckabee’s remarks “dangerous and inflammatory” and ones that endanger the region’s stability.\n“These statements directly contradict the vision put forward by U.S. President Donald J. Trump … based on containing escalation and creating a political horizon for a comprehensive settlement that ensures the Palestinian people have their own independent state,” the statement said.\nHuckabee, an evangelical Christian and strong supporter of Israel and the West Bank settlement movement, has long opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people.\nCarlson has been critical of U.S. support for Israel in the war in Gaza and has come under fire for his own far-right views, including the white-supremacist theory that says whites are being “replaced” by people of color.\nIsraeli concerns about Iran\nMeanwhile, tensions are high in Israel as the country prepares for a possible attack from Iran. Iran previously said it will attack both Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East if the United States attacks it.\nTrump warned on Friday that limited strikes against Iran are possible, even as the country’s top diplomat said Tehran expects to have a proposed deal ready in the next few days following nuclear talks with the United States.\nThe movements of additional U.S. warships and airplanes to the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, don’t guarantee a U.S. strike on Iran, but they bolster Trump’s ability to carry out one if he chooses.\nNetanyahu warned last week that if Iran attacks Israel, they will risk a “response that they cannot even imagine.”\nIsrael attacked Iran last year during indirect U.S.-Iran talks, sparking a 12-day war. The United States inserted itself in the war by bombing Iranian nuclear sites.\n___\nMagdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-22T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxOem5OMXZ4V0hFampqTDNOdWtrSDhEVW5qSHpRN3J1Q3FNc0NJZ2lpcEdDcFlINHBUQ08wOEpXbmJSY2kzaVFaZEVOOFVqbXNfekFIZGdkZ0V2djVnbm0wQ1I4Q0ZJbTNmcGVGaUI2WFJNUmZCODBhakNaVWVZaTZneTB4R0EyZzFPRXJGZk9kdUd4VS1OS1VFY2t3LW5NUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6afa4cf1a6bf",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US assets in Middle East positioned for ‘highly kinetic’ war, ex-Pentagon official warns - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The U.S. is in position for a \"highly kinetic\" campaign against Iran after launching one of its largest recent military buildups in the Middle East, a former senior Pentagon official has claimed.\nDana Stroul, now research director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, made the assessment Sunday as Washington and Tehran prepare for a second round of indirect nuclear talks in Oman.\n\"The U.S. military is ready for a sustained, highly kinetic campaign should President Trump order it, and also prepared to defend allies and partners in the Middle East from Iran's missiles,\" Stroul told Fox News Digital.\n\"The U.S. military can rapidly reposition assets from all over the world and deploy overwhelmingly lethal force in a short period of time to one theater,\" she said before highlighting how there is \"no ally or enemy capable of what we have seen from the U.S. in this current buildup.\"\nDescribing how the current posture differs from the June 2025 strikes on Iranian-linked nuclear targets, Stroul said the U.S. has expanded its offensive and defensive capabilities.\n\"Two U.S. aircraft carriers and their accompanying vessels and air wings were stationed in the Middle East last summer during the 12-day war and the U.S. Operation Midnight Hammer,\" she explained.\n\"The addition of the Ford is really important, it expands U.S. offensive capabilities if we go to war with Iran,\" she said.\nWhile in June 2025, the U.S. carried out limited but highly targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure to degrade key facilities without triggering a regional war, now, Stroul said the force posture is broader and more sustained.\nThe U.S. has also \"increased the number of guided-missile destroyers, fighter aircraft, refuelers, and air defense systems\" in the region, she explained.\nThe deployment of aircraft carriers USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln has assumed heightened strategic importance.\nUSS Gerald R. Ford was recently tracked transiting the Strait of Gibraltar eastward, while USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea.\n\"They will both be in the Middle East CENTCOM theater,\" Stroul explained before clarifying that there could be \"one in the eastern Mediterranean and the other in the Arabian Gulf.\"\n\"There would probably be a combination of reasons for that based on availability, readiness, proximity to the Middle East.\n\"The Ford was heading home and directed to turn around,\" she added.\nWhile the specific destinations of the carriers have not been publicly disclosed for operational security reasons, their presence alone signals escalatory leverage and deterrence.\nThe military buildup comes as indirect diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran continue, with Oman once again serving as a mediator Feb. 26.\nStroul argued that Iran’s leadership is trying to balance brinkmanship with negotiation.\n\"Iran's leaders are playing a weak hand by combining saber-rattling about their own capabilities, staging preparations and exercises to signal readiness,\" she claimed.\n\"They are attempting to slow this down by pursuing negotiations. No one should be under any illusions about the reality of US dominance — Iran is completely outmatched in conventional terms,\" Stroul said.\n\"Israel dominated Iranian airspace in one day last year, targeted many of Iran's security leaders, took out half of its missile arsenal, and the U.S. significantly set back its nuclear program,\" Stroul said.\nIran’s long-cultivated network of proxies across the region — including Hezbollah, Shiite militias in Iraq, and elements in Syria — has also been weakened after sustained Israeli military pressure.\n\"Iran's long-cultivated network of proxies across the region is degraded after more than two years of Israeli operations, and they declined to enter the war and support Iran's defense last summer,\" Stroul explained.\n\"No matter what Iran's leaders say, Iran is not able to rebuild a decades-long project in a few months.\"\n\"That said, the U.S. military is in a position to execute whatever orders President Trump gives,\" she said. \"It is not a question of military readiness, but a political decision.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-22T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNc1hZdzlaYUdpU2pHY2NuY2I0ams3WlVSN0QwR0E3dF9wYVZKNnVaOFdxNllJcGUwUlZxdnA1aUdCVlpjM1FFVkpsU1IzbVh4TWNFOHg0WVV6VjNPUlh4NXJ4VXhqaXBjN01uWDlOOTc3RTRiR3FtekFwTGdzX1B6X2hYa2g5T0lyT2F2Mk9WUV9OeWlnY0hVUkVLa05TbmPSAaQBQVVfeXFMTUJ3TklDRmRSRkRteXNfcm1qVEQyVVJuQmd5YW5UT3lubk5UWFdSamctaWZsVDl2MlBVMzNvMWs2VHFGOWdaSC0wYWlqWXZ4cmhGNm9YOWN2N2pzUnNhb2lfV3ZzNFZzanVTd1Nxb0Ztd3pJY1k5S0R0VU55aHB1ZFExSm1JM25sdEJQR2RrYUtGdkgtb0Z0ZHhsMEZySV85c24wQmw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4ebd5eb895cd",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran agreed secret shoulder-fired missile deal with Russia - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran agreed secret shoulder-fired missile deal with Russia\nJoin FT Edit\nOnly $49 a yearGet 2 months free with an annual subscription at was $59.88 now $49. Access to eight surprising articles a day, hand-picked by FT editors. For seamless reading, access content via the FT Edit page on FT.com and receive the FT Edit newsletter.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-22T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE92X3dydU84MFFZakxvazd2TDFXLXJyaGRBM3g3R1ctNGpiSmZhUm40MUlDUkNlVlh5S1M4eFEtdUtXZnROZGJraHpvMTNTNGE5WjltQWtVUzhid0VSbGk3UmpYRkNyU3pNcEVmUlVkZno?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_11b4dcfcba4b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran-US tensions: What would blocking Strait of Hormuz mean for oil, LNG? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Whenever tensions rise between Iran and the United States, one narrow waterway moves to the centre of global attention – the Strait of Hormuz.\nThe world’s largest warship, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, is heading to the Gulf, joining one of the largest US military build-ups in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This time, Iran is in Washington’s crosshairs.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Trump ‘considering’ limited strikes on Iran\n- list 2 of 3Iran demands ‘evidence’ as Trump, UN experts highlight protest killings\n- list 3 of 3Iran will not bow down to US pressure in nuclear talks, Pezeshkian says\nThis month, Tehran signalled how it might respond to an attack when it announced the temporary closure of sections of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway linking the Gulf to open seas.\nIranian authorities carried out live-fire military drills in the corridor, through which about 20 percent of global oil supplies are shipped.\nThe move marked a rare suspension of activity in parts of the strait. It served as a pointed warning about the economic consequences if Washington proceeds with its threats to strike Iran, highlighting how quickly a regional confrontation could spill into global markets.\nWhere is the Strait of Hormuz?\nThe Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical oil chokepoint.\nThe curved waterway lies between Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south. It is roughly 50km (31 miles) wide at its entrance and exit and narrows to about 33km (20 miles) at its tightest point. It forms the only maritime link between the Gulf and the Arabian Sea.\nDespite its narrow width, the channel accommodates the world’s largest crude carriers. Major Middle Eastern oil and gas exporters rely on it to move supplies to international markets while importing nations depend on its uninterrupted operation.\nHow much oil and gas pass through the strait?\nAccording to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), about 20 million barrels of oil transited through the Strait of Hormuz each day in 2024. That equates to nearly $500bn in annual energy trade, underlining the waterway’s central role in the global economy.\nThe crude passing through the strait originates from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.\nAny prolonged disruption would rattle producers and the economies that depend on their exports.\nThe strait also plays a critical role in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade. In 2024, roughly a fifth of global LNG shipments moved through the corridor with Qatar accounting for the vast majority of those volumes, according to EIA data.\nWhere does it all go?\nThe strait handles LNG flows in both directions. Kuwait and the UAE import supplies sourced outside the Gulf, including shipments from the US and West Africa.\nThe EIA estimated that in 2024, 84 percent of crude oil and condensate shipments transiting the strait headed to Asian markets. A similar pattern appears in the gas trade with 83 percent of LNG volumes moving through the Strait of Hormuz destined for Asia.\nChina, India, Japan and South Korea accounted for a combined 69 percent intake of all crude oil and condensate flows through the strait last year. Their factories, transport networks and power grids depend on uninterrupted Gulf energy.\nWhat are Iran’s options?\nUnder international law, states may exercise sovereignty up to 12 nautical miles (22km) from their coastlines. At its narrowest stretch, the Strait of Hormuz and its designated shipping lanes fall entirely within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.\nThat legal reality gives Tehran geographic leverage. About 3,000 vessels transit the strait each month. If Iran tried to obstruct traffic, one of the most effective tactics would involve deploying naval mines using fast attack boats and submarines.\nTehran’s fleet includes fast boats equipped with antiship missiles, alongside surface vessels, semisubmersible craft and submarines designed for asymmetric warfare.\nIran’s parliament last year approved a motion to close the Strait of Hormuz. Any final decision rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\nRegional dynamics could further complicate the situation.\nIn Yemen, the Houthi group, which maintains close ties with Iran, could again try to disrupt traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another vital maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to global trade routes. Shipping through that corridor suffered significant disruptions after Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.\nThe Houthis, who control northwestern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, recently organised a mass rally under the slogan Steadfast and Ready for the Next Round, signalling readiness for a potential confrontation with domestic or foreign adversaries.\nAny coordinated pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Strait would amplify risks for global shipping, energy markets and international trade.\nImpact on global oil prices\nColby Connelly, head of Middle East content at Energy Intelligence, told Al Jazeera from the UAE that a full or partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have a “major impact on oil prices in the near term”, depending on how long the strait remains contested.\n“There are no other major sources of supply that can make up for what comes from the Gulf, especially given the consideration that around 70 percent of OPEC+ spare production capacity sits in the Gulf,” Connelly said, referring to the group of oil-producing countries that collectively sets production volumes.\nSaudi Arabia relies heavily on the strait to export its crude, shipping roughly 5.5 million barrels per day through the corridor – more than any other country in the region, according to EIA data.\nIran’s oil exports, about 90 percent of which go to China, averaged roughly 1.7 million barrels per day in the first half of 2025, according to the EIA.\n“Saudi Arabia and the UAE both have limited pipeline capacity that can allow exports to continue via the Red Sea coast and Fujairah,” a UAE port on the Gulf of Oman, Connelly warned.\nWhile some Gulf producers hold substantial volumes in overseas storage that could cushion supply shocks, Connelly noted that buffers may prove limited in the face of serious disruptions. He cautioned: “Oil prices have been highly reactive to geopolitical tensions in recent weeks, and as a result, prices could spike to well over $100 per barrel if there were to be a major disruption.”\nImpact on global economy\nAny disruption to energy flows through Hormuz would drive up fuel and factory costs, especially as China leans on manufacturing and exports to sustain its economic growth.\nHigher energy prices would raise production expenses with companies likely passing those costs along supply chains and to consumers.\n“That’s going to have severe inflationary effects for the global economy,” warned Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in the United Kingdom.\nThe consequences would extend beyond China. Several major Asian economies depend heavily on shipments transiting through the strait.\nAlmost half of India’s crude oil imports and about 60 percent of its natural gas supplies move through the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea sources roughly 60 percent of its crude via the same route while Japan relies on it for close to three-quarters of its oil imports.\n“For the Gulf countries in particular, it’s going to cause a lot of disruption,” Ramani told Al Jazeera. “I was in the UAE recently, and investors in Dubai are concerned about what that would mean for the tourism and finance sector. This may cause some investment hiccups in some of the Vision 2030 projects in Saudi Arabia.”\n“There’s many, many layers of concern here, not just exports and prices but also broader macroeconomic and microeconomic consequences. So we should be looking at this as a very serious adverse financial development,” Ramani added.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-22T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxORTA4QnViNFZIX1hSNERPdUpiVGlKaU9DVUFLVXBJNXNGNVYyU3VsWjZqZmp3d1JIZ0ZBRGF2ZFNMNzlRYWRtX2JDdm9RMHRPWXRDM0FhbHlUZDZiTnBQVWF5cFFjcDRRYVFNbi1kb3dLUjl5MXdORGRseTllYk1fOE5UN2V0YkE0N2dWekZ5OG9ZYlZqWFh1d0ZWOEJSM0dnT09VRFFDdWNOTzdlRXZPcNIBtgFBVV95cUxNR3diWGdLclZYYUtmYnlhQ2o5RldONHVPWFQ1QWlxSW44U2ZtUF8yQlNJRzV1MGhyWHBTWndiUU1rVUJkbWI5SjhKMHNUV3dSaGNkX0UtcUxiT2NqU3pZcHNyLWkwZlR6cThnR3k2TEIxZ1llRUR2OFNKS1ZVSXA3TjFILWtjNDI4ejRGMElIZVNiQzRWblpwQWdTQlp5a3NyMFUwU1FTT0E3TmVvT0oxaE9WZXg1dw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_970befa88ed2",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran hails ‘encouraging signals’ from US before nuclear talks on Thursday - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said nuclear talks with the United States have produced “encouraging signals”, but warned that Tehran is prepared for any scenario in advance of another round of negotiations set for Thursday.\nHis comments on Sunday came amid mounting fears of a military conflict, with Washington building up its military presence in the Gulf and US President Donald Trump warning of “really bad things” if no deal is reached on Tehran’s nuclear programme.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Netanyahu says Israel will forge regional alliance to rival ‘radical axes’\n- list 2 of 3Iran-US tensions: What would blocking Strait of Hormuz mean for oil, LNG?\n- list 3 of 3Iranian students rally as universities reopen after nationwide protests\n“Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region,” Pezeshkian wrote on X.\n“Recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario,” he said.\nThe cautious optimism came after Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi confirmed a third round of indirect talks between the two sides in Geneva, Switzerland.\n“Pleased to confirm US-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday, with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal,” said al-Busaidi, who acts as a mediator in indirect talks between Washington and Tehran.\nIran and the US resumed talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme in Oman earlier this month, and held a second round in Geneva last week. Although Washington and Tehran described the talks in overall positive terms, they failed to achieve a breakthrough.\n‘Why haven’t they capitulated?’\nTrump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who leads nuclear negotiations for Washington, said on Saturday that the US president was curious as to why Iran has not yet “capitulated” and agreed to curb its nuclear programme.\n“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated’, because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to… why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff said during an interview with My View with Lara Trump on Fox News, hosted by the US president’s daughter-in-law.\n“Why, under this pressure – with the amount of seapower and naval power over there – why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’? And yet, it’s sort of hard to get them to that place.”\nAccording to the US media, the airpower Washington is amassing in the region is the greatest since its invasion of Iraq in 2003. In the past few days alone, the US has deployed more than 120 aircraft to the Middle East, while the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, is on its way to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group that is already positioned in the Arabian Sea.\nIranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi pushed back swiftly.\n“Curious to know why we do not capitulate?” he said in a post on X. “Because we are Iranian.”\nIn a separate television interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, Araghchi described Iran’s nuclear programme as a matter of national “dignity and pride”, noting that the country’s scientists had developed the technology independently after enduring two decades of US sanctions, the targeted killings of Iranian researchers and joint US-Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities last June.\n“We have developed this technology by ourselves, by our scientists, and it is very dear to us because we have created it – we have paid a huge expense for that,” he said.\n“We’re not going to give it up. There is no legal reason to do that while everything is peaceful and safeguarded” by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Araghchi said.\nAs a “committed member” of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which requires states with no nuclear weapons not to seek or acquire them, Iran is “ready to cooperate with the agency in full”, Araghchi added.\nBut he stressed that under the treaty, Tehran also has “every right to enjoy a peaceful nuclear energy, including enrichment”.\n“Enrichment is a sensitive part of our negotiations. The American team knows about our position, and we know their position. We have already exchanged our concerns, and I think a solution is achievable,” the minister noted.\nIsrael’s role\nAraghchi said Iran’s delegation was focused exclusively on nuclear issues during the current negotiations, rebuffing efforts by Washington to expand the talks to cover Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for regional armed groups.\nHe said Iran was preparing a draft proposal that could “accommodate both sides’ concerns” and suggested any eventual agreement could exceed the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal brokered under President Barack Obama.\n“There are elements that could be much better than the previous deal,” he said, without elaborating. “Right now, there is no need for too much detail. But we can agree on our nuclear programme to remain peaceful forever, and at the same time, for more sanctions [to be] lifted.”\nBut analysts warned that deep structural obstacles remained.\nTrita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, told Al Jazeera that Iran is likely to put forward a proposal that goes beyond anything they ever offered, but even that may not be enough.\n“Trump has been sold a narrative by the Israelis that portrays Iran far, far weaker than it actually is. As a result, he’s adopting maximalist capitulation positions that are simply unrealistic based on how the power reality actually looks,” Parsi told Al Jazeera.\n“Unless this gets corrected, even if the Iranians put forward a very far-leaning proposal that is extremely attractive to the US, Trump may still say ‘no’, because he’s under the false belief that he can get something even better.”\nA separate fault line has also emerged between the US and Israel over the scope of any potential agreement.\nMark Fitzpatrick, a former director of the nonproliferation programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Trump appeared focused narrowly on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has pressed for a far broader dismantling of Iran’s military capabilities, including its ballistic missile arsenal.\n“The Iranian nuclear programme is what’s important to Trump. And if he can get no enrichment, he would take that deal,” he said.\n“Israel has a three-pronged goal. Trump just has the nuclear goal. I don’t think he would feel obliged to keep pressing because Netanyahu wanted the other things,” he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-22T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNNkRqYkEta29lY1dLdWgzdzlZQTdjQUlNdzdsSGpfcUd2RzQzcnE0S2wxWU1zVDlXcTFrcnl1NWhPdEhqWUVsYlJGOTJjVGV5M1ZBZmZ3Z0paa2pMdFpYakFvdVY4ZEMxaDladm41aEljMzI5T1g1d3hZTDh3UnVyZnRuSW9FWUpVM2Mtdkh1b2dkamRDX2tROFI0VnBFZlBxZnlxc3JJRU83Z9IBrwFBVV95cUxQU1QtUnhDYmhPZzJvV3U2ZlB5dmQ4elVrdVNEOEFOWXRYWEVmcTB1SEl5ZVJWRDMxeWlVZkhTT1JZVmVFS2w4eEM0OGJBc0RBck10MFV1aVBvTTdGU00zOHpFSkthcTZvbWNPYmJHVnJpa0JaX2tUOTdIRGlGMU1jekdnVGF0dGpEZFJWLURVRjRUZnlSSzFlbWcyUk45UFJva1ozcVhBT3dhLU1tOEpR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_768e34575191",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran vows retaliation will be severe even if US strikes are 'limited' - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Oman confirms a third round of US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday amid mounting regional tensions.\nWashington has increased its military posture, while Tehran threatens retaliation against any strike, heightening fears of conflict.\nBadr Albusaidi, the Omani foreign minister and mediator, says negotiations have a “positive push” towards finalising a deal.\nIran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expresses cautious optimism, while Mr Pezeshkian also underscores readiness for “any potential scenario”.\n“Really bad things will happen if no deal is reached,” the US President said, as Mr Trump sets a 10–15 day deadline for agreement.\nIran's response to US attacks will be \"severe\" even if President Donald Trump orders only \"limited\" military action, Tehran said on Monday.\nAs a second American aircraft carrier approaches the Middle East, Iran's top general said \"defeat is certain\" for the US if it decides to mount an attack. It came as students were holding a third day of anti-regime protests at Iranian universities.\nWith Iran and the US to hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday, reports suggest Mr Trump is considering a limited initial strike in the hope of forcing Tehran into a deal.\nBut Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said: \"There is no such thing as a limited attack. An act of aggression is an act of aggression.” He said Iran's response to any such attack would be \"firm and severe\".\nMr Trump has indicated he will make a decision within days. Non-essential US personnel have been withdrawn from the American embassy in Lebanon, a State Department official said on Monday, amid fears of a regional conflict.\nThe aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford was seen in Greece on Monday on its way to the Middle East, where the USS Abraham Lincoln and an \"armada\" of American naval power, as Mr Trump calls it, is already stationed within striking distance of Iran.\nThe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who initiated last year's 12-day air war with Iran, said his country was \"prepared for any scenario\". If Iran attacks Israel \"we will respond with a force they cannot even imagine\", he said.\nReports in Israel said a build-up of American refuelling and cargo planes had been spotted at Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv. Iranian army chief Maj Gen Amir Hatami remained defiant in the face of the US military build-up on Monday.\n\"The enemies claim they are invincible, but this is a false claim,\" he told graduates at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps college. He said: \"The enemy's defeat is certain.\"\nOman's Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi confirmed that Iran and the US will hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva, amid growing fears of war. Oman has been mediating the talks since they resumed in early February.\nReports said Ali Larijani, a top Iranian security official and confidant of the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would hold talks in Muscat on Tuesday.\nThe US has built up its military presence in the Middle East, with Mr Trump warning on Thursday that “really bad things will happen” if no deal is reached to solve a long-standing dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran has threatened to retaliate to any strike by attacking regional American bases.\n“Pleased to confirm US-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday, with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal,” said Mr Al Busaidi, who acts as a mediator in indirect talks between Washington and Tehran.\nThe Trump administration expects to receive a detailed Iranian proposal for a nuclear deal by Tuesday, before the talks, a senior US official told Axios.\nIran's President Masoud Pezeshkian voiced cautious optimism on Sunday in a post on X, in which he wrote that recent negotiations had “yielded encouraging signals”, while saying that his country was ready for “any potential scenario”.\nThe US has for weeks been threatening strikes against Iran. “They have something for every scenario. One scenario takes out the ayatollah and his son and the mullahs,” a senior Trump adviser told Axios over the weekend.“What the President chooses no one knows. I don't think he knows.”\nTension remains high amid military postings by the US and Iranian naval exercises and drills in the Strait of Hormuz this week.\nOn Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for a “diplomatic solution” on Iran. “We don’t need another war in this region. We already have a lot,” she said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers. “It is true that Iran is at its weakest point. We should be really using this time to find a diplomatic solution.”\nThe last round of talks between the US and Iran was held in Geneva on Tuesday. After the negotiations, US officials said that “progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss”. On Thursday, Mr Trump gave Iran between 10 and 15 days to come to an agreement.\nAt the heart is the issue of uranium enrichment. Israel and the US have said they want Iran to cease all enrichment activity and dismantle plants. Iran insists on retaining some fuel-making capacity for peaceful purposes.\nUS Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been involved in the previous rounds of talks, said Mr Trump was “curious” about why Iran has not yet yielded to the mounting US pressure.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-23T03:23:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxQN1NmV2FxSzBSczY2YkZpSnNlUEVHWHpMbldVdjc0dkdfQUFuNXVyUk1sbThzVjB5RkR5UlFxVW82MjV6bFY2SV9JNGJmdmZxa3ZCN281YVNpQXBKSjZxQ19LbWFWWEVsUFZMWmhsblV4MkgxZ0Q3MlZQRGxFb1RvTTFjMWZJRkFWY3VCVnUwQWJXWmtkb1hkQjhsYnNYWkJQOUpmYm1TSUV1NUltNEJIWDVSQjVzRGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1f3049957b88",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What if today's Iran is resigned to a long, hellish war with the US? - Responsible Statecraft",
    "body_text": "Trump’s decision in June 2025 to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities in the final days of Israel’s war on Iran removed any lingering doubts about his administration’s willingness to cross the longstanding U.S. red line of directly attacking Iran’s nuclear program.\nAs a result, every subsequent American military threat, against Iran as well as the rest of the world, was imbued with a credibility that only the precedent of naked aggression can impose. The U.S. military’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January only reinforced that credibility.\nBut the U.S. strike on Iran, or Operation Midnight Hammer, has also set in motion two consequences that run directly counter to his vision of coercing Iran into submission.\nFirst, the brief U.S.-Iran dustup following Operation Midnight Hammer communicated to Iran that while Washington was now more likely to pull the trigger, it was by no means eager to enter a costly and open-ended firefight. Indeed, it did not escape the attention of the Iranians that while the Trump administration warned Tehran that any Iranian response to Operation Midnight Hammer would trigger a devastating U.S. response, Iran’s ballistic missile retaliation against U.S. bases in Qatar elicited not Trump’s wrath but his framing of the episode as an opportunity to move toward “peace and harmony.” This was then promptly followed by his brokering of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.\nSecond, the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in June liberated Iran from its own fear of total war. In the months and years leading up to the 12-Day War, Tehran’s intoxicating belief that war could and should be avoided — at every turn and at any cost — had infused the Iranian decision-making apparatus with a paralyzing caution that, on the one hand, deterred Iran from retaliating decisively against Israeli attacks while at the same time emboldened Israel to repeatedly push the limits of escalation with impunity.\nBut that edifice of fear would collapse under the weight of Israel’s war on Iran in June 2025, and the United States’ direct participation in that war. In its place emerged a sober recognition that Iran was no longer standing on the brink of a war it could prevent but was already fully immersed in a recurring cycle of limited Israeli and American wars inside Iranian territory.\nIran’s generals understood that the only reliable way to conclusively break that cycle was to drive the confrontation beyond Washington’s comfortable terrain of swift, manageable military interventions and into a realm where the costs of continued escalation would become unbearable for the United States and Israel alike. In the recent warning of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, “If they start a war this time,” he cautioned, “it will be a regional war.”\nFor Washington, this shift in Iranian consciousness could not have occurred at a worse moment in time. Iran has been thrust into a state of full-mobilization for a regional war at the very moment when it has become unmistakably clear that Washington’s appetite for military adventures does not extend beyond spectacular, swift, and high-impact demonstrations of military dominance.\nThe suggestion here is by no means that the Iranian armed forces are somehow on par with, let alone superior to, those of the U.S. military. Rather, an acute asymmetry has emerged in the two sides’ resolve and pain tolerance, an asymmetry in which, paradoxically, the militarily weaker party is structurally less constrained in its willingness to both endure and impose costs, resulting in a strategic posture far less favorable to the U.S. than the raw balance of military power would suggest.\nMore paradoxical, still, is that this sharp imbalance in resolve has crystallized at precisely the moment when Iran’s overall regional position is far more precarious than at any point in recent decades, a precarity made possible by the collapse of Assad’s rule in Syria and the significant weakening of Hezbollah’s operational depth in Southern Lebanon.\nThis asymmetry in resolve has found political expression in the recent resumption of talks between Iran and the United States over the nuclear program, assuming, of course, that the current negotiations reflect a sincere U.S. effort to reach an agreement and not, as was the case during last year’s negotiations, an attempt merely to lull the Iranians into complacency ahead of war.\nThe talks are not, as is often claimed, evidence of U.S. success in coercing Iran to come to the negotiating table. Instead, the talks reflect a growing realization within the Trump administration that Washington’s options are limited: either climb to the next and final rung of the escalation ladder, which is a full-scale war with Iran, whose duration and intensity would likely escape U.S. control, or return to a negotiated settlement of the nuclear dispute.\nShould current talks result in a resolution of the nuclear file, they will stand as yet another outward expression of the realization in Washington that a total war with Iran is a monstrous black box the United States has no desire to open. For if Trump truly believed the U.S. could win militarily against Iran in the time-frame, shape, and intensity of his choosing, he would already have started this war, just as he did in the operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.\nWhat has prevented him from doing so, more than anything else, is Iran’s very real and sizable capacity to drag the United States and the entire region into a grinding, drawn-out war of attrition that would further accelerate the decline of U.S. global hegemony in ways previously thought unimaginable.\nTo be sure, the current impasse offers precious little by way of novelty. On the contrary, almost all of its defining features were either knowable or predictable before Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA. Indeed, President Obama’s pursuit of nuclear diplomacy was driven chiefly by the same military realities that have until today prompted Trump to pursue diplomacy with Iran.\nNine years after Trump first set out to overwrite the legacy of Obama’s deal, the paths available to Washington are clearer than at any point since the 1979 Islamic Revolution: a total regional war whose limits would not be set by Washington, or a nuclear settlement that, while not perfect from Trump’s standpoint, would pull the United States back from the brink of an open-ended and intractable regional war with an Iran.\nIf Washington’s participation in Israel’s June 2025 war with Iran elevated U.S. military force to a perfectly viable instrument of the United States’ Iran policy, the success of current talks would signal the formal undoing of that logic. But should the failure of talks pave the way for another full-scale war, the United States and Israel will be fighting an Iran vastly different from June. For the Iran of today appears to have made its peace with the grim conclusion that while a decisive slog with Israel and the United States is sure to be agonizing, it is preferable to the recurring attrition of repeated wars and a chronic strategic vulnerability that only emboldens adversaries to target Iran and its regional allies.\nThis cold calculus is captured with unsettling clarity in an oft-quoted Iranian proverb: marg yek bar, shivan yek bar—“death once, wail once.”\n- Is Israel's plan to draw the US into a war with Iran? ›\n- Why Arab states are terrified of US war with Iran ›\n- Veterans urge Trump to reject war with Iran ›\n- 'Going it alone' approach will leave one person holding the Iran bag | Responsible Statecraft ›\n- The cost of Trump's Iran war is already adding up quickly | Responsible Statecraft ›\n- Senate unable to halt Trump’s war on Iran ›",
    "published_at": "2026-02-23T05:14:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYEFVX3lxTFBZUVZ1U2lyeEY3azNwc1BWeHh4T3ZfRXZZNVMwbnZDekM3S0l5aWM0R1dUWXc2Qm10TWd5UnpJNV9CSzZZeE5VdEVYdFJLYi1Yb3VhRWZUaVV1aGVqbXg4YQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_615d8b0ff806",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Gen. Jack Keane warns of Iran's nuclear capability as US bolsters military presence in Middle East - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-02-23T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTFBNZjhDeTdTQkdoUlgxVU14OU9wUjRIVkI3bXE0N2RLQ1JGY3FTd2lZbnl4V1AzcmNJX1NoLTRvTjBJV1ZFMjkzMEJwZEtrc3E5WGZvQlp3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dfea0f512f86",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "How a UN expert proved the RSF committed genocide in Sudan's el-Fasher - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "How a UN expert proved the RSF committed genocide in Sudan's el-Fasher\nAtrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's el-Fasher bear the hallmarks of the crime of genocide, a UN investigator told Middle East Eye following the publication of a report into the takeover of the North Darfur capital in October.\nMona Rishmawi, a member of the UN Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan (FFMS) and an expert on the Darfur conflict, said the mission's conclusion represents a “serious and urgent” finding that should compel governments to take immediate steps to halt weapons flows to the RSF.\n“This report, and the conclusion that the threshold of genocide has been reached, has to be taken extremely seriously,” she told MEE in an interview on Sunday. “If the same modus operandi continues, we will see more situations like el-Fasher. Stopping the flow of weapons is essential.”\nThough it denies the charges, there is widespread evidence, as reported by MEE, linking the United Arab Emirates with the supply of arms and other goods to the RSF.\nThe FFMS is an independent investigative mechanism established by the UN Human Rights Council to document violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed during Sudan's war, which broke out between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023.\nThe mission's report, due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council later this week, found that the RSF carried out a myriad of international crimes in the lead up to, during and after the capture of el-Fasher from the SAF, which came after more than 500 days of siege.\n'In el-Fasher, the non-Arab groups were encircled and killed'\n- Mona Rishmawi, UN expert\nSurvivors of the city's capture told MEE they had witnessed civilians being raped, executed and held to ransom by members of the paramilitary force. They also said the RSF had taken blood from victims in makeshift detention centres.\nIn previous reports, the UN Sudan mission found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both the RSF and SAF.\nThis is the first time, however, that it has reached a conclusion on genocide, the most serious crime under international law.\nRishmawi says el-Fasher has witnessed a more severe form of criminality than earlier RSF campaigns in Darfur, which had also prompted determinations of genocide from human rights groups and the US government.\n“In places like Nyala and el-Geneina, there was widespread killing. But in our assessment, there seemed to be an intention to push the Massalit out,” she explained, referring to the non-Arab communities previously targeted by the RSF, whose fighters mostly come from the Arab tribes of western Sudan and Chad. “There was a lot of rape and killings on the way, but not at this level.\n“In el-Fasher, the non-Arab groups were encircled and killed on a massive scale.\"\nUnder the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), three elements must be established to prove genocide: the targeting of a protected group; at least one prohibited genocidal act committed against the group; and the intent to destroy - in whole or in part - that group.\nAll the elements have been found in the RSF's conduct, explained the UN expert.\n“Here we found three of the acts,” Rishmawi said, referring to mass killings, serious bodily and mental harm, including rape and torture, and conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction.\nMost victims belonged to the Zaghawa and Fur communities, which the ICC has previously recognised as protected ethnic groups in Darfur.\nThe mission documented mass killings in at least six locations, including el-Fasher University, the Saudi Hospital, major exit routes, and at the earthen berms built by the RSF to trap fleeing civilians.\nThese findings corroborate previous reporting by MEE and documentation by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL).\nOne survivor told Rishmawi that from a group of hundreds attempting to flee through RSF exit points, only five people survived.\n“He told me only five people survived from a group of hundreds: himself, his aunt, his neighbour, his son, and one person he didn’t know. Everyone else was killed,” she said.\nThe mission also cited gruesome examples of rape and sexual violence targeting girls and women from the non-Arab communities, in addition to torture and imposing deliberate starvation conditions.\nGenocidal intent\nIn order to prove genocide, the intent to destroy a group in whole or in part must be established. According to Rishmawi, this element could be inferred from the totality of conduct by the RSF, including their use of dehumanising language and the pattern of their crimes.\n\"They wanted to eliminate the group as such. If you look at the pattern of conduct, the language of the perpetrators, and the acts committed against this particular group - or two particular groups - the only reasonable inference you can draw is that intent,\" she said.\n'When you look at the pattern, the language, the acts, and who they targeted, the only reasonable inference you can draw is genocidal intent'\n- Mona Rishmawi\nThe 18-month siege, imposed by the RSF before their October 2025takeover, left more than a quarter of a million civilians trapped without food, medicine, water or humanitarian access.\n“You are preventing a population from receiving the basic elements of survival,” Rishmawi said. “Food, medicine, clean water: all denied. Water sources were bombed. People were drinking contaminated water and getting sick, and there was no medication. This was deliberate, systematic, and prolonged.”\nThe mission also found direct evidence of genocidal intent through the RSF’s own utterances.\n“The perpetrators used derogatory language, saying: ‘We will purify your race.’ They said they would kill Zaghawa or Fur civilians if they found them, and they did,” she said.\nShe added that RSF conduct was not chaotic but coordinated.\n“When you look at the pattern, the language, the acts, and who they targeted, the only reasonable inference you can draw is genocidal intent.”\nThe \"only reasonable inference\" is the same standard used by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to prove genocidal intent when assessing state responsibility.\nLast month, the ICC’s deputy prosecutor said her office is currently investigating the el-Fasher atrocities as well as the massacres committed by the RSF in el-Geneina. The court has jurisdiction over Darfur under a 2005 Security Council referral.\nRishmawi said the UN mission has shared confidential evidence files with the ICC identifying suspects and crimes.\nShe stressed that the mission cooperates closely with prosecutors and that the ICC values the quality of evidence provided, but added that the court’s weakened position as a result of US sanctions makes swift action more difficult.\n“When you ask people in the camps what they want, accountability and justice are always at the top of the list.\n“We need to support the ICC and strengthen its work, but we also need a separate judicial mechanism that looks at Sudan impartially.”\n‘Ghost town’\nAccounts from residents who returned to el-Fasher after the RSF takeover further reinforced investigators’ conclusions.\n“They all described a ghost town,” Rishmawi told MEE. “Very few people in the streets. Entire neighbourhoods destroyed. The number of displaced does not explain the number of people who disappeared. You have to conclude there were mass killings.”\nThe report identifies several RSF commanders known to have been present during the killings. But Rishmawi said accountability cannot stop at field level.\n“They have a command structure and operate according to a strategy,” she said. “People must be held responsible for what they did, or for what they failed to prevent.”\nThe mission’s report said that the RSF's leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, praised the “liberation” of el-Fasher and hailed fighters as “lions and heroes”.\nHis brother and right-hand man, Abdul Rahim Dagalo, and spokesperson Al-Fatih al-Qurashi, also described the city’s capture as a “major and historic military victory”.\nRishmawi said both the RSF and the SAF refused to cooperate with the UN investigation, despite repeated written requests for meetings and information.\nShe explained that while the RSF publicly claimed to be engaging with the mission, they never answered questions or facilitated access.\nThe Sudanese government also denied investigators entry to areas under its control, including el-Fasher, and ignored multiple attempts to arrange discussions. She described their approach as “cynical,” saying neither side showed willingness to assist efforts to document violations or protect civilians.\nThe only access the investigators had was in neighbouring Chad and South Sudan, where they met with survivors displaced from el-Fasher.\n“We are operating with less than half the staff we need. With more stability and more resources, we could do a lot more, especially in the more complex areas of investigation.”\nDespite this, she said the mission’s three members have taken on an unusually heavy workload themselves, allowing the report to move forward but leaving critical areas under-explored due to a lack of specialised investigators.\n‘The world is largely absent’\nRishmawi said the UN report is a warning to states providing political or material support to armed actors.\nThe report noted that the RSF \"appear to have benefited from logistical military support\", in breach of the arms embargo that has been in place in Darfur since 2005.\nThe report did not name any specific foreign backers of the RSF, but said that the mission is engaging with different states regarding their involvement in the conflict and that it would report on third-state responsibility in the future.\n“All member states, whichever side they support, have to be extremely careful not to be implicated in these acts, which in our assessment have reached the threshold of genocide,” she said.\nPreventing further atrocities will require more than diplomacy and ceasefire talks, she added.\n“The question is: what do we do to protect civilians? Do we leave them at the mercy of fighting, when we know what happens when the RSF moves into a place?”\nRishmawi said discussions on an international protection force should now be taken seriously, arguing that many Darfur residents felt safer under the former African Union-UN hybrid peacekeeping mission (Unamid) tasked with stabilising Darfur, protecting civilians, and supporting humanitarian aid from 2007 to 2020.\n“Today there is very little international presence and very little media inside the country,” she said. “People are being killed and displaced, and the world is largely absent.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-23T15:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQb3RZOENZSi0wWExiMWNFMEZYQmlNU2gxdzNJb2FXcnZ4RlhOSFMwTDN5UU92RFctQ2RJT3FTSHpJTlA5d21uMlJDNjkwT2ZsQzRPWGJaSklOR1BzUzV5TmRLbVgwN0M2RmNuZ2RuYXBMS2lfbmdyQmlYZlhKaElDdXpNVzVpRkx3MjFNbnlJZHlMUFZNMnlMd0VB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_db0fa6a48c97",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Are the US and Iran on a collision course for war or a surprise deal? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Are the US and Iran on a collision course for war or a surprise deal?\nThe unprecedented US buildup near Iran marks the largest regional mobilisation since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.\nWhile the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest supercarrier, is now operating in the Mediterranean Sea, transiting to join the armada, the most staggering indicator is the surge of six E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control planes - nearly 40 percent of the entire US inventory.\nThese “eyes in the sky” provide the over-the-horizon radar essential for coordinating air defences against retaliatory strikes. Deploying this volume of the fleet suggests Washington is preparing for a campaign and bracing for the likely Iranian response.\nDoctrinally, US President Donald Trump has long opposed interventionism, a stance reaffirmed in his May 2025 Riyadh speech. Economically, an all-out war with Iran risks sabotaging his domestic agenda.\nAnalysts estimate that a conflict could spike oil prices to anywhere between $90 and $200 a barrel. Furthermore, Trump’s pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza suggests a desire for regional de-escalation, rather than for opening an unpredictable new front.\nYet despite these deterrents, other motivations could push Trump towards a decisive strike. He may view neutralising the Iranian regime as the masterstroke for a total regional realignment. By dismantling the “axis of resistance”, he could clear the path for a new Middle Eastern architecture anchored by a Washington-Tel Aviv-Riyadh axis.\nDomestic setbacks may also be the catalyst. On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump’s use of emergency laws to impose global tariffs was illegal - a stinging blow to his economic agenda.\n'Bad things happen'\nSeeking to overshadow this fiasco, Trump may pivot towards a high-stakes military success. Former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told The Wall Street Journal that the ruling could make a US attack on Iran more likely, noting that after a public judicial defeat, Trump could not afford to be seen as “backing down on Iran”.\nA credibility trap is also a factor. Last Thursday, amid the naval buildup, Trump warned that Tehran had only 10 to 15 days to reach a “meaningful deal”.\n“Otherwise, bad things happen,” he added. This rhetoric has boxed the administration into a corner; if talks remain deadlocked, backing down would shatter Trump’s “strongman” credibility.\nThis tension is felt acutely in Iran, where many recall his January Truth Social posts urging citizens to “take over your institutions”, with the hollow promise that “help is on its way”.\nBy convincing an opponent they are willing to 'blow it all up', a leader can force that opponent to back down to avoid destruction\nHaving previously failed to act, Trump may now feel compelled to use this armada to prove his word has teeth.\nIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his inner circle are equally wary of conflict. Domestically, the leadership is facing a nation simmering with discontent after the suppression of January’s mass protests.\nAccording to human rights organisations, tens of thousands of protesters have been swept up in ongoing mass arrests. Things got worse after the US and Israel attempted to exploit the protests. Top Israeli officials have continuously encouraged revolt against the Iranian state, even as such instigations discredited the resulting unrest.\nThe economy - primarily crippled by US sanctions, but also by corruption and mismanagement - is in shambles.\nA credible economic newspaper inside Iran confirmed last week that food inflation has surged into triple digits. Unlike official data, the free-market exchange rate is a publicly visible barometer of this crisis. Indeed, the currency’s free-fall sparked the January uprising - and for Khamenei, war now could be the final catalyst for domestic collapse.\nRevolutionary identity\nAgainst this backdrop, logic dictates that the Iranian government should compromise to avoid a war - but the leadership remains defiant.\nOver the weekend, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News that Trump was “curious” about Iran’s position, after he had warned of a limited military strike in the event that the two nations could not reach a deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme.\n“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated’ … because he [Trump] understands he’s got plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t … I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated’, but why they haven’t capitulated,” Witkoff said.\nAfter 37 years in power, the supreme leader’s tenacity depends on the ideological cohesion of a core constituency that views him as the region’s flag-bearer of anti-Americanism. Capitulating to Trump would shatter this revolutionary identity and likely trigger an erosion of loyalty within his own ranks.\nIn Khamenei’s calculus, the political cost of surrender may outweigh the risk of military confrontation.\nAbsent a deal, US planners will likely weigh two distinct strike scenarios. The first aligns with Trump’s established aversion to “endless wars”: a doctrine of overwhelming, surgical force designed to achieve immediate objectives, followed by a rapid exit and declaration of victory.\nAs Bob Harward, a retired vice admiral and former Centcom official, recently told the Jerusalem Post, a first-wave attack would prioritise neutralising Iran’s strategic missile sites and launchers - the most immediate threats to US assets. If successful, this “decapitation” of capacity would leave the Islamic Republic stripped of its three primary deterrent pillars: proxy networks, nuclear leverage and missile reach.\nBy transforming the Iranian state into a strategically exhausted system, Trump could declare a decisive victory and disengage, having achieved “strategic submission” without the entanglement of a ground war.\nThe second scenario involves a transition from limited strikes to an all-out campaign for regime change. This shift could occur by design, or as a consequence of massive, unexpected Iranian retaliation - particularly if US forces fail to neutralise Tehran’s missile systems in the opening phase. But if Washington goes all-in, it would face the ultimate geopolitical enigma: the “day after”.\nMassive stakes\nStabilising a post-Islamic Republic authority would require a massive ground presence - a commitment to another “endless war” that Trump has spent his career disparaging.\nEven if such a force were deployed, it would face an enormous challenge: resistance from a motivated ideological network. As evidenced by reports from rights groups documenting the mass killings of thousands of protesters just weeks ago, regime loyalists appear fundamentally uninhibited by the prospect of killing civilians.\nThe heavily armed cadres trained for decentralised asymmetric warfare under the “mosaic defence” doctrine would likely launch a relentless resistance against any successor authority perceived as backed by the US and Israel.\nUltimately, rationality dictates that both sides should reach an agreement to avoid the catastrophic consequences of an all-out war - though as political scientist Robert Jervis argued, conflicts often erupt from miscalculation rather than logic.\nThe final details of such a deal may surprise us. Under the weight of consequences, some inevitably unpredictable, both sides may move towards a strategic retreat that previously seemed unthinkable.\nIn a Friday interview with MS Now (formerly MSNBC), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi raised eyebrows by claiming that Washington had not demanded “zero enrichment”, and that neither side had proposed a suspension. Instead, negotiations were focused on ensuring Iran’s nuclear programme “is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever”.\nIf true, this fundamentally alters the landscape of the current crisis.\nSimilarly, on the other side of the fence, citing a senior US official, Axios reported on Friday that the Trump administration was “prepared to consider a proposal that allows Iran ‘token’ nuclear enrichment if it leaves no possible path to a bomb”.\nIn summary, I believe a deal remains slightly more probable than all-out war. The stakes are simply too high for both sides.\nIn this endgame, Trump appears to have taken a page from the “rationality of irrationality” playbook pioneered by strategist Thomas Schelling, applying what is famously known as “madman theory”. Schelling’s core thesis is that it can be strategically rational for a leader to appear slightly unpredictable or “crazy”. By convincing an opponent they are willing to “blow it all up”, a leader can force that opponent to back down to avoid destruction.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-23T18:57:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxOaE8ycFR4ZEZJMmZXSHpzQTJ6dnl4MER4aWQzZ0pLejl4Sm9QU29FZ3JodTlLdHJoVWxaRlBUdUYwZ1Zkek5rX1FaN1dERExTcTYyTlg1aksyd0VDVFRFM1dDbURIZzMyNmdRb21LRFhwQnd1YVA2S2NGQ3lRVkpsQ3JYVXB6aHc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_15b7ab143108",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Everything you need to know about Modi's visit to Israel - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Everything you need to know about Modi's visit to Israel\n\"We waded together in the waters of the Mediterranean, and much water has flowed since then in the Mediterranean, the Ganges, and the Jordan, though less in the Jordan.\"\nThis is how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described his friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi since his landmark visit in 2017. On that visit, India signed a raft of deals, formalising the two countries as strategic partners in water and agriculture.\nOn Wednesday, Modi arrived back in Israel for a two-day visit that Netanyahu says will underscore what he describes as a “special relationship” between the two countries - language typically reserved for US–Israel ties.\n\"This week, expression will be given to the special relationship that has been forged over recent years between Israel and the global power that is India, and between myself and its leader, Prime Minister Modi.\"\nModi and Netanyahu shared a warm embrace as the Indian leader touched down in Tel Aviv, with Netanyahu's wife sporting a saffron colored suit mirroring India's flag.\nModi's visit - a highly choreographed display of friendship - comes at a pivotal moment in the Middle East, as the prospect of an imminent war with Iran appears more plausible than ever and Israel's genocide in Gaza continues under the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace.”\nIt also comes as Netanyahu prepares for a new election cycle, with polls due in nine months.\nSo why is Modi travelling to Israel, and what does it mean for the India-Israel alliance going forward?\nMiddle East Eye examines the substance and symbolism of the Indian prime minister's visit this week.\nWhy is Modi travelling to Israel?\nOver the past two and a half years, the Indian government has stood by Israel, providing labour, weapons and diplomatic cover even as a case of genocide continues to linger over Israel at The Hague. Over 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began.\nModi is widely considered to be the first leader to call Netanyahu in the hours following the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 on southern Israel, a move that would set the tone for Delhi's solidarity with Israel's narrative of self-defence, paving the way for India's steadfast support for Israel in the war Gaza.\n\"The fabric of this relationship has grown tighter, and he is coming here so we can tighten it further through a series of decisions related to strengthening cooperation between our governments and countries. This includes economic, diplomatic and security cooperation,\" Netanyahu said in the remarks released on Sunday.\nModi’s visit then will be an opportunity for Netanyahu to thank his counterpart for the steadfast support and will be used as a means to bolster his credentials domestically, as well as justify India as an important plank in his outreach to the Global South.\nAccording to itineraries released by the Israeli media, Modi is expected to address the Israeli Knesset, a privilege reserved for special guests. He will host an event focused on tech and innovation with Israeli companies in Jerusalem, and later visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum.\nModi will not travel to the occupied West Bank or Gaza.\nAnd there is no indication that the war in Gaza or Israel's recent decision to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as \"state property\" will be part of any discussion with any Israeli leaders.\nThis aligns with Delhi's policy under Modi to de-hyphenate Israel and Palestine, even if it undermines India's stated commitment to a two-state solution.\nWhat will be main focus of the visit?\nUnder Modi, India's defence sector has become so deeply entangled with Israel's military-industrial complex that defence ties are considered the bedrock of the relationship.\nBetween 2015 and 2019, India's purchases of Israeli weapons increased by 175 percent.\nIndia has, for the better part of a decade, been the biggest purchaser of Israeli weapons, including drones, missile systems, censors, surveillance technology, and border-control equipment.\nModi has looked to Israel to implement a project of modernisation of India's military and further the goal of indigenising production and manufacturing, known as his \"Make in India\" programme.\nAlongside importing Israeli arms, Delhi has become an important co-producer of Israeli weapons, a partnership set to expand Israel's global reach.\nEven as calls for an arms embargo on Israel escalated in mid-2025, India's defence secretary and the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defence met in New Delhi and \"agreed to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation with a long-term perspective\".\nIn September, Delhi signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement with Israel, aimed at protecting investments in each other’s countries.\nThe agreement is also seen as a vehicle for advancing broader economic integration between India, Israel and the Middle East.\nIsraeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the agreement would \"open new doors for both Israeli and Indian investors, strengthen Israeli exports, and provide businesses on both sides with certainty and tools to develop in the world's fastest-growing markets\".\nSeveral human rights activists said the agreement was an effort to address low investor confidence and provide material cover for Israel's war on Gaza.\nOn Wednesday, discussions between the two leaders are likely to revolve around expanding ties, with a focus on intelligence cooperation, weapons development and technology transfer in India.\nA report in The Hindustan Times noted that the two countries are likely to discuss the possibility of jointly developing anti-ballistic missile defence systems.\nAs per the report, India wants to increase strategic defence cooperation with Israel, which could be worth $10bn over the next several years.\nThis includes working together on long-range standoff missiles and drones, anti-ballistic missile systems and laser-based defence technology.\nIn a statement released by Netanyahu's office, the countries will also “promote cooperation in hi-tech, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing\".\nAccording to sections of the Indian and Israeli media, Modi's visit is unlikely to yield new defence deals.\nInstead, the two countries will sign a memorandum of understanding to deepen strategic cooperation.\nThough it remains unclear what exactly Modi and Netanyahu will discuss regarding Iran, Israel’s prime minister offered a glimpse of the direction on Sunday.\nNetanyahu spoke of forming a “hexagon” of alliances around and within the Middle East.\n“This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won’t detail at the moment. I will present this in an organised manner,” he said.\nNetanyahu's remarks, though largely undefined, are seen as a move to build a pro-western, anti-Iran economic and strategic bloc, one that builds on the foundations of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, and signals an attempt to consolidate regional alignments amid escalating tensions with Tehran.\nNonetheless, India appears to be fundamental to this formation in conjunction with the United Arab Emirates, especially in light of regional shifts.\nHow have Indians reacted to the visit?\nThe warm reception Modi will receive in Israel will resonate strongly with his constituents in India and reinforce perceptions of his global stature.\nBut even as Modi's visit to Israel has been valorised in much of the Indian mainstream media, there have been pockets of concern and protest from activists and pro-Palestine advocates around the country.\nThese protests have been met with a harsh crackdown by Indian authorities.\nThough Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary of India's official opposition, the Indian National Congress, issued a critical statement after the visit was announced, his criticism appeared to focus more on the lack of transparency from Modi's office rather than the visit itself.\nRamesh said Indians had to hear about the visit to Israel from Netanyayhu \"who has reduced Gaza to rubble and dust, and is now displacing and evicting even more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank\".\nOn the day of Modi's travel to Israel, the Communist Party of India (CPI-M) released a statement in which it condemned the prime minister's visit.\n\"The visit comes at a juncture when Israel has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza,\" the CPI-M said.\n\"The Modi visit is thus a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and legitimises the murderous Netanyahu regime.\n\"The visit is all the more inopportune because it is taking place at a time when the United States is preparing to attack Iran militarily at the instigation of Israel,\" the party said.\nAhead of Modi's visit, Israel's embassy in India released a video celebrating the event, with Israel's envoy to India, Reuven Azar, calling the India-Israel relationship a partnership of trust.\n\"This is an exciting moment for India-Israel relations. We are looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel,\" Azar said.\nNow, when India and Israel come together, it's never just a meeting. It's a partnership built on trust, powered by innovation and guided by a clear understanding of the challenges of our time,\" Azar added.\nThis story was updated on 25 February 2025",
    "published_at": "2026-02-23T21:41:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPTUFBYXhQcG5NZXhXTDhYZkdiZ2Q2ZFVuTjJ5RVZWZVltZVNrMjZDV08ydm5RT01ZM0p1MnpqWkNZRkxMODFfYWpVLTY0bmI5LWVNV21HN0pfUzBDMkJCU1pDNUkxTEFJUEU4TzhYZl8zaG1GRnZ4TTZ3djBnV3YwSzBSMnVESVMzZWNYUE4ycVJybzFxNi1j?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_681857abdc66",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "‘Crisis of his own making’: Donald Trump weighs another war with Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "‘Crisis of his own making’: Donald Trump weighs another war with Iran\nJoin FT Edit\nOnly $49 a yearGet 2 months free with an annual subscription at was $59.88 now $49. Access to eight surprising articles a day, hand-picked by FT editors. For seamless reading, access content via the FT Edit page on FT.com and receive the FT Edit newsletter.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T05:00:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFAtdUJjeE92OFpQNGVtSjVLV0p3MngtYTN0TDM2RHNnMkRCcjlwZF8yWC1MQnVEenBXSm1RM0xzdnFiS3pHeXk4dWRYWlY2eFFVUXlid3cwRkloN21HZUJWUWNYS3lxSmVDUl9FZGVERno?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6c7eb856c001",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "A timeline of tensions over Iran's nuclear program as talks with U.S. approach - PBS",
    "body_text": "A timeline of tensions over Iran's nuclear program as talks with U.S. approach    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxOUXZNRmh4bG41eXNDRG0tWXZFZ2VDcmNpRUhLS0RfME5GQ3pCUThsTkwwd0pnWTVHeDYwMzQ2ZDk2bDF3aXRJTjlmMHpjOVo1TnppOFV0algxXzdyOXBwaGxSNnpiRnBwVTgwa01sSjBMUjlCTUdiRFhwd2ZpbW5TTXZIZ2pqeUQ3ckNxSXhEWWp6QXV2OUhka29UUVh0LVE1NXVYQU9mNU44S0l0NVZjQw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4d829bae683d",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Middle East oil exports push tanker costs to 6-year-high amid threat of US-Iran war - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Middle East oil exports push tanker costs to 6-year-high amid threat of US-Iran war    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T09:40:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxQenFYWkJzemZhLVNHMkZ6anNySkFhVVBVcVZTTHVNY2FFbE10MmZWT2ZzbTN2LU00RVRDUW95aW1ULURzYWxkM2dMdk1zd3V5SWtPMi1kczh6RENCb21RQnVMLTFna3kyRk5YdTVsVXlCcEVJUXY0T0xySXMxZW9QT0dFMEctTnhyd2RwZC1hMHViUGpHSXAtdjBoVGMtNEVYTHpXX2JEZlFfSkVHd01MYnJTeENTRl9iaEg5andQWmNLbS1LY0ZSVA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a86f709fc8d9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Western forces in Erbil relocate ahead of possible US strikes on Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Western forces in Erbil relocate ahead of possible US strikes on Iran\nUS-Iran tensions, a military helicopter landed at the Erbil airport in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.\nA few days ago, amidst heightenedAlthough Western troops are rarely seen on the city’s streets, Erbil Air Base is heavily staffed with soldiers, and military helicopters fly overhead every day.\nNow, this airport could potentially become a target for Iran if the situation escalates.\nSince 2018, the Kurdistan region, including Erbil's airport, has come under attack by drones, rockets and ballistic missiles from Iran and its proxies.\nIn July last year, a suicide drone was shot down above the airport amidst attacks on oil fields in the region. On 21 January, a drone also targeted an Iranian Kurdish opposition party, killing one Kurdish fighter.\n“There are foreign forces here, including Americans, and the Kurdistan region traditionally has good relations with western countries and America,” Ziryan Rojhelati, the director of Rudaw Research Center, told Middle East Eye.\n“In this last year, we witnessed how a militia group targeted the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan region. So many people think that in a possible war between Iran and America, and Iran and Israel, some kind of tension would be spread to the Kurdistan region.”\nIn recent weeks, the US has positioned around 100 aerial refuel tankers, carrier strike groups and fleets of fighters in the region. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has not ruled out strikes if nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, set to resume on Thursday, fail.\nSources told Middle East Eye that, amid the high possibility of a US attack on Iran, several countries belonging to the US-led coalition in Iraq have withdrawn or repositioned troops from Erbil Air Base, fearing possible Iranian retaliatory strikes.\n“I think as you start seeing repositioning from Erbil, which is a likely counter-attack target and the ordered departure of nonessential personnel from Beirut, the chances of a US strike are going up. A lot hinges on the meeting in Geneva on Thursday,” Michael Patrick Mulroy, the former US deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, said.\nRepositioning troops\nIn a formal letter to the UN secretary-general on 19 February, Iran’s UN ambassador warned that all US bases, facilities and assets in the region could be considered legitimate targets if Tehran is attacked.\nSeveral sources confirmed that roughly half of the coalition forces in Erbil have repositioned to other countries as a precautionary measure. While US and Hungarian troops have largely remained, Norwegian and Swedish forces, along with a number of Italian and French soldiers, have left.\n'The US is preparing for a conflict with Iran and will want to minimise the potential exposure of its personnel to Iranian attack'\n- Nicholas Heras, New Lines Institute\nOnly Norway and Germany have so far publicly confirmed that they have relocated forces from the Erbil base.\n“Norway has about 60 soldiers in the Middle East region, carrying out various missions. Some of them have been relocated due to the tensions in the region, in cooperation with our coalition partners,” Norwegian military spokesperson Brynjar Stordal told MEE.\nA German military source said the army reduced its forces in response to the escalating regional conflict.\nCaptain Raissa Broeren, a spokesperson for the Dutch defence ministry, on Monday said that they “are closely monitoring the situation in the region. Naturally, the safety of our personnel is the highest priority. If necessary, we will take security measures”.\nHowever, she did not confirm if Dutch troops at the base have relocated.\nAndrew J Tabler, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East policy, who served during the first Trump administration as a senior adviser in the US State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, told MEE that it is “logical for coalition forces to move out as they believe they will be in the crosshairs of an Iranian retaliatory strike”.\nA prominent target\nAccording to Reuters, there are estimated to be fewer than 2,000 troops in Erbil, after the US-led coalition moved its forces from Baghdad and Ain al-Assad to Erbil as part of a 2024 deal to end its presence in federal Iraq by the close of 2025, and in the Kurdistan region of Iraq by September 2026.\nThe latest Pentagon Inspector General report, released on 19 February, confirms that coalition forces relocated to the Kurdistan region after handing over their headquarters in Baghdad to Nato in November, and the al-Asad airbase to the Iraqi government in December.\nThe coalition moved its headquarters to Erbil and Kuwait. As a result, the Erbil airbase, which is located at a civilian airport, has become a more prominent target for Iran, since it is now the only US base left in Iraq.\n“The Erbil base has a large target on it not only due to US withdrawal from other Iraqi bases but also because attacking it provides the Iranians with an opportunity to make a declaration to local US partners in the region as to the cost of working with the Americans,” Nicholas Heras, the senior director for the Strategy and Programs Unit in the Academic Division at the New Lines Institute, told MEE.\nThe New York Times reported on Sunday that Trump is leaning towards conducting a strike in the coming days to force Iran to make concessions.\n“The US is preparing for a conflict with Iran and will want to minimise the potential exposure of its personnel to Iranian attack,” Heras added.\n“The Erbil base is a relatively large, multi-agency base that has rotating personnel, so in the event of a war with Iran, at a minimum the US will want to rotate out nonessential personnel.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T11:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxOTHFuRWQxTnRKZ1Z1aHZUS3FITmtYQTl0c1JMMC14VEpabmFxUGx1Q2JCdzkwSkhQSHhHRGQwSW1xekM5a3lBOVhjU25Oam1Ma2toTUVYMXJsUTBDSXN5dnBUWm5nb2FVamxDUmlmTVRUZ05HNmU1S0lNWUJhTVlpNV9VOTkyQ01sVEJYSjZVa1dUU0lmTzlrWEIxdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ae8841345475",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Lebanon FM says Israel may strike Beirut airport in war with Hezbollah - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Lebanon FM says Israel may strike Beirut airport in war with Hezbollah\nLebanon’s top diplomat said Beirut has received warnings that Israel would strike the country’s airport in a war with Hezbollah as the specter of a military confrontation between the group’s ally, Iran, and the United States looms.\nBEIRUT — Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said on Tuesday that Lebanese authorities have been warned that Israel could hit the country’s vital infrastructure, including its only functioning airport, in the event of another war with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group should the latter decide to join a potential battle between the United States and Iran.\nWhat happened: “There are signs that the Israelis could strike very hard in the event of an escalation, potentially including strategic infrastructure such as the airport,” Rajji told reporters in Geneva, where he was attending a UN Human Rights Council session.\nHe said his government has urged Hezbollah not to get involved in a US-Iranian escalation, which could trigger “bad situations” for Lebanese civilians. He also revealed that the country's authorities have reached out to Western partners to pressure Israel to spare Beirut's infrastructure if conflict breaks out.\nTwo senior Lebanese officials told Reuters on Tuesday that Israel said in an indirect message to Beirut that it would attack civilian infrastructure including the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport if a war breaks out with Hezbollah.\nWhat it means: Concerns are growing in Lebanon about Hezbollah potentially attacking Israel in support of its backer, Iran, in the event of a military escalation with the United States.\nHezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem alluded last week to his group’s readiness to engage in a military confrontation with Israel in support of Iran.\n“With authenticity, jihad, resistance, a commitment to truth and a readiness to sacrifice, we will not allow them to achieve their goals,” Qassem said in a televised speech last Monday, referring to the United States and Israel, Iran’s archrivals.\nIn a speech on Jan. 26, Qassem said his group would not remain neutral in a war against Iran.\nHezbollah, Iran’s strongest proxy in the region, has previously sent fighters to back Tehran’s partners in Syria and Yemen. Most recently, in October 2023, the Shiite paramilitary group launched rockets into Israeli territory in support of Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip, triggering the 13-month Israeli war on Lebanon.\nRajji’s remarks came one day after the US Embassy in Beirut evacuated dozens of its staff members through the international airport. The US State Department confirmed on Monday it had ordered non-essential US government personnel and their family members to leave Lebanon “due to safety risks.”\nTensions are escalating in the region amid a US military buildup in the Middle East, in a show of force against Iran. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, arrived on Tuesday in Greece's Souda Bay en route to the Middle East, where it will join at least nine additional US Navy destroyers and another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln.\nKnow more: In Lebanon, Israel has continued to launch near-daily airstrikes despite a ceasefire that ended the last war between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024, accusing the group of attempting to rearm in violation of the truce agreement.\nThe Israeli attacks have intensified in recent weeks amid a possibly imminent military confrontation between the US and Iran.\nOn Tuesday, however, a group of Lebanese soldiers came under Israeli fire near the southern town of Marjayoun, in a rare incident involving the Lebanese military.\nThe Lebanese military said in a statement that the fire occurred when an Israeli drone hovering at low altitude ordered the soldiers to leave the area, and that the incident was referred to the UN peacekeeping forces for review. The Israeli military has not yet commented.\nThe Lebanese military has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and seizing weapons in south Lebanon in line with the ceasefire. It now plans to start with the second phase of a plan to extend state control over all weapons north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the border with Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T14:46:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNYldMc3hqMDdBOEV6dk9sNkQwQ0hPRWh2MEVPZTJveHdiTXJmNkVhVHZEeTQ2TThCSWNDSXllVXdqbUVGWTdRdlgtcFhmb2pReVBLQjN0VDZIb29UcW8tUDV4NTZHVXd2TXJtVzZfaVlXSDE2THdoNFlVYkJPdnl0a1FZTDR3Z3ZlVkUtd21vTHpCWkhfdUgxWXBKUl9mXzdRYV9CVjBXRnhKVWM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6220460b0df5",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US facing interceptor crunch in event of Iran showdown, IISS says - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "US interceptor stocks face strain after reportedly using 150 THAADs, nearly a quarter of inventory, during last year’s 12-day conflict.\nEmile Hokayem, senior fellow for Middle East security, says regional leaders expect US action against Iran but fear wider repercussions across Gulf infrastructure.\n“Protection against Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal,” said senior aerospace fellow Douglas Barrie, highlighting the pivotal role of US interceptors if missiles are launched.\nWith USS Gerald Ford deploying, Washington now fields two carrier groups, as President Donald Trump warns his “armada” is ready absent concessions from Tehran.\nUS defence spending is set to hit $1.01 trillion, up 13.4 per cent, though IISS questions whether such levels are sustainable year on year.\nMiddle East leaders expect the US to follow through on its military build-up to strike Iran but experts warn that the duration of any campaign will be limited by constraints on Washington's arsenal.\nLaunching the Military Balance report at London's International Institute of Strategic Studies, Emile Hokayem, senior fellow for Middle East security, said expectations were focused on the US firepower assembled around Iran.\nAdditionally, indications are that Iran would fight back at a larger scale than during the 12-day war against US ally Israel last June, towards the end of which Iranian nuclear bases were hit from the air by American bombers.\n\"The region seems to expect a war at this point and [many are] really hoping that the US has thought through the second and third-order consequences,\" Mr Hokayem said.\n\"There is a lot of apprehension at this stage because the expectation is that this time it would be bigger and Iran would have a greater incentive to hit at US facilities in the region but perhaps [also] at Gulf infrastructure.\"\nThe Military Balance said the US was thought to have \"used 150 THAAD interceptors, reportedly nearly 25 per cent of its stockpile\" during the 12 days.\nDouglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace, said the US has the ability to launch an assault on Iran if it abandons the nuclear talks due between Tehran and Washington in Geneva later this week.\nHe pointed out that in the event of Iranian missiles being launched, a vital role could be played by US interceptors, which are \"protection against Iran's ballistic missile arsenal\".\nMr Barrie said of last year’s skirmish: \"It was interesting to note just how high the expenditure rate in interceptors was and I think that is something that will be in the back of the mind.\"\nWith the imminent deployment of the USS Gerald Ford within strike range, Washington has now two aircraft carrier groups in the region. US President Donald Trump has warned Iran his \"armada\" is ready to attack if Tehran does not make concessions to his negotiators in the wake of last month's public demonstrations throughout Iran.\nGlobal splurge\nThe US and Europe are each posting double-digit increases in defence spending in a bid to outstrip spending by adversary nations, four years since the start of the Ukraine war.\nThe Military Balance report questioned whether the US move to spend more than $1 trillion on defence in 2026 was sustainable year on year.\nThe closely monitored report said that in 2025, global defence spending reached $2.63 trillion, up from $2.48 trillion the previous year.\nIt added that while there had been a drop in US defence spending last year, the Trump administration's budget request of $1.01 trillion was a boost of 13.4 per cent.\nA big part of the increase is driven by the Golden Dome missile defence initiative and a greater military role for border security.\nThe jump above the trillion dollar threshold would be difficult to sustain in Congress, the report added.\n“The process to achieve the trillion-dollar budget was more complex than in previous years because it used two legislative mechanisms,” it said. “There have been widespread concerns that such levels cannot be sustained.”\nDespite global instability, worldwide defence spending had risen by only 2.5 per cent year on year in 2025.\nEurope bucked that trend with its regional defence spending growth hitting 12.6 per cent, matching the rate of increase in 2024.\nMuch of the recent growth was driven by increases in the German defence budget, “where annual uplifts have averaged 21 per cent in real terms since 2022”, the report added.\nIn raw numbers, the continent’s defence spending grew by almost $100 billion to nearly $563 billion over the course of 2025, more than double the total in 2016.\nEurope accounts for more than 21 per cent of the global total compared to 17 per cent in 2022.\nThe Military Balance report found that growth in Russia’s military expenditure had eased to 3 per cent in real terms in 2025. This followed a 56.9 per cent jump the previous year. Moscow's annual expenditure on military activity is running at 7.3 per cent of its GDP.\nIISS researchers concluded that defence spending across the Middle East and North Africa grew by 4.5 per cent in real terms last year. The region is believed to spend almost $219 billion on defence annually.\nThe Israeli war in Gaza plus “wider regional instability” boosted defence spending to an average of 4.3 per cent of GDP in 2025, up from 3.5 per cent in 2022, the report said.\nAlgeria was the major driver of higher defence spending last year, shelling out 8.8 per cent of its GDP, second globally only to under-siege Ukraine.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T15:41:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQVFlSa3FXWjE0cjQ0UnN2b1E4Q2liVzd1MG5nNTB1VVZPX3gwTG9kR3lLdWJ1MVZRa1YzX2RIVHFjbk1WcWk4VGpfLTBVT0tMUFNjNkJfb1hSVDBEbU56V3ppT2RNc2ZJdmJNdVdVa1RtWFVuWWZoSXZYaTJLV0piYmRldksyWVFsT1drWXoyVnpsLXlPcU94ZnJR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1e5105710b62",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran tests military firepower but is ready to strike US deal to avoid 'gamble' of war - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s IRGC held drills and tested new firepower amid heightened tensions with the US and recent live-fire exercises in the Strait of Hormuz.\nAli Larijani will travel to Muscat to deliver Tehran’s response ahead of a third round of nuclear talks, with both sides preparing detailed proposals.\nTalks face a core dispute: Washington demands an end to enrichment, while Tehran seeks to retain capability for peaceful use if sanctions are lifted.\nThe US is positioning significant military assets near Iran, with a second carrier nearing the region and the USS Gerald R Ford approaching the Middle East.\n“There is no such thing as a limited attack. An act of aggression is an act of aggression,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.\nIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held military drills on Tuesday as the country said it was ready to strike a deal with the US to avoid the \"gamble\" of war.\nThe IRGC tested new firepower in the country's south, Iran's state TV reported, amid rising tensions with the US. President Donald Trump has positioned heavy military hardware in the Arabian Gulf, ready to strike Iran if he gives the order.\nA third round of talks to avert war will take place in Geneva on Thursday, mediated by Oman. Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, said the country was ready to take any necessary steps to reach a deal.\nMr Takht-Ravanchi said any US strike on Iran would be \"a real gamble\" but that Tehran was willing to reach a deal with Washington as soon as possible.\nAli Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been expected to travel to Oman on Tuesday to convey Iran’s position on the nuclear talks. It was unclear by Tuesday evening whether the visit had taken place.\nThe two countries had agreed to reconvene after they said \"progress was made\" during the second meeting in Geneva last week. Both delegations are expected to present a detailed proposal for a potential agreement. The Trump administration expects to receive Iran's text by Tuesday, before the talks, a senior US official told Axios.\n\"We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests. A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,\" Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.\nBut the possibility of reaching a deal to avert war remains uncertain, given the differences between what the US is demanding and what Iran says it is willing to concede.\nThe US wants Iran to end all uranium enrichment. Tehran insists it wants to preserve enrichment capability for peaceful purposes, but says it could agree to dilute its production if financial sanctions are lifted. Despite continuing negotiations, the risk of war still looms as both sides trade threats.\nReports suggest that US President Donald Trump is considering a limited initial strike on Iran to force it into a deal. But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday: \"There is no such thing as a limited attack. An act of aggression is an act of aggression.” He said Iran's response to any such attack would be \"firm and severe\".\nThe US now has significant firepower stationed within striking range of Iran, with a second American aircraft carrier approaching the region. A former Pentagon chief has said the countdown for a US attack will begin when the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group, the world’s largest warship and the most advanced in the US Navy, arrives in the Middle East. It was seen in Greece on Monday.\nThe IRGC conducted live fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz last week, temporarily closing parts of the strategically important waterway. The exercise was seen as a warning sign to Washington.\nIran and Russia also held joint naval exercises on Thursday, \"simulating the liberation of a hijacked ship\". Tehran also warned airlines of plans to launch rockets across the south of the country as part of the joint exercises.\nWhile President Trump has kept the door open for diplomacy, he has given Tehran a deadline to make a deal. Mr Trump denied reports on Monday that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Dan Caine, had warned him against attacking Iran.\n“Gen Caine, like all of us, would like not to see war, but if a decision is made on going against Iran at a military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.\nGulf states have been urging dialogue and de-escalation through phone diplomacy, warning that the Middle East cannot afford more conflict. Mr Araghchi called Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday to discuss the latest regional developments and brief him on the progress of the nuclear talks.\nSheikh Abdullah emphasised \"the vital role of successful US-Iran negotiations\" in maintaining regional security and stability, state news agency Wam reported.\nMeanwhile, on Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss relations between their countries and the latest developments in the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T17:04:39+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_78eb1ad7e575",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran’s IRGC tests new weapons as second US aircraft carrier nears region - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T18:02:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNMVcwU2Y0OUpmd1hzN2VzQmRfZWhQTFhvZl9EUnpNNWRZOVNYckVxeEZ2RWhkOV9LNXlVM0hYcnpsLXVSUXlndXFxc0ZnM2xRM0JKSjh4bmN2MFZNam1VSE9xalBDajNJMHdZVUJMeFJVNmZjYzlmTlFBcDRIanV4RnlfN283c2VyUFVXclFrbkRVYnZ4Snc5SjlFOTU2V3Ita0t1emN3UlV1S1NyVVNIQV85NA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d98bd5cbc56e",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Donald Trump’s fateful decision on Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump’s fateful decision on Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T18:06:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE0zYXVIVlh2NE1kOTdQQXA3czB3cklUYTBnaGtWS1N6V0tBY3Vzb0RDRDk0NkdEMW13b29zQW52MzJTWHNuOW0zQnlSbVI5YmhlSWtJaVA1azFMTEwxLThPQmJ2M0VBTnVVa1NVdG9CMWc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7e07d8903687",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran nears deal to buy supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from China: Report - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran nears deal to buy supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from China: Report\nIran is nearing a deal to purchase supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from China, as the US weighs a fresh attack on the Islamic Republic, according to a report on Tuesday by Reuters.\nThe report said that negotiations between China and Iran commenced two years ago, but have picked up pace since June, when the US joined Israel’s war on Iran to launch strikes on three nuclear facilities.\nThe armaments under discussion are CM‑302 missiles with a range of about 290 kilometres and the capability of evading shipborne defences.\nThe Trump administration has conducted a massive buildup of US forces in the region even as it continues to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear programme. It has dispatched warships to the Middle East as part of the increase.\nThe USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is already operating in the Arabian Sea. Meanwhile, the USS Gerald Ford is in the Eastern Mediterranean.\nMiddle East Eye was the first to reveal that Iran and China were deepening their defence ties in the wake of the US’s attack.\nMEE revealed in June that Iran had purchased Chinese surface-to-air missile batteries for defensive purposes.\nTwo Arab officials did not say how many surface-to-air missiles Iran had received at the time from China. However, one of the Arab officials said Iran was paying for the missiles with oil shipments.\nChina is the largest importer of Iranian oil, and the US Energy Information Administration suggested in a report in May that nearly 90 percent of Iran’s crude and condensate exports flow to Beijing.\nDespite their historic ties, some diplomats in the region have speculated that China might be wary of becoming too involved in the conflict. Beijing and Washington are in a rapprochement of sorts after trade tensions.\nOn Tuesday, a US State Department official said that the US wants stable relations with China, but does not trust the country.\nPresident Donald Trump is expected to attend a high-stakes summit in China with his counterpart, President Xi Jinping, in April.\nChina-Iran ties\nChina and Iran have defence ties going back decades. In the late 1980s, Iran received HY-2 Silkworm cruise missiles from China via North Korea when it was at war with Iraq.\nThe Islamic Republic used the missiles to attack Kuwait and strike a US-flagged oil tanker during the so-called tanker wars. In 2010, there were reports that Iran received HQ9 anti-aircraft missiles from China.\nIran’s military was battered by the joint US and Israeli attack in June. At the time, Israel noted that it had destroyed much of Iran’s air defences.\nThe Islamic Republic is already believed to use Russia's S-300, which is capable of engaging aircraft and UAVs in addition to providing some cruise and ballistic missile defence capability.\nIn addition, experts say it has older Chinese systems and locally produced batteries such as the Khordad series and the Bavar-373.\nProviding anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran would be considered more escalatory, as they are offensive weapons. The obvious targets for CM‑302 missiles are US warships.\nIran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime channel that roughly 20 percent of seaborne oil and petroleum products pass through.\nLast week, Iran temporarily closed the channel, which is just 33km at its narrowest point between the Musandam Peninsula in Oman and Iran.\nIran, China and Russia held joint military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the northern Indian Ocean last week.\nThe Strait of Hormuz was caught in the crossfire of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, when Iraqi forces attacked Iranian oil tankers near the waterway. While Iran threatened to close off Hormuz, it didn't follow through. The war initially led to a 25 percent drop in commercial shipping and a sharp oil price hike.\nLaunching seaborne attacks, however, could backfire on Iran and Beijing. Nearly 45 percent of China's total oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz.\nAlthough China and Iran have a rail link, seaborne crude still accounts for the vast majority of Iran’s exports to China.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T19:21:00+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_aa7170c1cbd3",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Farsi-language channel halts UK broadcasts after threats from Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "A Farsi-language TV channel based in the UK has been forced to suspend its live broadcasts following threats alleged to have come from the Iranian government.\nManotoTV said it was evicted from its London studios after its landlord received a warning of a “potential threat” from the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing. CTP London told The National threats were \"serious”.\nThe broadcaster blamed the Iranian regime's pursuit of independent news outlets and said its “threats against freedom of speech” had intensified following nationwide anti-government protests in Iran last month and the threat of war from the US.\n“At a time when Iran is facing one of the most sensitive moments in its history, and when domestic and regional developments are unfolding at an unprecedented pace, the Islamic Republic’s threats against freedom of speech – aimed at suppressing independent reporting – have intensified,” it said in a statement.\n“In the wake of these threats, our landlord has informed us of their intention to terminate our tenancy following a notification from the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing regarding a potential threat against us from the Islamic Republic of Iran regime. Our access to the building has since been denied,” it added.\n“Our priority is to return to live broadcasting from a safe and stable location as soon as possible,” the statement said.\nChief Superintendent Kris Wright, head of Protective Security Operations within Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London, told The National: “For some time now, officers from CTP here in London and across the UK have been responding to threats projected into the UK from Iran, which includes threats against Persian language media organisations\n“We are not able to go into any further detail in relation to threats against, or advice given to specific individuals or organisations, but as we have seen through our work in disrupting other plots, these threats are serious and we are treating them as such.”\nHe said the force would work with intelligence agencies and others to protect those threatened \"in order to uphold the democratic freedoms that we all enjoy here in the UK”.\nManotoTV produces mainly celebrity and cultural news, but also makes programmes about the deposed Iranian monarchy in exile and the Reza Pahlavi, the late shah's heir. Content on its YouTube channel was updated on Monday, but live broadcasts have temporarily been suspended.\nThe alleged threats against it are part of a pattern against independent Iranian media and diaspora organisations in the UK, who are living in exile because of their opposition to the Islamic Republic.\nJournalist Pouria Zeraati, an anchor for the UK-based news channel Iran International, was stabbed outside his home in 2024 in an attack suspected to have been linked to the Iranian regime. Two Romanian men have been charged with the assault and will stand trial in May, while a third suspect remains at large in Romania.\nThe channel's headquarters in London are guarded by police following years of threats to staff and their families. The broadcaster’s spokesman, Adam Baillie, said it had been an extremely troubling time for its journalists, who are concerned for the safety of their families in Iran as news emerges of tens of thousands of deaths during protests.\nThey have been forced to avoid contact with relatives so as not to put them at risk of threats and harassment. “It’s an offence (in Iran) to be in touch with us; it is considered espionage,” he told The National. \"The more tensions there are in Iran, the worse it is for us.”\nThe intensity of Iranian activity against the UK has increased, with more than 20 potentially lethal plots launched in 2025, Kenneth McCallum, the head of MI5, said in October.\nMinister of State for Security Dan Jarvis said last year that Iran was trying to stifle criticism in the UK though intimidation and fear. \"The Iranian regime is targeting dissidents and media organisations and journalists reporting on the violent oppression of the regime,” he said.\nCounter-terrorism police arrested seven Iranians in May in two separate operations in connection with an imminent plot to stage an attack in the UK.\nThree men charged under the National Security Act were accused of conducting surveillance operations on Iran International. They denied the charges when they appeared at the Old Bailey in London in September and were committed for trial this October.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T19:32:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQajdwSTYtSGk0NTZud2pJUl93dXFza1E4S3RsdkNKaXRGWXBGbGhCNzFud3ptemctSFB6Yjd2T0lycGxGOExpSUJaQ0x5eGNWRC1Hb1M3X1N4NjhrcEtJaGtwbUV3RnRtczA0ZjBJVkJfMHZRTDBYam5iS3QyOEVvUkFCekpGTWtKRmNoSUdwOGdCODBCek5NTGVxaWpMQzZwUlBIZ2JOdFNSOGZ5MXROUHdDd3JEX2d1N2c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3f3d51e35d05",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trump Should Take the U.S. Military’s Warning on Iran Seriously - Council on Foreign Relations",
    "body_text": "Max Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.\nPresident Donald Trump likely feels that the U.S. military is invincible after the success of various operations he has ordered during his time in office, including the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020, the bombing of the Iranian nuclear program in June 2025, and the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January. But those were all “one and done” strikes. The military operation that Trump has threatened against Iran is potentially much larger and lengthier—and thus much riskier.\nVarious news outlets have published articles in recent days reporting that General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is concerned about the risks of strikes on Iran. This looks very much like a concerted messaging campaign by the U.S. military to surface their concerns before Trump orders them into action. In response, Trump took to Truth Social to denounce “the Fake News Media” for stating that Caine “is against us going to War with Iran,” calling that “100% incorrect.” But, in fact, all of these news stories state that Caine has not expressed either support or opposition to the strikes; he is merely raising concerns about how a military campaign would unfold, as he is legally obligated to do in his role as the president’s senior military adviser.\nAnd there are risks aplenty. The United States and Israel, working with Arab allies, were successfully able to shoot down almost all of the ballistic missiles and drones that Iran fired at Israel during the Twelve Day War in June. But while Iran’s longer-range missile forces were decimated during that conflict, there is evidence of Iran building its inventory back up. Moreover, Iran still has larger numbers of short-range and anti-ship missiles. Those missiles could be used to target U.S. bases in the region and oil infrastructure belonging to U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.\nThe ultimate nightmare would be if Iran were able to temporarily close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important commercial arteries (about 20 percent of global oil consumption flows through the strait), thereby spiking global oil prices. Iran refrained from such action in June because U.S. and Israeli strikes were concentrated on its nuclear facilities and missile forces; Iran launched only one small, symbolic strike against a U.S. air base in Qatar. However, if the Iranian leadership feels that Trump is attempting to bring down the entire regime, their response might be much more damaging. Little wonder that the Saudis, Emiratis and other allies have expressed opposition to renewed U.S. strikes against Iran.\nThere is then the concern that Trump’s intervention in Iran could lead to a dangerous run on U.S. munitions stockpiles. This could prove to be a lengthy affair, with Iran choosing to absorb U.S. bomb and missile strikes without giving in to Trump’s demands to end their nuclear and missile programs along with aid to proxy forces across the region.\nThe model here is the Trump administration’s war against the Houthis in Yemen between March and May of 2025. In the first month alone, the U.S. spent roughly $1 billion on operations there. This included expending two thousand bombs and missiles while having seven drones shot down, and two F/A-18 Super Hornets lost in accidents while operating from an aircraft carrier. Trump eventually decided to end the U.S. attacks with a face-saving agreement: The Houthis agreed not to target U.S. shipping but made no such agreement about shipping linked to Israel. Houthi attacks on Israel continued until the end of the Gaza War. These attacks against both U.S. and Israeli targets could start again if the United States launches a war against the Houthis’ Iranian patrons.\nGuided munitions, including air defense interceptors, that are in short supply in the U.S. arsenal—and potentially needed for other contingencies—are in particular danger of being used up in a drawn-out, inconclusive conflict with Iran. A series of Center for Strategic and International Studies wargames in 2023 concluded that [PDF], in the event of a war with China over Taiwan, “the United States would likely run out of some munitions—such as long-range, precision-guided munitions—in less than one week.” The United States would face similar shortfalls in a conflict with Russia.\nSuch shortages have not been adequately rectified in the years since because of a lack of U.S. manufacturing capacity, and they could be greatly and quickly exacerbated by a U.S. conflict with Iran. The Financial Times reports that Israeli intelligence has concluded that the U.S. forces in the Middle East could only sustain four to five days of intense aerial attacks on Iran or a week of lower-intensity strikes. Of course, the United States could always bring more weapons and munitions from elsewhere in the world, but that could exacerbate critical vulnerabilities for U.S. allies—such as Taiwan, South Korea, or the Baltic states—which are at risk of aggression from China, North Korea, or Russia, respectively.\nThe longer that U.S. forces remain in the Middle East battling Iran, the greater the strain on already overstretched forces. To prepare for action against Tehran, the U.S. Navy rushed the USS Gerald R. Ford battle group back to the Middle East from the Caribbean, where the ships had deployed as part of the operation to capture Maduro. Carrier deployments in peacetime normally run about six months, but the Ford has been at sea for eight months already and could be deployed for as many as eleven months or longer, breaking a Navy record for a continuous ship deployment. Such lengthy deployments exact a major strain on both sailors and the machinery they operate, leading to morale falling while accident and breakdown rates spike.\nThese are all risks that the U.S. military is acutely aware of, and they are magnified because of the likely lack of support from any allies—aside from Israel—for U.S. operations against Iran. The United States could still successfully strike targets in Iran, but it is far from clear that such attacks would bring major concessions from the regime. The president would be well advised to take these considerable risks and costs into account before starting a war without an obvious exit strategy.\nThis work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-24T21:04:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxQUl90MzhRZ0ZHOW1kWng1ZDVvd3QzTEJudkd3UXpNV25IUGF1S2szallHOElOcG80OG5tZ20wRGUzZF9hd0c0UHhPNUo5MmtyY3dlNUdfaDQydGZRRWY0NUt1Z0kwb21YRTVibHB6RVpSWmQ0V0ZVdjF2bFVJSDduVXZkRDZiVkppemxXM092Zmd6bFZM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_80bd9d26d9aa",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Top Democrats demand Donald Trump justify motivations for potential Iran attack - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Top Democrats demand Donald Trump justify motivations for potential Iran attack\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T01:39:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFAwUnEtUUYxc1FCS3doekFyRVNEcjFqdnZ2S09SSDhXMFRaTllVZWNOZk9XWTJ3N21tcTMyeWRFZHloT2xFWFM2ZEhfNzUybl9jRmRGQ0dQdXdLMF9WdHUwaTNpWXJVblNZTGRIa09CX2E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_286800b4020d",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Hezbollah's refusal to disarm would be a strategic blunder - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Early last week, Hezbollah’s secretary general, Naim Qassem, made a staggering statement in a speech during a commemoration for assassinated party officials. He called on the Lebanese government to withdraw its decision to secure a monopoly over weapons, saying this only served Israel’s interests.\nLast July, the government decreed that the Lebanese state would implement such a monopoly throughout the country, and asked the army to prepare a plan for this end. Hezbollah argues the ceasefire deal with Israel of November 2024 only imposed disarmament south of the Litani River, an interpretation with which virtually no one agrees.\nLebanon’s government is currently in phase two of its disarmament plan, which aims to collect weapons between the Litani and Awali rivers, in other words the area south of Sidon. Hezbollah has said it has no intention of co-operating in this process, arguing that Israel still occupies Lebanese territory and that “all occupations require resistance, and that the responsibility to resist is that of the state, the army and the people”.\nWhat was interesting in the latter remark was that before Hezbollah’s defeat by Israel in 2024, the group had imposed a different formulation on Lebanese governments, that of “the army, the people and the resistance”. In that way, it had legitimised the existence of a military force outside the state, which it justified under the rubric of “resistance”.\nNow, however, Mr Qassem seemed to accept that the previous formulation was no longer valid, since the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam didn’t adopt it in its cabinet statement. While this may have signalled more subtle messaging from Hezbollah, it didn’t alter the fact that the group continues to search for ways to protect its weapons, and has now asked the state to revoke a key dimension of its sovereignty.\nThe hardening in Hezbollah’s position can be tied to several factors. First, since the military debacle in September-November 2024, particularly the loss of much of its military leadership, its secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, and his two probable successors, Hezbollah is much more directly controlled by Iran.\nIn light of this, Mr Qassem’s position is certainly an Iranian response to the growing military escalation by the administration of US President Donald Trump and Israel against Iran. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps want to show they have no intention of discussing Hezbollah’s disarmament, one demand of both the Americans and Israelis, who also want Iran to dismantle its ballistic missile programme.\nHowever, Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm is creating a situation that is potentially very dangerous both for the group and Lebanon’s Shiite community. Hezbollah is isolated at home, with most political forces wanting to see the army alone control weapons. The past decade under Hezbollah’s hegemony has been catastrophic for Lebanon, and many Lebanese are fed up with the group’s continued stubbornness.\nThis situation is generating a very negative domestic mood, a sense of frustration that one party, and supposedly the community backing it, is holding up all progress in Lebanon that could lead to an exit from the country’s successive crises. This may be simplistic, but by and large reflects a perceptible disgust with Hezbollah’s refusal to accept a new reality.\nThe Lebanese government, and the state in general, is caught in a quandary. No official wants to engage in a military campaign against Hezbollah to disarm it by force. This reluctance is justified. A military solution would almost certainly bog down, create major destruction and very probably lead to an inconclusive outcome, while alienating the Shiite community and creating lethal rifts within society.\nIt’s unfortunate then, that for a number of Lebanese, speaking informally, the solution to this standoff may be a new conflict with Israel. In the same way that the all-out war in 2024 forced Hezbollah onto its back legs, making the group more flexible in accepting a president and prime minister it had opposed, the perception is that new military setbacks are necessary for Hezbollah to again accept compromises.\nIf the US and Israel embark on another war with Iran in the coming days, it seems highly probable the Israelis will try to exploit the opening to escalate their attacks in Lebanon. That’s unless the Trump administration prevents this from happening. However, the negative Israeli response to the first phase of the Lebanese disarmament plan strongly suggests Israel would exploit an opening to hit Hezbollah hard.\nIt’s unfortunate that for a number of Lebanese, speaking informally, the solution to this standoff may be a new conflict with Israel\nThere have also been efforts by Israel’s supporters in Washington to sanction prominent Hezbollah allies, such as Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. The only problem is that Mr Berri is the only Shiite interlocutor the Americans have who can negotiate Hezbollah. There is strong suspicion that by targeting him, Israel and its friends may want to avoid negotiations and facilitate a military solution to Hezbollah’s arms.\nThose Lebanese who believe Israel is their silver bullet to resolve the Hezbollah problem should be careful. If Israel were to score a major victory, it would probably seek to impose a solution that ultimately integrates Lebanon into its sphere of influence, creating major problems in Lebanon’s relationship with other countries in the region that are rivals of Israel.\nThe possibility that Israel might seek to impose a Pax Israelica on Lebanon should also be a warning to Hezbollah and Iran. Hezbollah’s refusal to make any concession on its weapons is making a military option more likely. It is unclear how Iran's fighting Israel to the last Lebanese Shiite will advance its interests.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T04:03:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxOc21XUVhWdHpRUkUxdko1Q3FILU9mMWNrdXphZTc0Mk5qdThhdVg2eGZ3OGxxVEltTTdmVi10Wmt4Q0VTMnM3UmJ0bFFiTWoxTDJfMllSb05MNEJWc1BjaWNva0ZGZUl6ejlCVWZYTFVJWlVUNXpTZ3JXTW1BTzlOQ0hjazhibnlJWk5BSkZVVW1aRkpXWkNHWkpKdTlwV1B5UFlEUkxxbjVwSGtwYjc0OWpqRE1ZaUx3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_17404aebb80b",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran rushes to load oil onto ships in anticipation of US strikes - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran rushes to load oil onto ships in anticipation of US strikes\nIran is loading almost three times the amount of oil it normally does onto tankers in the Persian Gulf in a sign it is anticipating a US attack that could prevent its oil from hitting the market.\nIranian oil exports from Kharg Island reached nearly 20.1 million barrels between 15 and 20 February, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing Kpler data. That is the equivalent of more than three million barrels per day (bpd) and almost three times the amount loaded over the same dates in January, Bloomberg said.\nFor comparison, Iran’s previous three-month average of loadings was 1.54 million bpd.\nKharg Island is home to a massive terminal from which 90 percent of the Islamic Republic’s oil is exported. Iran raced to get its oil out of the country and onto ships for export abroad in June 2025, just before the US joined Israel’s attack on the country.\nKharg Island would also be more vulnerable to attack than the shadow fleet of tankers Iran uses to transport its oil.\nBut Iran is not the only oil producer in the Middle East ramping up exports.\nReuters reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is increasing its oil production and exports as part of a contingency plan - should a US attack on Iran disrupt supplies.\nSaudi Arabia also made a similar decision in June 2025, lifting oil exports by around 0.5 million bpd and shipping crude to overseas storage units around the time of the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Reuters reported.\nIn a sign that more crude is hitting the seas, the costs of chartering Very Large Crude Carriers or VLCCs have more than tripled since the start of the year to over $170,000 per day, Reuters reported, citing data provided by financial market data group, LSEG.\nShipping rates are determined by supply and demand. The supply of VLCCs available to rent is largely fixed because they are massive vessels that take years to make. Prices rise when more VLCCs are booked.\nF-22 fighter jets sent to Israel\nBrent crude, the international benchmark, has risen in the past month amid rising tensions. It was trading up .38 percent on Wednesday at $70.84 per barrel.\nUS President Donald Trump has been toying with a strike on Iran since January, when the Iranian government oversaw a brutal crackdown on protesters. The demonstrations have died down, but Trump has continued to threaten Iran with an attack.\nHe has ordered the largest build-up of US military assets in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. There are two aircraft carriers in the region along with dozens of F-35, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets.\nThe New York Times reported on Wednesday that the US also deployed a group of F-22 Raptor jets to Israel this week.\nThe F-22 is a stealthy fifth-generation fighter jet used for dogfighting and ground strikes. Experts say the deployment of a group of F-22s to a foreign country in peacetime is virtually unheard of, given their limited numbers and advanced features.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxPZTBER2VMMFBtQWthdnREX2dPYU81X3c2WHNaZURPd1BUU1NXY3lCNkRKTk1WbTVkVkhTamlpYW5ZZThkSGZZUk1YOVdEdGw1NGNwb0lCQVdJYTVldHBOOVlOaUhmUmdOb01XLVJudFROcUFvX05HbVMyQkcxMnJJdW5QNHR6UmV6QnRGRg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5cb716ca78b9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Ten must-read books on US-Iran relations - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Ten must-read books on US-Iran relations\nAs I write these sentences, a massive military buildup - instigated by Israel and its American agents, and mobilised by US President Donald Trump - is encircling Iran for a decisive operation.\nEver since the US and Israel ganged up against the Islamic Republic, seeking to exploit the legitimate uprising of Iranians against their corrupt and incompetent rulers, the looming prospect of an American-led attack has flooded the internet and western media with a deliberate fusion of misinformation, disinformation, propaganda and newspeak.\nMuch of it has focused on the nature of the enduring hostility between the US and Iran, which the Israeli settler colony - as a singular source of malice and mayhem in the region - has consistently sought to exacerbate. This strategy aims to dismantle the Islamic Republic, and even more perniciously, fragment the country into multiple ethnic enclaves - just like Israel itself.\nThe corporate (New York Times) and state (BBC) propaganda machines are no better than the wild jungles of social media. In fact, they are worse.\nThey are abandoning the pursuit of truth - if they ever did that - and putting their journalism squarely at the service of US-Israeli warmongering against Iran.\nThe best antidote to this massive disinformation campaign, as always, is to read books by learned and responsible scholars and critical thinkers. Read books; don’t get your information from Facebook, Instagram, or the wretched X (formerly Twitter).\nHere are 10 books you should keep on your desk and regularly consult in an effort to ward off the evils of the propaganda coming at you daily through your social-media newsfeed.\nDispensing with myths\n1) Afshin Matin-Asgari’s Axis of Empire: A History of Iran-US Relations (2026) - One of the most recent books on Iran-US relations, perhaps its most significant aspect is how it begins by dispensing with the myth that the US and Iran began their relationship with a splendid honeymoon, and have now ended it in a bitter divorce.\nMatin-Asgari chronicles the ebbs and flows of an imperial hubris seeking to turn Iran into a military base and client state on the model of the Israeli garrison state - a plan that was interrupted in the aftermath of the 1979 Iranian revolution. This book is a potent antidote to the delusional fantasies that the US will bring peace, prosperity and freedom to Iranians.\n2) Behrooz Ghamari’s The Long War on Iran: New Events, Old Questions (2026) - Entirely independent of Matin-Asgari’s book, Ghamari’s also shows how US-Iran relations reached this dire point of direct confrontation, a situation that persists regardless of who is in power in Tehran.\nEvident in this book are the overriding ambitions of a dysfunctional US empire, and of a militant Islamism that seeks aggressively to protect its spheres of influence. This book is particularly important for tracing and documenting the increasing US structural warfare against Iran, which aims to weaken and subjugate Iran’s rebellious character.\n3) Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet’s Heroes to Hostages: America and Iran, 1800-1988 (2023) - This exceedingly important book is based on an impressive body of primary materials rarely known or read in our time. Kashani-Sabet is one of the most prominent historians of her generation, with a doctoral degree from Yale; she now teaches at the University of Pennsylvania.\nThis seminal study does not so much map the oscillations between the two once presumably friendly, but now hostile countries, as it does outline how US imperialism has expanded its domains around the globe, based on strategic thinking and interests in raw materials like oil.\nWorld at their mercy\n4) Ervand Abrahamian’s The Coup: 1953, the CIA, and the Roots of Modern US-Iranian Relations (2013) - This book by perhaps the most eminent living Iranian historian details how in August 1953, the CIA and MI6 overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minster, Mohammad Mosaddegh, and installed the runaway monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in his place.\nThis documented fact is now invoked as the US and Israel mull bringing back Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the ousted shah, to rule Iran in a manner friendly to their respective interests. Based on newly declassified information, Abrahamian details both the Cold War geopolitics and the oil interests that informed this treacherous coup.\n5) Malcolm Byrne’s Iran-Contra: Reagan's Scandal and the Unchecked Abuse of Presidential Power (2014) - This book details the notorious case of former US President Ronald Reagan covertly selling arms to Iran in exchange for its help in freeing American hostages in Beirut in the 1980s, as war raged between Iran and Iraq.\nProfits from these transactions were funnelled, in direct disregard of US Congress, to aid the reactionary Contras in Nicaragua. This well-documented episode highlights the treacherous dealings of an embattled Islamic Republic with a corrupt ruling regime in the US, and a world at the mercy of their marriage of convenience or staged hostilities.\n6) Mark Bowden’s Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam (2006) - This is an excellent book for exploring the Iran hostage crisis from the American perspective at the time, which was almost entirely clueless about the internal dynamics of Iran. The book is meticulously researched, providing a good foundation for understanding how US foreign policy is informed by imperial hubris.\nEqually evident in this book is the militant adventurism of a gang of pugnacious students, who used the hostage crisis to help the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini dismantle and destroy internal rivals to his reign of revolutionary terror.\n7) Stephen Kinzer’s All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror (2003) - This book became an instant bestseller and classic for its precision and detailed account of the CIA-MI6 coup of 1953 from the perspective of an unrelenting investigative journalist.\nThe significance of this book is in detecting and documenting the height of US imperial hubris, picking up from where British imperialism left off, in an operation where the intelligence machines of both countries were actively collaborating to sabotage and dismantle the democratic aspirations of a people.\nHistorical depth\n8) Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary’s Palace of Solitude (1992) - This book is the autobiography of Princess Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary (1932-2001), the second wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It details her life with the Iranian monarch, and particularly their exile, after the shah ran away from the democratic aspirations of his homeland, awaiting the CIA-MI6 military coup to bring him back to power.\nIt is of particular significance to have a personal account of the megalomaniacal mind of a deposed Persian monarch, providing insights into how the perturbed mind of his son works today.\n9) James A Bill’s The Eagle and the Lion: The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations (1989) - This is one of the earliest accounts of Iran-US relations, covering the period of the 1940s through the 1980s. The book is now totally outdated, but precisely for that reason, it is an excellent antidote to today’s rushed-to-social-media accounts of US-Iran relations, which lack historical depth.\nThe decades that Bill covers begin before and end soon after the CIA-MI6 coup against the democratic aspirations of Iranians - and as such, it is excellent background for what Abrahamian and Kinzer provide in their subsequent works.\n10) W Morgan Shuster’s The Strangling of Persia (1912) - In the immediate aftermath of Iran’s Constitutional Revolution of 1905-11, an American civil servant named Shuster agreed to help the revolutionaries manage their finances against Russian and British colonial interference. He subsequently wrote this book, which offers solid evidence of how responsible and conscientious individuals anywhere in the world can help the democratic aspirations of other nations.\nCountless Americans today share the democratic aspirations of Iranians, and they are severely critical of their own government’s militarism. My own distinguished Columbia colleague, world-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs, is one such American, offering active solidarity with democratic aspirations around the globe.\nRead together and back to back, these 10 books tell a story much larger than US-Iran relations. They tell the story of the rise and demise of American militant imperialism; of an empire without purpose, except to plunder the world blind through wanton cruelty and violence.\nNow deeply embedded in the gridlock of its own diabolical theocracy, Iran is just one paramount example in the larger story of an empire that gave us a Trump, a Jeffrey Epstein, and a genocidal garrison state as its far-away colony. It took decades and centuries to show its true face to the world.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T08:41:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxOd25qSnNSQ2dacGtKb2V6N0Jad1A5SHJEVm9ZQmdNMkVjWUY4Y1kzR1hjOVZ5YzFoUWtfTHlmTUZJa2RBVmVNZzdybEYzd0hLR2x6dmJUZ2VyVHl5YmpJN3ZXZTBwUjJKZTZ5aXlXUjdrSlI1TUhZTTFyRGJWdUc2TA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_888315421b40",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Donald Trump condemns Iran’s ‘sinister’ nuclear ambitions in State of the Union - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump condemns Iran’s ‘sinister’ nuclear ambitions in State of the Union\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T09:23:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBMYXlGOURnSWpWcGJhc2t5XzZaYUZMVUF2R0RUZmxfWVQ2NWVqeW9tQVQ2TWE2dlhGZFRlTmNGeGtGZjROT1NUNmpPWDdrdGNfb0c5ZXpKMkpkeWhBb2FuR0tPeTFLQ05SRWJvTHFwX1Q?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9c5e17b289e3",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Cambridge put £140m in fund with stakes in firms linked to Israeli abuses - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Cambridge put £140m in fund with stakes in firms linked to Israeli abuses\nCambridge University’s endowment fund has invested more than £140m ($189m) in a fund that owns shares in companies linked to Israeli human rights violations, Middle East Eye can reveal.\nThe fund, which is meant to protect the university's long-term finances and is run by the University of Cambridge Investment Management Limited (UCIM), has previously refused to disclose companies in the endowment fund’s portfolio, citing “legal reasons of confidentiality”.\nBut an MEE analysis of filings submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this month has revealed that in the last quarter of 2025 the UCIM invested more than £140m in the iShares ESG Select Screened S&P 500 fund.\nThe fund is a sustainable investment fund which owns shares in companies including Palantir Technologies, Caterpillar and GE Aerospace.\nThe revelations comes after 29 Cambridge academics last month accused the university of \"maximal obfuscation\" over details about its £4.2bn ($5.74bn) endowment fund and its links to arms manufacturers.\nSenior staff said they were unable to properly examine these investments because the university had not been open about which companies are involved.\nUCIM operates as a \"fund of funds\", a complex financial structure that means its money is spread across several sectors and overseen by an investment manager.\nIt was required to submit its investment holdings report to the SEC because its investment in the iShares fund, which is listed publicly on the US stock market, exceeded $100m.\nPalantir, GE Aerospace and Caterpillar\nThe filings reveal that Cambridge owns around £800,000 of Palantir stock via the iShares fund.\nUS tech giant Palantir signed a strategic partnership deal with the Israeli defence ministry in January 2024 and has been a major partner for the US government's controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.\nPalantir software was reportedly used by Israel in its 2024 pager attacks in Lebanon.\nLast July Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, alleged that Palantir had “executive-level knowledge and purpose vis-a-vis the unlawful use of force by Israel”.\nIn December, the UK's Ministry of Defence awarded Palantir a £240m ($323m) contract for \"data analytics capabilities supporting critical strategic, tactical and live operational decision-making across classifications\" over three years.\nThe university’s indirect stake in GE Aerospace, an aircraft engine manufacturer, is worth around £900,000.\nGE’s engines power many military jets used by the Israeli Air Force in Gaza, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade.\nThe fund further gives Cambridge exposure to around £1m worth of shares in American construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc.\nNorway’s $1.9 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, last year announced it would divest from Caterpillar because “bulldozers manufactured by Caterpillar are being used by Israeli authorities in the widespread unlawful destruction of Palestinian property\".\n“There is no doubt that Caterpillar’s products are being used to commit extensive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law,\" the fund’s ethics council said.\nUCIM declined to comment in response to an MEE request.\nProtest and controversy\nUCIM made the £140m investment after an internal working group completed a year-long review of the university’s investments in the defence industry in October 2025.\nThe working group was set up after students launched a pro-Palestine encampment in 2024, calling on the university to sever financial ties with Israel.\nStudent encampment lasted for several months, with the protesters agreeing to end their encampment if the university committed to reviewing its links to the arms and defence industry.\nUCIM told the working group that it has no direct investments with arms companies.\nIt later admitted that a small proportion - approximately 1.7 percent - of its investments were held in the aerospace and defence sector. But UCIM declined to provide the working group with a list of the individual companies in the endowment fund’s portfolio for “legal reasons of confidentiality”.\nThe working group’s report said this contributed “to a suspicion… that the university’s investments...are much more extensive as regards companies which manufacture weapons than appears to be the case”.\nThe Cambridge University Council has repeatedly postponed a vote on whether to divest from arms manufacturers, according to student newspaper Varsity.\nThe most recent delay came earlier this month after council members expressed concerns that divestment would not be practical given the endowment’s “fund of funds” model, which sees UCIM allocate most of its assets to independent third-party fund managers.\nThe iShares ESG fund it invested in last year is managed by international asset management firm BlackRock, which Francesca Albanese’s UN report accused last year of being “directly involved in Israeli occupation and genocide”.\nBlackRock is a major shareholder in Palantir, GE Aerospace, and Caterpillar.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T09:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNQmdkQ01FTGE4dlB5V3IxT0xfVWNnSWhjRm9EVS0zdHhOdTFfRjk5cEp2UFVRdjBpSFluVV94b1Ewc2R1dm13VmZTbW92MFozZEVuRmZTUmN4cmphSmpDTVJmX1gwWFRrakY2ZWZuVmY3emNBZklEbk96UFlOalY5SEFqSDZQckVjZm80MmxaS2ZOUjkxejgtaTV3cFBGaHZJYjJPcXZ5dy1xeGNVekliT19zd1pURjg4dTczWlN1OHo?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_22ece201b2eb",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "India's Modi arrives in Israel as fears grow of US-Iran conflict - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T10:56:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPQnpDNzBuMEFReGFZb0Z1bHVfM3hNZmxuTmFkYmpFdkhoLTkxcEJEZUh3TGdQR211bTNfZDRJaXlDMERhRE1jVkZxN0JWZFNlRGUyc2N2S3JoM0JxUEEtMlJic21TSkh4cVh4Wl91cXN5a2x2U2p6OGcyc1d3V3JLLXJGMEFXUUpIM0tkQW90VTZ5c0Rta3FhWFlNMUlQR3RP?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_125cda2e22af",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Who runs Iran? The layers of power that enforce regime's ideology - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s political and military structures are unique, with power concentrated in the supreme leader, who sits at the top of a multi-layered system of elected institutions, unelected bodies and parallel military forces.\nThe US strikes on Iran have followed President Donald Trump's accusations that the country was developing missiles capable of reaching Europe and America, drawing increasing attention to how the Islamic Republic itself functions.\nFor decades, Iran has developed a network of allied armed groups stretching from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and beyond, alongside an extensive ballistic missile project and a controversial nuclear programme. Together, these form the backbone of its defence posture and raise a central question: could the regime survive a major military attack?\nHere is a closer look at how Iran’s political and military system works:\nParallel militaries\nIran operates two parallel military forces, a structure created after the 1979 revolution to protect the country and the ruling system.\nRegular army\nIran's conventional military predates the 1979 revolution. It features ground forces, a navy, an air force and air defence units.\nThe army handles traditional defence – borders, territorial integrity and conventional warfare – but it is believed to be underfunded and viewed with some distrust by the regime.\nIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\nThe IRGC is the regime's ideological army, founded after the revolution specifically to protect the Islamic system. It operates as a vast parallel military with its own ground forces, navy, air force, missile programme and intelligence services.\nThe IRGC is wealthier, better equipped and more politically powerful than the regular army. It controls major sectors of Iran's economy, from construction to energy and telecoms, effectively functioning as a state within a state. It answers directly to the supreme leader, not the president or parliament.\nWithin the IRGC, the most important subunit is the Quds Force, its foreign operations arm. It trains, funds and directs Iran's network of proxy militias across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and various militias in Iraq.\nThe Basij\nThe Basij began as a volunteer militia during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), when poorly trained fighters were sent into battle in large numbers. After the war, it was absorbed into the IRGC as a subordinate paramilitary force.\nToday, the Basij primarily serves as an internal security and social control tool. Its members suppress protests, monitor neighbourhoods, enforce dress codes and moral laws, and act as ideological enforcers.\nLayers of authority\nIran is both a republic and a theocracy. It has elections, a parliament and a president, but unelected religious authorities hold ultimate power. The elected and unelected systems operate side by side, with the unelected layer prevailing in any conflict.\nThe supreme leader\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei has held the position since 1989. As commander-in-chief of all armed forces, he sets the broad direction of foreign and domestic policy, controls the official narrative and appoints key figures across almost every major institution. In theory, he is accountable only to Islamic law.\nThe position was created by the revolutionary concept of Velayat-e Faqih, or Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist, developed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which holds that a supreme Islamic scholar should govern society until the return of the Hidden Imam. It fuses religious authority with political power.\nThe Assembly of Experts\nThe 88-member body of Islamic scholars is elected by the public every eight years, but candidates are pre-screened by another body, the Guardian Council, so only approved clerics can run.\nOn paper, it has enormous authority: it selects and can theoretically remove the supreme leader. In practice, it largely manages succession planning and meets only a few days each year.\nThe Guardian Council\nThe council has 12 members – six Islamic jurists appointed by the supreme leader and six others nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament.\nIt has two main powers: it vets all legislation passed by parliament to ensure it complies with Islamic law and the constitution, and it screens all candidates for elections, including for the presidency and parliament.\nThe president\nElected by popular vote every four years, the president leads the executive branch, controls the cabinet and manages day-to-day governance and the economy. However, the role has no authority over military policy and cannot override the supreme leader.\nReformist presidents often seen their agendas blocked. Masoud Pezeshkian was elected President in 2024. He has influenced diplomatic tone and domestic policy priorities but does not hold ultimate power.\nThe Parliament\nIran’s parliament has 290 elected members serving four-year terms. It passes legislation, approves the budget and can impeach ministers. However, all legislation is subject to Guardian Council review and can be vetoed.\nThe parliament has real but constrained power as it is often described as a genuine site of political debate and factional struggle, but always within limits.\nThe Expediency Council\nThis body mediates disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council when they cannot agree. It also advises the supreme leader on long-term policy. All members are appointed by the supreme leader.\nThe Judiciary\nThe head of the judiciary is appointed by the supreme leader for a five-year term. This gives the leader indirect control over the courts, prosecutors and the legal system as a whole.\nThe judiciary also nominates half the members of the Guardian Council, which gives it influence not just over legal matters, but over the political system itself.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T11:07:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxPUTBzcFNWeF9PRXVnU3Z0b0txeHNWd01lc1p1Z0tKWnVhV3RQSHcxWDN2azMydGxaMFg4cF9tanJwcldLS2w5bTl0S2sycHZjX19sVFZ0UTlBOWE1TDVweDR1ZTNXTXFaOFllWkhXa3ZmVW90WE1Pd2RvWXliWm41ZmxMaGtlQTJfbmJHblg3dWx2cGNjXzItWmZLOTFyTjRGSFh6REpMN1JfakJSd2FfNFlucUhINE5J?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b598a697d23a",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Modi's Israel visit to test India's priorities in the Middle East",
    "body_text": "India and Israel's relations have expanded since Modi came to power more than a decade ago.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T11:39:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4wrlnr031o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6572a09a22f4",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Genocide in Gaza: How many Palestinians did Israel kill? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Genocide in Gaza: How many Palestinians did Israel kill?\nIsraeli forces have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians since the genocide in Gaza began on 7 October 2023.\nWhile the Palestinian Ministry of Health of health says it documanted just over 72,000 deaths, a study published by The Lancet Global Health in February found that the true toll during the first 16 months of the conflict was likely significantly higher than official figures indicate.\nThe Israeli attack has been described as a genocide by major international and Israeli human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B’Tselem.\nWhat is the Palestinian Ministry of Health?\nThe Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) in the Gaza Strip is the enclave’s public health authority, overseeing hospitals and other medical facilities.\nIt is staffed by doctors and medical professionals and operates under the local government administration in Gaza, which is run by Hamas. The ministry also coordinates with the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah.\nEach Palestinian resident is assigned an identification number in accordance with Israeli-administered population registry policies.\nOnce the ministry confirms a fatality, the individual’s identity - including their ID number - is formally recorded as deceased.\nThe ministry documents only those deaths that reach hospitals under its supervision and after all identifying information has been verified.\nSince the war began in October 2023, the ministry has acknowledged that many people remain buried under rubble or lie in areas inaccessible to medical teams, and therefore have not yet been officially recorded as dead.\nThroughout the genocide, lists of individual names, ages, gender and ID numbers have been published by the ministry. According to the ministry, as of 22 February, 72,072 Palestinians have been officially killed.\nThis includes 614 killed in ongoing attacks since the “ceasefire” took effect on 11 October 2025. Another 171,741 have suffered injuries as a result of the conflict, according to the ministry.\nThe latest full list published by the ministry on 7 October 2025 showed that over half those killed were women, children under 18, or the elderly (those over 65).\nThe ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.\nWhy do international organisations view it as reliable?\nThe ministry has faced significant challenges collating figures, including the forced and repeated displacement of Gaza's population, the destruction of the enclave's administration, and repeated outages of its IT systems.\nDespite the challanges, the ministry is considered reliable by international organisations working in Gaza, including UN agencies and the World Health Organisation. Its figures are quoted without qualification in regular humanitarian reports published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), which independently assesses humanitarian conditions in the strip.\nIn previous wars, such as the 2008-9 Gaza War and the 2014 Gaza War, the ministry’s counts have matched independent UN tallies.\nMichael Spagat, professor of economics at Royal Holloway University and chair of the NGO Every Casualty Counts, told Middle East Eye that the inclusion of ID numbers in the ministry’s casualty lists means its figures are externally verifiable.\n“The population registry is controlled by Israel so Israel can check instantly to make sure that everyone on this list is real,” he said.\n“For casualty reporting this is an unprecedented level of transparency. So there’s no requirement that you trust Hamas. The data is there in great detail to be examined.\n“Many people have examined it and, although it is possible to find flaws – inevitable in a huge data set – nobody has ever found major problems.”\nBut Spagat added that “it has not been possible to keep up with the sheer pace of killing in real time so we should regard MoH figures as reliable minima, not comprehensive accounts.”\nDespite this, the ministry’s reporting has come under scrutiny throughout the genocide, mainly by Israel and the United States.\nThe figures were criticised by Israeli government and military spokespeople, including Jonathan Conricus, who said in November 2023: \"Those numbers issued by the Hamas-controlled entities in Gaza are, simply put, false. They are exaggerated numbers of women, children and the elderly.\"\nWhat does the Lancet Global Health research show?\nThe Lancet Global Health’s study estimates that 75,200 Palestinians were killed in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 5 January 2025. That’s an average of around 150 people per day or 3.4 percent of Gaza’s population\nThis is 35 percent more deaths than were recorded by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which counted 49,090 fatalities for the same period. An official ceasefire was agreed in October 2025, although subsequent Israeli attacks have seen more than 600 killed according to the ministry.\nThe Lancet study estimates that an additional 8,540 people were killed by indirect results of the conflict, which includes non-violent causes such as starvation and Israeli-imposed restrictions on access to medicine and healthcare.\nAt least another 25,000 Palestinians were killed in the renewed war and Israeli-imposed famine between March and October last year.\nThe study estimates that 56 percent of those killed were women or under the age of 18 – two percent higher than the proportion recorded by the Ministry of Health records.\nThe paper concludes that the Ministry of Health “appears to provide conservative, reliable figures while working under extraordinary constraints”.\nWhy is the new Lancet study significant?\nThe Lancet Global Health is a subsidiary of The Lancet, which has published since 1823 and is among the world’s most prestigious medical journals.\nIndependent academic research into the number of people killed in Gaza has been extremely limited due to the Israeli military blockade.\nMedics, human rights investigators and foreign journalists have all been prohibited from entering the strip.\nThe Lancet Global Health’s study is the first peer-reviewed research to provide an estimated death toll that is wholly independent of the Palestinian ministry.\nWhat was the study's methodology?\nThe researchers ensured that the survey was “population-representative” to estimate the number of Palestinians killed, rather than counting every individual death.\nResearchers contacted more than 2,000 households in the enclave, which were selected to provide an accurate sample of the population.\nInterviewees were asked to give details about deaths among family members, from which researchers calculated an estimate of the total death toll.\nThe study’s authors note that one limitation of this method is that in several instances, entire extended families had been wiped out by Israeli attacks, leaving no one to answer the survey.\nThe study’s authors include academics from Stanford University, Princeton University; Royal Holloway, University of London, Université Catholique de Louvain; the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, Ramallah; and the Peace Research Institute, Oslo.\nProfessor Spagat, who co-authored the paper, told Middle East Eye that the findings “definitively put to bed the notion that Ministry of Health figures are inflated. I would say without hesitation that the Ministry of Health figures are substantial undercounts.\"\nWhat have other studies reported?\nIn February 2025, The Lancet published \"Traumatic injury mortality in the Gaza Strip from Oct 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024: a capture–recapture analysis\", one of the first major studies into death tolls in Gaza, authored by academics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Yale University.\nIt estimated that 64,260 Palestinians had been killed by traumatic injury during the first nine months of the Israeli bombardment between 7 October 2023 and 30 June 2024. That is more than 40 percent higher than the ministry’s count for the same period.\nAnother study, published in November 2025 by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany and the Centre for Demographic Studies (CED) in Barcelona, reached similar conclusions to The Lancet Global Health’s latest research.\nThe paper, \"Accounting for uncertainty in conflict mortality estimation: an application to the Gaza War in 2023-2024\" estimated that between 70,614 and 87,504 Palestinians had been killed by traumatic injuries in Gaza up until 31 December 2024.\nIts authors reached this figure by modelling data from public sources, including the Palestinian Ministry of Health, B’Tselem and the Ocha.\nOther findings included that the huge loss of life has substantially lowered the average life expectancy for Palestinians in Gaza to 26.1 years for men and 34.3 years for women – less than half the pre-war expectancy.\nThe authors later reapplied their model to more recent data, and concluded that more than 100,000 Palestinians had been killed by 6 October 2025.\nIn November 2025, another Lancet study estimated that more than three million years of human life had been lost in Gaza, based on the 60,000 deaths recorded at the time of writing by the Ministry of Health.\nWhat has Israel said about the death toll in Gaza?\nIsrael initially dismissed the fatality numbers issued by the ministry as being unreliable, given the involvement of Hamas.\nOren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in May 2024 of the numbers: \"They are not accurate and they do not reflect the reality on the ground.\n\"The parroting of Hamas' propaganda messages without the use of any verification process has proven time and again to be methodologically flawed and unprofessional.\"\nBut then on 29 January 2026, a senior Israeli army official told journalists that 70,000 Palestinians had been killed in the war – confirming the Palestinian figures which had previously been disputed.\nAnd in August 2025, +972 Magazine reported figures from a classified Israeli military intelligence database that fewer than 9,000 Palestinian fatalities had been identified as alleged Hamas fighters.\nAt that time, the ministry in Gaza had recorded at least 53,000 fatalities, suggesting that 46,000 - or 83 percent - of those Palestinians killed were civilians.\nWhat has the rest of the world said about the figures?\nThe US hasn’t explicitly commented on how many people it thinks have died in Gaza. But President Donald Trump appeared to accept that the ministry figures were an undercount in October 2025.\n“From the Hamas standpoint, they probably lost 70,000 people. That’s big retribution,” he said, quoting a number larger than the MoH’s own count at the time.\nHis predecessor Joe Biden expressed doubt about the MoH’s accuracy during his tenure as US president, saying in October 2023: “I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s the price of waging a war. But I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using.\"\nUK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper appeared to accept the figures during her February 2026 speech to the UN Security Council, in which she said “over 70,000 Palestinians” had been killed in Gaza. But the UK Foreign Office concluded in September 2025 that Israel's actions in Gaza did not amount to genocide.\nThe ministry figures are regularly quoted in media statements by governments of Arab majority countries.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T12:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxNVGZIVjBoUlVRa1BMeUZiOHJQdEZNS1NPRUpld2Vmb25JUWhaZlEwcW5nLXltVTV5bDN6aVY5bWV5ZnJwUk9XUWwzVzREMjVGTnFmdTJBS3NfUnhlTlJZNEs5dnRScmR6RXFJU3dOMFUybzlUeVgyMmsxOE56WTMyY0tybFNIaDJRWnl1d053TnRsWUZqN1ZN?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_91345a997f6e",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "On War with Iran, a U.S.-Israeli Division of Labor? - The Washington Institute",
    "body_text": "Michael Herzog is the Tisch Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute. He is a retired brigadier general in the Israel Defense Forces and former Israeli ambassador to the United States.\nBrief Analysis\nBelieving that conflict is more likely than a diplomatic deal and that Israel will be involved in the fighting, Jerusalem has been intimately coordinating its military planning with Washington despite certain differences in their policy priorities.\nWith the United States and Iran poised between diplomacy and war, Israel is preparing for hostilities that would likely include a sizable role of its own. Iran has been weakened considerably of late, but Israel still regards the Islamic Republic as its most dangerous enemy and therefore considers itself a major stakeholder in the current standoff.\nNot long after the twelve-day war with Iran last June, Jerusalem came to realize that it would have to take additional military action sooner or later given the regime’s efforts to rebuild strategic capabilities that pose a major threat to Israel. This view—which was repeatedly relayed to Washington—drew on the main lesson that Israel learned from the war that began on October 7, 2023: namely, that it could no longer allow the emergence of strategic threats in its neighborhood in the hope of containing them, but must instead nip them in the bud.\nThe situation shifted dramatically when the United States took the lead against Iran following the eruption of major protests in December. Whereas Israel led the way last June while Washington joined the war effort afterward, this time Jerusalem will have to adjust to whatever option the Trump administration chooses—though Israeli officials are trying to shape that choice. From their perspective, the current situation in Iran presents not only a threat but also a unique opportunity. The regime is at a historic low—the result of a failing economy, collapsing infrastructure, irreparable divides with most of the population, degraded strategic capabilities, and a shattered regional axis. Indeed, the June war exposed Tehran as a paper tiger and may have contributed to the re-eruption of internal dissent soon after. Israel’s conclusion is that the regime is extremely vulnerable, and that further pressure at this point could deny it important assets, further weaken it, and possibly hasten its demise.\nAs for the possibility that the United States and Iran might reach a viable diplomatic settlement to avoid war, Jerusalem is skeptical. For one thing, there is little chance that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will accept current U.S. demands, which in his view are both humiliating and likely to invite more pressure that aims at toppling the regime. For another, Israel’s decisionmaking circle largely believes that President Trump is loath to give up the ample leverage Washington has amassed against an enfeebled Iran just for the sake of a “weak deal”—meaning an agreement that lifts sanctions and throws a lifeline to a wounded regime without effectively addressing the long-term strategic threats posed by its nuclear and missile programs and its destabilizing regional activities. Even so, Israeli officials are on the alert lest Washington winds up accepting a deal focused solely on the nuclear dimension—a scenario that would leave out the missile program (a major concern for Jerusalem, as discussed below), limit Israel’s freedom of action, and strike a blow to the hopes of the Iranian people at a critical moment.\nFor now, Jerusalem is operating under the assumption that President Trump will ultimately opt for military action, and that Iran will retaliate by attacking Israel, among other targets. Israel is poised to hit back very strongly in this scenario and has fully coordinated its potential response options with the U.S. defense establishment. As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated last week, “If the Ayatollahs make the mistake of attacking us, they will experience a response they cannot even imagine.” This reflects the thinking that Israel’s retaliatory operations—not to mention U.S. operations—should be so devastating that they shelve the strategic threats posed by Iran for years, not just a few months. During the June war, Israel focused on strategic and military targets; it barely touched regime targets and avoided economic targets completely. This time, all target types are on the table (though hitting critical economic infrastructure is a very sensitive decision and would require close consultations with Washington).\nEven if Iran does not strike Israel during a military showdown with the United States, Jerusalem could very well decide to join the American war effort in earnest. While Israel remains intent on neutralizing the regime’s strategic capabilities, seeing an opportunity to complete what was not achieved during last year’s war, it is not leaving out the internal Iranian scene. Israeli planners are fully cognizant that an air campaign by itself cannot bring about regime change, but they believe military operations could play a valuable role in degrading the regime and emboldening further mass protests.\nIsraeli planners have also given thought to the most immediate military imperatives of a U.S. operation, whether it takes the form of a major, sustained campaign or limited strikes designed to boost U.S. diplomatic terms. Namely, any opening U.S. strike should include suppression of Iranian retaliatory capabilities (e.g., missiles that threaten Israeli, American, and allied targets) and naval capabilities (to reduce any maritime threats in the Strait of Hormuz).\nAddressing the Ballistic Missile Threat\nAccording to Israeli intelligence sources, Iran has prioritized efforts to reconstitute its ballistic missile capabilities over the past few months, seeing them as a critical tool of deterrence and response given the regime’s weakened air defenses and shattered regional axis. The June war convinced Tehran that Israeli defenses are vulnerable to its missiles. Consequently, the regime hastened its efforts to produce large quantities of liquid-fueled ballistic missiles, aspiring to overwhelm those defenses with larger salvos. Its arsenal is now approaching 2,000 ballistic missiles, and its current production rate is estimated at around 100 per month and growing. It is also producing mobile launchers, which became a bottleneck for the program following the war.\nIn Israel’s view, the prospect of Iran fielding thousands of ballistic missiles within the next few years is a major strategic threat that must be prevented or preempted. In recent consultations with Washington, including at the top leadership level, Israel asked that any U.S. deal with Iran include limitations on the quantity and range of these missiles. At minimum, Israel sought to guarantee its freedom of action against this threat should the United States decide not to address it diplomatically or militarily. Israel’s first request was seemingly not heeded—in recent public comments about negotiations with Iran, senior U.S. officials have referred solely to the nuclear dimension (though President Trump’s latest State of the Union address did mention Iran’s quest to develop a missile capable of reaching the United States). In private, however, Israeli government sources claim that their request for freedom of action was guaranteed.\nIn this regard, Israel’s best defense is a good offense—if war erupts beyond a surgical strike and triggers an Iranian attack on Israel, Jerusalem would likely seek to play a major role in the conflict by ordering operations to take out Iran’s missile program. This means not only hunting missiles and launchers but also destroying development and production infrastructure. The idea would be to buy several years’ respite from the Iranian ballistic missile threat—time that Israel could use to upgrade its air defenses with laser systems and other capabilities (and, hopefully, witness regime change in Tehran).\nThe Nuclear Threat\nThe June war dealt a severe blow to Iran’s nuclear program, and the regime has been cautious about its activities on that front ever since for fear of triggering additional strikes. Even so, Israeli intelligence indicates that Tehran has embarked on a slow but deliberate process of preparing the ground for the program’s eventual reconstruction. Rather than attempting to jump right back into enriching uranium (which is difficult anyway given the level of damage at major enrichment and storage sites), the regime has focused on digging deep underground facilities that it believes will be immune to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Consequently, Israel has asked Washington to ensure that any new deal not only prohibits future enrichment activities on Iranian soil, but also denies the physical infrastructure required for any such efforts (underground or otherwise) and mandates intrusive inspections to enforce compliance.\nThe Proxy Threat\nIsrael is also following Tehran’s efforts to secure the involvement of its regional proxies in a potential war, including significant engagement with Hezbollah by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Although the Lebanese group refrained from firing a single bullet during the June war and has been weakened by conflict with Israel, it still possesses dangerous military capabilities and has exerted substantial efforts to restore its prewar footing. Alarmed by these efforts and frustrated with Lebanon’s apparently insufficient will and capacity to disarm Hezbollah, Israel has carried out an intensifying stream of pinpoint strikes against the group’s military targets and rearmament efforts. If Hezbollah attacks Israel during the next war with Iran, one should expect a major Israeli military push against the organization inside Lebanon.\nToward a Joint Strategy\nWhile U.S.-Israeli dialogue on Iran has been very intimate at all levels, some natural differences remain in their policy priorities. If the United States decides to advance a diplomatic deal, those differences will come to the fore. Alternatively, if it decides to strike Iran—a more probable outcome at this point—then the two allies will likely agree on a military division of labor that suits them both.\nIn formulating what such operations might look like, both Washington and Jerusalem seem intent on incorporating two main goals in their plans: denying Iran dangerous strategic capabilities (nuclear and missiles) and degrading the regime. Yet despite wanting to see a different regime in Tehran, neither ally seems to have a viable plan for getting there. Whatever President Trump decides in the near term, the United States and Israel need to jointly develop a comprehensive, long-term strategy for advancing that second shared goal. Among other things, this strategy should include ways of providing significant support to protesters inside Iran, deepening the divide between the regime and the people, opening cracks within the regime’s repressive network, and identifying and empowering Iranians who could effectively lead efforts to challenge the regime. Military strikes could play an important role by decapitating the regime’s leadership, degrading the repressive network’s centers of gravity, and potentially emboldening the oppressed populace. Yet kinetic action may prove insufficient without a wider strategy for eroding the regime.\nBrig. Gen. Michael Herzog, IDF (Ret.), is The Washington Institute’s Tisch Distinguished Fellow and former Israeli ambassador to the United States.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T15:48:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxPQy1zVU42eXlCUks5ZHkyY2J3Nm1YZXpmZnh1WVZzOXR4M093NG5rd1E5N3NGQTZfRDlEZ1kzdmNvd2gzRlNLZEdxNGszMjBEWGVIT091c0lQQ2QyQVZSbjVyNXVkU3Zmd2NUSGZNNzdTYi1vVlJLWHZUckVtSlRCcm5oNTVUbmtlTXVlQXk0UQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a9d3f3fc910e",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran threatens escalation if US attacks - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran threatens escalation if US attacks\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T15:59:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9DRXZIOU50VlJST0Y5aEh4YlpKQ1BFVks0UWowcEd5U3VmTkFwUlBPY293dUNHdW9xTDZOOUpkaHlnVGQ5QVB4dUhDczVCOTNFY1FsT2k3N1FrS19kU3MwT25wV21tS09pbFl0ZlVPWVY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_01db67e89efb",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "India’s Modi addresses Israel’s Parliament as Netanyahu touts mutual alliance - AP News",
    "body_text": "India’s Modi addresses Israel’s Parliament as Netanyahu touts mutual alliance\nIndia’s Modi addresses Israel’s Parliament as Netanyahu touts mutual alliance\nJERUSALEM (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome from Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday at the start of a two-day visit as he promised “friendship, respect and partnership” with Israel at a time when its world standing has suffered because of the war in Gaza.\n“Let us ensure that the friendship between India and Israel remains a source of strength in an uncertain world,” Modi said in an address to the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, where he received a standing ovation from lawmakers after a 30-minute speech.\nThe enthusiastic greeting underscored how much closer Israel-India relations have grown under Modi, whose embrace of Israel has marked a shift in the foreign policy of India which has historically supported the Palestinians.\nIndia did not establish full diplomatic ties with Israel until 1992 and Modi’s visit aims to strengthen security, economic and technological cooperation between the two countries.\nThe Indian leader was greeted at the airport with a hug from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later introduced Modi to the Knesset as “Narendra, my dear friend.”\n“I’ve never been more moved than by your visit here with us,” said Netanyahu, calling Modi “a great friend of Israel, a great champion of the Israel-India alliance and a great leader on the world stage.”\nThe visit is likely to give Israel a boost of international support after seeing relations with many of its allies deteriorate since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.\nThe Knesset building in Jerusalem had been illuminated in the colors of India’s flag on the eve of Modi’s arrival. Following his speech to lawmakers, Modi was awarded a medal by Speaker Amir Ohana, who said it recognized Modi’s leadership in strengthening relations between India and Israel.\nOpposition party lawmakers walked out of the Knesset chamber during speeches by Netanyahu and Ohana, to protest the exclusion from the event of Yitzhak Amit, the chief justice of Israel’s Supreme Court.\nNetanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, has sought to overhaul the country’s justice system, and his allies refuse to work with the Supreme Court chief.\nThe opposition returned for Modi’s address and the opposition leader, Yair Lapid, assured the Indian leader that the walkout had “nothing to do with you.”\nOn Thursday, Modi will meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial center. Netanyahu’s office said that the two leaders would sign myriad economic, security and political cooperation agreements.\nModi said India is “committed to further consolidating” its relationship with Israel “across many sectors,” including security and the sharing of advances in artificial intelligence and quantum technology.\n“We’re committed to expanding trade, strengthening investment flows and promoting joint infrastructure development,” Modi said.\nIn addition to being a powerful ally, India is also Israel’s second largest trading partner in Asia. Total trade between India and Israel was valued at $3.6 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.\nModi became the first Indian prime minister to travel to Israel in 2017, and Netanyahu reciprocated with a trip to India the following year.\nA staunch Hindu nationalist, Modi was one of the first global leaders to swiftly express solidarity with Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian militant Hamas group that triggered the war in Gaza.\nSpeaking at the Knesset before Modi took the podium, Netanyahu thanked the Indian leader for that support.\n“You didn’t flinch. You didn’t waver. You didn’t give excuses,” Netanyahu said. “You stood next to Israel. You stood by Israel.”\nIn turn, Modi affirmed India’s “strong support” for the U.S. ceasefire plan for Gaza that was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council last year. It lays out plans for ending Hamas’ rule, disarming the militant group, rebuilding the territory and withdrawing Israeli troops with only a vague commitment to possible Palestinian statehood.\n“We believe that it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region, including the Palestine issue,” Modi said.\nModi made no mention of Israel’s newly approved measures to deepen its control over the occupied West Bank. India was among more than 100 countries earlier this month to condemn those measures, which weaken the already limited powers of the Palestinian Authority.\n___\nMelzer reported from Nahariya, Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T19:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxQMEZJZ2ZLb1BZeGd3QVg5WVdVdlU1X0FGWk5KUlU2Vk9nelp0SThCa3J3Wm5aM0xtdTBJT0VMRzNjb21UVVBPQ3ZfVGNUcmk3N2dOaC1rVThjaTYweEVPZV9HUmVQdkFaZldhRUxvUE5mYlRZd0JMR3VxNWp6U2cwY21IWXptbGlDM2pCdkpuT1F2cVQtZDN5OQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a49db9495527",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Why some Democrats are trying to curb a war powers vote on Trump's Iran strikes - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Why some Democrats are trying to curb a war powers vote on Trump's Iran strikes\nIt's exceedingly rare to see a Republican and a Democrat sit side by side at the annual State of the Union address delivered by the president in the House chamber.\nBut that's exactly what happened on Tuesday, when Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie showed a united front as President Donald Trump again threatened Iran with US military might should it carry on with its nuclear programme - all while also insisting that the US already obliterated Iran's nuclear sites back in June.\nKhanna, a progressive who has called out the genocide in Gaza, and Massie, an anti-war Trump critic, have joined forces to compel a war powers vote and make every member of Congress go on the record about their position on US strikes on Iran.\nBut that vote has now been delayed.\nThe 1973 War Powers Act allows any senator to introduce a resolution to withdraw US armed forces from a conflict not authorised by Congress. The legislative branch, which acts as the country’s purse, is also supposed to be the one that declares war - not the executive branch.\nBut since the 9/11 attacks in particular, the foggy nature of the so-called \"war on terror\" has enabled the White House to call the shots, especially as Washington has carried out air strikes in countries from Somalia to Pakistan without an official declaration of war.\n\"Trump officials say there's a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can't without Congress. @RepThomasMassie & I have a War Powers Resolution to debate & vote on war before putting US troops in harm's way. I will make a motion to discharge to force a vote on it next week,\" Khanna wrote on X on 18 February.\nSplit\nNow reports have emerged that Democratic leadership is trying to curb that effort.\nEstablishment Democrats, many of whom failed to condemn Israel for what the world's foremost scholars have called a genocide in Gaza, have also not shied away from consistent condemnation of Iran, believing that if not now, then at some point it will have to be confronted militarily.\nIran itself has said that while it must be ready for a war with the US - largely egged on by Israel - it would rather cut a deal that still allows it the weapons it needs to defend itself as a sovereign state.\nOn Tuesday, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA director John Ratcliffe briefed House and Senate leadership on the latest Iran developments behind closed doors, the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, emerged only to say to reporters: \"This is serious, and the administration has to make its case to the American people.\"\nFour days earlier, Schumer said in a statement that \"confronting Iran’s ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, regional aggression, and horrific oppression of the Iranian people demands strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity\".\nBut for that reason, he added, \"We must enforce the War Powers Act and compel this administration to consult with Congress and explain to the American people the objectives and exactly why he is risking more American lives.\"\nThe statement suggests that while Democratic leadership may support limited military action by the US - something akin to Trump's four-hour blitz in Venezuela - the optics of yet another war may be disastrous as lawmakers head into the midterm elections in November.\nThe midterms, which are congressional, gubernatorial, and local elections held halfway through a president's term, will be the first major litmus test of Trump's second presidency.\nIn 2020, after Trump targeted and killed top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, both the House and Senate voted to limit his war powers.\nTrump vetoed the resolution.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T21:29:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNaTJtajh5OHNPZ3J2TTU3b2xkb0pPS1JLTEp2SEJmalZKNkdyMXFUdmxBbXNOWGxSelF2eVljM1NlaGpWZHVoUkhhWkJhNHdBQTVPRFg2T29TVkpMdzlKRWdVeDZfUDg0VVJUXzJtRXh0Ty04OEVNcWdjQnBscTdENTdqUmhwWHJsMTB4SDVxc1V4clduS0M2TXNGU0c0eUZUa3NMZ0R3eWJJVnc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_408fc6613d33",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "JD Vance says US sees evidence Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said that the US has seen evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.\nHis comments come a day before renewed talks between the US and Iran in Geneva over a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.\n\"The principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,\" Mr Vance told reporters.\nPresident Donald Trump used similar words during his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night.\nMr Trump said Iran has already developed missiles that are a threat to European and American bases in the region and is working to build missiles that will soon reach the US.\n“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” he said. “But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world's number-one sponsor of terror – which they are by far – to have a nuclear weapon.”\nMeanwhile, the US issued new sanctions against more than 30 people and companies connected to Iran's so-called shadow fleet.\nThe fleet is a network of oil tankers and companies used by Iran to ship petroleum to foreign markets in defiance of international sanctions.\nScott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury, said the Trump administration will continue to apply “maximum pressure” on Tehran. “Iran exploits financial systems to sell illicit oil, launder the proceeds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programmes, and support its terrorist proxies,” Mr Bessent said.\nEleven tankers, including the Panama-flagged Hoot and the Palau-flagged Alaa, had sanctions imposed, as did four people and about a dozen companies.\nThe State Department said the measures were against the “illicit funds that the regime uses to advance its malign and destabilising ends”.\nThe sanctions also hit networks that enable Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Defence to secure the materials and equipment needed for the production of ballistic missile and other weapons, the Treasury said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-25T21:46:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3AFBVV95cUxQQmtDU2Q5VG0tWDhpQ3J5bFpIcjVEQzlGaHdDcDdYNlFNUDlQQXpRTS1vQndlSkVOeG9TREhtbEpJR193NnhVOUxma1RCWU41Qkw3dWVPOHNseHFYcGNBSGRxTkFkRWI0QnAyc0tuS2NMb2JoU1pLb0RLT3p1SUJCckNVeVAzNWl4M2RXSzAwbHlaaTliTXVvQlRkUGhCaXlVMVZkN3B1VmVNUTF3XzVKSjh2N3B2a1F6Z0IzQ21YSnZyZHFqd0F1cTB5X0NRVzdSZzN1LWVrdndyVFhV?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_25f0be6f084c",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "Iran accuses Trump of 'big lies' ahead of Geneva talks in face of major US military deployment - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran accuses Trump of ‘big lies’ ahead of Geneva talks in face of major US military deployment\nIran accuses Trump of ‘big lies’ ahead of Geneva talks in face of major US military deployment\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran pushed back Wednesday against U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressure tactics ahead of critical talks in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear program, alternating between calling his remarks “big lies” and saying negotiations may yield an agreement through “honorable diplomacy.”\nThe remarks by two Iranian officials came a day before the talks and as America has assembled its biggest deployment of aircraft and warships to the Middle East in decades. The buildup is part of Trump’s efforts to get a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program while the country struggles at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests last month.\nTrump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran if negotiations fail. Mideast nations fear an attack could spiral into a new regional war as the embers of the yearslong Israel-Hamas war still smolder. Already, Iran has said all U.S. military bases in the Mideast would be considered legitimate targets, putting at risk tens of thousands of American service members.\nSatellite photos shot Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press appeared to show the American vessels that typically are docked in Bahrain, the home of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, all out at sea. The 5th Fleet referred questions to the U.S. military’s Central Command, which declined to comment. Before Iran’s attack on Qatar in June, the 5th Fleet similarly scattered its ships at sea to protect against a potential attack.\nAP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on Iran dismissing Trump’s remarks during his State of the Union.\nIran responds to State of the Union speech\nTrump touched on Iran and the nuclear negotiations in his State of the Union speech late Tuesday in Washington.\n“They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said. “They were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, and in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue. They’re starting it all over.”\nSatellite photos analyzed earlier by the AP showed Iran beginning to rebuild its missile-production sites and doing some work at the three nuclear sites attacked by the U.S. in June. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program. He said that Tehran is not enriching uranium right now, “but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”\nThe West and the International Atomic Energy Agency say Iran had a nuclear weapons program until 2003. Before the June attack, it had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.\nResponding to Trump, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei sought to compare him to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister. He accused Trump and his administration of conducting a “disinformation & misinformation campaign” against Iran.\n“Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest is simply the repetition of ‘big lies,’” Baghaei wrote on X.\nTrump said in his speech that at least 32,000 people were killed in last month’s protests, which is at the far end of estimates offered by activists for the death toll. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency has so far counted more than 7,000 dead and believes the actual figure is far higher. Iran’s government, which long has downplayed death tolls in other unrest, offered its only toll on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed.\nMohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, said separately that the U.S. could either try diplomacy or face Iran’s wrath.\n“If you choose the table of diplomacy — a diplomacy in which the dignity of the Iranian nation and mutual interests are respected — we will also be at that table,” Qalibaf said, according to the semiofficial Student News Network, a media outlet believed to be close to the all-volunteer Basij force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.\n“But if you decide to repeat past experiences through deception, lies, flawed analysis and false information, and launch an attack in the midst of negotiations, you will undoubtedly taste the firm blow of the Iranian nation and the country’s defensive forces.”\nTalks hang in balance\nIran and the U.S. are to meet Thursday for their third round of talks under the mediation of Oman, long an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. A flight carrying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his team arrived late Wednesday in Geneva, where they will meet American officials led by special U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.\nRubio said the discussions will be largely focused on Iran’s nuclear program and are important to gauge how serious the country is in reaching a deal to avoid potential U.S. military action. But he suggested a breakthrough was unlikely at this session, noting that the U.S. also has major concerns with Iran’s conventional weapons.\n“We hope progress can be made,” Rubio told reporters during a trip to the Caribbean, saying diplomacy was Trump’s preference. “But it’s also important to remember that Iran refuses — refuses — to talk about the ballistic missiles to us or to anyone, and that’s a big problem.”\nIf the talks fail, uncertainty hangs over the timing of any possible attack.\nIf the aim of potential military action is to pressure Iran to make concessions in nuclear negotiations, it’s not clear whether limited strikes would work. If the goal is to remove Iran’s leaders, that will likely commit the U.S. to a larger, longer military campaign. There has been no public sign of planning for what would come next, including the potential for chaos in Iran.\nThe status of Iran’s nuclear program is another mystery. Trump said last year that American strikes “obliterated” it. Now dismantling whatever remains of the program appears to be back on the administration’s agenda. IAEA inspectors have not been allowed to inspect those sites and verify what remains.\nThere is also uncertainty about what any military action could mean for the wider region. Tehran could retaliate against the American-allied nations of the Persian Gulf or Israel. Oil prices have risen in recent days in part due to those concerns.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, Matthew Lee in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T00:27:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOMFdQQkRpQ1BaaG4zbEJ4QTZqelpicmQtUlRyTTNGanZ5OXM1U2NvYmxXVHJzLWlSdGFjNlhnMHBsUjNFZ0pVUncybkR3S2U1bW5MdUpBRW1sSGpxZUhpcUFxU3BCTGM4ajloUHBFX2haVUVOUzRjSWdVMEZKR0stdTh4Qm1RMVlYNHhyakVCT1hyTzF0YUU4?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2a64e8b8f71a",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran to offer ‘commercial bonanza’ to US companies - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran to offer ‘commercial bonanza’ to US companies\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T01:00:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1CRVA0dFAtMGZXekV0WW13c20yUGlDWE4zTlU0WEhPeVNad3o0dXJfZkpFdUIwM3NKNFNKcUVGNXdHM0NqQzBnSENCWnNlTnEwTG1NMWN2N3cycHhQTC13SDlscjZVU0NXUEFCM0RRMUk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2b01169d7fe8",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US presses missile issue as new Iran talks to open in Geneva - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "US presses missile issue as new Iran talks to open in Geneva\nThe United States and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday aiming to strike a deal to avert fresh conflict and bring an end to weeks of threats.\nThe new round of negotiations in Geneva comes after the US carried out a massive military build-up in the region and President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if a deal is not reached.\nIn his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of \"pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions\".\nHe also claimed Tehran had \"already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America\".\nThe Iranian foreign ministry called these claims \"big lies\".\nThe maximum range of Iran's missiles is 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) according to what Tehran has publicly disclosed. However the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometres -- less than a third of the distance to the continental United States.\nThe dispute between the countries mostly revolves around Iran's nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful.\nHowever the US has also been pushing to discuss Iran's ballistic missile programme, as well as Tehran's support for armed groups hostile towards Israel.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran must also negotiate on its missile programme, calling Tehran's refusal to discuss ballistic weapons \"a big, big problem\" on the eve of the talks.\nHe followed up by saying \"the president wants diplomatic solutions\".\nIran has taken anything beyond the nuclear issue off the negotiating table and has demanded that the US sanctions crippling its economy be part of any agreement.\n- 'Neither war nor peace' -\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday he had a \"favourable outlook for the negotiations\" that could finally \"move beyond this 'neither war nor peace' situation\".\nForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation at the talks, has called them \"a historic opportunity\", adding that a deal was \"within reach\".\nIn a foreign ministry statement that followed a meeting with his Oman counterpart, Araghchi said the success of the US negotiations depend \"on the seriousness of the other side and its avoidance of contradictory behaviour and positions\".\nThe US will be represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka.\nThe two countries held talks earlier this month in Oman, which is mediating the negotiations, then gathered for a second round in Geneva last week.\nA previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.\nIn January, fresh tensions between the US and Iran emerged after Tehran engaged in a bloody crackdown on widespread protests that have posed one of the greatest challenges to the Islamic republic since its inception.\nTrump has threatened several times to intervene to \"help\" the Iranian people.\nEmile Hokayem, senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that \"the region seems to expect a war at this point\".\nIn January, there was \"a big push by a number of Middle Eastern states to convince the US not to\" strike Iran.\n\"But there's a lot of apprehension at this point, because the expectation is that this time\" a war would be \"bigger\" than the one in June.\nTehran residents who spoke to AFP were divided as to whether there would be renewed conflict.\nHomemaker Tayebeh noted that Trump had \"said that war would be very bad for Iran\".\n\"There would be famine and people would suffer a lot. People are suffering now, but at least with war, our fate might be clear,\" the 60-year-old said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T01:14:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxOSnJGeE52RDR1R3lNRHBSVUNPU3lQRXBZNmx1RFdhQWYwNktEZXRBX2hOeTlVRFdWdHZiaFhWMzVSdklBYjA2R1ZoOWh6VXI4d2VWQy1lc3ZfVV9nY2NiWVVXVzF4X1FFaUo5SzdSdkVNN0RxaFduTFR3TW8xOGpHLUNIZDFIMHJ0V3gta3JDdVJaMF9RX1R5RGZKTmM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d84303d11029",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Russia and Iran Slashing Prices to China as Oil Piles Up at Sea - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Russia and Iran Slashing Prices to China as Oil Piles Up at Sea    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T01:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPdmxkemlxWXh6bVlZU0Q0SkpEaUFxZVdrTlZiUlkxcEFQeFQzY2NieU5zNXpNdjFJZzNqVnREeUM2RnhUd2R2YkpTUGVHOVRJYmR1YjRZb3BkZk1Wd2NCSFZHX3UyMnh6aWdBQU90c1FOakxFbGdhbTJwTXB4VTAzeWxQRkt1R2otWkcwc2RHQUFTdnpnLUNWaUJSWlpxS2RMS3pVMkhOOTJVNnc4MGJBVnU5SHA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_785437115baa",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran Ramps Up Oil Tanker Loading as US Builds Military Force - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran Ramps Up Oil Tanker Loading as US Builds Military Force    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T01:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQUXhES2p5eXMwdlczbzZwc0VUSHJiZzJSVXd1UUVyaG5DTWlQVlNOaFR5Z2pLSE9DZW9KOGgyM0FVRnAteUNIb25YV00wZnN3LThVZlhOMXlKcnVzSmpKeGQ4TF9jdlNzbnlqR29KTUtzektQbElvaGRtN0ZzQ3l1MC05ZUEyN29YTmNwNU1nR1JLcWhBQW9icXNWQWtDcUdXOThuZUdQR1dWNE1SYnJlYVNPZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_62614f4ae58a",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Is it already too late for Tehran to make a deal? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Thomas Watkins is Washington bureau chief at The National\nFebruary 26, 2026\nBellicose one moment, mollifying the next, President Donald Trump's stance on Iran in recent months has been consistently inconsistent – and given every prognosticator plenty to chew on.\nThe vibe in Washington this week has shifted to a resigned consensus that US military action against Iran is coming very soon, although perhaps it will be limited in scope.\nFrom where I'm sitting, it is unclear if Tehran has grasped how little road it has left with Mr Trump, and if it realises that Thursday's latest round of nuclear talks in Geneva could be the last.\nIran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said a deal with the US is “within reach”. As he was leaving Tehran for Geneva on Wednesday night, his boss, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran saw a “good outlook” for the talks.\nIt is true that both the US and Iran have cited progress in previous talks, but one wonders if Mr Araghchi is about to fall into the chasm that exists between the two countries in terms of their expected outcomes.\nDuring Tuesday's State of the Union address, Mr Trump repeated the old line that the US will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Iran has repeatedly said it is not building a bomb.\nBut the US also wants to curtail Iran's ballistic missile programme and all but end its nuclear enrichment processes, even for civilian use. Tehran has said these demands are unacceptable.\nAnd Mr Trump last month painted himself into something of a corner when it comes to military action by committing to helping Iranian protesters and encouraging them to rise up against the regime as it was killing thousands of people who had taken to the streets to demonstrate against the worsening economy. A deal now would be seen as a betrayal by many and would make Mr Trump look like he had been duped.\nThe last time talks like this took place, Barack Obama was in the White House and his administration spent about two years trying to negotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Perhaps Tehran thinks it can draw the US into another series of protracted negotiations – but that would be a mistake.\nThe Geneva talks are far more urgent than the protracted timeline of the JCPOA negotiations. One week ago, Mr Trump gave Iran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to make a new deal with the US. Ten days from then is Saturday.\nThe US has amassed more firepower in the Middle East than at any time since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and Iran's military capabilities are considerably diminished.\nNot only have Tehran's proxies been severely impacted by Israel and the US, Iranian military and air defence capabilities took a huge hit during last year's 12-day war and America's Operation Midnight Hammer targeting nuclear sites.\nMr Trump at his State of the Union address said his preference was for diplomacy to win out in resolving the Iran crisis, messaging that Vice President JD Vance yesterday reiterated when he said he hoped the Iranians took Mr Trump's preference seriously in talks.\nBut Mr Vance also said the US has seen evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, echoing the weapons of mass destruction casus bellilanguage before the invasion of Iraq 23 years ago.\nMy own sense is that Geneva will amount to little more than lip service from the US while it gets its last bits of military materiel into place. I've been writing about the US military in one form or another for 20 years and have never seen the Pentagon amass forces on this scale only to turn tail and head home without firing a shot.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T02:45:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPYVA2bkRPZjZ3RUt5S1FyQUVfRWtuTll5RG1FdUg4ajl5MTJvWTdMcnBsSkdtOG1lTFJnM3V2eTV0aW1CbVltQXJ4YUIycUhadDhOajcycUVhSG9IRnJTcGFiUUVfNklaOHNaU2l5VVpjWHNtSURaQkRQWDM3WWpXUjBFUHlOb0FETjJHcHRiZ3pIQ2JPYkRiajNvTktsY3NYd3NCSTQ1cDF0SU16?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a7a50ca06a25",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "How survival mode has reshaped Iran's calculations for potential US war - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQZHJkZEZCak1vZGk5TVhnYnlHMVV1R0ZIcnFKNXFIYTlqSHRQYjZZUWlPNHgyWGR4MDk4X2NHcU5hSHU3RjZubnNNQ3dPUklJeDl2YkR4ajNRUGdYbldwRWpRcC1uQ1N4ZU1IelVWZU5aU0haclNvVzdzcTFCVDRsc2Z2RU1zQko4SUltUVJvNUxoNU9fR3VBY3FNSDlYaWJYdnRBWmhpWWRrWVd2RmF0Tg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_14c4c756e754",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Mike Huckabee lifts the veil on US backing for Israeli expansionism - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Mike Huckabee lifts the veil on US backing for Israeli expansionism\nWhen Tucker Carlson recently interviewed the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, their exchange did more than expose policy differences.\nIt revealed something more consequential: not merely an ambassador misrepresenting history, but a vision of Israel’s place in the Middle East, and of Washington’s role in enabling it.\nA pattern emerged quickly. When confronted with inconvenient historical facts or legal complexities, Huckabee professed uncertainty. But when repeating familiar Israeli government positions, his confidence was unwavering. Precision disappeared only when it complicated the narrative.\nConsider his claim that Christians are “thriving” in the Holy Land. He cited 34,000 Christians in Israel in 1948 and 184,000 today, figures intended to suggest steady growth and protection.\nBut numbers without context are a distortion. In December 1946, the United Nations estimated that there were approximately 145,000 Christians in Palestine, representing around eight percent of the country’s total population.\nDuring the 1948 Nakba, Jewish militias expelled or drove out hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, including roughly 90,000 Christians. Only around 39,000 remained in their homes within 1948 borders, the nucleus of today’s Palestinian Christian minority inside Israel.\nJerusalem’s demographic trajectory is equally stark. Christians constituted around 20 percent of the city’s population in 1946. Since then, their numbers have declined significantly; by 2006, they accounted for roughly two percent of the city’s population, according to demographic data published by the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research.\nTo describe this as “thriving” obscures the increasingly precarious position of Palestinian Christians within a state that defines itself in explicitly Jewish national terms, and where ultra-nationalist currents have grown more assertive.\nDefining moments\nThe evasiveness extended beyond demography. Huckabee claimed that Britain controlled Palestine at the time of the 1917 Balfour Declaration. It did not. The declaration preceded the mandate system and carried no binding force in international law; it was an imperial pledge, not a legal instrument.\nHe further implied that Arabs initiated the 1956 Suez War. The record is unequivocal: Israel invaded Egypt in coordination with Britain and France. Former US President Dwight D Eisenhower publicly opposed the invasion and forced their withdrawal, contributing to the resignation of his British counterpart, Anthony Eden.\nIn 1982, during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and the bombardment of Beirut, former US President Ronald Reagan deliberately used the word “holocaust” in a call with Israeli leader Menachem Begin, warning that the assault endangered the future of relations between Washington and Tel Aviv.\nThe 'Greater Israel' vision implies the displacement of tens of millions of people. Such upheaval would not stop at the borders of the Middle East\nThese are not marginal details. They are defining moments in American foreign policy. Misrepresenting them does not merely obscure history; it reshapes political memory.\nIt was equally striking to watch Huckabee cite Gaza health ministry figures - numbers he elsewhere disputes - to argue that the civilian toll there is the lowest in modern urban warfare, and that Israel has done more than anyone, even the US military, to avoid civilian casualties.\nThe measurable record complicates that claim. By early last year, Israel had dropped on Gaza approximately 275 tonnes of explosives per square kilometre. By comparison, the US dropped roughly 15 tonnes per square kilometre in Vietnam. The density in Gaza exceeded Vietnam’s by a factor of 18, even before subsequent months of continued operations.\nA University of Bradford world affairs expert described the destruction as “equivalent to six Hiroshimas” and “unparalleled in the post-Second World War era”.\nIndependent monitor Airwars reported that in the first 25 days of Israel’s assault on Gaza, around four times more civilians were killed than in the deadliest month it recorded during the US-led campaign in Iraq in 2017.\nWhen an American ambassador portrays the Israeli army as more restrained and more humane than the military of the country he is sworn to represent, the issue ceases to be statistical. It becomes political.\n'Fine if they took it all'\nWhen pressed on whether biblical geography implied sovereignty beyond Israel’s current borders, Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.”\nThat sentence is not incidental. It encapsulates a worldview. Beneath his selective invocation of international law lies Christian Zionism: the belief that Israel’s legitimacy rests not on negotiated sovereignty or contemporary legal norms, but on biblical covenant.\nSome interpretations envision borders extending from the Nile to the Euphrates, encompassing territory in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, countries that together are home to hundreds of millions of people.\nThis is no longer fringe theology. It increasingly intersects with political power.\nThe modern Israeli leadership has largely emerged from European immigrant communities. The father of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, was born in the Polish capital Warsaw, changing his surname from Mileikowsky to Netanyahu after emigrating to Palestine.\nIn fact, the official language of the First Zionist Congress, held in Basel in 1897, was German, not Hebrew; a telling detail about the European origins of the political movement that would later claim indigenous exclusivity.\nLike many settler-national movements, Zionism drew upon a mythic civilisational link to legitimise return and settlement. The Bible became both inspiration and instrument.\nBut Palestine was not empty. It was inhabited for millennia by Semitic peoples who variously embraced Judaism, Christianity and Islam, remaining rooted in the land through its transformations.\nIn Huckabee’s framing, Palestinians scarcely register, appearing as obstacles in a land promised long ago to the Jewish people. Yet they exist: as Christians, as Muslims, and as heirs to continuous presence. They cannot be erased by theological abstraction.\nSystemic destabilisation\nEven within the Abrahamic tradition, claims of exclusive covenant are contested. Jews trace descent from Abraham through Isaac; Muslims trace descent through Ishmael and regard Islam as a restoration of Abraham’s monotheism. If sacred genealogy becomes the basis of sovereignty, competing claims become inevitable, and politics collapses into theology.\nScripture cannot function as a contemporary land registry. The danger lies in the fusion of theological certainty with military supremacy.\nThe “Greater Israel” vision implies the displacement of tens of millions of people. Such upheaval would not stop at the borders of the Middle East.\nEurope would bear a profound share of the resulting instability and displacement. The project does not promise security, but rather cascading insecurity: regional, continental and global.\nWalking blindly behind maximalist Zionism and its evangelical Christian partners does not lead to stability. It leads to prolonged conflict and systemic destabilisation.\nHuckabee is not a private preacher. He is a US ambassador. Arab and Muslim states formally objected to his remarks, but the response from Washington was notably muted. Instead of forcefully disavowing the substance of his claims, US officials described the remarks as being taken “out of context”.\nSuch phrasing reads less like correction than containment. If his remarks misrepresented American policy, a clear rebuttal would have followed. None did.\nBalance of power\nThis raises a larger question: is this merely Huckabee’s theology, or the strategic posture of the current US administration?\nThe convergence between Netanyahu’s government and Trump-era evangelical politics has shifted the regional calculus. The language of biblical entitlement is no longer confined to religious rhetoric; it increasingly overlaps with strategic doctrine.\nThe impending confrontation with Iran must be viewed in that light. Iran represents the principal regional counterweight to Israeli military dominance, and its removal would dramatically alter the balance of power.\nWhen biblical maximalism aligns with superpower backing, the implications extend far beyond Palestine\nThe last major regional reconfiguration followed the 1991 Gulf War. The Madrid Conference and the Oslo process emerged in its wake, producing a framework that consolidated Israeli control while projecting the appearance of Palestinian self-governance.\nToday, the ambition appears broader. What the Abraham Accords sought to normalise diplomatically - regional acquiescence to Israeli primacy - may now be pursued through coercive leverage.\nNetanyahu has repeatedly declared that Israel was “changing the Middle East” and that its war on Gaza would “echo for generations”. This is not rhetorical flourish; it is strategic signalling.\nThe Huckabee interview did not merely expose a diplomat’s worldview. It illuminated a regional project. When expansion is framed as destiny, when regional war becomes prelude, and when biblical maximalism aligns with superpower backing, the implications extend far beyond Palestine.\nAnd when such a vision is articulated by a US ambassador without meaningful correction, the question is no longer about theology. It is about policy.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T08:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxOOW9ZamZuVndTNXU2bVowaGVtUXVSSlZhemVhSG5OWG5MYXRaTHRnaUVCQXRsRTJoVmpMX19KU0FWaXVUU2pybDg4ejZGOEJZMXY3U3FVclBiZ052bnNsM1V0TFFZNjUzaDJjZDZ1U2VpV3UxWW16bmh3cDdJaTZfOEZVWDRlOXA1VHBsSUxxbkNOeldZTWMycm53?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6136224ea649",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran 'offers US firms investment opportunities' as crunch talks resume - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran 'offers US firms investment opportunities' as crunch talks resume\nIran is seeking to entice US President Donald Trump with potential business opportunities, including investment in its oil and gas sector, as high-stakes nuclear talks resume on Thursday, the Financial Times reported.\nOne source familiar with the matter said Tehran believes offering the prospect of significant financial returns for the US could appeal to Trump’s deal-making instincts.\nDescribing the prospect of investment opportunities as \"a major economic bonanza\", the source said they were \"specifically directed at Trump\" in fields including oil and gas and mining rights, critical minerals, the source added.\nThe report comes ahead of the third round of high-stakes talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Geneva on Thursday.\nThe talks come amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear activities and efforts to prevent an escalation into open conflict.\nA senior US official said no commercial offer had yet been made to the US.\n\"This was never discussed. President Trump has been clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon or the capacity to build one,\" the official said.\nA second source confirmed that no proposal had been formally presented to Washington, but added that there had been discussions on Iran offering US investments in gas and oil.\n\"[Iran is] looking at Venezuela as a case study,\" the source said.\nThe US president has promised to open up Venezuela’s oil industry to US oil companies following the abduction of the country's president, Nicolas Maduro.\nIran presented a proposal expected to gauge the US’s \"seriousness\" through Omani mediators on Thursday, according to Iran’s state media outlet IRNA.\n\"Rejecting it would amount to confirming the initial suspicion that the United States is not genuinely committed to diplomacy and that its diplomatic posture is merely a game,\" the report said.\nThe proposal followed fresh US sanctions targeting more than 30 individuals and entities, accusing \"shadow fleet\" vessels of enabling Iran’s illicit petroleum sales, as well as its ballistic missile and weapons production.\nAraghchi said on Wednesday that the country’s missiles are \"defensive in nature\", rejecting Trump’s claim that Tehran is developing a missile capable of reaching the US mainland.\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday said \"Tehran won’t develop nuclear weapons\" since Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned weapons of mass destruction in the early 2000s.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T09:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxQZkVGSUpyZ2U5Y1N4SGV6U2tJMEhZOG0wbzJkYW4tZlFZcEpNUE9pYm1aV2h3UlVwZ0w5WVRZMjVxR05DSEVnVy1yR2xpYlIxT2p2VFRSazMzNklreFNMTWxlQmlmWjk4WXVaLU5sekFsNDQ2blpEU0Nxb0NEYzZxRExzRTcxZXNScllDcFZnR3FPUGJ6S1gzc3NSV01adFJ3Y2c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b76af0037421",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "'People are getting poorer': How Iran's struggling economy is changing how families live",
    "body_text": "The soaring cost of living has left people struggling to afford basic items - creating pressures which led to mass protests.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T11:44:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5geplde0wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_71085962f51e",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Jeremy Corbyn to be Your Party leader after beating Zarah Sultana in membership vote - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Jeremy Corbyn to be Your Party leader after beating Zarah Sultana in membership vote\nFormer Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's slate has won the election for Your Party's Central Executive Committee, making him its parliamentary leader.\nOn Thursday morning the left-wing party elected its 24-strong Central Executive Committee (CEC), after months of infighting over the leadership and political platform of the new group.\nBoth Corbyn and his rival, Zarah Sultana, stood for election to the \"public office holders\" section of the CEC.\nCorbyn's slate beat Sultana's by 14 seats to seven, giving his supporters control of the CEC. Sultana has also been elected onto the CEC.\nCorbyn won 61 percent of the membership vote against 34 percent for Sultana.\nThe election saw a turnout of 25,347 (61 percent) out of 40,985 verified Your Party members.\nAt the founding conference in late November, members voted in favour of Sultana's choice to have a collective leadership rather than Corbyn's preferred single leader model.\nCorbyn and Sultana then put forward rival slates of candidates, which included themselves.\nCorbyn's slate, The Many, includes MPs Shockat Adam and Ayoub Khan, members – alongside Corbyn – of the parliamentary Independent Alliance.\nCorbyn said: \"I am delighted that members have voted for a mass, socialist party that takes the fight to Starmer and Farage… now, the real work begins.\n\"We have a precious opportunity to unite our movement around a bold vision for this country – one that believes in a more caring, equal and peaceful society for all.\"\nHe called for a \"positive and inclusive party where all members feel empowered to share their ideas\".\nBattle between two visions\nThe contest has widely been seen as a battle between two rival visions for the party.\nCorbyn, Adam and Khan favour the idea of a broad-church party focused on appealing to as many people as possible and drawing the previously disengaged into politics.\nSultana's approach eschews compromising on leftist principles and focuses on a \"member-led party\" and empowering existing left-wing movements.\nWhen Your Party was announced last summer, after Sultana left the Labour Party, it quickly gained hundreds of thousands of sign-ups and polled above 10 percent in national surveys.\nIt emerged largely because of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and perceived British complicity in that, which provoked a storm of outrage against Labour at the 2024 general election and contributed to the unprecedented election of five independent MPs (including former Labour MP Corbyn), who overcame local Labour machines.\nThe independents campaigned on a general anti-establishment platform and have collaborated in parliament through the Independent Alliance on key domestic issues, such as opposing Labour's two-child benefit cap.\nBut the party increasingly became wracked by bitter factional disputes.\nCorbyn and Sultana's fallout\nInitially it was thought that Sultana and Corbyn would be co-leaders. But tensions soon grew.\nSources close to Corbyn said they have been infuriated on numerous occasions by Sultana and her husband, Craig Lloyd, acting unilaterally, in a way they perceive as being rash and controlling.\nAt the same time, sources closer to Sultana have decried the influence of long-time Corbyn allies like Karie Murphy, the former Labour leader's chief of staff when he was in opposition.\nSome party sources believe that Murphy may, like a number of other former Corbyn staffers, end up stepping away from the whole project.\nSultana also argued with Adnan Hussain MP over the issue of trans rights last year.\nIn September, Hussain had said that \"women's rights and safe spaces should not be encroached upon\" and that trans women are \"not biologically women, hence trans women\", echoing the Supreme Court's ruling earlier last year.\nSultana responded by suggesting Hussain had no place in the party, declaring: \"There is no room for socially conservative views in a left-wing socialist party. Period.\"\nConflict at conference\nHussain and another MP, Iqbal Mohamed, left in the two weeks leading up to the conference in November.\nIn an interview with MEE outside the conference, which Sultana was boycotting, she rowed back on her previous comments, saying that \"there are socially conservative people in all communities, in the trade union movement, in all parts of society, and we are seeking to reflect the whole country and seek their votes.\n\"So obviously, even our membership will reflect that broad base. I don't deny that. I think it's important to highlight that as a socialist party, we have to centre the most marginalised.\"\nShe added that: \"I think a progressive position on trans rights, that recognises that trans rights are human rights, is the socialist position for a socialist party.\"\nBut conflict continued at the conference, with Sultana criticising the leadership for expelling members who were also members of the Socialist Workers' Party.\nSultana's slate will now have a significant presence on the party's CEC, but Corbyn has emerged victorious.\nMEE has contacted Sultana for comment.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T13:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPMHNLUmpxanNFUzJHX2NqTF9NQXkzMlRqYXRraWNXTWFrQ0tLZHY4ajNfVjQtZzh2N280dmQ4YXJnd3NLYzl5Wmp5UUJZeVNqNG42VlVwS2Y4Z1J1aklza0dyTmY5X0NLa1l0Yk5uVkV0UVJ6Z0FWeHRyTjFiTmdkNTk5N3dzSDhaUW1TSGgyZWxDa1B5aXYydVJlMkotenM2?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1f0cf5d3545d",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US, Iran resume nuclear talks as Trump ratchets up war threats - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "US, Iran resume nuclear talks as Trump ratchets up war threats\nThe negotiations come after President Donald Trump sought to build a case for war in his State of the Union address.\nWASHINGTON — The United States and Iran will resume technical talks next week, Oman’s top diplomat said after a third round of indirect nuclear talks ended without a breakthrough in Geneva, leaving uncertainty over whether President Donald Trump will follow through on his threat of military strikes.\nOmani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, who is mediating the talks, said that “significant progress” was made after some five hours of negotiations between the two sides.\n“We will resume soon after consultation in the respective capitals. Discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna,” Busaidi said in an X post shortly after the discussions wrapped.\nWe have finished the day after significant progress in the negotiation between the United States and Iran. We will resume soon after consultation in the respective capitals. Discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna. I am grateful to all concerned for…\n— Badr Albusaidi - بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) February 26, 2026\nThe talks — led on the US side by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the Iranian side — were widely seen as a last-ditch effort to avert a war that could destabilize the region and put American troops at risk.\nIf they proceed, the planned technical talks will coincide with a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors, which is scheduled to convene in Vienna on Monday.\nAraghchi described Thursday’s talks as “intense,” with progress reached on the nuclear file and sanctions relief.\n“We are close to an understanding on some issues, though differences remain on others,” Araghchi told reporters in Geneva.\nSpeaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Iranian official told Al-Monitor that “the parties have reached some elements of a possible agreement” following Thursday’s negotiations.\nThere was no immediate comment from the Trump administration.\nThe talks come as the US military continues to build up its air and naval presence in the Middle East, deploying two aircraft carriers to provide Trump with potential strike options. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Tehran of resuming work on its nuclear program and developing missiles that could “soon” be capable of reaching the United States.\n“I will never allow the world's top sponsor of terror, which they are by far, have a nuclear weapon; can't let that happen,” Trump said.\nThe two countries are at odds over whether Iran can continue to maintain some level of uranium enrichment in an arrangement similar to the 2015 deal, which permitted enrichment to 3.67% purity.\nTrump has demanded zero enrichment and for Iran to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while Tehran has long insisted on its right to pursue what it claims is a peaceful nuclear effort. Prior to the June strikes on its nuclear sites, Iran was enriching uranium to 60% — a short technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% and well beyond what’s necessary for civil nuclear energy.\nThe Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Iran has proposed various measures that stop short of dismantling its nuclear program, such as reducing uranium enrichment from 60% to 1.5%, suspending enrichment for several years or folding it into a regional consortium based in Iran.\nAsked about the reports, the senior Iranian official said, “It's very much dependent on the attitude of the US team,” adding, \"Iran has entered the negotiations with good faith. If the US shows flexibility on sanctions, we will reciprocate.”\nAn agreement permitting limited enrichment would inevitably draw comparisons to the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump has long scorned for allowing enrichment at low levels and failing to address Iran’s support for regional proxies and missile program. After he withdrew from the multilateral pact in 2018, Iran responded by gradually violating its commitments.\nIran’s uranium enrichment was effectively halted as a result of the US bombing of its nuclear facilities in June. However, Tehran has not allowed inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency back into the damaged sites to assess what remains of its prewar stockpile of 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.\nSpeaking to reporters on Wednesday evening, Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Iran is not currently enriching but said, “They're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”\n“After their nuclear program was obliterated, they were told not to try to restart it,” Rubio said. “You can see them always trying to rebuild elements of it.”\nRubio also described Iran’s refusal to negotiate over its missile program as a “big problem.”\nAsked about Trump’s State of the Union assertion that Iran was nearing the ability to directly threaten the United States with missiles, Rubio said, “Clearly they are headed in the pathway to one day being able to develop weapons that could reach the continental US,\" adding, \"And the ranges continue to grow every single year exponentially.”\nThe top US diplomat on Tuesday gave a classified briefing to the Gang of Eight, which includes the House and Senate leadership from both parties and the top lawmakers on the intelligence committees. Rubio is last known to have briefed the group a day after the US military carried out an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.\nTrump was scheduled to receive an “intelligence briefing” in the Oval Office at 11 a.m. Eastern on Thursday. As the Geneva talks got underway, top House Democrats announced they would force a vote next week on a war powers resolution sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) aimed at preventing Trump from striking Iran without congressional approval.\nThis developing story has been updated since initial publication.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T13:41:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxQanotbkxPTDRoQ0UzTi1hR3JUcEZWVThlUFp1WlYwOGhpV0FKVEFKMEowN0MySTl0SjRnZU9YRGp4RHFKbmhEa3hSSnFZdF8wOWFLUTZIZDg4dkhNdFUtVVBVS3dLY1M3Wm01SkdBZFdfQ09SNldFbjQyU1VDc211NlJCOXEydE9XOUhMS2p4M3N5WTRSbXlUa2FFTXJtM05GRmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_259638db4d8b",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Gulf petrostates rush to export crude amid fears of US strike on Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Gulf petrostates rush to export crude amid fears of US strike on Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T14:26:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1KTV8xOGVBM0JRQ0ZWVDRwT1d3OXhyQ2pwOFVXYUJtQ0ZjRklzWHRfSVVuejVzOVJKb1Q0QnlZaGtsTGxJelpIb08wY0RTdEtmT1R0MTNVYlFfeVBnX1BobXhCSEV3VmROZmIycndrTFY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a1a01bb3d9eb",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli army chief 'silent' on potentially devastating cost of new war with Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israeli army chief 'silent' on potentially devastating cost of new war with Iran\nIsrael's army chief has privately warned about the potentially devastating consequences of a war with Iran, while officially remaining silent on the dangers to Israel from a new conflict.\nWhile Eyal Zamir, who became chief of Israel’s military in March 2025, has not spoken publicly on the implications of a war with Iran on national security in Israel, behind closed doors he has warned of the grave dangers that would result in such an outcome, Ynet reported on Thursday.\n“The military are careful not to brief on the matter, amid pressure from the political echelon not to make public the implications and risks of the move,\" the Israeli outlet reported, referring to pressure being put on the army by Netanyahu’s government.\nThere is a belief in Israeli army circles that a US-Israeli escalation in Iran could lead to a “war of attrition” that would include sporadic Iranian missile strikes on Israeli soil.\n\"Such a war of attrition could last for many months, with the primary cost carried by the Israeli economy,\" Ynet reported, adding that missiles could also be fired at Israel from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq.\nWhile the Israeli army was prepared for the war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, Ynet said, \"an American-Israeli war against Iran at this time was not planned,\" with the Israeli military looking to rebuild its forces.\nHigh alert for Israel and Iran\nTalks in Geneva between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took place on Thursday.\nWith a US attack on Iran widely expected, tensions between the US, Israel and Iran are extremely high and are being felt keenly by the Israeli public.\n'Such a war of attrition could last for many months, with the primary cost carried by the Israeli economy'\n- Ynet, Israeli media outlet\nEarlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamyn Netanyahu said that “we are in very complex and challenging times”, adding that Israel is “keeping an open eye and prepared for any scenario”.\n“I made it clear to the Ayatollah regime,” Netanyahu added in a speech in the Knesset on Monday, \"that if it will make perhaps the most serious mistake in their history and attack Israel, we will respond with a force they cannot imagine.”\nBut the Israeli public is anxious that it might see Israeli fighter jets shot down over Iran and even greater destruction inside Israel than was caused in June.\nAll the while, the Israeli army is doing nothing, according to Ynet, to reassure the public, as \"the constant stream of reports about yet another US aircraft landing in Israel and another destroyer entering the Mediterranean only further heightens the Israeli anxiety\".\nIsraelis hit by last Iran war still struggling\nWhile Netanyahu is issuing threats, Israelis who suffered heavy losses from the war last year are still struggling to cope with its consequences.\nBack in June, 30 Israelis died and over 3,200 were injured after Iranian missiles hit Israeli soil, with Israel estimating the cost of damage at $3bn.\nOn Thursday Haaretz spoke with several Israeli citizens who are still struggling to return to normal life after being impacted by last year’s war.\nAnyone entering Jerusalem Street in Bat Yam is confronted with the war with Iran, the report said, referring to the city near Tel Aviv.\nAccording to Haaretz, hundreds of Israeli citizens have still not returned to their homes eight months on from the 12-day exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.\nSmadar Ronen, a lawyer from Tel Aviv, said she was evacuated from her home and that since then the authorities had not offered enough help.\n\"The state is making cruel decisions that place most of the economic burden on its citizens. We must all oppose this,\" Ronen said.\nNow Ronen is afraid of another escalation. She is suffering from PTSD and has trouble sleeping. “The thought of evacuation still fills me with anger today,” she told Haaretz.\nOver 15,000 city residents were evacuated from their homes after Iranian missiles struck their buildings last June.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T14:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPQjFOWW81VncxeGtuaWxNOENEdE5Gb0RCTW5GY0pHSmdybDRvNXRGXzJTc05WTE9PWUZBOXVGc3VmQ2VGWFlVNHNlUF9lZkllWWdxbW1OV3JaUnNKUlFDdlB1MW01c1JmcjVPTFZERzlsdURCckNWcDk5RF9CTGRCWWpQdU5Cd2UzSzhwVjNYUzBDYklkc1A0emdDczAyQmMxQ2lqUg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_080772d43f5a",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "'Better to die as a lion': Family's tribute to son killed in Iran protests - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "A 17-year-old protester, Soheil Almasi, was fatally shot in Marvdasht during a nationwide crackdown that left thousands dead.\n“Dad, if you're going to be a lion, it's better you be killed than to be a mouse,” the teenager said.\nHis family recovered the body only after paying a bribe to the IRGC and were pressured to falsify causes of death.\nCousin Saeed Ranjbar said nuclear talks will not deliver change, insisting the leadership will not compromise on ideology despite sanctions and isolation.\nMourners turned chehelom services into protests, facing security surveillance, while students reignited campus demonstrations.\nShah Hosein Almasi carried the bleeding body of his son Soheil in his arms. The boy, 17, had been shot twice in the chest, but was still alive.\nIt was the afternoon of Friday, January 9 in the southern Iranian city of Marvdasht, around 12km from the heritage site of Persepolis, one of the finest sites of ancient Iran.\nLarge anti-government protests had already been expanding across the country. Thousands of people had been killed the previous night in a bloody crackdown by pro-government security forces on the demonstrators. Authorities had cut off the internet and phone lines.\n“I went to him [Soheil] myself, I carried him along with his uncle,” Shah Hosein said in a voice note passed to The National by a relative abroad. “I told him, ‘Didn't I tell you to pull back?’ Soheil said, ‘Dad, if you're going to be a lion, it's better you be killed than to be a mouse and hide in a hole.’”\nHe did not live beyond that weekend. The National received photos of Soheil’s bloodied body, which were too graphic to publish, showing a large wound bound with stitches across the left side of his chest.\n“The bullet that had struck his chest unfortunately killed him,” Shah Hosein said. “The one that hit his heart had pierced his heart membrane. [The doctor], God bless him, tried very hard. But he couldn't save him.”\nSoheil was headstrong and angry about the state of his country. Still a teenager, he worked as a barber to bring in some money. He had joined in with previous protests in the hope of effecting change in his country, his father said.\nThe bullet had pierced his heart membrane. The doctor tried very hard. But he couldn't save him\nShah Hosein Almasi, Father of Soheil\nIran has been ruled by a clerical leadership since a revolution in 1979 that ousted the previous monarchy.\nThat government, currently overseen by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, imposes strict curbs on social and political freedom, opposed by many Iranian citizens. With external sanctions imposed by the UN, US and others on Iran, as well as internal corruption, the leadership has overseen a nosediving economy, lowering ordinary Iranians’ living standards drastically.\n“The freedom in his mind was to be a very normal human in a very normal country, not with lots of restrictions,” Soheil’s cousin Saeed Ranjbar, who lives in the UK, told The National in an interview.\nThe family was able to retrieve his body from hospital only after paying a bribe to members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s most powerful military force, Saeed said. “They [the IRGC] were looking for everyone. They did not take it [Soheil’s body] out of the hospital, but they shut the door and said they needed to ‘do something’”, Saeed said.\nOther families of protesters have reported similar experiences, including coming under pressure from authorities to document false causes of death.\nScepticism over nuclear talks\nReal change for Iranians will not come about through nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, because the regime will not enter into any agreement that threatens its ideology, Saeed believes. A third round of talks mediated by Oman took place in Geneva on Thursday, as the US and Iran attempt to hammer out a deal for limitations on Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.\n“Nothing will happen in the talks,” Saeed said. “The brutal regime sticks to its ideology. They do not give up. Imagine if tomorrow the supreme leader of Iran said, ‘OK, I accept the deal.’ What will happen? They lose everything. I promise you, nothing will happen.”\nTehran denies any ambition of creating an atomic bomb, but insists on retaining some nuclear enrichment capability and says it will not negotiate over its ballistic missile programme or support for regional militant groups in Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. Before departing Iran for the talks, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was a “historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement” and said a deal was reachable but only if diplomacy is given priority”.\nIf diplomacy fails, US President Donald Trump has threatened to carry out military strikes on Iran and said “bad things” will happen if no deal is reached. The US has already carried out the largest deployment of airpower to the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to an assessment by the International Crisis Group think tank, in apparent posturing to attempt to obtain concessions during negotiations with Tehran.\nGiven the brutal crackdown on protests last month, many Iranians already feel like they are at war, said Saeed.\nThe US-based Human Rights Activists group has confirmed more than 7,000 people were killed during last month’s protests in Iran and is working to confirm another 11,700 cases. Tens of thousands more were arrested for participating and some face a death sentence for doing so.\nMany people inside Iran believe stronger international action is needed, including military support, “so the Iranian people are not facing the regime’s weapons alone”, Saeed said. “Life and businesses in Iran right now have become very unstable. People feel tired, frustrated and they are left alone against the heavily armed system.”\nOther Iranians inside and outside the country have said they oppose the idea of US military strikes on the country. That is either because they support the current government, or they oppose the regime but also have deep concerns about what system could replace it.\nOff the streets, protests continue\nDespite the bloody crackdown on protesters, Iranians have continued to display opposition to their government more prominently than at almost any time in the past. That points to the depth of their grievances and the lack of any real change that might dampen their vocal anger.\nKnown as a “chehelom”, the service marks 40 days since a person died and is an important part of Iranian culture.\nMany families, including Soheil’s, snubbed traditional mourning rituals in favour of loud singing, dancing, clapping and chanting, making graveyards new spaces for protest.\n“They think organically that this type of resistance looks like singing songs, putting flowers on the cars, distributing sweets and many other things, are things that the government doesn't want,” Saeed said of the mourners turned demonstrators. “They do something against the government. It looks like a fight with the government.”\nMourners came under pressure from security forces, who were present at chehelom services and used drones to survey them, Saeed said.\n“There were lots of security around them, and drones,” he said. “One of my close friends said people did not care about their troops, about the security. They didn't. They were chanting so much against the IRGC, too. They support the crown prince Palavi and his grandfather.”\nSaeed is among those Iranians who support a return of Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, to oversee a transition from the Islamic Republic. Activists inside the country have frequently shouted pro-Pahlavi slogans and demanded his return, although others have voiced caution over the idea of him doing so.\nStudents have over the past week also renewed their protests, which have so far remained confined to campuses but have the potential to spread. In an apparent sign of attempts to stymie them, the head of Iran’s judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Wednesday that he had written to the Minister of Science demanding he hand over the names of people who had “committed crimes”. If that request went unanswered, the judiciary “will be forced to identify and take action, and naturally the cost will increase”, Mr Mohseni Ejei wrote in a message on X.\nStudents have burnt the national flag, which they associate with the Islamic Republic’s rule, and chanted against its clerical leadership, occasionally clashing on campus with IRGC paramilitaries known as the Basij.\nStudents’ willingness to come out and protest despite the dangers is a sign that a threshold of fear has been broken, Saeed said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T16:15:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxON0JRVWUxcHVDMXJ5aFZQSF9VTFZTeVNZaEhBd1hoMWwwUEh3Y01VdkxvMHItVkxkNk82d2FRLU9LcktmcmJpOG4xQTdoT3dnektmRXQ2eDJzN0g3OEJTcFRueWVRU29kaDFCTDl2S2Nwa3dIb3BEeDNubS1mZWFPQzZ3NHJhemZ4c2pJ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_89f721948929",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "US military builds up the largest force of warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades - AP News",
    "body_text": "US military builds up the largest force of warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades\nUS military builds up the largest force of warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades\nWASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is building up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, as President Donald Trump warns of possible military action against Iran if talks over its nuclear program fall apart.\n“It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal,” Trump has said. “Otherwise bad things happen.”\nTrump likely will have a host of military options, which could include surgical attacks on Iran’s air defenses or strikes focused on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, experts say. But they warn that Iran could retaliate in ways it did not after attacks last year by the United States or Israel, potentially risking American lives and sparking a regional war.\n“It will be very hard for the Trump administration to do a one-and-done kind of attack in Iran this time around,” said Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group. “Because the Iranians would respond in a way that would make all-out conflict inevitable.”\nTrump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its nuclear program and, earlier, over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.\nAircraft carriers bolster US presence\nThe aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers have been in the Arabian Sea since the end of January after being redirected from the South China Sea.\nThe strike group, which brought roughly 5,700 additional service members to the region, bolstered the smaller force of a few destroyers and three littoral combat ships already in the region.\nTwo weeks later, Trump ordered the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, along with three destroyers and more than 5,000 additional service members to head there.\nThis will bring the Navy’s presence in the region to at least 16 ships and it will dwarf the 11-ship fleet that was, until the Ford’s departure, stationed in the Caribbean Sea.\nMore aircraft have arrived\nNumerous additional U.S. fighter jets and support aircraft also have touched down in the Middle East and bases in Europe.\nMore than 100 fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s and F-16s, left bases in the U.S. and Europe and were spotted heading toward the Middle East by the Military Air Tracking Alliance. That team of about 30 open-source analysts routinely analyzes military and government flight activity.\nIt says it also has tracked more than 100 fuel tankers and over 200 cargo planes heading into the region and bases in Europe in mid-February.\nAdding to that force, the United States has moved 12 F-22 stealth fighter jets to a base in Israel, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military movements.\nSatellite photos from Planet Labs PBC of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan that were analyzed by The Associated Press showed more than 50 aircraft, nearly all likely part of the American buildup. There could be more in hangars.\nSteffan Watkins, a researcher based in Canada and a member of the MATA, said he also has tracked support aircraft, like six of the military’s early-warning E-3 aircraft, head to a base in Saudi Arabia. Those are key for coordinating operations with a large number of aircraft.\nThe massive wave was preceded by the arrival of Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles. U.S. Central Command said on social media that the fighter jet “enhances combat readiness and promotes regional security and stability.”\nAt the time, analysts of flight-tracking data also noticed dozens of U.S. military cargo planes heading to the region.\nThe activity is similar to last year when the U.S. moved in air defense hardware, like a Patriot missile system, in anticipation of an Iranian counterattack after the June bombing of three key nuclear sites.\nIran launched more than a dozen missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar days after the strikes.\nExpectations of retaliation\nSeth Jones, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it’s important to note that the U.S. is not deploying a major ground force.\nThe U.S. deployed more than 500,000 troops during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s and roughly 250,0000 American forces in Iraq in 2003.\n“So there are substantial limits to the force package,” he said of the current military assets in the region.\nThe U.S. military buildup is technically the region’s largest since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, even though the resources moved for the war dwarfed current assets, said Michael O’Hanlon, a defense and foreign policy analyst at the Brookings Institution.\nO’Hanlon said the U.S. could simply use long-range B-2 bombers, as it had in June, if it wanted only to strike what is left of Iran’s nuclear program. The forces in place now are clearly designed for attacking targets in Iran and defending against retaliation.\nMany likely expect Iran to “just keep firing drones and cruise missiles back at Israel and American bases in regard to almost anything we might do,” O’Hanlon said. But he said Iran could go bigger and broader, especially if its leadership feels targeted.\nVaez, the Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, said Iran is unlikely to limit its response as it did after the U.S. struck its nuclear facilities in June. Iran had signaled when and how it would retaliate with the attack on the military base in Qatar, allowing American and Qatari air defense to be ready and doing little damage.\n“They have now come to the conclusion that the only way that they can stop this cycle is to draw blood and to inflict significant harm on the U.S. and Israel, even if that comes at a very high price for themselves,” Vaez said.\nBehnam Ben Taleblu, Iran program senior director at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Iran is still believed to have ballistic missiles that can strike its enemies in the region.\n“The Islamic Republic may think that would be a deterrent to Trump, whereas in reality, that might be an inducement to move the president from a limited operation to a larger one,” said Taleblu, whose think tank has long been critical of Iran and has been sanctioned by Tehran.\n___\nAssociated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T16:35:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNODdOTkg1dmd2ek0yWmRIN0RyaDh1ZmM2em5TZFFSdlNUblphZlN1Z2tndFRtNHV4TWJhdndNZVVsT2xNRVNrTXE2alp4U3EyQXhmcnZaaV9CTE83WGNwb2hRTTRQaDYwMnhfU3hXeWJoby04djhLeDZ3UlBXa1dmY2Y5b2w1b1NkZDlRamk5b1pQSHowcTNWUmkwS19zYnVLMUE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5cad7eb3ee42",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "British warships exit Gulf as Iran conflict looms for US - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "The UK’s Royal Navy no longer has any warships in the Arabian Gulf, despite the looming prospect of war with Iran.\nHMS Lancaster, Britain’s last frigate in the region, left late last year, while the UK's sole remaining minesweeper, HMS Middleton, is under orders to leave in March.\nA serving Royal Navy officer told The National that it was “symptomatic of decades of under-investment” that one of the world’s major fleets could not sustain a Gulf presence.\nFor the first time since 1980 there will be no British warship in the Gulf when HMS Middleton leaves Bahrain, just as two US carrier strike groups prepare for operations against Iran in the region.\nNavy sources confirmed to The National there are no plans to replace the ship, although there is a suggestion that a Type-45 destroyer could deploy in the event of conflict.\nHowever, the Middleton will be replaced by a British drone minesweeper that can track and identify undersea threats in the Gulf.\nRoyal Navy motor boat Harrier could ultimately replace manned mine countermeasure vessels, with the ability to tow a sonar behind it scouting for mines on the seabed while alerting other ships at sea and headquarters ashore.\n'Blind eye'\nThe situation is blamed largely on the navy’s escort fleet being badly depleted to hit a new low, with only six destroyers and seven frigates, plus two aircraft carriers.\n“This problem has been decades in the making and it was always going to come to a head around now,” said former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe. “It’s deeply unfortunate that it coincided with the largest period of instability in the region in recent times, with the possibly of another war getting ever closer.”\nDefence sources told The National that despite promises of more cash this had yet to be “uncorked” by the Treasury. Mr Sharpe accused the government of “not doing anything like as much as they should to even slow the decline, much less reverse it”.\nThe serving navy officer added that successive governments had been warned about underfunding but “have chosen to turn a blind eye”.\n“How is it possible that one of the leading blue water navies is not capable of maintaining a permanent ship in one of the most volatile places where there's been a sustained UK national interest for hundreds of years?” he asked.\nIn a sign of the low morale among Britain’s armed forces, another officer said: “The reality is, like much of defence, the navy has been hollowed out with three decades of disinvestment and nobody is actually building us new frigates.”\nBut it is hoped that by 2030 the situation will change when the new Type 26 and Type 31 frigates become operational.\nThe withdrawal is also probably a consequence of US President Donald Trump’s demand for greater security in the High North. Britain announced this month that one of its aircraft carriers would deploy to the Arctic, which will also need frigate and destroyer escorts.\nTrainers not sailors\nVice Admiral Steve Moorhouse, commander of the Royal Navy fleet, defended the Middle East decision, saying the Gulf states preferred training over a warship presence.\n“When you look at what we’re offering now into the Middle East, it’s a more modern offer for what the regional partners want,” he told The Daily Telegraph.\nWhile he admitted that the withdrawal was down to the navy’s low numbers, he said Middle East allies were more interested in anti-piracy training and tackling sea mines.\nBritain is in command of an outfit called Combined Task Force 151, which deals with counter-piracy and maritime security across the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin, a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said.\nThe UK's Maritime Component Command headquarters in Bahrain continues “to be central to our military operations across the Middle East”, she added. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting stability and peace in the Middle East by working closely with our allies.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T16:40:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxNb09zb1VsWk1sSFA0VzdXN3hJaUdnY1B1eUxrdXhRY0xJNndmdTZrX3hmTjJhVzlNUnZuSVU0Vmo4d1cxWkFJTEFSWmxWSzA0Wmw0WFJyUmtrSHVjN20zMU1fSElYWjd6bnY2dk11SWcyMTE2QWxDQzZKVUNxWlhnTDlSR3ltNUV5bF9uQ3FBNHA3X1RqdlZKNG9PbWh5UXZObXRWSXRyUGJmNWUzOERz?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_05cbf6de39dc",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran and the chimera of capitulation - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran and the chimera of capitulation\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T17:35:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE83NnR2OGV0UlVka1V1b2Nkb0F3WjF5RFRWVlg4QWY1d0pnaEEzSE05NktnSjlzV09wSnU1cHl4UjlQRlRpTVJBZXNISEVtVVFKeEw3LU1fN3hxZThMU0lnNlNEYTlXVGowdHkxVXEtN24?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4346b7d082b1",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Young Iraqis tricked into joining Russia's war in Ukraine - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Young Iraqis have been tricked into joining the Russian army to fight against Ukraine after being offered visas to work or study in Russia, Iraq's National Security Advisory said on Thursday.\nTwo people have been sentenced to life imprisonment after 17 were arrested over the “incorrect and illegal” recruitment procedures, security official Saeed Al Jiyashi said in a statement to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. Others are currently on trial.\nMr Al Jiyashi did not say whether the suspects acted individually or were linked to any groups.\nSome Iraqis had been offered work or study visas in Russia that “transform into recruitment contracts”, he added. Some had found themselves as prisoners of war by Ukraine, he said. Others are believed to have signed up voluntarily.\n“The Iraqi government has taken the issue of Iraqi recruitment into the Russian army very seriously,” Mr Al Jiyashi said. He said Iraq had told Russia that the procedures are “incorrect and illegal, as they involve young Iraqis in this war”.\n“This is done through deception and manipulation, using contracts or studies within Russia that then transform into recruitment contracts,” he said.\nHaving set its sights on the swift capture of Ukraine in 2022, Russia's army has become bogged down in a four-year war that has depleted its forces and ammunition. Estimates suggest that about 200,000 Russian troops have died\nMr Al Jiyashi said Iraqis arriving in Moscow were forced to take part in the war. In one case, he said, an Iraqi artist took to social media to reveal his “coercion through a fraudulent contract”.\nHe added that the Iraqi government has contacted Ukraine to secure the release of conscripts. Iraq hopes to raise the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has opened a hotline for those affected.\nMr Al Jiyashi said a delegation would soon visit Moscow to establish how many Iraqis had been recruited. As a precautionary step, scholarships and studies in Russia have been suspended in 2026.\nRussian law allows foreign residents who speak Russian to join its military under contract. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow significantly relaxed these rules to make it easier for foreigners to enlist, often in exchange for fast-tracked Russian citizenship.\nUnofficial figures put the number of Iraqis recruited into the war at around 5,000, with 3,000 fighting for Russia and 2,000 for Ukraine.\nIt is unclear who is involved in organising the recruitment, but Iraqis typically obtain tourist visas from travel agencies who make all other arrangements, Iraqi officials said.\nThe recruits are paid up to $20,000 once they sign the contract, plus a monthly payment of about $3,000 which depends on the areas and missions they are deployed in. There are also promises of a piece of land and passports after one year, it is believed.\nThe Russian Embassy in Baghdad last year arranged trips to Moscow for the families of Iraqis who had been killed to pick up their bodies, or see wounded sons.\nOn Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of recruiting more than 1,700 Africans, adding that Moscow was using deception to trick them into fighting.\n“We clearly see that Russia is trying to drag African citizens into a deadly war,” Mr Sybiha told a news conference. “According to our data, there are currently over 1,780 citizens from the African continent fighting in the Russian army.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T17:48:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxPM0JLck0zLXNzNHUwaFR3Tmdsd3o1YmZGbkxKdW8tQmJhNHJjREhtTVhzVmdfWFhFSTMyM0Q5cTJRdzlrbUlyeGpobUJYNnZEZVZLX05oWDVpYUxmQzh4cG5ldUhNQlpHN3RCTUJLUE8wSG0zQ2FmWmFfbG1QM3d2Z3JKRFRKdlF6RlV3dm1uVXVsMS1QSWhXeGtKWUJjYmpMNTllbEFQNU1wWDdsajk2WVZCYy1ZTlVQeHlzalB1MA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0cd62ac38708",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US and Iran make ‘progress’ in nuclear talks, mediator says - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US and Iran make ‘progress’ in nuclear talks, mediator says\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T17:58:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFA5RUxCT1VsY2MwQzJnYi0zVTItQVYzSmEzdklraTgzX2o0S3NGVWRNTTF3RWZILVNpN25qdm5rXzFnejBKRlhQNkNISkRMeTdDUVFlcXJJeU0wM1JUMWJJRWdSd1YxQWhORlFiOGlXeXc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f0b8637bc8ba",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'Trump logic:' How Trump went from declaring victory over Iran to the cusp of a new war - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "'Trump logic:' How Trump went from declaring victory over Iran to the cusp of a new war\nThe US “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme in June, President Donald Trump boasted on Tuesday during his State of the Union address, just before adding that the Islamic Republic is now on the verge of starting it “all over again”.\nTrump’s envoy Steve Witkoff was even more definitive. He told Fox News on Sunday that Iran was “probably a week away from having industrial grade bomb making material”.\nTrump is in a bizarre position, experts say.\nTo rationalise a new war on Iran, his administration is contradicting the very military success it has been taking credit for.\n“Both of the statements coming out of the Trump administration cannot be true,” Sina Azodi, director of the Middle East Studies programme at George Washington University, told Middle East Eye.\n“Trump can’t have successfully destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme, or substantially set it back, and now, less than a year later, it’s a threat to the US,” Azodi said.\n“Witkoff’s statement was true in June, right before the US attack, but it’s not true now.”\nDoes Israel have escalation dominance over Trump?\nThe US capped off an Israeli attack on Iran in June 2025, when it bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. At the time, Trump signalled that the operation, dubbed \"Midnight Hammer\", drew a curtain on the Iranian nuclear saga and that he was moving on.\n“We may sign an agreement…I don't care if I have an agreement or not…We destroyed the nuclear… It’s blown up to kingdom come. I don’t care very strongly about it,” he said when asked if he planned to restart nuclear negotiations.\nThe battlefield damage assessment of the US strike was hotly debated over the summer.\nTrump’s own Pentagon contradicted his claim that the programme had been annihilated, saying the US strikes on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites set Iran back up to two years.\nTo be sure, the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is still unknown, but there are no signs Iran is enriching uranium again.\nIn general, analysts say that even if the US is concerned about the nuclear programme, it has ample time to negotiate.\nFor a while, Trump appeared to move on. He started discussing Iran’s nuclear file again at the end of December, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House.\n“I hear that Iran is trying to rebuild its nuclear sites, and if they do, we will strike them again,” he said, adding a new justification for an attack: Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.\n“Why is a war back on the table? The only thing that comes to mind is lobbying by Benjamin Netanyahu,” Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, told MEE.\n“The fact that Netanyahu flew to the US when this started to escalate is significant,” Bandow added.\nFirst nukes, now ballistic missiles\nIsrael decimated Iran’s air defences in June. Using American warplanes like the F-35, modified for long-range flights without refuelling, Israel targeted Iranian commanders, weapons installations, and ballistic missile launchers.\nMEE has reported that Iran is rebuilding its air-defence with the help of China.\nTwo Arab officials also told MEE that Tehran is replenishing its stockpile of ballistic missiles. Iran was able to rain missiles down on Israel until the final minutes of a ceasefire in June, depleting Israel and the US’s stockpile of expensive interceptors.\n“The ballistic missiles are very important to this because they worked quite well in the 12-day war. Iran’s proxies failed to deter Israel, and the nuclear programme failed. Iranians learned the only pillar of domestic defence that worked was their missile programme,” Azodi told MEE.\n“The Israelis want the US to take care of the problem for them and make Iran a vassal state they can bomb without repercussions,” he added.\nUnlike in June, when US officials rationalised their strikes solely on Iran’s nuclear programme, they are suggesting that Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal is a casus belli, or justification for war.\n“They (Iran) have already developed missiles that could threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said in his State of the Union address.\nHe appeared to be referring to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, or ICBMs. In a report last year, the US Defence Intelligence Agency said Iran could develop a military viable ICBM by 2035, in nine years' time, if it wanted.\nThe Trump administration has since amplified that talking point.\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran was not willing to negotiate with the US on its ballistic missile programme, which he called a “big problem”.\n“Now they are talking about ballistic missiles reaching the US. This feels like a repetition of 2003 Iraq,” Azodi said.\n'Trump logic'\nBut for Trump, so much is personal, experts say.\nThe chances of a US strike are even greater because Trump “boxed himself into a corner” after a months-long military build-up in the region, Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator at the State Department, told MEE.\nThe US has two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East: the USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea, and the USS Gerald R Ford is in the Eastern Mediterranean.\nIn addition, there are guided missile destroyers, Thaad air defence systems and dozens of F-35, F-22, F-15 and F-16 warplanes. The US now has more military assets in the Middle East than at anytime since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.\nTrump started the build-up in January when Iran was convulsed by protests over a spiralling cost-of-living crisis whose joint culprits are crippling US sanctions and the Islamic Republic's mismanagement of Iran’s economy.\n'Trump has built his own justification. Everything begins and ends with him'\n- Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace\n“This started when Trump encouraged demonstrators to ‘take over government institutions’ and said ‘help is on the way’,” Miller told MEE.\n“None of Trump’s predecessors ever used that kind of language.”\nThe protest movement fizzled. Trump himself claimed credit for preventing the “killing” of demonstrators by assembling a military armada in the region to threaten Tehran.\nBut Rosemary Kelanic, a Middle East expert at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank, told MEE that the “build-up has taken on a life of its own”.\n“Every time military assets move, there is coverage in the media. Every time there is coverage, Trump is getting pressure from hardliners and Israel to use that equipment,” she told MEE.\nAnd for Trump, the optics matter.\nHe has been egged on by a mix of flattery and trolling from key advisors who want intervention. Advocates for a new war have drawn the parallel between Trump’s pledge to help protestors in Iran and former President Barack Obama’s “red line” in Syria.\n“The one thing you can’t do as president: talk like Reagan and act like Obama,” US Senator Lindsey Graham said on Fox News after Trump promised to help the Iranian protesters.\nA poll released by the University of Maryland earlier this month showed that just 21 percent of Americans want a war on Iran. Even among Trump’s Republican base, support hovers at just 40 percent.\n“There are no domestic constituencies that would be angry with Trump if he walked back,” Miller, now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told MEE.\n“But this is a man who said ‘the only constraints are the ones in my mind and my own conception of morality’. Trump does not want to become Obama,” he said, referring to an interview Trump gave at the beginning of 2026.\n“Trump has built his own justification. It’s Trump logic. Remember, everything begins and ends with him.”\nBuoyed by empire\nAlthough Trump pitched himself as an anti-war president, he has long revelled in what he sees as the fruits of his muscular foreign policy.\nIn 2018, he unilaterally withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran, which the latter was in compliance with. The sanctions he has imposed on Iran since then have decimated its economy, which allies like Lindsey Graham and Republican Senator Ted Cruz have used as a data set to argue that Iran is collapsing.\nTwo years later, Trump ordered the execution of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force. “I did that during my first term. Had a huge impact,” Trump said in his State of the Union Address.\nTrump’s third hit against Iran was Operation Midnight Hammer. Iran responded to the US bombing on its nuclear facilities with a carefully telegraphed strike on the US’s al-Udeid air base in Qatar.\n'They don’t trust Iran and know they can’t destroy Iran’s nuclear knowledge'\n- Rose Kelanic, Defence Priorities\n“The so-called experts warned Trump three times, 'if you [mess] with the Iranians, bad things will happen'. And nothing happened,” Miller said. “That’s a very impressive set of data points” for a US leader considering a fourth round of escalation, he added.\nTwo former US officials familiar with discussions in the administration told MEE that “regime change” continues to be discussed as a feasible option for Iran.\nAnalysts say that Trump is tempted to replicate the US’s attack on oil-rich Venezuela. In January, the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a brazen nighttime raid and has since tightened its grip over Venezuelan oil assets.\n“The Venezuela success buoys Trump into thinking he can take risks without consequences,\" Kelanic said.\nTrump would likely prefer a deal with Iran to a war, experts say, but his terms are likely so onerous that the Islamic Republic would be under intense pressure if it agreed.\nWitkoff, who is conducting the negotiations alongside Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has no official position in the administration, betrayed some of the US's thinking when he told a reporter that Trump was wondering why Iran has not “capitulated” in the face of his military buildup.\nWhile a deal with Iran would be welcomed by Trump's domestic base, he would also need to sell it as a success to Israel, experts say.\n“I can imagine Netanyahu telling Trump, I am under domestic pressure to strike Iran again, with the knowledge it would be hard for the US to stay out,\" Bandow, at the Cato Institute, told MEE.\n\"Effectively, Israel knows that they can drag Trump into a war. So, by his thinking, far better that he initiate it and be in control.\"\nIn the end, instead of bluffing the Iranians into a deal, Trump may end up giving Israel and interventionists in Washington the war they have wanted all along, Kelanic said.\n“They don’t trust Iran, and they know they can’t destroy Iran’s nuclear knowledge. That’s why they argue for regime change,” she said.\n“The ruthless option is to just smash the state and totally cripple it,” she said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T18:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxQOUJYY2dpbDhTLTVhNGJhSUJXMXdGVms3Ynd1WURPNjBaYUhsdDRiR2d6UUhUbTJfeDh1UmJhNmJVRDR4MFVKTlQzS2ZOWmRpYkEzQVlUZnAzWjZzcFNkZFZHU0N2YkVDUGFJWmY5VzhtN3VObEJLeVlVSTlPVVhiNjR5aDhsbFhnTEVhSzJvMGhpcDRZS3B5azdwQU9yYzlSaURZQg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f52c0a604638",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US-Iran tensions: How Trump was dragged into war - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US-Iran tensions: How Trump was dragged into war\nThere is a chilling but uncanny resemblance in the way that US President Donald Trump is preparing to attack Iran, and the way that Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to invade Ukraine.\nEach leader approached the prospect of war emboldened by a military campaign they hailed as a stunning success. For Putin, it was his campaign in Syria. For Trump, it was toppling Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.\nBoth men have cut themselves off from reality by surrounding themselves with rings of sycophants.\nPutin has gathered around him strategists and theologians, each vying with the other to be more hardline.\nOne advocated the use of a tactical nuclear device in Ukraine. Another suggested that detonating a nuclear torpedo off the coast of Lancashire and sending a radioactive tsunami over Britain’s aircraft manufacturing industry would be a good idea.\nAll viewed Ukraine as a proxy battlefield for a broader war with the US and Europe. Putin posed as the veteran holding them back.\nTrump, meanwhile, thinks that a defeated Iran will unlock a new Middle East. The equivalent of this circus of sycophants around Trump is Fox News, from where he has drawn Pete Hegseth, his secretary of war.\nIn both Russia and the US, the power to launch a devastating war begins and ends in the heads of their presidents. In Trump’s case, this is something to boast about: “I am the one that makes the decision,” Trump said on Monday. “I would rather have a deal than not, but if we don’t make a deal, it will be a very bad day for that country.”\nStriking range\nBoth leaders are free from any functioning system of checks and balances - unlike in the days of the Cold War, when wars were collective and calculated decisions. They still proved to be disastrous.\nPutin thought - and Trump still thinks - that war would be quick and painless, viewing their targets as low-hanging fruit ripe to pick. Neither man was, nor is, prepared for a long war.\nPutin was so confident that Ukraine’s government would collapse like a pack of cards, but his troops quickly ran out of fuel, food and things as basic as a change of socks. The result was that the columns of Russian tanks and troops faced enormous logistical challenges from day one of the invasion, and soon got bogged down.\nTrump has started to use the language of former US President George W Bush in searching for an excuse to attack Iran\nIn the case of Iran, Trump has sent an aircraft carrier into striking range with few working toilets and a crew that has already been on deployment for eight months and is showing obvious signs of stress.\nWhen the Ukraine invasion turned into a fiasco, Putin fired 150 agents from the Federal Security Bureau and sent a senior intelligence chief to prison; failure is never his own. Trump has the same tendency to blame everyone but himself for his catastrophic decisions.\nPutin installed a long white table between himself and his war cabinet when Covid-19 was raging through Russia, and Trump has built an equivalent structure in his White House against the ingress of any germ of doubt.\nWhen General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently briefed Trump and other senior advisers in the White House, he had three main talking points that jarred with the narrative the president was trying to construct.\nCaine said that US forces amassed in the Middle East could sustain a “small or medium” strike, but not a long war; that there would be a potentially high risk of American casualties; and that they would use so many missiles so quickly that the action could deplete US weapons stockpiles, according to The New York Times.\nIn Trump’s rendering of the same briefing, Caine told him that any military action ordered would be “something easily won”.\nSigns all around\nBut Caine’s doubts notwithstanding, a war is surely coming. This time, no one has to read tea leaves. The signs of an upcoming war are all around, in bright neon lights, wherever you happen to be in the Middle East.\nJordan’s skies are buzzing with intense US military activity. US troops redeployed from Iraq are appearing at a base in Lebanon, which Iranian media is telling the locals they know all about.\nEleven F-22 Raptors have landed at Ovda Air base in Israel’s Negev desert. They flew from RAF Lakenheath in the UK, supported by seven aerial refuelling tankers.\nNote this is after the UK government put it around that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had refused permission for British air bases to be used as a launchpad for an attack on Iran. Weasel words.\nIsrael’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, told the Knesset that all political differences with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be “put into deep freeze” in case of war with Iran.\n“As in the past, I will mobilise for Israeli public diplomacy and strengthening Israel’s international status,” Lapid said. “As in the previous attack, I will go wherever necessary, from CNN to the British parliament, and tell them: ‘You know that I am the head of the opposition, you know that Netanyahu and I are rivals, but Iran must be attacked with full force, the rule of the ayatollahs must be overthrown.’”\nHospitals in Israel are preparing for war. They are repurposing underground car parks for acute wards.\nAnd last but not least, Trump has started to use the language of former US President George W Bush in searching for an excuse to attack Iran. Bush justified the 2003 Iraq invasion by maintaining that the US was in imminent danger of Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which proved to be nonsense.\nIn his latest State of the Union speech - which, like Putin’s two-hour news conferences, broke the record for length - Trump said that Iran was “working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America”.\nHours before that speech, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, claimed that Iran was on the cusp of being able to generate bomb-making material. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material,” Witkoff said on the Fox News programme, “My View with Lara Trump.”\nLike Bush’s bogus claims about Saddam’s WMD, each exaggerated assertion is designed to show that the threat from Iran’s nuclear programme is imminent.\nCold calculations\nNot unnaturally, Trump’s decision-making process has been the subject of acute study in Iran itself. The country is faced with a man who, after all this time in office, still acts and thinks like a real estate dealer in Manhattan.\nHe is impulsive, erratic and emotional, but he is armed with stealth Raptors and cruise missiles.\nThe cold calculations are done by Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Vice President JD Vance. Witkoff, Kushner and Vance have a habit of melting into the background when a decision is taken, as we have seen throughout the faltering attempts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.\nAnd as we also witnessed last June, Trump is quite capable of pressing the “go” button while negotiations are still underway.\nWith such a huge buildup of naval and air power, Trump has left himself with no off-ramp, other than claiming an unprecedented Iranian concession\nWorryingly for anyone trying to second-guess him, Trump is erratic. This has become enshrined in the “Taco” theory: Trump Always Chickens Out.\nAaron David Miller, a former US-Middle East peace negotiator, has a variant of the Taco theory that still has Trump going to war. It is that he has boxed himself into a war he does not want.\n“He has put himself in a situation where unless he manages to extract a considerable concession from the Iranians to avoid a war he doesn’t want, he’s going to be forced into one,” Miller told The Financial Times. “This is a crisis of his own making.”\nTrump’s language on Iran today has changed from the sharp rebuke he gave Netanyahu for continuing to strike Iran after the US president had called for a ceasefire following the 12-day conflict last June.\nNetanyahu - who, unlike Trump, has a clear vision of what he wants an attack on Iran to achieve - has obviously been working on the US president with “intelligence” about how Iran has restarted its nuclear enrichment programme.\nWith such a huge buildup of naval and air power, Trump has left himself with no off-ramp, other than claiming an unprecedented Iranian concession at the talks taking place in Geneva and Oman.\nPreparations in Tehran\nUnlike Bush, Trump has not prepared the ground for a war at home or abroad. His excuses for the naval and air buildup have veered wildly from a vow to protesters that “help is on its way”, to ending a nuclear programme that he claimed last year to have obliterated, and lastly to a bizarre claim that Iran’s missiles could be a global threat.\nThere is no vote in the United Nations Security Council, and his allies in the Middle East have refused to allow US bases on their territory to be used as launchpads.\nIn contrast, Iran is prepared for a long war - or at least to withstand the first and second shockwaves with command and control intact. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has entrusted Iran’s top national security official, Ali Larijani, with the survival of the country in the event of the assassination of Iran’s top leaders. Every senior military and government official has four replacements.\nLarijani is an interesting choice as Iran’s wartime leader. A former parliamentary speaker, Larijani showed steadfast support for the country’s former reformist president, Hassan Rouhani. As such, he was disqualified from running in two presidential races by the Guardian Council, which cited insufficient executive experience.\nLarijani was also a strong supporter of the 2015 nuclear deal, which invited opposition from the principlists who argued then, and as it turned out rightly, that Iran would get nothing for the compromises it made.\nBut as a former member of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, Larijani has considerable executive security experience. He was secretary of the National Security Council, one of Iran’s most critical security posts, from 2005 to 2007. Larijani is Iran’s war leader.\nGrim determination\nTrump has asked why Iran has not capitulated in the face of the vast armada gathered within striking range of its borders. The answer is simple: this is a generation of Iranian leaders who have been honed by war. They have bitter, sometimes personal memories of the gas attacks launched by Saddam in the eight-year Iran-Iraq War.\nAn estimated one million Iranians, both military and civilian, were exposed to chemical warfare agents. More than 100,000 were documented to have received emergency medical treatment for chemical injuries.\nSaddam was at the time financed by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and supported by the US and Europe. German firms sent more than 1,000 tons of precursors of mustard gas, sarin, tabun and tear gas, enabling Iraq to manufacture the gases.\nIran has also prepared the ground in the Gulf. It has informed its neighbours that each US base in their countries will become a legitimate target for Iran in the event of war.\nIf Iran’s main oil terminal at Kharg Island is struck in a US-Israeli attack, all refineries along the Gulf will be vulnerable. To prepare for war, Iran has been loading almost three times the amount of oil it usually does onto tankers.\nThere is now a grim determination to prepare for war, shared by the two main political factions of Iran’s elite.\nIran faces two crises: an external one and an internal one, after the killings of thousands of protesters in the January uprising. Tens of thousands more have been arrested. But this leadership is not about to fold.\nThat much is known - but the great unknown is how China may react.\nAs Nelson Wong argues in these pages, China is unlikely to dispatch troops or engage in any direct conflict. It is saving a direct confrontation with the US for Taiwan.\nBut, Wong goes on to argue, “to interpret this as passivity would be to misread the nature of 21st-century great power competition”.\nRed line drawn\nChina’s support for Iran is real. Iran is a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is not a security pact, but China, Russia and Iran recently deployed naval vessels for joint security exercises in the Strait of Hormuz.\nLess visible has been the recent arrival of Chinese-made surface-to-air missile batteries in Iran, as part of an oil-for-weapons deal to bypass US sanctions. There are also unverified reports that Iran might have received fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter jets.\nAnd during Iran’s Air Force Day this month, a Chinese military attache presented a model of the J-20 stealth fighter to an Iranian air force commander. These are public gestures that serve as warnings, too.\nThis could be the war that proves to be the nemesis of both Trump and Netanyahu, the ultimate bridge too far\nWhat can be said with some certainty is that China has clearly drawn a red line against allowing regime change in Iran, which remains China’s top energy partner.\nThis, then, has all the makings of a real regional war, which so many other commentators and I have been warning about ever since Israel started its onslaught on Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.\nFuelled by his own ego and a sense that things are going wrong for him domestically, Trump is being propelled into a full-blown war that neither he, nor his forces, nor Israel has any capacity to control.\nThe two powers will be attacking a country four times larger than Iraq, which Bush attacked. The US under Trump is even less prepared than Bush was for the consequences of a prolonged war.\nWill Trump flinch at the last moment? Who knows. If he has any vestige of common sense, he should - for this could be the war that proves to be the nemesis of both Trump and Netanyahu, the ultimate bridge too far.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T20:06:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxQMG9wa1A5emtHOW5XR2NWWExUMFI0Y2hjN01Mdnd0bUdVbndXNzlmQzNWb3FyNHlOaDFLNXN1Sm1VbU01TkwyOHRrRFFVM2JldTZrOUVWMF9zM093RWNNOTJDSGplLUFhU2hGeDJxN1dyWV9VdXRJRk4wTER6d04xZTF1aHkzSE9sc0NhMA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1b5a1b929e5c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Netanyahu accused of inventing Knesset award for Modi - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Netanyahu accused of inventing Knesset award for Modi\nOn Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the \"Knesset Medal\" for his contribution to the Israeli and Jewish people.\nWithin hours, and predictably so, headlines in the Indian press proclaimed that Israel had presented Modi with its highest parliamentary honour.\nBut there were a few problems with the award.\nNo one had ever heard of such an award until it was announced during Knesset speaker Amir Ohana's opening remarks. And until the gold-plated bronze medal was draped around Modi's neck, no one had ever seen it.\nAccording to members of the Israeli opposition, Ohana had simply \"invented\" it. Before Modi's visit, it didn't exist.\nIn a report on Ynet, opposition members said the award was \"not in the regulations, and there is no committee or presidential approval for it\".\nMoreover, not only was it the first time that the award was being conferred, but there was no indication that it ranked as the Israeli parliament's highest honour either.\n\"This is a new honorary decoration on behalf of the Knesset and its Speaker, expressing appreciation and recognition for individuals and organizations for their significant contribution to the State of Israel and the Jewish people, and for their efforts to advance the Knesset's core values,\" a statement from the Knesset read.\n\"The committee that selected Prime Minister Modi to be the first recipient of the medal stated that he 'significantly strengthened ties between India and Israel and deepened strategic cooperation between the countries',\" it added.\nThere were, however, other oddities.\nOn Thursday morning local time, the official page on the Knesset website announcing the award was not operational. It was restored early on Thursday afternoon.\nThe Wikipedia page about the new award offered few details and showed that it, too, had been hastily created in the early hours of Thursday morning.\n'Non-existent medal'\nOpposition politicians said the conferral of a \"non-existent\" honour to Modi underscored the growing dysfunction of the Knesset under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.\n\"What we see in recent times in the Knesset is the total departure from the basic rules and traditions the Knesset was accustomed to, and everything is done in order to please Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government,\" Dov Khenin, a member of the Knesset, told Middle East Eye.\n\"The non-existent medal to Modi is just one more example of this,\" he added.\nKhenin said it was \"very unfortunate\" that the Knesset had turned into a tool for government policy rather than playing the role of an independent institution.\nThe criticism came as many opposition members boycotted Ohana's and Netanyahu's remarks before Modi's speech over the speaker's decision to exclude Supreme Court president Isaac Amit from the event.\nThe office of the Knesset spokesperson did not reply to MEE's request for comment by the time of publication.\nIn his remarks, Ohana said the award \"expresses our deep appreciation for his work to create a strategic alliance between Israel and India.\"\n\"His policy is an expression of a courageous, consistent and sincere friendship with the State of Israel, and of a firm stand by its side even in complex and challenging times,\" Ohana added.\nAccording to the Knesset, the medal features Israel’s state emblem, the Knesset building and the flags in the Knesset plaza.\nIt is also said to feature the biblical verse, “Hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Psalms 8:6), next to olive branches.\nOn X, Modi thanked Ohana for the gesture.\n\"This is a great honor for me to receive the Knesset Medal. I accept it with humility and deep gratitude.\n\"This is not an award for a single individual, but an expression of the strong and enduring friendship between India and Israel. It reflects the shared values that guide both our nations,\" Modi wrote.\nEarlier, during his address, Modi highlighted the deep ties and friendship between India and Israel and condemned the events of 7 October 2023, describing them as \"a barbaric terror attack carried out by Hamas\".\n\"We feel your pain. India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction in this moment and beyond. Nothing justifies terror,” Modi said.\nIndia and Israel signed a raft of MoUs during Modi's visit in fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, agriculture, education, and commerce.\nThe duo also agreed to deepen defence ties, in what some are suggesting may be close to $10bn worth of deals in the coming years.\nBack in India, where support for Israel remains strong among Modi's base as well as among the business and media elite, there were pockets of criticism for his visit to Israel, with several accusing the prime minister of enabling the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where over 72,000 Palestinians have been killed.\nSince 7 October 2023, India has offered diplomatic and material support to Israel in its genocidal war in Gaza, even if it officially still holds a two-state solution as its official policy.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T20:31:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxNSzNMdThqa1FMbnRWMENEQnpVSDlFYXp3TFY5YXVQWWQyMlFhQ044bzUyRGhfLUZ0eUU2a0VZcFM0U2tkR0tab2FzMDVBSlUzQ185cG4tLS1LejZiRnhqeGxHRzF0cTB1Mk5mNHFrRXZvYUh5TkpPTXFMa3NjODJkZmtEbUpoWTRZdFEwbjJwc0s?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7fc0894a3ac9",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Steadies Before More Nuclear Talks Between the US and Iran - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Steadies Before More Nuclear Talks Between the US and Iran    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T20:36:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxOV1I5VkNvcDNWeGpNSGdrTklFWkVnVV9ZeWJraENDNGVGSEtIeU1tY1JNVjB1NHZrZ3c1SjFqQ1RHT283TVpKZzdpdmJpdVVWYk11aXBGbXNaYktrUzZ6b1dScVpkbk1YZEtXLXRjMTJIMTY5YUR2ZHhjVTh4c1draUNOdmlZTlB3aE9Qd0k1bXRNTFFvNHNjS0FtdXhLZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a9b42add6ef5",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Family of Francesca Albanese sues Trump administration over sanctions - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Family of Francesca Albanese sues Trump administration over sanctions\nThe family of United Nations special rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, is suing the Trump administration over sanctions it imposed on her for criticism of Israel and companies involved in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.\nThe civil complaint was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the Trump administration breached Albanese’s First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, unreasonably seized her property without due process, and violated sanctions laws.\nThe complaint asked the court to call the sanctions unconstitutional.\nThe case was filed by Albanese’s husband, Massimiliano Cali, a senior economist for the World Bank in Tunisia, on behalf of himself, Albanese and their daughter, who was not identified by name. Albanese and her husband are Italian citizens, but their daughter is a US citizen.\n“Francesca’s expression of her views about the facts as she has found them in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and about the work of the ICC is core First Amendment activity,” the lawsuit says.\n“At its heart, this case concerns whether Defendants can sanction a person - ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones, including their citizen daughter - because Defendants disagree with their recommendations or fear their persuasiveness,” the filing added.\nAlbanese was sanctioned in July by the US in connection with her work investigating genocide in Gaza, where over 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war on the enclave. The sanctions effectively barred her from travelling to the US and froze her assets there.\nShe previously told Middle East Eye that the sanctions have also cut her off from the global financial system, including by blocking her ability to carry out regular daily transactions.\nThe filing says the Trump administration’s sanctions have had a negative impact on Albanese, who not only has a US citizen daughter but also assets in the country, including a house in Washington, DC.\n'Enormous hardship'\nOn Thursday, Albanese told The New York Times that she had experienced “enormous hardship”, especially because of her links to the US and concerns that her family could be penalised for maintaining ties with her. “There is a criminalization of my motherhood and the family bonds I have.”\nUS sanctions carry heft because the US financial system underwrites the world economy. The US can also impose secondary sanctions on people or entities that engage in financial transactions with a sanctioned person.\nIn some cases, sanctions may not have a practical impact on a person who lives in a country that operates outside the US financial system. For example, Russia has turned to alternative payment networks following sanctions applied for its invasion of Ukraine.\nBut as an Italian citizen with a US citizen daughter, US sanctions could be debilitating for Albanese.\nAs part of her mandate, Albanese has issued three reports since October 2023, labelling Israel's war on Gaza as a genocide and denouncing the global economic and political systems that have supported Israel's war. She is not alone in her assessment; some of the world's foremost scholars and experts on the issue have drawn the same conclusion.\nIn an interview with MEE's Expert Witness podcast in November, where Albanese discussed the findings of her latest report, Gaza Genocide: A Collective Crime, she accused 63 states of enabling Israeli breaches of international law.\nShe said that despite overwhelming evidence of genocide and mass atrocities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Europe's most powerful states, including Italy, Germany and France, continue to provide diplomatic, military and political cover for Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T21:46:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxPYXFRS0stZ1d2Y19ZdmMzMkpTZnRIalo5Yzc0R0NWbjdSdGtxUWhxb0pWTlQtV2NlRkhTYkZYbm51V0RmTFR4dlMyYXZIVlNveGd5cG91OXB6LUxmeU02Qk5fd19uNHNycFJiWlVsa1NwV2ZfSExQelduTDhrOUdGdGZ6a0Y3U2IxSUNyMXQ2S2FzR091MmtBdFVzRXZvajNoN2ZN?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7f30580f705a",
    "source_name": "ap",
    "title": "What Americans think about Trump's judgment on military force as Iran talks resume: New AP-NORC poll - AP News",
    "body_text": "What Americans think about Trump’s judgment on military force as Iran talks resume: New AP-NORC poll\nWhat Americans think about Trump’s judgment on military force as Iran talks resume: New AP-NORC poll\nWASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. and Iran head into their next round of nuclear talks in Geneva, a new AP-NORC poll finds that many U.S. adults continue to view Iran’s nuclear program as a threat — but they also don’t have high trust in President Donald Trump’s judgment on the use of military force abroad.\nAbout half of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned that Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat to the United States, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 3 in 10 are “moderately” concerned and only about 2 in 10 are “not very” concerned or “not concerned at all.”\nThe survey was conducted Feb. 19-23, as military tensions built in the Middle East between the United States and Iran. The U.S. is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons, while Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment on its soil or hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.\nTrump, who scrapped an earlier nuclear agreement with Iran during his first term, has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its atomic program, which Trump claimed to have “obliterated” following the 12-day war in June where the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Trump has also threatened Iran over the killing of protesters. Both countries have signaled they are prepared for war if the talks on Tehran’s nuclear program fail, and the U.S. has assembled its largest military force in the Mideast in decades as tensions with Iran have risen.\nMost Americans, 61%, say Iran is an “enemy” of the U.S., which is up slightly from a Pearson Institute/AP-NORC poll conducted in September 2023. But their confidence in the president’s judgment when it comes to relationships with adversaries and the use of military force abroad is low, the new poll shows, with only about 3 in 10 Americans saying they have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of trust in Trump.\nEven some Republicans — particularly younger Republicans — have reservations about Trump’s ability to make the right choices on these high-stakes issues.\nMost US adults have concerns about Trump’s judgment on military force\nThe Trump administration this year has held two rounds of nuclear talks with Iran under Omani mediation, with a third round scheduled to begin Thursday. Similar talks last year between the U.S. and Iran about Iran’s nuclear program broke down after Israel launched what became the 12-day war in June.\nAP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on a poll showing American fears about both Iran and President Trump’s judgment on using military force abroad.\n“We are in negotiations with them,” Trump said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, which took place after the poll was conducted. “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon.”\nAmericans have significant reservations about Trump’s judgment on foreign conflicts, the AP-NORC poll shows. Only about 3 in 10 of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of trust in Trump’s judgment on the use of military force, relationships with U.S. adversaries or the use of nuclear weapons. More than half trust him “only a little” or “not at all.”\nOn each measure, Republicans are more likely than Democrats and Independents to trust that the president will make the right decisions. About 6 in 10 Republicans have a high level of trust in Trump, while roughly 9 in 10 Democrats have a low level of trust in him.\nBut some Republicans’ confidence is more qualified. Younger Republicans — those under 45 — are less likely than older Republicans to say they trust Trump “a great deal” or “quite a bit” on his use of military force. About half of younger Republicans say this, compared with about two-thirds of older Republicans.\nMany view Iran’s nuclear program as a threat\nThe new finding that 48% of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned that Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat to their country is in line with an AP-NORC poll conducted in July 2025, indicating that even with recent escalations between the two countries, Americans have not changed their views.\nBefore the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The U.N. nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — had said Iran was the only country in the world to enrich to that level that wasn’t armed with the bomb.\nIran has been refusing requests by the IAEA to inspect the sites bombed in the June war, raising the concerns of nonproliferation experts.\nWorries about Iran’s nuclear program cross party lines in the U.S., though Republicans are currently more concerned. Most Republicans — 56% — say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about Iran’s nuclear program, compared with 44% of Democrats.\nYounger Americans are less worried about Iran\nAmericans generally hold a negative view of Iran, but the view is sharper among older Americans.\nAbout 6 in 10 U.S. adults say Iran is an “enemy” of the United States, up slightly from 53% from the Pearson/AP-NORC poll from 2023. Roughly 3 in 10 say the countries are “not friendly, but not enemies,” and only about 1 in 10 Americans consider the two nations “friendly” or “close allies.”\nAt the same time, only about half of U.S. adults under 45 say Iran is an enemy, compared with about 7 in 10 Americans ages 45 and older. There is also a wide generational divide in concern about Iran’s nuclear program, with only about one-third of Americans under 45 saying they are highly concerned, compared with about 6 in 10 older Americans.\nTensions over Iran’s nuclear program have existed for decades, which may help explain why older Americans are more concerned. Nuclear talks had been deadlocked for years after Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.\n___\nLiechtenstein reported from Vienna. Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.\n___\nThe AP-NORC poll of 1,133 adults was conducted Feb. 19-23 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.\n___\nThe Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.\n___\nAdditional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T22:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxQQXFJS2QyYlhUN3NvY3VfY2lUNkRUclJXQ1JMd1BIdndzcEczX041bEp4YkFxMnktZXZHY2wwLU5NUkRFTlljTnRQSjFMVjBNQndacllfWHhPZDUzQlFFSjJSbXM5d1h3ME9rcWlMbWsweGgtRFA2RVpZYTVrT00tcmUzVThBWEVqa2dGSDdpVmU5eHJP?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d33ff16915da",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "'Intensive' US-Iran talks pushed to Vienna next week as Tehran offers nuclear pause - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Geneva hosts a third round of indirect US-Iran nuclear talks, with both sides expected to table detailed proposals mediated by Oman.\nForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi travels as President Masoud Pezeshkian signals a “good outlook,” yet key gaps persist over concessions and demands.\nThe US seeks curbs on ballistic missiles and regional support networks, while Tehran wants a nuclear-only focus tied to sanctions relief.\nMilitary tensions escalate as the USS Gerald R Ford nears the Middle East to join another carrier, amplifying the risk of conflict.\n\"I will never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon,\" the US President said, as Tehran rejects the accusation and warns of retaliation.\nThe US and Iran ended a third round of \"intensive\" nuclear talks late on Thursday, with a deal to resolve their stand-off still elusive as they prepare for a fourth meeting in Vienna next week.\nTwo sessions of talks stretched into the evening in Geneva as Iran reportedly offered to pause nuclear enrichment. The proposal may fail to satisfy what are described as \"tough\" American demands to ensure Tehran cannot develop an atomic bomb.\nOman's Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi, who is acting as a go-between, declared \"significant progress\" after the talks ended. \"We will resume soon after consultation in the respective capitals. Discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna,\" he said.\nA US aircraft carrier departed a Greek port on Thursday bound for the Middle East, where it could join what President Donald Trump calls an \"armada\" of military firepower, ready to strike if he gives the order.\nIran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said there were \"very serious proposals and initiatives\" on the table. \"Negotiations have been done in a very serious manner and intensive form,\" he said during a break in the talks.\nIran's offer includes a \"temporary suspension\" of uranium enrichment, Tasnim news agency reported. But it said Tehran had rejected demands to hand over its uranium stockpile or negotiate limits on its missiles and defences.\nThe proposal, in Tehran’s view, is a test of Washington’s seriousness and commitment to a diplomatic resolution, media reports added.\nThe Iranian offer may not be enought to satisfy the Americans. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US had brought \"tough demands\" to the talks, including dismantling Iran's enrichment sites and handing over enriched uranium to the US under a deal that would \"last forever\".\nThe indirect negotiations, taking place at the Omani embassy in Geneva, are the third since Iran agreed to resume the process this month, with discussions focused on proposals for a potential nuclear agreement. Oman's Foreign Minister, Badr Al Busaidi, is acting as a go-between.\n“We’ve been exchanging creative and positive ideas in Geneva,” Mr Al Busaidi said on Thursday afternoon. “We hope to make more progress.”\nIran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said a “fair, balanced and equitable deal” was within reach. President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran was not seeking to build nuclear weapons in response to US accusations.\nMeanwhile, Ali Shamkhani, adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said “an agreement could be reached immediately” if the core issue is ensuring Iran does not seek to build nuclear weapons.\nThe officials' assurances come as Washington doubles down on its accusations against Tehran. US Vice President JD Vance claimed on Wednesday that Washington had seen evidence of Iran rebuilding its nuclear programme. “The principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. In fact, we’ve seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that.”\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio also warned that Tehran was developing its intercontinental ballistic missile and that talks on Thursday would be largely focused on that, despite Iran repeatedly describing the matter as a red line. “I would say that the Iranian insistence on not discussing ballistic missiles is a big, big problem,” Mr Rubio said.\nIn his State of the Union address on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said Iran has already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and US bases overseas, and that they are working to build missiles \"that could soon reach the US\".\nIranian officials swiftly denied the remarks. Mr Aragchi described the claims as “fake news” and said Iran has capped the range of its missiles below 2,000 kilometres “for defence and deterrence”.\nTrump targets Iran in fiery State of the Union address\n01:32\nDespite negotiations, the danger of war still looms as both sides trade threats while keeping the door open to diplomacy.\nThe US now has significant firepower stationed within striking range of Iran, with a second American aircraft carrier approaching the region. Mr Trump has warned his “armada” is ready to attack if Tehran does not make a deal, giving the regime a deadline that is fast approaching.\nMeanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has repeatedly put its military might on show to warn of retaliation against any US strike, with the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning of sending US warships “to the bottom of the sea”.\nThe IRGC tested new firepower on Tuesday, one week after conducting live fire drills in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Russia also held joint naval exercises last week, as Tehran warned airlines of plans to launch rockets across the south of the country.\nMiddle East leaders have called for de-escalation, but expect the US to follow through on its military build-up to strike Iran, experts have warned. Additionally, indications show that Iran would fight back on a larger scale than during its 12-day war against Israel.\nSenior advisers to Mr Trump prefer that Israel attack Iran before the US launches strikes, according to Politico. “There’s thinking in and around the administration that the politics are a lot better if the Israelis go first and alone and the Iranians retaliate against us, and give us more reason to take action,” says one of the sources quoted in the report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T22:56:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPUkNmTkhfdzh2RlpTS1ZxSlliR3M2bkFud25IU3dobHVnc2wxMUN3TE9ZYnJBNVFpYVNqOGd2OG0ya0lnLWl2cVZ6OE5adUpjWVRQdDlxdjR0SjZFQTRGczNCUXJfOURTNW5rdTZlZm84NkI5Ry1mRVdEcVYtWUxlMDBlQ0k4ZHdqSkZwQi1SZ1lmNno4Y1FGdWpkZ09UaG0zOEswZzRBS0VUVzRHb25zZ0pB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7a7b92303262",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Ro Khanna to introduce sweeping resolution condemning Israeli settlements, settler violence - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Ro Khanna to introduce sweeping resolution condemning Israeli settlements, settler violence\nUS Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna is set to introduce a House resolution on Friday condemning Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and calling for accountability over escalating settler violence targeting Palestinian communities, according to a draft shared with Middle East Eye by his office on Thursday.\nWhile past congressional resolutions have criticised settlement expansion in broad terms, the California representative's measure adopts more specific language, condemning Israeli settler violence and referencing potential sanctions tools while also calling for a review of US policies that may indirectly subsidise settlement activity.\nThe non-binding resolution would not become law, but could formally put House lawmakers on the record regarding Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.\nThe resolution notably cites senior Israeli officials Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in the context of urging the use of US authorities to impose targeted sanctions on individuals implicated in “serious human rights abuses”.\nOn 8 February, the Israeli government approved sweeping changes to land registration and civil control in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which Palestinians say breach the Oslo Accords and advance de facto annexation.\nSmotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the changes would “dramatically” alter West Bank policy, paving the way for expanded settlements and land seizure.\nThe resolution also calls on US President Donald Trump to implement a “verifiable freeze” of development in the E1 corridor between East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, warning that construction in the area would undermine the territorial contiguity needed for a viable Palestinian state.\nThe US has historically backed a two-state solution as a matter of state policy.\nThe resolution calls on the Israeli government to immediately halt home demolitions and pause demolition orders across the occupied West Bank, including in communities such as Umm al-Khair, and to cancel land confiscation actions in areas like Sebastia while allowing affected residents “meaningful opportunities” to challenge such decisions through fair procedures.\nThe draft cites a number of localities affected by home demolitions, evictions, settlement activity, and land designations, including Khallet al-Sidra, the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan, and the archaeological site and town of Sebastia, which dates back to the Bronze Age.\nIt further urges Israel to halt approvals for additional settlements, evacuate unauthorised outposts, prevent their retroactive legalisation, and take effective steps to prevent settler violence and ensure accountability for perpetrators, including facilitating the return or restitution of displaced residents.\nMagnitsky Act\nBeyond actions directed at Israel, the resolution urges the US administration to use available sanctions tools, such as the Global Magnitsky Act, to impose measures against entities and individuals, including Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, that materially support settlement expansion or activities linked to demolitions, land confiscation, or displacement.\nThe Global Magnitsky Act has previously been used by the US to sanction individuals and entities accused of serious human rights abuses in countries including Russia, Saudi Arabia and China.\nAlthough the Biden administration authorised sanctions against individuals linked to Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, the measures largely focused on a small number of individual designations, none of whom were senior Israeli government officials.\nThe resolution also highlights how US double-taxation and foreign tax credit policies may effectively reduce taxes for American citizens living in Israeli settlements, which the text says could indirectly subsidise settlement expansion.\nKhanna has led multiple efforts on Capitol Hill related to Palestinian rights since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza and has been among the more vocal members of Congress criticising Israel’s military campaign and the US’s support for it.\nIn late summer of last year, he also spearheaded an effort to gather support in Congress for recognising a Palestinian state.\nKhanna has at times worked across party lines, including with Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who has been outspoken in criticising US policy related to the Gaza war, which has been recognised by the United Nations as a genocide. Over 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israel's assault.\nThe two congressmen sat together at the annual State of the Union address on Wednesday, showing a united front.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-26T23:06:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxPQ0dqNEtFVW45UXBuT0lidzVtQUVfbkg1VV9tRDN2MVZCX2JpazgtQmNhQVZfS09ZVXpyRjExNi1NM1ZXZlY4SDVGVUlKQVl3Zm1UNm9BU0VwdzNMX0hKaW9xblpzcnRkWWpEdlltNkozd3IzMkN3dXpYdzl3czY4bGE3Ulh4RDh1Q25HN2dhdHFCdm5GVDNQVFFuU21DaVA5cnlhdVpIX19xMVg3NGVBRjdicW1jLWdlRnNobFo0TQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e982d4d7f0ff",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US and Iran wrap up latest nuclear talks without a deal as the risk of war looms - AP News",
    "body_text": "US and Iran wrap up latest nuclear talks without a deal as the risk of war looms\nUS and Iran wrap up latest nuclear talks without a deal as the risk of war looms\nGENEVA (AP) — Iran and the United States held hours of indirect negotiations Thursday over Tehran’s nuclear program but walked away without a deal, leaving the danger of another Mideast war on the table as the U.S. has gathered a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the region.\nOman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who mediated the talks in Geneva, said there had been “significant progress in the negotiation” without elaborating.\nBut just before the talks ended, Iranian state television reported that Tehran was determined to continue enriching uranium, rejected proposals to transfer it abroad and sought the lifting of international sanctions, indicating it was not prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands.\nTrump wants a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests. Iran also hopes to avert war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.\nAl-Busaidi said technical talks involving lower-level representatives would continue next week in Vienna, the home of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United Nations’ atomic watchdog likely would be critical in any deal.\nIn an interview with Iranian state television, Iran’s foreign minister said the talks with the U.S. were some of the country’s “most intense and longest rounds of negotiations.”\nAbbas Araghchi offered no specifics but said “what needs to happen has been clearly spelled out from our side.”\nThe White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\n‘A very terrible scenario’\nThe stakes could hardly be higher.\nIf America attacks, Iran has said U.S. military bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets, putting at risk tens of thousands of American service members. Iran has also threatened to attack Israel, meaning a regional war again could erupt across the Middle East.\n“There would be no victory for anybody — it would be a devastating war,” Araghchi told India Today in an interview recorded Wednesday just before he flew to Geneva.\n“Since the Americans’ bases are scattered through different places in the region, then unfortunately perhaps the whole region would be engaged and be involved, so it is a very terrible scenario.”\nAP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports the US and Iran are holding a third round of nuclear talks as more American forces deploy to the Mideast.\nAli Vaez, an Iran expert with the International Crisis Group, said it was a good sign that the Americans did not walk away immediately Thursday when Iran presented its latest proposal.\n“There might still not be a breakthrough at the end of this day, but the very fact that the U.S. team is returning shows that there is enough common ground between the two sides,” he said.\nGeneva talks are the third meeting since June war\nThe two sides held multiple rounds of talks last year that collapsed when Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran in June and the U.S. carried out heavy strikes on its nuclear sites, leaving much of Iran’s nuclear program in ruins even as the full extent of the damage remains unclear.\nAraghchi represented Iran at the talks. Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and friend of Trump who serves as a special Mideast envoy, headed up the U.S. delegation with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The talks again were mediated by Oman, an Arab Gulf country that’s long served as an interlocutor between Iran and the West.\nThe two sides adjourned after around three hours of talks and resumed the discussions later.\nDuring the break, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Iranians felt there were “constructive proposals” offered on both nuclear issues and sanctions relief.\nTrump wants Iran to completely halt its enrichment of uranium and roll back both its long-range missile program and its support for regional armed groups. Iran says it will only discuss nuclear issues, and maintains its atomic program is for entirely peaceful purposes.\nUS suspects Iran is rebuilding its program\nU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program. He said that Tehran is not enriching uranium right now, “but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”\nIran has said it hasn’t enriched since June, but it has blocked IAEA inspectors from visiting the sites America bombed. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press have shown activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran is trying to assess and potentially recover material there.\nThe West and the IAEA say Iran had a nuclear weapons program until 2003. After Trump scrapped the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran ramped up its enrichment of uranium to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.\nU.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to restart a weapons program, but has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.” Some Iranian officials have spoken openly about the country’s readiness to produce a bomb if that decision is taken.\nThreat of military action sparks war fears\nIf the talks fail, uncertainty hangs over the timing of any possible U.S. attack.\nIf the aim of potential military action is to pressure Iran to make concessions in nuclear negotiations, it’s not clear whether limited strikes would work. If the goal is to remove Iran’s leaders, that will likely commit the U.S. to a larger, longer military campaign. There has been no public sign of planning for what would come next, including the potential for chaos in Iran.\nThere is also uncertainty about what any military action could mean for the wider region. Tehran could retaliate against the American-allied nations of the Persian Gulf or Israel. Oil prices have risen in recent days in part due to those concerns, with benchmark Brent crude now around $70 a barrel. Iran in the last round of talks said it briefly halted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil passes.\n___\nGambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Lidman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Will Weissert in Washington and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T03:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPTHcwR3V4eUZtLU1GbFhsWElIb3BRX2lQSFBZY2YxZ3FHNk1pNFdCT093TDZyUVh2bmR2dWpkQnloTGJIaF9XdEU5ejExX2xQblpHME5NeXdseGxxVUkwMFJjVTJnRE1YSzdyRWt2ZGVpZWFjUUVIWkJTaHdvMjNGNGdMbUktU05ERnp2bXN5cURrOGVpTUlV?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c45ee1351610",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Will China come to Iran's rescue? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Will China come to Iran's rescue?\nAs tensions between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance approach a critical juncture, a question echoes through global capitals, newsrooms and policy circles: will China come to Iran’s rescue? And if so, what would that assistance look like?\nThe answer defies the binary expectations of traditional military alliances. China is unlikely to dispatch troops or engage directly in any conflict, but to interpret this as passivity would be to misread the nature of 21st-century great power competition.\nChina’s support for Iran is real, multifaceted, and in some ways more sustainable than military intervention; it just operates on a different strategic wavelength.\nAt the UN Security Council, China has consistently deployed its most potent weapon: the veto-wielding power of principle.\nIn an emergency meeting last month, Chinese Ambassador Sun Lei delivered a stark message to Washington: “The use of force can never solve problems. It will only make them more complex and intractable. Any military adventurism would only push the region toward an unpredictable abyss.”\nThis is not empty rhetoric. China’s official position explicitly supports “safeguarding Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity”, while opposing “the threat or use of force in international relations”.\nBy anchoring its stance in the UN Charter and international law, China provides Tehran with something invaluable: legitimacy on the world stage, and a powerful counter-narrative to western pressure.\nStrategic alignment\nThe diplomatic calculus shifted fundamentally when Iran was formally approved in 2021 as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), joining China, Russia and Central Asian nations. This was followed by Tehran’s inclusion in the Brics bloc.\nThese are not military pacts, but they create something perhaps more enduring: a framework for permanent consultation and strategic alignment.\nLast year, Chinese, Russian and Iranian diplomats met in Beijing and agreed to “strengthen coordination” within international organisations such as Brics and the SCO. This institutional embrace means that any aggression against Iran is now implicitly an issue for the world’s most powerful counterweights to US hegemony.\nChina has constructed a new kind of shield for its partner: one forged not from steel, but from strategic patience, economic interdependence, and the architecture of a rising multipolar world\nWhile China avoids direct confrontation, it has not shied away from visible military cooperation. Earlier this month, Russia, China and Iran deployed naval vessels for joint security exercises in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. A Russian presidential aide framed these drills in the context of building a “multipolar world order in the oceans” to counter western hegemony.\nMore tangibly, news has emerged of significant defence cooperation. Middle East Eye reported last year that Iran had received Chinese-made surface-to-air missile batteries to rebuild its air defence capabilities, part of an oil-for-weapons deal that allowed Tehran to bypass US sanctions.\nSome reports have also suggested that Iran may receive advanced J-20 fifth-generation fighter jets, J-10C aircraft, and HQ-9 air defence systems, although there has been no official confirmation.\nThe symbolism is as striking as the substance. During Iran’s Air Force Day celebrations this month, a Chinese military attache presented a model of the J-20 stealth fighter to an Iranian air force commander - a gesture widely interpreted as signalling a new chapter in defence engagement between the two nations.\nMultipolar age\nPerhaps China’s most consequential support remains invisible on the battlefield, but visible in Iran’s national accounts. Despite US sanctions and pressure, China remains Iran’s top energy partner, with approximately 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports now directed to Chinese buyers.\nThe US has taken notice. The Treasury Department last year imposed sanctions on a Chinese refinery in Shandong province accused of purchasing more than $1bn worth of Iranian oil, with the Trump administration vowing “to drive Iran’s illicit oil exports, including to China, to zero”. China’s embassy in Washington responded by condemning sanctions that “undermine international trade order and rules” and “infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies”.\nWhile the China-Iran economic relationship has faced strains - Chinese state refiners have occasionally suspended purchases to avoid US financial risks - the overall trajectory is clear: China provides the economic oxygen that sustains Iran’s resistance to external pressure.\nSo if China is already providing diplomatic cover, institutional support, military cooperation and an economic lifeline, why doesn’t it go further? Why not send warships or explicitly threaten intervention?\nThe answer lies in strategic prioritisation. As is widely understood, Beijing's most pressing strategic goal is to achieve national reunification and, before this goal is realised, any actions that might unnecessarily and prematurely escalate comprehensive confrontation with the United States must be approached with extreme caution.\nMoreover, China believes that while significant US military action in Iran could inflict losses, regime change would be difficult to achieve. Under such circumstances, Beijing can adopt a model similar to its approach to the Ukraine conflict: refraining from direct participation while maintaining normal state-to-state relations with the party under attack, providing political and diplomatic support at the UN, and continuing economic engagement that doesn’t violate international law.\nWhat we are witnessing is not traditional alliance politics, but something new: a form of strategic partnership designed for a multipolar age. China offers Iran diplomatic protection, institutional integration, visible military cooperation and an economic boost - all without crossing the line into a direct confrontation that would trigger a wider war.\nFor those asking whether China will “rescue” Iran, the answer depends on definition. If rescue means troops and battleships, the answer is no. If rescue means ensuring that Iran can survive, resist, and eventually negotiate from strength, the answer is quietly, persistently and strategically yes.\nThis approach has already proven effective and difficult for adversaries to counter. In the shadow of potential conflict, China has constructed a new kind of shield for its partner: one forged not from steel, but from strategic patience, economic interdependence, and the architecture of a rising multipolar world.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T06:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidEFVX3lxTE9TRmlNNTRqYjJqMEhvVzlHc2dFLUIydUZQV3NOMHVvTy1EeDl3YUVIcjhJU2hfaVpkYm5CWjJmSnptcTVDM3JvMFpvUzVTVGtUZFlKbVhsdEJ5MjhlNkU3UXlSN3MyQjFiRDBYbzdZUm1KNEZM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_95e2e36c9c29",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Americans now sympathise with Palestinians more than Israelis, poll finds - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Americans now sympathise with Palestinians more than Israelis, poll finds\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T09:00:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE4wM1VqMDV1dTVSQU53UDZoWndvQWl6eHlpREhnaEZIbWs0Qm5kckhXd0YxZ2xMWWV0MFdLdGNKR2NrSU93MmpoYnMwWFNxSWlJUjhhTFlUTU5HWGx1ODJ3RWE4Rk5NOW90dmlXUEJ5dVg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fdf20f41f3cb",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "'They seized everything': Yemen's Houthi rebels drive aid groups to the brink",
    "body_text": "'They seized everything': Yemen's Houthi rebels drive aid groups to the brink\nAmina has been fighting to keep alive what's left of her humanitarian lifeline in Yemen. She feels heartbroken to see the aid group she founded years ago falling apart.\n\"I remember how 1,600 poor families were deprived of cash because the Houthis insisted on getting a share of the money,\" she says.\nLike many other local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Amina's operations have been highly restricted by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, the de-facto rulers of north-western Yemen.\nAmina says her NGO, which we are not identifying for security reasons, usually performs thorough checks on beneficiaries before handing out aid. \"The Houthis wanted to give cash to 300 families of their own selection,\" she says.\nShe asked the Houthis to put their request to the international donor, as she could not justify giving financial packages to families she knew nothing about. Ultimately, she says, the initiative failed and none of the 1600 families got any money.\nThe impoverished country has been embroiled in a civil war since 2015, which has resulted in more than 377,000 deaths and caused one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, with more than 22 million people requiring assistance, according to the UN.\nThis past year has proven to be exceptionally challenging.\nAmina, whose name has been changed for her safety, says her NGO has lost 90% of its funding and has had to lay off most of its 450 staff.\nShe recalls one incident when eight people died in a camp for displaced families that her organisation was trying to reach.\n\"Women's living conditions were unimaginable. We wanted to provide clothes and hygiene kits,\" she says. However, the Houthis denied access, citing security concerns, she adds.\nBefore scaling back her NGO's operation, Amina engaged in lengthy talks with the Houthis to keep it afloat. She bitterly remembers how she had to cancel a UN-funded project directed at women after the Houthis refused to grant her work permits before the deadline passed.\n\"They insisted we assign one of their own companies to carry out the agricultural project, otherwise we wouldn't be able to work,\" she explains.\nOther local and international NGOs tell a similar story.\nSince the Houthis - also known as Ansar Allah - seized control of the capital, Sanaa, from the government in 2014, then extended their grip over northern and western areas, humanitarian workers have been closely monitored and sometimes harassed.\nNGOs have complained about their staff being detained, assets confiscated, work permits delayed, and their work dictated by the Houthis' agenda.\nThey have also seen sharp cuts in funding from US donors since the Trump administration designated the Houthis as a terrorist organisation in early 2025.\n\"It became impossible to operate, because any NGO operation that involved any material support to Ansar Allah became illegal,\" says an official at an international NGO, who requested anonymity.\nShe says many local financial institutions were also sanctioned by the US, so \"the whole banking system became unstable, it was more difficult to access our money, and the international community became very careful about raising funds to Yemen\".\nAfter losing the US donations, \"more than 50% of our funding portfolio for Yemen went away\", leading to a complete halt of operations in northern Yemen, she adds.\nShe also says that leaving the north was not easy for her colleagues.\nOn their way out, all the NGO's assets, equipment, financial and human resources documents were confiscated by Houthi authorities, she recalls.\n\"While handing over our facilities to the landlords, the authorities came and tried to break down doors, then seized everything - generators, servers, computers.\"\nTheir requests to transfer archives and databases were denied, and if they want to resume their activities in Sanaa at any point, they will have to start \"from square zero\".\nTwo international aid groups, Save the Children and International Rescue Committee, suspended their work in Houthi-controlled areas last year.\nA UN official says the World Food Programme (WFP), which provided assistance to eight million people in Yemen in 2024, will terminate its decades-long operations in the country's north by the end of March.\nThat is despite the WFP warning that the already critical acute food security situation was expected to deteriorate further this year, with pockets of the population projected to face catastrophic levels of hunger in three Houthi-controlled provinces.\nAmina's tone shifts to clear anger as she accuses international donors of leaving local NGOs to face Houthi authorities alone and take all the risks.\nTalking to people inside Yemen has never been easy. Officials from the WFP, Save the Children, and other NGOs we contacted refused to go on the record, fearing Houthi retribution.\nMany international NGOs have local staff detained in Houthi prisons.\nThe UN says 73 of its staff \"remain arbitrarily detained\" by the Houthis, with some of these detentions going back to 2021.\n\"These detentions of humanitarian workers are having a profound impact on operations,\" the UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, reiterated this month.\nSaber, a former Save the Children staff member, fled a Houthi-controlled Yemen and is now based in the government-controlled south.\nSaber, not his real name, says he was gripped by fear after a colleague, Hisham al-Hakimi, died while in Houthi detention in October 2023. The father-of-four had been held without charge for more than a month.\nA WFP staff member also died in detention in February 2025.\nAmina says some of her staff were locked up for a few days more than five years ago. It came after they handed out financial aid packages to families based on their own needs assessment, overlooking a list of beneficiaries provided by the Houthis.\n\"I had to halt the operation, in this northern province, in order to secure the release of my colleagues,\" she says, adding that several of them were only able to return to work after receiving psychological support for a year.\nThe Houthis have accused detained humanitarian workers of being spies.\nLast October, the group's leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said in a speech that his group had arrested what he described as \"well trained spy cells operating under a humanitarian cover\", from organisations including the WFP and Unicef, the UN's childrens agency. The UN has rejected the allegations.\nLawyers defending the humanitarian staff have also been rounded up.\nThe BBC has repeatedly tried to contact Houthi officials for a response to the accounts we gathered but has not received a reply.\nOxfam, which has also seen some of its staff detained by the Houthis, is calling for enhanced global action to address the \"dire and rapidly deteriorating\" humanitarian needs in the north.\n\"Greater and sustained international support is urgently needed now to prevent the situation from worsening into an even more catastrophic crisis,\" says its Yemen country director, Farran Puig.\nFor locals like Amina, the future looks bleak.\nShe says the chances of survival for \"the independent humanitarian community, as we know it in northern Yemen\" are only getting slimmer.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T09:15:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4z129dq8vo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9d4ebad7b68b",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Nuclear deal 2.0: What Iran is offering and what Trump wants - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Tehran is willing to suspend high-level enrichment, dilute 60 per cent uranium and accept tighter IAEA inspections in exchange for sanctions relief.\nIran rejects dismantling its enrichment programme, permanent zero enrichment, irreversible centrifuge removal and unrestricted access to military sites.\nWashington seeks zero enrichment inside Iran, externalisation of uranium stockpiles and intrusive inspections, alongside controls on advanced centrifuges.\nTalks are shaped by recent military confrontation, damaged facilities and deep mistrust, making any agreement narrower, more fragile and harder to reach.\n“Dilution is on the table,” head of Information Council Elias Hazrati said, adding that Iran wants sanctions lifted.\nThe US and Iran are moving towards in-depth technical discussions over Tehran’s nuclear programme, with details of a potential agreement beginning to emerge in what could become a new deal.\nBoth sides have outlined their positions, but they remain far apart. What Iran appears willing to offer falls short of what Washington is demanding in exchange for sanctions relief and the avoidance of war.\nAs diplomacy over what US President Donald Trump once described as an “obliterated nuclear programme” unfolds alongside threats of military action, hopes are growing that an agreement can be reached before tension escalates.\nHere are the key elements announced so far of what could become a new nuclear deal to replace the 2015 accord.\nWhat Iran is offering\nIran has signalled willingness to accept limits on its nuclear activities, but not to dismantle its programme entirely.\nOfficials have indicated Tehran could suspend high-level uranium enrichment and dilute its existing stockpile of 60 per cent enriched uranium, reducing its proliferation risk.\n“Dilution is on the table,” said head of Information Council Elias Hazrati after the conclusion of the Geneva talks on Thursday evening. “Iran wants the sanctions to be lifted.”\nTehran may also agree to cap enrichment at lower levels suitable for civilian use, allow expanded inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and limit the size of its enriched uranium stockpile.\nSuch steps would increase the time Iran would need to produce weapons-grade material, addressing one of Washington’s primary concerns.\nWhat Iran does not want to do\nDespite signalling openness to limits on its nuclear activities, Iran has drawn clear red lines that it is unlikely to cross in any new agreement.\nForemost, Tehran has ruled out dismantling its uranium enrichment programme entirely. It won't agree to permanent zero enrichment or the full shutdown of its nuclear infrastructure. Iranian officials insist enrichment is a sovereign right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a core element of national scientific and strategic capability.\nIran also does not want to irreversibly dismantle its centrifuges or eliminate its technical capacity. The knowledge and industrial base built over decades are viewed as strategic assets, and preserving them ensures Iran retains leverage and the ability to resume activities if a future agreement collapses.\nAnother key concern is the fate of its enriched uranium stockpile. Tehran may accept dilution or monitored storage, but it is reluctant to permanently surrender its material without firm guarantees of sanctions relief, particularly after the US withdrawal from the 2015 deal.\nVerification is another sensitive issue. Iran has historically allowed international inspections but remains opposed to unrestricted access to military sites or inspection regimes it considers intrusive or beyond standard international obligations.\nBeyond the nuclear file, Iran has rejected linking any agreement to its ballistic missile programme or regional proxies and allies, arguing that those fall outside the scope of nuclear negotiations.\nWhat Trump wants\nThe Trump administration is pushing for deeper and more permanent restrictions. Washington’s priority is to ensure Iran cannot quickly produce nuclear weapons, even if it chooses to do so.\nUS officials want not only strict limits on enrichment levels but also significant reductions in Iran’s uranium stockpile. They are pushing for zero enrichment inside Iran and the movement of the stockpile outside Iran. They are also seeking tight controls on advanced centrifuges, which can enrich uranium faster.\nVerification is also central. The US is seeking intrusive inspections to ensure Iran cannot secretly rebuild parts of its programme or hide nuclear material.\nBeyond the nuclear file, Washington has also linked sanctions relief to broader concerns, including Iran’s missile programme and regional activities, though it remains unclear whether those issues will be included in the current negotiations.\nWhatever the Iranian offer may be, it is hard to see it satisfying the Americans. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US had brought “tough demands” to the talks, including dismantling Iran's enrichment sites and handing over enriched uranium to the US under a deal that would “last forever”.\nWhat makes this different from 2015\nUnlike the 2015 agreement, which was reached after years of gradual escalation, the current negotiations follow direct military confrontation.\nBoth sides are negotiating from positions shaped by military confrontation, damaged nuclear facilities and deep mistrust, making any potential deal narrower, more fragile and harder to reach.\nIran's Foreign Minister says 'good progress' made in talks with US\n00:37\nIran’s nuclear infrastructure has been severely damaged, but not eliminated, and its technical knowledge cannot be reversed. At the same time, Washington has demonstrated a willingness to use military force, fundamentally changing the balance of pressure.\nMr Trump has also made clear he wants stronger terms than the previous deal, which he withdrew from during his first term, calling it insufficient.\nUltimately, both sides are pursuing different objectives. Iran wants sanctions relief, security guarantees and recognition of its right to maintain a civilian nuclear programme. The US wants to ensure Iran remains far from being able to build a nuclear weapon, extending its breakout time from weeks to at least a year.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T09:39:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQeVpTb1I0dmhGTk9xbzcwbEdoMG5nSEo2UWIyaks0LXBfYVJaSDVpSngxeTdGSnA0dHBYUnNPSEtwbWp3WXEySlZmMU5GMzhUTGJGV1JpUTMxZVA4amF6TE9IWnJCSTZMUlRyaklMQmZkVUdTbHdEMDBRWTRXdXh1S1FuZFpVTE1ZajUtZVp1LWRTbzdTeFU4YXJLdmp0dV9UdXRPZUFOYTA2dXltbTAxbjlR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e94c967dc757",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran claims 'understanding on most elements' of deal with US as largest warship arrives in region - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was an understanding on \"most elements of a potential agreement with the US\", while urging President Donald Trump's administration to choose between dialogue and confrontation.\nMr Araghchi made the remarks to Iranian state media after a third round of nuclear talks concluded in Geneva, which he said were the \"most intense so far\". Meetings between the delegations, mediated by Oman, stretched into the evening in the Swiss city on Thursday. The outcome was described positively by all sides, with reports of Iran offering to pause nuclear enrichment.\nMr Araghchi said the talks were significantly more serious and lasted longer than previous rounds. Both sides addressed key elements in a potential deal, he added.\n“There is agreement on most elements,\" he said. \"Some technical aspects need to be discussed later.\"\nOman's Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi said \"significant progress\" was made after the talks ended. He added that \"discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna\".\nHe is expected to travel to the US on Friday to meet Vice President JD Vance and other officials for talks aimed at staving off war with Iran, MS Now reported, amid concerns that Tehran's proposal may fail to satisfy what are described as \"tough\" American demands. There was no confirmation from Muscat.\nDespite negotiations, a fear of conflict still looms large. Mr Vance said there was \"no chance\" a strike on Iran would lead to protracted war in the region. “The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight – there is no chance that will happen,” he told The Washington Post. “I think we all prefer the diplomatic option. But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”\nMeanwhile, Mr Araghchi told Iranian media that “the US must choose either the path of dialogue or the path of confrontation and tension\".\n“What is clear is that Iran’s nuclear issue cannot be resolved through military actions. They tried it once and did not get results,\" he said. \"There is no way other than for them to reach a solution through dialogue and negotiations.\"\nThe US has amassed significant firepower within striking range of Iran, with Mr Trump warning that his “armada” is ready to attack if Tehran does not make a deal.\nA former Pentagon chief said the countdown for an American attack would begin when the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group, the world’s largest warship and the most advanced in the US Navy, arrives in the Middle East, where it is to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier. Israeli media reported it reached Israel’s northern coastline on Friday.\nA member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, Avi Dichter, on Thursday confirmed media reports that the US stationed F-22 fighter jets in the country and is refuelling planes at Ben Gurion Airport.\nAdmiral Brad Cooper, who leads the US Central Command, briefed Mr Trump on Thursday about possible military options in Iran, ABC News reported.\nMeanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has repeatedly put its military might on show to warn of retaliation against any US strike. The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said US warships would be sent “to the bottom of the sea”.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T09:39:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxON3hRSVp3Yk1uZUdYNXl1NHJjZ1FqdWhEYmM5U2RjTzh2RGJfa08yQ2pYLW5qZ2VoWkZCXzZZSmVadEw1SE01Q1pIbTlqbjluRk9TcWRpSkxrakhabUJDaXFnbzhQejE5OERWVExmWjkyY09lTVpNOGFFYnJPdWluOTdMUWI2Y1dTTEZnTEltQW5ycThKVVFnYmh4VktQOXFUenZUTC1nWF9hc1AtUDBrM1Nrc1FmQldYTmttNGRnMXJSQWM3WWFnUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fdd191f79be9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Pakistan bombs Kabul after deadly border clashes with Taliban - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Pakistan bombs Kabul after deadly border clashes with Taliban\nPakistan said on Friday that it had killed 228 Taliban fighters in a series of air strikes on Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.\nMultiple locations in Kabul were bombed by Pakistan after what Islamabad described as an unprovoked attack by the Taliban across different parts of the border between the two countries.\nPakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X: “Afghan Taliban defence targets were targeted in Kabul, Paktia [province] and Kandahar.”\nA Taliban spokesperson confirmed that Pakistan’s jets attacked Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar in Afghanistan, adding that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 military posts seized.\nGunfire and shelling have been reported near the key Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the AFP news agency reported.\nThe report said that shelling was heard near the crossing on Friday morning. AFP reported Afghan soldiers were heading towards the frontier.\nPakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of sheltering Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan fighters responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.\nThe dispute has fuelled recurring border clashes, air strikes and periodic closures at the Torkham crossing, alongside tensions over the presence of millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, many of whom Islamabad has sought to repatriate.\nBuild-up of tensions\nAfghanistan’s Taliban authorities said they had launched attacks against Pakistan’s military positions in response to Pakistani air strikes last week.\nArmed forces of both countries exchanged fire along their border, with each claiming to have inflicted casualties.\nThe development comes after days of escalating hostilities, as relations between the countries have been on the decline for months.\n“In response to repeated provocations and violations by Pakistani military circles, large-scale offensive operations have been launched against Pakistani military positions and installations along the Durand Line,” Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote in a post on X, referring to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border line.\nThe media office of Afghanistan’s military corps in the east said the operation was “in response to the recent air strikes carried out by Pakistani forces in Nangarhar and Paktia” provinces.\nPakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said on Friday that his country’s “patience has run out” with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan and that Islamabad would now be waging “open war”.\nHe accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authority of gathering “terrorists”, “exporting terrorism” and serving as a proxy for India.\nIndia’s external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned the Pakistani military action.\n“India strongly condemns Pakistan’s air strikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan,” Jaiswal said.\n“It is another attempt by Pakistan to externalise its internal failures,” he said.\nTensions between Pakistan and India remain high over Kashmir, which both claim in full but control in part, and which has been the cause of multiple wars and frequent ceasefire violations.\nIslamabad has accused New Delhi of backing militant activity in Afghanistan, a claim India rejects.\nInternational concern\nThe United Nations and countries including China, Russia and Iran have urged restraint, warning that further escalation risks civilian harm and wider instability.\nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged both nations to adhere strictly to their obligations under international law.\nIn a statement delivered by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres underscored the \"urgent need\" for both parties to prioritise the protection of civilians as confrontations continue.\nIran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the two countries to resolve their differences through dialogue.\nAraghchi, in a post on X, said that Iran is ready to provide any necessary assistance to facilitate constructive dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad.\nBoth Russia and China have offered to mediate and urged the warring parties to halt cross-border attacks immediately.\nRussia's foreign ministry said it was ready to mediate if both sides agree to resolve their differences through diplomatic means, RIA news agency reported.\nChina’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said that Beijing is willing to play a constructive role in cooling the situation, adding that it is deeply concerned about escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T09:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxPOWFUaVhBcy13S2VMTHllRGRIY2pxR1RjOHFfMU5fWWVPRFk4VlNmeGptNzk4MlpaME1TdW5rSzV5SXh4WFhDLWNBYnlfd0JjNkxBUzl5WEJ4TW5OZTNVdkZmeDFGYkFLQTl2bHpKNEcxajVGWFEzR2VFaHBZN3lSMUNfaGRIajdsN183QVNkM0llRmctUnc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_dec6f23045dd",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "FirstFT: Netflix shares surge after abandoning Warner Bros bid - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "FirstFT: Netflix shares surge after abandoning Warner Bros bid\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T11:01:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE8teXpsQnVfeEtiWjg1aGhRSGtTaWVlZ1k1bmtYYkFLLVdCNVMyNVNhUV94eU0xMGFZdUIxcDlhbFNjYjZMWEgzSWVudzhBM0w0RnljOHJwWmtwU3B1b2JmZEhxdWFrWUhDbExfbGpJaGI?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_68b2436e0cbc",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US and UK pull diplomats from Middle East as Iran war fears rise - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US and UK pull diplomats from Middle East as Iran war fears rise\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T11:27:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBhd3dpSWhjRHBRbE1UZ1NRSXQzZFk3eXM3dWRlR1NnSVhhVnFRMHhXTU5aVW1BSUJnMUNEWXExb1JpZU80UEZ0NTMtSGtTYm5GM1QwTEo4TWRCTERELWtLVU5aUlVENjFkMFg0eDdINmQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b01091c62fbf",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran’s missile reach: What’s in range now — and how close they are to the US - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran launched a wave of missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military facilities and allied partners across the Middle East Saturday in direct response to coordinated U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory earlier in the day.\nThe strikes underscore rising tensions over Tehran’s ballistic missile program — which, according to President Donald Trump, could eventually be capable of striking the continental United States.\nExplosions were reported in or near areas hosting American forces in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, with several host governments saying their air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles. It remains unclear whether any U.S. service members were killed or injured, and U.S. officials have yet to release definitive casualty figures or formal damage assessments. The situation remains fluid.\nTrump, in a recent address to the nation, warned that Iran is working to build missiles that could \"soon reach the United States of America,\" elevating concerns about Tehran’s long-term weapons capabilities even as its current arsenal already places American troops and bases in the Middle East within range.\nWhat Iran can hit now\nIran is widely assessed by Western defense analysts to operate one of the Middle East’s largest ballistic missile forces. Its inventory includes a variety of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, some with ranges of roughly 1,500 miles to 2,000 miles — far outstripping the reach needed to strike major U.S. military installations across the Gulf region.\nThat footprint places a broad network of American infrastructure inside Tehran’s strike envelope, including:\n- Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.\n- Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.\n- Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.\n- Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.\n- Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE.\n- Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.\nSome of these installations came under threat during Friday’s Iranian retaliation, though many regional governments reported successful interceptions by their air defenses.\nMissile capabilities and limitations\nDespite Trump’s warnings about future long-range threats, Iran does not currently possess an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S. homeland. Tehran’s most capable systems are generally limited to regional ranges.\nIran’s medium-range ballistic missiles such as the Shahab and Ghadr families can reach several hundred to roughly 2,000 miles, enough to strike targets across the Middle East and parts of southeastern Europe.\nCruise missiles like the Hoveyzeh have ranges exceeding 1,300 km but are similarly constrained to regional theaters.\nTo reach the continental United States, Tehran would need missiles with ranges exceeding roughly 6,000 miles — capabilities it has not publicly demonstrated and which U.S. officials assess remain years away even in optimistic scenarios.\nUS defenses and strategic implications\nWhile Iran cannot currently strike the U.S. homeland, its missile force remains a central strategic concern for Washington as long as American and allied forces are based within its regional reach.\nU.S. missile defense systems, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile system, Patriot batteries and ship-based interceptors, aim to protect forces and partners, but inventories are finite and could be stressed by sustained exchanges.\nAnalysts have noted that high-rate engagements drain interceptor stocks more quickly than they can be replenished. Pentagon officials have not published precise inventory levels.\nThe ballistic missile issue also complicates broader diplomacy. While current negotiations with Iran primarily focus on nuclear materials and enrichment activities, U.S. officials increasingly argue that limits on delivery systems cannot be separated from long-term security concerns around nuclear weapons.\nIranian leaders insist their missile program is defensive in nature and non-negotiable within nuclear talks. As diplomacy and conflict unfold simultaneously, the strategic reality remains stark: Iran’s current missiles threaten U.S. forces in the region today, and future advances could further expand Tehran’s reach — even as the U.S. homeland remains outside that threat for now.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T12:07:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiAFBVV95cUxQTUxldERrZ2JrSURrUW9UTHNwRVM0RlBkTXdHMHNQUTRVYnNIU3ZURlVsbk1JZ1JQSnA4Y0YzVVdHVHdOM2p1c1prakFPTFJzWklGQXppeHNPblRTSHNRV1VuNDRtT0IyalF1Z2hLTENFUnlOSEprRmJRSW51OTJ0cEc3MkhmQ29O0gGOAUFVX3lxTE9SR0lpN1NxLS1yb21sQkdpM0ZhV1BwcHl3UXRzcWpUdU5YWmFYc1hRcXRUX0RzdzhtSWhBQWZTWENva2I1NmFqTWU3ZlBVMUVKc3BHYnZUUVRZWVFFNUJwc1A3MGZVUm5PNE5lTzN6WGwzRmlZTy05bkVjOTFLQ1hBMzNwaUFoUDhsemRyTXc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8aff307f5369",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US allows staff to evacuate from Jerusalem as UK pulls officials from Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US allows staff to evacuate from Jerusalem as UK pulls officials from Iran\nThe US is allowing staff to evacuate from its embassy in Jerusalem and the UK has removed officials from Tehran as the prospect of a war with Iran looms larger.\nWith US President Donald Trump authorising the biggest military build-up in years in the region, Iran would be expected to respond to a US attack with strikes on Israel and US bases across the Middle East.\nIn recent weeks, the US has positioned around 100 aerial refuel tankers, carrier strike groups and fleets of fighters in the region, within striking distance of Iran.\nWith a large military force assembled in the Middle East, the US State Department said on Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would travel to Israel next week, where he will discuss Iran.\nRubio's visit is planned for the next scheduled round of talks between Iran and the US. According to Bloomberg, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left the last round of talks in Geneva disappointed by the lack of progress.\nIn the early hours of Friday morning, White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, formerly the assistant manager of a Trump-branded golf club, posted a video of US B-2 stealth bombers soundtracked by Metallica's \"Enter Sandman\".\nSources have told Middle East Eye that several countries belonging to the US-led coalition in Iraq - including France, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Italy - have withdrawn or repositioned troops from Erbil Air Base in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, fearing possible Iranian retaliatory strikes.\nOn Thursday, Israeli outlet Ynet reported that the chief of Israel's military, Eyal Zamir, has been privately warning of the potentially grave consequences of a new conflict with Iran, while remaining silent on the matter in public.\nWestern nations warn citizens and workers\nOn Friday, the US embassy in Jerusalem posted a message on its website saying it had authorised the \"departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members\" due to \"safety risks\".\n\"Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available,\" the message said.\nThe French foreign ministry advised its citizens not to travel to Israel and Palestine because of the security situation in Iran.\nThe announcements come as at least one airline said it would be cancelling flights to Tel Aviv as of 1 March. The Dutch international carrier KLM is stopping its flight to Israel from Amsterdam, citing what it called \"operational, commercial challenges\".\nThe UK also announced on Friday that its embassy staff had been temporarily removed from Iran \"due to the security situation\", while adding that the embassy would continue \"to operate remotely\".\nHigh-stakes talks have continued between Tehran and Washington over Iran's nuclear programme against the backdrop of rising tensions, with a third round of negotiations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff and Kushner taking place in Geneva on Thursday.\nThe Financial Times reported that Iran had offered Trump potential business opportunities, including investment in its oil and gas sector.\nOne source familiar with the matter said Tehran believed offering the prospect of significant financial returns for the US could appeal to Trump’s deal-making instincts.\nDescribing the prospect of investment opportunities as \"a major economic bonanza\", the source said they were \"specifically directed at Trump\" in fields including oil and gas and mining rights, including critical minerals.\nThe two sides plan to resume negotiations soon after consultations in their capitals, with technical-level discussions scheduled to take place next week in Vienna.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T12:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxOVVJnQk5hMC1lS2NXcTFjeEQzTGl6TDFFaW84Vm5XMXFlU1J1U0VISmlLWEhwVTZvS2VUQWRLazZYM0JrX18tSFlweFFxSG5wR2pYc1dfcFJRUzlyeGlfcU01QU50bUY3N2dHS2Z2Xy1YNGhaQm5LVjFtMGZhQ1JVeWU3cnNTR0lKRXV1VnRQOWx0ZUFjdVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9285d18c8aae",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "AP reporter speaks to Iranian doctors who say agents intimidated them and obstructed medical care - AP News",
    "body_text": "AP reporter speaks to Iranian doctors who say agents intimidated them and obstructed medical care\nIranian doctors say that during last month’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, security agents swarmed hospitals in multiple cities, hunting for wounded protesters.\nBEIRUT (AP) — As wounded anti-government protesters poured into an Iranian hospital during last month’s crackdown, a young doctor hurried to the emergency room to help treat a man in his 40s who had been shot in the head at close range.\nWhen the doctor and others tried to resuscitate the man, a group of armed, plainclothes security agents blocked their way, pushing some back with their rifles, the doctor told The Associated Press.\n“They surrounded him and didn’t allow us to move further,” the doctor in the northern city of Rasht said.\nMinutes later, the man was dead. The agents put his body in a black body bag. Later, they piled it and other bodies into the back of a van and drove away.\nThis wasn’t an isolated incident.\nOver the course of a few days in early January, plainclothes agents swarmed hospitals in multiple cities treating the thousands wounded by Iranian security forces who fired on crowds to quash massive protests against the 47-year-old Islamic Republic. These agents monitored and sometimes obstructed care to protesters, intimidated staff, seized protesters and took away the dead in body bags. Dozens of doctors were arrested.\nThis story is based on AP interviews with three doctors in Iran and six Iranian medical professionals living abroad who are in contact with colleagues on the ground; reports from human rights groups; and AP’s verification of more than a dozen videos posted on social media. All of the doctors inside Iran spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.\nThe AP worked with Mnemonic, a Berlin-based organization, to identify online videos, posts and other material relating to violence in hospitals.\nThe doctors in Iran and abroad said the level of brutality and militarization of health facilities was unprecedented in a country that for decades has experienced crackdowns on dissent and surveillance of public institutions. In at least one instance, snipers on the roof of a hospital in the northern town of Gorgan shot at approaching patients, according to a witness’ account provided by IIPHA, a U.S.-based association of Iranian health care professionals.\nThe Iran Human Rights Center, based in Oslo, has documented multiple accounts from inside hospitals of security agents preventing medical care, removing patients from ventilators, harassing doctors and detaining protesters.\n“It is systematic,” said Amiry-Moghaddam, an Iranian-Norwegian neuroscientist who founded the group. “And we have not experienced this pattern before.”\nThe government has blamed the protests and ensuing violence on armed foreign-backed “terrorists.”\nHealth Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour denied reports of treatment being prevented or protesters being taken from hospitals, calling them “untrue, but also fundamentally impossible.” He was quoted in state media as saying all injured were treated “without any discrimination or interference over political opinions.” The Iranian mission at the United Nations did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the doctors’ accounts.\nDoctors tried to protect the wounded\nThe crackdown, which reached its height on Jan. 8 and 9, was the deadliest since the Islamic Republic took power in 1979. A complete toll of casualties and other details have been slow to emerge because of internet restrictions imposed by authorities.\nThe Human Rights Activists News Agency says it confirmed more than 7,000 deaths and that it is investigating thousands more. The government has acknowledged more than 3,000 killed, though it has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.\nOnce the crackdown began, the doctor in Rasht said he worked through 66 hours of hell, moving each day to a different facility to help with the wounded — first a trauma center, then a hospital and finally a private clinic.\nOn Jan. 8, “every 15 to 30 minutes, the entire emergency ward would be emptied and then refilled with new patients,” the doctor said.\nIt got worse on Jan. 9, as wounds from live ammunition became more common and security agents became more menacing.\nAgents brought in wounded protesters and stood watch over them as staff worked, the doctor said. They burst into wards, armed with automatic rifles, threatening staff and filming patients and checking documents.\nWhen it came time to discharge a patient, he said, “they would take anyone who was confirmed to be a protester.”\nAt one point, security agents brought in the body of a dead man with his hands shackled in front of his body. He had pellet shots to his abdomen and chest and a clear bullet wound to the head, he said.\nHe recognized the man immediately. Only moments earlier, his family had been showing his photo around the hospital, asking if he had been admitted.\nAmnesty International has received credible reports that targeted, close-range shootings of protesters took place, and “at a far greater scale” than in past crackdowns on protests, said the group’s Iran researcher Raha Bahereini. Two videos verified by AP show the bodies of protesters with close-range shots and medical equipment connected to their bodies.\nThe doctor said he and other staff tried to hide wounded protesters by recording false diagnoses in hospital records. Gunshots to the abdomen were identified as abdominal pain; broken bones were recorded as a falling accident. One patient who had been shot in the genitals was identified as a urology patient.\n“We knew that no matter what we did for the patients, they wouldn’t be safe once they stepped out of the hospital,” he said.\nThe AP could not independently confirm the doctor’s account of events at the hospital in Rasht. But it conformed with AP’s other reporting.\nThe AP verified videos posted from four hospitals as a snapshot of the Iranian security forces’ activity. Mnemonic gathered dozens of videos, posts and other accounts it says showed forces were present in and around nine hospitals, in some cases firing guns and tear gas. Mnemonic has been preserving digital evidence of human rights violations in Iran since 2022, creating with partners an archive of more than 2 million documents.\nOne video verified by AP shows security agents breaking through glass entrance doors into Imam Khomeini Hospital in the western city of Ilam. They then barged through the halls with their guns, yelling at people.\nThe Health Ministry told state media it was investigating the incident, saying it was committed to protecting medical centers, staff and patients.\nOther videos verified by AP show a heavy presence of security forces surrounding three hospitals in Tehran, firing tear gas and chasing protesters.\nTreating the wounded in hiding\nOther doctors worked in clandestine centers to treat the wounded away from authorities.\nOn the night of Jan. 8, a 37-year-old general surgeon was out for dinner in Tehran when he received a call from a professional friend he hadn’t heard from in years. The friend, an ophthalmologist, spoke in vague terms, but the fear in her voice made clear she needed his help urgently. She gave him an address.\nJust before midnight, he drove to the address, a clinic for cosmetic procedures. Inside, he found the lobby transformed into a trauma ward, with more than 30 wounded men, women, children and elderly on the couches and blood-covered floor, shouting and crying,\nThe surgeon spent nearly four days there, treating more than 90 people, he estimates, as volunteers brought in more wounded. At first, it was just him, the ophthalmologist, a dentist and two nurses.\nHe used cardboard boxes and pieces of soft metal as splints for broken bones. With no anesthesia or strong painkillers, he used weaker suppository analgesics. The clinic had no blood supplies or transfusion capabilities, so he administered IV drips to rehydrate them and raise their blood pressure, a process that took hours.\nAt some point that night, phone lines were cut off and for 12 hours, he couldn’t call for more help. They couldn’t send patients to hospitals for fear they’d be arrested.\nOne woman, in her 30s, had been hit by bird shot at close range, destroying the roof of her mouth and the area around her nose and below her eyes, the surgeon recalled.\nA young man in his 20s had been shot with live ammunition in his elbow, shattering it. The surgeon sutured the wounds but knew the arm would have to be amputated.\nA family of four — a mother, father and their 8- and 10-year-old children — were all riddled with pellets, the surgeon said. The older boy had dozens of pellets in his face, but amazingly none hit his eyes.\nOn the morning of Jan. 9, the phone lines started working again, and the surgeon reached out to doctors he trusted to refer patients to them. First he had to make sure to remove all bullets and pellets from their bodies so they wouldn’t be detained at the hospital. He wrote referral letters saying the patients had been in car accidents.\nThe surgeon summoned three other doctors to help in the hidden clinic. When new wounded were brought in, the patients who had been stabilized applauded and flashed victory signs to them, he said.\n“They started to make the atmosphere happy through their pain. … I just couldn’t believe that moment,” the surgeon said, his voice breaking. “It was so human.”\nNone of the wounded died at the clinic, though two dead bodies with gunshot wounds to the head were brought in, he said. The AP could not independently confirm the surgeon’s account of events at the clinic.\nDoctors targeted for arrest\nSince Jan. 9, at least 79 health care professionals have been detained, including a dozen medical students, according to Homa Fathi, an Iranian dentist pursuing a Ph.D. in Canada and member of IIPHA who has been monitoring Iranian government action against health professionals since 2022. Many of those detained were accused of resisting security agents’ orders or other charges connected to providing medical care to protesters, said Fathi.\nAround 30 have been released, most on bail, but many of them still face charges, including one accused of “waging war against God,” a charge that carries a death penalty, Fathi said. Authorities are also keeping some doctors under surveillance at home to ensure they don’t receive or visit wounded protesters — an unprecedented level of control, she said.\nThe surgeon who treated protesters at the secret clinic said he was surprised security forces never stormed that location to make arrests.\nBut arrests have come since. Two health care workers who volunteered at the clinic were seized from their homes, the surgeon said.\n“I am waiting, too.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T12:48:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxNeVBQLUFtbFo3NXFBS3IwUTZIekhUMXY3bklBNHNyQVJxU21qdmFGckxHWEZnNC1KNDN4VGtFN3R6OHZUOFhMc3B0QUx3Ym1OUlQzM0VvRXpla3lac3hDT29ZOVc0UFdvbTFjX1NNZkhodlJwMWk2ZnhENWZzeF9NQVJoc2JwYnhpVEpGOVowSlQzRDN1alAwLQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f2f95a7c76e4",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "State Dept authorizes non-essential US Embassy personnel in Jerusalem to depart ahead of possible Iran strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The State Department is allowing non-essential personnel working at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem to leave Israel ahead of possible strikes on Iran. The embassy announced the decision early Friday morning and said that \"in response to security incidents and without advance notice\" it could place further restrictions on where U.S. government employees can travel within Israel.\nThe decision came after meetings and phone calls through the night Thursday into Friday, according to The New York Times, which reviewed a copy of an email that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sent to embassy workers.\nThe Times reported that the ambassador said in his email that the move was a result of \"an abundance of caution\" and that those wishing to leave \"should do so TODAY.\" He reportedly urged them to look for flights out of Ben Gurion Airport to any destination, cautioning that the embassy's move \"will likely result in high demand for airline seats today.\"\nIn the email, Huckabee also said that there was \"no need to panic,\" but he underscored that those looking to leave should \"make plans to depart sooner rather than later,\" the Times reported.\n\"Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to D.C., but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country,\" Huckabee said in the email, according to the Times.\nThe embassy reiterated the State Department's advisory for U.S. citizens to reconsider traveling to Israel and the West Bank \"due to terrorism and civil unrest.\" Additionally, the department advised that U.S. citizens not travel to Gaza because of terrorism and armed conflict, as well as northern Israel, particularly within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders because of \"continued military presence and activity.\"\nIt also recommended that U.S. citizens not travel within 1.5 miles of the Egyptian border, with the exception of the Taba crossing, which remains open.\n\"Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities,\" the embassy said in its warning. \"The security environment is complex and can change quickly, and violence can occur in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza without warning.\"\nWhile the embassy did not specifically mention Iran in its warning, it referenced \"increased regional tensions\" that could \"cause airlines to cancel and/or curtail flights into and out of Israel.\"\nFox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment on this matter.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T13:04:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_62be04d6931c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Marco Rubio declares war on non-white peoples worldwide - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Marco Rubio declares war on non-white peoples worldwide\nIf US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared America a Christian republic at the National Prayer Breakfast in early February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has now declared the country a white European Christian republic.\nIn a speech delivered last week to European heads of state at the Security Conference in Munich, Rubio declared war on all non-European non-white peoples inside the US and around the world.\nRubio made clear that America was, and should again be, a white country: \"Our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.\"\nTo the detriment of more than 140 million Americans who are not white and do not issue from Europe, Rubio unflinchingly stated: \"We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization, and who, together with us, are willing and able to defend it.\"\nLest Europe forget, Rubio reminded it of its own Christian identity: \"The United States and Europe, we belong together. America was founded 250 years ago, but the roots began here on this continent long before. The man who settled and built the nation of my birth arrived on our shores carrying the memories and the traditions and the Christian faith of their ancestors as a sacred inheritance, an unbreakable link between the old world and the new.\"\nRubio's remarks echoed the anti-non-white immigrant policies instituted in the US since the birth of the white Christian republic and reasserted by Trump.\nHe spoke directly of the threat that African, Asian, and Latin American immigrants constitute to Europe, as well as to the \"fabric\" of white America: \"But we must also gain control of our national borders. Controlling who and how many people enter our countries, this is not an expression of xenophobia. It is not hate. It is a fundamental act of national sovereignty. And the failure to do so is not just an abdication of one of our most basic duties owed to our people. It is an urgent threat to the fabric of our societies and the survival of our civilization itself.\"\nRubio's rhetoric is not far removed from the white supremacist American discourse, policies and ideology that have defined the United States since its independence 250 years ago, let alone from the time-honoured white Christian supremacist tradition of its European counterparts.\nWhite Christian supremacy\nFrom its founding, the US enacted laws banning non-white people from immigrating to the racist settler-colonial state.\nIts first Naturalization Act of 1790 stipulated that citizenship would be granted exclusively to any \"free white person\" who had resided in the country for two years and to their children under the age of 21.\nRubio seems unaware that in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries, Slavs, Italians and Irish in the United States were considered not white\nWhile Rubio proudly referenced his Italian and Spanish ancestry, he seems unaware that in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries, Slavs, Italians and Irish in the United States were considered not white. Spaniards, despite ranking higher than the Italians, were deemed \"low-status\" whites.\nWhite Protestant American hostility to European Catholics could not be mitigated at the time, for fear that these \"papists\" might destroy America's master-race democracy.\nIt is unclear whether America's racist immigration laws, relaxed only in the 1960s, were similarly not based on \"hate\" but on \"love\".\nRegardless, the European audience applauded Rubio's white Christian supremacy, and why shouldn't they? This is fully consonant with their own history and present.\nDuring the late 19th century, calls for an alliance between white Christian supremacist Europeans and white Christian supremacist Americans were legion, especially among the British. Britain's Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain championed Teutonic racial supremacy at the time.\nIn a major November 1899 speech, he called on the US and Germany to form a \"Teutonic\" alliance with Britain.\nNot to be outdone, in speeches in 1933 and 1934 and in a letter sent to the Daily Mail on 4 September 1937, Adolf Hitler also proposed an accord between the three empires of \"white people\" and of \"Germanic\" origin - Britain, the US and an expanded Germany.\nDuring the 1930s, Britain pursued an anti-Soviet alliance with Hitler on the basis of Teutonic Christian commonality and capitalist solidarity - identified antisemitically in the West since the Russian Revolution of 1917 as a struggle against a \"Judeo-Bolshevist conspiracy\" - by signing the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in June 1935 and, in 1936, acquiescing in Hitler's remilitarisation of the Rhineland in violation of the Versailles Treaty.\nThe September 1938 Munich Agreement between Nazi Germany, Britain, France and Italy ultimately freed Hitler to expand eastwards, prompting the Soviet Union to sign a non-aggression pact in an effort to delay invasion.\nBefore the agreement was signed, US ambassador to France William C Bullitt, who considered Russians \"Asians\", had asserted the importance of halting \"Asiatic despotism\" and saving \"European civilization\" from a fratricidal war that the Nazis might launch but that could end in an Asiatic triumph over Europe.\nSettler-colonial pride\nIn Munich, Rubio declared to America's white European allies that had it not been for the Americans and Western Europe, Soviet communism - not Nazism and fascism of Western Europe - would have destroyed \"thousands of years of Western civilization\".\nIt seems that non-white immigrants and Third World countries might yet accomplish what the Soviets failed to do if Europe does not support America's current wars against them.\nThe \"noble civilisation\" that Rubio supports and seeks to perpetuate through a rejuvenated alliance with white Europe is not only white Christian supremacy but also white settler-colonialism, a legacy that white Europeans and white Americans, he insists, should feel \"proud\" of rather than be \"shackled by guilt and shame\".\nRubio extols the history of the barbarism that Europe and the US government visited upon their own non-white, non-Christian peoples and on the globe as a source of pride: \"We want to do it together with you, with a Europe that is proud of its heritage and of its history; with a Europe that has the spirit of creation of liberty that sent ships out into uncharted seas and birthed our civilization.\"\nThe transatlantic white alliance that Rubio seeks is \"an alliance based on the recognition that we, the West, have inherited together… something that is unique and distinctive and irreplaceable, because this, after all, is the very foundation of the transatlantic bond\".\n\"For five centuries\", he added, \"before the end of the Second World War, the West had been expanding – its missionaries, its pilgrims, its soldiers, its explorers pouring out from its shores to cross oceans, settle new continents, build vast empires extending out across the globe\".\nIndeed, it is the Protestant Scottish settlers of still-colonised Northern Ireland whom he identifies as the heroes of white and Christian America: \"Our frontiers were shaped by Scots-Irish – that proud, hearty clan from the hills of Ulster that gave us Davy Crockett and Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt and Neil Armstrong.\"\nEvangelical expansionism\nIt is in this context that the fanatical Protestant evangelical US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, jumps in to translate what his boss at the State Department means.\nIn a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, the right-wing pundit asked Huckabee whether \"according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East\" and whether Israel therefore had a right to that land.\nHuckabee answered: \"It would be fine if they took it all.\" Unlike the applause that Rubio received from white supremacist Europeans, the non-white countries of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman, along with more than a dozen other governments and the secretariats of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, expressed their displeasure.\nThey denounced Huckabee's views as \"extremist\", \"unacceptable\" and a \"blatant violation\" of international law, as well as a direct contradiction of Trump's stated opposition to the annexation of the West Bank.\nWithout repudiating his claim that it would be fine if Israel \"took it all\", the US Embassy in Jerusalem claimed Huckabee's comment had been \"taken out of context\", while Huckabee himself later described it as \"somewhat of a hyperbolic statement\".\nRubio, meanwhile, had declared non-white citizens of the United States and Europe, as well as the non-white peoples of the entire globe, to be nothing less than \"the forces of civilizational erasure that today menace both America and Europe alike\".\nWhether this, too, was a hyperbolic statement remains to be seen. As for those who menace Israel, Rubio describes them as no more than \"barbarians\".\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T13:08:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_aaf4678c3e3b",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "The Green Party has been accused of sectarianism. This is why that's wrong - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "The Green Party has been accused of sectarianism. This is why that's wrong\nBoth Reform and the UK's governing Labour Party have accused the Green Party of \"sectarian\" politics, after Green candidate Hannah Spencer won the Gorton and Denton by-election last night.\nPrime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour candidate came third, said his left-wing rivals had welcomed the \"divisive, sectarian politics\" of veteran firebrand George Galloway, while Reform's losing candidate Matt Goodwin declared: \"We are losing our country. A dangerous Muslim sectarianism has emerged. We have only one general election left to save Britain.”\nOther Reform politicians repeated claims that there were high rates of \"family voting\" in the multicultural Gorton and Denton seat, in which one in four voters is Muslim. \"Family voting\" refers to the illegal practice of voters conferring, colluding or directing each other on voting at the polling station.\nThe pary's leader, Nigel Farage, swiftly linked these claims to Muslims, saying: “This is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas.”\nOn Friday afternoon he announced that Reform had \"reported the many cases of ‘family voting’ to the Electoral Commission and Greater Manchester Police\".\nGoodwin, now widely referred to online as Matt Badloss after coming second to Spencer, further said that \"the progressives were told how to vote\", insisting that \"Islamists and woke progressives came together to dominate the constituency.\"\nRobert Jenrick, a former Conservative minister who, like a growing number of his former colleagues has recently defected to Reform, decried \"South Asian men instructing women how to vote at polling stations in modern Britain\" and condemned what he called an \"appalling level of sectarianism\".\nStarmer referred to challenges to Labour on the extreme left and extreme right, meaning the Greens and Reform, and said that the Green Party's willingness to welcome \"divisive, sectarian politics\" was a sign that they are \"not the harmless environmentalists they pretend to be\".\nBut are these claims of sectarianism at all accurate?\n'Family voting'\nDemocracy Volunteers, an election observer group funded by a Conservative Party peer, claimed to have witnessed 32 cases of the illegal practice of family voting across Gorton and Denton.\nThese claims have been heavily contested. The by-election’s acting returning officer, speaking on behalf of Manchester City Council, said polling station staff were trained to look for undue influence on voters, and insisted \"no such issues\" had been reported during polling hours.\n\"If Democracy Volunteers were so concerned about alleged issues they could and should have raised them with us during polling hours so that immediate action could be taken,\" the returning officer added.\n'If Democracy Volunteers were so concerned about alleged issues they could and should have raised them with us during polling hours'\n- Election returning officer, Manchester City Council\n\"We have operated a central by-election hub which has been rapidly responding to reported issues during the day, in liaison with the police - who had a presence at every polling station - where necessary.\n\"It is extremely disappointing that Democracy Volunteers have waited until after polls have closed to make such claims.\"\nLabour has also waded in, calling on authorities to look into the claims made by Democracy Volunteers. The party's chairwoman, Anna Turley, told BBC Newsnight the reports were \"extremely worrying\".\nA Labour insider told Middle East Eye the party “didn’t shortlist a single local Muslim candidate. Then they noticed Muslims abandoned Labour in droves and called it sectarianism and family voting. Typical dog-whistle, we’re used to it by now.”\nThe insider added: \"The party has turned its back on Muslims.\"\nMeanwhile many online have pointed out that Zia Yusuf, Reform's home affairs spokesperson, had on Thursday celebrated a satirical story of voters cheering for Reform in a polling station, which would be electoral malpractice.\nYusuf appears to have deleted his post sharing the story on Thursday evening after the original poster clarified that his post was a joke.\nDid the Greens run a sectarian campaign?\nSectarianism is defined as a “narrow‐minded adherence to a particular sect\" whose synonyms include \"bigot\", \"separatist\" and \"extremist\".\nIn the past in the UK, the word has been applied to rival sides in the Northern Irish conflict. But over the last two years it has been deployed by prominent journalists and politicians as part of a new discourse about Islam in Britain.\nIt has been turned into a weapon to categorise political opponents who are Muslim as separatist, illegitimate and dangerous. The independent Muslim MPs who won seats in 2024 on platforms opposing Israel's genocide in Gaza have been key targets.\nNow the term is being used to characterise the Green Party and its Muslim voters.\n'Gorton and Denton is a beautifully diverse constituency, with thousands of residents who speak languages other than English'\n- Hannah Spencer, Green Party MP\nBut contrary to Starmer's claim, the Greens have not referred to an endorsement by politician George Galloway in their campaign material, in any campaign video or in television appearances.\nMiddle East Eye visited Gorton and Denton last week and went inside the Green Party's campaign headquarters, which was full of volunteers - diverse in ethnicity and age.\nMEE interviewed Hannah Spencer, now the MP for Gorton and Denton, a 34-year-old plumber, who said she was proud of her \"white working-class background\".\nSpencer campaigned heavily on local issues: “I want to bring people's bills down,” she said. “I think we need to look at rent controls. We have really high levels of people renting here in insecure accommodation.”\nShe criticised rival candidate Goodwin for claiming in 2024 that \"millions of British Muslims – millions of our fellow citizens – hold views that are fundamentally opposed to British values and ways of life\".\nSpencer said: \"I know from my friends who are Muslim, like from my neighbours who are Muslim, from the people I work with who are Muslim, that they have the same British values I do, and that's caring for each other, that's looking after each other, and it's working hard.\n\"In the same way that I'm really proud to stick up for my white working-class roots, I'm really proud to stick up for my Muslim neighbours who are as British as I am.\"\nWas campaigning on Gaza sectarian?\nThe Greens have consistently opposed British cooperation with Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza, calling for a full arms embargo and a ban on settlement goods, while labelling Israel's actions as genocide.\nGoodwin repeatedly accused the Greens of being \"obsessed\" with Gaza throughout the by-election campaign, while insisting that Britain needed to care for and \"look after\" Israel.\nThis week, The Times quoted an unnamed senior Labour cabinet minister saying: \"The Greens are whipping up hatred and deliberately raising the salience of Gaza. They’re hammering us.\"\nIt is true that the Greens have repeatedly criticised the Labour government for cooperating militarily and politically with Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza - including by sharing intelligence from Royal Air Force surveillance flights over Gaza.\nBut is that sectarian? Spencer told MEE the genocide in Gaza was a significant issue “across communities”, not just among Muslims, while many politicians and journalists have painted Gaza as a sectarian, niche and purely Muslim concern.\n'People in this country, whether they're Muslim or Jewish... or even people without faith, can recognise that human rights and international law are important'\n- Zack Polanski, Green Party leader\nFrom the early weeks of the Israeli assault on Gaza, though, the majority of British public opinion has supported a ceasefire.\nIn London’s regular pro-ceasefire marches, there has always been a large Jewish bloc.\nWithin the Green Party, Muslim politicians like Mothin Ali, the co-deputy leader, have opposed Israeli actions in Gaza on the same basis - support for international law and human rights - as non-Muslim politicians have\nThis means the Greens have been standing up for the rules-based order promoted by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Roosevelt when they agreed to the Atlantic Charter in 1941.\nIs that sectarian? Green leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, said on the BBC on Friday that \"we've got our own government not just complicit but actively enabling a genocide through the sharing of arms, intelligence.\n\"And I think people in this country, whether they're Muslim or Jewish, as I am myself, or even people without faith, can recognise that human rights and international law are important.\"\nAnother source of the sectarian claim was a Green campaign video in Urdu that went viral this week. Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell accused the Greens of a “shameful attempt to manipulate the respected Muslim community”.\nSpencer told MEE: “Gorton and Denton is a beautifully diverse constituency, with thousands of residents who speak languages other than English.\n“I’m proud of our campaign, and of this video, which has been positive, inclusive and focused on the issues that matter most to local people: bringing down rents and bills, proper investment in public services, and rebuilding our NHS.”\nEnd of the Muslim bloc vote\nUse of the term sectarianism implies the existence of a coordinated bloc of Muslim voters driven by separatist concerns.\nThe 2024 election actually saw the collapse of the country's historic Muslim bloc vote, which had long been exploited by Labour. In that election, Muslims voted for a diverse range of parties and candidates.\nThis trend has only continued. When MEE visited Gorton and Denton last week, it was clear that Muslims were not voting as a bloc.\nIn some areas with large Pakistani-origin populations, Labour posters were far more common than Green. It is likely that Labour has more support among people who don’t closely follow British politics than the Greens do.\nOne Afghan man who came to Britain about 20 years ago insisted that he would vote for Labour.\nWhy? “Because I have always voted Labour,” he shrugged. “When I first came to this country, people told me Labour [is] good, we vote for Labour.”\nHe did not know what the Green Party was and had never heard of Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform.\nElsewhere, a taxi driver of Pakistani background said he would be voting Green for the first time, having previously supported Labour.\nAsked about Reform, he said that “this sort of politics, about caring only for yourselves, is coming from America. It is popular across the world right now. But it won’t always be.”\nOn 11 February, Labour held a dinner at My Nawab, a Pakistani restaurant in the Gorton and Denton constituency, for around 600 invitees.\nFootage showed a man at the top table calling on people to hold up red Labour posters. \"This is very important,\" he said. \"If you want to get fed, I've been told you have to hold one of these up.\"\nThe Greater Manchester Police opened an investigation into the incident over allegations of \"treating\", an electoral offence whereby someone gives a voter food, drink, entertainment or provision to \"corruptly\" influence them to vote or refrain from voting.\nLabour said at the time that the complaint was a \"desperately politically motivated move\".\nMothin Ali of the Green Party told MEE on Wednesday that Labour were \"desperate\" and felt they had a \"right\" to Muslim votes.\n\"That attitude led to those very communities being taken for granted and the subsequent rise of the far right,\" he said.\nAllegations of sectarianism levelled against certain Muslim politicians, Muslim voters and now against the Greens have helped create a discourse that paints Muslim participation in democratic politics as a threat.\nBut properly examined, the Green campaign in Gorton and Denton, which drew people from diverse ethnic, class and religious backgrounds together around a common political programme, had none of the hallmarks of sectarian politics.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T13:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid0FVX3lxTE12aWJPMmFmS09Sa0tuZ0FUYzdhNE0yUUxjN1Frc1NxenlHNl9oVmpzYTRCMF9OQ3FzRkVZb1RNRzdWUG11YXNYMk4tRUxSVTJBRU5WaVpnOGhZUDFzTmVPcUFVWHBfUFFnVkhSaHhLVFREM09iaHVN?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_17c2a34ff75d",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Pakistan and Afghanistan at war: What happened and how did we get here? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Pakistan and Afghanistan plunged into an “open war” on Friday after cross-border clashes killed dozens, drawing calls from the international community for de-escalation.\nWhat happened?\nPakistan carried out air strikes in the early hours of Friday, aimed at cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul, citing what it called “unprovoked” firing from across the border.\nThose strikes began after Afghanistan launched a large-scale military operation against Pakistani army installations along the shared border, marking the escalation of a long-running conflict.\nZabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, called the attacks a response to “repeated border violations and provocations from Pakistani military circles”.\nPakistan declared “open war” on its neighbour, as it launched the air strikes on Kabul early on Friday. The Pakistani military said its operation is called Ghazab lil Haq, which translates to “righteous fury”.\nIt claimed 133 “Taliban operatives” were killed and more than 200 were wounded in the attacks, and that “Pakistan's effective counter-operations are ongoing”.\nKabul denied claims of casualties. “The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out air strikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia,” Mr Mujahid said in a post on X. “Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties.”\nHours later, Taliban authorities announced air operations against “key” Pakistani sites.\nHow did we get here?\nIslamabad accuses the Taliban of hosting militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, an allegation denied by Kabul.\nLast year, border clashes killed dozens of soldiers from the two countries. The spate of fighting was reported as the worst violence in the frontier region since the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan in 2021.\nCalm was temporarily restored with a truce brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but the two sides have since failed to extend the agreement. Peace talks in Ankara collapsed without a long-term deal due to a dispute over militant groups hostile to Pakistan that operate inside Afghanistan.\nPakistan said its attack last week on Afghanistan was due to Pakistani security sources finding “irrefutable evidence” that militants in Afghanistan were behind a recent wave of attacks and suicide bombings aimed at Pakistani military and police.\nThe move escalated tension further, resulting in the latest violence.\nWhy are the two countries at odds?\nIn 2021 Imran Khan, at the time Pakistan's prime minister, welcomed the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.\nHe said that Afghans had “broken the shackles of slavery”. But Islamabad soon found that the Taliban were not as co-operative as it had hoped.\nPakistan says that the leadership of militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and many of its fighters are based in Afghanistan. The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban.\nIslamabad also says that armed insurgents seeking independence for the south-western Pakistani province of Balochistan also use Afghanistan as a haven.\nMilitancy has increased every year since 2022, with attacks by the TTP and Baloch insurgents growing, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a global monitoring organisation.\nKabul has repeatedly denied allowing militants to use Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban say Pakistan harbours fighters from its enemy, ISIS, a charge Islamabad denies.\nIslamabad says the ceasefire did not hold long due to continued militant attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan, and there have been repeated clashes and border closures since then that have disrupted trade and movement along the rugged frontier.\nWho are the TTP?\nThe group is known as the Pakistani Taliban, which was formed in 2007 by several militant outfits active in north-west Pakistan.\nThe TTP have attacked markets, mosques, airports, military bases, police stations and also gained control of territory – mostly along the border with Afghanistan, but also deep inside Pakistan, including the Swat Valley.\nThe group was behind the 2012 attack on Malala Yousafzai, at the time a pupil, who received the Nobel Peace Prize two years later.\nThe TTP also fought alongside the Afghan Taliban against US-led forces in Afghanistan, while hosting Afghan fighters in Pakistan.\nPakistan has launched military operations against the TTP on its own soil with limited success, although an offensive that ended in 2016 drastically reduced attacks until a few years ago.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T13:26:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxQVXIwWklIdmt6TmZ5ampJTGxEeFlWR0lGWHhkVHJuTHpmUVRHTDMxN2JpbUpTTHNFLUpFaEpuaVdPSEdidEd5RzFHT0JuVHhVVXNlV2t3T2lsZzZfOTNWWFg5SWJNZHEtOXpuYVpKS0JBMF9NSlBXRzI2amxBUW53UmFiS3Y5eUJZelI3ZjdRMEY2TXY4NEdFenNGTHBWcFoybkNlV2QzTHNGYklzeGdQWVRfZW53S1ZjRWdjejVna3c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e518288dfbba",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Submit your questions to Gideon Rachman: US foreign policy from Iran to Ukraine - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "What is Trump’s plan in Iran? You asked, Gideon Rachman answered\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T13:29:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE14VGk5YUtVRjRvTl9CTUpuV1RKeDBXNUo3b3d3M1BzUG8tYk9mUWNzSFlWQ0ljZjd5bWlqRDlyMEJYeW9uVFBtSzNuV3JLLVQ1QmRJUEZSc2NkQTRwQ2dTVHZKd25ZS0I3U3hWMDZnUnY?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9f6361db34e1",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israelis weary but prepared for possible Iran strikes - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israelis weary but prepared for possible Iran strikes\nUnder the shadow of a possible war between the United States and Iran, Israelis expressed weariness at the prospect of strikes on their country but said they were ever-prepared for a regional flare-up.\n\"The threat of war is, for us, a kind of routine,\" lawyer Maya Liya Cohen told AFP in the northern port city of Haifa.\n\"No matter what happens, what we do, if it has anything to do with us or nothing to do with us, then we are under continuous threat,\" she added.\nPresident Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran, and the US is currently pressing its biggest military build-up in the Middle East in decades.\nIf war erupts, Israel could end up in the firing line of its regional arch-foe.\nFor Israelis, memories of missile barrages from Iran lie in the not too distant past.\nIsrael launched unprecedented strikes on Iran last June, triggering retaliatory drone and missile attacks and sparking a 12-day war.\nThe US briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.\nIn Israel, the war killed 30 people and caused considerable damage, notably to a hospital and public institutions, including some army bases.\nThe lingering threat of war has prompted Cohen to adopt round-the-clock preparedness.\n\"We always have a safe place. It's actually our bedroom in our house,\" Cohen explained.\n\"We have water, we have an emergency kit, we always have things that are ready over there in case.\"\n- 'Become resilient' -\nShira Pinkas, a 52-year-old writer and yoga teacher living in the Tel Aviv suburb of Kiryat Ono, told AFP she was weary of the uncertainty but had a small suitcase ready just in case.\nPinkas lives with her twin six-year-old daughters on the fifth floor of an apartment building.\nLike Cohen and many other Israelis, her apartment is equipped with a \"mamad\", or reinforced room, but even with the shelter she said she did not feel safe.\n\"Last time (in June), 10 minutes from here in Petah Tikva, there were people who had taken refuge in a mamad on the fifth floor and were killed by a missile,\" she told AFP by phone.\nDuring that war, Pinkas said her family slept in her basement yoga studio a few streets away, and that she was preparing her daughters for the same possibility now.\n\"A month ago, I was really stressed, I didn't want to relive what I had experienced in June. But now I'm less stressed. We're a bit jaded,\" she said.\n\"I find that to survive situations like this, when you don't know what the future holds, whether or not there will be a threat to your life, to be able to cope with it all you have to change your perspective, become resilient.\"\nIsraeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said in a video statement on Friday that \"we are aware of the sense of uncertainty and the tension felt by the public in light of regional developments\".\nThe military \"is closely monitoring developments in Iran and remains alert and prepared to defend you\", he said.\n\"We are operating in full coordination with our partners in order to strengthen our defensive posture,\" he added, emphasising that the guidelines for the public had not changed.\n- 'Prepared for everything' -\nTrump has repeatedly threatened Tehran with fresh military action if it does not cut a deal with the United States.\nIran said Friday that in order to reach a deal, the US will have to drop its \"excessive demands\", tempering the optimism expressed after ongoing Oman-mediated talks seen as a last-ditch bid to avert war.\nThe US on Friday authorised the departure of non-emergency embassy staff from Israel \"due to safety risks\", saying that people who wished to leave should do so while flights were still available.\nBut for Yehuda Goldberg, a communications company manager in Haifa, life was continuing largely as normal.\n\"We're always prepared for everything. But on the other hand, we're living life to the full,\" he told AFP.\n\"To tell you it's comfortable, to tell you it's easy, it's not. But we are definitely at the best time of the existence of the Jewish people in the world. We have our own country,\" he added.\n\"It is our honour and duty to defend our country, to defend our people.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T14:19:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxNSHVsQ3JVdmNVaDZkR1dPcjJQTktTbW15NGNuMFVmNlZoVDhIbFBFVFM3Vm5hZW5uS0R4ODVRU21qNkhvaWlaWkI3VGQ0UW1RcE4tNEtXaUhGZE1yeGNpNTJTckF4TzM4X2lub29WZDI4eDhISmljdHd0R09XRExXUDVBOVg5ckF3ZkYwbWMxOGN1SURu?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b0e9a7ddb6fa",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran Turned to Russia, China for Missiles After 12-Day War - Defense Security Monitor",
    "body_text": "Following the “12-Day War” with Israel in June 2025, the Iranian government accelerated negotiations with Russia and China to procure advanced missile systems. According to recent reports from the Financial Times and Reuters, these talks persisted even after the international arms embargo was reinstated in September.\nIran was barred from the legal arms trade for years, as part of a concerted international effort to force the country to negotiate over its nuclear program. In 2015, the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany struck a nuclear accord with Iran that would, among other provisions, sunset the arms embargo after a period of eight years. As the embargo lapsed in October 2023, Iran moved quickly to sign arms agreements, ordering Russian combat aircraft and ballistic missile precursors from China.\nThe nuclear issue, however, has been far from settled, particularly with Washington’s abrupt exit from the accord in 2018 under the first Trump administration. And with Donald Trump back in the White House, the U.S. launched a new round of dialogue with Iran throughout the first half of 2025. These talks produced little in terms of concrete outcomes. On June 12, 2025, the IAEA declared Iran in violation of its nuclear commitments. Israel launched Operation Rising Lion the following day. Over the next two weeks, Israeli (and later American) aircraft would hit military and nuclear sites, dealing significant damage to Iranian infrastructure.\nAlarmed at the war – and the IAEA declaration – the “E3” countries (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) opened their own dialogue with Tehran, hoping to salvage something of a deal, to no avail. Instead, the E3 issued a statement in late August declaring Iran in violation of its nuclear commitments. That statement set in motion the ‘snapback’ provision of Resolution 2231 curtailing sanctions relief and restoring the arms embargo, which came back into effect at the end of September.\nBoth Moscow and Beijing rejected the snapback’s legality. “We do not recognize the snapback as coming into force,” Russia’s Ambassador to the U.N., Vassily Nebenzia, told reporters days after sanctions were reinstated. The Chinese Foreign Ministry similarly said that China “firmly opposes unilateral and illegal restrictions.”\nAs such, rather than curtail arms sales, the two arms suppliers have continued to negotiate deals with Iran. And Iran, battered by the war, has looked to both re-stock its forces and shore up political support from abroad.\nThe FT reported on February 22 that, in the weeks after the 12-Day War, Iran opened dialogue with Moscow for its 9K336 ‘Verba’ shoulder-fired anti-aircraft system. Already by December, the two sides inked a procurement agreement worth €495 million ($584 million) that will see 500 launcher units and 2,500 9M336 missiles delivered in three batches across 2027-2029. The report added that some units may have already arrived early in Iran.\nVerba, like other manportable air-defense systems, is used to target low-altitude objects such as helicopters and drones. The system can reach targets at altitudes between 10 and 4,500 meters, out to a range of 6.5 kilometers. Russia has supplied the Verba to its own forces and reportedly Armenia as well.\nOn February 24, Reuters revealed that Iran is negotiating a separate arms agreement with Beijing for the supply of CM-302 anti-ship missiles, the export version of the YJ-12. The media outlet’s sources revealed that Tehran entered talks for the missiles in 2024, and the negotiations became more intense over the summer months of 2025. The sides are reportedly ‘close’ to reaching an agreement.\nIt is not known how many CM-302s Iran is looking to buy – or when they will be delivered – but introducing the missiles into service would provide a boost to Iran’s coastal defense capabilities. The missile travels at supersonic speed and can hit targets as far as 290 kilometers away, making it a threat for warships and shipping in general, particularly in the congested Persian Gulf and nearby Strait of Hormuz.\nWhereas the Verba deal with Russia appears to have reached a contract signature, negotiations for the CM-302 are ongoing, according to Reuters’ sources. The report added that Beijing could ultimately walk away from selling the CM-302 to Iran, given the political context in the Middle East region, where the U.S. is poised for potential military action.\nThousands of Iranians took to the streets in late December and early January to protest deteriorating economic conditions, spurred on by a slump in the rial. The Iranian government initially responded to the unrest by saying it would listen to the protests “with patience, even if it is confronted with harsh voices,” yet Iranian security forces instead launched a severe crackdown that culminated in large-scale massacres from January 8-9.\nDays after the massacre, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to continue protesting in a statement issued on his Truth Social media page, vowing that “help is on its way.” Occupied with operations elsewhere, however, the U.S. did not have adequate forces in the region to confidently perform a mission against Iran at that time, instead requiring the Pentagon to shift combat aircraft, surveillance planes, and two carrier groups to the Middle East over the past month. With the build-up essentially complete, the U.S. is now postured to perform renewed airstrikes should diplomatic efforts fail.\nWhether China delays the sale of CM-302s to Iran over the immediate regional climate, the framework of arms control on Iran is in tatters. Moscow and Beijing will continue to seek deals with Tehran, spying lucrative opportunities addressing various capability gaps in the Iranian security forces.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T15:05:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxQYW4xZnhLb2hmR29ZUVdhYk9yb3dubnhIYVU1OC1zZDdyejZCUFh5bkxQdFVobVR5UmdWaEN3Sks1QmdaN096Yk5WejBSRFNmWHRDMlhBR3duVjU4TTM3NmloQ2dWS01XdkRIU2VlejVGbldjVG11eXJ5ZHZJSUtqVTNVNXlDMGhuMi1fUV9pMEYtVkw1MEtJYnAyZlhEWDlKZ0Q4S1lBWlMteUU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_621f1edc32d8",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Q&A: Iran and the US are back on the edge of war. What's coming? - ACLED",
    "body_text": "Just eight months after the Iran-Israel war — which ended in a fragile ceasefire that did not resolve underlying disputes between Tehran, Washington, and Tel Aviv — the Islamic Republic once again stands on the edge of war. The United States has amassed significant military assets in the region, while US President Donald Trump continues to warn that the Islamic Republic will face military consequences if no deal is reached. The Iranian regime is now in a precarious position: In the wake of its unprecedented violent crackdown on widespread protests, it is facing mounting external pressure at a moment of profound internal vulnerability.\nThis Q&A discusses how the United States and Iran are approaching a point at which a military confrontation may be difficult to avoid, the serious implications for regional stability, and why the Islamic Republic’s decline is all but inevitable, whether war breaks out or not.\nIs a war becoming unavoidable?\nA war is not a foregone conclusion, but the risk is now exceptionally high. Since mid-January, Washington has amassed its largest military buildup in the region since 2003 while pressing for significant concessions in the negotiations that resumed in early February. The scale of the current US military buildup around Iran — which includes multiple carrier strike groups, long-range strike aircraft, air defenses, and extensive logistics and refueling capacity1 — goes well beyond symbolic signaling. Deployments of this size, estimated at roughly 40-50% of deployable US airpower,2 place Washington in a position to initiate rapid military action at the president’s discretion, transforming coercive diplomacy into a credible prospect of war. What remains far less clear is the strategic end Washington ultimately seeks to achieve.\nWhile Trump’s public vows to support the protesters in Iran formed part of the backdrop to the current escalation, a change in how the Islamic Republic treats its own people has not featured as a core negotiating demand. Instead, this environment of heightened internal instability created openings for the United States to pursue further concessions that the 12-day war failed to secure. Demands for dismantling the nuclear program have remained at the heart of negotiations. But the US has also expanded objectives to include limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program and an end to Iranian support of anti-Israel groups, in line with long-standing Israeli priorities. From Tehran’s perspective, these demands amount to near-total capitulation, making concessions highly unlikely even under severe pressure. A diplomatic path to de-escalation is most plausible if the US pares back its demands to focus on the nuclear program.\nHow might a US military confrontation with Iran unfold?\nThe US forces currently in place appear more suited to time-bound punitive strikes and regional defense than to a prolonged campaign aimed at regime change or strategic dismantlement. Thus far, the US has no ground forces in place, no meaningful special operations footprint, and no logistical arrangements for a prolonged air campaign.3 This posture suggests that if the US were to use force, it would likely take a phased approach.\nAn initial round of targeted strikes would likely seek to impose costs more significant and painful than those of the 12-day war (for more on the 12-day war, see this Q&A). In the previous round, the US conducted strikes on Iran’s three main nuclear facilities, while Israel carried out more than 380 attacks targeting major military and government assets and killing senior commanders and nuclear scientists (see map below). Nevertheless, Tehran retained its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium4 and the technical know-how to restart the program, while suspending nuclear negotiations and continuing to reject the principle of zero enrichment. This time, the US could exert additional pressure to test whether Tehran’s calculus can be shifted. If such strikes once again failed to compel concessions, Washington could escalate through repeated strikes or by expanding military assets for a longer campaign.\nHow far the US would be willing to go remains the central uncertainty. Regime change would require a prolonged campaign, for which there is little political appetite in Washington, and even a leadership decapitation strike would not guarantee that the Islamic Republic would acquiesce to US demands. The trajectory of the crisis, however, remains fluid, and decision-making in Washington under President Trump may depart from conventional escalation logic and cost-benefit calculations, complicating efforts to predict US behavior.\nThe role of Israel in any conflict should also not be underestimated. While it has so far taken a back seat as the United States has taken the lead during the recent escalation, its current restraint does not rule out a more active role, given its intelligence reach inside Iran and its long-standing strategic interest in weakening the regime.\nHow might Tehran react under escalating pressure? Could we see a wider regional conflict?\nIran’s leadership is facing a narrowing set of bad options. Tactical concessions, including a temporary freeze or caps on uranium enrichment, are unlikely to suffice this time. At the same time, accepting significant concessions such as zero enrichment would be ideologically damaging to the Islamic Republic; the regime has long framed enrichment on Iran’s soil as a symbol of sovereignty and national pride. Limits on missile capabilities — a central component of Tehran's defense strategy — meanwhile, would directly threaten regime survival. As long as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remains in office, it is unlikely that Tehran will cross its long-standing red lines. Against this backdrop, Iranian leaders may judge that absorbing a foreign military confrontation carries fewer risks to preserving the Islamic Republic than capitulating under pressure.\nFrom a military standpoint, Iran is not positioned to meaningfully challenge the conventional superiority of the United States or Israel. Still, Iran should not be underestimated. Its strategy rests on asymmetric tools: a sizable ballistic missile and drone arsenal, cyber capabilities, and a network of regional partners capable of imposing costs across multiple fronts. Iran has shown that it can absorb strikes while still imposing costs: During the 12-day war in June, it launched over 500 missiles toward Israel,5 with ACLED recording over 40 direct hits in populated areas that killed more than 30 people (see map below).\nRenewed attacks on Iran will likely trigger Tehran to retaliate in ways that significantly raise the price of military confrontation for its adversaries. The underlying assumption of this strategy is that inflicting tangible costs — including US casualties — could generate political pressure in Washington to de-escalate. Iranian officials increasingly interpret their earlier restraint, including after the killing of Qassem Soleimani and US targeting of nuclear facilities, as having failed to deter future pressure. This time, Iran may seek to demonstrate that even limited US or Israeli strikes would carry costly consequences, through missile or drone attacks on Israel, strikes on US bases, maritime disruption, or proxy activity.\nAt the same time, Iran faces real constraints. Its regional network has been degraded, its air defenses and missile infrastructure damaged, and its capacity for coordinated, high-intensity escalation reduced. Hezbollah, long one of Iran’s most important regional assets, has remained under sustained pressure from the Israel Defense Forces, which has depleted the group’s operational capacity (for more on Israeli military campaigns, see ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist). Further, more severe retaliatory actions, such as attempting to close the Strait of Hormuz or striking Gulf energy infrastructure, would almost certainly trigger a far more expansive US response. The prospect of a managed escalation, therefore, is fragile: If Iran miscalculates, its regional partners escalate beyond its control, or the US or Israel shows a willingness to push further than Tehran anticipates, the conflict could rapidly expand beyond what any side initially intended.\nHow could a war reshape internal stability and political dynamics in Iran?\nIf war were to break out, internal stability would likely deteriorate in the short to medium term as the regime’s already securitized approach toward domestic governance further hardens. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly framed domestic dissent as foreign-backed subversion — and demonstrated its willingness to use significant violence against its own population. During the January unrest, ACLED records lethal force against protesters in more than 140 towns and cities nationwide. A major conflict could intensify this trend. Heightened threat perception would, therefore, likely lower the regime’s tolerance for any form of opposition, accelerate repression, and expand surveillance and coercive controls over daily life.\nShould war lead to rapid regime destabilization, however, the risk of internal instability would be significant. Iran lacks a credible, organized alternative leadership inside the country capable of quickly filling a power vacuum. Such a scenario risks fragmentation, chaos, and violent power struggles, including potential armed conflict among regime factions and existing or emerging opposition groups. It is difficult to imagine that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would allow the Islamic Republic to collapse without a violent internal contest.\nWhat if the Islamic Republic manages to avoid war?\nNot only externally but internally, the Islamic Republic faces a crisis of its own making. Years of mismanagement, corruption, and sustained sanctions have eroded the state’s capacity to deliver economic security, while its restrictive social and political controls have curtailed freedoms. The challenges the regime faces today are the cumulative result of prolonged political inflexibility and a persistent reliance on coercion.\nEven if war is avoided, Iran’s domestic instability is likely to persist. The economic drivers of unrest are not going away. Without a diplomatic breakthrough delivering tangible sanctions relief — which currently looks unlikely — tighter enforcement of existing sanctions, particularly on oil exports, will further squeeze the economy. But the damage goes deeper. The large-scale killings during the January unrest have fractured the social contract to a degree that even if the Islamic Republic were to secure sanctions relief, these gains would not automatically translate into political legitimacy.6 Leadership change from within the existing system would not be sufficient either to reverse this trajectory, absent deeper structural or constitutional reform. Avoiding war would not reverse the Islamic Republic’s decline — it will only prolong it.\nVisuals produced by Ciro Murillo.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T15:46:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiekFVX3lxTE5CLU9vT3VRdXp1NWRrNlBKemQ5ZGk5dlpzeFlJdXdxdThaTUFXZF9nOWFma3l4NFpiVUc0RGU0QWphcFU4UGhNRnlmNVpNcWFQYVNzWXdqRjVpRkRLZkNhU3Z1Y29NNExjU1BZRGdWYlQ4SUxaRE8zZjNR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e7a934870f99",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "By-election disaster shows Labour is finished. A new politics is being born - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "By-election disaster shows Labour is finished. A new politics is being born\nFew British prime ministers have been handed such a magnificent opportunity as Keir Starmer after Labour’s election victory in July 2024. With a parliamentary majority approaching 200 seats, he had a chance to reshape Britain.\nJust 18 months later, Starmer is one of the most despised premiers in British history.\nThere had been deep concern about Starmer’s survival as prime minister well before last night’s by-election calamity in Gorton and Denton.\nHe is probably safe for the next few weeks, because no sensible Labour MP, no matter how ambitious, will wish to assume the leadership ahead of this May’s local elections. Thereafter, it’s hard to see how he can survive.\nIt could have been so different. Starmer was elected prime minister on the back of a wave of national disgust at the corrupt, chaotic, immoral and incompetent Tories.\nStarmer could have turned his election victory into a moment of national renewal, fighting for social justice, decency, clean politics and (echoing Robin Cook, who resigned from Tony Blair’s cabinet rather than support the invasion of Iraq) an ethical foreign policy.\nStarmer chose not to do this. Instead, he waged a factional war against the Labour left. He carried out policies favoured by Labour donors rather than members.\nRather than fight the far right, he copied its politics and employed its language. He bet the house on Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel. He hollowed out the Labour Party and destroyed its soul.\nBrutal calculation\nStarmer’s key adviser through this long tragedy was Morgan McSweeney, a protege of now-disgraced Peter Mandelson.\nMcSweeney, following Mandelson, despised Labour’s traditional voters and went out of his way to humiliate the Labour left.\nMcSweeney was a special expert in the politics of personal destruction, as expertly exposed in Paul Holden’s masterpiece of investigative journalism, The Fraud.\nAl Jazeera’s Labour Files also set out the sheer nastiness of the McSweeney machine, highlighting the contemptuous handling of Black and Muslim voters - so ugly that it suggested Labour might have been targeting the racist vote.\nThe June 2023 deselection of Jamie Driscoll, the former North of Tyne mayor, was an early example of the vindictiveness of Starmer and McSweeney. But even that did not come close to the ill treatment meted out to Faiza Shaheen, deselected as Labour’s candidate after she’d begun campaigning in Chingford and Woodford Green.\nFormer Prime Minister Harold Wilson once famously remarked that Labour is a moral crusade or it is nothing. Starmer’s mistake was to worship power at all costs.\nHe campaigned for the leadership as a Corbynite candidate, but turned viciously on the left the moment he won.\nAdvised by McSweeney, Starmer employed the vile language of the far right (such as warning that Britain risks becoming “an island of strangers”) to appeal to racist voters.\nThe calculation was brutal: decent Labour supporters had nowhere else to go. McSweeney himself gave the appearance of positively rejoicing as he drove left-wing voters out of Labour.\nStaking a claim\nLast night proves that this was a terrible miscalculation. Labour supporters have fled the party in their millions, and it is doubtful they will ever come back.\nHannah Spencer, the newly elected Green MP for Gorton and Denton, is a case in point. “I am a plumber,” she said in her acceptance speech on Friday. “I am no different to every single person here in this constituency. I work hard.” Starmer’s Labour had nothing to offer her.\nHer message was authentic and so much more powerful than Starmer’s own attempts to package himself as a toolmaker’s son. Under Starmer, Labour has turned its back on the working class.\nWe are starting to see the shape of a new politics. Corbyn's Your Party, along with other leftist national parties, will be part of a broad popular alliance led by Polanski\nAnd it is not just Starmer whose position is in peril. The same applies to the Labour Party itself.\nGaza matters a great deal. From early on, the British public wanted a ceasefire. The Labour government’s refusal even to acknowledge that Israel is committing war crimes, still less that it is committing genocide, has turned Labour (along with Kemi Badenoch’s Tories) into the party of atrocity denial.\nEver since Jeremy Corbyn told a cheering crowd at the 2017 Glastonbury Festival that “another world is possible”, we’ve known there is a national audience for a radical politician who can make the case for decency.\nLast night, Green leader Zack Polanski staked his claim.\nWe are starting to see the shape of a new politics. Corbyn’s Your Party, along with other leftist national parties, will be part of a broad popular alliance led by Polanski. With Labour in collapse, and the Tories joining Reform on the racist far right, Polanski may find himself prime minister sooner than he expects.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T15:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxNdFZod1g4ckVrRUk1X1JkbDZQWVlmekVNZUJZQVRZTV9Oc01SREdBdEZEX0czckRFS2ZBZmI4V3ZaZ1NoSmpZMzFXR0lZVVQtNHMwOWdXS05JdS1NQ2dXNFludkJHc3pWRWRYanZSU0Ytb3NvZTdzSHpOcGF6V3JzYlZfNFBlN3RDVW5SZFV5bzdhcXZFa3ZWZTBVTVN6X29HOVNF?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c936db526a7a",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Defensive munition shortages to shape attack on Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Defensive munition shortages to shape attack on Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T16:17:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBUZVUtLTlxWmxVYjVXaTFYUkt6azduLWxLd0dMTVUtMFJ5QVRwblRaTEpPMElKYmlJVTgzMDdVS296Y2hiQ2dqd2M5eUFPcXU5QWlXTGtuaTRhMEFLUkR3SUtlWkRfNDllS2l6YnFkT2g?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ac2dff63ba48",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "‘As if the border never reopened’: Gaza patients die waiting under Israeli siege - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "‘As if the border never reopened’: Gaza patients die waiting under Israeli siege\nTwo days after the Rafah border partially reopened last month for Palestinian patients in Gaza, seven-year-old Anwar al-Ashi died while waiting for permission to leave for treatment.\nThe border’s 21-month closure, coupled with prolonged malnutrition caused by Israel’s two-year total siege of Gaza, worsened the boy’s metabolic acidosis and triggered the collapse of his health.\n“During the war, he suffered from metabolic acidosis twice, especially during displacement. But each time, he recovered without needing intensive care,” the child’s father, Nayef al-Ashi, told Middle East Eye.\n“This time, it was caused by malnutrition, contaminated and unsafe drinking water. Many times, there was no bottled water available, so he had to drink tap water.”\nDoctors said malnutrition disrupted Anwar’s pH balance, increasing acidity in his blood and leading to kidney failure.\n“Suddenly, he developed abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. We took him to the hospital and were shocked to learn his pH levels were dangerously low. His acidosis was severe, and he was immediately transferred to intensive care,” Nayef continued.\n“In the days before his death, he fell into a coma and underwent dialysis four or five times. He needed lab tests and essential medications that were unavailable in Gaza, including nutritional supplements and vitamins that might have prevented his deterioration.”\n'It is incredibly painful to watch your son die before your eyes and be powerless to help'\n- Nayef al-Ashi, Palestinian father\nAnwar was one of 1,360 patients who died while waiting to travel for medical treatment after Israeli forces closed the Rafah border crossing in May 2024.\nMore than 18,500 others, including 4,000 children, remain in urgent need of medical evacuation.\nAlthough the border reopening aimed to allow up to 50 patients per day to leave for treatment, only around 260 were permitted to travel between 2 and 18 February.\nThe border was closed again on Saturday after the US and Israel launched the war on Iran.\n“I consider the main cause of my child’s death to be the closure of the crossings, the denial of medical referrals, the malnutrition and the displacement, which is catastrophic for children,” Nayef said.\n“It is incredibly painful to watch your son die before your eyes and be powerless to help.\n“I cannot understand how these factors are allowed to cause a child’s death, leaving him to suffer from kidney failure and other complications.”\nLack of medical supplies\nDespite the ceasefire agreement in October, Israel has continued to severely restrict the entry of medicines and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip.\nBy late December, 321 essential medicines were completely out of stock, while 710 medical consumables were unavailable. There were also acute shortages of laboratory testing materials and blood bank supplies.\nIn addition to these restrictions, Israel has systematically targeted health facilities and staff during the two-year genocide in Gaza, directly bombing and destroying dozens of hospitals.\nThese attacks have left doctors unable to treat critical conditions such as acidosis.\nWhen Anwar’s acidity levels reached a critical point, he required treatment outside Gaza.\nIn a desperate attempt to save his life, doctors and his family sought permission for him to travel abroad, but he died before it could be granted.\n“If the resources had been available in Gaza, I could have treated him here,” Nayef said.\n“But there were no supplies, no medicines, and no laboratory equipment. His health deteriorated rapidly - first his liver failed, then his brain - and then he died.”\nAround 650 patients across the Gaza Strip face life-threatening conditions due to the Israeli blockade, critical shortages of medical supplies and equipment, and the destruction of dialysis machines during Israeli attacks.\nDr Ghazi al-Yazji, head of the dialysis department at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, said the death rate among kidney patients has risen by 41 percent over the two years of war.\n“Most dialysis units were destroyed or went out of service. Many patients were trapped in their homes and could not reach dialysis, which impacted their lives, caused complications, and increased mortality rates,” Yazji told MEE.\nHe explained that the war affected the health system’s capacity because all units were destroyed.\n“For example, at al-Shifa hospital, the entire kidney treatment unit was destroyed and gradually rebuilt. We are currently operating at the required efficiency with 50 dialysis machines, but we still need more dialysis machines and chairs for the devices.”\nThe doctor reported that despite the partial reopening of the Rafah border, there is currently no mechanism in place to allow travel for patients requiring kidney transplants or kidney biopsies, leaving them trapped and slowly dying.\n‘As if it never reopened’\nDue to the high number of patients awaiting urgent medical evacuation, priority is currently being given to critical cancer cases.\nHowever, even for cancer patients, the referral process remains unclear and complex.\nWarda al-Batrikhi, 44, said she has been waiting for cancer screening for her 14-year-old son, Siraj al-Muzaini, for more than 18 months.\n'It is as if [the Rafah crossing] never reopened'\n- Warda al-Batrikhi, Palestinian mother\n“There are no screening services available in Gaza,” she explained.\n“Doctors have repeatedly told me that my son requires a medical referral for specialised cancer screening to determine the extent of his illness. However, priority in referrals is given to patients who have already been diagnosed.\n“I keep taking him from one doctor to another and from one hospital to another, just to feel that I am doing something. But deep down, I know it is all in vain because he needs urgent, proper treatment outside Gaza.”\nAmong patients awaiting medical evacuation, roughly 4,000 cancer patients have already obtained official referrals for urgent treatment outside Gaza but remain unable to leave due to ongoing border closures and the blockade.\nOverall, an estimated 11,000 cancer patients in Gaza lack access to specialised or diagnostic cancer services, with many in urgent need of treatment that is not available within Gaza.\n“When I heard that the Rafah border would reopen, I felt relieved, believing that my son would finally be able to access proper treatment,” Batrikhi said.\n“But now, it is as if it never reopened. It seems we will be waiting forever before he is finally allowed to travel.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T16:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxNSzdQUzJxb3VCOXN3NHVjUnFrV09tM1Etc1VVLVFJd2htOVN1QlpIR2FPVUplZ2JXenZQYzlybjlzd3ZfcVA4elhpY1RFclp0STZRaGtOVWlUeE1qZHI5UEZmTUp4UWFkRG85aGFLVG9FYlhCMVpJVXg1NTN0YjFXZFhaR2Z0NmJ3eTAyNW9ha3FubUp3WlVXbnN6TV92cENVeGRQdW01emo?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_02b46716fc7c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Shipping giant Maersk diverts from Suez route amid Iran-US tension - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Shipping giant Maersk diverts from Suez route amid Iran-US tension\nThe shift comes in reaction to the growing possibility of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran.\nDanish container shipping giant Maersk said on Friday that it will temporarily reroute some of its vessels away from the Suez Canal in response to “unforeseen constraints” in the Red Sea region. The move comes amid the growing possibility of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran.\n“We are currently experiencing unforeseen constraints arising from the wider operating environment in the Red Sea region,” Maersk said in a statement.\n“After conversations with our security partners, it is clear that these constraints are making it challenging to avoid delays in regard to passage through the area,” the company added.\nMaersk said it was redirecting the ships around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope rather than through the shorter Suez Canal route. The South African journey is about 10 days longer and costlier than the Red Sea-Suez route.\nFollowing the war in Gaza, which erupted in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked scores of commercial vessels traversing the Red Sea in what the militia said was a response to Israel's assault on the Palestinian enclave. The attacks caused hundreds of ships to divert from the Suez Canal to the Cape of Good Hope.\nWhy it matters: The Suez Canal is the shortest and quickest maritime route linking Asia and Europe via the Middle East. The chokepoint is essential to global trade, handling around 12-15% of all global shipments and 30% of total container traffic.\nMaersk’s announcement comes as the threat of a US-Iran military confrontation looms large. The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, joined American military forces in Middle Eastern waters on Friday. It is the largest fighting force in the Middle East since the Second Gulf War in 2003.\nUS and Iranian negotiators met in Geneva for indirect nuclear talks on Thursday. After six and a half hours of discussions, American and Iranian diplomats were said to have made “significant progress,” according to Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who mediated the negotiations.\n\"We will resume soon after consultation in the respective capitals. Discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna,\" the minister said in a statement.\nOn Friday, several countries, including China and Canada, urged citizens to leave Iran as tensions rose. The US Embassy in Jerusalem also authorized non-essential staff and families of embassy workers to leave. It also recommended that US citizens leave Israel.\nKnow more: Middle Eastern oil exporters have been accelerating crude shipments against a disruption to flows through the Strait of Hormuz in the event of a US attack on Iran. The vital waterway accounts for around 25% of all global crude shipments and around a third of all liquefied natural gas cargoes.\nReuters reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is raising crude production and exports as a precautionary measure in response to the heightened risk of a US strike on Iran. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that the plan will see the kingdom temporarily boost its output and export of oil.\nMeanwhile, Iran’s crude oil and condensate exports rose to 2.2 million barrels per day in February, up 50% from the average of the previous three months, according to data from ship tracking firm Kpler from Thursday.\nExports from Iran’s Kharg Island terminal on Feb. 15-20 were nearly 20.1 million barrels, according to Kpler. The figure is almost three times the amount loaded over the same dates in January and is equivalent to more than 3 million bpd, much higher than Iran’s typical daily crude exports.\nOPEC+, the coalition of major oil exporters, is due to meet on Sunday. Analysts expect the cartel, which is led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, to resume output hikes amid regional volatility. Analysts believe that the hikes will start with a modest increase of 137,000 bpd, the Dow Jones newswire reported.\nBrent crude stood at $72.70 as of Friday, 8:42 a.m. EST.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T17:02:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxQMjk2eUI1NV9ONWFDVWo5OURrMnVMLTVtRl9mZlBqbW0zSDE4QnRGaXdBcWFwOWw4QmlVYzA5Z09wY0RQQVV3WkhfbzUwMUQ3REQwUV96bnl4TTEwNWEzelI5Yk1WdWROcEFZbnJuaUVqNEFSZVRLNDRrSUoyaTlTbWtrQzBndkZwR01ZQ0NURjVLa0pTSUFnNWpVOHVab09QS1ByQUY4M05OUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_af69936ff6d6",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Key areas of contention between Iran and the US - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Key areas of contention between Iran and the US\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T18:00:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBEZUNERDROb0xLbG1kTHpzN0dCNlRTQkRwZjl6SnBiUjVBMTJLN2dOUlpEbFRjNUplQWdDOHlHLU1wdGdaUGdYczMxV2JaR1JnN0xhRld6QkNDeHNxSzBrLXBSUHVGaXdUTTIwc0VoNHc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_07aab9f4a0d1",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Trump told UAE leader Saudi Arabia wanted Emirates sanctioned: Report - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Trump told UAE leader Saudi Arabia wanted Emirates sanctioned: Report\nUS President Donald Trump told his UAE counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, that Saudi Arabia asked him to impose sanctions on the emirates over their support for Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), The New York Times reported on Friday.\nThe report says that Trump delivered the message to Mohammed bin Zayed in a November phone call, after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the White House.\nMiddle East Eye was the first to reveal the Saudi crown prince’s plan to lobby Trump against the UAE for its support of the RSF, whose month-long siege of el-Fasher in Darfur was described by a United Nations panel last week as bearing the “hallmarks of genocide”.\nFollowing MEE’s report, Trump stated at a Saudi-US business forum in Washington, “His Majesty would like me to do something very powerful having to do with Sudan,” adding, “We’re going to start working on it.”\nSaudi Arabia initially tried to position itself as a mediator to the civil war raging between the RSF and Sudanese army commander Abdul Fattah al-Burhan.\nSudan sits directly across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia.\nHowever, as the UAE funnelled support to the RSF, Riyadh has emerged as a backer of the Sudanese army, along with Egypt and Turkey.\nBoth the RSF and Sudanese army have been accused of war crimes, but the RSF’s attacks, particularly in Darfur, have been defined by rape and mass slaughter.\nAccording to the NYT report, Trump told the Emirati leader \"that his friends were out to get him, but that [Trump] had his back”.\nSome analysts and regional officials speculate that Saudi Arabia's lobbying was the final straw that inspired the UAE to back a sweeping offensive by secessionist forces in Yemen in December. That move precipitated a sweeping Saudi military offensive in Yemen that evicted the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council from power.\nThe NYT said that “Saudi leadership” believes the UAE backed the offensive over their belief that the kingdom asked Trump to sanction them.\nLetter to UAE\nTrump’s apparent taunting of Mohammed bin Zayed is notable following MEE’s exclusive report last week regarding correspondence between the two Gulf states.\nMultiple US and western officials told MEE that Mohammed bin Salman sent a \"lengthy\" letter to UAE national security advisor Tahnoon bin Zayed, complaining about the UAE's activities in Sudan and Yemen.\nThe letter, which was sent a few weeks ago, provided a detailed list of complaints against the UAE, even as it offered mediation through the crown prince's brother and advisor, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman.\nThe letter also said that Saudi Arabia was shocked that the UAE believed the kingdom had pressed the US to sanction it, in what appears to be an effort to defuse tensions over the sanctions rumours.\nTrump has not imposed sanctions on the UAE, although the US did announce new sanctions on RSF commanders last week.\nIn a memo issued by the US Department of the Treasury last week, the US acknowledged that the brother and close lieutenant of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo is using an Emirati ID in addition to a Kenyan passport.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T18:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxOU1FHTFowUTBFbzlZRzJDempMRHRudW93RXcxaVhGbG16ZVFxQkUyakEtWjZwb2hfbk1JU3pLYi16RlpraTNjNzBLZm45dlVyNlVBTVhoZlhOVWtLT2UydVpwbHNSUktjdU5RemhQR1dCbjhuYWI2WnNpRGlUZWdKTThNZGdJT1hDUlZVc2hUZWxPRU02UU4tZDl0amhNdTVnTHoxYWpR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6b62d643c070",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Steadies as Traders Weigh Fresh US-Iran Nuclear Discussions - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Steadies as Traders Weigh Fresh US-Iran Nuclear Discussions    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T21:15:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxPdnJveU5TbHZONkNFc2F4LVZ4RjZ0ZVBDQ09ueHhpZUhYQUFmY0pDQUNJNlZmOVBvLXc4TmgtUXR6a1JLXzNnM2k5YlZhamlBZWVHOXN2bUZtSnZsQnJCX2xWNlI2MkNOS3ZOcU8tMU5CalZLeGY1UnZ1NUNFOElaTDEwQU1vb0o2OVpGTW11bHhPVncwdVhDMFRnM2pqZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a1082b0ff6b4",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'Not superficial': Support for Palestinians in US surpasses sympathy for Israelis - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "'Not superficial': Support for Palestinians in US surpasses sympathy for Israelis\nFor the first time in nearly a quarter century of polling on the issue, Americans sympathise with Palestinians more than Israelis, Gallup revealed on Friday.\nThat shift has been tracked among all age groups, and not just young people, Gallup said.\nForty-one percent of those surveyed said their sympathies lay with Palestinians, while 36 percent said it was Israelis.\nWhile the five-point gap is \"not statistically significant\", Gallup said, it is a stark departure from a 24-year period when Israelis consistently maintained a clear lead over Palestinians.\nTen percent said they have no opinion. Nine percent said they do not sympathise with either side, and four percent said they sympathise with both sides equally.\nThe highest sympathies for Palestinians are among Democrats at 65 percent, with only 17 percent of support for Israelis - the largest gap among the surveyed groups.\nGallup has previously shown that Democrats were already trending in that direction since 2023, after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel and the subsequent Israeli genocide in Gaza, in which at least 72,081 Palestinians have been killed - a figure seen as an undercount by experts.\n“This poll should be a wake-up call for Democratic leaders. Their policy of unwavering support for - and complicity in - Israel’s atrocities in Gaza is alienating their own voters,\" Reed Brody, a veteran war crimes prosecutor and Counsel for Human Rights Watch, told Middle East Eye in a written statement.\n'The suppression of speech [and] racism practised by Israel... These are things that Americans recognise’\n- Nizar Farzakh, George Washington University\n\"If the party fails to recognize how deeply this issue matters to many Americans, especially young people, it risks deepening a generational and political divide that has already cost them - and the country - one historic election.”\nGallup's survey results come just days after a leaked autopsy of the 2024 presidential election by Democratic officials concluded that Kamala Harris lost meaningful support because of the Biden administration’s unconditional support for Israel's conduct in Gaza.\n\"Democrats should recognize that support for Palestinian rights is the moral thing to do and an electoral asset, and wield it in the upcoming elections,\" a spokesperson with the IMEU Policy Project told MEE in a written statement.\n\"There is perhaps no greater gap in American politics between our politicians and the voters than on the issue of continually funding Israel’s military with our tax dollars.\"\nBuilding bridges\nAccording to Gallup, independent voters drove the boost in support for Palestinians in 2026.\nForty-one percent of independents said they sympathise more with the Palestinians than the Israelis, whereas in all prior years, Gallup noted, they were more sympathetic towards the Israelis, including by 42 percent to 34 percent last year.\nNizar Farzakh, a former adviser to senior Palestinian leadership in Ramallah and a lecturer at George Washington University, attributed Friday's poll numbers not just to the fallout from Israel's actions in Gaza, but also to the alliances that advocates for Palestine have built over the last two decades in particular.\nThey built bridges with groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, movements like Black Lives Matter, as well as Jewish Voice for Peace, among others.\n\"The alliance is not superficial; it's actually organic. That connection helped associate the Palestinians with the working class... while Israel is the elites,\" he told MEE.\nThe Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, he said, \"focused on a rights-based campaign [which] allowed for a much larger conversation\".\n\"The suppression of speech [and] racism practised by Israel... These are things that Americans recognise,\" Farzakh said.\nAmong Republicans, Gallup showed that 70 percent sympathise with Israelis, but even that is a 10-point decline from 2004, marking the lowest level of support in 22 years.\nOnly 13 percent of Republicans sympathise with Palestinians.\n'Not surprising'\nAltogether, despite the shifts, the most support for Israelis is still among those aged 55 and older at 49 percent, compared to 31 percent for Palestinians.\nFifty-three percent of those aged 18 to 34 sympathise with Palestinians compared to 23 percent for Israelis, which is a new low for this group, Gallup noted.\nBut it's among those aged 35 to 54 where there has been a \"near-reversal\" of the numbers from 2025, Gallup said.\n'I believe a lot of Americans are seeing an ugly face of Israel that they've not seen or perceived in the past'\n- Bishara Bahbah, Palestinian-American academic\nForty-six percent said they sympathise more with Palestinians, compared with 28 percent for Israelis. Last year, it was 45 percent for Israelis and 33 percent for Palestinians.\n\"The results are not surprising,\" Bishara Bahbah, an academic and former Democrat who pivoted to President Donald Trump's campaign in 2024, and later became part of the administration's backchannel talks with Hamas, told MEE.\n\"I believe a lot of Americans are seeing an ugly face of Israel that they've not seen or perceived in the past, and that reflects in their attitudes,\" he said.\n\"Many of the candidates running for various offices around the country are saying... 'We are not accepting any funds from Aipac',\" using an acronym for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.\nAipac is one of the most powerful and well-funded pro-Israel lobbying groups in the US.\nIt has shelled out tens of millions of dollars to support candidates who can counter the trend of young people running for office in the 2026 midterm elections in November, who are making a point of saying they are \"America First\" and not \"Israel First\".\nThey are Democrats, Republicans, and independents.\n\"No matter how much you dump money into a campaign, at the end of the day, what elects people are votes,\" Bahbah said. \"And those votes are shifting toward a more equitable view of the Israel-Palestine conflict.\"\nTariq Kenney-Shawa, US policy fellow at Al-Shabaka, told MEE that while the shift among Americans is \"significant\", it has \"proven to be not enough to save Palestinians\".\nThe attitudes have yet to translate into policy change that ends with the conditioning or cutting of US aid to Israel, he said.\n\"Advocates for Palestinian rights will now have to focus on how to translate passive sympathies for Palestinians into active opposition to Israel.\"\nThe land\nWhen asked to rate the favourability of the Palestinian territories and the favourability of the State of Israel in separate questions, Gallup noted that Israel’s favourable rating has now declined to near its historical low - 45 percent - measured in 1989.\nIsrael had its highest rating in 1991 at 79 percent. It has only come close to that figure once in the last three decades: 2021 at 75 percent, before its attack on Gaza later that year.\nRatings of the Palestinian territories, on the other hand, have improved to a new high point at 37 percent this year, from 18 percent just two years ago.\nIsrael currently sits at 46 percent favourability.\nWhen it comes to the \"two-state solution\" - a decades-long US policy that the Trump administration no longer publicly recognises - there has been little change among Americans, most of whom continue to back the proposal at 57 percent.\nTwenty-eight percent oppose it, while 15 percent do not have an opinion, Gallup said.\nThe policy, spurred by the 1993 Oslo Accords, refers to an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.\nWhile theoretically possible, it has become practically impossible given Israel's ever-expanding settlements and its moves to now annex the entirety of the occupied West Bank.\nHalf of Gaza is also under complete control of Israeli forces.\nSupport for the two-state solution is highest among Democrats at 77 percent, and lowest among Republicans at 33 percent. That 44-point gap is the widest Gallup has ever recorded on this question.\n\"This administration is not publicly supporting a two-state solution, because they do not want to make it appear that it is a reward for Hamas's actions,\" Bahbah told MEE.\n\"In my opinion, you have to support the two-state solution on its merits and not necessarily on the action of one party,\" he added.\n\"I believe the president - when it comes down to it - does not have anything against a two-state solution. He's not a Zionist. He's not a dogmatic individual. He's a pragmatist. And if it takes a two-state solution to achieve a real peace, I believe the president would support it.\"\nGalup's results are based on 1,001 telephone interviews of US adults aged 18 and over, conducted by ReconMR between 2 and 16 February 2026.\nThe margin of error is +/- four percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T21:21:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxObEpDbllvajR1YkNrdF9iQ1lBQUZIb1gwSnB5T0Y0XzJRckRTaV9zSmJjQ3NUS2x0QUdBR1EzLUVpM0dBcnc5c1lEQjNhVUJtSFBKNzljNjZrUGZ4Z2Zfd3NpdzVVS3VzM050MUplMFRsT2NKYUZBR19kNV9tX0JfRGFEMDNjMHFfY2pwaU4wZGUyUkY1QWs0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f33ef580d2ce",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "'There will be chaos': Pakistan declares 'open war' on Afghanistan after deadly strikes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Pakistan declared “open war” against Afghanistan on Friday, bombing cities including Kabul after cross-border clashes that killed dozens.\nAfghanistan's Taliban authorities confirmed drone attacks as they launched air operations against “key” Pakistani sites. The explosions heard across Kabul early on Friday came from Pakistan's military striking “defence locations” in the Afghan capital.\nPakistan's military said it had struck against \"Indian proxies\" and the foreign ministry demanded \"the Afghan regime ended the impunity\" for the groups, Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan operating on Afghan soil.\n“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it’s an open war between us,” Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X. “Now there will be chaos and reckoning.”\nPakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with a representative of Qatar's Foreign Ministry on Friday, as the violence sparked a flurry of diplomatic calls. Doha said the mediator had also spoken to the Taliban's acting foreign minister.\nForeign ministries in the region and around the world appealed for each side to take a step back. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he would hold phone calls with officials in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.\nPakistan's leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, had met Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, earlier this week in an attempt to strengthen ties between their nations.\nCountries urge both sides to de-escalate\nBritish Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a statement, expressing deep concern for the escalation in tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. \"We urge both sides to take immediate steps towards de‑escalation, avoid further harm to civilians and re‑engage in mediated dialogue,\" she said.\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for restraint and urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to \"resolve their existing differences through dialogue\". Iran is ready to offer \"any assistance in facilitating dialogue and strengthening understanding and co-operation between the two countries\", he added in a post on X.\nRussia also urged the countries to \"halt cross-border attacks immediately and resolve their differences through diplomatic means\", state media reported on Friday, quoting the Foreign Ministry. It also said it would consider acting as a mediator if asked by Islamabad or Kabul.\nICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric called on Friday for a de-escalation and said the organisation was preparing to provide support for those impacted by the outbreak of attacks.\nThe Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Friday discussed reducing tensions, the kingdom said. The two nations signed a defence pact last year in which Islamabad and Riyadh committed to mutual strategic defence. Analysts described the agreement as a significant upgrade in the countries' long-standing security relationship.\nRelations 'never been so bad'\nThe Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, with observers suggesting Islamabad was involved in the group's return to power. But ties between the Taliban and Pakistan's military and intelligence establishment have soured and senior western officials expressed deep concern on Friday that relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have “never been so bad”.\nBefore the cross-border bombing raids, a British official told an internal meeting that the situation between the two countries “was much worse than we have ever seen it before”.\n“Pakistan now realises the Taliban are now speaking with one very extreme voice, including the people in Kabul, and have become an impossible government to deal with,” the official said. “What the Taliban are doing is not Islamic.\"\nPakistan soon found the Taliban were not as co-operative as it had hoped. Islamabad said the leadership of militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and many of its fighters are based in Afghanistan. It added that armed insurgents seeking independence for the south-western Pakistani province of Balochistan also use Afghanistan as a safe haven.\nThe main result is distrust over the Taliban’s support for the cross-border raids by the TTP into Pakistan. It is also understood that the Taliban are angry with Pakistan’s intelligence services for allegedly supporting insurgent groups in Afghanistan.\nA recently released picture of men wearing balaclavas and holding AK-47s from a group called the Afghanistan Freedom Front is said to have annoyed the Taliban. “They can look at that and say, ‘Well, we know you're supporting militias against us,'” a western source said.\nPakistan has been facing dozens of cross-border attacks by Afghan-based militants using safe havens given to them by the Taliban.\nDavid Loyn, an Afghanistan expert at King's College London, said there were concerns over 20,000 foreign fighters, including Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Uzbeks and Syrians “who are inside Afghanistan training as suicide bombers”.\n“It’s an extremely serious situation not just for the Middle East but for the international community, because Afghanistan has once again become a crucible of global terror,” he said. “Afghanistan had gone off the international radar and wrongly so.\"\nExchange of fire\nPakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the country's military destroyed key Taliban sites in the capital, Kandahar and Paktia. He said 133 \"Taliban operatives\" were killed and more than 200 were wounded. He added that \"Pakistan's effective counter-operations are ongoing\".\nHours later, the Taliban Defence Ministry announced air operations targeting \"key\" Pakistani military sites, centres and installations. It said it \"successfully carried out\" those strikes in response to Pakistani attacks.\nKabul claimed its air and drone strikes penetrated Islamabad as well as Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera, Pakistan. Interim Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed.\nPakistan estimated its air strikes hit 22 Afghan military targets, killing 274 while Afghanistan strikes were said by Islamabad to have killed at least 12 Pakistani soldiers.\nMr Mujahid called the attacks a response to “repeated border violations and provocations from Pakistani military circles”. Kabul had said this week it would respond to Pakistan’s air strikes in several provinces.\nTension has been high since Islamabad accused the Taliban of hosting militant groups that plan attacks in Pakistan, an allegation denied by Kabul. The two countries failed to extend a truce brokered by Qatar and Turkey in October last year.\nPakistan recorded its deadliest year of violence in a decade as deaths from insurgent attacks climbed to 3,967 nationwide in 2025.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T21:22:05+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_e60d6901b7f1",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "What the Warner Bros deal could mean for streaming, cinemas and news",
    "body_text": "What the Warner Bros deal could mean for streaming, cinemas and news\nThe proposed takeover of Warner Bros by Paramount Skydance could significantly reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape.\nIt's far from a done deal - Paramount still needs approval from regulators.\nBut if it does go ahead, here's how it could shake up things for viewers.\nStreaming costs could change\nParamount is expected to merge its Paramount+ service with Warner Bros' HBO Max to create what it hopes would be a must-have streaming service that can hold its own against competitors Netflix, Amazon and Disney.\nViewers would be able to enjoy a broader range of content with one single subscription, from current hits such as The Pitt, to classics like Casablanca, Star Trek, Friends and the Sopranos.\nWhat it would mean for prices is less clear.\nInitially, analysts say it is likely that people who currently pay for both services could get a cheaper overall deal.\nBut over time having a more compelling offer could allow Paramount to raise prices, while less competition between streamers could mean people pay more overall for their streaming subscriptions.\n\"There'd be just less competition,\" says Tom Harrington, a TV analyst from Enders. \"The ability there would be to charge a bit more.\"\nHowever, Ben Barringer, head of technology research at Quilter Cheviot, says any increased costs would be limited by the rate charged by Netflix, which he calls the \"price-setter in the market\".\nBut none of those changes are on the immediate horizon.\nUnder US President Donald Trump it is expected to be \"full speed ahead\" for regulatory approval, says Scott Wagner, head of the antitrust practice at the law firm Bilzin Sumberg.\nHowever concern over consumer prices and harm to workers could lead state attorneys general to try to block the deal further down the line, he adds. California's attorney general has already vowed a \"vigorous\" investigation.\nSo given the regulatory timeline and existing distribution deals, we are years away from any major change to the services currently offered to viewers.\nA reprieve for cinemas but less content\nMovie theatre operators and others in Hollywood had feared a Netflix takeover. It could have meant one of the last major studios - behind titles last year such as Ryan Coogler's Sinners, The Minecraft Movie and One Battle After Another - deserting the cinema.\nBut unlike Netflix, Paramount and Warner Bros still rely on ticket sales to bolster the returns on their movies, points out Hargreaves Lansdown's Matt Britzman \"which should mean fewer films being rushed straight to streaming\".\n\"That won't reverse long-term trends in cinema attendance, but it may reduce the disruption that filmmakers feared under a Netflix-led model,\" he says.\nEnders' Tom Harrington agrees a Paramount takeover is probably a \"better outcome\" for cinema.\nBut he warns that consolidation will likely lead to fewer films getting made, as happened after Disney bought Fox.\nIndeed, Paramount is already in cost-cutting mode, after boss David Ellison merged it with his film studio Skydance last year. Many analysts are expecting further cuts, especially since Paramount took on debt to finance the deal.\n\"That will need to be paid off at some point,\" says Quilter Cheviot's Ben Barringer. \"Having more debt means you've got more burden, and that means you've got less to spend on content.\"\nA Trump-friendly CNN?\nIf the deal moves forward, it would put another of America's flagship news networks - CNN - under the control of the Ellison family, which has a friendly relationship with the White House.\nThat has already sparked alarm in the US among Democrats and media advocates, who fear it will lead to more cautious coverage of the Trump administration.\nThey point to the changes Ellison has made in recent months at the news network CBS, which he took over as part of the Paramount merger, such as naming someone to police bias at the network. His tenure has also included workforce reductions, naming of a new editor-in-chief known for opinion writing, and clashes with journalists over issues of editorial independence.\nThe Ellison family is already reported to have discussed changes to the network with President Donald Trump, who is known for his attacks on CNN. In December, he called for the channel to be sold, saying its leaders were either \"corrupt or incompetent\".\n\"I don't think CNN would become Fox News overnight,\" says Seth Stern, chief advocate at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, noting that there are already several popular news outlets serving right-wing audiences. \"But coverage could be softened, critiques of the Trump administration could be reduced, hosts that are known for being particularly critical... could be fired.\"\nRodney Benson, a media professor at New York University, called the deal \"concerning\", would leave America's largest media companies further concentrated in the hands of conservatives. Many of those owners, including the Ellison family, have separate, non news-related business interests that depend on government contracts or regulation and are therefore particularly vulnerable to pressure, he adds.\n\"This is not just an ideological shift, it's a threat to democracy and the rule of law,\" he says.\nOne of the most important changes will be whom Ellison names editor-in-chief, he adds, a selection that will set the tone for what follows.\n\"He is going to make this choice knowing that Donald Trump is watching,\" he says.\nBut YouTube remains the biggest disruptor\nJust how successful the merger of two legacy media outlets that are both facing financial pressures would be, remains an open question.\nThat's because the \"overriding\" threat to streaming services isn't one another - it's YouTube, says Harrington of Enders.\nAt the same time that short-form video has eroded audiences for traditional media.\nStaying competitive is \"not just about being competitive with one another, it's being competitive with short-form video and that's sort of the direction you'll see them going towards,\" Harrington says.\nReporting contributed by Danielle Kaye",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T21:46:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20j5n2w4q6o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a070b09aa93c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "China has sent attack drones to Iran, as it discusses ballistic missile sales - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "China has sent attack drones to Iran, as it discusses ballistic missile sales\nChina is delivering “offensive” weapons as well as additional “defensive” arms to Iran, with the US on the cusp of launching an attack on the Islamic Republic, three officials familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.\nOne Arab official familiar with the deliveries described the offensive weapons as “small” systems. Another regional intelligence official said Beijing had sent loitering munitions, or Kamikaze drones, to the Islamic Republic.\nA second Arab official who spoke with MEE confirmed the deliveries of “offensive” weapons as well as the air-defence systems.\nReuters reported in September that Chinese Kamikaze drones appeared in Sudan's battlefield.\nMEE revealed exclusively in July that China had supplied surface-to-air missile batteries to Iran following the 12-day war that culminated in the US striking three Iranian nuclear facilities.\nThe two Arab sources and a regional intelligence official familiar with the matter told MEE that China has continued to supply air defence assets to Iran since the summer. The regional intelligence official listed the Chinese systems in Iran’s possession as the HQ-16 and HQ-17AE.\nSupplying attack drones could also be a way for Beijing to provide some offensive support to Iran while it weighs selling more sophisticated missiles.\nReuters reported this week that China is in discussions with Iran to provide CM‑302 anti‑ship cruise missiles. The CM-302 is both ship and ground-launched with a range of about 290 kilometres. The weapon could target US vessels in the Arabian Sea or closer to Iran’s shoreline in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf.\nThe regional intelligence source told MEE that the two states are also in discussions over Iran purchasing China’s DF-17 hypersonic glide missile. Although Iran’s ballistic missiles have similar ranges, the DF-17 has better manoeuvrability, which can help it evade air defence systems.\nMEE reported that Iran has paid China for the air defence systems in the form of oil shipments. It's unclear how Iran has paid for the loitering munitions.\nThe US Energy Information Administration suggested in a report in May that 90 percent of Iran’s crude and condensate exports flow to Beijing.\nWill Trump-Xi summit impact support for Tehran?\nNotably, both Arab officials, whose governments are US partners, told MEE that Beijing informed their countries in general terms of the arms deliveries. That could be an attempt by Beijing to discourage a US attack and demonstrate it is prepared to stand by Tehran.\nCurrent and former US and Arab officials have told MEE that Beijing may be reluctant to become too involved in any conflict, as it seeks to manage relations with the US amid trade tensions.\nUS President Donald Trump is expected to attend a high-level summit in China with President Xi Jinping in late March and early April. The world's two largest economies reached a truce after slapping reciprocal tariffs on each other last year.\nThe Trump administration has assembled the largest US military force in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The US has two aircraft carrier strike groups in the region: the USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea, and the USS Gerald R Ford is in the Eastern Mediterranean.\nIn addition, there are guided-missile destroyers, Thaad air defence systems and dozens of F-35, F-22, F-15 and F-16 warplanes, as well as aerial-refuelling planes in the region.\nIran was battered by Israel during the 12-day war in June. Using American warplanes, Israel dominated Iran’s skies and assassinated Iranian commanders, destroyed air defence systems, weapons production facilities, and ballistic missile launchpads.\nIran turned to China over the summer as it rushed to repair its decimated air defence network. The Islamic Republic has historic military ties with both Russia and China.\nTehran's China and Russia ties\nIn the late 1980s, Iran received HY-2 Silkworm cruise missiles from China via North Korea when it was at war with Iraq. The Islamic Republic used the missiles to attack Kuwait and strike a US-flagged oil tanker during the so-called tanker wars.\nIn 2010, there were reports that Iran received HQ-9 anti-aircraft missiles from China, but in general, China’s weapons shipments to Iran were curtailed by a 2006 United Nations arms embargo. The embargo was reimposed under so-called Snap-Back sanctions in September 2015.\nRussia’s defence ties to Iran eclipsed China’s, but the relationship was rewired by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow diverting much of its attention to the battlefields of Eastern Europe.\nThe Financial Times reported on Sunday that Russia agreed to sell Iran “Verba” man-portable air defence missile systems. Analysts told The Financial Times that the short-range Verba would not be missed by Russia, which is exchanging long-range missile and drone fire with Ukraine.\nChina’s decision to supply Kamikaze drones to the Islamic Republic suggests Beijing could be filling a gap that Russia is unable to provide because of its own demands.\nIran was at the vanguard of using cheap, Kamikaze drones to challenge sophisticated western air-defence systems.\nRussia purchased thousands of Shahed drones from Iran in the early years of the Ukraine war, but more recently has been churning out its own domestic version based on Iranian technology, training, and design. With Russia launching near-daily air raids against Ukraine, it could be unwilling to part with any spares.\nIran has been heavily sanctioned, and Israel targeted much of its arms industry. China supplies around 80 percent of the world’s drone components and is a supplier to both Russia and Ukraine, so it could provide Iran with finished Kamikaze drones quickly, the regional officials told MEE.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-27T21:51:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPZ2tBU0pGX05GN3lzME1qbTdLYWVUSGQwV3FkRkFNbFRPbXZIZHJYSWhRaVpMcGpiQ1VOX1RuMmhjcXRWZnZRc21fLVFxaFFOUEVoc0liNmZ1VG1nRFd2Zno4TEVzaW1nRVBKZlN0aGtEZGl6RWs5MUZWVndpaVpnV3ptc1V1TjVGaENMbTNHZjNTVmU2aW0tRlpwdlZ3cGh5U2xNNnZHUmk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7b56d0cfde6d",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Trump says he is 'not happy' with the Iran nuclear talks but indicates he'll give them more time - AP News",
    "body_text": "Trump says he is ‘not happy’ with the Iran nuclear talks but indicates he’ll give them more time\nTrump says he is ‘not happy’ with the Iran nuclear talks but indicates he’ll give them more time\nTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he’s “not happy” with the latest talks over Iran’s nuclear program but indicated he would give negotiators more time to reach a deal to avert another war in the Middle East.\nHe spoke a day after U.S. envoys held another inconclusive round of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva. As American forces gather in the region, Trump has threatened military action if Iran does not agree to a far-reaching deal on its nuclear program, while Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and denies seeking a nuclear weapon.\n“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have. I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens. We’re talking later,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Friday. “We’re not exactly happy with the way they’re negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons.”\nDespite Trump’s negative assessment, one of the mediators of the talks later Friday appeared to issue a public plea to let the negotiations continue. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has been mediating the talks, said on CBS’s Face the Nation that he felt a deal was within reach if the process could play out.\n“If I was President Trump, my only advice is just to give those negotiators enough room, enough space to really close these remaining areas that we need to discuss and agree upon,” he said.\nTrump sounded more pessimistic, telling reporters as he visited Texas on Friday that Iranian negotiators “don’t want to quite go far enough. It’s too bad.”\nHe reiterated that he did not want to see Iran allowed to enrich any amount of uranium and said the oil-rich nation should not need to enrich uranium for an energy program.\nWhen asked by a reporter how close he was to deciding on whether to launch a military strike, he said, “I’d rather not tell you.”\nEarlier in the day, he was asked at the White House about the risks of the U.S. getting involved in a drawn-out conflict if it strikes Iran.\nAP correspondent Ed Donahue reports on White House reaction to Iran nuclear talks.\n“I guess you could say there’s always a risk,” Trump replied. “You know, when there’s war, there’s a risk of anything, both good and bad.”\nRubio heads to Israel\nU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make a quick trip to Israel early next week, the State Department said. The U.S. Embassy in Israel had earlier urged staff who want to leave to depart, joining other nations in encouraging people to leave the region and signaling that U.S. military action might be imminent.\nThe announcement of Rubio’s visit and Trump’s latest remarks could indicate a longer timeline for any potential strike.\nThe State Department said Rubio would visit Israel on Monday and Tuesday to “discuss a range of regional priorities, including Iran, Lebanon, and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza.” It offered no other details.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long urged tougher U.S. action against Iran, and has warned that Israel will respond to any Iranian attack.\nBefore his trip, Rubio declared Iran to be a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” and the State Department may invalidate U.S. passports for travel to Iran.\nHe said the move was due to the country’s continued arrests and imprisonment of “innocent Americans” and citizens of other countries for use as political leverage. The move does not automatically carry any penalties, but Rubio said that if Iran doesn’t stop, he could make it illegal to use a U.S. passport for travel to or from Iran. That restriction currently only applies to North Korea.\nA confidential report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog meanwhile confirmed that Iran has not offered inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites since they were heavily bombed during the 12-day war launched by Israel last June. As a result, it said it could not confirm Iran’s claims that it stopped uranium enrichment after the U.S. and Israeli strikes.\nThe report was circulated to member countries and seen by The Associated Press.\nAP’s Lisa Dwyer reports the US Embassy in Israel is urging staff to leave now if they want as risk of Mideast war looms.\nThose wishing to leave ‘should do so TODAY’\nThe announcement of Rubio’s visit came just hours after the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem implemented “authorized departure” status for nonessential personnel and family members, which means that eligible staffers can leave the country voluntarily at government expense.\nIn an email, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged staff considering departure to do so quickly, advising them to focus on getting any flight out of Israel and to then make their way to Washington.\n“Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote, using an acronym for “authorized departure.”\n“While there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be,” he added. The email was recounted to the AP by someone involved with the U.S. mission who wasn’t authorized to share details.\nOn a town-hall meeting Friday after the email was sent, Huckabee told staff that he was encouraging airlines to keep flying.\nVance meets with mediator\nIran and the United States on Thursday walked away from another round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva without a deal. Technical discussions are scheduled to take place in Vienna next week.\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said “what needs to happen has been clearly spelled out from our side,” without offering specifics. Iran has long demanded relief from heavy international sanctions in return for taking steps to limit but not end its nuclear program.\nBefore his interview on CBS News, al-Busaidi met Friday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance to discuss the negotiations.\n“I am grateful for their engagement and look forward to further and decisive progress in the coming days,” al-Busaidi posted on X. “Peace is within our reach.”\nIn his interview after briefing Vance, al-Busaidi, said there had been significant breakthroughs in the talks, that Iran had expressed that it was willing to give up its enriched uranium, not accumulate more and allow for comprehensive outside inspections.\nThe White House, Vance’s office and the Iranian mission to the U.N. did not immediately response to a request for comment.\nRafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, meanwhile met with Christopher Yeaw, a U.S. arms control official. Grossi posted on X that the two men had a “timely exchange on current non-proliferation issues, including in Iran and other areas of common interest.”\nThe U.N. chief urged Iran and the U.S. “to focus on the diplomatic track.”\n“We’re seeing both positive messages coming out of the diplomatic tracks, which we’re continuing to encourage,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said, according to his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.\n“We’re also seeing very worrying military movements throughout the region, which is extremely concerning as well.”\nFlights suspended as people are urged to leave\nThe U.S. has gathered a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East, with one aircraft carrier already in place and another heading to the region. Iran says it will respond to any U.S. attack by targeting American forces in the region, potentially including those stationed in U.S. bases in allied Arab countries.\nAirlines such as Netherlands-based KLM have already announced plans to suspend flights out of Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport, and other embassies have also made plans for authorized departures from Israel and neighboring countries.\nBritain’s Foreign Office said that “due to the security situation, U.K. staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran.” It said the embassy was operating remotely.\nIn Israel, the U.K. said Friday it moved some diplomatic staff and their families from Tel Aviv to another, unspecified location in Israel “as a precautionary measure.” In an update to its travel advice, the Foreign Office advises against “all but essential travel” to Israel.\nBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday the U.K. was focused on “supporting the political process” between Washington and Tehran.\nGermany‘s Foreign Ministry meanwhile advised urgently against travel to Israel.\nAustralia on Wednesday “directed the departure of all dependents of Australian officials posted to Israel in response to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East.” China, India and several European countries with missions in Iran have advised citizens to avoid travel to the country.\nChina’s Foreign Ministry also advised its citizens already in Iran to leave, according to a statement reported by Chinese state media.\n___\nPrice and Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, Seung Min Kim in Washington, Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna, Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Pangiotis Pylas in London contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T01:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPUGFrd3B6TWljNHNsMzQyV1FVYTM5cUY4TUxyT3AtbktfZTg5dHkwMDZvYkZRMmVycjVSSlRDMVpBZ0ZzTlMwSTJQRkNpNmw3TmhLems4UVBwWUF5UzhHemFRbV95RV83N2FyMVlfeVc0YXVLaGZ2S2JLX0xYekh4WVRab2c1T1ItT2FaYWpVX2ZyUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b961a8ab83a5",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Trump says Iran war could last ‘4 weeks’ but US ready to talk - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain supreme leader, as successor\nIran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the recently killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader, according to a statement from the Assembly of Experts published by state media early Monday local time.\nMojtaba Khamenei, 56, is a cleric who has long operated behind the scenes within Iran’s political and religious establishment and maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Though he has never held a formal government post, he has for years been seen as a powerful figure within his father’s inner circle and a potential successor.\nThe development comes after Israel had warned it would target any replacement for the 86-year-old Khamenei who was killed in an Israeli strike during the first day of the war. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Sunday that Israel would pursue “the successor and everyone who tries to appoint him,” warning clerics involved in the selection process that they would also be targeted. Israeli forces struck offices linked to the Assembly of Experts earlier in the war.\nIn Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would intensify despite mounting regional tensions. In remarks broadcast by state media, he said Iran would not yield under pressure and suggested attacks on American-linked targets across the Middle East could escalate if strikes on Iran continue. “When we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond. The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be,” he said.\nThe comments marked a harder line after Pezeshkian sought to reassure Gulf neighbors on Saturday, apologizing for Iranian strikes that had alarmed countries across the region and urging them not to join US and Israeli operations against Iran. Hard-line figures within Iran’s leadership quickly pushed back, insisting that attacks would continue on locations used to support strikes against Iran.\nMeanwhile, hostilities are intensifying in Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said Sunday that 394 people have been killed since fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah escalated earlier in the week.\nEarly Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit a hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, according to the health ministry. Israel said the strike targeted commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force operating in the Lebanese capital.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T03:08:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxQTGRLQW1ZZEFtTHpoMVBOVXdFWmxHZzdRZ1RaZHYtVDJjbzhzaDU2OHFwWlJVd09WMExXdUdGXzJOSXBCanROZDk2SDhKb0x1bzVseTdISlZaamZZRTFRWEZxUkdpRGxxSU92UHBvRTdDRzRKNHY3ZGI5ZnE3X3VCMDlmb2FZcVdLUUxVMmJ2SWtHZEE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1e97e2f6d1ee",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "'I wish I could have left the country': Iranians await war as latest round of US nuclear talks end - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Some Iranians feel that war is inevitable after their government and the US failed to reach a nuclear agreement in marathon talks on Thursday.\n“There will be a big war. Many thousands of our people will die,” one resident of Tehran told The National. “I wish I could have left the country, for the safety of my family.”\nPresident Donald Trump said on Friday that he had not made a final decision over whether to use military force against Iran, amid the largest US military build-up in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.\nFor many in Iran who have been watching US warships arrive in the region, conflict seems unavoidable.\nI wish I could have left the country, for the safety of my family.\nResident of Tehran\n“It seems war is inevitable,” another resident of Tehran told The National over a secure messaging app. Both people requested anonymity.\nThe withdrawal of foreign diplomats from Iran – the UK on Friday confirmed it had pulled staff from its embassy in Tehran – was an indicator that conflict was on its way, the person said.\n“I just hope that it doesn't turn into a long-term war and that it doesn't lead to bad results for the people of Iran,” he said.\nIf war happens, phone lines and internet connections would likely be cut by the Iranian authorities, he added. The country witnessed its longest communications blackout yet last month during a crackdown on anti-government protests in which at least 7,000 people were killed, according to human rights observers outside the country.\nIranians are already dealing with the trauma of last month's events, as well as the war with Israel last summer. More than 1,000 people were killed in that 12-day conflict, in which the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites.\nSome Iranians have used social media posts to offer advice on what to do in the event of conflict.\n“What to do when you hear the sound of an explosion or attack warning?” one post shared nearly 2,000 times on Instagram read.\nSome Iranians support the idea of foreign military intervention in an attempt to topple the current leadership. The regime, which has ruled since the revolution of 1979, imposes strict curbs on social and political freedoms and has overseen a nosedive in economic conditions, worsening the living standards of millions of Iranians.\n“I hate this government” one man in the central city of Isfahan told The National as an explanation for supporting the idea of US strikes.\nOthers are more cautious, either because they support the current government or because they fear the unknown consequences of what would follow US military strikes.\nIran has promised that it would retaliate against any US or Israeli military attack.\n“Any reckless action will ignite a widespread blaze in the region, and you will receive a response the likes of which you have never experienced in your history,” senior Iranian army official Abolfazl Shakarchi told the Tasnim news agency on Friday. Iran is not looking for war but would “vigorously defend” its interests, and warned that “all US resources and interests in the region” would be within the Iranian military’s reach, he added.\nBut in the event of internal breakdown and attempts at regime change precipitated by US strikes, one person told The National that fewer Iranians are willing to fight for the current government because of the killing of protesters last month.\nAlthough it is impossible to calculate the scale of that change in sentiment, the person said that even people who support the regime have become disenchanted because of the killing.\n“Due to the recent mass killings, the Islamic Republic has been delegitimised, and there is little chance, if not no chance, for a national mobilisation [against US military action],” the person said. He added that the regime has a “its own loyal forces and a special social class”, which is assumed to be between five and 10 million people.\nIranian state media on Friday claimed that a trip by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi to the US was a last-ditch attempt to convince Washington not to strike.\n“Albusaidi will try to explain to US officials that the war with Iran will not be limited, regime change in Iran will not be possible, and blows to Iran cannot achieve the goals emphasised by the US President, as they did not in the June attacks,” Irna news agency reported, referring to last year’s war.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T05:31:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxOdlhnRWJ4YXVPSThfN2NqN2I5aG9KWFo4VUJ5NFpnVGp2OHpYalV6eTZyNVpfZzUwYnFvTmRsV1BtUXNCQnA2MGdIamVnSzhZYTZfalRRYk0wQ1RpUFpCWXExQzd3TVVEM0lHaV9zNzJ1MG1WRnMwRnJxSGtyLVB0TlpqTWdfMUlqTEs0X1NwR1B0WEZzVVRfNg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_05d83a88a47b",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US and Israel launch \"pre-emptive\" attack against Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US and Israel launch \"pre-emptive\" attack against Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T06:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQaEgtQ3dmUHBseWZjam1IbmlvUXp4U0JrTDRWM2Q3RkhLWUtucWx5NUlXTU5hNTFQdWtxNmdUV2RqLXB1b0xPbmg4VGVlVUVsWnF6Wm9kTldhcGkwZDYxc3RKczNtWTVKbFR6OTRJT0FUOVc4bGF1RVh1YkZ5eEYzd1dXc1VwOGVEak9KX1VjU3owcUk0dWhhOW8tR3BkN2o1R1gyYm9nR1BETHdIMUE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ed8cad99b453",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US and Israel strike Iran as Netanyahu says ‘many signs’ Khamenei ‘no longer alive’ | US-Israel war on Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Israel and the US have launched a war on Iran, unleashing waves of air attacks across the country in an attempt to bring about regime change and plunging the region into a conflict that could last weeks or months.\nThe sudden offensive triggered Iranian retaliatory strikes throughout the day across a swathe of the Middle East, with explosions reported in Israel, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.\nIn a televised address, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, indicated that the strikes had killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei has not been heard from since the strikes began and satellite imagery has shown that his secure compound was heavily damaged in the initial barrage.\n“There are many signs that [Khamenei] is no longer alive,” Netanyahu said on Saturday evening. Netanyahu said that Israeli strikes had also killed “several leaders” involved in the Iranian nuclear programme and that strikes against sites linked to the programme would continue in the coming days.\nThe remarks, which stopped short of confirming Khamenei’s death, were the strongest official indication yet that the missing leader is dead. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, had earlier claimed to NBC News that Khamenei and president Masoud Pezeshkian were alive “as far as I know”.\nIn a televised address, Donald Trump claimed Operation Epic Fury would end a security threat to the US and give Iranians a chance to “rise up” against their rulers. Netanyahu in his evening address called on Iranians to “flood the streets and finish the job”.\nIranian officials said they had not been surprised by the US attacks and that the consequences would “be long-lasting and extensive. All scenarios were on the table including ones that were not previously considered.”\nIran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened all US bases and interests in the region and said Iran’s retaliation would continue until “the enemy is decisively defeated”.\nThe first wave of Israeli and US strikes early on Saturday morning targeted senior Iranian officials as well as air defence systems, Israeli military officials said, adding that the offensive would continue as long as necessary to make a change that would last “for years to come”. Satellite images showed extensive damage at the secure compound of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though his whereabouts remains unclear.\nAnalysts have repeatedly warned in recent weeks that an open-ended US or Israeli military offensive against Iran risked severe regional destabilisation and could bring chaos and violence across much of the Middle East.\nExperts cautioned that the unfolding campaign, the most ambitious US effort to alter political realities in the region since the 2003 Iraq war, would have grave economic and political consequences for the region and the world.\nThe strikes could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran is able to make the strait of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic. A third of worldwide oil exports transported by sea passed through the strait in 2025.\nThe UN security council called a rare emergency meeting on Saturday to address “the situation in the Middle East”. It was due to start at 4pm (21.00 GMT). Dozens of countries issued statements calling for an immediate de-escalation.\nThe French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a statement: “The escalation under way is dangerous for everyone. It must stop … The outbreak of war among the United States, Israel and Iran has serious consequences for peace and international security.”\nIn Iran, there were reports of dozens of explosions across the country including in Tehran. Iranian state media said dozens of pupils had been killed at a primary school in southern Iran.\nIn response, Iran launched waves of attacks at Israel throughout the day, prompting repeated alerts to Israelis to head for bomb shelters. Israeli emergency services report 94 wounded, including a teenager lightly wounded by shrapnel and others affected by blasts.\nOutside Israel, Iran’s retaliatory strikes appear to have focused primarily on US military bases across the Middle East, though some other targets appeared to have been hit. There were reports of attacks in Abu Dhabi, Manama in Bahrain, and near Erbil in northern Iraq.\nExperts said Tehran had many other options for retaliation, including cyberwarfare and the use of militant groups it has long supported, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen.\nThe US-Israeli offensive had been planned for months and involved close cooperation, Israeli military officials said, adding that 70,000 Israeli reservists had been called up, mainly air defence personnel.\nThe attack began hours after Trump said he was “not happy” about the latest negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. On Thursday, diplomats from Oman mediated indirect talks between Iran and the US in Geneva and further technical negotiations were due to take place on Tuesday.\nOman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who has been leading the negotiations, said on X: “Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined.” He was referring to similar Israeli-US attacks during nuclear negotiations last year.\n“Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this,” he said. “And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further.”\nOman called on Saturday for all parties to stop fighting, warning of the danger of the conflict escalating into something with “dire consequences for the region”.\nThe US had built up a large military presence in the region in recent weeks in preparation for an attack, including two aircraft carrier strike groups.\nTrump, who repeatedly said he preferred a diplomatic solution to the crisis, told Iranians the “hour of your freedom is at hand”, urging them to rise up and “take over your government” in a video on his Truth Social platform. He offered the Iranian military “immunity” should they surrender, or “certain death” if not.\nIsrael directly addressed Iranians in a Persian-language post on a dedicated Telegram channel.\n“Our Iranian brothers and sisters, you are not alone!” the post said, calling on Iranians to upload photos and video of anti-regime protests. “Together we will return Iran to its glorious days.”\nAn Israeli official said the supreme leader and Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, were targeted.\nIsraeli military officials and an Iranian source close to the establishment said that several political officials and senior commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had been killed.\nQatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Israel have all closed their airspace, and international airlines have cancelled hundreds of flights to or around the region.\nThe strikes create a dilemma for many allies of the US. While European leaders firmly oppose Iran’s nuclear programme and crackdowns by its hardline theocracy, they are loathe to embrace unilateral military action by Trump that could breach international law and lead to a broader conflict.\nIt was unclear whether US allies were given any advance warning of the attacks. The German government said it was only given notice on Saturday morning, while France’s junior defence minister said France knew something would happen, but not when.\nMacron called on Iran’s leadership to commit to negotiations on its nuclear and ballistic programmes.\n“The Iranian people should also be able to build their future freely,” he said. “The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime disqualify it, and necessitate that the people be given a voice.”\nA UK government spokesperson reiterated Britain’s support for a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.\n“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,” they said.\nIranian state television reported that Pezeshkian was “safe and sound”, while the Fars news agency said seven “missile impacts” were reported in the Keshvardoost and Pasteur districts of Tehran.\nThe strikes come weeks after Iranian authorities killed thousands of people in a crackdown on mass protests, according to rights groups. Trump then promised to intervene to support protesters and ordered the buildup of US forces around Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T06:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPTW5idTJhd2VnZEM5WEh5eWRYY3VWYVJlRnRNQm1UMXlYLXJJNjlkS3lLVHFCYVBFS05weTh1bUJIWnl0bWlWZC1FVUgtbFZtWWtlT3o4eUY1V3pvTU84NWhlLXZ4VHRRMXA5WGRWaDVIMEpqR2sySDNDcUd0cTFldDlSc3FqZFlfZmRIejhibkgzckp5UFNybWRiVHNSbEMySHItZm5rbXI1dw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_91a339a63673",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Tehran strikes back at Gulf states after U.S.-Israel launch massive attack on Iran - CNBC",
    "body_text": "The U.S. military has begun \"major combat operations\" in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday, as Iranian missiles targeted several Middle Eastern cities.\n\"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,\" Trump said in a video message on his Truth Social account.\nA U.S. official confirmed earlier that American forces attacked Iran by air and sea, Reuters reported. It also cited an unidentified Iranian official as saying that several ministries in the southern part of the Iranian capital, Tehran, were targeted\nIsrael also launched a Saturday attack on Iran's capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city's downtown.\nExplosions were heard in key cities around the Middle East, including Jerusalem, as Iran launched counterattacks. CNBC producer Joan Muwahed in Dubai reported hearing two explosions over the city in the United Arab Emirates.\nQatar and the UAE condemned Iranian missile counterattacks.\n\"The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation of the targeting of Qatari territory with Iranian ballistic missiles, considering it a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty,\" Qatar's Ministry of Defense said in a statement.\nA UAE statement said: \"the Ministry of Defense announced that the country was subjected today to a blatant attack by Iranian ballistic missiles, which was dealt with by the UAE air defenses with high efficiency and a number of missiles were successfully intercepted.\"\nThe Israel Defense Forces said it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel.\n\"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat. In the past few minutes, the Home Front Command has sent a precautionary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas,\" the IDF said in a tweet.\nElsewhere, Bahrain said the service center of the U.S. Fifth Fleet was subjected to a missile attack. The U.S. embassy in Bahrain's capital, Manama, issued a security alert warning of \"imminent drone/missile attack in Bahrain\".\nIn a tweet, the embassy urged \"U.S. citizens in Bahrain to shelter in place, review security plans in the event of an attack, and to stay alert in case of additional future attacks. U.S. Embassy personnel are sheltering in place.\"\nThe U.S. embassy in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, also issued a shelter-in-place alert.\nThe Saturday attacks come after the United States had assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region in an effort to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.\nTrump warned earlier in February that \"really bad things\" would happen unless Tehran agreed to a nuclear deal. The U.S. and Iran held a third round of talks in Switzerland on Thursday to try to resolve a standoff.\nAhead of the discussions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran's reluctance to talk about its ballistic missile development program, alongside its nuclear program, was a \"big, big problem.\" Iran had said it was willing to compromise when it came to its nuclear program, but had repeatedly said Tehran's missile program had never been part of the talks' agenda.\nHowever, Trump said Iran has continued to pursue nuclear weapons despite ongoing negotiations to end its program.\n\"[In] Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime's nuclear program at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons, and we sought repeatedly to make a deal,\" Trump said. \"But Iran refused.\"\n\"Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing the long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland,\" he said.\nA Pentagon duty press officer said the department has received CNBC's emailed requests for comment but made no further statement.\nA senior Middle East diplomat who has direct knowledge of the recent talks between Iran and the U.S. told MS Now: \"Yet again, when negotiations get close to success ... Israel has intervened to preempt diplomacy.\"\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for \"his historic leadership\" and said that Iran's government \"must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity.\"\nIran, meanwhile, harshly condemned the attacks, accusing the U.S. and Israel of \"grossly violating\" Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty.\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron said the outbreak of war between the U.S., Israel and Iran carries \"grave consequences.\"\n\"The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good faith in negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs,\" Macron said, and called for an \"urgent\" meeting of the United Nations Security Council.\nRussia was unequivocal in its condemnation of the U.S. and Israeli strikes.\n\"It is particularly reprehensible that these strikes are once again being conducted under the cover of the renewed negotiation process, ostensibly intended to secure long-term normalisation of the situation around the Islamic Republic of Iran,\" Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.\nEnergy market participants have been closely monitoring the escalating geopolitical tensions, with oil prices climbing to six-month highs after Trump said he was considering a military strike against Iran.\nIran, a founding member of OPEC, is a major oil producer and sits at the heart of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes.\n-- Riya Bhattacharjee, Victor Loh and Emma Graham contributed to this story",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T06:40:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxOMENaQWJLTUVjdnZVczY3VjJqYXF4d0I3dUk0WV9hWVRHSGpDZFl3TEV1MUI0YjhhMmlXMGRkVUdkSmxBMEdUaXE4eTRORXFIN01US2MzS3NROVdkemhDbzdwcF9PX1g4RHFJNWFwZXFra3J2U0J4TVBfX3YwbXdER1RwcHhvRHlEVVNR0gGQAUFVX3lxTE5YT014TFpkcTFic3ozT2dQamhEbzVYRi1ucHRhWVJmTU9HV2dpejNzOVRmOWRhaVk3Q3ZRRUpaWDNxYVFvT0ZCN0hSZmF0ZHBmLUlUdVlqRGZTZVRZU2tqV2ZabEZwZmQ4bWNlOXRXTW4yeVRrYmc0dFlKX0NSNTdVbkhPYnBDUWo2TU5pSjNpMw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_74cbb0641cc4",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel launches preemptive strike against Iran, defense minister says - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The United States joined Israel in launching preemptive strikes against Iran on Saturday, as President Donald Trump confirmed \"major combat operations\" were underway.\nThe U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack just after 9 a.m. local time in what the Pentagon has named \"Operation Epic Fury.\"\n\"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world,\" Trump said in video remarks posted to Truth Social.\nAlthough strikes were reported across Iran, the initial assault was focused near the compound and main offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in downtown Tehran, according to The Associated Press. It remains unclear whether he was present at the time.\nIran launched missiles toward Israel in response, and the Israel Defense Forces said the Aerial Defense Array was intercepting incoming threats. Most of the\nSirens were heard across Israel, including in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The IDF urged the public to remain in protected spaces until further notice.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that Israel and the United States \"launched an operation to remove the existential threat posed by the terror regime in Iran.\"\n\"Our joint action will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands,\" he said.\nIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a special and immediate state of emergency across the country.\nHe said the strike was \"to remove threats\" against the state of Israel.\nThis is a developing story; check back for updates.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T06:46:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNNjljeWh2T3I5N0w0NnByc0ozUDJJTWZwUFZNZkhuN3QzYllmOWxTRW1ILTZaUnY1aEJGTExNUHFtbWExclFfamN1ZnU4a01FVERqQklxU25iY2xzSzB3Y1hmNUNTU2hXYS1NamREWW5rWUFZZENDSFRMUHFvNV9RUF9TSWlsXy05cDNPVVNlQmJ3QUg3WU5vMWxtbFFWTTjSAaQBQVVfeXFMUGJXNzFUXy1zOG9ra1RRQk9LbTBacWJ4WTZweXZ6OHY0bEVPRHlCX0JabTViVzJBNHFCQmFLZV95SWJwM1A2cDBtc2pTM0Fqb1ZkeVlLeC1Eb2RMcGVOMlhOR3pPTVlXQU1fZTJtd1ZoV2tDbnpGY0lVajB2MC1OYjhVR243TWROLWd3Y1JTZV83X1dfRGRrWEdCVmtURU5aMGdybl8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_65eae45d7b98",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed - NPR",
    "body_text": "Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed\nTEL AVIV, Israel, WASHINGTON, D.C., and AMMAN, Jordan — Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in a joint American-Israeli operation targeting Iran on Saturday, Iran's state media has confirmed.\nThe Iranian government has announced 40 days of mourning. The country's supreme leader was killed following an attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday against Iran as part of a major military campaign intended to topple the Islamic regime.\nIsrael's military said that top Iranian security officials were among those killed, including the country's defense minister, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the secretary of the Iranian Security Council, a close adviser to Khamenei.\nHours earlier, Trump posted on Truth Social that Israel, with U.S. support, had killed Khamenei.\n\"He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,\" Trump said. He added, \"The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!\"\nKhamenei was killed by an Israeli strike, a person briefed on the strike told NPR. The NPR source requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. Trump did not confirm that the strike was carried out by Israel.\nIran also did not confirm the deaths of other leaders.\nThe wave of airstrikes began after sunrise in Iran, with huge explosions ringing out in the capital Tehran. Videos showed large plumes of thick smoke.\nIran's Foreign Ministry called the attack a \"gross violation\" of its national sovereignty. A statement said the airstrikes hit both military and civilian targets.\nThe Iranian Red Crescent Society relief group said more than 200 people were killed in strikes across Iran.\n\"They have hit many targets around me and we hear fighter jets and missiles exploding,\" said a resident in western Tehran reached by phone before communications were cut in Iran. Like other Iranian residents interviewed by NPR, they did not want to use their names for fear of arrest. \"People were panicking and trying to get to their homes. Children are running out of school.\"\nIranian state media said one of the airstrikes hit a girls' primary school in southern Iran, killing at least 85 children, according to the local prosecutors office. The prosecutors said more girls were still buried under the rubble. Saturday is the start of the Iranian school and work week. NPR is asking Israeli officials for comment on the report a school was hit.\nCapt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, told NPR on Saturday it was aware of reports about civilians being harmed.\n\"We take these reports seriously and are looking into them,\" Hawkins said. \"The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm. Unlike Iran, we have never — and will never — target civilians.\"\nIran responded with missile and drone launches of its own, spreading the conflict to the wider region. Air raid sirens wailed in Israel as it came under attack. Several countries in the Gulf also reported Iranian strikes, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. The Jordanian government, which also hosts major U.S. military bases, reported it downed 49 drones and ballistic missiles threatening its territory.\n\"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,\" Trump said in an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social.\nTense lead-up to the strikes\nThe joint U.S.-Israeli attack — called \"Epic Fury\" by the Pentagon and \"Roaring Lion\" by Israel — came after weeks of escalating tensions and a major U.S. military buildup in the region. The U.S. had said it was trying to negotiate a deal with Iran to limit its nuclear program, holding the most recent round of talks on Thursday in Geneva. But Trump said those efforts had failed.\nIn the run-up to the military strike, analysts speculated on whether Trump might choose a brief, limited attack — as he has done previously in Iran and many other cases over the past year — or if he would opt for a more expansive operation. The initial impression — and the president's own words — pointed to a large-scale, open-ended bombardment.\n\"We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated,\" Trump said, adding, \"We're going to annihilate their navy.\"\nThe president claims Iran was rebuilding its nuclear program ahead of the attack — Trump had often said the program was \"totally obliterated\" in the U.S. and Israeli attacks last June.\nTrump also told the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to surrender: \"Lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death.\"\nLoading...\nThe International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitored Iran's program for years, as well as other nuclear experts, have said there's no evidence that Iran has resumed the enrichment of uranium, the centerpiece of the program.\nPrior to launching the attack, Trump said he preferred a negotiated deal, but would also welcome regime change. Otherwise, he offered little insight into his ultimate goal in Iran.\nBut in his video, he made clear that he wants Iran's religious leadership, which has ruled for 47 years, to fall.\nSpeaking directly to the Iranian people, he told them to take shelter for now, while bombing is taking place. Then, he added, \"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.\"\nHowever, the Iranian security forces brutally suppressed mass street protests last month. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency says more than 7,000 people were killed. Trump has put the death toll at 32,000 without citing his source.\nA Tehran resident reached by NPR said Saturday that internal security forces were flooding the streets in some residential neighborhoods.\n\"Many of them are on the streets on motorbikes, showing off their guns,\" she said. \"They want to create fear.\"\nThere's no sign the U.S. will send ground troops into Iran, and military analysts say it will be extremely difficult to topple the government with air power alone.\nTherefore, it's impossible to say whether Iran's leadership might be vulnerable to a domestic uprising, or if it would be able to crush protests as it did earlier this year.\nUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the strikes by the U.S. and Israel, as well as the retaliatory strikes by Iran.\n\"We are witnessing a grave threat to international peace and security. Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world,\" Guterres said during an emergency UN Security Council meeting. \"Let me be clear: There is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Lasting peace can only be achieved through peaceful means, including genuine dialogue and negotiations.\"\nHundreds of targets struck\nIsrael's military said it completed its biggest air force operation in the country's history, with about 200 fighter jets hitting about 500 targets in western and central Iran, including aerial defense systems and missile launchers, expanding Israel's aerial superiority over Iran.\nAn Israeli military official told reporters that the U.S. and Israeli militaries spent months building up an extensive bank of targets in Iran and were looking for the right moment to strike when senior Iranian officials would meet. The official said three separate gatherings of senior officials were struck simultaneously Saturday morning.\nHours before Trump announced the supreme leader's death, NPR was told by a person briefed on the strikes that Israel's assessment was that Supreme Leader Khamenei was hit, and later, from another source with knowledge of the strikes, that he was killed by an Israeli strike.\nThat account conflicts with what Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier told NBC News — that Khamenei and Iran's president were still alive \"as far as I know,\" as were other top officials.\nThe military said the operation was conducted with \"full synchronization and coordination\" between the Israeli and U.S. militaries.\nPrime Minister Netanyahu said the goal of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack is to \"remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran.\"\n\"Our joint action will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands,\" Netanyahu said in a video.\nA person briefed on the operation told NPR it was expected to last a few days, with Israel's military focusing on targeting Iran's missile program.\nIsrael has closed its airspace to all passenger flights, and civil defense protocols have been activated. Regional military forces remain on high alert.\nA 48-hour state of emergency was declared nationwide. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel, with authorities warning civilians to enter bomb shelters.\nTrails of smoke streaked the sky above Tel Aviv as Israeli interception systems fired at incoming missiles. A hospital in central Israel began moving operations to an underground fortified compound.\nIn the Gulf, several countries offered details on Iranian attacks.\nBahrain's government said an Iranian airstrike hit the U.S. naval base that is home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.\nThe United Arab Emirates, another U.S. ally, said it intercepted Iranian missiles. It said shrapnel from one of the missiles killed a national of an unspecified Asian country in Abu Dhabi.\nWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday afternoon that the president has spoken with leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.\nNPR's Michele Kelemen contributed to this report. Aya Batrawy contributed reporting from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Rebecca Rosman contributed from Paris.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T07:16:26+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_d0e34216db18",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran strikes Israel, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait following US-Israel attack - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran strikes Israel, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait following US-Israel attack\nIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that it had launched missiles and drones towards Israel following the joint US and Israeli strikes on the country.\nIt has also launched strikes on the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, targeting US forces.\nThe four Gulf countries later announced the closure of their airspace.\nMeanwhile, AFP reported that loud explosions have been heard in Riyadh.\nEarlier on Saturday, US security officials said that it and Israel had attacked Iran.\nMultiple explosions were heard across Tehran in the early hours, tipping the Middle East into renewed turmoil.\nIsrael's defence minister Israel Katz said that it had launched strikes on multiple sites in Tehran.\nIran responds to attacks\nAn Iranian official told news agency Reuters that several ministries were targeted in southern Tehran. Iran's Fars news agency reported explosions in Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.\n“In response to the aggression of the hostile and criminal enemy against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the first wave of extensive missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the occupied territories has begun,” the IRGC said.\nIran’s ministry of interior said that the “criminal enemy, once again, in violation of all international laws and during negotiations, has attacked our dear homeland again”.\nThe ministry said it had issued orders to regional governors to deliver “prompt” reports on the situation in the provinces and “the mobilisation of all facilities to address the urgent needs of the people”.\nThe foreign ministry said the attacks have targeted the country’s “territorial integrity and national sovereignty, including defensive infrastructure and non-military locations in various cities across the country\".\nThe ministry said in a statement: “The renewed military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran constitutes a violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. The Islamic Republic of Iran considers this aggression a clear breach of international peace and security and emphasises that it reserves its legitimate right to respond decisively.\n“The Iranian nation has always demonstrated patience and restraint to prevent escalation and preserve regional stability,” it read, adding that the armed forces stand “fully prepared to defend the country and will make aggressors regret their actions.”\nThe statement added that the attacks by the US and Israel were a “clear example of armed aggression” and cited Article 51 of the UN Charter in relation to Iran’s right to self-defence.\n“History shows that Iranians have never surrendered to aggression. This time as well, Iran’s response will be decisive, and aggressors will regret their hostile actions,” it added.\nRisk of prolonged war\nThe US military last struck Iran in June 2025, joining Israel in a 12-day conflict that culminated in Washington bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities.\nAt the time President Donald Trump described those strikes as limited and decisive. But attacking Tehran again sets the stage for potentially prolonged US military engagement in the region.\nThe US sent warplanes, air defence systems, and an aircraft carrier to the Middle East in January in preparation for the attack, but Trump kept Tehran, Gulf allies, and even US officials guessing until the last minute.\nIn an interview with Axios news site, Trump had said he had dispatched “a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela”, referring to the Latin American country he attacked in early January.\nStill, he kept the path to negotiations with Tehran open.\nThe Trump administration has toyed with attacking Iran for nearly a month on the pretext of the brutal crackdown on demonstrators that has seen thousands killed by government security forces.\nAfter calling on demonstrators to \"take over\" state institutions, Trump backed down and said the “killing has stopped”.\nWhile some reports framed Trump's remarks as drawing a curtain on US intervention, former US officials and analysts told Middle East Eye they appeared to signal a pause.\nA former US intelligence official told MEE that their understanding of conversations within the administration is that Trump has not given up on pushing for “regime change” in Tehran.\nMeanwhile, Trump was lobbied by Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, against attacking the Islamic Republic. They, along with Turkey, are all home to US or Nato military bases in the region and could be exposed to Iranian retaliation.\nThe countries have said they would not allow the US to use their territory or airspace as a launch pad to attack Iran.\nIran responded to the US bombing of its nuclear facilities in June 2025 by launching an attack on the al-Udeid air base in Qatar. The Iranians gave the Americans advance notice, and the damage was limited.\nBut this time, experts say, with Tehran facing massive protests, a US attack could be seen as an existential threat to the Islamic Republic. Iran may respond more forcefully by targeting US bases across the region or shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global oil flows.\nTrump’s latest military gambit is similar to his approach to Venezuela. In both countries, Trump moved up and down the escalation ladder before finally ordering an attack.\nIn the Latin American country’s case, it resulted in President Nicolas Maduro's abduction and detention in the US.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T07:34:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_b4e58a34f3bc",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The American-Israeli Strikes on Iran are (Again) Manifestly Illegal - EJIL: Talk!",
    "body_text": "The American-Israeli Strikes on Iran are (Again) Manifestly Illegal    EJIL: Talk!",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T07:34:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxOcVo1Z3FDNldpa180SXVvcXpSQ014SHdMRW9mR3hkYWFRTTdncnR3SzNfb3A0RUZNWVFpWlBjM2dEVXVOVjRNU0hHbktEVkNkM1JFQ2N5T1U5eVpqa3pOaWx6WTZrYlhlSDhjNlFmVEIzV3JzcXdVc3ZBWjgxckZRM05oR2ZCUnUxSjRIdzIzeHZyWGdLQXc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a152ddd0e6eb",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Scenes from the Middle East as the US and Israel attack Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Scenes from the Middle East as the US and Israel attack Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxPTTc3Y0E3VEZZUktPYTdSamJQWG1RUURKNXlHcHFNelVvM3ZDanBxaVZhbmN5aWZZMDJyd3loX1lzay1NYjlHTk5zeE1aS2szaUtJNlVaTGp6MGdBa091bHlRWHlQZS00eGVUM0RUczYyVkQ0bUU1RVlJNmJtcEgtcjhPWlRjanhkMFNIUmhR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6006773983cd",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Top Experts’ Backgrounder: Military Action Against Iran and US Domestic Law - Just Security",
    "body_text": "(Editor’s note: This article was originally published on June 21, 2019. It was first republished on June 18, 2025 with an Authors’ note.)\n[June 18, 2025 Authors’ Update: With President Donald Trump reportedly considering bringing the United States directly into the armed conflict between Israel and Iran, and in particular offensive strikes against Iran’s nuclear program, it is important to understand the legal framework that governs whether and when a President can use military force overseas under U.S. domestic law (as we noted in 2019, the use of force must also comport with international law, which we do address briefly below).\nAs outlined in the Q&A below, there are only two sources of authority for the use of force abroad – the Constitution and congressional authorizations for the use of military force (or AUMFs). As we explained in 2019 and remains true today, there is no existing AUMF that would authorize the President to use force against Iran. Second, under the Executive branch’s own interpretation of Article II of the Constitution, which has become much broader in recent decades and is not necessarily shared by Congress or the courts, the President may use force to protect an important national interest, but only so long as the force used does not amount to war “in the constitutional sense” (which the Constitution delegates Congress alone the power to authorize, along with a host of other war-related powers found in Article I). A number of factors the Executive traditionally considers in this analysis point toward the “war in the constitutional sense” threshold being reached in the current circumstances, including but not limited to the use of force being directed at a large nation state (which has said “[a]ny American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region”), the exposure of U.S. forces in the region, and the potential that the use of force would not be limited or narrow but could – as some reporting indicates – even point toward an intent to achieve regime change through force or would be perceived by the adversary as such. Indeed, it would be hard to envision what circumstances do not amount to war that Congress must authorize if using military force in Iran in this set of circumstances does not reach that threshold.\nCongress has options as explained below to try to prevent the President from unlawfully using force, including through the appropriations power and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Resolutions introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) on June 16, by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on June 17, and by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) on June 17 seek to prevent the President from engaging in hostilities in Iran without Congressional approval.]\nWhat follows is a basic Q&A on the circumstances under which U.S. military operations against Iran would be lawful under U.S. law. The objective is to provide journalists, lawmakers, and other members of the public a legal framework for this important issue. Our analysis is not specific to any particular scenario — such as Iranian forces’ or so-called Iranian proxies’ attacks on commercial ships, U.S. drones, U.S. military vessels, or U.S. personnel — but rather addresses broader questions about the circumstances under which the president has the authority to initiate U.S. military operations against Iran, whether Congress has already authorized the use of force against Iran, how the War Powers Resolution fits into the picture, and what Congress can do if it disagrees with the president’s course of action.\n1. Does the president need authorization from Congress to use U.S. military force against Iran?\nThe president derives authority to use military force overseas from two sources: the Constitution and congressional authorization. At this point, we do not believe that there is any existing congressional authorization to use force against Iran (see Q2 below). In the absence of congressional authorization, the president could only use force against Iran by relying on his authority over foreign relations and as commander-in-chief under Article II of the Constitution.\nThere is considerable debate on the scope of the president’s authority to use military force in the absence of congressional authorization. The executive branch, through consistent historical practice in Republican and Democratic administrations, and as reflected in a series of opinions by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), has taken a relatively broad view of the president’s Article II authority to initiate the use of force, arguing that it has the ability to do so when: (1) there is an important “national interest” in doing so (Curtis Bradley and Jack Goldsmith have explained that this has become a very expansive concept in modern practice; Marty Lederman has suggested the concept should be understood as limited to significant national interests that have historically supported such unilateral actions in the past); and (2) the use of force does not constitute “war” in the constitutional sense.\nThe latter limitation is because Article I of the Constitution delegates the power to “declare war” to Congress. The executive branch has argued, in essence, that if the expected “nature, scope, and duration” of the military engagement falls below the threshold of “war,” the president may use force without congressional authorization. In the OLC’s view, “military operations will likely rise to the level of a war only when characterized by ‘prolonged and substantial military engagements, typically involving exposure of U.S. military personnel to significant risk over a substantial period.’” The OLC opined most recently that the limited strikes against Syria by the United States in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons did not cross this threshold. Prior OLC opinions reached a similar conclusion with respect to U.S. military strikes in Libya in 2011, and U.S. military activities in Haiti in the 1990s, among others.\nIn the War Powers Resolution of 1973 (WPR), Congress imposed important limitations on the president’s ability to conduct military operations in the absence of explicit congressional authorization. Indeed, Congress does not necessarily view its own authority so narrowly or the president’s so expansively as described in the OLC opinions noted above. The WPR explicitly states the view of Congress that the president’s constitutional authority to introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities, or situations where involvement in hostilities is imminent, may be exercised “only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by an attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.” Moreover, as explained below, the WPR requires the relevant military operations (“hostilities”) to be terminated after a defined period of time unless they have been authorized by Congress.\nThe framers of the Constitution gave the authority to declare war to Congress, as well as the authority to raise and support armies, provide and maintain a Navy, provide for the common defense, regulate detention and seizure of vessels in war, and a host of other powers related to war and foreign affairs, in part to prevent the United States from being drawn into conflict for unpopular purposes or without debate and consideration by the representatives of the people. The Constitution’s design anticipates that Congress would be less inclined to go to war than the executive branch — this is a feature, not a bug. (Of note, it has long been understood that even though Congress has the lion’s share of authority in war-making, the president does have at least some concurrent if not exclusive authority in regard to the conduct of hostilities and to use force to repel a sudden attack on the United States.)\nWhat’s more, even in the OLC’s view, the threshold for “war” in the constitutional sense is more easily met when the use of force at issue is against another nation state (rather than in its territory but with its consent) where there is a high likelihood of escalation. Although Iran is not a nuclear power, which would necessarily affect that calculus, its capacity as a nation-state with a strong military, including its cyber and ballistic missile capabilities, are relevant factors in this analysis, as is the extent of U.S. exposure given its significant footprint in the region where Iranian military forces (and their proxies) are present and active. The scope of U.S. objectives for the use of force will also affect the analysis, especially if those objectives are likely to require sustained operations or engender use of force in response by Iran. Those factors may distinguish this case from the U.S. strikes against Syria, for example.\nFinally, another important limitation is that the president’s use of force — whether based on congressional authorization or not — must comply with international law. The president is charged in Article II of the Constitution to “take care” that the laws are faithfully executed. This includes our international legal obligations, including the U.N. Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force except in certain limited circumstances, such as self-defense. Also, under international law, even if the United States acts in self-defense, the U.S. response must be necessary and proportionate.\n2. Does the president have authorization from Congress to strike Iran? Specifically, would the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) authorize a strike against Iran?\nThere is no existing congressional authorization for the use of force against Iran. While some in the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have made arguments attempting to link Iran and al-Qaeda — in what may be an effort to lay the groundwork for invoking the 2001 AUMF, which was passed in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, as authorization to use force against Iran — that argument is thoroughly unconvincing.\nThe 2001 AUMF authorizes the president to use:\n“necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.”\nThis has long been understood to refer to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, who harbored al-Qaeda in Afghanistan at the time of the 9/11 attacks, and also has been interpreted by all three branches of government to apply to “associated forces” of those two armed groups based on the principle of co-belligerency in armed conflict.\nAs we have previously written: “The 2001 AUMF does not authorize the use of force against Iran. Iran was not implicated in the 9/11 attacks, Iranian forces are not al Qaeda or the Taliban, or their associated forces, nor are they a ‘successor’ to any of those forces.”\nMany have suggested that Pompeo and other officials may be laying the groundwork for an argument that the 2001 AUMF authorizes military operations against Iran because Iran is “harboring” some members of al-Qaeda. As a factual matter, we are not aware of any credible information that Iran is “harboring” al-Qaeda as a group, or allowing al-Qaeda to plot attacks from Iran. As a legal matter, the AUMF has never been construed to authorize military attacks against a foreign nation based on the fact that some al Qaeda members may be located in or transit that country, even if that is the case with Iran. In addition, the AUMF’s use of the past tense — “harbored” — suggests that it was intended to refer to those who were responsible for providing safe haven for, and otherwise assisting, those who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. In the 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, there has not been any suggestion that the 2001 AUMF could be interpreted to authorize force against a present-day “harborer.” (Again, there is no known evidence to suggest that is what Iran is doing with al-Qaeda.)\nThe 2001 AUMF authorizes force only if it is consistent with international law, as the Supreme Court explained in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld. Even if the 2001 AUMF were somehow thought to apply to Iran — which it does not — the executive branch would be able to use force against Iran only if necessary and proportionate to the specific threat from al-Qaeda.\nIn a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on June 19, Rep. Deutch (D-Fl.) asked State Department Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, whether he believes “the administration could launch an attack against Iran under the 2001 AUMF?” His response, “this is something which the office of the Legal Adviser can give you an opinion on, if you’d like to submit it,” provides an appropriate next step for Congress to engage with the administration on this issue.\nFinally, it bears noting that there is no viable argument that another AUMF still on the books — the “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002” (2002 AUMF) — authorizes force against Iran. It allows the president to use force that is “necessary and appropriate” to “defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq;” and “enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iraq.” Those are plainly not relevant to the situation with Iran today.\n3. What steps can Congress take if it disagrees with the president’s decision to use military force? More specifically, what steps can Congress take in advance to prevent actions by the president? And, what steps would Congress be able to take after the president uses force against Iran if lawmakers are opposed?\nCongress has a number of tools at its disposal to constrain the president’s ability to use force unilaterally. Even in the OLC’s view, the president’s ability to use force without congressional authority can be checked if Congress decides to impose restrictions. While past attorneys general and the OLC have determined the president has the power to use military force abroad to protect important national interests and below the threshold of “war” in the constitutional sense, as discussed above, “[t]his independent authority of the President … exists at least insofar as Congress has not specifically restricted it,” the OLC wrote in 2011.\nCongress’ appropriations power is one of the most potent tools to restrict presidential action. In 2018, the OLC opined that the significant powers vested in Congress by the Constitution “ensure that the use of force ‘cannot be sustained over time without the acquiescence, indeed the approval, of Congress, for it is Congress that must appropriate the money to fight a war or a police action.’ … These powers further oblige the President to seek congressional approval prior to contemplating military action that would bring the Nation into a war.”\nNotably, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20 NDAA), which was debated last week in the House Armed Services Committee, would have prohibited the use of federal funds to use military force in or against Iran absent Congress declaring war or enacting specific statutory authorization, with the exception of a “national emergency … created by an attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.”\nWhile the amendment was withdrawn after lengthy discussion, Rep. Adam Smith, the Democratic chairman of the committee, has committed to “a vote on a similar proposal when the FY20 NDAA comes to the floor of the House of Representatives.” (The amendment was offered by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Anthony Brown (D-Md.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.).\nIt is precisely this type of action — the cutting off of funds for specific uses of force, which relies on Congress’ constitutional appropriations power — that would put Congress on its strongest footing to assert authority over the use of force abroad, and would put the president’s authority at what the Supreme Court has described as its “lowest ebb.” The clear intent of this proposed amendment is to prevent the executive branch from drawing the United States into a war without a congressional vote to specifically authorize it, which is particularly important given that senior Trump administration officials are considering justifying a use of force against Iran on purported congressional authorization in the 2001 AUMF.\nFinally, an amendment like this could be passed even after an initial use of force, making clear the president does not have authority to continue using force absent congressional authorization.\n4. Does the War Powers Resolution authorize the president to use force? What does the War Powers Resolution require the president to do before taking military action? What does it allow Congress to do after the president uses force abroad without authorization?\nThe War Powers Resolution (WPR) does not authorize the president to use force. It is a common misperception to think otherwise. The law’s stated purpose is “to fulfill the intent of the framers of the Constitution… and insure that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances…” And as noted above, it takes a limited view of the president’s authority to introduce U.S. Armed Forces into such situations in the absence of congressional authorization or an attack on the United States.\nBefore the president involves U.S. forces in hostilities abroad (or circumstances where hostilities are likely), the WPR requires the president to “consult with Congress.” The WPR also requires the president to report to Congress within 48 hours whenever certain conditions are met that could lead to the United States getting drawn into a war that Congress hasn’t authorized. Those conditions are when U.S. Armed Forces are introduced: (1) into hostilities (or where involvement in hostilities is “clearly indicated by the circumstances”); (2) into the territory, airspace, or waters of a foreign nation while equipped for combat (except for routine deployments for “supply, replacement, repair, or training” of U.S. forces); or (3) in “numbers which substantially enlarge” U.S. forces equipped for combat already in a foreign nation.\nFinally, the heart of the WPR is its termination provision, which is intended to provide a mechanism to ensure the president does not continue to involve U.S. forces in hostilities without specific congressional authorization. Under the WPR, the president must “terminate any use” of U.S. Armed Forces that were introduced into hostilities (or where involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances) 60 days after the required notification unless Congress has specifically authorized that use of U.S. Armed Forces by statute, passed a law extending the 60-day period, or has been “physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States.”\nThe Executive Branch has not adopted a consistent view on the constitutionality of the WPR’s termination provision. President Nixon’s veto statement concluded that much of the WPR, including the 60-day clock, was unconstitutional, and OLC made a passing suggestion to the same effect in John Yoo’s subsequently repudiated 2001 memo on the AUMF. On the other hand, OLC concluded in 1980 that Congress may “as a general constitutional matter” place time limits on the use of armed forces without express Congressional authorization, and this position was reaffirmed by the Obama Administration.\nThere is significant debate, to say the least, regarding what constitutes “hostilities” for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution. Both the Obama and Trump administrations, for example, took the position that providing aerial refueling and intelligence support to the Saudi-led coalition in the conflict in Yemen did not constitute introducing U.S. forces into “hostilities.” Moreover, recent experience has shown that unless Congress has sufficient votes to override a presidential veto of a resolution requiring termination of the use of U.S. Armed Forces, it may be unable to stop military engagement abroad once it has begun using the mechanism of the WPR alone, so long as the president believes that the military engagement in question does not constitute “hostilities.”\nThis is all the more reason why cutting off funds for the use of military force against Iran, in the absence of congressional authorization or an armed attack by Iran on the United States or its armed forces, would be a more effective tool to curtail the ability of the executive branch to draw the United States into a war that Congress has not authorized.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_f68c2be39697",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "What are Iran's ballistic missile capabilities? - Reuters",
    "body_text": "What are Iran's ballistic missile capabilities?    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNaE14eTdyWEQ4RUZGSXFwdEw0Tm9oX2hTaTFNakxuVUhUdk5CeFh2YjdzQ1lkTW5GTG1La19pTmNpT2huXzNfdFhqRU15aFNiYzNlN1l0SjZTX0I2ODRHRElsaTdCeEp6aTl5M0tmTmd5OVJBWGFKck01RktVeGY5ZzBraGRYZDhCWWtqN0p1cDhuSEx1NEMxRi0xNlViSHNtSWVXbVJmWlhscGN3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3122c651ba18",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran war live: New Israeli and US barrage hits Tehran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Live: Iran names Khamenei’s son as new supreme leader\nLive Updates\nHezbollah said its fighters carried out several attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, according to statements posted on the group’s Telegram channel.\nThe group said it confronted Israeli troops who had landed by helicopter in the Serghaya plain.\nHezbollah also claimed it launched artillery and machine-gun attacks on Israeli forces advancing toward Khallat al-Mahafir in the border town of Odaisseh and toward the town of Aitaroun. The group said the attacks forced Israeli troops to retreat.\nUS President Donald Trump on Monday said he was “not happy” with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader.\nSpeaking to Fox News, Trump said Iran had previously aimed hundreds of missiles at countries across the Middle East but claimed the regional balance had shifted after recent US military actions.\nTrump said the United States had dealt Iran a severe blow and insisted that Tehran’s capabilities had been significantly weakened.\nHe added that ships should not fear crossing the Strait of Hormuz despite rising tensions in the region.\nUS President Donald Trump on Monday said he was “not happy” with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader.\nSpeaking to Fox News, Trump said Iran had previously aimed hundreds of missiles at countries across the Middle East but claimed the regional balance had shifted after recent US military actions.\nTrump said the United States had dealt Iran a severe blow and insisted that Tehran’s capabilities had been significantly weakened.\nHe added that ships should not fear crossing the Strait of Hormuz despite rising tensions in the region.\nBahraini officials on Monday said that 32 people were wounded in an Iranian drone attack targeting the Sitra area south of the capital, Manama.\nFour of the wounded were in critical condition, the state news agency cited the Health Ministry as saying.\nOfficials said some of the critically wounded include children who require surgery.\nThe attack was part of a wider wave of drone and missile strikes by Iran, which has retaliated to joint US-Israeli strikes by targeting US bases in the Gulf.\nExplosions were heard early Monday in the Qatari capital Doha as Gulf countries reported new missile and drone attacks linked to Iran’s retaliatory campaign in the region, AFP reported.\nQatar’s Defence Ministry said a missile targeting the city was intercepted as air defences responded to the attack.\nMeanwhile, Kuwait said its air defences were confronting hostile missiles and drones, days after projectiles hit fuel tanks at Kuwait International Airport.\nSaudi Arabia also reported intercepting two drones heading toward the Aramco-operated Shaybah oil field, while Bahrain said missile debris injured three people and a desalination plant was struck by a drone.\nOil prices surged above $100 a barrel Monday at the start of Asian trading, reaching their highest level since July 2022 as markets reacted to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.\nUS benchmark West Texas Intermediate jumped more than 18 percent to about $107.54 a barrel, at one point climbing above $111.\nThe surge rattled regional markets, with major Asian stock exchanges falling sharply.\nJapan’s Tokyo and South Korea’s Seoul markets dropped about 6 percent shortly after opening, while Taiwan’s Taiex index fell more than 5 percent in early trading.\nMourners in eastern Lebanon’s Nabi Sheet held funerals for victims of a failed Israeli commando raid that authorities say killed 41 people and wounded 40 during an operation to search for the remains of airman Ron Arad.\nMourners in eastern Lebanon’s Nabi Sheet held funerals for victims of a failed Israeli commando raid that authorities say killed 41 people and wounded 40 during an operation to search for the remains of airman Ron Arad pic.twitter.com/zh9gwOrxQs\n— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 8, 2026\nNew video footage appears to show a US Tomahawk missile striking a facility in Minab, Iran, on 28 February, according to the open-source investigative group Bellingcat.\nThe footage, released by Iran’s Mehr News and geolocated by Bellingcat, is said to provide the first visual evidence that US forces hit the area.\nThe video also shows smoke rising from the vicinity of a nearby girls’ school where 175 people were reportedly killed, including children.\nThe footage contradicts US President Donald Trump’s earlier claim that an Iranian missile was responsible for the strike on the school.\nA video released by Mehr News, and geolocated by Bellingcat, shows the missile hitting a building near the school. This image shows a comparison between the Tomahawk missile that hit near the school and Tomahawk missiles flying over Tehran earlier in the conflict. pic.twitter.com/wv0MekFJpR\n— Trevor Ball (@Easybakeovensz) March 8, 2026\nUS Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran will eventually have no option but to surrender as the conflict continues.\nSpeaking to CBS News, Hegseth said Washington is determined to ensure that Iran never develops nuclear weapons and is prepared to go as far as necessary to achieve that goal.\nHegseth said US military operations against Iran are proceeding according to plan and warned that further losses could occur as the war continues.\nHe described the campaign as an asymmetrical conflict, adding that the combined air power of the United States and Israel is the strongest in the world.\nIran launched a new wave of missiles toward Israel on Monday following the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, according to Iranian state media.\nState broadcaster IRIB said the missiles were fired as part of what it described as the “30th wave of Operation True Promise 4\".\nIran’s Revolutionary Guard said the attacks targeted US bases in the region and Israeli sites in the north of the country.\nIn Israel, emergency services said a woman was slightly injured after debris from an intercepted missile fell in the central city of Rishon LeZion, APF news agency reported.\nSaudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Rub al-Khali desert that was heading toward the Shaybah oilfield.\nThe facility, operated by Saudi Aramco, has the capacity to produce about 1 million barrels of crude oil per day.\nThe interception came hours after the ministry said it had foiled ballistic missile attacks targeting Prince Sultan Air Base and drone attacks aimed at Riyadh. Officials said at least two people have been killed in Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing Iranian counterattacks.\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, calling it the start of a “new era of dignity and strength” for Iran.\nIn a statement reported by the Fars news agency, Pezeshkian said the decision by the Assembly of Experts reflected the will of the Iranian people and strengthened national unity.\nIran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and several senior officials have also pledged allegiance to the new leader. Among them were parliament speaker Mohammed-Bagher Qalibaf and former parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani.\nThe United States said late Sunday that it was ordering embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran strikes the kingdom in retaliation for an attack by Washington and Israel.\nThe State Department said in a travel advisory it had \"ordered non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks.\"\nUS President Donald Trump dismissed the war-related spike in oil prices as a \"small price to pay\" amid the US-Israeli war with Iran.\nOil prices surged about 20% in early trade on Monday, hitting their highest since July 2022, as the expanding US-Israeli war with Iran fuelled fears of tighter supply and prolonged disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.\n\"Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!\" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.\nHigh-profile members of the Iranian government have backed the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.\nIran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf welcomed the Assembly of Experts’ decision and said that following Khamenei is Iranians’ “definitive religious and national duty”.\nAli Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, called for unity around the new leader and thanked the assembly for its “clear” decision.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:00:22+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_ac4f92ba4838",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Israel and US launch attack on Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Israel and US launch attack on Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:01:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9yY1M4NlFGeDBzNXJjTTBOM20zejNEODAzWXdMWGp0UFFiX0VIZ1NuM3AxTXZ6X25yZkhYOXNqekNrU29xZTJZekVjWGplZllZM0NldzE4czlyMVF0bmM4YnFZU0MydWRJVWU0MzNMQkM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_dedf044a4129",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US and Israel launch strikes on Iran: what we know so far - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "-\nIran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been killed as the US and Israel launch a war on Iran to trigger regime change, Donald Trump has claimed. The US president announced the death of the ayatollah, who has ruled Iran as supreme leader since 1989, in a post on Truth Social. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote.\n-\nThe death of Iran’s supreme leader was announced after waves of air attacks across the country. Iran’s Red Crescent reported more than 200 deaths and 747 injuries in daylong attacks across 24 provinces.\n-\nAt least 100 people were reportedly killed in a strike on a primary school in Minab, in the south-east.\n-\nBenjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had earlier said there were “many signs” Khamenei was “no longer alive”, and Israeli officials briefed media that his body had been recovered.\n-\nTehran fired retaliatory strikes against Israeli and US bases across the Middle East. Iran’s attacks targeted more than six countries, pulling in places that had been previously untouched by the escalating crisis.\n-\nIn Israel, one person died and 22 others are injured, media reports say, after an Iranian missile strike hit a building in Tel Aviv. An official said the building was aflame and had partially collapsed.\n-\nIn Dubai, a number of people were injured after an incident occurred at Dubai international airport, the Dubai media office has said. The Burj Al Arab and Fairmont hotels caught fire amid Iranian attacks.\n-\nThe United Arab Emirates said in a statement that it had intercepted the vast majority of the 137 missiles and 209 drones fired at its territory by Iran in the hours after the US and Israel launched a regime change war on the Islamic Republic.\n-\nIn Bahrain, an Iranian drone flew into a high-rise building in what looked like a targeted attack, exploding and engulfing the skyscraper in flames. Earlier, the country’s national security agency was also struck by an Iranian missile.\n-\nSocial media footage also appeared to show a missile hitting the huge US naval base in Bahrain. In Kuwait, a drone crashed into the country’s main airport, wounding several employees and damaging the facility.\n-\nIn Lebanon, gas stations across the country had lines 10 cars deep within an hour of the strikes. People in Beirut airport watched as commercial flights were cancelled, and grocery stores were filled with the more cautious stocking up on essential goods – the memory of the 2024 war with Israel fresh in their minds.\n-\nAt least one person was killed and seven wounded during an “incident” at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed international airport, officials said after Iranian strikes targeting the United Arab Emirates and Gulf states.\n-\nWorld leaders urged all sides to de-escalate and return to the negotiating table. The UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes on neighbouring countries, but the statement stopped short of complete support for the US-Israeli attacks.\n-\nThe British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said British planes were “in the sky today” in the Middle East “as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies”.\n-\nThe UN security council held an emergency meeting on Saturday. The session was requested by the permanent missions of France, Bahrain, China, Russia and Colombia, according to a statement by the permanent mission of Russia to the UN. The secretary general António Guterres said he “deeply regrets” that the opportunity for diplomacy had been “squandered” over Iran.\n-\nIn the US, Republicans largely welcomed the attack, but prominent Democrats condemned what they called an illegal aggression.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxOb3VJS0lCTnl4WjJBVzRJUGN4bnZoMW9xMzlpY19MTmFhY1Z3SktyVkU0MkRMd09LRVhyWmh1cm1nZjlxU3BVTFJ4Tm9wS2F1cFJqX25ZdldkYWc3STh2U1l5VkdEWEp3bEdQUUtFQlFadk54VHNmNW51bURRWVJZcEVIQW5vRDdqc2tlQkRDZUNYN01sTU95QXVtQjlMczMtaTRtM2w5YTFsNFhQckE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0a4975036118",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trump confirms 'massive and ongoing' attacks on Iran and calls on Iranians to overthrow regime - Fortune",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump signaled an expansive military campaign against Iran early Saturday and explicitly called for regime change in the Islamic Republic.\nIn a video posted on Truth Social, he confirmed combat operations aimed at “eliminating imminent threats” from Iran and recounted decades of aggression against U.S. forces at the hands the regime while also pointing out the tens of thousands of protesters who have been slaughtered in Iran in recent months.\nTrump added that U.S. policy has been to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and developing long-range ballistic missiles.\n“For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests,” he said. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy. We’re going to ensure that the regime’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world.”\nIn a nod to a potential prolonged operation, Trump also warned “we may have casualties—that often happens in war,” in contrast with recent attacks he ordered that resulted in minimal harm to U.S. personnel.\nHe then appealed directly to Iran’s armed forces and police, telling them will have “complete immunity” if they disarm. Otherwise, they face certain death.\nTrump called on the Iranian people to shelter in place while bombs are falling but to “take over your government” once the U.S. finishes.\n“This will be probably your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it,” he continued. “No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want, so let’s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.”\nThe message came after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran early Saturday after weeks of negotiations and the biggest military build-up in the region since the war in Iraq. The airstrikes follow the 12 Day War last June, when the U.S. joined Israel’s air campaign to target Tehran’s nuclear facilities.\nWhile Trump had reportedly considered limited attacks on the regime, sources told CNN that the U.S. involvement was “not a small strike.”\nIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done “to remove threats,” according to the Associated Press.\nThe AP also reported that one of the strikes took place near the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Iranian state media reported strikes in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah.\nSince early January, the U.S. has moved enormous military assets to the region, including two aircraft carriers, several destroyers armed with guided missiles, fighters, bombers, and air-defense systems.\nAt the same time, Trump dispatched envoys to engage in indirect talks with Iran, demanding the country stop uranium enrichment as well as its ballistic-missile program. But he grew impatient with negotiations in recent days.\nTrump had initially warned Iran last month again killing protestors calling for the end of the regime and vowed that help was on the way. But since then, he has sounded alarms about Tehran rebuilding its nuclear capabilities.\nThe latest U.S. strike on Iran represents a wider offensive compared to its June attacks that hit a few nuclear sites.\nThat’s despite Arab Mideast allies urging Washington to hold off on new attacks as Iran has indicated it would retaliate more aggressively this time, perhaps with medium-range missiles, drones as well as via proxy forces like Hezbollah.\nDomestic backlash against the U.S. attack on Iran was swift after some members of Congress sought a vote on military action.\n“Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on X.\nThe latest attack on Iran also comes less than two months after the stunning U.S. raid on Venezuela that captured dictator Nicolas Maduro.\nWhile the country’s leader was removed, Trump left the rest of the government in place and has been dealing with Maduro’s vice president.\nThe Venezuela raid was lasted hours, but early indications point to the Iran attacks being the start of a more expansive, longer offensive.\nThat’s after years of the U.S. depleting its stockpiles of munitions and also supplying Ukraine and Israel with weapons too.\nFormer Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CNBC before the Iran strikes that the U.S. is not prepared for an extended campaign or to support allies in a longer-term war.\n“We simply don’t have the defense industrial base to do that, let alone the stockpiles of key weapons such as such as Patriot and THAAD and then strike weapons such as JASSMs,” he said Friday morning.\nA wider U.S. offensive also risks roiling oil markets. After the limited U.S. airstrikes in June, crude prices briefly spiked but resumed a downtrend as Tehran’s response was also limited.\nBut given Trump’s new policy of regime change, Tehran could take more drastic measures to upend energy markets.\nIran pumped 4.7 million barrels per day last year, accounting for 4.4% of global oil supplies. Much of its heavily sanctioned shipments go to China via a so-called shadow fleet.\nBut the bigger risk centers on the potential for Iran to close off the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through on the way to export markets. Analysts have estimated that Iranian moves to close off the strait could send prices to $100 per barrel.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxOZ182T2JpbzV6dDF3aWw5bG91X2tDMGhHUW9oeXhWeXlSU3k2aFZpeDBGTXBvb0V3RmRtN1RNMUZpYk1IVjlLaEkzeHVHUVlZWjk0RWdBM2xHMGk4QkxlQXVBdUFCekJYbHIzaWNhUFd4WlM0WDJEcndMbGVqRzBGSzdLRlhpU3VmcHVLUlVwaFhybGM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a98eec1517d7",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Full text of US President Donald Trump declaring war on Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Follow live updates here\nUS President Donald Trump declared war on Iran in a speech posted on his Truth Social account. Here is the full text:\nA short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.\nIts menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world. For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops and the innocent people in many, many countries.\nAmong the regime's very first acts was to back a violent takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, holding dozens of American hostages for 444 days. In 1983, Iran's proxies carried out the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut that killed 241 American military personnel.\nIn 2000, they knew and were probably involved with the attack on the USS Coal. Many died. Iranian forces killed and maimed hundreds of American service members in Iraq. The regime's proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years, as well as US naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes.\nIt's been mass terror. And we're not going to put up with it any longer. From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq, the regime has armed, trained and funded terrorist militias that have soaked the earth with blood and guts.\nAnd it was Iran's proxy Hamas that launched the monstrous October 7 attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our citizens hostage. It was brutal. Something like the world has never seen before.\nIran is the world's number one state sponsor of terror and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested. It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I'll say it again. They can never have a nuclear weapon.\nThat is why in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime's nuclear program at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons. And we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried. They wanted to do it, they didn't want to do it again. They wanted to do it, they didn't want to do it, they didn't know what was happening. They just wanted to practise evil.\nBut Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades. They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions. And we can't take it any more. Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear programme and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland.\nJust imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had and actually were armed with nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message.\nFor these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy. We are going to ensure that the region's terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region or the world and attack our forces and no longer use their IEDs, or roadside bombs, as they are sometimes called, to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans.\nAnd we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It's a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon. This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces. I built and rebuilt our military in my first administration.\nAnd there is no military on Earth even close to its power. Strength or sophistication. My administration has taken every possible step to minimise the risk to US personnel in the region. Even so, and I do not make this statement likely, the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we're doing this not for now, we're doing this for the future. And it is a noble mission.\nWe pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran. We ask God to protect all of our heroes in harm's way. And we trust that with his help, the men and women of the armed forces will prevail.\nWe have the greatest in the world. And they will prevail.\nTo the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all of the police, I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity. Or, in the alternative, face certain death. So lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death.\nFinally, to the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.\nFor many years you have asked for America's help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let's see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.\nThis is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.\nMay God bless the brave men and women of America's armed forces. May God bless the United States of America. May God bless you all. Thank you.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T08:25:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOd1dJbVNvSHVJQjF5R05OOENpNVh0MnRHLVhTZDZucEFSWndJdU9SU2QxVEhRbUhYd3doX3lTUlE3dTFfX1lMa1RFaGhDNFVBWXJfNHdXY1NyUTZTZjF2aDVrNWU5RlVrMG9PU29uWE1MN1ZQZ2FzLUZQUDN5eUVKWGRQUDQ0Z3FpYXNLMnZUM185bHZuWDhJUzRJNldVNDRzUW14WVFFbTRMY0ZLVTg2bW84dHI?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_233e56547146",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Sirens heard in Jerusalem as Israel announces Iran strike - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Sirens heard in Jerusalem as Israel announces Iran strike    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T09:04:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxNclZjUGpVVTRRclRsREhGUG4zVVJUaVpBZExlMEo4R042YlVWM0VLMzNLeUlwZWpXOS1pNlBYeHhBbFpNZ1R3WkpDMHljTG1lUmlYQUhkZUJkd1F5Zko1OG9SS1kxMjhHYmVrQXNxRk9kVkhKUGNtMXFMb0VteG9Hd0V2eGluZTVDM0ZiWWdJLU1vWkFGdmlvUDZEU05DZWU1T3ZJZkJKa0s?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7b6d347deefd",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Global reaction to US, Israeli attacks on Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Global reaction to US, Israeli attacks on Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T09:35:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPcmk2QkpkX2dqTERXUTRTRlZtcGNoTFlVMGJwYjRtXzc0WG1xRVg2TXVza0hJWDFVR1NFV04yOG1BMlNSMXVadzNhUDg1MHV2VnZhaHF6bW8yWGRqbF9CS1FkellyeUdWNGRXUFZzYkNUV2ZrUnBTRVl3UWRVMWRzek01ZmxnMXRTRW1LSklzZ0lDbXh5UzNZM09EQnlZVmo2NWlCeQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c42935fff49a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "How Iranians coped in the lead-up to war - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "How Iranians coped in the lead-up to war\nOn a snowy winter evening, almost two weeks into a nationwide internet shutdown that had cut millions of Iranians off from one another, I made my way through heavy traffic in Tehran, feeling worn down and quietly dispirited, to attend a dinner gathering organised through an app called Hamneshin, Persian for “companion”.\nDuring the unrest, which erupted in late December 2025 and was subsequently suppressed, access to the platform was patchy, and events were often cancelled or delayed, making any plan feel uncertain.\nWhen limited connectivity returned, the app resumed its activities. Its social media pages, which had been steadily gaining followers before a violent January crackdown, began listing new events again.\nAs tensions simmered at home and more than a year after Iran endured a brutal 12-day war with Israel, the United States has for weeks threatened air strikes over Tehran’s nuclear programme. In the past two months, Iranians have braced for a possible attack, sealing windows and stockpiling food and water.\nLiving under constant anxiety and uncertainty on multiple fronts, social gatherings have come to represent far more than casual outings.\nTo an outside observer, Hamneshin resembles western-style meetups or supper clubs. Participants register through the app, indicate general interests, are grouped roughly by age and pay a fee before attending events. Most gatherings take place in cafes or restaurants and sometimes extend to activities such as game nights, bowling or hiking.\nYet, in today’s Iran, these meetings carry significance beyond leisure. They reflect a broader search for connection in a society where social isolation has been deepening.\nLoneliness is not merely an individual condition; it increasingly has structural roots. Economic strain, migration, rising divorce rates, delayed marriage and shrinking spaces for informal mixed-gender interaction have reshaped daily life.\nTraditional social anchors - extended family networks, university friendships, workplace communities - have weakened. Periodic unrest, security crackdowns, internet disruptions and the shadow of regional conflict have added layers of instability. Official rhetoric emphasises continuity and normalcy, but uncertainty remains part of the social atmosphere.\nSmall circles\nI first came across the social platform by chance and I registered out of curiosity.\nBefore that cold mid-January evening, I had attended several gatherings, including two dinners and a breakfast downtown. The first felt awkward, drifting into candid discussions about failed relationships and divorces. Horrible. The second was more relaxed. The breakfast, by contrast, felt intimate and warm.\nAmong the participants was Javad, a self-described entrepreneur, confident, athletic and outwardly composed. Yet as conversation unfolded, it became clear that he, too, was seeking companionship. Professional success had not shielded him from isolation.\nRoya, a language teacher and translator, spoke openly about struggling with depression. Music, she said, had been her refuge. During the gathering, she stepped outside frequently to smoke, returning quieter each time. Most attendees were educated and professionally established. They were not seeking spectacle. They were seeking conversation.\nYet the dinner after the shutdown revealed something more subtle.\nThe cafe’s polished setting, in an upscale part of the capital, stood in stark contrast to the everyday economic reality of Tehran, where prices on shop shelves can change from one day to the next.\nAt one table, a mother and daughter lingered for hours, dressed in carefully styled outfits. Across the room, a young couple finished their meal quickly. When they left, they stepped into a luxury car waiting outside. Such socioeconomic disparities have become increasingly part of the urban landscape.\nAt our table sat Vahid, in his mid-40s, with an easy manner. He described leaving a stable position in the energy sector to work independently in financial consulting and cryptocurrency trading.\nAcross from him was Aida, also in her 40s, attending for the first time. Divorced and raising a teenage daughter, she described friendships that had thinned over time.\n“People disappear into work or leave the country,” she said. “You realise your circle has become very small.”\nForming bonds\nMidway through dinner, Vahid briefly referred to the recent violence that had shaken the country. Suddenly, the table fell quiet, not in disagreement, but in visible fatigue. Eyes shifted. The subject quickly changed.\nThe silence did not reflect indifference. It reflected exhaustion. The gathering had not been intended as a political discussion. For a few hours, participants seemed intent on creating distance from events outside the cafe walls.\nIn these gatherings, what stands out is not drama but ordinariness. Participants are engineers, managers, office employees and small business owners - many with modest or inactive social media profiles. Their daily routines revolve around work, responsibility, and, increasingly, solitude.\nOne 43-year-old attendee, employed in a private company with a predominantly male workforce, said he joined simply to meet new people.\n“It sounds simple”, he said afterwards, “but you leave feeling lighter. You remember that you can still connect”.\nMoments of affirmation, however small, carried noticeable weight.\nAt another table, where a separate group from the same platform was gathered, a birthday cake was brought out for one of the participants. The gesture was brief, but she appeared genuinely moved.\nNot every event results in lasting relationships. WhatsApp groups formed after gatherings often become inactive. Some participants describe mismatched groups or evenings that feel forced.\n“Sometimes it’s just one night,” one attendee said. “You talk, and then everyone returns to their own life.”\nAnd yet, occasionally, stronger bonds do form.\nAt a bowling night, I met several participants who had first encountered one another at earlier events and gradually developed close friendships. During the internet blackout, some maintained contact offline. One later said those friendships had helped stabilise her mood during a period of heightened uncertainty.\nA less visible Iran\nHamneshin is only one example of a broader pattern. Across social media platforms, smaller initiatives have appeared, such as pottery workshops, discussion circles and informal hobby groups. They vary in scale and organisation, but reflect similar needs: structured environments where strangers can interact with a sense of relative safety.\nThese spaces do not represent all of Iranian society. Participation often requires disposable income. For some, this type of event is simply beyond their means.\n'It sounds simple but you leave feeling lighter. You remember that you can still connect'\n- Event attendee\nNor do such gatherings address the structural pressures shaping social life. They do not resolve economic hardship, political uncertainty or demographic shifts. At most, they offer temporary reprieve.\nIran is often portrayed abroad through political and security headlines. Less visible are the everyday changes beneath them: friendships that fade, social circles that shrink and a growing hesitation around public interaction.\nWithin that context, even modest social initiatives acquire symbolic weight. For some, these meetings represent the possibility of romance. For others, they provide simple conversation. For many, they offer an opportunity to step outside routine and engage, however briefly, with unfamiliar faces.\nAs the snow eased that evening and I stepped back into the cold street, I noticed a subtle shift in my own mood. The broader conditions remained unchanged. But for a few hours, conversation had interrupted isolation.\nIn a period marked by instability, such interruptions, however temporary, appear to matter.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T09:53:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTE5tOHc3YUJKbXFBQ25Pc05GSFVsd2N5RXA4UDB3bGhpczUxWGVyanY3Z0dNWUs0OG1fbHFWeTVCUU0wZXprSkhMLWJVU0FraWdCWF9fOVgzT2hVYmdHQ0pVRkotR1VENHQweUdWdGY5RGl4aUk?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6f2d67d2cb19",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "AFP: Loud explosions heard in Saudi capital Riyadh - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, the AFP news agency reported.\nIran has announced that all US and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become legitimate targets after the country was jointly attacked by the US and Israel.\nQatar's defence ministry on Saturday said that it has downed all missiles targeting the country. Explosions were also heard in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, Reuters news agency reported.\nThe US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain has also been subjected to a missile attack, the country's state media has reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T09:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxPXzhPRlRhM1NlLVYtMmlJMUZoUEJrNncxTE95ci1sczZjZDZPNTJ0MW1SNGJOSEt3dmJpc0JmZU05YVVuczVyanhBZmFubnF4ZUFFM2xBTTFWbnJjNW91NWpJX2hacmtnYUl6Y1pDTDg0MUNjT3BuV3l2dG1MQ09wQVFJUmgzbEFWTk1EZW5McjNZandHMmRNYTNHRDZpdlEwR0dyMWVR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_51781b0538c1",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: Trump announces 'major combat operations' in Iran",
    "body_text": "Watch: Trump announces 'major combat operations' in Iran\nDonald Trump has announced the US has started \"major combat operations\" in Iran, accusing the Iranian regime of waging an \"unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States\".\nThe US president released a video on his social media network Truth Social in the early hours of the morning in the US, shortly after explosions were reported in the Iranian capital Tehran.\nFollow live updates on this story.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T09:57:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c1d60wvz9zko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_94a8f30c0b4d",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US and Israel face 'game-changer' missiles acquired by Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran is assessed to have acquired advanced anti-ship and air-defence systems from Russia and China, posing heightened risks to US and Israeli forces.\nA secret December deal reportedly supplied 500 Verba launchers and 2,500 9M336 missiles, expanding man-portable air-defence coverage and complicating detection.\nRussian innovations reportedly allow Verba missiles to piggyback on Shahed drones, extending engagement altitude and threatening intercepting aircraft, with integration potential into S-300 and S-400 networks.\nUS forces retain strong suppression capabilities, but historical precedents show vulnerabilities, exemplified by Serbian downing of stealth aircraft with low-tech methods in 1999.\n“We are talking about a game-changer missile system,” said Rusi think tank’s Dr Alessandro Arduino, warning the YJ-12 supersonic “ship-killer” endangers carrier groups.\nIran's armoury of air defences is believed to have expanded to include \"game-changer\" anti-ship weapons from Russia and China that could provide surprise dangers for US airpower.\nWhile it was unclear on Saturday exactly what Iranian capabilities had been disrupted by Israel and US attacks, supersonic sea-skimming cruise missiles could pose severe risks for America’s aircraft carrier group, experts have told The National. US Air Force commanders face the additional threat of newly-arrived advanced Verda shoulder-held surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).\nFurthermore an adaptation undertaken by Russian scientists, through which missiles can \"piggyback\" on top of the Iran-developed Shahed-136 drones, to give them greater range and effect, could present even more of a threat.\nIran is understood to have secretly signed an arms deal with Russia in December to supply it with 500 of the Verba launchers complete with 2,500 of the 9M336 infrared homing missile.\nThe weapon can travel at 1,850kph with a range of 6.5km carrying a 1.5kg warhead and is able to engage fighters, helicopters, drones and even cruise missiles, according to its maker KBM.\nThe portable Verba system makes them “really hard to detect”, said former military intelligence officer Dr Lynette Nusbacher. “The unique selling point of Verba is that you can have a lot of people with the launchers out there and network them so it's not just the operator who is seeking and firing at the target.”\nPiggy-back missiles\nRussian engineering offers new innovations such as attaching the Verba to the Shahed drone. That “increases the altitude at which the missile can engage targets and gives the Shahed drone the capacity to target adversary aircraft attempting to intercept it,” said the think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW).\n“Russia may have shared this air defence adaptation with Iran,” it added, noting that Iran has the long-range Shahed-149 Gaza drone with a reported maximum altitude of about 10,500 metres and a payload capacity of 500kg.\nThese can also be integrated with its S-300 missiles, or what remains of them after Israel’s June attacks, and potentially the advanced Russian S-400 SAMs, although it is unclear if these have been sold to Tehran.\nMuch of Tehran’s desire for foreign weapons comes from the failure of its home-produced weapons to intercept Israeli or American targets in June.\n“Iran’s ongoing push to acquire air defence components abroad suggests that it recognises that its indigenous air defence systems are not effective against US and Israeli attacks,” ISW said.\n“I don't think anybody thinks Iran's air defence is trivial, but the first mission of any air force is suppression of enemy air defences,” said Dr Nusbacher.\nAmerica’s anti-radar seeking missiles and EA-18 Growler electronic warfare aircraft are reportedly “very, very good” at detecting the signatures of air defence systems.\nAlso, the US would not fly any missions over Iran unless they were fully suppressed in order to “operate under conditions of absolute air supremacy”.\nHowever military intelligence analyst Frank Ledwidge acknowledged that the Serbs had “famously and very skilfully shot down” US F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters in 1999 using low-key technology.\nShip killer\nIt is the YJ-12 “Eagle Strike” ship-killer cruise missile that will, if it has been supplied to Iran, cause the most concern among US commanders.\nCarrying a 500kg warhead, the missile, whose export variant is called the CM-302, can perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid anti-missile threats while travelling at 5,000kph.\n“We are talking about a game-changer missile system,” said Dr Alessandro Arduino of the Rusi think tank. “It is a supersonic cruise missile meaning that it goes at normal missile speed then nearby the target it increases the speed to supersonic making it is very difficult to intercept, especially if you have a barrage mixed with drones.”\nThe system can create “a serious threat especially if there is a aircraft carrier nearby”.\nBut it is unclear whether China will break the UN arms embargo on Iran, especially at a time when the area is under intense satellite surveillance, with America selecting targets to potentially smother Tehran’s defences.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T09:57:18+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_d0c552f5aa21",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Airlines cancel flights after US and Israel strike Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Airlines cancel flights after US and Israel strike Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T09:58:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNeExYYWhNOGhfRmZZaU5aOERaYnFFNVZPMlZfS2xTOUJtLS1YeHVVaG9zRTNpU1JPMnNBRHhEdk1pVkJZTk5VWE1YQlBNT2RxRUFodzZpa2NNQlMwN1gwVzktT0NtMVY0MXZCRUh3dzBYQk0wR1RzX0hJSmMyTm9OSTR0cmttWEl2OW9sVUpmaUUyaXFnQ2hiUENvMDdQQldBY1RYekJiZGViLWdmbGVOQmIxc1k4dw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8c8241cd631e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US-Iran strikes unleash travel chaos as airlines cancel flights - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US-Iran strikes unleash travel chaos as airlines cancel flights    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:00:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQWVU5aUZOT1h1SlVVNzU3VEFCNWd6ZTNQckg3X0thLUhQZ1h0by15MEJWeFV6RHpuZVRiTE5FcjhORXBVRHgtNkItZGppZG1ZZk9SczNiSHFsT2pJUDNVbm10X0JwLVRLQ2V3cjEzV2VtdkJrT1RnYXJ0S3lqcy1MTjFIeVpaSnQ5MzJHUzlMUDZ0Wk4weHcxb0JudlpiYkNEVlFnUE9MeG5vSllhTzBLcEYteFQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c5eae6b2358d",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Military briefing: The US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliation - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Military briefing: The US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliation\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:03:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBVV25peFlVeFVWV0Y4SEN2bGdVR2QySm1kbG9FNy1sZ2lRNXZKU1hFS29vMi1RX3pVWkUyWEY2aDUxTVd2dEdkUlI1M3Z2MWh4VFBibjk0V2o3SjFjSTViMXdGNzFHZXd3VjREb0xTNXk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6f32fa5ad63d",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Airlines suspend Middle East flights after US, Israel strikes on Iran - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Airlines suspend Middle East flights after US, Israel strikes on Iran\nDUBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Global airlines suspendedflights across the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the region into a renewed military confrontation.\nFlight maps showed the airspace over Iran virtually empty as Israel said it struck Iran and the U.S. military initiated a series of strikes against targets in the country. Iran retaliated with a salvo of missiles.\nThe escalation dimmed hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran's nuclear dispute with the West and reignited conflict after weeks of U.S. military buildup in the region.\nIt marks the latest upheaval for air travel in the usually busy region amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. With Russian and Ukrainian airspace closed to most airlines due to years of war, the Middle East has become a more important route for flights between Europe and Asia.\nConflict zones are an increasing operational burden on airlines as aerial attacks raise worries about accidental or deliberate shoot-downs of commercial air traffic. Longer flight times also require more fuel, adding to their costs.\nIsrael, Iran, Iraq and Jordan closed their airspace following the attacks and a map of the region on Flightradar24 showed airplanes avoiding these areas.\nLUFTHANSA, WIZZ AIR SUSPEND FLIGHTS\nA number of Qatar Airways flights departed on Saturday morning, circled over Kuwait or Saudi Arabia before returning to Qatari airspace and were circling off Doha, according to Flightradar24.\nThe Russian Ministry of Transport said on Saturday that Russian air carriers had suspended flights to Iran and Israel.\nGermany's Lufthansa said it was suspending flights to and from Dubai on Saturday and Sunday and halting temporarily the Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman routes until March 7. Air France cancelled flights to and From Tel Aviv and Beirut.\nIberia also cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, while Wizz Air suspended flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until the same date, it said.\nKuwait's aviation authority said it was halting all flights to Iran untilfurther notice, according to the state news agency, while Oman Air said it had suspended all flights to Baghdad due to the regional developments.\nThe United Arab Emirates \"partially and temporarily\" closed its airspace as a precaution, its state news agency said.\n\"Due to the temporary closure of several airspace in the region on 28 February, some flydubai flights have been impacted,\" a spokesperson for the Emirati carrier said.\nKLM, the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM, has brought forward the suspension of its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv service, cancelling the flight scheduled for Saturday after strikes in Iran, a spokesperson said.\nThe airline had announced on Wednesday that flights would be halted from Sunday, March 1. Only one flight to Tel Aviv had been scheduled for Saturday.\nVirgin Atlantic said it had decided to temporarily avoid Iraqi airspace, resulting in some re-routing of its flights. Qatar Airways said it had halted air traffic temporarily as a precaution.\n(Reporting by Federico Maccioni; Editing by Adam Jourdan, Josephine Mason and Janet Lawrence)",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:05:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQWEd1ak5mLXFXZFBTX3BWeVRZWnRGY0ZMNzJIQWU0dVptVUxjVkg2WXZQa3B3Z0RPRVJHRUJBckZCdVpFMENQR0FyT1BNUmtSTGpPcTZ0OGJfYmx3aVB5WnZiVlZJSU1od0F2VWkxdExjWkZoSHVfX1FlcmdKYkFZbzNPLTkwQ19RTV8tMUY1ZVBHcjN3elhtbThxc3ZPZFRIWmstT281R3E0c3RTWjlB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5eac724674e2",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "What’s at Stake for Oil Markets as Trump Strikes Iran - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "What’s at Stake for Oil Markets as Trump Strikes Iran    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:14:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxNOU9lZUIzVmdrUU5EeGZERmtxaENKMVRUNnJVMTkyaS1tS0VyTUt5WVYzRkJVTFNsWHQ1VE9MMW9HVTZITlNYY3kxYWt1ZWNHLWJfVVBnYTVXanVSYWxqUXhBbkw4dTVtWmtZOG4taGw0YldvN05Gc2o1TE45T3liY3EyRElFaUxpd2JkWTBySnNCYmt5MzdTWnM5NVA0Wnp1SkthS1dqcVVXaTVwWG1jNlUta3Q4R25BbXhR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e88072e5c1b4",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Trump gambles on war to force Iran’s capitulation - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Trump gambles on war to force Iran’s capitulation\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:16:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9pQ1QyN2luYzRWZFNpWTQ4RlRDSWFyb3FVMExIaWVyLWUyQlVvVkZVXzY4dGRfNHJYTnhfYmJKMEdhZ1V2TmhJc09oZGtlMzBiNnBvVGxGVEtfRzlkNV9HMGg2VEZDejB3d3RGai1BRlA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_49a61e1135bf",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US and Israel attack Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US and Israel attack Iran    Middle East Eye",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:18:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiakFVX3lxTE1CclNFcmJ0dzhET05YRzdWblQ3eURTU09telFIbFpiSmpZb2taWW1PeTRISmhjc3hFQUthRFREODZLbjFJN1lHR2pUQy1DWnN0SmhGSXpLZTNla29iVWNEVm9PdDhWSEFpX3c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d7b525b20238",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel-US strikes on Iran: How has the world reacted? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israel-US strikes on Iran: How has the world reacted?\nThe US and Israel have finally launched an operation against Iran with the apparent aim of overthrowing the Islamic Republic.\nWhile the attack had been anticipated for some time, the move has still shocked much of the world. Iran's retaliation has struck many US assets in several countries across the region.\nWith much of the world still waking up, here's the initial reaction to the new war.\nGulf states\nSeveral countries in the Gulf were struck by Iranian missiles on Saturday, as the Islamic Republic targeted US military assets across the region.\nKuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia all reported missile attacks while issuing warnings to their citizens to seek shelter across the country.\nReporters on Al Jazeera could be heard receiving alerts on their phones even as they were broadcasting live in the studio in Doha.\nQatar's defence ministry said it \"repelled a number of attacks\" targeting its territory.\nThe UAE said the attacks had violated its sovereignty and that it reserved the right to respond.\nSimilarly, Saudi Arabia condemned an attack that hit Riyadh, criticising “Iran’s blatant aggression and violations of the sovereignty” of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.\nOman\nOman has so far been the only Gulf state avoid being hit by Iranian missiles.\nThe country, which had been hosting talks between the Iranians and US, expressed its disappointment at the military action.\n\"I am dismayed. Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this,\" wrote Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi on X.\n\"And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.\"\nIraq\nThere were reports on Saturday of strikes on Iran-linked armed groups in Iraq, a country which has long worried about being dragged into an Iran-US conflict.\nIn a statement, the country's foreign ministry said it was following developments with \"great concern.\"\n\"[We call] on our citizens present in the areas of attacks to exercise the utmost caution and caution, adhere to the safety instructions issued by the competent authorities, and to stay in safe places and avoid danger sites,\" it read.\n\"The minister also directed all our diplomatic missions to communicate directly and responsibly with Iraqi citizens, provide them with the necessary support, and ensure continuous follow-up of their situation in order to ensure their safety and security. The safety of Iraqis abroad remains a top priority in the ministry's various movements and communications.\"\nSpain\nSpain criticised the attack on Iran, with the prime minister saying it rejected the \"unilateral military action by the US and Israel.\"\n\"We reject the unilateral military action by the US and Israel, which represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order,\" Pedro Sanchez wrote on X.\n\"We also reject the actions of the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guard. We cannot afford another prolonged and devastating war in the Middle East.\n\"We demand immediate de-escalation and full respect for international law. It is time to resume dialogue and reach a lasting political solution for the region.\"\nUK\nThe UK government issued a statement on Saturday morning saying that it sought a \"negotiated solution\" and opposed a wider regional war.\n“Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution. Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance, available 24/7,\" Downing Street said in a statement.\n“As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests,\" it added.\n“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.”\nOther British politicians were more forthright, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage praising the attacks.\nLebanon\nMany in Lebanon have long feared that any Iran-US war would drag the country into the fray, particularly with Iran's close ally Hezbollah being based in the country.\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday that his country refused to be dragged into war.\n\"I reiterate that we will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity,\" Salam said on X.\n\"In light of the serious developments unfolding in the region, I once again call on all Lebanese to act with wisdom and patriotism, placing Lebanon and the Lebanese people's interests above any other consideration.\"\nHezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem, was expected to deliver a speech on Saturday at 1pm.\nFrance\nIn France, Air France said it had cancelled its Tel Aviv and Beirut flights on Saturday, saying it would provide schedule updates later.\n\"Due to the security situation at the destination, the airline has decided to cancel its flights scheduled for February 28 to/from Tel Aviv and to/from Beirut,\" Air France told AFP.\n\"Air France will communicate later on its flight schedule to these destinations for the coming days.\"\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron said he was concerned by the escalation, which had \"grave consequences for international peace and security\" and called for the fighting to stop.\n\"In this decisive moment, all measures are being taken to ensure the security of the national territory and that of our compatriots, as well as our interests in the Middle East. France also stands ready to deploy the necessary resources to protect its closest partners at their request,\" he said in a statement.\n\"The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it no longer has any option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its actions of regional destabilization. This is absolutely essential to the security of all in the Middle East.\n\"The Iranian people must also be able to build their future freely. The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime disqualify it and require that the voice be given back to the people. The sooner, the better.\n\"True to its principles and aware of its international responsibilities, France is calling for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. I am in close contact with our European partners and our friends in the Middle East.\"\nTurkey\nTurkish Airlines on Saturday said it had suspended flights to 10 Middle East nations.\n\"Flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan have been cancelled until March 2,\" spokesman Yahya Ustun wrote on X, while flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Oman were only suspended for the day.\nNorway\nNorway condemned the US-Israel strikes as a violation of international law.\nThe country's foreign minister called on Saturday for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.\n\"The attack is described by Israel as a pre-emptive strike, but it is not in accordance with international law. A pre-emptive attack would require the existence of an imminent threat,\" Espen Barth Eide said in an email sent to AFP by his office.\n\"We call on all parties to show restraint and not to give up on the possibilities of finding diplomatic solutions to the conflict.\"\nEurope\nThe European Union appeared to offer muted support for the US strikes on Iran.\nKaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, described the situation as \"perilous\".\n\"Iran’s regime has killed thousands. Its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, along with support for terror groups, pose a serious threat to global security. The EU has adopted strong sanctions against Iran and supported diplomatic solutions, including on the nuclear issue,\" she wrote on X.\n\"I have spoken to Israel’s Foreign Minister Saar and other ministers in the region. The EU is also coordinating closely with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths.\n\"Protection of civilians and international humanitarian law is a priority. Our consular network is fully engaged in facilitating departures for EU citizens. Non-essential EU personnel are being withdrawn from the region.\n\"Our Aspides naval mission remains on high alert in the Red Sea and stands ready to help keep the maritime corridor open.\"\nThis is a developing story...",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:44:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxNUHZZWV9fdXN5R1R3eUNxcTJvaklXLXhHWldNcmhLTTYwTlRUZ0o2bzYzdHlpak9aMU1QZmdNNnNsMHRYbVlJaFJvcGJzS0tQOHZSQmp6LWoyMy1YYWYwaXNKdUlUSU1TR25QWWlHak10aC1QTURBNTVBVEJCREtvOEJ6WUVUZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4494c7f014b2",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "A world on edge as Trump bombs Iran and triggers war in the Middle East. There was no need for this | Simon Tisdall - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "They never learn. Once again, a bellicose US president has unleashed overwhelming military firepower to force a sovereign nation to its knees. Once again, blatant lies and exaggerated claims are being propagated to justify the attack. Duplicitous American diplomacy became a fig leaf for premeditated aggression. The cautionary advice of allies was spurned. The UN, international law and public opinion were ignored. Democratic consent is lacking. And once again, there are few defined goals by which to gauge success, and no long-term plan.\nNow, as in the past, the predictable result of today’s renewed, expanded and apparently open-ended US-Israeli aggression against Iran will be instant, spreading chaos. Civilians will be killed, children orphaned, families torn apart. Regional turmoil and international oil-price panic will follow the Iranian retaliation that has already begun, and which may be backed by Tehran’s Hezbollah and Houthi allies. New hatreds will be seeded, terrorist vendettas sown. The west’s foes will rejoice. And almost nothing of enduring value will be achieved. That was the bitter outcome of the failed US-led interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, it’s Tehran’s turn to reap the whirlwind.\nHow dismaying – how unforgivable! – that those past lessons have not been learned. How incredible that an elected 21st-century American president still believes it’s effective and permissible, let alone moral, to dictate to the world from the barrel of a gun. By what conceivable right does the US behave in this way?\nWhile there are certain differences, the similarities between Donald Trump’s siege of Iran and George W Bush’s disastrous 2003 invasion of Iraq are striking. Both crises fit a wider pattern of ultimately unsuccessful, costly US interventionism dating back to Vietnam – and the 1953 CIA-led Iran coup. Trump promised to avoid foreign adventures. Surprise! He lied. Anyone who believes he has radically changed the way the US engages with the world should review this sordid saga of post-1945 imperial hubris. In this, he’s no different from his predecessors.\nTrump is unusual in that his self interest is so evident. Though he said today that he wants “freedom” for the Iranian people, and for Iran to be a place that’s “safe”, he’s no Woodrow Wilson, who justified plunging the US into the first world war in 1917 by saying “the world must be made safe for democracy”. (It transpired Wilson meant democracy in Europe, not in the colonial empires of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.) After attacking Venezuela in January, Trump baldly admitted he just wanted the oil. Yet in other respects, what’s happening now feels very familiar.\nLike Bush, Trump manufactured a crisis, founded on falsehood, and effectively cornered himself. He is hostage to self-imposed expectations, having confounded his own false claim to have “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities last year. Like Bush and his accomplice, Tony Blair, Trump deliberately inflates the threat. His unsubstantiated State of the Union claim that Tehran’s ballistic missiles could “soon” reach US territory recalls notoriously false US and UK claims about Saddam Hussein’s fabled weapons of mass destruction. Israel’s claim to have mounted “pre-emptive” strikes is misleading, too. There is zero clear evidence Iran was about to attack. On the contrary, it was desperately hoping to preserve the peace after last June’s damaging US-Israeli onslaught.\nSpeaking on Truth Social, Trump claimed Iran has repeatedly failed to renounce nuclear weapons. Not true. The regime, from the supreme leader down, has repeatedly done that over 20 years. Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said again last week that Iran “will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon”. There is claim and counter claim, but the fact is that, neither the US, UN inspectors nor Israel’s ultra-hostile leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, have provided proof that Iran plans or wants to build nukes.\nPrior to the attack, Trump refused to define his aims despite Arab and European allies’ fears of regional conflagration. Now his stated demands border on delusional. He says he is seeking to “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear facilities (again), destroy its ballistic missiles, destroy the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (or accept its unconditional surrender in return for “total immunity”), and somehow also destroy Iran’s allied proxy forces in the region.\nTrump is also openly encouraging the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow their government, having previously declared that regime change is “the best thing that could happen” and promised “help is on its way”. But he doesn’t say how that change can be achieved without deploying ground troops, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, occupying the country for years, and fighting open-ended insurgencies – and no such US deployment is on offer. When George HW Bush made a similar appeal to Iraqis following the 1991 Gulf war, a mass slaughter of the Shia Muslim population ensued, carried out by Saddam’s undefeated regime.\n“This will be probably your only chance for generations,” Trump said as he called for a national insurrection. “For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want, so let’s see how you respond.” Yet there are good, sensible reasons why no previous president has done something so reckless in Iran. And it’s certainly no “gift”. It’s an irresponsible invitation to anarchy and mayhem. It could trigger the fracturing of the Iranian state into its many ethnic and religious components and a catastrophic civil war drawing in regional states. If so, that’s on Trump. That’s the height of foolishness.\n“Trump poses an exponentially greater danger to Americans and the world – not because he is a historical anomaly but rather because he reflects the worst impulses from the American past,” warned Ben Rhodes, Barack Obama’s former deputy national security adviser, in a recent essay. Trump typified the entrenched problem of vainglorious American exceptionalism. “What innate confidence in our own special character leads the US government to try to control a world that does not want to submit to our will and does not believe in our supremacy?” Rhodes wondered. “We are now entering another spasm of aggression cast as necessity.”\nFor the second time, Trump has offered negotiations to Iran while obviously planning an attack. It’s now evident this week’s negotiations in Geneva were a charade. Nor is there any sign Trump and Netanyahu, having set out their maximalist objectives, will break off the attacks soon. To do so would suggest failure. Trump wants to be the president who finally avenges US humiliations during the 1979 Iranian revolution, who brings Iran back into the western fold. He also wants a “win” to impress November’s midterm voters – one that revives his poor approval ratings. As for Iran-obsessed Netanyahu, he wants the impossible: guaranteed security for ever, on Israel’s neo-colonialist terms.\nIt’s unclear how this dangerous, ill-considered intervention may end. Although “leadership targets” (meaning the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his close associates) are reportedly being attacked, a sudden government collapse remains improbable at this point. It follows that the regime, though wounded and reduced, will continue to pose serious, and possibly greater, domestic and international challenges. Iran cannot be bombed into functioning democracy. The defiance of the west that it represents cannot be talked away in social media posts. As long as Khamenei or designated clerical successors are in charge, vicious repression and regional troublemaking will persist.\nCommon ground nevertheless exists, on which peaceful coexistence could be built. Concepts of democratic self-determination, political autonomy, individual rights and adherence to moral principles are anathema to control-freak authoritarians such as Trump and Khamenei. But not to their countries’ peoples. Like a Persian emperor, what “King” Donald really wants from Iranians is capitulation, tribute and homage. He demands a similar fearful fealty from citizens at home.\nDespite all the hate-mongering, mutual ignorance and disinformation, the vast majority of Americans and Iranians are on the same side. Their common foe is tyranny. Their leaders are the problem. There is no need for this fight.\n-\nSimon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:46:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxNYzZuaHZ1VU5QZkstdS1od2UwYy11a2J6Mjc1OHNKZlNtanlzMnZoV1IwQmpRTU94bnJZLUVlbzhJYlVoOTJoNkZNT2tnNDVOckhPbXBYRXphZW9UUU9rYkhFanV4N1BzQTNtREpaSFpJcGQxWG5OQWplUHRrQkVwOGJPT2xER044R20tUUU4S3ROWVM1MGE0Tg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2d275c1492e3",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Russia suspends flights to Iran and Israel - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Russia suspends flights to Iran and Israel    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T10:55:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxPQk1kdElham9KaWd3eUZncjNkQTl5UlVtcVNOazM4QkRCdWV2VHV1aGc5QWdJd28tcHY1MU5kRURaMUlYWGRmM1B6YzBTNkQzcjBWS19NdmRPdm5BY1Y1TncxN0JWV0J5aTU3TERfQ2dtb0FqaHYzTDhJX2tOcXRVd0M2aGJmTVg2ZmpjSjJnNi1ORVU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d79bba9ef880",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian missiles strike Gulf countries as Bahrain says US Fifth Fleet base attacked - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iranian missiles strike Gulf countries as Bahrain says US Fifth Fleet base attacked\nIran retaliated against a massive US-Israeli attack on Saturday morning by striking several Gulf states where the US military has bases, with explosions and mushroom clouds rising over sleek Gulf capitals from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia.\nIran’s decision to launch quick retaliatory strikes on the Gulf underscores that, unlike the 12-day June 2025 war, this new conflict is not contained. US President Donald Trump said in a video that the purpose of the attack is to topple the Islamic Republic.\nExplosions were reported in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, all of which host US military bases.\nIran’s Fars news agency said the country was targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE and the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain.\nBahrain confirmed that the headquarters of the Fifth Fleet had been hit in a missile attack.\nVideos seen by Middle East Eye showed the moment of impact, with a massive explosion and a mushroom cloud rising in Bahrain's Juffair district, home to the Fifth Fleet.\nAFP and Al Jazeera reported that the Saudi capital Riyadh was also hit.\nMeanwhile, explosions rocked the UAE and Kuwait. A Reuters correspondent reported hearing a loud explosion over Dubai Marina.\nVideos posted on social media showed a large explosion in Abu Dhabi. Reuters confirmed an explosion in the UAE’s capital.\nUAE state media said its air defences had intercepted several Iranian missiles, but one person was killed in Abu Dhabi.\nAn Arab diplomat also confirmed to MEE that Qatar's air defences had been activated to shoot down Iranian missiles.\nKuwait's chief of staff said in a statement that \"air defence systems engaged incoming missiles detected in the airspace\".\nBesides Bahrain, there were no immediate confirmations of US military bases hit.\nIran's rapid retaliation against the US-Israeli attack with strikes across the Gulf indicates that the conflict is not confined like the 12-day war in June 2025, which culminated in the US bombing three Iranian nuclear sites.\nAfter the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in June, Tehran carefully telegraphed its strike against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.\nThis time, Iranian missiles landed in the Gulf with little warning, underscoring that the conflict is viewed in Tehran as an existential threat to the Islamic Republic.\nIran has repeatedly warned, in both public and private messages, that if attacked by the US, it will retaliate by launching strikes against Gulf states hosting US military bases.\nGulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, made a failed attempt to prevent the US from launching an attack on Iran.\nOmani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi made a last-ditch effort in Washington on Friday evening, meeting US Vice President JD Vance and appearing on CBS News.\nThe sense of urgency in Busaidi’s voice was obvious on CBS as he pleaded with the US to give Muscat more time to mediate talks between Iran and the US.\nBallistic missiles slamming into Riyadh, Dubai and Doha represent the worst-case scenario for Gulf monarchies trying to pitch their capitals as safe hubs for business and tourism.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:08:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNTEpPSk9ud3BPR3BTWTVOemlSVGdnVmloQ0dhOVNvTms2ekwyc2pxdXJlZHhyWUlmSWVOYzJ5SGg5Z1lteklyc181V0ZYbVp2MUN4bG41WWQ3bVJJNWhiUG5oZmhWSkdrWXZFVE5NNk5LUFZJWmtqTG4tZ0VwUE81RDVRUjRuOE9feGUwSThhVU1iYWExYlVEdFU4eFJUVTNUTzVFOTNUdDc5RUNIYWdydl9jZHBxUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dafd7c9987c2",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Energy markets on edge as Israeli and US strikes on Iran raise wider conflict fears - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "“There is no chance … that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight,” US Vice President JD Vance previously assured.\nThat confidence was shaken after Israel launched air strikes against Iran on Saturday, joined by Washington, with President Donald Trump saying the US has begun major combat operations against Tehran. Several Iranian provinces have reportedly been hit.\nAs negotiations with Iran falter, attention is focused on the danger to oil supplies. But conflict, short or long, also threatens the region’s crucial gas industry.\nDuring the 12-day war in June last year, Iran’s important Fajr-e Jam gas processing plant was attacked by Israel and briefly put out of action. Now, after Israeli and US air strikes on Iranian territory, attention has turned to whether Israel will conduct further attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure. This time, there are hints Israel might strike Iran’s domestic energy industry more extensively, in an effort to weaken the regime by interrupting electricity supplies and industrial output.\nIran is not a very important player on the international gas market. It has only two significant customers. Last year, it sold 7.6 billion cubic metres to Turkey, barely 15 per cent of Turkey’s consumption. Its gas supplies to Iraq stopped in December, and restarted in limited volumes last week. But with Iranian territory now under sustained attack, exports and cross-border infrastructure face a renewed risk of disruption.\nIt is, though, one of the world’s top exporters of methanol, made from natural gas, meeting about a tenth of China’s needs. Methanol is an important fuel and input to chemical and plastics production. Iran is also a significant seller of the gas-based fertiliser inputs ammonia and urea, as well as polymers. Domestic industrial disruption would not go unnoticed. Markets will be watching closely for any indication that air strikes could spill over to affect petrochemicals or shipping routes.\nIn terms of the wider regional dangers, it is important to take lessons from the past. Before the disastrous Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Russian interior minister told the prime minister, “we need a short victorious war”.\nWashington’s swift success in capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and Israel’s destruction of Iran’s allies Hamas and Hezbollah, might lead to overconfidence. Israel’s decision to strike Iran directly, and Washington’s entry into combat operations, mark a sharp escalation from shadow conflict to overt confrontation.\nIn the June war, Iran’s missiles damaged an oil refinery in Haifa. Rightly or wrongly, the Iranian leadership believes its ability to strike back was crucial in convincing Israel to agree to a ceasefire. After the latest Israeli and US strikes, Israel reported missile launches from Iran, while Tehran said it had struck a US base in Bahrain, raising fears of regional spillover.\nIsrael’s energy sector is now heavily dependent on gas, which it supplies to Jordan, Egypt and, indirectly, Syria. It shut down some of its offshore fields as a precaution during previous escalations. Perhaps surprisingly, Iran and its allies have not tried to attack these large and vulnerable installations before. After the latest round of strikes, Israeli authorities reportedly increased security around offshore platforms and other critical infrastructure.\nDistances, air defences, the erosion of Iran’s capabilities, and the presence of the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier off Israeli shores may prevent serious damage. Energy installations and shipping in the Gulf are much closer and more vulnerable. US forces across the region have moved to reinforce air and missile defences amid fears that retaliation could expand beyond Iran and Israel.\nThe Gulf countries – primarily Qatar, along with the UAE and Oman – produce almost a sixth of global liquefied natural gas supply. This has become even more crucial since most Russian gas supplies to Europe were cut off. Although the world gas market appears fairly comfortable, the margin of security is dangerously thin. Any sustained escalation after the Israeli and US attacks on Iran could unnerve LNG markets, which are already sensitive to geopolitical shocks.\nIran does not particularly want to widen the conflict, and the GCC has made it clear that it prefers diplomacy. The Houthi rebels in Yemen will probably resume their campaign on Red Sea shipping routes in support of Iran. However, Tehran’s reported strike on a US base in Bahrain underscores the danger that the confrontation could draw in more regional actors.\nThe drone and missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s crucial Abqaiq oil processing plant in September 2019 demonstrated how effective a precision strike could be. Doha was unpleasantly surprised last year to be struck, first by Iran, then Israel. The Khor Mor gasfield in the Kurdistan region of Iraq has been struck several times by Iran-backed forces, though more for internal political reasons. The precedent of successful precision attacks on energy assets heightens concern that further retaliation could affect similar sites.\nAfter the killing of several of its key leaders last year, Tehran has decentralised its command structures and designated several layers of succession. If threatened with the destruction of its weapons, lower-level commanders may apply a “use it or lose it” logic. With major combat operations now under way, decision-making timelines on all sides may compress dangerously.\nIn an outright conflict, the Houthi rebels in Yemen would probably resume their campaign. Shipping giant Maersk has again started rerouting ships to avoid the Red Sea. Renewed hostilities after the Israeli and US strikes increase the likelihood of disruption to Red Sea shipping lanes.\nOf course, a US attack may be precise and brief, and not lead to any immediate loss of gas supplies. But Washington’s aims are unclear, and ideas of air power bringing about regime change in Tehran or supporting street protesters are wishful thinking. With Mr Trump declaring major combat operations against Iran, US involvement is now overt and potentially open-ended. If Iran is left wounded and vengeful, or if it sinks into instability or chaos with contending factions, it could pose an unpredictable and enduring threat to regional energy operations.\nThe timing of this crisis for the world gas market could be worse. The northern hemisphere is coming out of a cold winter that has depleted European gas stocks. The EU is forging ahead with its plans to phase out the small remaining intake of Russian gas. Energy traders will be assessing whether the latest escalation will tighten supplies just as Europe seeks to rebuild inventories.\nThis year marks the real start of a long-anticipated wave of new LNG supply. As much as 53 billion cubic metres is expected to hit the market, especially from the US, as well as Canada, Qatar and others. Next year appears even stronger, as Qatar’s massive expansion hits its stride. The UAE’s new Ruwais plant should start operations in 2028. These additional volumes may cushion short-term shocks, but sustained military confrontation could still roil prices.\nA short interruption of shipments, a week or two, could be accommodated. If disruption lasts longer, the LNG-dependent East Asian nations of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are the most vulnerable. They need gas to run their power plants for summer air-conditioning, not just winter heating. Pakistan and Bangladesh are also exposed. Cairo and Amman would need more LNG urgently if Israeli supplies were halted. Any extension of hostilities beyond the initial Israeli and US strikes would amplify these vulnerabilities.\nChina is by far the main buyer of Qatari LNG. It does have other options – turning back to coal, or taking more Russian gas by pipeline – but politics and trade disputes mean it has given up buying American LNG, the main flexible alternative. This would encourage it to restrain Iran, but it would have only limited influence over a desperate Iranian leadership. Europe does not buy much Gulf LNG, but, lacking firm long-term contracts, it would seek spot supplies from wherever it could find them. Major consuming nations are therefore closely monitoring developments as Israeli and US operations against Iran continue and Tehran signals retaliation.\nIn a prolonged gas crisis, Washington might well wield its influence over Brussels and Beijing. The pressure would mount to restart Russian flows to Europe too. The current White House is inclined to break things and move on – prolonged insecurity short of full-scale war might actually suit it. For now, markets are bracing for further retaliation after Israel’s attack on Iran and the US entry into direct combat operations, a confrontation that could reshape the region’s energy geopolitics.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:09:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2wFBVV95cUxPSXl4Y2kzNEZ3MU1LVjlBVVNseXZRVHB3WHdJY2ZzOEVVNEtPVDN4Y0Utai1fTXpIQWlwSy1ZOXgxeEx6WVRrbjBRdXRUMTY3MHFKMERsR01jVnZabm1pOVdXMjd5bVhra2wtTmtfMzZ4di0tN2w1VDROdVNHdEtKbjFlaEptVTVXR0xBTGR2dWVDVEQ2Rk1acUNPa2dWVWpQenNxT1NHN05IVnZLUHRkeS1KYldKdnA5dXJQRElNdm42OEFxSzdGVDQxcmlqQ2puNEowbmxtbmVtNzQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c1949d05e12b",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "NATO closely following developments in Iran and region, spokesperson says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "NATO closely following developments in Iran and region, spokesperson says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:18:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxORHFxWWFxbzZzM3AwbTJ1OWxjMlh2RklhcVJGdncwdEFveFloNWJlaVR2Ym13emctcGVYOWRzYTh6X1BUWV9oWHd2OWdNamx1OXA3ZVdXZlhfUmFNQUtPRGVTSzlQc2R0cEI3NERFMXFHT19aZFllcF9ZRmxQRlg3M1RubE5MeWNUMHpicVA2eVJ3djg2UnJKWVNZanYzbzJSajNQSXRyeG9HemFVUXRoUGYyX2lkM3VaUm5n?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c8f688167648",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "At least 153 girls killed in strike on school in southern Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US and Israeli attack on Iran: At least 153 girls killed in strike on school\nAt least 153 people, almost all of them young girls, have been killed in an air strike on a primary school in southern Iran, according to the city’s governor.\nThe attack on Saturday morning hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school in the city of Minab, in Hormozgan province, as the United States and Israel began launching strikes on targets across Iran.\nThe victims were between seven and 12 years old, according to Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies.\nA staff member at the Minab school, who asked not to be named, told Middle East Eye she remains in shock at the intensity of the attack.\nThrough tears, she said she used to watch the young girls playing at school every day. After today’s strikes, however, she saw their bodies lying on classroom benches and in different corners of the school.\nShe said she had just stepped out of the school when she suddenly heard a horrifying sound. Within seconds, a missile hit the school building.\nAfter hearing the blast, she ran back towards the school and was faced with a scene she says she could never forget.\n“I felt like I had gone mute. I couldn’t speak,” the staff member told MEE. “You could hear the sound of children crying and screaming.”\nWhen rescue teams arrived, she said, they began to understand the scale of the disaster.\nThe air strike on the school left many inside the building trapped beneath the rubble.\n“We still don’t know how many are under the rubble. Some of these small children are severely wounded. Their parents have come to the school, and this place has turned into a house of mourning.”\nThere were 170 female students at the school at the time of the attack.\nFootage posted by Telegram accounts affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appeared to show people digging through the rubble.\nSmoke could be seen rising from surrounding buildings, while a wrecked car lay in the street. People were heard screaming and wailing; others appeared to be in shock.\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the attack on X and said the deaths of the children would \"not go unanswered\".\n\"The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran. It was bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils,\" he wrote.\n\"Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone.\"\nSince Saturday, US and Israeli strikes on Iran have heavily targeted Tehran. Explosions echoed first echoed across the capital as Iranians set out for work on the first day of the week, before quickly spreading to the rest of country.\nAt least 201 people have been killed in Iran and 747 wounded, the Iranian Red Crescent said.\nAttacks were also reported in a range of cities across 24 provinces, including the holy city of Qom, as well as Karaj, Isfahan and Kermanshah.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:21:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxOaU5hd1pwS1JOOVkxT0pTZERDQTBIX1J6UURPN1J4S2wyTGMtNUctYXo5X3FONWkwdm95Y01GcmlTaVE2VDNMOGJpVFRhYmVJNWlSOWN0QVhVZVdQZ0NYQUpRZlZ5OVJnRE9QYjdpUkozUXRlaG1CUEZ2bU9VNE1MYmJTdWpFb0Z0RXowcXVjUzAzWXVqcjlxM3pQbXlPdkU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_70aa53a671b6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What we know about Iran strikes and retaliation - Australian Broadcasting Corporation",
    "body_text": "After weeks of expectation, with US military assets building up around the Middle East and rhetoric about possible strikes on Iran, Israel fired the first shot on Saturday morning, local time.\nIsraeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced his nation had conducted a \"pre-emptive strike\", saying it was to \"remove threats\" to Israel.\nUS President Donald Trump then confirmed the American military had begun \"major combat operations\" and echoed Israel's reasoning, with the US defence ministry dubbing its strikes Operation Epic Fury.\nIran, which threatened a \"crushing response\", has since responded with its own missile strikes on Israel and several US bases in neighbouring Arab countries, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.\nWhere have the strikes hit, who were the targets, what was the response, and why now? Here's what we know.\nWhere have the strikes hit?\nThere were reports of the initial strikes hitting Iran's capital, Tehran, and other cities around the country.\nThe Iranian Fars News Agency has reported blasts in Boushehr, Tabriz, Dezfoul, Nahavand, Khark Island and Kangavar, while Tasnim news agency reports blasts have been heard in Isfahan, Ilam and Qom.\nAs the strikes mounted, at least two news agencies, Tasnim and IRNA, reported they were subjected to cyber attacks.\nInternet disruptions have also been reported throughout Iran, with NetBlocks, an internet status watchdog, reporting that Iran is at a \"near-total internet blackout\" with national connectivity at 4 per cent.\nIt is unclear if the blackout is a result of the strikes or authorities in Tehran limiting internet access in the country.\nA strike on a girls school in Iran's southern city of Minab, where the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has a base, killed at least 100 people according to Iranian officials.\nFollowing the strike, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations accused the US and Israel of committing a \"war crime\", saying it targeted civilian infrastructure and killed more than 100 children at the school.\nLoading...Who were the targets?\nWhile Iran's nuclear facilities were expected to be targets, the first strike happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nIn later strikes, Israel said it was targeting military infrastructure in the country's west.\nAn Israeli official later said the ayatollah and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were the targets of attacks, but the results were unclear.\nAn unnamed Israeli official told Reuters he had been killed and his body had been found.\nIt followed an address by Benjamin Netanyahu, who said there were \"many signs that this dictator is gone\".\nDonald Trump said in a social media post that Iran's supreme leader had been killed, something later confirmed by Iranian state media.\nThe ayatollah's daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were also killed in the US-Israeli strikes.\n\"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,\" Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.\nHe told NBC News earlier in a phone interview that \"most\" of Iran's senior leadership was \"gone\", saying: \"The people that make all the decisions, most of them are gone.\"\nLoading...An Iranian source close to the establishment said several senior commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and political officials had been killed. Reuters could not independently confirm the report.\nThe office of Iran's army chief, Major General Amir Hatami, said he was safe and \"actively commanding the armed forces\".\nWhat was the response?\nWithin hours of the initial strike, Iran had fired several barrages towards Israel, most of them struck down by air defences.\nThen Iran fired at US military bases, including the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the US base in Bahrain.\nAt least one woman was killed in Tel Aviv from an Iranian missile strike, according to Israel's rescue services responding at the scene.\nTwo people were killed by Iranian strikes targeting the Jurf al-Nasr area in Iraq's Babil province, according to the Iraqi army.\nThe UAE foreign ministry said one Pakistani national was killed in the strikes in Abu Dhabi.\nAbu Dhabi Airport was also hit and confirmed an incident at Zayed International Airport that resulted in the death of an Asian national.\nMost of these countries condemned the strikes and said they reserved the right to respond.\nMost air travel in and out of all countries involved has been suspended, with governments warning their citizens to stay in place.\nWhy did this happen now?\nNegotiations between the US and Iran over its nuclear program ended without a deal on Thursday, with Mr Trump expressing disappointment and warning \"sometimes you have to use force\".\nIran denies it is trying to develop nuclear weapons and had wanted any accord to include the lifting of US sanctions against it.\nThe US has been increasing diplomatic and military pressure on Iran in the weeks since an Iranian crackdown on protesters.\nLast week, Mr Trump gave Iran a deadline of 10-to-15 days to make a deal. These attacks come before that deadline.\nWhile rhetoric before the strikes centred on the idea Iran could produce nuclear weapons, in statements since, both the US and Israel have played up the possibility of regime change in Iran.\nBefore the strikes, Mr Trump had multiple briefings with senior US officials, including discussions on Thursday in the White House Situation Room, according to Reuters.\nOne US official said those who briefed the president warned military action could lead to major US casualties but also a generational shift in the Middle East in favour of US interests.\nThe joint US-Israeli operation was presented as a high-risk, high-reward scenario, they added.\nThe White House and Pentagon have not commented on the report.\nMr Trump has also called on Iranians to take control of their government when the US is finished.\n\"It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations,\" he said.\nIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed suit, saying their \"joint action will create the conditions for the courageous Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands\".\nBoth leaders are also framing Iran as a common enemy, saying it is an \"evil regime\" that has called for \"death to Israel\" and \"death to America\" for 47 years.\nABC/Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:31:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxPME1kUkk0ejFFdTV6S1pkdnZHdGlxVzZOVGxxa1A0bnUxZ091Ulh4dTkxNDlKWThfVnllMFZMZk5jLXg1b2twRW8yOHpQRzY1LUVoZEVWUEVlY2VPQ2s2MjFEOGpKYkNFTWNobXAtZFF2LTIyMGlNdU1ibWV3ZElpMW1CenBoNHN2bEwtcl9LZ0VVN1h1RmVONm1B?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2a559325bfb0",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iranian missiles shake Gulf cities after US, Israeli strikes on Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iranian missiles shake Gulf cities after US, Israeli strikes on Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:31:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQOW9Lc0JCLXAyQ05sUmoxMDlLZzZLc3dXTnR6VF9ZNmRmeFhZWnhxZ2U3LTI2QUdSZXgtcmRLSjBpYUdFWThZdFZYSFZoRDhscjRya3A5VkZPSXFzTWo3QklJWnZ3VTR4dmlkMGpkRUhnOTVWa2JJeXhJYkJfWENWa1oxLXU5RjBNNUptckQ0UXZkYzhIdzJSaFRFY0E4TTlabUlEMXlTblk0Tk5FMDM3YQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_43eadfe56b1f",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump tells Iranians the 'hour of your freedom is at hand' as US-Israel launch strikes against Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump encouraged the Iranian people to take over their government once the United States and Israel finished \"major combat operations\" in Iran, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.\nThe U.S. and Israel launched the joint attack just after 9 a.m. local time in what the Pentagon has dubbed \"Operation Epic Fury.\"\nIn video remarks posted to Truth Social, Trump addressed the Iranian people directly and told them to \"seize control of [their] destiny.\"\n\"The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,\" Trump said. \"This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America's help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.\"\n\"America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force,\" Trump directed at Iranians. \"Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.\"\nWhile Trump focused some of his message on empowering the people of Iran, he stated that the intent of the operation is to \"defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,\" which he described as \"vicious\" and \"very hard, terrible people.\"\nTrump also said that while there may be American casualties as a result, the mission is \"noble\" as it is aimed at stopping a \"wicked, radical dictatorship\" from threatening American national security interests and destabilizing the Middle East.\n\"I do not make this statement lightly; the Iranian regime seeks to kill,\" he said. \"The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties — that often happens in war. But we're doing this not for now. We're doing it for the future, and it is a noble mission.\"\nTrump noted repeated failed attempts at negotiating a deal with Iran, accusing Tehran of rebuilding its nuclear program and calling it \"the world's number-one state sponsor of terror.\"\n\"It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I'll say it again. They can never have a nuclear weapon,\" he said.\nThe president vowed to destroy Iran’s missile infrastructure and annihilate its navy.\n\"It's a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon. This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces,\" Trump said.\nHe also called on members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Iran's armed forces and police to lay down their weapons and accept immunity or \"face certain death.\"\nThe military operation comes hours after Trump told reporters Friday that he was \"not happy\" with the state of nuclear negotiations.\nThe two countries had been engaged in indirect talks, and Trump gave Iran a deadline of roughly 10 to 15 days on Feb. 19 to reach an agreement. During his State of the Union address, he emphasized that his push for a deal was backed by force.\nTrump has repeatedly warned of severe consequences for the Iranian regime if negotiations ultimately failed.\n\"It's been mass terror, and we are not going to put up with it any longer,\" Trump said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:35:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_993e013324d2",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US, Israel bomb Iran: A timeline of talks and threats leading up to attacks - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The United States and Israel have launched strikes on Iran despite ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme.\nIran responded to Saturday’s attacks with missile and air strikes across the region, including in Israel, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Trump says ‘major combat operations’ in Iran have begun\n- list 2 of 3Sirens sound across Israel after the country launched an attack on Iran\n- list 3 of 3Trump talks of ‘annihilation’, ‘elimination’ as US, Israel attack Iran\nIsraeli officials said their strikes targeted Iran’s military and nuclear-related infrastructure, while airspace across Israel was closed and emergency measures imposed. Several other countries in the region also announced the closure of their airspace.\nMeanwhile, President Donald Trump said Washington has begun a “major combat operation” in Iran, aimed at “eliminating threats from the Iranian regime”.\n“This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces,” he said.\nThe strikes came just two days after high-stakes US–Iran nuclear negotiations in Geneva, mediated by Oman, ended without a breakthrough. The US-Israel attack marks the most serious escalation since the brief but intense June 2025 war.\nHere is a timeline of the events, including attacks and diplomatic overtures leading up to Saturday’s strikes by the US and Israel, and Iran’s fierce response.\nJune 13, 2025 — Israel launches major air strikes against Iranian nuclear and military facilities, amid ongoing talks between the US and Tehran. Iran responds within hours with large-scale missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities.\nJune 22 – The US strikes Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, with Trump claiming the attacks degraded Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iranian officials said their programme was set back but not destroyed.\nJune 23 – In retaliation, Iran fires missiles towards Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, housing US soldiers. The missiles are intercepted, and no casualties are reported.\nJune 24 – After 12 days of fighting, a US-brokered ceasefire takes effect between Iran and Israel, ending all hostilities. Iran says at least 610 of its citizens were killed in the war, while Israel claimed 28 were killed on its side.\nJuly 2 – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signs legislation halting cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), barring its inspectors from accessing Iran’s nuclear facilities unless specifically authorised by the country’s Supreme National Security Council.\nJuly 22 – Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, says Tehran will not give up its uranium enrichment programme, despite a temporary halt due to “serious and severe” damages.\nAugust 12 – Iranian police arrest as many as 21,000 people related to the 12-day war with Israel, according to state media.\nAugust 22 – Iran agrees to resume nuclear talks later in the month with the United Kingdom, France and Germany, despite the threat of revived sanctions.\nAugust 28 – The three European countries trigger a mechanism reinstating the United Nations’ sanctions on the Islamic republic for the first time in a decade.\nNovember 1 – Oman urges both the US and Iran to go back to the negotiating table as Iran reiterates it will not stop enriching uranium.\nNovember 7 – Trump says Iran has requested that Washington remove its crippling sanctions on Tehran, and that he is willing to talk about the issue.\nDecember 28 – Protests break out in major cities, including Tehran, over soaring prices after the rial plunges against the US dollar.\nJanuary 8, 2026 – The internet is shut down across Iran following the outbreak of antigovernment protests, which have now spread beyond cities. The blackout lasts for more than two weeks.\nJanuary 13 – Trump tells Iranians to “keep protesting” , claiming that “help is on the way”, and that the US may be preparing for military intervention against Tehran. The US begins to bolster its military presence off Iran.\nFebruary 6 – Iran and the US begin indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva, mediated by Oman, with the aim of reaching a deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme.\nFebruary 17 – High-level US–Iran nuclear talks resume in Geneva, again with Omani mediation.\nFebruary 22 – Oman confirms another round of discussions in Geneva, describing a “positive push” but admits that significant differences remain.\nFebruary 26 – A third round of nuclear talks concludes in Geneva, with mediator Oman saying “significant progress” was made and more discussions would be held the following week in Vienna.\nFebruary 27 – Oman’s foreign minister says Iran has agreed to degrade its current stockpiles of nuclear material to “the lowest level possible” — effectively to unrefined levels. US President Donald Trump says he prefers diplomacy but warns that “all options” remain available if diplomacy fails.\nFebruary 28 – Israel launches coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, including sites in and around Tehran. Iran retaliates by launching air and missile strikes across the region, including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:37:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e64b314e8131",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US-Iran war: What will the impact be on oil? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Oil prices are likely to surge when the market opens on Monday, following the attack on Iran by the US and Israel, but the longer-term impact will depend on the duration of the conflict, analysts said.\nThe US attacked Iran by air and sea on Saturday, with President Donald Trump promising to destroy the country's missile industry. Israel also launched strikes against Tehran and other major cities. Iranian officials have warned of a “crushing” retaliation.\nVandana Hari, chief executive of Singapore-based Vanda Insights, expects prices to jump to $80 per barrel if the war continues until Monday “in a knee-jerk reaction”.\nBrent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world's oil, closed up 2.87 per cent on Friday at $72.87 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the gauge that tracks US crude, ended the session 2.78 per cent higher at $67.02 a barrel.\n“Oil prices will see an initial spike when the market opens on Monday,” said Amro Zakaria, global financial markets strategist and founding partner of Kyoto Network and Madarik Ventures. “Should the strikes end quickly, I expect the prices to come back down as the market is oversupplied.\n“The worst-case scenario would be if the strikes turn into a protracted war. Then we are talking about potentially 20 per cent of the global supply not finding its way to the markets, and only then we might see oil closer to the $100 mark.”\nThe oil market has priced in some risk premium in recent days, said UBS strategist Giovanni Staunovo. “Now market players will watch ahead of the market opening if oil flows get disrupted or not.”\nMs Hari said that if the war carries on for days “with Iran and its proxies retaliating to the fullest extent, we are looking at the worst-case scenarios for oil, including a major disruption of oil flows through the Middle East, unless the US is able to pre-emptively disarm Iranian navy and military and ensure tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to flow normally”.\nLombard Odier had said earlier that if US strikes led to a major Iranian response, including prolonged disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, it could rattle global energy and financial markets.\nThe Swiss bank estimates that a temporary spike in oil prices to $100 per barrel – or beyond – is plausible and global LNG prices would also be affected if Iran moves to block the strait.\nAbout one-fifth of the world’s total daily oil consumption, or around 20 million barrels of oil, passes through the Strait of Hormuz.\nEarlier this month, Iran briefly closed parts of the strait for “security precautions” due to naval drills.\nEnergy infrastructure targets\nRobin Mills, chief executive of Qamar Energy, said Israel may have broadened its targets in the latest strikes.\n“I believe Israelis had suggested Iranian domestic energy infrastructure could be targeted this time. That has some knock-on effects,” he said.\n“Some reports of explosions heard at Kharg [Island] and Dezful, which could indicate targeting oil facilities,” he added.\nIran accounts for around 4 per cent of global crude supplies, most of which is destined for Asian markets.\nAlthough sanctions have significantly weakened Iran’s oil output, Opec estimated its production at around 3.5 million barrels per day in 2025, with China as its largest customer.\n“The lion’s share of Iranian exports goes to China, so they would be the most impacted. But at the same time, China has a healthy level of stocks so it would not face any short-term shortage of supplies,” said Amena Bakr, head of Middle East Energy and Opec+ research at Kpler, an independent global commodities trade intelligence company.\n“Over the past year, China has been accelerating the building up of its oil stocks.”\nMeanwhile, the group of eight Opec+ producers will be holding a meeting on Sunday, where they will consider the impact of the war.\n“Before the conflict erupted, our base-case scenario at Kpler was an increase of 137,000 bpd, but now the group can possibly consider a larger increase if there is a risk of supply loss,” Ms Bakr said.\nMr Mills said Gulf producers were already positioning themselves to mitigate supply risks.\n“Saudi, the UAE, etc, were already boosting production to cover for any disruptions. They can more than replace Iranian exports – of course as long as there are no Gulf disruptions,” he added.\nRegime change\nThe US President has said that the objective of the war is a regime change.\n“So these strikes/conflict might go on for an extended period of maybe weeks,” Ms Bakr said. “The strikes last summer were clearly limited and the US made it clear that it was a “one and done” operation.\n“So the impact we saw on oil prices last year was a sharp spike and then prices dropped. This time we may see a different scenario with higher prices holding a large geopolitical premium until the conflict stops and the market doesn’t see a major outage in supply.”\nMr Mills was sceptical over the prospect of regime change.\n“If the US seriously intends a regime-change campaign, I don’t believe that’s achievable, but it would mean months,” he said. “It doesn’t seem the US has the forces or munitions in place for that.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:40:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxOcHRaTkk3X2VManBhcnVlOUFST0lqTGNmOEdDbElNTjlMelIxenhsRGhSbzJZY1oyLWVWSWtYdFlSRUdqUF9VaTU1cHdLVDlTRTVURER5VjJ5RzU1Vkdfb0lUUXhjNlRTa3NLQ3RBMF9jejNSUDNsQkFzTFcxYkJpWFdNbzQtS2NHa1U1ZXg0ZThIQzh5elpVTlFCMWtnZ1YtSnJ3bw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b316fa765a2a",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Trump shifts from ‘no new wars’ to Iran regime change - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Trump shifts from ‘no new wars’ to Iran regime change\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:45:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE4wY0xBSlc3QVN6OU9DNDA3Zm1zMWxtaTdvTmhVblFfTTdFZGtqbUtBNzlTMXRSSFdMVDJlWDJuSVliVzV5c2UyNE4wblFrRGUyV3hxeGlhanVzNUhEVEdELTM0ZzlxWkZKZk5EX0k5Nzk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d29c4b83d4a3",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Read Benjamin Netanyahu’s full statement on Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "Read Benjamin Netanyahu’s full statement on Iran\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded message released Saturday morning that the attacks will let Iranians “take their fate into their own hands” and that Israel plans the current operation to be “much more powerful” than the bruising 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.\nHe spoke in Hebrew. Here’s an English-language transcript of Netanyahu’s address:\nMy brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel. A short while ago, Israel and the United States embarked on a joint campaign, Operation Lion’s Roar. The aim of the operation is to put an end to the threat from the Ayatollah regime in Iran. At this time, the IDF is striking targets of the oppressive regime, facilities of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, and together with the United States military, ballistic missile sites that threaten both Israel and U.S. forces. This operation will continue as long as necessary. For 47 years, the evil regime in Iran has called for death to Israel, death to America.\nIt trampled on the citizens of its country, it instilled fear in the peoples of the region, it spread a vast network of terror across the entire world, it invested enormous resources to develop atomic bombs and tens of thousands of missiles intended, as it defined it, to erase Israel from the map of the world. It also armed the terrorist proxies around us in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Judea and Samaria, and it shed our blood.\nBut if anyone needed further proof of the murderous nature of the Ayatollah regime, they received it last month. Because we all saw how this tyrannical regime in Tehran carried out an unprecedented mass slaughter of its own citizens in Iran. It cold-bloodedly murdered thousands of children, adults and the elderly. Tens of thousands were arrested, tortured and humiliated. And why? Just because they sought lives of freedom and dignity.\nIn the Revival War and Operation Rising Lion our heroic soldiers struck a decisive blow against the Ayatollah regime and its proxies. But the wounded predator has not ceased its attempts to recover, for the same purpose, to destroy us.\nIn recent months, the tyrants in Iran have been plotting to rebuild their nuclear and missile capabilities and to bury them underground, where we cannot reach them. If we do not stop them now, they will become invulnerable. To this end, their representatives in negotiations are trying to buy time, attempting to gain time in fruitless and deceitful negotiations with our American friends. But the tyrants in Iran have made a grave mistake because the United States is not buying their lies, and we will not sit idly by while the shadow of destruction looms over us.\nTherefore, we have launched Operation Lion’s Roar, an operation far more powerful than Operation Rising Lion, which was already very powerful. We are doing this in full cooperation with our friends in the United States under the courageous leadership of President Trump. Together with the United States, we will strike hard at the terror regime and create conditions that will allow the brave Iranian people to cast off the yoke of this murderous regime.\nDuring Operation Rising Lion, I was often asked whether the overthrow of the regime was the goal of the operation, in addition to removing the nuclear and missile threat. I replied that this was not the goal, but it could certainly be the outcome. And indeed, this is exactly what began to happen, with millions of Iranians taking to the streets. And now, now they are given the opportunity to take control of their own destiny. Citizens of Israel, as in Operation Rising Lion so too in Operation Lion’s Roar, we all need patience and resilience. Because there will be costs, and perhaps even heavy costs. But I know the wonderful forces that lie within our people, the wonderful forces that lie within you, citizens of Israel. Since the Revival War began, we have stood together, and today too we will stand together in bravery, in brotherhood, in mutual responsibility. I ask all of you to strictly follow the instructions of the Home Front Command, because you already know, these instructions save lives.\nChallenging days lie ahead for us. Every military action involves risk. But the risk of not acting is immeasurably greater, because if we do not act, we will face a nuclear Iran, an Iran with tens of thousands of ballistic missiles, an Iran that will work to destroy us and be immune to our counteractions. As a people who desire life, we have no choice but to engage in this campaign. However, this time, we are doing it with the immense combined power of the State of Israel and the United States of America.\nFrom here, I wish to address the citizens of Iran. You, the citizens of Iran, and the Iranian army, the Artesh. You are not our enemies and we are not your enemies. We have a common enemy, the murderous regime of the Ayatollahs that has taken over you through the oppressive forces of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij. They are the ones who have degraded your wonderful country, brought it to the lowest point, and they are the ones who slaughtered you en masse.\nTherefore, in full coordination with my friend, the President of the United States, I say to you, anyone who lays down their weapon, including among the regime forces, will ensure their safety and secure their future. The Iranian people in all their diversity —Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Balochs, Abkhazians, and all other citizens of this wonderful nation — this is your opportunity to establish a new and free Iran. Take your destiny into your own hands. Hold your head high, look to the skies, our forces are there, the pilots of the free world, all coming to your aid. Help has arrived. And I believe the day is not far when Israel and a free Iran will join hands for the sake of security and peace, for the sake of progress and prosperity.\nCitizens of Israel, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to the American people, and to the American military. President Trump is not only one of Israel’s greatest friends in the White House of all time, but he is also a determined leader of the free world. He looks to future generations, decides what is good for America, and then acts with responsibility and courage. Together, we bring great light to all who are rooted in the aspiration for human freedom.\nOn behalf of the citizens of Israel, I salute the commanders and soldiers of the IDF, our Air Force, the Intelligence Directorate, the Mossad, the women and men of the security forces, and the women and men of the rescue forces. I salute them for their courage and the strength of their actions. And I tell you, an entire nation stands behind you, an entire nation prays for your success.\nMy brothers and sisters, in two days we will celebrate the holiday of Purim. 2,500 years ago, in ancient Persia, an enemy rose against us with the exact same goal of completely destroying our people. But Mordechai the Jew and Queen Esther, with their courage and resourcefulness, saved our people. In those days of Purim, the lot was cast, and the wicked Haman fell along with it. Even today on the holiday of Purim, the lot was cast, and the end of the evil regime will also come. The prophet Amos says, “The lion has roared, who will not fear?” In Operation Lion’s Roar, we roar, Do not fear Israel, for are you not a young lion? We will stand as one person with one heart, and with God’s help, we will ensure the eternity of Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T11:50:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxPbl9KelpRTy12b0tFQi1kSWNManYzNjNTanBmSFNhVEVJZUxQbDVraWVQSmJOdTRJUEJQZU8zM0lSbWx6NXU1UUJLWGI2eWtZRkpkZ0RORDEta2RDWFBvRHdxcE9qcm1FMFI0R25iSHNvVWNWREFYUUd0WHc1c0l5S2FKY3FuTGhUTncyR0xod2JqYzA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8e13584623a9",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "How will strikes on Iran affect global energy flows? - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "How will strikes on Iran affect global energy flows?\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T12:38:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9KaTJsQjZWYlpnb3hxalJCUG5XbktITWpTRzNsWWJVc1dLS080TWxtTU1EY09GNFVaV1JzLWtsRHJtTFZmSEo2OTNERzQ3ekZjRnVWeFRDc2FIVkFZNUdoQzV4Z2VXdjdjUF9lZWFzZlY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f3380cc09aa6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US, Israel launch attack on Iran, explosions in Israel, Arab states - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The United States and Israel have launched an attack on Iran, with explosions heard and seen across Tehran and in other parts of the country, as apparent retaliatory explosions are hitting northern Israel and multiple Gulf Arab states.\nSeveral missiles struck University Street and the Jomhouri area in Tehran, the Fars news agency reported. Smoke was seen rising in the city, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground.\nIran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency reported that explosions also occurred in Tehran’s northern Seyyed Khandan area. Other Iranian media reported attacks nationwide, including in the western Ilam province, while Israel’s military confirmed carrying out attacks in western Iran.\nAn Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, killing at least 40 people, according to according to the state-run IRNA news agency..\nIran’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks targeted a range of military and defence sites, as well as civilian infrastructure, in various cities.\nUS President Donald Trump said the joint attacks were aimed at “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”.\n“Short time ago, US military began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,” he said.\nAn Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran is preparing for a retaliation that is set to be ”crushing”. Iran is preparing to “take revenge” on Israel and deliver a “strong response”, State TV reported.\nA senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that “all American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target” and that “there are no red lines after this aggression”.\nExplosions in Israel, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait\nExplosions rocked northern Israel as the country worked to intercept incoming Iranian missiles shortly after it attacked Iran. The blasts echoed just after the Israeli military said it would be using its air defence systems to bring down the Iranian fire. There was no immediate word on any casualties or damage from the ongoing attack.\nBlasts also occurred across numerous Gulf Arab states that host US military assets, including Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Iran’s Fars News Agency confirmed the country had carried out attacks targeting military bases in each of the states, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain.\nQatar’s Defence Ministry said it had “successfully thwarted a number of attacks targeting the country’s territory”, after several rounds of alerts sounded.\nThe UAE’s state news agency reported one person was killed in Abu Dhabi after Iranian missiles were intercepted.\nMuhanad Seloom, assistant professor in Critical Security Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that Iran wants to “raise the cost” for countries in the region that are close to the US.\n“They are trying to draw other countries in the region into this war,” said Seloom. “They want to raise the cost for these countries, with the hope probably that these countries will pressure the US administration to stop this war.”\n‘Joint US-Israeli action’\nIsrael’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks on Iran aimed to remove an “existential threat”. Netanyahu projected that “joint action” by Israel and the US “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands” and praised Trump for his “historic leadership”.\nA US official told Al Jazeera earlier that the attacks were carried out as a joint military operation between Israel and the US, which has assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear programme. A US official told Reuters that attacks were being carried out by air and sea.\nOne of the areas targeted in Iran’s capital was near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reported The Associated Press. Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a secure location, according to an official quoted by Reuters.\nAl Jazeera’s Maziar Motamedi, reporting from Tehran, said cellphone communications have been disrupted in several areas of the capital. “No calls are possible at present,” he said.\nSirens in Israel\nAs sirens sounded and a state of emergency was declared in Israel, the Israeli military said it had issued a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel”.\nThe Israel Airports Authority announced its airspace had been closed to all civilian flights and urged the public not to come to the airport.\nAccording to an Israeli defence official quoted by Reuters, the attacks had been planned for months and the launch date decided weeks ago, even as the US and Iran carried out negotiations.\nMehran Kamrava, director of the Iranian studies unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies and professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, said Israel “appears to have launched an attack designed to derail the negotiations”.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T12:43:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNak5TVEU1VjBPSndzdHBPN0NtRWR1OVBoRFk2NFBSakhSVy0tMG9VWXFvTUpRU3VUWU5EVUQ1aUgxMGU2Z3dBZnBBdE1od01wcy1pQlVpZXFPTTdSMWxxYVpiRS1uaTRMbXVtT2hjcldiQTRSbkNJTEhpZHI3cHRrMlR2RDdrT1BQUi1qVnNDdGxKUdIBlwFBVV95cUxNdkRFUG5KZFFzalBrZWNETWJhRFZ0UUhsU0diRDlrSjlwaGc4VG93OE9yOUVMemxMX3FrZDJQRDhiZlpQZFRja3ZSOTFQOHFodkxSbFFXekRHRFZJMVVZVVNnYWhXcV9GNEdtZHVMU29QT3NSMDFYLUZRSmlvdDFuOFpKd2VRVEpOSmdCV1ZxQzJqdFlkeGRN?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e6ee4aa7c5fb",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Reform's Farage urges entry into war after UK bases not used in strikes on Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Reform's Farage urges entry into war after UK bases not used in strikes on Iran\nBritish opposition parties have urged the Labour government to join the US and Israeli attack on Iran after it emerged that British bases were not used in the initial strikes.\nA Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office official told Middle East Eye that the British government had been informed of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Friday afternoon.\nOn Saturday morning, the government confirmed that the UK had not participated in the attacks.\nGovernment officials are monitoring the unfolding war in Whitehall, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee, attended by ministers, military leaders and intelligence specialists.\nHowever, opposition politicians have begun clamouring for the UK to enter the conflict.\nNigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, wrote on X: \"The Prime Minister needs to change his mind on the use of our military bases and back the Americans in this vital fight against Iran!\"\nThe Prime Minister needs to change his mind on the use of our military bases and back the Americans in this vital fight against Iran!\n— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) February 28, 2026\nReform MP Nadhim Zahawi added that the UK should change course and offer the US \"our full support with this operation\".\n\"I also hope that we have made all of our resources in the region available to our key allies like the UAE,\" he said.\n\"If not, it is a complete derogation of our international responsibility and a huge failure of leadership.\"\nUK avoids criticising US or Israel\nKemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, said: \"I stand with our allies in the US and Israel as they take on the threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its vile regime.\n\"The same regime that carries out attacks on the UK and on our citizens, that seeks to build nuclear weapons that would threaten our country and that brutally repressed pro-democracy protests only months ago and murdered thousands of its own people.\"\nLast week, it was reported that Starmer had refused permission for British airbases in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean or RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to be used as launchpads for an attack on Iran.\nHowever, earlier this week, 11 F-22 Raptors reportedly took off from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, supported by seven aerial refuelling tankers, and landed at Ovda Airbase in Israel’s Negev desert.\nThe Labour government has avoided criticising the US and Israel for the strikes while warning Iran against attacking British bases.\nA UK government spokesperson said: “Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.\n\"Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance, available 24/7.\nThe spokesperson added: \"As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests.\n\"We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.\"\n'Ill-advised and illegal'\nEmily Thornberry, a senior Labour MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, which scrutinises the government's foreign policy, said: \"I am pleased to see the UK is not involved in these strikes on Iran. They are ill-advised and illegal.\n\"We will be hit by the consequences though and need to prepare for chaos in the region, with shipping lanes, oil facilities and military bases (including our own) being attacked.\"\nBritain’s most direct route into the conflict would be through the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago, which puts US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran and would allow them to strike the Islamic Republic while avoiding Gulf airspace.\nHowever, the British government would have to sign off on any US deployment from the base to attack Iran.\nIf Washington asks the Starmer government for permission to use the base for an attack, Starmer would be expected to seek advice from Jonathan Powell, his national security adviser, who was Tony Blair's chief of staff when Britain invaded Iraq in 2003.\nChris Doyle, the chair of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, said: \"The UK and other European states would be wise to stay out. They were excluded from the talks.\n\"They were excluded from the plans for this war. If they join, they would have zero input into how the war was conducted, and what brings it to an end.\"\nMeanwhile, Green Party MP Ellie Chowns described the strikes as \"irresponsible, provocative and illegal\".\nShe said that \"Starmer must call out these so-called ‘allies’ - who are acting as rogue states - and use all UK levers to uphold international law\".\nFormer Labour leader and Your Party MP Jeremy Corbyn said: \"Peace and diplomacy was possible. Instead, Israel and the United States chose war.\" He called on the Labour government to condemn \"this flagrant breach of international law\".",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T12:49:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxQcERhX19remZ1cVJoQklzUXBheEZHd0ppUkRtNmZXZmhnTW1GblVpcERGVWRMcUFWUmxlWTdhb2U5WklCZXdsb3FuX0tnYmg2Mk1xLXFjcFNjM1FsVGx4Um5ZUF84bF9IU1JVY3RfTWwzVTBRUXRnVnlsNG5fR3pSY21DcTZhdXcyQjdONmZoVFV5SXJBRFkycUt1OHVQUUVFa3lNVA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e4fe15c821aa",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran strikes were launched without approval from Congress, deeply dividing lawmakers - NPR",
    "body_text": "Iran strikes were launched without approval from Congress, deeply dividing lawmakers\nAn effort to limit the ability of the president to carry out sustained military action in Iran without approval of Congress is taking on new urgency after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes aimed at overthrowing the regime.\nThe strikes, which began early Saturday, were launched without congressional authorization. Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. Top Congressional Democrats and Republicans that make up a group known as the Gang of Eight — party leaders from both chambers, as well as the Intelligence committees' leadership — were notified by the White House shortly before the attack.\nInitial reaction to the overnight attack has not split cleanly on partisan lines, though most praise has come from Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.\n\"Today, Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions,\" Johnson wrote in a statement. \"President Trump and the Administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime's sustained nuclear ambitions and development, terrorism, and the murder of Americans–and even their own people.\"\nThune commended Trump for launching the strikes, saying Iran's nuclear ambitions, missile program and support for terror groups has posed \"a clear and unacceptable threat\" to U.S. interests in the region.\n\"I am confident it will successfully carry out the very clearly stated goals of this operation,\" wrote Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., the chair of the House Intelligence Committee. \"I would strongly advise the Iranian regime heed President Trump's warning.\"\nMost Democrats and a handful of Republicans sharply criticized the operation.\n\"The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat,\" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a statement. \"The administration must brief Congress, including an immediate all senators classified briefing and in public testimony, to answer these vital questions.\"\n\"By the president's own words, 'American heroes may be lost,\" Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., wrote in a statement. \"That alone should have demanded the highest level of scrutiny, deliberation and accountability, yet the president moved forward without seeking congressional authorization.\"\nA spokesperson for Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he was notified last night before the strikes by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.\nA U.S. official said Rubio outlined the situation on Tuesday in an hourlong briefing with the Gang of Eight.\nRubio called those eight members ahead of the strikes, connecting with seven of them. The Armed Services Committees were notified early this morning after the strikes began, according to the official.\n\"Everything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame,\" Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, wrote in a statement.\nThe push for a war powers vote\nRep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a frequent Trump critic who is deeply opposed to this kind of intervention, noted the strikes were \"acts of war unauthorized by Congress.\"\nAs Trump and top officials signaled the possibility of a military action against Iran, Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., were already teeing up a vote in the House this week on a resolution to curb the president's ability to intervene without approval from Congress.\nA similar bipartisan measure is also expected to come up for a vote in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.\nKaine called on Congress to return immediately to vote on the resolutions, which are privileged, meaning they are guaranteed a vote.\n\"The lives of our troops are at risk,\" Kaine told NPR's Weekend Edition on Saturday. \"We ought to come back to Washington right away to vote on this.\"\nHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is also calling for a war powers vote, telling All Things Considered it is unclear what happens next in Iran following reports that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed after the launch of attacks by the U.S. and Israel.\n\"The Trump administration has not been able to articulate a plan, one, to ensure that U.S. forces are not entangled in a forever war in the Middle East, which we know would be a disaster,\" Jeffries said. \"And this notion of regime change has never been successful, as most recently indicated by its failure in Iraq, its failure in Libya and its failure in Afghanistan.\"\nMore recently, the administration has been striking alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and in January, launched an operation in Venezuela to extradite its then-president, Nicolas Maduro.\nA war powers resolution to pull back intervention in Venezuela earlier this year initially got enough Republican support to advance in the Senate, but enough ultimately changed their mind and the measure failed.\nBackers of these war powers resolutions say that even if they are not successful, it is important for accountability that members vote on the record. The votes can also influence the president and force the public to pay attention to the debate over separation of powers.\nThe planned votes on curbing military intervention in Iran were already going to be narrowly-decided, but the strikes could shift the calculus for some lawmakers now that action is not hypothetical.\nAnd unlike in the case of Venezuela, where the administration was assuring lawmakers that action would be limited, Trump is warning that \"the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war.\"\nThe success of a war powers resolution is far from guaranteed.\nIn addition to robust Republican opposition to clipping Trump's authority, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is among the lawmakers backing the attack, writing in a statement that Trump \"has been willing to do what's right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.\"\nRep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., has said a resolution would: \"Restrict the flexibility needed to respond to real and evolving threats and risks, signaling weakness at a dangerous moment.\"\nAnd in recent months, Congress has signaled a desire to reassert some authority in this space, only for the legislative branch to ultimately bend to the wishes of the executive.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T12:56:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNMG9USmY2WFZiUVR4alFQMHJLTTd2b29RbllLYkNubmVjMU9SSDBldWV6anY5c1FDZDlEZ1hia1hMajc4b0ZSOUhEZURzTUY4UEllMy04cldUUDFSOThqSHhuZ2pUSjBIVFNzR2E0MlR1ZTNJWGstc0VHYUp5RjBCRlFVUEh4T1pRRUpJVGlfN1hyQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e8fb691a2cc6",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US-Israeli strikes on Iran: What we know so far - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on Saturday, beginning a war that puts the region at risk of a wider conflict involving several countries and proxy groups.\nThe attacks followed weeks of escalating tension, failed diplomacy, and military build-ups that indicated confrontation was increasingly likely.\nHere is how the conflict unfolded:\nHow the war started\nExplosions were reported across Tehran before dawn on Saturday, with smoke seen rising above parts of the capital as Iran closed its airspace.\nIranian media reported disruptions to internet services nationwide, while semi-official agencies Fars and Tasnim said hospitals were placed on high alert amid uncertainty over casualties. Strikes were also reported in the Isfahan and Bushehr provinces.\nThe whereabouts of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were not immediately clear.\nIsrael simultaneously declared a state of emergency, anticipating Iranian retaliation.\nHow Iran responded\nIran had repeatedly warned that any attack would trigger a major response. Several Gulf states said they were targeted by Iranian missiles after Tehran pledged to retaliate against US interests in the region.\nKuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Jordan, all of which have a US military presence, said they had intercepted the Iranian missiles.\n\"All occupied territories and the criminal US bases in the region have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles. This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated,\" Iran's Revolutionary Guards said.\nKataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi-Iranian-backed armed militia, said it will soon begin attacking US bases in response to the attacks that targeted the group. Rockets were heard and targeted a US military base in the northern Kurdistan Region.\nIt is still unclear whether Iran or its proxies in Iraq launched the attack on the base near Erbil International Airport.\nIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel began in \"response to the aggression of the hostile and criminal enemy against the Islamic Republic of Iran\".\nIranian MP Ebrahim Azizi said in a post on social media: “We warned you. Now you’ve started down a path whose end is no longer in your hands.”\nWho said what?\nMr Trump said the strikes were intended to eliminate Iranian threats, but also destroy their military. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” he said in a video posted on social media.\nHe warned Iranian troops, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to surrender. “Lay down your weapons, and you will be granted immunity,” Mr Trump said. “The alternative is certain death.”\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the attack not only as a military operation but as a political turning point inside Iran. “This operation will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands,” he said.\n“The time has come … to remove the yoke of tyranny and bring a free and peace-loving Iran.”\nUS officials also indicated the strikes could continue for several days, suggesting a sustained military campaign rather than a single operation.\nWhat led to the war?\nThe conflict followed weeks of mounting pressure and deteriorating diplomacy.\nWashington had been steadily increasing its military presence in the region, sending additional fighter jets and carriers and strike groups, including F-18s and F-35s, drones, and strengthening air defence systems to protect US bases and allies.\nThe attacks came just two days after US and Iranian delegations met in Switzerland for a third round of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. While Iranian officials described the negotiations as constructive, US President Donald Trump publicly expressed dissatisfaction with their progress, raising doubts about a diplomatic breakthrough.\nIn recent weeks, Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran, accusing Tehran of posing a threat to US security and Europe. Iran, in turn, warned that any attack would trigger retaliation against US and Israeli targets and a wider regional war.\nWhat happens next?\nThe conflict has entered a highly dangerous phase. Iran has the capability to respond directly or through allied forces across the region, including in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.\nThe US and Israel appear prepared for further military operations, while Iran has indicated it will retaliate.\nWhether the conflict remains limited or expands into a wider regional war will likely depend on Iran’s response in the coming hours.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:04:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxPTUR2VVRPN3JVS0pJclM5dWdiNmVySTJKQlJHajFhV1J0RHo2SHVodG1DRnI1bWVtVTdhUGdPOVRDZ0ZOSGtWeHNjTmMtMGNROFltSHF1TVVmNUNHcThHbmNhWHpjRnYzRzRIRW1iVnNfeERFTU9sRHFlM0hqV0tRT0pQaUZsSTgxSEZwT081akpGOXNnWENyZ2h5T0hzRmVVTHc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f92c9b2497c0",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Russia says Trump and Israel are plunging the Middle East into the abyss with Iran attack - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Russia says Trump and Israel are plunging the Middle East into the abyss with Iran attack    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:07:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxPbXIwcDRlamFwakdqNHBCTmtnY3Frd3NnRmo3WVROS1BqNGxQWDQ0NmdwdHQ5MmpEZE1IVW5sZlZXQW1jcU1WV2xrejE5bjl4YzVTbVVYcGhOekpSTVpFX3JRR0NGMklGSHFQemYtUlhvNFlQNUhVRHE4VXNwRldOMWVjY0lPMUgwVlk5anlKOXhJcXpybVE1QWV3aFdVWGV1M3JNZUV3OG1zc2JvaGJHdDlwdGZ5WkozSW9YM09pa05IM1U?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dd345458c4ee",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US-Iran talks were but one track in a dual reality - the other led to this war - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Publicly, Iran and the US were pursuing a nuclear deal that, on paper, was meant to prevent a devastating regional war. But beneath the diplomacy, a far more dangerous reality took shape.\nFor Middle Eastern officials, a nuclear agreement may no longer be sufficient, given the widening gap between what Iran wants from the talks, and what the US and, by default, Israel are seeking.\nTehran has been clear and consistent: negotiations should focus strictly on its nuclear programme. Iranian officials argue that its enrichment activities are a sovereign right, and that the purpose of diplomacy is to establish limits, oversight and sanctions relief in exchange for transparency.\nWashington's strategic calculus is broader. US officials have increasingly signalled that Iran's nuclear capabilities cannot be viewed in isolation from its ballistic missile programme and its network of regional militant proxies. And for Israel, in particular, this network represents an existential threat regardless of whether Iran possesses a nuclear weapon.\nThere is growing concern, then, that a nuclear deal may simply remove one layer of confrontation while exposing others.\nRegional officials, speaking privately and publicly in recent weeks, described a sense of unease. While diplomacy appeared to be moving forward, the strategic environment remained tense with military deployments, intelligence operations and confrontational political rhetoric, a contradiction that fuels suspicion that negotiations may have been serving multiple purposes simultaneously, including buying time.\nThe memory of last year's war between Israel and Iran looms heavily over current calculations. Though limited in duration, it marked a historic escalation, as the two nations fought each other directly and openly for the first time after decades of shadow conflict. Israeli strikes demonstrated reach and intelligence penetration, targeting senior commanders, nuclear scientists and strategic infrastructure deep inside Iran. Tehran responded with ballistic missiles, calibrating its retaliation to avoid triggering a wider war. The confrontation ended without a decisive victory for either side, but it fundamentally reshaped perceptions.\nA nuclear deal may simply remove one layer of confrontation while exposing others\nKnowledgeable students of Middle East history and politics didn’t see that war as an isolated episode but rather as a strategic probe. Israel was clearly testing Iran's responses, measuring escalation thresholds and assessing military readiness. The US, while not directly involved until the final act, was closely watching and setting the broader strategic environment. The conflict armed both with invaluable intelligence that would later help shape future options, including today's strikes on Iranian cities.\nTherefore, it seems that the current diplomatic track exists alongside a parallel strategic reality. And there is a harder question beneath that: how can the US and Israel be satisfied with a nuclear deal alone when they see Iran weakened by war and protests, its influence in Lebanon and Syria severely diminished or even completely vanished and its economy under unprecedented strain?\nWe are witnessing a moment less for compromise and more like a strategic opportunity, one that could be pushed toward broader goals, including regime change in Tehran.\nFor Israel, a nuclear agreement may have removed the urgency of immediate strikes, but at the same time reinforce the long-term objective of weakening Iran's strategic position. Economic pressure, sanctions and domestic unrest have already placed significant strain on the country. Protests in recent months have exposed widespread dissatisfaction, driven largely by economic hardship. Iranian authorities have responded forcefully with a bloody crackdown on the protests, and the combination of internal pressure and external threats created a volatile mix, leading to this morning's war.\nOn the US side, Washington has become increasingly unpredictable, and some regional officials believe its diplomacy may be bluff as much as policy. Take Venezuela, an ally of oil and gas-rich Iran, as an example. The US still holds immense military, economic and diplomatic power in the Middle East, and its signals shape the decisions of others. But the uncertainty makes it harder to know how far it is willing to go. Until this morning.\nRegional actors beyond Iran, Israel and the US are also watching closely. Gulf states across the waters fear becoming battlegrounds in any confrontation. The prevailing narrative here is that if broader issues are not addressed now, any nuclear deal must be quickly followed by negotiations over Iran's ballistic missile programme and its support for regional proxies.\nHere in the Middle East, we realised long ago that a nuclear deal couldn't have eliminated the possibility of conflict, as the confrontation with Iran evolves well beyond the nuclear file and reaches deeper questions of power, deterrence and regional order, when Tehran is arguably weaker than at any point since its war with Iraq between 1980 and 1988, when Israeli military dominance and intelligence reach have never been greater and when a Trump administration with an appetite for bold, power-driven foreign policy is reshaping the strategic landscape across the globe, amid a relative absence of other more balanced players, such as European countries.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:21:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0gFBVV95cUxQYnl2M3ZKM3pJSXVPVHZZc2dzVm4xWWdDM0RDZUtnblhWd0dVaGxyMHB4S3h0Q2wxa1ZpNlJ3V254N0xHam1xekpCb0wwZnN2Q0FzNUVmeTlCejZoZFBRcElEOWNBVkdxYVR3VEJXR1NYU18tLVhZTVAzbkR0VnN4QVF6RWZKcGVTakdzS0I0SUc3R29WMFlJQWdrUnpyU1BKb3FNdXVjVGY3dTNabUl6WXcxTXBaRmhwd21RaEY5eFltUkxPQXNUYmx3aWtSSThsaGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0f45a2c88ad4",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Brazilian government condemns strikes on Iran - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Brazilian government condemns strikes on Iran\nSAO PAULO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government on Saturday condemned US-Israel attacks on Iranian targets and expressed grave concern over the military action.\n\"The attacks occurred amid a negotiation process between the parties, which is the only viable path to peace, a position traditionally defended by Brazil in the region,\" the government said in a statement.\nThe Brazilian government appealed to all parties to respect international law and exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalating hostilities and protect civilians.\nIts embassies in the region are monitoring developments, with particular attention to Brazilian communities in affected countries, according to the statement.\n(Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes; editing by Barbara Lewis)",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:24:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxPZS1YWEtrQUUyRjY0WVhQQWRySzZUWTY2RHZIemF5ZjFxRG9mQ09HWHNSZl93WUdseWFadXAyU01RSFZhOVpTY2JpZ2xyRGV0NDYyVklWWlFhWHhIUm5tWW14N2VJdFFjcEdrU1BhdTlHMkM0MURvN3FfblVGOWdxZnZIR3JUTXBxTGE0YTZlREw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_50e3051c378b",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran would be outgunned in any war with the US but could still inflict considerable pain - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran would be outgunned in any war with the US but could still inflict considerable pain\nIran would be outgunned in any war with the US but could still inflict considerable pain\nJERUSALEM (AP) — As U.S. forces mass in the Middle East, Iran faces the threat of major strikes by the world’s most powerful military, potentially targeting its leaders, military, nuclear sites and critical infrastructure.\nIran has nowhere near the same capabilities, and is even more vulnerable after last year’s war launched by Israel and recent anti-government protests. But it could still inflict pain on American forces and allies, and may feel it has to if the Islamic Republic’s survival is at stake.\nWhile Iran suffered major losses last June, it still has hundreds of missiles capable of hitting Israel, according to Israel’s estimates. Iran boasts a much larger arsenal of shorter-range missiles capable of hitting U.S. bases in Gulf countries and offshore American forces, soon to be joined by a second aircraft carrier.\nIran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the global oil trade, and claimed to have done so partially during military drills last week.\nSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran could sink American warships, and top officials have said a U.S. attack would spark regional war. Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said “all bases, facilities and assets of the hostile force in the region” would be legitimate targets.\nLingering capabilities\nIsrael carried out heavy strikes on Iran’s longer range missile arsenals — as well as its military leadership and nuclear program — during the 12-day war in June. The U.S. struck Iran’s main nuclear sites, and President Donald Trump said at the time that they had been “obliterated.”\nBut the extent of the damage — and how much has been rebuilt — is still unknown. Iran continued to strike Israel with missiles and drones until the fighting stopped, at times eluding its vaunted air defenses.\nIran’s shorter-range missile arsenal was largely untouched, said Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. That could make Iran more inclined to retaliate against tens of thousands of U.S. forces based in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere.\n“Iran may be weak. But it still has ways to inflict real pain on the United States — and much more incentive to try than it did before,” Nate Swanson, head of the Atlantic Council’s Iran Strategy Project, wrote in Foreign Affairs. “Iranian officials feel they need to give Trump a bloody nose or they will perpetually be at risk.”\nIran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Iraq after the killing of its top general in 2020 and targeted a U.S. base in Qatar near the end of last year’s war. Those strikes, which appeared to have been telegraphed in advance, caused damage but no fatalities, as early warning systems and missile defenses swung into action.\nIran has also held quiet talks with China about purchasing anti-ship missiles that could significantly boost its ability to strike warships and choke sea routes, officials with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press.\nThe officials, from two countries, spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive talks. They said Iran is negotiating to buy a version of China’s YJ-12 sea-skimming missiles. They said the outline of a deal was finalized after last year’s war, though no missiles have been delivered.\nLearning curve\nLast year’s Israeli strikes killed several top generals and nuclear scientists, revealing major vulnerabilities. At one point, Trump said the U.S. knew where Khamenei was hiding, calling him an \" easy target.”\nFresh off the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump may consider decapitation strikes aimed at bringing down Iran’s decades-old Shiite theocracy, which he recently said “would be the best thing that could happen.”\nThe Iranians have had eight months to learn from their mistakes and firm up internal security. Citrinowicz said there are likely contingency plans if Khamenei were to be killed. Rather than naming a single successor, power would probably shift to a small committee until hostilities subsided.\nExperts say the death of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who has ruled Iran for over three decades, would not in itself spell the end of the Islamic Republic. Power might eventually pass to a member of his inner circle, as it did in Venezuela, or to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.\nUS allies could be targets\nAmerican allies are clearly concerned about a regional war, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of a heavy response to any Iranian attack on Israel.\nArab Gulf states have long viewed Iran with concern and leaned on the U.S. for defense, but do not want to be drawn into war. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which host thousands of American troops, have said they would not allow their airspace to be used.\nAn Arab Gulf diplomat said regional leaders were talking to Iran and the United States to avert war, warning that it could have severe consequences, including a spike in oil prices. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive, closed-door talks.\nIran has its own allies, including Houthi rebels in Yemen, armed groups in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories. But its self-described Axis of Resistance suffered major losses in the fighting that rippled across the region after Hamas’ October 2023 attack from Gaza.\nIran or its proxies could also carry out attacks farther afield. The country has been accused of using criminal gangs and armed groups to plan or carry out attacks around the world, including on dissidents, Israelis and Jewish targets.\nThe nuclear question\nAfter initially threatening military action over Iran’s killing of protesters, Trump shifted attention to its nuclear program, warning that “bad things” would happen if Iran doesn’t agree to a deal. The two sides are set to hold another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday.\nIran has always said its nuclear program is peaceful, while the U.S. and others have long suspected that Tehran intends to eventually develop weapons. After Trump scrapped a 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran ramped up its enrichment of uranium, building up a stockpile of near-weapons grade material.\nIran’s biggest sites were hit by U.S. and Israeli strikes, causing significant damage above ground. But it’s unclear whether enriched uranium was spirited away before they were hit or buried underground. Iran says it has been unable to enrich since then, but it has also barred inspections.\nIran is still believed to be a long ways from developing a usable nuclear weapon, but radioactive material could pose a risk in the event of widespread strikes.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and John Leicester in Paris contributed reporting.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:28:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNUGQyNDkzczZ2MVRpOEtiQzVJNC1Gdk1QLU9zcElGUGRuMVk1MzlWdk93Z2NyVkwxdE1PY01fOXdVVkwyZ05mWWxFQTljT0dNMnpqQ1g5MkRla2lCbl8teFdKRGZjMGRXLW9ERURuWDExVkNRYWNIemtXNnUzRURPc1BaaUVYc2hGZkZQWUx3U1JKNVh5OTd6UlY1eUVCTjRnVmc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1c0defb79c33",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iranian Navy tells ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Ships have been instructed to avoid passing through the Strait of Hormuz by the Iranian Navy, according to industry operators, after the US and Israel carried out coordinated military strikes against Iran on Saturday, which subsequently saw an escalation of tension in the region and Iran declaring the strait effectively closed to navigation.\nThe Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Gulf is vital to US allies and global energy markets.\n“Some ships have been advised on VHF by the Iranian Navy to hold position and avoid transiting the Strait of Hormuz at this time,” Farhad Patel, director of Dubai-based Sharaf Shipping Agency told The National.\n“We are closely monitoring the situation in co-ordination with relevant maritime authorities and awaiting further clarification before normal transit resumes.”\nIran sits on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz and controls key approaches to the waterway, giving Tehran significant power over the channel through which much of its oil exports flow.\nAbout 20 per cent of the world's oil passes through the strait and it is critical to global oil supply.\n“The US-Israeli attack on Iran dramatically increases the security risk to ships operating in the Arabian Gulf and adjacent waters,” said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at Bimco shipping association.\n“Ships with business connections to US or Israeli interests are more likely to be targeted, but other ships may also be targeted deliberately or in error.”\nMr Patel said operators are proceeding with heightened caution.\n“Any prolonged restriction through the Strait of Hormuz could have implications for tanker scheduling, freight rates and insurance exposure, given the volume of global energy flows through the corridor.”\nGreece's shipping ministry advised crews of Greek-flagged vessels on Saturday to exercise maximum vigilance and avoid the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz following the strikes against Iran, according to a Reuters report.\nUKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations) also advised vessels to move with caution amid reports of multiple radio transmissions warning that the strait was closed and increased military activity in the region.\n“Mariners should note the potential for elevated electronic interference, including disruption to AIS [automatic identification systems] and other navigational or communications systems,” it said.\nEarlier this month, Iran closed parts of the strait for a few hours due to “security precautions” while its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted military drills.\n“Ships already in the area are expected to seek refuge in territorial waters of neutral states in the area such as the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, and some ships may also want to try to leave the area entirely,” Mr Larsen said. Ships currently bound for the conflict area are likely to stay away until the situation stabilises again, he added.\nWhy is Strait of Hormuz so critical?\nAround 12 million barrels a day of crude oil pass through the strait, more than 80 per cent of it bound for Asia. Including refined products, the total volume can reach up to 20 million barrels a day.\nAre there any other alternatives to transport oil?\nSaudi Arabia and the UAE have spare pipeline capacity to bypass the strait but the capacity is limited.\nSaudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and the UAE’s Habshan-Fujairah pipeline can support in transport of oil to global markets if Strait of Hormuz is closed.\nCan Iran close Strait of Hormuz?\nThe Iranian naval forces have capabilities designed to disrupt shipping in and out of the Arabian Gulf, according to Bimco. Iran is expected to coerce commercial shipping to decide against entering the conflict area in the short term.\nHowever, “US air and naval superiority will eventually establish a level of security which will enable commercial shipping to resume transportation in and out of the Gulf and adjacent waters”, Mr Larson said.\nHow will Iran allies Houthis respond to disrupt shipping?\nThe Houthis, allies of Iran, have already said they will use missile and drone attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in support of Iran, especially against ships that have ties to the US or Israel. Other ships may also be targeted deliberately or incidentally.\n“The current outbreak of hostilities exacerbates security threats to ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and will most likely cause some shipowners to reroute south of Cape of Good Hope,” Mr Larson said.\nHow will the insurance market react?\nInsurance rates are expected to increase manyfold, and ships with business connections to US or Israel approaching the area are probably not going to be able to get insurance as safety risks rise due to the war.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:41:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPU01pUkd5RkxDSTlhRjFiTmwzTHlkdGZYQmZyVmhuRUhlb1hrM0J0Tk4zVzlWVlZ5MTBtamFfSTh5dzhrbFdpaGlUendfNTJoX2VhMnRrOUV3c1hueWRGNkNQWXRvaDB3VlRpMXNZczQ4R0dLNkd2QllmVEd4VDBhTXlxWGhmNHlNdzVXTm9lRnJiVHVweFJsdWNRYV84SDZMcFV6V3V6ZU5zN0xtb1E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5718e92708b0",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "As the U.S. and Israel attack Iran, governments around the world stress risks of new war in the Middle East - CBS News",
    "body_text": "U.S. allies and adversaries responded to the joint\nby the U.S. and Israel on Iran, with some of America's close partners describing the situation as \"grave\" and \"perilous.\"Below is a look at the latest reaction to the conflict that erupted Saturday between\nand the U.S. and its closest ally in the Middle East.European Union\nThe President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the \"developments\" in Iran \"greatly concerning.\"\nShe highlighted EU sanctions against Iran's regime and its Revolutionary Guards, because she said \"ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance.\"\nBut she also said the EU has \"consistently promoted diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the nuclear and ballistic programmes through a negotiated solution.\"\n\"We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law,\" Von der Leyen said.\nKaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said she has spoken with Israel's foreign minister, as well as other officials in the region, and that \"the EU is also coordinating closely with Arab partners to explore diplomatic paths. Protection of civilians and international humanitarian law is a priority.\"\nShe said a European naval mission in the Red Sea was on high alert and ready to help keep the maritime corridor open.\nUnited Nations\nUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned \"today's military escalation in the Middle East\" and said the operation and Iranian response undermine \"international peace and security.\"\n\"I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,\" Guterres said. \"Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table.\"\nGuterres also emphasized that members of the United Nations \"must respect their obligations under international law,\" including the U.N. charter, which prohibits \"the threat of the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.\"\nThe U.N. Security Council is set to convene at 4 p.m. Saturday at its New York City headquarters for an emergency session.\nRussia\nRussia condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.\n\"Washington and Tel Aviv have once again embarked on a perilous course that is swiftly pushing the region toward a humanitarian, economic, and potentially even radiological disaster,\" Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.\n\"The sustained and systematic nature of the destabilising attacks, carried out by the US administration against the fundamental principles of the international legal order in recent months, raises particular concern,\" the foreign ministry said. \"We call for an immediate return to a political and diplomatic track.\"\nIn a condolence note to his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin called the killing of Khamenei and members of his family 's killing \"cynical\" murder that violated all the norms of human morality and international law.\"\nChina\nChina said Sunday it \"strongly condemns\" the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel and called anew for a halt to military actions, according to French news agency AFP.\nThe killing was \"a serious violation of Iran's sovereignty and security, a trampling on the aims and principles of the U.N. charter and the basic norms of international relations,\" Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement.\n\"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this,\" it added, calling for an \"immediate halting of military operations\".\nUnited Kingdom\nA U.K. government spokesperson said: \"Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.\"\nThe U.K. did not participate in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was scheduled to chair an emergency meeting of ministers later in the day, the spokesperson said, adding that Britain was ready to protect its interests in the region, and that \"we do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.\"\nFrance\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron said \"the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel, and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security.\"\nMacron said France was ready to deploy resources to protect its partners if requested.\n\"The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it no longer has any option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs, as well as its actions of regional destabilization. This is absolutely essential to the security of all in the Middle East. The Iranian people must also be able to build their future freely. The massacres perpetrated by the Islamic regime disqualify it and require that the voice be given back to the people. The sooner, the better,\" Macron said.\nCanada\nCanada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said, \"The Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world's worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons.\"\nCanada \"supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security,\" Carney said.\nOman\nOman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who was acting as a mediator in ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program, said he was \"dismayed.\"\n\"Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined,\" Albusaidi said. \"Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.\"\nKuwait\nKuwait, which is the site of a major U.S. air base targeted by Iran, condemned the \"heinous Iranian attack\" and said it had the right to defend itself \"in response to this brazen aggression, in a manner commensurate with the scale and nature of this violation and in accordance with international law, and to take all necessary measures to protect its territories, its people, and the residents therein, while ensuring the preservation of its sovereignty, security, and stability.\"\nQatar\nQatar, home to the U.S.'s largest military base in the Middle East that was also targeted by Iran, said the strikes were \"a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty, a direct assault on its security and the safety of its lands, and an unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region.\"\n\"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the State of Qatar has been and remains among the first to call for dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and has advocated for continuing on this principle as the optimal foundation for addressing differences and resolving disputes through peaceful means, thereby sparing the region the risks of escalation,\" Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement said.\nQatar called for \"an immediate halt to any escalatory actions, a return to the table of dialogue, the prioritization of the language of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a manner that preserves the security of the region, safeguards the interests of its peoples, and prevents slippage toward broader confrontations.\"\nNorth Korea\nNorth Korea condemned on Sunday the ongoing United States and Israeli attack on Iran as an \"illegal act of aggression,\" claiming it had shown the \"gangster-like nature\" of Washington, French news agency AFP reported.\nThe military campaigns against Iran by the two states \"constitute a thoroughly illegal act of aggression and the most vile form of violation of sovereignty in their nature\", a spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.\nTurkey\nTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for diplomacy, saying it remains \"the most rational path forward.\"\nAccording to a statement from the Turkish presidency, Erdogan, who spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, also extended his well‑wishes to Saudi Arabia following recent attacks on the country and warned that, without decisive action, the conflict could escalate with \"serious consequences for both regional and global security.\"\nCuba\nCuba said it \"condemns\" the U.S.-Israeli attacks \"in the strongest terms.\"\nIn a post on social media, Cuba's foreign ministry said they \"violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.\n\"This irresponsible and deliberate aggression boycotts, for the second time, the efforts of international diplomacy in relation to the nuclear issue, which had been under negotiation. Once again, the United States and Israel threaten and seriously endanger regional and international peace, stability, and security, the effects of which are already being felt in the Middle East region.\n\"Cuba joins the international calls to immediately stop this aggression.\"\nIndia\nIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on social media he \"expressed India's concern regarding the recent developments, and emphasized that the security of citizens is the utmost priority,\" during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.\n\"India reiterates the need for an early cessation of hostilities,\" he wrote.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:51:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxPVVBBeVpfVVRyS2tPME1CODNHZXhTVUQ5RjF1MndCVjdLQ2kzZ3BBSXFiT2RtVTVWRTh1V2pnWGFoMmVaVkJScWFYQUVxZVRpT094X09DWTNhdFd0TXdMVC0tMHFoWFlKYVoteV9Ob1pGN0l4Qlh0djhNeUpocHJHRDhZN1lpQTNnWDdDUDdR0gGTAUFVX3lxTFBMX3JCMTU3dXhmOHcySWpHR210a0Y1LW1XbEpsOFBXZ1paMUdKWUFsSmFNZ0RhU1plWGlVOEc5eXdQN2gyY2ppVWZWM09BMjVjcEZWOExqS20xMjFvZTlaWkFkaDJXN0gzR2Rsd1B6cjlmLXdZb09KYTZHSTNSOGJBZnRyLUE0NDBETUxvQlpUMXg2WQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0d4e6856a7cb",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran defence minister, Guards commander killed in Israeli attacks, three sources say - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran defence minister, Guards commander killed in Israeli attacks, three sources say    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:54:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxPQnExTzQ1Szh6VUF0ZGpYb3N3UV9QTE1BRl81TGlnRF9vbE9BUlo3M3dDbm9haEQyd0xIWEpXZS0tVmxBZi1kbW1GaGtjUVZVWHVMckRTT09Xc2JMQmFMMVVaMWdYLWQyUEVWVkI0TWlFS3ZBX3JZNEZtMW1ESll0eWpqLUh4Rm5UM3NkYTI3ZjRJeG1ES2hHYWdJakxUcUQ4R0FTaUVXZUdaV0t5WkVHaGJsazY1My1Qbkxycld2VnMyRmRNOTZOdHRsczBCdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b9a7d290751c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Trump-Netanyahu war aims to entrap Iranians into unconditional submission - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Trump-Netanyahu war aims to entrap Iranians into unconditional submission\nOn Saturday, as President Donald Trump announced that the United States had launched a major attack on Iran, the Israeli military declared that the joint US-Israeli attack had targeted \"dozens of military targets\" in Iran.\nTrump said the operation was intended to devastate Iran's military, eliminate its nuclear programme and bring about a change in its government.\nMeanwhile, massive explosions were reported in Tehran, while residents said they were seeing smoke rising from districts believed to house senior Iranian officials.\nAs the world wakes up to this news and sits at the receiving end of multiple propaganda outlets trying to spin the news in one way or another, here are the four militant factors at work with the fate of more than 90 million human beings at stake.\nA vicious aggression\nThe first factor is the unleashed power of the US military with Trump, an unhinged commander-in-chief eager and willing to distract attention from his domestic (Epstein files), regional (adventurism in Venezuela, Cuba and Greenland) and global (China and Russia) fiascos.\nHe habitually lied when he staged a false negotiation with the Iranians to buy time to have enough military buildup to strike Iran effectively.\nIn the US, this is a widely unpopular war waged on Iran. The singular task of the corporate media, led by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, is now to sell this war as \"preemptive\".\nThey will fool no one.\nThe second factor is the Islamic Republic itself, which faced nationwide protests in December and early January rooted in the deep economic crisis Iran has experienced for decades.\nThese economic troubles are due to two complementary factors: internal state corruption and incompetence, and crippling external sanctions imposed by the US.\nAt stake, however, is the fragile and vulnerable lives of 90 million human beings trapped inside their own homeland.\nA devastating battlefield of civil war and ethnic fragmentation of the country is in the offing. The Gulf region and beyond are now the theatre of this vicious and senseless aggression.\nIsrael: the killing machine\nThe third factor is Israel, the most lethal killing machine in the region, fresh from its merciless slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians, military strikes against Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran back in June 2025.\nIsrael has multiple interests in this latest round of its relentless warmongering: distract attention from the global condemnation of its genocide and crimes against humanity in Palestine, and expand its garrison state to gobble up the entirety of Palestine and parts of Lebanon and Syria and perhaps farther.\nIsrael will not be satisfied with the total fragmentation and destruction of Iran. Turkey and Pakistan are also on its targeted radar\nThe US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has just given it the green light to conquer the entire Middle East.\nEqually important on Israel's agenda is the fragmentation of Iran into ethnic enclaves.\nIsrael will not be satisfied with the total fragmentation and destruction of Iran. Turkey and Pakistan are also on its targeted radar.\nThe fourth factor is the delusional fascism of the remnant of the Pahlavi dynasty and their thugs and comprador intellectuals, led by Reza Pahlavi, who dream of reclaiming power almost half a century after Iranians put an end to their corrupt rule.\nThe Pahlavis have little to no popular base of their own in Iran. Their fascistic thuggeries and their alliance with Israeli murderous warmongering are their signature trademarks on this battlefield.\nThese four forces will now dominate the news and seek to persuade the world that theirs is the just cause.\nEnslaving Iranians\nThey will all be lying to the world through their teeth. The New York Times and the BBC will be the mouthpiece of the US, Israel and their European allies.\nThe wild terrains of the internet will now become the battlefield of the Pahlavi bots and trolls.\nNot a single word coming out of any of these propaganda machineries will be trustworthy.\nThe world's attention must be focused on the lives and survival of 90 million human beings, the inheritors of a vast civilisation now at the mercy of a cruel and unrelenting fate.\nThe US-Israel war on Iran is not to liberate Iranians from their rulers. It is to entrap and slave them into unconditional submission to their colonial and imperial conquest of the entire region.\nThe Pahlavis are willing and vulgar puppets, helping them achieve this nefarious end.\nThe attack aims to cause civil war in Iran on the model of Syria and Libya, with millions forced to flee their country and the entire map of Iranian culture and civilisation wiped from the face of the earth.\nTrump does not have the stamina for a prolonged war. Israel has a much longer game to play to achieve its nightmare of Greater Israel.\nDisregard the propaganda noise coming at you from left and right. Focus your attention on the 90 million-plus human beings trapped inside a web of deceit, unleashed violence and murderous mayhem.\nMay the goodwill of the decent people around the globe protect Iran and Iranians.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T13:57:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPUGVyc3NIYjd4TXlpMWxmQTFKc1ZGRnFWbmpXanRsc1FVY3pEU29uTkp5d1o2cWJBTjM3SFVSaG5FYWtLb0w3TUktOU9ON0NMTHV4NTdGQzVOaHN2WEIyNHhxbWpnYkphVWZSekltSnRCWnBqZkFhMHhrXzVBYU91U2Q2VGZnUDExMVNnYmtjY0RjeVl6ZnQ1RG9RVTlSaV9pODQ1NA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f102e4b2b023",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Experts react: The US and Israel just unleashed a major attack on Iran. What’s next? - Atlantic Council",
    "body_text": "He went big. On Saturday morning, US and Israeli forces unleashed Operation Epic Fury, what US President Donald Trump called “a massive and ongoing” campaign against Iran. He called on the Iranian people to overthrow the regime once the fighting is done. Iran responded quickly by attacking Israel and US bases in the region. Below, our experts assess the unfolding war and where it goes from here.\nClick to jump to an expert analysis:\nJoe Costa: Sustaining the operation could impact readiness for other priorities\nWe know the objective—and little else\nBy launching a massive joint attack with Israel on Iran, Trump is gambling that that he can inflict enough damage on the Islamic Republic’s core security and political institutions that the regime will fall.\nBy choosing to initiate this war, Trump has diverged from his past pattern of decisive actions with immediate and pain-free off-ramps. This is an enormous gamble with questionable legal justification. Trump did not outline an imminent threat from Iran, nor a detailed plan for what comes next in Iran if the United States succeeds in decapitating the regime. Trump also acknowledged the significant risk to US troops in the region.\nAs this operation moves forward, I am looking at three interconnected questions:\n- Will Iran successfully inflict costs on the United States? Facing a truly existential threat for the first time since the Iran-Iraq war, the Iranian regime will likely respond with everything it has, including its full missile arsenal and proxies. How much damage Iran inflicts on the United States and Israel could very well determine the regime’s fate.\n- Polling consistently shows Americans are deeply opposed to intervening in Iran. If there are significant US casualties or impacts on global energy prices, will Trump stay committed to this campaign?\n- Trump has defined a successful campaign as one where the Iranian people rise up and end the Islamic Republic. Absent ground troops or an armed opposition, this requires significant defections within Iran’s security apparatus. Is there a plan for how that will come together?\nFinally, while I am a deep skeptic of this operation, it is important to acknowledge the depravity of the Iranian regime and my genuine desire to see the Iranian people freed. I welcome the prospect of an Iranian government replaced with one that is a responsible international actor and more responsive to its people. But initiating a major war with a nation of 93 million people, 2,500 years of history, significant retaliatory capabilities, and no clear opposition within the county is a significant risk.\n—Nate Swanson is a resident senior fellow and director of the Iran Strategy Project at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. Beginning in 2015, he served as a senior advisor on Iran policy to successive administrations, including most recently as director for Iran at the National Security Council.\nThe Iranian regime is under unprecedented strain, but beware ‘IRGCistan’\nTrump’s decision to launch major strikes against Iranian regime targets goes beyond his promise to protesters that “help is on the way.” This is an extensive campaign designed to kill the leadership, not a few hours of targeted, narrow strikes.\nBut neither protests nor airstrikes alone are likely to end the regime’s grip on power. History suggests it will require either the varying Iranian security forces stand aside, as happened in 1979, or at least a part of the security establishment to switch sides to the opposition. One of those two results may be more likely than it was previously, however. The breadth of economic pain felt across the country, the water crisis, and the regime’s brutal reaction to the protests, killing thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—makes this moment unique among the Iranian public’s history of protests since the revolution.\nIndeed, this time, something fundamental has changed in Iran. And even if the regime does not collapse immediately, it’s critical to remember that the 1979 revolution took a year to unfold. This iteration of protests, therefore, should be viewed as the start of a new era, not another failure to bring change to the country.\nBut what that new era entails is unclear. The end of the regime is less likely to foster democracy as it is to birth what some are calling “IRGCistan”—a military-controlled state that might offer a new supreme leader as a symbolic token to millions of conservative Iranians, but with power firmly vested in the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Such a result would provide three pathways forward.\nAn IRGC-run Iran could initially be a bigger regional and domestic threat, staking out even harder-line stances in seeking to consolidate power and focused on ensuring no other insider can outflank it. Second, it could seek to quickly gain the support of the Iranian people by showing greater flexibility for a deal with the United States in exchange for an economic boost in the form of sanctions relief. Third, it could lead to a period of confusion and jockeying for power in which Western states will have to decide how much to try to jump into the fray and influence the outcome.\n—Jonathan Panikoff is the director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and a former deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East at the US National Intelligence Council.\nA high-risk, high-reward campaign\nSome have argued that Trump has not effectively made his case for US and Israeli strikes on Iran, but this military action became all but inevitable in January. Trump set a redline, warning the Iranian regime not to kill protesters. The clerics ignored the redline and massacred tens of thousands of their own people anyway. Trump’s advisers likely argued that he had to follow through on his threat or risk undermining US credibility. He did not want to follow in the footsteps of former President Barack Obama, who drew a redline over Syrian chemical weapons use only to back down later.\nThe only remaining question then concerned the target set. In late 2025, it was reported that Israel and the United States were considering strikes on Iran’s reconstituted missile program. Limited strikes on these targets could have made sense, at least as a starting point. Instead, having witnessed the vulnerability of the Iranian regime in January, Trump, his advisers, and regional partners, saw an opportunity to remove the Islamic Republic once and for all.\nThis path comes with higher risks and a higher potential reward. In past conflicts, like Operation Midnight Hammer last summer, Iran engaged in only token military retaliation, hoping to avoid a massive war with the United States. Now, with their backs against the wall, the clerics have little reason not to hit back with everything they’ve got. On the upside, the Islamic Republic is a card-carrying member of the Axis of Aggressors and has posed one of the greatest threats to US national security for decades. Removing it from the chess board could result in a transformational improvement of the regional and US global security environment.\n—Matthew Kroenig is vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Council’s director of studies.\nIran’s retaliation signals that it is not planning to deescalate\nIran’s initial response to what now seems to be a regime-change campaign by the United States and Israel reinforces that the regime believes this to be an existential crisis. As such, the type of de-escalatory responses that we have become accustomed to in previous conflicts, including last summer’s twelve-day war, are at least for now off the table. The scope, speed, and scale of Iran’s initial retaliation, including against the Gulf countries (excluding Oman), reinforce the potential for this quickly escalating to wider conflict and widespread disruption. Already, air traffic in the region has ground to a halt and shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz are slowing.\nIn these early hours, as the United States and its allies acclimate themselves to the potential for instability and economic disruption, key questions that will shape that trajectory remain to be answered. Chief among them are the intent and preparedness of Iran’s proxies to join the fray. In Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah has indicated it will seek to strike US facilities in Iraq in response to “American aggression,” while the Yemen-based Houthi movement is expected to resume attacks on shipping lanes in Red Sea corridor. And already today, the Lebanese government has warned Hezbollah against dragging the country into conflict, but the terror organization’s response remains to be seen.\nMeanwhile, on the other side of the ledger, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have already condemned Iran’s strikes on several Middle Eastern countries that have killed at least one civilian in Abu Dhabi. A critical indicator of how this may all unfold is whether Middle Eastern countries lift their restrictions on US use of their airspaces to undertake its operations against Iran—or offer even more direct support for the campaign.\n—Jennifer Gavito is a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. She previously served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran.\nTrump’s order leaves questions for the American people\nMany Americans were probably surprised to wake up this morning to discover that the United States was at war in the Middle East. Trump, in his brief statement overnight, as in his recent State of the Union address, described the well-known (and accurate) list of the Iranian regime’s misdeeds: its pursuit of nuclear weapons, its extensive ballistic missile program, its support of terrorist proxies, and its brutal suppression of the Iranian people. What he did not explain is the urgency or the imminent threat that required a war now.\nTypically, before launching such major operations, presidents and their senior advisers have explained to the American people the reason major military operations are required, and the strategic objective they are intended to achieve. They also customarily brief Congress, so the people’s representatives can express their view—even authorizing or supporting the operation—and seek allies and partners to join (or at least offer support for) the operation. Except for one briefing for eight congressional leaders, and of course, Israel’s participation, the president did none of these.\nFor the first time, the president did describe a strategic objective in his statement—to change the Iranian regime. As desirable an outcome as that is, it was a startling declaration for a president who has criticized previous regime-change wars, and had only days earlier sounded content to settle for a nuclear deal (admittedly, one that had little chance of being reached). But he also distanced the United States from responsibility to achieve regime change, calling on the Iranian people to do it. He can now claim he made good, perhaps belatedly, on his pledge to Iranian protesters in January that “help is on the way.” And many protesters may indeed welcome strikes against regime leaders and security organs that crushed the protests. But the linear progression suggested by his statement—US and Israeli strikes on nuclear, missile, and regime targets, leading to renewed protests, leading to the fall of the regime—is far from certain.\nIran’s air defenses, highly degraded in the twelve-day war in June, is no match for the combined power of the US and Israeli militaries. Iran will suffer severe damage, which could well weaken the regime. But Iran will land some blows as well, as it already has on the first day, with missile strikes against US bases and dozens of missiles launched toward Israel. If Iran is able to absorb the punishment, keep launching ballistic missiles, and continue to crush dissent at home, US and Israeli air defenses could soon be stretched and US munitions stocks run down to dangerous levels. So tough decisions may lie ahead, and tough conversations with the American people, if the regime, battered and bruised, manages to outlast aerial attacks, leaving the strategic objective of regime change out of reach with the means the president has employed.\n—Daniel B. Shapiro is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. From 2022 to 2023, he was the Director of the N7 Initiative. He served as US ambassador to Israel from 2011 to 2017, and most recently as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.\nA campaign with an abstract objective and no clear endgame\nThe United States and Israel have launched an unprecedented campaign aimed at creating the conditions for regime change in Iran—through the targeted killing of senior officials, strikes on regime institutions, and attacks against Iran’s strategic military infrastructure.\nThis is not a classic preventive strike. There was no immediate Iranian threat triggering the operation. Rather, the logic appears to be the exploitation of what is perceived as regime weakness in order to generate profound political change inside Iran.\nThe campaign is built upon the intelligence and operational advantages of the United States and Israel, as well as unprecedented firepower intended to pressure the regime to such a degree that internal actors—or the broader public—might ultimately move against it.\nDespite early tactical achievements, the central question remains unresolved: what is the endgame? Can external military pressure realistically rely on an Iranian public that lacks cohesive leadership, particularly when facing a regime that has operated for forty-seven years under the disciplined control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)?\nComplicating matters further is Iran’s apparent preparedness for this confrontation and its determination to preserve retaliatory capabilities over time. The risk of regional expansion is significant—especially following Iranian strikes against US bases in the Gulf and the possibility that Iranian-aligned actors in Yemen and Iraq could enter the conflict more directly.\nYet the greatest danger may be a prolonged campaign that fails to produce dramatic internal change in Iran and lacks a clearly defined termination mechanism, resulting in an open-ended conflict with no visible conclusion on the horizon.\n—Danny Citrinowicz is a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs. He is also a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies. He previously served for twenty-five years in Israel Defense Intelligence.\nThis war will have a home front in the United States\nTrump announced the goal for this operation only after it started: sustained attacks to weaken Iran’s security and strategic targets, including Iran’s leadership, until the Iranian people overthrow the regime. This represents a gamble not just in the skies and streets of Iran but on the home front as well. The American people, by a significant majority, wanted Trump to focus his second term on domestic affairs, the economy above all. Because he did not seek the support of Congress and the American people in advance, he will own the outcome. If it succeeds, he may receive a mild domestic boost, but he risks a significant setback to his domestic agenda if he fails.\nTrump’s postwar plan for Iran appears to rest on an obviously untested proposition: that the Iranian people will be able to overthrow an entrenched, if weakened, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps determined to hold onto power.\nBut there is another untested proposition: that the United States can resist whatever asymmetric efforts the Iranian regime will try here in the United States. Given Iran’s peculiar sense of symmetry, Trump’s targeting of Iran’s leadership will almost certainly lead to attempts to target Trump and other top US officials. The Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Capitol Police will all be tested in the coming weeks and can afford zero failures. Iran will try every cyber trick it can mount, testing the Department of Homeland Security, the private sector, and US cyber defenses. Iran tried in the past, unsuccessfully, to meddle in US elections, and would almost certainly fail to have any impact this time. Even though the United States imports very little oil from the Middle East, energy prices may spike, setting back the US economy.\nThis war will have a home front, and Trump needs to find ways of broadening support at home.\n—Thomas S. Warrick is a nonresident senior fellow in the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and a former deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy in the US Department of Homeland Security.\nThis campaign has serious implications for international law\nThe Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is responsible for an untold number of domestic and international human rights abuses and serious violations of international law, including crimes against humanity against the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protesters. Indeed, after Trump promised to “rescue” Iranians who launched the latest round of wide-scale anti-regime protests in January, the IRI responded by massacring, arresting, and executing protesters in the tens of thousands—a scale that is unprecedented in Iran’s history and globally.\nHowever, the US and Israeli strikes on Iran violate international law. Use of force against a state is prohibited under the United Nations (UN) Charter, with exceptions for self-defense and Security Council authorizations. Self-defense must be in response to an imminent threat—and there is no indication such a threat existed to either the United States or Israel. Likewise, there are no Security Council authorizations. As such, this appears to not only violate the UN Charter, but indeed constitutes the crime of aggression as defined by the UN General Assembly and prohibited under customary international law.\nUS and Israeli strikes against Iran triggered an international armed conflict, and international humanitarian law (IHL) now applies. IHL demands that strikes only target combatants and legitimate military objectives, while taking precautions to limit incidental harm to civilians. Information is still coming in on what US and Israeli strikes hit in Iran, and what Iran strikes hit in Gulf states. Reports that dozens were killed in US or Israeli strikes on a girls elementary school warrant investigation, as do reports of IRI strikes on a hotel in Dubai. If either were hit intentionally or because insufficient precautions were taken to protect civilians, they would almost certainly be clear violations of international law. All parties to the conflict must ensure their actions comply with IHL.\nThere is much that can be said on the imperative to constrain and hold accountable actors like the IRI, which inflict atrocity crimes against their domestic populations and globally. But flagrant violations of international law against the IRI by the United States and Israel will only continue to erode international norms and further endanger civilians globally.\n—Celeste Kmiotek is a senior staff lawyer for the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council.\nThe pathway to a stable Iran just got narrower\nFrom a European perspective, there is a lot of attention on whether these military strikes are in breach of international law, but that seems not to have been a dominant consideration in the decision process. Arguments about legality would have to focus on the intent of the military action, but the intent remains somewhat obscure. Both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements as the strikes were launched talked about hitting nuclear, missile, and naval capabilities, but also encouraging the Iranian people to overthrow the regime. “This is the moment for action, do not let it pass,” Trump told the Iranians. And he threatened the IRGC and other security forces with “certain death” if they do not lay down their arms.\nBut the IRGC alone has some 190,000 active members: it doesn’t seem realistic that the president can kill them all or, indeed, guarantee their safety if they defect from their posts. If the Iranian regime emerges decimated, bloodied but still in power, its leaders will declare survival as victory. But if these attacks are devastating enough to collapse the regime, despite its preparations and resilience, it is possible that the whole authority of the state collapses with it. Either way, the pathway to a stable resolution that ends Iran’s threat to its neighborhood and oppression of its people may have become narrower.\n—Rob Macaire is a nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. He previously served as British ambassador to Iran.\nIran could be deliberately holding some of its missiles in reserve\nThe joint US–Israeli strikes against Iran mark a decisive escalation designed not merely to punish but to reshape the strategic equation. Trump has stated that the objective is regime change, pursued through sustained US air and naval operations, which are intended to weaken Tehran’s coercive apparatus while empowering protest elements on the ground.\nThe opening round of strikes appears calibrated toward degrading Iran’s retaliatory capacity and security apparatus: ballistic missile infrastructure, drone production and launch sites, government and military leaders, and key naval facilities tied to potential attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. There are also indications of decapitation strikes targeting senior Iranian leaders, though battle damage assessments remain incomplete and confirmation of high-level casualties is pending.\nThe strategic logic is straightforward. Nuclear negotiations had frozen over nonnegotiable redlines. Rather than accept incremental stalemate, Washington and Jerusalem appear to have concluded that altering the players, not merely the terms, was necessary. Force, in this framework, is being used to degrade capability and change the calculus in Tehran.\nIran’s response thus far has been measured and rational. It has targeted major US military installations across the region: the US Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Dafra in the UAE, and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait.\nIran was assessed to possess roughly 2,000–3,000 medium-range ballistic missiles, 6,000–8,000 short-range systems, and thousands of drones. We have not yet seen saturation attacks intended to overwhelm layered air defenses. It is unclear if that is due to US and Israeli strikes on missile stocks, Iran holding missiles in reserve, Iran testing defenses, or a combination thereof.\nWhether Tehran is deliberately holding reserves, probing defensive responses, or suffering greater degradation than publicly known remains unclear. The most plausible explanation may be a combination of all three.\n—Alex Plitsas is a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, the head of the Atlantic Council’s Counterterrorism Project, and a former chief of sensitive activities for special operations and combating terrorism in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.\nThis conflict will only accelerate the Iranian regime’s economic collapse\nWhile many are debating the strategy behind strikes against Iran as it relates to regime change, there is an important overlooked fact: the Islamic Republic of Iran does not have an economic leg to stand on. With or without strikes, this regime was already in the process of financially crumbling. It was headed toward an economic implosion that could have forced the regime’s collapse on its own.\nIn October 2025, one of Iran’s largest banks—Ayandeh Bank—collapsed. This bank was run by regime elites, it fueled their corruption, and it overspent on lavish projects that failed. The Iranian regime quickly absorbed Ayandeh’s debts and merged it with Bank Melli, the largest Iranian state-owned lender. The regime also mass printed rials, causing the already devalued currency to plummet and inflation to skyrocket overnight, sending shopkeepers into the streets followed by the masses of Iranians who joined them. Ayandeh’s collapse is what precipitated the protests that resulted in the regime’s subsequent massacre of its own people.\nAt least five more of the largest banks in Iran—including banks Sepah, Sarmayeh, Day, Iran Zamin, and Mellat—are at risk of the same fate. This is according to economists and Iran’s own central bank, which earlier in 2025 warned that eight unnamed banks risked dissolution. And because of years of sanctions and economic mismanagement, the regime does not have the billions needed to offer bailouts nor will its international buddies come to save it. What would follow in such a scenario is not only an exacerbated economic crisis, but major defaults and a breakdown in government-paid services and salaries. That would mean the regime’s security forces could go without pay, and dictators are often only as strong as their militaries are loyal, creating a major vulnerability for the regime’s sustainability.\nI cannot guarantee this scenario—it is an assessment of how things in Iran could unfold with or without strikes. But understanding the regime’s economics on top of its other weaknesses since the twelve-day war last June offers insight into what helped motivate the United States and Israel to pursue their operations now. The regime was already standing at the edge of a cliff. This operation likely pushes it over the edge.\n— Hagar Hajjar Chemali is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center. She previously served on the White House National Security Council and at the US mission to the United Nations.\nPrevious strikes have followed a pattern toward de-escalation\nThere are two likely outcomes to this recent escalation of the conflict with Iran: the conflict escalates into an asymmetric war with Iran, or, after a series of tit-for-tat strikes, it de-escalates as it has done in the past. Regarding the first possibility, the scope of any escalation is limited by both sides’ inability to settle their differences. For Washington, that entails regime change to one more friendly to the United States, Israel, and the West more generally. For Tehran, that means driving the US military presence out of the region. For both sides, that requires a greater military commitment than either seems willing or capable of giving. While the US may hope that this current round of strikes will mobilize protests capable of toppling the regime, the fact that Tehran’s ability to crack down on protesters remains undiminished suggests that, while worthwhile, that outcome is unlikely. Without a way to eliminate the other side’s ability to resist, all that’s left are asymmetric means such as air strikes and terrorist attacks.\nIf the above is true, then the second outcome is more likely. In October 2024, for example, Iran conducted a massive ballistic missile and drone strike against Israel in response to Israel’s assaults against Lebanese Hezbollah, including the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel responded to the Iranian attack by targeting missile production facilities in Iran, underscoring their limited nature. In return, the Iranians downplayed the damage and thus the need to respond. This pattern has repeated itself for some time, going back at least as far as the Iranian response to the US killing Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and the US responses to proxy attacks against its personnel in Iraq. Whether this pattern will continue going forward depends on how expansive the responses are. As long as both sides stick to attacking military targets, de-escalation is more likely. Should, however, Tehran conduct terrorist attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure—more likely if it feels its survival is threatened—then escalation to a larger, regional conflict becomes the only option either side has.\n—C. Anthony Pfaff is a nonresident senior fellow with the Iraq Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs\nThe experiment of the Islamic Revolution is done\nThe joint US-Israeli campaign is underway. Until the dust has settled, it will be hard to assess who and what was targeted successfully, and who will remain in Iran after the opening strikes. Reports suggesting that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was targeted at the outset are a good start, hopefully along with the close political and military aides who are key for the regime’s survival. The major figures who carried the regime for decades, accumulating hundreds of combined years in experience, would need to be removed to make way for Iranians to take their fate in their own hands.\nWith this, the objective for the operation had been marked: hitting the pillars of the regime to a point where its post-war survival would be impossible politically, economically, and militarily.\nAfter years of brutality, corruption, and violation of every right Iranians deserve as humans, they can now see what this regime had come to. The experiment of the Islamic Revolution is done.\nGoing forward, the pressure on the regime will rise and the groundwork for an opposition to present itself will be laid out. The real question is: Who will take the opportunity to unite the people and present an alternative for this clerical regime—and when?\nIt’s now time for the Iranian opposition, inside Iran and in the diaspora, to realize this moment. If the regime goes on to survive this war, then it’s hard to see another opportunity for change down the line. However, if the opposition manages to unite around an agreed-upon leader or group of leaders who can claim to be the only legitimate leadership—then Iranians might have a chance at a better future.\n—Michael Rozenblat is a visiting research fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs, from the Israeli security establishment.\nMultiple factors led the US and Israel to strike Iran—and they’re pursuing multiple objectives\nThe joint US-Israel operation targeting Iran follows nuclear talks in Geneva this past week that failed to produce an outcome acceptable to the United States. Further, the strikes come as both the United States and Israel perceive the Iranian regime to be at its weakest point since its founding in 1979, where stagnant economic conditions and ever increasing brutality exercised by the regime are indicative of a state that is forced to resort to extreme violence to retain control.\nFollowing the October 2023 attacks on Israel and the subsequent military operations that followed, Iran has lost its most important proxy forces in the region, as well as its client state in Syria. That loss of strategic depth, as well as an increasingly forward defensive posture by Israel, likely drove Jerusalem to seize what it sees as a historical moment to end what it views as its last remaining existential threat in the region.\nFor the United States, the operation is likely designed to achieve several strategic objectives, including the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program and an end to its use of proxies and missile forces to hold its neighbors at risk. It perhaps also saw an opportunity to reshape Iran and the region in such a way that could see the clerical regime in Tehran replaced by something else, though it remains unclear what may follow.\nRegional states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE will likely continue to call for de-escalation in the coming days as regional instability threatens their economic development models based on energy exports, tourism, and the attraction of wealthy expats. Already there are reports of civilian causalities in the UAE from falling debris when an Iranian missile was intercepted by air defense systems. But so far the Iranian regime has demonstrated its willingness to strike US targets in Gulf countries, and it will likely increase the intensity of its attacks if it perceives operations by the United States and Israel are designed to topple it.\n—Nic Adams is a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. He most recently served as a professional staff member on the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and as senior advisor to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).\nNow the campaign turns on diplomacy, logistics, and opposition forces in Iran\nThis is the big one. The sustaining elements for Trump’s war against Iran are going to be the diplomacy, the logistics, and the politics on the ground. The diplomacy has broken right, so far. Though US partners such as the UAE have been hit, the immediate aftermath has been positive outreach from estranged regional ally Saudi Arabia, rather than distancing from the US campaign. Compare that to the earlier missile strikes in 2022 against Abu Dhabi, which caused an Emirati softening of policy toward Iran.\nThe logistics are unknowable to the outside. Patriot and Tomahawk missiles are in demand everywhere, and the production base is slow. But the administration will have been helped by the halting of further Presidential Drawdown Authority tranches in Ukraine and the rolling six-week buildup it has undertaken in the region.\nThe politics are unknowable to everyone. This is a regime-change war and one that is trying to re-construct basically dormant protests. The most important initial element is to have some area that is relatively free from security forces, where opposition elements can rest and rearm. They’ll also need some weapons to avoid a rerun of January or some tactical link with US air support. They’ll need the opposition to include the upper working class and lower middle class that is the base of support for the regime. And the airstrikes urgently need to remove Khamenei, if he isn’t gone already, and the government’s media infrastructure. Any regime-change struggle is a fight for legitimacy, and that is won by symbols and guns.\n—Andrew Peek is the director of the Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.\nSustaining the operation could impact readiness for other priorities\nAlthough the United States retains overwhelming conventional military superiority, Iran and its proxies can impose significant costs through missiles, naval mines, drones, fast attack craft, cyber operations, and other asymmetric tools—raising the risk of broader regional instability. Reports indicate Iranian forces have already struck US and allied assets in the Gulf, including in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan. Some oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been suspended, as well.\nContaining a sustained regional escalation will require substantial US military resources and could impact readiness for other priorities, including China. A key question is whether the United States has enough high-end munitions and secured sufficient allied support—such as access, basing, overflight rights, intelligence sharing, and logistics—to sustain a prolonged campaign, if necessary, without enormous costs to other global US priorities.\nAnother central issue is the “theory of victory”—how military action would translate into durable political outcomes. Will this lead to an end of Iran’s nuclear program? In past cases, such as the removal of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Qaddafi in Libya, regime change was achieved militarily, but the aftermath proved costly and destabilizing. It’s entirely unclear who would fill the void and whether their views on the nuclear program would dramatically differ from the current regime.\nHow would the United States manage the consequences of a destabilized or even collapsed Iranian government? These risks must necessarily be weighed against the core national security interest of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. It will therefore be important to understand the administration’s reasoning on these and related questions in the coming days.\n—Joe Costa is the director of the Forward Defense program of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council.\nThe US has a critical interest in what comes next\nAs the world watches unfolding strikes in Iran, it’s clear that the joint US-Israeli military operation not only intends to raze Iranian military capability to the ground, but to actively topple the regime—targeting the Iranian political and security apparatus, past, present and future. What comes next has enormous implications for the region and American interests.\nNo one should mourn the passing of a regime that has murdered its citizens, weaponized sectarian and religious identities, fueled terror proxies, armed Russia’s war in Ukraine, and murdered Americans. Iran has consistently served as a driver of instability in the Middle East. It’s also clear that the regime continued to negotiate in bad faith, unwilling to budge on its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, or support for terrorists. Operation Epic Fury is a welcome development.\nHowever, the United States and our partners have a critical interest in what comes next. Neither the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MeK) nor the Pahlavi family are panaceas. Our American experience in regime change following the Second World War, to the Cold War, to Chalabi in the Iraq war, has met with uneven, often unpredictable results.\nAssuming the theocracy is toppled, what is America’s role in a post-Ayatollah Iran? What policies should the US adopt?\nIt’s clear that previous US-Iran policies of containment, isolation, engagement, or considering the nuclear issue in a vacuum, have all failed to address the challenge. Similarly, with the exception of the Marshall plan, American-led post conflict plans have a fantastic failure rate. Hard-earned lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan should be top of mind for US policy makers.\nWhile the US must remain clear-eyed about the persistent threat posed by Iranian militias, remnants of the nuclear program, or another hardliner assuming control of Iran, the United States does not need to own the post-conflict Iranian landscape. America should not entertain investing in far flung disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts, consider American troop presence, or place the Iranian of our choice on a pedestal in the palace.\nInstead, the United States should gain consensus with our regional partners on any emerging political leadership, contain instability to inside Iran’s borders, and use economic levers to influence outcomes.\nAfter all, the US retains powerful non-military tools to incentivize the right behavior in any new Iranian government. As we saw in Syria, an existing sanctions framework is a powerful lever to moderate any new government and incentivize change.\nThe same is true in Iran. Iran is among the most sanctioned countries in the world. This framework provides the US and our partners with powerful tools to shape what emerges next.\n— Colin Brooks is a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and a former senior professional staff member on the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.\nIran’s proxy networks are down but not out\nFor weeks and according to press reports, security services around the world have been on the lookout for the increased possibility of Iranian asymmetric retaliation via “sleeper cells” or other proxy groups prior to or in response to today’s attack on Iran.\nIran’s complex proxy networks are down but not totally out. Even if senior regime leaders are killed in the strikes, the IRGC and other intelligence components have likely prepared for such a day. Iran could look to conduct attempted assassinations, terror attacks, cyberattacks, kidnappings, or sabotage against civilian or military targets—all of which it has been linked to dating as far back as the 1980s and in countries as diffuse as Albania, Argentina, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Sweden. It could still look to activate Houthi or Hezbollah proxies, for example, or conduct more expeditionary attacks via recruited individuals in Europe, the United States, or elsewhere.\nThe Iranian regime has a long memory and has been known to pursue targets for decades, including plots and attempted attacks against dissidents abroad and US officials. It is worth noting that Iran did not appear to activate its most extreme tools of disruption in response to the US-Israeli attack last June, although not surprisingly it did employ cyber, drone, and other attacks. But with the regime now facing the most significant physical assault against its leadership, it remains to be seen whether and how that will alter Iran’s longstanding ability to export chaos and harm.\n—Tressa Guenov is the director for programs and operations and a senior fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council.\nReal regime change requires more than bombs\nThe Iranian people have been clear for the past several years that the Islamic Republic must fall. The United States—both the Biden and Trump administrations—could have taken steps to provide meaningful assistance to Iran’s anti-regime movement ever since the Woman, Life, Freedom movement of 2022-2023 but chose not to. Instead, both administrations attempted to revive a nuclear deal with Iran without discussion of human rights, which legitimized the regime and would have offered it a lifeline had the negotiations succeeded.\nThe Iranian people pressed on alone in their quest to end the regime’s oppression, risking their lives in mass protests in December and January. The regime cut them off from communicating with the world, slaughtered them in the thousands, arrested tens of thousands, and undertook a campaign of terror that has persisted ever since. Trump promising in January that “help is on the way” and then doing nothing as the regime murdered thousands of people with impunity was morally shameful. It also damaged the Iranian people’s trust in the United States. That the Trump administration’s renewed negotiations with the Islamic Republic these past weeks did not include the Iranian people as a point of negotiation was an additional slap in the face for Iranians who have been risking everything for freedom.\nThe Iranian people are not pawns. Trump and Netanyahu have called on them to overthrow their government. But the United States and Irael are offering only bombs from the sky. Iranians were already rising again this past week, as grieving families expressed defiance in cemeteries and university students clashed with security forces. The outbreak of war forces these protests to stop while Iranians seek safety. Bombing thus makes a popular uprising more difficult to organize. If the United States and Israel are serious about regime change, they must do more than simply bomb Iran.\nSuccessful regime change will require significant material aid to the Iranian people, coordination with dissidents on the ground, and carefully considered plans for what might happen after the regime falls. The Trump administration thus far appears not to have such a plan. If the regime does fall—as it deserves to—it is in the interests of the United States for the Iranian people to succeed in establishing the secular democracy grounded in human rights and the rule of law that they have long desired. But there are other forces at play who would push Iran’s future in a less democratic direction. The question is, will the United States help the Iranian people chart a positive path forward, or will it leave them to the wolves after the bombs stop falling?\n——Kelly J. Shannon is a visiting scholar at the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University. She is also a member of the Atlantic Council’s Iran Strategy Project working group.",
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    "article_id": "art_ce300600d0f5",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Live Updates: U.S. and Israel attack Iran - PBS",
    "body_text": "Live Updates: U.S. and Israel attack Iran    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T14:15:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE1mMElMOThXLU1adXViaXVFU19yZFYyZ184U29LNXFYc2YxYlA4ZWRlMEFkbkxsdmprU0JuVDQyUTBNeFJfYlZYTzFPdDNVUE1hc0hKV1B4MnhMUXVzY2M1QkEtTk1JN1hHeXlsVVlQdFBVcGp2U0xrYzNXWDA3WXPSAYQBQVVfeXFMTmdRZmRPdlg3STRqSGlZTFFLZ0pjY1JrZmtrVEtQN2VOUGZZZFF5dEFXTTZiR2lZdkpzRE91VFFwZThZWE1WQzN2a3luWHJnTFBwUXFvcV9uV3NxenBsMnllQndYNFdkdEF0bjhpRUsySTFMUFFGTV9iWTNDN3ZMXy04WWww?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5a47ac2136ec",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Trump and Netanyahu go for Iran’s jugular - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Trump and Netanyahu go for Iran’s jugular\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T14:30:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5sNjRBYkx3VjdwWXdnLUliVVE4Uy1pMk1HV3NsaTFSVWxHMUpaX3VVSWU0RDk5LVdnUWhfZG9TZHZzeURWem9QaXlkNVpFNFdzd2JsMDFtamp4a2VidmVlc1lTUHQ3Z2p6bkYyVDEtcXI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9fc945cfdeef",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Israel Launches Attack on Iran as Blasts Reported in Tehran - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Israel Launches Attack on Iran as Blasts Reported in Tehran    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T14:37:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNalpxNWJEYzg5Z2lJaTltWkEzaXZvalVSc2JSaDVCSEF3aXNRdjlEZnlVZFQwM0JZUnk4M0c5c3FSOHRiczdjWGR5R2ZoRVBBNjJfQ3M2ek53azVOVWJDUlhBbGYxSWFuY3c1WlVRYy05VTlRN0JoSVBvbVlQempTR09YcEMyRkVPdWRqQzl2cWhhUFRkdHNnc0dqM2xSaEhzT2pwVXNVay1LOWFlX3RCV2NpRWc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fec9686ca655",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "World leaders split over military action as US-Israel strike Iran in coordinated operation - Fox News",
    "body_text": "World leaders reacted swiftly Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, exposing a deep divide between governments backing the attack on Iran and those warning the attacks risk a wider regional war.\nIn a joint statement, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Minister Anita Anand voiced firm support saying, \"Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.\" The statement described Iran as \"the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East\" and stressed it \"must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons.\"\nAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also endorsed the action, writing on X, \"Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression.\" He confirmed Australia supports \"the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,\" while activating emergency consular measures and urging Australians to leave Iran if safe.\nThe United Kingdom said Iran \"must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.\" U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said he was speaking with the leaders of France and Germany \"as part of a series of calls with allies.\"\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron warned, \"The outbreak of war between the United States, Israel and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security.\" He added, \"The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop,\" and called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council.\nIn a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom also said they had \"consistently urged the Iranian regime to end Iran’s nuclear program, curb its ballistic missile program, refrain from its destabilizing activity in the region and our homelands, and to cease the appalling violence and repression against its own people.\"\nThe three governments said they \"did not participate in these strikes,\" but remain \"in close contact with our international partners, including the United States, Israel, and partners in the region.\"\nThey reiterated their \"commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life,\" condemned \"Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms,\" and called for a \"resumption of negotiations,\" urging Iran’s leadership to seek a negotiated solution. \"Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future,\" the statement said.\nEuropean Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described developments as \"perilous,\" saying Iran’s \"ballistic missile and nuclear programs … pose a serious threat to global security,\" while emphasizing that \"Protection of civilians and international humanitarian law is a priority.\"\nSpain openly rejected the strikes. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said, \"We reject the unilateral military action by the United States and Israel, which represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order.\"\nMeanwhile, Gulf states responded to reported Iranian missile activity.\nSaudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said, \"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces in strongest terms the blatant Iranian aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan.\" It affirmed \"its full solidarity with and unwavering support for the brotherly countries\" and warned of \"grave consequences resulting from the continued violation of states’ sovereignty and the principles of international law.\"\nThe United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defense said the country \"was subjected to a blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles,\" adding that air defense systems had \"successfully intercepted a number of missiles.\" Authorities said falling debris in a residential area caused \"one civilian death of an asian nationality\" and material damage.\nThe ministry called the attack \"a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act that threatens the safety of civilians and undermines stability,\" and stated the UAE \"reserves its full right to respond.\"\nPakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar \"strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran\" and called for \"urgent resumption of diplomacy.\"\nChina also weighed in. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, wrote on X that Beijing is \"highly concerned over the military strikes against Iran launched by the U.S. and Israel.\" He added that \"Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected\" and called for \"an immediate stop of the military actions\" and \"no further escalation.\"\nTurkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held calls with counterparts across the region, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told Reuters. The discussions focused on \"possible steps to be taken to help bring an end to the attacks.\"\nUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly linked the developments to Russia’s war against his country.\n\"Although Ukrainians never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to become Putin’s accomplice and supplied him with ‘shahed’ drones,\" Zelenskyy wrote, adding that Russia has used \"more than 57,000 shahed-type attack drones against the Ukrainian people.\"\n\"It is important that the United States is acting decisively,\" he said. \"Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken.\"\nRussia sharply criticized the operation. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said, \"All negotiations with Iran are a cover operation.\"\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned, \"We will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity.\"\nNorwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the strike \"is not in line with international law.\"\nReuters contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T14:39:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ef658e1dcd5a",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Tehran started its working week. Then came the explosions - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Tehran started its working week. Then came the explosions\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T14:53:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5SUW90ZG9talBISnY4WXptaTdoQWthOGtSSE9XLVBTWkpzeHhVNlBsQXZUejVFczhTVVVMWlFJQVJJV3lkcHE4SkZhWlA1endQenJZTXZjeV9vMndwVmptTFhkdHh4OVNfQlhVMjNDbkk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_944e2c6fbd0e",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran's supreme leader Khamenei to give speech within minutes after U.S., Israeli strikes on Iran, Al-Alam TV says - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran's supreme leader Khamenei to give speech within minutes after U.S., Israeli strikes on Iran, Al-Alam TV says\nFeb 28 (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will speak within minutes, Iran's Al-Alam TV reported, hours after U.S., Israeli strikes targeted top Iranian leaders on Saturday.\n(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Jana Choukeir, Editing by Nayera Abdallah)",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T14:55:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxPcjloNGVVd1VVb1pxYzdQbWdBaDF5NndyeUlOV1pqRlFuRzctcmZCN1p0ckhpVFFHdjJVWURzaEJIVVp5U2JTcXdNc1JGSWtWbkJmRk41bmprSnVKYjBUR2EtX1h4Znp4SVoxeWlROTBiMWR6clpDUzJZNWxlWG9DT21hMk9VS2hzamkwR3RGRlplU3haTXZDbkZGRWRBY3dqRGJzUHREU200N1FnQ0stLXI3WDFnSHRQeXAzRTgteVNuUkdq?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2ba8db7a5667",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Shock, anger and preparing for the worst in Israel and occupied Palestinian territories - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Israeli and Palestinian civilians faced renewed conflict as Israeli jets, alongside US forces, launched a widely anticipated campaign against Iran.\nJerusalem’s fragile normality vanished as streets emptied, shops closed under police orders, and residents stocked essentials amid fears of prolonged instability.\nHospitals shifted patients to underground facilities, airspace closed, and schools and businesses shut as authorities prepared for a critical scenario.\nTourism halted, with governments urging departures and some embassy staff authorised to leave, underscoring rising international concern.\n“How, less than a year after the war with Iran... are we back at war again,” Knesset member Naama Lazimi said.\nOnce again, Israel and Palestine woke up to war on Saturday morning, with phones blaring emergency alerts across cities as Israeli jets, alongside US forces in the region, launched a much-anticipated and feared war against Iran.\nIt is a familiar drill, more than two years after the October 7 attacks plunged the region into chaos. But even after the Gaza war, and what feels like countless battles with Iran and militant groups across the Middle East since, Saturday was shocking.\n“Yes, we are used to problems, but I was still surprised,” Hania, a Palestinian from Jerusalem, told The National.\nHania, like many in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, had her impression of the weeks ahead shattered by the continuing barrages throughout the morning. “I’ve been suffering with this war since the 1970s, and today is just another reminder that I have never felt the calm peace of freedom,” she added.\nShortly after the interview, deafening whooshes, cracks and booms echoed across the city, a cacophony of interceptions, falling shrapnel and, quite possibly, impacts, although so far only one injury has been reported as a direct result of a strike in Israel. The authorities limit how much the media can publish about hits, fearing security fallout.\nLike all residents of Jerusalem, Hania had been experiencing a gradual return to normality in recent months. A frequent visitor to the Old City, she had been noticing larger crowds of foreign tourists and pilgrims, particularly during Ramadan.\nAfter the second Friday prayers took place calmly this week, albeit under heavy Israeli restrictions, the trajectory still seemed in the right direction, despite increasingly bellicose rhetoric from the US and Israel directed towards the regime in Iran.\nSaturday morning was an unambiguous reminder of how fragile the situation really was. Teeming streets around Jaffa Gate in the Old City suddenly emptied, with police donning full protective gear, setting up metal barriers to restrict access and knocking on shop windows, ordering businesses, except essential ones, to close.\nA supermarket in the Christian Quarter brought in extra staff as crowds entered to buy non-perishable food and hygiene items. The mood was stoic, but the sight of elderly women laden with bags of toilet paper and canned food was a clear sign that even the most resilient Jerusalemites were preparing for very tough times.\nApart from locals, the only other people around were security forces and a few lost-looking tourists, who are now being urged by their governments to leave as quickly as possible. One dishevelled American man was going from person to person saying the missiles were a sign of the Messiah’s return, perhaps a victim of the famous Jerusalem syndrome, where foreign visitors start to suffer religious delusions on visiting the holy city.\nFurther afield, Israeli hospitals were transferring patients into underground facilities, a sign that authorities are preparing for a critical scenario. Schools and businesses are shut, as is the airspace. Some foreign visitors had cut their trips short in recent days, particularly after the US embassy authorised some staff and their families to leave\nBut it also feels different for a less tangible reason, one that has a number of Israelis worried, even in a state that so often unites comprehensively around its armed forces in times of war.\nThey are picking up on the fact that little more than half a year ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump hailed a decisive victory against Iran that they said would bring about a new era of stability in the region.\nAs the interceptions crashed overhead, those claims seemed absurd. Israel is at war again and lives, once again, are on hold.\nNaama Lazimi, a Knesset member for left-wing party The Democrats, wrote on X: “How, less than a year after the war with Iran, when we were told that every threat to Israel had been removed, and the war was described as a total victory − how are we back at war again without anybody in the political echelon saying a word to us about this contradiction?\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T15:07:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1wFBVV95cUxPTUxkQWVud1NaemV6Ukdza0V0SUJlY1ZjREVTc3p4SVRNX2JYbU8tYUJsYVdDczNtU1l4V2N2cldPY3hmYnh2OUZiQ1N0YlVLOE1OM3pqdE8td3R3Wi1oOW00amVXNkllRW1LYy1FSGt4M0VaMUM5UllXSWw5SlFKX2VuZzdocldaeURnOHZhMWhoRThEcTZiWl9yZ3BoRVVFWDdtX091UmlfdmtWXzZ6VFd2OXFlZ04wNXlrTld1N1lOcXcwNUdGZzRTdl9aYXlIYW1FSENnVQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_998e898e19d7",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran fires missiles at US bases across Middle East after American strikes on nuclear, IRGC sites - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran launched missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military facilities in multiple Middle Eastern countries Friday, retaliating after coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites.\nExplosions were reported in or near areas hosting American forces in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, according to regional officials and state media accounts. Several of those governments said their air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles.\nNo U.S. service member fatalities or injuries have been reported yet, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital. U.S. authorities have not publicly released casualty figures or formal damage assessments.\nIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the operation as a direct response to what Tehran called \"aggression\" against Iranian territory earlier in the day. Iranian officials claimed they targeted U.S. military infrastructure and command facilities.\nThe United States military earlier carried out strikes against what officials described as high-value Iranian targets, including IRGC facilities, naval assets and underground sites believed to be associated with Iran’s nuclear program. One U.S. official told Fox News that American forces had \"suppressed\" Iranian air defenses in the initial wave of strikes.\nTomahawk cruise missiles were used in the opening phase of the U.S. operation, according to a U.S. official. The campaign was described as a multi-geographic operation designed to overwhelm Iran’s defensive capabilities and could continue for multiple days. Officials also indicated the U.S. employed one-way attack drones in combat for the first time.\nIran’s retaliatory barrage targeted countries that host American forces, including Bahrain — home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet — as well as Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base and the UAE’s Al Dhafra Air Base. Authorities in those nations reported intercepting many of the incoming missiles. At least one civilian was killed in the UAE by falling debris, according to local authorities.\nIranian officials characterized their response as proportionate and warned of additional action if strikes continue. A senior U.S. official described the Iranian retaliation as \"ineffective,\" though independent assessments of the overall impact are still developing.\nRegional governments condemned the strikes on their territory as violations of sovereignty, raising the risk that additional countries could become directly involved if escalation continues.\nThe situation remains fluid, with military and diplomatic channels active across the region. Pentagon officials are expected to provide further updates as damage assessments and casualty reviews are completed.\nFox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T15:15:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7545e047f926",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Has World War 3 started? The safest countries to be in if global conflict breaks out - Metro.co.uk",
    "body_text": "As the US and Israel launch airstrikes in Iran, with Tehran ordering their own retaliation against its neighbours fears are growing World War III is breaking out.\nDonald Trump has confirmed the US military has launched ‘major combat operations’ against Iran with airstrikes across the country, while Iran says it is carrying out counterattacks.\nIran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reportedly the target of the US-Israel airstrikes on Tehran, which have sparked a retaliation from the regime.\nPrime Minister Keir Starmer has said in a joint statement with the leaders of France and Germany that Iran must ‘refrain from indiscriminate military strikes’.\nAnd as Putin continues his bombardment of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian dictator has already started World War III.\nHe told the BBC: ‘I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him.\n‘…Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves.’\nIf ‘World War III’ did break out, however, some parts of the world are likely to avoid the brunt. Here we take a closer look at where might be a sensible place to hide out.\nAntarctica\nThe continent sits at the most southerly point of the planet making it one of the safest places to survive a nuclear war.\nThere is an enormous geographic distance between Antarctica and countries with nuclear warheads.\nWith more than 14 million square kilometres, there is plenty of room for people to take refuge.\nBut some may find the icy and freezing climate unforgiving.\nIceland\nIceland has earned a reputation as one of the most peaceful countries in the world.\nThe country has consistently topped the Global Peace Index, having never taken part in a full-scale war or invasion.\nIceland’s government has signed bilateral agreements with Ukraine, although its support is limited to financing and a small amount of transportation.\nA relatively remote island geographically, it would avoid the effects of conventional war in Europe – although the fallout of widespread nuclear strikes on the mainland would likely reach its shores in small amounts.\nPrefer us to the others? Then tell Google!\nNew Zealand\nNew Zealand ranks second in the Global Peace Index and has taken a neutral stance on most conflicts.\nThe country also has a mountainous terrain making it easier for citizens to be protected.\nThe Kiwi government has provided financial support to Ukraine’s military and assisted in action against Russia in the International Court of Justice.\nHowever it is extremely unlikely to face any attacks in the event of a Western conflict with Russia.\nSwitzerland\nThis country is the most readily associated with political neutrality, even during World War Two.\nIt is well protected by its terrain, landlocked geography and various nuclear shelters.\nSwitzerland is one of the few European countries not to have provided assistance to Ukraine, and has even been accused of favouring Russia through its neutrality – so Putin is unlikely to see it as an enemy.\nThe Swiss government has blocked the delivery of Swiss-made weapons and ammo bought from other European countries who blocked them.\nIndonesia\nIndonesia has often taken a neutral stance on political issues, with the country’s first president, Achmed Sukarno, describing their foreign policy as ‘free and active’.\nThey act independently within international affairs, and say they are most concerned with world peace.\nTuvalu\nTuvalu is located in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and Australia.\nOnly 11,000 people live on the island and it has weak infrastructure.\nIt also has a limited number of natural resources, meaning it would make an undesirable target to any aggressors.\nArgentina\nAlthough Argentina has engaged in conflict, most notably during the Falklands War in 1982, the country is one of the most likely places to survive famine.\nThe country has an abundance of crop, including wheat, which means if nuclear dust were to block the sun, Argentinians will already have crops in supply.\nBhutan\nIn 1971 Bhutan declared itself neutral in regards to any conflict after joining the United Nations.\nIt is also landlocked and surrounded by mountainous regions, making it easier to defend the country.\nChile\nThe country’s 4,000 mile long coastline spans the distance between Moscow and Madrid.\nChile is also home to a variety of different crops and natural resources, making survival easier.\nIts infrastructure and development is also considered the most advanced in South America.\nFiji\nThe island nation is 2,700 miles away from its closest country Australia.\nAlong with a lack of clear military strategy and an army consisting of just 6,000 soldiers, Fiji ranks highly on the Global Peace Index.\nMuch of the island is also made up of dense forests, minerals and fishing spots.\nSouth Africa\nSouth Africa is home to multiple sources of food, fertile land and fresh water, making survival easy.\nThe country’s modern infrastructure could also increase chances of survival as these resources are managed.\nThis is an updated version of a previous article published November 22, 2024.\nGet in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.\nFor more stories like this, check our news page.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T15:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxQQ1dOdC1Zbll2ejJQZURCOXVwY3hlcmh5X3Znb0I2V2ZoX2w4VVpkUTBjb3Rycm1vTnZmRElpbmdDbW9Pd1Y3eS1qR25PZGJOMnhibXBKM0E5ampPZ1pOYk51Mjh3cC1PTjVhbE1KWE5yUnY5R1hnSmlhNkFMVVRNazIzbGRfdFo0aVNfemg0dE5OemZ3ZVFr0gGcAUFVX3lxTE9ldWRicWZCZmFpaTJ5eVFCUmMwNS03VFVuYUZlZTlDbjVDZHJoaGtjbXlhNTQ3UnRUMllRZFZQWjZZN184andxc18yVnRBY2tGWmpIZUQxU2k3NG9IRzlOaXpSM01YWnBDMGVET3JKVDladEVUdE1nU3p5TGM2Q2c2c0VmOVd6RGNnWWdiT0ZfY2dXQTNFYnk0RFVOYw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8c3903dab85c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Khamenei is alive 'as far as I know', says minister amid reports of his killing - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Khamenei is alive 'as far as I know', says minister amid reports of his killing\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are still alive “as far as I know”, amid speculation about their fate following the US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on Saturday.\nSpeaking to NBC, Aragchi said that the situation was “under control” and that almost all high-ranking officials were safe, apart from a few commanders.\nHis remarks come as Israeli media reported growing assessment within the military that Khamenei may have been killed in the strikes.\nNearly all senior leaders were targeted, Israeli media said, although Iranian outlets have downplayed some of these claims.\nChannel 12 reported, citing anonymous Israeli sources, that the government's assessment is that the supreme leader has been killed. It quoted the sources as saying there are “growing indications” to this effect. The Israeli government, however, has not confirmed the report.\nThe news outlet also reported that Khamenei was expected to deliver a pre-recorded address today.\nMeanwhile, Israel’s Kan state TV said “there is no contact” with Khamenei and that his fate remains unknown.\nThree sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Iran's Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour are believed to have been killed in Israeli attacks.\nIran's Tasnim News Agency confirmed that areas near the presidential palace and Khamenei’s compound were struck. However, an official told Reuters that Khamenei was not in Tehran and had been moved to a secure location.\nIranian state media reported that Pezeshkian was unharmed, along with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army Amir Hatami and Judiciary Chief Gholam‑Hossein Mohseni‑Ejei.\nAccording to Article 111 of the Iranian constitution, in the event of Khamenei’s death, a three-member council comprising the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council would temporarily assume his duties until a new supreme leader is appointed.\nIsraeli media additionally claimed that Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Khamenei, was among those targeted.\nMeanwhile, in an unconfirmed report, an Iranian source close to the establishment told Reuters that several senior commanders in the IRGC and political officials had been killed.\nMiddle East Eye could not independently verify these reports.\nIran retaliates\nDuring Israel’s 12-day war on Iran in June last year, several top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists were assassinated.\nOn Saturday, Israel and the US launched another major attack on Iran after weeks of threats.\nTrump posted an eight-minute speech on Truth Social, stating that “major combat operations in Iran” had begun.\nHe said that Iran had attempted to rebuild its nuclear programme and develop long-range missiles that “can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland”.\n“For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests,” he added.\nIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Iranian people \"to throw off the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peaceful Iran\".\n\"Our joint action will create the conditions for the courageous Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands,\" he added.\nLater on Saturday, Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel as well as various Gulf states.\nExplosions were heard in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, where US bases have been targeted.\nIt is unclear how many Iranians have been killed so far. However, a strike on a school in southern Iran has reportedly killed at least 50 girls, believed to be aged between seven and 12.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T15:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQaTVkcE04enMzZVFaWmYwMEFjOTF6MGNQbENpNWNxOHJ2NUg0ZzF0aU5icEtFM1RDSno4MDFKM2VIT3VsbXhWRVRGODdNaW9MdlV4MDVFTm5GTm85N1hpVE5kQ0Z6UVBpQTRzWnJwR1VuRDZ5emVVZEF3VHc0UTZkNW51WVVlQkE2T2lWdjlpbnNoMTN1Zy1BbGlSUnNHNlZ3alp1SXVPSURJemYyaEN1RA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e6762b0071c7",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Why now? Donald Trump’s shifting arguments for striking Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Why now? Donald Trump’s shifting arguments for striking Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T15:40:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBWdmxDczg1SVhkUEljS2F3OFN1bDJCOUg0QVB4ejhTeVIyUEw4NC1ONDFDVlRjNXlOekpqYnEyU1lVYi1kZzdjZ0xyeDgzNlNmWmtrMUhBOTFfWnFhVkFYbnpjeEgtbGM0ZVVoYlNob2I?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6f4c14e987bf",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Exiled crown prince calls on Iranian people to 'finish the job,' cheers Trump's 'humanitarian intervention' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, described the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on the country as promised \"aid\" and an act of \"humanitarian intervention\" by President Donald Trump.\nFollowing the reported strikes, Pahlavi urged Iranians to abandon the regime and called on security forces to defect.\n\"Moments of destiny lie ahead of us,\" Pahlavi wrote in a statement on social media. \"Even with the arrival of this aid, the final victory will still be forged by our hands. It is we, the people of Iran, who will finish the job in this final battle. The time to return to the streets is near.\"\nPahlavi declared that the Islamic Republic is collapsing.\nHe framed the reported strikes as assistance directed not at Iran itself, but at its ruling clerical establishment and urged the U.S. to \"exercise the utmost caution\" to preserve civilian lives.\n\"The aid that the President of the United States promised to the brave people of Iran has now arrived,\" Pahlavi wrote. \"This is a humanitarian intervention; and its target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its machinery of slaughter — not the country and great nation of Iran.\"\nPahlavi issued a blunt warning to Iran’s military, police and security services, urging them to break ranks with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n\"Now that the Islamic Republic is collapsing, my message to the country's military, police, and security forces is clear: You have sworn an oath to protect Iran and the Iranian people — not the Islamic Republic and its leaders,\" he wrote.\n\"Your duty is to defend the people, not a regime that has taken our homeland hostage through repression and crime. Join the people and help bring about a stable and secure transition. Otherwise, you will go down with Khamenei's sinking ship and his regime.\"\nHis appeal mirrored past opposition efforts to persuade Iran’s security forces to switch sides — a move that could determine whether protests spread or the regime tightens its grip.\nWhile predicting imminent change, Pahlavi stopped short of urging immediate street demonstrations. He warned citizens to remain in their homes and stay vigilant so that when he announces an \"appropriate time,\" Iranians can \"return to the streets for the final action.\"\n\"We are very close to final victory,\" he wrote. \"I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran.\"\nHe also indicated he would maintain communication even if authorities moved to restrict internet or satellite access — a tactic Iranian officials have used during prior waves of unrest.\nPahlavi thanked Trump for what he characterized as support while again urging caution to avoid civilian casualties.\n\"I now ask you to exercise the utmost caution to preserve the lives of civilians and my compatriots,\" he wrote, adding that \"the people of Iran are your natural allies and those of the free world.\"\nPahlavi, the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic.\nIn recent years, he has sought to position himself as a unifying opposition figure during waves of anti-regime protests, including demonstrations sparked by economic turmoil and the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T15:43:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b0ef1f9ebbca",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Are the US–Israeli strikes on Iran justified under international law? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Are the US–Israeli strikes on Iran justified under international law?\nThe US-Israeli air and missile strikes across Iran on Saturday have raised renewed questions about the two nations’ alleged breaches of international legal norms.\nLegal experts have repeatedly denounced US and Israeli attacks over the past year, including those of last June, as illegal under international law.\nFor Marko Milanovic, a professor of public international law at the University of Reading School of Law, who has written extensively on the topic, that argument still stands.\n“The strikes are clearly illegal, in that they are a breach of the UN Charter, which prohibits unilateral resort to force between states,” he told Middle East Eye after Saturday’s strikes.\n“Self-defence is the only possible exception to that prohibition that Israel and the US could rely on, but the requirements for lawful self-defence are not met.”\nLater on Saturday, Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel as well as various Gulf states.\nExplosions were heard in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, where US bases have been targeted.\nIt is unclear how many Iranians have been killed so far. However, a strike on a school in southern Iran has killed more than 150 girls, believed to be aged between seven and 12.\nHow do the US and Israel justify the strikes?\nUS President Donald Trump said early on Saturday that the operation was aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and \"eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime\".\nHe also suggested that regime change is among the objectives of the attacks.\n\"When we are finished, take over your government,\" he said in comments intended for the opposition inside Iran. \"It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”\nIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack \"will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands\" and \"remove the yoke of tyranny\". Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as a pre-emptive strike against threats to Israel.\nWhat does international law say about using force?\nThe UN Charter prohibits states from using force under Article 2(4), except in two cases:\n1. When authorised by the UN Security Council\n2. In self-defence under Article 51, if an armed attack occurs against a UN member state\nThe Security Council did not authorise the 28 February strikes, leaving only the claim of self-defence for possible justification.\nInternational law also criminalises the use of force unless in the circumstances above. Therefore, officials responsible for the attacks may be held accountable if found guilty before domestic or international tribunals.\nAlthough no state leader has been prosecuted for this crime, aggression is one of the four core international crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.\nIt refers to the planning, preparation, initiation or execution of an act of aggression, or the use of force in violation of the UN Charter, by a person in a leadership position, such as a head of state or senior military commander. However, the ICC’s jurisdiction for aggression would not extend to American, Israeli or Iranian leaders, since these states are not parties to the ICC's founding treaty.\nDid Iran launch an attack justifying US/Israeli self-defence?\nThere was no Iranian armed attack on US or Israeli territory immediately before the strikes of 28 February.\nWithout such an attack, states must rely on anticipatory self-defence, which is, in the view of some states, lawful only when an attack is imminent, Milanovic explained. Other states, especially from the Global South, reject the view that self-defence is possible even against imminent attacks which are yet to occur.\nCan self-defence apply if there is no armed attack?\nInternational law distinguishes three views with respect to self-defence, according to Milanovic:\n1. Preventive self-defence, used to counter long-term or hypothetical threats. This is widely rejected by virtually all states and legal experts because it would allow states to strike whenever they perceive a distant danger.\n2. Anticipatory self-defence, permitted only when an attack is genuinely imminent, either in a strict temporal sense (about to happen) or in a broader causal sense (the attacker has the intent and capability to commit the attack, and now is the last window of opportunity to deflect that attack).\n3. Self-defence after an attack, which is the strict reading of Article 51\nAccording to Milanovic, the first view is unlawful under the UN Charter. The third, strict view, would make the US-Israeli strikes manifestly illegal.\nEven under the anticipatory approach, which falls between preventive and strict, the strikes appear unlawful because neither the intent nor the immediacy of an Iranian attack has been demonstrated.\nWhat about claims that Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat?\nThe operation against Iran has been partly justified as a way to prevent Tehran from advancing towards a nuclear weapon.\nBut there's no evidence that Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, and Iranian leaders have repeatedly denied the allegations, saying their nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only.\nNeither US intelligence nor the UN nuclear watchdog has found any evidence that Iran was pursuing an atomic weapon, a narrative Israel and some in the Trump administration have nevertheless pushed.\nTrump himself in June declared Iran's nuclear facilities had been \"obliterated\" in US strikes that month.\nOman's foreign minister, the main mediator in the US-Iran talks, said on Friday, hours before the US-Israeli attack, that Iran had formally agreed to \"never, ever have nuclear material that will create a bomb”.\n“Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapon, nor is there any proof that its leadership would use that weapon against the two states,” said Milanovic.\nUnder international law, imminence requires clear evidence that the attacking state intends to strike; and a narrow time window in which the defending state must act to avoid being hit.\n“Some states argue that self-defence is also possible against imminent armed attacks. But even on the broadest possible understanding of imminence, there was no such attack by Iran against the US or Israel,” Milanovic added.\nWas the operation necessary and proportionate?\nEven if a state could claim anticipatory self-defence, the use of force must still be necessary and proportionate. Strikes must be the last resort to stop an imminent attack.\nAccording to Milanovic, “attacking Iran while negotiations are ongoing is hardly a defensive act that was strictly necessary”.\nThe scale of the operation also raises questions about proportionality, but it’s difficult to assess this on its first day.\nDoes Iran have the right to respond militarily?\nIran is entitled to self-defence under international law, says Milanovic.\n“Iran has the right to defend itself, so long as it acts in a way that is necessary and proportionate,” he told MEE.\n“Again, it’s a bit too early to say whether its armed response has remained within these bounds. It is, however, problematic for Iran to attack facilities in third states, such as Saudi Arabia, which have not been used to commit the attack against it.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:06:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNY1JDOG9LRUJlYTVvbHYxQ0paVUQxODlmVUJSUEI1cTJjb1pITEVva1VSYlFZd09fZlRqT0I0MTl3VVFXUUxhTkthN0ZYZnppcW02bFY0LU1xRHVEcVF1c1doMXg5WnllUE1adnd0d1VnLWtDWkt0MnhkeEktWTZCQS1NcVEwSFZjdEFjeVl1Tl8wZE5hb0hScmVsVE1fNGs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b552acf234f8",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Insurers to cancel policies and raise prices for ships in Gulf and Strait of Hormuz - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Insurers to cancel policies and raise prices for ships in Gulf and Strait of Hormuz\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:07:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9renBmc3VnaHZaMTNHdjB0d3ZjR0hpcHFSZ29GOU5weVNndk9LTU1pX2s2b1Rnc3VGYlFBdDZiNGFHdHBOWHRJb0R0ajd0TG9sZWsteFBlN1JrUzV2REpRb0NhLUpzSlBkN3pvZmRRME4?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d7796e9fb6ef",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Visualizing the US-Israeli war with Iran and retaliation in maps and charts - CNN",
    "body_text": "War in the Middle East is accelerating after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Tehran retaliated with strikes against several of its neighbors, including US-allied Gulf states. Israel and Hezbollah are also trading blows as the conflict widens.\nCNN is tracking the US-Israeli strikes across Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on US military bases and consulates, Israel and other targets across the region.\nUS and Israeli military air strikes killed numerous members of the Iranian leadership, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nStrikes have killed more than 1,200 people in Iran, according to Iranian state media, and at least 394 in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Lebanese authorities said more than 450,000 people inside the country are registered as displaced.\nUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday: “We are just getting started,” noting that the president says to expect “larger waves” of military action.\nA look at some of the damage across the region\nHegseth said the Trump administration is investigating a strike that, according to Iranian state media, killed at least 168 children and 14 teachers at a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran.\nIran’s top official said Tehran “will not negotiate” with the United States, as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said Wednesday that the US will start striking “progressively deeper” into Iran.\nTrump acknowledged there could be more US casualties as the conflict escalates. At least six US service members were killed in Kuwait in a direct hit on a makeshift operations center at the civilian port of Shuaiba on Sunday morning local time, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.\nThe conflict has damaged air hubs, and civilian infrastructure, rocked densely populated areas and disrupted oil shipments.\nShipping disruptions persist in critical waterway amid strikes\nUS Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US Navy will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as military assets in the region are able to direct their attention away from Iran’s retaliatory strikes on neighboring countries.\nIran controls the north side of the strait, a narrow waterway that is the main shipping route for crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.\nAbout one-fifth of daily global production typically flowed through the strait before the current conflict, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.”\nOil prices have surged this week, hiking gas prices when Americans are already struggling with affordability.\nThe AAA national average for regular gasoline has surged to the highest average gas price of either of Trump’s two terms in the White House.\nFlight disruptions\nAs of March 6, nearly 14,000 flights scheduled to depart from major airports in 10 countries have been canceled since the conflict began, data from Flightradar24 shows. A wide corridor of Middle East airspace has remained empty, though some area airports’ departing flights are slowly starting to tick up.\nInternet access disrupted across Iran\nThe people of Iran have been in a near-total internet blackout since the air strikes started. Internet shutdowns have previously been a go-to tactic for the regime, with a previous period of inactivity recorded in January during anti-government protests.\n—CNN’s Jake Tapper, Christian Edwards, Karina Tsui, Tim Lister, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Lauren Kent, Billy Stockwell, John Towfighi, Sophie Tanno and Adam Pourahmadi contributed to this report.\nThis story has been updated with additional developments.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:17:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE5OUDg5MmRaaGJhTlY3b0VOLUd6Y0hINExESVNKeEpZY0VFMlhwd3hVNlVaZTFldE1Kc19fbDZCYWxJbGhPLWt3ZHN2MGV5b0hiTmI1WDdTZTdLb3dYemtWYWg3NUppS3FwTWdpbVo3aFJhSXNyVWdnbXhoYmJtRlU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e449ccfc1ce4",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran Strikes: Key Things to Know About the US-Israel Conflict With Tehran - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran Strikes: Key Things to Know About the US-Israel Conflict With Tehran    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:21:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNR2lTQml2bWpfMzhzaWRPZWtNdnB5YlBxSzlpT0NQZ3lTNjdNSjBMeFkwbEtRQWc1THFocjFUTDJrUmxITWJ4Sy1qZ2JxZGp3ZEs5R3RQUzVtWDcxYTRXYU5NZGVLeVpnNVdXSXFSRW1MM3hKSTNhZ2Q4TGVaYWdDVC1QVlhKZ2pLejA2a0ZVcGpEOHdCNU44UFpnXzZHWEdqY3daT2J1b0VjLTlueGNwTVBpTDJfLVVXQnJwOUFJWUY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_51bb44cb2136",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Oil prices set for swings next week as US-Israel strikes raise supply uncertainty - AP News",
    "body_text": "Oil prices set for swings next week as US-Israel strikes raise supply uncertainty\nFRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Oil markets currently closed for the weekend are set to see price swings next week as the impact from the U.S. and Israeli strikes on oil supplies from the Middle East remains unclear.\nScenarios before the latest conflict with Iran foresaw a quick price spike that fades if the attacks didn’t affect oil shipping and infrastructure such as Iranian pipelines and its Kharg island terminal. However, there would be a bigger price spike and longer-lasting impact if oil infrastructure or supplies were interrupted, for instance because of disruption of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.\nOil prices have already risen on war fears. International benchmark Brent crude closed at a seven-month high of $72.87 on Friday.\nIran exports some 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, most of it going to China, where privately owned refineries are less concerned about the U.S. sanctions that prevent Iran from selling its oil elsewhere. If that supply is disrupted, Chinese customers would look elsewhere for oil on the global market, potentially driving up prices.\nAnother question is around the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil supply pass through each day. Middle East exporters Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates send most of their exports through the strait. However analysts say Iran has no incentive to try to close the strait because it would cut off its own exports and hurt its only big customer, China.\nLimited strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and the Revolutionary Guard that avoid regime change or all-out war could see prices jump $5-$10 based on fear alone, according to Rystad Energy in a prewar scenario.\nA wider war involving Iranian disruption of tanker traffic could see crude push past $90 per barrel and US gas prices “well above” $3 per gallon, according to another prewar scenario from Clayton Seigle at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. U.S. gas prices averaged $2.98 per gallon last week, according to U.S. motoring club AAA.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxOdl95ejVWVmllYnk1MkU1aGNMcUdSWGRucDVwYWxIRG1RSnhDZTU4RWlIc2x2U3Q3WWtJOG9GNEt1MGZvTlZpdXBkQUNLSUoxNVZERkdZU29kUlVlQUF3SGFGbXJIM2REdlpwUUpheWVnMnZ5OEVQSkYxYkhJbXR1R2lCN1pOczJadnY0bVZMSzViRC0zS0FwZE5hUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4b127979a06e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Gulf states condemn Iranian retaliatory strikes on their territories following US-Israeli operation - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Arab nations are sounding off against Iran after the regime launched strikes against U.S. interests in neighboring countries in the region in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli joint strikes against Iran’s leaders.\nThe Iranian response targeted all U.S. bases in the Gulf, except for U.S. bases in Oman, Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported. The Omani foreign minister had tried to mediate the nuclear talks in Geneva, even flying to Washington, D.C., to meet Vice President JD Vance at the White House Friday to try to avert what is quickly turning into a regional war.\nGriffin reported that approximately 40 missiles had landed in Israel. Meanwhile, the U.S. military in Iraq intercepted at least one missile targeting U.S. sites. Additionally, Iran appeared to hit the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, but no casualties were reported.\nIran also launched missiles at Saudi Arabia and Jordan, where the U.S. has squadrons of advanced fighter jets, Griffin reported.\nQatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were among the Gulf states that condemned the Iranian strikes, with many saying they reserve the right to defend themselves and respond accordingly to attacks on their sovereign territories.\nQatar’s Foreign Ministry said it reserves its \"full right\" to defend itself after what it described as Iranian aggression targeting Qatari territory. Its Defense Ministry said it \"successfully thwarted a number of attacks targeting the country’s territory\" after multiple rounds of alerts sounded. Authorities reported no immediate injuries or damage in residential areas.\nSaudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it affirmed \"its full solidarity with and unwavering support for the brotherly countries\" and warned of \"grave consequences resulting from the continued violation of states' sovereignty and the principles of international law.\"\nThe United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said the country \"was subjected to a blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles,\" adding that air defense systems \"successfully intercepted a number of missiles.\" Authorities said falling debris in a residential area caused \"one civilian death of an Asian nationality\" and material damage.\nThe ministry called the attack \"a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act that threatens the safety of civilians and undermines stability\" and said the UAE \"reserves its full right to respond.\"\nJordan's foreign minister wrote a series of posts on X, saying that King Abdullah II \"condemns the attack on the territories of Jordan, and any attacks on Arab countries,\" expressing Jordan’s \"solidarity with the brotherly Arab countries in confronting any aggressions that affect their sovereignty, security, and stability.\"\nLebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it also \"strongly condemns the Iranian attacks,\" adding it \"affirms its full solidarity with these fellow Arab States and firmly rejects any violation of their sovereignty, any threat to their security, or any action undermining their stability.\"\nThe Omani Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran.\n\"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Sultanate of Oman's profound regret over the military operations launched by Israel and the United States of America against the Islamic Republic of Iran, warning of the danger of the conflict expanding into consequences that cannot be rectified in the region,\" the Omani Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to X's translation.\n\"The Sultanate of Oman considers this action to be in contravention of the rules of international law and the principle of resolving issues through peaceful means rather than hostile means, the shedding of blood, and calls on all parties to immediately suspend military operations, while urging the United Nations Security Council to convene an urgent meeting to impose a ceasefire and for the international community to take a clear stance in support of international law.\"\nFox News Digital's Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:36:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4509e80ceb36",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Dubai suspends all flights as Gulf states close airspace after Iran strikes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Global airlines suspended flights across the Middle East on Saturday after the US-Israel strikes on Iran that prompted Gulf countries to close their airspace.\nOf the 3,422 scheduled flights to Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan, 232 flights - or 6.7 per cent - were cancelled on Saturday, according to aviation data research firm Cirium.\nThe highest number of cancellations were for flights to Israel (37.3 per cent), followed by flights to Jordan (13.3 per cent) and to Qatar (10.1 per cent), the data showed.\nThe civil aviation authority said UAE airspace was temporarily and partially closed, according to a statement on Saturday by state-run news agency Wam.\nAs a result, all flights at Dubai International Airport and the emirate's second hub, Al Maktoum International Airport, are suspended until further notice, according to state-run operator Dubai Airports.\nHome carrier Emirates, the world's biggest long-haul airline, said it has suspended all operations to and from Dubai due to multiple regional airspace closures.\nIts sister airline, flydubai, also suspended its operations on Saturday. \"This is a developing situation, which we are monitoring closely, and we are working with the relevant authorities while adjusting our flight schedule accordingly,\" a flydubai spokesperson said.\nLow-cost carrier Air Arabia said on Saturday that it had cancelled flights to and from the UAE, where it has bases in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.\nAbu Dhabi Airports said that some inbound and outbound flights at Zayed International Airport may be delayed, diverted or cancelled due to the airspace closure.\nIts home carrier Etihad Airways said its flights to and from Abu Dhabi are disrupted. All flights scheduled to depart Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Sunday, March 1, it said. Flights scheduled to arrive into Abu Dhabi before that will be cancelled.\nFlights scheduled to arrive after this time are expected to operate, subject to \"operational conditions,\" it said. Flights already on the way to Abu Dhabi are returning to their origin airports where required, it added.\nQatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman closed their airspaces after Israel and the US launched the attacks.\nQatar Airways confirmed the suspension of flights to and from Doha. The airline will resume operations after the airspace reopens, but anticipates where will be initial flight delays, it said in a statement on X. Saudia also cancelled several flights.\nEgyptAir announced the suspension of flights from Cairo to Kuwait, Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Qusaim, Dammam, Erbil, Baghdad, Amman, Beirut and Muscat due to the \"rapid developments and tensions in the region\".\nTurkish Airways said its flights from Istanbul to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan have been cancelled until March 2. Its flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman have been cancelled until February 28, it said in a post on X.\n\"If disruptions remain short-lived the impact is manageable,\" Linus Bauer, head of UAE-based boutique consultancy BAA & Partners, told The National.\n\"If airspace avoidance persists, airlines face structurally higher operating costs, weaker aircraft utilisation and profit margin pressure - especially on long-haul networks reliant on Middle East transit corridors.\"\nHigh risk\nEurope's aviation safety regulator EASA issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin for the Middle East and the Gulf that is valid until March before being reviewed, it said.\nThere is a \"high risk to civil aviation\" in the affected airspace, EASA said, advising airlines against operating there.\nIn a statement on its website, it said: \"Given the ongoing military intervention, retaliatory actions against US and Israeli assets in the region are likely to occur, introducing additional high risks not only to the airspace of Iran but also to that of neighbouring states hosting US military bases or otherwise affected by the hostilities and associated military activities, including interceptions.\"\nDeutsche Lufthansa, British Airways and India’s main airlines, including Indigo and Air India, also suspended their flights to the region.\nImpact on airlines\nThe US-Israel strikes on Iran will mainly affect airlines through \"operational inefficiency\" rather than a collapse in demand for air travel, Mr Bauer said.\nThis means longer and costly re-routing of flights, higher insurance and war-risk premiums, amplifying fragility in route networks, raising fuel costs and magnifying operational disruptions.\nWith Russian airspace still largely restricted for many airlines due to the Ukraine war, \"Europe-Asia traffic flows are already concentrated through Middle East air corridors\", he said. \"Reduced flight routing flexibility compounds congestion, fuel burn and schedule buffers.\"\nHowever, the real impact on earnings often comes from lost aircraft productivity, irregular operations and cargo disruptions, rather than just incremental fuel cost increases, he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:37:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3AFBVV95cUxNWDdkYkFEUnlqeTBNekUtWklBRWducmI2TEV2ek9Tc0g5enZzSk13WGhHYVR0YkVkbUo3YzNtLTdYbFMySU54ZlJpQVZpbE04bklqazMyVnFaYWViLXNJWFhIa09hY2lYaEFnNHlFTWZMWlQ0WWV5al9NVEFVY2w5UEpMd2k5MUYtT1FXVkF0c3BEdnpkQmR6Tk1sUy1zaWFMZ3czdVZwdlNLSEZHZGpYZm9XSVRteFpoUUo0bGRYeGJMTUkwc094VVpsMUN3M3BmbkFYc0xHSE5XTmpi?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_695ca585d8d7",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "A visual guide to the US-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran’s response - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The US-Israeli war against Iran entered its second day on Sunday, as news of the assassination of the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, shook the Islamic Republic and the wider region.\nDonald Trump announced Khamenei’s death while Israel claimed to have killed at least 40 senior Iranian commanders in the first day of attacks. Both countries continued to pound Iran, conducting hundreds of airstrikes across the country overnight and on Sunday.\nDespite the apparent loss of a significant portion of its senior military and political leadership, Iran did not slow its retaliation on Sunday, bombing targets in the Gulf and unleashing waves of ballistic missiles towards Israel.\nOn Saturday, Israel announced the beginning of what it called Operation Lion’s Roar in tandem with Trump, which an Israeli military official said was intended to “degrade the regime’s capabilities”. They said operations would continue for “as long as necessary”.\nTrump went further, saying in a video posted on his Truth Social platform as the assault began that the aim was regime change.\nStrikes hit across the country on Saturday and were followed up on Sunday with further rounds, including in central Tehran.\nThe strikes hit key security and political targets in Tehran, including Khamenei’s residence, and ballistic missile caches elsewhere in the country.\nSatellite footage showed black smoke coming from the supreme leader’s badly damaged compound, and Iranian state media later confirmed he had been killed.\nHundreds of strikes hit at least 14 cities across Iran in what an Israeli military official said was a much more wide-ranging campaign than the previous US-Israeli attack on Iran in the 12-day war last summer.\nStrikes were aimed at intelligence and security headquarters, homes of Iranian officials, as well as ballistic missile launchers and caches – a tactic intended to limit Iran’s ability to respond to the US and Israeli attacks. Israel also said it had targeted Iran’s air defence systems in the west of the country to help establish air supremacy.\nAlmost 150 people were killed and at least 95 wounded in a strike on a girls’ school in Minab, in the southern Hormozgan province, according to state media. The attack was verified by Reuters. There is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base in the same city.\nReuters said it had verified the footage as being from the school.\nIran’s retaliation pushed past previous red lines that had excluded the Gulf from conflict. Much of the Middle East had been affected by Sunday.\nIran struck targets including luxury hotels in Dubai and Bahrain and airports in Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain.\nIt also struck a port facility in Oman and a ship north-west of Muscat, as the Iranian military broadcast radio warnings to ships intending to cross the strait of Hormuz.\nPeople in Damascus, south Lebanon and Amman were shaken by explosions as Israel intercepted incoming Iranian missiles in the sky.\nStrikes on Gulf countries and the wider region left travellers stranded as major hubs in Dubai and Qatar were closed. Flights around and through the region were cancelled or delayed and it was unclear when the airspace above Gulf countries would reopen.\nThe speed at which the conflict turned regional was dizzying. The geographical scope of the conflict exceeded that of the 12-day war within just a few hours.\nSatellite imagery from Vantor showed Iranian vessels burning at the Konarak naval base on Saturday.\nThousands of people gathered in Tehran’s Enghalab Square to mourn the supreme leader on Sunday afternoon, waving flags and chanting slogans.\nWomen wailed and beat their chests in grief and men holding aloft images of Khamenei called for retaliation against the US and Israel for the assassination.\nProtests broke out across the Middle East and the wider region as Shia Muslims gathered to express their shock and anger over Khamenei’s killing. As an ayatollah, he was a major religious figure for members of the Shia faith.\nIn Pakistan, hundreds of pro-Iran protesters attempted to storm the US consulate in Karachi, prompting security forces to disperse the crowd. At least nine people were killed and several others injured.\nProtests also broke out in Baghdad’s green zone, as the Iraqi Shia leaders Ali Sistani and Moqtada al-Sadr expressed their condolences for Khamenei’s death. Hezbollah called for a rally in Beirut on Sunday afternoon.\nPanic consumed the streets of Tehran as explosions rocked the densely populated city. Israeli military spokespeople told Iranians to distance themselves from military and industrial facilities.\nIranian authorities instructed citizens to flee big cities for safety in scenes reminiscent of the mass exodus from Tehran this summer when Israel last attacked the city. Many security institutions and officials are located in residential areas, making civilian casualties likely.\nIsraelis spent much of Sunday in air raid shelters as sirens sounded almost constantly. One person was killed and dozens were injured when an Iranian missile hit Tel Aviv on Saturday night.\nAnother eight people were killed and 20 injured when a missile hit the town of Bet Shemesh on Sunday afternoon.\nIsrael’s home command instructed its citizens to take shelter as Iran launched wave after wave of ballistic missiles at the country. Most of them were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system, which hits projectiles heading towards populated areas in mid-air.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxNb0FqdUVwdVkzV2FtTUtTSVVJN0JTOTFiM1U3dG1SLVhDdFY2bE42VUxDbFpXYnhpSkdLc2Ftemt1a2VPa1B6YVFia1duT2lJc2g3THo3MldDYkZxY0VxQlRUaG50YzJkSWNqMlAzd2ZQYVBoblN6RzNwcHZVNzVJNlk5Zmk4ZmJvb0tXaTh6dVNXM0JxM2p2RTJFLWRVZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_764f5a5d0c80",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'I just hope for a miracle': Iranians brace themselves as US and Israeli bombs rain down - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "'I just hope for a miracle': Iranians brace themselves as US and Israeli bombs rain down\nWhen Hossein woke up in his eastern Tehran home on Saturday morning to the sounds and news of US and Israeli strikes, he immediately tried to contact his parents.\nHe called again and again, but no one answered.\n“The last time I spoke to my parents was last night. I had asked them many times to leave Tehran. I told them that since they are retired, they should at least go to the north for now,\" he tells Middle East Eye, struggling to hold back tears.\n“But they refused. They said this is not a life – leaving our home every couple of days.”\nHossein says his parents’ home was completely destroyed by Israeli strikes on Saturday.\nHe does not know what has happened to them. “I just hope for a miracle,” he says, breaking down in tears and unable to speak.\nHis parents live in the Narmak neighbourhood of Tehran, where Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian president, has been known to reside.\nThe district is home to several high-ranking or prominent Iranians, and therefore a target, as US and Israeli attacks try to decapitate Iran's leadership.\nAs attacks rained down on Tehran and cities across the country, Iran's National Security Council urged the public to leave the capital and other major targets.\nThe roads have been choked with vehicles trying to make their way out of Tehran, a city of 9.5 million people.\nPlumes of smoke could be seen rising from buildings around Tehran, while Iranian media reported attacks across the country, including on the holy city of Qom, Karaj, Isfahan and Kermanshah, and the western province of Ilam.\nSeveral locations in central Tehran were targeted, including areas around Jomhouri and Pasteur streets, which house the residence of Iran’s supreme leader and the presidential office. A number of buildings have reportedly collapsed after being struck.\nMassive explosion\nIranians have been frantically trying to contact their friends and family.\nSiavash, 29, tells MEE he was walking near Vanak Square in northern Tehran when he heard a sudden explosion.\n“I was on the phone with a friend, making plans to play football tonight, when I heard a terrifying noise above me,” he recalls.\n“I couldn’t tell if it was a fighter jet or a missile. Seconds later, it turned into a massive explosion.”\nHe added that the noise didn’t stop as he tried to take cover.\n\"I’m still in shock, and my ears are ringing.\"\nSo far it has been difficult to ascertain the death toll or extent of the destruction caused by the strikes.\n'I have never seen a war lead to anything good. No matter how criminal a government may be, war is still worse'\n- Azar, Tehran resident\nThe starkest incident has been a strike that hit a school in the southern province of Hormozgan.\nAt least 63 children were killed when the blast hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab city, while bodies continue to be pulled from the wreckage.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Trump have both characterised the attack on Iran as a potential liberation for Iranians, calling on them to oust the Islamic Republic's ruling establishment.\nBut the spectre of state collapse, and uncertainty about who would take over, has many in the country worried.\nAzar, a retired high school teacher who lives in west Tehran, lived through the Iran–Iraq war in the 1980s, a conflict that killed as many as a million people and saw the capital pummelled by Saddam Hussein's missiles.\n\"I know how terrible war is. My children are not in Iran, and I live here alone,\" she said.\n\"I don’t understand how some people can hope for war. In my life, I have never seen a war lead to anything good. No matter how criminal a government may be, war is still worse,\" she added.\n\"This morning, I woke up to the sound of terrifying explosions. My children call me every day and tell me to leave Tehran. But where can I go? I am tired now. Truly tired.\"\nUncertainty and anticipation\nThe Islamic Republic has arguably never faced a crisis as existential since the end of the Iran-Iraq war.\nFor some of its opponents, the strikes open up possibilities. Both the son of the former monarch, Reza Pahlavi, and the controversial National Council of Resistance of Iran have moved to declare themselves potential transitional rulers.\nMeanwhile, political groups associated with Iran's myriad minority communities are watching and waiting.\nThe Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an armed Kurdish-Iranian group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), told MEE it seeks to turn the current conflict into an opportunity.\n\"The main cause of the war is the Islamic Republic of Iran,\" a spokesperson for PJAK's diplomatic committee said.\n\"The current situation contains both opportunity and threat. We are trying to turn it into an opportunity.\"\nBut for many in the country there is little to do but wait and watch.\nMilad, 31, was at work in his mobile phone shop on Hafez Street in central Tehran when the explosions began. His shop is close to Republic Street, near one of the reported blast sites.\n'We suddenly heard a terrible noise. At first, we thought it was an earthquake. The sound was so frightening'\n– Milad, Tehran resident\n“We suddenly heard a terrible noise. At first, we thought it was an earthquake,” he told Middle East Eye. “The sound was so frightening. Then there were several more explosions, and everything became more and more scary.”\nAs blasts echoed across different parts of the capital and smoke rose from buildings, uncertainty over Iran’s future deepened.\nIt was the first working day of the week, and many had gone to work wondering whether negotiations with the United States would resume, or whether the country was edging towards war.\nMilad said he quickly closed his shop and headed home. On the way, he followed updates on his phone.\n“That’s when I realised Israel and the United States had carried out the attack,” he said.\n“I honestly have no idea what will happen next. Right now, I feel like a question mark myself.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:44:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQLTkwYWF5c2FjdWtKa3BaRTRaZ1l0VzY4XzFidmJ3cV8yeWJZZDJRS0pqcHkxVnZjYjZRQ2R1ZjRUV0VZN010ZzBvR1lsazctdXduLUtsdzdzU1VxQTZ1SHFpWkdYWmpBVzVHa3hFX05nYmhqSGNTR3hsSHJUVmtZTEEzQkZrWUlrX3VVamdXWU1XYTM2SV9IYjRLRkRBOFhEcVFReGJ2RkdGWTFUWHlReQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9db270c841bc",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US-Israeli strikes a ‘declaration of war’, says Iranian foreign ministry - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baqai has told Al Jazeera Arabic that Tehran views the latest US and Israeli strikes as \"a declaration of war\" rather than a \"limited operation.”\nBaqai warned that Iran’s armed forces are preparing a forceful response. “We did not start the war; the enemy imposed it on us.”\n“The source of any attack against us will be a legitimate target,” he said, adding that “all American and Zionist interests in the region will be targets of our attacks.”\nBaqai insisted that Iranian strikes were defensive in nature and not directed at regional states. “Our attacks on enemy bases in the region are not a military action against the countries of the region,” he said.\nHe also accused Washington of abandoning negotiations. “The United States has betrayed the path of diplomacy,” he said.\nDescribing the broader conflict as an attempt to reshape the Middle East, Baqai said: “The war is not only targeting us, but the entire region, in order to implement the vision of Greater Israel.”\nHe further condemned the strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran that killed at least 85 people, calling it “a war crime.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T16:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxNTEVHVC1OdzdQR0NQRzhoQmRfd29ITEhQWExBNUhIYXUwZW41RkxKQWdXR2ZqYXAyaFBDSVdDLTg1VTl5cFVPNGMxR25qVFRwQmphSW5QV1Bjam43T3VQa21reUZTNmFKQ3hrTWxwRGwwSUF0T3ZUSWdMVlB4c0NMWUxnU0RTRkZEWE1wbmY5T0NSQWtJRkpWZllHOGxubUVDdFQzN1A5Ul8tWHJpNGdic2hEV0dSQ1ByYlhKbTRB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0c9c85f6b23d",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump oversees US strikes on Iran from Mar-a-Lago, speaks with Netanyahu: WH - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Saturday, after launching joint attacks on Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday morning.\n\"President Trump monitored the situation overnight at Mar a Lago alongside members of his national security team,\" Leavitt posted to X on Saturday. \"The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu by phone.\"\nTrump announced in a Truth Social video message at 2:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time that the strikes had been launched, and addressed the Iranian people directly, telling them to \"seize control of (their) destiny.\"\nLeavitt continued on X that Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided congressional notification to the \"Gang of Eight,\" which is a bipartisan group of top congressional intelligence leaders, and that administration security leaders continue to monitor the situation.\n\"Prior to the attacks, Secretary Rubio called all members of the gang of eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members. The President and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day.\"\nGang of Eight Democrats have rebuked the operation, including Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who serves as the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.\n\"Everything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame,\" Himes wrote in a statement. \"As I expressed to Secretary Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight, military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.\"\nTensions have been flaring with Iran for months. The U.S. launched a series of strikes on that nation's nuclear program in June, before returning to the table for negotiations over the program.\nIn the lead-up to Saturday's strikes, Trump had warned that the regime needed to fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure or face consequences.\nTrump celebrated in his video message early Saturday morning directed at Iranians that the \"hour of your freedom is at hand.\"\n\"Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,\" Trump said. \"This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America's help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T17:03:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOM25SNVFQemhsU2tJTjNvZlU3MzVjZ2xjM1lfNXlEaTROUzNfblh6cHZJdzJSa2p5RFVZTEZTMWR5T2NOamZlVWFyYmxjM0RIYURsQ1RCa3ZRRnlWT0luMXUtVGRqZGN3cXhFQS1YMlhPYUJISlJaSHRfc0VLWHFRWmJLYUlfYVJkR3ZQM0hMcTdRd2VlZmx4OGMxaUVibmVz0gGmAUFVX3lxTE5xMm5KUW50azBLZ0RuaWR2ZTBZeEhYOEpsRVNSZEV2NzNFOTFqUWNLLUVaMDUzd0ZYSU5vMDFZZG9DSVZMdHdHbmxXWi1wRV9TcC1fNHBhRk00czRON05QYmFTMklHMFpuYUpwa2FlRFp4SzFBd1VKYWVtV3hTM3laVnZ1cFNsQkJnaWttbi1sTV9IUGRWN09jY2IxNWN0aGNPUkVpTEE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d26e3ea5bd52",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Omar, Squad lash out at Trump in response to Iran strike: 'Illegal regime change war' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both progressive \"Squad\" members, lashed out at President Donald Trump on Saturday in response to his decision to strike Iran.\n\"Trump has launched an illegal regime change war,\" Omar posted on X. \"As someone who has survived the horrors of war, I know military strikes will not make us safer; they will inflame tensions and push the region further into chaos.\"\nOmar, who fled Somalia as a refugee as a young child, added, \"When we abandon diplomacy, we choose destruction.\"\nTlaib reacted on social media to a clip of Trump acknowledging that there may be American casualties in this attack.\n\"He doesn't care about our loved ones in the military,\" Tlaib posted on X in a message that was reposted by Omar. \"He doesn't care about the fact that Americans don't want this war.\"\n\"He doesn't care about the Iranian people. He is corrupted. Don't fall for the lies.\"\nDemocratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also slammed President Donald Trump for abandoning diplomacy in favor of launching an attack against Iran, predicting the outcome will be \"catastrophic.\"\n\"The American people are once again dragged into a war they did not want by a president who does not care about the long-term consequences of his actions. This war is unlawful. It is unnecessary. And it will be catastrophic,\" Ocasio-Cortez said.\n\"Just this week, Iran and the United States were negotiating key measures that could have staved off war. The President walked away from these discussions and chose war instead. President Trump flippantly acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, stating ‘that often happens in war,’\" she continued. \"Mr. President: this was not an inevitability. This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people.\nDemocratic Rep. Greg Casar, another progressive House member associated with the informal \"Squad\" group, called Trump's actions an \"illegal war\" in a post on X.\n\"Yet again, an American president is sending other people’s kids to risk their lives in a senseless regime change war,\" Casar said.\nThe U.S. and Israel launched the joint attack just after 9 a.m. local time in what the Pentagon has dubbed \"Operation Epic Fury.\"\nIn video remarks posted to Truth Social, Trump addressed the Iranian people directly and told them to \"seize control of [their] destiny.\"\n\"The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,\" Trump said. \"This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America's help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.\"\nWhile Trump focused some of his message on empowering the people of Iran, he stated that the intent of the operation is to \"defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,\" which he described as \"vicious\" and \"very hard, terrible people.\"\nTrump also said that while there may be American casualties as a result, the mission is \"noble\" as it is aimed at stopping a \"wicked, radical dictatorship\" from threatening American national security interests and destabilizing the Middle East.\nFox News Digital's Michael Sinkewicz and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T17:05:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPUzd4QjdOREJjMG9nS3kwRFpPN0ZXd29ubHZJUUtzUDdmV1BQYVAtRkthRHFraDdvby1UU1BFUFNqRWtKd1UyVU9RYWNpM2N4OGtBWnJrMUowekNRS2FEZnlyZVQ5LXN5bTFLNE1nYnpCcV9rWEo0cmlpQTF4Y29UcUpQN2c2U25pU3loMlh2ZHBmMTdvVGF2Y0pvUk9RRU9MSm5jSWthdy1CcndxRjBOZkwyQWjSAboBQVVfeXFMT0lkZHNTWFBmZFppYzF3dTlreXcyVFR1Y2FIVmRZU3dDSUFuU19NekJVZlZ3UUh3djNyMXpfa2NGa2ZkeHJxVFRTT1JnZjhIOTVCM2ZYZWlubktpX2NaMUIwQUp3el83VEluZUF3U2M0UkdwZHN0d0oyeHp1dHVfX3JmcmxuLV9HZzhwMWRsdzlkb1p0b1ZjSzhoLTBzaURONm5BRERWenhLRm1hblVoX0QtMkduZm93V1hB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ac614220352a",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran's terror proxies from Iraq-to-Lebanon say ready to respond to US-Israel attacks - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The Islamic Republic of Iran has built a coalition of largely Shiite terrorist proxies — the axis of resistance — that will join Tehran in counterstrikes in response to the joint U.S.-Israel preventive attacks on Iran’s military installations and leadership.\nThe most dangerous of Iran’s allies is its main strategic partner, the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah.\nIsrael’s army had been intensely targeting Hezbollah positions ahead of the U.S. campaign, Operation Epic Fury.\nHezbollah\nThe Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is obligated to disarm Hezbollah, according to the November 2024 ceasefire with Israel.\n\"In Lebanon, we continue to act daily against attempts by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild and rearm,\" Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin said Friday.\n\"An example of this is the strike we carried out yesterday in the Baalbek area, during which we targeted ammunition depots and eliminated terrorists from the Radwan Force. We will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its capabilities and pose a threat to Israeli civilians.\"\nAn official from Hezbollah said Wednesday that the jihadi terrorist organization will not intervene militarily if the U.S. delivers \"limited\" strikes on Iran. Yet the Hezbollah official said the organization regards any attack against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a \"red line.\"\nAccording to the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center (Alma), \"Hezbollah fields a substantial combat force, estimated at around 40,000-50,000 active combatants and an additional 30,000-50,000 reservists. Central to its offensive structure is the Radwan Unit, which Hezbollah is making major efforts to rebuild and restore.\"\nIDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, president and founder of Alma in northern Israel, told Fox News Digital the \"Lebanese army is not putting much effort into disarming Hezbollah. The outcome of that is good intentions are just words. As a resident of the north, I have not seen any systematic disarmament.\"\nEdy Cohen, a Lebanese-born Israeli scholar of Hezbollah, told Fox News Digital the \"Lebanese population does not see Hezbollah as resistance\" because Hezbollah lost its recent war against Israel. He said Hezbollah failed in its efforts to aid Hamas in Gaza to defeat Israel after its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of the Jewish state.\nIraqi Popular Mobilization Forces\nThe second Iranian-backed proxy is the Shiite militia movement in Iraq. Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, told Fox News Digital he believes the Shiite militia will join Iran in the war.\n\"Many second-tier Shia leaders, militia lords, as I like to call them, harbor ambitions to rise and challenge the aging top-tier top leadership,\" Qanbar said. \"They have accumulated enormous wealth, and the only way they can compete with the old guard is by proving to Iran that they are bold, reckless and ready to fight in defense of Tehran.\n\"Their ambitions have blinded their rational thinking. These are militia terrorists with little understanding of the outside world, yet they are dangerously overconfident. They are loose cannons, completely out of control, and Iran is prepared to throw them into the fire because they are expendable. That is why you see Kataeb Hezbollah in Iraq issuing threats, while older, more established militias like Hezbollah Lebanon have made it clear they will not participate.\"\nThe pro-Iran Iraqi militia accuses the U.S. of bombing it and pledged a retaliatory response on Saturday. Kataeb Hezbollah said the U.S. is responsible for a strike that targeted an Iraqi military base that houses the Iranian proxy militia. The Iraqi terrorist group says it will \"soon start assaulting American bases in response to their attacks.\"\nHouthis\nThe third wing of the axis of resistance is the Houthi movement in Yemen.\nThe Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have decided to resume missile and drone attacks on shipping routes and on Israel in support of Iran, according to two senior Houthi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because there is no official announcement from the Houthi leadership, according to The Associated Press.\nOne of the officials said the rebels’ first attack could come as soon as \"tonight.\" Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip is also part of the axis of resistance and Hamas and Iran are also partners in their campaigns to destroy the Jewish state.\nTHE Associated Press contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T17:18:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOcnE4RG4ydWFPWWRpdkktZ1NPc19LSHBqZVQ4Yk1mbmZoNTk0RlJtNDI3RW05S0tjdkI3Q1cza2VwRjRyMkFOU043THhqVjRPRTBEVDdJck5feE1WdW0tRHU3dmRXOE1aXzg5UjZvTmJOVGNZMnllNW9SOWtzM201LWZqVlBORU83c09uSTdZN1IzdGJxTmlxWUlmOU5MbnRQUmVJcWM4d0ttY2PSAbABQVVfeXFMT0paVmlXRXZJYWFqdmFsUFBaeGNBZW1VWFJNbGoxVEdYeDk0WUQxcm93b3dxakxDUDZlNWZhTnFyMkVQVEJDcnpULW1lX0Z5aW5oQVRVS1BFODR5N1dzWU8wMHl2R0REaGFDSnRVQTl2ejNNUmV1cnNLT2hvbWtRNUpfckcwN3dUUWswY1pDWEpWY3dlNno1WVFUN1l3RmdwcTJtZDJHMnIzdmNmblhoYUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1fe18ee2217e",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'No to War': Iranian opposition abroad pushes back against US-Israeli strikes - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "'No to War': Iranian opposition abroad pushes back against US-Israeli strikes\nIn the first hours of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, opponents of the war and critics of the Islamic Republic from across the political spectrum quickly made their divergent voices heard on Farsi social media.\nWhile anti-war activists were swift to revive the Farsi hashtag “No to War” on Saturday, pro-monarchy groups and individuals, led by Reza Pahlavi, called for an escalation of attacks on Iran.\nPahlavi, the Israel-aligned son of the country’s last shah, has been at the helm of a movement advocating the restoration of the monarchy. Since Israel’s 12-day war on Iran last year, his camp has mounted an aggressive media campaign against rival opposition voices.\nRejecting foreign military action on Iran, Panah Farhadbahman, a well-known critic of the Iranian establishment, likened Pahlavi supporters calling for extensive US strikes to those who backed the Islamic Republic during the 1979 revolution.\n“Remember, this is no longer 1979. Whatever you say and whatever you do will be recorded. Tomorrow you cannot tell your children, future generations, or history that ‘we weren’t there, we didn’t do it, we didn’t see it’,” the journalist wrote on X.\nIn another post, Farhadbahman said: “By destroying military and vital infrastructure, Israel and the United States are not only putting pressure on the Islamic Republic, but also on any future government. They are not seeking freedom for the people or even the fall of the Islamic Republic. They want to weaken the Iran of tomorrow.”\nAs calls for more strikes grew louder among certain monarchist circles, criticism of Pahlavi also intensified.\nSome users shared images of Pahlavi alongside his father and grandfather, who ruled Iran with an iron fist from 1925 to 1979. Each was shown next to the flag of the country seen as his main foreign backer.\nFor his grandfather, it was Britain, which supported the 1921 coup that brought him to power. For his father, it was the US, whose CIA backed the coup that returned him to the throne in 1953. Reza Pahlavi was placed next to the flag of Israel, seen as his main supporter today.\n'The blood is on your hands'\nFor many opposition figures outside Iran, Pahlavi’s ties to Israel are the most troubling part of his political position and have drawn strong criticism.\nBehrouz Farahani, a political activist and analyst critical of the Iranian establishment, posted a report on Facebook about Israeli soldiers shooting a Palestinian child, and wrote: “And they want to bring democracy to the Iranian people!”\nThe Toofan group, another opposition movement abroad, also condemned the attacks, saying: “War of aggression is not a solution to any problem. It is the problem. It increases the suffering and pain of the nation. It brings neither freedom, nor progress, nor peace. It leads to endless chaos with no clear end.”\nMeanwhile, images of a girls’ school struck in the southern city of Minab, where officials said at least 85 people were killed - almost all of them girls aged between seven and 12 - were widely shared by opposition accounts.\nOne user reposted a video from the scene and wrote: “No to the Islamic regime. No to war. No to Israeli and US aggression. No to fascism and Pahlavi.”\nWhile this view reflects the concerns of many Iranians inside and outside the country, other figures backed by the US, including journalist Masih Alinejad, called for continued attacks on Iran.\nResponding to Alinejad, an Iranian user reposted footage of the aftermath of an air strike that the journalist had shared earlier, criticising what they described as her support for war.\nThe user said: “Alinejad posted this video with joy, saying [former President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad’s house was hit and that he was probably killed, along with other officials. But she ignored the panic and screams of people at the scene, and the fact that nearby homes were likely destroyed and others may have been killed.”\nThe anti-war campaign on Persian social media has also reached religious minorities who face pressure and restrictions inside Iran.\nIn recent days, a video of Pastor Mona Pahlevani has been widely shared.\nPahlevani addressed Iranians who support the war, saying: “You are responsible for the deaths of Iranians. You who asked Trump for help. Don’t come tomorrow and hold marches for the Iranian dead. The blood of the people killed in the war that Trump started is on your hands.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T17:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxNQ2wwYmxLXy00TG5KSFk5Y3dMLW5XSjhWZGR6cXp6NEtLeFRkZG1peW56dHpCQzRJN0s4UFZZbndueDZNTlNGRk9wSFJ6RTRXQVlHRmJLc1E1RFVPNzdNVnNaZV96THh3MXlVWWJxYTBnUEVMc1RyaHhrQTZaa09nZFZBaUFFOHNINDBZckIyMkpmTmQ3YjZJam1udUFHVVhKbHNPdVRDZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ada5e6b0bbf3",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Anti-US protesters funded by pro-China tycoon mobilize as first bombs fall on Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "In the dark of the night, 10 minutes before President Donald Trump even announced that the U.S. and Israel had attacked Iran, a network of U.S. nonprofits aligned with China, Russia and Tehran activated foot soldiers to hit America's streets.\nGroups funded by Neville Roy Singham, a Shanghai-based, American-born tech tycoon, which regularly parrot messaging from America's adversaries, swung into action even as the initial bombs were dropping. The nearly instantaneous response was the latest salvo in an information war on the U.S., with foot soldiers called upon to converge in protests and echo anti-U.S. talking points.\nAt 2:34 a.m. ET, the ANSWER Coalition, a nonprofit project whose leaders describe themselves as Marxist and communist, announced, \"EMERGENCY NATIONWIDE DAY OF ACTION TODAY, SAT. FEB 28 — STOP THE WAR WITH IRAN!\"\nIt announced its network of groups that have long supported the regime in Iran, including the National Iranian American Council, 50501, American Muslims for Palestine, the People’s Forum, Palestinian Youth Movement and CodePink. The organizations haven't responded to requests for comment. Singham did not respond to a request for comment.\nThe network set the language for its anti-U.S. messaging, calling the war an \"unprovoked, illegal bombing of Iran.\" It even set up a website domain for the coordinated actions at http://ANSWERCoalition.org.\nTen minutes later, at 2:44 a.m., Trump posted a video, confirming the attack on Iran, telling the world, \"A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.\nEight minutes later, at 2:52 a.m., the People’s Forum, a New York-based activist hub funded by Singham as an \"incubator\" for socialist groups, issued an \"emergency\" call to action for a protest in Times Square.\n\"🚨 EMERGENCY DAY OF ACTION IN NYC TO STOP THE WAR WITH IRAN: TODAY, 2/28 at 2PM in Times Square,\" the People's Forum announced.\nThe ANSWER Coalition runs operations out of the People's Forum headquarters in midtown Manhattan. The People’s Forum statement mirrored the messaging in a new video released overnight before the attacks by the Chinese Communist Party, framing the U.S. as an imperial and colonial power.\nThe People's Forum said, \"This war serves no one but a tiny elite and oil executives and is a continuation of more than two years of genocide in Palestine and US-Israeli aggressions throughout the region.\"\nThe same network has mobilized rapidly in past high-profile national security incidents. It previously rallied in support of Nicolás Maduro after U.S. authorities arrested him and his wife, Sylvia Flores, Jan. 3 for alleged involvement in narco-terrorism.\nEarlier this month, when the State Department sent a report to the U.S. Congress raising concerns about this network, it stated, \"Organizations like Code Pink and the People’s Forum denigrate the United States, whitewash the violence of Marxist regimes, and run cover for narco-terrorists like Maduro while enjoying an influx of cash from a donor network with connections to the Chinese Communist Party.\"\nLast summer, the same coalition, including the People’s Forum, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition and CodePink, rallied outside the White House under the banner \"Hands Off Iran.\" That protest was coordinated alongside the National Iranian American Council and amplified by BreakThrough News, which broadcast images of children holding anti-war signs at the White House fence.\nThrough the night of the joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, field marshals immediately readied printed signage, standardized messaging and coordinated media amplification, according to people familiar with the organizations. They linked anti-Israel activism, anti-ICE protests and anti-Trump messaging into a single narrative framework opposing what organizers call the U.S. \"empire.\" Their messages aligned with the messages of pro-regime protests in Iran.\nBy 4:31 a.m., BreakThrough News, a project of BreakThrough BT Media, a nonprofit funded by Singham, promoted the day of \"emergency\" protests as \"BREAKING\" news. It shares the same address as the People's Forum, and its editor-in-chief, Ben Becker, is the son of Brian Becker, a co-founder of the ANSWER Coalition.\nAt 7:19 a.m., BreakThrough News circulated a video of an alleged U.S. strike on a school, which the network's organizations repeated and amplified to portray the U.S. as an unbridled aggressor. The U.S. hasn't commented yet on that alleged strike.\nBy 9:09 am., China's Foreign Ministry called for an end to the strikes, its language aligning with the rhetoric of the U.S. protest infrastructure, calling for the defense of Iran's \"sovereignty\" and \"territorial integrity.\"\nBy then, as many Americans were just awakening to the news, the protest infrastructure was fully engaged with social media graphics circulating, local chapters alerted and Times Square positioned once again as a stage for the rapid mobilization of foot soldiers who would have their images broadcast around the world with the predictable language of Americans mobilizing a \"grassroots\" campaign against the U.S. war on Iran.\nAt 11 a.m., the protests had spread to 16 hubs for the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation: Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Akron, Cincinnati and Cleveland in Ohio; Asheville and Charlotte in North Carolina; Boston; Burlington, Vt.; San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Davis and Los Angeles in California; Providence, R.I; Tucson, Ariz.; and Eugene, Ore.\nA network of pro-regime organizations in Chicago issued its own press release, parroting the messaging against \"the U.S. empire.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T17:27:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d5d3ac3d5993",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Blasts hit Dubai and Abu Dhabi as UAE sucked into US-Israel conflict with Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Blasts hit Dubai and Abu Dhabi as UAE sucked into US-Israel conflict with Iran\nExplosions hit Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Saturday as the UAE was one of several Gulf states sucked into the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.\nThe United Arab Emirates has intercepted at least three rounds of missiles and drones launched towards the country from Iranian territory since US and Israeli strikes started raining down on Iran.\nHowever, some missiles and drones appear to be making it through the UAE air defences.\nResidents of Dubai said they saw plumes of smoke near the Fairmont the Palm and above the Dubai Marina neighbourhood. And video footage on Saturday evening appeared to show an Iranian Shahed drone hitting the city.\nIn Abu Dhabi, residents heard the sound of several missile interceptions.\nThe UAE is one of several Gulf states, including Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, that has come under Iranian fire presumably aimed at US military bases in the region.\nDespite previous tensions with Saudi Arabia, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the situation escalated.\nHe also spoke to the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. All sides condemned Tehran’s attacks on the region.\nAl Dhafra Air Base, just outside Abu Dhabi, is home to 5,000 US military personnel.\nOfficials have gone to great lengths to state that they have been able to deal with the missile strikes “with high efficiency, [and] without any serious material damage”, and that “the situation remains under full control”.\nThe Ministry of Economy also urged residents not to “stockpile” basic commodities, saying the local markets are more than capable of maintaining a healthy supply of everyday staples, including food.\nThe National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority has told residents not to approach or photograph any fallen shrapnel.\nHowever, one Pakistani national was confirmed to have lost his life from the shrapnel in Abu Dhabi.\n'The sounds came from right above us'\nInitially, aviation authorities urged passengers not to head to Dubai International and Dubai World Central Al Maktoum international airports, but by the afternoon both had suspended all flights indefinitely.\nMariam, a mental health professional whose family splits their time between Dubai and the UK, said her relatives inadvertently found themselves among the confusion when they arrived at Dubai International for a flight to London Heathrow.\n“I was dropping off my parents when my phone started to buzz with alerts and messages,” said Mariam, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym due to the UAE’s request that residents not share unverified information with the media.\nMariam said they waited for about four hours in the airport until they finally received word that all flights had been grounded. She said her parents' luggage “is still at the airport”.\nOmar, who also asked to be identified by a pseudonym, said he heard the sound of at least three missile interceptions above his Abu Dhabi apartment.\n“The sounds came from right above us,” he said.\nBy 6pm, Omar received a text message from the Ministry of Interior telling him to seek shelter in the nearest secure building and avoid windows, doors and open areas. He said the alert was location-based and was not sent to all Abu Dhabi residents.\nThough life in both of the Emirates’ biggest cities continues largely as normal, in Dubai there were some signs of unease.\nSpeaking to Middle East Eye around 7pm local time, Akhtar, a ridesharing driver, said traffic in the city was much lighter than normal “because of the Iran-America situation”.\nIn the Dubai Mall, the sprawling Apple Store, which overlooks Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain landmarks, was closed, with no workers or customers in the two-floor shop.\nA sign on the entrance doors read: “Our store will be temporarily closed until further notice.”\nApple wasn’t the only store that was shut, despite this being the busy Ramadan and pre-Eid buying seasons.\nLuxury brands like Maison Margiela, Kenzo, Christian Louboutin, Givenchy, Rimowa, Tumi and Sephora were also all shut, though nearly every other store and restaurant in the shopping centre remained open.\nBecause people were warned that the spread of unconfirmed news reports could result in a fine of at least 200,000 dinars (around $55,000), residents and citizens remain hesitant to speak openly to the press, but the news has certainly caught their attention.\nAt a shisha bar in the Business Bay area of Dubai, a group of young Emiratis were seen showing pictures of smoke plumes and posting stories of support to the state’s security services on Instagram.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T17:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxPS19RYUR6UDdLYjYwVUI4NE4zUXJoUjdndTdxV2djT2NjQm9fV0VHcXZLZm1QMVRyeHZ1ZkRvUHEza2F3X3JmTzE1OWFnSTVZSGhUX1c5MTlCUEVlRnNvTlVHMUduY0pKZVc4YTJRUmwzYjBPOU8xSkF5VmhFMVVSZTVXLVBlZjQ2Zk9XbUZYRE9FSTRzb2xSclNlZnRvTTlWVmc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e7203c4ee7c1",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Tomahawks spearheaded US strike on Iran — why presidents reach for this missile first - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The first missile in the U.S. arsenal used against Iranian targets in Saturday's pre-dawn strike was the Tomahawk, a long-range cruise missile launched from Navy ships and submarines.\nAbout half the length of a standard telephone pole, the Tomahawk flies at the speed of a commercial airliner and can carry a 1,000-pound warhead about the distance from Washington, D.C., to Miami.\nFired from destroyers or submarines positioned hundreds of miles away, the missiles allow a president to respond rapidly to a crisis without sending pilots into contested airspace or deploying ground forces.\nThe Tomahawk has become a go-to option for limited military action, because it offers precision and flexibility while keeping the U.S. footprint small. The missiles can hit fixed targets with high accuracy, reducing the risk of broader escalation.\nPresidents of both parties have used Tomahawks in the opening hours of military operations, from strikes in Iraq in the 1990s to more recent operations in Syria and elsewhere.\nDefense officials and military analysts say the weapon’s long range, reliability and relatively low risk to American personnel make it an attractive first-strike option when the White House wants to send a message quickly but stop short of a wider war.\nThat combination of speed, distance and precision has kept the Tomahawk at the center of U.S. military planning for decades.\nManufactured by defense titan Raytheon — now RTX — the Tomahawk has been a mainstay of the Navy’s arsenal since the 1980s. It was first used in combat during the 1991 Gulf War and has since become a go-to option for presidents seeking to strike from long range without putting U.S. service members in harm’s way.\n\"Year in and year out, administration in and administration out, it’s the long-range land attack cruise missile that presidents reach for first in a crisis,\" Thomas Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital.\nBut heavy use has taken a toll. \"We’ve been using them far more frequently than we’ve been producing them,\" Karako said.\nPrior to Saturday’s operation, the missile was used in June 2025 during a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.\nOverall, the Tomahawk has been deployed more than 2,350 times.\nAt roughly $1.4 million apiece, the Tomahawk missile has an intermediate range of 800 to 1,553 miles and can be launched from more than 140 U.S. Navy ships and submarines.\nThe Tomahawk strike was just one piece of a broader U.S. military posture in the region.\nAhead of the strikes, the U.S. military amassed what Trump previously called an \"armada\" in Iran’s backyard. Mapped out across the Persian Gulf and beyond, the deployment tells its own story, one of calculated pressure backed by credible capability.\nTHE ONLY MAP YOU NEED TO SEE TO UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS TRUMP IS ABOUT IRAN\nThe deployment coincided with indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Trump has warned that the regime must fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure or face consequences.\nAt the center of the U.S. presence are two aircraft carrier strike groups — the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford — each supported by guided-missile destroyers and cruisers and capable of sustained air and missile operations.\nMore than a dozen additional U.S. warships are also operating in the region in support roles, according to defense officials.\nIt was not immediately clear how or when Tehran might respond, though Iranian leaders have previously warned of retaliation in the event of direct U.S. military involvement.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T17:32:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQZHFlMXQxWGZPSkhIczhXWHBVdnpSWG1EZXVFSEluZkFNSTJyYTd0TmRfNzYwV1JXaG4zbkhHNXpScFp0MGdURTdGMC1YUURUanFLcVNDRTFMYU8tYzY0Vl8yR242Z0VnOTRQRFFrTVdMOWJCS0RWbVpEODQ4MS15eWxRTGhaQlR4bE5DOFoyU2w0UzFqQl8xc09kM0ttUjBBU3Z2V193c9IBrAFBVV95cUxPbEFrbzRDalFFTU1iRlRnQUtMc1dJQ0F5NUdrR09lTVJyOWxuR1RzLTVIZFRsa05nR3dSY2RycV9mQ1g0ZkRuX0dJbm1mcDk1THNXZVJIY29ucXdzdG9ndUFpZzZHLWF0WXBXaVFRaWtDRC14UW1CdEoxQk1WMGdYcldrOHhqM3hCaXRNVXVMaV9ENW03dXdiLTJRR1hocUNlSWtWeTdFUl80dzhP?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6ef879f61433",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "War With Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "War With Iran    Fox News",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:03:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid0FVX3lxTE4tY2NuMDFsNWhvOTJ2UVdpejB0cVBsX2Q5TjZzNC1kTWhoNlgtV1J6R2d6cGRaR0d2MGtTX0huU190dlJIRWZua2hyVG10YnlGVGU3dEdCVHI4cW9kYmFoc0xIekZra1JyYVNTRWM5cVd4VVc3UmpF?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_473566e7d156",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US lawmakers condemn Trump over Iran strikes: ‘acts of war unauthorized by Congress’ - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump’s failure to build a case with the US public for striking Iran and then going ahead apparently after a last-minute alert to Congress’s key national security experts – the so-called “gang of eight” – has fuelled fierce domestic criticism of the military action against the Islamic Republic on Saturday.\nBelying the gravity of Saturday’s attacks, the president spent just three minutes of Tuesday’s record-length one hour and 48 minute State of the Union address trying to explain why the need to act against a regime that had been a strategic foe for decades had suddenly become so urgent and whose nuclear facilities he claimed to have “obliterated” in previous strikes last June.\nThe recent precipitous buildup of what Trump called a “vast armada” in the region aimed against Iran starkly contrast with the long steady drum-beat to war with Iraq in 2003 under President George W Bush, who publicly and repeatedly made the case – ultimately disproved – that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.\nAgainst that backdrop, condemnation on Saturday was swift, amid protests that the strikes breached the 1973 war powers resolution mandating congressional approval.\nTim Kaine, a Democratic senator from Virginia, accused the president of pre-empting a Senate vote scheduled for next week on a motion he has sponsored with the Kentucky Republican, Rand Paul. He called for Congress’s urgent return to address the issue.\nAsked by NPR how much notice the Trump administration had given Congress, Kaine said: “Zero. The evidence suggests that the secretary of state called the speaker of the House, and that was it. We did not receive notice.\n“The White House knew that I had a war powers resolution scheduled for vote by the Senate early next week. I assume they wanted to try to rush the initiation of an illegal war before Congress had a chance to vote on it.”\nThe 1973 act – passed in the wake of the Vietnam war and designed to rein in a president’s ability to embark on military adventures without authorization – demands consultation with Congress and 48-hours notification for troop deployments. It also imposes a 60-day limit on unauthorized engagements.\nChuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, called on Congress to return and for the administration to brief senators in a classified briefing and public testimony.\n“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat,” Schumer said in a statement. “Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.\nMark Warner, a senator from Virginia and vice-chair of the select committee on intelligence, called the strikes “a deeply consequential decision that risks pulling the United States into another broad conflict in the Middle East”.\nDavid Janovsky, of the non-partisan Project on Government Oversight (Pogo), said: “The constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to declare war. The president’s announcement today that the US has conducted military strikes in Iran without congressional approval is yet another flagrant abuse of power by this administration. Significant military actions should have more than the sole backing of a single leader – that’s why the constitution requires the people’s representatives to make these decisions.”\nKaine – a member of the Senate armed services and foreign relations committees – said the war powers act could be invoked even after hostilities began, thus justifying his call for Congress to return immediately.\nSenator Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, likewise condemned the action as “illegal”.\n“I lost friends in Iraq to an illegal war,” he wrote on social media. “Young working-class kids should not pay the ultimate price for regime change and a war that hasn’t been explained or justified to the American people.\n“We can support the democracy movement and the Iranian people without sending our troops to die.”\nThomas Massie, the maverick Republican representative from Kentucky – who is a frequent Trump critic – echoed Kaine’s theme in condemning the strikes as “acts of war unauthorized by Congress”.\nMassie had a joint resolution with the Democrat, Ro Khanna, on war powers which shadows Kaine’s and Paul’s Senate motion and is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives next week.\nJim Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, called the strikes “a war of choice with no strategic endgame”.\nIn a particularly striking response, the rightwing broadcaster, Tucker Carlson – a strident supporter of Trump’s Maga movement – excoriated the actions as “disgusting and evil”, the journalist Jonathan Karl, posted on Instagram.\nCarlson’s comments reflected a prominent view among many of Trump’s supporters that his vaunted “America first” foreign policy should preclude open-ended military entanglements such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which the president himself has repeatedly criticized as a mistake.\nBut Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican senator and staunch Trump loyalist, praised the strikes in ecstatic terms as a historical turning point.\n“The end of the largest state sponsor of terrorism is upon us. God bless President Trump, our military and our allies in Israel,” he posted.\nIn a separate post, Graham wrote: “My mind is racing with the thought that the murderous ayatollah’s regime in Iran will soon be no more. The biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years is upon us.”\nAddressing members of the US military, he added: “If you are injured or fall, I believe with all my heart that your sacrifice makes your country and the world a better and safer place. This moment is why you chose to serve.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:07:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxPUUREdE1PV0o1dmlDdUF5aVl1V1B1SmRLeEdVTmotNVhwVUotRXhHYVZjeV9GOWowbFEzS2xEeExqRHNTb1JkcnZDRWM5NFNvVHo0YzV1WlRTODJOcVUwZXZUQ294cVZkVHBTbWc3R3hJMFFpdVg1OV9sVlk1UEJ2N0JOdTQxUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3c060aeb0168",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel's largest ever military flyover hammers Iranian military targets - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Israel pummeled Iranian targets with simultaneous airstrikes from roughly 200 fighter jets in what the Israeli military dubbed its largest ever military flyover in its history.\nThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday published video of its airstrike on missile launchers in western Iran as Israel and the U.S. take part in a joint effort against Tehran.\nThe IDF said the fighter jets flew under the direction of IDF intelligence and the Israeli Air Force and executed an \"extensive attack\" against the Iranian regime's missile and defense systems in western and central Iran.\n\"This is the largest military flyover in the history of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), conducted following accurate planning and based on high-quality intelligence, while synchronizing hundreds of fighter jets at the same time,\" the IDF said.\nFighter jets dropped hundreds of munitions on about 500 targets, including aerial defense systems and missile launchers, attaining air superiority over Iran and severely degrading its offensive capabilities.\n\"The military flyover thwarted numerous threats to the IAF's fighter jets and to Israeli civilians,\" the IDF said, adding that the IAF continues to operate in Iran.\nWATCH MORE ISRAELI STRIKES ON IRANIAN TARGETS:\nIsrael announced it had launched an attack on Iran shortly after explosions were heard in Tehran Saturday morning. One of the first strikes hit near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It wasn't immediately clear where Khamenei was at the time; he hadn't been seen for days.\nIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attacks across the country as being done \"to remove threats.\"\nIran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence sites were targeted, an official briefed on the operation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information.\nPresident Donald Trump said the joint effort was a massive operation to destroy the country’s military capabilities and eliminate the threat of it creating a nuclear weapon.\nWorld leaders were split over the U.S.-Israeli military operation.\nIran launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. bases in neighboring countries throughout the Gulf, prompting many Arab countries to condemn the regime’s strikes.\nFox News Digital's Rachel Wolf and The Associated Press contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:14:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNSVFYVV9YZDhPOEVUQ3MxSmlrM1M0WDFZMkpSNmQ3WnBSRUxjOHZqbEdYbHNMVks3NnVPVzlIRG5yZkZwSzVSYnNzckNTZWt0TE9wUWNQWVpsOUdZeTJTb194UnY1dXkwOUNkQXRjdUlnX1VxU2tfOUw1X25iS1JldDdaaWMzNkZVdTUtci01UFV0ZU1xMDUtbVNJNFZlNlkzYlHSAacBQVVfeXFMUEZEd0luLVE3eGszSTRVUU1yc0VUa01YRDNTVWRvLTNhVWJERmFWTF95RTJfbTVmYzRJOVdkMUg4VEFYM1kyV05mYXBXUHZFMWo3NTNNdDlQclBYV3ZZZzE5X1RhenhJTXU2UEpmY2dSNkdwd0ZqUEtzRGNtUWM4YVZRbGlyNWs2bkdaZWtDNERtNGVpQU9WT3BDZ3otSWZCdGUxOEpBTjQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2e2e02c588a8",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Bipartisan revolt targets Trump's war powers after massive Iran strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump's joint strikes with Israel against Iran have intensified a growing bipartisan push in Congress to rein in his war powers, with lawmakers in both parties demanding votes on resolutions aimed at limiting his authority to use military force in the region.\nMembers in both chambers had already planned to force votes before the first bombs fell Saturday. Now, they are doubling down on calls to restrict the president’s military authority.\nSen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has repeatedly forced votes to curb Trump’s war powers abroad, and he was nearly successful in halting further military action in Venezuela until Republicans blocked the effort earlier this year.\nKaine had already prepped his latest resolution, co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for a vote in the Senate next week. He argued Saturday that the strikes, carried out without congressional approval, further underscore why a vote should be held immediately.\n\"These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,\" Kaine said in a statement. \"The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran.\"\nIn the House, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are preparing their own war powers resolution for a vote.\nMassie said in a post on X that he opposed \"this war. This is not ‘America First.’\"\n\"When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Khanna] to force a congressional vote on war with Iran,\" Massie said. \"The Constitution requires Congress to vote, and your representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.\"\nThe effort has the backing of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who earlier in the week noted that the resolution would require \"the president to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran.\"\nThe resolution’s fate in the House remains uncertain, given that a handful of House Democrats have broken with their party and backed the administration’s strikes in Iran.\nMassie and Khanna’s push may also have the support of at least one more Republican in the lower chamber.\nRep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, appeared ready to back their war powers resolution after news of the strikes Saturday. He reiterated a position he made earlier in the week in a post on X.\n\"I have asked for a classified briefing defining the mission in Iran,\" Davidson said. \"In the absence of new information, I will support the War Powers Resolution in the House next week.\n\"War requires congressional authorization,\" he continued. \"There are actions short of war, but no case has been made.\"\nBack in the Senate, the success of Kaine and Paul’s push will require Senate Republicans to cross the aisle.\nThey found a short-lived bipartisan coalition earlier this year, when their resolution targeting military action in Venezuela survived a key procedural vote. The group included senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Todd Young, R-Ind.\nBoth Hawley and Young later flipped their positions after assurances from the administration that there would be no boots on the ground in Venezuela and that Trump would seek congressional approval for any future military action in the region.\nWhether that same standard will apply to operations in Iran remained unclear Saturday. Murkowski and Young both said they hope to receive thorough briefings in the days ahead.\n\"Last summer, following Operation Midnight Hammer, I supported the administration’s targeted actions in Iran after receiving a comprehensive briefing from senior officials,\" Murkowski said on X.\n\"Events are rapidly unfolding, and I expect Congress to receive the same level of engagement so we fully understand the scope, objectives and risks of any further military action.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:22:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxPTkZVVlhyYVNiSV9rdTlYelRMLTdaZU5MQ19JLWJ4WlUyOEllY1Zlb19KR0dzUjJ5a3pzZGdXeEMxR2VGRGJBTDRkRjBqamdGMzR4YzBkWjB0VUE5NlNvdGh2UkxxTnlSTXRZbnFDMzlEbnVLMmMxSElvSHVpOXdKTHB6OHlVMTFUdG10bmRCMTRRQUhMVFRBbm8tWlh3ekxwVEJhaldB0gGrAUFVX3lxTE9RX201aF9ZX2oxSXlwZUVuMmNxdGR3ODFOUjUwRWY0U1N2NVc5Ulh0dVdoZDF5bWtGSUNxc2JSbkpuSHJxbkNOWE5XaVlJNi1RUTloWUhuSHFXWHZlc0pCQnBxWGM1OVpfdXRjbEEyOEZEQWZEellwMVNvWEJMa2Q5a3FDaV94bG9ic0dSUTVBejlDSHF4M2lSWEotZy16Uk1RMk10VVIxeHFSUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_525569d8a484",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Q&A: US-Israel attack on Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Q&A: US-Israel attack on Iran\nThe National’s Aveen Karim moderates a panel of our journalists to examine the latest developments across the Middle East and the US.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:40:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxPR2tmR1o5NWwzRDYybFZFYWI3NTdjQ2JjT3plS1dSYTRYejgweVlseE5KQTVfYlNwanVZOGJvVWx6VThOSlhrTVBpT1ZzYlBPc0lDQ0U0eFVHZG5HSFZuRVNqZzNkNkRVLVQ3MElac3NGdUE4T2FDWnhta0dlV1NLZA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_04c389bca908",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Did they get him? Khamenei's fate remains unknown after Israel-US strike levels his compound - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Editor’s Note: Hours after publication of this article, Israel confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nAs the smoke was still clearing over Tehran, one question dominated the region and Washington alike: Did they get him?\nIn the immediate aftermath of the Israel-U.S. strikes, with the Israeli Air Force targeting senior Iranian leadership infrastructure, rumors swirled that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 86-year-old supreme leader, had been killed.\nSatellite images showed heavy damage to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s fortified compound, including buildings believed to house his home and the so-called House of Leadership. Parts of the complex appeared reduced to rubble.\nRegional reports indicated a high-level meeting of Khamenei’s top lieutenants may have been underway when the strike hit. Iranian semi-official media also reported missiles struck near the presidential palace and other leadership sites north of the capital.\nAddressing the nation on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Hebrew, \"There are more and more signs indicating Khamenei is gone.\"\nIsraeli officials told Fox News Digital they were still assessing the results and said it was too early to confirm the fate of the 86-year-old supreme leader. They did not rule out the possibility he was killed.\nIranian officials, however, insisted the country’s leadership — including Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian — remained safe, according to The Guardian, despite what they described as an assassination attempt. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the BBC that he was not in a position to confirm whether Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been eliminated.\nThe long-serving cleric has survived decades of internal unrest, assassination plots and foreign pressure. He rarely appears in public without layers of security and is believed to operate through a tightly controlled network of loyalists embedded across Iran’s military, intelligence and political institutions.\nIn an exclusive Fox News Digital report earlier this week, researchers described how Khamenei runs what amounts to a parallel state within Iran’s formal government structure.\n\"The Bayt is the hidden nerve center of the regime in Iran. … It operates as a state within a state,\" Kasra Aarabi, director of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) research at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital.\nEven if Khamenei were removed, Aarabi warned, the institutional machinery he built — involving roughly 4,000 core staff and a broader network of tens of thousands — could continue functioning.\n\"Even if he is eliminated, the Bayt as an institution enables the supreme leader to function,\" Aarabi said. \"Think of the supreme leader as an institution rather than just a single individual.\"\nThat reality complicates the picture.\nFor decades, Khamenei has positioned himself not merely as a political leader but as the apex of a system designed to survive shocks, whether from protests at home or military pressure abroad.\nThe 86-year-old cleric has faced repeated waves of unrest, including mass protests in 2009, 2022 and again in early 2026. Each time, his regime cracked down forcefully, consolidating control rather than fracturing.\nHe has also weathered years of covert operations, cyber campaigns and targeted strikes against key Iranian figures across the region.\nStill, the scale of the latest strike appears unprecedented.\nIf confirmed dead, Khamenei’s killing would mark the most significant decapitation of Iranian leadership since the 1979 revolution. It would also raise immediate questions about succession inside a system he carefully engineered to avoid sudden collapse.\nIf he survived, it would reinforce his reputation for resilience and underscore how difficult it is to eliminate the core of Iran’s power structure.\nFor now, officials say assessments are ongoing, and the question may be answered in the very near future.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:41:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_13e14bd4e707",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'Dubai's nightmare': Iranian strikes shatter calm of UAE business hub - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "'Dubai's nightmare': Iranian strikes shatter calm of UAE business hub\nIran unleashed a furious missile and drone assault across the Arabian Gulf on Saturday in response to a surprise US-Israeli attack, but one city in particular appeared to bear the brunt of it: Dubai.\nThe Gulf emirate, one of seven in the UAE, is the region’s good-time capital, where lucrative business deals can be sealed and celebrated. On Saturday, it was engulfed in billowing smoke and flames as missiles and drones rained down on it.\nThe strikes have more than just geopolitical significance, denting Dubai's reputation for being an oasis of calm and commerce in the Middle East.\nDubai has benefited potentially more than any other city in the world from the post-Covid boom of soaring asset prices, cryptocurrency, and remote work.\nCapitalising on its low tax rate and smooth bureaucracy, Dubai has become a magnet for London bankers and American “finance bros.\" Its financial institutions have served as a haven for Sudanese militia leaders dealing in gold to Russian and Ukrainian expats fleeing war in Eastern Europe.\nDubai’s property market is a testament to its success, with prices up 75 percent since 2020.\nWill Dubai's real estate boom be repriced by a long war?\nA prolonged war in the Middle East could make investors, big and small, think twice, some say.\nPerhaps the most symbolic image out of Dubai on Saturday was a fire engulfing the grounds of the five-star Fairmont Hotel.\nDespite commentary that the hotel was on fire as a result of interceptor debris, multiple videos suggest it could have been hit by an Iranian drone. Footage of a drone slamming into Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah appears to match that of a drone hitting the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet base in neighbouring Bahrain.\nA separate video shot from a balcony appears to show the drone hitting the Fairmont Hotel.\n\"This very frame is already being forwarded to every group chat, every boardroom, every family WhatsApp thread of every expat who chose the UAE over Singapore, over London, over Zurich,” one commentator on X said.\n“The calculation that built modern Dubai is being repriced in real time by people watching their skyline burn through their bedroom windows,” the person added.\nDubai was not decimated by Iranian strikes, but the fallout has shown that Dubai is not insulated from the Middle East’s unpredictable politics, which could dent asset prices and cause footloose investors to rethink.\n“This is Dubai’s ultimate nightmare as its very essence depended on being a safe oasis in a troubled region,” Cinzia Bianco, an expert on the Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote on X. “There might be a way to be resilient but there is no going back.”\nEmirati officials were forced to evacuate Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, amid the Iranian assault. Meanwhile, Al Maktoum International Airport, lauded as the world’s busiest, suspended flights indefinitely.\nThe rest of the Arabian Gulf is essentially fighting for a slice of Dubai’s business, pitching themselves to the same class of wealthy global citizens, albeit with slightly different marketing spins: stealth-wealth Doha, upstart Riyadh, and traditional Muscat.\n'This is Dubai’s ultimate nightmare as its very essence depended on being a safe oasis in a troubled region'\n- Cinzia Bianco, European Council on Foreign Relations\nEven officials from poorer, aspiring states like Syria, Egypt, and Jordan point to Dubai as a model for their development in conversations with journalists and bankers.\nThe Iranian attacks underscore how susceptible any regional business bubble is to the whims of Israeli and US policymakers.\nUS President Donald Trump characterised his war on Iran in a video released on Saturday as a regime change operation.\nSome ports get US Navy traffic around Dubai, but the strikes are also notable because the city-state is not in the vicinity of any known US military bases, which suggests Iran is targeting Dubai because it is a business hub.\nOne Gulf official told Middle East Eye this week that their leadership expected the UAE to come under intense Iranian fire because of its geographic proximity to Iran and Abu Dhabi's closeness to Israel.\nThe UAE has emerged as Israel's closest Arab partner since they normalised ties under the 2021 US-brokered Abraham Accords.\nHas Iran given the Gulf an excuse to join the US war?\nThe US’s Al Dhafra Airbase is located near Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, about 140 kilometers from Dubai.\nThe strikes that have hit tiny Bahrain appear to have targeted the headquarters of the US’s Fifth Fleet, which is practically located inside its capital, Manama.\nLikewise, Al Udeid Airbase is just 35 kilometers away from Doha, which has also come under Iranian fire.\nAt the same time, Iran's strikes across the Gulf appear to have united regional leaders who were at odds with each other over Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza.\nSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman held a phone call with his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed Bin Zayed, on Saturday and expressed solidarity with the UAE.\nBy unleashing strikes across the Gulf, Iran might be giving Arab monarchs the excuse to back the US in its war.\n\"Iran is forcing the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] up the escalation ladder. They will have to consider responding or, at a minimum, allowing the US greater operational freedom to conduct offensive operations from their territories,\" Firas Maksad, at the Eurasia Group, wrote on X.\nIran, on the other hand, might be calculating a different outcome where Gulf countries pressure the US to de-escalate the conflict, particularly if they start suffering heavier losses from Iranian strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxOSW9aX1JCRUk0a3VubUtFQ0QwYVR6V2FQbTlFb3Rha0s3WEhMT2s1UE9IQmhtS1ZUY1VpbF96TXNMRjB6cmJSUkRhUW1KYm5ac0FqX2dFSHZJUkdFblB0UGtUQmVUSDBIZFV6eTE3eEw3aERrRVZVVmZvaWVGRmt6X2VzMGxDeXBKQ3NrLUo4eFhPYks4SUxUTk8waTU?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d9aeadad84c1",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Turkey frustrated after failing to prevent US strike on Iran, scrambles to contain fallout: Analysis - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Turkey frustrated after failing to prevent US strike on Iran, scrambles to contain fallout: Analysis\nRagip Soylu, Turkey bureau chief for Middle East Eye, assesses Ankara’s position on the ongoing Israeli-US war on Iran:\nTurkey did everything it could to stop the US attack on Iran, but it failed.\nAnkara stopped short of directly condemning Washington in order to preserve the rapport between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump.\nAt least one Turkish minister cancelled an overseas trip on Friday evening, suggesting Ankara either had prior warning or anticipated a weekend escalation.\nTurkish officials worry about the potential collapse of the Iranian regime, though they do not see it as imminent. Since June, Ankara has prepared contingency plans along its border in case of refugee flows.\nThe war threatens trade, energy and tourism, and Turkey does not want a prolonged conflict.\nPrivately, officials are frustrated. Tehran rejected Ankara’s offer to host mediation talks in Istanbul, which would have been inclusive and multilateral, with regional stakeholders acting as guarantors.\nInstead, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei opted for bilateral talks with Washington in Oman focused on the nuclear file, a path Turkish officials saw as a dead end.\nNow Ankara risks once again facing the regional spillover of another war, recalling the heavy costs Turkey paid during the Iraq and Syria conflicts over the past three decades.\nForeign Minister Hakan Fidan has been calling, and will continue to call on, regional governments and like-minded European counterparts in an effort to halt the escalation.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T18:58:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxQVW41S1RjOTBrclVZMWJjZGx6emhGRjU5Y0hCOEZ3YUh5OUNLaTJ4ejNhUHY2bFBldktaNzYxR1RUS3lJSGtLWGl6ZmlWbWFKUm5xMUZ1Nm91WmpVZlQzSEdIMGhTWWRueUdiVnJlbVlmSXVyTlM5TDA2MW83enJBU0xONlEwUnB3U01YNktqOXFseHBDWHY4S2RoaEpSSjU2TXFITFF5MUhLNU5rY0xyN0tUTFBfSjhHVzBVNWJFYjBRYnhpazJfQg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0a85b966e83e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Explosions rock Dubai, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait as war spreads across Middle East - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran struck the world-famous Fairmont hotel in Dubai, setting the hotel alight, as the war launched by the US and Israel on Iran quickly spread to the rest of the Middle East on Saturday.\nResidents watched in shock as an Iranian missile hit the five-star hotel in Dubai’s luxurious Palm Jumeirah area. Social media videos showed fires breaking out near the entrance of the hotel, which led to four people being injured.\nLater Dubai authorities said debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire at the city’s famous luxury hotel the Burj Al Arab and Dubai’s international airport. Abu Dhabi Airports said in a post on X that an incident at Zayed international airport in the UAE’s capital resulted in one fatality and seven injuries. It later deleted the post.\n“Civil Defence teams responded immediately and brought the incident under control. No injuries have been reported,” the Dubai media office wrote on its X account.\nThe media office also said that part of Dubai’s international airport “sustained minor damage in an incident,” without giving further details.\nOne Dubai resident said that “everyone is very scared” as the situation continued to deteriorate.\n“There is footage of missile interceptions all over the city,” they said. “I am packing a suitcase just in case … not that we can leave, because airspace is closed. It is the thing we have all been frightened about happening, and now it has.”\nElsewhere in the Gulf, previously considered oases of stability in the Middle East, similar scenes unfolded.\nWithin hours of the first US and Israeli bombs being launched, Iran responded with a wide-ranging attack targeting more than six countries, pulling in places that had been previously untouched by the escalating crisis.\nIn Bahrain, an Iranian drone flew into a high-rise building in what looked like a targeted attack, exploding and engulfing the skyscraper in flames. Earlier, the country’s national security agency was also struck by an Iranian missile.\nSocial media footage also appeared to show a missile hitting the huge US naval base in Bahrain. In Kuwait, a drone crashed into the country’s main airport, wounding several employees and damaging the facility.\nAs Iran responded to US and Israeli strikes by bombing the Gulf and Israel, its proxies joined the fray. Bases belonging to the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq were struck by either the US or Israel, killing at least two members of the armed Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah.\nThe Iran-backed groups responded by coming to its aid, with Kataib Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis both warning they would be joining strikes on US military bases across the region.\nJust a few hours into what Washington was calling Operation Epic Fury, fighting had already expanded far beyond the geographic scope of the previous war in Iran in June 2025, which was almost entirely confined to Israel and Iran.\nFor citizens in the Middle East, the escalating war prompted anxiety and concern.\nIn Lebanon, gas stations across the country had lines 10 cars deep within an hour of the strikes. People in Beirut airport watched as commercial flights were cancelled, and grocery stores were filled with the more cautious stocking up on essential goods – the memory of the 2024 war with Israel fresh in their minds.\nAll eyes were on Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that previously said the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a red line.\nA statement from the group on Saturday afternoon made no mention of whether it would help its chief patron, Iran, but instead condemned what it described as a violation of the UN charter by the US and Israel.\nMany Lebanese dreaded the entry of Hezbollah into the ongoing conflict, fearful of triggering a response from Israel, which has signalled through diplomatic channels that it would unleash a wide-ranging attack against Lebanon in the case of Hezbollah’s involvement.\nExplosions rocked the rest of the Middle East as Israel intercepted incoming Iranian ballistic missiles above other countries. In Jordan, fires blazed in the northern city of Irbid as missile shrapnel fell from the sky and caught alight.\nThe attacks drew condemnation from Arab states around the region for what they called a violation of their sovereignty by Iran. Qatar called the Iranian strikes on its territory a “direct assault on national security”, while it and other Gulf states warned they have the right to respond.\nIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with NBC that he told Gulf states “we have no intention to attack them but we are actually attacking the American bases in the act of self-defence”.\nAttacking the Gulf states was a line Iran did not cross in past rounds of conflict, with rare attacks on oil infrastructure remaining unclaimed.\nGulf states had previously tried to prevent the Trump administration from attacking Iran, fearful of blowback and unintended consequences destabilising the country of 93 million.\nImposing material costs on Gulf states, stable kingdoms unused to wars in their back yards, could be to get the monarchies to put pressure on Trump to halt the bombing campaign.\nSome of the ruling families, such as the al-Thani family in Qatar and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, have close relationships with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who has a heavy hand in shaping the president’s Middle East policy.\nConversely, some analysts warned targeting the Gulf kingdoms could backfire, alienating voices that were previously lobbying the US to reconsider its military campaign on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:06:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQZ2pWRlp4TVRSWjktdElaNWJmMk9WUDcwbmFHSnVkdVhFbllkM3ZERDY3S3lGdi1tc1c5ME9Sdy1tMWNHcGRlMk93Z1UwQXhsREtxeVhoTzFZc2w5WmE2VTV0Y3hFVWN3VnctampxaXdkOGUwUjV3STM2WEtNd1lTeWxlZU84VW5xN24wV0pJaWMxeDZ3N1F4NTFxWGx3OUotYlJBZTRPTjl1OXRldGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d21b2bc15d6c",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "War powers debate intensifies after Trump orders attack on Iran without approval by Congress - AP News",
    "body_text": "War powers debate intensifies after Trump orders attack on Iran without approval by Congress\nWar powers debate intensifies after Trump orders attack on Iran without approval by Congress\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict.\nBoth the House and Senate, where the president’s Republican Party has a slim majority, had already drafted such resolutions long before the strikes Saturday. Now they are ready to plunge into a rare war powers debate next week that will serve as a referendum on Trump’s decision to go it alone on military action without formal authorization from Congress.\n“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a leader in the bipartisan effort. He said the strikes on Iran were “a colossal mistake.”\nIn the House, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., are demanding Congress go on record with a public vote on their own bipartisan measure. “Congress must convene on Monday to vote,” Khanna said, “to stop this.”\nMassie blasted Trump’s own presidential campaign slogan and said: “This is not ‘America First.’”\nBut most Republicans, particularly their leaders, welcomed Trump’s move against Iran. Many cited the longtime U.S. adversary’s nuclear programs and missile capabilities as requiring a military response.\n“Well done, Mr. President,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare.”\nWar powers debate tests Congress\nThe administration’s decision to launch, with Israel, what appears to be an open-ended joint military operation aimed at changing the government in Tehran is testing the Constitution’s separation of powers in deep and dramatic ways. Nearly two months earlier, Trump ordered U.S. strikes that toppled Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.\nWhile presidents have the authority as the commander in chief to conduct certain strategic military operations on their own, the Constitution vests Congress with the power to wage war. Before the Iraq War began in March 2003, Republican President George W. Bush made a monthslong push to secure congressional authorization. No such vote was attempted on Iran, and an earlier Senate effort to halt Trump’s actions after last summer’s strike on Iran failed.\nThe congressional debate over war powers would mostly be symbolic. Even if a resolution were to pass the narrowly split Congress, Trump likely would veto it and Congress would not have the two-thirds majority needed to overturn that rejection. Congress has often failed to block other U.S. military actions, including in a Senate vote on Venezuela, but the roll calls stand as a public record.\nRepublican leaders back Trump’s action\nThe response by House Speaker Mike Johnson reflected the party’s long-standing views. Iran, he said, is facing “the severe consequences of its evil actions.”\nJohnson, R-La., said the leaders of the House and Senate and the respective intelligence committees had been briefed in detail earlier in the week that military action “may become necessary” to protect U.S. troops and citizens in Iran. He said he received updates from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and will stay in “close contact” with Trump and the Defense Department “as this operation proceeds.”\nSenate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., commended Trump “for taking action to thwart these threats.”\nThune said he looked forward to administration officials briefing all senators — a signal that lawmakers are seeking more answers to their questions about Trump’s plans ahead.\nDemocrats warn strikes are illegal\nMany Democrats are calling the operation illegal, saying the Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war. To them, the administration has failed to lay out its rationale or plan for the military strikes, and the aftermath.\nSen. Chris Van Hollen, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the president has undertaken “illegal, regime-change war against Iran.”\n“This is not making us safer & only damages the US & our interests,” Van Hollen, D-Md., said in a social media post. “The Senate must immediately vote on the War Powers Resolution to stop it.”\nHouse Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said while Iran is a “bad actor and must be aggressively confronted” for its human rights abuses and the threat it poses to the U.S. and allies, the administration “must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war.”\nNew York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, demanded that Congress be briefed immediately on the administration’s plans.\n“Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home,” he said.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Matt Brown contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:08:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxPd3ZmazRfWThwM2ZkbDE1cXFKV1ZLYmY1TlF0M05tR3ZtdXdETTJNb1pscTNCOU5HMW5GdWEtUmxBZ19qUGI0OWZjeVgwb19taVBtSzZyRGRzbXJ3NjRxX0ttY05aMjQzY2VfZFo3LUJGWVZUeElMUzNad2FRRkVSSUdCMW1LcExuX2dEN21qZWVpTVgycHJxQWw1SWZmeF9Yd2pRSFp3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0a6a77be5dd5",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israel's Netanyahu says many signs that Khamenei 'is no longer' - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israel's Netanyahu says many signs that Khamenei 'is no longer'    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:09:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxOeVZ3V0lOMXRtMWRQbG5QZlNFMmRsVnBudHNPWlRpYTRJaENFeTh5Y1B6MERRQmRuNERPUk1PMVYzWHN3MEl6NWtfTVByT2NoU1Y4RXlycWQxSHF0MV9Ld3VySldFd2stUC1XNzkwb1hGbmF2Q0gtN3l5aEFicFFobjJrNEZvZnZmOVN5bUFlTDlJd0ZBWWJfdXZ4WUlJTHJyVXQ2YjNsb09JTnc5RGN0bnRVOEs1MnRxZDVpb3ZSclc4clJOMGYwMXFCWFI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_801582026b51",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Could the US-Israel war on Iran drag on? - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Could the US-Israel war on Iran drag on?\nThe US-Israeli strikes launched on Iran Saturday could become an extended operation, with strategic goals both multiple and complex -- aiming to decapitate the Islamic republic and eviscerate its security capabilities.\nIn the 12-day war in June last year, the Israelis, backed by the Americans, carried out targeted strikes aimed at destroying key Iranian nuclear sites.\nThis time \"we are embarking on an operation that is unfolding on a completely different scale, more complex and more complicated\" than in June, Israel's army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir warned.\nIran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said US and Israeli installations involved in the operation were \"legitimate targets\" -- before Iran's state televison announced a new wave of missiles had been fired at US bases in the Gulf.\n\"We are in a large-scale military campaign that, in my opinion, is going to last several days, or even several weeks,\" said David Khalfa, co-founder of the Atlantic Middle East Forum research centre.\n- 'Existential' phase -\nHe described the attacks as a \"multi-domain offensive\" aimed \"both at disrupting the regime's chain of command, shaking the repressive apparatus at its foundations, and provoking at the very least an internal transition, if not outright regime change\".\nThe joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei -- still alive, according to Tehran -- as well as the chief of staff and head of the Revolutionary Guards, the regime's ideological army.\nOn top of that, there have been strikes on Iran's ballistic missile programme.\n\"This is an all-out decapitation campaign and an effort to wear down Iran's capabilities,\" Khalfa told AFP.\n\"It is a direct blow to the state's security architecture and governing apparatus,\" said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at British think tank Chatham House.\n\"This new stage of conflict is existential and clearly about regime survival. It is also unlikely to end quickly.\"\nAraghchi appeared to be dampening down an escalation by announcing on US television that he had explained to Gulf capitals that Tehran had \"no intention of attacking them\" but was targeting US bases on their soil \"as an act of self-defence\".\nAlthough there is currently no communication with Washington, \"if the Americans want to talk to us, they know how they can contact me,\" the Iranian minister said, adding he was \"clearly interested in de-escalation\".\n- Potential conflagration -\nAccording to Khalfa however, the Iranians are already \"in horizontal escalation\".\nAt a moment when the regime's survival is at stake, \"they are prepared to regionalise the conflict by targeting American bases in the Arabian-Persian Gulf and by striking Israel as well\", he argued.\nThe danger is that Arab countries \"might decide to allow the Americans to launch strikes from their bases, or even join the fray themselves because they consider that the Iranian regime has crossed red lines by attacking them on a massive scale,\" said Khalfa.\nAt the same time, Iran's proxies could also push for a regional escalation that would prolong the conflict.\nLebanon's Hezbollah has already called on Saturday for \"the states and peoples of the region\" to oppose the \"aggression\" on Iran.\nWashington itself \"risks being drawn into a new conflict in the Middle East with no clear way out\", said Brandan Buck, a researcher at the Washington-based Cato Institute.\nPresident Donald Trump \"is repeating the same pattern of strategic self-delusion that trapped his predecessors, promising limited action while paving the way for a protracted conflict\", he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:14:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTFBhRUNwVGNQQlc3RE5KR0tZdWcyMUxYeXMtRHVPdWJ5eFFaTW5SbUdBNmtmZGhOeUdEUGwtMmJycmRqcW1nZFdVZGVGT0FCazJFNlhBX3ZKR0pLcUs2TkJKc05WRmFBelZ5dXRwUG9ETHA2Yi0yS0tXX1NTem1mX3M?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_68c2c8753311",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Democrats buck party leaders to defend Trump's 'decisive action' on Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump’s joint strikes on Iran are exposing a divide in both parties, and several Democrats have come to the president's defense while a handful of Republicans questioned his constitutional authority.\nTrump announced U.S. and Israeli forces targeted Iranian leadership and military sites in the early hours of Saturday morning, catching millions of Americans — and the majority of lawmakers in Congress — by surprise.\nA handful of House Democrats are justifying the operation, bucking most of their party who are calling the operation a reckless and illegal action. On the other hand, at least three Republican lawmakers are signaling that the news gave them some pause as of Saturday morning.\nRep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, said the strikes \"are targeting military infrastructure — with warnings to Iranian civilians to take shelter away from these military targets.\"\n\"I want a lasting peace for everyone in the region — from the Iranian people to the Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis, Jordanians and Israelis. I hope these targeted strikes on the Iranian regime’s military assets ends the regime’s mayhem and bloodshed and makes way for this lasting peace in the region,\" Landsman said.\n\"Thank you to our brave service members who are leading this effort, and I pray their work will finally free the people of Iran and those in the region from more violence or war.\"\nReps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., similarly put the onus on Iran, as did Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and John Fetterman, D-Pa.\nOn the Republican side, Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio; Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., are concerned about how actions against Iran could run afoul of Congress' own constitutional authority.\n\"We need a government small enough to fit within the Constitution. We need a government effective enough to solve problems and serve its own people. Or, we need a new Constitution,\" Davidson posted on X.\nWhen another user asked if he supported Trump's actions against Iran, Davidson replied, \"No. War requires congressional authorization.\"\nMassie, a longtime critic of foreign intervention, went so far as to introduce a resolution alongside Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to rein in Trump's war powers. House Democrats are demanding a vote on that resolution as soon as next week.\nLandsman told NOTUS he would vote against such a measure if it came to the House floor.\nGottheimer, while similarly praising the military's moves, refused to tell Fox News Digital if he would support the resolution via a spokesperson.\n\"Today, the United States, with our key democratic ally Israel, took decisive action to defend our national security, fight terror, protect our allies and stand with the Iranian people who have been massacred in the streets for demanding freedom from the murderous Iranian regime,\" Gottheimer said in a statement.\n\"I applaud the extraordinary bravery and professionalism of our service members and pray for their safety as Iran and its terrorist proxies retaliate against American bases and our partners in the region.\"\nHe, like Suozzi and Rosen, called for a classified briefing on the operation's details.\n\"I agree with the President’s objectives that Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear capabilities. The President must now clearly define the national security objective and articulate his plan to avoid another costly, prolonged war in the Middle East,\" Suozzi said in his own statement.\nFetterman, meanwhile, has been among the Democrats most full-throated in his support.\n\"President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,\" he posted on X early Saturday morning, among the first lawmakers to sound off.\nHe said of the war powers vote, \"I’m a hard no. My vote is Operation Epic Fury.\"\nIt's a stark contrast to the majority of Democratic lawmakers who have lambasted Trump for not getting authorization from Congress before the strikes.\nHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Trump moving to \"abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions.\"\nIn the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, \"Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:18:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxNMjBiLXpRX2ZHZkRMOXlfcVJZbnI0ZW5oU0wtTDBvcWd2QWRPTk1MNVZMTnV5d2VNUzRXUGtGVUZhUVFpVlVvQnZadHlHamsya1hnQjJsdFExNXFrZHNPRHhGaE5udWVDY2I3bVFmV3dGTGNIdTlmQ011NGxCNXRjYkY4N3dlakprdTIwaC1IX0t1eXloV0tRQmZIR23SAaIBQVVfeXFMT2owTEJZY3RIZzdOWGtBR3J4VkJkN3BDMllPR1IxUXJFb2p2d1kxcVJJMDdXM0V2SEZtUFlON2tWU2ZPQ2ptdmxGWDZ3Wm5tTlJ2aG5xMWxYRUJxazg0ODlTWmJoTHRyNk9KNHNFc0Qzc2I3cXZERERzQ3g5cjBxLTloSHpyUlBwUXp3UXZkejhuZHpxZy1BQmg4R01yU0ZJeFh3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4e200cbfbf5e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Dubai hotel fire appears to be caused by Iranian strike; injuries reported - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Four people were injured in a hotel fire in the Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai after a loud explosion was reportedly heard as the Iranian regime launched retaliatory strikes in the Middle East.\nThe Dubai Media Office, a government entity, said in a statement Saturday that the site was secured and the fire had been contained.\n\"The safety and wellbeing of residents and visitors remain the highest priority. Authorities continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard the public. The public is urged to remain calm, rely solely on verified information from official sources, and refrain from circulating videos or images on social media,\" the media office wrote on X.\nDubai authorities confirmed that \"an incident\" had occurred in a building and that emergency response teams had responded, although they did not elaborate on what had caused the incident.\nReports suggest United Arab Emirates forces intercepted an Iranian air attack in retaliation for U.S. forces conducting Operation Epic Fury against Iran.\nIran's retaliation against the U.S. and Israel's attacks has been focused on Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East. Explosions have reportedly been heard in several countries hosting U.S. forces, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.\nMany Gulf states condemned Iran's retaliatory strikes on their territories and affirmed solidarity with their neighbors in the region.\nQatar's Foreign Ministry said it reserves its \"full right\" to defend itself after what it described as Iranian aggression targeting Qatari territory, while Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry warned of \"grave consequences resulting from the continued violation of states’ sovereignty and the principles of international law.\"\nThe United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said the country \"was subjected to a blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles,\" adding that air defense systems \"successfully intercepted a number of missiles.\" It stated the UAE \"reserves its full right to respond.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:21:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxOdzRmX1RxNFh3WmpDbTVTaTR0Rng1R0xJQlpzNlNTV1B4bzF2eFFzNlE1Sy1aWGk5bmcxSVh1N09tRDVMb3k2N1VJd2cxNEt3TFNGQWNwWjA2dF91eURpMkoyazd1eDNualFqdDJCZndjaENvU2RuRUhTYll2OUdvNFk2M1hldW1NOVdDNmloSGp4Zko0Ty1tX2F30gGfAUFVX3lxTE9FSHRQZG40N09hczlYdWVpd3V1Q3BHNEJkNVNvQktCeC1wVmpnZ1BRVDhFVmlncER0TFdWbGU2NGgxQTg3N1JRUlBPQm54Y0dwdE1rcEJISlpkUlRBakNlRTVZZmRHSFBRbHpCa1RXUzVoaWdmaDQ4YTdiQm5vTEkyTEVvT2FqdFBMaWRTM2ZwVFJNTlFGMTJzUnVnZHktZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a1f5ad316e6c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Analysis-Iran missiles brings war to Gulf doorstep; hardens support for US–Israel campaign - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Analysis-Iran missiles brings war to Gulf doorstep; hardens support for US–Israel campaign\nBy Samia Nakhoul\nDUBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Thunderous blasts and towering fireballs from Iranian missiles streaking across Gulf states vindicated their leaders' long-held fears that Tehran can bring war to their doorstep, likely to harden Arab rulers' support for U.S.–Israeli strikes.\nEven in the Palm, Dubai's swankiest resort, explosions rattled buildings and hit a luxury hotel, sending panicked residents running for cover as missiles and interceptors tore across the sky. It was a stark sign that the conflict had spilled beyond Iran’s borders - just as Tehran had warned it would.\n\"What has now been proven is that we - not the United States - are in the line of fire,\" said Dr Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, President of the Emirates Policy Center. \"When Iran struck, it struck the Gulf first under the pretext of targeting U.S. bases.\"\nAnalysts say Iran's strikes on Gulf countries are meant to demonstrate that no U.S. ally in the region is beyond reach, and to raise the cost of backing Washington’s campaign.\n\"The danger is that any miscalculation could push the region from an exchange of signals into an open war,” added al Ketbi.\n'EXISTENTIAL' WAR\nGulf sources say that by targeting oil-rich Gulf states, Tehran is “internationalising the battlefield” and threatening global oil flows, not just regional security.\nFor fast-growing economies such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- dependent on open airspace, secure shipping lanes and trade -- a broader conflict would be deeply disruptive.\nIn framing the war as a push for regime change in Iran, Trump has made it existential, raising the risk that Tehran lashes out, said Mohammed Baharoon, director-general of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center (B’huth).\n\"If Iran miscalculates and carries out an act of war against Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the conflict will change fundamentally. People can't stand by while lives are being lost and assets destroyed and do nothing.\"\nGulf analyst Abdelkhaleq Abdulla said Iran was making a strategic mistake by targeting its closest neighbours.\n\"It is foolish of Iran to alienate the people nearest to it,\" Abdulla said. \"Tehran may believe it is targeting U.S. military bases, but Gulf states see this as a blatant act of aggression-- a violation of their sovereignty and an attack on their land.\"\nIn indirect U.S.–Iran talks in recent weeks aimed at averting war, Tehran agreed to discuss its nuclear programme but insisted its ballistic missiles and support for regional militias were off the table, sources close to the talks said.\nIran has indicated that any discussion about its missiles and its allied militias take place only in a regional framework, without Washington, the sources said.\nBut the Gulf Arab states - longtime U.S. partners which have previous experience of being targets of attacks by Iran and its proxies - argue that sidelining Washington would weaken, not stabilise the region’s security architecture.\nFrom the Gulf perspective, Iran's missile arsenal and its proxies pose direct threats. Tehran floated a regional security forum without U.S. participation, but Gulf states saw little traction without external security guarantors.\n\"The implications are huge for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf,\" said one source close to government circles. \"All U.S. allies in the region are now united against Iran.\"\nTRUMP RAISES THE RISK\nPaul Salem of the Middle East Institute noted that Trump’s message has shifted sharply. While just days ago he framed potential U.S. strikes as leverage to push Iran toward a nuclear deal, his speech announcing them openly called for regime change.\nIn contrast to the massive 2003 U.S. ground invasion of Iraq, Trump appears to be betting on a short, decisive campaign that delivers visible results within days or weeks, limits U.S. casualties and contains domestic political risk.\nThe calculation is that a quick success would be politically advantageous, while a prolonged conflict -- especially one that disrupts oil markets or the wider economy -- could prove costly.\nWhile the Bush administration spent months building a legal and political case and deployed some 300,000 troops in a ground invasion that led to years of occupation, Trump has opted for a limited campaign of air strikes.\nBut if the conflict spreads -- drawing in U.S. bases, embassies, energy infrastructure or the world's most vital oil shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz -- the economic and political risks would rise sharply for the United States, the Gulf and global markets.\n(Reporting and writing by Samia Nakhoul; Editing by Peter Graff)",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:24:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNZjhNZU5aWENuS0NCdDU1aGtYRV9qVEhaRlNvbVJjUG4wZEpzV3ZuY2pralJNYU9JdEVJdEVZNWZxMVB3TzVxSDkwTVdrSzVJcnR0QkN5MWlTdnUyVHg5cWh5eUVBakZQbXlleTB4S1hLSXZkWXYwRmVNSWdrTzA3ZVpMNHBGUU85OGZaOWRvMkVfQlBEODVRdzBfRkNZVHZuVGtjM2FEdHgzUnRXMUQ3T3ZLYVVRenUxTHc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8f223da9f573",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran missiles brings war to Gulf doorstep; hardens support for US–Israel campaign - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran missiles brings war to Gulf doorstep; hardens support for US–Israel campaign    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:25:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQMnM0X3NwTlh5NXhSZXNqZXVJaWQ4NnFnMUxrSUFNNk9hXzA0aUl1TEhGRTZPWThDcWxpZU4yMG5rMFpVTlJhZnh5eVpxR1MxUnJTMEttaGhVXzE5bkFNcVF6T3gzNXFNYVI0c0w5azVrd195cU91VGxfWnFQSGFDRzk3ejhJUTVhYzc4Z0kyUFJZTG9vdWtuWjNtTlpjLXV0SFNmbFUxdEFzRU5jTmoyTkQwNzk3ajZLMVdXa3loQkRVeHhm?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_52bbcfe1397b",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Q&A replay: US-Iran war and regional retaliation - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "After the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on Saturday, Tehran retaliated with missile attacks across several nations in the region.\nThe UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan – all of which have a US military presence – said they intercepted Iranian missiles.\nIt comes after weeks of escalating tensions, with the US military build-up in the region and negotiations over a nuclear deal aimed at averting war.\nThe attacks came just two days after US and Iranian delegations met in Switzerland for a third round of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. While Iran's officials described the negotiations as constructive, US President Donald Trump publicly expressed dissatisfaction with their progress.\nUS officials have indicated the strikes could continue for several days, suggesting a sustained military campaign rather than a single operation.\nModerated by The National’s Aveen Karim, our panel of correspondents and editors examined the ongoing situation, shared insights from interviews with Iranians and officials, and answered your questions live from around the world.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:26:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOTXNDY0phaElHa2laQi1SYm5UaUtfTWJtelVrdWxVbzgtM0JXUTd0MlFNTVphaXh2U0Y3MW0zU1RlU0xiSV84YlNlU1FYRzB0dVlENVNEaTZlcG4xWFktLXMwMm9TUVZxYjlNYUk0VTd2MW1KX2NvU09BREU5M2t3OTlOTUQ0U09kWG1MX2J2RkltX2ZCdnVXRERfWVFhZUgzVWc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_97cae0e29919",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei killed, senior Israeli official says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei killed, senior Israeli official says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T19:45:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNdWFOT2RXSlNVaWRGQktuMzk1XzdaQ3c1NUxSazM3Z1pDY3Z2R3E5ZFNyTlNBbGhTRUVHTzJrSDg2SlhKWGJ3dzVCQWJYT1VLT2F4c1ZZeEh5WmxzQXlud0hNcVpjbGgyekF4RlprYks3TUFNQm02LWU5S3lyUUZ2bF9FUnBDSmVUZUl4TFIxdU5sbFhleU1hWmtER0lMV0lrd0hXSmR0cHd6aUZ2WENnZ0NMeFdlYTJRZjVOZXhDaFk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e18268f23e2f",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dead after IDF strike hits Tehran compound, Israeli source confirms - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran’s militant and unyielding supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades and oversaw an era of harsh internal repression and confrontation with the United States and Israel, has died after an Israeli strike in Tehran after his compound was reduced to rubble, a senior Israeli official told Fox News Digital.\n\"Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,\" Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital.\n\"Khamenei’s worldview was shaped by his militant anti-Americanism and antisemitism, which first manifested itself in his protests against the Shah of Iran.\"\nBorn April 19, 1939, in Mashhad, eastern Iran, Khamenei was among the Islamist activists who played a central role in the 1979 revolution that overthrew U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A close ally of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei rose through the new system and served as president from 1981 to 1989 before becoming supreme leader after Khomeini’s death that same year.\nThrough decades in power, Khamenei consolidated control over Iran’s political and security system, presiding over repeated crackdowns on dissent and maintaining a hardline posture toward Washington and Jerusalem.\n\"Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule has been marked by unrelenting brutality and repression, both within Iran and beyond its borders,\" said Lisa Daftari, an expert on Iran and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk. She pointed to executions and the enforcement of strict social controls as defining features of the system under Khamenei’s leadership.\nHis ultra-conservative style of leadership did face challenges, however. In 2009, after disputed elections in which Khamenei declared victory for the incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, massive protests erupted across the country.\nMass demonstrations also broke out in 2022 after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died while detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly. The protests were brutally put down, with many of those arrested put to death by his regime.\nIn late December, Iran was again rocked by protests and a fierce, brutal security response. According to an Iran International investigation, as many as 30,000 people may have been killed over two days, Jan. 8-9, 2026.\nInternational monitors and rights groups have repeatedly documented high execution numbers in Iran in recent years as well. Amnesty International said Iranian authorities executed more than 1,000 people in 2025, calling it the highest yearly figure the organization recorded in at least 15 years. Separately, a U.N. report said Iran executed at least 975 people in 2024, the highest number since 2015.\nAcross the region, Khamenei invested heavily in Iran’s network of allied militias and armed groups, a strategy used to project Iranian power beyond its borders. From the West Bank and Gaza, where he backed terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi extremists in Yemen and other militant militias in Iraq, Iran under Khamenei spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the terror groups.\nHowever, his prized proxies, as well as the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, collapsed under Israeli military pressure after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. During a 12-day war in June 2025, Israel also succeeded in taking out some of Khamenei’s closest aides and senior security figures, leaving the long-serving leader significantly weakened.\nYet analysts argue that Khamenei’s most enduring legacy may be the institutional machinery he built at home to safeguard the system.\nA recent report by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), authored by Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi, describes the Bayt, the Office of the Supreme Leader, as a parallel structure embedded across Iran’s military, economy, religious institutions and bureaucracy.\nIn an interview with Fox News Digital, Aarabi said, \"It is the hidden nerve center of the regime in Iran. … It operates as a state within a state.\"\nHe argued that even Khamenei’s removal would not necessarily dismantle the system.\n\"Even if he is eliminated, the Bayt as an institution enables the supreme leader to function,\" Aarabi said. \"Think of the supreme leader as an institution rather than just a single individual.\"\nAarabi also warned that \"eliminating Khamenei in isolation on its own is not enough,\" calling for a broader strategy aimed at the wider apparatus surrounding the supreme leader.\n\"You have to dismantle this extensive apparatus that he has created,\" he said.\n\"Unlike Khomeini, the founding father of the Islamic Republic, Khamenei institutionalized his power. Today, the Islamic Republic is more a product of Khamenei than Khomeini,\" FDD’s Ben Taleblu added.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T20:11:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiygFBVV95cUxORGNwX0N0U1hNRW03M3FGX0pvaEZZV1hOYzRXVXFuLWF4ZzZkX3licFhteHhYcmk1WkVva05pVkNWdFAzdU5sbC1TcWZVVTFlTmhURUJtTkR1M2ZBdWIwT2Y0WDQ4eHhsamZiQzljaGhSY2M5a2dsaWxGYnF3R2U4QjM1NHEyUS0xUVVNRGNYbWxURVhGa0JHalRwWjkxQ2xWLTN4V2IyMndYbzBJNVBObnNldDdBaXNOQ1R2ZHBMbkliRXpGZnBoeXB3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7e37a69a5e2c",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Crypto Market Hedges Iran War Risks With 24/7 Oil and Gold Trading - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Crypto Market Hedges Iran War Risks With 24/7 Oil and Gold Trading    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T20:34:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNSFlQNlhFVE1TU19ZOHhORThvZE95YmJRVWNzbjFVMUZiUlVTRVFCenFGTmQzQk4xYU52YnRWSjFPeFpFLThreWZoVVl5TkpBSHUxZGNXcGJqZm1yMnFCMTJEU21YZWZqeXpMdVg4UGRxdXpvMU9YYmVwTmRZYkZ6a1FZaHNNLUhtU3lUNTBKcEctMEM2aTJScTdWTGhxMTAySDZIdnA5Z0ZrdkVNN3hXbzZ3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_762a4779060c",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Fears of Mideast war as US-Iran conflict flares - France 24",
    "body_text": "Fears of Mideast war as US-Iran conflict flares\nParis (France) (AFP) – Countries around the world voiced fears of a Middle East conflagration after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran Saturday, and Iran targeted US bases in the region in retaliation.\nIssued on: Modified:\nIran Guards vow 'severe' punishment\nIran's Revolutionary Guards vowed to punish the \"murderers\" of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, after his death was confirmed by state television.\n\"The hand of revenge of the Iranian nation for a severe, decisive and regrettable punishment for the murderers of the Imam of the Ummah will not let go of them,\" the Guards said in a statement.\nUN condemns escalation\nUnited Nations chief Antonio Guterres condemned the latest developments.\n\"I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,\" he said in a statement, adding that the attacks on both sides undermined international peace and security.\nUN rights chief Volker Turk said further attacks would \"only result in death, destruction and human misery\".\nEU condemns Iran\nEU chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned Iran's \"unjustifiable attacks\" on the United Arab Emirates.\n\"These attacks constitute a blatant violation of the UAE's sovereignty and a clear breach of international law,\" the European Commission President wrote on X.\nEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers for Sunday.\nRussia: Nuclear 'catastrophe'\nRussia condemned the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, warning they were \"bringing the region to the brink of a humanitarian, economic, and -- this cannot be ruled out -- radiological catastrophe\".\n- UN nuclear watchdog: 'monitoring'-\nThe UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a statement calling for restraint added that so far, there was \"no evidence of any radiological impact\".\nChina: 'Immediate halt'\nChina urged \"an immediate halt to military actions\", with Beijing's foreign ministry insisting that \"Iran's national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected\".\nQatar: 'Right to respond'\nQatar, which hosts a US military base, condemned an Iranian missile attack on its territory and warned it \"reserves its full right to respond to this attack\".\nAustralia: Khamenei not mourned\nAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei \"will not be mourned\" after Iranian state media confirmed his death.\nNorway: Israel broke international law\nNorway's foreign minister said Israel's strikes on Iran broke international law, noting that \"a pre-emptive attack would require the existence of an imminent threat\".\nSAfrica: Israel, US broke international law\nThe US and Israeli strikes on Iran violated international law, said South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.\n\"Anticipatory self-defence is not permitted under international law and self-defence cannot be based on assumption or anticipation,\" he said in a statement, calling for \"maximum restraint\".\nIndia: 'Dialogue and diplomacy'\nIndia's foreign ministry insisted that \"dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued\" while the \"sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected\".\n- UK-France-Germany slam Iran -\nBritain, France and Germany jointly condemned Iran's retaliatory strikes, each saying they had played no part in the US-Israeli operation.\nLondon expressed fears the situation could escalate \"into a wider regional conflict\".\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron, urging a halt to the \"dangerous\" escalation, called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.\nLebanon: Won't be dragged into war\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed his country would not be dragged into war, after Israel announced it was carrying out strikes targeting Iran proxy Hezbollah in south Lebanon amid the Iran operation.\nShah's son: 'Final victory' near\nReza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah and a leading critic of Tehran, claimed \"final victory\" was near following the strikes. \"Together we can take back and rebuild Iran,\" said Pahlavi -- who lives in exile in the US.\nEgypt: 'Grave risks'\nEgypt's foreign ministry said it \"strongly condemns Iran's targeting of the unity and territorial integrity of brotherly Arab states\", warning of \"the grave risks this poses to the security and stability of Arab states\".\nTurkey condemns both sides\n\"We are deeply disturbed over the US-Israel attacks on our neighbour Iran,\" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised address.\nHe also denounced Iran's drone and missile attacks against the Gulf as \"unacceptable, regardless of the reason\".\n\"In order to prevent our region from experiencing greater suffering, all actors, especially the Islamic world, must take action,\" he added.\nJordan: Defend itself\nJordan's government urged de-escalation while warning it would defend the kingdom's interests \"with all its might\". A government spokesman said the country was not part of the conflict.\nHamas: US-Israel 'aggression'\nPalestinian militant group and Iran ally Hamas condemned the US and Israel's \"aggression\" towards Tehran, calling it \"a direct assault on the entire region\".\nPalestinian Authority: condemns Iran\nThe Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) \"strongly condemned\" Iran's attacks on Arab countries, including several Gulf nations.\nIt rejected \"any infringement on their sovereignty or aggression against them by any party\", without mentioning the earlier US-Israeli strikes on Iran.\nUkraine: Oust 'terrorist regime'\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued the strikes on Iran created an opportunity for the Iranian people to oust the \"terrorist regime\" in Tehran.\nRed Cross: 'Dangerous chain reaction'\nInternational Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric warned that the \"military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians\".\nAfrican Union: Stability at risk\nThe African Union called \"for restraint, urgent de-escalation and sustained dialogue\" after the strikes, warning that conflict could risk harming people on the continent.\nNew Zealand: new talks needed\nNew Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called for \"a resumption of negotiations\" and respect for international law to bring an end to the crisis, urging \"the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution\".\nburs-jj/cc/jfx/hmn\n© 2026 AFP",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T20:35:16+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1980da276a8e",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "World reacts to US, Israel attack on Iran, Tehran retaliation - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The outbreak of conflict between Israel and the United States against Iran, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes across Iran, has drawn frantic calls for calm as deep consternation spreads across globe.\nCriticism has mounted against Washington for taking part in the attacks while still engaged in nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Anger has also surfaced in Gulf states caught up in the conflict, as Iran launches retaliatory missile strikes against US military assets hosted on their soil.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3What to know about the US and Israel attacks on Iran\n- list 2 of 3Iran strikes US military base in Bahrain as explosions heard across Gulf\n- list 3 of 3Netanyahu says US and Israel attacked Iran to remove ‘existential threat’\nHere is a breakdown of how countries and institutions are responding:\nUnited States\nPresident Donald Trump announced that the US was engaged in a “major combat operation” aimed at “eliminating threats from the Iranian regime” on Saturday morning, as missiles hit numerous areas in Tehran and across the country. Trump pledged to raze Iran’s missile industry and destroy its navy, while urging the Iranian people to overthrow the government.\nIsrael\nA senior Israeli defence official told the Reuters news agency the joint US-Israeli attacks had been planned for months, with a specific date set weeks ago. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the attacks aimed to remove an “existential threat” posed by Iran. He said the attacks would “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands”.\nIran\nIran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Israel and the US of violating the United Nations charter with their attacks and pledged a harsh response, as the country waged retaliatory attacks on Israel as well as in several Gulf states that host US military assets, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. “All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target,” a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera. “There are no red lines after this aggression.”\nHezbollah\nLebanon’s Hezbollah condemned the US-Israeli attacks as a “blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter”, saying it was an attempt to destabilise the region and force its people “to accept domination and occupation schemes”.\nIt declared solidarity with Iran and called on people in the region to “confront this aggressive plan and recognise its danger”.\nUnited Nations\nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “military escalation” and called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”.\n“The use of force by the United States and Israel against Iran, and the subsequent retaliation by Iran across the region, undermine international peace and security,” he said, warning of the risks of a wider regional conflict with “grave consequences for civilians and regional stability”.\nThe UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Saturday.\nEuropean Union\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa called the conflict “greatly concerning” and urged all parties “to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law”.\nRed Cross\nMirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, called on countries to respect the rules of war and urged them to find the political will to prevent “further death and destruction”. She warned that “a dangerous chain reaction” of military escalation was under way across the Middle East, “with potentially devastating consequences for civilians”.\nOman\nThe main mediator in ongoing US-Iran negotiations, Oman expressed dismay at the outbreak of violence. Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the conflict would not serve US interests, nor the interests of global peace, and urged Washington “not to get sucked in” further.\nThe country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on “all parties to immediately cease military operations” and for “the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency meeting to impose a ceasefire”.\nGermany, France, the UK\nIn a joint statement, the prime ministers of the three countries said they “condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms” and remain committed “to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life.” They also said they want a resumption of US-Iran negotiations.\nSeparately, French President Emmanuel Macron called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, saying the conflict carries “serious consequences” for international peace and security. “The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop,” he said.\nUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an address that UK forces “are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of coordinated regional defensive operations”.\n“Iran can end this now,” he said, calling on them to “give up their weapons programmes, and cease the appalling violence and repression against the Iranian people”.\nQatar\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned Iran for firing missiles at Qatari territory, which is home to the Al Udeid Air Base that hosts US troops. The ministry called the attacks a flagrant violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty and a direct assault on its security. It added that Qatar reserves the right to respond, as per international law.\nUnited Arab Emirates\nThe Ministry of Defence condemned in the “strongest terms” Iran’s attacks on its territory, several of which it said its air defences intercepted. It called the attack “a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act that threatens the security and safety of civilians”, stressing that the UAE has the “full right” to respond.\nBahrain\nBahrain confirmed that an Iranian missile attack targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet that it hosts, and called the attack “treacherous”.\nKuwait\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the Iranian attack on its soil as a “flagrant violation” of international law and said it had the right to respond. It warned that any additional escalation would only deepen regional instability.\nSaudi Arabia\nSaudi Arabia condemned in the “strongest terms” the Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states and warned of “dire consequences”.\nTurkiye\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on “all parties” to end the spiral of violence, which it stressed started with US-Israeli attacks on Iran. “The events that began with Israel and the US attacking Iran, and continued with Iran targeting third countries, are of a nature that risks the future of our region and global stability,” said the ministry.\nPakistan\nForeign Minister Ishaq Dar “strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran and called for an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis”.\nRussia\nDmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, accused the US of having used its nuclear talks with Iran as a cover-up before military operations. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to swiftly deliver an objective assessment of what it called irresponsible actions that risk further destabilising the region.\nChina\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged “an immediate halt to military actions” and appealed for “the resumption of dialogue and negotiations” to maintain regional peace and stability. It stressed that “Iran’s national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.”\nIndia\nThe Ministry of External Affairs called on all parties to “exercise restraint” and “avoid escalation”. It said “dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued” and that “sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected.” The statement came several days after the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Israel and hailed their “vital” partnership.\nUkraine\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Iran of being responsible for the chain of events leading to the conflict, including its crackdown on protests earlier this year. “The cause of the current events is precisely the violence and impunity of the Iranian regime, in particular the killings and repression of peaceful protesters, which have become particularly widespread in recent months,” said the Foreign Ministry.\nNorway\nForeign Minister Espen Barth said the initial attack on Iran by Israel breached standards of international law. “The attack is described by Israel as a preventive strike, but it is not in line with international law,” said Barth. “Preventive attacks require an immediately imminent threat.”\nBelgium\nForeign Minister Maxime Prevot said the Iranian people “must not pay the price for their government’s choices. We deeply regret that diplomatic efforts could not lead earlier to a negotiated solution.”\nCanada\nCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country stands with the Iranian people and “reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and to ensure the security of its people.” He said Canada supports the US “acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon”.\nIreland\nIreland’s prime minister, Michael Martin, strongly urged all parties to “exercise restraint” to avoid escalation and wider conflict.\n“The protection of civilian life in Iran, in Israel and in all neighbouring countries must now be paramount,” he said.\nVenezuela\nThe government of Venezuela said that it “condemns and regrets deeply that, in a context in which diplomatic efforts and ongoing negotiations are being developed, the military route was opted for, through attacks against Iran.” It also described Tehran’s response as “undue and condemnable”.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T21:28:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxPdDZoV2ZZUVNKYnJycF9uZkJ2cV9MZlNSNjhOeFRNSFZDeEprSVgxajRMZEplOFhYWmJXMFV5QTJlQnFZN2tYYXhyOEVzSmZweHBGSnRYUGlwcFVodVp4Y0c1dFlEbmZaQlRSbzR2WmVjcnpaNVNmbVpCendrUTZDcmZOaHFDamJrRWk1N1VtM01Gb0RNd04zVk13ZTNhdmhCbUHSAacBQVVfeXFMTkZVQWRuSFEwbzZUcEdXQ2h3cTREWkhKWnFNUTYyYk5mUmQwbkRUcW5PNkxrY3lFaThfV1NZZGhqdFkxNHU3RlkxX1c5Z0x1QU5yUi12UXY1V0hJa2t0RHhidDhsN0xFY0FKQWxjbHhySWxwTFlGWnd3TFZPSUlLR2RWRmVxbTdWd2ZYczZWU1J4X25HRWdNZ1AtSGg4U2RCN0IzOWRBc1E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8a46db320389",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘biggest decision’: Israeli leader pursues regime change in Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘biggest decision’: Israeli leader pursues regime change in Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T21:53:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5xSWV5TFU2ZEtNeGdsY0c3YjJ4TkZLd3VrNGpORjdIQU1oZDRxUlIwWUFNRFRISUdmMzN3UHMxcDYyekhza1hnd3I3Mmc2bnhrVUdGVS1NQUNha2xSOUFydG50SlZwUnJFdlg3YjJLTjM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_346d05a78b46",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘This is round two’: attacks on Iran have broad support among unsurprised Israelis - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Air raid sirens emptied Israel’s streets on Saturday and filled its bomb shelters, as the country braced for waves of Iranian attacks.\nBut individual fear and resignation did not temper broad political and popular support for the country’s second regional war in less than a year.\n“We all of us feel that what we started needs to be finished,” said Gal Tzairi, a 23-year-old university student sheltering in an underground car park in central Tel Aviv. “We want our safety, so we know we need [this].”\nParamedics had to dig Tzairi out from the rubble of his home last June, when an Iranian missile strike brought down his apartment building.\nThe first sirens brought back some of his fear from that day, but like many in Israel he said he had been half-expecting another war, after weeks of US military buildup in the region and Israeli prime minister’s warnings to Iran.\n“This is round two,” said 30-year-old Tom Zimako, who backed “100%” the decision to attack Iran again. “We need to find a good solution against terror – not against people, against the citizens [of Iran].”\nThe morning attacks immediately halted bitter Israeli political feuding ahead of elections due by October this year.\nDisputes over conscription of ultra-Orthodox men and whether to hold a state inquiry into the 7 October 2023 attacks were set aside, as opposition leaders across most of the political spectrum united behind Netanyahu.\nYair Lapid, the official leader of the opposition, said in a social media post: “I fully support this operation. We all agree about the justification and importance of striking the murderous Iranian regime.”\nYair Golan, head of the centre-left Democrats, said the Israeli military had his “full backing” in “removing the Iranian threat”. Rightwing Naftali Bennett said “the entire nation of Israel stands behind you”.\nAs European and regional powers urged a return to negotiations to tackle Iran’s nuclear programme, prominent Israelis were calling for a broad, open-ended war.\nYoav Gallant, a former defence minister, said in an interview on Israel’s Channel 12: “It’s clear we have the upper hand regarding Iran. The important thing is we don’t stop until we finish the job.”\nDismissing Iran’s response to Israeli and US strikes, he added: “The small amount of rockets Iranians are shooting shows they are weak.”\nOne of the few political critics of the war was lawmaker Ayman Odeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, who attacked the opposition for falling in line behind a government that wants to “live by the sword forever”.\n“There is no opposition in Israel, only 50 shades of militarism,” he said on social media. “Time and again, they try the same formula here: another ‘round’, another operation, more blood. Every time they promise that this time it will bring security, and every time reality proves otherwise.”\nMissile attacks on Israel are particularly dangerous for the country’s Palestinian citizens, who have less access to bomb shelters.\nNourka Ghoul, a 30-year-old art director from East Jerusalem, is among those who don’t have a shelter at home. She had bundled her husband, Kenan, and 13-month-old daughter Sofia into the car to head for a relative’s apartment.\n“When the sirens sound, we come together and pray,” she said. “It is always the same each time. We want to be with our family. If we are going to die, we will die all in one go.”\nFor many in Israel, the disruptions of war are part of their daily routine. Aleeza, 35, a film-maker struggling to entertain a baby and a toddler in a shelter, said her three-year-old now plays “sirens” with friends, racing each other to “shelters” in their playground.\nShe was more frustrated than frightened on Saturday afternoon, because the war had abruptly halted filming of her first feature, a comedy. “I just want it to be over.”\nThe attack came on the eve of the Jewish festival of Purim, which commemorates the biblical story told in the book of Esther of how a Jewish community in the ancient Persian empire saved themselves from a massacre.\nTraditionally celebrations include dressing up, and some people in Tel Aviv went straight from early Purim parties to shelters still in costume.\nOthers joked that the US president, Donald Trump, wanted to cast himself as a modern-day Mordechai – a hero in the biblical story – by defending Jewish lives in modern-day Iran.\nWith the airspace closed and all flights cancelled, some tourists had to find their way to shelters as well. Philippe and Juliette Kubler, from Nice, France, had been visiting Jerusalem on a long-planned trip of a lifetime.\n“We said to ourselves that there was a small risk. We had a super time here. Everyone was very welcoming. We saw all the sacred sites. We never felt in any danger,” said Philippe, a hospital nurse. “Now I’m just worrying about how we get home.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T21:58:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxOMUJCZlJwZEZDbU5KbDd6djdCX0tZZm9lSDdwN0VEQ3MxSVdhQ3FpRWEtakg1Nm1velJYbDRFRTRINmhwZG9kNkR4YWRTYk0wS24tVC1hV0d5T29QdnlTVmNhQlU3NWZacC03eXh0QlVzUjRKTlUyM2lld19CMEJlMGIwNWJZQ2sxTEgxZlV6Z0R2SUZ1RmtpX09kejFsT1V1ZFZNZGdIRVNqQ05nNzBSOXI0OVV2X0EzUUY5OVIyYXdKUzg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8aaf9ff296dd",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "France-Germany-UK's balancing act in response to US-Israeli offensive against Iran - Le Monde.fr",
    "body_text": "So far, there have been only cautious warnings – almost whispered – and no outright condemnation of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran. While deeply concerned by the prospect of a regime change imposed by outside force, the main European allies of the United States and Israel – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – exercised great caution on Saturday, February 28, following strikes against Iranian regime officials and the country's nuclear and ballistic facilities. At the same time, they strongly condemned the retaliation orchestrated in the region by Tehran.\nIn a joint statement released Saturday afternoon, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed their \"commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life,\" neither providing further comment nor calling for restraint.\n\"We did not participate in these strikes, but are in close contact with our international partners, including the United States, Israel and partners in the region,\" the three leaders (France, the UK and Germany, the E3) – signatories in 2015 alongside China, Russia and the US to the agreement meant to regulate Iran's nuclear activities – note in a brief statement. That agreement was unilaterally repudiated three years later by Donald Trump.\nMarginalized countries\nEarlier, the UK had indicated that British armed forces' aircraft were participating in joint exercises to protect UK and allied interests in the region. Meanwhile, Macron stated in the early hours that \"France also stands ready to deploy the necessary means to protect its closest partners, should they request it.\" He did not provide further details.\nThis tacit support without direct military involvement echoed the stance adopted last spring during the \"12-day war.\" After the initial Israeli strikes against Iran and its nuclear program, the French president first questioned their legality, before ultimately appearing to support them: \"When I look at the results of these strikes, they reduced enrichment capabilities, they reduced ballistic capabilities. So, they had effects that aligned with the intended goals,\" he said. Chancellor Merz, for his part, asserted that Israel had done the \"dirty work\" to slow Iran's nuclear program, even before the US intervened.\nYou have 61.83% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:04:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi7AFBVV95cUxPYWFYZGFOd0dGZ3NsWllvWjRaRjF6V0R0MlBwTVJ1LXFnbTlKRVdsc2dCMjVMclREQlA5WkRMTTdUVl9BUEVOZEhLR2x4MmxTRGlHMUtwelk0c3pZZVd1UTRkSEVsM1NFQVpEaFJ1Um51eVR4QVdVXzlPX1hxZ0hJdllSUUw1N0RCNUxwUlpvOFFLTFVSOXZ5cmlPaEtMVEtuQ19tLTRoOEpVX2g1aEQ2dVRkdE5WemxYdk1ELUlvNThTRDAycUFfWWNWamlBMV9RanRmOFJFWEw3SHM0clEtcExBV2ZPeVY4LTBfOA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c2914930b1b5",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, architect of regional expansion, declared dead - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, architect of regional expansion, declared dead\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during US and Israeli strikes after serving for 36 years as the Islamic Republic’s second supreme leader.\nIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, whose rule reshaped the Islamic Republic through decades of confrontation with the West and a consolidation of clerical power, was killed Saturday after the US and Israel launched strikes on the country, US President Donald Trump said.\n“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,\" he said.\nAn unlikely leader\nKhamenei ascended to Iran’s highest post in 1989 after the death of the Islamic Republic’s founding leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. A mid-ranking cleric at the time, Khamenei was an unlikely candidate who secured the position largely through political maneuvering rather than religious seniority.\nBorn in 1939 in the northeastern city of Mashhad to a modest clerical family of Azerbaijani origin, Khamenei had studied Shiite theology but had not attained the senior clerical rank expected of a supreme leader. His elevation was made possible through political maneuvering within Iran’s elite, including the support of powerful figures in the clerical establishment and a constitutional change that lowered the religious qualifications required for the post.\nKhamenei rose through the ranks after the 1979 revolution as a loyal enforcer of the new system. He served briefly as deputy defense minister in 1979, then as president from 1981 to 1989 during the Iran-Iraq War, forging close ties with the security services and institutions that would later form the backbone of his rule. Khamenei was the first cleric to serve as president. Over time, he built a network of allies within the clerical class, the judiciary and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), allowing him to consolidate authority well beyond what the position initially carried.\nDomestic legacy\nDuring his more than three decades in power, Khamenei oversaw the transformation of Iran into a highly centralized theocracy. While the Islamic Republic continued to hold regular elections, they were tightly controlled and not free; candidates were vetted by the Guardian Council, a clerical body loyal to Khamenei, which has disqualified hundreds of moderates and Reformists over the years.\nUnder Khamenei, power became increasingly concentrated in unelected institutions loyal to the supreme leader, particularly the IRGC. The IRGC, originally created to defend the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution, has evolved into a dominant military, intelligence and economic force. It plays a central role in enforcing internal security, suppressing protests and shaping foreign policy through its external arm, the Quds Force. Domestically, the IRGC and its affiliated Basij paramilitary force have been repeatedly deployed to quell unrest, often using mass arrests, intimidation and lethal force, while civil society, independent media, labor unions and political activism have come under sustained pressure. An Amnesty International report published in late January found that Basij battalions were involved in the regime’s deadly crackdown on the wave of protests in Iran in December and January.\nThe IRGC has entrenched itself as a dominant economic force in Iran, using its political influence and opaque networks to secure lucrative contracts and take control of key sectors. As of December 2024, the IRGC controlled about 50% of Iran's oil exports, according to a Reuters report at the time\nKhamenei’s tenure has coincided with prolonged economic decline. International sanctions, mismanagement and corruption have battered Iran’s economy, making inflation, unemployment and currency devaluation persistent features of daily life. By late 2025, inflation had surged above 40%, and the rial had fallen to a record low of around 1.4 million to the US dollar, eroding savings and purchasing power. On Feb. 19, after nationwide protests rocked the country, the rial traded at more than 1.63 million to the dollar.\nAnti-regime protests over economic hardship and social repression have been met with repeated crackdowns. Security forces violently suppressed student demonstrations in 1999, crushed the Green Movement following disputed elections in 2009 and responded harshly to the women-led protests that erupted in 2022. In 2025, Iran carried out at least 1,922 executions according to HRANA, the highest annual total in more than a decade.\nThe latest mass protests — which began in response to the collapse of the Iranian currency in the final days of 2025 and continued into the early weeks of 2026 — were met with a similar response, with at least 7,000 people killed as of late February and more than 11,000 cases still under review, according to HRANA\nDespite the turmoil, Khamenei presided over a state that demonstrated institutional durability by increasingly insulating its top leadership from public pressure through a dense web of security forces, clerical oversight bodies and legal mechanisms.\nBuilding up proxy forces\nKhamenei was the chief architect of what Tehran calls the \"Axis of Resistance,\" a regional network built around opposition to the United States and Israel. This strategy saw Iran deepen its partnerships with Hezbollah in Lebanon, back Shiite militias in Iraq, support Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria and provide support to Yemen’s Houthi movement. Iran has also provided weapons and funding to Palestinian militant group Hamas, though the group has had rifts with Iran in the past.\nIn November 2025, the US Treasury Department said that Iran had transferred more than $1 billion to Hezbollah since January that year.\nAt the same time, Iran’s relations with many of its neighbors remained fraught. Khamenei viewed Saudi Arabia in particular as a geopolitical and ideological rival, though he endorsed a Chinese-brokered diplomatic agreement in 2023. Tensions with the Gulf states, Israel and at times Turkey have long flared along proxy fault lines.\nBeyond the Middle East, Khamenei pushed Iran to deepen ties with countries in the Global South, seeking partners less aligned with Washington. He repeatedly emphasized closer relations with Russia and China as pillars of Iran’s foreign policy; he first visited China in 1989, shortly before becoming supreme leader. Under his leadership, Iran expanded strategic cooperation with Moscow, particularly in defense and energy, while China became its largest trading partner and a key diplomatic backer amid Western sanctions.\nTehran also strengthened links with African and Asian states and joined groupings such as BRICS, which it formally entered in 2024, as part of a broader effort to reduce US dominance over the global economic system.\nKhamenei authorized Iran’s participation in negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear agreement with the Obama administration and its allies, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which Iran accepted limits on its nuclear program and increased international inspections in exchange for sanctions relief.\nTrump withdrew from the deal in 2018. Iran remained compliant for about a year after the US exit per intelligence assessments, but in July 2020 announced it would no longer observe the agreement’s 3.67% enrichment limit and subsequently increased enrichment to 60% purity — a technical step away from the 90% level required for nuclear weapons.\nSuccession\nAccording to Iran's constitution, the supreme leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body whose candidates are approved by the Guardian Council and then elected in nationwide votes. While the body has constitutional authority to select a new leader upon death or incapacity, in practice the process has been shaped by the top rungs of leadership, chiefly Khamenei himself.\nIn June, the New York Times reported that Khamenei had submitted a list of three potential successors to the assembly. The names contained in the list were not disclosed, but among the names frequently mentioned are:\nMojtaba Khamenei, his 56-year-old son, whose views mirror his father's and who has close ties to the IRGC.\nHassan Khomeini, the 53-year-old grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, who has been closely aligned with Reformist factions in Iran.\nAssembly of Experts member Ayatollah Alireza Arafi (born 1959); Ali Asghar Hejazi (born 1946), Khamenei's deputy chief of staff; and 64-year-old Sadegh Larijani, chairman of Iran's Expediency Council.\nThis marks the second leadership transition in the history of the Islamic Republic. The first, in 1989, followed a major reversal: Ayatollah Khomeini had initially designated Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri as his successor but dismissed him after Montazeri spoke out publicly against the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. No successor was publicly named before Khomeini's death.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:07:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxQdTBUZWVzczViZnhVY2pnNWowYzdzZlJVWEtubFltblJ4bWNNdVZKTWdRUXc2b3h5TVFZVkVCdU9ITVRTUDVRT0p6ZzhFOHNISXhOcHdXZDB0cTdsX1RwVjQtQzVrSkVycW9YNmVqeGd3M1pmMk9wbk9CMWRwTk9oamVqYjFPUzVIazVQd1Q2bkg5OTJnT2x4aGlVOU9RcmZIbUtDTUZkd2dhQ1NjaTVndmcxaE5pQjFQTXhBNkZ3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_17f9addced7a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Trump says Iran's supreme leader killed in US-Israeli strikes, Tehran insists Khamenei is ‘safe and sound’ - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Trump says Iran's supreme leader killed in US-Israeli strikes, Tehran insists Khamenei is ‘safe and sound’\nUS President Donald Trump claimed late on Saturday that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes, an announcement that was earlier denied by Iran's foreign minister, state media and his personal office.\nIn a lengthy post on his Truth Social Platform, Trump said that Khamenei had been killed and that his death had delivered justice not only \"for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans\".\n\"He [Khamenei] was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,\" Trump said.\n\"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,\" Trump added.\nThe US president then claimed that many of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, military and other security and police forces \"no longer want to fight\", suggesting he would now be willing to give them \"immunity\".\nSignificantly, the US president also said that \"heavy and pinpoint bombing\" would continue \"uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective\".\nMiddle East Eye could not independently verify Trump's claims and the US president did not provide any evidence on the killing.\nTrump's comments came hours after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Khamenei was still alive \"as far as I know\".\n\"Almost all officials are safe and sound and alive. We may have lost one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem,\" he told NBC News.\nIran's Tasnim and Mehr news agencies also denied the reports over Khamenei's death, saying the Supreme Leader remained \"steadfast and firm in commanding the field\".\nIn what appeared to be a response to the claims, the head of public relations at Khamenei's office then accused the country's enemies of \"mental warfare\".\n\"The enemy is resorting to mental warfare, all should be aware,\" the public relations official was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier claimed there were \"many signs\" suggesting Khamenei was killed.\nSaturday’s strikes on Iran targeted 24 provinces, killing at least 201 people, according to Iranian media reports, citing the Red Crescent.\nIran responded with a wave of counterattacks, targeting Israel and US military assets across the Middle East.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:20:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxQNmdLNlZfWlRYWjB5VzNBb2xjZXJ6aE9RM0xVUUpjTC13bGYtUldaaDF4WlRjV1pMLWFaXzBmTWN3OGJ3ZWRiRlRHSnVFd0hwRUhMT1N4b3VkamU2dFlWX1lqYnZta3RjQWZKRzY2aGdzRU1PTVBHeFZ4WXJLUGtKZlg1U2hwX3NLckVrcVFqdUFkcnNqRzJ4SlZPQ0g3MC1NWS1NaEJ5RTJ2SGs?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fa5db2b8bac1",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Dozens of top Iranian regime officials, supreme leader killed in Israeli strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The Israeli military on Saturday said it had killed dozens of members of Iran’s leadership during sweeping, coordinated strikes in Iran, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had targeted a number of locations across Tehran \"in which senior officials of the Iranian defense establishment had gathered.\"\nMore than 40 senior Iranian security and regime figures were eliminated in the strikes, a senior Israeli security official told Fox News.\nIt was one of the largest regime \"decapitation operations\" conducted in modern warfare history, the official added. Israeli intelligence managed to infiltrate the Iranian security echelon, making the strikes possible, the official explained.\nAmong those killed, according to the IDF, was Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Iranian Security Council who was also a personal advisor to the Iranian supreme leader.\nMohammad Pakpour, who was also killed, had been commander of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps since Operation Rising Lion and was one of the leaders of the \"destruction of Israel\" plan, the IDF said.\nSaleh Asadi, who led the Intelligence Directorate of the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command; Mohammad Shirazi, head of the Military Bureau of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei since 1989; Iran’s Defense Minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh; Hossein Jabal Amelian, who chaired an organization that advanced projects related to nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; and Reza Mozaffari-Nia, who previously chaired the same organization, were also killed, according to the IDF.\nPresident Donald Trump also confirmed Saturday that Khamenei was killed in the strikes.\n\"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,\" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. \"This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS.\"\nThe leaders had all been meeting at a compound in Tehran on Saturday morning.\nThe strikes were moved up due to the \"target of opportunity,\" multiple sources told Fox News, which is why the strikes happened in the daytime in Iran, keeping the element of surprise.\n\"There was a deliberate decision to accelerate the timeline,\" one source said.\n\"This was a massive, wildly bold daytime attack,\" a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News. \"It caught the senior leadership off guard, a Saturday morning during Ramadan and on Shabbat in the daytime.\"\n\"We hit the senior leaders right out of the gate.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:24:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxNZWxSV081WVVvbExpTng0ZUFSUHNXN1pZcmpwMUxQMDdMQjJPSVZsU3VzU09leFNKVzBhcjRQNEVNTzBPTVFTOXZDMWxFaEV0THQ2ZmowbjVVRWJSR19hZ3RIQ0lPckZNY3NFZ1BSdnd3Tlh4eFlKdjc4YW5ZX2pzRWJrYllVVGVacXNjLXVhZ191ZXRwcV8yVVY1aHdsUDJZMnZDZm1B0gGrAUFVX3lxTE1sTXNRTEJCRi1RWnZPeER4QVEtbENyZTRNSGkwQzAycGRsZFNMUVVvOHdEN2JhVWdEd0M2RnM3MldzQUJrRXZsa01GZWRlSHhVWHE1RGFyRmNtVjR3cHlVS3RGQjBuWnRnd1c2am9iY19tcWNDVW8zRm9LN2RqcnhVc01aSl85NXN1U0tIOUprajJKQktFRlJvVnZaYUVGdmJkdHpITXA4MEtUYw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_86198622e0f1",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran state media confirms killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after US-Israeli missile strikes - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed, Iranian state media has confirmed, in the opening salvo of a war the US and Israel launched with the aim of regime change.\nKhamenei had not been heard from since the strikes began, and satellite imagery showed that his secure compound was heavily damaged in the initial barrage on Saturday.\nThe confirmation came early on Sunday, hours after Donald Trump announced the death of the ayatollah, who has ruled Iran as supreme leader since 1989, in a post on Truth Social.\n“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,” Trump wrote. “He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.”\nTrump said that the goal of the military campaign, which began on Saturday morning with a barrage of missiles and airstrikes, was regime change.\n“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” he wrote.\n“We are hearing that many of their IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us.”\nBenjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had earlier said there were “many signs” Khamenei was “no longer alive”, and Israeli officials briefed media that his body had been recovered.\nIranian media reported on Sunday that the daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter of Khamenei had also been killed in Saturday’s strikes. The semi-official Fars news agency, which has links to the IRGC, reported: “After establishing contact with informed sources in the supreme leader’s household, the news of the martyrdom of the daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter of the revolutionary leader has unfortunately been confirmed.”\nEarly on Sunday, Israel’s military said it had launched another wave of strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile and air defence systems. US Central Command said on Sunday it was “now delivering swift and decisive action as directed”.\nIn Israel, alerts sounded repeatedly overnight to warn of incoming Iranian attacks. A 50-year-old woman was killed on Saturday night when a missile struck Tel Aviv, the first fatality in Israel since the war began, media reported. Around 120 people have been injured.\nIran also launched new strikes targeting US military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, while there were reports of explosions in the UAE. Shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack killed one person in Abu Dhabi, state media said, and debris from aerial interceptions caused fires at Dubai’s main port and on the facade of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel.\nThe death of Iran’s supreme leader is a significant early success in the joint US-Israeli operation, which began with waves of air attacks across the country and have plunged the Middle East into a new regional conflict with no certain timeline or outcome.\nKhamenei has carried a political heft unmatched by any other serving Iranian official, military or religious leader.\nIran’s assembly of experts, a council of religious leaders, should convene to select a new supreme leader when Khamenei has died, although analysts indicated that the ultraconservative IRGC may be better positioned to consolidate power.\nThe Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and another top official will lead Iran in the transitional period following Khamenei’s death, state media reported.\nIran’s also confirmed on Sunday that the chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen Mohammad Pakpour, and another top security adviser were killed in Saturday’s attacks.\nNetanyahu said that Israeli strikes had also killed “several leaders” involved in the Iranian nuclear programme and that strikes against sites linked to the programme would continue in the coming days.\nIn an earlier video address, Trump claimed Operation Epic Fury would end a security threat to the US and give Iranians a chance to “rise up” against their rulers. Netanyahu in his evening address called on Iranians to “flood the streets and finish the job”.\nIranian media reported that 201 people had been killed and 747 people injured in the initial US-Israeli attacks, including more than 100 children at a school.\nIranian officials said they had not been surprised by the US attacks and that the consequences would “be long-lasting and extensive. All scenarios were on the table including ones that were not previously considered.”\nIran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened all US bases and interests in the region and said Iran’s retaliation would continue until “the enemy is decisively defeated”.\nCentcom said the military had “successfully defended against” hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones and that no US casualties had been reported.\nA senior Trump administration official said the US had chosen to launch strikes against Iran on Saturday because its ballistic missiles programme presented an “intolerable” threat to US forces and allies in the region and that the US had information that Iran was considering a pre-emptive strike.\n“The threat from Iran is ultimately their ambition to acquire nuclear weapons, but in the short term, it is the conventional weapon, the conventional missile capability, that they have, particularly in the southern belt, that poses a threat to the United States and our allies in the region,” the official said, adding that the US had proven “quite effective” at targeting Iranian launchers.\n“The president decided he was not going to sit back and allow American forces in the region to absorb attacks from conventional missiles,” the official added.\nAt an emergency meeting of the UN security council on Saturday the US and Israel clashed with Iran, with the US ambassador, Mike Waltz, insisting the military action was lawful.\n“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he told the council. “That principle is not a matter of politics. It’s a matter of global security.\nAmir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, told the council that the airstrikes had killed and injured hundreds of Iranian civilians, which he called a war crime and a crime against humanity.\nThe UN secretary general, António Guterres, urged a halt to their attacks and a return to negotiations. “The alternative,” he warned, “is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxQb3RqOU9STWdLTXFEdC1nN3N2blZYdEVBb1ZlY2NsSlo4Ylg0TzRUWWQxVUZFeTBjWXVPaThBNDEzSjZxc1JSeXlHakNTbnlLajlhLXRoUkE3X1FCUEEydlJ3TklxazVOREdyNEctZlZNblVmQktoSHo1czduOXYwS2Qzd24tLTdiQW94ZVBPdzQxX1RpaXVzSg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8db56a71d513",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Panic in the Gulf as Iran lashes out at US allies - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Panic in the Gulf as Iran lashes out at US allies\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:34:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE82RmE1SWNiMTZWa0Ewak03X0FIQ0VTYTJJdk1pWF94dTFFdEt6UUdqNGViYTBvTi1wc1pLTGtYVHBZalg4UzhTR0VxdHl0c2lvMHZIWjlNUjk4TDBDdHVDSzBRd3RraDhSWlBUSmZUeV8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8da441bf0a16",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Obama official who backed Iran deal sparks online outrage with reaction to Trump's strike: 'Sit this one out' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Ben Rhodes, a leading figure within the Obama administration who pushed for the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, was blasted on social media Saturday after he criticized U.S. military strikes on Iran.\nIn the immediate aftermath of the joint attack by the U.S. and Israel, Rhodes was posting criticism of the administration on social media, saying Trump and Netanyahu \"seem to be totally unconcerned about the human beings — on all sides — who will suffer.\"\n\"Trump's second term has been the worst case scenario,\" Rhodes said in another X post.\nRhodes was quickly ridiculed by many conservatives on social media who pointed to the Obama-era Iran deal as a catalyst for allowing the situation to escalate to this point and placing blame on the Obama administration for not taking the threat from Iran seriously.\n\"Yes we were much better off with a president who drew redlines and failed to enforce them,\" American Enterprise Institute fellow and Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen posted on X. \"Team Obama might want to sit this one out.\"\n\"Oh look the guy who literally created this mess in the first place has chimed in,\" Republican digital operative Alec Sears posted on X.\n\"You were part of the team who gave billions of dollars to the Iranian Regime - you helped fund this terror on human beings,\" former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell posted on X. \"Once again, President Trump is cleaning up your mess.\"\n\"You had eight years to do something on this issue,\" Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. \"Instead, you became a foreign operative doing everything you could to preserve an Islamist regime.\n\"You put these circumstances in place.\"\n\"The Obama crew weeps for the mullahs,\" former Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh posted on X.\n\"Ben Rhodes bears responsibility for how America got to this point,\" Middle East geopolitical analyst and Red Ax Strategies President Matthew Brodsky posted on X. \"He is a spineless agent of influence for the regime in Iran. It's taken years to undo the damage of his foreign policy.\"\nOn Saturday afternoon, it was reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, was killed in the strike against Iran.\nIsraeli leaders confirmed Khamenei's compound and offices were reduced to rubble early Saturday after a targeted strike in downtown Tehran.\n\"Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,\" Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital.\nFox News Digital's Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:47:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9f6cb8c13740",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Gauging the Impact of Massive U.S.-Israeli Strikes on Iran - Council on Foreign Relations",
    "body_text": "By experts and staff\n- Updated\nExperts\nThe United States and Israel launched a major assault on Iran on February 28 with the stated aim of toppling the regime in Tehran. President Donald Trump said that the U.S.-led operation would seek to eliminate Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, destroy the country’s navy, and change its leadership. Addressing the Iranian public in an early morning video that announced the strikes, Trump said that the country “will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”\nTrump confirmed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the assault late on Saturday afternoon, and he alleged that much of Iran’s senior leadership was also dead. Israeli security officials had indicated earlier in the day that the ayatollah had been killed after his secure compound was bombed and shared the news of several other senior leaders’ deaths. Iranian media had maintained that Khamenei was alive and “steadfast and firm in commanding the field,” but they later acknowledged that he and members of his family had been killed.\n“Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators and masterminds of this historic crime,” Iran‘s President Masoud Pezeshkian said about the ayatollah’s death.\nIran retaliated against the initial assault quickly, firing missiles at Israel and U.S. military bases in multiple Gulf states. The governments in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates all said they have been targeted. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed revenge for the killing of the regime’s longtime leader and launched another wave of strikes across the region on Sunday.\nTo better understand the potential fallout, CFR experts provided their assessments of the brewing conflict shortly after the U.S. and Israel launched the attack.\nThe Attack on Iran Will Not Kill the Islamic Republic\nRay Takeyh is Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.\nBombing a regime into extinction is rarely an effective strategy.\nThe United States and Israel have launched another wave of attack on Iran. The scale of this assault and who remains alive in the Iranian leadership are yet to be determined. But the Islamic Republic is an ideological system with a multi-layered elite and base of support. That support may have shrunk in the past few years, but it still provides the regime with a cadre prepared to use force to maintain power. The suppression of the recent uprising demonstrated that defeat abroad does not translate to weakness at home. The theocracy will likely survive the latest bombing—battered and bruised, but standing.\nIt is time to say farewell to arms control. The fact is that the Iranians were engaged in serious negotiations with U.S. officials. News accounts indicate that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had tabled proposals that called for the suspension of uranium enrichment for several years before allowing it to then resume at low levels. Perhaps more could have been extracted from Iran if diplomacy had more time than a mere two weeks and two sessions. The Iranian side was trying to be imaginative in addressing U.S. concerns. All this has now ended, as the Trump administration opted for military attacks while the talks were unfolding. It would not be unreasonable for Iranian officials to assume that diplomacy was a mere ruse before the bombs fell.\nIran’s clerical leaders had to respond. Reports indicate they have targeted U.S. bases in the region, as well as Israel. It will take some time to assess the full scope of their attacks and whether there were any U.S. casualties. Should American soldiers die, then the administration will face significant pressure to strike Iran again as punishment for its conduct.\nAn escalatory cycle can only end if cool heads prevail, and there is little evidence today that there are cool heads in either capital.\nIran Strikes Highlight Exceptional U.S.-Israeli Coordination\nElliott Abrams is senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He previously served as a special representative for Iran and Venezuela in the first Trump administration.\nIsraelis are spending another day in bomb shelters to protect themselves from Iranian attacks, but this time is different.\nFirst, the Iranian salvos follow a carefully planned, simultaneous U.S.-Israeli operation. Israeli sources have said that the date of the attack was agreed upon two weeks ago. The ongoing and exceptionally close cooperation between the U.S. military and the Israeli Defense Forces—and between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—has reached a new high. The safest assumption is that the joint Trump-Netanyahu decision to attack Iran was made during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington two weeks ago.\nSecond, the objective is not to merely degrade the Iranian nuclear weapons sites or hit its missile launchers, but force regime change. Trump was clear about that in his first statement. This marks a profound change in stated Israeli and U.S. goals: while the fall of the regime has long been wished for, it has never been the objective of a joint military campaign, nor has any U.S. president so directly called upon Iranians to rise up. Iran is the greatest security threat to Israel, so this change in U.S. objectives will be warmly welcomed.\nThird, this is a campaign, not a one-off strike. No end date has been set, so Israel can likely count on U.S. involvement until hostilities cease.\nFor Netanyahu, the joint campaign is another display of his close relationship with Trump, and it will strengthen the Israeli leader politically. This is an election year in Israel, and a successful joint operation against Iran will help Netanyahu maintain the sense, for many Israeli voters, that he is uniquely positioned to deal with Israel’s enemies.\nIsrael is being hit with everything Iran can throw at it, including waves of missiles and drones, and there will be damage and casualties. Israelis know that their much-vaunted and highly effective air defenses are not impenetrable. Given Iran’s strikes on U.S. military targets based in neighboring Gulf countries, Israelis will assume that no targets in their country are off-limits, including purely civilian sites such as office buildings or hospitals. They know the coming week will be extremely difficult, and already their country is isolated by the closure of its air space and airports.\nIn a deeper sense, however, Israel is not alone. Not only is it in a close partnership with the United States, but also with several of their Arab neighbors—including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—who are also under attack by Iran. Together, these countries share a common adversary and will have much to discuss through in diplomatic, intelligence, and military channels about Iran’s attacks and its postwar future. Israelis will wonder today whether, after decades hearing the Iranian regime shout “Death to Israel,” a new era is coming in the Middle East.\nIran’s Arab Neighbors, Targeted in Reprisals, Brace for Iranian Instability\nSteven A. Cook is Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.\nUnlike the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025, President Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury seeks to topple the Islamic Republic. It is a risky strategy given the enormous challenges of trying to engineer regime change from thousands of miles away. The president clearly hopes that the large numbers of Iranians who have been in revolt against their government for some time will take matters into their own hands and bring an end to clerical rule.\nThe uncertainty of both military operations and regime change has left governments in the region on edge. Ahead of U.S. military operations, Gulf states made clear they would not participate in any attack on Iran, though they are likely providing technical assistance to the United States given their responsibilities as U.S. Central Command partners.\nAs is often the case, regional governments’ positions are more nuanced than their public pronouncements would suggest. The leadership of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) do not want to get dragged into a conflict and are concerned that potential chaos in Iran will affect the trillion-dollar bets they are making on their domestic transformations. Yet they are hardly supporters of the Iranian regime. After the Iranians retaliated this morning with attacks on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE—which all host U.S. military personnel—the Saudis condemned Iran and offered to put their “capabilities at the disposal in support of any measures [the Arab states] may undertake.” The Emiratis intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and have reserved the right to respond. No one in any leadership position in Abu Dhabi or Riyadh will lament the passing of the Iranian regime should the Islamic Republic fall.\nDoha has had better relations with Iran than other Gulf states, but Qatar issued a strong condemnation of Iran’s retaliatory strikes on its territory. Relations between the two countries were already strained after Iran fired on Al Udeid Air Base (near Doha) last summer. Still, Qatar will continue to share a massive gas field with Iran and thus must manage the bilateral relationship. For its part, Oman’s government condemned the U.S. military operations. Its foreign minister, Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, was in the United States on the eve of military operations lobbying the Trump administration against an attack.\nUncertainty will be the watchword for Gulf leaders in the coming days, weeks, and months. Now that military action has begun, their greatest fear is likely the survival of the Iranian regime. They do not want a weakened, vengeful regime as a neighbor.\nRegime Change Is Risky, and More Than the Ayatollah\nLinda Robinson is senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. She has testified before Congress on special operations, the Iraq war, and the Middle East.\nTaking out Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not the same as regime change. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the regime.\nThe risks of war are high if U.S. President Donald Trump holds fast to the goal of regime change, because there is very little likelihood of achieving it with air strikes alone. The unarmed Iranian people do not have the means to topple a sophisticated and deeply entrenched repressive military apparatus like the IGRC.\nThe risks increase exponentially if, in an effort to achieve that goal, U.S. ground forces are deployed to Iran. This is a scenario that U.S. military uniformed leadership has reportedly argued would incur very high casualties and likely risk failure.\nSo either the president has to climb down from the objective or risk a long, punishing, and possibly unsuccessful campaign.\nThe president may be tempted to deploy U.S. special forces that were successful in Venezuela because they were used in a direct action raid mission to capture and extract Nicolás Maduro. But if those forces were used to uproot the IRGC they would suffer massive casualties. That could lead to calls for larger and larger deployments. Once in, the risk of mission creep could grow—as occurred in Iraq after the 2003 invasion—as both political and military leaders would seek to achieve the declared objective.\nThe best-case scenario is that the president will choose to mitigate the risk by declaring victory if the Israeli removal of Khamenei is confirmed, and backtrack to focusing on a nuclear threat reduction deal as was being negotiated.\nThere are numerous other risks in the event that the United States does not seek a quick off-ramp. Most obviously, the IRGC network could conduct various types of attacks against U.S. personnel and regional bases and the reach could be quite beyond the region, including inside the United States.\nIf the president were to decide to rely more heavily on Israeli ground operations, that would pose risks as well, stoking the already strong concern among Arab states that do not want to see a prolonged war in the region.\nAlready, the optics of the United States and Israel jointly going to war in Iran are not sitting well with countries and the public in the region. Those governments and public are in fact quite concerned about the costs of war to their stability, lives, economy, and military capability. The risk of a setback to U.S. standing in the Middle East is high and potentially long-lasting.\nTrump’s Ambitious War Aims Can’t Be Achieved With Air Power Alone\nMax Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.\nIt’s easy to start a war. It’s very hard to end one successfully.\nThat is a lesson that President George W. Bush learned in Iraq and Afghanistan—and previous presidents before him, in places ranging from Vietnam to Somalia. It is a lesson that President Donald Trump is likely to learn anew in Iran.\nIn lieu of a prime-time address or a speech to Congress—which is what past presidents have done before starting a war—Trump posted an eight-minute video at 2:30 a.m. Eastern on Saturday laying out his war aims. His goals include:\n- “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”\n- “We are going to annihilate their navy.”\n- “We are going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces.”\n- “We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”\n- “The members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces, and all of the police… lay down your arms…. To the great, proud people of Iran…. take over your government.”\nThese are very ambitious objectives, and most of them cannot be achieved by air power alone. It is certainly possible to destroy most of Iran’s missiles, most of its navy, and most of its nuclear program with bombs and missiles. But what is to prevent Iran from rebuilding those capabilities the second that U.S. and Israeli bombs stop falling? Recall that Trump said that Iran’s nuclear program was “totally obliterated” last June, yet eight months later he is claiming the regime remains enough of a threat to justify U.S. military action (even though there is no evidence of Iran restarting enrichment).\nTrump’s third objective—ensuring that Iran will no longer support “terrorist proxies”—is even harder to achieve. As long as Iran has the capability to export oil (and it does, despite U.S. sanctions) it will generate revenues sufficient to support Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other proxy groups.\nThe only thing that would make Iran stop supporting those organizations would be if the current clerical regime falls and is replaced by a liberal democracy. With his final war aim, Trump is signaling that he is pursuing regime change, but his approach is halfhearted. Ensuring the downfall of Iran’s government would require a ground invasion, which Trump has not ordered. Instead, he is hoping that U.S. air strikes—particularly if they killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders—will galvanize another uprising. Perhaps security forces will lay down their arms this time, rather than slaughtering protesters as they did in January. Perhaps not.\nBut hope isn’t a strategy, and it’s not clear that Trump actually has a plan to achieve regime change. Keep in mind that the U.S. intelligence community assessed prior to the start of hostilities that, even if Khamenei is killed, his likely successors will be hardline leaders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—the very people who oversee Iran’s terrorist networks along with its nuclear and missile programs.\nSo the odds of Trump achieving all, or even most, of his objectives are remote, while the risks of miscalculation—resulting in a lengthy, indecisive conflict—are high. There are good reasons why previous presidents were reluctant to become embroiled in a war with Iran. Trump has ignored all the caveats. Now he will have to deal with the fallout from the biggest gamble of his presidency.\nWeakened Hezbollah Appears to Be Waiting After Iran Attacks\nElisa Ewers is senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.\nUntil just a few years ago, Lebanon-based Hezbollah was Iran’s strongest, most lethal, and best-supplied proxy, with the most advanced command and control. For decades, in all the scenarios of potential U.S. military confrontation with Iran, Hezbollah’s potential role in a conflict was always a consideration because of two assumptions: first, that Hezbollah would activate; and second, that the group’s involvement posed a great risk to U.S. interests, Israel, and others in the region.\nThose assumptions no longer hold.\nHezbollah, for many years both a political and militia force in Lebanon, is at its weakest point after Israeli attacks decimated its leadership and degraded its most advanced weaponry. Israel has continued to strike Hezbollah over recent months to ensure it does not rebuild. Just as importantly, the Lebanese government in Beirut sees these recent shifts as an opportunity to reassert sovereign authority over the whole state of Lebanon, which it has not had for decades.\nBoth these developments factor into Beirut’s response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. Lebanon’s political leadership has unequivocally condemned Iran’s attacks on regional neighbors including Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It has also proclaimed that it does not need Hezbollah, or any other group, to defend Lebanese sovereignty or interests, which is consistent with its policies over the last six months to disarm Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.\nFor its part, Hezbollah’s statement today is also interesting in that it condemns the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and calls for resistance, but falls short of announcing that Hezbollah will take a role in Iran’s retaliation or any direct conflict with the United States or Israel in the immediate term. For now, it seems that Hezbollah has determined it is not in its interest to inject itself into this war.\nThe Iranian regime is in a fight for its survival. It has decided to act swiftly against its neighbors in response to U.S. and Israeli day-one strikes. Iran may find a need to escalate further, making the cost greater for the United States and its partners. Much has changed in just the first ten hours, but one question in coming days and weeks will be whether Iran will look to Hezbollah to be a part of that escalatory response, including against U.S. targets and targets inside Israel. Whether Hezbollah heeds Iran’s call will be the interesting thing to watch.\nThis work represents the views and opinions solely of the authors. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxPal9fMkpTelVfYnZERUNPYTNXRkZYOXVqVG1IOVhnRGdtaHRpQ08zODJRZ055Y2E3bXlBaTRQa28zTDhrSUJteTQ1NXdERXc0bmU1RFNuY2tiRzl0d1M3ME9EazdPajhVeFpFUVVJYlFNT1FtS1B0NFJ4TGVpLVc5dmJ2SThqMDBWUkk5UG5sTQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9d795ccefb3b",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iraq risks being pulled into conflict after two Iran-aligned fighters killed in attack - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Follow live updates here\nIraq risks being dragged into the front line of a regional war after US-Israeli strikes targeting Iran spilt across its border, hitting Tehran-allied militias and prompting those groups to threaten attacks on Americans.\nShortly after the US and Israel launched a war with Iran on Saturday, two separate missile attacks hit the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, south of Baghdad, killing at least two fighters and wounding five others, the group said. A third attack hit the same area later on Saturday but no casualties were reported.\nThe government confirmed the attacks on Jurf Al Sakhar without providing further details. The town, also known as Jurf Al Nasr, is about 60km south-west of Baghdad and under the control of the powerful militia.\nThat has prompted Kataib Hezbollah, the Al Nujaba and Sayyed Al Shuhada as well as other small militias to join the fight by attacking US troops, they announced in statements. They have previously attacked US troops in Iraq and Syria. as well as targets inside Israel, with drones and missiles.\nRockets and drones also hit US military bases and the consulate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, a security official said. Videos on social media showed that at least one rocket was intercepted. There was no immediate comment from the US military.\nKurdish authorities have suspended classes at schools and universities until Wednesday.\nLate on Saturday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella for several influential Iran-allied armed groups, announced it had carried out 16 operations using “dozens of drones targeting enemy bases in Iraq and the region”.\nIn a statement, the group did not give details on the targets and whether the attacks were only against US troops.\nIraqi Joint Operation Command said security forces shot down nine drones fired to attack military bases in the southern provinces of Nasiriyah and Basra. No casualties occurred, it added.\n'Unjustified aggression'\nIraq's government has called for an immediate halt to military action and a return to dialogue, denouncing the “unjustified aggression” against Iran.\n“The Iraqi government and people reject war and aggression in all its forms,” said a statement after a meeting of senior military and security officials chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani.\nThe statement warned against action that “that threatens Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity”. It added: “Our territory will not be used as a passage or launch pad for attacks on Iran, nor will we allow Iraq to be dragged into the conflict.”\nThe government has called for international law to be respected and the use of diplomacy to resolve disputes, warning that the region risks uncontrollable consequences.\n“The entire region will be exposed to unpredictable consequences, and major countries, particularly the US, must act responsibly and contribute to finding solutions beyond military options,” the statement added.\nShortly after the US-Israel strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in a phone call that Iran would continue to “defend itself, targeting US military bases in the region as part of its right to self-defence”.\nMr Hussein emphasised his country’s stance against escalating military actions.\n“War cannot be a means to solve problems, and dialogue and de-escalation are the best ways to address crises and maintain regional security and stability,” a statement read.\nIraq closed its airspace after the US-Israeli operation was launched against Iran. Iraqi Airways has offered refunds for ticked for the cancelled flights.\nIraq's location and relationships with regional powers make it a key player in the crisis. The country's leaders are likely to face pressure to navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries in the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T22:57:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxNdl9Sck01VWJYM29JUGFMUFFBM01nb1ZFd1hIRXozd1RtOUw2X3BMaVVSRkNHTk9QdUpSZTBIeHFQQk1VX21oQmlJcHA3ZEVHVVBQT1A5ZkFLLTlhSjFFTk9LdkpXZzJIemtXSHRhZm01cW5rcE5jeVM5aFltaFdXTWhkVUxLa0tzcHhOMGVxeEt4SjBFbUJKRDlzNncyZlVIUHRlMERMbXFWYkM4NWlNcWxORmdqU0xYbFNMQ0JvbUtKUzRDbk4wQkdnbw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a6aa08be16f8",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iranian leader Khamenei killed in air strikes as U.S., Israel launch attacks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iranian leader Khamenei killed in air strikes as U.S., Israel launch attacks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T23:24:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOMGphRGktb1FqZHI5Slc3QkRKR1c2OXZWYVdtd240OXdMemc4aVk1OWFILWc5V2pZQXFRc2czVXRBdDBjZDFxUjJ2Uy1admNMeUpFdmFHc25TNTZpaFNsU3hVMUhvdEVacU5rOVZ6NERFM2JwbzRLNWdBWTZxQmllWE9rU1JYa2FsN214Q0E0V1k0SE55anBF?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7a9c9b8d669b",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US not planning to tap strategic reserve as Iran war risks oil surge - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US not planning to tap strategic reserve as Iran war risks oil surge\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T23:50:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9IWWJlQ2NVVUdVS2F4SVJhWVhYNTdNWV9tUWwwZUN5b2ViWGZ5X3dwOS1tQlFLRG1iWHNZOWsyajFfOFpSV3RETWpiNWYyZ3B4czlaVXBrY2Ywdi1kTXZzaFNrU3o0dTZ3bllTbEQwVGk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bff679ea7e06",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Protesters rally across US after strikes on Iran that killed Khamenei - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "As news circulated that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, had been killed in US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, anti-war protesters gathered across the United States, including outside the White House and in New York’s Times Square to voice opposition to US military involvement in the region.\n“It wasn’t sanctioned by Congress, so what Trump is doing is on his own terms, it’s making him a fascist and it’s making the country into a fascist state,” said Sue Johnson, a protester.\nTrump, she added, “just couldn’t wait. He’s such an impatient child. He’s like, ‘Well ICE didn’t work, so let’s go stir things up in the Middle East. He bombed Iran for no specific reason.\n“No president can attack or kidnap or bomb another country without the permission of the Congress,” she said, but conceded that “it’s irrelevant what Congress thinks because this president goes and does whatever he wants to do to any country.”\nThat sense of fait accompli that accompanies recent Trump administration foreign policy actions, including the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president, permeated the New York gathering of several hundred protesters.\nScores of protests were sponsored by a coalition of leftwing groups, including: the Answer Coalition, the National Iranian American Council, 50501, American Muslims for Palestine, the People’s Forum, Palestinian Youth Movement, CodePink, Black Alliance for Peace and the Democratic Socialists of America.\nThe coalition listed other “emergency protests” on Saturday, including in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Minneapolis.\nOthers will be held on Sunday in smaller cities, including: Albany, New York; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Decorah, Iowa; Gainesville, Florida; and Springfield, Missouri.\nOrganizers put out a statement saying: “Trump’s unprovoked, illegal attack on Iran is an act of war that threatens to cause unthinkable death and destruction. But the people of this country reject another endless war and will take to the streets now and make our voices heard.”\nNew York’s DSA-aligned mayor, Zohran Mamdani, said earlier in the day that the US and Israel strikes on Iran “mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change.”\nThe American Civil Liberties Union joined scores of Democratic lawmakers to demand that Congress take immediate action to end Trump’s unconstitutional use of military force against Iran. The veteran civil rights group noted it had been “steadfast in insisting, from Vietnam through the war in Afghanistan, both wars in Iraq, the military action against Libya, and the ongoing use of force in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Somalia, that the constitution is clear that decisions on whether to use military force require Congress’s specific, advance authorization”.\nThat sentiment was echoed Willie Cotton, 48, of Brooklyn, New York, who said that he didn’t believe it was in the interests of the US for Iran to have a nuclear weapon “but I am opposed to US bombing”.\n“I support the demonstrations” in Iran, he said, “and support the thousands that have been killed by the regime there. But the US doesn’t go in there to help them, nor to benefit the region, it’s going in there for it’s own interests and aims.”\nCotton acknowledged that Trump told Iranians, as he announced the strikes early Saturday, that the attack on Iran’s theocratic regime would “probably be your only chance for generations” to take power .\n“He said that to Venezuela and then said ‘this is our oil’ two minutes later,” Cotton pointed out skeptically. “US history is that they go into these conflicts for its own benefit, not for the benefit of the people there. I don’t think he’s deviating from that course of protecting US business interests, including his own.”\n“But that’s no different than Biden or Obama or any of the like. I don’t give back-handed support to Obama. He had the same course of sanctions that hurt the working people of Iran,” Cotton said.\nAs a member of the Socialist Workers party, he added, he was firmly is support of Israel defending itself after Hamas’s cross-border attack on the country on 7 October 2023. “It was Iran that organized the bombing campaigns against Israel and Israel has a right to defend itself.”\n“But the US isn’t defending itself here … it’s advancing its goals all around the world.”\nProtesters gathered as the FBI’s counterterrorism and counterintelligence teams were placed on elevated alert nationwide. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said she is “in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland”.\nJacqueline, a woman who was giving out “Stop the War on Iran!” placards on behalf of the party for Socialism and Liberation, said even if protests did not have any effect in stopping the bombing “at least we can voice that people oppose another endless war in the Middle East.”\n“It’s not in any our interest to the people here in the face of the cost of living crisis, murder on the streets by ICE, and the US is not an arbiter or beacon of democracy. I think we’ve all seen that lie pretty clearly now”.\nHealthcare worker Christina Perez, 44, said she joined to protest “the Trump regime in general, all of it”.\n“It’s like constant salt in the wound. You never know what you’re going to wake up to. Why is this person allowed to all these legal atrocities and no one stops him. It’s like rampant tyranny”.\nAsked how she felt waking up on Saturday to news of the strikes, Perez said: “Unfortunately, I’m not surprised and why do I have to keep waking up for more terrible shit. We’re being distracted from the things that really matter because you’re constantly being inundated. Americans have legitimate grievances, but there’s never money to solve those things and always money for war.”",
    "published_at": "2026-02-28T23:50:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxNc1B5ZWNIY3VwTUxoUDVwYktCbzdySzh6bENpd0RFX054U00wNTY3c1BWbEhRTW80TUlmN1BFNjNpbF94MnpjNFJEYmxMY0g3eW1OaTNuY0VCajMtc05GRXVHM2NXdk1ZM3RvTUdqRG9UVUo3VXhuWXdIV1ZKbUNqSlRB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_dbbb58c1ab7f",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded or diverted by airspace closures in Middle East - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The US and Israeli attack on Iran continued to cause severe disruption to flights throughout the Middle East and beyond on Sunday, creating uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of travellers.\nCountries across the region closed their airspace, and three of the key airports that connect Europe, Africa and the west to Asia halted operations.\nIn response, the UK government is planning one of the biggest evacuations in its history. More than 76,000 British citizens have registered their presence in affected areas of the Middle East and this number is expected to rise.\nTravellers were either stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain shut their airspace.\nThere were also no flights over the United Arab Emirates, the flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said, after the government announced a “temporary and partial closure” of its airspace. That led to the closure of airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, and the cancellation of thousands of flights by major Middle Eastern and global airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Dubai is the world’s busiest airport for international traffic.\nMajor international airports in the region also became targets of Iran’s retaliatory strikes. Dubai’s international airport and its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel sustained damage and four people were injured. Abu Dhabi Airports said in a post on X that an incident at Zayed international airport in the UAE’s capital resulted in one death and seven injuries. It later deleted the post.\nThe three major airlines that operate at those airports – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad – typically have about 90,000 passengers a day passing through those hubs, and even more travellers headed to destinations in the Middle East, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium. All three suspended flights.\nMore than 3,400 flights were cancelled across the seven main airports in the Middle East on Sunday. .\nThe tracking service Flightradar24 said a new “notice to airmen” had extended closure of Iranian airspace until at least 8.30am UK time on Tuesday.\nMore than two-thirds of the 76,000 Britons in affected areas are believed to be in the UAE, and most are holidaymakers or other travellers, rather than residents. Dubai is a major tourist and business destination.\nThe UK government’s advice is for people to follow local instructions, especially where it is to shelter in their current location. It is also looking at all options for different eventualities, which could include evacuations via different routes at a later date – an enormous logistical task.\nThe Foreign Office’s advice is against all travel to Iran, Israel and Palestine. It also advises against all but essential travel to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.\nThere are further instructions to avoid travel to some parts of Pakistan, and British nationals in Saudi Arabia are advised to stay at home.\nThose in Jordan, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq should take precautions, given the heightened regional tensions.\nHenry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, said: “For travellers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this. You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”\n“It’s the sheer volume of people and the complexity,” said John Strickland, a UK-based aviation analyst. “It is not only customers, it is the crews and aircraft all over the place.”\nAustrian Airlines sent an evacuation flight to Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Sunday to return staff and crew unable to fly from Dubai.\nThe airspace closures in the Middle East could be exacerbated by the fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, squeezing airlines into even narrower flight corridors.\nIt is unclear how long the disruption to flights could last. The situation is changing quickly and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.\nTwenty-four out of 56 flights scheduled to depart from Heathrow to destinations in the Middle East were cancelled on Sunday, according to data from Cirium. Some airlines issued waivers to travellers that will allow them to rebook their flight plans without paying extra fees or higher fares.\nJonathan Escott and his fiance had arrived at the airport in Newcastle, England, on Saturday only to find out that his direct flight to Dubai on Emirates had been cancelled, leaving everyone on the flight stuck there.\nEscott left to go back to where he was staying with family, about an hour from the airport, and had no idea when he may be able to travel. “No one knows,” he said. “No one really knows what’s going on with the conflict, really. Not Emirates, Emirates don’t have a clue.”\nThe cancellations\nNumerous airlines cancelled international flights to Dubai through the weekend, as India’s civil aviation agency designated much of the Middle East – including skies above Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon – as a high security risk zone at all altitudes.\n-\nAir India cancelled all flights to Middle East destinations, as well as some other destinations including London, New York and Paris.\n-\nTurkish Airlines said flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan were suspended until Monday and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman were suspended.\n-\nUS-based Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv at least through the weekend.\n-\nThe Dutch airline KLM had already announced earlier in the week that it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv. It has now also cancelled services to Dubai, Dammam and Riyadh until Thursday.\n-\nLufthansa suspended services to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman until Saturday, and flights in and out of Dubai.\n-\nPegasus Airlines has cancelled all services to Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.\n-\nAirlines including Air France and Transavia cancelled all flights to Lebanon, while American Airlines suspended flights from Philadelphia to Doha.\n-\nVirgin Atlantic said it would avoid flying over Iraq, meaning flights to and from India, the Maldives and Riyadh could take slightly longer. The airline was already not flying over Iran and said all flights would carry appropriate fuel in case they need to reroute on short notice.\n-\nBritish Airways said flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain would be suspended until next week, and flights to Amman, Jordan, were cancelled on Saturday. It said customers booked up to Wednesday could request a full refund.\n-\nWizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman until next Sunday.\n-\nLOT suspended flights to Tel Aviv until 15 March, and cancelled flights to Dubai and Riyadh until Monday.\n-\nFlyDubai suspended flights to and from Dubai until 3pm local time on Monday.\n-\nAir Canada cancelled flights to Dubai until Tuesday, and to Israel until next Sunday.\n-\nAegean Airlines, Greece’s largest carrier, suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Erbil until Monday.\n-\nAir Astana has cancelled all flights to the Middle East until the end of Tuesday\nAirspace closures\n-\nIran swiftly closed its airspace as the strikes began “until further notice”, according to its Civil Aviation Organisation.\n-\nIsrael also closed its airspace to civilian flights, the transport minister, Miri Regev, announced.\n-\nQatar’s civil aviation authority said it had temporarily closed the Gulf state’s airspace.\n-\nIraq shut down its airspace, state media said.\n-\nThe United Arab Emirates said it was closing its skies “partially and temporarily”.\n-\nSyria closed part of its airspace in the south along the border with Israel for 12 hours, the civil aviation authority said.\n-\nJordan’s air force was conducting drills to “defend the kingdom’s skies”, its military said.\n-\nKuwait closed its airspace.\nWith Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:09:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_25c8253c221f",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Jeb Bush commends former rival Trump’s Iran op: ‘This is their time to take their country back’ - Fox News",
    "body_text": "FIRST ON FOX: A major public policy nonprofit co-led by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush praised President Donald Trump for ordering Saturday's military strikes against Iran.\nUnited Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI) — was formed in 2008 by Ambassador Mark Wallace, who held a United Nations-centered post in Bush's brother’s administration, and former George H.W. Bush diplomat Dennis Ross — to combat threats posed by the Islamic Republic.\nThe group has been on the front lines of highlighting Iran's human rights abuses and attacks on Americans and advising policymakers and the business community about dangers posed by Tehran.\nThe organization counsels existing and would-be commercial partners of Iran regarding the legal, financial and reputational risks of that kind of commerce.\n\"UANI salutes the courage and professionalism of American and Israeli service members carrying out this historic mission against the Iranian regime,\" Bush and Wallace told Fox News Digital Saturday.\n\"We applaud President Trump for his courageous decision to launch this military operation. For 47 years, the Iranian regime has unleashed terror, violence and misery — against its own people and across the region — while threatening the United States, Israel and our allies.\"\nBush, who ran against Trump in a bruising 2016 primary, and Wallace noted that many presidents tried to bring Iran into the \"peaceful community of nations\" but were not able to finish the job.\n\"This president engaged extensively and in good faith to achieve a diplomatic solution,\" they said after Trump indicated as recently as last week he wanted to negotiate terms.\n\"The regime chose escalation and continued its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The responsibility for this moment rests squarely with Ayatollah Khamenei.\"\nKhamenei, 86, was declared dead by Israeli sources by late afternoon.\nBush and Wallace added it was clear the joint American-Israeli operation was directed not at Iran, the country and citizenry, but at Khamenei’s \"lethal capabilities.\"\nThe Iranian people, they said, have long suffered under repression and that Trump’s message since the strikes began is one that should be embraced by all Americans: \"We aim to see Iran free, prosperous, and at peace. This is their time to take their great country back.\"\n\"The Butcher of Tehran is dead,\" Bush and Wallace added in a separate public statement.\nBush added in a statement on X that \"Operation Epic Fury marks a historic mission against the Iranian regime.\"\n\"We salute the courage and professionalism of American and Israeli service members and commend for his courageous decision,\" he added.\nBush’s relationship with Trump has appeared to warm since their bitter feuds of a decade ago.\nDuring the 2016 sweeps, Trump nicknamed the Republican Party scion \"Low Energy Jeb,\" while Bush quipped that the mogul would not be able to \"insult your way to the presidency\" after the eventual victor mocked an ad that former first lady Barbara Bush filmed for her son.\nWhile governor, Bush made improving public education a hallmark of his administration in Tallahassee. Bush implemented stricter proficiency standards in elementary education and signed what was dubbed the \"A+ plan,\" making Florida the first state to require clear letter grades on student performance.\nHe recently praised the Trump administration’s overtures toward universal school choice and federal block grants as a \"transformational opportunity.\"\n\"The Trump administration has a chance to shift the power dynamic back to the states, where policymakers are uniquely equipped to understand and address the diverse needs of their students, schools, and communities,\" he added in a column in Education Week.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:11:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPSUJDX1BzNzVUcGdZS2NYOWg4NG1ucXZKc051d0pOejJwZUFXd25ORzY1U2puRGdjZUZ0bXlfZkg3MEUyR19YV2hxR2dENktFNWlGUFc5OF9DelhsdmZ3anlwZ0dwcGVMZTcxcG1ZaGtXYmd2QzUtdF9YZWNPN29BbER1ODVjUjJJbXNOR1RDU3d6Nzk3U3k0MmdtdjBJT19ZaXhHTkV4UHJuZ9IBrwFBVV95cUxQZFZJdHFoZ1BwMFZtY0UwNFZfcno1Z0xDUE9HN0o1azhqMHpPdExlR0FkdmlDcUpwc1NXSEk3aHdNd2ZBVTFBa3k1UDJwbC1NdzQ2OXNhbEpfNTdGUDlvMm40b3hma01mXzZQQ2g1UVN1UzJkQ2Ytc2RqcmRRSXlUbWctRGxTZHJhbFg1ZnhkdWI2Y0d2V3VNZXZKVmgwRXB4NmJHNE5VdFRsaVJjZW53?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_82d66544bd99",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Dubai airport, iconic Burj Al Arab hotel damaged in Iranian missile strikes - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Dubai airport, iconic Burj Al Arab hotel damaged in Iranian missile strikes\nDUBAI, March 1 (Reuters) - Dubai's international airport and its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel sustained damage as overnight Iranian retaliatory attacks spread across the Gulf states and the wider Middle East, reaching beyond U.S. bases and interests.\nFour people were injured at the airport, the emirate's media office said early on Sunday.\nDubai’s media office said on X that “a concourse at Dubai International (DXB) sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained,” without giving further details.\nIt later also confirmed that a drone was intercepted, and debris caused a minor fire on the Burj Al Arab's outer facade.\nDubai is the biggest tourism and trade hub in the Middle East and its airport is one of the world's busiest travel hubs.\nThe Burj Al Arab hotel has long been one of the emirate’s most recognisable symbols. Opened in 1999 on an artificial island off Jumeirah Beach, the sail-shaped tower quickly became an emblem of a city intent on projecting luxury on a global scale. On Saturday, a fire broke out near another hotel on the city's artificially made Palm Jumeirah Island.\nAviation sources had told Reuters that an overnight Iranian attack damaged one of the terminals at the airport.\nAbu Dhabi Airports also said in a post on X that an incident at Zayed International Airport in the UAE's capital resulted in one fatality involving an Asian national and seven injuries. It later deleted the post.\nOne of the berths at Dubai's Jebel Ali Port also caught fire because of debris resulting from an aerial interception, the Dubai media office said in a separate statement.\nIran fired missiles at Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha, all key east-west aviation gateways.\nAirlines suspended flights across the Middle East on Saturday, including to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Flight-tracking maps showed airspace over much of the region virtually empty.\n(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, Jaidaa Taha and Menna Alaa El-Din; Writing by Andrew Mills and Maha El Dahan; Editing by Deepa Babington and Lisa Shumaker)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:13:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxOQ05ZSVZleVkxZUtkaTJ4WE13Qng3emFnUkMwZkQwbHRMVWdVQmpGbDcwa2lBc09qd3VvSmlKQTI2UEkxZjFJVUcyVUJtZTd2RHc2TGVhRlhGcWpBSHY5QmE1MlRIRVRMX0R3X2hudms1V1kxU0QtLWo2Uzc1UG9xdnRYb1d5SHhTbnRZcWRUdXdNaGJZV0hoUVpSY1JqUVVMcDB3UkVwNTNZM3E3WGFxUF9PQldVcXc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e2f963dbf626",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded by flight disruptions after attack on Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "Hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded by flight disruptions after attack on Iran\nHundreds of thousands of travelers stranded by flight disruptions after attack on Iran\nLONDON (AP) — America and Israel’s attack on Iran disrupted flights across the Middle East and beyond Saturday as countries around the region closed their airspace and key airports that connect Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were directly hit by strikes.\nWatch a live view of the flight radar map showing flight disruptions in the region after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack against Iran.\nHundreds of thousands of travelers were either stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace. There also was no flight activity over the United Arab Emirates, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said, after the government there announced a “temporary and partial closure” of its airspace.\nThat led to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, and the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. The three major airlines that operate at those airports — Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad — typically have about 90,000 passengers per day crossing through those hubs and even more travelers headed to destinations in the Middle East, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.\nTwo airports in the United Arab Emirates reported incidents as the government there condemned what it called a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” on Saturday.\nOfficials at Dubai International Airport — the largest in the United Arab Emirates and one of the busiest in the world — said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.\nThough Iran did not publicly claim responsibility, the scope of retaliatory strikes that Gulf nations attributed to Iran extended beyond the American bases that it previously said it would target.\n“For travelers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this,” said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group. “You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”\nAirlines that are crossing the Middle East will have to reroute flights around the conflict with many flights headed south over Saudi Arabia. That will add hours to those flights and consume additional fuel, adding to the costs airlines will have to absorb. So ticket prices could quickly start to increase if the conflict lingers.\nThe added flights will also put pressure on air traffic controllers in Saudi Arabia who might have to slow traffic to make sure they can handle it safely. And the countries that closed their airspace will miss out on the overflight fees airlines pay for crossing overhead.\nBut Mike McCormick, who used to oversee air traffic control for the Federal Aviation Administration before he retired and is now a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said over the next few days these countries might be able to reopen parts of their airspace once American and Israeli officials share with the airlines where military flights are operating and how capable Iran remains at firing missiles.\n“Those countries then will be able to go through and say, okay, we can reopen this portion of our space but we’ll keep this portion of our airspace closed,” McCormick said. “So I think what we’ll see in the next 24 to 36 hours how the use of airspace evolves as the kinetic activity gets more well defined and as the capability of Iran to actually shoot missiles and create additional risk is diminished due to the attacks.”\nBut it is unclear how long the disruption to flight operations could last. For comparison, the Israeli and U.S. attack on Iran in June 2025 lasted 12 days.\n‘No one knows’\nThe situation was changing quickly and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.\nSome airlines issued waivers to affected travelers that will allow them to rebook their flight plans without paying extra fees or higher fares.\nJonathan Escott and his fiance had arrived at the airport in Newcastle, England, on Saturday only to find out that his direct flight to Dubai on Emirates airline was canceled, leaving everyone on the flight stuck there.\nEscott left to go back to where he was staying with family, about an hour from the airport, but has no idea when he may be able to travel.\n“No one knows,” Escott said. “No one really knows what’s going on with the conflict, really. Not Emirates, Emirates don’t have a clue. No one has a clue.”\nAt least 145 planes that were en route to cities like Tel Aviv and Dubai early Saturday were diverted to airports in cities like Athens, Istanbul or Rome, according to FlightAware. Others turned around and returned to where they took off from. One plane spent nearly 15 hours in the air after leaving Philadelphia and getting all the way to Spain before turning around and returning to where it started.\nNumerous airlines canceled international flights to Dubai through the weekend, as India’s civil aviation agency designated much of the Middle East — including skies above Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon — as a high-security risk zone at all altitudes.\nAir India canceled all flights to Mideast destinations. Turkish Airlines said flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan were suspended until Monday and flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman were suspended.\nThe airline said additional cancellations may be announced, and many other airlines were suspending flights into the region through the weekend.\nTravelers advised to be ‘very creative’\nU.S.-based Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv at least through the weekend. Dutch airline KLM had already announced earlier in the week that it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv.\nAirlines including Lufthansa, Air France, Transavia and Pegasus canceled all flights to Lebanon, while American Airlines suspended flights from Philadelphia to Doha.\nVirgin Atlantic said it would avoid flying over Iraq, meaning flights to and from India, the Maldives and Riyadh could take slightly longer. The airline already was not flying over Iran and said all flights would carry appropriate fuel in case they need to reroute on short notice.\nBritish Airways said flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain will be suspended until next week, and flights to Amman, Jordan, were canceled Saturday.\n“Travelers should anticipate that there will be a lot of disruptions,” Harteveldt said. “To be honest, if you haven’t left home, chances are you won’t be leaving home if you’re supposed to travel to or through these destinations for at least several days, if not longer. And if you are returning home, you will have to be very creative about how you get home.”\n___\nLevy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Bangkok and Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank contributed",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxPNmZncTR2b1owYklXV29XZTE3bWgzazh3Z1lMYmZtT2ttbEpJWUt6SjJTWUw3UjZPR0FFUWtHR08wNWlYU2g4Z1pMTlNNbXNOUkFKVFd3MkxPeVgwc21iaUJtV3pNdFNZSUFwcUt1OFJ3RjhESkQ1X0NVTDNNSm4xMlVCUGJ4dmZzVGNyTFYxUmZDUHRvRkQ1b194c29vd2s?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_20edd00a56a8",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran ‘top target’ hit in $10M precision strike, US Kamikaze drones used to 'overwhelm' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Israel struck its key target in Tehran Saturday in what a defense expert has described as a multimillion-dollar precision-guided attack alongside a broader offensive involving U.S. waves of lower-cost kamikaze drones.\nCameron Chell, CEO of drone manufacturer Draganfly, told Fox News Digital the campaign would have likely paired advanced and costly assets against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound, while U.S. forces used cheaper drones to \"overwhelm\" on land, air and sea.\nU.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also confirmed that the drones were deployed for the first time in history.\n\"CENTCOM's Task Force Scorpion Strike — for the first time in history — is using one-way attack drones in combat during Operation Epic Fury,\" it said in an X post before adding that the \"low-cost drones, modeled after Iran's Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution.\"\n\"Saturday saw an overwhelming daytime attack with incredible intelligence to target the leadership and a strike on the compound possibly costing tens of millions,\" Chell said.\n\"That would likely have included expensive, precision-strike drones or manned aircraft in highly coordinated attacks to ensure success, not necessarily the lower-cost, one-way version of the suicide drones,\" he explained.\n\"The U.S. has this lower-cost alternative to hit everything at once, but then the very expensive, high-precision assets would likely have gone directly after leadership on Saturday,\" Chell added.\nA senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the compound strike was a \"wildly bold daytime attack.\"\n\"It caught the senior leadership off guard on a Saturday morning during Ramadan and on Shabbat in the daytime,\" the official added.\n\"We hit the senior leaders right out of the gate,\" the source told Fox national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin.\nIran’s military, government and intelligence sites were targeted, an official briefed on the operation also told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.\nA handful of top Iranian leaders were killed, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nPresident Donald Trump also announced Saturday that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed in the strike.\n\"If drones were involved in that top target attack, it would have been the very sophisticated MQ-type or Global Hawk-type drones,\" Chell said.\nIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said other attacks across the country were being done \"to remove threats.\"\nAs previously reported by Fox News Digital, those targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control centers, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.\nChell described how those secondary targets would have been hit by the U.S. with the cheaper one-way \"kamikaze\" drones before adding that the strikes \"seemed to be an excellent example of mass overwhelm at a new level.\"\nChell suggested Iran’s defenses were likely degraded well before the strike began because of the coordination.\n\"I think likely the defense systems, communication systems, were overwhelmingly compromised,\" he added. \"And so I think they just overwhelmed them,\" he said.\n\"I’m sure there would have been days, if not even weeks, of work and preparation to take out those defense communication systems.\n\"They would have compromised those defense communications in some way through electronic warfare or cyberattack.\n\"The battlefield now is so multidimensional,\" Chell emphasized.\n\"It’s about cyber warfare, misinformation and electronic warfare as well.\n\"This was seemingly so swift because it was incredibly well-planned and coordinated by the U.S. and Israel on a massive level that’s not been seen before.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:16:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2ae0657a5cc2",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US, Israel defend strikes at UN as Iran alleges 'war crime' - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "US, Israel defend strikes at UN as Iran alleges 'war crime'\nThe United States and Israel on Saturday defended their attacks on Iran, which called resulting civilian deaths a \"war crime\" during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.\n\"The international community has long affirmed a simple and necessary principle: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,\" said US ambassador Mike Waltz, pointing to past UN resolutions ignored by Tehran.\n\"That principle is not a matter of politics, it's a matter of global security, and to that end, the United States is taking lawful actions,\" he added.\nReferencing Iran's recent deadly crackdowns on protesters, Waltz said that Iran's presence at Saturday's emergency meeting in New York \"makes a mockery of this body.\"\n\"But where the UN lacks moral clarity, the United States of America will maintain it,\" he added.\nIsraeli ambassador Danny Danon condemned the \"hypocrisy\" of some Security Council members who criticized the joint US-Israeli attack, but not the retaliation by Iran.\n\"We did not act of impulse. We did not act of aggression. We acted out of necessity because the Iranian regime left no reasonable alternative,\" Danon said.\nIranian counterpart Amir Saeid Iravani denounced the \"war crime\" of civilian deaths, notably of more than 100 children at Minab School in southern Iran.\n\"It is regrettable that some members of this body, in a blatant double standard, disregard the flagrant act of aggression committed by the US and Israel on Iran, and condemn Iran for using its inherent right to self-defense in the UN Charter,\" he said.\nIravani notably did not comment on or confirm the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which US President Donald Trump announced moments before the meeting.\nThe mixed views highlighted a divided Security Council.\nRussia and China only condemned the US-Israeli strikes, while others principally targeted Iran. Some were more careful to simply call for deescalation.\nGulf states condemned Iran's strikes against them as \"cowardly\" in a joint statement read by Bahrain's ambassador.\n\"We hold the government of Iran fully responsible for these attacks, and we reject any justifications or explanations to justify this hostile behavior or to manipulate rules of international law,\" said Jamal Fares Alrowaiei on behalf of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria and Jordan.\nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that military action in the Middle East risked triggering uncontrollable consequences in the region.\n\"Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world,\" he told the Security Council.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:30:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxPNGJzS1hFUnd4TmQzemg1eUszNlp5WVNXYmNfbVRnVUNRaFN0OW5NdXZlSTlrcWo0MkhadHg0ekljMU5MVGNPTFZ6dDFDR0VZT0p4NUlVVjZhZ2ZDNk1MQjB2MFZwTTFQMWplNmQ3UGdhN1FWbmlVb2JsUXZLbnoxMndSRERUc1p1UTcyUll4TUExQ1FoOEplb1NGYw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_897c95814b18",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "In familiar ritual, Israelis race back and forth to shelters to escape Iranian missile barrages - AP News",
    "body_text": "In familiar ritual, Israelis race back and forth to shelters to escape Iranian missile barrages\nIn familiar ritual, Israelis race back and forth to shelters to escape Iranian missile barrages\nTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Constant missile salvos from Iran sent people in central Israel in and out of shelters throughout the day on Saturday after the U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran.\nMany apartments in poorer areas are not equipped with adequate shelters. In Jaffa, a mixed Arab-Jewish neighborhood of Tel Aviv, more than 100 people, including Muslim families with young children, religious Jews from a nearby seminary and at least a dozen dogs crammed into the public shelter underneath a park.\nSome groups splayed out on mattresses they brought into the shelter and played cards, others shared snacks, while observant Muslims were fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. Many stared at their phones, swiping through updates as siren after siren sounded in the neighborhood. As the sun set, Muslims were forced to have their iftar meal, breaking the daily fast at sundown, in bomb shelters.\n“Of course we expected it, even though we didn’t want it to happen,” said Idit Cohen, who lives near the park. She noted, however, that it was one of the times when you could see the community come together.\nHer son received an emergency summons for reserve military duty, and a stranger in the shelter volunteered to drive him to the base, even though he was a religious Jew who generally does not drive on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath.\n“I want it to end as soon as possible, it’s a nightmare, people are more and more frustrated and tired,” Cohen said. “We see families with babies and young kids here, but there are elderly people that aren’t able to keep running here all day.”\nFor the past 2 1/2 years, Israelis have become familiar with the routine after fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi rebels in Yemen and a 12-day war last June against Iran.\nThe country’s layered system of air-raid sirens, bomb shelters and missile defenses has blunted the toll of attacks, but not entirely. Israel’s rescue service, Magen David Adom, said late Saturday that a woman in the Tel Aviv area died after being injured in an Iranian strike. It said it had treated at least 90 people with light injuries across Israel, as well as one man who was seriously injured.\nIgor Libenson, a construction worker and father of two sons, said his family was mostly tired from the constant moving back and forth. “The kids aren’t scared, we were here also in June in the same situation,” said Libenson, whose sons are 4 and 7 years old.\nSome of the religious Jews sang psalms with their arms slung around each others’ shoulders.\n“We look at this in the long term. We suffer today but we do hope that it will resolve the problems of tomorrow,” said Maya Tutian, a resident of Tel Aviv, who was in a public shelter in the northern part of the city. “The Iranian regime is not just a threat of us, people who live here in Tel Aviv, but for the entire world.”\nDuring last year’s war with Iran, some people without access to shelters in their homes took to sleeping in Tel Aviv’s underground light rail stations and underground mall parking lots.\nWhile new buildings in Israel are required to have reinforced safe rooms meant to withstand rockets, Iran is firing much stronger ballistic missiles. And shelter access is severely lacking in poorer neighborhoods and towns, especially in Arab areas and in rural parts of the country.\nMore than two-thirds of Israel’s Bedouin minority have no access to shelters, according to the Negev Coexistence Forum, a local advocacy group. Last summer, many Bedouin families resorted to building DIY shelters out of available material: buried steel containers, buried trucks, repurposed construction debris.\nIran began striking shortly after a joint attack by Israel and the U.S. early Saturday. By nightfall, the Israeli army said dozens of missiles had been launched at Israel.\nIsraeli police and emergency services said several people were lightly wounded in missile strikes, while the military intercepted many of the incoming missiles.\nIsrael issued a nationwide warning and put the country on high alert, canceling school and most gatherings across the country.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:37:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxPVURxMXdJdUZsY1pXU3QzaEdKSEJZUjEwTkxLcXVrMXFwV2dfM1EwLUo1VlBZZ1dub0F5a0V2U1FkV3FMWG5UNDlYeGN4MjduMWtNcEtLUUtWNmpGU0FuZHEyaVFhOFVPVlZhaUFZVDItMFZISm1CcWlhV0ItU0hybENRYzBkX053UWMtcWlSR0FUeDQ2WUNNLQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ae1130f7cb72",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Daughter and grandchild of Iran's Khamenei killed in US-Israeli strikes, state media says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Daughter and grandchild of Iran's Khamenei killed in US-Israeli strikes, state media says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxNX0FsRk1hY3dSRk9YdlZyYXdsMVg4SWtvcFBfT1VHRGRGdlhWMXhNR2xldXFsaTlvVWhXcUlRTElwbW5YaWRwZHRVcTlRT3Q4OFNxRUFrV1J0Q0hQbnM3QVhJbnYwYVBqODRVNk5RTC1iRHp3ZnY1U1otd0VTMVdidjBxODlGYmxzTjBZUnNSZHB2TEhFenI1M0JyZ1l4WG9hcElTZTBTV2xHMzV2VTRrWG5nbFJ2cE8zWHFiSUl3LURfMzBGM2QxeHgxcw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4d257bcccc9f",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "World leaders react cautiously to US and Israeli strikes, death of Iran Ali Khamenei - AP News",
    "body_text": "World leaders react cautiously to US and Israeli strikes, death of Iran Ali Khamenei\nWorld leaders react cautiously to US and Israeli strikes, death of Iran Ali Khamenei\nBRUSSELS (AP) — How long will it last? Will it grow? What will the conflict and the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mean to us, and to global security overall? Those questions echoed across the Middle East and the planet Saturday as world leaders reacted warily to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.\nU.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that Khamenei was dead, calling it “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” Iranian state media said early Sunday the 86-year-old leader had died without elaborating on a cause.\nIsraeli officials previously told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Khamenei was dead. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, said there were “growing signs” that Khamenei had been killed when Israel struck his compound early Saturday.\nThe apparent demise of the second leader of the Islamic Republic, who had no designated successor, would likely throw its future into uncertainty — and exacerbate already growing concerns of a broader conflict. The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting.\nPerhaps cautious about upsetting already strained relations with Trump, many nations abstained from commenting directly or pointedly on the joint strikes but condemned Tehran’s retaliation. Similarly to Europeans, governments across the Middle East condemned Iran’s strikes on Arab neighbors while staying silent on the U.S. and Israeli military action.\nOther countries were more explicit: Australia and Canada expressed open support for the U.S. strikes, while Russia and China responded with direct criticism.\nThe U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, and Trump called on the Iranian public to “seize control of your destiny” by rising up against the Islamic theocracy that has ruled the nation since 1979. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East.\nSome leaders urge resumption of talks\nIn a statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on the U.S. and Iran to resume talks and said they favored a negotiated settlement. They said their countries didn’t take part in the strikes on Iran but are in close contact with the U.S., Israel and partners in the region.\nThe three countries have led efforts to reach a negotiated solution over Iran’s nuclear program.\n“We condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms. Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes,” they said. “Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future,” they said.\nLater, at an emergency security meeting, Macron said France was “neither warned nor involved” in the strikes. He called for intensified efforts for a negotiated solution, saying “no one can think that the questions of Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic activity, regional destabilization will be settled by strikes alone.”\nThe 22-nation Arab League called the Iranian attacks “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of countries that advocate for peace and strive for stability.” That coalition of nations has historically condemned both Israel and Iran for actions it says risk destabilizing the region.\nMorocco, Jordan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates denounced Iranian strikes targeting U.S. military bases in the region including in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the Emirates.\nUnder former President Bashar Assad, Syria was among Iran’s closest regional allies and a staunch critic of Israel, yet a statement from its foreign ministry singularly condemned Iran, reflecting the new government’s efforts to rebuild ties with regional economic heavyweights and the United States.\nSaudi Arabia said it “condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the treacherous Iranian aggression and the blatant violation of sovereignty.” Oman, which has been mediating the talks between Iran and the U.S., said in a statement that the U.S. action “constitutes a violation of the rules of international law and the principle of settling disputes through peaceful means, rather than through hostility and the shedding of blood.”\nCareful wording is (mostly) the order of the day\nNew Zealand refrained from full-throated support but acknowledged Saturday that the U.S. and Israeli attacks were keeping the Iranian regime from remaining an ongoing threat. “The legitimacy of a government rests on the support of its people,” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a joint statement. “The Iranian regime has long since lost that support.”\nCountries in Europe and the Middle East used careful wording, avoiding perceptions that they either support unilateral American action or are directly condemning the United States.\nOthers were more blunt. Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the strikes “a pre-planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent U.N. member state.” The ministry accused “Washington and Tel Aviv” of “hiding behind” concerns about Iran’s nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change.\nSimilarly, China’s government said it was “highly concerned” about the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and called for an immediate halt to the military action and a return to negotiations. “Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.\nDespite recent tensions with the U.S., Canada too expressed its support for the military action. “The Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said.\nAnd the U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, at the request of Bahrain and France.\nConcerns expressed of ‘new, extensive’ war\nPalestinians in the occupied West Bank said they were largely unfazed as war erupted Saturday, barely pausing as booms echoed across the sky from Israel’s Iron Dome intercepting missiles overhead.\nUnlike Israel, Palestinian cities have no warning sirens or bomb shelters, despite the risk of falling debris or errant missiles. As people sheltered less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away in Jerusalem, streets in Ramallah swarmed with shoppers browsing meat counters, vegetable stalls and Ramadan sweets, some stopping to record the sounds of distant sirens and missile interceptions.\nBut as Israel closed checkpoints to the movement of people and goods on Saturday, gas stations saw longer-than-usual lines as residents filled spare canisters in case of supply disruptions.\nThe Palestinian Authority, in a statement, condemned the Iranian attacks on Arab nations, many which have historically helped underwrite its finances. It made no mention of the Israeli or U.S. strikes.\nNervousness is perceptible across multiple countries. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he was concerned the failure of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran meant a “new, extensive war in the Middle East.”\nThe Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in harsher words. “These attacks are totally irresponsible and risk provoking further escalation as well as increasing the danger of nuclear proliferation and the use of nuclear weapons,” said its executive director, Melissa Parke.\nEU leaders issued a joint statement Saturday calling for restraint and engaging in regional diplomacy in hopes of “ensuring nuclear safety.” The Arab League, too, appealed to all international parties “to work toward de-escalation as soon as possible, to spare the region the scourge of instability and violence, and to return to dialogue.”\n___\nThis story was first published on Feb. 28, 2026. It was updated on March 2, 2026, to make clear that a Russian statement on the strikes itself used Tel Aviv as a stand-in for Israel.\n___\nCiobanu reported from Warsaw and Metz from Ramallah. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Angela Charlton in Paris, Paolo Santalucia in Rome, Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Elise Morton and Krutika Pathi in London, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Fatma Khaled and Sam Magdy in Cairo, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Adam Schreck in Bangkok and Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T00:41:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxONHNocGpfdXBPNl9wazdyeWZ6SzBMQXRwSklidzkxU0xZTjJjaHUzQ0Y4V2ZKUUxlb3JCWnc0TUJaYXlROW9tNnVjUUJYMDNtWEtNSG14RzlZWGhhSklOZGY3aV96WlFreTEzUWdYZ2ZwM0FnejRhUEthM2VCTWl1ZF9leVZBZDNjcENaZC1TTW9Sc20xb2lIbVRNbGpLUmJMSXVSVkNZR29BajA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_de49274360e1",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Concerns rise over DHS shutdown in shadow of Iran strikes: 'Now would be a good time' to end it - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The partial government shutdown has Department of Homeland Security employees missing their paychecks even as the U.S. has engaged Iran with airstrikes that have brought the nation to the brink of war.\nOn Saturday, the U.S. and Israel commenced targeting Iranian positions, including the palace of dictator Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who was later declared dead by Jerusalem officials. The strikes have prompted concerns of retaliation, possibly inside U.S. borders.\n\"I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland,\" DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.\nAs Friday rolled into Saturday, Transportation Safety Administration officers began effectively working pro bono, and the agency called them \"true models of selflessness and sacrifice.\"\n\"Right now, the men and women of TSA are showing up to work without a paycheck due to the reckless DHS shutdown despite the fact that Democrat members of Congress are still getting paid,\" the agency said in a statement, calling out Democrats’ \"political theater making life harder for these officers and their families.\"\nLawmakers took notice of the disparity on Saturday as eyes turned to the security of America’s homeland amid Iran’s pledge to strike back.\n\"Given developments in the Middle East and the ongoing threat posed by Iran and its terrorist proxies, Democrats in the House and Senate must cease the politics and must immediately fund the Department of Homeland Security,\" said Rep. Daniel Meuser, R-Pa.\nThe Blue Mountain congressman, whose district is home to the agency’s latest immigration center purchase in Shartlesville, added that blocking DHS funding is \"irresponsible and dangerous\" amid the rising global tension.\n\"Democrats in Congress must join Republicans, act responsibly and stop blocking efforts to fund DHS,\" Meuser said.\nMeuser added that protecting Americans is a fundamental federal responsibility and that the U.S. cannot afford national security-related delays.\nHis Keystone compatriot, Sen. David McCormick, echoed that sentiment Saturday.\n\"Now would be a good time for Democrats to drop their opposition to DHS funding and pass the bill to support our homeland security,\" McCormick said.\n\"Continuing to play political games with our national security given the unfolding situation in the Middle East is dangerous.\"\nWhile many Democrats voiced concern or opposition to the Trump administration’s strikes, McCormick’s counterpart, Sen. John Fetterman, ridiculed critics on X, retweeting an alert that Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei had been killed and writing, \"Let’s see who grieves for that garbage.\"\nThe top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, however, criticized the operation.\nRep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi told NOTUS News Saturday that Trump’s attack lacks \"a clear strategy,\" adding the U.S. is \"vulnerable to ensuing terrorism attacks today because of Trump’s reckless, inflammatory actions.\"\n\"I am deeply concerned about the administration’s attention to possible threats and its ability to protect Americans,\" he added.\nJust prior to the strikes, Senate and House Democratic leaders released a joint statement addressing the DHS shutdown’s current conditions.\n\"We have received the White House’s counteroffer and are reviewing it closely. Democrats remain committed to keep fighting for real reforms to rein in ICE and stop the violence,\" said New York Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.\nFox News Digital reached out to DHS for additional comment.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:15:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPTWtpMlFqdEJINzFQeVhLcDdpWlpXYmpxeEZqSS14cE5FVHhIVUxUTTVQUDU4UEx1MGdtQi05QnhoWmVPWVE5dWxzWW95M0hUNG5XOWdSZ3hLNXlhS0xMbzFqWkR3aVJoaWplRWFlQVVWTURicUpobWxGV2VZS2dxSUZIZkJiZDlOa2J2Q0tBMi1IWGV5Vl9Mc3BuZTk2TE1WZHZIeUVweGk4WU9k0gGyAUFVX3lxTE1Vd3pUanRPZ1NkLTBWWWZqMUlTb1ppR0lqSVViY2k4S0dvRVJyWkJrQ1pwNVdfLXBUVXVqbEE4Z0o1QmlGcDcxdTVObVd1MVM5aU9pS2oyZV9ZdDF4UG9OTHF1UXJ3Ty1XaFhzMFhVUHlzbWpRSWsxTWlFcVplTTdIMkJaR0ZqODVNOEdXenpXLWZlMDg4NFNXeDVGXzRoa1RXVGFGaVkyRl9nUFpIZVc4OWc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d98b8cdca8cf",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian state TV announces death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iranian state media announced the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after contradictory reports of the killing.\nUS President Donald Trump has declared that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead.\nIranian officials earlier called the reports of Khamenei's death part of “psychological warfare” conducted by Iran’s enemies.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxOQks4SEJGZUdrM1JtRUNPbkVoM05NNFg1UG8xNU41aUo0UkVyN2xJZzVsYVhPNlktUEcyd2tqbFlnV2lwT25Tdk1GQ0RYUWdGRkkxZWlUMkRJaDFsUXJPanVlXzFTcUJFOWRkRU9wTUJuNE5ERWlseVAtNjBQZ1JOMmhlaVlLX1dhVEtxYkt3dE0wUjNQZ1NQRzFhMmZvT09JMVJtTHBDUEhNZU5jcjFJU2hXRXdhdlhWRFgtVzdwNA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f0f96f20de53",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran's supreme leader Khamenei killed, Iranian state media confirm - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran's supreme leader Khamenei killed, Iranian state media confirm    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNVklFekRQdjZIYXR2cm42N1BIZXJ1Rm8zSkJxWGNqMHM3bzc4MUlQdnhQalZSZzYwQ1d0eHpyMUdTQjFCdFlDZXdQUHV3elQ0YzIyOGZDS0ZDbTVoM3BnVnlJbEVleFFoZUgyV3V5d2UtZm5BNUlfbUJwQ01xellJOEh3QV9PVTRwcTM2bzhGTnpBLVA4d3d1bUFPSE4wVWpGRTQyRUhoN3dFWUFvLVRjY2FBdnkzMm8yTmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dbdb02276ebb",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in US-Israeli strikes - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in US-Israeli strikes\nIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday after the US and Israel launched massive aerial strikes on the capital Tehran.\nAn announcer appearing on state television broke down in tears early on Sunday as he confirmed the killing, saying the 86-year-old \"achieved his long cherished wish of martyrdom in the holy month of Ramadan.\"\n\"Today, Iran, the Islamic nations and freedom seekers across the world are grieving the evil attacks by the criminal Americans and wicked Zionists,\" he said.\n\"The martyrdom of a personality of such great stature will begin a great uprising in the fight against the world's oppressors,\" he added.\nThe semi-official Fars news agency, which has links to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were also killed in the strikes.\n\"After establishing contact with informed sources in the supreme leader's household, the news of the martyrdom of the daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter of the revolutionary leader has unfortunately been confirmed,\" it said.\nSatellite imagery seen by Middle East Eye showed widespread destruction at the supreme leader's compound after videos posted on social media showed black smoke billowing from the area.\nThe Tasnim News Agency reported that Khamenei was killed while working in his office. Two Iranian sources, however, told the Reuters news agency that Khamenei had met with Ali Shamkhani, the powerful former National Security Council secretary, and Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the IRGC, at a secure location shortly before the strikes started.\nIt was unclear whether Shamkhani or Pakpour survived Saturday's attacks.\nFollowing Sunday's announcement, the Supreme National Security Council vowed to avenge Khamenei's \"martyrdom,\" who it said \"opened a new chapter of ruling in Islam's history\".\nUS President Donald Trump had earlier announced the killing, saying that Khamenei's killing had delivered justice not only \"for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans\".\n\"He [Khamenei] was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,\" Trump said in a lengthy post on his Truth Social Platform.\n\"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,\" Trump added.\nThe US president then claimed that many of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, military and other security and police forces \"no longer want to fight\", suggesting he would now be willing to give them \"immunity\".\nSignificantly, the US president also said that \"heavy and pinpoint bombing\" would continue \"uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective\".\nWho was Khamenei?\nKhamenei was key figure in Iranian political life for more than 40 years, and the country’s political and religious figurehead since 1989.\nDuring that time he presided over a nation that underwent significant social and political change, and repositioned itself in the wider world.\nBorn into a clerical family on 19 April 1939, he undertook religious training at seminaries in the holy city of Mashhad, as well as Najaf in Iraq.\nHe returned to Iran and eventually settled in Qom, where he furthered his clerical studies under figures including Ayatollah Hossein Borujerdi and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was later to become the supreme leader.\nDuring the 1960s and 1970s he participated in covert activities against the Shah, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, for which he was arrested and tortured multiple times by the Savak secret police.\nIn 1979, the Shah was overthrown after popular protests.\nKhomeini, who had been in exile since the mid-1960s, returned to Tehran from France amid jubilant crowds and widespread support.\nHow did Khamenei rise to power?\nKhamenei quickly ascended through the ranks of the early revolutionary state, assuming key roles on the Islamic Revolutionary Council, as well as a lawmaker and deputy defence minister. He also led Friday prayers in Tehran.\nKhamenei was also one of the leading revolutionary figures targeted in assassination attempts in 1981, when a bomb hidden in a nearby tape recorder exploded as he was addressing a mosque. The attack was attributed to the anti-clerical opposition Forqan Group. Khamenei suffered serious injuries and was left paralysed in his right arm.\nAfter President Mohammad Ali Raja'i and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar were assassinated in August 1981 by the dissident Mujahedin-e Khalq (People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran), Khamenei ran for the presidency, winning 95 percent of votes in an uncontested election.\nHe was publicly backed by the three other candidates, one of whom, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, was to become prime minister. Khamenei sought to cement the clerical establishment's control of the key organs of power, often clashing with more left-leaning figures, including Mousavi.\nKhamenei’s foreign policy focused initially on managing Iran’s eight-year conflict with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, during which an estimated one million civilians and troops died on both sides.\nIn September 1987, Khamenei attacked the US presence in the region at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “Our message to Third World governments is that as long as the order of domination and the current situation exists, they should try to create unity among themselves: this is the best way to become powerful.\"\nWho will succeed Khamenei?\nSpeculation is rife around who might become his successor with some pointing to a possible dynastic succession involving his son, Mojtaba.\nWith reformist and even pragmatic conservative voices increasingly sidelined in Iranian politics, it seems most likely that Khamenei’s successor will come from the harder end of the conservative camp, although the appeal of more unifying candidates being involved in the process cannot be discounted.\nWhatever happens, the role of the IRGC will be key, given the huge political and economic power it wields. It is no surprise that one of Khamenei’s key achievements has been the role that he has permitted the IRGC to assume for itself in Iran’s domestic politics and foreign policy.\nRegionally, the IRGC has been the primary actor in reinforcing and expanding Iran’s strategic depth, playing a major role in shoring up its national security, while entrenching its position domestically.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:41:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE5RSlJ2OHh5YXNFMVlIWjBiS1B0MGlRQzViYWNibVliVG1xVDhwUnZiR1R6Z0c2al8xSm9qM1Q3UlMyQlRqWUV6UlpwTGpBdkJvcEQxeDUwbUlsckpCRThnU3hjb1dOLTJIZGtRcTdYYk9RY0FaN1czZGFPZS1TRjQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_305866c69af6",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Trump was once wary of ordering regime change in Iran. Here's what made him change his mind - AP News",
    "body_text": "Trump was once wary of ordering regime change in Iran. Here’s what made him change his mind\nTrump was once wary of ordering regime change in Iran. Here’s what made him change his mind\nWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — With Saturday’s military operation against Iran, President Donald Trump demonstrated a dramatic evolution in risk tolerance, adjusting in just a matter of months how far he was willing to go in using American military might to confront Tehran’s clerical rule.\nGuardrails were tossed aside, as Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered up a battle plan that included targeted strikes on Iran’s leadership, including the 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei whose death Trump triumphantly announced in a social media post hours after launching the military operation.\nFor Trump, it was a far cry from where he stood just eight months ago. At Israel’s urging during its 12-day war with Iran last June, he agreed to deploy B-2 bombers to pummel three key Iranian nuclear sites — but drew a bright red line when Israelis presented his administration with a plan for killing Khamenei.\nThe president peppered the supreme leader with thinly veiled threats back in June that he could have killed him if he wanted to. But he rejected the Israeli plan out of concern that it would destabilize the region.\nThat caution was set aside on Saturday with Trump announcing Khamenei had been killed, while the Israeli military announced it had taken out Iran’s defense minister and the commander of its Revolutionary Guard. Iranian state media early Sunday reported the 86-year-old Supreme Leader’s death, without elaborating on a cause.\nKhamenei “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump said. “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”\nTrump loses patience\nTrump had pursued talks with Iran for months. Administration officials told reporters that they offered Iran many ways to have a peaceful nuclear program that could be used for civilian purposes, including an offer of free nuclear fuel in perpetuity.\nBut the officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was clear to them that Iran wanted enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon. One of them said that Iran has met their offers with “games, tricks, stall tactics.”\nThe order to launch strikes came just two days after Trump dispatched his special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for another round of talks with Iranian officials. Middle East and European allies were urging the U.S. administration to give negotiations more time as Trump signaled he was running out of patience.\n“The consequences are likely to be as far-reaching as they are uncertain: Within the system that has held power for nearly five decades, between the government and a dissatisfied populace, and between Iran and its adversaries,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. “And although the regime is weakened, a sense that this showdown is an all-or-nothing struggle for its very survival could lead it to respond with every tool still at its disposal.”\nRevised risk calculation\nSaturday’s strikes came after a series of past provocative actions against Iran that resulted in limited blowback, which seemed to inform Trump’s risk calculation, said Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations over two decades.\nTrump in 2018 pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration. In 2020, Trump ordered a drone strike killing top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.\nAt the time, the killing of Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was arguably the most provocative U.S. military action in the Middle East since President George W. Bush launched the 2003 Iraq War to topple Saddam Hussein.\nAnd then Trump this past June ordered the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which he claimed had “obliterated” their program.\n“He did all of these things without cost or consequence to him,” said Miller, who is now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “He’s been risk-ready. That’s the nature of his personality.”\nTrump administration officials had publicly urged Tehran to give up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and end its backing of regional armed proxies. But administration officials said that Tehran would not engage on the missile and proxy concerns.\nIran’s rigidity, at a moment when its economy is in shambles weighed by decades of sanctions and its military battered by last year’s war, astounded Trump.\nEven before the latest round of talks ended on Thursday, there were signs Trump was leaning toward military action.\nOn Tuesday, Trump in his State of the Union speech claimed that Iran has been building ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. homeland — a justification that he repeated again on Saturday as he announced the bombardment of Iran was underway.\nIran hasn’t acknowledged it is building or seeking to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, however, said in an unclassified report last year that Iran could develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that Iran’s refusal to speak to its ballistic missile program was a “big problem.” Rubio declined to address the DIA finding that Iran was still years away from developing a missile that could reach the United States.\nAnd Vice President JD Vance, a former U.S. Marine who served in Iraq and has been skeptical of U.S. interventions, on Thursday told The Washington Post that Trump hadn’t decided whether to strike Iran. But he offered assurances that military action would not result in the United States becoming involved in a drawn-out conflict.\n“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen,” Vance said.\nBy Friday, Trump was venting anew about Iran’s approach.\n“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have,” Trump said. “I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens.”\nSenior U.S. lawmakers were told early Saturday that the strikes were coming. Trump monitored the operation from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, with members of his national security team.\nTrump may have been emboldened by his Venezuela experience\nTrump’s success with the U.S. military operation earlier his year to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and whisk him and his wife to New York City to face federal drug conspiracy charges also may have emboldened the president, said Jonathan Schanzer, a former Treasury Department official who is now executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank.\nTrump had threatened military action last month, but held off, as Iran carried out a deadly crackdown on protests. The demonstrations were spurred by economic grievances but morphed into a nationwide, anti-government push against the ruling clerics.\nAs human rights groups reported that thousands were killed in the Iranian crackdown, Trump told protesters that help was on its way, but it did not immediately come and the protests petered out.\nSchanzer said that Trump’s decision not to follow through last month gave his team more time to assemble the now massive presence of fighter jets and warships in the region — as he had done in the Caribbean ahead of the Venezuela operation.\nIt was leverage, Trump hoped, that would get Khamenei to blink. But the Supreme Leader would not capitulate.\n“The way this unfolded was inevitable, because there was no way that the Ayatollah was going to show flexibility,” Schanzer said.\n___\nMadhani reported from Washington.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxON3FxaVFLaHdMb01URlNjeDdoNVFhU0xvSnU2NkZoLXlJaWQ3WC1BeVZsUEs1T3RNd2Z6V3NxWkhIal9Ld3lkWUNzZXNic2R3aTdpWTllaVJvOE16M2hZTjllTWsxd1pfZkZSV1o3WDdRT1lkcW45RUJMZ3dEeElWMUtiUUFZTjY1T0dDcFVWY2tzdHM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5768abc9b25b",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US and Israel clash with Iran at emergency Security Council meeting. UN chief condemns attacks - AP News",
    "body_text": "US and Israel clash with Iran at emergency Security Council meeting. UN chief condemns attacks\nUS and Israel clash with Iran at emergency Security Council meeting. UN chief condemns attacks\nUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States and Israel clashed with Iran at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Saturday where the U.N. chief and many countries urged a halt to their attacks and a return to negotiations to prevent the conflict from spreading further into the region and beyond.\nSecretary-General António Guterres told the council that everything must be done to prevent an escalation. “The alternative,” he warned, “is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”\nGuterres said the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes violated international law, including the U.N. Charter. He also condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.\nThe U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, insisted the U.S. military action was lawful.\n“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he told the council. “That principle is not a matter of politics. It’s a matter of global security. And to that end, the United States is taking lawful actions.”\nIsrael’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon defended the airstrikes as necessary to stop an existential threat.\n“We are stopping extremism before it becomes unstoppable,” he said. “We will ensure that no radical regime armed with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles can threaten our people or the entire world.”\nAmir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., told the council that the airstrikes have killed and injured hundreds of Iranian civilians, which he called a war crime and a crime against humanity.\nHe blasted the U.N. and the Security Council, its most powerful body, for not heeding Tehran’s warnings about the “warmongering statements” by the U.S. in recent weeks and urged the council to act now.\n“The issue before the council is straightforward: whether any member state may, including a permanent member of this council, through the use of force, coercion or aggression, determine the political future or system of another state or impose control over its affairs,” Iravani said.\nDuring his speech, the Iranian diplomat did not mention or comment on President Donald Trump’s statement that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, although Iranian state media later confirmed his death. The assassination of the second leader of the Islamic Republic, who had no designated successor, raised the prospects of a protracted conflict given Iranian threats of retaliation.\nIranian and US ambassadors have tense back-and-forth\nIn a rare exchange, the U.S. and Iranian ambassadors traded warnings and direct rebuffs toward the end of the emergency session as military aggression between their countries risked spilling into a regional war.\nAfter Waltz responded to Iranian claims that the U.S. had violated international law, Iravani asked to speak again to issue a warning: “I advise to the representative of the United States to be polite. It will be better for yourself and the country you represent.”\nWaltz responded immediately, saying, “This representative sits here, in this body, representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its own people, and imprisoned many more, simply for wanting freedom from your entire tyranny.”\nOther Security Council members speak up\nRussia’s ambassador condemned the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, while China’s ambassador was more measured in his criticism.\n“We demand that the United States and Israel immediately cease their aggressive actions,” Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said. “We insist on the immediate resumption of political and diplomatic settlement efforts … based on international law, mutual respect and a balance of interests.”\nChina’s U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong said China was very concerned by “the sudden escalation of regional tensions” and supported Russia’s call for a return to diplomatic negotiations.\nThe permanent observer of the 22-nation Arab League, Maged Abdelaziz, suggested Israel was being hypocritical in justifying its military attack by saying it was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Abdelaziz, a former Egyptian ambassador to the U.N., noted that Israel has refused to subject its own nuclear facilities to inspection by the U.N. nuclear watchdog.\nThe emergency meeting was called by five council members: Bahrain, which is the Arab representative on the council, France, Russia, China and Colombia,.\nIn a joint statement, the leaders of Britain and France — both veto-wielding members of the council — along with Germany’s chancellor called for a resumption of U.S.-Iranian talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. The three countries, part of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, have led efforts to reach a negotiated solution. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal in 2018.\nThe three European leaders strongly condemned Iranian airstrikes in the region — not the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes — and urged Iran’s leaders to seek a negotiated solution, saying: “Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future.”\nThe Security Council meeting is taking place on the last day of the United Kingdom’s presidency and a day before the United States takes over the rotating presidency for the month of March.\n___\nAmiri reported from Atlanta.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:45:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxNeFZXSGxTNW9GdUIyUFJaTFA4bDk2NWJWWmFuUUZPbG5BTTNnc25keW42QXpUaE1BRXZXb0RKZzdyZ19GdFhwUWtyZk90LWt6ckFBZGozemZCMEw0TjhTMFZjOU9RRkFiRGRxMXZGMjY0S2VYOUxTcHN6WFlmNTdDOXFPUjE4ci1tLUl6Y2paT09tZDg1TUFybS1aUnRZcFZvdjlueWM5S24?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6005bcf6d246",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Ayatollah Khamenei's iron grip on power in Iran comes to an end",
    "body_text": "Ayatollah Khamenei's iron grip on power in Iran comes to an end\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed on the first day of massive US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, US President Donald Trump has announced.\nThe death of the 86-year-old ruler of the past three decades - one of the longest in the world - was later confirmed on Iranian state TV.\nIran has had only two supreme leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.\nKhamenei headed an all-powerful office - he was head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, including the elite Revolutionary Guards.\nHe was not quite a dictator, even though he had put himself in the middle of a complex web of competing power centres, able to veto any matter of public policy and hand pick candidates for public office.\nYoung Iranians have never experienced life without him in charge.\nState television covered Khamenei's every move. His image is plastered on billboards in public spaces and his photograph is ubiquitous in shops.\nAbroad, successive Iranian presidents have often hogged the limelight. But, at home, it was Khamenei who pulled the strings.\nHis death, in such violent circumstances, heralds a new and uncertain future, both in Iran and the wider region.\nAli Khamenei was born in the city of Mashhad, in north-eastern Iran, in 1939.\nThe second of eight children in a religious family, his father was a mid-ranking cleric from the Shia branch of Islam, the dominant sect in Iran.\nKhamenei would later romanticise his “poor but pious” childhood, saying he frequently ate nothing but “bread and raisins\".\nHis education was dominated by the study of the Quran, and he qualified as a cleric by the age of 11. But, in common with many religious leaders of the time, his work was as much political as spiritual.\nAn effective orator, Khamenei joined the critics of the Shah of Iran - the monarch who was eventually overthrown by the Islamic revolution.\nFor years, he lived underground or festered in jail. He was arrested six times by the shah's secret police, suffering torture and internal exile.\nAfter the Islamic revolution, its leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini appointed him Friday prayer leader of the capital, Tehran.\nEvery week, his political sermons were broadcast throughout the country. It firmly established Khamenei as part of the new leadership of the country.\nIn the tumultuous first months after the revolution, a group of militant university students loyal to Khomeini occupied the US embassy. Dozens of diplomats and embassy staff were taken hostage.\nIran's revolutionary leaders - including Khamenei - supported the students, who were protesting against America's decision to give sanctuary to the deposed shah.\nThe hostage-taking lasted for 444 days.\nIt helped destroy the Carter administration in the United States and set Iran on the anti-American and anti-Western path that came to define the revolution.\nThe episode also marked the beginning of decades of international isolation for Iran.\nShortly after the crisis, Khamenei was fortunate to survive an assassination attempt.\nIn June 1981, a dissident group hid a bomb inside a tape recorder. It exploded as he delivered a lecture.\nHe was badly injured. His lungs took months to recover, and he permanently lost the use of his right arm.\nLater that year, President Mohammad-Ali Rajai was assassinated and Khamenei stood in the ensuing election to succeed him in the largely ceremonial role.\nWith Khomeini controlling who had the right to stand, the outcome was never in doubt. Khamenei won with 97% of the vote.\nHis inaugural address set the tone for his presidency, with him condemning “deviation, liberalism, and American-influenced leftists\".\nIn office, Khamenei became a wartime leader.\nMonths earlier, the country's neighbour, Iraq, had invaded. Saddam Hussein, Iraq's president, feared that Khomeini's Islamic revolution would spread abroad and undermine his own regime.\nIt was a vicious and bloody war that lasted eight years, with hundreds of thousands of deaths on both sides.\nKhamenei spent months at a time on the front lines, where many of the commanders and soldiers he met and knew were killed.\nThe Iraqi army used chemical weapons against border villages in Iran and bombarded far-flung cities, including the capital, Tehran, with missiles.\nIran, for its part, relied on human waves to break Iraqi lines, made up of devout youngsters, some barely of fighting age. There were huge casualties.\nThe war solidified Khamenei's deep distrust of the US and the West - which had backed Saddam Hussein's invasion.\nIn 1989, Khamenei was selected by the Assembly of Experts, a council of clerics, as the successor to Khomeini, who had died at the age of 86.\nThe new supreme leader was chosen despite what was seen as a weak record of achievement in religious scholarship.\n\"I am an individual with many faults and shortcomings and truly a minor seminarian,\" he admitted in his first speech in office.\n\"However, a responsibility has been placed on my shoulders and I will use all my capabilities and all my faith in the almighty in order to be able to bear this heavy responsibility.\"\nLacking both the respect of the clergy and Khomeini's personal popularity, the new supreme leader moved cautiously to build his own power base.\nBut, over the next 30 years, Khamenei developed networks of loyalists in every area of the Iranian establishment - including parliament, the judiciary, the police, the media, and the clerical elite.\nAccording to Karim Sadjadpour, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, the supreme leader's power has depended on a \"tight-knit cartel of hardline clergymen and nouveau riche Revolutionary Guardsmen\".\nKhamenei also encouraged a cult of personality to ensure public devotion, backed up by political repression and the arbitrary arrest of political opponents.\nHe rarely went abroad and - reportedly - lived frugally in a compound in central Tehran with his wife, six children and many grandchildren.\nAt home, he crushed opposition.\nIn 1999, student protests were a moment of peril, but they were put down.\nA decade later, a revolt against an allegedly rigged presidential election saw demonstrators pepper-sprayed, beaten, and shot.\nIn 2019, when spiralling fuel prices resulted in street protests, Khamenei shut down the internet for days to prevent illegal marches. According to Amnesty International, the police then shot protesters dead with machine gun fire.\nHe did remove his predecessor's barriers to the education of women. But Khamenei was no believer in gender equality.\nWomen who campaigned against the wearing of the hijab were arrested, tortured and held in solitary confinement. Those who supported them were also targeted. One human rights lawyer was given 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.\nAnd, in 2022, the one of the biggest challenges to the Islamic revolution followed the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was accused of failing to wear her hijab properly.\nHuman rights groups said more than 550 people were killed and 20,000 detained by security forces during the protests following her death.\nAbroad, Khamenei has been widely accused of leading a pariah state. After the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, President George W Bush included Iran as part of his \"Axis of Evil\" - alongside Iraq and North Korea.\nIran has used Hezbollah - the armed Shia group in Lebanon - as a Khamenei proxy in a semi-permanent conflict with Israel.\nBut, although he has bathed his people in a \"Death to America\" rhetoric, his foreign policy was carefully crafted to be neither accommodation nor direct confrontation with Washington.\nThe area of greatest friction was nuclear weapons.\nTwenty years ago, Khamenei declared they were un-Islamic and issued a fatwa banning their development.\nBut, under his rule, Israel and the West became convinced that Iran had sought to secretly develop a nuclear weapons capability.\nThe sanctions imposed by world powers in response helped impoverish a country that was once one of world's biggest exporters of oil - and high unemployment led to widespread discontent.\nKhamenei did not oppose a nuclear deal agreed in 2015, which placed limits on Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief, but he expressed doubt that the US would uphold it in the long term.\nIn 2018, Trump abandoned the nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions on Iran to compel it to negotiate a replacement.\nTwo years later, the president ordered the assassination in Iraq of Qasem Soleimani - a top Revolutionary Guards general close to the supreme leader - Khamenei swore revenge and aligned more closely with Russia and China.\nIn June 2025, when Israeli forces attacked Iran, targeting its nuclear programme, ballistic missile arsenal and top military commanders, the country launched barrages of missiles towards Israeli cities.\nWhen the Americans joined the war, striking three key Iranian nuclear facilities, Khamenei vowed never to surrender. But, for the first time in years, he looked weak.\nIn January 2026, Khamenei's regime faced a wave of street protests that were sparked by the failure of the Iranian economy. It responded with a brutal crackdown, which human rights groups said left at least 6,488 protesters dead and another 53,700 in detention.\nIn the following weeks, Trump ordered a US military build-up in the region and threatened to strike Iran if it did not agree a new deal on its nuclear programme and give up what he called its \"sinister nuclear ambitions\".\nBut Khamenei refused to abandon uranium enrichment.\n\"The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,\" he warned at the end of January 2026.\nKhamenei kept a firm and often brutal hand on the levers of power in Iran.\nAt times, the supreme leader presented himself as almost above politics - looking down on the squabbling between Iran's reformists and conservatives. But rarely did Ayatollah Khamenei allow dissent to grow too loud or policies he disapproved off to develop.\nLife in Iran is currently governed by the laws he laid down. Few can say safely predict what changes may come now that Khamenei's rule has ended.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:47:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gdnpjvj4ko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8b6fc56cf3e1",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "A look at Middle East figures killed by Israel in recent years - AP News",
    "body_text": "A look at Middle East figures killed by Israel in recent years\nBEIRUT (AP) — Israel has killed multiple senior officials with Iran’s armed proxies like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.\nNow Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, following a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency said Sunday without elaborating on a cause. President Donald Trump previously announced the death, saying it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country.\nThe compound of the 86-year-old Khamenei was among the first targets in the attack coordinated by the U.S. and Israel. Iran’s network of proxies in the region, along with its military assets and regional influence, have been weakened in the past two years, including by last year’s 12-day war with Israel.\nFrom Gaza to Lebanon to Iran, Israel has killed leaders with Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, along with Iranian military leaders. Here are some of them:\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei\nKhamenei had tried to avert attacks as the U.S. built up its military presence in the region in recent weeks to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program. He allowed Iran to enter negotiations with the U.S., but Saturday’s attacks came two days after the latest talks.\nIranian officials on Saturday did not mention his status. Meanwhile, Israel said it killed the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the defense minister.\nKhamenei ascended to power in 1989, taking over from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution. Aside from the pressure on Iran’s nuclear program and armed proxies, Khamenei faced severe economic troubles and discontent that led to nationwide protests weeks ago. He responded with the bloodiest crackdown of his rule.\nSaleh Arouri\nThe deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the group’s military wing, Saleh Arouri was killed Jan. 2, 2024, in a drone strike in a southern suburb of Beirut. Accused of masterminding attacks against Israel in the West Bank, Arouri was in Israel’s sights for years, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to kill him even before Hamas carried out the Oct. 7 attack.\nMohammed Deif\nAn Israeli airstrike on a compound on the outskirts of Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, on July 13, 2024. More than 90 other people, including displaced civilians in nearby tents, also died. Deif was believed to be one of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack and a founder of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing. He led suicide bombing campaigns against Israeli civilians and built up a formidable arsenal of rockets used to strike into Israel. For years, he topped Israel’s most-wanted list.\nFouad Shukur\nAn Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut killed Hezbollah’s top military commander Fouad Shukur, on July 30, 2024. The secretive Shukur was in charge of Hezbollah’s forces in southern Lebanon and was a top official in its missile program. Shukur, who was a member of Hezbollah’s top military body, the Jihadi Council, was accused by the United States of planning and carrying out the truck bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American service members. He was the first high-ranking Hezbollah leader to be killed.\nIsmail Haniyeh\nOn July 31, 2024, just hours after the strike that killed Shukur, Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a predawn strike in the Iranian capital of Tehran. Israel had pledged to kill the 62-year-old Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders over the Oct. 7 attack. The strike came just after Haniyeh attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president.\nHassan Nasrallah\nIsraeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader and one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, on Sept. 27, 2024. An astute strategist, the 64-year-old Nasrallah reshaped Hezbollah into an archenemy of Israel, cementing alliances with Shiite religious leaders in Iran and Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas. Under his leadership, Hezbollah fought wars against Israel and sided with President Bashar Assad during the conflict in neighboring Syria.\nNabil Kaouk\nThe deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, Nabil Kaouk, was killed in an Israeli airstrike south of Beirut a day after Nasrallah. He joined the militant group in its early days in the 1980s. Kaouk also served as Hezbollah’s military commander in south Lebanon from 1995 until 2010. He made several media appearances and gave speeches to supporters, including at funerals for Hezbollah militants. He was seen as a potential successor to Nasrallah.\nHashem Safieddine\nIsraeli airstrikes on a Beirut suburb killed Hezbollah’s new leader, Hashem Safieddine, on Oct. 3, 2024, days after he replaced his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah. A familiar face in Lebanon and a leader with close ties to Iran, he was a member of the group’s decision-making Shura Council and its Jihad Council, which acts as its military command. He also headed its Executive Council, which runs schools and social programs. Safieddine was a maternal cousin of Nasrallah.\nYahya Sinwar\nYahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader in the Gaza Strip, who masterminded the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, was killed by Israeli troops on Oct. 16, 2024. Israel had vowed to kill Sinwar since the attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war, but his death finally came about in a chance encounter. Israeli soldiers killed him inside a building in the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, not knowing his identity until after his body was found.\nMohammad Sinwar\nMohammed Sinwar, believed to be the head of Hamas’ armed wing, was killed by an Israeli strike on May 13, 2025, in the Gaza Strip. He was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar.\nHossein Salami\nA wave of Israeli strikes on different parts of Iran killed several top officials with Iran’s military and the main paramilitary force on June 13, 2025. Among the high-level military officials killed was Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.\nAhmed Al-Rahawi\nThe prime minister of the Houthi rebel-controlled government, Ahmed al-Rahawi, died in Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s capital of Sanaa on Aug. 28, 2025. He was the most senior Houthi official to be killed since an Israeli-U.S. campaign against the militant group started earlier this year.\nAbu Obeida\nIsrael said one of its airstrikes in Gaza on Aug. 30, 2025, killed the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, whom it identified as Hudahaifa Kahlout. Israel had said that Kahlout, who was better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Obeida, was behind the release of videos showing hostages as well as footage of the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:48:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNSmtnSXBwTk02RGFPeVVNLVZ4SXN6UXFzRzNGcl9JV2RKdkdQZlNfc3BPamNtR1Y2R3FBQTdvVE9scmEtem82cEIwOVlEeC1qc2tjSmNYR05QTmZPNnhobkNFak4xUzZPb1k1TWpWYzVsb0tXbExXS1ZjdDFTSXhoYTVGUUdQdXFHc3lWbUp6cXlmX1BsM21sTi1GY2lybVh2U2ZiRmFqR19LbGZH?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_30a13be35a52",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Khamenei Killed as US and Israel Strike Iran in Widening War - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Khamenei Killed as US and Israel Strike Iran in Widening War    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T01:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOb3lpUVdJOVZKbVBPZ3k5VWRYMDNxTWNoUHd2VnNSRncxb2RQajVBQVFtSVFlWDZyOWcySFhYR015djFyUVBzNm43TGJ0RzZDZmhmclZqYTVNTVkyUTFKaVROR2wxMmkxTlJtRlhaOXlxMHI5S2FENDZkNUtzWGs4bjRFNHJlWGJocVlZT1hzX0JiakZRbHZYT0p3WlRRVGcxamtsckphb0hNTWpZUWV0R2V2bw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f31a0f511acd",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Bowen: A dangerous moment, but US and Israel see opportunity not to be missed",
    "body_text": "Bowen: A dangerous moment, but US and Israel see opportunity not to be missed\nThe decision by the United States and Israel to plunge into a new war with Iran creates a highly dangerous moment with unpredictable consequences.\nIt will have become even more so after long-time Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on day one of the US-Israeli air strikes.\nIsrael used the word \"pre-emptive\" to justify its attack - the largest in the Israeli Air Force's history, according to the Israel Defense Forces.\nThe evidence is that this is not a response to an imminent threat, which the word pre-emption implies. Instead, it is a war of choice.\nIsrael and the United States have calculated that the Islamic regime in Iran is vulnerable - dealing with a severe economic crisis, the fallout from the brutal crackdown on protesters at the start of the year and with defences still badly damaged by last summer's war. Their conclusion seems to have been that this was an opportunity that should not be squandered.\nIt is also another blow to the tottering system of international law.\nIn their statements, both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran was a danger to their countries – Trump said it was a global danger. The Islamic regime is certainly their bitter enemy. But it is hard to see how the legal justification of self-defence applies given the huge disparity of power between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.\nWar is a political act. Armed conflict is inherently hard to control once it starts. Leaders need clear objectives.\nNetanyahu has seen Iran as Israel's most dangerous enemy for decades. For him, this is a chance to do as much damage as possible to the regime in Tehran and to Iran's military capacity. Netanyahu also faces a general election later in the year. The evidence from the two years of war with Hamas is that he believes his political position strengthens when Israel is at war.\nTrump's objectives have veered and changed, characteristically. Back in January, he told protesters in Iran that help was on its way. Much of the US Navy was busy removing the leader of Venezuela at the time, so he lacked military options.\nWhile the US was deploying two carrier strike groups to the region, as well as considerable land-based firepower, Trump talked a lot about the dangers of Iran's nuclear ambitions, even though after last summer's war, Trump declared that the Iranian nuclear programme had been \"obliterated\".\nThe Iranian regime has always denied that it wants a nuclear weapon, but it has enriched uranium to a level that has no civilian use in a nuclear power programme. At the very least, it seems to want the option of building a bomb. So far Israel and the US have published no evidence that it was about to happen.\nIn his video, Trump told Iranian people that \"the hour of freedom\" was at hand. Netanyahu had a similar message, that the war will present the people of Iran with the chance to overthrow the regime. That is not at all certain.\nThere is no precedent for regime change happening just because of air strikes. Saddam Hussein of Iraq was overthrown in 2003 by a huge US-led invasion force. Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was overthrown in 2011 by rebel forces that were provided with an air force by Nato and some Arab states. In both cases the result was the collapse of the state, civil war and thousands of killings. Libya is still a failed state. Iraq is still dealing with consequences of the invasion and the bloodletting that followed.\nEven if this becomes the first case of air power alone collapsing a regime, the Islamic regime will not be replaced by a liberal democracy that upholds human rights. There is no credible alternative government in exile waiting in the wings.\nOver almost half a century the Iranian regime has created a complex political system that is underpinned by a mix of ideology, corruption and when required, the ruthless use of force. The Tehran regime demonstrated in January that it was prepared to kill protesters. It has security forces that obey orders to shoot and kill thousands of fellow citizens for challenging the system on the streets and demanding freedom.\nIt is now clear that the US and Israel wanted to kill the supreme leader. Israel believes in the power of assassination as a strategy. In the last two years it killed the leaders of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and many of their lieutenants.\nThe Islamic regime in Iran is a different matter. It presides over a state, not an armed movement. It is not a one-man show. If a supreme leader is killed, he will be replaced, most likely by another cleric supported by the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which exists alongside the conventional armed forces with the explicit task of defending the regime against threats at home and abroad.\nTrump offered them immunity if they laid down their arms or certain death. The IRGC is unlikely to be tempted by his offer. Martyrdom is a constant motif in the ideology of the Islamic Republic and in Shia Islam.\nTrump believes that the primary motivating force in politics and life is transactional – as his book puts it, the art of the deal. But dealing with Iran requires factoring in the power of ideology and belief. That is much harder to measure.\nAs this crisis has built since the turn of the year, and America assembled its armada, there have been increasing signs that the leadership in Tehran saw war as unavoidable. They engaged in talks, conscious that talks were going on last summer when Israel attacked and the US joined them.\nThey do not trust the US or the Israelis. In his first term Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA, which restricted the Iranian nuclear programme and was the marquee foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration.\nThere have been signs that Iran might have been prepared to accept a JCPOA mark two deal, at the very least to buy time. But the US appears to have also been demanding severe restrictions on its missile programme and its support for regional allies that oppose Israel and the US.\nThat was unacceptable to them, amounting to a capitulation. Giving up missiles and allies might even in the minds of the leadership make it much more vulnerable to regime change than the threat – and now reality – of attack.\nIran's remaining leaders will now be calculating how to ride out the war, how to survive and how to manage its consequences. Their neighbours, led by Saudi Arabia, will be dismayed by the huge uncertainty and potential consequences of today's events.\nGiven the capacity of the Middle East to export trouble, the eruption of renewed and intensified war deepens the instability of a region and wider world that is already turbulent, violent and dangerous.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T02:03:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0z9012291o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_c19e9818a35f",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iranian state TV confirms supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iranian state TV confirms supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T02:14:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5qbWI2VjZIaHZNZkIyblB6UWoya1U4enVaUnJyQ2ExZTBIZzJnUkdLQVl1cjExX1RMTTFYdnpzWURQNERaUVl5WHJrVXBQOW9Dc0M1emRpLTBCS2FZTWxaMklMSG1Eblo3Ykh2QWc0Nkw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8e67a974d96a",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Gulf states condemn Iran's 'cowardly' attacks at UN Security Council - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Gulf states on Saturday condemned what they described as Iran’s “cowardly” attacks carried out in response to US and Israeli strikes, warning Tehran would bear full responsibility for any escalation.\n“We hold the government of Iran fully responsible for these attacks, and we reject any justifications or explanations to justify this hostile behaviour or to manipulate rules of international law,” said Bahrain's UN ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, speaking on behalf of the six Gulf Co-operation Council members, as well as Syria and Jordan.\nStrikes have injured people in several countries, killed at least two civilians, damaged infrastructure and disrupted air navigation across the region.\nThe actions also threatened maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint, he added.\nBahrain, the Arab representative on the 15-member body, joined France, Russia, China and Colombia in requesting the emergency Security Council meeting.\nUN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged council members to do everything possible to prevent the crisis from spiralling further.\n“The alternative,” he warned, “is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”\nIran’s UN envoy, meanwhile, said the US and Israeli air strikes on Iranian territory had killed and wounded hundreds of civilians, condemning the attacks as a “war crime”.\nAmir Saeid Iravani told the council that the attacks deliberately targeted densely populated areas in several major cities.\nMr Iravani said a residential building had been struck and alleged that a school in the southern province of Hormozgan was hit, killing more than 100 children.\n“This is not only an act of aggression,” Mr Iravani said. “It is a war crime.”\nMr Iravani did not address or verify US President Donald Trump’s claim, made shortly before the meeting, that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had died.\nRussia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya said that US President Donald Trump’s claim that attacks on Iran were aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon was “unfounded\".\n“Tehran has consistently stated that it does not have any such plans and that it is fulfilling its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” Mr Nebenzya told the council.\nHe said that “despite Tehran’s willingness to engage in the diplomatic process, it once again is stabbed in the back”, adding that Washington’s long-term military build-up in the region suggested the aggression “was planned in advance\".\nMr Nebenzya warned that nuclear energy facilities “cannot, under any circumstances, be the target of strikes by armed forces,” citing risks to civilian populations and regional stability.\nHe specifically referred to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, warning that any attack on such sites would violate international law and could trigger catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences.\nAt Russia’s request, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the joint US-Israeli strikes, the agency said in a statement.\nUS ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said Washington’s actions were grounded in international security concerns, accusing Tehran of defying longstanding global demands.\n“The international community has long affirmed a simple and necessary principle: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Mr Waltz said, pointing to past UN resolutions he said Tehran had ignored.\n“That principle is not a matter of politics, it’s a matter of global security, and to that end, the United States is taking lawful actions,” he added.\nReferring to Iran’s recent crackdowns on protesters, Mr Waltz said Tehran’s participation in the emergency meeting in New York “makes a mockery of this body”.\n“This representative sits here, in this body, representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its own people, and imprisoned many more, simply for wanting freedom from your entire tyranny,\" he said.\nMr Iravani accused Mr Waltz of “cynically” attempting to mislead the Security Council, saying history offered “ample documentation” that US foreign policy has repeatedly relied on unlawful force, covert intervention and political manipulation to alter the governance of other member states.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T02:18:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxQdFlxNng3Mm0yNHY0WXNwNHlCTElNLW9lRHlIUTVFYlRXcW8wWm5LcDBhWUxhd2JmZElhT2t3OGQzYktxVEM4VWhBZ3VVZVNvT3BzUWJNSnNxOGZUQXUtN1NqY3NWX0oxdjZMUXVVVWgzeVppYURGOGNlSy1TMXBIclNjWHV0OUhwTWk0QV85SlRHeE1wZWN5dHNTSE4wV21mN1NWY0had3RINlNXX1cyOUE2VU5pY0Rk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a23213d8ccb7",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says Russia peace talks will depend on situation in Middle East - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "-\nVolodymyr Zelenskyy says the time and place of the next round of peace talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine would depend on the security situation in the Middle East and the level of “real diplomatic possibilities”. The Ukrainian president on Saturday said he would issue new directives to Ukraine’s negotiating team at the talks, without detailing what they were. He had said the next round of talks would probably take place in Abu Dhabi in early March. But the United Arab Emirates has since been caught up in hostilities after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran.\n-\nZelenskyy voiced his support for the US-led strikes, calling Iran “an accomplice of Putin” for supplying Shahed drones and the technology for Russia to produce them and other weapons in its war against Ukraine. He said it was important that Washington acted decisively, but also that hostilities did not escalate into a wider war.\n-\n“It is only fair to give the Iranian people a chance to get rid of the terrorist regime, to get rid of it and guarantee the safety of all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran,” Zelenskyy said in a video address on social media. “It is important that the United States is determined. And whenever America is determined, global criminals weaken.”\n-\nZelenskyy said that Russia has used “more than 57,000 Shahed-type strike drones against Ukraine – against our people, against our cities, against our energy sector”. “Although Ukrainians have never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to be Putin’s accomplice,” Zelensky said.\n-\nDonald Trump is urging Moscow and Kyiv to strike an agreement to end Europe’s biggest war since 1945, though Zelenskyy has complained that his country is facing more pressure to make concessions. Ukraine is seeking iron-clad security guarantees which commit the US and its European allies to action if Russia attacks again after a peace deal is reached. The last round of peace talks, which took place in Geneva last week, did not achieve a breakthrough and was described as difficult by Kyiv and Moscow, although Washington said it saw “meaningful progress”.\n-\nZelenskyy’s chief of staff on Saturday said that Russia said at recent talks in Geneva that it would accept the US proposal for Ukraine’s postwar security guarantees. “At the last talks, the Russian side said for example that they would accept the security guarantees offered to Ukraine by the United States,” said Kyrylo Budanov in an interview aired on Ukrainian television. Budanov also said that at present Russia had not agreed to a summit between Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, which had been floated earlier as a possibility by US special envoy Steve Witkoff.\n-\nRussia on Saturday condemned the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as “a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state”, demanding an immediate halt to the military campaign and a return to diplomacy.\n-\nRussia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran. Iranian forces and Russian sailors conducted annual drills in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean last week aimed at “upgrading operational coordination as well as exchange of military experiences,” Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported. Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed a broad cooperation pact in January last year as their countries deepened their partnership in the face of stinging western sanctions.\n-\nRussia’s defence ministry said on Saturday its forces had taken control of the settlements of Neskuchne and Girke in Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Zaporizhizhia regions. And Ukraine’s Naftogaz said Russia struck a gas extraction facility in the Kharkiv region overnight, causing serious damage.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T02:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1wFBVV95cUxNUWFPUnQ4aUcydVhpZTZZcWFKbWlaTS1jQ25sVUlWekdONUNXVTMydUtLa25iTUFZNEdqQ0lDMWduMFpOV2lKaWUwZ1ZWeExYVk04UzRWVUhBSDhVWTY0X24xU2VpNjVzaHloUkE3RGQ5b1NrN1hlU040MEw1emQzdkc0dWpfeF8wVUdKZHdIWEFYUmhFVHAtMnB0NE53aGJteEo2MjZteFFhaVJ5QVpJR3lIZl85WUwzM0lHLTFfWjYzSEJkS0ZvY3JXS0hFRGo3a2VZQURHcw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a86dc1dd5e05",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Mamdani's response to Trump's Iran strike sparks conservative backlash: 'Rooting for the Ayatollah' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "New York City's socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing blowback from conservatives on social media over his post condemning the U.S. attack on Iran that led to the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nOn Saturday, as a joint strike on Iran by the United States and Israel was developing, Mamdani blasted the Trump administration's decision in a post on X that has been viewed roughly 20 million times.\n\"Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,\" Mamdani wrote.\n\"Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change.\"\nMamdani said Americans prefer \"relief from the affordability crisis\" before speaking directly to Iranians in New York City.\n\"You are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders,\" Mamdani said. \"You will be safe here.\"\nThe post was quickly slammed by conservatives on social media making the case that Mamdani's response appeared sympathetic to Iran's brutal regime and pointing to his lack of public reaction to the Iranian protesters killed in recent years.\n\"Comrade Mayor is rooting for the Ayatollah,\" GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. \"They can chant together.\"\n\"Do u say anything pro American ?\" Fox News host Brian Kilmeade posted on X. \"do u know any Iranians - ? they hate @fr_Khamenei they celebrate his death, you should be celebrating his death ! hes killed thousands of American’s and just killed 30k Iranians, did u even say a word about that? You are an embarrassment !! Please quit.\"\n\"I don’t feel safe in New York listening to someone like you, Mamdani, who sympathizes with the regime that killed more than 30,000 unarmed Iranians in less than 24 hours,\" Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad posted on X.\n\"We Iranians do not allow you to lecture us about war while you had nothing to say when the Islamic Republic shot schoolgirls and blinded more than 10,000 innocent people in the streets. You were busy celebrating the hijab while women of my beloved country Iran were jailed and raped by Islamic Security forces for removing it.\n\"And NOW you find your voice to defend the regime? No. I will not let you claim the moral high ground. The people of Iran want to be free. Where were you when they needed solidarity?\"\n\"How is it that you can’t differentiate between good and evil?\" Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted on X. \"Why is this so hard for you?\"\n\"It takes a particular kind of audacity, or ignorance, for a city mayor to appoint himself the conscience of American foreign policy while his constituents step over garbage on their way to work,\" GOP Rep. Nancy Mace posted on X. \"History will not remember his bravery. It will not remember him at all.\"\n\"Iranian New Yorkers are thrilled today and see right through you,\" Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino posted on X.\n\"When Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Bahrain all support today’s operation eliminating world’s #1 sponsor of terror, but New York City’s Mayor @ZohranMamdani is shilling for Iran,\" Republican New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov posted on X.\nFox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office for comment.\nShortly after Mamdani's post, it was announced by President Trump and Israeli officials that the military operation resulted in Khamenei's death.\nIsraeli leaders confirmed Khamenei's compound and offices were reduced to rubble early Saturday after a targeted strike in downtown Tehran.\n\"Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,\" Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T02:26:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxNQll5ZnZwSDJFcTR3M2NoZUFNWi1lLTJWdzRmeXhVVlFZTVF1emxrV0x4MGpSQXZpMy14VzJINUo4bVBiMHNQYzlaY1pTVHZEbXVUZVpwbjVuOU9pV1FkMG1LVnUyLVQ1TlRTOGhvSXpyc3ZyVk1iSGVLRXlWZDBMeWtQdlJYdi0tQjE3MUpJd21XLVh3RXY2YlZ4ZktjZENsalprZUlIcUdXNXpvT0N4dXo2Q3NIaWPSAbwBQVVfeXFMTXZpZWpELXB3Wm5jYWJxVHpDa2ZOVzh6UVZ5TnZaQmpKbWtMYTRzNUFpUVcxdnFEOFJ0T2V4YmppTkNHYUM1OUhfU3VqQkFBTk9UOGJFT2RXMDVCYW52Z1E1MHlueGwxT3lhTXdhZFItbzlXYUNZWVl3YUFSalpwTktLZ0NNWEdwRmpDYldEd3piTXozWHRERU1YWnpicE1rQk5waWV5NHBJb1FFYl9UUEdFYjlNcXppaTV0dDg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_45d0e80f59cd",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran goes dark amid 'regime paranoia', blackout follows Israeli, US strikes on compound - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran was plunged into an internet blackout Saturday after Israel and the U.S. launched military strikes around the country, according to a global internet monitor.\nWithin hours of the strikes — which officials said targeted infrastructure and killed dozens of senior regime figures at a compound in Tehran — NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker confirmed connectivity started \"flatlining.\"\n\"We're tracking the ongoing blackout, but our assessment is that this is straight out of Iran's wartime playbook and consistent both technically and strategically with what we saw during the 2025 12-day War with Israel,\" Toker told Fox News Digital.\n\"Iran's internet connectivity is now flatlining around the 1% level, so the original blackout the regime imposed during the morning has been consolidated,\" he confirmed.\n\"The blackout was imposed just after 7:00 UTC, not long after the attack on the Iranian regime compound,\" Toker clarified, adding that Iran had been largely offline for approximately 12 hours following the attack.\n\"At 06:10 UTC, there is the main compound strike; at 07:10 UTC, telecoms disruption starts; at 08:00 UTC, the blackout is largely in effect; and by 08:30 UTC, connectivity flatlines.\"\n\"Wartime national blackouts are exceedingly rare around the world, and it's something we've only really seen at this scale in Iran,\" he said.\nIn the wake of the attack, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the \"heavy and pinpoint\" bombing in Iran \"will continue uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!\"\nHe claimed Iranian security forces and members of the regime’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were already seeking immunity. He urged them to \"peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots.\"\n\"We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces no longer want to fight and are looking for Immunity from us,\" Trump said in the post. \"As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity; later they only get Death!’\"\nToker argued the timing of the blackout suggested it was imposed deliberately as the regime sought to secure communications amid fears of further targeting.\n\"The Iranian regime will have deployed this new blackout to counter potential cyberattacks during their own military operation, but also to avoid leaking the locations of senior regime figures through metadata and user-generated content,\" he said.\n\"Communications would have been limited, and Iran's leadership would have proceeded with the assumption that all communications, including satellite or whitelisted networks, carry risks,\" he said before claiming that \"paranoia would be well grounded at this point, with the blackout a belated but direct response to that.\"\n\"Those participating directly would already know to avoid technology that could betray their whereabouts,\" Toker said.\n\"However, the metadata may well have played a part in determining that the meeting of regime leaders was being held at the Tehran compound, who was in attendance, and at what time.\"\nToker revealed that the broader network around the regime leaders and around the compound wouldn't have had the same strict restrictions.\n\"This kind of adjacent ‘background noise’ can be correlated against other intelligence sources to build an understanding of activity on the ground,\" he added.\n\"Smartphones are a readily available, almost ‘free’ source of intelligence, and even when locked down, they eventually connect to international online services and generate insights that can be used to pinpoint regime figures,\" Toker said.\n\"In the aftermath of Saturday’s strike, this concern will have been high on the remaining Iranian leadership’s minds, especially if they didn't have a clear and specific understanding of how the meeting was compromised.\"\nIran has previously imposed sweeping internet shutdowns during periods of domestic unrest, including nationwide protests in January, which saw thousands killed, often seeking to curb the spread of information and restrict coordination.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T02:31:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPa2xSMjI5dVZNckNkcE5PYXpIMkdUTWFnaVRjNWVYUzJDVVRVV1VJR2ZFUFF2UzVfVHJ0OGtKTU9rRUdnSDhCMVEtVlpOcUIzSzMzMi1lWXJDQ2FweFAwaW5xaEVGSHdTQlZ5ZnhBRF9IQTY3MWFBR0NyUHFSYjlEY1JCTmZMbEhzSUV6Q09NdXFRZ1NBZnF2MU9Ma1NUSkNKYUVTQlhHd9IBrAFBVV95cUxNc0hWZWwyWGFYaFNhUnZRbm1xX2k3cjEzUjcyRDdwcFY3ZDlSSXRzOG9vWmg4ckt1bTVrUXNhU3BlcDhsR1I2LVc5SEIzc2xDTXhGVGlRaTc3TUZpOEw3UFFITGg4ZnBUX0xwNnJteGZSQ1g1XzVSdHpPTTJKdGdtMlkxSEJYa0phOXRtbDhYaVNFampkZUUxSjdyQ1JBdkRWeFozc3pfQmxQZDZW?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_28decf9b81a5",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "With few good strategic options, Iran’s best prospect may be to retaliate while it can - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Venezula’s Nicholás Maduro was captured. But Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have chosen a different strategy for Iran: to target and aim to kill the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and as many other senior regime figures as possible.\nThough Iranian military sites and its air defence systems were also targeted by coordinated US and Israeli bombing, beginning in the morning, the most significant attack was on Khamenei’s compound in Tehran.\nFilm on social media showed heavy plumes of smoke emerging from the site in the capital after the daylight strike, and soon after satellite imagery showed it had been destroyed in what appeared to be a targeted attack.\nTrump claimed late on Saturday that Khamenei had been killed, and his intention was clear: an attempt to effect regime change in Iran through bombing and killing with no credible justification in international law. It is a tactic that is disturbingly easy to start, but its results are profoundly uncertain. Khamenei’s death was later confirmed early by Iranian state media.\nLast summer during the 12-day war with Israel, Khamenei had named three potential successors should he be killed. Reports earlier this month indicated that Khamenei had named four layers of succession for key government and military jobs, in an effort to ensure regime survival in the face of a US-Israeli attack.\n“There is no sign that the US or anybody else is going to put boots on the ground, so the monopoly of force domestically remains with the Iranian regime,” said HA Hellyer, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. “The only way that changes [is] if there is an uprising with mass defections.”\nExplosions were heard in Tehran, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Qom and other large cities in a broad assault that began in the morning, a deliberate change from a more normal pattern of night-time strikes, to achieve a measure of operational surprise.\nHundreds of targets were struck in multiple waves, the Israeli military said, with little evidence of opposition from what was left of Iran’s air defences – already depleted after last summer’s 12-day war and hit again on Saturday. Political and military targets were struck, with 200 Israeli fighter jets striking at air defence and ballistic launch sites, according to the country’s military.\nOver the past month, the US has amassed two carrier strike groups in the region – the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, joined recently by the USS Gerald R Ford in the eastern Mediterranean. Each carrier has an air wing of about 75 combat aircraft, while allied destroyers and submarines have Tomahawk cruise missiles available, each with a range of about 1,000 miles or more.\nIran, recognising it was faced with an existential crisis for its regime, responded by quickly launching ballistic missiles and drones against Israel and US allies and bases in several countries in the region: Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, immediately drawing six other countries into the conflict.\nThough the UK was not party to the US-Israeli assault – clearly believing the initial attack on Iran to be illegal – it has already been drawn in, supplying fighter jets to protect regional allies.\nInitial signs are that the fight, as a traditional military contest, is extremely one-sided. Alma, an Israeli military thinktank, reported that Iran had targeted Israel with 25 waves of attack by 5.30pm local time, while Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service reported 89 people had been wounded.\nOne person was killed in Abu Dhabi from falling debris from an intercepted missile, while a fire broke out at the Fairmont hotel in Dubai after it was hit. So far it appears casualties from Iran’s regional retaliation have been limited, though all it takes is for one missile to get through somewhere across the regional war.\nA missile was filmed smashing into the US naval base in Bahrain – the level of damage it caused as yet unclear – followed by a single Shahed-type delta winged drone targeting a radar dome. Both hits were surprising given that the US had airlifted Patriot air defence systems into regional bases over the past month in anticipation.\nIran, meanwhile, appeared to be taking heavier casualties. A primary school for girls in Minab, southern Iran, was struck, killing more than 100, according to the country’s Tasnim news agency, a grim reminder that so-called precision bombing is often not accurate, civilians the victims.\nBy the evening Iran appeared to be trying to enforce a closure of the strait of Hormuz, through which an estimated fifth of the world’s oil supply passes from Iran and Gulf nations. Warnings were being broadcast to merchant shipping on VHF radio, according to the UK’s Maritime Trade Organisation.\nIran could attempt to mine the two 1.9 miles-wide shipping lanes with Russian Kilo-class and midget Ghadir-class submarines, though it is unclear such an operation, if attempted, would be successful. The strategy is sufficiently obvious that the US is almost certain to have submarines available to prevent or disrupt a mine-laying operation.\nThe early indications are that the US and Israel plan a bombing campaign that could last weeks, while Iran runs down its estimated stock of 2,000 ballistic missiles. Its ability to retaliate at scale may only last a few days, while the US can run in excess of 125 bombing missions a day from each of its aircraft carriers alone.\nIran has few good strategic options now it is under sustained attack. The regime’s best prospect may be to try to endure the waves that are likely to come, continue to retaliate while it can, and try to retain control of the streets given that the US and Israel have so far expressed no intention of mounting a ground invasion.\nIf that is the case, it is not obvious how the war will end. “In short, the US and Israel have started this war with vague and unachievable objectives, with no international law base, and little or no support from Gulf states or other US allies,” said Lord Ricketts, a former UK national security adviser.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T03:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxOZkRQZ0pTSDlJalBZVk1qM2VoNDVBQWVuZlVxckRQMFRjbl9BZExlTF9EenFXUUFlZUNFRjBqZ2VuRG9DaHk2Y3ZLa1JIV2trbEJDNFE2ZVlSbG1fRGN1c3gwTlJFVWp4VTRPY3V2U1dRdllLUC1RRmlBa2ZJSzFvcHIxUEFVNGdwMTFsaF81Vi1PdHZGV1ZPWHVlWVp0UQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_96ad2a1bac85",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israel hits Tehran again after killing Khamenei, leadership council takes over - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israel hits Tehran again after killing Khamenei, leadership council takes over    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T03:51:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxPUGFpUWMtNVc0VU9QcVNsczVSOVlaSzc0OHF2M00tOTFsMHlZVzFjSjdXQy11ZHVPVDl1WVo3QnU0UmNFblEtcXB6TE43V3ltTk44MklFZ2hHU3lMTkdOYVFKbjVkdmVoNklEemJmVG15Y2NnU2JKeGRiak0wT0V3MlMzS2poRDlNOEE5VENiLTVXLVdRbWY1ekpoclA4VmVXNGIxTHRrYWNNamlta3YxWTQ0Tnl3TEQxcTlMTnhuZ0Y?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b099f3466b23",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran’s supreme leader killed in major attack by US and Israel - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran’s supreme leader killed in major attack by US and Israel\nIran’s supreme leader killed in major attack by US and Israel\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday, throwing the future of the Islamic Republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability.\nPresident Donald Trump announced the death hours earlier, saying it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country.\nState media reported that the 86-year-old was killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran. Satellite photos from Airbus showed that the site was heavily bombed.\nHis death at his office “showed that he consistently stood among the people and at the forefront of his responsibilities, confronting what officials call global arrogance,” state TV said.\n“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote in a social media post. He warned of “heavy and pinpoint bombing” that he said would continue throughout the week and even beyond, part of a lethal assault the U.S. has justified as necessary to disable the country’s nuclear capabilities.\nIran, which responded to the strikes with its own counterassault, warned of retribution, with the Cabinet saying that this “great crime will never go unanswered.” The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” ever targeting Israeli and American bases.\nThe attack opened a stunning new chapter in U.S. intervention in Iran, carried the potential for retaliatory violence and a wider war, and represented a startling flex of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and vowed to keep out of “forever wars.”\nThe killing of Khamenei in the second Trump administration assault on Iran in eight months appeared certain to create a leadership vacuum given the absence of a known successor and because the 86-year-old supreme leader had final say on all major policies during his decades in power. He led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main centers of power in the governing theocracy.\nIran quickly formed a council to govern the country until a new supreme leader is chosen.\nState media also reported the deaths of the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a top security adviser to Khamenei in airstrikes. Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour took over as the Guard’s top commander after Israel killed its past commander in the 12-day war last June. The adviser, Ali Shamkhani, had long been a figurehead within Iran’s security establishment, IRNA said.\nAs reports trickled out about Khamenei’s death, eyewitnesses in Tehran told The Associated Press that some residents were rejoicing, cheering from rooftops, blowing whistles and letting out ululations.\nMourners raised a black mourning flag over the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city and a major pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims. The Iranian government declared 40 days of public mourning and a seven-day nationwide public holiday to commemorate Khamenei’s death.\nCiting unidentified sources, the semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to the Revolutionary Guard, reported that several relatives of Khamenei were also killed, including a daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchild.\nStrikes were planned for months\nThe joint U.S.-Israel operation, which officials say was planned for months, took place Saturday during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan and at the start of the Iranian workweek. It followed stilted negotiations and warnings from Trump, who last year trumpeted his administration’s success in incapacitating the country’s nuclear program but nonetheless cast the latest round as necessary to head off its potential resurgence.\nAbout 12 hours after the attacks began, the U.S. military reported no U.S. casualties and minimal damage at U.S. bases despite “hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.” It said targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.\nIsrael, for its part, said it had killed the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the country’s defense minister, as well as the secretary of the Iranian Security Council, a close adviser to Khamenei.\nKhamenei “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump said. “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”\nAn Iranian diplomat told the United Nations Security Council that hundreds of civilians were killed and wounded in the strikes. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and at U.S. military bases in the region, and exchanges of fire continued into the night.\nSome of the first strikes on Iran appeared to hit near the offices of Khamenei, the second leader of the Islamic Republic who succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israeli officials confirmed the death, followed by Trump.\nDemocrats decried that Trump had taken action without congressional authorization. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the administration had briefed several Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress in advance.\nU.S. President Donald Trump urged the Iranian people to “take over your government” in a video address posted Saturday. His comments came after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran.\nTensions soared as US built up military forces\nTensions have soared in recent weeks as the Trump administration built up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades. The president insisted he wanted a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program while the country struggled with growing dissent following nationwide protests.\nThough Trump had pronounced the Iranian nuclear program obliterated in strikes last year, the country was rebuilding infrastructure that it had lost, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s decision-making process. The official said intelligence showed that Iran had developed the capability to produce its own high-quality centrifuges, an important step in developing the highly enriched uranium needed for weapons.\nIran responded to the latest strikes by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. The Israeli military said Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel, with many intercepted. The Magen David Adom rescue service said Saturday night that a woman in the Tel Aviv area died after being wounded in an Iranian missile attack.\nAt least three explosions were heard Saturday evening near the Intelligence Ministry building in northern Tehran, witnesses said, adding that air defense systems had begun operating there. Israel’s military said it had begun new strikes against missile launchers and aerial defense systems in central Iran.\nIn southern Iran, at least 115 people were reported killed when a girls’ school was struck, and dozens more were wounded, the local governor told Iranian state TV. U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said he was “aware of reports” that a girls’ school was struck and that officials were looking into them.\nIran’s state news agency IRNA said at least 15 people were killed in the southwest, quoting the governor of the Lamerd region, Ali Alizadeh, as saying a sports hall, two residential areas and a hall near a school were hit.\nFlights across the Middle East were disrupted, and air defense fire thudded over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ commercial capital. Shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on the UAE capital killed one person, state media said.\nAttack was coordinated between Israel and US\nIsrael said the operation had been planned for months with the United States. Air Force pilots struck “hundreds of targets across Iran,” Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a statement.\nTargets in the Israeli campaign included Iran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence targets, according to an official briefed on the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information on the attack.\nTrump acknowledged Saturday that there could be American casualties, saying “that often happens in war.” He said he was aiming to “annihilate” the Iranian navy and destroy regional proxies supported by Tehran. He called on the paramilitary Iranian Revolutionary Guard to lay down arms, saying members would be given immunity or face “certain death” if they did not.\nIran had said it hoped to avert a war, but it maintained its right to enrich uranium.\nIran has said it has not enriched since June, but it has blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the U.S. bombed. Satellite photos analyzed by AP have shown new activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran is trying to assess and potentially recover material.\nTrump had threatened military action but held off following Iran’s recent crackdown on protests spurred by economic grievances that evolved into a nationwide push against the ruling clerics.\nThe Human Rights Activists News Agency says it confirmed more than 7,000 deaths in the crackdown and is investigating thousands more. The government has acknowledged more than 3,000 killed.\nEffects could extend to markets and other countries\nThe strikes could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran makes the Strait of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic. A third of worldwide oil exports transported by sea passed through the strait in 2025.\nSaudi Arabia said Iran targeted its capital and eastern region in an attack that was repelled. Bahrain said a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom, and three buildings were damaged in the capital, Manama, and Muharraq city by drone strikes and debris from an intercepted missile.\nKuwait’s civil aviation authority said a drone targeted the main international airport, injuring several employees. Kuwait’s state-run news agency said three troops were injured by shrapnel from strikes that hit Ali Al-Salem air base. Explosions could also be heard in Qatar. Jordan said it “dealt with” 49 drones and ballistic missiles.\n___\nLidman reported from in Tel Aviv. Boak reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Tucker reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Joe Federman in Jerusalem, Aamer Madhani and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Farnoush Amiri in New York and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.\n___\nThis story has been corrected to show that the IRNA news agency reported 40 people were killed in the school strike, without specifying students.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T03:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxQeFZPOFpNc0VPYmlUWEFubGVLZUR0aGtxUGxkX1FXbFdkSWR3QWZQUVVZaFB2Z1dCUHI3TmV1UE9DMGc5ZGNhU00tdmhhMUhBNG53Zm1QeC1jSGFKV2RZWFREOEdoM050WE5nV200Y1FmYkNpdmwwdno4VXpSNVpGbjVPSTJCQ184YWlqRg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e715aa85bc59",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump says 48 leaders killed in strikes on Iran: what we know so far on day two - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "-\nIsrael says it is hitting targets “in the heart of Tehran” on the second day of attacks to overthrow Iran’s government.\n-\nUS president Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that 48 leaders have been killed in US and Israeli strikes on Iran. He also told CNBC that US military operations in Iran are “ahead of schedule.”\n-\nThe US has destroyed nine Iranian navy ships and largely destroyed Iran’s naval headquarters, Trump said on social media.\n-\nThree American service members have been killed in action as part of the Iran operation, according to the US military’s Central Command.\n-\nMahmoud Ahmadinejad, the firebrand former Iranian president, who gained international notoriety by calling for Israel’s erasure and denying the Holocaust, appears to have been killed in Saturday’s military strikes, according to local media.\n-\nIran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said today that despite the attacks on his country, “nothing has changed in our … military capability.”\n-\nTrump said that the US would strike Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if Tehran carried out threats to retaliate after the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed yesterday. Trump has urged Iranians to “take back their country”.\n-\nRussian president Vladimir Putin said the killing of Khamenei was “a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law”.\n-\nOther senior figures in the Iranian regime who were killed in Saturday’s strikes reportedly include the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen Mohammad Pakpour, and defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. Israel says at least 40 Iranian “commanders” were killed in the “opening” strikes.\n-\nAll three members have now been appointed to Iran’s temporary leadership council, which fulfills the role of the supreme leader until a successor is chosen.\n-\nIt means the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and senior cleric Alireza Arafi will reportedly lead Iran in the transitional period following Khamenei’s death.\n-\nThe death toll from a US-Israeli missile strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran has risen to almost 150, according to Iranian state media.\n-\nAt least 133 civilians have been killed and 200 civilians injured during US-Israel strikes on Iran on Saturday, according to the US-based organisation HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency).\n-\nIran has launched retaliatory missiles and drones targeting Israel. Strikes have also been reported in Dubai, Qatar’s capital Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait. Officials in Tel Aviv said about 40 buildings were damaged and two people reportedly killed.\n-\nHundreds of thousands of travellers were either stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace.\n-\nShips have reported hearing a radio broadcast purporting to come from the Iranian navy announcing that transit through the vital strait of Hormuz, was banned, raising expectations of a sharp jump in oil prices. But there’s been no formal announcement from Tehran about the status of the strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.\n-\nIran has launched a new round of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf cities, after vowing retaliation for the killing of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country since 1989.\n-\nIn a statement posted to social media, the Israel Defense Forces said it was now striking “targets” of the Iranian “regime in the heart of Tehran”.\n-\nMultiple rounds of sirens were heard across central Israel and parts of the occupied West Bank on Sunday morning, and explosions were reported in Doha, Dubai and Manama. Blasts were also heard near Erbil airport, which hosts US-led coalition troops, in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.\n-\nIranian state media announced the deaths of several high-level military officials, including armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour, and head of the defence council Ali Shamkhani, saying they were killed “during a defence council meeting”. More names would follow, it said.\n-\nThousands of people have gathered in central Tehran to mourn the death of Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989. Mourners, who were dressed in black and carried photos of the former leader, chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel”. However, others celebrated, with reports describing people cheering from rooftops, blowing whistles and letting out ululations.\n-\nProtesters rallied in support of Iran in several cities, attempting to storm the US consulate in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, and to enter the fortified Green Zone of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, where the US embassy is located. Thousands also rallied in Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday.\n-\nThe UK’s defence secretary, John Healey, said Iranian missiles and drones had landed within “a few hundred yards” of about 300 British troops at a base in Bahrain.\n-\nThe United Nations’ nuclear agency said it will hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday at the request of Russia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T04:19:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxPZ1JRbkVhOGJTaVZIb21IX2tYQk8teDFtdHlNb2NpOURVcENXOUJjQW1ybkJiWmctSzl1ZzVzb05rdDQydXBjdUhneF93NW54STRmdXQtVVJnRTVpOGl0X1VFWEE3N0tMcXY3MUR6QXNVeE9MTUVpVkNFUldlRnlTZFRuamZzTW52aFdkNnpKUTJjWUs0UlYtSC0tOU5SbE53R1J2Vzh6RHJQT016OGNXZnV5ZTVnN2F4SGdoRmdVakl5SEhEZHhiSWFQOXZ0eGs?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_930be75b67d0",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Israel strikes 'heart of Tehran' as Iran hits back over killing of Khamenei - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s IRGC launched its “most devastating offensive operation,” targeting the occupied territories and American bases across the region.\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran and other cities, prompting 40 days of mourning.\nA temporary leadership council comprising the president, judiciary head and Guardian Council jurists assumed interim authority amid uncertainty over succession.\nTop figures Ali Shamkhani and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour were also killed, while the whereabouts of President Masoud Pezeshkian remain unknown.\n“Dozens of Air Force fighter jets struck... another wave of strikes to target the ballistic missile array and air defence systems,” the Israeli military said.\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced what it said was the \"most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, as Tehran pledged to retaliate for the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nThe IRGC said it had launched \"extensive missile and drone\" attacks on Israel and 27 US bases in the region, Iranian state media reported. It earlier confirmed Mr Khamenei's death and hailed him as a \"martyr”.\nMr Khamenei was killed on Saturday morning during a wave of joint US-Israeli strikes. His daughter, son-in-law and grandson were also killed, said state media.\nThe Iranian government declared 40 days of mourning after Mr Khamenei's death. The country's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said Tehran would strike the US and Israel \"with a force that they have never experienced before\".\nAt least nine people were killed in an Iranian strike on central Israel, medics said on Sunday. An Iranian ballistic missile attacked Beit Shemesh, with footage showing extensive damage to a bomb shelter. More than 20 others were injured in the attack, the largest since the outbreak of this war.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was preparing for more forceful attacks on Iran in the coming days.\n“Our forces are now striking in the heart of Tehran with increasing intensity, and this will only intensify further in the coming days,” he said in a video address from Tel Aviv. Israel is engaged in \"joint efforts with Washington\" to deal a \"final blow\" to Iran's regime, he added.\nIsraeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani said Israel killed 40 senior Iranian commanders, including Mr Khamenei, \"in one minute\", in the opening stage of the joint military campaign launched with the US on Saturday.\nIranian state media confirmed the death of Khamenei's adviser, Ali Shamkhani, and of IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour in the joint US-Israeli attacks.\nMr Khamenei's killing throws into question the future of the leadership of the Islamic Republic. As supreme leader, he stood above the elected president and had the final say over Iran’s armed forces, including the IRGC.\nThe council of the Iranian president, the head of the judiciary and one of the jurists of the Guardian Council - Alireza Arafi - will temporarily assume duties of leadership in Iran.\n'Wider escalation'\nIran continued to attack what it says are US and Israeli targets in the region on Sunday, drawing condemnation from its neighbours.\nThe UAE's Defence Ministry said at least three people have been killed and 58 injured by drones and missiles launched from Iran since Saturday. It announced that, since the start of the Iranian attacks on Saturday, 165 ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran towards the country, 152 of which were destroyed. It added that 541 Iranian drones were detected and 506 were intercepted and destroyed, while 35 fell inside UAE territory, causing damage.\nIran's aggression against Gulf nations has \"isolated Tehran at a critical moment\", said Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed.\n\"Your war is not with your neighbours,\" wrote the senior UAE official on X. \"Return to your senses, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens,\" he urged Iran.\nKuwait's Health Ministry said at least one person was killed and 32 were injured in Kuwait after missiles and drones were fired from Iran. The country's Ministry of Defence said 97 Iranian ballistic missiles and 283 drones were launched towards the country and were \"dealt with in accordance with the rules of engagement\".\nQatar’s Interior Ministry said a total of 16 people were injured in the attacks that began on Saturday, with one in critical condition.\nSupreme leader Khamenei killed in US-Israeli strikes, Iran says\n00:44\nUS President Donald Trump has warned Iran against striking back after Tehran pledged it would retaliate strongly. \"They better not do that, however, because if they do, we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before,\" Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.\nMeanwhile, Israel announced another wave of attacks on Iran in recent hours, with the army saying it has struck more than 30 targets in the west and centre of the country.\n“Dozens of air force fighter jets struck, guided by military intelligence, and completed just a short while ago another wave of strikes to target the ballistic missile array and air defence systems of the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran,” the Israeli army said.\nReactions to Khamenei's death\nGlobal leaders have called for a quick resolution to the crisis in the Middle East as US allies backed the decision to kill Mr Khamenei. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the death of Iran's supreme leader as \"a defining moment in Iran’s history\".\n\"What comes next is uncertain. But there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape,\" Ms Kallas said on X.\nIran's allies, Russia and China, have condemned his death as a \"grave violation\". China's Foreign Ministry said the \"killing of Iran’s supreme leader is a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security\".\nRussian President Vladimir Putin described his death as \"a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T04:23:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxPanhlNEJqd0ZhU0Roam5KeW93YWVHNXlUMkk4T0NaZF9zRXQxNDFFcTE2dTdfYlJ6V3ZHVE5meFZWVmx4alZUbF9ZMjNSRHVXbkctWGZUMWJpOHBFcGRJYzNaQjBSV3BDanJKUVlaVHNuNjBNajJhSzVzZzQxVW1pZzNwQnJkS3FpYmUzTjZ6dnMydnBYYW55bnNkYkJRMVFnMmxVdXZTM3FyQ0FrT2x6X1JhU3Z5YmhHM0Iybjh4c3FuQXNkYWMyUF94Ty1Fdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c9e22b713497",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Penny Wong backs Israeli and US strikes on Iran as Labor group decries ‘sycophantic capitulation to militarism’ - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Australia has urged Iran to stop retaliatory attacks on countries across the Middle East after the US and Israel bombed Iran, killing its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.\nThe foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, when asked about the legality of the strikes on Iran, said it was up to Australia’s allies to explain “the legal basis”.\n“I will leave it for the United States and Israel to speak of the legal basis for the attacks,” Wong said on Sunday.\n“What I would say to Australians is that Iran has been a destabilising force in the region for decades. It has orchestrated attacks on Australia and I think we all understand this issue did not start yesterday.”\nThe Australian government and opposition were quick to offer support to the US president, Donald Trump, and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Saturday evening Australian time after the two countries attacked Iran.\nIran then launched strikes against Israel and US bases across the region, prompting Australia to update travel advice for countries in the area.\nWong on Sunday morning said: “Australia supports action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security.”\n“We weren’t told in advance. You wouldn’t expect us to be, but you would see there’s obviously been a lot of discussion,” she said.\n“We are not at the centre of the issues in the Middle East, but we obviously play a role in the international community.”\nAustralians stuck in Iran and Israel were urged to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Australians should leave Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE if safe to do so.\nWong left open the possibility of government-sponsored repatriation flights for Australians stuck in the region, but noted airspace closures and other disruptions to aviation in the immediate aftermath of the bombings.\nWong said on Sunday morning that Iran must “cease its indiscriminate attacks against other countries in the region”.\n“We need to avoid, if at all possible, a broader regional escalation,” she said.\n“We have seen attacks in the region, including on the UAE and also on Tel Aviv, and we call on Iran to cease these attacks.”\nWong said Australia was not involved in military operations. She said Australian forces were not expected to play any role. The foreign affairs minister would not say whether Australian intelligence facilities, including those at Pine Gap, were used.\nThe national security committee of cabinet met on Sunday and was likely to reconvene in the coming days.\nAlbanese said the government’s priority was the safety of its citizens in the region.\nThe prime minister said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had orchestrated at least two attacks on Australian soil in 2024, including the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne.\n“While we aren’t directly active in the current military strikes, we have been clear and acted on our utter rejection of the brutal Iranian regime.\n“Last year, we expelled Iran’s ambassador … the first time an ambassador has been expelled from Australia since the second world war.”\nMembers of the Labor Against War group lashed the Albanese government for supporting Trump and Netanyahu.\n“Albanese’s backing of Israeli and US attacks on Iran shows that we are completely devoid of acting independently from Trump and Netanyahu,” patron Doug Cameron said.\n“There was a time when Labor pursued peace not war. That time is long gone. Leadership needed, not sycophantic capitulation to militarism.”\nThe Greens leader, Larissa Waters, called the government’s support for the bombing “disgraceful” and warned against Australia being dragged into another US-led war.\n“Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal attacks last night have unleashed chaos across the Middle East,” she said.\n“This war will not bring safety to the brave Iranian people who are fighting for liberation from the brutal regime. We cannot bomb our way to peace.”\nThe opposition frontbencher Andrew Hastie told Sky the bombings were justified.\n“Iran is an enemy of Australia. They’ve conducted terrorism on our shores and they’re also a geopolitical bad actor.\n“They’ve been seeking a nuclear weapon for some time, and they’ve just murdered upwards of 25,000 of their own citizens over the last few months.”\nHastie said Trump was “setting the conditions for regime change in Iran”.\n“There is a lot of risk and as a veteran of the so-called forever wars, I’m very suspicious of regime change by force.”\nAt least 100 children have been killed in an apparent Israeli-US strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, the Mizan news agency reported.\nOne person died and 22 others were injured when an Iranian missile strike hit a building in Tel Aviv, while four people were injured at Dubai international airport.\nStrikes have also been reported in the city’s upmarket Palm Jumeirah district.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T04:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6gFBVV95cUxPWXk1dno1eUVFLXFtTnJqYXlIWU81LXhLZ2ZYZ0ItbDAyc1RLUmVvT1VVczZWSFlid0l4RFhkTy1VLV9EZnBBR294OXNyYzZ4aUFldGhVRUJLai1ZdlF5M3FnQnI1TUViTTN5bUJPUTF0OXZMVGYxMEwtd0VTcmp5RGg2Si1BQkUtZW44ZlFTckxpUzZ5cW40Z0oxNUFZQno0bThERUNfenMtZzl2YzZqM2ZQbTY3dmgtTGNWNGQzdTdhYzVqVUltSVJwSnRRUFB6NEdhU3BQMjhjbG9fa3pMR0YwQ3NBbHN0UWc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6dcf1336ca33",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Khamenei’s death opens uncertain chapter for Iran’s entrenched theocracy - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran entered a new chapter Saturday after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, abruptly ending more than three decades of authoritarian rule and setting in motion a leadership transition the regime has long prepared.\nA senior Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that while Khamenei’s demise is a \"massive blow\" to the Islamic Republic, Tehran anticipated the possibility and took steps to withstand such a scenario.\n\"Mere survival, at this point, would be considered a victory,\" the diplomat said of the regime, according to the outlet, following U.S. and Israeli strikes across the country.\nA recent report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) outlined three broad trajectories for a post-Khamenei Iran: managed regime continuity, an overt or creeping military takeover, or systemic collapse.\nCFR cautioned that even a leadership change at the top would not necessarily translate into meaningful political reform in the near term, given the regime’s deeply institutionalized power structure and its record of using force to maintain control.\nThe report notes that the real balance of power rests within a tight circle of clerical elites and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nIt describes a likely \"continuity\" scenario as producing \"Khamenei-ism without Khamenei,\" in which a successor from within the regime preserves the ideological framework of the Islamic Republic while relying on established security institutions to preserve stability.\n\"The Islamic Republic's constitution includes a succession process. The Assembly of Experts, a clerical body, is constitutionally charged with selecting the next supreme leader,\" Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital.\n\"In the interim, should there be a leadership vacancy, an interim leadership council is formed comprised of the president, chief justice, and a member of the Guardian Council selected by the Expediency Council,\" he added. \"The IRGC is a key stakeholder in this process, and will heavily influence its outcome.\"\nOver the past three decades, the Bayt-e Rahbari, or the Office of the Supreme Leader, expanded into what a February report by UANI described as a \"sprawling parallel state\" operating alongside Iran’s formal institutions.\nThe analysis characterizes the office as the regime’s \"hidden nerve center,\" extending control across the military, security establishment and major economic foundations in ways that make the system’s authority institutional rather than dependent on Khamenei’s physical presence.\n\"The supreme leader today is no longer just one man; he is represented through an all-encompassing institution that consolidates power, manages succession, and guarantees continuity,\" the non-partisan policy organization said. \"The Islamic Republic’s most enduring strength lies in this hidden architecture of control, which will continue to shape the country’s future long after Khamenei himself departs from the scene.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T04:44:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxOcjlFRlVsLXpmVUV6Nk1JNlBjb3lDZ0hPM3RQYmp5U0NpYlZnX01CenBabTU0NXJ3OERLT3VfLWpvYlU1OXBEQVc5MGpRY21NRlJOdVllc3ZaX2dwcUFYUzAyWHZTMG9mQlkyVkROU183WWRpaDREMHRRbEl3UGtLUWJvUEotdy1GVW40TTBPRE9IRERwN1hmVUNVNFLSAaIBQVVfeXFMTVIzN1NaS2JfMGRMRW9HQ0c5aDRzbmVMQV9POEktckFVVkJmRE9qaGt6UjVIb1M2V1lHM1pFdFduM21pbVR4dnJsTVNfQTFSMFlDZnJSWGlTakxlMGpwWGZydlRIcUdReFNiem5VdmFjZmhWNDUxeTdScEZLejNaUlFxRWNQSEU1SXI3cVl0aXM3RXFIRkpJSVhIZ05QT1k4Ymdn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bebee80b4b38",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran Says Supreme Leader Killed in U.S.-Israeli Strikes - The New York Times - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "Iran Says Supreme Leader Killed in U.S.-Israeli Strikes - The New York Times    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T05:05:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMickFVX3lxTE9sbWNCNVBlek5WN3o3MXZYbmdVcDBEY0tCRmJOdjR0cDF4UEw5Z2JsR2N3cGNvZm1NWEMtSnltMUhXeXlWcF9BV3Q2OWltQmgxMUZqdHNoQzA1VUtkRl9QMWp6aEttazl0Uy1xamliR2JtUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_806482256756",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: Moment Iran's state TV announces Supreme Leader has been killed",
    "body_text": "Watch: Moment Iran's state TV announces Supreme Leader has been killed\nIran's state media has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been killed, after attacks across Iran by Israel and the US, which began on Saturday morning local time.\nReading a statement from Iran's Supreme National Security Council, state TV outlets in Iran confirmed Khamenei's death.\nThe confirmation came after US President Donald Trump said Khamenei had been killed and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Khamenei's Tehran compound had been hit in \"a powerful, surprise strike\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T05:11:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/clyxdnxe1qvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_aaab7dbdf033",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Inside Iran, panic as strikes hit but for some it's a moment of relief",
    "body_text": "Inside Iran, panic as strikes hit but for some it's a moment of relief\nVideos circulating on social media show people near the blast sites running in panic, with the sounds of screams and crying in the background.\nBut, at the same time, there appears to be a sense of relief and celebration among those who believe the regime's downfall can only come through military intervention, says BBC Persian.\nIranians woke up on Sunday to confirmation that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - who ruled Iran for more than 36 years - was killed in US and Israeli strikes launched a day ago.\nHis death was first announced by US President Donald Trump, and then by Iranian state media.\n\"I can't believe it. It's like when they give you such a good news that you don't even know what to do,\" one person in the capital Tehran told BBC Persian.\n\"I couldn't sleep all night, I'm just waiting to start the first day without Khamenei in it. I think the Middle East has become a better place.\n\"Even [the] world has become a better place now.\"\nOthers are also glad. In one video from Saturday, a woman speaks with unmistakable relief, saying Khamenei's residence had been hit. Another clip shows teenagers at a school dancing and chanting that the strikes have happened, adding, \"I love Trump.\"\nMany people had been anticipating a possible US attack. Since Friday night, long queues have formed at petrol stations, and many residents of the capital, Tehran, have begun leaving the city for the north, near the Caspian Sea, which they believe is safer.\nWith Iran coming under an almost total internet blackout since the attacks started, it has been difficult to contact anyone inside the country.\nThe BBC has, however, been able to reach a number of pro-regime figures who spoke about the situation in Tehran.\n\"We have heard lots of explosions. I live in middle of Tehran,\" one of them told BBC Newshour.\n\"This was a normal day until the United States and Israel started attacking the city. Our children have gone to a school in the morning. We had to go and get the children.\"\nAnother told the BBC Weekend programme he heard fighter jets and two explosions early on Saturday morning from his office in the north of the city. The atmosphere was tense and there was a sense of war in the air.\nHe said that people were shopping and stocking up on canned food.\nOne resident earlier told BBC Persian via Starlink there had been a heavy security presence on streets leading to the compound of the Leadership House - Khamenei's office.\n'Look after our children'\nBefore the blackout, some people posted messages on social media in case they were killed in air strikes.\n\"If I die, don't forget that we exist too - those of us who oppose any military attack, those of us who will become just a number in reports of the dead,\" one Iranian wrote on social media.\nAnother wrote: \"Damn the Islamic dictatorship that caused this war. We have already endured three wars.\"\nSome posts highlight the strain of communication and fear for children caught in the conflict: \"The internet is almost down... If the network is completely cut, know that we are not soldiers for any leader, nor collateral damage,\" said another user.\n\"We are human and have the right to live. Try to make our future democratic, not dependent on individuals.\"\nAnother user wrote: \"Promise that if anything happens to us, you will look after our children and be very, very kind to them. Tell them we did everything we could - we joined silent marches, we voted, we worked multiple shifts, we endured great hardship.\"\nAccording to BBC Persian, many Iranians who lived through what has been described as one of the bloodiest crackdowns on civilians in modern history say they now welcome regime change - even if it comes through military intervention and the killing of senior officials.\nOthers, however, fear that air strikes alone may not bring about the regime's collapse.\nThey worry it could survive and, in response, become even more brutal towards its own people.\nNow, some Iranians report receiving text messages reading, \"Help has come\" - urging people to stay at home and calling on regime forces to lay down their arms.\nBut public sentiment could shift sharply if civilians are killed in the strikes, with many Iranians reacting with anger after state media reported that an Israeli strike on a girls' school killed dozens of people. There is no confirmation.\nAn Iranian living abroad who opposes military intervention in Iran commented: \"The first victims of this war are 40 girls in Minab, hit by a missile attack. Is this the war you cheer for?\"\nDeep mistrust of the Iranian regime, however, makes official reports difficult for many to accept, and some Iranians directly blamed the regime for the attack.\nOne user wrote: \"Even if the regime did not directly target schools, the deaths of children in Minab remain the responsibility of the Islamic Republic.\n\"People have no shelters, the internet is cut, phone lines are down, and there has been no warning to keep children out of school. In these conditions, the minimum requirement should be to stay at home.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T05:17:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05v8jzjn40o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_fbe49c284512",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump warns Iran of unprecedented force if it retaliates - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump warns Iran of unprecedented force if it retaliates    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T05:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNMFpsd01yY28zZ0ZjM2Q0SmdibjFMVVZDdlVMcDhwaHJ2NmVzTTFvalpSYTZUeC0zeFJmZGlzZzAxTmdxZWFzLVEybVppLThTVjlLRThsOFdoekZhbzJmTlFVZDFHdDR2b2FYWmxXVlhja1FOSWJDUkhOa2ttUzk1dXhGQmJtVTc3SVBXYlVGSnZDWWJrUFdHZy1qS1pMNHlMQ0Z6MnJCOG16b00?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e10e9e9fa20b",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Lyse Doucet: This is an extraordinary moment Iran has been preparing for",
    "body_text": "Lyse Doucet: This is an extraordinary moment Iran has been preparing for\nThis is a defining moment for the Islamic Republic of Iran.\nThere had been a swirl of reports about the fate of the supreme leader ever since Saturday morning, when it was clear that his residence had been targeted in the first wave of strikes.\nSatellite images showed significant damage to his compound.\nThe first response from Iran was that he had been taken to a safe place.\nThen came news that the 86-year-old cleric was to speak on state television, but nothing materialised.\nBy early evening, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, announced that \"there are many signs\" that the Supreme leader \"is no longer\".\nA series of reports in Israeli and US media, quoting unnamed officials, spoke of convincing evidence he was dead.\nAll the while, Iranian officials continued to deny it.\nBut then, several hours after US President Donald Trump announced the news on his social media platform, an Iranian state TV presenter tearfully announced the passing of \"the steadfast mountain of the Islamic guardianship\" who \"drank the sweet pure draught of martyrdom\".\nA period of forty days of mourning was announced and as the second day of war dawned, pro-government events started emerging to grieve his passing.\nBut videos had also swiftly emerged through the night of scenes of celebration in some cities across Iran, and explosions of joy in Iranian communities in many countries greeting the end of his hardline rule and expressing hope that it marked the end of the Islamic regime.\nThese are fateful moments in the turbulent history of the Islamic Republic of Iran - but its most powerful clerics and commanders have been preparing for it.\nMinds were concentrated during the 12-day war last June. On the first night alone, in the first wave of attacks, Israel was able to assassinate nine nuclear scientists, and a number of security chiefs. And in the days that followed, more senior scientists and at least 30 leading commanders were killed.\nIt was made clear that the Ayatollah could also be in their sights.\nIt was reported then that Khamenei, who spent the war in his special bunker, was drawing up lists of security officials who could immediately step into place to avoid any vacuum in the top echelons.\nAnd even before last year's hostilities, it was reported that Khamenei had instructed the Assembly of Experts, the body of some 88 senior clerics tasked with choosing a supreme leader, to be ready for every eventuality. The New York Times wrote that he had chosen \"three senior clerics\" as possible replacements if he were to be assassinated.\nThere has been speculation for many years about who could take his place, including his son Mojtaba.\nIt is not just the supreme leader who was killed in this first day of air strikes and targeted attacks. Those who are still in place, or have had to step into more senior roles, will want to send a message to the world that they are still firmly in charge and the succession will be seamless.\nBut the end of the Ayatollah's 36-year rule will be a jolt to his supporters, most of all his aides and allies in the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) tasked with defending him and the Islamic revolution at home and beyond.\nBut the BBC has verified videos showing groups of people celebrating the reports of his demise on the streets of Tehran and Karaj.\nDeeply suspicious of the west, especially the United States, and hostile to Israel, Khamenei has ruled with a firm grip, suppressing calls for reform and repeated waves of protests.\nThese last few years of direct military conflict with Israel and America, and growing calls for change from his own people, saw him confronted with his greatest challenges.\nDuring our time in Tehran earlier this month, Iran felt like a different country. The pain and anger over the security crackdown, the worst in its history, which killed many thousands of Iranians, was still raw.\nAs Khamenei's time at the helm is brought to a sudden end, questions will turn to his successor and whether a change at the top could also signal a shift in direction for the 47-year-old Islamic republic.\nNo matter who emerges, their overriding goal will remain the same - the survival of an order that keeps the clerics and its powerful security forces in power.\nA war which is far from over is already unfolding in unpredictable and perilous ways.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T06:21:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98g91wgdd8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a97dc17fbe92",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran may yet endure this war, but the Islamic Republic as we have known it cannot survive unchanged | Sanam Vakil - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The coordinated strikes on Iran launched by the United States and Israel in the early hours of Saturday morning formally reignited a conflict that had been simmering since last summer’s 12-day war. They targeted key command structures and killed senior figures, most notably Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who had been in power since 1989. Donald Trump marked his demise with a post saying “one of the most evil people in history” was dead, adding: “This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans.”\nIsrael has published reports claiming that Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Admiral Ali Shamkhani, head of the defence council, have also been killed. In response, Iranian forces have fired missiles and drones at Israel, at US bases in the Gulf, Iraq and Jordan, and at some civilian targets across the Gulf. Events are moving quickly, but far from predictably.\nAn ebullient Trump embarked on this attack casting it not as a limited action, but as a decisive campaign to eliminate what he called a longstanding threat to the US, one that he argued previous US presidents had been unwilling to confront directly.\nIt followed rounds of regionally supported diplomacy aimed at a preliminary nuclear deal. But instead of allowing those efforts to mature Trump, perhaps swayed by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and conservative hawks in his administration, chose to strike now, at what is widely seen as a moment of Iranian weakness. He immediately suggested that the Iranian people should now determine their own future, making it clear that Washington supports internal regime change and reiterating that as he announced Khamenei’s death on Saturday night. “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country,” he posted on Truth Social.\nSome context is useful in terms of timing, because this weekend’s escalation was not a sudden rupture but the culmination of two years of widening confrontation. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has conducted sustained military campaigns not only against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border and Houthi targets tied to Red Sea attacks, but indirectly against Tehran itself. These operations steadily eroded Iran’s forward defence strategy and weakened its core military capabilities. What remained comparatively intact until now was Iran’s territory, its missile programme and, crucially, the regime leadership.\nThe strikes have yielded immediate results. Yet wars rarely unfold according to initial design. While Iran can by no means match US conventional capabilities, it retains asymmetric tools. Its only viable option has been to widen the theatre, distributing the costs of conflict and increasing regional risk. The immediate retaliation against Israeli territory and US installations across the Gulf signals precisely that strategy. This has been a dangerous gamble, particularly given Tehran’s fragile ties with neighbouring states in the Gulf, but it sees sustained escalation as the only means to secure an eventual ceasefire.\nIt is important to note that the three principal actors enter this confrontation with distinct objectives. For the Islamic Republic, the priority is survival: achieved by absorbing the shock, maintaining sufficient military and political cohesion, and continuing its military response. Iran is not fighting to win in conventional terms, but the regime is fighting to endure.\nTrump, in contrast, appears to be seeking a decisive outcome that shows he has neutralised a longtime US adversary. On Saturday night he promised that the bombing “will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective” and his strategy rests on the assumption that overwhelming force targeting infrastructure, strategic assets and senior leadership can dismantle Iran’s strategic posture and compel either capitulation or internal rupture.\nIsrael’s objectives broadly align with Washington’s, though its focus is narrower. While Netanyahu continues to call on Iranians to rise up and respond to a historic opportunity to change the regime, Israel is really focused on ensuring that Iran remains internally preoccupied and strategically, if not permanently, weakened.\nAfter the first few days of bombing and Khamenei’s death, several interconnected pathways now lie ahead. In the coming few days, the White House could halt operations, having inflicted substantial damage, to test whether coercion produces concessions and duress leads to de-escalation measures. What remains of Tehran’s leadership would then face a stark calculation as to whether preserving some semblance of the regime justifies submission to Washington’s demands.\nWith Khamenei removed from the scene, the system does not automatically collapse. The constitutional mechanism for succession could be activated, with the assembly of experts formally appointing a new supreme leader. In practice, however, the decisive influence is likely to rest with the revolutionary guard and the security establishment, which would seek to manage the transition tightly and prevent fragmentation of the elite. A collective leadership arrangement, even if temporary, could emerge to stabilise the system – but here it would be vulnerable to internal military pressure, if not further US and Israeli pressure.\nAlternatively, prolonged military pressure could expose fractures within Iran’s political elite. Economic strain, military losses and internal rivalries could weaken central authority and create openings for internal contestation that might be supported by opposition groups.\nThe most destabilising scenario would be uncontrolled fragmentation. Libya offers a cautionary parallel. The fall of Muammar Gaddafi did not produce an orderly transition, but institutional collapse, competition between militias and external intervention layered on to domestic rivalry. Iran is a far more complex state, with stronger institutions and a deeper bureaucratic tradition, but decapitation of the regime without a managed political transition could still empower armed factions and invite proxy competition on its territory.\nWhat is already clear is that the region will not revert to its pre-war equilibrium. Gulf states that cautiously pursued de-escalation with Tehran now face renewed exposure. Energy markets and maritime security, particularly around critical chokepoints, will remain sensitive to further escalation. Regional actors will reassess alliances and defence postures considering the risks revealed by direct US and Israeli action.\nIran may endure this war, but the Islamic Republic as we have known it will not survive unchanged. The decisive phase of this conflict will not be the opening strikes, but the emergence of a political order from sustained military pressure. The US may achieve its immediate objectives. The more consequential question is whether it is prepared for the Iranian and regional landscape that follows.\n-\nSanam Vakil is the director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T07:00:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPa19DRGNVR0VtV3BxMmZmZW9GdloycVZQQUZwR2h1NFNpS1JSUzN0RWo4cDN1eFFFVklpWV9Pc09jZUpmcFZhMVJqRm1xaDdQOHhMb2tIM1FKSWFTd1lIVVJCYUZ5TkFrOEgzYzRTcjJyRDcxeGhIVHAteUNtOU1oeC1MWU9LeWljSTVSVFRwRi02bndtYUNRY1ViMThUdFE0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_82497d1061cd",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran demands international action after attacks impact hospitals, schools - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Authorities in Tehran have called for international action and solidarity after several hospitals and schools were impacted by United States and Israeli air strikes on the country as Iran continues to fire missiles and drones across the region.\nIranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the two countries “continue to indiscriminately strike residential areas, sparing neither hospitals, schools, Red Crescent facilities, nor cultural monuments”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Why killing Khamenei isn’t the death of Iran’s Islamic Republic\n- list 2 of 3Three US fighter jets ‘mistakenly’ shot down over Kuwait\n- list 3 of 3What is Iran’s military strategy? How has it changed since June 2025 war?\n“These actions constitute the deliberate commission of the most heinous crimes of international concern. Indifference to this ongoing and extreme injustice will only further darken the future of humanity by jeopardising the shared values upon which our global community stands,” he wrote in a post on social media.\nPir Hossein Kolivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, wrote a letter publicised late on Sunday to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), demanding an explicit condemnation of attacks impacting children and educational and medical centres.\nHe also said monitoring and support mechanisms outlined in the Geneva Conventions must be invoked, adding that the ICRC must “adopt immediate measures” to stop similar incidents from taking place again as the war rages.\n“The Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a member of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, declares its full commitment to the fundamentals of humanity, impartiality and independence, emphasising that damaged centres had no military applications,” Kolivand wrote.\nICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement at the start of the war on Saturday that rules of war must be upheld as an obligation, not a choice.\n“Civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, homes and schools must be spared from attack. Medical personnel and first responders must be allowed to carry out their work safely,” she said.\nHospitals sustain damage\nMultiple Iranian hospitals have been damaged as a result of air attacks and were evacuated by authorities, but there are not believed to have been any direct strikes on any hospitals yet.\nIn Tehran, major strikes on Sunday damaged multiple medical centres located in two areas, according to official accounts, footage circulating on social media and information geolocated by Al Jazeera.\nVideos broadcast by state media from the entrance and surrounding area of Gandhi Hospital in northern Tehran showed significant damage after a projectile struck a nearby area.\nMohammad Raeiszadeh, the head of Iran’s Medical Council, told state media from the hospital on Monday that the in-vitro fertilisation department was destroyed along with its equipment, forcing staff to move cells and embryos. Footage also showed an infant being moved by nurses on Sunday night.\nThe hospital appears to have been damaged after the Israeli military struck buildings housing Iranian state television’s Channel 2 and a communications antenna nearby.\nThis led to state television programmes being disrupted for several minutes. The broadcaster confirmed that some of its departments were bombed on Sunday without divulging details.\nWorld Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said reports of damage to the hospital are “extremely worrying” and the United Nations agency is working to verify the incident.\nAfter a separate attack on Sunday, the Iranian Red Crescent Society released a video showing the aftermath of strikes near one of its main buildings located near Khatam al-Anbiya Hospital.\n[Translation: Right now. Direct attacks by the Zionist regime and America on the vicinity of the Red Crescent building, Khatam al-Anbiya Hospital, Welfare Organisation, and Motahari Hospital in Tehran]\nFootage circulating online showed plumes of smoke rising and debris scattered after the strikes. The ICRC head of delegation in Iran Vincent Cassard visited the site of the damaged medical treatment facility on Monday and said that any strikes affecting humanitarian centres are prohibited under international law.\nKhatam al-Anbiya Hospital, the Motahari Hospital specialising in helping burn victims and the Valiasr Hospital are all located nearby. They reported either sustaining some damage or having to hurriedly move patients out.\nThe main target hit by Israeli warplanes in the area appeared to have been the central headquarters of the Iranian police. Police Chief Ahmad-Reza Radan did not comment specifically on the targeting of the headquarters but confirmed that police buildings were receiving regular direct hits.\nOn Monday afternoon, fighter jets conducted bombing runs across Tehran once again. Attacks damaged the main building of the province’s medical emergency services, located in Iranshahr Street in the downtown area. Videos released by state-affiliated media showed staff evacuating, and the state-run Tasnim news agency said several staff members were injured.\nAccording to Iranian authorities, the Aboozar Children’s Hospital in western Iran’s Ahvaz and three medical emergency centres in the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Sistan-Baluchistan and Hamedan were also damaged.\nThe Iranian Red Crescent said that by noon on Monday at least 555 people had been killed after 131 counties across the country were attacked.\nDuring and after the killing of thousands of people during January’s nationwide protests, Iranian authorities have consistently rejected calls for transparency and condemnations by the UN and international human rights organisations for attacks on hospitals by state forces to detain protesters and medical staff helping the wounded. A number of doctors and medical personnel remain incarcerated and face national security and other charges.\nSchools, sports centre take hits\nIn Tehran, an air strike targeting 72 Square in the eastern neighbourhood of Narmak damaged a high school with authorities reporting that at least two children were killed.\nLocal media said the target of the attack was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former populist president who may potentially have a role in shaping Iran’s political future after the killing of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other officials. It was unclear whether Ahmadinejad was present at the site of the attack or was harmed.\nThere were also multiple casualties after a sports centre was targeted in Lamerd in the southern province of Fars, local authorities said on Saturday.\nBut the single largest casualty incident announced by Iranian authorities was from a girls school in the southern city of Minab.\nAfter two days of working through the debris, authorities said 165 people were killed and 95 wounded, most of them children. The governor on Monday afternoon released a handwritten list of 56 of the victims but did not provide further information.\nThe US said it was aware of civilian casualty reports from the school and was investigating. The Israeli army said it was not aware of any Israeli or US strikes in that area.\nEducation International, a global federation that brings together organisations of teachers and other education employees, condemned the school attack.\n“Children, teachers, and schools must never be military targets. The killing and wounding of students and educators is an intolerable violation of human rights and a grave breach of international humanitarian law,” it said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPS0dGX1RyWHM3OVQ4ZFlOcWs4R3QwNVk1WDBldlpVa1cxTHBRMUNxaHhYWnJNbzlsNnYxeFJRVE90SlJfeVVkenpZOVN1NThIVHZaeVBUZU5hRElYNk10cm82YUpjelFuMl9vN091MWVWTEJIb19HR2JJaU9pUzR2ZWhhaDU2aTlFSnlYTDZETVNnS3JyQzVIbmtoNmt6U0JZTkVVMS1JbmVVUTM5cV8tWC1n0gG3AUFVX3lxTE9IcGJtakJYN3BndXFUX2tXZnVRVURyODViWVRXN0dqZEpBOVZmRHk0eUFOakdtcWNHY0d6MUtzSVVzMTIxeWNsT3JSMjYtdnJlM3VnZGVPejRzX1dkVDZTT3A5NTlVc004a2VMY2hhNzJiNVRTOU4xZkF4azBHRkJYMXRiT0o2OUpCSWFJTDdad1psVVNYRXFSUFMtYmJXNUU1d19SYW02eFd6SEY2VW9FRFZLMzBrZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9b67c8c391d8",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, 1939-2026 - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, 1939-2026\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:00:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1YRVBfNEZkT0YxWndIS3hCQ3ZEZE5OYzI2amU4Y3RycmdvU2hEbTYyVHI1aVB3UjdfVUhjWGstZ3IwQWpHTUV0Y3pWSjBTRVk1RnJPVUF4TlVuT3dKd19mOEp0RjNUd0J2c09OZG5LY0k?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_275fc7d92115",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran strikes UAE: how to stay safe as emergency alerts issued - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iranian ballistic missiles were intercepted over the UAE, prompting urgent public safety guidance and widespread shelter-in-place alerts.\nOne man from Asia was killed in Abu Dhabi after shrapnel fell on a residential area amid the interceptions.\nAuthorities urged people to take immediate cover indoors, avoid windows and open areas, and await further official instructions.\nUS, UK and Indian missions advised citizens to shelter in place, remain vigilant, and monitor updates, with US citizens encouraged to enrol in Step.\n“The situation was under control, with comprehensive precautionary measures in place to ensure public safety,” the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said.\nMillions of people across the UAE remain on high alert as the country faces a wave of missile and drone strikes from Iran.\nIn an unprecedented attack on the nation, Iranian ballistic missiles continue to be intercepted by defence systems and UAE authorities issued urgent safety advice to the public.\nThe Iranian offensive, which began on Saturday in response to US and Israeli strikes, has been aimed at the Emirates and other Gulf countries.\nThree people have died as a result of fallen debris and 94 have been injured to date, as UAE air defences intercept missiles and drones fired by Iran.\nA series of emergency alerts were sent out to mobile phones because of the missile threats over recent days.\n“Seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building, and steer away from windows, doors and open areas. Await for further instructions,” the Ministry of Interior said.\nOn Saturday, the US embassy in Abu Dhabi and US Consulate in Dubai instructed staff to shelter in place and take cover.\n“We recommend all Americans in the UAE do the same until further notice,” the embassy said. “Find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of food, water, medications and other essential items.\n“Monitor media for breaking news. Be prepared to adjust your plans. Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to inform them of your status.”\nThe UAE National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has stressed that comprehensive precautionary measures were in place to ensure public safety.\nThe US has encouraged its citizens in the UAE to register with the Smart Traveller Enrolment Programme to receive the latest updates on security.\nSimilar advice was offered by the UK government to British nationals living in the UAE.\nBritish nationals have been encouraged to register with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to receive the latest guidance and safety advice.\nThey have been asked to check the latest travel updates and register for notifications by providing a contact phone number and email address at the UK government portal.\n“We are aware of flying missiles over the UAE following escalating regional tensions,” the UK embassy said. “British nationals are advised to shelter in place. Remain indoors or in a safe place, stay away from windows.”\nIndian nationals were advised by consular officials to avoid any unnecessary travel and to remain vigilant.\nMeanwhile, government authorities in Dubai said the emirate was operating as normal, called for calm and stressed that the safety of residents and visitors was top priority.\n“The UAE possesses a comprehensive and effective crisis response system, ensuring a high level of preparedness and rapid response to various developments,” the Dubai Media Office said.\n“The relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation around the clock, in full co-ordination with their partners, and will keep the public informed of any new developments as they arise.\n“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to maintaining security and stability, and ensuring the continuity of normal life and all services efficiently.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:03:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNcGdzbE1XSDR5UUpGT1FzMkNiaUxrUUd4YVJvWnV5NUplQVprMUJQM2VZa2ZlbEZsYU5jcVNNdnBDUHRGNkNBZEJwR0RqWEtNU0tSajlPMWQtOWZORzJMOG8yUW9neGk3N0lSekZQekxSeHRuTzlFVl9CMjdBelVocnNlN3AyM3Utbmx5UWQxWEhFYWwwVWZCdE1LUllkQzY0RWZqdmRyTy0tdDNac2N1VkcyOA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_64e02095c1fd",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel, Iran trade blows across region: latest developments in US-Iran war - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel says hit Iran nuclear site: Latest developments in Middle East war\nDrones and missiles hit oil facilities and US diplomatic missions in the Gulf on Tuesday as Iran retaliated to fresh strikes.\nHere are the latest developments:\n- Israel says hit covert nuclear site in Iran -\nThe Israeli military announced that it struck an underground nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were \"covertly\" developing a key component for nuclear weapons.\n\"IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists' activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike,\" the military said, displaying a map showing the facility on the eastern outskirts of Tehran.\n- Iran says fired new salvo of missiles at Israel -\nIran fired another salvo of missiles at Israel, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.\n\"The sixteenth wave of 'Operation True Promise 4' has begun with a large number of missiles and drones launched by the aerospace forces of the Revolutionary Guards against the heart of the occupied territories,\" the statement said, referring to Israel.\n- Drone attack on Dubai's US consulate -\nA drone attack caused a fire by the US consulate in Dubai as Iran ramped up its targeting of American diplomatic missions in the Gulf.\nResidents told AFP they heard a bang and one said she then saw the blaze. Police cordoned off roads nearby and shooed away passersby trying to see the damage.\n- France deploys aircraft carrier -\nFrance is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced.\nThe Charles de Gaulle carrier has been pulled out of a deployment in the North Atlantic to head for the eastern Mediterranean. It made a stopover in the Swedish port of Malmo last week.\n- Khamenei to be buried in holy city -\nIran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, the Fars news agency said.\nKhamenei, who led the country for 36 years, was killed at 86 during a wave of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday. He was originally from Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where his father is buried at the Imam Reza shrine.\n- Charter flights to help Americans leave -\nThe United States said that it had arranged charter flights to help Americans leave the Middle East.\nUS officials have helped arrange charter flights from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates \"and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow,\" the State Department said.\n- Trump threatens to cut all Spain trade -\nPresident Donald Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while he also lashed out at Britain for not cooperating more.\nSpain's left-wing government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe's most defiant leaders against Trump, has said that bases long used by US forces could only be allowed for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.\n- US escorts through Hormuz Strait? -\nTrump said the US navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed amid the Iran war and ordered Washington to provide insurance for shipping.\n\"If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,\" he said on his Truth Social platform.\n- Israel's airspace to gradually reopen -\nIsrael's transport minister said the country will gradually reopen its airspace overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, after it was closed to civilian flights.\nThe initial approved flights will be to repatriate Israelis, a transport ministry spokesperson told AFP, adding that there will be no departures for now.\n- Israel to 'continue attacking Hezbollah' -\nIsrael's military chief said his forces would keep attacking Hezbollah until the Iran-backed Lebanese group was disarmed.\nThe latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel started early Monday when Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.\n- Bushehr airport hit -\nUS-Israeli strikes caused damage at an airport in Bushehr, a port city in southern Iran that also hosts a nuclear power plant, the Mehr news agency reported.\n\"Following an enemy attack, a projectile struck an Airbus aircraft... this plane is completely damaged,\" the agency said. \"The shockwave (from the strike) caused damage to the airport terminal.\"\nburs-bgs/msp",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:15:39+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_03afa08c9bc8",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "New Israel, Iran attacks across region: Latest developments in Middle East war - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel says hit Iran nuclear site: Latest developments in Middle East war\nDrones and missiles hit oil facilities and US diplomatic missions in the Gulf on Tuesday as Iran retaliated to fresh strikes.\nHere are the latest developments:\n- Israel says hit covert nuclear site in Iran -\nThe Israeli military announced that it struck an underground nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were \"covertly\" developing a key component for nuclear weapons.\n\"IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists' activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike,\" the military said, displaying a map showing the facility on the eastern outskirts of Tehran.\n- Iran says fired new salvo of missiles at Israel -\nIran fired another salvo of missiles at Israel, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.\n\"The sixteenth wave of 'Operation True Promise 4' has begun with a large number of missiles and drones launched by the aerospace forces of the Revolutionary Guards against the heart of the occupied territories,\" the statement said, referring to Israel.\n- Drone attack on Dubai's US consulate -\nA drone attack caused a fire by the US consulate in Dubai as Iran ramped up its targeting of American diplomatic missions in the Gulf.\nResidents told AFP they heard a bang and one said she then saw the blaze. Police cordoned off roads nearby and shooed away passersby trying to see the damage.\n- France deploys aircraft carrier -\nFrance is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced.\nThe Charles de Gaulle carrier has been pulled out of a deployment in the North Atlantic to head for the eastern Mediterranean. It made a stopover in the Swedish port of Malmo last week.\n- Khamenei to be buried in holy city -\nIran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, the Fars news agency said.\nKhamenei, who led the country for 36 years, was killed at 86 during a wave of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday. He was originally from Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where his father is buried at the Imam Reza shrine.\n- Charter flights to help Americans leave -\nThe United States said that it had arranged charter flights to help Americans leave the Middle East.\nUS officials have helped arrange charter flights from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates \"and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow,\" the State Department said.\n- Trump threatens to cut all Spain trade -\nPresident Donald Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while he also lashed out at Britain for not cooperating more.\nSpain's left-wing government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe's most defiant leaders against Trump, has said that bases long used by US forces could only be allowed for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.\n- US escorts through Hormuz Strait? -\nTrump said the US navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed amid the Iran war and ordered Washington to provide insurance for shipping.\n\"If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,\" he said on his Truth Social platform.\n- Israel's airspace to gradually reopen -\nIsrael's transport minister said the country will gradually reopen its airspace overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, after it was closed to civilian flights.\nThe initial approved flights will be to repatriate Israelis, a transport ministry spokesperson told AFP, adding that there will be no departures for now.\n- Israel to 'continue attacking Hezbollah' -\nIsrael's military chief said his forces would keep attacking Hezbollah until the Iran-backed Lebanese group was disarmed.\nThe latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel started early Monday when Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.\n- Bushehr airport hit -\nUS-Israeli strikes caused damage at an airport in Bushehr, a port city in southern Iran that also hosts a nuclear power plant, the Mehr news agency reported.\n\"Following an enemy attack, a projectile struck an Airbus aircraft... this plane is completely damaged,\" the agency said. \"The shockwave (from the strike) caused damage to the airport terminal.\"\nburs-bgs/msp",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:15:39+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_29a8197fcaf6",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel aims fresh attack at Tehran: latest developments in US-Iran war - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel says hit Iran nuclear site: Latest developments in Middle East war\nDrones and missiles hit oil facilities and US diplomatic missions in the Gulf on Tuesday as Iran retaliated to fresh strikes.\nHere are the latest developments:\n- Israel says hit covert nuclear site in Iran -\nThe Israeli military announced that it struck an underground nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were \"covertly\" developing a key component for nuclear weapons.\n\"IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists' activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike,\" the military said, displaying a map showing the facility on the eastern outskirts of Tehran.\n- Iran says fired new salvo of missiles at Israel -\nIran fired another salvo of missiles at Israel, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.\n\"The sixteenth wave of 'Operation True Promise 4' has begun with a large number of missiles and drones launched by the aerospace forces of the Revolutionary Guards against the heart of the occupied territories,\" the statement said, referring to Israel.\n- Drone attack on Dubai's US consulate -\nA drone attack caused a fire by the US consulate in Dubai as Iran ramped up its targeting of American diplomatic missions in the Gulf.\nResidents told AFP they heard a bang and one said she then saw the blaze. Police cordoned off roads nearby and shooed away passersby trying to see the damage.\n- France deploys aircraft carrier -\nFrance is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced.\nThe Charles de Gaulle carrier has been pulled out of a deployment in the North Atlantic to head for the eastern Mediterranean. It made a stopover in the Swedish port of Malmo last week.\n- Khamenei to be buried in holy city -\nIran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, the Fars news agency said.\nKhamenei, who led the country for 36 years, was killed at 86 during a wave of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday. He was originally from Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where his father is buried at the Imam Reza shrine.\n- Charter flights to help Americans leave -\nThe United States said that it had arranged charter flights to help Americans leave the Middle East.\nUS officials have helped arrange charter flights from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates \"and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow,\" the State Department said.\n- Trump threatens to cut all Spain trade -\nPresident Donald Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while he also lashed out at Britain for not cooperating more.\nSpain's left-wing government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe's most defiant leaders against Trump, has said that bases long used by US forces could only be allowed for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.\n- US escorts through Hormuz Strait? -\nTrump said the US navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed amid the Iran war and ordered Washington to provide insurance for shipping.\n\"If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,\" he said on his Truth Social platform.\n- Israel's airspace to gradually reopen -\nIsrael's transport minister said the country will gradually reopen its airspace overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, after it was closed to civilian flights.\nThe initial approved flights will be to repatriate Israelis, a transport ministry spokesperson told AFP, adding that there will be no departures for now.\n- Israel to 'continue attacking Hezbollah' -\nIsrael's military chief said his forces would keep attacking Hezbollah until the Iran-backed Lebanese group was disarmed.\nThe latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel started early Monday when Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.\n- Bushehr airport hit -\nUS-Israeli strikes caused damage at an airport in Bushehr, a port city in southern Iran that also hosts a nuclear power plant, the Mehr news agency reported.\n\"Following an enemy attack, a projectile struck an Airbus aircraft... this plane is completely damaged,\" the agency said. \"The shockwave (from the strike) caused damage to the airport terminal.\"\nburs-bgs/msp",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:15:39+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c44273f3ae45",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel says hit Iran nuclear site: Latest developments in Middle East war - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel says hit Iran nuclear site: Latest developments in Middle East war\nDrones and missiles hit oil facilities and US diplomatic missions in the Gulf on Tuesday as Iran retaliated to fresh strikes.\nHere are the latest developments:\n- Israel says hit covert nuclear site in Iran -\nThe Israeli military announced that it struck an underground nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were \"covertly\" developing a key component for nuclear weapons.\n\"IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists' activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike,\" the military said, displaying a map showing the facility on the eastern outskirts of Tehran.\n- Iran says fired new salvo of missiles at Israel -\nIran fired another salvo of missiles at Israel, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.\n\"The sixteenth wave of 'Operation True Promise 4' has begun with a large number of missiles and drones launched by the aerospace forces of the Revolutionary Guards against the heart of the occupied territories,\" the statement said, referring to Israel.\n- Drone attack on Dubai's US consulate -\nA drone attack caused a fire by the US consulate in Dubai as Iran ramped up its targeting of American diplomatic missions in the Gulf.\nResidents told AFP they heard a bang and one said she then saw the blaze. Police cordoned off roads nearby and shooed away passersby trying to see the damage.\n- France deploys aircraft carrier -\nFrance is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced.\nThe Charles de Gaulle carrier has been pulled out of a deployment in the North Atlantic to head for the eastern Mediterranean. It made a stopover in the Swedish port of Malmo last week.\n- Khamenei to be buried in holy city -\nIran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, the Fars news agency said.\nKhamenei, who led the country for 36 years, was killed at 86 during a wave of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday. He was originally from Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where his father is buried at the Imam Reza shrine.\n- Charter flights to help Americans leave -\nThe United States said that it had arranged charter flights to help Americans leave the Middle East.\nUS officials have helped arrange charter flights from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates \"and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow,\" the State Department said.\n- Trump threatens to cut all Spain trade -\nPresident Donald Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while he also lashed out at Britain for not cooperating more.\nSpain's left-wing government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe's most defiant leaders against Trump, has said that bases long used by US forces could only be allowed for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.\n- US escorts through Hormuz Strait? -\nTrump said the US navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed amid the Iran war and ordered Washington to provide insurance for shipping.\n\"If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,\" he said on his Truth Social platform.\n- Israel's airspace to gradually reopen -\nIsrael's transport minister said the country will gradually reopen its airspace overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, after it was closed to civilian flights.\nThe initial approved flights will be to repatriate Israelis, a transport ministry spokesperson told AFP, adding that there will be no departures for now.\n- Israel to 'continue attacking Hezbollah' -\nIsrael's military chief said his forces would keep attacking Hezbollah until the Iran-backed Lebanese group was disarmed.\nThe latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel started early Monday when Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.\n- Bushehr airport hit -\nUS-Israeli strikes caused damage at an airport in Bushehr, a port city in southern Iran that also hosts a nuclear power plant, the Mehr news agency reported.\n\"Following an enemy attack, a projectile struck an Airbus aircraft... this plane is completely damaged,\" the agency said. \"The shockwave (from the strike) caused damage to the airport terminal.\"\nburs-bgs/msp",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:15:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQWTQ4LTVyMlBRVEIyNENpc0hZQUVTRjhXUGRCSjFxV0J2MFhSSThXQjg4TDZCTWJzOEh6clp5THk5ZnhOeEFIdUVPSWw3SHgwel9kbjVWNFVqVTBleFNQcUFaMHFlZHNFN1RQQkQ0bW1Md3U3bDZVXzZrdWNzVkY0cmhtTlVSM2oxLVRlU0FOSU44Mk52V2JIRmhtTzlWRk9XQ1Q1bWVvWWVCbE92TDZubEVrYWU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4a8e30621e48",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Donald Trump tries to defy troubled history of US interventions in Middle East - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump tries to defy troubled history of US interventions in Middle East\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:19:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5FVDlPNWtYMTVRLXhSZVhLdTNoRnpHNmJNSVR6QkZFVlBneGFOUlQtYUF0WWRvVk5WQWFxd0FqUUR3dHpuSW8yMTMxejVmSVRzcmdySzdTWTJXWWdDZmY2QWt4aEpJcHE3MXZEaXl2LUs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0d42e41c470d",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Airspace closed, airlines halt flights as US, Israel attack, Iran responds - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "A wave of United States and Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliation by Tehran on targets across the region have forced much of the Middle East’s airspace to shut down, with reverberations across the globe.\nAt least eight states declared their airspace closed as the conflict erupted Saturday, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Syria also announced it had closed part of its airspace in the south along its border with Israel for 12 hours.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Trump talks of ‘annihilation’, ‘elimination’ as US, Israel attack Iran\n- list 2 of 3Sirens sound across Israel after the country launched an attack on Iran\n- list 3 of 3Israel launches what it calls a ‘preventative’ attack against Iran\nThe closures came after the US and Israel carried out attacks across Iran that US President Donald Trump pledged would raze Iran’s missile industry and destroy its navy. Iran, which had been engaged in negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme right up until the attack, pledged a harsh response and soon began waging retaliatory strikes in Israel, as well as several Gulf Arab states that host US military assets, including Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain.\n“All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target,” a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera. “There are no red lines after this aggression, and everything is possible.”\nThe Middle East has become an important route for flights between Europe and Asia, as Russian and Ukrainian airspace is closed to most airlines due to the war there.\nAs countries in the region closed their airspace, aircraft were forced to divert around Larnaca, Jeddah, Cairo and Riyadh.\nUAE carriers Emirates and flydubai temporarily halted operations, while Etihad suspended all departures from Abu Dhabi until 10:00 GMT on Sunday.\nQatar Airways and Kuwait Airways temporarily suspended flights, while Turkish Airlines also cancelled flights to several Middle Eastern destinations.\nOman Air said it had suspended all flights to Baghdad due to the regional developments.\nKuwait’s aviation authority said it was halting all flights to Iran until further notice, according to the state news agency.\nRussia’s Ministry of Transport said Russian air carriers had suspended flights to Iran and Israel.\nAmong other airlines announcing suspensions to destinations in the region were Aegean Airlines, Air Algerie, Air France, Air India, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Indigo, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Pakistan International Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air.\nOverall, about 24 percent of flights to the Middle East were cancelled on Saturday, according to aviation monitor Cirium.\nAirlines cancelled about half of their flights to Qatar and Israel and about 28 percent of their flights to Kuwait.\n“Passengers and airlines can expect airspace to be shut for quite some time in the region,” said Eric Schouten, head of aviation security advisory Dyami. “The impact on regional aviation is immediate and highly fluid.”\nAl Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Doha, said the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran and Iran’s response, affecting numerous Gulf states, have created two “parallel” conflicts, further deepening instability.\n“This could make the whole crisis very intertwined and very complicated in a way that this region has never witnessed,” said Hashem.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T08:58:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_862373d3aa43",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran's Ali Khamenei, who based iron rule on fiery hostility to US and Israel, dies at 86 - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran's Ali Khamenei, who based iron rule on fiery hostility to US and Israel, dies at 86    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T09:16:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxOcVIzWWtKdVNPdklpTzFpVnVMLUdZdVJEZ2NUWC1VRUtUWlRLeUNKWTJya1c3S20tTERlOFFKeXRwWHFsRnY2OUE2VUJKNGEwTk84Q2UzV1dieEdYb3BlUFFVbG9iOHF6YUhIOHljUWNOczZKRDh6XzJqSHV0VDMzN2JObjFhckllcXV6d2hWUFFxVy0yZTczZER2YzlhNURmWk9HMjFhWHNpM3JKWE5kTW1HdHRTNElna0ctbkVIVzFGdEhv?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_afd62c105cf6",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran vows ‘no leniency’ as it launches reprisal attacks on Israel and US air bases - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran has launched a barrage of retaliatory missiles aimed at Israel and US bases across the region, denouncing the two countries’ airstrikes as a breach of the UN charter and an act of flagrant aggression designed to end any possibility of a diplomatic resolution.\nIran’s Red Crescent reported 201 deaths and 747 injuries in daylong attacks across 24 provinces, mainly directed at Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps headquarters and missile launch sites.\nIran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, admitted Iran had lost one or two senior commanders in the opening raids, and the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said he was not in a position to confirm or deny whether the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was alive. Satellite images showed his compound in Tehran as a charred ruin incinerated by bombs, but Iranian officials said the 86-year-old leader had not been in the building.\nIran’s foreign ministry called on Muslim and non-aligned states to denounce the attacks as a breach of the UN charter, pointing out that the US-Israeli strikes on Saturday were the second such attack in a year while Iran was in the middle of sensitive negotiations over its nuclear programme. Iran described the talks as a US-Israeli deception operation.\nThe talks had focused on setting up a verifiable process whereby Iran could not acquire the materials for a nuclear bomb. The chief mediator in the talks, Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, had said on Friday that he believed peace was within reach.\nDespite rumours that the commander-in-chief of the army, Maj Gen Amir Hatami, had been killed, it did not initially appear that the attacks had managed to target its leadership on the same scale as it did last June. But it was reported that the Revolutionary Guards commander, Mohammad Pakpour, was killed, and the home of the leading reformist and former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi was badly damaged.\nThe elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, claimed more than 80 schoolchildren in a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, were killed and dozens injured. Parents had been arriving to take the children home when a bomb struck. The school is next to an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps facility. Ambulances were seen taking injured people to hospital in central Tehran.\nPictures showed numerous Revolutionary Guards weapons warehouses had been hit, as well as missile sites.\nThe foreign ministry issued a statement, saying the country “will not hesitate” in its response. In a statement posted on X, the ministry said: “The time has come to defend the homeland and confront the enemy’s military assault.”\nThe national security council called on the public to relocate away from cities under attack, and the government information council said “people should not worry about shortages or deficiencies”.\nThe instruction to leave Tehran and other cities may reflect a desire to prevent the accumulation of protesting crowds, and was the opposite of the message being issued by Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah who ruled Iran before the revolution that brought in its current theocracy. Pahlavi said he would soon be asking for the protesters to return to the streets.\nDonald Trump addressed Iranian civilians in his speech announcing the US attack: “Bombs will fall everywhere. When we finish our work, take control of your government,” he said. “It will be yours to take.”\nIt is unclear whether a worn-down Iranian security apparatus will be in any position to suppress any renewed street protests, or whether the attacks will reforge a sense of national cohesion, which had been lost amid the unprecedented state repression and economic malaise.\nThe supreme national security council claimed: “Essential goods and fuel and medicine are abundantly available in the country. Twenty-four-hour medical services, centres and pharmacies will continue. Today is a test of national resistance for Iranians and despite all complaints and grievances we are united and in unison against foreign aggression.”\nPezeshkian’s son, Youssef, said on Telegram: “As far as I know this time the assassination attempts were unsuccessful and other officials are also safe. We will probably have a longer conflict and it will be a war of attrition. Endurance and patience are essential to get through these days.”\nA senior spokesperson for the armed forces warned: “We will give a lesson to [Israel and the US] that they have never experienced in their history. Any base in the entire region that helps Israel will be a target of the sacred system of the Islamic republic and we will show no leniency.”\nThe Iranian military confirmed that it had sent drones and fired short-range missiles at al-Udeid airbase in Qatar, the Ali al-Salem base in Kuwait,al-Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates, the Prince Sultain airbase in Riyadh, the US base in Erbil, northern Iraq, the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan, and the US Fifth fleet base in Bahrain. There was not much evidence of large-scale damage, but stray drones and missiles hit an apartment block in Bahrain and an airport terminal in Kuwait. Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued statements condemning Iranian violation of their sovereignty, and warning of their right to take reprisals. The Gulf states were opposed to the US attacks, but their mood may change if continued Iranian strikes hit their cities.\nIran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in a call with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, sought to justify Iran’s actions by saying the Gulf states had a responsibility to try to stop the US from using their bases to mount an illegal attack on Iran.\nReza Nasri, a lawyer close to the foreign ministry, said in a message to the American people: “This is not your war. But you will pay for it with your soldiers’ lives, your national interests and your standing as Americans around the world. You will pay for it through the rise of anti-American sentiment globally, the tarnishing of your name, your flag and the hostile world your children will inherit.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T09:52:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxOYkVZQzRBSzJXaEM1WmhhRmN3LTRqUW93dzZ4bTA0WWRqNTlTZ2JsX0dQQUlOemN1MXZNSFd4bmdUOTlON3p3TVdOcXZ6MHpPRGhSRHFYSGZfX0FqNjVtTkxhLVMzN3JqWEJyY2pMb1VrLXJndldJOVpzXzhQZzF6UE1fY3NidDBaNk40SGhYNWRCaG9TMkhmZkVrU2RqXzBnd3FCQU9Icw?oc=5",
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    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "War on Iran: how the US-Israeli bid for regime change unfolded - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The bombs and missiles started falling on Tehran in full daylight, at about 9.15am, after the working day had started and the streets and offices were full.\nBombing campaigns in the modern era usually start at night, to heighten the target’s sense of disorientation and minimise the effectiveness of air defence.\nThis time was different, however. The plumes of smoke that rose from the streets of the Iranian capital came from the buildings in the government zone and villas in the well-to-do districts. As Israeli officials were to confirm later, this initial salvo from Israel and the US was a decapitation strike, aimed at killing Iran’s leadership and eliminating as much as possible of the government apparatus at the same time. For such a consequential goal, it made sense to wait until officials had arrived at their desks.\nBy 10.30am, Tehranis had reported two rounds of explosions along Pasteur Street, where many government buildings are clustered, including the offices of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, the national security headquarters and the assembly of experts, which chooses the new supreme leader when the incumbent dies or retires.\nSatellite photos showed the supreme leader’s compound as a dark grey mess of dust and ash but Iranian news agencies insisted Khamenei was safe in an undisclosed location and Pezeshkian was also unhurt. Donald Trump later declared on his social media account that Khamenei was dead, without offering evidence. Hours later it was confirmed by state media – the ayatollah had been killed.\nIt was not just the current leadership that was targeted. The Tehran residence of the former Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was also destroyed, and his fate was not immediately known.\nAmbulances were reported leaving the Pasteur district carrying the injured as news came from across the country of attacks in other cities, including Qom, Tabriz, Kermanshah, Lorestan Khorramabad and Karaj.\nAt the same time, the first reports of civilian casualties arrived. Local authorities reported that 108 people were killed after an Israeli strike hit a girls’ elementary school in Minab in the southern Iranian province, Hormozgan. One of the pictures from the scene showed rescue workers and local residents searching the wreckage, with one man holding up a child’s knapsack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has a base in the city, which may have been the target, but waiting for people to come to work to begin bombing also raises the chances of killing children arriving at school and other civilians being crowded together.\nIf the targeting of the leadership was not sufficient evidence that the US-Israeli strike was aimed at regime change, the Israeli spy agency, the Mossad, posted a tweet in Farsi, calling for an uprising.\n“Our Iranian brothers and sisters, you are not alone! We have launched a special, super secure Telegram channel for you,” the message read. “Together we will return Iran to its glorious days. Share with us photos and videos of your just struggle against the regime. And most importantly – take care of yourself! We are with you.”\nThe Mossad’s wording urging Iranians to topple their government was soon echoed by Donald Trump, not in person, but in a recording made before Washington went to sleep on Friday night, and broadcast on his own Truth Social channel at about 2.30am Washington time, roughly 11am in Tehran.\nIn the recording, the president stood at a lectern in a white USA baseball cap and announced the start of “major combat operations in Iran”. The eight-minute address started with the claim that the attack was to defend the American people from “imminent threats” from the Iranian regime, “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people”.\nIt ended with a rallying cry for the Iranian people to rise up when the dust had settled, telling them it was now or never.\n“I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand,” he said. “Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.”\n“Now you have a president who is giving you what you want, so let’s see how you respond,” Trump went on. “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.”\nNot long after, the Pentagon let it be known the attack on Iran was given the codename Epic Fury. Israel announced its own name for the new war, Operation Roaring Lion, and even produced a logo to go with it, the blue and white Star of David flag with the eponymous lion standing before it, mouth gaping.\nIn keeping with the close coordination between the two countries, Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement at about the same time as Trump, thanking him for his leadership, and underlining the war aim “to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran”.\nIn briefings over the course of the morning, Israeli military officials stressed the two countries’ militaries had worked hand in glove for months to prepare the joint attack.\nThe exact timing of the attack seems to have been determined by a number of moving parts falling into place. Talks between Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and an Iranian delegation led by the foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, adjourned in Geneva on Thursday without a definitive conclusion.\nAraghchi said that “good progress” had been made, and Omani officials who had acted as brokers said the negotiations would resume on a technical level next week in Vienna.\nThe Americans said nothing. It is now clear Witkoff and Kushner were sent to Geneva on the chance they could procure a complete Iranian capitulation, surrendering not only the country’s nuclear programme but its missile production too. It is possible that no Iranian offer would have been good enough to stop a war, once Trump’s armada had gathered.\nBack in Washington, Trump declared himself “not thrilled”. The next day, Adm Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, and the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Dan Kaine, presented a final briefing to Trump on the military options, and at more or less the same time, the world’s biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, arrived in Haifa after its two-week voyage from the western Atlantic where it had participated last month in the toppling of another of Washington’s enemies, the Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro.\nThe presence of the Ford and its escort of destroyers brought Trump’s vaunted “armada” to its full complement, the biggest force to be amassed in the Middle East since the Iraq invasion 23 years ago. It was critical for sustaining a major aerial war as well as in helping defend Israel against the inevitable Iranian backlash.\nAs the Ford docked on Friday, the US ambassador in Israel sent a memo to his staff telling them that if they wanted to leave the country they should depart that day, to whichever outside destination they could buy a ticket for.\nRealising that time was running out, the Omani foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who had brokered the US-Iranian talks, made an urgent trip to Washington where he met vice-president JD Vance and pleaded with him to give diplomacy some more time.\nWaking on Saturday to the news his mission had failed and the bombing had started, Albusaidi expressed his dismay.\n“Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined,” the minister tweeted. “Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.”\nAlbusaidi’s words came too late. The US had already been sucked in by its volatile president to a major war that quickly became regional.\nEbrahim Azizi, the chair of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, declared on Saturday morning: “We warned you, but now you have started down a path that is beyond your control.”\nWithin a few hours, Iran’s substantial arsenal of missiles had been unleashed in all directions around the region, towards Israel and the Gulf states housing US military bases. Explosions were reported in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.\nBillowing clouds of grey smoke rose from the US base just south of the Bahraini capital, Manama, and the government evacuated the population from the area. In the wealthy Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai, the five-star Fairmont hotel erupted in flames after being hit. There was no immediate estimate of casualties.\nThe United Arab Emirates announced that it had intercepted incoming Iranian missiles, and one person was reported to have been killed in Abu Dhabi from falling debris from an intercepted projectile.\nBy the time members of Congress awoke in Washington, the Gulf was ablaze as a result of war they had not been consulted on, apart from a briefing from secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Tuesday to the “gang of eight” congressional leaders.\n“Against the clear wishes of the American people, President Trump has thrust our nation into a major war with Iran – one he never made a case for, never sought congressional authority for, and for which he has no endgame,” Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate armed services committee, said.\nAs night fell on Tehran, and rumours circulated on which of the country’s leaders were dead, and which had survived, it was impossible to determine which course events would take, now that Trump and Netanyahu had rolled the dice on the future of the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T09:52:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQNnVidlM4Q1ExRDlhX3Y2QWNLbWNTcWx3SDFVaTJ6dkdRZTJjbFlQUHRGNmRxdE5PTjdaQ0ZLRE1LaDZueVBvVmh5TnhrMEFyZ2I5STJEbDFwMkNpYVFKdG1GZUxRYjdwbmVqY1RSTDNMWkxJNndacVdPeDZaTFJiLWtRWTZKbXo2R1ZIQnd4VTNTQU1SVUw1eG05aVk3bjg4eWFacFg3U09Wak44a0E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_dab8688ffedb",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "U.S. and Israel launch another round of strikes on Iran following Khamenei's killing - CBS News",
    "body_text": "Follow live\n. See earlier developments below.What to know about the U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran\n- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a massive U.S. and Israeli military operation on Saturday, President Trump announced. Sources told CBS News the strikes are believed to have killed about 40 Iranian officials.\n- The U.S. and Israel launched another round of strikes early Sunday morning local time, officials said. Mr. Trump said in a social media post late Saturday afternoon that \"heavy and pinpoint bombing\" of Iran would \"continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary.\" The president earlier said the operation was to \"prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.\"\n- The president called on Iran's military forces to lay down their weapons, and on Iran's civilians to rise up and \"take over your government.\"\nKhamenei killing a \"declaration of war against Muslims,\" Iran's president says\nThe killing in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a \"declaration of war against Muslims, particularly Shiites across the globe,\" Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a condolence message ahead of Khamenei's funeral Sunday, calling it \"one of the gravest trials facing the Islamic world today.\"\n\"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers seeking justice and retaliation against those responsible for this historic crime — both its perpetrators and those who ordered it — a duty and a legitimate right, and it will pursue this responsibility with full determination,\" Pezeshkian said,\nIsrael hitting \"heart of Tehran\" for first time since strikes began, IDF says\nFor the first time since the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign began Saturday, Israel has struck targets in \"the heart of Tehran,\" the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.\n\"The Air Force, guided by Military Intelligence, has now launched a broad wave of strikes toward targets of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,\" the IDF said.\n\"Over the past day, the Air Force conducted extensive strikes to achieve air superiority and open the path to Tehran,\" the IDF added.\nAt least 9 dead after hundreds storm U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city\nAt least nine people were killed and about two dozen wounded in violent clashes with police and paramilitary forces Sunday after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, authorities said.\nThe violence came hours after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Police and officials at a hospital in Karachi said at least 25 people were also wounded in the clashes and some were in critical condition.\nSummaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the city's main government hospital, confirmed that initially six bodies and multiple injured people were brought to the facility. However, she said the death toll rose to nine after three critically wounded died.\nKarachi is the capital of southern Sindh province and Pakistan's largest city.\nSenior police official Irfan Baloch said protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the U.S. Consulate but were later dispersed. \"The situation is now fully under our control,\" Baloch said.\nHe dismissed as baseless reports that any part of the consulate building was set on fire. However, he said protesters torched a nearby police post and smashed windows of the consulate before security forces arrived and regained control.\nAt Russia's request, IAEA to hold special meeting Monday on Iran situation\nThe board of governors for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, will hold a special meeting Monday at its Vienna headquarters to discuss the situation in Iran.\nThe meeting is at the request of Russia regarding \"military strikes of the United States and Israel against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,\" the agency said in a statement late Saturday.\nRussia is a major ally of Iran.\nLast week, Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA,\nmost of Iran's nuclear materials were \"still there, in large quantities\" despite the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June of 2025.Iran announces 2 more top defense officials killed in airstrike\nIran's chief of army staff and defense minister were killed in an airstrike targeting a meeting of the country's defense council, Iranian state television reported Sunday.\nGen. Abdol Rahim Mousavi and Defense Minister Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh were killed at the meeting alongside the head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and security adviser Ali Shamkhani, whose deaths Iran previously announced Sunday morning.\nThe deaths are the latest among Iran's top government officials since the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign began.\nIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\nSaturday, President Trump announced, and sources told CBS News the initial strikes were believed to have killed about 40 Iranian officials.CBS/AP\nIranian leadership council to assume Khameni's duties until successor announced\nFollowing the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an Iranian official announced Sunday that a leadership council will handle his duties until a successor is announced.\n\"In accordance with the constitution, a leadership council will be established to assume the responsibilities of the Supreme Leader until a successor is elected,\" the secretary of Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, said in a statement.\nIranian state-run media had earlier said the nation's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, was leading the country in the wake of Khamenei's death.\nThe Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that along with Pezeshkian, the speaker of Iran's parliament and the head of Iran's judiciary were in charge until a new leader is chosen.\nThe Supreme National Security Council is a group of senior government officials responsible for dictating Iran's defense and foreign policy, among other things.\nTrump threatens more intense U.S. strikes if Iran hits \"very hard today\"\nPresident Trump said on his Truth Social platform early Sunday that, \"Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before.\"\nIn response, he wrote, \"THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!\"\nMr. Trump had earlier said that \"heavy and pinpoint bombing\" of Iran would \"continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary.\"\nIran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday, \"You have crossed our red line and must pay the price. We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg,\" according to The Associated Press.\nIran's Revolutionary Guard also said Sunday said that it would launch \"the most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Iranian armed forces\" targeting U.S. military bases and Israel.\nEmergency sirens sound across Israel over Iranian missile fire\nSirens sounding across central Israel Sunday morning alerting people to take shelter after Iran launched missiles toward Israel, Israeli military officials said.\nIsrael Defense Forces reported that the sirens had been activated a little after 6:30 a.m. local time Sunday.\n\"For the 20th time in the last 24 hours, millions of Israelis run to shelter across Israel under Iranian missile fire,\" the IDF wrote on Twitter.\nIt was not immediately clear what areas were targeted or whether any missiles had gotten through Israel's sophisticated missile defense system.\nOn Saturday, one person was killed and more than two dozen injured when an Iranian missile struck a neighborhood in Tel Aviv.\nIraq tightens security around Baghdad's Green Zone following Khamenei's killing\nIraqi security forces have tightened security around Baghdad's Green Zone over concerns of potential demonstrations near the U.S. Embassy following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nThe Green Zone is a district in central Baghdad that houses Iraqi government offices and foreign embassies.\nOne video showed security forces confronting protesters with water cannons and tear gas.\nMore explosions heard in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain\nFresh blasts were heard across the Gulf cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama on Sunday morning after a day of Iran strikes in the region in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.\nAFP reporters heard blasts in Dubai, in the UAE, in Doha, Qatar, and in Manama, Bahrain, where sirens were activated.\nThe new explosions came after a day of deadly Iranian strikes in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi. Military bases and infrastructure, including airports, were hit across the Gulf — with the exception of\n.Across the UAE, Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones at the territory, the country's defense ministry said, with fires and smoke reaching landmarks The Palm and Burj Al Arab.\nAt Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi Airport, where one person was killed, authorities reported \"incidents,\" while Kuwait's airport was also hit.\nIran's regime \"cannot be reformed,\" Iranian dissident says\nIranian-American activist and CBS News contributor Masih Alinejad said the regime \"cannot be reformed\" following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. She said that Iran deserves a transition to a secular democracy.\n\"This regime cannot be reformed,\" Alinejad told \"CBS Evening News\" anchor Tony Dokoupil. \"We're not looking for anyone from this regime.\"\nShe said that the people celebrating in the streets of Tehran were praising Reza Pahlavi, Iran's exiled crown prince, because \"he says that he believes in fair and free election. I believe that we deserve to have a transition from this government to this regime to a secular democracy.\"\nPahlavi said Saturday that Khamenei \"has been erased from the face of history.\"\nLast month, a man in New York\nfor attempting to assassinate Shakeri as part of a murder-for-hire plot. Alinejad three plots by Iran's regime to kill or kidnap her.Alinejad, whose parents and siblings live in Iran, said that Iranians are experiencing both pain and hope after the attacks.\n\"But in the street, people are just screaming out of joy because they believe this is going to be the beginning of a future, a future that we don't have killers in power, a future that people can have a normal life,\" she said.\nIsraeli military says it has targeted at least 30 sites in latest wave of strikes on Iran Sunday\nThe Israeli military says it has targeted at least 30 sites in western and central Iran in its salvo of strikes early Sunday local time.\nThe strikes targeted \"aerial defense systems, missile launchers, regime targets and military command centers,\" Israel Defense Forces said in a social media post.\nTwo U.S. officials had previously confirmed to CBS News that the U.S. and Israel had launched the second volley of strikes on Iran following Saturday's initial attack.\nIsrael hacking Iranian prayer app is a tactic it's used before, commentator says\nBritish author and political commentator Douglas Murray told CBS News that Israel's hacking of a popular Iranian prayer app to urge Iranian Revolutionary Guard members to exit the force and liberate the country is a tactic it has used before.\n\"First of all, it's a tactic that the Israelis have used elsewhere,\" Murray told \"CBS Evening News\" anchor Tony Dokoupil. \"They've used it in Gaza. They've used it against Hezbollah in Lebanon. So it's a familiar tactic.\"\nThe Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the app, BadeSaba Calendar, was hacked by Israel to send notifications to users urging the country's military personnel to \"defect from the regime and join a fight to liberate the country.\"\n\"The message itself is simply reiterating what President Trump said in his late-night message, which is to request that the Revolutionary Guards, the Basij and others, put down their weapons, and in Trump's language, he said last night, now is the time to do that,\" Murray continued. \"Otherwise, there's another route further down the road.\"\nHead of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, top adviser killed, state-run media says\nMaj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and Ali Shamkhani, a top security adviser to Khamenei, were killed in the attacks on Iran, The Associated Press reported state media as saying.\nThe state-run IRNA news agency announced Pakpour's death, as well as the death of Shamkhani, a figurehead in Iran's security establishment, the AP reported.\nRetired Navy rear admiral suggests U.S. strikes on Iran could last another 2 weeks\nA retired U.S. Navy rear admiral told CBS News Saturday that he believes the U.S. strikes on Iran could last another two weeks.\nRet. Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery said the strikes this week and those last year by Iran and the U.S. likely served as a \"precursor for follow-on strikes over the next, I would suggest, two weeks, where would go after the other targets…that didn't need the surprise that the targeting of the Iranian leadership did.\"\nHe said the next few days will involve a \"race\" between the U.S. ability to destroy Iran's potential to launch weapons, and Iran's \"ability to get those weapons out, cleared, and get a shot off.\"\n\"So I suspect the next few days' worth of strikes will be heavily focused on current Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles, and on their drone launch facilities,\" Montgomery told \"CBS Evening News\" anchor Tony Dokoupil.\nMontgomery, who served 32 years in the Navy as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer and is now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, speculated that this will be an air-only campaign, with no boots on the ground.\n\"The two times that we've successfully used air-only campaigns, Libya in 2011 and Kosovo in 1999, there were large armed insurgent groups that we were enabling in those attacks,\" Montgomery said. \"What we have right now are large groups of activists and disaffected citizens.\"\nKhamenei's killing to \"almost certainly\" bring retaliation from Iran, proxies, DHS notice says\nA notice from the Department of Homeland Security said the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would \"almost certainly\" prompt retaliation from Iran and its proxies, which include terror groups such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Iraq-based militias.\nThe Critical Incident Note from the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis was released earlier Saturday, prior to confirmation of Khamaenei's killing in the U.S.-Israel strikes. It said his death would \"almost certainly escalate retaliatory actions—or calls to action.\"\nThe Iranian government will also likely continue attacks on the U.S. and its Middle East allies and blame U.S. government officials for any Iranian protests against the regime, the notice says.\nDHS noted it was \"most concerned\" in the short-term about cyberattacks from \"Iran-aligned hacktivists\" on U.S. digital infrastructure.\nIran's Revolutionary Guard warns of \"ferocious offensive operation\"\nDiplomatic solution in Iran remains possible and \"much easier now,\" Trump says\nPresident Trump told CBS News on Saturday evening that he believes U.S. and Israeli attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been effective and could create a pathway to diplomacy.\n\"Much easier now than it was a day ago, obviously,\" Mr. Trump said, when asked about the prospect of a diplomatic solution to the crisis during a phone interview. \"Because they are getting beat up badly.\"\nHe expressed confidence in the results so far, calling Saturday's strikes \"a great day for this country, a great day for the world.\"\nIran's president leading country following Khamenei's death, state-run media says\nIranian state-run media said that following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is currently leading the country.\nThe Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that along with Pezeshkian, the speaker of Iran's parliament and the head of Iran's judiciary were also running the country until a new leader is chosen.\nIt's unclear how that process would play out.\nIn a\nwith CBS News chief Washington analyst Robert Costa earlier, when asked if he knew who was calling the shots in Iran, President Trump responded, \"I know exactly who, but I can't tell you.\"And when pressed by Costa on whether there was someone in Iran he would like to see lead the country, Mr. Trump said, \"Yes, I think so. There are some good candidates.\"\nFuneral for Khamenei to be held Sunday\nA funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be held Sunday at Tehran University.\n— Claire Day\nIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps releases statement on Khamenei's death\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a statement on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death early Sunday, calling him a great leader and saying his death will make Iran more determined to continue his path.\nIt condemned the attacks on Iran as violations of religious, ethical and legal principles.\nIranians who fled regime to California celebrate Ayatollah's death\nCelebrations broke out in the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday after reports began that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in attacks.\nMore than 200,000 Iranians live in California, many of whom fled the regime that ruled there for 47 years. L.A. is home to the largest Iranian population outside of Iran.\n\"We all want to say thank you to President Trump,\" said Saghar Fanisalek, owner and chef of Taste of Tehran in L.A. \"This is the only person who supports us in the last 50 years. Every single person in Iran knew that the only way that this regime was going to go away is to attack them.\"\nMohamed Ghafarian of Shater Abbass Bakery & Market, left Iran more than 50 years ago and told CBS News that he expects regime change and is hopeful about it.\n\"United States and Israel; they are there to change the regime,\" said George Geoula, owner of Stansbury Dry Cleaners.\nIranian state media reports Khamenei is dead\nIranian state media reported early Sunday local time that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. State media in Tehran had not previously confirmed his death, nor did Iran's Foreign Ministry.\nThe state-run IRNA news agency said Khamenei died but did not elaborate on his cause of death. It also reported that the government announced 40 days of public mourning.\nTasmin, a semi-official news agency that is associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also reported that Khamenei had died in the attack.\nPresident Trump said earlier that Khamenei was killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also said there were \"growing signs\" that Khamenei is \"gone.\"\nThe 86-year-old took power in 1989 and had an iron grip over the country.\nH.R. McMaster says there was \"a window of opportunity\" for U.S. strikes\nRetired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster told \"CBS Evening News\" anchor Tony Dokoupil that he believes the U.S. chose to strike on Saturday because there was a \"window of opportunity.\"\n\"I think [President Trump] was thinking about this 47-year-long proxy war that Iran has waged against the United States,\" McMaster said. \"The second reason is, Iran has been scrambling since 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' the strikes we joined the Israelis on in June of last year, to rebuild their capability, so there is a window of opportunity here.\"\nMcMaster, a CBS News contributor who served as national security adviser to Mr. Trump from 2017 to 2018, said the \"initial strikes were very effective at reducing Iran's ability to respond.\"\n\"Right now, the regime is fragmented, it's probably incoherent, so we will see what other kinds of capabilities that they can generate, but maybe some terrorist attacks, maybe actions in the Strait of Hormuz, although we sank the Iranian Navy, or the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] Navy,\" McMaster said. \"So, it will not be over until there is a change in the nature of that government.\"\nU.S., Israel launch another round of strikes on Iran, officials say\nThe U.S. and Israel have launched yet another volley of strikes on Iran, two U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News Saturday night.\nIsrael Defense Forces said in a social media post just after 3 a.m. local time Sunday that they had \"launched another wave of strikes against the Iranian terror regime's ballistic missile array and air defense systems.\"\nThe sources confirmed that the U.S. was involved in those ongoing strikes. The scope of the strikes and the areas being targeted were unclear.\nWitnesses told CBS News there were strikes in Tehran on the office of the president and on Iran's National Security Council building. Explosions were heard elsewhere in the city, witnesses said.\nWitnesses said there was also heavy bombing in the city of Qom, which is located about 90 miles south of Tehran.\nThere were also strikes reported on Kish International Airport, which is located on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, off Iran's southern coast, witnesses said.\nIran likely intended to use missiles in Middle East before U.S. strike, White House officials say\nSenior Trump administration officials told CBS News that Iran likely intended to use conventional missiles against the U.S. and allies in the region during negotiations, perhaps preemptively before a U.S. strike.\nThey said if President Trump had waited any longer, American casualties would be substantially higher.\nDemocratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who served four tours in Iraq, criticized the White House for not seeking congressional approval before attacking Iran.\n\"He has started a war, and it has eerie similarities to the way Iraq began,\" Moulton told CBS News Saturday. \"…You have to obey the Constitution, and that means going before Congress, and asking Congress to decide, is it worth putting young American lives on the line to achieve these goals.\"\nNo known credible domestic threats to U.S. after Iran strikes, federal officials say\nOn a call Saturday afternoon with state and local law enforcement agencies, federal officials stressed that there are no known credible domestic threats at this time following the strikes on Iran, two federal law enforcement officials on the briefing and an industry partner confirmed to CBS News.\nThe FBI and the Department of Homeland Security convened the national call, which underscored heightened concerns about cyber vulnerabilities affecting critical infrastructure — particularly power and water systems.\nThe call was led by the FBI's Counterintelligence Division and DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis, with support from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.\nThe briefing focused heavily on cyber posture and defensive preparedness.\nAbout 40 Iranian officials killed in strikes, sources say\nAbout 40 Iranian officials have been killed in the U.S. and Israeli strikes, an intelligence source and a military source told CBS News Saturday evening.\nIt was not clear whether these officials were in one location or multiple locations.\nPresident Trump said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strike.\nIranian defense minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have also been killed, two U.S. officials speaking to CBS News under the condition of anonymity to discuss national security issues told CBS News.\nTrump says there are some \"good candidates\" to lead Iran following Khamenei's killing\nPresident Trump\nSaturday night that he has an idea of who he would like to see lead Iran following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.Asked who he thinks is calling the shots in the wake of Khamenei's death, Mr. Trump responded, \"I know exactly who, but I can't tell you.\"\nWhen pressed on whether there was someone in Iran he would like to see lead the country, Mr. Trump said, \"Yes, I think so. There are some good candidates.\"\nOne killed, 121 hurt in Iran's retaliatory strikes on Israel, officials say\nA woman in her fifties was killed and 121 others were injured across Israel in Iran's retaliatory strikes, Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency rescue services reported early Sunday local time.\nThe injuries occurred at dozens of scenes across Israel after \"various missile strike incidents,\" MDA said.\nA missile strike in the Tel Aviv area accounted for the fatality and 27 injuries, according to the agency.\nOf those injured, two people were in moderate condition and 119 were in mild condition, MDA reported.\nIran's ambassador to the U.N. calls strikes on Iran \"a crime against humanity\"\nIran's Ambassador to the U.N. Amir-Saeid Iravani told an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting that hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured in the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, accusing the two countries of deliberately attacking civilian neighborhoods in multiple cities.\n\"This is not only an act of aggression; it is a war crime and a crime against humanity,\" he said.\nIsrael's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said at the meeting that Iranian chants of \"Death to Israel, Death to America\" and the burning of both countries' flags were acts of \"state-sanctioned hatred\" and indicated a preparation for action on Iran's part.\nDanon said that Israel acted to stop \"an existential threat before it became irreversible.\"\n\"We acted out of necessity,\" he said.\nAddressing the Iranian people, Danon said the operation is directed \"at a regime that has silenced you,\" and Israel stands \"with you.\"\nSecretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the emergency meeting that \"everything must be done to prevent a further escalation.\"\n\"The alternative,\" he warned, \"is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.\"\nCBS/AP\nIran's exiled crown prince says Khamenei \"has been erased from the face of history\"\nReza Pahlavi, Iran's exiled crown prince, praised the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the U.S. and Israeli strikes, saying in a statement that \"the bloodthirsty despot of our time…has been erased from the face of history.\"\nPahlavi called on Iran's military forces to avoid efforts to \"preserve a collapsing regime,\" but instead to \"help ensure Iran's stable transition to a free and prosperous future.\"\n\"This may be the beginning of our great national celebration, but it is not the end of the road,\" he said.\nPahlavi has lived in exile since his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current clerical regime to power.\nIn an\nwith CBS News last month, Pahlavi said that that \"best way to ensure that there will be less people killed in Iran is to intervene sooner, so this regime finally collapses and puts an end to all the problems that we are facing.\"Rubio cancels trip to Israel following strikes\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio has canceled his trip to Israel scheduled for next week in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior State Department official said.\n\"Due to current circumstances, Secretary Rubio will no longer travel to Israel on March 2,\" Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, said in a post on X.\nRubio was scheduled to travel to Israel from March 2-3 to discuss a range of regional priorities, including Iran, Lebanon and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump's 20-Point peace plan for Gaza.\nTrump administration says U.S. wanted diplomatic solution, but it was ultimately \"not a tangible and realistic option\"\nSenior administration officials on Saturday briefed reporters on the runup to the U.S. strikes against Iran, said the U.S. had sought a diplomatic solution to its impasse with Iran, but it ended up as \"not a tangible and realistic option.\"\nThey said that the factors in President Trump's decision to strike were the long-term threat of Tehran's ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons and the short-term threat posed by its conventional missile capability. In the negotiations, the Iranians \"refused at every instance to address ballistic missiles,\" the officials said. They added that Iran refused to address proxies, which Mr. Trump \"thought was a critical issue that needed to be addressed in any deal\"\nAfter last year's U.S. strikes against Iran's nuclear program, the U.S. determined that if Iran began to rebuild, \"we'll have to address it,\" the officials said.\nAccording to one senior administration official, they \"had indicators\" that Iran could potentially use conventional missiles \"preemptively, but if not, simultaneous\" to any actions against them by the U.S.\nThe president \"was not going to sit back and wait to get hit first\" and if he had, the \"amount of casualties and damages would be substantially higher\" than if the U.S. acted preemptively, they said.\nIn negotiations, Mr. Trump pushed for a deal that would prevent Iran from ever developing a nuclear weapon and felt that in the talks, \"there was no seriousness to achieve a real deal.\" U.S. negotiators offered to provide Iran with \"free nuclear fuel forever\" for a safe civil nuclear program, but the Iranians insisted on maintaining the ability to enrich their own nuclear fuel, according to the officials.\nInitially Iran agreed \"for a short period of time not to do enrichment\" but then retracted its agreement, the officials said, which the U.S. interpreted as \"a big tell to us that they were looking to buy time.\"\n\"It was clear to us that they were in the throes of rebuilding all that had been destroyed in Midnight Hammer,\" they added.\nThe senior officials said it was \"very clear\" that Iran's intent \"was to preserve their ability to do enrichment, so that over time, they could use it for a nuclear bomb.\" They said Iran was offered \"many, many ways\" to have a civil, peaceful nuclear program, \"but instead that was met with games, tricks, stall tactics.\" They concluded that Mr. Trump \"frankly had no choice\" but to act.\nWhen U.S. negotiators asked Iran for its enrichment requirements for material and capabilities, Tehran presented them with a 7-page plan that the IAEA estimated would provide Iran with an enrichment capability that was roughly five times greater than the one from the previous Iran nuclear deal. Mr. Trump withdrew from that deal during his first administration.\nThe senior administration officials said that Iran had developed the ability to construct their own centrifuges – IR-6 centrifuges, which they said were \"the fastest ones out there\" – and had built up manufacturing capacity since the U.S. strikes on their nuclear facilities.\nThe strikes last year did not target the Tehran Research Reactor, which requires 20% enrichment protocols to build radio isotopes to produce medicine and conduct agricultural research, the officials said. But the IAEA said Iran did not use fissionable material to produce any medicine, and was instead stockpiling it.\nTehran had about 450 kg of 60% enriched uranium and was technically one week from 90% weapons grade uranium, the officials said.\nIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in strikes, Trump says\nIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei \"is dead,\" President Trump wrote in a Truth Social post late Saturday afternoon.\nCalling him \"one of the most evil people in History,\" Mr. Trump said Khamenei was \"unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.\"\nThe president also said that \"heavy and pinpoint bombing\" would \"continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!\"\nThe U.S. was also \"hearing\" that many officials in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Iran's military and its security and police forces no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us,\" the president said.\n\"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,\" Mr. Trump wrote.\nIn a phone interview with ABC News, Mr. Trump said that the military operation will continue \"as long as we want it to\" but that Iran is essentially \"incapacitated.\"\nTrump says most of Iran's leadership that \"make all the decisions\" are gone\nPresident Trump on Saturday addressed reports that Iran's supreme leader was presumed dead, telling NBC News: \"We feel that that is a correct story.\"\n\"The people that make all the decisions, most of them are gone,\" Mr. Trump said.\nThe president oversaw the military operation in Iran from Mar-a-Lago, and he released an eight-minute video to social media announcing it in the early morning hours Saturday.\nCelebrations heard in Tehran after reports of Khamenei's presumed death\nThe sounds of celebration filled the streets of Tehran Saturday night after reports of the presumed death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nVideos posted to social media showed parts of Tehran where residents could be heard clapping, whistling and cheering following the news reports.\nThe 86-year-old Khamenei has had an iron grip over Iran since he took power in 1989.\nAn Israeli broadcaster said Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been shown a photo of Khamenei's body.\nReporting contributed by Margaret Brennan\nSatellite images show Iran supreme leader compound heavily damaged\nThe compound of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the heart of Tehran was heavily damaged in the U.S.-Israeli strikes, satellite photos show.\nOne image shows black smoke rising from the palace, which appears to have been reduced to a pile of rubble.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck the compound early Saturday. He later said there were \"growing signs\" that Khamenei had been killed in the strike.\nThe Israeli military also said Saturday that it had killed much of Iran's leadership, including Secretary of the Iranian Security Council Ali Shamkhani and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.\nCBS/AP\nU.S. did not brief its allies on details of planned military action\nThe U.S. government did not brief allies on the details of the planned American and Israeli military action, multiple diplomatic sources told CBS News.\nYet this is now fast moving toward a regional war.\n\"If common sense and sound judgment do not prevail, and if space is not opened for diplomacy, our region faces the risk of being dragged into a ring of fire,\" Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a statement.\nTurkey — a NATO ally — has not yet been a target of Iranian operations and had been trying to help broker a diplomatic accord prior to the U.S. strikes.\nSaudi Arabia intercepted Iranian missiles that were aimed at the major city of Riyadh, as well as Dammam. Before the U.S. and Israeli strikes, the Kingdom had said it would not allow its airspace to be used, but now Iran has changed that dynamic by firing into Saudi cities. The official statement from the Kingdom says Iran targeted the Riyadh region and eastern province, and that as a result Saudi Arabia is \"considering responding to the aggression.\"\nUnlike other regional allies, Saudi Arabia does not have U.S. bases, but it does have U.S. military assets on its soil. In recent weeks, the U.S. pre-positioned additional THAAD and PATRIOT systems in a defensive posture. In targeting Saudi Arabia, Iran has brought in the diplomatic heft that comes with an attack on a regional leader. In light of the targeting of Saudi cities, the Kingdom may decide to allow the U.S. to use its territory or airspace.\nThe Emirates are also signaling deep concern. According to a regional official, there was at least one casualty in the United Arab Emirates.\nBahrain confirmed the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet was targeted by a missile attack. Bahrain says it also intercepted a number of rockets from Iran. On Friday, the U.S. drew down some of the staff on its base. Attacks continued throughout the day on Saturday.\nJordan houses U.S. intelligence and military personnel, and it condemned Iran's attack on what appears to have been the U.S. airbase there. At this point, the missiles appear to have been intercepted, and debris fell in the capital. There are no known casualties.\nVice President JD Vance met with Oman's top diplomat Friday, in Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff were not present. There has been no contact since the strikes to revive the diplomatic track.\nPhotos show divided protesters around the world after military strikes in Iran\nDemonstrators took to the streets on Saturday to voice their opinions about the Iranian regime following deadly U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran.\nMany rallies voiced strong support for the military action, while opposing protests condemned the attacks and warned of wider regional consequences.\nAs Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is presumed dead,\n, some demonstrators carry his portrait as they march against the attacks.Many of those who oppose Khamenei's regime were seen carrying images of\n, Iran's exiled crown prince, who last month called on President Trump to take action against the Iranian regime amid a on protesters.Iran's Supreme Leader is presumed dead after U.S.-Israel strikes, sources say\nIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is\nafter a massive U.S. and Israeli military operation on Saturday, multiple Israeli official sources confirmed to CBS News.A senior American intelligence official says the supreme leader is dead.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier Saturday that there are \"growing signs\" that Khamenei is \"gone\" after the mission.\nU.S. State Dept issues worldwide caution for Americans\nThe U.S. State Department issued a worldwide caution for Americans on Saturday after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.\n\"Following the launch of U.S. combat operations in Iran, Americans worldwide and especially in the Middle East should follow the guidance in the latest security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. They may experience travel disruptions due to periodic airspace closures,\" the alert says.\nHarris on Iran strikes: \"Trump is dragging the United States into a war the American people do not want\"\nsaying in a statement that President Trump is \"dragging the United States into a war the American people do not want.\"\ncondemned the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran,\"I am opposed to a regime-change war in Iran, and our troops are being put in harm's way for the sake of Trump's war of choice,\" she said.\nShe referred to the U.S. offensive as \"a dangerous and unnecessary gamble with American lives that also jeopardizes stability in the region and our standing in the world.\"\nHarris, who lost the 2024 presidential election to Mr. Trump, pointed out that he had promised during his presidential campaign to end wars, not to start them.\n\"That was a lie,\" she wrote. \"He said 'we obliterated' Iran's nuclear program. That, too, was a lie,\" Harris said.\nAnd she called on Congress to \"use all available power to prevent him from further committing us to this conflict.\"\nCBS News\nMcMaster says U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran aim to \"decapitate the regime\"\nH.R. McMaster, former National Security Advisor under President Trump's first term and CBS News contributor, says U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran are aimed \"to essentially decapitate the regime.\"\nReviewing a new video posted by CENTCOM of the strikes, McMaster said the U.S. and Israel are going \"after the arms of oppression to create more space for the Iranian people to determine their own fate.\"\nAs officials work to assess the damage, the video shows strikes against anything the Iranians could use to retaliate, McMaster said, including solid fuel missiles, liquid fuel missiles and the missile launchers themselves.\nThere are \"many signs\" Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei is \"gone,\" Netanyahu says\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's compound had been destroyed, and that there \"are many signs that this dictator is gone too.\"\nNetanyahu called on the Iranian people to seize the \"once-in-a-generation opportunity\" to \"take to the streets en masse, to complete the task of overthrowing the regime that is making your lives miserable.\"\n\"This is your time to join forces to overthrow the regime, to secure your future,\" Netanyahu said.\nCBS News has not independently confirmed that Khamenei is dead.\nVideo from CENTCOM shows U.S.-Israel missile strikes on Iran\nU.S. Central Command released a new video that shows the U.S.-Israel missile strikes on Iran.\n\"As the President stated, our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,\" said in a post on X with the video. \"The President ordered bold action. CENTCOM forces are delivering an overwhelming and unrelenting blow.\"\nAttack on Iran will last \"as long as necessary,\" Netanyahu says\nThe U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran will \"continue as long as necessary,\" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued Saturday.\n\"This war will lead to peace, true peace,\" Netanyahu said.\nTrump has spoken with regional allies, NATO secretary general, Leavitt says\nPresident Trump has spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a short post on X.\nBahrain says U.S. Navy base struck by Iranian missile\nBahrain publicly confirmed the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet was subject to a missile attack. Bahrain says it also intercepted a number of rockets from Iran.\nU.S. officials told CBS News that they are conducting a battle damage assessment.\nCotton says U.S. looking at \"weeks, not days of joint efforts\" in Iran\nSen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CBS News' Major Garrett on Saturday that the mission in Iran needs to not only curb Iran's nuclear program but also to \"dismantle their terror support network.\"\n\"To do all that is going to take longer than the strikes on their nuclear program last summer,\" Cotton said. \"We're probably looking at weeks, not days, of joint efforts by the United States, Israel and our Arab partners, who have also been attacked this morning.\"\nCotton, who is one of the \"Gang of Eight,\" added that the \"upshot of it will be, after 47 years of waging war against the United States and the civilized world, the ayatollahs are finally going to face justice.\"\nCotton said that there's \"no question\" that Iran is \"at one of its weakest points since the revolution in 1979,\" but the threat from their missiles \"genuinely is imminent.\"\n\"As I said, they have thousands and thousands of missiles,\" Cotton said. \"That's what they're using to attack us, our Arab friends and Israel today. They have many more missiles than we have missile defenses. And the balance only gets worse. Every single month.\"\nIran state TV reports more than 200 people killed in strikes\nIran's Red Crescent says the Israeli-U.S. airstrikes across Iran have killed at least 201 people and injured 747, according to comments on Iranian state TV.\nThe spokesperson for the Red Crescent said the strikes have hit 24 of Iran's 31 provinces. The spokesperson said relief operations are on going, and that 220 teams were deployed to different sites to respond to the strikes.\nNew Jersey Rep. Gottheimer says \"what's key now is making sure the president briefs the Congress immediately\"\nDemocratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a moderate from New Jersey, told CBS News' Major Garrett that while he believes \"Iran poses an existential threat\" to the U.S., President Trump needs to brief Congress on further action given the threat of a regional conflict breaking out.\n\"As far as I'm concerned, the key here is making sure that this is executed the right way,\" Gottheimer said. \"We see what's happened overnight — what's happened is not just in Iran, but with our allies in Qatar, Bahrain and other attacks. So as far as I'm concerned, what's key now is making sure that the president briefs the Congress immediately.\"\nGottheimer, who is on the House Intelligence Committee, said he had asked for that briefing, especially since this has triggered a war powers resolution.\nGottheimer added that in Iran, \"this is not a leadership there that has sought to do anything except destruction and through their terror proxies and their ballistics programs and their nuclear programs to attack our way of life, of course, and our allies and Americans.\"\nHe added that \"we can't lose sight of that,\" and that he hoped the maximum pressure that the U.S. has applied \"hopefully will result in a change.\"\nNo reports of U.S. casualties, minimal damage, CENTCOM says\nThere have been no reports of U.S. deaths or injuries amid the operation in Iran, U.S. Central Command said.\n\"Following the initial wave of U.S. and partner strikes, CENTCOM forces successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks,\" the command said on social media, alongside photos of U.S. aircraft taking off.\nIt said damage to U.S. facilities was \"minimal and has not impacted operations.\nCENTCOM said that U.S. and partner forces struck IRGC command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.\n\"The President ordered bold action, and our brave Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Guardians and Coast Guardsmen are answering the call,\" said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper.\nVance monitored Iran operation from Situation Room, source says\nVice President JD Vance monitored the military operation in Iran from the Situation Room at the White House, a source familiar told CBS News. President Trump was at Mar-a-Lago.\nVance was with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Transportation Secretary Scott Bessent and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the source said. The group was connected with Mr. Trump and his team via conference line.\nJohnson says \"Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions\"\nAs members of Congress indicated Saturday that they will force a war powers vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on social media on Saturday morning that \"Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.\"\n\"For decades, Iran has defiantly maintained its nuclear program while arming and funding Hamas, Hezbollah, and other internationally recognized terrorist organizations,\" Johnson wrote on X. \"Iran and its proxies have menaced America and American lives, undermined our core national interests, systematically destabilized the Middle East, and threatened the security of the entire West.\"\nJohnson confirmed that the Gang of 8 had been briefed earlier in the week that action in Iran might be necessary. Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna said Saturday that they would be forcing a vote on a war powers resolution to limit military action in Iran.\nThe Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, and the extent of the president's authority to wade into conflict abroad without the approval of the legislative branch has been challenged in recent years. After strikes in Venezuela to remove then-President Nicolas Maduro, five Republican lawmakers broke with the party to advance a measure to limit further military action there.\nReza Pahlavi, the former shah's son, may be a strong contender as Iran's new leader, an analyst says\nBehnam Ben Taleblu, a senior director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy's Iran program said Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah of Iran, may be a strong contender to be the new leader of Iran if regime change is successful.\nTaleblu said Pahlavi has support among Iran's youth, an ability to draw crowds and has drawn a sharp contrast between himself and the existing regime.\n\"As the debate has moved away from what can civil society do to what can mass protests do to what kind of foreign potential support can these mass protests receive, he has become increasingly popular,\" Taleblu said, referencing when Pahlavi called for mass turnout on Valentine's Day and protests across the country drew millions.\nHowever, it may not be as simple, warned Douglas Murray, a British author and political commentator.\n\"I think that this is a very tricky corner. There are many people in Iran and in the diaspora who do not simply want a return of the Pahlavis,\" Murray said. Still, he said it's \"important to take seriously\" Pahlavi's proposal \"to be an interim leader who could cohere the various factions inside the country and out.\"\n\"That's why I do think Pahlavi's most important role is if he could act as that convening figure. It's about the best thing I've seen on the table this year,\" Murray said.\nTaleblu said leaders cannot make \"the perfect the enemy of the good,\" and said that Pahlavi's installation is, in his view, \"the best short-to-medium-term vehicle to get to a post-Islamic Republic in Iran.\"\nBoth Murray and Taleblu agreed that Pahlavi could be a bridge to elections in Iran.\n\"From there, the Iranian people decide,\" Taleblu said. \"From there, it is all about the Iranian people deciding this 100+ year struggle for representative government is not going to be turned off the moment someone comes in who reminds them of the past.\"\nCENTCOM says it is investigating reports of civilian casualties in Iran\nCENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins told CBS News that the agency was aware of reports \"concerning civilian harm from ongoing military operation\" and was investigating.\n\"The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm,\" Hawkins siad. \"Unlike Iran, we have never – and never will – target civilians.\"\nHawkins' remarks came after Iran's foreign minister claimed a girls' school in Southern Iran was struck during the U.S.-Israel attack.\nMap shows strike locations across Iran\nA map created by the CBS News data team shows the strike locations across Iran, based on government officials' statements and reporting by CBS News and the Associated Press.\nA source involved in the Israeli strikes on Iran told CBS News that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and its president, Masoud Pezeshkian, were among the targets of the first round of strikes.\nIn a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was targeting military sites, including missile installations.\nSecurity ramps up in locations across U.S. amid Iran attacks, law enforcement says\nSecurity has been ramped up in locations across America after the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran and the regime's retaliatory strikes. Law enforcement agencies across the country have increased patrols at synagogues and U.S. government facilities.\nThe Chicago Police Department told CBS News that law enforcement is monitoring the situation in Iran, but there is no \"actionable intelligence\" at this time. Miami Police told CBS News they increased their uniformed presence at synagogues, schools, and other key locations citywide.\n\"We remain in close coordination with our law enforcement partners and leaders within the faith-based community,\" Miami police said in a statement. The Los Angeles Police Department said they are closely monitoring today's escalation in Iran and developments across the Middle East.\nThe NYPD's senior leadership and counterterrorism division are monitoring intelligence in real time, according to former NYPD Deputy Commissioner and CBS News law enforcement contributor Richard Esposito.\nThe NYPD said out of an abundance of caution, the department is enhancing patrols to sensitive locations throughout the city, including diplomatic, cultural, religious, and other relevant sites.\nJohn Chell, the NYPD's former chief of department, explained that the NYPD is putting patrols at high-value targets around the city, especially Jewish and Iranian locations.\n\"The NYPD does both directed patrols, where a team will drive by a location at regular intervals, and/or a fixed patrol that stays put at a location depending on the location,\" Chell said, and that the NYPD typically sends heavy weapons teams to locations throughout the city, such as consulates and high-profile synagogues and mosques and Iranian, Muslim, and Jewish cultural centers.\nFederal law enforcement sources tell CBS News there are no specific credible threats to the homeland at this time\nThe IDF says hundreds of jets targeted Iranian sites simultaneously\nThe Israel Defense Forces completed \"an extensive attack\" against Iran's missile and defense systems, using approximately 200 fighter jets, which it said was the largest ever military flyover in the history of the Israeli Air Force.\n\"The IAF's fighter jets dropped hundreds of munitions targeting approximately 500 objectives, including aerial defense systems and missile launchers, in several locations in Iran, simultaneously,\" the IDF said in a statement. \"The strikes on the defense systems allowed the expansion of the IAF's aerial superiority over Iranian aerial territory, and severely degraded the offensive capabilities of the Iranian regime.\"\nOne targeted site was in Tabriz, in Western Iran. The IDF said the site was used by the Iranian Surface-to-Surface Missiles Unit, and that the unit had planned to launch \"dozens of missiles toward Israeli civilians.\"\nAnalyst says U.S. should attempt full regime change in Iran: \"Go big or go home.\"\nBehnam Ben Taleblu, a senior director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy's Iran program, said that Iran has been conducting a \"war of choice\" against the United States and its interests, leaving the West with \"no way out but through.\"\n\"That war has been slow. It has ebbs, it has flows … The diplomatic track record of America in the Middle East for the past 47 years is littered with attempts to do anything to not have to get to this moment,\" said Tabelu, who studies Iranian security and political issues.\nTabelu said the U.S. should attempt to ensure full regime change, instead of ending up in a situation like in Venezuela, where the same government is being led by a different leader.\n\"It really is go big or go home,\" Tabelu said. \"If Washington actually goes and tries to do, not regime change but a regime evolution from within the political elite, the political elite have cut their teeth on these exact same issues that Khameni has. … That makes them anti-American and anti-Israeli.\"\nTomahawk missiles used to suppress Iranian air defenses, U.S. officials say\nThe U.S. military used Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, known as TLAMs, to suppress Iranian air defenses, two U.S officials told CBS News.\nOne-way attack drones were also used.\nFormer Israeli ambassador says there \"is not much choice\" but to support regime change\nFormer Israeli ambassador to the United States and Free Press contributor Michael Oren said that there \"is not much choice\" but to support regime change in Iran.\nOren, a former member of Israel's Knesset and the founder of the Israel Advocacy Group, said that Iran would have never agreed to American demands to cease uranium enrichment and stop supporting proxy terror organizations.\n\"That was basically a demand for the Iranian regime to self-destruct,\" Oren said. \"It is literally what they're about. It was regime suicide, not regime change.\"\n\"It's very similar to Hamas. Hamas is not going to change its DNA. The hatred of America, hatred of Israel is what they are about,\" Oren said.\nFeds say there are no specific credible threats to homeland at this time\nFederal law enforcement sources tell CBS News there are no specific credible threats to the homeland at this time.\nThe FBI is concerned about sympathizers and supporters aligned with Iran who may act independently — or at the direction of Iran — to commit acts of terrorism in the U.S. or against American targets abroad.\nThe FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is aware of individuals who have affiliation with the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah and are living in the United States, sources said.\nAuthorities are monitoring for any threat indicators from those individuals, according to sources.\nInvestigators are using tools ranging from electronic surveillance — which includes the internet — undercover operations and informants to monitor any potential threat of attack from terrorist groups Hezbollah, al Qaeda, and ISIS. They are also monitoring any potential threats posed by so-called lone wolves who could be inspired to act, either by being recruited or self-radicalized, according to sources. These lone wolves are known as homegrown violent extremists, or HVE.\nLaw enforcement across the country has increased patrols at synagogues and U.S. government facilities.\nMiddle East analyst on \"psychological impact\" of Iran strikes\nHaviv Retting Gur, the Middle East analyst for the Free Press based in Jerusalem, said that there is fear in Israel as Iran retaliates but the country sees the operation as a point of pride.\n\"All these important leaders and advisors … were all in the room,\" Gur said. \"And what that means is the Israelis know when the top-most secretive meetings happen, the most important leadership, the most sensitive leadership, and they know when the meeting is going to happen and where it's going to happen in real time.\"\nGur said the operation shows that Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies have highly-placed sources within the Iranian government, which will have a \"psychological impact\" on the regime.\n\"I think the Iranians themselves, Iranian generals, people very high up in the IRGC, are not willing to keep this regime afloat,\" Gur said.\nJordan's army says it intercepted 13 ballistic missiles\nJordan's armed forces said they had successfully intercepted 13 ballistic missiles since Saturday morning amid U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. Damages were reported, but no casualties were reported.\n\"The armed forces engaged 49 drones and ballistic missiles targeting Jordanian territory today,\" a military source said in a statement.\nThe statement said \"13 ballistic missiles were successfully intercepted by Jordanian air defence systems, while drones were shot down\".\nAfter the U.S.-Israel strikes, Iran retaliated with assaults on the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.\nU.S. embassies or consulates in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel said staffers were told to shelter in place and recommended all Americans \"do the same until further notice.\"\nCBS/AFP\nIn CBS News poll prior to conflict, Americans weighed in on US military action against Iran and what Congress should do\nIn CBS News polling completed just before news of the\n, most Americans thought the U.S. should be at least pressuring or engaging the Iranian leadership in some form.And in the days before the strikes began, there was movement toward approval of a U.S. military action specifically to stop them from making nuclear weapons; that change came after\nearlier this week, on Feb. 24.The effect of that was that the nation went into the start of the conflict split about it.\nThe public had voiced a collective uncertainty about how long a\nwould last. More thought it would last months or even years, rather than just days or weeks. Supporters tended to think it would be short.That sets some context as it now unfolds.\nNational security analyst: Iran \"playing for all the marbles this time\"\nAaron McLean, a national security and defense fellow at the Hudson Institute and podcast host, told the Free Press that he believes Iran's retaliatory response shows that the regime believes \"they're playing for all the marbles this time.\"\nIran has targeted sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates since the U.S. and Israel launched \"Operation Epic Fury.\"\nMcLean said previous skirmishes between the U.S. and Iran \"have tended to end in\" actions that \"were, on some level, symbolic.\"\n\"This time you basically saw them pull the trigger with their ballistic missile capacity and their drones,\" McLean said.\n\"They are hitting to cause damage and they're hitting to cause harm,\" McLean continued. \"They are certainly looking to cause casualties here.\"\nU.S. and Iran negotiations were likely \"basically stuck,\" analyst says\nFree Press contributor Jay Solomon said that negotiations between the United States and Iran were likely \"basically stuck\" ahead of today's strikes.\n\"I don't think that diplomacy was really going to go anywhere,\" said Solomon, the former chief foreign affairs correspondent at the Wall Street Journal and the author of \"The Iran Wars.\"\nHe said that he believed Iran engaged in the negotiations to give itself time to consolidate power and stabilize their economy after mass protests in January. Solomon said that Iran's position on developing its nuclear program has \"never really changed.\"\n\"I don't think anyone seriously thought there would be some huge diplomatic breakthrough that would change the calculation much,\" Solomon said.\nU.N. nuclear watchdog calls for \"restraint\" in Iran amid U.S.-Israel strikes\nThe International Atomic Energy Agency, a United Nations nuclear watchdog, called for \"restraint to avoid any nuclear safety risks to people\" in the Middle East.\nThe IAEA said on social media that it is \"closely monitoring developments\" in the Middle East. The watchdog said there has been no evidence of any radiological impact.\nRafael Grossi, the\nearlier this month of the need to find a diplomatic agreement between the U.S. and Iran. Grossi cited the risk presented by Iran's enriched nuclear material, which he said remained largely intact despite U.S. strikes on three major facilities in 2025.Netanyahu and Trump speak by phone\nPresident Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke by phone on Saturday, the prime minister's office and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed.\nLeavitt said that Mr. Trump spoke with Netanyahu and had monitored the situation in the Middle East overnight from Mar-a-Lago.\nThe prime minister's office shared a photo of Netanyahu on the phone with Tim Bouverie's book \"Allies At War,\" about how the Allied Powers defeated the Axis during World War II, prominently displayed on his desk.\nHouse Democrats will discuss Iran strikes on call tomorrow, sources say\nHouse Democrats will convene tomorrow evening for a virtual caucus call to discuss the strikes on Iran, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.\nDemocrats have largely criticized the decision to strike Iran, and are calling on the Trump administration to brief Congress.\nIranian foreign minister says that Iran has \"every right\" to defend itself amid attack\nIranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Iran has \"every right\" to defend itself against what he called \"an act of aggression\" by the United States. He said Iran had \"learned lots of lessons\" from its 12-day war with Israel last summer.\nAraghchi said in an interview Saturday that Iranian forces \"may have lost one or two commanders, but that is not a big problem.\"\nHe criticized the U.S. for attacking while negotiations were underway, and said the Iranians had recently \"had a very good meeting\" in Geneva with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.\n\"I don't know why, while we were progressing in our talks and we had made good, you know, achievement and a deal was at our reach, why they decided to attack us?\" Araghchi said.\nAraghchi also dismissed President Trump's calls for regime change, saying that would be impossible \"while millions of people are supporting the so-called regime.\" He dismissed recent protests against the regime, which saw thousands of protesters in the streets before a government crackdown.\nMr. Trump said the Iranian government's crackdown\n32,000 people.Saudi Arabia says it repelled \"blatant and cowardly\" attack by Iran\nSaudi Arabia said Iran targeted its capital and its eastern region in an attack.\nThe government reported the attack in an announcement on its state-run Saudi Press Agency. It called the attack \"blatant and cowardly\" and said it was repelled.\nSaudi Arabia and Iran are longstanding rivals, but they reached a Chinese-mediated detente in 2023.\nSaudi Arabia condemned Iran's attacks earlier Saturday, saying they \"cannot be justified under any pretext or in any form and came despite the Iranian authorities' knowledge that the Kingdom had affirmed it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran.\"\nCBS/AP\nFBI teams were put on elevated alert last night, source says\nA source with direct knowledge of FBI Director Kash Patel's directive tells CBS News that Patel directed his agency's counterterrorism and counterintelligence teams to be on elevated alert last night and will remain that way as this situation unfolds.\nFrance, Germany, U.K. urge Iran to end its nuclear program and seek a \"negotiated solution\"\nThe governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom are urging Iran to end its nuclear program and to seek \"a negotiated solution.\"\nThe three countries known as the \"E3' said in a statement Saturday that they did not \"participate in these strikes,\" but are in close contact with international partners and partners in the region.\nThey called for negotiations to resume and said Iran needs to curb violence and repression against its people.\n\"Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future,\" the statement said.\nU.N. chief condemns Iran operation as emergency Security Council meeting set\nUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the \"military escalation in the Middle East\" as an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting is set to convene today.\n\"I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,\" Guterres said. \"Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability. I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table.\"\nGuterres also emphasized that members of the United Nations \"must respect their obligations under international law,\" including the U.N. charter, which prohibits \"the threat of the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.\"\nThe U.N. Security Council is set to convene at 4 p.m. Saturday at its New York City headquarters for an emergency session.\nSirens and cellphone alerts sound in Israel as people shelter\nAll U.S. Embassy employees and their family members are being directed to shelter in place, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.\nAround the country, sirens wailed and people received cellphone alerts as Iran launched retaliatory strikes, which the Israeli military says have been intercepted by their missile defense system.\nWilliam Schecter, the father of this reporter and a retired surgeon who is visiting Israel, said he heard sirens in Jerusalem and got an alert on his phone at about 8 a.m.\n\"My cellphone sent me an alert saying: The Iran military is shooting missiles, be prepared to enter a shelter in a couple of minutes. And sure enough, two minutes later you hear loud booms,\" he said.\nThe airspace above Israel is closed to all civilian flights. Commercial flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport have been canceled.\nUkraine's Zelenskyy says Iranian people have opportunity to oust \"terrorist regime\" in Tehran\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran have created an opportunity for the Iranian people to oust the \"terrorist regime\" in Tehran.\n\"It is only fair to give the Iranian people a chance to get rid of the terrorist regime, to get rid of it and guarantee the safety of all nations that have suffered from terror originating in Iran,\" Zelenskyy said Saturday in a statement on social media. \"It is important that the United States is determined. And whenever America is determined, global criminals weaken.\"\nUkraine, which has been fighting off Russia's invasion\n, has repeatedly accused Iran of providing Russia with weapons for its offensive.The Ukrainian leader said that \"although Ukrainians have never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to be Putin's accomplice.\" He claimed Russia has used more than 57,000 Shahed-type strikes, which are I\n, against Ukraine.Canada P.M. said he supports the U.S. acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon\nCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Saturday Canada was supporting the United States' actions \"to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.\"\nCarney said in a statement that the Canadian government is closely following developments in the region and urged all citizens in Iran to shelter in place.\n\"Canada's position remains clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world's worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons,\" Carney said.\nWorld leaders responded Saturday to the joint\nby the U.S. and Israel on Iran. Read more .U.K. government official says amid strikes: \"Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.\"\nA U.K. government official said Saturday that \"Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,\" amid U.S.-Israel strikes.\nThe official said in a statement to CBS News that the U.K. does not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict. The official added that as part of the United Kingdom's long-standing commitment to partners in the region, they recently bolstered their range of defensive capabilities.\n\"We stand ready to protect our interests,\" the U.K. official said.\nNYPD to increase security at \"sensitive locations\"\nThe New York City Police Department announced it is enhancing boots on the ground presence at sensitive locations today.\nThe department said it is \"closely\" monitoring events in Iran and the Middle East and coordinating with our federal and international partners.\"\n\"As is our protocol and out of an abundance of caution, we will be enhancing patrols to sensitive locations throughout the city, including diplomatic, cultural, religious, and other relevant sites,\" the NYPD said.\nU.S. Embassy in Bahrain to close due to \"ongoing missile strikes\"\nThe U.S. Embassy in Bahrain said it would close Sunday after Iranian missiles targeted parts of the country's capital, Manama, including strikes targeting the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.\n\"In light of ongoing missile strikes against Bahrain on February 28, the US Embassy in Bahrain will be closed on Sunday, March 1, 2026,\" the embassy said in a statement on X. \"We have cancelled all regular and emergency consular appointments for Sunday, March 1, 2026. We will communicate when the embassy returns to normal operations.\"\nEarlier Saturday, Bahrain's state media and a CBS News source confirmed a missile attack had targeted the Fifth Fleet headquarters.\nEyewitnesses told CBS News that at least three missiles targeted the fleet's headquarters, but there was no immediate confirmation of missiles impacting the base, or of any damage inflicted.\nMacron says conflict sparked by U.S.-Israel attacks carries \"grave consequences\"\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that the conflict sparked by the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran carried \"grave consequences\" for international peace and security.\n\"The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop,\" he wrote in a social media post. Macron said the Iranian regime must understand that there are no other options but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic programs.\n\"This is absolutely essential to the security of all in the Middle East,\" Macron said, adding that the Iranian people must be able to build their future freely.\nMarcon said France stood ready to deploy resources to its closest Middle East partners as needed.\nVideo shows air defenses launching in northern Iraq amid attacks on U.S. bases\nVideo obtained by CBS News showed interceptor rockets being fired from an installation near a U.S. military base at northern Iraq's Erbil Airport on Saturday, as Iran launched ballistic missiles at American bases across the region.\nErbil International Airport is used as a base by the U.S. military and its partners in the international coalition fighting ISIS in the region. According to local security sources in Erbil, anti-air defenses intercepted incoming rockets and drones on Saturday targeting both the base and the newly built U.S. consulate in the city.\nIt was unclear if the base in Erbil faced incoming fire from Iran or from Iranian-backed proxy militias in Iraq.\nIran claims U.S. or Israeli strike hit girls school, killing dozens\nIranian officials and its state-run media claimed Saturday that a U.S. or Israeli strike hit a girls elementary school in the country's far south, killing dozens of students. The school week begins on Saturday in Iran.\n\"The destroyed building is a primary school for girls in the south of Iran. It was bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils,\" Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post, sharing an image he said was of the aftermath of the alleged strike. \"Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone. These crimes against the Iranian People will not go unanswered.\"\nIranian state news agency IRNA cited a spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Education as saying at least 53 students were killed in the strike on the girls elementary school in the city of Minab, in Iran's Hormozgan province.\nThe semi-official Fars news agency, affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, posted a video on social media showing people screaming amid debris around a heavily damaged building said to be the school.\nCBS News has not yet been able to verify the reports or the video posted by Fars. A representative at the U.S. military's Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East, told CBS News on Saturday that it had no statement to share regarding the alleged strike on the school. CBS News was also seeking comment from the Israeli military.\nThe Associated Press said the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported strike on the school in Minab.\nIn a statement posted on social media, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused the U.S. and Israel of \"an egregious, unwarranted act of aggression against Iran by indiscriminately targeting Iranian cities,\" calling the alleged attack on the Minab school \"a blatant crime\" and urging the world and the United Nations Security Council to \"stand up to this grave injustice.\"\nRussia calls U.S.-Israel attack on Iran an \"unprovoked act of armed aggression\"\nRussia's Foreign Ministry called the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran an \"unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent U.N. member state.\"\nIn its statement on Saturday, the ministry demanded an immediate halt to the bombings, accusing the U.S. and Israel of \"hiding behind\" concerns about Iran's nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change.\nThe Russian foreign ministry said the country had stood ready to help broker a \"peaceful resolution,\" accusing the U.S. and Israel of plunging the Middle East into \"an abyss of uncontrolled escalation.\"\nCBS/AP\nOmani foreign minister who brokered U.S.-Iran talks \"dismayed,\" says strikes will not serve U.S.\nThe foreign minister of Oman, who was brokering the indirect negotiations between the Trump administration and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program up until late this week, chided the U.S. on Saturday for going on the attack amid the diplomacy.\n\"I am dismayed,\" Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a social media post. \"Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined. Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.\"\nOn Friday, just hours before the strikes,\nthat negotiators had made \"substantial progress\" toward a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, telling \"Face the Nation\" moderator Margaret Brennan that a \"peace deal is within our reach.\"He said Iran had agreed that it will \"never, ever have … nuclear material that will create a bomb,\" which he called a \"big achievement.\"\nBahrain evacuating area home to U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet after missile attack\nThe Bahrain Ministry of the Interior said Saturday that residents of a neighborhood that houses the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters would be evacuated following a targeted missile attack by Iran.\n\"The Ministry of Interior has begun evacuating citizens and residents in the Juffair area,\" the ministry said in a social media post. \"We urge your cooperation with the relevant authorities.\"\nEarlier Saturday, Bahrain's state media and a CBS News source confirmed the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters was targeted by a missile attack.\nEyewitnesses told CBS News that the fleet's headquarters was targeted by at least three missiles, but there was no immediate confirmation of missiles impacting the base, or of any damage inflicted.\nIran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said the Bahrain base was targeted by Iranian attacks.\nLebanon's prime minister vows country will not be drawn into war\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday vowed that Lebanon would not be drawn into a regional conflict.\nIn a social media post, Salam urged the Lebanese people \"to exercise wisdom and patriotism.\"\n\"We will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity,\" he said.\nThe Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah is based in Lebanon. In 2024, Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in\nthat ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.Rubio alerted some members of the \"Gang of Eight\" before Iran strikes\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to at least some members of the U.S. Congress' \"Gang of Eight\" to alert them before the strikes on Iran got underway, CBS News confirmed.\nA source familiar with the matter told CBS News that Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was one of lawmakers briefed ahead of the action. It was not clear whether Rubio was able to get in touch with all eight.\nThe Gang of Eight consists of the top four leaders in the House and Senate, along with top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate intelligence committees.\nEuropean Union calls for \"maximum restraint\"\nThe European Union called for \"maximum restraint\" on Saturday as the joint U.S-Israeli military attack on Iran sparked retaliatory strikes targeting American bases in the Middle East.\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the developments \"greatly concerning,\" as the 27-nation EU moved to withdraw non-essential personnel from the region.\n\"We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to safeguarding regional security and stability,\" she said in a joint statement with European Council President Antonio Costa. \"Ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance.\"\n\"We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law,\" the EU statement said.\nThe EU's Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea remained \"on high alert\" and stood ready to help keep the maritime corridor open, the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said, adding that she had spoken to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and \"other ministers in the region.\"\n\"Our consular network is fully engaged in facilitating departures for EU citizens. Non-essential EU personnel are being withdrawn from the region,\" Kallas said on social media. \"The latest developments across the Middle East are perilous. Iran's regime has killed thousands. Its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, along with support for terror groups, pose a serious threat to global security.\"\nPro-Iran group in Iraq says it will attack U.S. bases after airstrike kills fighters\nA militant pro-Iran group based in Iraq warned Saturday that it would start attacking U.S. bases in the Middle East in retaliation for an airstrike that it said hit one of its own bases earlier in the day, amid U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.\nThe Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, which is separate from the major\nHezbollah, based in Lebanon, said it would \"soon begin attacking American bases in response to their aggression,\" in a statement shared on social media.The Iraqi group said two of its fighters were killed Saturday in airstrikes that hit one of its bases in southern Iraq.\nThe Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, or Kata'ib Hezbollah, is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., as is the larger pro-Iranian Hezbollah group in Lebanon.\nIran's foreign ministry condemns U.S.-Israel strikes during \"diplomatic process\"\nIran's foreign ministry condemned the military strikes launched Saturday by the U.S. and Israel, calling them a \"gross violation of Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty.\"\nIn a statement posted on X, the ministry claimed the strikes had targeted defense infrastructure and civilian sites across the country and said they were carried out \"while Iran and the United States were in the midst of a diplomatic process.\"\n\"Now is the time to defend the homeland and confront the enemy's military aggression. Just as we were ready for negotiations, we have been more prepared than ever for defense,\" the statement said. \"The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond to the aggressors with authority.\"\n\"History testifies that Iranians have never surrendered to foreign aggression and hegemony; this time too, the response of the Iranian nation will be decisive and determining and will make the aggressors regret their criminal act,\" the statement said.\nIsraeli military official says strikes a response to Iran bolstering ballistic missiles\nAn Israel military official told journalists Saturday that it was working with the U.S. to carry out dozens of strikes across Iran. The official said that the choice was made to act now after intelligence indicated an acceleration of Iran's ballistic missile program.\nThe official also said Iran's government was operating, as well as acting to conceal and fortify, its nuclear program to continue to advance it, and that the objective of the offensive was to significantly reduce the capabilities of the Iranian's regime.\nIn an interview with French network TF1 posted online 10 days ago, Rafael Grossi, the director general of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, said most of after the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities in June 2025, but he said there was no indication Iran was working to develop a nuclear weapons capacity.\n\"No,\" he told TF1 when asked if the IAEA saw evidence of Iran trying to work toward a weapon, adding: \"On the contrary, I see, today, a willingness on both sides to reach an agreement.\"\n\"Most of the material that Iran had accumulated up until June of last year, despite the [U.S.] bombings and the attacks, is still there, in large quantities, where it was at the time of the strikes,\" Grossi told the French network. \"Some of it may be less accessible, but the material is still there. From a non-proliferation standpoint, the material remains. That is why there is so much interest — I would say urgency — in reaching an agreement that would prevent new military action in the region.\"\nGrossi was directly involved in the latest rounds of indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Geneva, Switzerland, last week.\nThe Israeli military official said Saturday that there were a variety of initial targets in the opening strikes, from practical ones that would create more freedom of operation to \"essential personnel,\" though the official declined to comment on who may have been targeted when asked by journalists.\nIsraeli military official says operation planned in unprecedented coordination with U.S.\nAn Israeli military official told reporters that Saturday's joint strikes with the U.S. followed weeks of extensive planning and coordination between the two countries at a level that had never been seen before.\nThe official would not put a timetable on the estimated length of the operation, saying only that it would take as long as necessary to cripple the Iranian regime's capabilities.\nThe latest assessments of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal ranged from the high hundreds to low thousands, the official said.\nThe official said, to their knowledge, Iran's counterattack on Israel had not resulted in any significant hits thus far.\nIsrael is prepared for any scenario to play out in response to the attack on Iran, including retaliation from Iran's proxies in Iraq and Syria, along with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, the official added.\nIn the past year, Iran is estimated to have spent between $700 million and $900 million on its proxies, mainly Hezbollah, the official said, adding that both Israel and the U.S. determined the cost of inaction was too heavy as the threat posed by Iran and its allied groups could have increased.\nFatality reported in Iran counterattack on Abu Dhabi\nA person was killed by shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, The Associated Press reported, citing the country's state media.\nThe fatality reported by the UAE's state-run WAM news agency was the first attributed to Iranian missile launches carried out in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.\nTrump says he wants \"freedom for the people' in Iran\nThe Washington Post reports that in a brief phone interview overnight, President Trump said he wants Iran to be a \"safe nation.\"\n\"All I want is freedom for the people,\" he told the paper. \"I want a safe nation, and that's what we're going to have.\"\nIran's supreme leader, president were targeted in Israeli strikes, source says\nA source involved in the Israeli strikes on Iran told CBS News that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and its President Masoud Pezeshkian, were among the targets of the first round of strikes.\nAccording to The Associated Press, the first strikes of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack appeared to target Khamenei's home in downtown Tehran. It wasn't immediately clear if he was there at the time, but Iranian media reports claimed both the president and Khamenei were safe.\nBy Michal Ben-Gal",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T10:08:00+00:00",
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    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Tell us: how have you been affected by the latest events in the Middle East? - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "As the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, we would like to hear how people living, working or travelling in the region have been affected.\nWhether you are in the region or impacted in other ways, please get in touch.\nPlease note that while we’d like to hear from you, your security is most important. We recognise it may not always be safe or appropriate to record or share your experiences, so please think about this when considering whether to get in touch with the Guardian.\nIP addresses will be recorded on a third-party web server, so for true anonymity, use our secure messaging service, however, anything submitted on the form below will be encrypted and confidential if you wish to continue.\nIf you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T10:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxPa1hLa1RJcTZPem1RWGwtbjVBeFpWVkI1WDZVaDc0QmdJYW1TRWdhTDhudmwxeGtoXzRVMWpjZmdxQlh0TThnUjM3TW9HUEk5LTFaYm5hUG02cDM4T0FIc1lram94Z29DdW9kSjJpc2o4U0hwcTJXVlpjR2RzY0N0dk1DWWlSaFJYRm11bUd4OW5GTmhFNWtOSXBEN3RZS3hmcnVjbE5HSnlVdV83UUVtWDhsdG44cUVYR3FuUnl1ZzlXN2laRHc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e0de8d94d680",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Tankers Avoiding Vital Hormuz Strait After US Bombs Iran - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Tankers Avoiding Vital Hormuz Strait After US Bombs Iran    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T10:23:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQZTJSMHF5aHVZRDZ1SGFsYlozaHlHVVVxYi05SUtlNFhQZHM5eW8zeXBzcnpuemVVV0ZEc3JKenFsS0JQSDZubnlZb0ZQbDhtb0FqRGd1N3R1bjRlWDB3czFBc1FEMGpLM0s1NFA0ZmduVkZHR2UxTDBPanpyZWdvSlhGMVE4U0xkaE1LemtFODZldE1OTzFXSHpQVjlFMmlKTFhkMEE1RFlBdEVhV0dHRw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_82dcd2cec4b6",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Strike on Iranian primary school kills dozens, authorities say - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Strike on Iranian primary school kills dozens, authorities say\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T10:33:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE4yMzJvcy1mRWlWb2FOX19FNXg3UmNobzhJRTA5d254azBJUDBtdDRuT3pEU012NXU1ck52OTNpZFZDQ0QwZzJoSG5USTNLcndwMUhuSkpyaUdsY0p5OTljenJFVG1JSkNNX28ta2FIang?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ac350d4a6949",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Gulf markets open in volatile trade as Iran conflict jolts region - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Volatility hit stock markets in the Gulf region as they opened for trade on Sunday, bracing for a white-knuckle ride in the short term as investors assess the risk of a protracted regime change conflict between Iran and Israel allied to the US.\nTadawul exchange in Saudi Arabia, the biggest Arab bourse, clawed back some of the earlier losses after slumping as much as 4.6 per cent at the open. and closed 2.21 per cent lower.\nArabian Drilling dropped the most in Riyadh trading, slumping more than 4 per cent, while budget carrier Flynas was down 6.92 per cent. Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil exporting company, however, gained 3.37 per cent.\nThe benchmark index of Muscat Exchange, which retreated as much as 3 per cent earlier, ended trade 1.4 per cent lower.\nThe main stocks gauge in Bahrain fell by 1 per cent.\nMost Gulf markets, however, remained closed on Sunday, with the Kuwaiti regulator suspending trade without explanation.\n\"Based on the board of commissioners of the CMA, Bourse Kuwait announces the suspension of trading effective 1/3/2006, and until further notice,” the Kuwaiti stock market said in a notice on its website.\nQatar Exchange in Doha, which hosts the biggest US military base in the region, was closed for trading on Sunday for a bank holiday.\nEquity markets in the UAE, which has faced several waves of drone and missile attacks, are closed for the weekend and are scheduled to resume trading on Monday.\n\"Iran’s continuing missile and drone strikes on GCC countries have pushed markets into uncharted territory,” Iridium Advisors said in a note on Sunday.\n\"The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and regional airspace disruptions are raising immediate questions around logistics, supply chains, and business continuity.”\nTehran has targeted US bases in the region, as well as targets in the UAE and other Arab nations, after the US and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes against Iran on Saturday.\nThe Gulf markets have resumed trading just a day after the region plunged into one of its biggest geopolitical turmoil and traders have little time to digest the events that are still unfolding at a rapid pace.\nKhaled El Khatib, chief market analyst at easyMarkets, said the UAE and Saudi Arabia's exposure to international markets make them the most susceptible to a fast and volatile market reaction.\nDubai has emerged in recent years as a global financial hub, while an economic boom in Saudi Arabia means Riyadh is becoming a destination for capital.\n“The foreign participation in the Saudi market, and the 'safe haven' title for the UAE market will make them more exposed to the short-term volatility,” he said.\nMeanwhile, Ahmed Azzam, head of market research at Equiti Group, said that Adnoc's announcement on resumption of operations without interruption “tells you what nervous investors are watching”.\n“The oil backstop matters, but it's not a magic shield,” he said.\nAll eyes on the Strait\nMuch attention has since turned towards the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil passes each day.\nIran, which sits on the northern shore of the strait, wields significant control over it and can determine how much of the world's oil exports pass.\nOn Saturday, ships were instructed to avoid passing through the strait by the Iranian Navy, according to industry operators. Bloomberg said the strait has effectively been blocked by missiles flying across the region.\nEven a 20 per cent to 30 per cent dip in Gulf exports due to transit disruptions could lead to a “severe” spikes in oil prices, Arth Malani, chief executive at Northstar Insights, said.\n“The defining variable is the Strait of Hormuz. Unlike the Red Sea, Hormuz has no alternative route, making any closure far more consequential than Houthi Red Sea disruptions,” he said.\nBrent crude prices closed at $72.48 a barrel on Friday, while West Texas intermediate crude settled at $67.02 a barrel.\nIn the worst-case scenario of a protracted blockade of the strait, analysts push crude prices to $100 a barrel or more.\nMr Malani said oil prices were anticipated to spike towards $80 a barrel in a sharp reaction to the conflict in the short term.\n\"We expect the benchmark crude grades to jump anywhere between 10 per cent to 15 per cent on Monday opening since financial markets will be quick to price in the geopolitical risk premia,” Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial said.\n\"How long the price impact will last depends on how long it takes for the war to conclude.”\nDays, weeks or months?\nThe biggest question facing Gulf stocks – as well as the region itself – is how long the conflict will last. US president Donald Trump maintained some flexibility on Saturday, telling Axios he could either “go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days”.\nHe also told the outlet he has several off-ramps, although none were outlined.\nOne belief is that, unlike the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this year or the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani, the latest military campaign by Mr Trump could last weeks or even months.\nThe impact on Gulf economies will be varied, while there could be a \"fiscal boost due to strong crude prices for Saudi Arabia, Qatar in particular and for all of the Gulf, there is likely to be an impact on trade and tourism”, Mr Valecha said.\nAlready Dubai Airports suspended all flight operations until further notice while global airlines suspended their flights across the region.\n“You may get brief windows of opportunity during ceasefires or when things are a bit quiet, but … this is very, very disruptive,” said Stephen Fallon, founder of DBM Consulting.\n“The UAE relies on the ability and the frictionless movement of people and goods. This is really bad for states like the UAE, because this is sort of the necessary oxygen to their economic model,” he said.\nIranian leadership ceding to Mr Trump's calls for an unconditional surrender, or a potential coup and restart in negotiations between the two countries could deliver a rapid end to the conflict. Mr Fallon said such scenarios are “unlikely”, adding that the conflict could last for months.\nShould it drag on, Mr Azzam said the story would shift from headline volatility to financing an operating costs.\nThis would lead to higher war-risk insurance and higher shipping costs, while tighter funding conditions could spill into earnings, credit quality and investment decisions.\n“The longer uncertainty persists, the greater the risk of FDI hesitation, slower non-oil activity, and higher hedging costs … because businesses start planning around disruption rather than treating it as a one-off shock,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T10:39:22+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_cf6a353959a5",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Global reaction to the killing of Iran's Khamenei - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Global reaction to the killing of Iran's Khamenei    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T10:51:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPM3hhUEhWQWdTYlpVZHg4dzFESkVLN2FHdTZudzE2ai1NWWw0RTR0cjE5N195S2hiLU5ZYm16M1lqbzd2RHItemhmOWEzRE9pa20wdkI5bFZLOEFNQ0F2WXE2eFNzYTJGbmh2ZDk5UWJCX2Nrd0Vqa25xcmFZVFZkUnlVVWh3VTM5NG5pSmFRTjBLZ3AyZWY0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_92a9360c2f27",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "North Korea says Israeli attacks and US military operation against Iran are 'illegal aggression' - Reuters",
    "body_text": "North Korea says Israeli attacks and US military operation against Iran are 'illegal aggression'    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T10:56:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxPMWh6cHJoSlhScmEyT3UtTi1KSTNfSTlXaGN4SjRnUmltbHJsMmFlcFR2TEg1Q09KZUZrTDI5WEMzaG0wRHMxS1pITnlzc2h2MmZQT00yUlNtcXF4MmNhMGp0aFE1OHRMU0ozdnZTclp5VXBoc1dQN3p4dUZEb2xPVEdMVDZBNV9RbGhfRGotb21xaUJadmJGOXpLUDZ0RXZqWFB5VVRrQVRBNExMQUlPT2ZLejNlbzhseWhmRFhKU3ZyeFpQNmlNbDF2dkFvUUk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e2c19ef717b1",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "From hostage crisis to assassination plots: Iran’s near half-century war on Americans - Fox News",
    "body_text": "After radical students overthrew Iran's shah in 1979 and took hostages in the U.S. embassy, the Middle Eastern nation became a strident and blood-soaked adversary of what its new Islamic fundamentalist dictatorship has long called the \"Great Satan.\"\nSince then, Tehran has sponsored terrorism around the globe, including targeting the U.S. in multiple, high-profile instances. Former Reagan Justice Department chief of staff Mark Levin said Sunday there are at least 44 examples of Iran targeting Americans either directly or indirectly.\n\"The Iranian-Nazi regime… [has] murdered more than 1,000 Americans [and] relentlessly pursued nuclear weapons to use against us — they are genocidal warmongers,\" said Levin, an author, attorney and Fox News Channel host.\nThe stage for Iran's transformation from ally to enemy of the U.S. was set in the 1960s, when Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi began clashing with influential Islamic cleric Ruhollah Khomeini. The monarch infuriated the theocrat by liberalizing the national constitution to allow faiths other than Islam to be sworn into office on holy books of their choice.\nKhomeini’s rhetoric from France, where he was exiled, intensified during the period known as the White Revolution, including misogynistic and xenophobic sermons and demands that Pahlavi be ousted.\nEarly aggression toward the US\nWith Pahlavi as a U.S.-aligned leader, this marked an early instance of antagonism by proxy. As protests engineered by Khomeini broke out in fall 1978, the shah declared martial law, and military police fired on a massive crowd of protesters.\nPahlavi and Empress Farah Pahlavi soon fled on a \"vacation\" to Egypt but never returned. By February 1979, Khomeini returned to Tehran with significant sectarian support.\nFailed Carter strategy develops into hostage crisis\nCarter national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski — the father of \"Morning Joe\" host Mika Brzezinski — coined the term \"arc of crisis\" and advanced an ultimately failed \"Green Belt\" strategy that supported an arc of largely unstable but fundamentalist regimes across the Middle East that were also viewed as oppositional to the Soviet Union.\nBrzezinski’s envisioned buffer strategy soon collapsed when Khomeini proved to be just as anti-American as anti-Soviet.\nIn October 1979, after months of debate over whether to admit him to the U.S. amid the new turmoil in Iran, President Jimmy Carter relented and permitted the cancer-stricken shah to seek medical care in New York.\nThat November, the group \"Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line\" stormed the U.S. embassy, beginning 444 days of captivity for 52 American hostages.\nThe U.S. severed diplomatic ties the following April, and one rescue mission failed and left several U.S. service members dead. The shah died that summer in Egypt, leaving Khomeini in full control of the government.\nIn what was seen as the final offense to Carter, Iran suddenly released the hostages minutes into President Ronald Reagan’s administration on Jan. 20, 1981.\nLebanon hostage crisis\nOn July 5, 1982, the years-long saga known as the Lebanon hostage crisis began with the systematic abductions of foreigners, including Americans, by Hezbollah and Iranian proxies in the Mideast country, according to United Against a Nuclear Iran.\nThat group, founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Ambassador Mark Wallace, maintains a comprehensive history of Iranian aggression on its website and is a nonpartisan policy organization formed to combat the threats posed by the Islamic Republic.\nDuring the Lebanon hostage crisis, several victims spent years imprisoned by Hezbollah, where they were forced to undergo psychological and medical torture, including CIA Beirut Station Chief William Buckley, who was not related to the National Review founder of the same name.\nBuckley was tortured for months by Dr. Aziz al-Abub, a Lebanese Hezbollah psychiatrist and medical expert who reportedly forced him to take phenothiazines and experimented on him to induce interrogation and make an example of him to the West.\nBuckley reportedly died in custody amid these experiments on June 3, 1985.\nThe CIA later memorialized him on its wall in Langley, Virginia, and Obama-era Director John Brennan said in a 2014 statement that \"we remember Bill not for the manner in which he died but for the legacy he left behind. From his time as an Army lieutenant colonel to his tenure with the Agency, Bill inspired those around him to do great things despite often dangerous conditions.\"\nThe agency later caught up with the figurehead of the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Jihad terrorist group — carrying out what the Washington Institute described as a rare contemporary CIA assassination nearly 25 years later.\nImad Mughniyeh’s group had announced Buckley’s execution in October 1985, but the actual date was determined later, with allegations that he died not from execution but from the side effects of the medical torture he endured. Former hostage David Jacobsen told the institute that Buckley was often sick and delirious in his cell and ultimately died \"drowning in his own lung fluids\" after a bout of torture.\nDavid Dodge, then-president of the American University in Beirut, was also kidnapped for about a year, and U.S. journalist Terry Anderson was held in captivity for more than six years.\nReagan-era bombings and murders of American servicemembers\nOn April 18, 1983, an Iran-backed group seen as the predecessor to today’s Lebanese Hezbollah bombed the U.S. embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans.\nThat October, a suicide truck bomb linked to Iran hit a U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 service members, in what remains the deadliest single day for the Corps since Iwo Jima.\nAccording to the MEMRI translation of Khomeini's representative to Lebanon, Sayyed Issa Tabatabai’s interview with the IRNA: \"I quickly went to Lebanon and provided what was needed in order to [carry out] martyrdom operations in the place where the Americans and Israelis were.\"\nHe added, \"The efforts to establish [Hezbollah] started in [Lebanon's] Baalbek area, where members of [Iran's] Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) arrived. I had no part in establishing the [political] party [Hezbollah], but God made it possible for me to continue the military activity with the group that had cooperated with us prior to the [Islamic] Revolution's victory.\"\nThe MEMRI report continued, \"It is noteworthy that the part of the interview in which Tabatabai acknowledged receiving Khomeini's fatwa ordering attacks on American and Israeli targets in Lebanon was removed by IRNA from its website shortly after publication. This is apparently because no official representative of Khomeini, the father of the Islamic Republic, or of Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, had ever said that Iran had any involvement in ordering, planning and carrying out the massive bombings in Lebanon against U.S.\"\nIn 1985, Iran-backed Hezbollah hijacked Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 847 as it departed Athens. The hijackers collected IDs from the passengers and singled out U.S. Navy Seabee Robert Stethem of Waldorf, Maryland, mistaking him for a Marine and blaming him for involvement in the Lebanese civil war.\nThe hijackers tortured Stethem as they flew to Beirut before shooting him dead, dumping him on the tarmac, and shooting him again.\nOperation Praying Mantis\nIn 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine in the Persian Gulf and nearly sank. The Roberts had been escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers as a protective measure.\nAfter the mines were matched to the Iranian ship Ajr, which had been captured by the Americans earlier that year, President Ronald Reagan sprang into retaliatory action.\nReagan’s operation destroyed two oil platforms reportedly used as Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) surveillance structures, leading Iran to begin attacking nonmilitary targets.\nThe mission also claimed two other Iranian ships and was considered the largest naval surface engagement since World War II.\nTwo Americans died in a helicopter crash during the operation, while dozens of Iranian officers were killed.\nClinton-Bush-Obama era; 9/11\nThe FBI linked a 1996 attack on an American military housing complex in Saudi Arabia to another Iranian-backed terrorist group.\nHezbollah al-Hejaz was blamed for the Khobar Towers bombing in June of that year, which killed 19 U.S. service members.\nIn the aftermath of al Qaeda’s 2000 attack on the USS Cole destroyer in Aden, Yemen, American courts found Iran indirectly liable in that it provided support for the terrorists – in part by letting them be trained in Tehran-linked Hezbollah bases in Lebanon.\nIn 2015, FISA Judge Rudolph Contreras found Iran and Sudan liable, and during the Biden administration. Sudan agreed to settle claims of murdered sailors’ families.\nAfter 9/11, when the U.S. went to war in Iraq, Iran and its proxies were suspected of causing a large portion of American casualties by supplying land mines to the Iraqi Shia insurgents. In 2019, the Department of Defense officially raised its estimate to more than 600 troop casualties directly tied to Iran or its proxies, meaning one in six Iraq War losses were caused by Tehran.\nNavy Cmdr. Sean Robertson told the Army Times at the time that \"these [American] casualties were the result of explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), other improvised explosive devices (IEDs), improvised rocket-assisted munitions (IRAMs), rockets, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), small arms, sniper fire, and other attacks in Iraq.\"\nDuring his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump ordered a strike on the IRGC, killing its legendary commander, Qassem Soleimani.\nWhile Iran was not directly implicated as having specific knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, it was found to be complicit in facilitating the planned terrorism.\nThe report, led by former New Jersey Republican Gov. Tom Kean Sr., found a \"persistence of contacts\" between Iranian officials and al Qaeda.\nChapter 7 of the report found that Iran at least knew that the terrorists being trained by Hezbollah were going to act against the U.S. and/or Israel. The findings thereby blew apart critics’ claims that the Sunni terror group could not get along with its religious archenemy, the Shia who ran Iran.\nTehran border patrol officials also did not stamp passports of al Qaeda operatives traveling around the region, as the marking would have been flagged upon application for any U.S. visa.\nRobert Levinson, a retired FBI agent and private investigator, disappeared from an Iranian island in 2007. Levinson was held hostage and was declared dead in 2020, when he was said to have died in Iranian custody.\nLevinson's family received proof-of-life in 2010 and 2011 through a minute-long video and several photos showing Levinson in a haggard condition pleading for help.\nIn 2020, the Trump administration identified Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai – two Iranian intel officers accused of Levinson's abduction from Kish Island years prior – leading then-FBI Director Christopher Wray to announce in a statement that Iran pledged to assist in Levinson's return but never did, according to the Sun Sentinel.\n\"The truth is that Iranian intelligence officers — with the approval of senior Iranian officials — were involved in Bob’s abduction and detention. We will never waver from our commitment to find out more about Bob’s long captivity, to give the Levinson family the answers they deserve, and to finally bring Bob home.\"\nIn 2025, the State Department sanctioned three Iranian intelligence service entities, citing a Biden-era executive order: \"Bolstering Efforts To Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home,\" and incorporating then-New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez' \"Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostagetaking Accountability Act.\"\nIn a statement to Fox News Digital, the Levinson family reacted to Saturday's mission that took out the Ayatollah and crippled the Iranian regime:\n\"For nearly 19 years, Iran has lied, obstructed, and refused to answer for the kidnapping, detention, and death of our father, Robert Levinson. He was taken by Iranian officials in 2007, held for years without basic human rights, denied contact with his family, and never returned home.\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei led the regime responsible for these crimes. His death does not erase what Iran did to our father, and it does not end our fight for accountability. But it is a significant moment for our family and for every family that has suffered at the hands of this regime’s hostage-taking and wrongful detention.\nWe are grateful to President Trump and Secretary Rubio for using the power of the United States to confront Iran and to hold it accountable, including by recognizing and addressing Iran’s long-standing practice of wrongful detention.\nWORLD LEADERS SPLIT OVER MILITARY ACTION AS US-ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN IN COORDINATED OPERATION\nAt the same time, our hearts are with the Iranian people as they continue their struggle for freedom, dignity, and a future free from the repression of this regime.\nNow Iran must do what it has refused to do for nearly two decades: provide full accountability for what happened to our father, return his remains to our family, and disclose the truth about his kidnapping, imprisonment, and death.\nOur family will not stop demanding the truth. And we will not stop demanding justice,\" the family concluded.\nIn 2016, hackers linked to the IRGC were indicted by the Justice Department – including one 34-year-old Iranian national who allegedly gained access to the controls of a major dam in Rye Brook, New York, near the confluence of Interstate 287 and the New England Thruway.\nIn 2011, the U.S. also foiled an IRGC plot targeting the homeland, in which a District of Columbia restaurant was to be bombed to kill Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Adel al-Jubeir.\nIranian-born U.S. citizen Manssoor Arbabsiar and Quds Force member Gholam Shakuri were charged in the incident. Arbabsiar was arrested at New York's JFK Airport and Shakuri remains at large.\nA confidential federal source met with Arbabsiar in Mexico that July, where the suspect agreed to pay $100,000 toward a $1.5 million bounty placed on al-Jubeir, according to the Justice Department.\nThen-FBI Director Robert Mueller said at the time that the arrests depicted the U.S. \"increased ability… to bring together the intelligence and law enforcement resources necessary to better identify and disrupt those threats, regardless of their origin.\"\nBiden era\nBy 2020, Iran was blamed for several recent attacks on commercial oil tankers, and after Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dispatched ballistic missiles at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.\nSeveral dozen U.S. troops were wounded.\nAfter Hamas militants massacred Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah launched about 180 attacks on Western forces in the region, including a drone strike on a base in Jordan that killed three Americans.\nTrump era: Assassination plot on the president\nAfter an Afghan-born Iranian proxy and two American men were charged with allegedly trying to hunt down and assassinate an Iranian-born American critic of the ayatollah’s regime, the Justice Department disclosed that Trump was also the subject of a similar assassination plot.\nFarhad Shakeri, who had spent 14 years in a New York state prison for robbery and made U.S. contacts to create a \"network of criminal associates\" to \"supply the IRGC with operatives\" domestically, was allegedly seeking to kill Masih Alinejad — a journalist who often appears on Fox News Channel.\nShakeri remained at large, likely in Iran, as of 2024, but his American counterparts were put on trial in Brooklyn.\nJonathon Loadholt of Staten Island and Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn allegedly \"were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime,\" according to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.\n\"We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security,\" Garland said, as the criminal complaint suggested Shakeri and Rivera first met while serving time.\nThe two men stalked Alinejad and were also accused of rotating plates on Loadholt’s car to avoid suspicion, while then-FBI Director Christopher Wray mentioned Trump as another target of an Iranian plot in a related statement on the Alinejad case.\nShakeri reportedly spoke to the FBI voluntarily from Iran, where he disclosed efforts to assassinate Trump, according to The New York Times.\nShakeri said he was told to create a plan to kill Trump after an IRGC meeting that October and that, if he could not, the assumption from the militia was that Trump would lose to Kamala Harris and be \"easier to assassinate\" while out of office.\n\"Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, their deadly schemes were disrupted. We're committed to using the full resources of the FBI to protect our citizens from Iran or any other adversary who targets Americans,\" Wray said in a statement at the time.\nTrump has since warned Iran repeatedly to back down, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth overseeing 2025 airstrikes on nuclear facilities, and the administration ultimately taking what it described as long-term military action to force regime change.\n\"Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,\" Trump said Saturday.\nFox News Digital's Benjamin Weinthal and Beth Bailey contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T11:00:34+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_8c4da25b8fc8",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Sustained war with Iran could drain US missile stockpiles, test escalation control - Fox News",
    "body_text": "As coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran continue, current and former defense officials say that while a limited strike lasting several days is feasible, sustaining a broader confrontation — one involving potentially hundreds of incoming missiles — is far more complicated.\nThe U.S. and Israel undertook a mission known as Operation Epic Fury, targeting Iranian leadership and military sites Saturday. Its duration is still unclear, but the campaign may go on for days, according to U.S. officials.\nSustaining operations beyond the initial window presents a more complex challenge — one shaped by a \"zero-sum\" competition for missile defense inventories between the Middle East and Europe.\nOfficials and analysts warn that certain U.S. missile and air-defense interceptor inventories have been severely drawn down by the relentless pace of recent operations. The strategic dilemma for the Pentagon is that the systems required to shield U.S. bases from Iranian retaliation are the same ones being depleted by the defense of Ukraine and the ongoing protection of Israel.\nIran already has fired counterattacks near U.S. positions in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, with several host governments saying their air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles. No U.S. service member fatalities or injuries have been reported as of Saturday, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital.\nU.S. authorities have not publicly released casualty figures or formal damage assessments.\nDuring the intense June 2025 Iran–Israel conflict, U.S. forces fired more than 150 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Interceptors — roughly a quarter of the total global inventory — and a large number of ship-based standard missiles to protect allies, according to published defense assessments.\nThis shortfall largely is attributed to the dual pressure of supplying Ukraine against Russian cruise missiles and the surge of batteries to the Middle East. Replenishing these high-end systems can take more than a year, analysts say, because production lines are optimized for peacetime and cannot be surged overnight.\nIndependent groups have noted the U.S. currently produces roughly 600–650 Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles annually, reflecting recent contracts to boost production capacity. Analysts say that in a high-intensity war with a near-peer adversary like Iran — where multiple interceptors are often used to defeat a single incoming missile — even a year’s worth of production could be consumed in a matter of weeks, especially after recent drawdowns in Ukraine and the Middle East.\n\"The Department of War has everything it needs to execute any mission at the time and place of the president’s choosing and on any timeline,\" Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in response to readiness questions.\nRetired Air Force Gen. Charles Wald, former deputy commander of U.S. European Command, said the United States retains the ability to surge conventional strike munitions into the region and draw from prepositioned stocks if a campaign is ordered.\n\"From a conventional munition standpoint, we can always fly in more weapons from around the world,\" Wald told Fox News Digital. \"There are a lot of weapons stored there with this type of mission in mind.\"\nThe greater concern, he acknowledged, lies on the defensive side.\n\"The issue will be defensive weapons — Patriot, SM-3, and the Arrow system in Israel,\" Wald said. \"You can never have enough defense.\"\nRegional analysts caution that in a sustained missile exchange, interceptor inventories — not offensive strike weapons — could become the binding constraint.\n\"There is a limit to how many THAAD missiles can be used,\" Israeli defense analyst Ehud Eilam said. \"These are not systems you can reproduce overnight.\"\nIran is believed to possess between 1,500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 ballistic missiles, as well as drones and shorter-range rockets capable of striking U.S. bases and Gulf energy infrastructure.\nSeveral experts also pointed to the psychological impact of recent U.S. operations.\nThe swift Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela in January 2026 and summer 2025's 12-day exchange with Iran have reinforced confidence in American military capability. However, one former defense official cautioned that success in these tightly scoped missions can create a false sense of momentum toward action in far more complex scenarios.\n\"Iran is a very different problem,\" the official said — a large, heavily armed state with extensive missile forces and regional proxy networks that would not resemble a short, surgical operation.\nWald acknowledged that risk.\n\"You don’t want to get people so confident that you don’t consider the risks. It’s not going to be as clean or pure as, say, Venezuela was, or the 12-day war.\"\nEven as the strikes continue, officials warn that retaliation from Iran and its network of allied militias could broaden the conflict. Iran’s ballistic missiles and drones — coupled with allied groups in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen — already have prompted missile salvos against U.S. bases and Gulf partners, according to defense reporting.\nExperts say the 2025 conflict underscored how quickly escalation can test both defensive systems and political will.\n\"Once these things break, you own what follows,\" one former official said, underscoring the risk that missiles and proxy actions could quickly widen a limited U.S. strike.\nWald warned that even a successful military phase would not eliminate the political uncertainty.\n\"Bombing Iran is not going to do regime change,\" he said, emphasizing that air power can degrade capability but cannot guarantee a stable political outcome.\nBeyond the immediate exchange, officials say the economic consequences could prove just as consequential. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply transits the Strait of Hormuz, and even limited disruption could send global energy markets sharply higher.\nFor Washington, the strategic calculus extends beyond the Middle East. China remains the primary long-term competitor, with the war in Ukraine already consuming significant resources.\nA sustained regional conflict would draw on naval assets and air-defense systems that planners must also consider for potential future contingencies in Taiwan or North Korea.\nOfficials familiar with internal deliberations say President Donald Trump has sought a high degree of confidence in how an Iran contingency would unfold — a standard that becomes harder to meet in scenarios involving escalation and political fallout.\nFox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T11:00:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5fcbb8d07dee",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Russia condemns US-Israel strikes on Iran as ‘unprovoked act of armed aggression’ - AP News",
    "body_text": "Russia condemns US-Israel strikes on Iran as ‘unprovoked act of armed aggression’\nRussia condemns US-Israel strikes on Iran as ‘unprovoked act of armed aggression’\nRussia on Saturday condemned the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as “a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent U.N. member state,” demanding an immediate halt to the military campaign and a return to diplomacy.\nIn a statement posted to Telegram, the Foreign Ministry accused “Washington and Tel Aviv” of “hiding behind” concerns about Iran’s nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change.\nIt warned the attacks risked triggering a “humanitarian, economic and possibly radiological catastrophe” in the region and accused the U.S. and Israel of “plunging the Middle East into an abyss of uncontrolled escalation.”\nRussia has emerged as a key trade partner and supplier of weapons and technologies for Iran, which has faced bruising international sanctions. Though Russia’s Foreign Ministry was quick to condemn the U.S.-Israeli attacks, the Kremlin will likely carefully assess its response following a recent warming of ties between Moscow and Washington.\nRussian President Vladimir Putin has praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to mediate an end to the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Washington have discussed ways to revive their economic ties.\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. Araghchi briefed Lavrov on Iran’s attempts to repel the attacks and said Iran would seek to convene an urgent U.N. Security Council session, it said. Lavrov reiterated Russia’s condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli strikes and Moscow’s readiness to help broker peace.\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin discussed the situation in Iran with Russia’s Security Council via videoconference, but did not give details.\nIn the Foreign Ministry statement, Moscow called the bombing of nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards “unacceptable” and said it stood ready to help broker a peaceful resolution, while placing full responsibility for the escalation on the United States and Israel.\n“Responsibility for the negative consequences of this manmade crisis, including an unpredictable chain reaction and spiraling violence, lies entirely with them,” the statement said.\nRussia’s Foreign Ministry also condemned what it called “the serial nature of destabilizing attacks carried out by the U.S. administration,” accusing the U.S. of attacking “the international legal pillars of the world order.”\nRussia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran.\nIranian forces and Russian sailors conducted annual drills in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean last week aimed at “upgrading operational coordination as well as exchange of military experiences,” Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.\nPutin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed a broad cooperation pact in January last year as their countries deepened their partnership in the face of stinging Western sanctions.\nThe West alleges that in 2022, Russia and Iran signed a $1.7 billion deal for Shahed drones after Putin sent troops into Ukraine, and the U.S. also believes Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles, but neither Moscow nor Tehran ever acknowledged the actions.\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced support for the strikes on Iran, calling it “an accomplice of Putin” for supplying Moscow with Shahed drones and the technology to produce them and other weapons during its four-year war against Ukraine.\nRussia and Iran also pooled their efforts to shore up Bashar Assad’s government during Syria’s civil war, but failed to prevent his downfall after a lightning offensive by the opposition. Assad and his family fled to Russia.\nSome observers in Moscow argue that the focus on the confrontation between Israel and Iran could distract global attention from the war in Ukraine and play into Russia’s hands by potentially weakening Western support for Kyiv.\n___\nThis story was first published on Feb. 28, 2026. It was updated on March 2, 2026, to make clear that the Russian statement on the strikes itself used Tel Aviv as a stand-in for Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T11:04:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiAFBVV95cUxPNnIzQkRydkdmVXJuSGNkeFZCUHNFV2p1UDA5eFBzWFhiVGVRSVBFM3RwR1ZWV3RnSDdNcEM2ei1XUTcyTHVrcnlyMElpeUUyUmVnN1RjRzlfaFVPZWhURFdQMF9EZDBBb3A3NkJWSGVRb1ZzcXNXdHNLa0ttTXphbnhqSWdEZWRn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8292d6553c9f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "3 American troops killed, and Trump says more 'likely,' in war against Iran - NPR",
    "body_text": "3 American troops killed, and Trump says more 'likely,' in war against Iran\nAMMAN, Jordan and WASHINGTON — President Trump said more U.S. service members will likely be killed in the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, after the Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that three U.S. service members were killed and at least five were seriously wounded.\nIn an address posted online Sunday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. grieves for the service members killed, calling them \"true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.\"\n\"And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends, that's the way it is,\" Trump said in the address posted on Truth Social. Speaking behind a podium with the presidential seal, he said America would avenge their deaths, accusing Iran of waging war \"against civilization.\"\nU.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the U.S. casualties on Sunday, the first American casualties since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Saturday.\nA U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that the troops who were killed were ground-based forces stationed in Kuwait. The U.S. military said several other service members were returning to duty after sustaining what it called \"minor shrapnel injuries and concussions.\"\nAs the U.S. military detailed the scope of its operation, \"Epic Fury,\" Central Command said Sunday it had struck an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette, a small warship, and that the ship was sinking at a pier at an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.\nIn a separate post, the military said U.S. B-2 stealth bombers, armed with 2,000-lb bombs, struck Iran's ballistic missile facilities on Saturday night. Over 1,000 targets have been struck, according to CENTCOM.\nTrump also said earlier that U.S. forces had sunk nine Iranian naval ships and \"largely destroyed\" Iran's naval headquarters. U.S. Central Command would not confirm the claim.\nStill, Trump warned more attacks were coming. \"We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also!\" Trump wrote on Truth Social.\nThe latest military updates came as the war's scope widened across the region. Israel launched a fresh wave of attacks in Iran Sunday, with explosions heard in the Iranian capital. Israel's military said it is striking targets belonging to \"the Iranian terror regime\" located \"in the heart of Tehran.\" The Israeli Air Force said it conducted large-scale strikes to establish air superiority and \"pave the path to Tehran.\"\nIranian state media Saturday confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in air strikes targeting his office in Tehran. An Iran state broadcaster delivered the news in tears. Khamenei assumed the position of spiritual leader after the death in 1989 of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — leader of Iran's Islamic revolution.\nOn Sunday, Israel's military said it carried out a \"precise, large-scale operation\" targeting Khamenei at what it described as a central leadership compound in the heart of Tehran.\nIran appoints temporary leadership council\nIran said it had established a three-person temporary leadership council to govern the country under Islamic law before a panel of Shia clerics chooses a new supreme leader.\nTrump said new potential leadership in Iran has also indicated they want to talk, and he plans to talk to them eventually, a senior White House official told NPR, without specifying any timeline.\nIran Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told NPR's All Things Considered on Sunday that 158 students were killed at an elementary school in Minab, in southern Iran. \"Some of them are still under the rubble. Today, they hit hospitals in the center of Tehran,\" Baghaei told NPR.\nIran blames Israel for the strike. The Israeli military told reporters it is not aware of its forces operating in the area of the school strike Saturday. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesperson, told NPR late Saturday, that the U.S. was aware of reports of civilian harm and said it was \"looking into them.\"\n\"The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm. Unlike Iran, we have never — and will never — target civilians,\" Hawkins said.\nOn Sunday, mourners packed Tehran's Enghelab Square and public spaces in other cities to mark what they consider Khamenei's martyrdom. In the southwestern city of Yasuj, videos posted to social media showed a large crowd chanting \"the lion of God has been killed.\" NPR could not independently verify the footage.\nA Tehran resident, who asked to be identified only as Roxana for fear of regime retaliation, said some people who had taken part in past protests celebrated Khamenei's death — but she said a friend was later shot in his back and his leg by security forces as young people danced in the street.\nShe added that her friend could not go to hospital in fear of arrest.\nMiddle East region on high alert\nAcross the region, security tightened and air defenses went on alert.\nIn Iraq, where Iran-backed paramilitaries are part of official government security forces, the government blocked entrances to Baghdad's green zone to protect the U.S. and other embassies based there. They deployed riot police against a group of militia members trying to breach the barricades.\nIn Jordan, which hosts major U.S. military bases, residents reported air raid sirens and the thud of missiles being intercepted.\nThe oil-rich Gulf, long seen as a safe haven for expatriates and the economic engine for countries that provide most of its skilled and unskilled labor, faced perhaps the biggest shocks.\nIran on Saturday and Sunday targeted luxury hotels and high-rise apartments believed to house U.S. personnel. Instead of the usual flood of social influencer posts basking in the winter sunshine of Dubai and its neighboring emirates, videos of drones striking high-rise buildings dominated social media feeds. Some images showed smoke filling part of the concourse of Dubai's airport as staff fled the building.\nThe attacks shut down several major airport hubs in the Middle East, including Dubai's international airport, one of the world's busiest. The airport and the emirate's famed Burj Al Arab hotel were damaged in Iranian attacks. Other projectiles also hit airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.\nIran vows to fight \"foreign aggression, foreign domination\"\nIran Sunday threatened its biggest wave of attacks yet on Israel and U.S. military bases. It also reiterated threats to attack shipping and announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz.\n\"There will be no mercy or forgiveness in taking revenge for the leader,\" the Iranian ministry of defense said in a statement.\nEsmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, told NPR on Sunday that Iran will continue to fight \"foreign aggression, foreign domination.\"\n\"This is an unjust war imposed on our nation. And we have no other choice other than fighting against this injustice,\" Baghaei said.\nAsked about the death of U.S. military personnel, Baghaei said: \"We have no problem with the American people. And we believe that this is not their war. This is the U.S. administration's war of choice.\"\nIn Israel Sunday, at least nine people were been killed and others wounded in an Iranian missile attack near Jerusalem, according to Israeli officials.\nThe OPEC group of oil producing countries was set to meet Sunday to decide on increasing production, hoping to avoid a severe rise in oil prices if supplies from the Gulf are restricted by the conflict.\nTrump warned Iran against further retaliation, writing that if Iran escalated, the U.S. would respond with \"a force that has never been seen before.\" Trump also told CNBC Sunday military operations in Iran were \"ahead of schedule.\"\n\"We're doing our job not just for us but for the world. And everything is ahead of schedule,\" Trump said.\nDaniel Estrin contributed to this report from Tel Aviv. Carrie Kahn contributed to this report from Istanbul.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T11:21:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiekFVX3lxTE1YTW83RGlxdnc1cnljdmktS1oyNUxnQ0loRE1rZFNsTXpYVHpraGRQX0lSdUl4OXZQcWEzcF9vRl91dTVtRV9XNVlDUmg3WC1uaTdpeW5NQXM0V0FkSTV6SloxSndaTDEwTWdIRU5SWVlXMzJQa1M1U2pR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e263d8ea6d91",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "With Khamenei's killing, US-Iran relations have crossed a threshold. What next? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "With Khamenei's killing, US-Iran relations have crossed a threshold. What next?\nUS President Donald Trump’s description of the US-Israeli attack on Iran on Saturday as a \"regime change war\" now fits the situation.\nThe assassination of Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, marks a shift from pressure tactics to deep structural destabilisation. The conflict has gone beyond signalling or psychological warfare.\nTargeting the highest political and religious leader in Iran is a clear escalation toward destabilising the system.\nPolitical rhetoric during wartime typically serves several functions: signalling resolve; shaping public perception; and exerting pressure on the adversary. However, following the assassination of the central pillar of the Iranian system, rhetoric now corresponds directly with operational reality.\nThe previous ambiguity has been eliminated.\nA key question\nRegime change can’t happen through symbolic bombings alone. It requires ongoing pressure on the political, security and economic foundations that uphold the system.\nThe targeting of the supreme leader indicates that this campaign aims to disrupt the continuity of governance, rather than solely degrade Iran's military infrastructure.\nThe key question now isn’t whether regime change is the goal, but if removing the leadership will cause the system to collapse.\nIn the past, killing leaders in well-established systems rarely led to instant collapse. Outside military pressure often strengthens internal unity instead of breaking it.\nIran’s political system is complex, security-focused and built to resist external threats. If Tehran sees the assassination as a fight for survival, it will prioritise mobilising over negotiating.\nIn that case, survival comes before diplomacy.\nReports that Iran is still launching coordinated missile attacks show its command and control systems are working. A country that can mount retaliatory strikes after losing its top leader is not disorganised.\nRemoving leadership doesn’t always cause paralysis; it can actually strengthen determination.\nThis makes a short war less likely. Once killing leaders becomes part of the battle plan, neither side can back down without seeming to lose.\nA fight for survival?\nRegarding negotiations, the assassination seriously weakens the case for coercive diplomacy. Economic pressure and US sanctions didn’t stop Iran’s missile programme. Indirect conflict didn’t change its regional stance.\nRemoving leadership doesn’t always cause paralysis; it can actually strengthen determination\nNow, direct military action has escalated to targeting leaders. At this point, war is no longer just a tool but a deep structural conflict unless Trump is happy to capitalise on the assassination of Ali Khamenei and asks for a ceasefire.\nAfter all, the initiative of war and peace is in his hands.\nCoercive diplomacy works only if the opponent believes they can survive by negotiating. When survival is at stake, resistance replaces capitulation.\nLebanon is the most immediate hotspot. Hezbollah’s decision-making changes drastically after the supreme leader’s assassination. The bar for intervention drops when the conflict is seen as a fight for survival.\nIf Hezbollah fully joins, it will try to change Israel’s rules of engagement and stop the ongoing pressure on Lebanon.\nThis would open a second front and greatly expand the war. Lebanon, already fragile economically, would suffer severe damage. Its infrastructure, banks and energy systems can’t handle another big military conflict.\nThe Gulf region poses a similar risk.\nA historic threshold\nUS bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were heavily targeted in Iran’s retaliation, which will affect the world economy.\nFurthermore, any small missile exchanges near Gulf waters might threaten energy facilities and shipping routes. The Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy passage, is especially important.\nOngoing disruption there would quickly affect oil prices, shipping insurance and global supply chains.\nA prolonged conflict exposes them to retaliation without corresponding strategic benefits. Energy markets would respond sharply, with oil prices increasing, currency fluctuations intensifying and capital migrating toward safer assets.\nThe wider Middle Eastern economy would face a serious strain. This goes beyond physical damage to affect investor confidence, government risk, trade, infrastructure security and financial stability.\nA long conflict, especially one with the killing of leaders, creates uncertainty that markets struggle to measure.\nIn short, the assassination of Khamenei removes any doubt about the intent.\nThis goes beyond heated words and marks a deep conflict focused on keeping the Iranian state intact.\nWhile system collapse is still uncertain, this makes a quick de-escalation much less likely.\nWhen a conflict is framed as existential and leadership elimination becomes normalised, wars seldom remain limited. The escalation ladder steepens, and opportunities for withdrawal diminish.\nThe pertinent question is no longer whether this constitutes hyperbole, but rather how far both parties are willing to advance in a conflict that has already crossed a historic threshold.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T11:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxQXzR0N0hnRWw3UkZCSHg5dGhRcTJTVU5NZnBmYTZYSUZ5LWhCLTREZ0l2bjJmMDhxNVFfZlpOOXB4YU5aYkticnVGODdmeDMtZTNVZUpFRkNsdkdyNVlPc203SWh0WkpkZDAwak80RGdPUk5MMDVVc0JabUM1ZFZ1dl9GdW9hVktJVmk1bkloX3ZKeUdV?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_71e48443e369",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "There is now an open path to a different Iran, EU's Kallas says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "There is now an open path to a different Iran, EU's Kallas says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T11:40:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxPQ2o3RFY5cWRneVVUdXJBTHFlcDEzT25oX1U2dHNZVndHT1JWX0tJVGljSFhPM0ZMY2RHa3hCeWt0TmtYNmZPbmc2TDNyTXRnazhHczhIQlhzbi1TUVdFQUVrcWtlNjM4M1YtbzhBVzlkWDVmT01ZQXVueGp4LVkzVGQ5ZVlHRDNiRE9iY0RFa0JZcm8tV09VMFcwV3doaU9hTlozeFlHQ0NpekJoakhz?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ee8382fe4157",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Anti-war protesters march on US and Israeli embassies in Athens after strikes on Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Anti-war protesters march on US and Israeli embassies in Athens after strikes on Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T11:55:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQWnplWVZGNUxfWTdXa3FCbkl5Y3dnWW5DendKUS00X01kTllUSDdFSDZBU2VaWG9SQU5XMkJOYmMzc2VNeVg5UWVBdEJZUmJSZFBjcUJ3b1F5bzJRWlB0OWJBLVpKSmh1WXVnb1ZKb0NaMTgzMFNmOGJ2c3ZvZ2xSQUN4ZUxka3NjLUpVUEZVemx0SU1JbjdPYXZpcFhfclhGcTFGQWtzY0ExUmNkNDZoV3owbE9POHZUbUEzM0d1Q2JZamNK?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2b05955f6a5d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Death toll from school bombing in southern Iran reportedly rises to 165 - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The death toll from a missile strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran has risen to 165, according to state media.\nThe IRNA news agency also cited a local prosecutor as saying that 96 people had been wounded in Saturday’s strike in Minab.\nThe strike on school appears to be the worst mass casualty event of the US-Israeli-led bombing campaign on Iran so far.\nVideo and photographs of the aftermath, which have been verified as authentic and geolocated to the site, show hundreds of people gathered around the partially collapsed and smoking building, with rubble strewn across the street and men digging through it for victims. Screams can be heard in the background. In some of the images, schoolbags and textbooks are being pulled from the debris.\nCapt Tim Hawkins, the spokesperson for US Central Command, said the US was “aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are looking into them”.\nThe school building appears to be adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps barracks.\nHossein Kermanpour, the spokesperson for Iran’s health ministry, said in a post on X that the bombing of the school was “the most bitter news” of the conflict so far. “God knows how many more children’s bodies they will pull from under the rubble.”\nRestrictions on international reporting in Iran mean the Guardian and other independent media outlets have not been able to access the site in Minab or independently verify the death toll.\nThe Nobel peace prize laureate and girls’ education advocate Malala Yousafzai said in a statement: “They were girls who went to school to learn, with hopes and dreams for their future. Today, their lives were brutally cut short.\n“Justice and accountability must follow. All states and parties must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and safeguard schools.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:09:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQT2V6Yl9jcjNYSHdRNktkUHVqNWlLYWFlRVFHZnBZdzVSekthUjhIMkRKWmhzczc2UGk4LUgxcmR3X0dROVhKdVI5NzVPZ1hmVDhGS3FHa2huNVBOeDJPMDRmUnF2OWFuRV9PcXd2NFBCS29ZNGRXd0VQTk40aGpuLVRPU0tidnNXM2VvZnVHdjJDYkZBZ0FEWFZR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5d8e8af73591",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "UK personnel just 200 metres away from Iranian missile strike - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Three hundred British personnel were within 200 metres (650ft) of an Iranian missile and drone strike on the US naval base in Bahrain on Saturday, one of several incidents where UK forces have been drawn into the war in the Middle East.\nNo casualties were reported. The strike was one of more than 25 waves of retaliatory attacks in response to the massive US-Israeli joint bombing campaign launched against Iran on Saturday.\nBritish forces shot down an Iranian drone in Iraq that was said to be headed for a western base in the country, while an Iranian missile landed 400 metres from UK personnel in Iraq on counter-Islamic State operations.\nAnother drone, heading towards Qatar, was shot down by a Typhoon jet using an air-to-air missile, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday evening.\nThe UK is not participating in the US-Israeli attack on Iran, which has been widely criticised as having no foundation in international law, but has been actively engaged in regional defence operations to support allies who have come under attack.\nJohn Healey, the UK defence secretary, said Iran was “lashing out in an increasingly indiscriminate and widespread way” and that Britain was seeking to protect civilian sites and military assets.\nBritish jets from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and the American Al Udeid airbase in Qatar have been mobilised to shoot down drones and slower-moving cruise missiles, but cannot stop faster-moving ballistics.\nAll UK personnel in the Middle East are said to be safe and accounted for. British troops remain on the highest state of alert, with their location and positioning under review as the conflict develops.\nSince the US and Israel attacked Iran – killing the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and other key officials – Tehran has fought back with strikes on Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan.\nMany of the attacks were directed at US bases in the region but others targeted Kuwait’s airport, the Fairmont hotel in Dubai and a skyscraper in Bahrain, all in areas previously considered relatively safe.\nIran also fired two missiles into the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the direction of Cyprus. Officials do not believe they were targeted at RAF Akrotiri or the country more widely, and they may instead have been aimed at the US navy’s Ford carrier strike group operating nearby.\nHealey said: “People will be really concerned that it’s not just military targets but civilian airports like [in] Kuwait. Hotels in Dubai and Bahrain are being hit. And so that’s why we’ve strengthened the UK defences in the region.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:10:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQTkpmRnAwZHVFTm5FU21qMFE2Ymd4T3N2d0c2NEV0d3ViaGtLX2Jjb3NtN1NVYmVPcUdEVXJrTERMSjd6T3B4RVp2WC16TEd5aE5MVGlrMnk1X2tYS09lUmZ2YXhHaGJwNWtQRXduYUx3SG1VUm4wTHhXTXlqQ01XQlQ3d3BvSWdfdFpyN2hUaVlzTjRkbXNPMXMzVkppVUpUdlhSNnplV0NSOUpNTHNMUHpERQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fea6498fd8f2",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Air travel heavily disrupted following Iranian strikes - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Air travel heavily disrupted following Iranian strikes\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:16:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE43bE15cHEtOGxLR29zdExWWDUxcnRNS3czUy1RYU5wTjJtaDU4VE1pOC1pWmRpSkhQMTNKVzYtczFVWmdRRWs1UGNURWFoVVpUdGVrSVJDNGxpVVBGVmEzbmN6NjlZemJmUEtjVTRVUHg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ab36cbb42c27",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Obituary: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader and dominant political figure for decades - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Obituary: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader and dominant political figure for decades\nIran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on Saturday in US-Israeli air strikes, was a key figure in Iranian political life for more than 40 years, and the country’s political and religious figurehead since 1989.\nDuring that time, he presided over a nation undergoing significant social and political change, and repositioning itself in the wider world.\nBorn into a clerical family on 19 April 1939, Khamenei undertook religious training at seminaries in the holy city of Mashhad, as well as Najaf in Iraq.\nHe returned to Iran and eventually settled in Qom, where he furthered his clerical studies under figures including Ayatollah Hossein Borujerdi and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was later to become the supreme leader.\nDuring the 1960s and 1970s, he participated in covert activities against the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, for which he was arrested and tortured multiple times by the Savak secret police.\nIn 1979, the Shah was overthrown after popular protests. Khomeini, who had been in exile since the mid-1960s, returned to Tehran from France amid jubilant crowds and widespread support.\nHow did Khamenei rise to power?\nKhamenei quickly ascended through the ranks of the early revolutionary state, assuming key roles on the Islamic Revolutionary Council, as well as a lawmaker and deputy defence minister. He also led Friday prayers in Tehran.\nKhamenei was also one of the leading revolutionary figures targeted in assassination attempts in 1981, when a bomb hidden in a nearby tape recorder exploded as he was addressing a mosque. The attack was attributed to the anti-clerical opposition Forqan Group. Khamenei suffered serious injuries and was left paralysed in his right arm.\nAfter President Mohammad Ali Raja'i and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar were assassinated in August 1981 by the dissident Mujahedin-e Khalq (People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran), Khamenei ran for the presidency, winning 95 percent of the votes in an uncontested election.\nMir-Hossein Mousavi, was to become prime minister. Khamenei sought to cement the clerical establishment's control of the key organs of power, often clashing with more left-leaning figures, including Mousavi.\nKhamenei’s foreign policy focused initially on managing Iran’s eight-year conflict with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, during which an estimated one million civilians and troops died on both sides.\nIn September 1987, Khamenei attacked the US presence in the region at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.\n“Our message to Third World governments is that as long as the order of domination and the current situation exists, they should try to create unity among themselves: this is the best way to become powerful,\" he said.\nKhamenei becomes supreme leader\nIn 1989, the world changed with the end of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union.\nIran also began to witness significant changes. The death of Khomeini on 3 June 1989 was a crucial turning point for the country.\nKhomeini’s long-time designated successor, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, had been sidelined and effectively defrocked by Khomeini only three months earlier, due to his calls for more pluralism in politics.\nIran’s Assembly of Experts designated Khamenei as Iran’s new leader, a role which Khamenei himself initially argued he was not qualified to assume.\nKhomeini’s theory of Islamic government, on which the Islamic Republic’s political system was partly based, centred on the notion of the guardianship of the jurist, known as velayat-e faqih. It asserts the power of the clergy over the state, and means only the highest-ranking Shia clerical figure is deemed sufficiently qualified to be Iran's supreme authority.\nBut Khamenei’s position in June 1989 was only that of a middle-ranking hojatoleslam. For some clerics, Khamenei was not sufficiently qualified in religious matters to hold the post. Khamenei himself asserted as much in his inaugural address, noting that he was but a “minor seminarian”.\nSubsequent changes to the constitution stated that it was more important for the office holder to be “aware of the times”, and therefore politically minded, rather than derive their authority solely from certain religious qualifications. At the same time, the executive powers of the presidency were also enhanced.\nKhamenei’s unconventional assumption of power eventually led to a form of dual leadership between himself and Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, president from 1989 to 1997.\nDuring the early years of Khamenei’s rule, the two long-time protagonists in Iranian post-revolutionary politics initially acted in step with one another.\nChallenges to Khamenei\nKhamenei faced opposition, both from within the establishment and, perhaps more seriously, among the wider population.\nThe relationship between the presidency and supreme leader came under increasing strain during the 1990s, as the liberalising tendencies of Rafsanjani collided with Khamenei's conservatism.\nHis relative pragmatism was especially tested with the rise of the liberal reformist movement in Iranian politics from the mid-1990s onwards.\nThis reached its zenith with the election of Mohammad Khatami as Iran’s fifth president in 1997. Khatami rode a wave of popular optimism and secured support from Iran’s rapidly growing young population and female voters.\nWhen Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president in 2005, the assumption was that he and Khamenei would be in lockstep, due to Ahmadinejad’s popularity among Iranian conservatives.\nNowhere was this more apparent than following the disputed 2009 presidential elections, when Ahmadinejad controversially secured a second term with Khamenei’s support. The ayatollah's authority was challenged by popular protests in support of defeated candidates, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and the rise of the Green Movement.\nThe demonstrations marked some of the most open displays of dissent against the Islamic Republic’s rulers since the early years of the revolution. Lesser demonstrations, against economic conditions, took place in 2017 and 2019.\nIn 2022, months of widespread protests took place after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, 22, died from her injuries after being detained by the \"morality police\" for allegedly wearing her headscarf \"improperly\".\nIn October 2022, Khamenei argued that the protests were not about the death of Amini or the wearing of the hijab but the involvement of foreign governments. “It is about Islamic Iran’s independence, resistance, strength, and power,\" he said. \"That is what this is about.”\nIn late December 2025, a wave of protests prompted by dire economic conditions broke out across Iran, resulting in a deadly crackdown by security forces.\nKhamenei acknowledged that thousands of people had been killed, but blamed US President Donald Trump for the unrest.\n“We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,” Khamenei said, according to state media.\nIran, the US and the nuclear deal\nIranian electoral politics swung back towards a more moderate outlook when Hassan Rouhani became president in 2013.\nKhamenei reasserted his authority against his president, but also gave his consent for Rouhani to pursue a more pragmatic foreign policy.\nMuch of this focused on the attempts of foreign powers to stall Iran’s nuclear ambitions, an especial cause of tension between Tehran and Washington, which had resulted in crippling economic sanctions against Iran for much of the past decade.\nKhamenei initially allowed Rouhani and his negotiating team considerable power: as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, he had led nuclear talks with key EU powers between 2003 and 2005.\nDiscussions eventually came to fruition with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015. One year later, sanctions were lifted.\nKhamenei cited the need to demonstrate “heroic flexibility” in the negotiations. At the same time, he imposed strict limits on Iranian concessions to world powers in the agreement.\nLater, he accused the US of reneging on its commitments, saying: “The nuclear deal, as an experience, once again proved the pointlessness of negotiating with the Americans, their bad promises and the need not to trust America’s promises.”\nTrump’s subsequent violation of the deal in 2018 was seen by Khamenei as proof that the US could not be trusted, and set the stage for a sharp downturn in Iran’s relations with the US and some of its key allies in the region.\nThe unravelling of Iran's Axis\nOn the regional political front, one of Khamenei’s most consequential projects was the creation of the \"Axis of Resistance\".\nThe alliance brought together Hezbollah in Lebanon, former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Hamas in Palestine, the Houthis in Yemen, and an array of allied armed groups in Iraq.\nAfter years of regional ascendancy, however, the axis began to unravel following 7 October 2023, when Israel launched its war on Gaza, later expanding military operations to Lebanon, Syria and Iran.\nIn September 2024, Israel assassinated Khamenei’s close ally, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, along with key commanders, significantly degrading the group’s leadership and fighting capability. Months later, Assad was overthrown by rebel forces in Syria, effectively severing Iran’s land corridor to Lebanon.\nIsrael capitalised on the axis’s weakened position to strike Iran directly. Over 12 days in mid-June 2025, Iran fought its first open war at home in more than four decades.\nEditor's note: This article contains material originally published in a profile by Edward Wastnidge in 2024.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxOTnp2ZFJYQkpWRmg5SGhVYzlJNE44UUVOcThldDFCNmpxUEdzaE5PU0JYMGNwZDlfNWpCUGlTMFk4SGVjeS1qOXVSVTdjS3Rqa2ZhaVdpbmNDakNOYmFOT0JFR1NTczBuSHBVZ3l0X3gyOV9YR1BXbTQwLXlxVGk1YXFKdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b2cd7b6d268d",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "How Iran erupted with screams and cheers as news of Khamenei’s killing hit the streets - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "How Iran erupted with screams and cheers as news of Khamenei’s killing hit the streets\nAs news of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death broke on Saturday night, the streets of Tehran and cities across Iran rang with both screams and cheers.\nSome Iranians celebrated their long-time ruler’s demise at the hands of US and Israeli bombing.\nOthers were overcome with sorrow at the loss of a spiritual leader and national figurehead who had been omnipresent in Iranian lives for 37 years.\nThere were plenty of people, too, who fear for whatever comes next.\nMaryam, 52, lives in Ekbatan in western Tehran. She said that moments after Reuters broke the news, her neighbours came to their windows.\n“Suddenly people leaned out of their windows, and you could hear shouting and cheering,” she said.\nShe describes it as a spontaneous reaction: “It was as if people were celebrating the death of their dictator.”\nEkbatan was one of the neighbourhoods that saw large anti-government protests during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.\nIn recent years, security forces have repeatedly entered the district and arrested many protesters. On Saturday night, the news of Khamenei’s death turned years of anger against the authorities into celebrations.\nElsewhere in the capital, Khamenei’s killing was being lamented.\nAli, 36, said he is deeply saddened and angered by the supreme leader’s death.\n“Those who are happy about the killing of our leader do not understand the dark future that awaits us,” he tells Middle East Eye.\n“Khamenei was someone who managed to keep this nation united. He has many supporters in Iran. The future will show what a great loss his absence will be for the country.”\nOn Sunday morning, the atmosphere in Tehran was largely controlled by supporters of the ruling establishment.\nBackers of Khamenei and the Islamic Republic appeared in the streets in an organised manner.\nIn central neighbourhoods of the capital, groups of men on motorcycles could be seen carrying flags and identical posters that appeared to have been distributed in a coordinated manner.\nThey called for “severe revenge” and chanted slogans against the US and Israel.\nHuge pro-government rallies were held in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom and other major cities.\nThe crowds seemed both angry over the loss of their political and religious leader and ready, at least in their words, for war and even sacrifice.\nDancing in Mashhad\nHours before the pro-government rallies, Iranians across the country were using the cover of darkness to celebrate Khamenei’s death.\nBehnam, 24, who lives in Saadat Abad, northwest of Tehran, said he was overjoyed when he heard the reports.\n“We were driving in the streets,” he said. “We were honking our horns and celebrating. The music in our cars was loud, and we were smiling at other drivers.”\n“People were congratulating each other,” he adds. “The end of this nightmare feels unbelievable.”\nSimilar scenes were reported in Mashhad, a deeply religious city in northeastern Iran.\nMashhad, home to the shrine of the eighth Shia imam, is often seen as a stronghold of conservative and hard-line religious forces.\nRules related to Islamic dress are usually enforced more strictly there than in other parts of the country.\nFereshteh, 47, describes what she saw in the Ahmadabad neighbourhood of Mashhad: “On Saturday night, people were handing out sweets in the streets. Some got out of their cars in heavy traffic and were dancing to music from their vehicles. Young men and women were celebrating together, without observing the mandatory hijab.”\nShe adds that Ahmad Alamolhoda, the city’s principal Friday prayer leader, would be furious if he saw these scenes.\nAlamolhoda is known as a strong conservative cleric and is the father-in-law of the late President Ebrahim Raisi.\nOver the years, he has supported strict religious rules and greater restrictions, especially on young people and women.\nThe celebrations in Mashhad are also significant because the city is Khamenei’s birthplace. He travelled there every year to deliver a speech on the first day of the Persian New Year.\nFears of a new Libya\nHowever, not everyone shares this optimism.\nMohammad, 31, from the city of Arak, said he is deeply worried about what comes next.\nAn industrial food engineer who works in a factory, he said: “Khamenei’s crimes over the years are clear to everyone. But I am almost certain that after him, nothing of Iran will remain.”\nReferring to recent strikes by the US and Israel, he adds: “In just one day, they flattened a girls’ primary school and killed so many children. Do you really expect countries that turned Gaza into ruins to bring you democracy?”\nMohammad says he cannot be as hopeful as others. “We have entered a dark period,” he said. “A period like what we saw in Syria, Libya and even Iraq after Saddam Hussein - a time of instability, civil war, and more bloodshed.”\nIn recent months, many in Iran have warned about the risk of repeating the experiences of Syria or Libya. Supporters of regime change have accused them of spreading fear or repeating the government’s narrative.\nSome hold a more cautious view.\nBahareh, 40, who studied political science and is now a homemaker, said she wishes she could feel as hopeful as others.\n“I would love to celebrate and speak about a bright future,” she said. “But what I see makes it hard to be that optimistic.”\nShe points to the strong influence of the military inside the country.\n“Do you really think Khamenei’s death will end the Islamic Republic?” she asks. “When in history has a regime collapsed only because of foreign air strikes, without ground forces?”\nBahareh believes it is possible that the system could even become more authoritarian.\n“In my view, someone from inside the system, loyal to the same ideology and anti-western stance, will take power. At the same time, protests will grow,” she said.\n“The government may not have the same strength as before, but like Bashar al-Assad’s government, it could survive through large-scale violence, at least in parts of the country.”\nBahareh fears a future of continued conflict between society and the state, growing instability, and ongoing foreign strikes.\n“In the end”, she said, “Israel and the United States may continue their attacks, and what will be left for Iran could be a failed state”.\nKilled protesters\nFor 36 years, Khamenei held power in Iran, gradually becoming an increasingly authoritarian and absolute leader.\nOver the decades, he resisted all pressure for reform from within the system and responded to internal dissent with force.\nEach wave of protests grew larger than the one before, and each crackdown became more violent.\nVideos shared on social media show groups of Iranians gathering outside the homes of those who were killed by security forces during last month’s protests.\nMina, 22, who lives in eastern Tehran, said those homes became epicentres for critics of Khamenei to gather.\n“People brought flowers and sweets to the families,” she said.\n“They stood outside the homes of those who were killed, dancing and celebrating, and offering congratulations to their relatives.”\nMina said the mother of one 19-year-old victim spoke to them with a bitter smile.\n“She told us, ‘I’m glad my son’s blood was not in vain'.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxQMWtXM3BNNmhoWjlEQTUxTnpRVVRpcUl0bDFYOWUxX3JZVC01cV9QS1NzeHJLQUdMc1ZONUZIaU11eVlGNURtaFVVX2xFZi1Ca3JTNk1tT2h4RVVyeHRSUDJJdnhBWXk4RU9DM0tFeHRCQzh5ZG9OWWFySFo0eFkzZ1ZKNTlPaG1Ody0zYlRTbVpGY3JFNGhEcnRCcDF1WHdwTDQ4WnV0WGo?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7937a889a29a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "UK says Iran nearly hit British troops, won't rule out participation in strikes - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "UK says Iran nearly hit British troops, won't rule out participation in strikes\nHundreds of British troops were just 200 metres away from an Iranian missile attack in Bahrain, it has emerged.\nDefence Secretary John Healey told the BBC on Sunday morning that UK military personnel and civilians were \"at risk with a regime that is increasingly indiscriminate, widespread and uncontrolled in the attacks it is mounting\".\nThe UK is not involved in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on Saturday, but Healey declined to rule out British involvement in future strikes.\n\"Yesterday, we had 300 personnel on that Bahrain base that was attacked by Iranian missiles and drones, some of them within a few hundred yards of where they landed,\" he said.\n“We had two missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus.\"\nThe British base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, was used to launch surveillance flights over Gaza during Israel's genocide in the Palestinian enclave.\n“We don’t believe they were targeted at Cyprus,\" Healey clarified, \"but nevertheless, it’s an example of how there is a very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out widely across the region, and that requires us to act.”\nHe said missiles have not directly targeted British bases but labelled Iran a \"very real and rising threat\", adding Iranian missile commanders were \"increasingly allowed to choose their own targets\".\n'Starmer must rule out UK involvement'\nRAF Typhoons are understood to be participating in regional defence operations against Iranian strikes.\nThe UK reportedly shot down a missile heading towards a base housing its service personnel in Iraq on Saturday.\nPrime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that British forces aimed \"to protect our people, our interests, and our allies - as Britain has done before, in line with international law\".\nGreen Party leader Zack Polanski told the BBC on Sunday morning he was worried the UK would be dragged into an \"illegal war\".\n\"Really concerned to hear the defence secretary refuse to rule out UK's involvement in future strikes on Iran,\" Polanski said.\n\"Iraq lessons must be learned. Further escalation in the Middle East makes us all less safe.\n\"Starmer must rule out UK involvement immediately.\"\nReform UK and the Conservative Party have called for Britain to allow the US to use British bases for attacks on Iran.\nMost significant to the conflict is the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago. The base places US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran, but the UK reportedly blocked the US from using it to attack Iran.\nIran's Shahed-136 kamikaze drones have the range to attack Diego Garcia, which houses around 4,000 people, mostly US military personnel and contractors.\nThe UK also has airbases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Cyprus.\nIf Iran attacks a British base, the Labour government would likely come under enormous domestic pressure from opposition parties to join in with strikes on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:37:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxONERrYjJwazg0T3NHYUhjMWtwaEVtR2FVYWdvdzlZMWgtRXZrUjFaOUdUQWhpeXFSR3RFVkdJb25PWHV0VG44Z2tiZ3Q1bFdDdmlaYjNlOVUwUzFLMVJlUE1Ibktpbk5SSm1aanEwTjZJN0labklOc0hZZVNIOFIyTGFMNjJDeWoyTVc1U1pmQkppamNkTndIWFFJZTRIbFNfdFVPZEdfdTZoYnZqTTN5aldiNmRRSWs?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_419d7365f650",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US and Israel launch new wave of attacks on Iran amid threat of escalation - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Israel and the US have launched fresh waves of intensive attacks across Iran on the second day of their military campaign to overthrow the country’s government, which has plunged the Middle East into a new regional conflict with no certain timeline or outcome.\nThe renewed violence on Sunday comes amid heated rhetoric from Washington and Tehran that suggests further escalation in the coming hours and days.\nThe US president, Donald Trump, said on Sunday that the US would hit Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if Tehran carried out threats to retaliate after the death of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday.\n“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.”\nTrump said the goal of the military campaign, which began on Saturday morning with a barrage of missiles and airstrikes, was regime change and he called on “the Iranian people to take back their country”.\nIn Tehran, a huge blast sent a plume of smoke into the sky on Sunday morning and shook the ground. The explosion appeared close to the country’s police headquarters and Iranian state television, as well as Tehran’s revolutionary court and a defence ministry building.\nThe Israel Defense Forces said their air force was striking “in the heart of Tehran” with efforts focused on destroying Iran’s remaining air defences.\nAmir-Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, told an emergency security council meeting on Saturday that hundreds of civilians had been killed or injured in the US-Israeli strikes. He said they had deliberately attacked civilian neighbourhoods in multiple cities.\nThe joint US-Israel offensive opens a new chapter in US intervention in the Middle East and brings the prospect of a wider war in the region and months of chaos. The offensive is the second time in eight months that the Trump administration has used military force against Iran.\n“This is a really serious and deteriorating situation, [with] rising risks of increasing Iranian indiscriminate retaliatory attacks,” the British defence secretary, John Healey said on Sunday morning. Healey accused Iran of “lashing out”.\nIranian retaliation has targeted Israel as well as civilian infrastructure and US military bases across the Arab Gulf states. Loud blasts were heard for a second day on Sunday in Dubai and over Qatar’s capital, Doha, witnesses said.\nPuffs of white smoke from missile interceptions were glimpsed in the skies over Dubai, while billows of dark smoke rose over its port, one of the busiest in the Middle East.\nDubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel and its airport, which handles more than 1,000 flights a day, were damaged in Iranian attacks overnight on sites that also hit airports in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. The airport in Dubai, the world’s busiest international travel hub, remained shut, along with other major Middle East airports, causing one of global aviation’s most severe disruptions in years.\nAnalysts have long warned that a war launched against Iran could lead to global economic turmoil.\nAir raid sirens sounded repeatedly across Israel early on Sunday, with a series of loud explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as Israel’s sophisticated air defence system sought to intercept the latest Iranian offensive.\nShips have reported hearing a radio broadcast purporting to come from the Iranian navy announcing that transit through the vital strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor which is a crucial chokepoint for the world’s oil supplies, was banned, raising expectations of a sharp jump in oil prices. Authorities in Oman reported damage to at least one oil tanker, though it was not immediately clear who attacked the vessel.\nThere are few details of damage or casualties in Iran, but Iranian authorities said more than 100 children were killed at a school in the southern city of Minab.\nAcross the country, Iranians said they felt a mixture of terror and hope as the bombings continued. Some expressed relief that the long-expected strikes had arrived and opponents of the regime spoke of hope that they might lead to political change – but both were tempered by fear that the attacks would bring more civilian deaths to a country already reeling from recent bloodshed.\nIran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, accused the US and Israel of trying to plunder and fragment Iran and warned “secessionist groups” of a harsh response if they attempted to intervene, state television said.\nIran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, said Netanyahu and Trump had “crossed a red line” and “will pay for it”, according to state media.\nSenior Iranian officials said a temporary leadership group would be appointed and Ghalibaf also said Iran would “continue Khamenei’s path”.\nIran’s leaders have faced multiple crises in recent months, with an economy suffering from US and other sanctions, massive protests that were bloodily repressed in January, and regional proxies severely weakened by Israeli attacks.\nTrump said the airstrikes aimed to end a decades-long threat from Iran and ensure it could not develop a nuclear weapon.\n“This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but for all great Americans, and those people from many countries throughout the world, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.\nBoth Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, have called on Iranians to overthrow the radical clerical regime that took power after the 1979 revolution against the shah.\nMany Israeli officials appeared convinced that the death of Khamenei would prompt an almost immediate country-wide uprising, analysts in Israel said.\nBut while the deaths of Khamenei and other Iranian leaders will undoubtedly weaken the regime, Iran’s rulers still have strong support among parts of the 93 million population and key institutions, such as the powerful and ideologically committed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, remain loyal.\nThe US and Israeli offensive has rocked much of the Islamic world. There were protests in Pakistan, where police on Sunday clashed with protesters who breached the outer wall of the US consulate in Karachi, leaving nine people dead, and outside the Green Zone in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where the US embassy is located.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:45:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxQN1lCSVpTTkdMUnJsbXdkR1NaQVg5Y0xWRWVCWEdCRjJpZlpabEs1RDdvYmNPU2w3OXl4aHlscGF1dVYwcjJCTi1FVnZybjBMQzNyc3JUeEZISV9WeWNQckU4Qjh4ZGVpTVNueGhGNTJRVlM2YklKQjl3QjVtNWtNZ3FSSDBCX1BrZUd3ZFdGX2lGaGNNQmFYNDJkdDdqQnFkc1BEQg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_36f0c04d79d7",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Trump has no realistic plan for Iran’s future - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Trump has no realistic plan for Iran’s future\nJoin FT Edit\nOnly $49 a yearGet 2 months free with an annual subscription at was $59.88 now $49. Access to eight surprising articles a day, hand-picked by FT editors. For seamless reading, access content via the FT Edit page on FT.com and receive the FT Edit newsletter.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:45:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFAza21xM3FZcXhUSFJMQlZxLUVVTmZsczF3QUFHV09SVDJDTHlFWGdKaXJCcm9WeXBrZzF2b2RjU1VJWHVUR29DZWVhdHU3TjN0a05UWUxOMXFUOTFTUXhBSzJTVjlkVjY1SXVES21tWS0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_292870f36b8f",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "What will war in Iran do to the global economy? - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "What will war in Iran do to the global economy?\nJoin FT Edit\nOnly $49 a yearGet 2 months free with an annual subscription at was $59.88 now $49. Access to eight surprising articles a day, hand-picked by FT editors. For seamless reading, access content via the FT Edit page on FT.com and receive the FT Edit newsletter.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:50:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5ha3JROGZ5THNJeEc3ZmZLTGJlc0dESmdVUUNTd2VVcm01VHlTOGxjbTBDb3FjVFRQTUEwSXpoaEp6YW9LUjFaX2pLZHJnS0REUUMxWFhiSTIxc3NRUWk0WmtXTnpWQ1dwM3phU3RxZDg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ffeabdf90fdb",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Saudi, Egyptian Markets Slump as US-Iran Conflict Roils Region - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Saudi, Egyptian Markets Slump as US-Iran Conflict Roils Region    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T12:53:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPMEdYTDVGZFVuZDBDZmpROGtCS29WWnp6Tk5pWXZmWXdua05EYUwydlFqaXBvX3huNVNvdGhhZC1QMV9KaHdVdGJFMFdLQmFJVXNiN1ZFY1QzQ0t3NEFEV19UWFdQam1yMEVVY3VEQnY1ckF6OWpuYmpTUk1KY004eFNRdTVZRkJhVWJmNHhVQkdBWkpnM2lGRVZNYVFxY2xJcGJ6RXNUNFR3WUhXbU0teWdB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fe24f3817f33",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Six people killed after missile strike on Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, ambulance service says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Six people killed after missile strike on Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, ambulance service says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T13:04:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxPbjlXaUtGV3Z4WENsVnFESUtDZ1RBZlpEODFzeFN5QWw2VUV0Y1gtcHUxOGxfcGhzRWZWNWNTTzdZZ0hKQzNNdXNJZmFHNDU2MFczQW83QTJ2M2xDUG5BaExzWGRYMEZNMmp3SXM5WXdwdnRqRXliRi1qQ3k3VWxSZmpheW1nMUlaTHp0SWhWZ3J0MGkzbVZXZEdOY3dzQ0NIejJxUktNbGVES3ZpWFdtR1NIR2NkT3loNWtQZGNvd2RONjRZa1pn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ea6cfea58e95",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel closes Rafah crossing and all other checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israel closes Rafah crossing and all other checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza Strip\nThe Israeli army on Saturday morning closed all barriers and iron gates it has erected in various areas of the occupied West Bank just as Israel and the US launched their attack on Iran.\nThe Israeli government's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), the body overseeing Palestinian civilian affairs, said Israel had decided to close all crossings in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including the Rafah crossing, until further notice.\nThe statement added that the decision applies to all Palestinians except those with \"essential worker permits\", and that these permits would be issued through specific crossings.\nCogat claimed that the closure of the crossings in Gaza wouldn’t affect the humanitarian situation in the Strip.\nIn the West Bank, hundreds of Palestinians were stranded at the closed barriers and iron gates until late into the night, with some forced to sleep in their vehicles or at relatives' homes.\nPalestinians were forced to take rough, circuitous routes to return home, while most were unable to reach their workplaces. The transfer of patients to hospitals was also disrupted, and soldiers delayed allowing ambulance crews to transport them.\nKhaled Odeh, a resident of Birzeit, north of Ramallah, was returning from work in Nablus on Saturday evening when he was surprised to find all the barriers closed, forcing him to wait for at least four hours in his vehicle.\nHe told Middle East Eye that he usually takes the main bypass road between Ramallah and Nablus and reaches Birzeit in just 45 minutes, but after the checkpoints closed, he arrived home after several hours.\n\"I had no choice but to wait in the car. I had to have Iftar alone, as I had some dates with me. Then, after several hours, the soldiers opened the Ein Sinya barrier north of Ramallah, allowing entry into the city only, and I was able to reach my home and family,\" he added.\nCollective punishment\nBecause of these restrictions, experienced by Palestinians at nearly 1,000 closed barriers and iron gates separating cities, and the resulting inability of students and teachers to reach schools and universities, the Palestinian education ministry announced that classes would move online.\nThe closure also included the Karameh border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, preventing hundreds of Palestinians, including those returning from the Islamic pilgrimage of Umrah, from re-entering the West Bank.\nAnas Hreibat from Hebron travelled with his family to Mecca at the start of Ramadan to perform Umrah, but on their return they were met with the crossing’s complete closure. They were left waiting from Saturday morning until Sunday morning in difficult conditions, with nowhere to stay.\n\"My elderly parents were with me, and we endured great hardship because of the closure. We spent long hours waiting on metal benches. Finally, they partially reopened the crossing only for those stranded, allowing us to return home, but only after a gruelling ordeal,\" he said.\nThe Israeli army issued instructions to close Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron until further notice, forcibly removing worshippers and sealing off the sites with metal barriers, just as it did during the war with Iran last June.\nActivist Bashar al-Qaryouti told MEE that in times of emergency, Israel has adopted a policy of closing gates and checkpoints, restricting the movement of Palestinians, stifling their freedom to protect soldiers stationed at these barriers from any attacks.\nThe Israeli army, he said, is enforcing a policy of collective punishment cross the West Bank through total closures that paralyse daily life, deepen the suffering of residents, particularly the sick, and bring all aspects of daily life to a standstill.\n\"Cutting off aid and food supplies to all areas due to the closure, the duration of which we don’t know, could cause a humanitarian disaster on all levels,\" Qaryouti said.\n\"There is also difficulty in transporting patients, including kidney dialysis patients, to hospitals.\"\nRafah crossing\nIn Gaza, meanwhile, Israel shut the Rafah border crossing with Egypt until further notice, just one month after it had reopened following more than two years of closure.\nThe Israeli army seized control of the crossing in May 2024 during its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.\nIsmail al-Thawabta, director of the Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip, also described the closure of the crossing as a form of collective punishment that further tightens the siege imposed on more than two million civilians.\nHe said collective punishment is prohibited under international humanitarian law, particularly the fourth Geneva Convention.\nThawabta added the closure of the crossing will worsen the humanitarian crisis by denying thousands of wounded and sick people access to medical treatment, directly endangering civilian lives.\n\"The continued closure of the Rafah crossing and the resulting severe humanitarian impact constitute a legal, political and moral responsibility for the occupying authorities and demand accountability under established international mechanisms,\" he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T13:18:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxQWkFGbjFaM3hjcnJORjg0cmowYjQ3UGVRd0tDM1ZlT3E2SGJtYlhhc3N3OXdZQlVoSkcwNUFJTEU1WGNXV2J5UVBHMXA2ck90bDFVbGdYOUpoWFNXblkzV0NtZnhoWEhCODNGYlFXM2NNWHFmR0c0bk5OU3pXTzFJSGdySzduOWVCaDlxRmtoejIyNGo2WmJuOHVsVQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d4521975efd3",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israel, US launched strikes as Iranian leader met with inner circle, sources say - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israel, US launched strikes as Iranian leader met with inner circle, sources say    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T13:38:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxPclJkajI5T0FtLVdqV1k1T0NMLU5zVGJXQVJsZTJiNUpkTHhPNlo1S3lBQUJtM2h0NHJxSFdCOGNhdTZhRFBQcEVGWWpHakRqMjRlOVFIZVY1RU5hNlVrS2dWVElyYlQtLXRRM25zeWp6SERPYW9mN2JOMkExRGVZX0IxT0pNUnNqc1NhRkdPYy1YbExKUTFqcnRqWVo0cWMzMHBMUWlqY25vY1pzSEpHZXdMUjBBYjdoQ0xDNXhhYU1JTEpqa3VhUg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5292c2bc6e2a",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Toll of Iran war hitting home in Israel as nine killed - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "At least nine people were killed and more than 20 injured after Iranian ballistic missiles struck central Israel, including Beit Shemesh and Tel Aviv.\nTehran launched its biggest offensive via the Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for the assassination of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nIsrael confirmed Mr Khamenei and about 40 senior commanders were killed in opening strikes, marking its first assassination of a sitting state leader.\nIsraeli politics largely united behind the operation, with far-right, opposition and left-wing figures praising the “elimination” despite broader war concerns.\n“These Nazis want to destroy all of us … and we are eliminating them one by one,” said the National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.\nAt least nine people were killed in an Iranian strike on central Israel on Sunday, medics said, as Israeli reservists face dealing with Tehran's response to the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nAn Iranian ballistic missiles attacked Beit Shemesh, with footage showing extensive damage to a bomb shelter. More than 20 others were injured in the attack – the largest one since the outbreak of this war.\nIsraeli politicians widely welcomed the assassination of Iran’s former supreme leader whose hawkish rule and bitterly anti-Zionist rhetoric loomed large over life in Israel for decades. As the war effort escalates, the Israeli military said it was gathering about 100,000 reservists in what would be a major build-up.\nMr Khamenei, along with about 40 other senior Iranian commanders, was killed in less than a minute in a massive wave of opening strikes on Saturday morning, Israel’s military spokesman said.\nIran's Revolutionary Guard Corps on Sunday said it had launched the biggest offensive in its history in retaliation for the killing of Mr Khamenei, warning it would target Israel and US bases in the region.\nAftermath of Iran missile attack on Tel Aviv\n01:36\nThroughout the two and a half years since the October 7 attacks, Israel has launched a massive range of operations across the Middle East to target senior enemies. Mr Khamenei’s killing is, however, the first time the country has assassinated the leader of a state. Saturday’s broader operations were the largest mission ever flown by the Israeli air force.\nFar-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir celebrated Israel “cutting off the head of the snake” in response to Mr Khamenei’s assassination. “In the end, these Nazis want to destroy all of us – right, left, secular, religious – they don't care, they want to eliminate all of us, and we are eliminating them one by one,” he wrote in a post on X.\nOpposition leader Yair Lapid congratulated the military on the “elimination” of Mr Khamenei. “Let all our enemies know that this will be the fate of anyone who tries to threaten Israel's existence. He who devised the ‘plan of destruction’ was destroyed himself,” he wrote in a post on X.\nIsrael’s tiny Jewish left wing also welcomed the assassination, even though earlier they had been one of the only political blocs questioning the bellicose nationalism of most Israeli politicians, and whether Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump had a strategy in what could turn into a massive open-ended war.\n“Eliminating Khamenei is a dramatic and significant step,” said Yair Golan, leader of The Democrats.\n“On this day, I also want to send a message of hope to the Iranian people: You have been freed from a cruel tyrant who oppressed you for decades, and a genuine opportunity for freedom and a gateway to a better future have now opened,” he wrote on X.\nThe decisive rhetoric and calls for unity match what appears to be, as usual, a country rallying round the flag in wartime. But, on the ground, there are signs that people are still concerned.\nAt the site of one of the few missile impacts that Israel says has hit the country, in downtown Tel Aviv, crowds of neighbours, rescue workers and soldiers gathered in a chaotic scrum. Global media was also gathered as it was the site where a Filipino domestic worker looking after an elderly woman in the building was killed in the blast.\nA crater, four metres wide and about three metres deep, was at the centre of the scene. The building closest had its entire front ripped off. Trails of wires and scraps of torn clothes were flapping in the wind. Filming and interviews were interrupted by yet another round of warning sirens. Most Iranian missiles appear to have been intercepted, but the scene was a reminder that for the few that get through, the results can be terrible.\nIn the underground car park of a nearby apartment block, most of the people sheltering were stoic, but one woman was crying hysterically as the sound of a missile interceptor soared overhead, a bottle of water in her trembling hand.\nThis is an expensive part of Tel Aviv, but the crowd sheltering were diverse. Richer residents looked far more shocked than the group of Arab workers on site to clear the area, who spent most of the time joking with one another. Just as soon as the all clear was given, phones lit up again with a new round of alerts.\nThis round of interception booms was far louder than the last. Whether this rate of fire will carry on remains to be seen, as the US and Israel carry out their massive strikes on Iran, but, for now, for the people in Israel running to the shelters several times a day, there are no answers.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T13:42:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPQjQzSTdlVUozMmxhVkI5OTg0d1F3clpfWUkxVVkyaGNIMFdnRlNrTWFtVTE2T2U4aWFhWFFtQTYwTE1RNGk3a0pIN1dPY2ZQYktxLWtmYWpaUzhoeE9STDFKQUlCS3lDWE1ob0x5NnRUNWhIcXVoVlFvbW5Wdlc3am13N3VpaHlzVzhHZmVnMWdQYXFOZFhjeGRjTWtFLV9fT2VxTXR1UVJub05a?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e2ca2e1fcab4",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: How US-Israel strikes on Iran unfolded... in two minutes",
    "body_text": "Watch: How US-Israel strikes on Iran unfolded... in two minutes\nThe US and Israel launched attacks across Iran on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump later saying Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Khamenei's compound in Tehran had been destroyed in a \"powerful, surprise strike\".\nIranian state media later confirmed Khamenei's death.\nIran responded to the US-Israel attack by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and four Gulf Arab countries which host US military bases: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.\nVideo produced by Amy Walker.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T13:49:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/clyv5rnd8r0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_297008225ff4",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump promised no wars. Now he’s a Bush-style regime change president | Mohamad Bazzi - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "It turns out that Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed “candidate of peace”, is just as eager to start new wars. Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pitched himself as the antithesis of his Democratic opponents Joe Biden, and later, Kamala Harris. Trump insisted he would use his deal-making skills to end multiple global conflicts that started under the Biden administration, including Israel’s war on Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.\nIn his election night victory speech in November 2024, Trump told his supporters: “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.” Two months later, in his inaugural address, he went even further in trying to establish himself as a global peacemaker. “We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end – and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into,” he said.\nMany of Trump’s top advisers and supporters made the same pitch to a war-weary American public. The national Republican party portrayed Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, as the “pro-peace ticket”. In 2023, when Vance was still auditioning for the role as Trump’s running mate, he wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed headlined, “Trump’s Best Foreign Policy? Not Starting Any Wars.”\nAnd yet in his first year back in office, Trump bombed seven countries: Yemen, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia and Venezuela. Early on Saturday, Trump launched his most extensive, and dangerous, military campaign so far: a war against Iran, which could spiral into a regional conflagration, especially as the Iranian regime sees this joint US-Israeli attack as a fight for its survival.\nIn an eight-minute video posted on his Truth Social site, shortly after the bombing began, Trump said the US had launched a “massive and ongoing” attack against Iran intended to destroy its military capabilities and overthrow the brutal Islamic regime that took power after Iran’s 1979 revolution. The “America First” president who built his political brand on opposing foreign military adventures has unleashed a war of choice aimed at regime change – and he announced it in a social media posting in the wee hours of the morning.\nOver the past six weeks, as Trump ordered the largest US military build-up in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he made virtually no effort to explain to the American people or to Congress whether Iran poses a threat to US interests that would justify the risks of an open-ended war. Trump also largely ignored recent opinion polls which found that 70% of Americans oppose military action in Iran, including segments of his own Maga movement, who latched onto his repeated promises to end America’s legacy of forever wars.\nIn his video, Trump laid out his most extensive argument to date explaining why Iran is a threat. But he largely recycled decades of US complaints about Tehran’s malign activities in the Middle East, including its nuclear program; development of ballistic missiles; and support for regional militias like Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said, adding: “Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world.”\nBut the evidence Trump presented to explain how Iran poses “imminent threats” to the US is exaggerated and it doesn’t hold up to basic scrutiny. He claimed that the theocratic regime is close to developing long-range missiles which “could soon reach the American homeland” – but US intelligence agencies concluded that Iran is years away from having missiles that can strike targets inside the US. (A 2025 report by Trump’s own Defense Intelligence Agency found that Iran does not have ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US, but it could potentially build up to 60 such weapons by 2035.)\nIn reality, Iran’s ballistic missiles – and the militias that Tehran supports across the Middle East, as part of its so-called “Axis of Resistance” – pose a far more direct threat to Israel than to the US. But it’s difficult for Trump to say the US has gone to war mainly to benefit Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, especially as American public support for Israel has reached a historic low.\nTrump also argued that Tehran was trying to rebuild its nuclear program, which the president claimed he had “obliterated” when he ordered the US military to bomb three of Iran’s major nuclear facilities in June, toward the end of a 12-day war launched by Israel. Weeks after those airstrikes, leaked intelligence assessments showed that two of the nuclear sites were not as severely damaged as Trump had implied. In his State of the Union speech on 24 February, Trump claimed that Iran had restarted its efforts to enrich uranium. “We wiped it out and they want to start it all over again, and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions,” he said.\nOn 21 February, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who was leading recent negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, told Fox News that Tehran is “probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb making material”. Witkoff’s comment set off alarms that the Trump administration was hastily trying to build a false case to launch an attack against Iran – claiming that Tehran was much closer to developing a nuclear bomb than previously known.\nUS intelligence officials say Iran has not tried to rebuild its main nuclear sites since the US attack in June, and many experts argue Tehran would have had significant difficulty accessing its stockpiles of enriched uranium, which were buried deep under rubble after the US airstrikes. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, has also said his agency found no evidence that Iran resumed enriching uranium since June.\nIt’s hard not to see parallels between Trump’s deceitful case for waging war against Iran, and the lies and manipulated intelligence that George W Bush used to drag the US into invading Iraq in 2003. But two decades ago, Americans could claim not to know better – and that’s why they bought their president’s seductive rhetoric. The Bush administration and its neocon allies sold the invasion as a “cakewalk”, promising that US troops would be greeted as liberators in Baghdad. They pushed relentlessly to depose Saddam Hussein and his Baathist regime, ignoring disputes over intelligence and US officials who warned that the lack of postwar planning would lead to chaos.\nEvery major assumption made by the architects of the Iraq war proved wrong. It triggered a decades-long conflict that shattered Iraqi society, reshaped the Middle East, and cost the US massive blood and treasure. On the invasion’s 20th anniversary, the Costs of War project at Brown University estimated that the conflict in Iraq (along with neighboring countries where Washington later intervened to fight Islamic State militants that had emerged from Iraq’s civil war) had cost the US a staggering sum: nearly $2.9tn.\nDonald Trump spent years ranting against the regime change wars started by his predecessors – and the damage they inflicted on Americans. On Saturday, he launched his own war in the Middle East, with little hint of how it might end.\n-\nMohamad Bazzi is director of the Center for Near Eastern Studies, and a journalism professor, at New York University",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:18:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxNejVxSFYtWmUxN1ZSWUZWUXl0dElIM295WkU2RmVzUWNkZXM4aXhWMkpOby1QaUIyVjNkNHVJaUJLRUhQU0U2ODRobmFrV3JFNW1LOXZaTzI3Z3lnaGhnUFVZZDI3R1lMVWdxWnFSemhoeDFXMU5tam1VSmw1eWE0NjFXYzJfT09VWVhHUjdKREZmSWRHR29hQzZScFhGU2NBNUNmRmtUSktuOUphLTJNVTBxSzJXYVlTY3NSVzBR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7dffa4b916e6",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "What is the strait of Hormuz and why is it crucial for oil supplies? - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The US-Israeli war on Iran has ignited fears that escalating military aggression in the Middle East could send oil prices soaring, push up prices at the pump and drive a global economic downturn.\nThe US began “major combat operations” in Iran on Saturday morning, shortly after Israel launched a strike against Tehran. Within hours of the US-Israeli strikes, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly warned tankers in the strait of Hormuz that no ship would be allowed to pass through the world’s most critical oil trade route.\nIran has not formally confirmed a block on the narrow waterway, which would be an unprecedented escalation in the region, but ships appear to be avoiding the strait after an attack on a ship off Oman . At least 150 tankers carrying crude, liquified natural gas and oil products had dropped anchor in open waters across the Gulf past the strait on Sunday, Reuters reported.\nIf the halt continues, it could block up to 15m barrels a day of crude oil from reaching their destinations.\nIn a worst-case scenario, experts have said oil market prices could surge from about $67 a barrel on Friday night to $100. This would spell trouble for many developed economies, including the US, that have struggled to shrug off the impact of inflation on growth and productivity. That has left households facing a cost of living crisis.\nBjarne Schieldrop, the chief commodities analyst at the financial services group SEB, said: “It has become quite clear now that this is the biggest bluff in history and it has gone horribly wrong. Now it is difficult for Trump to back down and pull out all his gunboats and fighter jets without losing face.”\nHow much oil does Iran have? Iran is home to the world’s fourth largest proven oil reserves, holding up to 170bn barrels of oil, or about 9% of all global crude. It is behind only Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Canada as the largest country by domestic oil reserves.\nIt is the fourth largest oil producer in Opec and one of the largest crude exporters in the world. It also has the world’s second largest proven gas reserves, with about one-sixth of global gas.\nDecades of political unrest, war and sanctions throttled its crude production from a peak in 1974 of about 6m barrels of oil a day to about 3.5m barrels. In recent months its output has reached historic highs, despite US sanctions and Israeli bombardments, due to close ties with China. Beijing imports about 90% of Iran’s crude, which is subject to international sanctions.\nAlthough Iran’s crude exports make up about 3-4% of the global market, its significance for the global oil markets extends well beyond its own production, according to experts.\nJorge León, the head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, said: “The country’s geopolitical weight is rooted in its strategic location, its influence over regional security dynamics and its capacity to disrupt critical energy infrastructure and transit routes.”\nWhy is the strait of Hormuz so important? The strait of Hormuz is one of the most important arteries for global trade. About 20% of all oil supplies and about 20% of seaborne gas tankers pass through it.\nThe strait lies between Oman and Iran. It links the Gulf to the north with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. It is 20 miles (33km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lanes just 2 miles (3km) wide in either direction.\nThis location makes it a crucial choke point for oil deliveries from Opec countries to customers in Asia. Options to bypass the strait are limited.\nMap of the strait of Hormuz For years, Tehran has warned that it could shut the strait in retaliation against any military aggression, but it has stopped short of a prolonged block on the trade route.\nLeón said Iran had now retaliated in a “far more aggressive and expansive manner than in prior exchanges”, which he said “marks a structural widening of the conflict beyond contained or symbolic strikes”.\nAjay Parmar, a director at the energy market specialists ICIS, said: “Shutting the strait would be a last-resort tactic for Iran. We would expect to see this in a hot-war scenario.”\nHowever, with tankers anchored and crew waiting outside the strait to see how events unfold, the impact on trade is already being felt. León added: “Whether the strait is closed by force or rendered inaccessible by risk avoidance, the impact on flows is largely the same.”\nThe tankers in limbo include a vessel chartered by Centrica, the owner of British Gas, containing a spot-market cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar. The destination of the vessel is not certain, although it may have been on the way to Asia. A Nigerian vessel due to arrive in Qatar on 5 March before importing LNG to Europe aborted the trip before arriving in the strait.\nTamsin Hunt, a senior analyst at S-RM, a global intelligence and cybersecurity consultancy, said: “Closing the strait in full would be devastating for Iran’s own economy, as it would mean halting all its exports of oil and other goods. Iran would likely only close the strait as a last resort if the regime feels its core survival is under threat.”\nParmar said Donald Trump would hope to avoid an escalation that caused global oil prices to rocket, raising costs for US voters before midterm elections in November.\nBut a full closure of the strait is not the only tactic at Iran’s disposal. Hunt said: “Vessels could face potential signal jamming, detentions of ships and crew, firing of warning shots, and sea mines that would partially obstruct the strait. Even small disruptions would have an outsized impact on the global oil sector, with delays, diversions and increased insurance and freight costs likely to drive global prices up.”\nWhat does the US attack mean for global oil markets? Before the strikes, oil market observers had expected scenarios involving limited military action to add about $10 a barrel to the global oil price.\nFinancial markets now expect a 9% jump in the price of Brent crude to $73 a barrel on Monday alone. Rystad Energy has said the price could jump by as much as $20 at the start of the week, to about $90 a barrel, unless there is a rapid de-escalation on Sunday before the New York oil futures market resumes trading at 11pm UK time. The price is still expected to rise despite the Opec nations and other oil-producing countries such as Russia agreeing a larger than planned production increase when they met on Sunday to counter the effects of the conflict.\nA prolonged disruption of the strait of Hormuz could drive oil prices above $100 a barrel, analysts said. Even in the scenario of a short and targeted US campaign, Hunt said, any strikes on Iran’s oil production and supply lines would disrupt flows to its key trading partner, China, driving increased prices globally as China competed in the global market to replace its losses from other sources.\nCould war in the Middle East trigger a global economic crisis?",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:19:55+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_03efc171ad40",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran war will test the vulnerability of oil markets - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran war will test the vulnerability of oil markets\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:27:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5BLTBiR3UzaWpOQ2VMcDViSVg5S1ozc3V1Q1VWb1VKNV85ZDVKNXN4NnBtcEJCa0k0Nno3cFZrSjVWcjF6TnhWaGpPeVIwdDdldTlHYTM5a2hBMDU5U1RZbmR5NGFRbjZZcGJJUE9qYU4?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3ec95ffde878",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Which senior Iranian figures have been killed by US-Israeli attacks? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Which senior Iranian figures have been killed by US-Israeli attacks?\nAmerican and Israeli bombing has killed scores of Iranians over the past day, including both civilians and senior officials.\nAt least 148 people, mostly young girls, were among those killed in a strike on a school in the city of Minab.\nA number of prominent political and military figures have been targeted and killed too.\nMiddle East Eye breaks down what we know so far about who has been killed.\nConfirmed killed\nAli Khamenei\nForemost of those killed is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s political and religious figurehead since 1989.\nThe supreme leader's death was confirmed by a tearful state TV presenter, who said the 86-year-old \"achieved his long-cherished wish of martyrdom in the holy month of Ramadan\".\nKhamenei's daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were also killed in US-Israeli strikes, state media reported.\nMohammad Pakpour\nMohammad Pakpour was the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - a role he had held since June, when his predecessor, Hossein Salami, was killed by an Israeli strike during the 12-day war.\nAli Shamkhani\nAli Shamkhani was the secretary of Iran’s defence council and a close adviser to the supreme leader.\nHe had been overseeing nuclear negotiations with the US, which he commented on as recently as Thursday.\nShamkhani was previously targeted by an Israeli attack in June, narrowly surviving and being pulled from the rubble of his home with severe injuries.\nAziz Nasirzadeh\nAziz Nasirzadeh was Iran’s defence minister, a position he had held since the election of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government in mid-2024.\nBefore that, Nasirzadeh held roles as commander of the air force and deputy chief of staff of the armed forces.\nAbdolrahim Mousavi\nAbdolrahim Mousavi was the chief of staff of the armed forces. His predecessor, Mohammad Bagheri, was killed by an Israeli strike in June.\nReported killed but unconfirmed\nIsrael’s military spokesperson announced the death of a string of other senior officials, though Iranian media has not yet commented.\nThe officials are believed by Israel to have been killed when Israeli forces simultaneously hit a string of locations in Tehran where senior political and military figures convened on Saturday morning.\nThe New York Times reported that the CIA had been tracking Khamenei’s movements for months, and learned more recently that a top meeting was set to take place at a leadership compound in Tehran.\nThis intelligence was passed onto Israel, according to people briefed on the matter.\nAround 40 Iranian officials were killed on Saturday, CBS reported, citing intelligence and military sources.\nMEE could not independently verify the claims.\nThe figures reported or suspected killed include:\nMojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain supreme leader who is considered to be a successor candidate. Israel’s Kan state broadcaster said there were indications that Mojtaba was killed, though this remains unconfirmed.\nEsmail Qaani, head of the IRGC’s elite al-Quds force.\nMajid Mousavi, the IRGC’s air force chief who oversees Iran’s ballistic missile attacks.\nSaleh Asadi, a senior intelligence officer.\nMohammad Shirazi, head of Khamenei’s military bureau.\nHossein Jabal Amelian, chair of the research and development agency of Iran’s defence ministry.\nReza Mozaffari-Nia, former chair of the research and development agency of Iran’s defence ministry.\nReported safe\nThose who the Iranian authorities say are still alive include:\nPresident Masoud Pezeshkian\nAli Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.\nBoth Pezeshkian and Larijani were targeted, according to Israeli media.\nMinister of Foeriegn Affairs Abbas Araghchi\nGholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, head of the judiciary.\nMohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, parliamentary speaker.\nState media reported that following Khamenei’s death, leadership of the country would temporarily be transferred to a three-member council comprising of Pezeshkian, Mohseni-Ejei and Alireza Arafi, a jurist from the Guardian Council.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:28:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_c570fb9408d5",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Missile debris, panic buying jolt Dubai's aura of calm after Iran attack - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Missile debris, panic buying jolt Dubai's aura of calm after Iran attack    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:33:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxPbWIxcnNjWlN3RE1CbUZxdHJsbWhQLW1RMDlSWEpIVHpvSGpjNTBDWVdTMEkyN0R6Q1F1eDRHeExBZ0RsM3ZpR3BfZkc4YmtROUJBLThwRmxsOTFhQXFNOUIyN1F1SjQ3Nnp2eG05SmxMU1E2SVM5Y0V4TWpqTFRpalBOQXpiN1pydGpuazNrd0dWdWpyTzYxbXYzT0ZoYk5NTHRWV1VMVGxRSGdzNXpiX2lvSHVEUnJoNUlySG93?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a46bd9fa0744",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Monuments toppled and celebratory dancing in Iran's streets",
    "body_text": "Monuments toppled and celebratory dancing in Iran's streets\nIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in his office on Saturday morning during a US-Israel attack. In Iran, there are celebrations in several cities, while others mourn in the streets. One Tehran resident tells BBC Persian the \"world has become a better place\" after Khamenei's death.\nFollow live here for updates.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:34:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/crl49eg3n92o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_dc6e37661cca",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Shipping companies divert vessels around Cape of Good Hope after strikes on Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Shipping companies divert vessels around Cape of Good Hope after strikes on Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:34:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxPTExWOTJiY0xscTVEN2FKUzNPNk1iNWpwRFJYek5NVmRVUkNLZHRKZTJhd294VXZTblRtVThuTXVqbmpXMDQ1a2FKcjhoY3BuLV9rbjUzOHVkTm1CcWRUQzVieTd2LWhiTDRmck9xUDNtX283QUtIaDVwWFNJczJRWVhlUGFvS0tCMkhyVGtQcGlSa0JHREZpd3BsRFdubFpFenFwM1BEQk95RWhPWHoxN0E2ZWstZHZFTUdHYjZoQnpKVFRsdFVDT3VwZVY5Y28?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1a89fcde14e0",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Pope warns escalating Iran conflict could tip Middle East into ‘irreparable abyss’ - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Pope Leo XIV warned Sunday that U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran risk plunging the Middle East into an \"irreparable abyss,\" urging leaders to halt a dangerous spiral of violence.\nSpeaking at the Angelus, the pontiff expressed \"deep concern\" over recent developments and called on nations to choose dialogue over war.\n\"Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death, but only through a reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue,\" the pope said, according to Vatican News.\n\"Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,\" he added, \"I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!\"\nThe pope's warning came after Israel and the U.S. launched a joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, dubbed \"Operation Epic Fury.\" The attacks reportedly killed several senior leaders, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades.\nMeanwhile, Iranian airstrikes killed at least eight Israelis on Sunday as Tehran’s latest missile barrage landed miles from Jerusalem.\nThe pope reinforced his warning in a two-part message posted Sunday morning on X.\n\"I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this tumultuous time,\" he wrote.\n\"Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue.\"\nIn a follow-up post, he warned of \"the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions\" and urged all parties involved to \"assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.\"\n\"May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld. And let us continue to pray for peace,\" he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:37:36+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_112c4ea26e35",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Investors look beyond Middle East curve ball and hope for fast resolution - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Investors look beyond Middle East curve ball and hope for fast resolution    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:45:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxOWmZuMjYxMnlfUzZaTjFSRWhROG1JNHdpNXUzQzNiQm52ZlVPa3F3NkxzOC1uRUp5cGZySjRnM1RIZWN3eXFsVEs4SUZ3eU83RjBISmNEQjVXVnZ2NG96NjlYdGQ4MldGX0lpS2hlQ0ZRLXhhU1ZWR0hjUlgwbnNMTC0zZF9HQld5aGJZYk9QMkN0VkVmQ21HaFpXRVVoNkg5cG93?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1b86ba3e47d2",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Months of planning behind US-Israeli mission to target Iran's supreme leader",
    "body_text": "Months of planning behind US-Israeli mission to target Iran's supreme leader\nThe attack that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came not in the middle of the night, as might have been expected, but in the middle of the morning.\nThat was because the US and Israel decided to take advantage of a piece of crucial intelligence that had arrived hours before.\nFor months, they had been watching for a moment of opportunity when senior Iranian figures might be meeting and they learnt Khamenei was going to be at a compound in central Tehran on Saturday morning.\nThey also had a fix on the location of other senior military and intelligence figures meeting at the same time.\nFor months the US and Israel had been tracking the supreme leader's movements. The exact methods they used are secret although US President Donald Trump in a social media post did hint at them.\n\"He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems.\"\nThis could have been a human source reporting back but it may be more likely to be technical tracking of Iranian individuals.\nIn the 12-day war last June, Israel targeted scientists and officials linked to Iran's nuclear programme and was reported to have been using penetration of telecoms and mobile phone systems to understand the movement of individuals.\nThat included sometimes tracking the movements of bodyguards who were linked to key officials.\nOver the long term, this can help build up a \"pattern of life\" to predict and understand activity as well as search for moments of vulnerability.\nIran knew the supreme leader was in the sights of its enemies and so the failure to identify and deal with these vulnerabilities in the intervening months suggests a deep failure for Iranian security and counterintelligence or else the ability of Israel and the US to continue to adapt their methods to find new ways of tracking.\nThe Iranians may also have calculated that a daylight attack was less likely.\nThe signs are that there is a division of labour with Israel focusing on strikes to hit leadership targets and the US more on military targets.\nCrucially the intelligence provided enough forward notice of the supreme leader's movements and those of other officials to be able to plan an attack using jets which could fire long-range missiles.\nRather than a single decapitation strike, the plan was for this attack to signal the launch of a wider campaign and it was moved forward to take advantage of the window of opportunity.\nIt can take around two hours for Israeli jets to reach Tehran but it is not clear how far off they fired their munitions.\nWhen the decision was taken, Israeli jets are reported to have used 30 bombs to attack the compound around 09:40 local time.\nThis may have been because the supreme leader was still using an underground bunker below the compound for his protection (though not reportedly some of the deepest that the regime has).\nMultiple munitions may have been needed to burrow deep enough to be sure of striking the target.\nOther sites in the Iranian capital were also hit, including the office of President Masoud Pezeshkian who later put out a statement and said he was safe.\nThree senior Iranian defence officials have been confirmed dead by Iran, including Defence Council secretary Ali Shamkhani, Defence Minister Brig Gen Aziz Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Gen Mohammad Pakpour.\nWhen the jets stuck, it was the middle of night at Mar-a-Lago in Florida where President Trump had gathered along with some of his top officials to monitor events.\nIt would take hours before confirmation came that the supreme leader had been killed.\nIran had been prepared for this possibility though, with reports that the plans for succession for not just Khamenei, but also an array of senior officials had been put in place.\nThat means it is not yet clear what the killing will mean for the course of this conflict.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:45:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86y5540vnno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2713551f4a33",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US says it sinks Iranian warship - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US says it sinks Iranian warship    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:54:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxNTVRBckNxMGw4aU4wVFQ4T19iclFjT0M4bU1SQUZWd3habUhpeUZ0UVdQME40QmRWUjhYSDFjLVZfNmJ6cUdRMndCdzFndllYMEc4R2lZTXQzOUwtbEp1S0kxeXRVajFKXy1HaEF3RnFoN281UVc3eFMtOWtGb21ZZ2Z4cGtCOTNRZGNsb0MxYw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cad8a7e3e4e8",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US announces its first casualties in Iran war; poll signals challenge for Trump - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US announces its first casualties in Iran war; poll signals challenge for Trump    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T14:58:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPTXVhSkMtX1QybGNnaWJqSHRkRmNXS2NvMFA1dWJnaTVQd2EzV2tIeHdxcFBTaW4zX0tNVjFMNWpabkFWYVplOFM0eDVQT2ctZkxQTTBHVW5zOU1OS1BRM2NKUzAxaG5rUmtfUWpFZlpmeVdWTV93dGJHM2V4X1ZRTHlqbFRNcVMteUNZN1JQTkstUTFJVVJON0RrQkRodE9USks3UmdiMEFUdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dfb773b9ac61",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Gulf stocks slide, Kuwait suspends trading as Iran responds to US, Israeli attacks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Gulf stocks slide, Kuwait suspends trading as Iran responds to US, Israeli attacks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:00:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQaU5wWmRFQXlmWkFjZjZ1SjdXNDhtQ1p2VFBjNG5BMXBsLXhLRDdfTGZObFVPeUJjRVE5SEYxX3RBYllwQ1FOWmVyb1YwcTlPb0wzWHFWLXNuNHk2N0NEY043OWNObGNyZHFkMC1sZzJwWlJCTk52RHpWLUVOc2tjQ3JTc29LbklDVFZuZ0lPQWlkZjRIYW1odHdUNF9VUC05OHRfbkFpcUpMeWgydWFCMHhEd1Q?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f65b453cff64",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Dr. Qanta Ahmed says strikes against Iran are 'most consequential event' in 47 years - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:05:27+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_1d6ef2502931",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US military releases video of strikes on Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "US military releases video of strikes on Iran    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:06:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxPZmxoVGt1RmZ4emtYcGpWa0hEZHU3R1pYQUY3Nm44dTRsMHVZcmxGN3VnRGgwY2JFak83Mll2bS0wY0Z2R21jemtZUmFpWHBOY2hhZ2NmbUNCTHdtUHBnYWpZbTV5ck5tRzNjNUtKeDF4VFZCRE81Ym5lUlJOVlhxLVlvQW9pTmhWZVRFNThzb0tRM09rNG9PVw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c2dd7657721e",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israelis unite across political divides in support of ‘justified’ war against Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israelis unite across political divides in support of ‘justified’ war against Iran\nIsraelis have grown used to the urgent routines of preparing for war.\nOn Saturday morning, the neighbourhoods of Tel Aviv were busy with people - some rushing to bomb shelters as air raid sirens wailed and others hurriedly loading children, pets and suitcases into cars to flee the city.\nAlongside familiar feelings of fear and uncertainty, the newly escalated conflict with Iran has forged a renewed mood of national unity, in which the usual political and social divisions of Israel’s fractured society appeared to have been subsumed by a collective sense that a conflict long willed by so many had finally arrived.\nSpeaking from inside a shelter as the sounds of missiles and explosions shook the city, Orly Hareuveny, a physiotherapist, told Middle East Eye that Israelis had become so accustomed to war that it was now a distinct characteristic of Israeli life - “the same as the weather is for people in England”.\nHareuveny considers herself a leftist and a supporter of co-existence with Palestinians, political views that have been marginalised in the Israel of Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition and its three-year genocidal war in Gaza.\nBut she says the latest war is “very justified”, describing Iranian leaders as “the enemies of the world” and comparing the threat they pose to Israelis to the Holocaust.\n“I represent the moderate left, so of course, people around me talk about coexistence, talk about two states. People around me talk about doing everything so that we can live here in peace, but this is not relevant to Iran,” she said.\n“Iran should not be any kind of factor in our national system. We do not share a border with them. It stems purely from vengeful, religious, extremist hatred.”\nHareuveny believes Israeli pilots led the assault alongside their US allies because they were valued for their experience and military prowess.\n“The Americans wanted us to begin because we have both the technique and the knowledge. Those who destroyed, if they indeed eliminated [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei and all their leaders, were Israeli pilots.\n“I do not think that killing is a source of pride, but there is an evil here that has brought an evil and wicked narrative into the world.\n“Unfortunately, this war will be credited to a terrible and vengeful government, a government of hatred, a government without values.”\nHareuveny admits fearing that the war may escalate, with consequences for Israelis far beyond those of last year's 12-day war with Iran.\nBut she says that many Israelis have grown accustomed to living in fear.\n“It may be built into living in Israel. Since fourth grade, I have experienced war, and you are always inside it. This is a national narrative.”\n'A war of commandment'\nFor Osnat and Haiem, a couple in central Israel who spoke to MEE using pseudonyms, their country does not have a choice when it comes to Iran, just as they believe it has had no choice but to confront other regional threats.\n“Everyone in Israel agrees that this war should happen,” Osnat told MEE.\n“The 7 October attack showed us that we are under threat and Iran wants to end Zionism. We have to eliminate the threat,” Haiem added.\n“We support the attack on Hamas, Lebanon and, of course, there is complete agreement over this war.”\nIsrael’s media and political leaders have also fallen in step with the national mood.\n“This is a decisive moment,” prominent commentator Ben-Dror Yemini wrote in popular Israeli news site Ynet on Saturday. “Because we are at a time of historic opportunity.”\nAccording to Yemini, the conflict is, “according to Jewish tradition - a war of commandment”.\nHe said it is “not only a supreme right to attack the regime, it is a supreme moral and national duty”.\nSimilar sentiments have been echoed by various Israeli leaders and politicians - notably those opposed to Netanyahu and his government.\nYair Golan, a former military officer and head of the left-wing Democrats party, wrote on X that the Israeli military “are being given full backing”.\n“Civilian resilience and personal discipline are the most important backing we can give to our pilots and fighters.”\nSimilarly, centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid said: “In moments like these we stand together - and we win together.\n“There is no coalition and no opposition, only one people and one IDF, with all of us behind them.”\nAyman Odeh, an MP representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, noted “there is no opposition in Israel, only fifty shades of militarism”.\nWidespread support\nOn Saturday, the mood in Israel was summed up by Haaretz in an Instagram post as “coffee and arak in the parking lot” in a video showing people calmly drinking from disposable cups at tables outside a beachside cafe in Tel Aviv, declaring “the new war routine is here”.\nVeteran political commentator Meron Rapoport told MEE that there was no doubt that the war enjoyed very widespread support.\nHe points to a recent poll that showed half of the Israeli public supported strikes on Iran even if the negotiations held with the United States in recent days ended with success.\n'Iran is conceived as still an existential threat that we have to prevent'\n- Meron Rapoport, political commentator\nIsraeli media and many Israelis had rationalised the war as a “pre-emptive attack”, he said.\n“Iran is conceived as still an existential threat that we have to prevent,” Rapoport said, adding that many Israelis believe they would be saving the Iranian people from a repressive government by attacking Iran’s leadership.\n“I would say at the same time there is quite a lot of fear,” Rapoport said.\n“Israel feels, on the one hand, that they are the strongest nation in the Middle East or in the world, but at the same time, the weakest one. I think they do feel that there is some trauma from the last war with Iran.”\nIsraeli media reports have suggested the potential cost of a new war is being concealed from the public.\nYnet reported last week that army chief Eyal Zamir had privately warned of potentially devastating consequences, while officially remaining silent on the dangers.\nIsraelis are also still recovering from June’s 12-day war. According to Haaretz, hundreds of Israeli citizens have still not returned to their homes and some are suffering from PTSD.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQc3NOSFlwNTA1ZXFXODBQUFBrT1dtQTdtN2puS19ENGU5OWlpQjNxd2F6aGlmNUJxWDYtQnJkcGRCYVJPb3F6OWVQYzl6LVpNS2Z5RVRmTUhzWnpDZC1RNFZ4LU0tbUw4Ri1paXNsODdRUlBQalJjU2YtTHRJS2RmdllBRG9Oanpmb2ZKRzBsWkdQbjAwNWZKcldn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ff6605d67eab",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran’s Supreme Leader Killed in US-Israeli Attacks as War Widens - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Supreme Leader Killed in US-Israeli Attacks as War Widens    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:12:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQQXBDSEt4MnJBWTVkZXdpQXI0VUpwdjlqNllfM0JwdDBYbWFKSnVzbnl0RDZYVm93U3Boam03MUgzbjFaUlN1NHQxSVJwUzlmLVVBbURnLWlVb245MkpsckN4dXZfNm9BRTZLMTBqaUxKaXV6YmFzYXhkdnBlRFNwLUh2VEF0OXVCQzJUYnZ3VTJGZ3RSWUNlT2psV2llM3NEUldMZktnQ3EtV2FNMC1zNlBwajEzZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4012aa863b79",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Three US troops killed in war with Iran: CENTCOM - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "WASHINGTON — Three US soldiers were killed and five more \"seriously wounded\" on the second day of the US and Israeli conflict with Iran, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release Sunday.\n“Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty,” CENTCOM said.\nThe troops were Army soldiers based in Kuwait at the time of the casualty-inducing incident, NBC first reported and a US official confirmed to Al-Monitor. However, the official provided no details on the nature of the incident.\nIran has launched hundreds of retaliatory ballistic missiles and drones at neighboring countries hosting US bases.\nThe State Department said Sunday that US government personnel had been relocated from hotels in Bahrain after the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manama was struck by an Iranian projectile.\nThe compound housing the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama was struck on Saturday, but officials said there were no US casualties.\n“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties; that often happens in war,” Trump said in a video-recorded speech released early Saturday following the onset of the US strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:13:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxOVzFsWVo5YW51dEJleTJGMHQzZmdvTFVkMEtMSlA0VVZiSDh1Ym54Wk02YnN5U1F4OUZWcUFnYUI5aXhrN3BnUnJqZHIxeHdTNC1EVnJDbXdBanFjSlhoRnRlWWF3cXdRYlBRaG1EYkFQSUE0RFFmZnFvZUYtYVJZZklqX2trUFBqODRNbg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_199794501aae",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "3 US service members killed, 5 seriously wounded in Iran operation - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Three U.S. service members were killed and five others were seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Sunday morning.\nIn addition, several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and are in the process of being returned to duty, CENTCOM announced.\n\"The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,\" CENTCOM said.\nThe deaths mark the first American casualties reported in the conflict.\nPresident Donald Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning, eliminating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as well as dozens of other senior Iranian leaders, including the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.\nThe joint military operation is expected to carry on for days. Officials tell Fox News that Israel is targeting Iranian leadership, while the U.S. is targeting military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an \"imminent threat.\"\nTrump warned on Sunday against Iranian retaliation over the U.S. and Israeli strikes. He said that if Iran were to \"hit very hard,\" they would be met with \"a force that has never been seen before.\"\nIt comes as the Iranian regime launched strikes against U.S. interests in neighboring countries in the region in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli joint strikes against Iran’s leaders.\nThe Iranian response targeted all U.S. bases in the Gulf, except for U.S. bases in Oman, Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported.\nOn Sunday, Iranian airstrikes killed at least eight Israelis just miles from Jerusalem.\nThe strikes landed in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. Initial reports said four people were killed when missiles landed in a residential area on Sunday, but that death toll rose to eight, according to Israel's national emergency service.\nFox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:21:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPTE1lVUttcVZkSWJsVmp6Q2JlbUY5R1VMRWVvTGRqR0dib0xYbzlHZFlYUEV1aUVzeUtPZXl1S29lYkJMSGNYZHNsWjBxT0hPb0dqTFVoN1hqRUstbTJtMWNIbzhjT1ZmNDFXa01vVVUyaFNmVTJpVEdMalNHTzdwa3RsS0ZFbUZLdkVhSUdnOFRkQdIBlwFBVV95cUxQbl9uNFNvVXNnS08tVW5WTXZxbWNXQWwzY3hwR2VlTDJaU1dVVF9tbFpENHZyNlhUSUZ5c0Q5LXNHaFM1czdBWXNjRlJtc2FtbzQ4a1ZPZUhjMi0yX2Q3dEdVbXlMN3hzLTBRNFZGenZleDRNWExBbzBydFNvQ29zTDJneGF6TWdncU16dDJMZ2FTekN5NHJR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e6b9bc44c52f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "International Relations Is Not a Morality Play: What to Expect From the War With Iran - Liberal Currents",
    "body_text": "\"If the U.S. ends up withdrawing” from the Iran nuclear deal, I wrote in March 2017, “it sets the Middle East on a path to two possible futures: (1) A nuclear Iran. (2) War. Both are much worse than the status quo.\" Nine years later, America launched a war on Iran.\nI knew those were the only two options because nuclear technology is decades old, and the only way to really prevent a country from getting it is if they choose not to. Iran borders nuclear-armed Pakistan, and has a long-running adversarial relationship with nuclear-armed Israel and America—plus the Iranians saw the U.S. negotiate with North Korea, which has nukes, while attacking Iraq, which didn’t—so they have reason to want a bomb. Sabotage, cyberattacks, killing nuclear scientists, and limited military action could set back Iran’s nuclear development, while paradoxically increasing its incentive to establish a deterrent. The only lasting way to prevent Iran from going nuclear was convincing this regime to give it up, or forcibly replace them with a regime that will.\nThe 2015 nuclear deal, more formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), restricted Iran’s nuclear activities. It was the painstakingly negotiated, highly detailed result of over a decade of diplomacy. The international community, backed by UN Security Council resolutions, sanctioned Iran for years, offering history’s tightest nuclear deal as an alternative. Iran eventually agreed, and the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Russia, China, and the E.U. all signed. Three years later, Iran was following it—but Trump broke it anyway, saying that “maximum pressure” would get a “better deal.”\nIt predictably didn’t. Iran was under less pressure than before JCPOA, since most of the world didn’t reimpose sanctions when the U.S. broke an agreement they wanted to keep.\nTrump reneging on the Iran nuclear deal closed off the diplomatic path. Iranians who opposed the JCPOA and argued that the United States couldn’t be trusted won the domestic argument. Especially with Trump back in power, America cannot credibly promise that pressure will stop if Iran makes concessions. Talks between Iran and Trump officials unsurprisingly went nowhere, and now the U.S. is attacking Iran, with Iran’s nuclear program one of the main justifications.\nI’m not recounting this to claim I had a unique insight, but to show how clear it was. Many people saw it, and quite a few spoke up. I bet there are tons in and outside of the arms control, nuclear, and national security communities feeling a frustrated, angry version of vindication.\nAnother Middle East war\nMany observers will note parallels to the 2003 Iraq war, with the U.S. launching an unprovoked assault on a Middle Eastern government while denouncing an “evil” regime pursuing weapons of mass destruction it does not currently have. But the differences are striking.\nIn accordance with the Constitution, George W. Bush sought and got Congressional authorization before attacking Iraq. Bipartisan majorities in both houses approved, including prominent Democratic Senators John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.\nTrump launched this war on Iran without getting or even seeking Congressional approval. That builds on other military actions this term—including a two-month air war against the Houthis in Yemen, attacks on Iran’s nuclear program last year, an ongoing bombing campaign against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, and a special forces operation that removed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro—all conducted without Congress, with some featuring egregious violations of both U.S. and international law.\nUnder the War Powers Act, the president can launch military action without Congress in the event of “a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.” That clearly hasn’t happened with Iran. But even if there is a national emergency, the president has 60 days to get Congressional approval, and without it has 30 more days to withdraw.\nTrump and Congressional Republicans already weakened that standard in his first term, when he vetoed a War Powers resolution demanding an end to direct support for Saudi Arabia’s bombing campaign in Yemen, and MAGA Republicans prevented a bipartisan attempt to override it. That effectively flipped the rules from the president needs Congressional approval and must withdraw without it to Congress must pass a bill telling the president to stop military action and needs a supermajority to make him.\nThe trend of increasing presidential power at the expense of Congress did not start with Trump, but this attack on Iran brings it to new heights, with the legislature not even consulted on a highly consequential use of one of its core responsibilities. And it’s working, because the Republican-led House and Senate are apparently fine with that.\nThe Bush administration spent over a year making the case for war to the American people and the world. It was a misleading case—Iraq was not close to nuclear weapons like they said, Saddam Hussein wasn’t involved in 9/11 like some of them at least implied, the invading forces weren’t widely “greeted as liberators” like they predicted—and people can debate if the White House knew this was false and consciously lied, or believed most of it and were catastrophically wrong (I lean the latter). But whatever your answer, the point here is they made the case, and the American people approved. The month before the U.S.-led invasion, Pew surveys found that 66% supported military force against Iraq, including 52% of Democrats, while only 26% did not.\nBy contrast, a University of Maryland Critical Issues poll from early February this year found that only 21% of Americans favor an attack on Iran—including only 40% of Republicans—while 49% of Americans were opposed (30% said they don't know).\nTrump launching a war without popular support, or even trying to make a public case, shows contempt for democracy and the American people. And for the extensive research showing that countries do better in wars when they have public support, while widespread public opposition makes it harder to sustain the effort needed to accomplish ambitious goals.\nBush built a 49-country “coalition of the willing” to invade Iraq, with the U.K., Australia, and Poland contributing forces to the invasion. France and Turkey were among the many countries opposed, the war strained the Western alliance and the international system, but the coalition brought some burden sharing and a degree of international support. Then two months after invading, the U.S. and U.K. got a UN Security Council Resolution authorizing the occupation, and more countries sent troops.\nFor Trump’s Iran attack, it’s just the U.S. and Israel, both under leaders much of the world despises. A few countries have offered verbal support—namely Australia and Canada, who denounced Iran’s nuclear pursuits—but the U.K. and other allies are distancing themselves from the U.S. effort, and many states around the world are outright opposed. Whatever comes after this assault, the U.S. will have a hard time rallying others to help manage the problems.\nThe Bush administration’s planning for Iraq was highly flawed, with numerous problems in execution. But there was a plan. America’s stated goal was replacing Saddam Hussein’s despotic rule with a democracy, and Bush deployed a large ground force to do it.\nI thought the war was a bad idea—my first attempt at serious writing is an undergrad thesis called “The Bush Doctrine and International Law.”—and think subsequent events have shown that (unfortunately). But whatever you think of the invasion of Iraq, the aftermath likely would’ve been worse without the occupation force and effort to set up an elected government.\nCollapsing the regime without building something in its place could’ve resulted in the multi-sided mess of the Syrian civil war, the power vacuum of post-Gaddafi Libya, or an ISIS-captured state.\nIran is bigger than Iraq, with almost four times the area, and at 91 million people, more than three times the population of Iraq when the U.S. invaded in 2003. And Iran is more geostrategically important, with proxies throughout the Middle East, a mutual assistance relationship with Russia—which is too occupied with Ukraine to help at the moment, but will be a long-term opponent of any U.S.-friendly regime change—and a major oil supplier to China.\nThe Trump administration appears to have no long-term plan, no sense of what the U.S. ultimately aims to achieve, and no answer to what happens after the American-Israeli assault. The president is talking about regime change, and missiles are flying at government targets, but there’s no ground force ready to take control if it falls.\nAirstrikes have never caused regime change on their own. The closest this century was Libya 2011, where the U.S. and NATO airpower helped overthrow Muamar Gaddafi. But that was intervention in a civil war, where rebel groups already controlled some territory, and after airstrikes weakened regime military capabilities, local rebels killed Gaddafi. Since then, Libya has become a festering problem, with terrible conditions for people there, cross-border terrorist attacks, and mass migration at levels difficult to manage.\nIran does not have an active armed rebellion. The government recently put down anti-regime demonstrations with extreme violence, killing perhaps tens of thousands, and blacking out the internet to obscure it from the world. Many Iranians who might’ve risen up against a regime weakened by foreign attack, who have organized opposition networks, and worked for a freer, more equal, democratic future are among the dead.\nBreaking is easy, building is hard\nWhether or not the American-Israeli air war can collapse the Iranian government, it will do a lot of damage. In the “12 Day War” last June, Israel showed that Iran has minimal air defense and limited retaliatory capabilities. With its allies Hezbollah and Hamas severely weakened through war with Israel, Iran lost its biggest deterrent. In the 12 Day War, Israel and the United States intercepted most of Iran’s missiles and drones, with Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia knocking down or reporting Iranian projectiles that crossed their airspace. Israeli strikes got through, some of them destroying Iranian missiles and launchers.\nThe United States has a lot more aerial capabilities than Israel, and this air campaign is already larger, hitting at least 13 cities, including a variety of locations in and around Tehran. The Iranian military is taking serious damage. Some strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a significant change no matter what comes next.\nBut will the clerical regime hold on to power, with new leaders stepping up? That seems the case for now, though this could be the opening days of a campaign that goes on for weeks. Will the government collapse or get overthrown? Or will another faction within the multifaceted Iranian state take control?\nA pre-war CIA assessment predicted that killing Khamenei would likely lead to Revolutionary Guard hardliners taking over. Whether or not that’s right—or if it’s right in the short term, but an overwhelming air campaign manages to dislodge the military hardliner government—there’s little chance a stable democratic state arises from this chaos, let alone one friendly to America and Israel.\nOn the lower end, it could play out like a bigger version of the 12 Day War, with waves of American and Israeli strikes damaging and destroying Iranian military, government, and economic infrastructure, killing some senior figures, then stopping with the regime still intact, while Trump lies by claiming that the military action achieved more than it did, and demands a peace prize for ending a war he started.\nOr it could go considerably further, with the U.S. and Israel following up on regime change talk and trying to overthrow the government from afar.\nIran’s retaliatory attacks have hit Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, though the damage appears limited. They’ve targeted some U.S. military installations, but firing at commercial airports, a shopping mall and other civilian targets in the UAE betrays an inability to do serious damage to Iran’s military antagonists. The 12 Day War saw many of Iran’s missiles fired or destroyed, and the opening salvos of this war further reduced Iran’s capacity. They might be able to get some shots through and do some damage, but not nearly enough to make the U.S. and Israel stop before they want to.\nIran still has asymmetric options, including a weakened but still dangerous network of allied militias in Yemen, Iraq, and elsewhere. America heavily bombed the Houthis in Yemen last spring, after the group attacked Red Sea shipping to pressure Israel to end its attack on Gaza. After nearly two months, the U.S. stopped, with Trump officials lying that they forced the Houthis into a comprehensive deal. The group attacked shipping again in the summer.\nIran’s biggest card might be disrupting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow point at the end of the Gulf through which about 20% of the world’s daily oil flows. Militarily closing the Strait—i.e. preventing U.S. Navy access to it—would be difficult, but Iran doesn’t need that for an economic impact. Hostilities make ships afraid to sail, and insurance companies refuse to cover the risk, even if nothing’s getting hit. Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is already down 70%, and Oman reports an attack on a tanker.\nIf that keeps up, it’ll increase global energy costs, adding to inflationary pressure. That’s another factor weighing against Trump sustaining a prolonged military campaign beyond what Iran can weather.\nThe Iranian regime is awful. Its foreign policy is violently disruptive throughout the region, its nuclear program is a threat to global stability, and it recently massacred thousands of protesters to maintain repressive theocratic rule.\nBut international relations is not a morality play. The most relevant question is not “is this government bad?” or “do they deserve it?” The most relevant question is “will this use of military force make things better, enough to be worth the death and suffering it’ll impose?”\nIt’s hard to see how this will.\nFeatured image is Wall of Fire from the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration, by Nathan Rupert",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:24:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxPNVRpU1d2M3JlaGRaY25CSmVDMlpVUkRaTWhJV0Rhd0hCd2p2dWN5RWJ2ZXl6dkJVU2FDd0RSaENja3h6bF9Pbk5seXJCYmNCN0xZX1lEa1FiTmZFTmpYbGNuNFEtQzRqS2pXVU1hT2JZQWYtN2UtczF2S3g5bVVlM3d5RmttWE5hQmVSdjl6TS1UVUJURGd6a1c2ODN6cnNLRWVHbFdtSFhZMERqM2RPN3ZXZHhjUGIx?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8a91edc6dbe1",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran Strikes Will Be Nasty for Oil Prices But Not a Shock - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran Strikes Will Be Nasty for Oil Prices But Not a Shock    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:25:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxPRi1NLW43QWdxZ1pPaUJkZE9NN1hFWUExSW9jNkFWcnVlNXNIbU1mMVRNckV4SldtT3IwU1h1OXlhWmhhaEh3MjFQNl9CeUlUN2ZENjg5UTc0NENhS01RTGoxZGVfb3ZlQjlHZFliNW8yTWx0OXVNOHZVbkJaWDhra2V0WHJiWHpPMU5wSFRvYlVfakV6N2lPazZLa3VQVjVCVGtrQTY2ZGpEZWp6V3dsaVF4dkJZSDl5R0N3ak9uQTE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1a8e44f7576e",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Trump’s epic gamble in the Middle East - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Trump’s epic gamble in the Middle East\nJoin FT Edit\nOnly $49 a yearGet 2 months free with an annual subscription at was $59.88 now $49. Access to eight surprising articles a day, hand-picked by FT editors. For seamless reading, access content via the FT Edit page on FT.com and receive the FT Edit newsletter.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:34:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5hZXhDZXVIXzRFYmZoaVdYbHpVVjl0MkpXNHFWWFJKeTMwQTNPcDJ2aGNoYWtqakJQbzR2X1Q5blI4bmowMGR2Yy1JR1dUZXUzeEpFb0NiTUdUeEw2NkR5TmNUQkI5LXZqMjNqeHNCRGs?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0da70874eac4",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "UAE residents shelter underground as Iranian barrage continues - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "UAE residents shelter underground as Iranian barrage continues    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:39:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQcVYzQUZNYlVjYVRfRWxza2x4WFppbjRJZmtITlRpVVZ2YUhVMGFoN3RaWmU4YnQtUG9GbENrODkyRjlHVV8zYjcxZ254ZXQ1TDljZDI5d0I0NEMxTkY3ZXFpWWlidEF5LV9PYlVLYUNwYVFscUtLMm9IY3FFQUhUYVkzVFhhSTljUHMyYlFKa29XZEFnNXl6QXlGcm5YbVdnaDFLQi1JUGV6a25fOXhHX3FCdkJqdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a43af9cf4d62",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "NATO intercepts Turkey-bound missile, Pentagon claims imminent control of Iran airspace - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain supreme leader, as successor\nIran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the recently killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader, according to a statement from the Assembly of Experts published by state media early Monday local time.\nMojtaba Khamenei, 56, is a cleric who has long operated behind the scenes within Iran’s political and religious establishment and maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Though he has never held a formal government post, he has for years been seen as a powerful figure within his father’s inner circle and a potential successor.\nThe development comes after Israel had warned it would target any replacement for the 86-year-old Khamenei who was killed in an Israeli strike during the first day of the war. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Sunday that Israel would pursue “the successor and everyone who tries to appoint him,” warning clerics involved in the selection process that they would also be targeted. Israeli forces struck offices linked to the Assembly of Experts earlier in the war.\nIn Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would intensify despite mounting regional tensions. In remarks broadcast by state media, he said Iran would not yield under pressure and suggested attacks on American-linked targets across the Middle East could escalate if strikes on Iran continue. “When we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond. The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be,” he said.\nThe comments marked a harder line after Pezeshkian sought to reassure Gulf neighbors on Saturday, apologizing for Iranian strikes that had alarmed countries across the region and urging them not to join US and Israeli operations against Iran. Hard-line figures within Iran’s leadership quickly pushed back, insisting that attacks would continue on locations used to support strikes against Iran.\nMeanwhile, hostilities are intensifying in Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said Sunday that 394 people have been killed since fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah escalated earlier in the week.\nEarly Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit a hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, according to the health ministry. Israel said the strike targeted commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force operating in the Lebanese capital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:44:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxQVUxlQTB0bTBvbldZdzdBY0oxZ1FLSXZvZElYQWdoazg3YnQ5YTB1RzdXa1pGZWhsempfVWhpZ1lZbFNqUmdRdEVWOHQ4WE5nQXBXQkhaeW9oQTJBRmpMaXU0ZnZlTjQ1VDJjUzRfLW14eW5FVTBwcjZsdkJncTdadUViYVMyTEJOOHNFN2JDZUIzUlUwS0FYeTN4QW1JeEliNnpGd2oxUjc0M1hZb1hiMGJWTm1JV09Pb2J5ZQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_14c82804ec10",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian missiles kill nine in Israel, with UAE, Oman and Kuwait also targeted - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iranian missiles kill nine in Israel, with UAE, Oman and Kuwait also targeted\nAn Iranian missile attack on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh killed at least nine people on Sunday, medics said.\nThe Magen David Adom emergency service said that at least 28 were also wounded in the attack, two of them seriously.\nIsraeli police said it was a direct hit on a building in Beit Shemesh, a densely populated city located 30km from Jerusalem.\nSearch and rescue teams were in the area, according to Israel’s military, as well as a helicopter to evacuate the wounded.\nAn army spokesperson added that the circumstances of the impact from the Iranian ballistic missile were being reviewed.\n“When I arrived, I saw a terrible scene,\" paramedic Yehuda Shlomo was quoted as saying by AFP.\n\"I saw heavy structural damage, smoke in the air, and a great deal of chaos, with dozens of frightened casualties emerging from damaged buildings.\"\nPnina Pfeuffer, an ultra-Orthodox activist, said Beit Shemesh is a predominantly ultra-Orthodox city and that many residents had little information about the situation following the strike, as they were not permitted to use their phones on Shabbat.\n\"There isn’t much to say. It’s a tragic event. People were killed simply because they were staying in a shelter,\" Pfeuffer told Middle East Eye.\n\"Although Israel is very well prepared for attacks, even shelters are not immune to a direct hit.\"\nThe strike on Beit Shemesh was the deadliest attack on Israel since the conflict began.\n\"Ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods are very densely populated. The greater the density, the greater the risks,\" Pfeuffer said.\nIran has repeatedly launched strikes against Israel in response to the US-Israeli attacks that began early on Saturday.\nCasualties in multiple Gulf states\nIranian missiles have also struck a number of Gulf countries.\nAuthorities in the United Arab Emirates said three people had been killed and 58 wounded since Saturday.\nThose killed in the UAE attacks were Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, Abu Dhabi's defence ministry said.\nThe Emirates detected 165 ballistic missiles, destroying 152 and intercepting two cruise missiles, the ministry said.\nIt added that 506 of 541 Iranian drones had been shot down.\nIn Kuwait, one person was killed and 32 others injured since Saturday, the country’s health ministry said.\nIn Oman, a key mediator in US-Iran nuclear talks, the port of Duqm was targeted by two drones on Sunday. Oman had been the only Gulf country spared from strikes a day earlier.\n\"One drone struck a mobile workers' accommodation, injuring one foreign worker, while debris from the other landed near fuel tanks, causing no casualties or material damage,\" the Oman News Agency said.\nLater on Sunday, Oman said an oil tanker was targeted off the coast. Its crew was evacuated and four of them were injured, the agency reported.\nAlso on Sunday, drones struck the airport in the Bahraini capital, Manama, causing minor damage, authorities said.\nThe US embassy in Manama urged citizens to steer clear of hotels in the city after the Crowne Plaza was hit.\nA day earlier, drones and shrapnel hit residential buildings in the Bahraini capital, with videos on social media showing smoke and fire erupting from high-rise buildings.\nIn Qatar, where the biggest US military base in the region is located, officials said Iran launched 65 missiles and 12 drones towards the Gulf state.\nMost of them were intercepted, but eight people were wounded, one of them critically.\nSmoke was visible near US bases in Abu Dhabi and Manama, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, witnesses said. US bases were also targeted in Kuwait.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T15:45:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQMzBCb1Y2TEpOeWVnOVdELUc4bmg2cC1fYk9DQzM0TmtoS01QOGVaX0NueURueTYzdnF3ZEdGU0ZwekhxcTBiWTl4Nm1PdDAwNnBWeEF0S04zekJ3dXJNU3R1eEJyVTRuZy1kZElNclNnR0Y1cGJ5b2cwdjlDT1FjT2RsbldidWdKYUQ4ai1FMmlpUXlYNHlYVVFPSWtyaTAzSTZz?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c1232cd3080f",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US military says three of its service members killed in Iran operation - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Three US service members have been killed in action as part of US military operations against Iran, the US Central Command said in a statement on Sunday. These are the first confirmed deaths since the US began launching strikes against Iran on Saturday.\nFive additional personnel have been reported seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury, the US military said. Authorities have not yet publicly identified the three soldiers who were killed.\nWhile announcing the military action targeting Iran, Donald Trump cautioned that “the lives of American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war”.\nOn Sunday, Israel and the US carried out another round of heavy attacks across Iran, marking the second day of a military effort aimed at removing the country’s government. The campaign has pushed the Middle East into a broader regional confrontation with no clear end or predictable outcome.\nThe escalation followed increasingly tense exchanges between officials in Washington and Tehran, signaling the possibility of further military developments in the near future.\nTrump stated on Sunday that the US would strike Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” if Tehran followed through on threats of retaliation after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday.\nThe strikes extended beyond current government leaders. The home in Tehran belonging to former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also destroyed, and his condition or whereabouts were not immediately confirmed.\nMeanwhile, Iranian state media reported that the number of people killed in a missile attack on a girls’ school in southern Iran has climbed to nearly 150. The school was hit on Saturday morning and appears to represent the deadliest single incident of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran so far.\nAfter the attack on Iran, anti-war demonstrations took place across the US, including gatherings outside the White House and in New York’s Times Square, where protesters expressed opposition to American military involvement in the region.\nProtest organizers released a statement saying: “Trump’s unprovoked, illegal attack on Iran is an act of war that threatens to cause unthinkable death and destruction. But the people of this country reject another endless war and will take to the streets now and make our voices heard.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxPUEJBOXJvcEZGdEh2NDl6UHZaVWpPVklCSHY1NXVqQVRVWXFHZ1J6RWx1cUtkMk1rRkM0R3NEYkwtZ3pNZnVVNWZjal8tZEtyTXFtenBVZWNyeks5QUhreFQ2dTdoZ0JidnRuNEdIc0tKNVJaOEJpcy1nOE9MaEZta3F4MVpzVEt0NmxTdE93?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_736ea74c14d2",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Diplomacy Shifts to War: How Trump’s Team Decided to Attack Iran - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Diplomacy Shifts to War: How Trump’s Team Decided to Attack Iran    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:00:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxQSFFROFFKcjVMYmNCM2xKeDVkMHRNWWNRMi1pVklIYWZqakRoUDMyYjE2ZnIzVndDelpTQ2Q3Y1ZoUzhlWndVcWtDUFd5cFZQU29MWUJVdXRpOWd4cU1QNEFTbkdVZUFQTzRhSUtDLVFwSjItdk05bWVVVW9ZM3Z6RXZ2dG1sOTcxSzdkVEc1VFNEbVRhYWVXdEdrQUwxRFJWd2dTTDFZQ0ptWllp?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_acb412511a40",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Keir Starmer will let US use UK bases for attacks on Iranian missile sites - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Keir Starmer will let US use UK bases for attacks on Iranian missile sites\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:01:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9jVTlQTE4wRTJyUzRWWlpCT2ptQ2NiTFNvZGFyRm9odUljOXg2Z1owNG1NZ2Z1b19YVEs2VldkRWYydkVuV0dmNU5jR0VZbVF5Umk2SjdUU2ZBd1YxdWhsMWlwZWFRNWNkelVEWHNFdHA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e9a310b7331f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Travellers say some Iranians held up at Turkish land border - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Travellers say some Iranians held up at Turkish land border    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:22:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxOZDNhWEJ3VzJoYVJmaWxpMXhYaHN2Ym9HOE1adUZjTU9RQURIZUVPS1NiZHZ3YWUtbGdFeTFrMGRxeWhodjY3LWI5VmRPSHBJQzhnUUhYOFpxNjBkVkZkdzg0cVlCdnczd1J2RF9FWU5LQ0RUVTllbGREdldCek1pM21ORTBsdVJUYkdaQXVsOGN5a3FMeDlORVdfRjdsVUl2YmE0b3FpRXN1RTk4Wi1R?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_15ec9ad49762",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "After Khamenei, who rules Iran? - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "After Khamenei, who rules Iran?\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:30:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBQVmxMcTRPRFo5aFJGSUlBNjNXWUNmNlNYSmx1aTZ4NXRWYUcwVEZkelVCQlVlQUxUYTRiM0UwY25UcmpUR0JIS09NeXkzUWFmSVRWRW9vck5RMzFFeWdtdy1vVjNHVzBBcVhJUExRUWY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0d6acb5a09a7",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Opec+ agrees 206,000 bpd increase as Iran conflict tests supply routes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Opec+ has agreed to a 206,000 bpd increase starting in April, amid regional tensions.\nThe decision follows US and Israeli strikes on Iran, affecting oil routes.\nDisruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have impacted Iraqi oil exports but spared Gulf facilities.\nSaudi Arabia and the UAE have spare capacity to mitigate potential supply losses.\n\"The eight participating countries decided to resume the unwinding of the 1.65 million bpd of additional voluntary adjustments,\" Opec said.\nOpec+ has agreed to increase output by 206,000 barrels per day from April, following one of the alliance’s most consequential meetings in years, held against the backdrop of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and rising threats to Gulf oil flows.\nThe figure falls between the 137,000 bpd base case most analysts had anticipated and the more aggressive increases of 400,000 to 500,000 bpd that had been suggested.\n“The eight participating countries decided to resume the unwinding of the 1.65 million bpd of additional voluntary adjustments announced in April 2023 and agreed on a production adjustment of 206,000 bpd,” Opec said.\nThe meeting followed US and Israeli strikes on Iran launched on Saturday, and Tehran’s retaliatory missile and drone salvos against Gulf states overnight. The exchange has disrupted tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil flows.\nOpec+ said it was continuing to “closely monitor and assess market conditions” and was retaining full flexibility “to increase, pause or reverse the phase out of the voluntary production adjustments”.\nThe group said all options were on the table including reversing the previously implemented voluntary adjustments of the 2.2 million bpd, announced in November 2023.\nShipping threats\nThe meeting followed the most intense escalation in the Gulf since the early 1990s. The US-Israeli strikes led to the assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which was confirmed by state media on Sunday morning. Iran has been retaliating to Israeli strikes by hitting the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. The targets were US bases in these countries, however civilian infrastructure was also hit leading to casualties.\nOman's southern, Indian Ocean-facing Port of Duqm was attacked by drones on Sunday. Palau-flagged tanker Skylight, which was sailing off the Omani exclave of Musandam, close to the Strait of Hormuz also came under attack, Oman’s Maritime Security Centre, said. It was located five nautical miles north of Khasab Port at the time of the incident.\nReports suggest the latest barrage also struck Iraq’s oil sector, with a potential impact on its southern export terminals, through which Baghdad sells most of its crude. Gulf production centres have so far been spared Iran’s targeted attacks.\nAbout 15 million bpd of crude and 5.5 million bpd of refined products were flowing through the Strait of Hormuz as recently as January and last month, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data. Vessels have been piling up on both sides of the strait's entrance since Saturday night.\nHigh risk premiums\nOpec+ holds about 3.5 million bpd in spare capacity, which is the volume of production that can be brought online in 30 days and sustained for 90. It is largely concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are best positioned to compensate for any prolonged loss of Iranian or Iraqi barrels.\nS&P Global Commodity Insights sounded a bullish note on risk premiums on Sunday, noting that oil prices had already gained more than $10 per barrel across January and last month as tension over a conflict with Iran rose. Further upside was likely, analysts said, unless physical supply was lost.\n“Underlying global crude stocks were expected pre-conflict to build at nearly 3 million bpd from March through May, although some of that may be at risk depending on how crude flows are impacted by the conflict,” a note from the analysts said.\nIran's crude exports of about 1.5 million bpd, mostly bound for China, is now considered directly at risk. Even without a full closure, Iranian tanker seizures or drone attacks on commercial shipping could drive up voyage times and costs for all Middle East exports, impacting supply.\nInsurers flee risk\nWar risk insurers submitted cancellation notices on Saturday for policies covering vessels moving through the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, brokers told the Financial Times. Prices are set to rise as much as 50 per cent over the coming days.\nCoverage for ships transiting the Gulf had been running at about 0.25 per cent of a vessel's replacement cost.\nFor a $100 million ship, that means premiums jumping from $250,000 to as much as $375,000 a voyage, according to Dylan Mortimer, marine hull UK war leader at broker Marsh.\nAt least three vessels turned away from the strait on Saturday rather than pass through it, and EOS Risk said some ships had received what appeared to be a radio warning from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps that the strait was closed to shipping.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:33:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxOTk8wSTQtTVhRREQ1M3EwSU1xbGc2eUVOdHY4Wk9PVlJWSGl1Njl0RVJRNnpsM1pSV3hyM3RqM1FlUUNsTmhZbEtLa2VNMTBGOWt3Nzd1eF9waFFvbFN2bTZvQmJ1bjZQZ2NudGVTSy1zNGpka3l3NjBacUtfYnAwYzUxT05wUW9heUNYWHloZjFMdlZDSmZGM2xST3RpdEtXLU5LY2pKc3lWNG9zNlExSXYyQ0x2aWNZRi15N1dJcTZveV81bFRB?oc=5",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b1110703e8c5",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Military briefing: Iran’s new retaliation strategy - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Military briefing: Iran’s new retaliation strategy\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:41:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5zNDZXb0VsSUowYjJpUm1lTlphMXNLQzFWbDRLSHJseFE5OWJpNGFyTjlvS2pfUlA4cHRZS3NqTkVFOU4tTndTWXBnMk5jNnFBbU05aHBQa2NtOVRyeTA2cVpCUXhqdkxvbVhsNGZDT2E?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": true,
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_557a118e1a76",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Germany's Merz calls for plan for 'day after' in Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Germany's Merz calls for plan for 'day after' in Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:53:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNdGNnWlNrbWlZRGptZWpVYXZKdnlQbnM5VExDU3hmclptQ1FySFE5NUhOZjNvbHpHSm1iZGpRUXpMWW02UDB1Vy1la1IzZGo3V3BKamhtMkVFSGhyZFk5czFWZUJWUzRfWGpMQk9iZk0tTnVTaHU1Ym42TUpXY3dXSGczcHQycGNPRlpOeXd0c0VWZw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1cfbf928d9b5",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "U.S. and Israel pound targets across Iran as Trump signals openness to talk to new leadership - PBS",
    "body_text": "U.S. and Israel pound targets across Iran as Trump signals openness to talk to new leadership    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:54:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f19ca51c8c41",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Just one in four Americans say they back US strikes on Iran, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Just one in four Americans say they back US strikes on Iran, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T16:59:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxPX0Q5RzFXTWhBaS1mOVU5V1FaUnd3VTZvaTR3eG9LYlFyLWlMbUVUR0hlTU9rLUpSdUdLa19iSUpUZUt4Nnk0UkpaQ2ZlMXo4TWplbVgzTm0ydExhRUcyYTlEQ3lBWVZrZUxpb1NlQlNNSW1vaVNncGdMV3IyVGY5QmwtTEtKNWdKNENUU3owZ2xIRjJ6bmVBaTZwc2s4aWMxcHZtaEZHMTVUTlhOUzgtbnNud19tbW8?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c04cf618d286",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US military reportedly used Claude in Iran strikes despite Trump’s ban - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The US military reportedly used Claude, Anthropic’s AI model, to inform its attack on Iran despite Donald Trump’s decision, announced hours earlier, to sever all ties with the company and its artificial intelligence tools.\nThe use of Claude during the massive joint US-Israel bombardment of Iran that began on Saturday was reported by the Wall Street Journal and Axios. It underlines the complexity of the US military withdrawing powerful AI tools from its missions when the technology is already intricately embedded in operations.\nAccording to the Journal, US military command used the tools for intelligence purposes, as well as to help select targets and carry out battlefield simulations.\nOn Friday, just hours before the Iran attack began, Trump ordered all federal agencies to stop using Claude immediately. He denounced Anthropic on Truth Social as a “Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about”.\nThe flaming row was triggered by the US military’s use of Claude in its raid to capture the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, in January. Anthropic objected, pointing to its terms of use which do not allow Claude to be applied for violent ends, to develop weapons or for surveillance.\nSince then, relations between Trump, the Pentagon and the AI company have steadily worsened. In a lengthy post on X on Friday, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, accused Anthropic of “arrogance and betrayal”, adding that “America’s warfighters will never be held hostage by the ideological whims of Big Tech”.\nHegseth demanded full and unrestricted access to all Anthropic’s AI models for every lawful purpose.\nBut the defense secretary also gave a nod to the difficulty of rapidly detaching military systems from the AI tool, given how widely used it has become. He said that Anthropic would continue to provide services “for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition to a better and more patriotic service”.\nSince the break with Anthropic, the rival company OpenAI has stepped into the breach. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, said he had reached an agreement with the Pentagon for use in its classified network of the company’s tools, which include ChatGPT.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T17:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPdkFZOVRMSVpYZEpSaTYycWsybjh5Uy1QdDV2UFJxeE4wMmc5UXdVWUpSdTZiTzBFb2VtejJrcmFScnJrWnF0THRnbW5xZlozOTMxTjRTYnlfX2VZYzdJbEIzTjZQNDRvOF9TZW12MTRpVS1UV1h6a2RtMWpadUVzcTg5YThmdW5POVh1RExkMlRUb3h5WnRv?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_87360f158dcd",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Explained: Who will lead Iran now and what happens next? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Explained: Who will lead Iran now and what happens next?\nAli Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, is dead. He ruled the country for 36 and a half years, just 10 months fewer than the last Iranian monarch.\nHis death raises urgent questions about what happens next to Iran’s political system, which is built around the concept of a Marja al-Taqlid.\nIn Shia Islam, this refers to a senior cleric whom followers turn to for religious guidance and legal rulings.\nUnder Article 111 of Iran’s constitution, a three-member council will take charge until a new leader is chosen.\nThe article states that “in the event of the death, resignation or dismissal of the supreme leader, the Assembly of Experts must move quickly to name a new leader. Until then, a council made up of the president, the head of the judiciary and one of the Islamic scholars, fagih, of the Guardian Council - selected by the Expediency Discernment Council - will carry out the leader’s duties”.\nTo understand this article, written after the 1979 revolution, it is important to focus on the assembly and the Expediency Discernment Council.\nThese refer to two key bodies in Iran’s post-revolution political system: the Assembly of Experts of the Leadership and the Expediency Discernment Council of the Establishment.\nOn paper, both institutions were created to prevent power from being held by a single person or group.\nBut over the 47 years since the Islamic Revolution, they have become part of a complex structure that has ensured power remains concentrated in the hands of the supreme leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nWho will rule Iran?\nOn Sunday, after confirming Khamenei’s death and announcing 40 days of public mourning, a three-member leadership council was formed to carry out the supreme leader’s duties until a new one is appointed.\nIt includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and an Islamic scholar from the Guardian Council, a 12-man body that wields influence over various organs of power.\nAyatollah Alireza Arafi, 66, was nominated as that jurist.\nArafi was not widely known in Iranian politics. However, in the past two years, some figures inside the system have mentioned him as a possible successor to Khamenei.\nHis father was a cleric close to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who became Iran’s first leader after the fall of the shah.\nArafi was directly appointed by Khamenei. Some sources say he chaired monthly informal meetings in the leader’s office, where he addressed religious and legal issues.\nDespite the announcement of the interim leadership council’s formation, some commentators questioned whether Pezeshkian and Mohseni-Ejei were alive and well, with US and Israeli strikes targeting dozens of senior officials.\nHowever, on Sunday evening, state media released a video recording of Pezeshkian saying the council had begun its work.\nMohseni-Ejei has not yet appeared in public since the attacks began. The only public message from him has been a written statement about the attack on Iran and the killing of Khamenei.\nHow is the future leader chosen?\nThe Assembly of Experts of the Leadership is responsible for choosing Iran’s leader. By law, at least two-thirds of its current 88 members must agree on the candidate.\nAll members must be high-ranking Shia scholars. Although they are elected by the public, candidates are carefully selected and vetted. This is because the assembly also has the power to dismiss a sitting leader.\nThe first vetting filter is the Guardian Council. It has 12 members. Six are Islamic scholars, such as Aarafi, appointed directly by the leader.\nThe other six are members of parliament, who themselves must pass through the Guardian Council’s approval process before running in elections.\nCandidates must also be approved by the Ministry of Intelligence and the intelligence branch of the IRGC, which, in practice, is the military arm of the leader.\nThe Ministry of Intelligence, while formally under the president, is considered close to the supreme leader. Even the minister must be approved by him.\nWith this vetting web, anyone who had even a minor disagreement with the leader was blocked from entering the assembly. All 88 current members are seen as trusted by Khamenei.\nAt the same time, the assembly now faces a serious problem: holding a meeting to begin reviewing possible candidates.\nExperts say this has become a major obstacle. Because of widespread attacks by the US and Israel on meetings of military commanders and state officials, it is extremely difficult to gather assembly members in one place to choose the next leader.\nWho can become the leader?\nArticle 5 of Iran’s constitution says the country’s leadership is the responsibility of “a just and pious Islamic scholar, aware of the times, brave, administrative and resourceful”.\nArticle 109 sets out the conditions in more detail. It lists three main requirements: the ability to issue religious rulings in different areas of Islamic law, justice and piety to lead the Islamic faith, and a correct political and social vision.\nPublicly available sources say Khamenei did not name a successor. But for more than a decade, there has been strong speculation about who might replace him.\nIn the past 10 years, official reports have said that a three-member secret commission within the Assembly of Experts reviewed senior religious figures for the role. According to these reports, the commission sent the results of its reviews directly to Khamenei.\nMeanwhile, several names have been mentioned more than others as possible successors.\nThey include Arafi; Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, the former head of the judiciary; Hassan Rouhani, the former president; and Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei.\nDespite the formal rules and speculation, the IRGC could play a significant yet unwritten role in the process. Any candidate who becomes the leader must be able to work with this powerful military force, which holds wide economic and political influence.\nRival political factions inside Iran will also try to shape the outcome. Different groups of fundamentalists and conservatives are likely to push their preferred candidate.\nA similar situation took place in 1989. At that time, Khamenei was chosen as leader through the efforts of his allies, even though he did not hold the highest level of religious authority in Islamic law required of candidates.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T17:07:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxObk5PeV9uajR2cEVFVkNNWEZNTHpPUzVONi0yWUpmbkNNSFpKQlRyblE0ODlEc2lPRWZqTnBsRzVrcFkyS0E2ck9IcmwycEE2cTlyZ1dlcExEeDZNSmJwLXRmVk1ydExnYmlVREdBVklremdSYmluTmwzTEpoQmRvV19sOVNxVlY1V0txQUNhWk8wdXU1dC1XWDctaw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b59e6cf1413d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump and Netanyahu’s attack on Iran is an illegal act of aggression | Kenneth Roth - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "We shouldn’t beat around the bush: Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyahu’s military attack on Iran is an illegal act of aggression. There is no lawful justification for it. It is no different from Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine or Rwandan president Paul Kagame’s invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo.\nThe United Nations charter allows the use of military force in only two circumstances – with authorization of the UN security council, or as self-defense from an actual or imminent armed attack. Neither was present.\nIn his video justification for the war, Trump spoke of Iran’s “imminent threat”, but there is no evidence to support it. He recited a litany of past attacks that he attributed to Iran, but none of them is ongoing or imminent. At best Trump sought to prevent future harm – Netanyahu used the term “pre-emptive” – but prevention is no justification for war because it would open Pandora’s box to countless armed conflicts.\nTo prevent future threats, governments must resort to diplomacy combined with non-military forms of pressure. Iran is already subject to comprehensive sanctions, but Trump and Netanyahu cut diplomacy short because they didn’t seem to want to accept yes for an answer. With each leader facing political challenges at home as elections approach, they appeared all too eager to Bomb Iran!\nRemarkably, it isn’t even clear what the focus was during the now-suspended negotiations. Trump, never one for precision, said that Iran must agree never to have a nuclear weapon, but it has repeatedly said exactly that. To underscore the point, it seemed open to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities and to dilute what remains (after the June 2025 US bombing) of its highly enriched uranium.\nRather, the sticking point seemed to be whether Iran could enrich uranium. At various stages the US government had demanded that Iran forsake any enrichment. The Iranian negotiators resisted, noting every government’s right to enrich under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. There were some indications that Washington had backed away from an absolute version of that demand (although Trump repeated it on Friday), and that Tehran was offering face-saving compromises such as a limit on enrichment to the modest levels needed for medical or scientific isotopes but far from what is needed for weapons.\nOn some occasions, the US government had also sought limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for regional armed groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. But recent accounts of the negotiations suggested that these demands may no longer have been at the heart of the discussions.\nWe will never know how these negotiations might have played out. Trump seems to have decided that Iran wasn’t serious about reaching a deal so he launched the attack. Netanyahu never wanted a deal; as is his wont, he preferred a military solution. An avoidable war – a war of choice, not necessity – thus was initiated in blatant violation of international law.\nWith the bombing having killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump has urged the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the government that has long suppressed them. “The hour of freedom” is at hand, he announced.\nThere is no doubt that the Iranian government is despicable. It met January protests by mowing down protesters – at least 7,000 dead, if not many more. But the goal of regime change is no defense to the crime of aggression.\nNor is there a case for humanitarian intervention. Given that killing is inherent in war – not to mention the risk to civilians, such as the school that was hit on the first day of the bombing, killing dozens, mostly children – humanitarian intervention can be justified only to stop ongoing or imminent mass slaughter. There was nothing of the sort. Humanitarian intervention cannot be invoked merely to retaliate for past repression, which is the most that can be said for the Trump-Netanyahu attack.\nFor these reasons, the international response to the US-Israeli attack has been cool at best. Britain refused to allow US bombers to attack Iran from its military base at Diego Garcia. Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement that was critical of Iran but notably did not endorse the invasion.\nOne can understand their disquiet. The greatest threat to Europe today comes from Russia, but the attack on Iran hands Putin the argument of hypocrisy to counter challenges to his invasion of Ukraine. It is harder to defend international law when the world’s most powerful government openly flouts it.\nAs with any military attack, the consequences can be difficult to predict. The Iranian leader was 86 years old, so the regime undoubtedly was preparing in any event to name a successor. And regime change is difficult to accomplish from the air, as Trump discovered in Venezuela where he removed Nicolás Maduro from the scene but otherwise kept the Maduro regime largely intact.\nKhamenei was a hard-liner who brooked no dissent and clung to Iran’s declared right to enrich uranium despite the enormous hardship imposed on the Iranian people by the resulting sanctions. Even if the Islamic Republic does not topple, it is possible that his successor will be more accommodating – willing to allow somewhat more freedom, as the Venezuela regime minus Maduro has been. But Venezuela remains far from a democracy, and there is little reason to believe that a modified Iranian regime would be much better.\nWill the Iranian people choose this moment to rise up again as part of their longstanding quest for a rights-respecting government? Will the regime respond with its customary and increasingly lethal brutality? And if so, will the ending be any different from past disappointments? It is too early to make predictions.\nIt would be wonderful if the Iranian people could taste democracy, if Iranian women could enjoy the spirit of their 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” protests, free of the oppressive, misogynistic morality police. But there is also the cautionary lesson learned by the people of Iraq and Libya, where western military intervention yielded chaos that was arguably more deadly than dictatorial rule.\nThe global ramifications are also troubling. This latest example of Trump’s might-makes-right world view can only encourage other acts of aggression, whether China’s seizure of Taiwan, Ethiopia’s and Eritrea’s threats against Tigray, or the latest fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan. As Trump attacks Iran despite a lack of nuclear weapons while sparing North Korea, which has 60 or more nuclear warheads, it won’t be difficult for governments to figure out what they need to defend themselves from the bully in the White House.\nIt is an old military maxim that no war plan survives first contact with the enemy. But that is true off the battlefield as well. The world of diplomacy can be frustratingly slow and inadequate. Yet there are good reasons to respect sovereignty and to seek peaceful resolution of disputes. A world where matters of life and death – the fate of entire countries – rest on the self-serving whims of the likes of Trump and Netanyahu is one filled with peril. I would love to see an end to the ruthless Islamic Republic, but not at the expense of a world where our destiny is dictated by the men with the biggest guns.\n-\nKenneth Roth is a Guardian US columnist, visiting professor at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, and former executive director of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T17:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQcWc1cGtSNi1FUTJ3ZGlMYzB1VzVkMEotTl9uZ1BzMWpKSHE2NUxvUHQ1U3V4ZWxxVnUxZXFONHlXak1tQV9zMWRfUlVYbndETDFheHhnVzVFZGZRZnV6bVlDbjkxSXVtbGdjWXIzaktuTWtpTXN0eHh4c0FPQ19ERnNxb1E2SGM5NU1GeWNBeko0WlRONjhLX0RoT1ZqVlJKQjg0amRoS2NZcTlwTk5lOFF0Zw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a46b92b01411",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Mike Waltz turns tables on Iranian envoy at heated UN meeting - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Saeid Iravani, sparred with U.S. envoy Mike Waltz at a Security Council session on Sunday, telling the American ambassador to \"be polite,\" a remark that drew a sharp rebuke from Waltz, who accused Tehran of killing \"tens of thousands\" of its own citizens and imprisoning many more simply for seeking freedom from \"your tyranny.\"\n\"I have one word only: I advise to the representative of the United States to be polite,\" Iravani said during the emergency meeting.\nMoments later, Waltz responded: \"Frankly, I’m not going to dignify this with another response, especially as this representative sits here in this body representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its own people and imprisoned many more simply for wanting freedom from your tyranny.\"\nThe exchange came during an emergency Security Council briefing as the United States, Israel and Iran entered war, with diplomats offering sharply different interpretations of the expanding military campaign and its legality under international law.\nIn extended remarks at the session, Waltz rejected what he described as Iran’s \"ridiculous and frankly farcical assertion\" that U.S. actions violated international law, arguing that the United States acted \"in close coordination with the Government of Israel\" and \"in line with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations,\" which addresses self-defense.\nHe also reiterated that Iran supports armed proxies across the region and has destabilized the Middle East for decades.\nThe clash unfolded against the backdrop of broader controversy surrounding Iran’s standing within the U.N. system, previously reported by Fox News Digital. Last month, Iran was elected vice chair of the U.N. Charter Committee, a body focused on examining and strengthening the principles of the U.N.’s founding document — a move that drew criticism from Israeli and Western officials.\nFox News Digital also reported earlier that month on backlash after U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres sent a congratulatory message to Iran marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a gesture critics described as \"abjectly tone-deaf\" given Tehran’s human rights record.\nThe United States is set to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council on March 1, a role that shifts monthly and gives the presiding country control over the council’s agenda and meeting schedule, placing Washington in a key procedural position as tensions continue to mount.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T17:16:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxQLVphODllaFhTemdMZkNRZDRFZ0pkb3pZYll0a29PMWdXYnp6bURBQW9rS014OC1Wd1BBdzJ0ODFxQk1DX1NlWFlHWThYZVFyRFRkLVN6QU4wU3o3b2pzTFoxSDZ4c3V6ZXVVeW5keU1YWkQtSFhiS3ZyMWtJemJUYWpWLWhPcEFfQVpPUk1n0gGTAUFVX3lxTE5WVDU5Q0tDOXp1OUowT0pQYVE5cENkOEVnVlEzckZyd2RNdHZ4RHBZb3YxMlRmUTQ3Wng4SlpaRGUyb1lRUjZLX3kyY25iWGtBM2xlMHhLZE1XX3BMNGhQb3dlb21iSlRlM25zbU4xczFqWGhBeEJSSDBWekJHMFhEY0g4LXZiWmh4OUZ1clllUTFSUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d3cc2fcf94eb",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "BBC reports from Beit Shemesh after deadly Iranian missile strike",
    "body_text": "BBC reports from Beit Shemesh after deadly Iranian missile strike\nAt least nine people have been killed and 27 injured after an Iranian missile hit a residential neighbourhood in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, emergency services say.\nThe BBC's Hugo Bachega reported from scene and described seeing a collapsed building.\nThe attack comes as Iran launched strikes across the Middle East in response to a massive and ongoing attack against it by the US and Israel.\nRead more on this story here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T17:27:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c363zr0n27yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_da482d065380",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Months after 'ceasefire', Israel's genocide in Gaza has destroyed every sphere of life - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Months after 'ceasefire', Israel's genocide in Gaza has destroyed every sphere of life\nShells weighing tonnes plummet onto a densely populated residential neighbourhood. Where a crowded street stood moments earlier, a deep crater swallows everything above it.\nThis spectacle has become routine across the genocide in the Gaza Strip, where more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.\nIsraeli leadership received generous external backing in the form of war machinery and political support, despite warnings from leading human rights organisations and mass protests around the world.\nAfter each bombardment, the toll was expressed in staggering numbers of victims and missing persons, most of them children and women. The instruments of modern bombardment have left voids across nearly the entirety of the Gaza Strip, encompassing multiple dimensions of destruction - the dimensions of a compounded genocide.\nTo grasp this, one must reconstruct the scene before one of these strikes. A local community inhabited a residential neighbourhood, bound together by ties of extended family, kinship and friendship.\nAt the site of the air strike, brothers lived with their families and children, alongside the elderly, in a single multi-storey building - the typical Gaza home, built by successive generations of a family, floor upon floor, after years of toil.\nThese bonds extended across neighbouring buildings, which also vanished in the bombardment or were reduced to rubble.\nGenocide of Palestinian childhood\nThe Israeli genocide has descended first and foremost upon children.\nThose under 18 constitute the majority of the local Palestinian community, and international officials repeatedly warned that the Israeli war machine was killing the equivalent of an entire classroom of children each day.\nFacilities dedicated to raising children were among the foremost targets of destruction: kindergartens and schools - including those run by Unrwa - playgrounds, hospitals, clinics and family homes. Educational facilities that survived became shelters for displaced families.\nThere is not a single child in the Strip who has not witnessed dismembered bodies and blood on multiple occasions - and in most cases, these scenes belonged to relatives, neighbours and friends\nPremature babies were among the most vulnerable. Many stopped breathing, one after another, in incubators after electricity and fuel were cut, and because the Israeli army prevented their rescue or transfer despite repeated pleas.\nThere is not a single child in the Strip who has not witnessed dismembered bodies and blood on multiple occasions - and in most cases, these scenes belonged to relatives, neighbours and friends.\nThere are accounts of children pulled from rubble after long hours during which they endured the fading breaths of their parents and siblings, despairing of survival until an arm finally reached them.\nA child who survives bears immense burdens: the loss of parents, siblings, grandparents and companions. The eradication of Palestinian childhood is manifest in the destruction of daily security, the stripping away of future hope, the tearing apart of social bonds and the repeated uprooting amid constant displacement.\nIt is also manifest in a reality that compels the child into daily paths of humiliation to obtain water and food.\nThis is a child whose life expectancy has been curtailed by the absence of healthcare, by exposure to harmful substances in a contaminated environment, and by the probability of death. Like others in Gaza, this child has been deprived of successive school years, effectively erased from their educational life.\nNotebooks, books, toys and pets have been stripped away. Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers have been filmed tampering with children's belongings - one riding a wooden rocking horse in a Palestinian home in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza in September 2025; another smashing school supplies and toys in a shop in northern Gaza in December 2023.\nCultural genocide\nSchoolteachers, doctors, engineers, university professors and skilled workers lived in the homes destroyed by successive rounds of Israeli bombardment. Universities have lost vast numbers of their professors, scholars and researchers, some of them recipients of international awards.\nTo be an academic in Gaza has rendered one a candidate for a long list of those killed alongside their families in crowded homes or in the tents of the displaced. Some were aware of this in advance and mourned themselves, leaving testament to their people and to the world.\nThe renowned professor of English literature, Refaat Alareer, published a text days before the Israeli bombardment that killed him on 6 December 2023: \"If I must die, you must live, to tell my story …\" The poem was translated into dozens of languages.\nAmong the practices of cultural eradication has been the destruction of Palestinian libraries, public and private. Israeli soldiers tampered with university libraries west of Gaza City. Entire university facilities and cultural institutions housing academic theses and ancient manuscripts were detonated.\nThe elderly university professor, Fayez Abu Shamala, appeared in video clips apologising to well-known poets and writers because he would be compelled, with deep pain, to burn their complete works as emergency fuel after available firewood ran out.\nWith the elderly among the victims, popular culture has also lost traditional knowledge and oral memory. Possessions of cultural and historical value were annihilated - old household items, black-and-white photographs and property deeds to homes seized during the Nakba of 1948.\nAir raids and ground incursions were interwoven with acts of cultural destruction: the levelling of archaeological structures and heritage landmarks, the reduction of Gaza's Old Town to rubble and the destruction of prominent historic houses of worship.\nThe Great Omari Mosque, the symbol of Gaza and its foremost historical landmark, was reduced to ruins. The Church of Saint Porphyrius was targeted on 19 October 2023, killing Christian and Muslim civilians who had sought shelter within it.\nEnvironmental genocide\nIn the homes that collapsed upon their inhabitants, pets were torn to pieces; the remains of cats and birds mingled with building rubble.\nAnimals were later seen emaciated to the point of death in an environment from which the Israeli army barred humanitarian supplies, while UN trucks remained stalled at nearby crossings, forcibly prevented from passing through.\nThe donkey, which became a popular means of transport after fuel imports were banned, collapsed near craters after shrapnel lodged in its body.\nThe horse that hastened to pull a cart of wounded from Israeli shelling on 18 March 2025 could not complete the journey to the hospital - in that scene, the Palestinian tragedy appeared condensed, like a coloured reprise of a silent film from the early 20th century.\nDonkeys, mules and horses were found lifeless in streets and peripheral areas where the Israeli army imposed fire control. Converging accounts reported that soldiers sniped them from a distance.\nHungry dogs mauled pregnant women and gnawed at the bodies of humans and animals killed by Israeli fire and left along roadsides in northern Gaza, where the army had grown accustomed to shooting at any living thing that approached.\nLivestock pens and poultry farms were targeted, with many collectively wiped out in the first weeks of the war in autumn 2023.\nOthers were left to die after the Israeli army cut water and feed supplies under the siege announced by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on 9 October 2023, declaring it included cutting water, food, medicine, electricity, fuel - \"everything\".\nThe vegetation cover of the Gaza Strip has almost entirely disappeared. It had been concentrated in the northern, eastern and central lands, constituting a basic food source for more than two million people, particularly vegetables, fruit and the oranges for which Gaza was renowned, along with crops prepared for export such as strawberries, flowers and cherry tomatoes.\nSystematic Israeli policies have transformed the Gaza Strip into an environment submerged in pollution harmful to public health. With the electricity, fuel and cooking gas cut off, families resorted to burning plastic fragments and other substances that emit toxic fumes.\nThe destruction of civilian facilities disabled the sewage system and halted waste treatment, producing stagnant pools rife with contamination, insects and reptiles unfamiliar in the local environment, surrounded by accumulating heaps of solid waste.\nGaza's old commercial centre, Souq Firas, has been transformed into an enormous rubbish dump that, according to UN data, had reached 300,000 cubic metres and 13m in height by February 2026.\nToxic substances have seeped into soil and groundwater from accumulated pollution and from components contained in Israeli munitions. The coastline has become a receptacle for untreated sewage, damaging the marine environment and its biodiversity.\nToxins seeping into fish likely make their way into residents' bodies through the limited fishing still possible, while Palestinian food and health inspection authorities have ceased functioning.\nDesecrating the dead\nAn additional trajectory has marked the genocide in the Gaza Strip: the desecration of the dead.\nThe Israeli army has pursued Palestinians even in their graves - through mass bulldozing of cemeteries, the exhumation of remains and their transfer to Israeli facilities for DNA testing.\nThe genocide perpetrated by the Israeli leadership in the Gaza Strip is a composite genocide formed of multiple, interlocking forms of annihilation\nSome were later returned in hundreds of bags carried by rusted trucks to be buried collectively in vast trenches, in scenes that recall certain horrors of the Second World War.\nThis policy suggests a posture saturated with racial supremacism that shows no regard for the dead of others while displaying the highest reverence for its own. Tanks, bulldozers and military vehicles have been documented driving over and repeatedly crushing the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire.\nThe genocide perpetrated by the Israeli leadership in the Gaza Strip is a composite genocide formed of multiple, interlocking forms of annihilation. Hardly any human, civil, cultural or ecological sphere has been spared.\nIt has been carried out with ferocity and methodical progression across successive phases, imposing comprehensive destruction, mass displacement, starvation and the tearing apart of social structures grounded in family ties, kinship and neighbourhood.\nThese horrors were accompanied by the destruction of hospitals and medical facilities, the obstruction of therapeutic necessities and the targeting of medical staff - among them Hussam Abu Safiya.\nThe Israeli army abducted Abu Safiya on 27 December 2024 as punishment for remaining steadfast at Kamal Adwan Hospital, which he directed.\nIdeological motivations\nThis compounded genocide has ideological motivations, reinforced by narratives drawing on selective quotations from sacred texts, as invoked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several ministers in his government, such as references to the genocidal episodes in the story of Amalek.\nThe matter did not begin with Netanyahu. The state he leads arose upon the ruins of Palestine, and its armed forces carried out a campaign of ethnic cleansing at its founding, documented in well-known historical studies.\nThe idea of eliminating this portion of Palestine entirely has long haunted Israeli leaders, as expressed by former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin: \"I would like Gaza to sink into the sea,\" he said on 2 September 1992.\nExactly three-quarters of a century after the Nakba of 1948, the Israeli leadership resumed its trajectory.\nLikud Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter said: \"This is Gaza's Nakba 2023,\" in an interview with Israel's Channel 12 on 11 November 2023.\nThis most recent Nakba arrived with a ferocity surpassing its predecessor, armed with military capacities unavailable in the mid-20th century - including the tonnes of shells dropped upon residential neighbourhoods, annihilating them in an instant. Within each lies a terrifying detail of a multidimensional, compounded genocide.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T17:41:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPWXgxM1RKdjYzeUFud2J2enlwWENkWVk2ZjAtakhIZ3pSSnY5VjVZeEtwTVZYQ1drcmlQaEkydEN3bmJaSHlfaFpoNElPQ1hIOVRNbGV3M19TUzNvN01kSzEtNGFxY3FUUG1jV0RnYmxnZWdkbkFJMFdIakVSN0ZHYkVxVWM2Y09oWm9DMzhOMWI3TGVmSG5YVjc0eWQ0cWYwQUV6dWpOZHJ2YU9i?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_cffd31a624bb",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Market’s ‘Worst Fears’ Are Here as Gulf Conflict Hits Hormuz - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Market’s ‘Worst Fears’ Are Here as Gulf Conflict Hits Hormuz    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T17:54:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQOVF0UHRMR3pSNElaeHIxb0FWa0M2MzZoZ2dVNHFKRmJkZzJ2ZV9mQU1MSW8wOEQ2SlpUQ2NjOU5Venh4T1RybTBlSHlsMnJ5SG44cnREY2NEYkxZNXcyR2FFT0JqaU1LSVRINzFBRWJlQzdJVmZzRDA0eDFkZko0YzIyLUFUZTBZUzg2ajZkR2xkSG9mZUhzb2dHMXQ2Y3BiSEZBd2hWV3pHMFNXdmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_48eb393b4b21",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Without some change in direction, Iran’s regime risks breakdown in civil order - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Two Irans are in view now. By night, there is the Iran that danced, celebrated and cried tears of joy at the death of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hoping it marks the end of clerical rule and isolation from the west. By day, there are the mourning crowds gathering in the squares in Tehran and Isfahan demanding retribution and bewailing the loss of their sacred leader.\nThere is no need to guess which force has the greater domestic military power and retains the upper hand, but discerning whether the regime realises that the continued, inflexible pursuit of its current path will probably end in the regime’s chaotic collapse is harder to know.\nAs yet, there are no signs of fissure in the security apparatus. The instinct to resistance and to battle on is notoriously deep in Shia Islam and Iranian regime ideology.\nOn the surface, it seems implausible the regime can survive this weight of attrition. The roll call of the dead leadership is extraordinary and growing. Apart from the supreme leader, the dead include Maj Gen Shahid Rezaian, the head of the intelligence organisation of Iran’s police command; Lt Gen Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of staff of the armed forces; Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Adm Ali Shamkhani, the adviser to the supreme commander, and Lt Gen Nasirzadeh, the defence minister. Some of these had only been in office for months having being elevated after the previous wave of assassinations during the Israeli assault on Iran in June last year.\nAt the same time, Iran’s stockpiles of weaponry and missile launchers will soon be under strain. Despite Iranian justifications, the damage being inflicted on Iran’s relations with its Gulf partners seems worse than the physical damage being inflicted on the US bases it is targeting.\nIran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations pleaded with the Gulf states to understand Iran’s dilemma. It complained: “The countries in the region which made every effort to persuade Trump to pursue diplomacy and avoid starting a war should now be convinced that no promise from Trump can be trusted. The way forward is for the regional countries to come to their senses and unite against the aggressive regime.”\nThe United Arab Emirates senior diplomat, Anwar Gargash, retorted that Iran’s actions were playing into the US’s hands. He wrote: “Iran’s aggression against the Gulf states missed its target and isolated Iran at its critical moment. Your war is not with your neighbours, and through this escalation, you confirm the narrative of those who see Iran as the region’s primary source of danger, and its missile programme as a perpetual title for instability. Return to your senses, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens.”\nDr Ebtesam al-Ketbi, the president of the UAE-based Emirates Policy Center thinktank, noted that the number of Iranian missiles directed at Gulf countries exceeded those launched at Israel. If the declared confrontation is with Israel, then why is the Gulf paying the heaviest price, she asked. The UAE alone had been attacked by 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 drones.\nBut there is no sign yet that Iran’s surviving leadership is listening to these complaints. Indeed Oman, spared from attacks on the first day, was even hit despite acting as a mediator in the now abandoned talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. It serves to make the political landscape in which Iran operates much harder and the possibility of a Gulf military response grows ever closer, isolating Iran ever further.\nBut for the moment, the surviving leadership such as Ali Larijani, the secretary of the supreme national council, are focusing on their domestic audience, pulling every available patriotic string to rally and reassure the nation.\nMorale may be sky high among those Iranians who called for death to the dictator at huge personal risk during the recent protests against the regime, but judging by the crowds that flooded the streets on Sunday to mourn the death of Khamenei, there is no immediate prospect of the son of the last shah, Reza Pahlavi, returning to Iran to be greeted with universal acclaim.\nAlthough even mainstream reformist leaders such as Azar Mansouri admit there was a debate inside Iran about the validity of a foreign intervention in the wake of the January crackdown and the mass jailing of critics, hostility to Iran’s future being settled by the US is rife. One reformist group opposed to the regime on Sunday warned against “a humanitarian intervention”, saying “foreign bombs and missiles are not messengers of democracy but seeds of destruction and dependence”.\nIf Pahlavi returned prematurely he would very likely be returning to join a civil war, in which the stakes were well spelled out on Sunday by Reza Nasri, a lawyer closer to the foreign ministry.\n“The scene is clear,” he wrote. “On one side, there stands a grand geopolitical project whose ultimate aim is to undermine all elements of Iran’s power and reduce the country to a half-dead, collapsed, submissive entity under the command of Israel and America – with a puppet coup-installed government. On the other side, a long-standing national movement stands firm to – despite all internal problems – resist the surrender of the country’s fate to foreign hands … for the sake of preserving independence and national dignity. Every free Iranian who holds this land dear in their heart will undoubtedly choose the second path.”\nThe leadership, in a bid to give off an aura of stability, has moved quickly to appoint the three-strong interim leadership, in which the chief of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, representing the Guardian council, will ensure the current anti-western bias endures.\nWhoever Iran’s current system tries to select as Khamenei’s successor, the instinct will be to double down by choosing an IRGC-oriented authoritarian, sending a message to the protesters not to dare try their luck again. Iran has been preparing and discussing the Khamenei succession for decades, and the directly elected 88-strong Assembly of Experts, the body that choose the supreme leader, is packed with conservatives.\nIn the last assembly election in 2024, three relative moderates, including the former president Hassan Rouhani, were disqualified from standing. Rouhani was given no reason, but blamed the ruling minority for wanting to stifle competition and voter turnout. Now there are rumours that the regime knows it has been so weakened that it must at least broaden its leadership base to include not just Rouhani, but Mohammad Javad Zarif, a former foreign minister.\nYet if the war continues, conducted without limits, or boundaries, in the words of the foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and the strait of Hormuz gets closed, then there is a possibility that Iranian society simply implodes with a breakdown of civil order. Cash does not come out of the machines, bread does not get made, the revolutionary courts are destroyed, the prisons are sprung open and ethnic groups stake their claim.\nEfforts are being made primarily by the Turks to see if some road back to de-escalation can be found, but what seems at stake now is more than stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and instead a geopolitical order across the Middle East.\nTrump and Benjamin Netanyahu have a broad vision of what that may entail, but it is less clear they have a detailed route map to get there. Yet the US president, sensing he is on a roll, exudes confidence that IRGC members, offered immunity from prosecution, will weigh the personal odds and defect.\nAsked in a phone interview with CBS who he thought would be the key decision maker after Khamenei’s death, Trump said: “I know exactly who but I cannot tell you.”\nWhen asked if there was a certain person in Iran that he would like to lead the country, he replied: “Yes I think so, there are good options.” Whether others will agree, the next fateful days will determine.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxONDlaal9hcWQ0ckJHYmM5SU1zWDBrRXFCRUR2c1k0enBqLXhnR2JQRk5CNGowV1JKenlPTWpydF9BZGpPTEpQWVhWTGVBekg5OXVVWjg0Tk9QTEFqWFFEeXJ0RzFoR2lDTmp3SkY4SkJlZ0d2TXl2a1laSE1iTzc2YW83TEQ4VDVwWGVtaGZ1OUdUM1Z6blpzY0ZiWQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_737a85b420f6",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Iran's regime is still intact - the coming days will show if it can hold out",
    "body_text": "Iran's regime is still intact - the coming days will show if it can hold out\nThe killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in the opening wave of joint US-Israeli strikes has pushed the Islamic Republic into its most precarious moment since 1979.\nBy Saturday night, reports about Khamenei's death were circulating widely, setting off scenes few would have imagined possible just days earlier.\nVideos showed pockets of celebration in major Iranian cities. Similar scenes unfolded among large parts of the Iranian diaspora abroad. For many, the elimination of the supreme leader appeared to represent a historic rupture - an opening that years of civil resistance had failed to achieve on its own.\nBoth the US president and Israel's prime minister used direct language in their public statements following the strikes. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to seize the opportunity to \"take over your government\". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the theme, arguing that regime change is both desirable and attainable.\nWhile the military phase of Operation Epic Fury, as the US have dubbed it, appeared tightly co-ordinated and largely under US control, the political appeal to the Iranian public remains far less predictable.\nHow is a new leader selected?\nUnder Iran's constitution, the selection of a new supreme leader falls to the Assembly of Experts - an 88-member clerical body elected by popular vote for eight-year terms.\nHowever, the electoral process includes a critical limitation.\nAll candidates for the Assembly must be vetted and approved by the Guardian Council.\nThat 12-member body is itself deeply intertwined with the leadership structure, six members appointed directly by the supreme leader and six nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament, with the judiciary chief also appointed by the supreme leader.\nIn effect, Khamenei has had significant influence over the institution tasked with choosing his successor.\nThe regime has moved quickly to project continuity and stability.\nBy invoking constitutional mechanisms and activating the temporary governing arrangement, authorities aim to signal that the system remains intact despite the loss of its apex figure.\nSpeculation has inevitably turned to possible successors.\nIt is uncommon in Iran for potential candidates to be publicly identified in advance, and the process takes place behind closed doors.\nWithin the Assembly of Experts, however, there is understood to be a small committee tasked with reviewing and narrowing down names, potentially presenting a shortlist to the full body once formal proceedings begin.\nThe sessions are held behind closed doors and voting is not made public, limiting outside scrutiny.\nIn recent years, there has been speculation that Khamenei's eldest son, Mojtaba, might be in the running. Yet with several of his father's most trusted commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly killed in the recent strikes, the internal balance of power may have shifted.\nThe precedent from June 1989, when Khamenei himself emerged as supreme leader despite not being widely viewed as a frontrunner, is a reminder that the outcome can defy expectations.\nThe selection process could move quickly, potentially concluding within a matter of days.\nMilitarily, however, the Islamic Republic has absorbed a severe blow.\nReports indicate that several senior commanders were killed in the initial strikes. Surviving officials remain under threat as aerial operations continue.\nThe sense of vulnerability is tangible - command centres damaged, leadership decapitated, and decision-making compressed into crisis mode.\nStill, Iran has demonstrated an ability to retaliate.\nThe escalation signals that, despite leadership losses, Iran retains operational capabilities and the will to use them.\nThe prospect of further regional escalation now hangs over the crisis.\nFrom the point of view of Iran's leaders, if the conflict widens and its militant groups allies across the Middle East join the fight, Tehran could gain some leverage to press for a ceasefire or at least avoid a total surrender on terms dictated by the US and Israel.\nFrom another perspective, sustained military pressure, combined with renewed large-scale protests, could push the Islamic Republic toward systemic breakdown.\nShould elements of the security forces fragment or refuse orders, any formal constitutional transition process may quickly become irrelevant, overtaken by developments on the ground.\nThe coming days will reveal whether the IRGC and other elements of the country's coercive apparatus can remain cohesive in the absence of its long-serving supreme leader.\nFor now, all scenarios remain in play.\nThe Islamic Republic appears to be holding a weaker hand than it did before the strikes - deprived of its central authority figure, stripped of key commanders, and exposed to continuing military pressure.\nYet, it retains institutional structures, armed forces and a capacity for retaliation that complicate any straightforward path to regime change.\nThe death of Ali Khamenei has pushed Iran into a volatile and uncertain phase.\nWhat happens next will depend on whether Tehran can maintain internal control under continued air strikes, whether protests gather momentum, and how far the fighting spreads across the region.\nThe direction of events is likely to become clearer in the coming days, as all sides test their military limits and their political resolve.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:05:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2lgvg5rl1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_afe7bb0bb5eb",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Inside Tehran: an eerie quiet is punctuated by explosions and people fleeing - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Inside Tehran: an eerie quiet is punctuated by explosions and people fleeing\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:10:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBLU0ZsbFhjMFNodkFjS3A2NTBxVzI4VEZIbFRtS2EzWURKN29YZ043R1FvX0xFc2VGWmExRGFMN0l1NnZ1RVRLMFgxZlF3YmhEN2Vqckdvd2pyb1NuU2NkaTFfSDRYVGtJNktDdEN5N28?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_31cbec57c71a",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran threatens maritime routes in Strait of Hormuz - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran threatens maritime routes in Strait of Hormuz    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:21:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNc3FMc1FiYlFNZ0xXMHNSUGVubFhJeWM5NEs3RlZzdGRnREpsdjFWNTZTWmNBZVJ5OEpvTlVpcXUtQktFZmZLOVZfb1VHMFlWc01RUmFEQUl5UjNMVHpLc2NfNWM3eF9Bc1lQM3RtSlRJbV9fNFozRjYteUFNZHF4YllOZjJTeGZGLTl4VlBxOHpwVTh4MjlIUEJsMk5TZ0U?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_cf5d170557ce",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "UAE halts stock markets for two days after Iran strikes - Reuters",
    "body_text": "UAE halts stock markets for two days after Iran strikes    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:28:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxQcmo2MmM2bDJTX1o2Q2NVclktM1BIdWlmd2J6cGFYZGlXbFVsZUVzY3dyMWdiUEdBdzQ5MnBpNXhmU2x5R3phTll3NEhUYnYyWE1wMkRpSVUxM3RSN3AteEt2OGlpLWlzenNDMnhQWFZmUFEyc1E1X0VMZ211X2ZXR09UdkNrMXdwWG5pZkVOOEFaRWhYeUhYWVpxUkRRdnoyYUVTNFFjTmQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_67f5f8809330",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What Ali Khamenei’s death means for Russia and China - The Telegraph",
    "body_text": "What Ali Khamenei’s death means for Russia and China    The Telegraph",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:37:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxQalFtVUwxZnFfWXo1UXpQdndkQUxienhBSU1Lc3FrZk9VN2Z4OFNna0NsUTVrWVFQTTdITXhwQkc5NkNneEVNZklhQk50QU5rd3hXUGY3Q3NPRDJVTDByMXJmMTJQMWxBRlFqSHl5bFBWdEU2OWtXT0NORW1SeHJSVVlSYXlzeW9nTnNfTjQ0V2pIS05IZElUZXQya0E2UQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2be5ce685b95",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Lindsey Graham met Saudi leader to 'bring him on board' a week before Iran attack - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Lindsey Graham met Saudi leader to 'bring him on board' a week before Iran attack\nUS Senator Lindsey Graham traveled to Saudi Arabia late in February to bring Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “on board” with an attack on Iran, and the Saudi leader did not vehemently oppose it, a US official familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.\nGraham’s visit was previously reported, but the purpose of the meeting with the Saudi crown prince has not been previously revealed.\nThe visit suggests that the Trump administration had made up its mind to attack Iran even as negotiations were ongoing with the Islamic Republic.\nDespite preferring a diplomatic deal, the Iranian strikes have galvanised anger in the Gulf. A US and Arab official familiar with the matter told MEE that Saudi Arabia is now inching closer to supporting military action against Iran.\nSaudi Arabia’s Press agency said on Saturday that Riyadh condemned “the brutal Iranian attacks” against fellow Gulf states, which they said undermined the region’s “security and stability”.\nTrump held a phone call with the Saudi crown prince on Saturday. The details of that call have been kept quiet.\nGraham dispatched to Saudi Arabia\nGraham called his meeting with the Saudi crown prince “consequential” in a post on X. He also heaped praise on Saudi Arabia, days after criticising it for a rift with the UAE.\n“I have come to know the Crown Prince over the last five years, and remain impressed by his vision for his country and the region,” Graham wrote.\nThe US-Israeli attack on Iran is fast spiraling into a wider regional conflict, with Iran unleashing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones across the Gulf.\nUsing American air-defense systems, the Gulf states have been able to shot down the vast majority of missiles and drones.\nIran has been able to sneak through some Shahed drones, which have proved effective in hitting luxury hotels in Dubai and US military installations.\nThe UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait have borne the brunt of the attacks, but Saudi Arabia has also been targeted.\nAt least three US soldiers have been killed by Iranian strikes and five others seriously wounded. An Iranian missile penetrated Israel’s air defence on Sunday killing at least 9 people in Beit Shemesh, an Israeli city about 18 miles west of Jerusalem.\nIran says that Israeli-US strikes in the country have killed at least 200, with several officials, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in the offensive.\nSaudi Arabia considers joining offensive\nSaudi Arabia was at the forefront of regional countries urging the US to pursue a diplomatic deal with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme.\nNeither the US nor the Arab official told MEE that the kingdom lobbied for a surprise attack, as some reporting suggests.\nThe officials who spoke with MEE said the conversations with Washington are more nuanced.\nIn January, MEE revealed that the Trump administration lobbied Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman about the importance of supporting the US during a future attack, with talking points about how military strikes could reduce Iran’s threat to partners in the region and its ballistic missile arsenal.\nIt’s unclear whether Trump was seeking a public commitment from the Gulf or acquiescence behind closed doors, which the US official told MEE it received.\nThere are multiple ways the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, could assist the US without directly joining in offensive operations.\nThe US and Israel are running low on interceptors like Thaad, Patriots, Arrow and David’s Sling to stop Iranian ballistic missiles.\nSaudi Arabia activated its first Thaad air defence system last year. Three more systems are expected to be completed in 2026. During the June US-Israeli attack, US officials asked Saudi Arabia to contribute Thaad interceptors to Israel’s defence. The kingdom refused at the time.\nSince Iran is already launching strikes on Saudi Arabia, the kingdom could already be using those interceptors.\nThe Gulf states face a dilemma whether to join the US and Iran in offensive operations. So far, their energy infrastructure has not been targeted. By joining in an attack they could invite further Iranian reprisals.\nHowever, the Gulf states may also feel the need to assert redlines against the Islamic Republic.\n“Iran is forcing the GCC up the escalation ladder. They will have to consider responding or, at a minimum, allowing the US greater operational freedom to conduct offensive operations from their territories,” Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East at the Eurasia Group, wrote on X.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQZTIzZE1OUWRsN3I1NDUxT0c1LU1JeHNyeXY3QjVZM1B6RHB2R2JMMWJQWlhZaEJ0Y292eTBBajREY3pJc2NiZ3dNU0ZpMGJVa29wMlMzYmNWT3FrNG03WU8zejU5NFBucmJtRnNLcWU4TjlZMFdYa3JpdnpVN0ZqNF9tWDBIV3lUWnZnTHNDWmp2N1lpQnVLUEFn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_84932c231691",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US troop deaths ignite anger over ‘war for Israel’ - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US troop deaths ignite anger over ‘war for Israel’\nThree American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded while participating in the joint US-Israeli war on Iran, the Pentagon confirmed on Sunday - marking the first US fatalities since the conflict began.\nUS Central Command said additional personnel suffered minor shrapnel wounds and concussions. “Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions - and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” the statement read.\nNBC News, citing US officials, reported that the attack that killed the soldiers occurred in Kuwait.\nThe deaths have triggered fierce criticism in the United States, where opponents argue that Washington entered a war long pushed by Israel.\nRepublican former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene offered condolences to the families but condemned the intervention. “This was absolutely unnecessary and is unacceptable,” she wrote on X. “Trump, Vance, Tulsi, and all of us campaigned on no more foreign wars and regime change,” she added. “Now, America [sic] soldiers are dead.”\nGreene also called pro-Israeli media voice and Trump ally Laura Loomer a “bitch” and accused her of “celebrating the death of American military members” after Loomer posted a message of condolence for the soldiers on X. Loomer has been one of the right’s most vocal supporters of a war with Iran.\nDemocratic Senator Chris Van Hollen also criticised the decision to escalate. “I’m thinking of the brave American soldiers killed today. They should still be with us,” he wrote, adding: “Trump said he would keep us out of war. This is his war of choice.”\n'Absolutely disgusting and evil'\nBefore the fatalities were confirmed, US journalist Ana Kasparian warned against deeper involvement. “Our soldiers are in Israel right now in order to defend the Israelis. Do the Israelis pay for our military? Are they the ones who are shelling out a trillion dollars a year for our military? NO!,” she said in a video posted online.\nOther prominent figures within Donald Trump’s MAGA movement have also condemend his decision to join Israel in launching military action against Iran.\nIn an interview with ABC News on Saturday, longtime Trump ally Tucker Carlson described the joint US-Israeli attack as “absolutely disgusting and evil.” He warned that the move could reshape Trump’s political base, adding: “This is going to shuffle the deck in a profound way.”\nPro-Trump podcaster Tim Pool also criticised the escalation, calling it a betrayal of campaign promises to avoid foreign wars.\nInfluential Maga commentators Keith and Kevin Hodge went further, rejecting the rationale for intervention. “Freeing the people of Iran is not why I voted for Trump,” they wrote online.\nIn a separate post, the brothers accused the president of betraying his supporters. “President Trump has completely LIED to his voters, backstabbed our country and has disgraced his legacy beyond repair at this point, biggest fall from grace i have ever seen.”\nThe deaths have intensified debate over whether US forces are fighting a war framed by critics as serving Israeli strategic objectives rather than American national interests.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:48:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxORVF5UTA3M2ZfZ3FmWlEwbFlaMHBHUlR4c2JSRHJ2QzBCUVk0R0hjRHllVTVYVzFWYkNrdXRwQ2xKUWJoelZkSmw5M1NHTGJDVjRVTDMwV1QtUVpsbUVJTi1LY1pXb3lUbU9ybm9PcXpsX2RaRXZ6OGMtT1J1NjZUTXNVWDJWQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0bd88a4da327",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Jason White on US-Israeli strikes on Iran – cartoon - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Jason White on US-Israeli strikes on Iran – cartoon    The Guardian",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxQWkZ6YlRzdkExTm9jS0pRc01mTWxDQ0VuODBGM2FXc3NzRWIxUUJ2d1FSUHYtWklfYUJhUjliMVV4M2ZtaFRyb2tncFhyRmR5TEhLQTdnREdyVUVtaXVQbTFpOWlHdFFFXzE4SUluQnNlU3VvYmd0RWxCVm5PcE1hQmh6TEtWa2o2a09Bc2Q3M0daQ3FIQS1nZ3BZdUJQWC1JVEJqa2o4WFVFdVU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a59ed9a815f6",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Supporting ‘illegal aggression’ against Iran ‘the worst thing’ Australia could do, international law experts say - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "International law experts have criticised Australia for “rolling over” and backing what they say is an illegal attack by Israel and the US on Iran.\nThe foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, endorsed the fresh war by stating that “Australia supports action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security”.\nWong and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, also cited attacks in Melbourne and Sydney in 2024, allegedly orchestrated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, when they endorsed the bombing raids ordered by Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump.\nAustralia expelled Iran’s ambassador and designated the IRCG a state sponsor of terrorism over the 2024 antisemitic attacks that included the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue.\nBut University of Sydney professor and United Nations special rapporteur Ben Saul said that justification was flawed.\nThe attack on Iran was “clearly a violation of the ban on the use of force under the UN charter and international law, which is the linchpin of the international order since 1945,” he told Guardian Australia on Sunday.\n“Domestic criminal acts like the IRGC’s interference here, of course, are not armed attacks which would somehow justify military self-defence against Iran.\n“You may not like Iran, you may not like what it does, but that doesn’t justify an aggressive armed attack on Iran.”\nSaul said countries like Australia and Canada should be pushing the US to respect international law.\n“It’s difficult to stop a superpower, but if middle powers and other coalitions of states raise the political price on the United States by objecting strenuously every time they break the law, it does make it a lot harder for the US to get away with it in future cases.\n“When countries like Australia roll over and support this kind of illegal aggression, that’s the worst thing, in terms of contributing to the erosion of international law.”\nDonald Rothwell, a professor of international law at the Australian National University, said the weekend attack on Iran was not justified based on publicly available information.\n“There is no basis under the UN charter with respect to the exercise of the right of self-defence, nor is there any UN security council resolution authorising any use of force for an intervention in Iran,” he said on Sunday.\n“I can understand why the government is being cautious on these matters at the moment, just 24 hours after the event. But in due course, Australia will need to give a clearer statement of its views.”\nWong on Sunday said: “I will leave it for the United States and Israel to speak of the legal basis for the attacks.”\n“What I would say to Australians is that Iran has been a destabilising force in the region for decades. It has orchestrated attacks on Australia, and I think we all understand this issue did not start yesterday.”\nThe Greens’ foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shoebridge, accused the Albanese government of outsourcing Australian foreign policy to Washington.\n“Labor has made Australia a part of this war by allowing Pine Gap and other US military bases here to be used to gather intelligence and target US bombs and missiles,” he said.\n“People see through Labor when it says it believes in international law and then repeatedly backs the US and its illegal wars.”\nWong on Sunday wouldn’t be drawn on the involvement of Pine Gap in the Northern Territory, stating: “We never comment on that facility as a general proposition.”\nAsked on Sunday if the attack was legal and whether it could further erode the rules-based order, Albanese said the questions were for the US and those involved directly in the attack.\n“What I would say is that the threat to international peace and security of the Iranian regime is real. The fact that they orchestrated attacks here in Australia on the other side of the world underlines the threat that this regime presented to the rule of law and to international norms of behaviour.”\nAlbanese said Australia had “long recognised” that Iran’s nuclear program and the development of ballistic missiles were a threat to global peace and security.\nThe Australian government made similar comments when backing Trump’s June 2025 bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities during the 12-day war.\nAt the time, Trump said the US had successfully struck three nuclear sites in Iran, and key enrichment facilities were “totally and completely obliterated”.\nMembers of the Labor Against War group on Sunday lashed the federal government for supporting Netanyahu and Trump.\n“Albanese’s backing of Israeli and US attacks on Iran shows that we are completely devoid of acting independently,” patron Doug Cameron said.\n“There was a time when Labor pursued peace not war. That time is long gone. Leadership needed, not sycophantic capitulation to militarism.”\nWong on Sunday said Australia wanted the resumption of dialogue and diplomacy.\n“We join our partners in calling on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law,” the foreign minister said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:57:00+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US lawmakers see no Trump plan for Iran following strikes - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US lawmakers see no Trump plan for Iran following strikes    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:59:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxOZlVWV1gya2MydWJUaDQ1UXBoN0JhTERGbVVCRHA1VWRKWTJGMmxmaWowNENEbU9TSF9VNDJNNFRIVHZDVVlHc2wxRGdKVmFhM2xreTZtWmx4dko3YnN2RkVRVUl4YUxGZUwzdEI2NVEyZjVtNjhZQzVpRTBrbTZIem9SejdueU5LaTVKTFY3VS1FbzRjRHl6cjBEYTZ4b2s?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e3b138a04f55",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israeli strikes hit hospital in Tehran, witnesses tell Reuters - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israeli strikes hit hospital in Tehran, witnesses tell Reuters    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T18:59:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNWkVsSUlISDZqYmFvWnlFNm1XVzFpTlFIZmlkYjlBamM1eHZyYldRSXNxVVRCcHo1eml1MHBQN0dENUhJZUhaLW1TZVQydTh2bnZ6cXg4dVUwa3VLNXVkYWszSmdOZkVCbFFCSlVtWFhJMVlwWEo4XzV3MmlmY0xSdFFtMk1tY2RIT0JFbWQtMUxlSzliMnl1M2dsc05rSjV0d3Ftc2I0UEQ3NC1yWWFPdlhn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_063fcb62f3dd",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump says Iran wants to talk but who will lead after Khamenei? - Fox News",
    "body_text": "As the White House confirmed on Sunday, the Islamic Republic of Iran's leadership has contacted the U.S. asking for talks. The list of potential successors to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on Saturday by an Israeli airstrike, includes his son and former advisers.\nSince the establishment in 1979 of the Islamic Republic, led by the fiery anti-American Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, this will be only the second time that a new supreme leader has been selected.\nThe potential successors to Khamenei include a list of hard-line anti-Western extremists who, like Khamenei, are set on the destruction of Israel and the continued export of the Islamic revolution.\nAli Larijani\nOne possible successor is regime loyalist Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who reportedly implemented Khamenei’s plan to massacre over 30,000 Iranians who protested against his regime in January.\nOn Saturday, he threatened a response in a statement on X on Saturday, writing, \"We will make the Zionist criminals and the vile Americans regret it,\" adding, \"The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hell-bound oppressors of the international order.\"\nIn January, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Larijani as one of \"the architects of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators.\" The statement added, \"Larijani was one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.\"\nLarijani was the president of the Islamic Republic’s parliament and, like Khamenei, has engaged in Holocaust denial. Larijani was also a commander for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S. and EU-designated terrorist organization.\nBeni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute of National Security Studies in Israel, questioned reports claiming that Larijani is favorite to be the next supreme leader. He told Fox News Digital, \"Larijani is not a cleric, but he can help some of the candidates who are clerics behind the curtains, such as his brother, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, who was head of the judiciary.\"\nMohammad-Javad Larijani\nMohammad-Javad Larijani has called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust. He was previously secretary general of Iran's high council for human rights.\nAs a close adviser to the late supreme leader, he has defended stoning for adultery, declaring it protects \"family values\" as part of Islamic law.\nMojataba Khamenei\nAnother replacement for Khamenei might be his second son, Mojtaba, who works closely with IRGC. The first Trump administration sanctioned him in 2019.\nAccording to the Treasury Department sanction designation, \"The Supreme Leader has delegated a part of his leadership responsibilities to Mojataba Khamenei, who worked closely with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and also the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) to advance his father’s destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives.\"\nIran International reported that the IRGC seeks a rapid-fire replacement for Khamenei. The Islamic system in Iran prescribes an elected body of 88 senior clerics—the Assembly of Experts—to select the next leader.\nAlireza Arafi\nThe cleric and jurist Alireza Arafi, 67, who is part of a three-person temporary leadership council to run Iran might also be the successor to Khamenei.\nAccording to the U.S.group United Against a Nuclear Iran, Arafi promised \"death\" to protesters who knock over the turbans of Iranian Islamic clerics. \"Those who attack the turbans of the clergy should know that the turban will become their shroud,\" Arafi said.\nAyatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri\nThe extremist Ayatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri is also a contender to replace Khamenei. Mirbagheri argues for fighting and overcoming \"infidels.\"\nMirbagheri has quoted Iran's first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, declaring that a \"new culture based on Islam in the world\" would mean \"hardship, martyrdom and hunger\" and that Iranian people had \"voluntarily chosen\" to embrace this activity, according to Iran International. Mirbagheri’s theological credentials position him as a natural replacement for Khamenei.\nOther names\nAnother clerical successor to Khamenei being discussed is Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is the custodian of the Khomeini mausoleum and, at 53 is young by the Islamic Republic’s standards for leadership.\nUnited Against a Nuclear Iran ranked Ayatollah Seyyed Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, who was born in 1956 in Bardkhun, Bushehr, a second tier candidate to replace Khamenei.\n\"Bushehr, is a powerful figure in Iran's religious and academic spheres. He embarked on his theological education in Bushehr before moving to Qom to further his studies.\nAccording to UANI, In 2024, Bushehri urged Iranian women to \"address issues such as the status of women's rights in Western societies and the flaws that exist in this area in the West,\" which would prevent the \"enemy [the West]\" to \"not even have a chance to challenges us [Iran].\"\nIran analyst, Sabti, who was born in Tehran, said, \"I don’t think that Israel and the U.S. should allow them to choose the next leader.\" He compared the successor system to Hamas when Israel eliminates a Hamas terrorist leader, and he is swiftly replaced with a new leader.\n\"There is a need to \"prevent the next leader from being chosen,\" he said. \"Maybe we can eliminate the next one even before he is chosen.\"\nHe said it is important to \"break the system\" to prevent the continuation of terrorism. \"It is bad for Arab countries and Israel if the regime remains the same\" in Iran.\nSabti said the regime can continue to build its illicit nuclear weapons program, ballistic missiles and sponsor terrorism, adding it is better to dissolve the regime and \"bring in a new system.\nHe concluded that regime change requires \"talking to the people,\" and, \"maybe it is time for them to come out and make the good revolution.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:00:10+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_c5fa68d7ce43",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran networks suffer losses amid airstrikes, showing digital evolution of conflicts - Fox News",
    "body_text": "When missiles fly, we expect explosions. We expect smoke, sirens and satellite images. What we do not expect is silence.\nOn February 28, 2026, as fighter jets and cruise missiles struck Iranian Revolutionary Guard command centers during Operation Roar of the Lion, a parallel assault reportedly unfolded in cyberspace.\nOfficial news sites and key media platforms went offline, government digital services and local apps failed across major cities, and security communications systems reportedly stopped functioning, plunging Iran into a near-total digital blackout.\nAccording to NetBlocks, a global internet monitoring organization that tracks connectivity disruptions, nationwide internet traffic in Iran plunged to just 4 percent of normal levels.\nThat level of collapse suggests either a deliberate state-ordered shutdown or a large-scale cyberattack designed to paralyze critical infrastructure. Western intelligence sources later indicated the digital offensive aimed to disrupt IRGC command and control systems and limit coordination of counterattacks.\nFor the United States and its allies, the episode offers a stark reminder that modern conflict now blends airstrikes with digital warfare in ways that can ripple far beyond the battlefield.\nIn a matter of hours, modern conflict looked less like tanks and more like a blinking cursor.\nSign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report\nGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter\nIran internet shutdown: A country offline in real time\nReports described widespread outages across Iran. Official news sites stopped functioning. IRNA, Iran's state-run news agency, went offline.\nTasnim, a semi-official news outlet closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reportedly displayed subversive messages targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\nThe IRGC, Iran's powerful military and intelligence force, plays a central role in national security and regional operations. At the same time, local apps and government digital services failed in cities like Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz.\nThis was not one website defaced for headlines. It appeared systemic. Electronic warfare reportedly disrupted navigation and communications systems.\nDistributed denial of service attacks, often called DDoS attacks, flooded networks with traffic to overwhelm and disable them.\nDeep intrusions targeted energy and aviation systems. Even Iran's isolated national internet struggled under pressure.\nFor a regime that tightly controls information, losing digital command creates both operational and political risk.\nWhy cyber warfare matters in the Iran conflict\nCyber operations offer something missiles cannot. They disrupt without always killing. They send a signal without immediately triggering full-scale war. That matters in a region where escalation can spiral fast.\nHistory shows Iran understands this logic. Between 2012 and 2014, Iranian actors targeted U.S. financial institutions in Operation Ababil. Saudi Aramco also suffered a major cyberattack.\nAfter Israeli strikes in 2025, cyberattacks targeting Israel surged dramatically within days.\nCyber retaliation lets leaders respond while limiting direct military confrontation. It buys leverage in negotiations. It creates pressure without necessarily crossing a red line.\nBut there is a catch. Every cyber strike risks miscalculation. And digital damage can spill into the real world fast if critical infrastructure is hit.\nIf the blackout and strikes mark a turning point, Tehran has options. None are simple.\n1) Cyberattacks against U.S. or allied infrastructure\nCyber retaliation remains one of Iran's most flexible tools. It can range from disruptive attacks and influence campaigns to more targeted intrusions that pressure critical services. Recent expert commentary warns that U.S. cyber defenses and the private sector could face sustained testing.\n2) Targeting U.S. drones and unmanned systems\nIran has used drones and electronic interference as signals before. Analysts continue to flag jamming, spoofing and harassment of unmanned systems as a way to raise costs without immediately striking large numbers of personnel.\n3) Maritime attacks in the Strait of Hormuz\nThis risk is rising fast. An EU naval mission official reportedly said IRGC radio transmissions warned ships that passage through Hormuz was \"not allowed\". Greece has also urged ships to avoid high-risk routes and warned about electronic interference that can disrupt navigation. Insurers are already repricing the danger, with reports of war-risk policies being canceled or sharply increased.\n4) Support for allied or informal armed groups\nIran has long worked with allied forces and militias in the region, and some of those groups could step up attacks on U.S. interests or allied partners in retaliation, widening the clash without direct state-to-state engagement.\n5) Limited ballistic missile strikes\nMissile strikes remain a high-impact option, but they raise the odds of rapid escalation. Recent expert analysis continues to frame them as a tool Iran may use for signaling, especially if leadership feels cornered.\nThe escalation risk between the U.S. and Iran\nHere is the uncomfortable truth. Neither Washington nor Tehran likely wants a full-scale regional war. In moments like this, military strikes rarely stand alone.\nThey often move alongside diplomacy. Leaders send signals. They apply pressure. At the same time, they try to leave room for talks.\nBut escalation has momentum. Each missile changes the equation. Each casualty raises the stakes. The more damage done, the harder it becomes to step back.\nFear plays a role. So does pride. Domestic audiences demand strength. Leaders feel pressure to respond in kind. That is how limited strikes can spiral into something much larger.\nWhat the Iran cyberattack blackout means for global cybersecurity\nThis episode highlights something bigger than regional tension. Nation-states now pair kinetic strikes with digital offensives.\nCyberattacks can blind communications, freeze infrastructure and disrupt financial systems before the world even processes the first explosion.\nFor businesses and individuals, that reality matters. Modern conflict no longer stays confined to battlefields.\nSupply chains, energy grids and online platforms can feel the ripple effects. The blackout in Iran serves as a reminder that digital resilience is now a national security issue.\nHow to stay safe during rising cyber tensions\nWhen a country's internet can plunge to just 4 percent of normal traffic in hours, it is a reminder that cyber conflict can escalate quickly.\nEven if the disruption happens overseas, global networks are interconnected. Financial systems, supply chains and online platforms can feel the ripple effects.\nYou cannot control geopolitics. You can control your digital hygiene. Here are practical steps to reduce your personal risk during periods of heightened cyber activity:\nInstall strong antivirus software to guard against state-linked phishing and malware campaigns that often spike during geopolitical conflicts.\nNation-state actors frequently exploit breaking news and global instability to spread malicious links and ransomware. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com\nKeep devices updated so security patches close vulnerabilities that attackers often exploit during global cyber spikes.\nUse strong, unique passwords stored in a reputable password manager to protect your accounts if cyber retaliation campaigns expand beyond government targets. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com\nEnable two-factor authentication (2FA) on financial, email and social accounts to safeguard access in case stolen credentials circulate during heightened cyber conflict.\nBe cautious with urgent headlines or alerts about international conflict, since attackers frequently mimic breaking news.\nMonitor financial accounts for unusual activity in case broader disruptions spill into banking systems.\nWhen tensions rise, phishing campaigns often rise with them. Threat actors exploit fear and confusion. Staying disciplined with basic security habits makes you a harder target if malicious traffic increases.\nTake my quiz: How safe is your online security?\nThink your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com\nKurt's key takeaways\nThe reported cyber blackout inside Iran may signal a new chapter in modern conflict. Jets and missiles still matter. But so do servers, satellites and code. Leaders may try to contain the damage while showing strength.\nStill, history shows how quickly careful plans can unravel once pressure builds. War today runs on electricity and bandwidth as much as fuel and ammunition.\nWhen networks go dark, the impact does not stay on a battlefield. It spills into banking systems, airports, hospitals and the phones in our pockets. That is what makes this moment different.\nIf an entire nation's digital systems can be disrupted in hours, how prepared is your community if something similar ever hits closer to home? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com\nSign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter\nCopyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:00:58+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_9a40cccdc783",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "UAE stock markets shut until March 3 amid Iranian strikes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Stock markets in the UAE will be shut until March 3 amid Iran's continuing strikes on the Emirates, the Capital Market Authority has said.\nThe Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market will remain closed in accordance with the situation, the Capital Market Authority said on Sunday.\nThe ADX and DFM “will be closed on Monday, 2 March and Tuesday, 3 March 2026\", with the regulator continuing to “monitor developments in the region and assess the situation on an ongoing basis, taking any further measures as necessary”, the CMA said.\nOfficial updates on the resumption of trading will be provided through the CMA, ADX and DFM's official communication channels, it added.\nThe move is an “implementation of [the CMA's] supervisory and regulatory role over the UAE capital markets, and pursuant to the applicable laws and regulations”, the regulator said.\nThe suspension of trading in the UAE's stock markets, among the biggest in the Middle East, is another precautionary measure taken by authorities amid Iran's unprecedented strikes on the country, which the Islamic Republic says is in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks that began on Saturday.\nThe conflict has led to the closure of airports and airspaces in the region, including the key hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. A number of incidents in the UAE have also been reported, and has resulted in the deaths of three persons and injuries.\nOn Sunday, volatility hit stock markets in the Gulf, a they braced for a white-knuckle ride in the short term as investors assess the risk of a protracted regime change conflict between Iran and Israel allied to the US.\nThe ADX has 104 public and private listed companies in diverse industry sectors, from health care to financial services and technology, according to its website. It presently has a market capitalisation of more than Dh3 trillion ($817 billion).\nThe DFM, meanwhile, is the UAE's first stock exchange and home to 64 listed companies. It has a market cap of about Dh907 billion.\nBoth the ADX and DFM have attracted several initial public offerings, which symbolises the reliability of its structure and the potential of the overall UAE economy.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:11:08+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "IDF video shows strikes against Iranian military targets - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:14:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE9zUWxHVkRVS3BoZ180d2p1MjNRSjRUdWc5eTJvcGk1UG5lS0VWeDByNnFNNTlfWFl3WkE4dnZRQndQMUpwclpEbFFvMzBZVU9GR19GZ01B?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f4356e2d7788",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "How the AP decided to describe joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s retaliation, as a war - AP News",
    "body_text": "How the AP decided to describe joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s retaliation, as a war\nHow the AP decided to describe joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s retaliation, as a war\nThe Associated Press is using the word “war” to refer to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s retaliation. This reflects the scope and intensity of the fighting.\nWhat does the AP consider?\nThe United States and Israel attacked key military targets and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other government leaders. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces, and remaining leaders have vowed revenge over Khamenei’s death. The strikes and counterattacks indicate that the killing of Khamenei, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic Republic, could lead to prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East.\nThe Merriam-Webster definition of war is quite broad: “A state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations,” or “a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism.”\nEven though none of the countries have officially declared war, the attacks by the United States and Israel, combined with Iran’s retaliation, meet those criteria. The decision by the Trump administration and Israeli leaders to attack and the subsequent destruction and casualties are enough to call the actions, and Iran’s response, a war. Trump himself has used the word war to describe the conflict.\nWhy does it matter?\nIt’s important to use the correct language to describe military action between sovereign nations.\nSometimes a one-sided attack occurs without further action, or a conflict starts but doesn’t escalate. Using “war” to describe those situations could diminish the word’s importance. Then, when actual war breaks out, people might not understand its significance.\nWhat are previous examples of conflicts where the AP issued guidance to use the word ‘war’?\nThe AP provided guidance on the attacks on Iran by Israel in June 2025, using the term “war” to describe the conflict in the days after the initial attacks and Iran’s retaliation. The war lasted 12 days, and Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program.\nThe AP also began using the term “war” to describe the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas in the days and weeks after fighting began.\nIn those cases, editors considered the number of casualties, the intensity of fighting, the involvement of each party, and what each country was calling the conflict.\nWhy is it ‘war’ and not ‘War’?\nAP capitalizes the word “war” only as part of a formal name, which as of now does not exist.\nCould the guidance change?\nDecisions on how AP uses the term “war” happen in real time. AP’s news leaders and standards editors will continue to monitor developments to see whether changes are necessary.\nAt this point, the level of fighting constitutes the countries being at war, no matter what happens next. If fighting were to end soon, AP would continue saying the countries had been at war.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:17:41+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_c7f991ddf473",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Israel to 'escalate' Iran attacks as war engulfs region - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Israel resumed strikes on Tehran and warned attacks will escalate, as reservists were mobilised and claimed targets included IRGC and intelligence headquarters.\nIran launched widespread drone and missile reprisals across the region, with reported hits and interceptions from Saudi Arabia to Iraq and US bases.\nThe UAE reported three deaths, extensive interceptions and damage at Al Salam naval base and Jebel Ali Port amid a high volume of incoming threats.\nRegional travel and trade were disrupted, including thousands of flight cancellations and a ship fire in the Strait of Hormuz, amid fears of broader escalation.\n\"We will hit them with a force that they have never experienced before,\" Iranian security official Ali Larijani said.\nDrones and missiles streaked across the Middle East for a second day on Sunday as Iran pledged a crushing response to the killing of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nA three-man council took charge in Tehran as Israel resumed bombing the capital, gathered reservists and warned attacks will “escalate further” in the coming days. The US said nine Iranian warships were sunk.\nIran responded with drone and rocket fire across the region, even as US President Donald Trump claimed the interim leadership taking over from Mr Khamenei had “agreed to talk”.\nThe UAE said three people have died after air defences reported two incoming cruise missiles, 165 ballistic missiles and 541 drones in two days.\nUS military releases video of strikes on Iran\n00:38\nAl Salam naval base in Abu Dhabi was hit by two drones, causing a fire. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, said the UAE would “leave no stone unturned” to defend the country.\nIran said four of its missiles struck the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln at sea, a claim denied by US forces. Three American troops have been killed since Saturday. Attacks on US allies and bases have reached Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq.\nA hotel in Manama was struck on Sunday, causing injuries. Damage to electrical lines caused power cuts in Kuwait, where one person was killed. Qatar said Iranian attacks were intercepted by fighter jets.\nOman's port of Duqm was hit by two drones, in what Qatar called an “attack on the very principle of mediation” after Muscat had tried to resolve US-Iran tension. Three rounds of talks failed to resolve tension before the US and Israel attacked on Saturday.\nLoud explosions were reported in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on Sunday evening. The Kurdish capital is home to the largest US consulate and troops have recently been reposted there from bases in Syria.\nThe return of war has disrupted air and sea travel. At least one ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for the world's oil. UAE airlines have extended cancellations until Monday afternoon, with more than 3,400 flights called off across the Middle East.\nMood in Iran\nIn Iran, flashes of joy at Mr Khamenei's demise mixed with fear and mourning. Iran pledged to make the US and Israel pay for their joint attack, which Mr Trump says could open the door to regime change. “We will hit them with a force that they have never experienced before,” said Iranian security official Ali Larijani.\nIranians vow revenge after death of Khamenei\n01:01\nPresident Masoud Pezeshkian, one of three men handed interim charge after Mr Khamenei's death, said Iran considers “bloodshed and revenge” against the supreme leader's killers to be a “legitimate duty”.\nThe leadership troika is completed by judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and Islamic scholar Alireza Arafi. Iran's Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of senior clerics, will elect a permanent successor to Mr Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989.\nMr Trump told The Atlantic that Iran's leadership now “want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them”. He earlier called for Iranians to rise up.\nDespite widespread internet cuts, footage showed some people taking to the streets to celebrate Mr Khamenei’s death. But there was no immediate sign of a wider protest against the clerical regime.\n“Some are happy with Khamenei's death. Some are happy with attacks that may lead to regime change,” one resident of Tehran told The National. “But some people like me are worried about the side effects of regime change, such as civil war.”\nClouds of dust rose above Tehran's rooftops during the strikes. Another resident of Tehran said there were several waves of “very heavy” explosions about midday local time.\nIsrael said its air force had bombed two Iranian fighter jets as they prepared for take-off. It said drones and ballistic missile launchers were also destroyed, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned strikes would “intensify further” in the coming days.\nClaiming \"air superiority over Tehran\", the Israeli military said it struck dozens of command centres including headquarters belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intelligence services and internal security forces. It said about 100,000 reservists were being gathered.\nAs well as Mr Khamenei, the supreme leader's adviser Ali Shamkhani and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour were among other top officials killed. The IRGC has launched at least eight waves of strikes in response. As the UAE repelled attacks on Abu Dhabi and Dubai, 152 ballistic missiles were destroyed and 13 others fell into the sea, the Ministry of Defence said.\nIt said 541 Iranian drones have been launched, 506 were intercepted and destroyed while 35 fell within the country's territory, resulting in three fatalities. The three people killed were from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.\nA woman and her child were among those injured by falling debris from intercepted drones at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi. Dubai said debris from one interception caused a fire at Jebel Ali Port, where no injuries were reported.\nDr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said Iran's attacks had “isolated Tehran at a critical moment” and created hostilities with its neighbours that will last beyond the war. He told Iran: “Your war is not with your neighbours.”\nThe war is also hitting home in Israel as nine people died in a missile strike on Beit Shemesh. More than 20 others were injured in the attack as a bomb shelter was damaged. Another attack in Tel Aviv killed a Filipino domestic worker and left a crater about four metres wide.\nIsraeli politicians, including opponents of Mr Netanyahu, broadly welcomed the killing of Mr Khamenei, whose anti-Israel rhetoric loomed large over the country. Although Israel has killed leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, the strike on Saturday was the first time it has assassinated a head of state.\nAllies of Iran condemned the killing but have yet to intervene military. There was relative quiet in Beirut, where Lebanon's airspace remains open. “We don’t know if it’ll flare up in Lebanon. We didn’t expect this war to start and we certainly don’t know what to expect for the coming days,” said Um Mustafa, a mother of three who has packed a bag of essentials for her family.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:25:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOcXk4QjVIQzAzOUh6UmRfeU9HMmVlNVJEblJ2YWxsYWFHN0FFMkYzZVpBMGU4dWhJUTYwbldaNzRraU9JQUNDTG1XSmFpVXJOcUk4bXN4dDBNMDZMbXkxZ1FWZUVPM2hlZXA1V2xpRnhHZkFPTExyelhDa1VSUm1OV1QycWlmQnQ1VTNsWF9SdFZBbjFaQkpPdzI2OFMyRFBjVy05b1hSN2hPWmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_abc303848b2e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘Sixty seconds, that’s all it took’: the clinical Israeli-US operation to kill Ali Khamenei - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was the culmination of decades of painstaking intelligence gathering by Israeli secret services, with crucial technological resources and manpower provided over the last six months by the CIA and other US intelligence services, which culminated in a single concentrated burst of lethal violence to decapitate the Iranian regime, according to experts, veteran spies and officials in Israel and the US.\nKhamenei was killed along with seven “members of the top Iranian security leadership who had gathered at several locations in Tehran” and about a dozen members of his family and close entourage in near-simultaneous strikes within 60 seconds, military officials in Israel said. Forty other senior Iranian leaders also died in the attack.\nThe killing of Khamenei, 86, opened the air offensive launched this weekend by Israel and the US in an effort to overthrow the radical clerical regime in Tehran, plunging the Middle East into renewed chaos and violence.\nSome experts and intelligence veterans, however, described a possible strategic error that could alienate potential supporters or open the way for more radical opponents in the future.\n“The problem is that Israel is in love with assassinations … and we never learn that it is not the solution. We have killed all the leaders of Hamas. They are still there. It’s the same with Hezbollah. The leaders are always replaced,” said Yossi Melman, a respected Israeli analyst and author specialising in intelligence.\nIsrael has a long history of conducting assassinations overseas, but has never before killed a head of state.\nAmos Yadlin, a former head of Israel’s military intelligence service, said the strike was “a tactical surprise, an operational surprise” because the general expectation was that Israel would attack in darkness, replicating the surprise strike which opened the 12-day war in June.\nThe timing of the assassination was determined by information the CIA gleaned about a meeting of top Iranian officials at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran scheduled for Saturday morning. Most critically, the CIA was able to tell Israeli counterparts that Khamenei would be at the site and the timing of the meeting, according to the New York Times.\nIsraeli spies had also been tracking Khamenei for many years, building a minutely detailed file on his daily routine and those of his family members, associates, allies and those charged with keeping him safe.\n“It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle. You are putting all these scraps of information together. Where you don’t have [reliable data] you look further into those. It will be everything: how do they get food, what happens to their trash … We all get up and go to bed, we all eat and drink,” said a former CIA veteran with decades of experience in tracking high-profile terrorist targets.\n“We are in a world where information and data is so multi-layered that there is no one who doesn’t leave some kind of trail. Everything you do leaves a print.”\nReuel Gerecht, a former CIA targeting officer who worked on Iran and an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the US would have been able to bring significant technological assets into play, though it was Israel that had built the networks of agents on the ground capable of supplying human intelligence and carrying out covert operations within Iran.\nGerecht said reports in the Israeli media that a photograph of Khamenei’s remains were shown to Donald Trump and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, were plausible.\n“The technological capacity of the US is extremely impressive and the tech does matter a lot, but I don’t think that the [CIA] had a lot to bring to the table in terms of [human intelligence] or covert action networks,” he said.\n“If you combine the technological capacity with the networks on the ground that would certainly amplify its effectiveness.”\nThe Mossad, an abbreviation of the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations in Hebrew, has been focused on Iran for decades, and has built deep networks of informants, agents and logistics there. This has allowed a series of operations including the assassination with a remote-controlled automatic machine gun of a top Iranian nuclear scientist travelling at speed in a car on a remote road, the infection with malware of computers running key parts of Iran’s nuclear programme and the theft of an archive of nuclear documents. The political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in 2024 with a bomb placed in his favourite room in a government guesthouse in Tehran.\nDuring the 12-day war in June, Israeli agents managed to identify the homes of Iranian nuclear scientists, intelligence officials and military commanders – information that allowed dozens to be killed in a first wave of surprise attacks.\nMelman said the Mossad had made a key change of strategy almost 20 years ago, deciding to recruit local agents within Iran who were given state-of-the-art equipment and high levels of training.\nDavid Barnea, who has led the Mossad since 2021, built a special department for a “foreign legion” of agents who have been deployed across the Middle East on sensitive missions.\nSuch agents were easier to recruit in Iran, where many people were opposed to the ruling regime, than elsewhere, Melman said.\nIsrael was poised to assassinate Khamenei last year, but Trump was reluctant to risk regional escalation and the reaction of allies concerned by the killing of a head of state. Such reservations appear to have disappeared in the months since the brief conflict last year, which ended shortly after US bombers attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.\nIsraeli military officials said there had since been “really very enhanced cooperation” between Israel and the US on Iran.\nThe flow of information from the Mossad’s networks on the ground in Iran would have been merged last week with intelligence gathered through communications intercepted by the US.\n“I wouldn’t be surprised if they locked on to a variety of means to track [Khamenei],” said Gerecht. “The Iranians are pretty sloppy. They love their phones. So maybe the supreme leader had a stack of burner phones but it’s about people he was calling regularly.”\nFinally, information would have been fed through to the US and Israeli militaries to allow precise targeting information to be compiled and the orders to be given for that brief but deadly and destructive minute.\n“Sixty seconds. That’s all it took for this operation, but it is the product of years in the making,” said Oded Ailam, a former head of the Mossad’s counter-terrorism division and a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. “The modern battlefield is no longer defined only by tanks and aircraft. It is defined by data, access, trust and timing. One minute can change a region.”\nThe CIA veteran said they believed the assassination was a mistake: “I think it was the wrong thing to do. Not from an ethical perspective – I have been fine with killing people, a lot of them in fact – but from a long-term strategic perspective.\n“I know that when you take out someone’s leader you don’t solve the problem. You just create a new one.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:27:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxQRUhfT1NuaVh2dUlyOEtVaXlBY3NjMkx2MDdLQXcwY2RGbDlHQlZFV2lreU92WEw4dVhvRlFMUVRGN25hV2RUOVlTNnpHN3U2UGt4Wjc3RE11S0Jqbk9TX0VCczJkYkhwY2lSd2JjWWZITkhCUzREWS1VUGVvSUJBbnJMcVFhX0tPWHFkWHE2MHhiWFhkOGRmQW1hTGFxTENNWnJydXRpc0lwVW9lcTF2eTBOVUU5X0JVRWlB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7db44e7d047c",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran’s military options limited as it tries to hit back at US-Israeli attack - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "In the grim calculus of war, Iran now has to hope it gets lucky. The first hours of the joint US-Israeli assault were catastrophic for the regime: the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, killed alongside, it is believed, the minister of defence, the head of the armed forces and the head of the powerful Revolutionary Guards.\nIran knew its security apparatus had been compromised during the 12-day war of June 2025 when Israel killed a string of senior military commanders. During January’s street protests, Khamenei was moved away to a secure location for his own safety, yet on Saturday he felt safe enough to hold a security meeting in his compound in Tehran.\nThe CIA had picked up on the meeting in advance and passed its intelligence to Israel. A handful of Israeli fighter jets flew for about two hours and struck the compound with around 30 long-range missiles.\nThough Khamenei had planned for his own death, naming a list of potential successors, and that of many of the country’s military and political leaders, requiring them to nominate people who could take over as many as four levels down, the reality can only be that Iran’s military response will be less coherent and coordinated after such a destabilising and demoralising loss of command and control.\nWaves of US and Israeli attacks are coming at a high pace. Initial reporting suggested the US carried out 900 strikes in the first 12 hours of the operation, while Israel claimed to have bombed 1,200 times in the first 24 hours.\n“The US and Israel are prioritising breaking Iran’s offensive capabilities and leadership,” said Matthew Savill of the Royal United Services Institute thinktank. “The question is whether the Iranian regime can survive that and inflict enough pain regionally that brings that campaign to a halt.”\nIran’s military options are limited. Its strategy has been to rely on Shahed drones and high-speed ballistic missiles to defend itself through retaliation, targeting Israel, US bases and the Middle Eastern countries where they are located. On Sunday, Oman, which had mediated in the failed nuclear talks with the US, became the sixth Arab country to be attacked when two drones targeted the Duqm naval base.\nThe volume of retaliatory strikes has so far been substantial but in most cases they have been not very effective and they are likely to become less so. Three people were reported killed in the United Arab Emirates after Iran launched 165 missiles and 541 drones at the country, according to the UAE’s defence ministry. Of the drones, 35 got through defences and caused material damage, while the missiles did not.\nTehran’s calculus appears to be that at some point a missile or drone will get through and cause enough damage to prompt a US or Israeli rethink, or that it has enough missiles and drones to exhaust US, Israeli and other air defences in the region. It is an attempt to learn from Ukraine, where complex salvoes of decoys, drones and missiles lead to a small number getting through.\nNine people were killed and about 50 wounded when a missile hit a bomb shelter in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, a serious incident but not enough to prompt any kind of rethink in a country used to deaths in conflict. In reality, the psychological impact of the strike on the Fairmont hotel in Dubai on Saturday may be more significant because of its effect on tourism in a country not used to being in the frontline.\nJonathan Hackett, the author of a book on Iran’s covert warfare strategy, said Tehran had “between 1,500 to 3,000 ballistic missiles with various ranges and levels of readiness” but that they were being depleted rapidly. Israel counted that Iran fired 170 in the first day of the war.\nBefore the latest fighting broke out, Iran was making a few dozen a month in sites located deep underground, but Israel and the US are targeting launch sites and manufacturing locations in the current bombing campaign. It is hard to see how it ballistic missile supply can last more than several days at volume, forcing Iran to switch to smaller and less effective Shahed and other drones.\nAn obvious prize for Iran would be to hit a US warship, again emulating Ukraine’s extraordinary success against the Russian navy in the Black Sea, but it is likely to prove difficult to achieve. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday afternoon that they had targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier with four ballistic missiles, prompting a rapid social media rebuttal from the US military. “The missiles launched didn’t even come close,” Central Command said.\nIran could once have counted on regional proxies, most notably Hezbollah in Lebanon, to strike at Israel, but most have been decimated in previous fighting, picked off by Israel one by one after Hamas’s attack in October 2023. The most capable left are Yemen’s Houthis, who have promised to resume attacks in the Red Sea, part of a wider effort to disrupt merchant shipping in the region.\nIran’s best near-term hope is that it can prevent oil tankers from entering and leaving the Gulf through the strait of Hormuz, through a mixture of threats by radio and drone attacks. At least three tankers have already been damaged, including the MKD Vyom, on which one crew member was killed after it was struck by a suspected projectile off the coast of Oman. The goal is to try to impose economic costs on the US. A key moment will be how the oil price responds on Monday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:31:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPWC1jTjNEa0tFSjJvS05QS0Vma3YxTkc2NXdfc1YySHR0dlFZVjhvYklyMGNIRVBUTjNHY3B0MHc2WUtNMk5SOVBwR3A0NmdGcXZNWFd4MTgtcUwwU2pQeXVCQm02dktNLWpkbmRfc1BNWDVPbnpnYkVDTWJrTVlGb1RQVFBpSlBOWmx1WGhiY3h1RUxrUDZ3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b2fbffdf9072",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Celebrations outside White House after US-led strikes on Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:32:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTFBjOWpTNHN1UXpGYXM5OE1zQ29TUi1kOVh1LUFQemZRdk44aW4zOTRqSm9ySG1QbC1qb2JWVGJQdTZIWkNSNlladk5qdENTTEp4WGJQZDF3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ba2164ba5522",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Khamenei killing shatters Iran's order, triggers high-stakes succession race - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Khamenei killing shatters Iran's order, triggers high-stakes succession race    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:33:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxNZTBfNUpjaTY3bGtOcU53SFk5ejhmVXJRNkhReFNZR2tEUHJwWFRfdHVoWVdZUFFSbjlDMVNJQ0tSMkVhU1FEVU5iXzZIbkpPWm9qV2U5MUljMVlvTy1jWVI1eHd5SlZUUWh5QlRPcFZEVDVUMGY1OVBEM19KejhUeG1WYkFkU3JxdkpIRUJ5VkZkSjJMX3VPUkVoVk1nN2I3LVBFdjdhX0JGTWRQWXZXck5MMENYX1gtVkN2ZnF1OUdLQXJ2YzA0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b04cd3475780",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel strikes trucks carrying Iranian ballistic missile launchers - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:37:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTFBrMVZFYk1obW5IcG1NLXZteEJXQTdfUW55T0NIMGhyeWd1eTNRRzFnSjhkZXhVcGdxMFk4U2lQMXdGLXBaVWJRRXZRS1lJT0NNbmNiU293?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8e81a5864721",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iranian-American Democrat calls out party's response to US-Israel actions against regime - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:39:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTFBBU0gyWUQ1V3RUaGdwSWJ0WGVacXNwMGxaUVFsblVsemticVdEc3NlWGpKdi1NSkFhanY4T2FDN1JheUVtMWd2NjZ4eDdoSDhpQjJvWC1n?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cda4723cb38d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘Peacemaker’ Trump starts a war with Iran – podcast - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Archive: CBS News, NBC News, PBS Newshour, CNN, Fox News\n- Read Patrick’s analysis on the US-Israel attack on Iran, and Mohamad Bazzi’s opinion piece on the war\n- Send your questions and feedback to politicsweeklyamerica@theguardian.com\n- Help support the Guardian. Go to theguardian.com/politicspodus",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxONnFyb1Z6RzBJMl81anJiNnJxR2FqdHdIZ1lXNXNndlBPaF96R3dsUlJVNFNyVXZGX0VBeWtLQ1VweUx0QkZXaGRDbklYWUxXS0RyQmN3U29QU2RycXZUSzdQc3hSZmJ4RmlmSEZHR0Vfdjh5ZlNTRlVMMk14aTBoYzdoNTNRVGtUTEZEZHNSZ0Q4YVBoTTVPdGNPRUhkTXBheVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5bccc2275008",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Foreign Office starts planning evacuation of thousands of Britons in Middle East - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The Foreign Office is drawing up plans to evacuate tens of thousands of British citizens if war in the Middle East escalates, with many travellers currently stranded in Dubai.\nKeir Starmer said on Sunday that about 200,000 British people are in the region, on holiday or otherwise travelling across the Gulf. He urged everyone in areas targeted by Iranian strikes to register with the Foreign Office to receive advice, with about 94,000 doing that so far.\nMore than 50,000 of those are believed to be in the United Arab Emirates, and most of those are holidaymakers or other travellers, rather than residents, with Dubai a major tourist and business destination. Its airspace is currently closed, leaving tourists without a plan for getting home.\nThe UK government’s advice is for people to follow local instructions, especially where it is to shelter in their current location.\nBut the situation is uncertain and Whitehall sources said the government is looking at all options including evacuations via different routes if the airspace remains closed and tensions escalate. One possibility could be evacuation by road to neighbouring countries where the airspace remains open, such as Saudi Arabia.\nThe Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office on options as part of an unprecedented consular operation involving registering people across multiple countries to identify who may need support.\nThe Foreign Office’s advice is against all travel to Iran, Israel and Palestine. It also advises against all but essential travel to the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, and there are further instructions to avoid travel to some parts of Pakistan.\nBritish nationals in Saudi Arabia are advised to stay at home, while those in Jordan, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq should take precautions given the heightened regional tensions.\nThe foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, is expected to make her first remarks on the unfolding crisis on Monday after spending the weekend working on the response.\nShe has been engaged in a major diplomatic push, speaking to her regional counterparts, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and other G7 foreign ministers.\nKeir Starmer issued a joint statement with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, on Sunday evening. It said the three countries were ready to take steps to defend their interests in the region after Iran’s “indiscriminate and disproportionate” missile attacks.\n“We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source,” they said. “We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter.”\nNo 10 has refused to say whether the UK supports the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, but John Healey, the defence secretary, said on Sunday morning that few will mourn Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who died in the bombing.\nHealey described the Iranian regime as “evil” and said it had menaced the west by sponsoring at least 20 terrorist plots to attack the UK, as well as involvement in proxy wars.\nPressed on the legality of the strikes, he said it was “for the US to set out and explain” whether its action was legal. He also refused to be drawn on the UK having the declined use of its military bases for the attacks.\nWhile distancing the UK from the strikes, Healey said the government’s role was now to act defensively. He said there was a “very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out across the region”, and that 300 UK troops had been within “a few hundred yards” of an Iranian strike on a base in Bahrain.\nTwo missiles have also been fired in the direction of Cyprus, where thousands of UK personnel are stationed, although these are not believed to have been deliberately targeted at the British bases there.\nSpeaking on Sky News, Healey said UK military planes were active in the Middle East in order to protect British citizens and interests across the region. Healey said Iran should get rid of its weapons and return to negotiation.\nAsked for his reaction to the killing of Khamenei, he said: “I think few people will mourn the ayatollah’s death, not least the families and friends of the thousands of protesters murdered on the streets of Iranian cities.\n“Iran and the regime he’s led for so long, it’s a source of evil – murdering its own citizens and sponsoring and exporting terror.”\nHealey said Iran was hitting out in an “indiscriminate” way, attacking hotels in Dubai and Bahrain, as well as an airport in Kuwait.\nThe US and Israeli action has divided opinion in the UK. Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said the attack was in breach of international law and she was glad the UK was not involved.\nZack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, condemned the assassination of the ayatollah and told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that there was no justification for the bombing.\nIn contrast, Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said it was “astonishing” that Starmer did not “step up” and offer more support to the US and Israeli operation.\nReform UK’s Nigel Farage took a similar position, posting on X: “The prime minister needs to change his mind on the use of our military bases and back the Americans in this vital fight against Iran!”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxPcGtkeFdDMEROcFlsRXVZcUhHLTFId2ZlZ2trN3dWM0JTV3JWZjk0QU5rbjFlRS1BdkJsaFBIWVFZTzlFWFlvQWZycS05dlM1dTE1a2kxT05DTmZjakctenl4RkFDSG5nNUJwWlNUeHJZUWFBQTNiT25CVXo2TGVod1FlMWpNMWgxYmlGS1VIbF9oMjJncV8yTDRpUTZGWGVVbzJZZlZJX3hmaUhDTm1KZVhmWUN5dENxSlNaVGtSdnk4YUE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_46b44d748af7",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Strait of Hormuz in focus as Iran attacks expose Gulf energy transport risks - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran-linked attacks and threats in the Strait of Hormuz have slowed tanker traffic, elevating navigational risks and pushing insurers to cancel cover and raise premiums.\nProducers pre-emptively surged exports through Hormuz in February, with Iranian loadings at a record 2.2 million bpd and others adding about 400,000 bpd.\nKpler tracks VLCC diversions and vessel pile-ups, with at least five tankers turning away and up to 96 VLCCs in nearby waters, reflecting heightened caution.\nOpec+ will lift output by 206,000 bpd from April, yet prices remain driven by shipping flow risks despite spare capacity of about 3.5 million bpd.\n“They were preparing for this,” Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler, said, warning Iranian exports are likely to slow as tankers avoid Kharg Island.\nOil producers relying on the Strait of Hormuz for exports greatly increased supply through the congested waterway, with Iranian loadings averaging a record 2.2 million barrels per day in February and others adding another 400,000 bpd as they prepared for a possible shutdown, analysts say.\nThree tankers were attacked on Sunday while sailing on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had earlier warned ships to steer clear from the strait. US-sanctioned Skylight, a vessel that sails under the flag of Palau, and Marshall Islands-flagged MKD Vyom both came under attack today, while an unidentified tanker was also attacked, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. Insurers remain unwilling to take on new risk and are instead cancelling policies and raising rates for any journey in one of the world’s riskiest chokepoints.\n\"They were preparing for this,\" Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at shipping analytics company Kpler, told The National. He cautioned that Iranian exports are now likely to slow sharply, with tankers reluctant to approach Kharg Island from which Iran loads more than 90 per cent of its crude.\nGerman international shipping and container transport company Hapag-Lloyd told The National it is monitoring the situation closely when asked if it planned to reroute.\n\"It is too early to provide substantial information while the situation remains very fluid. We have contingency plans in place, and the safety of our seafarers remains our top priority,\" Tim Seifert, the company spokesman, said on Sunday.\nDanish conglomerate Maersk, one of the world's largest integrated container logistics companies, said it was halting all operations in the passageway until further notice.\n\"As a result, services calling ports in the Arabian Gulf may experience delays, rerouting or schedule adjustments,\" Maersk wrote in an online post.\nThe Strait of Hormuz has since become the focal point of global energy markets, as retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Gulf disrupt tanker traffic and raise concerns over the integrity of the region's oil infrastructure.\nGulf crude loadings, excluding Iran's, have averaged about 14.2 million bpd in February, led by Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to Kpler.\nIran threatens maritime routes in Strait of Hormuz\n00:31\nThese exports originate from terminals that require passage through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the waterway’s critical role in sustaining global supply.\nOpec+ agreed to raise output by 206,000 bpd from April to help steady markets amid escalating Gulf tensions.\nWhile production centres have largely avoided sustained direct damage, operational stress is building.\nKpler reports renewed satellite navigation interference across the Gulf in the days before US–Israeli military operations, including around the Assaluyeh complex and Bandar Abbas.\nThe disruption has distorted Automatic Identification System signals, causing vessels to appear clustered unnaturally or mispositioned, and are complicating tracking around key terminals and transit lanes.\nIn congested waters such as Hormuz, it has degraded positioning and increased navigational and monitoring risks.\nImpact on Shipping and Energy Routes\nIn the hours surrounding warnings from the IRGC and renewed closure threats around the Strait of Hormuz, Kpler tracking showed at least five VLCCs turning away from the Mideast Gulf\nFour ballast vessels – the Orbiter, Universal Victor, Mitake and Trikwong Venture – reversed course short of the strait, while KHK Empress diverted after beginning its lifting programme.\nTogether, those five ships represent about 1.4 million tonnes, or about 10 million barrels, of crude potentially affected. Although this is considered a modest compared to Gulf exports, the diversions are indicative of shifts based on security.\nKpler data further shows VLCCs in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea surged to 96 vessels on February 17, which is the highest since late July, before easing below 90 over the following week\nThe positioning suggests caution among shipowners but continued inflows and loading activity.\nAbout 15 million bpd of crude and 5.5 million bpd of refined products were moving through the strait as recently as January and February, according to shipping data. Since the outbreak of violence, vessels have reportedly begun to pile up at both ends of the strait’s entrance, signalling widespread caution among tanker operators.\nSo while the strait is not formally closed, commercial movements have slowed with many holding position and pending security assessments.\n\"This sharp drop in traffic reflects precautionary measures by shipowners and charterers rather than a declared blockade,\" Capt Farhad Patel, director of the Sharaf Shipping Agency, told The National.\nOpec+ members said in their Sunday meeting that Gulf production centres have so far avoided damage, although some export flows, particularly from Iraq’s southern terminals, have been affected by shipping delays after the IRGC's warnings.\nCapt Patel echoed this view as a compounding effect of recent developments.\n\"If the current cautionary stance continues, we may see short-term price spikes driven more by sentiment and insurance premiums than by physical shortage,\" he said.\nThe risk premium attached to oil has climbed amid these stresses. Brent crude prices had already gained more than $10 per barrel over recent weeks as concerns over conflict with Iran grew. Analysts noted that, notwithstanding Opec+’s supply boost, markets are likely to remain sensitive to developments in the Gulf rather than to modest production changes.\nInfrastructure intact - for now\nDespite the disruption to shipping and elevated geopolitical risk, the physical infrastructure that underpins Gulf oil export capacity including terminals, pipelines and processing centres, has so far remained largely intact.\nOpec+ members such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE also hold about 3.5 million bpd of spare production capacity, which can be brought online within weeks if required.\nWhile agreeing to a measured output increase signals confidence in their ability to offset risk without starting more price volatility, analysts have said the real determinant of prices remains the status of shipping flows through Hormuz and the wider security situation, not production quotas.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T19:55:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0gFBVV95cUxOUURuWlN6OFBtdC1wNGh5U2p4bnBjekYycFBhWl9YTk10OWxXckRSc1RoNWk1MVo1b29uVWtfdS0tXzNIdGdOaHRPbm5vOXpKYjljWnh3NGdncloxMGdYcGtXYWZ0bE5XU2p5UHhrU3FzaTVtOGNFakt5bGxYNk5LQ3hUNFUyOG92NzZ5a09PeVctTWR4R2hVMjd3aVdLbUc2NURtZ3NGQ2RnWG1jWnBzbWF2UlkzQ01GdzMxVDg4Zm45MnlNdlY4dElnRVNVNHRhWWc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3d2f4061eef6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran didn’t adapt to America's playbook. Russia and China already have - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The world now knows that, in a daring daylight strike on a clear Saturday in Tehran, the United States and Israel opened what President Donald Trump, in his address to the nation, called \"major combat operations\" against the Islamic Republic of Iran.\nOperation Epic Fury is the very sort of thing that was not supposed to happen under President Donald J. Trump: America appears to be pursuing an open-ended regime-change operation in the Middle East. Having committed the prestige of his presidency to this project, Trump must now see it through. We should be open to the possibility that it will be achieved swiftly. If it is not, then it becomes the dominating project of his second term — and, moreover, the defining one.\nThere are significant differences between this regime-change project and the ones preceding it in Iraq and Afghanistan. First and foremost, there is no American occupation force in the offing. American aircraft will range across Iran at will; American soldiers will not.\nThe president made it explicit in his address that he expects the people of Iran to overthrow their own regime, and there is reason to believe they will. (Alleged footage of Iranians cheering the death of the ayatollah lends credence to this belief.) The good news, if one wishes, is that those other models are not being followed. The bad news is that the most applicable precedent for regime change by airpower alone is Libya.\nYet all this is speculative in these opening days. Iranians are not Libyans, nor Iraqis nor Afghans. After the elaborate machinations in the Venezuelan operation — in which, we now know, human intelligence and canny political calculus played a major role in American success — who can say the same is not underway in Iran? The benefit of the doubt is functionally irrelevant post facto, yet this war-making team has earned it.\nThe Iranian regime staggers under Israeli-American blows now in part because it is not a learning entity. Having had the opportunity to study the American way of war, especially under Trump — who has, after all, attacked them more than once before — it has apparently failed to adapt. The same is not true of America’s two great-power adversaries, Russia and China. They will have drawn two major lessons already.\nOne is that the Americans must never be allowed the time and space to assemble the sort of striking force that took weeks to put in place against Iran. For nearly 40 years, every major American war has begun with a de facto Operation Desert Shield: a prolonged and very visible movement of forces and materiel to the theater of action. This movement almost inevitably becomes war, with only the early 1998 American buildup against Iraq being an exception.\nIn the generation leading into World War I, mobilization as such became a casus belli — the threat of troops on railways and in position alone was sufficient to justify war — and it would be rational for America’s enemies to draw a similar conclusion now. When American forces mass, an American attack usually follows. Preventing that massing is therefore both urgent and compelling.\nThe other major lesson America’s adversaries will draw is that American power projection is deeply reliant on free access to bases in allied nations. No American campaign at scale would be possible without land-based access: this was true even against Venezuela, and it is absolutely true against Iran.\nThat access, in the present case, does not extend merely to Middle Eastern facilities in Israel, Jordan and elsewhere — it also extends to the network of European facilities that have constituted a hub of American power abroad for generations. Access to those European bases, along with European logistics and support, is essential to what America does now.\nThis is a reality that American policymakers and officeholders ought to internalize, because our enemies already have. Just as precluding American massing becomes imperative for them, so too does denial of American access — through the weakening of alliances or other means. Expect efforts to fracture and disperse those alliances to accelerate. Even if every corner of American politics does not understand our alliance structure to be a benefit to America, every corner of Russian and Chinese politics does.\nThe consequences of these lessons will unfold in ways visible and invisible in the very near future.\nThis is the sort of thing that was not supposed to happen under Trump, but it is happening because, unlike the ayatollah and his regime, the president does learn and adapt.\nWhat has come to the fore is a set of realities and enduring American interests that drive his actions now, along with his unique preference for cutting the Gordian knot in perennial strategic problems.\nA president who ended the Venezuelan regime and who contemplates the end of the Cuban regime is entirely willing to do the same to the Iranian regime.\nHe has his ideological priors, to be sure, but unlike so many in the Beltway, they are orienting rather than confining. They are also informed by his own sense of history, invoked in his address, which drew upon half a century of bitter Iranian war against the United States. He sought peace and was rebuffed. Now the Iranian regime — what’s left of it — reaps the whirlwind.\nThere will be much conversation about the Washington consequences of all this, not least in how the edifice of \"restrainers,\" despite feeling themselves at a historic apogee of Beltway influence, failed to prevent this outcome. In fairness, they might note that they may well stand vindicated in a decade’s time.\nOne faction is, however, defeated — and deservedly so. It is the squalid chorus of antisemites who have emerged from left and right in recent years, often under the guise of anti-Zionism or \"having the conversation we need to have about Israel.\"\nHere is a conversation starter for them: At this very moment, American men and women are in harm’s way, waging war against one of America’s cruelest and most implacable enemies. With them are our allies, our friends and now our brothers in arms, the Israelis. That is a fact that ought to carry finality.\nWe are at war, and in the skies above Iran, it is the Stars and Stripes and the Star of David — together — fighting for you and me.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:00:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOQ3BOekZZQ0JmMTRfOEhQeWJTZVF0Y3N5clAxTmZvbjU5eE9yamREZEtISENXdEJnOVJYNk13b2JPeGk1TTkzLXdyaWpUel9TaVNDX09NRkZMaDVfS3l4UldfVlZvTmZjNmhLd2E4OUtXRVZ0V0Z3Wnl3WU9hb19QS0FXdG1UQVFxQUpsczY5UVZma1NjNERJ0gGcAUFVX3lxTE1aY2p0aXdTUWlOTTA4OTR1alJXX014eExUT2NHX1BGNVlZU1pCRlRMeWZFM0c5emZVZkZrZUh2QVlCbVVsdzBIcVpBSXpDSVpMOHNJUG5NQW1IaTN4V0FGMGFFOXpnejNoQ3lsdnFlUGxmQlNOWk9nRXlMd1kycUc4M1lwcUlZZzFSc3FKMGVFTDYyTnhtdmN5Uk5LOA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5809bd494ac5",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Netanyahu’s latest war has few critics in an Israel embracing militarism - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "In June, Benjamin Netanyahu declared “a historic victory, which will stand for generations” after the 12-day war on Iran.\nHis decision to attack Iran again, less than a year later, was greeted with broad and enthusiastic support from Israeli politicians, including the prime minister’s bitter rivals, and a public willing to endure death and massive disruption to their lives.\nFew prominent Israelis have asked questions about why the legacy of one historic victory is another war – or whether the stated goal of regime change from the air is realistic.\nAfter Iran acknowledged the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, had been killed, backing for the war deepened even as deaths and damage from Iranian attacks mounted inside Israel.\n“The only thing I’m sorry is that we didn’t do it earlier, last June,” a 30-year-old Tel Aviv tech worker, Tom Yaakov, said as he inspected damage to his apartment building from an Iranian missile strike. “It’s like an Israeli story I can tell my children, the tyrant was down and my building was hit.”\nThat strike killed a 28-year-old Filipina care worker, who was hit by shrapnel taking her employer to a bomb shelter. Hours later, nine people were killed in a direct missile hit on a bomb shelter in Beit Shemesh.\nDonald Trump and Netanyahu seem to share a world vision that substitutes military superiority, targeted killings and the prospect of constant war for international relations, negotiations and lasting treaties.\nKhamenei’s assassination was a spectacular display of their combined military and espionage strength.\nBut Israel’s spy agencies have a decades-long track record of taking out high-profile enemies, from generations of Hamas commanders in Gaza to the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in assassinations that did not destroy the groups these men headed.\nBy contrast, peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt, which brought lasting stability with countries once considered bitter enemies, are rarely celebrated by Israel’s current political leaders, said Mairav Zonszein, a senior Israel analyst at the International Crisis Group.\nThose pacts’ crucial role in Israeli life was underlined in this war when the two countries offered the only route home for Israelis trapped outside the country when airspace was closed to civilian flights.\nThere are plenty of regional examples from recent decades that could provide pause for thought over what can follow the death or departure of much-hated dictators, from civil war in Libya after the death of Muammar Gaddafi to the violent collapse of Iraq and the rise of Islamic State after the US-led invasion of 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein.\nThe Iranian-born Israeli journalist and activist Orly Noy dismissed claims from Trump and Netanyahu that the attacks aimed to support Iranians fighting for change in their country.\n“It takes a considerable amount of naivety to believe that what matters to them is the wellbeing of the Iranian citizens, or support for their struggle to free themselves from this oppressive regime.”\nBut there is little mainstream questioning of whether Israel’s use of military power is the best way to guarantee lasting security, Zonszein said. “It’s perplexing why Israelis aren’t having that conversation enough. I think over the last 20 years, Israelis have just been less and less interested in these deeper questions.”\nThe public embrace of militarism is driven in part by Israel’s rapid economic growth and the expansion of its hi-tech military sector over recent decades, said Alon Liel, a former Israeli ambassador to South Africa and director general of the country’s foreign ministry.\n“I often say it is impossible for Israel to live on the sword for ever, but there are very few Jews in Israel who think like me,” he said. “Forty or 50 years ago we were a very weak and small country in the Middle East. Israelis see ourselves now as at least a regional superpower.\n“People say: we are not 80 years old yet, and look how powerful this country is. Look how our economy survived these two and a half years of war. And look at our skyline, and look at the sales of arms all over the world.”\nNetanyahu has presided over that economic expansion and the military technology boom for much of the last three decades, and so is credited in part for both by many voters, Liel said.\nThis latest war offers him a chance to bolster his legacy and his political standing before elections that must be held before October.\nFierce domestic debate about responsibility for the 7 October 2023 attacks, which occurred on Netanyahu’s watch, was instantly set aside.\nKilling Khamenei, a leader who called for Israel’s destruction and sponsored a network of hostile groups across the region, makes it easier for the prime minister to campaign as a hardline security candidate.\n“For Netanyahu, there are two possible benefits that might be derived: a blow to Iran, and the possibility that this might tip the scales and usher him to victory in the elections,” Nadav Eyal wrote in the daily Yedioth Ahronoth. “Netanyahu probably does not draw any distinction between the strategic aspect and the political aspect, and that is putting things gently.”\nTrump’s request for Israel’s president to issue a pre-emptive pardon for Netanyahu in a long-running corruption trial may gather force if the war plays out in a way that the US and Israel can claim as victory.\nSome analysts sounded a note of caution that the war would bring election dividends for Netanyahu. “Despite all assumptions [Netanyahu] got no poll boost from the June war,” said Dahlia Scheindlin, a Tel Aviv-based political analyst.\n“It could be different this time but it is really important to watch surveys carefully,” she added, because last year “the polls just weren’t there.”\nEven if Netanyahu loses power this year, Israel’s wars of aggression inside occupied Palestine and against regional enemies are likely to continue, Zonszein said.\n“Until Israelis feel it in their pockets, or until there’s even more mass killings [of Israelis] or until the international community stops them, then it’s just going to keep going unfortunately.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:03:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxPNGdaWUQ5aFE0NDdtQUkxUnVmVExUdkw1YnNKWXdjT1dENllaaExBNmtvbjN5VTI5LUpVMW02dHhxY2ExaVhFdm1VVlJYRzlROUFyNm5YNEhWVTdFQ1k0LVdvTWt2Zy00bVBGcmhHWnVjTHFOdWM0THRkdFJWTXdwRWNlTDJnZGFPcjFzbnpCME9NLVl2cE1aOVJhVVBBVnl5RWxWVEJkMzJtRzk0SWlPSg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2e1615fed636",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "EU nations call for 'maximum restraint', respect for international law in Iran conflict - Reuters",
    "body_text": "EU nations call for 'maximum restraint', respect for international law in Iran conflict    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:04:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxNZU9mTnY1dmxRdzY1SmFOS2RvQXdFZ005WmtnMkFQcWZOTl81RUZJVFVGeWhyeFdnUkJzSkJycWZIellSdFg1dXZxVXd2cjk1ajh5c1JKX213eU9TM0NuVzBKQV9WX3pSNUROcmdtNFVPMkhQX2ZGSWFsdV90NGR2M3ZJY0JWenRFbFF5cEJCYjJFZzYtUGVaa2hEMmltbUswN1hwVTB2RkkyWHAzakFVWE1icjlIZWRiTUx5TDU0N3JnbjRZYUE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_356b0d998e64",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Oil price expected to surge after Iran strikes and strait of Hormuz closure - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The price of oil is expected to soar on Monday as the US-Israel war on Iran and the effective closure of the crucial strait of Hormuz rattles investors despite major producers’ pledges to increase its output.\nUS crude is on track to rise by 11% when trading resumes, according to data from the broker IG. The jump comes as Opec+, the cartel of oil producers, agreed on Sunday to step up its output by more than expected as it assessed the impact of the conflict.\nIran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly told ships on Saturday that passage through the strait of Hormuz was prohibited, in effect shutting the key choke point and prompting the halt of some oil shipments.\nAbout $500bn (£372bn) of energy trade and 20% of global oil supplies pass through the strait each year. Vessels also carry chemicals and fertilisers, meaning disruption could affect agriculture and global food prices.\nA tanker in the strait was attacked on Sunday, and at least 150 others carrying crude, liquefied natural gas and oil products dropped anchor in open waters as traffic in the region slowed to a near standstill, Reuters reported.\nTehran has long warned that it could use its location to shut the strait in retaliation against military aggression. Tamsin Hunt, a senior analyst at S-RM, a global intelligence and cybersecurity consultancy, said closing the strait in full would be “devastating for Iran’s own economy”.\nIG’s weekend markets showed that US crude oil could rise to more than $74 (£55) a barrel when trading resumes in New York late on Sunday, up from $67 a barrel on Friday night. That would be its highest level since June 2025, when the US launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.\nAnalysts at Barclays said the oil price could reach $80 a barrel in the event of a “material supply disruption”.\nRoyal Bank of Canada analysts said: “It is our understanding that regional leaders warned Washington about the contagion risks of another confrontation with Iran and indicated that $100-plus oil was a clear and present danger.”\nA jump in wholesale oil prices is expected to feed through to prices at the pump. The AA said the average UK price of petrol was 132.9p a litre and diesel 142.4p, but disruption in the Middle East could combine with the Treasury’s upcoming reversal of a 5p-a-litre fuel duty cut to push up prices.\nThe AA spokesperson Luke Bosdet said: “Pump prices have been rising over the past week and the conflict escalation in the Middle East threatens even higher fuel costs for UK drivers.”\nLondon’s FTSE 100, which hit a record high on Friday and had been close to breaking 11,000 for the first time, is expected to fall by about 0.5% on Monday morning.\nGlobal investors are expected to seek out safe-haven assets on Monday. Gold, which has risen for the past four weeks, is up 2.25% to almost $5,400 an ounce on IG’s weekend markets and silver is trading 3.2% higher.\nThe closure of the strait of Hormuz would disrupt shipments from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait, as well as from Iran, leading to shortages and higher energy prices.\nEight Opec+ countries including Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed at Sunday’s meeting to raise output by 206,000 barrels a day in April, compared with original expectations of an increase of 137,000.\nThe move could calm oil markets because adding to global inventories eases pressure on prices, but the countries also noted: “This measure will provide an opportunity … to accelerate their compensation.”\nOpec+ has a history of raising output to cushion disruptions, but analysts said the group had little spare capacity to add, except for its leader Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which will struggle to export oil until navigation in the Gulf returns to normal.\nThe ports company DP World said it had suspended operations at the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, and the Mediterranean Shipping Company stopped booking for worldwide cargo into the Middle East until further notice. Ports in Bahrain and Oman were also shut.\nThe conflict has also driven up the cost of insuring ships in the region, according to Dylan Mortimer, the marine hull UK war leader at the risk management consultancy Marsh.\nOman said on Sunday that an oil tanker in the strait of Hormuz came under attack, injuring four mariners onboard. The attack targeted a vessel registered in the Pacific island nation of Palau. Mortimer said attacks on shipping could have “major repercussions across war insurance rates”.\nThe International Maritime Organisation, the United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping, said that vessels should avoid transiting the affected region until conditions improve.\nMost stock markets in the Gulf region fell on Sunday. Saudi Arabia’s market lost 2.5%, pulled down by financial stocks, industrial companies and utilities, but Saudi Aramco’s shares rose by 2.5% following the forecast of a jump in the price of crude.\nKuwait’s stock exchange suspended trade until further notice, citing the “exceptional circumstances” the country was facing.\nOn Sunday, the UAE’s Capital Market Authority said trading on the Abu Dhabi and Dubai stock markets will be suspended on Monday and Tuesday as a result of the hostilities.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxOSWdWSng4cFZMQWNQWUFLbzlkdlItNnFIYlNCVDdwU1laeEhQdWFXeHZyS0NydzRoUEZRU1lMa29Cb2FOdE1ITnBlWkc1S2ctbHBpSVV1S1BubEtUcUpSWmg5WkF1OEZ2YnVZMEQyLXdzSENNVGxTcXVObGs0bE1FbDN5LW5ld3MtelpUWHZ4YlR0R29KOGUyT0lGZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_166bd1685fd7",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Stranded travelers scramble to make new connections as war shuts much of Middle East to air travel - AP News",
    "body_text": "Stranded travelers scramble to make new connections as war shuts much of Middle East to air travel\nIsrael, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar closed their airspace on Saturday. Airspace in southern Syria was also closed. Several airlines announced temporary flight cancelations.\nHundreds of thousands of stranded travelers scrambled to make new connections and get through to airlines on jammed phone lines Sunday after the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel shut down much of the Middle East to air travel.\nTourists and business travelers crowded hotels and airports, with no word on when many airports would reopen or when flights to and through the Middle East would resume. Some governments advised their stranded citizens to shelter in place.\nShutdown airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha — including Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world — are important hubs for travel between Europe, Africa and the West to Asia. All three were directly hit by strikes.\nMohammad Abdul Mannan, in the crowd at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, said he wasn’t concerned about the war, but that he needs to get his flight to the Middle East to make a living.\n“We have set out to go for work, and we must go,” he said. “My only concern is how to go abroad and how to earn an income.”\nConfusion reigned for many travelers as they tried to get answers on online portals or through busy phone lines.\nIn Dubai, stranded travelers could hear fighter jets overhead and an explosion when the Fairmont Palm Hotel was hit by a missile strike.\nMany were unable to get updated flight information from tour operators or Dubai-based Emirates, which suspended all flights to and from Dubai until at least Monday afternoon.\nLouise Herrle and her husband had their flight to Washington canceled on their way back to their Pittsburgh home after a tour of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with no word when they could reschedule.\n“We’re in the hotel room, we are not leaving it, so you’re not going to give it up until we know we have a flight out of here,” Herrle said. “I’m sure everyone else is in the same situation.”\nFlights canceled, airports and airspaces still closed\nCirium, an aviation analytics firm, said it is hard to calculate the number of travelers stranded worldwide.\nHowever, it estimated that at least 90,000 people alone change flights daily in the airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi on just three airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.\nAirspace or airports in Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were closed, according to flight tracking sites and government agencies there.\nMore than 2,800 flights were canceled Sunday to and from airports across the Middle East, including those that remained open in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, according figures on flight tracking site FlightAware. International airports in London, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangkok, Istanbul, Sri Lanka and Paris each reported dozens of flights canceled, as well.\nCancellations will extend beyond Sunday, at least.\nEmirates suspended all flights to and from Dubai until at least Monday afternoon. Air India suspended all flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until Tuesday. Israeli airline EL AL said it was preparing to fly home Israelis stranded abroad once the airspace reopened and closed ticket sales for flights through March 21 to ensure stranded customers get priority.\nTwo airports in the United Arab Emirates reported strikes as the government there condemned what it called a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles” on Saturday.\nOfficials at Dubai International Airport said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.\nIran did not publicly claim responsibility.\nFlight disruptions are likely to continue\nAirlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport. Some airlines issued waivers to affected travelers that will allow them to rebook their flight plans without paying extra fees or higher fares. Others offered full refunds.\n“For travelers, there’s no way to sugarcoat this,” said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group. “You should prepare for delays or cancellations for the next few days as these attacks evolve and hopefully end.”\nMike McCormick, who used to oversee air traffic control for the Federal Aviation Administration, said countries might reopen their airspace once American and Israeli officials tell airlines where military flights are operating and how capable Iran remains at firing missiles.\n‘No one really knows what’s going on’\nThe reverberations echoed far outside the Middle East — for example, airport authorities in the resort island of Bali in Indonesia said more than 1,600 tourists were stranded at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Sunday after five flights to the Middle East were canceled or postponed.\nAirlines that are crossing the Middle East will have to reroute flights around the conflict with many flights headed south over Saudi Arabia. That will cause delays and higher costs.\nKristy Ellmer, an American who had been on business meetings in Dubai, said she was staying in a hotel and keeping multiple flights booked in case airports reopen.\nShe said she was gaining confidence in the government’s ability to protect the city from missiles, but also keeping away from windows when she hears explosions.\n“You hear a lot of explosions at times, there’s hundreds of them,” Ellmer said. “And so when we hear them we sort of just don’t stay near the windows just in case the glass was to break or there was some impact.”\n___\nLevy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, Adam Schreck in Bangkok, Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxNYTFybXNsajQ4WWh6b0t6dG5XdENQQTl6aDRydjJOblJiWXN5bVNqZWlZZ0c5cEJaekJxWEh2cXc3alZ6bk9FZ3RJNXNpODFaMElxamZINTJOTmRzY0F0NHZfVkFobnBQUlNsbWQtb29WQzA5Rm9qMHNiQzBGYWhyMllwVFFmNFY3eWJaR3JaeW16U19qeGkteQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9cc2c34606b0",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Uneasy quiet in Lebanon as Hezbollah sits on sidelines of Iran-US war - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Unlike during last year’s war between Israel and Iran, not a single missile or interception has flashed across Beirut’s skies so far.\nLebanon’s airspace remains open, in sharp contrast to last year’s shutdown. Life in the capital feels eerily calm – an uneasy quiet in a country that has grown accustomed to the chaos of conflict over the past two and a half years.\nUm Mustafa, a mother of three, woke up at dawn on Sunday morning to the sound of dozens of men on motorbikes firing guns into the air in the predominantly Shiite neighbourhood of Dahiyeh. It was a grim show of mourning after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed during US and Israeli air strikes the previous day.\nBy then, she had already packed a large bag of essentials and clothes for herself and her children. “As usual,” she told The National.\n“We don’t know if it’ll flare up in Lebanon. We didn’t expect this war to start and we certainly don’t know what to expect for the coming days.”\nWith a go-bag on standby, Um Mustafa is prepared to quickly leave her home – already heavily damaged during the 2023 to 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah – at a moment's notice.\nFor now, officials are urging calm. Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar said after a meeting of Lebanon’s Higher Defence Council that “all Lebanese place the interest of Lebanon above all else” – an indirect signal that authorities do not expect the country, or Hezbollah, to enter the confrontation.\nThe Iran-backed group has largely maintained radio silence beyond issuing a statement condemning the US and Israeli strikes and calling for regional unity against the attacks.\nSignificantly weakened after its last war with Israel, Hezbollah previously signalled restraint in the event of a wider conflict. But it had also warned that any targeting of Mr Khamenei would constitute a red line – a declaration that now hangs heavy over a country wary of being pulled, once again, into a regional war.\n“Hezbollah is in no shape to intervene. The last war has shattered the group,\" geopolitical analyst Karim El Mufti told The National. \"For them, the priority is now survival. Direct intervention alongside Iran would mean signing its own extinction.\"\nIsrael, which bombs southern Lebanon on a near-daily basis despite a 2024 ceasefire, has threatened further counter-attacks if Hezbollah does intervene. Meanwhile, it has mobilised ground troops along its borders with Lebanon and Syria, readying for potential escalation.\nMr El Mufti does not believe Iran will force Hezbollah to enter the conflict.\n“Hezbollah is not simply an Iranian militia. Despite what its critics claim, it has long maintained a degree of autonomy, making its own strategic decisions, even under Nasrallah, while cultivating independent funding channels beyond Tehran, including in Africa and Latin America,\" he said. \"With Iran’s leadership networks weakened and key interlocutors gone, it is unclear who could realistically compel the group to enter a wider war.”\nStill, the first day of the war caused a familiar reflex within the Lebanese public: long queues formed outside petrol stations and supermarkets as residents rushed to stock up on fuel and essentials. The Prime Minister urged calm and cautioned against panic buying.\nThousands attended a public gathering called by Hezbollah in Dahiyeh as a show of support for Iran and a display of mourning for Mr Khamenei. Entire families were in attendance, grown men and women sobbing publicly for the man who many Shiite Muslims considered a spiritual leader.\n\"He wasn't just some president. He was a religious leader for an entire sect,\" said Ahmad, a mourner.\n\"I'm not even one of his followers - I'm a follower of Sistani,\" he said, referring to Iraq's most prominent Shiite cleric. \"But it still feels like the US and Israel declared war against an entire sect.\"\nSome people raised Iranian flags in a show of support - often a point of contention among Lebanese opponents of Hezbollah, who argue that Iran’s influence over the party undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty.\nBorn from Israel’s 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah has grown into a force with seats in parliament and a strong paramilitary presence, shaping Lebanese politics while remaining a power unto itself.\nUm Mustafa did not attend the gathering.\n“I hope Iran does damage to the US and Israel. But personally I’m tired of war, war, war. I guess I’m just waiting to see what’ll happen,\" she said.\nFor now, Beirut remains quiet. Almost since its inception, Lebanon has been caught in a tug-of-war between rival powers - the US and Israel on one side, Iran and Hezbollah on the other.\nThe coming days will determine whether this is the calm before another storm or a sign that the country has been dragged in a decisive direction.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:24:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxQQ19URHFaWEktWVkycE05RXhpOTVwVE9IV3h6Y29xcVlOYVFwU3BSMzF2TFA1dm5PNzA4c1hQSlk4czJJMGNNYTUxS3hrMmpPbEo3MFR6YVhxV1dOUzMyd2MtZW1sUE9TaU9NVzNJRm1wU0JlZWtSaWdMVjR3Zld0M3FUSkhDbWNCRTZzaVp6TUJRclltb3dOdUhLMHBsb2Q3OWY5ZkJ5YjQ2MWtxWFczRzhxY0VDbThxRjctZ1AyWGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_89767afccdda",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes - AP News",
    "body_text": "Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes\nDubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes\nThe United Arab Emirates has sold itself to foreigners for years as a sunny, safe, tax-free oasis.\nThat peaceful image was shattered Saturday as Iranian weaponry rained down on Dubai, setting fire to a five-star resort, threatening the world’s tallest building, and killing one person and injuring seven others at the airport in the capital city of Abu Dhabi.\nIran has hit the UAE and several of its neighbors as it strikes back from the major attack by U.S. and Israeli forces, causing fear and chaos in a place that until Saturday was predictably calm.\n“This is Dubai’s ultimate nightmare, as its very essence depended on being a safe oasis in a troubled region,” Cinzia Bianco, an expert on the Persian Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote on X. “There might be a way to be resilient, but there is no going back.”\nOfficials tried to reassure residents and visitors that the country’s air defense system was among the best in the world, blasting down drones and missiles.\n“I know it’s a scary time for a lot of the residents,” Reem Al Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation, told CNN. “We don’t hear these types of loud sounds. But at the same time, those are sounds of interception. And where there has been damage — that has been primarily debris.”\nFallout from the attacks has undermined the Emirates’ efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran despite longtime suspicions of its neighbor across the Gulf. The UAE closed its airspace Saturday, shuttered its embassy in Tehran on Sunday, and withdrew its diplomats because of the attacks.\n“This decision reflects its firm and unwavering position against any aggression that threatens its security and sovereignty,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It called the attacks an “aggressive and provocative approach” that threatens the region.\nThe oil-rich federation of seven sheikhdoms has relied on its image as a place of serenity to lure wealthy tourists, businesspeople and future residents who want to live largely tax-free in luxury in the desert by the sea. Nearly 90% of the estimated 11 million residents are foreigners.\nReal estate firms sell glimmering high-rises and poolside villas to rich Europeans and Americans by promoting a welcoming climate and business-friendly policies, and touting it as one of the safest places on earth.\nHundreds of drone and missile attacks later, though, that reputation has been rocked.\n“Last night was pretty surreal,” said British racehorse trainer Jamie Osborne, who was in Dubai for the Emirates Super Saturday. “You’re standing in the paddock watching missiles get shot through the sky.”\nThe Ministry of Defense said Sunday that air defenses had dealt with 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and more than 540 Iranian drones over two days.\nWhile officials said they intercepted all air attacks Saturday, debris from the knocked-down weapons sparked blazes at some of Dubai’s most iconic locations.\nSocial media videos and photos showed a fire outside the Fairmont hotel on the prestigious man-made Palm Jumeirah island, flames licked at the facade of the famous Burj Al Arab hotel, and smoke rose into the sky near Burj Khalifa, the 2,723-foot (830-meter) skyscraper.\nThere also was a fire at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, the city’s main sea terminal and a major shipping hub, and the Dubai International Airport was damaged and four employees were injured, according to the Dubai Media Office.\nKristy Ellmer, who was on a business trip from New Hampshire, said she was staying away from the windows of her hotel but felt relatively safe despite the numerous blasts.\n“You hear a lot of explosions at times, you know, there’s hundreds of them,” she said. “It’s unsettling. We’re not used to hearing bombs, right, or missiles.”\nLouise Herrle, an American tourist whose flight home with her husband from Dubai was scrapped, said it was her third time trying to visit the area. Previous trips were canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.\nWith their current Abu Dhabi and Dubai tour over, she is less likely to return to the Emirates or the region.\n“I would probably be inclined to avoid this part of the world when there’s increased tensions, it just explodes so quickly,” Herrle said.\nMaybe, she said, “the universe was trying to tell us something.”\n___\nAssociated Press journalists Julie Walker in New York and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQdkYyc1NITXEwV2NUTF9wTXFRMko2UndzaVVkdDhzT1hXR0J4UVJpYVYtblNNS0ZhUDNGMmN3NE54VEkyNGJJTmVhTl91cEtPZWswaTMyYkJUeVFuMm5BTnFZa3pCVXBkY01zTUVsSERNZTRobmdLd2xncUNEdUR0aWxfNEVNOEU1VzNWZ25NZ1JWaTZEQXFEazBUTWIwLXlrUXVoZ0tQUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c89cec9998af",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel closes all Gaza crossings, tightens siege following Iran war - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "All crossings into the Gaza Strip have been closed until further notice, Israel’s military agency overseeing the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Cogat, said on Sunday, following start of the Israeli-US war on Iran.\nIn a post on X, the agency said that following the outbreak of the war, “several necessary security adjustments have been implemented, including the closure of the crossings into the Gaza Strip, among them the Rafah Crossing, until further notice. The rotation of humanitarian personnel is postponed at this stage.”\nThe decision effectively tightens Israel’s siege on Gaza, further restricting the movement of people and aid.\nThe move is expected to have severe consequences for Palestinians in the enclave, who rely heavily on humanitarian assistance after three years of a genocidal war, mass displacement and policies of deliberate starvation in the besieged territory.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:48:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNalktdnFSSnByYkpScGsyMHJ0dDBmcF9TdVBKUTYxTzRDQlNJNzNPVF81X1NBVW9JOVgwWTRqbVkzQldvaXJHVmVpRFdsdDRPZGU4YXNLTDBGT1g3S1BLMTRQWlJBZlRVY3BVS3RqVzNSM3JiRHlZell0Vy1CM3Fnd3pONENvcWFMOGlTXzVUVXB1ZUpBME9LWmZ0ZkRDZnZIVkc3UW9rRXFoWEdzRUExN2RiLUFfVkdnWllTQlBzR1U?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_63a893adc6b8",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "9 people confirmed dead in Israel after Iran strike - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:50:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE90WEJranhva0dXLUJLMHlDQmh4eEZMdnhEQjNnaURNUnk5X254MTV1czBYakhWOVdIanBsSFNRamRKYUo2bWJXRGEwS1lUYlJLU1VrbEhn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_126c25a47e2c",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump says he is open to talks with Iran as conflict deepens in Middle East - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump said on Sunday he was prepared to talk to what was left of the Iranian leadership after the killing of the country’s supreme leader by US-Israeli airstrikes aimed at overthrowing the regime.\nTrump was speaking as a second day of intense bombing of Iranian cities and Tehran’s missile counterattacks sent tremors across the region and through the global economy. On Monday the conflict spread to Lebanon as Israel began striking Hezbollah targets, after the group launched missiles and drones towards Israel’s north in retaliation for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nIran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, who was also an adviser to the country’s former supreme leader, said on Monday that Tehran would not negotiate with the US, and denied reports that officials had sought to initiate talks with the Trump administration.\nAmir-Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, told an emergency security council meeting on Saturday that hundreds of civilians had been killed or injured in the US-Israeli strikes. He said they had deliberately targeted civilian neighbourhoods in multiple cities.\nThe death toll is expected to climb after a second day of bombing. Iranian state media said that 165 people had been confirmed dead in a bomb attack on a girls’ primary school in the southern city of Minab on Saturday.\nAmong the dead was Khamenei, who had ruled as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and was the primary target of an initial Israeli strike on Saturday morning. According to several US reports, the CIA had been tracking Khamenei for months. The New York Times reported that the CIA tipped off Israel when the leader convened a meeting of top defence aides at his compound in Tehran, triggering a decision to strike.\nIsrael’s Channel 12 reported that the Israeli army employed a ruse to put the Iranian leadership off its guard. On the morning of the operation, army officers were asked not to park their cars in their usual spaces to avoid detection by Iran’s spies. Misinformation was also leaked suggesting that the chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir had stayed at home.\nThe channel cited officials as saying the Israeli air force killed 30 high-ranking Iranian officials within the first 30 seconds of the attack.\nTrump told Fox News that 48 Iranian leaders had been killed in the first two days of bombing, and claimed in a social media post that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and the naval headquarters destroyed.\nThe ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl reported that the US had identified possible candidates to take over Iran “but they were killed in the initial attack”.\n“The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates … It’s not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead,” Trump said, according to Karl’s reports.\nNine Israelis have so far died in Iranian missile counterstrikes, and US forces confirmed their first casualties of the war: three dead and five injured by shrapnel. The official announcement did not give details on where and how the casualties occurred.\nIran has also targeted Gulf countries that host US military bases. Airports in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Dubai were damaged by missiles and remained shut on Sunday, causing one of global aviation’s most severe disruptions in years.\nBenjamin Netanyahu meanwhile vowed to intensify the aerial attacks on Iran, while Trump said he was open to talks with Iran’s surviving and newly appointed leaders.\n“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he told the Atlantic magazine, without revealing when those talks may start. “They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.”\nIn remarks to the Daily Mail, Trump suggested the conflict with Iran could go on for the next four weeks. He also said there could be more American casualties and vowed to avenge American deaths.\nHe was speaking as the global effects of the war began to be felt. The price of oil rose after two reported attacks on tankers in or near the strait of Hormuz.\nAbout 150 tankers were reported to have dropped anchor rather than use the waterway, a route for about a fifth of the world’s traded oil. Major container shipping companies, including MSC and Maersk, have suspended navigation in the region.\nThe ship attacks were a reminder of the conflict’s potential to trigger an environmental catastrophe.\nIn launching the war, Trump said it would provide an opportunity for the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the 47-year-old Islamic regime. Nationwide protests earlier this year were brutally suppressed by security forces, and some estimates say tens of thousands of civilians were killed.\nThe Iranian authorities said that 22 border guards at Mehran, on the Iranian-Iraqi border, had been killed, a sign that the US and Israel were seeking to weaken the regime’s control of Iran’s borders in support of anti-government separatists.\nAcross the country, Iranians said they felt a mixture of terror and optimism as the bombings continued. Some expressed relief that the long-expected strikes had arrived and opponents of the regime spoke of hope that they may lead to political change – but both were tempered by fear that the attacks would bring more civilian deaths to a country already reeling from recent bloodshed.\nLarijani accused the US and Israel of trying to plunder and fragment Iran and warned “secessionist groups” of a harsh response if they attempted to intervene, state television said.\nThe regime in Tehran insisted that Khamenei’s killing would not weaken its resolve. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Netanyahu and Trump had “crossed a red line” and “will pay for it”, according to state media.\nIran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said a leadership council composed of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardian Council had temporarily assumed the duties of supreme leader until a replacement was chosen. Khamenei had not designated a successor.\nEsmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said he expected the process of selecting a new supreme leader to be relatively quick.\n“Of course, there is no fixed timeline,” Baghaei told the MS Now Velshi programme. “They can decide as quickly as possible. I don’t think it would take that long because we are under this critical situation of an imposed war of aggression by the United States and Israel. So I guess the process would be expedited.”\nIn his interview with the Atlantic, Trump shrugged off the suggestion that the economic fallout from the war could damage the Republican party’s prospects in November’s congressional elections.\n“We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had,” the president claimed. However, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll on Sunday, only about one in four Americans approve of the attack on Iran, before any inflationary pressure from a war-driven oil price hike has begun to be felt in the US.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxPUXd1UDlQX2JDRmloV1pjc1ZvTUZYNGRUcTQ4NWJob2R5QTFFRXBibEtpUkU5N0ZJZTVzQUFRNEVuQ3NGU2VBNlh5dHlLbG04bk1JcDNWQTdYNy1ldTNYLXJUN1FjNnc5ZTI2dVp6NlZDdXgzdmhTZG5DdEJVN2VXMHdnWjJQdElROXpMVnQ2aUNLcXRKdllLbEpOSTQtaE0tTDNaeWxJeDhFazk0bzI0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2e4f259989dd",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump says conflict with Iran could last four weeks, Daily Mail reports - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump says conflict with Iran could last four weeks, Daily Mail reports    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T20:55:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxNZXJRbjNBTGJ4ajBTdnBJeTlXUkQ5ZWo5R0ZoNGFkNkNucXJwMzVkVjZYcTl3UGRqRGpTbmZsSldKS2F2MGpEWURaRzlxa3F3UWhRMjZaNFNIVno3SWVoOVBHSWFCeDVkelJlV3dHNEdqVTFGVkctVWRPMklvS2hJNUhBY1hLYXFKT2Zsc0VZdkU5R1pIXzhKN3pKRFhZSG9IcWgzd0VIb1BCd3NsWVpzc3JkTjJhNlRoVGNHUmIzalVlQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4c5418fafc0c",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: Footage shows Iranian drone on fire crash-landing in Kuwait",
    "body_text": "Watch: Footage shows Iranian drone on fire crash-landing in Kuwait\nFootage shows an Iranian drone on fire, spinning out of control and hurtling towards the ground in Kuwait.\nSince the US attacks on Iran on Saturday, Iran has launched several attacks on nearby countries, including Kuwait.\nKuwait's Health Ministry said one person had been killed and 32 others - all of them foreigners - had been injured in strikes since Saturday.\nFollow our live coverage here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:07:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cr5lzj6e248o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f63f796e4cc6",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Sky New Australia host celebrates Iranian leader's death - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:10:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE5TTndYQ2JNeVhRT3Z6ZGtXSmFLTmI2eDlSWXpnN21teFh0SzcybENIYmxfOXc1VWxFRkVnR19JdGJVYnVRSkRLWV8xUXZneWVTYnRGRTVR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_228abcf691da",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US military deploys B-2 stealth bombers to Middle East - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:12:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTFBUS2RQS1FTME8tQ05tbF9iYVZjUWFucy1KNzkyN2lhVWoxdXhBYzd1NjhQWGtjUnBTa2RNV1hYRXVtR05FUEFVRmhIM1FWajJIX1U2UllB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7d3b2fdb2f45",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Some celebrate in Iran after supreme leader’s death, but deep fear and uncertainty remain - AP News",
    "body_text": "Some celebrate in Iran after supreme leader’s death, but deep fear and uncertainty remain\nCAIRO (AP) — Some of the jubilation was open and even raucous — people dancing in Iranian streets, honking car horns in celebration, screaming joyfully from windows and rooftops over the killing of the country’s supreme leader. But as bombardment by the United States and Israel fell from the air for a second day Sunday, many expressed fear and uncertainty over what direction Iran will take.\nThe death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who stood at the pinnacle of Iran’s Islamic Republic for nearly four decades, along with a number of top military leaders in the first day of the U.S.-Israeli campaign, stunned Iranians and stirred a mix of complex emotions in a divided nation.\n“Inside, we are in party mode,” said one man in northern Tehran who expressed joy over Khamenei’s death. He was reached via messaging apps. “But unless we are safe from them, people are not celebrating publicly because they are ruthless and even more vengeful.”\nAuthorities moved to show public support, rallying massive crowds in several cities to mourn a leader that state media declared a martyr. Video run on state media — verified by the AP — showed tens of thousands filling the sprawling main squares of the southern and central cities of Isfahan and Yazd, waving Iranian flags and chanting, “Death to America.”\nSeveral of those who joined past anti-government protests, reached by The Associated Press on Sunday, said the state’s security grip remained too strong to go out for a new round of mass demonstrations, despite calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iranians to “seize their government.” With communications into Iran unstable, AP contacted eight Iranians, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.\nGolshan Fathi, a woman living in Tehran, said the Basij paramilitary, which played a key role in the bloody crushing of mass protests last month, was showing a heavy presence in the streets of the capital. A doctor in the northern city of Rasht said Basijis pulled one man out of his car after he honked his horn in celebration.\nIranian society at the moment, Fathi said, is living “between hope and fear.”\nSome cheered, some honked\nIranian society is deeply divided. Hundreds of thousands marched in the streets across Iran last month, chanting “Death to Khamenei” in what were likely the biggest protests ever against the clerics’ rule in place since 1979. A bloody crackdown crushed the street movement, but not the bitterness against the government. At the same time, large numbers of loyalists remain tied to the system for religious, social or patronage reasons.\nIran’s leadership quickly moved to show it was still in control even after the deaths of Khamenei, the defense minister, army chief of staff and a top security adviser. President Masoud Pezeshkian said a new leadership council had begun its work, and the foreign minister said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.”\nParliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf delivered an address on state TV on Sunday, saying the government and military did not depend on individuals.\n“We prepared ourselves for these moments and set plans for all scenarios,” he said, “even for after the martyrdom of our dear Imam Khamenei.”\nState media announced Khamenei’s death just after dawn on Sunday. Celebrations erupted in some areas. Videos circulating online and verified by the AP showed dozens cheering and dancing and cars honking their horns in the streets of Karaj, a city near Tehran. Fathi in Tehran and the doctor in Rasht said cheers and celebratory chants were heard from windows and rooftops around their neighborhoods.\n“It was one of the best nights, if not the best night, of our lives,” the doctor said in a voice message. “It was actually my first time ever smoking a cigarette. ... We didn’t sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”\nDuring the day, Iranians faced the reality of living under bombardment, with no idea when it will end. Blasts in Tehran sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky in an area where there are government buildings. Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed in the strikes, including at least 165 killed in a strike at an all-girls school in the country’s south.\nResidents of Tehran rushed to supermarkets on Sunday, emptying shelves of bottled water, bread, eggs and milk. Long lines at gas stations across the capital suggested fears of possible fuel shortages or plans by many to leave the city. State television footage showed heavy traffic on major highways, with cars packed bumper-to-bumper as families attempted to reach northern provinces. Others said they were staying home, deciding that was safer.\nIran fired missiles at an ever-widening list of targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states in retaliation while Israel pledged “non-stop” strikes against Iran’s leaders and military.\nSome talk about a possible ‘new page’ for Iran\nFathi said she fears the Islamic Republic will hold onto power, “leading to chaos or even causing the splitting of the nation.\n“But maybe, maybe from this morning, that new page for Iran where everything changes has begun. People are hopeful,” she said. As she spoke, she heard the sound of explosions in the capital. “Right now, you see, Israel is hitting us. Fighters have violated our country’s airspace and are freely bombing us and we are just sitting here.”\nIranians are still reeling from last month’s crackdown, when security forces killed thousands. That and the ensuing wave of arrests have made many fearful of taking the streets again. Others are wary of U.S. and Israeli intentions or fear that Iran will be thrown into chaos and division.\n“I don’t think that the people have their determination in their own hands yet,” the doctor in Rasht said. “This is a foreign war at the end of the day. But if the regime is so weakened and then another call for protests is made, this is another story.”\nReza Mehrabi, 67, said celebrations of the deaths of Iranian senior leaders seem premature. He recalled similar celebrations after the 1979 revolution when the Shah was deposed, and the Islamic Republic’s reign began.\n“I saw some people were happy about the losses, but when I remember 1979 revolution and its aftermath, I need more consideration to understand if the nation and the country is on the right path.”\nBut there’s uncertainty about how much the strikes will embolden Iranians\nOne 27-year-old Tehran resident said a strike fell a few hundred yards (meters) away from her house, terrifying her with the explosion. “I have no idea which direction we are heading,” she said. “I wish all these things were just a bad dream that vanishes when I wake up.”\nDespite Trump’s calls for Iranians to rise up, experts say launching a new wave of mass demonstrations may not be so simple.\n“The reality is, the Iranian people don’t have the means to displace the Islamic Republic on their own,” said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies-Europe.\nThe strikes will embolden some people, he predicted, but many will be wary of taking to the streets again “because the regime retains its repressive capacity … and there should be no doubts it would be willing to use violence again against protesters.”\n“Even within families and within neighborhoods there may be very disparate views” about Khamenei’s killing, especially because it was at the hands of foreign powers, he said.\nBoth in last summer’s 12-day war with Israel and so far in this round of bombardment, “the political and military apparatus has been hit hard, but they have replaced people and maintained their cohesion,” said Arang Keshavarzian, professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University.\nDuring the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranians from across society held massive protests lasting for months, eventually leading to the shah fleeing the country. “But we are far from the 1979 model in which Iranians organized strikes and nationwide organizations of merchants, students, and clerics,” Keshavarzian said.\n“Just because Iranians have many grievances and make claims on the state on a daily basis, it does not necessarily mean that this will scale up to a social revolution,” he said. “And bombing Iran does not change this.”\n___\nEl Deeb and Chehayeb reported from Beirut.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:19:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPU2xrOGFVS1lQVW5HTTZJRjhxSjgwZlJNa0t1ejNyS2NRZ0JSV3o5dENNcjNHWEZjT0xRU3lvbGgydTFsUlNDYjRzWkwwVzA0bll6MVNwS2c1WUpMT1FQQ0lPS2pNQjduQzc1TjVsb1pVOURMLUhjMVBiQnJySHB1dE9oSXhILXlSQlVzcGc1b1IzbTl2WlpRRUpBOUwyLTdZS1lQOQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_58313e4c2835",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "France, Germany and UK warn they could join war on Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "France, Germany and the United Kingdom have said they stand ready to protect their interests and those of their Gulf allies, warning that they may take what they claim are “defensive action” against Iran if required.\nIn a joint statement, the three governments said they were “appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against countries in the region, including those who were not involved in initial US and Israeli military operations”.\nThey added: “We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:23:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNbHNOenRhSV9oZ1NqTW9wd2VPQWc5cWtRUFZCclhNeXNNS255dnBrQ0t4MHFqYlhJeWNWdzBJLWU4MHhRQ2ppMG5abGo2cW43MmlxSXdYdVlrSTNPd0VZRzVWek9sdi01QUhzd1pGV3RVWFdsZ2s5ZWNnMHRWLWRnTGF2d3lMTGU2Y3B6Q2tkYzFEaVRjQUs5bTZ3Y1FaTy12RGhMeXRTclVrSUJ3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_57890a3cbc1d",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "GOP Rep Mast says US military objective in Iran is to ‘eliminate’ threat to Americans - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital in an interview the United States now has a clear and defined military objective in Iran: dismantle the regime’s ability to strike Americans.\nHe said the U.S. mission is \"to literally eliminate every single piece of military hardware that exists in Iran that can reach out and touch an American somewhere throughout the Middle East.\"\n\"That is what we are conducting right now so that we do not get hit with something, a surface-to-surface missile or a surface-to-air missile or anything else, certainly with a nuclear tip, but with any other tip as well.\"\nMast paid tribute to the three Americans killed in the operation. \"These service members understood the hazards of their profession. They went out there, conducted their duty to defend the United States of America, and I could not be more proud than to thank them for their service, and I’m proud to be their brother in arms.\"\nHe stressed that the scope and duration of the operation will be decided by the administration. \"The ending of this militarily for the United States is on our terms,\" he said.\nMast pushed back forcefully against claims that Israel dragged the United States into war with Iran, saying the Trump administration first pursued diplomacy and set a deadline before shifting to military action.\n\"Israel has not dragged the United States of America anywhere,\" he said in the interview. \"The United States, number one, started out with diplomatic negotiations with Iran to say, end your nuclear program, end your ballistic missile program and your support of these proxies that are continually attacking the United States of America.\"\n\"Everything is a part of that debate and that conversation. When should something be done? How should something be done? Obviously, the United States of America and President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, our director of intelligence, our director of our CIA, John Ratcliffe, working to get all of the assets in place so that the negotiating tool of ending the literal threat of Iran, was a part of that.\"\n\"It didn't just happen on accident that we snapped our fingers and we had the Ford carrier group there, the Lincoln carrier group. That is something that took time,\" he added. \"Now, the diplomatic approach was the preferred approach. That's why it began with that instead of beginning with a military strike. And what I can tell you about those negotiations, speaking directly to those individuals that I just mentioned, is that Iran came into this extremely egotistical, unwilling to really discuss anything relating to ending their nuclear program,\" he said.\n\"Even after the United States offered to fund nuclear materials for a civilian energy program if Iran agreed not to pursue weaponization, they didn't want that. They didn't wanna talk about ending their ballistic missile program.\"\nLooking ahead, Mast suggested the conflict could reshape Iran’s political future. He described the regime’s formal succession process, which \"begins with this three-person body, ultimately moves to this 88-person assembly that would go out there and choose the next leader,\" and noted potential contenders, including \"the son of the Ayatollah, grandson of the ayatollah\" and \"a very hard-line cleric named Arafi, who's very closely aligned with the IRGC.\"\nBut he also raised the possibility of broader upheaval.\n\"That assumes that there is no uprising, where the people, the millions and millions of people across Iran, who have been just brutally tortured and suppressed, don't decide that there is another path,\" Mast said.\n\"We want to see a change, a turning of the page for what Iran has been undertaking.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:24:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxOVHVLTlFyVnpFVE9hUWVNZXFGcWxWVnZ6dFY5QlZKS3BBb1dBSUtmY2RpeTRmOG1hTUVZSTJMZl9qNWdOQVZGYnY4YW5sdTJQTE1yWDhJWXFXZGdxSVVWTzF2Njh1Q0E3dlZ5VTUwM29XNXpGUUt1bWJOQk1MSTAwbXR0dGduRXM0TkY4NHpzWlZQejVPd2kzN2VoYzYweXM0bGhn0gGoAUFVX3lxTE9ydFgxRVFpX1Z5bk1MX1lFc3BYc3RfUS0xN1JPbVU5QmdqTndscVVNcW5uVjFheXZHVjZUbDBtNjRrM1Etb3lWZzdKT1NNX0xsbjNMWFdRZzBkQ3hGMW02eks0ZmFEWktyemZMaGZ2eDAwSXJfRWxSR1ViQm9DZVBxOTZka1RNT1RDeldEcm1KX0h6emVvbDBMdXZOMXBLanFsWm5IWW9kOA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f90962d9a9e5",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Expert breaks down challenges of regime change in Iran, calls it a ‘tough nut to crack’ - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:26:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE5MbmpreGRhNk9Xa196VXdySXpVdUVScWRCMzhjTTQwLWNpVjVvQWh6VnZvNUppYWlTZ1VGQVR2U1M5a3BIZkU3SkpHd0dYWVZUbnB2bU13?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_04a135bbb934",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump says combat operations in Iran will continue until all objectives achieved - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump says combat operations in Iran will continue until all objectives achieved    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:28:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxPQ0hWT3AxR2txTjl1WHo5SGFtVGRBWWJyWEEtZm5BaENrMUVvZWtVbjBBWTFIMWV5QndnbnVRZTEwSTU4RHUtZU9GdHI1MzVVMXFnTnREekxfVXJPWEl0ZXV1U1hLWkdKSVp2YkU5aDRSZlgtS0N4dmhCQVpYc0Vvak9NVUVuT2tlNjVfcTFJTVgzOS1SV3dJeUo4blBJNUdPVXJYVkpLT2dvZDR4dUlEel9aRW1YcTBIbHdvV0NsdWlRa09udEdhNFRZVQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_da91d43f92cf",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump vows to ‘avenge’ U.S. troops killed in Iran-linked conflict - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:33:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE5wWl9acFpqeUp1YUprbnNyUDNfaGlHVXNoNXpSOTZwSnQ4ZXA5SV91NW9zQm9GYnlvUlg2THg5X0wydktnSUFISk55MkpCQnZPYUt1a2Vn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_40858fc86de9",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Trump goes to war despite professed aversion to foreign entanglements, particularly in the Mideast - AP News",
    "body_text": "Trump goes to war despite professed aversion to foreign entanglements, particularly in the Mideast\nWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has taken the United States into war with Iran despite decades of self-professed aversion to foreign entanglements, particularly in the Middle East, and repeated pledges to focus primarily on the Western Hemisphere with an “America first” agenda.\nTrump’s predicate for joining Israel in attacks on Iran’s leadership, military and critical infrastructure this weekend was that Iran posed unacceptable and imminent risks to U.S. and allied interests.\nSimilar arguments were made in the aftermath of Trump’s action last month to remove former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power in a military strike.\nYet even his closest advisers have been unable to point to any specific threat to the U.S. from Iran that required urgent action. Trump had said a previous strike on Iran had “obliterated” its nuclear capability and the Defense Intelligence Agency said in a report last year that Iran was probably 10 years away from having a missile that could reach the U.S.\nWith the top ranks of the Iranian government killed in the first hours of the attacks, a leadership vacuum in Tehran coupled with bitterly divided Iranian diaspora opposition groups could pull the United States into exactly the kind of prolonged conflict that Trump has said he wants to avoid.\nLess than two days after the Operation Epic Fury began, U.S. lawmakers and Middle East diplomats and experts offered conflicting assessments of the road ahead.\nOne Middle Eastern diplomat said Arab nations were particularly disappointed that the U.S. and Israel chose to move ahead with the military option while diplomacy remained possible and are “very concerned” about potential escalation. “This is precisely what we did not want,” the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.\nThe diplomat said de-escalation is of “paramount” importance because the longer the strikes go on “the worse it will be not only for the region but it will be felt around the world.”\nTrump supporters, though, disagreed.\n“America First is not isolationism,” said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally who has long supported military action against Iran. “America First is not head in the sand. America First is not to get entangled. We’re not going to have any boots on the ground in Iran. But America First is to kill people who wish us ill with a record of trying to destroy us in the region, to take them off the table.”\nGraham and other Trump defenders have argued that the president acts swiftly when necessary and not before exhausting non-military options. They point to his order to eliminate the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps during his first term, his strikes last June on several of Iran’s most important nuclear facilities and the Maduro operation.\nSen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, predicted that Republican lawmakers and more importantly voters will back Trump even though they support the president’s America First policy.\n“I suspect you’ll see overwhelming support from elected Republicans in the Congress, who are answerable to our voters in places like Arkansas and states all across the country when we’re back in the Capitol later this week,” Cotton said.\nAlthough Trump has held out the prospect of a return to negotiations with Iran, Democrats who allege the war is illegal because it was not approved by Congress, remain skeptical and point out the difference between Iran and Venezuela, where there was a relatively seamless transition of power.\nSen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee said, “I think and fear that we are seeing just the opening salvos of what could be not an in-and-out conflict, but what could be a sustained war in the region. And our record of sustained wars in the Middle East leaves something to be desired.”\nSen. Mark Kelly, D. Az. and a combat veteran, said he wanted to see a strategy from the president. “My concern here, you know, going forward is what happens now… I don’t want to see a wider conflict in the Middle East.”\nA leading voice pushing for a congressional vote on Trump’s action, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., added, “Haven’t we learned something from 25 years of war in the Middle East? Have we learned nothing?”\nGraham and Kelly spoke on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Cotton and Warner spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union,” and Kaine spoke on “Fox News Sunday.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:35:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxPdjc4VlJSMmxFbmkxYXVQYnJ1bGYzOWk3ZlliQ0pwa3BZcktBMUpQM1hBT2E0eElOWVVyNS1rb25xWnlOSGUxVWNzMTNwU3RHWkJCT3Y4cjN5Z0hGbW1LeW5tSHpvdGdUZU5naERNQ3N4UGZOMDNGRGJYdU1GWUtkdC1yQ1ZlVzNUZ3FYTkFwaGUtZFlHRE9rbVlUNmU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4f844db5de97",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump pledges to 'avenge' fallen US service members as tensions with Iran intensify - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump vowed Sunday to \"avenge\" the deaths of three U.S. service members killed in action as the conflict involving Iran deepens across the Middle East.\n\"As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,\" Trump said in a video statement posted on Truth Social.\n\"Even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives, we pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen.\"\nThe president struck a somber note, warning that \"sadly, there will likely be more before it ends.\"\n\"America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war,\" Trump said. \"Our resolve and likewise that of Israel has never been stronger.\"\nTrump’s remarks, his first public statement since the U.S.-Israel strikes that led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials, signaled a potentially prolonged confrontation.\n\"This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even thousands of Americans on his hands and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across many countries,\" Trump said.\nHe said U.S. forces had struck \"hundreds of targets\" inside Iran, including key Revolutionary Guard facilities, air defense systems and naval assets. Trump said the U.S. \"knocked out nine Iranian ships \"in a matter of literally minutes.\" Military operations, he added, would continue \"until all of our objectives are achieved.\"\nHe went on to issue a direct warning to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and military leadership, urging them to surrender in exchange for immunity or face \"certain death.\"\nAhead of the strikes, the U.S. military amassed what Trump previously called an \"armada\" in Iran’s backyard. Mapped out across the Persian Gulf and beyond, the deployment tells its own story, one of calculated pressure backed by credible capability.\nAt the center of the U.S. presence are two aircraft carrier strike groups — the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford — each supported by guided-missile destroyers and cruisers and capable of sustained air and missile operations.\nMore than a dozen additional U.S. warships are also operating in the region in support roles, according to defense officials.\nMeanwhile, Tehran has vowed retaliation for the strikes.\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that avenging Khamenei’s killing is both a \"legitimate duty and right,\" and added that Tehran \"will forcefully crush the enemy's bases.\"\nThe confrontation has already included missile and drone strikes launched by Iran against U.S. bases in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, though U.S. Central Command has denied Tehran’s claims of successfully targeting American carriers.\nThe unfolding conflict has ignited reactions far beyond the Middle East, including anti-war protests in U.S. cities and heightened diplomatic tensions near American embassies, underscoring how quickly the crisis has expanded beyond the region.\nIn Austin, authorities are investigating a recent shooting as potentially an act of terrorism, further heightening concerns about spillover effects at home.\nMeanwhile, federal and local law enforcement have boosted security as a precaution, though officials say no specific, credible threats have been identified.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:41:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxOS0RzM09tZ3hLMmVrMWxxalB0eV91Mld2WGxRc2JBX240Wk1TY2w1M3pQNVM0OW5pWllQZlJmM2dHZ3B5T0JaTkl2STBkUjZhd3FVNVJ5WmJudFBHbk5xNjZFa2FadEZUU25lcTBabEd0bHctck84RTF1azdzUHREazByWGllaXNTbmE0a2VSUGZzbVlGQk9fQTlUUm05NVVZVWU5d0dn0gGrAUFVX3lxTE9JZkpGM0NwaFVHZGJkTEo0OXVuT25LbFRpSm9DSmtoSzhnWlNYUG96V0hQSXNhNHJsM0hqNG1mVTRHeUhJbjc0NGRfQnBtXy02RUVSSHhRRS0wU2JZcm5BQVhTdGxBQVVPTmpXdmlNMXcwRXNhRnEzR3ZsQU84bzhYWjk2RFhGVWo0OXpWc0tIdHQxT21fcDMxdnR6TzA4WEo2ZmhqaHl1N2RQTQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f50f5989cb2b",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Wong warns ‘there are limits’ to helping Australians affected by flight cancellations amid Iran conflict - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The Australian government says travellers should be prepared for “serious” disruptions in coming days amid the turmoil in the Middle East, saying there are limits to what the government can do to help those stranded in the region.\nThe foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said many Australians would be affected as countries shuttered their airspace amid the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran. Three major airports that connect Europe and Africa to Asia, in Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, halted operations as the latter two suffered damage during the conflict.\n“We understand this will be a challenging time for many people, particularly those with family in the region or travel plans,” Wong said on Monday morning. “The Albanese government’s priority is the safety and security of Australians.\n“We will continue to support Australians to navigate the disruption ahead, providing regular travel advice updates and consular assistance where we can, noting there are limits to what any government can do in a fast-moving and uncertain environment.”\nSmartraveller recently updated its list of countries with “do not travel” advice to include many in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.\nAustralians are encouraged to reconsider the need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.\nMajor airlines, including Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, transit through those nations. All three airlines suspended operations, offering those on flights in the coming days options to rebook or request a refund.\nMonday morning flight data on flightradar24 showed no commercial aircraft in the airspace over the United Arab Emirates or Qatar.\nVirgin Australia, which has a partnership with Qatar Airways, urged passengers on upcoming flights to “closely monitor their flight information and visit the Smartraveller website for the latest travel advice”, adding “the safety of our guests and crew is always our top priority”.\nQantas flights remained unaffected by the turmoil on Monday morning as the flag carrier does not operate any aircraft into Middle Eastern airports. The airline has a number of flight path options into Europe to avoid airspace if needed.\nWong said on Monday morning that there were about 115,000 Australians in the region, with about 11,000 travelling regularly in and out of Australia on Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways.\n“It’s very difficult at the moment for government to provide a great deal of assistance in circumstances where flights are being cancelled, disrupted and their space is closed,” she told ABC News Breakfast. “First we need to see if commercial flights will restart.”\nShe would not yet commit to repatriation flights, saying the government believed the fastest way to see people return home would be the resumption of commercial options.\n“There’s conflict in the region, we’ve seen loss of life across the region, and airspace is not open,” she told reporters in Canberra on Monday morning. “So whether or not it is an Australian flight or a commercial flight, the flights are not able to occur.”\nABC producer Lisa Needham told Radio National on Monday morning that she was stuck in Dubai while en route from Melbourne to the UK for a funeral.\nAfter passing through Dubai as the conflict broke out, she said she had now been in the UAE for nearly 30 hours, adding that she was bused to a hotel but had trouble getting any information from her airline, Emirates, or hotel staff.\n“It’s just really a case of sitting and waiting,” she said.\nShe, and hundreds of other stranded travellers, were told everything had been cancelled.\n“We’ve definitely had quite a lot of, we believe, missiles being intercepted in the sky above us. You can hear it,” she said. “People become very uneasy, then they settle again.\n“A lot of people are feeling pretty resigned, I think … that we’re not going to go anywhere anytime soon.”\nSocial media accounts for the UAE’s Australian embassy indicated many similar experiences, with citizens reporting difficulties getting through to consular staff. The embassy continued to urge any Australians there to shelter in place and follow instructions from local authorities.\n‘Everything was dust’\nNavid Saba, a 42-year-old Iranian-Australian in Sydney, said his parents were visiting from Tehran and boarded a flight back to the Middle East last week. While in the air over India, the first strikes landed in Iran. When they disembarked for a two hour layover in Dubai, everything was “chaos”.\nSaba said his parents, in their 60s and 70s, were in the airport for two sleepless nights before they were able to get a room booked at a hotel in the airport. While they were traveling to that room, the airport was hit.\n“Once they were moving to that hotel, at that exact time that one of the missiles hit the airport, at one of the gates close to them,” Saba recounted. “My dad said ‘I saw the flash, I heard the sound, everything was dust.’ Everyone was panicked and shocked.”\nHis parents were eventually evacuated by military officials to central Dubai.\nSydney airport chaos\nDisrupted travellers were forced to sleep at Sydney Airport over the weekend, with the airport keeping terminals open overnight as airlines and staff worked to accommodate them during the city’s busy Mardi Gras weekend.\nThe airport is now largely back to normal, although passengers with flights scheduled to the Middle East in the coming weeks are encouraged to stay in contact with their airlines.\n“While some international services have been disrupted, the airport is operating as normal. Our teams are working closely with airlines to support passengers affected by cancellations,” a spokesperson for Sydney Airport said in a statement.\n“There has been no change to Sydney Airport’s security posture. Safety and security arrangements remain in place as part of our standard operating environment.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxPMUtxY1phSnNXcE83U1owUUs3ekpZbnh2RThsVFJhUVVObTNfMHVzU0k1ZHB2UFlwVlVITUxCOXFXT0FTVWZtSVB5UzVBUnFSQ0ZJMXNBazE2UTVRX05FVk54LTR2TWt1czVmMkxOdDFSMHNNa3B3RDNnd0NmZGpuNDhsZW01TTZNVnlPQnIzQ3YtalRhbWc1d2dlWmRrVG9JaUFzZ2tZWnBDNUU?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_234da64beeca",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "China condemns attacks on Iran, urges ceasefire and talks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "China condemns attacks on Iran, urges ceasefire and talks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:47:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNRmtSMk9lZlBPZXc1bmhMZDZjY2ZTVG1MWE1YNUtqM09uSnBrVlozUG85TDdJakwwUWFNandoZlZSNERtX1dka2xiWkNjQ3VNaTNqcVpJN0J0elpZTG9PcmdqREYtcUtGUDFTMGxIM1RlZzd1dG5jMlo2d2hwc2pyaFV6Z3NxWnZLQnQ4LURCT09UdFZBTllHR1lyd0Jod3Vxb2Z4VFBVcy0yU2xBSlE5RS1XeFU?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_517aecec57d5",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "FirstFT: Widening war in the Middle East - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "FirstFT: Widening war in the Middle East\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T21:53:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFA1eW5TZ3JtYXlHcWpCN3dadTJGSTB1OElhY0NYUDk1UWRoVFpJd3V3VVZuOS1nZnhOVlN6anoyN1FvZUJwb0p4V2hxVjAzcThzelBGcGMtS1RDMkpfVUpGUndJTmxqY2pRa3BXc2VVZHM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c3682ebd8f92",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "House members hold conference calls on Iran, push for war powers vote - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:03:40+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_2feb3f5ed6fb",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "UK will allow US to use its bases to strike Iranian missile sites, Starmer says - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "UK will allow US to use its bases to strike Iranian missile sites, Starmer says\nThe UK will allow the US to use British bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites \"at source\", Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced.\nThe UK has not taken part in the US-Israeli strikes against Iran but has engaged in defensive operations in the Gulf against Iranian missile attacks over the past two days.\nOn Sunday, Starmer said in an address from Downing Street: \"We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations, which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes.\n\"But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.\n\"The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,\" Starmer said.\n\"We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk and hitting countries that have not been involved.\n\"The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of long-standing friends and allies, and protecting British lives.\"\nThe UK reportedly shot down a missile heading towards a base housing its service personnel in Iraq on Saturday.\nStarmer said in his address that hundreds of British troops were just 200 metres away from an Iranian missile attack in Bahrain.\nHe said Iran has \"hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying\", and that \"we have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region. Residents, families on holiday and those in transit.\"\n'Iran is striking British interests'\nStarmer said \"the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement, one in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon.\"\nHe added: \"But Iran is striking British interests nonetheless and putting British people at huge risk along with our allies across the region.\"\nHe said the government would publish a summary of the legal advice it had received.\nThis development likely means the US will use the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago. The base places US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran.\nIran's Shahed-136 kamikaze drones have the range to attack Diego Garcia, which houses around 4,000 people, mostly US military personnel and contractors.\nThe UK also has airbases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Cyprus.\nThis comes after Reform UK and the Conservative Party called on Saturday for Britain to allow the US to use British bases for attacks on Iran.\nStarmer's insistence that the bases will be used for \"defensive\" purposes is unlikely to convince his political opponents who have opposed British involvement in the US-Israeli attacks.\nGreen Party leader Zack Polanski told the BBC earlier on Sunday that he was worried the UK would be dragged into an \"illegal war\".\n\"Iraq lessons must be learned,\" he said. \"Further escalation in the Middle East makes us all less safe.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxNeU5rUkU0R2d1eE1XWWlnSDlhTlQ0eUd0cGROLXB3dFRuSlhCVkxoLTNYaS1ZM0lFU2RlS25Zbko3S1Q0YU9sZGxUNXNEYkJRSmRYUVpwNE1mNDNwTjNuekJrbGZkNFpWU3NpaHpqcmhXa3NGMUlYdEVKaExBUFh2ZW0wbmV3eEFnRTZVVlVBR3IxaU53eUdsOW1pSlNPM0NNSDRkbGlR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2b72882551eb",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Trump warns 'there will likely be more' US deaths in Iran conflict",
    "body_text": "Trump warns 'there will likely be more' US deaths in Iran conflict\nUS President Donald Trump has posted a video statement on Truth Social saying the US will \"deliver the most punishing blow\" to the Iranian regime.\nHe warns \"there will likely be more\" US deaths after three service members were killed.\nFollow our live coverage here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:11:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cwykxdy4p5lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cf0523fb7519",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Experts react: How the US war with Iran is playing out around the Middle East - Atlantic Council",
    "body_text": "What happens in Iran doesn’t stay in Iran. The consequences of the US-Israeli military campaign launched on Saturday, which is aimed at regime change in Iran and immediately killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, will radiate across the region and the world. So we turned to our regional network of experts to assess the conflict’s expanding impact.\nClick to jump to an expert analysis:\nIsrael: Echoes of Purim in a diminishing threat\nJERUSALEM—Purim, which will be celebrated later this week, is figuring prominently in Israeli renditions of Operation Roaring Lion. The annual festival—which commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from annihilation in fifth century BCE Persia—has been invoked by both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir as a backdrop to the contemporary US-Israeli campaign to precipitate the downfall of Iran’s Islamic regime. Now, as then, hope springs for a happy ending to the story.\nAll sides to this conflict were witness to an abundance of signals that a reprisal of the June 2025 twelve-day war was brewing. But a fundamental misreading of that landscape by an over-confident Iranian leadership—notorious for its “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” refrains—played directly into the hands of skeptics who believed that no deal would be forthcoming and that Iran’s malign influence could be extinguished only by force of arms.\nHaving been around this exact same block countless times before, Iranian negotiators approached their discussions with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as a familiar dance with Washington that would unfold, as in the past, through multiple rounds of talks in various international capitals over the minutiae of a bargain. That strategy was ill-suited to US President Donald Trump, however, who, after promising Iranian anti-regime protesters on January 13 that “help is on its way” and also assembling a “beautiful armada” to challenge Iran, could not fathom “why they haven’t capitulated.” Time ran out finally after the administration determined that its genuine offers were “met with games, tricks, [and] stall tactics.”\nThat same miscalculation led Iranian decision-makers to position their most senior echelon and deploy their resources with apparent complacency, effectively exposing them to a joint Israeli and US attack that had been planned meticulously in advance. (Israeli media reported that the Israel Air Force “eliminated 30 high-level officials in [the first] 30 seconds.”) Since the start of the fighting, Iran has expanded the circle of combatants, targeting infrastructure in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman—thus committing another blunder by antagonizing neighboring countries that otherwise may have been inclined to remain on the fence.\nFrom Israel’s perspective, the stars have never been better aligned for impactful change in Iran. And yet, ultimately, as US and Israeli principals have asserted repeatedly, it will fall to the Iranian public to step up and chart their own future. “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump said on Saturday. That process, however, could prove tortuous as the regime struggles to retain control and uncertainly prevails concerning the existence of viable (non-Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated) candidates who might mobilize to seize the reins of power. Despite the casualties that Iran is inflicting now on Israel’s home front, Israelis are hopeful, tentatively, that the demise of a belligerent Shia axis—and the ascent of a peaceful, collaborative Middle East—might be within reach.\n—Shalom Lipner is a nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, part of the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs. He previously worked in foreign policy and public diplomacy during his time at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, where he served in the administrations of seven consecutive Israeli premiers.\nThe United Arab Emirates: Closer to the US-Israeli position than it wants to be\nABU DHABI—Following the joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against US military bases hosted in the UAE such as Al Dhafra Air Base, resulting in direct impacts on UAE territory. The attacks soon expanded to civilian sites in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with hotels, airports, and free zones (Jebel Ali) suffering attacks or damage from intercepted strikes.\nThe UAE’s air defense systems successfully intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. However, debris from these intercepts and potential misses resulted in damage and casualties. At least one individual was killed in Abu Dhabi due to falling missile debris, and several others sustained injuries in locations like Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah.\nThe UAE has strongly condemned Iran’s missile strikes, calling them a direct violation of sovereignty and international law. The UAE also has condemned Iran’s efforts to regionalize the conflict and reiterated its stance against using regional countries’ territories to settle disputes or expand conflicts. Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, called Iran’s approach irrational and said that, in its unresponsiveness to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) diplomacy, Iran was isolating itself.\nThe confrontation is forcing the UAE much closer to the US and Israeli position than it wants to be. On the one hand, the UAE remains a security partner of the United States. It quietly aligns with Israel on many regional concerns, especially regarding Iran’s missile program and its network of regional militias. On the other hand, the UAE has heavily invested in building a more stable relationship with Tehran. Trade has grown, diplomatic ties have been renewed, and both sides have been working to prevent escalation in the Gulf.\nThe recent strikes are undoing these advances. UAE officials asserted the country’s “full right to respond” and take all necessary measures to protect its territory, people, and interests. This includes potential actions to deter further aggression, though no specific retaliatory steps have been announced.\nUAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following the events, and both expressed solidarity, warned against further escalation, and called for restraint and diplomacy. This aligns with broader Gulf reactions; countries like Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait issued similar condemnations of Iran’s actions.\nBut with ongoing strikes on Sunday morning in the UAE, tensions remain elevated.\n—Eric Alter is a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and the dean of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi.\nThe Gulf: Iran is losing credibility with its attacks\nDOHA—Iran has made a serious strategic miscalculation by widening its confrontation to include the GCC states, despite their clear and consistent rejection of war. These countries stated unequivocally that they would not allow their territory, airspace, or military bases to be used for operations against Tehran. They chose restraint and diplomacy over escalation, yet they still found themselves directly targeted.\nIn the recent escalation linked to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian missiles or projectiles hit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. None of these states launched attacks against Iran from their territory. Their involvement in the broader conflict was neither offensive nor direct. Nevertheless, they became part of a widening cycle of retaliation that they actively sought to avoid.\nFor Qatar, there is no indication that it has directly joined offensive actions against Iran so far, but by stating that it has the “right to respond,” Doha is leaving its options open—whether that involves diplomacy, defensive actions, or strikes coordinated with allies.\nWhat makes this escalation particularly alarming is that the Iranian strikes were not limited to military installations, despite Tehran’s claims. They affected airports, critical infrastructure, hotels, and residential areas—spaces where civilians live, work, and travel. Such actions extend beyond conventional battlefield engagement. They amount to a serious violation of sovereignty and pose a direct threat to regional stability. The approach disregards international law and undermines the fundamental principles that govern peaceful relations between neighboring states.\nRegardless of how the broader conflict unfolds, the impact on Iran’s regional credibility is already significant. Trust, once damaged, is difficult to restore. Gulf states have long supported mediation efforts, particularly those led by Oman and Qatar, to reduce tensions and sustain dialogue. Targeting countries that backed de-escalation weakens those initiatives.\nIf Tehran believes such actions create leverage, that assessment is flawed. Instead of acquiring more influence, Iran risks deeper isolation and stronger regional alignment against it. The international community must clearly condemn these attacks and affirm the right of affected states to defend their sovereignty and protect their people.\n—Khalid Al-Jaber is the executive director of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. He is a distinguished scholar and practitioner specializing in political communication and Middle East and North Africa affairs.\nThe Gulf: Mediation has become unappealing\nRIYADH—Causalities are a tragic inevitability of war, and diplomacy in the region is now one of them. Despite the immense investment in rapprochement over the past years, this war and the unfolding events associated with it indicate that the region has entered a post-rapprochement era and is heading toward calculated militarization.\nThe Arab Gulf states have been restructuring their respective economies in the hopes of making them more diversified and attractive for tourism and investment. These states knew this could not happen in a turbulent region. Given US reluctance to provide security guarantees for Arab Gulf states, Gulf-Iran rapprochement was necessary.\nThis rapprochement was a laborious and taxing psychological approach, akin to a psychologist dealing with a traumatized patient with violent outbursts. But there was a genuine conviction that dialogue was the best way of achieving Gulf security. That approach is now upended.\nWhat compounds this dilemma is that both Iran and Arab Gulf states, especially the mediators (Oman and Qatar), believe that mediation has caused more insecurity for them, whether in the form of Israeli strikes on Doha in September 2025 or the strikes on Oman on Sunday or Iran being struck twice as negotiations were taking place. Mediation—particularly involving Iran and Israel—has become unappealing.\nA post-Khamenei Iran that will most likely be confrontational is emerging in tandem with the Arab Gulf states recalculating their approach toward Iran. As a result, the mode of diplomacy in Arab Gulf states will be far more proactive in building their deterrence via capabilities rather than alliances.\n— Aziz Alghashian is a senior nonresident fellow at the Gulf International Forum.\nIraq: An opportunity to reestablish its sovereignty\nA weakened Iran or the fall of the regime provides a dramatic opportunity to alter the course of Iraq, binding it more closely to the West and the region and reducing Iran’s influence. Iraq and Iran remain inextricably linked, with close political coordination between elites, significant economic linkages, and the continued presence of Iraqi militias supported and directed by Iran. An Iran that is less focused on meddling in Iraqi affairs could allow the Iraqi state to reestablish its sovereignty. But this will not necessarily mean that the Iraqi government will take decisions that align with US interests.\nIraq remains a venue for confrontation between the United States and Iran, with Iraq frequently pulled into conflict between the two rivals despite its attempts to navigate a foreign policy that maintains relations with both. In the short term, militia strikes against US or Israeli targets could start a cycle of retaliation that could lead to US strikes against senior Iraqi militia leaders. Thus far, there have been threats from hardline militias like Kataib Hezballah and several militia attacks by a Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhida-affiliated militia on the US base in Erbil. These attacks could increase in coming days following several US strikes in Iraq that killed militia members. At the same time, many Iraqi militias will decide to sit this out, protecting their political and economic interests in Iraq. Under pressure from the United States, a number of prominent militias, such as Asa’ib ahl al-Haq (AAH), have already announced their readiness to disarm—demonstrating the extent to which certain militias have become focused on their interests in Iraq rather than acting as a tool of Iran.\nWith the strikes on Iran as the new backdrop, Iraq’s Shia Coordination Framework is still paralyzed by the process to select the next prime minister after Trump’s sharp public message opposing former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s third term. US statements suggested that Iran’s support for Maliki’s candidacy was the overwhelming reason to oppose him. The deaths of the supreme leader and other senior Iranian leaders might break the gridlock. However, Maliki will remain a formidable force within Iraqi politics with or without Iranian backing.\n—Victoria J. Taylor is the director of the Iraq Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs and a former deputy assistant secretary for Iraq and Iran in the US State Department.\nLebanon: Hezbollah’s aims remain uncertain\nBEIRUT—By killing Khamenei and launching a massive air campaign against Iran, with the explicit goal of effecting regime change, the United States and Israel have smashed Hezbollah’s “red line.” However, there was no knee-jerk military retaliation by Hezbollah to the assassination of Khamenei, and even the statements released by Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem mourning the loss of the group’s spiritual leader contained no threats of revenge.\nHezbollah is facing the biggest dilemma of its forty-five-year existence. If Hezbollah attacks Israel, on Iranian instructions, the Israelis would respond with overwhelming force, not only targeting the organization but also potentially striking Lebanese infrastructure such as Beirut airport, power stations, and bridges. In the aftermath, no Lebanese, including Shias, will thank Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into another ruinous war for the sake of a country lying more than five hundred miles to the east for which few Lebanese have much sympathy.\nThe loss of Khamenei is significant, but theoretically a new supreme leader will eventually be elected—if the regime survives the current onslaught—and the chain of command will continue. The death in September 2024 of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah carried far more emotional impact for Lebanese Shias than Khamenei’s demise. Therefore, Khamenei’s death alone may not require an overt military response from Hezbollah given that such a response could end up destroying the organization.\nOn the other hand, if Hezbollah’s leadership chooses to ignore an Iranian instruction to attack, the decision would risk rupturing the material and ideological linkage that binds the party to Iran’s clerical leadership. Qassem appears to be a pragmatist and has been restructuring Hezbollah with an eye on survival in the Lebanese domestic context, while his organization is under enormous pressure to disarm. To that end, he has focused on centralizing control, tightening security, reducing the size of the Islamic Resistance military wing, and promoting figures with more of a political background than religious or military one.\nAt this stage, it does not appear that Iran has asked for Hezbollah’s overt intervention. But if the order is given, it can no longer be assumed that Qassem would automatically comply. There are, however, many variables. There appears to be some dissatisfaction among military elements within the Islamic Resistance toward the current political leadership. While this scenario is unlikely, it cannot be ruled out that some commanders could conclude that loyalty to the slain Khamenei and the “Islamic revolution,” as well as frustration at not retaliating against Israel’s year-long, near-daily airstrikes against Hezbollah targets, requires action even without formal leadership approval. Furthermore, Iran itself could seek to pre-empt hesitation in Beirut by asserting more direct operational control and deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force to directly command the Islamic Resistance, effectively sidelining party leaders from the decision-making cycle.\n—Nicholas Blanford is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs, covering the politics and security affairs of Lebanon and Syria.\nTurkey: Bracing for impact in security, the economy, and diplomacy\nGiven its 330-mile shared border with Iran and its role as a regional mediator and NATO member, Ankara is currently navigating a high-stakes crisis. The following areas are where Turkey will feel the most impact:\n1. Security and border control\n- Refugee influx: Turkey’s primary fear is a mass migration wave. With over 3.5 million Syrian refugees already in the country, the prospect of hundreds of thousands of Iranians (and Afghans currently residing in Iran) fleeing toward the Turkish border is viewed as an existential threat to social stability.\n- The Kurdish factor: Ankara is deeply concerned that a power vacuum in Tehran could embolden Kurdish separatist groups. Specifically, Turkish officials worry that the Kurdistan Free Life Party, or PJAK (the Iranian wing of the terrorist-designated Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK) could gain autonomy in northwestern Iran, creating a new security vacuum similar to that in northern Syria.\n- NATO positioning: As a NATO member hosting the Küreçik radar station and İncirlik Air Base, Turkey is in a delicate position. While it provides critical infrastructure for the Alliance, it has historically refused to allow its territory to be used for offensive strikes against its neighbors. The presidential office announced that Turkey is not allowing the bases to be utilized for the attacks.\n2. Economic disruption\n- Energy security: Iran currently provides approximately 15 percent of Turkey’s natural gas. Any damage to the Tabriz-Ankara pipeline or a halt in exports would cause immediate energy shortages, and spike heating and electricity prices during the remaining winter weeks.\n- Inflationary pressure: Turkey is already battling significant inflation (roughly 31 percent as of early 2026). A regional war typically drives up global oil prices; as an energy importer, Turkey’s current account deficit could widen and the Lira could face further downward pressure.\n3. Diplomatic standing\n- The “non-aligned” stance: Turkish diplomatic sources have already stated that Ankara is not taking sides in this conflict. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is reportedly leading a “diplomatic push” to secure a cease-fire and prevent the total collapse of the Iranian state.\n- Mediator role: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who spoke with Trump on Saturday, has previously proposed a trilateral mediation framework between the United States and Iran. The escalation makes such a role nearly impossible in the short term, but Turkey will likely remain a back channel for any future de-escalation talks.\n—Defne Arslan is the senior director and founder of Atlantic Council Turkey Program, leading the Council’s global work and programming on Turkey.\nPalestinian territories: Losing the world’s attention yet again\nPalestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank have long had to live on symbolic support. Especially since the Abraham Accords, many Palestinians have seen their cause weakened or abandoned even rhetorically by regional actors. Although many nations criticized Israel’s conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip after Hamas’s horrific assault on October 7, 2023, nothing stopped the killing of over seventy thousand Palestinians and the total destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure. Few effectively came to their defense in the face of US-backed Israeli military power during a war that lasted more than two years. From the perspective of Gazans, Iran and its proxies were the few actors who tried an armed response before meeting superior Israeli and US force and reaching cease-fires with Israel.\nThis current war represents further loss for Palestinians. They lose momentum for rebuilding their lives. They lose the world’s attention to their plight within the Gaza Strip and land confiscations in the West Bank. Iran may no longer be the vocal supporter of Palestinian self-determination that it has been.\nShortly after the attacks on Iran started, Israel closed all crossings into Gaza. While the Israeli government asserts that Gaza has provisions to last for an “extended period,” both the United Nations and Human Rights Watch flagged in mid-February that aid, medicine, and reconstruction materials were in short supply. Wounded and sick Palestinians are trapped as well. Now that the world’s attention is focused on the Iran war, improvements on any of these fronts is unlikely.\nThere’s an old saying popularized by blues singers: “If they didn’t have bad luck, they wouldn’t have any at all.”\n—Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley is a distinguished fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. She served as the US ambassador to the Republic of Malta and as special assistant for the Middle East and Africa to the secretary of state. Her Middle East assignments included election monitoring in the Gaza Strip.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:14:19+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_31cff7327dda",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump’s Iran Strikes Usher In an Era of Unrestrained American Power - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Trump’s Iran Strikes Usher In an Era of Unrestrained American Power    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:20:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxNYU9YUWJiNmliWC0tbU1QZnFoRGtET3BXd0FMcUJjUmloXzV0U2JPUWk0ME9VSmtqMWE0MXBZVTRMU2FCX1ctMEt3WEo4YTF5a2VHdFY3UHlON0p4c09UX2luaTAtWEVoQl9fVFh4QU5PWjEzeWRiM3F6dmpNR1RmMXRWNFBsNWxjaXQ0UDJQSWVqR0hKeVRuZ1dSZlNNb0pJVGkxM2Z4T0VLckdlLTVEQ1N0dEttcm5kUE9kSm9LZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_425ec2e181e9",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Hormuz erupts: Attacks, GPS jamming, Houthi threats rock Strait amid US-Israeli strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The Strait of Hormuz region became a flashpoint Sunday after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury triggered electronic warfare activity and multiple \"attacks\" on vessels along one of the world’s most critical energy waterways, according to reports.\nThe sudden escalation followed a Feb. 28 warning from U.S. maritime authorities urging commercial vessels to avoid strategic waterways if possible, including the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, citing heightened security risks.\n\"It is recommended that vessels keep clear of this area if possible,\" the advisory warned.\n\"The Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters are the most dangerous place right now for commercial shipping,\" Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime security at BIMCO, told Fox News Digital.\n\"Ships in the Persian Gulf are under threat from Iranian attacks,\" Larsen said.\n\"To protect themselves, most ships stay as far away from Iran as they can,\" he added before describing how ships are \"trying to depart from the Persian Gulf to get away from the threat.\"\nThe United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and regional authorities reported multiple maritime incidents listed as \"attacks\" Sunday.\nOne vessel west of Sharjah, UAE, was rocked by an explosion from an unknown projectile that detonated close alongside, and another tanker north of Muscat, Oman, was struck above the waterline, sparking a fire that was later brought under control, according to data.\nA third vessel northwest of Mina Saqr, UAE, was also hit by a projectile that ignited a blaze aboard, the organization reported.\nCompounding the physical threats is a surge in electronic warfare with maritime intelligence firm Windward reporting widespread GPS and Automatic Identification System (AIS) interference, impacting 1,000-plus ships.\nWindward cited widespread navigation disruption near Iran’s Bandar Abbas port, with ships falsely appearing at airports, a nuclear power plant and inland locations.\nSeveral new AIS jamming clusters were also identified across Emirati, Qatari, Omani and Iranian waters, Windward said.\nMajor shipping company Maersk announced it would reroute some services away from the region, citing crew and cargo safety.\nRoughly 20% of global oil and gas exports pass through the Strait, and traffic has already thinned, with some tankers reversing course or switching off AIS signals.\nIndustry groups also warned of Houthi retaliation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while analysts cautioned that Iran could seize vessels tied to U.S. or Israeli interests.\n\"The Houthis have threatened to resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden,\" Larsen explained.\nShips with business connections to U.S. or Israeli interests are considered more likely targets, though others could be struck deliberately or in error, he said.\nTanker owners’ association Intertanko also warned members that \"the expectation is that the Houthis may respond and recommence attacks on shipping,\" although immediate intelligence remained unclear.\n\"There are no signs of Iranian attempts to close the Strait with sea mines or naval mines, although this can change at short notice,\" Larsen added before confirming that GPS interference has \"increased significantly following the initiation of hostilities.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:22:46+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_203170ffb344",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Hormuz erupts: Attacks, GPS jamming, Houthi threats rock Strait amid US-Israeli strikes",
    "body_text": "ClearView Energy Partners’ Kevin Book analyzes the potential impacts of U.S. strikes in Iran on global oil prices on ‘Special Report.’\n\nThe Strait of Hormuz region became a flashpoint Sunday afterU.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranunder Operation Epic Fury triggered electronic warfare activity and multiple \"attacks\" on vessels along one of the world’s most critical energy waterways, according to reports.\n\nThe sudden escalation followed a Feb. 28 warning fromU.S. maritime authoritiesurging commercial vessels to avoid strategic waterways if possible, including the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, citing heightened security risks.\n\n\"It is recommended that vessels keep clear of this area if possible,\" the advisory warned.\n\n\"The Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters are the most dangerous place right now for commercial shipping,\" Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime security atBIMCO, told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"Ships in the Persian Gulf are under threat from Iranian attacks,\" Larsen said.\n\nNavy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world's oil and gas passes, on March 1, 2026.(Sahar AL ATTAR / AFP via Getty Images)\n\n\"To protect themselves, most ships stay as far away from Iran as they can,\" he added before describing how ships are \"trying to depart from the Persian Gulf to get away from the threat.\"\n\nTheUnited Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations(UKMTO) and regional authorities reported multiple maritime incidents listed as \"attacks\" Sunday.\n\nOne vessel west of Sharjah, UAE, was rocked by an explosion from an unknown projectile that detonated close alongside, and another tanker north of Muscat, Oman, was struck above the waterline, sparking a fire that was later brought under control, according to data.\n\nA third vessel northwest of Mina Saqr, UAE, was also hit by a projectile thatignited a blaze aboard, the organization reported.\n\nCompounding the physical threats is asurge in electronic warfarewith maritime intelligence firmWindward reportingwidespread GPS and Automatic Identification System (AIS) interference, impacting 1,000-plus ships.\n\nIRAN FIRES MISSILES AT US BASES ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AFTER AMERICAN STRIKES ON NUCLEAR, IRGC SITES\n\nA map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran.(Reuters)\n\nWindward cited widespread navigation disruption near Iran’s Bandar Abbas port, with ships falsely appearing at airports, a nuclear power plant and inland locations.\n\nSeveral new AIS jamming clusters were also identified acrossEmirati, Qatari, Omaniand Iranian waters, Windward said.\n\nMajor shipping company Maersk announced it would reroute some services away from the region, citing crew and cargo safety.\n\nRoughly 20% of global oil and gas exports pass through the Strait, and traffic has already thinned, with some tankers reversing course or switching off AIS signals.\n\nIndustry groups also warned ofHouthi retaliationin the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while analysts cautioned that Iran could seize vessels tied to U.S. or Israeli interests.\n\n\"The Houthis have threatened to resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden,\" Larsen explained.\n\nKEANE WARNS IRAN STRIKE BECOMING ‘REGIONAL WAR,' SAYS THREE GULF STATES PREPARING FOR COMBAT\n\nThe Strait of Hormuz faces heightened security risks after U.S.-Israeli strikes triggered maritime incidents, prompting shipping companies to reroute vessels.\n\nShips with business connections to U.S. or Israeli interests are considered more likely targets, though others could be struck deliberately or in error, he said.\n\nTanker owners’ associationIntertankoalso warned members that \"the expectation is that the Houthis may respond and recommence attacks on shipping,\" although immediate intelligence remained unclear.\n\n\"There are no signs of Iranian attempts to close the Strait with sea mines or naval mines, although this can change at short notice,\" Larsen added before confirming that GPS interference has \"increased significantly following the initiation of hostilities.\"\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:22:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/strait-hormuz-maritime-incidents-follow-us-israeli-operation-epic-fury-strikes-iran",
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    "article_id": "art_08d0222427ad",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran was a 'clear and present' danger for the world: Kirk Lippold - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:35:26+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_918fc757b4e2",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Abu Dhabi complex housing embassies damaged as retaliatory strikes widen in Gulf - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Abu Dhabi complex housing embassies damaged as retaliatory strikes widen in Gulf    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:42:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxQRGNwUm1sRldjbmt3WS04VkNRUTNhZFR5ZkZMRm9DSzhLREY5M2Y0UzdJYjRfUzRqQVdHMGYtUGJ2c0FMNHRkekZVbkRoQl9KdFRrcW5PTWQ5SWVDUm4xakRTV2pNRUNLR0dicjRacWt0YjZCNTFpM0pyOTlBNmZCRW9MdFozZk16Q0dNVXp2TXRoNEw0aWRWelRQQ3I4YVBCSk5rMWp1a0R2ZEJuYjhKaVdFSEhXUlNhQ2Z4Sg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6ff097d64ee3",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump’s Iran strike rocks Texas Senate race as Dems demand ‘war powers,’ GOP applauds president - Fox News",
    "body_text": "SAN ANTONIO, TX - With hours to go until primary day in Texas, the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran is the latest flashpoint in Lone Star State's high-stakes and combustible Senate showdown.\nRepublican Sen. John Cornyn and his two primary challengers are rallying around President Donald Trump's decision to launch the attacks, which are now in their second day and resulted in the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Three American military members were also killed in the fighting.\nBut the two Democrats vying for their party's nomination in a bid to try and flip the long-held Republican seat in right-leaning Texas are condemning the airstrikes on Iran.\nThis year's Senate showdown in Texas is one of a handful across the country that could determine if Republicans hold their majority in the chamber in the midterm elections. The GOP currently controls the chamber 53-47.\n\"I think the President did the right thing. It's amazing to me that President Trump is the only president in my lifetime that is willing to take this kind of decisive action in order to stop the halt of terrorism and also radical Islam,\" Cornyn said Sunday in a Fox News Digital interview.\nCornyn praised the operation, saying \"this was well planned and was very decisive.\" But he added, \"There's still a lot more to be done, and unfortunately, Iran still has a lot of ability to inflict casualties on people in the region.\"\nThe senator's top primary rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, thanked Trump for his \"courageous leadership.\"\nPaxton, a MAGA firebrand and longtime Trump supporter who has survived a slew of scandals over the past decade, said in a social media post that \"President Trump's Operation Epic Fury is yet another overwhelming and historic military success. Khamenei's been killed and the terroristic regime threatening our troops and nation has been decimated.\"\nRep. Wesley Hunt, the Army veteran turned MAGA rising star, also praised the president, saying, \"Trump did it again. PEACE THROUGH AMERICAN STRENGTH!\"\n\"Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is DEAD, and now the people of Iran have a chance to be free,\" added Hunt, a West Point graduate who flew Apache helicopters during his Army service who is in his second term representing a safe Republican district in the Houston-area.\nTrump, whose clout over the GOP remains immense, has stayed neutral to date in the Republican primary. All three candidates, who have sought the president's endorsement, were in attendance Friday as Trump held an event in Corpus Christi, Texas.\n\"They're in a little race together,\" Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. \"You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It's going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.\"\nTrump also complimented Hunt, and said that all three contenders were engaged in an \"interesting election.\"\nThe two major Democrats in the race, progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett and rising Democratic Party star state Rep. James Talarico, are chastising Trump for not seeking congressional approval.\n\"CONGRESS, not the PRESIDENT, but CONGRESS has the EXCLUSIVE authority to declare war! Speaker Johnson needs to call us in IMMEDIATELY & it is time for the House & the Senate to pass a war powers resolution!\" Crockett wrote on social media this weekend.\nAnd Crockett, a vocal Trump critic and foil, asked, \"Why is it that this President refuses to even pretend that he cares about following the law?! I’ve been stomping & telling people that this election is life or death!\"\nTalarico, taking to social media this weekend, emphasized, \"No more forever wars.\"\nBut he didn't make specific comments about the military strikes during a campaign event Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.\nCornyn criticized the Democratic candidates for not supporting the U.S. operation.\n\"When the President has, in an act of political courage, ordered the U.S. military, along with our ally Israel, to defeat the number one state sponsor of terrorism and to prevent them from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Whose side do they choose? They choose the Iranian side. It's just mind-boggling to me,\" he argued.\nAnd the senator predicted, \"this will continue to be an issue in the midterm elections, because I don't think that's what the American people want, to live in a new world where a nuclear-armed terrorist state can literally terrorize not just the region but the world.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T22:55:27+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_216b91499ec9",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Calls for peace and flashes of anger after US and Israeli attacks kill Iran’s Khamenei - AP News",
    "body_text": "Calls for peace and flashes of anger after US and Israeli attacks kill Iran’s Khamenei\nCalls for peace and flashes of anger after US and Israeli attacks kill Iran’s Khamenei\nPARIS (AP) — Three close allies of the United States said Sunday they are ready to join forces to defend their interests in the Middle East and stop Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as others around the world raised concerns that the conflict sparked by coordinated U.S.-Israel attacks could spread into a wider war.\nBritain, France and Germany said they were prepared to work with the United States.\n“We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source,” their statement said. “We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter.”\nMassive explosions rocked the Iranian capital for a second day as Israel’s military said it was targeting the “heart” of Tehran. Iran pressed on, targeting Israel and U.S. military bases in Gulf states.\nIranian officials hurried to plan a future after the death of Khamenei, who had no designated successor, as some Iranians who had long suffered from political repression celebrated.\nOn streets around the world, there were protests in outrage or bursts of celebration.\nPope Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church, said he was “profoundly concerned” about the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and urged both sides to “stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”\nAllies will work with US to defend interests\nThe statement by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they are “appalled” by Iran’s “reckless” strikes on their allies, which threaten their service members and citizens in the region.\nA drone strike damaged a hangar at a French naval base at the port of Abu Dhabi, France’s defense minister said. British Defense Minister John Healey said Iranian missile and drone strikes came within a few hundred yards (meters) of a group of 300 British military personnel in Bahrain.\nHealey also said two missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus, where the U.K. has bases, though a Cyprus government spokesman said on social media those reports were not valid.\nStarmer said the U.K. will not join in strikes on Iran but has newly agreed to let Washington use British bases for attacks on Iran’s missiles and their launch sites.\nTop diplomats from the 27 European Union nations held an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the situation and next steps for the bloc.\n“The death of Ali Khamenei is a defining moment in Iran’s history. What comes next is uncertain,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. “But there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape.”\nIran is urged to ‘return to your senses’\nPerhaps cautious about upsetting already strained relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, many nations, including several in the Middle East, refrained from commenting directly or pointedly on the joint strikes but condemned Tehran’s retaliation.\nThe 22-nation Arab League called the Iranian attacks “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of countries that advocate for peace and strive for stability.” That coalition of nations has historically condemned both Israel and Iran for actions it says risk destabilizing the region.\n“Return to your senses ... and deal with your neighbors with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens,” Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the United Arab Emirates’ president, told the Iranian theocracy. The UAE closed its embassy in Iran and announced the withdrawal of its diplomatic mission after Iranian strikes hit the country.\nThe UAE foreign minister met with counterparts from five other Gulf states Sunday for an emergency virtual meeting. The top diplomats said their countries retain “the legal right to respond and the right to self-defense” under international law.\nRussia and China criticize the killing of Khamenei\nRussian leader Vladimir Putin blasted Khamenei’s killing, which he called “a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.”\n“The blatant killing of the leader of a sovereign state and the incitement of regime change are unacceptable,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. “These actions violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations.”\nWang said attacking a sovereign state without U.N. Security Council authorization undermines the foundation for peace established after World War II.\nAt least 22 people were killed in clashes with police in northern Pakistan and in the southern port city of Karachi after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate there, authorities said.\nIn Iraq, hundreds wore black and waved flags belonging to Iran-backed Iraqi militias and red flags that symbolize vengeance in the Shiite Muslim faith as they marched across Sadr City to decry the killing of Khamenei.\nAnger flashed at protests in Istanbul and among Shiite Muslims in India.\nDemonstrations were also held in cities including New York, Berlin, Paris and Vienna by members of the Iranian diaspora and their supporters, celebrating the end of Khamenei’s rule. Some demonstrators waved flags of the Iranian monarchy, with Israeli and U.S. flags also on display.\n___\nCiobanu reported from Warsaw. Lorne Cook in Brussels and AP reporters around the world contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:02:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_a8c6b08f7ebd",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Thousands of flights cancelled as Iran conflict upends global air travel - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Thousands of flights cancelled as Iran conflict upends global air travel    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:07:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxPSUFnZXpXOGZiVHRJTVB1YmwzVHhqZk1pUjJEWWdiM0dBN2hiUkc2a2VrR3RvbU9QcWpuXzBUUS1DVnh2VXYwdVVzUVE5Yld1Mmgyb2Q2cEVfNURkdmo2bF9xNTEyRHlqXzdIUmxMT29DWDBnOEY0d2d5M2tMbG95Vk9BemJmanlEV2lxY1paUFVCd1lTaFlqaW5VRWdOLVlvU2w3aERmUTZMVmZKclhhaFh0MmhMTURTY2c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f50a88f2a834",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Gold gains on fears of prolonged Middle East conflict - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Gold gains on fears of prolonged Middle East conflict    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:15:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxNZlZHWHNZOWItbjZnS1ZkaFFUTHg4b08tTzJIR0RIVE9PYlU3bm4tUWJzYkhDaHpLaEFCVEtlSW5jV2Zzb1JHSVlyUE0ybFljYjFCV1FKTnlXRnRfWUFNTjRMaVd4X3BLMkQ2aXJBUkFMUWlSZWpMUGRjem5RbE50QVFhVm1SR1JoVU9NcUFmQTg0RjZ2QXMtT09Cclk5WGJMSWZOZ0ExTkN1bXIyRm1B?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ad7ac0f5ae21",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Oil and gas prices surge as Iran war disrupts Middle Eastern output - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Oil and gas prices surge as Iran war disrupts Middle Eastern output    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:19:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxQckpBQVI0MjB2ZGNuVlVoeHFmQWJ0cG96OG5YWlBpbWcyY3ExMFc2cmNaUndMUWRtdFc3WGsyWTgxY2MwZE5mOE55M0FScXVyd2pYQlFjQkh0anRaM0FlSnlsOTRHZml5SFR5elZidEZfUjJoTG91b2ZIOVIwdFNrY3JKWm02U1RkMlZLNXdCQWh1UVlJeG16V1I1NUFGWEw5b1kzTjBoMG1WQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9d7a5a43f30e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Over 300 people have fled Iran via Azerbaijan, source close to government says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Over 300 people have fled Iran via Azerbaijan, source close to government says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:20:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQY1N1YjZUcXVlaVIybWQ1eU1DU0VrRndiNlcwRjhOY05ybG9PRFdJT3I0c2xsbFhoWDlWaTZCZlJVSFVCTE1rV0pXcXBTdzlXb2txVU10S2xYZU11Rmhvd09CanlXVFd3Qzh0U21FVVBDa2hVaF9fRHdZblVTdDJDVnFERGFSeGVzcWNpbFZxVTd0QkpDdzYzaHJwS2dfNVNHckNpb0pQY3BKU2RWaFBrNE9vX1MyX1M0aVF1TlZfUTlzc1Zi?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_83ca13a3ed22",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Rep Pat Fallon raises concerns over Iran-linked terror threats after deadly Austin mass shooting - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:20:51+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_80f305d1ac11",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Saudi Arabia tells Gulf allies to avoid any steps that could inflame tensions with Iran, sources say - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Saudi Arabia tells Gulf allies to avoid any steps that could inflame tensions with Iran, sources say\nSenior Saudi officials have expressed anger at the scale and timing of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, with the kingdom telling its Gulf allies to avoid taking any steps that could trigger a response by Tehran or its proxies and push the region towards a broader conflict.\nTwo Gulf Arab sources told Middle East Eye that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman conveyed the message to the leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, shortly after the country's foreign ministry formally condemned Iran's retaliatory strikes across the Arabian peninsula.\nThe sources said that the conversations were brief but there was an emerging consensus that Iran's retaliatory strikes were lesser in intensity than expected and that the Gulf states should avoid taking any direct action that could elicit an angry response from Tehran.\nThe sources said that the sentiment was later echoed when the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, held calls with his regional counterparts.\nThose calls were focused on calling for deescalation and uniting the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries' foreign policy positions to avoid any one actor veering off script.\nThe sources said the call between bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, who have been at odds for months over the wars in Yemen and Sudan and other tensions, was a sign of how Iran's response to the US-Israeli attacks had jolted the region.\nThe sources said that whilst Riyadh was notified ahead of the US-Israeli strikes, the kingdom, which has been facing criticism in Washington over its diplomatic spat with the UAE, chose not to go against the dominant thinking in the White House.\nSince Trump returned to the Oval Office last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified his long-running public campaign for US strikes against what he views as an existential threat to his country.\n'A direct clash between the GCC and Iran, if it occurs, will deplete the resources of both sides and provide an opportunity for many forces to control us'\n-Qatar's former Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani\nHis campaign grew in intensity following the 12-day-war last year when Israel bombed military and nuclear facilities in Iran in a surprise attack, and assassinated prominent military leaders, nuclear scientists and politicians.\nIn launching Saturday's attack on Iran, one of the sources said that the White House effectively rejected the pleas of its allies in the region who cautioned against the strikes, even as a deal looked imminent.\nOman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who had been a key player in talks aimed at preventing a war with Iran, immediately expressed his \"dismay\" at the strikes, suggesting that Washington was duped into war by the Israelis.\n\"Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer. I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war,\" he said.\nOn Friday, hours before war broke out, al-Busaidi had played up progress in the talks.\n\"Now we are talking about zero stockpiling and that is very, very important because if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb,\" he told CBS's Face the Nation.\n'Deeply upset'\nOne of the Gulf sources, who was aware of bin Salman's phone calls on Saturday, told MEE that the kingdom was \"deeply upset\" at how the attack was handled.\nCarefully couching their criticism, the source said that the Saudis believed that any military involvement by one of the Gulf states against Iran could drag Yemen's Houthis into the conflict.\n\"Our biggest fear now is that any escalation will be used as a pretext by Tehran to unleash its network of proxies,\" the source said, referring to the Houthis which Iranian officials have previously supported.\nA Houthi representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the group's leadership had not issued an official announcement, said the \"world would have to wait and see what came next.\"\nWhen pressed further on when and how the group would respond, MEE's messages went unanswered.\nThe rebels ceased their attacks on the Red Sea shipping route as part of a deal with the Trump administration that also halted US strikes against the Houthis.\nThey also stopped their attacks against Israel after an October ceasefire that halted major fighting in Gaza.\nHesham Alghannam, a Saudi defence analyst based in Riyadh, said that it was crucial the kingdom maintain its current posture - which many perceive as being non aligned with the US-Israeli decision to attack Iran - in its bid to dissuade the Houthis from entering the war.\n\"The Houthis have their own agenda,\" Alghannam told MEE. \"Crucially, if they sense that Riyadh is quietly distancing itself from the anti-Iran front, they may actually hold back,\" he said.\nAbdulaziz Alghashian, a Saudi researcher and senior nonresident fellow at the Gulf International Forum, told MEE that the Saudis were \"infuriated\" with the decision to attack Iran \"and did everything they could to avoid the situation.\"\nHe said the kingdom would likely avoid engaging in public diplomacy amid the barrage of Iranian strikes across the Gulf, but said they could seek to \"dampen\" the issue.\nIn January, MEE revealed that the Trump administration lobbied Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman about the importance of supporting the US during a future attack, with talking points about how military strikes could reduce Iran's threat to partners in the region and its ballistic missile arsenal.\nIt's unclear whether Trump was seeking a public commitment from the Gulf or acquiescence behind closed doors, which a US official told MEE it received.\nIn the first 12 hours of the attacks, Trump spoke with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, as well as Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte.\nSimilar calls took place with regional leaders on Sunday.\nMEE reached out to the White House for additional details about the calls but did not receive a response by time of publication.\n'Reject dictates or blackmail'\nAmid Iran's decision to strike targets ranging from the world-famous Fairmont hotel in Dubai to Jebel Ali port, other analysts warned that the Gulf could be pushed into closer alignment with the US the longer the war dragged on.\n\"Iran is forcing the GCC up the escalation ladder,\" said Firas Maksad, who oversees Eurasia Group's coverage of Middle East and North Africa geopolitics.\n\"They will have to consider responding or, at a minimum, allowing the US greater operational freedom to conduct offensive operations from their territories.\"\nThe UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Al Hashimy, also appeared to suggest that the oil-rich Emirate could open its airspace and bases to support US attacks if the retaliatory strikes continued.\n\"We have been very clear about not having our territory be used to attack Iran,\" Al Hashimy told CNN's Becky Anderson on Sunday.\n\"We have always encouraged dialogue, and we have wanted to make sure that it doesn't amount to this, because our region doesn't need another war. By the same token, if it needs to come to that, it will come to that. And really, the ball is in Iran's court right now about how they want to deal with a neighborhood and a neighbour that has traditionally been a very fair and good neighbour to them.\"\nAccording to Alghannam, Riyadh would likely pursue a more \"neutral\" response to the retaliatory attacks and explore \"every back channel possible to bring about an end to the hostilities.\"\nQatar's former Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who continues to hold some sway in the region years after exiting office, urged the GCC to adopt such an approach and not to be \"dragged into a direct confrontation with Iran.\"\n\"There are forces that want the council’s states to become directly embroiled with Iran, and they know that the current clash between the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other, will come to an end,\" he said late on Sunday.\n\"But a direct clash between the council's states and Iran, if it occurs, will deplete the resources of both sides and provide an opportunity for many forces to control us under the pretext of helping us escape the crisis and halt the depletion,\" he said.\n\"The council's states have no choice but to act as a single, unified hand in confronting any aggression against them, rejecting any attempt to impose dictates or blackmail them,\" he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNd1gtV1VHVnctTTdXTUZjMEZkLWRMcF9kN3NFWk5PbmQ1Y0Y4WTNyLTRYQUVLbVlrdUJ0X0w0aHBPeDNVZFl1QmZacjRPbFJBOHpMM2VyRzM5QzBOVzVlQTZ0UEdyc3ZBbWxRb3ZMdENZWUZtRzNTN2JCWUpRaGRfT19xMWdsbmp1WmNiMGJzTS1FcFhIX3k0VUF1aWE2d3JGVzhxNFIwTy1CTnVqRFE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a55619700f97",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Travel stocks tumble as US-Iran conflict sparks worst disruption since pandemic - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Travel stocks tumble as US-Iran conflict sparks worst disruption since pandemic    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:31:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxNTUJPcDVDRWtuZGtUR2dIZmsxdHBRTVNQeHhRMUpiWlFOZDNYQm5iS3ZpNXhBOW41ZmtXcnFfbU9MZFdFNF9rQVRrTGh3UWNkOWtJanFHQWxQYzMyRXhyOVVMdVMwQWJGS2hqSFhydzNGWHd3blJXTjc2b0VuM1lnenEwTFgyeTgtd1RXRjh3N0dZWEE3NXFuemItQTNBdXdXZXJtTS05QzNYUlRUTUp0UVVQcVNIXzRST3BCcWo0MA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_38b62afef07b",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Lebanon bans Hezbollah military actions after attack on Israel - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Lebanon bans Hezbollah military actions after attack on Israel    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:36:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPajd0cUJ5OWF5T3NZWkoxTDhjZFhFOTNwTnMyZHlMVjFENVNYRzJ2MlZucWZxOWgyeTlmWkZHd1Q2QlA0OElFMk5YcWdxQjZrcUpCWXhESy1USVFKd3F6VERWaHk2M001cUtRQkhLR0tscG5xRmRNdHBVT05ZNzMwN1Y4cDUxNE9GLVM0LXA1TjQtMEtDem5weDFKNGY5aGJ4WkxqVjR3MXpIQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_48dd4e3270c1",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Euro, yen slide as Middle East conflict escalates - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Euro, yen slide as Middle East conflict escalates    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-01T23:43:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxQSnF2ck82MkRQUW12UWJfSUZHWFg5YnZsREFZaGRGdW0zT1BETnlVanBjeEJjbWFXZlNkZ1BreU91eHU4eDFobVJDRHFGTDBnYVhKMy1MbXpaanZQSWhFbVdsNnZpenRITVRVOERTS1dOeUhmbHR0N2VpNU5GZ3FzcVkzYjZZZEJ6VUlSUGpmdjRTbjByclduSE5tZ0NJLUtNY3RWMkQ0VmJkUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1e0cdfdaff36",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Tomahawks, B-2 stealth bombers and attack drones pound over 1,000 Iranian targets in 24-hour blitz - Fox News",
    "body_text": "U.S. forces launched a sweeping military assault on Iranian targets on Saturday, unleashing overwhelming air, sea and missile power in a coordinated operation with Israel.\nThe mission — dubbed \"Operation Epic Fury\" — began at 1:15 a.m. and struck more than 1,000 sites across Iran within its first 24 hours, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior regime officials were eliminated in the strikes.\nThe barrage featured B-2 stealth bombers, F-22 and F-16 fighter jets, A-10 attack aircraft, EA-18G electronic warfare planes, and an array of airborne early warning and communications platforms, CENTCOM said.\nMissile defense systems, including Patriot interceptors and THAAD anti-ballistic missile defenses, were deployed as part of the operation.\nOther assets included RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, HIMARS rocket systems, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, refueling tankers, and C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft, CENTCOM said.\nThe command also released images of Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as F-18 and F-35 fighter jets roaring into combat, according to Reuters.\nCENTCOM additionally confirmed it deployed one-way attack drones in combat for the first time.\nThe Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System — known as LUCAS — is modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones.\n\"CENTCOM's Task Force Scorpion Strike — for the first time in history — is using one-way attack drones in combat during Operation Epic Fury,\" CENTCOM wrote on X. \"These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran's Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution.\"\nDeveloped by Arizona-based engineering firm SpektreWorks, the LUCAS drone can be launched from catapults, vehicles or mobile ground platforms, according to Business Insider.\nThe drones cost roughly $35,000 each, Reuters reported.\nThe strikes targeted command and control centers, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Joint Headquarters and Aerospace Forces Headquarters, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, Iranian Navy ships and submarines, anti-ship missile sites and military communications infrastructure, according to CENTCOM.\nIran retaliated by launching waves of missiles across the Middle East, targeting major U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, Business Insider reported.\nThree U.S. service members were killed and five others were \"seriously wounded\" as part of Operation Epic Fury, CENTCOM said Sunday morning. The joint military operation is expected to carry on for days.\nCENTCOM did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.\nReuters and Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T00:14:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b12241034c09",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Tomahawks, B-2 stealth bombers and attack drones pound over 1,000 Iranian targets in 24-hour blitz",
    "body_text": "The administration says American forces are working to neutralize a long-standing missile threat posed by Tehran’s proliferation efforts. (Credit: CENTCOM via X)\n\nU.S. forces launched a sweeping military assault on Iranian targets on Saturday, unleashing overwhelming air, sea and missile power in a coordinated operation with Israel.\n\nThe mission — dubbed \"Operation Epic Fury\" — began at 1:15 a.m. and struck more than 1,000 sitesacross Iranwithin its first 24 hours, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior regime officials were eliminated in the strikes.\n\nThe barrage featured B-2 stealth bombers, F-22 and F-16 fighter jets, A-10 attack aircraft, EA-18G electronic warfare planes, and an array of airborne early warning and communications platforms, CENTCOM said.\n\nA U.S. Navy ship launches Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles in support of Operation Epic Fury.(U.S. Central Command Public Affairs)\n\nMissile defense systems, including Patriot interceptors and THAAD anti-ballistic missile defenses, were deployed as part of the operation.\n\nOther assets included RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, HIMARS rocket systems,nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, refueling tankers, and C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft, CENTCOM said.\n\nThe command also released images of Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well asF-18 and F-35 fighter jetsroaring into combat, according to Reuters.\n\nCENTCOM additionally confirmed it deployedone-way attack dronesin combat for the first time.\n\nDOZENS OF TOP IRANIAN REGIME OFFICIALS, SUPREME LEADER KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES\n\nLow-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones were also used in the attack.(U.S. Central Command Public Affairs)\n\nThe Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System — known as LUCAS — is modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones.\n\n\"CENTCOM's Task Force Scorpion Strike — for the first time in history — is using one-way attack drones in combat during Operation Epic Fury,\" CENTCOM wrote on X. \"These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran's Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution.\"\n\nDeveloped by Arizona-based engineering firm SpektreWorks, the LUCAS drone can be launched from catapults, vehicles or mobile ground platforms, accordingto Business Insider.\n\nThe drones cost roughly $35,000 each, Reuters reported.\n\nKEY MILITARY SITES TARGETED INSIDE IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-ISRAELI STRIKES\n\nA plume of smoke rises after an explosion on Feb. 28, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.(Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)\n\nThe strikes targeted command and control centers, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Joint Headquarters and Aerospace Forces Headquarters, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, Iranian Navy ships and submarines, anti-ship missile sites andmilitary communications infrastructure, according to CENTCOM.\n\nIran retaliated by launching waves of missiles across the Middle East, targeting major U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, Business Insider reported.\n\nThree U.S. service members were killed and five others were \"seriously wounded\" as part of Operation Epic Fury, CENTCOM said Sunday morning. The joint military operation is expected to carry on for days.\n\nCENTCOM did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.\n\nReuters and Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.\n\nSophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Story tips can be sent to sophia.compton@fox.com.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T00:14:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/tomahawk-missiles-suicide-drones-tomahawks-b-2-stealth-bombers-attack-drones-pound-1000-iranian-targets-24-hour-blitz",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9c87f552673c",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US troops attacked in Erbil as Iraqi militants consider options - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "An Iran-backed faction, Saraya Awliya Al Dam, used drones to strike US forces in Erbil, marking the first Iraqi entry into the conflict.\nAn agreement allows a continued US presence in Erbil through much of 2026, even as withdrawals proceed from Baghdad and Ain Al Asad.\nInna Rudolf of King’s College London says factions like Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Al Nujaba pursue drone strikes, while politically linked groups show restraint.\n“Politically linked groups have expressed rhetorical solidarity with Iran while avoiding actions that could jeopardise political gains,” said the researcher.\nAnalysts Michael Knights and Renad Mansour say militias prioritise survival and state-embedded interests, with Tehran’s influence complicated by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death.\nOne Iraqi militant group has announced an attack on US troops in Erbil to enter the Iran conflict, but experts say Iraq's internal politics could keep other factions quiet.\nIran-backed group Saraya Awliya Al Dam said it struck the US base in Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, with drones on Sunday. Residents said the explosions were some of the worst they had heard.\n“It's so loud and scary,” said one resident living in a residential complex close to the airport. The Kurdish capital is home to a US base and consulate and is often a target of Iranian retaliation.\nAn agreement on US withdrawal from Iraq provides for a presence in Erbil to remain for much of 2026, even after a postponed withdrawal from Baghdad and the Ain Al Asad base in western Iraq.\nIn further signs of unrest, Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces – an umbrella group of mainly Iran-backed militias – reported an attack on a base near the Syrian border late on Sunday, while a group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims to have launched dozens of drones since Saturday.\nSome Iran-backed militias in Iraq may, however, choose to protect their own interests by staying out of attacks on US forces in the region, experts told The National. They said those militias are taking different approaches.\nIraqis protest in Baghdad in support of Khamenei\n00:30\nIraqi factions outside the PMF have indicated a greater willingness to escalate against US interests, while others have shown restraint, said Inna Rudolf, from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London.\n“Groups such as Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Al Nujaba have maintained ideological independence and groups reportedly affiliated to them have recently claimed drone operations targeting American bases in Erbil,” she told The National.\nPolitically linked groups such as Asaib Ahl Al Haq have shown restraint as they consider “potential risks to their parliamentary influence, government posts and patronage networks”, she said. They have expressed “rhetorical solidarity with Iran while avoiding actions that could jeopardise political gains”, she added.\nGroups with a significant political presence at stake, such as ministries and parliamentarians, appear more likely to be restrained, while those with less institutional influence, or strong ideological ties to Tehran, may favour riskier action.\nIsraeli-American strikes on Iran began on Saturday morning, killing the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and causing a barrage of retaliatory attacks on US troops, allies and interests in the Middle East.\nIt has also raised fears that the strikes will push Iran’s proxy groups to join the attacks. The drones launched on Sunday appeared to have hit an ammunition depot near Erbil International Airport, which also houses US forces stationed in the city. There were no immediate reports of casualties.\nSaraya Awliya Al Dam has attacked US forces in the past, claiming responsibility for rocket strikes in response to the killing of Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani in US strikes on Baghdad in 2020.\nIn addition to the existing American personnel in the city, troops have been moved in from bases in Syria in recent weeks.\nThe UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Kuwait have all been the targets of Iranian attacks since Saturday morning. All countries host American bases or forces in the region.\nFor years, Iran has maintained a significant network of proxy militias across the Middle East, managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and known as the Axis of Resistance. These groups include Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and various Iraqi militias backed by Tehran. Their presence has emerged as a serious threat to US and Israeli interests in the region.\nBut the military role of the proxies in Iraq is being “de-emphasised” and they are being allowed by Iran to focus on self-preservation, said Michael Knights, head of research at Horizon Engage, a strategic advisory firm in New York.\n“The Iraqi militias have minuscule military capabilities compared to the Houthis, or even to Hezbollah in its resized state. And Iran itself is directly attacking any targets it wants to hit,” he told The National.\nTehran’s militias in Iraq “serve Iran's interests more effectively by surviving this crisis intact to provide continuing sanctions evasion channels if the regime survives or a sanctuary for Revolutionary Guard leaders to escape to if the regime falls”, he added.\nMove away from Tehran\nMost of the PMF groups have in the past few years grown closer to the Iraqi state and are less likely to attack US interests in the region, said Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House in London. “They've embedded themselves in the Iraqi state. Most of their power, economy and authority comes from the Iraqi state and not as much from Iran,” he told The National.\nThese groups have also observed what happened to Iran-linked factions in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, which have taken heavy losses during the past few years. “They've thought that staying away for the time being is more conducive to their survival and to their economic and political interests,” he added.\nThe groups' need for survival has outweighed the need for action and they are choosing to stay out of the escalation, he said.\nImpact of Khamenei’s death\nThe death of Mr Khamenei will have a significant effect on Iran's proxies in Iraq. It will undermine the stability, security and influence of Tehran on the groups, said Ihsan Al Shammari, a political scientist at the University of Baghdad.\nThis is because of the “strong ideological and religious ties between them and also some members of parliament having close ties with Tehran”, he told The National.\nThe groups have lost “their key religious authority and reference figure”, he said. “Losing him creates a significant vacuum and challenges their legitimacy and operational capacity. It will signal a potential reconfiguration of regional power dynamics.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T00:32:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxQTDduYVhkc1lZbWxEOEtGTV9haU9tS1ZNdE5tT2NZcjBhd3VuS3JYRlZ0TlVzUGdZSGk3ZEhJb0x1Vm4yNWRQcEdHN3VmSlJQREo4ckZZd3lZUVludlNaa1hSSU5YZFJjbjk2dGJ5SlRYMW5obkJ6LXE4dm1iTTVLVTFGVXo0RHNfYUJFbHY0b2NZOHhjSnVYZURlbnQxZ3ZXTkxUb3hWeHE3OFVHRzJITTBvNk81NWI4?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3cd3f143064e",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "3 US troops killed and 5 are seriously wounded during Iran attacks, military says - AP News",
    "body_text": "3 US troops killed and 5 are seriously wounded during Iran attacks, military says\n3 US troops killed and 5 are seriously wounded during Iran attacks, military says\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the U.S. attacks on Iran, the military announced Sunday, marking the first American casualties in a major offensive that President Donald Trump said could likely lead to more losses in the coming weeks.\nThe three who were killed were U.S. Army soldiers deployed to Kuwait as part of a unit that oversees supplies and logistics, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The development was reported earlier by NBC News and The Washington Post.\nU.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, announced the deaths in a post on X but did not say when and where they occurred as the Islamic Republic retaliates over the joint strikes by the U.S. and Israel. The post said “several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and were going to return to duty.\n“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”\nIn the roughly six-minute video, Trump called those killed “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.” He said the U.S. will avenge their deaths.\nTrump earlier told the Daily Mail in a phone interview Sunday that the U.S. troops who were killed were “great people.”\n“You know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately,” Trump told the newspaper. “Could happen continuous — it could happen again.”\nHe also told the Daily Mail that he believes the conflict could last for “four weeks or so.” He had previously warned that American troops could be killed or injured in the operation.\n“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” the Republican president said in a video address released early Saturday. “That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future.”\nCentral Command, meanwhile, described the situation “as fluid” and said it would withhold the identities of the service members who were killed for 24 hours after their families were notified.\nFollowing the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders, Iran’s counterattacks have struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.\nThe U.S. military denied Iranian claims that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was struck with ballistic missiles, saying on X that the “missiles launched didn’t even come close.”\nIran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” ever targeting Israeli and American military installations.\nBefore the strikes, Trump had built up the largest U.S. military presence in the Middle East in decades. The arrival of the Lincoln and three accompanying guided-missile destroyers at the end of January bolstered the number of warships in the region.\nThe world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and four accompanying destroyers later were dispatched from the Caribbean Sea to head to the Middle East.\nThe Ford was part of the U.S. raid in Venezuela that captured leader Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges. The operation in January claimed no American lives but left seven U.S. troops with gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.\nOne of those injured received the Medal of Honor during Trump’s State of the Union address last week. Trump said Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover piloted the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter that descended on the “heavily protected military fortress” where Maduro was staying.\nTrump has launched several military operations during his second term, including strikes on members of the Islamic State group in Syria in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter in December.\nThe U.S. military has also struck IS forces in Nigeria, after Trump accused the West African country’s government of failing to rein in the targeting of Christians.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T00:37:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxObXpMd3lIQ1VVS05LXzhGVjVTMjc2V0NndXBqczFKcXNSMy1PMmlTS0c0anEtQnA4SG1Jb1ltd04xdWlCRE5VNkJjUXRzQ2lheklQMk9hVDhJaTNfVjV2bWhwUVd0NkZxYUoyb2VNamJPRXhndFE5LTFrUjZTNUc0NDRvV3pCRHlBNFUxOEROSmdqWURvSXBLZFd4UG5zbW8yVnc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_28bf6dd338ce",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trump Says Iran War Could Last Weeks and Gives Competing Visions of New Regime - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "Trump Says Iran War Could Last Weeks and Gives Competing Visions of New Regime    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T00:50:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxQbmFFV0xxczZIUlEtb0I1QVNpblEtd3d3d3hMTjUxWHc0WnVrUzRZLVg3ZGJsODJKZi1tUW16Ymk4Sk55N1hBYkxveEZzSUhZMWltU1p1alR2T09ueGdjWmZWeDl6RU8wZU1fU05aV2RGUW9hWnVrX2d1ZjU0VThaalhn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_243631474efd",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Australia rules out military role in Iran conflict - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Australia rules out military role in Iran conflict    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T00:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPSHFnSE1WYVBPZEx4SFJKbGpsWXNFV3lVZE5jQk5JZjRsUE5ieUxZQkFvQVU0WXZxR0xOanBYcG8ta2l1cWJPb3ZrWGQ2RVhXWkxkSE5rams1SWM2dW1aalo4M1RZVlF5cUxhcC0xRWRaMXBuNFNuZnVIUURIZzlDblEzVlh6YTBQYkpQN0I0T3Z0ZlBsMHg0cHlnamxGV09DTGJBeA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_12ffdb8aae62",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israeli military strikes Hezbollah across Lebanon - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israeli military strikes Hezbollah across Lebanon    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T01:03:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxPODMyT3BYMUpsQTFGT2tVdnRuNjEyZGN2TmdKcWgxcFVRb0VZb3hsenQ4bDk5UU5COHd3TEdTUTVXSUVUYXE2TGNRdEdfd21JZGo2WmdrSE0xYklnOEltclFpU3YyNFRfR01uTmpqdS1QUjhHWllFa1BFenpXYWtsRi1XOFYzMkZjUkFzMTlUSzFoOENnLXNqaFBfc3FHYkdjSFFESFNn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_db44a493128e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iranian people have been ‘suffocated’ by the ‘oppressive regime’, Iranian-American communications strategist says - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T01:21:17+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_c1a2d45cf5ec",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran is 'essentially defenseless' against air and missile attack: Ex-CENTCOM Commander - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T01:45:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTFAzMGdCR0xOREt2Y2IwNkFnNTlrM3dKbWJMcGFVaGRtWkZTdHc1SVh3dWhhcUxXandEd2NOSTBEY2NFbjJVdFdjTkE4clJ4V25zRVA5OUJn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ca3edc165e0a",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Gas prices soar and oil jumps as Iran war pushes down global stock markets - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Gas prices surged on Monday and oil rose sharply as an escalation in the US-Israel war on Iran caused major disruption to production and supplies.\nQatarEnergy, the state-owned energy company, said it had halted production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after attacks on facilities in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed.\nA drone attacked its energy facility in Ras Laffan, according to a statement from Qatar’s defence ministry. There were no reports of human casualties, it said.\nThe company, which is one of the biggest producers of LNG in the world, said in a statement on social media that it “values its relationships with all of its stakeholders and will continue to communicate the latest available information”.\nThe Dutch day-ahead gas contract – the European benchmark – jumped 41% to €45 per megawatt hour (MWh), up from €32 on Friday. The day-ahead contract for gas in the UK was also up sharply by 40% at 110p a therm.\nThe shutdown at the world’s biggest export facility could result in the loss of almost 20% of the global LNG supply, at a time when the market is still feeling the effect of the energy crisis in 2022.\nWhile Qatar supplied about 6.5% of UK LNG imports over the past year, according to the energy analyst Cornwall Insight, the shutdown threatens to push more heavily exposed Asian buyers into competition with Europe and ramp up prices across the market.\nJess Ralston, the head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the price spike “is a worrying sign that bills for both homes and businesses could rise again” in the UK.\nThe turmoil in the Middle East also triggered a sharp rise in oil prices. Brent crude jumped by as much as 13% during early trading – to hit $82 a barrel, a 14-month high – as the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, one of the most important arteries for global trade, intensified concerns over oil supplies.\nWhile oil later fell back slightly from its initial highs, Brent remained up by nearly 6% at $77 a barrel on Monday.\nStock markets fell across Europe, with London’s FTSE 100 down 1.2% at 10,780 points. IAG, the parent company of British Airways, and easyJet were among the worst performers, as thousands of flights were cancelled, down 6% and 4% respectively.\nHowever, the rise in the crude price pushed up shares in the oil companies BP and Shell, by about 3%. Shares in the weapons manufacturer BAE Systems jumped by 5% as investors piled into defence stocks.\nOther European stock markets fell on Monday, with the German Dax index down by 2.4%, the French CAC 40 down 2.2%, the Italian FTSE MIB down 2% and the Spanish Ibex down 2.6%. Wall Street also opened lower.\nIn Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell by nearly 2.4% as traders in Asia responded to the weekend’s developments. It later pulled back, to trade down 1.4%.\nIn Sydney, the ASX 200 opened down sharply, before recovering, to finish the day flat. China’s Shenzhen Composite fell 0.7%.\nGold, often deemed a safe-haven asset by investors during times of crisis, rose 2.5% to $5,408 an ounce.\nMilitary strikes by the US and Israel on Iran showed no sign of lessening, with Donald Trump suggesting the conflict could last for four more weeks and saying that attacks would continue until America’s objectives were met.\nAs prices rallied, all eyes were on the strait of Hormuz – with about a fifth of oil supplies and seaborne gas tankers passing through it.\nWithin hours of Saturday’s US-Israeli strikes, Tehran had reportedly warned tankers in the strait that no ship would be allowed to pass through.\nTwo ships have been attacked in the strait, one off Oman and the other off the UAE, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the British maritime security agency.\nWhile Iran has yet to officially confirm that the vital waterway has been blocked, marine tracking sites showed tankers piling up on either side of the strait wary of attack or maybe unable to get insurance for the voyage.\nThe International Maritime Organization urged ships to avoid the strait of Hormuz. Arsenio Dominguez, its secretary general, expressed deep concern over reports that several seafarers had been wounded in attacks.\n“I urge all shipping companies to exercise maximum caution,” Dominguez said. “Where possible, vessels should avoid transiting the affected region until conditions improve.”\nMaersk, the shipping multinational, announced on Sunday it was halting passage through the strait of Hormuz and the Suez canal, another vital artery of the world economy, citing safety reasons.\nSome analysts suggested oil prices could exceed $100 a barrel unless flows through the strait of Hormuz were quickly restored.\nThe Opec+ cartel of producing nations agreed on Sunday a modest oil output boost of 206,000 barrels a day for April, but a lot of that product still has to get out of the Middle East by tanker.\nIran is one of the cartel’s largest producers, pumping 4.5% of global supplies, so any disruption to its own shipments is likely to have an impact on the wider market.\n“The disruption creates a dual supply shock: not only are current exports through the strait halted, but Opec+ additional volumes and ultimately most of Opec’s spare capacity – typically a key lever for balancing the global oil market – are inaccessible while the waterway remains closed,” analysts at the energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie said in a note.\nIn the UK, according to the RAC, forecourt prices were already rising in recent weeks but could climb further because of the conflict.\nThe RAC’s Simon Williams said: “Regardless of the current situation, petrol rose by a penny a litre in February and is likely to go up by another penny in the next week or so to an average of 134p a litre.\n“If oil were to climb to and stay at the $80 a barrel mark, then drivers could expect to pay an average of 136p for petrol. At $90, we’d be looking at over 140p a litre and $100 would take us nearer to 150p, but it’s all too soon to know.”\nReuters and AFP contributed to this report",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T01:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxQMENwajA0SXJCRktXcGdNb21RWFZwRy16VjlqTjlqVkRDYXc5SGg0SS1nLXNZZTZqVlZnaU13NFhvdUs1RVpZMHpyWEhjSkctV1pTUzBKY0Z5ZnExa29OSmdnVS1HanhzdWx1aTRpMTlKbUZaRlBKN1psLXViNGM2ZHhTVGtpRWZYeHJVQlZsZzZ1X3JSa3c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_333f5dd48c58",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Death toll from Israeli strike on Iran girls school rises to 180 - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israeli attack on the girls’ school in Minab on Sunday left “about 180 young children” dead, according toHossein Kermanpour, the head of public relations at Iran’s ministry of health.\nHe added that the “same type” of missile was used to attack the Gandhi Hospital in Tehran hours ago.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T01:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxNVmlWMy1XUzRTX3NLZm93ZlAyMUxtNk5sMXJ3QmM3REpZVWRScmtFLXpWcE03TDVJWjFHbkt0eHNnTmVWSjE2Mm1KS0pjTl94djBEUXdnZkFlT1Q1OTRTVHJUS1A2UkphMlZ4TlZHT3o2U3psdnVkU2xRNWhVY283ZFEtaTB4YlN1algyQWt3dTlfZ1VIVnItMkh3Z3BZWGJPWnVkUUM4dFMyRkVULUZr?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a51b19eef47f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Indian shares tumble as Middle East war dents investor confidence, raises economic risks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Indian shares tumble as Middle East war dents investor confidence, raises economic risks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T01:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxPTjcxNkVvcHJyc3dXclVhRVcta3lYc3NJUUtCUGwyRlF5cWU0OUdlZ3pTTWFfMDlBZFFBZHR4TEZBVTNqeUJkRTZ4MENHdkI3U1Jwd0hDQmMwTWt6MzlvMUVMRXlzVVM2Z2UxSXoxX25HUVp5TkFpckM5dkJBNDdTa0s3dWxJVjlQeFdNa01JaG1zU0Mtem1SS0Jlempma1BCZ3VNUUlDZHlhSHVaVWUwaTRmeWNwUVk3VHY2QW9B?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0e50cf48662c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran war spreads across region as US, Israel suffer losses - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran war spreads across region as Israel strikes Hezbollah\nIsrael bombarded Lebanon on Monday, expanding conflict across the region after the massive Israel-US attack on Iran that President Donald Trump launched to topple Tehran's ruling clerics.\nIsraeli forces pounded targets across Lebanon including Beirut, after Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed armed Shiite Muslim movement fired rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n\"Large-scale strikes\" were also ongoing in the heart of Tehran, Israeli forces said, as the US military widened its targets across Iran on Sunday.\nRetaliating against the heavy strikes that Washington said destroyed the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian forces fired missiles and drones across the Middle East, claiming lives in Israel and the United Arab Emirates.\nFresh explosions were heard across Doha, Dubai and Manama on Monday morning, AFP correspondents reported.\nTrump vowed to avenge the first US deaths, telling the New York Times that the United States and Israel could keep up the same level of attacks for four to five weeks.\n\"It won't be difficult. We have tremendous amounts of ammunition,\" he said, adding he had a shortlist of three unnamed people he favoured to lead Iran after the war.\nBut Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Tehran's Supreme National Security Council voiced defiance.\nIran \"will not negotiate with the United States,\" he wrote on X, adding that \"Trump plunged the region into chaos with his 'delusional fantasies' and now fears more American troop casualties.\"\n- 'Most punishing blow' -\nTrump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have urged Iranians to overthrow the government in Iran, the sworn foe of Israel and the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.\nIn a video address, Trump urged Iranian security forces \"to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death.\"\n\"It will be certain death,\" he repeated. \"It won't be pretty.\"\nThe Pentagon said that three US service members were killed in the operation and five seriously wounded in the operation it has called \"Epic Fury.\"\n\"Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,\" Trump said.\n\"But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization.\"\nTrump, who campaigned denouncing foreign interventions, has done little to explain the case for war to the US public.\n- Attacks across Middle East -\nExplosions rocked Beirut before dawn and southern Lebanon residents fled, according to AFP journalists, after the Israeli military announced it was striking both parts of the country.\nIn the city of Sidon, cars of families escaping from further south packed roads, an AFP journalist said, adding some vehicles had mattresses tied to the roof.\nHezbollah, which was weakened by an earlier Israeli offensive, said it had fired rockets and drones at Israel \"in retaliation for the pure blood\" of Khamenei -- the first time it has claimed such an attack since a November 2024 ceasefire agreement following a year of war between them.\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whose government has pushed for Hezbollah's disarmament, called Monday's rocket fire \"irresponsible\".\nSuch action \"endangers Lebanon's security and safety, and gives Israel pretexts to continue its attacks on it\", Salam said on X.\nIn Israel, an Iranian missile attack killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in the central city of Beit Shemesh, after a death the previous day near Tel Aviv.\nThree people were also injured on one of the main roads of Jerusalem.\nIran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose elected role is subordinate to that of the supreme leader, called Khamenei's killing a \"declaration of war against Muslims.\"\n\"Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators,\" Pezeshkian said.\n- 'Rise up' -\nIsrael and the United States attacked Iran weeks after authorities ruthlessly crushed mass protests, killing thousands.\nThe demonstrations, initially sparked by economic anxiety but also including calls for greater social freedoms, were considered one of the most serious threats to the religious state.\nTrump called on Iranians to rise up and said, \"America is with you.\"\nReza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah, cautioned Iranians to stay vigilant in the face of air strikes and await the right moment to return to the streets.\nBut he also urged \"nightly chants\" against the Islamic republic.\nCheers were heard as some Iranians celebrated reports of the death of Khamenei, but after state media confirmed his killing, pro-government demonstrations also formed, chanting \"Death to America!\"\nIran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to join Pezeshkian on an interim leadership council to lead the country while a permanent successor is found for the supreme leader.\n- Mixed support -\nWhile many in the Iranian diaspora cheered Khamenei's death, anger was seen on the streets of Iran's neighbor Pakistan where officials said 17 people were killed and protesters tried to storm the US consulate in Karachi.\nWorld leaders have given a mixed reaction to the attack, which came two days after Iran and the United States held talks on Tehran's nuclear program.\nBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday that he would let the United States use UK bases for \"defensive\" strikes but that his country -- a steadfast partner in the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- \"will not join offensive action now.\"\nIran's first retaliatory strikes on Saturday hit all the Gulf states apart from mediator Oman.\nOn Sunday, Oman's commercial port of Duqm was hit by two drones, injuring a foreign worker, the Oman News Agency said.\nThree ships were also attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after Iran had previously declared the strategic waterway was closed, sending global oil prices spiking.\nThe Revolutionary Guards claimed to strike the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but the Pentagon said the \"missiles launched didn't even come close.\"\nTrump said that US military strikes had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels and partially destroyed its navy headquarters.\nIran's retaliatory strikes in the Gulf have killed at least four people and wounded dozens of others.\nInside Iran, the Red Crescent in its last toll issued on Saturday evening said that strikes had killed 201 people and injured hundreds more.\nIran's judiciary confirmed that Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Khamenei, and General Mohammad Pakpour, the head of Revolutionary Guards, were among those killed.\nburs-sct/bgs/ceg/hmn",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:00:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNWjBJMlFHYUQ3MWg2MjRzcG1NaUg1ZWtJX2Z1dnJSMThhaDd1TGJkOVBReFNBbVlqang4RHJkTVRtUkd4VjcyX2RiU1ZDN2pwUHJzcXF4bGlaNG8yUFBoY1RWNlA5NUFwV3VudXpRN0lsTFhLVnpNV2pQbDhQOGdKNU1VVFBTb1d4UlN5eWFqQzJyRGNJTTlCNGRINXJlbUpL?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_19bf90220363",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US officials skeptical of regime change in Tehran after Khamenei killing, say sources - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US officials skeptical of regime change in Tehran after Khamenei killing, say sources    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:07:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxQU3RHWWdXZGRWbzNXSHRQeE5mdzhNWnFHSVZDbmtoSk1XOTNOeG9QTk5oZnVjd09VQXJhNmhmelRkbXZYdkxrZ0gtT0NpcGtrOVJkekswMVRlT1MydURQcmNsWVJ0WWJGRUNnOXVUeHBFeDNIbEVCUGUwSXdJdldxcXc4TWJwc0trTmdhamxvSWVZN3lZQmk1eHlpNWdHa0h3VXRHS0I1V3M1VmVMbFUyNTBiZG9YaVd1X2M3X2czQWV3Y0RTQTRPWFdrd20?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d082cec288f7",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill dozens after Hezbollah launches rocket attack - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Hezbollah launched missiles and drones at an Israeli missile defence site near Haifa, prompting extensive Israeli strikes across Lebanon.\nIsrael hit targets in Beirut’s Dahiyeh, including Haret Hreik and Jamous, amid reports of additional strikes in south Lebanon.\nThe salvo was described as revenge for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes.\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the rocket fire as an “irresponsible and suspicious act” that endangers national security and risks further escalation.\n“The resistance leadership has always affirmed that the continuation of Israeli aggression … gives us the right to defend ourselves,” Hezbollah leadership said.\nAt least 52 people were killed and 154 injured on Monday in Israeli strikes across Lebanon, after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing a barrage of missiles into Israel overnight.\nA series of explosions was heard across Beirut in the early hours, as Israel targeted three locations in Beirut’s southern suburbs, including sites in Haret Hreik and the Jamous neighbourhood.\nThe Israeli military then also ordered the eviction of residents from at least 53 towns and villages across south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, warning of impending attack. The eviction orders and attacks prompted many people to flee, typically from areas still struggling to rebuild and dealing with the trauma of the most recent round of Israel-Hezbollah fighting in the autumn of 2024.\nThroughout Monday, extensive attacks continued across the country including the Bekaa and the south, as well as several more strikes in Beirut. An initial count of 31 dead - 20 in Beirut and 11 in south Lebanon - was raised to 54 on Monday evening.\nAt an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday chaired by President Joseph Aoun, the government ordered a \"ban\" on Hezbollah military activities after its rocket attack on Israel.\nThis \"necessitates the immediate prohibition of all Hezbollah’s security and military activities as being outside the law, and obliging it to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state\", Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said.\nHe said security services were ordered to prevent non-state military actions being carried out on Lebanese soil, and to arrest those who do not comply.\nUS-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Saturday.\nIn a statement, Hezbollah said it had launched missiles and a swarm of drones at an Israeli missile defence site south of Haifa.\nThe Israeli army said it had intercepted one rocket fired at the northern part of the country from Lebanon, while others landed in open areas. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.\nThe rocket attack is “revenge for the blood of the supreme leader of the Muslims, Ali Khamenei”, Hezbollah said in a statement.\nMr Aoun said the overnight rockets launched at Israel by Hezbollah undermined the efforts by the Lebanese state to keep itself out of the current regional escalation.\nMr Aoun added that while he condemned the Israeli attacks on Lebanon that were launched in response, he warned against using the country as a \"platform for proxy wars\", referring to Iran-backed Hezbollah.\n\"We warn that persisting in using Lebanon once again as a platform for proxy wars in which we have no involvement will expose our country to risks once more, the responsibility for which falls on the parties that ignored the repeated calls to preserve security and stability in the country,\" Mr Aoun said in a statement on X.\nIt is the first time Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israel since the November 2024 ceasefire. Although Israel has carried out near-daily strikes on Lebanon since then and continues to occupy at least five military positions on Lebanese territory, the group has largely refrained from responding.\nThe Iran-backed group, depleted by its last war with Israel, had signalled restraint in the event of a broader confrontation. But it had also indicated that any attack on Mr Khamenei would be a red line for them. He was killed on Saturday.\n“The resistance leadership has always affirmed that the continuation of Israeli aggression and the assassination of our leaders, youth and people gives us the right to defend ourselves and respond at the appropriate time and place,” Hezbollah said.\n“This response constitutes legitimate defence, and it is the responsibility of the relevant officials and parties to put an end to the Israeli-American aggression against Lebanon.”\nThe Israeli army said it had begun striking Hezbollah across Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s projectile fire, saying it will “operate against Hezbollah’s decision to join the campaign” and is prepared for an “all-fronts scenario and for combating any threats”.\nMotorway traffic from southern Lebanon towards the north was blocked as thousands of residents fled the border area.\nIn Beirut’s densely populated southern suburb of Dahiyeh, residents rushed into cars seeking safer areas. Local media also reported Israeli strikes in several villages in south Lebanon.\nAll schools in Lebanon have been closed on Monday, with some immediately repurposed as displacement centres, following the Israeli attack across Lebanon and mass eviction orders for vast swathes of the country.\nMr Salam had called the rocket attacks from south Lebanon an “irresponsible and suspicious act that endangers Lebanon’s security and safety and gives Israel pretexts to continue its attacks on it”.\n“We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take all necessary measures to stop the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese people,” he said in a statement on X.\nHezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in January that the group would not be “neutral” in the event of a regional war – but stopped short of committing to military intervention.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:11:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi7gFBVV95cUxNTEtVdGZWLVZvY2xXQl93UnFYbzhIVzU2c3Jqc2Q4dE5mX3kyMHlzWmVwY3V2Ulk5ZldraXFPUHdhNmhNRzE5Q01fQVJlMkp6YS1BZXluUUM5Q0xpcmlqV3ZBRFRlNDkxemJEWjFFT2o2aVNTN0lWLXd5bEcweFlWTmt0T0VoeDZnUWpRMHFTQWtEZEFyYnMwcVRISjUzN19xM2pxRlktSnY0eWNteG4ybWRiUDY0TzJqc2lRdjRzSHVtQ0M4ZmxEZk9GaWhUMkd1a1RUVnNNOTFVRENZUXM3SDI4Y211TWFpR2wxeUpn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_aa7775f822b4",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict disrupts Middle East oil, fuel, LNG assessments from reporting agency Platts - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict disrupts Middle East oil, fuel, LNG assessments from reporting agency Platts    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiygFBVV95cUxObFQyRHR2Tl8wZHlCS3RJbzJoM0c2amF2QXpQWEhnWTVLTTJsb0Rod3ZHbS12M0xiYl93UThrdUl2TGUtekRWSGFvcmZnMXM3Ni01cHRjWWVQQ0oyYkF5c19mMC1nRmU0T0J0eEY3SklHeFNDOVpZbVgzN09lVnR1dHphWVNueEEzS2lTMVVNTXQyaERZMDZMaE1HWWNmVHNKOG9pRXZMaGRhSFJwbkRVVkZiSWE3RF9nZm9mNnRCaTVaSGZXano5RlZR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fafcb9f51ace",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "The Guardian view on Trump’s Iranian campaign: an illegal war that risks becoming the new normal | Editorial - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by a US-Israeli strike is a targeted assassination of a head of state. It also marks a grave escalation in a region already burdened with smouldering wars and fragile states. The consequences of the deliberate strike will reverberate across a Middle East marked by the aftershocks of foreign intervention. Revulsion against the hardline regime in Tehran, or the desire for a better future for the Iranian people, does not confer a legal justification.\nForce is lawful, under the UN charter, only in self-defence against an imminent attack or with security council approval. Neither condition has been met. There was no evidence of an “instant, overwhelming” Iranian attack being prepared. What Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury looks like is not pre-emption but prevention: a decision to eliminate a future risk while an enemy appeared weak. It is a war of choice. Mr Trump’s call to overthrow a sovereign government was extraordinary.\nUnlike pre-emptive wars, preventive ones are deemed unlawful because they grant the powerful licence to strike at will. The distinction is important; it is why many European governments rejected Russia’s justification of its invasion of Ukraine by claiming to head off a future threat. Law cannot be optional for allies and binding only for adversaries. The domestic foundations of Mr Trump’s action are also shaky. There’s little public support in the US for this attack, and Congress was not asked to authorise hostilities. There will be even less appetite as the civilian death toll mounts and US soldiers come home in bodybags.\nThe war may have been launched swiftly but its consequences are likely to be long-lasting. Iranian retaliation has gone beyond Israel to Gulf monarchies where US forces are deployed. Tehran says it has closed the strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil exports pass. Analysts warn crude prices could jump 50% to $100 a barrel. Escalation is no longer notional. Tehran’s strategy appears less about battlefield victory than survival – demonstrating that, despite leadership decapitation, it can fight on. It is a gamble. Excessive restraint by Iran invites humiliation; overreach risks forging a broader coalition against it.\nKhamenei’s death is a moment of rupture. But large, cohesive states rarely collapse just under air assault. Regime change from the sky has repeatedly proved an illusion – in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Removing leaders is not the same as remaking a country’s politics. Perhaps Mr Trump wants a compliant Tehran, as his illegal kidnapping of Nicholás Maduro has given him in Venezuela. However Mr Trump’s decision to bomb Iran when negotiations, mediated by Oman, had shown signs of a breakthrough will narrow the space for future compromise.\nThe question is not just whether Mr Trump’s war weakens Iran. It is whether it weakens the system of rules on which global stability depends. Once preventive war is normalised, it can be used by any state that considers itself threatened in the long term. That is a dangerous precedent in an age of expanding missile arsenals, cyberthreats and nuclear proliferation.\nThe idea that complex societies can be reshaped by external force is not new. It almost never works. Mr Trump’s triumphalism after Khamenei’s killing is worrying especially when what is needed is restraint from all. The moment requires cool heads – and to stand up for the legal principles that, however imperfectly observed, remain the best defence against a world governed by raw power alone.\n-\nDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1wFBVV95cUxNWDg0Z2JZc3F2UUsxTVcyUVQzOVVVVWpDNm4xMTdTNFFYRkNKYi1MUWJWMHpuTG1VWWIySTAtTnFFSEZUdWR5dGJjNU80VXRSRXo2MUhFbFdRZXFPRHlxbVJON3FLM0d4Qm40bVdNUWJ1TTIwaFd6RDJWVXQ0WG9FNkNMUGplNFhybVVIUEpVdzc3ZHhPcDZIdGdYUHFqRThuekREMnFDUGZLcWIzMVZPelc3VG9VZGhwS1lQWjY3SXVHejhuY19yek9ETEFqQXhyZXF0VXE2SQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4b1c7652dcbb",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US allies and foes left scrambling as Trump catches them off-guard on Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "A joint US-Israeli operation that appeared to use nuclear negotiations as cover. Gulf leaders courting Donald Trump as he decided to launch a major Middle Eastern intervention. Europe boxed out and a G7 defence minister caught so off-guard that he was grounded in Dubai as the bombs fell. And from Moscow, a strongly worded condemnation of the missile strikes against a fellow member of the anti-US “axis of upheaval” – and little else.\nThe war unleashed by the US and Israel on Saturday has exposed the new rules of geopolitics in Trump’s second presidency, with strained alliances, unfettered militaries and a Washington that has regained its appetite for regime change.\nDespite an administration that claimed it would pull back from the Middle East and Europe in order to focus instead on the growing threat from China, the White House has toppled one leader in Latin America and has launched another war – that could easily become a regional conflict – with no clear plan for a transfer of power in Iran.\nThe US’s closest European allies have been effectively pushed out of the decision-making – unable to influence Trump or even understand his future designs for Iran, allied leaders have walked a tightrope between condemning and condoning the attacks.\nKeir Starmer, who had said that the US would not be permitted to use a base at Diego Garcia for the strikes, has been criticised both by the left and right in the UK for his lukewarm support for Trump’s intervention. Emmanuel Macron claimed France was “neither informed nor involved” in the strikes. The EU’s first emergency security meeting will be held on Monday – more than 48 hours after the bombing began.\nItaly’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, was on holiday with his family in Dubai when the US and Israel struck Iran, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior political and military officials in an unprecedented attack. He had taken a day off to join his family there when the missiles struck.\nHe claimed he had not taken by surprise, but that “the attack on Dubai … wasn’t considered among the hypotheses of Iranian response, in the timings and ways in which it occurred and materialised … because in the last crisis, more violent than this one, the emirates were excluded from the reaction and Dubai’s airport remained open.”\nThe US had previously said it was engaged in negotiations with Tehran, but the strikes appear to have been a foregone conclusion. Senior US officials claimed they were prompted by the threat of Iran firing its ballistic missiles first. An Israeli defence spokesperson said the military campaign had taken advantage of an “operational opportunity” – people briefed on the operation said Khamenei had been at one of several meetings that were all targeted – but had been months in the planning. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had lobbied for months for the strikes, and as he called Trump on Saturday shortly after the bombs began falling, he had a hardcover title on his desk helpfully turned toward the camera: Allies at War.\nThe Gulf countries had publicly warned against a strike, and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had told the US that they would not allow their airspace to be used for the attacks. But the Washington Post reported that Riyadh had been playing a double game: publicly opposing military action while privately Mohammed bin Salman called Trump several times in the last month to advocate for the strikes.\n“The US has developed new allies now – if they are allies at all – which is the Gulf,” said Fiona Hill, a former member of Trump’s national security council and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a US thinktank. “The US was saying it’s no longer really interested in the Middle East – and that’s what the national security strategy was making clear as well. [But] it’s actually rooting itself in the Middle East even more.”\nIranian missiles or drones have hit airports, luxury hotels and other civilian targets across the Gulf, with strikes reported in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The attacks have sparked outrage among Gulf governments, which are convening a meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday to discuss the crisis. Saudi Arabia has said it reserves the right to defend itself, raising the spectre of the conflict engulfing the region.\n“We are responsible and accountable for [the attacks], and so if we’ve done all we can in our defence and minimise the risk of damage from that, then I think we’re positioned for much stronger relationship and much stronger stability,” said Robert Harward, a retired vice-admiral who was at one point Trump’s choice for national security adviser, from Abu Dhabi. “It’s a gamble, but I think it’s a calculated gamble with the numbers in our favour.”\nAfter Khamenei was apparently killed in the opening salvoes of the war, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, called his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, hoping to find support in restraining the US-Israeli attack. In response, Lavrov issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attacks and calling for a “peaceful solution based in international law, mutual respect and balance of interests”. But Moscow could do little else to influence the Trump administration.\nKhamenei’s death is the latest setback for Russian allies across the world. Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro was allied with Moscow before the US captured him, and Bashar al-Assad, a Russian client, was forced to flee Syria after his military collapsed last year. Trump has also signalled that the US may seek to carry out a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, another Russian ally.\nThe war in Ukraine has taxed Russia’s resources, but the Kremlin has also found that the Trump administration’s rejection of the old rules of geopolitics have not necessarily played into its favour.\n“A Trump administration and the United States that is, in terms of military power, so much more powerful than Russia, and can do much more to go rogue and just act as it pleases is not good for Russia,” said Hanna Notte, a foreign policy analyst and the author of the upcoming We Shall Outlast Them: Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the West.\n“In the Middle East, Trump had rebuffed Putin’s offers to mediate and said ‘you settle your own war because you’re engaged elsewhere’,” she said.\n“And that has been kind of the theme of this administration vis a vis Russia. The hope that Russia might have had a year ago that it could work together with the United States in the Middle East hasn’t really panned out.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:31:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOSDNGSWJwQjIzSmJ5Q2gwRF9PcHF3d181aWpjR0ptNHVzRGlJUXE4d3Q4UXhJUTdGenhVRGt3VXF3X3NHN2E1Qzc0bTd0VE5JYTl0N2JzdGl5d2NReGhOZmcyVFU0ZjhWVkZHODJ4bGFNSEZIeFhZNDEzcWIxTFRtLV9QOGJKZm4xNXpxN05hWnByNWZXSHFR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a16280b6ece4",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iranian missile capabilities - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The U.S. has been cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on the plan, and while U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey stated on Sunday Britain had \"stepped up alongside the Americans.\"\n\"The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles,\" Starmer confirmed in a recorded statement to the nation.\n\"The U.S. has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,\" he said. \"We have taken the decision to accept this request.\"\nThe decision came amid escalation across the Middle East in the wake of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.\nOn Feb. 28, in the wake of Operation Epic Fury, Starmer confirmed British planes \"are in the sky today\" across the Middle East \"as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies.\"\nHealey went on to disclose Sunday that two Iranian missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus, where Britain maintains key sovereign base areas.\nThe Royal Air Force confirmed that Typhoon jets operating from Qatar as part of the joint U.K.-Qatar Typhoon Squadron successfully intercepted an Iranian drone heading toward Qatar.\nAbout 300 British personnel are stationed at a naval facility in Bahrain, where Iranian missiles and drones struck nearby areas.\n\"We’re taking down the drones that are menacing either our bases, our people or our allies,\" Healey told \"Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips\" on Sky. \"We’ve stepped up alongside the Americans. We’ve stepped up our defensive forces in the Middle East. We’re flying those sorties.\"\nHealey also made sure to stress that the U.K. had \"no part\" in the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and insisted all British actions were defensive. \"All our actions are about defending U.K. interests and defending U.K. allies,\" he said.\nWhen asked if the U.K. would join the U.S. in offensive action, Healey said, \"I'm not going to speculate,\" according to Sky News.\nDowning Street also confirmed Feb. 28 that Starmer and President Donald Trump had spoken by phone about the \"situation in the Middle East,\" the BBC reported.\nFox News Digital has reached out to Downing Street for comment.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:32:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxNTjlybTY2dDJwbGEtZWxHdTNVTEFQdEZid3Y4STRUanVuYldZN2pBdm1rbUIxeEZPNVVIQzYzRWhaanJGWXQyNHcxeHNCdGVkMTUwYnB1bHpGTmlka2Q2ZUV1R3VtS2J2Q0ZqdnVELUcwNUNtNENOTENWOTh0S0ZpQ1pzYlIwOWF6aTY0LW5xQ2Q0WnpuMUFCSkxPeEZLT2VHWnFGcFhn0gGrAUFVX3lxTE1MbHlCbm9MekNtVndxM0FZUXNvbFlNN0VHakxjYU9QWTlIcWwtSW9pbV9oaVRvZFdlM25zMm9WajQ5cnNqN2Q3NWdvOVVGcGNYQVdFSjhDWThncUlEZjF0ZzExY1FWTXVVaXkxam1GTXoyeWdFVGF3RWtZRklnNEhBMHR3NUpReHZha2Z1d0FEdDNqcml3WUxjcG5ZN1gzWXJVQ1BYOGQ0N3ZTOA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_84d066295be1",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iranian missile capabilities",
    "body_text": "UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer issued an update via video, saying that his country will not be involved in the strikes on Iran but has approved some US use of UK bases.\n\nThe U.S. has been cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on the plan, and while U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey stated on Sunday Britain had \"stepped up alongside the Americans.\"\n\n\"The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles,\" Starmer confirmed in a recorded statement to the nation.\n\n\"The U.S. has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,\" he said. \"We have taken the decision to accept this request.\"\n\nThe decision came amid escalation across the Middle East in the wake of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.\n\nBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on a plan to use British bases for limited strikes on Iranian missile capabilities.(Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)\n\nOn Feb. 28, in the wake of Operation Epic Fury, Starmer confirmed British planes \"are in the sky today\" across the Middle East \"as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies.\"\n\nHealey went on to disclose Sunday that two Iranian missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus, where Britain maintains key sovereign base areas.\n\nThe Royal Air Force confirmed thatTyphoon jetsoperating from Qatar as part of the joint U.K.-Qatar Typhoon Squadron successfully intercepted an Iranian drone heading toward Qatar.\n\nAbout 300 British personnel are stationed at anaval facilityin Bahrain, where Iranian missiles and drones struck nearby areas.\n\n\"We’re taking down the drones that are menacing either our bases, our people or our allies,\" Healey told \"Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips\" on Sky. \"We’ve stepped up alongside the Americans. We’ve stepped up ourdefensive forces in the Middle East. We’re flying those sorties.\"\n\nISRAEL'S LARGEST EVER MILITARY FLYOVER HAMMERS IRANIAN MILITARY TARGETS\n\nBritish Defense Secretary John Healey stressed that the U.K. had \"no part\" in the American-Israeli strikes on Iran.(Peter Nicholls/Pool via Reuters)\n\nHealey also made sure to stress that the U.K. had \"no part\" in the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and insisted all British actions were defensive. \"All our actions are about defending U.K. interests and defending U.K. allies,\" he said.\n\nWhen asked if the U.K. would join the U.S. in offensive action, Healey said, \"I'm not going to speculate,\" according toSky News.\n\nDowning Street also confirmed Feb. 28 that Starmer and PresidentDonald Trumphad spoken by phone about the \"situation in the Middle East,\" the BBC reported.\n\nFox News Digital has reached out to Downing Street for comment.\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:32:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-cleared-use-british-bases-limited-strikes-iranian-missile-capabilities",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_52e8d15ca4b2",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Celebration or grief? Khamenei’s death brings contrasting emotions in Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Celebration and mourning broke out across Iran in response to the death of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an extraordinary public response to the end of nearly four decades of the top cleric’s rule.\nIn the squares of Tehran, crowds gathered to mourn the leader, chanting and holding placards with his image. But videos shared widely on social media also showed people celebrating, dancing, honking car horns and setting off fireworks as news of the leader’s death broke.\nSome families took to their balconies to join the jubilation. Among them was Nazanin, 24, a media professional based in Tehran. “The street was full! I had tears rolling down my eyes. No one outside can understand what Iranians who were victims of this murderer feel right now,” she said.\n“I was hoping – for the sake of Nika, Sarina and Mahsa – that the news was true,” she said, referring to Nika Shakarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh and Mahsa Amini, three women who were killed in 2022, and became icons of the Women, Life, Freedom protests. “But I couldn’t believe it. I hardly slept.”\nThe contrasting responses reflect deep faultlines in a country stunned by the sudden demise of the man who ruled for 36 years. For those who experienced the violence of the regime’s recent crackdown on nationwide protests, the news was sweet. More than 7,000 people have been confirmed killed in the demonstrations, with 11,000 more deaths under investigation, the US-based human rights group HRANA has found. Tens of thousands more were arrested or injured.\nMina, 20, a university student in Tehran, was in a group of protesters hit by gunshots when state forces opened fire in January. “I saw people falling in front of us. I will never forget the scene of beautiful, young boys and girls with their whole lives ahead lying in a pool of blood. The only thing in my head at that moment was to hope those responsible for their murder will face a worse fate. And today, that wish for vengeance I felt was fulfilled when I saw the news of Khamenei’s death,” she said.\nOne doctor based in Rasht said he was still traumatised by a January spent treating hundreds of protesters with gunshot wounds to the head, chest and genitals – but had quietly celebrated the news. “I smoked a cigarette for the first time last night. It was the best Saturday night ever,” he said.\nHe said that while he was apprehensive about what would come next for Iran, the supreme leader’s death brought relief for many.\n“We as a nation have been waiting for this news for decades. I feel like I am dreaming but we are cautiously celebrating. For now we celebrate – despite the security forces armed with AK47s.”\nIn Arak, residents said that moments after the news hit online, people were gathering in the squares and offering tea to one another. In Khamenei’s home town, Mashhad, groups of students got on motorbikes and drove jubilantly through the city, one witness told the Guardian.\nBut many Iranians remain fearful after the deadly crackdown on the anti-government protests in January.\nThe thousands who did gather in the centre of Iran’s capital were mourning Khamenei’s death. Footage from Tehran showed mourners packed into a square, dressed in black and many of them weeping.\nSome chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel” in Enghelab Square, with many waving Iran’s flags and holding photos of Khamenei.\nThe university student Hossein Dadbakhsh, 21, in Mashhad, said Iran would avenge its leader.\n“I am ready to sacrifice my life for Islam and for my imam Khamenei. The Zionist regime and Trump will pay a heavy price for the martyrdom of my leader,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion.\nAtousa Mirzade, a schoolteacher in the central city of Shiraz, told Reuters she could not be happy about the country’s leader being killed by a foreign power.\n“I also cannot be happy because I don’t know what will happen to our country. We saw what happened in Iraq: chaos and bloodshed. I would prefer the Islamic republic to that situation.”\nFor others, despite the uncertainty of what may follow Khamenei, hope was the dominant feeling. For Mahsa Piraei, who is based outside Iran but whose mother, Minoo Majidi, was killed by the regime’s forces during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, the cleric’s death marked the beginning of a new era.\n“Today is a beautiful day,” she said. “Of course, we all know that there is a long way to go … [but] my family and I, and all the families whose loved ones were killed by this murderous regime, have been waiting for this moment for a long time.”\n-\nReuters and AFP contributed to this report",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:41:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxPY01MaUNBcE5kRVlMNXQtOW54dGwtWXFpeHVaYVBZaWU3VERaMy00NjdvaEhLX2ZneVNzZVRHREE1YnhodGhMdFBzSUpPWUVqb21GbWtwRnF2SVF6NFV4Nlhka0Q4Mm5LdU9Ed1REVGhRcE5IZDRnOUR4MGY3a3R0VlVxTHp2QVNqVU1iWmloNGVMQlRDSG5rYTVVeEdwS0dicWJjNWJnZkpzNFBtZ19TMnZEZERrM1ZPYnc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0854e447a1e7",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Rupee drops to one-month low as escalating Middle East war keeps traders on edge - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Rupee drops to one-month low as escalating Middle East war keeps traders on edge    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:42:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNOWFLb1JGMjRDRHZ3NzB4MjJXRHR0cktIWk11QnA4aE1xeGxwVVd4QUExc1BsLVN3VjV5TjVJa2stS2wzanpCakRsY296ZUN1Z1pkazZNeGNScjJlelBkYXVlMWJ4LWhPREpzVlZWT3EyS3BSUVRTdVNFN092TjBIMjlmLWJtaGxLdVhhUWdJMThDSG5VWEZ0T3REQWZUVm1sWTVKd3V6LTJSb0c0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_12fed291317b",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Israel strikes Lebanon after Iran ally Hezbollah fires missiles over border - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Israel has carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut after the Iran-backed Lebanese group launched missiles and drones towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.\nResidents of Beirut were woken by the sounds of about a dozen blasts at 3am as Israel struck three different locations in the south of Lebanon’s capital. Bombings continued into the late hours of the morning, with the area almost entirely deserted by the time of a strike at around noon.\nThe explosions rocked windows around the city and were heard from miles away. People heard warplanes and bombs being dropped as airstrikes were carried out over wide swathes of the south of the country, collapsing buildings in villages near Tyre.\nAt least 31 people were killed 149 injured in the strikes, in what Lebanon’s health ministry said was a preliminary toll.\nLebanon is the latest country sucked into the US-Israeli war with Iran, which in its third day has expanded to much of the Middle East. Iran continued to attack Gulf Arab states, with a drone hitting an Aramco oil refinery in Saudi Arabia on Monday morning. Overnight, a drone hit a UK military base in Cyprus – the first time that Iranian strikes have affected an EU state.\nThe senior Iranian official Ali Larijani said Iran did not want to attack states in the region but that it would continue to target them as long as they hosted US bases that were being used for staging grounds for attacks against Iran.\nThe US president, Donald Trump, who announced the start of the war against Iran as an operation aimed at regime change, gave contradictory statements over whether or not there could be a diplomatic off-ramp to the conflict.\nInitially telling the Atlantic on Sunday that he was “ready to talk”, he seemed to later harden his position and in a video released on his Truth Social platform he said the fighting would continue until all objectives were achieved, vowing to “avenge” US troops killed so far.\nLarijani, in a brief post on X, said: “We will not negotiate with the United States.”\nIt is unclear how deep the involvement of Hezbollah will be in the Iran war, as the Lebanese state seeks to restrain it from further involving the country in the regional conflict.\nHezbollah said in a statement it had launched a barrage of missiles and drones at the Mishmar al-Karmel missile defence facility near Haifa at around midnight in “retaliation” for the killing of Khamenei and “in defence of Lebanon and its people”.\nIsrael responded just a few hours later, hitting what it described as Hezbollah targets across south Lebanon, the Bekaa valley and the Beirut suburb of Dahieh. The Israeli military claimed the strikes on Dahieh had killed several senior Hezbollah officers.\n“Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight and is fully responsible for any escalation. Any enemy that threatens our security will pay a heavy price,” the chief of the Israeli military, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said in a statement.\nAn Israeli military spokesperson issued evacuation orders for 55 different villages and towns across Lebanon, warning people to get at least a kilometre away as they were near “Hezbollah operatives and facilities”. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military announced the deployment of 100,000 reservists, many of them along the border with Lebanon.\nA spokesperson for the Israeli military, Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, said that thus far Israeli troops had not entered Lebanese territory, but were “prepared to do so” if necessary. The goal of the campaign was to “degrade the capabilities of the group”.\nStreams of people began to flee Dahieh by car and by foot, and lines of cars began to form outside petrol stations in the southern city of Tyre as residents began to head northwards. The highways from Dahieh into the centre of the capital were gridlocked with scooters and cars driving over rubble and debris from the earlier strikes. In the south, people drove northwards on both sides of the highway.\nVideos showed the tops of buildings in Dahieh engulfed in flames, while burnt out husks of cars lay at the feet of the crumpled buildings. As they scrambled to flee, witnesses reported seeing rocket barrages flying from south Lebanon towards Israel, in what seemed to be Hezbollah artillery volleys.\nThe memory of the 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah that ended in 2024 loomed large in the minds of Lebanese. Fears spread quickly that Dahieh, the Bekaa valley and large parts of the south could be rendered uninhabitable as it was then. Israeli bombed those areas daily during the war and nearly 4,000 people were killed and a million displaced.\nIn the early hours of Monday, families and friends quickly devised plans for what they should do and tried to understand what exactly was happening, as the number of displaced people from affected areas in Lebanon grew.\nDozens of schools in the capital opened their doors to shelter the displaced families, while crowds of people sat in Martyr’s Square in downtown Beirut.\nLebanon’s government quickly condemned Hezbollah’s decision to bomb Israel without consulting the state. Without naming the militant group by name, the Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said he would “not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures”.\n“The rocket fire from southern Lebanon is an irresponsible and suspicious act that jeopardises Lebanon’s security and safety and provides Israel with pretexts to continue its aggression,” Salam said in a post on X.\nFor weeks, Lebanese officials had scrambled to prevent Hezbollah from joining any potential war in Iran, as Israel passed messages to its Lebanese counterparts that any attack would draw a wide-ranging response against the entire country.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxQZGJ3MFNKQUk4SVlMNlRLam1aeThZQW1NM25JOFFrSXJUZnc3QUJwclRDV1pra0FuY0RfY0QwXzNQMi0za2JNbWROZ3FfdG5BOVBqcXcyblJxZS16U3FyX3l0d19DMnhnTm56dEZSZFlvZEFpWjlTY1NtSUYxTHRRdEl1bXctZjhtV2VCSDQ5RjcyYXBMR1R5TVJWRFIzTnM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_cfa54deb21f8",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Surge on Iran Conflict Threatens Fresh Blow to Indian Rupee, Stocks - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Surge on Iran Conflict Threatens Fresh Blow to Indian Rupee, Stocks    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:46:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxQUjVBLXJpTFhZUXo0RWRmVEZYVjFXczl0WjQ3TUdrWFZ3S3o4aUkxSWk4Smh6Z2R5d0dyN21sWGtwRFVVMktmUGJQNzhxSWJZeDBjN3BfeFFTMjZUX0M5R2RTYkZ4a2JqelYzcTlncTBxRHpvMFYtbE1QRDhUOG5oZFV0M0E5SldxVTZWcG52ZHQ4ZlI4NzNsOWx1TkdrSk1uUUVtOWhIR0V3Z01wb25pNzZhX2pTNXlKZm9XaVZENzFsUUFfR0ZqOW84SQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_39787a78c3f0",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump allies defend US-Israel strikes on Iran as Democrats call it a ‘war of choice’ - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump administration allies reinforced on Sunday the administration’s messaging on the Israel-US strikes on Iran, while Democrats decried it as a “war of choice” that required congressional approval.\nOn Sunday talk shows, Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham and Texas senator Ted Cruz defended the strikes, while Virginia senator Mark Warner, vice-chairman of the Committee on Intelligence, and other Democrats welcomed the elimination of the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei but said the administration must now answer vital questions.\n“I’m not going to shed any tears over the death of the Iranian leadership,” Warner told CNN’s State of the Union. “The question is why now? Why not make the case to the American public?”\nWarner said Trump had started “a war of choice”.\n“There was no imminent threat to the United States,” he said. “It’s incumbent that the president comes before the American people and Congress to make the case on why he’s chosen to go to war.”\nWarner has warned that the strikes risk pulling the US into another broad conflict in the Middle East. On Sunday, he went further, pointing to a lack of US intelligence visibility into the Iranian resistance to its theocratic leadership or who may replace Khamenei.\n“Will the president’s supporters still say this is a great move if the person who replaces the supreme leader is even further to the right and actually rushes forward on their nuclear program,” Warner said, pointing out that Khamenei maintained Iran’s nuclear enrichment program but did not approve moving to full weaponization.\n“We have very little visibility into what happens next,” Warner said. A populist revolution and a reduction in regional violence “would be a wonderful outcome,” he added, but “I don’t believe that will happen”. A deeply-embedded Iranian leadership, he predicted, “will fight vociferously to try to maintain their power.”\nAdministration allies took a different position, saying that there was no doubt that Iran was going to continue to target US bases and allies in the region.\n“That’s why it was so vitally necessary to put an end to Iran’s 47-year campaign of terror and revolutionary violence once and for all,” Cotton told CNN. He add that Iran had crossed the red lines of the civilized world going back to the 1979 hostage crisis.\nTrump, he said, “has finally put his foot down and made it clear that we will no longer tolerate the revolutionary violence of the Islamic republic of Iran.”\nAsked if the decapitation of the Iranian leadership would achieve regime change, Cotton said the immediate threat was Iran’s military capabilities. “We’ve always said Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. They also can’t be allowed to have a vast missile arsenal and that’s what they have”.\nCotton repeated the strategic maxim that administration officials have used in recent days.\n“They have thousands and thousands of missiles, much more than what the United States and Israel have in missile defense combined.” Cotton said.\n“It’s much easier to kill the archer on the ground than it is to shoot his arrow out of the sky,” he added. “What you will see in the days ahead will be a methodical and systematic focus on Iran’s missiles, it’s missile launchers, and ultimately its missile manufacturing capability.”\nSpeaking to NBC’s Face the Nation, Cotton added that the administration does not see US ground troops in Iran unless they are part of a search-and-rescue for a downed pilot. “The president has no plan for any kind of large scale ground force inside of Iran,” he said.\nHe predicted that if Democrats force a vote on the strikes through the War Powers act, there will be “overwhelming Republican support for our troops and for the president’s decision to finally eliminate the threat of Iran”.\nHe added: “I would invite Democrats in the Congress to join their Democratic colleagues like John Fetterman and Josh Gottheimer and Greg Landsman in supporting our troops, in finally putting America’s foot down against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”\nCruz, the Republican senator who was with Trump in Texas on Friday, was asked why diplomacy with Iran had been abandoned. “Because the diplomacy was an abject failure,” Cruz told CBS’s Face the Nation. “The Iranians approached the diplomacy with arrogance”.\nHe said he had advised the president that the only deal he should accept was the one he’d “offered Maduro, which is if you want to leave and flee the country, you can do so. Anything else is unacceptable. And Khamenei made his choice.”\nIn a separate interview, Graham disputed the characterization of a war.\n“I don’t know if this is technically a war,” Graham told NBC’s Meet the Press. “The leader of the largest state sponsor of terrorism and his inner team are dead. The mother ship that fuels the proxies is in sinking mode.” He added: “The goal of this operation is to change the threat, not the regime.”\nGraham also pushed back against former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wrote on Saturday that Republican leadership had gone back on a campaign promise of “no more foreign wars”. Graham said that Trump campaigned on a promise “to keep us safe, to stand up to people who would hurt America. She’s a former congressman for a reason”.\nThe California congressman Ro Khanna rejected Graham’s position that the world is safer without the supreme leader, telling NBC’s Meet the Press the senator is “the face of Republican foreign policy”.\n“He’s been consistent, but he’s been consistently wrong,” Khanna said. “Let me say this: Khamenei was a brutal dictator, but Americans are not safer today. Senator Graham cheered us into the Iraq war. He cheered us into the effort with Libya. And Trump ran against him in 2016.”\n“He said regime change wars are absolute failures. And that has escaped Donald Trump,” Khanna continued. “The question is: is the country going to descend in civil war? Are billions of our dollars going to be spent there? Are American troops going to be at risk?”\nNot all Democrats were in unison. Pennsylvania’s Democratic senator, John Fetterman, who frequently bucks his party’s positions, told CNN that his support for the strikes on Iran is “of course, not limitless” but added: “My support was that they could never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. Every single member of the Senate says we should never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. President Trump was the guy willing to do that, to make sure that didn’t happen.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:49:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_df1e9520f6d0",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump gave peace ‘every opportunity,’ Mike Pompeo says after US-Israel strikes on Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:55:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE40am9kdXRBeWtveHNkc01uWW1CQWVuNWNucVgzdWNfQ2lndjdndzFuQTAwand3MVM5UkZNUkk5Qkh1YzhnWlRyZ0F5eUx2cG1Tb2VjR213?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3d5a625d370b",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel kills 31 in Lebanon, vows to expand strikes after Hezbollah fire - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel kills 31 in Lebanon, vows to expand strikes after Hezbollah fire\nIsraeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least 31 people on Monday, authorities said, following rocket fire from Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah after the killing of Iran's supreme leader.\nIsrael's military vowed to intensify its attacks on the country and make Hezbollah pay a \"heavy price\" after launching several strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon, areas where Hezbollah holds sway.\nThe escalation came as Lebanese authorities, who have been trying to spare the country from any repercussions of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, said Hezbollah's rocket fire gave Israel \"excuses\" to ramp up its attacks.\nHezbollah's attack on Israel overnight was the first time the Lebanese movement claimed responsibility for an operation against Israel since a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end over a year of hostilities between the two.\nThe group announced around 3 am (0100 GMT) on Monday that it had targeted an Israeli army site south of Haifa city \"with a barrage of high-quality missiles and a swarm of drones\".\nIt said the move was \"retaliation for the pure blood\" of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blaming his death on Israel after it launched attacks in a joint operation with the United States on Saturday.\n\"Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the State of Lebanon and initiated an attack on our civilians... they will pay a heavy price,\" said Rafi Milo, head of the Israeli military's Northern Command.\n\"The strikes continue, their intensity will increase,\" he was quoted as saying in a military statement hours after the first strikes were fired.\nLebanon's health ministry gave an \"initial toll\" of 31 killed in Israel's strikes, 20 in Beirut's southern suburbs and 11 in the south. It said at least 149 were wounded.\nIn the capital's southern suburbs, strikes hit the top two floors of at least two buildings, according to an AFP photographer.\nA fire broke out in one of the targeted apartments.\nThe bombings triggered a mass exodus from the area, according to AFP correspondents, with families hastily leaving their homes on motorcycles or in cars.\nFurther south on the Mediterranean coast, an AFP journalist in Sidon saw huge lines of cars packed with families escaping the attacks.\nIsrael's strikes hit several areas of the south including Kfur, Haris and Sultaniya.\n- Retaliation -\nIsrael has carried out regular strikes on Lebanon since the 2024 ceasefire came into effect, usually saying it targets the militant group and accusing it of truce violations.\nHezbollah has been weakened from conflict with Israel, which it entered to support Hamas following the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip.\nOn Monday, a military statement said Israeli forces \"precisely struck\" senior Hezbollah members in the Beirut area, and another in the south.\nIsrael then issued an evacuation warning to residents of about 50 towns and villages in Lebanon's south and east -- both Hezbollah strongholds.\n\"For your safety, evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) away from your village to open areas,\" army spokeswoman Ella Waweya said in a statement on X.\nAround three hours before Hezbollah's statement, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Telegram channel said that \"Hezbollah officially entered the war\".\nThe Israeli military said that \"several projectiles\" fired from Lebanon on Monday \"fell in open areas\", with no immediate reports of damage or injuries.\n- 'Irresponsible' -\nLebanese President Joseph Aoun said attacks from the country's territory risked drawing the country into regional conflict.\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whose government has pushed for Hezbollah's disarmament, called Monday's rocket fire \"irresponsible\".\nHe vowed to \"stop the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese people\".\nIsraeli military chief Eyal Zamir said, according to a statement, that \"Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight, and is fully responsible for any escalation\".\nLebanese authorities had repeatedly said they do not wish to involve their country in the outbreak of conflict in the region, which started after a massive US-Israeli attack on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:59:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQSDhqaFFLeTBTWGYwRTVzd1JPRXFNOS1zUzY2R3lNeVM3NUNyVWlJeE1HQlUzbko2NWFZeGlvN0xWREVnbG9pSnl1SFNXdm5VTmxQR2t0RnFhVkQxS3JCR0J3T2NIU19uSXdwNUNmWDRSM3JpZ0xsUGtWUldpQXVxSDQxWUFPeW82QU41cW14OFlSRkhOWE5laTkzUUFzbnVqMTBEZWp5NlF0ckp4MVE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_42ab99a5d9a4",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel hits Lebanon after Hezbollah fire, expanding Iran war - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel kills 31 in Lebanon, vows to expand strikes after Hezbollah fire\nIsraeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least 31 people on Monday, authorities said, following rocket fire from Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah after the killing of Iran's supreme leader.\nIsrael's military vowed to intensify its attacks on the country and make Hezbollah pay a \"heavy price\" after launching several strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon, areas where Hezbollah holds sway.\nThe escalation came as Lebanese authorities, who have been trying to spare the country from any repercussions of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, said Hezbollah's rocket fire gave Israel \"excuses\" to ramp up its attacks.\nHezbollah's attack on Israel overnight was the first time the Lebanese movement claimed responsibility for an operation against Israel since a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end over a year of hostilities between the two.\nThe group announced around 3 am (0100 GMT) on Monday that it had targeted an Israeli army site south of Haifa city \"with a barrage of high-quality missiles and a swarm of drones\".\nIt said the move was \"retaliation for the pure blood\" of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blaming his death on Israel after it launched attacks in a joint operation with the United States on Saturday.\n\"Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the State of Lebanon and initiated an attack on our civilians... they will pay a heavy price,\" said Rafi Milo, head of the Israeli military's Northern Command.\n\"The strikes continue, their intensity will increase,\" he was quoted as saying in a military statement hours after the first strikes were fired.\nLebanon's health ministry gave an \"initial toll\" of 31 killed in Israel's strikes, 20 in Beirut's southern suburbs and 11 in the south. It said at least 149 were wounded.\nIn the capital's southern suburbs, strikes hit the top two floors of at least two buildings, according to an AFP photographer.\nA fire broke out in one of the targeted apartments.\nThe bombings triggered a mass exodus from the area, according to AFP correspondents, with families hastily leaving their homes on motorcycles or in cars.\nFurther south on the Mediterranean coast, an AFP journalist in Sidon saw huge lines of cars packed with families escaping the attacks.\nIsrael's strikes hit several areas of the south including Kfur, Haris and Sultaniya.\n- Retaliation -\nIsrael has carried out regular strikes on Lebanon since the 2024 ceasefire came into effect, usually saying it targets the militant group and accusing it of truce violations.\nHezbollah has been weakened from conflict with Israel, which it entered to support Hamas following the Palestinian militant group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip.\nOn Monday, a military statement said Israeli forces \"precisely struck\" senior Hezbollah members in the Beirut area, and another in the south.\nIsrael then issued an evacuation warning to residents of about 50 towns and villages in Lebanon's south and east -- both Hezbollah strongholds.\n\"For your safety, evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) away from your village to open areas,\" army spokeswoman Ella Waweya said in a statement on X.\nAround three hours before Hezbollah's statement, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Telegram channel said that \"Hezbollah officially entered the war\".\nThe Israeli military said that \"several projectiles\" fired from Lebanon on Monday \"fell in open areas\", with no immediate reports of damage or injuries.\n- 'Irresponsible' -\nLebanese President Joseph Aoun said attacks from the country's territory risked drawing the country into regional conflict.\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whose government has pushed for Hezbollah's disarmament, called Monday's rocket fire \"irresponsible\".\nHe vowed to \"stop the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese people\".\nIsraeli military chief Eyal Zamir said, according to a statement, that \"Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight, and is fully responsible for any escalation\".\nLebanese authorities had repeatedly said they do not wish to involve their country in the outbreak of conflict in the region, which started after a massive US-Israeli attack on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T02:59:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxON3lUSllfdkN5R0QxUzJOTlVCNnZCUm5tZ3ZHNEVteEUwd0IyQ3ctVWpvQjRBaWRuZFZ1em5OLThlTnZVdjhDd0lRT0VsdkVFbXI1Z08yNnJDYzlrNTdxVk4zTWJ4c1BzUmNsRlZCUnJlRGNLLVpmMDlIU1d3a0t6SnE1bzc1Y0VQQjB0a3lJcmJZbjE4WlRiNGVjUUtJS1k2SzQybzVSQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c7911e3d631d",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Tel Aviv analyst shelters from 30 missile sirens in 48 hours, says Iran ‘won’t recover' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The past 48 hours in Tel Aviv have been unlike anything seen before, a leading security analyst has said, as sirens blared amid missile threats following Operation Epic Fury and U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran.\n\"We are facing a biblical event — nothing less,\" Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital speaking from his shelter in the city.\nLike many Israelis, Michael said he had spent hours in reinforced rooms during the ongoing barrage, adding that he was \"very experienced in this.\"\n\"But this all requires time and determination, and I do hope that Trump will also have them both,\" he said, speaking shortly after the president released a video message stating that the military operation would continue \"until all of our objectives are achieved.\"\n\"Trump is the only one who can make the change — and that change will impact the entire region and the international order for years to come,\" Michael added.\nAs of Sunday, Tel Aviv remained under a state of emergency following Iranian missile attacks that caused casualties and widespread damage.\nAccording to The Associated Press, Iranian missile and drone strikes have killed approximately 11 Israeli civilians and wounded dozens more in retaliation for the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.\nShrapnel from missile impacts damaged at least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv, and authorities reported at least one death in the area from falling debris.\nThe Philippine Embassy in Israel confirmed the death of a Filipino national after a missile strike hit Tel Aviv on Saturday.\n\"We enter our shelter once the siren is heard and stay there until the Home Front Command announces that we can leave,\" Michael said.\n\"Usually, it is about 20 to 30 minutes — unless there are further sirens during our stay. Since yesterday morning, it has happened around 30 times.\"\nIsrael's President Isaac Herzog also visited an impact site in Tel Aviv on Sunday, delivering a message of resilience.\n\"The people of Israel and the people of Iran can live in peace. The region can live in peace. But what undermines peace time and again is terror instigated by this Iranian regime,\" Herzog said.\nFollowing the reported killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and roughly 40 senior Iranian officials, Iran formed a provisional leadership council.\nIran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to lead roles.\n\"The Supreme Leader did not complete the necessary groundwork regarding his own succession,\" Michael added.\n\"Pezeshkian will face very troubling challenges due to their heavy losses, severe disruptions to control and command systems, and the massive bombing and attacks across Iran, including Tehran,\" he said.\n\"Even if this regime doesn’t collapse, it will never be able to reconstitute itself, recover or return to its previous position,\" Michael added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:06:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c6da628ac8c6",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Tel Aviv analyst shelters from 30 missile sirens in 48 hours, says Iran won’t 'recover'",
    "body_text": "Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports on Iran's retaliatory missile strikes following U.S.-Israel military operations that resulted in Iranian leadership deaths on ‘Fox Report.’\n\nThe past 48 hours in Tel Aviv have been unlike anything seen before, a leading security analyst has said, as sirens blared amid missile threats following Operation Epic Fury and U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran.\n\n\"We are facing a biblical event — nothing less,\"Kobi Michael,a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital speaking from his shelter in the city.\n\nLike many Israelis, Michael said he had spent hours in reinforced rooms during the ongoing barrage, adding that he was \"very experienced in this.\"\n\n\"But this all requires time and determination, and I do hope that Trump will also have them both,\" he said, speaking shortly afterthe presidentreleased a video message stating that the military operation would continue \"until all of our objectives are achieved.\"\n\nExplosions from projectile interceptions by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system over Tel Aviv.(JACK GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)\n\n\"Trump is the only one who can make the change — and that change will impact the entire region and the international order for years to come,\" Michael added.\n\nAs of Sunday, Tel Aviv remained under a state of emergency following Iranian missile attacks that caused casualties and widespread damage.\n\nAccording toThe Associated Press, Iranian missile and drone strikes have killed approximately 11 Israeli civilians and wounded dozens more in retaliation for the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.\n\nShrapnel from missile impacts damaged at least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv, and authorities reported at least one death in the area from falling debris.\n\nThe Philippine Embassy in Israel confirmed the death of a Filipino national after a missile strike hit Tel Aviv on Saturday.\n\nTOMAHAWKS, B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS AND ATTACK DRONES POUND OVER 1,000 IRANIAN TARGETS IN 24-HOUR BLITZ\n\nPeople take shelter as Iran launched missiles and drones towards Israel following the U.S.-Israeli attacks.( Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)\n\n\"We enter our shelter once the siren is heard and stay there until the Home Front Command announces that we can leave,\" Michael said.\n\n\"Usually, it is about 20 to 30 minutes — unless there are further sirens during our stay. Since yesterday morning, it has happened around 30 times.\"\n\nIsrael's President Isaac Herzog also visited an impact site in Tel Aviv on Sunday, delivering a message of resilience.\n\n\"The people of Israel and the people of Iran can live in peace. The region can live in peace. But what undermines peace time and again is terror instigated by this Iranian regime,\" Herzog said.\n\nEXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS US STRIKES MARK 'BEGINNING OF THE VERY END' FOR REGIME\n\nAn Israeli emergency service officer walks past building debris at the scene of a Iranian missile attack.(Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP via Getty Images)\n\nFollowing the reportedkilling of Iranian Supreme LeaderAyatollahAli Khameneiand roughly 40 senior Iranian officials, Iran formed a provisional leadership council.\n\nIran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to lead roles.\n\n\"The Supreme Leader did not complete the necessary groundwork regarding his own succession,\" Michael added.\n\n\"Pezeshkian will face very troubling challenges due to their heavy losses, severe disruptions to control and command systems, and themassive bombing and attacks across Iran, including Tehran,\" he said.\n\n\"Even if this regime doesn’t collapse, it will never be able to reconstitute itself, recover or return to its previous position,\" Michael added.\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:06:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/tel-aviv-analyst-shelters-from-30-missile-sirens-48-hours-says-iran-will-never-recover",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1e466bf87b3e",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Can a Venezuela scenario develop in Iran with Khamenei eliminated? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Khamenei’s killing opens the possibility of a swift settlement if a more conciliatory successor engages Washington, echoing a Venezuela-style accommodation.\nHardliners retain significant power, risking prolonged conflict or internal chaos, including potential fragmentation along ethnic and religious lines.\nSaud Al Sharafat, a Jordanian security specialist, argues Khamenei’s removal “removed a major obstacle” to a deal resembling Venezuela’s shift.\nA US-backed arrangement could prioritise oil cooperation and regime survival, though Iran’s militarised, ideologically committed system makes such a pivot harder.\nThe IRGC vows retaliation with “successive, regrettable slaps,” while domestic repression tools like the Basij mobilise amid fears of renewed unrest.\nThe killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the onset of the war with Israel and the US has raised the possibility of a Venezuela-like outcome, with observers suggesting the conflict could end quickly if the new leadership cooperates with Washington.\nHowever, another hardliner could become the unofficial ruler, prolonging the war, or chaos could engulf Iran if unrest resumes and the country fragments along ethnic and religious lines, they cautioned.\nSaud Al Sharafat, a Jordanian security specialist and former intelligence brigadier general, told The National that the killing of Mr Khamenei on Saturday \"removed a major obstacle\" toward an outcome resembling Venezuela.\nIts interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, overturned decades of anti-Americanism and repression by agreeing to US oil demands and releasing political prisoners. The change came after the abduction of her ally and former boss, Nicolas Maduro, during US attacks in January. Venezuela's oil reserves are the world's largest, while Iran is among the world’s top ten oil producers.\n\"Someone in the Iranian system must be thinking that our missiles will eventually run out, and that the nuclear programme has brought disaster. Iran’s proxies’ response has also been muted,” said Mr Al Sharafat.\n\"What Trump wants at the end of the day is someone who co-operates with him. It would ensure the survival of the regime in Tehran,\" added Mr Al Sharafat, who leads the Shorufat ِCentre for Globalisation and Terrorism Studies.\nThe three-day war in the heart of the global energy system is shaping up as one of the most consequential conflicts so far this century. Mr Trump cited Iran's insistence on maintaining its nuclear programme and ballistic missile development as the main reasons for the war. The President told CBS on Saturday that he knows who has been “calling the shots” in Iran since Khamenei's death, and there are people he views as \"good candidates” to replace him.\nMr Khamenei was both temporal and religious under the Shiite theocracy that replaced the Shah in 1979. His elimination removed the man who had suppressed reformists over the last 25 years. In foreign policy, he built on the anti-American and anti-Israeli doctrine of his mentor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, by resisting American initiatives in the Middle East and expanding Iran’s network of allied militant groups in the region.\nThe late Khomeini, however, signed a UN-mediated end to the 1980-1988 war with Iraq as the US became militarily involved in the conflict through its navy in the Arab Gulf. With a US armada gathering near Iran, Khamenei still refused to sign a deal Iran viewed as conceding too much.\nHowever, the repeated repression he oversaw may haunt his replacement, said Mr Al Sharafat. “Under the surface, many Iranians remain a product of an open civilisation\", not the religious indoctrination from the top, and the regime could be swept away this time if protests resume. \"The aftermath could be a mess,\" said Mr Al Sharafat, adding that the country could break up.\nMembers of the paramilitary Organisation for Mobilisation of the Oppressed, known as the Basij, have reportedly deployed in urban centres. The group has been a main tool for the regime to crush protests for decades. Mr Al Sharafat, however, said it may become more difficult to suppress dissent under military pressures and disruption to oil exports.\nA western official who had met Iranian officials regularly before the war said Mr Trump has \"no real interest in democracy,\" but the removal of Mr Khamenei and several senior aides raises the chances for a Venezuela-style deal.\n\"Regime change for Trump is to take the top tier out and do an oil deal with the second layer,\" he explained, cautioning that \"Iran is not Venezuela\" because the system is militarily stronger and more committed to its ideology, making it more difficult to \"betray Khamenei’s stance\".\nFollowing his killing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would take revenge with \"successive, regrettable slaps,\" counting 27 US bases as well as compounds in Israel among the targets it has struck so far.\nA former Syrian officer trained in Iran said that, for now, the hardliners remain in control and \"they will use everything at their disposal. They feel the stench of death approaching. If they cannot reach Israel, they will focus on striking their nearer surroundings\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:08:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxPRHJDX19TUnVpTEdxOVhUT0xyV1VicGdBZGIybXBiRUk0X1R5aTVwaFlVWUxoTnllVF9KeVVvMkNPcGczMTVaWU5JSHhBSThWeHZKQkQxOTFEYzNRTVFUbXdpbFEycUJqbUJpa2o3VG5BR2VISW1LTTdVNEVpWmdKZg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fb966ea1fd50",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "UAE to pay for hotels and meals for stranded tourists until Iran crisis ends - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Follow live updates here\nTourists and passengers stranded in the UAE as airports close will have their accommodation costs covered by the state, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi said.\nIn a circular issued to hotels, DCT Abu Dhabi says: “In light of current circumstances and given that some guests have reached their checkout date but are unable to travel for reasons beyond their control, we kindly requested to extend their stay until they are able to depart.\n“The cost of the extended stay will be covered by DCT Abu Dhabi.” The National has reached out for further comment.\nThe update comes after a Wam statement today, detailing that the General Civil Aviation Authority had covered the cost of meals and accommodation for thousands of stranded passengers as flights were cancelled before an airport shutdown and airspace closure across the UAE.\nIt reads: “The GCAA announced that the state is bearing all hosting and accommodation costs for affected and stranded passengers, ensuring the continued provision of essential services during the period of operational adjustments.”\nIt also estimated that the country’s airports and national carriers have handled about 20,200 passengers affected by flight rescheduling, adding: “Temporary accommodation has been provided, along with meals and refreshments, in addition to facilitating rebooking procedures in line with the approved operational plans.”\nAirports around the UAE closed on Saturday afternoon, as US-Israel strikes on Iran that prompted retaliation in which missiles flew over the region, resulting in several casualties as debris fell from intercepted missiles.\nPrivate companies have also been offering assistance during this unprecedented time. Arabnb Homes, a holiday home rental company, says it will be opening its doors to those affected by flight cancellations. A post on social media reads: “If you are stranded in Dubai tonight, we’re opening up a few of our apartments for the night – completely free of charge.”\nSpeaking to The National, co-founder Hreshan Raheja says: “As a single company, we were able to help six or seven families directly, with room for a few more … most are doing OK given the circumstances. A lot of what people need isn't just a roof over their head. It's reassurance, clear information and knowing that someone is looking out for them.”\nRaheja adds that, after posting on Instagram, which attracted more than 30,000 likes, others followed suit to offer free spaces. “We're part of a community of around 250 holiday home hosts in Dubai, and after seeing our initiative, many of them were inspired to do the same,” says Raheja. He was himself inspired to help those in need, as a close family friend was stranded at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. He says the gesture has been extended this evening as events in the region continue to unfold.\nMore private companies across the UAE have also offered their spaces. On Sunday, Danube Properties, in an Instagram post, said: “If you are currently stranded in Dubai, we are offering accommodation free of charge. Please note priorities will be given to families with children and elderly members.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:09:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxQNlRLWVRjWTZ0UDdybm4tdzNGcUowb1NBUGJzRjNlUDc1LTN6NXNyN3hQNFF0ZUJXYWZJZUlsYy0xWE9tX1hIMUVxN1FCenBvck94ZFFuaG1LbW9TMG5QMmpTSWxzWWJKNGV4S3lIOU9ybENaa2JKUXdFVlBBaTVXSi1DOFZlNERpV00wM2ZERFBjX2ZycWZWX0FYRVpOZ2hHSFdMbGhsemZIbzNFcHBGWjQ4NVFiRWlJMWcyNzg5WmdQRXU4SEE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_116d6ff05510",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "The Iranian regime is 'about to collapse,' Sen. Lindsey Graham says - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:21:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE9jMjNRbnFoTXh3WmFVNEcwd01JZ01EQWVGWWFqVVR3YUViSXgyLUVaTWxCNmQ5WHcyZ1Q2NVByZ2F5VC1ieWpEMnNLb2ZUNWI3RkxESGFn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_24214bd97c90",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict widens to Lebanon, Kuwait mistakenly downs US jets - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict widens to Lebanon, Kuwait mistakenly downs US jets    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:45:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxNUGhEUFNQMzJicFZMTWIwanRIMXJMUFNNZkFfV0V1cUtGdXJET0lvUWFWVktGb0g2bGhfNnBvU3gxZ19WWWgwYVY0OWxSdXBCYXZtWm9KWEhER2JwazI1dlNXYUc2UGlSUmRwTzNJN0J3VkNaelIzaFRJM05IMlNmRnFCU0lSTlNXSkR3Rko0b0NfRHJweG1Tc2psOXA3amdnSDNqRFVCYVE5VFpYcm5mTE9taF92MXF6WVg3SzJVMW53dFJkTFE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5dafd9df9a95",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Brian Kilmeade: We have always had to worry about Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:47:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE44QVNlTHB1aFFZTy1HcmttQTFKQm55b1c1M0hwZWYxZTdqemwtTV9sN3BiMEJwSVhKek02ZEVlbmdBM0tGUThUTkkzOGRmOVhwVjJMVDV3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5af73f6ab9c0",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Economists Gauge Hit From Mideast War as China Seen Among Losers - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Economists Gauge Hit From Mideast War as China Seen Among Losers    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:50:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNWU5Pc0hDTjl2ZTBlUHVzdWozaDlxZ3JHRElobHdmYkd3OG5pYkR5YldHSlhsSUtfM1RXa2U3N0pMTV9yN2xRTFFlRnQzWnNsOWFLV2doZTY2S2VzbzhKbFFHakRJMlFFMnd4djZQU2I0dlc2NE16SmNjWUY2em1Sd3RORlAtVEkwSm9DX1VuQWZBWTU0YnQ2cUN0V0lTenRhRkRKNExQdW5MT1FRbmRxYm00bjlZZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_92160a36f1f1",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel strikes Lebanon following Hezbollah attacks, widening Iran conflict - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel strikes Lebanon following Hezbollah attacks, widening Iran conflict\nBy Rami Ayyub, Alexander Cornwell, Nayera Abdallah, Maha El Dahan and Laila Bassam\nJERUSALEM/TEL AVIV/DUBAI/BEIRUT, March 2 (Reuters) - Israel launched new air strikes targeting Tehran and expanded its military campaign to include attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon on Monday, as U.S. President Donald Trump signaled the U.S.-Israeli military assault on Iranian targets could continue for weeks.\nIsrael said it was attacking sites connected to Lebanon's Shi'ite Muslim armed group Hezbollah, one of Tehran's principal allies in the Middle East,after Hezbollah acknowledged launching missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\nThe Israeli military said it intercepted a projectilelaunched from Lebanon, while others landed in open areas of the country.\nIsrael carried out air strikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, with more than a dozen explosions rocking the Lebanese capital. Israel said it also struck senior Hezbollah militants near Beirut.\nPeople fled on foot and by car in Beirut, clogging the roads, after the series of strikes began around 2:40 a.m. (0040 GMT).\nIsrael and Lebanon had agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024 after more than a year of fighting that left Hezbollah severely weakened.\nThe Hezbollah and Israel tit-for-tat attacks widen the conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, sending oil prices soaring and snarling air travel.\nLebanon's presidency said on Saturday it had been told by the U.S. ambassador that Israel would not escalate against Lebanon as long as there are no hostile acts from the Lebanese side.\nThe Israeli military said Hezbollah was \"fully responsible for any escalation\" and warnedresidents of dozens of villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate.\nThe Israeli military said late on Sunday that its air force had established aerial superiority over Tehran, and that a wave of strikes across the capital had targeted intelligence, security, and military command centers.\nIn Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council composed of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardian Council had temporarily assumed the duties of Supreme Leader.\nAir raid sirens sounded across Israel late on Sunday, including in Tel Aviv where projectiles were seen streaking across the night sky as Iran fired new barrages of missiles.\nFIRST U.S. CASUALTIES\nThefirst U.S. casualtiesof the campaign, including the deaths of threeservice personnel were confirmed on Sunday.Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the U.S. service members were killed on a base in Kuwait.\nTrump paid tribute to the three killed as \"true American patriots\" but warned that there will likely be more casualties. \"That's the way it is,\" he said.\nAn extended military campaign could pose a major political risk for Trump's Republican party ahead of U.S. midterm elections that could decide the fate of Congress. Only around one in four Americans approve of the operation, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Sunday.\nBut in a video posted on Sunday, Trump vowed military strikes on Iran will continue until \"all our objectives are achieved\" without providing specifics. He said the assault had so far wiped out Iran's military command and destroyed nine Iranian navy ships and a naval building.\nAmerican aircraft and warships have struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets since the start of major combat operations on Saturday, the U.S. military said.\nTRUMP URGES IRANIANS TO REVOLT\nTrump called on Iran's military and police, including the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), to stop fighting, promising immunity for those who surrender and threatening \"certain death\" for those who resist. He reiterated calls for the Iranian people to revolt against the government.\n\"I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country,\" Trump said in the pre-recorded video. \"America is with you.\"\nIn interviews with multiple news outlets, Trump said the military campaign against Iran could continue for at least four weeks. Top Trump administration officials were set to brief the full membership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, a White House spokesperson said.\nFollowing the death of Khamenei, Iran faces a power vacuum that could leave it in chaos, but the Trump administration has not outlined longer-term aims for the country.\nDeparting from what had become his usual practice while staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump did not speak with the pool of reporters that travel with him. No administration officials appeared on Sunday political talk shows in the U.S.\nThe Trump administration wants to avoid sending mixed signals as officials continue to debate policy details internally, a person familiar with the discussions told Reuters.\nEXISTENTIAL CHALLENGE FOR IRAN\nIran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they had hit three U.S. and UK oil tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and attacked military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain with drones and missiles. Shipping data showedhundreds of vesselsincluding oil and gas tankers dropping anchor in nearby waters with traders expecting sharp jumps incrude oil priceson Monday.\nGlobal air travel was alsoheavily disrupted as continued air strikes kept major Middle Eastern airports closed, including Dubai — the world's busiest international hub — in one of the biggest aviation interruptions in recent years.\nOman's foreign ministry said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had indicated Tehran was open to de-escalation. But in a post on X, Araqchi suggested Iran was ready to keep fighting.\nIt remained unclear what the longer-term prospects were for Iran torebuild its leadershipand replace 86-year-old Khamenei, who had held power since the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.\nExperts said that while his death and those of other Iranian leaders would deal Iran a major blow, it would not necessarily spell the end of Iran's entrenched clerical rule or the sway of the elite Revolutionary Guards over the population.\nStill, it was too early to say how the Iranian people would respond to the changes. A new analysis of Iranian social media from Redpoint Advisors, a global intelligence firm, suggests the public is already looking beyond Khamenei for his replacement.\n(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Michael Georgy, James Mackenzie, Nathan Layne and Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Sergio Non, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Hugh Lawson, William Maclean, Bill Berkrot and Michael Perry)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T03:57:40+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_087cb829ff2c",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran conflict: Where things stand, global responses — and what comes next - CNBC",
    "body_text": "The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran is extending into its third day with each side doubling down on sharper responses in the days ahead, deepening fears of a wider war that could rattle the global economy.\nWashington and Israel launched massive attacks on Iran on Saturday, killing the Islamic state's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliatory strikes from Tehran.\nTehran has struck back with missiles and drones against Israel and Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.\nCivilian infrastructures were also hit by Iran's retaliatory strikes, including Dubai's luxury hotel Fairmont The Palm and the Dubai International Airport.\nThe death of Khamenei, who ruled Iran for over three decades and held ultimate power, has raised the question of who will run Iran next as he had not publicly designated a successor. A council comprising Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the judiciary head and a member of the Guardians Council, has temporarily assumed leadership duties on Sunday.\nMore than 200 people in Iran have been killed during the strikes, according to Iranian state media.\nThree American service members have been killed and another five were seriously wounded, the U.S. military said on Sunday.\nCrude oil prices jumped Monday morning as traders parsed risks of a drawn-out conflict and a major oil supply disruption.\nU.S. crude oil rose more than 8%, or $5.55, to $72.57 per barrel while the global benchmark Brent jumped about 9%, or $6.54, to $79.41, before pairing gains.\nPrecious metals gold and silver climbed around 2% as investors flocked to the safe-haven assets amid global risk-off sentiment.\nThe U.S. dollar index was 0.26% higher at 97.863 as of 11:20 p.m. EST. The 10-year Treasury yield was little changed Monday at 3.97%, regaining some ground after falling to an 11-month low of 3.926% on Friday.\nRisk assets are pulling back. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 521 points, or 1%. S&P 500 futures lost 1% and Nasdaq 100 futures declined a little more than 1%.\nJapan's Nikkei 225 slipped 1.2%, while the Topix fell 1.34%. Hong Kong Hang Seng index opened 1.15% down, while mainland China's CSI 300 was down 0.25%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.48%.\nU.S. President Donald Trump has warned that there might be more American casualties as the operations unfold. Trump told the Daily Mail newspaper on Sunday that the conflict with Iran could go on for the next four weeks.\n\"It's always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so. It's always been about a four-week process so — as strong as it is, it's a big country, it'll take four weeks — or less,\" the British newspaper quoted Trump as saying.\nSeparately, in an interview with The Atlantic magazine, Trump said Iran's new leadership wanted to resume negotiations and that he has agreed to talk to them.\n\"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,\" Trump said, without specifying when the talks will be held.\nIran's security chief Ali Larijani, however, rejected the prospects of resuming negotiation, saying that Tehran has no plans to engage in talks with the Trump administration.\n\"We will not negotiate with the United States,\" the former adviser to the late supreme leader said in a post on X.\nThe U.S. strikes have sparked debate over their legal foundation as only the Congress has the right to declare war under the Constitution.\n\"There is no plausible legal justification for the U.S. attack on Iran,\" said Brian Finucane, senior advisor at International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank.\nCongress has not authorized military action and the president is not acting to repel any sudden attack upon the U.S., he said.\n\"Even by the standards of unilateral executive military action of recent decades, President Trump's unauthorized attack on Iran stands apart due to its scale and likely repercussions, including for U.S. forces in the region,\" Finucane added.\nU.S. lawmakers have also voiced concerns over a potentially prolonged and costly war in the Middle East.\nSenator Tom Cotton, the Republican Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee from Arkansas, said on CBS News' \"Face the Nation,\" that \"there is no simple answer for what's going to come next.\"\n\"It's no secret that this administration has no plan for the chaos that is unfolding right now in the Middle East,\" said Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat.\nThe strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliation have prompted global leaders to assess the fallout, with Western leaders largely backing Trump, while China and Russia took aim at U.S. and Israel for their military operation.\nChina: In a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that it was \"unacceptable for the U.S. and Israel to launch attacks against Iran ... still less to blatantly assassinate a leader of a sovereign country and instigate regime change.\" Wang reiterated Beijing's call for an \"immediate ceasefire\" and an \"earliest possible return to dialogue and negotiation.\"\nRussia: President Vladimir Putin reportedly expressed condolences over the death of Khamanei, calling the act \"a murder committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.\" In a statement Saturday, Russian foreign ministry called for \"an immediate return to a political and diplomatic track.\"\nGulf states: The U.S.-aligned countries have put up a show of defiance, vowing in a joint statement to \"stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty and territory, and reaffirm our right to delf-defense in the face of these attacks.\"\nEuropean Union: Ursula von der Leyen, president of EU commission, appeared to support Trump's push for a regime change in Iran, calling for a \"credible transition\" that could restore stability and reflect the \"democratic aspirations of the brave people of Iran.\"\nBritain: The U.K. government said it had not participated in the strikes and did \"not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.\" But London has agreed to let the U.S. use its military bases for \"defensive\" strikes on Iranian missile sites, according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.\nAustralia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted that Iran has been a \"destabilizing force\" for decades. \"We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security,\" he said in a statement.\nCanada: Prime Minister Mark Carney also backed the U.S. action. \"Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security,\" Carney said in a statement.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPSFhwdktpWmtFUGZBaUt2amdCcHVrUHBoOU9PYW5qcWt4MlhleEhMNS12aWdwRDI3S2R6X3hENVRWZlRoQUVwTm90elREUDVyMGwwdG1PdklCS3BGV2NoRkowOEhXU2pzSG90Nzl5RF8zMUZDZVFLZHNEeVpUN2JjVC14dkMyZldTekxCaFRNZUsyWDFNS1lBLW9haV9OTUdn0gGmAUFVX3lxTE1rZ2QzaFpsR181TjluQjRGdDZEbmdXSU9aQ3d5R0MwVEx6bTF5RklBZWJXd3JNaFJRcXpmWENROWpkVWthYW5nS200WWYzZVlraTlKOUg2YXlpakhndThneFlyWmdNMnFsLTdvV3otZkRLVlhwdWk5eWNLYllnU3ktY2VyRGtFR1dfczZidmNpMXUzVEpPTGlEbzI1UFZKUDFwNGNId1E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bc598aa58e92",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Mideast Oil Output May Need to Stop If Hormuz Closed for 25 Days - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Mideast Oil Output May Need to Stop If Hormuz Closed for 25 Days    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxOeldyb1ZQSWZCMTZMU05hazlodUZoZ25ud3YtN2FGUXRBb2VPc1NuQXl3cEpoWTVjR3dWNHFPbFF2QjZlZnh6cnlJOEZJNy1SOUJQbmItcC1RVTZtSUwzczRhYVJOelBWbDRvWFZ5bC12VTJHN2trSXU0Z0hwWlN3RDBDU2swY3h4VEtmVFlkeHU4LXJTV0NuMUlRbS1wVzZzenV6d3ZIRDNMVmp2TTlsbS10TVk0UQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d3009321eda2",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US intel did not suggest a preemptive strike from Iran before US-Israeli attacks, AP sources say - AP News",
    "body_text": "US intel did not suggest a preemptive strike from Iran before US-Israeli attacks, AP sources say\nUS intel did not suggest a preemptive strike from Iran before US-Israeli attacks, AP sources say\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S., three people familiar with the briefings said.\nThe administration officials instead acknowledged there was a more general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, two of the people said. The third person, however, said the administration emphasized that Iran’s missiles and proxy forces posed an imminent threat to U.S. personnel and allies in the region.\nThe officials did not provide any clarity about what would happen next in Iran after the joint U.S.-Israeli operation, the two people said. All three people insisted on anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public.\nThe information conveyed to the congressional staff contrasts with the message from President Donald Trump. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” he said in a video message after launching strikes on Iran.\nSenior Trump administration officials, who like others were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, had told reporters Saturday that there were indicators that the Iranians could launch a preemptive attack.\nThe White House and Pentagon did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Sunday night. Details of the briefing were first reported by Politico.\nOn Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will brief the full membership of Congress on the U.S. military operation against Iran, the White House said Sunday. Rubio also was slated to brief Hill leadership Monday, the same day Hegseth and Caine are planning a press conference about the operation.\nThree strikes, three locations, within a single minute\nThe military operation came after authorities from Israel and the U.S. spent weeks tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and shared information that allowed the strikes to be carried out in a surprise daylight attack, according to an Israeli military official and another person familiar with the operation.\nThe eventual barrage of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran came so quickly that they were nearly simultaneous — with three strikes in three locations hitting within a single minute — killing Khamenei and some 40 senior figures, including the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the country’s defense minister, the Israeli military official said Sunday.\nThe official said a variety of factors created a golden opportunity to take out much of Iran’s leadership, like weeks of training and monitoring the movements of senior figures as well as intelligence in real-time before the attack began that key targets were gathered together.\nStriking by day also gave an additional element of surprise, said the official, who said so many major, rapid-fire strikes were critical to keep key officials from fleeing after the first strike. The official said Israel closely cooperated with its U.S. counterparts and had used a similar tactic at the beginning of last June’s war — which resulted in the killing of several senior Iranian figures.\nThe official also noted Khamenei having posted defiant tweets taunting President Donald Trump in the days before the attack.\nThe details about the strikes came as the conflict entered its second day, with Trump saying in a video message Sunday that he expected it would continue until “all of our objectives are achieved.” He did not spell out what those objectives were.\nThe Republican president also said the U.S. military and its partners hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems and nine warships, “all in a matter of literally minutes.”\nCIA had long tracked top Iranian leaders\nBefore the attacks, the CIA had for months tracked the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Khamenei.\nThe intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of the strikes was adjusted in part because of that information about the Iranian leaders’ location, according to the person familiar with the planning.\nThe intelligence-sharing between U.S. and Israel reflects the preparation that went into the strikes, which threw the future of the Islamic Republic into uncertainty and raised the risk of escalating regional conflict.\nThe U.S. regularly shares intelligence with allies including Israel. Those partnerships, and the accuracy of the intelligence they yield, is often critical not only to the success of a military operation but also to the public’s support for it.\nVirginia Sen. Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the committee, told The Associated Press that, historically, “our working relationship with the Mossad and Israel is really strong.” Mossad is the Israeli spy agency.\nWarner said he has serious concerns about the justification for the strikes, Trump’s long-term plans for the conflict and the risks that U.S. service members will face. The military announced Sunday that three American troops had been killed in the Iran operation.\n“No tears will be shed over their leadership being eliminated, but always the question is: OK, what next?” Warner said.\nIran has signaled it’s open to talks with the US\nA senior White House official said Iran’s “new potential leadership” has suggested it is open to talks with the United States. That official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said Trump has indicated he’s “eventually” willing to talk but that for now the military operation “continues unabated.”\nThe official did not say who the potential new Iranian leaders are or how they made their alleged willingness to talk known. Separately, Trump told The Atlantic that he planned to speak with Iran’s new leadership.\n“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he said Sunday, declining comment on the timing.\n___\nFederman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxPa3k0U251MWl6TGtJZDM4bGxwVXNEVFJQR1JMV0Qtdm5hbmJNUkczdnFxbGc3ZzJfNWVIWU81R1hQXzdCWXhsVlJaTTdMaDRfZkxHX0gtTFBPSFYyQk1YMWI2eFlldEVfRDc2S2twWmpuX3ZwbldUYkJhQWdiNXBJTzBtLTVwdVhmSEU3cHhEUnBOLWtjN1dQWEprM2xkUC1iZWNkZENXUEw4WUhjVU9v?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5d4bcdac0b3d",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US and Israel pound Iran as Trump signals willingness to talk to new leaders after Khamenei's death - AP News",
    "body_text": "US and Israel pound Iran as Trump signals willingness to talk to new leaders after Khamenei’s death\nUS and Israel pound Iran as Trump signals willingness to talk to new leaders after Khamenei’s death\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on its ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensifying military campaign following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nBlasts rattled windows across the country and sent plumes of smoke high into the sky above Tehran. More than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes, according to Iranian leaders.\nAs the bombardment went on, the conflict widened beyond the U.S., Israel and Iran. Iran-supported militant groups in Iraq and Lebanon claimed strikes on Israel and a U.S. base. Gulf states warned that they could retaliate against Iran after strikes that hit key sites and killed at least five civilians. And after Britain said it would let the U.S. use its bases as part of the war effort, Cyprus said a drone attack targeted a British base on the island.\nIran vowed revenge, firing missiles at Israel and Arab states in a counteroffensive that killed three U.S. service members — the first known American casualties from the conflict. Israeli rescue services said strikes hit several locations, including Jerusalem and a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, where nine people were killed and 28 wounded, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11.\nThe attacks on Iran showed no signs of relenting as the U.S. and Israel took aim at warships and ballistic missile sites. It was a startling show of military might for an American president who swept into office on an “America First” platform and pledged to keep out of “forever wars.”\nTrump vows vengeance for US deaths\nThe three who were killed were Army soldiers deployed to Kuwait as part of a supplies and logistics unit, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.\nIsrael announced several waves of fighter jet attacks targeting Tehran, including buildings belonging to Iran’s air force, its missile command and its internal security force, which violently quashed anti-government protests in January.\nThe U.S. military said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump said on social media that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that the Iranian navy’s headquarters had been “largely destroyed.”\nOthers have mostly stayed out of the war and pressed for diplomacy. But in an indication the conflict could draw in other nations, Britain, France and Germany said Sunday they were ready to work with the U.S. to help stop Iran’s attacks, and a group of Gulf Arab countries said it reserved the right to respond to Iranian strikes.\nThe weekend attacks were the second combined strikes in eight months from the U.S. and Israel against Iran. In the 12-day war last June, Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional instability.\nTrump, who a day earlier had encouraged Iranians to “take over” their government, signaled Sunday that he was open to dialogue with Iran’s new leadership.\n“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he told The Atlantic.\nWar expands beyond US bases, Iran and Israel\nIn the Gulf, Iran’s retaliatory strikes pushed the conflict into cities that have long marketed themselves as regional safe havens. Three were reported killed in the United Arab Emirates and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.\nIn the United Arab Emirates, authorities said most Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted. But some either got through or fell as debris, causing the deaths and significant damage. Bahrain and Kuwait said Iranian strikes in both countries hit civilian targets outside the U.S. bases where Iran had pledged to retaliate.\nIn Lebanon and Iraq, Iranian-supported militant groups also entered the conflict.\nThe Iraqi Shiite militia Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed a drone attack Monday targeting U.S. troops at the airport in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, further widening the retaliation over the killing of Khamenei.\nThe group is one of a number of Shiite militias operating in Iraq. The U.S. and Iraq did not immediately comment on the claim. A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence information, confirmed that the the attack occurred.\nIsrael also launched strikes on Beirut, after Hezbollah fired missiles across the Lebanon-Israel border early Monday.\nIt was the first strike the Lebanese militant group claimed against Israel in more than a year. The Israeli military said Hezbollah had “joined the campaign” alongside Iran.\nHezbollah said in a statement that its strikes were retaliation for the killing of Khamenei and “repeated Israeli aggressions.”\nAssociated Press journalists in Beirut were jolted awake by a series of explosions that shook buildings and shattered windows. Warplanes were heard flying low overhead.\nLebanese government officials had urged Hezbollah not to enter the fray in support of Iran, fearing another war. The country has not recovered from the last Israel-Hezbollah war, which nominally ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November 2024. Since then, Israel has continued to launch near-daily strikes in Lebanon aimed at stopping Hezbollah from regrouping.\nIran’s proxies were a chief concern for American and Israeli officials before they suspended negotiations and moved ahead with strikes on Iran.\nThe streets of Tehran are largely deserted\nIn Tehran, there was little sign Iranians had heeded Trump’s call for an uprising against the government.\nThe streets were largely deserted as people sheltered during airstrikes, witnesses told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution. The paramilitary Basij, which has played a central role in crushing protests, set up checkpoints across the city, they said.\nAn Iranian medical professional in northern Iran said he and colleagues spent the early hours of Sunday celebrating Khamenei’s death indoors because armed security forces are still heavily deployed in his city.\nThere were forces stopping and interrogating people celebrating in their cars, but there was no gunfire, said the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.\n“It was one of the best nights, if not the best night of our lives,” the doctor said in a voice message from the city of Rasht. “We didn’t sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”\nAn eyewitness in the city told AP that the windows of their apartment shook violently, and residents came out onto the streets fearing it was too dangerous to stay inside. The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Video footage from Tehran showed plumes of smoke filling the skyline, and the state-run IRNA news agency reported that parts of the building of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting were struck Sunday.\nIn southern Iran, at least 165 people were killed Saturday when a girls’ school was struck, and dozens more were wounded, IRNA reported. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.\nIran promises revenge and moves to choose new leader\nAs supreme leader, Khamenei had final say on all major policies since 1989. He led Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guard, the two main centers of power in the governing theocracy.\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a prerecorded message that a new leadership council had begun its work. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.”\nAraghchi blamed the U.S. and Israel for starting the war. He said he had spoken to his counterparts in the Gulf countries and urged them to pressure the U.S. and Israel to end it.\n“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”\nIn a social media post, Trump warned against any retaliation, saying “IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”\nThe chance to kill senior leaders called a ‘golden opportunity’\nAn Israeli military official described Saturday’s mission against the Iranian leadership as the result of months of “extremely high coordination” with the U.S. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a covert operation, said a variety of factors created a “golden opportunity.” Those factors included weeks of training and monitoring the movements of senior figures, along with “real time intelligence” that the targets were gathered together.\nThe results, the official said, were near-simultaneous strikes, within 60 seconds of one another, in three locations 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from Israel that killed Khamenei and some 40 senior figures, including the head of the Revolutionary Guard and the country’s defense minister.\n___\nLidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Boak from West Palm Beach, Florida; and Tucker from Washington. Associated Press writers Joe Federman in Jerusalem, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Amir Radjy in Cairo, Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin, David Klepper and Matthew Lee in Washington, Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and AP journalists around the world, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:03:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxNSFJlTzNpYnhDMDIyV1ZFWlljT3pXcUpBckhpSlhVdVdfanNPZEVyQXdxSEhfR0xPNWc2bVZaU3FpTGs4NHR0QWNDSTI5VFhndk1MSDVGdnREa09hWFlwSENXVndpTUhYYWFfWGZEY3ZPLTJBcGZmbWpsbHJESXpwMzBJN3MyeDhybVhNYmNR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8216b44570c3",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump Urges Iran Leadership Change as Report Points to Talks - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Trump Urges Iran Leadership Change as Report Points to Talks    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOUlhYd29XLXRfZkxtb2NIZnhlNGVibVN6MUhVcnV5b2RlRFQzTHZVTUZsY19MWnpULTdFODFsZ3lqSlp1ZkJZZmV4S1pWUnZRU1dUVzNMYi1BblNqVTg5UXNYMVhGbVBRNFV1bHlNWS1yMDNVVmZjbVphZkNtY1ZmRHBiZzBXVjNmMVo1RU96OWVEUWlUdjBYdnFBMzhzVEs1dnIzRHBCS1dMVmhxRVdYVkdIcw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d2d23c8fc5a0",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "What to know about Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within the country's theocracy - AP News",
    "body_text": "What to know about Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within the country’s theocracy\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has grown into a powerful force within the country’s theocracy, answering only to its supreme leader and overseeing its ballistic missile arsenal and launching attacks overseas.\nThe force is again in the spotlight as Iran widens its attacks across the Middle East following the start of a U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign that’s already killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nHere’s what to know about the Guard.\nBorn out of a revolution\nThe Guard rose out of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution as a force meant to protect the country’s Shiite cleric-overseen government and later became enshrined in its constitution. It operated parallel to Iran’s regular armed forces, growing in prominence and power during a long and ruinous war with Iraq in the 1980s.\nThough it faced possible disbandment after the war, Khamenei granted it powers to expand into private enterprise, allowing the force to thrive.\nThe Guard runs a massive construction company called Khatam al-Anbia and has firms that also build roads, man ports, run telecommunication networks and even offer laser eye surgery.\nForeign operations are key for the Guard\nThe Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force was key in creating what Iran describes as its “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and the United States. It backed Syria’s former President Bashar Assad, Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group, Yemen’s Houthi rebels and other groups in the region, growing in power in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.\nU.S. officials say the Guard taught Iraqi militants how to manufacture and use especially deadly roadside bombs against U.S. troops there. The Quds Force, as well as Iranian intelligence agencies, are believed to have hired criminal gangs and others to target dissidents and Iran’s perceived enemies abroad.\nSince the latest Israel-Hamas war, Israel has arrested citizens it has accused of receiving orders from Iran to surveil targets or conduct vandalism. Iran has denied being involved in those plots. The Guard is also believed to be heavily involved in smuggling throughout the Middle East.\nGuard’s intelligence arm is tied to arrests of foreigners\nThe Guard also operates its own intelligence services and has been behind a series of arrests and convictions of dual nationals and those with Western ties on espionage charges in closed hearings.\nWestern nations and others described Iran as using those prisoners as bargaining chips in negotiations, particularly over its nuclear program.\nWar with Israel puts new pressure on the Guard\nThe Guard’s carefully laid “Axis of Resistance” has faced its greatest challenge in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. The Palestinian militant Hamas group is among those backed by Iran. Israel is still battling Hamas in Gaza even as it has targeted other Iranian-backed groups, decimating Hezbollah and repeatedly targeting the Houthis in Yemen.\nIn Syria, Assad’s government fell in December 2024, taking away a key ally for Tehran and the Guard. Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire, something overseen by the Guard.\nIn June, Israel launched a massive airstrike campaign targeting Iran. In its first day, those strikes killed top generals in the Guard, throwing the force into disarray. Israeli attacks also destroyed ballistic missile sites and launchers, as well as Guard-manned air defense systems.\nCrackdown on recent protests\nIn Iran, one of the main ways its theocracy can squash demonstrations is through the Basij, the Guard’s all-volunteer arm.\nVideos from the protests that began on Dec. 28 show Basij members holding long guns, batons and pellet guns. Their forces have been seen beating protesters and chasing them through the streets. One well-known Basij commander even went on state television to warn parents to keep their children at home as he called for the force’s members to assemble to put down the demonstrations.\nThe European Union in January listed the Guard as a terrorist organization over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on the protests.\nWho controls the Guard now in question\nIran’s foreign minister has suggested his country’s military units are acting independently from any central government control after being pressed about attacks on Gulf Arab nations that have served as intermediaries for Tehran in the past.\nAlready, there have been attacks on Oman, which served as an intermediary in recent nuclear talks with the United States, and on Qatar, which also has negotiated with Tehran and shares a massive offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf with the Islamic Republic.\n“What happened in Oman was not our choice. We have already told our, you know, army, armed forces to be careful about the targets that they choose,” Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera on March 1. “As a matter of fact, our, you know, military units are now in fact independent and somehow isolated and they are acting based on instructions — you know, general instructions — given to them in advance.”\nMilitaries around the world do contingency planning for wars, including what to do if their central governments are affected. But Iran is a special case given that the Guard controls its vast ballistic missile arsenal and much of its stockpile of bomb-carrying drones.\nAraghchi’s comments also could serve as an excuse for the attacks as well to try to ease tensions with Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbors, who have grown increasingly enraged by the constant fire targeting them despite efforts at easing tensions in recent years.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:20:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQR1YxRkZLUF9zQmxwOEk3US1tZmVpTGFYNzFKb1RPMEFTcEtxdV84a1FwcS03NTU2dkZpejVQR2ZDZ0VJYU94WkdOeHNacWVYVGc5Y1FtWkhSVmphNnpuTFpFbmdpUXVnUTRaUkREM2Jxa01KN2J2ZGJyeUloQWxNVGdwMnJzRnZob0JMcExrRUVKVHRBblRLSWlneGhBWFc5b1hYMnlPR2JWXzAwSDA2UA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8a4fd65a943f",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's legacy is one of an Iran in ruins - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is no more. Killed in an Israeli bombardment of his headquarters in Tehran on Saturday, he leaves behind a weakened regime and a country in ruins – the stark and sombre legacy of his 37 years in power.\nMr Khamenei assumed leadership in 1989 under circumstances unusually favourable for a revolutionary state entering middle age. A decade after the revolution, the regime had consolidated its authority and stabilised the country. Iran had endured eight years of devastating war with Iraq without losing territory, and a war-weary population longed for economic recovery as well as political and social reform – a return to normality after years of upheaval.\nSaddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 further reshaped the regional landscape, enabling then-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to begin repairing relations with Arab neighbours alienated during the republic’s first revolutionary decade.\nYet Mr Khamenei, the self-proclaimed guardian of the legacy of the republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, regarded the revolution not as a concluded chapter but as an unfinished project. Suspicious of reform at home and reconciliation abroad, he repeatedly obstructed initiatives that might have brought the regime into a more peaceful accommodation with both its own people and the wider world.\nMr Rafsanjani sought to merge the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with the regular military, an effort Mr Khamenei vetoed, preserving the IRGC as a parallel force ultimately loyal to him. Inspired by Deng Xiaoping’s reforms in China, Mr Rafsanjani also attempted to liberalise Iran’s largely state-controlled economy. Mr Khamenei, wary of the political consequences of an empowered private sector, instead steered resources towards the IRGC and other revolutionary institutions that occupied the grey zone between the public and private sectors.\nThe election of president Mohammad Khatami in 1997 seemed to signal a turning point. With a winning smile, sophisticated vocabulary and a promise of political freedom, Mr Khatami embodied the aspirations of a society eager to open a new chapter. Mr Khamenei, however, feared that the public had chosen a figure akin to Mikhail Gorbachev – one whose reforms might unleash forces beyond the regime’s control. He therefore allowed the IRGC, the Basij militia and allied pressure groups to undermine Mr Khatami’s agenda in the name of preserving the revolution. It was also Mr Khamenei who effectively barred Mr Khatami from meeting US president Bill Clinton, foreclosing a rare opportunity for detente between Tehran and Washington.\nTo be sure, Mr Khamenei faced genuine external pressures. The US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq placed American forces on Iran’s borders, and president George W Bush’s inclusion of Iran in the so-called Axis of Evil hardened attitudes in Tehran despite Iran’s assistance against the Taliban. Yet Mr Khamenei’s own rhetoric – above all his repeated denunciations of Israel and predictions of its eventual disappearance – together with president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s incendiary statements and Iran’s advancing nuclear programme, furnished Israel with ample cause to resist and undermine any durable accommodation between Tehran and Washington.\nAll the hard work of president Hassan Rouhani and his capable foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to secure the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was lost in an atmosphere of deepening mistrust and mounting hostility, reinforced by Israeli pressure and Mr Khamenei’s defiant posture, when US President Donald Trump chose to withdraw unilaterally from the nuclear agreement – shattering one of the last fragile hopes for stabilising Iran’s relations with the West.\nIn 2024, Mr Khamenei permitted the relatively independent-minded Masoud Pezeshkian – a heart surgeon by training – to run for president, but the state’s afflictions were far beyond Mr Pezeshkian’s capacity to cure. In September that year, Israel effectively neutralised Hezbollah, whose missile arsenal had long deterred Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Then, in December, Bashar Al Assad’s regime in Syria – crucial for maintaining Iran’s overland supply corridor to Hezbollah – collapsed and was replaced by a government hostile to Tehran.\nYet by squandering opportunities for reconciliation with the US under president Joe Biden – and, for that matter, during Mr Trump’s second term – while waging an unrelenting struggle against Iran’s middle class, the regime only weakened itself. As impoverished citizens paid the price of Mr Khamenei’s obstinacy and poured into the streets in protest, each wave of unrest grew larger and more violent. The latest, which began on December 28, claimed between 3,100 lives, according to government figures, and as many as 36,000 Iranians, according to opposition sources.\nIn the end, Mr Khamenei fell victim to his own resistance to political, economic and social reforms that might have bridged the widening gap between state and society\nTowards the end of his life, Mr Khamenei – aging and increasingly removed from day-to-day decision-making due to the risk of Israeli assassination – came to be widely perceived as personally responsible for the regime’s failures. As a result, he grew ever more isolated. In his place, an informal leadership council emerged, resembling the arrangement that governed Iran during Mr Khomeini’s incapacitation, composed of the president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, alongside representatives of the IRGC and the regular army.\nDespite new rounds of negotiations with the US, this collective leadership proved incapable of reaching an agreement, paving the way for the joint Israeli and US bombardments of Saturday, which struck targets across Iran, including the supreme leader’s office, killing Mr Khamenei. It remains uncertain whether this collective leadership can preserve the Islamic Republic itself, let alone Iran’s territorial integrity, in the face of mounting armed insurgencies among ethnic minority groups.\nIn the end, Mr Khamenei fell victim to his own resistance to political, economic and social reforms that might have bridged the widening gap between state and society. He was also undone by the very project intended to guarantee the regime’s survival: the nuclear programme, whose advance brought Iran to the threshold of nuclear weapons capability but also invited devastating Israeli and American attacks. He leaves behind a country in ruins.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:21:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPcGFHWEhtcllFVVRuM1FBaTNwb2dkU2d4SVViOFVqZ0hnTXdpSlhEelpNNExvUUNFN3FCdlhyei1GVXg4QlZQQ1JlRHR3NVl0TVhzMlVBMUlIQm1jZjBDVVdOWndmb1kwQUUydURnY2tTMm5nUVJ2TlNUbGEyM21SUE5WclQ3TFVHZmw3WVZoZ0k3bTlrRnp4c1AwNDR2a0JGeXNHYkRSV29tX0JXR09Yd1U1MA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_70d067e82db1",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Pentagon tells Congress no sign that Iran was going to attack US first, sources say - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Pentagon tells Congress no sign that Iran was going to attack US first, sources say    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:24:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxOaDJCR1AyeVBLQkRBaE5obm9ackdUS05tTTZLRWJhSW5tRXNHdkw1a09kRk9MWDJmVDNzbDc0a1NSTXE2c1R1Rm9EYnhLbWhXZTRPdS1VV1hseVdGX1BXOXdlMFp5MzhOMmVnaXBBSmZGdlIzdW5zbThtR0FkNmJWYm43SGFwVkFSRFNGY0tmcjM1OUlrNjJPZmRKQ2o3SEhPQXQxU0x6UTVxTzJFajZWTFdWMnBJenBWRnNWOVZnbFl6UQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_525bf1031471",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Australia’s timid response to the US and Israel’s attack on Iran risks being seen as complicity | Donald Rothwell - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "International law matters when it comes to something as significant as a widescale military assault on a territory of another state, resulting in the death of its political and religious leader.\nThe 1945 United Nations charter was written at the end of the second world war to place significant constraints around precisely that type of conduct, and yet 80 years later there is a clear sense that we are living in a world in which “might is right”.\nThis is especially so when the significant military capability of the US and Israel is unleashed without any reference to accepted international norms.\nAustralia has been supportive of efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions and has made clear it will not mourn the death of Khamenei. Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong’s statement that “I’ll leave it for the United States and Israel to speak of the basis, the legal basis for the attacks” was cautious and suggested Australia was fence-sitting. On one level this may seem reasonable as the onus clearly rests with the US and Israel to justify conduct which is a serious violation of the UN charter and an act of aggression. However, how other states react in situations like this matters, because silence or refusal to make a formal and clear statement can be interpreted as complicity.\nAustralia has consistently sought to uphold and support the UN charter since its adoption and has a strong record of having done so. We are now at odds with that.\nThe Albanese government consistently references its support for various forms of international law, especially in the context of its interactions with China in the South China Sea and regionally. International law cannot be cherry-picked. It requires consistent adherence, otherwise compliance will over time erode.\nWhile there are several possible legal arguments that could be advanced to generally justify this type of military operation, none have merit in this instance. While the UN charter sought to place constraints on the use of military force and remove it from part of the everyday conduct of international relations that predated the second world war, it was made clear that the charter was not a “suicide pact”.\nTwo legal arguments are traditionally advanced to use military force. The first is when the UN security council has authorised the use of force. There are very limited examples of where this has occurred, with the 1991 Gulf War in which the US-led “Coalition of the Willing” acting under Security Council Resolution 678 expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait after its annexation by Saddam Hussein the clearest example. In this instance, no such security council resolution authorising any use of force by any UN member against Iran has been adopted.\nThe other exception is self-defence, which the charter recognises following an armed attack by one state against another. While Iran has certainly been responsible for previous armed clashes with Israel and the United States, even taking into account the 2025 “Twelve Day War” there has been no recent incident that meets the threshold for either Israel or the US acting in self-defence.\nTrump loudly proclaimed that the United States had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear weapons capability after the June 2025 airstrikes, and did so again in the recent State of the Union address. The fact is that neither Israel or the US were facing any imminent peril of a nuclear strike from Iran.\nTo date the response from around the world to the American/Israeli conduct has generally welcomed efforts to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Very few of the responses have directly addressed the issue of international law other than Norway, which made clear that the attacks were “not in line with international law.”\nThe evidence is clear that after Russia’s ongoing military assault on Ukraine, Israel’s war in Gaza, the US military intervention in Venezuela, and the US/Israeli missile barrage on Iran, that core principles of international law and constraints on the use of force are threatened.\nTrump’s disdain for international law and the United Nations, and repeated assertions from both him and White House officials that the US will not rule out using military force to take Greenland, are a further warning for the future of the international legal order.\nNow is not the time for silence. Australia needs to stand up and make its position clear in support of international law.\n-\nDonald Rothwell is professor of international law at the Australian National University",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxNVFZDLUV3YnVDQ3VTeGFEbVlzVXJJelo0Y0FyZlVpNHB3dExab2hIbWhoV2U4dGJSb2tUN0F2LWRURWFUTmtTVUVWM0pTTnVaVkI4Tktxc1dmdEk0VjNteV9IdTlWa1lieDZVbk53U0wtTDBCUWc4QVdsYnRyYTl1NTFIWTEzTXZqZzJKUG5uUUNKRW84WDFLYlRJVE5VREVsUmFMOW5ZSDNxWVdQUE9HWlVpU1hQY2RQbDNiTkhQSm5wQlEwUHc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f259ff44766a",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Trump warns of more US casualties but vows to continue Operation Epic Fury in Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump warns of likely further US casualties while vowing to continue Operation Epic Fury in Iran.\nThree US service members were killed in Kuwait by an Iranian retaliatory strike, with at least five others wounded.\nThe President claims hundreds of Iranian targets were hit within minutes, including IRGC bases, air defences and nine naval vessels.\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in Saturday’s strikes, with Mr Trump alleging Iran’s military command has been eliminated but operations will continue.\n“We grieve for the patriots who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this nation,” the President said.\nThree US service members were killed in Kuwait in a retaliatory strike from Iran after joint US-Israeli attacks. At least five soldiers were wounded.\n“As one nation, we grieve for the patriots who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this nation,” Mr Trump said in a recorded video message from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he has been since the US-Israeli attack on Iran began on Saturday.\nIran has continued to attack countries throughout the Middle East that contain US military bases.\nIn his address, posted to Truth Social, Mr Trump also encouraged Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members to put down their weapons and defect.\nHe also seemed to acknowledge polling that indicates limited US patience for a prolonged military conflict. He called the US operation in Iran “one of the most complex” ever, adding that that the US has hit hundreds of targets including IRGC bases, air defence systems and nine naval vessels \"all within minutes\".\nThe President also spoke of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the Saturday strikes, calling him a “wretched and vile man” and claiming that he was responsible for the deaths of “hundreds and even thousands” of Americans.\nMr Trump claimed that since the strikes began, Iran’s entire military command has been eliminated, but added that US combat operations would continue.\nShortly after his speech was released, he boarded Air Force One for a flight to Washington.\nIn interviews with UK and US news outlets, Mr Trump said the war against Iran would last four weeks, later suggesting five weeks.\n\"It's always been about a four-week process. As strong as it is, it's a big country, it'll take four weeks – or less,\" Mr Trump told the Daily Mail. In a telephone interview with the New York Times, he said \"four to five weeks\".\nMr Trump is likely to face opposition from Democrats and some Republicans in Congress who demand to know why the US President did not get congressional approval before striking Iran.\nDemocratic members of Congress on Sunday said that they would push for a formal vote in the days ahead that would block the President from carrying out more strikes, although they probably do not have enough bipartisan support to get such legislation passed.\n\"I can understand Trump taking a bold gamble but I disagree with this gamble at this moment,\" Democratic Senator Chris Coons told CNN's State of the Union a few hours before Mr Trump's video statement was released.\nThe Democratic senator also said that the Trump White House would be ill-advised to compare this particular military endeavour to previous US military actions.\n\"It [Iran] lacks the internal divisions that were so prevalent both in Venezuela and Iraq,\" he said.\nBut Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-time Iran hawk, voiced strong support for Mr Trump's decision.\n\"The largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran, is close to collapsing,\" he told NBC. \"The leader of the largest state sponsor of terrorism … is dead.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:29:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxOMy1lMGJTcm1QRGM2TG9Fd3ZfbnE0RjB2SGVFcmJBaUswdmpJVUh6TnpuZjRlSWY1b1NYUEw3ZFpZVDJRQ3U5MjZwVmNmN0VuLUpvdTUxWEwzN21iczA1dGZEZVphcUNZUEpES1F4Rnd6dnRNZ1pZYm1XVndaSUlnbnZOTW9aQ28?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a1ffdcbe592d",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US F-15s downed in Kuwait, Hegseth won’t rule out ground troops - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain supreme leader, as successor\nIran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the recently killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader, according to a statement from the Assembly of Experts published by state media early Monday local time.\nMojtaba Khamenei, 56, is a cleric who has long operated behind the scenes within Iran’s political and religious establishment and maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Though he has never held a formal government post, he has for years been seen as a powerful figure within his father’s inner circle and a potential successor.\nThe development comes after Israel had warned it would target any replacement for the 86-year-old Khamenei who was killed in an Israeli strike during the first day of the war. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Sunday that Israel would pursue “the successor and everyone who tries to appoint him,” warning clerics involved in the selection process that they would also be targeted. Israeli forces struck offices linked to the Assembly of Experts earlier in the war.\nIn Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would intensify despite mounting regional tensions. In remarks broadcast by state media, he said Iran would not yield under pressure and suggested attacks on American-linked targets across the Middle East could escalate if strikes on Iran continue. “When we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond. The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be,” he said.\nThe comments marked a harder line after Pezeshkian sought to reassure Gulf neighbors on Saturday, apologizing for Iranian strikes that had alarmed countries across the region and urging them not to join US and Israeli operations against Iran. Hard-line figures within Iran’s leadership quickly pushed back, insisting that attacks would continue on locations used to support strikes against Iran.\nMeanwhile, hostilities are intensifying in Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said Sunday that 394 people have been killed since fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah escalated earlier in the week.\nEarly Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit a hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, according to the health ministry. Israel said the strike targeted commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force operating in the Lebanese capital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:44:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxOaWhPTDE5LUc1czM2REpGMHZiZ2RIVDdabDBYcDdTREozQjJpNDlKeHBRZS1QUU94NjlFR25VSjE3c19Dd09aVUNuSkktRm5WMFp5Skswb09ldmRLR0owMlQwVGZ4d1FoOEZYQW1hMXlzYVZFZGlGR0pYcEpqdFdmaDZJTm5vNThrVmZkNjZxVQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6d728983f4fd",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US-Israel attacks on Iran: Death toll and injuries live tracker - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Explosions continue to be heard for a ninth day in Iran, Israel, and across several Middle Eastern states after the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on Saturday.\nTehran has responded by launching waves of missiles and drones at Israel and towards several military bases in the Middle East where US forces operate.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Why has the UAE closed its stock exchanges?\n- list 2 of 3Israel intensifies war on Lebanon after Hezbollah attack\n- list 3 of 3Gas prices soar as QatarEnergy halts LNG production after Iran attacks\nIran had previously warned that if it were attacked, it would respond by targeting US military facilities across the region, which it considers legitimate targets.\nWhich countries have been attacked?\nUS forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran since Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the region, said on Tuesday.\nIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has launched attacks on at least 27 bases in the Middle East where US troops are deployed as well as Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel.\nIn total, Iran has launched 500 missiles and 2,000 drones during the first four days of hostilities, according to Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of CENTCOM.\nSo far, Iran has launched strikes across nine countries in the region: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. An Iranian drone also struck a runway at a UK military base in Cyprus.\nMost of these attacks have been intercepted.\nHow many people have been killed or injured?\nBelow are the confirmed casualties across the 12 countries that have been subject to attacks as of Sunday at 08:30 GMT.\nDue to the rapidly evolving situation, all figures may change as more information becomes available.\nIran – killed: 1,332, injured: hundreds\nThe death toll in Iran from the US-Israeli attacks has risen to 1,332, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency is reporting.\nThe deadliest single incident occurred in the city of Minab in southeastern Iran, where a strike on an elementary girls school.\nHossein Kermanpour, the head of public relations at Iran’s Health Ministry, says the Israeli attack on the girls’ school in Minab on Sunday has killed “about 180 young children”.\nIsrael – killed: 11, injured: hundreds\nOn Sunday afternoon, an Iranian ballistic missile strike on central Israel’s Beit Shemesh killed nine people and injured more than 20. Rescue workers are still combing through the rubble.\nLate on Saturday, one woman in the Tel Aviv area was confirmed killed after being struck by falling shrapnel.\nAt least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv were damaged in Iranian strikes on Saturday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, citing the city government.\nUS soldiers – killed: 6, injured: 18\nOn Monday, the US military confirmed that its death toll from the conflict has risen to six, after two bodies were recovered from a regional facility struck by Iran.\nBahrain – killed: 1, injured: 4\nIranian missiles have targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain’s Juffair area multiple times.\nBahrain’s Ministry of Interior also confirmed that the country’s international airport was targeted with a drone, “resulting in material damage without loss of life”.\nOn Saturday night, several residential buildings in the capital, Manama, were struck by Iranian drones.\nThe Ministry of Interior confirmed that an Asian worker was killed on Monday when debris from an intercepted missile fell onto a foreign vessel undergoing maintenance in Salman Industrial City.\nIraq – killed: 2, injured: 7\nThe US and Israel also targeted the Jurf al-Sakher base, also known as Jurf al-Nasr, in southern Iraq, which houses the Popular Mobilisation Forces, made up of mostly Shia fighters, and the Iran-supported Iraqi paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah.\nIraqi state media and sources within Kataib Hezbollah confirmed that two fighters were killed in the strikes and five were wounded.\nIn northern Iraq‘s semiautonomous Kurdish region, where the US is reported to still have troops, several powerful explosions were reported near the US consulate and international airport in Erbil.\nAir defences intercepted the drone attacks on Saturday, according to reports.\nJordan – killed: 0, injured: 5\nThe Jordanian armed forces reported intercepting 49 drones and ballistic missiles that entered Jordanian airspace. While their fragments caused localised property damage.\nKuwait – killed: 6, injured: Dozens\nOn Monday, Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said “several” US warplanes have crashed in the country, all the crew survived.\nOn Wednesday, The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health reported the death of a girl from shrapnel-induced injuries.\nAt least three others have been killed in Kuwait since the start of the conflict between US-Israeli forces and Iran.\nOn Sunday, Kuwait’s Fire Force said two of its officers have been killed “while performing duties”. The statement published on X did not provide details on the circumstances of their deaths.\nLebanon – killed: 339, injured: 1000+\nIn its most recent casualty update, the Lebanese Health Ministry said that at least 339 people have been injured in Israeli attacks since Monday, March 2, following Hezbollah’s launch of rockets toward northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei.\nIsrael has issued forced displacement order for residents in southern Lebanon. On Saturday, Lebanon’s social affairs minister, Haneen Sayed, announced that approximately 454,000 Lebanese people had registered as displaced.\nOman – killed: 1, injured: 5\nOn March 1, the Oman News Agency, quoting a security source, said two drones had targeted the Duqm port, injuring one foreign worker.\nLater, Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said a Palau-flagged oil tanker was attacked about 5 nautical miles (9km) off Oman’s Musandam governorate, injuring four people.\nQatar – killed: 0, injured: 16\nThe Qatari Ministry of Interior confirmed that the number of injured was at 16 people. Most injuries were reported to be from falling shrapnel and debris with one person seriously hurt.\nThe Qatari Ministry of Defence confirmed that two ballistic missiles struck the Al Udeid military base, where US forces are stationed, while a drone targeted an early warning radar installation.\nThe Qatar Civil Aviation Authority suspended all air navigation indefinitely. Qatar Airways grounded all flights.\nAll schools have moved to remote learning, and public gatherings for Ramadan have been suspended until further notice to ensure public safety.\nSaudi Arabia – killed: 0, injured: 0\nThe Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Iranian attacks targeted both the capital, Riyadh, and Eastern Province, home to major oil infrastructure and the King Abdulaziz Air Base.\nThe kingdom has officially reported no casualties.\nUnited Arab Emirates – killed: 3, injured: 112\nAs of Saturday afternoon, at least three people in the UAE, including nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, were confirmed killed, and 112 others wounded.\nUS military presence in the Middle East\nThe US has operated military bases in the Middle East for decades.\nAccording to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US operates a broad network of military sites, both permanent and temporary, across at least 19 locations in the region.\nOf these, eight are permanent bases in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.\nAs of mid-2025, there are about 40,000 to 50,000 US soldiers in the Middle East stationed in both large, permanent bases and smaller forward sites.\nThe countries with the most US soldiers are Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. These installations serve as critical hubs for US air and naval operations, regional logistics, intelligence gathering and force projection.",
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    "article_id": "art_a5ec470d0986",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump is ending this 'forever war': Marc Thiessen - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 12:00 AM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\n2:00 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox News Sunday\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM\nFox Business Channel\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:48:06+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Authorities increase security on Capitol Hill after Iran strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:57:21+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_77d03586db00",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Transcript: War in Iran — What comes next? - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Transcript: War in Iran — What comes next?\nThis is an audio transcript of the FT News Briefing podcast episode: ‘War in Iran — What comes next?’\nVictoria Craig\nGood morning from the Financial Times. Today is Monday, March 2nd. And this is a special edition of your FT News Briefing.\nThe US and Israel have launched their most vigorous attempt to overthrow the Islamic regime since it came to power in 1979. That will have sweeping ramifications for the country, the wider Middle East and economies around the world.\nToday, we’re bringing you coverage from Washington to Tehran. I’m Victoria Craig and here’s the news you need to start your day.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nOver the past 72 hours, the US and Israel have pounded Iran with air strikes. Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly four decades, is dead. Other senior leaders in the Iranian regime have also been killed in the strikes.\nIt’s tense on the ground in Iran and Najmeh Bozorgmehr is our Tehran correspondent. She explains, people there feel as though they’re standing at the threshold of a new and unpredictable chapter in their lives.\nNajmeh Bozorgmehr\nA wave of fear, anxiety and profound uncertainty has swept across the capital city, Tehran, since Saturday when US and Israeli strikes began. The killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has satisfied his opponents while leaving his supporters in mourning.\nConfusion is also deepening. Residents fear the conflict might not end anytime soon. People asking one another the same urgent question: should they remain at home and follow the news or leave the city in search of safety?\nSchools and universities are shut down in Tehran and shops are closed. Only health centres, grocery stores and banks operate. Highways leading out of Tehran are filled with traffic. Those who chose to stay have stocked up on food and essential supplies. They are bracing for uncertain days ahead.\nVictoria Craig\nThat’s the FT’s Najmeh Bozorgmehr reporting from the Iranian capital.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nThe strikes on Iran and Tehran’s counter-attacks will have widespread ramifications across the Middle East and reverberate around the world. I’m joined now by Andrew England, our Middle East editor. Hi, Andrew.\nAndrew England\nHi.\nVictoria Craig\nAnd I’m also joined by Abigail Hauslohner, the FT’s US foreign affairs correspondent. Hi to you, Abby.\nAbigail Hauslohner\nHi, Victoria.\nVictoria Craig\nSo Andrew, I wanna start with you. President Trump has strongly hinted that he wants regime change in Iran. Do we know yet what that looks like?\nAndrew England\nI think he’s looking for disillusioned Iranians to rise up and exploit this chaos. The problem is no one knows what regime change would look like. There’s no organised, structured opposition inside Tehran. There’s no organised, structured opposition outside Tehran. We don’t know how far Trump — if he does want to see regime change — what’s he willing to do. Most people think it could only happen if there were boots on the ground. And the sense is that Trump wouldn’t put boots on the ground.\nThe regime is weakened, but it’s still resilient. Since Khamenei’s death on Saturday morning, it has continued to fire missiles and drones across the region. It’s got the revolutionary guards of about 180,000 troops, which is ideologically loyal to their regime. And it has ideological bait, it’s weakened, it’s wounded, it’s at its most vulnerable indicators, but nobody yet is predicting that it’s about to implode.\nVictoria Craig\nAbby, I wanna bring you into this conversation because US President Donald Trump, late on Sunday, said the military campaign against Iran is ongoing and he vowed that it would, quote, continue until all of our objectives are achieved.\nHere he is speaking on a video posted to his social media network.\nDonald Trump voice clip\nI call upon all the radiant patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic and take back your country. America is with you. I made a promise to you and I fulfilled that promise. The rest will be up to you, but we will be there to help.\nVictoria Craig\nSo Abby, for a lot of people listening, they’re gonna be wondering, what is the president’s plan from here? Do we know?\nAbigail Hauslohner\nWell, Trump hasn’t provided much in the way of details. It sounds like he is saying, I’m gonna take out the regime and then you, Iranian people, come and make what you will of that and start a new government. His surrogates on Capitol Hill have said that he has no intention of sending US troops into Iran.\nThat makes a regime change and particularly some sort of orderly transition really, really challenging. If he has a plan, he hasn’t revealed it and so his critics are saying that this could get really, really messy.\nVictoria Craig\nYeah, in terms of this question about longevity, Andrew, we’ve seen Iran attack its own allies in the region and it got a sharp rebuke on Sunday from the UAE.\nWhat does a prolonged conflict mean for the region and regional stability going forward?\nAndrew England|\nIran has a tense relationship with, you know, most of the countries in the region. They have been seeking to de-escalate over the recent years, both the Arab states and Iran. But what we’ve seen is that Iran clearly sees it faces an existential moment, as it’s in a battle for its very survival.\nYou know, Iran’s calculation is to survive and to endure and to ensure that the US feels a cost, you know, the global economy feels a cost. But from Iran’s perspective, it only needs to get, you know, one missile through, two missile through to cause damage, to cause fear, to cause disruption. And that’s how it calculates its successes.\nNow the question is how long it can sustain this, when it’s being bombed so heavily by the US and Israel.\nVictoria Craig\nAbby, I mean, given what we just heard from Andrew and his description of Iran’s will to survive, if we look to other examples of US-led attempts at regime change in the Middle East, are there lessons for President Trump and his administration there?\nAbigail Hauslohner\nYeah, I mean, in Libya, that’s probably the closest parallel to this. The US never sent forces into Libya as Libyans were rising up on their own against their dictator, Muammer Gaddafi. President Obama figured that he could assist the rebels and Nato with their fight by imposing a no-fly zone and carrying out air strikes on Gaddafi’s forces. Ultimately, the Libyans were able to overthrow Gaddafi.\nBut the US there didn’t do any follow-through. There was no real follow-through on the ground to ensure that Libya had some sort of heavy assistance trying to transition from that anarchy into some sort of democracy and Libya is still paying the price today.\nPresident Trump could easily look to those examples for both why arguably the odds are stacked against him for an easy regime change success, but also how the turmoil has given rise to terrorist groups, economic upheaval and other negative consequences that do have ramifications for Americans and for people much further than those countries’ borders.\nAndrew England\nAnd just to follow up to what Abby said, obviously, the people who suffer most in these circumstances are the people in the countries. If the regime does implode now in Iran and there is no clear or stable transition, then it’ll be the people — Trump claims to be bringing freedom to — who will ultimately suffer more than anybody else.\nVictoria Craig\nStill lots of questions that we’ll be keeping close tabs on in the days ahead. Abby Hauslohner, the FT’s US foreign affairs correspondent. And Andrew England, our Middle East editor. Thanks so much to you both for your time.\nAndrew England\nThank you.\nAbigail Hauslohner\nThank you.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nVictoria Craig\nTraders are expecting intense volatility in the oil market this week. The main concern is about Iran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz. It’s a waterway that leads in and out of the Arabian Gulf. And it’s a vital shipping lane where nearly 20 per cent of the world’s daily oil supplies pass through. Over the last couple of days, transit has ground to a near standstill, so to help dull any big spikes in oil prices, the Opec+ producer group pledged to boost next month’s production by more than 200,000 barrels a day.\nI wanna bring in Malcolm Moore, he’s the FT’s energy editor, to talk more about this. Hi, Malcolm.\nMalcolm Moore\nHi there.\nVictoria Craig\nSo how meaningful is this supply increase from Opec+?\nMalcolm Moore\nIt’s meaningful in that Opec really wants to send a signal to the markets that if it needs to produce more oil, it will produce more oil.\nIt’s not meaningful in terms of the actual number of barrels. We were expecting Opec to increase production by about 137 to 140,000 barrels a day. So an extra 60,000 barrels is neither here nor there, but it sends an important signal to the market that Opec is ready, it’s monitoring. If it sees oil prices rising, then it can raise production again.\nAnd what Opec is doing is it’s keeping its powder dry. Because it doesn’t have a huge amount of extra oil production that it can quickly bring on tap. So it does want to give it all in one go. It wants to wait and see and then feed more into the market as it needs it.\nVictoria Craig\nDoes it seem like there will be long-term disruption to access the Strait of Hormuz, or what is the situation there right now? How fluid is it?\nMalcolm Moore\nWhat we’ve seen so far has not been hugely optimistic. People are concerned that insurance companies have basically said, look, we are not sure how to price the risk of moving through the Strait of Hormuz, at the moment. It’s gonna be a lot more expensive. We may pull insurance from some ships. And if they start to do that, really, nobody can send any ships anywhere.\nAnd on Sunday, we saw a number of significant things: two ships were hit. When we start seeing ships being hit in this region, then obviously shippers start to pull their ships back. People are just waiting to see what happens next.\nVictoria Craig\nFinally, Malcolm, what impact would these potentially huge rises in the oil price mean for the global economy?\nMalcolm Moore\nIf we see the same sort of escalation that we’ve seen in the last couple of days continue, people are talking about oil north of a hundred dollars a barrel. I mean, huge rises in the oil price is gonna have a significant impact on inflation everywhere. But in the US, there are some analysts saying that it’s gonna push inflation up from 2.4 per cent to above 4 per cent. Very significant inflationary consequences. And so, I’m sure the US is coordinating with everybody to try and ensure that that doesn’t happen.\nWe’re into very unpredictable territory now. It’s unclear what the Iranians are gonna do from here on in. And it’s also very unclear how long traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains subdued.\nVictoria Craig\nLots to keep our eyes focused on in the days and weeks ahead. Malcolm Moore, the FT’s energy editor. Thanks so much for your time.\nMalcolm Moore\nThanks.\nVictoria Craig\nAs always, you can read more on all of our coverage about the strikes in Iran and all of the stories in today’s podcast for free when you click the links in our show notes.\nThis has been a special edition of your daily FT News Briefing.\nBe sure to check back tomorrow for the latest business news.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T04:59:59+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_45c23e339a3a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict risks hurting financial firms' Middle Eastern activities - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict risks hurting financial firms' Middle Eastern activities    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxQOVVvV1FfSTVoX1RLWVVUdllodE5XRFh6VlFiWTl5bFp6akdJZnlaUjhRSDV5dVZfOEVHTFFwUk1US2VzMzZ0VGdhTXRtVnlta190S0x1WmNyQXRQcHNaT1pFTkRER3c3VkI3cTdDVnp5UF9wX0NCbzVweUtWaXdlYktOaDFSLXd6QUJEY0FKS28xWkV6UVJ2dmQ2WmdXSjJkUS1IcV9CeTAyZWFfa2VXVzhlSmVGTWFBUWF3WkQtV3R5Zw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8d9e80cc6bc1",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "What to Stream: Harry Styles, 'War Machine,' Steve Carell, 'Young Sherlock' and Pokémon Pokopia - AP News",
    "body_text": "What to Stream: Harry Styles, ‘War Machine,’ Steve Carell, ‘Young Sherlock’ and Pokémon Pokopia\nWhat to Stream: Harry Styles, ‘War Machine,’ Steve Carell, ‘Young Sherlock’ and Pokémon Pokopia\nHarry Styles’ fourth solo album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” and Guy Ritchie’s detective series “Young Sherlock” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.\nAlso among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Steve Carell starring in the feel-good comedy “Rooster” on HBO, Nintendo’s Pokémon Pokopia offering a peaceful gaming experience and Netflix has the sci-fi action pic “War Machine.”\nNew movies to stream from March 2-8\n— For anyone catching up with this year’s Oscar nominees, both Jafar Panahi’s darkly comedic revenge film “It Was Just an Accident” and Kleber Mendonça Filho ‘s “The Secret Agent” are streaming on Hulu starting in March. Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winner, which Mark Kennedy called one of the most moving of the year in his AP review, is vying for best international feature and best original screenplay at the Oscars on March 15. “The Secret Agent” is up for best picture, best actor (Wagner Moura), best international feature and best casting. In my review I called it a “slow burn thriller,” adding that it is, “the best kind of personal film, imbued with so many things that Mendonça Filho loves, both resurrection and elegy.”\n— Not to be confused with the David Michôd-directed Brad Pitt movie from 2017, Netflix has a new sci-fi action pic called “War Machine” streaming on Friday, March 6. This new film stars Alan Ritchson as an Army Ranger who while on a training mission comes across a deadly machine that relentlessly hunts him and his peers. Dennis Quaid also stars alongside Stephan James and Jai Courtney.\n— A pickpocket (Ben Radcliffe) lands a job at a stately English manor and begins a romance with the lady-of-the-house ( Thomasin McKenzie ) in “Fackham Hall,” a slapstick spoof with a side of murder mystery that crosses “Downton Abbey” with “Monty Python.” Also starring Katherine Waterston, Damian Lewis and Tom Felton, “Fackham Hall” begins streaming on HBO Max on March 6. Or if you’d just rather go with actual “Downton Abbey,” the third movie, “The Grand Finale” is streaming on Netflix on Saturday, March 7.\nNew music to stream from March 2-8\n— He hath returned: Harry Styles is back with his fourth solo album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” out Friday via Columbia Records. Details are sparse: He described the album as “an audio representation of a long diary entry” in a Q&A with his stylist Harry Lambert in The Sunday Times Magazine; he’s teased the release as a direct reflection of his time spent out of the spotlight in Rome. The first taste arrived in the form of “Aperture,” a Styles’ opening track if we’ve ever heard one, a five-minute slow-burn built of accelerating synths. He told BBC Radio 1 the song was at least partially inspired by seeing LCD Soundsystem live and listening to the ’80s English post-punk band The Durutti Column. Freedom, he seems to be teasing, comes from anonymity, a dance floor, and braking as the music speeds.\n— Denzel Curry and The Scythe (made up of rappers Bktherula, TiaCorine, Key Nyata and Ferg, formerly known as A$AP Ferg) are back at it with “Strictly 4 The Scythe.” Call them the exemplar Southern rap crew — this dream team sounds like they’re having more fun than anyone else in the game. That’s clear from the titular track “The Scythe,” with its bounce verses and chant-along chorus.\nNew series to stream from March 2-8\n— Scott Speedman’s charisma is on full display in the new ABC series “R.J. Decker.” Speedman plays a former newspaper photographer and ex-con who has decided to forge a new path as a private investigator. The show takes place in South Florida where the cases can be bonkers, because Florida. The series is inspired by Carl Hiaasen’s novel “Double Whammy.” Hiaasen is from Florida, understands its oddities and sets his books there. “RJ Decker” will be available beginning Wednesday on Hulu.\n— Before Sherlock Holmes became the world’s greatest detective, he studied at Oxford University. That’s the backdrop for Prime Video’s “Young Sherlock,” starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as the titular character. The series is executive produced and directed by Guy Ritchie and has all the qualities you would expect from a Ritchie production: action sequences, fast-pacing and smart dialogue. In this series, we also see Sherlock meet and befriend of all people, James Moriarty, his biggest nemesis. All 8-episodes drop Wednesday.\n— Another prequel premieres this week. “Ted” the TV series returns for a second season Thursday on Peacock. It’s about the early days of the foul-mouthed teddy bear (Seth MacFarlane) and his best friend John (Max Burkholder) who is in high school. MacFarlane is also an executive producer, writer, director and co-showrunner.\n— Steve Carell stars in the new feel-good comedy “Rooster” for HBO. He plays a best-selling author who takes a job at a college where his daughter is also a professor and going through a tough time. The series is cocreated by Bill Lawrence (“Ted Lasso,” “Scrubs” and “Shrinking.”) Phil Dunster, Danielle Deadwyler and John C. McGinley have main roles. It premieres Sunday, March 8 on HBO Max.\nNew video games to play from March 2-8\n— The folks at Bungie set a high standard for sci-fi shooters with Halo and Destiny, but few players remember their first crack at the genre: 1994’s Marathon. The new Marathon jumps 99 years into the future and all the way out to a distant planet called Tau Ceti IV, where the original explorers tried to build a new colony. By the time you get there, though, most of the colonists have vanished, and it’s up to you to collect whatever loot they left behind. Bungie says you can play solo, but you’ll probably want to round up some online crewmates once the player-vs.-player mayhem starts. The expedition begins Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.\n— Nintendo’s Pokémon Pokopia isn’t the usual “gotta catch ‘em all” adventure. It’s more like “build ’em all a nice place to live and hope they show up.” Your character is a shape-shifting Ditto, and you’ve been dropped in a desolate landscape. Fortunately, the wise old Professor Tangrowth is there to help spruce it up. You’ll need to diversify if you want to attract visitors, since Pidgey’s probably going to want some trees and Psyduck may want a lake. If you’ve ever wanted to be surrounded by Pokémon without making them fight, this must be the place. Move in Thursday on Switch 2.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxOMUtDSU1BN2ljajFKeFBQc3BZVEdrZUdrMGxDakFMNl9aLURDZ3NFa2ZwTVo3RGtSajVhVzQ2MWRNLUJUX2dKYktUWnBuX1ZqQk1uOUdsYU5Kby1rQXR2bUMwZ1I2V2tPYl9zOTNWRVpBQXoyaEdHVzYzNnBCLXVzWXlUdEJ2WmJzQmZjWmljLTlMM3JSYTZfZ2JWd3djS0VGUF81SnVCRl9MUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2e4f17cdfa7a",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "In charts: how Donald Trump became a military interventionist - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "In charts: how Donald Trump became a military interventionist\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE52bWtrd2t5WWpuby1wUS1JMVFqc0s0bEhrZ3JmSjVHX0VEcHlSeDAxcnBuQ3ZISUVYR2RMRHpyS1lHcmdtQ3Q2VmNiLXVXOUt2SG1wMUdTbUtGYlgzYU1LNkpGa3lWeDBQRUhseHZ0cGk?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2f8f0b994e0a",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Michael B Jordan upends Oscars race as Sinners wins big at Actor Awards",
    "body_text": "Michael B Jordan upends Oscars race as Sinners wins big at Actor Awards\nUS actor Michael B Jordan has scored a surprise win at the Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, giving him a surge of momentum in the final weeks before the Oscars.\nHe was named best actor for his role in vampire horror Sinners, which also scored the top prize of the night - best ensemble cast.\n\"I don't even know where to begin, I wasn't expecting this at all,\" Jordan said in his speech, adding that he felt \"so honoured and privileged\" to have been nominated.\nAccepting the best ensemble prize, his co-star Delroy Lindo said making Sinners had been an \"incredible journey\", adding: \"Every single day we brought ourselves, our hearts, our souls, to this endeavour.\"\nLindo said: \"To be recognised by you all, 'thank you' does not come anywhere near to encompassing what we feel, the gratitude.\"\nThe awards for Sinners came a week after the Bafta Film Awards, where Jordan and Lindo were praised for their composure after Tourette's campaigner John Davidson involuntarily shouted a racial slur while the pair were on stage.\nOther winners at the Actor Awards included Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) and Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), as well as a surprise supporting actress victory for Amy Madigan (Weapons) and a posthumous win for Catherine O'Hara (The Studio).\nIn his acceptance speech, Jordan paid tribute to his mother Donna, who he has been bringing to events as his guest throughout awards season, for supporting his acting career from a young age.\n\"Mom, thank you for driving me back and forth to New York when we didn't have enough money to go through the Harlem tunnel, when we were looking for gas money, parking spaces,\" he said.\nJordan also thanked Sinners director Ryan Coogler and his co-stars, commenting: \"Everybody that had something to do with this movie, you gave us your time and your talents and vulnerability and allowed me to do my best work.\"\nVoting for this year's Actor Awards ceremony closed on Friday, five days after the Baftas ceremony, where the N-word was shouted while Lindo and Jordan were on stage.\nLindo acknowledged the incident at another awards event on Saturday, telling the audience: \"We appreciate the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend.\n\"It's a classic case of something that could've been very negative becoming very positive,\" he said from the stage at the NAACP Image Awards. \"Thank you so much for the support.\"\nCatherine O'Hara wins posthumous prize\nPaying tribute to O'Hara and accepting the prize on her behalf, the show's creator Seth Rogen said: \"She really showed that you can be a genius, and be kind, and one of those things does not have to come at the expense of the other.\n\"Something I've been marvelling at over the last few weeks was her ability to be generous and kind and gracious while never minimising her own talents, and her own ability to contribute to the work we were doing.\"\nHe added: \"She knew she could destroy, and she wanted to destroy every day on set.\"\nO'Hara's win was one of several for The Studio, along with best comedy ensemble and best comedy actor for Rogen.\nOther TV winners included Michelle Williams (Dying For Sex), Keri Russell (The Diplomat) and British actor Owen Cooper (Adolescence), but he was not present at the Los Angeles ceremony to collect his trophy.\nMedical drama The Pitt won best drama ensemble and best TV drama actor for Noah Wyle, who told his co-stars filming the series had \"been challenging, difficult and rewarding in ways I couldn't possibly fathom, but I look at your faces and I wouldn't change one thing\".\nJessie Buckley continues to sweep\nHamnet star Buckley said it was \"such a privilege\" to win best actress, a category she has been bulldozing throughout awards season.\nAdapted from Maggie O'Farrell's novel, Hamnet tells the semi-fictionalised story of the death of William Shakespeare's 11-year-old son.\nAccepting her trophy, the Irish actress paid tribute her co-star Emily Watson, who was seen cheering Buckley from the audience.\n\"To share those scenes with you in Hamnet, I will cherish that for the rest of my life,\" Buckley told Watson. \"Your wild imagination, your brave untethered womanhood, your ferocious gentleness is a guiding light to me.\"\nShe added: \"To get to work with my heart in my hand and stand beside my brilliant daring friends who show me their heart, I mean what a way to spend a life, thank you.\"\nAmy Madigan weaponises supporting actress race\nThere was another surprise win in the supporting actress category, which saw Amy Madigan win for her role as a terrifying aunt in horror film Weapons.\n\"It's such an honour to be here, I've been doing this a long-ass time,\" laughed the 75-year-old.\n\"Gladys has surprised me because she's getting a lot of love back,\" she said of her Weapons character, an eccentric woman who turns up in a US town just before the local schoolchildren go missing.\n\"I'm overwhelmed and so happy,\" she added. \"I wasn't expecting this, but it does really mean a lot to me from my peers.\"\nMadigan won a Critics Choice Award early in awards season, but lost momentum in recent weeks after missing out at the Golden Globes and not being nominated by Bafta.\nHer Actor Award win gives her a late boost of momentum as the Oscars race reaches its final stages.\nFord receives lifetime achievement\nHarrison Ford won the lifetime achievement prize after a six-decade career that has included roles in Star Wars, The Fugitive, Indiana Jones and Blade Runner.\n\"It's a little weird to be getting a lifetime achievement award at the half-point of my career,\" the 83-year-old joked. \"It's a little early isn't it?\"\nHe continued: \"Being able to deliver the work we create together to an audience is an honour and a privilege. And because of that privilege, I've come to know myself.\n\"This is a tough business to get into. In my case it's been a tough business to get out of, thank god, because I love what I do.\"\nFord concluded: \"I'm a lucky guy, lucky to have found my people, lucky to have work that challenges me, lucky to still be doing it. I don't take that for granted.\"\nCould Sinners win best picture?\nTaking place late in awards season, the Actor Awards are voted for by other actors and can give a valuable indication of momentum.\nSinners is heading into the Oscars with 16 nominations, the highest number for any film in Academy Awards history.\nSet in the 1930s Mississippi Delta, the film tells the story of two twin brothers (played by Jordan) who hope to open a new music venue, before their plans are derailed by an evil force.\nThe film is a strong contender for best picture at the Oscars, but it faces particular competition from One Battle After Another, which has won major prizes at other events such as the Golden Globe, Bafta Film Awards and the Producers Guild Awards.\nJordan's win on Sunday is further evidence of how much support there is for Sinners, and it was telling just how delighted Viola Davis and Samuel L Jackson were to announce the film's two wins.\nBut Jordan has struggled to win best actor elsewhere this awards season, with Timothée Chalamet, Wagner Moura and Robert Aramayo (who isn't Oscar-nominated) winning the award at other precursor events.\nWhile other categories have clearer frontrunners - such as Buckley in best actress - Jordan's Actor Award win leaves the best actor race too close to call ahead of the Oscars on 15 March.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:08:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyzklvk79yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_0fe51896eff6",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Indonesia Central Bank Intervenes as Iran Crisis Hits Rupiah - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Indonesia Central Bank Intervenes as Iran Crisis Hits Rupiah    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxQQnNxNWQzd2cxS09PZW1CVDd3S2IwOFppYXZfR0ppaThXWlA1NHZxeGQxTVFIM0lqcFJjNjk4NDdFbjNuV2RzajJ0dnBSMHo2dWRkbzZaUm1GUGxzb2toWHAzV3hJQVBXYktDcGlnSy1hT3p4c1plNTFLaGdNRDJMLS1lYnIwbjZoRlRMZGpnSE1WejIyN0FNT0pHY2VBZHpWdnA1b2JPb2lRWHotMjBqQ25iMDMtZGs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cfe470b399df",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran death toll rises as Trump vows to continue operation: what we know so far on day three - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Here is a brief recap of developments on the third day of US and Israel attacks on Iran, and of Tehran continuing retaliatory strikes against US allies across the Gulf after the killing of its supreme leader on Saturday.\n-\nAt least 555 people have been killed in Iran by the Israel-US attacks across 131 cities since Saturday, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.\n-\nDonald Trump said the US military is continuing to carry out large-scale operations in Iran and said the campaign could continue for four to five weeks or more. The US president said his objectives in Iran include “destroying Iran’s missile capabilities” and “annihilating their navy”, as well as preventing them from ever having nuclear weapons; he said that Tehran “cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside their borders”. He also cited the apparent lack of progress in diplomatic negotiations as further justification for the strikes.\n-\nThe US president earlier did not rule out the possibility of boots on the ground in Iran if necessary, in an interview with the New York Post. US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said there weren’t plans to have service members on the ground in Iran, but was also reluctant to say whether this was the administration’s lasting stance. “We’re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do,” he told a Pentagon press conference earlier.\n-\nTrump also told CNN that the “big wave” of strikes against Iran is yet to come. “We haven’t even started hitting them hard,” the US president said. “We’re knocking the crap out of them.”\n-\nHegseth said earlier that the US “didn’t start this war but we’re finishing it”, while also claiming that the US’s goal was not regime change in Iran. Hegseth also indicated that the US did not plan to effect a democratic transition in Iran – and refused to establish a clear timeline for how long the US operation will continue.\n-\nIsraeli strikes have killed at least 52 people in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, and wounded more than 150. Israel argued that its strikes were necessary after Tehran’s ally Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.\n-\nUS Central Command also confirmed that a fourth US service member has been killed.\n-\nA joint statement by Gulf states and the US condemned Iran’s “indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks” across the Middle East and warned that the strikes threatened regional stability. The statement said attacks had taken place in Bahrain, Iraq (including the Kurdistan region), Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.\n-\nThe US’s allies in the Gulf states came under renewed attack from Iranian missiles and drones. There were loud blasts in Dubai and al-Samha, near Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, and in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Saudi Arabia shut its biggest oil refinery after drone strikes caused a fire.\n-\nKuwait air defences mistakenly shot down three US F-15 fighter jets flying in Iran-related operations, the US Central Command (Centcom) said on Monday. All six crew members ejected safely, were safely recovered and in stable condition.\n-\nThe mass evacuation of cities across the Middle East could be necessary if civil nuclear power stations are attacked, causing radiological release, said Rafael Grossi, the director general of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi7wFBVV95cUxQVkgxSm5XeHdhcXlodVFZUE1kem5wSXkwUmE5T1JwWlZ0cXRZM3JaNVJYbUdsOEx0Ry13LWtHclZLbTJ2UXNWcVloU3dEUFZxM1EzN3JMTWxiMU5RM3c3SzB6TE9tWXp2TUhwSFNubWpZTGhMVVk1YmJzSkxZcmJjSlJCZ0VjNUc3SDJwTlotMHdyRldycE8tOXZTVUJvQkN5SnNNZkRwRkcxX2hTQ1RLd2o3dGx3WmcwYVVVR0ozTHJlb1h6dTIxVWFGMS1wSVpZS2QtVUFuQlJXQ2VfR1NDOGNVQzE3Nk9CYS0yRGZYNA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3c402a3d1f86",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Blow after blow to the power of Iran and its proxy militias set the stage for US-Israel attacks - AP News",
    "body_text": "Blow after blow to the power of Iran and its proxy militias set the stage for US-Israel attacks\nBlow after blow to the power of Iran and its proxy militias set the stage for US-Israel attacks\nAs Israel unleashed a sweeping military response to the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, assault by Hamas, it aimed punch after punch at the power of Iran, the militant group’s longtime sponsor, and its other proxies and allies in the region.\nThe result has been a rapid and systematic degradation of Iran’s clout across the Middle East over the past 2½ years, a seismic change that led directly to this weekend’s devastating attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.\n“Certainly the Oct. 7 events were a turning point in this long conflict between Iran and Israel,” said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, an expert on Iranian politics at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. “I think it provided Israel with the argument or justification to deliver a strong blow.”\nThe most devastating hit so far came this weekend when President Donald Trump and Israeli leaders launched a wave of attacks on Iran, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and inflicting widespread destruction. But the war, while still in its early stages, is part of a much longer continuum of events that have severely weakened Iran, Hezbollah and other proxy militias, and upended political balance in the region.\n“It’s a very bloody, a very violent but transformative moment that the Middle East is going through,” said Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow focused on the Middle East at Chatham House, a British think tank. “We don’t know where this will end up.”\nThe war in Gaza was the wellspring\nThe damage to Iran’s power radiated from the war in Gaza, where Israeli forces followed Hamas after militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages during the Oct. 7 attacks. Israel has since killed more than 72,000 Palestinians in Gaza, nearly half of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry, which is under Gaza’s Hamas government and which does not distinguish between militants and civilians.\nThe conflict quickly expanded, though, to include other groups in the Iran-sponsored Axis of Resistance.\nIn Lebanon, the powerful militant group Hezbollah had long been considered Iran’s first line of defense in case of a war with Israel. It was believed to have some 150,000 rockets and missiles, and the group’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah once boasted of having 100,000 fighters.\nAfter Oct. 7, the group launched rockets across the border to Israel, seeking to aid its ally Hamas. That drew Israeli airstrikes and shelling and the exchanges escalated into full-scale war in the fall of 2024.\nIsrael inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah, killing Nasrallah and other top leaders and destroying much of the militant group’s arsenal, before a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire nominally halted that conflict last November. Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and to carry out near-daily airstrikes.\nHezbollah was further weakened when rebels overthrew the regime of key ally Syrian President Bashar Assad, cutting off a major supply route for Iranian weapons.\nYemen’s Houthi rebels, also sponsored by Iran, joined the expanding conflict, firing rockets at vessels in the Red Sea and targeting Israel. U.S. warships and the Israeli military returned fire.\nIsrael left the status quo behind\nAs the conflict expanded, leaders of Iran and its proxies failed to recognize that Israel had abandoned the long-tense status quo and was trying to engineer a fundamental shift, Mansour said.\nThe toll on Iran escalated last June when Israel launched a surprise offensive aimed at decimating Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program while Iran and the U.S. were in negotiations for a nuclear deal. The 12-day war that followed saw bombing attacks of Iran’s energy industry and Defense Ministry headquarters.\nIran’s weakened proxy groups largely stayed on the sidelines as their sponsor came under direct attack last year. So far in the new war, they’ve done much the same.\n“It’s very much about survival” for Hezbollah and the other Iran-backed groups, Mansour said. He noted that over time the Axis had become less driven by top-down orders from Iran, and the groups have become more autonomous. “And survival to them is based on calculations that aren’t necessarily about Iran’s survival.”\nSince Israel and the U.S. launched a barrage of strikes on Iran Saturday, Tehran’s allies and proxies in the region have had a minimal role in the response.\nHezbollah appeared to change that early Monday, even though the group has been under great pressure by Lebanese officials not to enter the fray in defense of Iran out of fear of another damaging war in Lebanon.\nHezbollah issued statements condemning the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and mourning the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Then it hinted it might get involved. Early Monday, it did, firing missiles across the border. Israel promptly retaliated with strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut. It was the first time in more than a year that Hezbollah has claimed a strike against Israel.\nHezbollah said in a statement that the strikes were carried out in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei and for “repeated Israeli aggressions.”\nHow might other proxy groups react?\nHow other proxy groups could react to Khamenei’s death remains to be seen. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said Israel’s actions since 2023 may give such groups pause.\n“Previous bouts of conflict since Oct. 7 appear to have underlined the existential risk associated with making yourself a target,” Lister said in an email responding to questions from The Associated Press.\nIn Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed several drone strikes targeting U.S. bases in Irbil, the capital of the semiautonomous Kurdish region in the country’s north. The extent of damage caused by the attacks is not clear. But the Kurdish region has seen widespread power outages after a key gas field that supplies much of the region’s electricity stopped operations, citing security concerns.\nTwo officials with different Iran-backed militias in Iraq told the AP that a meeting took place two months ago between Iranian officials and allied Iraqi militias to make plans for a response in case Iran was attacked, including distributing tasks among the Iraqi armed groups.\nThe officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. One of the officials said it was decided that the response would target U.S. forces and interests in Iraq’s semiautonomous northern Kurdish region and in neighboring Jordan.\nThere’s often a misconception that Iran issues orders to its proxy militant groups and they all fall in line, Boroujerdi said. But independent decisions the groups have made so far to stay clear of the conflict are a sign of the overall weakening of Iran’s network.\n“The dominoes started to fall with the October 7 events,” Boroujerdi said. “Just take note of everything that has changed since then in terms of the balance of power.”\n___\nAssociated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:24:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxONl83SjExZnpwRGZQbkNhVlZ5OXZDTEtVenl1YnZIWjNKd3BSZ0dBRzkxMVFXLU9jZkhGR0Jjcm1XZVhvVlVpTG4wT2YtOVRNcUt5ZTUwaUZDay1lZDNINDZKejM3bWFmVFlBYzhOOXVMcHVVQkt3MmoxZk5EYWJ4OXFKbDZPekFKTzV6N1J1S0dDMTNPbGUySkpDT08?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ceace457b788",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Who could replace Khamenei under Iran's succession process? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "A Provisional Leadership Council now governs, comprising President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and a Guardian Council cleric.\nThe Assembly of Experts, chaired by Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani, must select a new supreme leader as soon as possible.\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps wields decisive influence, and any successor will likely need its backing to govern effectively.\nPotential contenders include Mojtaba Khamenei, a former judiciary chief with strong clerical standing, a senior aide named Mr Araki, and Hassan Khomeini.\n“The IRGC’s stabilising role is even more important,” says Iran’s security establishment, given the wartime context and the risks of convening decision-makers.\nThe assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly four decades, initiates one of the most uncertain transitions in the history of the Islamic Republic, a process deeply influenced by the security establishment.\nThe supreme leader was killed in Israeli-US military strikes on Iran on Saturday. He had ruled since 1989, when he was chosen to succeed the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.\nMr Khamenei did not publicly name a successor and Iran's Assembly of Experts had reportedly been examining potential candidates in secrecy without making any official announcement.\nHere is how Iran's succession process works, who holds power in the interim and who the leading candidates to replace Khamenei are:\nWho governs Iran now?\nA Provisional Leadership Council (PLC) has stepped in and will rule until the Assembly of Experts appoints a permanent successor.\nThis council has a specific, constitutionally mandated composition: the sitting president, head of the judiciary and one cleric from the Guardian Council, chosen by the Expediency Discernment Council. At present, that means the PLC includes reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and hardline judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, an unusual pairing.\nThe armed forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the judiciary continue to operate through their existing chains of command.\nUS-Israel attacks leave Iranians in state of shock and panic\n02:31\nHow is new supreme leader chosen?\nThe supreme leader is selected by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of senior clerics. The assembly is popularly elected every eight years, but all candidates must first be vetted and approved by the Guardian Council, Iran's constitutional enforcer, which routinely disqualifies candidates it considers insufficiently loyal.\nThe assembly's current session was elected in 2024 and is chaired by Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani. Under the constitution, it must convene and select a new leader as soon as possible.\nThe supreme leader must be a male Islamic cleric, with political competence, moral authority and loyalty to the Islamic Republic. The constitution no longer requires the leader to be a Grand Ayatollah of the highest religious rank. That requirement was removed in the 1989 constitutional referendum, which is precisely what allowed Ali Khamenei, who was not at that level, to be selected and then elevated in rank after the fact.\nThe assembly may also opt to appoint a leadership council of a number of clerics rather than an individual. That option has never been used but has been discussed in Iranian circles in recent years.\nWhat is the role of the IRGC?\nWhile the succession process is formally controlled by clerics, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exercises decisive influence.\nOver the decades, it has grown into Iran's most powerful institution, overseeing military operations, intelligence and vast economic interests. Any successor will almost certainly require the IRGC's backing to govern effectively, regardless of formal religious credentials.\nThe timing of Mr Khamenei's death, during a war, makes the IRGC's stabilising role even more important.\nWho are the leading candidates?\nNo candidate has been officially named and deliberations are strictly confidential. Reported assessments of potential successors are based on analysis and rare leaks.\nMojtaba Khamenei\nMojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the second son of the late supreme leader and has long been considered a potential successor due to his close ties to the IRGC and the Basij paramilitary.\nHe has never held government office and lacks the senior religious credentials typically expected of the role. Reports from mid-2025 suggested the Assembly of Experts had excluded him from a confidential shortlist, though other sources indicate he may still be in contention.\nSadegh Larijani\nA former judiciary chief with strong religious credentials and long institutional experience.\nHe is closely aligned with the regime's ideological core. His clerical standing could give him legitimacy with religious institutions where Mojtaba Khamenei falls short.\nMohsen Araki\nA senior cleric and close aide to the late supreme leader, Mr Araki has been cited by several sources in Iranian outlets as one of a small number who have appeared on confidential candidate lists maintained by the Assembly of Experts.\nHassan Khomeini\nThe grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder bears considerable symbolic and religious legitimacy. However, he is widely considered an outsider to the regime's power structures. He was barred from running for the Assembly of Experts in 2016 and is seen as less hardline than most of his peers.\nWhat happens next?\nThe Assembly of Experts must convene as soon as possible. If a consensus candidate exists, a successor could be named relatively quickly.\nIf factions disagree, and the competing interests of the clerical establishment, the IRGC and hardline versus pragmatic factions prolong the disagreement, the process could involve extended and opaque behind-the-scenes negotiations.\nHowever, the assembly faces an extraordinary challenge in convening and deliberating while the country is under attack, and when gathering in one place may itself be a security risk. The choice of successor will determine not only who governs Iran, but how the Islamic Republic attempts to survive this most significant of crises.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:25:58+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_952f5dec49e7",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "California Rep. Eric Swalwell argues Iran never posed a threat to the US - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 12:00 AM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\n2:00 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox News Sunday\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM\nFox Business Channel\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:38:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE9KYU94MlI5dzlyaEtLMXBnWlpyRHlHY3Z4bk9PUU1LeWhZeFlFbmlsb0ZQYjB5aUtrLUdPU2h6RDhTZjlRWlZaZDhybURDVS1oWjdxa1BB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d20e5457238c",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Oil jumps as Iran conflict risks supply disruption - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Brent briefly hit $82.37 a barrel before easing to $78.21. WTI rose more than 6.85% to $71.61 amid mounting supply fears.\nAttacks on three tankers and Iranian naval warnings heightened risks at the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about one fifth of global oil.\nOpec+ agreed to raise output by 206,000 bpd from April, retaining flexibility to adjust cuts, though logistics may outweigh headline increases if Gulf flows are constrained.\nThe GCC urged an immediate end to Iranian strikes and affirmed collective security, seeking to safeguard supply and stabilise energy markets across the region.\n“The key question is when do vessels re-establish export flows,” Alan Gelder, senior vice president at Wood Mackenzie, said.\nOil prices briefly touched $80 a barrel on early on Monday as the Iran conflict threatens to disrupt global energy supply through the Strait of Hormuz.\nBrent crude futures opened more than 11 per cent higher at $82.37 a barrel before easing to $78.47 as of 3.09pm UAE time. West Texas Intermediate, which tracks US crude, was up 7.31 per cent at $71.92 a barrel.\nThe length of the Iran war is likely to determine its impact on global energy markets, with some analysts anticipating oil prices could touch $100 a barrel in a worst-case scenario where supply is disrupted.\nThe source of concern is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which one fifth of global oil supply passes. Oil flow through the strait averaged about 20 billion barrels per day in 2024 and 2025, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).\nThree tankers were attacked on Sunday while sailing through the chokepoint, a day after the Iranian Navy instructed ships to avoid the strait, according to industry operators.\n“The key question is when do vessels re-establish export flows,” Alan Gelder, senior vice president of refining, chemicals and oil markets at Wood Mackenzie, said in a note.\nIran threatens maritime routes in Strait of Hormuz\n00:31\n“No doubt, tanker rates and insurance will increase dramatically, but these costs would only be a small part of the oil price impact associated with a curtailment of oil flows if they last for more than a few days.”\nMarket players will closely watch if more tankers get hit during the coming days as well and whether the involved parties plan to de-escalate the conflict, said UBS strategist Giovanni Staunovo.\n“Near term, prices will probably be strongly influenced by the conflict,” he said. “For now we continue to look for lower prices over the coming weeks assuming no significant amount of oil production gets disrupted.”\nGeopolitical risk premium “has tended to fade” if there were no supply disruptions, he added.\nThe Gulf states called for an immediate end of Iranian strikes against Arab nations to ensure the safety of supply and the stability of global energy markets.\n“The council also expressed full solidarity among the GCC states and their united stand against these attacks, stressing that the security of its member states is indivisible, and that any attack on any member state is a direct attack on all GCC states,” it said in a statement after a ministerial meeting.\nEarlier on Sunday, Opec+ said it had agreed to increase output by 206,000 bpd beginning in April. That fell between the 137,000 bpd – a case anticipated by most analysts, but it was a more moderate decision compared to the increases of between 400,000 bpd and 500,000 bod that were also suggested.\nThe bloc had said it was retaining its flexibility “to increase, pause or reverse the phase out of the voluntary production adjustments” as it assesses market conditions.\nThe meeting became one of the most consequential for Opec as traders continue to assess threats to Gulf oil flows.\n“If flows through the Gulf are constrained, additional production will provide limited immediate relief, making access to export routes far more important than headline output targets,” Jorge Leon, senior vice president at Rystad Energy, said in a note.\nGold and dollar gain, while US stock futures slip\nMeanwhile, the price of gold went up as traders rushed to the safe-haven asset. The precious metal was up by 1.76 per cent at $5,340.10 an ounce.\nThe US dollar also saw gains as investors flocked for safety amid the conflict, with the dollar index up 0.30 per cent at 97.90.\nFears of a supply disruption through the Strait of Hormuz extended to Wall Street, with futures on all three main indexes trading lower in overnight trading.\nStock markets in the Asia-Pacific tumbled, with Japan's Nikkei 225 down 1.64 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.50 per cent in early trading, while stock markets in South Korea were closed for a public holiday.\nFutures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled by 0.74 per cent, or 361 points. Futures on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were down 0.7 and 0.74 per cent, respectively.\nMany stock markets in the Gulf remain closed on Monday.\nThe Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market will be closed at least until Tuesday, the Capital Market Authority said. The CMA said updates on the resumption of trading will be provided in due course.\nNasdaq Dubai, which is based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), will also be temporarily closed until Tuesday, market regulator Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) said on Monday. The DFSA said it “continues to closely monitor developments in the region, and remains in regular contact with local authorities and relevant advisories”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:45:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiAFBVV95cUxQc1dTaERLTHRQQThDMVQ4alpuRHo2STROeEREdXNOUkpxVFd4c1U1MlpKbkVTc21ZWjI4YUcwODZBdlZEZ3dqdmFuWEdtLWpMbXBFdTU4cWlsVV92dEdxMXM4SmRCQlN2RXFUbVltQ19zNHI3UVZTU1hoTUx2YjBqdm1NeXl0UjNH?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cfc1c8cdcf2f",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Tehran set to launch 'fire and revenge' campaign after Ayatollah's death, analysts predict - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran is expected to mount a global “fire and revenge” campaign targeting soft sites after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing.\nJewish communities, and current and former US officials, face elevated threat levels, according to former intelligence and counterterrorism experts.\nAuthorities in the UAE and Bahrain remain alert to potential attacks, with dissident cells in Western countries potentially activatable, Ms Sopher said.\nThreats could range from low-tech stabbings to sophisticated operations in European capitals, with risks to Israeli diplomatic sites in the Middle East.\n“This is about preparation and awareness. Governments know the risks,” Dr Nusbacher said.\nTehran is expected to have compiled “a list of soft targets globally”, said Dr Lynette Nusbacher, a former military intelligence officer. She warned that Jewish communities and current and former US officials would be among those facing elevated threat levels.\nDr Efrat Sopher, who leads the Iran and Islamist extremism task force at the World Jewish Congress, said dissident cells across the West could be activated and instructed to carry out attacks.\n“I'm very concerned that they're going to turn to their terror cells because that's all they've got,” she said. “They're basically using every tool in their kit, and that worries me, and is something we need to be very aware of, even in the Gulf.”\n“Anything is possible. This is a regime in distress,” she added. “It’s likely all gloves are off.”\nDr Nusbacher argued that Iran had historically treated acts of revenge as strategic investments. “In the past, we've seen that when they have had a revenge requirement, Iran has been willing to take it as a capital expenditure. So we should be prepared for a campaign of fire and revenge,” she said.\n“This could be senior leaders in the United States government and former leaders,” she added. “Somebody who really does need to make sure he's taking a different route to work every day is [former White House adviser] John Bolton, given his position on Iran. Even [US President Donald] Trump, despite his protection, will be at risk.”\nMr Bolton has previously been the subject of alleged Iranian plots, according to US authorities, and has had his security detail removed by Mr Trump.\nLondon-based counterterrorism specialist Roger Macmillan warned that threats could range from low-tech assaults to more sophisticated operations.\nHe suggested that smaller-scale attacks in London or other European capitals, carried out by loosely affiliated or semi-trained fighters, could not be ruled out, with someone given “£20,000 to go and stab that person”.\n“Nothing is off the menu, people need to be vigilant,” he said. He predicted that Iran’s response would intensify over time. “I think their desire for revenge will be there, and it could take several weeks before anything happens.”\nSleeper cells\nA western security official said Iran’s history of overseas operations “steeply raises the possibility” of escalation.\n“Iran has sleeper cells, so there is the possibility of escalating terrorism,” the source said, pointing to previous attacks on diplomats in Thailand, India and Georgia.\nThe source also warned that Israeli diplomatic premises in the Middle East could face threats, and that criminal or “thug elements” in parts of Europe could be mobilised.\nDespite the dire assessments, experts emphasised that increased vigilance and intelligence co-operation remain the most effective countermeasures.\n“This is about preparation and awareness. Governments know the risks,” said Dr Nusbacher. “The question is how Tehran chooses to act and when.”\nIRGC threat\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will play a key role in any terror campaign, said Tal Hagin, a military analyst and open-source intelligence expert.\n“The IRGC, through its proxies and others, could potentially launch strikes against the Jewish community, pro-Israel people or others around the world,” he said.\nBut Iran’s capacity to react could be constrained by economic sanctions. “We just don't know what they're capable of at the moment, and they could have a problem, particularly with economic sanctions that could be crippling.”\nHowever, he added, it is difficult to know how Iran’s authorities might react, “because we have no clue as to what their current situation is”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:51:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0gFBVV95cUxPdk5zNEJVOFAxb1BRaG1UVkc1OFVaSFdNVVZxdkJEN1BuV2Jxel8yNUM2QVBpbHNPb09hU0t2UVptemFrMVRyQ2M4QlZFRkd4MDRUaFJQTC1OaVpwbXJlckxBbklVSlIySFpXeG11U2l0SURGM1NWckQzcHViZlA4N0NEdUF6TWRvNnNsU1F5dkJ3T3RRa2RtZ0ZyTGJQSmlBSlM1dEE5alZGQk9NbTVZeUNTOG5GQndaTUVJNXo3a0s2NGxxd25FZUJZOEV2YWtnd2c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9c0ff559bf49",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Egypt's war problem: US ties, Iran relations and bonds with Gulf Arab states - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Egypt is balancing vital US ties, cautious Iran engagement and solidarity with Gulf allies amid an escalating regional confrontation.\nPresident Abdel Fattah El Sisi led intensive diplomacy to avert war, including calls with Gulf leaders and outreach to Tehran and the IAEA.\nOfficial statements condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf states, avoided naming the US or Israel, and warned that military escalation risks regional chaos.\nMichael Hanna, a director at the International Crisis Group, says Cairo avoided criticising Washington to protect strategic ties during Donald Trump’s second term.\n“The survival of Iran as an independent power is a necessity for the region's strategic balance,” prominent analyst Samir Ragab said.\nThough far from its borders, the latest Iran war places Egypt in the unenviable position of balancing its vital ties with the US, growing relations with Iran and strategic alliance with Gulf Arab states.\nEgypt, the Arab nation with the region's strongest military, shifted its diplomatic machine into top gear in the run-up to the war, trying – to no avail – to prevent a conflict it knew would hurt its regional interests and could reverse the modest economic gains it had made in recent months after years of crisis.\n\"We in Egypt had tried through a sincere effort in recent months to head off the crisis by bringing closer the positions of the United States and Iran so that a deal can be reached,\" Egypt's president Abdel Fattah El Sisi said on Sunday night.\n\"Very big developments unfolded quickly in the last two days and we in Egypt were keen to emphasise the need to deescalate, bring calm or even stop the war altogether, although I doubt that will happen.\"\nForeign Minister Badr Abdelatty had spent hours on the phone with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and the director of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, Rafael Grossi, to find a way out of the US-Iran stand-off over Tehran's nuclear programme.\nImmediately after the US and Israel unleashed their aerial firepower on Iran, Mr El Sisi held phone calls on Saturday with the leaders of five Gulf allies: the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He spoke to the Sultan of Oman on Sunday.\nIran, meanwhile, retaliated with strikes targeting Israel and several Gulf states.\nPresidential statements issued after the calls were nearly identical, with each citing Mr El Sisi stressing to Gulf leaders Egypt's “solidarity” and warning that any breach of their nations' sovereignty poses a “direct threat” to regional stability.\nIn an implicit reference to the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the statements also cited diplomacy as the “only means” to resolve the crisis and warned that military escalation would lead only to more violence.\nWhile they seem to be full of diplomatic parlance, the statements reflected Egypt's dilemma as it deals with what many see as a potential regional war that could alter the balance of power in the Middle East.\nEgypt's balancing act was further manifested in a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on the outbreak of the war, which was withdrawn, amended, and reissued with additions emphasising Egypt's solidarity with the Gulf Arab states targeted by Iran.\nBoth versions condemned the Iranian regime for its attacks on those nations, saying such hostile actions jeopardised the stability of the region.\nNeither the Foreign Ministry nor the presidential statements directly mentioned the US or Israel, but did say the “dangerous military escalation” could plunge the entire Middle East into chaos.\n“The Egyptians did not want to condemn the US and strain relations with the Trump administration,” said Michael Hanna, a director of the International Crisis Group in New York. “They could have condemned Israel but it would have looked silly to do that without doing the same to its war partner, the US.\"\nWhile Egypt's relations with Israel have been fraught with tension since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, relations between Mr El Sisi and US President Donald Trump have grown close, with the pair routinely expressing deep admiration for each other.\nCriticising the US over its actions in Iran would have hurt those ties at a time when Cairo is looking to Mr Trump to resolve several issues of strategic significance to Egypt: the implementation of the US leader's Gaza peace plan, his declared intention to mediate in Cairo's bitter water dispute with Ethiopia and ending the civil war in Sudan.\nA Washington ally for close to 50 years, Egypt receives $1.3 billion annually in US military aid and relies on White House support when seeking financial bailouts from organisations such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.\nThat caution in dealing with the Trump administration has been consistently evident since the Republican President began his second term in office last year, with Egypt's officialdom avoiding any direct criticism of US policies or of the US leader himself.\nThat policy left criticism of the latest US and Israeli strikes against Iran to pro-government pundits and independent voices on social media, the only space where Egyptians enjoy relative freedom of speech.\nOne of those pundits is prominent military and strategic analyst Samir Ragab, a retired army general known to be close to the government.\n“The survival of Iran as an independent power is a necessity for the region's strategic balance,” Gen Ragab told a TV interviewer on Saturday night. “It's not in our [Egypt's] interest to see the collapse of Iran or the demise of its regime.”\nEgypt and Iran have ended a prolonged period of tension dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Cairo angered the clergy-ruled country by giving asylum to the ailing shah. Relations further deteriorated when Iran glorified the main assassin of president Anwar Sadat in 1981 by naming a Tehran street after him.\nHowever, Egypt and Iran had not restored full diplomatic relations despite their improved relations and the high-level consultations between the two regional powerhouses involving meetings between Mr El Sisi and Iranian leaders, and frequent talks between the countries' foreign ministers.\nEgypt's reluctance to establish full diplomatic relations with Iran is widely considered an act of solidarity with Cairo's Arab allies in the Gulf, who strongly oppose Tehran's perceived meddling in Arab affairs and support for militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen's Houthis.\nGulf Arab states have repeatedly come to the rescue of Egypt's often ailing economy, with bailouts of billions of dollars in investments, loans and central bank deposits over the past decade alone.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:53:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxPajduYlpsT0RSZU9XWkFmS1J6QTVaMDRpcG5ETElNQXB2SUpWVF9fOHRJLTNUNmNlbE9pVVJrNWJGcGhMeFdOVkZFSmFsOGpFQkN0dDE1dkZfNjhOZFRLOERPTFRIM2JIdzNGaUQyaEdVaHJVWWFjendkbjcycGc5NUR5bk01eDlyZkhDaDlHUWtxTjhWd2VubERjOF9CUTR6Ni00WXVsQ1BPVC1XNEg0RVdLNXo0QndVc3NXT25BeGhjN3M4c0E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f2f1b3dc042e",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Israel strikes Beirut, prompting residents to flee",
    "body_text": "Israel strikes Beirut, prompting residents to flee\nPeople in Beirut, Lebanon have been fleeing their homes after Israel began striking what it says are Hezbollah targets in the city, in response to an attack by the Iran-backed group.\nIsrael has told residents of more than 50 towns and villages in Lebanon to evacuate, as it warned of attacks.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T05:57:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cr5lz5zv16eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1072e77ffcd5",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran war spreads across region as Israel strikes Hezbollah - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran war spreads across region as Israel strikes Hezbollah\nIsrael bombarded Lebanon on Monday, expanding conflict across the region after the massive Israel-US attack on Iran that President Donald Trump launched to topple Tehran's ruling clerics.\nIsraeli forces pounded targets across Lebanon including Beirut, after Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed armed Shiite Muslim movement fired rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n\"Large-scale strikes\" were also ongoing in the heart of Tehran, Israeli forces said, as the US military widened its targets across Iran on Sunday.\nRetaliating against the heavy strikes that Washington said destroyed the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian forces fired missiles and drones across the Middle East, claiming lives in Israel and the United Arab Emirates.\nFresh explosions were heard across Doha, Dubai and Manama on Monday morning, AFP correspondents reported.\nTrump vowed to avenge the first US deaths, telling the New York Times that the United States and Israel could keep up the same level of attacks for four to five weeks.\n\"It won't be difficult. We have tremendous amounts of ammunition,\" he said, adding he had a shortlist of three unnamed people he favoured to lead Iran after the war.\nBut Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Tehran's Supreme National Security Council voiced defiance.\nIran \"will not negotiate with the United States,\" he wrote on X, adding that \"Trump plunged the region into chaos with his 'delusional fantasies' and now fears more American troop casualties.\"\n- 'Most punishing blow' -\nTrump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have urged Iranians to overthrow the government in Iran, the sworn foe of Israel and the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.\nIn a video address, Trump urged Iranian security forces \"to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death.\"\n\"It will be certain death,\" he repeated. \"It won't be pretty.\"\nThe Pentagon said that three US service members were killed in the operation and five seriously wounded in the operation it has called \"Epic Fury.\"\n\"Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,\" Trump said.\n\"But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization.\"\nTrump, who campaigned denouncing foreign interventions, has done little to explain the case for war to the US public.\n- Attacks across Middle East -\nExplosions rocked Beirut before dawn and southern Lebanon residents fled, according to AFP journalists, after the Israeli military announced it was striking both parts of the country.\nIn the city of Sidon, cars of families escaping from further south packed roads, an AFP journalist said, adding some vehicles had mattresses tied to the roof.\nHezbollah, which was weakened by an earlier Israeli offensive, said it had fired rockets and drones at Israel \"in retaliation for the pure blood\" of Khamenei -- the first time it has claimed such an attack since a November 2024 ceasefire agreement following a year of war between them.\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whose government has pushed for Hezbollah's disarmament, called Monday's rocket fire \"irresponsible\".\nSuch action \"endangers Lebanon's security and safety, and gives Israel pretexts to continue its attacks on it\", Salam said on X.\nIn Israel, an Iranian missile attack killed at least nine people and injured dozens more in the central city of Beit Shemesh, after a death the previous day near Tel Aviv.\nThree people were also injured on one of the main roads of Jerusalem.\nIran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose elected role is subordinate to that of the supreme leader, called Khamenei's killing a \"declaration of war against Muslims.\"\n\"Iran considers it its legitimate duty and right to avenge the perpetrators,\" Pezeshkian said.\n- 'Rise up' -\nIsrael and the United States attacked Iran weeks after authorities ruthlessly crushed mass protests, killing thousands.\nThe demonstrations, initially sparked by economic anxiety but also including calls for greater social freedoms, were considered one of the most serious threats to the religious state.\nTrump called on Iranians to rise up and said, \"America is with you.\"\nReza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah, cautioned Iranians to stay vigilant in the face of air strikes and await the right moment to return to the streets.\nBut he also urged \"nightly chants\" against the Islamic republic.\nCheers were heard as some Iranians celebrated reports of the death of Khamenei, but after state media confirmed his killing, pro-government demonstrations also formed, chanting \"Death to America!\"\nIran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to join Pezeshkian on an interim leadership council to lead the country while a permanent successor is found for the supreme leader.\n- Mixed support -\nWhile many in the Iranian diaspora cheered Khamenei's death, anger was seen on the streets of Iran's neighbor Pakistan where officials said 17 people were killed and protesters tried to storm the US consulate in Karachi.\nWorld leaders have given a mixed reaction to the attack, which came two days after Iran and the United States held talks on Tehran's nuclear program.\nBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday that he would let the United States use UK bases for \"defensive\" strikes but that his country -- a steadfast partner in the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- \"will not join offensive action now.\"\nIran's first retaliatory strikes on Saturday hit all the Gulf states apart from mediator Oman.\nOn Sunday, Oman's commercial port of Duqm was hit by two drones, injuring a foreign worker, the Oman News Agency said.\nThree ships were also attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after Iran had previously declared the strategic waterway was closed, sending global oil prices spiking.\nThe Revolutionary Guards claimed to strike the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but the Pentagon said the \"missiles launched didn't even come close.\"\nTrump said that US military strikes had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels and partially destroyed its navy headquarters.\nIran's retaliatory strikes in the Gulf have killed at least four people and wounded dozens of others.\nInside Iran, the Red Crescent in its last toll issued on Saturday evening said that strikes had killed 201 people and injured hundreds more.\nIran's judiciary confirmed that Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Khamenei, and General Mohammad Pakpour, the head of Revolutionary Guards, were among those killed.\nburs-sct/bgs/ceg/hmn",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T06:00:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNRkZHb2xVdDJ6QWI4TXRfOUpac0RyckdvT1UwaUVvR19MRER2OE9iYUdfRVVRZkNlb2ZjMFJsQmRMMmNVSl94cHc2TnQ3X1JXdnlCSWVIaE81WjMyUVhzdjU2WWg2OUdSVFhzS2hmajFYQk0tY3c3QzlYRFVNQ0RicDBQTGhBaTFRYXR4VE80NUZJOUFUdDNXYWpBTGlKR0w2T1E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_182e601a530d",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Europe struggles to find its voice as Trump plunges the Middle East into chaos - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Europe struggles to find its voice as Trump plunges the Middle East into chaos\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T06:03:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBfQnhLZGxSNUpCVjJOV3NidTloU2syZlRUZW9KejNieHNZaFRXUExWWkZRclhHb1Z5WVY3djNjVmNmLVl1Q3lNQ3psQWtOWkZfeHJfak1qY3d0OFRhTm9sSUs4Rzk1eXFBaUY3ck5EOEs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dbed17a2d2c5",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "The war and markets - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "The war and markets\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T06:30:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFA2M2NQUGk2WDIwNUNCMTdIZHNRNERTUEVOdFhmaF93Y2RteVBuZGprWnRaOHR5dGxIanBOalhlRXFEQVpBWFlkNWFuOG1IdF82dm9LRUs1WkJISU1WLV9MMkx1U2FLdkVzLW9peHpGZk8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ac0637ec7296",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "War widens as Iran fires at Turkey, China moves to mediate - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain supreme leader, as successor\nIran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the recently killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader, according to a statement from the Assembly of Experts published by state media early Monday local time.\nMojtaba Khamenei, 56, is a cleric who has long operated behind the scenes within Iran’s political and religious establishment and maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Though he has never held a formal government post, he has for years been seen as a powerful figure within his father’s inner circle and a potential successor.\nThe development comes after Israel had warned it would target any replacement for the 86-year-old Khamenei who was killed in an Israeli strike during the first day of the war. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Sunday that Israel would pursue “the successor and everyone who tries to appoint him,” warning clerics involved in the selection process that they would also be targeted. Israeli forces struck offices linked to the Assembly of Experts earlier in the war.\nIn Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would intensify despite mounting regional tensions. In remarks broadcast by state media, he said Iran would not yield under pressure and suggested attacks on American-linked targets across the Middle East could escalate if strikes on Iran continue. “When we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond. The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be,” he said.\nThe comments marked a harder line after Pezeshkian sought to reassure Gulf neighbors on Saturday, apologizing for Iranian strikes that had alarmed countries across the region and urging them not to join US and Israeli operations against Iran. Hard-line figures within Iran’s leadership quickly pushed back, insisting that attacks would continue on locations used to support strikes against Iran.\nMeanwhile, hostilities are intensifying in Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said Sunday that 394 people have been killed since fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah escalated earlier in the week.\nEarly Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit a hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, according to the health ministry. Israel said the strike targeted commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force operating in the Lebanese capital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T06:31:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxPV1o4dERnUU1EOG10a0Z0ZDcwZFNHQ2xlSGgydno2MnFZUFRXdU5NQjFHRGh1RmhvYkhvT3VZZFhqdURkSncwbEJ1QU9pZmwyRjhMRUo4VHEtRk9xWFVlZDk3WWxaekM0YklRLTA5b1R6VnhYQ3VVTjZ0Wk1SNldmbzVLcnkta054d0RDUW5n?oc=5",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_60089e8ddb89",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Gas prices soar as Iranian attacks force shutdown of Qatari production - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Gas prices soar as Iranian attacks force shutdown of Qatari production\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T06:34:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBRSTFjcEctR1JiZnhIRmZSU2FhVjRleG5sTW5iV0N1MnBNS3Y0YVBycXo2LXZYWVpPU0RnVFFwcmdmX0dFUWJxZFFNbEZsakdMOGxtdjRhS0lxb0JSRmxUOXNHZ1dsTmpyMUwzejRDSm4?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d75729c2b40e",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Japanese Stocks Set to Slide as Iran Crisis Saps Risk Appetite - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Japanese Stocks Set to Slide as Iran Crisis Saps Risk Appetite    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T07:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPeWhPMkFMNlh0Q0tDX1hid3UycWk5SWo3YmU1OHdQUjIxeUZweWVpdy1iczRkUnB3ZXdKXzNfenZBOUY4WkxWckFqaXlraEJxcks0Vlp3Wk1aWlUtUW9CTVdnR2JyeF9NOXJDYUJkdjZMcUI5aXRnRzFUYV9xb1M5MVpsVWRBekYtQkZ0V21PcnBYSWpxVUxaa3FQUFowYnQzYjMzTVFraHJnS2tSdG03Ujhsdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_07828d5b371c",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Gold rallies as investors hedge bets amid anxiety over Iran conflict - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Gold prices rose on Monday as investors piled into haven assets after the US and Israel attacked Iran, killing its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a conflict that is threatening to derail the global economy.\nOn the first trading day since the strikes began, spot gold was up 1.37 per cent $5,350.13 an ounce at 9.13am UAE time, after rising as much as 2 per cent, the highest level in four weeks.\nUS gold futures also climbed 2.2 per cent to $5,363.1 an ounce.\n\"Gold has received a haven bid in early trading … pulling silver and the rest of the precious metals complex with it,” said Edward Bell, acting group head of research and chief economist at Emirates NBD.\nIsrael and the US launched a wave of attacks on Iran on Sunday. Drones and missiles were fired across the Middle East as Iran promised a crushing response to the killing of its supreme leader.\nA three-man leadership council has taken charge in Tehran as Israel bombs the Iranian capital. There were warnings that attacks will “escalate further” in the coming days.\nThe conflict has tipped the Middle East into turmoil, escalating geopolitical tensions and plunging the global economy into deepening uncertainty.\nAmerican President Donald Trump on Sunday said the new leadership in Iran had agreed to talk to US. But Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in a post on X on Monday that Tehran would not negotiate with the US.\nLong-running rally\nThe wider geopolitical turmoil and Mr Trump’s push to impose tariffs on its trading partners around the globe had already fuelled a long-running rally of gold. The rise of bullion is also supported by increased central bank buying.\nGold has hit record highs this year and reached the peak of $5,595 an ounce at the end of January. Although it has lost some ground, the precious metal is still more than 20 per cent higher since the beginning of this year, after rallying 64 per cent in 2025.\nJP Morgan and Bank of America last week repeated their forecast that gold prices could rise to $6,000, driven by demand from central banks and investors this year. Analysts at JP Morgan expect gold prices to rise to $6,300 an ounce by the end of the year.\n\"Gold is perhaps the finest barometer to reflect global uncertainty and, to mix metaphors, the mercury is rising,\" Reuters quoted independent analyst Ross Norman as saying. \"We should expect gold to be repriced higher to fresh records as we enter a whole new era of geopolitical uncertainty.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T07:06:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxQWEk2V3pQWHMzVHdrTDl3YU5EUE03QmJ2enVxWFhQWWszR045ZGtTcU1LV09nSGhlazNQODJOTVlCZDg0cmxya0l0RUZFaHR6NDBGVFhaVUVMblo5cHVQeG9hTEJxVHVGWjljbmNTOGZoUENxZDBhc2FaUmVEaVFnWkhra1N0MHY2dGxPOUxUUnZ6dGlUX2NSWlJEa19ZVzJCLWo0Y1d0WGFpNC1WaTBqLVNmSGx0cUVGbkpYc292MUVKRFZFWExvQg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9d98bf4b473d",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Oil prices rise sharply after attacks in Middle East disrupt global energy supply - AP News",
    "body_text": "Oil prices rise sharply after attacks in Middle East disrupt global energy supply\nNEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose sharply Monday as U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory strikes against Israel and U.S. military installations around the Gulf sent disruptions through the global energy supply chain.\nTraders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East would slow or grind to a halt. Attacks throughout the region, including on two vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, have restricted countries’ ability to export oil to the rest of the world. Prolonged attacks would likely result in higher prices for crude oil and gasoline, according to energy experts.\nWest Texas Intermediate, the light, sweet crude oil produced in the United States, was selling for $72.79 a barrel early Monday, up 8.6% from its trading price of about $67 on Friday, according to data from CME group.\nA barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at $79.41 per barrel early Monday, according to FactSet, up 9% from its trading price of $72.87 on Friday, at the time a seven-month high.\nHigher global energy prices mean consumers will pay more for gasoline at the pump and have to shell out more for groceries and other goods at a time when many are already feeling the impacts of elevated inflation.\nRoughly 15 million barrels of crude oil per day — about 20% of the world’s oil — are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, making it the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, according to Rystad Energy. Tankers traveling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran.\nIran temporarily shut down parts of the strait in mid-February for what it said was a military drill, which led oil prices to jump about 6% higher in the days that followed.\nAgainst that backdrop, eight countries that are part of the OPEC+ oil cartel announced they would boost production of crude Sunday. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, in a meeting planned before the war began, said it would increase production by 206,000 barrels per day in April, which was more than analysts had been expecting. The countries boosting output include Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman.\n“Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for world trade, meaning markets are more concerned with whether barrels can move than with spare capacity on paper,” said Jorge León, Rystad’s senior vice president and head of geopolitical analysis, in an email. “If flows through the Gulf are constrained, additional production will provide limited immediate relief, making access to export routes far more important than headline output targets.”\nIran exports roughly 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, mostly to China, which may need to look elsewhere for supply if Iran’s exports are disrupted, another factor that could increase energy prices.\nHowever, China has ample strategic oil reserves and also could boost imports from Russia, analysts said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T07:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNVzVwT2txaElqYmtsN2NPRkdpTEtFSjc0d1Q1TkZJdk9uLXNjZG9JQm1OdFBsN0F4aXczUk9QNDBSQV9HSUk4cjNCV3duc3JQSGRwN0lhY25jUE0yd2ZSWW1YMUNjeXBZWXpHR0NOZHEtRFN5RHFOTHNWVUIxREtBbGJ6SUtHZFU1Vm9XOWtOb0FWWXRCam9QVUlqSGtXY3JDXzR4Y1QxX3dITnhLRzlNWXI3NA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d8f84cce4b1c",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "JPMorgan trims GCC non-oil growth forecasts on Middle East conflict - Reuters",
    "body_text": "JPMorgan trims GCC non-oil growth forecasts on Middle East conflict    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T07:48:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNWUtOTGx5ZUQ3dmlKSHI3YlFXOXNMVmIydG55QTRjYjhhdEtiWDBhVUh4MG9wcXkzeW1fWURUNWxMTm9qc2Z1WTBoTXFEM1JqSnVsZmpCVktORzh3UFhvM1lpby1DaHBjY214MVR4ZngzT2IxYnRxTC1jZWg5VlRNaEczRUEzYVN2TnNaZkhhOGhFYTByaktJc2pSaG9CXzNuV0FLT0NQdi1XUUFyY1MtX0trNXZXWmxXU3c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_611387e563dc",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Prices Could Rise Further on Hormuz Delays, Analysts Say - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Prices Could Rise Further on Hormuz Delays, Analysts Say    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T07:58:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxNT2xDTG9YclhTTS1JcC1fRTVicjF0R1JnSVcyM2E5Mk5OTjZQUjBfSXBOMWE0bVhCOXdkTExCOTV3Y19IT2t4X0xibTUyYzY5RndIV3puNEY2Y05nQzVGcnl2V3RhWUxsSVU3UHAtYjBhaUxodFQ4ajB4UlJ4WF9WNlg5V0RJS1VRTDUwdFJoTnVhNHo4aWNNeWdad3RCY3B5NHQ2ZWdlc2FhWU93UTBz?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_af1e1c137f09",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "How Iran Conflict Is Disrupting Strait of Hormuz - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "How Iran Conflict Is Disrupting Strait of Hormuz    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxOTkJzRER6cGJOWXlyUEI4ZG1MQi03eUFfcHVwLUV5TlZZMDAtNXI2OUc0d0NDb1J6c0JhWVlvME1ubnNRY3JVMjlINkxDeVYtQXJCNkR4S0tiNjAwUE1PVkZQTUZDU2pFdnF5QzExS2pzSmRKb0JwbVlEaXlJcHBzYUhTc3ozQnlHMy12ZFhhZ1FuUmNkbVpBeVk4M29DNmJLMm9HTElTdWJSMEhNak0ybGRSczg1Q1ZTdkcxT1ljZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_743bbd423e3e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "To anyone who thinks Trump can bring peace and equality to Iran – I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Going cheap - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump says Keir Starmer has damaged the special relationship by not helping him more in the US-Israel war on Iran. But you have to remember that when you do help, Trump pretends you didn’t anyway, and also pisses on your war dead. Still, what could be more enticing than the Americans trying to sell you a timeshare on a war in the Middle East?\nAnd so to Iran. “War is the realm of uncertainty,” said Carl von Clausewitz, who – and not to be a bitch – I still think of as a more impressive military theorist than Pete Hegseth. Certainly, Carl had fewer Crusades tattoos than the US defence secretary. Hegseth is 100% certain about all his nailed-down positions, even the ones in apparent conflict with each other. And it feels like a great sign that he, Marco Rubio and JD Vance already seem to have different rationales for why this war was launched. This is an administration that came to power on an explicit “no more wars” ticket – but look, as Pete keeps saying, this isn’t a regime-change war. If that seems confusing, given he first said it about 10 minutes after US-Israeli strikes had just cratered the ayatollah’s compound, Hegseth has since been on hand to scoff that what’s going down in Iran is “no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise”.\nOf course not! Trump and his guys don’t even love democracy in their own country, so they’re not exactly going to want it for one of the so-called shithole countries. Too many moving parts. Think of this as a regime-refresh war. You’re still not going to be able to spell the difference between ayatollahs, but ideally, the new guy will have more of a Venezuelan puppet feel to him. I don’t know about “women” and “freedom” and stuff, but I can guess that Hegseth would be extremely relaxed about them being in the old TBC file.\nAlas, so stupid and binary has the standard of debate become that anyone even writing about the subject – the most irrelevant act in the world, sorry fellow columnists – has to preface it by saying “of course I believe in freedom and women’s rights”, for fear of being jumped on by guys who six calendar weeks ago were righteously furious about Trump’s threat to annex Greenland but now think he’s Boudicca. Wake up. How many times do you have to get hurt by this wingnut before you start thinking yourself into positions where, actually, his way might not be the answer? More times than we’re up to, apparently. I know they think this is realpolitik. But it’s not. It’s just real forgetful politik. There is a certain strand of our muscular politician/pundit class who actually just resemble the friend you sit in a bar with every few weeks as she explains why the latest dumping hasn’t held. “No, but he’s changed. This time, he has. I really believe it. He even paid me back the money he owes me. Well, he says he’s going to.”\nFor crystal clarity, the last ayatollah was scum and I’ll loathe his successor, too. I truly wish the Iranian people had freedom, most especially the women and girls who live under the most wicked oppression of all, and I cheer their every uprising. But to be clear-eyed about the region for two minutes, there isn’t a single democracy in the Gulf, and that’s the realest of the realpolitik. Furthermore, Trump lies or dissembles about absolutely everything. If he really can permanently end Iran’s nuclear programme (a few months ago, he said he already had), stop Tehran funding all its revolting terrorist proxies and bring about favourable regime change in what he’s said will be about “four weeks or less”, then great. But realistically, what’s the betting? It is massively more likely that fog and unpredictable consequences ensue. Already in the post are the years – decades – of unintended consequences that will flow from his backing for the razing of Gaza.\nMeanwhile, it’s quite something to think that bombing Iran might turn out to be not even the most significant US military decision of the past five days. Consider the news that the defence department – sorry, department of war – had dramatically terminated its contract with AI firm Anthropic, after the latter refused to loosen its ethical guidelines. They prevented use of Anthropic technology for things like mass domestic surveillance, but also for autonomous lethal weapons (that is, no humans in the loop). The Trump administration wanted this amended, and when Anthropic wouldn’t do it, they binned them off, threatened madly punitive sanctions – and seem to have found an alternative provider. It is, of course, our old friend Sam Altman at OpenAI, who initially said his deal had the same red lines as Anthropic. So why did the Pentagon threaten to destroy Anthropic if the OpenAI deal had the same guardrails? Perhaps because it has since emerged that it likely hasn’t. As always with Altman, things aren’t quite what they seem – and by the time you find out what they are, it’s always just that bit too late. Bad with chatbots, arguably a little worse with murderbots.\nRather than getting any kind of handle on this unknowably dangerous, civilisation-altering technology, perhaps it’s inevitable that Trump should revert to something very 1.0 and bomb the Middle East. For a no-more-wars guy, his entire MO has been taking things that were once priced in and throwing them up into the air.\nSo there is a counterpoint to the idea that he is resetting the world in a positive way. Namely, that the most pressing damage being done to our way of life – yes, our selfish western way of life – is being done by a certain Donald Trump. As I said, leave aside democracy in the Middle East, where it barely exists – does he truly care about it in the US, where it is under demonstrable threat by him and his proxies? Isn’t he letting AI get out of control and get into the most dangerous places before our very eyes? Has he not abandoned the notion that leadership is built on any kind of moral code, lying daily to his people and the world without a second thought? Has he not repeatedly undermined trust among his own international allies? Has an American president ever personally enriched himself so nakedly and so eye-wateringly while in office? When he leaves that office, gracefully and smoothly or otherwise, will the world be safer and more widely prosperous than when he found it? He can talk all he likes about our way of life. Like the call in a horror movie, the threat’s coming from inside the house.\n-\nMarina Hyde is a Guardian columnist",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_8b6fb2cf4545",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "US military commanders have been invoking extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical “end times” to justify involvement in the Iran war to troops, according to complaints made to a watchdog group.\nThe Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) says it has received more than 200 complaints from service members across all branches of the armed forces, including the marines, air force and space force.\nOne complainant, identified as a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in a unit that could be deployed “at any moment to join” operations against Iran, told MRFF in a complaint viewed by the Guardian that their commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ”.\n“He said that ‘President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth’”, the NCO added.\nThe NCO’s complaint was filed on behalf of 15 troops, including 11 Christians, one Muslim person and one Jewish person. The complaint was first shared by MRFF with Jonathan Larsen, an independent journalist.\n“Anytime Israel or the US is involved in the Middle East, we get this stuff about Christian nationalists who’ve taken over our government, and certainly our US military,” Mikey Weinstein, MRFF’s president, who is an air force veteran, told the Guardian.\n“Military members are not really able to stand up for themselves, because your military superior is not your shift manager at Starbucks,” he added.\nIn a statement, Weinstein suggested the reports indicate an increase in Christian extremism in the military, noting that the complainants “report the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders” who perceive a “‘biblically-sanctioned’ war that is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian ‘End Times’.”\nHe said that the complaints show a clear violation of the separation of church and state.\nPete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, is known for his embrace of Christian nationalism. He previously endorsed the doctrine of “sphere sovereignty”, a worldview derived from the extremist beliefs of Christian reconstructionism (CR). The philosophy calls for capital punishment for homosexuality and strictly patriarchal families and churches.\nIn August 2025, Hegseth reposted a CNN segment on X focusing on pastor Doug Wilson, a Christian nationalist who co-founded the Idaho-based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). In the segment, Wilson says he does not believe women should hold leadership positions in the military or be able to fill high-profile combat roles.\n“I would like to see this nation being a Christian nation, and I would like this world to be a Christian world,” Wilson said.\nIn response to a request for comment on the complaints, the Pentagon did not reply, instead sharing public clips of Hegseth discussing the operation in Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_81233a8a49c1",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran’s War With Israel and the United States | Global Conflict Tracker - Council on Foreign Relations",
    "body_text": "On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran after weeks of military buildup and threats from President Trump. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the goal of the operation is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and “to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” Trump urged Iranians to capitalize on the attack as the “only chance for generations” to take over their government. Trump and Israeli officials later confirmed that Israel Defense Force (IDF) strikes on Tehran killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nAdditional U.S. strikes targeted military sites in Isfahan, Karaj, Kermanshah, Qum, and Tabriz. Iran quickly retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at Israel and U.S. facilities across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.\nHistory of Iran’s Nuclear Program\nIran has pursued a nuclear program since at least 1957, with varying degrees of success. During a war with Iraq, Iran decided to develop nuclear weapons to ensure its security in the late 1980s. Consequently, Iran pursued agreements with China and Russia to support the program’s research throughout the 1990s. In the summer of 2002, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an umbrella organization made up of Iranian dissident groups, exposed the existence of two Iranian nuclear sites that were hidden from the IAEA.\nBy 2003, diplomats launched an intensive effort to halt Iran’s nuclear program. Iran agreed, insisting only on keeping its centrifuges for nuclear energy. However, it did not follow through on its commitment to transparent reporting to the IAEA and continued covert activities, leading to a June 2004 rebuke and a September 2005 finding of non-compliance by the IAEA, paving the way for a future referral to the UN Security Council (UNSC). In 2006, the UNSC adopted Resolution 1696, the first legally binding call for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program. Over the next few years, the UNSC adopted a series of resolutions imposing crippling economic sanctions on Iran for its failure to suspend its enrichment-related activities.\nBetween 2011 and 2015, the compounding effects of international sanctions led Iran’s economy to contract by 20 percent and unemployment to rise to 20 percent. In 2013, Hassan Rouhani, a noted pragmatist, won Iran’s presidential election, campaigning on a promise to lift sanctions and restore the economy. Over the next two years, the United States convened several rounds of bilateral talks and led the other P5+1 coalition members—China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom—in negotiations with Iran’s new leadership. These efforts culminated in the adoption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. Once key parties signed the agreement, the UNSC approved UN Resolution 2231, paving the way for sanctions relief.\nThe JCPOA required Iran to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium by 98 percent for fifteen years, cut the number of operating centrifuges by two-thirds for ten years, and provide inspectors access to enrichment facilities within twenty-four days if the IAEA suspects violations. Moreover, if the IAEA confirmed violations, the JCPOA allowed for the immediate reinstatement of sanctions. After the JCPOA entered into force on January 16, 2016, Iran received sanctions relief totaling nearly $100 billion. However, Iran continued to develop ballistic missiles, which, according to the United States, violated UN Resolution 2231.\nThough the JCPOA limited Iran’s nuclear ambitions, its regional ambitions continued to grow. Iran persisted in arming and training Shiite militants through its Quds Force—the international arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—which has exacerbated sectarian divisions in the Middle East. Iran has provided years of military aid and training to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which enabled its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The Quds Force has also provided advanced armed drones to Hezbollah in Lebanon, trained and funded more than one hundred thousand Shiite fighters in Syria, supplied ballistic missiles and drones to Yemen’s Houthis, and helped Shiite militias in Iraq build missile capabilities.\nThe U.S. government considers Iran to be the foremost state sponsor of terrorism, spending more than one billion dollars on terrorist financing annually. There are between 140,000 and 185,000 IRGC-Quds Force partner forces across Afghanistan, Gaza, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen.\nBecause the JCPOA only addressed Iran’s nuclear program—and not its revisionism or ballistic missile programs—the first Trump administration withdrew the United States from the agreement, pledging to seek a more comprehensive deal. In 2018, the Trump administration began reimposing sanctions on Iran and demanded that European countries withdraw from the JCPOA as part of a new containment strategy. U.S. sanctions sparked the worst economic crisis Iran has faced in forty years, cutting Iranian oil exports by more than half and emboldening Iranian hardliners.\nWhile the Trump administration pursued a strategy of maximum pressure to bring Iran to the negotiating table, Iran began to contravene the JCPOA’s restrictions on its nuclear program, raising tensions. In April 2019, the United States designated the IRGC a terrorist organization. When the Trump administration received intelligence of potential Iranian attacks on U.S. troops, it deployed bombers, carriers, and additional forces to the Middle East. Over the next month, six oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz were attacked, which U.S. government officials blamed on Iran.\nIn late June 2019, Iran downed a U.S. Global Hawk drone in the Strait of Hormuz; President Trump ordered a cyberattack and the imposition of new sanctions in response. On December 31, Trump blamed Iran for backing protests that tried to seize the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Days later, tensions peaked when the United States killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, in a Baghdad air strike. In response, Iran said it would no longer adhere to restrictions under the nuclear deal, and it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane while on high alert. In late 2020, Trump continued to ratchet up sanctions, and Iran boosted uranium enrichment to levels well beyond the limits of the nuclear deal after one of its top nuclear scientists was killed.\nThe outbreak of war between Israel, a close U.S. ally, and the Palestinian Iran-backed militant group Hamas in October 2023 escalated tensions between Iran and Israel. Iran-backed proxy forces ramped up strikes in protest of Israel’s military incursion into the Gaza Strip, including more than two hundred attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets in Iraq and Syria. In response, the United States ordered air strikes on two Iran-backed facilities on October 26, 2023, and eighty-five more Iran-affiliated targets in the two countries on February 2, 2024. The Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon—both actors in Iran’s axis of resistance—also launched attacks from the Red Sea and Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, spurring fears of regional spillover.\nIn 2024, Israel and Iran’s confrontation shifted from indirect, proxy-based hostilities to direct exchanges of strikes. On April 1, a suspected Israeli air strike against an Iranian consular building in Damascus, Syria, killed two of its generals and five military advisors. Iran retaliated by launching over three hundred drone and missile attacks, the first time Iran had directly targeted Israel.\nFollowing Israel’s killing of the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles against Israel in October 2024. Israel then launched its largest direct attack on Iran, targeting its air defenses and missile production facilities. Israel’s decimation of Hamas and Hezbollah leadership, coupled with the downfall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, considerably weakened Iran’s axis of resistance in 2024.\nUpon returning to office in 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump restored his maximum pressure campaign against Tehran while also initiating negotiations on its nuclear program—the first direct U.S.-Iran talks since he withdrew the United States from the JCPOA nuclear deal in 2018. Israel was wholly opposed to the negotiations and has maintained an unwavering commitment to dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli officials argue that Iran’s clandestine efforts to develop nuclear weapons would fundamentally alter the regional balance of power, posing a direct danger to Israel’s survival.\nOn June 12, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared Iran was violating its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in twenty years, prompting Iran to announce it would open a secret uranium enrichment site. The next day, Israel launched a unilateral military strike against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, missile factories, senior military officials, and nuclear scientists. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the attack “an act of war,” and Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and dozens of ballistic missiles. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation as a last-resort effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Although the Trump administration had recently resumed nuclear negotiations, President Trump increasingly voiced support for Israel’s objectives and signaled his openness to regime change in Tehran.\nFollowing a week of air strikes between Israel and Iran, the United States directly intervened in the conflict, attacking three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz on June 21. The Trump administration claimed the strikes significantly hindered Iran’s capacity to achieve weapons-grade uranium, but the head of the UN nuclear watchdog assessed the program was set back by a matter of months. Trump is the first U.S. president to attack another country’s nuclear program and the first to explicitly join Israel in an attack on an adversary. Iran retaliated on June 23, launching a missile attack on U.S. forces stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar; no casualties were reported. Trump announced a ceasefire later that day. Although both sides accused the other of continuing strikes, the truce has largely held.\nWar With Iran Expands Throughout the Middle East\nThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced a new wave of strikes against Iranian regime targets in Tehran and Isfahan (Times of Israel). The IDF also carried out further strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon (NPR). The Israeli Air Force destroyed the bunker of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, dropping approximately one hundred bombs on the bunker site (Times of Israel). Iranian state media reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards sent a wave of missiles and drone toward Tel Aviv, Israel (NYT). In the Gulf, both Kuwait and Bahrain reported damage from Iranian drone and missile strikes (Euronews). Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones (CNN). Qatar's energy minister warned that Gulf states would likely shut down production, increasing global energy prices, in light of an Iranian strike that damaged Qatar's largest natural gas plant and the ongoing Iranian targeting of oil tankers traveling through the Hormuz Strait (Financial Times). Across the Middle East, at least 230,000 people have been displaced in relation to the ongoing war, according to the UN (Reuters). Iran’s daily missile launches have dropped overall since earlier in March, with U.S. and Israeli forces saying they have degraded many of Iran's missile sites; Iran's military is increasingly carrying out regional attacks using drones (Wall Street Journal). U.S. defense contractors are due to meet with administration officials at the White House today to discuss ramping up weapons production (Reuters). At NATO, there has been no talk of triggering the alliance's Article V mutual defense clause following a recent Iranian attempt to target Turkey with a ballistic missile; NATO intercepted the missile and the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps denies firing missiles at Turkish territory (Reuters). However, NATO increased its alliance-wide ballistic missile defense posture (X).\nRegional Tensions Escalate as U.S., Israel Continue Strikes on Iran\nThe Israel Defense Forces continued to strike Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure, while the United States and Israel moved to target Iranian defense industrial assets (ISW). Azerbaijan reported an Iranian drone strike in Nakhchivan exclave, a claim Iran denies (Axios). The U.S. embassy in Kuwait shut down operations amid missile attacks, while the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, and Qatar, also reported Iranian missile and drone attacks (AP). Sources report that China is in talks with Iran over oil and gas transit through the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters). U.S. President Donald Trump said he should be personally involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader after Ali Khamenei’s death, rejecting likely successor Mojtaba Khamenei as “unacceptable;” Iran continues to delay announcing a new supreme leader (Axios). Trump also called on the Kurdish opposition to support the U.S. war effort and offered air support for their efforts to take territory in western Iran (Washington Post). Asked if Americans should worry about Iranian strikes against the U.S. homeland, Trump told reporters \"“I guess. . . . When you go to war, some people will die\" (TIME). According to European and Middle Eastern officials briefed on the matter, the current Iranian regime's grip on power is secure (Washington Post). Europol warned Europeans of an increased risk for terrorist activity, cyber attacks, and online radicalization efforts as the war continues (Reuters). Iran's foreign minister told NBC his country is prepared to resist a potential U.S. ground invasion and that Iran is not currently willing to negotiate for a ceasefire (NBC). The United States and its partners in the Middle East have sought Ukraine's expertise and advice on countering Iranian drone operations, which Ukraine is now providing (Washington Post). France has authorized U.S. use of air bases in the country for operations in the Middle East (Reuters). Spain has denied U.S. requests for similar access and cooperation (The Hill). U.S. military officials believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for Saturday’s strike on a girl’s school in Iran (Reuters).\nNATO Intercepts Iranian Missile Near Turkey\nRetaliatory strikes by Iran continued as a ballistic missile from Iran was heading towards Turkish airspace; NATO air and missile defenses shot the missile down (NYT). Though it remains unclear where the missile was intended to land, a NATO spokesperson stated that the trans-Atlantic alliance condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkey (Reuters). Iranian missile attacks also targeted three bases in Iraq that were used by Kurdish militant groups that oppose Iran; the Kurdish Freedom Party confirmed the strikes (NYT). In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters this morning the United States was “accelerating, not decelerating” military action and said that, alongside Israel, it aimed to gain “uncontested control” of Iranian air (NYT). General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that Iranian ballistic missile strikes have decreased by 86 percent compared to the first day of fighting and that drone attacks have similarly decreased by 73 percent (NYT). Separately, Hegseth announced that the U.S. military sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo off the coast of Sri Lanka (BBC). Sri Lankan authorities said they rescued thirty-two people on board and recovered multiple bodies; sources from Sri Lanka’s defense ministry and Navy say roughly a hundred others are missing (Reuters). A set of satellite images reviewed by the BBC also shows that U.S. and Israeli strikes destroyed or damaged at least eleven Iranian naval vessels; several missile bases and nuclear sites were also damaged in the attacks (BBC). Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new wave of strikes targeting Iranian regime members; Kurdish media also reported the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters being targeted in northwest Iran (Guardian). The IDF also announced a new wave of strikes in southern Lebanon, telling residents to evacuate to the north of the Litani River (Reuters). The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz remains volatile, as at least two hundred vessels, including oil tankers and cargo ships, remain anchored (Reuters).\nIran’s Retaliation to U.S.- and Israeli-launched War Continues to Widen\nTrump notified Congress in a letter this week that the operations were meant to protect the U.S. homeland and forces in the region, advance U.S. national interests, and ensure “collective self-defense of our regional allies, including Israel” (NYT). Despite U.S. officials’ arguments that an Iranian threat was imminent, the UN nuclear chief said that Iran was not days or weeks away from having a nuclear weapon (CNN). U.S. Central Command stated that the United States has struck over 1,700 targets across Iran, including naval ships, submarines, anti-ship missile sites, and command and control centers (Jerusalem Post). Iranian news agencies also reported that Mehrabad airport was struck soon after the Israel Defense Forces warned civilians near Tehran to evacuate (Reuters). Air attacks further destroyed the building of Iran’s Assembly of Experts in Qom, which is tasked with electing Iran’s new supreme leader (Reuters). The Israel Defense Forces reported that strikes also killed Daoud Ali Zadeh, the acting commander of the Lebanon Corps of the elite Quds Force, in Tehran (AP). Iran launched retaliatory attacks on the U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (AP; Kuwait MoFA). The State Department urged Americans to leave the Middle East due to “serious safety risks” (State). Despite the U.S. government’s warning urging Americans to leave the region, many airports have been forced to delay or cancel flights because of the conflict (Guardian). Iran also struck energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and fired upon ships in the Strait of Hormuz (AP). Energy markets remain volatile, with European natural gas prices surging at least 40 percent today after Qatar paused exports from a gas facility following the Iranian attack (Bloomberg). U.S. President Donald Trump announced the United States Development Finance Corporation will offer insurance “at a very reasonable price” to ensure maritime trade flows in the Gulf (Truth Social). France and the United Kingdom (UK) announced they would each deploy a warship to the Mediterranean (France 24; BBC). Plans for new leadership in Iran also remain unclear as Trump told White House reporters that the leaders the administration had in mind are dead, and that an additional group “may be dead also” (AP).\nIran Closes Strait of Hormuz\nAccording to Iranian media, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that the Strait of Hormuz is now closed and Iran will fire upon any ship that attempts to pass through (Reuters). Meanwhile, Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three American jets during combat operations; U.S. Central Command said in a statement that all six crew members are safe (NYT). U.S. Central Command also raised the U.S. death toll from Operation Epic Fury to four; the fourth servicemember was severely wounded in a Saturday attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait and later succumbed to injuries (CENTCOM). Despite Trump calling on Iranians this weekend to rise up against the regime, top administration officials argued that U.S. aims were focused on degrading Iran’s military capabilities—including its ballistic missiles, navy, and security infrastructure (White House; Pentagon). Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth framed the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei as “not a so-called regime change war,” but quickly added “the regime sure did change” (NPR). Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have both encouraged Iranians to rise up against the remnants of the regime (AP). The White House said in a statement that Trump’s “unequivocal” demand remains that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon (White House). Trump wrote in a social media post last night that U.S. munitions stockpiles remain high and “Wars can be fought ‘forever’” (Truth Social). Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said the attacks had taken “months, and in some cases, years” of planning with the goal of stopping Tehran’s “ability to project power outside of its borders” (France24). Although Trump told reporters yesterday that Iran had indicated interest in resuming talks, Iran’s top national security official, Ali Larijani, wrote on social media today that Iran would not negotiate with the United States (X). Secretary of State Marco Rubio caused a stir when he told reporters that the U.S. attack on Iran was in part driven by Israel’s plans to strike Iran; because Iran would have retaliated by attacking U.S. forces, a preemptive U.S. attack was necessary, Rubio said (State). While many congressional Republicans praised the U.S. military campaign, leading Democrats condemned it as illegal and reckless and vowed to vote on a resolution restricting Trump’s war powers (NPR). The death toll continues to rise: the Iranian Red Crescent reported at least 555 people have been killed in Iran, while 11 people have been killed in Israel (AP).\nThree U.S. Service Members Killed in Operation Epic Fury\nU.S. Central Command announced in a statement that three U.S. service members were killed and five others were seriously wounded in yesterday’s attack on Iran; President Trump said there would “likely be more” U.S. casualties (CENTCOM; White House). Operations continued as CENTCOM stated that a large-scale U.S. strike destroyed the IRGC headquarters (CENTCOM). Satellite imagery also shows damage to Iran’s naval and air bases, while President Trump stated that the operations sank nine Iranian naval ships (NPR; Truth Social). Trump has given varying estimates of how long U.S. military engagement could last, telling different media outlets over the weekend it could be days or up to 4 to 5 weeks (NYT). Speaking to The Atlantic, Trump appeared to float an off-ramp, suggesting that he would be willing to speak with Iran’s new leadership (The Atlantic). Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media that Trump had launched the war despite a new nuclear deal being “within reach” (X). Meanwhile, Israel announced it launched another round of strikes “in the heart of Iran” (CNN). Retaliatory strikes from Iran also continued, as an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shamesh killed nine Israeli citizens (NYT). Three people were also killed in the United Arab Emirates, while Kuwait’s Health Ministry reported one death from the retaliatory strikes (Jerusalem Post). Six nearby countries condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region (Saudi Press Agency). Videos and images verified by the New York Times indicate yesterday’s bombing of an elementary school in southern Iran killed at least 175 people (NYT). Oil shipping traffic slowed to a near stop in the Strait of Hormuz, while a key international oil price jumped at least 8 percent (Bloomberg).\nUnited States and Israel Attack Iran\nThe United States and Israel announced that they had initiated a large-scale military operation designed to destroy Iran’s military capabilities and bring about regime change (Axios). The commander of the U.S. Central Command said the operation began at 1:15 a.m. ET and targeted aspects of Iran’s security apparatus that posed an imminent threat (CENTCOM). The operation, named “Operation Epic Fury” by the United States, utilized Tomahawk missiles, F-18 and F-35 fighter jets, and, for the first time, single-use drones (Reuters). The combined U.S.-Israel force conducted close to nine hundred strikes, as the Israel Defense Forces claimed it had struck at least five hundred Iranian targets (ISW). Iranian state media confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the attacks; Iranian Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour were also reportedly killed alongside five other senior military commanders (Reuters). Iranian state media also reported that Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law were killed in the attacks (Times of Israel). The U.S.-Israel operations triggered a retaliatory campaign by Iran as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates faced Iranian missiles, drones, and intercepts (Axios). At least one U.S. military installation in Bahrain, which headquarters the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, was struck by Iranian missile fire; Iranian state media reported that missile attacks also targeted Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates among other non-military sites, including luxury hotels and residential buildings in Bahrain and Dubai (WaPo). UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for immediate de-escalation at an emergency Security Council meeting Saturday, condemning the United States and Israel’s strikes as unlawful (AP). Both countries argued their actions were justified given the major nature of the threat posed by Iran, while Iran said it posed no imminent threat (UN).\nU.S. Guidance on Leaving Israel\nAs the United States weighs a strike on Iran, it authorized non-essential government staff and family members to depart Israel, citing unspecified “safety risks” (U.S. Embassy Jerusalem). China also urged its citizens in Iran to evacuate as soon as possible (Reuters). The threat of renewed conflict comes as Israel’s stockpiles of ground-based ballistic missile interceptors and U.S. land- and sea-based antiballistic missile systems, both used extensively during the June 2025 Iran–Israel conflict, were significantly depleted, raising concerns about the sustainability of Israel’s air defense coverage in the event of another exchange (NYT). Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that some of Iran’s uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity, near weapons grade, is stored in an underground tunnel complex at its Isfahan nuclear site, which appears largely undamaged despite U.S. and Israeli strikes that hit the facility’s entrance in June (Reuters).\nThird Round of U.S.-Iran Talks\nThe United States and Iran held another round of indirect nuclear talks today in Geneva, with both sides threatening war if diplomacy fails (BBC). The countries are floating proposals that include limiting the amount of uranium Iran is allowed to enrich, temporarily suspending Iran’s enrichment activity, and dismantling its main nuclear sites, according to reports from multiple news outlets (Guardian). Both sides agreed to resume negotiations within a week, with additional technical-level discussions scheduled in Vienna (Reuters). The state news agency of mediator Oman said today that both sides were demonstrating “unprecedented openness to new and creative ideas and solutions” (Oman News Agency). Further, the foreign minister of Oman said the talks had achieved “significant progress,” but did not announce a breakthrough that would avert an attack (Oman FM).\nIran Optimistic on U.S. Talks as Protests Expand\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he sees a chance for a positive outcome from a third round of talks with the United States in Geneva (Reuters). Meanwhile, BBC verified footage shows additional universities joining anti-government protests across Iran (BBC). Tokyo “strongly demanded” the release of a Japanese national detained in Iran since January, following a report by RFE/RL that Iranian authorities had arrested the Tehran bureau chief of the Japanese public broadcaster NHK World; the RFE/RL report cited unnamed sources (Japan Times).\nTrump Calls for Nuclear Deal in State of the Union Address\nTrump said he sought a nuclear deal with Iran to thwart the country’s “sinister ambitions” to obtain nuclear weapons, but said he had yet to hear Iran commit to abandoning those ambitions; he also warned that Iran was trying to develop missiles that could reach the United States (NYT). Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that a deal with the United States was only feasible if diplomacy was prioritized (Reuters). This comes as Iran nears a deal with China to purchase anti-ship cruise missiles; though no delivery date has been agreed upon, the use of the CM-302 missile would improve Iran’s strike capabilities and pose a threat to U.S. naval forces (Reuters).\nIranian Students Continue Protests as U.S.-Iran Tensions Heighten\nIranian students continued protests for a third day, as state media reported students burning flags at an all-women university, chanting anti-government slogans, and skirmishes at Amir Kabir University in Tehran (Reuters). This comes amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, as Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that any U.S. attack, including preliminary strikes, would be considered an act of aggression and would prompt a response (Al Jazeera). Meanwhile, the United States began evacuating non-essential staff and eligible family members from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut amid increased concern about a military conflict with Iran (Reuters). However, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Dan Caine has warned Trump and other officials that a military campaign against Iran could incur significant costs to U.S. forces and weapons, multiple news outlets reported, citing unnamed officials (NYT). Caine’s office said in a statement that he confidentially gives the president a range of options and associated risks (WSJ). While the White House praised Caine in a statement, Trump wrote on social media that it is “100% incorrect” that Caine is “against us going to War with Iran” (Truth Social).\nPlans for More Iran Talks\nNegotiations between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program will likely continue in Geneva on Thursday, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS News (CBS). Unnamed U.S. officials also confirmed plans for the meeting to multiple news outlets, but stressed that Trump is still considering military strikes amid the large-scale U.S. deployment in the region (Axios; NYT). In Iran, meanwhile, antigovernment protests have reignited as the new school semester begins in spite of the regime’s recent brutal crackdowns (NYT).\nTrump Signals Deadline for Nuclear Deal\nAraghchi Says Some Progress Made in Geneva\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that some progress was made in Geneva by reaching an understanding on “guiding principles,” but that this progress does not indicate an imminent nuclear deal (Reuters). U.S. officials have further stated that Iran needs to draft a detailed proposal for a deal in two weeks (Axios). As negotiations continue, the U.S. military is amassing its greatest airpower buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reported (WSJ). Meanwhile, satellite images show that Iran has been making repairs to and fortifying military and nuclear sites bombed by the United States and Israel (Reuters).\nU.S. and Iran Pursuing Talks in Geneva\nU.S.-Iran negotiations ended with a commitment to meet again, but Iran failed to acknowledge certain U.S. red lines, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News (Fox News). While Tehran has sought a narrow deal on its nuclear program as well as sanctions relief, Washington has signaled it seeks a more expansive agreement that could also address Tehran’s missile stockpile (NYT). Portions of the Strait of Hormuz were closed for “security precautions” as the Revolutionary Guards conducted military drills in the strait (Reuters). The closure included live-fire drills, a rare show of force (AP). Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened to sink U.S. warships in the region (The Hill). Open-source flight radar data shows that dozens of U.S. fighter jets have moved to positions near Iran this week (Axios).\nU.S. Heightens Military Presence in Region\nGlobal Protests Against Iranian Regime\nHundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in cities worldwide this weekend, who gathered to protest Iran’s current regime and its recent crackdown on dissent; Reza Pahlavi, the son of the exiled late shah of Iran, had called for a “global day of action” (BBC).\nTrump Expresses Support for Regime Change\nReport on Starlink in Iran\nThe United States reportedly sent around six thousand of the company’s satellite internet kits to the country in recent weeks, in a secret effort to help dissidents withstand government restrictions on internet access, unnamed U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal; the White House did not comment on the report, but had publicly said in January that Trump spoke to Starlink owner Elon Musk about ensuring connectivity in Iran (WSJ).\nIran Maintains Red Line on Missile Program\nAn advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that Iran’s missile capabilities remain a red line as Washington and Tehran consider a second round of talks to avoid further escalation (Reuters). However, Iran’s president said that the country is willing to open its nuclear sites for inspections to verify it is not building a nuclear weapon; the concession came the same day that Trump discussed Iran policy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House (FT). Trump wrote on social media that he told Netanyahu he will continue to seek a deal with Iran if possible, though he provided no further details (Truth Social).\nUnited States Used Mobile Launchers at Al-Udeid Base\nSatellite images from February 2 revealed that the United States placed missiles into truck launchers, rather than semi-static launcher stations, allowing for rapid deployment amid escalating tensions with Iran; it is unknown if the missiles remain in the truck launchers (Reuters). Trump said he was considering sending a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East if talks do not progress (Axios). Before departing to meet President Trump in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters his “first and foremost” goal was to press for a deal that covered more than just Iran’s nuclear program (WaPo).\nIran Expands Crackdown on Dissent, Detains Reformists\nAuthorities arrested Azar Mansouri, head of the Reformist Front; Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, who led students who stormed the U.S. Embassy in 1979; and former diplomat Mohsen Aminzadeh in an expansion of crackdowns on dissent (AP). Local media also reported that Javad Emam, Secretary General of Iran’s Assembly of Veterans, and Hossein Karoubi, son of reformist leader Mehdi Karoubi, were also among those detained; the detainees face charges of causing political divisions, plotting to overthrow the political system, and coordinating with enemy propaganda (NYT). The Shargh newspaper further reported that two more members of the Reform Front were asked to report to the prosecutor’s office on Tuesday (Reuters). Separately, the United States warned U.S.-flagged commercial ships to stay “as far as possible” from Iran’s territorial waters (U.S. DoT).\nIran Will Not Accept Ban on Nuclear Enrichment\nFollowing indirect talks with the United States on Friday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that Iran is prepared to build trust that its enrichment is for peaceful purposes (Reuters). Trump is due to discuss the results of the talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (AP). Meanwhile, Iran’s judiciary sentenced activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was detained in December and was reported to be on a hunger strike, to at least another seven years in prison on charges including collusion and propaganda, her lawyer wrote on social media (X).\nU.S.-Iran Talks Begin in Oman\nOman mediated indirect talks today between the United States and Iran focused on “sustaining security and stability,” its foreign ministry said in a statement (Oman FM). Both sides described the talks as positive but inconclusive (Bloomberg). Omani state media footage also showed the head of U.S. Central Command participating on the U.S. side, a role he had not played in previous rounds of talks (AP). Meanwhile, the State Department announced new sanctions on actors it said illegally transported Iranian oil and indirectly funded the country’s repression at home and “terror organizations” abroad (State).\nU.S-Iran Nuclear Talks Moved to Oman\nThe Trump administration agreed to Iran’s request to move Friday’s nuclear talks from Turkey to Oman (Axios). The change in venue comes as Iran seeks to continue previous discussion rounds held in the country and to prevent discussions from expanding to include issues such as its ballistic missile program, which Tehran has stated is a red line in negotiations (Reuters).\nU.S. Shoots Down Iranian Drone\nTwo Iranian military provocations against U.S. assets in the Middle East underscored high tensions ahead of negotiations planned for Friday (WaPo). An Iranian drone “aggressively approached” a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, prompting a fighter jet from the carrier to shoot it down, a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson said (CNN). Hours later, the U.S. Navy escorted a U.S.-flagged tanker to safety after it was approached by two Iranian gunboats that threatened to board the vessel (CBS). The CENTCOM spokesperson said that Iran’s aggression increases “risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization” (The Hill). Iran’s top officials did not immediately comment on the maritime incidents; the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that communications with a drone over international waters had been lost, though the reason remained unclear (Reuters). The incidents could mean Iranian hardliners are resistant to talks, the Wall Street Journal reported (WSJ). Officials from the United States and Israel, as well as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, held separate high-level meetings in Jerusalem and Riyadh that discussed the regional stakes of the upcoming U.S.-Iran talks (Times of Israel; Asharq Al-Awsat). Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are among those urging Iran and the United States to negotiate rather than risk military conflict, a point Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Reuters). U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Iran could not be trusted to uphold its promises (Israeli PM). Iran has pushed for the negotiations to be moved from their planned location in Istanbul to Oman (Axios).\nPlan for U.S.-Iran Talks\nU.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss a potential nuclear deal and de-escalation of bilateral tensions, news outlets reported (WaPo). The meeting will focus on negotiating a deal to prevent war amid a massive U.S. military buildup in the Gulf (Axios). This comes as Iran’s leadership is increasingly concerned that a U.S. strike would reignite protests, with top officials warning Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that, in light of widespread discontent over last month’s crackdowns, fear is no longer a deterrent to protest (Reuters).\nKhamenei Warns of “Regional War”\nIran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that an attack by the United States would spark a greater “regional war” in the Middle East; Khamenei’s comments are the most direct threat he has made so far regarding U.S. escalation in the region (AP).\nEU Announces New Sanctions on Iran\nThe European Union (EU) sanctioned fifteen senior officials and six organizations in Iran for actions like surveilling and censoring online protest content (European Council). The EU also designated Iran’s paramilitary guard a terrorist organization, which puts its officials under travel controls and other punitive actions and aligns Brussels with others who have done the same, including the United States and Canada (X). The head of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Iran called the move a “long-overdue political signal that massive violence and transnational repression will no longer go unanswered,” while Iran’s top diplomat said it was a “strategic mistake” (Guardian; Iran FM). More than six thousand people are confirmed to have been killed in countrywide demonstrations since the end of December, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said this week (HRANA). Estimates from the Iranian government are lower, at about three thousand deaths (AP). After initially threatening military action earlier this month over the crackdown, U.S. President Donald Trump later expanded those threats and tied them to demands for a deal on Iran’s nuclear program; though the United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, Trump told reporters he had been speaking to Tehran in recent days and that “it would be great” if military action could be avoided (White House).\nTrump’s Threats to Attack Iran\nTrump called on Tehran to make a deal guaranteeing Iran has no nuclear weapons, warning that the United States could attack again if it refused; Trump added the U.S. naval deployment in the Middle East was ready to act with “speed and violence, if necessary” (Truth Social). This week, both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) publicly stated the United States could not use their airspace for an attack on Iran (Asharq Al-Awsat; Emirates News Agency).\nU.S. Naval Assets Near Iran\nThe USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three naval destroyers have arrived in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced (CENTCOM). Trump has referenced the fleet’s impending arrival in his threats to strike Iran over its response to antigovernment protests in the country during recent weeks; however, the strike group remains in the Indian Ocean, CENTCOM said—not the Arabian Sea, which borders Iran (AP).\nU.S. Forces Near Iran\nThe United States is deploying “an armada” of warships near Iran “just in case” Iran’s response to protests becomes untenable, Trump told reporters (CNN). At the same time, he voiced an openness to talk to the Iranian government; Iran’s foreign minister has similarly expressed willingness for dialogue with the United States but said the country is ready for war in the event of U.S. military action (FT).\nToll of Iran Protests\nIran estimates that more than three thousand people have died in recent demonstrations, its government said in its first official death toll (AP). The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that it had verified almost five thousand deaths, though other estimates are far greater (HRANA). In recent days, the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded its invitation to Iran’s foreign minister due to the widespread killings (Euronews).\nProtest Fallout for Iranian Businesses\nFirms in the country are hurting as an internet shutdown intended to stifle protests continues, with watchdog group NetBlocks estimating the blackout costs the economy more than $37 million per day; meanwhile, prosecutors in Tehran have begun filing paperwork to seize the assets of dozens of cafes they allege played a role in antigovernment protests, judicial news agency Mizan reported (AP).\nIran Denies Execution Plan\nIran’s judiciary denied today that antigovernment protester Erfan Soltani has been sentenced to death; the case had garnered international attention (Guardian). A Norway-based human rights group reported that an execution order shared with Soltani’s family has been postponed (X). Separately, the United States announced new sanctions on Iranian officials, citing their “brutal crackdown against the Iranian people” (Treasury). Gulf countries and Israel urged Trump in recent days not to strike Iran because of concerns that such actions could ignite a broader regional conflict, unnamed officials told multiple news outlets (NYT). The White House press secretary said that “all options remain on the table” regarding Iran (White House).\nIran Warns of Retaliation If Trump Strikes\nA senior Iranian official said Tehran would strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East if Trump were to intervene in Iran (Reuters). Trump said that “the killing in Iran is stopping,” though he didn’t clarify what this could mean in the context of his threats to strike the country (White House). The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had verified more than 2,600 deaths in the protests so far, but cautioned that an ongoing communications blackout made evidence harder to check (HRANA). As a precaution, nonessential personnel are evacuating from the Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the primary U.S. air operations hub in the region (NYT).\nTrump Urges Iranians to “Keep Protesting”\nWriting on Truth Social, Trump said that help was on the way—without providing details—and vowed to not meet with Iranian officials until the killing of demonstrators ends (BBC). Inside Iran, authorities allowed people to make international phone calls today, though a broader communications blackout remained in place; Iranians who were able to make calls abroad detailed heavy security force deployments in central Tehran, few people in the streets, and burned-out government buildings (AP). An unnamed Iranian official told Reuters today that an estimated two thousand people, including security agents, have been killed in the demonstrations (Reuters).\nUnited States to Impose 25 Percent Tariffs on Countries Doing Business With Iran\nThe announcement came after Trump called for Iranian authorities to abstain from violence against antigovernment protesters and raised the prospect of U.S. intervention (Truth Social). He did not immediately issue an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from countries including China, India, Iraq, Russia, and Turkey; Trump did not specify whether the new tariffs would be added to or replace existing tariff rates (Guardian). China, which is Iran’s largest trading partner, criticized the measure, with a spokesperson for its U.S. embassy writing on social media that “coercion and pressure cannot solve problems” (X). The Iranian foreign minister said the country was ready for war, but seeks fair negotiations; both the United States and Iran acknowledged their communication channels remain open as the protests continue (Reuters).\nTrump Reiterates Threats to Strike Iran Over Crackdown on Protests\nThe U.S. military is considering “some very strong options” for Iran, Trump told journalists; he said that a meeting with Iranian officials is being arranged after they voiced interest in negotiating, but added that the United States “may have to act” sooner, depending on how the protests develop (White House). Trump’s options for striking Iran include cyberattacks, military strikes, and sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported; yet the United States currently has no aircraft carrier in the Middle East or Europe after moving its largest aircraft carrier to Latin America and would need to move assets into place (WSJ). Despite Iranian authorities maintaining an internet blackout over the weekend, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it verified that more than 480 demonstrators and around 50 law enforcement officers had been killed and more than 10,600 people had been jailed since the protests began in late December (HRANA). U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the protests during a call on Saturday, Axios reported (Axios). Meanwhile, world leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, voiced support for freedom of expression in Iran and called for restraint against protesters from the country’s authorities (X; X).\nIranian Authorities Cut Internet Access Nationwide\nIranian authorities have struggled to contain antigovernment protests that have swelled across the country (NYT). Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said today that authorities would “not back down” in the face of protests (NYT). Khamenei has accused demonstrators of acting on behalf of Trump (NBC). Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, called for nationwide demonstrations last night and tonight (X).\nTrump Warns of U.S. Consequences If Iranian Authorities Kill demonstrators\nIranian security forces’ efforts to repress the demonstrations have not stopped their growth; they have now entered their twelfth day (BBC; HRANA). U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that more than forty-two people have died and more than two thousand have been detained since demonstrations began on December 28 (HRANA). Protesters are denouncing both economic hardship—the country’s currency collapsed late last month—and political repression, with many openly calling for regime change (Bloomberg). Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration has sought to engage with protesters and introduce economic stipends and other concessions, but Iranians have stayed on the streets (FT). Trump told the “Hugh Hewitt Show” that Washington was watching the demonstrations “very closely;” he said Iranian authorities have “been told very strongly” that they will “pay hell” if they kill demonstrators, though he characterized the deaths so far as consequences of crowd control problems (Hugh Hewitt). In a separate interview that aired on Fox News, Trump alleged that Khamenei could be looking to leave Iran (Fox News). Iraq-based Kurdish opposition parties are calling for a general strike in support of the protest movement that has spread to the Kurdish regions of western Iran (France24).\nIran Responds to Protests\nThe government announced a plan to give most citizens monthly payments of about $7 in response to widespread demonstrations fueled by economic hardship (NYT). The protests have become the largest in the country since 2022, when the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked months of civic upheaval (AP).\nIran’s Protests Spread\nAntigovernment protests and labor strikes have spread to twenty-six provinces in Iran, U.S.-based group Human Rights Activists News Agency said; at least nineteen protesters have reportedly been killed as a result of the law enforcement crackdown (HRANA). After Iran’s top leader said Saturday that “rioters must be put in their place,” Trump told reporters that if Iran starts “killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States” (AP; White House).",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:00:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_b8abab5cd912",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Saudi Arabia says it backed talks with Iran, not military action - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Saudi Arabia says it backed talks with Iran, not military action\nSaudi Arabia on Monday denied reports that the country was lobbying US President Donald Trump to strike Iran, saying that the kingdom has been supporting efforts to reach a deal with Tehran.\nFahad Nazer, spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, said in a post on X: “At no point in all our communication with the Trump Administration did we lobby the President to adopt a different policy.\n\"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been consistent in supporting diplomatic efforts to reach a credible deal with Iran.\"\nLast week, the Washington Post reported that Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, argued in favour of an attack during multiple phone calls with Donald Trump within the past month.\nHowever, Middle East Eye reported on Sunday that US Senator Lindsey Graham travelled to Saudi Arabia in late February to bring Mohammed bin Salman “on board” and convince him to back an attack.\nThe developments come amid ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iran, after the countries began a joint attack that has already killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several other top officials and hundreds of civilians. Around 150 girls were killed in a strike on a school in southern Iran on Saturday.\nFrance, Germany and the UK said on Sunday that they stood ready to protect their interests and those of their Gulf allies and could take what they described as “defensive action” if required.\nIn January, Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a phone call that the kingdom would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military attack on Iran.\nGulf states could closer align with US\nIran has continued its retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israel and US assets in the region, including countries in the Gulf region.\nAmid Iran's decision to strike targets ranging from the world-famous Fairmont hotel in Dubai to Jebel Ali port, analysts warned that the Gulf could be pushed into closer alignment with the US the longer the war dragged on.\n\"Iran is forcing the GCC up the escalation ladder,\" said Firas Maksad, who oversees Eurasia Group's coverage of Middle East and North Africa geopolitics.\n\"They will have to consider responding or, at a minimum, allowing the US greater operational freedom to conduct offensive operations from their territories.\"\nThe UAE's minister of state for international cooperation, Reem al-Hashimy, also appeared to suggest that the oil-rich state could open its airspace and bases to support US attacks if the retaliatory strikes continued.\nOn Sunday, Iran announced a new leadership and vowed revenge while attacking countries across the region.\nSeveral senior military and political figures have been killed by Israel and the US since the two countries began striking Iran on Saturday morning. Donald Trump said 48 leaders had been killed.\nIranian authorities acknowledged several of the fatalities, including Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s defence council, and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:04:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxOcmpqeDVvLUJCQmdmYW85Y0N1TU9YR25aMUJVdW8yQnQ3Rko3eW8xUTN2ODhTYmY0OXZUSHdfd0N1SU9WUGstRXZvQ3VDcDlESXZkemFPNmk3VElLNU5oa2t1d1MwYmhlQ2txS0ZFcFFKQ2xmbVI2UUJGb3l3VnUxX0s1VTZZOWR5SkNqUHQ4Zw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_293e322571a9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Saudi Arabia: Missile debris sparks fire at Aramco oil refinery - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Saudi Arabia: Missile debris sparks fire at Aramco oil refinery\nFalling debris from an intercepted Iranian drone caused a \"limited fire\" at Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil refinery in Ras Tanura on Monday, the defence ministry said.\nTurki al-Maliki, the ministry's spokesperson, told Al Arabiya that two drones were intercepted near the facility and the debris from one triggered the localised fire.\nSaudi Arabia's energy ministry said the fire was under control and had no impact on oil supplies. The refinery was shut down as a precaution, it added.\nThe Ras Tanura complex, located on the kingdom's eastern coast, houses one of the Middle East’s largest refineries, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, according to AFP. It also serves as one of the world’s biggest oil ports.\nIn Kuwait, smoke was rising above a power plant in the north of the country by three witnesses, according to AFP.\nThe national oil company, Kuwait National Petroleum Company, reported that debris had fallen on the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, one of the country’s largest, injuring two workers but not disrupting operations.\nMeanwhile, oil prices surged by nine percent amid fears that the Iran conflict could disrupt Middle Eastern supply flows, Reuters reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:04:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxPY2ZxUjNURGx6bTNpQmxqMV9vNlhybGlJaW9kYTZOeUI0SXdCTnNoQ3duamIwRjUycjd0dEIyUGp4dlFhakgta0JoTm5fUVZUYUk3WjlIOGZhTmJxSWF3bVJJZ0pZR2F3Wk93TlVYMl8xamIwVjRnZ3l5TFJMU0l6TVh4T0lEUHphZy12SElBeFA?oc=5",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict disrupts oil supply to Asian countries dependent on Middle East - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict disrupts oil supply to Asian countries dependent on Middle East    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:26:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQVU51MTZpMHRVRWR4R0xFOFNZTVhycE83dWhfZ1dMMmpaenJ1UlFOYUp2cERDQkplemZubjBoU3otcFNEQ3oxOWFFMzE0bHc3ZHppZUZiNW1uRDB1c0FwLTUwbmoyc3FKRzdvVGEyUEZxVzgxUmc0R3FOcFg2Nk5SUGRVTHhoS1gxSDJfUEJla3JNM3R4amxCcGNtYW9WWXhKamctVExwWHZnLWJQZUctLWtMWEYwVEhqRUNOMGhVMnVKSlBY?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a57031699b86",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "European stocks suffer biggest drop in months as Middle East tensions hit banks, travel - Reuters",
    "body_text": "European stocks suffer biggest drop in months as Middle East tensions hit banks, travel    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:29:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxNV0xPU3pMVXlJbjhXYjlXSDdXdDFvTkFmdWJKWWM2bGlVd0VlT0phejhlX2pRZU1mOU1sNHdxVkhUVmRLZDUyN0diaFg2UFNpaGY3MUxMN1Vfek1aWnE1M3dkZ3BicVpYS3hLWmZvZ3NJMVVrelhpbjRLaGctVUFYbVNQNlkwMXBKMEV4ZG16dUVqdDdmYVlMODRYS216MzlKbEJnNlZBdEFqcGtnY2Zz?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b72ddae1a4a1",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "What happens if Iran withdraw from the World Cup – and will the UAE or Iraq replace them? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "As tensions continue to escalate following the US-Israel attacks in Iran on Saturday, the eyes of the sporting world have inevitably turned to the 2026 World Cup finals, and if Iran will take their place in it.\nThis year's tournament is being jointly held in North America – the USA, Canada and Mexico – in an expanded 48-team format. As hosts, the USA automatically qualified; Iran did so via qualification in Asia.\nHostilities show no signs of abating after Iran confirmed the death of its supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, as well as other government and military officials, in joint US-Israeli strikes.\nIn response, Iran launched its own military campaign, targeting US assets across the Middle East, including the UAE, and in Israel. Attacks continue daily across the region, with US monitors saying the conflict could stretch into days or weeks.\nIf Iran were to withdraw from the tournament or be banned from taking part, Iraq and the UAE will be the most likely beneficiaries, although it is not a given.\nFifa's response\nFootball's governing body has said it is monitoring events, but that it was “premature to comment in detail” on whether Iran will play at this summer's finals.\n“We had the finals draw in Washington in which all teams participated, and our focus is on a safe World Cup with all the teams participating,” Fifa's secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said on Saturday following the International Football Association Board's annual general meeting in Cardiff, Wales.\n“We will continue to communicate as we always do with three [host] governments as we always do in any case. Everybody will be safe.”\nWhat happens if Iran withdraws?\nAccording to Fifa regulations, any participating member association that withdraws from the 2026 World Cup is subject to fines of up to CHF500,000 (Dh2.39 million), will have to reimburse team preparation money as well as any other tournament‑related payments.\nArticle 6.2 of the Fifa World Cup 2026 regulations states: “Any Participating Member Association that withdraws from the Fifa World Cup 26 no later than 30 days before the first match of the final competition shall be fined at least CHF250,000 by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee.\n“Any Participating Member Association that withdraws from the Fifa World Cup 26 fewer than 30 days before the first match of the final competition shall be fined at least CHF500,000 by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.\n“Participating Member Associations that withdraw from the Fifa World Cup 26 at any time will be required to reimburse the team preparation money as well as any other tournament‑related contribution payments that they received from Fifa.”\nIt adds that the disciplinary committee may also impose additional measures including expelling the member association from future Fifa tournaments “and/or the replacement of the Participating Member Association with another member association”.\nIf a team withdraws or is expelled after the 2026 World Cup begins, Fifa regulations allow for forfeiture of matches (3–0 defeats) or, if early enough in the group stage, results being annulled.\nHowever, once the tournament is under way, no new team is inserted. The competition continues with the adjusted standings.\nCould the UAE or Iraq replace Iran?\nAs things stand, Iran are slated to play at the World Cup. Iran punched their ticket to the 2026 finals after topping Group A in Asian qualification with 26 points. The UAE finished third in that group to enter a play-off tournament held in Qatar, but could finish only second.\nIran are scheduled to play Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt in Group G. Two of the games are set for Los Angeles, one in Seattle.\nMehdi Taj, president of Iran's football federation, has said he does not know if the national team can play at the World Cup following the US-Israeli strikes in his country.\n“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Taj told sports portal Varzesh3, an Iranian sports news website, as reported by the Associated Press.\nTypically, the allocation is chosen from the same federation, in this case the Asian Football Confederation, to keep the regional allocation slot balanced. It's important to note that this is not a codified rule, and is made at Fifa's discretion.\nIran are one of eight teams from Asia to have qualified outright for the 2026 finals. Iraq could potentially join them if they can successfully navigate an inter-confederation play-off on March 31 against either Suriname or Bolivia.\nIf Iraq lose that play-off and Iran do withdraw, it could, potentially, pave the way for the UAE to take part in only a second global finals, though it is no formality.\nHow so?\nThe UAE finished third in their group in the third round of Asian qualifying for the World Cup, behind Iran and Uzbekistan.\nAs a result, the UAE entered a fourth round of qualifying featuring two groups of three played in two central locations.\nThe national team were paired with Qatar and Oman in Group A.\nA nerve-shredding 2-1 comeback win over the Omanis in their first match meant that the UAE only had to avoid defeat to hosts Qatar to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990.\nA controversial 2-1 defeat sealed Qatar's place in North America and meant the UAE entered another play-off, where they lost to Iraq, runners-up from Group B, 3-2 on aggregate.\nOf the Asian teams that did not qualify outright for the World Cup, the UAE are the highest-ranked team (58).\nBut as per its own regulations, Fifa can replace any team that withdraws, but the rule book does not specify an automatic replacement based solely on runners-up status or ranking, or even confederation.\nHas a team withdrawn from a World Cup before?\nYes. The most chaotic tournament, in terms of withdrawals, was at the 1950 finals held in Brazil.\nTurkey, Scotland and India qualified for the tournament, mostly because several countries in Asia, Europe and South America refused to even take part in qualifying. Turkey, Scotland and India all withdrew before the start of that World Cup, citing the cost of travel and player registration issues.\nPortugal, who had lost to Spain in qualifying, were invited to replace Turkey, but turned down the chance, again citing the cost of travel. Portugal were not automatically entitled to the spot; Fifa simply selected the most logical European replacement.\nFrance also withdrew after qualification, citing travel costs and scheduling issues. Fifa invited Portugal again, but they declined.\nUltimately, no replacement was inserted for either Turkey, Scotland or India, and the tournament proceeded with fewer teams (13 instead of 16).\nAt the 1938 World Cup, Austria qualified but withdrew after its annexation by Nazi Germany. That time, Fifa did not invite a replacement. Sweden, Austria's opponents, were given a bye into the next round.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T08:44:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3gFBVV95cUxPV1lmTFVJWjRXN3NzR0I4cXQxNXFTUHZ5S0QzTmR3LWpkNVY1TzZYUmphRjVsZ0pGM2F4QnZESXdXTGNvSFhjTUtwREhlR0lOZVFOWU1YUGZKTmpqQzlnN1NSQjJUVE8wS0RvQ3hvZ25QS2plZDBGcjJtS0F2bTRnNDZscGpqVHVPa2RpMmM2aVpUWDMtYUZQNWZmTWpCLUt1SWszSDhkcjFxNXBMQkZRQlZUV3BCWno0VHJkWHd5c0NmZ2RtM2M4TENVcjFFZUgxOV9xMlloT3FZeUtuNlE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6ece7b1fc8d7",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "China’s Oil Hoard Shields Refiners From Iran Risks for Now - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "China’s Oil Hoard Shields Refiners From Iran Risks for Now    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:04:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPTmZXd1RpV1d5R3Y0N1VQd2gtUG1PVUFOcnJNRkh6eUMyMzkxd0k4dnVqeUtGbVFqaTdZR2VJVnZMVlNhM2c0TTI4VGNqWUJmSkU2d3RXX1htTU5YVV9fOV9YQXF0bHF6RnJWeTg1TXdZSTJ2YXE0YlZtTjBJcFRTVDV1RVZxd0tsTjU4ME9fVmh4aTFaU21EREY5aTVKbmxXd1hUV1IxRS1feEV6ck5DSHRHSQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_36f2a1580501",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "European Gas Jumps 25% as Iranian Crisis Threatens Global Flows - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "European Gas Jumps 25% as Iranian Crisis Threatens Global Flows    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:04:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPdUE5dGhXRjlockF3UkpndDc4czdpZHBuUlA1Rnc5eDZTcTV3MDVNU19mLXFyYmJka1AtdGRfUVM2ZUdjR1NEQzNfeE1YeGNrOGNLc0l6dFg0LWtJekJRZkF5SURHLXI5YVFEc0pUX0dxc0pmT3hkamFRTHRKbElsaDB2VnhwSENfM21PMXZpSjBSZ1AzVjhETWNSYWtoRTNQcDdvcEtIb05RVmp1Q2hvNGFDTQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b890b0fe2a60",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘Simply not true’ UK is being dragged into Iraq-style conflict, says foreign secretary - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "It is “simply not true” that the UK is being dragged into another Iraq-style conflict in the Middle East, Yvette Cooper has said, after an RAF base in Cyprus was struck by an Iranian drone.\nThe attack was part of a barrage of strikes by Tehran around the Middle East after a US-Israeli attack on Saturday that killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The UK foreign secretary confirmed ministers were considering possible plans to evacuate about 300,000 Britons from the region.\nBritain had no involvement in the initial attack but in a statement late on Sunday, Keir Starmer said he had agreed to let the US use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites, so as to limit the impact of Iranian strikes.\nThe decision prompted alarm among some opposition parties, with the Liberal Democrats demanding it be put to a vote in parliament. Asked if the UK risked being pulled into an escalating conflict with no end goal, simply because Donald Trump had asked, Cooper said: “That’s simply not true.”\nShe told Sky News on Monday: “We took a very specific decision not to provide support for strikes that were taking place over this weekend. We have been clear that we believe there should be a diplomatic process, negotiations process.”\nWith Iranian missiles and drones causing damage and casualties around the Gulf, as well as in Israel and Cyprus, the UK had to “recognise responsibilities we have around defensive support”, Cooper said, adding: “This is about the defence of our partners in the Gulf and defence of countries where we have so many British citizens and interests in those countries.\n“It’s a specific, limited agreement about the defence of Gulf countries, and many of those Gulf countries were not involved in any of the strikes on Iran. So, for example, it doesn’t mean political and economic and infrastructure targets, but there is a significant issue about ballistic missiles and launchers that were effectively pointed at the Gulf, pointed at our partner countries, and countries where we have so many British citizens.”\nAsked about the safety of hundreds of thousands of UK nationals in the region, Cooper told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that about 102,000 people – out of a possible total she put at 300,000 – had registered their presence with UK authorities.\nWhile a full evacuation was being planned for, Cooper said, the sheer numbers involved meant other options were more likely. “We’re sending out rapid deployment teams to the region to work with the travel industry, to work with airlines, to work with those governments in the region as well, on what the options will be to ensure that people can safely return home,” she said.\n“When we’ve had situations like this in the past, where we have wanted to make sure that British citizens can get safely home, normally it’s been on a much smaller scale than the number of people and the number of countries involved here, but we’ve normally looked to ensure that people can get back to using their normal commercial routes, the flights that they had booked, and so on, and their industry and their provider can support them.\n“But we have also looked at other options where the UK government can also provide support. So we’re looking at the full range of options.”\nCooper said the strike at RAF Akrotiri was an “unmanned drone strike specifically on the airport runway”, but said she was unable to give further further information. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that people who lived at the base were being moved to accommodation nearby on Cyprus “as a precautionary measure”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:08:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_d1ae70f961dc",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "How the New York Times paved the way for apocalyptic war - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "How the New York Times paved the way for apocalyptic war\nShortly after the United States and Israel launched unprecedented strikes on Iran this weekend, blithely propelling the entire region into unfathomable chaos, the editorial board of the New York Times published its two cents’ worth in an editorial directed towards US sociopath-in-chief Donald Trump: “Why Have You Started This War, Mr. President?”\nIt’s a valid question, to be sure - particularly given Trump’s previous promise that he wouldn’t entangle the country in unnecessary conflicts abroad.\nAnd yet it is a question that would be far less hypocritically posed by, say, a newspaper that had not once run an opinion piece by John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, titled “To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran”.\nA few paragraphs into their ostensible antiwar intervention - which was subsequently retitled “Trump’s Attack on Iran Is Reckless” - the Times editorial board contended that the president’s “goals are ill-defined”, while he has “failed to line up the international and domestic support that would be necessary to maximize the chances of a successful outcome”.\nFurthermore, the authors noted, Trump has “disregarded both domestic and international law for warfare”.\nThis sounds kind of like the US war on Iraq in 2003, for which the Times notoriously served as a primary cheerleader, swearing by the US government’s fabricated claims of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD).\nThe paper’s eternal foreign affairs columnist, Thomas Friedman, went so far as to make the compelling suggestion that Iraqis needed to “suck on this” as compensation for the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks, which Friedman himself nonetheless acknowledged Iraq had nothing to do with.\nAll in a day's work\nTwenty years and hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis later, the Times issued a non-apology, lamenting that for many of the nation’s citizens, it was “hard to appreciate the positive developments” that had supposedly followed the US invasion.\nAnyway, it was all in a day’s work for the US newspaper of record - which has rarely met an imperial war it didn’t like.\nNow, in spite of critiquing Trump’s “reckless” manner of waging war on Iran, the Times editorial board went on to effectively justify that war in principle, specifying that the Iranian “regime has wrought misery since its revolution 47 years ago - on its own people, on its neighbors and around the world”.\nWestern establishment media would do well to reflect on the role that years of preemptive journalistic strikes on the country have played in fuelling this bloody mess\nCase in point: Iran’s leaders have “proclaimed ‘Death to America’ since coming to power and killed hundreds of U.S. service members in the region”. Never mind the far more severe mass regional slaughter inflicted by the US army and their allies - not to mention the US-backed Israeli genocide that continues to be perpetrated in the Gaza Strip, under the supervision of Trump’s comrade-in-arms, Benjamin Netanyahu.\nIn superficially pushing back against Trump’s manic warmongering, the Times appears to have forgotten that it has spent the past 47 years or so vilifying the Islamic Republic and paving the war for apocalyptic war.\nThe paper has been dutifully accompanied in this task by the rest of the western establishment media, nostalgic for the good old days of the torture-happy shah of Iran, whose rule was enabled by the 1953 overthrow of the democratically elected Iranian prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, orchestrated by the CIA and British intelligence.\nAs historian Ervand Abhrahamian notes in his book A History of Modern Iran: “Arms dealers joked that the shah devoured their manuals in much the same way as other men read Playboy.”\nThe shah was such a good friend of the West, in fact, that he was deemed an ideal contender for - what do you know? - his very own nuclear programme.\nRetroactive whining\nNaturally, such highly relevant history is consistently excised from contemporary western media reports, which prefer to focus with breathless sensationalism on the current Iranian government’s alleged nuclear ambitions - much as they obsessed over Iraq’s alleged possession of WMD.\nIt bears underscoring that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, assassinated in Saturday’s air strikes, issued a fatwa in the 1990s against the development and use of nuclear weaponry as fundamentally contrary to Islamic principles.\nThis tidbit of information managed to make it into various mainstream obituaries as an almost inconsequential side note. The Reuters news agency, for example, granted exactly one line to the fatwa under the simultaneously ambiguous and condemnatory headline “Iran’s Ali Khamenei, who based iron rule on fiery hostility to US and Israel, dies at 86”.\nWhile US and British media in particular have devoted years to portraying Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons as a diabolical fact, no such scrutiny is offered to the existing nuclear stockpiles of the two countries that caused Khamenei to, um, “die at 86”.\nApparently, there’s nothing objectionable about a pair of supremely belligerent and straight-up genocidal powers presiding over world-destroying technology.\nAnd as the New York Times whines retroactively about Trump’s “reckless” behaviour in Iran, western establishment media would do well to reflect on the role that years of preemptive journalistic strikes on the country have played in fuelling this bloody mess.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxQVENReEJaMmxwUFdYNVg4X21OUjNlZmo2WWlramNIQTZEem4yNk5kblo5ODRZRHlJV2dacXBYMGE1UEhqcTZBaklOQlNiX2lUdGd6R3I4clg2NzlNdnhyaEw0dU13dmRfcV9OSk04M1dCdGtxd2J0NW0tMnZRV0dxekNFa3JQb1hpZmc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b01629ccc0ed",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "How to lose six neighbours in less than 24 hours: Iran turns into pariah with Gulf attacks - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s retaliation targeted GCC neighbours, shattering years of cautious engagement and accelerating regional isolation after strikes that followed the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nGCC members condemned “heinous” attacks, vowed to defend security, and the UAE shut its embassy in Tehran, withdrawing its ambassador and diplomatic staff.\nAttacks hit civilian infrastructure across Gulf cities, turning public opinion against Tehran and undermining mediation efforts, particularly those led by Oman.\nFormer Qatar prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani warned the strikes will push Gulf states closer to external allies and deepen mistrust with Tehran.\n“Your war is not with your neighbours,” Dr Anwar Gargash said, urging Iran to act with reason to avoid widening isolation and escalation.\nIsrael and the US attacked Iran on Saturday morning, assassinating its supreme leader in the heart of Tehran, killing senior commanders and striking the hardest blow the regime has yet taken.\nThe next hours were decisive for Iran’s response. It threatened harsh retaliation, but when it came, it was directed at Gulf neighbours that had long urged restraint, encouraged diplomacy and warned against war.\nIn less than 24 hours – between morning and evening – Tehran turned its fire on the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan. By nightfall, Iran had lost its neighbours, pushing itself deeper into isolation, a pariah in its own back yard.\n“Your war is not with your neighbours,” Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said on Sunday. “Return to your senses, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens.”\nThe following day, the UAE announced closing its embassy in Tehran and withdrawing its ambassador and all members of its diplomatic mission.\nMembers of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) later said they will take \"all necessary measures\" to defend their security and territory, reserving the right to respond to what they described as \"heinous\" and \"treacherous Iranian attacks\".\nNotably, the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a separate joint statement in which they strongly condemned Iran's \"indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks\". Gulf states had previously said they would not allow their territory to be used for attacks against Iran.\nWhile Iran said it had targeted more than 25 US bases across the region, there was little or no immediate information about American casualties or significant damage to those sites. Instead, the impact was felt elsewhere, in Iran’s ties with the Gulf states, which faced a wave of missiles and drones.\nIran targeted residential towers, ports, airports and other civilian facilities in cities long considered safe havens for Iranian citizens. And while the vast majority of attacks were thwarted and missiles intercepted, the strikes shattered years of cautious engagement and reinforced regional fears that Tehran’s hardline rhetoric could translate into uncalculated attacks.\nAccording to experts, Iran's miscalculation in the Gulf is two-fold: first, because attacks, although expected, were not confined to US military assets. With residents from around the world, this turned public opinion against Iran. And second, because Gulf states and particularly Oman, have been attempting to mediate between Iran and the US through nuclear deal talks, Iran undercut those efforts.\n“Iran has lost through this action the Gulf sympathy that was pushing with every possible effort towards de-escalation, and it has also sowed doubts that will be hard to erase in the future of its relations with GCC states through its attack on those states,” said Qatar's former prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.\nResidential building in Bahrain hit by Iran drone attack\n00:22\nOptions to respond\nWhile Tehran reached out to regional leaders, telling them that it does not seek war, Mr Al Thani said he does accept that narrative and instead believes Iran's actions will only push Gulf states towards Tehran's enemies.\n“What Iran has done will make GCC states even more steadfast in their relations with allies from outside the region, after trust between them and Iran has been shaken.”\nIn Abu Dhabi, Minister of State Reem Al Hashimy said the government will “leave no stone unturned to make sure that we do defend ourselves and we are prepared for that.” She spoke to CNN of the country’s calm and measured response but also said the UAE would not sit idly by and suffer the barrage of attacks.\n“We have, before this began, been very clear about not having our territories being used to attack Iran,” she explained. “By the same token, if it needs to come to that, it will come to that.”\nGulf states have several options to respond.\n“They could grant the US greater operational access to their territories and airspaces, allowing Washington to open new attack vectors against Iran,” Hasan Al Hasan, senior fellow for Middle East Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told The National.\nGCC states could also rely on US intelligence support to conduct limited pre-emptive strikes on Iranian missile launchers, he said. They could even go a step further: “In extremis, they could join the US-Israeli campaign.”\nThe US and Israel have made their intentions of toppling Iran's regime clear.\nWith senior members of Iran's leadership and government death – including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – it is unclear whether the current government will survive. But if it does, the damage to Gulf-Iran ties may already be done.\n“The deliberate targeting of the Sultanate of Oman, a country that has made sincere efforts to mediate and prevent bloodshed, and has sought to keep the door to diplomacy open until the last moment, is an attack on the very principle of mediation,” Majed Al Ansari, adviser to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, wrote on X.\n“This attack represents a dangerous pattern that threatens the role of mediators and undermines one of the most important tools for containing crises and preserving peace and stability,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:20:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3gFBVV95cUxNZlp5NDlIZFpoMmQtQUx0R2xNb1V5TkRKUUI3VWkwd1Q4UGJ2N1M0ZXFqS2REeFRVNW84S0p1bXpYX2gxb0RIRks0VFB4dzRXY1F4LTNjMWgwQ3RpTk5tOTZTcG80M25OUmVjYWl1QXdHb3NHeV83WUpsTk9LRFRBRHN5WG5xM0l2YXdMY1JhcjZDcFR4U2E0N1RydWxIaWM0RG9IQkVGZ3JuX2xrV3RVVHlRVGFRb1UySGNIQU9meFVJVDdsZnRfei16ZEdyWVdBRVNURnpncGJqNl9DM0E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8c95658a775e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump and Netanyahu are ‘committed to changing the landscape’ of the Middle East, former State Department official says - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:22:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE9pVUptOC04WF9OZThVRTQweWRheVhRTXZjNjRLeXN1Snp3QllNTVVmNW9TUjNIX3E4a0g5ZXl6T29vR29ZSXR3aURDTExrc0o5T0FrXzRB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7943c72e508d",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Middle East Oil Faces Pricing Confusion as Hormuz Traffic Halted - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Middle East Oil Faces Pricing Confusion as Hormuz Traffic Halted    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:22:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPby1KN3NfMGtNMzZsVHpxeFQ4aGNmYkU0aEdJbV84ZllZYzdFT2VCVFBBUXE3UkhydElvb2hGdGVmWlk5YjN0ZV85TGluaEt5UnNGaUlJcTVBLVBwUGVrSnppMmVSSG1OaVVCVXNtUWxGcGpsaFZFYjZuSlZYaDgwVVUtSU96U0xTQmVpb05BeUpDMk94QTNlSkg5VEFUbnN0SkZ2OEJFZG9UNjdFdHBKNl9n?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_db501c4e1cfe",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran war: France moves air defenses to Cyprus — live updates - politico.eu",
    "body_text": "The sixth day of conflict in the Middle East has seen the U.K. and European countries increasingly drawn in to efforts to shield Cyprus and Arab nations from retaliatory strikes by Tehran.\nLondon has launched a massive airlift to repatriate some of the 140,000 U.K. citizens who remain in the Middle East. PM Keir Starmer also confirmed on Thursday that Britain was sending four additional Typhoon jets to Qatar, while helicopters with anti-drone capabilities were arriving in Cyprus Friday. The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon is also to be deployed to Cyprus next week.\nSpain, too, has sent the frigate Cristóbal Colón to the eastern Mediterranean to help reinforce Cyprus’s air defenses, marking Madrid’s first military deployment tied to the escalating conflict. Meanwhile, the leaders of France, Italy and Greece say they have “agreed to coordinate the deployment of military assets to Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean and to work together to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”\nEven Ukraine is getting in on the act, with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the U.S. has asked for Kyiv’s help to shoot down Iranian drones in the Middle East, given its years of combat experience with attacks by Tehran’s Shaheds. Zelenskyy evidently sees a quid pro quo in the sharing of Ukraine’s drone expertise: “We help protect against war those who help us — Ukraine — bring [our own] war to a dignified conclusion.”\nMeanwhile, Iranian state media has put the civilian death toll from five days of U.S.-Israeli attacks at 1,045, with more than 6,000 people wounded in 33 attacks on civilian targets. On the ground there are growing signs that Kurdish fighters have launched a ground offensive in northwest Iran against the government, while U.S. officials have reportedly asked Iraqi Kurds to assist in cross-border military operations.\nScroll down for the latest updates.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:29:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidkFVX3lxTE9neWlFdG93YjBoOXFmS3hlOEJZNmVPZnJpTjlnXzVHdXZTV1psQnhQeHVIM3lkZ2pSTl85UzNFRGZHYWtjSURBRWh5X0ppOF9ma1RlZmpQNVdWeGF3V1UwZy1UYzVzYk9zOHNlNW9HMkhBc24zX1E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_70ddab07478d",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Backing war abroad has little electoral upside at home - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Backing war abroad has little electoral upside at home\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:30:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBiNXQwYWlfNmxTUEEtQ1RsN3JkemtNUDllX3dYNFpMd25fbWNRRy0ycHhscWZMUmNxSHVrZ0JSdFVTTkNTd1FLUFNKdTVjeUNqTVM2VUZNRnFKRlZKZUpUWEdiUDZqRTFzZGNtYXVocGc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8a1cad13d062",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Millions of Migrant Workers in Gulf at Risk as War Rages On - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Millions of Migrant Workers in Gulf at Risk as War Rages On    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:32:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQZ2l5V3NhZmFBaFVlMUpBejZ5R0dXQ2ZPVUhfb2ZFNHNma1ZER1p3STVNWUh4eHEzdzNVUm5VX1kzOWZ3YTRSd2toRC1NaUJQbkQwVDJacmZneHVqWXlSQktlNGVyeXdKSjluNXhoQldrTEJ5T2NJZGRPYTdGUHVqa2NWMGZIOHJoRXpBSG40WVV0LS1INXkyaGFlUnFFY1hnU2Rrb0xHQTJTcnhPSFBuQnRjOA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_21aff39b8cbe",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Putin offers to use links to Iran to help restore Middle East calm - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Putin offers to use links to Iran to help restore Middle East calm    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:45:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxPOFYtOWQ1aWN6QTRodzBrZHR3dHVObWpFd2wxMnU5Y3BYMVFNWmsyQUQ4VHRuUXZ5b0tsRXdFSTBjaUYtbjdxUEd1RE5IVTdIcGtGSUg4WVdnbFZXZTRydU9BMjBZbWRzd0ttX2NNaHVEOFFIWWJvaG9uaDVwMG8zNzhjdlh0VlpNdlBhYWNuREFYbkpGMW5mSndVV05VU2lmQWtjMUZoOWlDMTNtWnFnVElhTklVa0xWWlNYQURlcTVmdGxXSFE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0e5e98d3e608",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iranian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure in Qatar including airport, spokesperson says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iranian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure in Qatar including airport, spokesperson says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:49:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQOW00c1UtRVJFUk5YZFNCbHlhMDJlY1BjamtGTkE3VXlPNEp2cWM0d25McTh4MFZzQ2NUaHl0TW1NSk9jLV9IUzhrZnowc2lYVVBhSkhVbGM0WXJVekVQZHhFOWRNNU9SbUIzU3hsUks3UlhXVTlNSzFLVXFnTVVmSE10LXo5UGUwa1MzRFZwakJpcmpCM2VfLWU4cmhxNktCMVVGeUZ6UXdOcmt2WTRNOFdaeE5CZTZFd3AxYlFuUGZhY0tq?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_43f4c18b2edc",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Watch Iran Strikes: What This Means for Oil and Global Markets - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Watch Iran Strikes: What This Means for Oil and Global Markets    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:55:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxPalhSejBLVDFhZy1UQ3cwZ0VfYTItUHZoTk5DYTJCRGlHcGZueE03ODZGSFoxZ29SYmZ3UmRIUjFOcWtfakZrMU55RDA4N2tJS2Q1RDhxNDhtLWIxN2ZxREJTY1RxTWNYeXlGVF9OTWtIN2YyNWJLdzdIbVJmNGl4TDB6bVlhRzBmVFVOb0p5N1BrdmdqWXA2MzJXWHFGY3hZNElPQk83MUY3VGNWbmFj?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e145ca1f0588",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Lack of a clear Iran plan could suck US into a long conflict: ‘Where does this go?’ - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump is under pressure to spell out his vision for Iran amid the ongoing attacks on the country and reports of the first American casualties since the launch of unprovoked US and Israeli military strikes.\nTrump’s critics are demanding that the White House provide greater clarity about what comes next. Opponents and analysts say the lack of a clear plan outlined so far has created a danger of the US being sucked into a long-lasting conflict of the sort that Trump repeatedly vowed to avoid.\n“If the administration has a game plan, they have yet to reveal it, frankly,” said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow and Iran specialist at the Middle East Institute in Washington.\n“He’s going to have to move in the direction of a bigger political project, which isn’t just the military part, but a deeper conversation in his administration about what sort of regime change they could bring about.\n“Then it’s not going to be a campaign of four days or four weeks or even four months. It could be something much longer.”\nTrump – who has repeatedly denounced the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a mistake – has been criticised for failing to publicly make the case for launching renewed attacks on Iranian installations after claiming to have “obliterated” its nuclear facilities in a series of strikes last June.\nHis brief remarks on Iran in last week’s state of the union speech referred to the threats from its nuclear programme and ballistic missiles but made no mention of regime change. He also said he would prefer to resolve the issues of Iran’s supposed military threat through diplomacy.\nDemocrats have voiced fears that the decision to attack Iran could be open-ended without a clearly stated goal.\n“Where does this all go?” Jim Himes, the senior Democrat on the House of Representatives’ intelligence committee told NPR. “We can bomb Iran along with the Israelis for, you know, lengthy period of time, but in the service of what?\n“Is the intention regime change? Because there aren’t many examples either of regime change affected through bombing, or, quite frankly, of American military forces actually doing regime change in a way that is satisfactory.”\nVananka warned that there was little prospect of regime change without the regime collapsing “under its own weight” in the face of popular opposition or the US putting “boots on the ground”, an option he suggested should be best carried out using intelligence assets rather than troops.\n“A smart way [of implementing the latter option] would be intelligence led by the same people that the CIA has on the ground [that] revealed to them who were the senior leaders that are hiding, where they’re hiding, when they’re hiding.\n“Use the same assets to start creating new set of political dynamics in the regime and essentially make people accept that this regime is gone, it’s not going to come back in the same way and essentially have kind of a political transformation along those lines. It requires a lot of investment, and it’s not even a sure thing that the US can pull that off.”\nSteven Cash, a former CIA operations officer and now head of the Steady State – an organization of retired US national security officers – called the absence of a “what’s next” plan “very troubling” and suggested that Trump may be more interested in creating conditions to interfere in the forthcoming US midterm elections than regime change in Iran.\n“One of the things that we have certainly learned from everything from the Korean war through the cold war, through Vietnam and certainly in Iraq and Afghanistan, is it’s not enough to start a war, you need to have a plan to end a war,” he said.\nWith the theocracy’s most powerful political figure and top cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, confirmed as having been killed – along with scores of other top regime figures – Trump has said those that remained were keen to talk.\n“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he told the Atlantic. “They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.”\nBut in the middle of the attacks on Iran – and Tehran’s retaliation across the Middle East – that might not be easy.\nMost of those involved in earlier negotiations had been killed, Trump said. “Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big hit. They could have made a deal. They should’ve done it sooner.”\nThe comments appeared to support Vatanka’s view that the president “doesn’t have a plan for regime change” but is instead seeking a “weakened regime that doesn’t hurt anyone”.\n“If he wanted regime change, there are plenty of opposition figures he can bring to the White House and say, ‘This guy is going to be the next ruling leader in Iran’,” Vatanka said. “He doesn’t do that, which leaves us thinking, maybe he’s still thinking to [make a deal with] same regime.”\nBut that notion could be blown off course by Iranian retaliation, which might force Trump to adopt a harder line to avoid looking weak.\nThree US troops were reported killed and five were injured as Iran retaliated with a wave of strikes of its own on Sunday.\nTrump gave explicit support for “regime change” in his video taped message announcing the strikes on Saturday, but provided little indication of how it should happen beyond urging the Iranian population to act.\n“For many years, you have asked for America’s help,” he said. “Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T09:57:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_09e8f4f39f41",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Congress gears up for vote on Trump's war powers in Iran — after the battle began - NPR",
    "body_text": "Congress gears up for vote on Trump's war powers in Iran — after the battle began\nCongress is set to vote on bipartisan war powers resolutions this week meant to limit President Trump's military operations in Iran.\nThe dual efforts in the House and Senate face uphill battles to become law, as previous efforts have failed in asserting congressional authority to declare war.\nBut most Democrats and a handful of Republicans on Capitol Hill still support the effort to curb Trump's use of military power in Iran, after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran over the weekend that have already claimed the first American casualties.\n\"The Constitution says we're not supposed to be at war without a vote of Congress,\" Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a co-sponsor of the Senate resolution, told NPR's Weekend Edition. \"This is important. The lives of our troops are at risk. We ought to come back to Washington right away and vote on this.\"\nThe war powers resolutions had been scheduled for debate and votes before the surprise attack on Iranian military and political leaders. Now that the war is ongoing, it's unclear how or if any successful war powers resolution would immediately change the reality on the ground.\nKaine urged Congress to return earlier than scheduled to vote on the resolutions, but votes on the measures are still expected midweek.\nCongress would likely need to override a Trump veto to pass the war powers measures. As it stands, it's unclear whether there is enough support for initial passage, not to mention the two-thirds majority needed in both chambers to override a veto.\nIf made law, the measures would block further U.S. military action in Iran without congressional approval under the 1973 War Powers Resolution — which Congress passed during the Vietnam War as a check on executive war authority.\nSen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a retired Navy pilot and captain, also supports the vote, saying that \"Trump has no plan to avoid escalation into a wider conflict that puts more servicemembers in harm's way.\"\nTrump, in a video posted online Sunday, said the U.S. would continue its attacks in the Middle East until objectives are met, without specifying what those objectives are.\nAdministration officials, including the CIA director, defense secretary and secretary of state, are expected to brief all lawmakers about the Middle East war efforts on Tuesday, the White House said.\n\"A disastrous vote for any Democrat\"\nRep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he gives the House war powers resolution a 40% to 60% chance of advancing out of the House this week.\n\"It depends if we can keep several Democrats in line,\" Khanna told NBC News' Meet the Press. \"But I believe that this is a disastrous vote for any Democrat — to vote for Donald Trump's war in the Middle East.\"\nHe specifically cited Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who has long opposed the Iran war powers resolutions for fear they would \"restrict the flexibility needed\" in a military operation. Gottheimer didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about his vote.\nMost Republicans are expected to stand by Trump's war with Iran and block the resolutions.\n\"I suspect you'll see overwhelming support from elected Republicans in the Congress,\" Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CNN on Sunday morning.\nBut Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., one of the sponsors of the resolution in the House, argued that the conflict is not \"America First,\" suggesting some fissures in Republican Party. Massie has consistently been one of the few Republicans to vote against some Trump administration priorities.\nIn the Senate, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is one of the few Democrats who said he plans to vote against the resolution.\n\"It's not necessary. Honestly, though, the entire thing, it's really an empty gesture,\" Fetterman told Fox News on Sunday.\nThese resolution votes come after the failure of a number of similar attempts to restrict Trump's use of the military without congressional approval.\nIn June, a Senate vote on Iran war powers failed after the strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities. And in January, though the Senate narrowly advanced a Venezuela war powers resolution after the capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro, the effort ultimately failed to pass.\nNPR's Michele Kelemen contributed to this report.\nCorrection March 2, 2026\nAn earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Sen. Mark Kelly is a Navy pilot and captain. In fact, he’s a retired Navy pilot and captain.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTE5NNXEzUndCMG84Zl9kd3ZHU1A5bm12MkNPdEJNMEpESnV2NUpEMmMtb01vQ2huaEVjVWFtS3M2R3hYdmhNdXdHcTVkb2NpZ2dSY3pZekMwcHIxTndEaE02NE5xUUFwUFA2VmR6TC00cjJoNDRDV053U3dzbTRqdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2eb635d2fe08",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "DOUG SCHOEN: As a Democrat, I back Trump's Iran strike — my party is wrong - Fox News",
    "body_text": "As a Democrat, it is profoundly disturbing to me that many in my party have widely condemned what appears to be, at least initially, a successful, coordinated effort to promote fundamental and lasting change in Iran.\nIt falls to me, a Democrat who has supported my party and its candidates for many years, to state what is obvious: the Trump administration and our military deserve strong support for leading a coordinated strike with Israel that has already led to the death of Iran’s supreme leader and multiple senior Iranian officials and continues to degrade Tehran’s nuclear and conventional weapons programs.\nThis action also offers the potential for long-overdue regime change, where large percentages of the Iranian population have long supported removing the current illegitimate regime — one of the rationales the president offered for striking Tehran and other Iranian cities at this time.\nVery sadly, many in my party seem more interested in regime change in Jerusalem than they are in regime change in Teheran and the possibility of lasting political change.\nGiven that Iran is arguably the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism and repeatedly refused to voluntarily dismantle its nuclear program through peaceful means, the threat to U.S. and allied national security is real and imminent, requiring decisive action by the U.S. and Israeli governments.\nVery sadly, many in my party seem more interested in regime change in Jerusalem than they are in regime change in Teheran and the possibility of lasting political change.\nI fervently hope my party will now focus in a bipartisan way on supporting our efforts in the Middle East, rather than condemning President Trump for not seeking to formally invoke the War Powers Act before launching the coordinated strike on Iran with Israel.\nI doubt this will happen.\nBut as someone who remains committed to the Democratic Party and its traditional ideals, I believe it is critically important to acknowledge the courageous role President Trump played in these events — from arresting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to now contributing to the removal of the supreme leader of one of the most dangerous theocratic states, Iran.\nI very much hope that the leaders of my party will stand with the administration and the people of Iran in the coming days to support an effort that — for the first time in many years — offers the prospect of peace and democratization in the Middle East.\nWhat could be more important?",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:00:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOSXlvRXZ3dVRERy1KclNhTGgwekFYUnl3OHVBTlBqSzhtRl9EOEdWbXFnODRVczY0VjR0bm1WSll0eUdBdTQ4MnNEME9WSlFxYXEwMHlPeTBhSk0xM2R4dkRNdUwtNFJsN0I2TXIwb1VJN1B2d05XejZ4MFJFcW5qcXNjRXZDVDUzNC1saUszVS12N1VIcHBvcGhteHA2UExqZmfSAacBQVVfeXFMT0xqUGU1RmwtVXlrLUg2V080dVl0bko0enZxNmVINEUzQzV6XzhTM1NOODFUNU44bEozMmt3M1JvLUFKQWktMTVJcThSUU01UHJsd2xqVm1wMjdjb0l4YmN2eDRqLUJYSXFSWlNPakZ5WGVYQlYwOVh5bmpNejNJWnFzQ1Z0YWl4cll3TFUzb0pWU0l2N054WVZiZThUYXBlX2hfekRGeU0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9e997e114091",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Egypt increases military readiness as El Sisi warns of risks from widening war - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Egypt has raised its level of military readiness as regional tension increases amid US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran's retaliation across the region.\nLt Gen Ashraf Zaher, Defence Minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, inspected the combat readiness of the Central Military Region on Sunday, as part of efforts to ensure all formations were prepared amid regional developments, a military spokesman said.\nLt Gen Zaher was briefed on modernisation work and upgrades in the Central Military Region, including enhancements to air defences and medical services. He was accompanied by armed forces chief of staff Lt Ahmed Khalifa and the commanders of Egypt's main service branches.\nLt Gen Zaher joined personnel from the Central Military Region, border guards, paratroopers and the elite Saka special forces for iftar. He conveyed President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s call for vigilance and training as tension rises.\nThe inspection highlights what officials describe as “enhanced vigilance” after the exchange of attacks by Iran and the US and Israel.\nThe Central Military Region, which covers Cairo and nearby governorates, functions as a core reserve force capable of reaching border zones quickly if required. As Lt Gen Zaher met troops, Mr El Sisi addressed a military iftar held annually to commemorate the country's 1973 victory over Israel, which happened on the 10th day of Ramadan.\nMr El Sisi spoke to senior government, military and religious figures, linking the lessons of that conflict to current challenges. He said Egypt had sought to prevent the war through mediation between Washington and Tehran.\nMr El Sisi said Cairo repeatedly urged restraint, warning that escalation would risk regional stability and shipping lanes, including the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz. He added that Egypt had contingency plans in place and told citizens there was “no need for concern”.\nGlobal shipping companies have diverted vessels away from the Suez Canal, while airline travel across the region has also been disrupted. Foreign investors continue to trim exposure to Egyptian and Gulf markets.\nTourism operators told The National of a wave of cancellations at the weekend, increasing pressure on one of the country’s key sources of foreign currency.\n“Two days have seen very large and rapid developments,” Mr El Sisi said. “We were keen to achieve calm and stop the war, though I doubt that will happen. Egypt is part of the region and inevitably affected by what takes place within it.”\nHe said the country's strength lay in national unity and public endurance after years of overlapping crises. He added: “By God’s grace, no one can come near this country.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:04:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxPZDB2SUotUEUtZ3VROTJtUFVrRHlXbDFGUEkxUUI1bmRwSlJ0Z21Vc1ZTRE1JZTRaZjJKSUhBdUVVd3JaWDB1aU80OXd2THNCUlF5Qk8xUWRfVnpwbHhjaXlpVkJfeW5hQm9ONTk0Q3lEbGFFaDIxekc0QUIxZ1VhX0Jpemw5c1k1NGx5R0ZkLWY3SFVES1VJb2FRWDRYWDYwcmY4b3BKREp3OWg2WDJJUW1GZW42YWFyOHNEaFdDV0RLdWtOVnZJdWtJTG8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_54252767fd39",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Minister says UK 'not at war' after Iranian drone hits UK Cyprus base - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "An Iranian drone hit the runway of a UK air force base in Cyprus on Monday hours after prime minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not join the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.\nHe said that mistakes of the Iraq war had been \"learned\".\nStarmer announced late on Sunday that he had agreed to the United States' request to use British bases for \"specific and limited defensive purpose\".\nMiddle East Minister Hamish Falconer insisted on Monday that \"the UK is not at war\".\n\"Let me be really clear: the UK took a deliberate decision not to be part of the first wave of strikes conducted by the United States and Israeli governments.\n\"But in the face of reckless attacks from Iran on a whole range of allies in the region... we took the decision, as the Prime Minister announced last night, to support the US's request to use our bases in order to conduct defensive actions,\" he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:09:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxQV0JTOWNldFUyWGxYUzdxanhDR2hmQTlqSFJrTEVtbWVCMFROeWRFQ2QwVFdpRk5HNnFCMW1HT0NzdVBZVEZIWHVPbkVIcmduZzBCcVY0Rlk5VFhRSzdvN0lLRkhkaTNmRDV1Y1ZtcDR0QmZDYUI3U0xrSUxKeF9xZFhlcXNRR3pjYVgwcWJ4eXI5Tm9wbk9fS2tIMnRaLWZ3NGYzTHZuMVhHNGdMMlprTlpLYWhPUzc0OW9uQXd3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4b2c8ebbd8ab",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Gulf states condemn 'heinous' Iranian attacks and stress legal right to respond - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Members of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) will take \"all necessary measures\" to defend their security and territory, reserving the right to respond to what they described as \"heinous\" and \"treacherous Iranian attacks\".\nSeparately, the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a joint statement in which they strongly condemned Iran's \"indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks\". Gulf states had previously said they would not allow their territory to be used for attacks against Iran.\nForeign ministers and senior officials from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman held an online meeting with GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi on Sunday after Iran attacked its neighbours.\nIran continues to attack what it says are US and Israeli targets in the region, drawing sharp condemnation. The strikes came in retaliation for a joint Israeli-US military campaign on Tehran that has killed senior military commanders and hundreds of civilians.\nIn a joint statement, GCC states said they would \"take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and to protect their territories, citizens and residents, including the option of responding to the aggression\".\nThey stressed their \"legal right to respond ... the right of self-defence, individually and collectively, in the event of aggression\".\nThe council said the \"treacherous Iranian attacks\" on Gulf states and Jordan targeted civilian facilities and residential areas, \"causing significant material damage, threatening the safety and lives of citizens and residents, and spreading fear among the population\".\nIt decried the attacks as a serious breach of their sovereignty and a breach of international law and the UN Charter, \"regardless of any justifications or pretexts\". Iran claims that by targeting US bases in the region, it is attacking \"American soil\" and has no intention of harming its neighbours – a suggestion rejected by the GCC.\nThe council's statement said the attacks came despite guarantees that GCC territories would not be used to launch any attacks against Iran.\nThe council commended the armed forces and air defence systems of member states for successfully intercepting hundreds of missiles and drones. Dozens of injuries have been reported across the region from shrapnel caused by the interceptions over residential areas. Three people have been killed in the UAE and one in Kuwait.\nThe GCC called for the \"immediate cessation\" of attacks and \"underscored the vital importance of maintaining aerial and maritime security and protecting regional waterways\" after the Iranian Navy instructed ships to avoid passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which is vital to global energy markets.\nGCC states also called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy as the \"sole path\" to overcoming the crisis and preserving regional security, and praised the role of Oman in mediating previous US-Iran talks. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi said on Sunday that talks in Geneva last week made \"genuine progress towards an unprecedented agreement\".\n\"I want to be very clear – the door to diplomacy remains open,\" he wrote on X. \"I still believe in the power of diplomacy to resolve this conflict. The sooner talks are resumed, the better it is for everyone.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:09:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxOc3hvV1BaZWtSbXljNTRaUnY3djZUVkJ0dWM0bFR1cjJuSWhmOWlzNHhWYkZYMkFuQWxEblNCdGJhbEtvMmVuTV9ScnVPcllTQUtrSWdqRUE5d2o5WnluLXFRWDIzQUJRVXVycGVWMVdEVUZxSWl4LTRGcXZYWWhpbkc5X1BLcWZtTGFaZnpVWVFsdGZnNUQzRDNfYndjUm9jaXJPU1lIV1NzQ3F3ZE1taXFtRVRoaGlwVElqV1JrdlhfQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e020fb4db96a",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Fourth U.S. service member dies from injuries sustained in Iran attack, Pentagon says - NBC New York",
    "body_text": "This story is no longer being updated, for live coverage, please follow here.\nA U.S. soldier has died during the war with Iran, the Pentagon announced, bringing the official total to four as the conflict expanded with Iran and Iranian-backed militias firing missiles at Israel and Arab states, apparently hitting the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait.\nThe soldier was wounded during the initial stage of Operation Epic Fury and died on Monday, U.S. Central Command said.\nThe U.S. military said Kuwait had “mistakenly shot down” three American F-15E Strike Eagles during a combat mission while attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones were underway.\n“All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition,\" it said. \"Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”\nCentcom added that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation and that more information would be released as it becomes available.\nFire and smoke rose from inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait, which was hit not long after the U.S. issued a warning to Americans there to take cover and for others to stay away. There were no immediate reports of casualties.\nIsrael and the U.S. bombed Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.\nAt least 555 people have been killed so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, and more than 130 cities across the country having come under attack. Eleven people have been killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities there.\nLebanon's government said Hezbollah’s overnight attack against Israel were “illegal” and demanded the group handle over its weapons. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said only the state can decide whether to go to war or peace, and called on the Lebanese military to prevent the firing of projectiles and detain anyone involved.\nIn Iraq, a pro-Iranian militia claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting U.S. troops at the Baghdad airport, the day after it said it fired at a U.S. base in the city of Irbil in the north, and Cyprus said a drone attack targeted a British base on the Mediterranean island nation.\nThe U.S. and Israel's assault on Iran continued, with multiple airstrikes hitting Tehran Monday afternoon. They also bombed Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.\nIran expands attacks to regional oil infrastructure\nWorld markets were rattled by the fighting and oil prices soared.\nSaudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery came under a drone attack on Monday, with defenses downing the incoming aircraft, a military spokesman told the state-run Saudi Press Agency.\nOnline videos from the site appeared to show thick black smoke rising after the attack. Even successfully intercepted drones cause debris that can spark fires and injure those on the ground.\nRas Tanura, near the city of Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia, is one of the world's largest with a capacity over half a million barrels of crude oil a day. It was temporarily shut down as a precaution after the attack, Saudi state television reported.\nOman said a bomb-carrying drone boat exploded against Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, off the coast of the sultanate's capital of Muskat, killing one mariner. The state-run Oman News Agency said the dead crew member was from India.\nEarlier in the day, debris fell on Kuwait's Ahmadi oil refinery, injuring two workers, after drones were shot down, the state-run KUNA news agency reported.\nIran’s decision to expands its attacks to major regional oil infrastructure adds a new element to the war gripping the Middle East, directly targeting the lifeblood of the area's economy.\n“The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.\n“An extended period of uncertainty lies ahead as Iran seeks to impose a heavy economic cost by putting tankers, regional energy infrastructure, trade routes and U.S. security partners in the crosshairs,” he added.\nIran has also threatened ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes. Several ships have been attacked as well there.\nSascha Bruchmann, a defense analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain, told The Associated Press that Iran's goal in hitting energy infrastructure is to “cause global backlash.” So far, however, “this is not the wholesome destruction of critical infrastructure the Iranian regime seeks,” Bruchmann said.\nHezbollah fires on Israel, prompting massive response\nAs the attacks on Iran continued, Hezbollah said it fired missiles from Lebanon into Israel early Monday in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and “repeated Israeli aggressions.” There were no reports of injuries or damage, and Israel said that it had intercepted one projectile while several fell in open areas.\nIsrael retaliated with strikes on Lebanon, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. About two thirds of the dead were in the country's south.\nLebanon’s government said it was holding an emergency meeting after Hezbollah’s attack on Israel triggered the Israeli airstrikes.\nIran has been firing missiles at Israel and Arab states in a counteroffensive since the joint America-Israeli attack Saturday that killed Khamenei and many top Iranian officials.\nCasualties rise as attacks spread across the region\nGulf Arab states have warned that they could retaliate against Iran after strikes that hit key sites and killed at least five civilians, and President Donald Trump promised Washington would “avenge” the deaths of three American troops who were killed in Kuwait, while predicting more casualties.\n“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said. “That’s the way it is.”\nTrump has urged Iranians to “take over” their government and, while he has also signaled he would be open to dialogue with new leadership there following the death of Khamenei, suggested Sunday there was no end in sight to the military operations.\n“Combat operations continue at this time in full-force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved,” he said in a video message. “We have very strong objectives,” he added, without elaborating.\nThe U.S. military said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump said on social media that nine Iranian warships had been sunk and that the Iranian navy’s headquarters had been “largely destroyed.”\nOthers have mostly stayed out of the war and pressed for diplomacy. But in an indication that the conflict could draw in other nations, Britain, France and Germany said Sunday they were ready to work with the U.S. to help stop Iran’s attacks.\nEarly Monday, Cyprus said an uncrewed drone “caused limited damage” when it hit a British air base on the southern coast. Further details were not immediately available, but it came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. would help the U.S. in the war against Iran.\nThe weekend attacks were the second time in eight months that the U.S. and Israel had combined against Iran, in a startling show of military might for an American president elected on an “America First” platform and pledged to keep out of “forever wars.”\nIn the 12-day war last June, Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. But the killing of Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, creates a leadership vacuum, increasing the risk of regional instability.\nIranian proxies join the fray\nHezbollah’s launch of missiles at Israel was the first time in more than a year that the militant group has claimed an attack.\nIran’s proxies were a chief concern for American and Israeli officials before they suspended negotiations with Iran last week and moved ahead with strikes on Iran.\nIsrael said the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group had “joined the campaign” alongside Iran as it retaliated with strikes on Beirut, Lebanon's capital.\nAssociated Press journalists in Beirut were jolted awake by a series of loud explosions that shook buildings and caused windows to shatter. Warplanes could be heard flying low overhead.\n“The strikes continue,” said Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, head of Israel’s Northern Command. “Their intensity will increase.”\nThe Iraqi Shiite militia Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed a drone attack Monday targeting U.S. troops at the airport in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, further widening the retaliation over the killing of Khamenei. It had claimed a drone attack on Sunday against a U.S. air base in Irbil, in Iraq’s north.\nThe group is one of a number of Shiite militias operating in Iraq. The U.S. and Iraq did not immediately comment on the claims.\nIn the Persian Gulf, Iran’s retaliatory strikes pushed the conflict into cities that have long marketed themselves as regional safe havens. Three people were reported killed in the United Arab Emirates and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.\nIn the United Arab Emirates, authorities said most Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted. But some either got through or fell as debris, causing the deaths and significant damage. Bahrain and Kuwait said Iranian strikes in both countries hit civilian targets outside the U.S. bases where Iran had pledged to retaliate.\nWHO calls for protection of civilians\nTehran’s streets have been largely deserted with people sheltering during airstrikes. The paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent protests, set up checkpoints across the city, according to witnesses.\nIn the northern Iranian city of Babol, a student, speaking anonymously over concerns of retribution, told the AP that armed riot police were on the streets Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday after the death of Khamenei.\n“We don’t know whether to be happy about the elimination of the criminals who oppress us or to remain silent in the face of the U.S. and Israel’s war against the country and its interests and the terror that is taking place,” he said.\nIn Israel, rescue services have confirmed several locations have been hit by Iranian missiles, including Jerusalem and a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, where nine people were killed and 28 wounded, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 11.\nThe World Health Organization called Monday for sparing civilians and healthcare facilities in the Middle East amid the escalating conflict.\n“The protection of civilians and health care must be absolute,” Hanan Balkhy, regional dietitian at WHO wrote on social media. “All parties must … ensure medical facilities remain protected.”\n___\nLidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:14:56+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_66a60e8f947a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Satellite imagery shows apparent attack on Iranian nuclear site, report says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Satellite imagery shows apparent attack on Iranian nuclear site, report says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:21:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxNTWMzcXJGVUNfeDRVcnlRYjFJMmM2bEVGbG53QUtZS1hJVGZ6MmtwNzRkcHJhOHduc2R6MDRxdmRtZHJBblMxV0huN25GOFVPdFVjZlZNWU8wSjZBZVlnSGZQaUtXTVFRWVdtdTdMX3MweDFMVldUR1lBRzJ4ZE8tSjk3Y0o5blNEcndnVThENWRXWE9QejJPWERqUnhYUklCdVNWQ2pucVR3aGpyQTU4blRvMzVQY1ZqNGh0MTln?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_03c9a4d8292a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Amazon cloud services disrupted after 'objects' strike UAE data centre - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Amazon cloud services disrupted after 'objects' strike UAE data centre\nAmazon's cloud unit reported a disruption to its services after its UAE-based data centre was struck by \"objects\", sparking a fire.\nAmazon Web Services Inc (AWS) said that one of their \"availability zones\"- a regional grouping of one or more data centres - was temporarily shut down after it was \"impacted by objects that struck the data centre\" at around 4:30pm Dubai time on Sunday.\nIn a post on its website, AWS added that emergency services cut power to the facility while crews worked to extinguish the fire.\nIn a separate post, the company reported that it was investigating connectivity and power issues in Bahrain.\nOn Monday morning, the company said that a separate zone of data centres had been impacted by a \"localized power issue\".\nAccording to Reuters, a data centre operator said that it would take several hours to restore connectivity in the affected zone, adding that other zones in the region are operating normally.\nIt remains unclear whether the incident is connected to Iran's retaliatory strikes following US and Israeli attacks on the country. The fire tore through the centre on the same day that Iranian projectiles targeted the UAE.\nThis comes amid ongoing US and Israeli strike on Iran which have already killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several other top officials and hundreds of civilians.\nAround 180 schoolgirls were killed in a strike on a school in southern Iran on Saturday.\nIn response, Iran has launched hundreds retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israel and US military assets in Arab states, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:31:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxPekRvR3psV3RUSTVOQVpMdlM3QW95cktQNEdxc2ZJLUxnMGNrQnRBOEpNd2xTSUhrVnlMdU52ckNtcEVYNjRiYjdYZTg1bGFjUGtXSTNnUjBzR0wzcGZQY1ZmMHl6aWwxMkk4S213dUhBcjhSaE16ZXgzLWR1ZWNXVkRVN1Zyd3lxUWZYNHU1MDg2UVRidFpIeUU4SHZXZFdzU1otbHNB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f7dd6285a323",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran's nuclear ambassador alleges that US-Israeli airstrikes targeted the Natanz enrichment facility - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran’s nuclear ambassador alleges that US-Israeli airstrikes targeted the Natanz enrichment facility\nVIENNA (AP) — Iran’s Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday alleged that airstrikes by the United States and Israel targeted the Natanz enrichment facility in his country.\nThat contradicts an assessment by the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi who said that “up to now” the agency has “no indication” that nuclear facilities have been hit in Iran.\n“Again they attacked Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday. Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,” Reza Najafi told reporters at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, where a special session of the Board of Governors is being held at the request of Russia.\nWhen asked by a reporter which nuclear facility he was referring to, Najafi replied “Natanz.”\nThe Natanz site, some 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of the capital, is a mix of above- and below-ground laboratories that did the majority of Iran’s uranium enrichment.\nBefore the war, the IAEA said Iran used advanced centrifuges there to enrich uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Some of the material is presumed to have been onsite when the entire complex was attacked last June.\nThe main above-ground enrichment building at Natanz was known as the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant. Israel hit the building June 13, leaving it “functionally destroyed,” and seriously damaging underground halls holding cascades of centrifuges, the IAEA’s director-general, Rafael Grossi, said at the time. A U.S. follow-up attack on June 22 hit Natanz’s underground facilities with bunker-busting bombs, likely decimating what remained.\nIAEA says “up to now” no nuclear installations hit in Iran\nAddressing the special session of the Board of Governors, IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said that “up to now” the International Atomic Energy Agency has “no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities” in Iran have been damaged or hit.\nHe added that the IAEA continues to try to contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities via the IAEA’s own Incident and Emergency Center “with no response so far,” given the limitations in communications caused by the conflict.\nGrossi urged military restraint, warning that Iran and many other countries in the region that have been targeted militarily have “operational nuclear power plants and nuclear research reactors, as well as associated fuel storage sites, increasing the threat to nuclear safety.”\nHe added that so far “no elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran.”\nNajafi attacks Trump\nNajafi added that the U.S. uses “deception and disinformation to invade other countries.” He said that the war was launched by U.S. President Donald Trump, “who attempts to portray himself as a man of peace and asking for Nobel Peace Prize. Even when they talk about peace, it is a lie. And if they call for diplomacy, it’s about deception” he said.\nNajafi said that the strikes against his country are “unlawful, criminal and brutal” and called on states of the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors to “categorically condemn” the attacks.\n___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:44:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_1f0b011b7de6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trump says Iran operation could take \"four weeks or less,\" 3 U.S. troops killed - CBS News",
    "body_text": "Follow\n. See earlier developments below.What to know about Day 2 of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran\n- The Pentagon confirmed Sunday that three U.S. service members have been killed in the , the first American casualties of the operation. CBS News has learned that the casualties occurred among American personnel based in Kuwait.\n- President Trump released a video message saying the \"until all of our objectives are achieved\" and that more casualties are possible. In an interview, he said it could \"take four weeks or less.\" Mr. Trump said he's agreed to speak with Iran and that the military operation is proceeding \"ahead of schedule.\"\n- was killed along with about 40 other senior members of the Islamic Republic's regime in the initial onslaught. Intelligence gathered over months by the CIA and shared with Israeli counterparts led to the missile strike that killed Khamenei, a person familiar with the matter .\n- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's strikes on Iran \"will increase even more in the coming days.\"\nSaudi oil refinery shut after it was targeted by drones\nSaudi Aramco has temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam after it was targeted by Iranian drones.\nSaudi state television reported the decision, citing what it described as an \"official source,\" and adding that there were no casualties from a fire and that its decision was precautionary.\nThe Saudi defense ministry said incoming aircraft had been intercepted.\nThe refinery has a capacity over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.\nIran's decision to target it further expands the war gripping the Middle East, directly targeting the lifeblood of the kingdom's economy.\nAlready, Iran has been threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil trade passes. Several ships have been attacked there.\n\"The attack on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran's sights,\" said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.\n\"An extended period of uncertainty lies ahead as Iran seeks to impose a heavy economic cost by putting tankers, regional energy infrastructure, trade routes and U.S. security partners in the crosshairs,\" he said.\nU.N. nuclear watchdog chief: No signs any nuclear installations in Iran have been hit\nThe U.N.'s nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said Monday that \"up to now,\" the International Atomic Energy Agency has \"no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities\" in Iran have been damaged or hit.\nIran's IAEA ambassador claimed U.S. and Israeli forces had attacked the Natanz nuclear enrichment complex south of Tehran on Sunday.\nAddressing a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna, he said the IAEA continues to try to contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities via the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Center \"with no response so far,\" given the limitations in communications caused by the conflict.\nGrossi urged military restraint, warning that Iran and many other countries in the region that have been targeted militarily have \"operational nuclear power plants and nuclear research reactors, as well as associated fuel storage sites,\" which increases the threat to nuclear safety.\nSo far, he said, \"no elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran.\"\nBut, he added, \"We cannot rule out a possible radiological release with serious consequences, including the necessity to evacuate areas as large or larger than major cities,\" Reuters reported.\n555 killed in Iran since war began, Red Crescent says\nA total of 555 people have been killed across Iran in US and Israeli strikes that began two days ago, the Iranian Red Crescent said Monday.\n\"Following the Zionist-American terrorist attacks carried out in various regions of our country, 131 cities have been affected to date and, regrettably, 555 of our compatriots have been killed,\" the humanitarian group said in a post on Telegram.\nSeveral U.S. fighter jets crash in Kuwait, but all pilots survive, Kuwait says\nSeveral U.S. warplanes crashed in Kuwait Monday, but all crew members survived, that country's defense ministry said on social media.\nA ministry spokesperson said authorities launched search and rescue operations and evacuated the crews to hospitals, adding that they were in stable condition.\nHe said the U.S. and Kuwait are conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the crashes.\nEarlier, the spokesperson said Kuwaiti Air Defense Forces had intercepted several \"hostile aerial targets.\"\nIDF says safe to leave bomb shelters\nThe IDF said on social media that \"following a situational assessment,\" it was safe for people in Israel to exit bomb shelters. It noted, however, people were still required to stay near shelters in case of further attacks.\nFire, smoke seen rising from U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait\nFire and smoke rose from inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait after an Iranian attack on the small Mideast nation on Monday. Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the smoke with an alarm wailing, and a correspondent for French news agency AFP saw smoke rising from the diplomatic mission.\nThe U.S. had earlier issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors. It said: \"Do not come to the Embassy. Take cover in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows. Do not go outside.\"\n\"U.S. Embassy personnel are sheltering in place,\" it added.\nCBS/AP/AFP\nAt least 31 dead in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, health ministry says\nLebanon's Health Ministry said at least 31 people were killed and 149 wounded in Israeli strikes that followed Hezbollah firing missiles into Israel early Monday. About two thirds of the dead were in southern Lebanon, the ministry said.\nAfter its initial strikes on Beirut, Israel urged civilians in nearly 50 villages in eastern and southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of more possible attacks, sending people fleeing.\nHezbollah said its salvos into Lebanon were in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and \"repeated Israeli aggressions.\"\nIt was the first attack the Lebanese militant group has claimed in more than a year. There were no reports of injuries or damage, and Israel said it had intercepted one projectile while several fell in open areas.\nCBS/AP\nIran launches another round of missiles toward Israel, IDF says\nIran launched another wave of missiles toward Israel on Monday morning, the IDF said on social media, adding that its defense systems were trying to intercept the missiles.\nThe Israeli military said civilians have been alerted and urged them to move to bomb shelters and not come out until told it's safe to do so.\nIran's security chief: \"We will not negotiate with the United States\"\nAli Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Sunday night on social media, \"We will not negotiate with the United States.\"\nThe comment was made in response to a report that he had requested to resume negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.\nLarijani wrote in a separate post, \"Today, the Iranian nation is defending itself. The armed forces of Iran did not initiate the aggression.\"\nFamily of Robert Levinson says Khamenei's death \"is a significant moment for our family.\"\nThe family of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who went missing in 2007, and who the U.S. believes was kidnapped during an unauthorized CIA mission in Iran and may have\nsaid in a statement that the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei \"is a significant moment for our family and for every family that has suffered at the hands of this regime's hostage-taking and wrongful detention.\"\"For nearly 19 years, Iran has lied, obstructed, and refused to answer for the kidnapping, detention, and death of our father, Robert Levinson. He was taken by Iranian officials in 2007, held for years without basic human rights, denied contact with his family, and never returned home,\" the family wrote. \"Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led the regime responsible for these crimes. His death does not erase what Iran did to our father, and it does not end our fight for accountability.\"\nThe U.S. has maintained that, following his capture, Levinson was held by the Iranian government. While U.S. officials were demanding his release as late as 2019, U.S. intelligence officials said in 2020 that he \"may have passed away some time ago.\"\nPresident Trump at the time said, \"I won't accept that he's dead. They haven't told us that he's dead. But a lot of people are thinking that is the case.\"\nLevinson's family said Sunday they were \"grateful\" to Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for \"using the power of the United States to confront Iran and to hold it accountable, including by recognizing and addressing Iran's long-standing practice of wrongful detention.\"\n\"Now Iran must do what it has refused to do for nearly two decades: provide full accountability for what happened to our father, return his remains to our family, and disclose the truth about his kidnapping, imprisonment, and death,\" the family wrote. \"Our family will not stop demanding the truth. And we will not stop demanding justice.\"\nTrump says possible successors to Khamenei were killed in strikes\nIn a phone call Sunday night with ABC News' chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, President Trump said, \"The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates,\" to succeed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. \"It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead.\"\nIn a separate phone call with The New York Times, Mr. Trump had said he had \"three very good choices\" for who could lead Iran in the future, but he did not name them and it was not clear if those were the same people he was referring to in his phone call with ABC News.\nKhamenei did not have a clear successor, leaving who would control Iran in doubt following the Saturday strike that killed the former leader. Multiple U.S. officials have said it's difficult to predict who would end up leading the country.\nSen. Tom Cotton said\n\" on Sunday, \"I don't think anyone can give you a simple answer,\" regarding who would take Khamenei's place. \"There's probably a lot of jockeying inside of Iran right now; they have a very consultative, deliberative process to replace the supreme leader. There's a reason why he didn't want to have a clear succession plan in place.\"Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in January, \"I don't think anyone can give you a simple answer as to what happens next in Iran if the Supreme Leader and the regime were to fall, other than the hope that there would be some ability to have somebody within their systems that you could work towards a similar transition.\"\nMr. Trump has called on the people of Iran to overthrow the government and for the Revolutionary Guard to surrender in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli strikes.\nIranian foreign minister on Khamenei's killing: \"This cowardly act of terror constitutes a direct assault on the very core principles of international law.\"\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei \"represents a dangerous and unprecedented escalation that strikes at the most fundamental norms of statehood and civilized conduct among nations.\"\n\"This cowardly act of terror constitutes a direct assault on the very core principles of international law, including the prohibition on the use of force, the respect for sovereign equality, and the inviolability and immunity of Heads of State,\" he wrote.\nAraghchi called Khamei \"a highly respected religious figure for tens of millions of Muslims in the region and around the world,\" and said his killing \"carries profound and far-reaching consequences, the full responsibility for which rests solely with the perpetrators.\"\nAraghchi called on Guterres and the U.N. Security Council to \"discharge their Charter-mandated responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security and take immediate, concrete, and effective measures to ensure the full accountability of the United States and the Israeli regime for the aforementioned atrocious terrorist act.\"\nIsrael, Hezbollah trade strikes after Khamenei's killing\nIsrael launched a barrage of strikes on Lebanon's capital, Beirut, after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired missiles across the border early Monday, local time.\nIt was the first time in more than a year that Hezbollah has claimed a strike against Israel. The Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile that crossed the border and that several others fell in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported.\nHezbollah said in a statement that the strikes were carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and for \"repeated Israeli aggressions.\"\nThe CIA had been tracking Khamenei's location for several months before Saturday's joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News. The agency then learned about a Saturday morning meeting of senior Iranian officials at a compound in Tehran that Khamenei was expected to attend.\nThat insight, relayed to Israeli counterparts, accelerated the timeline for a strike to capitalize on the opportunity, the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, told CBS News.\nU.S. and Middle East allies release joint statement on Iran's retaliatory attacks\nThe U.S. government and several of its allies in the Middle East released a joint statement on Sunday condemning Iran's retaliatory attacks across the region.\n\"These unjustified strikes targeted sovereign territory, endangered civilian populations, and damaged civilian infrastructure,\" the U.S. Department of State said in a statement with the governments of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.\n\"The Islamic Republic's actions represent a dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability. The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior,\" the statement said.\n\"We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction.\"\nIran's exiled prince Reza Pahlavi on his hopes for the country: \"Equality of all citizens under the law and individual liberties\"\n, one of the most prominent members of the Iranian opposition, said he believes the regime in his home country could finally fall after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nPahlavi, 65, is the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was in the U.S., then 18 and training with the U.S. Air Force, when the 1979 Islamic Revolution ushered in the Islamic Republic. Pahlavi has lived outside Iran in the years since.\nIn an interview with \"60 Minutes\" correspondent Scott Pelley, Pahlavi said he sees four core principles for building a new Iran.\n\"Number one is Iran's territorial integrity. Number two is a clear separation of religion from state, which is a prerequisite to democracy. And we paid the price, understanding what it means to live under a religious dictatorship. Number three is, of course, equality of all citizens under the law and individual liberties. And most importantly, the process, or democratic process, to allow the people to elect and decide what the future system of governance should be.\"\nPahlavi, from outside Iran, has urged Iranians to rise up in protest against the regime. He's making his case for transitioning his home country to a democracy. Pahlavi also discussed the country's potential to develop nuclear weapons.\n\"I don't think Iran has any need to pursue a military weaponizing of the nuclear program,\" he said.\nPahlavi said he believes the people of Iran can trust him as a transitional leader, even though he's lived outside the country for nearly 50 years.\n\"Iran had been on my mind every single year of my life,\" he said. \"Every single [day], when I wake up in the morning, the first thing that is on my mind is Iran.\"\n.\nOil prices rise sharply in market trading after U.S.-Iran attacks\nOil prices rose sharply when market trading began Sunday, as the conflict with Iran sent disruptions through the global energy supply chain.\nTraders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East would slow or grind to a halt. About 20% of the world's oil is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, and attacks throughout the region, including on vessels traveling through the Strait, could restrict exports to the rest of the world.\n\"It's a really supply-and-demand, simple economics equation,\" said CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady. \"If you were to decrease the global supply by cutting off the Strait of Hormuz and preventing that oil that flows through, you would see prices spike.\"\n.\nU.K. grants U.S. access to its military bases for \"defensive measures\" against Iran\nU.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he has granted the U.S. request to use British military bases for what he called the \"defensive purpose\" of destroying Iranian missiles as the United States continues its military action against Iran.\nThe three main bases that the U.K. is allowing the U.S. to use are on Diego Garcia — an Island in the Indian Ocean — and in Cyprus and the U.K., a source familiar with the situation told CBS News.\nThe Pentagon asked the U.K. on Saturday to allow the U.S. to use those bases to run missions taking out Iranian missile capabilities, the source said. Earlier Sunday, Starmer said he granted the U.S. military access \"for that specific and limited defensive purpose.\"\n\"We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations, which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes,\" Starmer said in a video statement. \"But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source.\"\nStarmer said the country is not joining the U.S. strikes, but the U.K. will continue its defensive actions in the region.\nAccording to the source, the U.K. is using its own \"defensive measures\" to take out Iranian drones flying over Northern Syria that were en route to Israel. It is also policing a no-fly zone forming in the region in order to take out Iranian drones over Jordan and Iraq, the source said.\n— By Mais Al-Bayaa, Margaret Brennan, Kiki Intarasuwan\nTrump says \"hundreds of targets\" were hit, warns \"there will likely be more\" U.S. military deaths\nPresident Trump said in a new video address posted on Truth Social that \"hundreds\" of targets have been hit in Operation Epic Fury and he offered a justification for the operation. The president, who spoke at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, also acknowledged the deaths of three U.S. service members and warned that more would likely die.\nIn the six-minute video update, Mr. Trump said the operation has \"hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities,\" nine ships and Iran's air defense systems.\nHe said the Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed in the strikes, \"had the blood of hundreds, and even thousands, of Americans on his hands and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across many countries.\" The president said \"the entire military command is gone, as well.\"\nThe president praised the three U.S. service members who were killed in action and said that there would likely be more military casualties.\n\"As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives,\" Mr. Trump said. \"We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen, and sadly, there will likely be more.\"\nMr. Trump said combat operations are continuing \"in full force\" and will continue \"until all of our objectives are achieved.\" In a separate interview, he told the Daily Mail that he expected the operation to last about four weeks.\nHe argued that Iran, \"armed with long range missiles and nuclear weapons, would be a dire threat to every American,\" and the U.S. could not allow a regime \"that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons that would allow them to extort the world.\"\nThe military operation, he said, is \"necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to face a radical, bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats.\"\n.\nTop Trump administration officials to brief Congress Tuesday\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are expected to brief Congress on Tuesday on Iran, a source familiar with the plans confirmed.\nThe four will brief the Senate and House in two separate sessions.\nLeaders of France, Germany and U.K. condemn Iran's retaliatory attacks\nThe leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom released a joint statement on Sunday condemning what they called \"reckless attacks\" by Iran on their countries' close allies across the Middle East.\nPresident Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they are \"appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks … including those who were not involved in initial US and Israeli military operations.\"\nThe leaders said Iran's latest retaliatory attacks are threatening their service personnel and civilians across the region, adding that they've agreed to work with the U.S. and allies on a potential response.\n\"We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran's capability to fire missiles and drones at their source,\" the joint statement said.\nEarlier Sunday, Macron said an Iranian drone targeting the Port of Abu Dhabi hit a hangar at France's naval air base in the United Arab Emirates. There were no casualties, he said.\nMacron says Iranian drone targeted French naval air base in UAE\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron said an Iranian drone struck a hangar at France's naval air base in the United Arab Emirates.\nAccording to an unofficial translation, Macron said in remarks before the National Defense Council that the hangar at the French base, which is adjacent to the Emirati base, \"was hit in a drone attack targeting the Port of Abu Dhabi.\"\n\"The damage is limited to material losses, and there are no casualties,\" Macron continued, but he added that that \"this situation requires us to strengthen our posture and our defensive support alongside those with whom we have defense treaties, and to adjust our posture to the developments of recent hours — developments that are unjustified and that we will not allow to go unanswered.\"\nMacron said that the U.S. and Israeli strikes Saturday had led to \"an unprecedented regional escalation,\" and the missiles and drones launched in response by Iran were fired \"in a wholly disproportionate and indiscriminate manner,\" striking military facilities and civilian targets in allied countries in the region. He said that the Emirates was \"by far the most affected and the most exposed\" and that Qatar was also \"heavily targeted.\"\nAt least 22 people killed in Pakistan as protesters attempt to storm U.S. Consulate, U.N. offices\nAt least 22 people were killed and more than 120 wounded in clashes with police on Sunday in Pakistan after protesters supporting Iran tried to storm the U.S. Consulate and United Nations offices.\nIn the port city of Karachi, fire was set at the U.S. Consulate entrance gate during a rally to condemn the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the U.S. and Israeli military.\nPolice surgeon Summaiya Syed Tariq confirmed 10 people died and dozens of injured people were brought to the city's main government hospital.\nIn addition, 12 people were killed and over 80 wounded in clashes with police in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region when thousands of protesters, angered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, attacked the offices of the U.N. Military Observer Group and the U.N. Development Programme, local police official Asghar Ali said.\nTrump says 3 service members who were killed were \"great people,\" says \"it could happen again\"\nPresident Trump spoke of the\nduring the military operation in Iran, calling them \"great people,\" and he also said he expects \"it could happen again\" during the offensive.\"They're great people,\" Mr. Trump told The Daily Mail Sunday. \"And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous — it could happen again.\" The president also said the three had \"outstanding records.\"\nThe three service members, who have not yet been identified, are the first casualties of Mr. Trump's second term. No information has been released regarding the circumstances of their deaths. The\nin January resulted in injuries but no deaths.The president said he would \"maybe\" travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the dignified transfer of the three service members and would meet with their families \"at the appropriate time.\"\nOmani foreign minister who mediated U.S.-Iran talks says \"door to diplomacy remains open\"\nOmani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who had been a key mediator in the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks up until late last week, said the \"door to diplomacy remains\" open as U.S. and Israeli strikes continue in Iran.\n\"I want to be very clear - the door to diplomacy remains open. Talks in Geneva made genuine progress towards an unprecedented agreement between Iran and the United States and although the hope was to avoid war, war should not mean that the hope of peace is extinguished,\" Albusaidi wrote Sunday in a post on X. \"I still believe in the power of diplomacy to resolve this conflict. The sooner talks are resumed the better it is for everyone.\"\nAlbusaidi had\nthat the U.S. and Iran had made \"substantial progress\" toward a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, that a \"peace deal is within our reach.\"On Saturday, Albusaidi said he was \"dismayed\" by the attacks on Iran and urged the U.S. to \"not get sucked in further.\"\n\"This is not your war,\" he said.\nTrump estimates Iran operation will take \"four weeks or less\" to complete\nPresident Trump told The Daily Mail on Sunday that his administration estimates the Iran operation will \"take four weeks or less.\"\n\"It's always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so,\" the president said in a phone interview. \"It's always been about a four-week process so — as strong as it is, it's a big country — it'll take four weeks — or less.\"\nHe said he hasn't been surprised by what's happened in the operation so far.\n\"I think it's going as per planned. You know, other that we took out their entire leadership — far, far more than what we thought. Looks like 48,\" he said, reiterating a figure he'd given to Fox News in a separate interview.\nMr. Trump said earlier that he planned to talk with the Iranians, telling The Atlantic Sunday, \"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them.\"\nHe could not tell the Daily Mail whether those talks would be taking place soon.\n\"I don't know,\" he told the Daily Mail. \"They want to, they want to talk, but I said you should have talked last week not this week.\"\nFilipino killed in missile attack on Tel Aviv, Philippine Embassy in Israel says\nThe Philippine Embassy in Israel confirmed the death of a Filipino national in a missile attack that hit Tel Aviv on Saturday.\nThe victim, identified as Mary Ann V. de Vera, 32, was a caregiver from Basista, in the Pangasinan province, and had been working in Israel since 2019. Her identity was confirmed through biometric records at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, where her husband, who also works in Israel, positively identified her remains, the embassy said in a statement.\nAmbassador Aileen Mendiola conveyed condolences to de Vera's family and assured them of the Philippine government's full assistance, the embassy said.\n\"The Embassy joins the entire Filipino community in the Holy Land in praying for the repose of her soul and for comfort and strength for her family during this time of grief,\" its statement read.\nSenior White House official says Trump will talk with Iran \"eventually\"\nA senior White House official says that the president will \"eventually\" talk with Iranian officials, but the strikes will continue for now.\n\"President Trump said new potential leadership in Iran has indicated they want to talk and eventually he will talk,\" the official said. \"For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated.\"\nMr. Trump told The Atlantic earlier in the day that \"they want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them.\"\nSen. Chris Murphy: \"Nobody in this country is asking for war with Iran\"\nDemocratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut lambasted the Trump administration for the ongoing strikes, saying that \"nobody in this country is asking for war with Iran.\"\n\"This president is intentionally tanking our economy, he's the most corrupt president in the history of our nation, and Americans want him to focus on the crises here at home,\" Murphy\n\"Instead, he is busy getting us involved in quagmires overseas that already are becoming deadly to American soldiers.\"Murphy called the move in Iran a \"disaster.\" He said that Congress has the power to declare war, and the president is obligated to ask lawmakers for an authorization of military force.\n\"He wouldn't get that authorization if he asked for it,\" Murphy said. \"Congress wouldn't vote to give him the permission to do it, but he's obligated to come to Congress.\"\nThe House and Senate are set to take votes this week on war powers resolutions that would block the president from using further military force against Iran without support from lawmakers. But the votes will be largely symbolic even if the resolutions are approved, since they are unlikely to attract the two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto.\nTrump speaks to leaders of Israel, Bahrain and UAE\nWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the president has spoken to the leaders of Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday:\nFormer CENTCOM commander on what Americans should expect to come next\nRet. Gen. Frank McKenzie, a former commander of U.S. Central Command, outlined what to expect over the coming days on \"\n.\"\"The American people should be prepared for several more days of exchanges of long-range rockets,\" McKenzie said.\nMcKenzie said \"the essential calculus\" over the next 72 to 96 hours is whether the U.S. can reduce Iran's ability to fire volleys of missiles at U.S. bases and allies' cities in the region.\n\"That's going to be a key thing to watch,\" he said.\nMcKenzie said \"CENTCOM has planned for this for years\" and he noted that \"we're probably going to take more casualties.\"\n\"I hope we can certainly minimize those, and I know that our commanders in the region are doing everything they can to keep those numbers down,\" he added.\nOn a possible end-game, McKenzie said while there is \"an end-state in view,\" for now, \"we need to think about continuing to impose our will on the enemy and continuing this fight at a very high level.\"\nTrump's first comments on Americans killed: \"We expect casualties with something like this\"\nThe president spoke to NBC News and commented for the first time on the three Americans who have been killed in the war.\n\"We expect casualties with something like this. We have three, but we expect casualties — but in the end it's going to be a great deal for the world,\" Mr. Trump said.\nMr. Trump told NBC that \"there are many outcomes that are good.\"\n\"Number one is decapitating them, getting rid of their whole group of killers and thugs. And there are many, many outcomes. We could do the short version or the longer version,\" he said.\nIn his\nearly Saturday morning, the president said: \"The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we're doing this, not for now. We're doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.\"Iran's FIFA World Cup games in U.S. in doubt\nMehdi Taj, the president of Iran's soccer federation, cast doubt on the national team's ability to play World Cup matches in the U.S. later this year.\nIran is scheduled to play two World Cup games in Inglewood, California, and one in Seattle.\nTaj told an Iranian sports television show he wasn't sure how it would be possible following Saturday's strikes.\n\"What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,\" Taj told sports portal Varzesh3.\nCENTCOM says B-2 bombers were used to strike Iranian missile facilities\nU.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said B-2 bombers were used to attack Iranian ballistic missile facilities on Saturday night.\n\"Last night, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers, armed with 2,000 lb. bombs, struck Iran's hardened ballistic missile facilities,\" CENTCOM wrote on X. \"No nation should ever doubt America's resolve.\"\nThe post included a video of a B-2:\nB-2 bombers\nin last summer's U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer. At the time, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that mission was the \"largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history.\"CIA intelligence led to strike that killed Khamenei in Iran, source says\nIntelligence gathered over months by the CIA and shared with Israeli counterparts led to the missile strike that killed Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials on Saturday, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News.\nThe spy agency had been tracking Khamenei's location for several months before Saturday's joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, gaining deeper insight into his whereabouts as he moved around. The agency then learned about a Saturday morning meeting of senior Iranian officials at a compound in Tehran that Khamenei was expected to attend.\nThat insight, relayed to Israeli counterparts, accelerated the timeline for a strike to capitalize on the opportunity, the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, told CBS News.\nTrump says Iran operation is \"ahead of schedule\"\nPresident Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen Sunday that the U.S. operation in Iran is \"moving along very well, very well — ahead of schedule.\"\n\"It's a very violent regime, one of the most violent regimes in history,\" Mr. Trump said in a phone call with Kernen. \"We're doing our job not just for us, but for the world. And everything is ahead of schedule.\"\nThe president has been overseeing the assault from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.\nHe mentioned a potential off-ramp to end the conflict. He said it depends on many variables but expressed optimism.\n\"Things are evolving in a very positive way right now, a very positive way,\" Mr. Trump said.\nLoud explosions rock central Tehran, state TV and radio go off the air\nCBS News' producer in Tehran reports there have been a series of loud explosions in the capital. State TV and radio have gone off the air.\nTrump says U.S. has sunk 9 Iranian ships, \"largely destroyed\" naval headquarters\nThe president said in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. has sunk nine ships in the Iranian navy and \"largely destroyed\" the navy's headquarters in separate attacks.\n\"I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important,\" Mr. Trump said. \"We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!\"\nTrump says he's agreed to talk with Iran\nPresident Trump told The Atlantic's Michael Scherer in a phone call Sunday morning that Iran's new leaders want to talk with him, and he plans to do so.\n\"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,\" Mr. Trump told Scherer. He did not say when he will be speaking with the Iranians.\nScherer said the president, after seeing people in the streets celebrating in Iran and in the U.S., seemed confident that the Iranian people would rise up, saying, \"That is going to happen. You are seeing that, and I think it's gonna happen. A lot of people are extremely happy over there and in Los Angeles and in many other places.\"\nThough some oil analysts are watching to see if oil prices rise when those markets open Sunday night, Mr. Trump predicted that because the operation has been successful so far, it would be less likely to cause a spike in oil prices.\n\"This could have been a huge price increase with respect to oil, if things went wrong,\" Mr. Trump said.\nTrump says 48 Iranian leaders were killed\nPresident Trump told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that 48 Iranian leaders have been killed in the operation: \"Forty-eight leaders are gone in one shot. And it's moving along rapidly.\"\nHeinrich, who said she had spoken with Mr. Trump by phone, posted on X that he told her, \"If we didn't do that, they would have had a nuclear weapon within two weeks. And then all of this would not have been possible.\"\nSenior Trump administration officials told reporters Saturday that Tehran had about 450 kg of 60% enriched uranium and was technically one week from being able to reach 90% weapons grade uranium if they pursued it. Building a nuclear weapon, however, would take\n, according to a U.S. intelligence summary produced when the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities last June.Iran's foreign minister says military capacity hasn't changed despite attacks\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who had led his country's negotiating team in indirect talks with the Trump administration before the launch of the joint U.S. and Israeli war, said that despite the strikes, \"nothing has changed\" in Iran's military capability.\n\"This is exactly what happened last time. You remember in June when Israel attacked us. They killed some of our top commanders at the beginning of the strikes, but they were replaced very soon, and in less than 12 hours, we were able to start retaliation,\" Araghchi told ABC News' \"This Week with George Stephanopoulos\" on Sunday.\n\"This time, it was even, you know, faster. In less than two hours, we started to, you know, retaliate by attacking, you know, Israeli targets and, you know, American bases in the region and we have continued to do so,\" he said. \"So, our military is in place. They are capable enough to defend our country.\"\nAraghchi also said Tehran has started the procedure for an assembly of experts to elect a new supreme leader.\nSen. Ted Cruz says he advised Trump not to \"miss this opportunity\" ahead of Iran strikes\nSen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said he advised President Trump not to \"miss this opportunity\" ahead of the strikes on Iran.\n\"I spent the entire day with President Trump on Friday, right before he launched these attacks. He and I discussed this at length on Friday,\" Cruz said on\n\"My counsel to him was that the Iranian regime has never been weaker, that it was teetering, and now was the time.\"Cruz said the president \"acted decisively, and Iran no longer being led by a theocratic, murderous dictator, that makes America much, much safer.\"\n\"President Trump's decision to launch this decisive action against Iran is the single most important decision of his presidency,\" Cruz said. \"I think he laid out powerfully and effectively why he is taking this action. He is taking this action because the government of Iran is a profound and malign influence; they have been the leading state-sponsor of terrorism for 47 years.\"\nCruz said Mr. Trump called off active diplomacy amid talks between the U.S. and Iran \"because the diplomacy was an abject failure.\"\n\"The Iranians approached the diplomacy with arrogance, with absolute hubris,\" Cruz said. \"They said they would not stop enriching no matter what.\"\nCruz said Mr. Trump understood that the Iranian negotiations were just a \"stall tactic.\" The Texas Republican said he told the president that \"there's only one deal you should accept, and it's the deal that you offered Maduro.\"\n\"If you want to leave and flee the country, you can do so,\" Cruz said. \"Anything else is unacceptable, and Khamenei made his choice.\"\nSome lawmakers to be briefed by Trump administration today\nLater today, administration officials are expected to brief congressional members who sit on the House Intelligence, Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, and possibly Senate leaders.\nRubio told \"Gang of Eight\" lawmakers the timing, scope of operation were influenced by Israel\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio told the Gang of Eight lawmakers, who are briefed on classified matters, that the timing and scope of the joint operation were influenced by Israel's determination to proceed with strikes with or without the U.S.\nThis made the central question not whether military action would occur, but whether the U.S. would join Israel at the outset or wait to respond only if Iran retaliated against American forces in the region, according to a person familiar with the matter.\nThe Washington Post was first to report these details.\nDemocratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN's \"State of the Union\" Sunday, \"I saw no evidence that Iran was on the verge of launching any kind of preemptive strike against the United States of America.\"\nOPEC Plus will increase oil production amid Mideast conflict\nOPEC Plus, a group of eight oil-producing countries, said Sunday that it will increase oil production by 206,000 barrels a day in April in an effort to mitigate the impact on oil prices during the latest conflict in the Middle East.\nThe group, which includes Arab Gulf countries and Russia, has said in a statement that its members will \"closely monitor and assess market conditions, and in their continuous efforts to support market stability.\"\nNetanyahu says Israeli strikes on Iran \"will increase even more in the coming days\"\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his country's strikes on Iran, launched Saturday in conjunction with the U.S. military on President Trump's orders, \"will increase even more in the coming days.\"\n\"We eliminated the dictator Khamenei and dozens of senior officials of the oppressive regime. Our forces are now striking the heart of Tehran with increasing strength, which will increase even more in the coming days,\" Netanyahu said in a video statement.\nHe said he had met Sunday with his defense and intelligence chiefs and given them \"instructions for the continuation of the campaign\" against Iran — an operation he said he had \"been hoping to do for 40 years — to strike the terrorist regime squarely in the face.\"\n\"We are also bringing to this campaign the assistance of the United States, my friend, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, the U.S. military,\" said Netanyahu. \"This combination of forces allows us to do what I promised.\"\nNetanyahu acknowledged that Iran's retaliatory strikes were bringing \"painful days\" to Israel, and he mourned the loss of at least eight people killed earlier Sunday in an Iranian missile strike on the city of Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem.\nStrike that killed Khameini was based on CIA intel, source says\nA person familiar with the matter told CBS News on Sunday that the CIA had been tracking Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's location for months, gaining fidelity on his whereabouts as he moved around.\nThe agency also obtained advance insight into a Saturday morning meeting of senior Iranian officials that Khamenei was expected to attend. That insight, relayed with high confidence with Israeli counterparts, accelerated the timeline for a strike in order to capitalize on the opportunity, according to the source.\nThe New York Times first reported that CIA intelligence had led to the strike that killed Khamenei, who had ruled over Iran with complete authority on all matters since 1989.\nU.S. military dismisses Iran's claim to have struck USS Lincoln as a \"lie\"\nThe U.S. military's Central Command dismissed the Iranian military's claim to have struck an American aircraft carrier in the Middle East with missiles as a lie on Sunday.\n\"Claims to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles. LIE,\" said CENTCOM in a social media post, not long after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have \"struck\" the American carrier.\n\"The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn't even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM's relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,\" the military command said.\nU.S. military confirms 3 American service members killed, 5 seriously wounded\n\"Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury,\" the U.S. military's Central Command said Sunday in a statement shared on social media, confirming the first American casualties of the war sparked the previous day by the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.\nCBS News has learned that the three casualties occurred among American personnel based in Kuwait.\nThe military's initial statement did not give other details about the circumstances.\n\"Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,\" CENTCOM said, without providing additional information on the nature of any of the casualties.\n\"The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,\" CENTCOM said.\n.\nIran claims to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in Persian Gulf\nIran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on Sunday to have \"struck\" the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf.\n\"The U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was struck by four ballistic missiles,\" the Guards said in a statement conveyed by Iran's state-run media. It warned that the \"the land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors.\"\nThe Lincoln has been deployed in the Arabian Sea, south of Iran, for weeks as part of the massive U.S. military buildup ordered by President Trump.\nThere was no immediate confirmation that Iranian missiles had managed to evade its defense systems to strike the ship on Sunday.\nContacted by CBS News about the Iranian claims of a strike on the Lincoln, a representative at the U.S. military's Central Command, which is responsible for deployments in the Middle East, declined to comment. There was no immediate response from the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet to CBS News' request for information.\nIran foreign minister says regime change \"impossible,\" new leader possibly chosen within 2 days\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led his country's negotiating team in indirect talks with the Trump administration before the U.S. and Israel launched their joint war on Iran Saturday, said if Washington's aim was to topple the Islamic Republic regime, it would prove \"an impossible mission.\"\n\"If their goal is regime change, that is an impossible mission. The absence or death of the leader does not mean that,\" Araghchi told the Qatari TV network Al Jazeera. \"State institutions remain in place, and we have constitutional procedures. You may see the election of a new supreme leader within a day or two.\"\nIran's ruling clerics chose the country's supreme leader from among their own ranks, he is not elected via national polling.\n\"We have always been open to diplomacy, unlike the United States, which attacked us for the second time during negotiations,\" Araghchi said. \"This time the situation is different. They must explain why they did this — but only after the attacks stop. Everything depends on when the aggression ends.\"\nIran's president says post-Khamenei interim leadership council up and running\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that an interim leadership council established after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had begun its work.\n\"The interim leadership council started its work,\" said Pezeshkian, who is among three people tapped to lead the new council.\n\"We will continue with all our strength along the path set by Imam Khomeini,\" he said in a recorded video statement broadcast on state TV.\nKhomeini was modern Iran's first supreme leader, who founded the Islamic Republic regime in 1979 after a revolution that toppled its previous, Western-allied government led by a shah, or king.\nPezeshkian added a fresh threat that Iran's military would \"forcefully crush the enemy's bases\" in the region.\nCBS/AFP\nU.S. Embassy in Israel warns it can't help Americans evacuate\nThe U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued an alert on Sunday urging Americans in Israel to shelter in place and warning that it was \"not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.\"\nThe embassy ordered all U.S. government employees and their family members to continue sheltering in place in or near their residences until further notice.\n\"Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed on Monday March 2, 2026. This includes the Consular Sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. There will be no passport (emergency or regular) or Consular Report of Birth Abroad services,\" the embassy said.\nIt noted that the country's biggest airport, Ben Gurion, remained closed to all traffic.\nThe embassy remind U.S. citizens \"of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness – including knowing the location of the nearest shelter in the event of a red alert as security incidents, such as mortar, rocket, and missile fire, and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) intrusions, often take place without any warning. The security environment is complex and can change quickly.\"\nDuring the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, many Americans were stranded in Israel, and the U.S. Embassy offered no support with evacuations, while citizens of a number of other countries were evacuated by their embassies.\nSome of the Americans left stranded last summer resorted to paying high prices to be privately evacuated from Israel by boat or via Jordan. CBS News spoke with some Americans who voiced surprise by the lack of support from the U.S. Embassy.\nDeath toll from Iranian missile attack near Jerusalem rises to 8\nIsrael's official Magen David Adom emergency medical service said Sunday that the death toll from an Iranian missile strike on the city of Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, had risen to eight.\n\"Additional MDA teams are providing medical treatment and evacuating to hospitals in Jerusalem and to Shamir-Assaf Harofeh 28 wounded, including: 2 in serious condition, 2 in moderate condition, and 24 in light condition,\" the agency said.\nUAE says Iranian strikes kill 3 people, as Iran issues warning to U.S. allies in region\nThe United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said Sunday that three people had been killed by the missile and drone attacks carried out by Iran in retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli attacks launched Saturday.\n\"Our air defenses have so far intercepted 167 missiles and 541 Iranian drones. The Iranian attacks resulted in three deaths — a Pakistani, a Nepali, and a Bangladeshi national,\" the ministry said in a statement.\nSince Saturday, Iran has targeted countries across the Middle East that host U.S. forces with drones and missiles.\n\"To the countries of the region: We are not seeking to attack you. But when the bases located in your country are used against us, and when the United States carries out operations in the region relying on these forces, then we will target those bases,\" Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Sunday In a social media post, adding: \"These bases are not part of the land of those countries; rather, they are American soil.\"\nIsraeli medics say at least 6 people killed, more than a dozen wounded in Iranian strike\nAt least six people were killed Sunday in an Iranian missile strike on an Israeli city west of Jerusalem, emergency responders confirmed.\nIsraeli emergency services had earlier confirmed a barrage of Iranian missiles hit residential buildings in Beit Shemesh, causing damage and multiple casualties.\nThe volunteer medical response agency United Hatzalah confirmed at least six people were killed in the attack, after \"multiple impact sites\" in the city, about 19 miles west of Jerusalem.\nIran's Revolutionary Guard Corps announced another \"large-scale\" retaliatory strike earlier Sunday.\nIsrael's official Magen David Adom emergency medical service later confirmed that six people were killed in Beit Shemesh. It said 23 people were taken to hospitals to be treated for wounds sustained in the attack, including two in serious condition, three in moderate condition and 18 with what the agency described as light injuries.\n9 killed in Pakistan in clashes as protesters tried to storm U.S. Consulate\nViolent clashes between protesters and security forces in the Pakistani port city of Karachi left at least nine people killed and more than 50 others wounded on Sunday, after hundreds of demonstrators attempted to storm the U.S. Consulate, authorities said.\nThe violence came hours after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Police and officials at a hospital in Karachi said that at least 25 people were also wounded in the clashes and some of them were in critical condition.\nSummaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the city's main government hospital, confirmed that initially six bodies and multiple injured people were brought to the facility. However, she said the death toll rose to nine after three critically wounded people died.\nThe U.S. Embassy in Pakistan wrote on X that it was monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for additional protests at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Peshawar. It advised U.S. citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news, stay aware of their surroundings, avoid large crowds and keep their travel registration with the U.S. government up to date.\nChina \"strongly condemns\" Khamenei killing\nChina said Sunday it \"strongly condemns\" the United States and Israel's killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and called again for a halt to military actions.\nThe killing was \"a serious violation of Iran's sovereignty and security, a trampling on the aims and principles of the U.N. charter and the basic norms of international relations,\" Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement.\n\"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this,\" it added, calling for an \"immediate halting of military operations\".\nThe condemnation came just after Chinese state media reported a phone call between Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.\nDuring the conversation, which state news agency Xinhua said was initiated by Lavrov, Wang said the \"blatant killing of a sovereign leader and the incitement of regime change\" by the United States and Israel was \"unacceptable.\"\nChina is \"highly concerned\" that the \"situation in the Middle East could be pushed into a dangerous abyss,\" Wang told Lavrov, according to Xinhua.\nCasualties reported as Iranian strike hits city near Jerusalem\nIsraeli emergency services said a barrage of missiles launched by Iran on Sunday hit residential buildings in the city of Beit Shemesh, causing damage and multiple casualties.\nThe volunteer medical response agency Hatzalah said there were \"multiple impact sites\" in the city, which is about 19 miles west of Jerusalem, \"with approximately 15 casualties at this stage, most described as being in light condition.\"\n\"United Hatzalah volunteers on the scene are providing medical care, including treatment to three children who sustained head injuries,\" the group said, adding that \"further injuries are being documented, and there are indications of several individuals in serious condition in the vicinity.\"\nSen. Tom Cotton says no \"simple answer\" as to who will lead Iran now\nSen. Tom Cotton said Sunday that there's \"not a simple answer\" as to who will lead Iran going forward.\n\"There's probably a lot of people jockeying inside Iran right now,\" Cotton said on \"Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.\"\n\"They have a very consultative, deliberative process to replace the supreme leader,\" Cotton said. \"There's a reason why he didn't want to have a clear succession plan in place.\"\nBut Cotton would not say if there was a plan by the U.S. or Israel for a managed transition.\n\"We're going to continue to hit their military capabilities, and we're going to continue to hit the senior leadership, the ayatollahs, who have also been complicit in 47 years of heinous crimes, not only against Americans, against their own people,\" Cotton said.\nWhen asked by Brennan if an Iranian opposition leader had been identified to potentially take over the control, Cotton said, \"the opposition is 90 million Iranians who have suffered under the brutal Islamic Republic revolutionary regime for the last 47 years.\"\n\"We can't necessarily dictate what course that is going to take,\" Cotton said. \"But the help the president promised is on the scene for probably a few weeks as we make sure that Iran's military is no longer capable of threatening our own troops, our Arab friends in the region, and Israel, and also repressing its own people.\"\n.\nOmani port and tanker off its coast hit as Iran lashes out with retaliatory strikes\nAn Omani port and an oil tanker off its coast were attacked Sunday, official media said, marking the first suspected Iranian strikes on the sultanate — which mediated the U.S.-Iran talks that failed to avert the war launched on Saturday by the U.S. and Israel.\nAFP correspondents also heard blasts in Dubai, Doha and Manama on Sunday, with explosions heard later in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh as Iran pressed its second day of retaliatory attacks in response to ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes.\nIran's continued bombardment across the Persian Gulf has raised fears of a wider conflict and rattled a region long seen as a haven of peace and security in the turbulent Middle East.\n\"A security source reported that the commercial port of Duqm was targeted by two drones,\" the Oman News Agency said in a social media post. \"One drone struck a mobile workers' accommodation, injuring one foreign worker, while debris from the other landed near fuel tanks, causing no casualties or material damage.\"\nShortly after, Oman's Maritime Security Center said an oil tanker had been targeted off the coast. Its crew was evacuated and four of them were injured, the Oman News Agency reported.\nVideos and photos posted online appeared to show the back of the tanker engulfed in flames and smoke and sinking.\nCBS/AFP\nSen. Tom Cotton says Trump has \"no plan for any kind of large-scale ground force\" in Iran\nRepublican Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that while President Trump said there could be American casualties in the operation against Iran, there were no plans to put American boots on the ground.\n\"The president has been clear that what we should expect to see is an extended air and naval campaign that's designed not only to continue to set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, but most importantly, to destroy its vast missile arsenal,\" Cotton said on \"Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.\"\nCotton said one risk of the non-ground war that the U.S. and Israel are waging is that an aircraft could be shot down, and \"the president would never leave a pilot behind.\"\n\"So, no doubt, we have combat search and rescue assets in the region that are prepared to go in and extract any type of downed pilot,\" Cotton said. \"But barring that kind of unusual circumstance, Margaret, the president has no plan for any kind of large-scale ground force inside of Iran.\"\n.\nU.K. defense chief says Iranian missiles fired in \"direction of Cyprus\" in the Mediterranean\nBritain's defense secretary said Sunday that Iran's \"indiscriminate retaliatory attacks\" included \"two ballistic missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus,\" but it was not believed they were \"targeted\" at the Mediterranean island on which the U.K. has a major military air base.\n\"We had two ballistic missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus,\" John Healey told CBS News' partner network BBC News, noting that British warplanes based in Cyprus, as well as in the Middle East were involved in \"defensive\" actions across the region.\n\"We are pretty sure they weren't targeted at Cyprus, but nevertheless, it demonstrates how our bases, our personnel, military and civilians at the moment are at risk,\" Healey told the BBC.\nHe did not say whether the Iranian missiles were intercepted, or if they just fell short of any intended targets.\nIsrael's military says it's \"not aware\" of any U.S. or Israeli strike hitting Iranian school\nIsrael's military said Sunday it was \"not aware\" of any U.S. or Israeli strike hitting a school in southern Iran. Iranian authorities claimed Saturday that a girl's elementary school in the city of Minab was hit amid the strikes, killing more than 100 people, including many students.\n\"At this point not aware of an Israeli or an American strike there ... We're operating in an extremely accurate manner,\" Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters on Sunday.\nCaptain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. military's Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East,\nthat CENTCOM was aware of the reports \"concerning civilian harm from ongoing military operation\" and was investigating the matter.\"The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimize the risk of unintended harm,\" Hawkins said. \"Unlike Iran, we have never — and never will — target civilians.\"\nPope Leo calls for an end to \"spiral of violence\" in Middle East\nPope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the \"spiral of violence\" in the Middle East, after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran that prompted ongoing retaliatory strikes.\n\"Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable chasm,\" Leo, the Catholic Church's first-ever leader from the United States, told a crowd of faithful in St. Peter's Square.\nCBS/AFP\nEU foreign policy chief voices hope for a new Iran, shaped by its people\nThe European Union's top diplomat, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, noted the uncertainty facing Iran and the entire world on Sunday, but she called it an opportunity for Iran's people to shape their own future.\n\"The death of Ali Khamenei is a defining moment in Iran's history. What comes next is uncertain. But there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape,\" Kallas said in a social media post, adding that she was in contact on behalf of the EU \"with partners, including those in the region that bear the brunt of Iran's military actions, to find practical steps for de-escalation.\"\nHer post was accompanied by a graphic indicating that she was in contact with foreign policy chiefs from Israel and at least six Arabic nations in the Middle East, in addition to Turkey and the Group of Seven bloc of the world's biggest democracies.\nU.S. moves government personnel from hotels in Bahrain's capital amid Iranian strikes\nThe U.S. Embassy in Bahrain's capital said Sunday that personnel were being moved out of hotels in Manama after one was hit amid Iran's retaliatory missile and drone attacks on U.S. and Israeli interests across the Middle East.\n\"The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain is tracking confirmed reports the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manama was struck on March 1, 2026, resulting in injuries,\" the embassy said in a security alert shared Sunday on social media. \"We advise U.S. citizens in Bahrain that hotels might be a target for future attacks, and encourage U.S. citizens to avoid hotels in Manama.\"\nNorth Korea calls U.S.-Israel assault on Iran an \"illegal act of aggression\"\nNorth Korea condemned on Sunday the ongoing United States and Israeli attack on Iran as an \"illegal act of aggression,\" claiming it had shown the \"gangster-like nature\" of Washington.\nThe military campaigns against Iran by the two states \"constitute a thoroughly illegal act of aggression and the most vile form of violation of sovereignty in their nature,\" a spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.\nIran's top religious authority issues \"fatwa for jihad against America and Israel\"\nIran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said Sunday that the country's top religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, had issued a decree, or \"fatwa\" calling for Muslims to wage \"jihad against America and Israel\" to avenge the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n\"The main perpetrators of this crime are America and the Zionist regime, and this revenge is a religious duty for all Muslims of the world to eliminate the scourge of these criminals from the world,\" Tasnim quoted Shirazi as saying.\nThe Grand Ayatollah does not hold a leadership position in Iran's theocratic government, but he is among the most senior Shiite Muslim religious authorities in the world.\nPutin calls Khamenei killing \"cynical violation\" of \"morality and international law\"\nRussian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday slammed the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli strikes as a \"cynical violation\" of morality and law.\nIn a letter to his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, published by the Kremlin, Putin expressed \"deepest condolences for the assassination\" of Khamenei, saying the killing was \"carried out in a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.\"\nRussia and China have\nduring decades of animosity between Western powers and Tehran, helping keep the Islamic Republic afloat economically — despite Russia's own economic woes — amid a raft of economic sanctions.CBS/AFP\nIsraeli military says half of Iran's missile stockpiles destroyed\nIsrael's military said Sunday that it had destroyed roughly half of Iran's missile stockpiles, adding that the Islamic Republic had been producing dozens of surface-to-surface missiles each month.\n\"During the operation, we destroyed approximately half of the Iranian regime's missile stockpiles and prevented the production of at least 1,500 additional missiles,\" military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised statement.\n\"The regime had recently been producing dozens of surface-to-surface missiles per month and intended to increase production to hundreds per month.\"\nLebanon's Hezbollah vows to \"confront aggression\" of U.S. and Israel\nThe Lebanese militant group Hezbollah vowed Sunday to retaliate for the U.S. and Israeli war on its key backer, Iran.\n\"We will undertake our duty of confronting the aggression\" of the U.S. and Israel, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a statement, according to the French news agency AFP. Qassem said Hezbollah would not leave \"the field of honor and resistance.\"\nIsrael has\n, killing multiple leaders of the group and diminishing its significant fire power.The group has long been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel and many other nations.\nIran names three men for interim Leadership Council to pick next supreme leader\nThe Reuters news agency cited Iran's state-run student news agency ISNA as saying Sunday that a longtime senior member of the Islamic Republic's powerful Guardian Council, Alireza Arafi, had been appointed to the Leadership Council, a body tasked with fulfilling the supreme leader's role until the regime's Assembly of Experts elects a replacement for Ayatollah Khamenei.\nArafi was to join President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeibe on the temporary Leadership Council, ISNA said.\nIranian president threatens \"blood and revenge\" for killing of Khamenei\nIf Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, named by the regime as one of three interim leaders of the country, was planning to distance the remnants of the theocracy from its slain supreme leader in a bid to survive the U.S.-Israeli assault, he showed no signs of that in his first public comments on Sunday.\nIran's interim government \"considers blood and revenge against the perpetrators and leaders of this crime as the duty of its legitimate right,\" Pezeshkian said in a statement shared online by Iranian state media.\n\"The assassination of the highest political authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the great Shiite world,\" he said, referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose funeral was being held Sunday in Tehran, \"by the American-Zionist axis, is a declaration of open war with Muslims, especially Shiites in the world.\"\nHe said Iran would \"fulfill this great responsibility and duty\" to retaliate against Israel and the U.S. \"with all its might.\"\nPeople gather for funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran\nCBS News producer Seyed Bathaei in Tehran said people were gathering Sunday in the Iranian capital ahead of the funeral Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\nThe funeral was to be held at the University of Tehran.\nKhamenei ruled over Iran from 1989 as the second supreme leader of the Islamic Republic regime.\nThere were shouts of joy and celebrations in the streets of Tehran and other cities on Saturday when Israel and President Trump confirmed Khamenei had been killed in the U.S. and Israeli attacks. But there were also reports of protests in some parts of Iran on Sunday denouncing the war and calling for retribution.\nBeleaguered Iranian regime announces plan for new leadership\nIran's President Masoud\nwho was among the few very senior leaders to escape Saturday's blistering strikes alive, will lead the country along with two other officials in a transitional period following the killing of Khamenei, Iranian state television said Sunday.Earlier, an Iranian official said a leadership council would handle the late ayatollah's duties until a successor is formally announced.\n\"In accordance with the constitution, a leadership council will be established to assume the responsibilities of the Supreme Leader until a successor is elected,\" the secretary of Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, said in a statement.\nState news agency IRNA said that along with Pezeshkian, the speaker of Iran's parliament and the head of Iran's judiciary would be in charge until a new top leader is chosen.\nDeep uncertainty, plenty of risk as Middle East enters second day of war\nCBS News' Charlie D'Agata said the skies over Israel's capital Tel Aviv buzzed overnight with the sound of fighter jets and missile defenses intercepting Iranian attacks, keeping nerves high as the Middle East and the entire world wondered what the final outcome of the war sparked by the U.S. and Israel might be.\nElliot Ackerman, an American author, former member of the U.S. special forces and former CIA Special Activities Officer, said there were still significant risks, even with much of the brutal Iranian regime's leadership killed in Saturday's strikes.\n\"What we'll potentially have is a power vacuum,\" Ackerman said, as the remnants of the Iranian regime announced interim leadership. He said it was possible Iran's long-stifled civil society would rise up and topple the Islamic Republic regime that has ruled over the country since the 1979 revolution.\nBut it was not \"outside the realm of possibility\" that hardline remnants of the regime could manage to maintain control over the country, which he said would be a disaster for the region.\nRep. Rick Crawford, chair of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, told CBS News on Sunday that the U.S. and Israeli strikes would likely continue in the coming days, particularly aimed at taking out remaining missile launch capabilities in southern Iran.\n\"It's gonna take a little bit of patience,\" Crawford said, but he said the \"conditions on the ground are ripe for regime change, and we pray for the Iranian people\" to seize what he said was the opportunity presented by the war to overthrow their government.\nAfter celebrations in Iran, anti-U.S. protests erupt in several locations\nWhile there were shouts of joy and thousands of people in Iran celebrated the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, there were also protests in the country against the U.S.-Israeli war, with crowds gathering on Sunday in southern Iran demanding vengeance, according to Iran's state-run media.\nSimilar protests erupted in Tehran on Sunday and in the central city of Yazd, Iranian media said.\nThere were also angry demonstrations in other countries, with hundreds of protesters trying to storm the heavily fortified Green Zone in Iraq's capital Baghdad, where the U.S. embassy is located.\nIn Karachi, Pakistan, security forces killed eight people as hundreds of protesters tried to storm the U.S. consulate in the massive city, according to local emergency services.\nAnd in Indian-administered Kashmir, the French news agency AFP said several thousand people demonstrated and chanted anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans on Sunday.\nThe U.S. Embassy in Oman's capital Muscat, meanwhile, warned staff and other Americans in the city to shelter in place due to unspecified \"ongoing activity outside of Muscat.\"\nIsrael hitting \"heart of Tehran\" for first time since strikes began, IDF says\nFor the first time since the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign began Saturday, Israel has struck targets in \"the heart of Tehran,\" the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.\n\"The Air Force, guided by Military Intelligence, has now launched a broad wave of strikes toward targets of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran,\" the IDF said.\n\"Over the past day, the Air Force conducted extensive strikes to achieve air superiority and open the path to Tehran,\" the IDF added.\nIran claims new round of strikes targeting U.S. bases in Mideast\nIran's state-run media said Sunday that the country's armed forces had targeted U.S. bases in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, and in the Persian Gulf, in response to ongoing Israeli and U.S. strikes across the country.\n\"A few minutes ago, pilots of the air forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran successfully bombed U.S. bases in the countries of the Persian Gulf and in the Kurdistan region of Iraq over several phases of operations,\" state TV cited the Iranian army as saying.\nIran has fired volleys of missiles and drones at American bases since the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes began on Saturday, as well as at Israel and other nations in the Middle East where the U.S. has bases. Civilian infrastructure in several nations was also hit.\nAt Russia's request, IAEA to hold special meeting Monday on Iran situation\nThe board of governors for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, will hold a special meeting Monday at its Vienna headquarters to discuss the situation in Iran.\nThe meeting is at the request of Russia regarding \"military strikes of the United States and Israel against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,\" the agency said in a statement late Saturday.\nRussia is a major ally of Iran.\nLast week, Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA,\nmost of Iran's nuclear materials were \"still there, in large quantities\" despite the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June of 2025.Trump threatens more intense U.S. strikes if Iran hits \"very hard today\"\nPresident Trump said on his Truth Social platform early Sunday that, \"Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before.\"\nIn response, he wrote, \"THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!\"\nMr. Trump had earlier said that \"heavy and pinpoint bombing\" of Iran would \"continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary.\"\nIran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday, \"You have crossed our red line and must pay the price. We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg,\" according to The Associated Press.\nIran's Revolutionary Guard also said Sunday said that it would launch \"the most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Iranian armed forces\" targeting U.S. military bases and Israel.\nSatellite images show Iran supreme leader compound heavily damaged\nThe compound of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the heart of Tehran was heavily damaged in the U.S.-Israeli strikes, satellite photos show.\nOne image shows black smoke rising from the palace, which appears to have been reduced to a pile of rubble.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck the compound early Saturday. He later said there were \"growing signs\" that Khamenei had been killed in the strike.\nThe Israeli military also said Saturday that it had killed much of Iran's leadership, including Secretary of the Iranian Security Council Ali Shamkhani and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.\nCBS/AP",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T10:45:00+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Fuel Prices Jump Along With Oil on Delays in Strait of Hormuz - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Fuel Prices Jump Along With Oil on Delays in Strait of Hormuz    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:08:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOZHBCcEpqQVhUVE5VRXNUQllDTjI2WVVhNHUwYmNDX3ZPeHM4R21UVnc1enJHYWVOMEFCM0xJM1JRZ2g2cUJZejZrQXlHWGRoS1VvMld3cm9oOERsUmQ0WkNsVEtmamp5Z1NYYVZxejlZSlVUQWJSamZ3YzhYUEhKUE1OZmNUbkxaMm9heHMwZUJNSEpUNlBHWV8wNWFEYkVwbEdEa2w5VjdWVVpIVTItVGt3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_686bee8ee74c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Lebanon bans Hezbollah military activities after rocket fire on Israel - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Lebanon bans Hezbollah military activities after rocket fire on Israel\nThe Lebanese government on Monday announced a total and immediate ban on Hezbollah's military and security activities, after overnight rocket fire on Israel prompted air strikes that killed 31 people in Lebanon.\nFollowing a cabinet meeting, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the group to hand over its “illegal” weapons to the state and remain a political party.\nSalam urged the security forces to prevent any military action by Hezbollah and to arrest violators.\n\"The army must continue to implement its plan\" to disarm armed groups \"by all means possible,\" he said, reiterating that decisions of war and peace rest solely with the state.\nResponding to the government's decision, senior Hezbollah official Mohammed Raad said the group understood Lebanon's right to decide on war or peace, but does not see an obligation to impose harsh decisions on those against the \"occupation\".\nRaad, the head of the group's parliamentary bloc, condemned Beirut's \"swaggering decisions\", saying that \"the Lebanese were expecting a decision rejecting the (Israeli) aggression\".\nHezbollah launched rocket and drone strikes on northern Israel “in revenge for the blood” of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli operation on Tehran on Saturday.\nThe Israeli military responded with a series of air raids on Dahyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and across south Lebanon overnight Monday.\nOn Monday morning, the Israeli military again carried out air raids on Dahiyeh, several towns in southern Lebanon, and the Beqaa Valley in the east. Israel said it intended to intensify its bombing campaign.\nLebanon’s health ministry reported a toll of 31 killed and 149 wounded in the Israeli strikes. Twenty of those killed and 91 wounded were in Beirut, with 11 killed and 58 wounded in the south.\nThe sources said Berri, who heads the Amal party, ordered his ministers in the government not to object to the ban or voice any opposition.\nThey added that the speaker’s position changed because Hezbollah had previously given him several reassurances that it would not take part in a war involving Iran, a point he had personally conveyed to diplomatic channels.\nIn other developments, Nicosia said a British military base in Cyprus was targeted by an Iranian-made drone, with an official Cypriot source, cited by Reuters, saying that \"all indications\" suggested that the attack was launched by Hezbollah.\nThe source, cited by Reuters, did not provide further details. The attack came after London agreed to a US request to use British military bases for \"specific and limited defensive purpose\".\nMass exodus\nAfter the initial strikes on Beirut, Israel issued expulsion warnings in the early hours of the morning to residents of more than 50 towns and villages in Lebanon’s south and east.\n“For your safety, evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 metres away from your village to open areas,” army spokesperson Ella Waweya said in a statement on X.\nThe bombardment triggered a mass exodus from both Dahiyeh and south Lebanon, with families fleeing their homes with few belongings.\nHighways out of Beirut’s suburbs were gridlocked with cars and motorcycles, while some residents fled on foot. In the south, motorists drove north along both sides of the highway towards Beirut to bypass heavy traffic.\nDozens of schools opened to shelter displaced people. Some families with nowhere else to go were seen sitting on the streets of central Beirut and the seafront area, while others remained in their homes in Dahiyeh as they searched for flats to rent elsewhere, Lebanese newspaper L'Orient Today reported.\nLebanon is still reeling from 2024’s war with Israel, which caused widespread destruction and a high civilian death toll.\nThe conflict also severely weakened Hezbollah’s leadership and degraded its military capabilities, with most of its senior commanders killed, including its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.\nIsraeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah “will pay dearly for its attacks on Israel” and that Qassem, “who decided to attack under pressure from Iran, is now a target to be eliminated”.\nSince a 2024 ceasefire, Israel has carried out regular strikes in Lebanon, killing hundreds of people, including Hezbollah members and civilians, and has continued to occupy parts of the south.\nOn Monday, Israel bolstered its military presence on its side of the border with Lebanon but said there are no immediate plans for a ground invasion of its neighbour.\nHezbollah’s overnight operation marked the first time the group claimed responsibility for an attack on Israel since the ceasefire. It said it had targeted an Israeli army site south of Haifa “with a barrage of high-quality missiles and a swarm of drones”.\nThe Israeli military said the projectiles fired from Lebanon fell in open areas, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries.\nThe escalation comes amid weeks of efforts by the Lebanese government to prevent Hezbollah from being drawn into any broader war involving Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:09:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_7d974a452b6f",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran’s Hardliners Won’t Easily Be Dislodged - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Hardliners Won’t Easily Be Dislodged    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:09:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxNSjFQbFhtOVRiT2FYYmxpOEhxeTAzbDlLdkhXNGRLS3FxcEJ6U19EMUNKVVRHbmNWUmVVZkxoOV9iOGNfWmpxckR6NUhlV1R6aWdIWkJhcDJ5cmtBWEw0OEc0VWJyY2RZWTFnMWtGakQtUDE4elJVV1hSanJxZWtGTkpzam9pRVN1SElHZ0NtSXJZcDJCcXB1eml0eWgwQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c7c23b584d7c",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What we know about the widening US war with Iran - CNN",
    "body_text": "Days after the US and Israel first launched strikes against Iran, the conflict is widening by the hour, drawing in other countries across the region, sparking fears for the global economy and leaving thousands of travelers stranded.\nIsrael launched simultaneous strikes on Tehran and Beirut on Tuesday morning, targeting Iranian military sites and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, as Iran chose targets in neighboring Arab states, including the US embassy in Saudi Arabia.\nThe US warned its citizens to leave a vast area of the Middle East via commercial services but with airspace closed across the region there were few options to leave.\nUS President Donald Trump has predicted the war with Iran could last “four weeks,” the clearest indication yet of the potential scale of the conflict.\nSpeaking Monday at the Pentagon, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized that this was not a “single, overnight operation” and that more US losses should be expected. Trump struck a similar note, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper that the “big wave hasn’t even happened, the big one is coming soon,” without offering further detail.\nThree US military aircraft crashed in Kuwait on Monday “due to an apparent friendly fire incident,” the US military said, adding that all six crew members ejected and are “in stable condition.”\nThe conflict spread to another front on Monday, too, when Israel launched a wave of strikes against Lebanon in response to a Hezbollah provocation. The strikes killed more than 50 people, Lebanese authorities said.\nIn Iran, the joint US-Israeli strikes that began Saturday morning have killed at least 555 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, including at least 168 people at a girls’ elementary school, the country’s state media reported.\nThose strikes also killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking a turning point in the nation’s history and leaving Iranians confronting a surreal mixture of relief, disbelief and anxiety.\nHere’s what we know so far.\nWhat has been happening?\nNew fronts are opening up.\nHezbollah fired six projectiles at a military base in northern Israel “in revenge for Khamenei’s death” in the early hours of Monday. Though they did no damage, the rockets prompted a furious wave of Israeli strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon.\nLater Monday, Israel launched further strikes across Lebanon, after earlier issuing evacuation warnings that spurred hundreds of people to flee the south of the country.\nSix US service members had been killed in action as of Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. An additional 18 have been seriously wounded since Saturday, the military added.\nIn Kuwait, meanwhile, three US jets were mistakenly shot down by the gulf country’s air defenses, CENTCOM said, adding that the cause of the incident is under investigation. Videos geolocated by CNN showed a fighter jet crashing and a pilot parachuting to the ground.\nCNN teams in the major Persian Gulf cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha heard explosions Monday morning and saw what appeared to be missiles being intercepted in the skies above them.\nSimilarly, missiles from Iran were intercepted in the skies above both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Monday morning.\nQatar’s Ministry of Defense later said it had shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers, marking the first time that any country has shot down Iranian aircraft since the latest conflict began. It also marks an escalation of Qatar’s involvement thus far.\nIn Iran, multiple rounds of explosions were reported in the capital, Tehran. Patients were evacuated from a hospital in the north of the city on Sunday after it was badly damaged, according to Iranian state media. One strike damaged the city’s Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, state media reported.\nWhy did the US and Israel attack?\nBoth Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said their main objectives were to defend their respective countries from imminent threats posed by Iran, most notably, to prevent the Islamic regime from acquiring a nuclear weapon, without providing any evidence that it was any closer to obtaining one.\nThat claim was undercut by Pentagon briefers who acknowledged to congressional staff Sunday that Tehran was not planning to attack US forces or bases in the region unless Israel attacked first.\nUncertainty over precisely what the strikes aim to accomplish continued even after Trump gave interviews to several media outlets Sunday night.\nHe outlined various possible scenarios to the New York Times, suggesting that a repeat of events in Venezuela — where US forces seized the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and accepted his deputy Delcy Rodríguez as a substitute leader — would be a “perfect scenario.” At the same time, he said he hoped the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “would really surrender to the people.”\nUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted Monday “this is not a so-called regime change war,” adding that the US has no intention of being caught in the same nation-building quagmire as in Iraq. Instead, he said, the US was aiming to “destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes.”\nSince the turn of the year, Iran has been battling an economic crisis that sparked nationwide protests. As a crackdown left thousands of protesters dead, Trump promised to come to their aid, saying the US was “locked and loaded.”\nIsraeli and American intelligence agencies — including the CIA — had been tracking Khamenei’s movements for months, waiting for the moment to strike, even while US envoys were engaged in regular talks with Iran over a new nuclear deal.\nWho is leading Iran now?\nInside Iran, the regime is battered, bereft of its supreme leader, but still able to launch attacks across the region.\nA three-person leadership council now holds power until the new supreme leader is named. It includes the country’s moderate president, Masoud Pezeshkian; the hard-line head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei; and a senior cleric, Alireza Arafi.\nIt remains unclear how long the process of choosing Khamenei’s successor will take, a matter further complicated by the deaths of several senior military officials in Saturday’s strikes.\nWhat has been struck elsewhere in the region?\nIranian missiles and drones have targeted Israel and several countries across the region that host US military bases — including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.\nAlthough most of these missiles and drones have been shot down by air defense systems, some have reached their targets. At least 10 people have been killed and more than 200 injured in Israel, according to Magen David Adom, the country’s emergency service. Nine of those fatalities occurred when an Iranian missile struck a bomb shelter in the city of Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem.\nFor US-allied Persian Gulf countries such as the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait, the spreading conflict has punctured the sense of security that had long attracted Western expats and tourists. Dramatic footage from Dubai on Saturday showed a luxury hotel ablaze and people fleeing a smoke-filled passageway at its airport, where four staff were injured.\nAnd in Bahrain, a fire broke out on the upper floors of a high-rise residential building about a mile from a US Navy base after it was struck by an Iranian drone.\nCommercial vessels in the region have also come under fire. One docked in Bahrain was struck by two projectiles on Monday, causing a fire to break out on board and crew members to evacuate.\nThe US embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were also hit, with no reported injuries, according to sources.\nThe US Embassy in Riyadh was hit by two suspected Iranian drones, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The Saudi defense ministry confirmed the attack, saying it had caused “limited fire and minor material damages.”\nMeanwhile the embassy in Jordan was temporarily evacuated “out of an abundance of caution” due to an unspecified “threat.”\nHow will this impact oil prices?\nIran’s vast oil reserves and its geostrategic position controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water through which much global trade flows, means that the conflict has profound ramifications for the global economy.\nOil and natural gas prices surged Monday — futures contracts for Brent crude, the global benchmark, spiked almost 9% to trade at around $79 a barrel while WTI, the US benchmark, climbed 8% to $73 a barrel.\nThe price of Dutch natural gas, the European benchmark, surged almost 48% in Monday afternoon trading, after Qatar’s state-run energy company stopped production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) following an Iranian attack on its facility on Ras Laffan.\nBrig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned Monday that Iranian forces would target vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz –– through which one-fifth of the world’s global trade in LNG and daily oil production passes.\n“The strait is closed, and anyone who wishes to pass, our heroes in the IRGC naval force and the army will set those ships on fire. Don’t come to this region,” he said in comments aired by the official Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.\nEven before the adviser’s comments, traffic through the waterway had effectively stopped due to safety concerns and after oil tankers in the region came under attack over the weekend.\nEnergy facilities remain a major retaliatory target too, as shown by the attack on Ras Laffan and Saudi Arabia’s interception of two drones on Monday morning at Ras Tanura, one of the country’s largest oil refineries, which has the capacity to produce 550,000 barrels a day.\nHow is the conflict affecting travel?\nThe US on Monday urged its citizens to “DEPART NOW” from countries throughout the Middle East “due to serious safety risks.” The State Department told citizens to use “available commercial transportation,” but with a wide corridor of airspace over the Middle East closed and flights restricted, that advisory may be hard for Americans to follow.\nWith much of the region’s airspace closed and airlines forced to cancel flights through multiple cities, thousands of travelers have been left stranded.\nMajor airports like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have positioned themselves as key connecting nodes for global airline routes, with millions of passengers transiting through them every year.\nSeveral major airlines located there, including Emirates and Etihad in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways in Doha, suspended flights to and from their bases at least until Monday afternoon local time.\nCNN’s Christian Edwards, Billy Stockwell, Oren Liebermann, Dana Karni, Hanna Ziady, Eugenia Yosef, Leila Gharagozlou, Helen Regan, Catherine Nicholls, Tim Lister, Eyad Kourdi, Sarah El Sigarny, Lauren Izso, Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler and Karla Cripps contributed reporting.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:18:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxNU2NHaE5XeDg3VUE2STYwLW9pcDhQMDIyblFwcDVwMGlaWUJGQzJkY1NyRTAtVS05QmpVakFfMWNSRzlJd1poLWZsSkhHMmJRa3Q5Wlh3UF94WDJaSkVLSmlILUlaZXIxa0pUMjRMbG1yM2NldVlwZURDMHpvZmFCLTV6VWlGclJzYXZR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_043f0f522396",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli society is intoxicated by war and the dream of expansion. It cannot last - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israeli society is intoxicated by war and the dream of expansion. It cannot last\n“Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever.”\nThis quote comes from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, and in the wake of the US-Israeli attack on Iran - which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, shocking the Muslim world and destabilising the entire region - it is hard not to see the connection to recent events.\nThe unprovoked onslaught, which came despite apparent progress in negotiations in Oman, now threatens the lives of millions of people across the region.\nIt follows US President Donald Trump’s repeated promise to end conflicts, representing another Orwellian inversion: “War is peace, peace is war.”\nThe escalation also comes in the context of recent statements by US ambassador Mike Huckabee endorsing Israel’s right to expand its borders from the Nile to the Euphrates, while Israel continues its drive to seize more Palestinian lands; and the Munich speech by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which expressed a desire to restore western greatness through a return to colonialism, to the delight of European political elites.\nThe US and Israel are eliminating political and religious leaders, amid blatant disregard for the sentiments of the peoples of the Global South - and for the long-term consequences in reframing world politics.\nWe do not need to imagine how the new world order will unfold. Rather, we must examine Israel and Israeli society in light of the present reality, including the romanticisation of war and broad support for mobilising the machinery of war.\nBroad political consensus\nWhile Israeli forces bomb Iran and kill innocent civilians, many Israelis - sitting in cafes in between running for shelter during Iran’s retaliatory attacks - describe this as a just war, one aimed at liberating the Iranian people, especially women, from the rule of the ayatollahs. These comments come even as more than 150 schoolgirls were reportedly killed in southern Iran.\nSuch sentiments echo common Israeli views towards Palestinian society, amid widespread support for the use of unprecedented force and disregard for international law in Israel’s endless quest for territorial expansion.\nEven more troubling is the apparent readiness of Israeli society to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of Israel’s expansion, and its projection of military power across the region.\nThe peoples of the Global South have long fought against colonialism - and they will continue to do so, refusing to live with a western boot stamping on their faces\nThis is reflected in the broad consensus in favour of the war, spanning the political spectrum, despite the understanding that the greatest beneficiary of this conflict is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself. This shows that the opposition is in lockstep with Netanyahu’s foreign policy, despite disagreements over his domestic conduct.\nIndeed, opposition leader Yair Lapid has openly endorsed the idea that Israel should expand its borders to control other territories in the region.\nSuch support has been growing over the past two decades, as demographic changes and the growing strength of religious movements - from the ultra-Orthodox to religious nationalists - have intensified internal debates over religion and state, resource distribution, and military conscription.\nPolitical elites across the spectrum understand that Israeli society unites around war. It is a society that has built its ethos around war and alienation from the region, viewing territorial expansion as natural, while duplicitously employing liberal western terminology about helping minorities and women.\nWhile world leaders attempt to balance their interests - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for example, distanced his country from the initial attack, but then confirmed British fighter jets were working to defend western allies - the message received by Israeli society is clear. The West supports these operations, despite Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, occupation of parts of Syria and Lebanon, and the bombing of Yemen.\nThis support remains steadfast, even as the person leading this entire process, Benjamin Netanyahu, is wanted on charges of genocide in Gaza.\nBrutal model for the world\nSo far, Netanyahu appears to be the primary beneficiary of this chain of events. While it is difficult to predict the outcome of the current war, Netanyahu has once again proven his ability to drive US policy.\nHe has shown Israeli society that despite American public opposition to war and the pressures placed on Trump by his Maga support base - which largely opposes the US paying the price for Israel’s wars - he has succeeded once again in achieving what had once seemed like an Israeli fantasy: dragging the US into another Middle Eastern conflict, just like he did during the Iraq war. In short, Netanyahu is making the Americans do his dirty work.\nUnlike 2003, when the Bush administration entered Iraq with a strong economy and broad international support, Trump is acting under conditions of major economic strain and limited international support.\nThus, regardless of the outcome - whether the Iranian state and leadership fall or survive - in the eyes of the Israeli public, Netanyahu has already succeeded. He is moving ever-closer towards making the Greater Israel project a reality, with explicit US backing.\nNow, as Israel prepares for elections later this year - and amid pressure from Trump on President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon, even though he has not yet been convicted - the Israeli prime minister appears to be gaining on both the domestic and international fronts.\nThis is the model Israel offers the world: a mobilised society ready for war, territorial expansion, and contempt for diplomacy and international agreements; an expression of Rubio’s vision of a renewed colonial era.\nYet despite the intoxication of military power, both Israeli society and the West more generally are on track to once again learn why the colonial era ended.\nIt did not end because of liberal values or western goodwill. It ended because the practices the West applied in the Global South returned like a boomerang against its own peoples in the First and Second World Wars.\nHistory does not end here. The peoples of the Global South have long fought against colonialism - and they will continue to do so, refusing to live with a western boot stamping on their faces.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxNemdiS29veW0tckhNVW1jLVh3aWVYS29KWDBNai1iNV93Zl9mWWdvSFMwTmNLeTNfRUpwbWoxaTc0S3BzUmtuOE43T2FWalA5ZFpoRkQ4REhvMHZRLVF2ZVcxYWUyRVVtY1NmOTZGb1A4S2NJU0dHOVMzTlc1THVualRwNmNoTzd5QWVjOGp0bk5VN0o2MTVrUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_277a1f20a896",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Ryan Zinke on US military capabilities, Middle East political shift after Iran strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:34:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE52Z1BFSzNFeUFERkswc1c0WEZVSzhoM010dmtqSUJSUVU1Z2FnVGt1WUo3ckcyMU43Q2JLcHVOa2VtUkxvQzU3OGFxTWtONFZQcDlGQ1lB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_87363b2f60f3",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Marine insurers cancel war risk cover, tanker costs to rise as Iran conflict intensifies - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Marine insurers cancel war risk cover, tanker costs to rise as Iran conflict intensifies    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:37:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOZ2R3dXhuVkVEemtUNDBBck1xR3Q5MmlNZHRuMTdLbXVfeHFQTmo1aENxdGZ3bTVWaHVMU0FrajlrTnhtWHA3VHlGSXNERElYYy1LemN4N29vUEtXek1LdFAtSkhiUHQ0TlpQOC1oT2RXWkhIR1VlS3FfU2MtRF8xYVEydnNQMHp3RUVCQzN0Qkh4ckxSdE42OU5wQWpQTnRob3lsNTY2cW5zVWc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_62697dcdcd7b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "6 U.S. soldiers have been killed as the war with Iran further engulfs the region - NPR",
    "body_text": "6 U.S. soldiers have been killed as the war with Iran further engulfs the region\nThe war over Iran engulfed more of the Middle East on Monday as strikes intensified, Iran-backed groups stepped up attacks and a sixth U.S. service member was killed in action.\nTrump has said his administration expects the conflict to go on for \"four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that.\"\nThe Iranian Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian organization, said at least 555 Iranians have been killed since the beginning of the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign on Saturday.\nThey include Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and members of his family. Iranian officials also said more than 168 schoolgirls were killed in a direct hit on a school.\nHere are more of the key updates NPR is reporting on.\nTo jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:\nU.S. casualties | White House objectives | Lebanon | Inside Israel | Iran talks | Further updates\nU.S. casualties\nU.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday that six U.S. service members died during Iran's initial attacks in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes across Iran Saturday.\nA U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that the troops who were killed were ground-based forces stationed in Kuwait.\nThe soldiers' identities are not being released until at least 24 hours after their families have been notified, CENTCOM said.\n\"We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize losses,\" Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Monday.\nPresident Trump on Sunday had pledged that the U.S. would \"avenge\" the deaths of American troops.\nIn a separate incident, CENTCOM said three U.S. F-15E fighter jets crashed in Kuwait \"due to an apparent friendly fire incident\" Sunday night.\n\"During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,\" it said in a statement. CENTCOM said all six members of the crew were \"ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition.\"\nIt added that Kuwait acknowledged the incident and said that \"the cause of the incident is under investigation.\"\nMeanwhile, the Iranian Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian organization, said at least 555 Iranians have been killed since the beginning of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Saturday.\nThey include Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and members of his family. Iranian officials also said more than 168 schoolgirls were killed in a direct hit on a school.\n— NPR's International and Washington Desks\nWhite House objectives\nPresident Trump said on Monday that the White House has four objectives in attacking Iran: to stop the country from producing new missiles, eliminate its navy, prevent it from getting a nuclear weapon and make it so Iran \"cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.\"\nHe called Iran the \"world's number one sponsor of terror,\" but said he thought the U.S. and Iran would be able to negotiate.\n\"We thought we had a deal, but then they backed out,\" Trump said. \"Then they came back and we thought we had a deal, and they backed out. I said, 'You can't deal with these people. You got to do it the right way.'\"\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio said the attacks \"needed to happen,\" while Iran was weakened.\n\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,\" Rubio said. \"We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces. And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.\"\n— NPR's Washington Desk, Michele Kelemen and Ayana Archie\nLebanon\nHezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, said it launched attacks in Israel in revenge for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as in response to continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon since a ceasefire more than a year ago.\nIsrael said it intercepted one of the missiles while others fell into open areas, and responded to the attacks with airstrikes.\nLebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 31 people and wounded at least 149 — most of them in southern Lebanon.\nThe Lebanese government, facing being drawn into another devastating war, said it planned to arrest those responsible for the rocket attack on Israel.\nIn the capital Beirut, residents leaving southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs streamed into shelters set up in schools, which have been closed by the government.\nAt the Renee Mouawad public school in central Beirut, many of those arriving had been displaced two years ago during fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Families arrived in cars piled high with mattresses and other belongings.\nAbu Ali, a taxi driver who did not want to give his full name out of fear of being ostracized in his pro-Hezbollah neighborhood, said he left Dahiya, a Beirut suburb that is a Hezbollah stronghold, with his family at three in the morning after hearing air strikes.\n\"I spent the morning looking for a school and then I found this,\" he said. He and his family were last displaced during the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024.\n\"Last time I stayed in the streets,\" he said. \"The schools were all full, and I couldn't pay rent for a house.\"\n\"The Israeli enemy is an enemy in the end. But enough — we also want to live,\" he said.\nIsrael continued a wave of strikes across the Iranian capital overnight that it said were aimed at security targets.\n— Jane Arraf and Jawad Rizkallah\nInside Israel\nSince Israel launched surprise attacks in Iran this weekend, Iran has been launching missiles at Israeli cities — killing at least 10 people.\nNine of those killed were at a public shelter that was hit by a missile in a city outside Jerusalem on Sunday.\nAnother missile attack in Tel Aviv killed a caregiver from the Philippines.\nShay Shor, an Israeli in Tel Aviv, said he wants Iranians to be free but is concerned Israel's killing of Supreme Leader Khamenei might not achieve that.\n\"We killed their leader, but the leadership in Iran is not completely destroyed and within a few months they're just going to come back,\" Shor says. \"Next year is going to be the same thing, same story, same kind of war.\"\n— Daniel Estrin\nIran talks\nThe White House told NPR that Iran wants to restart negotiations and that Trump will eventually speak with whoever is in charge.\nBut publicly, the Iranian government has one message for the White House: \"We will not negotiate with the United States,\" top Iranian security official Ali Larijani wrote on X early Monday.\nIn another post, Larijana said: \"TRUMP HAS BETRAYED 'AMERICA FIRST' TO ADOPT 'ISRAEL FIRST.'\"\nTrump \"is sacrificing American treasure and blood to advance Netanyahu's illegitimate expansionist ambitions,\" he wrote in another.\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran had almost reached a deal but the U.S. attacked instead.\n\"We left Geneva with understanding that we'd seal a deal next time we meet,\" Araghchi wrote on X. \"But it was Mr. Trump, yet again, who ultimately ordered bombing of the negotiating table.\"\n— Ruth Sherlock and Franco Ordoñez\nFurther updates\nIran-backed militias in Iraq have also entered the fighting. They fired at a U.S. base in Irbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting U.S. forces at Baghdad airport.\nA drone strike hit a British air force base on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, according to Britain's Defence Ministry. There were no casualties reported.\nIran's military said it shot down a U.S. F-15 fighter jet. It also said it fired 15 cruise missiles at the huge Ali al-Salem U.S. air base in Kuwait and what it called enemy vessels in the Indian Ocean. It did not mention fighter aircraft.\nGulf countries have so far largely left the fighting to U.S. forces stationed on their territory but increasing Iranian attacks are raising the specter of direct involvement by those states.\nSaudi Arabia said Monday that it shot down two drones targeting one of its major refineries. It said the debris started what it called a limited fire at the Ras Tanura refinery but no civilian injuries.\nThe U.S. military said it had hit an Iranian warship, which was sinking Sunday in an Iranian port. Trump said in a video on social media that the U.S. had sunk nine Iranian warships and \"largely destroyed\" Iran's naval headquarters. The U.S. military's Central Command said it could not confirm those claims.\nGlobal crude oil prices surged and stocks fell as the war with Iran entered its third day. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had hit three U.S. and U.K. oil tankers in the Gulf. On Saturday Iran said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital to the global oil trade.\nAfter Israel, Gulf countries that have long been considered as prosperous havens for Western expatriates have received the brunt of Iranian attacks.\nThe State Department is urging Americans to \"DEPART NOW\" from 14 Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Israel, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It is also pulling some staff members from U.S. embassies in Gulf countries. The U.S. embassy in Lebanon said it will be closed Tuesday.\nAfter airport attacks and widespread flight cancellations, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News Monday that the government was considering arranging evacuation if needed for hundreds of thousands of citizens in the region.\nJane Arraf reported from Amman, Jordan. Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Jawad Rizkallah reported from Beirut. Ruth Sherlock reported from Istanbul, Turkey. Michele Kelemen reported from the State Department. Camila Domonoske, Franco Ordoñez, Tom Bowman and Ayana Archie contributed from Washington.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxOTXNYWWkwVWx3NWlSNUdsbDAwd1c0RW1QdElMMHR2bHNkd2otLUNEUTdkYW5iWlpucEl4OEhiNmF1YjBFMXpHZDI3V0F3eGRwaFFqZ2tla0E3Slp0VlJrUVNJTmROMkoyaUlBckZLVmlCSUlncjRHd1pkMUdzenhhc2hQNUNlSmJLdk5PV2ExUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f69cebe91ff3",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why Iran should not count on allies Russia and China to come to its aid - CNBC",
    "body_text": "As U.S. and Israeli strikes entered their third day, Iran's close allies — Russia and China — have so far responded with only muted criticism, and that exposes the hard limits of its \"strategic partnerships\" with Moscow and Beijing.\nOfficials from Russia and China have condemned the U.S.-led strikes but stopped short of pledging military or civilian support to Tehran.\nIn a phone call with his Russian counterpart on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said condemned the attacks, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He said it was \"unacceptable for the U.S. and Israel to launch attacks against Iran ... still less to blatantly assassinate a leader of a sovereign country and instigate regime change.\"\nThe foreign ministry of Russia, which is bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine, issued a statement saying that the \"acts of aggression\" violated international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, and were \"destabilising the situation across the entire region.\"\nThe pair reiterated their leaders' call for an immediate ceasefire and return to diplomatic dialogue to resolve conflicts. On Sunday, Trump warned that the U.S. combat operation in Iran would continue until all objectives are achieved, potentially stretching into the next four weeks.\nGabriel Wildau, managing director specializing in China at advisory firm Teneo, said that China's official statement was \"strongly condemnatory, but beyond this rhetoric I don't see China's government taking concrete action to support Tehran.\"\n\"Preserving détente with the U.S. remains a strategic priority for China's leadership,\" Wildau said, adding he expected a top-level meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to take place later this month as planned.\nTrump and Xi discussed a swath of issues, including Iran, during their last phone call on Feb. 4. They're expected to meet during Trump's visit to China.\n\"Beijing may seek concessions on issues more directly related to its interests, such as Taiwan and trade, in exchange for its significantly watered-down messaging on Iran,\" said Ahmed Aboudouh, a fellow at Chatham House, a London-based policy think tank.\nNiutanqin, a social media account with links to Chinese state media widely seen as a mouthpiece for Beijing, wrote Monday that \"Iran has no real ally,\" adding that even closer nations will prioritize their own national interests over lifting Tehran out of the crisis.\nChina's restrained stance in backing Iran militarily is not new.\nLast year, Beijing criticized the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran but did not provide material support to Tehran, according to Chatham House, a British think tank.\nChina also supported UN-led economic sanctions against Tehran before the 2015 nuclear deal and has since moved slowly on channeling investment into the Iranian economy, according to the London-based policy institute.\nIn the aftermath of the U.S. seizure of Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, on Jan. 3, Beijing condemned the \"blatant use of force\" and urged Washington to \"stop violating other countries' sovereignty.\" But it did little beyond offering these words of condemnation.\nChina's reactions to U.S. intervention in Venezuela and Iran show that \"a strategic partnership with Beijing falls far short of a military alliance — or even a guarantee of military support\" in the face of \"an existential threat from U.S. aggression,\" said Wildau.\nTehran has been a key strategic, military, economic and trade partner for Moscow in the Middle East in recent years. Iran has become a vital supplier of military drones and missiles to Russia since its fullscale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.\nRussia will fear the loss of another foothold in the Middle East, as Iran's regime collapsing would follow the loss of another regional ally, Syria, after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Dec. 2024.\nDespite the Russian foreign ministry's condemnation of the attacks on Iran, neither the Kremlin nor President Vladimir Putin has spoken publicly on the situation. CNBC has requested a comment from the Kremlin.\nYears of grinding war in Ukraine have hollowed out Russia's capacity to project power beyond its borders, Matt Gerken, chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research, told CNBC. With its military overstretched and its economy under sustained pressure from Western sanctions, Moscow's influence in the Middle East is set to diminish further, he added.\nRussia will have a keen eye on oil prices as sales of its crude to China and India help fund its war machine. Oil prices rose more than 8% Sunday evening, as market participants feared the conflict in Iran could spell a major global supply disruption.\nSeveral countries in the OPEC+ group, including Russia, announced on Sunday that they would increase production by 206,000 barrels a day from April, as they look to counter the potential shortfall. A higher oil price helps Russia, nonetheless.\n\"Putin's got to be thrilled, because anything that raises the price of oil is good for him,\" Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting, told CNBC on Monday. \"He's definitely able to say: if you can't get oil from the Gulf, hey, we've got a great supply.\"\nTalks between Ukraine and Russia aimed at ending the four-year war have appeared to make little progress in recent weeks.\n\"He's [Putin] definitely happy with the situation, I'd say, although once it's resolved, Trump is definitely going to turn his eyes toward Putin next,\" Wald added.\nRussia often takes a \"wait-and-see\" approach to global affairs that don't directly impact its interests. When protests erupted in Iran in late December, Russia did not lend a helping hand. Now, Russia could well stand back and watch whether the regime can withstand the military attacks by the U.S. and Israel.\nMichael McFaul, Stanford professor and former U.S. ambassador to Russia, said there was no guarantee that U.S. and Israeli air strikes alone would be enough to lead to regime change.\n\"Historically, air campaigns do not lead to the overthrow of regimes. I can't think of a single case of success, even military interventions with boots on the ground [tend to fail],\" he told CNBC.\n\"We are bombing right now military targets that are weapon systems that are aimed at us and our partners and allies, we're not taking out the military instruments and the weapons that are used to repress the Iranian people.\"\n\"So far, it's very unclear how this military campaign right now will lead to the regime change that President Trump has promised the Iranian people,\" he added.\n— CNBC's Evelyn Cheng contributed to this story.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:43:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b28413588813",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran Strikes Expose the Dark Edge Case of Prediction-Market Era - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran Strikes Expose the Dark Edge Case of Prediction-Market Era    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T11:52:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOSVE3Tk53OGJaX3NXME5Rd2RZS0lNVkRwRTF1NUwyZVdhZ0hMX3hlZGt4N3g1WTRQT1lLb216VlN4OEZ1OTh1cDVpU1kwZXFISEhGR2x5cVFQczZTWXhWdEVDQzF0TmRpclIzZ3hqb01sWVN5T3dPYWRHTkI3VmdnN01HUVo2LTJPWUtRa1YxR3R1SkJyaXozTUpkNDI1OXZqTjloejVwajF1bUc2ZUFKcFpwUGs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ddea76b9222e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump says ‘likely more’ deaths of US troops to come before Iran conflict ends - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump recorded a new video address on Sunday, vowing to avenge three American deaths after the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and accusing the Iranian regime of “waging war against civilization itself”.\nThe US president addressed the deaths, saying “we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives” and called for prayers for “the full recovery” of five others that were seriously wounded.\nBut he warned: “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is likely to be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”\nUS Central Command (Centcom), which oversees military operations in the Middle East from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, announced earlier on Sunday that as of 9.30am ET three US service members and been killed and five seriously wounded in what the Pentagon calls Operation Epic Fury. The US military did not say when and where the casualties occurred, but they mark the first US losses since Trump ordered the attack on Iran early on Saturday.\nThe statement also said “several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions” and were going to return to duty.\n“Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” Centcom added.\nIn the president’s edited, six-minute address, which was first posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform, he sought to steel US public opinion for what may be a longer military campaign than they anticipated. He told the Daily Mail that he expects the conflict could last “four weeks or so”.\n“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American,” Trump said, despite the fact that there is no credible evidence Iran was trying to build a nuclear weapon. “We cannot allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons that would allow them to extort the world to their evil will. Not going to happen.”\nTrump claimed Iran’s “entire military command is gone” and “many of them want to surrender. They want immunity. They’re calling by the thousands”.\nBut Iran’s military, the Revolutionary Guard Corps, has threatened to launch its “most intense offensive operation” ever, targeting Israeli and American military installations. The counterattacks have taken aim at US bases in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.\nEuropean allies are also moving to protect interests in the Middle East. UK prime minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that he has agreed to let the US use two British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites, since Iran’s retaliation in the gulf region was becoming more reckless and putting British lives at risk.\n“The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” Starmer said. “We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved”.\nIn his address, Trump said the joint US-Israeli attack was “one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen. Nobody’s seen anything like it.”\nHe said the combined forces have “hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems. Just now was announced that we knocked out nine ships, plus their naval building, all in a matter of literally minutes.”\nTrump concluded with a warning to Iran’s leaders and military.\n“We are the world’s greatest and most powerful nation,” he said. “These intolerable threats will not continue any longer. I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military police, to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death. It will be certain death won’t be pretty.”\nAnd he called on “Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country. America is with you.”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxPNXJpVXVtb0dvUm5TVVpBUFdsMkFqcTZyaTNyeWlwYU9UY2hzaGdoV0J2NnlacWZLcVZ4RTZhT2dqcjRZR3I4MVFZbDk3M3RZUWlDTUZOaUExVE5ZSTFCdVhGUzZyNE5VTUdmYnFzMnptMUl2dEZWYWp5Zm5WT3g4ZWFOY2xCZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_06eb5a328f88",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US contractors in Kuwait decry meager bunkers and pay cuts amid Iran war: ‘We’re treated as expendable’ - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Employees of major defense contractor V2X Inc on US military bases in Kuwait say they lack adequate bunker facilities and have had their pay reduced amid Iranian missile attacks across the Gulf region, while receiving limited communication from their employer about safety and evacuation procedures.\nThe Guardian interviewed three V2X employees on the US bases Camp Arifjan and Camp Buehring in Kuwait, following Iranian missile strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan on Saturday.\nThe attacks follow United States and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier on Saturday. Iran has since launched a series of retaliatory attacks targeting US military bases and, according to regional authorities, some civilian infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.\n“The worst part is, the company has yet to put out anything so we don’t know what’s happening or what would happen to us if our base gets hit or anything. We got zero instructions,” said one American worker, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “We have nobody and no instructions. We don’t know what will happen or how we would even get out of here.”\nThe Guardian has requested comment from V2X Inc and did not hear back by press time.\nV2X workers in Kuwait and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, received an alert email from the company at 11.58am local time on the day of the attacks. The message, reviewed by the Guardian, read: “PER GIANT VOICE! INCOMING, INCOMING, TAKE COVER, TAKE COVER. MOVE TO THE NEAREST BUNKER OR HARDENED BUILDING AT CAMP BUEHRING. SECURE IBA AND HELMET!!! THIS IS NOT A TEST !!!”\nWorkers interviewed said contract employees are assigned different bunker facilities from military personnel on the bases. Some of the shelters resemble above-ground concrete tunnels with open ends, while others are enclosed structures with metal doors but “no light, barely enough air and total darkness”, they said.\n“We are all packed into the bunkers that are closest to wherever you work,” a second American worker said.\nThe two American contract workers the Guardian spoke to alleged that US military personnel stationed in Kuwait were evacuated in the past few weeks, leaving the bases relatively empty, while contractors remained in the country.\n“It almost seemed like [the Pentagon] evacuated the soldiers so if anything would happen safely, for instance, that base was hit it would be less casualties on the military standpoint,” said the second American worker. “What about us? Are we just considered casualties of war? How did they leave before us?”\nThe civilian contractor workforce at US bases in Kuwait had been scaled back in the past week in anticipation of potential conflict with Iran, according to the workers. Earlier in the week, workers deemed “non-essential” were told to remain in their accommodation, and not given the option to evacuate, according to the two American workers. To leave Kuwait, they require an exit permit signed by their employer, one worker said. Under the region’s strict labor regulations, particularly those linked to the kafala sponsorship system, workers who leave their jobs without their employer’s permission have in many cases faced arrest and imprisonment on charges of “absconding”.\n“Everybody talks about the military but nobody talks about us,” said the first American worker. “We are stuck here and treated like we are expendable.”\nThe situation is hugely traumatic for workers and their families, both American workers noted.\n“The overall lack of planning and communication has created an emotional strain for me. Every noise has us on edge,” said the second American worker. “This situation has triggered anxiety, as it has resurfaced memories of my previous deployments to Iraq. It has been difficult to sleep.”\nV2X Inc was formed in July 2022 following a $2.1bn merger between Vectrus and the Vertex Company. The company holds a LOGCAP V contract supporting US military operations in Kuwait, providing logistics and base operations services, including roles such as mechanics, warehouse staff, dining facility workers and IT personnel.\nWorkers said that following base closures during the attacks, the company reduced their paid hours. Many typically work 12-hour days and receive overtime pay, all three employees the Guardian spoke to said, adding that they were informed their hours would be reduced to eight per day.\n“We have a low salary here. And now I’m being paid less because I’m sitting in a room,” said a worker from India, employed by V2X via a subcontractor. The worker said their base salary is $493 per month, with total pay typically reaching about $819 based on 72 hours of work per week.\nThe two American workers said the only communication they received from a supervisor during the attacks concerned a new payroll code to enter into their timesheets, which would reduce their pay. The Guardian has reviewed the message.\n“That’s the only or the main thing that the company is worried about,” said the first American worker, who earns about $20 per hour.\nFurthermore, Kuwait’s tap water is not considered suitable for drinking. Workers said they have enough bottled water to last for the next two to three days, but were uncertain how additional supplies would be obtained after that.\nMissiles struck several locations across the region on Saturday. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said one person was killed in a ballistic missile strike in Abu Dhabi, and that air defense systems intercepted other projectiles. In the UAE, both the international airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were struck with missiles, as were the luxury residential and tourist destination Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, and explosions occurred in the skies above residential areas including Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) and Discovery Gardens. A residential area in Doha, Qatar, was also hit. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the closure of the strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.\nKuwait’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said an Iranian drone struck terminal 1 of Kuwait international airport, resulting in minor injuries to several workers.\n“We’re definitely stuck,” said the first American worker. “They should’ve got us out of here a week ago.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:13:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxNTjhDTjl2cDdDRjV2aUdjd0ZVVzkwZm50dF9jSnhxaFF1dktGYkdyM2RVUUxFZFlWVzBBWXN3b3pKQ2dmYTZHdHk4NU1FUDRhTm9RSnBoTXZKeWRLRXVlWXBLSzhLaVJIMEtlcEsyemdHeG9yNHltdHh0ZHd1UWZSNDh0VTA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ec985b3cbeb3",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Starmer rebukes Trump, saying UK does not back ‘regime change from the skies’ - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Starmer rebukes Trump, saying UK does not back ‘regime change from the skies’\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:14:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1oSDVsdTVGdk5kUm1CemRNakx0RjhIU21fRk44QlBaZmppWjlOakkxdEFVWGdGMTd6Nk9RYXd0cnV1S2JFX3A0ZUcyZHlZekJvcTRvaHdOMHZJeHM5Zm1CRlowOG9lTEdHdUJNQ0VJUVg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1fede28280ac",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump Says Iran Attacks May Last Weeks With Tehran Defiant - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Trump Says Iran Attacks May Last Weeks With Tehran Defiant    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:15:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPNUpQYUxOVEZsVDB4ZXN1LV9xR3czRURXZU9KdnUzUjdqOVV1VGNneDNrLWs5SFBLZmhNajhhYldiNXY5Y3VLLWZPSDg1SmFkalZyM0tGLXZzTWtBMmNJeGNBUEpPS2Z5aEdTMDBScGRZajNyaGkwM0JRQlZtT2dRYTVsVnNNeHp0YkNVdVIyemx2MWhkaXIwNXJDd3Y1NkR5c3JuREsyQ3NIVU9LLV9WNFk2clc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8ea89a044194",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict disrupts global shipping as tankers are stranded, damaged - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict disrupts global shipping as tankers are stranded, damaged    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:24:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxNZC1INmh2elVELXhYUHVsb2VLaWFubDVOZUMtUUx6ZmJJR3V0dzVjeXZ6STNOaEFBblBHRFJfaHlrM1pPeHJrWWJaWTFralpKTVNjOW9wTjlSSlBwaDdrdGJMRDZ0bWg0ckFTZkdpdFpMUHBpQjZYcWVWUnlxbjZDNFdHVHA1WXpuVVB1dW9WQ0pEQWJabU5LMzYwRVRVOHIxdUx1T1BBVUw4MDJBZ2ZNQmNLdHBfUFBiSGtz?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1692073067b7",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US aircraft leave Spain after government says bases cannot be used for Iran attacks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US aircraft leave Spain after government says bases cannot be used for Iran attacks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:31:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxQMFVVci1LNlI5MDEwbUN5Qy1TRF9DbENpQk85elF3WnlobDdaaVB1OXpwMmpxQVg3NzVYWlB4X3l3ZXU3S0dYdnZGOWhiVGxRQVJrWll3SUxTQVl0UVp3RkU0Zi1VWTRrYVNoX3poSFh6Nzd3cjh0S0k1TDZCczhKWG52WDRIcEhYSFJQbDFBbjZBd3E1cVNjVzdFUnpEc1IyajRSYWZRT1VmVEcxOElNbHBmR3hUV3RxWFU2MkRFdUJYNHR6Y3JXNGhaZDZodw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_97d08deb899c",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Strait of Hormuz escalation rattles global shipping with war levies and insurance cover cuts - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Follow live updates here\nThe transporting of cargo through the Strait of Hormuz is expected to become costlier and risky as insurance companies cancel coverage and shipping firms introduce new surcharges.\nThe moves come as the Iran conflict and attacks by the US and Israel continue.\nShipping firm Hapag-Lloyd on Monday said it will introduce a War Risk Surcharge (WRS) for transporting cargo to and from the Arabian Gulf, even as ships avoid passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for the transport of oil, as a precautionary measure.\nFor standard containers, the company will levy a WRS of $1,500 per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) and $3,500 per container – for reefer containers and special equipment – from Monday, Hapag-Lloyd's website says.\nAny plans for a phased return of container shipping to the Red Sea in 2026 will be shelved until the security situation becomes clearer\nPeter Sand,\nchief analyst at Xeneta\n“The surcharge applies to any booking issued on or after March 2 that has not yet [been] shipped, as well as cargo already on the water but not yet discharged or loaded from the Arabian Gulf and the Upper Gulf,” Hapag-Lloyd said.\nFrance-based shipping company CMA CGM also introduced what it called an Emergency Conflict Surcharge (ECS) on Monday, with $2,000 charged per 20-ft dry container, $3,000 per 40-ft dry container and $4,000 per Reefer or other so-called special equipment.\nThe levy applies to vessels sailing from or to Iraq, Gulf countries, Jordan, Egypt, Djibouti, Sudan, Eritrea and Yemen.\nThree tankers were attacked on Sunday while sailing on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had earlier warned ships to steer clear of the waterway. US-sanctioned Skylight, a vessel that sails under the flag of Palau, and the Marshall Islands-flagged MKD Vyom each came under attack, while an unidentified tanker was also attacked, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations group.\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a busy shipping route, with about 20 per cent of the world's oil passing through the narrow channel between Oman and Iran.\nInsurance cover\nWith the regional situation quickly evolving, insurance companies are cancelling coverage for the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen's Houthis are said to be preparing the closure of the Bab Al Mandeb strait.\nPeter Sand, chief analyst at freight pricing platform Xeneta, told The National the repercussions of the joint military operation by the US and Israel against Iran, and subsequent retaliatory action, will lead to “the further weaponisation of trade and shatter hopes of a large-scale return of container shipping to the Red Sea in 2026”.\nHe added: “Carriers had been returning selected east-west ocean container services to transit via the Suez Canal in recent months after sailing around the Cape of Good Hope since late 2023 due to attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militia in the Red Sea region.\n“If the Houthi militia resumes attacks, as now seems likely, carriers will reverse the decision to return services to the Red Sea, and prioritise the safety of crew, ship and cargo.\n“Any plans for a phased return of container shipping to the Red Sea in 2026 will be shelved until the security situation becomes clearer.\n“Carriers are on red alert and we have seen signs of them pre-empting this security deterioration in the Middle East, notably with CMA CGM last month reversing a decision to return its FAL1, FAL3 and MEX to the Red Sea, citing ‘the complex and uncertain international context’, he said, referring to major shipping routes operated by the French firm connecting Asia and North Europe.\n“Earlier this week, Maersk announced its ME11 and MECL services would be rerouted via Cape of Good Hope due to security concerns in the Red Sea region.”\nImpact on the Middle East\nOcean container services in the Arabian Gulf have continued unaffected by the recent build-up of military forces in the region, Mr Sand said. “But the escalation in conflict through military strikes means ships will now avoid the area, but for as short a time as possible.”\nAverage spot rates from China to UAE have increased “5 per cent since February 15 to stand at $1,572 per FEU (40ft equivalent container), no doubt pushed up by concerns over the security situation and shippers being worried about their goods getting in and out of ports” in the Arabian Gulf, he said.\nHe added that there is “no viable alternative to getting containers in or out of ports such as Jebel Ali by ocean” if the Arabian Gulf is off limits. “Carriers will instead omit these calls on East-West services and drop boxes at a least-worst alternative port for onward transportation by road,” Mr Sand said.\n“This will cause severe disruption and port congestion at a regional level but will not have a major impact on a global scale when compared to the seismic influence of conflict in the Red Sea.”\nVessel backlog\nWhile regional ports remain operational, the temporary reduction in Strait of Hormuz transit is likely to create a backlog, said Farhad Patel, director of Dubai-based Sharaf Shipping Agency.\nHe expects berth congestion at key load and discharge ports as well as delays in pilotage, tug allocation and port clearance, and extended waiting time at anchorage once regular shipping traffic is resumed.\n“Freight rates may also experience short-term volatility as tonnage availability tightens during the catch-up phase,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:36:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxQcVU1REwwT3lORkZ4dklwNXNYc2p6TkhDdFBOWTJpX25fd0ZCVzNRRWtGRzF3WHZ5WHBUcklqTlhZcTJGWTJjc1J3azdEVFZITU5QSlRUdEdzUmlNZWJ2TFBtRkxHX0NQSFU0Qnd2cXI3MWZoVFpaaGVyTEc3LTF5d3RwWVVudTl1X0FaeGpjVTJlZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c461daa62021",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Gaza’s ceasefire had some momentum. Now, some fear a new war will distract the world - AP News",
    "body_text": "Gaza’s ceasefire had some momentum. Now, some fear a new war will distract the world\nDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Some Palestinians say they fear the widening war sparked by U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran could overshadow the fragile situation in Gaza, just over a week after U.S. President Donald Trump rallied billions of dollars in pledges for the territory’s reconstruction and tried to nudge a ceasefire forward.\nResidents say they are scared of neglect and deprivation, with Israel in the wake of the weekend strikes closing all crossings into their shattered territory of over 2 million people.\nCOGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza, has closed crossings into the territory and frozen the entrance and exit of humanitarian workers because, it says, the crossings cannot not be safely operated under fire. It said crossings would reopen as soon as the security situation allows.\nIt said that Palestinians there have enough food stockpiled, though some organizations warned they could soon run out of supplies.\nPalestinians told The Associated Press they were rushing to markets, haunted by memories of painful food scarcity last year under months of Israel’s blockade. Part of Gaza, around Gaza City, was found to be in famine.\n“When the crossings shut down, everything was suspended from the market,” said Osamda Hanoda from Khan Younis. “The prices go up, and people live in misery.”\nReports show prices of goods rising sharply\nThe shaky Israel-Hamas ceasefire had led to more humanitarian aid and other supplies entering Gaza, even as the United Nations and aid partners say more of everything from basic medical supplies to fuel is needed.\nNow, Palestinians are hoarding again, with reports of prices rising sharply for basic goods such as bags of flour.\n“We are afraid of not finding milk” and diapers for the kids, or food and water, said Hassan Zanoun, who was displaced from Rafah.\nIt was not clear when any crossing might reopen. Israeli authorities focused on Iran, and citizens dashed repeatedly for shelter as sirens wailed.\nRamadan is disrupted\nThe war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and it’s been marked from the start by restrictions on people and supplies being allowed into the territory — and terrified people, including medical evacuees in need of treatment, getting out.\nA month ago, Gaza’s main Rafah border crossing with the outside world — its only crossing not with Israel — reopened, allowing a small and tightly controlled flow of Palestinian traffic in both directions. No cargo was allowed through.\nNow all crossings are closed again in the middle of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a time of chosen deprivation, evening feasts and prayer. Images have shown Palestinians lined up at long tables in the middle of bombed-out debris.\nThe strikes on Iran shook that routine.\n“All the people rushed to markets, and they all wanted to shop and hide,” said Abeer Awwad, who was displaced from Gaza City, as word of the explosions in Tehran began to spread.\nUnder the Oct. 10 U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the heaviest fighting has subsided, though regular Israeli fire continues in Gaza. The U.N. World Food Program has noted progress in the enclave but said in its latest food security analysis last week that hunger remains.\n“Households reported an average of two meals per day in February 2026, compared to one meal in July,” it said. “Still, one in five households consumed only one meal daily.”\nThe World Central Kitchen, meanwhile, warned that it would run out of supplies this week if Israel kept the strip’s crossings closed.\n“We need food deliveries every single day to feed hungry families who are not part of this war,” José Andrés, the celebrity chef who founded the organization, said in a social media post.\nHe said WCK provides 1 million meals a day in Gaza, and that the group and others working in war-torn Gaza need food and other supplies every day.\n“We cannot wait ... let the humanitarian trucks go through today!” he said.\nA challenge for aid groups and others\nRefocusing the world’s attention on Gaza is a challenge for aid groups and others as Iran scrambles for new leadership and explosions continue in Tehran, Israel and around the Middle East.\nTrump has said bombing in Iran could continue through the week or longer.\nIt’s a dramatic turn from Trump’s launch less than two weeks ago of his new Board of Peace, a gathering of world leaders that is aimed at ending the war in Gaza but has ambitions of resolving conflicts elsewhere.\nEven with that bump in momentum on Gaza, major challenges remain for the ceasefire. They include disarming Hamas, assembling and deploying an international stabilization force, and getting a newly appointed Palestinian committee meant to govern Gaza into the territory.\nAs the Middle East turns to another war, some Palestinians see a benefit: Israel’s military is distracted.\n“The good thing is that the sound of booms and demolitions is rare now near the yellow line,” said Ahmed Abu Jahl, of Gaza City, speaking about the line dividing Gaza and marking out roughly half the territory controlled by Israeli forces.\n“Even the drones, they are still flying overhead, but their number has gone down.”\n___\nEzzidin reported from Cairo and Anna from Lowville, New York.\n___\nFind more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNLWVQR2xJZUI2bm1nUzRwMEh5TC1rYUlfOXNQeTB6RTRUUEVza3NpdDAzekplQmVMVTZXYVlkMFBLMzFSWEhScTNsTVBtUV9QQ2dqdGdFcUFBQlZqWTdHSXZOZ0FocDVqMFdyNDRtVWFjamJieFZheGtpMXo5WXZDZnRyTWs5NThYb1prWTBGNU0wS0t2NmJXa2lvWHJpbC1D?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_10ac86441a73",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Putin will relay UAE president's complaints about Iranian strikes to Tehran, Kremlin says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Putin will relay UAE president's complaints about Iranian strikes to Tehran, Kremlin says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:49:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxOODJXVVY0Mndld2ZCWlROU2NaWnM3b2JRY0JFTGFWdzNvR0syMlJhdnVzN3lBZlFsWkhqX1AxR0x3MFlyN1hOOGNURW4xLVg5M1BDOUlpTEVxOGwyTDRYNHFkZEl0M3U0VXN5UUlkWDBPbExHT0g1TVYxSUpsemE1S3RDc1lNQlltSGZzQUxjWGs5Q1F3bThydlYxMndhcGw3aXpPcEZWd3JCbnpfT0pnazZJOURNX3dOU3AtOVlYVmsxa2U5MlFoX2dnTU9RUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_baab4143377f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US-Israel strikes on Iran: February/March 2026 - The House of Commons Library",
    "body_text": "US-Israel strikes on Iran: February/March 2026    The House of Commons Library",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:52:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidEFVX3lxTFBLUVlHOWM5XzJtTzd6aW1SZUJfdmRBRmVDcnRjMmZoY1lJbll1UF9zZEkxVVRySzdTaUpzN1lUMlZmN18yOXNfVk5UdU9BNVA5STNSSUZ1Q2pzM0Z4VEFGN21fbi1JMGc4cmJhZk1DaVhCeFIx?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fe32e7280374",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Escalating tensions turn spotlight on Big Tech's AI investments in Middle East - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Escalating tensions turn spotlight on Big Tech's AI investments in Middle East    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:52:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxQUVFMLTB2UUI4MUdUTmZHY1M0SnBkVHQzYXNMalM3bXpKaGx3dnh4Q0ZZQnktM05VVC1ISm9faWdwV1N2QVc3R3JENGhJXzdvQ2RwX1V0QTVDTlpmbjFEMnNNWkplNTVLQlhNSXFIT3JtSWhDb2VLUHFUTUtJaEh2aHNDcDA4ZzNScUQ3b2V6T2ZYeW4xM1NGbmFLendOYW9wZ0lvR1FVMTJuazJoWjkzS3RLWnNvVG5PYVJBMlFBVkVlb1ZEQUxfeHRXVmI?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0e689f4bf329",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "India Refiners May Embrace Russian Oil Again Following Iran Crisis - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "India Refiners May Embrace Russian Oil Again Following Iran Crisis    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T12:58:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPUnlGYU5UWm5BQ0Q3UDVia1UxUFYtT3h0QldhTm4wNkRlZFc5emtGRS0yWlFPdDVidW93bEFpaWQ5cEhIaUhpajNkRkJ2a3Fnd09raUI0TVhYa2tsMzZWU2I4Vk9kMDlmRWJJOGlxVjdsUzN2QlZhNXlQeHZmZ1NTWHJQTFpFSzhDVWhtLWJCamttLV9uSGJnQ3l5cUhMV1VmT0Q5dWR0R0JqVlllUHF1aXRZbFFnZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5767bfab4bde",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "First Thing: Trump says ‘likely more’ deaths of US troops before Iran conflict ends - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Good morning.\nDonald Trump recorded a new video address yesterday, vowing to avenge three American deaths after the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran and accusing the Iranian regime of “waging war against civilization itself”.\nThe US president addressed the deaths, saying “we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives” and called for prayers for “the full recovery” of five others who were seriously wounded.\nBut he warned: “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is, likely to be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”\n-\nWhat is Trump’s plan? It’s unclear but he is under pressure to spell out his vision for Iran. Trump’s critics are demanding that the White House provide greater clarity about what comes next. Opponents and analysts say the lack of a clear plan outlined so far has created a danger of the US being sucked into a long-lasting conflict of the sort that Trump repeatedly vowed to avoid.\n-\nThis is a developing story. Follow our liveblog here.\nHundreds more flights cancelled as world faces worst travel chaos since Covid pandemic\nHundreds more flights were cancelled today, extending the turmoil in global air travel caused by the US-Israel war on Iran, with hundreds of thousands of passengers already stranded.\nMajor Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai – the world’s busiest international hub – closed for a third consecutive day, in the most acute aviation shock since the Covid pandemic paralysed the industry.\n-\nHow many flights have been cancelled? Early on Monday, 1,239 flights had already been cancelled. Emirates, based in Dubai; Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi; and Qatar Airways, based in Doha, have collectively cancelled hundreds of flights. Almost 2,800 flights were cancelled on Saturday, and 3,156 were cancelled on Sunday, according to the tracking platform FlightAware.\nAustin bar shooting leaves three dead, including suspect, and 14 wounded\nThe FBI’s joint terrorism taskforce has been called in to help investigate a deadly mass shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, yesterday morning in which a gunman opened fire in front of a bar popular with university students, killing two people and injuring 14 others before being fatally shot by police.\nThe Associated Press reported that officials had identified the suspect as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, a US citizen who first came to the US in 2000 from Senegal, married an American six years later and naturalized in 2013. He spent some years in New York before moving to Texas.\n-\nWhat was the motive? An FBI official, Alex Doran, told reporters at a press conference that it was too early to determine the suspect’s motivation. But he added that evidence found on the suspect and in his car indicated a “potential nexus to terrorism”, while an intelligence group said he had expressed “pro-Iranian regime sentiment”.\nIn other news …\n-\nAll unaccompanied immigrant children who are pregnant, many by rape, are being moved to a single facility in Texas in order to avoid providing abortion services in a significant human rights violation, critics say.\n-\nA Florida man who had been missing since Valentine’s Day was rescued more than a week later trapped in mud up to his shoulders, authorities said. Andrew Giddens, 36, had reportedly gone several days without food or water.\n-\nThe actor Shia LaBeouf has said he needs to sort out his “small man complex” rather than undergo another round of substance abuse treatment after his recent arrest on allegations that he battered three men at a New Orleans bar while hurling homophobic slurs at them.\nStat of the day: Oil could be driven over $100 a barrel by Iran conflict, analysts warn\nAnalysts are warning that the US-Israel war with Iran could drive oil prices up to $100 a barrel. The consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie is warning that higher oil and gas prices are certain, and that oil prices could exceed $100 per barrel if tanker flows through the strait of Hormuz are not quickly restored.\nBuilding power: ‘Liberty Vans’ appear across US to help immigrants – and document ICE raids\nAs ICE operations ramped up across the US, vans emblazoned with imagery of the Statue of Liberty have been deployed in various cities. The so-called Liberty Vans (Camioneta de la Libertad in Spanish) are organized by a politically diverse coalition, using volunteers who hope to defend vulnerable communities in the crosshairs of federal enforcement.\nDon’t miss this: The teacher who exposed Putin’s primary school propaganda\nGrenade-throwing contests replaced gym class and “denazification” speeches became homework. Pavel Talankin’s undercover film Mr Nobody Against Putin, which tells the story of his school’s indoctrination drive, won a Bafta and is now being talked about for a Oscar, but it has also left him in exile, he tells Amelia Gentleman.\n… or this: Savannah Guthrie may never know what happened to her loved one. In the US, she’s not alone\nThe disappearance of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother has prompted a $1m reward, but also reignited debate about unequal coverage of missing-person cases, with campaigners arguing media exposure can shape public urgency and the chances of someone being found.\nClimate check: Winter getting shorter in 80% of major US cities, new data shows\nFor the millions of people across the US who have spent the past month digging themselves out of above-average levels of snow and ice, this winter has felt especially long and harsh. But the typical winter is actually getting shorter in 80% of major American cities, according to data released by Climate Central.\nLast Thing: US Half Marathon Championship ends in chaos as runners guided in wrong direction\nUSA Track & Field has denied an appeal to change the results of its Half Marathon Championship in Atlanta, which ended in chaos. With less than two miles to go in the women’s race, Jess McClain had a significant lead over Ednah Kurgat and Emma Hurley, when the guide vehicle took the trio off course.\nSign up\nFirst Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.\nGet in touch\nIf you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxOeW9wbHZhS19fT1o2TlV4YjJoY1o4RnlWem1QamxYQUI3Q0NmNlZDeFZFb051VnRpaW1YcVdRRU1mOGxxdkhUNVQtOHVHeEVkbFJfN1RFV1IyNl85aUtMd18ybDBYUW5BY0ppM1lodEdVS0dvekh5MDdCSXVqMFllVDFwMzh3YVpadWhfV1JDR2EtTm5UcF90Zl94dUVqQ2NDUVN3Tg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8d595b2627f8",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Middle East crisis pushes up oil prices – and could drive inflation rises too - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The impact of the deadly and unpredictable conflict in the Middle East on the global economy will be felt most immediately, and keenly, through the rising cost of oil.\nPrices jumped on Monday, as markets had their first opportunity to digest the weekend’s tit-for-tat attacks. A barrel of Brent crude oil was trading at about $79 (£59) by lunchtime in London, up about $6 or 8.5% on the day.\nThe price had already risen significantly this year, from just above $60 in January, as tensions between the US and Iran intensified. Natural gas prices have shot up too, with the waterway also a vital artery for liquid national gas supplies. Benchmark European gas prices were up 38% on Monday, exacerbated after state-owned QatarEnergy said it was halting production at two sites after drone attacks.\nAs the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underlined, rising energy costs feed through rapidly to consumers’ pockets and have wider knock-on effects for the cost of just about everything else.\nNet energy importers in Asia and Europe, including the UK, will be hit harder by higher prices. The US, with its shale oil supplies and strategic petroleum reserve, should be more able to insulate itself – though a prolonged spell of higher costs could deter the Federal Reserve from delivering the interest rate cuts Donald Trump dearly wants.\nHow high energy prices may go will depend on the scale of disruption to traffic through the crucial supply route of the strait of Hormuz, as well as the risk of direct attacks on energy infrastructure in the wider region.\nTankers are already declining to use the strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil supplies – with insurers, perhaps not surprisingly, reluctant to provide cover. Some reports on Monday suggested ships are dodging the Suez canal too, as conflict engulfs the wider region. That could push up shipping costs for other goods besides crude.\nEconomists at Goldman Sachs suggest that in a worst-case scenario, in which the strait of Hormuz was completely blocked for a month, oil prices would jump by as much as $15 a barrel – though that could be partly mitigated by ramping up supplies via other routes. The Opec+ producers’ cartel has already signalled a modest increase in quotas.\nThis fresh spike in oil prices comes at a challenging time for policymakers, just as many felt they had finally vanquished the dramatic rise in inflation that followed the restarting of supply chains after the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.\nCentral bankers typically “look through” short-term supply shocks such as a temporary surge in the oil price; but some – including the Bank of England in the UK – remain concerned about elevated inflation expectations.\nThe odds of a rate cut at the Bank’s next meeting on 19 March fell on Monday morning to 69%, from about 80% last week, amid the risk of a new tick upwards in prices.\nAside from the effects of costlier oil, economies in the Middle East – including Dubai, for example – that have sold themselves as attractive destinations for tourism and global business may struggle to maintain that brand after news footage of Iranian attacks beamed worldwide.\nBut surveying the damage on Monday morning, economists said the vital question for the world economy was whether oil prices rise further – and how long that lasts.\n“The duration of the shock matters as much as its magnitude,” said Neil Shearing, chief economist at consultancy Capital Economics. “If prices retrace over the next few months – either because the conflict de-escalates or because producers increase output to offset any disruption – then the impact on inflation in developed markets is likely to be modest and short-lived.”\nIf oil prices shoot up to $90-100 a barrel and stay there, however, inflation in developed markets would be up to 0.8% higher than expected, central banks could find themselves forced to start raising interest rates once more, and consumers would be squeezed, putting the brakes on growth.\nThat is certainly not a scenario Trump wants to see, but few would bet on this unpredictable conflict being neatly wrapped up soon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQbmpfVEJCRm9YMFo0X0dXQURSNm9LRVV0Z1I1SVdLSHNMRUJVMjNzZ3J3WXlRdFRYbGh2RzZsbDRESjVzcUJQMzJfdmVzZUJGYUxScEYzRl84SjZNcmpvSlVHNnpaSXNDREdnSGhtLUVFOHBNaWQzN1pfb2JzWnZQajl5TkhTY1JheFVMX21rTTU1VFlzZzFlNFY1SkdlMXg4R3ZhcTN4Z295M05mRjg1Ym04dVdjbC15YkE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_43fa30661665",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Oil Refinery Halts After Drone Attack - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Oil Refinery Halts After Drone Attack    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:04:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQem52VlAtQzEydWR3akNDOVBjTV9OZEE1WTlDQjJfUDdlOWJUcUROS2RXY05vUThmaFFKTGxhZnJjN2Z5SHFLaFpNRUZXLUNGbGFNS1dPMmtkSVJhdkRHMkM5MUxOQ0g5azlPaHk1MXE0ZlRabUR6SlBKYUFhRGhFd3U4QnhnUWUzTm5WTUZGMVhmaXlSalBqNlV0dklZTGhjOUxPd3dOdEFoTHVKRVZEUmEweEdvZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_14db0f0e9145",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Saudi Aramco shuts down Ras Tanura refinery due to 'drone attack' - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Follow live updates here\nSaudi Aramco has shut down operations at its Ras Tanura refinery after a fire broke out following a reported drone attack.\nThe incident has led to a temporary halt in loadings at the refinery, which handles 550,000 barrels per day, marking the second such disruption to Aramco’s facilities in recent days.\nAramco was not immediately available for comment. Bloomberg and Reuters reported the refinery was shut down after the attack, which occurred during drone and missile attacks by Iran against its Gulf neighbours.\nRas Tanura, located along the Gulf coast, hosts one of the world’s largest oil export terminals and a major refining facility. The port handles a significant share of Saudi crude exports, with cargoes typically heading to key markets in Europe and Asia, including China, Japan and South Korea.\nBrent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world's seaborne crude, surged close to $80 per barrel and was trading at $79.56 per barrel at 11.51am UAE time.\nThe refinery and export terminal process and ship crude sourced from some of the kingdom’s largest fields, including Ghawar, the world’s largest conventional oilfield. It also sources crude from Abqaiq and Khurais, which were targeted in 2019, leading to a temporary halving of Saudi Arabia’s crude output and resulting in the biggest surge in oil prices since the Gulf War in 1990.\nThe attack on Ras Tanura would mark the first Iranian strike on the Gulf’s energy infrastructure. The Eastern Province contains a dense concentration of upstream infrastructure, including refineries, pipelines and processing centres for crude and gas.\nThe halt at Ras Tanura follows an operational disruption last week at the Juaymah liquefied petroleum gas facility, which also affected exports. The Juaymah terminal, near the Jafurah gasfield and Ras Tanura refinery, is one of the world's largest exporters of natural gas liquids.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:06:40+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_833c3222cb37",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "UK ‘took far too long’ to let US use its airbases to attack Iran, Trump says - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The UK “took far too long” to allow US forces to use its airbases to attack Iran, Donald Trump has said.\nThe US president added that he was “very disappointed” in Keir Starmer over the British government’s deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as a means to preserve the status of the UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia, part of the Indian Ocean archipegalo.\nThe Chagos deal, which Trump initially supported before changing his mind, was a “very woke thing”, the US president argued.\nWhile Starmer and his ministers did not openly oppose Saturday’s initial wave of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, they did not allow US forces to use Diego Garcia or any UK airbases because of doubts about the legality of the strikes.\nOn Sunday evening, however, Starmer said this position had changed given that Iran had launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks on a range of targets in the Middle East, with one hitting a UK airbase in Cyprus.\nSpeaking to the Daily Telegraph, Trump said Starmer was too slow to change his mind, adding: “It took far too much time. Far too much time.\n“That’s probably never happened between our countries before. It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”\nThe UK should have immediately allowed Diego Garcia to be used, Trump added, because Iran was responsible for killing a “lot of people from your country”.\n“[There are] people without arms and legs and faces that have been blown up. Iran is 95% of those. Those horrible events were caused by Iran,” the president said, without elaborating on what he meant.\nThe UK government bill to formalise the deal with Mauritius is paused at its final stage in parliament after Trump changed his mind. Starmer has said that the plan will not go ahead without US agreement.\nWhile Trump had previously criticised the plan, which is backed by the US state department, early in February he had described it as the “best” deal Starmer could make in the circumstances.\nBut in a change of heart later that month, the US president said on social media that Keir Starmer was “making a big mistake” by handing sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius in exchange for continued use by the UK and US of their airbase on one of the islands, Diego Garcia.\n“All of a sudden [Mauritius] was claiming ownership,” Trump told the British newspaper. “He should have fought it out and owned it or [made them] take it, if you want to know the truth. But no, we were very disappointed in Keir.”\nHe added: “It would have been much better on the legal front if he just kept the ownership of the land and not given it to people that weren’t the rightful owners.”\nOn the strikes against Iran, Trump said the operation was “well ahead of schedule”, adding: “We always anticipated four weeks. We also anticipated two to three weeks to take out some of the leadership, but we’ve taken out all of it in one day. So that was well ahead of schedule. We always viewed it as a four-week operation.”\nTrump has been vague about what the goals of the military strikes are, saying that the aim is for the Iranian people to rise up, but also talking about the idea of holding talks with successors to Khamenei.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:12:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_64debd335cf0",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Saudis Pulled Deeper Into Mideast War After Refinery Attack - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Saudis Pulled Deeper Into Mideast War After Refinery Attack    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:12:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQRlVuVEhsTGs3azVvMWR5ZmE5ejdjd1A5XzJVcWZtdFhDZ1dXYjdYcF9EWUVaQ0RDWUJfYzBzZlZIQ3FuZmtTUWpzSE5MT1hvdUdiVVNkMGE2RVhKd0ItaVZpd3FXZWJKMGstSllIZnkyS3hFcjFxWDc3U2hVakhiT2c0OWtnQmFuUWE2SGRmSHlhSTlKZUV2SV9QNUpSMFJyUVdSN2txaktaM3RIdmRLaF9hYWs?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_96ce2d8eb5fe",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Is America at war with Iran? What to know about Iran conflict - El Paso Times",
    "body_text": "Is America at war with Iran? What to know about Iran conflict\nCombat operations will continue \"in full force\" said President Donald Trump after a weekend of strikes in Iran that ultimately killed the nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as dozens of top officials.\nThe United States and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28 during the campaign called \"Epic Fury\" hitting more than 1,000 targets inside the country, Trump said. Iran has responded with a wave of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, including targeting countries hosting U.S. military bases like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.\nUSA TODAY reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed March 1 that “bloodshed and revenge” is Iran’s “legitimate right and duty.”\nThree American service members were killed in action, U.S. military officials confirmed.\n\"Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,\" the president said in lamenting the soldiers' deaths. \"That's the way it is.\"\nHere's what to know about what's happening in Iran.\nWhy did we attack Iran?\nThe joint U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran targeted the country's leadership in an effort to topple the regime, ,led by the nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran's regime and a guardian of its rigid theocratic and social doctrine for 36 years.\nTrump urged members of the country's military to disarm, offering them \"full immunity\" while encouraging the Iranian people to overthrow the regime.\n\"I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country,\" the president said in a March 1 video posted on social media.\nBoth Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said their main objectives were to defend their respective countries from threats posed by Iran and, most notably, to prevent the Islamic regime from acquiring a nuclear weapon, without providing any evidence that it was any closer to obtaining one, reported CNN.\nIs America at war with Iran?\nThe Constitution’s Article I, Section 8 specifically lists as a power of Congress the power “to declare War,” which unquestionably gives the legislature the power to initiate hostilities, according to the National Constitution Center.\nPresidents cannot, on their own authority, declare war. The Constitution does, however, give the president broad authority to engage in military action.\nCongress has not declared war and Trump has described the attacks on Iran as \"major combat operations\".\nAmerican casualties Iran conflict\nThree American service members were killed in action, U.S. military officials confirmed. Trump said the three troops, who have not been publicly identified, died for a \"righteous mission\" and that the U.S. will \"avenge their deaths.\"\n\"Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,\" the president said in lamenting the soldiers' deaths. \"That's the way it is.\"\nWhere is Iran?\nIran is located in southwestern Asia and is bounded to the north by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea, to the east by Pakistan and Afghanistan, to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and to the west by Turkey and Iraq.\nIran also controls about a dozen islands in the Persian Gulf, according to Britannica.\nIs Iran going to attack the US?\nIran has already responded with a wave of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, including targeting countries hosting U.S. military bases like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.\nThe FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have both announced they are on war footing, as they have been in the past over whether U.S. strikes would result in retaliation.\nOn Feb. 28, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau is “fully engaged on the situation overseas,” and that he has instructed the FBI’s Counterterrorism and intelligence teams, including its 200-plus Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country, to be on high alert and to “mobilize all assisting security assets needed,” reported USA TODAY.\nHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Department of Homeland Security is on similar heightened alert for potential U.S.-based attacks.\n“I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland,” Noem said in an X post.\nOfficials from both agencies told USA TODAY they could not comment beyond what Patel and Noem announced.\nUSA TODAY contributed to this story.\nNatassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on x; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPcmZxMHpQN3pWMU83TUphdWkzLTNOSUNZXzFfd040bEN3UjJjMW55elFJZkRrbFdkbkc2azQwZTVoWVozSGJyYUYtRXRjQXpuMFd5RjQ4b1M5RkxrT0hLbkM1dzROYVRreG1mMFNnaDRVRXdoeThzdzc1S3h2QkU1dVRlazVzU252QW9XcXVSOTBSTnNxRU1LRkQxRXZ0bkpTeHpqZmhmekpzbENUU29OeGw4OA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e7c5c0a3c868",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Pentagon says Iran will not be \"endless war\" - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Pentagon says Iran will not be \"endless war\"    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:17:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxQRnZwTFF0S00wWmpBUndKUW1xZFVvRTBvZ2xjeXNrR0I0YU5wWlJ1RklsQ2hEaWtOTldoSEJkeDBRNnVLQUlhdmZEN1NpRDhYZURyWmx0RzdSU1p0Umozcl9pcWExOThEcnFiajFwWUFTSmFDM2ZHTnBLdHl5UkgxeDJLc3NCT2JPSEpfZkVYNFAyeXFqRlNkTzNXWnI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_af36d4194332",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Major Insurance Clubs to End Ship War-Risk Cover in Persian Gulf - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Major Insurance Clubs to End Ship War-Risk Cover in Persian Gulf    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:22:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQYXlGWjFadTY2bW1xNFhLTS1NeGgwclptVGNNQzlWbkh5YjJSOGRHMUhlZFNRMGY2ODhBT2ozbGhBRGZwaWo5ZWRTLUhEV0x1ay1ZRExkaldnckFncnRuV1U4ZW5zdXI0REdDZkVmSV92ZkQyakZfSHF1LWdlRjAzcVFwc3l0M2g3YnFPUmZRT3FmY1RvODZCZG5SRHhpa3hDM0ZVMTlOZHZ2TjBMZ09mR2xBQ0pGUQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_06e33e4e0dba",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli police investigate Polymarket user who correctly predicted Iran strikes - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israeli police investigate Polymarket user who correctly predicted Iran strikes\nIsraeli police have opened an investigation into a bet made by a user on the gambling website Polymarket, which predicted that the US would strike Iran on 28 February, Israel's Channel 12 news reported.\nA user named Magamyman made a gross profit of some $430,000 by successfully predicting the start of the war.\nThe report said it was not the first time the user had placed bets on events set to occur in Iran.\nPolymarket, a US-based gambling platform, allows users to place bets on events as varied as the result of a football game to the outbreak of war or the collapse of a government.\nMost of Magamyman’s profits were made by placing bets on Israeli attacks on Iran.\nIn 2024, the user predicted Israel would attack Iran on 26 October that year, an attack that, according to Israeli security sources, was approved by the government only days before.\nIsraeli police are investigating whether the account is owned by someone with insider information or whether it is a case of luck.\nAccording to a report in Globes, an Israeli financial news outlet, prior to the US-Israel attack on Iran on Saturday morning, about $529m worth of bets were placed regarding the date of the war starting.\nThe total of bets predicting a start date of 28 February was $90m, while a bet predicting a start date of 31 January had a volume of $42m.\nWider phenomenon\nAs Polymarket allows bets on political events that entail the prior knowledge of those involved in them, there has long been suspicion that political or military actors are using the platform to profit from decisions they are aware of.\nIn February, Israeli police arrested a number of soldiers suspected of placing bets off of classified information they had encountered.\nMagamyman’s betting record also raised suspicion in the US, according to National Public Radio (NPR).\nThe user successfully predicted the date of the attack and also made a bet of around $553,000 predicting that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be out of power just before an Israeli strike killed him on Saturday.\nWriting on X about allegations that insiders made $1.2m predicting that the US would attack Iran, Chris Murphy, a US senator from Connecticut, wrote that \"it’s insane this is legal\".\n\"People around Trump are profiting off war and death. I’m introducing legislation ASAP to ban this.”\nAccording to the NPR report, \"the White House denied anyone in Trump's orbit was behind the lucrative trades\".\nHowever, the report pointed out that US President Donald Trump's family has deep ties to Polymarket.\nDonald Trump Jr, the president's son, is an adviser to the US betting platform, and his venture capital firm has invested millions in it over the years.\nThe Trump administration has also dropped two investigations into Polymarket that were opened by the Joe Biden administration.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:23:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxONWtjTzJpOFNZcUFVdkF1b09QbW1Sd29GMmtYQ05HOS13Z0pnSXBZVTFwR0F2d3NTZUNQUnFOWFp4RjFPekMyZVZkbU1EN1FLRlJHSFpUMXI0cmhnOWNsU2IxSzNXUUF5cGtvV1IxVkl2cHV6N2hocm5IaW10RFZ4Q3pDM09CSFVxX1p4dzlDb2ktUlJYeDBHenVMTy03MGs2YmR3dmNKZ3JVcXJpQzh3NUZHOXM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5d6061a3d943",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "A war in charts - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "FT Alphaville\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:24:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9TdExOdmhWYU05WU9MbTBjZThJSXJ4YWFEZGVwRC1DWllUeDJVYTd0YWRKMU16SnE0RmlNZEpnVlZlM3BKLV9YYU95RHV6X0p0aWtKNGFybTRCcDlaaExSOE9TVEJHSUthenZXVG9WVU4?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9e3bfafdc047",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Hundreds of Iranians cross border into Turkey, witness says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Hundreds of Iranians cross border into Turkey, witness says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:24:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQSXRjMk1YaE8xY1BmQ1JVZDU3TWIxNE1jRHYxX1hWQnJRRzJVWUd1VVlFd0xZV3h1RlVQZV9aaEQ2cWVycEV4MkFxYWRReDhOdHI4ZExjTW5oa1VIaUpFUWRZVzFlQW5oaEpxUExtR3JDVDFxc2M3cFNBWFN1bEhwZnBfN2hTWTZQVUFhTGFzWVJJRDVMWE5yVnQyaUE5Y2NobkhHT1ZiT2ZfbXZJbVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_38bc1e7bed22",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Qatari and Kuwaiti stocks slump as war engulfs region - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Stocks in Qatar and Kuwait slumped on Monday as war across the Middle East raises risk premium and dampens investment sentiment.\nQE Index, the main equities gauge in Doha slumped 3.34 per cent during early trade, dragged lower by transport, property and banking stocks. The index closed Monday's trading 4.29 per cent lower to settle at 10,581.03 points.\nQE All Share Banking and Financial Services Index slipped almost 4 per cent. The gauge representing property stocks slipped 3 per cent, while the transportation index of the exchange slumped almost 5 per cent.\nKuwait's All Share Index closed 1.91 per cent lower to 8,408.29 points, with Gulf Finance House and budget carrier Jazeera Airways among the losers.\nStocks on Qatar and Kuwait Exchanges are trading for the first time since the region’s latest conflict began on Saturday. Qatar remained closed on Sunday for a bank holiday. Kuwaiti regulator suspended trading on Sunday without citing a reason.\nThe other Gulf equity markets open for trading on Monday presented a mix picture.\nSaudi Arabia’s Tadawul, the biggest Arab bourse, ended trade 0.13 per cent higher. The Tadawul All Share Index slumped more than 2 per cent on Sunday.\nStocks in Oman advanced 1.12 per cent at closing, while Bahrain’s main stocks gauge was down marginally amid thin trade.\nUAE remains closed\nStock exchanges in Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia operate Sunday to Thursday week, however, bourse in the UAE – Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market – follow the international working week of Monday to Friday.\nOn Sunday, the Capital Market Authority in the UAE said the stock markets in the country will remain shut until March 3 due to Iran's continuing strikes on the Emirates.\nThe ADX and DFM “will be closed on Monday, 2 March and Tuesday, 3 March 2026”, with the CMA continue to “monitor developments in the region and assess the situation on an ongoing basis, taking any further measures as necessary”, the regulator said in a statement on Sunday.\nOfficial updates on the resumption of trading will be provided through the CMA, ADX and DFM's official communication channels, it added.\nThe Dubai Financial Services Authority, the regulator of Nasdaq Dubai, the securities exchange based in the emirate’s onshore financial on Monday said trading activity at the bourse will remain suspended until Tuesday.\nUnusual move\nThe suspension of trading in the UAE's stock markets, among the biggest in the Middle East, is another precautionary measure taken by authorities amid Iran's unprecedented strikes on the country, which the Islamic Republic says, is in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks that began on Saturday.\nThe market capitalisation of the UAE exchanges’ stands at $1.1 trillion, the 19th highest market cap in the world, and carries 1.4 per cent weight on MSCI’s emerging markets benchmark, according to Bloomberg data.\nClosure of market in the region is quite unusual, however it is not uncommon to for countries to temporarily shut markets during emergencies or turbulent times.\nTurkey suspended trading for a week after an earthquake in 2023 and the market soared upon reopening. Russia halted its market for about a month in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine.\nIn Greece, the Athens Stock Exchange shut in 2015 for five weeks during the sovereign debt crisis and plunged when trading resumed, according to Bloomberg report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:25:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQcVhWR2dRdFFPYkVHcThGeVE1VWtzbmNDbGtROXlyeTFJUUpZajVVbU9BdHNBbTFEU1NPYzY5Z0NMNmg2T1pWY0hkT2tiQ1VTTWc1a3ZycU9oY1puemJ4alZlVV9iY1FyOXRfYzAybE05NWJuTzFndjV4R0dnLUV1bkdMSDlpd1A1YnFkdUVEdFV5enBNUGsyaEc0bjJmUmlFZUtVTUpVdzdONkhscjg3ODB3N3U?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_807b57aaca4f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Gaza fuel running short after Israel closes borders amid Iran war - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Gaza fuel running short after Israel closes borders amid Iran war\nBy Nidal al-Mughrabi and Pesha Magid\nCAIRO/JERUSALEM, March 2 (Reuters) - Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply and stocks of food staples may become tight, officials say, after Israel blocked the entry of fuel and goods into the war-shattered territory, citing fighting with Iran.\nIsrael's military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing air strikes on Iran carried out jointly with the United States. Israeli authorities say the crossings cannot be operated safely during war and have not said how long they would be shut.\nFEW DAYS' WORTH OF SUPPLIES\nGaza is wholly dependent on fuel brought in by trucks from Israel and Egypt and a lack of fresh supplies would put hospital operations at risk and threaten water and sanitation services, local officials say. Most Palestinians in Gaza are internally displaced after Israel's two-year war with Hamas militants.\n\"I expect we have maybe a couple of days' running time,\" said United Nations official Karuna Herrmann, who directs fuel distribution in Gaza.\nAmjad Al-Shawa, a Palestinian aid leader in Gaza, who works with the U.N. and NGOs, estimated fuel supplies could last three or four days, while stocks of vegetables, flour, and other essentials could also soon run out if the crossings remain shut.\nReuters was unable to independently verify those estimates.\nIsrael's COGAT military agency, which controls access to Gaza, said that enough food had been delivered to the territory since the start of an October truce to provide for the population.\n\"(The) existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period,\" COGAT said, without elaborating. It declined to comment on potential fuel shortages.\nThe truce was part of broader U.S.-backed plan to end the war that involves reopening the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, increasing the flow of aid into the enclave, and rebuilding it.\nHamada Abu Laila, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza, said the closures were stoking fear of a return of famine, which gripped parts of the enclave last year after Israel blocked aid deliveries for 11 weeks.\n\"Why is it our fault, in Gaza, with regional wars between Israel, Iran, and America? It is not our fault,\" Abu Laila said.\n(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Pesha Magid; Editing by Rami Ayyub and Tomasz Janowski)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:26:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQQzFZSEt2QXNPWnU0azJnX2hxTXMwakE3dkw4ZmxuekxaWDRmRkRpV2ZCeEFNRWlNSjB1X2libFZKS1VWal9wZjJLdUNrU19SMmhuMkVuY0RZQ1E5VzlmRHNPODNkaW5FVEFoa1FKXzNmOEMwNmZrNGg0bWd6UmNrOTRwVW5hSE43WjIwUjFzdkpFdjZDOW05UGZOa3ZCRmpxaXM0MnI2b09PUG9lVWJr?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ddf01d7e7507",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Gaza fuel running short after Israel closes borders amid Iran war - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Gaza fuel running short after Israel closes borders amid Iran war    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:26:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxPMy10bV81Z2hLbU9KLVFHbXVQZXR4Y3JNUG1Gd0w2Y3Fvb3U0QzVWdUZxa21NdFF0OGdRV1o1TldCVWFPSnFtUndmY08wX0F1a0UwdW5FeGpYM29xTGo1c3MzWVRWeDFDTW9xTUtDNFhvbThJYzF5QmhQWFlVRWNCaV9vZVRSbzVNZk1RU2dyNnhDNE1YdHY5bUJaSG5fSGpiN3FGeVdLTWlCV1htT2J4NGFyLTJhV2tNNF9B?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_037dd517eedc",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "UK will allow US to use bases to strike Iranian missile sites, PM says",
    "body_text": "UK will allow US to use bases to strike Iranian missile sites, PM says\nThe UK has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for \"defensive\" strikes on Iranian missile sites, Sir Keir Starmer has said.\nBut the prime minister said the UK had learned lessons from the \"mistakes of Iraq\", and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and \"will not join offensive action now\".\nThe BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes on Iranian missile sites.\nThe PM made the announcement, which the Telegraph reported US President Donald Trump said \"took far too long\", just hours before a British RAF base in Cyprus was hit by a drone strike on Sunday night with no casualties reported.\nInvestigations are under way to establish where it was fired from.\nThe attack at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus took place at around midnight local time (22:00 GMT) with the MoD later saying that \"minimal damage\" was caused.\nIn a video statement released earlier on Sunday, Sir Keir said the basis of the decision to accept the US request was the \"collective self-defence\" of allies and protecting British lives, accusing Iran of pursuing a \"scorched-earth strategy\".\nThe prime minister added the US would use UK bases for the \"specific and limited defensive purpose\" of destroying Iran's missiles \"at source\".\nHe added that the move was in accordance with international law, and the UK government had published what it said was a summary of its legal advice.\nTrump, in an interview with the Telegraph, said of the delay in accepting the US request: \"That's probably never happened between our countries before.\"\nHe added on Sir Keir: \"It sounds like he was worried about the legality.\"\nThe prime minister's official spokesman, asked about Trump's remarks, said Iran striking British interests had led to the change and he described the UK and US as \"staunch allies\".\nConservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of being \"too scared\" to take a stronger stance against Iran because some Labour voters were \"swayed by conflicts in the Middle East, not the British national interest\".\n\"So we watch our prime minister and cabinet ministers squirm and obfuscate in interviews, because they cannot say what needs to be said because too many of their voters do not want to hear it.\"\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said \"the UK must not be complicit in illegal military action\" and demanded that MPs be given a say on allowing the US to use British bases.\nTrump said it \"may be necessary\" for the US to use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for operations should Iran \"decide not to make a deal\".\nBoth bases have been used by the US in the past to conduct long-range heavy bombing missions.\nReform UK leader Nigel Farage said the decision to let the US use UK military bases was \"better late than never\" and described Sir Keir as \"a follower, not a leader\".\nGreen Party leader Zack Polanski condemned the move, saying Sir Keir had jumped into \"yet another Middle East illegal war\".\nThe US and Israel began attacking Iran early on Saturday, with Trump encouraging the Iranian people to remove the country's government.\nThe Iranian regime has responded with attacks on US assets and countries in the region with a US military presence, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.\nSir Keir had said UK aircraft were \"in the sky\" in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation to protect its allies and citizens in the region, but said the UK \"played no role\" in the strikes.\nOn Sunday, he said British aircraft had successfully intercepted Iranian strikes, but added: \"Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them and it's my duty to protect British lives.\"\nHe began the statement by saying it \"remains the case\" that the UK is \"not involved in the strikes on Iran\".\nAt least 200,000 British citizens are in the region - including residents, those on holidays and passengers in transit, Sir Keir said - and the government \"will continue to do all we can to support\" them.\nBritish people, including members of the armed forces, as well as allies, were being put at \"huge risk\" from Iranian strikes, he said, accusing the regime of \"becoming even more reckless\".\nIranian strikes have \"hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying\", and on Saturday \"hit a military base in Bahrain, narrowly missing British personnel\", Sir Keir said.\nHe added: \"The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots, or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.\n\"The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.\n\"We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.\"\nThe Foreign Office has asked British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, the Palestinian territories, Qatar and UAE to register their presence to receive updates.\nSir Keir said the move was the \"best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further\".\nThe UK government has not explicitly said whether it backs the US-Israeli strikes on Iran or if it thinks they are legal.\nHe said it was the for US to set out the legal basis for its actions, and that while the UK had not taken part in the strikes, \"we share, however, the primary aim of all allies in the region and the US that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon\".\nIn what it described as a summary of its own legal position for allowing the US to use its bases, the UK government said in a statement released late on Sunday: \"The UK and its allies are permitted under international law to use or support force in such circumstances where acting in self-defence is the only feasible means to deal with an ongoing armed attack and where the force used is necessary and proportionate.\"\nThe UK, France and Germany, in a joint statement on Sunday evening, accused Iran of carrying out \"indiscriminate and disproportionate\" strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:31:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqj9g11p1ezo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_523c826b591c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Yemen government’s return to Aden tests Riyadh’s bid to reshape strategy - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Yemen government’s return to Aden tests Riyadh’s bid to reshape strategy\nThe ability of Yemen’s newly formed government to operate effectively from the southern city of Aden will be a crucial test for Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf kingdom now steering the country’s trajectory, analysts say.\nAt the beginning of last month, Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) announced from Riyadh the formation of a new 35-member cabinet, with Shaya Mohsen al-Zindani as prime minister. Ministers were sworn in at the Yemeni embassy in the Saudi capital before gradually returning to Aden.\nThe move comes a month after the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Yemen's main separatist group, after it was routed by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and lost southern territory it had controlled for years.\nThe dramatic developments led to the withdrawal from Yemen of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the STC’s main backer, leaving Saudi Arabia to manage Yemen largely on its own.\n“The government’s return represents a test of Saudi Arabia’s ability to establish a viable model that could pave the way toward ending the crisis, particularly after Riyadh emerged as the primary external actor in Yemen,” Ali al-Fakih, editor of the Yemeni news site Al-Masdar Online, told Middle East Eye.\nTo help bolster the government’s prospects, Saudi Arabia has strongly backed the authorities, purchasing millions of dollars’ worth of fuel for power stations and reportedly pledging to cover the salaries of security and military forces previously funded by Abu Dhabi.\nAdditionally, Riyadh took over the financing of humanitarian projects, including hospitals, that the UAE abruptly abandoned when it withdrew from Yemen.\nDespite the rapid and wide deployment of Saudi-backed forces in Aden, the STC still holds influence in the city according to Fatima Abo Alasrar, a researcher and founder of the US-based The Ideology Machine.\n“The cabinet’s return is a notable milestone, but we shouldn’t mistake physical presence for political control, and from what we can see, this remains difficult to achieve right now,” she said.\n“The STC’s dissolution opened a window for ministers to enter, but they are effectively guests in a city where the security forces still answer to their old loyalties, regardless of their new titles or Saudi paycheques.”\nDismantling old centres of influence\nResidents say images of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who fled Yemen last month, and the group’s flags remain visible across its main base, Aden, while thousands of its fighters have kept a low profile.\nAnalysts say the government’s most immediate challenge is asserting control over Aden – a task that will require what Nadwa al-Dawsari, an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, described as a “surgical approach”.\n“The immediate challenge is stabilising Aden and ensuring that security forces on the ground fall in line with the government,” Dawsari told MEE.\nFakih agrees that dismantling UAE-backed forces that dominated the city for years, and unifying the security and military apparatus under government command, will be critical.\n“In my view, establishing security will depend primarily on dismantling the old centres of influence that remain loyal to the UAE and rebuilding the security services on sound foundations, based on competence and loyalty to Yemeni legitimacy,” he said.\nHowever, the STC appears unwilling to concede defeat. Thousands of its supporters have staged rallies in Aden and other southern cities, some turning violent as protesters gathered outside state institutions, including the presidential palace in the city, the provisional seat of government.\nFor the first time, the government is facing protests without clear leadership it can negotiate with. Zubaidi remains in an undisclosed location, while other senior figures have either switched sides or adopted a low profile.\n“The government is now facing a headless opposition with no one at the table to talk to,” Alasrar said. “As seen with recent fatalities in Shabwah, when the state has no political interlocutor to handle grievances, it often defaults to suppression.”\nDawsari, while warning that “spoilers” could exploit anti-government sentiment to incite violence, stressed that authorities should provide space for lawful demonstrations.\n“The government must allow space for peaceful protest while holding those who instigate violence accountable, and doing so strictly through due process,” she said.\nChallenges ahead\nBeyond security, restoring public services and improving salaries represent major tests for the new administration.\nSaudi fuel shipments have helped reduce power cuts in Aden and other government-controlled areas for the first time in years, a development welcomed by residents enjoying longer electricity hours. But analysts note that winter demand is lower and maintaining supply during the summer heat will be the true measure of success.\n'The immediate challenge is stabilising Aden and ensuring that security forces on the ground fall in line with the government'\n- Nadwa Al-Dawsari, analyst\nPublic sector salaries remain another pressing concern. Wages have stagnated for nearly a decade, while the Yemeni rial has sharply depreciated.\nUniversity professors say their monthly income has fallen from around $1,200 before the war to roughly $200 today. Some military personnel have also reported not receiving salaries for several months.\nYears of conflict have devastated infrastructure and services across Yemen. Health facilities have deteriorated, roads have gone without maintenance, and millions remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.\n“At the end of the day, improving services and showing results is the best approach to mitigating tensions and stabilising the situation,” Dawsari said.\nAnalysts also warn that regional rivalries could complicate efforts. The UAE, after losing influence following recent developments, may seek to undermine stability in southern Yemen through allied actors, potentially disrupting government operations.\nIf instability forces the government to withdraw from Aden again, it would represent a major setback not only for the PLC but also for Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy.\n“Without a stable government capable of fully exercising its functions, the outcome would be a failure for the Presidential Leadership Council, the new administration, and ultimately Saudi Arabia – particularly as the UAE, after being pushed out of Yemen, may seek to obstruct stability,” Fakih said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:32:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQZGNFa2h0S1FrRkpQczIyY0w2bE4tcHVQUUhtVl9ONGZpaXRMLWltdGNJX29wS0RudHh4ZVlDc3Y1c0xqNE5fYXRlRW5vYmFIS3pHZThudGRBMWhOY0lTM3FXbm52Rl9PSGJNMzRPOU5xbGxQZE9DYUt5Rm9tUTdkc1lBUUtJLWozLTNhWEpieXQ1TXJ6Z2NZcFRJSlhKajJiM3BUVjRmTQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b5da1cf80c8a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Trump warns of longer Iran war, Rubio points at Israel - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Trump warns of longer Iran war, Rubio points at Israel\nPresident Donald Trump warned Monday of a longer Iran war and refused to rule out ground troops, as his top diplomat suggested the timing of the US military operation was triggered by Israel.\nTrump's brief remarks at the White House were his first in public since launching the strikes, after two Truth Social videos and a string of sometimes contradictory phone calls to media outlets.\nBut Secretary of State Marco Rubio's comments about Israel later added to the mixed messaging about the war, launched by a president who long campaigned against US entanglements in the Middle East.\nSpeaking at the start of a medal presentation event at the White House, Trump insisted that he needed to strike, saying it was the \"last, best chance\" to hit Washington's decades-long arch-foe.\nThe 79-year-old Republican also warned that an extended war was possible, even as he said operations were currently running ahead of schedule.\n\"From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,\" Trump said.\nThe US president also for the first time clearly laid out four explicit goals for Operation Epic Fury.\n\"First, we're destroying Iran's missile capabilities...Second, we're annihilating their navy...Third, we're ensuring that the world's number-one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon,\" he said.\n\"Finally we are ensuring the Iranian regime can't continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.\"\n- 'Very wise' -\nBut Rubio later said Trump's \"very wise\" decision came after learning Israel was going to strike and fearing Tehran would retaliate against US forces -- despite Trump making no such claim earlier.\n\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,\" Rubio told reporters.\nAsked if the United States faced an imminent threat from Iran -- a key threshold in the United States as Congress constitutionally has the power to declare war -- Rubio again pointed to the Israeli plans.\nTrump's avoidance of any major national address or press conference to make the case for the war, the biggest US conflict in the Middle East for two decades, is a major break from other presidents.\nInstead he has had brief phone calls with a series of media outlets.\nHe refused to rule out sending US troops into Iran in an interview with the New York Post on Monday.\nSuch a move could risk far higher casualties than the six service members killed so far.\n\"I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground,\" Trump said, using a golf term for anxiety. \"Every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it.\"\nTrump also spoke to CNN on Monday, flagging what he said would be an escalation in the assault on Iran. \"The big wave hasn't even happened,\" he said. \"The big one is coming soon.\"\n- 'This is not endless' -\nThe rest of Trump's administration was also silent until a press conference by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and top US military officer Dan Caine on Monday morning, in which Hegseth also signaled that deploying troops inside Iran had not been ruled out.\nAsked if there were already boots on the ground, Hegseth told the news conference: \"No, but we're not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do.\"\nHegseth insisted the conflict would not drag on like past long-running US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.\n\"This is not Iraq. This is not endless,\" said Hegseth, an Iraq veteran.\nTrump's virtual silence on the justifications and goals in Iran had sparked criticism from members of his Make America Great Again movement, who bought into his pledges of an end to foreign wars.\nBut the White House has been trying to straighten out its messaging over the past 24 hours.\nReplying to one MAGA critic on social media, Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump had laid out \"clear objectives.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:42:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOM21jSzZNZy1hS0Y5T1Z3blRUQ25CcHFiaDJ5WXI5bWlLM0xfZGtkVTFyclYzc3MyV0hvQnVVZmxIU2VueEVXdlZDbDg4VFlxM0JacUQtaHlyNmdPS0RWcVdOcEFvQzZsNkpjalVYVlJKVkl3SklFa1JsS2stczBHOXdGaFlnVWRmTFhydzBPT05LbTUyTXBJ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_585844c509e3",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "European gas prices soar as Iran strikes close Saudi and Qatari oil and LNG sites - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "European gas prices soar as Iran strikes close Saudi and Qatari oil and LNG sites\nEuropean gas prices soared almost 50 percent after Iranian strikes prompted Saudi Arabia to close its biggest oil refinery and Qatar to halt the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).\nIran, responding to US and Israeli attacks launched on Saturday morning, has disrupted energy infrastructure across the Middle East.\nSaudi Arabia's state-owned oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco, shut as a precautionary measure its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday after drone strikes caused a fire there.\nThe 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery, which is part of an energy complex on the kingdom’s Gulf coast, also serves as a critical export terminal for Saudi crude oil.\nThe Iranian deputy foreign minister said Iran was not responsible for the bombing of Saudi oil fields and that \"we have informed our brothers in the Kingdom of this\".\nTwo Iranian drones struck energy facilities in the Qatari industrial city of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed, according to Qatar’s defence ministry.\nNo casualties were reported, but Qatar Energy, the largest LNG producer in the world, announced that it had stopped production of LNG and associated products.\nThe state-run company operates 14 liquefied natural gas trains with a total annual production capacity of 77 million tonnes.\nRas Laffan Industrial City is the world's largest exporter of LNG and hosts the infrastructure for the North Field, the world’s largest non-associated natural gas field.\nIn Iraqi Kurdistan, which exported 200,000 bpd of oil via a pipeline to Turkey's Ceyhan port in February, companies including Norwegian oil and gas operator DNO ASA, Gulf Keystone Petroleum, Dana Gas and HKN Energy have stopped output at their fields as a precaution, with no damage reported.\nThe Israeli government has instructed Chevron to temporarily shut down its vast Leviathan gas field, where the US energy giant has been expanding capacity to around 21 billion cubic metres a year as part of a $45bn export deal to Egypt.\nA spokesperson for Chevron, which also operates the Tamar gas field off Israel’s coast, told Reuters its facilities were safe.\nOil prices soar\nIran has denied targeting energy infrastructure. Its own facilities have also been impacted.\nExplosions were heard on Saturday on Iran’s Kharg Island, which processes around 90 percent of the Islamic Republic’s crude exports. It was unclear how the facilities were impacted, Reuters reported.\nIran is the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), accounting for about 4.5 percent of global oil supplies, while Saudi Arabia is the largest.\nOn Monday, oil prices surged 13 percent to above $82 a barrel, the highest since January 2025, as shipping stopped at - or turned away from - the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.\nAt least 150 vessels, including oil and LNG tankers, had dropped anchor in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, shipping data showed on Sunday.\nA projectile hit the Marshall Islands-flagged product tanker MKD VYOM on Sunday, killing a crew member as the vessel sailed off the coast of Oman, its manager said. Two other tankers were also damaged.\nAlso on Sunday, a projectile hit the Gibraltar-flagged oil bunkering tanker Hercules Star off the UAE coast, manager Peninsula said in a statement.\nAs a result of the incidents, marine insurers are cancelling war risk coverage for vessels and oil shipping rates are set to surge further.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPS3FNX2x1Tk1LcEl2QmtVdUNZbk9DZVBVaDluVkdGdTg0eFU4enNuN1BHOVZ6bC12eXYtVzFlSGNpeE9MUmsyZWlnMU9IeklZRkJ1SGdUdnktM09vT1BUVnVseUxtQTV3Rk02M0ppdENrbnRuNEFFVmgweE5YR2ZWcmZhLUJndW1TYjhjS1VmRjVKVjgzN2FOM0tuaThSV3hVWmk3ZW9rQlVGZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_af17704685db",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US not veering into a new, endless war, Pentagon says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US not veering into a new, endless war, Pentagon says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:47:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOVjgzMzlicE9HeGZVZ01XcFBwMllsV2d4blFMWDhLZGU5X1g0NXBBTzNHWnNlbWNHaXRZRTRuT2tyNGVPMElMQzVmY2JLc2lQanIwZU5fUkhDT0JDRmVQT2RCUmhPaG1Ka1lPZjFCQ3BzWGttdHozM3J3NlBMTDYwQ0Z1X001V0hkRk5hWll4NmVvSDVpcGJmU0tQSTh5UnBHZUprZ25qem1tamc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a6b14df17281",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Tanker Rates Skyrocket on Key Middle East-to-China Route - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Tanker Rates Skyrocket on Key Middle East-to-China Route    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:54:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxOSTZiS0ZTTXFMenZ3UWlIUFZCdHVMOHh2M0E5eS1Bbl9SRUFJV3NzbW90Q0JLTWYta3JONVhGaUhManBjUEgxOURWSlBlZ25JVzFVdGtzYTdUeHVKaDRLMk9XUjdObkMtT2xudGxtTmpMZWI4ekdaa3BIX21WaFRtTzBYbmU2ZWYyaHNGTHJoYWJTTXFzU082eVd3SmVXX1FNSWNDZEVnTWxkSnFxWFQtYg?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_57ea9d5cffde",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "'They hit so hard the house was shaking': Iranians describe impact of US-Israel attacks",
    "body_text": "'They hit so hard the house was shaking': Iranians describe impact of US-Israel attacks\nPeople in Iran have been describing their experiences as Israel and the US continue to bomb targets across the country.\nThe attacks began on Saturday morning with the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shocking supporters and opponents. Since then, military and strategic sites have been attacked day and night.\nThe authorities have blocked the internet, making it very difficult for people to communicate with the outside world.\nDespite the restrictions, the BBC has managed to speak some individuals. Their names have been changed to protect their identities.\nHossein, in the city of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran, said there was a big blast near his home on Monday.\n\"They hit Karaj so hard that the house was shaking. I heard the loud explosion [and] I'm just trying to get somewhere safe.\"\nHe said it followed a night of heavy bombing.\n\"I counted 17 [explosions] in a row. People are waiting and worried about what's going to happen next, beyond the strikes. Their biggest concern is that America will make an agreement [with the Iranian leadership] and back off.\n\"Last night, there were lots of government supporters on the streets, but I saw from their faces that they looked angry and furious. The security forces patrol during the night to frighten people. Bakeries and petrol stations are busy.\n\"The streets are not busy, and people are at their homes, but the current internet situation has made people furious. This is the third time the regime is cutting off internet this year.\"\nHossein added: \"I think the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guard Corps] still has power on the ground, and this is what makes some people afraid.\n\"I think death of Khamenei, and the fact that he killed many during the recent protests, has widened the gap which was already there between pro- and anti-government people.\"\nAmir, who lives in Tehran, said people had been stocking up on supplies.\n\"People have shopped and stored groceries as much as they could. We're all sitting at home hearing the explosions when they hit. But well we've been cut off.\n\"It all depends on how many key people are killed, but we're worried that [Iran's leaders] might make a deal.\n\"There are many security stations around the city stopping people that they think are suspicious.\n\"Like in the 12-day war [with Israel last June], we are tired. Very tired. The death of Khamenei is not enough - all the regime needs to go.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:54:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jyv3jp01o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cd4bbc286dd0",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Hegseth lays out 'clear' 3-part mission against Iran, says war ‘is not endless' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday outlined what he described as a \"clear\" three-part mission against Iran, insisting the conflict \"is not endless\" and sharply rejecting comparisons to past U.S. wars in the Middle East.\nSpeaking during the first Pentagon briefing since U.S.-Israeli strikes began over the weekend, Hegseth said Operation Epic Fury has a narrowly defined objective: destroy Iran’s offensive missile capabilities, cripple its navy and prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.\n\"We set the terms of this war from start to finish. Our ambitions are not utopian. They are realistic, scoped to our interests and the defense of our people and our allies,\" he told reporters.\nHegseth said the campaign is being carried out \"surgically\" but with overwhelming force, arguing the United States is steadily degrading Iran’s capabilities while strengthening its own posture in the region.\nHe said the operation would not resemble Iraq or other prolonged conflicts in the Middle East, calling it limited in scope and focused on specific military goals.\nThe Pentagon chief also acknowledged the risk of additional casualties, saying four Americans have been killed so far.\nPresident Donald Trump suggested in an interview with the Daily Mail on Sunday that the campaign could last around four weeks.\nChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters the operation began Saturday under U.S. Central Command and cautioned it would take time to carry out.\n\"Our mission is to protect and defend ourselves and together with our regional partners, prevent Iran from the ability to project power outside of its borders and be ready for follow-on actions as appropriate,\" he said.\nCaine added that more than 100 aircraft launched in the opening phase, with strikes targeting Iranian command-and-control infrastructure, naval forces and ballistic missile sites.\nHe said U.S. cyber and space operations were also used to disrupt Iranian communications and air defenses, contributing to the establishment of local air superiority.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T13:57:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPbjJGNWZoQm9mX241NTBUanJoNVN0cnA2aEx5dWMtOE1JeFk0VlNqMnVjcF9KdEE3LXVsQ0ljNXRlM2dBSnMwdDhkRTZhaHpWZ1FVWUFwSDJkNURJUFQ0bVFUS0laYy00NkhGdW00RlE1RmZfeE1NMi02N0NadzUtbHZON183VS1QTzB0RjdaSGhtMlF4RkQ5c0tVUVF5U1lNc2d0VWlMVdIBrAFBVV95cUxOcEJIRVN6VWZlNnNOSUlMQnZ5LWt2TExycUFnSV92cFJybjF2VkhXdzdHbkdwT21zMTd0dkpTSENiemQza1NTeE91ZFpwbUFDQmdMVWNDbFYteHYzS1ZGTldPa2lXNVZRU3VSeGlERHdwZmJDM0JUU243dG5YRHU1eVhaQ3E0bEtLSkZ0MWwtS2RBNlhrMmV3Q2hhdElaa2VycVJpbnhoOWNZNnZ4?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b5bc58c280e9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Greens and Liberal Democrats demand parliament vote over US use of UK bases - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Greens and Liberal Democrats demand parliament vote over US use of UK bases\nLiberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Green Party leader Zack Polanski have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to put the UK's decision to allow the US to use its military bases to a vote in Parliament.\nThe move comes amid mounting backlash from MPs, including in the Labour Party, to Starmer's announcement on Sunday night that the US will be allowed to use British bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites.\nHours later a one-way attack drone struck Britain's RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus on Sunday night - but is understood to have been launched before Starmer's announcement.\nThere were no casualties but military families have been reportedly evacuated - along with residents in the Akrotiri neighbourhood.\nLib Dem leader Davey said on X: \"No matter how the Prime Minister tries to redefine offensive as defensive, this is a slippery slope. He must not let Trump drag Britain into another prolonged war in the Middle East.\n\"Starmer must come to Parliament tomorrow, set out the legal case in full, and give MPs a vote.\"\nMeanwhile Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: \"The events of the past 48 hours have laid bare Keir Starmer's utter inability to stand up to Donald Trump - and this weakness could have serious consequences for the safety of British people.\n\"We now face being dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East which has now pulled in multiple countries. People in this country do not want this and it must not be allowed to happen.\nPolanski added: \"Starmer must withdraw permission for the US to use UK bases to launch airstrikes on Iran and parliament must be given a vote on any UK involvement.\"\n'Very disappointed in Keir'\nStarmer is being hammered from all directions. On Monday morning The Telegraph quoted US President Donald Trump saying he was \"very disappointed in Keir\" for initially blocking the US from using the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands to strike Iran.\nTrump said Starmer \"took far too much time\" to change his mind.\n\"That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he said, adding: “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”\nOn Sunday, Starmer said in an address from Downing Street that the only way to stop the threat from Iranian missiles \"is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.\n\"The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,\" Starmer said.\n\"We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk and hitting countries that have not been involved.\"\nSince then Starmer has come under fire from Labour MPs.\nFormer Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell questioned the idea that the bases would be used only for defensive action, telling the BBC: \"Now we're putting our military facilities at use by the Americans for an aggressive action.\n\"Although they're arguing that this will be an attack on missile sites, it's actually in aid of what is a regime change, because that's what Donald Trump has said this is all about.\"\nLabour MP Richard Burgon said: \"I am deeply alarmed that British military bases will be used in Trump's bombing of Iran - these attacks violate international law.\n\"The UK government should be focused on de-escalation, diplomacy and a ceasefire - that's the best way of keeping people safe, not following Trump.\"\nKim Johnson, another Labour MP, said: \"Using British bases for unlawful action is short-sighted. We must reject such divide-and-rule tactics driven by military aggression.\"\nFarage backs US navy involvement\nFormer Labour leader and Your Party MP Jeremy Corbyn called Starmer's decision shameful and said that Britain has been \"dragged into another war because our Prime Minister would rather appease Donald Trump than stand up for international law\".\nMeanwhile Reform UK and the Conservative Party are attacking Starmer over his delay in allowing the US to use British bases.\nReform leader Nigel Farage said on Monday morning that Starmer's inaction was \"frankly pathetic\".\nHe continued: \"I think to say to the Americans that they could not use UK bases or Diego Garcia to carry out any of their missions is something that the president has responded to by saying already that he’s deeply disappointed. I suspect that, for once from Trump, is actually a mild understatement.\n\"And I do believe that Starmer’s actions don’t just threaten the special relationship, but probably he has posed or did pose a major threat to Nato.\"\nFarage has backed the US goal of forcing regime change in Iran and said on Monday morning it would mark a \"great liberation\".\nHe said he would support the involvement of the RAF, the Royal Navy and the intelligence services in the conflict.\nBut he said to deploy \"boots on the ground\" in Iran would be a \"huge mistake\".\n\"Even if we wanted to do it, we don’t have the operational capacity to attempt anything on that scale that would be meaningful at all. I don’t want us to get dragged into it, but there is a heck of a lot what we can do to help and support our allies on this.\"\nTory leader Kemi Badenoch claimed on Monday morning that it \"took Iranian missiles hitting allies in the Middle East and a UK base in Cyprus before Starmer finally approved the use of our bases\", although in reality a drone hitting Cyprus came hours after Starmer's announcement.\nBadenoch criticised the government for refusing to say whether it supports the US action against Iran, suggesting that this is because of Muslim voters in the wake of Labour's defeat by the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-election.\nShe said that \"particularly in the wake of the by-election last week, the Labour government are too scared to say what is obvious to the rest of us\".\n\"In towns and cities across Britain there are large blocs of voters – that Labour see as their voters – whose political loyalties are swayed by conflicts in the Middle East, not the British national interest.\"\nShe added: \"So we watch our prime minister and Cabinet ministers squirm and obfuscate in interviews, because they cannot say what needs to be said because too many of their voters do not want to hear it.\"\nThe US will now likely use the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago. The base places US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran.\nIran's Shahed-136 kamikaze drones have the range to attack Diego Garcia, which houses around 4,000 people, mostly US military personnel and contractors.\nThe UK also has airbases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Cyprus.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxOT2RLU2Y0OENESTVHUkN5S3dxcjFEUHhQNThZamQ1bWVZTWZITDFuWXpRbTd6MDg5dGFhVzdsWVFVVGdTaVBLWWFiNnA1eHhIQU45TnU1eXZfTU1acHRsSWxaZ28tTUxHbjFMNS01WjRnQTVQemo5X1RyRkRLV0g3OTYxWS1zTEdueEVabnFtbU0zbXNZVWNSY1lGNDAzaE1HYzl0LThrVQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8d3ff9c63f12",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "What the Iran War Means for Your Money - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "What the Iran War Means for Your Money    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:08:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOU3VReWp4MGZDUWt0Q1Jkb01VZmR0UWtCa2dzbDRid3BHaXNOMWhvT1VUaWpPR1NNQzgzT2hLdi1XSmQwU2dWLS1JZUhMMTlZYnIxc0Y1Ui1JUXlhcXdzVS0zdnRtWExNUnhGaC04WDRpY2ZpckpyX1ZWZmEtaC1JLS1hWlBMdmhLUlhJNTJzNDJqaHRNdkVtcmhURERReGRCTGc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_97399e927fa2",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "France offers to deploy nuclear deterrent across Europe for first time - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "France offers to deploy nuclear deterrent across Europe for first time\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:16:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBOb3laMm1ObmdBNGsxNnBLTmlwS2FRaDg4YTdtbTRyVGlXaEdxQ1BsTmxacE5rZzMtTGpCSjhYLU5kbzRzeWViQlBJYWplWTh0WUI5SzZObHJVN1hJSHRDQUdnN0dva3JkQy1haUI5Vno?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1f997b90f124",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel shuts Al-Aqsa Mosque and bans Ramadan prayer for third consecutive day - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israel shuts Al-Aqsa Mosque and bans Ramadan prayer for third consecutive day\nIsrael has closed al-Aqsa Mosque for the third consecutive day, preventing Palestinian Muslims from praying at the site during the holy month of Ramadan, in what has been described as an unprecedented violation.\nPalestinians warn that the move forms part of a broader Israeli strategy to exploit security tensions to impose further restrictions and consolidate control over al-Aqsa Mosque.\nThe closure comes under what Israeli authorities describe as a state of emergency following its launch of a war with Iran on Saturday.\nThe mosque, located in occupied East Jerusalem, will remain shut until further notice, with only essential activity permitted.\nSheikh Ikrima Sabri, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem and one of al-Aqsa’s senior imams, condemned the “unjustified” decision.\nHe told Al Jazeera the closure \"signifies police control under the pretext of security\".\n'The situation at the mosque is dire'\n- Islamic Waqf worker\n“It contravenes freedom of worship and suggests that the occupation authorities are asserting control over the mosque and stripping the Islamic Waqf of its authority to administer it.”\nThe closure during Ramadan is unprecedented in recent memory, as al-Aqsa Mosque is rarely shut to worshippers.\nIsraeli forces briefly closed the site in 2014 and again in 2017 amid heightened tensions in Jerusalem. In 2014, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the move as a “declaration of war”.\nThe mosque was also closed during the Covid-19 pandemic on public health grounds. Aside from that period, no prolonged closure had been recorded since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.\nHowever, Israel shut the site during the 12-day war with Iran in June, a move many Palestinians viewed as unprecedented at the time.\n'New reality at al-Aqsa'\nThe latest closure, the first during Ramadan - when hundreds of thousands of worshippers would normally gather at al-Aqsa - has deepened concern.\n“The situation at the mosque is dire,” said a worker at the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, the Jordanian-appointed religious endowment that oversees the management of the mosque complex.\n'I do not recall it ever being closed in this way. The new reality at al-Aqsa, which we had feared, has now materialised'\n- Mustafa Abu Sway, Islamic Waqf Council member\nThe worker, who spoke to Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity, said only a limited number of guards were permitted to cover day and night shifts, while others were barred from entering.\nSince Saturday, Waqf officials have not even been allowed to bring them food, the worker added.\nHe said the closure comes amid what he described as an Israeli effort to empty the mosque of worshippers, with growing restrictions on the numbers allowed to enter even on ordinary days, alongside sweeping bans on specific individuals.\nAccording to the worker, around 1,000 Jerusalem residents have received orders banning them from the mosque, including senior imams and 39 Waqf employees.\nDr Mustafa Abu Sway, a professor who teaches at al-Aqsa Mosque and a member of the Islamic Waqf Council in Jerusalem, said the closure was further evidence that long-feared Israeli changes to the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque have taken effect.\n“I do not recall it ever being closed in this way,” Abu Sway told MEE.\n“The new reality at al-Aqsa, which we had feared, has now materialised,” he said.\n“There are dramatic changes introduced under the latest strategy, and it is not only during Ramadan. This includes preventing and banning a large number of Waqf employees from al-Aqsa Mosque, restricting the entry of certain loudspeakers and other measures.”\nAl-Aqsa Mosque, located in Jerusalem’s Old City, is one of Islam’s holiest sites.\nFor decades, it has been governed under an international arrangement preserving its religious status as an exclusively Islamic site.\nBut since the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Israelis have been gradually eroding that status through increasing restrictions on Palestinian and Muslim access, while expanding Jewish presence and control.\nIsrael's control of East Jerusalem, including the Old City, violates several principles under international law, which stipulate that an occupying power has no sovereignty in the territory it occupies and cannot make any permanent changes there.\nAlongside the mosque’s closure, Israeli forces have imposed sweeping restrictions on merchants in the Old City and surrounding areas, forcing many, apart from food shops and bakeries, to shut their businesses.\nIbrahimi Mosque closure\nThe Israeli military has also closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, since the launch of the war with Iran.\nThe mosque’s director, Mu’taz Abu Sneineh, said the army had announced that all prayers at the site would be suspended “until further notice”.\nThe Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron is among the holiest sites in Islam, Judaism and Christianity. It has been administered by Palestinians and used as a mosque for more than 1,400 years.\nHowever, like al-Aqsa Mosque, it has long faced what Palestinians describe as Israeli attempts to alter its Islamic character in favour of an expanded Jewish presence.\nLast month, Israel announced sweeping changes to governance in the West Bank, in moves critics say amount to de facto annexation, even without a formal declaration.\nHebron was explicitly referenced in those decisions. Under the new measures, authority over building permits and construction approvals in the city was transferred from the Palestinian Authority to the Israeli military.\nThis has raised concerns about the prospect of unchecked Israeli control over the Ibrahimi Mosque in the future.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:19:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxPRERPR1pCdjY3MGhCcXNvTUdhZG9TbS02U3RfSVNJazBqWXB6TE9fdEphVVpzM0xhbGx1T1BZUW4wcmt1WU5rdWpWYXVtZnpCZzVsS1FZTHBvSVdNSWxYLWV3Vl9laTBXZVNtVk9MTE0xbFo5QmZRMEFTZGQ4MDRLNmdn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_056af69a1c50",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "The war in the Middle East in maps, video and photos - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "A US-Israeli war against Iran that began on Saturday with bombing and missile attacks that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has exploded into a regional conflict, with Tehran retaliating by launching strikes across the Middle East.\nOn Tuesday, Israel’s military launched a ground invasion of Lebanon, where it has been carrying out intense strikes after Iran’s ally, Hezbollah, fired rockets across the frontier.\nUS and Israeli strikes on Iran have continued non-stop, killing hundreds of people. And in the Gulf, multiple Iranian attacks were reported on Tuesday, including a drone attack that hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. Other strikes hit Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where authorities said they were dealing with an “advanced fire” in the port.\nEurope has also been dragged into the conflict, with Cyprus announcing two separate drone attacks that targeted a British base on the Mediterranean island.\nUS and Israeli attacks\nOn Saturday, Israel announced the beginning of what it called Operation Lion’s Roar, which an Israeli military official said was intended to “degrade the regime’s capabilities”. The attack was launched in tandem with what the US called Operation Epic Fury.\nStrikes since then have hit key security and political targets in Tehran, including Khamenei’s residence, and ballistic missile caches elsewhere in the country.\nCities across Iran have been hit, in what an Israeli military official said was a much more wide-ranging campaign than the previous US-Israeli attack on Iran in the 12-day war last summer. Israel claimed to have killed at least 40 senior Iranian commanders in the first day of attacks.\nSatellite imagery taken on Monday showed new damage to the nuclear facility at Natanz, which was also hit by the US last year.\nOn Tuesday the Iranian Red Crescent Society said the death toll in the country stood at 787.\nIn what appeared to be the worst mass casualty event of the campaign on Iran so far, almost 165 people were killed and at least 95 wounded in a strike on a girls’ school in Minab, in the southern Hormozgan province, according to state media. There is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base in the same city.\nAuthorities have instructed citizens to flee big cities for safety. Many security institutions and officials are located in residential areas of Iran, making civilian casualties likely.\nIranian retaliation\nDespite the apparent loss of a significant portion of its senior military and political leadership, Iran has bombed targets in the Gulf – particularly in countries allied with Washington – and unleashed waves of ballistic missiles towards Israel.\nIn Israel, where several locations were hit by Iranian missiles, 11 people were killed, including eight people in the town of Beit Shemesh, which was struck by a missile on Sunday afternoon.\nIran’s retaliation pushed far past previous unwritten red lines that had largely excluded the Gulf from previous conflict with Israel and the US.\nIran struck targets including luxury hotels in Dubai and Bahrain and airports in Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain. Smoke was seen rising above Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah island on Monday, and photographs showed damage to buildings in Bahrain.\nIt also struck a port facility in Oman and a ship north-west of Muscat, as the Iranian military broadcast radio warnings to ships intending to cross the strait of Hormuz.\nSaudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery came under attack from drones, with defences downing the incoming aircraft.\nA new front in Lebanon\nThe speed at which the conflict turned regional was dizzying.\nLebanon was drawn into the regional war on Monday after a rocket attack on Israel by Hezbollah, an Iranian ally based there that said it wanted to “avenge” the killing of Khamenei. Israel quickly responded with large-scale strikes, including on the capital, Beirut, and on Tuesday ordered troops into southern Lebanon.\nIsraeli airstrikes have killed 52 people and displaced at least 30,000 in Lebanon in two days. Despite a 2024 ceasefire deal, Israel has conducted regular airstrikes on the country.\nIn the first strike to reach US allies in Europe, a drone hit Britain’s Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus. Two more drones had been intercepted en route, the Cyprus government said.\nThe chaos of the conflict became apparent when Kuwait mistakenly shot down three American F-15E Strike Eagles. All six pilots ejected safely and were reported to be in a stable condition.\nSeparately, four US service members have been killed in action as part of US military operations against Iran, US Central Command has said, without providing details.\nCancelled flights, closed trade routes\nStrikes on Gulf countries and the wider region left travellers stranded as major hubs in Dubai and Qatar were closed.\nFlights around and through the region were cancelled or delayed and it was unclear when the airspace above Gulf countries would reopen.\nWorld markets were rattled by the fighting and oil prices soared after the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, one of the most important arteries for global trade that runs between Gulf states and Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:19:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxOSjd6M0hKT1BrTG5GYTlTOHJtVC1wRkNSVWYxTFhmQi1EOUtTMG1aYy1WMXZOT2pLNUYwMC1Wd3hsajhibERCaVV4YktDQjJRT2pOc3hSdElDZnB2R2JQelp6U3lDU1d2bW55NVpzT2ttT2FpMG14MFplcy1Pem5yOHRUUmFnbXBLeHE1bHZNbjdmWjJTNFV3S0tB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_daf0e318bdce",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "World hurries to respond to rapidly changing war around Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "World hurries to respond to rapidly changing war around Iran\nWorld hurries to respond to rapidly changing war around Iran\nTOKYO (AP) — A shaken world reacted with anger and confusion — and more involvement than expected, in some cases — Monday as the coordinated U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran over the weekend sprawled into a regional war.\nThe first details of possible effects on Iran’s nuclear program, the issue at the center of the escalating conflict, began to emerge. More allies of the U.S. and Israel engaged, as did Iran’s armed proxies. And countries from the Gulf to Cyprus found themselves in the line of fire.\nFast-paced diplomacy was required as the missiles and drones kept coming. Borders closed, embassies emptied and allies sent military reinforcements.\nOpen support, and some silence\nMany nations refrained from commenting directly on the initial U.S.-Israeli joint strikes but condemned Tehran’s retaliation, perhaps mindful of U.S. President Donald Trump.\nOther governments criticized Iran’s strikes on Arab neighbors while staying silent on the U.S. and Israeli military action.\nCanada — not shy about its frustration with the Trump administration — expressed open support for the U.S. strikes, along with Australia.\nRussia, China and Spain responded with sometimes sharp criticism. Russia’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. and Israel of “hiding behind” concerns about Iran’s nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change.\nIndia called for dialogue. “There will have to be a dialogue at some point,” the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said.\nWith thousands of citizens of countries around the world stranded at airports or on cruise ships, and some from countries like the Philippines and China killed in the exchanges of fire, more nations have a stake in what comes next.\nAll will have the chance for more say as international groups convene in urgent calls and meetings, after the U.N. Security Council gathered in emergency session on Saturday, hours after strikes began.\nPitching in to stop Iran\nIn a statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on the United States and Iran to resume talks over Iran’s nuclear program and said they favored a negotiated settlement. Saturday’s strikes began two days after the latest round of talks.\nThe three countries have led efforts to reach a negotiated solution over Iran’s nuclear program.\nAt the same time, Britain, France and Germany said they were ready to help with efforts to keep Iran from firing more missiles and drones.\nBut countries tried to make clear how far they might go. Germany will not actively participate in military action against Iran but will consider defending its soldiers stationed on multinational military bases in Jordan and Iraq if they are attacked, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday.\nBritain stressed that it was “not at war,” although it said it would now permit the U.S. to use joint bases to strike Iran, pointing to Iran’s “scorched-earth strategy.”\nTop diplomats of six Gulf states — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — after an emergency meeting called on Iran to immediately halt its attacks and asserted their right to self-defense.\nA plea for talks, too\nOman, which was facilitating the nuclear talks and tried to keep the U.S. and Iran at the table as tensions soared, said the U.S. action “constitutes a violation of the rules of international law and the principle of settling disputes through peaceful means.” Oman, too, like other Gulf nations reported attacks that came uncomfortably close to home.\nBut Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said after the second full day of hostilities that “the door to diplomacy remains open.”\nMeanwhile, some states were shaken into saying something different.\nThe 22-nation Arab League, which has historically condemned both Israel and Iran for actions it says risk destabilizing the region, called the Iranian attacks “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of countries that advocate for peace and strive for stability.”\nAnd Syria was among Iran’s closest regional allies and a staunch critic of Israel under former President Bashar Assad, yet its foreign ministry singularly condemned Iran, reflecting the new government’s efforts to rebuild ties with regional economic heavyweights and the United States.\nConcerns about oil and nuclear assets\nChina, a significant buyer of Iranian oil, said it was “highly concerned” about the U.S. and Israeli strikes called for an immediate halt to the military action and return to negotiations.\nBut Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday played down growing worry about the economic impact on oil shipments from the Middle East, saying Japan has oil reserves at home that can last for several months.\nThe Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. And European Union leaders in a joint statement called for restraint and diplomacy in hopes of “ensuring nuclear safety.”\n___\nAssociated Press writers around the world contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:20:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPUXlJR3NlWHFGZm9KZDZoZnFUMWpoWGpsU3ZnTWpuRnBOZjV3VkJSRGh2RW9zc2hoaVBzcjRjSks1WEVvaE5ubUU4aVR2Yk03U3AzdndDaWlwUWFVOEFGUF9WVHZsajBnckZDUl9YRzAtQlpkTWhZelJRTnV0UTNtUWJqUWtBUmZvd3FZN2tJZkZSRy1rNmFpOEgzSEdyQXA5OFVZTFotald6X0s4?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f5939faa6117",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The Iran war exposes the limits of Russia’s leverage in a fragmenting regional order - Chatham House",
    "body_text": "The Iran war exposes the limits of Russia’s leverage in a fragmenting regional order    Chatham House",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:28:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxOTk9rSVFwNzVTTGhzY2VpNS1vSTZfbGl1czh4WGZLR09BbV9VOHhDMTlNZ202Z1V0YW5NODRtSUw1cnBFd0QtQnJTUzdxNndWWnBUbHB5QUhWRDBuX21lckR4bC1ONTRoYXNDdXlsQzVMRkZoelFSRGlaMXlKdXVXM0ZfWGdjaDlJdmFPRURud2FvN282TGlNVVIxYkxCeWVJWkItV2JETQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3a4a62c2a25a",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Mideast Buyers Defy Missile Strikes to Extend Global Deal Spree - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Mideast Buyers Defy Missile Strikes to Extend Global Deal Spree    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:34:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxPR3hjM3BWeE45WS1WOWdWWDlhV2hIUzRwclJGQk5lRTJTZi1wX3FPQVBaU1YyNHloWGVWNm5sR3Q2RzFYc3F5ODFWQjZCeDhzZ3dQczdxQXN2WnlEWXRkekdNWXBwQUJibUVydGVqUHBWeHNVSElnZk5GcktidXh0MTlpZ3J4NEUyYlFnX1ZBb3kxMWozb0psczRjNWZ5V244X0phN0hfaVNqbVBySlNyN0FmSmlZWFlDcmpkdWZWU0pnQnU1Wnc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9c754e8f7bf1",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What is Iran’s military strategy? How has it changed since June 2025 war? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Iran appeared determined to avenge the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials following the start of the US-Israeli assault on Saturday, as Tehran continued to strike back at Israel and United States military assets across the Gulf on Monday.\nAfter Khamenei’s death was confirmed by Iranian state media on Sunday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed revenge and launched what it called “the heaviest offensive operations in the history of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic against occupied lands [a reference to Israel] and the bases of American terrorists”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Explosions across Qatar, UAE, Kuwait as Iran’s retaliatory strikes continue\n- list 2 of 3What we know on day three of US-Israeli attacks on Iran\n- list 3 of 3Oil prices rise sharply after US, Israeli attacks on Iran\nIran’s army chief, Amir Hatami, also pledged to continue defending the country, as the army claimed its fighter jets had bombed US bases across the Gulf region on Sunday.\nThis is not the first time Iran has targeted Israel and US military bases in the Gulf region in retaliatory strikes. Last June, during Iran’s 12-day war with Israel, Tehran launched a wave of ballistic missiles targeting Israel and the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, which hosts US troops. Most of these missiles were intercepted and destroyed, and the strike on Al Udeid was pre-warned and largely seen as a face-saving exercise.\nThis year, defence analysts say Iran has revised its military strategy to a more aggressive one focused on the Islamic Republic’s survival.\nWhat does Iran’s military structure look like?\nIran’s military power is often described as opaque and complex.\nThe nation operates parallel armies, multiple intelligence services and layered command structures, all of which answer directly to the supreme leader, who serves as the commander in chief of all the armed forces.\nThe parallel armies comprise the Artesh – or Iran’s regular army, which is responsible for territorial defence, airspace and conventional warfare – and the IRGC, whose role goes beyond defence and includes protecting Iran’s political structure.\nThe IRGC also controls Iran’s airspace and drone arsenal, which has become the backbone of Iran’s deterrence strategy against attacks from Israel and the US.\nDefence analysts told Al Jazeera that such a complex military structure is a deliberate strategy to safeguard the country from both external and internal threats, such as coups.\n“Iran’s military strategy is derived from its political structure. Their political aim is to safeguard their own territorial integrity and stop foreign intervention targeted at overthrowing their rule,” a military specialist and former military official, who requested anonymity, told Al Jazeera.\nHow has Iran responded to strikes?\nFollowing the US and Israel’s coordinated strikes on Iran on Saturday, Tehran has retaliated against Israel and US military bases across the Gulf region, using Shahed drones – Iranian unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) – and high-speed ballistic missiles.\nWhile Israel, the US and Gulf countries have intercepted most of these missiles, some have struck military assets and civilian infrastructure. Debris from those intercepted has also fallen on some civilian areas.\nOn Saturday, Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones across the United Arab Emirates (the UAE, where US military bases are present), its Ministry of Defence said, with fires and smoke reaching the Dubai landmarks of Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab.\nAt Abu Dhabi’s airport, at least one person was killed and seven wounded during what the facility’s authority called an “incident”. Dubai’s airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, and Kuwait’s airport were also hit.\nAt least nine people were also killed and more than 20 injured in Iran’s missile strike on the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh on Sunday.\nWhat is Iran’s strategy here?\nJohn Phillips, a British safety, security and risk adviser and a former military chief instructor, told Al Jazeera that Iran’s current military strategy is to survive intense Israeli‑US pressure, rebuild its core capabilities, and restore deterrence by calibrated asymmetric escalation through missiles, drones and proxies.\nHe said the military strategy firstly focuses on “asymmetric endurance, which is a case of hardening ‘missile cities’, dispersing command structures, and accepting initial damage in order to preserve a second‑strike capability rather than trying to prevent all strikes”. Missile cities are defensive infrastructure used by Iran to safeguard its ballistic and cruise missiles from any aerial attacks\nPhillips explained that regional saturation and proxy warfare are also part of the strategy whereby Iran is using “large salvos of ballistic missiles and loitering munitions, alongside actions by Hezbollah and remaining partner militias across the Middle East, to stretch Israeli and US missile defences and impose costs region‑wide”.\nEarly on Monday, Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at northern Israel, to avenge the killing of Khamenei.\nPhillips added that Iran has also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz as part of its military strategy to raise the global economic stakes of the war and pressure Western and Gulf governments.\nAbout 20-30 percent of global oil and gas supplies are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Instability in this important maritime route could rattle economic stability worldwide. So far, Iran has not officially closed the strait. But shipping data from Sunday showed that at least 150 tankers, including crude oil and liquified natural gas vessels, had dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the strait.\nHow is this strategy different from last June?\nIn June last year, Iran and Israel, which was supported by the US, engaged in a 12-day war.\nIt erupted on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched air strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, killing key nuclear scientists and military commanders.\nIran retaliated with hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israeli cities. In the days that followed, Israel and Iran traded missiles as casualties mounted on both sides. While casualties were high in Iran, they were minimal in Israel. However, some missiles did breach Israel’s much-lauded Iron Dome.\nThe US entered the military clash on June 22 with bunker-buster strikes on Iran’s Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan nuclear facilities. Afterwards, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been neutralised.\nA fragile ceasefire was eventually brokered by the US on June 24, hours after Iran had fired missiles at the largest airbase hosting US troops in the Middle East – Al Udeid in Qatar.\nPhillips said that since then, Tehran has shifted its military doctrine from a primarily defensive containment to an explicitly offensive asymmetric posture.\n“The June 2025 war marked a major inflection from largely proxy‑based confrontation to direct, high‑intensity exchanges between Iran and Israel, with US involvement,” he said.\n“Compared to June 2025, Iran today appears more structurally aggressive in doctrine where it is formally embracing earlier and more extensive use of regional missiles, drones, cyberattacks and energy coercion (when energy resources and infrastructure are targeted or cut off), but is operationally constrained by battle damage, sanctions and internal instability,” he added.\nPhillips also noted that Iran has become more risk‑accepting and escalatory in nature since June last year.\n“But its degraded capabilities and fear of triggering an outright regime‑ending campaign push it toward calibrated, episodic bursts of aggression rather than permanent high‑intensity warfare,” he said.\n“Their immediate response is likely to be similar to that post the killing of [Qassem] Soleimani,” he said.\nIn January 2020, after Trump’s administration killed IRGC military commander Qassem Soleimani, along with six others in an air raid on Baghdad’s international airport in Iraq, Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two Iraqi bases hosting US forces. There were no casualties.\nPhillips added that Iran will likely resort to “excessive proxy attacks … for the period of mourning to avenge the killing of the ayatollah. There is highly likely to be another large-scale ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] attack on Israel to prove a point and to fight back.”\nIs Iran’s current military strategy working?\nDefence analysts say it is too early to tell whether the recalibrated strategy is working.\n“Iran has a strong army, but there are currently no boots on the ground, and it is an aerial war. Iran is in a disadvantageous position with its air defence compared to the US and Israel. Tehran has increased its stockpile of aerial missiles, but only time will tell if it can hold its own,” the military expert and former official said.\nPhillips compared Iran to a “wounded animal” and said that in narrow deterrence terms, Tehran’s military strategy is working to the extent that it has demonstrated it can still launch meaningful missile and drone attacks after the 2025 strikes. It has also forced Israel and the US into a “sustained, resource‑intensive defensive and offensive campaign rather than a clean, one‑off disarmament”, he added.\n“However, Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure has been heavily damaged, its economy further weakened, and it lost Ayatollah Khamenei in the strike on Tehran, leaving the regime more vulnerable and internally strained, which indicates that its strategy has not prevented severe strategic setbacks,” he said.\nHow long can Iran hold out?\nEven before the Israeli and US attacks on Iran on Saturday, Iranian officials had warned that any attack from Washington or Tel Aviv on Iran would be treated as the start of a wider war, not a contained operation.\nAfter Khamenei’s killing, this stance by Iranian officials has continued.\n“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a televised address, referring to the US and Israel.\n“We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”\nWhile Iran, the US and Israel have traded air strikes since Saturday, it remains unclear how long the conflict will continue.\nPhillips said that militarily, Iran can likely sustain “intermittent missile, drone, proxy, and cyber operations for years because these systems are relatively cheap and can be produced and deployed from dispersed, hardened facilities, even under sanctions”.\n“Politically and economically, however, prolonged high‑intensity conflict that invites repeated large US‑Israeli strikes risks severe economic contraction, internal unrest, and further erosion of regime legitimacy,” he said.\n“So Tehran has strong incentives to oscillate between escalation and tacit pauses rather than sustain continuous full‑scale war,” Phillips added.\nHow long can the US and Israel hold out?\nUS President Trump has repeatedly warned Iran against retaliation and threatened that the US could strike Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” in the face of retaliation. But he has also sent mixed messages about how long the war could continue.\nSince early February, the US has amassed a vast array of military assets in the Middle East, amid escalating tensions with Iran.\nAccording to open-source intelligence analysts and military flight-tracking data, since early February, the US appears to have deployed more than 120 aircraft to the region – the largest surge in US airpower in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq war.\nThe reported deployments include E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, F-35 stealth strike fighters and F-22 air superiority jets, alongside F-15s and F-16s. Flight-tracking data shows many departing bases in the US and Europe, supported by cargo aircraft and aerial refuelling tankers, a sign of sustained operational planning rather than routine rotations.\nBut after attacking Iran, Trump has been unclear about how long the conflict could last.\nOn March 1, he told the New York Times that the war could last for four to five weeks. He told ABC News that after the killing of Khamenei, the US was not thinking of targeting anyone else. He also told The Atlantic magazine that Iran’s new leadership had agreed to talk to him, signalling a potential end to the ongoing conflict.\nChristopher Featherstone, associate lecturer in the department of politics at the University of York, said that for the US and Israel, international condemnation and domestic opposition could be a limiting factor.\n“The US can continue to deploy assets in the region, but any increase in attack would require a huge political effort and significant resources. Trump ran on being an ‘at home’ president, but is increasingly aggressive abroad. However, he is still wary of sustained foreign engagement,” Featherstone told Al Jazeera.\nPhillips said that militarily, Israel retains qualitative superiority, an active missile‑defence network, and robust US security support, allowing it to sustain repeated air and missile campaigns and defensive operations for an extended period.\n“Its main constraints are domestic resilience (civilian disruption, reserve mobilisation fatigue) and the cumulative diplomatic and economic costs of prolonged regional conflict, which suggest it can sustain a grinding campaign for years, in military terms, but will come under growing pressure – internal and external – to stabilise the situation well before that,” Phillips said, adding that support from European and United Kingdom defence contractors could also dictate, to a degree, how long Israel can sustain this conflict.\n‘The US can sustain the current tempo of strikes, air and naval deployments, and missile‑defence support far longer than either regional actor in purely material terms, given its global force posture and industrial base,” he said.\n“The binding constraint is domestic political will and strategic prioritisation,” he noted.\n“The Iran-Israel theatre is testing Washington’s ability to align its National Defense Strategy with limited public appetite for another open‑ended Middle Eastern conflict,” Phillips said. “So the US is likely to aim for a contained, deterrence‑focused campaign rather than an indefinite high‑intensity war. Their catalyst for stopping will be the political will of allies and how much sway they can hold over the next supreme leader.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:39:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c436e4e0ea4f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Live Updates: U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran widens - PBS",
    "body_text": "Live Updates: U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran widens    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:39:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxQTnpCUDFBQmgxMU50YW1tOWx4cTJ4YnFCM2g1d1FaUjJBYlpqUlZHWFZYbEViYTE3Z28wdHhLb1hvN1B5RGNhanNQZlRxczVxcFNvei1pX1Y2REd0bjR6cGplN2JKdnhzS0FBLTBDUl9UQThDN09iT0hBRzVhMGpWeVY1ZHFOcWtsSExvWNIBkgFBVV95cUxQM0VmMFAzYW03Y0ZkeW54Y183WHFNekl6M1lEeXlGWEE0bXFHZHVXU20xZG9NelVQR002NUFIV21CNE96WnFGd05qdTJhNG42SVlocWtsYU1fMEJWQzFsb21PTWx3eENiek9RMHloSDVHVlJkVzFubkw2S0JNNTU2NnZNS0FOekxVX0hyd3ZjNE9pUQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_07192104fe5e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US surges forces to Middle East as Pentagon warns Iran fight ‘will take some time' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "More U.S. forces are headed to the Middle East, according to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as the U.S. escalates its campaign against Iran.\n\"The flow of forces continues today. In fact, Adm. Cooper will receive additional forces even today,\" Caine said during a Pentagon briefing Monday morning, referring to Central Command chief Brad Cooper.\nCaine declined to provide troop numbers, saying, \"I don't want to talk specifics, because that would tip the enemy off. We have more tactical aviation flowing into theater just based on the time it took to get it out there.\"\n\"I think we're just about where we want to be in terms of total combat capacity and total combat power for Adm. Cooper.\"\nCaine said the additional forces build on a monthlong repositioning of U.S. assets across the region, including carrier strike groups, advanced fighter aircraft and air defense systems, as the U.S. prosecutes what officials described as \"major combat operations\" that have already resulted in the death of 555 Iranians, according to an Associated Press count, as of Monday morning.\nCaine said the U.S. mission in Iran is to \"prevent Iran from (the) ability to project power outside its borders.\"\n\"This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it today,\" added War Secretary Pete Hegseth.\nHegseth said the mission was to destroy Iranian missiles and missile production, destroy its navy and ensure it has no capability to pursue a nuclear weapon.\nThe general warned the operation \"will take some time\" and acknowledged, \"We expect to take additional losses.\" Four U.S. service members have been killed in the operation that began in the early hours of Saturday Eastern Time.\nHegseth said the service members were struck by an Iranian missile that penetrated air defenses at a tactical command center.\nAsked whether there are American boots on the ground in Iran, Hegseth replied, \"no,\" but said the administration would not telegraph future options.\nIt's \"one of the fallacies\" that \"this department or presidents or others should tell the American people — and our enemies, by the way — 'here's exactly what we'll do,'\" Hegseth said. \"It's foolishness.\"\nAt the start of the operation known as Epic Fury, Caine said more than 100 aircraft launched from land and sea in a synchronized wave, including fighters, tankers, electronic attack aircraft, bombers and unmanned platforms. U.S. cyber and space forces first conducted non-kinetic operations designed to disrupt and degrade Iran’s ability to communicate and respond, he said.\nTomahawk missiles fired from U.S. Navy vessels struck Iranian naval forces along the southern flank, while coordinated precision strikes targeted command and control infrastructure, ballistic missile sites and intelligence facilities.\nCaine said the opening phase struck more than 1,000 targets in the first 24 hours. American B-2 bombers flew 37-hour round-trip missions from the continental United States to hit underground facilities with penetrating munitions, he added.\n\"We are now roughly 57 hours into the operation,\" Caine said Monday, adding that U.S. forces have launched hundreds of missions and delivered tens of thousands of pieces of ordnance as the campaign continues to scale.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:43:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOeUJHSUhKNVMxcG93LXNicGo0U29yYjN0TjZOOW9NeklRNzBna3Zsb0pRYTFpSFlTT0txdy11LWlnRWhDR0tRVE01aW5uZ0lEOUdIb3N4aWpYVFllcFc4eThVbEpwWmtJSHRZZU5lUzRBMW1Vc0RhOTRNNzYxMWJha0Jxc3dhTVNLRjhkVmtLdnppbjFnNmhwTXRqYU1aanZSM2tObm1ObXpDS2PSAbABQVVfeXFMTVBKSGFPcWNjVjlZQXhDS3o4UGREMFVxZ3ltOEJ0dlVIRERsRmlObEUyTHlOdS0zQkFacDVyUC00ZDdIbGNyRGcxWTBXNy1NNkRjaWUtVmJUTmFiVVZOa0RPRWo5X3lhS0F3a0ZBdDlRak1SY0RNdTN5LXpSUW9DRHg2dXpMV2x2UU1qRUVEemRsd0ZjVlcxRnpIbFM5Z2JqVUlxSnp0blpab0Vrd2lBOXk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ee373f095f23",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US says Kuwait mistakenly downed 3 American jets during Iranian attacks - AP News",
    "body_text": "US says Kuwait mistakenly downed 3 American jets during Iranian attacks\nCAIRO (AP) — Three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire Monday during an Iranian air assault, the U.S. military said.\nAll six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition after being recovered, the U.S. said.\nAn attack by Iranian aircraft, missiles and drones was underway at the time the planes were shot down.\nIranian state television claimed that Iran had targeted one of the U.S. planes that crashed in Kuwait without elaborating.\nExplosions could be heard as one of the planes fell from the sky in flames, said witness Ahmed al-Asar, who rushed to the scene with about a dozen others as an airman parachuted to the ground.\nAl-Asar initially thought it was an Iranian pilot, but recognized he was American before rescuers whisked him away.\nKuwait said its air defenses had accidentally shot down the jets as part of its support for the U.S. combat operation in Iran, U.S. Central Command said.\n“The U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” the military said. “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”\nThe cause of the incident was under investigation, the U.S. said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:43:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPeXJ3dEdBWmptUVNEMHBVUzlJS0NpNS16WnZ5QkxZTlZXeUlTbkUtSDFoSDAzMzkxalVmZ09TQW0yNDc4VUJzMlJSc2RNc0FieHJBNzVwTjQweERFbGFXQVMxVlVXLXVZMkVseFFqQWJLeEdzOHNERFNBc05tRkRjdjR6cGpHMU5mM1Z6NEgySm1rQlZqYWhFWm93bTVaRDZaZnd6MHJxbw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f623bfc3c6f9",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Inside the Actor Awards: Roars as 'Sinners' wins big, stars mingling and other off-camera moments - AP News",
    "body_text": "Inside the Actor Awards: Roars as ‘Sinners’ wins big, stars mingling and other off-camera moments\nInside the Actor Awards: Roars as ‘Sinners’ wins big, stars mingling and other off-camera moments\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Screen Actors Guild’s 32nd Actor Awards ended with thunderous roars inside the Shrine Exposition Hall, where attendees leaped from their banquet seats in celebration as back-to-back wins for Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” brought the ceremony to an electrifying close.\nThe eruption began even before Viola Davis finished announcing the winner for best male actor.\nAfter opening the envelope, Davis glanced at the card — prompting a collective gasp that rippled across the showroom, as if much of the audience already knew what was coming. When she called out Michael B. Jordan’s name, cheers exploded through the cavernous hall, with stars rising to their feet and embracing around the room.\nMinutes later, the volume climbed again.\nBefore revealing the winner for best ensemble, presenter Samuel L. Jackson let out an enthusiastic scream that sent a surge of anticipation through the crowd. Natasha Rothwell was among the first to jump up, pumping her fists and shouting “Yes!” as Jackson declared “Sinners.”\nJordan, who had just accepted his individual award backstage, reemerged, tapping a dancing Jackson on the shoulder before heading toward several of his castmates, including Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku. The group collapsed into hugs as the room rose once more in a standing ovation, the showroom transforming into a full celebration among actors honoring their own.\nWhile those moments played powerfully on screen, much of the night’s energy unfolded away from the cameras — in the aisles between tables, during commercial breaks and inside crowded holding areas just outside the showroom doors.\nStars spring into action during commercial breaks\nOnce the ceremony cut to commercial, the ballroom instantly shifted into motion.\nActors slipped out of their chairs to head toward the bar, make quick bathroom runs or weave between tables to greet friends — even if only for a few minutes — before stage lights dimmed and brightened again to signal it was time to return to their seats.\nDuring the first break, “Pluribus” star Rhea Seehorn and “Sinners” actor Jayme Lawson hurried across the room in high heels to congratulate Keri Russell, who had just won best female actor in a drama series for “The Diplomat.”\nDuring another break, Woody Harrelson caught up with Jason Bateman while Leslie Bibb and Sam Rockwell exchanged greetings with fellow attendees. Rockwell later reconnected with Omar Benson Miller outside the showroom.\n“Sinners” song uplifts star-filled room\nWhen Miles Caton appeared onstage backed by a full choir performing “This Little Light of Mine,” one actor jumped to her feet faster than many of his “Sinners” castmates.\nParker Posey was among the first in the showroom to embrace the gospel energy. She stood up almost immediately, dancing in place and throwing her hands into the air as Caton led the performance.\nThe song originated in the 1920s and has been sung and remixed over the years. The rendition for the “Sinners” film featured Caton along with the DC6 Singers Collective and the Pleasant Valley Youth Choir of New Orleans.\nAround Posey, other attendees soon followed, clapping along as the musical number filled the ballroom.\nStars gather in packed pre-show holding area\nBefore stepping into the showroom, Hollywood stars mixed and mingled in a packed holding area lined with sofas and open bars, greeting friends and grabbing last-minute drinks before the ceremony began.\n“F1” star Damson Idris moved through the crowd alongside Seehorn. “Sinners” co-stars Lawson and Omar Benson Miller stopped to chat with attendees nearby. Seth Rogen of “The Studio” ordered a pair of cocktails at the bar, sampling one before heading inside.\nSheryl Lee Ralph paused for photos with her “Abbott Elementary” co-star Tyler James Williams, who earlier caught up with Courtney B. Vance.\nEyes on stage, or the screen\nInside the showroom, watching the ceremony often depended on where actors were seated.\nSome turned their chairs to face the stage directly, like when Jeremy Allen White rotated in his seat to keep his eyes on the presenters, while Jean Smart — seated beside Hannah Einbinder — relied more on large video screens positioned around the room.\nAdam Scott also shifted his chair to follow the broadcast feed, adjusting his view depending on the angle from his table.\nA warm send-off to the night\nAs the ceremony wound down, Ralph was approached by actor Odessa A’zion, who rushed over to embrace the “Abbott Elementary” star. The two exchanged words of admiration before Ralph offered a warm send-off: “Stay beautiful. Stay grounded.”\nActors lingered at their tables taking photos and hugging colleagues before gradually moving toward the exits and into the post-awards gala, the echoes of celebration still carrying through the hall.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:44:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifEFVX3lxTE9ISGQzUkQzME5IYm16MFZvaUwwYV9Ydk10cVBDbEUxTlh1TlN4UEhKRlVlNklTZlNqRXJnOFgzdjhEZElOZkpUWmdzLUd4TDBxMk5QLUhEeDlXUkc2SG5jNUpqMUVIUHhWbXpzX3lSb3BrUF8tNzhJdUlJUEg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cacdd7207281",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Aggression by the United States and Israel, Misdirected Self-Defense by Iran, and Collective Self-Defense of Gulf States - Just Security",
    "body_text": "The United States and Israel began major military operations against Iran on Feb. 28, in manifest violation of the United Nations Charter. The Charter prohibits the use of force against another State (art. 2(4)) unless that use of force is authorized by the UN Security Council (art. 42) or is a necessary and proportionate act of individual or collective self-defense in response to an armed attack (art. 51). The Council did not authorize the use of force against Iran, the United States did not request such authorization, and it is unlikely that the Council would have granted such a request. Iran was not attacking the United States or Israel, Iran was not about to attack them, and Iran was not planning to attack them. Iran was apparently actively negotiating the parameters of its nuclear program hours before the attacks began. U.S.-Israeli attacks have so far killed over one hundred civilians, many of them children in their school, in apparent violation of international humanitarian law. Such attacks are illegal twice over.\nIran responded by launching missiles and drones at Israel and at U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Iran’s strikes have killed, injured, and endangered many civilians, often impacting in civilian areas far from any military objectives, in apparent violation of international humanitarian law.\nIran’s strikes inside the Gulf States also appear to violate the UN Charter. The Gulf States have not attacked Iran, and they insist that no attacks against Iran have originated from U.S. bases on their territory. Under international law, a State commits aggression when it allows its territory to be used by another State to perpetrate an act of aggression against a third State, and such allowance might justify the use of defensive force on its territory. But it appears that the Gulf States had not allowed their territory to be used in this way, so Iran cannot use defensive force on their territory.\nIran also exceeded the limits of proportionate self-defense by targeting U.S. bases that appear to have no role in unlawful armed attacks against Iran. As Iran itself told the International Court of Justice in 1993,\nwhilst a counter-attack against the invading military force might be legitimate because it would be directly related to the protection of the State’s territorial integrity against the military forces actually violating that integrity, an attack on the aggressor’s military bases in a quite different part of the world would be illegitimate because directed at the wrong target.\nTogether, these two points are decisive. The Gulf States have done nothing to forfeit their right that Iran refrain from the use of force on their territory, and their right is not overridden by Iran’s right of proportionate self-defense.\nIn its letter to the UN Security Council on Saturday, Iran announced that “all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile forces in the region shall be regarded as legitimate military objectives within the framework of Iran’s lawful exercise of self-defense.” Iran might argue that the right of self-defense permits a State to target any of an aggressor’s military units, even those uninvolved in unlawful attacks, either to impose costs that might compel the aggressor to stop, or to ensure that military units not currently involved in the fighting do not join the fight later. Whatever the merits of this argument in other circumstances, such remote and speculative benefits cannot override the legal rights of uninvolved third States. This is confirmed by the near-universal condemnation of Iran’s attacks, including by the African Union and the Arab League.\nOn March 1, the United Kingdom announced that it would take certain actions to “defend[] itself and its position in the region” and “in the collective self-defence of regional allies who have requested support.” In a public summary of its legal position, the United Kingdom stated its intent to use “military assets flying in the region to intercept drones or missiles targeting countries not previously involved in the conflict.” Such measures would appear lawful. Under article 51 of the UN Charter, the Gulf States may request other States to use force in collective self-defense against unlawful armed attacks launched against them by Iran.\nThe United Kingdom also agreed to allow the United States to use British bases for “specific and limited defensive action against missile facilities in Iran which were involved in launching strikes at regional allies.” This arrangement would appear to be unlawful. The United States is committing an unlawful act of aggression, and the United Kingdom cannot aid or assist in its commission. Airstrikes against missile facilities in Iran have been, and will continue to be, an important component of the composite act of aggression. It is not possible to facilitate such airstrikes without facilitating the act of aggression of which they are a part. Nor is it possible to aid or assist an unlawful act and avoid responsibility by selectively intending only its desirable consequences.\nWhile the United Kingdom may act in collective self-defense of the Gulf States, the United States may not. Self-defense permits the use of force only when necessary, that is, when nonforcible means have failed or have no reasonable prospect of success. The United States can end Iran’s unlawful attacks against the Gulf States by ending its own unlawful attacks against Iran. Since the United States may not use force against Iran in collective self-defense of the Gulf States, the United Kingdom may not assist the United States in using force against Iran under any circumstances.\nThe U.K. Prime Minister said that “the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source – in their storage depots or the launchers which used to fire the missiles.” Even if true, this aim would not have to be pursued by aiding an aggressor. In any case, this is not true. Another way to stop the threat is to stop the war. The United Kingdom should encourage the United States to cease its ongoing aggression against Iran, while working with other partners to collectively defend the Gulf States from Iran.\nMany of Iran’s strikes within Israel appear to be directed at the civilian population, or so indiscriminate as to be directed at both civilian objects and military objectives without distinction. Such strikes would both violate international humanitarian law and fall outside the internal limits of the right of self-defense, which permits the use of force only against the source of an armed attack. Does it follow that Israel and the United States may invoke the right of self-defense in response to Iran’s unlawful response to their unlawful attack? No. The right of self-defense permits the use of force only in cases of necessity. Israel and the United States can end Iran’s unlawful response simply by ending their own unlawful attack. That is what they must do.\nThe United States, Israel, and Iran, have each violated international law. The United Kingdom appears poised to join them. Hundreds of civilians have paid the price. Before more children are burned alive or buried under rubble, this lawless war must end.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:45:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieEFVX3lxTE4zTUpYRWo0YVhPN1ZabEVqQjhmTGFULUVNNTRITE92bnNLdHNDSWpyeUZTTERGZFFZWXZQVHZkNE5kYUY4WjRLT3BJc3NfR2duTVk1X3BRdXRCeDJmR2R3b1Brd2p4ZktkbzQ0dC1vcVpKWGFkaWVnRg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7d769f29cf2b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US-Israel war on Iran dramatically expands across Middle East - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The war in the Middle East triggered by the joint US and Israeli attack on Iran expanded dramatically on Monday, with casualties and destruction reported across at least nine countries, including major strikes on Tehran.\nIsraeli and US warplanes launched a fresh wave of strikes across Iran, where the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said more than 500 people had been killed since the conflict began.\nIsrael also launched an intense wave of attacks into Lebanon after Hezbollah struck at northern Israel in retaliation for the Israeli strike on Saturday that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nIranian attacks were reported on oil infrastructure and other targets across a 1,200-mile swathe of the region – with damage inflicted from the Gulf of Oman, where a bomb-carrying drone boat exploded against an oil tanker, to Cyprus, targeting a British military base.\nThe US military said Kuwait’s air defences had mistakenly shot down three American F-15E fighters during an Iranian attack. All six crew members were safely recovered. Video showed one of the planes spiralling out of the sky, an engine lit up in flames, until it hit the ground and exploded in a fireball.\nBlack smoke rose above the area around the US embassy in Kuwait, where there was a heavy presence of security, ambulances and fire trucks.\nThere were loud blasts in Dubai and Samha in the United Arab Emirates, and in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Saudi Arabia shut its biggest refinery after drone strikes caused a fire there, one of a number of oil installations that became targets.\nIn the first strike to reach US allies in Europe, a drone hit Britain’s Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus overnight. Britain and Cyprus said the damage was limited and there were no casualties.\nThe effort to oust Iran’s leadership is the biggest US foreign policy gamble in decades.\nThe US president, Donald Trump, repeated his calls for Iranians to rise up and overthrow their leaders, and said the air campaign could last weeks, telling CNN the “big wave” of attacks was yet to come.\n“We’re knocking the crap out of them … The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon,” Trump told the network.\nIn the first public remarks by an administration official since the war began on Saturday, the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the US goals were to destroy Iran’s navy, its ballistic missiles production, and its potential to produce a nuclear weapon.\nHe repeatedly said the US would not get bogged down in the conflict, saying that the US operation was not a “democracy-building exercise” and that “this is not Iraq. This is not endless.”\nThe US military said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran’s ballistic missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. Trump said 10 Iranian warships had been sunk and that the Iranian navy’s headquarters had been “largely destroyed”.\nWithin Iran, where residents have jammed highways to flee cities as bombs fell, there was uncertainty about the future and emotion ranging from apprehension to euphoria.\nOne Tehran resident said that Monday’s bombardment of the capital was the heaviest so far and seemed to be more indiscriminate with missiles striking across the city. He said hospitals and clinics were among the buildings damaged. “We are becoming like Gaza,” he said.\nAnother resident, Hosna, a 45-year-old lawyer, said: “Every time we hear the noises [of explosions], we get scared for just a second. But we experience some joy and excitement every time we hear a strike.”\nThe IRCS put the death toll in Iran at 555 and said more than 130 cities across the country had come under attack. Israeli officials said its strikes on Monday were aimed at command and control centres and senior leaders of the ruling regime. In Israel, 11 people have been killed, and 52 in Lebanon, according to authorities.\nLate on Monday the Israeli military said it had begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran, shortly after it had issued an evacuation warning for the city’s residents.\nTwo large explosions were then reported near the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB. The Israeli army said it had “struck and dismantled” the complex.\nEuropean allies distanced themselves from Trump’s initial decision to go to war, saying it fell short of the legal threshold of meeting an imminent threat. But they have since said they would participate to help suppress Iran’s ability to retaliate, after Tehran struck their allies.\nA senior White House official told Reuters that Washington would at some point talk with Tehran, but not yet.\n“President Trump said new potential leadership in Iran has indicated they want to talk and eventually he will talk. For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated,” the official said.\nIt remained unclear what the longer-term prospects were for Iran to rebuild its leadership and replace Khamenei, 86.\nIran’s elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said on Sunday a leadership council comprised of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful guardian council had temporarily assumed the duties of the supreme leader.\nIn a post on X on Monday, Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Tehran’s supreme national security council, said Iran would not negotiate with Trump, who had “delusional ambitions” and was now worried about US casualties.\n“Iran, unlike the United States, has prepared itself for a long war,” he posted.\nIn Jerusalem, booms rattled windows as missiles launched by Iran towards central Israel were intercepted.\nAn Israeli military spokesperson said there had been fewer attacks targeting Israel overnight since Sunday, which he attributed to Israeli strikes degrading Iran’s military capabilities. Hezbollah had made “a big mistake” by “joining Iran’s war”, he said.\nShipments through the strait of Hormuz – where about a fifth of the world’s oil trade passes along the Iranian coast – have been halted after threats from Iran and strikes against tankers. Oil prices leapt by double-digit percentage points on Monday and stock markets fell.\nIran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they had hit three US and UK oil tankers in the Gulf and the strait of Hormuz as well as attacking military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain with drones and missiles.\nShipping data showed hundreds of vessels including oil and gas tankers dropping anchor in nearby waters.\nOn Monday evening an IRGC general threatened to “burn any ship” seeking to navigate the strait of Hormuz.\n“We will also attack oil pipelines and will not allow a single drop of oil to leave the region. Oil price will reach $200 in the coming days,” said General Sardar Jabbari.\nGlobal air travel was also heavily disrupted as airstrikes kept major Middle Eastern airports closed.\nThe UN nuclear watchdog had no indication Israeli and US attacks on Iran had hit any nuclear facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Monday, despite Iran’s envoy stating one was targeted a day earlier.\nIran’s nuclear programme is among the reasons Israel and the US have given for the attacks, alleging Iran was getting too close to being able to eventually make a nuclear bomb.\nHowever, what remains of Iran’s atomic facilities after the two militaries attacked them in June appears to have been largely spared in this campaign so far.\n“We have no indication that any of the nuclear installations … have been damaged or hit,” Grossi said in a statement to a meeting of his agency’s 35-nation board of governors.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:46:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxPSjBuZWZ3MVFPbDJUc3YwOF9kNTJWSzYzS19ZYl9RdDUwTmFRV2E3RzJuUDVyck54VzZVX1Z4NUdhZzFHSlVVVE5XMFZFYWRwOGRFMjgxcnJDekZrNG0xdmIzMkVlbk9ldzJsTXktNTRFTXRENWlOYXNTa3RBempwRmt0eDdNVUdvekFaNTB5MFVzMTluSV9aWWtrYUVmQkFyNEZwenJKWmZ2ZFE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_76e5ea37bfb9",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Spain denies US permission to use jointly operated bases to attack Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Spain has denied the US permission to use jointly operated military bases on its territory to attack Iran as Madrid stepped up its criticism of the “unjustified and dangerous military intervention”.\nSpain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has explicitly condemned the US and Israel’s “unilateral military action” against Iran, warning that it is contributing to “a more hostile and uncertain international order”. The rebukes have been reinforced by his government’s refusal to allow the US to use bases in Rota and Morón for the continuing strikes against Iran.\nJosé Manuel Albares, Spain’s foreign minister, said on Monday that while the government wanted “democracy, freedom and fundamental rights for the Iranian people”, it would on no account allow its bases to be used in the ongoing military action.\n“I want to be very clear and very plain,” he told Telecinco. “The bases are not being used – nor will they be used – for anything that is not in the agreement [with the US], nor for anything that isn’t covered by the UN charter.”\nThe defence minister, Margarita Robles, was similarly emphatic, saying neither of the bases had been used in the US military operation. “There is a deal with the US over these bases, but our understanding of the deal is that operations have to comply with international legal frameworks and that there has to be international support for them,” she told reporters.\nMaps compiled by the flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that 15 US aircraft have left Rota and Morón since the US and Israel began their attacks over the weekend. At least seven of the planes were shown to have landed at Ramstein airbase in Germany.\nUS defence officials declined to comment on the reasons for the departures.\nOn Saturday, Sánchez said Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s offensive was making the world less stable and called for a lasting political solution to the conflict.\nHe returned to the theme in a speech in Barcelona on Sunday. “Today, more than ever, it’s vital to remember that you can be against a hateful regime – as Spanish society is as a whole when it comes to the Iranian regime – and, at the same time, against an unjustified and dangerous military intervention that is outside international law,” he said.\nSánchez’s blunt condemnations are unlikely to endear him to Trump, who last year tore into Spain for refusing to accept Nato’s proposal for member states to increase their defence spending to 5% of their GDP. But the Spanish prime minister’s comments are in keeping with his status as one of Europe’s most outspoken leaders. Sánchez has been among the most vocal European critics of both Israel’s war in Gaza and the EU’s response to it.\nOther European leaders have sought to hedge their bets over Trump’s latest attempt to secure regime change abroad. The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, did not initially allow US forces to use Diego Garcia or any UK airbases because of doubts about the legality of the strikes. But he changed his position on Sunday after Iran launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks on targets across the Middle East – one of which hit a UK airbase in Cyprus.\nIn a joint statement with France and Germany released earlier on Sunday, the UK said: “We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.”\nTrump reacted to the change of heart by saying the UK had taken “far too long” to allow US forces to use its bases.\nThe German chancellor, Friedrich Merz – who is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington on Tuesday – said he appreciated the “dilemma” when it came to how to respond to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its oppression of its own people.\nHe added: “So we’re not going to be lecturing our partners on their military strikes against Iran … Despite all the doubts, we share many of their aims.”\nThe European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for a lasting “diplomatic” solution to the crisis in Iran, adding that the bloc would work hard to prepare “for the fallout from these recent events”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:52:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxQS3NTYmw3UTRSYnpIeDA5bHp3NWJVVVpnR0JRb2FwbENfaFhQYzRXTzhJY3JnM3liWXF2UTVTaWhENTZ6WTlEY1Bwd2NiajlISXhsbjBXNmhQaTVqTVJlY0JZcG41aVRucUJ5dFZwY0M3MnhhaEpKQ1pZOE1tSEdFWDZvRy1QTnl1NEVPUFZKR3FGQ2Y0aUw3dkFONjd6U183eDZSY0xlaWtsNVJkTVRfaWVsVGhES1Ru?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2305442a5ac3",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Where things stand after the US and Israeli strikes on Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "Where things stand after the US and Israeli strikes on Iran\nWhere things stand after the US and Israeli strikes on Iran\nThe United States and Israel targeted Iran in coordinated attacks over the weekend that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other senior figures and kicked off a furious Iranian response that was expanding into a wider regional war.\nU.S. President Donald Trump said the campaign could take several weeks. Allies of the U.S. pledged to help stop Iran’s missile and drone strikes. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed strikes on Israel for the first time in more than a year, and Israel fired back.\nThe first U.S. military deaths have been reported. Other deaths have been confirmed in Israel and Gulf nations, while Iran has said several hundred people have been killed there.\nWith Khamenei’s death, the Islamic Republic must now choose a supreme leader for the first time since 1989. Trump has urged Iranians to seize the moment and overthrow the theocracy that cracked down on nationwide protests earlier this year. There was no sign that was happening.\nAround the world, some protested. Others cheered.\nThe attacks came two days after the latest U.S.-Iran talks aimed at putting controls on Tehran’s nuclear program. They echoed the events of last year, when talks were cut short by an Israeli attack that led to a 12-day war and U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. Washington has claimed that Iran was rebuilding its nuclear program in recent months.\nIran has said it hasn’t enriched since June, but it has blocked inspectors with the U.N. nuclear watchdog from visiting the sites America bombed.\nHere’s where things stand.\nIran\nThe 86-year-old Khamenei was killed when his compound was bombed Saturday morning. Iran’s ballistic missile sites, navy headquarters and warships were attacked as well. Iran said strikes also targeted the Natanz nuclear enrichment site. Israel and the U.S. have not acknowledged strikes at the site, though Israel has said it is targeting the “leadership and nuclear infrastructure.”\nKhamenei had no designated successor. Iran has set up a three-member leadership council, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said a new supreme leader would be chosen in “one or two days.” On the streets, there have been scattered celebrations over Khamenei’s death. Internet restrictions in Iran have complicated efforts to monitor what’s happening.\nIn retaliation, Iran’s military has struck Israel, where several people have been killed. Iran has also targeted U.S. bases in the region. The U.S. military said four service members were killed, the first known U.S. casualties. Other Iranian strikes have killed a handful of people in Gulf nations including the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and hundreds of flights have been affected at some of the world’s busiest airports.\nWhat to watch for: further military strikes, the selection of a new supreme leader, and reactions from the Iranian people.\nUnited States\nThe strikes came after the U.S. built up its biggest military presence in the region in decades. Israeli and U.S. authorities spent weeks tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders. Trump has said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” in Iran would continue through the week or longer.\nThe U.S. has signaled it is willing to talk to Iran’s new leaders, eventually. Meanwhile, some leaders in Congress have protested at the launch of the strikes without congressional authorization. Others elsewhere raised legal questions.\nWhat to watch for: further military strikes, effects on U.S. bases and forces, and any diplomacy with Iran’s new leadership.\nIsrael\nIsrael sees Iran as an existential threat and has long sought to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while also targeting armed allied groups like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli attacks have weakened those groups since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that started the war in Gaza.\nNow Israel has pledged “nonstop” strikes and at one point said 100 fighter jets were simultaneously striking targets in Tehran. During last year’s war, Israel pitched Trump a plan to kill Khamenei. Now they have.\nIsraelis dashed to shelters for safety, but most of Iran’s attacks have been intercepted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under international criticism for the war in Gaza, is claiming a win for Israel’s security.\nBut risk remains from Iranian-backed groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen who have vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel.\nWhat to watch for: further military strikes, as well as attacks by and against Iranian proxies.\nThe Middle East and beyond\nThe current conflict is already far more intense than last year’s Israel-Iran war, where the U.S. inserted itself near the end by bombing Iranian nuclear sites and Iran responded with a calculated attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar.\nNow, hundreds of Iranian missile and drone strikes have sent people scrambling across Gulf nations that had previously been relatively insulated from the volatility in the region.\nThe United Arab Emirates said Dubai’s main airport had been affected, and tourists and others flinched at the booms of interceptors. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted attacks, and summoned Iran’s ambassador. Top diplomats of six Gulf states said they had the “right to self-defense.” The Gulf state of Qatar said its air force shot down two Iranian bombers.\nOil prices rose sharply when market trading began Sunday as traders bet that supply from the critical region would slow or stop. Attacks on and near the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, are also raising concerns about supply.\nIn response, eight countries that are part of the OPEC+ oil cartel said they would boost production of crude.\nAnd on Monday, the world was learning the first details about any effects on Iran’s nuclear program as the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors met on the conflict.\nWhat to watch for: oil prices, details on Iran’s nuclear program, and diplomatic efforts.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:52:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxPV2pMNmxRR0NpUVB5M1dfMElabzlsb1JSS3RmUWZoNExPZHZWNWVPa0dVbnl3M1I1cWZwdXl2MGRRaXVMeXd0T0lUc0x6ZEVjNlJVcnN5bUlaai1sUV9RbWJiTElOSGFDM1NpZEFxcUFMbVlaWnFSTmJaTDlNcDB6a0x6OGoyTWdPYUNTcUQweGxTb1RLQzRZd2piWlpRNDc4WFE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0c0442f6b5b8",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "President Sheikh Mohamed discusses Iranian strikes with global leaders including Donald Trump - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "President Sheikh Mohamed has held further talks with global leaders following the attacks by Iran on Gulf countries.\nSheikh Mohamed spoke to US President Donald Trump in a phone call, with the leaders discussing the “blatant Iranian attacks on the territory of the United Arab Emirates and a number of brotherly countries in the region”, state news agency Wam reported in the early hours of Monday.\nThey also exchanged views on events taking place across the region and their implications for regional and international security and peace.\nSheikh Mohamed on Monday received a phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they discussed the Iranian strikes on the UAE and other Gulf countries.\nThe two leaders stressed the need for an immediate halt to the military escalation to avoid the expansion of the conflict and underlined the importance of prioritising dialogue and diplomacy.\nSheikh Mohamed also received a phone call from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday night.\nMr Modi made clear his country’s rejection of the Iranian attacks on UAE territory and expressed India’s solidarity with the Emirates.\nThe UAE President also spoke on the phone to the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal. They discussed how Iran's actions “constitute a clear violation of state sovereignty, threaten regional security, and undermine regional and international stability”.\nSheikh Mohamed also had phone calls about the situation in the Middle East with the President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno; Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi; Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye; Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto; Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara; and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.\nThe UAE President also had calls from Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus; Guy Parmelin, President of Switzerland; Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze; Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Maldives; Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store; Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani; Montenegro's Prime Minister Milojko Spajic; Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid; and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.\nSheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held phone calls with Hussein Al Sheikh, Vice President of Palestine; Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar; Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan; Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy; Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.\nSheikh Abdullah also spoke to Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait; Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain; S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs for India; Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Egypt; Asaad Al Shibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Syria; Yvette Cooper, UK Foreign Secretary; Jose Manuel Albares, Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs; Javier Martínez-Acha, Foreign Affairs Minister for Panama; and Gunter Sautter, Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to the Chancellor of Germany.\nThe calls “addressed the grave consequences of the ongoing regional escalation”, reported Wam.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:55:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3wFBVV95cUxOdDRRTzU2ZXdpUEx0TVNNbmJ1UnRpUndHU3g5UHJLRElrdl9tTlhTbnZtVmJQbkJfay1xWFpjOEVmbzdPVWV6SEtFUnJKUzMwSS1tWlA2R2l6Wjd1aEJnamROMFlreGZaRXU4aXdXNDVIZmN3djViRGo0dkJlckExZlR0TWpnWVVKTDM0VXJVdWNwdTQ5eTEtNmNJRktHNWRNYUxLOFVKN2pYb3dXbXhEdVZleDF2c1VmckVyQy15c0FfSEsyM3Jod0RKVWFJM0lYVW5VX25OWjFRNG1YNlBB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_36fb913472e3",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "War in Middle East widens as Israeli and U.S. planes pound Iran and Tehran and its proxies hit back - PBS",
    "body_text": "War in Middle East widens as Israeli and U.S. planes pound Iran and Tehran and its proxies hit back    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:57:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxOZy1DTC1Kb2dRcFNJR19MUWpWY3JIajBQTFJoQ3JYdWYtZnNEMGZSYWRVbzZHZ2RSYjg5bEJ2bkpTZHRzQzFlLUhfeHZmZEZRWkJEY29PNjRHYTFhbF9jblpfT2d5Y2RMWmtUaHNnLWlhbk5yRk8tXzlLLUVDQmVZS1pROExLVXRMeTNhTmR6SGdWQXdRS1FPaXVTR3VUOThzd3FPeUt6VE1PQWxCRi1Qa2RrSUR4YVJjcm9Va1FTVXJaZVNPMWJWbU8xM3ZSZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_16160c3a5c96",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Conflict deepens across Middle East – in pictures - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Violence spreads to Lebanon, Dubai, Kuwait and in areas hosting US army bases amid Israel-US strikes on Iran",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T14:59:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQVFZLdDFRSTJOdkJoVmxXSFdxT2FoVTNsc2llR1JINkhqU1VtbWdoNGRJY0paQlZRZ0dvcWExZE9BaWw3aE1Qc2NPaWFkSmNCZ0FIOGxVRFUxR3NUWmxyX3FSelg4RU1PZlZRY1lhbjV6MWpma0tmTmJiVUVjQlNqdmZsNEs0dEZvSVc1SXNSWW80ZS01empCVVB4TTBDMDZWbTZV?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3b4c41fb39eb",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Energy In Focus as Global Equity Traders Brace For Iran Impact - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Energy In Focus as Global Equity Traders Brace For Iran Impact    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:04:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPRjRiOUdxb3B3bEc4dDloZ3J5a0NYOUdndmt5OVRULUxrQjFoNmtpekdMYTE1ZGVXcUhMU2t5bndOeG5NT0huVHBsTXpudUNFOW5ZWHJWdnByNVphUzl3NUV2QUNueXpwNmg2SVRuTGpwdkd4Z1pfQ3J2elFpWk5rVm9MT3dUTjhwQ3JVeXJyVWJlcm5RaDkxMVRYYXBrXzBtYzZTSVFiYXBoaGNzYlh0LUNVaw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9f9fbebb65c5",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Footage shows military jet plummeting from the sky in Kuwait – video - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Footage circulating on social media appears to show a military aircraft falling from the sky in Kuwait. US Central Command (Centcom) said on Monday that three US F-15 fighter jets flying in Iran-related operations had mistakenly been shot down by Kuwait air defences and that the cause of the incident was under investigation. The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:06:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxQa2ZFQTBzSkczNm1sWEVFRXQ2UjZaTV85b3c0a05jS3hkZzRPWEdMRzVMekVWVGVzM25nQUJrWjBFcmlMUUdqSGRvNFM5djJGT29ZSjNUOS0zSzdtc09Xa2VhcDV2ZW52SDVkQ1Axb2hvNmxKdjU2QlpFU0U3VGhTM2o0OWFNYWtiN05xSURXdTZWYmRNdF9YeHJELUV2Wi1LT1N0a05HOUpEZDBkRnJpbUlCZTI0Q3pQMldRRA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6f6532d63385",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Lebanon plunged back into war as Israel targets Iran-backed Hizbollah - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Lebanon plunged back into war as Israel targets Iran-backed Hizbollah\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:06:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE4zclZJZExXMFR0ZjEyTVZRZWpuM1RmTUI3Q0VvWmhtbVMzWkZ5dUNSc2Vpc0pndHU0MUJRdDcxdkM3a3Bfc0xqVmt3cGt3QUQtQzhGWmljQTBXY1lnN29LQWdDOWRIcWdyeGRPUm10bFQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4ac306b1dc8b",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Hegseth on Iran attacks: 'This is not Iraq, this is not endless'",
    "body_text": "Hegseth on Iran attacks: 'This is not Iraq, this is not endless'\nIn a Pentagon press conference 2 March, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed war with Iran will not be 'endless' - a sign the administration is wary of criticism the operation in Iran could lead to another prolonged Middle East conflict.\nBut Hegseth offered few details about the operation, leaving questions unanswered about the scope or duration. He also also framed the conflict as a \"generational\" chance to reshape the Middle East.\nThe rhetoric mirrors President Trump's argument in social media posts that forcing regime change in Iran represents a victory that has eluded past US presidents for decades.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:07:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cn71jg14dnyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e3f97fc71757",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "What to do if your flight is cancelled due to the US-Israel war on Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Where are flights affected? Israel, Syria, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain have shut their airspace and there are no flights over the United Arab Emirates.\nEmirates, the word’s largest international carrier, has suspended all flights to and from Dubai. Etihad Airways has suspended all flights in and out of Abu Dhabi while Qatar Airways has grounded its fleet.\nThe closure of Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub, is affecting flights from other parts of the world that are routed through it. Air India, for instance, has cancelled flights to Europe and North America.\nWhat should I do if my flight back to the UK has been cancelled? The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to register their presence to receive direct updates.\nThe FCDO is drawing up plans to evacuate tens of thousands of people if the situation escalates. Disruption to flights scheduled to pass through affected areas may last days or weeks as airlines scramble to organise alternative routes amid the rapidly evolving crisis.\nPeople who are overseas already should await updates from their airline and keep checking the FCDO website for advice.\nDo I have to pay my hotel costs if I’m stuck abroad? It depends which airline your flights are booked with. If you are booked with a UK or EU carrier it is obliged by UK and EU legislation to fund your accommodation and food costs until a suitable alternative flight can be arranged. These rights also apply to all flights departing the UK.\nPassengers booked with non UK/EU carriers must check their entitlements with their airline or on the relevant government website. The UAE government has confirmed that it will pay the accommodation costs of stranded passengers.\nWhat are my rights if I am due to fly on holiday to the region? If your flight from the UK is cancelled because of the war, you are covered by UK passenger rights legislation, UK 261. This requires airlines to offer you a suitable alternative flight at the earliest opportunity or a refund. If you choose a refund you must confirm it with the airline and should receive it within seven days. However, you will not be entitled to the additional fixed-sum compensation set out under the regulations because war counts as an “extraordinary circumstance” for which airlines cannot be held liable.\nIf you’ve booked a package holiday, you are covered by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations . The travel provider must offer you an alternative holiday or reimburse you in full should your holiday be cancelled or substantially changed.\nMy flight hasn’t been cancelled, but I no longer feel safe holidaying in the Middle East or north Africa. Should I cancel? You should ideally wait to see what happens. If, nearer the time, your destination is deemed unsafe and the flight is cancelled, your airline will reimburse you, whereas if you cancel yourself before this happens you lose the right to a refund.\nKeep in touch with the airline and the FCDO website to see what the advice is. You can always cancel the day before departure if the flight is unaffected but you still don’t want to go.\nCan I claim on my travel insurance if the war prevents me taking my flights? The answer is probably no. Most travel insurance policies do not cover acts of war or terror.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:10:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOeDFuNVAwVml6b2szb0tHa0pBc25IU3hiTlR1YXY5UzJlTllnMzdZbWVvVl8zQm43WUo0M2ZwYUFvYjhodWRZMFgzdHB0RGxNYm85SGVaRnhab2ZiaHdoY2VNSGV1aTBHcnhDWVdVWHVFeHJhajhjNkRiV2lCSGtiZ3dYaUduQ1FkNk1sUWZYMTdsd29EU1E0UF9WZ2VzTHlKVUdSX2Y5ZFItM2VNN1gzbG51czE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ca62f5d88e23",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Zelenskiy Offers Help to Stop Iranian Drones In Return for Truce - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Zelenskiy Offers Help to Stop Iranian Drones In Return for Truce    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:10:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQeGVJbDlqVVcwYm5ueUZWSjY3SXBzQ0R0Ykh0b0ljZzlWWWhFVjM2VWVSOFYyOXJlVVhwNkIzUzZMdzk1aFM3R2dDQUh0TVpIV1lRX3RpTFotZi1uZnlhWlMtQlV4T1hOLXFVR0t1UDdZZEdqdWtkQWlqUFpMU2pIZXN2SFBrRGFtb0Z4ZWVQVWp0Y0dvVnJSRUgyNmZlb1RoQUptQmdLdG5CcEtPNUhpZTQ3ZkRydw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_06d69bb805e3",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Macron starts biggest European nuclear shift since Cold War - politico.eu",
    "body_text": "ILE LONGUE, France — President Emmanuel Macron on Monday broke several decades of French nuclear taboos — promising to increase the number of warheads and making explicit France's role in European security.\nThose are some of the most significant changes in French nuclear doctrine since the end of the Cold War.\n\"An increase of our arsenal is indispensable,\" the French president said at the highly secure Ile Longue naval base that houses France’s four nuclear submarines.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxQZHhlTlRURktET3RBQXJDUXk0ZEViQmZlR0FtaF9xQkFta2dmWFRmZ2hxYmFvZkJVUnFRSEtzd3NEaWVHSDZxRE9qMmR1RGxyb0Q4eUFDeU00MWNQdmVIYVI3Qm5XY1NVRThBOV9udGhvQUNvODRKeTRsM2dhamVtZ1JTNXVfNFZPMlNlUExiRi1sTllWeER2YTU4Smc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ad13f5713ec7",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran 'prepared for long war' with US as Tehran is bombed for third day - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Israel attacked an Iranian TV station in an air raid on Tehran in the early hours of Tuesday.\nThe state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said it was hit by two explosions. Israel acknowledged the strike, calling it an attack on Iranian \"propaganda activities\".\nMissile sirens sounded in Israel, and explosions were heard in the Gulf as the regional conflict entered a fourth day. Iran had warned on Monday it was ready for a \"long war\".\nThe Iranian TV channel said it was still broadcasting after the strike, reporting no casualties. The Israeli army had ordered local residents to leave the Evin area of Tehran, which is also home to a notorious regime prison.\nBut most Iranians cannot see such warnings, which are published on social media, because the internet is largely down across the country.\nIsrael said the complex attacked was a \"communications centre\" for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It described the state broadcaster as the \"beating heart of the IRGC's machine of lies and repression\".\nFars news agency, which is affiliated to the Guards, said the area around Iran’s former parliament building was also attacked by US and Israeli air strikes. The police have a building near by, it said.\nOther Israeli eviction orders were issued in several areas of Lebanon, including near the offices of Hezbollah-affiliated TV channel Al Manar.\nIran had indicated on Monday it is ready for a long conflict. Iranian state media reported on wartime measures being implemented by the state, including increasing medicine stocks and the readiness of hospitals, and ensuring reliable energy production and fuel supply to residents.\nAli Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and adviser to late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ruled out negotiations as Israel continued its military campaign.\n\"Trump's wishful thinking has dragged the whole region into an unnecessary war, and now he is rightly worried about more American casualties,\" Mr Larijani said.\nBut Iran, \"unlike the US, prepared itself for a long war … regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation\", he said in another post.\nSix US troops have been killed in the campaign against Iran, it was revealed on Monday. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US is hitting Iran “certainly, overwhelmingly and unapologetically\" but that the war on the regime is \"not endless\".\n“To the media outlets and political left screaming ‘endless wars’, stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” he said in his first public address since the onset of the war. “We fight to win and we don’t waste time.”\nMr Larijani denied claims by Mr Trump that Iran’s interim leadership is willing to resume talks. Calls for dialogue and calm have gone unanswered, as US, Israeli and Iranian forces continued to exchange fire on Monday.\nThe Israeli army said its air force began an \"additional broad strike\" on Iranian targets in the heart of Tehran. At least 555 people have been killed in the attacks across Iran since Saturday, the country's Red Crescent Society said.\nThe US-Israel strikes have killed senior military commanders, as well as civilians. Iran says at least 165 children were killed in an attack on a school in the southern Minab province. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres alleging \"war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the US and the Israeli regime\".\n\"Numerous military attacks have been carried out against civilian targets, including schools, hospitals, equipment and aid workers,\" wrote Mr Araghchi. \"This series of widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population fully places these actions within the definition of crimes against humanity.\"\nBrig Gen Majid ibn Reza has been appointed as Iran's acting Defence Minister, state media said. He replaces Amir Nasirzadeh, who was among the senior military commanders killed on the first day of US-Israeli attacks.\nRegional spillover\nIsraeli overnight air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon killed at least 31 people and wounded 149, according to a preliminary toll issued by Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Monday.\nThe deadly attacks came after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israel overnight to avenge the death of Mr Khamenei, prompting a wide-reaching retaliation. The Hezbollah attack was the first on Israel since a ceasefire came into place, despite near-daily Israeli strikes on Lebanon.\nThe Israeli army launched a second wave of strikes across what it says are Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Monday, warning that the group will pay a heavy price for its attack and the group's leader, Naim Qassem, is \"now a marked target for assassination\".\nIranian attacks on its Gulf neighbours also continued on Monday.\nIranian drones struck a power plant and a site belonging to oil and gas company QatarEnergy, with no casualties reported, said the Qatari Defence Ministry.\nQatar also intercepted Iranian attacks on the country's international airport, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said, adding that attacks could not remain unanswered.\nMeanwhile, Saudi Aramco shut down operations at its Ras Tanura refinery after a fire broke out following a reported drone attack in the first Iranian strike on the Gulf’s energy infrastructure.\nIran’s deputy foreign minister has denied that Tehran was behind the reported bombing of Saudi oil facilities, amid rising regional tensions.\n“We are not responsible for the bombing of Saudi oil fields and we have informed our brothers in the Kingdom of this,” he told CNN.\nMembers of the Gulf Co-operation Council said they will take \"all necessary measures\" to defend their security and territory, reserving the right to respond to what they described as \"heinous\" and \"treacherous Iranian attacks\" in a joint statement.\nMeanwhile, the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a joint statement in which they strongly condemned Iran's \"indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks\". Gulf states had previously said they would not allow their territory to be used for attacks against Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:17:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxPX2Z4Q19tU25GckIxZ1lscl9uVFVKS2lwWXRSSV9ZVWRweTFEV0tsNmNvbnJTRnh0Z0VPQWJ1OW9Dbnd5TXVwRmd6WDZXSnd3emd2OUM3QmYtMXp0SWFhWElfdDBYZ3pWZXBjY3d3eEw2dE5CbEhobVRTUk9uTWxocEdTRVd6X0pQLTQyM3hzemRLVjdIb2NzUzFHeWRQQU9BQ1dfZjkyb3dsejlfbUhGOTFsQnJTVHd5?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ded811d81a9b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Where things stand after the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran - WHYY",
    "body_text": "United States\nThe strikes came after the U.S. built up its biggest military presence in the region in decades. Israeli and U.S. authorities spent weeks tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders. Trump has said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” in Iran would continue through the week or longer.\nThe U.S. has signaled it is willing to talk to Iran’s new leaders, eventually. Meanwhile, some leaders in Congress have protested at the launch of the strikes without congressional authorization.\nWhat to watch for: further military strikes, effects on U.S. bases and forces, and any diplomacy with Iran’s new leadership.\nIsrael\nIsrael sees Iran as an existential threat and has long sought to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while also targeting armed allied groups like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli attacks have weakened those groups since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that started the war in Gaza.\nNow Israel has pledged “nonstop” strikes and at one point said 100 fighter jets were simultaneously striking targets in Tehran. During last year’s war, Israel pitched Trump a plan to kill Khamenei. Now they have.\nIsraelis dashed to shelters for safety, but most of Iran’s attacks have been intercepted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under international criticism for the war in Gaza, is claiming a win for Israel’s security.\nBut risk remains from Iranian-backed groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen who have vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel.\nWhat to watch for: further military strikes, as well as attacks by and against Iranian proxies.\nThe Middle East and beyond\nThe current conflict is already far more intense than last year’s Israel-Iran war, where the U.S. inserted itself near the end by bombing Iranian nuclear sites and Iran responded with a calculated attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar.\nNow, hundreds of Iranian missile and drone strikes have sent people scrambling across Gulf nations that had previously been relatively insulated from the volatility in the region.\nThe United Arab Emirates said Dubai’s main airport had been affected, and tourists and others flinched at the booms of interceptors. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted attacks, and summoned Iran’s ambassador. Top diplomats of six Gulf states said they had the “right to self-defense.”\nOil prices rose sharply when market trading began Sunday as traders bet that supply from the critical region would slow or stop. Attacks on and near the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, are also raising concerns about supply.\nIn response, eight countries that are part of the OPEC+ oil cartel said they would boost production of crude.\nAnd on Monday, the world was learning the first details about any effects on Iran’s nuclear program as the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors met on the conflict.\nWhat to watch for: oil prices, details on Iran’s nuclear program, and diplomatic efforts.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:20:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidEFVX3lxTE1ESVhhMTQ0LW9kYkNBRXlUUlE1cjNQeWhJUHJhRkFyeFpyeVBxdXdVcXc0ZS14T1dhWjZGYjdQNVZQSmw3QUVHdVpHRHI5dU02T0stVVkwUktiWEVsWm5HUlN1aHdIV3NOTDE0UUJ5NVU2NWRL?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9db91e15bbbf",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Oil spikes, markets fall as Iran retaliates to US-Israel attack - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:21:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxObHNJMEZmQzJLTUNEWGFjbEZzazJwLVRidUtMVGtDNnpYdVNjVU9ZVlZKdVQzaDQ5QWRwQWtNWTdTMVJDZm9aTEdsYWpBOEVyNnh3ejUtQk91QjlkQkFqUVRZWUxoWGl5T1VIRlR1REdJMnY2dlRuV2FUQ00wcW5Vd3FxcHJmeVZQV3BLUVRwSnJ4OVI3cXBLc3RvNG5Nb0V3bmRr?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4646521ba959",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Where does an isolated Iran go from here? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "It has been a matter of days since the US and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, and already the impact has rippled across the Middle East.\nIran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of top officials have been killed. So, too, have hundreds of Iranians.\nTehran’s retaliation against Israel has caused casualties and serious damage to property. And missile and drone attacks on Iran’s Gulf neighbours have extended beyond US bases, also hitting airports and civilian structures, leading to injuries and deaths.\nUS President Donald Trump has vowed to continue with Operation Epic Fury until all Washington’s objectives are met. Meanwhile, the region remains on edge as it braces for more exchange of fire.\nIn this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the increasingly shrinking options Iran now has, after testing its Gulf allies beyond their limits, and asks what comes next for Tehran’s regime.\nShe speaks to Hamidreza Azizi, an Iran expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin, and Hasan Al Hasan, senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.\nFollow live updates here",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:22:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPWThVSmFtcjR6dWdNMnVTdXc4LXdOd1g0Z0wyOEtpZ09tZGVISkNKcG84T2lCc2x5NXQwRVlXQUdXUk9kNm80Tk5GU2oyU2NvaHF2a2tRZTBvby1IbE5rbmJUU2Y5WXk0NWd4aEJkUXZzWmVEcktpWGhOSEZreVhuM3pRWWVSZFllMEItRW5GazNiT0JhU2IxQlNTQThkTUY5THpCajRqclBXbXlnVGk2bXFZQ1c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f4edba6af642",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian drones cost a fraction of air defences. How long can Gulf states last? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iranian drones cost a fraction of air defences. How long can Gulf states last?\nIn retaliation against the US and Israel's war, Iran is striking targets far and wide.\nTehran has attacked Israel and US bases in the region, as was widely expected and threatened.\nBut it has also struck every single country in the Gulf - including key oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.\nSome of those strikes, particularly on the US and Israel, are punitive in nature, to prove that it will not take the killing of its supreme leader and dozens of officials, as well as hundreds of civilians, lightly.\nBut the attacks on oil and gas facilities, and the Strait of Hormuz, indicate that Iran is also targeting the economic interests of countries in the region perceived to be allied with the US.\nNot only is Tehran doing this directly, but indirectly too: through a strategy of financial attrition aimed at depleting the defences of those it is attacking.\nAs of Sunday, Iran had fired 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 drones at the UAE.\nThe Emirati defence ministry said it intercepted 152 missiles, both cruise missiles and 506 of the drones. That is an interception rate above 92 percent.\nMeanwhile, the Qataris said a day after the war began that it had been attacked with 65 missiles and 12 drones, of which 63 and 11 were intercepted, respectively. That amounts to a 96 percent interception rate.\n'Ferrari to intercept e-bikes'\nKelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center think tank and an expert on air power, said the UAE’s 92 percent rate was “extraordinary”.\n“Yet the financial toll of sustaining that defense is enormous, raising the prospect that tactical ‘victory’ masks a costly strategic drain,” she wrote on X.\nGrieco estimated the cost for Iran, noting that ballistic missiles cost around $1-2m, while Iranian Shahed \"kamikaze\" drones are between $20,000-50,000. Thus, Tehran’s total outlay in attacking the UAE by Sunday was between $177m and $360m.\n'For every $1 Iran spent on drones, the UAE spent roughly $20-28 shooting them down'\n- Kelly Grieco, analyst\nFor the UAE to intercept these munitions is significantly more expensive.\nGrieco estimated that it would cost the Emirates between $1.45bn and $2.28bn to intercept the attacks over the weekend: between five and 10 times the amount Iran spent.\nThe drones are where it gets particularly punishing, given how relatively cheap they are to produce.\n“For every $1 Iran spent on drones, the UAE spent roughly $20-28 shooting them down,” said Grieco. “This is the core of Iran's strategy.”\nGregg Carlstrom at the Economist likened the economic asymmetry to “using Ferraris to intercept e-bikes”.\nRussian use of financial attrition\nThe use of inexpensive drones to deplete air defences is not new: Russia has been using such financial attrition in Ukraine for some time.\nRussia uses Shahed drones, originally made in Iran but now mass-produced in Russia using Chinese components, to saturate Ukraine’s air defence systems.\nNot only are these drones cheap, but they are relatively easy and quick to produce on a mass scale.\nThe systems needed to intercept them are costlier, and often have complex supply chains with long lead times.\nWestern countries have been delivering air defence systems to Kyiv since the war began, but Ukrainian politicians have called for more.\nDavid Jordan, a senior lecturer at King's College London and air defence expert, said that in the drone warfare in Ukraine, there was a roughly six-week cycle of innovations to baffle defenders, and the other side finding a solution.\n\"This means that the air defences are sometimes absolutely on top of the incoming drones (and frequently the accompanying missiles) and on other occasions more get through,\" Jordan told Middle East Eye.\nThose innovations on the Ukrainian side, he said, include fitting Miniguns to An-28 transport aircraft and using these to shoot drones down, as well as the use of electronic warfare to jam drone communications.\n\"At first, the Ukrainians were relying on high-end systems like the Patriot to intercept the Shahed,\" Grieco told MEE. \"This was simply not sustainable, given both cost and limited numbers of interceptors.\"\nShe explained that Kyiv turned to more cost effective alternatives such as the Gerald, a Cold War era anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck.\nUS 'racing to replenish interceptors'\nIt remains to be seen how long Israel, the US and Gulf states can continue maintaining high interception rates.\nIsrael often allows impacts in open areas as a strategy to manage costs and stockpile reserves.\nThe US is racing to destroy Iran’s missile and drone assets before it runs out of interceptors, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing current and former officials and analysts.\nThe volume of interceptors is classified, but recent conflicts with Iran and its allies have depleted air defences in the Middle East.\nThe report states that the US is racing to replenish stocks of Patriot and Standard Missile interceptors, as well as interceptors for Thaad.\n'There is some manufacturing capability in the Gulf, but not enough to meet current demand'\n- David Jordan, academic\nIt also stated that the US is rapidly expending Tomahawk cruise missiles and aircraft-launched weapons.\n\"Interceptor stockpiles are limited, and the US simply cannot make interceptors fast enough to replace them,\" said Grieco.\n\"The US, Israel, and Gulf countries are largely relying on US-made systems, which means they are all drawing from the same production lines.\"\nMEE reported on Monday that the US was “stonewalling” requests by some Gulf states to replenish their air defence interceptors, according to one western official and one former US official familiar with the matter.\nWashington will be seeking to learn lessons from its campaign against Yemen’s Houthis, where it reportedly burned through $1bn of munitions in one month without gaining air superiority.\n\"The sort of high-intensity war that's being seen in Ukraine points out just how deep your weapons/ammunition stockpiles need to be,\" said Jordan.\n\"Both at the start of a war and in terms of how quickly you can produce cast quantities of weapons, ammunition and associated equipment.\"\nWhile the support of Israel in attacking Iran is easing the strain on the US, it too has concerns about supplies.\nIsrael is running low on Arrow 3 air defence interceptors and air-launched ballistic missiles, a US official told the Wall Street Journal.\nJordan said that whether the high interception rates thus far can continue depends on the supplies of both sides.\nIran could run out of drones and missiles if Israel and the US target the Tehran's launchers and storage sites, and if outside help doesn't arrive.\n\"If they are able to maintain a steady and meaningful number of attacks, then the onus shifts to the nation(s) on the defensive,\" said Jordan.\nAt that point, he adds, the US would need to assess how quickly it could refill the stocks of its regional allies.\n\"There is some manufacturing capability in the Gulf nations, but not enough to meet current demand,\" he said.\nIsrael said on Sunday that it had destroyed half of Iran's ballistic missile launchers.\n\"If that’s true, it starts to tilt the maths more in the favour of the defenders - at least, in terms of the ballistic missile threat,\" said Grieco.\n\"The Shahed drones, however, are likely to remain a problem, particularly if the stockpiles are dispersed - and there is no reason to think the Iranians have not done so.\"\nWhat air defences do Gulf countries have?\nWithin the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia has the largest network of air defences.\nThat includes US-made Thaad systems and long-range Patriot PAC-3 batteries.\nIt also has a number of short- and medium-range defence systems, including US-made I-Hawk missiles and French Crotale, Shahine and MICA systems.\nIt also has US and French-made point-defence launchers, and anti-aircraft guns.\nTo date, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the Gulf to deploy Chinese-manufactured Silent Hunter laser systems, which destroy small aerial threats including low-flying drones.\nThe UAE uses the US-made Thaad and long-range Patriot systems, as well as a version of the Israeli-made Barak air defence system.\nThe Emirates also relies on the South Korean-manufactured Cheongung II to deal with medium-range threats. For shorter-range threats, it has a number of weapons, including French, Russian, Swedish and British systems supported by anti-aircraft guns.\nOnly Riyadh and Abu Dhabi within the Gulf Cooperation Council group of states operate the Thaad system, which utilises advanced interception capabilities against ballistic missiles.\nQatar signed a deal last year with the US that would see it procure the Thaad system, though it’s not clear whether it has been fielded yet.\nFor medium- and long-range threats, Doha relies on US-made Patriot systems and NASAMS III.\nIt owns Russian Igla, US Stinger, Chinese FN-6 and French Mistral systems for shorter-range defences.\nMeanwhile, Kuwait uses US-made Patriot PAC-3 batteries, and a number of short-range and point-defence options procured from western allies.\nBahrain also fields the Patriot PAC-3 system, which has long-range surface-to-air missile capabilities.\nOman is the GCC country with the least advanced options for medium- and long-range defences, though it owns a number of short-range systems.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:24:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_4e6ccee8d480",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "JPMorgan’s Bearish Dollar Stance Challenged by Iran Oil Shock - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "JPMorgan’s Bearish Dollar Stance Challenged by Iran Oil Shock    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:26:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOaVVUZW9vdWpXNFpjZ3JDSGItRDc4Zk8yZVZTSFVUWC1hM0NUTTRhSm1wVmdnUEFqOC1oRlRfRVV5NW1ieF8zYVgwOW5fcW9sS2o0VUJ5S21DY0hNQ1RpUkRNajBqSWh3andQZ251WWpvSXU2S0REb1BxbEtzVE5LWlJFcl9DQWFZTV93ZlJrVml6S290SHBxeHNpSk9UNW9jSU1ZN1IzdmdwOXVBdlp3T3Nn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e160236bd338",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran attacks show US haven status is in peril - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran attacks show US haven status is in peril\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly undefined for 4 weeksThen undefined per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:27:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1WbkZ5a21qWXhVSldzZjM2TXlsUm9WVjVXXzZidUltbV91cktpM2pKZWw1V1NEQU5JV014LU9Id3dzLWpBS096UTVGSzRfdUVYcEdDQ3FNWkp0MXlnckpSdldvV3hQUVZveVpBWGstZno?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ca047074d5eb",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "War in the Middle East: What implications for the EU and the world? - European Union Institute for Security Studies |",
    "body_text": "On the morning of 28 February 2026, US and Israeli forces launched a large-scale attack across Iran. The initial strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior members of the Iranian leadership. Iran has responded by striking US bases across the region and targeting American allies. The risks of escalation into a wider regional conflict are high.\nIn this joint commentary, EUISS analysts examine the implications of the war across the world and options for EU policymakers. Director Steven Everts begins by setting out three concrete options for Europe to actively shape the war, protect its interests and prevent further escalation. Various analysts in their contributions trace reactions among the actors most directly exposed to escalation, in the Middle East and North Africa. They also look at the effects of Trump’s latest gamble on US military power, regional alliances and domestic public opinion. The commentary also considers the extra-regional consequences, looking at Russia, China, and adjacent regions in Africa and the Indo-Pacific – as well as the effects on the oil market.\nWhat should Europe do now that the US and Israel are redrawing the map of the Middle East?\nSteven Everts(*)\nSo far, Europe’s response has been marked by shock, scepticism, a certain inward focus and, above all, a retreat into debates about principles. As so often happens in Europe, the discussion is about how to interpret the events rather than what to do about them.\nAll this is unfolding with Europe on the sidelines. Europeans were not consulted at the outset and are not directly taking part in the offensive military operations.\nThis is therefore a completely different war from Afghanistan or Iraq, or even from last summer’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. In all those cases, some European countries were involved, including to protect Israeli airspace. Here, Europe’s role is more limited.\nThis war is also of a different order and has a different objective. Europeans are watching it from a distance and with deep reservations. But their interests are also at stake: regional stability, energy security, and our credibility as supporters of democracy.\nOf course it matters what principled position Europe takes. But it must be careful not to get stuck in mere moral outrage and predictions that Trump’s ill-considered campaign will end badly for an Iranian population that has been oppressed for so long. While the future is uncertain, the question is what the EU is going to do to shape it. How can it become more of a player and less of a commentator?\nHere are three ideas on what Europe can do.\nFirst, Europe is calling for de-escalation – and rightly so. That was the clear message from the 27 EU foreign ministers who met on Sunday in an emergency session at the initiative of High Representative Kaja Kallas. The question is how you achieve that de-escalation, now that Iran is doing everything it can to drag neighbouring countries into a larger regional war. Missiles and drones are literally flying in all directions, even towards EU Member State Cyprus. Nothing suggests that Israel and the US will quickly reduce the tempo of strikes in Iran. After the death of Supreme Leader Khamenei and the first images of anti-regime protests, they want to press on. But the more the regime and the Revolutionary Guard are squeezed, the harder they will strike, at home and abroad.\nThe key to a path of de-escalation lies in the Gulf states. The EU should urgently invest in a coalition with those countries, together with Turkey, the UK, India, China and others. None of these countries wanted this war, yet all feel its consequences. The priority now is a diplomatic initiative that offers both Trump and Iran an off ramp. Europe can push for a diplomatic summit with this group, in Riyadh or Istanbul, or elsewhere in the region once the airspace reopens.\nSecond, there is the threat that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed or remain unstable. Reports suggest that Iran is deliberately attacking tankers, and it is certain that insurance premiums will shoot up quickly. That more than 20% of total oil and gas exports are at risk is well known. But the stakes go beyond energy: fertilisers and many other strategic products are also affected, goods that must also move to and from Europe.\nThere are already numerous military operations aimed at improving maritime security in the region. There is Operation Sentinel, led by the US and the UK, but also Operation Agenor, in which Europeans, including the Netherlands, and the Gulf states cooperate. For the latter, expanding Agenor may well be preferable, precisely because the US is clearly a party to the war. The EU itself also has Operation Aspides in the Red Sea, which it is beefing up and that operation should help to provide broader coverage for freedom of navigation.\nFinally, the hardest question: what can the EU do for the Iranian people and their democratic aspirations? This is a genuine dilemma. On the one hand, there is an opening after the death of Khamenei and other senior figures. But at the same time, the debacles of Iraq and Afghanistan lie fresh in our memory. Perhaps the current situation most resembles Libya after the fall of Gaddafi in 2011 - and that did not end well either.\nNo one knows whether the regime will stay in power and, if not, what would replace it. What is certain is that the Iranian opposition deserves every support: morally, financially and with modern communications technology, to help it withstand and evade the regime’s repression. Europeans can act here too. Their role should extend beyond statements or social media expressions of solidarity.\nThe political map of the Middle East is being redrawn. Europe must bridge the gap between reciting principles and exerting influence. You don’t win a match from the sidelines.\nMENA at a crossroads: reactions and spillovers from the Iran confrontation\nKatarzyna Sidło\nThe US-Israeli attack on Iran, carried out as Oman-led mediation efforts were still under way, triggered a rapid regional escalation once Iran’s retaliatory strikes hit third countries.\nIn the Gulf, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE were among the hardest hit, but Saudi Arabia and Oman were also targeted, despite not hosting major US bases, and some strikes included civilian or symbolic targets. Official reactions combined strong assertions of sovereignty with calls to keep diplomacy alive. Qatar condemned the targeting of its territory as a violation of sovereignty and the UN Charter, summoned Iran’s ambassador, affirmed its right to respond under international law, and urged an immediate return to dialogue. Saudi Arabia’s statement signalled its readiness to take ‘any measures’ to protect its population, including retaliation.\nAt an extraordinary meeting on 1 March, GCC foreign ministers condemned what they described as ‘blatant’ Iranian attacks and emphasised the need for coordination, while influential commentators in the UAE portrayed Iran’s decision to strike Gulf neighbours as politically isolating Tehran and validating threat perceptions around its missile programme.\nOman’s response stood apart. Muscat publicly expressed dismay that negotiations which had shown signs of progress had been undermined, urged Washington not to deepen its involvement (‘I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war’.), and then stressed that ‘the door to diplomacy remains open’. Yet the fact that Oman was also hit underscored that mediation and neutrality do not shield a country from regional spillover.\nBeyond the Gulf, Arab state reactions largely prioritised territorial integrity and restraint, with varying degrees of explicit attribution. Algeria shifted from a balanced expression of concern about the failure of mediation efforts to a firm condemnation of Iranian attacks on ‘brotherly’ Arab states. Egypt and Tunisia likewise called for de-escalation, with clear rejection of violations of sovereignty and condemnation of strikes on Arab neighbours, while Morocco confined its criticism to Iran’s attacks on fellow Arab states. Syria’s new authorities issued direct condemnations of Iranian attacks on Gulf and Arab states while endorsing dialogue, and Jordan stressed that it would take all necessary steps to protect its citizens and sovereignty (Iranian missiles were intercepted over its territory). Iraq’s official posture remained constrained by the role of Iran-aligned militias embedded within or operating alongside state-sanctioned forces.\nAmong broader regional actors, Türkiye has adopted an unusually explicit position on the sequencing of the crisis: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed that events ‘began with Israel and the US attacking Iran, and continued with Iran targeting third countries’. Türkiye tried to avert strikes on Iran, out of concern that escalation could trigger large refugee flows (with contingency planning along the border reportedly underway since June) and create openings for Kurdish separatist groups if a power vacuum emerges in Tehran.\nAt the same time, Ankara’s posture reflects a delicate balancing act shaped by its close ties with Washington and the Erdoğan–Trump relationship, alongside rising tensions with Israel (underscored by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s claim that Türkiye is ‘the new Iran’). Erdoğan’s public condolences to the Iranian people following the assassination of the Supreme Leader fit this dual-track approach of keeping channels with both Tehran and Washington open while seeking to contain regional spillover.\nPakistan condemned the attacks on Iran while also denouncing Iranian strikes against Gulf states and urging restraint, reflecting both its broader regional ties (including a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia signed last September) and domestic sensitivities, with demonstrations erupting over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader.\nNon-state ‘axis of resistance’ actors like Hamas and Hezbollah largely framed the crisis as US-Israeli aggression and expressed solidarity with Tehran, but their operational responses have differed. Hamas publicly mourned Iran’s Supreme Leader following reports of his killing and blamed Washington and Israel for the escalation. Hezbollah launched a military response only following the killing of Khamenei, which it had defined as a red line – the attack was promptly met with Israeli retaliation. The Houthis declared themselves ready for ‘any developments’ while emphasising Iran’s capacity to respond, signalling deterrence without positioning Yemen as the primary theatre. In Iraq, Iran-aligned armed groups face a more acute constraint: retaliation from Iraqi territory risks escalation that would not only target US forces but also draw the Iraqi state directly into the confrontation.\nMoving on to escalation risks, Lebanon and Iraq are the theatres most immediately exposed. In Lebanon, sustained exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel could quickly widen the conflict and erode the already fragile post-ceasefire environment; Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Hezbollah chief Naim Kassem was now a ‘target for elimination’. Iranian and Lebanese warnings about being dragged into a broader regional conflict underline this vulnerability.\nIn Iraq, risks of escalation are heightened by the role of Iran-aligned armed groups. One such militia, Saraya Awliya Al-Dam, claimed responsibility for attacks on US bases in Erbil, with explosions reported near the airport. Although Iranian influence in Iraq has weakened in many respects, it remains significant, with multiple Iran-backed factions operating within the country. Their willingness and capacity to engage directly in the conflict vary, but any sustained activity from Iraqi territory carries clear risks for Iraq’s internal stability and raises the prospect of the country being drawn more directly into the confrontation.\nThe conflict is also constraining movement and access across Israel–Palestine: closures of crossings into Gaza, including Rafah (which opened only last month and is coordinated by the EUBAM Rafah mission), would further exacerbate already dire humanitarian conditions and affect international operational footprints, while the West Bank remains exposed to additional restrictions and security incidents, with reports of missile fragments falling in several areas. In Syria, missile debris has reportedly damaged electricity infrastructure. Across the region, risk premiums are rising for aviation, shipping, trade and tourism.\nThe next phase of the conflict is fraught with uncertainty. For Gulf states, the dilemma is becoming more acute. Although all continue to express a preference for diplomacy and de-escalation, a campaign lasting several weeks, as indicated by signals from Washington and Tel Aviv, would make their current balancing posture increasingly difficult to sustain. Ongoing Iranian attacks would heighten domestic expectations of a firmer response, while pressure from the US could draw governments into deeper operational involvement.\nGulf capitals are therefore reassessing their options. A central question is whether to allow their territory to be used for strikes on Iran, a step they had previously ruled out before coming under direct attack. The calculus may shift if other partners move in that direction (for the time being the only example is the United Kingdom agreeing to allow American use of British bases for strikes – but only defensive ones). Another possibility is expanded military cooperation focused on countering Iranian missiles, or, less likely, more direct participation in operations against Iran. The trajectory will depend not only on internal deliberations within Gulf capitals, but also on how Iran calibrates its next steps and how much pressure Washington is prepared to apply.\nTrump’s latest Iran gamble: repeating the playbook and taking new risks\nGiuseppe Spatafora\nOperation Epic Fury reflects many features of Trump 2.0’s foreign and military policy. First, despite the ‘predisposition to non-intervention’ claimed in the National Security Strategy, this administration has shown a greater readiness to use force than previous ones. Nor does its proclaimed focus on the Western hemisphere preclude intervention elsewhere. Trump sees the whole world, not just the Americas, as the US sphere of influence.\nSecond, Trump is using force to finish what he started in this first term. He began his feud with Iran by withdrawing from the JCPOA and ordering the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in 2020. He claimed to have ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear programme last June in Operation Midnight Hammer. But Trump’s fight with Khamenei’s regime was not over: as with Maduro earlier in the year, Trump appears intent on settling scores with long-standing adversaries.\nThird, the US is continuing its approach to regime change ‘on the cheap’, that is, without putting boots on the ground. The US hopes that decapitating the Iranian leadership at a time of economic and military weakness could trigger a popular uprising within the country. As Trump said in his address to the Iranian people, ‘when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.’ At the same time, the US appears to be drawing on elements of the Venezuela playbook, seeking out figures who are willing to abandon Khamenei’s hardline stance and accommodate American demands. In either case, boots on the ground are not an option.\nDespite all the above, Operation Epic Fury differs in significant respects from previous missions – and carries additional risks for Trump. Unlike in the case of Venezuela or in Operation Midnight Hammer, this mission was not over in a day. Trump has acknowledged that the war may last for weeks. A prolonged operation would further strain already stretched US supplies of critical munitions and air defences – as military leaders have already warned. As an aside, this could also divert resources from US assistance to Ukraine, including provisions financed by European contributions through the PURL initiative.\nMoreover, Iran has fewer incentives to de-escalate. Hoping to increase the costs of the US operation, Tehran is striking American bases across the Middle East. Several US soldiers have already been killed – and Trump has acknowledged that more loss of life may follow. This is a sharp contrast to Trump’s previous boasting (over Venezuela and in other cases) that US forces had carried out missions without suffering any casualties.\nAnother difference is the role of US allies in the region. In June of last year, Israel was the first to strike Iran, and the US decided to intervene later in the Twelve Day War. This time, the US had to persuade Israel to join the mission, coordinating the strikes. Other US allies in the region were opposed to the war, fearing – rightly – that they would be targets of Iranian retaliation.\nWhile just a quarter of the US public backs the operation, and Congress is once again overstepped, the MAGA base continues to show support for Trump. However, some cracks in the movement are emerging. The restrainer wing is complaining against another war of choice in the region. The bulk of MAGA will rally behind Trump if he can point to tangible wins, like the killing of Khamenei. But the longer this war drags on, casualties grow and US vulnerabilities emerge, this could shift.\nThis creates a number of dilemmas for Trump. As usual, the president has made several contrasting claims to justify the operation – from complete regime change to reducing the threat of Iran’s missile arsenal – to keep his strategic options open. If he can force Tehran to de-escalate or find a new leadership that will yield to US demands, he will be able to showcase Operation Epic Fury as another foreign policy win. Trump has already signalled that negotiations may resume.\nBut if the war continues and no clear objectives are defined and achieved, the perception of US military, now at its peak, may begin to diminish. This will affect extended deterrence elsewhere. US allies in the region may hedge further from Washington. And domestic opinion, including in MAGA, could turn decisively against Trump. The stakes are high – in the Middle East and across the Atlantic.\nRussia: Less than may meet the eye?\nOndrej Ditrych\n‘A cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law’, is how Vladimir Putin described the assassination of Khamenei, an ‘outstanding statesman’. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was more diplomatic when it called strikes on Iran a ‘deliberate, premeditated and unprovoked act of armed aggression’, but the gist was the same. While Russia’s theatrical outrage at breaking international law is surely staged, it may not be entirely insincere. Moscow would like U.S power to be more constrained by international law – even while, as far as its own actions are concerned, the Kremlin will continue to claim to be beyond reproach.\nThe net consequences for Russia of the action against the ayatollahs’ regime may be either negligible or positive, depending on the depth of political transition in Iran as well as the scale and duration of the political crisis in the wider region.\nThere is no Moscow-Teheran axis in the sense of an enduring partnership based on shared (authoritarian) values. The relationship between Russia and Iran has been far more transactional and opportunistic. True, Moscow’s network of global relationships is shrinking, from Syria to Venezuela and now, potentially, pending further developments, Iran as well. While this complicates Russia’s ambition to project itself as a global power, it does not necessarily entail significant ‘reputational costs’ – there is no commitment to common defence between Russia and Iran currently in place – and in material terms the losses may also not amount to much in the final instance. Much of the Iran-designed drone production on which Russia relied in its war against Ukraine has since been localised, and any disruption to the remaining supply of components is unlikely to significantly alter Russia’s capabilities.\nRussia will use these events to reinforce the counterhegemonic narratives it disseminates globally, seeking to increase their appeal and its standing as an advocate for the ‘global majority’ against US interventionism. More immediately, if the crisis persists, Russia stands to benefit from more competitive prices of Urals oil compared to Brent. Recent sanctions and a more assertive crackdown on the shadow fleet have lately pushed Russian oil prices down (and increased the discount at which Russian oil is sold). But the evasion tactics deployed by the shadow fleet are also evolving. Even if pressure against the fleet intensifies, the opportunistic and opaque network sustaining the parallel oil trade will attract increased demand if the gains are worth it. This may have a geopolitical impact – strengthening the foundations of the relationship between Russia and China, while New Delhi will want to counterbalance this by cultivating its own relationship with Moscow, despite the recently announced trade deal with the US.\nBeijing walks a Gulf tightrope\nTim Ruhlig\nBeijing’s public messaging has been unambiguous in opposing the operation. On 28 February, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed ‘high concern’, insisted that Iran’s ‘sovereignty, security and territorial integrity’ be respected, and urged an immediate halt to military action and a return to talks. At the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong framed the strikes as a breach of the UN Charter’s purposes and principles and condemned the ‘use or threat of force’. He also described the timing of the strikes – which took place during US-Iran talks – as ‘shocking’. After reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader had been killed, the ministry sharpened its language, calling the act a ‘serious violation’ of Iran’s sovereignty and a trampling of the UN Charter and basic norms of international relations, again demanding an immediate end to military operations.\nChinese state media further emphasised that the strikes did not reflect a failure of diplomacy but the deliberate abandonment of diplomacy. The military strikes were framed within Beijing’s broader worldview of the US clinging to an ‘outdated notion of hegemony’ and unable to adapt to ‘a multipolar reality’. Killing or deporting foreign leaders, like Khamenei and Maduro, could further destabilise global security, state media has argued.\nFor Beijing, quite a lot is at stake. Iran has been a major energy supplier to China. Estimates suggest that Teheran could account for as much as 15% of China’s crude shipped oil, even though Chinese customs data have reported no direct Iranian oil imports since 2022. Beijing has also invested diplomatic capital in strengthening Iran’s international standing—e.g., supporting Iran’s admission into an expanded BRICS (BRICS+) from 1 January 2024 and its membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.\nHowever, Chinese officials have publicly supported efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The Chinese government’s official discourse states that Iran should ‘continue honouring its commitment to not developing nuclear weapons’, while China supports a JCPOA-based ‘new consensus’.\nBeijing’s chief concern is a spillover that could threaten key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz – critical for energy flows to Asia – and disrupt China’s trade and oil imports from the Gulf. Iran’s retaliation against Gulf states also deepens Beijing’s dilemma: China’s commercial exposure in the GCC often outweighs its political investment in Tehran, and Gulf condemnation of Iranian strikes increases the likelihood that regional partners will demand stronger US security guarantees.\nIn the near term, Beijing looks sidelined: it had touted diplomatic influence after brokering the Saudi–Iran détente, but this crisis reduces the space for such a mediating role. A worst-case outcome for Beijing is regime change with a transition towards a pro-Western leadership in Tehran, which would jeopardise a key sanctioned energy channel and weaken an important anti-US pillar in the region.\nIt could also complicate China’s alignment with Russia: Iran still matters for drone-related know-how, iterative upgrades, and – crucially – sanctions-evasion procurement networks for key components. That helps explain why Chinese messaging, including Wang Yi’s reported remarks to Lavrov, firmly condemns strikes during negotiations and the killing of a sovereign leader as illegitimate and destabilising.\nYet Beijing may also see an upside if the crisis settles into contained, intermittent escalation: higher costs for the US posture in the Gulf, distraction from the Indo-Pacific, and gradual depletion of US resources – all of which would serve China’s broader strategic objectives.\nMiddle East war, African fallout\nRossella Marangio\nThe African Union, through its Commission Chairperson, denounced the escalation in the Middle East, warning of repercussions for energy markets, price stability and food security, and calling for restraint and respect for the UN Charter. The A3 group (DRC, Liberia and Somalia) echoed this position at the UN Security Council, where Somalia reiterated support for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and urged states to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty — a call also voiced by the League of Arab States.\nMost African governments struck a balancing tone. Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa stressed the need for diplomatic solutions, recalling that military means cannot resolve political problems. Chad, by contrast, expressed solidarity with Iran while condemning attacks against countries in the region.\nThe most immediate consequences of war with Iran for Africa are economic. The conflict is likely to push oil prices upward unless major producers increase output. While higher prices could benefit exporters such as Algeria, Angola, Nigeria and South Africa – and possibly gold producers – the resulting inflation, currency depreciation and rising trade and debt-servicing costs would outweigh any gains. Disruptions to maritime and air transport are already visible, with companies suspending vessel traffic in the area, insurance companies raising premiums and rerouting shipping through the Cape of Good Hope. Their impact on trade and food security will depend on the war’s duration.\nBeyond economics, Gulf politics is deeply intertwined with African security and economies. From the Sahel to the Horn, Iran, Israel, Türkiye and several Gulf states have expanded their footprint, alongside China, the United States and Russia. Iran has strengthened ties with the Alliance of Sahelian States – which has recently also renewed ties with the US – supplied drones in African conflicts, and, through BRICS and branches of Al-Mustapha University, deepened links with countries such as Ethiopia and South Africa while reaching out to Shia communities in Nigeria and elsewhere. Since 2023, Israel has renewed its African outreach through new embassies and high-level visits, while monitoring possible Hezbollah-linked networks. Meanwhile, Gulf states and Türkiye have broadened investments and cooperation, particularly in infrastructure, as well as in education and humanitarian sectors.\nThe depth of Gulf involvement is most visible in the Sudan war and in the web of rivalries shaping the Horn of Africa, where regional actors have backed competing factions and leveraged political, financial and military influence.\nThe worst-case scenario would be an expansion of the conflict towards the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, where geopolitical tensions have intensified. Multiple fault lines converge there: rival alignments in Sudan’s war, tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, instability in Ethiopia, frictions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over Red Sea access, the dispute with Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and engagement with Addis Ababa, and existing links between the Houthis and both the Islamic state and Al-Shabaab in Somalia.\nRegional dynamics are further complicated by overlapping security partnerships and external courtship. Ethiopia signed a police cooperation agreement with Iran in 2025 and previously received Iranian drones during the Tigray war, while also engaging with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Israel. China’s economic weight, Russia’s proximity to Eritrea and ambitions in Port Sudan, and Djibouti’s concentration of foreign military bases, including those of the United States and China, add further layers of competition.\nIf the war were to widen into this corridor, the consequences for maritime trade, transport logistics and the global economy could be severe. The density of actors and overlapping rivalries increases the risk of miscalculation. As past interventions in Iraq and Libya have shown, the outcome can be far more destabilising than initially envisaged.\nThe Indo-Pacific’s Exposure to the US-Israel-Iran Crisis\nLizza Bomassi\nMost Indo-Pacific countries, both close and far from Iran, have a direct stake in how the conflict evolves.\nOne key vulnerability lies in labour migration. Gulf economies host millions of workers from South and Southeast Asia (particularly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, and Indonesia) concentrated in construction, services, and healthcare. Remittances from these workers form a significant share of household income and foreign exchange in several of these countries, accounting for roughly a quarter of GDP in Nepal and around 8-9% in Pakistan and the Philippines. A prolonged disruption to Gulf labour markets could translate quickly into economic pressure at home, even if the shock is not immediate or uniform. Past crises suggest that while remittance systems tend to recover over time, they are highly sensitive to short-term shocks. A severe escalation in the crisis could also trigger pressures for a large-scale repatriation. A process that would likely be logistically complex should air spaces be closed and also create additional pressures domestically for migrant-sending countries.\nA second vulnerability runs through maritime trade. The Red Sea corridor typically carries around 15% of global trade, including a large share of Asia-Europe shipping. Recent security risks have already forced vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding roughly ten days to transit times and significantly raising freight and insurance costs. Continued instability risks entrenching these higher logistics costs and uncertainty for export-dependent Asian economies – in particular the advanced economies of East Asia and the regional production hubs – that rely heavily on just-in-time logistics and carry vulnerable time-sensitive cargo like perishables.\nIndia, a regional heavyweight, faces additional longer-term concerns. The Middle East accounts for roughly a fifth of India’s exports and over half of its crude oil imports, underscoring the depth of its economic ties to the region. Prolonged instability complicates progress on the proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a flagship connectivity initiative intended to deepen transport, energy and digital links between the region and Europe. Yet India’s long ties with Israel, its recently renewed engagement with the US and its complicated relationship with Iran make it an unlikely candidate for taking the lead in brokering any form of de-escalation.\nThese dynamics indicate an Indo-Pacific region with multiple material stakes and strong incentives to support rapid de-escalation. Recent calls for restraint by Malaysia’s Prime Minister and the Indonesian President’s offer to mediate suggest that these dependencies are already shaping diplomatic positioning. Such statements do not guarantee diplomatic success, but they should not be dismissed as routine rhetoric either. For the EU, this underscores the importance of widening the lens beyond traditional actors to include partners across the Indo-Pacific that have a direct stake in stabilising the crisis.\nLong-term pain for oil and gas\nCaspar Hobhouse\nThe outbreak of conflict in the Persian Gulf is a worst-case scenario for the global oil and gas trade. The region is also home to about half of global oil reserves and 40% of its gas. A third of the world’s seaborne oil and a quarter of its LNG pass through the Straits of Hormuz alone. Unsurprisingly, early trading on Monday 2 March showed a near 10% rise in oil prices while European gas surged over 50%, at least initially. Three tankers had already been struck in the straits on Sunday leading to a logjam of ships trapped on both sides unwilling to pass through. The EU and other major oil and gas importers will pay the price.\nTwo major questions stand out: how far the situation could escalate and how long it might last.\nCrucially, since the first strikes on Iran aimed to decapitate the command-and-control structure, much of the drone strike and missile operating capabilities have likely been granted to local commanders. This adds unpredictability, a greater likelihood of escalation and makes longer disruption more likely.\nThere is currently no formal blockade of the Straits of Hormuz, but the risk of attacks has already driven up uncertainty and insurance premiums. Several major shipping firms are already avoiding the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab out of concern of strikes. Although a full blockade would be hard to maintain, a consistent volley of drones and missiles would have similar effects.\nFurther escalation could engulf the extensive oil and gas infrastructure in the region. Most of Iran’s fossil exports, upon which the regime relies, pass through Kharg island, which US-Israeli missiles reportedly struck on 28 February. Equally, the sprawling infrastructure in the Gulf states is a major pressure point, as seen in the 2019 strike on Aramco’s facilities at Abqaiq and Kurais. Iran appears willing to hit civilian sites in the Gulf states to apply pressure on the US. Oil and gas infrastructure were next in the firing line, with strikes on Qatari and Saudi facilities reported just two days into the conflict.\nThe situation does not bode well for long-term stability in the global oil and gas market. Iran will likely test the resolve of the US and its allies in the region, none of whom appear to relish the prospect of a long conflict. Oil and gas facilities are a key point of weakness in a region which heavily depends on export revenues from fossil fuels. They will remain a high-value target.\nFor the EU, the instant effects of the crisis will be considerably higher prices at the petrol pump and for household heating. It means pain for European consumers and industries, already grappling with inflation and declining competitiveness. Higher oil and gas prices will be a boost to Russia, potentially prolonging its ability to continue to wage war against Ukraine.\nIn the long term, this crisis, created by others despite European efforts to deescalate, proves the importance of removing dependencies on imported fuels to safeguard the EU’s energy security. The lessons of 2022 were only partially learned. It is the fuels, not just the suppliers, that are the problem.\n*This text is based on an opinion piece by Steven Everts originally published in Dutch in NRC on 2 March 2026 under the title 'Europa moet niet blijven hangen in enkel morele verontwaardiging over Iran’. It is reproduced here in English and adapted with the permission of NRC.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:28:04+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_82306cfc7c57",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "How western navies can keep the Strait of Hormuz open - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "How western navies can keep the Strait of Hormuz open\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:37:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5DM3dQMXFiVjBQUHdJZDhoWGhPV3huaUduOUFmMmNrbHROY2QwUUUxVmhkLXIxRmZXTG0xNzVvM3JpWjVVMlQ0cFU5X3NkV2pZRUFTM3d1dndibWRsWWZBdDJveEozVktvMFhpZ3RueTE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e94f6556c768",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israel's stocks and shekel jump after Israel and US strike Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israel's stocks and shekel jump after Israel and US strike Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:42:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOVzJUWXAzekR1YTE5UTFjUlFhU1hqOWhJSzNUTmlBYV9hdTVOR0FWeFd3Z1Awa3VvVkFEa2tSOVJTcGVXbDBhbHhaUlRVVGM2QV96UUFHOUR4Q2gwNE41UzkySTJVRE9vN0hsclJ6ZEg4aWU3OXRmRXl3Ui1IdGRCT01odi1Wc0tMZHJNekloU3E2QkkxN2toU1hMNjNoMGN3cmhZbjgxUUF1ZTBO?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_89b050010d11",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Cyprus condemns UK after RAF base that launched Gaza spy flights hit by drone - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Cyprus condemns UK after RAF base that launched Gaza spy flights hit by drone\nCyprus criticised Britain for failing to clarify that its bases in the country will only be used for \"humanitarian\" activity after an overnight drone strike at the Royal Air Force Akrotiri base.\nHours after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday night that the US will be allowed to use British bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites, a one-way attack drone struck the RAF Akrotiri airbase.\nThe drone is understood to have been launched before Starmer's announcement.\nThere were no casualties but military families have been reportedly evacuated - along with residents in the Akrotiri neighbourhood.\nThe Cypriot government said on Monday morning that a further two unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted while heading towards RAF Akrotiri.\nSpeaking after a meeting of the national council on Monday, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis expressed \"dissatisfaction\" with Britain for failing to give \"clear and timely assurances\" that its bases on the island would only be used for \"humanitarian\" activity.\n\"Despite the assurances given in yesterday’s address by the prime minister of the United Kingdom, there was no clear clarification that the British bases in Cyprus would not under any circumstances be used for any reason other than humanitarian,\" he said.\n\"The information we had, through many communications and at various levels, was clear, that the British bases would have a strictly humanitarian role.\"\nBritain has two bases in Cyprus, in Dhekelia and Akrotiri.\nFrom the base on Akrotiri, RAF planes conducted hundreds of surveillance flights over Gaza throughout Israel's war on the besieged enclave.\nLetymbiotis said: \"The message we send in every direction, not only rhetorically but through our actions over decades, is that the Republic of Cyprus is a humanitarian hub.\"\nHe also decried communication failures which he said affected residents near British bases.\n\"There was no timely information residing in the areas adjacent to the bases,\" Letymbiotis said.\n\"This is an issue that concerns us seriously, and it is part of what we will address.\"\nStarmer said in parliament on Monday afternoon that \"our bases in Cyprus are not being used by US bombers.\"\nHe added: \"The security of our friends and partners in Cyprus is of critical importance. The strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was not in response to any decision that we have taken.\"\nRenegotiating status of UK bases in Cyprus\nLetymbiotis refused to rule out Cyprus requesting a renegotiation of the status and operating conditions of British bases.\nMEE has contacted the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Foreign Office for comment.\nOn Sunday night, Starmer said in his address from Downing Street that the only way to stop the threat from Iranian missiles \"is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.\n\"The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,\" Starmer said.\n\"We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.\"\nThe UK's Ministry of Defence has repeatedly insisted the surveillance flights that were launched from RAF Akrotiri during Israel's war on Gaza were solely in support of \"hostage rescue\".\nBut they have been shrouded in secrecy, and it has emerged over the past two years that Britain has shared intelligence with Israel and has captured footage of Gaza on days that Israeli attacks have killed British citizens.\nWhile it is unclear whether the US will use RAF Akrotiri to launch attacks on Iranian missile sites, it is thought that the US will likely use the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean Chagos Archipelago.\nThe base places US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran.\nIran's Shahed-136 kamikaze drones have the range to attack Diego Garcia, which houses around 4,000 people, mostly US military personnel and contractors.\nThe UK also has airbases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Cyprus.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:45:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxORURkMU1hQW9sS1BIZ3hueFAtdk10WUVWTmJVNXAzYW11aUNMQjhxNXAtdHVTWWZ1SkNRWjJSeFNZQl95LUtsQ2dhbzFDcF9feE9yVXhuN1cyNmhnNC12eHgyWUR6RE1YUjJzSl9zU1EzQ2dOYVhGWHF1d1I0NmNNeXhodl93cEFjR2IxNE9JUHFXbGJwZjVjWWxhbWpRNlpvMVNZWmFBVnZWUGw0bkVV?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d0d725a2c478",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump tells CNN the 'big wave' in war with Iran is yet to come - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump tells CNN the 'big wave' in war with Iran is yet to come    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:49:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQWFRwRHpaelV6em9SVEhhUUxtWmRuMHdWN1h4VmluRFdNTnlvTm40QTZyb09JeUtWZDlsbTRDMHZRQU1wTFZDUGJkMVpQbjJtbGI4RFViN3gzb1JoZ2xVX2ZSX1c5bTdLRGRDVENQSk95d0hfTDBjbE96NFBjZG93RXl5d0xQMXpzSG9SX0tlQ3pwU0lPbzFFbEhyalBKRDFRclBrUUVXZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9a05403efff0",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian missiles kill two Bangladeshis and wound several across Gulf - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iranian missiles kill two Bangladeshis and wound several across Gulf\nIranian missile strikes since Friday have killed two Bangladeshi nationals and wounded several others across the Gulf, as aerial attacks in the war that began on Saturday put migrant communities at risk.\nThe Bangladeshi foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that its missions in the region were working to support workers in need of urgent medical care.\nOfficials confirmed that at least two workers had been killed in separate incidents, while several others were being treated in hospital for blast-related injuries.\nIn a statement, the ministry confirmed that Saleh Ahmed, a truck driver from the north-eastern region of Sylhet, died in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, after being struck by debris from an Iranian drone that fell onto civilian infrastructure.\nThe impact caused fragments to scatter across a nearby residential area, fatally injuring Ahmed.\nOfficials said they were in contact with his family and coordinating with authorities in the UAE.\nIn Bahrain, Bangladeshi embassy officials confirmed that SM Tareq from the island of Sandwip died in the Salman Industrial Area after debris from an intercepted missile struck the area.\nTwo other Bangladeshis were wounded in the same incident and treated at a local hospital, embassy officials said.\nIn Kuwait, four Bangladeshi nationals sustained injuries following a drone attack near the country’s main airport. The Bangladeshi foreign ministry said all were receiving medical care and reported to be in a stable condition.\nThe ministry added that it plans to repatriate the bodies of those killed once commercial flights resume.\nSix million Bangladeshi migrants\nThousands of Bangladeshi nationals remain stranded in Dhaka after commercial flights to several Middle Eastern destinations were halted amid the escalating conflict, leaving migrant workers unable to return to their jobs.\nBangladesh is one of the largest sources of migrant labour to the Gulf, with more than six million nationals living and working across the Middle East, primarily in construction, transport and domestic sectors.\nIn times of crisis, these workers are often among the most vulnerable due to crowded living conditions and proximity to industrial or strategic sites.\n“The Government of Bangladesh reiterates its deep concern over the escalating situation in the Middle East and continues to monitor developments closely,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.\n“Safety and security of more than six million Bangladeshis living in the Middle East are the top-most concern of the Government.”\nThe foreign ministry said it had instructed its embassies across the region to remain on high alert and had opened a hotline for families seeking information. It added that it was coordinating with host governments to facilitate compensation claims where applicable.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPX3FTYmdVR1B6UWVhYnh0TUQ1V3drc2NOTU40dXA4eW5lWGxCRFJxeVdKLWpLMmxmWGhUa0trZXRscHlMTjJFbDNpR1VMSENFdmhQNVUyS3JGdEIxTFNGZTVHVDFjTVhUSWN1bjlGdm9uU2x6TU5lVzZCNVQtWlJQSElkUzRBT1RORkduS2JITGVQNmtIaEoxTjBmUWVDRWdhaHV2QTZQal9xTTBuc0lNTDd3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a9687b64c34e",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "War touches Europe as Iran strikes military bases, threatens oil supply - Courthouse News",
    "body_text": "War touches Europe as Iran strikes military bases, threatens oil supply    Courthouse News",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T15:58:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPZi01ZF9VcEtHVll0ZUlUdXpzZjNYMVIyRE1GaUNNOWVBM2xLUEl3bzBRM192cmZvZGdXZC00dktJWWpaRUlCT3NKWE1FQkhwNnhIMnV4dmRJT3pwT3htX1hGanNUdnpBLUlyMEFrYU1CUkpNWm9IQTNVUF9rTGVweUc4ODhiQTlndEYzMktrZG5zbVVvdWdZRVV3Yk9PblpBUTFXag?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dc12b86d503b",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "1 in 4 Americans back Trump’s Iran strikes, most say he’s too quick to use force: poll - Fox News",
    "body_text": "About one in four Americans, but a majority of Republicans, say they approve of the U.S. military strikes on Iran ordered by President Donald Trump, according to a new poll.\nThe national survey, conducted Saturday and Sunday by Reuters/Ipsos in the hours after the start of \"Operation Epic Fury\" by American and Israeli forces on Iran that resulted in the killing of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also indicates about half believe Trump is too willing to use military force.\nTwenty-seven percent of those surveyed said they approved of the strikes, with 43% disapproving and nearly three in 10 not sure.\nBut there's a partisan divide, with Republicans by a 55%-32% margin supportive of the military action. The vast majority of Democrats, 73%, disapproved of the strikes, with only seven percent saying they approved. A plurality of independents, 44%, disapproved of the military attack, with 19% supportive and nearly four in 10 unsure.\nThe poll was conducted before the U.S. military announced on Sunday the first U.S. casualties in the operation — three service members killed and five more seriously wounded.\n\"I think that the polling is very good, but I don’t care about polling. I have to do the right thing. I have to do the right thing. This should have been done a long time ago,\" Trump said in an interview Monday with the New York Post when asked about the new survey.\nThe joint U.S.-Israeli operation is expected to carry on for days, with officials telling Fox News that Israel is targeting Iranian leadership, while the U.S. is attacking military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an \"imminent threat.\"\nThe attack has plunged the volatile Middle East into a new and unpredictable conflict. Iran has retaliated against Israel and other nations in the region. Trump on Sunday warned against Iranian retaliation, saying that if Iran were to \"hit very hard,\" they would be met with \"a force that has never been seen before.\"\nThe attack on Iran follows strikes Trump has ordered in recent months against Venezuela, Syria, and Nigeria.\nAccording to the poll, 56% of Americans think the president is too willing to use military force to advance U.S. interests. Nearly nine in 10 Democrats, six in 10 independents, and nearly a quarter of Republicans said Trump was too willing to use military force.\nTrump, in his interview with the New York Post, emphasized that \"it’s not a question of polling. You cannot let Iran, who’s a nation that has been run by crazy people, have a nuclear weapon.\"\n\"I think people are very impressed with what is happening, actually,\" Trump insisted. \"I think it’s a silent — if you did a real poll, the silent poll — and it’s like a silent majority,\" the president added.\nTrump's overall approval in the new survey stands at 39%, down a point from the previous Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in mid-February.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:05:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6c687aab7a8d",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Tennis stars in Dubai and Paralympians face travel issues as Middle East war continues - AP News",
    "body_text": "Tennis stars in Dubai and Paralympians face travel issues as Middle East war continues\nTennis stars in Dubai and Paralympians face travel issues as Middle East war continues\nFormer U.S. Open tennis champion Daniil Medvedev has indicated he’s one of what the ATP Tour calls “a small number of players and team members” it is trying to help leave Dubai as the war in the Middle East causes a widespread travel shutdown that has also caused issues for athletes heading to the Paralympics.\nMedvedev’s Instagram account reposted on Monday a report from a Russian-language tennis outlet, Bolshe, which said he was safe and staying at a friend’s apartment in Dubai, amid flight cancellations after winning the ATP event there last week.\n“The health, safety and wellbeing of our players, staff and tournament personnel is our priority. We can confirm that a small number of players and team members remain in Dubai following the conclusion of the recent ATP 500 event,” the ATP Tour said in a statement Monday.\n“They and their teams are being accommodated in the tournament’s official hotels, where their immediate needs are being fully supported.”\nMedvedev and others are due to play at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, where main-draw matches start Wednesday.\n“We are in direct communication with those affected, as well as with tournament organizers and security advisors,” the ATP said. “At this stage, travel assessments remain subject to ongoing assessment in line with airline operations and official guidance. We will continue to provide appropriate support to ensure players and their teams can depart safely when conditions allow.”\nThe Winter Paralympics open in Italy on Friday and some athletes are facing travel difficulties, the International Paralympic Committee said.\n“We are in close contact with all delegations competing at the Games as well as other stakeholders. Many of the teams are already in Europe attending training or holding camps, but the closure of airspace in the Middle East is impacting the arrival of some stakeholders,” the IPC said in a statement.\nThe IPC confirmed to The Associated Press that the affected stakeholders include athletes.\n“We would prefer not to comment on the status of individual delegations or stakeholders at this stage but can provide assurance that we are working diligently with Milano Cortina 2026 to find solutions for those affected,” the IPC added.\nIran has one cross-country skier expected to compete at the March 6-15 Paralympics.\nCricketers from England and Pakistan’s men’s developmental teams were in the United Arab Emirates at the weekend ahead of Sunday’s game that was cancelled.\nYouth basketball players also faced travel issues when a EuroLeague tournament there was canceled at the weekend.\nNumerous sports events in the region have shut down, with Asian Champions League soccer games and the Qatari league on hold. The governing body which oversees Formula 1 said Monday it will focus on “safety and wellbeing” as it considers upcoming races in the region.\n___\nAP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxQY3o0TDRPX0c2Xy1vOXNLOUJMdUdSb2V6TUFaeU1sU1ByMThvU3Y5LVhzbHc4RGhFYTB1akg1dlliNmI2RWFJXzFHakNsVnhNRjVSNmVJNVpIS3IzMGJBTVNsRzQwV3Q2NjRUdll4bzNfaFhIQ18wNGhPcWkxQ3ZYWVk2MVhYeDA2MDVlYkFfZF8xb0tXS3JNRThCUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8a508b7221f1",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Investors turn to gold, not bonds, as haven from war in Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Investors turn to gold, not bonds, as haven from war in Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:11:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE8wUzFkVU1KRGtlcDBkdWFYaFRQT0pJaUZGd2YzWXdxSWtzdUxZZUFwb0VCWl9aMlkwS0c5NnE3NXNDNlNWY0xJVGt6ZVZkcU41OVZ1Rm00SDBNdWNCcTQwajJ2ajFlWlJsRlVSSmdmSzA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_52adbda509f5",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Hegseth says US won’t get ‘bogged down’ in Iran – but doesn’t rule out sending troops - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, has called the joint US-Israeli strikes in Iran the “most lethal and precise air power campaign in history”, indicated the US did not plan to effect a democratic transition in Iran – and refused to establish a clear timeline for how long the US operation will continue.\nIn the first public remarks by an administration official since the war began on Saturday, Hegseth also said that the US did not have “boots on the ground” in Iran but that he wouldn’t speculate what “we will or will not do”. He also said that four US service members had been killed by a ballistic missile that managed to penetrate allied air defenses.\nBut speaking soon afterwards, Donald Trump said he did not rule out sending US ground troops into Iran “if they were necessary”.\nIn an interview with the New York Post the president said: “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground – like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it … I say ‘probably don’t need them’ [or] ‘if they were necessary.’”\nSecretary of state Marco Rubio also said on Monday that the US attacked Iran not because Tehran was preparing a preemptive missile strike, but because the US feared Iran’s retaliation after Israel launched an imminent strike to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n“There was absolutely an imminent threat and it was that we knew that if Iran was attacked and we believe that they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us and we were not going to sit there and absorb a blow,” Rubio said.\nPreviously US officials had briefed reporters that they had information that Iran was planning a preemptive strike using its ballistic missiles and that the threat to US interests in the region was “intolerable”.\nSpeaking at the Pentagon, Hegseth said that the US goals were to destroy Iran’s navy, its ballistic missiles production, and its potential to produce a nuclear weapon. He repeatedly said that the US would not get bogged down in the conflict, saying that the US operation was not a “democracy-building exercise” and that “this is not Iraq. This is not endless.”\nAt the same time, he said he would not predict how long it would take for Trump to declare his mission accomplished. “President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take,” Hegseth said, when asked for the US’s exit strategy. “Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up, it could move back.”\nThe remarks at the Pentagon were the first by US officials other than Trump in the more than 48 hours since the strikes began in an attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nGen Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the US had established local air superiority over Iran by suppressing Iranian air defenses that would “not only enhance the protection of our forces, but also allow them to continue the work over Iran”. He did not give a timeline for the operation, but did say that this “was not an overnight operation” and that the fighting would be difficult. “We expect to take additional losses,” he said.\nTrump had authorized the strikes on Friday, Caine said – earlier than previously known and shortly before he departed on a trip to Corpus Christi, Texas. In remarks to press outside the White House on Friday, Trump had indicated that he was still open to negotiations, although at that time he already appeared to have authorised the strike.\nCaine detailed how US cyber command and space command moved first, blinding Iranian communications and sensor networks before more than 100 aircraft – fighters, tankers, bombers and drones – launched simultaneously from land and sea. Two carrier strike groups, the Lincoln and the Ford, were involved, and B-2 stealth bombers flew from the continental United States.\nThe press conference took place shortly before markets were due to open on Monday, where stocks are expected to drop sharply over concerns of a surge in oil prices as the conflict rapidly expanded across at least nine countries in under 10 hours. Iran has launched ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones at Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman, and major shipping companies have suspended operations through the Strait of Hormuz.\nHegseth gave a full-throated defense of the strikes, saying that “we didn’t start this war, but under President Trump we’re finishing it”.\n“It turns out the regime who chanted ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel’ was gifted death from American and death from Israel,” said Hegseth. “This is not a so-called ‘regime change war’, but the regime sure did change.”\nHe also praised Israel as “capable partners” while mocking the US “traditional allies” who “wring their hands and clutch their pearls … about the use of force”.\nHegseth, who has regularly attacked “political correctness” in the military, basked in a US operation that was being conducted “all on our terms, with maximum authorities”.\n“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars,” he said. “We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives, as the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties.”\nAsked whether the US had boots on the ground in Iran, Hegseth said: “No, but we’re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do.”\nHegseth was asked several times about US objectives and how long it would take to achieve them. “As far as timeframe, I would never hang a timeframe from our perspective,” said Hegseth. “The commander in chief sets the [operational] tempo in terms of this fight, as I said, it’s on his terms. And we’ll make sure that Adm Cooper and his team have everything they need, not just to defend. The best defense is good offense.”\nAsked for more details about the deaths of four US service members during the operation, Hegseth indicated that they were struck in a ballistic missile strike. “We have incredible air defenses … Every once in a while you might have one – unfortunately, we call it a squirter – that that makes its way through. And in that particular case, happened to hit a tactical operation center that was that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons.\n“In moments like that, as we remember them and we take care of them and take care of their families, only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we we do this properly,” he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxOem9udWxSRkJOT0ltSEJ3MFFFSDhSbXR4WjJxbTlETDRzdkhac0xkbk92Q1dhX0hfbE5SREMwcWpZazljQlU5Y2xOQlRYdFltV3RhTFhkVkhpQWExdU95SEhva2JVQTJ6bmNLWHdBSEpLMnl6UmxyRXdRR1dxVFJjbWln?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_33cf8d872e9f",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "A look at some of the contenders to be Iran’s supreme leader after the killing of Khamenei - AP News",
    "body_text": "A look at some of the contenders to be Iran’s supreme leader after the killing of Khamenei\nA look at some of the contenders to be Iran’s supreme leader after the killing of Khamenei\nIran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years before he was killed in the surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment.\nIt’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement.\nThe supreme leader has the final say on all major decisions, including war, peace and the country’s disputed nuclear program.\nIn the meantime, a provisional governing council composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and senior Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi is guiding the country through its biggest crisis in decades. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that a new supreme leader would be chosen early this week.\nThe supreme leader is appointed by an 88-member panel called the Assembly of Experts, who by law are supposed to quickly name a successor. The panel consists of Shiite clerics who are popularly elected after their candidacies are approved by the Guardian Council, Iran’s constitutional watchdog.\nKhamenei had major influence over both clerical bodies, making it unlikely the next leader will mark a radical departure.\nHere are the top contenders.\nMojtaba Khamenei\nThe son of Khamenei, a mid-level Shiite cleric, is widely considered a potential successor. He has strong ties to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard but has never held office. His selection could prove awkward, as the Islamic Republic has long criticized hereditary rule and cast itself as a more just alternative.\nAyatollah Ali Reza Arafi\nArafi is a member of the provisional government council. The senior Shiite cleric was handpicked by Khamenei to be a member of the Guardian Council in 2019, and three years later he was elected to the Assembly of Experts. He leads a network of seminaries.\nHassan Rouhani\nRouhani, a relative moderate, was president of Iran from 2013 to 2021 and reached the landmark nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped during his first term. Rouhani served on the Assembly of Experts until 2024, when he said he was disqualified from running for reelection. Rouhani criticized it as an infringement on Iranians’ political participation.\nHassan Khomeini\nKhomeini is the most prominent grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is also seen as a relative moderate, but has never held government office. He currently works at his grandfather’s mausoleum in Tehran.\nAyatollah Mohammed Mehdi Mirbagheri\nMirbagheri is a senior cleric popular with hard-liners who serves on the Assembly of Experts.\nHe was close to the late Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a fellow hard-liner who wrote that Iran should not deprive itself of the right to produce “special weapons,” a veiled reference to nuclear arms.\nDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, Mirbagheri denounced the closure of schools as a “conspiracy.”\nHe is currently the head of the Islamic Cultural Center in Qom, the main center for Islamic teaching in Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:18:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNYVRIQ0dUbGQwY3d0dlZqeEUxN2l2N3V4bmhpU3B1VTN6Y05pZnRBV2FfSHU3N05vVWswWFhzRXhHWFZ6TVVoVlBYUk5ZbHBNWHM1VkZCTmRHZ2RsQTRaaUIwQ1JGU3dlUHFHVHV5MVdmZEw5c3RMWUU4ek1aeHE3aUR0bmozTHRVTXZkR3JzSGp5a2htSnJFaEJhTWdyZGpLVkNfSEdtUDF1aVIwQm9iQl9R?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_67bb0b14b847",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Displacement deja vu as Lebanese struggle to make sense of Hezbollah's actions - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Thousands fled south Lebanon and Beirut amid intensified Israeli strikes, reliving wartime displacement and straining overstretched shelters and public spaces.\nHezbollah’s rocket and drone barrage into Israel triggered harsh retaliation, deepening domestic outrage and questions over strategy and restraint.\nAnalyst Mohannad Hage Ali says Hezbollah acted in “existential mode” after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death, fearing loss of vital Iranian backing.\nShiite communities face a lose-lose outcome, risking further depopulation, occupation, and a potential buffer zone as Israel reinforces positions along the border.\n“It’s selfish and it’s brutal,” said senior fellow Mr Hage Ali, warning the move could backfire internally while failing to protect supporters.\nLebanese felt a collective sense of deja vu on Monday as thousands of displaced people from the south and parts of Beirut slept on pavements, in cars and in government shelters as Israeli strikes rained from the sky over their homes and villages.\n“The same thing is happening all over again,” Joumanah Abdallah, 40, told The National in frustrated resignation. She fled during the night, when explosions shook her building, filling her flat with dust and debris. “The war was supposed to be over. We thought we were safe,” she said.\nAn Israeli drone buzzed overhead at low altitude as she spoke from a corner of a car park where she and her family had slept in downtown Beirut.\nIt took Mrs Abdallah three hours to travel from Dahiyeh to central Beirut with her six children, a journey that would normally take 10 minutes, as roads quickly filled with thousands of residents fleeing the bombardment.\nHezbollah’s sudden entry into a regional war – between the US and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other – has cemented fears that the war would spill over into Lebanon despite official efforts to keep the country out.\nPreparing for the worst in Lebanon after Israeli strikes\n01:39\nThe Iran-backed group, severely depleted from its last war with Israel and partially disarmed, had signalled restraint in the event of a broader confrontation. But it also indicated that any attack on Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be a red line for them. Still, when Hezbollah took responsibility for launching a barrage of rockets and drones into Israel – an act which did little to harm its sworn enemy – shock and outrage rippled throughout a frail country on the edge of collapse.\n“The fact that Hezbollah launched this now will put them on fire internally in Lebanon,” said Mohannad Hage Ali, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut and an analyst on Iran’s proxies.\nThe death of Mr Khamenei and a cadre of top Iranian commanders and officials has shaken Hezbollah, which relies on Iran for financial, logistical, and military support, he said. The prospect of the Iranian regime’s elimination at the hands of the US and Israel has forced Hezbollah to go into “existential mode”.\n“It was inevitable for them to engage and hold on for the last thread of hope,” Mr Hage Ali told The National. If Iran’s regime falls, he argued, Hezbollah – already struggling – would find survival difficult.\n“It's selfish and it's brutal,” he said. “But that’s the reality.”\nYet the very effort to preserve itself may also spell Hezbollah’s demise.\nA harsh and sweeping Israeli retaliation across south Lebanon and the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh has so far killed at least 31 people and caused mass displacement – continuing unabated. Apart from its opening barrage of strikes, Hezbollah has not responded, leaving many – including some from their own support base – questioning their strategy.\n‘There is no future’\nDisplacement centres are already at capacity. In the Furn el Chebbak neighbourhood, a few kilometres away from the southern suburb, dozens of displaced people were waiting in the yard of a local school. An elderly woman in a wheelchair, young mothers, children running around; none of them knew where they would sleep or whether the centre would have enough space to shelter them.\nNada Hamza, who also fled Dahieh, brought nothing but the red robe tied around her waist and her bird, Coucou. She was only able to secure a place in the centre because her husband works in the municipality.\nThis second displacement in less than two years left her feeling hopeless. “What future? There is no future,” she said, inspecting an empty classroom with nothing but children’s drawings still on the wall.\n“The past is repeating itself. It’s even worse this time, we were not even given a warning or anything to prepare ourselves.”\nMr Hage Ali said the country’s Shiite sect – Hezbollah’s primary base of support – stood to lose the most from what he described as an indecipherable and strategically costly attack.\n“For the Shiites of Lebanon it’s a lose-lose situation. If Israel occupies the south and they lose their homeland they will become another wave of Palestine refugees in the making,” he said.\nEven if the Iranian regime were to survive, Lebanon’s Shiite sect would face a painful toll.\nThe Israeli army already occupies at least five points of Lebanese territory despite a 2024 ceasefire that stipulates its complete withdrawal.\nIt has also reinforced its military presence along the border in preparation for a potential air and ground operation on Lebanon, Israeli media reported on Monday.\nFor the last two and a half years since the ceasefire, Israel has continued to conduct daily but limited strikes on south Lebanon, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure. Meanwhile, Hezbollah, partially disarmed, continues to face external and internal and pressure to do so fully.\nPeople flee as Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon\n00:24\nAccording to Mr Hage Ali, by breaking a fragile and one-sided ceasefire, Hezbollah’s intervention has emboldened Israel to launch yet another harsh military offensive on the group that would further depopulate southern Lebanon as it seeks to establish a buffer zone.\nFacing losses at home either way, Hezbollah has chosen to go out fighting.\nBut their decision has left Hezbollah supporters divided. “Hezbollah stopped the war, but [Israel] never did,” said 30-year-old Hezbollah supporter Awsaf Al Omar. “Israel was never going to stop. The south is still in tatters, and they’re not allowing reconstruction.” Self-defence is “our right,” she added.\nBut, standing beside her, another Hezbollah supporter, visibly exhausted, muttered quietly: “Lebanon also has the right to rest.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:18:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxOclp1YWZPU2lpT3I4eURZSl96cm43Y3JUenRnMjM5QkRMS3A0UVpNVWtFMjJuSDU3VnBDeEhUd2gwNVFWbkNmN19vQUR6d2dpVEpENy1EcXJnVG1zR1NiWE1fcjFkZmlUb2NJcF8ySzVSRV9kM2xXbWxTNmxTZlN6UFphLVd6R3VybXU3Q0x6NU1QeWFBQWljR3FXR2pLU3hVX0MxTy0wcGdnUDgxNGFtZzkwajVqc3lZVjJ3cnF4N0NlQmdMY2RtRUNiMA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a333075a3622",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why did the US strike Iran? Pentagon lays out military's 4 goals in the conflict - cbs8.com",
    "body_text": "IRAN, — The United States and Israel's surprise military strikes on Iran over the weekend have killed hundreds and have increased the possibility of a multi-national war. But until Monday morning, the reasons for those strikes, and the eventual goal for the U.S. military, haven't been made clear.\nSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pointed to newly set military objectives for \"Operation Epic Fury\" when asked by reporters what the nation's goals were surrounding the strikes. The Pentagon's four main objectives included:\n- Destroy Iranian offensive missiles\n- Destroy Iranian missile production\n- Destroy Iran's Navy and other security infrastructure\n- Prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon\nBut when pressed about specifics related to how the U.S. would measure these goals and determine when American forces would leave the conflict, Hegseth declined to answer, saying any indication about the intent of American forces would give Iran strategic information.\nThe last point has also contradicted previous statements made by the president. U.S. President Donald Trump had said an earlier strike on Iran had “obliterated” its nuclear capability, but Hegseth said on Monday that the possibility of the nation obtaining a nuclear weapon was still very real.\nTrump has had a self-professed aversion to foreign entanglements for years, especially in the Middle East. Numerous social media posts and videos from the current president have resurfaced in the days following the strikes on Iran, accusing former President Barack Obama of starting wars because he could not negotiate.\nThe president has since justified joining Israel's attacks on Iranian leadership by saying the nation posed an unacceptable and imminent risk to U.S. and allied interests. But the president's closest advisers have been unable to point to any specific threat to the U.S. from Iran that required urgent action and have offered conflicting assessments of the road ahead.\nHegseth insisted that the U.S. strikes on Iran were not going to be another \"endless war\" like the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq from 2003 to 2011. But he also said the U.S. plans to send more troops and resources to Iran, with the expectation of more American military member deaths.\nBehind closed doors, there have been contradictory explanations for the strikes.\nTrump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S., three people familiar with the briefings said.\nThe administration officials instead acknowledged there was a more general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, two of the people said. The third person, however, said the administration emphasized that Iran’s missiles and proxy forces posed an imminent threat to U.S. personnel and allies in the region.\nThe officials did not provide any clarity about what would happen next in Iran after the joint U.S.-Israeli operation, the two people said. All three people insisted on anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public.\nThe information conveyed to the congressional staff contrasts with the message from Trump. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people,\" he said in a video message after launching strikes on Iran.\nBut in a contradiction to the information given to the congressional staffers, Senior Trump administration officials, who like others, were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters Saturday that there were indicators that the Iranians could launch a preemptive attack.\nThe Associated Press contributed to this article.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:20:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2wFBVV95cUxPUEpkUUVLc1EwY0lUVGdfNFhTY2gxOWRZN1d4NnFCS3J4YXdUYmt3TmpYbDRWNFZSOEdjQko2NEUxMzdhNWNXMkx2dTB3bThCVE5MMkZoS0p5WDRaOUNNQjJBNmhWcEF6aXZvd21TeS1PLW5aRVZXaU5QamJMc3I4R2IxbUxBUWFmOFNZckxYVnZvS29fMWFYMm9JcGt2NzVFMGtLNExPOUJmOVlxUDR6M2JUTTZiLVR0OXBlYnFNU3d2ZU9yRWk1SWxnWklGcmNLX0pnWWYtUl96V0U?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d472b3140071",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Kuwait shaken as Iran’s retaliatory strikes cause turmoil in Gulf - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Kuwait’s stability has been shaken as Iranian missile and drone attacks draws all GCC states into a fast-escalating regional crisis.\nDebris struck Mina Al Ahmadi refinery, injuring two workers, though operations at the 346,000 bpd facility were not affected.\nAir defences intercepted hostile drones near Rumaithiya and Salwa; separate reports noted smoke near the US embassy amid warnings of ongoing missile and UAV threats.\nIran targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base hosting US troops; friendly fire saw Kuwaiti defences down three US F-15E jets, with fatalities among American personnel.\n“We haven’t slept all night. The sounds very loud. This is unusual here,” a school teacher said, reflecting rising civilian fear and emergency preparations.\nKuwait’s status as a relatively stable energy hub has been upended over the past three days as Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes following US and Israeli attacks leave the Gulf in turmoil.\nAll six Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries have been affected and drawn into an unprecedented regional crisis. Missiles and drones launched by Iran not only attacked US military bases but also civilian and energy sites across the region. Iran’s retaliation has been swift and expansive.\nMonday was dramatic for Kuwait. The official spokesman for the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Ghanim Al Otaibi, announced that some debris fell in the Mina Al Ahmadi refinery near Kuwait City, injuring two workers. Production at the refinery, which according to the KNPC has a capacity of 346,000 barrels per day, was not affected.\nOne Kuwaiti soldier has been killed, the army said on Monday evening. Sgt Walid Majid Sulaiman was killed \"while performing his duty\". No details were given.\nLoud bangs rang out over the Gulf nation earlier in the day as air defences intercepted “hostile drones” approaching the country through “maritime routes”, state media said.\nNo casualties were reported after Kuwait's air defences had successfully intercepted the majority of the drones near Rumaithiya and Salwa neighbourhoods, state media reported.\nIn a separate incident, witnesses reported smoke rising near the US embassy in Kuwait. While the embassy did not confirm direct damage, it warned of the \"continuing threat of missile and UAV attacks\".\n\"Do not come to the embassy,\" it told citizens in a post on X. \"Take cover in your residence ... do not go outside.\"\nSmoke surrounds US embassy in Kuwait\n00:30\nIran's military also said it attacked the Ali Al Salem Air Base hosting US troops in Kuwait.\nAll of this marks the most significant escalation for the small Gulf state in decades – the first of this magnitude since the 1990 Iraqi invasion and subsequent Gulf War.\nKuwait hosts one of the largest concentrations of US military forces in the Middle East, serving as a key logistical hub for American operations across the region. The US maintains several bases there – including Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Buehring – that support troop operations, airlift and combat support and prepositioned equipment.\nAbout 13,500 US service members and support personnel are stationed in Kuwait. The large US military presence stems from the Iraqi invasion, which was repelled by a US-led coalition aiding the Kuwaiti army.\nThe Iranian attacks have so far killed five people in the Gulf, according to authorities, including one person in Kuwait.\nAt least three US service members were killed in Kuwait, with US President Donald Trump warning that there may be many more deaths of troops as he quoted Pentagon projections.\nLate on Sunday, three US fighter jets went down “due to an apparent friendly fire incident”, the US military announced. Kuwaiti air defences shot down the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets accidentally.\nSeveral US military aircraft crash in Kuwait\n00:22\n“During active combat – that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones – the US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences,” US Central Command said in a statement.\nThe cause of the incident is under investigation, Centcom added. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence said in the early hours of Monday morning that “several” US fighter jets crashed.\nBlasts also rang out over the Gulf cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Manama as Iran continues to attack America's Gulf allies after the killing of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.\nImpact and disruptions\nSome residents in the country are worried. “We haven’t slept all night. The sounds very loud. This is unusual here,” Jessica Haddad, a school teacher, told The National. She lives in Kuwait with her husband and two-year-old daughter. \"We stocked up on extra food and packed our emergency bags,\" she added.\nBeyond civilian fears, the conflict’s wider economic and strategic impact is already being felt across the region.\nTraffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that bypasses Iran and Oman, has effectively stopped due to safety concerns.\nThree tankers were attacked on Sunday while sailing on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had earlier warned ships to steer clear of the waterway. It is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.\nKuwait is one of the least-diversified Gulf states, with its economy and government revenue intrinsically linked to oil receipts. Any blockage to the Strait of Hormuz will severely restrict the country’s ability to export oil, as it lacks strong alternative pipeline and export infrastructure, unlike its peers, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.\nAs a founding member of Opec with a low operating cost per barrel, Kuwait produces more than three million bpd of crude, making it a key supplier to global oil markets. Hydrocarbons contribute about 90 to 95 per cent of export earnings. Kuwait also boasts significant refining capacity beyond crude exports, including the massive 615,000 bpd Al Zour refinery alongside existing centres such as Mina Al Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah.\nMeanwhile, Qatar has halted production of liquefied natural gas following an Iranian strike on its main centre. The move is hugely significant given that QatarEnergy is the biggest producer of LNG in the world, accounting for 20 per cent of world supply.\nQatar had previously played a key role as a mediator between the US and Iran.\nFinancial markets have also reacted. Stocks in Qatar and Kuwait slumped on Monday as the war raises risk premium and dampens investment sentiment.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:20:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxNUnFLbTd3Tm1TRE9UalNIaThDbjBzRjctT0JaUVNDSE5UZ3IyYkhfaktIYm1kM3EtMFFZWmpmNWphcjBZU1Z0UmJFUVo1YW5lNG4wQUJnUU41V1NxaU1STmhBekVtVnlwLW03bHlmOVlDZlhvUW1yNEtOV2xwZGdSUlhrWEhVOVdobldNMnQzZVRsWXdwZmo1WDVBODhVTUFpZ2o5aXgzMGw5YktqV0V1VkIwU0ZPMy1JaVFPRUhwUUJ5WDFoOGtz?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_af16d01ea750",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Russia's Putin, Saudi crown prince discuss Iran escalation risks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Russia's Putin, Saudi crown prince discuss Iran escalation risks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:20:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxQaGxRRXMzN2pncFpPczdNZWdJaXE5eE1iQ05HRUtxdVZmaEtvcGk4SmFaaE5tNHBMd2hlVU9MeGp0d2JJaVV3dHBsWkxIWE5USFhyaHhaQzdBQnVudmZaZ2VGSm1hT292dHgzZ1RpWV9VQUN3bHhmdVY3emptMlNfcFJyQ2Rzb0VGSkZPdjM1MkVXOHJCVmpHTDc4Y1JwczdKR3hVVFVKVDUyTU5oZkd5anI0cEVWajA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_da3e9c82fc77",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Starmer says UK will not join ‘regime change from the skies’ on Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Keir Starmer has issued his strongest rebuke yet of Donald Trump’s action in Iran, saying the UK did not believe in “regime change from the skies”.\nThe prime minister said the UK would not join offensive strikes by Israel and the US on Iran, but defended his decision late on Sunday to permit the US to conduct defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites from RAF bases, saying that was “the best way to protect British interests and British lives”.\nAs MPs urged Starmer not to allow the UK to be dragged further into the conflict, Starmer suggested he had qualms about the US action and plans in place for the aftermath of the strikes.\n“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis, and a viable thought-through plan,” he said. “That is the principle that I applied to the decisions that I made over the weekend.”\nHe said he would not risk the lives of British military personnel unless an operation had a “proper lawful basis”.\nThe US president said on Monday he was “very disappointed” in Starmer for blocking him from using two British bases to carry out strikes on Iran, adding: “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”\nSpeaking in the Commons, Starmer said the UK was deploying planes and allowing the use of bases for defensive purposes because of Iran launching strikes on the UK’s allies in the region in its retaliation.\n“It is clear that Iran’s outrageous response has become a threat to our people, our interests and our allies, and it cannot be ignored,” Starmer said. “The basis for our decision is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies and protecting British lives. It is in accordance with international law.”\nHe said the RAF had intercepted an Iranian drone strike heading for a coalition base in Iraq where UK forces were stationed. Two drones were also fired at the British base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri. Starmer said they were launched before Sunday’s night’s statement on the US use of UK bases.\nThe defence secretary, John Healey, said the damage was minimal but that the UK was moving families who lived at RAF Akrotiri to alternative temporary accommodation in Cyprus. The base is not being used to launch US strikes.\nA Cypriot news agency reported the damage to the airbase was caused by small low-flying drones launched by Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group from Lebanon – but the UK Ministry of Defence did not formally confirm that.\nStarmer had not previously expressed explicit opposition to Saturday’s initial wave of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, and other senior Iranian leaders.\nIran has since launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks on a range of targets in the Gulf and the Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Oman.\nThe UK is expected to allow the US to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands to bomb Iran’s “missile cities”, sites where high-speed ballistic missiles, Iran’s most dangerous weapons, are stored and can be launched from.\nThe hits would require the use of US heavy bombers using so-called bunker-buster munitions, with the British bases preferred by the US air force because they are closer to Iran than the US itself.\nThe Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said Starmer was using the cover of international law to justify his weak position – and accused him of making a U-turn after the scale of Iran’s retaliation became clear.\n“Today, the president of the United States has taken the extraordinary step of rebuking the prime minister publicly, saying he took far too long to grant access,” she said. “We are told that this dither and delay is because of concerns over international law. But I’m afraid that explanation simply does not hold. International law didn’t prevent our allies from clearly and unequivocally stating whose side they were on.”\nStarmer said: “We believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon and ceases its destabilising activity across the region. That has been the longstanding position of successive British governments.\n“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest; that is what I’ve done, and I stand by it.”\nBut, he said, the UK could not stand by while UK citizens in the Gulf as well as British bases were put at risk. He said there were an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the region, including those in transit, and airports and hotels where British citizens were staying were being hit.\nHe said Gulf leaders had been asking the UK to do more to defend them. “Moreover, it is my duty, the highest duty of my office, to protect British lives,” he added.\nStarmer said that it was not possible for British Typhoons and F-35s to intercept all the Iranian strikes and that was why he had given the US permission to destroy the missiles in their storage depots or at launch sites.\nHe added that it would “prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk and hitting countries that have not been involved”.\nThe prime minister said he wanted to make sure British citizens stranded because of closed airspace could “ensure that they can return home as swiftly and safely as possible”. He said the Foreign Office would send rapid deployment teams to the region, especially the UAE, and that British citizens should register their presence.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:32:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQNkZFSE45MS0xdExGSUJVOFdFQzkyYzdfR2I3RjVQMloxYnRrYjAzYXhpX1l0MnROcVZMUC1hQ3JEazQzTTFjUG9kZFNVeURfQTFBREFQUlBsYjZSR2JBYkxBeExuTE1KSTRjc04zejlXLVpwRXdLcWtfWHhjRDQ0dGk5TnFpaldZd3pIUnR6TGdXYlFsSVdBbmZzNG9RSlZRRzZkVW90NlNJdGF6VG1TRUE2OUs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e1278b6e7273",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "How to access UK's 'free' Gulf evacuation plans - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "More than 100,000 Britons in Gulf states have registered with the Foreign Office as evacuation planning accelerates amid regional escalation.\nForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper said about 300,000 British-linked people are in affected Gulf states where US bases have been targeted by Iranian retaliation.\nOfficials urge Britons in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE to register online and monitor rapidly changing travel advice; each family member must register separately.\nAirspace closures following Iranian attacks complicate what could become one of the UK’s largest evacuations, spanning multiple countries and numerous holidaymakers, transit passengers and business visitors.\n“This is about collective self-defence in the face of Iran’s reckless attacks,” the Foreign Secretary said, adding the UK has a limited agreement with the US to protect Gulf allies.\nMore than 125,000 British nationals in the Gulf have registered with the Foreign Office, as the UK prepares evacuation plans in response to the US-Israeli war against Iran.\nPrime Minister Keir Starmer has said more than 1,000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on commercial flights from the UAE on Tuesday, with further flights expected “in the coming days”.\nAnother eight flights were due to leave the UAE on Wednesday, including the first charter flight from Oman, with two more in coming days.\nMr Starmer said that British Airways would add another flight from Oman. He called on MPs to make sure their constituents register their presence in the Gulf with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.\nBritish Airways announced it will operate two further flights from Muscat, Oman, to London Heathrow, departing on Friday and Saturday.\n“We remain unable to operate flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv,\" the airline said in a statement. The UK government advice has now been updated to note that: \"Commercial options are available to depart the region, and if your presence in the UAE is not essential, you may wish to consider departing if you judge you can access these options safely.\"\nThe extra flights from Muscat are for BA customers with an existing booking in Oman or the UAE.\nForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that there were about 300,000 British-linked people in Gulf states where US military bases have been attacked by Iranian retaliation after Washington's offensive.\n\"We are deploying rapid‑response teams to support British nationals,\" Mr Starmer said. \"We are in close contact with our partners, including in the UAE, given the possibility of British nationals needing to leave from there. We are exploring all options for helping our citizens return home as swiftly and safely as possible. Ministers are also engaging directly with airlines.\"\nHe added that the focus of the work was to formulate a plan to get people back to the UK as \"quickly and as safely as possible\". \"There's no intention to charge people for that,\" he said.\nBritish nationals are being advised to follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the Foreign Office's travel advice, which officials expect to change rapidly. Those in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE have been urged to register their presence with the Foreign Office online.\nAn evacuation could be one of the largest in the UK's history, complicated by its scale and the number of countries people might need to leave.\nThe UK evacuated 15,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans after US withdrawal in 2021 in what is considered the largest operation of its kind to date.\nAlthough the UK has used the registration scheme before to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises, it has not needed to deal with so many people in so many countries.\nBritons can register their presence by filling in a form on the gov.uk website. They need to select which country they are registering from, and then provide an email address and mobile phone number that they have access to, as well as their UK passport number.\nEvery Briton in a family will need to register separately, such as spouses and children. But the form also asks people to specify whether they have non-British spouses or children with them.\n“This is deeply stressful for people because we're talking about a lot of people who are holidaymakers, who were transit passengers just passing through or people on business visits to the region and who we want to make sure can get safely home,” Ms Cooper told BBC Breakfast.\nThe UK on Sunday granted permission for the US to use its airbases so that it can attack Iran and help defend its Gulf allies, and British citizens, from Iran, Ms Cooper said. She told BBC Radio 4 it was the right thing to do as “ballistic missiles were pointed at hotels in Dubai”.\nShe said that due to the “reckless” way the Iranian regime had responded to the US strikes – hitting hotels and coming close to UK airbases – the UK now had to act to help defend a region where there are so many British citizens and interests.\nMs Cooper said the UK had received requests from Gulf countries for assistance.\n“This is about collective self-defence in the face of Iran’s reckless attacks on countries with so many British citizens and countries not involved in targeting Iran,\" she told Sky News.\n“We continue to believe that we want to seek a negotiated solution, a diplomatic process. We made a deliberate decision not to be involved in the US strikes that took place over the weekend.\"\nMs Cooper said the government was involved in a “specific limited agreement” with the US to protect the Gulf countries. “Many of those Gulf countries were not involved in any of the strikes on Iran,” she added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:32:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNbndNQmJwdGpOejRrR1RhRU5nSGlOSHhYblR5NktIVFdjR1dwSEI3RkhlcWwxSkxpTlYtUnZYanB5LWtvc1ZVTlRwSmIxUVRMbW5KelB4UFZjZHdHelhyRmhOX0dPVV9Ha0pYTmwxRlZsTkJhQUs3cjRZY1ZERklPblpqVWE2WmNUblRnVFpvTFlOVTFjS1FkQ0V6c2hqR256allFTkRZdVNxbUxSb1Zrbg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_16f0054feceb",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports resume limited flights following Iranian strikes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports will operate a limited number of flights from Monday evening, following the complete closure of airspace at the weekend.\nDubai International and Zayed International airports suffered damage during Iranian strikes, largely from debris falling from intercepted drones. One person died in Abu Dhabi.\n“Emirates will begin operating a limited number of flights commencing on the evening of March 2,” the airline said.\n“We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority, and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates.\n\"Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified. All other flights remain suspended until further notice. Updates will be published on http://emirates.com and our official social media channels.”\nFlydubai announced a limited number of services from Dubai to Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk to allow people to return home.\nA limited number of inbound flights from the Pakistani cities of Islamabad, Multan and Sialkot will run, in addition to Hargeisa in Somaliland.\nFlightRadar24 data showed that 15 Etihad Airways flights had taken off from Zayed International Airport as of late afternoon on Monday. These were to destinations in Europe and Asia, namely London, Amsterdam, Paris, Moscow, Karachi, Mumbai, Islamabad and Delhi.\nEtihad stressed that services from Abu Dhabi would be limited for now. A statement sent to The National said: “All scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain cancelled.\n“Some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights may operate in co-ordination with UAE authorities and subject to strict operational and safety approvals. Safety remains our absolute priority and services will operate only once all safety criteria are met.”\nEtihad said in an update on Monday evening that commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi - outside of the limited flights - would remain suspended until 2pm on Wednesday, March 4.\nThe passenger flight suspensions could be extended further and are subject to further assessment based on safety concerns and co-ordination with authorities.\nSharjah International Airport Authority also announced the limited resumption of flights would come into effect on Monday.\nIt urged passengers to contact airlines to confirm flight departure times before travelling to the airport.\nAt least 20,000 passengers, many of them on transit flights, are housed in hotels due to the closures. It is estimated that tens of thousands more holidaymakers are in the Emirates awaiting flights home.\nOf the 3,779 flights scheduled to operate to the Middle East by global airlines, 1,560 were cancelled, or 41 per cent of the total, according to the latest update by aviation data company Cirium on Monday.\nHigh insurance premiums\nThe unprecedented closure of the three major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have created major travel disruption and sent shock waves across the global aviation sector.\nThe higher oil prices will result in higher fuel costs for airlines as they reroute away from the Middle East air corridor.\nEach additional flight hour on a wide-body plane adds significant fuel, crew and maintenance costs and reduces aircraft utilisation, aviation analyst Linus Bauer said.\nOn top of that, insurance and war-risk premiums are likely to rise.\n“Escalation in the region typically triggers higher war-risk surcharges, tighter coverage terms and increased deductibles,” he said. This can materially increase marginal costs for flights operating near the conflict zone.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:32:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxOX19WQ09SakI5eHVQTjZ2UkgxMFlmQjhKQ2xYbHRmTFdLakh0RG9wb2YyU3BLSDUyWFJfeGY5LVppUFZZNlN3bDdHcDZmZGF0NXdhTUNGWjE5VkxuYjBERGN4N3ZnYWwwMFBGZ2NYSFBjOGd5M3NncHRaci1kY2JsMk9HX0YtajYwTG1CbjBaZ2VsUG9ldFB6S3pHSU1majY4UG1JRA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_74ff632ff9ed",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israeli minister outlines Iran mission goals, says Iranian people now have chance to ‘regain their freedom' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "An Israeli official tells Fox News Digital that the U.S.-Israeli mission in Iran has two main goals that may provide an opportunity to change the course of the future of the Middle East as their military forces continue to pummel the Iranian regime.\nIsraeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said in an interview on Monday that the first of the two goals is to remove existential threats such as Iran’s ballistic missiles that were rapidly being repaired following last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted key Iranian nuclear sites.\nChikli said these missiles are \"capable of sending these missiles into the heart of our cities, into hospitals,\" and must be destroyed.\nOf Iran’s nuclear program, he added that there are \"still components that need to be removed.\"\nThe second goal of the mission is to create conditions to change the regime in Iran, Chikli said.\n\"We are well aware of the fact that not the IDF and not the U.S. Army is going to replace the regime in Iran,\" he said. \"It’s up to the Iranian people who have now the biggest opportunity in the last 40-plus years since the beginning of the revolution to do something in order to create a different reality in Iran and regain their freedom.\"\nPresident Donald Trump on Saturday encouraged the Iranian people to take over their government once the U.S. and Israel finished combat operations in Iran, telling them to \"seize control of [their] destiny.\"\n\"The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,\" Trump said. \"This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.\"\nA U.S. senior official previously confirmed to Fox News that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among five to 10 top leaders killed after an Israeli strike in Tehran as part of \"Operation Epic Fury.\"\nChikli discussed a situation where Iran can be aligned with \"the West, with freedom, with human dignity,\" adding that \"we need to push forward to achieve this kind of change in Iran.\"\n\"Iran is a major state with a lot of resources, and it can be an ally,\" he said. \"An ally of Israel, it can be an ally of the U.S., it can be an ally of the UAE, it can be an ally of Kuwait and every moderate regime in the region.\"\nIran's retaliation against the American and Israeli attacks has been focused on Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.\nIran’s actions prompted many Arab countries to condemn the regime’s strikes and affirm solidarity with one another.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:32:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_175a0c5cc3f3",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israeli minister outlines Iran mission goals, says Iranian people now have chance to ‘regain their freedom'",
    "body_text": "Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli spoke to Fox News Digital about the joint US-Israel strikes in Iran and the potential future of the Middle East, in an interview on March 1, 2026.\n\nAn Israeli official tells Fox News Digital that the U.S.-Israeli mission in Iran has two main goals that may provide an opportunity to change the course of the future of the Middle East as their military forces continue to pummel theIranian regime.\n\nIsraeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said in an interview on Monday that the first of the two goals is to remove existential threats such as Iran’s ballistic missiles that were rapidly being repaired following last year’sOperation Midnight Hammer, which targeted key Iranian nuclear sites.\n\nChikli said these missiles are \"capable of sending these missiles into the heart of our cities, into hospitals,\" and must be destroyed.\n\nOf Iran’s nuclear program, he added that there are \"still components that need to be removed.\"\n\nA plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Mohsen Ganji)\n\nThe second goal of the mission is to create conditions to change the regime in Iran, Chikli said.\n\n\"We are well aware of the fact that not the IDF and not the U.S. Army is going to replace the regime in Iran,\" he said. \"It’s up to the Iranian people who have now the biggest opportunity in the last 40-plus years since the beginning of the revolution to do something in order to create a different reality in Iran and regain their freedom.\"\n\nA state TV communications tower and building destroyed Sunday during an airstrike are seen in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)\n\nPresidentDonald Trumpon Saturday encouraged the Iranian people to take over their government once the U.S. and Israel finished combat operations in Iran, telling them to \"seize control of [their] destiny.\"\n\nDOZENS OF TOP IRANIAN REGIME OFFICIALS, SUPREME LEADER KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES\n\n\"The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,\" Trump said. \"This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.\"\n\nPlumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Mohsen Ganji)\n\nA U.S. senior official previously confirmed to Fox News that Iran’sSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneiwas among five to 10 top leaders killed after an Israeli strike in Tehran as part of \"Operation Epic Fury.\"\n\nChikli discussed a situation where Iran can be aligned with \"the West, with freedom, with human dignity,\" adding that \"we need to push forward to achieve this kind of change in Iran.\"\n\n\"Iran is a major state with a lot of resources, and it can be an ally,\" he said. \"Anally of Israel, it can be an ally of the U.S., it can be an ally of the UAE, it can be an ally of Kuwait and every moderate regime in the region.\"\n\nIran's retaliationagainst the American and Israeli attacks has been focused on Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.\n\nIran’s actions prompted many Arab countries tocondemn the regime’s strikesand affirm solidarity with one another.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:32:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/israeli-minister-outlines-iran-mission-goals-says-iranian-people-now-have-chance-regain-freedom",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f0dc26f2450a",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "What is the legality of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran? - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The US and Israeli attacks on Iran have lit the touchpaper in the region once more. The UK did not take part in the initial strikes but said on Sunday that it would take part in “defensive action”. With the shadow of the 2003 Iraq invasion looming large, the Guardian examines the lawfulness of the different countries’ actions.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxNd2VHOVRHbFN1bC1GdVU3WnBMRjY3TmJrbDhwMjZyTFpVaEFTam03TmJkTFdwZ0Rrblh0RmRtS3J0Sm9mdWxtTV91Zk1COEdra1Z6b3g1RU5nbGNacmNZcUJTUXZjd1l0NUlobWFEWFZJa2FaV29FWUdfYjQ4bWpkY3NyVUo?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_79a231c097e1",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran's new wave of attacks escalates threat to the world's largest oil and gas hubs - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Saudi Arabia and Qatar's critical energy infrastructure has been targeted, leading to halted operations and heightened global supply chain risks.\nBrent crude and European gas prices surged as traders grappled with potential disruptions from attacks on major energy facilities.\nIran's attacks on Gulf energy hubs mark an escalation from previous tanker harassment, raising fears of further supply outages.\nInsurance premiums and freight rates have increased, with some vessels avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, impacting global shipping routes.\n\"We haven’t seen the peak of it… we haven’t seen the worst of what could happen,\" said Iman Nasseri, highlighting the conflict's potential escalation.\nIran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf states are now threatening the world’s largest oil and gas export hubs, marking a dangerous escalation from tanker harassment to direct attacks on energy infrastructure.\nThe shift in attacks raises fears of severed supply as Saudi Arabia and Qatar halted operations at key plants.\nBrent crude opened sharply higher on Monday at $81.49 per barrel, then retreated to the $77 range, as traders weighed early fears of disruption against the absence of confirmed large-scale supply losses. However, Brent pushed back closer to $80 following news that Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery had been hit.\nFollowing the strike on a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant and subsequent halt in production, European gas prices surged to their highest in four years. Dutch front-month futures, which track European gas prices, traded 45 per cent higher at €46.19 ($54.12) a megawatt-hour at 5.17pm UAE time.\nThe price movement reflects mounting concern that energy infrastructure, including refineries, export terminals and oil and gas fields, could become the next arena for escalation.\n“We haven’t seen the peak of it … we haven’t seen the worst of what could happen,” Iman Nasseri, managing director for the Middle East at FGE, said in a webinar on Monday. He warned that the targeting of regional energy infrastructure suggests the conflict is “far from done”.\nSustained attacks on production fields or pipelines would add a significant risk premium and could push oil prices well into the $90–$100 range, he added.\nIranian strikes on energy facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City forced QatarEnergy to halt operations at the world’s largest LNG plant, which supplies about 20 per cent of global output.\nAmena Bakr, head of Middle East energy and Opec+ research at analytics firm Kpler, described the strikes on energy installations as a turning point.\n“This marks an escalation,” she told The National. “This opens a new chapter where you’re exposing the entire system, the entire oil facilities in the Gulf to these kinds of attacks.”\nKey energy facilities impacted\nRas Tanura: Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura, run by Saudi Aramco, halted operations at its 550,000 barrel-per-day refinery following a reported drone strike. Ras Tanura is not only a major refining plant but also home to the kingdom’s largest offshore crude loading terminal, which is critical for the world’s largest oil exporter to meet its supply commitments. Ms Bakr said Kpler sources indicated two refinery units at Ras Tanura were impacted. Aramco had already halted liquefied petroleum gas exports from the nearby Juaymah plant after structural damage to part of the delivery system last week. It is one of the world's largest exporters of natural gas liquids.\nSaudi Aramco refinery shut after drone strike\n00:12\nMina Al Ahmadi Refinery: Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi Refinery, with a capacity of around 346,000 bpd, was also affected after debris reportedly fell on parts of the plant. Kuwait witnessed major strikes, with Iran targeting the country’s US embassy. Three US fighter jets were downed in an incident attributed to friendly fire.\nDuqm Port: Oman’s southern Duqm Port, which lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, was targeted by drones on Saturday, highlighting the vulnerability of alternatives to the world’s most contentious chokepoint. It is also close to a newly built 255,000 bpd refinery.\nJebel Ali Port: In the UAE, Jebel Ali Port, which is adjacent to a condensate refinery and power facilities, was struck, impacting logistics and raising concerns. Dense smoke was reported from the area. One berth caught fire after the port was struck by debris from an intercepted Iranian missile.\nRas Laffan LNG hub: Qatar said the Ras Laffan Industrial City energy complex had also come under attack and halted operations. The move is hugely significant given that QatarEnergy is the biggest producer of LNG in the world, accounting for 20 per cent of world supply. It operates 14 LNG trains, with a total annual production capacity of 77 million tonnes, making it indispensable to global gas supply, particularly to Asian and European buyers.\nKharg Island: On the Iranian side, Kharg Island, the country’s main crude export terminal, was targeted by US-Israeli strikes. Damage to the facilities would directly constrain Iranian exports, which averaged two million bpd before the latest escalation.\nWhy infrastructure escalation matters\nGlobal oil markets have historically reacted more sharply to infrastructure disruption than to tanker attacks. The 2019 Houthi strikes on Aramco’s Abqaiq and Khurais facilities temporarily knocked out about 5.7 million bpd, roughly 5 per cent of global supply, triggering one of the largest single-day oil price spikes on record. Ms Bakr noted the market may be underestimating the implications of the current trajectory.\n“Right now, at a time where there is limited spare capacity in the system, at a time where you have disruption still in Hormuz, flows are far from normal. This is the risk that the market is underestimating,” she said.\nBefore the conflict, Kpler data showed an oversupply of roughly 1.5 million bpd for 2026. That buffer could evaporate quickly if refining or upstream capacity is taken offline by prolonged Iranian attacks.\n“What is going to shock this market,” she said, “is if we do see supply being impacted or if the market realises this is going to take longer than initially planned.”\nHormuz disruption\nEven without official closure of the Strait of Hormuz, insurance premiums and freight rates have surged. Some vessels are avoiding the waterway altogether, rerouting cargoes at high additional cost.\nIran threatens maritime routes in Strait of Hormuz\n00:31\nMost of the crude and LNG flowing through Hormuz is destined for Asia. China is relatively well-positioned due to large stockpiles accumulated last year through aggressive buying of discounted Russian and Iranian barrels.\nIndia, with fewer strategic crude reserves and with only around nine to 10 days of stocks, is more exposed to prolonged disruption. Europe, which has sought more Middle East gas cargoes since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, faces high gas prices and sustained loss of supply.\nThe next escalation risk\nGulf oil and gas facilities remain exposed. Major offshore fields in Abu Dhabi operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and its partners sit close to Iran. Saudi Arabia’s oil and gasfields are concentrated in its Eastern Province. The kingdom’s East-West Pipeline, capable of transporting up to five million bpd to Red Sea terminals, was targeted by the Houthis in 2019.\nWhile Gulf assets are bracing for more attacks from Iran, Mr Nasseri also noted the risk of disruption cuts both ways. Iran produces more than three million barrels per day, and major damage to its own export system, particularly at Kharg, would represent a meaningful supply loss to the market.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:35:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxQZDlRcGZLS3FuUUFHcURqNEpDMUN3WTNJdWw4c1RDd29tN3hDYnMzaEhOOTNSNlMweTJFMDZqbEVqcEc1YjZobXcyWGdwTHBsck1sTlcwdGxrREF6cWhndGwtVEdsMnpQcGpEWUNDYlVvc3RIQ3hCMXM2RjVxVWQtSXhDdFU1cEJSNUpzTG12alByTDBQVTRv?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_91dd76106bf8",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran war poses new risk to US economic resilience - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran war poses new risk to US economic resilience    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:35:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxQWTZvMW8zclBSTlBkWnpYODBTOXdtcVRWM0pGQXZhNmVVY2VHVVpnZXNSaE5fRUhGY05JQmVhNHVTOWRHRXItZklxSlpodzhIMnhVeUU1WENfbkFNSlo1Z3MxeHpFNUJlbGNnMzVjUmp1Ui1KNVQ3Y3BidHZlUXdrdk1WTFkxNXBLN2xDSFVRaTFWeGlaMzBJMnpiMVVTRENsSy1rSnY1SWY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c5f015a28563",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran war is upending gas markets - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran war is upending gas markets\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:36:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9YSkxHNTR0bDRzcGVfcDNYa19kZHBOWmdkSWxzZzEtcTE4UGVFdUU1cTFCWjZYNV9sWHFtdWlzUXdJWTVRRnA1Sm5fbll1LV96cTdwM0k3aXhxR2ozRU9aSmVKMXRxUlFzNElxb2h4OUU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5d705ef5cc91",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Britain says it’s not at war after a drone strikes its Akrotiri base in Cyprus - AP News",
    "body_text": "Britain says it’s not at war after a drone strikes its Akrotiri base in Cyprus\nBritain says it’s not at war after a drone strikes its Akrotiri base in Cyprus\nAKROTIRI, Cyprus (AP) — Britain is not at war, the government said Monday, despite saying it would allow the U.S. to use British bases during its war with Iran and after a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus was struck by an Iranian-made drone.\nSirens sounded again at RAF Akrotiri on Monday and British Typhoon and F-35 warplanes were scrambled. Cyprus government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis posted on X that two drones heading toward the British base had been intercepted.\nMore than two decades after Britain followed the United States into a devastating war in Iraq, it is trying to avoid being drawn into a new Middle East conflict with unpredictable consequences.\nAkrotiri attacked\nU.K. officials say an attack drone hit the runway at RAF Akrotiri, a British air force base in Cyprus, late Sunday. There were no injuries and “minimal” damage, but the strike brought the conflict onto European soil.\nUK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says she will not speculate on a reported drone incident at RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus but notes the scale of Iran attacks in the region.\nCyprus President Nikos Christodoulides identified it as a “Shahed-type” Iranian drone. It was not immediately clear whether it was launched from Iran or by a Tehran-backed militant group such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.\nAkrotiri is the U.K.’s main air base for operations in the Middle East and in recent years has been used by British warplanes on missions against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and to strike Houthi targets in Yemen.\nAs tensions between the U.S. and Iran mounted, Britain last month deployed extra F-35 fighter jets to Akrotiri, along with radar, counter-drone systems and air defenses.\nBritain retained the base, and another on Cyprus, after the eastern Mediterranean island gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960.\nIt was last attacked in 1986, when pro-Libya militants struck the base with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, injuring three dependents of British personnel. The latest attack is believed to be the first attack on Cyprus from outside the country since Turkey’s invasion of the island in 1974.\nBritain’s defense ministry said families of U.K. personnel who live on the base were being moved to nearby accommodation as a precaution.\nSome residents of the nearby village of Akrotiri also opted to leave their homes and spend the night with relatives elsewhere.\nVillager Mikaella Malta said she heard “strange noises” just before the drone explosion.\n“We tried to figure out what was going on. We then picked up whatever we could from home. We were in a panic and we left,” she told the AP.\nU.K. ambivalence\nBritish officials have refused to say whether the U.K. supports the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. They have said that Iran should not be able to have a nuclear weapon and called for an end to Iranian strikes and a diplomatic solution.\nBritain did not take part in the strikes on Iran that began Saturday, and did not allow the U.S. to use U.K. bases in England or on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.\nBut on Sunday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he had agreed to let the U.S. use the bases for attacks on Iran’s missiles and their launch sites. He said the change came in response to Iranian attacks on U.K. interests and Britain’s allies in the Gulf, and is legal under international law.\nBritain says its bases can’t be used for attacks on political and economic targets in Iran, and Starmer said the U.K. is “not joining the U.S. and Israeli offensive strikes.”\nU.S. President Donald Trump told the Daily Telegraph on Monday he was “very disappointed in Keir,” saying the prime minister “took far too long” to change his mind about the use of British bases.\nUnpredictable consequences\nStarmer said Britain would not be joining the U.S.-Israeli strikes, and Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer stressed that “the U.K. is not at war.”\nThe memory of Iraq remains raw for many in Britain. The decision by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair to join the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 remains one of the most contentious in modern British history.\nThe subsequent yearslong conflict killed 179 British troops, some 4,500 American personnel and many thousands of Iraqis.\n“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq and we have learned those lessons,” Starmer told lawmakers in the House of Commons on Monday. “Any U.K. actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan.”\nCritics say attempts to set firm limits on Britain’s involvement in Iran could be swept away by a fast-moving conflict.\n“We are being drawn in, just as we were in Iraq, following the U.S. into an incredibly dangerous situation,” said John McDonnell, a lawmaker from the governing Labour Party.\nPatrick Bury, senior associate professor in security at the University of Bath, said Britain is in an “incredibly difficult” position.\n“We’ve had very little explanation for this war, really, from the U.S.,” he said. “The U.K. policy is always heavily on upholding international law. So they’re kind of looking at this going, ‘How does this fit with our own foreign policy?’ And I think that explains why they’ve held off as much as they could.\n“And nevertheless, they get a direct request. What are you going to do, say no?”\n___\nLawless reported from London.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:39:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxQd0tqV0RucUFfVGRHSEpidDNiTUJLYXQzTjNKSm44QnZONFVWNXNsY0VTQzQ3VVpqUWZldFRlelRJZTF1YzFLbGtoWDU0RmdmbG5JeFpxZThpZTY1MC1NTURZWTF2dVBRNHltU3VqNUZuSGVHdHE5LWRZQ1RxSm1tOXp0VVpuaWlMaG9WdHpmaEsyMmk1Uy12bEU0N3loUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_adf3226ca793",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "As Iran Crisis Upends Oil and Gas, Clean Energy Gets Complicated - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "As Iran Crisis Upends Oil and Gas, Clean Energy Gets Complicated    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:41:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxOYm4zX0x6LTV1QUJQaHpmTE1hbTVsdEdXS18xYmI5T1RQcXY2NWVzamdFMWlDSjlONGxyNU1wRWtaM2dCQmlVM0h3TzhLNlI0T2dYejB6TGZ1SlZtNHpOV3dZY3d6a2NQTkVSNjJPbjRSSkJwMjJDX1c4elZZR3FLTVk2VzNOREtfZWJTdHRlUmVzOHZTUVFNRlU4ekNpcnBsUG5NSFc0YThvaktQMG1Wb1p2TGNoS1Y1?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ce6bb2fa697e",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Key Middle East Energy Assets Come Under Fire in Iran War - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Key Middle East Energy Assets Come Under Fire in Iran War    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:44:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQcXQ0WkFwMS1wbTdkRThZWUljMG42VVFpb0xOa2t4XzkySXZQTlpwSkhuVFhXWTJydXVYOVpwLTNoVTltQUlmMkw4THZLYk9zQ1Z3TFI2TkJZNnlLb0JlMjlrTTFzR1JoSUtNRlRGX0U2Q3NLQnEyb2tXdUlucEFzMEtUTG9KY2JMZnYwTG85anVqdkpOaFNoem10U0tnaHVhYlU5VmkzcTdBRDBOZzFB?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7209ab3910d4",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "No one can predict how the US war with Iran will unfold - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Last week, during his State of the Union address on Tuesday and again on Friday, just before launching Operation Epic Fury, Donald Trump laid out his case for attacking Iran.\nThe US president offered a lengthy bill of indictment against Iran’s Islamic Republic, stretching back to the 1979 revolution: the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran, support for terrorism, brutality towards its citizenry, and support for proxies that have killed Americans.\nAbove all, Trump stressed the peril the US and its allies would face were Iran to build nuclear bombs. Despite the absence of confirming intelligence, he claimed that it would soon possess a missile that could reach the American homeland.\nDespite this litany of complaints and his characterization of Iran’s government as “evil”, Trump sent his envoys to Geneva to negotiate with Tehran about its nuclear program. After three rounds, Trump tired of diplomacy and blamed the Iranians for refusing to say the magic words: Iran will not become a nuclear weapons state. In fact, senior Iranian officials have done so time and again. “Iran will under no circumstances ever develop nuclear weapons,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi tweeted on 24 February.\nBeyond that, Iran made significant concessions at the talks. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who mediated the Geneva talks, said that Iran agreed to reduce uranium enrichment to below 3.67% – the ceiling stipulated in the deal Tehran struck with the Obama administration in 2015 – and allow international nuclear inspectors back into the country with full monitoring powers. The Iranians went even further by agreeing not to accumulate and store any enriched uranium.\nIf Trump were smart, he would have pocketed these unprecedented concessions, claimed victory and bragged – justifiably – about squeezing a better deal out of Iran than Barack Obama had. Trump’s real motive, however, was far more ambitious: the Islamic Republic’s downfall.\nIn January, as the Iranian security forces violently suppressed nationwide demonstrations, Trump urged the Iranian people to “take over your institutions” and assured them that “help is on the way”. Last Friday, one hour after the United States and Israel began their second bombing campaign against Iran in less than a year, he again called on Iranians to “take over your government” once the military operations ended and to not squander what might be “your only chance for generations”. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who may be more determined than Trump to topple the Islamic Republic, made similar appeals.\nIn hindsight, the Trump administration’s nuclear talks with Iran look more like a check-the-box exercise than a genuine effort to resolve the nuclear problem. Even had the Iranian officials agreed to end all uranium enrichment, the war would probably have happened given the maximalist goal of Trump and Netanyahu. The talks may have been designed to demonstrate that Trump tried diplomacy before deciding on another war.\nRealizing that what Trump really seeks is the destruction of the Islamic Republic, its leadership – now under fire – won’t go down without a fight to the finish, no matter the wider consequences. The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s “supreme leader for the last 37 years”, has shown them that the Islamic Republic’s very existence hangs in the balance.\nThe war has already become regional: Iran is attacking American-aligned Arab states in the hope that they will pressure Trump to sign a ceasefire. In addition to firing missiles at Israel in retaliation, Iran has attacked Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which host various US military facilities. As the war continues, Iran may escalate further by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies pass annually. The shock waves would be felt worldwide.\nTrump and Netanyahu are betting that Iranians will rise up en masse, as they did in January, and put an end to clerical rule. But whenever Iranians take to the streets, Iran’s security forces crack down ferociously. If protesters swarm the streets once again, the government will be even more merciless: it understands that everything is now on the line.\nTrump has called on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian police to lay down their weapons in return for “complete immunity”, but they may instead stand by the regime. The mass demonstrations that have occurred in Iran over the years and the jubilation over Khamenei’s death in parts of Iran prove that many Iranians revile their government. Yet it would be a mistake to believe that it lacks any broad support and rules solely through fear and force.\nNeither the United States nor Israel will deploy ground troops, but they can’t destroy the Iranian state with air and missile strikes alone. That will require sustained resistance on the ground. By calling for a mass revolt, they are, in effect, asking unarmed Iranians to serve as their ground troops.\nIf “regime change” does occur, it will not necessarily usher in stability. The American record in such undertakings offers little reassurance. In Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, the collapse of the state didn’t produce stability, let alone democracy – but prolonged anarchy, intra-state violence, refugee flows, and the spread of terrorism across borders.\nIran is larger, more populous and more strategically situated than any of these countries. Its territory exceeds that of France, Germany and Spain combined. It sits astride vital energy corridors, and its 93 million people include diverse ethnic and political constituencies with competing visions of the country’s future. A sudden power vacuum in such a setting could produce turmoil.\nIf a war aimed at ousting the Islamic Republic produces disorder rather than order, the consequences – above all for Iranians – could eclipse the upheaval that followed earlier regime change wars. The instability may not remain confined within its borders; it could ripple across the Middle East and unsettle global energy markets.\nCan anyone predict how this war will unfold? No. That includes American and Israeli policymakers. War, once unleashed, can produce all manner of unintended consequences, including some that prove uncontrollable and enduring.\n-\nRajan Menon is professor emeritus of international relations at Powell School, City University of New York, and senior research fellow at Columbia University’s Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies. Daniel R DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a syndicated foreign affairs columnist at the Chicago Tribune.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMie0FVX3lxTE51SzJWV1RPVDRWYjVSR1pncDJLdXpMZUVwNUQ2TnNZeGNnSm1WUU5CTDFXRFhDM0gwSEVNamJkY1lKa0tCM2dFeXV6WFR6SzVzMHEyVkI2STNJaC11QVdyQkZycm5MRHQ4WjV5NTFxZkFSVEpjM0FubzkzWQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_97c3ce7e9ed1",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Sixth American service member killed in Iran operation - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Six US service members have been killed in the US military operations against Iran, the US Central Command said on Monday afternoon.\nThe announcement comes one day after the military confirmed the deaths of three US service members on Sunday, which marked the first known US fatalities since the strikes against Iran began on Saturday, and just several hours after the Central Command had reported that a fourth US service member had been killed.\nIn a statement released on Monday afternoon, the US Central Command said that as of 4pm ET on Monday, six US service members “have been killed in action”, adding that US forces “recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region”.\n“Major combat operations continue,” the command said. “The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.”\nEarlier on Monday, Central Command said that the fourth service member, who was not named, “was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries”.\nAnd on Sunday, the US military had said that three US service members were “killed in action” and five others were “seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury”, the joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran.\nTwo US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Sunday that the US troops had been killed at a base in Kuwait.\nThe US military also said on Sunday that several additional personnel “sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions – and are in the process of being returned to duty”.\nThe impact continued as the state department expanded its warning to Americans living in the Middle East on Monday – adding several countries to the list of where citizens should leave immediately. Fourteen countries, including Qatar and the UAE, appeared on the list.\nWhen announcing the start of “Operation Epic Fury” on Saturday, Donald Trump said his administration was “taking every possible step to minimize the risk to US personnel in the region”.\nBut, he said, “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties” adding that “that often happens in war”.\n“But we’re doing this not for now,” Trump said. “We’re doing this for the future”.\nIn a video statement on Sunday, Trump called the service members killed “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives”.\n“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” he said. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is, likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.\n“But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization.”\nMichael Waltz, the US envoy to the United Nations, reposted the announcement of the three deaths on Sunday, and said: “Freedom is never free”.\nAt a news conference on Monday, Pete Hegseth said: “As the president warned, an effort of this scope will include causalities.”\n“War is hell and always will be,” the defense secretary said, adding that “a grateful nation honors the four Americans we have lost thus far and those injured, the absolute best of America. May we prosecute the remainder of this operation in a manner that honors them.”\nAlso on Monday, the US military said that three US fighter jets were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait in an apparent “friendly fire” incident. The military said that all six crew members were ejected safely.\nSince Saturday, US and Israeli forces have carried out large-scale strikes across Iran, including striking the compound of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US Israeli attack on Saturday. Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes, including by launching missiles aimed at Israel and US military facilities in the region, including in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.\nAccording to the Iranian Red Crescent emergency service, more than 500 people have been killed in Iran since Saturday. In Israel, authorities said that 11 people had been killed.\nAnd in Lebanon, the health ministry there have said that 31 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.\nDuring the news conference on Monday, Hegseth said the mission of “Operation Epic Fury” was to “destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and they will never have nuclear weapons”.\n“We’re hitting them surgically, overwhelmingly, and unapologetically,” he said.\nThe news conference came as on Sunday, Trump told the New York Times the US and Israel could keep striking Iran for “four to five weeks”.\nAccording to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday, just under a third of Americans polled said that they approved of the strikes in Iran, while 43% of the respondents disapproved of the military action. About a third were not sure.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxOZXEyUVpDYXR6c3NFU0xsM3EwNUdHSUpOZnRoc0pKbzlxOXRHRzJBbF9IdUxwQ1VMd1FKOVRXaVpHU3BTTkx6aVVrYWRVYWNSZ3dCblBVWjY4cjVvbTNYSy1rX3lwM19DNEtJbDMyTE9VMjg0Z2FfLVAtdjFwOU5BSGNLOTFxV1F3MTBoR0xsTFFNbWs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dbc4446cd949",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump seeks to justify Iran war, but stated objectives shift    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T16:57:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxQTzFmTC1KSDlkd2ViVDh0d0hVZzZzdHh6QWVYN2FxME1fTk00Zzh2ZVlTNHJOU25yNl96NnhZOFNGaVd4YVRFdXN5ZDdjMjdVUC1RMDRUaUh2dGFrQ3g1Q2ZSbmxFNHE3SUdKbHF0M29lVXBvS2xKVEd5R2xvM19jQkluRWN4b2ZfV3Voa1hGd3NKRGswMm1mWkpqdGQ4QlFVdmlNS25vdEdldTA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f743ab3da962",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Turkey's Erdogan says attacks on Iran are clear violation of international law - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Turkey's Erdogan says attacks on Iran are clear violation of international law    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:02:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxPUGFmT1NvUzVsNUQ2ZldZZE9ZOElfNmtrdjluS3VkM2VIcVlUaTBVRVhGTmVKWURkNU9feHBwY2Z1RXVhemZURmJ1S21iVlNPS1ZiWTdnaXNYOE1saGhxbEtRYzkxdTJ0MEtVYXZGSW5ZWkRZOUNUbGhHcHI4YW1OZEVGTWR0UjB0MWZ6S2Y2Z0pyLWxaNFBYQWE3dThma1o2MWFGUmVhMTlGYTdmZ0RveF8zZ0RTY1B5Q0dQLVJmeTZMSFU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f5b58f4cf63d",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Hormuz crisis is a wake-up call for complacent gas consumers - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Hormuz crisis is a wake-up call for complacent gas consumers\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:05:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9oaHh3TXV2QWkxZ04zZjZqcjVmeHp0VlNkbVYyOTFKbjBpZTBxcGNwME1hcDZQQUN2QkYwR09Na3FTQ1doWmFSX3JQWHkwS2tpMWtnLURfTmtBamdoaVhCVUJheFFycmhMQm5QOVR1aG8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_faa9e0b3976e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump says US mission in Iran is 'ahead of schedule,' vows to 'easily prevail' over regime - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump on Monday declared that the joint U.S.-Israeli operation to \"crush the threat\" in Iran is \"ahead of schedule,\" stating that many of the regime's military leaders were eliminated in about an hour.\nTrump provided an update on \"Operation Epic Fury\" during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, vowing that the U.S. will \"easily prevail\" over the \"terrorist regime.\"\n\"We have the strongest and most powerful, by far, military in the world, and we will easily prevail,\" the president said. \"We're already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it's okay. Whatever it takes.\"\nThe U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning, a joint military campaign that officials say targeted Iranian leadership and key military installations.\nTrump said that the operation is projected to last four to five weeks, noting that \"we have capability to go far longer than that.\"\n\"We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership,\" Trump added. \"And as you know, that was done in about an hour. So we're ahead of schedule there by a lot.\"\nIran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among five to 10 top leaders killed after an Israeli strike in Tehran as part of the joint operation, a U.S. senior official previously confirmed to Fox News. Iran’s state media also confirmed that Khamenei and several senior leaders were killed in the strikes.\nEarlier Monday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined what he described as a \"clear\" three-part mission against Iran, insisting the conflict \"is not endless\" and sharply rejecting comparisons to past U.S. wars in the Middle East.\n\"We set the terms of this war from start to finish. Our ambitions are not utopian. They are realistic, scoped to our interests and the defense of our people and our allies,\" he told reporters at the Pentagon.\nOfficials tell Fox News that Israel is focusing on Iranian leadership targets, while the United States is targeting military sites and ballistic missile infrastructure it says pose an \"imminent threat.\"\nFox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan and Max Bacall contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:14:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxOcGgzTzVZWUxnZG04dXNpTkxNLW85MWNrTVRSUXdQODl3SDUxNTlTbzMxS2FVTzN6ZVNrNE5HclBPX0V6NFkzSkhOd1hvNVE0cERTaEtfQ18zV0NLRVhQQUxrU29wLUhHS1loTkVTYXE5eXJDNFVnbThDN245am1HMWVNcFNrUko0QVBVWmF2OVdzaWhvMWJQVm1MNTBPWVNZQ05lOXFGaTNuQdIBrwFBVV95cUxQbVpSRVZ5eF9zUHV2Smw5WlVQQUlTWDBjMG51ZDBTSmQzWjlaTlV5UlBCLWhtbE9fblZJVDcyUGpzOC0tQ1lVTVYxYUpMQW8weVhWVXhvc0d4TXd4aFlrRUl1TzVfN3FwTUtSZFRVSW9DdVVmdTBhU2wzNUxtT1NULXdnZmtXTnNEQm8zYy1ONkpkckJJRXJTMjFMTmMwMjBFQ1pwTTdsT0JXVUQ0akY0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d28772e86326",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Airlines’ healthy finances will be tested by Middle East conflict - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Airlines’ healthy finances will be tested by Middle East conflict\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:16:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1zdEdOLTZSSzRBbm5tZWIwcENiOEMzYVExVWhQLXN2UkxhTGJYN0VTMzh0bVNKdEJUWklKTmdvWnJWZ2h3bHVRclpUdHpyWjdDNmJPa1phQkJPTVFkZVdvblNWQURMbTlVcVZrQkNHenI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e2f932ffbcf6",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "France ready to defend Gulf states under Iranian attack - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "France, Germany and the UK pledge readiness for proportionate defensive action to neutralise Iranian missiles and drones at their source.\nFrench Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot prioritises protecting national assets while remaining prepared to assist Gulf partners upon request and under international law.\nTargets in the UAE and a UK base in Cyprus were struck by Iranian drones, causing limited damage and no casualties.\nEuropean solidarity extends to Gulf and regional states named as deliberately targeted, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan.\n\"It is only by going before the UN Security Council that the use of force can acquire the necessary legitimacy,\" the French Foreign Minister said.\nFrance said on Monday that it is ready to help defend Middle Eastern countries, including the Arabian Gulf states, against Iranian attacks, but only at their request and in a manner described as proportionate.\nParis, Berlin and London have said they were ready to enable \"necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source\".\nThe statement followed Iranian drones strikes on Sunday that hit Al Salam military base in the UAE and a UK base in Cyprus, causing limited damage. There were no casualties.\nThe Iranian regime's reckless and indiscriminate response reflects its long-standing strategy: terror and chaos\nFrench Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot\nAsked by The National at a press conference to give more details, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the priority was to protect French assets in the region while remaining ready to defend regional partners.\n\"It is about ensuring the security of our facilities, our bases, and our military personnel in the region, and also about being ready to contribute to the defence of our partners,\" he said, speaking after holding a crisis meeting at the ministry about the war.\n\"Depending on the requests made to us, in a spirit of proportionality and in accordance with international law, we stand ready to contribute to their defence,\" he added.\nFrance has decided to send two additional warships to reinforce Aspides, the European Union's naval mission to the Red Sea. The Greece-based mission has currently three ships from Italy, Greece and France.\nThe reinforcement of Aspides was discussed on Sunday during an online meeting of the EU's foreign affairs ministers on developments in the Middle East.\n\"Our naval mission, Aspides, has seen a sharp rise in protection requests, and we will reinforce it with additional ships to bolster maritime security in the region,\" the EU's foreign affairs minister Kaja Kallas said in a written statement shared with The National.\n\"On the diplomatic track, we plan to convene a joint EU-Gulf Co-operation Council ministerial meeting.\"\n'Full support'\nBoth the EU and France extended their support to Arab partners that had been hit by Iran.\nMr Barrot expressed France's \"full support and solidarity\" to countries that have been \"deliberately targeted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with missiles and drones and drawn into a war they did not choose - Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan\".\n\"The attacks against our Gulf partners are unjustifiable,\" EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said on X. \"My thoughts are with all those affected.\"\nFrance has military bases in the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon and Iraq. The UK is present in Cyprus and Qatar while Germany operates military bases near Erbil, Iraq, and in Jordan.\nAccording to French daily Le Monde, French Rafale fighter jets intervened over the weekend to shoot down Iranian drones.\nUS unilateral attacks against Iran should have been debated in the collective bodies set up for this exact purpose, such as the UN, Mr Barrot said.\n\"Everyone could have taken their responsibilities, because it is only by going before the UN Security Council that the use of force can acquire the necessary legitimacy,\" Mr Barrot said. \"The Iranian regime's reckless and indiscriminate response reflects its long-standing strategy: terror and chaos.\"\nThe continuing conflict must \"cease as soon as possible\", Mr Barrot said, calling on Tehran to end its attacks and commit to \"major concessions\" so that \"a political solution can be found that makes peaceful coexistence possible for Iran with its regional environment and the international community\".\nFrance has indefinitely postponed a conference to support the Lebanese army planned for this week because of the war.\n“Nearly 400,000 French citizens are residents or visitors in the dozen countries of the region,” Mr Barrot added. “Our system is already in place locally to facilitate departures by land when possible, which is not the case in all the countries concerned,” he said.\nThe airspace in most of the region has been shut except in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia.\nOver the weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron held two exceptional defence meetings to address the joint US-Israeli attacks against Iran and Tehran's ensuing strikes on Arab states.\nMr Macron said said France would \"strengthen [its] defensive posture\" and \"stand alongside those with whom we have defence treaties\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:17:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxOYmdUTmUzdXdobFJvdmFqOWFFZ3lCbUktcThfbThTSU16cTlQTkxxQXVpRks3UVNqcU5jcHE5Wmc1eW5lMWxCV25PNmpDWndPc3EzUWxVS2tweW1ZVnVOU2xZa0taQjJMWUFudlZpWFd0cURLYWJBZWlENzEyTzlfeUp3NWE4eXlGdVJra0NXSnZKNDhQdHBNZXJocWRkWkZQS3dselRHM0hHc09Mcjljbw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e75087303469",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "War on Iran - Latest news, videos and opinion - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "War on Iran - Latest news, videos and opinion    Middle East Eye",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:19:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiXEFVX3lxTE9MZDZoalRrSVhTQmJMN09HRWxMWkZMZEZKV1ZMNFhOaUJybEtQT0NjS1JJcnhOc3R4SzJDdEJGTzJVUU5ERk1QazJFWk0tNWxuNWNpMHZCWXdIRjVp?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ace83a396ad2",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "NATO's Rutte praises US, Israeli military action against Iran but says alliance won't be involved - Reuters",
    "body_text": "NATO's Rutte praises US, Israeli military action against Iran but says alliance won't be involved    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:23:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2AFBVV95cUxNVE9SeENDV0VrV2tXNnJ1TWxZUUNwRVlFblI3NFBvRVhBaWYxMXR4SmxUaUpSaXd3VXZXQkt0YW9UNUZETU5vYWdUVVhSUVNQUzB0Rzd2Q2VtLXRKbzJBYmRIanpuQUdrOUdvRUQxbWVGVm1ObS1Fc1F1dnNLdkVOYzZqRDFRNm04M25uQkY2UmxHSnR2aU5RMk5KNzVPRXFWamN3MWN3TF9Qd2JjcVlWVmpJa2pJQ2w2bG9iRGoxZGtNQXBsckRoSlJnU0lBM1BZdEt3WlV6TkY?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_131966b1291e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Maritime insurers cancel war risk cover in Gulf as Iran conflict disrupts shipping - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Leading maritime insurers have cancelled war risk cover for vessels operating in the Gulf as the escalating Iran conflict disrupted shipping and sent some freight costs surging.\nAt least 150 vessels including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers have dropped anchor in the strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, and at least three tankers were damaged and one seafarer killed over the weekend.\nThe vital shipping route, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supplies and 20% of seaborne gas tankers pass, is effectively closed after the US and Israel began intense airstrikes on Iran on Saturday.\nSeveral leading mutual marine insurers, including Norway’s Gard and Skuld, the UK’s NorthStandard and the London P&I Club, and the New York-based American Club, said they were cancelling war risk cover for ships operating in the region.\nThis is likely to further dissuade shipowners from traversing the Gulf. The insurers said war risk cover – which typically covers shipowners for costs and damages resulting from war, terrorism and piracy – would be cancelled in Iranian waters, as well as the Gulf and adjacent waters, with effect from 5 March.\nPeter Hulyer, the head of UK protection and indemnity (P&I) at the leading insurance broker Marsh, said this related to non-poolable war cover for these mutual insurers, provided for specific, often higher-risk, exposures such as chartered vessels. “In most cases the clubs will be offering to reinstate war coverage at terms to be agreed. Mutual P&I cover offered by the clubs is unaffected by the above.”\nMarcus Baker, the global head of marine at Marsh, said several other insurance markets, including Lloyd’s of London, had issued notices of cancellation, to give insurers time to look at the heightened risks in the Middle East and assess their rates.\nHe said insurance rates could go up by 50% to 100%, or even more, from 0.25% to 0.5% or 1% of the value of the insured asset. This compares with a rating of 5% after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 for ships going into Odesa.\nThe cost of transporting goods jumped, as shipping was rerouted and oil prices rose sharply on Monday.\nThe Containerized Freight Index tracked by the website Trading Economics rose by 6.5%.\nFreightos terminal container rates for Shanghai to Jebel Ali in Dubai, the largest port in the Middle East, rose from $1,800 for a 40ft container on Saturday to about $3,700 on Monday, according to the online shipping marketplace.\nDubai-based DP World suspended operations at Jebel Ali over the weekend after an aerial interception caused a fire on Saturday night, though operations have since resumed.\nFreightos said as only about 2% to 3% of global container volumes passed through the strait of Hormuz, its effective closure may not have much of on impact on the broader container market.\nHowever, given the wider disruption in the region, including the Red Sea, it added: “For importers or exporters trying to move goods in or out of the Middle East, services will be significantly disrupted, and costs will rise for goods that are able to move at all.”\nJohn Wyn-Evans, the head of market analysis at the UK wealth asset management group Rathbones, said: “Any rate increases would be linked to a combination of rerouting and higher oil prices; rerouting involves being at sea for longer which reduces capacity and if the cargoes have to get there by a certain time, they have to sail faster, which uses up more fuel (and it’s exponential, like driving faster in a car and watching MPG [miles per gallon] go down).”\nIran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had paused attacks on Red Sea vessels since October, have also threatened to resume strikes.\nIn response, several big shipping companies – Denmark’s Maersk, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd and France’s CMA CGM – have diverted all their sailings away from the Red Sea until further notice, rerouting them around Africa. Denmark’s Norden has suspended all new business requiring transit through the strait of Hormuz.\nCMA CGM has imposed an emergency conflict surcharge of between $2,000 (£1,491) and $4,000 a container on cargo moving through the region.\nShares in Beazley, a leading marine insurer that operates in the Lloyd’s market, initially dropped 2.8% as investors fretted about a potential large insurance loss arising from the Middle East and risks to its takeover by its bigger rival Zurich. Its share price rebounded by 1.8%, when the two companies announced on Monday afternoon that the £8.2bn deal had been agreed, but closed 1.3% lower.\n“The announcement might also be read as a signal that Beazley’s loss exposures, and likely those of the broader specialty insurance market, remain contained,” said analysts at Jefferies.\nBeazley wrote just over $500m of premiums for marine insurance in 2024, about 8% of its total book.\nMatthew Wheatley, the main data analyst at the energy analysts Wood Mackenzie, said: “Freight rates are volatile amid the fresh instability in the Middle East, with most tankers now avoiding the strait of Hormuz as attacks and insurance cancellations make the area increasingly unsafe.\n“A substantial number of tankers are currently stranded or rerouting in the region, effectively removing a significant amount of capacity from the market. If the conflict continues and tanker availability remains tight, global freight rates could rise further.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:37:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxNSkZrQzBKdlNHNnVZUWotb1NvQnVqMUF5eHFYam1aX2ZHYjQxSnc3R1lIeU9QRE5nQTRaVTBDOTNURXpxMHRyZlBCTmMwZERXM2NMbEZvcm1VUUk0WDR1cjRLNm92ZU8zbERrOGxrekx5cDAtbXF2U19tcnM1XzNPSGREX29Nd0FnUUdxYzV0eFZhVXlHMzczdFRZNTlEWmtLZWFjTnpWSzVRVG5vRXZuUjRBLUdnUFFR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_da7c5f45ea7e",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "US jets shot down over Kuwait in 'apparent friendly fire incident', officials say",
    "body_text": "US jets shot down over Kuwait in 'apparent friendly fire incident', officials say\nThree US fighter jets have been downed over Kuwait in \"an apparent friendly fire incident\" while flying in support of the US-Israeli hostilities with Iran, US Central Command (Centcom) says.\nThe F-15 jets were \"mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences\", officials announced on Monday. All six crew ejected safely and have been recovered, they added. The cause of the incident is under investigation.\nThere have been fresh attacks by both sides of the conflict on Monday, and Iran has denied Trump's suggestion that it is ready for fresh negotiations with the US.\nThe death of a fourth US service member was also announced by Centcom on Monday.\nThat person was wounded during Iran's initial attacks, and \"eventually succumbed to their injuries\", the officials said.\nThe deaths of three Americans were previously announced on Sunday, similarly as a result of retaliatory Iranian attacks. Five others have been \"seriously wounded\", the US said. The names of those killed and injured have not yet been released.\nIn announcing the joint US-Israeli operation against Iran on Saturday, President Trump warned that \"the lives of American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war\".\nSpeaking on Monday at a White House event, Trump said the country grieves for the troops who died.\n\"In their memory we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime imposes on American people,\" he said.\nTrump called the decision to attack \"our last, best chance to strike\" and eliminate the \"intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime\".\nIn a succession of telephone interviews with reporters on Sunday, Trump said his country's joint strikes on Iran with Israel could last for about four weeks. He reiterated to the New York Times his view that further American casualties were possible.\nOn Monday, he predicted that the US action was \"substantially ahead\" of its projected schedule, but that the US military has the \"capability to go far longer\".\nThe next morning, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said 555 people had been killed in Iran following attacks by the US and Israel across more than 130 cities.\nThe conflict spread to Lebanon as Israel began launching strikes on what it said were Hezbollah targets in Lebanon - after it accused the militant group of firing rockets at its territory.\nIsraeli strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon killed at least 31 people and injured 149, according to Lebanon's health ministry.\nAt least nine people have been killed in Israel and several others injured, following a missile strike on the city of Beit Shemesh.\nMeanwhile, apparent Iranian strikes around the region continue. Explosions were reported in Bahrain and Dubai, and an oil refinery on fire in Saudi Arabia.\nOn Monday morning, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine gave a press conference to offer further details on the operation, which they have titled Epic Fury.\nThe joint operation began on Saturday morning with a series of strikes that killed the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures within the Iranian leadership.\nThe conflict was \"not a so-called regime change war\", said Hegseth, but the regime \"surely changed and the world is better off for it\".\nHegseth also accused the other side of refusing to negotiate a \"peaceful and sensible\" deal with the US with its nuclear programme.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:37:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y4v8gndz1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4aef99b6ad7c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US-Israeli war on Iran expands and shuts down Gulf oil and gas production - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US-Israeli war on Iran expands and shuts down Gulf oil and gas production\nThe US-Israeli conflict with Iran escalated across the region on Monday, with Iranian strikes prompting Saudi Arabia and Qatar to halt production at major oil and gas facilities, and bombing spreading to Lebanon too.\nMeanwhile, three US F-15s were downed in Kuwait, Qatar shot down two fighter jets approaching from Iran, and rockets were launched at a British military base in Cyprus.\nUS and Israeli bombing on Iran continued apace for a third day, with President Donald Trump warning the \"big wave\" is yet to come.\nTehran's response has targeted Israel and US assets across the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has targeted over 500 US and Israeli sites, using 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.\n\"Iran, unlike the United States, has prepared itself for a long war,\" top Iranian official Ali Larijani warned.\nAccording to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, 555 people have been killed by US and Israeli attacks.\nFour US military personnel have been announced killed during the operation, and at least 11 people have been killed by Iranian bombing in Israel.\nOn Monday, Iranian attacks disrupted energy infrastructure across the Middle East.\nSaudi Arabia's state-owned oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco, shut as a precautionary measure its Ras Tanura refinery after drone strikes caused a fire there.\nThe 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery, which is part of an energy complex on the kingdom’s Gulf coast, also serves as a critical export terminal for Saudi crude oil.\nThe Iranian deputy foreign minister said Iran was not responsible.\nTwo Iranian drones struck energy facilities in the Qatari industrial city of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed, according to Qatar’s defence ministry, which later said it shot down two SU24 fighter jets coming from Iran.\nNo casualties were reported from the drone strikes, but Qatar Energy, the largest liguid natural gas (LNG) producer in the world, announced that it had stopped production of LNG and associated products.\nOil prices surged 13 percent to above $82 a barrel, the highest since January 2025, as shipping stopped at - or turned away from - the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.\nIt came a day after sources told Middle East Eye that senior Saudi officials were angry at the scale and timing of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and urged Gulf allies to avoid steps that would trigger a response by Tehran and its proxies.\nElsewhere, Lebanon was dragged into the conflict as limited Hezbollah rocket fire towards Israel prompted an Israeli bombing campaign that killed 31 people and wounded 249 others.\nOngoing strikes on Beirut's suburbs, southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley have displaced thousands of people, with Israeli expulsion orders issued to dozens of villages and towns.\nHezbollah said it launched rocket and drone strikes on northern Israel \"in revenge for the blood\" of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli operation on Tehran on Saturday.\nLater on Monday, the Lebanese government announced a total and immediate ban on Hezbollah’s military and security activities, calling for it to hand over \"illegal\" weapons to the state.\nInfluential parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a longtime ally of Hezbollah, whose secretary-general Naim Qassem refers him to as \"big brother\", approved the decision taken by the government, two sources close to Berri told Middle East Eye.\nThe sources said Berri, who heads the Amal party, ordered his ministers in the government not to object to the ban or voice any opposition.\nThey added that the speaker’s position changed because Hezbollah had previously given him several reassurances that it would not take part in a war involving Iran, a point he had personally conveyed to diplomatic channels.\nReuters reported that rockets fired at a British airbase in Cyprus were believed to have been launched by the Lebanese movement.\nUS F-15s downed in Kuwait\nMeanwhile, three American F-15s were downed in Kuwait, which the US military said was caused by \"an apparent friendly fire incident\".\nIran, however, claimed it had shot down the jets near the Kuwaiti border. MEE could not independently verify either account.\nThe Kuwaiti defence ministry said all six crewmembers ejected safely and that it is coordinating with US forces to determine the circumstances of the incident.\nIranian attacks have caused havoc to businesses in Gulf states previously considered safe havens in the region.\nIn the UAE, Amazon's cloud unit reported a disruption to its services after its data centre in the Emirates was struck by \"objects\", sparking a fire.\nAmazon Web Services Inc (AWS) said that one of their \"availability zones\" - a regional grouping of one or more data centres - was temporarily shut down after it was \"impacted by objects that struck the data centre\" on Sunday afternoon.\nIn occupied Palestine, Israeli authorities closed Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque for the third consecutive day, preventing Palestinian Muslims from praying at the site during the holy month of Ramadan.\nPalestinians warn that the move forms part of a broader Israeli strategy to exploit security tensions to impose further restrictions and consolidate control over Al-Aqsa Mosque.\nThe closure comes under what Israeli authorities describe as a state of emergency following its launch of a war with Iran on Saturday.\nDr Mustafa Abu Sway, a professor who teaches at al-Aqsa Mosque and a member of the Islamic Waqf Council in Jerusalem, said the closure was further evidence that long-feared Israeli changes to the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque have taken effect.\n“I do not recall it ever being closed in this way,” Abu Sway told MEE.\n“The new reality at al-Aqsa, which we had feared, has now materialised,” he added.\n“There are dramatic changes introduced under the latest strategy, and it is not only during Ramadan. This includes preventing and banning a large number of Waqf employees from Al-Aqsa Mosque, restricting the entry of certain loudspeakers and other measures.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiAFBVV95cUxQbkk4akRpRTZ1V01PVnN2WHphNVNHMWl0ZWw0S0hfU3ZuMU10M0ZvMk9DVkJaWFBqc3RkZlBPRTBHTjZGZDdGakt4X1pkOWNGVjMzVnhqaW5hcDdqOGtFdm5rRkdhTmxvaEtvdlBINTJ1UGdFbFpnZmdCN0N6bkJMQUhLQW81d3pq?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b8ee79acd71b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump’s Iran War Widens, Forcing Reluctant Allies to Choose - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Trump’s Iran War Widens, Forcing Reluctant Allies to Choose    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:43:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxOM2lDYmIzWGNtaWRPV2Z3Vm1pa3pILUdrMmE5TlZmenVXcmZ4SU5sd3JTeURhX0U3dGlfWjZFRXFmVVVXeW91UTVpRDRqdGwyUmR2dzE2MGl5blZnWGdCLTBHdFpJaEZCOF9DTzRSYzYxTnlCWndfTVpwZms0b3BHSk5Da1l6TGV2bzNEbThwX2JxX3dBQW5CYlA5U0NWRkNXZThYcmhhOFFLVGZ0TlE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ecebb30ad680",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran war escalates: what’s Trump’s endgame? - The Latest - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The war in the Middle East continues to escalate, with casualties and destruction reported across at least nine countries in under 10 hours. Israeli and US warplanes launched a fresh wave of strikes across Iran, while US allies in the Gulf states are under attack from Iranian missiles and drones. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s head of international news, Jamie Wilson",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:57:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxNSEM1Vnl6QXc2QlpPTXNCbFMya1NQU3ZaeWZqN2pPeDRqWkVsWm1ILTIzZlpaQ2czekdycEpyNDhUbmp6VFpKUXN3aHFhRlhMUVpUUE15SXZCQjcyckNVVzBabW9VYW44SUNHLTg3bUVuLW5LQXFBVnh2UkM4X1JPcFRWeUtVN3FkQUEwNGdzZ2dlc2VqQXVsNVpfZ2c5Zzl2N1ZVcDQ1bzJaS1FyekxQRHlHZEhzWDZaZjRGRDRhaw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8f981b78565c",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "What the War With Iran Means for Renewable Energy Deployment - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "What the War With Iran Means for Renewable Energy Deployment    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T17:57:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNOUNZcmpLLXNIZURpeEg1MUZjanZMZ21valoxbGtILWZqTHBOTHhfQmxLa2FnOWxfNkxtVHU0Y2tNQUhsZGpKOEQ1UTZNc2RWdDg1NmRzWlFMSlUyS183NENjemhBaDNobVN6SF9GN3ZhTzdTaTlrV1JfQWd3MUR2M3JmSFZjSk5vNW5nMWpOaVZDMVRMak00Qy1KMnlOM2oyV3E2Nmc5SldaR2I5YmFTcA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_916164d5eb81",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "How Trump Decided to Go to War With Iran - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "How Trump Decided to Go to War With Iran    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:04:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTE1ieGt3VU1zclBmY29TRkFBRV9VSWwyRUdNM0VoeERxYjdQUVJGaHBnX3poQkMyRlZNUjhVMGwzY1lZdHQ0XzhIZkljcl9xMFVPREJkMnhleHhzcXVMZENkUEgyWjQwaG8tMk00SUtqX2VOT2ZEQ3dvY0lPa1FwZw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_df66b758081f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict causes chaos - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Global brands shut Middle East stores as conflict causes chaos    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:07:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOWW1sRHdoRnhKd3dxODBRQmhva0ZHN2xUTl9Ec1ZEQUV0bGduTDVUTXA4bWpUOXRXSGVKc1Fob0N6a1A1MDhyRFZYR1VBdkZsWWJVWUZhNlZ2R0NIbF82ZHZoZWkwSDJtZ2o0M0tLWmVtLXQxUXFoQWpvZjY2cHpUVm81VjN5SE1FYl94bXBtWnRXaFROY2s0aWptd3ZyOHVJeEVzanRoY09VcWVzenNSRHpzSQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7a69373b44f3",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump appears to link Iran attack to his 2020 election loss - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to link the massive attack he ordered against Iran to his persistent claims about his 2020 election loss to former president Joe Biden, in a social media post about allegations that Tehran’s government interfered in the US president elections.\n“Iran tried to interfere in 2020, 2024 elections to stop Trump,” his Truth Social post said, “and now faces renewed war with United States”.\nThose words, written in the first hours of the bombardment of Iran, repeated the headline of an article to which he linked from Just the News, a Trump-friendly news site. “Iranian intelligence sought to undermine Trump’s re-election bid in 2020 through a variety of election influence efforts,” the article said. It also said Iran worked against him in 2024, when he beat Kamala Harris at the polls.\nThis is the second military operation of the Trump administration where he has alluded to allegations concerning the 2020 election. He made similar comments on social media in January, days after Trump ordered the Delta Force “rendition” of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro. Trump reposted links that repeated discredited conspiracy allegations that Venezuela interfered in the 2020 election by controlling voting machines.\nPreviously, he had hinted at support for those theories in a post, linking to a podcast about the Venezuela theory and writing: “We must focus all of our energy and might on ELECTION FRAUD!!” As the Guardian reported in November, the Trump justice department began investigating the long discredited Venezuela theory last year.\nThe White House did not respond to requests for comment for this story.\nWhile a central tenet of the Maga movement’s America First doctrine is an aversion to foreign wars, another core Maga obsession has been to dig into Trump’s election grievances.\nWhere the Venezuela allegations have not been seen as credible by experts, Iran has indeed been accused of election interference, including by mainstream Biden era officials.\nIn August of 2024, in the heat of the presidential campaign, officials said Iran was responsible for hacking internal Trump campaign records which appeared to have been sent to journalists. One document included research on JD Vance. The FBI, the ODNI and CISA wrote that Iran had done the hack “to compromise former President Trump’s campaign”, and said the intelligence community “is confident that the Iranians have through social engineering and other efforts sought access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both political parties”.\nThree alleged Iranian hackers were later indicted.\nIt is also true that in 2020 officials said Iran was behind a strange hoax email incident where Democratic-registered voters received threatening emails telling them to vote for Trump. The emails were crudely faked to seem like they came from the Proud Boys far-right group but were then traced to Iran.\nIn spite of that, there is no known evidence that Iran really played a key role in Trump’s 2020 election loss. But among believers, Iran is also a player in some of the more outlandish conspiracy theories. A recent book called Stolen Elections, which repeated the Venezuela allegations, listed Iran among the countries that purportedly help Venezuela remotely rig elections. “Iran,” the book said, “provides technical advice and computer engineers”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:10:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxPajJMRjBqVlZUUFRqSDFRNTJycmlnS09HWmVPNWJqdlVvMzEzRkI5a2hwelBUaWtib1JXcUlOOFR4Y1VfeXluQml4NTlWb3dVVnNSWl9UNVUxWFZ2WnVrTnhiUUtsanNtYkNRajVZWVdxbmtUV3czSUlZZUM0azk1UVNPd2dLaHp4cmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_098b64163da5",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "France to boost nuclear arsenal and extend deterrence to European allies",
    "body_text": "France to boost nuclear arsenal and extend deterrence to European allies\nFrance is to boost its nuclear arsenal and extend the deterrent to cover other European countries, in a major development of its nuclear defence policy.\nIn a speech in Brittany, President Emmanuel Macron explained the changes as the response to an increasingly unstable strategic environment.\n\"The next 50 years will be an era of nuclear weapons,\" he said.\nSpeaking to naval officers in front of a nuclear submarine at the Ile Longue base near the port of Brest, he said the number of French nuclear warheads would be increased from their current level of around 300.\nHe announced the launch in 2036 of a new nuclear-armed submarine to be called The Invincible.\nHe said eight other European countries – the UK, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark – had agreed to participate in a new \"advanced deterrence\" strategy.\nWriting on X, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk referenced the decision, saying: \"We are arming up together with our friends so that our enemies will never dare to attack us.\"\nMacron said the eight European countries could take part in exercises of France's air-launched nuclear capacity – or force de frappe - and also host air bases where France's nuclear bombers could be stationed.\nThis would allow France's Strategic Air Forces (FAS) to \"spread out across the depth of the European continent... and thus complicate the calculations of our adversaries\", the president said.\nHe added that France's partners would also share in the development of \"auxiliary\" capacities under the new nuclear doctrine: space-based alarm systems; air defence to shoot down incoming drones and missiles; and long-range missiles.\nDescribed by officials as the most significant change in French strategic thinking since 1960, \"advanced deterrence\" nonetheless retains much of the original concept as defined by then-President Charles de Gaulle.\nThere will be no explicit \"guarantee\" given to partner countries, and it is the president of France who will retain sole decision-making power over when to fire a nuclear missile.\nThe aim remains to convince potential adversaries that \"if they have the audacity to attack France... there will be an unsustainable price to be paid,\" the president said.\nUntil now there has been a deliberate vagueness about what France regards as its \"vital interests\", an attack on which would trigger a nuclear response.\nIn recent years governments have hinted that \"vital interests\" could also include interests in Europe. With Macron's \"advanced deterrence\", this concept has been given further shape – though in accordance with the general theory of deterrence nothing is spelled out.\nUnder the same principle, Macron said that from now on France would no longer communicate to the world the number of nuclear warheads in its possession.\nFrance already has a cooperation agreement with Europe's only other nuclear power – the United Kingdom. Recently UK officials took part for the first time in exercises by France's FAS.\nShortly after the speech, France and Germany jointly announced plans for \"closer cooperation\" in the field of nuclear deterrence.\nThe two countries will \"take the first steps this year, including German participation in French nuclear exercises... and the development of conventional capacities with European partners,\" according to a text signed by Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.\n\"This cooperation will complement, not replace, Nato's nuclear deterrent,\" they said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:16:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4zlnezrl7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_d92546bfdea6",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Yellen Sees Fed ‘Even More on Hold’ Given Iran Conflict Risk - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Yellen Sees Fed ‘Even More on Hold’ Given Iran Conflict Risk    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:18:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxPbW13VjI0ZWlKY3RMaDhsbEVqQ3ZTMGo4TU11aERJY2x1ZEFsT01TVG12dXpISHJEajhFbFVqMzZFTmVYUXBEQmoxeENWVmpqUUNaRUZpVmtyTDFBdGpGemF1NjlGUDd3N0RscS0weGVaaE53ckpuTW9USE83eUVJbDBVVkFZUUZXby1XWXhRMlllb1ZVa01fTXBaZ3FqV0c1NWtENHQ5dUttZ1pvZS0w?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8222e55a16ac",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "North Korea’s Response to the Israel-US Attacks on Iran - The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine",
    "body_text": "When North Korea closed its Ninth Party Congress, it renewed its signal that it would be open for engagement with the United States if its former adversary was willing to accept the country as a sovereign, nuclear-armed state. Two days later, on February 28, U.S. forces executed military strikes against Iran, reportedly as a response to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, its record of hostile actions against Americans, and its sponsorship of violent proxies.\nFor Pyongyang, the episode represented not only another example of Washington using force against an adversarial regime, but also an attack on a longstanding diplomatic and military partner. How, then, did the Kim regime respond?\nIn the nighttime hours of March 1, North Korean state media finally delivered a statement related to the Iran-Israel-U.S. war. It was a pro forma response attributed to an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesperson, similar in content and tone to North Korea’s response to the U.S. raid in Venezuela. Unlike Venezuela, however, there are different considerations and consequences for North Korea related to the war with Iran: namely, the dynamics vis-a-vis Russia and Pyongyang’s position toward engagement with the United States.\nWhat North Korea Said (and What It Meant)\nIt took a little more than 24 hours for North Korea to issue a statement on Iran, indicating that the Kim regime took time to assess the situation. The government likely queried Iranian diplomats posted in Pyongyang and North Korean officials abroad, while also observing what Beijing and the Kremlin had to say about the situation before moving too quickly with its own statement.\nThe statement was attributed to an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesperson, which constitutes low-level attribution by North Korean standards. This leaves space for the Kim regime to publish follow-on statements at higher levels, if deemed necessary.\nThe statement was published in both English and Korean on KCNA, the state media wire service, indicating that the audience was meant to be external.\nThe language, although bombastic to the uninitiated, was tame for the Kim regime. Stripped down to the core talking points, the North Korean government basically delivered five key points:\n(1) The Israeli-U.S. attacks on Iran are an illegal form of aggression and the most “despicable form” of violation of sovereignty.\n(2) Based on U.S. hegemonic posture and activities in the region, this was predictable.\n(3) North Korea condemns this violation of international law and abuse of military power.\n(4) Over the past year, the United States has played an increasingly destructive role in destroying global peace and stability.\n(5) The “relevant and interested” parties in the region should correctly identify the aggressors in this war and fulfill their responsibility of restoring peace and stability in the Middle East.\nOf note, the tone and format of the condemnation for the Iran conflict represented an incremental increase in rhetoric from the Kim regime compared to its response to the U.S. raid in Venezuela, but the final point clearly indicated that North Korea has no interest in injecting itself into the ongoing conflict. North Korea could have taken a stronger stance when directly addressing this issue, but in the end, the regime employed a tempered approach.\nStrategic Risks and Benefits for Pyongyang\nOn paper, it may seem like a conflict involving a longtime partner might be problematic for North Korea, but it has indirect risks and potential benefits for the Kim Jong Un regime.\nThe primary benefit comes from the fact that it disrupts an economic competitor with Russia. Both Iran and North Korea are major providers of war materiel to support Russia’s war effort against Ukraine. For Iran, this has included missiles, drones, and ammunition. But as Iran shifts to using its materiel for its own fight, it creates a gap that the Kim regime will likely be happy to fill. In that way, the Iran-Israel-U.S. war increases Russian dependency on North Korea, ceding additional influence and leverage to Pyongyang.\nBut the current conflict highlights a risk for North Korea when it comes to Russia’s dependability as a security partner. Both Iran and North Korea are treaty partners of Russia, with North Korea concluding its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty in June 2024 and Iran concluding its version of the treaty with Russia in January 2025. Thus, Russia’s reluctance to provide any overt support beyond diplomatic condemnation in response to the Israel-U.S. attacks has raised allegations of alliance abandonment.\nIt is important to recognize that this is not a textbook case of abandonment, however. While the two countries indeed have similarly named treaties with Russia, the agreements have different terms and obligations. Simply put, the North Korea-Russia Treaty contained a formal defense commitment, while the Iran-Russia Treaty only provided for nonaggression and consultation amid conflict.\nThis is an important legal distinction but will still raise questions about alliance abandonment, particularly as Russia continues its war effort against Ukraine. There may be voices inside Pyongyang that argue that Moscow’s behavior in response to the attacks against Iran are not instructive of how Russia might support North Korea under similar circumstances owing to the distinct difference in treaty obligations. Others may contend that it is not the text of an agreement that matters, but tacit expectations between what should be close allies.\nIt will be important to see how the two governments carry out their diplomatic messaging going forward with regard to alliance reassurance.\nImplications for Potential North Korea-U.S. Engagement\nIn the recently published Ninth Party Congress readout, the Kim regime clearly signaled that it was willing to engage the United States if the U.S. government is willing to accept North Korea as a sovereign, nuclear-armed state. The additional challenge now is how Pyongyang will view White House negotiating behaviors even if this precondition were met.\nThe U.S. government entered into talks with the Maduro and Khamenei regimes; in both cases, the government delivered an ultimatum and executed military action when its demands were not met. Taken with the fact that the U.S. government has demonstrated a willingness to employ coercive bargaining tactics against its own allies and partners, North Korea would logically be reticent to enter into talks with the White House.\nIn this context, North Korea’s tempered response to the strikes on Iran reflects strategic caution rather than indifference. Pyongyang has condemned the action, signaled solidarity with Tehran, and reiterated its opposition to U.S. military interventionism. But it has also avoided steps that would entangle it more directly in the crisis. For now, the Kim regime appears content to let events reinforce its long-held narrative: that only a robust nuclear deterrent can guarantee regime survival in a world where the United States remains willing to use force against governments it deems threatening.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:18:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxONzhvVHpTMDd6Q1ZWVm9HYlU0ZVZNTVZmRjJuMWwxandIOFFoLTN2Nmd2MkpQRnBmdEFPLUhtcnlWcjdaa1B6RG9saEFvRlFYekJMY19tM0hGeUktV3V5TWN0VEluNDh0M3VQRkhsMFQzMGJVQUhMaUhmUnFKb19HVWwxZm1QaVV5cE8zRGJDRnI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b20b9e8cbb57",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump’s war on Iran and regime change | Brief letters - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "As civilian casualties pile up under rubble – 165 people including little girls were blown to bits in a school in Tehran (Report, 1 March) – the world faces perhaps its greatest irony. Donald Trump has initiated an illegal war, which has no congressional approval, while calling on the people of Iran to rise up. No one would argue that Iran hasn’t committed atrocities against its people, but this from a regime that has its own masked ICE thugs killing people in broad daylight on the streets of US cities and “disappearing” them into camps. Is there another country on the planet that needs “regime change” more than the US?\nAmanda Baker\nEdinburgh\nEditorial, 2 March). Even more concerning is the fear of other nations in calling this out. Are we so frightened of Donald Trump that we stay quiet in case of future retaliation? It is a classic case of bullying.\nDenise Denis\nWells, Somerset\nevil” Iranian regime. I’m mourning the continuing destruction of an international system of law that keeps us all safer.\nPeter Gray\nChesterfield, Derbyshire\ncraziest and worst regime in the world” already has nuclear weapons.\nChris Burr\nStoford, Somerset",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:19:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxPM3FJNElRYjVZUnltZ0lFNldkckxrY2NibjZraTN6dHNyNnFaYjFyZC10NU9qOUtWQXpzRzQ2TVBCVzFOU0oyem5hVkVncUFCWl83RHpJME1VVjFSVG94TU44WS0tNS1qUWxvVVpGSW9RTFoxTVUxWTAyLTZBZGQ4VFMzZXpKdVJKeGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fff43a0e56ee",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US Embassy urges Americans in Iraq to shelter in place until further notice - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Monday urged Americans in Iraq to shelter in place until further notice, citing heightened security threats across the country.\nIn an alert, the embassy advised U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution, avoid crowds and keep a low profile amid ongoing riots and demonstrations against the United States following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nIt said protests, particularly near the July 14th Bridge in Baghdad, have turned violent, prompting Iraqi authorities to close the International Zone in central Baghdad with limited exceptions.\nThe U.S. Mission in Iraq also directed all staff to shelter in place and suspended consular operations, including routine services.\nIraqi airspace is currently closed, officials said, and travelers were advised to contact airlines directly for updates.\nThe State Department maintains a Level 4 \"Do Not Travel\" advisory for Iraq, urging Americans not to travel to the country for any reason and advising those already there to review personal security plans and consider departing when conditions allow.\n\"Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue to pose a significant threat to public safety,\" the U.S. embassy said in a post on X. \"Reports of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace continue.\"\nThe U.S. military presence in Iraq has shifted in recent years, with Iraqi officials announcing in January the formal handover of Al-Asad Air Base from U.S. forces to Iraqi control.\nThe country's defense ministry described the move as part of a broader transition toward long-term security cooperation with the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Spain and other countries, focused on training and advisory support.\nIraqi officials said international coalition forces are scheduled to withdraw from their headquarters in Erbil by the end of September 2026 under agreed-upon timelines.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:19:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxOLWZ2OW5qZXYxbFNQZHFuZzhwMmdIdGtjUlltVm44dXhmYjhfXy00el9TOU5GUkM1dXlKeGI1cGxsRkotNkhIX0lhaThXUndmTUZkXzdoRkJGdWg1UThOaTdiTVdmM2pvbExFTExqR1dtWDlFNEVic2IzY0xVN1JyMEFzYlBBa0RMMkp5SmhYZUVxdzVRV2Z1M2dQeVjSAaIBQVVfeXFMUDk5SlNZTXJfYTV3WUpKVURDNnNsQnlrQm9CdFF5cEp0TndHYml0dEh6eEdWbUJBc01jRVdJS3RpSF9XZTRraWpYc0lWbFBFYlBnM0Fac0hxczZkN1VzbzdjNldyWUk4Rm55bEw4Z0tNOEltbFRfaHdiWmQxaDdaVVlSUnFiVk5ENzc0QUozbFNVN2hHbHRWQVRTb3pEcnBvazF3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_36e662f13075",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US Embassy urges Americans in Iraq to shelter in place until further notice",
    "body_text": "Former political prisoner in Iran Homeira Hesami discusses Iranian celebrations after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the armed resistance's efforts for regime change on ‘The Will Cain Show.’\n\nTheU.S. Embassy in Baghdadon Monday urged Americans in Iraq to shelter in place until further notice, citing heightened security threats across the country.\n\nIn an alert, the embassy advised U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution, avoid crowds and keep a low profile amid ongoing riots and demonstrations against the United States following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n\nIt said protests, particularly near the July 14th Bridge in Baghdad, have turned violent, prompting Iraqi authorities to close the International Zone in central Baghdad with limited exceptions.\n\nThe U.S. Mission in Iraq also directed all staff to shelter in place and suspended consular operations, including routine services.\n\nProtesters walk through tear gas during clashes with Iraqi security forces near a bridge leading to the Green Zone in Baghdad on March 1, 2026.(Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/ via Getty Images)\n\nIraqi airspaceis currently closed, officials said, and travelers were advised to contact airlines directly for updates.\n\nThe State Department maintains a Level 4 \"Do Not Travel\" advisory for Iraq, urging Americans not to travel to the country for any reason and advising those already there to review personal security plans and consider departing when conditions allow.\n\nTRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE ‘HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND' AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST IRAN\n\nA group of demonstrators gather in front of the Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy is located, in Baghdad, Iraq, to protest the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 1, 2026.(Murtadha Al-Sudani / Anadolu via Getty Images)\n\n\"Iran-aligned terrorist militiascontinue to pose a significant threat to public safety,\" the U.S. embassy said in a post on X. \"Reports of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace continue.\"\n\nThe U.S. military presence in Iraq has shifted in recent years, with Iraqi officials announcing in January the formal handover of Al-Asad Air Base from U.S. forces to Iraqi control.\n\nUS JOINS ISRAEL IN PREEMPTIVE STRIKE ON IRAN AS TRUMP CONFIRMS ‘MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS’\n\nProtesters gather in Najaf, Iraq, on March 1, 2026, to denounce the killing of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.(Karar Essa/Anadolu/Getty Images)\n\nThe country's defense ministry described the move as part of a broader transition toward long-term security cooperation with the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Spain and other countries, focused on training and advisory support.\n\nIraqi officials said international coalition forces are scheduled to withdraw from their headquarters in Erbil by the end of September 2026 under agreed-upon timelines.\n\nAshley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:19:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-embassy-urges-americans-iraq-shelter-place-until-further-notice",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c2ca644cdf3c",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Insurance gaps leave airlines exposed as Iran conflict widens - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Insurance gaps leave airlines exposed as Iran conflict widens    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:30:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOVlprTFJZeWN4NzhGN3hhRjM5S3dqd0FHRXl5S1IzZkF6ZlFVbHFRT05QRWVwWmlaVTFBN2R1OWRUaEVlal9qenRiU196b0JqZ08zOFZVLXBxc2RhanF0QThQQkpJQ25DQWVsMVd4MWd4WGJVZnVyT2ZKc25TNnM5N2tfVkVwc0U4OFQyRjlmYWdnazZoaTRyYlBCd0VCdDNDOHEtdUNGYTI4WWxGUndYM2xB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2e8d30a899e3",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran War: Qatar Downs Pair of Iranian Fighter Jets in First for Conflict - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran War: Qatar Downs Pair of Iranian Fighter Jets in First for Conflict    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:32:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNRUNvX2c1aTNneVFPUjhtMF9KSkdVM096X2ZYM3ZLRXotQ2JsaW41SDBQalRMV2VDbWw4Uk5fdmh6QTNNcklkeVZCb3FpbFNCNFFGUk1YZHVYMEJWZkFwQWJDSl9mdjJ0MTMweEUzSktMT3N0ZTk4TDZLS0xxcDRrVVRmZC1Yb2JtQm1SQnBTUHA4VEw1MjMzb0hGMTduNWNTWjBFUVBDN3NvR3lfSy1pbDIyYw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4016e5e489c3",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Geopolitics Bets Hit a Record on Polymarket as Iran War Escalates - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Geopolitics Bets Hit a Record on Polymarket as Iran War Escalates    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:32:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPMnRDRC1nQ2Z2emxTOVJpTUc5NWludE1DUzFPY21EWlNlMHZ3ZHZRY2Z1NldfRzJ6Mk1USzFYYlNtbmRscTlON25WX2J2ajlScS01dENobVhwMmdhRmlQVnIydnhQSkdQU0ZKcnZ1UzN6V2NjMWJYbm9CRXpNU3JuckJuMV9VeVkxQjZCZzJ5ZDg2dWhwSUJUMFJMMU1selRDZ3dkcDdMNXVaVHRDRE9GbFlHNGVSZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_81772b73fb89",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Trump: 'We are already ahead of time' in Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Trump: 'We are already ahead of time' in Iran    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:34:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxPclk0R29LQm9lenVrRmJCM3o0QlNOZVBKaTJsaWNZQXhxajVLaVdsOXAyMV8tbDNvckloTDRzckxOaXdBaGJ2ZHJnZDNlc0NvZmZ1Qkx0dFFfNUJkNW9RRXQzZXg4d1hzUHBrWGFhVzBZVFdEcE51UkpnUHNuSDN2ZVUtSU5wRm1qWmFkdk90bXVzYlZN?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_52cd89b170f4",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Spike on Iran War Seen Boosting Canada’s Growth, Inflation - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Spike on Iran War Seen Boosting Canada’s Growth, Inflation    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:36:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxOX1JKMlR2dGdrNnIzMERnVW5ocmZlM0NES05Pck9GZHRGWHY0TkFzNHVuaW90UmJEd0xHZElXRzJFWjI3bEo5M3dmOUk5NzYwWW5TRVBhVC01WFdQRWgtUXRzWFZZN0h1ZkwtdFFwRHBfczNuVGpBWDJsYXVsOHBUZEo2THoyT21XUklJREtTLXBqZVd4bTN4bFAzckNzNm9yNDJfdV82dS1HU1NST09Gb1pWbG1QZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b504bb9997bd",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Starmer Implies Trump’s Iran War Is Unlawful - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Starmer Implies Trump’s Iran War Is Unlawful    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:37:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPOG14YXc4Z3MzODl4bkNGc2pjcnR5WWRybTk3UXR3c2ZPbUdPSG45cjV1T0ZvZHBqeTFMSk5JRzRnME1nTF9IRENRaUVFSjlabDlJLV8wMmtIZGp4TGY3UTR2RkNJTkVLbmxzODVOd2oxdjBwOW5CQmZkaTVZbmIxZmRrNzFKeTBTUkcwamQ4dVNGZnhfZmhnVzlOc2RJY2RRdGRFNlhLRngydmhTelRITzBHeUVpdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_605a2d38be13",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "FBI remains on high alert, DHS memo warns of lone wolf attacks amid war with Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The FBI remains on high alert amid the conflict with Iran, as U.S. forces head to the Middle East as the Trump administration escalates its campaign against the Islamic Republic, Fox News has learned.\nA senior FBI official told Fox News that the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is still on high alert, and all resources were ready if requested or needed from law enforcement partners.\nA Department of Homeland Security memo sent out over the weekend warns of potential cyber and lone wolf attacks amid the bombing of Iran by U.S. and Israeli forces. The memo doesn't mention any specific individual attacks but warns of lower-level cyberattack and other violence.\nOn Saturday, FBI Director Kash Patel said that he instructed counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert and to mobilize all assisting security assets needed.\n\"Our JTTFs throughout the country are working 24/7, as always, to address and disrupt any potential threats to the homeland,\" he wrote on X.\n\"While the military handles force protection overseas, the @FBI remains at the forefront of deterring attacks here at home - and will continue to have our team work around the clock to protect Americans,\" he added.\nEarly Sunday morning, Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal, allegedly killed three people in a shooting that left another 14 people injured at a bar in Austin, Texas. At his home, investigators found an Iranian flag and photos of regime leaders.\nPolice shot and killed the gunman, who used a pistol and a rifle in the shooting.\nOn Monday, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more U.S. troops were headed toward the Middle East, but declined to specify how many.\n\"I don't want to talk specifics, because that would tip the enemy off,\" Caine told reporters during a Pentagon briefing. \"We have more tactical aviation flowing into theater just based on the time it took to get it out there.\"\nThe U.S. mission in Iran, Caine said, is to \"prevent Iran from (the) ability to project power outside its borders.\"\nMeanwhile, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission is to prevent Tehran from producing a nuclear weapon, as well as destroying some of its military capabilities.\nU.S. tomahawk missiles fired from U.S. Navy vessels have struck Iranian naval forces along the southern flank, and American bomber planes have hit underground Iranian facilities, Caine said.\nFox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:38:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxQV002ajFKR09FUEE5NmtjMFNDS010Um5CSzBFWVBYMlotX0ZMY09URTQyOEdVYzFhTmFXazZUUE9vOG9iQmM0YUJHblZyS2dUU1FISHBqU2o2TEhPMWdHZjFPeG9FMUNjUVU4VWNJU1ExV3N1ekxoa2NvM0NKWGkyeHlWM0Q1d3BnbmFwNEd2Tm5yNGdBR1Ytb2JuT3rSAaIBQVVfeXFMUEIxa21iZ01EYlVxWER5VXhnZy1VSlhkQVUyLTV0QmJac3FHUkNnZXk1d2xHRlNTbGNSWjVTbXl3TVkyWEtvUko5ZFJsd3YyUFlVck5oenVqa3hqNks0OXhoOHJXZ3NTMDh6N0RtSWxHbjMyUThnblFTby1xamtWakRSTFREWGZROE10dXE3UnBrUnpjdEdWVE9LNnBXVmFKYUxn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b61d93fa4746",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Pete Hegseth sets the tone for Trump’s politically incorrect war on Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Leave it to Pete Hegseth, the ex-Fox News host now leading the Pentagon, to reframe the massive US-Israeli military operation in Iran as an act of resistance against political correctness: the first based regime-change war of the Maga era.\nIn a combative press conference at the Pentagon on Monday, Hegseth brought his anti-PC ethos to defend exactly what Donald Trump has said he did not want: to embroil the US in a major intervention in the Middle East with no clear timeline for exit.\nBut this won’t be like the last generation’s wars, Hegseth insisted. Operation Epic Fury was being fought “on our terms, with maximum authorities”, and without our “traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls hemming and hawing about the use of force”.\nWhen it comes to war fighting, the Trump administration are the children of the US forever wars in the Middle East. Both Hegseth and JD Vance served in Iraq, and Trump has often prided himself on being a persistent critic of that war.\nVance in particular has been a weather vane for the administration’s creep toward military action, warning in a Washington Post interview against “overlearning the lessons of the past. Just because one president screwed up a military conflict doesn’t mean we can never engage in military conflict again”.\nBy Monday, both Hegseth and Trump himself had said that they wouldn’t rule out putting boots on the ground – leaving open the potential for a mission creep, despite their boasts that they were not in Iran to enable a democratic transition, let alone to engage in “nation-building”. And the Israeli strikes in Lebanon, as well as the Iranian ballistic missile strikes across the region and the deaths of four US service members, indicated that the war could grow into a regional conflict.\nBut Hegseth was adamant that this time, things were different.\n“This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both,” he said. “Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb, and he’s right. This is the opposite.”\nThe real problem, Hegseth suggested, was not that the US was drawn into a protracted war in the Middle East on false pretenses of eliminating a global threat. Senior administration officials this weekend briefed that the US had to attack Iran because its ballistic missiles represented an “intolerable” threat and that Iran was preparing for a pre-emptive strike. (In briefings to Congress, Trump administration officials did not suggest there was an imminent strike, and publicly Israel has said they began the war because of an “operational opportunity” to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran).\nBut the administration has learned different lessons from the Iraq war. Hegseth indicated that the rules and goals dictating the military in Iraq were the real problem: too focused on a democratic transition, too restrictive in allowing the US to go in with full force. This time, he said, there would be “no stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars”.\nWhat the US really needed was a leader with fewer rules, with the capacity to execute at will, and without a code that would prevent him from doing so.\n“What [Trump] has shown the ability to do that other presidents can’t quite seem to have the aperture to do – Joe Biden didn’t even know what he was doing – is to look for opportunities and off-ramps and escalations for the United States that creates new opportunities to execute what we need on our own timeline,” Hegseth added, without giving any firm timeline to when US troops could declare mission accomplished.\nTrump’s constantly shifting rhetoric has left observers confused as to what the US plan in Iran is. In the last 48 hours, the president has told reporters in phone calls that the war may take several days or that he planned to go on for four weeks, that the US had identified several potential successors to Khamenei and then that the initial strikes had in fact killed all of them.\nBut this press conference – the first by an administration official in the more than 48 hours since the conflict began – was not really about specifics. It was mood music to show that the administration was defiant, as Hegseth dodged straightforward questions about the US timeline to leave Iran, whether the US would put troops on the ground and what Trump would consider to having achieved US objectives.\nWhen asked by NBC News whether the administration would stick to a four-week timeline as suggested by Trump himself, Hegseth called that a “typical NBC sort of gotcha type question”. Then, he said, it could last two weeks, four weeks, or six weeks.\n“We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives, as the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell, and always will be,” Hegseth added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:49:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxPRzd1aVNXcm5NQTdtVHBCVUMzWlYtcjFyUmZBNDU1REQ1SmZMV2VOZnBEYW9oaVZfd2JGZnJydHpvc0ZkRkIyd05RR2Mxc19zaldOZy0tVktTanU1V2RIM3N5cjJGek1CSHcyVlk1cEdrbTN0U3dUOGg5ZDBVMTM2SVU5SEhISU0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_77c86b935993",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "At least 23 protesters killed in Pakistan after killing of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "At least 23 protesters killed in Pakistan after killing of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\nAt least 23 people were killed in Pakistan on Sunday as protests erupted across the country in reaction to the US-Israeli killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nAt least ten were killed in Karachi, where hundreds of protesters charged the US consulate in the commercial capital of the country, with several managing to break through the outer gate and damage windows in one of the main buildings.\nProtesters clashed with security personnel who deployed live fire, tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowds, injuring at least 60, according to a statement from Sindh's chief police surgeon, Sumaiyya Syed.\nIt's unclear whether US security personnel were responsible for the deaths or the Pakistani police forces present at the protest.\nIn the capital, Islamabad, at least two people were killed during a demonstration near the \"Red Zone\", a heavily guarded area containing the parliament and \"diplomatic enclave\" - within which the US embassy is located.\nThousands of protesters showed up in Islamabad to register their anger at the killing of Khamenei.\nPakistan, a country with over 200 million people, is predominantly Sunni Muslim, but at least 20 percent of the country identify as Shia Muslims and regularly make religious pilgrimages to Iraq and Iran.\nMuch of Pakistan's Shia community viewed Khamenei as their spiritual leader.\nThe US embassy in Islamabad on Monday had not directly addressed on the social media platform X the violence at their facilities, but announced it would be cancelling all visa appointments and consular services for American citizens.\nOn Sunday, the X account said it was \"monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for additional demonstrations at US Embassy Islamabad and Consulate General Peshawar.\"\n\"We advise US citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news and observe good personal security practices, including being aware of your surroundings, avoiding large crowds, and ensuring your STEP registration is up to date.\"\nThe mountainous north of the country was another flashpoint of violence, where at least eleven people were killed in Skardu, a city in the picturesque tourist hub of Gilgit-Baltistan.\nProtesters set fire to the office of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan. Authorities reacted by implementing a three-day curfew in the region. Gilgit-Baltistan is home to a large population of Shia Muslims.\nOn Sunday, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged Pakistanis to remain calm.\n“After the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, every citizen of Pakistan is saddened in the same way as the citizens of Iran are grieving,” he said.\n\"We request the citizens not to take the law into their hands, and to record their protest peacefully.”\nProtests also took place in Lahore, Peshawar and other cities across Pakistan, and the death toll is expected to rise due to the nature of some of the injuries sustained by protesters.\nStuck in the middle\nPakistan has condemned what it called \"unwarranted attacks\" against Iran.\n\"Yet again, these attacks come at a time when renewed diplomatic efforts were underway to reach a peaceful and negotiated solution,\" Pakistan's permanent mission to the UN said in a statement. It also condemned the Iranian attacks against the Gulf nations of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar.\nThe South Asian state finds itself in a precarious position as its neighbour to the west, Iran, is striking its allies in the Gulf. The Gulf countries and Pakistan have historical ties dating back to the founding of many of the Gulf nations, including military and economic ties.\nPakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defence agreement in September amid what was seen as increasing Israeli belligerence in the region after it struck Doha, Qatar, in an attempt to assassinate members of Hamas's political bureau.\nPakistan said the agreement “reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region\", adding that the \"agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”.\nAsked by Reuters, at the time, whether the agreement would place Saudi Arabia under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella, a senior Saudi official said: \"This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means.”\nSaudi Arabia and Pakistan have enjoyed close military ties for decades. The Financial Times cited a Saudi official saying that the agreement had been under discussion for two or three years.\nIt is unclear at the moment whether the agreement will compel Pakistan to come to Saudi Arabia's defence as it faces a barrage of attacks from Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:52:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPeVhycVlRZUVZRlpiQV90U0ZtZ3lBQ1Bncl9yZ1p5X0ZnVWNoUnRROTNSYkFVeW5yRWlITWJ0OE1ObTZwTXk4OU9zWGtJeUR6WDBuTjZkQjlGWFMyU3JsODNfTjlUOUx4R09CSnNFVnkzYUxMa0NSLTRiT25FTlZ2Wmt0RVN3OGoxeF8yV2k1Sy1jNGJhRjlOZktiRzdTUWFL?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_898cb675c142",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Israel strikes Lebanon after Hezbollah rocket fire as Iran conflict widens",
    "body_text": "Israel strikes Lebanon after Hezbollah rocket fire as Iran conflict widens\nIsrael's military has said it has struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after the Iranian-backed Shia group said it launched rockets and drones at the Israeli city of Haifa to avenge the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nLebanon's disaster management unit said 52 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the country on Monday.\nThere were no reports of casualties in Israel from Hezbollah's fire, which the group said was retaliation for Khamenei's \"pure blood\" and Israeli strikes in Lebanon since a ceasefire ended a war between them 15 months ago.\nThe Israeli defence minister vowed Hezbollah would pay a \"heavy price\".\nIsrael Katz said he had ordered the Israeli military to \"act forcefully\" against the militia and political party, and that its leader Naim Qassem was now a \"marked target for elimination\".\nLebanon's Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, condemned Hezbollah's actions as \"irresponsible\" and said his government was immediately banning the group's military activities.\nIt had been widely expected that Hezbollah, which has close financial and ideological ties to Iran, would join the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US.\nThe conflict has spread quickly across the Middle East since the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran's leadership and armed forces on Saturday, with Iran responding by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases.\nOn Sunday, Hezbollah's leader denounced Khamenei's assassination as \"the height of crime\". Qasem also declared that his group would \"undertake our duty of confronting the aggression\" by Israel and the US and not leave \"the field of honour and resistance\".\nAt around 01:00 local time on Monday (23:00 GMT on Sunday), sirens sounded in several areas of northern Israel and explosions were heard.\nThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said one projectile that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory was intercepted, and that several others fell in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported, it added.\nHezbollah's military wing later announced that it had launched \"a barrage of rockets and a swarm of drones\" at a missile defence site south of Haifa in retaliation for Khamenei's killing, as well as \"repeated Israeli aggressions\" since the November 2024 ceasefire ended a year-long conflict between them.\nIsraeli forces responded with a powerful wave of air and naval strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs - known as Dahieh - where Hezbollah has a strong presence, and southern Lebanon at around 03:00.\nThe IDF said the strikes targeted senior Hezbollah operatives, command centres, weapons stores, and \"terrorist infrastructure\". Hussein Meklad, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, was allegedly killed.\nSmoke plumes immediately rose into air above Dahieh. Streets were filled with smoke and screams as several fires erupted in buildings.\nRoads near Beirut's airport were also hit, leaving broken glass and debris lining the streets.\nBumper-to-bumper traffic stretched along the airport road and onto the main highways leading north as residents of the capital fled.\nZeinab, a teacher from the Dahieh, told the BBC she and her family were first woken by the news that Hezbollah had fired rockets at Israel.\n\"We tried to understand from the news where things might go and in the end we said, 'let's go back to sleep and in the morning we can decide if we need to leave or not'.\"\nInstead, the single mother was woken almost immediately by the explosions from Israeli strikes.\n\"The house was shaking around us... I was with my daughter and I told her, 'we are dying. There is no chance for survival'.\"\nThe two ran out into the street and away from their home: \"We didn't know where we were going or how. We ran on foot.\"\nZeinab said she was angry about being pulled into another war.\n\"We shouldn't have to live with this fear and anxiety for any reason... nor should our children carry the burden of a war that has nothing to do with them. We are done, we are exhausted.\"\nThe IDF also ordered residents of more than 50 southern and eastern villages to evacuate, warning that it intended to carry out further strikes in them.\nSome people in the south said they had already started to leave after Hezbollah's rocket launch.\n\"It's absolutely miserable,\" a 55-year-old shop owner told the BBC in a voice message. \"We were just sitting at home and then suddenly this happened.\"\n\"We were shocked and we quickly packed and woke up the kids and got in the car. Now we're stuck on blocked roads because of the massive displacement from the south.\"\nThe father of three, who asked not to be named, said his parents who live in Dahieh were also \"stuck and trying to get out\".\nThere were more heavy Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon on Monday afternoon, which the IDF said hit more than 70 weapons storage facilities, launch sites and missile launchers.\nIn the northern Israeli border town of Metula, where the smashed ruins of a Lebanese village are clearly visible a few kilometres away, the streets were quiet on Monday.\nLevav Weinberg and his family moved back there in July after evacuating their home during the last conflict with Hezbollah.\nHe said they slept in the safe room on Monday night, after sirens warned of the incoming rockets from Lebanon.\n\"Hezbollah rockets not same as Iranian rockets,\" he told the BBC. \"An Iranian rocket would probably smash the whole house. We all understand that Iran is the heart of all the bad groups around us.\"\nLevav said fighting Hezbollah meant fighting Iran.\n\"I hope they take care of that problem better than they took care of Hezbollah in south Lebanon - because even a year after the [ceasefire] agreement, we already see Hezbollah back.\"\nA young Israeli solider standing by a bomb shelter meanwhile said he backed his government's decision to start a war with Iran \"100%\".\nThe IDF's chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, told officers on Monday morning that was the start of an \"offensive campaign\" against Hezbollah and that they should prepare for \"many prolonged days of combat ahead\".\nLater, he declared: \"We will end this campaign with not just Iran being struck, but with Hezbollah suffering a devastating blow.\"\nIDF spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin said it had already deployed troops to defend the border with Lebanon and for \"all possibilities\".\nAsked by a journalist whether Israel now planned a new ground invasion of southern Lebanon, he replied that \"all options\" were \"on the table\".\nLebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the Israeli strikes while also warning against turning Lebanon into a battleground for conflicts \"that do not concern us\".\nHe later chaired a cabinet meeting at Baabda Palace, where ministers also condemned the firing of rockets from Lebanese territory, saying it violated the November 2024 ceasefire agreement that ended a year-long war between Israel and Hezbollah.\nPrime Minister Salam stressed that \"the decision of war and peace\" rested exclusively with the state, and said this \"necessitates the immediate prohibition of all Hezbollah's security and military activities as being outside the law, and obliging it to hand over its weapons\".\nThe move marked one of the clearest challenges yet to the Hezbollah's long-standing parallel authority in Lebanon.\nThe head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad, said there was no justification for the \"government to take impractical decisions against Lebanese who refuse occupation\".\n\"The Lebanese expected a decision banning aggression; instead, they face a decision banning the rejection of aggression,\" he added.\nHezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by countries including the UK and US, has previously said its fighters will not disarm until Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon and stops its air strikes.\nHezbollah's arsenal has long divided Lebanon, which is still scarred by its 1975–1990 civil war.\nCalls for the group to lay down its weapons have grown louder since its last conflict with Israel, which began when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli positions in a disputed border area a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023.\nIsrael launched an intense air campaign and ground invasion against the group in September 2024, saying it wanted to ensure the safe return of residents displaced by the rocket attacks.\nThe war killed 4,000 Lebanese and 120 Israelis, and left Hezbollah significantly weakened. Qasem's predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, died in an Israeli strike in Dahieh.\nUnder the US- and French-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah agreed to end its armed presence south of the Litani river, about 30km (20 miles) from the border with Israel. Israel also agreed to withdraw its forces from the area.\nSince the truce, both sides have accused each other of violations.\nIsrael has accused Hezbollah of trying to recover its military capabilities, including in the south.\nThe IDF has also carried out near-daily strikes on targets it says are linked to Hezbollah, and its troops have continued to occupy at least five positions in southern Lebanon.\nAdditional reporting by David Gritten in London",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:53:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y4v8g13wxo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d066cc6b8766",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Israel strikes Lebanon after Hezbollah rocket fire as Iran conflict widens - BBC",
    "body_text": "Israel strikes Lebanon after Hezbollah rocket fire as Iran conflict widens\nIsrael's military has said it has struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after the Iranian-backed Shia group said it launched rockets and drones at the Israeli city of Haifa to avenge the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nLebanon's disaster management unit said 52 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the country on Monday.\nThere were no reports of casualties in Israel from Hezbollah's fire, which the group said was retaliation for Khamenei's \"pure blood\" and Israeli strikes in Lebanon since a ceasefire ended a war between them 15 months ago.\nThe Israeli defence minister vowed Hezbollah would pay a \"heavy price\".\nIsrael Katz said he had ordered the Israeli military to \"act forcefully\" against the militia and political party, and that its leader Naim Qassem was now a \"marked target for elimination\".\nLebanon's Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, condemned Hezbollah's actions as \"irresponsible\" and said his government was immediately banning the group's military activities.\nIt had been widely expected that Hezbollah, which has close financial and ideological ties to Iran, would join the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US.\nThe conflict has spread quickly across the Middle East since the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran's leadership and armed forces on Saturday, with Iran responding by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases.\nOn Sunday, Hezbollah's leader denounced Khamenei's assassination as \"the height of crime\". Qasem also declared that his group would \"undertake our duty of confronting the aggression\" by Israel and the US and not leave \"the field of honour and resistance\".\nAt around 01:00 local time on Monday (23:00 GMT on Sunday), sirens sounded in several areas of northern Israel and explosions were heard.\nThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said one projectile that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory was intercepted, and that several others fell in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported, it added.\nHezbollah's military wing later announced that it had launched \"a barrage of rockets and a swarm of drones\" at a missile defence site south of Haifa in retaliation for Khamenei's killing, as well as \"repeated Israeli aggressions\" since the November 2024 ceasefire ended a year-long conflict between them.\nIsraeli forces responded with a powerful wave of air and naval strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs - known as Dahieh - where Hezbollah has a strong presence, and southern Lebanon at around 03:00.\nThe IDF said the strikes targeted senior Hezbollah operatives, command centres, weapons stores, and \"terrorist infrastructure\". Hussein Meklad, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, was allegedly killed.\nSmoke plumes immediately rose into air above Dahieh. Streets were filled with smoke and screams as several fires erupted in buildings.\nRoads near Beirut's airport were also hit, leaving broken glass and debris lining the streets.\nBumper-to-bumper traffic stretched along the airport road and onto the main highways leading north as residents of the capital fled.\nZeinab, a teacher from the Dahieh, told the BBC she and her family were first woken by the news that Hezbollah had fired rockets at Israel.\n\"We tried to understand from the news where things might go and in the end we said, 'let's go back to sleep and in the morning we can decide if we need to leave or not'.\"\nInstead, the single mother was woken almost immediately by the explosions from Israeli strikes.\n\"The house was shaking around us... I was with my daughter and I told her, 'we are dying. There is no chance for survival'.\"\nThe two ran out into the street and away from their home: \"We didn't know where we were going or how. We ran on foot.\"\nZeinab said she was angry about being pulled into another war.\n\"We shouldn't have to live with this fear and anxiety for any reason... nor should our children carry the burden of a war that has nothing to do with them. We are done, we are exhausted.\"\nThe IDF also ordered residents of more than 50 southern and eastern villages to evacuate, warning that it intended to carry out further strikes in them.\nSome people in the south said they had already started to leave after Hezbollah's rocket launch.\n\"It's absolutely miserable,\" a 55-year-old shop owner told the BBC in a voice message. \"We were just sitting at home and then suddenly this happened.\"\n\"We were shocked and we quickly packed and woke up the kids and got in the car. Now we're stuck on blocked roads because of the massive displacement from the south.\"\nThe father of three, who asked not to be named, said his parents who live in Dahieh were also \"stuck and trying to get out\".\nThere were more heavy Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon on Monday afternoon, which the IDF said hit more than 70 weapons storage facilities, launch sites and missile launchers.\nIn the northern Israeli border town of Metula, where the smashed ruins of a Lebanese village are clearly visible a few kilometres away, the streets were quiet on Monday.\nLevav Weinberg and his family moved back there in July after evacuating their home during the last conflict with Hezbollah.\nHe said they slept in the safe room on Monday night, after sirens warned of the incoming rockets from Lebanon.\n\"Hezbollah rockets not same as Iranian rockets,\" he told the BBC. \"An Iranian rocket would probably smash the whole house. We all understand that Iran is the heart of all the bad groups around us.\"\nLevav said fighting Hezbollah meant fighting Iran.\n\"I hope they take care of that problem better than they took care of Hezbollah in south Lebanon - because even a year after the [ceasefire] agreement, we already see Hezbollah back.\"\nA young Israeli solider standing by a bomb shelter meanwhile said he backed his government's decision to start a war with Iran \"100%\".\nThe IDF's chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, told officers on Monday morning that was the start of an \"offensive campaign\" against Hezbollah and that they should prepare for \"many prolonged days of combat ahead\".\nLater, he declared: \"We will end this campaign with not just Iran being struck, but with Hezbollah suffering a devastating blow.\"\nIDF spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin said it had already deployed troops to defend the border with Lebanon and for \"all possibilities\".\nAsked by a journalist whether Israel now planned a new ground invasion of southern Lebanon, he replied that \"all options\" were \"on the table\".\nLebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the Israeli strikes while also warning against turning Lebanon into a battleground for conflicts \"that do not concern us\".\nHe later chaired a cabinet meeting at Baabda Palace, where ministers also condemned the firing of rockets from Lebanese territory, saying it violated the November 2024 ceasefire agreement that ended a year-long war between Israel and Hezbollah.\nPrime Minister Salam stressed that \"the decision of war and peace\" rested exclusively with the state, and said this \"necessitates the immediate prohibition of all Hezbollah's security and military activities as being outside the law, and obliging it to hand over its weapons\".\nThe move marked one of the clearest challenges yet to the Hezbollah's long-standing parallel authority in Lebanon.\nThe head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad, said there was no justification for the \"government to take impractical decisions against Lebanese who refuse occupation\".\n\"The Lebanese expected a decision banning aggression; instead, they face a decision banning the rejection of aggression,\" he added.\nHezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by countries including the UK and US, has previously said its fighters will not disarm until Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon and stops its air strikes.\nHezbollah's arsenal has long divided Lebanon, which is still scarred by its 1975–1990 civil war.\nCalls for the group to lay down its weapons have grown louder since its last conflict with Israel, which began when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli positions in a disputed border area a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023.\nIsrael launched an intense air campaign and ground invasion against the group in September 2024, saying it wanted to ensure the safe return of residents displaced by the rocket attacks.\nThe war killed 4,000 Lebanese and 120 Israelis, and left Hezbollah significantly weakened. Qasem's predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, died in an Israeli strike in Dahieh.\nUnder the US- and French-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah agreed to end its armed presence south of the Litani river, about 30km (20 miles) from the border with Israel. Israel also agreed to withdraw its forces from the area.\nSince the truce, both sides have accused each other of violations.\nIsrael has accused Hezbollah of trying to recover its military capabilities, including in the south.\nThe IDF has also carried out near-daily strikes on targets it says are linked to Hezbollah, and its troops have continued to occupy at least five positions in southern Lebanon.\nAdditional reporting by David Gritten in London",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:53:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE5WRUJIOXpmTDRVSHZPZ3hyOXV4OE5BU0V3ZzJBRmJzZkhBRjVHTWJpTVBIdUVySVZVdmYzc2QySFQzbmV2d0JIeGczeDcweFlVaXpyLTE5WG5nZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8ddf66fbe257",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Hedge funds rethink emerging market bets after US-Israel strikes on Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Hedge funds rethink emerging market bets after US-Israel strikes on Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T18:54:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE44bFpBSHFadVZPNzJJVFlONHJoVktCNTQ4RF9hUTQ5ak4tSDV5UjZBME5lU3NlaU8zSzlucTBmcVIxRENuVjBQQUEwVVdibEtPaVlXNnpVWGFsNHdMdnlteUM4dWRDSGdOMEVaNHJKc04?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_131947b2baeb",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iranian drones buzz across the Persian Gulf after their pivotal use by Russia in Ukraine - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iranian drones buzz across the Persian Gulf after their pivotal use by Russia in Ukraine\nIranian drones buzz across the Persian Gulf after their pivotal use by Russia in Ukraine\nThe distinctive buzz of Iranian-designed drones has become a familiar sound in Ukraine over the past four years. Now, it’s increasingly heard across the Persian Gulf as Tehran strikes back with the cheap but effective weapons following the attack by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.\nThe Shahed drones have made a transformative impact on modern warfare, with Russia sending swarms of the deadly weapons into the skies above Ukraine on nightly missions.\nWhile ballistic and cruise missiles fly much faster and pack a bigger punch, they cost millions and are available only in limited quantities. A Shahed drone costs only tens of thousands of dollars — a tiny fraction of a ballistic missile.\nAvailable in big numbers, the drones have shown their capability to oversaturate air defenses and inflict painful damage at a very low cost.\nThe debut in Ukraine\nAfter Russia’s botched attempt to capture the Ukrainian capital after its full-scale invasion with tanks, troops and missiles in February 2022, the fighting has turned into a war of attrition that has been increasingly shaped by drones.\nWhile swarms of small drones have played a decisive role on the battlefield, both Russia and Ukraine also have increasingly relied on longer-range drones to attack deep into each other’s territory.\nAfter reaching a deal with Tehran to import Shahed drones early in the war — Shahed means “witness” in Farsi — Russia localized their production. Russian engineers have increased its altitude, made it more jamming-resistant and fitted it with more powerful warheads.\nThe Russian replica of the Shahed — called “Geran,” or “geranium” — has been put in production at a plant in the Russian province of Tatarstan that has exponentially increased output. Since then, Russia has battered Ukraine with hundreds of drones in a single night – more than were used during some entire months in 2024.\nBy using large numbers in a single attack, Moscow’s strategists seek to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and distract them from engaging more expensive cruise and ballistic missiles that Moscow often uses alongside the drones to hit high-value targets.\nAnd while it flies slow at 180 kph (just over 110 mph), it can range as far as 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) and carry a relatively big load of 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of explosives. Ukrainians have dubbed them “mopeds” for their distinctive buzz.\nUkraine has relied on mobile teams armed with machine guns as a low-cost response to the drones to spare using more-expensive Western-supplied air defense missiles. It also has developed interceptor drones and is working to scale up production, but the steady rise in Russian attacks has strained its defenses.\nAttacks in the Gulf and beyond\nFollowing the weekend U.S. and Israeli attacks, Iran has struck Israel and also unleashed a barrage of hundreds of missiles and drones on multiple targets in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.\nThey included U.S. bases, ports, airports, oil facilities and oil tankers, as well as some high-rise buildings.\nOfficials in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates said Sunday that air defenses had dealt with 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and more than 540 Iranian drones over two days. While officials said they intercepted all air attacks Saturday, debris from the knocked-down weapons sparked blazes at some of Dubai’s most iconic locations.\nSome Iranian drones flew as far as a U.K. military base in Cyprus. The runway at the Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri was struck by an Iranian drone Sunday, according to U.K. officials, and sirens blared there again Monday when two more drones heading toward the base were intercepted.\nState-of-the-art U.S. and Israeli air defense assets have proven efficient in intercepting most of Iran’s ballistic missiles launched at Israel. But the attacks using large numbers of cheap drones hit some softer targets lacking the same level of protection.\nPatrick Bury, a professor of security issues at the University of Bath, said drones have transformed warfare, thanks to the combination of “the persistent surveillance and the high-precision strike” coupled with improved targeting systems and artificial intelligence.\nHe noted the Shahed drones can be easily hidden in the back of a truck.\n“What’s taken people by surprise … is the ferocity and the scale with which Iran has retaliated this time,” compared with its response to the June 2025 U.S. and Israeli attacks, Bury told The Associated Press. “What the U.S. and the Israelis are hoping, I think, and calculating, that they can degrade that enough to basically then take some of the steam out.”\nMany observers noted the U.S. and its allies could tap the experience that Ukraine gained in dealing with Russian drone attacks.\n“Our military must do more ASAP to institutionalize defensive lessons from Ukraine,” said Dara Massicot, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, posting on X.\n___\nJill Lawless in London contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxORi11MjBHSVhwWk5BX1V2NkRPbzFhRlB2Y0ZQV1ZqalN0OFZac3VJVFRkSVd6eWtValB1THV0bGVUU0dkNTg4ZkVqWUlIV2U1X0h6TE9hY3I1djd4Sy1uRDNEVXgwOUc3RHhQb2dpcWxJM2twR0lrX0lEeUZyVFAzQmJUa1c1LWdmaDhmWnZPZjFpbWs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_883605f73778",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Soy Oil Hits Two-Year High as Crude Rallies After Iran Strikes - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Soy Oil Hits Two-Year High as Crude Rallies After Iran Strikes    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:05:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOckdsMUJiRUZYM2k0UjVfalB0Uy1ueWkxWldqNDBibmhBbVM2R0dpVklDYnpzUzNPZTdfNGIyQTlyZFRoajN0LVFJWkxqMnpMSVVyTjdrMDN1NlM3V0JOcnZpQ2hXR2pLelQ3dl9ab1hlTWx0WHptOWxOcGg3RTdWU3lJYkxrR2F3cVNGcjlycUszVHdqZEllVm5FdDRRSjJHOVE5T0F4QjV6ZDZmZnljVTBpcw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cf839f199682",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US 'stonewalling' requests by Gulf states to replenish interceptors, sources say - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US 'stonewalling' requests by Gulf states to replenish interceptors, sources say\nThe US is “stonewalling” requests by some Gulf states to replenish their air defence interceptors as pressure mounts on them to join the US and Israel in their war on Iran, one western official and one former US official familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.\nAt least one Gulf state that has come under attack from Iran asked US officials about replenishing supplies that have been depleted since the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, but was brushed off, the former US official familiar with the discussions said.\nIn a separate case, another Gulf state responded to US requests to use air bases in their country with enquiries about the US’s commitment to their air defence systems, a western official familiar with the matter told MEE.\nBut the former US official familiar with conversations in the administration told MEE that Gulf states would be left wanting if they expect new supplies of interceptors.\n“Whatever munitions were produced in the last couple of months, we have shot several years' worth of production in the last few days,” the former official said.\nSaudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain have all been targeted with Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, but the countries closest to Iran -Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE - have borne the brunt of the assaults.\nQatar announced on Monday that it shot down two Iranian Su-24 fighter jets.\nThe UAE said on Monday it had destroyed 814 of the 871 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles fired at it since Saturday. As a general rule, defenders are expected to fire two to three interceptors to down an incoming missile.\nThe UAE operates Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) ballistic missile defence systems as well as Patriot Pac-3 surface-to-air missile systems. The UAE also has South Korean, Russian and Israeli air defence systems, as well as a domestic short-range air defence system called Skynight.\nThe UAE's interception rate is above 90 percent, according to the government’s tally, but Thaad and Patriot interceptors are costly and take years to make.\n“The UAE has now burned through a significant chunk of an interceptor stockpile that took years to build,” Kelly Grieco, an expert at the Stimson Center, wrote on X.\nUS President Donald Trump held a phone call with his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, on Monday. An Emirati readout of the call said the two discussed “the blatant Iranian attacks” on the UAE and other Gulf states.\nBahrain says it has intercepted and shot down at least 45 ballistic missiles and drones.\nNeither the former US nor western official said there have been formal denials, but that Gulf states have been discouraged from asking for refills.\nFiras Maksad, the Middle East director at the Eurasia Group, told MEE, citing US sources, that the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier was leaving the Mediterranean on Monday en route to the Gulf.\nThat movement would suggest the Trump administration may be trying to address some of the Gulf states security complaints.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:07:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNNnc1MmRKSnF1amYwV0V5b2kxbEQ1X1FUb2x4LW5aWTdYVTBoT19Wa0JVWVRleDNMTDlmRGtlUU1KVGY2dXF6ZWFoV2MtR1Z6Ykw5blJhVHg2R1dlTWJ1S012ZHpaYnBvZXEtYnBWTEdEaW5Kd2xWYVRpR0FnSHlZS3ZXa2R2aVpoYUdyT01Lc2I0TU5zQVplR0d5dkpuT2VGR2F1OTJNSVNHUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c67ed55a538f",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Missile attacks and cyber hacks: Dual threats of modern warfare - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered missile and drone retaliation, disrupting Gulf airspace and elevating military alerts from Kuwait to the UAE.\nCommercial digital infrastructure is exposed, with a UAE data centre fire at a major cloud provider after objects struck the facility.\nHacktivist collectives, including 313 Team and others, are conducting DDoS and visibility-focused campaigns against banks, aviation and government entities across the region.\nShashank Shekhar, managing editor at CloudSEK, says attacks appear disruption-focused, not deep system breaches, and aim to maximise reputational pressure during heightened tensions.\nVibin Shaju, EMA VP at Trellix, says critical systems in the GCC are resilient with contingency planning, but cloud concentration risk can cause ripple effects across services.\nCyber security analysts and international officials are warning of a widening front in the Middle East crisis, where kinetic warfare, economic disruption and co-ordinated online campaigns meet.\nSince Saturday, a series of joint US-Israeli military strikes against Iran has triggered repeated Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, forcing temporary airspace closures and heightening military alerts from Kuwait to the UAE.\nThe fallout has extended beyond military targets. Amazon’s cloud division reported a fire at a UAE data centre after “objects struck the facility”, raising concerns over the exposure of commercial digital infrastructure as hostilities intensify.\nAmid this backdrop, a hacktivist faction known as the 313 Team has publicly declared it is targeting Israel, Jordan, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait in cyberspace in response to the death of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posting threats on Telegram-linked channels.\nCloudSEK, a risk-monitoring firm, reported that between February 27 and March 2, co-ordinated cyber disruption attempts were logged against 10 financial institutions. This includes major banks in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel as well as seven aviation and logistics entities, government ministries, defence-related targets and telecoms providers.\nIn the UAE, some online and phone banking services were unavailable on Monday due to region-wide disruption of IT services, with the cause publicly remaining unknown.\nFor the reported cyber attempts, many of the claims centre on distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, website power cut and public service disruptions. Analysts said none have yet been independently verified as deep system breaches or sustained compromises of core infrastructure.\n“What we are observing is a co-ordinated, narrative-driven disruption campaign rather than confirmed systemic compromise,” Shashank Shekhar, managing editor at CloudSEK, told The National.\n“The clustering of financial institutions and aviation assets suggests an intent to maximise visibility and reputational pressure at a time of heightened geopolitical sensitivity. At this stage, the impact appears disruption-focused, targeting availability and public perception rather than core banking or operational technology systems.”\nMr Shekhar said hacktivist collectives have publicly claimed the offensive operations including groups such as DieNet, Team 313, Liwa Thar Allah, Fad Team, Cyb3rDrag0nzz, and Fynix, but that CloudSEK could not independently verify that any of the claimed cyber attacks are originating from the Iranian government or state forces.\nVibin Shaju, EMA VP at California-headquartered cyber security company Trellix, said the region is significantly better prepared for threats than in previous years, citing major investments across the GCC over the past three to five years in cyber security frameworks, regulatory compliance and defensive capabilities.\n“There has been a huge amount of preparation,” he said, noting that critical infrastructure in the UAE and Saudi Arabia is typically operated with contingency planning and limited dependency on external cloud environments at its core.\n“Most core critical systems are managed locally and designed to continue operating even during disruption,” Mr Shaju said, adding that while external-facing services may slow or temporarily fail, internal operational resilience has improved markedly across the region.\nFinancial industry sources said several banks, including Standard Chartered and major Japanese lenders, have advised staff to postpone travel to the region, slowing deal negotiations and prompting short-term work restrictions.\nBroader economic signals reflect the strain. Major aviation hubs temporarily surrendered airspace, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, while energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz slowed and travel and investment flows into the Gulf were curtailed.\nMr Shekhar said the convergence of kinetic conflict and cyber disruption reflects a broader trend in modern warfare. “Hacktivist groups often leverage geopolitical flashpoints to amplify messaging impact. High-visibility sectors such as banking and air transport are symbolic targets that generate immediate public attention, even when underlying infrastructure remains intact,” he said.\nCyber security experts caution that hacktivist groups may be leveraging the broader conflict to amplify reputational pressure, selecting high-visibility sectors such as air transport and banking to maximise impact.\nMr Shaju said the reported disruption to AWS infrastructure highlighted the region’s growing reliance on cloud providers, warning that while hyperscale platforms offer redundancy, concentration risk remains. “When applications rely heavily on a single cloud environment, slowness or service interruption can quickly ripple across banking apps, airline booking systems and consumer-facing services,” he said.\nHe described the AWS incident as primarily affecting application programming interfaces and service availability rather than core systems, but said it demonstrated how dependency on shared infrastructure can create a “single point of impact” during conflict. “Even if internal systems remain secure, access to the external world depends on internet and edge infrastructure,” he said.\nThe prevalence of hactivists and the prominence of cyber security concerns gives ample validity to recent surveys.\nWorries about the safety of cyber infrastructure stemming from nefarious actors ranked in the top 10 of the World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Risks report.\nThe Iran conflict seems to spilling over into the digital world, solidifying what cyber security experts have long warned of, particularly regarding Iran and its use of hackers and hacktivist groups. “The volume of Iranian state-linked cyber activity remains consistently high,” read Microsoft's 2025 digital defence report.\n“Iran’s intelligence services continue to focus heavily on regional adversaries, conducting long-term espionage against critical infrastructure,” the report added, noting that Tehran's cyber actors most frequently targeted Israel, the US and the UAE to exploit potential vulnerabilities.\nJust weeks before the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, cyber security firm Acronis warned that its experts had discovered a new malware campaign targeting supporters of protests throughout the country.\nIn August, FBI assistant director Brett Leatherman said a cyber attack from Iran affecting US technology systems, data and infrastructure would be likely to be considered an act of war.\n▶\nWith Operation Epic Fury under way in Iran, that might mean Tehran now has little to lose by intensifying cyber attacks.\nMr Shaju said short-term cyber disruptions are often designed for visibility and headlines. However, he cautioned that longer-term, more covert intrusions pose the greater strategic risk.\n“What makes the news is the short-term disruption,” he said. “What organisations should worry about is the persistent, targeted attack that stays silent for months. That is where the real long-term impact lies.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:08:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6AFBVV95cUxOaGNkTjFhY25zVm8xQ1daNjlVQmhnbFB4SlZ0azJMRHB5aFFIVW83MDEzdkQ3Qm1ra0V0bWVGUGYzblFWMHlXMk9xWWdlQjBTeFRyT1ZSMXBmVUplQml6RlFpV2pDUnJjMFR0RGpxY0lpZzNpc0tLY0MxN2t0RTN0RzVSVkZjVGZkaW1hRGdzWUN0eU4wbjRkNHZHWGZuOUZWd2pJZGhuRFV4bDdqdkFJX25sWXg0MVpoTXhVNFN6U2QyamFyM2xKZFFQZ0V6VVd6VlZHYk82dnFmUjNJZEJEd2JNWUZlQWlR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0904dfe5b3e0",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israeli racing star 'nervous' as family deals with Iran's retaliatory strikes, expresses hope for region - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Israeli racecar driver Alon Day was in Florida getting ready to compete in the CUBE 3 Architecture Trans Am 2 Series when the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes in Iran in a joint offensive on Saturday.\nThe former NASCAR driver had a lot on his mind, thinking of his family back home as Iran launched retaliatory action against countries that have U.S. military bases in them.\n\"It’s kind of a tricky situation. I’m here racing in the United States and at the same moment, my wife, my kid and everybody is in Israel,\" he told Fox News Digital. \"It’s so complicated to think about everything. And now, when I’m a fresh dad, I want to be there. I want to be there with my family and everything. It’s extremely nervous to be here. My phone is always ringing with alarms of the ballistic missiles coming in Israel.\n\"It’s a bit tough. I’m here on a mission and I’m very happy that I have the opportunity to actually race here in the United States.\"\nThe joint airstrikes were launched on Saturday, hitting several military and nuclear facilities. The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday morning it has launched strikes in the \"heart of Tehran,\" hitting targets that belong to the Iranian terror regime. One of the strikes left Ali Khamenei dead.\nDay expressed hope that the military operations will be able to bring stability to the Middle East.\n\"Probably, yeah,\" he told Fox News Digital when asked about whether he thought the region would be more peaceful. \"I’m getting so many messages from random Iranian people, saying ‘Thank you Israel, thank you United States. We are going through a different kind of era right now.’ Something is changing. We cannot even think about what the implication of losing the war will be. If the Iranian people lose this war, they’re going to have a really bad time with the Iranian regime.\n\"I feel like this is a good opportunity. But I’m not a politician. I’m not a military guy. I’m just a racecar driver. I’m on a mission and the mission is to win races as much as possible for JSSI and to bring the Israel flag here and to show how great allies Israel and the United States are together.\"\nDay, who has spent time on NASCAR’s Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series circuits, said he had no plans to scrap his 2026 season.\n\"Listen, I was born in 1991 – the Gulf War. I’ve been through the Intifada, Hamas, Hezbollah, everything,\" he explained. \"Every person in Israel grew up into this, those kind of war situations. It’s very sad to say that, but we’re kind of used to that and we need to live with that.\n\"And it is what it is. I think now, specifically now, it’s for a good reason.\"\nDay praised the U.S. and Israeli militaries for their actions.\n\"I want to take this opportunity also to thank the U.S. military forces and the Israel military forces for what they’re doing to keep us safe and for a better future fighting against evilness.\n\"I think everything is for a bright future in front of us. I really want to take the opportunity and thank everybody, every person who is fighting against the Iranian regime. It is for a good reason, so I want to really thank them.\"\nFollow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:12:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_281599563035",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Photos show Israel after Iran retaliated with missiles - AP News",
    "body_text": "The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.\nPeople take shelter in an underground metro station as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian missiles in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)\nPeople take shelter in an underground metro station as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian missiles in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)\nIsraeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)\nPalestinian Muslims offer Friday Ramadan prayers in Jerusalem, as the Old City remains closed to visitors under nationwide Home Front Command restrictions banning large gatherings amid the war with Iran, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)\nA man inspects a damaged house struck by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Hatzor HaGlilit, northern Israel, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)\nA man takes shelter in an underground metro station as a precaution against possible Iranian missile attacks, in Ramat Gan, Israel Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)\nMourners take cover while air-raid sirens warn of incoming missiles launched by Iran toward Israel during the funeral of Sarah Elimelech and her daughter Ronit who were killed in an Iranian missile attack, in Beit Shemesh, Israel, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)\nMourners lower the flag-draped bodies of Sarah Elimelech and her daughter Ronit into the grave during their funeral, a day after they were killed in an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, on Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)\nA girl wears a decorative dress during the Jewish festival of Purim inside a bomb shelter synagogue in Hadera, Israel, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)\nParamedics evacuate wounded people from the site of a deadly Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)\nTrace of an air defense missile interception during an Iranian attack is seen over Jerusalem’s Old City, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)\nRescue workers and military personnel carry a body of a victim from the scene where several people were killed by an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)\nRescue workers and military personnel survey the scene of a direct hit a day after an Iranian missile struck in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)\nPeople take shelter in an underground parking garage as air raid sirens warn of incoming missiles launched by Iran toward Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)\nUltra-Orthodox Jews gather at the site where several people were killed by an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)\nRescue workers bandage a wounded man and provide first aid at the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Tomer Neuberg)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:13:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxPVi1SYk5JM2ZsVkVLYnZsa3JqT1RkMVNpaUFLV1lnSnJOSFhGdjlhVjJmQnJrakY0RDg2b1RjYjIyN01ZRG45MTdIVWxvenJPT2RpbVVWMFJvWFBGdzVodm1DcndHVzZLLWl5TEZkSjAyV3pGcC1kaURtQ2RZTUNwVzB0amJMeEpCNUhXWER4eWlLenQxc0JhRTRVZ3I?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_39cc7bea705f",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "How escalating Iran conflict is driving up oil and gas prices – a visual guide - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran has responded to US and Israeli attacks by launching a series of counterstrikes against states across the Middle East, with serious consequences for the oil and gas industry and the global economy.\nTehran has attacked oil facilities in neighbouring countries, while shipping traffic through the strait of Hormuz – the crucial bottleneck at the mouth of the Gulf – has all but ground to a halt.\nThe seaway between Iran and Oman – barely more than 20 miles (32km) wide at its narrowest point – is an unavoidable choke point through which about 20% of the world’s oil supplies travel out into the Indian Ocean and on to the rest of the world.\nWhile Iran did not formally close the channel over the weekend, its threats to shipping effectively did so. Such were the jitters among oil and shipping companies – not to mention their insurers – that traffic more or less came to a standstill. On Monday evening, Iran said it “would burn any ship” trying to pass through Hormuz, although US central command later claimed the waterway was still open.\nA visualisation of marine traffic through the strait shows the flow of vessels petering out over the weekend, with clusters on either side where tankers have dropped anchor as they await to see how events unfold.\nSuch fears are well-founded, with at least three tankers damaged and one seafarer killed over the weekend. Dubai’s Jebel Ali, the world’s busiest container port outside Asia, suspended operations before reopening after falling debris from an aerial interception started a fire at one of its berths.\nThe number of cargo vessels navigating the strait had already slumped from more than 50 a day to just seven on Sunday, according to Lloyds List, the London-based shipping intelligence publisher.\nIranian forces claimed on Monday to have hit the Honduras-flagged fuel tanker Athe Nova in the strait with two drones, leaving it ablaze. Tehran also struck a port facility in Oman and a ship north-west of Muscat, as the Iranian military broadcast radio warnings to ships intending to cross the strait of Hormuz.\nAmid the unfolding chaos, the price of a barrel of oil jumped by more than 10% to above $80 (£60) a barrel over the weekend before settling slightly lower on Monday.\nDonald Trump has said he does not expect the fighting to last more than a few weeks, but some pundits are predicting that if there is a prolonged conflict then the price of a barrel of Brent crude could soar to $100 (£75).\nFiona Cincotta, a senior market analyst at City Index, suggested the US crude oil price could be pushed to $90 a barrel by supply worries if traffic through the strait does not resume.\nOil flows could be further throttled by attacks by both sides on extraction and refining facilities in the region, with Tehran targeting the infrastructure of US allies with a series of strikes.\nThe Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco shut its Ras Tanura refinery on the country’s east coast – which processes about 550,000 barrels a day – early on Monday after it was struck by debris from intercepted Iranian drones.\nThe conflict has also disrupted supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG). QatarEnergy, the world’s largest supplier, was forced to halt productions on Monday after a drone attack, apparently by Iran.\nQatar provides about 20% of the world’s LNG, which has become a more crucial source of gas as Europe tries to wean itself off Russian supplies. The conflict sent European gas prices soaring on Monday to their highest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\nAlthough European gas prices remain well below their 2022 peak, and the oil price is only at the level it was two years ago, further sustained increases would add to pressure on western economies that were only starting to shake off the worst of the Ukraine invasion inflationary shock.\nOnly last week in his State of the Union address, Trump was claiming inflation and gas prices were falling. Any jump in the cost of living could harm his party’s chances in this autumn’s midterm elections.\nThe inflationary risk also casts a pall over the UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, when she delivers her annual spring statement on Tuesday.\nFor the moment, the impact is relatively modest. Jim Reid, a Deutsche Bank analyst, points out that Monday’s daily oil price spike, which reached 8.2% by mid-afternoon on Monday, was only the 38th largest daily increase since 1990.\nThe longer the Iran crisis continues, the greater the risk of more pronounced price rises, triggering a domino effect that engulfs almost every aspect of the economy. More expensive oil would mean rising prices at the petrol pumps and on global fuel markets, feeding through to the cost of any goods transported by air, sea or road.\n“With many households still carrying debt from the last gas crisis, the spike in prices is a worrying sign that bills for both homes and businesses could rise again,” said Jess Ralston of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank.\nAnalysts at the British asset manager Quilter reckon that a $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oil can add up to 40 basis points (an additional 0.4%) to consumer inflation. It can also shave off up to 30 basis points from global GDP growth, if the crisis persists.\nEnergy-hungry economies paying more for oil and gas could also hand a welcome morale boost to Russia, whose vast oil and gas reserves fund its war chest for the assault on Ukraine. Last week, Kirill Dmitriev, an investment adviser to Vladimir Putin, gleefully predicted that oil would soon hit $100.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:13:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxONjlGTjZDMXhoWU96RFFPWWxsUXFwUnNyTWpnSzdWd0VCbHkxZWxWb3NnOFVmYlhUcnZHeW9JOFNhMVFBeG9mTlRKNEhYclBDaGNrYlRFdlFjTjk0WG1VRXJWTXRibWRMU01DQnNQMnFka0tFOEFnSzFEZVkxeDlfSlZjVmw0LURfZDFoRzNKZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a4cb4fbb9e47",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "War Markets Have Some Bugs - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "War Markets Have Some Bugs    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:13:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxNYWpJek5LN1V2RW50UGdpWWxpYW1kZjU2dWZjWnZXUnFic3RiUVJBbkdKQTNxbktGY0tzUmFCOURVV0N1cER0MTNkcjVxVWljeGw2SjFRb3JyS01OOURtcUJPSHcxNWo4SEdwMUxoOUlUUzF3NDgyR0tCUERycFRPLWdraUV2b21HelZJ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d9800ba8ffcd",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Larry Kudlow compares Trump’s Iran operation to the fall of the Berlin wall - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 12:00 AM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\n2:00 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox News Sunday\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM\nFox Business Channel\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:18:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTFB6Q1cwVmpJOXp6a0RnbWJkVS0zYkJfMkNfZGZiTVItVkNEdnEtQnN1ZzdSLXlOSlJPeEtsUXpFMU93Mmx6UTFqc0tncms2NzhIWm9tSEhR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fb3a27e96152",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US and Israeli interests may soon diverge on Iran - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "As the US-Israeli war on Iran drags on for another devastating day, pundits and politicians are eager to spin the uncertainty into clear narratives that justify their long-held views. Israel talks about “changing the Middle East”. The US speaks of “defending the American people”. Both repeat “regime change” like a mantra, even though the prospects of that in the Iranian context remain unclear.\nSo far, the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has failed to produce the mass uprising within Iran that Israel and the US have called for. Meanwhile, pundits continue to repeat that regime change cannot happen from the air.\nStill, war exists to be won or lost. So who is winning?\nThe immediate impulse is to assume a victory for Israel and the US. After all, both countries pulled off a major surprise and appear to be decimating the Islamic Republic leadership from the air and sea. What greater achievement could there be but “decapitation”?\nConsidering the weak responses of the European Union and Asia’s absence from unfolding events, the impression that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have won grows stronger. No one seems capable of even suggesting any kind of feasible alternative to the Israeli-American full-court press.\nI would like to suggest a different take on the current state of affairs. Succinctly, I propose that Netanyahu and Trump may have won the first round of hostilities, the most tactical and immediate round, although even this “victory” is dubitable. It has come about because of their extremely short-term interests converging. However, the life expectancy of this resurgent alliance is as brief as the time it will take each party to leverage their own successes for their exclusive benefit.\nThe first converging interest is political survival. In Israel, Netanyahu must create distance between his leadership credentials and Israel’s serial failures in Gaza and the West Bank. While Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people continues, Israel is also seeing full control over Gaza start to slip from its grasp. Its efforts to ensure Turkiye and Qatar have no role to play have so far failed.\nIn the West Bank, the Israeli state and military have completely committed to aiding and abetting land theft and ethnic cleansing. While the majority of Israelis don’t oppose either, their faith in state institutions that pretend to uphold the law while being thoroughly politicised decreases constantly.\nTo ensure his political future, Netanyahu must appear removed from these failings. A “win” in Iran, the country most Israelis consider their most significant enemy, should establish him, once again, as the only leader capable of defending Israel.\nThe prime minister is joined by the Israeli army, despite longstanding tensions between government and military over the past year. If Netanyahu is desperate for a win, the army is even more desperate. Its high command seeks to avoid being named solely responsible for the events of October 7, 2023, and is already demanding a significant budget increase. Only a “historic victory” would ensure the impunity of the military.\nIn the US, Trump is desperate not just for a win but also for a distraction. His “heroics” in Venezuela have already been forgotten while his “antics” chronicled in the Epstein files reverberate more and more powerfully every day.\nHis use of “regime change” appears intentionally ambiguous, open to any and all interpretations, allowing him to declare “mission accomplished” whenever he should so choose.\nTrump is also eager to appear thoroughly capable of championing his vision of a world order, one consisting simply of “might makes right”. The obvious contradiction between his “no foreign wars” commitment to his base and the pursuit of American exceptionalism and triumphalism is easily resolved when it comes to the Islamic Republic, a perennial bogeyman.\nAll that said, Trump and Netanyahu do not trust each other. Neither side has anything but the most immediate interest in pursuing further cooperation.\nOnce the distraction wears off, both will be left with an uncertain war. Trump will feel the pressure to wrap up the operation quickly while Netanyahu will seek to prolong it.\nTrump lacks the attention span and the public support required for a lengthy war. He cannot put “boots on the ground”, and this is the reason behind his repeated messages of “helping” and “being there” for the Iranians when they take over their country. He is coming under intense criticism at home, not just for starting this war without congressional approval but also over potential American casualties and a prolonged commitment.\nNetanyahu, just as in Gaza, has no real plan other than destruction and death. He wants war for as long as possible to keep the opposition at bay and ensure his political survival. It is no wonder official messaging about the war has been that Israel is in it for “as long as it takes” and that it will be “longer than the June war” and a “historic operation”. The more the rhetoric soars, the more the campaign itself would become one of endless, indiscriminate bombing with civilian casualties mounting.\nThe gap will make itself apparent as the US and Israel issue gradually more distanced statements, each referring to its own exclusive rationale and timeframe. Trump will continue to send out feelers as the Islamic Republic begins a constitutional process to elect a new supreme leader, which means the Islamic Republic is very much still standing. Israel will remain intentionally ambiguous as it describes its progress in glowing, unlimited terms like “true regime change”.\nLook for this unholy alliance to grow slowly and then rapidly undone in the immediate timeframe. Theirs stands to be a pyrrhic victory at best.\nThe views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:19:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxPemdPR1I3ektzaXNjdmpUbnFnelRFVW0yVDJUeVJjU0FZSkRYcjhwdm5taUdleGVkZGsySHlzS0xFWDBOM0JXTzBSWnpndzI0ejFjYkxRVXFab0lCQ0dsN2ZqTUhIR2x0LUlzMzd2OGc0b2pabmVSaTk5MWMwQ3pFam56ZE1pOWJvUkJqaEhCT01nVVBBaG1GdNIBngFBVV95cUxQdDlkNWlUWHhTdHJXMFVTUUJWeHhBVURPQlpHelk0bWxEVjNLS2UtOEhNTDlLVXZ4aGxwUFB3Z0lLbHhMZzFnVFQ1U21zSUZHSFVSUVdiX3BhNkJ1TE9PekZ6bU51SEc4UVJsSzFDWVVWLUxtcmZMejUtRlF2SVNnWGlYSnp6cWx0ZVF6Vk5fbzV1REg1c0pPUG41XzV0QQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e1ec6f15f1a0",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US-Israel war on Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "US-Israel war on Iran    The Guardian",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:20:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZkFVX3lxTE1LSVFkclU2MmJEVzNmZUhwajZUQ3JQSjRWSzZrdFlueFBSZEl3Ql81eWZfVVZNbmtMXzJpWFBQNXViRjYyaGt5YTU5bkxYOW5xSV9vNUhiQXhTYmZKamZkLTBsYk50dw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0125c503629f",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Video: who is running Iran after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death? - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Video: who is running Iran after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death?\nTo read this article for free\nRegister nowOnce registered, you can: • Read free articles • Get our Editor's Digest and other newsletters • Follow topics and set up personalised events • Explore our free FT Explains hub\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:20:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1vcEFzQ2VxdEFZMUY0dVBBang3TmdKanV0aWtjN1ZHOTJnbGhrbEFhQ3d1QkJlcWE2ZXhlbWVzVWZLS05xZkdBYnF6dnJ4VDZ3RWJPT181MlZhQkpiOGVwcHR5eU1xUWI3TXVZV3haUW0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ec7fdee4c2c2",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Gulf states intercept hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones, issue joint condemnation with US - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Several Gulf states on Monday said they intercepted hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones over the past 24 hours as regional tensions escalated in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes against Tehran.\nBahrain's National Communication Center said its air defenses intercepted 70 missiles and 59 drones targeting the kingdom.\nQatar said it downed two Iranian Su-24 fighter aircraft and intercepted seven ballistic missiles and five drones.\nThe United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense reported intercepting nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 148 drones.\nSince the start of Iran’s retaliatory attacks, the UAE said it has detected 174 ballistic missiles launched toward the country, destroying 161 while 13 fell into the sea. Officials also said 689 Iranian drones were detected, with 645 intercepted and 44 falling within the country’s territory.\nOn Sunday, the UAE announced it was closing its embassy in Tehran and withdrawing its ambassador and diplomatic staff in response to the strikes.\nKuwait said its air defenses have intercepted and destroyed 97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones since the attacks began, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency.\nSaudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said Monday two drones were intercepted near the Ras Tanura oil refinery, with debris causing minor damage, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.\nIn response to the large-scale attacks, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the United States released a joint statement condemning Iran’s \"indiscriminate and reckless\" missile and drone strikes across the region.\nThe countries said the strikes endangered civilians, damaged infrastructure and violated the sovereignty of multiple states.\n\"The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior,\" the statement reads in part. \"We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction.\"\nJordan’s military said it intercepted 49 Iranian projectiles on Saturday, including 13 ballistic missiles, according to the Jordanian outlet Roya News.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:31:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNWFVxN3cwc2pkT09GTHVwRzNZSlB5bGpGWmxtMVJyYkVNQURWNXFXdVdFeElCZkM0THlGVWRYc3ZFQW9rV0dqQlNxM1lQRTJVc0JaVlctcUVjMGViNjVQaFVaWDgtUkxHU3NRaWgyZF9pZUFjcGV4X3hTc0VfejJqWm5DQkJOMkkwUXJLUEc3QTcyUkxEQ2laelRRMkVqcW4tV08tUUlJS041R0RoUXg2N0xR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dbbc14a41996",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Gulf states intercept hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones, issue joint condemnation with US",
    "body_text": "US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted video showing successful strikes destroying Iranian fighter jets and drones as the operation against the Islamic state continues.\n\nSeveralGulf stateson Monday said they intercepted hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones over the past 24 hours as regional tensions escalated in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes against Tehran.\n\nBahrain's National Communication Center said its air defenses intercepted 70 missiles and 59 drones targeting the kingdom.\n\nQatar said it downed twoIranian Su-24 fighter aircraftand intercepted seven ballistic missiles and five drones.\n\nThe United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense reported intercepting nine ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 148 drones.\n\nAn Iran-made Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicle is displayed at a rally in Azadi (Freedom) Square in Tehran on Feb. 11, 2026.(Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/via Getty Images)\n\nSince the start ofIran’s retaliatory attacks, the UAE said it has detected 174 ballistic missiles launched toward the country, destroying 161 while 13 fell into the sea. Officials also said 689 Iranian drones were detected, with 645 intercepted and 44 falling within the country’s territory.\n\nOn Sunday, the UAE announced it was closing its embassy in Tehran and withdrawing its ambassador and diplomatic staff in response to the strikes.\n\nKuwait said its air defenses have intercepted and destroyed 97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones since the attacks began, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency.\n\nTOMAHAWKS, B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS AND ATTACK DRONES POUND OVER 1,000 IRANIAN TARGETS IN 24-HOUR BLITZ\n\nSaudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said Monday two drones were intercepted near the Ras Tanura oil refinery, with debris causing minor damage, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.\n\nIn response to the large-scale attacks, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the United States released a joint statement condemning Iran’s \"indiscriminate and reckless\" missile and drone strikes across the region.\n\nA Fox News map shows where Iran is retaliating with regional strikes.(Fox News)\n\nThe countries said thestrikes endangered civilians, damaged infrastructure and violated the sovereignty of multiple states.\n\nTRUMP SAYS US MISSION IN IRAN IS ‘AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,’ VOWS TO ‘EASILY PREVAIL’ OVER REGIME\n\nA view of damage in Manama, Bahrain, after a kamikaze drone strike during Iran’s retaliatory attack on March 1, 2026.(Stringer/Anadolu/via Getty Images)\n\n\"The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior,\" the statement reads in part. \"We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction.\"\n\nJordan’s military said it intercepted 49 Iranian projectiles on Saturday, including 13 ballistic missiles,according tothe Jordanian outlet Roya News.\n\nAshley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:31:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/gulf-states-intercept-hundreds-iranian-missiles-drones-issue-joint-condemnation-us",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dd8c52131d3e",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Most Americans disapprove of the war on Iran, poll shows - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Most Americans disapprove of the war on Iran, poll shows\nA Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted just as the US and Israel began a war on Iran on Saturday found that most Americans disapprove of the act, and a significant number more believe President Donald Trump is far too willing to use military force.\nForty-three percent of all respondents to the survey said they disapprove of the attacks on Iran, while 27 percent said they approve. Thirty percent said they don't know, or skipped the question.\nAmong Democrats specifically, 74 percent said they disapprove, while among Republicans, that figure was only 13 percent.\nWhen asked if Trump wields too much military force, 56 percent of all respondents agreed. Among Democrats, that figure climbed to 87 percent, while among Republicans it was 23 percent.\nSeventy-three percent of Republicans said Trump's use of force is \"about right\".\nTrump campaigned to end all US wars, not start new ones, and has also proclaimed himself a peacemaker deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.\nHe has since bombed seven countries during his first year in office - the most by any president in the modern era.\nThe Reuters/Ipsos poll closed before US casualties were announced in the region.\nWhen asked if American deaths would change their calculus, 42 percent of Republicans said they would be less likely to support the war.\nThe US-Israeli war on Iran has threatened to spiral out of control into a wider regional war, as Iran targeted both Israel and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan in retaliation. US-Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as a slew of other Iranian leadership figures.\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it has targeted over 500 US and Israeli sites, using 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.\nAccording to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, 555 people have been killed by US and Israeli attacks, and at least 11 people have been killed by Iranian strikes in Israel.\nAs of Monday morning in Washington, four Americans have been announced killed in Iranian strikes on a US military base in Kuwait. Three US F-15s were downed in Kuwait, Qatar shot down two fighter jets approaching from Iran, and rockets were launched at a British military base in Cyprus.\nWhen the survey asked about the impact of the war on petrol prices in the US, 45 percent of all respondents said they would be less likely to support the war. Among Republicans, that figure was 45 percent.\nAccording to the American Automobile Association on Monday, prices across the country shot up by some 10 cents over the weekend.\nIn Washington, one US gallon of petrol costs a little over $3.10, which is approximately 3.785 litres\nThe national average is currently $2.99 per gallon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:33:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxQVGhNamtsQy1JOG82WkJUSGZrUlFaRlBNY2JNaVJjVnpWY0gxMWdNREFOek9nczRHQVNha0RwNWZRVGVKRTVHQ0dpMXc1MzVabTRwbFlmZGV6TFk5elBxQ3NlZ0pDck1BVFQzRC1ubnNzRjR3SjJpdTktM21fZkZTd0FsekI5X0E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_135fe0601d63",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Should you cancel your flight due to the Iran conflict? Here’s what Australian travellers need to know - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "A logistical nightmare has been unfolding for Australian travellers home and abroad since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on Saturday.\nFlights to and from airports in the Middle East have been suspended due to the conflict, including Dubai – the world’s busiest for international traffic.\nAbout 115,000 Australians are in the region, with thousands believed to be stuck at affected airports where they were waiting to board connecting flights.\nIf you’re in limbo overseas, or had been planning to travel, here’s what experts advise you to do.\nHow does the conflict affect flights from Australia? Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates all shut their skies after the strikes began.\nThat means any airlines that stop over in the Middle East have been affected – especially Gulf carriers Qatar, Emirates and Etihad, as they run large volumes of flights to and from Australia.\nApproximately 1.4 million Australians pass through the Middle East each year, most of whom are on their way to or from Europe, according to the Australian Travel Industry Association.\nQantas does not operate any aircraft into middle eastern airports. However, its international partner, Emirates, does. The national carrier on Monday said its flights to London, which go via Singapore or direct from Perth, were unaffected.\nIf you book with Qantas to Europe, you’re likely to be boarding an Emirates plane that would normally go through the Middle East, as the two airlines have a codesharing agreement. Emirates has suspended all operations to and from Dubai, where its passengers travelling to or from Australia stop over. Etihad has also suspended all flights in and out of Abu Dhabi.\nVirgin Australia, which operates flights to Europe via the Middle East through its partner airline, Qatar, cancelled eight services to or from Doha on Sunday.\nMy flight’s been cancelled. What should I do, and can I get a refund? Etihad says its customers who had flights booked to depart on Monday or Tuesday can request a full refund through the online refund form or via their travel agent.\nEtihad customers with flights booked between 28 February and 8 March can reschedule with Etihad, departing on or before 18 March for free.\nSimilarly, Emirates says its customers who were scheduled to fly between Monday and Thursday this week are entitled to a full refund. They can also rebook on an alternate flight to their intended destination, departing on or before 20 March, although the airline has not confirmed whether or not this will be free.\nVirgin says it is offering free booking changes, or a travel credit or refund, for passengers who are booked on its Doha services this week – up to and including Friday – who no longer wish to travel.\nThe Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has advised passengers to contact their airline to understand what their options are.\nGlobally, 7,760 flights were cancelled between Saturday and Monday evening, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.\nBut the foreign minister, Penny Wong, would not commit to repatriation flights, saying on Monday that “the fastest way to get people home would be if commercial flights recommence”.\nShould I cancel my trip? Jodi Bird, a travel and insurance expert at Choice, says you shouldn’t cancel your flights if you’re not flying this week because you’ll probably make yourself ineligible for a refund.\nGenerally speaking, Bird says the lack of legal rights for airline passengers has been an ongoing issue.\n“The Australian Consumer Law in these circumstances says you’re subject to the terms and conditions of the airline, and it doesn’t really specify what you’re expected to get,” he says. “So you really are relying on [the] airline.”\nIf you have travel plans for after this week and you’re thinking of cancelling your flights, you’re better off waiting for the airline to decide what they’re going to do and for them to contact you, Bird says.\nHe says passengers without a flexible ticket will lose their money if they cancel themselves.\nAs Guardian Australia reported in June last year, when conflict in the region closed airspaces, Australians hoping to avoid flying through the Middle East found they had limited consumer rights to move or cancel their own flights.\n“If you cancel your flight today, it’s considered a change of mind,” says Dean Long, the Australian Travel Industry Association chief executive.\n“That means it falls back onto the fare rules, you will have to pay a cancellation fee and you’ll have to pay a fair differential if you still want to travel.”\nThe consumer watchdog says airlines are required to meet the guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law, but this depends on the circumstances of each particular case.\nIf the customer initiates a cancellation, the consumer guarantees are unlikely to apply, an ACCC spokesperson says. This means any remedy consumers are entitled to will depend on the specific terms and conditions of their fare.\nLong says anyone still considering cancelling shouldn’t do so without getting some “good advice”.\nWhat if I have travel insurance? Choice isn’t aware of any policies that cover war or military action like that taking place in the Middle East.\nWhile you should check your individual policy, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) says cover for loss or injury arising from war, armed conflict, or civil unrest is generally excluded.\nThe ICA chief executive, Andrew Hall, on Monday said the organisation was working closely with Dfat, but it was up to the government to get stranded Australians in the Middle East home.\nHe said people reconsidering their trips who have travel insurance but haven’t left Australia yet may be covered under a “cancel for any reason clause” and should contact their insurer.\nThose already overseas are unlikely to be covered, Hall said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:33:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6wFBVV95cUxON0NhYzN5X2lEY1I3OFM4Z2ZrQ1BSWnh1WnNmSGwwVlI4MkxSTXpRME9mVmc0MjZVOHVsT1lnMlVHOUdZRDBTSTkxOTM1aFM3THpwbDNpOWVJeGVxUXk1YURwLW84VDhoRnlSTzJSRHRQODMtR0FYMVZJcWNTRlo3am8yS2QzNTZKcy1hUGhYQ2U2SWtDQXFqMWJjV1FySmxiaEJGUjlyVG91UHZGcTd6ZkJHb21IeGdsWVd2a25GWlRvME42cUQ1cUQ3a2VZTkdHVklOQ2gweUVqX21RYmQwZ25DSWN4NGlrMXY4?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_25631eada809",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "The Iran War Is Creating an LNG Shortfall. Don’t Panic Yet - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "The Iran War Is Creating an LNG Shortfall. Don’t Panic Yet    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:40:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQTW9ZNV9Ec3dLOUxKRzNXQm9uU3Z3V1Q0XzhTU2c5OTh6MFlVRmJXNm1scUl2bFBaOXNOTldzenpYR3NrcEtEMXd5bzQ3RHl0UkVhcjBWSVRsUWpFTlJtQWY4OFA3UWtScG5DdVFKQUdndWt3NUZkVFNEWGZDS3NIVmhIazRGblY0UzU5WVpBS3Y4YzBIdWxzSmVZUVMxNWJHbDQ4RmNwN241VjhLQ29qOA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b69c142e5ab9",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Horses help heal soldiers amid Israel’s mounting PTSD crisis after Oct 7 attacks - Fox News",
    "body_text": "As sirens sound again across Israel amid escalating Iranian attacks, the country is confronting not only a new battlefield but old psychological wounds. In a stable in central Israel, Danny, is getting some healing.\nOn October 7, Danny (not his real name) said he was called up from home. Within days, he said, his unit was evacuating bodies from Kibbutz Kissufim under live fire. He spent six months in the war, moving between combat zones in Gaza and evacuating severely wounded soldiers. \"We were shot at while evacuating the dead,\" he recalled. \"I saw the wounded arrive in pieces. These are things I will never forget.\"\nSince coming home, he says he is constantly on edge — sensitive to noise, tense, struggling to resume normal life. Once a week, he comes to work with a large dark horse named King. \"There’s something that waits for me here,\" he said. \"It’s the one day I can relax and leave the chaos behind. There’s something waiting for me here.\"\nHis story is one of many emerging from a country that is facing a mental-health crisis with many of its troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A recent Reuters report citing Israel's Defense Ministry said it has witnessed \"a nearly 40% increase in PTSD cases amongst its soldiers since September 2023, and predicts the figure will increase by 180% by 2028.\" It also said that some 60% of all wounded troops suffer from PTSD, according to those figures.\nAlex, 35, is another veteran who found his way to the same stable. Standing beside a horse named Donna, he prepares for another therapy session. A victim of another one of Israel's war he was stabbed seven times during Operation Cast Lead in 2009. He says the assault altered the course of his life.\n\"Pain you can get used to,\" he says. \"But post-trauma — you cannot get used to.\"\nHe has been coming here for two months. \"With Donna I feel the quiet and peace that I can’t feel at home when I’m alone and my thoughts go elsewhere,\" he says. \"The treatment with the horses is changing my life. Every week more and more, and I don’t want it to end.\n\"The Transcending Trauma Project was founded by Dr. Anita Shkedi, a pioneer in therapeutic horseback riding in Israel since the 1980s. After years in the field, she came out of semi-retirement following the Oct. 7 attacks to launch the program under a new charity she created, Brothers of Jonathan.\nThe initiative provides equine-assisted therapy to reservists, soldiers, veterans, Nova music festival survivors and family members struggling with the psychological aftermath of war.\nFor Shkedi, the project is deeply personal.\nHer son, Jonathan Boyden, was mortally wounded during a rescue mission in Lebanon in 1993 and died weeks later from his injuries. For years, she said, she felt she had never fully honored his memory. \"When he was alive and serving in the army, he always said to me, ‘Do something and help the injured soldiers,’\" she recalled. \"So I put everything together and felt this was the right thing to do — to start a charity called Brothers of Jonathan and help people in the way I know best, which is with the horse.\"\nSince launching in late 2023, the program has delivered more than a thousand therapy sessions and now operates with a growing waiting list. From the outset, Shkedi said her goal was not only treatment but prevention. \"Right from the beginning, I was interested in prevention — if we can get to people early, maybe we can prevent symptoms of trauma from turning into chronic PTSD,\" she said. \"We need to save this generation.\"\nMany participants arrive in what she describes as \"survival mode,\" stuck in cycles of fear, anxiety and hypervigilance. But she warns that another psychological wound is emerging alongside classic PTSD symptoms.\n\"There will be a high level of moral injury — shame and guilt — alongside fear, anxiety and depression,\" Shkedi said. \"When that combines with PTSD, it is very shattering for a person.\"\nIn the stable, she says, something shifts.\n\"Traumatized people need a safe place. Sometimes home is not a safe place,\" she explained. \"When they come to the horses, they attach easily. The environment becomes safe for them — and they start to feel safer inside.\"\nThe therapy is structured and trauma-informed. Participants learn first to regulate themselves alongside the horse and eventually to guide and care for the animal.\n\"We don’t get rid of trauma. Trauma has happened,\" Shkedi said. \"Our job is to build resilience and post-traumatic growth — to help people move from co-regulation to self-regulation.\"\nFor some, she said, the bond has been lifesaving.\n\"We have had people who were struggling with suicidal thoughts. The fact that they can attach themselves to the horse has really helped them.\"\nLooking ahead, Shkedi hopes to expand. \"The dream is to have a place in Israel where people can come 24/7,\" she said. \"A place that says: you are safe here.\"\nAs the war continues and more soldiers rotate home, she believes the psychological toll is only beginning to surface.\n\"We are not just here for people to ride a horse,\" she said. \"We are here to help them move forward.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:43:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2721ce5afe01",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Horses help heal soldiers amid Israel’s mounting PTSD crisis after Oct 7 attacks",
    "body_text": "Alex, 35, a disabled IDF veteran, says the psychological wounds of war have been more enduring than his physical injuries. Thanks to the Transcending Trauma Project, founded by Dr. Anita Shkedi, he is getting some help. (Director: Yaron Yarkoni.)\n\nAs sirens sound again across Israel amid escalating Iranian attacks, the country is confronting not only a new battlefield but old psychological wounds. In a stable in central Israel, Danny, is getting some healing.\n\nOnOctober 7,Danny (not his real name) said he was called up from home. Within days, he said, his unit was evacuating bodies from Kibbutz Kissufim under live fire. He spent six months in the war, moving between combat zones in Gaza and evacuating severely wounded soldiers. \"We were shot at while evacuating the dead,\" he recalled. \"I saw the wounded arrive in pieces. These are things I will never forget.\"\n\nSince coming home, he says he is constantly on edge — sensitive to noise, tense, struggling to resume normal life. Once a week, he comes to work with a large dark horse named King. \"There’s something that waits for me here,\" he said. \"It’s the one day I can relax and leave the chaos behind. There’s something waiting for me here.\"\n\nAn Israeli veteran stands beside his horse during a session at the Brothers of Jonathan charity’s equine therapy center, where organizers aim to build resilience and prevent chronic PTSD.(Anita Shkedi)\n\nHis story is one of many emerging from a country that is facing a mental-health crisis with many of its troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A recentReuters reportciting Israel's Defense Ministry said it has witnessed \"a nearly 40% increase in PTSD cases amongst its soldiers since September 2023, and predicts the figure will increase by 180% by 2028.\" It also said that some 60% of all wounded troops suffer from PTSD, according to those figures.\n\nAlex, 35, is another veteran who found his way to the same stable. Standing beside a horse named Donna, he prepares for another therapy session. A victim of another one of Israel's war he was stabbed seven times during Operation Cast Lead in 2009. He says the assault altered the course of his life.\n\n\"Pain you can get used to,\" he says. \"But post-trauma — you cannot get used to.\"\n\nHe has been coming here for two months. \"With Donna I feel the quiet and peace that I can’t feel at home when I’m alone and my thoughts go elsewhere,\" he says. \"The treatment with the horses is changing my life. Every week more and more, and I don’t want it to end.\n\n\"TheTranscending Trauma Projectwas founded by Dr. Anita Shkedi, a pioneer in therapeutic horseback riding in Israel since the 1980s. After years in the field, she came out of semi-retirement following the Oct. 7 attacks to launch the program under a new charity she created, Brothers of Jonathan.\n\nThe initiative provides equine-assisted therapy to reservists, soldiers, veterans, Nova music festival survivors and family members struggling with the psychological aftermath of war.\n\n‘SHEEPDOG’ SHINES LIGHT ON THE WAR AFTER WAR, AS VETERANS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH LIFE BACK HOME\n\nA participant in the Transcending Trauma Project works with a horse during a therapy session at a rehabilitation stable in Israel. The initiative was launched after the October 7 attacks to help those struggling with trauma.(Anita Shkedi)\n\nFor Shkedi, the project is deeply personal.\n\nHer son, Jonathan Boyden, was mortally wounded during arescue mission in Lebanonin 1993 and died weeks later from his injuries. For years, she said, she felt she had never fully honored his memory. \"When he was alive and serving in the army, he always said to me, ‘Do something and help the injured soldiers,’\" she recalled. \"So I put everything together and felt this was the right thing to do — to start a charity called Brothers of Jonathan and help people in the way I know best, which is with the horse.\"\n\nSince launching in late 2023, the program has delivered more than a thousand therapy sessions and now operates with a growing waiting list. From the outset, Shkedi said her goal was not only treatment but prevention. \"Right from the beginning, I was interested in prevention — if we can get to people early, maybe we can prevent symptoms of trauma from turning intochronic PTSD,\" she said. \"We need to save this generation.\"\n\nMany participants arrive in what she describes as \"survival mode,\" stuck in cycles of fear, anxiety and hypervigilance. But she warns that another psychological wound is emerging alongside classic PTSD symptoms.\n\n\"There will be a high level ofmoral injury— shame and guilt — alongside fear, anxiety and depression,\" Shkedi said. \"When that combines with PTSD, it is very shattering for a person.\"\n\nMARINE-TURNED-PSYCHOLOGIST'S BRAIN BREAKTHROUGH IS HELPING VETERANS STILL FIGHTING INSIDE\n\nA former IDF soldier bonds with a horse as part of a structured, trauma-informed therapy program designed to help veterans and civilians process the psychological aftermath of war.(Anita Shkedi)\n\nIn the stable, she says, something shifts.\n\n\"Traumatized people need a safe place. Sometimes home is not a safe place,\" she explained. \"When they come to the horses, they attach easily. The environment becomes safe for them — and they start to feel safer inside.\"\n\nThe therapy is structured and trauma-informed. Participants learn first to regulate themselves alongside the horse and eventually to guide and care for the animal.\n\n\"We don’t get rid of trauma. Trauma has happened,\" Shkedi said. \"Our job is to build resilience and post-traumatic growth — to help people move from co-regulation to self-regulation.\"\n\nFor some, she said, the bond has been lifesaving.\n\n\"We have had people who were struggling with suicidal thoughts. The fact that they can attach themselves to the horse has really helped them.\"\n\nLooking ahead, Shkedi hopes to expand. \"The dream is to havea place in Israelwhere people can come 24/7,\" she said. \"A place that says: you are safe here.\"\n\nAn Israeli veteran participates in an equine-assisted therapy session at the Transcending Trauma Project in central Israel. Organizers say the program supports soldiers and survivors coping with post-traumatic stress.(Anita Shkedi)\n\nAsthe war continuesand more soldiers rotate home, she believes the psychological toll is only beginning to surface.\n\n\"We are not just here for people to ride a horse,\" she said. \"We are here to help them move forward.\"\n\nEfrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent toefrat.lachter@fox.com.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:43:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/horses-help-heal-soldiers-amid-israels-mounting-ptsd-crisis-after-oct-7-attacks",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_218d5ec19362",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran’s security chief accuses Trump of ‘Israel First’ policy, 'delusional fantasies' in region - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran's secretary for its Supreme National Security Council on Sunday said President Donald Trump's \"delusional fantasies\" have plunged the region into chaos while putting Israel above American interests.\nAli Larjani posted on X that Trump's actions against the Islamic Republic have now prompted fears of American troop casualties.\n\"With his delusional actions, he turned his self-made ‘America First’ slogan into ‘Israel First’ and sacrificed American soldiers for Israel's power-hungry ambitions and with new fabrications, it is once again imposing the cost of assassinating its own character on American soldiers and families,\" he wrote of Operation Epic Fury.\nLarijani stated that Iran was defending itself against American and Israeli aggression.\nHe added that Iran will not negotiate with the United States, denying a Wall Street Journal report that said he reached out to the U.S. through Omani mediators regarding resuming talks on Iran’s nuclear program.\nA White House official told Fox News Digital that Trump's opposition on Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon has been consistent, even before taking office.\n\"The President’s first instinct is always diplomacy, and his representatives worked extensively, and in good faith, to make a deal that would ensure that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities posed no threat to our homeland,\" the officials said. \"The administration warned Iran that there would be dire consequences if they failed to make a deal.\"\n\"Unfortunately, the Iranian regime refused to engage realistically with the United States,\" the statement continued. \"As a result, President Trump is taking decisive action to eliminate major national security threats to the American people, which past Presidents have talked about for 47 years, but only this President had the courage to accomplish.\"\nIran responded to U.S. attacks that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by launching strikes of its own targeting U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arab, as well as against Israel.\n\"He is rightly worried about more American casualties,\" he said. \"It is indeed very sad that he is sacrificing American treasure and blood to advance Netanyahu's illegitimate expansionist ambitions.\"\nMeanwhile, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more U.S. troops were headed toward the Middle East amid escalations with Iran. ,\n\"I don't want to talk specifics, because that would tip the enemy off,\" Caine told reporters during a Pentagon briefing. \"We have more tactical aviation flowing into theater just based on the time it took to get it out there.\"\nThe U.S. mission in Iran, Caine said, is to \"prevent Iran from (the) ability to project power outside its borders.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:45:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_25a24e4fbe0f",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump says Iran war to last four to five weeks but could go ‘far longer’ - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump has laid out four goals in Iran and said the US campaign had been projected to last four to five weeks but could “go far longer than that”.\nOn Monday, the US president offered his most extensive comments yet about the war, going beyond two video messages and a series of brief phone interviews with reporters that offered sometimes conflicting objectives.\nBut Trump undercut the gravity of his remarks by abruptly pivoting to tout his plans for a new White House ballroom, boasting that it would be the “most beautiful ballroom in the world”, coming in “under budget” and “ahead of schedule” for “$400m or less”.\nThe banging of construction work on the ballroom was audible at a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room, where the president sought to justify Saturday’s intervention, which killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and mocked criticisms that he was likely to get “bored” and move on.\nTrump said he had ordered the attack on Iran to thwart Tehran’s nuclear development and a ballistic missile programme that was “growing rapidly and dramatically” and “posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas”.\nThe president asserted without evidence that Iran “would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America” – a claim disputed by national security experts. Trump added that other countries backed US efforts to stop Iran pursuing a nuclear weapon but “they just didn’t have the courage to say so”.\nThe president then took aim at his predecessor and rival. “I was very proud to have knocked out the Iran nuclear deal by President Barack Hussein Obama,” he said. “That was a horrible, horrible, dangerous document. They would have had nuclear weapons three years ago and they would have used them. But I’ll not let that happen.”\nTrump said the Iranian regime had a history of attacking the US and killing Americans, including through roadside bombs. “This was our last best chance to strike – what we’re doing right now – and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime.”\nHe said the objectives of the war included destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, annihilating their navy and stopping from them from having a nuclear weapon. Trump said a third objective was a longstanding US goal, to prevent Iran from supporting militant groups elsewhere in the region.\nThe president noted the loss of four American service personnel in the fight so far, adding: “In their memory, we continue this mission with ferocious, unyielding resolve to crush the threat this terrorist regime poses to the American people.”\nTrump continued: “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s OK, whatever it takes, we will always and we have from right from the beginning.\n“We projected four to five weeks but we have capability to go far longer than that. We’ll do it … Somebody actually said, from the media, I think you’ll get bored after about a week or two. No, we don’t get bored. I never get bored, if I got bored, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. I guarantee you that. To go through what I had to go through.”\nThe ceremony bestowed the Medal of Honor to three service members, including staff sergeant Michael Ollis, who died in Afghanistan. But it was Trump’s ballroom comments that caused a stir on social media.\nSusan Glasser, a staff writer at the New Yorker, posted on X: “Bragging about his ‘beautiful ballroom’ while he’s supposed to be explaining the somber decision to go to war. It’s one of the most politically tone deaf things I’ve ever seen from a POTUS, including this one…”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib0FVX3lxTE1nQndydXFhRWtSTWszamoyOHhyTnNZNzAweU55enl4dk8zQjJuOWNOREprY1c3eGszbnJCMmFlWWNjS3BOU1JZc0dKM2tITVNaSnc2bDRGcWNhU3pvUWdET1hBbjlXeWxaY0ZwTmpIWQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_59219a950e82",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Photos show US-Israeli strikes and Iran’s response - AP News",
    "body_text": "The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.\nPeople check the site where Israeli airstrikes hit several houses in Sir al-Gharbiyeh village south Lebanon, Sunday, March, 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nPlumes of smoke rise as strikes hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Friday night, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)\nPalestinian women offer Friday Ramadan prayers in Jerusalem, as the Old City remains closed to visitors under nationwide Home Front Command restrictions banning large gatherings amid the war with Iran, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)\nPlumes of smoke rise as strikes hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)\nHealthcare workers unload from a vehicle the bodies of Iranian sailors who died when their IRIS Dena warship sank outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)\nTracer rounds light the sky as people fire live rounds into the air during a televised speech by Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)\nExposing himself to the danger of unexploded ordnance, a boy tries to climb on an unexploded Iranian projectile that landed in an open field in the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria, Wednesday, March 4, 2026.(AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)\nA group of men inspect the ruins of a police station struck Monday amid the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)\nAn Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)\nLarge fire and plume of smoke is visible after, according to the authorities, debris of an Iranian intercepted drone hit the Fujairah oil facility, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)\nDebris is seen in a room of Gandhi Hospital, which was damaged when a strike hit a state TV communications tower and nearby buildings across the street, during the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)\nMourners take cover while air-raid sirens warn of incoming missiles launched by Iran toward Israel during the funeral of Sarah Elimelech and her daughter Ronit who were killed in an Iranian missile attack, in Beit Shemesh, Israel, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)\nParamedics evacuate wounded people from the site of a deadly Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)\nGovernment supporters gather in mourning after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)\nRescue workers and military personnel operate at the scene where several people were killed in an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)\nA black plume of smoke rises from a warehouse at the industrial area of Sharjah City in the United Arab Emirates following reports of Iranian strikes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)\nRescue workers bandage a wounded man and provide first aid at the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Tomer Neuberg)\nThe arm of a deceased person is seen protruding from the rubble as rescue workers and residents search in the aftermath of what Iranian officials said was an Israeli-U.S. strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (Abbas Zakeri/Mehr News Agency via AP)\nFiremen and rescue workers inspect the site of an explosion at the Fairmont The Palm Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)\nFirefighters try to extinguish flames in a building after a direct hit by an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Tomer Neuberg)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T19:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxNTjZIVHhQdVFYSE9VNFNTTnZNT3NpdGVLRlF3LVRqYWQybmxseGtCaU05Ynhyekd3bXAzZWh6RzgtRHVoemRJb1R2SnBycGRLMkRfRmRVLVdDSTNqYUpKWDZwdllrR283ckQwT2RGLWxsRU5iYnE2Ukx3eEN4cktGQm5hMlRFcDVmdXFYNnJESVdLMzlzT19wZ0gwMTZiYzFKcm5oa2xjWQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bb431a957b2c",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran’s Shahed drones have brought terror to Ukrainian skies – now they are being deployed in the Middle East - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran’s noisy $50,000 delta-winged Shahed 136 drones have long been an unwanted sight over the skies of Ukraine.\nNow, over the last 48 hours, hundreds of the distinctive weapons have struck Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and across the Gulf as Tehran tries to intimidate and impose costs on regional allies of the US.\nA video from Bahrain shows a delta-wing drone flying towards a tower block at night, the lawnmower grumble from its engine clearly audible, before it slams terrifyingly into the building, with fiery debris falling beyond the balcony window. The apartment may not have survived a direct hit.\nMore than 1,000 drones – a high proportion of which are likely to be Shahed 136s – have targeted Iran’s Gulf neighbours since the US and Israel first attacked Tehran on Saturday morning.\nOn Monday afternoon, the UAE said it had been attacked by 689 drones and had downed 645 – meaning 44 drones, a little over 6% of the total, got through.\nThe Shahed 136s are 3.5 metres long with a wingspan of 2.5 metres. Their relatively low cost and ease of manufacture, particularly compared with a ballistic missile, of which Iran could only make a few dozen of a year before the US-Israeli bombing started, means the drones are more likely to remain a feature of the conflict for some time.\nMost Shahed 136s are relatively slow, though faster jet engine variants have been seen in Ukraine, and can only carry an explosive payload of about 50kg – enough to damage a skyscraper but not enough to bring it down.\nBut their noise, their large size and final terminal dive readily provoke terror.\nA second video, also from Bahrain, clearly shows a single delta-winged drone flying above the heart of the naval base housing the US Fifth Fleet, before swooping down successfully to smash into and destroy a radar dome.\nShahed strikes have also been reported in Kuwait and the UAE, and probably at an RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus.\nTheir range is as much as 1,250 miles (2,000km) and they are typically preprogrammed on complex flight paths, travelling low above ground to try to evade radar detection.\nBut there is growing evidence in Ukraine that they can be remotely piloted by operators, allowing them to change course at the last minute.\nShahed 136s were designed towards the end of the last decade in Iran and were definitively first spotted in July 2021, in an attack on an Israeli-owned oil tanker, Mercer Street, in which a Briton and a Romanian were killed.\nThey may have also been used earlier, in September 2019, against Saudi oil installations at Abqaiq and Khurais.\nBut the drones, originally designed by Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center, an Iranian company the US says is subordinate to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, became widespread as a result of their use by Russia in the war in Ukraine from the autumn of 2022.\nInitially exported, Iran later shared the design to allow Russia to manufacture large numbers at a factory in Yelabuga, on the Volga River.\nRussia typically attacks Ukraine using coordinated swarms of up to 800 Shahed 136s, similar looking Gerbera decoys, and a small number of cruise and ballistic missiles, in an effort to overwhelm Kyiv’s air defences so the more deadly missiles can get through.\nBut most of the videos of Shaheds in the Gulf this weekend show isolated drones that have got through air defences rather than an attacking swarm.\nIn Ukraine, Shaheds have been most effective at hitting static targets, most notably utility infrastructure, leading to a national electricity and heating crisis this winter, affecting hundreds of thousands of homes or more.\nIran may have success if it copies that tactic: on Monday morning the Ras Tanura refinery, the largest in Saudi Arabia, was damaged after a drone attack caused a blaze, forcing it to close.\nThough the weapon used was not confirmed to be a Shahed, it had the same explosive effect.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPejM1MDBIMFFNakJ1cEVqWWl4TTQwOTJpdDhmSWpGU0VhSTZQSHpDVm9hWkhKSTVZVkVmOEh4a24zNUZMMm9ORldkRlVDVnk2bVVIV2dqWnExdVlDaVRONDBkS19SdkpkV09Id1dCbm9PdzNTRGFDRTJSX0F4Z09IRDhyTDM2QWZkdmRQUUhWNjdLb3MtR0NOczJ2UXZsT2hkLVJQSG9ub2lONW5nNmUtU05VeXFqZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8d5910ef7412",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump says Iran leadership agrees to talks after US and Israel strike Tehran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s political leadership have agreed to talks, a day after the US and Israel began to target the country’s military and political infrastructure, killing the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top officials.\n“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” Trump told a reporter for the Atlantic magazine on Sunday. “They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.”\nThe comments were some of the first from the president since he announced on Truth Social in the early morning hours on Saturday that the US had begun “major combat operations in Iran”.\nTrump did not disclose whether any conversation would take place Sunday or next week, telling the Atlantic’s Michael Scherer: “I can’t tell you that” and noting that some of the Iranian officials who had been involved in discussions before the strikes had been killed.\n“Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big – that was a big hit,” he said. “They should have done it sooner … they could have made a deal. They should’ve done it sooner. They played too cute.”\nDecisive strikes on Iran’s theocratic leadership and military, he implied, were entirely justified. “People have wanted to do it for 47 years. They’ve killed people for 47 years, and now it’s reversed on them.”\nTrump issued a new video address on his Truth Social platform later on Sunday, vowing to avenge American deaths and accusing the Iranian regime of “waging war against civilization itself”.\n“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American,” he said. “We cannot allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons that would allow them to extort the world to their evil will. Not going to happen”.\nTrump said Iran’s “entire military command is gone” and “many of them want to surrender. They want immunity. They’re calling by the thousands”.\nHe also addressed the deaths of three US service members during the action, saying “we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives” and called for prayers for “the full recovery” of five that were wounded.\n“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” he warned. “That’s the way it is likely to be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”\nEarlier, he told Fox News’ White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Sunday that 48 leaders have been killed in the strikes and told CNBC that US military operations in Iran are “ahead of schedule”.\n“It’s moving along. It’s moving along rapidly. This has been this way for 47 years,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with a Fox News reporter. “It’s moving along rapidly. Nobody can believe the success we’re having, 48 leaders are gone in one shot. And it’s moving along rapidly.”\nTrump also spoke by phone to Nikki Schwab, a former contributor to the New York Post’s Page Six gossip column who is now at the Daily Mail, telling her that the military campaign in Iran is projected to be “a four-week process”.\nIn a fourth phone interview on Sunday, after three US service member deaths and five casualties were announced, Trump told NBC News: “We have three, but we expect casualties, but in the end it’s going to be a great deal for the world.”\nIn that call, Trump also used one of his favorite claims, saying that the US military operation was “ahead of schedule”, and added: “When we get 48 leaders, that’s a big event.”\nAsked what he hoped the outcome of the American military operation in Iran, he said: “There are many outcomes that are good. Number one is decapitating them, getting rid of their whole group of killers and thugs. And there are many, many outcomes. We could do the short version or the longer version.”\nWhen asked if strikes on Iran would be suspended amid negotiations that he earlier said had been agreed, the president said, “I don’t know,” before adding that he would consider a pause “if they can satisfy us” but that “they haven’t been able to.”\nThe brief interviews on Sunday came after the president told the Washington Post soon after the strikes: “All I want is freedom for the people. I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have.”\nTrump was noncommittal in his latest comments to the Atlantic about whether the US would prolong a US bombing campaign to support a popular uprising.\n“I have to look at the situation at the time it happens,” he said. “You can’t give an answer to that question.” He reportedly expressed confidence in a successful public uprising, noting celebrations in Iran and and among Iranian expats in the US.\nBut he cautioned: “Knowing it’s very dangerous, knowing I’ve told everybody to stay in place – I think it’s a very dangerous place right now. The people over there are shouting in the streets with happiness, but at the same time, there are a lot of bombs coming down.”\nReuters contributed reporting",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxPWnFsZ3dvVC1BVElnaXprRE9zbmFRQ0NyaDVyaF8xdS1NQkZqbDdzcW1Kb0d3MEtaSGlSWVlITlVRNUNpVjdjdWpjQUpQV2lTOWlYaWhWZ2g2bTJUSVpkanJwM2RmUW5GNUZTZDZUR3hDby1jZW1fSUs1OWRTaWp4OHpuRDRYY2d1QUJR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8773ef876048",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "UK firms in Middle East face heightened threat from Iran hackers, agency warns - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "UK businesses with a presence in the Middle East have been urged to step up vigilance against cyber threats from Iran after US-Israeli attacks.\nThe National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said there was “almost certainly” a heightened risk of an indirect cyber threat for organisations that had offices, or supply chains, in the Middle East.\nThe UK’s cybersecurity agency said Iran remained a threat despite an extensive bombing campaign that has devastated the country’s political and military leadership, including the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n“Iranian state and Iran-linked cyber actors almost certainly currently maintain at least some capability to conduct cyber activity,” said the NCSC.\nThe agency said in an alert published on Monday that there was “likely” no significant change in the direct cyber threat from Iran to the UK, but organisations should prepare for the risk of collateral damage from Iran-linked hacktivists. It said organisations with a presence in the region should consider boosting monitoring of their IT systems and follow NCSC guidelines for dealing with a heightened threat of cyber-attacks.\nJonathon Ellison, the NCSC’s director for national resilience, said UK organisations and key infrastructure providers – such as airports and power stations – needed to “act now” in protecting themselves from potential attacks.\n“In light of rapidly evolving events in the Middle East, it is critical that all UK organisations remain alert to the potential risk of cyber compromise, particularly those with assets or supply chains that are in areas of regional tensions,” he said.\nIran was blamed for a series of high-profile cyber-attacks between 2012 and 2014, against US financial institutions, the oil company Saudi Aramco and the Las Vegas-based Sands hotel and casino company.\nRafe Pilling, the director of threat intelligence at the cybersecurity company Sophos, said the UK was unlikely to be “high up” the list of targets for Iranian attacks but British companies could be caught up in forays by state-backed hackers.\n“A lot of these hacktivist groups will go after targets opportunistically,” he said.\nPilling added that Iran was not as effective a cyber adversary as China or Russia, but as shown by the 2012-14 attacks, it could still cause problems. “Iran is not up there with China and Russia in terms of sophistication and scale, but it’s not to be underestimated,” he said.\nCrowdStrike, a US cybersecurity firm, has said it is already seeing threatening activity from Iran-linked hackers including initiation of so-called distributed denial-of-service attacks, where assailants attempt to overwhelm a target’s servers with a flood of internet traffic.\nCynthia Kaiser, a former top official in the FBI’s cyber division and a senior vice-president at the anti-ransomware company Halcyon, said Iran’s cyber operations came from a “murky blend of state sponsorship, personal profiteering, and outright criminal behaviour”.\nShe added: “As Iran considers its response to US and Israeli military actions, it is likely to activate any of these cyber actors if it believes their operations can deliver a meaningful retaliatory impact.”\nKaiser said Halcyon had detected activity consistent with Iranian state groups trying to steal data from organisations that maintained significant personal records, probably to identify and locate potential Iranian dissidents. She added that a significant threat to companies operating in the Middle East could be physical attacks on datacentres that could “delay or stop business operations until a suitable alternative is brought online”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:08:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPdmYzdlF2ZWpmQ2FsdTZNOWtmSmhVWS1LR1FhUzhLQ2djWWZWOUpBSVFsM29xdlF1b3FuYzVrd3lfRXAya19HMFNxNzB3UDJSbUV5RHN0a2VFanliRnRGN04yUzZMZEVQMkVwam5FWFhwZ1c4eEVYa3JyUDI4UWlVSFpEbi1td2ctRkdkMVhkeU43ZmI0dzNlcWFvc1JVT21fSGwtdTFGTVQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0cd0c4424555",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘We’ll run out of food this week’: Israel’s Iran war brings new Gaza siege - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Israel closed all crossings into Gaza indefinitely when it attacked Iran, imposing a siege that has already pushed up food prices and threatens to plunge 2 million people into a new hunger crisis.\nAfter more than two years of war, and with Israeli forces in control of about 60% of the territory, almost all of Gaza’s food must be brought in.\nHumanitarian groups feeding much of the population say the supplies they had on Saturday, when the war began, will only last a few more days.\n“If [the borders] stay closed, World Central Kitchen will run out of food this week,” said the organisation’s founder and chief, José Andrés, in a post on social media.\n“We are cooking 1m hot meals every day. We need food deliveries every single day.”\nOne international food security expert said there was just a week’s supply of fresh food in Gaza.\nCommunity bakeries that supply some of the most vulnerable people have only enough flour for about 10 days of bread, and there are about two weeks’ supply of aid parcels.\nIsrael imposed a total siege on Gaza last spring followed by extreme restrictions on food shipments. Together they caused a famine last summer.\nHundreds of people were also killed trying to reach the food distribution points of a new logistics organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which only operated in Israeli-controlled areas.\nAs news of Israel’s attack on Iran spread, Palestinians haunted by memories of famine and other periods of extreme hunger raced out to buy supplies, pushing up prices.\nThe price of a 25kg sack of flour has tripled to between 80 and 100 shekels, from about 30 shekels last week. Other essentials including sugar, nappies and cooking oil have doubled.\n“The return of famine to Gaza is what we fear most, even more than the shelling,” said Sobhi Al-Zaaneen, a 50-year-old father of seven, originally from northern Gaza.\nHe had decided to stock up on more food despite the cost. “I’m now on my way to the market to buy what we need before prices increase further.”\nMany in Gaza do not have funds to stock up, after losing their homes and jobs in the war, and running through any savings to survive.\n“I don’t have enough money to buy and store food before prices increase, as some others have done,” said Um Mohammed Hijazi, a 49-year-old mother of five. The family home was destroyed in the war and they were displaced five times.\n“Thank God, I have a small food supply from aid we received from relief organisations, which may be enough for a few days if the crossings remain closed.”\nSome staples are harder to find than a week ago, and Hijazi said she heard some traders had put their goods into storage, hoping to profit from further price rises.\nAs the occupying power in Gaza, Israel has a legal responsibility to ensure there is sufficient food for civilians there. That obligation is not affected by the war with Iran, said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council.\n“Community kitchens are already closing, and prices for basic goods have started to rise,” he said in a post on X. “Even amid a widening regional war, international humanitarian law still requires Israel to facilitate relief for civilians under its control.”\nThe Israeli authority that controls aid and commercial flows into Gaza, Cogat, said it halted shipments into Gaza for security reasons amid the war with Iran. Late on Monday, the organisation said it would reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday for the gradual entry of humanitarian aid.\nIsrael has kept border crossings with Jordan and Egypt open, and the food logistics chain inside the country is still operating.\nThe Cogat spokesperson said there was adequate food in Gaza, but declined to give any statistics. “Existing stockpiles inside Gaza are expected to suffice for a while,” the statement said.\nGaza shares a border with Egypt, which has been closed for aid since Israeli forces took control of the area in May 2024. The Cogat spokesperson did not respond to questions about why that had not been opened to aid shipments.\nPalestinians and international humanitarian organisations have warned for months that essential goods including food are in short supply despite the ceasefire. UN-backed experts said in December that nearly four in five Palestinians in Gaza faced acute food insecurity.\nAn erratic system of Israeli controls and the destruction of warehouses means there are not enough food supplies inside Gaza to cushion the impact of border crossings, said Bahaa Al-Amawi, secretary of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of North Gaza.\n“Since the beginning of the ceasefire, there has been no strategic stockpile, and we are unable to establish one under the current conditions,” he said.\n“This means that as soon as a closure is announced, it triggers a psychological crisis for many citizens due to their previous experience with famine, alongside a real commercial crisis caused by the absence of stock reserves. The market reacts quickly.”\nAlaa Abu Rakba, 43, has been supporting his wife and four children selling meat from a small kiosk set up outside his tent. Their home was destroyed in the war.\nHis business was effectively cut off overnight, but he immediately went out to buy up basic supplies like sugar, flour and oil.\n“We learned our lesson from the first time,” he said. “I would rather the war and shelling return than see the crossings closed, because I do not want to live through a famine again or find myself unable to provide food for my children for days.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:10:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxPRkVGaE9LNzJmSll4THdJZVptT0djbHhnYUROZnlPWW9mZzhMSEZjU0tvaW5LTXFmdE5uWktJb0NCc0NuVFNUalhiUTRZTmRNY1d4d2pNSVRLbm9JSldpMzM0QnJqVVlEYU8xNEN4NVRGR25WX21kQmV2MTNJT2kweg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ea2e3c4d6fb8",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "India and Canada reset ties with 'landmark' nuclear energy deal",
    "body_text": "India and Canada reset ties with 'landmark' nuclear energy deal\nIndia and Canada have announced a host of agreements, including a 10-year nuclear energy deal, after their prime ministers met in Delhi to reset ties that plummeted due to diplomatic tensions.\nNarendra Modi and Mark Carney also struck agreement in areas such as technology, critical minerals, space, defence and education.\nCarney said they agreed to conclude a free trade deal, years in the making, by the end of 2026. Both countries want to reduce exposure to punitive US trade tariffs.\nUnder Carney, the two governments are trying to repair ties that were strained when his predecessor accused Delhi of a link to the 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.\nIndia vociferously rejected the allegation by Justin Trudeau.\nTrade and diplomatic relations almost came to a standstill as both sides expelled each other's diplomats and cancelled visa services. Canada hosts a huge expatriate Indian community.\nBut since Carney took office last year, the relationship has been cautiously rebuilt —helped by the fact that his government has said it believes India is not currently linked to violent crimes or threats on Canadian soil.\nSome in Canada have countered that claim, however, including a Liberal MP from Carney's own party and members of the Sikh diaspora in Canada, who say they believe they continue to be targeted by India.\nCanada's spy agency listed India late last year as one of the countries carrying out espionage and foreign interference in the country, along with Russia, China and Iran.\nIn a statement on Monday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said its \"threat assessment of the main perpetrators of foreign interference and espionage against Canada has not changed\".\nCanada's foreign minister Anita Anand has distanced herself from comments made by a senior Canadian official saying that India had ceased all foreign interference in Canada.\n\"The words of the senior official are not words that I personally would use,\" she told reporters in Delhi after Carney's meeting with Modi on Monday.\nBut Anand defended Canada's decision to re-engage with India, saying \"we need to have these diplomatic conversations in order to make progress\".\nCarney has not yet spoken to Canadian reporters since his trip began. His office cancelled a planned news conference following the meeting with Modi, citing his tight schedule.\nThe case of four men charged over Nijjar's killing is still before the courts.\nAt talks in Delhi, both Carney and Modi underscored India and Canada's long-standing relationship, mutual goals and close people-to-people ties.\n\"In civil nuclear energy, we have reached a landmark deal for long-term uranium supply. We will also work together on small modular reactors and advanced reactors,\" Modi told reporters after their meeting at Hyderabad House in Delhi.\nHe described the two countries as \"natural partners in technology and innovation\" and said they would enhance co-operation in AI, supercomputing and semiconductors, as well as jointly host a renewable energy summit.\nCarney said Canada was well positioned to contribute to energy-hungry India's nuclear fuel needs and added that the two countries were launching a strategic energy partnership.\nHe hailed the progress made in rebuilding relations.\n\"There has been more engagement between the Canadian and Indian governments in the last year than there has been in more than two decades combined,\" he said.\nOn trade, Modi said: \"Our target is to reach $50bn in bilateral trade. This is why we have decided to finalise a comprehensive economic partnership soon.\"\nCarney said he wanted to reach a deal on the \"ambitious agreement\" by the end of the year. It's been discussed on-and-off for the past 15 years so concluding it would be a significant achievement.\nAnalysts say that Carney's decision to put diplomatic tensions behind him and extend an olive branch to India is a pragmatic one, based on present day geopolitical shifts.\nThe same holds true for India, which is looking to forge new trade partnerships to diversify its imports and also reduce its reliance on Russia for its energy needs.\nThe poll also suggests that more Canadians have a favourable view of India (30%) than of the US (26%), as Canada continues to be squeezed by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.\nEarlier on Monday, Carney met India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar where the two discussed charting a \"forward-looking partnership\".\nCarney's four-day trip began with a visit to the financial capital, Mumbai, where he met business leaders and ministers on 28 February with a view to boost trade and investment in India.\nAfter concluding his trip in Delhi, Carney is set to travel to Australia and then Japan as part of his strategy to diversify Canada's trade and invite new investments.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:18:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx24gl7jrgno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d8d09bf2fb65",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump’s Iran War Adds Potential Shock for US Economy, Voters - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Trump’s Iran War Adds Potential Shock for US Economy, Voters    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:21:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQenIyWlBmTnk5R2JJM1ZXdlZZMWNYeFpvU2dQY3JkVUE5X0Z4NXp2cHp5MnR3T3lOLXF2ZEhEaDh6d1FBOEJUdWJfQUZVVXRMZ2FSb2pGNno3Zkt5WDNOU1EzbGM4NkpiV3RVS191WHh2clAxanZSMm9WQ1ZJWi13SmpNTXliMDdJblBRaVg3eWZ1U21ON00tZ28yZXRORE1zdXd2NFQ3QTZMLU0wRkxCdWZRMVI?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_601ec48fa40a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Wizz Air says it's boosting flights to Sharm el-Sheikh amid Iran war - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Wizz Air says it's boosting flights to Sharm el-Sheikh amid Iran war    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:28:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQYW1UR3p6T2tIb01RQ1l2MnYzQ0RzcUh4d1FOZmJ4TG15MmtuTDZscVZVQmh6MExUQ0FucmRrMlktWTBuZHJ3cFo3NjhFUTA5NjlYM3lQeE5mX3R4eEJwTVRCZTh4WDdsMVFQekJmYkhHb2RZMk42a0k3RXZ1dDlzYTRfeXhucGhURUoxei1UdXRtTkZLdmVhaXRuV3RLM1Bzak9YSVhmYkc1XzZtbEpDY3dnT2tVdTM2T1E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_969ee8dea411",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘Open betrayal’ or ‘just and imperative’? Trump’s Iran strikes divide conservative media - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump repeatedly pledged to get the US out of “endless wars”, put “America first” and focus on domestic policy. After his first term, he was fond of boasting, somewhat misleadingly, that there were “no wars” during his presidency.\nNow the Trump administration’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran has shocked the US and the world. It has also divided conservative media in the US – with many journalists and pundits on the right celebrating Trump’s decision to confront a longtime American foe, but others expressing dismay or confusion at the revival of a Bush-style interventionism that they thought the Maga movement had repudiated.\n“There is a Maga generational divide on this. Older voters support it, younger voters do not,” the rightwing, pro-Maga podcaster Jack Posobiec told Politico. “Gen Z Maga wants arrests on Epstein, deportations and economic relief, not more war.”\nYet that would appear to be a minority view across much of the biggest conservative media players. Rupert Murdoch’s news empire has taken a mostly cheerleading stance toward the ongoing military operation, with Fox News contributors describing the strike on Iran as “just and imperative” and “a successful, coordinated effort to promote fundamental and lasting change in Iran”. In an editorial, the New York Post praised Trump’s “decisive move to destroy Iran’s war machinery and take out the regime’s leadership”.\nThe editorial board of Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal, arguably the last remaining big avatar of the Bush-era right, described the strikes as “necessary” and argued that the “biggest mistake President Trump could make now would be to end the war too soon, before Iran’s military and its domestic terror forces have been more thoroughly destroyed”.\nNational Review, a magazine that was for decades the voice of the conservative establishment but has occupied a more uncertain position in the age of Trump-style populism, has also mostly seemed to endorse the strikes, with one contributor urging the US to supply the Iranian opposition with weapons, and another asserting that comparisons with the Iraq war are fallacious and that the Iran war will probably be over “within a few weeks”.\nConservative outlets’ positions on the Iran war generally hew to longstanding positions on Israel and hawkish foreign policy. The more ardently pro-Israel publications, such as the Washington Free Beacon, the Daily Wire and Tablet magazine, have fiercely defended the necessity of the strikes, though Matt Walsh, a Daily Wire contributor, mocked the administration’s rationales for the war on social media, saying: “The messaging on this thing is, to put it mildly, confused.”\nHe added in another post: “It’s foolhardy to think you can just drop in, take out the top guy and leave with no problem.”\nThe Free Press, the publication that Bari Weiss founded before becoming editor-in-chief of CBS News, has seemed to split the difference, with several pieces sympathetic to a desire to topple the Iranian regime, but cautious or pessimistic about the chances of success. In a piece called The Case Against the War, the writer and military veteran Elliot Ackerman noted that the “Arab spring offers several dire examples of popular protests for democracy mutating into deadly civil wars, chief among them the decade-long civil war in Syria. A civil war in Iran on the scale of Syria would be catastrophic.” Weiss herself reportedly angered some CBS staffers when she boosted a critique of Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor, for coming out against the strikes.\nParts of the isolationist-leaning hard right of the Maga movement, however, appear furious with the Trump administration for what Curt Mills, the executive director of the American Conservative, said on Steve Bannon’s podcast was an “open betrayal” of the Maga base.\nTucker Carlson told ABC News that the Iran attack is “absolutely disgusting and evil”, and argued that Trump’s decision would further unsettle an already fragile conservative political coalition. Carson said: “This is going to shuffle the deck in a profound way.”\nTrump’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran is highly likely to empower a Christian nationalist stream of the right, which has often spun legitimate criticisms of the US alliance with Israel into outright antisemitism.\nOn the far right, the conspiracy theorist Candace Owens and the white nationalist pundit Nick Fuentes both condemned the war, with Fuentes mocking the credulity of people who voted for Trump thinking he represented a sharp break with US foreign policy. On X, Owens dubbed the US-Israeli operation “Operation Epstein Fury” and invoked antisemitic conspiracy theories to declare that “Goyim always … die so the Khazarian mafia can expand their borders.”\nMost of the “podcast bros” – an influential group of podcasters including Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz and Theo Von – have so far not weighed in, though if past indications are reliable, they will probably be ambivalent or outright critical of Trump’s decision to attack Iran.\nThe American Conservative, a magazine co-founded by Pat Buchanan in 2002, is the standard bearer for a “paleoconservative” wing of the American right that has been skeptical of foreign wars, free trade and free market absolutism, and was unsurprisingly scathing about the Iran strikes. On X, the magazine pointedly posted a video of JD Vance in 2024 saying: “Our interest, I think, very much is in not going to war with Iran. It would be [a] huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:31:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQVzRJTHRtTm5wZTYtVDZ2cmh6QUpSeEQ5dy0xQXZPZEpyZG1leDVBRjdiVWZBelpyZlJHUGxyU1ViYlp2M0gxTm5tRktKU2lMd3lWc0NRR29NMDJYZVJENnJSVEpCM1RLdEhrRExnX1BSZkFwRmpMVlhQV1gxLXNDWGVPMTZMQnZHRVE3UWZnQzk0SFVRN3dFLWVR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7783768ce986",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "What to know about the latest US-Israeli attacks on Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "What to know about the latest US-Israeli attacks on Iran\nWhat to know about the latest US-Israeli attacks on Iran\nThe war in the Middle East expanded on multiple fronts Monday as attacks from Iran and Iranian-backed militias struck Israel and Arab states as well as U.S. military targets in the region.\nThe U.S. military said Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three American fighter aircraft during a combat mission, though all six pilots ejected safely.\nIsrael and the United States continued to strike Iran while Israeli forces responded to attacks from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group by hitting targets in southern Lebanon, killing 52 people.\nThe war began on Saturday with the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike that reverberated around the globe. Reaction ranged from jubilation to condemnation, while the escalating conflict has caused canceled flights, deadly protests, suspended shipping and soaring oil prices.\nAttacks across Iran kill hundreds, shake economy\nThe Iranian Red Crescent Society on Monday said that attacks on 131 Iranian cities have killed at least 555 people so far in the Islamic Republic. Strikes in Tehran apparently took Iran’s state television off the air.\nThe joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran stoked fears of a wider war and damage to the world economy. Meanwhile, Iran has expanded its attacks to regional oil infrastructure, directly targeting the lifeblood of the region’s economy.\nTrump lays out his objectives\nPresident Donald Trump said the U.S. objectives include destroying Iran’s naval and missile capabilities and preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said he expects the operation to take 4 to 5 weeks.\nAP correspondent Donna Warder reports on what’s next for Iran.\n”This was our last, best chance to strike — what we’re doing right now — and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said.\nThree U.S. service members were killed in the Saturday attack on Iran, while another died on Monday from wounds sustained during the initial operation, according to U.S. Central Command.\nIran to name new supreme leader\nIn the wake of Khamenei’s death, Iran’s provisional governing council is expected to name a new supreme leader. Even before the weekend’s deadly strikes, Iran’s theocracy had struggled with growing dissent over the economy that morphed into anti-government demonstrations. Activists say Iran’s crackdown on protesters killed thousands.\nOne of the first strikes Saturday hit near the offices of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who had ruled since 1989. Israel said that it also killed dozens of other top Iranian military officials.\nIran strikes Israel and US bases in retaliation\nIran has launched retaliatory missiles and drones targeting Israel and nearby Arab Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces.\nSeveral ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Shipping companies suspended their vessels’ traffic through the Suez Canal, adding to fears the strikes could rattle global markets.\nElsewhere, fire and smoke poured out of the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait after an Iranian attack.\nBahrain, the island kingdom that is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, says it has intercepted dozens of missiles and attack drones, and that one person was killed.\nIn Israel, 11 people have been killed, including nine in a strike on a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh.\nIn Iraq, an Iraqi Shiite militia claimed a drone attack Monday targeting U.S. troops at the airport in Baghdad.\nAnd at least 22 people were killed in clashes with police in northern Pakistan and in the southern port city of Karachi after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate there, authorities said.\nTravelers across the region stranded\nThere were global repercussions from disrupted air travel in the region, with hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace.\nThey include athletes heading to the Winter Paralympics in Italy, and former U.S. Open tennis champion Daniil Medvedev, who said he’s one of what the ATP Tour calls “a small number of players and team members” it is trying to help leave Dubai.\n___\nThis story has been corrected to reflect that the death toll in Israel is 11, not 20.\n___\nKlug reported from Tokyo, Charlton from Paris. Brian Melley in London; Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Amir Radjy in Cairo, Matthew Lee in Washington and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxONnFwZ0N2QWVjdVRuNEcyTFd4MEl4WGN5cUVBVWFnZjdYbE5JZURXRVpoSzZuV2NSSmZYUWVxYW1wV3VncC1yVk5pMWtzYW5YZkJCT2xLMy1pVmhTRnp4MmVWNVlaRzQ3UDEweUVZbmFSYTFPNy1WVElhZUJORVUzbWRlajhmdEFSa1dZ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c1c1b367744e",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Spain refuses to let US use bases for Iran attacks - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Spain says the United States is not using – and will not be using – joint military bases on its territory for operations against Iran, a mission condemned by Madrid.\n“Based on all the information I have, the bases are not being used for this military operation,” Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Spanish public television on Monday.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Why QatarEnergy’s LNG production halt could shake up global gas markets\n- list 2 of 4Qatar downs two Iranian fighter jets as conflict widens\n- list 3 of 4‘Speed, surprise, and violence of action’: how US launched attack on Iran\n- list 4 of 4‘This war might push Iran to a bomb faster.’\nPrime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Saturday as an “unjustified” and “dangerous military intervention” outside the realm of international law, in another break from US policy.\n“The Spanish government will not authorise the use of the bases for anything beyond the agreement or inconsistent with the United Nations,” Albares said, referring to the Rota naval base and the Moron airbase.\nThe US operates at the bases under a joint-use arrangement, but they remain under Spanish sovereignty.\nDefence Minister Margarita Robles said the bases “will not provide support, except if, in a given case, it were necessary from a humanitarian perspective”.\nSpain also condemned the retaliatory attacks by Iran on Gulf countries.\nAccording to maps by flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 on Monday, 15 US aircraft have left bases in southern Spain since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. At least seven of the aircraft were shown on FlightRadar24 as having landed at Ramstein airbase in Germany.\nThe Spanish position is an outlier among the major European countries.\nBritain had also initially refused to allow the use of its bases for an attack on Iran, but on Sunday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorised their use for “collective self-defence”, amid Iranian counterattacks targeting US assets across the Middle East and energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.\nFrance and Germany, meanwhile, are prepared to do the same.\nThe three countries’ leaders were “appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against countries in the region, including those who were not involved in initial US and Israeli military operations”, read a joint statement on Sunday.\n“We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter,” they stated.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:43:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxOaDNXUFFPSGg2T1Y4S0gwR081SGN3eWNvdFBHU3F6cFJBOXR1MFNpZDY3Znlza19tYXRFY0NfdFBfVlZmVTRnS0JUYVNEaWFtRGxnWi0yZE9BUzg2STg1ZmdQeXVBMVFJN3d5c2ZmTk5hSWNNak4tTHgtT2ZTMFA1S0FTQXFFZE1vYTV3SXpKT2tTZG1E0gGaAUFVX3lxTE54Q011dXhhSGdpNl9maExuUi1hLWtXMXJ5dlduLVI5UklKc2FIOGpJUHpzZkVIWlh1VllDalJWSzdOS0JTUGtqM2pGRDEtS3FteEMzSU9OOUpfeHB3WF9ob250YVNvWlMwdno0TU9hZXowS2JlbUNtbTVWd1pKeFpYS3Z4OXFGcVd2SGN0MlAtRms1Q3IyMmJ3eXc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4924fa242561",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Rubio says Israel's strike plan triggered US attack on Iran - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Rubio says Israel's strike plan triggered US attack on Iran\nThe United States attacked Iran only after learning that ally Israel was going to strike and fearing Tehran would retaliate against US forces, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday.\n\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,\" Rubio told reporters.\nRubio, who was preparing to brief key US lawmakers, said that Iran had told field commanders to respond automatically against US forces if there was an attack.\n\"If we stood and waited for that attack to come first before we hit them, we would suffer much higher casualties. And so the president made the very wise decision\" to hit alongside Israel, Rubio said.\nAsked if the United States faced an imminent threat from Iran -- a key threshold in the United States as Congress constitutionally has the power to declare war -- Rubio again pointed to the Israeli plans.\n\"There absolutely was an imminent threat, and the imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked -- and we believed they would be attacked -- that they would immediately come after us,\" Rubio said.\n\"We were not going to sit there and absorb a blow,\" Rubio said, adding that if Iran hit US forces first, \"we would all be here answering questions about why we knew that and didn't act.\"\nRepresentative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat, said that Rubio's comments indicated that Israel \"put US forces in harm's way by insisting on attack on Iran.\"\n\"This is unacceptable of the President, and unacceptable of a country that calls itself our ally,\" Castro wrote on X.\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier said that it was Israel that carried out the strike Saturday in Tehran that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other key officials, after intelligence emerged that they were meeting.\nRubio, however, said that President Donald Trump's administration believed in the need to strike Iran, regardless of how the timing was triggered.\n\"No matter what, ultimately this operation needed to happen,\" Rubio said.\nRubio said that the United States would like to see the overthrow of the Iran's clerical state but that that was not the goal.\n\"We hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government and establish a new future for that country. We would love for that to be possible,\" Rubio said.\n\"But the objective of this mission is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities and of their naval capabilities.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:51:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxQV2pna0FHbkpPQ0pjbkUtUUpCbUkxQWk1TjVvcFgwQ3BORnptRGVTcDVSRUR1d1h3WTZ5VVlvV1ZDWV9GNlNDYnZiSkFTZlhUNERSY1k4SVJfc1pRMTI0NFA0SG45a3IxdkttUFZhem9uOUpCb29SeHV0eE9MLVFveWtrOGZQaXdRbFNRMG1fcGhNYTVFSGNDdjc4ckpSNGRDS2c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_88324d48415e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran vows to attack any ship trying to pass through Strait of Hormuz - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran vows to attack any ship trying to pass through Strait of Hormuz    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:52:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNSDVsRnRWUEg4c2hacEhwbkxLUEhyOEVfY05xRjVEajh4ZWFfOVVXb2Y0dEZsNGN1aXBMdjJIYTVwV2M0YmNnd253RDdBSTkyNW5QYTFJeHNMU1dwcUJSQW9memxMZXJuRHVOckt3U1p3WnJtVmx5NE52RWlpQ0M4VmdOODJOTkRNWGN2a0U1b0ZTTWpONDhHMnczZTVDT0I4S0ZFdjBNUmlwZm1CTUFqNFdxTQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7844b0b0764f",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Global Credit Markets Wobble as War Deepens AI-Triggered Selloff - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Global Credit Markets Wobble as War Deepens AI-Triggered Selloff    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:54:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPcl8xNGxNMUxtSS1xcE9DY0xtR3BBcnJ5NklDbHhiZVdEVzZJck1rY1ZvQ2c1RUo4TFJPY3FuR2NwX2ZTUHM3T2pIaTlsYzVQQmNLRnhpNEdkZUwtWU9HZ3dyVmcybkJtR1lsd29XZ3pJZVMtZXYyUUluZDJqTTBmc3p1NVdQTmV2ZlB3MnVZZi1nTmgxU2g3WWJlSFI5cFptbU1paHppeGRkQnAyT0JMVWV4TlU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c347c92ac4b3",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Firebrand anti-American cleric Alireza Arafi seen as contender to replace Iran’s Khamenei - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The Islamic Republic’s opaque and fractured governing system following the killing of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, selected radical cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to its interim leadership council on Saturday.\nBen Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute of National Security Studies in Israel, said, \"His name was brought up in the last two or three years. He is not a kind of politician but is part of exporting the revolution from the propaganda side.\" A foundational pillar of the birth of the 1979 Islamic Republic was to export its violent Shiite ideology and foster radical Islamist revolutions across the globe.\n\"He's been marinating in Khomeinist ideology his entire career. Khomeinism is a threat to U.S. interests,\" Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital.\nThe founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's \"Death to America\" pledge is a core feature of Khomeinism, according to experts.\nAccording to a UANI report, Arafi has long been agitating against the U.S. and Israel. \"America will take its wish for Iran to abandon production of military hardware to the grave,\" he is quoted as saying, and in a 2019 Friday prayer sermon he announced, \"We will stay with our imam and leader to the end, when we humiliate [global] arrogance. Together with the Sayyed of the resistance, we say: Oh great leader of the world of Islam, we will be with you until the end, when the arrogant people in the world are defeated, and Israel is erased.\"\nBrodsky continued, \"The fact that Iran’s system elevated Alireza Arafi to membership on the interim leadership council is a signal that he could be a leading candidate to replace Ali Khamenei as supreme leader.\nArafi is also being watched in Washington. In an interview with Fox News Digital on Sunday, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described Arafi as \"\"a very hard-line cleric.\"\nBrodsky noted, \"Arafi has been promoted through the ranks — heading Iran’s seminary, leading Al-Mustafa University, and serving as a member of the Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts. Additionally, he has been Friday prayer leader of Qom, which is the center of the Iranian clergy. This provides him with religious, educational and government experience to replace Khamenei as supreme leader.\"\nAccording to UANI, Arafi promised \"death\" to protesters who knock over the turbans of Iranian Islamic clerics. \"Those who attack the turbans of the clergy should know that the turban will become their shroud,\" Arafi said.\nBrodsky said \"Arafi helped make Al-Mustafa University into a training ground and recruiting center for the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]. Al-Mustafa University was later sanctioned by the U.S. government under counterterrorism authorities. A weakness in his candidacy to replace Khamenei is that he has never been a core member of the military-security establishment in Iran and has never led a branch of the Islamic Republic’s government apparatus.\n\"He is also not a Sayyid. [sign of high respect for people of lineage from the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Shiite tradition.] But his serving on an interim leadership council will expose him to foreign policy and security issues to a greater extent, and position him as a formidable contender. Alireza Arafi is an indoctrinated follower of Khomeinism and spearheaded an effort to further Islamize Iran’s university and seminary system,\" he said.\nAccording to Iran Wire, an independent Iranian diaspora news outlet, \"Alireza Arafi is a prominent hardline cleric, a member of the Guardian Council and the head of Iran’s seminaries, positions that place him at the center of the country’s religious establishment. His selection matters because the third member of the Temporary Leadership Council must be a theologian chosen by the Expediency Discernment Council — and Arafi is widely seen as a staunch loyalist to the core ideology of the Islamic Republic.\"\nMardo Soghom, a veteran journalist and Iran expert, told Fox News Digital, \"What I can say at this point is that there is no unified government with sufficient control over the country. The foreign minister admits the IRGC is on its own. Arafi would never have the authority or the control Khamenei had. It is a compromise candidate whom the IRGC can control and is not a threat to two factions.\"\nMariam Memarsadeghi, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and founder and director of the Cyrus Forum for Iran’s Future, told Fox News Digital, \"The regime or what remains of it is no different from a terrorist group. Now that the U.S. and Israel are bombing the U.S. and Israel, every leader the terror group chooses will be rightly eliminated. The Iranian people are elated. All decent human beings who believe in freedom should be elated.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:58:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8c20b59b7961",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Firebrand anti-American cleric Alireza Arafi seen as contender to replace Iran’s Khamenei",
    "body_text": "Kasra Aarabi of United Against a Nuclear Iran says the regime's durability lies not in Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as an individual, but in the institutional machinery surrounding him.\n\nTheIslamic Republic’s opaque and fractured governing system following the killing of its supreme leader, AyatollahAli Khamenei, selected radical cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to its interim leadership council on Saturday.\n\nBen Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute of National Security Studies in Israel, said, \"His name was brought up in the last two or three years. He is not a kind of politician but is part of exporting the revolution from the propaganda side.\" A foundational pillar of the birth of the 1979 Islamic Republic was to export its violent Shiite ideology and foster radical Islamist revolutions across the globe.\n\n\"He's been marinating in Khomeinist ideology his entire career. Khomeinism is a threat to U.S. interests,\" Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital.\n\nThe founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's \"Death to America\" pledge is a core feature of Khomeinism, according to experts.\n\nWomen walk past electoral posters of Ayatollah Alireza Arafi in downtown Tehran, Iran, Feb. 21, 2024.(Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)\n\nAccording to a UANI report, Arafi has long been agitating against the U.S. and Israel. \"America will take its wish for Iran to abandon production of military hardware to the grave,\" he is quoted as saying, and in a 2019 Friday prayer sermon he announced, \"We will stay with our imam and leader to the end, when we humiliate [global] arrogance. Together with the Sayyed of the resistance, we say: Oh great leader of the world of Islam, we will be with you until the end, when the arrogant people in the world are defeated, and Israel is erased.\"\n\nBrodsky continued, \"The fact that Iran’s system elevated Alireza Arafi to membership on the interim leadership council is a signal that he could be a leading candidate to replace Ali Khamenei as supreme leader.\n\nArafi is also being watched in Washington. In an interview with Fox News Digital on Sunday,Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described Arafi as \"\"a very hard-line cleric.\"\n\nArafi promised \"death\" to protesters who knock over the turbans of Iranian Islamic clerics, according to UANI.(Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images/NCRI)\n\nHe noted, \"Arafi has been promoted through the ranks — heading Iran’s seminary, leading Al-Mustafa University, and serving as a member of the Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts. Additionally, he has been Friday prayer leader of Qom, which is the center of the Iranian clergy. This provides him with religious, educational and government experience to replace Khamenei as supreme leader.\"\n\nIRAN'S SUPREME LEADER RUNS 'STATE WITHIN A STATE' THROUGH SECRET 4,000-PERSON NETWORK, REPORT SAYS\n\nAccording to UANI, Arafi promised \"death\" to protesters who knock over the turbans of Iranian Islamic clerics. \"Those who attack the turbans of the clergy should know that the turban will become their shroud,\" Arafi said.\n\nBrodsky added, \"Arafi helped make Al-Mustafa University into a training ground and recruiting center for the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]. Al-Mustafa University was later sanctioned by the U.S. government under counterterrorism authorities. A weakness in his candidacy to replace Khamenei is that he has never been a core member of the military-security establishment in Iran and has never led a branch of the Islamic Republic’s government apparatus.\n\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, the head of the judiciary, and Alireza Arafi, right, deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, attend the meeting of the interim leadership council in an unknown location in Iran, March 1, 2026.(Handout via Reuters)\n\n\"He is also not a Sayyid. [sign of high respect for people of lineage from the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Shiite tradition.] But his serving on an interim leadership council will expose him toforeign policy and security issuesto a greater extent, and position him as a formidable contender. Alireza Arafi is an indoctrinated follower of Khomeinism and spearheaded an effort to further Islamize Iran’s university and seminary system,\" he said.\n\nIRAN'S SUPREME LEADER ALI KHAMENEI DEAD AFTER IDF STRIKE HITS TEHRAN COMPOUND, ISRAELI SOURCE CONFIRMS\n\nAccording to Iran Wire, an independent Iranian diaspora news outlet, \"Alireza Arafi is a prominent hardline cleric, a member of the Guardian Council and the head of Iran’s seminaries, positions that place him at the center of the country’s religious establishment. His selection matters because the third member of the Temporary Leadership Council must be a theologian chosen by the Expediency Discernment Council — and Arafi is widely seen as a staunch loyalist to the core ideology of the Islamic Republic.\"\n\nOn March 1, 2026, in Sana'a, Yemen. pro-Iran protesters brandish billboards depicting the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at a rally held to condemn the U.S.-Israel aerial attacks on Iran.(Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)\n\nMardo Soghom, a veteran journalist and Iran expert, told Fox News Digital, \"What I can say at this point is that there is no unified government with sufficient control over the country. The foreign minister admits the IRGC is on its own. Arafi would never have the authority or the control Khamenei had. It is a compromise candidate whom the IRGC can control and is not a threat to two factions.\"\n\nMariam Memarsadeghi, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and founder and director of the Cyrus Forum for Iran’s Future, told Fox News Digital, \"The regime or what remains of it is no different from a terrorist group. Now thatthe U.S. and Israel are bombingthe U.S. and Israel, every leader the terror group chooses will be rightly eliminated. The Iranian people are elated. All decent human beings who believe in freedom should be elated.\"\n\nBenjamin Weinthal reports onIsrael,Iran,Syria,TurkeyandEurope.You can follow Benjamin on Twitter @BenWeinthal, and email him at benjamin.weinthal@fox.com\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:58:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/firebrand-anti-american-cleric-alireza-arafi-seen-contender-replace-irans-khamenei",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_27d97e11791e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Fetterman blasts Iran strike critics, Ayatollah's apologists: 'Let's see who grieves for that garbage' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "As Democrats line up to denounce President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint strikes on Iran’s ruling regime, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is doing the opposite, forcefully defending the operation and rebuking members of his own party who call it reckless.\nThe Pennsylvania Democrat, who has increasingly staked out unapologetic pro-Israel positions, has openly questioned why critics from both the far-right and far-left are making hay over the strikes, arguing the operation was necessary to counter Tehran’s aggression. His stance is widening a visible fracture inside the party over how far to back Israel amid escalating regional tensions.\nOn Monday, Fetterman wrote that he’s \"not sure why it’s controversial to anyone to appreciate and celebrate wiping out 49 leaders of one of the most evil regimes in recorded history,\" after Trump announced the potentially four-week mission was ahead of schedule after discovering several top Iranian officials being targeted were reportedly in the same area and could be taken out at once.\nAfter the initial strike on Saturday, Fetterman reposted an image from the \"Israel War Room\" that showed a Wanted-style poster of Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei with the word \"Eliminated\" burned across it.\n\"Let’s see who grieves for that garbage,\" Fetterman captioned.\nThe former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor later credited Trump, saying in a statement that he \"has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.\"\n\"God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.\"\nHe also openly questioned members of his own caucus, who have otherwise agreed that Iran cannot be permitted to nuclearize.\n\"Every member in the U.S. Senate agrees we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,\" he wrote on X.\n\"I’m baffled why so many are unwilling to support the only action to achieve that. Empty sloganeering vs. commitment to global security — which is it?\"\nHe said Saturday he would be a \"hard no\" if Democrats forced a war powers resolution vote to claw back Trump’s authority.\nSen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Richmond press on Monday that he intends to press for a vote on a War Powers Resolution he filed in January focused on Iran.\nKaine wondered aloud in a separate public statement whether Trump is \"too mentally incapacitated to realize we had a diplomatic agreement with Iran…\"\n\"The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran. Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action,\" Kaine said.\nFetterman was not the only Democrat to sound off on critics of the Iran strike. Former New York Mayor Eric Adams, who is also a former NYPD officer, lambasted what he called the political fringes for ignoring the human rights abuses, mass murder and attacks on Americans committed by Khamenei, 86, and his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.\nRep. Gregory Landsman, D-Ohio, also praised the operation against Iran and compared the killing of Khamenei to taking out Usama bin Laden, but stopped short of endorsing Trump’s broader plans.\n\"There’s a lot of folks in Congress who don’t trust this president and I’m one of those people. In the end I trust the generals and I trust our military,\" he told the Cincinnati Enquirer.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T20:59:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a4acc077fd4f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Rubio says planned Israeli action against Iran prompted US strikes - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Rubio says planned Israeli action against Iran prompted US strikes    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:05:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxPeFFzSmk2Vng0RzNXOExERWlEMUZfMzZWalVjRUlvQVVzU1pUblRSdW1rWk5kNWIxandwTHQ1M0F2TjFBejdzR0dJc01NbG1pODlsaEt3a09MYlZ4T1h2dEhHZkRnVFZHZ05jUTMtbU9vTXNVWmF1S0ZYNi1tRmh6elo1ZmZLSzJZMm5sb1NySTdxbldWak5xR2Vpdy1xUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2d1fd8fc6de0",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Gasoline Prices Surge Amid Iran Attack, a Liability for Trump - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Gasoline Prices Surge Amid Iran Attack, a Liability for Trump    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:07:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQNGU0VTRGZzZvTmdFN1hMdGlBNEdzR2xqUTVUdU8yOWptY3Rxbll2ZmU0VTUtS0puUUZ2MFMxaDJZd3h4bXZmY3FxNHhBWE1odmlSN1h1X3htMUpPQ05EdnlZNHNkbWw3cFdSMEMxdkZiLTFqUFdUYjZTMGppbmtlUHQ5WWdOQUo3QzAxZDc1aUxlR1FOcldyMnRlZEZ4Nm1ieTlaaG9XczhUeFZlaTZ3TQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_27c88de3d4ce",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Six US service members killed in Iran conflict, US military says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Six US service members killed in Iran conflict, US military says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:07:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPb2NMWmtuNEV4bTRDb19nLXpzN25WQWtWdHpIdjhLREZ0TkxFLVJPdFZySFpkd245cTFKN3dzdi1DZlZLR0wyRnhRV3NtRmVkOWE2MU8xRFljMV9GdmlQWG5SRjlxakhpcWE3V3ZMdkFZa2NGTVVzZEotZ2hnaFBNaVpOcUNPUEpRQVQ4ZEE5R0tTU2dYeElUYXJRQm1sbzVJM2xvM2tpUzRLU1lMbEV5QlYzY1c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5d4555308129",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Fires rage at Iran's Bandar Abbas naval headquarters, Strait of Hormuz traffic stalled - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Satellite images released Monday show fires burning and vast plumes of black smoke rising from Iran’s main naval headquarters at Bandar Abbas, with at least one vessel ablaze following a strike.\nThe images, from Planet Labs, were released within days of the U.S. and Israel launching targeted strikes on Iran, and ahead of President Donald Trump saying he would not rule out sending U.S. troops into Iran if \"necessary\" amid Operation Epic Fury.\nThe escalation comes as commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively stalled, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI.\nAccording to the Times of Israel, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed Monday, with Iran claiming it would set fire to any vessel trying to pass.\nFox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin confirmed, citing CENTCOM, that the Strait of Hormuz remains open.\nA senior U.S. military official said Iran is neither patrolling nor enforcing its claimed \"closure,\" and there has been no evidence of mines in the waterway. However, commercial vessels are navigating the area cautiously.\nThe official noted this is not the first time Iran has announced plans to close the strait, describing the move as a \"pressure tactic\" intended to stoke fear. The official added that Tehran is unlikely to mine the waterway, given that roughly 80% of its oil exports are shipped to China.\nBandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province, occupies a key position along the Strait of Hormuz and the port is a key base serving as the headquarters of the Iranian Navy.\n\"As of 10:56 a.m. GMT on March 2, 2026, the Port of Bandar Abbas is experiencing multiple active fires, including one aboard a berthed vessel, while maintaining a significant combined military and commercial presence at port facilities,\" Windward AI reported.\n\"Three distinct fires are currently reported in the vicinity. Two are located at port infrastructure facilities, and one involves a vessel currently at berth.\"\nSeventeen military vessels and five commercial ships remained docked despite the fires, the firm said, noting that the continued military concentration suggests \"a heightened defensive posture rather than evacuation.\"\nWindward warned that active fires at Iran’s principal naval and commercial port introduce \"additional operational uncertainty\" and raise the risk of secondary maritime disruption across the Gulf.\nVideo footage also shared by Iran International appeared to show an attack targeting Iranian naval air facilities in Bandar Abbas.\nSatellite imagery analyzed by BBC Verify identified a damaged vessel about 230 meters (750 feet) long — consistent, it said, with a Makran-class forward base ship operated by the Iranian Navy.\nThe Makran, a converted tanker measuring about 228 meters, is also a mobile maritime base and helicopter carrier capable of deploying up to five helicopters and fast-attack boats.\nThe strike at Iran's naval HQ came on the third day of open conflict, with U.S. Central Command saying it had sunk 11 Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Oman.\n\"Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,\" CENTCOM said on X.\nTrump has said \"annihilating\" Iran’s naval forces is a core objective of Operation Epic Fury, and that the U.S. has destroyed nine Iranian naval ships so far.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:13:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxON1o3QU1lZmRpcDR3dHJsbjZFR2JXX3lHTThLdFVOaGhDQjZMZWZUQ2JTSG85SE0yOHNudzBlemhIVXZwckZfWmI1LVk5V2s4NVNEWUJobm80RkNDQ3VfN1BNTUxSX0lGVmFhRWZwc3o0Zkc4cElfaG9aS2dmVTgwX1c2c2wxTHpzMDNfTGR0YlRvZVdzbC1JUjVwdnJtN09RMnNycllUUmoyUkNQ0gGyAUFVX3lxTFB2QUxSWkxMalJTdGlwS0x5V0FSNkJpRkJDQzliZlM3SHoxTzU1bkFRUHNOQnI0M3R0UE9zTlRfRUpUMU1qT1VVRko0NlJSQkFNVW55bXhDTWpmaExtZHhJQklUVkdlNkxsQ01OUFhydmRTTTVtNXNnaGdBT1MxTGVSMmMzYVdSZ2pJOUZnbmJtMnNhejhLQ0dIZERmeGU5eVdXWmtUQ0FvanpTaUpkeC1YNEE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ddbc4acae5ca",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Fires rage at Iran's Bandar Abbas naval headquarters, Strait of Hormuz traffic stalled",
    "body_text": "ClearView Energy Partners’ Kevin Book analyzes the potential impacts of U.S. strikes in Iran on global oil prices on ‘Special Report.’\n\nSatellite images released Monday show fires burning and vast plumes of black smoke rising from Iran’s main naval headquarters at Bandar Abbas, with at least one vessel ablaze following a strike.\n\nThe images, fromPlanet Labs, were released within days of the U.S. and Israel launching targeted strikes on Iran, and ahead of PresidentDonald Trumpsaying he would not rule out sending U.S. troops into Iran if \"necessary\" amid Operation Epic Fury.\n\nThe escalation comes as commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively stalled, according to maritime intelligence firmWindward AI.\n\nBandar Abbas fires rage at Iran's main naval headquarters(PLANET LABV)\n\nAccording to theTimes of Israel, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander also said the Strait of Hormuz was closed Monday, with Iran claiming it would set fire to any vessel trying to pass.\n\nFox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin confirmed, citing CENTCOM, that the Strait of Hormuz remains open.\n\nA senior U.S. military official said Iran is neither patrolling nor enforcing its claimed \"closure,\" and there has been no evidence of mines in the waterway. However, commercial vessels are navigating the area cautiously.\n\nThe official noted this is not the first time Iran has announced plans to close the strait, describing the move as a \"pressure tactic\" intended to stoke fear. The official added that Tehran is unlikely to mine the waterway, given that roughly 80% of its oil exports are shipped to China.\n\nBandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province, occupies a key position along the Strait of Hormuz and the port is a key base serving as the headquarters of theIranian Navy.\n\nFROM MISSILES TO MINERALS: THE STRATEGIC MEANING BEHIND THE IRAN STRIKE\n\nA satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.(Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025/Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)\n\n\"As of 10:56 a.m. GMT on March 2, 2026, the Port of Bandar Abbas is experiencingmultiple active fires, including one aboard a berthed vessel, while maintaining a significant combined military and commercial presence at port facilities,\" Windward AI reported.\n\n\"Three distinct fires are currently reported in the vicinity. Two are located at port infrastructure facilities, and one involves a vessel currently at berth.\"\n\nSeventeen military vessels and five commercial ships remained docked despite the fires, the firm said, noting that the continued military concentration suggests \"a heightened defensive posture rather than evacuation.\"\n\nWindward warned that active fires at Iran’s principal naval and commercial port introduce \"additional operational uncertainty\" and raise the risk of secondary maritime disruption across the Gulf.\n\nVideo footage also shared byIran Internationalappeared to show an attack targetingIranian naval air facilitiesin Bandar Abbas.\n\nKEY MILITARY SITES TARGETED INSIDE IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-ISRAELI STRIKES\n\nNaval units from Iran and Russia simulate the rescue of a hijacked vessel during joint drills at the Port of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan, Iran, on Feb. 19, 2026.(Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)\n\nSatellite imagery analyzed byBBC Verifyidentified a damaged vessel about 230 meters (750 feet) long — consistent, it said, with a Makran-class forward base ship operated by the Iranian Navy.\n\nThe Makran, a converted tanker measuring about 228 meters, is also a mobile maritime base and helicopter carrier capable of deploying up to five helicopters and fast-attack boats.\n\nThe strike at Iran's naval HQ came on the third day of open conflict, with U.S. Central Command saying it had sunk 11 Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Oman.\n\n\"Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,\" CENTCOM said on X.\n\nTrump has said \"annihilating\" Iran’s naval forces is a core objective of Operation Epic Fury, and that the U.S. has destroyed nine Iranian naval ships so far.\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:13:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/fires-rage-irans-bandar-abbas-naval-headquarters-strait-hormuz-traffic-stalled",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_328b8cdd6207",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Trump pushes back on mounting criticism about his Iran war battle plan as conflict spreads - AP News",
    "body_text": "Trump pushes back on mounting criticism about his Iran war battle plan as conflict spreads\nTrump pushes back on mounting criticism about his Iran war battle plan as conflict spreads\nPresident Donald Trump on Monday pushed back against mounting criticism that he hasn’t done enough to explain why it was necessary to start a war with Iran now or to articulate his vision for an endgame to the escalating conflict.\nThe frustration is coming not just from the political left but also from his “Make America Great Again” base, as the conflict expands, energy prices surge, and the death toll in the Middle East rises in a war that the administration suggests may only be in the opening stages.\nTrump also seemed to leave open the possibility for a more extensive U.S. military involvement, telling the New York Post on Monday that he was not ruling out the possibility of boots on the ground. It came as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the administration would not get into the “foolish” exercise of telegraphing “what we will or will not do.”\n“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump said. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ (or) ‘if they were necessary.’”\nThe president, and top aides, sought to defend his approach as Iran continues to retaliate by firing drones and missiles at Israel, American bases in the region, and at Persian Gulf neighbors. Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, also traded strikes on Monday, opening another front in the conflict.\nSome in MAGA world are fuming\nTrump strode back into office last year on an “America First” pledge to keep the U.S. out of the sort of “forever wars” that bogged down some of his recent White House predecessors. Central to his foreign policy outlook dating to his first campaign has been his call to “abandon the failed policy of nation building and regime change.”\nHe echoed this call during a visit to Saudi Arabia last year, saying that “so-called ‘nation-builders’ wrecked far more nations than they built — and the interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.”\nBut now Trump finds himself in a war of his own choosing that’s spurring concern the U.S. could be dragged into another prolonged conflict in the Middle East.\n“I’m not happy about the whole thing. I don’t think this was in America’s interests,” Erik Prince, a longtime Trump ally and a prominent private security contractor said Sunday in an appearance on former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. “It’s gonna uncork a significant can of worms and chaos, and destruction in Iran now.”\nPrince added, “I don’t see how this is in keeping with the president’s MAGA commitment. I am disappointed.”\nOther prominent allies questioning the decision to strike Iran include YouTube host Benny Johnson, influencer Andrew Tate, and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.\nTrump, in an interview with journalist Rachael Bade published Monday evening, dismissed some of the concerns as being out of step with the MAGA movement writ large.\n“MAGA wants to see our country thrive and be safe. And MAGA loves what I’m doing — every aspect of it,” Trump said. He added that Iran “is a detour that we have to take in order to keep our country safe and keep other countries safe, frankly.”\nTo be certain, many of Trump’s staunch allies say they back Trump’s decision, and see no signs of schism in their movement.\n“No, ma’am, I think Iran, they’re bad actors,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told a reporter who asked about the divide. “They’ve killed Americans. In Iraq, they supply armaments. Hezbollah is part of their pact and they’ve supplied them with armaments and funds. And they do business with Chinese, so absolutely not. I think we’re good.”\nTrump, speaking at a White House event on Monday, said the joint U.S. and Israel military operation was “substantially ahead of schedule” and estimated that it would take four to five weeks to meet the administration’s objectives — although he said it could take longer.\n“We have capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said.\nHegseth was even more vague about the time frame.\n“President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks,” Hegseth said. “It could move up. It could move back.”\nThe U.S. military expects to endure additional casualties in its operation against Iran, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine told reporters. As of Monday, six U.S. service members had been killed in action and others badly injured as Iran carried out a barrage of retaliatory strikes around the region.\nRegime change or regime collapse?\nThe administration has not detailed who it wants to see take control of Iran following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other top leaders in the opening salvos of the conflict.\nTrump in announcing the start of the major combat operations called on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to put down their arms. But history suggests that air power alone is unlikely to bring about the kind of regime change that Trump says he wants to see in Iran.\nThe president also hasn’t committed to assisting members of the Iranian opposition who he has called on to rise up against the ruling Islamic theocracy once the bombing campaign is done.\nTrita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a Washington think tank, said that Trump may ultimately be willing to settle for a “regime collapse” or “regime implosion.”\n“That is very different (than regime change), not only because potentially it could be achieved, but it’s also something that enables the Trump administration to wash their hands of the consequences of this,” Parsi said.\nStill, Israel is pressing Trump for a sustained operation that could deliver a decisive blow to Iran’s clerical rule.\n“I think the Israelis’ biggest concern may be that President Trump would take … sort of the early offering, declaring victory,” said Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Obama administration who is now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council. “I think they’d like to see this go longer, with the president’s support.”\nQuestions about Trump’s rationale\nTrump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a pre-emptive strike against the U.S. The administration officials instead acknowledged there was a more general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces.\nYet Trump on Monday repeated his assertion that the U.S. needed to take action because of concerns that Iran was aiming to build ballistic missiles that could reach the United States.\nIran hasn’t acknowledged it is building or seeking to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, however, said in an unclassified report last year that Iran could develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”\nThe president also repeated his claim that Iran was seeking to rebuild its nuclear program even after U.S. strikes carried out last June during the 12-day Israel-Iran war had in his words “obliterated” three key nuclear facilities.\nRafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Monday reaffirmed that Iran has an “ambitious” nuclear program but doesn’t have a program for building nuclear weapons currently. Iran has refused to let IAEA inspectors visit its damaged nuclear sites.\nKelsey Davenport, the director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, said “regime change is not a viable nonproliferation strategy.”\n“Iran’s nuclear program cannot be bombed away. Iran’s nuclear knowledge cannot be bombed away,” she said. “Even if there’s regime change, Iran’s program will still pose a proliferation risk.”\n___\nAP journalists Seung Min Kim, Nathan Ellgren, and Didi Tang contributed reporting.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxQb0NpV0g2NHoyTEhqa2ZZZTFBYlBUQ2ZYYkthM0NhX0duWC1wUjVQWkVVd3FoVFJScURENlVOWlFxYmExT1gwcTAtczNHeUQ4bFhRQm9odlUxZUZqWm1ZNzAxbDFBUVc5anltbnRERVF3Q25uTzNrbFlvQWF5ektSUkpvcTlLd2xnVm1WN1lrR294aTQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b85aed90d519",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is ‘not endless’ while warning more casualties are likely - AP News",
    "body_text": "Hegseth insists the Iran conflict is ‘not endless’ while warning more casualties are likely\nHegseth insists the Iran conflict is ‘not endless’ while warning more casualties are likely\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke Monday to widening concerns that the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring: “This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” even as he warned that more American casualties are likely in the weeks ahead.\nWhile the Trump administration has cited Iran’s nuclear ambitions as the chief concern to be addressed, officials increasingly are pointing to the threat from Iran’s ballistic missiles as a key reason to launch the attacks as well as an opportunity to take out the government’s leadership and the sense that negotiations around the nuclear program have stalled.\nTrump said Monday that Iran’s conventional missile program “was growing rapidly and dramatically, and this posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas.”\nHegseth said at a separate press conference with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the operation had a “decisive mission” to eliminate the threat of Iranian ballistic missiles, destroy the country’s navy and ensure “no nukes.”\nTrump, Hegseth and Caine have not suggested any exit plan or offered signs that the conflict would end anytime soon as the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast doubt on the future of the Islamic Republic and hurtled the region into broader instability. Caine said the biggest U.S. military buildup in the Middle East in decades would only grow because the commander in the region “will receive additional forces even today.”\nAt a news conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Iran operation has a defined goal, unlike a past U.S. war.\n“This is not a so-called regime-change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.\nTrump, however, in video statements released after the strikes began, urged the Iranian people “to take back your country.”\nMore American troop casualties expected\nThe conflict has spilled into the wider region, with Iran and its allied armed groups launching missiles at Israel, Arab states and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.\nSix American troops have been killed, with Trump, Hegseth and Caine predicting more casualties. All were Army soldiers and part of the same logistics unit in Kuwait, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.\nWhen asked about the six deaths Monday, Hegseth said an Iranian weapon made it past allied air defenses “and, in that particular case, happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified.”\nEighteen American service members also have been seriously wounded, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.\nThe latest sign of the escalating upheaval came when, the U.S. military said, ally Kuwait “mistakenly shot down” three American fighter jets during a combat mission as Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones were attacking. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely from the American F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition.\nAsked if there are boots on the ground now in Iran, Hegseth said, “No, but we’re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do.”\nHe said it was “foolishness” to expect U.S. officials to say publicly “here’s exactly how far we’ll go.”\nTrump told the New York Post on Monday that he wasn’t ruling out U.S. forces in Iran if “they were necessary.” He noted, “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground.”\nAt the White House, Trump said the mission was expected to take four to five weeks but “we have the capability to go far longer than that.”\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the Capitol that the U.S. “will do this as long as it takes to achieve” its objectives and warned that “the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military.”\nHegseth also dismissed questions about the time frame and said Trump had “latitude” to decide how long it would take. “Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks,” he said. “It could move up. It could move back.”\nPentagon gives justification for strikes\nIn laying out a case for the strikes, Hegseth did not point to any imminent nuclear threat from Iran and said again that strikes by the U.S. and Israel last June “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”\nInstead, Hegseth pointed to threats from other weaponry that justified the operation: “Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.”\nHe added, “Our bases, our people, our allies, all in their crosshairs. Iran had a conventional gun to our head as they tried to lie their way to a nuclear bomb.”\nHegseth said that during negotiations leading up to the attack, Iranian officials were “stalling” despite having “every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal.”\nHe also justified the operation by describing Iran’s government as having started the conflict from its inception, declaring that for 47 years it has “waged a savage, one-sided war against America.”\nIn a private briefing Sunday, Trump administration officials told congressional staffers that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S., three people familiar with the briefings said.\nTrump, a Republican, had said the objective of the mission was to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” And senior Trump administration officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, told reporters Saturday that there were indicators that the Iranians could launch a preemptive attack.\nMilitary doesn’t specify Iran’s nuclear sites as targets\nAs with the attack that dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, Caine said the military used B-2 stealth bombers in the new operation with a 37-hour round trip.\nHe said the penetrating bombs were dropped on Iranian underground facilities” but did not specify that they were nuclear facilities. Nuclear sites were not among the types of targets on a list released over the weekend by U.S. Central Command.\nThe administration says Israel and the U.S. have bombed Iranian missile sites and targeted its navy, claiming to have destroyed its headquarters and multiple warships.\nCaine on Monday referenced the use of cyber technologies, saying the U.S. “effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks” that left “the adversary without the ability to coordinate or respond effectively.”\nWithout giving specifics, Caine said the military “delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustained combat operations on the U.S. side.”\nCaine said Trump gave the go-ahead order for the strikes at 3:38 p.m. EST on Friday. That meant the president gave the green light when he was aboard Air Force One heading to Texas with Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn and actor Dennis Quaid.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Charleston, S.C.; Bill Barrow in Atlanta; David Klepper, Ben Finley and Lisa Mascaro in Washington; and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxPdTd0Q2RDdHN2cVIteGV6SHBjQk9mMUhOblpXdk1WUXNnNUo4WmVkYWpIVk5iY2RMYTVVa2kxTHhmSm5Mcnk1N0JvMDZiQmhUSlRRemNXWWZCZ3JoOVlabGJoLWtROGV5elZtakw4RmZEN3oxbDlyX2VMaEV2cXRXVGstcUFGMlZURW84Mg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4ccb49586875",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: How the US-Israel war with Iran is jeopardising shipping",
    "body_text": "Watch: How the US-Israel war with Iran is jeopardising shipping\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a key artery for the movement of global energy supplies.\nBBC Verify's Ben Chu has been looking at what's been happening to marine traffic in the strait since the US-Israel war with Iran broke out - and examining the potential economic fallout.\nProduced by Jemimah Herd\nGraphics by Sally Nicholls",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:21:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cvgjnv2y90wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e21d29daaf4d",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "How Iran's Shahed drone threat can be countered - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "A layered defence using fighters, heavy machine guns, AAA and jammers is essential to counter massed Shahed drone attacks.\nCost-effective interceptors should be prioritised to preserve expensive Thaad ($12 million) and Patriot ($1 million) missiles.\nMobile AAA such as Skyranger 35 and Gepard systems offer rapid, radar-guided engagement against drones, cruise missiles and aircraft.\nUkraine’s experience, including rooftop guns and helicopter gunships, is informing Gulf defences, with UK support and coordination to avoid friendly fire.\n“The trick is finding them and engaging them far enough away from your populated city,” said air power expert Tim Ripley.\nPreventing Shahed drones from hitting cities requires the use of fighter jets combined with machineguns, military experts told The National.\nIran has expended more than 1,000 of the weapons so far, but is understood to have a huge stockpile and the ability to build hundreds more every week, making the unmanned combat aerial vehicles a long-term threat.\nAnalysts are advising defence forces to use Ukraine's tactics of placing heavy machineguns or AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery) on rooftops, city outskirts and on pickup trucks while using helicopter gunships as an additional layer of defence.\nThe UK announced on Sunday that it would bring experts from Ukraine with its own to help Gulf partners shoot down the Iranian drones attacking the region.\nThey will help to set up the best systems available to destroy the drone threat, thereby preserving the more expensive Thaad (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) missiles which cost $12 million for every interception and the Patriot missiles, which cost $1 million each.\nAlthough the Shahed-136 drone is relatively slow-moving, with a top speed of 185kph, it does carry a 36kg to 50kg warhead and a 2,500km maximum range. In massed attacks, they can cause considerable damage even if a small percentage of them get through.\nThe latest figures show that Iran has so far fired 541 drones at the UAE, 283 at Kuwait, nine at Bahrain, 12 at Qatar and dozens at Jordan.\nAnother two drones were fired towards RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus on Monday but were intercepted, probably by one of the eight RAF Typhoon fighters at the base.\nAAA defences\nSkyranger 35 is a world-leading air defence system. The mobile, state-of-the-art ground-based AAA gun is made by Rheinmetall in Germany, where the Berlin government has ordered 600 of them.\nIts 35mm revolver cannon fires 1,000 rounds a minute with a 4,000 metre range and 360-degree coverage using a powerful AESA radar to target either drones, cruise missiles or aircraft. It can be mounted on either tracked or six-wheeled armoured vehicles.\nOther more readily available systems are the German-made Gepard AAA tank which is mounted with double or quadruple 35mm Oerlikon cannons.\nAnother option when defending against Shahed drone attacks is to use specialist jamming guns – although these do have a limited range and could cause collateral damage to broader jamming defence with proper electronic warfare systems – that have again been adapted in Ukraine.\nDrone fighters\nBut the key forward defence measure is posting fighter jets such as Rafale, F-16s or the UK’s Typhoons.\nWith their advanced radar they are able track incoming massed drone attacks and manoeuvre behind to shoot them down with their 27mm Mauser cannon or more expensive air-to-air missiles.\nIn a last-ditch scenario, they can also use the tactic of flying directly over a drone using their jet wash to knock them down, a tactic used by British pilots to take out helicopters in the 1982 Falklands War.\nThere will be significant input from Ukraine’s F-16 pilots who have been successfully bringing down Shaheds launched daily at their towns and cities.\n“The Shaheds fly very slowly in straight lines and they don't take evasive action,” said air power expert Tim Ripley. “The trick is finding them and engaging them far enough away from your populated city, so the debris doesn't fall on to it.”\nAnother vital elements of a protracted campaign are ammunition stockpiles and the need to preserve interceptors for Iran’s hypersonic missiles.\nOne system developed by the US is the cost-effective 70mm Hydra laser-guided missile. About 40 of them can be fitted on to an F-15 or F-16 fighter. The BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS II) is another option. They cost about $20,000 each and are significantly cheaper than other options.\nBut key to successful defence is co-ordinating air defences to deconflict with ground positions and avoid friendly fire incidents, like the one already in Kuwait, where three US fighter jets were mistakenly shot down on Monday.\nCottage industry\nOne significant challenge facing Gulf states is the number of Shaheds that Iran cannot only launch but readily make in its small cottage factories dotted across the country.\nMilitary expert Francis Tusa estimated that a single engineer, surrounded by all the necessary parts, could in ideal conditions make 12 of the drones in a 10-hour shift.\n“The Shahed has the advantage that they are cheap and simple,” he said. “You can probably produce them in a garage so you don't need an expensive factory.\n“The motor is simple. The navigation system is likely one small circuit board and the most complex thing is the warhead – and even that's not that complex.”\nThe other problem is that the Shahed batteries, usually consisting of 10 drones each, can easily be dispersed around Iran and be fired from underground car parks, garages or forest clearings, making their launch sites hard to detect.\nUltimately, what the military call an “integrated air defence” of jets, radars, missiles and machineguns, will afford the best protection against drone swarms, with constant adaptations made to meet changing threats.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:23:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNdHlFSm9GUzRzajE4eXhzMEZCRXZDZWJidlFzQk9EckdRRzZWa3FuYmZMUXdJZkpJa0xvMzJKbDJVNTE3SndCZkFkQURjVEhJTzJQeTdHcFRFTjVNaldUZ0RBV01yZW8tOGc3S0pEZWloNS1zTXN5NS1LeWh3bFRXVVN5d0oyakI4QXJzN2hWNkRiV05EeExQMWZ3UEpxWHo4cHc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_155ab1c707d8",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Oil and gas prices jump as conflict escalates",
    "body_text": "Oil and gas prices jump as conflict escalates\nOil and gas prices have surged as Iran continues to launch strikes across the Middle East in response to ongoing attacks by the US and Israel.\nNatural gas prices spiked on Monday after QatarEnergy, one of the world's biggest exporters, halted production following \"military attacks\" on its facilities.\nOil prices also jumped, with the global benchmark Brent crude briefly hitting $82 (£61) a barrel on Monday, after at least three ships were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz at the weekend.\nIran warned vessels not to pass through the crucial waterway in the south of the country, through which about 20% of the world's oil and gas is shipped.\nIn the US, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 stock market indexes opened down but regained those losses during Monday's trading and closed marginally higher.\nBanks such as Barclays, Standard Chartered, and HSBC also saw their share prices slide amid concerns that a sustained rise in energy prices risks fuelling inflation which, in turn, could lead to fewer interest rate cuts by central banks.\nOil and defence firms were the biggest risers on the FTSE 100.\nIn France, the CAC-40 index closed down 2.2%, while Germany's Dax extended earlier declines to close 2.6% lower.\nQatarEnergy, which is owned by the state, said that it had suspended producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) after the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said a drone launched from Iran targeted a facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City.\nQatar's MoD also said a drone went after a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed, south of the capital Doha.\nEurope's benchmark gas price jumped 50% on Monday before closing 39% higher.\nMeanwhile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Aramco temporarily shut its major oil refinery at Ras Tanura on the coast after being hit by a drone.\nInternational shipping has almost come to a standstill at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, with analysts warning that a prolonged conflict could push energy prices even higher.\nThe UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said that two vessels had been struck, and an \"unknown projectile\" was reported to have \"exploded in very close proximity\" to a third.\n\"The market isn't panicking\", Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee told the BBC. \"There is more clarity that so far, oil transport and production infrastructure hasn't been a primary target by any side,\" he added.\n\"The market will be watching for signs that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz returns, which would see oil prices subside again.\"\nBut some analysts have warned it could go over $100 in the event of a prolonged conflict which could have a knock-on effect on inflation and interest rates.\nRobin Mills, chief executive at Dubai-based consultancy Qamar Energy and a former executive at oil giant Shell, said: \"The jump in prices will feed through almost immediately because the oil traders are very much following the news too.\n\"At the moment, oil prices are not particularly high, they are still below where they were even two years ago so we're not in full-blown oil crisis mode yet.\"\nOn Sunday, the Opec+ group of oil producing nations agreed to increase their output by 206,000 barrels a day to help cushion any price rises, but some experts doubt this would help much.\nEdmund King, president of the AA, warned the disruption could drive up petrol prices around the world.\n\"The turmoil and bombing across the Middle East will surely be a catalyst to disrupt oil distribution globally, which will inevitably lead to price hikes,\" he said.\n\"The magnitude and duration of pump price increases depends on how long the conflict goes on.\"\nSubitha Subramaniam, chief economist and head of investment strategy at Sarasin & Partners, said if oil prices remained high for a sustained period: \"It will start to cascade into other prices such as food, agriculture, industrial commodities and that's just going to really bleed into inflation.\"\nThe pace of inflation has been easing in the UK, leading to the Bank of England cutting interests.\nSubramaniam suggested that the Bank may choose to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.75% for the moment despite recently signalling further cuts could be made.\nOn Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said three tankers from the UK and US had been \"struck by missiles and are burning\". The UK and the US have not commented.\nThe UKMTO said \"multiple security incidents\" had been reported across the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and it had advised ships to \"transit with caution\".\nAt least 150 tankers have dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz, although a handful of Iranian and Chinese vessels have passed through today, according to ship-tracking platform Kpler.\n\"Because of Iran's threats, the strait is effectively closed,\" Homayoun Falakshahi from Kpler told BBC News.\nDanish container shipping group Maersk said in a statement on Sunday that it would pause sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal and reroute ships around the Cape of Good Hope.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:23:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75evve6l63o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_825cc6a61e59",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "What is behind the strategy to take out Iran's leadership?",
    "body_text": "What is behind the strategy to take out Iran's leadership?\nThe US and Israel have said they have air superiority over parts of Iran, allowing their jets to strike targets at will.\nThey have also displayed a kind of intelligence superiority, a dominance which has allowed them to find and kill multiple Iranian leaders.\nBut what is the strategy behind this? One answer is a focus on causing confusion.\nThe first move in the campaign was not the attack that struck the supreme leader's compound, but the hackers at US Cybercommand Space Command and their Israeli counterparts.\nThey blinded Iran's ability to understand what was happening, stopping it from communicating and responding, according to US military officials.\nUsing that advantage, senior leaders were struck in multiple locations. Those officials had been tracked over months by the CIA and Mossad, amongst others.\nThat was most likely through long-standing technical penetration of the Iranian communications systems as well as human spies on the ground, often run by Mossad.\nThe results were startling. The army chief of staff, defence minister and head of the Revolutionary Guards were among those killed.\nIsrael is believed to have taken the lead on these strikes.\nThe US said that it also went on to strike Iran's command and control, ballistic missile sites and also intelligence infrastructure in the opening salvos.\nThe explicit aim of this was to \"daze and confuse\" the Iranians, said Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a Monday briefing.\nThe US and Israeli ambition was to paralyse Iran.\nHowever, Tehran was known to have prepared for the targeting of its leadership, with officials told to designate multiple successors in the event of their death (and to keep their identities secret).\nThat awareness of the risk makes it even more surprising that some of the most senior people in the Iranian regime were meeting on Saturday morning - allowing so many to be killed.\nSo what do the killings mean for the course of the war?\nIn the short term it may make it harder for Iran to muster a response. The confusion caused by the targeting has advantages militarily but could also have risks.\nIt is not clear if the volleys of missiles and drones being sent across the Middle East are the result of a pre-ordained policy which is now on auto-pilot, if local commanders are acting on their own initiative, or if someone centrally is issuing orders through a functioning chain of command.\nThe next question is whether the elimination of so many leaders will fundamentally shift Iran's calculation about whether to continue to fight or find some way out.\nA CIA intelligence assessment completed just before the war began predicted that the removal of the supreme leader might lead to hardliners from the Revolutionary Guards taking more control.\nAny new leader will have to calculate whether regime survival will be ensured by continuing to fight - or, alternatively, talking and effectively giving in to US demands.\nBut if they continue to be killed, it may be harder to come to any decision or negotiation.\nThe US may want to see a figure like Delcy Rodríguez - who took over from Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, and is understood to be cooperating with the US - but it is not clear if such a person exists or could lead the state.\nAnd so the last – even more significant question – is whether the killings makes it more likely there will be regime change?\nHistory suggests air power alone is rarely enough, and the US has shown no desire to put boots on the ground.\nIt may be hoping that taking out security and intelligence forces may help a popular uprising to succeed this time, after protesters were crushed in January.\nPresident Trump called for just such an uprising again and even promised immunity for members of the security forces who laid down their weapons. But the regime is deeply embedded and will do whatever it can to cling to power.\nWhile future leadership is uncertain, the priority for Israel and the US appears to be to do as much damage as they can to the regime.\nIf that results in change, it may be welcomed by the Iranian people - but the risks will fall on them.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:27:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly8gqj9r6go?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_eb3a2d5dca46",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Tracking the Iran War Through Markets and Asset Classes - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Tracking the Iran War Through Markets and Asset Classes    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:30:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxQSVY2bUJ6MUU0NmMyTkFla1hlckc4N3BQODBydTR6c0JEOHRkaTh1UUQzc3dUWm5HeVdGOUxBQTNHTUtCSC1DNC1ZMmtrTjhRT3V6RVZxb3VFTENDUnRSWHV3c3pmTlVzRFdHWC13SnFuajU5MFJlLVdpdFNjb1NRQWx1Z0pCYmFyWkhXOEwtX0VyVG13bWpta01aY0hzck83T3RZVGRUUDd6ZV9ja2paLUhKSFN6QlU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_25e819b99cff",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US markets see-saw as investors keep close eye on Iran war - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "US stocks see-sawed on Monday as investors tried to keep abreast of the news on the first day of trading since the US and Israel attacks on Iran began.\nAfter dipping down over 1% across the board, the major indexes recovered most of their losses even after global markets saw heftier drops earlier in the day. At Monday’s closing, the Dow was down 0.15%, while the S&P 500 was 0.04% up. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 0.36% for the day.\nTrading focused on tech stocks including Nvidia and Palantir, while a slowdown was seen in travel stocks including the airlines United, Delta and American.\nEarlier in the day, global markets saw deeper dips, with London’s FTSE 100 share index down 1.2% and Germany’s DAX 2.4% lower at closing.\nInvestors around the world are paying close attention to the possibility of rising gas prices after Iran retaliated against US air strikes. Gas prices have surged nearly 50% in some European and Asian markets since Saturday.\nOver the weekend, Iranian drone strikes shut down QatarEnergy, the state-run gas company that is one of the largest producers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world. Tehran also attacked tankers in the strait of Hormuz, an essential passageway for tankers heading to Europe and Asia.\nBy Monday, benchmarks for gas prices in Europe and Asia were up 40% at closing.\nThe price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, was up 6.9% at closing. In the US, crude oil futures closed at around $72 per barrel – the highest since last summer, though still far below the peak of $120 a barrel seen after Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2022.\nThe conflict of Iran has piled more uncertainty on top of the US economy, which is still reeling from the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs on prices. Mortgage rates rose on Monday after falling below 6% for the first time since 2022, going up to 6.12% as 10-year US Treasurys jumped 4%.\nThe US attack on Iran comes as Americans have started to sour on Trump over inflation after he campaigned on promises to quell the rising cost of living. Trump said Monday the war is anticipated to last from four to five weeks but could “go far longer than that”, an uncertainty that could trickle into consumer prices should attacks be drawn out.\nJamie Dimon, JP Morgan’s chief, told CNBC on Monday he was not worried about the impacts of the conflict on US inflation.\n“The economy is not often driven by something like that unless it is prolonged,” Dimon said. “If it’s not prolonged, it’s not going to be a major inflationary hit.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid0FVX3lxTFBLWU5lakZZb0RuRU9iLW44X01qaXdweXNCLXZldzNkV3VMZk5VbGV2RjMzNlU1eTlMSGg2YXQwWDlCYURTbDFWNXhrT1BoVm9JeWlFSXlsOUV0VjIxZWVkb3RGLW5RNUhPcHVRSzM4alVxdkIwbnJ3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6bc34d61450d",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Gold Climbs as Middle East War Drives Investor Rush to Safety - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Gold Climbs as Middle East War Drives Investor Rush to Safety    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:37:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQUTNiLV9zT0hUNng3MGd1WVVTbEQ0d3c2SzB1bHdhQmdRSVEwTzR0S0ZMYU9nVG9HM2tXUkY4WE1xMy1lR2dHTllmWkdNa1hNX3VTNUdXX2QzVmN2bko4MzJLY2gxSlhiZTl3RjQyQW8zeGhNTjZ2Um9keHNzdnpiX2lCWDByMVgwWm5JOER6TjhSdlNxMmlDbzJud3ZxbjJaVUY2X05uNGVkZjlTTEpQZ0Jn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5c117bd58606",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Stocks Drop, Volatility Spikes as Traders Weigh Iran War Risks - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Stocks Drop, Volatility Spikes as Traders Weigh Iran War Risks    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:39:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPWTRkSjl3ZHJ2c2E2c1VTT0RwUWs3UUc5Nnd6R1pOamcwTk9IZTZCMWtQWFdZVmN5aURlYVFycFdxV05hQzZoSXJ4YnhzVHVCSWxaNUYxVUw2dHJVQW5WajVwZUI5SGZfaGdvSkUtQlBteDJWbldSU2owV1pjenZtTGt0UUwyV2g5RUtEbG9qWkRickF6TUpCWTA5MElnbGc4VlI4VzdIejZkT1dia0RLSHZn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d13e9dd02aac",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "FirstFT: Stocks and bonds tumble as Middle East war spreads - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "FirstFT: Stocks and bonds tumble as Middle East war spreads\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:42:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE82b3RPZ3A2WXE1TlR2aFpKdERpcEVhTlhyTGdpS1hyTV9INFlQczQ4NjVZTmlTRlM4Qm9HeGlZck1vRFh5cVZ2WUdGajVxRS12MEZabjFRUEljWlp2TWtkVURVUFQxdEZIV2tpckJqTGg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_dce0a2361b1a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israeli military says it has begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israeli military says it has begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:46:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOeW1Fb1dKQVdlMERqdVJPWm9XRkJWc2JFQlc2YXpleHpWRTVMU2JZYmI5VldvVHdUaEhIR1NfYU9BZVdsM3NxN3NERUc0ZWU0MzZDNjdjVkxpMGlXVFlsMWstVzY3YXdKQ1JyQk1sOUhqLVRYWTdpNm9TY3gtXzk5Y1FoZXh2Y1N4UmNYLTlGMzBfR184SGVsQ2xSOVliaW0tYV80UG5memx2cGNINng3YWJ3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7d4006127a55",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Spikes as Middle East War All But Halts Hormuz Ship Strait - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Spikes as Middle East War All But Halts Hormuz Ship Strait    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:48:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxPcWVrSWV1UkwtZmttRGFYdUxiNFY4SjRGekdCMVViMjRQVVF4MV9ORnZwWEhXSFVteXM0TGdpSm9mdFdVekFNTUcyOWowTUVHMzk4VTR5RnVQb3VMLUMxYkpZX2dKTWRwRG9jVmRPV2Y1a0FpbHVHN0ktaWc4QTFkU1QwZWIwLVJSckVMM0d1VFhkaC1wTFhidE5XYlRjTW8?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8131573b9cce",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Emerging Market Currencies, Stocks Fall on Iran Conflict Worries - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Emerging Market Currencies, Stocks Fall on Iran Conflict Worries    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:54:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQSU5ZOERsWUJLQmVzMVRiVGtYcGtMZjNaUHJ6WFRRY3NjZkRZNWdleFQyRW1fY1RpSHBYUzJ0eU92dDFETVBITjJENnVaUWRrUUFxUHo2Uk90ejVQRTNjSHAwMk1HZkVNMkJrbEFRNUNVOFRBR3ZpMnlpT1ZLTFZRRzl1ckVwQm4wZE93U1ZPejZrSURZR3pjam5mMHFpUENSYXJQeDBTaXg0UXRiV2xMT1hKUUI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_77562aaf9341",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Trump's Iran endgame unclear after mixed messaging on war aims",
    "body_text": "Trump's Iran endgame unclear after mixed messaging on war aims\nThree days into the US strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump's war aims and vision for the future of the country remain opaque.\nTrump and senior administration officials have offered a wide range of views about what they hope to achieve in the largest American military operation in the Middle East in two decades - and whether or not the US supports regime change in Tehran.\nThe administration initially said its goal was to destroy Iran's nuclear programme. But in the hours and days since, the rationale has shifted as Trump used an unconventional messaging strategy of social media posts and brief telephone interviews with reporters to signal his intentions.\nTrump laid out some of his objectives on Monday in his first public remarks at the White House since the start of the war.\nThe US is seeking to destroy Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and navy, its ability to develop nuclear weapons, and support for proxy groups in the region, Trump said. He argued the broader purpose of the war was to protect the US and its allies from attacks by Iran.\n\"An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,\" Trump said.\nBut Trump made no mention of what Iran's future might look like after the war ends, or why he believed the country would no longer pose a threat to the US once this operation is completed.\nThe remarks on Monday were a departure from his initial comments after launching the attack. On Saturday, Trump urged Iranians to \"take back your government,\" which was widely interpreted as an implicit call for the overthrow of the regime led for decades by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nTrump touted Khamenei's death over the weekend, but is yet to give a sense of what he believes the succession plan should be.\n\"The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates,\" he told ABC News on Sunday night. \"It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead.\"\nTrump's positions have at times seemed at odds with other top administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.\nHegseth, speaking on Monday just hours before Trump's remarks at the White House, rejected the idea that the US attacked Iran with the express goal of toppling the regime.\n\"This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change,\" Hegseth said during a news conference with General Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.\nHegseth said Operation Epic Fury would be a success, but he did not offer details on the scope or duration of the conflict. His confidence contrasted with remarks by Gen Caine, who offered a more sober assessment.\nAmerica's military goals in Iran \"will be difficult to achieve, and in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work,\" Caine said. He also warned that the US could suffer further casualties as the war drags on.\nSo far, six US service members have been killed in retaliatory strikes by Iran, which have targeted Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and other US allies in the region.\nTrump has also warned of more US casualties, while arguing that the sacrifice will be worth it to reshape the balance of power in the Middle East. Trump has framed the conflict in a broader historical context, claiming that he is poised to destroy the US and Israel's biggest adversary in the region.\nThe president said on Monday that the US needed to strike Iran now, without offering a detailed explanation as to why. \"This was our last best chance to strike,\" he said.\nBy the afternoon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered what appeared to be a new rationale: the US attacked Iran \"pre-emptively\" after learning Israel was going to strike, which would have in turn led to retalition against US forces.\n\"We knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,\" Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill before briefing top lawmakers.\nMessaging strategy criticised\nThe lack of detail or clear plan beyond the air campaign has sparked mounting criticism in Congress. Most Republicans have publicly thrown their support behind Trump, but Democrats have argued the president doesn't have a defined strategy and have warned the US could get pulled into a protracted conflict.\n\"The Trump administration still has not given any detail on where Iran's nuclear programme was at,\" Representative Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told NPR earlier on Monday.\n\"We have not seen any specific intelligence, so I don't think there's any credible claim that there was an imminent threat coming from Iran, which is not to say Iran isn't a problem,\" he added.\nGeneral David Petraeus, a former director of the CIA, told the BBC that the killing of Iran's supreme leader was a \"historic achievement\". But he warned that urging the Iranian people to rise up is risky.\n\"Unfortunately, in most cases like this it is the guys who have the most guns and the most thugs and who are willing to be most brutal who prevail,\" he said.\nThe regime's security forces, he added, are about a million-strong and have already shown they are willing to kill their own people.\nBut the retired general, who is also a former commander of US forces in Iraq, said he did not think Trump would put US boots on the ground in Iran to achieve his objectives.\n\"No, the president has clearly said that won't be the case - the vice-president has echoed that. And in a way I think they're trying to pre-emptively reassure the American people there won't be another long, tough, hard war such as we had in Iraq or Afghanistan,\" he said.\nMuch of the criticism has stemmed in part from Trump's unusual approach in communicating with the public about the war.\nPresidents typically address the nation from the Oval Office or other high-profile settings to explain their thinking for sending troops into combat. President George W Bush gave several speeches from the White House to make his case for the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Barack Obama made a detailed argument for his decision to send more US troops to Afghanistan early on in his first term.\nIn both cases, the US sent thousands of ground troops into combat. Trump has limited the attack on Iran to air strikes, as he did last year in a separate strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. He did not, however, rule out sending ground troops in the future \"if they were necessary\" in a brief telephone interview with the New York Post on Monday.\nRegardless, Trump's messaging strategy so far represents a break from past precedent.\nTrump announced the start of the attack in a video early on Saturday, then followed that up with posts on Truth Social. He also spent the weekend calling individual reporters and giving brief interviews in which he made numerous different claims about how long the war might last and what his wider goals might be.\nThe president's remarks on Monday were widely anticipated, as observers sought clues on his thinking about the war three days into the conflict. But Trump kept his comments brief, and did not say what might come next for Iran or the rest of the region.\nHe said the war was projected to last as long as \"four to five weeks\" but could also last \"as long as it takes\".\n\"Whatever the time is, it's OK. Whatever it takes,\" Trump said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T21:57:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm214xk30vxo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_95951ddb0b2e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US urges citizens to immediately depart over a dozen Middle Eastern countries - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US urges citizens to immediately depart over a dozen Middle Eastern countries    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:00:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxNeTZ6OFhCUVdnVUxtci1wbHNTSXZ0azNyTkRRbjN1aG5WNW5sQlVPSjhNbUZncFc3VHh5RlEzUk1FbjRGZTF5dHJRbVJSVThabWNiLWVIcmRhZUNMMjEwTW55UXVKdldlVVAyX0Z6Tl9MeVJVOEJWZ1NkbVdFOExkejJHbU93d2FhOVZRYVRLM2U1SWJRSEtqUEdabWRYV3Yxc3lrbDd6SF9NZDVWeW1lWmVZQTNONDlFRUNYa2FJSU5nV25v?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_300e761e064f",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "The escalating Mideast conflict — in maps - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "The escalating Mideast conflict — in maps\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:03:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFA4N1lEaktwRDg5clVFS2ZFeHMxY2g4bmJkVnEwR1ZSOWFPeDlYU2Y4OC1VdVZNMFhfSGV6bDVpVTQwUFB3MXM5MFJyR2JESVU0VmhTRlRNVnNzcDNfS2t4NmdTWHRWQXRyZkdYUGpzdlk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_83ddba65449f",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US stocks erase sharp losses, while oil prices leap on worries about Iran war - AP News",
    "body_text": "US stocks erase sharp losses, while oil prices leap on worries about Iran war\nAsia markets in Hong Kong and Japan react after the U.S. and Israel’s attacks on Iran.\nNEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices leaped Monday on worries that war with Iran could clog the global flow of crude and make inflation even worse. U.S. stocks, meanwhile, swung from sharp losses to a tiny gain.\nCrude prices jumped more than 6%, which will likely mean higher prices soon at gasoline pumps. That would hurt not only U.S. households, whose spending makes up the bulk of the U.S. economy, but also businesses with big fuel bills.\nThe S&P 500 fell as much as 1.2% at the start of trading, and cruise lines and airlines led the way lower. But U.S. stocks quickly erased those losses, in part because past military conflicts haven’t usually created sustained drops for the market, and the index finished the day with a gain of less than 0.1%.\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 73 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%. Both also came back from steep early losses.\nThe AP’s Seth Sutel reports on market reactions following the strikes in the Middle East.\nPrices for natural gas remained higher, meanwhile, which could raise heating bills for the remainder of the winter, after a major supplier of liquefied natural gas to Europe said it would stop production because of the war. Gold climbed 1.2% as investors looked for safer things to own and as U.S. officials tried to persuade the world that this war will not last forever.\n“This is not Iraq,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday. “This is not endless.”\nTypically, Treasury yields also fall in the bond market when investors are feeling nervous. But yields instead climbed, in part because higher oil prices will put upward pressure on inflation, which is already worse than nearly everyone would like. That could tie the Federal Reserve’s hands and keep it from cutting interest rates.\nLower interest rates can boost the economy and job market, but they also worsen inflation. Higher rates can do the opposite.\nPast military conflicts in the Middle East have not caused long-term drops for markets. For this war to knock down U.S. stocks in a significant and sustained way, the price of oil would perhaps need to jump above $100 per barrel, according to strategists at Morgan Stanley led by Michael Wilson.\nOil prices are still well below that level, even with Monday’s jump. The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 6.3% to settle at $71.23. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 6.7% to $77.74 per barrel.\nThat helped the U.S. stock market pare some of its steep, opening loss. Morgan Stanley also said the S&P 500 has climbed an average of 2%, 6% and 8% in the one, six and 12 months following “geopolitical risk events” historically. That’s going back to the Korean War, which began in 1950, and the 1956 Suez crisis.\nAt this moment, though, fear is still running through markets.\nStocks of airlines were some of Monday’s sharpest losers. Not only do higher oil prices threaten their already big fuel bills, the fighting in the Middle East also closed airports and left travelers stranded.\nAmerican Airlines lost 4.2%, United Airlines fell 2.9% and Delta Air Lines sank 2.2%.\nNorwegian Cruise Line Holdings dropped even more, 10.6%. It needs customers to have plenty of cash to spend after paying for gasoline and other essentials.\nThe cruise operator also reported weaker revenue for its latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit was better. Its forecast for profit this upcoming fiscal year was also lower than analysts expected.\nStocks in the housing industry struggled as higher Treasury yields could translate into more expensive mortgage rates. Homebuilder D.R. Horton lost 3.7%, and Builder FirstSource sank 4.7%.\nHelping the U.S. stock market to bounce back from its early losses were oil companies, which benefited from the rising price of crude. Exxon Mobil climbed 1.1%, and Marathon Petroleum rose 5.9%.\nCompanies that make equipment for the military also strengthened. Northrop Grumman climbed 5.9%, and RTX rallied 4.7%.\nPalantir Technologies, whose software helps global defense agencies and other customers, jumped 5.8% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500.\nBig Tech stocks also helped support the market. Nvidia rose 2.9% and was the strongest single force pushing the S&P 500 higher.\nAll told, the S&P 500 added 2.74 points to 6,881.62. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 73.14 to 48,904.78, and the Nasdaq composite rose 80.65 to 22,748.86.\nIn stock markets abroad, indexes sank across much of Europe and Asia. Germany’s DAX lost 2.6%, France’s CAC 40 fell 2.2% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 2.1% for some of the world’s larger losses.\nStocks in Shanghai were an outlier and rose 0.5%.\nIn the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.04% from 3.97% late Friday. A report showing growth for U.S. manufacturing was better last month than economists expected also helped to lift yields.\n___\nAP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:08:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxNQ0Yza3NNRERaS05WOWVRREN5WFhfZnhhOHB1SUtTSmlkV1poNW5xOGZYbGpSWDlvMVVnWkNINGpiR3doMnFlV1RiV0tIU1VhU3NlanZPRVBBeldNdDU2eU5HRzA1OXh0UmlzcWVla216M05OT0d6TU5Yel9kLWJqVWpDQTBhTXhhb3JVUnBkQ0U2ZWJldmVMYl93?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f334c9eb7edf",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Ships in Strait of Hormuz to be 'set ablaze', IRGC official says, as insurers cancel coverage - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Ships in Strait of Hormuz to be 'set ablaze', IRGC official says, as insurers cancel coverage\nThe world’s largest insurance providers are cancelling war-risk coverage for ships in the Persian Gulf after a senior official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Iran would “fire” on any ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the US and Israeli attack.\n\"The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,\" Ebrahim Jabbari, a senior adviser to the IRGC commander-in-chief, said on Monday, according to state media.\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, through which about 20 percent of the world's daily oil consumption and natural gas passes.\nA closure of the strait could also impact container vessels, sending shipping prices up. Jeremy Nixon, CEO of the container carrier, Ocean Network Express, told Reuters on Monday that 10 percent of the global fleet of container vessels is “caught up” in the Strait of Hormuz’s closure.\nJabbari’s statement comes as major providers of war-risk insurance, critical for vessels to transit conflict zones, said they would start withholding coverage as of Thursday.\nJust the loss of war-risk insurance alone could mean a de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz for western-owned tankers. Iran has long relied on a shadow fleet of vessels operating outside the western insurance system to ship its oil.\nAccording to a report by Bloomberg on Monday, the international group of insurance associations that are cancelling war-risk insurance for vessels in the Persian Gulf provide the protection for about 90 percent of the world’s ocean-going tonnage.\nAs the war on Iran escalates, energy has become a target. Saudi Arabia’s biggest domestic oil refinery was forced to suspend production after a drone strike.\nMeanwhile, state-owned QatarEnergy said it was halting production at its Ras Laffan plant after it was attacked by a drone.\nThe Qatari plant covers about 20 percent of the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply.\nEurope and Asia are particularly vulnerable to any blockage of LNG from the Persian Gulf. The benchmark European gas price rose by as much as 45 percent on Monday.\nIran’s Tasnim news agency published a report on Monday that denied Iran had targeted the Gulf states' energy facilities.\nRegardless, a closure of the Strait of Hormuz would effectively have the same result by blocking oil and gas shipments from the region, driving up energy prices, and preventing the Gulf's main export.\nBrent crude, the international benchmark, surged up to eight percent on Monday to settle at $78.40 per barrel.\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the Trump administration will introduce action on Tuesday to “mitigate” rising energy prices caused by the war on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:09:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQalBtbnUzQkZIbE15bUp3T3ZVWTVjNm9pUzhqOVFLYTA3NVRoNF93SDNCQlEyd2pxSkxVbUpnTEhCbnAtT3ZPLWtwNkE2ZFRxSERjOVB1bW1hekF6VEkwb0lkSUphcS1kV0pEZ0RkQl91X1lrNnNUMHJtTU1DMEhWSXljQ3dqSVQ4ck1WVE5nRm51LW5wbHhpR1RwV0dENm81LTdCbGM2R2tZbl9QZXE4SVFPa1EwRFJPRFZEN2RWbWtPeHpB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9e78e8e4c960",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Gulf states on verge of acting against Iran over ‘reckless’ strikes across region - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Gulf states, encouraged by Donald Trump, are on the verge of ending their neutrality in the war against Iran in reprisal for Tehran’s repeated “reckless and indiscriminate attacks” on their territory and infrastructure.\nThe calls, led by the United Arab Emirates from inside the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council, are for the Arab states to act in self-defence against Iran, but it would be a huge step for Gulf leaders in effect to side with Israel in a war that will determine the future shape of the Middle East, probably to the advantage of Israel.\nA video meeting of GCC foreign ministers on Sunday made no explicit reference to such a plan but stated the “option to respond to Iranian attacks” to protect regional security and stability remained on the table.\nIran had expended huge diplomatic effort in the past two years trying to convince the Gulf states that Israel, not Iran, is the chief destabilising force in the region, but much of that painstaking work in speeches, conferences, and diplomatic visits appears to have fallen apart in a matter of days.\nAli Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, has justified Iran’s tactics as an attack on US forces based in the Gulf states. “We do not intend to attack you. But when the bases of your country are used against us and the United States operates in the region with its own forces, we target them,” he said.\nBut Tehran’s justification has lost traction as hotels, apartment blocks and oil refineries have come under attack in what is regarded as a disproportionate barrage. For some Arab leaders, Iran’s tactics reveal the latent arrogance with which it has always viewed other countries in the region.\nIran’s strategic aim in what it bills as a battle of wills appears to be to maximise the economic disruption in the Gulf states so that they plead for Trump to end a war he started without their support.\nApart from an Iranian drone strike on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery, Oman has reported an attack on an oil tanker 50 miles off the coast of Muscat, and Qatar’s defence ministry has reported that two drones struck energy facilities in the industrial city of Ras Laffan. Iran has denied attacking Saudi energy facilities.\nMajed al-Ansari, the foreign ministry spokesperson for Qatar, one of the countries better disposed to Iran, said: “This cannot go unanswered; a price has to be paid for this attack on our people.” Doha shut down its liquified natural gas production in response to the attacks.\nQatar’s former prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, warned that Iran had “lost through this action the Gulf sympathy that was pushing with every possible effort towards de-escalation” and “sowed doubts that will be hard to erase” in its future relations with GCC states.\nYasmine Fariouk, Gulf and Arabian peninsula project director for the International Crisis Group, said: “The Gulf countries now are at a point where there’s a lot of anger at Iran. Many of them have invested a lot in the detente with Iran and in mediating and trying to find solutions only to find that Iran still sees them as a platform for its bigger war with the US and with Israel.”\nThere is also some dismay at the US. One Saudi Arabian official complained to Al Jazeera about US priorities. “The United States abandoned the Gulf states and redirected its air defence to protect Israel. They left all the Gulf states that host American military bases at the mercy of Iranian strikes,” the official said.\nNevertheless, the overwhelming focus of resentment from the Gulf states is directed towards Iran. They point out that they had given undertakings to Iran – with which they had abided – debarring the US from using its bases or airspace to attack Iran.\nIt was widely expected, and trailed by Iran, that the Iranian military would respond to a US attack by hitting US bases, as it also did when it mounted a near-symbolic attack on the US airbase in Qatar at the close of the 12-day war in June.\nBut the scale, speed and breadth of the Iranian attacks has caught Arab leaders by surprise. The UAE has withdrawn its ambassador from Tehran in protest and claims Iran has launched more attacks on its territory than on Israel. It reported that 174 ballistic missiles launched toward the country had been detected, with 161 of them destroyed, while 13 fell into the sea. A further 689 Iranian drones were detected and 645 intercepted, while 44 fell within the country’s territory. Eight cruise missiles were detected and destroyed, resulting in three fatalities and 68 minor injuries.\nKelly Grieco at the Stimson Center has put the financial cost to the UAE at close to $2bn (£1.5bn) since the cost of intercepting a drone is five times higher than their dispatch.\nIn a joint statement on Monday, Bahrain, Iraq (including the Kurdistan region), Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all warned that “targeting civilians and countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilising”.\nThe attacks seem even to have led to a suspension of the deepening rift between the two rival Gulf monarchies, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. They had fallen out after taking opposing sides in Sudan and Yemen, a rivalry that spanned commercial and political interests. But in a sign of a rapprochement, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, and the UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed spoke for the first time in months.\nSaudi authorities also rejected a Washington Post report that it had covertly encouraged the US and Israel to mount an attack on Iran in the week leading to the attack. The damaging charge, if it stuck, would leave the Saudi royal family in difficulties domestically since it has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The public and private position of the Gulf states had been to urge the US to show restraint and stick to the diplomatic path of negotiating a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme.\nSuch is the anger directed towards Tehran, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, came close to apologising for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps attack on a US facility in Oman, the country that has acted as a mediator on the nuclear talks, and argued that Iran had made unprecedented compromises by offering zero stockpiling of highly enriched uranium. Araghchi claimed that Iran’s military command had been devolved as part of an effort to ensure command and control did not collapse if the military headquarters was destroyed.\nSo far there has been little sign of a public debate inside Iran’s hierarchy as to whether the intended economic chaos is worth alienating the Gulf states or if there is a risk of Gulf military reprisals, which would make the regime’s survival even more perilous.\nRob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in defence studies at King’s College in London, told Al Jazeera that Iran “knows exactly what it’s doing” by attacking the Gulf countries.\n“It’s picking the Gulf countries because it sees them as a soft target. They’re easier to hit than Israel,” he said. “These countries have less of an appetite for a fight, because at the end of the day, this is not their war.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:10:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxNZG9tSVl1d09hWGxvQ0ZmU3BvZk13MDRWUzlBYzBkd3h3N3hIQ0JrWVppOVlTNEJEYU9fMjJLOVBfX0NxUTljaGJYUGFVd1R4U1RVUjg2dGVfcWdlLTdVNHV4S3Q0cUNRUXo2Z25nQjM5Mkl5ZlpFRVd0UFN2bVRTTTJWbWZ1QQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d7ebed91498a",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘A constant state of anxiety’: Britons caught up in Middle East conflict - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "After the US-Israel attack on Iran and the disruption to travel, some flights are resuming. Dubai Airports said “limited” flights would restart on Monday evening, three days after they were cancelled.\nBritish people living in the Middle East or travelling through the region told the Guardian they were struggling to know what to do in an ever-changing situation. Others spoke about their efforts to return to the UK. Here are some of their experiences:\n‘We’re getting very little sleep, feeling trapped, and the kids are nervous’\nFrankie, her husband and their three small children have been living in the underground car park of their apartment building in Bahrain since Saturday’s attack.\nThey live in Muharraq near the coast, and Frankie, 37, who works in education, says missiles and drones are being intercepted above them. “We have been sleeping on the floor and trying to keep our children occupied as we hear sirens and explosions,” says Frankie, whose children are five, six and nine.\n“We can go to our apartment to use the bathroom, get snacks and toys for the children in between the sirens going off on our phones,” says Frankie, who moved with her family to Bahrain from Leeds two and a half years ago.\n“We’re getting very little sleep, feeling trapped, and the kids are nervous. It’s been hard to explain to them what’s happening, but we’ve been teaching them charades and playing leapfrog and the Bahraini community has really pulled together.”\nFrankie says they registered with the embassy, and had stocked up on food before the attack. They had visas arranged to go to Saudi Arabia should they need to; however, she adds that they do not think they will be able to leave and flights have been cancelled. “Some of our friends have left, others are staying. We don’t want to leave Bahrain, but living like this is unsustainable.”\n‘This is our home – we don’t want to leave unless we absolutely have to’\nLucy*, 45, who lives in Dubai with her husband and two sons, said the shelves of her local supermarket cleared within hours of the attack on Iran. “Once news broke friends were saying there were queues for petrol,” she says.\n“The shelves of our local supermarket were clear – there was no pasta, no milk and the meat aisle was empty. It has shades of the Covid era, with people initially panic buying and the streets empty of people, and schools in the region moving to online learning.”\nLucy, who works in education and is from the Midlands, moved to Dubai with her husband and sons, now 12 and 16, three years ago. “We live near an airbase, which is doing a lot to intercept the constant barrage of missiles and drones,” she says, adding that her youngest is having to wear noise-cancelling earphones. “We are living in a constant state of anxiety.”\nWhile some expats are considering leaving Dubai once the airspace opens, she feels staying there is safer than being in transit. “We have a ‘grab bag’ by the door just in case, but we are trusting that we are safe and the government is doing an incredible job protecting its people,” she says. “There has been the suggestion of getting people to Saudi – but that is an 11-hour journey. This is our home, and we have pets. We don’t want to leave unless we absolutely have to.”\n‘The coach fares to Riyadh have increased’\nSaif has been living in Saudi Arabia for 12 years and was in Dubai with his parents and son for the weekend when the attacks happened. He left on Sunday and travelled 18 hours by coach to get back home to Riyadh, while his family, including his 11-year-old son and parents, stayed in Dubai with his cousins.\n“My parents were over in Riyadh visiting us from Manchester,” says Saif, 40, who works in the museum and immersive arts sector. “I am trying to get my parents and son booked on another coach so they can join me in Riyadh. Since yesterday [Sunday], the fares have slightly increased.”\nHe said another option was for him to drive back to Dubai to pick them up, as health problems mean his mother cannot travel without stopping regularly. “We are waiting to see how things work out,” he says. “Most of their luggage and medications are here in Riyadh.”\nHe said Dubai was “very calm” when he left on Sunday. “You can hear everything, feel the vibrations, even if you don’t see an explosion,” he says. “It’s very scary, but it’s also very much under control. Everyone is being looked after.”\nSaif, his son and his parents were scheduled to travel back to Manchester on 12 March for Eid. “That could still happen,” he says. “The worst-case scenario, which is not so bad, is that I have to drive back to Dubai and pick them up and bring them back to Riyadh.”\nHe adds: “This whole situation shows us to a tiny degree, what it must be like for the people of Gaza and Palestine, Ukraine and in conflict zones around the world. Hopefully, the world can reflect on this moment and think about ways we can come back together.”\n‘We just want to get home’\nHeleyne Hammersley was on her way back from a holiday in Malaysia with her partner, en route to Dubai to catch their connecting flight to Edinburgh, when they learned their trip would be unexpectedly extended.\n“We circled Dubai airport on Saturday morning for about an hour before we were allowed to land, and then discovered that everything was cancelled,” she says.\nHammersley, who lives in Carlisle and had been holidaying to celebrate her 60th birthday, says initially they “struggled to get information”. She adds: “It was a bit chaotic at first, but Emirates eventually got organised and piled us all on to buses and dropped us at various hotels around the city.\n“We’ve heard the odd explosion and seen smoke, but there’s no real sense of panic among the people staying in the hotel. People are frustrated, fed up and tired, but I’m not getting any sense that anybody’s been especially panicky. I think everybody’s kind of resigned to it.”\nHammersley, a supply teacher, says they have booked a flight back to the UK for Thursday, landing at Newcastle, although they will still have to pick up their car from Edinburgh. “We took the Newcastle flight as that was the soonest we could get back,” she says. “Obviously, we don’t know if that will go ahead, because we don’t know if the airspace will be open or not. The hotel is OK, we’re being fed, but we really just want to get home.”\n*Name has been changed",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:10:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOQVVlOFFucXR2ZlBRZmJBeHpjb3VONUI0aWJRZjR0WEpaMDlpTlgwZFpHVU8tRWVwTVRNVmtTaEd4c1ZoOE1SRTkwSnZkaGJRaGZ4YUd6T0MtcnlVT1lyblpJajUyR01mdmwzS0VHeWdiemJnUFpyOXNLaUEwaEV3NXJsMXVXMFlaZkRHcTAtak5YOEJMc3J3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_194851c7a2cd",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Hezbollah said to have launched drone that struck UK RAF airbase in Cyprus - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "A one-way attack drone – said to have been launched by Lebanon’s Hezbollah – struck the UK’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus at about midnight on Sunday, prompting a partial evacuation of the military facility.\nTwo more drones were successfully intercepted on Monday morning, the Cypriot authorities said, as part of what appears to be a sustained targeting of the base on the third day of the war in the Middle East.\nIt has not yet publicly determined from where the drones were launched, though officials said the first drone was launched before Keir Starmer announced the UK would allow the US to use its airbases to bomb Iranian missile sites.\nA Cypriot news agency reported that the damage to the airbase had been caused by small low-flying drones launched by Lebanese Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group from the country – but no formal confirmation had been issued by the UK Ministry of Defence on Monday afternoon.\nA Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Our armed forces are responding to a suspected drone strike at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at midnight local time. Our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people.”\nDefence sources said the drone was likely a Shahed-type drone, a relatively cheap Iranian-designed one-way attack vehicle. Its parts have been recovered and are being investigated.\nA security alert put out to residents in the vicinity of Akrotiri by the British base’s administration on Sunday night advised residents to shelter in place until further notice “following a suspected drone impact”.\nOn Monday morning, a Cypriot government spokesperson said: “Two unmanned aerial vehicles that were moving towards the direction of the British bases at Akrotiri were confronted in time.”\nAnti-drone measures had been stepped up at Akrotiri, the Ministry of Defence said, but these were insufficient to stop the first drone getting past the local defences. The incident is thought to have caused no casualties and only limited damage.\nFamily members of British military personnel have been asked to leave the base for their own safety, and will be based elsewhere in Cyprus until the alert passes.\nThe drone struck hours after the UK agreed to let the US use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites, but officials indicate the possible flight times mean it was launched before the prime minister announced the new policy.\nThough the UK has tried to limit its involvement in the conflict so far, it is considered by Iran to be a close ally of the US.\nIn a recorded statement on Sunday evening, Starmer said Iran’s approach was becoming more reckless and putting British lives at risk, leading to the decision to allow the US to use its military bases.\nHe said British forces would not be directly involved in the strikes, and the bases would only be used for the “specific and limited defensive purpose” of targeting missile storage depots and launchers being used to attack Iran’s neighbours.\n“We have taken the decision to accept this request, to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region … killing innocent civilians … putting British lives at risk … and hitting countries that have not been involved,” he said.\nThe US president, Donald Trump, has indicated he wants to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia – the largest of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean – most likely for stealth B-2 bombers, which will attack Iran’s deep-lying missile silos with bunker busting bombs.\nThe MoD confirmed on Monday that people who live at RAF Akrotiri were being moved to accommodation nearby on Cyprus “as a precautionary measure”. “Our base and personnel continue to operate as normal protecting the safety of Britain and our interests,” it added.\nOn Monday morning, the president of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, said the Akrotiri base had been hit overnight by an unmanned Shahed drone, which caused minor material damage. “I want to be clear: our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation,” Christodoulides said in a statement.\nBritain retains sovereignty over the territory of two bases on Cyprus, which is a member of the EU. RAF Akrotiri covers a sprawling, square-shaped peninsula on the southern tip of the eastern Mediterranean island. The last time it was directly attacked was by Libyan militants in the mid-1980s.\nAccording to the MoD’s website, the joint operating base is “used as a forward mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East and for fast jet training”. It is understood the UK government recently moved additional resources to bases in Cyprus as part of its operations in the Middle East.\nHostilities in the Middle East entered their third day on Monday, with the US and Israel continuing to strike Iran after the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike.\nAsked about the safety of hundreds of thousands of UK nationals in the region, Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday that about 102,000 people – of a possible total she put at 300,000 – had registered their presence with UK authorities.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:10:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxObEhBWV9XRVZROTdQYXhOZ0s4TU8zaENtaG5kcDRRWU05T2l0QlVoU2xMakFzdllCbDJJTXYybUJoYlVmTFlOUExUTlh4bFdtVDRRcGg3aVN1QVQyVVRHSVZRRURrWmg5aTBTWDM4UEtFaUVHYWtRZzFRYUVWWVNjdk52M0ZfZFlxdE1IR1k0VG90SHJiZXJCMGwzUW1rOG9R?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6ceeec819e3e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US-Israel war on Iran: what maps tells us about the unfolding Middle East crisis – video - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The war in the Middle East triggered by the joint US and Israeli attack on Iran expanded dramatically on Monday, with casualties and destruction reported across at least nine countries, including major strikes on Tehran.\nSince the US and Israel first struck Iran with bombing and missile attacks over the weekend, the speed at which this war has exploded into a regional conflict is ‘dizzying’, says the Guardian’s Oliver Holmes. Tehran swiftly retaliated to the attacks, which killed the country’s supreme leader, by launching strikes across the Middle East.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:18:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0wFBVV95cUxPb190VTVwOWZlNlpRT1M3Z3dTVlZlcjBNak92d1NwbE5MZC1wUVBnV09wMzM2Vmc5TTQ5dmxlMWpLc2VseEFuaWNMZzZmYTdQc3dkWWN0ZW9iTHE4UFk3ZWN1c1VCcDhyNkZGT2FoSUN3V0Q5SVZNV1hnOXl0eWdXeE91SDdpVklGQUZQc3lKbm1VdmhfRXJxRkZ4NVI0X3dpYk85aDZ6SGx0T3o2WTB0ZWxFVG5NSXFmM3BuVWtUMGtVUHpoMDhJX2Zqa3FDU2FKckc0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_35026c8815f0",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The U.S.-Israel War Against Iran Is Not Slowing Down Anytime Soon - Foreign Policy",
    "body_text": "The U.S.-Israel War Against Iran Is Not Slowing Down Anytime Soon\nAll three countries are preparing to potentially wage weeks of conflict—or more.\nWelcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the state of play for U.S. ambitions in Iran, Hezbollah’s renewed attacks on Israel, and Afghan troops facing Pakistani strikes on Bagram Air Base.\n‘This Work Is Just Beginning’\nU.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to continue Washington’s assault on Iran for as long as it takes. “Right from the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said during his first public comments since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran began on Saturday. Following a similar statement from the U.S. Defense Department, it appears that Washington is preparing for the possibility of a drawn-out conflict.\nWelcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the state of play for U.S. ambitions in Iran, Hezbollah’s renewed attacks on Israel, and Afghan troops facing Pakistani strikes on Bagram Air Base.\n‘This Work Is Just Beginning’\nU.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to continue Washington’s assault on Iran for as long as it takes. “Right from the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said during his first public comments since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran began on Saturday. Following a similar statement from the U.S. Defense Department, it appears that Washington is preparing for the possibility of a drawn-out conflict.\nDuring a public briefing at the Pentagon on Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that more U.S. troops are heading to the Middle East. “This work is just beginning and will continue,” Caine said, adding that bigger waves of U.S. strikes are still to come.\nAt the same time, Hegseth stressed that Operation Epic Fury will not be like the protracted Iraq War. “This is not endless,” Hegseth said. However, he declined to rule out U.S. boots on the ground in Iran.\nIran has also expressed its willingness to continue the fight. Tehran “has prepared itself for a long war,” Iranian security chief Ali Larijani wrote on X on Monday as Iranian forces continued to launch strikes at Israel and Persian Gulf countries.\nMeanwhile, “the official message coming from Jerusalem on this is that this will last as long as it takes,” Eyal Hulata, a former head of Israel’s National Security Council, told FP’s World Brief. “Having said that, Israel is not built for long wars in general—definitely not a long war as it comes to Iran. So, I think in many ways, what will determine the length of this war will be more of decisions made in Washington than decisions made in Jerusalem.”\nThat decision looks to be one of continuous fighting—at least, for now. “We’re destroying Iran’s missile capability, and we’re doing that hourly,” Trump said on Monday, adding that U.S. strikes are “annihilating” Tehran’s navy and ensuring that the Iranian regime “can never obtain a nuclear weapon.” Since Saturday, the United States and Israel have struck more than 2,000 targets in Iran, according to military officials. In response, Tehran has launched a slew of retaliatory attacks targeting Israel and at least eight other countries (Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates).\nHundreds of people have been killed thus far, including senior Iranian leaders, such as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; six U.S. service members; and at least 165 individuals killed during a missile strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran.\nThe war has also spooked oil and gas markets and raised fears of a larger regional war.\nThe White House has offered several rationales for why it launched the war against Iran, including its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and support for terrorist proxy groups in the Middle East. On Monday, Trump reiterated that Iran’s ballistic missile program was growing “rapidly and dramatically, and this posed a clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas.” However, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency estimated last year that “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability,” it would likely take it around a decade to build missiles capable of reaching the U.S. homeland.\nHegseth and Caine, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, are expected to brief the full House and Senate on the war on Tuesday.\nToday’s Most Read\n- 6 Questions About Operation Epic Fury by Daniel Byman\n- Iran Is Built to Withstand the Ayatollah’s Assassination by Ali Hashem\n- Death Comes to the Dictator by Barbara Slavin\nThe World This Week\nTuesday, March 3: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney begins a four-day visit to Australia before traveling to Japan for a two-day trip.\nTrump hosts German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts new Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.\nSouth Korean President Lee Jae-myung begins a two-day visit to the Philippines.\nWednesday, March 4: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosts Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.\nThursday, March 5: Nepal holds parliamentary elections.\nChina’s 14th National People’s Congress opens its plenary meeting.\nSaturday, March 7: Trump hosts Latin American leaders in Miami.\nSunday, March 8: Colombia holds legislative elections.\nWhat We’re Following\nIsrael’s second front. On Monday, the Lebanese government condemned Hezbollah’s decision to enter the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, issuing one of its harshest stances yet against the militant group after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel earlier on Monday.\nHezbollah, a longtime Iranian ally and proxy, said it launched the attack in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei and “repeated Israeli aggressions.” The group’s entrance into the war marks the end of its fragile truce with Israel, which the United States brokered in November 2024. The Israeli military said no injuries or damage were reported.\nIsrael responded with naval attacks and airstrikes on what it said were Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, which Lebanese officials said killed 52 people.\nBeirut considers Hezbollah’s actions illegal and has demanded that it relinquish its weapons. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam convened an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday, after which he argued that only the state should decide on matters of war. He banned Hezbollah’s military activities going forward, ordered security agencies to detain the militants behind the attacks, and called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its strikes on Lebanon.\nHowever, Israeli forces appear unlikely to slow down their assault. “We’ve called in over 100,000 reservists for all arenas, so we’re ready to defend our border, our northern border,” Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told reporters on Monday.\nSocial media restrictions? The British government kicked off a three-month public consultation on Monday into whether London should place restrictions on social media usage. These include a possible minimum age requirement; overnight curfews for users under age 16; restrictions on minors’ access to artificial intelligence chatbots; and bans on addictive design features, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay.\nThe consultation aims to determine “how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change,” British Technology Minister Liz Kendall said. Young people and their parents are encouraged to submit comments by May 26 in an effort to gauge public opinion.\nIn December 2025, Australia became the first country to introduce a social media ban for people under age 16. Canberra’s announcement sparked similar interest in Europe, including in France and Germany. Meanwhile, comparable identity verification laws are being pursued in Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and several U.S. states.\nTargeting Bagram. Afghan forces faced Pakistani airstrikes on Bagram Air Base on Sunday. The attack resulted in no reported casualties, according to Afghan officials, but satellite imagery obtained by the New York Times indicated that several of the base’s buildings were flattened. The attack came as cross-border assaults entered their fourth day in some of the most intense fighting between the two adversaries in years. A Pakistani military official confirmed to the Times that Islamabad had carried out multiple strikes.\nPakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Thursday that Islamabad is in an “open war” with Kabul, as Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring the Pakistani Taliban. So far, both sides have claimed to have killed hundreds of the other country’s forces while offering low estimates for their own fatality numbers.\nUntil Bagram, Pakistani troops had not targeted major infrastructure, instead prioritizing smaller Afghan military sites, such as ammunition depots and outposts. But Sunday’s strikes on Bagram signaled a shift in strategy. The former U.S. military airfield was abandoned during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and quickly taken over by the Taliban regime, which has since transformed the base into a symbol of Kabul’s military prowess. In recent months, Trump has expressed interest in reclaiming the military asset, citing its counterterrorism value and proximity to key Chinese nuclear sites. But the Taliban have rejected the presence of foreign troops on Afghan soil.\nOdds and Ends\nYoung people are apparently not the only ones glued to their phones. During last year’s conclave to choose Pope Francis’s successor, one of the 133 cardinals in attendance was found carrying a cellphone—a massive breach of the Vatican’s strict secrecy protocols. That’s according to The Election of Pope Leo XIV, a new book published on Sunday. Authors Gerard O’Connell and Elisabetta Piqué write that Vatican officials discovered the signal of an active mobile connection inside the pocket of a cleric, who was described as being “disoriented and distressed” upon finding the phone and handing it over.\nThis scene was “unimaginable even for a film and never before seen in the history of modern conclaves,” O’Connell and Pique write. Time for a movie sequel?",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:22:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNUVFBYjRIb1QxOGZFREdscG45VnI1Y3pCUFEyYk82YXhxaUp6bW43UkM2S1NLWVB0ekRwVFJaNlVTcllDWDVid29fWVhqdHFrTE9JLW5TMFZyWXVmVjkzVUxWcmhaOXRwR2l1ZUp3TTRzWjJJZGxqOHhXWFB0cHdMODBaNEpyeGJycGx5cktIR0xCdngzRGxFX2Z5LV9tZHdfQzFRaHhMVkFkelFHbVR5OFN4VkVhdF90UkE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_712146fb0dd6",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "How the AP decided to call fighting in the Middle East the ‘Iran war’ - AP News",
    "body_text": "How the AP decided to call fighting in the Middle East the ‘Iran war’\nThe Associated Press is referring to fighting between Iran and the United States and Israel as the “Iran war.”\nThe updated description reflects the scope and intensity of the conflict, which has been centered on Iran, even as other parties are drawn in.\nWhat does the AP consider?\nThe United States and Israel attacked key military targets and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other government leaders. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces, and remaining leaders have vowed revenge over Khamenei’s death. The strikes and counterattacks indicate that the killing of Khamenei, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for the overthrow of the decades-old Islamic Republic, could lead to prolonged conflict that could envelop the Middle East.\nThe Merriam-Webster definition of war is quite broad: “A state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations,” or “a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism.”\nEven though none of the countries have officially declared war, the attacks by the United States and Israel, combined with Iran’s retaliation, meet those criteria. The decision by the Trump administration and Israeli leaders to attack and the subsequent destruction and casualties are enough to call the actions, and Iran’s response, a war. Trump himself has used the word war to describe the conflict.\nWhy does it matter?\nIt’s important to use the correct language to describe military action between sovereign nations.\nSometimes a one-sided attack occurs without further action, or a conflict starts but doesn’t escalate. Using “war” to describe those situations could diminish the word’s importance. Then, when actual war breaks out, people might not understand its significance.\nWhat are previous examples of conflicts where the AP issued guidance to use the word ‘war’?\nThe AP provided guidance on the attacks on Iran by Israel in June 2025, using the term “war” to describe the conflict in the days after the initial attacks and Iran’s retaliation. The war lasted 12 days, and Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program.\nThe AP also began using the term “war” to describe the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas in the days and weeks after fighting began.\nIn those cases, editors considered the number of casualties, the intensity of fighting, the involvement of each party, and what each country was calling the conflict.\nWhy is it ‘war’ and not ‘War’?\nAP capitalizes the word “war” only as part of a formal name, which as of now does not exist.\nCould the guidance change?\nDecisions on how AP uses the term “war” happen in real time. AP’s news leaders and standards editors will continue to monitor developments to see whether changes are necessary.\nAt this point, the level of fighting constitutes the countries being at war, no matter what happens next. If fighting were to end soon, AP would continue saying the countries had been at war.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxNQUtFWFNqQTVwVkFmT3JBc0RTekx5WlBiVXhCM2RvYjd6WWpKV1hLLXNhRHhhd2ZvcTFEVHdtNzZTaThBUGFlLXJFMFNDclRlemV5b093aFRaa2ZkbkxsT2ZDOWZHU1VGeTNRLTRGb2o4R2pBU3RyOS15NjJnbkNVLWI2VQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_13288db4782c",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Democratic moderates warn that leaning too far left in midterms sets up presidential loss in 2028 - AP News",
    "body_text": "Democratic moderates warn that leaning too far left in midterms sets up presidential loss in 2028\nDemocratic moderates warn that leaning too far left in midterms sets up presidential loss in 2028\nCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Across the country, progressives are lighting a fire that they hope will catapult Democrats back to power in Congress this year. But here in a hotel ballroom, the party’s beleaguered moderates have another message — not so fast.\nLeaders at Third Way’s conference talked over and over about how Democrats can’t swing too far left in the midterms, or when picking their next presidential nominee, if they have any hope of winning back the White House.\nThe title of the two-day, invite-only conference: “Winning the Middle.” And there was plenty of advice on how to do that.\nBe plainspoken, not lofty or academic. Don’t live online, but be authentic on social media. Loosen up, and be patriotic without fear that something like the American flag or Pledge of Allegiance has been co-opted by conservatives.\nMatt Bennett, co-founder of Third Way, said the organization of moderate Democrats plans to meet repeatedly as the next presidential campaign approaches, convening people who will be influencing and working for Democratic candidates.\n“We’re doing it early, and we’re doing it much, much more aggressively than we did last time,” Bennett said. “We’ve got a team in place that is talking every day to the 2028ers.”\nJim Messina, who managed Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012, said Democrats still need to find their footing with voters.\n“In 2026, we’re going to win, because we have one great nominee, and his name is Donald Trump,” he said, meaning Trump’s unpopularity sets the stage for Democratic wins in his view. “But we’re going to lose the presidential election in 2028 if we can’t find an economic message that identifies with most people.”\nAsked to give Democrats the “brutal truth,” Messina said, “We have no economic message, and if we don’t get one, we’re not going to win.”\nThe location of the conference was no accident. South Carolina has been pivotal in Democratic presidential primaries, including boosting Joe Biden to victory in 2020. Although a new calendar from the Democratic National Committee won’t be ready for several months, Bennett said Democrats expect the state to remain influential.\n“We need to socialize these ideas immediately, so that they can begin to take hold and be widely shared by the time we get to the main part of their primary cycle,” Bennett said.\nThere was no shortage of stylistic tips at the conference.\n“Democrats come across as like professors, academics, elites — I mean, my God, rip off your freaking sport coat and talk to me,” said Joe Walsh, who was a tea party Republican when he represented Illinois in the U.S. House but became a Democrat last year. “Voters in general are just crying out for authenticity.”\nBut to Walsh, that doesn’t mean taking a cue from those like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has begun visiting early presidential primary states, including South Carolina. In critiquing Trump on social media, Newsom has taken to imitating the president’s tone, trolling Trump in his all-caps style.\n“I think the mimicking and the copying a lot of the Trumpism isn’t the way you’re actually going to reach a lot of folks,” Walsh said. “Voters in general are just crying out for authenticity.”\nThere were recommendations on the issues, too. A smattering of the more than 100 people in the audience raised hands when asked how many had worked the word “affordability” — the buzziest of campaign buzzwords — into messaging materials.\n“I think some of you are lying,” joked Gabe Horwitz, who leads Third Way’s economic program, intimating that the actual number was much higher.\nMelissa Morales of Somos Votantes, a Latino voter and civic engagement organization, said Democrats should cut the word out of their campaign vocabulary.\n“It barely makes sense in English, and it is a nightmare to translate into Spanish, so can we please call it something else?” she asked.\n“They’re not asking us for economic theory, they’re asking us for a set of everyday solutions,” Morales added. “And if we want to connect with them, that’s how we’re going to have to do it.”\n___\nMeg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:27:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxQdjYzdXZPdm1VU1pqb0lzbnJ6QW91RVFZYmRodnF1akFTbUY3cG8zUUo5d2JFZGdhVnJpdUR5bVBpc24waGJaOEVJRXhuN2JaSi1kNXljdnJYdjVVd3NmV01NM2x6cGloSzhhcTN1d1JkYTlvb05WemNycVN2RDV5QVdQQ0hJQkIxLVI5U0drUUNTaFBLZEZXNktBMWtkM3Vv?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2f1cc2986e26",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "FACT FOCUS: Misrepresented images spread after US and Israel strike Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "FACT FOCUS: Misrepresented images as Iran war progresses\nAs the Iran war continued Tuesday, with nearly every Middle Eastern country sustaining damage from missile hits or shrapnel, misrepresented images related to the war continued to spread widely online.\nThey presented years-old footage as current, falsely claimed that U.S. military vehicles had been destroyed and erroneously claimed to show casualties of the war.\nHere’s a closer look at the facts.\nAttacks on Israel\nCLAIM: A video shows Iranian missiles falling from the sky in Israel.\nTHE FACTS: This is false. The video, which is a compilation of two separate clips, is from August 2024 and shows celebrations in Algeria during the 103rd anniversary of the football club Mouloudia Club d’Alger.\nIn the video spreading online, scores of glowing red objects fall from the sky while screams and cries can be heard in the background.\nBut neither clip is related to the recent Iranian attacks on Israel. The first was posted to Facebook on Aug. 9, 2024, with the caption, “Mouloudia fans’ celebration of 103 years.” It was flipped horizontally in the video spreading online. The second was posted to Instagram on Aug. 12, 2024, by a photographer in Algeria.\nNeither clip includes the screams and cries heard in the video spreading online.\n___\nCLAIM: A video shows thousands of Israelis leaving Israel after Iranian attacks.\nTHE FACTS: This is false. It shows people arriving at Hellfest, a heavy metal festival in Clisson, France, in June 2025.\nIn the video, a crowd of people walks through a grassy field and along an adjacent dirt road. People are carrying large backpacks and wheeling carts with additional luggage.\nThe clip was originally posted to TikTok on June 19, 2025, the day that year’s festival began. A caption on the video reads in French, “Hellfest campsite opened yesterday.”\n___\nCLAIM: A video shows a nuclear power plant in Israel struck by Iranian ballistic missiles.\nTHE FACTS: This is false. It shows a 2017 fire at a Ukrainian munitions depot in the country’s Kharkiv region near the Russian border.\nIn the video, a large plume of smoke billows in the distance before an explosion sends flames shooting into the air. It was posted to YouTube on March 23, 2017, with a caption in Russian that describes the fire.\nThe explosions in the clip spreading online match the ones in the 2017 video. Identifiable landmarks, such as a large tower, can be seen in both.\nUS casualties\nCLAIM: Images show the USS Abraham Lincoln sinking or otherwise damaged after an Iranian ballistic missile strike.\nTHE FACTS: U.S. Central Command said in an X post that the warship, one of two aircraft carriers the U.S. military has deployed to the region, “was not hit” and that “the missiles didn’t even come close.” The post, which went up after Iranian leadership claimed the ship was struck in the attack, adds that it is continuing to launch aircraft.\nMany images said to show the aftermath of a strike on the USS Abraham Lincoln are years-old. For example, an image of a ship sinking into the ocean with a helicopter hovering above has appeared online since at least 2021. A video of a ship engulfed in flames and billowing smoke appeared in a Facebook post from June 2025.\n___\nCLAIM: A video shows the downing of a U.S. fighter jet in Iran.\nTHE FACTS: This is false. It is from a military-themed video game.\nThe video spreading online shows a missile speeding toward a fighter jet, which performs dramatic evasive maneuvers. There is a loud bang at the end of the video and the aircraft heads toward the ground.\nBut a YouTube channel dedicated to military video game simulations originally posted the clip in November 2025. A caption on the clip states that “all scenes are captured in-game for entertainment and learning purposes only.” The aircraft is identified as an F-4 Phantom II.\nThree U.S. fighter jets, all of them F-15E Strike Eagles, were mistakenly downed in Kuwait — not Iran — by friendly Kuwaiti fire on Monday, according to the U.S. military. Iranian state television claimed that Iran had targeted one of the planes that crashed.\n___\nCLAIM: A video shows U.S. soldiers returning home in coffins from the Iran war.\nTHE FACTS: This is false. It shows the dignified transfer of U.S. Army servicemembers who died in Iraq in Operation New Dawn. The transfer took place on June 8, 2011, at Dover Air Force Base.\nThe original video was posted to YouTube by a photographer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who fought in the Vietnam War.\nThere are a number of indications that the YouTube video matches the clip currently spreading online. For example, about one minute and 57 seconds into the video, a plane taxis in the background. Additionally, the front of a blue vehicle is visible throughout most of the video in the bottom right corner.\nFabricated images\nCLAIM: An image shows the body of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei body under a pile of rubble.\nTHE FACTS: This is false. It was created with AI. Google’s Gemini app detected SynthID, a digital watermarking tool for identifying content that has been generated or altered with AI, in the image. This means it was created or edited, either entirely or in part, by Google’s AI models.\nIn the image, a body whose face is blurred is trapped beneath rubble while four men wearing hard hats and safety vests shine flashlights onto the area and work on clearing the debris. Small fires burn in the background.\nIranian state media confirmed early Sunday that Khamenei had been killed in Saturday’s attack by the U.S. and Israel. A photo of his body has not been publicly released.\n___\nAssociated Press writer Abril Mulato in Mexico City contributed to this report.\n___\nFind AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:33:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQRVJQV2l1YXVoMHlvUXk3Rkxza1NLUkdRbGdwbGcwbXA3MlJfWWdLRW1GS1hRWXMweWhKLUVOMm1WYXdtN0tPMVYtMUd4UTg0TWZsVGhaX2tDSjlzVlRYMkwxRk9LakdRYTRFNjdtYVBhc3NiYVg5MDgyT0xjSG1IX2dBLTcyaFlZMG93c2ROLWhUbGVjbHRkcnhMTDdxUUhNU09hSE5lVXZpWU9DRGxR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_909ef11f7441",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Franklin Templeton CEO Says Iran War Unlikely to Last Long - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Franklin Templeton CEO Says Iran War Unlikely to Last Long    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:42:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQM21KdkJPSjEtZ2ZIN0ZUSkRQTDlxWGxIdTdPTTF4cjh0Q2gzMXpJc2JVdndHT2l0SE9mNkw2ZW91bXA1NlBrWXBpQW9Xc2QwWERsTld5Mjg3OHRneFByQzZ0VDRDdFh5NVZDRW4zX1g2NnpoZGM0d1IyRDFBY0tmbzJLZnh4aVZOd0VSVGVfV2FCdFFNWFloYTA2UjJDU21JSUQyaTdtVDMxWVhHc05kWUhR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e46e98856d00",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Civilian deaths in Iran pass 700 amid fear of bombs and regime clampdown - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "More than 700 civilians have been killed since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran last weekend, according to rights groups, as people inside Iran told the Guardian they were fearful of a rising death toll.\nThe Iranian Red Crescent Society said that at least 555 people had been killed across Iran. However, in its latest report, the US-based Human Rights Activist news agency, has reported at least 742 civilians have been killed, including 176 children. The near total internet blackout makes independent verification of the exact figures extremely difficult as rights group warn the numbers could rise.\nNorway-based human rights group Hengaw said it was concerned about the rising number of civilian deaths, with the highest number of civilian fatalities recorded in Hormozgan province in southern Iran, after a missile strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab at the weekend, which reportedly killed more than 150 people, including children.\nAmid an ongoing barrage of joint US-Israeli strikes across several cities in Iran, residents who spoke to the Guardian said they had received a wave of alerts and messages from authorities on their mobile phones.\nAccording to Hengaw, people in the city of Sanandaj, capital of Iranian Kurdistan in the north-west of Iran, received messages from the intelligence organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warning that any public movement or presence in the streets would be deemed a “direct cooperation with the enemy”.\nThe message stated this was intended to avert “terrorist actions and street unrest”, described as the next steps in the “enemy’s plan”.\nSome residents interviewed by the Guardian said people in other cities had also received the text messages from the authorities. IranWire, an Iranian news media in exile also reported similar texts warning recipients against “any movement”.\nA student based in Tehran said: “The regime has shut down the internet again and now we are all trying to connect with each other and see what we can do to help weaken this regime and avenge our compatriots. Tehran is being bombed so heavily, it’s impossible to know when, where and how we can protest and mobilise because the streets are quickly turning dangerous. We don’t know where the IRGC hideouts are and that’s a huge risk for us ordinary people.”\nIn a message relayed to the Guardian via a relative based abroad, a Kurdish student said: “With the alerts and warnings coming in, even if we planned to flee [from the bombing], the regime’s agents will arrest us and slap terror charges. The whole point of these alerts is to ensure we are trapped so they can blame Trump and co and weaponise the attacks in the neighbourhoods adjacent to IRGC bases. We know this regime all too well and its tactics haven’t changed.”\nDespite a near-total internet blackout, some people had managed to make calls to relatives abroad and send a few text messages. Civilians who managed to connect with human rights groups also said that in the north-western city of Mahabad, electricity had been completely cut off on Monday after US-Israeli airstrikes.\nIn the north-western city of Urmia, a prisoner called a family member to say that everything was under control in the prison and that no one had been executed in the ward on Monday. The windows had been taped to reduce the sound of nearby explosions.\nHiwa Bahrami, head of the department of foreign relations of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, said the regime had “deliberately established military bases and deployed its forces within populated regions, putting civilians at significant risk” in many areas, including Iranian Kurdistan.\nMeanwhile, civilians in Tehran said they were striving to flee to smaller cities as US-Israeli strikes intensify. Matin, a former journalist based in Tehran, said that although people had hoped for US help, clouds of smoke over the city’s skyline, continuous loud explosions and videos showing rubble in the heart of the capital had left him fearful.\n“Look, we want freedom and we want the IRGC to pay for every single drop of blood our families have sacrificed for this fight. But since this morning, the videos I have been seeing, which are already few because I am only able to connect from time to time, are breaking my heart … who will bring back those among us who die at the hands of the incoming bombs?\n“I blame the regime for bringing us here, but that doesn’t mean I am not scared the US attacks will kill the innocent. To also see my beloved city in this state is not something I can celebrate. I am really worried for the children of this country.”\nZhila, a film-maker based in Tehran, said: “Our young don’t have a future in this country, the sanctions and every other restriction which has crippled the economy is the regime’s doing because they kept getting rich. Despite this, I still hoped we could have brought this regime down.\n“We tried it all, so even if I am against this war, I do not believe we have an option but to seek help. How many die is something that’s killing me inside, but also how many were killed by the regime is still fresh on our minds. We have become so numb after what we saw in January that now we are in a strange state of mind.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:46:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxNN0JuVXp1ZjFEREFHYno5dGxRZVZ6UVFUVzdBVTg5dFVWV2tXZEJkZ2RuQ1plSGJoZFJJWW1TX3BUdDNyeHpvUXJ6cU1WbEFURlUySnpkZk53VFJwM2FzZExUeU85M3FYSEFRc1g3aTBzNHk1T25wNXVHbG54c2hqcW5QcEtiTVgwNTM3MXpzbGdyaGtncTFFN2U3OTNXOGFuUGU5NlFZZ0pQOFdlMWhIZjBCRmNiZUJnZ3V6Q2o3YkJBbV9VTGVIVWV5QQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b1585a5697c9",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Macron says France will allow temporary deployment of nuclear-armed jets to European allies - AP News",
    "body_text": "Macron says France will allow temporary deployment of nuclear-armed jets to European allies\nMacron says France will allow temporary deployment of nuclear-armed jets to European allies\nL’ILE LONGUE, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that France will increase its nuclear arsenal and, for the first time, allow the temporary deployment of its nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries, in a new strategy aimed at strengthening Europe’s independence.\nIn speech planned long before the most recent outbreak of war in Iran, Macron outlined how French nuclear weapons fit into the security of Europe as leaders there express concerns over recurring tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\nFrance has been the only nuclear power in the European Union since Britain’s exit from the bloc in 2020.\n“To be free, one needs to be feared,” Macron said at a military base at L’Ile Longue on France’s Atlantic coast that hosts the country’s ballistic missile submarines.\nMacron said the new posture, which he called “forward deterrence,” could “provide for the temporary deployment of elements of our strategic air forces to allied countries,” but said there would be no sharing of decision-making with any other nation regarding the use of the nuclear weapons.\nTalks about such deterrence cooperation have started with Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark, Macron said.\nFrance also will allow partners to participate in deterrence exercises and allow allies’ non-nuclear forces to participate in France’s nuclear activities, said Macron, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces under the French constitution.\nEuropean partners welcomed the strategy.\nIn a joint statement, Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the two countries would deepen integration in deterrence starting this year, “including German conventional participation in French nuclear exercises and joint visits to strategic sites.”\nIn a letter to Dutch lawmakers, Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius and Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the Netherlands was in strategic talks with France on nuclear deterrence as “a supplement to, and not a replacement for, NATO’s collective defense and nuclear deterrence capabilities.”\nPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that “we are arming up together with our friends so that our enemies will never dare to attack us.”\nIncreasing warheads\nMacron also announced that France will increase its number of nuclear warheads from the current level of below 300, but did not give a figure for the increase. It will be the first time France increases its nuclear arsenal since at least 1992.\n“I have decided to increase the numbers of warheads of our arsenal,” Macron said. “My responsibility is to ensure that our deterrence maintains — and will maintain in the future — its assured destructive power.”\n“If we had to use our arsenal, no state, however powerful, could shield itself from it, and no state, however vast, would recover from it,” Macron said.\nEuropean leaders have voiced growing doubts about U.S. commitments to help defend Europe under the so-called nuclear umbrella, a policy long intended to ensure that allies — particularly NATO members — would be protected by American nuclear forces in the event of a threat.\nMacron said that recent changes in U.S. defense strategy amid the emergence of new threats have demonstrated a refocusing of American priorities and have encouraged Europe to take more direct responsibility for its own security. He said Europeans should take their destiny more firmly into their hands.\nSome European nations have already taken up an offer Macron made last year to discuss France’s nuclear deterrence.\nLast month, Merz said he’d had “initial talks” with Macron on the issue and had publicly theorized about German Air Force planes possibly being used to carry French nuclear bombs. But Macron ruled out any such possibility in Monday’s speech.\nFrance and Britain also adopted a joint declaration in July that allows both nations’ nuclear forces, while independent, to be “coordinated.” The U.K., no longer an EU member but a NATO ally, is the only other country in Western Europe with a nuclear deterrent.\nMacron has consistently insisted any decision to use France’s nuclear weapons would remain only in the hands of the French president.\nMacron added that the evolution of France competitors’ defenses, the emergence of regional powers, the possibility of coordination among adversaries, and the risks linked to proliferation led him to the conclusion that it was essential for France to enhance its nuclear arsenal.\nDisarmament campaigners express criticism\nThe International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017, said Macron’s plan could cost billions of dollars, jeopardize France’s international commitments and lead Russia to interpret it as a major provocation that could risk escalation.\n“These are indiscriminate weapons that are banned under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” said the group’s executive director, Melissa Parke. “This announcement from French President Macron is a direct threat to the peace and security of the region, and the world.\n“France already spent $6 billion on its nuclear weapons in 2024 and it is unclear how much this unexpected increase will add to that exorbitant sum. This is not progress, it’s a nuclear arms race that no one can afford,” Parke said.\n___\nPetrequin reported from Paris. Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Claudia Ciobanu in Warsaw contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:48:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNSkNsNkVEMFp1X3FUcWIwazBnamFtc21KV2pEd2dGNDJYWHlWSU9UY1FYaGRkNXFfU05lSmViWXVvZFVlQjc0QlEteG5MSzFhVkRWTVM0NTdDZmUzdUZuQ2lWbkdkWHZHVDRwX3NiendyRnkzX1FRN2VEcHBUdkFCWnMwdGZuWG55NzJVNV9XQjlFM1NxYjJfcEJDT0UxTVBxT2c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_072a49383c34",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Egypt Offers a Mix of Messages About the U.S.-Israel War in Iran - Foundation for Defense of Democracies",
    "body_text": "Egypt Offers a Mix of Messages About the U.S.-Israel War in Iran    Foundation for Defense of Democracies",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:50:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxOSGhkLTJOOXNIcW9uYnB1ckFxZFdRNkItR193NlpwTXFEM0lUOVZnbnRBdWVyOUY5bW9aY1pQdi1hUHFFSGZyRGtrTzRKM2FqMmJLaTJQTkFYVHFHTGg4NXdBTGEzdlpYdDNraTcta1pvR0NYRUQ2a3JUdFZGT0tKY3hJaFhJSjdZWVE5WU1oNGo5bjF5bU5yaDJYb182QzZKZTFpLUxtRQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4d48f5a2f687",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Middle East at war: Regional observations on Iran, Israel, Turkey and beyond - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Middle East at war: Regional observations on Iran, Israel, Turkey and beyond\nHost Adam Lucente takes a look at the state of the conflict in the Middle East following the American and Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliation from the Islamic Republic, hearing from Al-Monitor contributors around the region about how the Gulf, Lebanon and other areas are being impacted.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T22:57:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxNSUxtblZReGdQU0RkYlJ5MGdURmlobWZfUW02a2tKUzMxN0xDc0J4SDNYdFlOaHR0aW9zREIzYUM5RkE0WUh6WVU2dE9JSXRFUkVERmxHM25jeHZhZjVXNEx4V01JamhLQjhXV09lV2FpQzRTWFBmb0l6NjZRNjB6UW1TQnk5dHd4bWJVb3VWVlItTkJOT25SOEZSV2hWeUROS0lHajVn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_53edc643ca11",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US casualties rise to 6 following Iranian retaliation for massive strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Six American military service members have been killed amid Iran's retaliation over U.S. and Israeli attacks over the weekend, officials said Monday.\nThe U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region.\n\"Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification,\" a CENTCOM post on X states.\nFollowing U.S. attacks that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran launched a series of strikes on U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arab, as well as against Israel.\nOn Monday, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more U.S. troops were headed toward the Middle East amid escalations by Iran.\nThe U.S. mission in Iran, Caine said, is to \"prevent Iran from (the) ability to project power outside its borders.\"\nWar Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission is to prevent Tehran from producing a nuclear weapon, as well as destroying some of its military capabilities.\nOver the weekend, Iran had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman where it has disrupted commercial shipping, CENTCOM said, but that number declined to zero by Monday.\n\"The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over,\" it said. \"Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years. U.S. forces will continue to defend it.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:03:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxQdGg3X3VIWU83aDV6Y3h1TGkzZjFGQ29rSDhRRHgwYkxocHF5VERUOHJhRzE5YnYxLTVlWVVpVWxGYW9abnFOUkgwRW1JaUFIOGZnR1J5cGlwaGFHOFkxbnJqOHlMUGN2RDNreGZ4UHc5SGhaeVEyYWV0TUl1ajRpbUVKY2NPZ18yNndUMFF5U3BPY0hJNmp3eGF4SFnSAaIBQVVfeXFMT1NhYm5iSUVDT05ScTNkZUxCVUhuazBoTEloN2JrekhlY3VBVi1wZWdKbmUtY3lYNGlLQldBcXBwRGI4eEttNTVTT3pveEQ3YXlFaE4xVndxT0lDaF81WndGWnBiZUdYRmNrTWRKcWlQRWZKaVNoZmJoWXJwT1VrMHNDajhUeEVFOGgyN1F3ZnBTN2s3aDNwdnBoaE4yR0JLRXN3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_61bb0f7a4cfe",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US casualties rise to 6 following Iranian retaliation for massive strikes",
    "body_text": "Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi discusses the 'elimination' of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and 40 senior regime figures.\n\nSix American military service members have been killed amid Iran's retaliation over U.S. and Israeli attacks over the weekend, officials said Monday.\n\nThe U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region.\n\n\"Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification,\" a CENTCOM post on X states.\n\nFollowing U.S. attacks that killed Iranian Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khamenei, Tehran launched a series of strikes on U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arab, as well as against Israel.\n\nOn Monday, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more U.S. troops were headed toward the Middle East amid escalations by Iran.\n\nDOZENS OF TOP IRANIAN REGIME OFFICIALS, SUPREME LEADER KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES\n\nA U.S. Navy fighter jet on an aircraft carrier. U.S. Central Command on Monday said six American military service members have been killed in Iranian strikes.(U.S. Central Command)\n\nThe U.S. mission in Iran, Caine said, is to \"prevent Iran from (the) ability to project power outside its borders.\"\n\nWar SecretaryPete Hegsethsaid the mission is to prevent Tehran from producing a nuclear weapon, as well as destroying some of its military capabilities.\n\nOver the weekend, Iran had 11 ships in theGulf of Omanwhere it has disrupted commercial shipping, CENTCOM said, but that number declined to zero by Monday.\n\n\"The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over,\" it said. \"Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years. U.S. forces will continue to defend it.\"\n\nLouis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent tolouis.casiano@fox.com.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:03:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-casualties-rise-6-following-iranian-retaliation-massive-strikes",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2a7eb5170065",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump presses NATO partners on support as Hegseth blasts hesitation",
    "body_text": "Justin Fulcher tells Fox News Digital alliance unity is critical as UK reverses course and Germany warns of quagmire.\n\nSecretary of WarPete Hegsethwarned that some traditional U.S. allies are \"hemming and hawing about the use of force\" as Washington presses forward with its campaign against Iran, raising fresh questions about NATO cohesion at a moment of escalation.\n\nSpain has refused U.S. permission to use certain bases for strikes on Iran, calling for de-escalation and adherence to international law. Turkey has criticized the operation and warned of broader regional destabilization, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was \"saddened\" by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death and denied that Turkish territory was used in the campaign.\n\nIn a statement released on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that, \"The outbreak of war between the United States, Israel and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security.\" He added, \"The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop.\"\n\nDuring Monday's media briefing, Hegseth drew a sharp contrast between Israel and what he described as hesitant allies. \"Israel has clear missions as well, for which we are grateful. Capable partners, as we've said since the beginning. Capable partners are good partners, unlike so many of our traditional allies, who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force.\"\n\nUS President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth look on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (out of frame) speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026.(Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images)\n\nThe criticism reflects growing frustration inside the administration that while some European capitals have issued statements of support, operational backing has not matched the rhetoric.\n\nPresidentDonald Trumpalso voiced dissatisfaction with allied hesitation. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Trump said he was \"very disappointed\" in British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially blocking U.S. use of British bases and that Starmer took \"far too much time\" to reverse course.\n\nThe United Kingdom laterauthorized U.S. use of key facilities, including Diego Garcia, after raising initial legal objections and following a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.\n\nNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.S. President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose with NATO country leaders for a family photo during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State and Government summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025.(Ben Stansall/Pool via Reuters)\n\nJustin Fulcher, former senior adviser to Hegseth, told Fox News Digital the moment represents \"an absolutely critical inflection point whereNATO should actin a unified way in support of what the United States is doing.\"\n\nHe framed the issue as larger than the current campaign. \"Symbolically, the U.S.-NATO alliance is critical when looking at actually restoring deterrence globally,\" Fulcher said, arguing that visible unity would send a message not only to Tehran but to other geopolitical rivals watching how the alliance responds under pressure.\n\nFROM MISSILES TO MINERALS: THE STRATEGIC MEANING BEHIND THE IRAN STRIKE\n\nPresident Donald Trump, right, speaks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a group photo of NATO heads of state and government at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)\n\nNATO Secretary General Mark Ruttehas sought to downplay suggestions of division.\n\n\"I spoke with all the key European leaders over the weekend,\" Rutte said on Fox News. \"There is widespread support for what the president is doing.\"\n\nHe added, \"Europe is stepping up, is doing what is necessary to make sure this operation can go ahead and deliver all the enablement necessary.\"\n\nGermany has struck a more cautious tone. Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned in Sunday that strikes risk an Iraq- or Afghanistan-style quagmire and that Europe would bear the consequences.\n\nAt the same time, he said Berlin would not \"lecture\" the U.S. \"We recognize the dilemma,\" he said, explaining that repeated attempts over past decades had not put Iran off trying to acquire nuclear weapons or oppressing its own people. \"So we're not going to be lecturing our partners on their military strikes against Iran.\"\n\n\"Despite all the doubts, we share many of their aims,\" he said.\n\nISRAELI MINISTER OUTLINES IRAN MISSION GOALS, SAYS IRANIAN PEOPLE NOW HAVE CHANCE TO ‘REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM'\n\nSmoke rises in Tehran following an explosion on March 2, 2026, amid ongoing U.S. and Israeli military strikes.(Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)\n\nFulcher contrasted the current hesitation with the strong reactions from some NATO capitals during past alliance disputes, including tensions surrounding Greenland.\n\n\"When you look at Greenland, that was obviously a very touchy subject for some countries in the Alliance,\" Fulcher said. \"Iran for decades has been ahuge promoter and funder of terrorismall across the globe — attacks that have happened in Europe, in many NATO and European countries,\" he said. \"For me, it is quite shocking that we’re seeing a difficult time for many NATO members to fully unify and step up in support of the United States and what the U.S. and Israel is doing in Iran.\"\n\nHe argued that Europe has a significant strategic incentive to see Iranian capabilities degraded.\n\n\"I think actually Europe and NATO have the most to gain from neutralizing the threat that emanates from Iran,\" Fulcher said. \"When you look at whether the ballistic missile threat or some of the state-sponsored terrorism threats, Europe has been on the receiving end of much more of these threats than the United States has in some cases.\"\n\nHe stressed that support should extend beyond public endorsements.\n\nNATO leaders pose in this shot taken in June. Military leaders are meeting in Washington Tuesday evening to discuss securities options for Ukraine.(REUTERS/Claudia Greco)\n\n\"Some of our European allies can do a lot more to not just support with words, which should be the bare minimum here, but also support with actual tangible action,\" Fulcher concluded.\n\nEfrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent toefrat.lachter@fox.com.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:04:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/trump-presses-nato-partners-support-hegseth-blasts-hesitation",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bd760e088f86",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Stocks Sell Off as US Attack on Iran Drives Oil Prices Higher - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Stocks Sell Off as US Attack on Iran Drives Oil Prices Higher    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:16:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNRUN5ZFJqdGdpcHNUcjFkM3h4eWprNndZOFljbXc1MEdidXNCV19lMXFNSlVHY3pDTVVENGdiRlVkb3lnejQ1SkV0UV9lSlNFc1pzcUg2YTdzNzZEaGs3NE1XVlNXWVFTQTZyMEtpM016bU1HdzUzd1ZZS1JCaXdnMFI5SmhZQldVNzBIMHFKTmMwSjhfdm45T25qbEt2NzJQbGdXUk8zSzdwUTNHVTM5WmplY2xjdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_74bd5a3056c8",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "State Department urges Americans in Middle East to leave immediately - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "State Department urges Americans in Middle East to leave immediately\nThe latest travel advisory applies to nearly the entire region and comes as the US Embassy in Jordan evacuated all personnel due to an unspecified threat.\nWASHINGTON — The US State Department is urging Americans in more than a dozen Middle East countries to immediately depart as Israel and the United States continue to exchange strikes with Iran.\nThe department “urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks,” Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar wrote on X.\nThe advisory applies to US citizens in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.\nLeaving those countries could prove challenging, however, as many of Iran’s neighbors have closed their airspace to commercial travel. Thousands of flights have been canceled across Middle East airports in recent days, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Dubai International Airport announced Monday that limited flights would resume following a deadly Iranian strike on Saturday that hit the aviation hub.\n“Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. and Canada). ENROLL in http://step.state.gov to get the latest security updates from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate,” Namdar wrote.\nThe announcement comes after the State Department issued a “worldwide caution” alert on Saturday, warning all Americans abroad to “exercise increased caution” following US military operations in Iran.\nA US official said the department has established a 24/7 task force to provide consular assistance to Americans in the region “as expeditiously as possible.” It has also launched a dedicated WhatsApp channel that is delivering security updates to more than 15,000 subscribers, the official said.\nOn Monday, the US Embassy in Baghdad advised Americans in Iraq to shelter in place until further notice, and the US Embassy in Amman evacuated all personnel from the compound in the Jordan capital due to an unspecified threat.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:19:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOUW9UZlpmWjFqTDRsMDh0LTFERldZZEU5emxnMTh0TnBUaW9vQnRTZG4yV2luSmdhVFo3ejdoSGF2aUlMODFjajVnOXRhTmpLX1hZVTRTYU9pMWFoeHRsc0p6U3FlaDBsNkRUUWpoVjNJb0E0N3Jfd241WjBVWl9tTG5ualhid3BELUtDRFJGQkZUN3NyUXJYQlRRa2xxTFk3R2FSbXJKd1cySHM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1ba264afc8ea",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Israel bombs Iranian TV station in overnight attack - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Israel attacked an Iranian TV station in an air raid on Tehran in the early hours of Tuesday.\nThe state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said it was hit by two explosions. Israel acknowledged the strike, calling it an attack on Iranian \"propaganda activities\".\nMissile sirens sounded in Israel, and explosions were heard in the Gulf as the regional conflict entered a fourth day. Iran had warned on Monday it was ready for a \"long war\".\nThe Iranian TV channel said it was still broadcasting after the strike, reporting no casualties. The Israeli army had ordered local residents to leave the Evin area of Tehran, which is also home to a notorious regime prison.\nBut most Iranians cannot see such warnings, which are published on social media, because the internet is largely down across the country.\nIsrael said the complex attacked was a \"communications centre\" for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It described the state broadcaster as the \"beating heart of the IRGC's machine of lies and repression\".\nFars news agency, which is affiliated to the Guards, said the area around Iran’s former parliament building was also attacked by US and Israeli air strikes. The police have a building near by, it said.\nOther Israeli eviction orders were issued in several areas of Lebanon, including near the offices of Hezbollah-affiliated TV channel Al Manar.\nIran had indicated on Monday it is ready for a long conflict. Iranian state media reported on wartime measures being implemented by the state, including increasing medicine stocks and the readiness of hospitals, and ensuring reliable energy production and fuel supply to residents.\nAli Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and adviser to late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ruled out negotiations as Israel continued its military campaign.\n\"Trump's wishful thinking has dragged the whole region into an unnecessary war, and now he is rightly worried about more American casualties,\" Mr Larijani said.\nBut Iran, \"unlike the US, prepared itself for a long war … regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation\", he said in another post.\nSix US troops have been killed in the campaign against Iran, it was revealed on Monday. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US is hitting Iran “certainly, overwhelmingly and unapologetically\" but that the war on the regime is \"not endless\".\n“To the media outlets and political left screaming ‘endless wars’, stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” he said in his first public address since the onset of the war. “We fight to win and we don’t waste time.”\nMr Larijani denied claims by Mr Trump that Iran’s interim leadership is willing to resume talks. Calls for dialogue and calm have gone unanswered, as US, Israeli and Iranian forces continued to exchange fire on Monday.\nThe Israeli army said its air force began an \"additional broad strike\" on Iranian targets in the heart of Tehran. At least 555 people have been killed in the attacks across Iran since Saturday, the country's Red Crescent Society said.\nThe US-Israel strikes have killed senior military commanders, as well as civilians. Iran says at least 165 children were killed in an attack on a school in the southern Minab province. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres alleging \"war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the US and the Israeli regime\".\n\"Numerous military attacks have been carried out against civilian targets, including schools, hospitals, equipment and aid workers,\" wrote Mr Araghchi. \"This series of widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population fully places these actions within the definition of crimes against humanity.\"\nBrig Gen Majid ibn Reza has been appointed as Iran's acting Defence Minister, state media said. He replaces Amir Nasirzadeh, who was among the senior military commanders killed on the first day of US-Israeli attacks.\nRegional spillover\nIsraeli overnight air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon killed at least 31 people and wounded 149, according to a preliminary toll issued by Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Monday.\nThe deadly attacks came after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israel overnight to avenge the death of Mr Khamenei, prompting a wide-reaching retaliation. The Hezbollah attack was the first on Israel since a ceasefire came into place, despite near-daily Israeli strikes on Lebanon.\nThe Israeli army launched a second wave of strikes across what it says are Hezbollah targets across Lebanon on Monday, warning that the group will pay a heavy price for its attack and the group's leader, Naim Qassem, is \"now a marked target for assassination\".\nIranian attacks on its Gulf neighbours also continued on Monday.\nIranian drones struck a power plant and a site belonging to oil and gas company QatarEnergy, with no casualties reported, said the Qatari Defence Ministry.\nQatar also intercepted Iranian attacks on the country's international airport, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said, adding that attacks could not remain unanswered.\nMeanwhile, Saudi Aramco shut down operations at its Ras Tanura refinery after a fire broke out following a reported drone attack in the first Iranian strike on the Gulf’s energy infrastructure.\nIran’s deputy foreign minister has denied that Tehran was behind the reported bombing of Saudi oil facilities, amid rising regional tensions.\n“We are not responsible for the bombing of Saudi oil fields and we have informed our brothers in the Kingdom of this,” he told CNN.\nMembers of the Gulf Co-operation Council said they will take \"all necessary measures\" to defend their security and territory, reserving the right to respond to what they described as \"heinous\" and \"treacherous Iranian attacks\" in a joint statement.\nMeanwhile, the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a joint statement in which they strongly condemned Iran's \"indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks\". Gulf states had previously said they would not allow their territory to be used for attacks against Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:21:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxPRHFvNFVyTmZWanpWTTNnV0xEc25ZR0hQOWw5dEN2OFhNWGt1MUVoeWRsSGR5eGhJdFhVUm5BOTE0U0lhb05XckpSSmw0RlM5elVuLVpLazBwdXF4Sm14S25NVXcxTnNDckl6MV9fOWdCY0IzN0l2MVBNY01uV29YRE5PTFByZEU5YnRkVi1LNjVuVXNGT24tdzFjUWtvZDdGZ0E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0ce1b64c5b83",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "US Has No Immediate Plan to Tap Oil Reserve on Iran Concerns - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "US Has No Immediate Plan to Tap Oil Reserve on Iran Concerns    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:24:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQcEJpT3pCT094Wl9zTkpudjFvbFkwejNTbEQ1N1VadG9kdm50LS14QkVVVnFxd3RRSUNpaEl3enI3ZFZBUGlSbkkzdVY5OGhwdjNERmFWeC14LVlfMEJidUtINzZqZFk3OXNadUdiR1hvQnhyM3lyTy1JMzNsQVVWVWNhN3NFdHRpWU1wX1ZuLXFsVFpBYjVHRGQ5X21QdFFfandxZ2FEVW01YllCWjNmeA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9c99edb4297a",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump Won’t Rule Out US Ground Troops in Iran as War Spreads - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Trump Won’t Rule Out US Ground Troops in Iran as War Spreads    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:25:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxOWVVnc2Ftc0pDcmR6LUl6OWJBakpOUlRDZ09BeUFsUEdqamhULTVzNkFRQ1h6TmotZ1UxQmQtdXk1SU1uV1l0TVEtLWVOS1FUWXdxTEtuS0tXUy1mQjE5ZmlNQWZ6NjcyTlQ5MC1JY3FRZjAwX1Bwc1hfM21jbmMtOW16aTVGbGFHNTZ6ellOb3BERjFwbWZrOVEwOWp0SGlobXJUUmh3cEpyUjNZTV96VDUyZUlsNHlh?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_a5f5a2090b69",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Intelligence assessment warns of Iranian attacks on US following Khamenei's death - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Intelligence assessment warns of Iranian attacks on US following Khamenei's death    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:32:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxQcWE1bU5WNDI0N21hQWx0b0U2NEtObE82UVpEQVdaWjZmSmwweTVtQ08yd1hTWFJSOWkwVTdoclljZmphZEg4VGtRRVhpaGRQMFBjeWhiOXZzYmJXZEFTcUR0djR6UGhTQ2xlTHRzWnN1azA4eFBidjdESlF2YkpFYTg1bzZSekVGMWtvQTFqV0l0QTRWZU1Ld05fcmlUdmNTNmVoUnZ2LXZsa0tESEdOcjdXNV9LYUVlVmllMUh5R0s2N0F6cGMw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_45c41cc64f9a",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "What disrupting the strait of Hormuz could mean for global cost-of-living pressures - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump’s attempt to overthrow the Iranian government by force could trigger a new wave of cost-of-living pressures that embattled governments and central banks around the world will struggle to deal with.\nThe US-Israel attack on the Middle Eastern country at the weekend is the latest in a long series of global economic shocks.\nShipping through the strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel on Iran’s southern border that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, effectively closed after the missile attacks as companies swiftly moved to restrict transport.\nThe strait is a key shipping route. Not only does a fifth of the global seaborne oil pass through it, so does a fifth of worldwide LNG shipments and about a third of global trade in urea – the most widely used fertiliser.\n“Of all the possible Middle East scenarios, the current state of play is one of the worst for the global economy,” says the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s head of global economics, Joseph Capurso.\nHe added: “We expect the situation to escalate before it de-escalates.\n“Iran’s leadership and military capabilities have been significantly degraded. However, what is unknown is their intent and capability to block the strait of Hormuz that would sharply push up oil and gas prices.”\nHowever, investors have so far remained relatively sanguine about other potential knock-on effects, reflecting a broad opinion that the disruptions to oil supplies will follow the script of recent years and prove short-lived.\nThe international oil benchmark, Brent crude, jumped by as much as 13% to reach $US81.57 a barrel on Monday morning – the highest in more than a year – before easing to just shy of $US77.53 by the afternoon to be up 6.4% on last week.\nAsian sharemarkets also recovered from steep early losses but still traded 1.5% down, while Australian stocks finished Monday’s session marginally higher as traders jumped into goldminers and LNG exporters.\nDespite expectations of further bombing over the coming days, investors seemed reassured by Trump’s comments that he would be prepared to drop sanctions on Iran if the country’s new leadership proved to be “pragmatic”.\nStill, experts remain alive to worse scenarios, including a complete closure of the shipping route.\nAnalysts at UBS told clients on Monday: “While a full physical closure of Hormuz would be challenging, Iran could attempt to disrupt traffic and push shipping companies and insurers to avoid the crossing.\n“We could be looking at a material disruption, potentially of a greater magnitude than the recent loss of Russian supply in 2022, which sent spot prices to [over] US$120/bbl.”\nHowever, they noted that Iran’s economy is overwhelmingly dependent on petrodollars, so “as long as Iranian oil exports are still flowing, the likelihood of closure and/or strikes on regional energy infrastructure may be lower, in our view, except as a last resort”.\nHigher petrol prices\nJohnathan McMenamin, the head of economic forecasts at investment bank Barrenjoey, said rising oil prices would have the most direct impact on real economic activity.\n“It is generally stagflationary,” McMenamin said. “It increases inflation directly through high bowser prices but it can spill over into broader prices. At the same time, it tends to reduce growth through a reduction in the people’s ability to spend.”\nAustralian households can expect to see the consequences of the attack on Iran at the bowser.\nShane Oliver, the chief economist at AMP, said his rough rule of thumb was that each US$1 rise in global oil prices adds 1 cent to a litre of petrol.\nSo in a worst-case scenario, such as if the global oil price benchmark were to climb above US$100 a barrel over coming days, unleaded fuel could jump by 40c or more to $2.20-2.40 per litre in the major cities.\nThe Reserve Bank, which is widely anticipated to hike rates for a second time this year in May, will need to both balance a further increase to inflation and be wary of “what happened post the Ukraine war”, when global energy prices sent consumer prices soaring, McMenamin said.\n“At the same time, they will want to act slowly and cautiously to ensure they don’t do any further damage to growth.”\nRegional insecurity\nAustralia is a net exporter of energy, thanks to its huge LNG and thermal coal sales, but that is a rare position across the Asia-Pacific region.\nRichard Yetsenga, ANZ’s chief economist, said that with the exception of Malaysia, Asian countries import more oil than they export.\nJapan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong import more than 80% of the energy they consume domestically, according to Moody’s Analytics.\n“The reality is that this is a broader shock to the region; if higher oil prices are sustained, it is a loss of national income for these countries,” Yetsenga said.\nHe said higher oil prices were “not too damaging” economically but higher energy costs could reignite political pressures.\n“Asia has cost-of-living issues like the rest of the world because of the shift in price levels over the tail-end of the pandemic.\n“China is struggling with soft consumption, so an increase in energy prices won’t be particularly welcome.\n“So an increase in oil prices, coupled with weaker local currencies, would still mean that governments take steps to mitigate the impact on households.”\nThat is already evident in Thailand, where the government at the weekend instituted an immediate ban on all petroleum exports and announced it would draw on a national fuel fund to protect motorists from climbing petrol prices, according to local media.\n“There are obviously a range of potential outcomes and we shouldn’t lose sight of the terrible human cost of another military conflict,” Yetsenga said.\n“But the global economy has shown itself exceedingly resilient to the numerous shocks in recent years and there’s no reason to think this will be any different.”\nChinese refiners buy almost all of the 1.6m barrels of crude oil that Iran exports every day – equivalent to about 13% of China’s total seaborne oil imports, according to TD Securities.\nIran continued to load oil tankers over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported, in an early sign that the country will continue to ship crude even as other shipping grinds to a halt.\nChina condemns US attacks\nWith the confirmed death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, on the weekend, Chinese foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, condemned the strikes, saying it was “unacceptable to openly kill the leader of a sovereign country and institute regime change”.\nThe strikes may also damage a fragile trade truce between China and US, and complicate negotiations before a meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing later this month.\nWith a fifth of the global gas supply also passing through the strait of Hormuz, an extended conflict that chokes off shipping also risks unleashing a new wave of energy chaos in Europe, where energy inventories are already low, according to Citi analysts.\nEuropean wholesale gas prices could triple to US$100 per megawatt hour were the strait to close entirely for three months, or operate at half capacity for six months.\nThat would still be well short of the more than US$300/MWh peak that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\nBut analysts warned that if an extended Middle East war were to close shipping in the region, prices “could potentially escalate non-linearly, similar to what happened in late 2021 and 2022”.\n“Very high TTF [European wholesale gas] prices would have inflation implications especially for Europe, as seen in 2022,” they said.\n-\nPatrick Commins is Guardian Australia’s economics editor",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:36:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_2e091ac13816",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran starts ‘indiscriminate’ strikes across Gulf of Oman, hits shadow tanker tied to regime - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iran is conducting \"indiscriminate\" targeting of vessels across the Gulf of Oman and the wider Persian Gulf following the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes under Operation Epic Fury, according to a maritime intelligence firm.\nWindward AI noted the sanctioned Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was hit as the conflict across the Middle East entered its second day, with the tanker also holding Iranian nationals among the crew and ties to the regime.\n\"Analysis of vessel affiliations, targeting patterns, and cargo data points to a strategy of indiscriminate area denial — not precision targeting — aimed at demonstrating Iran's capability to disrupt the Strait and deter commercial shipping,\" the firm said Monday.\nIran has been retaliating with missiles and drones targeting U.S. and allied positions across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.\nMaritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf, is the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.\nWhile three other vessels were reported attacked since the hostilities escalated Feb. 28, Windward described Skylight as \"the highest-risk vessel in the group and the most anomalous target.\"\nThe UKMTO Operation Centre also later confirmed attacks on Skylight, MKD Vyom and Hercules Star, warning of significant military activity across the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the North Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.\nSkylight had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in December 2025, and was used to transport Iranian petroleum products, according to reports.\nIt was operated by United Arab Emirates-based Red Sea Ship Management LLC, which Windward noted has documented ties to front companies linked to Iran’s Ministry of Defense.\nThe vessel had been at anchor since Feb. 22 and carried 20 crew members — 15 Indians and five Iranians.\n\"The Skylight anomaly — striking a vessel with an Iranian crew, Iranian operational ties, and active OFAC sanctions — is the single strongest piece of evidence against deliberate targeting by affiliation,\" Windward said.\nReuters also reported March 1 that the Palau-flagged tanker was hit off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula in the Gulf of Oman, injuring four.\nOman’s Maritime Security Center said in a post on X that Skylight was attacked about 5 nautical miles north of Khasab Port, caught fire and was evacuated.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:54:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxOcWVseGxmN0l2dUxuVGc3dkY1WDhrNFlockZWS2pBc3FVMVBzMkJVRF9zN2lYa2dvdTFTYTY2TUtxbTlZRGtEZ0IySUVfTkd3TENnV0Nxbm54VEN4NU9LakdvS20tdXlyalhnS0ZUVEtwaHhHUVVodmpmUk1XdjIzMXUwLUxhbnJHVXVsczVmTDJDdnJMNklKUUVwX3ZNc2xhRXFUSFpDTFLSAa4BQVVfeXFMUGtMMmJDWUkwZ2tWLWF3Vk1XRzBKdEdyQ3ktS0NCcm1YaEc2QlV4ZWRYU29QSWRjRkRwMHBZNXBCNHp2VVdLZHpvMi1ZMzU4NFRHbTRrQjdSTVpRUjlEcWQ4dFhmYTROVXhrb3N2NXhpMWtqTEF0Y0JSTzVfTkl0YXRraGxKTjRPNThKdkswY19HR00waTVoRHJ5VXMzYWk0aEhpQ01iWVd2c1p2Um9R?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_55c0bd6be47c",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran starts ‘indiscriminate’ strikes across Gulf of Oman, hits shadow tanker tied to regime",
    "body_text": "Shadow oil tanker with ties to Iranian regime attacked near Oman coast (Reuters)\n\nIran is conducting \"indiscriminate\" targeting of vessels across the Gulf of Oman and the wider Persian Gulf following the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes under Operation Epic Fury, according to a maritime intelligence firm.\n\nWindward AInoted the sanctioned Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was hit as the conflict across the Middle East entered its second day, with the tanker also holding Iranian nationals among the crew and ties to the regime.\n\n\"Analysis of vessel affiliations, targeting patterns, and cargo data points to a strategy of indiscriminate area denial — not precision targeting — aimed at demonstrating Iran's capability to disrupt the Strait and deter commercial shipping,\" the firm said Monday.\n\nGulf of Oman tanker attacks escalate as Iran retaliates against Operation Epic Fury with missiles targeting U.S. allies, disrupting commercial traffic through choke point.(Reuters)\n\nIran has beenretaliating with missiles and dronestargeting U.S. and allied positions across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.\n\nMaritime traffic through theStrait of Hormuz,which links the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf, is the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.\n\nWhile three other vessels were reported attacked since the hostilities escalated Feb. 28, Windward described Skylight as \"the highest-risk vessel in the group and the most anomalous target.\"\n\nTheUKMTOOperation Centre also later confirmed attacks on Skylight, MKD Vyom and Hercules Star, warning of significant military activity across the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the North Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.\n\nSkylight had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in December 2025, and was used to transport Iranian petroleum products, according to reports.\n\nIt was operated by United Arab Emirates-based Red Sea Ship Management LLC, which Windward noted has documented ties to front companies linked to Iran’s Ministry of Defense.\n\nThe vessel had been at anchor since Feb. 22 and carried 20 crew members — 15 Indians and five Iranians.\n\nDUBAI HOTEL FIRE APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY IRANIAN STRIKE; INJURIES REPORTED\n\nA satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.(Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025/Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)\n\n\"The Skylight anomaly — striking a vessel with an Iranian crew, Iranian operational ties, and active OFAC sanctions — is the single strongest piece of evidence against deliberate targeting by affiliation,\" Windward said.\n\nReutersalso reported March 1 that the Palau-flagged tanker was hit off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula in the Gulf of Oman, injuring four.\n\nOman’s Maritime Security Center said in a post on X thatSkylight was attackedabout 5 nautical miles north of Khasab Port, caught fire and was evacuated.\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:54:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-starts-indiscriminate-strikes-gulf-oman-hits-shadow-tanker-tied-regime",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7983f6eeb1ae",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Global oil and gas shipping costs surge as Iran vows to close Strait of Hormuz - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Global oil and gas shipping costs surge as Iran vows to close Strait of Hormuz    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-02T23:57:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxNLUFFX3dLNzdVaThlTjBZWkVFaGYyellDVjd2aGE5OHB4RTUwekJNbWNqcUVVUW93clNKSzRLM2dzaDJrQndYV09YVTNZOE5OMjVVTjd6WURNQjRwMFV0NXBXMEczdklQTks2dWUyVFQ1WnREU1VBcDJJc1EtS2pEeVg4cmY5aEJ1UWxEM2lUbU04R1dDUGl2dVZSZTVNdklVelNnc2pXcTk4RmUyaVpDUDZITHlOb1hLYXRwTG5aenlHX2lua1J1Y1pVRGMxZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9a5038a4f33c",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran executes Khamenei’s plan to spread regional war - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran executes Khamenei’s plan to spread regional war\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:00:00+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6743d2445289",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "After the strike: The danger of war in Iran - Brookings",
    "body_text": "On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran, resulting in the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Brookings experts break down what the ensuing war means for Iran and what’s at stake internationally and domestically.\nIran\nIn February 1979, after months of internal unrest, Iranian newspapers announced the departure of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last king of Iran. The massive banner headline declaring “Shah raft” (“the Shah is gone”) quickly became iconic. That concise phrase and the vivid image evoked the magnitude of this historical moment, at the culmination of an unlikely popular revolution that toppled the modernizing monarch of a wealthy, pro-Western state in a strategically and economically vital region.\nSaturday’s death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the state that succeeded the monarchy, in an Israeli airstrike on his compound, is no less momentous. Over the course of nearly 37 years in power, Khamenei cemented the unique dominance of his office, thwarted every effort to make meaningful changes to Iran’s approach to the world, and empowered and expanded its influence across the region. For many Iranians and others, Khamenei’s quick elimination elicited celebrations and a rare sense of hope for the future.\nSadly, however, that hope may be short-lived. Just as the shah’s departure failed to usher in the aspirations of the millions who rallied in the streets during the 1979 revolution, it’s highly uncertain that the U.S.-Israeli operation will successfully produce a real transition to a different regime. Over the past few days, airstrikes have powerfully degraded Iran’s military capabilities and decapitated key political and military leadership. Still, the deeply embedded networks and institutions that have underpinned the Islamic Republic for nearly half a century ensure that, at least in the near term, the vestiges of the power structure continue to hold an overwhelming advantage over any challengers.\nTo regain some leverage even as the country remains under bombardment, Tehran is deploying its time-tested strategy of escalating strikes on its neighbors’ energy and economic infrastructure in the hopes of creating pressure and incentives for diplomacy. After the attrition of its proxies and its nuclear program at the hands of Israel and the United States over the past 18 months, and then the shock of a massive internal uprising in January, the regime saw this conflict coming. For Iran’s battered and bloodied regime, the stakes are existential. Imposing high costs on Washington, their neighbors, and the global economy is their survival strategy.\nThe initial air raid, which killed Khamenei and several of his family members and other officials, inflicted a heavy blow on the regime. However, the decapitation strike neither toppled the regime nor produced an immediate wave of popular opposition. The regime’s radical core is taking charge, evidenced by attacks on Arab neighbors, and seems to be entrenching itself rather than seeking an accommodation with the Trump administration. It appears likely that it would take more than the initial phase (five days to several weeks) to bring about a regime change. It is an open question whether Trump will have the patience for a lengthy campaign. At some point, the current U.S.-Israeli harmony could be disrupted by Trump’s potential quest for a swift ending and Netanyahu’s more ambitious war aims.\nThe Iranian leadership is in a radical mood, manifested by its conduct of the prewar negotiations with Washington and its policy of launching missiles at the Arab Gulf countries (including friendly Oman) and seeking to hit Cyprus. This is clearly an ill-calculated effort to persuade the United States and the international community that the war’s continuation is too costly and too dangerous. It is ill-conceived and is likely to be counterproductive. Should the war end with a weakened version of the current regime in power, its Arab neighbors will have to rethink the policies they pursued in the last few years (treading a fine line between the United States and Iran).\nFinally, there is an important domestic Israeli dimension. Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition are trailing in the polls ahead of the elections scheduled later this year. The war’s successful outcome would play into Netanyahu’s hands, while a dubious outcome would enhance the opposition’s prospects.\nThe horrific October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks triggered a series of conflicts across the Middle East, culminating this weekend in sweeping American and Israeli efforts to conduct regime change in Iran. Together, the U.S. and Israeli militaries have apparently hit more than a thousand Iranian targets in two days, demonstrating a historic joint operation against high value political and military people and places, and employing sophisticated conventional capabilities paired with rich intelligence and strategic planning.\nIn response, the Islamic Republic has operated like there is no tomorrow—which is plausible given the breadth, depth, and efficacy of these attacks on its foundations. In doing so, Iranian missiles and drones have attacked at least nine different countries as of Monday morning, including Gulf bases where the U.S. military operates, likely executed by devolved command and control. Iranian efforts to expand the war have resulted in a number of countries who hoped to avoid engagement in this conflict now being brought into the conflict. While many Iranian missiles have been shot down, relatively low cost Iranian drones appear to have been more effective in evading air defense and hitting targets; further evidence that contemporary wars span the low to high end of the continuum of conflict. This latest chapter in Middle East wars looks like “everything everywhere, all at once.”\nIn the United States and Israel’s war against Iran, the Trump administration announced as a key goal the end of the theocratic regime that has ruled Iran since 1979. But it’s provided few—and contradictory—details as to what the regime’s end means, and the new political dispensation it would find satisfactory. It merely called on the Iranian people to overthrow the regime, without repeating its earlier promises of protection.\nIn the first days of airstrikes, the United States and Israel killed the ayatollah as well as several top leaders of the Iranian military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), adding to those killed in July 2025 during the joint attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. But the Iranian regime is vast, with sprawling religious authority, layers of officers across various armed branches and militias, and widespread control of the country’s economic assets. Even if the United States and Israel continue mowing down newly-replaced leaders for weeks, the IRGC and various armed forces and their economic assets will not just melt away, even if they eventually fracture.\nEven a future electoral process, should a transitional regime at some point emerge, may not lead to a sustained democratic system. Although many people in Iran crave it, such outcomes require nurturing over many years, including from the external intervener. Iran’s fragmented political opposition may produce unstable governments that struggle to satisfy the immense economic needs of the Iranian people and a clamoring for a strongman. And that’s even if armed struggles and militancy don’t rise, such as from Iran’s oppressed Kurdish and Baluch people or from Islamist groups.\nThe Trump administration broke a cruel, brutal, and dangerous regime with little clarity, planning, readiness, and accountability for how to foster a new, desirable replacement system. In Venezuela, it remains satisfied with 99% of the Maduro regime staying in power, including those with egregious human rights records, and only cosmetic political liberalization, as long as the “new” regime appears to be doing U.S. oil bidding. President Donald Trump is hinting that such a minimal change of leadership in Iran may be enough for him. It hardly will be for the Iranian people or Israel.\nWe are flying blind, captured by magical thinking. The United States has launched an entirely volitional and illegal war against a country in which it has had no diplomatic presence for nearly 50 years. Against a theocratic dictatorship whose leader the U.S. military has now decapitated, and who will be mourned by few, but who may well be replaced by someone far worse. A country of 92 million people ruthlessly ruled for decades by a corrupt cabal of armed thugs, whose tentacles deeply penetrated what little remained of the state’s institutions.\nThe Trump administration has no clue and no plan for what comes next. We can, however, draw lessons—none of them good—from the United States’ 21st–century failures in regime change wars in the Middle East and North Africa. The United States must therefore prepare for the likelihood of Iran’s full implosion, fragmentation, and the spread of a chaos that would make the aftermath of our misadventures in Iraq and Libya look like a picnic. Is the Trump administration prepared to stand by while the Middle East region is engulfed in violence? Will it dispatch ground troops? Will it maintain an armada in the Persian Gulf? None of this has been explained to the American people or U.S. congressional representatives. Ironically, the greatest beneficiaries of the United States’ grave violations of international law are the very actors whom, under normal circumstances, Washington would be seeking to restrain: Moscow will be emboldened to continue its barbaric assault on Ukraine, while China will feel empowered to move on Taiwan.\nFor Trump, the best option in Iran is still a “Venezuela scenario”: striking a deal with whoever comes to replace Khamenei, likely a modified nuclear deal plus some oil concessions. Trump—and especially his MAGA base—has no interest in a long, drawn-out war in the Middle East, which is what is required to truly topple the Iranian regime. Especially as casualties mount—with three U.S. troops already killed over the weekend, followed by a friendly fire downing of three jets Monday morning—Trump is likely to abandon his earlier calls for regime change and attempt to strike a deal. Iran, for its part, appears to be pursuing the same strategy, expanding the war as much as and as quickly as possible in order to create the greatest diplomatic pressure on Trump to end the war, and signaling its interest in negotiations as well.\nInside Iran, while the killing of Khamenei and other top officials has decapitated the regime, the incentives of each element of the regime have not meaningfully shifted. While protesters celebrated Khamenei’s death in the streets, the regime also organized continued nationalist counterprotests in its favor. That suggests the regime’s networks remain resilient, and, at least as of writing, there have still been no major defections.\nIf so, then for Iran, all Trump’s attacks have really done is to accelerate Khamenei’s already looming death. But the operation may have a meaningful impact on Trump himself: Nicolás Maduro’s capture and now Khamenei’s killing might further embolden him to continue to pursue these reckless, unilateral military operations against heads of state across the globe. Despite his campaign rhetoric, Trump has proven to be even more hawkish than his predecessors, leaving future generations to face the eventual blowback.\nWars rarely go according to plan. In launching a war of choice with Iran, the United States and Israel have unleashed a confrontation that is unlikely to succeed and certain to produce unintended effects that they will be unable to manage or contain. There is little question that the United States and Israel can inflict serious damage on Iran’s military capabilities. It is likely that Iran, already severely weakened, will be unable to mount a sustained response to blistering attacks by the United States and Israel, though it will certainly try to inflict as much damage as it can on United States and Israeli targets across the region.\nWhether the United States will succeed in its longer-term objectives, however, is doubtful. The Trump administration’s minimal aims can be seen as reversing the unintended effects of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the event that paved the way for the expansion of Iran’s influence across the Arab east and reinforced its commitment to its nuclear program. These include giving up its nuclear ambitions; accepting limits on its missile program; abandoning its proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen; and conceding its status as a regional power. The Trump administration’s maximalist aims can be seen as reversing the effects of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, restoring Iran’s standing as a status quo power aligned with the West. Neither outcome is possible if the current regime remains in power, and appeals by both Trump and Netanyahu encouraging Iranians to rise up underscore the centrality of regime change to the success of their plans.\nYet regime change is also the war’s central vulnerability and holds out the most dangerous of its potential unintended consequences. Several scenarios are possible, none of which offer any assurance that the war will go according to plan. First, the regime may well survive the war even if its current leadership has been killed off, paving the way for a period of increased repression, renewed determination to restore its deterrent capabilities, and increased use of asymmetric means to impose costs on its enemies. After all, Hamas and Hezbollah have survived far more devastating assaults. Iran’s regime will likely prove to be no less resilient. Second, the regime might collapse yet be replaced by leaders even more repressive and even less inclined to make the concessions demanded by the United States and Israel. Or, third, regime collapse could inaugurate a period of sustained conflict and political instability that will be difficult to contain within Iran’s borders. In going to war to exploit the Iranian regime’s weakness, therefore, Trump and Netanyahu may well have set the stage for a lose-lose outcome that will leave no one, least of all the Iranian people, better off.\nTrump’s war of choice is unwise and potentially unlawful. It also misaligns ends and means, like so many of Trump’s other defense and foreign policies. If this war’s objective is to transform the Iranian regime’s nature—rather than merely its leadership—the prioritization and expansion of U.S. civilian tools of influence should be paramount. For decades, the United States and its allies have supported quiet, locally led efforts within Iran to strengthen civil society—journalists, academics, trade unions, environmental advocates, and women’s rights organizations. Congress has consistently funded these activities through the Near East Regional Democracy Program, which, since its establishment in 2009, has invested nearly $600 million in on-the-ground initiatives.\nAdministrations of both parties have approached this work with appropriate caution, given the recognition that only the Iranian people can legitimately mobilize internal pressure for political change. U.S. involvement in Iran’s domestic politics also carries historical baggage. When major protests emerged—the Green Movement (2009-2010), the Dey protests (2017-2018), and the Women, Life, Freedom movement (2021-2022)—the United States calibrated its endorsement out of concern that its involvement would discredit these local efforts. In retrospect, this caution may have been excessive, and the United States should have provided more public support.\nEven so, during the peak of the Women, Life, Freedom protests, roughly one in four Iranians used a U.S.-funded virtual private network (VPN) to bypass heavy government censorship. In the years since, U.S. programs—often involving partnerships with U.S. technology companies—have developed more advanced methods that allow Iranians to circumvent total internet shutdowns—rare events that require technologies more sophisticated than VPNs or even satellite-based systems, such as Starlink.\nOver the past five years, U.S. policymakers added new accountability measures and used Global Magnitsky sanctions to target Iranian officials responsible for human rights abuses and corruption.\nThe United States should now expand every civilian lever of statecraft. Policymakers should restore the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and associated foreign assistance programs, including internet freedom funding. For more than a decade, these capabilities allowed the United States to anticipate and counter authoritarian crackdowns in the information space. They should also rebuild the specialized teams that administer Global Magnitsky and related sanctions so they can hold individual perpetrators of repression and state violence accountable. Most urgently, the administration should set aside its counterproductive tensions with the European Union, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and other multilateral institutions. Without a U.S. presence on the ground in Iran, Washington will need to rely on its partners to help support opposition actors.\nRegional\nWith the death of Iran’s supreme leader and the continued U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Iranian regime, the Islamic Republic’s future is suddenly much harder to predict. The regime may decline gradually, and then suddenly. Or a narrower security elite may consolidate power, eventually strike a deal with Washington, and preserve the system through harsher repression at home.\nOne consequence, however, is already coming into view: this war is sharpening the enmity between Turkey and Israel, pushing them closer to a long-term collision.\nThat much was clear in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s initial response. He blamed Netanyahu for triggering the conflict and condemned Israel’s strikes as “provocations,” with no reference to the U.S. military role. Ankara wants to believe Trump was dragged into war by an Israel determined to reshape the Middle East.\nTurkey doesn’t want another war at its doorstep and will quietly work with the Trump administration and regime insiders to identify an off-ramp—not out of sympathy for Tehran but because it fears the day after. Iran and Turkey are historic rivals, and Turks have long been nervous about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, missile capabilities, and proxy networks. But Turkish officials also feared that war would bring prolonged instability and produce consequences worse than the status quo—including refugee flows, trade and energy disruption, and the possibility that turmoil inside Iran could create new space for Kurdistan Workers’ Party-linked Kurdish autonomy inside Iran. Turkey does not believe regime change is in the cards.\nAnkara’s deeper concern, however, is geopolitical. It prefers the Iran it knows to a postwar order shaped more decisively by Israel. In Turkish eyes, American and Israeli aims diverge. Trump is seen as a transactional actor who may still declare a quick victory and return to nuclear diplomacy. Israel, by contrast, is viewed by Turks as pursuing something broader: an ideological transformation, a fractured Iran, and a Middle East reorganized around Israeli military primacy. That will inevitably clash with Turkey’s own interests and quest for regional influence.\nThat is why Turkey and Israel are increasingly locked into a security dilemma, each viewing the other’s gains as a direct threat—accusing each other of “neo-Ottomanism” and “Greater Israel” ambitions, respectively. Their rivalry had already intensified over Gaza and Syria. Now, the prospect of an Israel-led regional order will deepen it further. Ankara may stay out of the war itself. But managing the rivalry with Israel—and the diplomacy with Washington over what comes next—will be far harder.\nTurkish leaders repeatedly expressed their categorical opposition to a military intervention against Iran. Two concerns would have been at the forefront of their minds: the potential for a mass influx of refugees and the economic consequences.\nAfter the current Iranian regime rose to power in 1979, an estimated 1.5 million Iranians transited Turkey during the 1980s and early 1990s on their way to a then-welcoming Western Europe and the United States. Today, traditional countries of asylum have closed their doors. A case in point is the Syrian refugees, who were overwhelmingly hosted in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. In Turkey, the government initially received them with open arms, expecting a quick regime change in Syria and a quick return home. This did not happen. Instead, for more than a decade, until a slow repatriation process started with the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria late 2024, Turkey housed the largest refugee population in the world. Their presence—still numbering more than 2.3 million—has taxing social, political, and economic consequences in Turkey. This experience has unsurprisingly led the government to build a wall along both the Syrian and Iranian borders and consider receiving refugees on the Iranian side of the border.\nThe Turkish economy today is not booming, in contrast to when Syrians began to arrive in the spring of 2011. The government is following a painful anti-inflationary policy with limited results, a policy dependent on a highly overvalued and fragile national currency. A hike in energy prices and a slowdown in the world economy would aggravate Turkey’s so far manageable trade deficit. This could jeopardize the government’s economic policies and weaken its capacity to resist the opposition’s persistent calls for early national elections.\nAs a result of the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran, two things are certain. First, many people—civilians and military—have been killed. Second, these attacks will precipitate change. The question is: What will that change be? Well, it depends.\nWill Iran’s leadership dissipate and go underground, as Hezbollah did after Israel’s 2024 campaign in Lebanon? Or will Iran’s new leaders become even more hardline and conclude that only nuclear weapons—à la North Korea—can deter future attacks? Could Iran descend into internal conflict, as Iraq and Syria did over the past decade? Or will a battered but intact status quo reconstitute itself?\nIf Iran is weakened or destabilized, does Israel emerge as the undisputed hegemon, which would likely bolster Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu politically? Would this make Arab states more or less leery of engaging Israel? And finally, will Trump leverage the U.S. attacks to press Netanyahu and Israel to finally allow Palestinians to live freely in a safe and secure homeland?\nBeyond foreign policy, serious domestic questions loom. In the absence of an imminent threat, will Americans see this U.S. war of choice as constitutional or just an attempt by U.S. President Donald Trump to distract from his domestic woes? How will Americans feel if the war causes crude oil prices to double? Can a president who pledged to end Middle East wars persuade Republican voters to support a war of choice? How will Democratic voters react to the fact that their own leadership complacently let the war proceed without even calling for a vote on war powers resolutions that had been put forward in the House and Senate? Will Americans view this war as advancing U.S. interests, or those of Netanyahu? And if Congress votes against the war, will Trump even respect it?\nThe outcome depends not only on Trump, Netanyahu, and the remains of Iran’s leadership, but also on how Americans, Iranians, and Israelis themselves respond in the weeks and months ahead—with their voices and with their votes.\nThe Iranian regime has played a nefarious role in European security for a long time: it has supported terrorist networks, fed wars and civil strife in the Middle East that swept streams of refugees to Europe, and helped Russia pursue its brutal invasion of Ukraine with Shahed drones. For Tehran, Europe was an enemy as much as Israel and the United States.\nBut the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran present European governments with a highly uncomfortable dilemma. Relief at the overthrow of a dictatorial regime that butchered its own citizens and exported terror is mixed with apprehension at the potential destabilizing consequences, including in Europe—and a sharp sense of limited agency and options. Most European governments initially responded to the aerial bombings with calls for restraint or the respect of civilian lives and international law.\nYet, following Iranian drone hits on British and French military bases, as well as bases in Jordan and Iraq that station German soldiers, the “E-3” (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) declared on Sunday night: “We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source. We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter.” The U.K. has agreed to let the United States use British bases; France says it will boost its military presence in the region. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who arrives in Washington on Monday, will no doubt be asked what his repeated vow to build “the strongest army in Europe” means in this context.\nMeanwhile, Europeans and Americans might do well to remember that there is one country with four years of expertise in downing Iranian drones: Ukraine.\nThe high probability of a U.S. attack on Iran was obvious in Moscow, but it still came as a shock. Russia sought to discourage this escalation by staging naval exercises with Iran, both on its own and together with China, but Trump’s “beautiful armada“ was too expensive to assemble to be deterred. From the narrow focus of the U.S.-Iranian talks in Geneva, Russian experts deduced a limited scope of air assault targeting primarily nuclear assets. They did not expect the first strike to be so massive, let alone effectively eliminate Iran’s top leadership.\nDuring the previous escalation of hostilities in June 2025, President Vladimir Putin firmly refused to discuss the possibility of Israel or the United States targeting Iran’s supreme leader. Last Saturday, he held an emergency meeting of the Security Council, but not a word on the proceedings was published. His message of condolences decried Khamenei’s “assassination” as a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law,” which rings hollow for any researcher of the Russian way of war, but betrays his angst. Putin has been obsessed with personal safety since the death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, and Putin’s long self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic turned it into paranoia. How this fear would play in the U.S.-Russian-Ukrainian talks on a peace deal, no rational analysis can tell, but it is not impossible that Putin may discover new incentives for a compromise.\nThe Russian Foreign Ministry was quick to condemn the U.S. and Israeli strikes as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression” and demanded “an immediate return to the path of political and diplomatic resolution.” Moscow will take heart that few countries support the attack and will welcome the spike in oil prices that could add to Russian coffers, important for financing its war against Ukraine. Some Kremlin cynics may hope the United States will get drawn into a lengthy war, even at the expense of their Iranian partner.\nHowever, Moscow cannot be happy about yet another display of Kremlin impotence. The Russian response will almost certainly remain words, despite the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and Iran that entered into force in October 2025. That fits the recent pattern:\n- In December 2024, Moscow stood meekly by as Bashar al-Assad fell in Syria. Russian military forces in the country did not act.\n- In June 2025, Russia called the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities “an unprovoked act of aggression” but took no action.\n- In January, when U.S. forces seized Maduro in Venezuela, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed “strong solidarity,” but Russia did nothing meaningful.\n- In February, Putin told the Cuban foreign minister that U.S. economic pressure on the island was “unacceptable,” but a Russian tanker carrying oil to Cuba halted in the Atlantic well short of the island.\nThe Kremlin has limited response options. The Russian military, bogged down for more than four years in Ukraine, has little appetite and limited ability to project force to support Moscow’s partners, especially those far from Russia’s borders. Moreover, Putin still hopes he can continue stringing along President Trump to keep the United States from supporting Kyiv while Putin presses to achieve his goals on the battlefield.\nDuring their first face-to-face meeting in 2017, Trump informed Chinese leader Xi Jinping over dessert that U.S. forces had just launched a military strike on Syria. So began the relationship between the leaders of the world’s two most powerful countries. In the years since, Trump has launched numerous military strikes. The common denominator of all of America’s strikes has been that they were against targets incapable of shooting back at the American homeland.\nChina is in a different category. With formidable nuclear, long-range strike, space, and cyber capabilities, China wants America to believe it would punch back if America ever struck it. Indeed, that has been the pattern of behavior in recent U.S.-China trade wars.\nAmerica’s recent strikes on Iran are a setback for Chinese interests. Even so, Beijing has been preparing for such a scenario, e.g., building up its strategic petroleum reserves and diversifying its relationships across the region. China did not have ideological or personal affinities to Iran’s leadership. As Allie Matthias and I wrote, Iran is a mid-tier partner for China. Beijing will respond to instability in Iran by aiming to restore oil flows, limiting external spillover of domestic instability, and working to prevent any new Iranian government from realigning toward the United States.\nMeanwhile, Taiwan’s leaders will be rooting for America to successfully complete its military mission against Iran quickly and with the lowest possible expenditure of munitions. The sooner American forces can refocus on deterring Chinese aggression against Taiwan, the better from Taiwan’s perspective.\nIndia finds itself in a situation that it cannot control, but whose consequences have deep implications. For New Delhi, this is not an extra-regional crisis; it considers what it labels West Asia a part of its extended neighborhood. And India’s interests there are significant. The region is home to almost 9 million Indian citizens (the size of a small Middle Eastern country), and it is the source for nearly half of India’s oil imports, over two-thirds of its liquified natural gas imports, and over one-third of the $135 billion remittances it receives. Moreover, it is the destination for 15% of India’s merchandise exports, a growing source of investment, and home to one of India’s top arms suppliers. Geography, the direction of its maritime trade, the number of Indian seafarers (among the top three globally), and one of the largest Shia populations in the world only increase the stakes.\nNew Delhi’s concern, particularly about the safety of its citizens, has been clear in the Indian foreign minister’s calls with every one of his Middle Eastern counterparts.\nBut an Indian tilt is also evident: the government has thus far not criticized the United States or Israel and not condemned the killing of Khamenei. Meanwhile, though not naming Iran, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned the strikes against Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and particularly the UAE, and expressed solidarity with them. It is not yet clear whether this tilt stems from India’s greater equities with the other countries involved, Iran’s—and Khamenei’s—attitude toward India in recent years, Tehran’s decision to target the Gulf Arab states where millions of Indians reside, or New Delhi’s assessment of the likely outcome.\nThe Indian hope will be for a cessation of hostilities—as Modi noted to Netanyahu—and de-escalation. In the meantime, New Delhi will be focused on dealing with its diaspora, mitigating energy and economic disruptions, and preventing or planning for any spillover impact on India’s security interests (both internal and external).\nFew will mourn the decapitation of the Iranian regime. But hard cases make bad law. The joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran threaten the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force except in self-defense against an armed attack or with U.N. Security Council authorization. Coming less than two months after the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, these actions—and the muted international responses to them—risk normalizing unilateral military force as a standard tool of statecraft.\nResponses in Southeast Asia have ranged from outright condemnation to careful calibration; the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to date, has not issued a statement. Malaysia delivered the region’s strongest rebuke, condemning the attacks against Iran and subsequent retaliatory attacks as violations of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the prohibition against the use of force under the U.N. Charter, and warning of further destabilization in an already fragile region. Indonesia’s response focused on diplomacy: it called for dialogue and expressed its readiness to facilitate a resolution.\nThe Philippines, a U.S. ally, focused on the safety of Filipinos in Iran and called for all parties to return to negotiations. Singapore, despite the premium it places on international law, avoided directly criticizing the United States or Israel, both close security partners, instead regretting the failure of negotiations and urging a peaceful resolution “in accordance with international law and the principles of the U.N. Charter.” While U.S. allies and security partners have avoided direct finger-pointing so as not to risk straining U.S. security commitments, the erosion of the rule of law narrows their strategic space.\nBeyond the damaging legal precedent, which erodes constraints on the use of force that protect the region against coercion by stronger states, the strikes carry material risks. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are spiking energy prices and insurance premiums, threatening export-oriented Southeast Asian economies. The threat of Iranian proxies targeting Western interests in the region, with spillover effects, also cannot be ruled out. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has already claimed to have targeted a U.S. fuel support vessel in the Indian Ocean. This makes the South China Sea, which accounts for up to one-third of global maritime commerce and which carries over 30% of global maritime crude oil trade, a realistic target for disruption. A “Ghost Fleet” of around 60 dark fleet tankers carrying Iranian oil operates in the region just off Malaysia’s coast. These ageing, often uninsured vessels could be used to disrupt the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest waterways. Iranian nationals were implicated in coordinated attacks on Israeli diplomatic targets in Thailand, India, and Georgia in 2012, including explosions in Bangkok and New Delhi that injured several people.\nDiplomatically, the latest strikes will harden regional perceptions of the United States and Israel. In a region with significant Muslim Sunni populations, there is limited solidarity with the Iranian Shia regime. But this will not prevent public regard for Washington or Tel Aviv from further plummeting, complicating U.S. efforts to secure regional alignment with its objectives.\nDomestic and economic implications\nTrump has unleashed American airpower as part of a combined U.S.-Israeli operation, not only to further damage Iran’s nuclear program after last June’s successful attacks, but also with the aspiration of overthrowing the Iranian regime. That is an understandable goal—but a very high bar. Consider the recent track record of similar missions:\nIn Kosovo in 1999, NATO wasn’t seeking regime change; it wanted to protect the ethnic Albanian population of the Kosovo region of Serbia against the militias of Serb strongman Slobodan Milošević. It achieved that goal, but it had to bomb with roughly 10 times as many planes as initially forecast for roughly 10 times longer than expected.\nIn Afghanistan in 2001, where the United States overthrew the Taliban, U.S. airpower did not act alone, but in conjunction with American special forces and CIA operators, together with an Afghan resistance group, the Northern Alliance.\nIn Iraq in 2003, the United States and its allies tried to kill Saddam Hussein on the opening night of the war with a “shock and awe” attack, followed by a rapid ground invasion. These attempts at a quick victory did lead to Saddam’s overthrow, but created a chaotic environment that bogged down the United States for more than half a decade. Could the same kind of thing, heaven forbid, happen in Iran? The Trump administration says no—but George W. Bush was not looking for a multiyear ground presence in Iraq, either.\nIn Libya in 2011, NATO airpower supported resistance forces trying to protect civilians against Moammar Gadhafi’s depredations. NATO eventually succeeded, and within a few months, Gadhafi was dead at the hands of internal foes. But 14 years later, Libya remains anarchic. Moreover, our allies on the ground in Libya were much stronger than any Iranian internal opposition is today.\nFrom 2014 through 2019, the United States and allies used airpower and advisors to help local allies defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. But it took half a decade, and it required strong partners on the ground.\nTo defeat Hamas in Gaza, Israel bombed for more than two years and used lots of troops on the ground as well. Hamas is much weaker but still not dead.\nThe impulse to overthrow the Iranian regime is understandable. The historical track record suggests the path ahead will be very difficult and slow. And even if the U.S. achieves its stated objectives, peace and stability are far from guaranteed.\nOn February 18, 1976, President Gerald Ford signed an executive order prohibiting assassination as a tool of U.S. foreign policy. Almost exactly 50 years later, the United States reportedly provided Israel with intelligence that it used to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian leaders.\nU.S. officials made no attempt to deny responsibility, as was the case in the era of Cold War covert action. Instead, they reveled in it. Trump took to social media to describe the attack as a historical milestone. Killing the ayatollah, he declared, was “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” The norm against political assassination, for all practical purposes, is defunct.\nAirstrikes appeal to Trump because they spare him from having to commit to a land war, especially now that military technology enables very accurate attacks from very long range. Trump specifically noted the “Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems” used to locate the Iranian leadership.\nTrump views global politics as coercive bargaining among strongmen. Leaders who resist coercion are subject to removal, as in the case of Venezuela’s Maduro, or death. Making this threat credible requires convincing foreign leaders that the United States is omniscient when it wants to be. When the president openly brags about secret intelligence, he reinforces beliefs about U.S. technological supremacy. Killing the ayatollah was not just an attack on the Iranian regime, but an unsubtle warning to rivals elsewhere.\nOnly four years ago, oil prices dramatically rose after Russia invaded Ukraine: benchmark Brent crude oil price increased by more than 7% in the hours after the invasion and increased 40% in the first two weeks. The attack on Iran was less than two days ago, as I’m writing, but the response in oil markets has been muted so far. In Asian markets on March 2, the Brent crude price increased by only 4.5%. Nonetheless, the amount of oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) supply at risk from the conflict in Iran is more than was at stake in the Russian conflict.\nThe Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is the most important energy shipping chokepoint in the world, with shipments from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) passing through it. About 20% of the world’s oil supply and LNG supply pass through the strait. Limited capacity exists to circumvent it—Saudi Arabia and the UAE have excess pipeline capacity of about 2.6 million barrels per day (mbd) that they can use divert oil around the strait in a disruption, compared to around 20 mbd that normally flows through it. LNG has no circumvention option. Blocking the strait would be very difficult for Iran militarily, but if tanker operators and their insurers curtail operations there out of concern, it would have much the same effect on markets.\nLoss of Iran’s crude oil exports is more likely but would have a much smaller effect on global supply. Iran exports about 2 mbd of crude oil. Crude oil production is geographically dispersed and not a great military target, but the processing and export facilities are more concentrated and thus much easier to take out militarily.\nThe crude oil market is not pricing in a major disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Events over the coming days and weeks will tell us whether their relaxed response to risk is the right one.\nThe rise of executive power at the expense of Congress, which threatens to upend the system of checks and balances, is the central constitutional issue of our time. Trump’s decision to attack Iran without congressional authorization is the latest step down this dangerous road.\nGranted, the president enjoys greater freedom of action in foreign affairs than in the domestic sphere. Granted, also, the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution has been under constant attack since its passage more than half a century ago.\nStill, previous presidents have understood the rationale for seeking congressional backing before embarking on major military ventures. Before initiating military action in 1991 to expel Iraqi invaders from Kuwait, President George H.W. Bush obtained both a supportive U.N. Security Council resolution and explicit authorization from Congress. Prior to the invasions of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003), President George W. Bush sought and received congressional resolutions authorizing the use of military force. The extensive debates in Congress before these votes helped inform Americans about the competing considerations and stakes in these ventures and put members of the House and Senate on record.\nBy contrast, Trump’s decision to go it alone in Iran without a vote or even debate in Congress creates both constitutional problems and political challenges. The president chose not to offer a full discussion of this choice in his 2026 State of the Union address, when he enjoyed the attention of the American people, and he provided only a cursory public justification of his decision once the bombs started dropping.\nIn the days prior to the war, Americans were divided about the merits of attacking Iran, but they were united on the need for obtaining congressional approval before acting. It was unwise for Trump to ignore this sentiment. If the bombing of Iran fails to achieve its stated objective of regime change or worse, expands into a regional war, the American people will know where the blame lies.\nThe Trump administration’s decision to attack Iran without seeking authorization from Congress shows just how broad the president’s authority over the use of force has become—and the problematic places that may lead.\nThe executive branch maintains that the president may use military force without seeking congressional authorization—and without regard for compliance with international law—so long as it supports U.S. interests and is not expected to result in “prolonged and substantial military engagements.” At times, this latter test incorporated the U.S. infliction of casualties and impact on third parties. But recent presidential administrations have viewed it instead through the narrow lens of threats to U.S. troops, and pinned the relevant threshold at casualty levels equivalent to past major U.S. armed conflicts.\nThe result is that air and other campaigns against weaker states involving limited risks to small numbers of U.S. personnel are almost always permissible, even where the result is regime change or something else highly destabilizing. Indeed, in its legal opinion justifying the operation that captured Maduro, the Trump administration cited a lack of military plans to respond to a destabilized Venezuela as a factor supporting the president’s authority to act without Congress, as it suggested a significant number of U.S. troops would not be put in harm’s way even if things went poorly—regardless of the broader consequences.\nThere are good reasons for Congress to want (and to believe the Framers intended it to have) a say in such consequential military actions. But as federal courts have proven reluctant to patrol the limits of presidential war powers on their own, Congress needs to set limits—and provide for their judicial enforcement—if it wants to have such a role in the future.\nThe Brookings Institution is committed to quality, independence, and impact.\nWe are supported by a diverse array of funders. In line with our values and policies, each Brookings publication represents the sole views of its author(s).",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:05:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxPNGNFVFVKQUJmYlhkc1RtOHFTQURFQ0Y5WVBhMW5LRHdzUHV3ZllKbm9aZnM1WWowVmt4dUE1T1k0WlBWSVhxelF3OTl1XzNtQUtOZXVXQTB4Tm8wR3NuWjhHckdaSUduT21zZ0hCZFd0UkdpYzA0NnBRMExieXIwdWw2cHg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6404f93d944e",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US LNG producers rush to seize on surging gas prices triggered by Iran conflict - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US LNG producers rush to seize on surging gas prices triggered by Iran conflict\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:06:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE4wY29YcXI4ZnFQRTFQa3AzaWxWUzF5YlVmSHFxVWlvLVZEQklZSWIwcUtsbXo0bWFiUG14bUtjNUU5OFkyZjU0OGlIRzVJY1daSGlHRy0yUXNXdmo5WWs2emN1MEhwaXZ5eE9UN1RpSmI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5bfd9402cd6d",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran’s World Cup place in US put in doubt by Middle East war. FIFA has Iraq next in line - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran’s World Cup place in US put in doubt by Middle East war. FIFA has Iraq next in line\nIran’s World Cup place in US put in doubt by Middle East war. FIFA has Iraq next in line\nGENEVA (AP) — Iran’s place at the men’s World Cup in three months was put in doubt Monday amid an escalating Middle East conflict sparked by the soccer tournament’s co-host the United States.\nIran is due to play its three group stage games in the U.S. — two in Inglewood, California, then in Seattle — from June 15-26. Cities in Canada and Mexico also will host some of the 104 games.\nThe U.S. and Israel have targeted Iran in coordinated attacks since Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens more senior officials.\nIt provoked an Iranian response that aimed missiles at U.S. allies including 2022 World Cup host Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which FIFA has picked to stage the 2034 edition.\n“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” said Iran’s top soccer official Mehdi Taj, a vice president of the Asian Football Confederation.\nIt is unclear if the state-backed Iranian soccer federation could refuse to send its team to the 48-nation tournament that starts June 11, or the U.S. government could effectively block the team.\nFIFA has declined comment since Saturday, when secretary general Mattias Grafström said it would “monitor developments around all issues around the world.”\nThe White House’s top official overseeing World Cup preparations, Andrew Guiliani, seemed unconcerned Saturday in a social media post.\n“We’ll deal with soccer games tomorrow,” Guiliani wrote about Iran, “tonight, we celebrate their opportunity for freedom.”\nHere is a look at the issues in play:\nAsian soccer power\nIran has one of the best national teams in Asia and has qualified for six of the past eight World Cups.\nIt is No. 20 in the FIFA world rankings of 211 teams, and has not been lower than No. 24 since the last World Cup in Qatar.\nIran was among the second-seeded teams in the World Cup draw held in Washington, D.C. in December, minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump was presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.\nThough Taj and other Iranian soccer officials were denied visas to enter the U.S., the draw outcome was favorable for Iran, especially in the expanded format where most third-place teams advance to the knockout rounds.\nIran starts against low-ranked New Zealand, then plays one of the weaker top-seeded nations, Belgium, and finishes against Egypt.\nIran is likely to be supported in stadiums by its diaspora in the U.S., though residents of the Middle East nation are subject to a ban on entering the country.\nTrump’s government has promised exemptions from its travels bans for athletes and coaches arriving for major sports events like the World Cup.\nPolitics around Iran inside World Cup stadiums is nothing new. Protests over domestic issues were aired by Iran fans at the last World Cup.\nThe FIFA rules\nFIFA’s World Cup regulations envisage a team withdrawing, or being excluded, from the tournament though the legal language is vague.\nIn that scenario, according to Article 6.7, “FIFA shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary.”\n“FIFA may decide to replace the Participating Member Association in question with another association,” the rules say.\nThat legal framing seems to give FIFA president Gianni Infantino wide powers to shape any decision relating to Iran.\nJust 18 months ago, the decision announced by Infantino to add Lionel Messi’s team Inter Miami to the 2025 Club World Cup lineup appeared to have no basis in formal tournament rules.\nConsequences of withdrawing\nShould Iran pull out of the World Cup — still hugely speculative — its soccer federation would forfeit at least $10.5 million.\nFIFA pays $9 million in prize money to each of the 16 federations whose teams fail to advance from the group stage, and all 48 qualified teams get $1.5 million “to cover preparation costs.”\nThe Iranian federation also would face disciplinary fines from FIFA — at least 250,000 Swiss francs ($321,000) for withdrawing up to 30 days before the tournament, and at least 500,000 Swiss francs ($642,000) if the decision is in the last month before kickoff.\nIran would risk being excluded by FIFA from qualifying for the next World Cup in 2030 as well.\nNext in line\nIran was a fast World Cup qualifier last March, earning one of eight guaranteed places allocated to the Asian Football Confederation.\nShould Iran pull out, the likely replacement from Asia should be Iraq or the United Arab Emirates.\nIraq and the UAE were effectively the ninth and 10th-ranked Asian teams through the various qualifying groups and advanced to a two-leg playoff last November.\nIraq won 3-2 on aggregate — eliminating the UAE — to advance to the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico and, on March 31, it is scheduled to play an elimination game against Bolivia or Suriname with a World Cup place at stake.\nOne possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules.\nFIFA wrote that it can decide to replace a withdrawn team “with another association,” though without specifying the replacement must come from the same continental confederation.\nPrecedent of a late replacement\nDenmark famously won the 1992 European Championship after getting a late invitation from UEFA, European soccer’s ruling body.\nYugoslavia won a qualifying group ahead of the Danes but was removed by UEFA less than two weeks before the tournament because of a United Nations sanctions resolution during the widening Balkans conflict.\nTeams have previously refused to travel to a World Cup, though not in the modern era.\nJust 13 teams instead of 16 took part in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, with India and Scotland among teams declining a place.\n___\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:10:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_a9f49201e5b2",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Airline stocks slide as passengers scramble to leave Middle East - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Airline stocks slide as passengers scramble to leave Middle East    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:20:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxOWGlPMWF1LWZTR2RfNThmQ0lKLW9YZ0tBY2pWeFZjQ2VTRHZxZmdkRmRSMEc2NFp6clFVNzQ2SlQ4Tm5Pd3pxeUR0MEhLanlKVDdsR2lJcTNsYWpIUS0za3RmNlRONWFQMi1UU01XMmQyeGtUWTlCUGpuQlBfNFBEYVNGUHczcFFwaGFzUzVCZWtIRHJSX0ZFakNfMzlDVkhiY241VDJ0Zk1FNWo1X2Z5VG5vVTgwa2JwX01pdTlkaGdOQ0NJWUMyc21fbw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fbd2d99977fb",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump admin warned lawmakers Israel was 'determined to act with or without us' before massive Iran strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., described the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a defensive measure, saying, \"Israel was determined to act with or without us\" following a classified briefing on Monday evening.\nJohnson told reporters after the briefing that Israel viewed Iran’s capabilities as an existential threat and was prepared to conduct operations regardless of U.S. participation. He said Israel’s assessment shaped American deliberations, and it was \"determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support.\"\nThe speaker said administration officials had to weigh risks to U.S. forces, regional assets and interests before supporting the operation.\n\"They had to evaluate the threats to the U.S., to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond. And they determined, because of the intelligence that we had, that a coordinated response was necessary,\" Johnson said.\nJohnson said he guarantees that if the U.S. had not acted, the Trump administration would have been hauled in by Congress and asked why they waited if they had \"existential intelligence, knowing that that would happen.\"\n\"I am convinced that they did the right thing,\" he said.\nRubio confirmed that Israel was prepared to act against Iran and said the president \"made a very wise decision.\"\n\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces,\" he told reporters. \"And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.\"\nSen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, emerged from the briefing and said he did not believe there was an \"imminent threat\" prior to Saturday’s strikes.\n\"There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. It was a threat to Israel,\" he said. \"We equate a threat to Israel is the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States. Then we are in uncharted territory.\"\n\"We have seen the goals for this operation change now, I believe 4 or 5 times,\" he went on.\nRubio insisted the operation was not about Iranian regime change but about taking out its capabilities as a threat to the region - focused on ballistic missiles and naval capacity.\nHe did not say whether strikes would extend to nuclear facilities.\n\"I do believe there is more than adequate justification for our American and Israeli actions,\" Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters he believes there is \"more than adequate justification for our American and Israeli actions,\" without saying more.\nHouse Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in an interview afterward that he felt administration officials did a good job of illustrating the threat level faced by the U.S. in the days leading up to the strikes.\n\"I think that's largely been very open source. The president laid that out, you know, very clearly. It does go beyond that to what I can't get into, but it goes beyond that. I'm sure it'll come out in the administration's good time, but it's not for me to say,\" Mast said.\n\"But the more immediate nature of threats — I'm going through the negotiations with [Special Envoy Steve Witkoff], [Jared Kushner], Rubio, others that were a part of having those conversations and throughout that 10-day window of, you know, let's call it countdown to make a deal, the threats that were going on in that window is probably the high-side information that you have.\"\nHe also said there was a lot of daylight between what Democrats and Republicans in the briefing considered an \"imminent threat.\"\n\"It's like, for me as a soldier, right, if I see an enemy machine gun nest, that to me, given that it's an enemy machine gun nest, is an imminent threat,\" Mast said. \"To Democrats, unless that machine gun is burning up its barrels firing at you, it's not yet an imminent threat. And those are the two separate ways that we're looking at it.\".\nOn February 26th, the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran in coordination with Israel. The offensive campaign has resulted in the death of 49 top Iranian leaders, including the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Six U.S. service members have lost their lives in Iranian counterattacks.\nThe opening phase of the conflict struck more than 1,000 targets in the first 24 hours, according to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. American B-2 bombers flew 37-hour round-trip missions from the continental United States to hit underground facilities with penetrating munitions, he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:49:10+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_60f3db632c4b",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump's Republicans defend Iran strikes as Democrats push for war powers vote - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump's Republicans defend Iran strikes as Democrats push for war powers vote    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNaWxMWDhLcDVpdjQ0cVdYOGdhOHllNkNvbkVFWnY3WlI4U25SVEsxOVl2eTNXVE5MeEptVUxSUHB4anE4TDRHTmFqUEhLaURLMHVuN3pvcnRYMElicEJXRkxQdThIdnpGWlN6c3JMN0tyTl9BWjdYVzhrbll4VGF0Yjk0T0trVnFhZDdZNHhVMHVxRFh2NXMtajh0MlhwSExPaW5teWUzNnVyUjZKQVI2ZjFIWHRfTUxaYTFCT3JISVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4b6caf648e3b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Middle East conflict: US military death toll rises to 6; Iran says Strait of Hormuz shut - top developmen - The Times of India",
    "body_text": "Deadly fighting across the Middle East intensified on Tuesday as Washington urged its citizens to leave much of the region and President Donald Trump signalled the conflict with Iran could last far longer than initially projected.\nPowerful explosions rocked Tehran overnight as US and Israeli strikes continued for a third day. Fighter jets were heard over the Iranian capital while retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeted Israel and several Gulf states. With airspace closures spreading and energy markets rattled, the crisis has rapidly evolved into the most serious regional confrontation in decades.\nAt the White House, Trump said the campaign was moving “substantially” ahead of schedule but warned it could extend beyond a month.\n“From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” he said, adding ominously: “The big wave hasn’t even happened.”\nUS tells Americans: ‘Depart now’The US State Department urged Americans to leave countries across the Middle East, from Egypt eastwards, citing “serious safety risks”. Assistant Secretary of State Mora Namdar said citizens should use commercial flights while they remain available.\nThe advisory covers Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf monarchies, many of which host US forces. Washington has not yet announced government-organised evacuations, despite severe flight disruptions.\nRising toll and civilian casualtiesUS Central Command confirmed that six American service members have been killed since hostilities began. Iranian officials say hundreds have died in strikes across the country, including in an attack on a girls’ school near a Revolutionary Guard naval facility. The figures have not been independently verified.\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the school strike and called on the international community to respond. Rubio said the incident was under investigation and insisted the United States “would not deliberately target” a school.\nTehran appeared subdued, with many residents fleeing. Some expressed fear; others voiced cautious hope that the upheaval could weaken the ruling system.\nTrump outlines war aimsFor the first time, Trump detailed objectives: dismantling Iran’s missile and naval capabilities, destroying its nuclear programme and ending its support for armed groups across the region. Notably, he stopped short of formally declaring regime change as a goal.\nHowever, both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have publicly urged Iranians to rise against their leadership.\nRubio defends ‘pre-emptive’ strikeSecretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington acted after learning Israel was poised to strike Iran and believed Tehran would retaliate against US forces.\n“The imminent threat was that if Iran was attacked, they would immediately come after us,” Rubio told reporters. Democrats, including Senator Mark Warner, questioned the justification, calling it “uncharted territory”.\nIran retaliates across regionIran has launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, US bases and Gulf allies. It warned shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could be targeted, threatening a route that carries roughly 20% of global seaborne oil.\nHowever, the US military said the Strait of Hormuz a crucial shipping route for global oil supplies was not closed, despite claims by Iranian officials, US Central Command told Fox News.\nEnergy markets reacted sharply, with natural gas prices surging after Qatar halted some production following strikes.\nLebanon front explodesIsrael bombarded Beirut’s southern suburbs after Hezbollah launched rockets in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least 52 people were killed in Lebanon, according to officials.\nLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam ordered an immediate halt to Hezbollah’s military activities, an unprecedented move amid fears of wider war.\nUS bases and Gulf states hitIranian strikes targeted facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Six US service members have been killed since hostilities began, according to US Central Command.\nQatar said it shot down two Iranian warplanes, marking a dramatic escalation. Fires were reported at Saudi energy infrastructure, while debris from intercepted missiles caused casualties in Bahrain and Kuwait.\nAir travel chaos and global falloutMore than 11,000 flights have been cancelled since Saturday, stranding over a million passengers. Major hubs including Dubai International Airport and Doha’s Hamad International have faced closures or severe disruption.\nGovernments from Europe to Asia are scrambling to extract citizens, while airlines warn normal operations will not resume until security risks fall dramatically.\nAs Tehran empties and Gulf cities brace for further attacks, Trump’s message is clear: the conflict may only just be beginning.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T00:59:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_99c653a9068a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Americans in Iran face possible peril as US-Israeli strikes grow, detainee advocates warn - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Americans in Iran face possible peril as US-Israeli strikes grow, detainee advocates warn    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxOWDVHczVZSGlpWWR1S3pleGNvbWt4Ul9YSjJrZU16VWhzRC1WdUE2aEJJNWlkb284dXZYVXR3ZHJYVjBRS3ZseHM3Uk9MRkRrYW9STHdmQkVQeUxGZU1WUFpxdm5LejRlemxneEZYVXYxakxWMll6TE9BbkFwMm42UXE4dmpnWncwOGE2MkVXZ3hSMHBTZW11U0RsNDUwLWdlbVRhZVNpX3Y4cEQwem55NGlQWFc5NGFJNUJYVTktQ2ZoNjFwVHhXcm5YNA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_05151f21bfc4",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Exxon, TotalEnergies output at risk from Iran war, analysts say - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Exxon, TotalEnergies output at risk from Iran war, analysts say    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:04:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPOFI0MXhNbll5VVhUUDNJbmxrMjVZMm85Y3RMdm5hQUtiZ3ZOUTJzNEFZQWplNGFqb3Vjb01IY1p1UnUybVNTWFZkb3ZWLW8tdlFUNV9YOXI0SE8td0lqT2UyRE5aekhOUmh1Z0dXM0hpWlcxRzkzTGozQ19ZNlhQVVE2UTc0ZUJFejAtYkJCRnplOWhhbjhCUFB2SC0tVWVPWDh0eDBDVDI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5f5ffe318748",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "War Widens as Trump Says Strikes on Iran Could Last Several Weeks - WTTW Chicago",
    "body_text": "War Widens as Trump Says Strikes on Iran Could Last Several Weeks    WTTW Chicago",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:05:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxPWHdLeE9ZaC1kd0FBeURwMzdZMk95SEl0SW9ER0VMekFfVlBMVzYyVGRha1FxS21TT0RfX0VpX0pFQ0NLOGI2Q0owS19FMGF3RFkydkFKeFczODFRU2xKMERRZXNEd25UakdWOUtOOG16eDVLVnVyUGFtbGlFczgxMnByNDExaDRsVE50MEZuYlpjVDhrU1k2clBXUURDUmQ2ZlJMUWZR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_87aaf5e6a608",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel’s plan to launch attack, Rubio says - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Israel’s determination to attack Iran and the certainty that US troops would be targeted in response forced the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes, the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said, in a new explanation for Washington’s surprise entry into the conflict.\nThe rationale drew divided reviews from top members of Congress who on Monday evening received the first briefing by the Trump administration since it ordered the air campaign to begin over the weekend.\nRubio; the CIA director, John Ratcliffe; and joint chiefs of staff, chair Dan Caine; spoke to the lawmakers behind closed doors in the Capitol ahead of a vote expected later this week in the House of Representatives on a war powers resolution that presents an unlikely opportunity to force Trump to end hostilities against Iran.\n“It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone – the United States or Israel or anyone – they were going to respond, and respond against the United States,” Rubio told reporters at the Capitol.\n“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”\nJD Vance said in an interview on Fox News on Monday night that the US aim was to make sure “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon”.\n“The president wants to make it clear to the Iranians and to the world that he is not going to rest until he accomplishes that all-important objective of ensuring that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” the vice-president said.\nVance has been the member of Donald Trump’s administration most opposed to military interventions and has spoken less frequently about US actions in Iran than Rubio.\nSince the conflict began, the United States and Israel have carried out waves of airstrikes across Iran, and Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks against US-aligned countries across the Middle East.\nThe air campaign has killed several of Iran’s top military and political leaders, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The US military has acknowledged the deaths of six service members, while the Iranian Red Crescent Society said more than 500 people have been killed in the country.\nReactions to the administration’s explanation for entering the war split along party lines, with Republicans rushing to defend Trump’s gambit while Democrats condemned what they view as an unnecessary conflict with unclear goals.\n“This is Trump’s war. This is a war of choice. He has no strategy, he has no endgame,” the Senate’s Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer said before going into the briefing.\nAs he exited, Schumer said that lawmakers present asked “a whole lot of questions” but he found the officials’ responses “completely and totally insufficient. In fact, at least to me, that briefing raised many more questions than it answered.”\nMark Warner, the Democratic vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, said he was worried for the implications of the US allowing Israel to essentially force it into a new war.\n“There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel. If we equate a threat to Israel as the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States, then we are in uncharted territory,” Warner said.\nOn Monday night, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told Fox News that Iran had been building new underground sites “that would make their ballistic missile programs and their atomic bomb programs immune within months”.\n“If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future,” he said.\nIran denies seeking a nuclear weapon.\nIn recent interviews with news outlets, Trump has outlined various goals in the war, including destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and their navy, preventing the country from developing a nuclear weapon and cutting off Tehran’s support of proxy forces elsewhere in the Middle East.\nRubio, however, mentioned only two goals to reporters: destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capability and their navy. Following the classified briefing, Warner said he was not sure what Trump’s endgame is.\n“I think the president needs to come before the Congress, for that matter, the American people, and decide amongst these four or five goals that have been laid out, what is the real goal?” the Virginia senator said.\n“What is the objective? What is our exit plan? What obligation do we have now to the Iranian people if they do rise up, based upon his call for them to go to the streets? And what is the imminent threat to the United States’s interest to cause this conflict?”\nMike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House and close Trump ally, defended the president’s course of action, saying he had ordered a “defensive operation”.\n“Israel was determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support. Why? Because Israel faced what they deem to be an existential threat,” Johnson said.\nWhile the war’s objective, he said, was not “to go in and take out the regime”, he nonetheless cheered the ayatollah’s death.\n“That happened and in my estimation, that is a great development for freedom loving people around the world,” Johnson told reporters, speaking alongside the Republican chairs of the House intelligence and appropriations committee – the latter’s presence an indication that lawmakers may soon be asked to approve additional defense funding necessitated by the war.\nTrump ordered the attack on Iran without first seeking Congress’s permission, though Rubio said a group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight – composed of the Democratic and Republicans leaders in each chamber, as well as the two parties’ top lawmakers on the House and Senate intelligence committees – were notified before the attack began.\nThe House is expected later this week to consider a war powers resolution that, if enacted, forces Trump to end hostilities against Iran. It faces a high bar to passage. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and rarely cross Trump in significant numbers.\nEven if Congress were to approve the resolution, Trump could veto it, and Congress could override that only with a two-thirds majority vote.\nPrevious war powers resolutions introduced in this Congress have been voted down, and Johnson said he was confident the latest one would not pass the House.\n“The idea that we would take the ability of our commander in chief, the president, take his authority away right now to finish this job, is a frightening prospect to me. It’s dangerous,” Johnson said. “I am certainly hopeful and I believe we do have votes to put it down.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxNNDB4eXpQVFZKaW83aGJtc1JlYnlQdmdWOTI4Y2ZhU282eUJBOXU4eTcxby12RldfU1ltSXhpRnZIUTZiUnQ3S2NHd2x3aTFMN0g4eUZ0dGZCUGxiVVc0OUdOeVFoX0JyT0J6LVkxSG5fUWxMa21wN2NaOW4zY0Y5Sw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2fc0e4f96ca7",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump’s current war on Iran picks up where a longstanding enmity left off - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "For millions of younger Americans, the sudden explosion of Iran on to the national political stage and consciousness may seem like a bolt from the blue.\nYet for older generations and those with deeper historical awareness, Donald Trump’s announcement on Saturday of strikes against a distant foe is more like the outcome of a collision long foretold.\nThe military operation’s code name, Epic Fury, provides a clue. The underlying mutual resentments that have fueled tensions between the US and Iran are indeed epic and have simmered dangerously for nearly half a century before, finally boiling over into open warfare.\nIran has occupied a place deep in the American national psyche since the Islamic revolution of 1979, one of the most momentous events of the 20th century; the revolution toppled the pro-western monarchy of the reigning shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and provided the inspiration for the spread of radical political Islamism with which later generations would become familiar through acts of terrorism.\nBut the revolution also delivered a more immediate trauma to the American soul that was long-lasting and which – it can be argued – is bearing bitter fruits now.\nThe militant takeover of the US embassy in Tehran by Islamist revolutionaries in November 1979 brought America humiliation on the global stage to rank with defeat in Vietnam.\nThe subsequent holding for 444 days of 52 US hostages – who were frequently publicly paraded wearing blindfolds and subjected to numerous mistreatments that included mock executions – belittled American power and doomed the presidency of Jimmy Carter.\nCarter’s failed attempt to free the hostages with a quixotic rescue came to grief catastrophically in the Iranian desert, leaving eight US servicemen dead, and crystallizing the sense of national obloquy.\nThe otherworldly strangeness of Carter’s arch-nemesis, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the aged Shia cleric who had become the revolution’s spiritual leader, intensified the sense of alienation many Americans came to feel for Iran as it came under an ascetic form of sharia rule.\nCarter was defeated by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election, but thanks to Khomeini’s petty-minded determination to inflict maximum ignominy on a nation he dubbed “the great Satan”, the hostages were held until moments after he left office the following January and not freed until Reagan was sworn in.\nThat ended the embassy drama, but Iran’s pivotal place in US foreign policy decision-making was cemented and made its presence felt for years to come.\nIn the 1980s, Hezbollah, Iran’s then-recently established Lebanese Shia proxy group, began seizing US hostages in Beirut. With diplomatic ties between Washington and Tehran severed after the embassy crisis, Reagan dispatched envoys on a clandestine mission to Iran to appeal to elusive regime “moderates” in an attempt to win their release.\nThe upshot was a secret deal whereby the US supplied weapons to Iran – breaching a congressional arms embargo – in exchange for the hostages’ release before funneling the profits to the Contras, a Nicaraguan rebel group trying to unseat a Marxist government. That, too, violated an act of Congress.\nThe Iran-Contras affair, when it was eventually disclosed, enveloped Reagan in scandal and came close to ending his presidency. As some hostages were released, others were taken – and the psychic wound between the US and Iran deepened.\nThe excruciating human drama of that period – exemplified in wall-to-wall television coverage of the embassy siege, yellow ribbons tied round trees to signify hope for the hostages and Carter’s haggard visage as he fruitlessly worked the phones trying to release them – is obscure to succeeding generations of Americans.\nBut they may have made an indelible mark on Trump, who, at nearly 80, remembers it vividly and who has frequently lambasted Carter as the US’s worst president.\nNow openly calling for regime change, Trump has reportedly told aides that he wants to be the president who topples the Islamic republic, a political system now openly despised by millions of Iranians who – like their American counterparts – are too young to remember the revolution.\nThat, together with the regime’s current weakness following recent mass demonstrations that it bloodily suppressed and last summer’s US-Israeli strikes on its nuclear and military installations, may lead Trump to think he is pushing at an open door.\nYet the deep-rooted US fixation with Iran has its mirror image.\nWhile many younger Iranians have been extolling America – and Trump in particular – as symbols of hope in recent protests, Iran has historical grievances with Washington that go further back than the revolution and may serve as a spur to those who remain loyal to it.\nIt is those grievances that have inspired generations of loyal Iranian revolutionaries to chant “marg bar Amrika” (death to America), a slogan that seasoned Iranian analysts have described as a central pillar of regime ideology.\nFueling the bitterness are memories of Operation Ajax, a 1953 US-British instigated coup that toppled Mohammad Mosaddegh, the nationalist Iranian prime minister who had angered Britain by nationalizing Iran’s oil assets, which were then UK-owned.\nThe event is often remembered as the CIA’s first successful coup – giving it the taste to stage more – and for cementing Pahlavi’s power as monarch.\nPahlavi had fled the country during the coup, which he supported, in the fear that it might fail. When it succeeded, he returned to become more powerful than before, ruling as an absolute monarch with the help of Savak, his repressive intelligence agency that had been trained by Israel.\nThe lesson absorbed by his opponents, including Khomeini, was that the US was Pahlavi’s patron and puppet-master as he imposed a modernization program on a country that much of its more traditional-minded population found alien.\nAs a result, the US replaced Iran’s traditional foreign bogeymen, Britain and Russia, as the chief agents of a hated western interference in the country’s affairs, resentment of which dated back to the 19th century.\nKhomeini was banished into exile in 1964 after condemning the shah as a “traitor” over so-called “capitulations” that granted US service employees and their families legal immunity.\nBy the 1970s, there were an estimated 50,000 Americans in Iran, many of them military personnel as the shah lavished oil wealth on state-of-the-art armaments that the country lacked the skills to use.\nBut there was little cultural understanding. When Pahlavi was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia – a type of blood cancer – by visiting French physicians in 1974, the diagnosis was kept secret and, in an embarrassing intelligence failure, the US ambassador, Richard Helms – a former CIA director – did not find out about it.\nReports of Americans and other westerners committing gross cultural violations such as riding motorcycles into historic mosques in Isfahan, a city that is one of Iran’s cultural jewels, compounded the sense of estrangement.\nSo when opposition to the shah erupted into popular street protests in 1978, one of the driving forces was the demand to drive foreign – and specifically US – interference from Iranian politics.\nTwo generations later, the spirit of revolution has once again been gripping Iran. But this time, by launching strikes and openly calling for regime change, Trump is explicitly inserting US involvement back into the heart of a nation that has historically resented foreign influence while finding political stability elusive.\nIn a reverse dynamic from the events of 1978-79, the shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, has openly cheered Trump’s intervention as “humanitarian” and an invitation to Iranians to “reclaim” their country from what many of them see as a regime of tyrannical theocrats.\nThe US-based Pahlavi, who has fashioned himself as “uniquely positioned” to lead an Iranian democratic transition despite not having been in the country for 48 years, has been bolstered by reports of demonstrators shouting “javid shah” (long live the shah) – a far cry from the chants of “death to the shah” that presaged his father’s overthrow.\nIt’s yet another mirror image – with the difference this time that the Islamic regime has shown a much more ruthless willingness than the late shah did in 1978 to kill demonstrators in its determination to retain power. Put differently, regime change may be widely desired – but could prove illusory.\nAs his son and those chanting for him gaze in allure at the historical reflection, they are likely to find their vision obscured by lots of smoke.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:21:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTE85Y0trdjZMQkt1SW9rSmt4YzRxaVQwSzNRWDdTcEhIX0M1Vk5DNjI1UVc4MWtHOTdMOThPM2liekVneF9oQXRHd0lKNXlIQl9zYUhfUXYyVU1KMy16R0FVOEwybWMyTktYQWxlVnlObzA0TTdlZFFwSS1oUTMxQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_32aad196e417",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "How the Middle East conflict affects India - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "How the Middle East conflict affects India\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:30:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9VNDJFenVTOGVEaGladXRBYlJvVmc5MzM2WHg5MWR5Nkd0V0tfSHJUQW9ib0xrUnhZQ2w4bnB0SERKMDhoRXpYX1RueUlsMktiejhaMVRlUFZ2cDZWNTg1a2pFeDE3YU1kTGtXTTZ0VGs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1c3bc6e9415d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Airlines in Middle East rule out services resuming before Thursday - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The biggest Middle East carriers have ruled out resuming scheduled flights until at least Thursday as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues, denting hopes of a swift return to normal air travel after the first repatriation flights left the United Arab Emirates.\nEtihad, based in Abu Dhabi, said its commercial services were suspended until 2pm local time on Thursday 5 March, with Emirates ruling out scheduled flights until midnight on Wednesday.\nQatar Airways said it would give a further update on Wednesday but its airspace remained closed for all flights.\nTravellers stranded by the widening conflict began departing the UAE on a small number of evacuation flights on Monday, as governments around the world worked to extract their citizens from the region.\nBoth Etihad Airways and Emirates, as well as the budget carrier FlyDubai, said they would continue to operate only limited cargo and repatriation flights after the chaos and damage caused by Iranian missiles and drones.\nSince Saturday, at least 11,000 flights into, out of and within the Middle East have been cancelled, affecting more than a million passengers, according to the aviation analytics company Cirium.\nThe travel chaos is likely to continue, with the US president, Donald Trump, saying on Monday that the conflict had been projected to last four to five weeks, but could go on longer.\nLate on Monday the US state department called on Americans to immediately leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, amid the worsening conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes against Iran on Saturday.\nMora Namdar, the US state department’s assistant secretary for consular affairs, said US citizens should leave using available commercial transportation “due to safety risks”. The US has not organised its own evacuation flights.\nIn the UK, Keir Starmer said the government was sending rapid deployment teams to the region to support British nationals there, and wanted “to ensure that they can return home as swiftly and safely as possible”.\nThe UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said on Tuesday that 130,000 British nationals had now registered their presence in the region, and that about 300,000 British citizens were in Gulf countries being targeted by Iran.\nAbout 24,000 Australian citizens are also in the Middle East, some stranded in transit. The Gulf has become a major connecting hub for flights between Australia and Europe, and analysts said long-haul fares could rise sharply in the short term.\nJohn Grant, an analyst at the aviation data company OAG, said: “The short-term loss of capacity through the Middle East clearly puts pressure on alternate routings, such as the direct services to Asia which are already close to full with their own local market demand and connecting traffic to Australia.\n“Overlay that with Easter coming up and available capacity is pretty scarce … Selling fares are inevitably increasing and will stay that way until there is a settlement of the current events.”\nThe UAE government has urged passengers to go to airports only if contacted directly, warning that operations remained limited.\nAt least 16 Etihad flights left Abu Dhabi during a three-hour window on Monday, according to Flightradar24, heading to destinations including Islamabad, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Moscow and London.\nEmirates said customers with earlier bookings were given priority for seats on the limited flights it has operated, starting Monday evening.\nAirspace closures remain in effect for Iran, Iraq and Israel, and Jordan’s airspace was closed overnight on Monday. Partial closures have affected Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Syria.\nGermany’s foreign ministry said about 30,000 tourists from the country were stranded on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports in the Middle East. The government said it planned to send aircraft to Oman and Saudi Arabia to evacuate ill travellers, children and pregnant women while working with airlines to assist others.\nOn Tuesday morning, Europe’s biggest holiday company, Tui, said it would begin to offer flights back home for its 10,000 customers stranded in the Middle East from Tuesday, working with Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways.\n“We expect to carry out the first flights today with these companies to return our guests,” its chief executive, Sebastian Ebel, told the broadcaster NTV.\nAssociated Press, Press Association and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:36:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxPNG93MFkxVk5UZWtvb2J1czNUdUxHZ1NtRVNzbG9VTzJETU9NTm9ESW1IQS1QNTBTVXdZa3FwLUEza0FLWVBKWVdwaUIxMVhGdkJ4UjFTampfNnF3SjEzUWxPQ2FIbk9vSFZibktCXzV0Sk1GdnY1d3NPUEhQTDVoMENPSlQ5VlBERmNFbll3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0992c1d9d35f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Rubio suggests US strikes on Iran were influenced by Israeli plans - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that a planned Israeli attack on Iran determined the timing of Washington’s assault on the government in Tehran.\nThe top diplomat told reporters on Monday that Washington was aware Israel was going to attack Iran, and that Tehran would retaliate against US interests in the region, so US forces struck pre-emptively.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Netanyahu’s war? Analysts say Trump’s Iran strikes benefit Israel, not US\n- list 2 of 3Anti-war candidates pose early test for US Democrats after attacks on Iran\n- list 3 of 3Spain refuses to let US use bases for Iran attacks\n“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,” Rubio said after a briefing with congressional leaders.\n“We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”\nThe state secretary’s comments came minutes before the US military confirmed that its death toll from the conflict has risen to six, after two bodies were recovered from a regional facility struck by Iran.\nTehran retaliated against the joint US-Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several top officials and hundreds of civilians, with drone and missile launches across the region, including against US bases and assets in the Gulf.\nRubio argued on Monday that although the US and Israel jointly attacked first, Washington was acting to thwart an immediate threat because Israel was going to strike Iran on its own, anyway.\nIsrael is a close US ally and has received at least $21bn in military aid from Washington since 2023.\n“There absolutely was an imminent threat,” Rubio said. “And the imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked – and we believed they would be attacked – that they would immediately come after us.”\nThe assertion highlights the Israeli role in bringing about the war with Iran, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been seeking for years.\nOn Sunday, Netanyahu said the attacks on Iran are happening with the assistance of his “friend”, US President Donald Trump.\n“This coalition of forces allows us to do what I have yearned to do for 40 years,” the Israeli prime minister said in a video message.\nRubio told reporters on Monday that an attack on Iran had to happen because Tehran was amassing missiles and drones that it would have used to protect its nuclear programme and acquire a nuclear bomb.\nIsrael and the US launched the war less than 48 hours after a round of talks between American and Iranian officials over Tehran’s nuclear programme.\nRubio said the goal of the war is to destroy Iran’s missile and drone programmes, but stressed the US would welcome ending the governing system in Tehran.\n“We would not be heartbroken, and we hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government and establish a new future for that country. We would love for that to be possible,” he said.\nLater on Monday, Washington urged US citizens across more than a dozen countries in the Middle East – including Gulf Cooperation Council nations, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories – to “depart now”.\nThe advisory reflects the growing turmoil and threats in the region.\nThe State Department “urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks”, US official Mora Namdar said on X.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:39:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ccdff87c2824",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "How much could the Iran war cost the US? Here’s what we know - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The long-running confrontation between the US and Iran entered a new phase on Saturday when joint US-Israeli air strikes targeted Iran, marking a moment of open military hostilities.\nAs US President Donald Trump signals that operations could last four to five weeks, we look at whether Washington can sustain a new war in the Middle East, and what it might ultimately cost.\nWhat is Operation Epic Fury?\nOn February 28, Trump confirmed in an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social that the US had taken part in what he described as a “major combat operation” inside Iran.\nThe Pentagon later said the mission was named Operation Epic Fury.\nTrump said the objective was to “ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon”.\n“We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated,” he added.\nThe US military said that it had struck more than 1,250 targets in Iran since operations started on Saturday. In a separate statement, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had struck and destroyed 11 Iranian ships.\nThe operation reportedly involved air strikes, sea-launched cruise missiles and coordinated attacks on nuclear-related facilities, as well as on senior figures linked to Iran’s defence establishment.\nIran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led the country since 1989, was killed when his Tehran compound was struck and heavily damaged in the first wave of US-Israeli strikes.\nOn Monday, Trump promised to pursue the war for as long as necessary, suggesting it could extend over several weeks. As of Monday, the Iranian Red Crescent said that 555 people had been killed across 130 locations in Iran.\nHow much has the US already spent in Israel and the Middle East since 2023?\nAccording to Brown University’s 2025 Costs of War report, since October 7, 2023, the US has provided Israel with some $21.7bn in military aid.\nIn addition to that, the American taxpayer has funded US operations in support of Israel in Yemen, Iran and the wider Middle East at a cost of $9.65bn to $12.07bn.\nThat brings total US spending connected to the conflict to between $31.35bn and $33.77bn, and counting.\nWhich weapons systems are being used in the Iran war?\nAccording to CENTCOM, Operation Epic Fury has involved more than 20 weapons systems across air, sea, land and missile defence forces.\nCENTCOM says more than 1,000 targets inside Iran have been struck, using more than 20 different systems across the air, sea and land, as well as the missile defence force.\n“The focus of the United States and Israelis now is to blunt or degrade – as quickly as they can – the offensive capabilities of the Iranians to keep wreaking havoc. You want to stop these attacks, or at least diminish them as much as you can,” Kevin Donegan, a former CENTCOM operations director, told Al Jazeera.\nSome of the weapons systems include:\nAir Power:\nThe campaign has relied heavily on US air assets, including:\n- B-1 bombers\n- B-2 stealth bombers: used to strike key nuclear and military infrastructure\n- F-35 Lightning II & F-22 Raptor: advanced stealth fighters\n- F-15 fighter jets: extensively used; three were lost in an incident over Kuwait on March 1\n- F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Super Hornet, and A-10 attacker jets: all confirmed for strike and support roles\n- EA-18G Growler: used for electronic attack and suppressing enemy air defences\n- Airborne early warning and control aircraft (AWACS): providing command, control and battle-space management.\nDrones and long-range strike systems\nUnmanned systems and rocket artillery are also part of the operation:\n- LUCAS drones: This operation marks the first combat use of these “low-cost unmanned combat attack system” one-way drones, which were reverse-engineered from Iranian designs\n- MQ-9 Reaper drones: active in surveillance and precision strike roles\n- M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS): ground-based rocket artillery\n- Tomahawk Cruise Missiles: launched from naval assets.\nMissile defence systems\n- Patriot interceptor missile systems and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense): used to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles and drones\n- Counter-drone systems.\nNaval power projection\n- Two carrier strike groups, led by the USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln: providing massive sea-based power\n- P-8 Poseidon: conducting maritime patrol and reconnaissance\n- Cargo and tankers: C-17 Globemaster, C-130 Hercules, and various aerial refuelling tankers are maintaining the logistics flow.\nHow much could the Iran war cost the US?\nPredicting the total cost of an ongoing military campaign is difficult. According to experts, it is too early to say how much the new war might end up costing the US.\n“The Pentagon has not published that information, and so we can only speculate…, but there’s a lot of moving pieces, and we can speculate on the cost of the individual weapons; we can speculate on the cost of the operations, the naval operations,” Christopher Preble, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told Al Jazeera.\nReports by the Anadolou news agency estimate that the US may have spent roughly $779m during the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury.\nThe pre-strike military build-up, including repositioning aircraft, deploying more than a dozen naval vessels and mobilising regional assets, is estimated to have cost an additional $630m.\nAccording to the Center for New American Security, it costs approximately $6.5m a day to operate a carrier strike group, such as the USS Gerald R Ford.\nThere are also costs associated with equipment losses.\nAt least three US fighter jets were shot down in Kuwait, in what US officials described as a friendly-fire incident.\nBut experts suggest the bigger concern may not be the financial sustainability, but the inventory.\n“It is sustainable with respect to the cost. I mean, we have a trillion-dollar defence budget in the US and a request to go to $1.5 trillion, which I find appalling, but which the president is committed to,” Preble said.\n“So, a trillion dollars goes a long way. The question is about the actual inventory of weapons in the US arsenal, especially interceptors – things like Patriot missiles or SM-6s, standard missiles that are used as interceptors for ballistic missiles.”\nPreble warned that high interception rates cannot continue indefinitely.\n“It is reasonable to speculate that the pace of operations right now, in terms of numbers of interceptions, could not continue indefinitely, certainly, and perhaps could not continue for more than several weeks,” he said.\nHe noted that similar concerns arose during the 12-day conflict with Iran in June, when there was speculation that both US and Israeli forces were running low on interceptor stocks. While some supplies may have since been replenished, interceptors are also earmarked for other theatres.\n“Some of these interceptors were intended to be sent to Ukraine to deal with Russian strikes. Some are used in Asia, in the Indo-Pacific. They would be important in the event of a contingency there,” he said. “So, there would be some concern with removing those weapons from that theatre.”\nManufacturing replacements is not instantaneous.\n“A Patriot missile or an SM-6… is a very complicated piece of equipment,” Preble added.\n“It’s not like they’re cranking them out, hundreds or thousands a day. That’s not the pace of manufacturing.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:48:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNSHhpSlBQSjBjdlFvZDZqOFNGZGlVMVd5T0FlYzU4SThGdEl6bThaekl2OTNMQzZ4R3Z3cDJaQlZBaVlQM0tTVEM4c2Z5ZllYYW04c0JIaWVrM3BxVWtYeHlkUVlCN2FjY0F6ZmZ1V2RBTkpVbl9EV3VYT3BPMUVzc3V3UXVma2V3czcwSnpicEpLTGx3RkF6SzZjZUVqMlnSAaQBQVVfeXFMUHZzcEJ6Tmd5T3hVMGY4RjduYnNVSFlVTDlFWXg4SnJqZmN1SFV6NFlQS1NGa3hkSlRwZFZuOEEwNTZVWjVVeE5tZWZEUmtob3NDMG11czZpc2FMSk9raTFYN1hIdERQb1VOTWc3bllkcXFhSUhwUVVkUkdOZWdZTXY5cERUeGVfbC1yN1B4THhFVGRHQXZxQXVtVldwc3FhX1BOY2k?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7004c5f29909",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran threat to ‘enemy oil lines’ raises fear over Azerbaijan-Turkey pipeline supplying Israel - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran threat to ‘enemy oil lines’ raises fear over Azerbaijan-Turkey pipeline supplying Israel\nAn adviser to the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday said Tehran would target what he described as the enemies’ oil supply lines and would not allow oil exports from the region to continue.\nThe statement carried by Iranian media came amid escalating regional tensions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.\nSenior Arab sources told Middle East Eye that the advisor to the commander's statement increases the serious concerns that Iran will target the BP-owned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which transports crude from Azerbaijan to Israel.\n‘The Iranian threat to strike 'enemy oil lines’ can only mean the BTC pipeline, as it is a main supplier of crude oil to Israel,\" the source told MEE.\nClose to 30 percent of Israel’s supply of oil flows through the BTC pipeline.\n\"The pipeline runs from Azerbaijan through Georgia to Israel via Turkey. Targeting it is within Iran’s close reach, with Azerbaijan being nearest to it,” said the source, referring to the major east–west energy corridor that transports crude oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean.\nOn Monday, Iran said it would “fire” on any ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the US and Israeli attack.\n\"The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze,\" Ebrahim Jabbari, a senior adviser to the IRGC commander-in-chief, said on Monday, according to state media.\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, through which about 20 percent of the world's daily oil consumption and natural gas passes.\n'Dirty work through Azerbaijan'\nSenior Iranian sources told MEE that Israel has been \"carrying out its dirty work against Iran and the region through Azerbaijan,\" adding that it has increased in recent years.\nIn November 2024, the Stop Fuelling Genocide campaign released evidence that suggested that tankers shipped crude oil from Turkey’s Ceyhan port to a pipeline near Ashkelon in Israel.\nThe port is the last stop on the BTC pipeline, from where oil is then shipped from the Heydar Aliyev Terminal at Ceyhan in Turkey to Israel.\nResearchers have tracked journeys made by tankers between Ceyhan and Ashkelon, with many of them occurring after Turkey announced its embargo in May 2024, when several countries declared an embargo on Israel for its genocide in Gaza.\nIn October 2025, researchers from the Palestinian Youth Movement and No Harbour for Genocide, using commercial trading and tracking data, said that tankers continued to dock in Ceyhan to load crude oil.\nAn Energy Embargo for Palestine investigative report documented how crude oil from the BTC pipeline is refined into fuel for Israeli fighter jets.\nThese developments come as an Iranian drone attack caused a \"limited fire\" at Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil refinery in Ras Tanura on Monday.\nEuropean gas prices soared almost 50 percent after Iranian strikes prompted Saudi Arabia to close its biggest oil refinery, and Qatar to halt the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).\nUS and Israeli bombing of Iran has continued, with President Donald Trump warning that the \"big wave\" is yet to come.\nTehran's response has targeted Israel and US assets across the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has targeted over 500 US and Israeli sites, using 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.\nDue to the tension, insurance providers have cancelled war-risk coverage for ships in the Persian Gulf.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:49:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxPQ1NVNUJHR0gwN015cHhoU2ZEakNhU01yWGtsZExKYVJjRVB6bkVNbTJBc2FNbkl6enluQVFhZGxNSFFQcks0b09NNGM3S1pva05pNG9fVGJUYlhheEJXcHlIUzNoR2lTWFF5UEdfUVdHTVVlNkduWHNJY3B4YVh2amhyVmpBTExIZkNMYTFqZjZPWVgwX0hvQw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4313158eed86",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Howard Marks Says Don’t Let Emotions Cloud Judgment on War - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Howard Marks Says Don’t Let Emotions Cloud Judgment on War    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T01:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNWFl6Vy0zUU1OWXFzamViMlZ3d2NlNFp6aUxnZkpQQ2VYNlhURm9QN3VSNEJnX0tWanA1a05YMUhUdmk0ZnFQR19WV3BrSG83SmF0R1hIME5iUEdBYU84Q3dneXFrLS1ES1RScGl4b3V3TGx1eXU1ZVZ0Uk1Ia2lPMTBGZUF1U2lHb0RyVDNOcHpHZHpQQ0QyQzc0OV9USkNjbXBzM3RnZTBLcTRiN1E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ca4be2f14c74",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump sends official notification to Congress on strikes against Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump on Monday sent an official notification to Congress about the U.S. strikes against Iran, in which he attempted to justify the military action in the now expanding conflict in the Middle East.\nIn a letter obtained by FOX News, Trump told Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that \"no U.S. ground forces were used in these strikes\" and that the mission \"was planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks, and neutralize Iran's malign activities.\"\nThis comes after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Saturday as part of Operation Epic Fury, triggering a response from Tehran and a wider conflict in the region. The strikes killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other military leaders.\nTrump wrote that it is not yet possible to know the full scope of military operations against Iran and that U.S. forces are prepared to take potential further action.\n\"Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,\" Trump wrote. \"As such, United States forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners, and ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States, its allies, and the international community.\"\n\"I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests,\" he added. \"I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct United States foreign relations.\"\nTrump said he was \"providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution,\" as some Republican and Democrat lawmakers attempt to restrain the president's military action, which they affirm is unconstitutional without congressional approval.\nThe president also accused Iran of being among the largest state sponsors of terrorism in the world and purported that the \"Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons,\" even after the White House said in June that precision strikes at the time \"obliterated\" Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities.\n\"As I previously communicated to the Congress, Iran remains one of the largest, if not the largest, state-sponsors of terrorism in the world,\" Trump said in the letter on Monday. \"Despite the success of Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER, the Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons. Its array of ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, and other missiles pose a direct threat to and are attacking United States forces, commercial vessels, and civilians, as well as those of our allies and partners.\"\n\"Despite my Administration's repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran's malign behavior, the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable,\" he continued.\nFox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:00:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxNZkVDeE9LeXdDUkxKT3dleTkxSTdnbVFmdjRwZWl5YnJ4aGYtRjdWd3Nnc01MM2RUdVhVRGRYWWlINDc0dWRQUHV1NXo3VWRSVFJuMmotTVZNdUJURW41MFFURHcxYXI4MTlTRDdJbkFrc3RQUld5Z0EwOHNNTmotNWtqQzJxbW54ZzJ0dnB2MENfdUFidlFjR2JEX1DSAaIBQVVfeXFMUGlXNTVScEhLcloycHBBUU9RaWQ1MEtIcGZTTU9lV0MwRGFBYlltNWsyUDBPdml1bVM4UV9RUWpaYkFpQ3NwWkdTWTFTekZXTExhOS05RmZabUtvT0JlTFducnF0NUo2ZURpVzBQS0szU2Job25XMlhrQkJSVGtIQWdLenktVkZJcmNTVGpBNF95MUMzV21SdjVTR1N0UVk1T0Nn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_04124ff4f19a",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Why China Is Unlikely to Rally Behind Iran After US-Israeli Strikes - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Why China Is Unlikely to Rally Behind Iran After US-Israeli Strikes    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQOFpyUmF5cU5DZ0xtcFhhQWlwZm5IejRJaG5EbktfdkV0X0tIQ2ticWg3RF9ETkladDFYOElaRno3ZTdhQmNZZFN6TFd2aWtBcHlsdGp6NGhVQVc1aHB0QWRYRlJJdXZqcEl5Rm9HaHZLbEprOW5FU2hMRXNSdVJTc1YyVjFWWFhObUpPY1pQVW9IektQd016RFh0WnZLalRPMHRGMEdzWjI5NEh5NkJsUzBxRndZbENzd3lTNFZBSW01S2FZ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_847b68d5c005",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump news at a glance: president offers goals but no end date for military offensive against Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Trump news at a glance: president offers goals but no end date for military offensive against Iran\nTrump said military campaign could ‘go far longer’ than initial four-to-five week projection as violence and chaos ripple across Middle East – key US politics stories from Monday, 2 March at a glance\nDonald Trump has laid out four goals in Iran and said the US campaign had been projected to last four to five weeks but could “go far longer than that”.\nOn Monday, the US president offered his most extensive comments yet about the war, going beyond two video messages and a series of brief phone interviews with reporters that offered sometimes conflicting objectives.\nBut Trump undercut the gravity of his remarks by abruptly pivoting to tout his plans for a new White House ballroom, boasting that it would be the “most beautiful ballroom in the world”, coming in “under budget” and “ahead of schedule” for “$400m or less”.\nTrump said he had ordered the attack on Iran to thwart Tehran’s nuclear development and a ballistic missile programme that was “growing rapidly and dramatically” and “posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas”.\nThat was a different justification than the one Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, gave later on Monday. After a closed-door briefing with US congressional members, Rubio told reporters that Israel’s determination to attack Iran and the certainty that US troops would be targeted in response forced the Trump administration to make pre-emptive strikes.\nRubio’s explanation worried some US lawmakers.\n“There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians,” said Mark Warner, the Democratic vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee. “There was a threat to Israel. If we equate a threat to Israel as the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States, then we are in uncharted territory.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:03:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxPdXFveXlfWjhEYklvdEVhUUswbzJaYVdPYkdObTNoR0JLbkUyRlN0ZjFCSkJydDY3SlBLVlNDU0lxWGJlTzdtMlkzSlZxcDdsVG1QdTlxaE5la0xhdmZSWFBJTlpVTUtFWlh1UUNPNkFNUDBMakU0RktpSVo4ck1DQnFrZ0pxRHctdGdB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e6214574a305",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The Latest: Trump says Iran war could last weeks, US citizens in dozens of countries urged to leave - WTOP",
    "body_text": "As the war in the Middle East spirals further, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. has “the capability to go far longer ” than its projected four-to-five-week time frame for its military operations against Iran.\nThe U.S. and Israel have continued to pound Iran since killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, while Tehran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.\nThe intensity of the attacks and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Israel and the U.S. have given conflicting answers about what exactly the war’s objectives are or what the endgame might be.\nAt least 555 people have been killed in Iran so far by the U.S.-Israeli campaign, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said, and more than 130 cities across the country have come under attack. In Israel, 11 people have been killed, with 31 in Lebanon, according to authorities.\nThe U.S. military announced Monday that two previously unaccounted for service members were confirmed dead, bringing the total American casualties during the operations against Iran up to six.\nHere is the latest:\nIsraeli airstrikes hit Beirut\nIsraeli airstrikes hit the Lebanese capital Tuesday morning.\nThe Israeli military said it was targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”\nHezbollah also said it launched drones targeting an Israeli air base.\nThe Israeli military said it downed two drones.\nJapan tells its shipowners to steer clear of Persian Gulf\nTokyo has told Japanese shipowners to have their ships stay away from the Persian Gulf to ensure the safety of their crewmembers.\nChief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Tuesday that the Transport Ministry has notified the Japanese Shipowners’ Association to do the utmost to protect crews on board the ships in the region.\nKihara said those already in the Gulf are urged to lie at anchor where it is safe to do so.\nOn Monday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat and conveyed Japan’s consistent stance that Iran must stop attacks on neighboring countries and other actions destabilizing the region.\nMotegi also noted the importance of ensuring safety in the Strait of Hormuz, which is key to Japan’s energy security.\nNetanyahu claims Iran was rebuilding to make ‘atomic bomb program immune’\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending the decision to go to war with Iran alongside the United States.\nNetanyahu, speaking on Fox News Channel’s Hannity, contended that Iran was rebuilding “new sites, new places” that would make “their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months.”\nHe did not offer evidence to support his claim.\nSatellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed limited activity at two nuclear sites in Iran before the war, with analysts saying it was likely Tehran was trying to assess damage from American strikes in June and possibly salvage what remained there.\n“We had to take the action now and we did,” Netanyahu said. “Otherwise the Iranian mass murder regime would have immunity from future action.”\nEchoing a Trump administration point, he repeated that the war would not be “endless” and that it would create the conditions for the Iranian people to form a democratic government.\nHowever, there’s been no sign of any mass uprising against Iran’s theocracy since the war started.\nNetanyahu said the conflict could be a “gateway for peace” between Israel and regional powers, including Saudi Arabia.\nHowever, Saudi Arabia alongside other Arab nations remain furious over the treatment of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.\nIranian foreign minister says US entered ‘war of choice on behalf of Israel’\nIran’s top diplomat early Tuesday sought to turn the tables on the United States, describing it as entering “a war of choice on behalf of Israel.”\nAfter Trump urged Iranians to take over their government, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the same call to Americans.\n“Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters,” Araghchi wrote on X. “American people deserve better and should take back their country.”\nSirens sound in Bahrain\nSirens have sounded in Bahrain early Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said.\nThe ministry has called for people to head to the nearest safe place.\nCairo-based Sunni institution calls for war’s halt\nAl-Azhar al-Sharif, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost seat of religious learning, has called for an immediate halt of the war in the Middle East.\nThe Cairo-based institution also denounced attacks on Arab countries, saying that “these aggressions are rejected … whatever the justifications, pretexts or explanations.”\nConflict escalates beyond regional confrontation, think tank says\n“Iran’s deliberate targeting of the energy sector introduces a new and dangerous dimension to this war,” warned the New York-based think tank The Soufan Center.\n“The conflict has escalated beyond merely a regional confrontation. By striking the energy arteries of the world, Tehran is signaling its capacity to impose global economic consequences and demonstrating to Israel and the United States that it is beyond their respective capabilities to keep the war contained.”\nWorld heritage site in Tehran damaged after strike, UNESCO says\nUNESCO has voiced concerns about the Golestan Palace, a world heritage site in the Iranian capital, which was reportedly damaged due to an airstrike in its vicinity.\nMonday’s strike hit Tehran’s Arag Square in the buffer zone of the palace, the U.N. agency reported.\nThe palace was damaged by debris and shock waves from the strike, it said.\nFire at the US Embassy in Riyadh after attack\nSaudi Arabia said early Tuesday that the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh came under attack from two drones, which caused a “limited fire” and minor damage.\nFurther details weren’t immediately available. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry made the announcement via the kingdom’s state television.\nIn the early hours of Tuesday, in a post on X, the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia asked American citizens in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran to immediately shelter in place.\nA diplomatic quarter resident in the neighborhood of the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the security situation said there was light smoke coming from the embassy.\nThe attack comes after the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait was targeted Monday in an attack.\nAustralia says Iranian drones struck military facility in UAE\nIranian drones struck an Australian military facility in the United Arab Emirates but there were no injuries, Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said.\nThe drones struck on the first night of the Iran war the Al Minhad Air Base, which is a logistics hub for Australia’s Middle East operations near Dubai, Marles said on Tuesday.\n“We have a number of Australians who operate from a headquarters that we’ve had at Al Minhad now for many, many years,” Marles told Seven Network television.\n“They are all accounted for, they are all safe. We’ve got north of 100 serving personnel actually across the Middle East in a range of countries, but most are in the UAE and that base is very important for us,” he added.\nAssociated Press journalists have heard multiple explosions near Al Minhad during the war, as well as many aerial interceptions.\nIran state TV airs aftermath of strikes on its premises\nIran-run state TV aired the aftermath of two explosions around the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting premises following US-Israeli strikes.\nThe head of the IRIB told Iranian media that no one was injured in the early Tuesday strikes. The state broadcast aired smoke from around what broadcasters called the “glass tower of IRIB” near the Evin area of Tehran.\nIRIB offices and infrastructure have been hit before since the start of the US-Israeli strikes on Saturday.\nThe strikes followed an evacuation warning from the Israeli army to residents of the Evin district of Tehran, asking them to avoid the area around IRIB buildings. Shortly after, the Israeli Air Force said it struck what it described as a communication center used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.\nIsraeli strike hits Hezbollah-aligned media building in Beirut’s southern suburbs\nIsraeli military struck a building housing Al-Manar channel studios in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an evacuation warning, the channel said. Israeli military said it targeted “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”\nPlumes of smoke were seen billowing over the skyline. No immediate details on casualties were available.\nThe strike followed Hezbollah missile and drone attacks on northern Israel shortly after midnight Sunday, prompting waves of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, which killed at least 52 people and wounded 154, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.\nIn a statement early Tuesday, Hezbollah said “confrontation is a legitimate right,” describing its firing of rockets toward Israel as “a reaction to the aggression, and adding that it had repeatedly warned that Israeli attacks “could not continue without a response.”\nUS House Speaker says Israel’s determination to act left Trump with a ‘very difficult’ decision\nA classified briefing at the Capitol left lawmakers with little clarity about the purpose, cost and next steps in the U.S. operation against Iran.\nRepublican Speaker Mike Johnson described the U.S. attack as a “defensive operation” because he said Israel was determined to act on their own against Iran, “with or without American support.”\nJohnson said Trump had a “very difficult decision” to make, and determined that Iran would immediately retaliate against U.S. personnel and assets.\nBut Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said “there was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel.”\nRubio, Hegseth and others briefed the lawmakers, but Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he found their answers “completely and totally insufficient.”\nThe Trump administration will likely seek supplemental funds from Congress to pay for the operation, they said.\nNumber of wounded troops in Iran grows\nThe conflict has left 18 American service members seriously wounded, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command said Monday.\nThe number has grown from the five troops initially reported as seriously wounded on Sunday morning.\nSix service members also have been killed in Kuwait. All six were Army soldiers and part of the same logistics unit, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.\nWhen asked about the deaths Monday, Hegseth said an Iranian weapon made it past allied air defenses “and, in that particular case, happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified.”\n— By Konstantin Toropin\nBahrain ambassador criticizes Iran for targeting his country, Gulf nations at UN meeting chaired by US first lady\nBahrain’s U.N. Ambassador Jamal Alrowaiei told the U.N. Security Council “the Iranian aggression is resulting in significant material and psychological damages that threaten the safety and security of residents and citizens.”\nAlrowaiei, the Arab representative on the 15-member council, said the ongoing Iranian attacks on civilian facilities and residential areas in Bahrain, which hosts a major U.S. naval base, have forced schools to close temporarily to protect students and children.\nIn the broader region, he told the council Monday that according to the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, 30 million children in the Middle East and North Africa are out of school or not receiving formal education — “equivalent to one in every three children being deprived of education.”\nState Department urges Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries\nThe State Department urged Monday that all U.S. citizens leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks with the ongoing escalations that have slipped the region into significant chaos.\nU.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar posted on the social media site X that Americans in countries, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, should “DEPART NOW” using any available commercial transportation.\nThe guidance comes as some major airlines have canceled flights to and from the region as the war that began when U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday. It has since grown into a wider regional conflict, touching nearly every country nearby.\nVoters in Texas wonder why US attacked Iran\nSeveral voters from Houston casting ballots in a Texas primary election said they’re worried about what will come next in Iran.\n“I think that this could go on for years to come if they don’t have a clear exit strategy,” said Charles Padmore, a 45-year-old independent contractor. “I don’t even think they have a strategy. I think they just went in blind.”\nHe posits that Trump acted “by the whims of Israel.”\nNineteen-year-old college student Sophia Morales and her mother, Dina Morales, don’t feel like they’re getting a clear explanation from Trump about why he attacked Iran.\n“I feel like Iran was in a war with Israel, but then all of a sudden, we’re in war too,” said Sophia Morales. She especially wants an explanation following reports that a girls school was bombed. Added her mother: “I don’t think I’ve heard of any clearer plans of what’s next after the bombing, just like what’s next in Venezuela.”\nIf Iran was a legitimate threat to the United States, Trump should have “gone the right way” and convinced Congress to authorize military action, said Alex Diaz, 31, a high school teacher.\n“I’m just like, ‘Are you trying to kill us? Are you trying to cause a World War III?’” Diaz said.\nTwo Trump voters trust the president on Iran\nTwo Trump supporters in Texas say they’re confident the president is doing the right thing in Iran and don’t see a conflict with his campaign promises to pursue peace.\n“I just expected him to do what needs to be done to protect America,” said Connie Stamps of Waco. “He wants to protect America first, and that’s what he’s doing. And he cares about the whole world. So he’s the peace president.”\nStamps said she’s thankful to have a president “who is brave enough to do what he says he’s going to do.”\nMollie Leutwyler Smith, who also lives near Waco in McLennan County, said she didn’t have war with Iran in mind when she cast her ballot for Trump, but she appreciates that he’s taking decisive action. She prefers his approach to the deal former President Barack Obama brokered with the Iranians.\n“Did I vote for that in particular? I won’t say I voted for that, but, yes, I think as the president, he can make decisions,” she said.\nIsrael says it will reopen a Gaza border crossing closed since Iran war began\nCOGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza, announced one crossing into the territory would reopen on Tuesday “for the gradual entry of humanitarian aid.”\nAt the start of the war with Iran, Israel had said it couldn’t safely operate the Gaza crossings under fire. However, the U.N.’s humanitarian office monitoring Gaza warned Monday that a total closure would stretch stocks of food, water and fuel, as well as further inflate the price of basic goods in the devastated Palestinian territory.\nIn its announcement late Monday, COGAT said it would work in coordination with the American Civil Military Coordination Center and under some security restrictions to reopen the Kerem Shalom Crossing.\nUS Embassy in Jordan temporarily evacuates staff\nDiplomatic staff at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan have left the embassy compound in Amman “due to a threat.”\nThe U.S. diplomatic mission did not disclose additional details, but the announcement comes not long after Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah threatened to attack American military bases in Jordan.\nThe announcement that embassy personnel had left the compound in Amman appeared to be a prelude to a potentially larger departure of diplomatic staff from Jordan.\nJordanian police meanwhile urged residents living near the embassy to stay indoors, close windows and take other “precautionary measures.”\nRubio warns ‘hardest hits’ are still to come on Iran\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters before his scheduled House and Senate Intelligence Committees briefing about Iran on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo)\nPressed on how long the U.S. military would remain focused on Iran, Rubio said as long as it takes.\n“The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now,” he told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.\n“How long will it take? I don’t know how long it will take,” he said. “We have objectives. We will do this as long as it takes to achieve those objectives.”\nRubio says regime change is not the objective in Iran\n“We would love for there to be an Iran that’s not governed by radical Shia clerics,” he said heading into a classified briefing on Capitol Hill. “That’s not the objective.”\nThe initial joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Ayatollah Khamenei, along with many other top leaders.\n“The objectives of this operation are to destroy their ballistic missile capability and make sure they can’t rebuild it, and make sure that they can’t hide behind that to have a nuclear program,” he said. “That’s the objective of the mission.”\nRubio, Hegseth and others are briefing the congressional leaders and the top lawmakers on the national security committees in Congress about the Iran operation.\nUS death toll rises to 6 troops\nThe U.S. military on Monday announced the deaths of two more American service members during the operations against Iran, bringing the total death toll to six people.\nU.S. Central Command stated in a post on X that U.S. forces “recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region.”\nThe post did not state where two service members were killed. Their identities are being withheld until 24 hours after their families are notified, the military said.\nIran’s top diplomat shares a photo of graves dug for girls killed in apparent airstrike\nIran’s foreign minister posted an aerial photo showing rows of freshly dug graves for more than 160 girls who he said were killed by an airstrike on an elementary school in the country’s south.\n“Their bodies were torn to shreds,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post Monday on social media, adding, “This is how ‘rescue’ promised by Mr. Trump looks in reality.”\nThe photo shows mourners gathered among long, orderly rows of graves stretching across an open dirt lot. White chalk rectangles mark measured burial plots as yellow excavators dig into the earth.\nIranian state media has reported that the girls’ school was hit in an airstrike on Saturday, killing at least 165 people and wounding dozens more. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.\nSenior UN official highlights impact of recent Middle East escalations on children\nU.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the U.N. Security Council on Monday during a session chaired by first lady Melania Trump on protecting children, education and technology in conflict.\nBefore making general statements about the impact of conflict on children worldwide, DiCarlo highlighted the immediate impact of the U.S.-Israel strikes and Iranian retaliation on the youngest citizens of regional countries.\n“We have been reminded of this truth over the last two days. Schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have closed and moved to remote learning owing to the ongoing military operations in the region,” she said.\nDiCarlo added that the world body was aware of the reports about the deaths at a girl’s school in southern Iran, which Iran said killed dozens of children. Both U.S. and Israel have said they are looking into it.\nMourners grieve Israeli teens killed in Iranian missile attack\nThree young siblings killed in an Iranian missile strike in central Israel were buried Monday night at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.\nYaakov, 16, Avigail, 15, and Sarah Biton, 13, were among nine people killed Sunday when a missile hit a shelter in a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, the deadliest attack on Israelis since the war began. Rescuers searched the rubble late into the night.\nIsrael’s rescue services said 65 people were hospitalized, including two seriously wounded.\nPresident Isaac Herzog visited one of the injured, Penina Cohen, at Hadassah Hospital on Monday. She told him she lost her husband, Yosef, and her mother-in-law, Bruria, in the strike. She and her young son were sitting beside them in the shelter when the missile hit.\n“I was right beneath the hole that was torn open, and I have no explanation for how we were not more seriously hurt. We experienced a great miracle,” she said. “Today my son turns 13, and he was meant to celebrate his bar mitzvah. Instead, we are burying my husband and mother-in-law.”\nIran accuses US of hypocrisy before Melania Trump’s UN meeting on protecting kids during conflict\nMoments before U.S. first lady Melania Trump led a U.N. Security Council session Monday on protecting children in armed conflict, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iranian ambassador to the U.N., blasted the subject of the meeting, saying that it was in contrast to the reported deadly strikes on a girl’s school in Iran on Saturday.\n“It is deeply shameful and hypocritical,” Iravani told reporters, “that on the very first day of its presidency of the Security Council, the United States convenes a high-level meeting on protecting children, technology, and education in armed conflict under the agenda item ‘Maintenance of international peace and security,’ while at the same time launching missile strikes against Iranian cities and bombing schools and killing children.”\nHe added, “For the United States, ‘protecting children’ and ‘maintaining international peace and security’ clearly mean something very different from what the UN Charter provides.”\nUS military says it’s taken out 11 Iranian warships in the Gulf of Oman\n“Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,” U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.\nThe statement follows President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post on Sunday that U.S. forces had “destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships.” The president said they would be “going after the rest” and had “largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters.”\nUN says Israel’s Gaza closure causes fuel rationing and water shortages\nThe U.N.’s humanitarian office tracking Gaza said Monday that the Israeli closure of all crossings into Gaza was stretching stocks of food, inflating the prices of basic goods and halting municipal services like solid waste collection as humanitarian workers tried to ration fuel supply. It said that reduced water production in some parts of Gaza City had left people drinking as little as two liters of water a day.\nCOGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza, closed crossings into the territory at the start of the unfolding war and froze the entrance and exit of humanitarian workers. It said the crossings cannot not be safely operated under fire and that they would reopen as soon as the security situation allows.\nTense calm in Jerusalem during a lull in Iranian missile fire\nA tense calm has settled over the central Jerusalem after an afternoon and evening with no sirens announcing incoming missiles from Iran. The streets are still quite empty in West Jerusalem, where most Israelis live.\nNATO chief calls on European allies to support war against Iran\nNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview that the United States’ and Israel’s war against Iran is crucial for security in Europe. He said the allies could support the effort even without direct involvement in military operations, through logistics and access.\nRutte, a former prime minister of the Netherlands, said he unreservedly approves of Trump’s decision to attack Iran and kill its supreme leader. Rutte cited the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.\n“It would be a stranglehold on Israel. It could potentially mean Israel’s defeat,” Rutte told German public broadcaster ARD in its Brussels studio on Monday.\nWhen asked about the possibility of NATO entering the war, Rutte said absolutely no one believed that NATO would be involved. “This is Iran, this is the Gulf, this is outside NATO territory,” he said.\nNATO troops deployed for 20 years to Afghanistan, and its 2011 air campaign helped topple Libya’s late leader Moammar Gadhafi.\nIran says it shot down 20 drones since the war began\nIranian state-run IRNA news agency said the country’s military has shot down 20 “enemy drones” since the beginning of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Saturday.\nIraqi militias threaten US military presence in Jordan\nA prominent Iran-backed Iraqi militia has threatened to attack American military bases in neighboring Jordan.\nKataib Hezbollah has claimed attack on U.S. bases in northern Iraq in solidarity with Tehran.\nIran has been targeting American military assets in the Mideast in its ongoing war with Washington and Israel.\nThe Iraqi government for years has tried to keep a delicate balance maintaining strong ties with both Washington and Tehran.\nIsrael strikes a Hezbollah-linked financial institution in Lebanon\nThe military said it has completed a wave of strikes targeting branches of al-Qard al-Hasan, saying the quasi-banking system is being used to fund the militant group’s military wing.\nThe strikes come amid a day of successive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and in its capital, following Hezbollah rocket fire on Israel.\nAl-Qard al-Hasan is officially a nonprofit charity institution operating outside the Lebanese financial system, and one of the tools by which Hezbollah entrenches its support among the country’s Shiite population.\nIsrael targeted the institution also in 2024 during its monthslong conflict with Hezbollah.\nMore US adults oppose initial airstrikes on Iran, early polling suggests\nAmericans’ initial reactions to Trump ordering airstrikes against Iran over the weekend appear more negative than positive, according to a new snap poll from The Washington Post that was conducted via text message on Sunday.\nAbout half those polled opposed the strikes, while 39% were in support. Roughly 1 in 10 were unsure. Democrats and independents drove much of the disapproval, with nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and about 6 in 10 independents opposed to the military strikes.\nRepublicans were much more supportive, with 81% backing the military action. About 1 in 10 Republicans were opposed, and a similar share were unsure.\nRespondents were about twice as likely to say the U.S. should stop the military strikes as that time, rather than continue them.\nSpain says joint US bases were not used in attack on Iran\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the U.S. attack an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” military intervention.\nDefense Minister Margarita Robles said “no assistance of any kind, absolutely none,” had been provided from the Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain, which are shared with the U.S. but remain under Spanish command.\n“There is a deal with the U.S. over these bases, but our understanding of the deal is that operations have to comply with international legal frameworks and that there has to be international support for them,” Robles said.\nThe U.S. and Israel were acting “unilaterally without the support of an international resolution,” Robles said.\nFlight map data from FlightRadar24 showed that several U.S. military aircraft had left the bases in southern Spain since the weekend attack, including nine tankers that departed Sunday from Morón for Germany.\nIsrael says it intercepted a drone from Lebanon\nIsrael’s military said the hostile aircraft was intercepted and it is reviewing the incident. The army’s social media post did not blame the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah or any other party.\nIran-backed Hezbollah did not immediately issue a statement. The group had fired rockets late Sunday into northern Israel, sparking Israeli strikes throughout Lebanon that killed at least 31 people and displaced thousands.\nDrone hits at a fuel terminal in the UAE but fire is contained\nAuthorities in Abu Dhabi quickly responded to the drone attack on the Musaffah fuel terminal and got the fire under control. No injuries were reported and operations at the terminal were not affected, according to a statement by the Abu Dhabi Media Office posted on X.\nCopyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:05:56+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Oil prices keep climbing amid Iran conflict, with Brent hitting 19-month high - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Oil prices keep climbing amid Iran conflict, with Brent hitting 19-month high    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNVGs2a3ZOdGJVaHVJbWhsaXB1YXQwMk93QWRrMGRKVlc2VDVic2dtLXc4elp4UC05b0pySFBObXJTZGhZbEwyci1kRm5yVVZOdkRYY2ZCbGNmQ09paEpQMkFsajhNNFBnOHBpUXFBbE9QenJaelkyU3pENXBweG1IeEVPNXZYYVNfdV81Um81ZncyMVgteTNiZTJ6MDhMZ1hfUmlvODlqRDJEamJxMnBfbnFmZEtROFlFQ2hwMndOaGk?oc=5",
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    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iranian drone strikes shut down Qatar LNG production facilities, as energy prices surge - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Iranian drone strikes forced Qatar to halt liquefied natural gas (LNG) production Monday, jolting global energy markets and raising fears about supply disruptions as Tehran increased its attacks on regional infrastructure.\nQatarEnergy, the state-owned giant and one of the world’s largest LNG producers, suspended operations at two facilities after drones launched from Iran hit the sites, according to reports.\nQatar’s Ministry of Defense also said in a statement, that two drones hit facilities in the country, though no casualties were reported.\nThe attacks also targeted a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed and a key energy installation in Ras Laffan.\nQatar’s Ras Laffan complex is the world’s largest LNG export facility, making it one of the most critical energy hubs in the world.\nAbout 20% of global LNG trade transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2024, primarily from Qatar, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.\nMarkets reacted Monday with Europe’s benchmark natural gas futures surging by the largest margin since the 2022 energy crisis triggered by the Ukraine war, Bloomberg reported.\nBloomberg also reported Dutch TTF natural gas prices rose by 50% after news of the shutdown. Asian LNG prices also recorded gains as traders tried to assess the scale and length of the disruption.\n\"The threat to security of supply is here and now,\" Simone Tagliapietra, an analyst at Bruegel, told Bloomberg. \"The extent of it will depend on the duration of the shutdown, but we are now into a new scenario.\"\nIn Saudi Arabia, another drone attack caused a fire at the kingdom’s Ras Tanura oil refinery, forcing a partial shutdown there as well.\nSaudi authorities have not reported casualties, but the attack heightened fears of broader instability in the Gulf’s energy corridor, according to reports.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:13:52+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_74cc6088d962",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iranian drone strikes shut down Qatar LNG production facilities, as energy prices surge",
    "body_text": "Qatar Defense Ministry says it shot down two Iranian jets that entered its airspace.\n\nIranian drone strikes forced Qatar to haltliquefied natural gas (LNG) productionMonday, jolting global energy markets and raising fears about supply disruptions as Tehran increased its attacks on regional infrastructure.\n\nQatarEnergy, the state-owned giant and one of the world’s largest LNG producers, suspended operations at two facilities after drones launched from Iran hit the sites, according to reports.\n\nQatar’s Ministry of Defense also said in astatement,thattwo drones hit facilitiesin the country, though no casualties were reported.\n\nThe attacks also targeted a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed and a key energy installation in Ras Laffan.\n\nQatar suspends liquefied natural gas operations after Iranian drones hit facilities.\n\nQatar’s Ras Laffan complex is the world’s largest LNG export facility, making it one of the most critical energy hubs in the world.\n\nAbout 20% of global LNG trade transited theStrait of Hormuzin 2024, primarily from Qatar, according to theU.S. Energy Information Administration.\n\nMarkets reacted Monday withEurope’s benchmark natural gas futuressurging by the largest margin since the 2022 energy crisis triggered by the Ukraine war,Bloombergreported.\n\nGULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN, US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: 'HEIGHTENED RISK'\n\nPeople gather as smoke rises at the Industrial Area after reported Iranian missile attacks, following United States and Israel strikes on Iran, in Doha, Qatar, March 1, 2026.(REUTERS/Mohammed Salem)\n\nBloomberg also reported Dutch TTF natural gas prices rose by 50% after news of the shutdown.Asian LNG pricesalso recorded gains as traders tried to assess the scale and length of the disruption.\n\n\"The threat to security of supply is here and now,\" Simone Tagliapietra, an analyst at Bruegel, told Bloomberg. \"The extent of it will depend on the duration of the shutdown, but we are now into a new scenario.\"\n\nIn Saudi Arabia,another drone attack causeda fire at the kingdom’s Ras Tanura oil refinery, forcing a partial shutdown there as well.\n\nSaudi authorities have not reported casualties, but the attack heightened fears of broader instability in the Gulf’s energy corridor, according to reports.\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:13:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/iranian-drone-strikes-shut-qatar-lng-production-facilities-energy-prices-surge",
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    "article_id": "art_76c41ca4ba37",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Donald Trump struggles to explain why he launched another Middle Eastern war - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump struggles to explain why he launched another Middle Eastern war\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:14:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFB1U2tkeHlZcnFHc1ZXWlU2emgyM09Hc0Z0NzhoeXg5bzdINFZQZ3VZSGdaLUlacHZfc3VmRUtaQVM2bnVacTJYNjhYVWpoZWV5SWJpdnNCZHBPZnRmMS1haE9pX0gwZEoxVGMwQ1RWTmg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9a8a2076ba53",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Tucker Carlson claims Saudi Arabia and Qatar 'arrested Mossad agents planning bombings' - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Tucker Carlson claims Saudi Arabia and Qatar 'arrested Mossad agents planning bombings'\nUS political commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson claimed on Monday that Saudi Arabia and Qatar had caught and “arrested Israeli Mossad agents planning bombings in those countries”.\n“Why would the Israelis be committing bombings in Gulf countries, which are also being attacked by Iran?” Carlson said on his show. “Aren’t they on the same side?”\n“Israel wants to hurt Iran - and Qatar, and the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, and Oman and Kuwait,” he added.\nCarlson also alleged that Israel deliberately sows chaos among America’s Arab allies.\nThe American journalist did not cite a source for the claim, which Middle East Eye could not independently verify.\nIn February, Israeli forces detained Carlson and members of his team shortly after he interviewed Washington’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.\nIn the interview, Huckabee stated that Jews have a “divine right” to colonise Palestinian land and denied Palestinian national identity.\nThe interview followed a public spat between the pair online after Carlson slammed Israel’s “shocking” treatment of Christians and accused Huckabee of failing to ensure protections for Christians who face attacks from Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank and in Jerusalem.\nIn 2025, after he visited Palestinian refugees from Gaza in Qatar and accused Israel of murdering children, a pro-Israel advocacy group in the US named Carlson as its “Antisemite of the Year”, citing his opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.\nOngoing US-Israeli attack\nCarlson’s latest remarks come amid ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iran, after the two countries launched a joint assault that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, several other senior officials and hundreds of civilians on Saturday.\nAround 150 girls were killed in a strike on a school in southern Iran in the initial attacks.\nIran has retaliated by hitting American bases in the region and shutting down trade routes for oil.\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has targeted over 500 US and Israeli sites, using 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.\nOn Monday, a drone attack caused a “limited fire” at Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil refinery in Ras Tanura.\nEuropean gas prices soared almost 50 percent after Iranian strikes prompted Saudi Arabia to close its biggest oil refinery, and Qatar to halt the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).\nDue to the tension, insurance providers have cancelled war-risk coverage for ships in the Persian Gulf.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOUW1HN1MwdmRZcXJTcHdGcHZOS2ZFZGQxV2kwak9MVFkwQWF1UDhKalNzdGVBZ2RrN0l3anVUVFZvc1cyTlV2UzQxYUtDakl6MXlrZXlqRmhfYW1HdXRKQl8xRUlnOV9pMXowdmNVOWl5SGYyOUJwS3ZxTk1BclBjQmgzcEFudC1UUXVSNE9Ob3EySGJZODdlRzgyX1JKR05LVUNmZFg2dnBNRkU?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_32c23028fd3d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "What is the extent of the UK’s involvement in the Middle East war? - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Britain has rapidly been dragged into the war in the Middle East, with Keir Starmer concluding that involvement was inevitable because of Iranian retaliation, regional alliances – and a repeated US request for help. In doing so, the prime minister has changed his mind and concluded that what was once an illegal war has become in some respects, legal.\nHow has the UK prepared for the possibility of US and Israeli strikes on Iran? Over the past six weeks, the UK had been building up some military assets in the Middle East, to protect its existing base at Akrotiri in Cyprus and to help key allies in the Gulf. A joint UK-Qatari squadron relocated from Lincolnshire to Qatar in January, ready to act in self-defence if the Gulf country and others in the region were attacked.\nThe expectation was that if the US and Israel did attack Iran, then Tehran would most likely lash out, and launch ballistic missiles and drones at US bases in the region (where British troops are often co-located) and at a range of regional allies. RAF Typhoons in Qatar and F-35s and Typhoons in Akrotiri would be able to shoot down incoming drones and help defend allies if attacked.\nLast month Starmer refused a request from Donald Trump to allow two British bases – RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to be used as part of the US-Israeli attack. Trump said on Monday he was “very disappointed” with that decision in an interview with the Telegraph , adding “it sounds like he was worried about the legality”.\nWhat is the UK’s position now? In a video address on Sunday night, Starmer announced a new policy. The UK would, after all, give the US permission to use British bases for what the prime minister said was a “specific and limited defensive purpose” – to destroy Iranian missiles before they have taken off by bombing their storage depots or launchers.\nThe calculus on Sunday was that this involvement was legal under international law because the UK was participating in the self-defence of allied nations. Iran has retaliated against nine countries so far, with missiles and drones: Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Cyprus.\nWhat could the UK’s missions look like? Starmer did not provide much more detail. Military analysts said the most likely immediate scenario was that the UK would allow the US to use Fairford and Diego Garcia to bomb Iran’s “missile cities”. These are five or possibly more sites cut into Iran’s mountains at depths of perhaps 500 metres where high-speed ballistic missiles, Iran’s most dangerous weapons, are stored and can be launched from.\nTargeting them effectively would probably require the use of US heavy bombers using so called bunker-buster munitions, carried by B-2 stealth bombers or B-52s operating from Fairford or Diego Garcia, simply preferred by the US air force because they are closer to Iran than bases in the US itself.\nWould that be the limit of UK involvement? Additional Iranian retaliation against the UK or its allies could easily draw Britain in further. A string of drones appear to be have been targeting the RAF base at Akrotiri on Sunday and again on Monday, with one hitting on Sunday night. The UK may seek to retaliate directly against whoever it thinks has been launching them.\nMore broadly, the US may well ask the UK for further military support if the air assault on Iran continues. Starmer has now shown that Britain is willing to be flexible if it believes a deeper military effort can be characterised as defensive. If the war escalates, or attacks mount, the UK’s commitment to the conflict may well deepen.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxQbElweHlxR3RiUkVJNmtXaFpzZXFBUEJaWkNmM1VCU1dia0YwMmF0UTE1eDJzT2t4cFVEVW9GUUdBWUN6LW0wV2R3dGZLUU5ZUkdlWm9FWWEyY21uUnJtN2RzVy1OaFdIYjNiVFdvQW9ocTZvN1hPbmhaU3Q2OWN2cjhQZ3hEOWM4YlFSSks5QkRnOGE0UFZmNGs0eUxYVVY4?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bd94b5da93d3",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Internet blackout is tool of desperate regime to isolate Iranians, say experts - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Roughly four hours after the first strikes hit Iran, the country was again plunged into a full internet blackout – severely curtailing the information that has left the country and the ability of Iranians to communicate with each other.\nA small fraction of this blackout appears to be a result of infrastructure damage caused by US or Israeli strikes, possibly to a fibre optic cable, according to Doug Madory, at the internet analytics firm Kentik. There appeared to be several small outages affecting multiple networks, which could be caused by technical failures such as a fibre cut or power outage, he said.\nBut the blackout appears mostly to be the result of an intentional move by a regime desperate to keep a grip on power.\n“It’s about control and it’s about even possibly slowing down the demise [of the regime],” said researchers at Project Ainita and the Outline Foundation, who focus on internet infrastructure and providing solutions against digital censorship.\n“Because if all of a sudden you give in, and you give everybody connection and access to everybody else, then they could very easily come together and finish the job, so to speak.”\nIran first fully shut down its internet on 8 January, weeks into escalating anti-government protests over the price of currency. That full shutdown lasted nearly three weeks, until the government appeared to relax – but not fully end – restrictions on internet access on 28 January. It enabled Iran’s authorities to partly conceal a bloody crackdown on Iranian protesters that is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people.\nThe latest blackout was almost as total as January’s shutdown, said the researchers, who work on Iran’s digital censorship and internet infrastructure. Mobile phones appear to be working inside the country but, apart from that, all of Iran’s connection to the outside world has been extinguished. Those without access to Starlink or alternative ways to communicate are cut off.\nThe communication blackout had increased the confusion inside Iran, said the researchers. On the one hand, it could lead more people to stay at home – Iranians may fear going out on to the streets if they are unable to reach each other or learn where is safe and where is not. On the other hand, it may cause people to congregate, because they are otherwise without information.\n“You’re taking away people’s ability to check on one another,” they said. “But there’s always an element of risk, both for the government and for the people.”\nIran had long sought to control the flow of information within its borders, said the researchers, going so far as to blast microwave signals over rooftops in Tehran in recent years, in order to jam signals and prevent Iranians from tuning into foreign television and radios.\n“They really tried hard with any and all means possible to block those channels even if it had major health ramifications for the country,” said the researchers.\nThis current cutoff recalled the days of fear after the fall of the shah and a decade of war in which it was nearly impossible to get information about missing family members, or the outside world, they said.\nThe internet blackout has added to an increasing feeling among normal Iranians of there being no escape, even as Turkey closes its land border and the airspace is shut.\n“You have a sense of being trapped, right? On a normal day before all of this, where were the Iranians able to go without … getting a visa?” they said.\n“There’s no escape route. And when you shut down the airspace, when you shut down the flights, when you close the borders, what else is there but entrapment?”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNTGN0MGdqQ3FHdllhTERJSHMtdGJDRzRVaDhVenZNRzF3ZE5uR3FkQ3ZJN2QyTThjQWc0eEJhRW5mNk1uNUswOEU5SWVEWFhFN3hlOG11Q3Fsa2FjTWF5Y3I4N1l3OEtRUVVFb3RDRVB2TnlxWUJGUkxMSjFpa1JUOVZLaVBmdjFpUXBqTVJiWlRaY3hMTTRxeXhYTnhsQk80Q3pzd2ktejAyZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_18a3c7228326",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Limited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle East - AP News",
    "body_text": "Limited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle East\nLimited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle East\nLONDON (AP) — Travelers stranded by a widening war began departing the United Arab Emirates aboard a small number of evacuation flights Monday, even as most commercial air traffic across the Middle East remained suspended.\nThe limited flights out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi took place as the U.S. State Department urged its own citizens in 13 countries, including UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman, to “depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks.” Sweeping airspace closures and flight cancellations across the region left many fewer options for heeding the advice.\nSince U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf states started Saturday, commercial flights have been halted or heavily restricted, leaving tourists, business travelers, migrant workers and religious pilgrims stuck in hotels, airports and aboard cruise ships.\nAirspace remained closed Monday over Iran, Iraq and Israel. Jordan instituted a temporary closure beginning Monday afternoon. Other countries in the Gulf — including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — had partial or temporary closures that could be extended, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.\nThe service showed that after reports of Riyadh explosions from a drone, flights into King Khalid International Airport near Riyadh were holding or turning back.\nAbout 13,000 of the roughly 32,000 flights scheduled into and out of the Middle East since Saturday have been canceled, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.\nEvacuation flights begin\nAirlines operating evacuation flights are likely doing so with government backing, and the carriers’ home countries may be assuming part of the financial risk, said Henry Harteveldt, president of travel market research firm Atmosphere Research Group.\n“Airlines aren’t going to resume operations until they are fully confident that there is a zero — or as close as possible to zero — risk that their aircraft will be attacked,” Harteveldt said.\nLong-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with budget carrier FlyDubai, said Monday they would operate limited flights from the country, where air defense systems were deployed to intercept Iranian missiles and drones.\nAt least 16 Etihad flights left Abu Dhabi during a three-hour window Monday, according to Flightradar24, heading to destinations including Islamabad, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Moscow and London. The airline’s website, however, said all its regularly scheduled commercial flights remained suspended until Wednesday afternoon.\nAP correspondent Julie Walker reports travelers stranded as Middle East conflict spreads; governments scramble to bring citizens home.\nEmirates said customers with earlier bookings would get priority for seats aboard the limited flights it planned to operate starting Monday evening. FlyDubai said it would operate four outbound flights and five inbound. Dubai Airports, the authority that runs the city’s two airports, showed a larger number of flights on Tuesday but urged passengers to go to airports only if their airline had notified them with confirmation since operations remained curtailed.\nAirspace closures snarl global travel\nThe disruptions have been far-reaching because Gulf airports serve as critical global transit hubs linking Europe, Africa and Asia. Dubai International Airport alone handled a record 95.2 million passengers last year, making it the world’s busiest airport when measured by international travel.\nLeela Rao, a 29-year-old law student at Georgetown University in Washington, made it onto one of Monday’s Etihad flights. She learned of the airstrikes while waiting to make a connection in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and spent hours at the airport following news updates, hearing explosions and receiving shelter-in-place alerts before Etihad arranged a hotel stay in Dubai.\n“I am feeling so, so, so grateful,” Rao said by text message after arriving in Delhi in time for a friend’s wedding. “Everyone clapped when we landed.”\nThe Association of Tennis Professionals said former U.S. Open tennis champion Daniil Medvedev was among a small number of players and staff it was helping leave Dubai.\nScotland resident Faizan Khalid, his wife and their 6-month-old daughter were stranded Saturday in Lahore, Pakistan, after their flight home that included a connection in Dubai was canceled. They were booked on a new flight for Wednesday that also has a Dubai stop. Khalid said he’s growing concerned as he and his wife’s supply of baby formula runs low.\n“We just want to get home safely,” he said.\nHen Mazzig, a 35-year-old writer from London, got stuck in Tel Aviv after the war erupted.\n“I really am counting my blessings,” Mazzig said as he scrambled to rearrange his plans. “It’s inconvenient, but it’s so minor compared to how big this is.”\nEvacuation efforts expand\nGovernments were scrambling to organize aid, evacuations and repatriation flights for their citizens.\nIsrael’s flag carrier, El Al, said it was preparing a massive “recovery operation” to bring stranded passengers home once Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv reopens. Customers booked on El Al and its subsidiary, Sundor, will not be charged for seats on the flights, which are expected to operate initially from cities including New York, London, Paris, Rome and Los Angeles.\nThe U.S. said Americans who needed help arranging commercial transportation should contact the State Department. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the the situation on the ground “may remain challenging for some time” but that the U.K. government was “looking at all options to support our people.”\nThe Philippines upgraded its travel advisory for the UAE on Monday, placing it — along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — at a level that automatically triggers a deployment ban on newly hired Filipino workers.\nIndonesia said more than 58,000 of its citizens were stranded in Saudi Arabia, where they had been visiting Islam’s holy sites during Ramadan.\n“It has become an urgent humanitarian and logistical issue,” said Ichsan Marsha, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Thousands of travelers also were stranded on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali because of international flight cancellations.\nGermany’s Foreign Ministry said about 30,000 German tourists were stranded across the Middle East. The government said it plans to send aircraft to Oman and Saudi Arabia to evacuate ill travelers, children and pregnant people, while working with airlines to assist others where possible.\nThe Czech Republic said it was sending planes to Egypt, Jordan and Oman to bring home citizens from Israel and surrounding countries. Britain said it was preparing for various options, including a possible evacuation, as more than 102,000 people have registered their presence in the region.\n___\nSchreck reported from Bangkok and Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Contributing to this report were AP writers Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin; Karel Janicek in Prague; Sam Magdy in Cairo; Mustakim Hasnath in London; Niniek Karmini in Jakarta; Matt Sedensky in New York; Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:32:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPb0R3UWF6LWYwazVFd05pUXY2MFBzd0Rjd3RzOTNjUTAtSTdlak11NWljamJGaXo0TmZFdDRxbFVjenRwWHFpNEVZV2VxdE9KclJkYmh2YUVKNXFWaDhxNWo0WU9TQV9tQjZtbC0zaDg1TTNyS0ZKd2hZMGRQVEpIbnJ5QWh6c0doQ0doQkl0c1p5YmhnYVZuZ3dVc3NxajNoS3VoMDQ2aWkydw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b231bf54220e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Benjamin Netanyahu vows Iran won't be an 'endless war' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 11:30 PM\n11:30 PM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox Business Channel\nCOPS\n11:30 PM - 12:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:36:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE5NcVRDTjdnSWJ1SjdCeG5GNFNhUUxqV3MwWWFGUmxlZ3FhNURSbWZWVkVCeHF0T3ItNlhnUUdrb00xZEljeUJMOXoyMW5fdmVrYnQwRjN3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d3214d221918",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Watters: They're chanting something different in Iran - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 12:00 AM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\n2:00 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox News Sunday\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM\nFox Business Channel\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T02:36:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE1EaGNqdl9YaTY2b3hkdkdGZ0ViMmtyeWg1WDhmdWpKZTJqYlUxVVE4Vk9hRFJOUkhfTHRqZkhTT2VLdDdQX0NEVWo1NFk4LUJMS0NKdmh3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e343278f068d",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Global Inflation Expected to Pick Up From Iran War, Survey Shows - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Global Inflation Expected to Pick Up From Iran War, Survey Shows    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOMktVYVpnUlAzVTVxaG40R1ZIaTNQRmN2UFdWOGY4QlJDTEtvRzRFN0pmeTJDeXV6MWdidUx3OXJ1Yk90emRzel9KUXZYWHV6ZXo1VHJyQkRpSWFiWm85RnFlUmlsNU9NcUF5Y2Q1RkRKenJtUHBreklOU2pOUDRvUTZ0OXNLeVoyWENNWUxTSmVpaDlLMjRhOU9KandPd29BOG1SRU0xNXhFS2dQNW9hdDQ0azI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a5e1705ebba8",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran nuclear talks 'didn't pass the smell test' before Trump launched strikes, says Vance - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Vice President JD Vance confirmed Monday that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program collapsed after U.S. officials concluded Tehran’s claims did not \"pass the smell test,\" prompting President Donald Trump to authorize Operation Epic Fury.\nSpeaking on \"Jesse Watters Primetime,\" Vance said U.S. envoys — including Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner — had conducted rounds of \"deliberate\" talks in Geneva with the Iranian delegation.\nThe discussions were aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and averting a broader conflict, he said, but ultimately broke down.\n\"But the Iranians would come back to us, and they'd say, ‘Well, you know, having enrichment for civilian purposes, for energy purposes, is a matter of national pride,’\" Vance said.\n\"And so we would say, ‘OK, that's interesting, but why are you building your enrichment facilities 70 feet underground? And why are you enriching to a level that's way beyond civilian enrichment and is only useful if your goal is to build a nuclear bomb?’\" he said.\n\"Nobody objects to the Iranians being able to build medical isotopes; the objection is these enrichment facilities that are only useful for building a nuclear weapon,\" Vance clarified.\n\"It just doesn't pass the smell test for you to say that you want enrichment for medical isotopes, while at the same time trying to build a facility 70 to 80 feet underground,\" he explained.\nVance spoke as Operation Epic Fury ended its third day. Launched on Feb. 28, U.S. and Israeli forces carried out coordinated precision strikes deep inside Iran aimed at crippling Tehran’s missile arsenal and nuclear infrastructure.\nA key issue had been Iran enriching uranium to high levels, including material around 60% purity — a fraction of weapons-grade but far above limits set under the 2015 nuclear deal — keeping international alarm high over proliferation risks.\n\"We destroyed Iran's ability to build a nuclear weapon during President Trump's term,\" Vance told Watters. \"We set them back substantially. But I think the President was looking for the long haul,\" he said.\n\"Trump was looking for Iran to make a significant long-term commitment that they would never build a nuclear weapon, that they would not pursue the ability to be on the brink of a nuclear weapon.\"\n\"He wanted to make sure that Iran could never have a nuclear weapon, and that would require fundamentally a change in mindset from the Iranian regime.\"\n\"The president is not going to rest until he accomplishes that all-important objective of ensuring that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon, not just for the next few years, not just because we obliterated Fordow or some other enrichment facility.\"\n\"There's just no way that Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multiyear conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective,\" Vance added while describing that the administration would prefer to see \"a friendly regime in Iran, a stable country, a country that's willing to work with the United States.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:05:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPa2xsRXBMUmp5VVJJejJlbmVVMlQtSDRTUVNLVEpOR0NOQ1c5X0JCNVdWdVJTeDZOdXVMMFF2bGFkYWlIckEtdjZybXloRF8xOVJlcXZsbHZSUUVuRHR5bWNnblFkbG4tY1NDQy0ydnBCSl83TmFscGlnT1lRN2tjT3dLRm1vMmx0WHdWSGtxTF9SM05sMUZMSzNkVFFZWHZiRlJwT21fa9IBrAFBVV95cUxQaC1CMXI0dF84c3N3Qk5LdkpIUS1LOTNJNk1aRk1UMm1rZThqdWFsNTNYczdMY2RLNU1Hb1lmV2RCSVgzOXVZQ1VFUlNFTU9yd1N4TnhpeUJzSnlTYnhBcDVTb2k0czJHOGpyT3hlMk55VTN1RFNtMzZYSVluVGhJd0VSSDJIQ3prZm44Z3Q2bUNWdUdUMWxRczRrQjQ4VkRXb3FIRnpPYnJTdWxr?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3e1f8fe878d6",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran nuclear talks didn't 'pass the smell test' before Trump launched strikes, says Vance",
    "body_text": "Vice President JD Vance discusses what led to 'Operation Epic Fury' on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.'\n\nVice PresidentJD Vanceconfirmed Monday that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program collapsed after U.S. officials concluded Tehran’s claims did not \"pass the smell test,\" prompting PresidentDonald Trumpto authorizeOperation Epic Fury.\n\nSpeaking on \"Jesse Watters Primetime,\" Vance said U.S. envoys — including Steve Witkoff, Secretary of StateMarco Rubioand Jared Kushner — had conducted rounds of \"deliberate\"talks in Geneva withthe Iranian delegation.\n\nThe discussions were aimed at curbingTehran’s nuclear programin exchange for sanctions relief and averting a broader conflict, he said, but ultimately broke down.\n\n\"But the Iranians would come back to us, and they'd say, ‘Well, you know, having enrichment for civilian purposes, for energy purposes, is a matter of national pride,’\" Vance said.\n\nOmani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, President Donald Trump's special representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner meet ahead of the U.S.-Iran talks, in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Feb. 6, 2026.(Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)\n\n\"And so we would say, ‘OK, that's interesting, but why are you building your enrichment facilities 70 feet underground? And why are you enriching to a level that's way beyond civilian enrichment and is only useful if your goal is to build a nuclear bomb?’\" he said.\n\n\"Nobody objects to the Iranians being able to build medical isotopes; the objection is these enrichment facilities that are only useful for building a nuclear weapon,\" Vance clarified.\n\n\"It just doesn't pass the smell test for you to say that you want enrichment for medical isotopes, while at the same time trying to build a facility 70 to 80 feet underground,\" he explained.\n\nTRUMP DECLARES 'I GOT HIM BEFORE HE GOT ME' AFTER IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER KILLED IN STRIKE\n\nThis image from video provided by U.S. Central Command shows a missile being launched from a U.S. Navy ship in support of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(U.S. Central Command via AP)\n\nVance spoke asOperation Epic Fury endedits third day. Launched on Feb. 28, U.S. and Israeli forces carried out coordinated precision strikes deep inside Iran aimed at crippling Tehran’s missile arsenal and nuclear infrastructure.\n\nA key issue had been Iran enriching uranium to high levels, including material around 60% purity — a fraction of weapons-grade but far above limits set under the 2015 nuclear deal — keeping international alarm high over proliferation risks.\n\n\"We destroyed Iran's ability to build a nuclear weapon during President Trump's term,\" Vance told Watters. \"We set them back substantially. But I think the President was looking for the long haul,\" he said.\n\n\"Trump was looking for Iranto make a significant long-term commitment that they would never build a nuclear weapon, that they would not pursue the ability to be on the brink of a nuclear weapon.\"\n\nFIRES RAGE AT IRAN'S BANDAR ABBAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC STALLED\n\nVice President JD Vance speaks with Breitbart News Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Nov. 20, 2025, in Washington.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)\n\n\"He wanted to make sure that Iran could never have a nuclear weapon, and that would require fundamentally a change in mindset from the Iranian regime.\"\n\n\"The president is not going to rest until he accomplishes that all-important objective of ensuring that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon, not just for the next few years, not just because we obliterated Fordow or some other enrichment facility.\"\n\n\"There's just no way that Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multiyear conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective,\" Vance added while describing thatthe administrationwould prefer to see \"a friendly regime in Iran, a stable country, a country that's willing to work with the United States.\"\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:05:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-nuclear-talks-didnt-pass-smell-test-trump-launched-strikes-says-vance",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8a2c6508d008",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran's Double Strike In Dubai: US Army Building, Australian Base Hit - NDTV",
    "body_text": "Iran's Double Strike In Dubai: US Army Building, Australian Base Hit    NDTV",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:14:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi5wFBVV95cUxQX3g5dzBmSV90SlVZNDVLY3Nwajl3YXBBQjAxNmFXajM1MG1vNV9HMFhnNUtrdXdxWDIzRlk4VDhnVkxOVTJrWEY4anNtVUpMbl9zNzVaR0hpUVJOZmxtSjg1S2dTakE1ZlB0Vk9mbjZkOXVCWFVHZGg1c3BUWTBpMkg2NjBkUXpLOER4U3ExRmFMTVBoQjdNM0dKemZ3S1FFb1l2UWxmMWZ3MnRFcUQ5ZG1pNGQyaGNkQ2NrbnFxOVgxMjAwd2k1bHEySWNzU3FGcFVZREJ5Z0tIZElHeU1fSFJBZWNYVW_SAe8BQVVfeXFMTlZUMWpYZzdUb01OVHZEZklZMVRtMlBpX2ZDaGJya2t2bm12dy1Hb05zSG1TN0l3UWQ3c3EwQy1tNTE2OWh1cm9yelBtQ0p6b3JLdHgyUF81Z3YtQ1NnWVdkZlctSk1HTGZMRlBKMEhhTXNRS2txbFRfR1VJOU5IQXcwRXZOQmUtaGdUeFNtQm96WkItNVhjLTRCb2NjX3BkLWRrQUlCcXROZjFfdld2Tk5kczNZQzJlU2o0d09VMjRfV2VUMktSN2VQaEtWTXlFZXk3cE5xWmp0SHdVdTM5Zk1UR1M4bmNkeHFDMlBZSXM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9e4e41cd0f1d",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Texas authorities identify Austin bar shooting victims",
    "body_text": "Texas authorities identify Austin bar shooting victims\nAuthorities have identified the three people fatally shot outside a bar in Austin, Texas when a gunman opened fire in the early hours of Sunday.\nRyder Harrington, 19, and Savitha Shan, 21, died in the shooting outside a bar popular with University of Texas students, police said. Authorities announced on Monday that third victim, Jorge Pederson, 30, had also died.\nMore than a dozen people were injured in the shooting, including some who remain in critical condition.\nThe alleged gunman, Ndiaga Diagne, was shot and killed by police. The FBI said it was looking into a potential \"nexus of terrorism\" link to the war in Iran, among other possibilities.\nAfter responding to calls of an active shooter at around 02:00 local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday near Buford's bar in Austin, police said they shot and killed the suspect.\nDiagne was a naturalised American citizen born in Senegal, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.\nOfficials said two of the victims were students but could not yet confirm which university they attended.\n\"We recognise that this is a very traumatic moment in our city,\" Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in briefing on Monday, adding: \"I cannot imagine the grief, pain and loss these families are feeling today, and my heart is with them.\"\nTwo sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News that the gunman was wearing a sweatshirt with the words \"Property of Allah\".\nCBS was also told by an official with knowledge of the investigation that officers who searched the gunman's home found an Iranian flag and pictures of Iranian leaders.\nThe attack came on the weekend that the US and its ally Israel launched multiple strikes on Iran, killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nTexas Governor Greg Abbott said federal and state officials would investigate whether the violence had any connections to terrorism.\n\"We will not rest until every last trail or piece of information is pursued to determine if there's anybody else involved in this whatsoever,\" the governor said in a news briefing on Monday.\n\"And if so, obviously, we will track them down, find them, and bring them to justice.\"\nIn an earlier briefing, Police Chief Davis said officers who were on patrol in the more popular, crowded bar district known as East Sixth Street quickly responded to reports of a man with a gun at Buford's, located farther down on West Sixth Street.\nShe said a man in a large SUV driving by Buford's put on the vehicle's hazard lights, rolled down his window and fired a pistol, striking people on the patio and pavement outside the bar.\nHe parked the vehicle nearby, got out with a rifle and started walking back towards the bar, according to Davis. Three police officers confronted the suspect at an intersection, and shot and killed him.\nThe SUV was searched and was not carrying explosives, officials said.\nHowever, Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran, from the FBI's San Antonio office, said there were indications in the SUV and on the suspect that suggested a \"nexus to terrorism\".\nBut Doran said the investigation was in its early stages and he was \"not prepared to release those details\".\n\"We are committed to seeing this process through to the very end,\" he said.\nKelson Lee, 25, was within earshot when gunfire erupted at Buford's. He walked inside to look for a friend, according to the Austin Current.\n\"I see about seven to eight bodies on the floor,\" Lee told the local news outlet. \"No-one should ever have to see that.\n\"I kind of blacked out, froze up. I felt kind of helpless because I wanted to help people.\"\nRepublican Senator Ted Cruz, who represents Texas, condemned the deadly attack in a post on social media on Sunday.\n\"What happened early this morning in Austin was a senseless act of violence. My team and I are co-ordinating with local, state, and federal authorities,\" he wrote.\n\"I'm grateful for the heroic and quick response from law enforcement.\"\nDavis said that because of increased police and emergency resources in the entertainment area over the weekend, they were able to \"rapidly\" respond to the scene.\nAustin Mayor Kirk Watson also praised the response by police and rescuers, which officials said took 57 seconds. \"I'm very thankful for the speed,\" he said. \"They definitely saved lives.\"\nThe shooting took place in the days ahead of the international SXSW festival, and authorities plan to provide updates at another briefing on Thursday.\nAustin is home to both the Texas capitol and one of the state's largest public universities, the University of Texas, which is less than two miles (3.2km) from Buford's.\nEast Sixth Street and West Sixth Street are popular destinations for the roughly 55,000 students, who frequent the area most weekends.\nJim Davis, president of the University of Texas, said in a statement: \"Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted, including members of our Longhorn family, and my heart goes out to their families, friends, classmates, professors, and loved ones.\"\nIn a statement posted to social media on Monday, Buford's bar staff offered their condolences to the victims and their families and praised law enforcement for their swift response to the shooting.\n\"These were young people with their whole lives ahead of them, and our thoughts and prayers are with every family impacted,\" the statement said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:15:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgjznzgly0po?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_72e8df28ffc0",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Maps and charts of the Iran crisis - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Tehran\n10:10 p.m.\nTel Aviv\n8:40 p.m.\nWashington D.C.\n1:40 p.m.\nGlobal markets are closing out a tumultuous week after the conflict in Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes, and sent crude prices spiking.\nAsian markets have been hit especially hard. The Korean index, KOSPI, fell nearly 20% from before the conflict started until Wednesday, and recorded the biggest drop in its history of 12% on March 4. It has since rebounded, but remains down 11% overall from last week, before the U.S. attack. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index also closed down 6% from last week.\nJapan and South Korea rank among the top five importers of global oil and are most reliant on Middle Eastern crude, which accounts for about 95% and 70% of their imports, respectively. Markets in India declined by nearly 3% as the third-largest importer of global oil received a 30-day waiver from U.S. to import Russian oil amid the Iran war.\nMap showing Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon and areas designated by the Israeli military for evacuation.\nIsraeli airstrikes pounded the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight and on Friday, smashing up city streets in an escalating conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has sent many tens of thousands of Lebanese from their homes.\nIsrael ordered everyone in the densely-populated suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, to leave before launching strikes that lit up the night sky. It earlier warned civilians to quit swathes of southern and eastern Lebanon.\nThey were the widest evacuation orders ever given by Israel against Lebanon and prompted a huge exodus of people before bombardments that turned buildings into rubble and took the facades off apartment blocks.\nIsrael’s military spokesperson posts evacuation orders on social media platform X. On Wednesday, the spokesperson ordered residents to leave a swathe of southern Lebanon amounting to nearly 8% of Lebanese territory. On Thursday, the spokesperson issued evacuation orders for Beirut’s southern suburbs with a roughly drawn map that included multiple suburbs and other towns, as well as written instructions that only mentioned some of those areas. Asked to clarify which areas in particular should evacuate, an IDF spokesperson told Reuters the map was “amorphic” and that the text was “what matters.”\nMap showing Israeli airstrikes across Beirut and areas designated by the Israeli military for evacuation.\nAn Israeli military official said several waves of strikes were launched against Hezbollah in the southern Beirut suburbs, striking about 115 targets including in residential buildings that the official said the group used as headquarters.\nIsraeli airstrikes have also targeted Tripoli in the north of Lebanon, Tyre, Sidon and Nabatieh in the south, and Baalbek in the east, the official said. Israeli military video showed what it said were strikes on command centres and weapons facilities in Lebanon. Reuters could not independently confirm that the buildings Israel hit did contain command centres or weapons facilities.\nMeanwhile, many Lebanese evacuees were left without shelter after fleeing their homes.\n“We’re sleeping here in the streets - some in cars, some on the street, some on the beach,” said Jamal Seifeddin, 43, who spent the night outside in the capital’s downtown district.\n“I’ve never slept on the ground like this. I’ve been forced to. No one even brought a blanket,” he said.\nOn Friday, the U.N. human rights chief, Volker Turk, said Israel’s evacuation orders raise serious concerns under international law.\n“These blanket, massive displacement orders we are talking here about hundreds and thousands of people,” he said. “This raises serious concern under international humanitarian law, and in particular when it comes to issues around forced transfer.”\nA map showing countries that have been attacked by Iran.\nU.S. and Israeli attacks in Iran have prompted retaliatory strikes around the Gulf as the conflict spread across the region, rattled global markets and sent oil prices sharply higher.\nCountries that have been attacked by Iran\nA table showing countries that have and have not been attacked by Iran\nU.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that the U.S. military had struck numerous Iranian naval and air targets, saying that “just about everything has been knocked out.”\nA source familiar with Israel’s war plan told Reuters that the campaign had been planned to last two weeks and was going through its target list faster than expected, with early success in killing Iran’s leaders — including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening salvoes on Saturday.\nTrump on Monday said initial U.S. projections were for the operation to last four to five weeks. When asked who he would like to be in charge in Iran, Trump on Tuesday gave a blunt assessment: “Most of the people we had in mind are dead.”\nCountries that have attacked Iran\nA table showing countries that have and have not attacked Iran\nAfter years of tentative détente, Gulf Arab states had begun recalibrating ties with Iran, acknowledging geography and mutual interest. That fragile trust has now been ruptured. The scale of Iran’s attacks — striking civilian targets in six U.S.-aligned states — has erased the political space Gulf leaders had carved out for dialogue.\nHaving been attacked directly, Gulf capitals now confront a harder question: even if the fighting stops, can trust in Iran as a neighbour ever be rebuilt — or has the relationship entered a long, hostile freeze? The Gulf’s economic model, energy security and regional diplomacy — long treated as constants — have all been destabilised. Even if the fighting stops soon, the era of hedging with Iran may be over, and a more guarded, security-driven Gulf lies ahead.\nIranian Kurdish militias have held talks with the United States about whether they could launch attacks on Iran’s security forces in the country’s west.\nThe groups, positioned along the Iran–Iraq border, have been training for such an operation with the aim of weakening Iran’s military as U.S. and Israeli strikes hit Iranian targets.\nA map of Kurdish population in the Middle East and a graphic showing the percentage of the Kurdish population of the total population in Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey\nKurds form one of the largest stateless populations in the world, estimated between 30 and 40 million, spread across a region that includes parts of Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey. In all four countries, underground Kurdish political movements, often on the political left, have struggled for autonomy for generations, sometimes violently.\nIn Iran, Kurds make up as much as 17% of the population, according to estimates from the Kurdish Institute of Paris, giving them a substantial presence across the country’s northwest.\nThe Kurdish factions have requested U.S. support, including possible CIA assistance to obtain weapons, though Washington has not made any final decision and declined to comment. Any cross‑border move would likely require significant American backing, and experts note the groups vary in battlefield experience.\nFriday, Feb. 27, 12 a.m. GMT\nNote: Tanker traffic paths are estimated by shortest distance between recorded transponder positions, so some may be shown to cross land boundaries between positions. Positions may also include some that are “spoofed” or faked.\nSource: MarineTraffic\nThe animated map above, based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform, shows how tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a near standstill after the U.S. and Israel launched air attacks on Iran on Saturday, February 28.\nThe strait is a key artery for around a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supply, and shipping data shows hundreds of vessels remain outside Hormuz unable to reach ports.\nAt least 200 ships, including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers as well as cargo ships, remained at anchor in open waters off the coast of major Gulf producers including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Reuters estimates based on MarineTraffic data.\nAt least eight vessels have been hit in the area since the Iran conflict began.\nCommercial satellite imagery has shown extensive damage to key Iranian government and military sites after the United States and Israel launched their most ambitious campaign against Iran in decades.\nA compilation of satellite images arranged in four rows, each showing two dates for the same locations marked with yellow boxes. Rows correspond to areas labeled: “Khamenei residence and presidential complex,” “Judiciary complex,” “Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC),” and “National Defense University.” Images show building layouts, roads, trees, and surrounding structures.\nImagery has also captured the first known strikes on an Iranian nuclear site since the start of the U.S.-Israeli air operation.\nThe Institute for Science and International Security said imagery produced by Colorado-based Vantor showed two strikes on access points to the underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, which was hit by the U.S. last June.\nThe Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz is a vast underground facility designed to house 50,000 centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium.\nA 3D terrain-style satellite graphic of a mountainous area shows labeled tunnel entrances and the location of an underground nuclear facility. A mountain peak marked 1,608 m rises above the site. A note states that centrifuge halls could lie 78–145 m underground. An inset map in the top right shows the facility’s position within a larger complex. A small map of Iran marks Natanz.\nA satellite image of an industrial‑style compound shows multiple annotated damage sites. Boxes mark structures labeled as damaged in June 2025, a building rebuilt after 2025 damage, and an area labeled “Recent damage in March 2026.” Insets on the left and right show close‑up views of collapsed roofs and debris. Lines connect the inset images to their corresponding locations.\nIran’s nuclear programme is among the reasons Israel and the U.S. have given for the attacks, alleging Iran was getting too close to being able to eventually make a nuclear bomb. Iran has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear arsenal.\nIranian nuclear facilities\nA shaded map of Iran marks locations of nuclear‑related facilities with small square or circular icons. Labels identify sites such as research centers, enrichment plants, production plants, mines, and complexes. A red symbol highlights “Natanz Enrichment Complex” near the center.\nGlobal air travel remained heavily disrupted as war in Iran kept major Middle Eastern airports closed or severely restricted in one of the sharpest aviation shocks in recent years. Key transit airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Doha in Qatar, were impacted as much of the region’s airspace remained closed after U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nThe ripple effects were felt far beyond the Middle East, with tens of thousands of passengers stranded as far away as Bali, Kathmandu and Frankfurt. Thousands of flights have been affected across the Middle East, according to data on flight‑tracking platform FlightAware, and airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar remained virtually empty, maps by Flightradar24 showed.\nFeb. 27, 1820 GMT\nFlights traverse the Middle East in patterns crisscrossing Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel about 12 hours before the first strike in Iran.\nFeb. 28, 1805 GMT\n12 hours after the strikes and amidst continued conflict, the space over a large swath of the Middle East is devoid of commercial air traffic.\nCarriers that offer non-stop Asia-Europe flights are able to bypass the closed Middle Eastern airspace by flying north via the Caucasus then Afghanistan or south via Egypt then Saudi then Oman.But it may add to flight times and fuel usage, driving up costs at a time when oil prices have spiked, in a move that could lead to higher fares over the longer term.\n“Right now the whole of the Middle East is out of bounds, which is a high price for some airlines,” said Subhas Menon, head of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.\nA map showing partially, intermittently or completely closed airspaces around Iran and diverted flight corridors.\nDubai International Airport sustained damage during Iran’s attacks, while Emirates, the world’s largest international carrier, said it had suspended all operations to and from its Dubai mega-hub. On March 2 at 1400 GMT, a Dubai Airports spokesperson said a small number of flights were permitted to operate but advised travellers to not visit either of Dubai’s airports unless directly contacted by their airlines.\nThe flight-tracking service said that a new pilot bulletin had extended the closure of Iranian airspace until at least 0830 GMT on March 3, though regional airline sources said there was no certainty on how long the conflict-related turmoil would continue.\nDubai accounts for half of cancelled flights following strikes on Iran\nOver 6,000 flights have been cancelled in seven Middle East countries that closed their airspace since the initial Feb. 28 U.S. and Israeli strike on Iran. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest international hub, made up over 3,000 of those cancellations.\nBar chart of flight cancellations in the Middle East from Feb. 25–March 2. Cancellations jump Feb. 28–March 2, reaching 1,519, 2,460 and 2,187. Bars show Dubai International Airport versus other airports, with Dubai making up about half.\nA bar chart showing the number of U.S. survey respondents that approved and disapproved of President Trump’s attack on Iran.\nOnly 27% of respondents said they approved of the strikes, which were conducted alongside Israeli attacks on Iran, while 43% disapproved and 29% were not sure.\nSentiment varied across party lines with 55% of respondents registered as Republicans saying they approved of the strikes, while only 7% of Democrats did. Only 19% of independents also signaled approval.\nThe poll, which closed on Sunday, also showed that 56% of Americans think Trump, who has also ordered strikes in Venezuela, Syria and Nigeria in recent months, is too willing to use military force to advance U.S. interests. The vast majority of Democrats - 87% - held this view, as did 23% of Republicans and 60% of people who don’t identify with either political party.\nThe attack has killed four U.S. service members and prompted retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran on Israel and other Gulf nations.\nA majority of U.S. adults believe Trump used ‘too much’ military force on Iran\nWhat do Americans think of Trump’s use of military force?\nA bar chart showing the results of a survey asking U.S. adults what they think of Trump’s use of military force on attacking Iran.\nA map showing the Strait of Hormuz and the Exclusive Economic Zones in the The Gulf.\nThe steady flow of Gulf oil shipments to Europe, the United States and Asia through the narrow shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz has created the world’s largest oil transit chokepoint.\nAfter the United States and Israel launched the most ambitious attack on Iran in decades, Tehran’s ability to disrupt transit in the strait has rattled markets and choked trade.\nAlready, oil prices have risen sharply and analysts expect them to remain elevated over the coming days while markets focus on the impact of escalating Middle East conflict on supplies through the strait.\nA line chart showing Brent and U.S. crude oil prices from January 1, 2026, to March 2, 2026, which saw sharp rises in both crude oil prices since the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28.\nMore than 20 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels passed through the strait daily last year on average, data from analytics firm Vortexa showed.\nOPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia.\nQatar, among the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas exporters, sends almost all of its LNG through the strait.\nA stacked bar chart showing the percentage of total oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz in the world maritime oil trade, between 2020 and 2024 (annually) and 2025 (first quarter), fluctuating between 27% and 29%.\nShipping through the strait between Iran and Oman, which carries around one-fifth of oil consumed globally as well as large quantities of gas, has ground to a near halt after vessels in the area were hit as Iran retaliated to U.S. and Israeli strikes.\nSeveral tanker owners, oil majors and trading houses have suspended crude oil, fuel and liquefied natural gas shipments via the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, trading sources said on Saturday.\n“Our ships will stay put for several days,” one top executive at a major trading desk said. Satellite images from tanker trackers showed vessels backed up next to big ports, such as Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, and not moving through Hormuz.\nIran’s ability to disrupt the strait\nIran has said it closed navigation through the critical waterway, and shipping has ground to a near halt after vessels in the area were hit as Iran retaliated to U.S. and Israeli strikes.\nThe U.S.-flagged products tanker Stena Imperative was damaged by “aerial impacts” while berthed in the Middle East Gulf, the vessel’s owner Stena Bulk and its U.S. manager Crowley said in a statement, and a shipyard worker was killed as a consequence of the impact.\nOn Sunday, a projectile hit the Marshall Islands-flagged product tanker MKD VYOM, killing a crew member as the vessel sailed off the coast of Oman, its manager said on Sunday, and two other tankers were also damaged.\nAlso on Sunday, a projectile hit the Gibraltar-flagged oil bunkering tanker Hercules Star off the UAE coast, manager Peninsula said in a statement. The tanker returned to anchorage in Dubai on Sunday morning and the crew were safe, Peninsula added.\nIn addition to direct attacks on ships via missiles and drones, Tehran may also deploy mines in the strait.\nU.S. intelligence estimates Iran has stockpiled as many as 6,000 mines, including drifting, limpet, bottom and moored mines.\n“Floating and naval mines pose a severe asymmetric threat in these confined waters, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz’s narrow transit lanes, where shallow depths and Iran’s coastal positioning enable swift, potentially deniable deployment from fast attack craft, submarines, or other platforms,” said Scarlett Suarez, senior intelligence analyst with UK based maritime risk intelligence and cybersecurity specialists Dryad Global.\n“Although no large-scale mining or confirmed mine detections have been reported amid the ongoing crisis, persistent threats and the potential for partial or targeted use remain credible.”\nMoored mines are attached to the sea floor or a weight and are often arrayed in mine fields. They explode when they come in contact with passing ships.\nDrifting mines float on the surface of the water and are harder to counter because they do not stay in fixed positions within mine fields.\nLimpet mines are attached directly to the hull of a ship via magnets and are often detonated by a timed fuse.\nBottom mines sit on the seafloor in shallow water and explode when they detect a ship overhead. They are harder to detect and sweep than moored mines.\nIran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday, Iranian officials confirmed, after the United States and Israel launched the most ambitious attack on Iranian targets in decades.\nIsrael also said the attacks killed several key figures in Iran’s military leadership.\nIsraeli military operations over the past two years had already killed some of Iran’s senior military officials and severely weakened several of Tehran’s once-feared proxy forces across the Middle East.\nA diagram showing military leaders in Iran and those who have been killed during US and Israeli attacks.\nOn Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council composed of himself, the judiciary head and a member of the powerful Guardian Council had temporarily assumed the duties of Supreme Leader.\nSecurity chief Ali Larijani accused the United States and Israel of trying to plunder and disintegrate Iran and warned “secessionist groups” of a harsh response if they attempted any action, state television said on Sunday, after the two countries launched a wave of air attacks on Iran that included the bombing of a girls’ primary school. Reuters could not independently confirm the reports from the state media.\nIran’s power structure\nA diagram showing the structure of Iranian government.\nFollowing the killing of Khamenei on Saturday, many senior U.S. officials remain skeptical that the U.S. and Israeli military operation against the Islamic Republic will lead to a regime change in the near term.\nThe U.S. intelligence discussions about the implications of a possible Khamenei killing have not been limited to whether it might lead to a change in government leadership.\nTwo of the U.S. officials said that, since January, there has been significant debate - but no consensus - among officials of various agencies about the extent to which Khamenei’s killing would lead to a significant shift in the way Iran approached negotiations with the U.S. regarding its nuclear program.\nU.S. officials have also debated the extent to which Khamenei’s death or ouster would deter the country from rebuilding its missile or nuclear facilities and capacities, said those officials, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive internal conversations.\nA map of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliatory strikes.\nThe United States and Israel launched their most ambitious attacks on Iran in decades on Saturday in an operation that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nThe biggest foreign-policy gamble of U.S. President Donald Trump’s presidency comes after he campaigned for reelection as a “peace president” and after saying he preferred a diplomatic solution to the standoff with Iran.\nThe United States unleashed an array of weaponry against Iranian targets on Saturday, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighters, and for the first time in combat, low-cost one-way attack drones modelled after Iranian designs.\nIran has called the strikes unprovoked and illegal and responded with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states that host U.S. bases.\nEdited by\nJon McClure, Rebecca Pazos, Julia Wolfe",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib0FVX3lxTFBUUEdRSy1EdENDOUpVUkE4RlVDU2t1enpOYWhJMEkycDJxeWdjOGVUcGViMXdxeU1hLTUyQS0xSDNJMWtvNkhhdDM5VkZ5LW4zdmNFdUNERGwwTi1fN3dfQVFVOF9sTWxFdmxvQ2JKWQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_12b78d1f6d22",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Netanyahu insists US and Israel's strikes on Iran won't lead to 'endless war' - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Americans on Monday that there won't be an \"endless war\" in the Middle East as the United States and Israel continue striking the Iranian regime.\n\"You're not going to have an endless war,\" Netanyahu told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview. \"This terror regime in Iran is at the weakest point that it's been since it hijacked Iran from the brave Iranian people 47 years ago. So this is going to be a quick and decisive action. And we're going to create the conditions first for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny, to form their own democratically elected government, which will make a different Iran altogether.\"\nNetanyahu insisted that the destruction of the Iranian regime would pave the way for \"many peace treaties\" with other Muslim countries in the region and that it would \"change the world.\"\n\"If we go through what we plan to do, I think it will create conditions for peace,\" the prime minister said. \"This is not an endless war. This is, in fact, something that will usher in an era of peace that we haven't even dreamed of.\"\nNetanyahu specifically cited Saudi Arabia as a nation he believes has \"a lot to gain\" from the Iranian regime's fall and that peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel will be \"very close\" as a result.\n\"So this is a gateway for peace, for broader peace. And I believe that we can achieve it,\" Netanyahu continued. \"The most important thing to understand is that when we work together, President Trump and I, we achieved, in fact, four breakthroughs for peace. Brokered by President Trump working together with me, we brokered — we brought forward the Abraham Accords, which was four peace treaties with four Arab countries. And now working together against Iran, we will be able to bring many, many more peace treaties. So this is not an endless war. This is a gateway to peace. It's the exact opposite of what people are saying.\"\nNetanyahu laughed at the \"ridiculous\" assertion Trump's critics have said that the president was dragged into a war with Iran by Israel.\n\"Donald Trump is the strongest leader in the world,\" he said. \"He does what he thinks is right for America. He does also what he thinks is right for future generations... Iran is committed to your destruction. And whether people understand it or not, the leader has to understand it. Donald Trump understands it. You don't have to drag him into anything. He does what he thinks is right, and this is right.\"\nHe doubled down on the dramatic military action his country and the U.S. have taken with \"Operation Epic Fury.\"\n\"The reason that we had to act now is because they were,\" Netanyahu said. \"After we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missiles program, you’d think they learned a lesson, but they didn’t because they’re unreformable. They’re totally fanatic about this—about the goal of destroying America. So, they started building new sites and new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months.\"\n\"If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future,\" Netanyahu continued. \"And then they could target America. They could blackmail America. They could threaten us and threaten everyone in between. So, action had to be taken. And you needed a resolute president like Donald J. Trump to take that action.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:34:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxQZThnMUVHX1hfLU1PemVwNncxSzRkbFBYNkozSFRqdHEzeVlEZG11S3dPUkFBQmZIU1ZBR25vb29VQTdkaXhncTRYMlM5SGlvVjJ6Vzc3ckRnQjk0bDB0VUx0T0pNSl94eXp1WncyVzEwd1JhaURaTXVySHFaZzZzbTE0VnlzaG9pS3Z1anBuel9OOXN1cHF3btIBngFBVV95cUxQODB6aHoyR3dSc0dFa0RFdm8xOTROTjRHNTBheDVlTVAwTVo1QXdQd2wxYmpwc3BUR2FmNGxqTUktSnBBRncweHB6a3QtZjNzdlBybllUTXEzeGdOcVZlcXk1OEd6WlVGVzZxY0E4T1lSSWQzTy0ya19pMlc4czNudU9jTVBZMkVSQ2ctdHdIdmU2LTJuVmdmWlBJZHVzZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_72e7e20d7772",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Trump takes unconventional approach to communicating to the public about war in Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "Trump takes unconventional approach to communicating to the public about war in Iran\nTrump takes unconventional approach to communicating to the public about war in Iran\nTypical of an unconventional presidency, the Trump administration waited more than 48 hours to make any live, public communication to the American people about why it had decided to go to war with Iran.\nPresident Donald Trump discussed why he launched the attack prior to a White House ceremony honoring military heroes on Monday but took no questions from reporters. Earlier in the day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine briefed journalists at the Pentagon.\nThe two days previous, Trump delivered two pretaped statements that were released on Truth Social, the social media site owned by the president’s media company, and granted telephone interviews to more than a dozen journalists — several of which produced fragmented responses that, to some, clouded as much as they cleared up.\nThe communications strategy opened Trump to criticism that he hadn’t done enough to explain the rationale and objectives of the war, even as the American military suffered its first casualties. By contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has teamed with the U.S. against Iran, delivered two statements the day the war began and addressed reporters Monday at the site of a missile attack that killed nine people. The Israeli military has held multiple press briefings each day.\n“The American people need a commander in chief, and he has been absent in that role,” Rahm Emanuel, White House chief of staff under President Barack Obama, said on CNN Monday. Emanuel, a Democrat, is contemplating a run for the presidency in 2028.\nAn unconventional strategy leads to criticism\nPeter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, wrote on social media that “after Trump launched a new war on Iran, he did not rush back to the White House to make an Oval Office address to rally the nation as other presidents have done. He stayed at Mar-a-Lago to attend a glitzy political fundraiser.”\nThat post provoked a response from Steven Cheung, White House communications director. “Imagine being a reporter so consumed with Trump Derangement Syndrome that he wants President Trump to mimic the failed policies of the past. The truth is that President Trump spent the majority of his time monitoring the situation in a secure facility, in constant contact with world leaders, and made multiple addresses to the nation that garnered hundreds of millions of views. He also took dozens of calls with reporters.”\nThe calls included one with Baker’s colleague at The Times, Zolan Kanno-Youngs. Trump’s mobile phone number is known to many of the reporters who cover him, and the president often takes their calls for on-the-spot interviews. Besides The Times, he spoke in the aftermath of the attack to journalists for ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, Fox News Channel, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Axios, Politico and an Israeli television station.\nMost of the calls were brief and marginally illuminating; Politico’s Dasha Burns said Trump answered but said he was too busy to talk. The public couldn’t hear what Trump said in the interviews and was dependent upon what the journalists chose to report on the conversations.\n“I spoke to President Trump today and he told me that the operation in Iran is going to go very fast,” Libby Alon, a reporter for Channel 14 News in Israel, wrote about her interview on X. “It’s doing very well, and (will) make the people of Israel very happy, and the people of the world very happy.”\nThe Times reported that in its six-minute chat, Trump “offered several seemingly contradictory visions of how power might be transferred to a new government — or even whether the existing Iranian power structure would run that government or be overthrown.”\nIn one of his two conversations with Trump, ABC News’ Jonathan Karl said when he asked about the death of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the president said: “I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well I got him first.” CNN’s Jake Tapper went on the air minutes after his conversation Monday, saying Trump told him “the big one is coming soon,” an apparent reference to a future attack.\nAsked for comment, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said: “President Trump is the most transparent and accessible president in American history. The American people have never had a more direct and authentic relationship with a president of the United States than they have with President Trump.”\nHegseth briefing concentrates on friendly reporters\nPentagon reporters learned late Sunday about Hegseth’s briefing. Reporters from The Associated Press, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel and Stars & Stripes were permitted into the briefing room, but Hegseth did not call on them. Instead, he took questions from NewsNation and Trump-friendly outlets like the Daily Caller, Daily Wire, One America News and the Christian Broadcasting Network. Most mainstream news outlets left their regular stations at the Pentagon last fall rather than agree to Hegseth’s rules restricting their work.\nHegseth denounced the “foolishness” of people wanting to know details of the operation in advance, such as whether Americans would commit to more than air power, and said the operation would continue as long as it took to achieve objections. He initially ignored NBC News’ Courtney Kube when she called out a question: “President Trump put a four-week time limit on it. Are you saying he’s wrong?”\nLater, Hegseth denounced Kube for asking “the typical NBC sort of gotcha-type question. President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it might take — four weeks, two weeks, six weeks, it could move up, it could move back. We’re going to execute at his command the objectives he set out to achieve.”\nUnlike Pentagon briefings in past administrations, reporters were given assigned seats, with the Trump-friendly outlets seated in front. Jennifer Griffin, Hegseth’s former colleague at Fox News Channel who left the Pentagon with other reporters after not accepting his new rules, was seated in the last row.\n___\nDavid Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:36:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPbUFVZGY2UHM5Tld0Zl9WOS1rTlVpekh3dl9iRmpGZEV4NGNWUXFXNFNXYld1ejBzVUdIdDNzc0tBSG1iV0ZDY2JoQXZiYlBXbDQ2ZFFBeEpVX1o5UHlkVXY0enpYNUtTeF9WZVlIazBZd2FjQW5xUXk4ZWo1TG96ZG1YSTdvd2JaM3BRU3B5eXlMbElLdWpYengyUmF1UTdwMDExSmMzb3M?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f4797a3221b2",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "As Mideast conflict widens, US says attacks on Iran will last weeks and intensify - AP News",
    "body_text": "As Mideast conflict widens, US says attacks on Iran will last weeks and intensify\nAs Mideast conflict widens, US says attacks on Iran will last weeks and intensify\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli and U.S. airstrikes pounded Iran in an escalating campaign that U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday would likely take several weeks. Tehran and its allies retaliated across the region, striking Israel and a variety of targets inside Gulf states, including energy facilities in Qatar and the American Embassy in Saudi Arabia.\nThe intensity of the attacks, the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Places deemed safe havens in the Mideast like Dubai have seen incoming fire; energy prices shot up; and U.S. allies pledged to help stop Iranian missiles and drones.\nTrump said operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”\nAs the conflict spiraled, the State Department urged U.S. citizens to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks.\n“The hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters before briefing members of Congress about the Iran operation.\nAP correspondent Sam Mednick reports from the Beit Shemesh region in Israel on Iran’s deadly retaliatory strikes on Israel.\nTrump said the military campaign’s objectives are to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, wipe out its navy, prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensure that it cannot continue to support allied groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which fired missiles at Israel on Monday.\nIran has said it has not enriched uranium since June, though it has maintained its right to do so and says its nuclear program is peaceful.\nAs several airstrikes hit Iran’s capital, Tehran, the top security official Ali Larijani vowed on X: “We will not negotiate with the United States.”\nIran expands attacks across the region\nWorld markets were rattled as the fighting expanded across a region vital to energy supplies.\nSaudi Arabia said early Tuesday that the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh came under attack from two drones, causing a “limited fire” and minor damage. On Monday, the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait was struck.\nSaudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery also came under attack from drones, but its defenses downed the aircraft, a military spokesman told the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The refinery has a capacity of over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.\nThe refinery attack “marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.\nAfter two of its facilities were struck, QatarEnergy said it would stop producing liquefied natural gas indefinitely, taking one of the world’s top suppliers off the market. European natural gas prices surged by 40% in response.\nSeveral ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes and where Iran has threatened attacks.\nIran says nuclear site was targeted\nReza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters that airstrikes targeted the Natanz nuclear enrichment site Sunday.\n“Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,” he said.\nIsrael and the U.S. have not acknowledged strikes at the site, which the U.S. bombed in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran was rebuilding “new sites, new places” underground for making atomic bombs in an interview broadcast late Monday on Fox News Channel’s Hannity.\n“We had to take the action now and we did,” said Netanyahu, who offered no evidence to support his claim.\nSatellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed limited activity at two nuclear sites in Iran before the war. Analysts said Tehran was likely assessing damage from the 2025 U.S. strikes and possibly salvaging what remained.\nThe death toll grew on all sides\nThe Iranian Red Crescent Society said the U.S.-Israeli operation has killed at least 555 people. In Israel, where several locations were hit by Iranian missiles, 11 people were killed. Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah killed dozens of people in Lebanon.\nThe U.S. military announced that two previously unaccounted for American service members have been confirmed dead, bringing the total to six. All six were Army soldiers and part of the same logistics unit in Kuwait, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.\nThree people were reported killed in the United Arab Emirates, and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.\nIran’s top diplomat on Monday shared an aerial photo showing rows of graves that he said were for more than 160 girls killed during a U.S.-Israeli strike on an elementary school in Minab. “Their bodies were torn to shreds,” Abbas Araghchi, the country’s foreign minister, said on X.\nIn Israel, three young siblings killed by an Iranian strike were being laid to rest at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem on Monday night.\nThe chaos of the conflict became apparent when the U.S. military said Kuwait had “mistakenly shot down” three American fighter jets while Iran was attacking it with aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones. U.S. Central Command said all six pilots ejected safely.\nHezbollah fires on Israel, prompting massive response\nHezbollah said it fired missiles on Israel on Monday, the first time in more than a year the militant group has claimed an attack. There were no reports of injuries or damage.\nIsrael retaliated with strikes on Lebanon. The country’s Health Ministry reported at least 52 people were killed and 154 wounded in overnight strikes in the Beirut suburbs and southern Lebanon.\nAn Israeli military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, said Israel is keeping “all options on the table,” including a potential ground invasion of Lebanon.\nThe Israeli military said it launched strikes targeting branches of al-Qard al-Hasan, a charity operating outside the Lebanese financial system that Israel says is used to fund Hezbollah’s military wing.\nIsrael also struck a building housing Al-Manar channel studios in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an evacuation warning, the channel said. No details on casualties were available.\nNo end in sight to the US-Israeli campaign\nThe U.S. military, which has used B-2 stealth bombers to strike Iran’s ballistic missile facilities, said Monday that it had taken out 11 Iranian warships. Trump has said the Iranian navy’s headquarters had been “largely destroyed.”\nWhile Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the U.N., said the conflict would continue “as long as it takes,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Monday that the U.S. is not engaged in a nation-building effort, saying, “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.”\nTrump sought to more clearly define the administration’s objectives on Monday following an earlier statement — as the attack was unfolding Saturday — in which he listed various grievances dating to Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and urged Iranians to “take over” their government.\nThere have been no signs yet of any such uprising.\nTrump has also signaled an openness to dialogue with Iran’s new leadership, which could be chosen soon.\nTehran’s streets are deserted\nTehran’s streets have been largely deserted with people sheltering during airstrikes. The paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests, set up checkpoints across the city, witnesses said.\nIn the northern Iranian city of Babol, a student, speaking anonymously over concerns of retribution, told the AP that armed riot police were on the streets Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday after the death of Khamenei.\n“We don’t know whether to be happy about the elimination of the criminals who oppress us or to remain silent in the face of the U.S. and Israel’s war against the country and its interests and the terror that is taking place,” he said.\n___\nLidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Farnoush Amiri in New York, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami, and Konstantin Toropin, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Matt Lee in Washington contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxQbGZBbGJaZ3otQVJyWHY2cE0zY0ZNcGNpR3FVZWJqS0JhQW5UVS13dVBUS1BOWkpfQ3NnZ05SS1Y5NHNaUUxnR0tuMzJtQzQ4Q0ItUWtNME9qRUVTNUhFR05ZRmdHMVM0NmpPb0xhbGJxVVRlWXRUSGhRanFWME50RGNPT25PSnBhVkRzcmRn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bd9ec8390c02",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Purim parties shift to bomb shelters as Israelis celebrate under Iran war threat - AP News",
    "body_text": "Purim parties shift to bomb shelters as Israelis celebrate under Iran war threat\nPurim parties shift to bomb shelters as Israelis celebrate under Iran war threat\nTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Purim holiday is usually marked with boisterous street parades and costume parties to celebrate the Jewish victory over an ancient Persian ruler. This year, the celebrations moved into fortified bomb shelters as the country wages war against Iran’s modern-day leaders.\nIn Tel Aviv on Monday, people of all ages wearing sequined suits, bunny ears, pirate costumes and peacock feathers streamed into a mall’s underground parking lot that also functions as a bomb shelter for the traditional reading of the Purim story followed by a live band with dancing.\n“It’s all about choosing happiness, choosing to be joyful, no matter what else is going on,” said Mariel Margulis, a Tel Aviv resident who had set up a tent in the parking garage and lived there for the past few days with her husband and 6-month old son. They dressed up as people having a bath, complete with bath robes, and their son, Amichai, as a rubber ducky, and created a bathtub play area for him next to their tent.\nThe story of Purim, told in the Book of Esther, follows Haman, an adviser to King Ahashverosh, as he plans to exterminate the Jews of the kingdom. The plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai. The story takes place in Shushan, Persia, in what is modern-day Iran.\n“It feels biblical in proportions, what’s happening right now, and we’re doing the little bit we can, staying calm, staying joyful,” said Mariel. Nearby, Amichai slept through the loud “boos” from the crowd to drown out the name of Haman, the villain of the story, during a reading from the Book of Esther.\n“It’s like the same plot of Purim with a different cast,” said Daniel Margulis, Mariel’s husband.\nPurim, a holiday beloved by both religious and secular Jews, takes place in most of the Jewish world starting on Monday night. The holiday starts a day later in ancient walled cities, including Jerusalem.\nIn quiet times, families in colorful costumes throng downtown stretches, children eat copious amounts of traditional triangle cookies. It’s customary to dress up in costumes and drink large amounts of alcohol.\nIn Jerusalem, musicians set up on balconies overlooking the main drag and street parties in the stone alleys stretch into the evening.\nMassive parties were planned this year after a two-year break. Many cities had canceled or scaled down their Purim celebrations for the past two years due to the Israel-Hamas war.\nBut celebrations were once again disrupted by war, after Israel and the U.S. launched an attack against Iran on Saturday\n“We came because the kids didn’t want to miss out on Purim, they were really excited to get dressed up,” said Elysa Rapoport, a Tel Aviv resident who works in investments. Her daughters dressed up as Barbie Cowgirl and Rumi from K-pop Demon Hunters.\nWith most Purim celebrations canceled, the family planned their walk to the Purim event to hopscotch between easy access to shelters. Iranian missiles have sent Israelis scurrying for shelters multiple times a day and night.\n“This just feels surreal,” Rapoport said, looking over the celebrations, as hundreds of people gathered and danced under the parking lot’s fluorescent lights. Nearby, people and their dogs who had moved into the shelter for the duration of the war lounged on air mattresses, scrolling through their phones.\n“It’s not the most optimal conditions, we’re used to our synagogue, but we’re here together with all of the nation of Israel,” said Gabi Grinshtain, a 39-year-old environmental consultant. “These are important days, and the setting is less important.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxOMS0zaDR4bThscEFyck1BanFZSXpFdHVfbXVadm9ESktaMnR3RTJZQmtDVTNFOWlhQVEzVnJyMU51cWg2SW5mOC1vMkdHZlV1TWExaWhDcDA4WUtJNTR6NTBKQXg3VVdwZFFNQlJkWVIyTnZ5czdjRDQ0WmJzaTlOa09NbXNFQnMzbVdINnluWnlGR1dwRlhaUnBB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_35d6a3f1d538",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Netanyahu says war against Iran may take 'some time', but not years - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Netanyahu says war against Iran may take 'some time', but not years    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:43:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPVUdVU2pYR1hJeG9pM29yem1ocjBBZ3VHRnU4cGI3RHJnQ0gwdG1QMzVnajBubTBXUFBZaDJ1Y2FHUVcyNmtXREJHV2kxUExjLWxpaEZydkRZVTRoeEpXdldJSkRBQVRmeFZsOWo1MzJfOENtcmI0c0dYZG1PR2oyUmMwWGxtXzd2Qm1DNWtsMmtVczc5bmxTY2xLMmQ0VzdDRUkwdG5Id0txSkNnRm5KOGtZWF8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7f29b6ef100e",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iranian Americans fear for relatives in their homeland as war continues - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iranian Americans fear for relatives in their homeland as war continues\nIranian Americans fear for relatives in their homeland as war continues\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — Many in the Iranian American diaspora spent several days glued to their televisions, watching the news of U.S. and Israeli bombs falling on Iran, some clinging to hope it might bring a brighter future to their homeland but terrified their relatives will suffer in a new Middle East war with no certain end.\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for decades while violently crushing dissent, was killed early in the attack. In the United States, many celebrated, some popped Champagne, some downed shots of tequila, some took to the streets to cheer the toppling of a ruler they considered a tyrant.\n“We are happy, we are happy that he is gone and he can’t kill our innocent people anymore,” said Ava Farhadi, 33, an electrical engineer in Indiana. In January, Farhadi’s family participated in protests against their government, which were met with a brutal crackdown. While her immediate family was unhurt, Farhadi said, friends and close loved ones were among the thousands killed when security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters.\nMany said they are worried for their families still there and for what the future holds.\nRoozbeh Farahanipour, a Los Angeles restaurant owner who was jailed and tortured following the 1999 student protests in Iran, said he’s felt a swirl of emotions.\nHe celebrated when he heard Khamenei was killed in the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes. “I open a bottle of Champagne and drink it up,” he said. “That was a happy moment but we are looking at what happens next.”\nDeaths have mounted as the bombardment continued into Monday, claiming U.S. service members and Iran civilians. Farahanipour said he mourns for them.\nBetween 400,000 and 620,000 people of Iranian ancestry live in the U.S., according to the University of California Los Angeles, the vast majority of them in California. Farahanipour’s restaurant is in a part of Los Angeles nicknamed Tehrangeles — the heart of the Iranian diaspora in the U.S. — where Iranian flags hang outside shops selling everything from books to rugs.\n‘We want democracy’\nNearby, Todd Khodadadi, the 47-year-old owner of Tochal Market, said he and his family lived under the regime in Iran until they fled more than two decades ago and started over in the U.S.\nKhodadadi said he’s been glued to news apps and group chats with friends in Iran. Even as bombs rained down, the weekend’s violence still doesn’t compare to the scale and severity of what Iranians have suffered for years on end, he said, surrounded in his store by boxes of date-filled pastries and rice cookies affixed with stickers reading “Free Iran.”\n“The people in Iran, they live in hell,” he said. “We want democracy, we don’t want one person sitting in one chair for decades and decades and control everything.”\nIt has been difficult for many to communicate with their loved ones still in their homeland. Phone and internet connections aren’t reliable.\n“It’s eerie, it’s very eerie to see these terrible scenes of Iranians crying over dead relatives and their destroyed homes,” said Shahed Ghoreishi, 34, a foreign policy analyst whose parents fled Iran and still has many relatives there. “And you’re like, wait, does my family live on that street? How close are they to that bomb? Then you try to geolocate where your family lives and where the bombs are dropping on TV at the same time.”\nHis mother told him she hasn’t slept because she can’t reach her sister, who recently had back surgery. The Iranian people were already suffering shortages of food and medicine because of strict sanctions imposed on the country and Ghoreishi worries not only that they could be killed by the bombardment, but also that they won’t be able to access life-sustaining necessities as the war drags on.\nGhoreishi, who was fired from his role at the U.S. State Department last year after some questioned his loyalty to the administration’s policies in the Middle East, said he doesn’t see how this will end with lasting change for the Iranian people.\n“I don’t see a clear strategy and I see a lot of violence, and those two things make me pessimistic for this moment,” he said.\nHe hopes that he’s wrong. So does Mahdis Keshavarz, 49, who fled Iran as a child and works now in social justice advocacy in Los Angeles.\n‘My people deserve to be happy’\n“My people deserve to be happy, and I understand fully why they would be happy and hopeful for a tyrant to be out of commission,” she said. “We have dreamed of the day where we would be rid of them so that we can have the homeland and the peace we all deserve.”\nKeshavarz still has many loved ones in Iran, and says she’s worried “day and night” for them. In war, she said, ordinary people always pay the highest price.\nTo her, this moment recalls the region’s long history of intractable wars that cost hundreds of thousands of lives but failed to deliver on promises of democratic stability, sometimes creating power vacuums filled by rulers just as bad or worse.\nShe cannot see now how this time will be any different.\n“This is where I hope I’m wrong,” she said. “I hope that a month from now, or two weeks from now, that joy remains because there is something positive that comes out of this. Because at the moment I don’t see it.”\nMany said they hope that the Trump administration has a more solid plan for a transition than is clear right now.\nRoya Boroumand’s father helped form the National Movement of the Iranian Resistance, one of the first opposition parties fighting for democracy. He was stabbed to death in the lobby of his Paris apartment by agents of the Islamic Republic in 1991. Boroumand said that those celebrating should remember the sacrifices that people of previous generations have made to advance human rights in the country — and recognize how much work is required to realize those rights now that the regime has been weakened.\n‘You can’t just bomb your way out of a totalitarian regime’\n“You can’t just bomb your way out of a totalitarian regime,” said Boroumand, who co-founded the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation in 2001 to promote human rights in Iran. She emphasized that any military operation needs to be supplemented by significant structural and economic transformation led by Iranian civilians.\n“This is the time to make sure what needs to happen happens so that what we have endured for the past 45-60 years doesn’t happen again,” she said.\nSome others said they saw no other way to forge a better path forward than to cut off the regime at its head.\n“In Iran we cannot accept that murderers can control the country. When they start to kill people just because of their voices, there is no choice but to start a war,” said Soheila Boojari, 47, a native of Iran and engineer in suburban Detroit, who took to the streets this weekend to celebrate the strikes. “I don’t want a war for any people. I am very worried about my family there. But who can help us?”\nAt Colbeh, a Persian restaurant in Great Neck, New York, staff downed shots of tequila Saturday night to celebrate the attacks. Restaurant partner Pejman Touby said he walked over the mountains at age 12 to escape Iran in 1984.\n“A lot of our employees came out of Iran the same way. We left everything we had there,” Touby, 53, said. “We had shots in honor of the U.S. government, Israel government for standing on their word and doing whatever they can to get rid of this evil regime.”\nMany said they are hopeful that maybe, soon, they can return to Iran to see the family they left behind decades ago.\nGita Zarnegar, a 63-year-old psychoanalyst, said she and her Jewish family left Iran in 1979 when the regime took over.\n“I’m elated that my country of origin is going to be free from 47 years of enslavement to a tyrannical and cruel regime that took away people’s freedom and liberty,” she said.\nShe will visit as soon as it is safe enough, she said.\n“I will be the first person on that plane.”\n__\nAssociated Press reporter Krysta Fauria contributed from Los Angeles. Galofaro reported from Louisville, Kentucky, Riddle from New York and White from Detroit.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNaTE3TW5oa1phSXU4bmV3Rjc3bHZnc052VUppbTdHRFpYM3BsakFnR1BOV3Bpb1JQYzdDeUZPTTU1YTgtMGMyTUhHbXFDNzRnN2FYMkZFY2ljOFNhbngwbGNGSmI1eEsyWkItY2c5THpuUHpXdnFHdk5oa1pQMjBVSmJDVjUwb01zX1ZzMVVmV2dEdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_66adb4a761a9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran struck Dubai base used by Australian military, says minister - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles on Tuesday said Iranian forces struck the Al Minhad airbase near Dubai, a facility used by Australian troops, on the first night of the conflict.\nAbout 100 Australian troops are stationed across the Middle East, most of them based in the United Arab Emirates, he said.\nThe base has been used as a logistics and operations hub for Australian missions in the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxOUnhSaTJiMmN2cl9HcVZYY1djX2ZrNl91UjN0QVFLMW9hWThUOU95cTFEQU5RRjM0dHlaV0NtMk5UQkRwb3ZHTEJ2YVRQWGI2WXB4MEozUUNQM3BtazBkd2ZLZURZb1NjTVh2c1BjQl80VTRLNFI2Wk5ldmJPeDF1eGtrRlAtQl83aWZHV1J3c1N6V0Z2dzFSSXY1OVVhXzVYVWZTcWl0MXBBdnJYWmVuZmZoWGRaYXRBSlE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_799332e816c3",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Netanyahu says war against Iran may take 'some time', but not years - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Netanyahu says war against Iran may take 'some time', but not years\nBy Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil\nWASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran may take \"some time\" but it will not take years.\nThe U.S. and Israeli air war against Iran began with attacks against Tehran on Saturday, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel and missile attacks at Arab nations with U.S. bases across the Middle East.\nPresident Donald Trump initially projected the war to last four to five weeks, but added it could go on longer, and has since sought to justify a broad, open-ended war on Iran.\nNetanyahu rejected the idea of the conflict lasting years, like previous wars in the region.\n\"I said it could be quick and decisive. It may take some time, but it's not going to take years. It's not an endless war,\" Netanyahu said on Fox News' \"Hannity\" program.\nThe assault on Iran formed part of a list of Trump's foreign policy actions that have marked a striking shift from his \"America First\" rhetoric against U.S. interventions when he campaigned in the 2024 elections.\nNetanyahu said he saw the war as an opportunity for lasting peace in the Middle East, including between Israel and Saudi Arabia.\n\"Yes I do,\" he said, when asked if he saw a lasting path to peace in the region.\nA Reuters/Ipsos poll showed over the weekend that only one in four Americans approved of U.S. strikes on Iran that have plunged the Middle East into chaos.\nU.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that lasted several years made many Americans skeptical of Washington's direct involvement in wars on foreign soil.\nNetanyahu said the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran was creating a scenario for the Iranian people to topple their government.\n\"Now, of course, it's up to the people of Iran in the final count to change the government, but we are creating - America and Israel together are creating - the conditions for them to do so,\" he said.\nTrump's stated aims and timeline for the war have shifted since it began over the weekend. On Saturday when he announced the strikes, he urged Iranians to \"take back your country\" and implied a goal of toppling the government.\nIn comments on Monday, Trump made no mention of toppling Iran's government and said the war was needed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran denies seeking, and to thwart its long-range ballistic missile program.\nIsrael is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons. Washington also has nuclear weapons.\n(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:47:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPOWxzdTBpelFUc0s2bHlQY21YYzJ0T3lkNjhxbkx0OGdZUVJHUkJESFNQTWFFZlkzaF9FclFMT3duRThORm15bmtmeHVRQXUyc0FwMHlTeGk0UU16N05vekxJOGFoNEFuSGRUbzZ0ckg1ajhOMUdGU3dLVkpfZURvLUV2ZHd2OVJOQVEtclFsdlhpZ1dPSmFIQXNJTU40Wnd4TlNFbXRXci0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e1df9dcfad64",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran’s economy has been ‘destroyed,’ military on the ‘cusp of being defanged’: Former Secretary of State - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 12:00 AM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\n2:00 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox News Sunday\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM\nFox Business Channel\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:48:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE9iSjFETDdNX2VLWFBjaWRNbTZnZ1JHbExuXzM1S0RaTnhiUTZvRE9oYkFUTGhnMzktVmxGaThFcHFSVjZsNnpjbUpMdXJxZVB5ZVU4bkdR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5f2799a6eaa7",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Waiting for Hormuz, More Oil Tankers Gather in the Persian Gulf - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Waiting for Hormuz, More Oil Tankers Gather in the Persian Gulf    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T03:49:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNTTFXWnpFZGVReW5lRWp4VUdpcENWQk1sUUxhU1pkTHk4YUtHU1NkRWNIaGljd1c1aWFOdm1QZzhzbWVsZnVnRUJidFh1RHk2dS1ZOGxPQ3NGRkxsc2UzLTIyU3VnQjl6bU9tYncybE81MmtZTEZ4WUprN2RReVRXTDVGVkExR203NkRaOEd5QUNmQU0tZ1ZFZ21NSFFTYXZVcEdMM3FTczlTbDBjTVo2QUhKNA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9f76260c79eb",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "A Headless Iran Is Still Dangerous for Markets - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "A Headless Iran Is Still Dangerous for Markets    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T04:00:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPblFSd0V6VU1UU0g4ZmNoclllNzFHeGtuVnVPbUdqaUJUNzZtWGQ4MDQzcGloVmwybW5JZ21mVTk3VGhQclZ4cHFIMmZMLVhtN3hIVXlaemo2VGJ6emk5RmdPYzZhbXc3cFAyZnV4UVlQcDZVcXJTc3dlOHYzT0U3R1p0X1JKVWF2V1FhejNfZWVGek5UaHdiYlNEYXNZc3hzYUQ2dHNEcWNCdmNNZjNQUTZXWWI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_313fde495c7c",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Strait of Hormuz: What happens if Iran shuts global oil corridor?",
    "body_text": "Strait of Hormuz: What happens if Iran shuts global oil corridor?\nIran says it will \"set fire\" to any ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's busiest oil shipping channel.\nUsually, about 20% of global oil and gas passes through the narrow shipping lane in the Gulf. But Iran's General Sardar Jabbari said that Tehran will now \"not let a single drop of oil leave the region\".\nUncertainty and disruption to international trade caused by Iran's response to US and Israeli strikes has already ratcheted up oil prices.\nBlocking the strait could further inflate the cost of goods and services worldwide, and hit some of the world's biggest economies, including China, India and Japan, which are among the top importers of crude oil passing through the waterway.\nWhat is the Strait of Hormuz - and where is it?\nThe Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important shipping routes, and its most vital oil transit choke point.\nBounded to the north by Iran and to the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the corridor – which is only about 50km (31 miles) wide at its entrance and exit, and about 33km wide at its narrowest point – connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.\nThe strait is deep enough for the world's biggest crude oil tankers, and is used by the major oil and gas producers in the Middle East – and their customers.\nIn 2025, about 20 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz per day, according to estimates from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) – that's nearly $600bn (£447bn) worth of energy trade per year.\nThat oil comes not only from Iran, but also other Gulf states such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.\nWhat would be the impact of closing the strait?\nAbout 3,000 or so ships sail through the strait each month.\nAnalysts have warned that the longer there are threats to ships passing through the strait, the higher the price of oil - and the shipping of it - will be.\n\"It is de facto closed in that no one dares to go through,\" Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at Global Risk Management, a provider of energy market insights, told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.\n\"You can be attacked, and you can't get insurance or it is extremely expensive, so you have to wait until the security situation is better... If oil and gas coming from the strait is cut off, that has significant ramifications for the market,\" he added.\n\"While there is no physical blockade, threats from the Iranians, plus drone and missile attacks, mean tankers are not going through the strait.\"\nThat has left about 150 tankers stranded, according to the Reuters news agency.\nAccording to data from the London Stock Exchange Group, the cost of hiring a supertanker to ship oil from the Middle East to China has almost doubled from last week's price to a record high of more than $400,000 (£298,300).\nThe closure of the vital shipping lane will also hurt Gulf countries, like Saudi Arabia, whose economies rely heavily on energy exports.\nIran, by comparison, exports about 1.7 million barrels per day, according to the International Energy Agency. Iran exported $67bn (£50bn) worth of oil in the financial year ending March 2025 – its highest oil revenue in the past decade – according to estimates by the Central Bank of Iran.\nA blockade of the strait will also hit Asia hard.\nIn 2022, around 82% of crude oil and condensates (low-density liquid hydrocarbons that typically occur with natural gas) leaving the Strait of Hormuz were bound for Asian countries, according to EIA estimates.\nChina alone is estimated to buy around 90% of the oil that Iran exports to the global market.\nBecause China uses that oil to make products it then exports to other countries, higher oil prices could also mean higher prices for consumers around the world.\nHow can Iran close the strait?\nUnited Nations rules allow countries to exercise control of territorial seas up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from their coastline.\nAt its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes lie entirely within Iran and Oman's territorial waters.\nIt is unclear exactly how Iran plans to shut the strait but according to experts one of the most effective ways for them to do it would be to lay mines using fast attack boats and submarines.\nIran's regular navy and the IRGC navy could potentially launch attacks on foreign warships and commercial vessels.\nHowever, large military ships may in turn become easy targets for US air strikes, and US President Donald Trump has said that one of his aims is to destroy Iran's navy.\nIran's fast boats are often armed with anti-ship missiles, and the country also operates a range of surface vessels, semi-submersible craft and submarines.\nThe US has previously used its military might to re-establish the flow of maritime traffic through the strait.\nIn the late 1980s, during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, strikes on oil facilities escalated into a \"tanker war\" that saw both countries attacking neutral ships to exert economic pressure.\nKuwaiti tankers carrying Iraqi oil were especially vulnerable. Eventually, American warships began escorting them through the Gulf in what became one of the largest naval surface warfare operations since World War Two, according to the US Naval Institute.\nCan alternative routes offset the blockade?\nThe persistent threat of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz has, over the years, prompted oil-exporting countries in the Gulf region to develop alternative export routes.\nSaudi Arabia operates a 1,200km-long pipeline capable of transporting up to 5 million barrels of crude oil per day, according to the EIA.\nIn the past is has also temporarily repurposed a natural gas pipeline to carry crude oil.\nThe United Arab Emirates has connected its inland oilfields to the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman via a pipeline with a daily capacity of at least 1.5 million barrels.\nOil could be diverted along the alternate infrastructure to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, but Reuters reports that would lead to a drop in supply of between 8-10 million barrels per day.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T04:02:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78n6p09pzno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9c020d38010d",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "There's 'almost no stopping' Iran from enriching uranium: Steve Witkoff - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 12:00 AM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\n2:00 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox News Sunday\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM\nFox Business Channel\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T04:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVkFVX3lxTE9OLTZiUDBaX1BNZWNpVWhrTTdzY3NfMWJEY3ZRd2VRZHpIV3pwMkFxUEQzUUZ4UVNGZGwyQVVkN0UzaFQwVFk4UnBnQzMybFFldmxYV1dB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ee400e8f5f1d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Australia’s shameless support for the US attack on Iran makes us gullible, duplicitous, or both | Allan Behm - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The ease and speed with which Australia, along with Britain and Canada, fell in behind Donald Trump’s attack on Iran was startling. For a country that is constantly trumpeting the essentiality of the international rules-based order in preserving global peace and stability, Australia is shameless in its ability to slide into the American slipstream.\nAnd to hide behind Iran’s alleged possession of nuclear weapons – or at least its ability to produce them – as justification for the attacks and the obliteration of Iran’s governing leadership, portrays us as gullible, duplicitous or both. Trump claimed that Iran’s ability to construct nuclear weapons was destroyed last June. Truth or lie? It cannot be both. The claim that Iran had the ability to do so until last weekend was either true or false. It could not be both. So what exactly was the case for yet another unprovoked and illegal attack on Iran?\nThe Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, whose visit to Australia begins today, also fell conveniently into line, as did the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. Employing the same trope as Albanese, Carney said: “Canada’s position remains clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world’s worst human rights records and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons.” For a national leader who called out Trump’s bluster and bullying just a few weeks ago in Davos, Carney’s comments were dismal.\nIs Trump playing Australia, and the UK and Canada for that matter, as patsies, confident in the judgment that all three will go along with his decisions whatever they are? If he is, Australia, the UK and Canada’s responses to the attacks on Iran is even more disappointing. Their support for the US and Israeli attacks on Iran premised on its alleged possession of nuclear weapons is disingenuous. Deception is no basis for diplomacy.\nThe declamations delivered by Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu as they launched yet another attack on Iran were deeply cynical. With bombs raining down on Tehran, there they both were, solemnly encouraging Iran’s youth to occupy the uplands of democracy by fomenting a revolution against their nation’s religious leaders and their revolutionary guard – a cynical excuse for military strikes that are defiantly illegal.\nNetanyahu invited Iranians to take their destiny into their own hands. “Our forces are there, pilots of the free world, coming to your aid,” he said, adding his belief that the day was not far off when Israel and a free Iran would join hands for security and peace, for progress and prosperity. How devious. “Take back your country,” said Trump, before promising: “We’ll be there to help.” Exactly how was left unsaid. Again, how devious.\nThe future of Iran and the Middle East more broadly looks particularly grim. Societal breakdown in Iran sets the scene for sectarian violence across the Middle East, from Afghanistan to the Gulf states. Shia communities across the Middle East can expect Sunni reprisals for grievances that go back many generations. And Islamic religious instability plays into Israel’s hands: domestic instability in the neighbourhood weakens any anti-Israel resolve.\nInstability in the Middle East foments more than community violence. It encourages the appearance of autocrats and strongmen whose intentions and objectives are completely unpredictable. And the consequences are equally unpredictable. Rising energy costs and growing refugee pressures on Europe can generate unforeseen political problems for Europe and the global community more broadly.\nThe threat of terrorism is ever-present, with anti-US attacks – ranging from US bases, military assets, embassies, commercial enterprises and even US nationals – always on the cards. Quite simply, Trump’s continuing attacks on the international rule of law have far-reaching consequences.\nAustralia, along with Canada and the United Kingdom, may well be locked into the global US-led signals intelligence and command and control system. But far from excusing us from following our moral compass, our participation in the world’s most powerful strategic communications system actually demands that we enhance and reinforce our moral authority and that of our partners, along with the alliances of which we and they are members.\nCynicism and duplicity are the negation of moral authority. Without principles – such as those Australia and America helped to negotiate in the UN Charter in 1945 – and the rules through which those principles are operationalised, catastrophe is increasingly in prospect.\nSo Albanese and Carney would do everyone a favour if they were to reinforce their advocacy and support for a robust international order based on rules that everyone respected, including the US. And for Australia in particular, it is high time that we put our diplomacy where out mouth is, stop pandering to the powerful and exercised our own agency as a significant power in the Asia-Pacific region.\n-\nAllan Behm advises on international and security affairs at the Australia Institute in Canberra",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T04:22:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxQaW9zTXV2dHpYeWFDS285aC1saUFnWU55dmYyNUt1d2ZLVGpZLXNoVjBweGFiTnlzNXhyUUZkSGpLdXpFVUF3ZGN0c3lDcGY0bDNiUlgzSFZBS1d4aUktazJMSS1Vck04TXFwN0hIZTZNbl9hZTVTRjM5bHFzU2hRNUJrZUFkdElUNEZRSmNJRWpNTUN2U3NrY2s1cDhqX2hZTFhCcEpPZ1NsdjB4UmNiN3VqcF9OaUdWTTJ2NWkyUE5XR3M?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6c40a6aa9e26",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict disrupts China's Middle East steel exports - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict disrupts China's Middle East steel exports    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T04:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQMDEtNmhKREFzWm5UeFU4cVZ3OUZJMGo4cGl2ZEF5emc2OXY4YktXelM5akZ2aHhFYmRIZ0hGcXlBUXp4Y3dwMjlhck83aFBCbUN6Z3owcERJaGNLV2gwd0N4TnJ3ejY0NHRVU2lsYjhLWjVtdVlJS3REenVMeXlMbERXSEVjUE9KbjVHTHROZ1h1dkpwMXUwYWVZcTc0a1pGUHZjMTZubXZneHgyakdJ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_467f9e959bdb",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Trump officials say Israel’s plans helped lead the US into Iran war - AP News",
    "body_text": "Trump officials say Israel’s plans helped lead the US into Iran war\nWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration and its allies in Congress presented a shifting new justification Monday for the U.S. attack on Iran, with House Speaker Mike Johnson suggesting that the White House believed Israel was determined to act on its own, leaving the president with a “very difficult decision.”\nThe Republican was speaking late Monday after a classified briefing at the Capitol, the first for congressional leaders since the start of the war, a joint U.S.-Israel military campaign that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and has quickly spiraled into a widening Middle East conflict. Hundreds have died, including at least six U.S. military service personnel.\nJohnson said the attack on Iran was a “defensive operation” because Israel was ready to act against Iran, “with or without American support.” He said President Donald Trump and his team determined that Iran would immediately retaliate against U.S. personnel and assets.\n“The commander in chief has said this is going to be an operation that is short in duration,” Johnson said. “We certainly hope that’s true.”\nThe remarkable shift in the Trump administration’s stated rationale comes as the hostilities deepen and widen across the region. The president himself estimated the war could drag on for weeks. The administration plans to seek supplemental funds from Congress to support the military effort, lawmakers said, in stark contrast to the president’s America First campaign not to entangle the U.S. in actions abroad.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio said the “hardest hits are yet to come” as the U.S. is determined to continue attacking Iran for as long as it takes with an “even more punishing” next phase in the war.\nRubio described what was essentially a potentially ripple effect that he said posed an “imminent threat” to the U.S.\n“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,” he said. “And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”\nRubio said that while the U.S. would like to see the Iranian people rise up and be rid of the regime, “that’s not the objective,” he said. “The objective of this mission is to make sure they don’t have these weapons that can threaten us and our allies in the region.”\nTrump’s shifting rationale sparks detractors\nRubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other administration officials delivered the classified briefing as Congress weighs a war powers resolution that would restrain Trump’s ability to keep waging war without approval from the House and Senate.\nTrump himself, speaking at the White House, laid out four objectives for the war, saying U.S. forces are out to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, wipe out its naval capacity, stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensure “that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”\n“This was our last, best chance to strike — what we’re doing right now — and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” Trump said.\nTrump met repeatedly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they sought to curb Iran’s nuclear program, including last month at the White House.\nHegseth earlier Monday vowed this is not an “endless war,” even as he warned more U.S. casualties are likely in the weeks ahead.\nBut Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said: “There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel.”\nWarner said he has now heard four or five stated reasons for the attack. He demanded that Trump “come before Congress, and for that matter, the American people,” to make his case for war — and the exit plan.\nSeveral Democrats delivered blistering speeches against the war. “Are we now such an enfeebled nation that Israel decides when we go to war?” said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, voice rising.\nWar powers as a check on presidential power\nThe moment is a defining one for Congress, which alone has the authority under the U.S. Constitution to declare war, and for the Republican president, who has consistently seized power during his second term with his own executive reach.\nTrump took the nation to war at a particularly vulnerable time, as the Department of Homeland Security is operating without routine funds because of a standoff with Democrats over their demands to restrain his immigration enforcement operations. The potential wartime costs in terms of lives lost and dollars spent are dividing the parties, and potentially Americans themselves.\nUnlike the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003, which included long debates in Congress in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, or the more recent U.S. military strikes on Venezuela that proved to be limited, the joint U.S.-Israel military attack on Iran, called Operation Epic Fury, is well underway, with no foreseeable end in sight.\n“It’s worrisome,” Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Associated Press.\nSmith said of Trump: “He is not trying to making his case to the Congress or the American people. He unilaterally decided to do this.”\nIn fact, Congress has declared war just five times in the nation’s history, most recently in 1941, to enter World War II a day after the Pearl Harbor attack. Over time, presidents of both major political parties have accumulated vast authority to engage in what are often more limited U.S. military strikes.\nJohnson said tying Trump’s hands right now would be “frightening” as he works to defeat the war powers resolution.\nEven if Congress is able to pass the measure this week, the House and the Senate would be unlikely to tally the two-thirds majority needed to overcome a presidential veto.\nNext steps for Iranian people uncertain\nAs the Trump administration encourages the Iranian people to rise up and choose new leaders, there did not appear to be widespread U.S. support for any effort at democracy- or nation-building.\n“We would love to see this regime be replaced,” Rubio said. “If there’s something we can do to help them down the road, we’d obviously be open to it. But that’s not the objective.”\nA top Trump ally, Sen. 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    "body_text": "Friedrich Merz to meet Trump after justifying strikes on Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
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    "body_text": "Laura Loomer and the far-right ultra-hawks cheering on Trump in Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
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    "body_text": "Lengthy Iran war could cause inflation ‘spike’, warns ECB’s top economist\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
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    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Transcript: Gulf states caught in the middle of US-Iran conflict - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Transcript: Gulf states caught in the middle of US-Iran conflict\nThis is an audio transcript of the FT News Briefing podcast episode: ‘Gulf states caught in the middle of US-Iran conflict’\nMarc Filippino\nGood morning from the Financial Times. Today is Tuesday, March 3rd, and this is your FT News Briefing. The crisis in the Middle East has got investors looking for safety and Gulf States are struggling under Iranian strikes. Plus, can the American economy withstand spiking oil prices. I’m Marc Filippino and here’s the news you need to start your day.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nInvestors poured into gold and the US dollar yesterday. They were looking for safe haven assets as strikes continued in the Middle East. Gold nearly hit a record high on Monday, jumping as much as 2.5 per cent. Investors avoided government bonds though, which are also normally perceived as safe traders braced for a rise in inflation. More on that in just a sec.\nMeanwhile, hedge funds are backing out of emerging markets. MSCI’s broad EM equities index slid almost 2 per cent on Monday. Markets, including Turkey and India came under pressure.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nThe US and Israel’s assault on Iran has led to ships being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz That’s the waterway that leads in and out of the Arabian Gulf. Oil is no longer flowing through the Strait, which has caused the price to skyrocket. That could be bad news for us President Donald Trump and his fight on the American affordability crisis.\nHere to discuss is the FT’s US Economics editor, Claire Jones. Hi Claire.\nClaire Jones\nHi Marc.\nMarc Filippino\nSo Claire, how much does the US rely on oil from outside of the country?\nClaire Jones\nThe US is now largely self-sufficient in terms of energy production. The latest figures, which were for 2024, showed that just 17 per cent of the energy used by Americans was imported, which was the lowest share in 40 years.\nMarc Filippino\nStill everyone is keeping an eye on oil prices, potentially crossing a $100 a barrel. And if that happens, Claire, what would that mean for the US?\nClaire Jones\nSo even though the US imports relatively little energy, a substantial rise in oil prices to $100 per barrel, if it was sustained, would undoubtedly have a hit on the US economy. And the main channel through which that hit would take place is on the impact on inflation.\nMarc Filippino\nHow would President Trump navigate the already really serious affordability crisis in America if inflation does rise?\nClaire Jones\nWe know that when people think about inflation, one of the big things that they look at, which is a very visible form of inflation, are prices at the gas pump. At the moment they’re kinda hovering around $3. That’s seen as quite a psychologically crucial threshold. They likely rise further than that in the coming days, and that will add to the general sense that we’ve seen at the moment that there is a cost of living crisis here in the US.\nBut any rise, I would expect that to really hit Trump’s popularity, especially if it’s sustained. and it would seize popularity getting hit just as we’re about to enter the campaigning season for November’s midterm elections.\nMarc Filippino\nNow, of course, inflation is one of the main things that the Federal Reserve tackles as part of its remit. If inflation does rise on the back of oil prices going up, what might the Fed do?\nClaire Jones\nThe Fed at the moment is really in wait-and-see mode. It’s meeting in the coming weeks and it will almost certainly keep borrowing costs at their current level. If we see an oil price shock, that’s gonna make the Fed in the short term a lot less likely to cut us borrowing costs.\nLonger term, if prices remain pretty high and that starts to weigh on growth, if it starts to weigh on the stock market, then the Fed could be forced to reverse course and begin cutting rates. But it’s exactly the sort of shock that central bankers really don’t like. It’s stagflation. It means higher prices and lower growths and really puts them in a very tricky spot if it’s sustained.\nMarc Filippino\nGenerally speaking, do you think Americans could absorb the hit of oil price, that $100 a barrel, for a prolonged period of time?\nClaire Jones\nI think it would have a hit. And in terms of gasoline prices at least, I think it really depends on what America you are talking about. If you’re talking about the big oil-producing regions, they won’t see as much of an impact in terms of gasoline prices as you will in somewhere like California. In California, gas prices are already a lot more expensive than in a lot of other parts of the US. And you’d see them become a lot more expensive, still, should you see a sustained rise in oil prices to $100 a barrel.\nMarc Filippino\nClaire Jones is the FT’s US economics editor. Thanks so much, Claire.\nClaire Jones\nThanks Marc.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nMarc Filippino\nMany Gulf states call the US their ally. They even host American military bases, and since Saturday, they’ve been the target of Iran’s retaliatory strikes. Here to explain what this means for the region is the FT’s Saudi Arabia correspondent Ahmed Al Omran. Hi Ahmed.\nAhmed Al Omran\nHi.\nMarc Filippino\nHow are the Gulf States feeling about being targeted and brought into this?\nAhmed Al Omran\nIt’s a very difficult position for them to be in. Most of these Gulf states have opposed an American strike on Iran and have urged both sides, the Americans and the Iranians, to engage in diplomacy. Oman, in particular, has been playing this mediation role between the two sides, trying to avoid a military conflict. But here we are, you know, since Saturday it’s been very intense, very jarring for this region to have the conflict playing out in the way that it has done so far.\nMarc Filippino\nAnd at the time we’re speaking, the Gulf region has not retaliated against Iran’s strikes. What could push them over the edge?\nAhmed Al Omran\nIt depends on the escalation and what Iran is doing. So far, Iran has retaliated to the American strikes by targeting these Gulf countries including, you know, civilian targets in their cities, hotels, landmarks and more recently, we’ve seen them target energy infrastructure, oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, the main gas LNG production site in Qatar. So these countries have become very frustrated and they express this frustration and anger with Iran over the last two days in statements warning that they condemn these strikes and being targeted and they warn that they are considering all options when it comes to how to respond. But so far they have not retaliated directly.\nMarc Filippino\nAhmed, what do we know about the hundreds of thousands of travellers who are currently stuck in the Gulf?\nAhmed Al Omran\nIt caused a sense of panic and concern among a lot of, you know, travellers, investors who also, you know, do business in this region. We’ve seen many of them scramble to try to find a way out. Riyadh and Oman have emerged as the two main routes or which people have been using mainly by driving in cars over land and then taking flights from there since these are the two countries that have not closed their air spaces. All the other four Gulf countries — Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE — have closed their air spaces either fully or partially over the last few days.\nAnd that has been a cause of major disruptions for travellers and for flights everywhere. Because you know these places, especially Dubai and Doha, are major travel hubs connecting east to west. So the fact that these airports have been closed and their spaces closed has been a huge problem for many people as they either try to escape the region or just travel around the world since this is a major hub for people moving around.\nMarc Filippino\nNow, in addition to travel destinations, a lot of these places are financial capitals and they’re increasingly opening their doors to western money. What do these tensions mean for that aspect of their identity?\nAhmed Al Omran\nI mean, cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been competing intensely over the last few years to attract foreign capital to become major hubs for doing business and for tourism as well. And they have also always presented themselves as safe havens and stable cities in a region that has experienced a lot of conflict and wars around them. And you know, this war now has shaken that image badly. And these countries and these cities would hope that this conflict would come to an end as soon as possible so they can go back to present themselves as, you know, the safe place to do business and be a hub for tourism and investment as well.\nMarc Filippino\nThat’s the FT’s Ahmed Al Omran. Thanks Ahmed.\nAhmed Al Omran\nThanks for having me.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nMarc Filippino\nBefore we go, the UK will get a health check on its economy today. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to deliver her Spring Statement. Now, we’re not expecting a ton from it, and the FT’s economics editor Sam Fleming explains that for Reeves and her Labour Party right now, no news is good news.\nSam Fleming\nWhen Rachel Reeves came to power back in 2024, she set the goal of having only one big fiscal event a year, and this was an attempt to create some more stability in the public finances. And that didn’t come off initially because after her first Budget in October, 2024, she then was forced into her fiscal correction only a few months later. And then the lead-up to the Budget of last November was extremely tumultuous, lots of speculation, lots of leaks. And she now wants to kind of create sort of a more placid fiscal playing field in the hope that this will create better conditions for economic growth.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nMarc Filippino\nYou can read more on all these stories for free when you click the links in our show notes. This has been your daily FT News Briefing. Check back tomorrow for the latest business news.",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "US Insists Iran War Won’t Be Endless as Strikes Engulf Region - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "US Insists Iran War Won’t Be Endless as Strikes Engulf Region    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T05:10:00+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran conflict constrains world’s oil supply, prices surging - Fox News",
    "body_text": "NOW - 12:00 AM\n12:00 AM\n12:30 AM\n1:00 AM\n1:30 AM\n2:00 AM\nFox News Channel\nSunday Night in America\n12:00 AM - 1:00 AM\nOne Nation\n1:00 AM - 2:00 AM\nFox News Sunday\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM\nFox Business Channel\nPaid Programming\n12:00 AM - 12:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n12:30 AM - 1:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:00 AM - 1:30 AM\nPaid Programming\n1:30 AM - 2:00 AM\nPaid Programming\n2:00 AM - 2:30 AM",
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    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Explosions sound in Iranian capital as conflict with US and Israel enters a fifth day - WHSV",
    "body_text": "DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions sounded in Iran’s capital city Wednesday as its war with the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day following earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region.\nIranian state television reported explosions around Tehran as dawn broke. Meanwhile, Israel said its air defenses were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran.\nFive days into a war that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested would last several weeks or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country.\nExplosions also hit Lebanon, where Israel said it is retaliating against Hezbollah militants. Lebanon’s state-run media reported that at least four people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a residential complex in the city of Baalbeck.\nA day earlier, Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian missile launchers and a nuclear research site, and Iran struck back against Israel and others, targeting U.S. embassies and disrupting energy supplies and travel.\nThe American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks. Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, though most of the incoming fire has been intercepted. Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began.\nIn other developments, the Pentagon identified four U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who were killed in a drone strike Sunday at a command center in Kuwait. The strike also killed two other service members.\nThe spiraling nature of the war raised questions about when and how it would end.\nTrump’s administration has offered various objectives, including destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, wiping out its navy, preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensuring it cannot continue to support allied armed groups.\nWhile the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Trump urged Iranians to overthrow their government, senior administration officials have since said regime change was not the goal.\nTrump on Tuesday seemed to downplay the chances of the war ending Iran’s theocratic rule, saying that “someone from within” the Iranian regime might be the best choice to take power once the U.S.-Israel campaign is finished.\nTrump says people the US had in mind to lead Iran are dead\nSpeaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah, is not someone that his administration has considered in depth to take over.\nAs far as possible leaders inside Iran, “the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said.\n“I guess the worst case would be do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right? That could happen,” Trump said. ”We don’t want that to happen.”\nIran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement.\nIsrael and US strike nuclear facilities and other targets in Iran\nAdm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, said American forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran since the war began. In a video posted Tuesday on X, Cooper said the U.S. has “severely degraded Iran’s air defenses” and taken out hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.\n“We’ve just begun,” Cooper said.\nSatellite images published Tuesday by Colorado-based company Vantor showed the domed roof of Iran’s presidential complex in Tehran had been destroyed, supporting Israel’s claim of an overnight strike. Iran did not acknowledge the damage or report any casualties.\nIsraeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the Israeli military struck a building in the Iranian city of Qom where clerics were expected to meet to discuss selecting a new supreme leader. He said the army was still assessing whether anyone was hit.\nThe Israeli military said it also conducted airstrikes on Iranian sites that produce and store ballistic missiles, and that it destroyed what it called Iran’s secret, underground nuclear headquarters. Without providing evidence, it said the site was used for research “to develop a key component for nuclear weapons.”\nThere was no immediate public comment from the U.S. or Iran about the site Israel named.\nIran has said it has not enriched uranium since June, though it has maintained its right to do so and says its nuclear program is peaceful.\nIran hits US Embassy in Riyadh and Washington pulls out staff\nAn attack from two drones on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh caused a “limited fire,” according to the Saudi Arabian Defense Ministry, and the embassy urged Americans to avoid the compound.\nAn Iranian drone struck a parking lot outside the U.S. consulate in Dubai, sparking a small fire, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Washington. He said all personnel were accounted for.\nU.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon said they were closed to the public.\nThe U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. And U.S. citizens were urged to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, though many were stranded because of airspace closures.\nThe State Department said Tuesday it’s preparing military and charter flights for Americans wanting to leave the Middle East. Other countries were arranging flights for their citizens.\nHundreds have died, including children\nThe U.S.-Israeli strikes have killed at least 787 people in Iran, according to the Red Crescent Society. In Lebanon, where Israel launched retaliatory strikes on the Iranian-supported militant group Hezbollah, 50 people were killed, including seven children, Lebanon’s health ministry said.\nKuwait, which had previously reported a single death, said Wednesday that an 11-year-old girl was killed by falling shrapnel as Kuwaiti forces were intercepting “hostile aerial targets.” In addition, three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain.\nThe U.S. military has confirmed six deaths of American service members.\nFour of the Americans killed were identified as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who received a posthumous promotion in rank. They were assigned to the Iowa-based 103rd Sustainment Command.\n___\nThis story has been updated to correct that communications in Iran are poor, but that the internet isn’t shut down. It also clarifies that more than one drone hit the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Some instances referred to just one drone.\n___\nBecatoros reported from Athens, Greece, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Michelle Price and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, David Rising in Bangkok, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.\nCopyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T05:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f447da5234c7",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "India File: Iran conflict threatens sweet-spot economy - Reuters",
    "body_text": "India File: Iran conflict threatens sweet-spot economy    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T05:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQR2xxM0Rvd084UkIzbjdoRF9mcUNvbGdzLV9IUjRDRC1iUEhPX2ZQLWNSWWJiUGliYWNiZmtid2FhX3djYXVtWnF4dHVoM1JtczdrRkJlZXdzN3BUOFplekpUSkJzUVlqQlJhSG1aVDd4YVJVQ2xuaXFfNVdXZ3Bnb1Yza2tib3JzTWpMSFZabTVkWWczOUZ4aXdCSTVUTXU2ZHo0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0199795a9f32",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US-Israeli strikes can raze buildings, but they cannot extinguish Iranian identity - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US-Israeli strikes can raze buildings, but they cannot extinguish Iranian identity\nThe new round of coordinated military attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran marks a dramatic escalation in an already volatile confrontation.\nThe strikes, capping months of tensions since a previous wave of attacks in 2025, have pushed the region into one of its most dangerous moments in decades.\nAt a time when diplomatic channels had reportedly shown signs of progress, the renewed use of force has raised urgent questions about legality, legitimacy and the long-term consequences for regional and international security.\nThere is a broad global consensus that the US-Israeli military campaign constitutes a clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.\nArticle 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, except in cases of self-defence or with Security Council authorisation. No such authorisation was granted, and international legal scholars have long emphasised that preventive or regime-change wars fall outside the Charter framework.\nThis is not the first time that Washington has faced accusations of undermining international legal commitments in relation to Iran. In 2018, the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, despite the agreement’s endorsement by the UN Security Council. The withdrawal was widely criticised by European governments and other signatories, including Russia and China.\nNow, through direct military strikes against Iran, Washington has been accused of violating core principles of the UN Charter - particularly those related to sovereignty, the prohibition on the use of force, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.\nPolitical consciousness\nHistory weighs heavily on current events. In 1953, the US, in collaboration with the UK, orchestrated a coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh.\nThe consequences of that intervention shaped Iranian political consciousness for decades and directly affected bilateral relations. The 1979 revolution, and the subsequent occupation of the US embassy in Tehran and hostage crisis, cannot be understood without that context.\nMore than seven decades on, the shadow of 1953 still looms over US-Iran relations. But this time, the stakes appear even higher. The US has officially called for regime change. In the course of the operation, Iran’s supreme leader and several top military commanders were assassinated.\nThe choice now is stark: continue down a path of open-ended confrontation, or halt the escalation and return to diplomacy - before the damage becomes irreversible\nThe targeting of a sitting head of state marks a profound escalation. It moves beyond deterrence or limited military objectives, and enters the realm of overt regime-change policy. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the negative consequences of this action could be broader and more far-reaching than those of the 1953 coup.\nBoth the US-Israeli military strikes on Iran in June 2025, and the attack that began this weekend, occurred at moments when negotiations had achieved significant progress, according to Oman’s foreign minister.\nOman was a key mediator, facilitating indirect talks. The chain of events suggests that military action coincided with diplomatic momentum. From this perspective, diplomacy has effectively been sidelined, perhaps indefinitely.\nMany are convinced that the US pursued negotiations not as genuine diplomacy, but as cover, allowing it to prepare for war. When bombs fall at the height of talks, trust collapses.\nThe consequences of assassinating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei go far beyond the killing of an Iranian political leader. As one of the leading religious authorities in the Shia world, he held both political and theological significance. Some Shia clerics have already issued calls for retaliation, with Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi in Qom, Iran, saying revenge for Khamenei’s killing was the “religious duty of all Muslims in the world to eradicate the evil of these criminals from the world”.\nAttacks have already occurred against US diplomatic missions in Pakistan and Iraq, resulting in casualties. Washington may now have to confront the prospect of long-term ideological hostility among segments of the global Shia population - a dynamic that cannot be addressed through military means alone.\nImmense strategic costs\nThe collapse of a government because of a military attack does not produce a simple or controllable outcome. Even if Washington and Tel Aviv were to succeed in bringing about a political transformation in Tehran, the strategic costs could be immense.\nFor the first time since World War II, major US military bases across the region have come under sustained attack. The reputational impact on American prestige could surpass even the symbolic damage inflicted by the 1979-81 hostage crisis.\nAt the same time, Israel and Iran have entered what can only be described as an existential phase of conflict. Iran has sustained severe military damage, while Israel has faced the most intense strikes on its territory since its founding in 1948.\nIran’s heavy missile attacks have exposed vulnerabilities in Israel’s security architecture, despite its advanced defence systems. The perception of invulnerability - central to deterrence - has been shaken on both sides.\nYet within hours of Khamenei’s assassination, a three-member leadership council was formed to steer the process of transition, signalling that expectations of immediate state disintegration might have been misplaced.\nThe US-Israeli approach is troubling for several reasons. Firstly, by assassinating Iran’s supreme leader, they crossed a red line within Iran’s governing structure. Secondly, by officially declaring that its objective is regime collapse, the US framed the conflict as existential. Iran’s response is thus perceived domestically as a defence of national survival.\nThirdly, as anticipated, the conflict has become regional. Iran has launched missile strikes against US facilities in neighbouring countries, broadening the theatre of confrontation. The trajectory is deeply alarming: escalation breeds counter-escalation, as each side justifies its actions as defensive.\nThe risks of miscalculation grow with every exchange. Energy markets are destabilised. Regional actors are drawn in. Diplomatic space shrinks.\nIt would be wiser for US President Donald Trump to push now for an immediate ceasefire, to prevent further catastrophe. The longer this conflict continues, the harder it will be to contain.\nMilitary force can destroy infrastructure and eliminate individuals, but it cannot extinguish national identity, religious conviction or historical memory. The lessons of 1953 still resonate. If history teaches anything, it is that interventions intended to secure stability often produce decades of unintended consequences.\nThe choice now is stark: continue down a path of open-ended confrontation, or halt the escalation and return to diplomacy - before the damage becomes irreversible.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T05:45:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNT1JDZTZndTl0WjU2MDg4ZUVlSE9lX2NKM1lud3Yxc2gwRnRpSDRta2JDMllZOVVWekRxWVdRYXdITk1wZkNubmRKRGprS0F6a0NDOGRNTlROUXpjZWVoWFpIbHRSMXh1VjhlTTYyOUItSHVJd0NrTXZvNE1Xa2xJeXRybkN2Q3dMa2VhZlNjYnFBbE9GdldIREZ0WXJyN3BXSU1ZR1VRa2FuOXRxeFVIbllxa1BCUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b3544318951b",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US orders some diplomatic staff to leave Middle East as Iran conflict escalates - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US orders some diplomatic staff to leave Middle East as Iran conflict escalates    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T05:52:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPMEtFc2NmLTVBcUhLbUszTEpBZllyWGliaWpYclBaaHlrYUdlbTFpRGNNcjJnSlhZa3pPYlM3MU1oWU5Sb0owQlA4Y3U2LVlNZkdJamFPNjZPTF9HbFgxQXdxV3l2RkFjSFdWYkZDeUJRWHNIaE5SamQ4anlPNm1EOWpmWGZTLXZqTzdNVnpyYW1BdVJ6M2NESlFSbm82NkFCTGlHQlllZF9Vb091ZUE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2470ff50a3cb",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US and Israel offer shifting justifications for Iran war: what we know on day four - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "-\nDonald Trump has claimed Iran was going to attack before he did, walking back secretary of state Marco Rubio’s assertion that Israel triggered the war. “I think they were going to attack first, and I didn’t want that to happen. So, if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand,” the US president told reporters as he met Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, at the White House.\n-\nTrump said that the US and Israel are hitting Iran “where it is much more appropriate” adding, “everything has been knocked out”. This comes after the worst mass casualty of the strikes so far, which was on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran. The devastating attack killed at least 168 people (our visual guide is here).\n-\nTrump also said he was upset with Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, who has not joined the US-Israeli attack on Iran but did let US forces use UK bases. “I’m not happy with the UK,” the US president said. Referring to Starmer, he added: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”\n-\nTrump also said the United States would cut off all trade with Spain after the country refused to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran. “Spain has been terrible,” Trump said.\n-\nIsrael launched further strikes in Tehran and Beirut on Tuesday, saying it was targeting Iranian military sites and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 52 people and displaced at least 30,000 in Lebanon.\n-\nFighting continued in Lebanon, with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, approving a ground incursion into the southern part of the country and the Israeli military issuing new evacuation orders for dozens of locations.\n-\nIsrael also struck the building of Iran’s assembly of experts, which is responsible for electing Iran’s next supreme leader. Iranian news agencies confirmed that attack and said there were no casualties (the building wasn’t in use at the time).\n-\nThe Iranian Red Crescent Society said that at least 787 people had been killed across Iran. However, in its latest update, the Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said the death toll on day three had reached at least 1,500, including 200 civilians and 1,300 members of the Iranian forces.\n-\nCasualties and destruction were reported across at least nine countries, with the United Arab Emirates recording 186 missiles and 812 drones sent toward the country since the start of the conflict and two ports in Oman targeted in drone strikes today.\n-\nThe International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday confirmed that the entrance buildings of Iran’s Natanz fuel enrichment plant had sustained some damage in the recent strikes.\n-\nIsrael’s military said in the early hours of Tuesday that it was working to intercept a new wave of missiles launched from Iran, warning residents in multiple locations to seek shelter. After the latest salvo, Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services said they were treating seven people with injuries.\n-\nNetanyahu said the war against Iran may take “some time” but would not take years. He told Fox News: “I said it could be quick and decisive. It may take some time, but it’s not going to take years. It’s not an endless war.”\n-\nThe US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was hit by a drone strike, causing a fire to break out.\n-\nThe state department urged Americans to immediately leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East. Officials said US citizens should leave using available commercial transportation “due to safety risks”. The US has not organised its own evacuation flights.\n-\nOther countries, including Italy, Germany and France, are trying to organise the return of their citizens. The evacuation of Spanish citizens is under way by land and air, and the country expects a first group of 175 citizens to land in Madrid from Abu Dhabi on Tuesday afternoon. A British government charter flight is to take off from Muscat, the capital of Oman, “in the coming days”, according to Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary.\n-\nThere was confusion over the status of navigation in the strait of Hormuz after a general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to “burn any ship” seeking to navigate the waterway, a vital route for oil and gas shipments. However, US Central Command said the strait was not closed, according to Fox News.\n-\nKaroline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has said that “49 of the most senior Iranian regime leaders” have been killed in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, declaring that “killing terrorists is good for America”. That number includes supreme leader Ali Khamenei.\n-\nThe US military said that it had struck more than 1,250 targets in Iran since operations started on Saturday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T05:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxObzhjMURrUFVJRDNoYkRFQmRFR29DUERhblhMZ09EM2x2ZEJhd0ctcHZERmF0a3lKcndDWnJrbE95QXZ5MmpwaGVoaW4yZ2J3c1JMbGhoSWhrRFlWdkUtUF9HdVNCTXNRZ0U0MFJ4clFVaTVuZWJSODgzbk12OEpTRjVjU0E5cGRfNncwUDNETG5DUWszYVI5U2ZQS0Y0TlE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b31768f60e34",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran war heralds era of AI-powered bombing quicker than ‘speed of thought’ - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The use of AI tools to enable attacks on Iran heralds a new era of bombing quicker than “the speed of thought”, experts have said, amid fears human decision-makers could be sidelined.\nAnthropic’s AI model, Claude, was reportedly used by the US military in the barrage of strikes as the technology “shortens the kill chain” – meaning the process of target identification through to legal approval and strike launch.\nThe US and Israel, which previously used AI to identify targets in Gaza, launched almost 900 strikes on Iranian targets in the first 12 hours alone, during which Israeli missiles killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nAcademics studying the field say AI is collapsing the planning time required for complex strikes – a phenomenon known as “decision compression”, which some fear could result in human military and legal experts merely rubber-stamping automated strike plans.\nIn 2024 the San Francisco-based Anthropic deployed its model across the US Department of War and other national security agencies to speed up war planning. Claude became part of a system developed by the war-tech company Palantir with the Pentagon to “dramatically improve intelligence analysis and enable officials in their decision-making processes”.\n“The AI machine is making recommendations for what to target, which is actually much quicker in some ways than the speed of thought,” said Craig Jones, a senior lecturer in political geography at Newcastle University and an expert in kill chains. “So you’ve got scale and you’ve got speed, you’re [carrying out the] assassination-style strikes at the same time as you’re decapitating the regime’s ability to respond with all the aerial ballistic missiles. That might have taken days or weeks in historic wars. [Now] you’re doing everything at once.”\nThe latest AI systems can rapidly analyse mountains of information on potential targets from drone footage to telecommunications interceptions as well as human intelligence. Palantir’s system uses machine learning to identify and prioritise targets and recommend weaponry, accounting for stockpiles and previous performance against similar targets. It also uses automated reasoning to evaluate legal grounds for a strike.\n“This is the next era of military strategy and military technology,” said David Leslie, professor of ethics, technology and society at Queen Mary University of London, who has observed demonstrations of AI military systems. He also warned that reliance on AI can result in “cognitive off-loading”. Humans tasked with making a strike decision can feel detached from its consequences because the effort to think it through has been made by a machine.\nOn Saturday 165 people, many children, were killed in a missile strike that hit a school in southern Iran, according to state media. It appeared to be close to a military barracks and the UN called it “a grave violation of humanitarian law”. The US military has said it is looking into the reports.\nIt is not known what AI systems, if any, Iran has embedded into its war-fighting machine, although it claimed in 2025 to use AI in its missile-targeting systems. Its own AI programme, hampered by international sanctions, appears negligible by contrast with the AI superpowers of the US and China.\nIn the days before the Iran strikes, the US administration had said it would banish Anthropic from its systems after it refused to allow its AI to be used for fully autonomous weapons or surveillance of US citizens. But it remains in use until it is phased out. Anthropic’s rival, OpenAI, quickly signed its own deal with the Pentagon for military use of its models.\n“The advantage is in the speed of decision-making, the collapsing of planning from what might have taken days or weeks before to minutes or seconds,” said Leslie. “These systems produce a set of options for human decision makers but [they’ve] got a much narrower time band … to evaluate the recommendation.”\n“The deployment of AI is expanding,” said Prerana Joshi, research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a defence thinktank. “It is being done across countries’ defence estates … across logistics, training, decision management, maintenance.”\nShe added: “AI is a technology that will allow decision makers, and anyone in that chain, to improve the productivity and efficiency of what they do. It’s a way of synthesising data at a much faster pace that is helpful to decision makers.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxQMm4wWWR2ajhENWxQNXBXMlpmSkFuLTBXcEpWekVEMWJvRzFnS2VhNExnOW9IbXVpaVZUVVFhTWZ3dHYzdGIxd09JQW5kMzlhTG9PbThEYmp5d1FIWVdicmtPaHMwYWxsMFZKTmJPVjJ1ZG5YWjk1MjF6M2RVMXBNMTBIaFdoaXRnaE1qWDUzMEpIOUI2b0FvOFNuTFhjWjhIRmI2WGljQzBkZ2g1aWFGU1VqLWs1WTFGQ0Q4MWlMX0I?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e05cffcdb34b",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Brussels urges calm as Iran crisis sends European gas prices soaring - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Brussels urges calm as Iran crisis sends European gas prices soaring\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:00:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9CZWt0Y1EtNVJjVkxVZWk1Z3JNVVRrdmtEYUZDM2k2SHFLdTNzUHFLbDdWM3MyVVEybGVxbWRfeXBHNldvSXZxaTk1cXAtVGc2cmF4UTZhcjdJTFBPclJCVjJNMzB4LUctc3BtY2Yybzk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7014561d7e54",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump hosts Germany's Merz against backdrop of Iran strikes, tariff threats - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump hosts Germany's Merz against backdrop of Iran strikes, tariff threats    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNZUtvVEhNbDZQeDlNMHNHMERMOE5sZkpqNzllT0hURDM2cTFMckd4SUFCRFlwSmdMSGpySV9Sb2JwVTFBNUpFTFk2LTNiVEJpNk1pSkdYZzJ2VjhtQ1MyZTUtbU9OVGFNUF9ubVZUMjhKT3phTmtVU3psZ0lMMGNKeng1aDVEYV84OU1KWWQ4NnRyNzl4dEh5d2RyeDBFQ1ZzcTVJQ3RuOVFaZG9KVFdVbExrcXB5UGpRenc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a383e715217d",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Euro zone inflation could surge on lengthy Iran war, ECB's chief economist warns - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Euro zone inflation could surge on lengthy Iran war, ECB's chief economist warns    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxQRm1RMlk2dnZXdU1qUEFWQVQ1dXNteTd4M2d2Yjc5VTJoNGU4eEZtay14cVlTYVpWbDlSME9pdzdEN3YxVzVFSkhwNFZjbms4aVE1ZjBCc0gtcmhVZ0hyNVVFYzB3eUdyZFV5dm1Ja0lYT0RTQlJDR1dvdjNyUXppZHNENldfUk9Tb0FVWEN5NlBMa2NmQnpzR0dWcXJVUE9aMzg2dnNEcENLOHZyeEtuVGkzdEp0X1dxb1RlZWhPaENjMjhuYlZjUw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3dec5b8136e1",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran war enters fourth day in 'smoke and blood' as markets slide - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran war enters fourth day in 'smoke and blood' as markets slide    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:03:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxQY3FqRW1HVEhwNDZHMlZCM3BtU1AzN0htNUJhcHY0d1JhWDFyNFRXY2tXQ29MY3ZTSUtaUloycDlGQnFxOHBQYW5ILUpoSmRCS201ZFY1eW1ZT2NvT0c1X1djdDduQnd0T0RlWG81OVFmX3NqTU5xZlc0dHZvY29ZczRCZ1I1bDZYNFNXZmFPQ1RDNFdnZmxPUlE4Q05hR09hOUxGMUVuLTJCMG9I?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_45933186d616",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "‘Things are OK’: Iranian spice shop owner in old Dubai looks to the future - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iranian shop owner Morteza Asaadi in old Dubai remains optimistic despite regional tensions and recent attacks.\nTourists continue to visit Bur Dubai and Deira souqs, reporting satisfaction with safety and normality.\nUAE defences intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 drones since Saturday; three deaths were caused by falling debris.\nTour operator Yang Tian’s Taiwanese group feels secure while touring Dubai and Abu Dhabi, despite seeing news of the attacks.\n“Inshallah, things will turn around, you know, it will not stay the same,” the shop owner says.\nThe US-Israel war on Iran worries Morteza Asaadi. His family is from Iran, but his father came to the Emirates years ago, and the store they operate in the heart of old Dubai was set up in 1963.\nMr Asaadi’s children were born and brought up in the UAE, and for him and his family, Dubai is home.\n“We feel that this is a very temporary kind of a thing and things will be all right,\" he says from his shop in Meena Bazaar, bordering the Creek.\n“We do feel very worried … but inshallah, things will turn around, you know, it will not stay the same,” he says, referring to the strikes on the UAE.\nIran has been conducting strikes across the Gulf since Saturday, after it was attacked by Israel and the US. The UAE's air defences have shot down and intercepted at least 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and more than 540 Iranian drones since Saturday. Three people in the UAE have died as a result of fallen debris.\nBut the Emirates has reassured people that it is doing everything to keep everyone safe and secure. And in the heart of old Dubai, it remains business as usual.\n'Everything is normal'\nThe traditional souqs in Bur Dubai and Deira are bustling, as visitors continue to inspect wares, seek out discounts and take photos in front of the spice souq. Labubus and Dubai chocolates attempt to tempt tourist groups from across the world. There is no fear in the air.\nYang Tian, a tour operator in Dubai, has a huge group from Taiwan who are on the fourth of a five-day trip.\n“Everything is normal,” he says, adding that while the tourists did see news reports and videos about the attacks, “when they toured around in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, they are feeling very satisfied with the safety here”.\nOne tourist we spoke to about his views on the situation was concerned about the Dubai heat. Others who were forced to stay in the country by airspace closures said they were not worried about the situation and were keen to explore the city.\nMariusz Wasilewski, a Pole, intended to fly out after a two-day trip, but is now here for longer. “People are OK with the [situation] in most cases I've seen,” he says. “Dubai is a very safe place. In general, the Emirates is a very safe place.”\nThe small dhows, or wooden boats that transport people from Deira to Bur Dubai, are full and we have to wait for our turn to board a crowded boat. A huge flock of pigeons circles the boat as we near the shore – we look around to find a person doing what appears to be his ritual of feeding them seeds.\nThe shop assistants in Mr Asaadi’s store continue to arrange the colourful sweets, surrounded by mounds of dried fruits and nuts, varieties of dates and saffron boxes.\n“War is not a good thing, it makes people very uncertain, worried and insecure,” Mr Asaadi says. His wife’s elderly mother is in Iran, and they were in touch with her until about mid-Sunday.\nFor the businessman, the links with Dubai run deep. He cites an expert pointing out that Dubai is the second most important city for Iran, after Tehran. “So, you can see the significance of this city and this country, and so, it is important that [Iran] keeps good relations with this country, with the city. They [Iranian government] have to think of us … we live here. Our families are here, our kids are here, we really care about the city, we care about the people,” he says.\nMr Asaadi, who has lived in the US, says he chose life in Dubai. “I prefer it here because of the warmness of the local culture and the expatriates. So, I strongly wish and feel that it will be like this in perpetuity.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:12:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxQb2E4eExvdmp1S2FPMmNodHA0ZUVGOEpzUWlkdG05SFduZ25uMThyMWRHY3NyTEh5dlk1NFNRNWZlV0VPVmFzaW96d0htRzc3OVZzUG1EOGp4U1VKYWpMTnZpaW00OER2TnJKaC00QnNPSVBsODhIN3pMdlNLNHFtdmhqbU15UGhXLXRrRUZBamtFNXIyZmNYODFNbEhnYkczS05MWTVuTXBVVl9NYnpwdTFuTm5iY2ZNR2xLM1NzQ2tNdkpnWnBwMzkxQ25Xc2c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_812e2492e453",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Netanyahu says US-Israel war on Iran 'not going to take years' - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Netanyahu says US-Israel war on Iran 'not going to take years'\nMarch 3 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected the war against Iran was \"not going to take years\", as the conflict widened with Israel attacking Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Iran hitting Gulf states that host U.S. bases.\nU.S. President Donald Trump initially projected the war to last four to five weeks, but since sought to justify a broad, open-ended war on Iran.\nNetanyahu rejected the idea of the conflict lasting years, like previous wars in the region.\n\"I said it could be quick and decisive. It may take some time, but it's not going to take years. It's not an endless war,\" Netanyahu said on Fox News' \"Hannity\" program on Monday.\nAs the war entered its fourth day on Tuesday, explosions shook buildings across Tel Aviv as air defenses intercepted incoming Iranian missiles.\nIsrael attacked the complex that houses Iran's state broadcaster IRIB in Tehran and targeted Hezbollah militants in towns across Lebanon.\nEarly on Tuesday, two drones, apparently from Iran, struck the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, causing minor damage and starting a fire, and at least eight more drones were intercepted before reaching the city, Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said.\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Tuesday that its naval forces had destroyed the main command building and headquarters of a U.S. airbase in Bahrain in what it described as the 14th wave of “Operation Promise of the Truth 4”.\nThe IRGC said in a statement that it had launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on the base in the Sheikh Isa area early in the morning, with 20 drones and three missiles striking their intended targets.\nThe U.S. State Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.\nU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday warned that “the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military” in the offensive against Iran.\nAsked how long he expected the United States to be engaged in Iran, Rubio told reporters that he did not know, and that he did not rule out the possibility that Trump might deploy U.S. troops to fight a ground war in the Middle East.\n\"We believe the objectives we have set for this mission, the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities, both launch capibilities and manufacturing can be achieved without ground forces,\" Rubio said.\n\"Right now we are not postured for ground forces. But obviously the president has those options and he is not going to rule out anything.\"\nThe U.S. and Israeli air war against Iran began with attacks against Tehran on Saturday, which killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Retaliation from Iran and its proxy Hezbollah has dragged the wider Gulf region into the conflict, killing hundreds of civilians in Iran, Israel and Lebanon.\nThe U.S. military said it had struck more than 1,250 targets in Iran and destroyed 11 Iranian ships. Six U.S. service personnel have been killed so far, all in Iran's retaliatory attacks over the weekend on Kuwait.\nKuwait mistakenly shot down three American F-15E fighter jets during an Iranian attack, U.S. Central Command said. All six crew members ejected and were safely recovered.\nThe conflict has thrown global air transport into chaos and shut down shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world's oil trade skirts the Iranian coast, sending oil prices surging.\nMajor Gulf hubs, including the world's busiest international airport Dubai, which usually handles over 1,000 flights a day, remained closed for a fourth day due to the conflict. That has left tens of thousands of passengers stranded as aviation faced its biggest test since the COVID-19 pandemic.\nAsian airline shares extended losses on Tuesday, with carriers closely monitoring fuel price spikes and many seeing a surge in bookings as passengers switch from Middle Eastern airlines.\nGlobal oil and gas shipping rates soared, with supertanker costs in the Middle East hitting all-time highs, after Tehran targeted ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to shipping data and industry sources on Tuesday.\nWAR WIDENS TO LEBANON\nTrump has said the U.S. faced an imminent threat from Iran that justified the war, although he gave no specifics and some U.S. lawmakers said he has shown no evidence to back that assessment.\nU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the United States acted preemptively because it knew of close ally Israel's plan to strike Iran and knew Tehran would respond, putting U.S. bases at risk.\n\"We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,\" Rubio said.\nIn his most extensive public comments so far on the conflict, Trump on Monday said he had ordered the attack to thwart Tehran's nuclear program and a ballistic missile program that he said was growing rapidly.\nCommercial satellite imagery has captured what appears to be the first known strikes on an Iranian nuclear site since the start of the war, an independent policy institute said on Monday.\nIran has denied it is seeking nuclear weapons and said the U.S. and Israeli assault was unprovoked, occurring as Tehran and Washington were in negotiations on a nuclear accord.\nTrump withdrew from a prior international agreement curbing Iran's nuclear programduring his first term in 2018, three years after it was signed.\nTrump's assault on Iran is the biggest U.S. foreign policy gamble in decades and a major political risk for his Republican Party in this year's midterm elections, with only one in four Americans saying they support the Iran attack, according to a weekend Reuters/Ipsos poll.\nRussia, China and Turkey have condemned the war.\n(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York, Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil in Washington, Enas Alashray in Cairo; Writing by Jonathan Allen and Michael Perry; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Stephen Coates)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:20:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPeDNaTUFEeUdZT21QcmxmYkxKYmc0U2RGd2N6bzRqczZ6Z0xjQ093NjJTVk8zd3JDZ0VmS3l4RS1JYXZFX01Dc1JzQkpPV2JBa3lZZGxnamNxcWJGUTYtSmR1ejg2dXp1ZHlEbkNZZVdlN1gtc1ZFc0ZnLVo0VTZ6b09KeFZyb3NHNzFQeGJQazI3M1ZRYWV0YzFVRlgyMTYw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_342fd59bbaca",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump’s show of force in the Middle East creates a weakness China can exploit - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "As the US and Israel opened a new chapter of chaos in the Middle East, China stands to benefit from a Washington establishment that does not have the political or physical resources to focus on Asia.\nOfficially, China has condemned the attacks. Wang Yi, the foreign minister, called them “unacceptable” and called for a ceasefire, rhetoric that is typical of Beijing in response to Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic foreign policy moves.\nWang made similar comments after the US capture of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, in January. The Chinese government wastes no opportunity to present itself as the defender of international laws and stability, although it provides little material support to smaller partners in the crosshairs of the US president’s latest furies.\nBut, aside from the chance to score diplomatic points, Trump’s decision to embark on a war against Iran that is already widening into a regional conflict creates a space for China to once more leverage its critical mineral dominance, particularly in the area of defence, and places the issue of Taiwan on an increasingly long list of concerns for the US.\nHowever, the strikes on Iran do pose some risk to China, especially when it comes to oil.\nChina is thought to buy about 80% of Iran’s shipped oil. That accounts for about 13% of China’s seaborne imports, although grasping the true scale of China’s Iranian oil imports is difficult because much of it is labelled as originating from Indonesia or Malaysia to avoid US sanctions.\nLosing cheap oil from Iran would be a blow to China, although a manageable one. But it is barely two months since the US in effect took control of Venezuela’s oil industry, another, albeit much smaller, source of cheap supply for China.\nAccording to an analysis by Erica Downs, a senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, more than a fifth of China’s oil imports in 2025 came from sources, including Venezuela, Iran and Russia, that had been placed under sanctions. Two of those supply chains are now imperilled. And on Saturday, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, tweeted that prices could be “$100+ oil per barrel soon”. Prices of the benchmark Brent crude hit $82 per barrel on Monday, a 14-month high.\n“This is not coming at a good time for China,” says Alicia García-Herrero, the chief economist for Asia Pacific at the investment bank Natixis, who notes that China was facing surging energy demands because of the rapid rollout of datacentres needed to train artificial intelligence, a key pillar of China’s economic plans for the next five years. “The trend is less and less oil at below market prices.”\nOn Sunday, Hualue American Studies Center, a Shanghai-based thinktank with government links, noted that a 2021 China-Iran strategic partnership agreement, worth $400bn, could also be at risk if the leadership in Tehran was replaced with a pro-western regime.\nBut China has been strengthening its strategic buffers. Only a tiny fraction of the $400bn promised in 2021 has actually been delivered. And perhaps mindful of geopolitical shocks on the horizon, China spent last year building up stockpiles of oil, demand for which is likely to peak soon as China’s green transition accelerates. China’s crude oil imports increased by 4.4% last year, with more than 80% of that increase being stockpiled, according to calculations based on data from Rystad Energy.\nThat means it will be able to weather any shocks to its supply – both from the loss of Iranian oil and from disruptions in the strait of Hormuz – for at least a few months.\nSome analysts say that the biggest harm done by a shock in oil prices will be to Trump, who wants to keep a lid on inflation in the US in the run-up the midterms in November.\nA critical moment\nAnd there may be some aspects in which China could benefit from the unrest unleashed by Washington’s military salvoes.\nLaunching a new offensive in Iran will deplete stockpiles of American weapons for both the US and Israel. Last year, the Pentagon halted weapons shipments to Ukraine because of concerns about dwindling stockpiles. The Guardian reported that the Pentagon has only 25% of the Patriot missile systems needed for its military plans.\nAnd yet, the US has deployed much of its most powerful weaponry for Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East, including Patriot and Thaad missile defence systems, as well as F-35 fighter jets and other advanced kit.\nThese weapons are all reliant on semiconductors and radars made with gallium, a critical mineral whose supply chain China controls. During last year’s US-China trade war, Beijing cut off the export of gallium and other rare earths, nearly crippling global industrial supply chains and forcing Washington’s hand in trade negotiations.\nSome analysts believe that Trump’s decision to open a new military front at a time when the US is still dependent on China for a crucial defence industry commodity will strengthen China’s hand for the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing.\nJoseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council thinktank, says: “Beijing will be delighted to see the US expending scarce munitions and interceptors in a secondary theatre. Drawing down existing weapons stockpiles will not only lower resources available for a Taiwan contingency, but China’s critical minerals dominance could give it leverage over the production of new weapons.”\nMatthew P Funaiole, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, notes that gallium is primarily used in the sensors rather than the expendable components of most munitions. “The more sustained vulnerability is not in firing them, but in the ability to manufacture, upgrade and repair the broader ecosystem of gallium-enabled systems.”\nUS attempts to build up non-China supply chains of critical minerals like gallium are still in their early stages and “are unlikely to meaningfully change supply dynamics in the immediate term”, Funaiole says.\nThere are nonetheless risks for China on the horizon. Some analysts believe that the elimination of a second leader of a Chinese strategic partner in as many months will dent China’s appeal to global south countries. In the past three years Iran joined the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and Brics, two China-led multilateral organisations. China also brokered a detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which looks somewhat meaningless now that there are questions about the extent to which Saudi Arabia may have supported the US strikes.\nStill, a US foreign policy establishment that is preoccupied with yet another sprawling, unpredictable conflict, far from China’s neighbourhood, is likely to bring more gains than losses for Beijing.\nAdditional research by Lillian Yang",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxNWklyUjlrY0RNR0pRczFBUEVWWGZfck5sZlpFRWE1cGZxYkpZUjZiT3N1UzR4VlY4VHROOGdxaG44b0pYenVwMjhzUmNBRS11VGNUUmNYQXN1dUlUM3FYSFV2cF93dEJBZzBPcHZWNkhWMHJBS2FZYWxNLVYxU0lyVWxxdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_30d67f82f31a",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran-Israel War Latest News: 100+ Killed in Iran School Strike, US Embassy in Riyadh Targeted Amid Middle East Crisis - The Sunday Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran-Israel War Latest News: 100+ Killed in Iran School Strike, US Embassy in Riyadh Targeted Amid Middle East Crisis    The Sunday Guardian",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:39:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi8AFBVV95cUxPTGwzRlZxQnEyMlB6eFZNb3dkUHJjREZ5M1MweTRzOTVuMmpWQnprSlg3NkdBWVh5TDBRWHVFQmZsaXR3SHZPbXJ2d01CRV9RODJybHRIbzNlZTVPTmJfNnE2eUlJRmtfOTVlYm1HOUR4QlJMZ0p1WFVmY0R3a1I5Njl1LWpXWm1ER1pKRjNEZTNyR1pFTHBxMGhIc0RMNGwyZlFiRHd1YThEWGdLOTh5Z1ZURVBrd2FMM2I5VnFCNTlMR2tGSnBKTGhSZmUwbHNRd1pWY2Via3JPT19fUkJpTGN4RUxiZzFsSnVTakQ4cno?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f034dc9161c3",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Tuesday briefing: ‘An historic rupture’ as the Middle East crisis spreads - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Good morning. The regional war many countries had long feared is here.\nOn Saturday, global attention turned to Iran after an extraordinary joint aerial assault by the US and Israel. The intense bombardment was followed with news of the assassination of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with large numbers of Iran’s military and political leadership.\nBefore the world had time to absorb that shock, Iran retaliated, striking not only Israel and US targets but also its Gulf neighbours. There are reports of attacks on American military bases across the Gulf and the US embassy in Riyadh, as well as damage to civilian infrastructure such as hotels. Tens of thousands of Britons in the region are trapped in an increasingly dangerous and rapidly escalating situation. Markets and governments alike are bracing for potential spikes in oil and energy prices as the fallout spreads beyond the battlefield.\nWhat happens next, and how much this conflict could escalate, is the question on many of our minds. To help unpack that, I spoke to Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent. That’s after the headlines.\nFive big stories\n-\nMiddle East | Israel’s determination to attack Iran and the certainty US troops would be targeted in response forced the Trump administration to take pre-emptive strikes, Marco Rubio said, in a new explanation for Washington’s surprise entry into the conflict.\n-\nTravel | More than 100,000 Britons were stranded in the Gulf on Monday, with airspace in the region still closed to most flights and overland evacuation regarded as risky.\n-\nUK politics | Nigel Farage has been accused of Donald Trump-style election denial by the Green party’s new MP for Gorton and Denton, after he claimed her Reform rival “came first” among British-born voters in last week’s byelection.\n-\nUK news | Scotland has become the first part of the UK to legalise hydrolysis, an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial, reflecting increasing demand for more sustainable funeral arrangements.\n-\nEnvironment | UK programmes to protect nature and the climate in developing countries are suffering budget cuts despite ministers’ promises, the Guardian has learned.\nIn depth: A threat to stability across all of the Middle East\nThe US-Israeli bombing campaign inside Iran has been vast and intensive, with a swift, expansive response from Iran – rapidly taking the conflict beyond its initial targets, drawing in countries across the Middle East.\nHours after the US-Israeli attack, Iranian missiles and drones were launched at Israeli and American bases across the Gulf – including in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.\nIn a joint statement, Gulf states alongside the US strongly condemned what they described as Iran’s “indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks”, warning they threatened wider regional stability.\n“This moment is one of those you think has been coming for a long time and everyone has braced for it, but when it actually happens it still feels extraordinary,” Julian Borger says, describing the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who dominated Iranian politics for 36 years, as “an historic rupture”.\nUncertainty remains about his successor, the capacity of any opposition to take control of the state, and the ultimate objectives of the US and Israel. Borger told me of his fears for ordinary Iranians, caught between an authoritarian regime and sustained US-Israeli bombardment. “If the country fractures, you could see a Libya-style collapse,” Julian says. “Iran is a large multi-ethnic state with disparate regions: Baluchis, Arabs in the south-west, and other minorities. There are separatist movements, and external powers may encourage them.”\nWhy is Iran targeting the Gulf?\nJulian says Iran has targeted the Gulf, in part, to build international pressure on the US. “Iran is trying to impose costs on the United States indirectly,” he explains. “The hope is that Gulf governments will pressure Washington to stop.”\nAt the same time, Iran has sought to reassure neighbouring states that they are not the intended enemy. As Julian puts it, Iran’s message is: “This isn’t about you, it’s about America and Israel.” But, he adds: “It’s a high-risk strategy because it risks turning Gulf states against Iran entirely. Instead of blaming the US or Israel, they start seeing Iran itself as the main threat.”\nWhile damage to infrastructure has been limited, the attacks threaten an image the Gulf has spent decades and billions constructing – as a beacon of wealth and stability. Now, a UN nuclear expert is warning that the mass evacuation of cities across the Middle East may be necessary if civil nuclear power stations are attacked, as this could lead to radiological release.\n“The Gulf sells itself as a sanctuary with western money, western expatriates and absolute stability,” Julian explains. “The image it projects is that nothing bad happens here, but attacks puncture that.”\nThe UK Foreign Office is drawing up contingency plans to evacuate tens of thousands of British citizens should the conflict escalate further. Many Britons remain stranded in Dubai and elsewhere across the region.\nIf the fighting can be contained, Julian says Gulf states may recover quickly. “But if it drags on, that reputation for safety takes a real hit.”\nAnd the conflict has gone beyond the region. Iranian drones have been launched at RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus. Soon after, the UK, France and Germany said they had launched defensive action to protect their interests in the region and their Gulf allies.\nWhat is the impact on the US?\nSo far, Iranian attacks have inflicted limited direct damage on the US. Six American soldiers have been killed, and three US aircraft have been shot down, reportedly from friendly fire.\n“For years, American planners war gamed this scenario,” Julian says. “Every time they ran those simulations, at least one American warship sank. The assumption was that Iran would unleash massive drone swarms, aerial drones, underwater drones, surface drones, overwhelming US defences. That hasn’t happened yet.”\nWhat is clear is that Washington seems to have little appetite for a prolonged conflict. “Donald Trump treats politics episodically,” Julian says. “Each crisis becomes another instalment of the Trump show. He will want a quick ending that he can present as victory.”\nAs the conflict widens, events may quickly move beyond the control of any single actor. “But it doesn’t take much going wrong for public opinion to turn. Approval for this operation is already low.”\nAt the same time, the US will be closely watching how much pressure its Gulf allies are willing to absorb. There have been conflicting reports about Saudi Arabia’s position: the Washington Post reported that Riyadh had lobbied in favour of military action, a claim Saudi officials swiftly denied.\nWhat is the cost of war?\nThe economic consequences of the conflict are already rippling far beyond the battlefield. “Insurance markets and shipping companies are extremely risk-averse. Even the perception of danger raises prices immediately,” Julian says.\nIranian strikes have been reported in Saudi Arabia, where officials said a fire at an oil refinery is “under control”, and at a major gas processing plant in Qatar. Both facilities have halted production, which could disrupt energy supply.\nGas prices surged sharply, at one point rising by as much as 42% in Europe, as traders priced in the risk of a prolonged conflict in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.\n“Iran is targeting energy infrastructure because Trump is already politically vulnerable on cost of living issues,” Julian says. “A new oil shock would be damaging.”\nAnd, of course, there is the human toll. The Iranian Red Crescent Society says at least 555 people have been killed in US-Israeli attacks across 131 cities since Saturday. Israel has reported 10 deaths from Iranian attacks and there have been three fatalities in the Gulf.\nOn Monday, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei. Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon (pictured above) killed at least 31 people and injured 149 others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.\nFor now, Julian said, there are no clear signs the Iranian regime is collapsing. “Trump’s message was essentially: we bomb, then the people rise. Whether that happens remains uncertain.”\nWhat else we’ve been reading\n-\nFormerly of this parish, Archie Bland writes – in gentle praise and no little relief – on the return of Ms Rachel, the queen of children’s edutainment. Martin\n-\nIf you weren’t already concerned about AI and the absence of meaningful oversight, you will be after reading this chilling piece by a member of Meta’s oversight board. Aamna\n-\nThe tech talk is a bit beyond me, but I was still fascinated by this blog post, about someone using data to empirically prove the longest line of sight on Earth – it is between the Himalayas and Pik Dankova in Kyrgyzstan. Martin\n-\nThere will be plenty of analysis of the extraordinary events unfolding in the Middle East. But sometimes a single image, like Jason White’s cartoon about the US-Israel strikes on Iran, captures it more sharply than a thousand words. Aamna\n-\n“Part modern circus, part dance, part cabaret” – Imogen Tilden explores the impressive-sounding immersive theatre production Walk My World in Budapest. Martin\nSport\nFootball | Jurriën Timber says Arsenal’s players can feel the anxiety of the Emirates Stadium crowd and must find a way to handle it as they chase a first Premier League title since 2004.\nFootball | Tributes are being paid after the death of the trailblazing footballer Lynda Hale, who scored in England’s first official women’s international fixture.\nSix Nations | Steve Borthwick is ready to radically overhaul his misfiring England side for the Six Nations clash against Italy on Saturday, with Fin Smith expected to be handed the No 10 jersey.\nThe front pages\n“Fears grow as Iran conflict spreads across Middle East” is the Guardian top story. The FT splash says “Iran turns fire on global energy supply” and the Mirror has “Middle East in flames”. The i paper leads on “Starmer and Trump clash on Ayatollah’s assassination and war with Iran”, the Telegraph has “I am very disappointed in Keir” and the Sun frames it as “Inaction this day”. The Mail headlines on “US lambasts ‘hand-wringing, pearl-clutching’ Starmer as Kemi says he’s ‘scared’ of his own voters”, and the Times has “Big strike coming, says US”.\nToday in Focus\nChaos in the Gulf\nAfter the US and Israel assassinated Iran’s supreme leader, Tehran has hit back. Missiles have rained down on the Gulf. Will the region retaliate? Julian Borger reports.\nCartoon of the day | Ben Jennings\nThe Upside\nA bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad\nHalf a century after his last UK visit, the Japanese guitar legend Masayoshi Takanaka is finally returning – and demand has been so intense that his London date was upgraded to Brixton Academy to fit the crowds. Takanaka (pictured above with his signature guitar) first toured the UK in 1972 with Sadistic Mika Band, before building a hugely successful solo career at home.\nNow, streaming and viral clips have won him global acclaim, and led to sold-out shows and festival slots on a tour that has taken him to the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand. “In Japan, most of the people at my shows are in their 50s, 60s or 70s,” he says in this interview. “But in LA, most people were in their 20s. You could really feel their energy, and hear the audience cheering so loud. It got me really emotional.”\nSign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday\nBored at work?\nAnd finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:41:38+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Marcos Says Philippines Has Ample Oil as Conflict Roils Markets - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Marcos Says Philippines Has Ample Oil as Conflict Roils Markets    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T06:53:00+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "South Korean Stocks Slump on Iran Risk as Market Reopens - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "South Korean Stocks Slump on Iran Risk as Market Reopens    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:01:00+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "France says it will work with China on de-esclatating Iran war - Reuters",
    "body_text": "France says it will work with China on de-esclatating Iran war    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:09:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_f9c73d4e8a24",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The Latest: Trump says Iran war could last weeks, US citizens in dozens of countries urged to leave - The Washington Post",
    "body_text": "The Latest: Trump says Iran war could last weeks, US citizens in dozens of countries urged to leave    The Washington Post",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:20:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxNYzBWSGVVaXFkM1Nwbm5SY2NBT3FaVFg4ajhKWFhBZmhJbnYyM0RmQkk5aDRXaWl1V1FTVi1qaV82YWs4NE11V0hSc3N5T18yZTFzSFFHenZEY252dS1KMjBPNXdIZWp1aEhYcmRaZkRCM255bV9yN0wwUTByWjJTNzhuVXBkRlh2UWpRN0stUlJnRUZheS04Y0JMaTQwd1lzMW52MDlvNm1YTm1oT29Hei00TUVlZGJ2Wlg0OW1KNnU3YnAxaDVyUm1Vcw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7e89c023c415",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Oil climbs for third day over Israeli-US war on Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Oil prices continued to rise for a third consecutive session on Tuesday as the expanding US-Israeli war with Iran and mounting threats to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz intensified concerns over supply disruptions from the Middle East.\nBy early morning on Tuesday, Brent crude was trading at $78.83 a barrel, up $1.10, or 1.4 per cent. On Monday, Brent briefly surged to $82.37 - its highest level since January 2025 - before easing to close 6.7 per cent higher.\nUS West Texas Intermediate crude rose 74 cents, or 1 per cent, to $71.97 a barrel. In the previous session, it reached its strongest level since June 2025 before pulling back, though it still ended the day up 6.3 per cent.\nMarket analysts say the risks remain skewed to the upside as long as the conflict continues to escalate.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:26:00+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "UAE and Qatar Urge Allies to Help Trump Find Iran Off-Ramp - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "UAE and Qatar Urge Allies to Help Trump Find Iran Off-Ramp    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNQ0tlLVVRWGhvcTVaV2JNNGdkVDJrNGF5ZTJLOGdpV19OSy0zcXhxclpja1BkVll3bkVLVHdkX044dzdtb282ekwza24tRXVxTnE5UU44aVRRMGxtSWQ5V0lmbk5yRUVLNTdaZEZNNEd5SjZ3NWQ5MnNhUm5GdWMxck5EWUFUQ2M1akdPV3VfM2wwTWZKY1kzNjYtdkVPZGdnSUU1eWJJMF9OMHVBZ0tVbzl3?oc=5",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israeli military deploys additional forces to southern Lebanon - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israeli military deploys additional forces to southern Lebanon    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:39:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOZHdoVkxrcVZJU2dtbDFhcVNpYkhOX1JTbXRtcEtQVEphVDk3aEIzWERnZ1FROXhmNlE4bzd5dGlWQUU4bGpmb21fT0RuTFdGdlFzWDJIZlNka3hRblIxS3E1a3UzbUpPejVxSW5rVklhamRXZURIRHozWkNreWdLNEw2UmNlNE9RXzBVVjFYbV9PSEhGOGdmNlB0bk0zMkU1WU9QUGJWQm5kblBQOUZrRUxxYw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cde6c59726ac",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran attacks threaten US economy with more uncertainty around inflation, growth - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran attacks threaten US economy with more uncertainty around inflation, growth\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Oil prices jumped Tuesday for the second straight day and gas prices moved higher in the United States, underscoring the threat of rising inflation posed by the Iran war.\nComing after nearly five years of elevated costs, even a modest pickup in prices could further sour many Americans on the economy and heighten the affordability concerns that have become a top political issue.\nOn Tuesday, U.S. oil prices rose more than 5% to $75.22 a barrel in afternoon trading. Gas prices jumped 11 cents to $3.11 a gallon on average nationwide, according to AAA.\nA key issue, economists say, is how long the conflict lasts and whether shipping routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, is closed. About one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped through the Strait. Even a war of a few weeks might not push up inflation or weaken the economy very long. But should it last for a few months, inflation would likely worsen — perhaps topping 3% for the first time since early 2024.\nHere are some ways the war could worsen the economy.\nInflation has lingered even as gas prices have fallen\nWhile some measures of inflation have cooled in recent months, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure has been stuck at about 3% for roughly a year. That is above the central bank’s 2% target, and has occurred even as gas prices fell steadily in 2025.\nShould gas prices rise significantly, air fares could also increase as airlines face bigger fuel costs. Shipping would also become more expensive, which could add to grocery prices. Oil is also used in chemicals and plastics and in many industrial processes, so higher prices could spread.\nNatural gas prices have also risen sharply, after a liquid natural gas plant was shut down in Qatar. That could raise electricity prices in the U.S. Natural gas has already gotten 10% more expensive in the past year, thanks in part to spiking energy usage by data centers powering AI.\nStill, economists noted that the U.S. economy is not as oil-dependent as it has been in the past, with most Americans now working in services, rather than manufacturing.\nAnd other factors may help keep oil price increases relatively limited. Rory Johnston, founder of Commodity Context, an oil analytics firm, pointed out that oil inventories were quite high before the conflict, which helped keep prices in check. That’s in sharp contrast to the winter of 2022, he said, when post-COVID supply chain problems had already pushed up oil costs even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused a much bigger spike.\nPresident Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged that oil and gas prices have risen as the U.S. remains engaged in the ongoing Middle East conflict, but he argued that prices would drop once the war ends.\n“We have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.\nFor every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oil, economists estimate that U.S. gas prices would rise about 25 cents. Should prices top $100 a barrel, gas would move closer to $3.50 a gallon or higher.\nBusinesses may pull back amid uncertainty\nIf the Iran war drags on for months, it could also torpedo business confidence, which could lead companies to invest and hire less, said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide Financial.\n“When there is an injection of new uncertainty into the business environment ... that’s a hit to confidence,” she said.\nThe result could be similar to the impact of Trump’s tariffs, which did not raise prices as much as many economists feared, but did appear to weigh on job gains. Hiring in 2025 was the weakest, outside of a recession, since 2002.\nConsumers sour further on economy\nEven without a big inflation spike, a major risk for Trump is that Americans sour on his economic leadership.\nAccording to surveys, Americans already have a gloomy outlook on the economy, largely because of the lingering effects of the price spikes of the past five years. Trump’s attempts to portray the U.S. as in a “golden age” have had little impact on those attitudes.\nA protracted conflict in Iran that raised gas prices would likely make it worse, said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the Groundwork Collaborative and an economic adviser to the Biden White House.\n“People generally don’t think that President Trump is focused on the things that they are focused on,” Jacquez added, “and what they want him to be focused on is the price of groceries. What they think he’s focused on are things like tariffs and foreign policy.”\nInterest rates could also rise\nWith inflation potentially headed higher, the Federal Reserve could further delay any additional interest rate cuts. The Fed cut its key rate three times last year, but kept them unchanged in January, despite Trump’s repeated demands to cut them further. When the Fed reduces its rate, over time it can lower consumer borrowing costs for things like mortgages and auto loans.\nOn Tuesday, Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said that before the Iran war he had supported at least one interest rate cut this year as inflation slowly cooled. But now he isn’t so sure.\n“With the geopolitical events that we talked about, I just need to see,” he said at the Bloomberg Invest conference in New York City, referring to the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. “We need to get a lot more data in.” Kashkari is one of 12 voting members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee.\nFinancial markets have forecast two rate cuts this year, according to futures prices, and Trump has loudly demanded many more reductions. But the odds of those two cuts occurring this year have fallen since the Iran war began.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:40:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNdGp2YUljRUdHSGVIY3l6ZDhRdFBYRXMtWHZMcjRId1lDNFMtTGJvZmR1YVBMTmRQYkRNTzVReGhRQWZMWk1TNlJHOVZ5OEVDT2l2UVZiVHVZenVqY0ltY2NLSjNia3psZnN0UnYzcEplUmtGSmljdjktNWYwb21XNExCZEpMaFZlQWc2cHNSZW9Gdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c39a8f9e45f0",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last? - BBC",
    "body_text": "Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?\nConflict across the Middle East has entered a second week after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran, killing the country's supreme leader on 28 February.\nIran has continued to respond by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, which have extended to non-military targets, including civilian sites and energy facilities.\nThe fighting has escalated quickly, pulling in Cyprus and Lebanon, with casualties and damage mounting on all sides.\nWhat has been happening in Iran?\nThe US and Israel launched their attack on 28 February, targeting Iran's missile infrastructure, military sites and leadership in the capital, Tehran, and across the country.\nIran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led the country since 1989, was killed during the first wave of strikes. Israel's military said dozens more senior figures in the powerful Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) were also killed.\nThe US and Israel have continued to target key sites linked to Iran's nuclear programme. Iran has repeatedly insisted its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.\nAs of 5 March, Iranian state-linked media Tasnim said 1,230 people had been killed, while the US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) group said 1,114 civilians had been killed and a further 926 reported deaths were under review.\nThe US said it was looking into reports of the incident, while Israel said it was \"not aware\" of any military operations in the area.\nInternet connectivity in Iran has been almost entirely restricted and its airspace has been closed, and there has been no updated death toll from Iran since 5 March.\nHow has Iran responded?\nIran has described the US and Israeli strikes as \"unprovoked, illegal and illegitimate\", and has carried out widespread missile and drone attacks in response.\nThe IRGC said it had targeted Israeli government and military sites in Tel Aviv and elsewhere.\nIran has been accused of widening its attacks to include other targets, including shipping and civilian sites, such as hotels in Dubai.\nThere have also been strikes in countries hosting US bases - Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait - and US-allied Oman and Saudi Arabia.\nDrones hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, and a drone also hit a car park adjacent to the US consulate in Dubai.\nIraq said it had been struck by Iran on 6 March after explosions at Erbil airport, while two days earlier Turkey said it had shot down an Iranian missile over its airspace. Azerbaijan accused Iran of attacking an airport with drones.\nThe US and its Arab allies issued a joint statement condemning Iran's attacks, saying \"the targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilising behaviour\".\nElsewhere, a British military base in Cyprus was struck by a drone, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, which the Cypriot president blamed on Iran. Western officials later said the drone was not launched from Iran.\nOn 7 March, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian broadcast a video message on Iranian state television apologising to neighbouring countries that were attacked.\nPezeshkian said Iran did \"not intend to invade neighbouring countries\" and said the leadership has issued a decision to the armed forced that \"from now on, do not attack neighbouring countries unless attacked first\".\nWhy have the US and Israel attacked Iran?\nIsraeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the attacks on Saturday as a \"pre-emptive strike\" to \"remove threats against the state of Israel\", although he did not explain why there was a need to take military action at this time.\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday the US knew there was going to be Israeli action, which meant America had to act \"pre-emptively\" in the face of expected Iranian attacks on American forces.\nIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Brig Gen Effie Defrin revealed that the military operation was preceded by months of strategic deception that caught Iran off guard.\nIn the US, some lawmakers have called for President Donald Trump's administration to provide evidence that Iran posed a threat before Washington went to war.\nBut there are also underlying reasons.\nIsrael and the US - its closest ally - have been arch-foes of Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. The Iranian leadership has consistently called for Israel's elimination and denounced the US as its greatest enemy.\nThe two countries have led Western opposition to Iran's nuclear programme, claiming Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb - something Iran has vehemently denied.\nThey attacked Iranian nuclear and military sites in June 2025 in a war which lasted for 12 days.\nSince then, they have claimed Iran has been trying to rebuild its nuclear programme and develop missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.\nTrump said these missiles could eventually reach the US, though this has not been supported by US intelligence assessments.\nFor its part, Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence and wants the complete removal of Iran's nuclear and missile programme, as well as regime change.\nThe US first openly talked in January about potentially attacking Iran when its security forces cracked down on protesters with deadly force.\nBut the US and Iran began negotiations and appeared to be making progress until Trump said he was \"not happy\" with the way the talks were going. Hours later the US and Israel began attacking.\nOn 6 March, Trump said there would be \"no deal\" with Iran unless it agreed to an \"unconditional surrender.\nThe following day, in response to Pezeshkian's television statement, Trump said the Iranian leader had \"apologised and surrendered ... because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack\" but added later in his Truth social post \"today Iran will be hit very hard!\"\nWhat's happening in Lebanon?\nA new front in the war opened in Lebanon on 2 March when the militant group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli positions.\nIsrael launched attacks in response, hitting Beirut and parts of southern Lebanon.\nHezbollah is allied to Iran's government and said it was seeking to avenge Khamenei's assassination.\nIn Israel, the defence minister said on 3 March ground troops would \"advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon\" in order to stop attacks from Hezbollah.\nThe United Nations said more than 30,000 people had been forced to flee their homes since the escalation of hostilities.\nIsrael launched a \"broad-scale wave\" of strikes against Beirut overnight on 6 March, saying it struck Hezbollah command centres and a facility storing drones in the capital's southern suburb of Dahieh.\nLebanon's health ministry said on 7 March the attacks had killed almost 300 people since the war front began.\nHow is the war affecting the economy and energy prices?\nInstability in the Middle East has begun to impact the global economy.\nIran has been accused of attacking ships in the Gulf, forcing the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz - a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply.\nAttacks have also been reported on major oil and gas hubs, including in Oman's Duqm commercial port and the UAE's Fujairah terminal.\nThe strikes have prompted some of the world's largest producers of oil and gas to suspend production, including Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities and Saudi Arabia's largest domestic refinery.\nHow might Khamenei's successor be chosen?\nIran has said it will appoint a new supreme leader swiftly.\nA transitional leadership council has been formed to run the country temporarily, consisting of: President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and senior cleric Alireza Arafi.\nThe formal selection of a successor to Khamenei is carried out by 88 senior clerics, known as the Assembly of Experts.\nUnder the country's constitution, these clerics must appoint the new supreme leader as soon as possible, but this may prove difficult while the country is under attack.\nThe IRGC has already named a new commander-in-chief, Ahmad Vahidi.\nTrump told US publication Axios that he wanted to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader.\nIs it safe to travel to the region and how long could the war last?\nTrump first said military action was expected to last \"four to five weeks\" but on 7 March White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the operations could last up to six weeks.\nOn the first day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the campaign would \"continue as long as it is needed\".\nThe war prompted one of the most serious disruptions to global travel since the Covid-19 pandemic, with airspace closures and thousands of flights grounded across the Middle East.\nEmirates also said it was working to restore full network operations, following the partial re-opening of regional airspace.\nAirspace in Qatar partially reopened on March 7, in response Qatar Airways said it intended to operate repatriation flights.\nIt said an estimated 100,000 people left Tehran in the first two days following the attacks. In Lebanon, it said 58,000 people were sheltering across collective sites.\nIn Syria, it said that nearly 10,000 Syrians and close to 1,000 Lebanese crossed from Lebanon on 2nd March, nearly three times the daily average.\nWith additional reporting by Olivia Ireland, Robert Greenall, Hafsa Khalil, Gabriela Pomeroy and BBC Persian.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:49:48+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_91a847f6a48a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israel prepared for weeks-long Iran campaign, unlikely to deploy ground forces, spokesperson says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israel prepared for weeks-long Iran campaign, unlikely to deploy ground forces, spokesperson says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxPQ0ZSTXJkSVMydDhRNHhmRUk4QTVnMjkwZDVkLW5lRHU0aHFvMGVvNGdtbUNJM2hqdGNsVUpvR3VDZUxTVE5wbmtDb2F2dXdiN0tUTVRzTkpYTXgyWkF0X05IbEdnaGNnZjRqUFRHYUxsMmdocmNNSGRVZE5ZUGJkRm1JYUlXU0dMV3dmQklJS3RvTGJMd1ZfWGl3MGl4Zi1rZUlLQWU2SUVGYlpVY2RDUzBOWXFMZUpSai1QamZxYk9iQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cf0e4b41efdf",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel prepared for weeks-long Iran campaign, unlikely to deploy ground forces, spokesperson says - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel prepared for weeks-long Iran campaign, unlikely to deploy ground forces, spokesperson says\nTel Aviv, March 3 (Reuters) - The Israeli military has prepared for a campaign against Iran that could last several weeks but is unlikely to see the deployment of ground forces, a military spokesperson told reporters on Tuesday.\n\"We have prepared a general scope of weeks,\" Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in an online briefing, adding that the duration of the military campaign could change, depending on developments. He described progress so far as positive.\nWhen asked if Israel could deploy ground forces to Iran, Shoshani said that was unlikely.\n\"I don't think that's something very likely at the moment for Israeli forces. There's not a practical idea at the moment that I know of,\" he said.\nIsrael and the U.S. have been carrying out air strikes against Iran since Saturday, triggering Iranian retaliation.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the U.S.-Israel war with Iran could take \"some time\" but would not take years.\n(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell and Steven Scheer; Editing by Aidan Lewis)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:56:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPTWZlY3RZYVdlbW5hYzVPRkJ2ODc0SDJ1b2dqamswdE5TSi1UalYwYk1SWUs5ZV9INnduRFFRUko1WkRZZzNqNWRfNTdCOWw4NDNyTmVXLTlCU0ZfNmlBRzVVUkZBZGFGMVhFNkFWVXNWdEJYVENRaFpGa29Memc4RFhmbW9RSmtabEROTWk5eUNLZFMzTlk2Q2d4RG1iNTdLWUptRFVtMDMteVR5Uk5iUzV2T3hHZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_81e8250685ec",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Drone strikes damage Amazon data centres in UAE and Bahrain, disrupting services - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Drone strikes have damaged Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centre facilities in the UAE and Bahrain, disrupting services across the region.\nAmazon’s cloud division confirmed that two facilities in the UAE “were directly struck”. It said the physical damage impaired services relied upon by businesses, financial institutions and government entities.\n“Due to the continuing conflict in the Middle East, both affected regions have experienced physical impacts to infrastructure as a result of drone strikes,” the AWS Health Dashboard said.\n“In the UAE, two of our facilities were directly struck, while in Bahrain, a drone strike in proximity to one of our facilities caused physical impacts to our infrastructure.”\nThe company added that the strikes “have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage”.\nAWS said it is working closely with local authorities and prioritising staff safety during recovery operations.\nGradual recovery\nCustomers in the UAE and Bahrain are experiencing “elevated error rates and degraded availability” affecting services including Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, Amazon DynamoDB, AWS Lambda, Amazon Kinesis, Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon RDS, as well as the AWS Management Console and command line interface, the company said.\nAWS said recovery would be gradual given the scale of the physical damage. “We still estimate that the recovery time is at least a day before we are able to fully restore power and connectivity,” the company said.\nDigital infrastructure in conflict zones\nThe cloud disruption comes as UAE banking customers reported outages affecting mobile applications and phone banking services.\nSeveral major lenders, including Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, experienced temporary digital service interruptions. Banks described the problems as intermittent and said technical teams were working to restore normal operations.\nIt remains unclear whether the banking outages were directly caused by AWS infrastructure damage, but the incidents unfolded amid a military escalation targeting regional digital infrastructure.\nVibin Shaju, EMA VP at California-headquartered cyber security company Trellix, told The National that the reported disruption to AWS infrastructure highlighted the region’s growing reliance on cloud providers, warning that while hyperscale platforms offer redundancy, concentration risk remains.\n“When applications rely heavily on a single cloud environment, slowness or service interruption can quickly ripple across banking apps, airline booking systems and consumer-facing services,” he said.\nThe AWS incident mainly disrupted APIs and service availability, not core systems, but showed how reliance on shared infrastructure can create a “single point of impact” during conflict. Even secure internal systems still depend on internet and edge infrastructure to connect externally.\nHe added that the disruption highlights growing reliance on cloud providers, while hyperscale platforms offer redundancy, concentration risk remains, and issues in a single cloud environment can quickly ripple across banking, airlines, and consumer services.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T07:59:58+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_e1e98a4e1633",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Exclusive: Ahead of strikes, Trump was told Iran attack is high risk, high reward - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Ahead of strikes, Trump was told Iran attack is high risk, high reward    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOTzZEY29tTHEwdWpicGxSS3BGMmRJdGFTWDJXd1Fqd04yWHNRQWFrSm9HRXJHLVBvSnFlSjZOLVZncU1BTkVGRjhUM2RBVU55OGU3dTM5dTJjMzdMS3ZWNVhTcmRGZVNlQUF0RGJhMGpBQmVpcUJ2OFd0SHc1YXd5dm9QY3AybDRMaERrR0RIN080dXFXLThuWTZucW9FWHJKREZRWEVvcmlqYmM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bcd5055bfa95",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Asia Scrambles for Oil and Gas Alternatives as Iran War Drags On - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Asia Scrambles for Oil and Gas Alternatives as Iran War Drags On    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:11:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQMVFHTU1xdDY3VHVqYUJzNVNJT3VmT1pHMmF6MmdkTk9nOHR0SmtVV3R2cURzNnRjeC0wNVlSWHlUcDNnX2xyVzhCcXprYzBacmdmQTcxWVlMTDNtZ2E4b2pNNndNRzA4N0JoaFBabjlBdjJrR2gzS0VTWlNvRENjbG5iR242TGpVelltVDNrSEI3MGF6T3ZKZG5ESWpnZDh6SlV3OTh5ZEktVS1udWNBSWxiWU9LZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_68a2036966f8",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012 - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Plans to involve Iranian Kurdish armed groups in the US-Israeli campaign against Tehran raise potential security, ethnic and refugee spillover risks for Turkey, but officials in Ankara appear largely unfazed.\nAnalysis\nCulture\nAnalysis\nLatest News\nSelect your cities and get the latest in the arts, music and entertainment.\nStraight to your inbox for free - once a week\nEditor's choice\nThree stories hand-picked by our editorial team.\nExpert insight on the Middle East—delivered regularly\nRead By\nInterview\nAnalysis\nStay a step ahead of your colleagues.\nAnalysis",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:12:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiQEFVX3lxTE9KczNkb2ZHcDhWRGNLVWVpUWFWRzUyTnV0eVBDU0JfYmJ5eDl4eDBQUG1WMm5MeGFSVlo4TWYxOVI?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d7089680f417",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Stocks and bonds tumble as widening Middle East war rattles markets - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Stocks and bonds stabilise as Middle East war widens\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:12:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5KWUJKVnloTXdYRFRJejNmWHlTMTBVMEdYbVBrY2N5MWNBWEx2SkZQSVhIQmM4TXUzWnNrb3NhRFozSEtDbzFWeXdjQ01JMW5JV1E3RUNJaGZ6Y0Y1VmlOeHk1TV9Eam1pd0hSc2Q5eXU?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e5516ecd275b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "China Calls on All Sides to Protect Ships Transiting Hormuz - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "China Calls on All Sides to Protect Ships Transiting Hormuz    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:15:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQcWl0WHFreFBwVGFJcW1KYll3TkF5Zmx0X0pVV0tqbVNBS3NEUl9sVEFxQmNvemVsWllnZ29kcDBRNW1VX2hJSmdVMTFYYlV6MHR3R29pd05HaHZOT0FEUzYyMjdQRG01TmFJVE9nclBoRE5VXzFpVkpBWXdHa3U4X2xsSmpMSExHOVh1bUJtb3JTVEtjcWFYN0lla3RPY2RqcTVXNWN4bVZhbWhqZ0dZLUd3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1a57016c5ff4",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Britain increases military support for Gulf region - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Britain expands a defensive role in the Gulf, with RAF Typhoons intercepting Iranian-made drones over Cyprus and Qatar.\nUS bombers are now cleared to use UK bases for strikes, while Britain insists it will not participate directly in offensive operations.\nSix F-35s, three Voyager tankers and reinforced radar at RAF Akrotiri are on standby, as officials warn the situation could worsen.\nA Type 45 destroyer is at high readiness, with calls from former officials to deploy HMS Dauntless and HMS Duncan to bolster air defence.\n“Our jets and equipment at RAF Akrotiri are ready to defend British people, our bases, and our allies,” the Defence Secretary, John Healey, said.\nBritain’s role in the Iran war is increasing with RAF fighters shooting down drones and US bombers granted permission to use UK airbases.\nWith Eurofighter Typhoons stationed at bases in Akrotiri in Cyprus and in Tamin airbase, Qatar, the RAF has jets to tackle out the swarms of Shahed-136 drones from Iran.\nTwo were shot down on Monday as they were heading towards Cyprus while another one was downed close to Qatar on Sunday.\nThe government has also overturned its decision to refuse the use of UK bases by US forces to stage attacks, after missiles and attacks were targeted at Gulf partners. The UK would not be involved in the strikes themselves, however.\nWhile Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emphasised that Britain is acting in a defensive capacity, there does remain the possibility that this could change and the six F-35 stealth fighters also in Cyprus, alongside three Voyager tanker aircraft, are ready to undertake bombing missions if required,\nThe base has also been reinforced with extra radar to detect threats as well as more personnel for its security.\nDefence Secretary John Healey said the attack on RAF Akrotiri was an example of the “dangerous and indiscriminate attacks” by Iran and its proxies.\n“Our jets and equipment at RAF Akrotiri are ready to defend British people, our bases, and our allies in the region,” he added.\nMr Starmer told Parliament that Iran’s actions were “becoming even more reckless” and its targeting gave “no regard for civilian casualties”.\nHe added that the situation on the ground “may remain challenging for some time” and called for all countries to “prevent the situation spiralling further and support a return to diplomacy”.\nAir defence destroyers\nRoyal Navy sources have also indicated to The National that a Type-45 air defence destroyer was at “high readiness” if it needed. The warship's Sea Viper system has some of the world’s best interceptor missiles that could be used against Iran’s hypersonic missiles.\nTom Tugendhat, former security minister, called for an immediate deployment, pointing to the defensive needs of the UAE in particular. “Will he be deploying HMS Dauntless and HMS Duncan out to the Gulf right now, they’re both at a state of readiness, and I’m sure the Defence Secretary could give that order this afternoon?” he asked.\nFormer Navy commander Tom Sharpe said the £1 billion ($1.34 billion) destroyers were built “for the express purpose of providing ‘area air defence’ at sea” and “they are now good at this”.\n“Why is a Type 45 Destroyer not crossing the Bay of Biscay now, at 30 knots, to plug the air defence gap?” he added.\nFrance has announced that it is sending its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to assist in defensive operations.\nTroops at ready\nBritain also has troops stationed around the Middle East who could be used in operations or to assist in evacuation of civilians.\nWith an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the Gulf region planning is under way to evacuate them if the situation deteriorates.\nThere are four A400M transport aircraft and one C-17 Globemaster in Cyprus plus two battalions of infantry to assist, according to the Defence Eye publication.\nIn addition, Britain has a special forces squadron based in northern Iraq alongside a company of infantry that provides force protection.\nThere are 100 personnel in the UAE alongside 300 in Bahrain, mainly sailors and Royal Marines who deal with the Arabian Gulf. However, the Navy’s last ship in the area, a minesweeper, is understood to have left the waters.\nCollective self defence\nForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government had received requests from Gulf countries for assistance and it was the right thing to do as “ballistic missiles were pointed at hotels in Dubai”.\n“This is about collective self defence in the face of Iran’s reckless attacks on countries with many British citizens and countries not involved in targeting Iran,” she told the BBC.\nShe added that many in the region were “absolutely furious, shocked and angry at the way the Iranian regime had responded and were seeking support for their defence”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:20:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxNQ3o1WmJfeU5oWXFETTNxNng2b2xWaDY1LXRCa1VUU1QtN1l5aDJoSGlSMkFJRDktU2xVZDVMdWhMMk9HdGc5WkVXQUR1Zkg3bTgzeWd6ZzhUV2NBQ1phWGJLei1BejVFZ1ZPZ0FaQ2xib19VYlJWN0lUQUE5UGlaOTd1R0N1V3hsS2Jid04wVVh3UmpCSEJGYldRNnBZSlEwOWxUVG9B?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5d6fa76e04b5",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "UAE President greets shoppers in Dubai Mall in powerful show of resilience amid Iran crisis - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "UAE President Sheikh Mohamed walked through Dubai Mall greeting shoppers on Monday night in a show of resilience that resonated with people across the nation.\nThe head of state walked with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.\nHe posed for a photo with a tourist filming in the mall and spoke with a young girl who ran up to him.\nSheikh Mohamed and his companions then had coffee about 9pm, shortly after breaking their fast at iftar.\n\"Powerful message. The resilient UAE is one of the few truly neutral places in the world, focused on peacemaking and prosperity,\" said Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and a frequent visitor to the Emirates.\nSenior UAE leaders are often seen at the wheel of their own vehicles and in public places with light security - but the appearance took on extra significance given the Iranian bombardment in recent days, which shut much of the Gulf's airspace.\nThe series of videos were viewed millions of times on social channels.\n\"World leaders should take this as an example,\" said a follower on The National's Instagram.\nAnother said: \"Good governance is really seen in UAE. They house and feed all the stranded travellers too.\"\nIn Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, held an open-air iftar and reception for a selection of guests at Emirates Palace.\nGovernment leaders are understood to be keen to see people get back to their lives as best they can, while closely following alerts relating to the bombardment.\nThe UAE's air defences have shot down the vast majority of missiles and drones fired by Iran, with most damage caused by falling debris.\nOn Tuesday, there is expected to be a decision on whether schools will reopen following their closure and shift to distance learning on Monday and Tuesday.\nIt is currently up to the private sector whether they wish to work from home or return to offices, though many have worked remotely in recent days.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:30:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3AFBVV95cUxQTWpCdDZpSDZMdEZLVlBSb0VvY28xSEI3bmRENnV2Q042UTdZRl81dGF5R19CcXRTQml2R0REMGhXUnVLcHZHZmhaS3h0ODhDTWxxMmxydm44TnlvaEwzMk5Gc1VWTWk3YXEwV0dyUUNNVndua05vaFBmNUZaNW04TDhaVW85NERCX04zanlIaFlHdzlJeU1XU2NXUW9oZlRzT1lpenhTbmZJUDYzc1BWS2daQVRTY2l5S1k2dFFiSWpncWd0bUp0YklwcGtIT2VoUDZfTThUTlpFQjdL?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_95f138cf9708",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel launches ground assault in southern Lebanon - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israel launches ground assault in southern Lebanon\nIsraeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has announced the authorisation of a ground assault in southern Lebanon.\nIn a statement on Tuesday, Katz said that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the army to “advance and hold additional dominant terrain in Lebanon”.\nHe said the aim was to “prevent the possibility of direct fire on Israeli communities”.\nThe Israeli army confirmed that it had deployed troops “deeper into southern Lebanon”, beyond the five positions it has occupied since the 2024 ceasefire.\nIt said the renewed offensive formed part of what it described as an “enhanced forward defence posture”.\nThe announcement came a day after hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah resumed amid the war with Iran.\nThe Lebanese group began launching rockets at northern Israel on Monday, which it said was in retaliation for the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\nIsrael responded with heavy air strikes in southern Lebanon and in Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing dozens and triggering a fresh wave of displacement.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:36:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxNclVJV0dqMUxSOFlJLWl1eVltVmhCSFJkX1JkeWtKMjFoYzBieVRSUEtRTGFmQlIxQU9SNjZVOXJWcVZKTWljaEItemE5eWpnSFRmZFpycXRGWHhUdlNNNFBReHEtdlRXUGl3NlMta1hWbm9SdTFHaUIyNklmazhOd3R5Unk5WEE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b3d9a81193f6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Military Intelligence Benefits for China in the US-Israel War Against Iran - SpecialEurasia",
    "body_text": "Executive Summary\nThis report identifies the military intelligence advantages China secures from providing Tehran with military equipment amidst the war between US-Israeli forces and Iran.\nBeijing might use Iran’s experience with Chinese military hardware to measure the effectiveness of US stealth and naval assets. The conflict provides real-time data to help China prepare for future regional security needs.\nKey Takeaways\n- Thanks to the US-Israel war against Iran, Beijing acquires real-time data on how the YLC-8B radar performs against US stealth fighters.\n- Iranian forces tested the CM-302 missile against US naval assets to identify air-defence gaps.\n- The BeiDou-3 system demonstrates its resilience against Western jamming in an active war zone.\nBackground Information\nOn 28 February 2026, United States and Israeli forces launched a military attack against Iran aiming at eliminating the country’s leadership and destroying Tehran’s nuclear facilities and missiles program. Iran retaliated with drone and airstrikes and proceeded toward direct escalation after the death of its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and significant civilian casualties in a school attack.\nBeijing supports Tehran through a 25-year cooperation programme and a security partnership. Beijing equipped Tehran with advanced military technology to enhance its precision strike and surveillance capabilities. China’s support is more “silent” but arguably more critical for Tehran’s precision strike capabilities.\n- BeiDou-3 Navigation System: Iran has officially transitioned its military architecture from US GPS to China’s BeiDou. Unlike GPS, BeiDou includes a short-message service that allows Iranian command nodes to communicate even if local networks are down.\n- The Edge: Iran has access to encrypted, high-precision military signals (centimetre-level accuracy) that are resistant to Western jamming.\n- Real-Time Intelligence Sharing: China utilises its fleet of 500+ satellites to provide Iran with constant SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) and terrain mapping. This support helps Iran track US naval movements in the Persian Gulf in real-time.\n- CM-302 Supersonic Missiles: Tehran is currently finalising a deal for the CM-302 (the export version of the YJ-12). Because of their supersonic speed and 290km range, military analysts consider these “carrier killers”, which significantly boosts Iran’s ability to close the Strait of Hormuz.\n- Anti-Stealth Radar (YLC-8B): China has supplied advanced UHF-band radars like the YLC-8B, which uses low-frequency waves to negate the radar-absorbent coatings used by US stealth bombers and fighters.\nWhy Does It Matter?\nThis conflict serves as a testing ground for evaluating Chinese military technology. Beijing may identify the limits of US naval and aerial capabilities and collect significant information for its military intelligence apparatus.\nThis intelligence provides a map of US naval movement patterns in the Persian Gulf. Iranian military operations highlight how effective the CM-302 is when used against current carrier strike groups. These data points allow China to adjust its own defences.\nIt allows China to adjust strike plans for regional security. The geopolitical alignment between Tehran and Beijing, coupled with Iran’s current engagement in hostilities against the United States and its ally Israel, provides the People’s Republic with an opportunity to assess American military capabilities.\nThanks to this information, Beijing is collecting military intelligence useful for preparing possible military action near Taiwan. The war allows China to see how US sensors respond to low-frequency radar. It reveals the endurance of Iranian hardware under heavy bombardment.\nBeijing enhances its strategic position by observing the depletion of costly ordnance by US forces against targets identified through Chinese satellite surveillance. The war in the Middle East can help China verify if its anti-stealth systems can provide early warning against US fifth-generation fighters.\nIn this context, also the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which creates economic pressure at the regional and international level, can provide actionable intelligence to Beijing. China observes this pressure to discern global supply chain weaknesses and to plan foreign policy and economic strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of a maritime blockade at a critical Asia-Pacific chokepoint.\nIndicators to Monitor\n- Success rates of CM-302 missile engagements against US naval carrier groups.\n- Detection of US B-21 or F-35 aircraft by Iranian YLC-8B radar units.\n- Reliability of the BeiDou-3 short-message service during active electronic jamming.\n- Transfer frequency of real-time signals intelligence from Chinese satellites to Tehran.\n- Updates to Chinese military doctrine following Iran’s usage of supersonic missiles.\nOutlook\nBeijing will use Iranian combat data to refine its missile and radar systems. If the conflict continues for weeks, China might provide more hardware to test software updates in active war zones.\nIf Russia acquired crucial military intelligence on Western armaments from the Ukraine conflict, despite incurring considerable human and military resource costs for Moscow, then the Middle East war could furnish China with practical intelligence on its military equipment, thus preventing Beijing from direct confrontation with the United States.\nThis situation presents the United States with a dual strategic imperative: managing the present tactical threat posed by Iran while simultaneously confronting the escalating depletion of the technological and munition superiority crucial for deterring possible Chinese intervention in the Taiwan Strait.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:42:57+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_45b1c6f7f6c2",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "The Iran crisis, threat to Gulf states and UAE's air defences explained - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "The Iran crisis, threat to Gulf states and UAE's air defences explained    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T08:54:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxNNU9pbXROSUd2aVhDMmJuVm5oRGNTWWZOb00xZzJPT2VYQVJPY0tva0VvZ09FbE1FTDUtNG5nZmN2akJNcDJ1N0lVSFFqM2lqXzFpQnl1NGhhaDBVbUtFbGJCdDJGZDhoSlBmOXZISXVjcmYzQkVtVnJWVjdIVXh5Vk5QYmJCc2xTU2xaUy11SUI1bTNGUjJhLXRHRjN4eXJyUFNtOUp2RWt6MDdnZlVNTFRMaXhaNDlY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_816ab68c899d",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Indian basmati held up at ports and in transit as Iran war halts new deals - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Indian basmati held up at ports and in transit as Iran war halts new deals    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:01:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxOSjdBcnpIcVNUNVFBRThBV1VIU0JjMUhQMTVLS3JlY0p6aVBnTWxrTHE1Y1VISEl3SkdCRGtZUnZsZHBLejZiRGdEV0lPY29xeVliUklkS20tWmp0UTl2QnRWWEI1Zjl2RG1KMVd5OVRPd0lMU3l4SUszT2Y2S0RDRS1hZVlFVzlmVG9wa002N0RCR2poZ3d0LWVtWDExTU0tTjRUdWNnVDhOZTBCdWc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_44f1b70b2585",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Turkey Weighs Return of Fuel Tax Buffer as Oil Jumps on Iran War - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Turkey Weighs Return of Fuel Tax Buffer as Oil Jumps on Iran War    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:03:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPV05OZzctS3cyc0dLQTZQaDVoTnBwUFR3eEhPXzZjcUNncGpHQUM1QUdjbDlpUEx0c296ZDNSdW5tRE5jWjY2Wm9HU3dMcVJEaERnVHBMY3A2SGk3c1IzM1AxTzZCS0s0dzI3SEpMYkk2WmNUNzJXNHBsakNOaVhxMmtCQTRsWDZyVEtBd29JZkxzNk96TEhFRHlVTElXUExacWZMSUQ2Q0RQWEpBWlJnVmwwN2dsZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_65f6814aa9e3",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Middle Eastern airlines start to fly stranded passengers out of Gulf - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Middle Eastern airlines start to fly stranded passengers out of Gulf\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:05:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE40Sm12UzkySnlfYzVsa25GRTRwMXF0MkVFbGc2ekVfbkJkZW1hZFNRRkxUM2hzem12Q1k1aWdUYVpSS05wVzVSTVB4X0UzLUZKZUc1WHVsTXlneks3cGgwVUhBZDZ5MEEzZW15elFENGQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_99846a618414",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Prices Surge Further and Markets Slump as Middle East War Intensifies - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Prices Surge Further and Markets Slump as Middle East War Intensifies    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:14:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxQOS01d1dfZnJ4WHdHSXZOblVDUGRQazRxWF9xNlU5Nmk0TmpjdEhiM2oyQ0JjeFZFWDIzLTJaa3RlU1ctMTNzQmNaV0hqQlpUeFJadGZRbzV6VmRPTlJpakV1b3g2dUJqTGRabkVVR3hEWXdiZ29CRWNtb3F1WkJPSjE0czBwZHdnUjBjLWtKUWUzYnRpSmRKRDlyWEh2UUhqTmVLWlNzMFFZOUZ5M05qRnlJOTFmZlYwUGVRUl8wcw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_89237e90c1b3",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran continues to hit back at US-Israeli strikes as Trump says it is too late to talk - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran continued its bombardment the Gulf and Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for further Israeli-US airstrikes, as Donald Trump said it was too late for dialogue with Tehran.\n“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!’,” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform, rejecting what he claimed was an attempt by Tehran to restart negotiations. He said the US was prepared “to go far longer” than a four to five-week war against Iran.\nTrump’s comment came hours after Iranian drones hit the US embassy in Riyadh, causing a minor fire and prompting the diplomatic mission to tell Americans to distance themselves from the compound. The attack followed strike on the US embassy in Kuwait as Iran continued to target US bases, facilities and personnel in Arab Gulf states.\nIsrael announced an “extensive” wave of airstrikes in Tehran and issued evacuation orders to Iranians located around an airport in Karaj, which it said it would soon strike.\nThe conflict continued to widen across the Middle East, with hundreds of people killed across the region, the vast majority in Iran.\nIsrael said ground troops had entered in southern Lebanon as part of what it said was a cautionary move to protect residents of northern Israel. In response, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, Mahmoud Qamati, declared an “open war” with Israel.\nThe pro-Iran group continued to target Israel, saying it had launched two missile salvoes overnight towards military bases in northern Israel, and shelled a military base on Tuesday morning. Israel caried out strikes and issued evacuation orders for villages in southern Lebanon, virtually emptying out the country south of the Litani River and turning the southern suburbs of Beirut into a ghost town.\nOn Tuesday morning, the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said he had instructed Israeli soldiers to “hold and advance” into areas of south Lebanon to prevent further Hezbollah fire on northern Israel. It was the first acknowledgment that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah would not just be aerial but would involve boots on the ground.\nMeanwhile, US and Israel continued their strikes against Iran, with the US claiming it had destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities.\nWhat started as a war between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other has turned into a regional conflict with dizzying speed, with new fronts being opened on each day.\nThe US and Israeli air war against Iran began on Saturday with attacks against Tehran, killing the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel and missile attacks at Arab nations with US bases across the region. The fighting expanded rapidly to include at least nine countries and various pro-Iran groups.\nOn Tuesday, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the war against Iran could take “some time”, saying that while it would not “take years”, it could drag on. “It’s not an endless war,” he told Fox News.\nTrump, who has issued a series of contradicting statements regarding the length of the war, said on Monday that it could take “far longer” than the initially planned month.\nUS officials including the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, also flirted publicly with the idea of US boots on the ground in Iran, an anathema to analysts, who pointed to the country’s vast, mountainous geography as an obstacle to any troop presence.\nThe secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the “hardest hits are yet to come”, as administration officials said their plan for the Iran campaign had so far gone better than expected.\nUS officials offered varying justifications for why they launched the war in Iran, with Rubio claiming the US’s hand was forced by Israel. “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” he said.\nTrump, for his part, has at times said the goal was regime change in Iran, and at other times said he was solely trying to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and curb its ballistic missile programme. Iran has consistently denied it is developing nuclear weapons.\nNetanyahu was more plain in his objectives, saying the US and Israel were “creating the conditions” for the Iranian people to topple their government. Israeli analysts suggested the Iran campaign came at a good time for Netanyahu and would boost flagging poll numbers before legislative elections.\nIn Iran, explosions were heard overnight across the country and particularly in the capital as the US-Israeli campaign continued. Estimates of people killed in the strikes ranged from 787 people to 1,500, including 165 people in a strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran.\nIran continued to shoot bursts of ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted. A few missiles broke through the country’s sophisticated missile defence system, killing 11 people in Israel.\nIsraeli authorities said 12 people had been injured in three Iranian missile attacks on southern Israel, some of which contained cluster munitions – a weapon banned by most countries around the world.\nThe US acknowledged the deaths of six soldiers, seemingly killed while stationed in Kuwait.\nIran’s strikes against energy infrastructure in the Gulf have paralysed the oil-rich Gulf states, with Qatar announcing a halt to its largest liquid natural gas production facility, while Saudi Arabia ceased operations at its Ras Tanura oil refinery.\nGlobal energy prices jumped further after Iran closed the strait of Hormuz, a global chokepoint for hydrocarbons, hitting several ships who attempted to cross.\n“The strait of Hormuz is closed,” said Brig Gen Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards, threatening to bomb ships that tried to cross. “Don’t come to this region.”\nIn Lebanon, Israel signalled that its campaign against Hezbollah could also be a long one. Similar to the war in Lebanon 18 months before, Israel steadily emptied out the south of the country through evacuation warnings, then filled in the areas close to the border with Israeli troops.\nIt was unclear, however, what resistance Hezbollah could offer this time, as Israel has severely degraded the group’s capabilities through two years of daily airstrikes. Over the last two days, Israel has announced the killing of senior leaders in the group, including Hussein Makled, Hezbollah’s intelligence chief.\nIt also targeted the logistical parts of the Lebanese armed group, including the Hezbollah-run bank al-Qard al-Hassan, members of its political bureau, and struck a building belonging to its media channel al-Manar on Tuesday morning. Rights groups have said that it is illegal to attack non-military targets, even if they are affiliated with the group.\nSo far Israeli airstrikes have killed 52 people and displaced at least 29,000 in Lebanon.\nHezbollah has continued to attack Israel, announcing that it struck the Ramat David and Meron airbases in northern Israel with one-way drones, and that it had targeted a base in the Golan Heights with rockets.\nDomestically, Hezbollah has come under fire for pulling Lebanon into a war with Israel, in violation of the government’s stated neutrality. On Monday, Lebanon’s government took the unprecedented step of banning Hezbollah’s military and security activity. The government instructed the judiciary to arrest the individuals responsible for firing rockets at Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOVXVfVzVBQlZmQnpDX042TFZTSlhfVFh1d0tDb21ZLWxySWtydVQ0OWF4Y0VHaVRnUGoyYU85NG5OU0lVc2kxZWZ5MDl4TnMwN3dFUFdPQ2VPYXNhd3RONDRWSXhNanhJMHl2Um44RGtGNnk0VXh3OFNDWktDV3dqSExENlRsREJzQlk5T1l4SlN6cWNhQmRrZVpMblNNNzM3OWVLdHpidDNFMlR6empSWVRHMjI?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_efd4c882f452",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Spain Presses Europe to Denounce US Strikes on Iran as Illegal - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Spain Presses Europe to Denounce US Strikes on Iran as Illegal    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:33:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQU0tBZXhfaU9Kczk2S0xiclo5VE1TbXBrQmtGcDg3LXhKaTR5WFpkM0xXbHpzTE5WOEx2OXJSQWtIdjZfaEdUZl9ISXRfV0xhLUdQMWl0SHVUSk5NaXlkekJtUlpUMWUyNUtKRkhtTHYxc3pPUU9yVnQ1OUFWZm4yQzRaeVh5OW4ycUx6UmZhd3k5WlR6QlpDRXFNWHAwcFJOOWRoMHE0THZSNm1IbDh3cEVXVQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8e0ff00b973f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "China's WeRide suspends robotaxi fleet in Dubai as Iran conflict widens - Reuters",
    "body_text": "China's WeRide suspends robotaxi fleet in Dubai as Iran conflict widens    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:37:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNdTAxTk5KTDBxT29JMkdlbUpBMzhqeW1IZW81UXU3UVhUYUs2T3EtTHEwQ2ROS0ZoZEJZSGNhNUo4N0NBUlNXblQ3NTdZTUhoZ1J2T0M2cjlHTi1mYUUzSWxxQ2p3UlNLWC1TWWNjdmIzRDhEVzB3eklQd1RNa1U2WHQ3elZEejVhc280MFV1VDU5TXo1bUhSaC1KTVpJRTJZcE9NNk4teVlJTWFnUEZvbDNTZ21MQnpuS1E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e78283531d0f",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Donald Trump says US-UK relationship is ‘not like it used to be’ - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Trump threatens to cut trade with ‘terrible’ Spain and calls Starmer ‘no Churchill’\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:41:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9iQmxjWVdPV1M5cVN6U1NwOFFidmJKeW9jc1FEbWNJY1V5VTl2MUNPTUs3R3ctNWVpQjdYN01peGxzelI4MjBJbDVKNmdRNDAxc1JPWmNDeFdQWlRBSE5GMXJjbUNGYjlGYUVNeks3LXU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d040f73667e2",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Indonesia Petrochemical Giant Declares Force Majeure on Iran War - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Indonesia Petrochemical Giant Declares Force Majeure on Iran War    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:42:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQd1EtRm4tMm51VnV6aUJKeXJRNHpIWDNBNktqMXZyYTdydDhpcGkxSzRYVG5VQ1NISXpUQ3hoaThBS2FiUGRKd2I5YlNiWkJhbkVfWTdBczl6RDdDNHdEMFBET3RLSlR5TmIzLWdWNGtjaThVZFRNLUFaOHd2NVlBTmdReldMa3dwakpRVUZFcTFZbGxGRGxzWXdVUF9iVnY4QUFWQ3N1VkhpbkdxaldGemtjSmFldw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bbb7b8b81309",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Trump voters back him on Iran - but that could change if war drags on",
    "body_text": "Trump voters back him on Iran - but that could change if war drags on\nThe US strikes on Iran may be the biggest story around the world, but in Texas – where voters head to the polls on Tuesday to select the Democratic and Republican nominees in November's midterm congressional elections – it appears mostly to be an afterthought. At least for now.\nAt a banquet hall in the central Texas town of Waco on Monday, Ken Paxton, the Republican state attorney general running for the US Senate, made a pitch to voters that was heavy on domestic red meat for his conservative audience\nImmigration, government spending and gun rights were top issues. Iran was mentioned in passing, as Paxton praised Americans for making political change with ballots not bombs.\nAfter the event, Paxton spoke to reporters, who pressed him on his views on the ongoing military conflict. The candidate, who has a firmly established reputation as a Donald Trump loyalist, did not break ranks with the US president.\n\"I am very glad that he did it,\" he said. \"Iran is a great threat to our country.\"\nThe Senate primary fights are the marquee matchup in Texas on Tuesday, with contested races for both the Democrats and Republicans. While those on the left have been comfortable criticising Trump and his decision to launch the Iran operation, Republicans have tended, like Paxton, to offer praise of Trump and then move on to other topics.\nSenator John Cornyn, the incumbent who is being challenged by Paxton, said Trump took \"decisive action\". Congressman Wesley Hunt, who is also challenging for the seat, celebrated Trump accomplishing \"peace through American strength\" in a Saturday afternoon post on X.\nAmong many of the Waco rally attendees, that was a common theme. Marcia Michael said she believed Trump was playing \"five-dimensional chess\" by finally addressing the threat that Iran had posed for decades.\n\"I think we recognise that we can't keep playing this game and kicking the can down the road,\" she said. \"This is the investment we have to make now in blood and tears so that we don't pay later that same cost in greater numbers.\"\nIf there were any hints of concern at the Paxton event, it was that this operation – and warfare in general – has unintended consequences.\n\"The Middle East, it's always in turmoil, and it's always going to be in turmoil,\" said Mark Plough. \"We don't want to end up in a quagmire like we were in Afghanistan or even in Iraq.\"\nIn such comments there may be the seeds of trouble for Trump. He made minimal effort over the recent months to lay the groundwork for an extended military campaign against Iran – having also campaigned both in 2024 and in 2016 as a sharp critic of \"forever wars\" in the Middle East.\nIn last week's State of the Union address, Iran came near the end of the nearly two-hour speech and only merited a few minutes of his attention. While he has released two videos following Saturday's strikes, he has yet to make an address to the nation.\nIf this is war, it is one that is being conducted on the down-low.\nThat could partly explain why the public's overall response to the Iran strikes has been muted and why, among Trump supporters here in Texas, there is a belief that the president will wrap up the bombing campaign relatively quickly.\nWhile this is just the latest action in a lengthening list of American military operations in Trump's second term, the other instances have been more limited affairs. Last year's strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, for instance, was a one-night affair. Last month's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro likewise began and ended while many Americans were sleeping.\nThese Iran strikes are different. They have already stretched into multiple days - and Trump has said they could last weeks. But for the moment, the American public may view the campaign as a similarly contained undertaking that will, at some point soon, be concluded with few lingering ill effects.\n\"What we've seen with this president is he is very deliberate and specific in launching targeted strikes against known high-value targets,\" said Aaron Reitz, a former Marine and Trump administration official who is running to replace Paxton as attorney general. \"I trust that the president is not going to want to get us involved in a never-ending ground war.\"\nThat could end up the case. There is the possibility, as the Trump administration clearly hopes, that the end result will be a safer world, with the current Iranian regime replaced by leaders who are friendly to America and its interests.\nBut there are other scenarios where the political fallout from this operation is more difficult for Trump to manage.\nIf oil prices continue to spike, driving up the cost of petrol and hurting the US economy, Americans will take note. Just last week Trump boasted of low prices at the pump in his State of the Union address.\nIf the Iranian operation triggers a surge of militant attacks against Americans or their interests, either abroad or within the US, that too will exact a toll on the president.\nAnd if the ending of this operation is not clean, if hardliners take over Iran, if the region is further destabilised and there's no quick resolution in sight, the consequences could be severe.\nThat could by why Trump administration administration officials have gone to great lengths to emphasis that this is not an open-ended conflict.\n\"This is not endless,\" Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday. \"Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb – and he's right. This is the opposite.\"\nThe American public may not be fully convinced, however. Already, it is sharply split over the wisdom of these strikes. A Morning Consult survey found 41% of Americans in favour of the attack, versus 42% who wanted more diplomatic efforts. In a Reuters-Ipsos poll, it was 27% in support and 43% opposed.\nThat was before six American soldiers were killed in action, with Trump warning that there may be more deaths to come.\nOutside the banquet hall after the Paxton event had ended, Paul Barbieri and a friend stood by their pickup truck wondering what all the commotion had been about. The two construction workers were looking for lunch, not a political event, but Barbieri said that he had been following news from the Middle East closely.\nThe attacks were \"probably necessary\", he said, but he didn't like Americans fighting on foreign soil.\n\"I grew up through the Iraq War for 20-something years,\" he said. \"I knew people went and died there. I don't like war at all.\"\nFollow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:57:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg35401nrqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_217a2a258e8f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Six US soldiers killed in Iranian strike on Kuwait base - BBC",
    "body_text": "Pentagon identifies six US soldiers killed in Iran conflict\nThe US military has confirmed the identities of all six soldiers killed in the conflict with Iran.\nThey were killed when an \"unmanned aircraft system\" evaded air defences to hit a command centre in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday.\nUS Central Command initially said three soldiers died in the attack, but officials confirmed on Monday the death toll had doubled, after one person succumbed to injuries and two more bodies were found in the rubble.\nThose killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M Marzan, 54, Maj Jeffrey R O'Brien, 45, Capt Cody Khork, 35, Sgt Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt Nicole Amor, 39, and Sgt Declan Coady, 20, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.\nThe six identified by the Pentagon were members of the Army Reserve, which according to its website provides logistical support to broader US military operations.\nFour were identified on Tuesday while the identities of the last two - Marzan and O'Brien - were disclosed on Wednesday.\n\"These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,\" US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said in a statement.\nWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump intends to attend \"the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families\".\nShe added that the defence department was scheduling the repatriation of the remains.\nKhork had previously deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay and Poland.\nThe Florida resident had wanted to serve in the military since a young age, and enlisted in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programme at his university, his family told the Associated Press.\nKhork was \"truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him\", his mother, Donna Burhans, father, James Khork, and stepmother, Stacey Khork, said in a statement.\nAmor, of Minnesota, had previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq.\n\"She was almost home,\" her husband, Joey Amor, told the AP. \"You don't go to Kuwait thinking something's going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts.\"\nShe had a son in high school and a daughter in primary school, and enjoyed gardening and rollerblading with them.\nTietjens, a Nebraska resident, had been deployed to Kuwait twice before.\nHe was \"a deeply committed husband and father\", according to a GoFundMe page set up for his family.\nHe earned a black belt in Taekwondo and a form of martial arts known as Philippine Combatives, according to the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance, which posted a tribute to Tietjens on their Facebook page.\n\"He did not simply wear a Black Belt... he lived it,\" the alliance wrote. \"He led with integrity. He trained with purpose. He taught with humility.\"\nAll three were decorated service members.\nCoady was posthumously promoted from specialist, the US military said.\nThe Iowa resident had enlisted in the Army Reserve just three years ago.\nHe served as an information technologies specialist and had \"an incredibly bright future ahead of him\", Drake University, where Coady had studied, said in a statement.\nHis father, Andrew Coady, told the AP that his son \"was very good at what he did\".\n\"I still don't fully think it's real,\" said his sister Keira Coady. \"I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.\"\nO'Brien of Indianola, Iowa, joined the reserves in 2012 and deployed to Kuwait in 2019.\nThe identity of Marzan, of Sacramento, California, must still be formalised by a medical examiner, the army said in a statement.\nUS Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a briefing on Monday that a \"powerful weapon\" had struck a \"tactical operations centre that was fortified\".\nThree US military officials with knowledge of Iran's attack told the BBC's US partner CBS the soldiers had been working in a makeshift office space.\nThe officials questioned whether the building had been adequately fortified, telling CBS the soldiers were using a trailer shielded by steel-reinforced concrete barriers.\nThe US has a long-standing defence relationship with Kuwait, and more than 13,000 US soldiers are stationed in the Gulf nation.\nIran has responded to attacks against it by launching missiles at Gulf countries allied with the US. Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar have all also seen strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T09:57:59+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_47f1a5d1170e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "LIZ PEEK: Democrats rage over Trump’s Iran strikes as exiles cheer ayatollah’s fall - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Leftists in the U.S. are seriously confused. While Iranians around the world celebrate the death of the thuggish Ayatollah Khamanei, who ruled their country with an iron fist, liberals in the U.S. are condemning President Donald Trump’s war to liberate the Persian nation.\nOpposition to the U.S.-Israel joint attack on Iran was broad and swift, powered in part by Trump Derangement Syndrome — if he’s behind it, they’re reliably against it — and also tinged with antisemitism.\nThe smoke had not yet cleared from the bombings in Iran before Democrats started shrieking their objections, with Connecticut Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy, for instance, calling it \"dangerously illegal and a mistake of staggering scale,\" and denouncing the president as a \"would-be dictator.\" Murphy has also called Israel's policy in Gaza and in the West Bank \"immoral\" and recently announced that he would not support additional military aid to Israel.\nAnti-Israel Democrats in the House were especially strident, with \"Squad\" member Rashida Tlaib from Michigan posting, \"It's clear that the genocidal govt of Israel doesn't care about children + human life including our own loved ones in the military.\" She also posted, \"The government of Israel is addicted to bombing hospitals, schools, refugee camps which are all war crimes.\"\nDemocrats have been pulling away from their traditional backing of Israel for some time, and especially since the far left took hold of their party. Axios reported in December that the DNC’s still-secret \"autopsy\" of why Vice President Kamala Harris was defeated by Trump in 2024 concluded that the former VP \"lost significant support because of the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza…\"\nIran has brought nothing but bloodshed and destruction to Israel, the United States and the Middle East for decades.\nThat is, in sifting the ashes of the 2024 election for clues as to why an inarticulate candidate who admitted she couldn’t think of a thing she’d do differently from the wildly unpopular Joe Biden went down in flames, Democrat officials determined…it was Israel’s fault! Democrats are quick learners — their support of the Jewish state is dwindling fast.\nIt isn’t just Democrats piling on. Criticism also came from far-right conspiracy theorists, too.\nWe also heard criticism from the utterly worthless and anti-Israel U.N., with Secretary-General António Guterres condemning the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran and demanding immediate negotiations \"to pull the region, and our world, back from the brink.\"\nGuterres has overseen a U.N. with \"a glaring anti-Israel bias, advancing biased and one-sided efforts to isolate and delegitimize the Jewish state,\" reports the pro-Jewish group AIPAC. A bias AIPAC can document and which, astonishingly, has \"escalated dramatically since Hamas’ October 7 attack.\"\nSpineless European leaders stood on the sidelines, initially distancing themselves from the U.S.-Israeli initiative. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at first declined to give the U.S. permission to use its air bases, thus forcing American jets to undertake a 20-plus hour flight to carry out their mission. He then relented, earning ridicule from all sides.\nOf course, witless students also weighed in, with Columbia University’s most renowned anti-Israel group, responsible for last year’s \"encampment\" built to protest the Gaza conflict, posting \"death to America\" in Persian after the U.S. and Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. That prompted Sen. Tex Cruz, R-Texas, to demand that foreign students sending out such anti-American messages be \"deported immediately.\" He’s right.\nOne student protester told an interviewer that the U.S. \"should align with Iranian regime instead of Israel because Iran 'is not fascist.'\"\nZohran Mamdani, the newly installed Muslim mayor of New York, harshly condemned President Trump’s war with Iran, saying, \"Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression.\" He also said, \"Additionally, I want to speak directly to Iranian New Yorkers: you are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers and community leaders.\" The mayor assured them, \"You will be safe here.\"\nMamdani misread the room, assuming that Iranians living in the U.S. would react as he had to the attack on the mullahs. Instead, joyful Iranians gathered in Times Square to celebrate the end of one of the most hated and savage regimes in history.\nThey apparently felt perfectly safe, as indeed they were.\nThere are certainly valid reasons to fear a military confrontation with Iran. The country hosts a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles, it has a well-trained and now vengeful military, and it can disrupt the world’s oil supply by mining the Straits of Hormuz. Also, it is a large country of 90 million people; Iran’s citizens may hate the mullahs, but they have no weapons with which to bring down the theocracy.\nBut Iran has brought nothing but bloodshed and destruction to Israel, the United States and the Middle East for decades. There could be no peace or progress in the region while Iran continues to fund its terror proxies and doggedly pursues long-range missiles and a nuclear bomb.\nDemocrats who mourn the scrapping of President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, protesting that the JCPOA was preventing the regime from acquiring a nuke, surely know better. The deal was seriously flawed, it was unverifiable and from day one the mullahs prevented U.N. inspectors from carrying out agreed-upon certification of the pact.\nPresident Trump has ended the mullahs’ reign of terror and united the region in a manner no one could have imagined.\nThis is a righteous endeavor. Let us hope that on the other side, a free Iran will become a trusted ally.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:00:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4763f6a81a76",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Could the US run low on weapons for its assault on Iran? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "US’s Rubio tries to justify attacks on Iran as driven by self-defence\nLeaks from the Pentagon last week – as reported by media in the United States – have suggested that if strikes on Iran continue for more than 10 days, US stocks of some critical missiles could start to run low.\nOn Saturday, the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran while talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues, understood to include limiting Iran’s holding of ballistic missiles and ending its arming of regional armed groups, were ongoing.\nIran hit back with missile and drone attacks across the region, including targets in Israel as well as US military assets in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.\nThe Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, is also understood to have warned President Donald Trump that an extended military campaign in Iran would carry serious risks, including the high cost of replenishing Washington’s dwindling munitions stockpiles.\nTrump has held that the US has enough in its stockpile to keep the military campaign in Iran going.\n“The United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better – As was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.\nWhile Trump said on Monday that the plan for the Iran war was initially “projected four to five weeks” but could go on for longer than that, analysts have told Al Jazeera that some weapons in its stockpile may have run very low by then, particularly crucial interceptor missiles.\nHere is what we know.\nWhat weapons is the US using in its attacks on Iran?\nAccording to the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), it has used more than 20 weapons systems across air, sea, land and missile defence forces during its ongoing operation in Iran.\nThe US is using B-1 bombers, B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, F-22 Raptor jets, F-15s and EA-18G Growlers.\nIt is also using drones and long-range strike systems, including the Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) one-way drones, MQ-9 Reaper drones, M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Tomahawk Cruise Missiles.\nAdditionally, it is using air defence systems such as the Patriot, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries and Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.\nTwo US aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R Ford, were in the Middle East when the attack on Iran began.\nThe Wall Street Journal reported on February 23 that Pentagon officials and General Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, had warned Trump about the dangers of a prolonged campaign against Iran.\nAt the same time, The Washington Post reported that Caine had told Trump that a lack of critical munitions and support from regional allies could hinder efforts to contain a possible Iranian retaliation in the event of an attack by the US.\nUS munitions stockpiles, including those used in missile defence systems, have been stretched thin by their use in support of allies such as Israel and Ukraine, according to the report.\nTrump lashed out at media reports that Caine had issued such a warning, adding that the general “believed” in a war with Iran.\nHow much weaponry did the US use up in strikes on Iran last year?\nIran fought a 12-day war with Israel from June 13 to 24 in 2025. The US joined the campaign on the side of Israel, bombing several Iranian nuclear facilities towards the end of it. During this time, the US deployed two of its advanced THAAD missile defence system batteries to Israel.\nTHAAD is a Lockheed Martin-made advanced missile defence system that uses radar and interceptor missiles to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at distances of about 150-200km (93-124 miles).\nAfter the 12-day war, US officials reported that they had to fire more than 150 of these missiles to intercept incoming Iranian missiles, multiple news reports said, accounting for about 25 percent of its THAAD interceptors.\nAccording to US media reports, the US also ran out of large numbers of ship-borne interceptors during the war last year.\nWhich weapons could the US run out of now?\nIf the war with Iran continues, the most likely US shortages would be in precision, high-end munitions and interceptors like the THAAD, analysts say.\nThis includes the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), which are guidance tools that use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to turn unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions, effectively making “dumb” bombs “smart”.\nA THAAD battery usually comprises 95 soldiers, six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors (eight for each launcher), one radar system and a fire-control and communications component. There are nine active THAAD batteries worldwide as of mid-2025, according to Lockheed Martin.\nIn 2024, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna reported from Washington, DC, that one THAAD battery costs between $1bn and $1.8bn.\nInterceptors and munitions take months to assemble, integrate and test. It then takes additional time to transport by sea and air and set up and deploy them.\nExperts say high-end missile defence systems are primarily designed to deal with limited, high-intensity attacks from states such as Russia, China or North Korea in mind, rather than from prolonged, large barrages of cheaper missiles.\nOver time, finite stockpiles of advanced interceptors will run down at very high cost, analysts say, as each interception can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to take down a missile that may only have cost a few thousand dollars to build.\nSpeaking to the press on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran is able to churn out many more offensive weapons than the US and its allies can build interceptors to stop them.\n“They are producing, by some estimates, over 100 of these missiles a month. Compare that to the six or seven interceptors that can be built a month,” Rubio said.\n“They can build 100 of these a month, not to mention the thousands of one-way attack drones that they also have. They’ve been doing this for a very long time. And by the way, they’ve been doing it under sanctions.”\nAdditionally, stocks of Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) are already running out due to slow production, strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group and earlier clashes with Iran. The SM-3 is an antiballistic missile interceptor launched from warships.\nThe US is not only depleting weapons, but also losing weapons due to miscalculations in the campaign. For instance, on Sunday, at least three US jets were shot down in Kuwait, in what US officials described as a friendly-fire incident.\nHow soon could the US run out of interceptors?\nChristopher Preble, a senior fellow at the US think tank, Stimson Center, told Al Jazeera that while the US can afford the financial cost of the war given its trillion‑dollar defence budget, the real constraint is stockpiles of interceptor missiles, such as Patriot and SM‑6.\nPreble warned that high interception rates cannot continue indefinitely.\n“It is reasonable to speculate that the pace of operations right now, in terms of numbers of interceptions, could not continue indefinitely, certainly, and perhaps could not continue for more than several weeks,” he said.\nManufacturing replacements is not instantaneous. “A Patriot missile or an SM-6 … is a very complicated piece of equipment,” he added.\nPreble said he could not comment on how long it takes to manufacture the weapons.\n“It’s not like they’re cranking them out, hundreds or thousands a day. That’s not the pace of manufacturing.”\nWhat happens if the US runs low on some weapons?\nPreble said the US could continue to manufacture weapons or move them to the Middle East from other deployments.\n“Some of these interceptors are used or were intended to be sent to Ukraine to deal with Russian strikes on Ukraine,” he said.\n“Some of them are used in Asia, in the Indo-Pacific, not currently used, but they would be important in the event of a contingency in the Indo-Pacific. So there would be some concern with removing those weapons from that theatre.”\nHow much is this war costing the US?\nWhile the Pentagon has not disclosed how much the war is costing the US, estimates suggest that sustaining it will be extremely costly.\nReports by Anadolu news agency suggest the US spent about $779m in the first 24 hours of its operation in Iran, with a further $630m for the pre-strike build-up – moving aircraft, deploying more than a dozen naval vessels and mobilising regional assets.\nThe Center for a New American Security estimates it costs approximately $6.5m per day to operate a carrier strike group such as the USS Gerald R Ford.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:02:17+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_c1f524d9d06e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Indonesia to import more crude oil from US as Middle East conflict escalates, minister says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Indonesia to import more crude oil from US as Middle East conflict escalates, minister says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:12:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiywFBVV95cUxNRFVLNXVrODhHLV9RdnktRmJwRDgxWkZaUVN3QnFGS1lEdjl0OW9JR2hIanJzTzYtX192NDRIMnhERFdwT1dldVUyZzEzajdpaGZHQ3RBX0xYakNuM2dLb2dKbmlUVGpSYTlWLW1HVTNtOFl1MzJXc251QjN3YmdiU2xTQXBOSGNEV05Lc19YclJvVlBUSEEwTVhuTUJuTFE2ZEtLMHdhYzZJelZYRXE0WTUwUEotbjRHdnhJejJGS1l6Qll2UXk5UFI5cw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c9ac02eb32b5",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "US-Israel war with Iran widens as strikes continue",
    "body_text": "The crisis in the Middle East has widened after Israel and the US attacked Iran on Saturday with major strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:20:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cgml4ldzyxyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9c901c2b3f12",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iranian drones hit the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, while hundreds are reported dead in Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "Explosions sound in the Iranian capital as war with US and Israel enters a fifth day\nExplosions sound in the Iranian capital as war with US and Israel enters a fifth day\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions sounded in Iran’s capital city Wednesday as its war with the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day following earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region.\nIranian state television reported explosions around Tehran as dawn broke. Meanwhile, Israel said its air defenses were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran.\nFive days into a war that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested would last several weeks or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country.\nExplosions also hit Lebanon, where Israel said it is retaliating against Hezbollah militants. Lebanon’s state-run media reported that at least four people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit a residential complex in the city of Baalbeck.\nA day earlier, Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian missile launchers and a nuclear research site, and Iran struck back against Israel and others, targeting U.S. embassies and disrupting energy supplies and travel.\nThe American embassy in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks. Iran has fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, though most of the incoming fire has been intercepted. Eleven people in Israel have been killed since the conflict began.\nIn other developments, the Pentagon identified four U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who were killed in a drone strike Sunday at a command center in Kuwait. The strike also killed two other service members.\nThe spiraling nature of the war raised questions about when and how it would end.\nTrump’s administration has offered various objectives, including destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, wiping out its navy, preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensuring it cannot continue to support allied armed groups.\nWhile the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Trump urged Iranians to overthrow their government, senior administration officials have since said regime change was not the goal.\nTrump on Tuesday seemed to downplay the chances of the war ending Iran’s theocratic rule, saying that “someone from within” the Iranian regime might be the best choice to take power once the U.S.-Israel campaign is finished.\nTrump says people the US had in mind to lead Iran are dead\nSpeaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah, is not someone that his administration has considered in depth to take over.\nAs far as possible leaders inside Iran, “the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said.\n“I guess the worst case would be do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right? That could happen,” Trump said. “We don’t want that to happen.”\nIran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement.\nIsrael and US strike nuclear facilities and other targets\nAdm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, said American forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran since the war began. In a video posted Tuesday on X, Cooper said the U.S. has “severely degraded Iran’s air defenses” and taken out hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.\n“We’ve just begun,” Cooper said.\nSatellite images published Tuesday by Colorado-based company Vantor showed the domed roof of Iran’s presidential complex in Tehran had been destroyed, supporting Israel’s claim of an overnight strike. Iran did not acknowledge the damage or report any casualties.\nIsraeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the Israeli military struck a building in the Iranian city of Qom where clerics were expected to meet to discuss selecting a new supreme leader. He said the army was still assessing whether anyone was hit.\nThe Israeli military said it also conducted airstrikes on Iranian sites that produce and store ballistic missiles, and that it destroyed what it called Iran’s secret, underground nuclear headquarters. Without providing evidence, it said the site was used for research “to develop a key component for nuclear weapons.”\nThere was no immediate public comment from the U.S. or Iran about the site Israel named.\nIran has said it has not enriched uranium since June, though it has maintained its right to do so and says its nuclear program is peaceful.\nIran hits US Embassy in Riyadh and Washington pulls out staff\nAn attack from two drones on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh caused a “limited fire,” according to the Saudi Arabian Defense Ministry, and the embassy urged Americans to avoid the compound.\nAn Iranian drone struck a parking lot outside the U.S. consulate in Dubai, sparking a small fire, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Washington. He said all personnel were accounted for.\nU.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon said they were closed to the public.\nThe U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. And U.S. citizens were urged to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, though many were stranded because of airspace closures.\nThe State Department said Tuesday it’s preparing military and charter flights for Americans wanting to leave the Middle East. Other countries were arranging flights for their citizens.\nHundreds have died, including children\nThe U.S.-Israeli strikes have killed at least 787 people in Iran, according to the Red Crescent Society. In Lebanon, where Israel launched retaliatory strikes on the Iranian-supported militant group Hezbollah, 50 people were killed, including seven children, Lebanon’s health ministry said.\nKuwait, which had previously reported a single death, said Wednesday that an 11-year-old girl was killed by falling shrapnel as Kuwaiti forces were intercepting “hostile aerial targets.” In addition, three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates and one in Bahrain.\nThe U.S. military has confirmed six deaths of American service members.\nFour of the Americans killed were identified as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who received a posthumous promotion in rank. They were assigned to the Iowa-based 103rd Sustainment Command.\n___\nThis story has been updated to correct that communications in Iran are poor, but that the internet isn’t shut down. It also clarifies that more than one drone hit the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Some instances referred to just one drone.\n___\nBecatoros reported from Athens, Greece, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Michelle Price and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, David Rising in Bangkok, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:22:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxQZm9zQ3ZQSXRmY0NtN2pKUUZaUHlqWHh5QkI3SVpaM3pXTEdEaUI2Z2VNdC1KbWRob0dSOXdMRDVyblNGWDJKQ3Y4Tmc3WWk5R2FReWRIVXRYdl9OOHJtSnFkVERKZ3Y1UjZwUEZSMzdWd3JRclJSQUtKUjR4ekYyR3lYNmlWYVBnb29HUnJR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6985373131a1",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "U.S. death toll in Iran war rises to 6 as Trump says campaign could last 5 weeks - CBS News",
    "body_text": "Follow\n. See earlier developments below.What to know about Day 3 of the Iran war:\n- The U.S. military said Monday that the number of Americans killed during the ongoing war with Iran stood at six, following the recovery of the remains of two service members who were previously unaccounted for.\n- the war was the \"last best chance\" of addressing the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missiles and nuclear program, and that the campaign could last four to five weeks with the \"capability to go far longer than that.\" He told the New York Post he will not rule out sending ground troops into Iran if necessary.\n- Earlier in the day, in what the military called a \"friendly fire incident.\" All crew members are safe. The strikes have killed at least 11 people in Israel, and the Iranian Red Crescent says 555 people have been killed in Iran.\n- The U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was attacked by two drones, causing minor damage, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said Monday.\nWar's death toll in Iran rises to 787, Red Crescent says\nIran's death toll from U.S.-Israeli strikes in the war now in its fourth day has climbed to 787, according to state media citing the Iranian Red Crescent.\nThe organization had put the number at 555 on Monday.\nU.S. adds UAE to nations where non-essential personnel being evacuated\nState Department evacuations of non-emergency personnel and family reached six nations Tuesday with the inclusion of the United Arab Emirates.\nThe other nations where that's happening are Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar.\nThe UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and long considered a safe corner of the Middle East, has been dragged into the Iran war with and attacks on its territory and missile interceptions.\nIn addition, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has advised Americans there about what he calls \"VERY LIMITED\" options for leaving, mainly via bus to Egypt, using his X account, saying, \"We are getting a lot of requests regarding evacuating from Israel from American citizens who are currently in Israel or who have family here.\"\nCBS/AP\nAt least 13 Iranian troops killed in strikes on southeastern air base, local media say\nAirstrikes targeting an air base in southeastern Iran killed at least 13 Iranian troops, local media reported.\nThe semiofficial Tasnim news agency and the Hammihan daily newspaper said the strike hit the Kerman Air Base, some 500 miles southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran.\nThe base is known to house military helicopters.\nIsrael says it's hitting targets in Tehran and Beirut\nIsrael's military said it was \"conducting simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut\" as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran entered its fourth day Tuesday.\nJournalists from French news agency AFP heard loud explosions in Iran's capital.\nThe Israel Defense Forces also said it had deployed troops to several locations in southern Lebanon in what it described as a \"forward defense posture,\" adding that it was \"conducting targeted strikes against Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure.\"\nMilitary spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists in a separate briefing that \"we have positioned soldiers on the border area in additional points to defend our civilians, to prevent Hezbollah from attacking them.\"\n\"This is not a ground operation. This is a tactical measure ... to ensure the safety of our people,\" he said.\nCBS/AFP\nU.S. embassy in Kuwait closed indefinitely over \"regional tensions\"\nThe U.S. embassy in Kuwait on Tuesday said it was closed until further notice, a day after smoke was seen rising from the mission following Iranian attacks on the country.\n\"Due to ongoing regional tensions, the US Embassy in Kuwait will be closed until further notice. We have cancelled all regular and emergency consular appointments,\" the embassy said in a statement on X.\nState Dept. tells non-emergency U.S. government personnel and families to leave Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq\nThe State Department early Monday told all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and the families of government personnel to leave Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq because of ongoing safety risks.\nThe State Department had previously urged American citizens to \"depart now via commercial means\" from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.\nTrump says wars can be fought \"forever\" with U.S. stockpiles\nPresident Trump said late Monday on Truth Social, \"The United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better,\" and that the U.S. has a \"virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. Wars can be fought 'forever,' and very successfully, using just these supplies.\"\n\"At the highest end, we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be. Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries,\" Mr. Trump added.\nMr. Trump has predicted the ongoing war in Iran could last several weeks and has not ruled out the possibility of putting American boots on the ground in Iran.\nU.S. has destroyed IRGC \"command and control facilities,\" CENTCOM says\nU.S. Central Command said Monday night that among the targets that have been destroyed in the strikes on Iran are \"Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.\"\nSatellite images show Iranian sites, including Khamenei compound, before and after strikes\nSatellite imagery captured Sunday and Monday by Vantor shows the aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on multiple sites in Iran, including former Supreme Leader\n.in one of the initial strikes, along with about 40 other senior Iranian officials. Khamenei's movements had been tracked for months by the CIA, which learned about a Saturday morning meeting at a compound in Tehran that Khamenei was expected to attend, according to a person familiar with the matter. That intelligence was then passed on to Israeli counterparts, the person told CBS News.\nBefore:\nAfter:\nTrump submits War Powers Resolution notice to Congress\nPresident Trump on Monday submitted a War Powers Resolution notification to Congress regarding the Feb. 28 military strikes against the government of Iran.\n\"Despite my Administration's repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran's malign behavior, the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable,\" Trump wrote to Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley in the March 2 letter, obtained by CBS News.\nMr. Trump writes that \"at my direction,\" U.S. forces conducted precision strikes against \"numerous targets within Iran,\" including ballistic missile sites, maritime mining capabilities, air defenses and command-and-control capabilities. The strikes, he writes, were undertaken to protect U.S. forces in the region, protect the homeland, ensure the free flow of maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and act in collective self-defense of U.S. allies, including Israel.\nThe president states that no U.S. ground forces were used and that the mission was designed to minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks and neutralize Iran's malign activities.\nHe acknowledges in the letter that \"it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,\" adding that U.S. forces remain postured to take further action as needed.\nThe president wrote that he directed the action pursuant to his constitutional authority as commander in chief and is submitting the report consistent with the War Powers Resolution.\nTrump says \"you'll be finding out very soon\" when asked who now controls Iran\nIn an interview Monday night, President Trump said that \"you'll be finding out very soon\" when asked who now controls Iran.\nSpeaking to NewsNation's Kellie Meyer, the president also reacted to the strike on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, saying \"you'll find out soon\" when asked about retaliation for that attack.\nU.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia attacked by drones\nThe U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia was attacked by two drones, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said on X, causing what the ministry described as a small fire and limited damage.\nThe apparent drone attack in the Saudi capital of Riyadh came as several U.S. allies in the Gulf region face days of retaliatory attacks by Iranian drones and missiles, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.\nThe embassy has urged U.S. citizens in Riyadh and the key commercial cities of Dhahran and Jeddah to shelter in place. It said it would be closed Tuesday.\nQatar says it's intercepted nearly 100 ballistic missiles from Iran\nQatar's Ministry of Defense said as of Monday it has successfully intercepted 90 ballistic missiles, 24 drones, three cruise missiles and two Su-24 fighter jets since the start of the U.S.-Iran conflict.\nKuwait has detected at least 178 missiles and 384 drones from Iran\nKuwait's Ministry of Defense says it has detected 178 ballistic missiles and 384 drones since the start of the U.S.-Iran conflict over the weekend, according to the country's official news agency, as the Persian Gulf state faces an Iranian bombardment.\nSome 27 members of the Kuwaiti army have been injured, the ministry said.\nThe U.S. and its regional allies — including Kuwait — have been scrambling to intercept Iranian drones and missiles. Six American service members\nand 18 service members had been seriously wounded in Operation Epic Fury as of Monday morning, according to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins.Military officials raise questions about fortifications at Kuwaiti facility where Americans died\nThree U.S. military officials with direct knowledge of Iran's attack on U.S. installations in Kuwait questioned the Pentagon's assertion that a tactical operations center that was targeted was adequately fortified.\nSix U.S. service members were killed in the\n.The officials said the makeshift operations center was a triple-wide trailer made into an office space — a common arrangement at U.S. bases abroad. The only fortifications around the operations center were T-walls, which are 12-foot-tall, steel-reinforced concrete barriers used to protect military personnel from explosions, rocket attacks and shrapnel, they told CBS News.\nPreliminary battle damage assessments suggest a one-way unmanned aerial system was used to attack the operations center, the sources said. Iran typically uses Shahed-136 \"kamikaze\" drones, and the T-walls would not stop an aerial attack. Fire engulfed the buildings, which made recovery of the bodies difficult in the immediate aftermath.\nIn a news briefing Monday at the Pentagon speaking about U.S. casualties, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: \"You have air defenses and there's lots coming in and you hit most of it … [but] every once in a while you might have one, unfortunately, we call it a squirter, that makes its way through, and in that particular case, it happened to hit a tactical operation center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons.\"\n.\nKey Senate Democrat calls Iran strikes a \"war of choice\"\nSen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence, said after a briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that \"there was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians,\" though Israel did face a grave threat from Iran.\n\"Israel is a great ally of America. I stand firmly with Israel, but I believe that at the end of the day, when we are talking about putting American soldiers in harm's way … there needs to be proof of an imminent threat to American interests. I still don't think that standard has been met,\" Warner said.\nThe Virginia Democrat laid out several other concerns about the U.S.'s strikes on Iran, which he called a \"war of choice.\" Those include an unclear exit plan, and questions about what obligations the U.S. might have if Iranians heed President Trump's call to try to overthrow the government and are met with a crackdown.\nHe also said the rationale for the operation has shifted, with Mr. Trump and top administration officials describing halting Iran's nuclear program, taking out its ballistic missiles, hitting its navy and hastening the fall of Iran's ruling regime as potential goals at various points.\n\"I've heard … at least four different goals in the last eight or nine days. I'm not sure which of those goals, if met, means that we're at an endgame,\" said Warner.\nMap shows locations of strikes in Iran and retaliatory strikes targeting Israel, Gulf allies\nA map created by the CBS News data team shows\nas well as Iran's retaliatory strikes in Israel and U.S.-allied Gulf states since the operation began.In addition to the capital, Tehran, Iranian news outlets report there have been attacks in cities across the country, including in Isfahan, where there is a major nuclear facility, the holy city of Qom, and in Karaj, Kermanshah, Lorestan and Tabriz. The Iranian Red Crescent says at least 555 people have been killed.\nIranian strikes have killed at least 11 people in Israel. Iran has also hit Gulf nations allied with the U.S., including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the U.S. military objectives as: \"Destroy Iranian missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure and they will never have nuclear weapons.\"\nJohnson says Israel would've struck Iran \"with or without the U.S.\"\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson backed the Trump administration's decision to attack Iran, arguing that \"Israel was determined to act with or without the U.S.,\" and American forces needed to strike in order to quell any potential Iranian retaliation on U.S. forces in the region.\nThe Louisiana Republican said U.S. forces would have suffered \"staggering losses\" if they had waited to act.\nJohnson made the remarks shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed top lawmakers from both parties on the ongoing strikes. Rubio offered a similar rationale to reporters Monday on Capitol Hill, saying: \"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.\"\nAsked about whether President Trump needed congressional authorization for the strikes, the House speaker said that \"the president was acting well within his authority.\" He also said the mission is \"limited in scope\" and he expects it to be short in duration.\nState Department urges Americans in the Middle East to \"depart now\"\nThe State Department is urging Americans to \"depart now\" from much of the Middle East \"due to serious safety risks.\"\nThe State Department listed Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, saying to \"depart now via commercial means.\"\nAmericans who need help arranging their departure can call the State Department 24/7 from abroad at +1-202-501-4444 or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. or Canada. They can also enroll online for the latest security updates.\nItaly and France say EU leaders weren't notified of strikes on Iran\nEuropean allies were not notified of last weekend's U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran ahead of time, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and French President Emmanuel Macron said.\nSpeaking at the National Defense and Security Council meeting at the Élysée Palace just a few hours after the initial strikes on Saturday, Macron said France \"was neither informed nor involved\" in the operations, \"just like all the countries in the region and our allies.\" He then stressed France's support for countries currently being affected by the Iranian response, including those hosting French military bases. There is a French base in the United Arab Emirates, a country that has faced days of Iranian missile attacks.\nMeanwhile, Crosetto found himself temporarily stranded over the weekend in Dubai, where he had been spending time with his family after completing \"some institutional engagements.\" The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said Crosetto met with his Emirati counterpart on Saturday.\nOn Sunday, he posted on his official X profile that he was traveling back to Italy on a state flight — paid for by himself \"at three times the fare usually paid for an institutional flight,\" he stressed — as civilian flights had been suspended. He added that the targeting of Dubai had not been included in any scenario of an Iranian retaliation.\nSpeaking with journalists on Monday, Crosetto added: \"I spoke with all my fellow foreign ministers, and no one was notified of the beginning of the strikes until the aircraft were already in the air.\"\n\"The reason is that the U.S. and Israel started the attack at a different moment from the one the other allies had been told, acting when they were certain that one of those strikes would hit the main target,\" Crosetto said, attempting to justify his temporary absence from office, as opposition leaders in Italy have already called for his resignation.\nBy Elena Giuliano\nRubio says U.S. struck when it did to cripple Iran's ability to retaliate after Khamenei attack\nArriving on Capitol Hill to brief lawmakers, Rubio addressed the question of why the U.S. took action when it did. He said the U.S. decided to strike Iranian targets once it became clear that the Israelis would launch an attack to take out Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders.\n\"It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone — the United States or Israel or anyone — they were going to respond and respond against the United States. The orders had been delegated down to the field commanders. It was automatic,\" Rubio said.\nHe added that \"within an hour of the initial attack on the leadership compound, the missile forces in the south and in the north, for that matter, had already been activated to launch. In fact, those had already been pre-positioned.\"\nHe said the U.S. assessed that \"if we stood and waited for that attack to come first before we hit, that we would suffer much higher casualties.\"\n\"And so the president made the very wise decision. We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties and perhaps even higher [number of] those killed, and then we would all be here answering questions about why we knew that and didn't act,\" Rubio said.\n\"The purpose of this is to destroy that missile capability,\" the secretary said.\nU.S. says remains of 2 more service members found, bringing death toll to 6\nU.S. Central Command said six U.S. service members have been killed in an Iranian strike amid Operation Epic Fury. The death toll rose after U.S. forces recovered the remains of two troops who were \"previously accounted for\" at a \"facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region,\" according to CENTCOM.\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the deadly incident happened when an incoming munition hit a tactical operations center in Kuwait.\nThe Pentagon has not yet released the identities of the service members, since it is notifying next of kin. CENTCOM said \"major combat operations continue.\"\n.\n2 U.S. personnel injured in weekend attack on Bahrain hotel\nTwo Defense Department personnel were injured during Iran's retaliatory attack on a hotel in Bahrain over the weekend, a U.S. official tells CBS News.\nIran appeared to specifically target buildings housing evacuated Americans, according to a regional source.\nU.S. struck more than 1,250 targets in first 48 hours of the war, CENTCOM says\nThe U.S. struck more than 1,250 targets over the first two days of Operation Epic Fury, according to a fact sheet released by U.S. Central Command.\nThe fact sheet listed 25 assets the U.S. has used in the campaign, including B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 fighter jets, MQ-9 Reaper drones and more. CENTCOM said troops are hitting targets \"to dismantle the Iranian regime's security apparatus, prioritizing locations that pose an imminent threat.\"\nIran strikes highlight fractures in GOP ahead of war powers votes in Congress\nFractures within the Republican Party have become apparent as the GOP grapples with the massive\nlaunched on Iran over the weekend.Lawmakers face\non whether to rein in President Trump's ability to pursue further military action against Iran without congressional authorization.The war has prompted strong pushback in pockets of the GOP.\nRepublican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is leading the House war powers effort alongside Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California. Massie has criticized the strikes in strong terms, claiming the approach is not in line with the \"America First\" agenda, while saying that lawmakers must go on the record on the issue.\nGOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a co-sponsor of the war powers resolution in the upper chamber, has also condemned the move to strike Iran without Congress' approval, citing the legislative branch's authority to declare war.\n18 U.S. service members seriously wounded so far\nEighteen American service members have been seriously wounded in Operation Epic Fury as of this morning, according to Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command.\nIsraeli army says \"all options on the table\" regarding Lebanon ground offensive\nIsrael's military spokesman, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, on Monday said \"all options are on the table\" when asked by a journalist whether Israel was going to expand its strikes on Lebanon into a ground offensive.\n\"We are operating in Lebanon as well in order to remove a significant threat ... Bottom line, all options are on the table. We will act to disarm Hezbollah,\" Defrin said in response to the question during a televised briefing.\nEarlier on Monday, the military's international spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said there was no reason to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon \"imminently\" after an overnight attack from Lebanese armed group Hezbollah prompted Israel to retaliate with strikes.\nIran's president: Tehran \"will not remain silent\" after alleged school, hospital attacks\nMasoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, said on social media Monday that \"attacks on hospitals strike at life itself\" and \"attacks on schools target a nation's future.\"\n\"Targeting patients and children blatantly violates humanitarian principles,\" he said. \"The world must condemn it. I stand with my grieving nation. Iran will not remain silent or yield to these crimes.\"\nIranian officials and its state-run media claimed Saturday that a U.S. or Israeli strike hit a\nin the country's south, killing dozens of students. Neither the U.S. or Israel have confirmed the strike.49 senior regime leaders killed in strikes, White House says\nThe operation against Iran has killed 49 of \"the most senior Iranian regime leaders,\" White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday.\nMr. Trump also gave that figure earlier Monday to the New York post, saying, \"We're right on schedule, way ahead of schedule in terms of [Iranian] leadership — 49 killed — and that was, you know, going to take, we figured at least four weeks, and we did it in one day.\"\nLeavitt outlined objectives of the campaign against Iran, which she said include: destroying Iran's missiles and Navy; stopping the regime from making and using IEDs and roadside bombs; and guaranteeing that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.\nIn a post on X, she said the regime \"was fully committed to rebuilding their nuclear program, and they REFUSED to make a deal, despite months of extensive talks and good faith efforts by President Trump's top negotiators.\"\nGas prices set to rise amid Iran war\nAmerican motorists could soon pay more at the pump amid spiking oil prices due to the Iran war.\nGas prices in the U.S. could start moving higher as soon as Monday, according to GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan, who predicted that some gas stations could be charging as much as 30 cents more per gallon by the end of the week.\nThe projected increase would come after fuel costs had already edged higher this year on concerns about flaring tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Gas prices on Monday averaged about $3 per gallon across the U.S., about 20 cents higher than at the start of January, according to data from AAA.\nU.S.-Israeli attacks target Iran's police, intel and paramilitary security forces\nPolice stations, intelligence centers and bases of Iran's feared paramilitary Basij forces were bombed heavily across Tehran on Monday.\nA major police and intelligence station in Tehran's Grand Bazaar was among the facilities that were pummeled.\nIt was the first indication of the joint U.S.-Israeli assault significantly targeting the police and Basij forces that were largely responsible for carrying out the crackdown on anti-government protests in January. President\nIranian authorities killed more than 30,000 people in that crackdown.The overall death toll in Iran from the war is rumored to be in the thousands, although the Iranian Red Crescent put the figure at about 550 in an initial tally reported Monday.\nAs their bases came under attack, Basij forces took up positions in tents set up across Tehran.\nTwo hospitals close to military installations were also hit, and the government called on Iranian media outlets to magnify reporting on those incidents.\nTrump says U.S. can go \"far longer\" than 4-to-5-week timeline in Iran\nPresident Trump reiterated in remarks at the White House Monday that the U.S. is \"substantially ahead\" of its time projection for the operation in Iran, but added that the military is prepared for a longer campaign.\n\"Whatever it takes, we will always — and we have right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,\" he said. \"We'll do it.\"\nMr. Trump also rebuffed a claim from an unidentified person. The president said the person alleged he would soon get bored of the military operation.\n\"I don't get bored. There's nothing boring about this,\" Mr. Trump said.\nBases in U.S. have additional protection measures\nU.S. Northern Command has directed additional protective measures for bases in the United States \"based on world events,\" but it has not increased the threat level.\n\"U.S. Northern Command has not increased the Force Protection level in the continental United States,\" a USNORTHCOM spokesperson said. \"However, based on world events, USNORTHCOM has directed eleven additional force protection measures to enhance vigilance and ensure the safety and security of military personnel and installations.\"\nIranian drones hit 2 buildings in Bahrain that Americans were moved to amid strikes\nAmerican citizens in Bahrain's capital Manama were evacuated over the weekend from their homes in the Juffair district into temporary accommodation as joint U.S.-Israeli strikes drew retaliatory missile and drone fire from Iran targeting countries across the Persian Gulf.\nMost U.S. nationals in Manama were moved to the Crowne Plaza hotel and the ERA Tower, and an official in Bahrain told CBS News on Monday that those two properties were the only civilian accommodation hit by Iranian drones in the weekend attacks.\nAt around 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, the ERA Tower apartment block was hit by a drone. Multiple videos posted online showed the weapons crashing into the upper floors of the tower.\nOn Sunday at about 3 p.m. local time, the Crown Plaza Hotel in Manama was hit by a drone, \"resulting in material damage but no loss of life,\" according to the Bahraini Ministry of Interior.\nThe U.S. Embassy said in an alert that the strike had caused injuries, and it warned U.S. citizens that hotels might be targets for future attacks, and encouraged them to avoid hotels in Manama.\nTrump: \"This was our last best chance to strike\"\nPresident Trump\nbefore awarding the Medal of Honor to three soldiers — two posthumously — at the White House Monday.\"This was our last best chance to strike, what we're doing right now, and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,\" Mr. Trump said.\nThe president said Iran's ballistic weapons program was growing \"rapidly and dramatically,\" which he said posed a threat to American forces overseas. The Islamic Republic already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and U.S. military bases abroad, and would soon have missiles capable of hitting the U.S., Mr. Trump said.\n\"An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,\" he said. \"Our country itself would be under threat.\"\nThe president laid out a series of objectives for the war against Iran: destroying its missile capabilities, \"annihilating\" its Navy, keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensuring the regime cannot arm, fund and direct terrorist armies in other countries.\nHe said the military was continuing to carry out \"large-scale combat operations in Iran to eliminate the grave threats posed to America by this terrible terrorist regime.\" The U.S. has already \"knocked out\" 10 Iranian ships, which he said are \"at the bottom of the sea.\"\nRed Cross: Middle East hostilities putting civilians \"in grave danger\"\nThe spiralling war in the Middle East is putting civilians in grave danger, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned Monday, saying a broad conflict would outstrip any ability to help.\n\"Widening hostilities across the Middle East are putting civilian lives in grave danger,\" said ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric.\n\"The scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region -- and beyond -- into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response.\"\nU.S. military says forces hit Iranian drone carrier\nU.S. forces hit the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier, within hours of beginning Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command said Monday on X.\nIn a \"Fact Check\" post on social media, it denied that the Iranian regime had sunk a U.S. aircraft carrier.\nTrump says military operation in Iran \"going to go pretty quickly\"\nPresident Trump reiterated in his interview with the New York Post that it is crucial to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which his administration says the regime was trying to do covertly.\nTehran had vehemently denied any work or desire to build a nuclear weapon, and the\njust a week before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes that he had seen no evidence of efforts by Iran to create one.Asked about the timeline for the operation in Iran, the president predicted that it was \"going to go pretty quickly.\"\n\"We're right on schedule, way ahead of schedule in terms of [Iranian] leadership — 49 killed — and that was, you know, going to take, we figured at least four weeks, and we did it in one day,\" Mr. Trump told the New York Post.\nEarlier Monday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. objectives in Iran could \"take some time to achieve.\"\nMr. Trump said in interviews with the New York Times and the Daily Mail on Sunday that the conflict could last four to five weeks, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the president had \"all the latitude in the world\" to discuss a timeline.\n\"It could move up. It could move back,\" he said.\nTrump says he won't rule out American boots on the ground in Iran\nPresident Trump has told the New York Post that he will not rule out sending U.S. troops into Iran.\n\"I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground. Like every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it,\" Trump said, according to the New York Post. \"I say, 'probably don't need them,' [or] 'if they were necessary.'\"\nThe president also rebuffed opinion polls that show many Americans disapprove of his decision to launch U.S. strikes on Iran, arguing: \"I have to do the right thing.\"\ncompleted before U.S. airstrikes showed 51% of Americans would favor military action against Iran to stop them from developing nuclear weapons. When asked about options for engaging with Iranian leadership, 38% favored negotiating with Tehran through diplomacy. Twenty-two percent of Americans said the U.S. should pressure them with sanctions or not get involved.\"I think that the polling is very good, but I don't care about the polling,\" he told the Post.\nIsraeli military warns of new missile salvo launched by Iran\nIsrael's military warned people Monday that Iran had \"recently launched\" another volley of missiles at the country, urging Israelis and visitors \"act according to the instructions\" issued by the Home Front Command and take shelter if required.\n\"Defense systems are working to intercept the threat,\" the Israel Defense Forces said in a message shared on social media.\nIran has launched several rounds of missile and drone attacks at Israel since Saturday, and while the Jewish state's robust air defenses have intercepted the majority of the weapons, some have slipped through the net, killing at least 11 people so far.\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei's wife dies from injuries sustained in strikes, Iranian media say\nThe wife of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed himself in the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran Saturday, has also died of her injuries, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said Monday.\nMansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, 79, died of her wounds on Monday, three days after the strike that killed her husband and several senior Iranian commanders, Tasnim said.\nGulf states consider military response as Iranian strikes hit hotels, airports and seaports\nThe Gulf Cooperation Council convened via video-link on Sunday night, with the members' foreign ministers saying afterwards that they would \"take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability ... including the option of responding to the aggression.\"\nJordan, which has also been intercepting missiles and drones over the past two days, said five people have been injured and a number of homes damaged across the kingdom since the start of Iran's reprisals.\nAcross the Gulf, civilian infrastructure has been hit: from airports and seaports to residential buildings and hotels.\n\"The Gulf countries right now are really on the front lines of this brutal war,\" security analyst Anna Jacobs told AFP on Monday. \"If Iran continues to hit these countries and escalates even more, it will be very difficult for them to just sit and do nothing.\"\nEarly Sunday, drones struck the airport in Bahrain's capital Manama, causing minor damage, authorities said.\nThe U.S. Embassy in Manama urged citizens to steer clear of hotels in the city, meanwhile, warning they could become potential targets after the Crowne Plaza was hit.\nOn Saturday, the Iranian attacks sparked fires at landmarks including The Palm seafront development and Burj Al Arab hotel in the UAE's Dubai.\nCBS/AFP\nDubai announces \"limited resumption of flights\" from Monday evening\nThe government of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, said Monday that both of its major airports would reopen later in the day for \"limited\" flights, several days after both facilities were shuttered due to the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and Iran's retaliatory missile and drone fire.\n\"Dubai Airports announces a limited resumption of flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) starting this evening,\" the Dubai government said on its official X account.\nDubai International Airport is the world's busiest commercial aviation hub by passenger volume, with some 95.2 million people transiting through the airport last year, according to Dubai Airports.\n\"Dubai Airports urged passengers not to go to the airport unless they have been contacted by the relevant airline to confirm their flight departure time,\" the administration noted.\nMuch of the airspace and many airports in the Middle East have remained closed since Saturday, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded in the region and some European nations contemplating evacuation operations.\nCompany that operates U.S.-flagged tanker hit in Bahrain confirms damage, death of local port worker\nThe Florida-based logistics firm that operates a U.S.-flagged tanker\namid Iran's missile and drone attacks confirmed that the Stena Imperative had sustained damage and said one local port worker was killed in the strike.The Imperative \"suffered damage due to aerial impacts while berthed\" early Monday, the shipping company Crowley said in a statement shared with CBS News.\n\"One shipyard worker was reported deceased, and authorities report two shipyard workers were injured. We are saddened to learn of this tragic news, and our thoughts are with them and their loved ones,\" Crowley said.\n\"The initial reports are that there were two impacts on the vessel, and a fire was extinguished shortly afterward. The vessel is secure, mariners have reported no injuries, and a damage assessment is being conducted,\" the company said, adding that it was \"taking every necessary step to support\" the well-being of its staff.\nUkraine's Zelenskyy says Iran brought war on itself, calls it example for Russia, \"that justice does come\"\nUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his administration was coordinating with its international partners to monitor events in Iran, calling it \"important that this chance for change for Iran be used properly.\"\n\"The Iranian people have long effectively been alone against violence — against the Iranian regime. This regime, which has killed tens of thousands of its own citizens just in recent months, which has always fueled and organized wars in the region, which provided Russia with 'shaheds' [drones] and the technology for their production — this regime has brought this attitude upon itself,\" Zelenskyy said in a social media post.\n\"It is important that there be a clear position in support of people and human life,\" he added, offering his personal thanks to \"everyone who is trying to prevent the war from expanding and who is defending against strikes from Iran.\"\n\"I also thank everyone who tells Russia — now, based on the experience of the Iranian regime — that justice does come,\" Zelenskyy said.\nHegseth says four U.S. troops were killed in strike on tactical operations center in Kuwait\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Monday that the four American service members who were killed over the weekend died when an incoming munition hit a tactical operations center in Kuwait.\n\"We have incredible air defenders. Every once in a while you might have one, unfortunately we call it a squirter, that makes its way through,\" he said. \"And in that particular case, it happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons.\"\nIran has targeted U.S. military and commercial interests in at least five Persian Gulf nations and in the surrounding waterways since the U.S.-Israeli assault began on Saturday, lashing out with hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones.\nHegseth said the losses \"only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we do this properly.\"\nU.S. Central Command said Sunday that\nand then announced Monday that a fourth, who was seriously wounded during Iran's initial retaliatory attacks, had \"succumbed to their injuries.\"The Defense Department has not yet disclosed the identities of those killed, pending notifications of their families.\nHegseth says timeline for operation against Iran \"could move up. It could move back.\"\nAsked about U.S. objectives in Iran, Hegseth said Iran had the ability to \"project power against us and our allies in ways that we can't tolerate.\"\nThe defense secretary pointed to Iran's ballistic missiles and drones, as well as its purported nuclear ambitions.\n\"We're very clear-eyed about the nature of this Iranian threat,\" Hegseth said.\nHegseth was also asked about Mr. Trump's estimate that the conflict could last four to five weeks, and he attacked the reporter who posed the question, claiming it's a \"gotcha-type question.\"\n\"President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take — four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back,\" he said. \"We're going to execute at his command the objectives we've set out to achieve.\"\nCaine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declined to provide specific figures for how many troops are involved in Operation Epic Fury, but said the military is \"just about where we want to be for total combat power.\"\nJoint Chiefs chairman says objectives in Iran will \"take some time to achieve,\" more Americans may die\nChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine offered his \"deepest and heartfelt condolences\" to the families of the four U.S. service members killed during the joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran.\n\"They're heroes and represent the best our nation has to offer,\" Caine said.\nCaine said it would \"take some time to achieve\" the objectives of the U.S. military operation, and he warned it was likely that more American lives would be lost.\nHe said that Mr. Trump gave the \"final go-order\" at 3:38 p.m. Friday, directing \"Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck.\"\nCaine said U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command acted first, layering what he called \"nonkinetic effects\" that disrupted, degraded and blinded Iran's \"ability to see, communicate and respond at the H-hour.\"\nThe full operation began at 1:15 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, when the \"skies surged to life,\" Caine said.\n\"This was a daylight strike based on a trigger event conducted by the Israeli Defense Forces, enabled by the U.S. intelligence community,\" he said, adding that more than 1,000 targets were hit in the first 24 hours alone.\n\"Operations will remain active across the theater and across the globe,\" he said. \"Operation Epic Fury stands as a reminder of what the United States military uniquely delivers: the ability to project power on a global scale with speed, surprise, precision and overwhelming force when and where our nation requires it.\"\nAnalyst says European support for U.S.-Israeli war on Iran \"inevitable\"\nDespite criticism from some of President Trump's political opponents, an analyst told CBS News on Monday that support for the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in Europe was likely to increase as Iran's retaliation put international forces based across the Middle East in peril.\nBritish Prime Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized the use of British military bases by the U.S. on Sunday, including to strike ballistic missile sites in Iran.\nCBS News was at Royal Air Force Station Fairford, about two hours west of London, on Monday, the only U.S. forward operating location in all of Europe where American B-52, B-2 and B-1 bombers are based.\nA source familiar with the situation told CBS News on Sunday that that base, along with the air base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia and a British base on Cyprus, could be used for what Starmer called the \"defensive purpose\" of eliminating Iranian missile installations.\nSanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at the Chatham House think tank in London, told CBS News on Monday that more U.S. allies were likely to join the efforts.\n\"I think it was inevitable that the U.K. would enter this war one way or another,\" she said, predicting that, \"the longer this war continues, I see more American-European cooperation emerge.\"\n\"That also is inevitable to me,\" she said, mentioning France and Germany, specifically, as likely to join the U.S.\nBoth countries, like the U.K, have a significant military presence and a massive expatriate population in the Middle East to protect.\nHegseth says conflict in Iran is \"not endless\"\nThe defense secretary said that Tehran had \"every chance\" to make a nuclear deal and accused the Iranian regime of \"arrogantly\" refusing to reach an agreement. Hegseth e said senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, \"bent over backward\" to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran, but said the regime was \"stalling.\"\n\"Their goal: Hold us hostage, threatening to strike our forces,\" he said.\nHegseth also said Operation Epic Fury was \"laser-focused: destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and they will never have nuclear weapons.\"\nHe said the military operation was hitting the Iranians \"surgically, overwhelmingly and unapologetically.\"\nThe defense secretary also rejected criticism of the operation as the beginning of another \"endless war\" in the Middle East.\n\"This is not Iraq. This is not endless,\" he said. \"Our generation knows better, and so does this president.\"\nHegseth: \"We're finishing\" this war\nSpeaking Monday at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran was building \"powerful missiles and drones,\" and was \"lying their way to a nuclear bomb\" as he explained the reasons for the ongoing attack on the Islamic Republic.\nHegseth said the conflict was \"not a so-called regime-change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it today.\"\n\"We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it,\" he said.\nThe defense secretary accused Tehran of waging a \"savage, one-sided war against America\" for decades.\nIraq says airspace to remain closed for at least another 2 days\nThe Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said Monday that the complete closure of the country's airspace to civilian traffic would be extended for at least 48 hours due to \"ongoing security concerns in region.\"\nIran closed its airspace at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, hours after the U.S. and Israel launched their joint attack on Iran, sparking a war that has snarled air and marine traffic across the Middle East as Iran retaliates with hundreds of missiles and drones targeting Israel and Gulf states it considers supportive of the attack.\nU.S. bases in Iraq are among the targets Iran has attacked with missile and drone fire over the last three days.\nU.S. military says four troops now confirmed dead on third day of war\n\"Four U.S. service members have been killed in action\" since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, the American Central Command said Monday, raising the death toll reported on Sunday by one.\n\"The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran's initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries,\" CENTCOM said, adding that \"major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.\"\nThe military said the identities of the American troops killed over the last three days would be withheld for at least a day after their families were notified.\nIsrael says it killed Hezbollah's intel chief in Beirut strike\nThe Israeli military said Monday that it had killed the man in charge of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group's intelligence office in Beirut.\nThe Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it could confirm \"a precise strike in Beirut\" on Sunday night killed Hussein Makled, \"who served as the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.\"\nIsrael announced strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Sunday after accusing the group of firing rockets at the Jewish state, but amid concern of a new ground war amid ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, the IDF said earlier Monday that there were no imminent plans to send troops across the border into Lebanon.\nU.S.-flagged tanker Stena Imperative reportedly hit by Iranian strike in Port of Bahrain\nA U.S.-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Imperative, was hit by Iranian drone or missile fire on Monday, according to the Reuters news agency and other outlets that cited the maritime security firm Vanguard Tech.\nAccording to Vanguard, two Iranian projectiles hit the ship in the Port of Bahrain, causing a fire that was extinguished and forcing the evacuation of the crew.\nThere was no immediate comment from U.S. authorities.\nThe United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center said earlier Monday that a \"vessel had been struck by two unknown projectiles causing a fire\" in the Port of Bahrain, without identifying the ship.\n\"The fire has been extinguished and the vessel remains in port,\" the UKMTO said, adding that all members of the crew were \"safe and have evacuated the vessel.\"\nThe U.S. military's Central Command\nthat Iranian forces on Feb. 3 as it transited the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane off Iran's coast that has been virtually shut down since the war began on Saturday.CENTCOM said two Iranian military boats and an Iranian drone \"approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker\" in the early February incident, but that they were deterred by a U.S. guided-missile destroyer which came to the Imperative's rescue and escorted it, with support from the U.S. Air Force.\nThe tanker remained on course after that encounter for its destination in Bahrain, and had been scheduled to arrive on Feb. 5, according to data from the MarineTraffic website.\nOne person killed in strike on oil tanker off Oman's coast, officials say\nOne person was killed in an attack on an oil tanker off Muscat, Oman, that caused an explosion and a fire, Omani authorities said Monday as Iran continued strikes across the Persian Gulf in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli assault.\n\"The oil tanker MKD VYOM, flying the flag of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, was attacked by an unmanned boat 52 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat Governorate. The tanker was carrying approximately 59,463 metric tons of cargo,\" the Omani Maritime Security Center said in a statement. \"The attack resulted in a fire and explosion in the main engine room, killing one crew member, an Indian national.\"\nThe MKD VYOM was one of three tankers hit Sunday by suspected Iranian drone or missile fire. Omani authorities said Sunday that 20 people were evacuated from the vessel, including four with unspecified injuries.\nCBS News Confirmed reports that the MKD VYOM is part of Iran's so-called \"shadow fleet\" — vessels with obscured registrations used to carry sanctioned energy supplies — and that the crew included Iranian nationals.\nCBS/AFP\nSaudi Arabia says drones intercepted near air base used by U.S. military\nSaudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said the country intercepted and destroyed five \"hostile drones\" near the country's Prince Sultan Air Base, a facility used by the U.S. military.\nAround 2,700 U.S. troops are stationed in Saudi Arabia, many of them at the Prince Sultan base, south of capital city Riyadh, along with missile defense systems.\nThe base reportedly came under attack by Iranian missiles over the weekend, too, but there have been no reports of American casualties in Saudi Arabia since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday.\nU.S. confirms 3 American F-15s \"mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses\" but all crew safe\nThe U.S. military confirmed Monday that three American F-15 fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in what U.S. Central Command called \"an apparent friendly fire incident.\"\nThe F-15 Strike Eagles \"flying in support of Operation Epic Fury\" crashed in Kuwait amid attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones that the U.S. and its regional allies have been racing to intercept.\n\"The U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,\" CENTCOM said in a statement Monday, adding that \"all six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition.\"\nCENTCOM said the Kuwaitis had \"acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.\"\nU.K. base in Cyprus, used by U.S. in Iran war, hit by drone\nState television in Cyprus, a small island nation in the Eastern Mediterranean, said sirens blared at a British air force base Monday and U.K. fighter jets were scrambled after the base was targeted by a drone amid Iran's strikes across the region.\nIn a live broadcast, Cyprus' CyBC reported sirens going off at the base and aircraft taking off from the facility near the city of Limassol, according to the Reuters news agency.\nReports on Monday suggested only minor damage from a suspected Iranian drone strike to the runway at the Akrotiri base.\nReuters cited CyBC as saying a passenger terminal at an airport in Paphos, Cyprus, was evacuated Monday, meanwhile, after a suspicious object was detected on radar.\nThe British defense chief John Healey said Sunday that Iran had fired two missiles \"in the direction of Cyprus,\" but that it was unclear whether the Akrotiri base had been deliberately targeted.\nIsraeli military says Lebanon ground invasion not imminent amid concern of widening war\nAn Israeli military spokesperson said Monday that there were no imminent plans to launch a ground invasion of neighboring Lebanon, home of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group, after an overnight attack by the group prompted Israel to retaliate with airstrikes.\n\"There is nothing on the ground that constitutes going into ground invasion... imminently,\" military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists when asked if Israel would send troops into Lebanon.\n\"In the short term, immediate time, the answer would be no,\" Shoshani said.\nGermany says it won't take part in strikes, but may defend troops based in Jordan, Iraq\nGermany will not actively participate in military action against Iran but will consider defending its soldiers stationed on multinational military bases in Jordan and Iraq if they get attacked, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday morning.\n\"The federal government has no intention of participating\" in the conflict, Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk public radio. \"We also do not have the necessary military resources.\"\nMultinational bases where German troops are stationed in Erbil, northern Iraq, and Al-Azraq in Jordan were targeted oiver the weekend, the German military said.\nThe soldiers on site were not injured and were safe, the German news agency dpa reported.\nCBS/AP\nJordan announces closure of airspace as Iran war turns Mideast into an aviation black hole\nAir travel across the Middle East had virtually ground to a halt Monday, with several major regional hubs shuttered due to the threat of missile and drone strikes as Iran lashed out in retaliation against Israel and countries deemed to be supporting the war.\nAirline shares plunged, with Reuters reporting Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific and Australia's Qantas Airways down more than 5% and European airline stocks also indicating lower.\nJordanian authorities announced Monday that the country's airspace would be closed from later in the evening \"until further notice, in order to ensure the safety and security of civil aviation in Jordanian airspace,\" according to the country's official news agency.\nOil prices were also surging, putting added pressure on airlines.\nTens of thousands of passengers worldwide saw their travel plans thrown into chaos on the third day of disruptions caused by the war.\nBlasts reported in at least half a dozen cities as Iran's retaliatory strikes rattle the Persian Gulf\nExplosions were reported across the Gulf on Monday as Iran continued lashing out with missiles in response to ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes. Blasts were heard in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Doha, Qatar; Bahrain's capital Manama; Kuwait City and in Oman's capital Muscat.\nIran's army said it had used 15 cruise missiles in its latest attacks on a U.S. air base in Kuwait and on vessels in the Indian Ocean.\nThe unprecedented attacks across the region saw Iran's retaliation spill well beyond military targets and U.S. bases, shattering an image Gulf states have carefully cultivated for decades as islands of calm in a volatile region.\nMost of the Iranian missiles and drones are being intercepted, but some have slipped through, hitting civilian areas and causing significant damage, including outside U.S. bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.\nSeveral U.S. fighter jets crash in Kuwait, but all pilots survive, Kuwait says\nSeveral U.S. warplanes crashed in Kuwait Monday, but all crew members survived, that country's defense ministry said on social media.\nA ministry spokesperson said authorities launched search and rescue operations and evacuated the crews to hospitals, adding that they were in stable condition.\nHe said the U.S. and Kuwait are conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the crashes.\nEarlier, the spokesperson said Kuwaiti Air Defense Forces had intercepted several \"hostile aerial targets.\"\nFire, smoke seen rising from U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait\nFire and smoke rose from inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait after an Iranian attack on the small Mideast nation on Monday. Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the smoke with an alarm wailing, and a correspondent for French news agency AFP saw smoke rising from the diplomatic mission.\nThe U.S. had earlier issued an urgent warning to Americans there to take cover and remain indoors. It said: \"Do not come to the Embassy. Take cover in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows. Do not go outside.\"\n\"U.S. Embassy personnel are sheltering in place,\" it added.\nCBS/AP/AFP\nU.S.-Israeli war on Iran appears to widen to new fronts\nIsrael has said it's intensifying strikes against the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon following rocket and drone fire blamed on the group.\nIn Iraq, Iranian-backed militias have claimed a drone attack targeting U.S. troops at Baghdad's airport.\nBritain said a suspected drone strike targeted its military air base in Cyprus on Sunday, and France said it had reinforced its military posture in the eastern Mediterranean.\nSome European nations were vowing to support their own interests and their regional allies in the Persian Gulf as they came under attack by Iran.\nSmoke was reportedly seen rising on Sunday from an Iranian strike on the French naval base Camp de la Paix in Abu Dhabi, UAE.\nIAEA chief says no sign Iran nuclear sites hit yet, but risk of \"radiological release with serious consequences\"\nThe head of the United Nations's nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, said Monday that his agency had \"no indication\" that any of Iran's nuclear installations had been damaged by the ongoing Israeli-U.S. strikes on the country.\nIAEA director general Rafael Grossi warned, however, that with missiles still flying a \"possible radiological release with serious consequences\" could not be ruled out, calling the situation in the Middle East \"very concerning\" and urging the \"utmost restraint\" by all parties.\n\"I reiterate my call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,\" Grossi said in his statement, released by the IAEA, as he opened the closed-door session.\n\"Iran and many other countries in the region that have been subjected to military attacks have operational nuclear power plants and nuclear research reactors, as well as associated fuel storage sites, increasing the threat to nuclear safety,\" he said. \"Let me underline that the situation today is very concerning. We cannot rule out a possible radiological release with serious consequences, including the necessity to evacuate areas as large or larger than major cities.\"\nHe said the IAEA was trying to contact the Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities, \"with no response so far.\"\nThe IAEA reported just days ago that, despite U.S. strikes in June that President Trump said \"obliterated\" Iran's nuclear program, the country still has a stockpile of around 972 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% purity — a short technical step away from the level required for nuclear weapons.\nGrossi said on Feb. 19 that \"most of the material that Iran had accumulated up until June of last year, despite the [U.S.] bombings and the attacks, is still there, in large quantities, where it was at the time of the strikes. … Some of it may be less accessible, but the material is still there.\"\nHe called Monday for diplomatic negotiations to resume \"as quickly as possible.\"\nCBS/AFP\nIran Red Crescent says 555 people killed in Iran since start of war\nA total of 555 people have been killed across Iran in the U.S. and Israeli strikes that began Saturday, the Iranian Red Crescent said on the third day of the war.\n\"Following the Zionist-American terrorist attacks carried out in various regions of our country, 131 cities have been affected to date and, regrettably, 555 of our compatriots have been killed,\" the humanitarian group said in a post on social media.\nThe agency did not say how many of the casualties were believed to have been members of Iran's military or security forces.\nMajor Saudi oil refinery shuttered after Iranian drone strike\nSaudi Arabian state oil company Aramco closed its major refinery in Ras Tanura after a suspected Iranian drone strike, the Reuters news agency quoted an industry source as saying Monday, as Tehran launched missiles and drones at countries across the region deemed to be supportive of the U.S.-Israeli war.\nIranian strikes on ports, cities and U.S. interests in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Manama and Oman have frozen commercial shipping and aviation traffic in vital Mideast waterways and travel hubs, sending Brent crude futures surging roughly 10% on Monday, according to Reuters, which said benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices were also up more than 25% in early morning trading.\nU.S. crude prices rose 8.2% to $72.64 per barrel, Reuters said.\nStocks were also hit Monday morning by the war, with markets in Europe and Asia seeing overall share prices slide between 1.5% and just under 2%, including the U.S. S&P 500 futures, which were down 1.5%, according to Reuters.\nThe Saudi refinery at Ras Tanura is one of the biggest in the Middle East. The source told Reuters that it was shut as a precaution and the situation was under control, but it was not clear how long operations would be halted.\nU.K. considering government evacuations to get stranded Brits out of Gulf region\nU.K. foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said Monday that Britain was establishing support systems to help citizens flee the Gulf region, home to an estimated 300,000 Britons, amid Iranian missile strikes.\n\"We are looking at a wide range of options, working, crucially with the travel industry and with government evacuation if necessary,\" Cooper told Britain's Sky News.\nAsked by Sky if the U.K. might stage government evacuations from some countries, Cooper said: \"We're working on every possible option.\"\n\"We have to recognize the scale of this as well, and also the fact that there are strikes still under way,\" she said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:25:11+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Europe’s Economy Can Ride Out Iran War — If Over in a Month - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Europe’s Economy Can Ride Out Iran War — If Over in a Month    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:27:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxOdlFsOTZvVFhRbFNQOEsyd2N2VVVBUTl0Zk9yZ3p1VnA3NnBuRWRIUXVXR3JHVmVUbl9BSGdaMTV5aHRtNlpfb1RsZWp6dnUyaFZQbGZNWl9TQzZael9iSDlVeldJSU9IcERwbkZ5VV9EM2I5QmI1TndhWnItRjNwNFNYTFlsVXJVd2FkN1VXbERWWmJvSWpUNVdNbUpmVHFaaU91LVVoVEZKLURCdlNRTGJZc1p1TkhqQVFOblRNVQ?oc=5",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump’s War on Iran Has Traders Staring Down an Energy Crisis - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Trump’s War on Iran Has Traders Staring Down an Energy Crisis    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:28:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOVGNrajhBMDFGVmFEd2Zjd1B0T0V5Z25Rcl9yeloxOU0wdV9ZSkRHU3lKVngtcFdlLWNaU0dqQXdleTlMeVJsYkI0R0ZLcWJIb214Z2hUS041NEV2elF2ZVZ2a21Tanktc2c1WkZVanNkMHA3WUtaT3J5bkt0akpsQmlQNE9ubnJ3YktBZDQ3SGtRdm9IS21heTZQWGlTYWNhOE4tRnRLaXo1Snpp?oc=5",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Russia says war could backfire by spurring Iran and Arab nations to seek nuclear weapons - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Russia says war could backfire by spurring Iran and Arab nations to seek nuclear weapons    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:29:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxNam5GOWJOSXFYdkozOWhHdDlXUVEyQ2YyZFRxRWJZSHQ1ejRLU1VBdU5nUkZVWHBMRnZhSHpiQnhjaTcyRDhGRVFrRzd4b3NiM3lOT1p6eWFBRlNuVjlkYTVkSzRLVnIwRjZzQTNIRHFYa2pzblRRNnRNelgzLTc0ZjhRMHZGMlhpSDdQdURkcFVYZkZrVHJMZXQ0OWtpMUY3VE1MeTJBRTYxVmdKenhGVzBiSFRqTDNaNnc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_300f0f1794aa",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "US sanctions Rwanda's military and top commanders over fighting in DR Congo",
    "body_text": "US sanctions Rwanda's military and top commanders over fighting in DR Congo\nThe US has imposed sanctions on the Rwandan army and four of its senior commanders, accusing them of fuelling the conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.\nFighting has persisted despite a US-brokered peace deal in December between the Congolese and Rwandan governments aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo.\nThe US treasury department accused the Rwandan army of undermining the peace deal by training, equipping and fighting alongside the M23 rebel group.\nRwanda swiftly rejected the accusations, saying the sanctions had unfairly targeted one side and \"misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict\".\nKigali denies supporting the M23, despite overwhelming evidence, and says its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups in DR Congo to Rwanda's security.\nThe sanctions come three months after Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame signed the Washington Accords, aimed at ending hostilities.\nThe ceremony was hosted by US President Donald Trump, who expressed optimism that it would bring lasting peace and described the signing as \"historic\".\nThe M23 rebels were not signatories but have been part of a parallel peace process led by Qatar, a US ally that has strong ties with Rwanda.\nDays after the Washington deal, the M23 captured the strategic Congolese city of Uvira, near the border with Burundi, forcing thousands to flee.\nThe group later withdrew under pressure from the US government.\nHowever, the treasury department said on Monday that the M23's continued presence near Burundi's border \"carries the risk of escalating the conflict into a broader regional war\".\nIt said that the rebels' offensives would have been impossible without the \"the active support and complicity\" of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and key senior officials.\nThousands of Rwandan troops were deployed across eastern DR Congo \"where they actively engage in combat operations and facilitate M23's control of territory\", it added.\nThe US expected \"the immediate withdrawal of Rwanda Defence Force troops, weapons, and equipment\", Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.\nIn a separate statement about the sanctions, US state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the M23 was \"responsible for horrific human rights abuses, including summary executions and violence against civilians, including women and children\".\nThe sanctioned Rwandan officials include army chief of staff Vincent Nyakarundi, Ruki Karusisi, commander of the 5th Infantry Division, Mubarakh Muganga, Rwanda's chief of defence staff and Stanislas Gashugi, head of special operations.\nThe sanctions freeze any assets held in the US by the RDF or the four officers, and bar US individuals and entities from conducting financial transactions with them.\nIn response to the US sanctions, Kigali accused DR Congo of violating ceasefire arrangements through \"consistent and indiscriminate drone attacks and ground offensives,\" which it said, \"continue to cost many lives\".\nIt also accused the DR Congo government of employing ethnic militias as well as mercenaries.\n\"Protecting our country is a badge of honour which the Rwanda Defence Force carries very proudly,\" it added.\nThe Congolese government expressed its \"deep appreciation\" to the US and said the sanctions were \"a clear signal of support\" for the respect of its \"sovereignty and territorial integrity\".\nThe Trump administration said it was \"prepared to use all available tools\" to ensure Rwanda and the DR Congo delivered on their promises.\nTrump had hailed the December deal as a way to secure critical minerals from eastern DR Congo - the country has reserves of copper and cobalt, which are used to make batteries for products including mobile phones and electric vehicles.\nThe mineral-rich east of DR Congo has been dogged by conflict for more than 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.\nNumerous armed groups have since competed for power and control of a potential fortune.\nThe latest unrest escalated early last year when the M23 captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, on the border with Rwanda.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:30:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5l7zdnjgpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cf710b86938d",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US claims destroyed IRGC command centre, more Israel attacks on Tehran - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The United States military has said its forces have destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control facilities and air defence installations as heavy US-Israel attacks on Iran continued for a fourth day and Tehran retaliated across the region.\nThe US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, said on Tuesday it also destroyed air defence installations as well as missile and drone launch sites. It provided no evidence for its claims.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Shutdown of Hormuz Strait raises fears of soaring oil prices\n- list 2 of 4The Take: Why Iran’s system may endure the US–Israel strikes\n- list 3 of 4Who is Ali Larijani, the Iranian official promising a ‘lesson’ to the US?\n- list 4 of 4As bombing continues, Israel’s war aim in Iran becomes clear: Regime change\n“We will continue to take decisive action against imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime,” it posted on X.\nOn Monday, CENTCOM claimed US forces had struck more than 1,250 targets in Iran and destroyed 11 Iranian ships.\nMeanwhile, it confirmed that six US service personnel have been killed so far, all in Iran’s retaliatory attacks over the weekend on Kuwait.\nKuwait mistakenly shot down three US F-15E fighter jets during an Iranian attack, it added. All six crew members ejected and were safely recovered.\nDestruction in Qom\nOn Tuesday evening, Iranian news agencies reported that an air attack also flattened the Assembly of Experts building in the Iranian city of Qom, south of Tehran.\nThe Assembly was formed in 1979 and is one of the key religious-political institutions responsible for selecting Iran’s supreme leader, and ensuring that he can lead the country.\nThe Iranian Red Crescent Society on Tuesday said at least 787 people have been killed since the attacks on Iran began on Saturday, with 153 counties affected. At least 1,039 attacks have taken place across the country so far, it added.\nAt least 13 Iranian soldiers have been killed in a US-Israeli strike on a military base in Kerman province, according to the Iranian army. The attack targeted the base in the south of the country.\nMeanwhile, the ISNA news agency reported that five members of the IRGC’s air force and navy have been killed in US-Israeli attacks on the cities of Jam and Dir in the central province of Bushehr.\nThe war looks unlikely to end soon as US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington has “the capability to go far longer” than its projected four-to-five-week timeframe for its military operations against Iran.\nIsraeli attacks on Iran continue\nAcross the Iranian capital, Tehran, the sound of explosions rang out through the night and into the early morning hours on Tuesday.\nIran’s Mehr news agency also reported that explosions have been heard in the cities of Isfahan and Shiraz.\nIsrael’s air force was carrying out multiple operations against Iran’s air defence system and eliminating several of its forces, according to Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee.\nIn a post on X, Adraee said Israeli aircraft targeted several personnel who were operating Iran’s defence systems, including its radar systems as well as missile launchers.\nHe also said Israel’s Air Force attacked sites affiliated with Iran’s ballistic missile launch platforms.\nOn another front in the widening conflict, the Israeli army launched simultaneous attacks on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday on positions purportedly belonging to Hezbollah.\nThe announcement followed Israeli air strikes early Monday on Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon that killed at least 52 people and injured 154, according to state-run media.\nHezbollah earlier said it had launched an attack on the Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel, targeting radar sites and control rooms at the base by deploying “a swarm of drones” at dawn on Tuesday.\nUN ‘deeply alarmed’ by attacks on civilians, schools and hospitals\nTop UN officials have warned about the “serious” threat to children following the rapidly escalating military operations in Iran and across the region.\n“We are deeply alarmed by attacks on civilians, including civilian infrastructures, schools, and hospitals. Schools and hospitals must not be attacked,” the special representative of the secretary-general for children and armed conflict, Vanessa Frazier, and the special representative of the secretary-general on violence against children, Najat Maalla M’jid, said in a joint statement.\nThe officials called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, stressing that “maximum restraint is imperative, and full compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law must be ensured at all times by all parties”.\nIranian officials say an attack on a primary school in Minab killed at least 165 schoolgirls and staff, while nine hospitals in the country have been reported as seriously damaged.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:33:16+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "UN calls for investigation into deadly strike on school in Iran - Reuters",
    "body_text": "UN calls for investigation into deadly strike on school in Iran    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:40:02+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_3604203efd8d",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "President Trump offers new rationale for U.S. attack on Iran - NPR",
    "body_text": "President Trump offers new rationale for U.S. attack on Iran\nThe war with Iran stretched into a fifth day Wednesday, with Israel launching a new wave of strikes in Tehran as public mourning for the slain supreme leader began.\nThe Israeli military said Wednesday a \"broad wave of strikes\" targeted internal security command centers in Tehran, as well as missile launchers and other systems.\nThe strikes came amid preparations in Iran for three days of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian state media.\nHere are more of the key updates NPR is reporting on.\nU.S. Central Command says strikes \"severely degraded\" Iran's capabilities\nU.S. Central Command said late Tuesday that Iran's \"air defenses and hundreds of ballistic missile launchers and drones\" were \"severely degraded\" following U.S. and Israeli strikes on 2,000 targets.\nIn a video posted on X, Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, described the U.S. operation as \"ahead of our game plan.\"\nCooper said the U.S. military destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including what he described as Iran's \"most operational\" submarine.\nCooper said Iran has retaliated by launching more than 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones. The scale of the campaign — the largest deployment of U.S. forces in the region since the war in Iraq in 2003 — has sharpened questions in Washington about how far it could expand.\nThe U.S. has deployed 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials. Cooper said \"more capabilities were on the way.\"\nAfter a closed-door briefing with senior Trump administration officials Wednesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he was \"more fearful than ever\" the U.S. could end up putting \"boots on the ground.\" Other senators, including Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., also raised concerns about escalation and called for greater public accountability.\nAcross the Gulf, U.S. diplomatic sites have come under attack in recent days. On Tuesday, drones hit near the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, in an attack that the Saudi foreign ministry said came from Iran. The embassy warned American citizens to shelter in place and avoid the embassy compound until further notice. The same day, a drone struck near the U.S. consulate in Dubai, and the embassy in Kuwait was closed following an attack.\nSpeaking in between meetings on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that U.S. embassies are under attack from a \"terrorist regime.\"\n\"A drone unfortunately struck a parking lot adjacent to the chancellery building and then set off a fire in that place,\" he said. \"All personnel are accounted for. As you're aware, we began drawing down personnel from our diplomatic facilities in advance of this.\"\nIsrael says it targeted the top body of Iran's clerics\nInside Iran, Israel said it had targeted on Tuesday the building housing the Assembly of Experts, the body of top Shia clerics whose job it is to choose a new supreme leader. It was not immediately clear whether the assembly was meeting at the time.\nThousands of Iranians gathered on Tuesday for the funeral of children killed in an elementary school that was struck Saturday. Over 160 students, mostly girls, and 14 teachers were killed, according to Iranian officials. Israel denies it hit the school, and the U.S. military says it's looking into it. Iran said the school was hit Saturday morning when the war began.\nIn Tehran, Shadi, a woman who identified herself to NPR without giving her last name out of safety concerns from the Iranian government, described government buildings, military bases and centers of Iran's Revolutionary Guard shattered by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes – a debris of mangled metal and concrete and broken glass.\nShe also witnessed an understaffed hospital, bread and gas waiting line and a once vibrant city gripped by anxiety and fear.\nFighting also engulfed Lebanon since Monday. After Hezbollah fired missiles into southern Israel, Israel launched retaliatory strikes that Lebanese health officials said killed 50 people and displaced thousands.\nIn Israel, officials said Iranian strikes had killed 11 people. In Iran, the Red Crescent said at least 787 people were killed in strikes. The Pentagon said six U.S. service members were killed.\nPresident Trump said Tuesday the U.S. began striking Iran over the weekend because, he said, Iran was \"going to attack first.\"\nTrump had previously said the U.S. launched strikes on Iran because it was close to securing missiles that could reach the U.S.\n— Hadeel Al-Shalchi\nAmericans, urged to leave the Middle East, ask \"How?\"\nThe Trump administration says it is working to arrange military aircraft and charter flights to help evacuate Americans who've been stranded in the Middle East since the start of the Iran war. Thousands of U.S. citizens have been frustrated that other foreign nationals are being flown out, while Americans can't even get through to a help line.\nEvelyn Mushi, 52, is one of them. She was headed from Chicago to Bali for what was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime with her 82-year-old mother, and a group of other family and friends. But she arrived in Abu Dhabi to catch a connecting flight, only to realize she had landed in what was quickly becoming a war zone.\n\"I heard a bombing and I heard a noise and then everything started hitting, and I understood later that they were attacking the airport,\" she said in an interview from Abu Dhabi.\nShe was taken by bus to a hotel, where she says things got even scarier.\n\"I saw in the air missiles and lights and all that and everyone got on their knees and started praying,\" she said. \"We just kept on praying and praying.\"\nMushi says she repeatedly called numbers provided by the State Department for days, but was left on hold for hours. As instructed, she also signed up for State Department security updates, but those weren't much help either. Mushi says the emails she received were the same message as officials were posting on social media, imploring Americans to \"DEPART NOW.\"\n\"Yeah, but how?\" Mushi was left wondering. \"Where do you leave? Where? What do I do? This is cold to write me this email.\"\nMushi says she supports the U.S. military action in Iran, but calls it unacceptable for the administration to not have solid evacuation plans in place.\n\"I'm just very shocked and upset that I see other nations getting their citizens out and we're just stranded here,\" she said.\nThe State Department said Tuesday that it was facilitating charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and that the government would cover the cost. In a statement, a spokesperson said government call centers have been in touch with almost 3,000 Americans, and more than 9,000 have managed to leave on their own.\nWhen asked by a reporter Tuesday why evacuation plans were not in place sooner, President Trump suggested it was because the U.S. decided to strike sooner than expected.\n\"It happened all very quickly,\" Trump said. \"I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked.\"\nIn a separate briefing with reporters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said evacuations were going to take time \"because we don't control airspace closures.\"\nFor her part, Mushi says she's trying to remain optimistic, but she's running low on patience.\n\"I want to get out. I want to leave this place,\" she said. \"I need to get somewhere safe.\"\n— Tovia Smith\nFour U.S. soldiers killed have been identified\nThe Pentagon released the names of four of the six U.S. soldiers that have been killed since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. They were in the Army Reserve and died on Sunday during a drone attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.\n- Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla.\n- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.\n- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn.\n- Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa,\nAll four soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa. The department said the attack is under investigation.\n— Ayana Archie\nU.S. embassies hit; Americans urged to leave region \"NOW\"\nThe U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged Americans to avoid the compound after the Saudi Defense Ministry said the embassy had been attacked by two drones. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry called it a \"flagrant Iranian attack\" in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.\nThere were no immediate reports of injuries. The Defense Ministry said the drone strikes caused \"limited fire and minor damage\" to the U.S. Embassy.\nLater Tuesday, the authorities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, said a fire resulting from a \"drone-related incident\" had broken out near the U.S. Consulate.\nU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said \"a drone unfortunately struck a parking lot adjacent to the chancellery building\" in Dubai and set it on fire. There were no injuries.\nThis comes after an Iranian attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait on Monday.\nIn Jordan, the State Department said Tuesday it had evacuated its large embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, after threats against it. Rubio said the department had also drawn down personnel at U.S. embassies in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Irbil.\nMora Namdar, the State Department's assistant secretary for consular affairs, wrote on X that Americans need to \"DEPART NOW\" from more than a dozen countries and territories in the Middle East because of the conflict. That was even as options to leave have narrowed, with flight cancellations and airport closures.\nThe @SecRubio @StateDept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks. Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from… pic.twitter.com/vdplAik2Sq\n— Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar (@AsstSecStateCA) March 2, 2026\nRubio said Tuesday afternoon that the State Department has been helping Americans evacuate from the Middle East for the last 72 hours, using military, commercial and chartered flights. He said at the time that 9,000 Americans had left the Middle East and that more than 1,500 had requested help in leaving.\n\"We've had a couple instances in which we have planes in the air and on the way and, unfortunately, the airspace gets closed and they have to turn back around,\" Rubio said. \"So we're working through those challenges.\"\nHe added: \"But rest assured, we are confident that we are going to be able to assist every American.\"\nThe U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is telling Americans that it is not in a position to help them leave Israel. Officials there are suggesting that Americans cross into Egypt by land.\n\"Americans seeking to depart the Middle East through Egypt can do so via commercial flights out of the region from Cairo,\" the State Department said on X.\nIran has been striking Gulf countries that are normally considered safe in retaliation for U.S. attacks that started Saturday. Iran has also hit commercial targets after warning that it would attack American interests across the region.\nAmazon said Monday that two of its data centers in the UAE and one of its centers in Bahrain were hit by drones, affecting their operations.\n— Jane Arraf, Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Michele Kelemen\nTrump: \"They were going to attack first\"\nPresident Trump shared a new reason why the U.S. began striking Iran over the weekend: \"It was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack if we didn't do it, they were going to attack first. I felt strongly about that,\" he said in the Oval Office Tuesday. He did not cite any intelligence to that effect.\nTrump had previously said the U.S. launched strikes on Iran because it was close to having missiles that could reach the United States.\nHe also pushed back on claims that Israel pressured the U.S. to act. If anything, Trump said, it was the other way around.\n\"I might've forced their hand,\" Trump said about Israel. \"It was my opinion that these lunatics [in Iran] were gonna attack first.\"\nThe president's new rationale conflicted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks a day earlier, suggesting that the U.S. had followed Israel into war.\n\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces. And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,\" Rubio said Monday.\nThe U.S. and Israeli strikes began Saturday following weeks of a U.S. military buildup in the region — even as negotiations to try to reach a deal with Iran were ongoing.\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that Operation Epic Fury has a focused mission: \"Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure and they will never have nuclear weapons.\"\nOn Tuesday, Trump touted the success of the mission thus far.\n\"They have no navy. It's been knocked out. They have no air force, has been knocked out. They have no air detection that's been knocked out. Their radar has been knocked out, and just about everything's been knocked out,\" he said.\nHe said he has not outlined how he sees the war ending — but did say that \"lots of people\" are coming forward to negotiate a resolution.\n— Deepa Shivaram, Alex Leff\nIsrael resumes strikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah\nThe Israeli military said soldiers were \"operating in southern Lebanon\" as it continues strikes against Hezbollah, including in the Lebanese capital.\nIsrael and Lebanon signed a ceasefire in November 2024, but Israel has continued almost daily strikes since then. Iran-backed Hezbollah had refrained from attacks until Sunday, when it launched strikes in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nThe Israeli military said Tuesday it targeted what it called Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut's southern suburbs.\n\"Let me be clear: this is not a ground maneuver into Lebanon. It is a tactical step to create an additional layer of security for the residents of northern Israel,\" said Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, describing the Israeli troop movements.\nThousands of Lebanese streamed out of Dahya, the suburb where Hezbollah, a political party as well as paramilitary group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and some other Western countries, is based.\nThey joined what the government says are at least 30,000 Lebanese fleeing Israeli strikes in south Lebanon and in Beirut. Shelters were so over-crowded some families resorted to laying out blankets on sidewalks of the corniche, Beirut's sea-side.\nThe Lebanese Health Ministry said 50 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in the past two days.\n— Jane Arraf and Jawad Rizkallah\nU.S. and Israel continue to strike Iran\nIn the Iranian capital, residents heard the sound of explosions overnight. There were no immediate reports of what had been hit.\nIsrael's military said it struck Iran's intelligence ministry and state broadcaster. The Israeli authorities also said that they are now focusing on targeting Iran's missiles and launchers.\nIsrael also attacked a building where Iranian clerics are due to meet to elect a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian media. The building was empty at the time.\nAn 88-member panel of experts will decide who will replace Khamenei. Among the contenders are hard-liners, moderates and even Khamenei's son.\nIranian missile strikes on Israel have significantly decreased. Israel says Iran may be rationing munitions gearing up for a long war.\nAn official in the region who spoke on condition of anonymity tells NPR Israel thinks it can achieve its war goals in two weeks total. Israeli officials say they want to create the conditions for Iranians to topple their government.\nIn Iran's southern city of Minab, a mass funeral was held for 165 people — most of them young girls — killed in an attack on a girls school Saturday. Many of the bodies had been buried under rubble.\nThe U.S. military said it was looking into reports of missiles hitting the school. The Israeli military said it was unaware of its forces operating in the area.\nSome in the large crowd attending the funeral chanted \"Death to America,\" \"Death to Israel\" and \"No surrender.\"\nIran's Red Crescent Society said Tuesday at least 787 people have been killed in attacks on 153 cities across the country.\nTen people have been killed in Israel since the start of the conflict, according to Israeli officials.\nSecretary of State Rubio said Tuesday, \"You're going to really begin to perceive a change in the scope and in the intensity of these attacks as, frankly, the two most powerful air forces in the world take apart this terroristic regime.\"\nPresident Trump said Monday that the war could last four to five weeks, but could go longer than that.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News it would not lead to an \"endless war.\"\n— Daniel Estrin, Jane Arraf and Jackie Northam\nIran says it closed the Strait of Hormuz\nIran continued to threaten ships near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway vital to Gulf oil exports.\n\"The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Anyone who wants to pass, our devotee heroes in the IRGC navy and the army will set those ships on fire,\" security official Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, said Monday. \"Don't come to this region.\"\nIn a sign of the vast repercussions of the war, Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told an Iranian envoy that Iran must reopen the waterway.\nGlobal natural gas supplies greatly reduced\nIn addition to the effect of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on oil supplies, about 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) is shipped through the Strait. On land, Iranian strikes hit Ras Laffan, the world's largest LNG export plant in Qatar. State-owned QatarEnergy says it has shut down LNG production.\nMany countries are somewhat insulated from the disruptions in oil flows because they have oil in strategic reserves. But natural gas is a different story, says Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a global research scholar at the Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. Gas storage levels are particularly low because it's the end of winter.\n\" This is absolutely massive,\" Corbeau says. \"It's going to impact everybody who is importing LNG.\"\nOil prices have risen since trading opened Monday, and so have natural gas prices in Asia and Europe. Energy experts say that higher gas prices and reduced LNG flows out of the Persian Gulf is highly profitable for LNG exporters elsewhere, including in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the U.S. The U.S. is the biggest exporter of LNG and is set to open a new LNG terminal in Texas soon.\n— Julia Simon\nPresident Trump says U.S. will escort, insure oil tankers\nIran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, and attacked several ships that attempted passage. Traffic through the strait has come to a halt, blocking the flow of one-fifth of the world's oil and sending prices surging. Insurance companies have played a big role in that slowdown; even if ships are willing to risk the passage, insurance companies won't cover them.\nPresident Trump is attempting to address that problem, posting on Truth Social on Tuesday night that he has ordered the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, \"to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance\" to all ships in the Gulf. The U.S. Navy will also escort ships if necessary, he added.\nThe DFC, established under the first Trump administration, can provide insurance to companies working in risky places. Asked for comment, DFC pointed NPR to this statement saying it \"will offer support\" to shipowners and insurers.\nWilliam Henagan, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says it is likely that the DFC could underwrite some companies in this case. But they'd have to prove they meet a number of legal requirements related to their location, environmental standards and business practices.\nThe agency also has a finite budget, which Congress recently declined to increase.\n\"Political risk insurance during wartime is very expensive. It's not a cheap thing to underwrite,\" Henagan says. \"So DFC doesn't have the financial firepower to achieve the president's objective, even if it was able to legally use funds in this way … I'll be very surprised if a lot of ships get insured.\"\n— Camila Domonoske\nJane Arraf and Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported from Amman, Jordan; Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Tovia Smith from Boston; Julia Simon from San Francisco; Jawad Rizkallah from Beirut; Jackie Northam from Maine; Michele Kelemen, Camila Domonoske, Deepa Shivaram, Ayana Archie and Alex Leff from Washington.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:45:22+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Bitcoin Slides as Risk of Prolonged Iran War Weighs on Crypto - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Bitcoin Slides as Risk of Prolonged Iran War Weighs on Crypto    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T10:54:01+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_8252aa2725e8",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "What is Trump’s endgame with Iran? | Robert Reich - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "I’ve spent the last several days checking with foreign policy experts, analysts and specialists in the Middle East for their understanding of Donald Trump’s real goal in Iran, and how anyone (including him) will know he’s achieved it.\nSeveral told me that Trump is seeking the kind of “war” that the US executed in Venezuela – an abduction of a leader by special forces or, as in June, surgical airstrikes on locations where Iran appeared to be building nuclear bombs.\nWith the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, they said, Trump can now claim that his goal of “regime change” has been achieved.\nHence, as soon as possible – before US casualties mount and before higher oil prices show up at the pump – he’ll declare the attack on Iran a success and say the action now moves back to the bargaining table.\nThey assume he’ll now expect Iran to cave to his demands for an end to the production of weapons grade plutonium and to its nuclear program, a destruction of all its ballistic missiles, and agreements to disarm its proxies: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, various militias in Iraq (PMF, Kata’ib Hizballah), the Houthis in Yemen, and forces in Syria.\nOther experts I spoke with told me Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is a much bigger player in this conflict than the American press is reporting, and Netanyahu is committed to destroying all of Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, which will require far more extensive bombardment, perhaps continuing for months.\nTrump doesn’t want to be upstaged by Netanyahu and doesn’t want Netanyahu telling the world that more needs to be done to eliminate the Iranian threat. Hence, they believe, Trump will keep attacking Iran until Netanyahu agrees to end the bombing.\nA few of the people I spoke with told me that Trump still clings to the goal that he believes he achieved in Venezuela: gaining a subservient regime. He wants to be remembered as the American president who ended the threat of Iran once and for all, and he believes he can pull off a total victory.\nSo far, no American troops have set foot on Iranian soil. But if Trump seeks permanent “regime change”, it will almost surely require ground troops. Iran has nearly a million men under arms.\nThe experts and specialists fear that Trump and his advisers have minimized the size and determination of Iran’s military and Revolutionary Guard. Trump and the people around him also believe they can engineer a coup in Iran, for which US troops will be needed only as advisers and counselors. This is delusional (does anyone remember Vietnam?).\nThere is also the very real possibility of civil war in Iran.\nMost of the people I spoke with think Trump has no strategy. They say Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio are way over their heads and that the Pentagon and state department and national security staff are in chaos. No one is in charge.\nTrump believes he can somehow pull this off because he thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, but he’s getting conflicting advice about ongoing strategy and maneuvers and making conflicting and inconsistent decisions.\nBy this view, the only people with any sense of what’s happening are the generals and top Pentagon brass who are getting real-time reports from Iran, but they don’t have an exit strategy because they don’t think it’s their responsibility to decide when the US has been successful or what “success” even means. The generals are worried, however, that the conflict could deplete resources necessary to deal with other potential conflicts around the world.\nI was told repeatedly that this is a war without a plan, without a strategy, and without any clear understanding of where it leads or how it ends.\n-\nRobert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now in the US and on 15 March in the UK",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxNeWtwaVhERkluLUxpTGVYWmp1SWVGV3NORFFXcEMzY0VhbEh1eEtXS3h6aHBGelpOeEJyS2h3UHBOZDliZDlOVmNoYk1ScmpvSW93bzNCSklDbTREQTA1WFA3dk15MnZwenlrZ2xfdHI1aUdDcl96RUVqdTI3WXRQVlk2OA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_31c14458b843",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran faces internal collapse risk as strikes expand beyond Israel, analysts warn - The Jerusalem Post",
    "body_text": "Israel and the US have hit the Islamic regime harder and across a wider swath of territory in recent days than in the opening phase of the 12 Day War in June, experts from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) told The Jerusalem Post this week.\nIn June, large stretches of southwestern Iran remained largely untouched in the war’s early days. Currently, the combined Israeli and American operations (Roaring Lion and Epic Fury) have reached deep into and around Hormozgan Province, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, and Khuzestan Province, signaling a broader campaign.\nThe scope of Iranian retaliation has also shifted.\nDuring the June conflict, Tehran concentrated its firepower on Israel. Now, the Islamic regime is expanding its response, targeting neighboring countries and US bases across the region.\n“Iran will attempt to impose costs across the region through attacks on tourist areas, expat zones, and US bases,” ACLED CEO Prof. Clionadh Raleigh said.\n“Internal chaos is likely in Iran as succession layers are removed and the chain of command fragments,” she said. “It’s hard to define a timeline, but this presents a high risk of rapid escalation rather than gradual deterioration.”\n“The US and Israel have said they are pursuing regime change rather than deterrence. In practical terms, the costs of this will be borne by civilians, with a threat to wider regional stability as regional alignment is increasingly fractured. There is clearly potential for wider conflict involving proxy networks,” Raleigh noted.\nRight now, the regime is concerned that it lacks the ammunition or launchers, Menahem Merhavy, a fellow at The Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told the Post.\nHe considers Iran’s attacks on its neighbors a “desperate” gamble to see if they will pressure the US to end the attacks.\n“I think they’re taking a very big bet, because at some point, their neighbors might turn against them again, just like their people will – if they radiate weakness or people feel that they’re on the brink of collapse,” he said.\n“Their neighbors might join in [the attacks against Iran], and it’s a huge risk they’re taking, and they’re taking this risk exactly because of their despair. Really, they’re at a desperate moment now.”\nThe aims of the war\nRegarding the aims of the joint operations, only a change within the Islamic regime is a realistic goal at this point, Merhavy believes, not a new system of governance.\nThe power structures may change, and Iranian politician Ali Larijani may become president, or an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official may take control, turning the country into a military dictatorship – but the chances of Iran emerging into a liberal democracy are slim, he believes.\nIn recent weeks, leading up to the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday, Larijani has been frequently named as a major player on the Iranian political scene.\nOn Sunday, Larijani announced that a temporary leadership council would be set up to deal with the power vacuum.\nAppointed in August as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Larijani has held senior jobs in a career marked by loyalty to Khamenei and efforts to expand his power.\nLarijani ran unsuccessfully for president in 2005 and later sought to contest both the 2021 and 2024 presidential elections, but he was barred by the Guardian Council based on issues such as lifestyle standards and family ties abroad.\nThe regime “will do its best at the moment, to nominate somebody in place of Khamenei. That’s very important,” Merhavy continued. He foresees, however, that there would be security issues in attempting to follow the constitutional process, since gathering an assembly of senior clerics and officials would be too risky.\nLarjani’s temporary leadership council, Merhavy explained, is meant to fill the void and mediate the risk of gathering potential targets under a single roof.\nWhile a temporary council benefits Larjani in the short term, the regime still requires a supreme leader, a role Larjani is unsuited for, in Merhavy’s opinion. He added that the longer the regime continued without a leader, the greater the chance of a civilian uprising.\nThe regime leadership knows, he said, “that every day and every hour that this extends, it raises the risk of some uprising among the people.” He predicted, “It won’t happen in the next day or two, but maybe a week from now, it’s definitely a possibility. When people start to feel that the system is weak enough to challenge it, they will.”\nRaleigh said that a mere 10% of the Iranian population can be considered staunch supporters of the regime, echoing the claims of former US Cyber Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Charles L. Moore Jr., who told the Post on Sunday that 80% of Iranians want to see the regime replaced.\nPerhaps the most noticeable differences between the June war and the current operations lie in the events leading up to them. Iranians have braved the regime’s brutality to protest; first against the country’s economic struggles and, later, the brutal and violent repression of their demonstrations.\nMerhavy noted that Khamenei’s death was openly celebrated on the streets of Iran, and that currently, due to the war, the Basij and security forces are too busy to attempt to suppress dissent.\nThe most recent Internet blackout, similar to those imposed in early January, has prevented civilians from sharing online information about strike sites and the status of dissent or civilian damage.\nAs it currently stands, much of the information available is based on the regime’s own narratives.\nThe majority of the population of Iran is part of an ”unorganized opposition movement,” Raleigh noted, adding that the coming weeks and months would “see a risk of local power struggles as central control weakens, bringing with it potential for jailbreaks, defections, and localized violence.”\nPrince Reza Pahlavi taking power?\nAsked specifically about exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi taking power, given his growing presence in Western discussions, Merhavy said he doubted the feasibility of such a plan, despite it aligning with Israel’s interests.\n“I still see him as an anecdote, and not more than that,” he admitted. “As much as I wish that he would take over, and, as an Israeli, it’s definitely a better kind of outcome; I think it’s too ideal to believe that he could take over Iran in the foreseeable future.”\nThe “best you can hope for” in Iran would be someone from within the Islamic regime ”taking the state somewhere less militaristic or less antagonistic… maybe toward the West,” he suggested. “Anything beyond that is a little too naive or too optimistic to hope for.”\nThough ACLED highlighted the significant differences in the opening phases of the wars, Merhavy said he believes that the conflict will be of similar duration, suggesting that the regime will “raise a white flag” before risking losing power.\n“They will find some kind of compromise,” and will likely commit to giving up their nuclear program and whatever is left of their missiles.\nIran pushing US and Israel to all-out war\nThe regime was apparently unaware of how far it was pushing the US and Israel to all-out war and threatening its own existence, Merhavy said, but said that now, the point was being “driven home.”\nOnce it becomes aware of how dire its situation is, either a politician or an IRGC member will seize control and reach an agreement with the US, he predicted.\nIn light of Iran’s failure to maintain multiple agreements and its denial of access to IAEA monitors multiple times in the past, the Post asked Merhavy how the US and Israel could trust any agreement with the regime. He replied that it was important to be realistic about what could actually be achieved.\n“I think look for now the best you can hope for, and I think we need to be realistic about what is achievable here: a trauma to this regime that will make it want to stay away from such a situation for years to come,” he answered, implying that the war would have to be devastating enough to for the regime to refrain from recreating the conditions that led to the conflict.\nWhile Merhavy asserted multiple times that, while he did not believe the US or Israel could overthrow the regime, he did think it would “collapse” eventually.\nIn the meantime, Larjani could take Iran “on a somewhat less antagonistic and hostile course toward the West,” because otherwise, he warned, “it’s really facing much harder years than the previous ones.”\nReuters contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:03:46+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_dda437edfa1f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump's Asian allies fear Iran war will sap defences against China - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump's Asian allies fear Iran war will sap defences against China    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:04:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOTF91NkJDdVh1VzZTT0UtTVdVRng1WlB3TjVONllmYm10dWlIbm1peGVmUTFKXy1ZVTEtandWSjVFTHJYVDFqX0JWemF5ekNSVnVWMDFMckJfYU1XU2JsTEczMFJoWEhaMFJsUjMteW1iZDFNY2Jjelk3YlpDaU1LNVlxZUQwNDk4SVJfaDFaWF9hSEo0cTlwVnI3MzMwMER2akRnVFZYa18xNlhEOWtDZlo4QQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ffdca6d68cb3",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "As Israel-US offensive devastates Iran’s military, can Tehran sustain long war? - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:08:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQXzB2V3J5MTVxTnFhR1A0Z3pubmRrNG80SHJQLTdZdmVNRlEyNlVzQ3VGSHEyNGR0aHNNU1FvdUlqTEhUcDdEVkQ0YW5QbTVMVnJxTERRTjhyaWJDVFluZjM5OXhJNnZteDl4QzVJZHNnRTlRZUwxd29qUlBpenNETDkxcUtkTUxmVUJtX2dJWkhmX1NhLUNUaUlJV1NDOXUxa1BFNDFQTWVMTGJJZDg1RzU4ZnVFZjVzVGc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fb17fa69391e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Lebanon sucked deeper into war as Hezbollah, Israel trade blows - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Lebanon sucked deeper into war as Hezbollah, Israel trade blows    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:10:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQNEpvc1hoc3RYSERtVEZZMFVsU1h1X2docGdmSUNNRGY4d0Q3QW9YbnMzRzZzSDlfczk4NGx5OENGNnlnMHdiWnpMTEpfeFlaMkZPVlI2TXFiREpveTc3NE1LdnJFNU5UNVlXeXAzaFFVSjVvT3M4c2xyWGpKMVJJYW9GY3dKLTVsTUlUb04yc3RMLUk2a0lDRDVUSWgwTUJxMERkQlcxbExIVU5QdmhJbnJqWQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6a8dd95fee05",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump’s Iran Goals Still Fuzzy as War Rages - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Trump’s Iran Goals Still Fuzzy as War Rages    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:12:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQMWxQS3M5WC1MY0RzUHZUNzNhZ0s3MXBMYk1mcS1HQTYzRno5ZE9NSTlOY29kY2VQcVZHOXdRZHpCbURQMGptNkMyMXJINHh4Y0dhNDEyT3pEZ0lzR1pwckFhaFJjdjZ6T1VwdmJDUEhNbzgzS2hhT3VueWZVcnhqb2FiSGQwdUZNTzRfVHlYeXpVaDFqNnJ1VDVkblliYkU5MTZ1ZHI0Wk5IWmp3LUxqLUpXcEM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2aae8ae7d6fd",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "EU urges Ukraine to allow access to pipeline carrying Russian oil - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "EU urges Ukraine to allow access to pipeline carrying Russian oil\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:16:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE45QjY0OG1iamlFT245Z2p2cE5ONUY1MU5jNEk1NTM2WDBjX2VoR3dsamlUd1lVNjZ6ZmdNbjloU3RmWHpka3FIMmRNMEl3S19SZGVXUmJKRlJqeE9TT0MtWXVoWUJuT01GVUJDVDc5VHU?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_525ae6caf638",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Prominent feminist activist Yanar Mohammed shot dead in Iraq - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Prominent feminist activist Yanar Mohammed shot dead in Iraq\nGunmen shot dead prominent Iraqi feminist Yanar Mohammed outside her home in Baghdad on Monday, her organisation announced.\nThe Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), which was co-founded by Mohammed in 2003, said she was critically wounded in the shooting and despite being taken to hospital and efforts to save her, she \"succumbed to her injuries\".\n\"The passing of Yanar Mohammed is a tremendous loss to the feminist movement, but her legendary legacy will live on in every woman whose life was restored thanks to her support, and in every situation that refused violence and discrimination,\" the organisation said in a statement on Facebook.\n\"We pledge to keep the safe houses open, and the organisation’s voice remains loud defending women and their right to a safe dignified life.\"\nSo far, no group has claimed responsibility for her killing.\nMohammed, who was also a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Alternative Organisation in Iraq, was a staunch opponent of sectarian and discriminatory legislation in the country and founded OWFI to provide protection for women victims of violence.\nIn recent years, she had been at the forefront of the campaign against a new law enshrining Shia religious jurisprudence in family law, which would give husbands automatic custody over children and a unilateral right to divorce without the wife's consent.\nAlthough the legislation was passed, the outcry saw it stripped of some of its most controversial elements, including reducing the minimum age of marriage for girls to nine.\nSpeaking to Middle East Eye in 2024, Mohammed said the government was trying to push the \"archaic\" laws as a means of distracting from its own failings, including \"huge corruption\".\n\"Their most efficient tool for this distraction is to terrorise Iraqi women and civil society with a legislation that strips away all the rights that Iraqi women gained in modern times, and force archaic Islamic sharia on them that regards women as bodies for pleasure and breeding, and not as human being[s] with human rights,\" she said.\nGovernment critics, including women's rights campaigners, are regularly kidnapped and killed in Iraq by armed groups.\nIn 2018, gunmen in the city of Basra shot dead women's rights campaigner Suad al-Ali, founder of al-Weed al-Alaiami for Human Rights, while activist and nutritionist Riham Yacoub was killed in the same city in 2020.\nWhile repeated governments in Iraq have promised to stop the assassination of activists and bring their killers to justice, the links between the ruling Coordination Framework and a number of armed groups operating in Iraq have made campaigners sceptical.\nIn a statement, the Communist Alternative Organisation in Iraq said they would hold the government responsible for bringing Mohammed's killers to justice.\n\"The memory of Comrade Yanar Mohammed will remain a shining flame guiding our struggle for women’s liberation and the communist struggle for a world free of all forms of injustice, discrimination and oppression,\" they wrote.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPV01YQWhONDhkd1FyZUxEYjFKZ1Vmdlh1ZEFPeGhxbXRDaWZjQ1VHMDJPMmROcmRiek1EMS0zTlhSQ3ZkMFNuUmR1Z3cxZGJ5N2t0UmZna2Z4VncyTnVDNW1BZmhxaHpkS3BXSjVlckpPNjZZeE1aQXk1dUREaGlCTk5SVVFCTWliT1lIeEh5NDRub1pKSnE0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_40077e62c6c6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why Europe's leaders have struggled to speak as one on Iran - BBC",
    "body_text": "Why Europe's leaders have struggled to speak as one on Iran\nEurope knew this may be coming. For weeks, leaders and policy makers watched the US military build-up in the Middle East. They heard the threats of the Trump administration to Tehran: Give up all nuclear aspirations - or else!\nBut since the US-Israeli attack started on Iran three days ago, this continent has looked at best uncoordinated, if not fractured and decidedly without leverage, caught up in the maelstrom of events.\nEach European country is understandably angsting about its citizens in the region - whether and how they may need to evacuate what would be tens of thousands of people in total.\nEuropean governments worry too about the impact the unfolding Middle East crisis may have on consumers back home. On energy and food prices, for example. European gas prices have soared to an extent not seen since the launch of Russia's fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\nPolitically, Europe is clearly struggling to find a united voice on the fast-paced dizzying developments in the Middle East.\nThe continent's Big Three, France, Germany and the UK, did manage to issue a joint statement at the weekend, warning Iran they were ready to take \"defensive action\" to destroy its ability to fire missiles and drones unless Tehran stopped its \"indiscriminate attacks\".\nSince then, the UK has agreed to a US request to use two British military bases for \"defensive\" strikes on Iranian missile sites - although president Trump has been critical that the UK hasn't been more active. France is bolstering its Middle East presence after an Iranian strike hit a French base in the United Arab Emirates and Germany says its soldiers remain ready for \"defensive measures\" should they be attacked but nothing beyond that was being planned.\nAll three countries stopped short of questioning the legality under international law of the US-Israeli strikes. Querying Washington was also conspicuously absent from the raft of tweets the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has been posting.\nA top consideration of all these European leaders is not wanting to alienate Donald Trump. They desperately hope events in the Middle East will not be another distraction for the US president, preventing him - again - from engaging in finding a sustainable solution to another conflict, this one on their own continent: Ukraine.\nBut does the evasiveness of some leading European powers about the legality of recent US actions in Iran or Venezuela for example, muddy the waters? They often say this is a Europe of common values, that respects a rule-based international order. But what what exactly are the rules?\nSpain's prime minister says he's clear. Pedro Sanchez took to social media, proclaiming \"one can be against a hateful regime, as is the case with the Iranian regime… and at the same time be against an unjustified, dangerous military intervention outside of international law\".\nA number of US aircraft left Spain on Monday after Madrid said those bases could not be used for attacks on Iran.\nMeanwhile, the European Union has appeared totally uncoordinated. A statement by member states' foreign ministers stopped short of advocating regime change in Iran, while the president of the European Commission (the EU's main executive body) did just that on Sunday. \"A credible transition in Iran is urgently needed,\" its president Ursula von der Leyen said in a social media post.\nThis was hardly a show of speaking with one voice.\nAnd yet the declared ambition of European nations, in and outside the EU, including the UK - in this new, turbulent world of Big Power politics - is to work better together in areas of mutual interest, first and foremost in the arena of security and defence.\nBut the question is, are they really capable of doing so?\nA nuclear shift\nThe year 2026 has truly been one of turmoil: Venezuela, Greenland and Iran. Europe faces an expansionist Russia on its doorstep, an economically aggressive China and an increasingly unpredictable ally in Washington.\nOn Monday, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would be changing its nuclear doctrine and increasing its number of nuclear warheads, because, he said, \"our competitors have evolved, as have our partners\".\nRussia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal, China is rapidly expanding its capabilities and while the US - the second-biggest global nuclear power, just behind Russia - has for decades provided Europe with a nuclear umbrella, changing priorities in Washington have made Europeans nervous.\nSweden, Germany and Poland have directly approached France to ask for wider European cover on top of the protection already offered to Nato allies by the UK, the only other nuclear power in Europe.\nPresident Macron finds himself in the I-told-you-so position of having urged Europe for years to become more strategically autonomous in defence (including a big push into space, with dual-use satellites, for example, via the European Space Agency, of which the UK too is a member).\nBut coordination remains a huge challenge. Weapons procurement is a glaring example. While the United States employs around 30 different weapon systems, Europe has an often duplicated 178. \"Inefficient, expensive and slow,\" was the damning conclusion last week of the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.\nNato is trying to mitigate this by attempting to manage acquisition decisions across its 32 members but the problem here is that the defence alliance's guidelines are voluntary only. All Nato members (except Spain) bowed to pressure from Donald Trump last year and agreed to ramp up defence spending. But of equal importance is whether that money is then spent effectively.\nThe instinct of most national governments is to protect their own defence industries, even at the expense of their neighbours. France is often accused of this.\nPriorities shaped by history\nAs unfolding events in the Middle East throw into sharp relief, each country on this continent has its own priorities, strengths and weaknesses, shaped by its history and voter concerns.\nThe fact that Germany felt the need to spell out very clearly this week that it does not plan to boost its military presence in the Middle East, never mind take part in any offensive action, comes down to the fact that Germans are still very conflict-shy, largely based on their country's past.\nRemember how Germany was initially ridiculed and berated internationally for being slow to send tanks to Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion began four years ago? Then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was not displeased at all to be given the nickname \"Friedenskanzler\" (Peace Chancellor) in the German press. A large section of German society was initially deeply uncomfortable with the idea that German weaponry could be turned on Russians once again, as it had been during the two world wars last century.\nWhile still mindful of national sensitivities, the new German government of Friedrich Merz is going in a very different direction. It is now the single largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine.\nLike the rest of Europe, Germany leant on the United States for its security for decades. But with the Trump administration insisting that Europe now take over the lion's share of its own defence, Germany plans to spend more on its defence budget by 2029 than France and the UK combined, according to Nato.\nIt wants to build the largest conventional army in Europe, too - and 80 years after World War Two, and with Germany firmly entrenched in Nato and the EU, fellow European powers are welcoming the German military initiative, rather than seeming threatened by it.\nItaly's prime minister, by contrast, is having to perform the most excruciating dance - between Italian voter opinion and what she believes is in her country's and her own best interest on the world stage. So far, Giorgia Meloni has kept a very low profile on the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. She is one of the few leaders in Europe to have a truly warm relationship with Donald Trump.\nAs the third biggest economy on mainland Europe, you would expect Italy to play a prominent role in continental security. But until recently, it ranked amongst the lowest defence spenders in Europe. You have to take a look at Italian history to understand why.\nItaly was only unified in 1861. Before that, it was considered a \"battleground of Europe\", with foreign powers repeatedly exploiting its territories. Italians learned to rely and trust only the very few, rather than \"the state\", to look after them.\nItaly stood out in western Europe when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was the only country where, right from the start, a majority of the population opposed sending weapons to help Kyiv.\nItalians said they sympathised with Ukrainians but many questioned Italy's involvement in the conflict. They simply didn't trust their government to protect them from knock-on effects, like rising energy prices or potential reprisals by Russia.\nFour years on, only 15% of Italians say they believe the EU and US should continue to arm Ukraine until Russian forces are driven out, according to the Institute for the Study of International Politics.\nThat's why Italy's staunchly Ukraine-supporting prime minister is in a very uncomfortable position. Her big pledges to international allies when it comes to defence are out of sync with the majority of Italian voters. Most Italians also oppose Giorgia Meloni's pledge to her friend in the White House to boost defence spending significantly.\nAd-hoc coalitions\nBeing aware of allies' national tensions, and therefore where they can, or can't, fully be depended upon is key as Europe enters a self-declared era of closer cooperation.\nThe difficulties of acting \"as one\" , as we now see again over the Middle East, are giving rise to smaller ad-hoc coalitions of countries forming for mutual convenience around different issues: joint defence procurement projects such as the recent UK-Norway Defence Pact to track Russian submarines in the north Atlantic, or the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine, led by the UK and France, for example.\nIncreasingly these \"European\" or Western alliances include what are described as like-minded nations from outside the continent, such as Canada and also South Korea and Japan, both of whom are often now included in Nato military exercises too.\nFeeling squeezed by the new global climate where Might is Right, or at least Might takes centre stage, the family of nations for European cooperation is widening. But so is the challenge to understand what makes each family member tick, and whether they can work together effectively.\nCorrection: This article was amended to remove a suggestion that Canada is not part of Nato.\n----------------\nThe first episode of Europe on the Edge with Katya Adler airs on 3 March on BBC2 at 9pm\nBBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:22:20+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Turkey says it's engaging with all sides to end Iran war, resume diplomacy - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Turkey says it's engaging with all sides to end Iran war, resume diplomacy    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:22:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxQSU1XSUstbjctbzRERlF3U1ZJNEdaelVHaUdueWM4Z2xUX2kwcXZXY2YyOTNKdWFJYmNleXpHbFNJV0hvX1JTT2Vzd2tZSlhzSE9aX09UQ1Z6VHZkRHpvY29BOU1PMGxDRnotaVJQMjNCNlZpZnI4dEdHVUQ0cXljNVJBUGxzQWR5WXlTbmcteG5wRDdrQXI0SkdkSjRua3B2SENGakpYTWlwRDRWZWFHWThXbU5nN2xMVjJDZENZSVc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_dcc3faba7aae",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Qatar Airways, Oman Air and other Gulf airlines suspend flights after Iran strikes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Airlines in the UAE and across the Middle East suspended and rerouted flights after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran, prompting several countries to restrict or completely close their airspace.\nThe escalating situation has led to cancellations, with airlines saying safety concerns and regulatory directives are behind the decision as they monitor developments.\nThis is how regional airlines are currently responding.\nCarriers in the Gulf\nQatar Airways\nQatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline said services will resume once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of the airspace, with a further update expected on March 9.\nFollowing temporary authorisation confirming a limited operating corridor, Qatar Airways said it intends to operate a number of flights arriving at Hamad International Airport on March 9 from Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Zurich and Muscat.\nThe airline said these flights are only for passengers whose final destination is Doha and do not signal a full resumption of scheduled commercial operations.\nQatar Airways also operated repatriation flights from Doha on March 8 to Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, London Heathrow and Zurich, prioritising stranded travellers, including families, elderly passengers and those with urgent medical or compassionate needs.\nPassengers are advised not to travel to the airport unless they hold a valid confirmed ticket or have received official notification from the airline. Qatar Airways said affected travellers will be contacted directly with their flight details and travel arrangements.\nOman Air\nOman Air has cancelled flights to several regional and international destinations due to ongoing airspace closures in parts of the Middle East.\nThe airline said all flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab will be cancelled from March 9 to March 15.\nOman Air said additional flights have been added to help accommodate affected passengers and travellers are advised to check the airline’s website for the latest schedule updates.\nPassengers can book available flights through the Oman Air website or mobile app. The airline said additional services may be added and travellers are advised to check schedules regularly for updates.\nSalamAir\nOman’s low-cost carrier SalamAir said several of its flights have been affected by regional airspace closures linked to ongoing developments in the Middle East.\nFlights to and from Kuwait, Sharjah, Doha and Dammam are suspended until March 20, while services to and from Iraq, Lebanon and Iran are suspended until March 28.\nThe airline said it continues to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as conditions evolve across the region.\nGulf Air\nThe national carrier of Bahrain has suspended its operations due to the closure of Bahraini airspace. An update is expected at 11am Bahrain time on March 8 (12pm GST).\nBahrain’s national carrier said it is closely monitoring official directives and will resume services once it is deemed safe to do so.\nSaudia\nSaudia has partially resumed flight operations to and from Dubai, operating a limited number of services from March 7.\nThe airline said flights between Riyadh and Dubai and between Jeddah and Dubai are currently operating on a reduced schedule, with additional services expected to be restored gradually.\nHowever, Saudia has extended the suspension of flights to and from Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain until 11.59pm GMT (3.59am GST) on March 9 due to the ongoing situation in the region.\nMeanwhile, cancellations of flights to and from Moscow and Peshawar have been extended until March 15.\nSaudia said it is evaluating the gradual resumption of services and will announce further updates once operational decisions are finalised.\nFlynas\nSaudi Arabia’s low-cost airline flynas has extended the suspension of flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria due to the continued closure of airspace in parts of the region.\nThe suspension will remain in effect until 11.59pm Saudi Arabia time on March 9 (12.59am GST on March 10).\nPassengers are advised to check the status of their flights on the airline’s website before heading to the airport. Flynas said it is continuing to monitor developments in co-ordination with the relevant authorities and will provide updates through its official channels.\nKuwait Airlines\nAll inbound and outbound commercial flights at Kuwait International Airport are currently suspended. The airport suffered damage after a drone strike targeted Terminal 1.\nHowever, Kuwait Airways announced on March 4 that it would be operating some flights exclusively for Kuwaiti nationals wishing to return to Kuwait via Saudi Arabia by land from the announced destinations: London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Istanbul, Sabiha, Cairo, Manila and Amman.\nInternational carriers\nVirgin Atlantic\nVirgin Atlantic is continuing to monitor the situation in the Middle East following recent airspace and airport closures in the region.\nThe airline cancelled several services between London Heathrow and Dubai, including VS400 from London to Dubai on March 6 and 7, and VS401 from Dubai to London on March 7 and 8. Affected passengers are being contacted directly with information about their travel arrangements.\nVirgin Atlantic said its security and operations teams conducted extensive safety and operational assessments after temporary airport and airspace closures in Dubai. Although the airport later reopened, the airline said the criteria required for it to operate flights into the region were not sufficiently met.\nSome flights are continuing to operate on adjusted routes, which may result in slightly longer flight times. The airline said it will continue to monitor developments and make further changes if required to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.\nBritish Airways\nBritish Airways remains unable to operate flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.\nThe airline has scheduled additional flights from Muscat to London Heathrow departing at 2.30am local time on March 9, 10, 11 and 12 for customers with existing bookings who are currently in Oman or the UAE.\nPassengers wishing to travel on these services are advised to contact the airline directly. British Airways said its teams will also contact affected customers by email and travellers should not go to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking.\nAir India\nAir India's flights between India and parts of the Middle East remain affected by airspace restrictions across the region.\nWith airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman remaining open, Air India and Air India Express continue to operate scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat.\nAir India is maintaining flights between Delhi and Mumbai and Jeddah, while Air India Express is operating services linking Muscat with several Indian cities, including Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Kannur, as well as routes between Jeddah and Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangaluru.\nBoth airlines are also operating additional non-scheduled flights on March 8 to assist stranded travellers. Air India is running extra services between Delhi and Mumbai and Dubai, while Air India Express is operating 30 additional flights between India and UAE cities including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah.\nHowever, scheduled Air India Express flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh remain cancelled until March 13, while Air India’s services to and from Dammam, Doha and Riyadh are suspended until March 10.\nPassengers affected by disruptions may rebook their travel at no additional charge or request a full refund, the airline said. Travellers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.\nIndiGo\nIndiGo is continuing to gradually restore flight operations as the situation in the Middle East evolves.\nThe airline said it will continue operating flights to eight destinations in the region – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, as well as Muscat in Oman and Jeddah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia – while also restarting services to Europe from March 8.\nGiven the dynamic nature of the situation, flight schedules may change at short notice and passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport.\nThe airline said it will continue to provide updates through its official channels as operations are progressively restored.\nTurkish Airlines\nTurkish Airlines said passengers travelling to or from Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Riyadh), Syria and the UAE until March 31, may make changes to their bookings free of charge. The policy applies to tickets issued on or before February 28, provided passengers take action by May 10.\nUnused tickets can be refunded free of charge, while partially used tickets will be refunded for any unused flight segments. Passengers may also extend the validity of their tickets until May 10, without additional fees or penalties.\nKLM\nKLM said it is currently avoiding the airspace over Iran, Iraq and Israel, as well as several countries in the Gulf region, meaning flights to, from or via destinations in the region have been cancelled or adjusted.\nThe airline has suspended the remainder of its winter season flights to and from Tel Aviv. Flights to and from Dammam, Dubai and Riyadh are suspended up to and including March 10.\nPassengers affected by the changes are being offered rebooking or refund options.\nLufthansa\nLufthansa Group airlines have suspended flights to several destinations.\nFlights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Dammam are suspended until March 10, while services to Amman and Erbil are suspended until March 15. Flights to Tel Aviv are suspended until March 22 and to Beirut until March 28. Services to Tehran remain suspended until April 30.\nThe airline also resumed flights to and from Larnaca in Cyprus on March 7.\nPassengers whose flights have been cancelled may request a full refund or rebook onto a later Lufthansa Group-operated flight. Travellers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.\nAmerican Airlines\nAmerican Airlines has issued a travel waiver for passengers flying to or through several destinations in the Middle East, including Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Larnaca.\nCustomers who purchased tickets by February 27 and were scheduled to travel between February 28 and March 15 can change their flights without a change fee, provided they travel by March 29 and retain the same origin and destination.\nPassengers can also cancel their trip and request a refund.\nUnited Airlines\nUnited has cancelled flights between the US, Tel Aviv and Dubai until and including March 31.\n“We’re continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with US and international aviation authorities as it evolves,” the airline said.\nRoyal Jordanian\nRoyal Jordanian said passengers affected by cancellations due to the regional situation will be offered flexible travel options.\nTravellers can change their flights free of charge without paying a fare difference, request a reroute within the same Iata zone, or opt for a non-refundable voucher valid for one year.\nPassengers transiting through Amman may also be rerouted on other airlines, subject to availability, provided the first flight segment is operated by Royal Jordanian.\nThe airline said flights will continue operating as long as Jordanian airspace remains open, and advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling.\nAir France\nAir France has cancelled its flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh until March 10, while its flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut remain suspended until March 11. The resumption of operations will remain subject to an assessment of the situation.\nThe airline added that it “regrets this situation, [but] the safety of its customers and crew is its top priority”.\nSwiss\nSwiss has suspended several flights in the region.\nAs part of the Lufthansa Group measures, flights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Dammam are suspended until March 10, while services to Amman and Erbil are suspended until March 15. Flights to Tel Aviv are suspended until March 22 and to Beirut until March 28. Services to Tehran remain suspended until April 30.\nFlights to and from Larnaca in Cyprus resumed on March 7.\nPassengers whose flights have been cancelled may request a full refund or rebook on to a later Lufthansa Group-operated flight. Travellers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as schedules may change at short notice.\nFinnair\nFinnair has cancelled flights to and from Doha and Dubai until March 29, with affected passengers being contacted directly by the airline.\nThe airline said it may not always be possible to reroute travellers because of limited availability on alternative flights, in which case customers can get a refund.\nThe airline has also temporarily stopped flying through the airspace over Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel.\n“We are monitoring the situation closely and will update any new information on this page,” said the airline on its website. “We are very sorry for the uncertainty and harm this situation may cause you, and we will do our best to minimise the impact on your journey.”\nCathay Pacific\nCathay Pacific has temporarily suspended flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh up to and including March 14.\nPassengers affected by the cancellations who have not already received a notification from the airline are advised to check the status of their booking through the Manage Booking portal.\nA ticket waiver policy has been implemented for customers booked to travel between Hong Kong and Dubai or Riyadh up to March 14, allowing passengers to rebook, reroute or request a refund without the usual fees.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:23:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxOcDVOallMRjgycDU2eWxNdFp2bUdSVzJQZUF3cThLWVBESk9mV0VUbkhUTldETzdwX1R6emhjeWh0MVVleWx1UDByM2xCbmxIcnpiOVlWdlBFNTh3TWw0NHcwWXhndWxPU0s4T2p0NnVYNHJ4Ylo2Sm96Sk1yOXRpUUppZ3UwYm1obmxZWE5weVBoUnBOdGxubVlXc041S0dPMlJOdmRDSnBqbG92ZkJYOHhYSFFBV0hHRHVuakNmYjRDa1k5cEdmREZTMVg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_959dbed82f42",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Monday briefing: ​What does the escalation in the Middle East mean for global stability? - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Good morning. Over the weekend the US and Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran that resulted in the assassination of Tehran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – a move that dramatically raised the stakes in their long-running conflict.\nThe assassination of a serving supreme leader is an extraordinary act – one that signals not containment, but confrontation. Retaliatory strikes by Iran have already spilled the conflict far beyond its borders, drawing a host of regional powers into the fray. Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and senior cleric Alireza Arafi will reportedly lead Iran in the transitional period following Khamenei’s death.\nIn today’s newsletter we look at how the attacks unfolded, what the response has been, why the US and Israel chose to strike at this moment, and what the longer-term consequences may be for the region and, indeed, the world. First of all, the headlines.\nFive big stories\n-\nIran | Donald Trump said on Sunday he was prepared to talk to what was left of the Iranian leadership in the wake of the killing of the country’s supreme leader by US-Israeli air strikes aimed at overthrowing the regime.\n-\nBritish military | The UK’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone strike, causing limited damage and no casualties, Cypriot authorities and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.\n-\nImmigration | Shabana Mahmood has ripped up the government’s asylum rules so that from Monday every refugee will be told that their status is temporary and will last just 30 months.\n-\nUK politics | The Green party said its membership had passed 200,000 in the wake of its victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection, in which it overturned a huge Labour majority.\n-\nAI | Datacentre developers are facing pressure to reveal whether their projects will increase the UK’s net greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns the sites could double national electricity demand.\nIn depth: ‘Grave consequences for civilians and regional stability’\nFew events reshape a region overnight. The killing of Ali Khamenei may prove to be one of them – removing the man who embodied Iran for more than three decades and opening an uncertain struggle over what, and who, comes next.\nWho was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?\nAn 86-year-old at the time of his death, Ali Khamenei was a revolutionary who rose from the prisons of the shah to become Iran’s supreme leader in 1989. He spent more than three decades consolidating clerical rule at home while projecting power abroad, arming and funding groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas to engage Israel, and decrease US influence in the region.\nPublicly, he forswore weapons of mass destruction and allowed the 2015 nuclear deal to proceed, but he was sceptical of rapprochement with Washington and backed proxy warfare in Iraq and beyond.\nIn his final years, economic crisis, domestic unrest and Israeli military pressure eroded the regional network he had built. The first months of 2026 had seen large scale protests in Iran met with a severe crackdown, with authorities saying about 3,000 people were killed, but Washington-based human rights organisation HRANA claiming twice as many had died, while others estimated closer to 30,000.\nHow did the attacks unfold?\nThe operation began before it was formally announced.\nA swarm of US Tomahawk missiles and Israeli fighter jets struck hundreds of targets across Iran in what Israeli officials called Operation Lion’s Roar – a campaign aimed at “degrading the regime’s capabilities” and, in Trump’s words, triggering regime change.\nStrikes hit intelligence headquarters, ballistic missile sites, Revolutionary Guards facilities and the homes of senior officials across at least 14 cities. Satellite images later showed heavy damage to Khamenei’s compound in Tehran. Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei had been killed, along with several senior military figures including the armed forces chief of staff and the head of the Revolutionary Guards. Israel claimed at least 40 Iranian “commanders” were killed in the opening strikes.\nCivilian casualties mounted rapidly. Iran’s Red Crescent reported more than 200 people killed and hundreds injured across 24 provinces, and nearly 150 people were reportedly killed in a strike on a girls’ school in Minab in the south-east. Hossein Kermanpour, the spokesperson for Iran’s health ministry, said on social media “God knows how many more children’s bodies they will pull from under the rubble.”\nWhat has been the response?\nThe response was immediate – and spread across the region. Within hours, waves of Iranian missiles and drones were launched at Israel and at US bases across the Gulf – including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – dramatically widening the conflict. Explosions were reported in Tel Aviv, Doha, Dubai and Manama. A residential building in Tel Aviv was hit, killing one person and injuring more than 20. In the Gulf, drones and missiles struck airports and high-rise buildings; the UAE said it intercepted most of the 137 missiles and more than 200 drones fired at its territory.\nAir raid sirens sounded repeatedly across central Israel, while residents in Tehran fled parts of the capital as smoke rose above the skyline. In Lebanon and Iraq, people queued at petrol stations and airports as the region braced for further escalation. Within hours, what had begun as a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran had expanded into a confrontation stretching across much of the Middle East. The travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people were disrupted as airlines scrambled to cancel flights amid security fears. Overnight, a suspected Iranian drone strike hit the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, and Israel launched strikes on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border.\nSecretary-general António Guterres told the UN security council over the weekend that the US and Israeli airstrikes violated international law, including the UN Charter. He said everything must be done to prevent an escalation. “The alternative,” he warned, “is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability”. He also condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes.\nThe Russian president, Vladimir Putin, sent his condolences to the people of Iran, saying their leader had been killed “in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law”. Iran has been supplying weaponry for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\nBut allies have not been keen to distance themselves too far from Washington. The UK defence secretary, John Healey, said few will mourn Khamenei, describing the Iranian regime as “evil” and saying that it was “for the US to set out and explain” whether its action was legal. He said UK military planes were active in the Middle East in order to protect British citizens and interests across the region.\nWhat next for Trump, Israel and Iran?\nFor Trump, the assassination of Khamenei comes just months after he was awarded Fifa’s inaugural peace prize, and shortly on the heels of his administration seizing Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro.\nHe is, of course, the US commander-in-chief, but not – as much as he might think it – a king who can act unilaterally. The 1973 War Powers Act requires consultation with Congress and imposes a 60-day limit on unauthorised military engagements. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, has called for Congress to reconvene.\nIn December 2016 the then president-elect Trump had said “We will stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about, that we shouldn’t be involved with”. It remains to be seen how his supporters respond to this latest volte face.\nIn Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu can add the killing of Iran’s supreme leader to a series of high-risk military operations since the 7 October attacks – including strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the repeated targeting of Iranian commanders and assets across the region. Facing ongoing corruption charges at home, Netanyahu has long argued that confronting Tehran is a matter of national survival. Critics say the escalation also reshapes his domestic political landscape.\nWith Khamenei’s death at the hands of the US and Israel, his predecessor Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini remains the only Iranian leader in nearly a century to have died peacefully at home rather than in exile or by violence.\nIran has faced repeated waves of domestic unrest. While many younger Iranians openly despise the clerical establishment, regime change imposed from outside carries its own risks in a country where foreign interference remains a powerful historical grievance. And history in Iraq and Afghanistan should teach us that US-imposed regime change in the Middle East rarely runs smoothly.\nFrom the Mediterranean to the Gulf and across Iran’s eastern frontier, governments and civilians alike are holding their breath – watching to see whether this latest chapter in a generations-long US-Iran conflict burns out or burns wider.\nWhat else we’ve been reading\n-\nI enjoyed this timely piece by Sundus Abdi on the rise of the new bold, patterned headscarves, written for our Fashion Statement newsletter. Katy Vans, newsletters team\n-\nAs if the actions of the US regime weren’t worrying enough, Matthew Cantor looks at how the language of “incel” culture has bled into the Maga mainstream. Toby Moses, head of newsletters\n-\nTMI? Or not enough? This thought provoking piece by Leslie John on the benefits of sharing things that matter to us, reveals some valuable insights in what it means to be a happy human. Katy\n-\nThere’s a lot going on, so you’d be forgiven if you’d forgotten that Rachel Reeves is in the midst of preparing her Spring statement – but fear not, Heather Stewart can guide us through what to expect from the chancellor on Tuesday. Toby\n-\nAnyone watching the C4 docudrama Dirty Business, will not be shocked that the water industry gets to mark its own homework, with a large rise in downgrades to pollution incidents based on water company evidence alone. Katy\nSport\nFootball | Arsenal have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to 5 points after beating Chelsea 2-1 thanks to goals from Jurriën Timber and William Saliba. Tottenham lost at Fulham 2-1 meaning they slip even further towards the drop zone. Meanwhile Manchester United are riding high in 3rd place after their 2-1 win at home against a 10-man Crystal Palace.\nRugby league | Hull KR may be rugby league’s new world club champions but they got soundly beaten by Leeds Rhinos in Las Vegas, losing by 52 points.\nFormula One | This coming weekend a new era will begin in Formula One as a major shift in regulations brings with it an air of unpredictability. Read our ultimate breakdown of the new rules.\nThe front pages\n“Middle East rocked by a second day of bombing” is the Guardian splash. “Britain backs war on Iran” is top story at the Telegraph, the Times has “Trump vows to press on” and the FT says “Iran seeks vengeance for Khamenei with strikes on Israel and US Gulf allies”. “UK planning to evacuate Britons from Middle East as Iran war grows” is top story at the i paper – a theme picked up by the Sun with “Escape from Dubai”, the Mirror’s “Stranded” and the Mail splash “UK draws up rescue plan for Britons trapped in Gulf states”.\nToday in Focus\nThe assassination of Iran’s ayatollah – and fears for a wider conflict\nIran’s supreme leader was killed in a military strike on his compound as Israel and the US launched attacks on the country. Patrick Wintour reports.\nCartoon of the day | Tom Gauld\nThe Upside\nA bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad\nFashion designer Chet Lo partnered with the non-profit Making Fashion Accessible to give blind and low-vision guests a tactile “touch tour” before his London fashion week show.\nGuests could explore each garment through touch, feeling feathers, knit textures and structural details. They then sat in the front row with audio descriptions and fabric-swatch booklets to help them build a full sensory picture of each look.\nFounder Anna Cofone, inspired by her blind father, created the initiative to challenge misconceptions as the fashion industry often overlooks accessibility.\nAttenders said the event helped them feel fully part of fashion culture and more confident in expressing their personal style.\n“There is this preconceived idea that a blind or low-vision person won’t care about how they look and actually that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Cofone says.\nSign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday\nBored at work?\nAnd finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:35:06+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_cc5b2c83587f",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran’s attacks on Gulf won’t force US to stop the war, Turkey says - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran’s attacks on Gulf won’t force US to stop the war, Turkey says\nIran’s effort to raise costs for Gulf countries in hopes of pushing the United States to end the war is unlikely to succeed, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists on Tuesday.\nTurkey had tried for weeks to broker a deal between the US and Iran, but US and Israeli attacks over the weekend, following several rounds of talks in Oman, scuppered Ankara's attempts to avoid war.\nFidan acknowledged that Turkey's efforts to prevent the war had failed, despite the Turkish government putting forward “creative solutions” to the disagreement over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programmes.\n“In fact, we succeeded in delaying the outbreak of the war,” he said.\nFidan said he believes Israel and the US will seek to ensure that Iran no longer remains a country capable of posing a threat in the region.\nSince the weekend, Iranian military officials, operating under a decentralised response plan in the event of a decapitation strike targeting senior leadership, have carried out attacks on several Gulf countries, damaging luxury hotels in Dubai, striking energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and prompting Qatar to temporarily halt its LNG exports.\nIranian experts close to Tehran say the aim was to “regionalise” the conflict and demonstrate to the US and the international community that the repercussions would extend beyond Iran and affect the broader region.\n“At present, Iran is attempting to impose costs. It is doing so by targeting energy facilities in the Gulf, thereby generating pressure,” Fidan said.\n“Iran seems to expect that by striking these locations, the affected parties will exert pressure on the United States to halt the war, but this outcome does not appear probable. As for how much capacity Iran still retains, it is difficult to determine.”\nFidan said there were claims that Gulf countries had responded to the Iranian attacks, adding that those claims could well be true.\nSince the weekend, US and Israeli forces have focused on targeting ballistic missile launchers. However, experts note that the US, Israel and Gulf countries have interceptor stockpiles that may last only a few weeks at best.\nFidan added that Turkey has been trying to find a way forward through talks with the relevant parties, but negotiations would be multilayered, as it remains unclear when the attacks might stop in a way that would satisfy the US and Israel.\n“The minimum condition for stopping the war would be to reduce the opposing side to a level of military incapacity sufficient to satisfy the attacker,” he said.\n“The maximum objective, however, would be regime change.”\nFidan said that even meeting the minimum condition - the destruction or neutralisation of Iran’s core military capabilities - would require time and a series of military operations, as Iran is a vast country with missile assets dispersed across many locations.\nFor now, Fidan said, Ankara does not see a level of unrest within Iranian society that would be sufficient to bring about regime change.\nOne of Turkey’s main concerns regarding Iran is the potential arrival of refugees from the country.\nFidan said Ankara does not currently see any refugee wave heading toward Turkey and noted that Iran is presently blocking the departure of its citizens through its borders.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNUUZVeEhwVEc0d2NzcnBCQ1VRQy00V1M1bkhUOWxGM000UjZmeFR1VEdNZjdyeENWeExMZmc0SWZ1a19SQ1VHaHUwWUdaOUVjcjJlVlRJUjFib0pPN09FckEwTVJkY2hVZ3JxWUJuVGRLbFZWMDE0QWVOWDhXVWZKblNWZklMUmQ5eU9nd0gtbWZMZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_622d803d6b7c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran hits US embassy in Riyadh as American citizens urged to leave Middle East - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran hits US embassy in Riyadh as American citizens urged to leave Middle East\nTwo Iranian drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, as Tehran continued attacks on American bases and diplomatic missions in the region in retaliation for the war launched against it.\nSaudi Arabia’s defence ministry said the strike caused a fire and material damage at the embassy.\nSources speaking to Reuters said a loud explosion was heard and flames were seen at the compound. There were no immediate reports of injuries, particularly as the building was reportedly empty at the time.\nHours after Saudi authorities confirmed the strike on the US embassy in the capital, two further explosions were heard in Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter, according to the agency. Black smoke was seen rising over the area, which houses several foreign missions.\nResponding to the Iranian strikes and the reported killing of six soldiers since the war began, US President Donald Trump told NewsNation in an interview: “You’ll find out soon” how the United States would retaliate, without giving further details.\nHe added that he did not “think boots on the ground [in Iran] will be necessary”.\nThe US embassy in Kuwait was also targeted, and later announced it would close “until further notice”, cancelling all regular and emergency consular appointments.\nAmericans told to evacuate region\nThe Iranian attacks follow a joint US–Israeli offensive launched on Saturday, in which Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, several other senior officials and hundreds of civilians were killed.\nAround 150 girls were killed in an initial strike on a school in southern Iran.\nAccording to the Red Crescent Society, at least 787 people have been killed so far in US and Israeli attacks, while at least 11 people have been killed in Iranian strikes on Israel and five in attacks in the Gulf.\nIran has retaliated by targeting American bases in the region and disrupting key oil trade routes.\nSaudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan have all been targeted with Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has targeted over 500 US and Israeli sites, using 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.\nAmid the escalating tensions, the US issued evacuation warnings on Monday, urging Americans to leave several countries in the region, including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen and Gulf states.\nMeanwhile, the US embassy in Israel said it is \"not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel\".\nThe United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said Americans in Israel faced “very limited options” to leave the country as regional tensions intensify.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxQUUsxRHc2ZVlrQUlMYWdtU1ZRNWtPUEZ3N2Q3MF9kaUw0QTZTbDRndTJUX1d1SU5DM0JOZzJ1dXdhWVBSUjN3cHEwMmJGNmtpX2RYM1AwOVZYYVFXUmx2cmdJR2hYMUY3bGE2WU5GMTJ4TFVmRHNNd1FTaVZsODJZcXBfc3FLMURYcURFNXBUaTVYVWVTaDhnd250d25FQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8cdbe22b2afc",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Maritime insurers cancel war risk cover in Gulf: Will it spike energy cost?",
    "body_text": "Insurance companies are cancelling war risk coverage for vessels in the Middle East Gulf as the widening United States/Israel-Iran conflict disrupts shipping, leaving tankers damaged or stranded and at least two people dead.\nThe conflict entered its fourth day on Tuesday with US and Israeli attacks continuing on Iran, which has retaliated by attacking US assets and other infrastructure in Gulf countries.\nShipping through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman has ground to a near halt after vessels in the area were hit as Iran retaliated against US and Israeli strikes.\nWhat has happened in the Strait of Hormuz?\nA commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that the strait was “closed” and that any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway would be set “ablaze”.\nAt least five tankers have been damaged, two personnel killed and about 150 ships stranded around the strait.\nThe disruption and fears of prolonged closure have caused oil and European natural gas prices to jump, with Brent crude futures up as much as 13 percent as the conflict triggers multiple oil and gas shutdowns in the Middle East.\nAbout 10 percent of the world’s container ships are ensnared in the broader backups, and cargo could soon start piling up at ports and transshipment hubs in Europe and Asia, Jeremy Nixon, CEO of container carrier Ocean Network Express, known as ONE, said on Monday.\nThe tankers are clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as LNG giant Qatar, according to ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.\nIRGC said the Honduran-flagged Nova was burning in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by two drones, Iranian news agencies reported on Tuesday.\nThe US-flagged product tanker Stena Imperative was damaged by “aerial impacts” while berthed in the Middle East Gulf, the vessel’s owner, Stena Bulk, and its US manager, Crowley, said in a statement on Monday. The impact killed a shipyard worker.\nOn Sunday, a projectile hit the Marshall Islands-flagged product tanker MKD VYOM, killing a crew member as the vessel sailed off the coast of Oman, its manager said, and two other tankers were also damaged.\nAlso on Sunday, a projectile hit the Gibraltar-flagged oil bunkering tanker Hercules Star, which supplies fuel to ships, off the UAE coast, manager Peninsula said in a statement. The tanker returned to anchor in Dubai on Sunday morning and the crew were safe, Peninsula added.\nHow are maritime insurers reacting?\nAs a result of these incidents, marine insurers are cancelling war risk coverage for vessels, and the overall cost of shipping oil from the region is set to surge further.\nInsurance companies including Gard, Skuld, NorthStandard, the London P&I Club and the American Club said cancellation of war risk cover would take effect from March 5, according to notices dated March 1 on their websites.\nThese cancellation notices mean shipping companies with vessels in the region will need to seek new insurance cover, likely at much higher cost.\n“As a result of this fast-moving situation, each underwriter is invariably increasing rates or, in some instances, for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, even declining to offer terms right now,” said David Smith, head of marine brokers McGill and Partners.\nWar risk premiums have risen as high as 1 percent of the value of a ship in the past 48 hours, from about 0.2 percent last week, industry sources said on Monday, which adds hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs for every shipment. For example, for a tanker worth $100m, the war‑risk premium for a single voyage would jump from roughly $200,000 to about $1m.\n“The (war insurance) market is facing what is essentially a de facto close of the Strait of Hormuz, based primarily around perception of threat rather than a tangible blockade,” said Munro Anderson of marine war insurance specialist Vessel Protect, part of Pen Underwriting.\nMeanwhile, costs of shipping oil from the Middle East to Asia – already at a six-year high amid escalating US-Iran tensions and attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz – are therefore set to rise even more as the widening Iran conflict deters shipowners from sending vessels to the region, market sources and analysts said.\nWhy is war risk insurance so important?\nWar risk insurance is crucial because it covers losses caused by war and terrorism, which are explicitly excluded from standard marine, aviation and property policies.\nHow could this impact insurance rates?\nMarcus Baker, the global head of marine at Marsh, told The Guardian newspaper in the UK that insurance rates could rise by 50 to 100 percent, or even more.\nFor instance, before the crisis, a ship might pay about 0.25 percent of its value as war‑risk insurance. Now, the cost could rise to 0.5 percent of its value, marking a 100 percent increase, or 1 percent of its value, marking a 300 percent increase.\nWhy is the Strait of Hormuz important?\nThe strait carries about one-fifth of oil consumed globally as well as large quantities of gas from Gulf producers like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait and, especially, Qatar. Any disruption affects gas markets in Asia and Europe.\nThe strait could be reopened if the conflict reaches a ceasefire, or if there is a visible US‑led or multinational naval presence to escort or protect shipping.\nHistorically, Iran has at times raised the cost and risk of using the strait, but has not implemented a complete closure.\nHow does this impact energy costs?\nIf the insurance costs increase the way Baker suggests, this would make every journey through the strait more expensive, and in turn raise the cost of delivered oil and LNG. Higher oil and energy prices will in turn mean higher fuel, electricity and heating costs.\nThe strait’s closure comes at the same time as Qatar’s state-run energy firm and the world’s largest LNG producer, QatarEnergy, announced that it had halted LNG production after its operational facilities in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed in Qatar were hit, sending gas prices soaring in Europe and Asia. Iranian officials have publicly denied targeting QatarEnergy.\nShortly after the announcement, benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices soared by almost 50 percent, while benchmark Asian LNG prices jumped almost 39 percent.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:43:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/3/maritime-insurers-cancel-war-risk-cover-in-gulf-will-it-spike-energy-cost?traffic_source=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_df953bc0ec5b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Gold Rises as Escalating Conflict in Middle East Stokes Demand - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Gold Rises as Escalating Conflict in Middle East Stokes Demand    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:45:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQbWZLNkl6eTNRS0t5RWFQWGk1OVVvYlJXbzB1NEgzaGJXM3BjWl9WOGJ6Ul9ueWQ2RTZjR2lfMGNhUlhtSmc3OFE5clJPc2lDQlN2UnhxNDdoNDFGOWgyZGNUZ1VVWjFCbHJhYnZfdGpCdWUzTUxlUWtlNnhOeHZhYnBKWm5RMnFLM0FZTHdXaVoxQjVuTkd6Qzg1c3RUaG1MUDhtUEd2aTR2RXl1TmVuRTk5cw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e80873a9c783",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Dubai hotel guests shelter in car park as Iran attacks",
    "body_text": "Dubai hotel guests shelter in car park as Iran attacks\nDubai hotel guests were evacuated to a basement car park after Iranian missiles struck UAE targets.\nPublished On 3 Mar 2026\nDubai hotel guests shelter in car park as Iran attacks\nDubai hotel guests were evacuated to a basement car park after Iranian missiles struck UAE targets.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:51:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/dubai-hotel-guests-shelter-in-car-park-as-iran-attacks?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_931c93d540e9",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "OpenAI changes deal with US military after backlash",
    "body_text": "OpenAI changes deal with US military after backlash\nThe deal had emerged on Friday following a fallout between OpenAI's rival Anthropic and the Department of Defense, over concerns around the use of its AI model Claude for mass surveillance and in fully autonomous weapons.\nBut it has raised questions over how AI is used in war and how much power rests with government and private companies.\nBut on Monday, Altman posted on X to say further changes were being made, including making sure its system would not be \"intentionally used for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons and nationals\".\nAs part of the new amendments, intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency would also not be able to use OpenAI's system without a \"follow-on modification\" to the contract.\nAltman added the company had made a mistake by rushing \"to get this out on Friday\".\n\"The issues are super complex, and demand clear communication,\" he said.\n\"We were genuinely trying to de-escalate things and avoid a much worse outcome, but I think it just looked opportunistic and sloppy.\"\nOpenAI has faced backlash from users following its announcement it was working with the Pentagon.\nThe AI model was blacklisted by the Trump adminstration following Anthropic's refusal to drop a corporate \"red-line\" principle that its technology should not be used to create fully autonomous weapons.\nThe Pentagon declined to comment on its dealings with Anthropic.\nHow AI is used by the military\nAI is used in a number of ways in the military, for example streamlining logistics or quickly processing large amounts of information.\nThe US, Ukraine, and Nato all use tech from Palantir, an American company which provides data analytics tools to government customers for intelligence gathering, surveillance, counterterrorism and military purposes.\nThe UK Ministry of Defence recently signed a £240m contract with the firm.\nAt the end of last year, the BBC spoke to some of those involved in integrating Palantir's AI-powered defence platform Maven into Nato.\nThe software brings together a huge range of military information, from satellite data to intelligence reports, which can then be analysed by commercial AI systems such as Claude to help make \"faster, more efficient, and ultimately more lethal decisions where that's appropriate\"said Louis Mosley, head of Palantir's UK operations.\nBut AI large language models can make mistakes, or even make things up - known as \"hallucinating\".\nLieutenant Colonel Amanda Gustave, chief data officer for Nato's Task Force Maven, stressed there was human oversight, adding that they were \"always introducing a human in the loop\" and that it \"would never be the case\" that an AI would \"make a decision for us\".\nPalantir, unlike Anthropic, does not support a blanket ban on autonomous weapons, but says there should be a \"human in the loop\".\nBut Professor Mariarosaria Taddeo of Oxford University told the BBC that with Anthropic out of the Pentagon, \"the most safety-conscious actor\" was now \"out from the room\".\n\"That is a real problem,\" she added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:51:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rz1nd0egro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_09d050bf581b",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Global oil and gas prices soar as Iran crisis disrupts shipping, production - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Global oil and gas prices soar as Iran crisis disrupts shipping, production    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:54:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxNdkpYeWluSExzU0hENHpicjVNZDFwYlFpMnBYeXU1N2NnOE9abzRhMW5zZXRuM2VIR19aajQ4SS1hRGlnVDBtQnBoZy1XSG9kdDlrVzhNQnRYV243a3lMQThsd1BSSzktVFI5SHgxLTJDZVQtemZCWWp4TFFOTnQ3cTRqNlROMV8xdXNLU1lGcW5UczhfQ05wZ1BIenhWRzNkdDhzelA5eTlKLTNsWEx5MW5lSGxJX2RoSkhJVEhoYl9GVU0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_947ed532dbec",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "UN chief warns of Israeli-made humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid war on Iran",
    "body_text": "United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for Israel to reopen Gaza’s border crossings, which have been closed by Israel since its forces launched a war against Iran with the United States.\n“It is imperative that all crossings be reopened … as soon as possible,” Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday. “In recent days, our partners have been forced to ration fuel, prioritise life-saving operations, albeit in reduced capacity as our local stocks are going down.”\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Iran holds mass funeral for girls, staff killed in US-Israel school attack\n- list 2 of 3Israeli strikes in Beirut as Hezbollah launches drones at Israel\n- list 3 of 3Could the US run low on weapons for its assault on Iran?\nDujarric said there were some stockpiles in Gaza but “when the doors are shut, we obviously stretch whatever we have to make it last longer.”\nThe Rafah crossing into Gaza from Egypt, the only gateway for Palestinians in Gaza to the outside world that does not pass through Israel, had reopened for the movement of people on February 2, allowing a limited number of people to leave for the first time in months and a trickle to return to the devastated enclave to reunite with family.\nThousands of Palestinians need urgent medical attention outside Gaza but have not yet been allowed to leave.\nIsrael shut down the crossing again on Saturday as it launched attacks on Iran, citing “security adjustments”. The crossing is considered vital for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of critically ill patients.\nIsraeli authorities said late on Monday that they would reopen the Karem Abu Salem crossing, known as Kerem Shalom to Israelis, to allow for the “gradual entry of humanitarian aid” into the territory. That crossing sits at the intersection of the Gaza Strip boundary with the Israeli and Egyptian borders and was also shut on Saturday.\nThe UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) expressed optimism on Tuesday. “The crossings will be opened, and that is timely for us, and we need to get in aid as fast as we can,” Samer Abdel Jaber, the WFP’s regional director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, told reporters.\nGaza is wholly dependent on fuel brought in by trucks from Israel and Egypt, and a lack of supplies puts hospital operations further at risk and threatens water and sanitation services.\nSince the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli border restrictions have depleted stocks of medicines, reconstruction materials, food and water inside the Strip, worsening conditions that were already dire after years of an Israeli blockade.\nA UN inquiry in September found genocidal intent in Israel’s war on Gaza, a landmark moment after nearly two years of war. In 2023, South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Israel, accusing it of conduct in Gaza that was tantamount to genocide. That case is ongoing.\nWest Bank tensions spiral\nIn the meantime, Israeli forces have continued the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday.\nPalestine’s Jerusalem Governorate reported that the army prevented worshippers from entering the mosque, citing a state of emergency.\nThe compound, the third holiest site in Islam, was sealed off on Saturday morning, hours after the Israeli-US military offensive on Iran began.\nFor a second consecutive day, Israeli forces raided the Askar refugee camp east of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, shutting down its entrances and searching several homes.\nLast month, the Israeli government approved a plan to claim large areas of the West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership, prompting a regional outcry and accusations of “de facto annexation”.\nMore than 80 UN member states condemned the move and called on Israel to reverse the decision, which they said was contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/un-chief-warns-of-israeli-made-humanitarian-crisis-in-gaza-amid-war-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a2be89063241",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Donald Trump’s dangerous ‘war of whim’ - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump’s dangerous ‘war of whim’\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:59:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1STXhlSVlVWGhVc29RdDZPVkpzRGd2dmJQS1doa3dqUGVCS0JxazNwcFBlSzlXNmxEcTVWUk5sNEVFZ3M2SEtYaVk1YVhhRFZIMVduTjIzWDIwQ3h4dktROHVud0I3X0Z3REo0R29uUzI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8f9229102205",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "State Department adds another country to evacuation list amid widening Iran conflict and more top headlines - Fox News",
    "body_text": "Good morning and welcome to Fox News' morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here's what you need to know to start your day ...\nTOP 3\n1. State Department adds another country to evacuation list\n2. Vance says Iran nuclear talks didn't 'pass the smell test' before Trump launched strikes\n3. Netanyahu insists US and Israel's strikes on Iran won't lead to 'endless war'\nMAJOR HEADLINES\nMULLAH SUCCESSION — Firebrand anti-American cleric Alireza Arafi seen as contender to replace Iran’s Khamenei. Continue reading …\nDEM DEFECTOR — Fetterman blasts Iran strike critics, Ayatollah's apologists: 'Let's see who grieves for that garbage.' Continue reading …\nSEISMIC SHIFT — Hillary Clinton storms out of Epstein probe deposition: ‘Hold me in contempt now.’ Continue reading …\nBACKGROUND CHECK — Timeline traces Austin mass shooting suspect’s rap sheet as terror link probed. Continue reading …\n‘BRING HER HOME’ — Savannah Guthrie shares emotional message after visiting tribute to mom. Continue reading …\n--\nPOLITICS\n'NOT UTOPIAN' — War Secretary Pete Hegseth shares goals of Operation Epic Fury at Pentagon briefing. Continue reading …\nFAMILY AUTHORITY — SCOTUS blocks California law preventing parental notification of gender transitions. Continue reading …\nUNDER OATH — Former president clears President Trump of Epstein wrongdoing in House testimony. Continue reading …\nWORLD FORUM — Melania Trump makes history at UN Security Council as first first lady to do so. Continue reading …\nMEDIA\n'MY HONOR' — President Trump breaks boycott and announces plans to attend WHCA dinner. Continue reading …\nCOMEDY CONTROVERSY — Tourette charity rips NBC's 'SNL' for skit featuring Mel Gibson disability excuse. Continue reading …\nFACT CHECK FAIL — Liberal CNN guest backtracks, apologizes after panelist calls out false Trump quote. Continue reading …\nPARTY RECKONING — Newsom keeps 30-page notebook documenting why Democrats lost as he weighs 2028 run. Continue reading …\nOPINION\nHUGH HEWITT — Morning Glory: Why Trump must finish what he started with Iran’s regime. Continue reading …\nLIZ PEEK — Democrats rage over Trump’s Iran strikes as exiles cheer ayatollah’s fall. Continue reading …\n--\nIN OTHER NEWS\nCELEBRITY OFFSPRING — Cher's son nabbed for burglary days after prep school meltdown. Continue reading …\nCREATIVE CONTROL — Sydney Sweeney flaunts curves in sheer tights for her own lingerie brand. Continue reading …\nAMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on airport accolades and soda sensations. Take the quiz here …\nSURPRISE SWAP — Lions trade David Montgomery to Texans hours after veteran's response to rumors. Continue reading …\nPIZZA RESCUE — Family goes viral for takeout order in unlikeliest place. See video ...\nWATCH\nVICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE — President Trump wanted to make sure Iran could never have a nuclear weapon. See video …\nBENJAMIN NETANYAHU — Why 'Operation Epic Fury' was 'necessary' and Iran won't be an ‘endless war.’ See video …\nLISTEN\nTune in as the 2026 election season kicks off with high-stakes Senate primaries in Texas and a look at how both parties battle. Check it out ...\nFOX WEATHER\nWhat's it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…\nFOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA\nSIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTERS\nDOWNLOAD OUR APPS\nWATCH FOX NEWS ONLINE\nThank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Wednesday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T11:59:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxOSk5QMDA3c2o1UTlCLU5vbFQ4VTRyYkNEMGxfblJUclJXeWF3NG0wcE5hcVRhMUtRMmZKZWI3LXZHM0FtNVRweEdpOG9JR2MyUF9tS2wzMGJPeXJSQXJJQnJqQWxOQzY2Q1c1eTBNNGxEeGR1MlF1anJ2VjZpWjRiallpMW5HMFRPSEgtU294VFNURFJ0aDRiZ0FGSFdqOXk2T3g1QVdYWEExTkZsUEVUWW5Hb0djLWp3cF9DUUhBNUNPdWpqT3c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5be192efcea7",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "How the Iran conflict has rattled global energy markets - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "How the Iran conflict has rattled global energy markets\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:00:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFAxYU94NHVqSUhpaDJwLXg5eWNSbVRlVkJuWVBGR2Zrdy1nNndGbURqX0VUaGczMC1oelM1TzRoRUhQSXJwMnFuYUN3eGlNRXdIN2FMcFowR1NKZ29mQzhNNlhCelZLUjdEWThOQmQ2MVk?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_cabfcf4c3ad0",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "In maps: Strikes across Iran and the Middle East",
    "body_text": "In maps: Strikes across Iran and the Middle East\nIsrael said it attacked a \"leadership compound\" in Tehran as the US-Israeli war with Iran continued into a fourth day.\nIsrael said \"numerous munitions\" were dropped on the Presidential Office and the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran on Tuesday, just hours after it launched fresh attacks in Lebanon and expanded its ground operation in the country to target Hezbollah sites.\nHezbollah had fired rockets and drones into Israel after the bombing raid that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\nIn Riyadh, Saudi officials said overnight that the US embassy was hit by two Iranian drones, causing some limited damage. Israeli strikes have also continued in Iran.\nThe Iranian Red Crescent says that 787 people have been killed in the US-Israel operation in Iran. Six American military personnel have been killed since the conflict began, according to the US Central Command.\nUS President Donald Trump has since warned that combat operations will continue with \"full force\" until all of Washington's objectives are achieved.\nWhere have Israel and the US attacked?\nThe Israeli military announced extensive joint strikes with the US over the weekend, destroying air defences in western and central Iran.\nVerified videos from the Iranian capital Tehran showed large plumes of smoke rising above the city on Saturday.\nIsrael's military said its strikes on Tehran had targeted gatherings of senior political and security figures.\nBBC Verify has so far confirmed visual evidence of strikes on 13 different locations in Tehran, with 12 other towns and cities across Iran also hit.\nAt least 153 people were killed at a girls' school in Minab in the south of the country when it was hit by three missiles on Saturday, Iranian state media reported. The BBC has not been able to independently verify this.\nMilitary sites were targeted in Kermanshah and Tabriz, and Iranian naval facilities in Konarak and Bandar Abbas in the south of the country.\nAnalysis of satellite imagery has revealed damage to at least three Iranian missile sites, and the nuclear facility at Natanz.\nDamage to storage bunkers and other infrastructure is evident Konarak, Tabriz and Isfahan South, while at least three buildings have been damaged at the entrance to Natanz's underground enrichment complex.\nUS President Donald Trump said US forces had sunk 10 Iranian naval ships and \"largely destroyed\" their naval headquarters.\nIsrael has expanded operations into Lebanon, where it is targeting Hezbollah, the militant group that has long been backed by Iran. On Tuesday night Israeli officials said troops had entered Lebanon and were seizing \"strategic areas\" in order to prevent attacks on Israeli border communities.\nThe move came after Israel announced on Monday that it was carrying out strikes in both Iran and Lebanon after Hezbollah launched missiles overnight on Haifa.\nIsrael's air assault targeted Hezbollah's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut and areas close to the city's airport, as well as sites in southern Lebanon. Blasts in the city continued into Tuesday morning.\nWhere has Iran attacked?\nIran has retaliated with strikes on Israel and US bases in the region, and has been blamed for air attacks on Gulf states.\nOn Tuesday night Saudi officials said the US Embassy in Riyadh had by hit by a pair of drones, causing some minor damage and sparking a small fire.\nNew Iranian strikes were reported on a major gas plant in Qatar, where the Ministry of Defense later said it had shot down two Iranian aircraft, seven missiles and five drones.\nIn the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes the tourist destinations of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, three people have been killed and several left injured, the country's defence ministry said on Sunday.\nKuwait's health ministry reported one death on Sunday. The Ali Al-Salem airbase was targeted by a number of ballistic missiles which were successfully intercepted, officials say.\nThe country's military downed three US fighter jets on Monday in \"an apparent friendly fire incident\", the US Central Command said. All six crew ejected safely and have been recovered, it says.\nIn neighbouring Iraq, three drones were reportedly downed on Monday over Irbil airport which hosts US-led coalition troops.\nBahrain's National Communication Centre said on Saturday that the service centre of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet had been \"subjected to a missile attack\".\nAlso in Bahrain, one verified clip, filmed from a moving vehicle, shows the moment a missile strikes. An explosion follows, sending fragments and debris into the air.\nOn Sunday evening a drone strike on the US naval base caused a major fire, one official told the BBC, but there were no reports of casualties.\nFour people have been wounded by Iranian attacks in Bahrain, the official added.\nIn Saudi Arabia, a fire at the Ras Tanura refinery - run by the country's state oil company, Aramco - had been brought under control on Monday after two drones were intercepted, officials said.\nOfficials in Jordan, which borders Israel, said its armed forces had shot down ballistic missiles targeting its territory.\nOman's state news agency reported on Sunday that Duqm commercial port had been targeted by two drones, injuring one worker.\nWhat happened in Cyprus?\nAn Iranian drone crashed into RAF Akrotiri at midnight (22:00 GMT Sunday), Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides announced.\nOn Monday, a Cypriot government spokesperson said a further two drones heading towards RAF Akrotiri had been intercepted.\nHow is the conflict affecting the global economy?\nGlobal oil and gas prices rose sharply on Monday, with producers, insurers and shipping firms affected by war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.\nThe cost of European gas soared over 30% after the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Qatar Energy, said it was halting production.\nQatar supplies around a fifth of global LNG supplies.\nThe past two days have seen several reports of attacks on shipping in the Strait.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:00:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0pnnj8xyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_be8c317e34ca",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "T20 World Cup teams stuck in India because of Middle East travel chaos",
    "body_text": "The West Indies and Zimbabwe cricket squads and support staff at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been stranded in India, unable to leave because of airspace closures and travel chaos caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East.\nBoth sides exited the tournament on Sunday at the end of the Super Eights stage and had been scheduled to fly home from India via the United Arab Emirates.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Will the US-Israeli attacks on Iran have an impact on the World Cup?\n- list 2 of 4Barca seek to overturn daunting deficit in Copa del Rey semi with Atletico\n- list 3 of 4Real Madrid stunned by Getafe at home; fall four points behind Barca\n- list 4 of 4Arsenal restore five-point lead at top of table with 2-1 win over Chelsea\nBut after Iran responded to attacks by the United States and Israel on Saturday by firing missiles and drones across the Gulf region, thousands of flights have been cancelled in the busy hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.\n“The Zimbabwe senior men’s team remains safe and well in India,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement late on Monday.\n“The squad was scheduled to return home via Dubai, but travel plans have been affected by the evolving situation in the Middle East, which has disrupted key transit routes.”\nCricket West Indies said it was “working closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC), relevant governmental authorities and airline partners to secure the earliest possible safe travel arrangements for the squad and support staff”.\nThe ICC has its headquarters in Dubai, UAE, where the airport was damaged and numerous explosions have been reported in the last couple of days.\nThe cricket world governing body said it had activated comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard everyone associated with the T20 World Cup.\nDefending champions and tournament cohosts India, England, South Africa and New Zealand all remain in India for the semifinals.\nSri Lanka, who were the other host nation, staged their final matches of the tournament in the Super Eights stage, which concluded on Sunday.\nSouth Africa face New Zealand at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the first semifinal on Wednesday, while England take on India at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.\nThe final will be played in Ahmedabad on Sunday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:00:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/3/3/t20-world-cup-cricket-teams-stuck-in-india-because-of-travel-chaos?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_261704166173",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump has cornered himself with his war in Iran | Sidney Blumenthal - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump has trapped himself in his war with Iran by announcing that his intention is regime change. That uncertain objective is linked to his most urgent objective at home. While pursuing regime change in Iran, he is desperately attempting to stop regime change through the midterm elections. He needs a swift victory in Iran to avoid a quagmire, but he needs a long war to attempt the assertion of unconstitutional emergency authority over the electoral process.\nPlunging into war followed Trump’s signature style: he negotiated in bad faith, turned to bombing when the sides were making “significant progress”, according to Oman’s foreign minister, was heedless of international law, and shut out congressional consultation. He offered as his imperative Iranian “imminent threats”, which the Pentagon briefed congressional staffers after Operation Epic Fury began was simply without basis in fact. There was no intelligence suggesting an “imminent threat”. Where’s the WMD?\nTrump has created a scenario in which he has cornered himself, so he has declared he has a series of supposed “off-ramps”. “I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: see you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programs]. In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack.” His fantasizing, however, reveals the absence of any strategy.\nShortly after contriving that confused statement, he announced that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had died in an airstrike. Trump has no idea what will happen other than more bombing. He is spinning hour by hour. The Supreme Leader has killed the Supreme Leader. His war is ultimately about himself, branded like everything from the Trump-Kennedy Center to the Donald J Trump Peace Institute to the President Donald J Trump International Airport to, now, the Trump Iran War. He boasts: “No president was willing to do what I am doing.” The war, above any of its geopolitical dimensions, is about the narcissism of the will.\nThree days before Trump began his attack, the director of the joint chiefs of staff, vice-admiral Fred Kacher, was summarily dismissed after serving for only three months. The Pentagon offered no reason for his removal. The day before, the Washington Post reported that the chair of the joint chiefs, Gen Dan Caine, had “cautioned” Trump and other officials “that shortfalls in critical munitions and a lack of support from allies will add significant risk to the operation and to U.S. personnel”. But Trump did not want to hear or heed the risk assessment. Off with a head.\nAchieving regime change would require more than a lightning raid or assassinations. Obsessed with short-term gain, Trump could not tolerate a prolonged or complex war either psychologically or politically. Rather than a Venezuelan-like foray, he might be confronted with a Ukrainian-like stalemate. Trump has already arrived at the logic of the US army major who in 1968 ordered the napalming of the Vietnamese village of Ben Tre: “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it,” he reportedly said. In the first wave of the Iran attack, at least 100 children were killed in a strike on a school in southern Iran.\nIf there is a hidden strategy, it would be an obvious Trump play to gain control over the raw materials of the country, in this case principally oil, for distribution to his supplicants and cronies. Trump’s pseudo-diplomats, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are commercial agents. One kleptocracy, the Iranian, would be replaced with another, the Trumpian. But who could Trump actually install to make such a deal?\nTrump has staked his political survival on the kind of war he has pledged for years he would never launch. From the beginning of his entrance into politics, his opposition to foreign wars was a pillar of his America First appeal. Former representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former La Pasionaria of Maga, whom Trump called a “traitor” for advocating the public release of the Epstein files and who quit Congress in a rage, provided the most bitter running commentary about Trump’s “betrayal”: “The Trump admin actually asked in a poll how many casualties voters were willing to accept in a war with Iran??? How about ZERO you bunch of sick fucking liars. We voted for America First and ZERO wars.”\nWhatever happens in Iran, Trump has splintered his coalition. He has divided America First from his cult of personality. The pretenses of Maga as a political philosophy are eviscerated. Loyalty to Trump demands giving up on America First. The Trump Doctrine is Trump First.\nIn the wake of the Iran attack, an ally of JD Vance, Sohrab Ahmari, one of the leading Maga explainers, expressed his disillusionment: “Seemingly against all odds, it is the neoconservative hawks who have emerged as the winners of the Trump era, with the Trumpian intellectuals left holding the bag.” About the king’s heir apparent, Ahmari wrote: “To put this in stark terms: somehow Vice President JD Vance, a fierce Trumpian critic of the neoconservatives, ended up in government at the highest levels, only to help implement the foreign-policy preferences of, say, John Bolton or Elliott Abrams.”\nTo “make America great again”, Trump had promised he would avoid foreign wars. “Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate,” Trump said of Barack Obama in November 2011. “He is weak and he’s ineffective. So, the only way he figures that he’s going to get re-elected, and as sure as you’re sitting there, is to start a war with Iran.” In the 2016 primary campaign, he slammed his Republican opponent Jeb Bush over the “big fat mistake” in Iraq. Then, he accused Hillary Clinton of being “trigger-happy and very unstable”, responsible for “only turmoil, suffering and death,” and said he would end the “failed policy of nation-building and regime change.”\nTrump did not sleepwalk into his war. He willfully fostered instability, beginning with his termination of US participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015 by Iran, the US and five other countries that limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for targeted sanctions relief. Trump called it “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into”, and he disavowed it in 2018.\nAs Trump careened to war, Wendy Sherman, a chief negotiator of the agreement and former deputy secretary of state, remarked: “If Donald Trump had not withdrawn from the original JCPOA, we would not be here.”\nAnd yet, as Trump’s agents went through the pantomime of reinventing a version of the deal that Trump had trashed, his administration had made a very different kind of deal with Iran to deport Iranian asylum seekers in the US fleeing persecution back to Iran. Those deported throughout 2025 and as recently as January 2026 included Christians, ethnic minorities, and political dissidents, reversing decades of US policy that protected such individuals from the Iranian regime. Among them were gay people who faced almost certain execution. “Please save our lives,” pleaded one asylum seeker who had been detained in a Texas facility for more than a year. Presumably, the bombing has halted the deportations. One Trump priority has overridden another.\nTrump’s Iran war may be closely entwined with his most pressing priority: preventing the Democrats from capturing the Congress in the midterm elections. The enemies abroad may provide a lever against the enemies within. In his State of the Union address, Trump defined Iran and the Democrats as his twin enemies, applying interchangeable epithets to them. One had “sinister ambitions” and was “very difficult”. The other was “crazy”, “destroying our country”, and “cheaters”. The first enemy was Iran, the second the Democrats.\nWar may be the justification he is looking for to impose his voter suppression plan. His White House has been in contact with rightwing activists who have written a detailed proposal for him to seize control of the elections from the states under the pretext of a national emergency. When a reporter from PBS asked him about it, Trump denied he was considering it. But using the claim of a quack Trump election denier as a rationale, Trump’s Department of Justice seized 2020 Fulton county, Georgia, ballots, already counted and investigated several times, though Trump still insists he won the state and was cheated.\nThis investigation into the 2020 election is being led by Kurt Olsen, appointed to a new White House position of director of election security and integrity. Olsen, who represented legal challenges to the 2020 result in Arizona, was sanctioned by a judge for making “false, misleading, and unsupported” statements, and described “by people in the first Trump administration to be a fringe menace”, according to the New York Times. As part of Trump’s comprehensive effort to sway the midterm elections, the justice department contacted at least 43 states demanding comprehensive voter details, including sensitive information such as partial social security numbers, and sued 29 mostly Democratic states and the District of Columbia for refusing to provide those lists.\nThe polls before Trump started his war were discouraging for him. Only 21% supported an attack on Iran, according to a University of Maryland survey. Just 27% trusted Trump to make the right decisions on military force, according to an AP-NORC poll. The beginning of military actions almost always causes a spike in public approval, a rally ‘round the flag phenomenon. But within 48 hours of the launch of Trump’s war a Reuters-Ipsos poll showed that only about 27% percent supported it. Whatever he does in Iran, what has he done for you lately?\nTrump has caught himself in a vicious cycle of repulsion and retribution. The more he repulses people, the more he resorts to retribution. Every downtick of unpopularity drives him to ever further acts of revenge. As he seeks to dominate, he loses ground, which excites his impulse for coercion, only deepening repellence. The broader his unpopularity, the greater his fear that he is losing his ability to behave without inhibition. In reaction he becomes more uninhibited. Trump cannot grasp his rejection. He attributes his second coming to his irresistible self. He depicts himself as the victim as he victimizes himself in his spiraling descent. When his latest chaos-creating episode inevitably fails, his anger heightens and he begins all over again. He becomes more unpopular than before.\nNow, he has rushed into war as though it can provide his conclusive political solution. But he has irrevocably cracked Maga. His motivation for Operation Epic Fury is at least partly to deflect from his tribulations that cannot be made to disappear: Operation Epstein Fury.\n-\nSidney Blumenthal, former senior adviser to Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, has published three books of a projected five-volume political life of Abraham Lincoln: A Self-Made Man, Wrestling With His Angel and All the Powers of Earth. He is a Guardian US columnist",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxOWnNyTHJSMDZnTXBhM19rdmFyZVRPWk9jZkhwU3VuSjNsYzBIZi1lYThUTGluc3Jha05zWTJaVkdrM1FrTmttZDRYWkNzU0RNWmZmZGpiaC1qc3JQWFlyQ1BwdWkwR3dDNjNscEEtdDYtcFpWaGZHcmpIa3RHeEF6NWNrTktOQV9ZWjBtN05B?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ee3445d5bcf8",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US-Israeli strikes on Iran tear through IVF clinic, hospitals and homes - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Tehran IVF clinic devastated by US-Israeli attack as hospitals and homes hit\nMohsen and Firouzeh have been trying to have a child for years and recently turned to IVF, using a clinic at Tehran’s Ghandi hospital.\n“The hospital staff worked so hard to help us,” Mohsen says. “After 10 years of trying, we finally had hope.”\nBut on Sunday, the second day of a devastating US-Israeli bombing campaign on Iran, a strike hit the prominent private hospital, reportedly causing “very serious damage” to its fertility clinic.\nMohammad Hassan Bani Asad, the head of Gandhi hospital, told local media that one staff member suffered serious wounds, including brain bleeding, and had to undergo surgery.\n“Now, after hearing about the attack on the IVF section, we feel like we are losing our minds,” says Firouzeh.\n“We don’t know what has happened. We don’t know what happened to our samples. We don’t know if all these years of effort and hope are gone.”\nLike all Iranians Middle East Eye spoke to, Mohsen and Firouzeh are identified only by their first names for security reasons.\nThe United States and Israel say their attacks are targeting Iran’s leadership and military and nuclear infrastructure. Several senior officials have been killed so far, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nYet on the ground, Iranians are witnessing strikes wiping out homes and devastating hospitals and even a primary school, where around 150 girls aged between seven and 12 were killed.\nGolestan Palace, a glittering Unesco World Heritage Site in Tehran, has also sustained damage.\nAccording to the Red Crescent Society, at least 787 people have been killed so far, with attacks targeting more than 150 cities across the country.\nShe says it “exploded right in front of our eyes”.\n“I saw things that I would never have believed if I hadn’t seen them myself,” she tells Middle East Eye.\nNegin says she ran from the area in fear but believes that dozens of people were killed in the attack.\n“Two streets above our home are the Joint Staff headquarters of the army and the Revolutionary Court. They hit that area,” she says. “But many residential homes on the same street were completely destroyed.”\nComparisons with Gaza\nMohammad Raiszadeh, the head of Iran’s Medical Council, said that the United States and Israel have struck at least 10 medical centres across the country.\nSpeaking to Iranian television, he drew parallels with the strikes on medical infrastructure in Iran and Israel’s relentless attacks on hospitals during its genocide in Gaza.\nRaiszadeh said he expected little reaction from the UN’s World Health Organisation and other international bodies.\n“They showed during the Gaza tragedy that they cannot stop attacks on hospitals and medical centres,” he says.\nThe strike on Gandhi hospital caused visible large damage and drew so much attention that the Israeli military issued a statement.\n'In those terrible moments, we were just trying to save the babies'\n- Salmaz, nurse\nIt said the hospital had suffered only “minor and collateral damage”. According to the statement, the intended target was military infrastructure located near the building.\nBut staff members at the hospital tell a different story.\nSalmaz, a nurse at Gandhi hospital, tells MEE she was on duty when the explosion happened.\n“We were working as usual when we suddenly heard a loud blast,” she says. “The force of it threw me into the corner of my office. The building caught fire. Everyone was screaming and trying to escape.”\nIn the middle of the chaos, Salmaz and her colleagues focused on moving newborn babies who were in the ward.\n“In those terrible moments, we were just trying to save the babies,” she says. “I have never seen anything like this in my life. Only in movies.”\nSalmaz is still in shock. “That terrible sound will not leave my ears,” she adds.\nNeighbourhoods devastated\nResidential buildings and offices have also been damaged in the strikes.\nMohammadali, 32, works at an advertising company on Motahari Street in central Tehran. He says the office where he worked was destroyed in an air strike.\nA young colleague was seriously wounded in the attack and taken to the hospital. Her condition is critical.\n“Israel keeps saying it only targets military sites,” he says. “Our company creates advertising content for small businesses. What does that have to do with the government or the Revolutionary Guard? They destroyed our office, and one of our colleagues is now fighting for her life.”\nNiloufar Square in Tehran is another area that was badly damaged in Sunday night’s strikes.\nThe neighbourhood is known for its restaurants and sandwich shops. On weekends, it is usually filled with young people who gather to eat and spend time together.\nNow, residents say it is barely recognisable.\nReza, 42, who lives in the area, says the apparent target was the local police station near the square.\n“But the reality is that many shops and homes were completely destroyed,” he says.\nHe considers himself lucky because his house isn’t particularly close to where the strike hit. Even so, the blast shook his entire home and blew out his windows.\n“A house at the corner of our street was flattened,” he says. “You cannot imagine what I am saying. It was a five-storey building, with three or four apartments on each floor. I don’t know how many people were killed there.”\nAcross Tehran, fear and anxiety are now visible in daily life. Almost everyone speaks in a worried tone. Many say they never believed their city would face such heavy foreign attacks.\nNegin says the scale of the current strikes cannot be compared to what they endured during the 12-day war in June, when Israel and the US last attacked Iran.\n“The explosions do not stop,” she says. “Every moment I ask myself: will the next strike hit our home?”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:04:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPUzR3R29CNXdFMzhwdUdSVzUzLUtQN2RGV0tZUC1KdWhUMlV5Vlp2UUc4cm9NYmFlaTh1WExSaXVmd21NcW9wM2Vjc3FBd0xHNlhoZC1DdlBaQk5JWVlGbjVTcnFiUzBnLThMSy15TjFKQ3BraExCQVhPQmtjUnpJWHJ3bWxjTFdJcm1MZjV6Q01RVEctR25sLUthQTZfMUlQVHlYWA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f62bc36633d9",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘Trump didn’t follow legal proceedings to launch this war’",
    "body_text": "‘Trump didn’t follow legal proceedings to launch this war’\nJeffrey Feltman, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, questions the legal basis and endgame of the US-Israel war on Iran, saying he does not believe Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States that would justify war.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:08:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/quotable/2026/3/3/trump-didnt-follow-legal-proceedings-to-launch-this?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b21386a54324",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Trump suggests UK's Starmer pandering to Muslim voters over Iran reluctance - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Trump suggests UK's Starmer pandering to Muslim voters over Iran reluctance\nUS President Donald Trump has condemned British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not backing the US-Israeli attack on Iran, suggesting he \"could be\" pandering to British Muslim voters.\nTrump told The Sun newspaper that Britain is \"not such a recognisable country\" anymore and said the UK should \"stop people from coming in from foreign lands who hate you\".\nAsked if Starmer is \"pandering\" to Muslim voters, the president said \"it could be\" the case.\nStarmer announced on Sunday night that the US would be allowed to use British bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites - after having refused to be involved in the US-Israeli strikes when they started on Saturday morning.\nBritain initially blocked the US from using the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands to strike Iran, a decision reportedly taken following legal advice from Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer.\nA YouGov poll on Monday showed the British public opposes US military action against Iran by 49 percent to 28 percent.\nFifty percent of the public also oppose the government allowing the US to use British airbases, with only 30 percent supporting the move.\nTrump told The Sun: \"This was the most solid relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other countries in Europe.”\nHe said Starmer \"has not been helpful\", adding: \"I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK.\"\nHe added: \"It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.\"\nStarmer 'just very different'\nTrump praised Nato, and said: \"France has been great. They’ve all been great.\n“The UK has been much different from others... they’ve all been pretty much great other than…we think Keir’s was just very different.”\nTrump said Britain is \"not such a recognisable country. I mean, you look at what happened over the last period of time and it’s very different.\n\"London is a very different place, with a terrible mayor. You have a terrible mayor there, some terrible people. But it’s a very different place.\"\nThe US-Israeli attack on Iran is deeply unpopular with the British public, but right-wing opposition figures, including Reform leader Nigel Farage and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, have condemned Starmer for not allowing the US to use British bases for any military action against Iran - rather than restricting their use to Iranian missile sites.\nBadenoch also suggested on Monday that Labour's policy is because of Muslim voters in the wake of Labour's defeat by the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-election last week.\nMeanwhile Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Green Party leader Zack Polanski urged Starmer to put the UK's decision to allow the US to use its military bases to a vote in Parliament, which did not happen.\nPolanski called on Starmer to reverse his decision to grant the US permission to use British bases, calling America a \"rogue state\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPMFZqeU1VOWdSSmlsS0hKamZiR2pMOTBZX3JiZ1JyQzhMNmtXUFZyNDBFLUVFYkp5OXZ2THRkdmtNU0lhT3JfLWE2S2JtQUZqS3JFMlJyS2s4Y3FObUFRemtuZS1VcllkVlY2VDJ5NDZ0Y1A4bjZMbllzdzNGUU01dUFJS2NERXF4Ymd3ZlE0Nk1VTGVwRFVVMEJ0OXJqcEU3TEw5T1lmaw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ca25e3253ffc",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Afternoon recap - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Good afternoon, Middle East Eye readers.\nEvents are still unfolding rapidly across the Middle East, so here's a quick recap:\nIran updates\n-\nThe death toll from US-Israeli strikes on Iran has risen to 787, the Iranian Red Crescent said on Tuesday, as the Israeli-US war on Iran enters its fourth day.\n-\nIsrael’s air force is continuing operations against Iran’s air defence systems, targeting radar installations, missile launchers and personnel operating them, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Tuesday.\n-\nFive members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been killed in US and Israeli strikes on Bushehr province, according to the ISNA news agency.\n-\nChina has reiterated its support for Iran’s “legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy” while calling for an end to US war and a return to negotiations.\nIsraeli attacks on Lebanon\n-\nHezbollah said on Tuesday that it had launched attacks on three Israeli military bases, describing the strikes as retaliation for Israeli bombardment of its strongholds in Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut.\n-\nThe Israeli military on Tuesday said it has deployed troops deeper into southern Lebanon beyond the five posts currently held by Israel, describing the move as part of an “enhanced forward defence posture”.\n-\nIsraeli forces have launched an invasion into sections of the Lebanese border area, a Lebanese official told Reuters on Tuesday, signalling fresh escalation along the border between the two countries.\n-\nLebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday that the decision to prohibit Hezbollah’s military activities is “irreversible”, as the group claimed fresh attacks on Israeli positions.\n-\nAt least 30,000 people have fled their homes in Lebanon following Israeli attacks in the south of Lebanon, the United Nations says.\nMiddle East updates\n-\nDrones struck Oman’s commercial port of Duqm on Tuesday, hitting a fuel tank as the Israeli-US war on Iran expands across the Gulf region. Authorities in the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates have put out a fire sparked by debris from a drone intercepted by air defence systems.\n-\nThe United States embassy in Kuwait has shut its doors until further notice, one day after Iranian attacks on the country sent smoke rising near the diplomatic compound. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Iraq on Tuesday ordered non-emergency staff to leave the country.\n-\nThe United States ambassador to Israel has said Washington cannot evacuate American citizens as the security situation deteriorates.\nAmerica updates\n-\nDemocratic members of Congress on Tuesday disputed the Trump administration’s assertion that US strikes on Iran were justified by an imminent threat to the United States, arguing that any immediate danger was directed at Israel, not Washington.\nGlobal markets\n-\nSouth Korean equities slid sharply on Tuesday, with the benchmark Kospi index falling more than five per cent as turmoil in the Middle East rattled investors worldwide.\n-\nOil prices continued to rise for a third consecutive session on Tuesday as the expanding US-Israeli war with Iran and mounting threats to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz intensified concerns over supply disruptions from the Middle East.\n-\nIndonesia will boost crude oil imports from the United States to offset disrupted supplies from the Middle East as the Israeli-US war in the region escalates, the country’s energy minister said on Tuesday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:18:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE1IQzhrYzhfYlJ5Q0VXWkNYYUowalBidF85MTVTMk13NzM3UXlaNEM3a0RQS1JUZ0NHX2NTOHEwVG1ZbWJ3YVZuUW9TeVZ0V3piV0VOSkM2QXJfOWFWdGpWT1J6cUxOZDdXRXFZZUNMNy1JV3NmRTZqbXktenVuRFk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d32641acbde1",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Aluminum Holds Gain as Iran Conflict Roils Global Supplies - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Aluminum Holds Gain as Iran Conflict Roils Global Supplies    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:18:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPSEtvNnRQLXdmVHVEMnNJOENXVFF3cFJyUVhpOEYtemZIUG4wR2lnWElsQnVFT2NPSUkzOVYzLTcya1Fndlo1TUpaV05USWZYMFN2VXgtQ0tmOXI5czV6ZTJuRE4wSHRlUVFxMDJQZEhnbHl3Z3FYNnY1TlZ6OW02OVppVV9NajVwU0pWNXg1MFdNVzdFM3Q5dHQ0Y0FGZFlGZ0tnbncxckpOdkY1aGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7218ef5611f6",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran War: The US Has to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Soon as Possible - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Iran War: The US Has to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Soon as Possible    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:24:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPYlVFWV9qWXo1QlBRZGpEVzNlNlJ0Um16QW1kNmt5YU05UmNNVEZVOTg0YWhlXzZwTHZVMlBSWEUyWi1Xai11OGY1SXFLSjBkV19kWU5uVmpJYjctYnhkX1FKMEVVUW9wNi1sSHdjMC1lTFFqQWxHdTk0V2x0UVUtU2FVRlhZYWNiN1QxV2RIelFLeG9ZaEdMVk4td1ZqUGtORThaRzVjR005VWdPalRReXRQdWY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_52db11633340",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Global Bonds on Knife-Edge as Iran War Revives Inflation Threat - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Global Bonds on Knife-Edge as Iran War Revives Inflation Threat    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:27:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQN25pMnR1YzNZOUNUSzFzWndCUHZBUV9ERnR4R0lxcDEtUk10ak4tUlNVTEg5ZnkxM09JZDhMZWllNlBxT09ZT2JEUlVHZWRMOVlLTGdwTVdQX2hWZjFoZ2dueXF4RFVHOFRRNGJId0NYNU9fanNhQTFlS2VyYWwwMnZhVGVncTV1eThDVFlnR1B0TFlZQTR3cU5WTjB3dEVyVW1DVHlORFQ3akEwSzNRZTBLV2M?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ad5b80335bf4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US and Israeli attacks on Iran prompt worldwide protests",
    "body_text": "US and Israeli attacks on Iran prompt worldwide protests\nUS and Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered protests worldwide. Demonstrators in dozens of US cities condemned their government’s involvement and called for an end to the war.\nPublished On 3 Mar 2026",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:29:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/us-and-israeli-attacks-on-iran-prompt-worldwide-protests?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9a0722377c89",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Everything we know on day 4 of the US and Israel’s war with Iran - CNN",
    "body_text": "Israel exchanged further strikes with Iran on Tuesday and continued its assault on Lebanon, intensifying a conflict which has already killed hundreds and threatens to spark a global energy crisis.\nTehran is retaliating with a campaign aimed at US bases and embassies in a host of Middle Eastern countries, as well as oil refineries and tourist infrastructure like airports and hotels. Washington has warned Americans to leave the region.\nAs the US-Israeli war on Iran intensifies, here’s what to know.\nWhat’s happening now?\n- Continuing Israeli strikes: Israel launched simultaneous strikes on Tehran and Beirut on Tuesday morning, targeting both Iranian military sites and Hezbollah. Israeli forces also seized more locations in southern Lebanon, carrying out strikes against what it says are Hezbollah’s sites in the country. The Israeli military also shut all crossings in and out of the occupied West Bank, leaving Palestinians unable to access urgent aid as settler attacks rise.\n- Iran death toll climbs: More than 787 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Tuesday, citing the Iranian Red Crescent. One Tehran resident described enduring a “heavy bombardment” on Monday night. “It feels like an onslaught,” said the 36-year-old man, whom CNN is not naming.\n- US closes two embassies amid Iran strikes: One in Riyadh was hit by two suspected Iranian drones, prompting it to close Tuesday. Another in Kuwait announced it was closing until further notice. The US State Department ordered non-emergency US government personnel and their families to depart from Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that a parking lot next to the US consulate in Dubai was struck by a drone, and all staff were accounted for. Local authorities said the resulting fire was quickly extinguished.\n- Iran’s response: In Israel, seven people sustained light injuries caused by shrapnel from an intercepted missile. Debris from another intercepted Iranian drone caused a fire at the UAE’s Fujairah Oil Industry Zone while Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar all reportedly had their airspace breached. Qatar said an Iranian ballistic missile struck Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, but did not cause any casualties. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also targeted Kurdish groups in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, though the size of the attack was disputed.\n- Americans urged to leave Middle East: The US State Department urged American citizens to depart from countries across the Middle East using available commercial travel, even as much of the region’s airspace remains closed and most flights are cancelled. In Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the US embassy told US citizens to shelter in place due to an “imminent” threat of missiles and drone attacks, while the US embassy in Oman told its staff to shelter in place, before lifting that order later in the day.\n- Coming “big wave” of US strikes against Iran: US President Donald Trump warned Monday that the US hasn’t “even started hitting them hard,” while a senior US official told CNN on Monday night that Washington was preparing for a “major uptick” in attacks over the next 24 hours. The commander of US forces in the Middle East said the US military has destroyed 17 Iranian ships in its campaign against Iran, which involves tens of thousands of US service members.\nWhy did the US and Israel attack?\n- White House offers competing, shifting rationales for war: Three days after the US and Israel first launched their offensive against Iran, the Trump administration is still offering different explanations for doing so – at times exaggerated or at odds with US intelligence – as senior officials scramble to justify what has been characterized as a preemptive strike.\n- What was the threat posed by Iran? In short, the Trump administration still hasn’t clearly defined that. After the first wave of strikes, Trump cited an “imminent threat” to the US – claims contradicted in Pentagon briefings to Capitol Hill that stated Iran was not planning to attack unless struck first.\n- What about the nuclear threat? Before striking Iran, Trump and his top officials overstated just how close Tehran was to developing a nuclear weapon, sources told CNN. Trump repeatedly said that Tehran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last summer – but in recent weeks, administration officials have suggested without offering evidence that Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat. Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has told CNN that Iran was not days or weeks away from having atomic weapons.\n- What about regime change? That’s not a clear goal either. One end result Trump has floated is “freedom for the people” in Iran and for Iranians “to take back your country.” At the same time, he has said that a similar outcome to Venezuela – where US forces seized President Nicolás Maduro but left much of the administration in place – would be “a perfect scenario.” On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that a moderate change “from within” the regime “maybe would be more appropriate.” And US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth insisted Monday “this is not a so-called regime change war.”\nWho is leading Iran now?\n- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death: Iran’s supreme leader was killed Saturday, alongside several other senior military officials, leaving the Islamic regime battered, but still able to launch attacks across the region.\n- A three-person leadership council now holds power until a new supreme leader is named. It includes the country’s moderate president, Masoud Pezeshkian; the hardline head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei; and a senior cleric, Alireza Arafi.\n- When will a new supreme leader be named? That’s still unclear, though Iranian officials have indicated the process could be quite quick. The country’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said a new supreme leader could be chosen within days.\n- Israel bombs compound of group that chooses Iran’s new supreme leader: A strike Tuesday afternoon was intended to hit the Assembly of Experts’ compound in the holy city of Qom while its members were voting to elect the country’s next leader, an Israeli source told CNN. Iranian state media said the building was evacuated before the attack. Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the US, told CNN that he couldn’t yet share many details but that “there’s a very good chance that the electors will not be readily available for further meetings.”\n- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also said it killed Daoud Ali Zadeh, described as the “temporary commander” of the Quds Forces’ Lebanon Corps and the “highest ranking” Iranian commander responsible for Lebanon. Zadeh’s predecessor Hassan Mahdavi was previously killed in an IDF strike, the military said. CNN is unable to independently confirm the claim and Iran has not commented on it.\nHow will this impact oil prices?\n- Oil prices continue to climb Tuesday: The price of gasoline in the US had its largest one-day increase since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, soaring 11 cents to $3.11 a gallon on average, in the latest reading from AAA. Brent futures, the global oil benchmark, jumped another 6% to $82 a barrel, per FactSet data. Natural gas futures, the European benchmark, climbed another 34% to around €59 ($68) per megawatt hour, as Qatar’s biggest gas producer stopped production after Iran targeted one of its energy facilities.\n- Iran effectively closes Strait of Hormuz: An adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned Monday that vessels passing through the strategically important waterway would be targeted.\n- About one fifth of the world’s global trade in LNG and daily oil production passes through the narrow stretch of water off Iran’s southern coast, and there are few other options for transporting those cargoes to global markets.\n- Stocks slid in Europe and Asia on Tuesday, reflecting the growing anxiety of markets.\nHow is the conflict affecting travel?\n- Thousands of tourists have been left stranded by the aviation chaos in the Middle East, with large parts of the region’s airspace closed, forcing airlines to cancel flights. The Trump administration on Tuesday said it is working to secure military aircraft and charter flights to assist the scores of US citizens trapped in the Middle East.\n- Some airlines resumed a limited service on Monday night. Emirates and Fly Dubai resumed some flights but all of Etihad’s commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until at least Tuesday afternoon, as do Qatar Airways’ flights until at least Wednesday morning.\n- Other Western countries are advising citizens to avoid the region too. Canada told tourists to leave the UAE once they can get on a flight and advised avoiding all travel to much of the Gulf. The United Kingdom told British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the UAE to register their presence to receive direct updates from its foreign ministry.\nHow long could this war last?\n- Trump has said he expects the war to last four to five weeks, but observers note those timelines could potentially change if he faces increasing political pressure domestically or decides his objectives have been reached.\n- Iran’s stockpiles of missiles and drones are depleting but it’s unclear by how much.\n- Arab states’ air defenses are diminishing too, as they are deployed time and time again to intercept Iranian attacks, though again it isn’t clear how well-stocked they were before Saturday.\n- Trump says the US has an effectively inexhaustible supply of certain munitions. He also told Politico that defense manufacturers are operating under emergency authorities to accelerate weapons production.\nCNN’s Jennifer Hansler, Eugenia Yosef, Helen Regan, Karla Cripps, Hanna Ziady, Jeremy Herb, Zachary Cohen, Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood, Kara Fox, Eyad Kourdi, Oren Liebermann, Mostafa Salem and Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:30:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE1aemJkalRHQjAxc2hGNFhTd2FNdXY5al8zUEEtN0hUZ2FNQUF2aXVMNlp6Wk1rVU8wU2ExMHRya0ZfWmFJUGF2Mmd4aklkOHRCcXM2X3VJbFQwZ3BGXzl2aFNSNkx0OE1YRGNxNENSZzhHUUJWa09IWVVCd2twQU0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_82cf99145ac3",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iran war deepens Egypt's fears of Israel reshaping region by force - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Egypt fears Israel’s expanding military reach could reshape the regional balance, despite official reassurances and a decades-old peace treaty.\nCairo’s accelerated arms build-up, including submarines, frigates and fighter jets, is increasingly seen domestically as justified amid regional turmoil.\nAnalyst Samir Farag, a retired general, warns Egypt may be “the only ones now left in Israel's way,” heightening public anxiety over future confrontation.\nBorder deployments and heightened alerts in Sinai underscore a doctrine that still views Israel as the most likely adversary despite “cold peace.”\n“Don't worry at all about Egypt,” President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said, aiming to reassure as tensions rise.\n“Don't worry at all about Egypt,“ President Abdel Fattah El Sisi told an iftar gathering on the second day of the US-Israeli war on Iran. “No one, by the grace of God, dare touch this country.”\nWhile meant to reassure, the words of the Egyptian leader conceal Cairo's alarm over Israel's unprecedentedly broad and repeated use of its military might to reshape to its advantage a region already roiling in turmoil since the Gaza war began in 2023.\nThat Israeli politicians are now publicly speaking of realising a “greater Israel” with biblical borders – from the Nile to the Euphrates – has further stoked Egypt's apprehension over Israel's end game.\nIsrael's military operations since 2023 have crushed Hamas, severely depleted the military capabilities of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and destroyed most of Syria's weapons and military infrastructure. It has repeatedly struck the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen and targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar, a US ally.\nDefanging Iran jointly with the US, as is happening now, leaves Israel in a far better strategic position than it occupied on the eve of the Hamas-led attack in October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.\n“We are the only ones now left in Israel's way,” said Egyptian political and strategic analyst Samir Farag, a retired army general known to be close to the government.\nMany ordinary citizens share Gen Farag's assessment, taking to social media to suggest it is only a matter of time before Israel turns its attention to Egypt, which has the region's strongest army.\nGen Farag also believes Israel's next step could be to secure a military presence in southern Egypt's Red Sea coast.\n“That will be a big problem for us because we will never accept the presence of Israel or Ethiopia on the Red Sea,” he said, alluding to Israel's recognition of the breakaway Red Sea region of Somaliland, and attempts by landlocked Ethiopia to gain a foothold on the strategic waterway.\nPrecisely how dangerous Israel could be to Egypt after the removal of the threat once posed by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria is a question being asked by many Egyptians, who have been expressing their solidarity with Iran against the US and Israel. Many are warning of regionwide chaos in the event of regime change in Tehran.\nMeanwhile, Mr El Sisi is being praised lavishly for shielding Egypt from the region's upheavals and for a military shopping spree in the past decade that has brought Egypt a wide range of weaponry, including submarines, frigates, helicopter carriers and fighter jets.\n“The simple Egyptian stands with his heart and mind on Iran's side; saddened by any victory for Israel and realising that its might is a danger to all,” said Egyptian analyst Anwar El Hawary.\n\"A victory by Iran is a victory for the Egyptian people,\" Haitham Mohamedain, a prominent political activist, wrote on Facebook. \"Nothing good could come from victory by the Zionist enemy.\"\nEgypt has placed its forces on high alert after the start of the US-Israel campaign against Iran, with a focus on air defences and combat units deployed on the border with Gaza and Israel in the Sinai Peninsula, according to sources briefed on the heightened preparations.\nEgypt and Israel fought four fully fledged wars between 1948 and 1973. The pair signed a US-sponsored peace treaty in 1979 that has over the years come to be viewed as a cornerstone of regional stability.\nThe treaty, however, has for all practical purposes been a neglected document since the Gaza war started, with Egypt quietly building up its forces at the Israeli border, prompting warnings from Israel's right-wing politicians that Egypt was preparing to go to war and raising questions about its arms procurement.\nAfter 50 years of “cold peace” that never brought Egyptians and Israelis closer, Egypt does sound like a nation bracing for a potential war against its peace partner, despite assurances from Mr El Sisi himself that this is not the case and that peace is Cairo's “strategic choice”.\nEgypt's military doctrine, for example, has Israel as its most likely adversary in any future conflict, with the Sinai Peninsula, where the neighbouring countries fought their four wars, the main theatre of operations.\nThe Gaza war has also deepened Egypt's distrust of its neighbour, with relations plunging to their lowest level in decades amid charges by Cairo that Israel committed genocide in the coastal enclave and deliberately starved the two million Palestinian residents.\nEmphasising the military's preparations, Defence Minister Gen Ashraf Zaher has in recent days been inspecting key army combat units to ensure their combat readiness and high morale, according to the military's Facebook page.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:34:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxNZndoUFdLanlKR0lQZWZVX1FNVjZPa2hMeTZqci02UkhtZ3E1YXFHSnBWQXFvdmNwQnYzZGRDbG5QTERRbV9aWjZxNTV5VXpKanNJVDFyb0FRR0N1VERjcGVtek5LUFlrZGV5YkcxYkJVRVFyMkgwbDdkaENoMXlaanNGVkVxWWEzb2R0RTQ4VmFEYTdZeC1qM1BaLThDT0Z0XzJaUXZiVEZ4bmpqMHg1WWhXRXE5ODNON3VB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_164f7b47dd80",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Thousands flee to Syria over Israeli attacks in Lebanon",
    "body_text": "Thousands flee to Syria over Israeli attacks in Lebanon\nIsrael’s attacks in Lebanon have triggered a new wave of displacement to Syria. Tens of thousands of people have been fleeing to escape the bombardment with at least 11,000 crossing into Syria due to the ongoing regional escalation.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:39:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/thousands-flee-to-syria-over-israeli-attacks-in-lebanon?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9b29ef47596e",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Europe defends military bases and struggles to evacuate citizens as it is drawn into the war on Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "Europe defends military bases and struggles to evacuate citizens as it is drawn into the war on Iran\nEurope defends military bases and struggles to evacuate citizens as it is drawn into the war on Iran\nBRUSSELS (AP) — The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes across the Middle East are quickly dragging Europe in, forcing the continent into defensive action to protect military bases and evacuate citizens caught up in the conflict.\nThe Middle East is home to some of Europe’s key trading partners, and a number of strategic trading routes. Many Europeans live in cities such as Beirut, Dubai or Jerusalem, while large communities from countries including Turkey, Egypt and the Gulf states have settled across Europe. Europeans weren’t consulted on this U.S.-Israeli operation but are now dealing with the fallout.\nWhile refusing to directly join the war, Britain, France and Germany have said they would work with the United State to help stop Iran’s attacks. The U.K. will allow U.S. forces to use British bases to attack Iran’s missiles and launch sites.\nBut Europe itself is not immune. Cyprus, holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, had to insist that it was not involved in the conflict after a Shahed-type drone damaged a U.K. air base on the island’s southern coast over the weekend. The Shaheds were developed by Iran but have already been used in Europe, by Russia in its war on Ukraine.\nWary of other attacks at home, some European countries are also beefing up security at train stations and airports.\nStill, almost no European leader has criticized the U.S.-Israeli attacks. Many are satisfied to see the downfall of an Iranian regime that has for years arrested European citizens and challenged Europe’s economic interests.\nSpain has been a rare dissenting voice. “One can be against a hateful regime,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday, “and at the same time, be against a military intervention that is unjustifiable, dangerous and outside of international law.”\nAt the same time, helping to foster stability in the volatile Middle East region is a European priority. Fears over a sustained hike in oil prices, and the possibility of a new wave of unpredictable migration mean that the continent must remain involved.\nPriority to stranded citizens\nEurope’s major short-term priority is ensuring the safety of thousands of citizens caught up in the war as it spreads.\nConcerns about getting people out were raised during an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers over the weekend. No joint evacuation effort was launched, but one could be needed imminently.\nGermany says that about 30,000 German tourists are stuck on cruise ships, in hotels or at closed airports and cannot get back home because of the conflict. Most of them are in the Middle East but some are further afield, stranded because their travel connections run through Abu Dhabi, Qatar or Dubai. A military evacuation was not possible due to airspace closures.\nThe Czech Republic, meanwhile, has sent two planes to Egypt and Jordan to bring home Czech nationals, dozens of whom have traveled by bus from Israel. Another four planes were to be sent to Oman to pick up more of the estimated 6,700 Czechs in the region.\nEurope’s economic interests\nIran has been threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes, and ships have been attacked there. Calls have mounted for the EU to help protect merchant vessels.\nIn response, France was sending two more warships to beef up Operation Aspides, the bloc’s naval mission in the region. But they would only deploy to the distant Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — gateways to the Suez Canal, which links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean — to join three other ships already in place.\nOperation Aspides was set up two years ago, to help defend maritime traffic against possible attacks by Houthi rebels based in Yemen. But while the Houthis have expressed support for Iran, they did not immediately announce any military action on its behalf.\nDiscussion is underway on a review of the operation’s mandate and a possible toughening of its rules of engagement, but no changes are expected soon.\nRegional stability\nMaintaining stability in the wider Middle East is a key European concern. Iran’s acts of retaliation in several countries have been widely condemned.\nEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is expected to convene a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council countries at foreign minister level later this week, as the bloc continues to try to reassure Iran’s neighbors and other vulnerable countries nearby.\n“Iran’s attacks of a number of countries in the Middle East are inexcusable. The events must not lead to further escalation that could threaten the region, Europe and beyond, with unpredictable consequences,” Kallas said after chairing Sunday’s emergency talks.\nThe EU intends to drive diplomatic efforts to help reduce tensions, and still aims to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons despite its nuclear development deal falling apart after the Trump administration pulled the U.S. out.\nNATO weighs in\nNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview that the United States’ and Israel’s war against Iran is crucial for security in Europe. He said the allies could support the effort even without direct involvement in military operations, through logistics and access.\nRutte, a former prime minister of the Netherlands, said he unreservedly approves of Trump’s decision to attack Iran and kill its supreme leader, raising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.\n“It would be a stranglehold on Israel. It could potentially mean Israel’s defeat,” Rutte told German public broadcaster ARD in its Brussels studio on Monday.\nWhen asked the possibility of NATO entering the war, Rutte said absolutely no one believed that NATO would be involved. “This is Iran, this is the Gulf, this is outside NATO territory,” he said.\nNATO troops deployed for 18 years to Afghanistan and its 2011 air campaign helped topple Libya’s late leader Moammar Gadhafi.\nNew leaders in Iran\nOfficials say the EU has no preferred candidate to take over in Tehran, and in any case it’s too early to tell who might be best to back as future leader. The foreign ministers primarily expressed “solidarity with the Iranian people.”\nThey offered support to “their fundamental aspirations for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are fully respected.”\nThe Europeans insist that a genuine popular movement against the regime arose in recent months but that it was shut down in an unprecedented wave of violence. Thousands were killed and tens of thousands detained.\nOne thing is clear. The EU is unlikely to back any leadership pushed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The IRGC was added the bloc’s terror list last month, making it almost impossible for the Europeans to take them seriously as an interlocutor.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:46:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxQemlPUEVHamt2bHZLSWpZYzluMHJIX0JSOWJsVmFpeDZQTDhHV3pOUXc2ZXVoMmI1SnB6TU90d1hUd3puUWczVnlFUEV1bjBsT05vMElkZzJvVWJuNjVER2FOU0lkRUJUc245TXRJRXdwUDVsc01JclBrUnM5QzRWYmVmX0ZsNkZ3Z0NMTmZaMXlPSldJWHFZLWd6UVF2OFl3TGJvRzl2ZDJ4bFdXTWo0MU9BbFA2UXhH?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c235b66274ae",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "US Embassy struck by drones in Saudi Arabia as Americans instructed to shelter in place - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones from Iran on Monday as Americans in Saudi Arabia were instructed to shelter in place. The embassy was empty at the time of the hits and no injuries were reported as a result of the attack.\nOn Tuesday, the embassy issued a security alert saying that the shelter in place order for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran remained in effect, and it added that U.S. citizens throughout Saudi Arabia were advised to remain indoors. It also advised U.S. citizens to \"avoid the embassy until further notice\" due to the attack.\n\"We advise all U.S. citizens to maintain a personal safety plan. Crises can happen unexpectedly while traveling or living abroad, and a good plan helps you think through potential scenarios and determine in advance the best course of action,\" the embassy's Tuesday alert read.\nIn the security alert, the embassy urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place, monitor its website for updates, enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), ensure their passports are valid for potential short-notice travel, remain aware of their surroundings, avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, follow local authorities’ instructions and monitor official information sources for the latest updates.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio, in a video posted on X, urged Americans in the Middle East to register with STEP, saying that it would allow them to see the latest safety and security guidance amid the \"cowardly attacks\" from Iran.\nSaudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning the attack, saying \"the repetition of this cowardly and unjustified attack blatantly violates all international norms and laws, including the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.\"\n\"The Kingdom emphasizes that the repetition of this flagrant Iranian behavior, which comes despite the Iranian authorities’ knowledge that the Kingdom has affirmed it will not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran, will push the region toward further escalation,\" the foreign ministry's statement read.\nIran has launched attacks in the region against Israel and several countries that have U.S. interests in retaliation for the U.S. and Israel's joint military offensive known as Operation Epic Fury. Saudi Arabia condemned the retaliation on Feb. 28.\n\"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its rejection and condemnation in the strongest terms of the blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks that targeted the Riyadh Region and the Eastern Province, which were successfully intercepted,\" the Saudi Foreign Ministry's Feb. 28 statement read. \"These attacks cannot be justified under any pretext or in any way whatsoever, and they came despite the Iranian authorities’ knowledge that the Kingdom had affirmed it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran.\"\nAmid the retaliatory strikes, the State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and their families from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:47:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxNbG1XdTZiWkNlSWJyVkpscWJ6MktpcURSMHFCTmV0R1RJSHVSMDdrTUhtLUppVXo3V2FPampVTjNOZ3Jycnk1aWJDRUIxLVhoTkJaV0tuaEJaXzBheEZvNHJDNE9YcDA3U2IwT0w2amd5NFdlYkoybXI4eDYxeC11ajBwcTA3QzNkblVwaGxUUEZYQnhNWUVYdGxZeVpKNWwyY3FiYVhqeDLSAa4BQVVfeXFMTW5TcF9UUGtWVVYwbEQwUENCTlRBYkdOWEVJcE02WU1TZmJ3V1c0dlhrQ2syMVRxY3ZXY29HVGRQWXpWOUtjVWRDbVVBWk04aU1pV1hCMl9teGtpb0JOakJOcDljT2lTOGlnTTFuNW5wQThBR3Y0ME5YRnpUYnVjaXo2aXZETjhENzF5TWwyc1VtWmd1ekhJUFdBWFVyb21OMTVMVXhxN3FuX1o3OV93?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2911345bd51d",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran's strikes on Gulf states may widen war against Tehran, analysts say - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran's strikes on Gulf states may widen war against Tehran, analysts say    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:54:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxOenRfQm5ROUtWcW9qc3dwRkdQd2VObTNTRE43STJyQVZIZjgtZU5qMFpROE9LU0pzVnZQN2tidXQ4ckhrdU9wTnNVRGNWQ0NwdWEydk9tUnpqaEpad3NaNGN1QUZwVlgtNEhDbnJIbEZFaERRTW9URUowT2ZXVjVqVnJBbkJmUmdYcF83VGU3ejliSk9kVXMzNWN3eDFYRkx2bU1NeS15X1l0QUZ0RDUwdUJwSnJObE0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_02269a38c91b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Qatar says Iran didn’t warn of missile attacks, no comms with Tehran",
    "body_text": "Qatar says Iran did not notify it of incoming missile attacks as Tehran conducts a retaliatory campaign across the Gulf sparked by the United States and Israel’s attacks on Iran.\nQatar is one of 12 countries that Iran has targeted in the Middle East, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said at a news conference on Tuesday that Iranian targets were not limited to military sites but included all Qatari territory, adding that there was no communications with authorities in Tehran.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4How Russia could benefit from the US-Israeli war on Iran\n- list 2 of 4US claims destroyed IRGC command centre, more Israel attacks on Tehran\n- list 3 of 4Video: Top Democrat says there was no imminent threat to the US from Iran\n- list 4 of 4Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon as front boils over amid wider war\n“Qatar was surprised by these unjustified attacks,” he told reporters.\nAl-Ansari said Qatar’s military thwarted attacks on Hamad International Airport in Doha as Iran pressed on with its strikes for a fourth consecutive day after the launch of the US-Israeli war on Saturday.\n“There were attempts to attack Hamad International Airport. They were all thwarted. … The missiles were downed by our defensive measures, and none of them reached the airport,” al-Ansari said. The spokesperson said almost 8,000 people were stranded in Qatar due to airspace closures caused by the war.\nIn addition, al-Ansari noted that Iranian jets were shot down on Monday after entering Qatari airspace despite being warned.\nThey were heading for Doha before they were targeted, and authorities are still searching for their crews, he added, without elaborating further.\nAl-Ansari said the Iranian ambassador in Qatar was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and told the attacks could lead to a “deterioration” of relations between the two countries.\nQatarEnergy to stop downstream production\nAfter suspending liquefied natural gas (LNG) production on Monday, QatarEnergy decided to stop production of associated products.\n“QatarEnergy is stopping the production of some downstream products in the State of Qatar, including urea, polymers, methanol, aluminium and other products,” the firm announced on Tuesday.\nOn Monday, the firm ceased production of LNG and associated products in facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City due to “military attacks”.\nSeveral explosions have occurred in Qatar over the past few days, and its Ministry of Defence said it detected the launch of three cruise missiles, 101 ballistic missiles and 39 suicide drones towards its airspace since Saturday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:54:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/qatar-says-iran-didnt-warn-of-missile-attacks-no-comms-with-tehran?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_84d8f5240046",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Gulf states are caught in middle of the US-Israel war on Iran. There is a way out - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Gulf states are caught in middle of the US-Israel war on Iran. There is a way out\nOn Saturday morning, the departure board at Dubai’s main airport began to stack up with delays. Over the water, pale arcs rose, flared and vanished - interceptors, officials later said - leaving chalk traces in a sky turning white.\nSimilar scenes occurred in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama and Kuwait City. Then, in the afternoon, both the Dubai airport and Kuwait airport were hit. The Gulf was in shock.\nWhy US President Donald Trump ultimately chose war with Iran is still hard to pin down. He ran on “America First”, then drifted into something closer to “Israel First”, even as a deal was within reach - a deal that, by many accounts, would have beaten the agreement he tore up in his first term.\nWas it a distraction from the Epstein Files? Did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, determined to remake the Middle East, manoeuvre Washington into a fight whose very chaos serves his aims?\nIsrael wanted this war, and it set the tempo. If Trump had refused to back it, Israel was likely going to strike anyway, daring the US to rescue an ally while making Trump look weak.\nWhatever the motive, the Gulf has become collateral damage in Israel’s war, its monarchies absorbing the costs of a conflict they did not choose and tried hard to prevent. Claims that Saudi Arabia wanted this war circulate in the media, often sourced to unnamed voices, while Saudi interlocutors I trust reject it outright.\nThese stories appear to be part of a campaign: shift blame, split the Gulf, give Israel political cover.\nOngoing nightmare\nIran’s response has raised questions. It has hit the very states that tried to help avert war - Qatar and Oman - aiming to force them to pressure Washington to step back from the abyss of a conflict the US is unlikely to win.\nFor now, the Gulf feels abandoned by the US: asked to do diplomacy, punished for doing it, and left to absorb the blowback - again.\nThe squeeze did not begin on Saturday. Since 7 October 2023, Gulf states have been caught between an Iran that looked hesitant to establish deterrence directly, and an Israel gripped by an offensive creed, swinging like a bull in a china shop and leaving scorched earth from Gaza outwards.\nThe Gulf is not powerless. It can choose where, when and how its military capabilities are used\nIran chose to fight through its allies and partners, then shied away from the kind of deterrence that might have stopped the spiral. The result is a region in chaos.\nThe Biden White House watched, blinking, offering Israel near-blanket support. Then came a Trump team gradually abandoning its “America First” mantra, trying to shape global affairs coercively but remotely, with no consideration for ripple effects.\nFor the Gulf, this has been an ongoing nightmare. Its business model is not built on ideology or conquest. It is built on connectivity: trade lanes, capital flows, data systems and energy logistics. Interrupt any of that, and you do not just dent growth; you puncture the very business model that the Gulf states have successfully built in recent decades.\nWashington has quietly delegated much of the region’s statecraft to Gulf mediators, above all Qatar and Oman. Doha has carried messages between Israel and Hamas, and between the US and Iran. Muscat has done the same, often more discreetly.\nThe reward has been incoming fire. Qatar has been struck by the parties it mediates for - twice by Iran, once by Israel - three times in less than a year. Oman was not spared in this latest round either. Washington’s security commitment looks more shaky each time.\nStrategic autonomy\nIran’s barrage on Saturday went beyond theatre. Waves of drones and missiles hit military sites and critical national infrastructure: airports, ports, energy facilities. Hotels and buildings were struck. Gulf air defences intercepted many projectiles, yet the shock ran deep across the capitals. Iran aimed at the centre of gravity of Gulf economies: their energy and logistics infrastructure.\nGulf leaders hoped they were facing a painful, containable spasm that diplomacy could cap within a few days. That hope rests on the realisation that interceptor stocks are finite. Iran can throw cheap drones at a wide map, often through decentralised networks that - since the killing of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - operate with loose coordination from a central command already strained.\nGulf air forces will shift further towards forward defence, with help from partners such as Britain and France. Every step up that ladder inches the Gulf states closer to the US-Israeli war effort.\nThe Gulf has to avoid being dragged into Israel’s vision for the region: one of managed chaos in degraded states. Regime change in Tehran is not within reach from the air. The demise of Khamenei will likely leave an Islamic Republic that is neither Islamic nor a republic, but rather a military dictatorship run by the Revolutionary Guards.\nIsrael’s approach of triggering Iran to go all-out against its Gulf neighbours risks producing a Gulf order in which the monarchies are treated as a junior partner, expected to bankroll security and accept strategic decisions made elsewhere.\nThe alternative is a sovereign Gulf policy rooted in strategic autonomy and Gulf unity. The Gulf’s security architecture is still anchored to the US, yet the Gulf is not powerless. It can choose where, when and how its military capabilities are used.\nIt can demand that the US limit escalation launched from or imposed upon its territory. It can price access, basing and cooperation as strategic assets that Washington should not mistake as entitlements. It can use its weight as one of the most important pools of capital invested in the US, and its overall net contributions to American power, to insist that Gulf security is not a disposable side issue.\nNetanyahu understands that Israel’s grip on Washington’s foreign-policy bubble will not last forever. That might have been one reason he pushed for war now, and for it to run long. The Gulf states should take notice.\nThey can still emerge from the post-7-October events as the undisputed centre of gravity and stability in the Middle East, outshining the increasingly theocratic, ethno-nationalist state of Israel, which remains a net consumer of US power.\nFor this to happen, the Gulf has to find a third path of “Gulf First”, not Israel or America First. This means proactively choosing and shaping its own destiny, rather than being a pawn in someone else’s agenda. The current crisis could thus inadvertently become another defining Gulf moment.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPTDZfV1pMSVRyYmtvMXdXZFRsZXc1N2dxN3NFWWFkQ3A4ZlJUNzdmN1hQZDd4VlFKZ0w0WlBHVzRrQW1JVHlhSTdWdVdieDJHYS1lRjE1WVQwMmhuRlJlVWxSeDczWGp4Y2NMZDZDbWNmSFpoajZ3MTR1azVqNEdOSFljamlJY3h3eVRYN3otNktvUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4a545b75649a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Polls show Britons oppose US use of UK bases against Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Polls show Britons oppose US use of UK bases against Iran\nThe British public opposes allowing the US to use British airbases for strikes on Iranian missile sites, a new poll has revealed.\nYouGov polling released on Monday shows the British public opposes US military action against Iran by 49 percent to 28 percent.\nExactly half of the public also opposes the government allowing the US to use British airbases, with only 30 percent supporting the move.\nUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday night that the US would be allowed to use British bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites - after having refused to be involved in the US-Israeli strikes when they started on Saturday morning.\nBritain initially blocked the US from using the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands to strike Iran, a decision reportedly taken following legal advice from Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer.\nOnly 11 percent of the public \"strongly support\" the US-Israeli attack on Iran. This rises to 17 percent among Conservative voters and 36 percent among Reform voters.\nBut only five percent of Labour voters strongly support the attack and 13 percent \"somewhat support\" it.\nAmongst Green voters, 11 percent support the strikes and 70 percent oppose them.\nPolitical opposition to British policy\nReform leader Nigel Farage and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch have condemned Starmer for not allowing the US to use British bases for whatever military action against Iran it chooses - rather than just to attack missile sites.\nBadenoch also claimed on Monday that Labour's policy is because of Muslim voters in the wake of Labour's defeat by the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-election last week.\nShe said that \"particularly in the wake of the by-election last week, the Labour government are too scared to say what is obvious to the rest of us\".\n\"In towns and cities across Britain there are large blocs of voters - that Labour see as their voters - whose political loyalties are swayed by conflicts in the Middle East, not the British national interest.\"\nMeanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Green Party leader Zack Polanski urged Starmer to put the UK's decision to allow the US to use its military bases to a vote in Parliament, which did not happen.\nPolanski called on Starmer to reverse his decision to grant the US permission to use British bases, calling America a \"rogue state\".\nOn Sunday, Starmer said in an address from Downing Street that the only way to stop the threat from Iranian missiles \"is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles:.\n\"The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,\" he said.\n\"We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk and hitting countries that have not been involved.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNRDRyWW5lMWFGcXB3djVXdmd0Yl9xbXVzUU9NVjhJanktRHc0d2ZWVFZ3V1IzeVZ6LUk2Vmd0aVNkeVN4U0daSzNqSlc5aW80Zm9EMnEzVk01Y0lzbDVDZlY3T0F3NnE3Qk1IVVVydDJsVVo4TzBQaXVqbl9fZnRmZlViS244STNyelhoVy1EV2xQbFllcU5vNnlDTllmQWd0eFlVa2JGbmRrQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8ebbcd9b94d1",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Death toll in 'surprise' attack in South Sudan rises to 178, local official says",
    "body_text": "Death toll in 'surprise' attack in South Sudan rises to 178, local official says\nThe number of people killed in an attack in South Sudan on Sunday when a group of unidentified men launched an assault in the north of the country has risen to 178, a local official has told the BBC.\nDescribing the attack as carried out by dozens of armed youth, Ruweng Administrative Area's Information Minister James Monyluak Mijok alleged that they came from neighbouring Unity state and were linked to the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO).\nThe SPLA-IO has denied any involvement in the attack, accusing the authorities of politicising the violence.\nThe UN has repeatedly warned that the country is at risk of sliding back into full-scale civil war.\nMedical aid groups have described the scale of casualties as alarming, even for a region that has experienced repeated outbreaks of violence.\nA diplomatic source quoted anonymously by the AFP news agency on Monday put the death toll at 70 but said it could increase.\n''The dead include 90 children, women and elderly people, as well as 79 members of regional forces, including police,'' Mijok said, adding that many of them had been buried in a mass grave.\nHe said 73 people were still in hospital - many of whom were taken to neighbouring Abyei Administrative Area for treatment.\nMedical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) described the situation in Abyei as extremely challenging.\n\"It was really difficult to manage the mass casualty situation, but many MSF and Ministry of Health staff came on their day off and from other facilities to support,\" Abraham Deng Lual Wek, an MSF nurse supervisor, told the BBC on Tuesday.\n\"For the surgical team, it was a challenge to manage all of the emergency cases between the two operating theatres,\" he said.\n\"Our triage area, emergency room and wards were full of patients, so we expanded capacity by using tents and a meeting space, which also filled quickly.\"\nMijok told the BBC that the attackers entered Abiemnom county in Ruweng before dawn on Sunday, at around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT), when people were still sleeping and \"surprised them\".\nHe said the government forces on the ground \"were outnumbered... The assailants set fire to homes and markets during fighting that lasted between three and four hours.\" Several senior local officials were killed including the county commissioner and executive director.\nMijok said government forces had since driven the attackers out and that authorities were now in full control.\nHe also alleged that officials in Unity state \"must have had knowledge\" of the plan to target Ruweng. The Unity state authorities have not responded to this accusation. It is not clear what may have triggered the attack.\nThe United Nations Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) said about 1,000 civilians began seeking protection near its base in the affected area. The mission said it was alarmed by the surge in violence in the region over the past 48 hours.\n\"Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,\" said Anita Kiki Gbeho, officer in charge of Unmiss.\n\"The mission has enhanced its protective posture and is working with the government of South Sudan to support urgent efforts to restore calm and safeguard affected communities,\" she added.\nPeacekeepers are providing emergency medical care to at least 23 people wounded in the clashes. The mission has called on all parties to cease hostilities immediately and engage in dialogue.\nA similar incident in Abiemnom county last year left more than 42 civilians dead.\nFollowing clashes in another part of the country - Jonglei sate - MSF said 26 of its staff were missing after weeks of escalating violence between government and opposition forces.\nThe charity has now suspended medical services in two parts of the state - Lankien and Pieri.\nIts facility in Lankien was hit by a government air strike on 3 February, it added.\n\"Many of our staff were forced to flee the violence alongside their families. Several are now displaced, sheltering in remote areas with little access to food, water or basic services,\" the statement said.\nSouth Sudan, the world's youngest country, has been beset by civil war, poverty and corruption since it was formed in 2011.\nThe UN has warned that an \"all-out civil war\" could return as a power-sharing deal struck in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar, has unravelled over the past year.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T12:59:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mgkvy4wr8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c1112ef27bfd",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump admin offers scant evidence on Iranian threat in ‘America First’ war",
    "body_text": "Washington, DC – As the US and Israeli militaries expand their strikes on Iran, the administration of US President Donald Trump has alternated its justification for the war between preventing immediate attacks and countering the long-term existential threat of a nuclear Tehran.\nThis was on full display on Monday, with Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth appearing to make the case that the culmination of Iran’s regional policies in the 47 years since the Islamic revolution, coupled with the future of its ballistic and nuclear programmes, represented an immediate threat to the US.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Trump: this was the best chance to strike Iran’s ‘sick and sinister regime’\n- list 2 of 3Trump says Iran war projected to last 4 to 5 weeks, could go ‘far longer’\n- list 3 of 3US and Israeli interests may soon diverge on Iran\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, argued that Washington’s close ally Israel was planning to attack Iran. In which event, the administration expected Iran to strike US assets, therefore justifying launching a preemptive attack, he said.\nTo date, the administration has offered little clear evidence to support any of its claims, according to advocates and analysts, as well as Democratic lawmakers who have recently attended classified briefings.\n“The reality is, they’ve put forth very little evidence, and that’s a huge problem,” Emma Belcher, the president of Ploughshares, a group that advocates for denuclearisation, told Al Jazeera.\n“It says, one: They don’t think they need to [make the case] for the war; that they won’t necessarily be held to account for it,” Belcher said. “But it also says to me that the evidence quite possibly isn’t there, and that they want to avoid particular scrutiny.”\nRepublicans have largely coalesced around the administration’s messaging, even as Democrats have pledged to force votes on war powers legislation to assert constitutional authority over the president’s military action.\nStill, the administration remains in a tenuous political position as Trump’s Republican Party stares down midterm elections in November. Early public polling indicates little outright support from the US public, even as Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base has been staid in its response.\nBut the more days that pass, and the more US service members are killed, the more likely that Trump will be confronted with the contradictions to his past anti-interventionist promises.\n“The longer it goes on and the more costly it is in terms of lives… the more the lack of evidence becomes an albatross around the neck of the administration – one that it will have to account for come November,” according to Benjamin Radd, a senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center’s international relations department.\nA kaleidoscope of claims\nSpeaking from the White House on Monday, Trump praised the “obliteration of Iran’s nuclear programme” in US strikes last June. But moments later, he claimed that efforts to rebuild that programme, coupled with Iran’s ballistic missile programme, represented a menace to the US.\n“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump said. “Our country itself would be under threat, and it was very nearly under threat.”\nTrump also said that, if not for US and Israeli attacks, Iran “would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America”.\nDaryl Kimball, the executive director of the Washington, DC-based Arms Control Association (ACA) said any claims of immediate or middle-term threats posed by Iran in terms of their ballistic and nuclear power are not supported by available evidence.\nThat is significant, as such “imminent threats” are required for a president justify attacks on foreign countries under both US domestic law and international law, save for approval from Congress.\n“Iran did not possess, prior to this attack, the capability to quickly enrich its highest uranium to bomb grades, and then to convert that into metal for constructing a bomb,” Kimball told Al Jazeera.\n“At the soonest, it might have taken many, many months to do that, but Iran does not have access to its 60 percent highly-enriched uranium. Its conversion facility is damaged and idle. Its major uranium enrichment facilities have been severely damaged by the US strikes in 2025.”\nHe explained that despite having “significant conventional short and medium range ballistic missile capabilities”, Iran has said it has imposed 2,000km (1,200-mile) limits on its ballistic missile range, and is not near having an intercontinental ballistic missile capability.\nThe “latest [US intelligence] assessment is that Iran could, if a decision is made, have an ICBM capability by 2035. So Iran is nowhere close to having an ICBM threat that could be called imminent,” he said, referring to intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have a range of at least 5,000km (3,400 miles).\nDemocrats say no new intelligence\nSecretary of State Rubio on Monday said there “absolutely was an imminent threat” presented by Iran.\n“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,” he said. “We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”\nBut top Democrats who received classified intelligence briefings in recent days said they had not been provided with evidence to justify the attack.\n“I’m on two committees that give me access to a lot of classified information; there was no imminent threat from Iran to the United States that warrants sending our sons and daughters into yet another war in the Middle East,” Senator Tim Kaine, who sits on both the Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN on Saturday.\nSenator Mark Warner, who was briefed on classified intelligence related to Iran last week as part of the “gang of eight”, a collection of the top lawmakers from both parties in Congress, told the network: “I saw no intelligence that Iran was on the verge of launching any kind of preemptive strike against the United States of America”.\nSeveral sources speaking to both the Reuters news agency and the Associated Press, following a closed-door briefing of congressional staff on Sunday, said the administration presented no evidence that Iran was planning a preemptive strike, and had instead focused on a more generalised threat posed by Iran and its allies to US troops and assets in the region.\nTrump looking for quick success\nAll told, the Trump administration appears to be arguing that “Iran has been a national security threat to the United States since 1979… that Iran was responsible for more American lives being killed than any other state or non-state actor; that Iran has never been held to account for this”, according to the Burkle Center’s Radd.\nTrump, therefore, appears to be taking the position that given the totality of Iranian actions, including during recent indirect nuclear talks, the US “has no choice but to perceive Iran as an imminent threat”.\nOman’s foreign minister, who mediated the talks, had pushed back on the administration’s characterisation, maintaining that “significant progress” had been made before the US-Israeli attacks.\nRadd noted that under the War Powers Act of 1973, a US president has between 60 and 90 days to withdraw forces deployed without congressional approval. Therefore, Trump appears to be saying, “We’re not obliged to prove to Congress any of that if we can conduct and execute this operation within the 60 to 90 day window,” he said.\nMeanwhile, Ploughshare’s Belcher said that the administration’s own actions led to the current situation with Iran.\nShe pointed to Trump’s withdrawal of The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, which had seen the US impose maximum sanctions on Iran, and Iran, in turn, begin enriching uranium beyond the levels laid out in the agreement. Trump also derailed nuclear talks last year by launching attacks on Iran.\n“We’re in this situation precisely because President Trump gave up on an agreement that was negotiated by his predecessor,” Belcher said. “He gave up on diplomacy.”\n‘America First’ war?\nIn his speech on Monday, Hegseth, in particular, appeared to try to frame the war within Trump’s political worldview, pledging to “finish this on America First conditions”.\nHe drew a contrast with the US invasion of Iraq, describing the attacks on Iran as a “clear, devastating, decisive mission”.\n“Destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy – no nukes,” he said.\nHe also sought to draw a distinction between a “so-called regime-change war” and US attacks that happened to lead to regime change. As of Monday, US strikes had killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several top officials, but the ruling government has remained intact.\nHegseth said that the US is unleashing attacks “all on our terms, with maximum authorities, no stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars”.\nIt remains unclear how the message will resonate with the US public.\nA Reuters-Ipsos poll released on Sunday suggested dismal approval for Trump’s strikes, but also indicated that large swaths of Americans were unsure about the conflict.\nThat could create opportunities for those challenging Trump’s actions and his justification for them.\n“I think it does seem as though the narrative is still up for grabs,” Belcher said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:01:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/trump-admin-offers-scant-evidence-on-iranian-threat-in-america-first-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_11ff5127793f",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Brent jumps above $84 as Iran strikes Gulf export facilities beyond Hormuz - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Brent crude rose above $84 a barrel after Iran attacked oil and product storage at Fujairah and a fuel tank at Oman’s Duqm port, escalating the situation beyond the blocked Strait of Hormuz to alternative Gulf export routes.\nBrent, the benchmark for two-thirds of the world's seaborne oil, was up 7.11 per cent at 3.53 pm UAE time to $84.72 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the gauge tracking US crude, was 6.15 per cent higher at $77.38 a barrel.\nBrent rose past $80 a barrel for the second time this week after it jumped more than 11 per cent during opening trading following US attacks on Iran, which killed the country's leader and Tehran's subsequent retaliatory attacks against Gulf states.\nIranian drones and missiles have hit several Gulf energy sites, including fuel storage tanks in the UAE's Port of Fujairah and fuel tanks at Oman's Indian Ocean-facing Port of Duqm, which was also attacked on Sunday.\nOn Monday, Saudi Arabia's large domestic refinery Ras Tanura was struck, leading to a shutdown. Iran denied targeting the Saudi facility on Tuesday. Attacks also led to the shutdown of the world's largest liquefied natural gas plant in Qatar, which meets 20 per cent of the world's supply of the fuel. The operator QatarEnergy also said it was shutting down all petrochemical production on Tuesday.\nCrude and gas shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which handles a fifth of the world's oil supplies, remain severely restricted. Iran has attacked three tankers in the narrow waterway controlled jointly by Iran and Oman, leading to an unofficial suspension of trade.\nBefore the regional escalation, about 20 million bpd of oil and refined products flowed through the strait.\nIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also warned ships to avoid crossing the waterway. Shipping companies are avoiding the route as a precaution and levying a war risk surcharge for transporting goods through the strait.\nThe restrictions also affect Iran's ability to get its oil supply to market. The Opec member produces around 3.3 million bpd, constituting about 3 per cent of global supply, with around 1.3 million bpd going to China.\nSwiss private bank Union Bancaire Privee expects Brent to rise to about $120 a barrel if the Strait of Hormuz is closed for a long time or there is significant damage to export terminals and infrastructure, coupled with a substantial loss of Iranian production.\nIn a scenario of limited shipping harassment with no lasting damage to supply or shipping, “Brent crude prices may spike temporarily before retracing to approximately $70 per barrel\", UBP’s Michael Lok and Nicolas Laroche said in a note on Tuesday.\n\"In a prolonged conflict scenario, we see oil prices reaching into the $100s per barrel, as we and regional exports warned,\" Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy and Mena Research at RBC Capital Markets, said in her Tuesday note.\nBMI, a Fitch Solutions company, maintained its crude oil forecast for the year despite current tensions, as oil markets remain oversupplied.\n“We are maintaining our 2026 Brent crude forecast at $67 per barrel, despite a stronger-than-expected price performance in the first quarter and the outbreak of military hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran,” BMI said.\n“Our analysts’ core view for a short-lived, albeit large, campaign is consistent with a brief spike in oil prices in March, followed by rapid retracement heading into the second quarter, as geopolitical risk premia fade and investor focus shifts back towards loose underlying fundamentals,” BMI said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:04:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0AFBVV95cUxPTkdKMV9hUjE3clVlWTZFMFhfQlpOdEFqQ05DYWJfTEtRQXZGc2xHWFZQaGg2SWVlaDU1QzBMQzhDc0Q3ZUY1aHY5MU0wM0VDSGljal85XzBXcG01TzlLWVBnS013eXBsQ3RZeDBHc1pRU2FRLUVDdFhzVkQyUk45VTN4WU9VV1lqNXpoekhVRkUwdVYwbnFQUG1EbjNNZGFzM2RwVDU5Ti1tTUFEZXdjZkxTazNXcnI4NnJCZ3I0dm9yRHVuME5jNGlkQUtKUnlG?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8024c51dce96",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Mourning in the Middle East and Holi celebrations in India: Photos of the day – Tuesday - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Mourning in the Middle East and Holi celebrations in India: Photos of the day – Tuesday\nThe Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world\nMinab, Iran\nGraves are prepared for the young victims of an Israeli-US strike, according to a photograph released by the Iranian foreign media department. Photograph: AP\nTue 3 Mar 2026 08.05 ESTLast modified on Tue 3 Mar 2026 08.30 EST",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0wFBVV95cUxQQ0IyeWItSXRXUWtqNUx5RlBHRVdPbndELVRQckJYRDdJTmlZV2pMSV9RYktEaEJPaEVqME9OWUNpbVdEX0xkTDhmUFNEaV9aaE9rV1ZvY2VhcFZhSnltLVpmQVdRRDY0WnpXSE9wY1V2U2VHSUR4NUpiS0JRS3VZZVV1YzlxUDRVN2E4ZFFwMnJ1a203dmlvUzJHVlVoSXdVUy1URmFGZjRleTJtZTFlajBkSnE0bmo0YUF4VkRxN1hLSmd6WnUtb0tVZXIxVW9mc2t3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b5484fdc6359",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘Imperialist undertones’: global south condemns US-Israeli war with Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The US-Israeli war on Iran has been condemned as illegal across much of the global south, with China saying it was unacceptable to “blatantly kill the leader of a sovereign state”.\nMany countries objected that negotiations between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme and missile capability were not given a chance to succeed before Washington and Israel began bombing, and analysts often saw the war in terms of a colonial-style exercise of might.\nPakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, offered condolences over the killing of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying that international law prohibited the targeting of heads of state. South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, questioned the “pre-emptive” justification provided for the war, saying that self-defence was only permitted in response to an armed invasion and that “there can be no military solution to fundamentally political problems”.\nBrazil said that it had grave concerns, adding that “the attacks occurred amid a negotiation process between the parties, which is the only viable path to peace”.\nTurkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, deplored the attacks, which he said were “instigated” by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who had said on the eve of the attack that a deal was within reach, said: “I urge the US not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.” Oman downed two drones, while another crashed near its Salalah port on Tuesday, state media said.\nCuba, whose regime is under substantial pressure from Donald Trump, said: “Once again, the US and Israel threaten and seriously endanger regional and international peace, stability, and security.” Malaysia, condemning the attack, said that “disputes must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy”.\nIndonesia, one of the few countries to announce troops for Trump’s Board of Peace’s planned international security force for Gaza, said it “deeply regrets” the failure of the Iran negotiations – while its president offered to travel to Tehran to reopen dialogue. The Indonesian Ulema Council, an organisation of the country’s Muslim clerics, urged their government to withdraw from the Board of Peace in protest.\nMany other developing nations also lambasted Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbours.\nAnalysts said the conflict should be understood in the context of past wars of regime change in Iraq and Libya, Israel’s impunity for its war in Gaza since 2023, and colonialism – pointing to a speech of US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, last month, where he appeared to glorify past western conquests of developing nations.\nSiphamandla Zondi, professor of politics at the University of Johannesburg, said that in the west, wars were viewed as having moral purpose, while in the global south, conflict was seen as evil and a failure to behave as adults. He said that the US and Israel had cajoled some countries through the Abraham Accords for diplomatic recognition of Israel, and used force against others.\n“This is a war of domination and subordination, therefore it has imperialist undertones and motives,” said Zondi. “It makes the world unsafe for all of us.”\nCommentators said Europe had shown double standards, stridently defending international law when it came to Trump’s attempts to annex Greenland but muted in the case of this war.\nAmitav Acharya, author of The Once and Future Global Order, said that in the past, the US had sought influence and legitimacy. Now, the US acted solely through coercion, even as Chinese soft power was gaining, with Beijing offering investment to developing countries. He said that Russia, too, would benefit, as Iran and other Trump foreign policy shocks took the focus away from Ukraine.\n“Many countries in the global south are going to look for a coalition of powers that will stand up to the United States, as the United States is seen as so aggressive, so imperial,” said Acharya.\nSome commentators emphasised that criticism of the war did not mean support of the Iranian regime.\n“I condemn the Iranian theocratic regime for its dictatorial and repressive nature, but these ongoing attacks are a violation of international law,” said Heraldo Muñoz, a former foreign minister of Chile. “The motives are more of a domestic nature in the US by an American president who feels empowered by the successful military extraction of Maduro from Venezuela.”\nThe Trump administration sought neither the approval of the UN security council – as Washington attempted for the Iraq war in 2003 – – nor even the approval of elected representatives at home, analysts said.\nOliver Stuenkel, professor of International Relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in São Paulo, said that there was fear in Latin America that, emboldened by his actions in Venezuela and Iran, Trump would attempt to target Cuba.\n“There is a profound sense that international law is being eroded more systematically, and that has, I think, profound consequences for many countries in the global south, which are militarily weak and vulnerable, have rich natural resources, and have long made a bet on international rules and norms,” said Stuenkel.\nMaleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, said the US was negotiating with Iran in bad faith, as it did last year, using talks as a smokescreen to complete preparations to attack.\n“Who can trust the Trump administration now? It acts unilaterally in total defiance of international law and any norms of diplomacy,” said Lodhi. “This will come back to haunt them.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxNc3JRR0Q0VmJoMzFkOTlKYXlMdHQwNzFpdGRFZXEtWWR3YUdNVnNHTUhqQ3RadnZCNG03T1l5U3Z0YmJyY3phUVZscE5qdkFuY3FodUw5VjJxRUduOGhfbXp2bU0zd1paeDgyazdRcXFBeWl1RU5jd3Z5MTVLaWcwZWZhb3BWWVZ0bnczbU9FQUpmQ3VOWDRz?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_465772861ccb",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Pakistan says its forces killed 67 Afghan troops in cross-border clashes. Kabul rejects the claim - AP News",
    "body_text": "Pakistan says its forces killed 67 Afghan troops in cross-border clashes. Kabul rejects the claim\nPakistan says its forces killed 67 Afghan troops in cross-border clashes. Kabul rejects the claim\nISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghan forces attacked Pakistani military positions along the border early on Tuesday, triggering intense clashes that left 67 Afghan troops and one Pakistani soldier dead, officials in Islamabad said as cross-border fighting between the two countries entered its fifth day.\nThe Taliban defense ministry in Kabul, the Afghan capital, rejected Pakistan’s claim. A ministry spokesman said Afghan forces in the past 24 hours repelled Pakistani attacks, destroying about a dozen military posts and killing four Pakistani soldiers.\nThe latest Afghan-Pakistan escalation erupted last week with Afghanistan launching attacks on Thursday in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous weekend. Since then, Pakistan has carried out operations along the border and declared it was in an “open war” with Afghanistan, alarming the international community.\nOn Tuesday, Pakistan said Afghan forces attacked Pakistan’s military in two sections of the two countries’ border.\nIt said 16 locations were attacked along the southern part of the border, in the southwestern districts of Qilla Saifullah, Nushki and Chaman in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.\nPakistani troops killed 27 members of the Afghan forces there and “successfully repelled these multiple attacks,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said.\nTarar said on X that another wave of attacks hit 25 locations along the northern part of the border, in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Pakistani troops killed 40 members of the Afghan security forces. The spokesman did not say where the Pakistani soldier was killed.\nIn Kabul, defense ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khawarazmi slammed the Islamabad statements as “baseless.”\nThe border area — where militant groups, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, are also active — is not accessible to the media and the Associated Press could not independently confirm any casualty reports.\nIn past escalations and cross-border exchanges of fire, Pakistan and Afghanistan have both repeatedly claimed to inflicting heavy losses on the other side.\nIn the five days of fighting, Tarar said Pakistani forces have so far killed 464 Afghan security force members and injured 665. Khawarazmi said in a statement that so far, 28 Afghan soldiers have died and 42 others have been wounded in the fighting.\nIslamabad has long accused Kabul of providing a safe haven to militants fighting the Pakistani government — charges that Afghanistan’s Taliban government denies.\nKhawarazmi reiterated that stand on Tuesday. “I repeat once again that we will not allow any person or group to use our territory against other countries,” he said.\nSeparately, Hamdullah Fitrat, the Afghan government’s deputy spokesman, accused Pakistan of violating Afghan airspace and targeting homes, mosques, religious schools or madrasas and other civilian targets in Kabul, Laghman, Nangarhar, Paktia, Kandahar and Kunar provinces, as well as targeting refugee camps.\nHe said these attacks have resulted in the death of 110 civilians, including 65 women and children.\nFitrat said the Taliban government of Afghanistan considers its “legitimate right” to protect their people and will “fight against the enemy ... until this aggression is stopped.”\nMeanwhile, the U.N. mission in Kabul called for an immediate halt to the fighting, warning that the conflict is worsening Afghanistan’s dire humanitarian situation. According to its preliminary figures, since last Thursday, at least 42 civilians have been killed and 104 injured, including women and children.\nOn Monday, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari defended the ongoing fighting with Afghanistan, saying Islamabad had tried all forms of diplomacy before targeting militants operating from Afghan territory.\nHe asked Kabul to disarm groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan.\nPakistan has experienced a surge in violence in recent months, which it blames on the outlawed Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. Islamabad says the TTP operates from Afghan territory and have the protection of Afghanistan’s Taliban government. Kabul denies the accusations.\nThe latest fighting has ended a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey in October. Talks in Istanbul failed to produce a permanent agreement, and Pakistan has said that operations will continue until Afghanistan takes verifiable steps to rein in the TTP and other militants.\nThe Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban and since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the TTP has become emboldened and escalated its attacks in Pakistan.\n___\nAbdul Qahar Afghan reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Associated Press writer Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxNTVg1VXVvYW5peWhBR1preDB0a0VnMzQzSDhrT1lYUlpyRTNrRF9Id3dGZHhibWhkZ1NRZUctSmtJSndOaUV6U3V1TW1VNndwdHhsTGVRODA5S1hCaDNndkFXSm9nelIxMjkzTWphLUppMm5TVzJaTWNFaDlmeWRLSUhabTdXNzNyMjhuQ0hHc0tVS2wxQnotZTJBWjJiVk02amRGTXJ0SzF1anVNcC1VZWdvamN3QVFHMm40?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b1c295f7cb51",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "US nationals urged to leave Middle East as conflict spreads",
    "body_text": "US nationals urged to leave Middle East as conflict spreads\nThe US has urged its nationals to immediately leave most of the Middle East due to \"serious safety risks\", as the US-Israeli war against Iran widens.\nOn Monday, the US State Department said Americans should \"depart now via commercial means\" from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.\nWashington has so far not organised any evacuations in the region, where many flights have been cancelled or suspended since the US and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday.\nIran responded by firing missiles and drones at Middle Eastern nations allied to the US.\nBetween 500,000 and one million US nationals are estimated to be living in the Middle East.\nExact official numbers are not available as Americans are not required to register with US authorities when they move abroad.\nAmerican citizens were urged to check \"the latest security updates\" with nearby embassies and consulates, and given hotlines for if they need help leaving the region.\nThe US embassy in Jerusalem said on Monday that it \"is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel\", adding that it would be closed on Tuesday.\nIt later said Israel had \"begun operating shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing [with Egypt]\" but warned that the embassy \"cannot make any recommendation (for or against)\" using it.\nOn Tuesday, France said it was ready to fly back those of its citizens who were most at risk in the Middle East.\nFrench Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the country's BFM TV broadcaster this could be done using both commercial and military flights.\nAbout 400,000 French nationals are thought to be in the Middle East.\nOn Monday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged all British citizens in the region to register their presence so the government could provide \"the best possible support\".\nForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC there were an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the region.\nShe said many of those trapped were holidaymakers, passengers transiting through the Gulf or people on business visits.\nThe UK government has previously used registration schemes to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises - but the number of people and countries affected in this case is unprecedented.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:12:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lrgwl8n7go?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c5eb121e4f6c",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Aramco Explores Oil Exports Via Red Sea to Avoid Hormuz - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Aramco Explores Oil Exports Via Red Sea to Avoid Hormuz    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:13:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQSk1waTVzS2lCd2RrQjN4amh6WG4wa0xvWXBKU1N3MU1kV0FwSjVKVy04T3BsTEFzRzNERnVtZl9veDlpaWttYTlKTG1WOXBRaHF6ai04ZzJNMVlJZE50RDVGZ3JFNDJLQzVrVmV2OU5DWlZaSTVVUGRnS1dacEh3ZlZPUWZWRkVxSkhCRWVQY0huQnU2Nl9lNjlPTE92RHlDVkdMcERvTnFqZ19TaVBySms2UQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_92f84fcdfd22",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran's new tactics force US to reconsider its capacity for pain - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iran's new tactics force US to reconsider its capacity for pain\nWhen Israel and the US launched their operation against Iran, the core expectation was rapid regime change in Tehran.\nWhile this outcome may still formally remain on the table, recent messaging from Washington suggests a partial recalibration away from that initial assumption.\nDevelopments on the ground have failed to produce the anticipated shock and public fury necessary to trigger internal collapse in Iran. As the war enters its fourth day, it has expanded horizontally. Instead of unravelling, the Islamic Republic’s system has adopted a posture of resilience, while inflicting damage on locations connected to its enemies.\nThis is forcing the US and Israel to reshape their regime change calculations and assumptions about Iran’s negotiating position. Following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran sees negotiations as a distant possibility.\nIran is therefore responding coldly to diplomatic overtures from regional states and openly warning them about hosting US bases and military assets. This is not merely ideological rigidity. It reflects a strategic assessment that negotiations or a ceasefire that do not produce structural change in the conflict environment would only invite a larger assault in the medium term.\nTwo practical developments reinforce this concern. First, the US administration itself has acknowledged that the war may be neither short nor limited. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the Pentagon that “additional casualties are expected”.\nDefence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to calm fears by saying, “This isn’t Iraq. It’s not endless.” But the very need to deny an “endless” trajectory is evidence that the prospect of a long, drawn-out war is part of the public discourse.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has echoed this phrasing. This repetition reflects joint US and Israeli efforts to contain growing concerns that the initial shock-and-awe phase has not yielded the expected breakthrough.\nMoreover, after admitting that the US knew Israel would attack Iran and that Iran would then “come after us”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expanded rather than narrowed the operation's objectives, saying the US wanted to eliminate Iran’s ballistic missile capability.\n“We have targets,” Rubio said, “we will do what is necessary for as long as it takes to achieve those objectives.”\nThis follows earlier remarks by Hegseth that there is no “nation-building” agenda in Iran, and Rubio’s subsequent refocusing on ballistic missiles underscores the same point: the US and Israel find themselves far from achieving the strategic outcomes they set out with.\nThis gap has created pressure for a new exit pathway, even as tactical successes are amplified and statistics inflated to sustain momentum. Israel has long insisted that regime change in Iran would ultimately require ground components.\nIn this context, the inclusion of Iranian opposition and Kurdish groups as potential leverage appears to have entered Washington’s strategic thinking. When Rubio stated, “We are not currently postured for ground forces. The president has options. He does not rule anything out,” it suggested that the US may be prepared to assume greater risk and potentially a longer war to compensate for early strategic shortfalls.\nThis framework is as much a product of Israeli-US miscalculation as it is of Iran’s own operational adjustments. Tehran’s decision to abandon intermittent large salvos against Israel in favour of sustained, distributed strikes designed to exhaust defensive resources was as unexpected as the initial decapitation strike targeting Khamenei.\nIran's new approach\nIran’s strategy has altered. Tehran appears to have concluded that damage inflicted on Israel alone, given US and European backing, will not produce a decisive political fracture. Instead, it is pursuing a strategy aimed at generating regionalised cost.\nYet this approach carries serious constraints for Tehran as well. Senior Iranian officials are reportedly conducting internal calculations to ensure sustainability and to reassert control over elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\n'With the assets they overlooked, we can sustain this level for at least two months. Our stockpiles and plans are aligned'\n- Iranian military official\nOne Iranian military official described the situation candidly. “After the first wave of attacks, communication with leadership was disrupted. The chain between regional military organisations and the centre was broken,” he said.\n“Units that had been briefed on alternative attack plans acted with initiative within their areas of responsibility. By the morning of the second day, coordination was restored, and we began to see results. However, there are still several groups within the Guards that need to be brought fully under control.”\nThe same official added: “We have put things back in order through multi-layered planning. Our capacity allows us to sustain this war in the region for months. We paid the highest price - we lost our leader. But the cost for the US will be higher. Their focus was obvious. With the assets they overlooked, we can sustain this level for at least two months. Our stockpiles and plans are aligned.”\nIndeed, by the second day of fighting, Iran had begun imposing tangible costs on the US. Although regime change rhetoric has not disappeared, it has receded in emphasis. Washington’s regional posture and global credibility are being tested.\nThe resilience test\nEarly indicators of the resilience test are visible. Iran’s attritional strikes on at least six US military facilities across the Middle East have raised questions about defensive capacity among Gulf states hosting US assets.\nThe UAE and Qatar reportedly face the risk of rapid depletion in certain segments of their defence inventories and have sought support. Iran is not confining the conflict to the Israel-Iran axis but is actively testing the durability of the broader US regional security umbrella.\nIn discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the UAE and Qatar, it was reported that the Emiratis said they were unhappy with their country being hit despite not being used as a launch platform for attacks on Iran, and that Putin indicated he would transmit this message to Tehran.\n'Azeris, Kurds, Lurs, and Sunni groups in the northwest have long-standing grievances with Tehran'\n- Israeli source\nThis suggests that Iran is deliberately disrupting the region’s US-aligned networks and reminding Gulf countries that if Iran survives this phase, it can always impose further damage.\nIran’s new tactics are testing the political and logistical foundations of the US security umbrella in the Gulf and complicating its message to Europe, which is that an American presence there is indispensable.\nEnergy and maritime trade remain the most dangerous lever in Iran’s cost-imposition strategy. Iranian warnings that vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz could be targeted rattled markets and insurers. Oil and gas prices have soared, with Saudi Arabia shutting its largest oil refinery and Qatar closing the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG).\nWashington’s domestic priority of maintaining low fuel prices is colliding with Iranian escalation in the Gulf. Tehran’s logic is straightforward: even if military costs to the US are limited, global and shipping disruptions will magnify the political cost.\nAs that cost rises, so does Iran’s bargaining leverage, provided the conflict remains state-centric and does not spiral into uncontrolled fragmentation.\nInternal conflict in Iran\nWith no apparent large anti-regime mobilisation inside Iran - despite Netanyahu’s calls for Iranians to rise - a striking development has been US President Donald Trump’s reported phone conversations with Kurdish leaders. The US may then be edging towards an alternative long advocated in Israeli circles: internal destabilisation.\n“Azeris, Kurds, Lurs, and Sunni groups in the northwest have long-standing grievances with Tehran,” an Israeli source said. “In many ways, they are ready. Once the framework is clear, they can be mobilised. We have told the Americans this would reduce costs.”\nIranian officials dismiss this approach as a fantasy. “Israel has previously attempted to insert teams from these groups into Iran. We are monitoring developments in Iraq,” a senior Iranian security official responsible for western Iran said.\n“The moment US attacks began, we also began tracking this possibility and conducted preventive strikes. We warned some Kurdish groups with whom we have communication. Israel should stop selling illusions to minorities in the region.”\nIran has struck not only US bases in Iraq but also camps associated with Iranian Kurdish groups, the KDPI and PAK. At least five camps near Erbil were reportedly targeted.\nWhether the proxy ground component Israel seeks to activate in western Iran will prove effective remains uncertain. However, any such escalation would generate additional regional costs, particularly in Turkey and other neighbouring states, whose reactions to a widening internal conflict in Iran would add another layer of complexity.\nUltimately, the emerging picture suggests the war’s trajectory will be determined less by immediate tactical gains and more by the balance of accumulated costs. The US frames the conflict as potentially long and casualty-bearing. Iran responds by deliberately stretching time and distributing pressure across multiple domains.\nStrikes on Gulf bases, attacks on diplomatic targets, Hormuz-related energy volatility and market disruptions function as interconnected components of a broader strategy: transforming a regional military confrontation into a crisis impacting alliance networks, economies and domestic politics.\nThe central question now extends beyond Iran. How will the resources and vulnerabilities exposed by this conflict affect Washington’s strategic timetable regarding China? And more critically, if China were to employ a similar cost-distribution strategy at a larger scale, how would the US respond?\nIn that sense, the Iran crisis is not only a regional test. It is a test of American limits.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxNZm9qSF9SUXAydU1QNjhHOEFRQzN1TFZjM0QyY3Zja2Y3WnBWOS13aExzMlV2czYyc1JUQ1M0clNrLWtDODU1YTd3TENOb2hIaWFPQnRjQ3FKSnhkV1hCanlpd01NaTlyR2R6M1U2Q0piRU1UQjhkaWpNb0hTSjV0YllCN3hfWG1EbnRWb2owX2xhOVJl?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_761a593c1ae6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What we know on day four of US-Israeli attacks on Iran - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Iranian missiles, interceptions seen over Israel\nThe Middle East is facing a sharp escalation after a series of coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran triggered retaliatory strikes and widening violence across the region.\nIn Iran, key government and symbolic sites in Tehran have been struck, including the state broadcaster and a UNESCO World Heritage landmark, while the death toll has topped 700 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Washington has warned that “harder hits” are still to come, as Tehran escalates retaliatory attacks by closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on US and allied targets across the region, including attacks on energy facilities.\nHere’s where things stand.\nIn Iran\n- Key sites damaged in Tehran: Recent strikes in the capital have hit the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) complex. The strikes have also damaged the historic Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.\n- Further escalation expected: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the “hardest hits” on Iran are “yet to come”.\n- Ongoing military actions: Trump stated that attacks on Iran will persist until all US objectives are met.\n- US and Israeli justifications: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, stating they are designed to cripple Iran’s navy and end its nuclear and missile ambitions.\n- Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps have declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, threatening to set fire to any vessel attempting to pass.\n- Death toll: At least 787 people have been killed in Iran, notably including Supreme Leader Khamenei, state media said citing the Iranian Red Crescent. Additionally, Iranian state media reported that a US-Israeli strike hit a girls’ school in southern Iran, killing at least 165 people.\nIn Gulf nations\n- Qatar: The Gulf country has faced direct military spillover, intercepting dozens of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.\n- While most were stopped, two missiles struck the Al Udeid Air Base, which houses US forces, and a drone hit an early warning system. Additionally, Qatar’s air force shot down two Iranian jets that were heading towards the country, and multiple explosions have been heard in the skies over Doha.\n- On Monday, QatarEnergy, the world’s largest producer of LNG, said it had halted production after Iranian attacks.\n- Kuwait: Three US fighter jets crashed in Kuwait. The US military claimed the jets were “mistakenly” shot down. Videos that emerged on Monday showed a US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet spinning and spiralling downwards with its tail on fire and smoke trailing behind it. Kuwait’s foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned the targeting of the US Embassy by Iran. Earlier, the US embassy announced that “it will be closed until further notice”, citing ongoing region tensions.\n- Saudi Arabia intercepted eight drones near Riyadh and Al-Kharj. Additionally, the US Embassy in Riyadh was hit by at least two drone attacks, causing a limited fire. The US Embassy is closed on Tuesday, and all routine and emergency services have been cancelled.\n- Widespread US evacuations: The US Department of State has urged its citizens to immediately depart several Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, via commercial means due to the escalating violence.\n- Ongoing threats to US assets: More broadly, Tehran is continuously carrying out raids against US military and strategic assets located throughout the Gulf region.\n- UAE resumes limited flights: Dubai’s airport authority said on Monday that it had authorised a “small number” of flights to operate from Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest gateway for international passengers, and Dubai World Central airport.\nIn Israel:\n- Defending against Iranian retaliation: The Israeli military has confirmed that it has identified incoming missiles launched from Iran. Israeli air defence systems are actively operating to intercept these strikes.\n- Israel successfully intercepted two drones launched from Lebanon. Hezbollah has defended its own recent missile attacks on Israel as a legitimate response to 15 months of “Israeli aggression” and a violation of a 2024 ceasefire agreement.\n- Netanyahu defends military action in Iran: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, asserting that Iran’s new underground bunkers would have become “immune within months”. He also told Fox News that “this is going to be a quick and decisive action” and “it’s up to the people of Iran in the final count to change the government.”\nIn the US\n- Death toll: Six US service members have been killed and 18 injured. Trump said the US will retaliate “soon” for the attack, though he does not believe “boots on the ground” may be necessary.\n- Clear objective, but no “multi-year conflict”: Vice President JD Vance emphasised that the president’s primary objective is to fundamentally change the Iranian regime’s mindset and ensure Iran can “never have a nuclear weapon”.\n- Evacuation warnings: The US State Department is urging Americans to immediately depart much of the Middle East using commercial means due to “serious safety risks”.\nIn Lebanon and Jordan\n- Intensified operations in Lebanon: The Israeli military has issued “urgent” evacuation orders for 59 areas in Lebanon, primarily in the south, warning residents to stay at least 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) away from their villages due to “Hezbollah activities”.\n- Widespread evacuation warnings: As a result of the escalating regional conflict, the US State Department has issued an urgent directive calling on American citizens to immediately depart Israel, along with the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and several other Middle Eastern nations.\n- US Embassy evacuation in Jordan: The US Embassy in the capital, Amman, temporarily evacuated all of its staff from the compound due to an unspecified security threat.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:18:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxNRWowVk5EZERiVDE5RGFNWmVISGFWT2RhM09WNUhhX2dsR3hGTVI3SGI2bElNX2dUbnRzejJ0M2E5OFJTbXMwUmtzUnN3UTNfV1FRd3I0Wk15OFZkVnRXUFhvX1czUXVFWlNIZTV1cGNPU0VuSHU5NTQ5ZjdvRkVpNjdjOVY3TlhlMmp3M2Z4SmNtZGZtU01qQnJ30gGfAUFVX3lxTE9Oa0JYNFYtQ29ubi1qSlZ4ei1sUl9ocS1uUGRBNmh4TTN4eEl5UVBtS09yOVhBd1Rvbjk4Wjc4TW15Zkh6WnpQZ0hTMnBKS0hDeHdTSHUySS1OWjY5TzRPUzZ1YTh0bHVNSER3N1NVQzNyZHF5U3V3ZzFvQklqRnRHMW5qQWdKekx2X2p4UWh4LVFDNFdYT3JZUGM1SFhrTQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2bac1ca5ebdd",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US Air Force to 'quadruple' its bomber strike power to hit Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Britain’s approval of RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia access enables heavy US bombers, transforming strike capacity against Iran’s missile sites and military infrastructure.\nB-52 and B-1 fleets dramatically increase payload delivery, with up to 20–30 GBU-31 JDAMs per sortie, enabling saturation strikes on airbases and industrial complexes.\nHeavier bombers free forward-based fighters for intensive anti-drone missions, while expanded MQ-9 Reaper coverage supports dynamic targeting under established air supremacy.\nShorter flight times from the new hubs reduce aircraft strain and improve crew rest, indicating preparations for a more enduring, large-scale air campaign.\n“The B-52 is the daddy of bombers as it has amazing payload,” airpower expert Francis Tusa said.\nThe firepower at the disposal of the US air force is about to become four times as powerful after Britain allowed heavy American bombers to use its key airbases, military experts have disclosed.\nThe move, which came after the UK reversed its decision to ban US aircraft from using British bases to attack Iran, “changes the nature” of the bombing campaign, leading to much heavier strikes on Iran’s ballistic missiles factories and military infrastructure, analysts have said.\nBritain’s approval for America to use RAF Fairford base in Gloucester and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean has unlocked the capacity of the B-52 and B-1 bomber fleets, according to a report authored by retired Air Marshal Sammy Sampson and Sascha Bruchmann of the IISS think tank.\n“Each is capable of carrying bombs with a payload of 84,500lb (38,000kg), more than quadruple the capacity of the F-15. Size is about to matter more, and the nature of this air campaign is set to change.”\nOpen source intelligence analysts tracking US military flights have also reported an “insanely huge US airlift operation”, according to War Monitor, a trusted online source, with many C-17 transport aircraft crossing the Atlantic, probably carrying both offensive weapons and replacement missile interceptors.\nB-52 battlefield\nThe airbases would allow America to maximise the use of its heavy B-52 Stratofortress bombers that are capable of carrying up to 30 of the massive GBU-31 900kg JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munitions). Similarly, the B-1 Lancer can carry 24 of the bombs.\nBy comparison, the most prominent fighter-bomber in the campaign to date is the F-15 which can fly with between six and nine of the GBU-31s.\n“The B-52 is the daddy of bombers as it has amazing payload,” airpower expert Francis Tusa told The National. “Alongside the B-1 and B-2 stealth, all of them carry multiples of what an F-15 can carry and an F-15 is not exactly small.”\nFairford is also the USAF’s key European hub with a significant stockpile of bombs, fuel and spares plus a very long 3.2km runway allowing bombers to take off with full weight. It even has a special hardened shelter for the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that could also have a significant impact on operations.\nThe ‘big wave’\nThe bombers will also free up the more forward-based F-16 and F-15s in Jordan that can now be redirected for “more intensive airborne anti-drone missions” with Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, the IISS experts said.\nUS President Donald Trump has warned that the “big wave” of strikes is yet come, suggesting that there could now be a shift towards attacking the 1.2 million troops in Iran’s IRGC, Basij militia, intelligence services and the Artesh regular army.\nThese aircraft will now be able to conduct dynamic strike missions, able to rapidly strike targets of opportunity such as ballistic missile launchers and Shahed-136 kamikaze drone squadrons that have attacked Gulf countries.\nStrike operations will also benefit from the increased number of MQ-9 Reaper drones over Iran used for both surveillance and targeting that can fly now with air supremacy established.\nBombing ballistic factories\nBut more importantly for Gulf states who have faced missile and drone strikes since Saturday, the use of a new wave of bombers would see Iran’s arms factories, many of which are underground and resilient to just single attacks, subjected to sustained bombardment.\nMr Tusa said the B-1s and B-52s would be used against strategic targets that include destroying Iran's ballistic missile capability.\n“They will know where the factories are so they can flatten them. It’s not ‘carpet bombing’ because they are too accurate for that but a B-52 going over an Isfahan engineering works is simply going to roll it up.”\nTim Ripley, editor of Defence Eye publication, also argued the new bases opening up will impact the campaign.\n“The difference B-52s and B-1s make is that they can carpet bomb and saturate a bigger area so you can drop 20 to 30 JDAMs in one strike, taking out all taxiways and facilities at an airbase or a big industrial complex in one go,” he said.\nHe added that shorter flight times would put less stress on airframes and give crews longer rests arguing that the move was another sign that American was embarking on an enduring campaign.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:18:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPemNGZktESG1hU2NrRVF3UjEzSHdJMG9aSUZvYXhQQTQ4dnRrelFHcmFrVVE0VXN0TVlJT281Sml3YnpZQWNYbk5LcTVTTGRRdTZzTUhXYUo3WDR0N3U0ZXlrWmxlUW5aTTJUQVBDRmJPRGpyb0pMMWZhN1NIcnduQ18zOWtIZ2xwQW9sS01QQ0w2SXF0OENBTDEwZk1wdUlWcTV4THZHRTExQ0ZFSTBWUHRZRFQyQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3c05e8ba32ef",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Americans in more than a dozen Middle East nations urged to flee - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The State Department on Monday urged Americans to depart immediately from more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, warning of \"serious safety risks\" as the Iran war intensifies.\nAssistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said U.S. citizens should leave from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.\nThe department said Americans who need help arranging departure via commercial means can contact the State Department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 from abroad or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada.\nThe travel push was amplified by the State Department’s official travel account, which urged Americans abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive the latest security updates from their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.\nOfficials have warned that conditions in the region remain volatile and that security situations can change quickly as fighting tied to the Iran conflict continues.\nThe warnings come days after the United States launched Operation Epic Fury, striking command-and-control centers, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites.\nIn a Feb. 28 Worldwide Caution security alert, the State Department said Americans worldwide, and especially those in the Middle East, should exercise increased caution, monitor local security alerts and expect potential travel disruptions, including periodic airspace closures.\nThe evacuation push follows a cascade of security alerts issued by U.S. embassies across the region since Saturday, many ordering or recommending Americans to shelter in place.\nAt least nine U.S. missions, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Israel, have issued repeated shelter-in-place directives or advisories over the past several days.\nIn multiple cases, embassy personnel and their families were ordered to remain at home, with Americans urged to stay in secure structures away from windows and be prepared for incoming missiles or drones.\nIn Saudi Arabia, the embassy in Riyadh closed Tuesday after two Iranian drones struck the building, prompting expanded shelter-in-place orders for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran. No injuries were reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:20:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxQUVFNTlIzeTdXeklVdFVuTVdVUWh1RklEbWxWSktWWG5UdG1tczdIN1duelhUMG9xN1ZxLW1GSVRhalM0bGJadXZjZ1F3dmhVZjVhbkNsVWI0MFluVHQ1a2M0bXRXb28xa1ppd1VQdExvcVB5aTJwS29aZV9lWHRsRFhCNW5manBQMzNJd2x2WGpLd3fSAZgBQVVfeXFMUGNRTHhfWlRVOUNPVk9hWDVPcWNxUkhoOFhWVTlOR2g0UUlLd283UVJPcWI0UjdjeHRPMldLVTFOWGVjUlQ2SkNUTXZrTF9oS0ZZby1JRWgtY1FObDBoWVhCWU5XUWh2V2Zuc0FlNEY4MmdldzNQRkpTVkozaE5KWUZJQTRza29tbGFRYlJGUU9ic1lNRWRwNHA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c294fcdee3b0",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Al Jazeera investigation: Iran girls’ school targeting likely ‘deliberate’",
    "body_text": "On Saturday morning, February 28, 2026, dozens of girls gathered at the “Shajareh Tayyebeh” (The Good Tree) school in the city of Minab in southern Iran when Israel and the United States began initial strikes on the country.\nAs the students began their studies, missiles struck the school, destroying the building and causing the roof to collapse on top of the children and their teachers.\nIranian authorities have put the final death toll at 165 people, most of them girls aged between 7 and 12. At least 95 other people were wounded in the attack.\nAs the images of the carnage spread on social media platforms, Israeli and US authorities sought to distance themselves from the attack.\nSpokespeople for the US Department of Defense and the Israeli army told Time magazine and The Associated Press news agency that they were unaware that a school had been hit.\nSome websites and social media accounts linked to Israel claimed the site was “part of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base”.\nHowever, an analysis by Al Jazeera’s digital investigations unit of satellite imagery compiled over more than a decade, as well as recent video clips, published news reports and statements from official Iranian sources, tells a very different story.\nThe findings reveal that the school had been clearly separate from an adjacent military site for at least 10 years.\nThe investigation also shows that the strike pattern raises fundamental questions about the accuracy of intelligence information on which the bombing was based.\nIt may even raise questions about whether the strike was a deliberate targeting of the school.\nThe importance of Minab and the targeted military square\nTo understand the motives for including Minab in the first US-Israeli targets, the city must be placed within its broader geostrategic context.\nMinab is located in Hormozgan in southeastern Iran, a province of enormous military importance as it directly overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf waters, making it a key hub for the operations of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces, NEDSA.\nThe IRGC Navy embraces what is known as an “asymmetric warfare” strategy that relies on deploying fast boats, drones, and coastal missile platforms capable of disrupting shipping or targeting hostile naval vessels.\nIn this context, the “Sayyid al-Shuhada” military complex in Minab stands out; it includes key headquarters, most notably that of the “Asif Brigade”.\nThe Asif missile brigade is considered one of the most important strike arms of the IRGC Navy. By reviewing open sources and tracking official Iranian records, important details emerge about the school itself: The Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab is part of a broad network of schools structurally and administratively affiliated with the IRGC Navy.\nThese schools are classified as nonprofit institutions and are primarily intended to provide educational services to the sons and daughters of members of the IRGC Navy.\nRegistration messages posted on the channel on the Iranian messaging app, “Baleh”- a channel dedicated to communicating with parents of pre-school children at one school in the Shajareh Tayyebeh network – show that admission procedures give priority to the children of military personnel.\nIn more than one announcement, the children of IRGC Navy members are explicitly invited to attend on specific days to complete first-grade enrolment, with another notice stating that registration for children of non-members opens on different days.\nHowever, this administrative link (to the IRGC) or the identity of the parents does not change the schools’ legal status as civilian facilities under international humanitarian law, unless they were being used in military operations.\nAnd the children who attend them – whether they are the children of military personnel or civilians – remain protected people with special protection in armed conflicts, including the prohibition on intentionally targeting them or carrying out attacks that could harm them.\nThe Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has called the bombing of the school as a “horrific crime and a consolidation of the collapse of civilian protection”, stressing in a statement that the mere presence of military facilities or bases nearby does not change the school’s civilian character, and does not absolve US and Israeli forces of their legal obligation to carefully verify the nature of the target before striking it.\nThe Monitor emphasised that children and teaching staff remain, in all circumstances, “protected persons” under international humanitarian law, and that any attack that fails to distinguish between them and potential military targets constitutes a serious violation.\nWhat do we know about the strike and its timing?\nOn Saturday morning, the first day of the school week in Iran, US-Israeli strikes began on the country. Air raids started hitting various sites in the city of Minab and Hormozgan province.\nBut life in general was proceeding in a near-normal manner; children went to their schools, and photos and videos showed almost normal traffic on the roads surrounding the school.\nDocumented satellite images from that day show that the school building was still completely intact and had not been hit by any strike until 10:23am local time (06:53 GMT).\nLocal and official Iranian sources say that by 10:45am (07:15 GMT), the school was directly hit by a guided missile.\nTo verify the scope and nature of the strike, Al Jazeera’s Digital Investigations Unit analysed two video clips posted on Telegram shortly after the bombing, and precisely geolocated each by matching visible landmarks with satellite imagery.\nThe first clip was filmed from a point southwest of the complex (at coordinates: 27°06’28.43″ N, 57°04’26.17″ E) and documents the first moments of smoke rising from inside the military block affiliated with the Sayyid al-Shuhada base (Asif Brigade), proving that the military base was indeed among the targets hit.\nThe second clip, however, the most indicative in this investigation, was filmed from a point southeast of the complex (at coordinates: 27°06’23.77″ N, 57°05’05.97″ E) and provides a wide viewing angle encompassing the entire complex.\nThis clip clearly shows two separate columns of thick black smoke rising simultaneously: The first from deep inside the military base, and the second from the geographically independent site of the girls’ school.\nThe visible distance between the two columns matches the distance separating the two areas as shown by the satellite imagery. This refutes any claim that the damage to the school was caused by shrapnel flying from the adjacent base, and strongly indicates that the school building was subjected to a direct, separate strike.\nTimeline of separating the civilian building from the military base\nTo establish the architectural separation and rebut claims that the bombed building was an active barracks, the investigation team conducted a historical trace of archived satellite images via Google Earth covering the period from 2013 up to just before the 2026 attack. The school site coordinates are (27°06’35.4″N 57°05’05.1″E).\nThe chronological review reveals deliberate engineering to separate this part of the military complex and convert it entirely to civilian use over the past 10 years.\nThe images show that the school building and its surrounding area were a connected, integrated part of the main military complex. The outer perimeter wall was unbroken, and the complex was surrounded by five security watchtowers positioned around the corners of the entire compound. There was only one main entry gate serving the whole complex, and the internal road network connected all buildings without barriers.\nIt can be said with a degree of confidence that, in 2013, the site was used exclusively as a military barracks with a strict security character, as there was no indication of an independent civilian use of any part of the complex.\nBut this changed radically in 2016. Satellite images dated September 6, 2016 capture the main turning point, when new internal walls were created and built, fully and tightly separating the school building area from the rest of the military block.\nAt the same time, two of the watch towers overseeing this block were dismantled and removed. Most importantly, three new external gates were opened directly onto the public street to serve students’ and staff entry and exit.\nThis radical modification documents the construction process and the official removal of the building from the military barracks system, converting it to an independent civilian purpose with dedicated entrances that do not pass through military checkpoints and are 200 to 300 metres (650 to 1000ft) away.\nThe civilian use becomes clearer over time. Images taken on May 5, 2018 show intense civilian activity: Civilian cars can be seen lined up at the new external entrances. The internal courtyard was also equipped with a children’s sports field, and the internal walls were painted in multiple colours with bright mural drawings appropriate to the students’ age group.\nThis documentation can be regarded as definitive visual confirmation that the building was operating at full capacity as a primary school. These features (such as the playground, wall drawings, and the presence of civilian cars) are the same ones that later appeared in videos documenting residents storming the school on the day of the tragedy to search for their daughters.\nThe Martyr Absalan clinic as corroborating evidence\nTo prove that the attacking party was (or should have been) precisely aware of the site’s updated layout, we traced the newest construction projects in the same area.\nOn January 14, 2025 (just one year before the attack), the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major-General Hossein Salami, visited the city of Minab to inaugurate the Martyr Absalan Specialised Clinic.\nThe clinic, which cost 100 billion Iranian tomans (about $2m), was built on an area of 5,700 square metres (61,354 square feet) at another corner of the same original military complex – specifically on Resalat Street – to serve residents of eastern Hormozgan province.\nReports published to cover the clinic’s opening indicate it was equipped with the latest CT imaging devices, ultrasound equipment, and laboratories, and that it offered civilian medical specialities such as paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and dentistry – confirming its civilian nature.\nAs with the school years earlier, building the clinic required spatial separation from the military base. After the Martyr Absalan clinic opened in January 2025, a separate gate was opened to connect it directly to the external street to receive civilian patients, and a dedicated car park was established – measures mirroring what the school underwent when it was separated from the complex and given three independent gates.\nThus, what had been a single unified military complex became three independent sectors, clearly distinguishable in satellite imagery: The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school, separated since 2016 with its own walls and gates; the Martyr Absalan Specialised Clinic, separated since early 2025 with an independent civilian entrance; and the Sayyid al-Shuhada military complex, which remained a closed and active site.\nWhen the US-Israeli attack began on the morning of February 28, 2026, analysis of the strike locations revealed an odd pattern: Missiles hit the military base and the school, but bypassed the specialised clinic complex located between the two without touching it.\nThis exclusion cannot be explained as a coincidence; it strongly indicates that the executing party was operating with coordinates and maps that distinguished between the complex’s different facilities.\nHere lies the fundamental contradiction exposed by this investigation: If the intelligence was up to date enough to spare a clinic that had been open for only one year, how did it fail to identify an elementary school that had been separated from the military complex and had become a clearly defined civilian institution for more than 10 years?\nThis contradiction leaves only two possibilities: Either the bombing of the school was the result of a grave intelligence failure caused by reliance on outdated databases that did not keep pace with successive changes in the complex’s layout, or it was a deliberate strike based on a linkage that treats the school as part of the military system.\nMisleading claims\nNo sooner than when plumes of smoke began to rise from the school’s rubble than accounts on the X platform affiliated with, or sympathetic to, Israeli parties began circulating videos and images claiming the school had not been struck from the outside, but was destroyed after an Iranian air defence missile missed its target and fell back to the ground.\nThis narrative replicates the same tactic used during the bombing of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza in October 2023, when Israel rushed to accuse the Palestinian resistance of responsibility for the massacre via a rocket that missed its target.\nHowever, open-source verification tools – specifically reverse image searches and geolocation using visual landmarks – quickly revealed that the most widely shared image in this campaign, which is claimed to show the impact of a failed Iranian missile that fell on the school, has nothing to do with the city of Minab in the first place.\nBy matching the terrain and landmarks visible in the image – especially the snow-covered mountains in the background – with satellite imagery, it became clear that it relates to an incident that occurred on the outskirts of Zanjan in northwestern Iran, about 1,300km (808 miles) from Minab.\nThe irony is that the nature of the two locations alone is enough to refute the claim: Minab is a coastal city in the far southeast overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, with a tropical climate and no snowfall, while Zanjan is a mountainous city in the northwest that is covered with snow in winter.\nIranian sources said what happened in Zanjan that day was a successful interception operation carried out by air defence units affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during which two hostile drones were shot down. It was not possible to independently verify this information.\nThe Minab school incident is not an exception in the record of civilian facilities being targeted by the US and Israeli militaries; rather, it falls within a documented pattern stretching across decades of military operations and attacks, in which the same scene recurs: Strikes hit schools, hospitals, and civilian shelters, followed by immediate denial or shifting of blame to the other side, before independent investigations later reveal the falsity of official claims.\nIn April 1970, Israeli Phantom fighter jets bombed the Bahr al-Baqar elementary school in Egypt’s Sharqia governorate, killing 46 children out of 130 who were in their classrooms that morning.\nIsrael claimed the school was an Egyptian military facility, and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan said at the time that “the Egyptians may have put elementary school pupils in a military base.”\nBut an Israeli pilot who took part in the raid and was captured during the October 1973 war later revealed it had been a deliberate attack and that they knew it was merely a school.\nIn February 1991, the US Air Force dropped two “smart” bombs on the Amiriyah civilian shelter in Baghdad, killing at least 408 civilians – most of them women, children, and the elderly.\nWashington said the facility had been turned into a military command centre, but Human Rights Watch later showed that the building bore clear markings indicating it was a public shelter and that large numbers of civilians were using it throughout the air campaign.\nIn April 1996, the Israeli army shelled the headquarters of the Fijian battalion of the UNIFIL international force in the town of Qana in southern Lebanon, where about 800 Lebanese civilians were taking refuge inside the UN compound. One hundred and six people were killed and more than 116 wounded.\nIsrael claimed it was providing cover for a special unit that had come under mortar fire from near the compound, but a UN investigation later concluded the Israeli bombardment was deliberate, citing video recordings showing an Israeli unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over the compound before the shelling began.\nIn October 2015, a US AC-130 aircraft bombed a Doctors Without Borders (known by the French acronym, MSF) hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz, killing 42 people, including 24 patients and 14 staff members. The organisation had previously provided the hospital’s coordinates to all parties to the conflict. The US account changed several times – from describing the strike as “collateral damage” to claiming Afghan forces had requested it – before the US commander acknowledged that the decision was entirely American.\nIn the Gaza Strip, attacks on educational facilities have reached an unprecedented level since October 2023. By the early months of 2025, 778 of the enclave’s 815 schools had been partially or completely destroyed – about 95.5% of all schools. UNRWA reported that about one million displaced people sought refuge in its schools, which had been turned into shelters; nevertheless, at least 1,000 people were killed and 2,527 wounded inside these schools through July 2025. Journalistic sources also documented that the Israeli army set up a “special strikes cell” to target schools systematically, classifying them as “centres of gravity”.\nReturning to the school in Minab, testimony by Shiva Amilairad, a representative of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Unions, to Time magazine indicates that the decision to evacuate the school was made as soon as the US-Israeli attacks began. But, she said, the time between the warning issued by Iranian authorities (after detecting attacks on the city) and the moment the missile struck was far too short, and most parents were unable to reach the school to pick up their daughters.\nShe also confirmed that hospital morgue capacity was exhausted, forcing authorities to use mobile refrigerated trucks to preserve the bodies of the young girls; some families lost more than one child in the same incident.\nThe attackers’ ability to spare newly established adjacent facilities (such as the Martyr Absalan clinic) and their glaring failure to avoid an elementary school operating at full capacity and packed with 170 girls leaves us with two scenarios, both unequivocally condemnatory: Either US and Israeli forces relied, in striking the vicinity of the Asif Brigade, on a very old, outdated intelligence target bank (dating to before 2013), which would constitute grave negligence and reckless disregard for civilian lives; or the strike was carried out deliberately and with prior knowledge to inflict maximum societal shock and undermine popular support for Iran’s military establishment.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:20:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/questions-over-minab-girls-school-strike-as-israel-us-deny-involvement?traffic_source=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_9b855566dcc8",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Israel sends troops into southern Lebanon as Hezbollah says it is ready for open war - AP News",
    "body_text": "Israel sends troops into southern Lebanon as Hezbollah says it is ready for ‘open war’\nIsrael sends troops into southern Lebanon as Hezbollah says it is ready for ‘open war’\nBEIRUT (AP) — Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday and warned residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate as the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group said it was ready for an “open war” with Israel in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.\nThe development came after Hezbollah fired rockets and launched drones early Monday toward northern Israel. Israel retaliated with a wave of airstrikes that killed 50 people in Lebanon, including seven children as well as a Palestinian militant and a Hezbollah intelligence official in Beirut’s southern suburbs.\nThat death toll is a revised figure from an earlier one reported by the Health Ministry, which originally said Monday that 52 people died in the strikes. Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine then on Tuesday reduced that number to 40, then later raised the toll to 50.\nLebanon also said 335 people were wounded and that tens of thousands were displaced.\nThe U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that 30,000 displaced people were staying in collective shelters in Lebanon, “while many others slept in their cars, on sides of the roads as they could not yet find safe shelter.”\nHezbollah says it has no option but to fight Israel\nHezbollah fired two salvos of rockets toward northern Israel, the militant group said while Israeli airstrikes overnight damaged a building housing Hezbollah’s television and radio stations. Beirut’s southern suburbs also saw a series of strikes on Tuesday afternoon that came without warning. The Israeli military later said it targeted Hezbollah officials.\nThe Israeli military’s Arabic spokesman, Avichay Adraee, warned residents of more than 80 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to leave, adding that people should not return to these areas until further notice.\nA senior Hezbollah official said that after more than a year of abiding by a ceasefire as Israel’s strikes continued on Lebanon, the group’s patience has ended, leaving it with no option but to fight Israel. “The Zionist enemy wanted an open war, which it has not stopped since the ceasefire agreement,” Mohamoud Komati said.\n“So let it be an open war,” added the Hezbollah official.\nLebanese President Joseph Aoun told the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United States, France and Egypt on Tuesday that Hezbollah has been firing rockets from areas north of the Litani River. That’s outside an area south of the river and along the border with Israel, where Lebanese troops have earlier said they are in full control.\nMore Israeli troops enter Lebanon\nThe Israeli military said Tuesday it sent additional troops into southern Lebanon and took new positions on several strategic points close to the border. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the Lebanese army was evacuating some of its positions along the border.\nAdraee, the Israeli spokesman, said on X that the troops’ movements inside Lebanon are meant to bolster Israel’s forward defense system and create an addition layer of security.\nLebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the Lebanese army was evacuating some of its border positions.\nA Lebanese military official confirmed to The Associated Press that Israeli troops had moved into several areas in southern Lebanon on Tuesday and that the Lebanese army was “repositioning” in the area. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.\nThe U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, later Tuesday said its peacekeepers saw Israeli troops making forays across the border and then returning to Israel. Israel’s army said its troops are still operating in Lebanon, but it wasn’t clear how many soldiers remained inside Lebanon.\nHezbollah began firing into Israel a day after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza. After months of low-level fighting, a full-scale war erupted in September 2024 and Israel later launched a ground invasion of Lebanon.\nIsraeli forces withdrew from most of southern Lebanon after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the fighting in November 2024 but continued to occupy five points on the Lebanese side of the border. Israel also continued with near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah has been trying to rebuild its positions there.\nLebanon’s Health Ministry also said Tuesday that 397 people had been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon after the ceasefire took effect and before Hezbollah launched its latest attacks.\nSyrians flee across the border\nThousands of Syrians living in Lebanon crossed back into Syria, fleeing Israeli strikes over the past two days.\nUNHCR said the number of people crossing from Lebanon into Syria jumped on Monday to 10,629 from typically between 3,900 and 4,400 a day since the holy Islamic month of Ramadan began in February. The vast majority were Syrian, but a small number of Lebanese citizens also crossed.\nAzzam Sweiri, a Syrian farm laborer working in southern Lebanon, said he saw streets “packed with cars and people” as he fled the bombardment.\n“It took us 10 or 12 hours just to make it 30 or 40 kilometers,” he said after crossing in to Syria Tuesday, adding that after he left, he heard that the house next to the one where he lived was hit by an Israeli airstrike.\n___\nAssociated Press journalists Ghaith AlSayed and Omar Sanadiki in Jdeidet Yabous, Syria, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:21:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxOWk44LTU4dDlfaDJqb2hvSzJ0X2JHWlAyaVEzX1FRYVZBSVV2QWUtNU1LaUpvUkR3V0pJQjJNTHlVSkxzM0Rad3ZLemU1eDlTUlJlRmxkeVhGNDFzU0R3NkZnTzdVal9tc01fLXRrSEktd1dWUnVtQ0o1MjB2dzF0ZlpTcmNyX1hrS2dvUHdleWtBRGxkOV82dFlISUZkN1ctOEZIdk5jeUdIaExrTmQxRlJTUWVLaGRT?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_29b8fa2da036",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israel launches strikes on Beirut as troops advance into southern Lebanon",
    "body_text": "Israel launches strikes on Beirut as troops advance into southern Lebanon\nAl Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from the site of an Israeli attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which Israel says targeted a ‘Hezbollah area’. Israeli forces have taken more land inside Lebanon, expanding a de facto buffer zone that has already displaced tens of thousands of people.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:22:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/israel-launches-strikes-on-beirut-as-troops-advance-into-southern-lebanon?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c0ff109dfe08",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Turkey’s Kurds reject US-Israeli 'designs' in Iran as Netanyahu bets on uprising - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Turkey’s Kurds reject US-Israeli 'designs' in Iran as Netanyahu bets on uprising\nTurkey's pro-Kurdish party on Sunday criticised the US-Israeli war on Iran, saying it opposed “external designs” on the country.\n“It is clear that global and regional powers are, as in other historical examples, seeking to establish a new order in Iran that would no longer pose a threat to themselves, rather than prioritizing democracy and freedoms,” the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (Dem) Party said in a statement.\nThe party, which has the third-largest number of MPs in parliament, said the ongoing strikes do not serve the expectations of a new, free life for minorities in the country, including Kurds, Balochs, Christians and Azerbaijanis.\nAn Axios report late on Monday said that US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Kurdish leaders in Iraq over the weekend to discuss the US-Israeli war on Iran and what might come next.\nIsraeli and American forces targeted several Iranian military posts in western Iran on Monday near the Iraqi border, where thousands of Kurdish Peshmerga security forces are present.\nThe report added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had lobbied Trump for months to make the calls to Iraqi Kurdish leaders Massoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, arguing that “the Kurds were going to rise up”, according to one official.\n“When he first came over and sat with Trump for hours, you would have thought Netanyahu had it all figured out,” the official said.\n“He had the successor planned out. He had the Kurds all figured out - two sets of Kurdish groups here and there. This many people are going to rise up,” the official added.\nTurkish Dem Party rejects US regime change\nHowever, Turkey's Dem Party, a political group with ties to Kurds in Iran, offered a more nuanced take on the US-Israeli operations.\n“We are witnessing examples that demonstrate the ongoing air strikes do not create conditions that would correspond to the expectations of a new, free life for Kurds, Baloch, Christians, Azerbaijanis, and Persian communities in Iran.”\n'The ongoing air strikes do not create conditions that would correspond to the expectations of a new, free life for Kurds, Baloch, Christians... in Iran'\n- Dem Party statement\n“We have not forgotten and will not forget the killings of Jina Mahsa Amini, Mujahid Kurkur, Dr Qasimlo, Ramin Hossein Panahi, and tens of thousands of other Iranians of different identities by the Mullah regime,” the party said.\n“However, we continue to maintain that change in the current regime in Iran should come not through external designs but through the collective will of its peoples.”\nOn Tuesday, in an address to the parliament, Dem co-chair Tulay Hatimogulları described the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as “wars of imperialism aimed at redesigning the global system on a worldwide scale”, adding that authoritarian regimes in the region were acting as proxies for imperialist powers.\n“While the US and Israel were continuing negotiations with Iran at the table, they launched attacks on Iran; there is a possibility that this war could engulf the entire region,” she said.\n“It has already spread to Iraq, Lebanon and the Gulf countries. In these attacks, a girls' primary school in Iran was struck,\" Hatimogulları added, noting that more than 150 schoolgirls were killed.\nTurkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been engaged in peace talks since late 2024, resulting in the armed group’s decision to disband after nearly 40 years of conflict with the Turkish government.\nSetbacks in negotiations between Turkey and the PKK have largely been overcome, as the new Syrian government signed an integration agreement earlier this year with Kurdish groups linked to the organisation in northeastern Syria. Ankara had insisted that the process would not move forward until a resolution in Syria was secured.\nIran targets Kurdish groups\nHowever, the PKK's Iranian affiliate, the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), remains active in Iran.\nPJAK, along with four other Kurdish groups - the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Khabat Organization of Iranian Kurdistan, and a branch of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan - formed a coalition against the Tehran government last month.\nTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking to journalists on Monday, said Ankara was closely monitoring developments in Iran to determine whether PJAK might attempt to launch an insurgency, which could affect Ankara's talks with the PKK. PJAK declared a ceasefire against Iran in 2011 and largely maintained it.\nMeanwhile, Iran appears to have targeted Iranian Kurdish groups in Iraq.\nA senior figure in the Iranian Kurdish opposition told Alhurra that the headquarters of four Iranian Kurdish parties in Iraq's semi-autonomus Kurdistan region were targeted by Iranian drones on Sunday evening.\nKhalil Nadri, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), told Alhurra that the attacks struck PAK positions located between Erbil and Duhok, as well as the Komala party headquarters in the Zargwez area of Sulaymaniyah province.\nAdditional drone strikes targeted camps belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) in the Zwi Spi and Azadi areas of Koya district, along with a KDPI headquarters in the Dikla area of Erbil province.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:23:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOQWVXRGhJM0lTVlVOSkxkajN2NTg4N2wyRW5XUEU3U1NOLVl6MjFqLXZKNlpDejVXcUM2ekt0SUEyM0hCb0ZaTDVnUHdnVGUyMmdqTVNWeldkeFBaZDBqcjlBVzZDVy15X04tUGNtcC1UUkZnMGoxYThwTWJNbUxLLVgzUDFOSDgtZzRfWTFaOVVfZldzZ2Ew?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4ed2674469fe",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israeli military says Iranian missiles hit central Israel - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israeli military says Iranian missiles hit central Israel    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:29:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxPUkpGVFJoZlBzdThpcEtJc2VDbUpxUWtiVlRsRjhuUExvTFk1dmxLallxMkpuSGVLbVFOOFItM0J5OWNlXzVyRGlyQ21PdXRZR3FJQzB3cnBsNDZlWVRvMzVLckxBeEFlNVV6MGtEZXlMMVdJcnpOa3NjajhrT2V5OWRJd1RhSmVCZ1RRek5YTTQzcWNHWmNlaFpuR1pGVGJMcVh3bWp2S2MtNDEyVHpiUg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3cbff18b7118",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "We still have no idea where this war is heading",
    "body_text": "We still have no idea where this war is heading\nWe are not long in to this new war between the United States, Israel and Iran.\nIt is already a regional war, after Iran's decision to attack Arab states who are US allies as well as Iran's neighbours across the Gulf. The United Kingdom has dropped its refusal to allow the US to use its bases.\nThe war is still escalating, and news alerts are pouring in on my phone. I've just read a press release from US Central Command saying that three US F-15E Strike Eagles have been shot down by Kuwaiti air defences in \"an apparent friendly fire incident\". By the time I finish writing this piece more missiles will have been fired and more than likely people who are alive now will have been killed.\nIt is way too soon to have any idea of when or how the war will finish. Once wars start, they are hard to control. But here are some of the ways that the belligerents would like it to end.\nTrump's definition of victory\nPresident Trump, as ever, has radiated confidence in American power since he announced the war had started in a video message filmed at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Other presidents might have chosen a solemn address from behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.\nTrump wore an open-neck shirt and a white baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. He ran through a long charge sheet, arguing that Iran had been an imminent threat to the US since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.\nTrump can always change his mind, but in that speech, he provides a definition of his conception of victory. It amounts to a check list:\n\"We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We're going to annihilate their navy. We're going to ensure that the region's terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world, and attack our forces, and no longer use their IEDs or roadside bombs, as they are sometimes called to, so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans.\"\nTrump claimed Iran was developing missiles that could reach the US, a statement that is not backed up by US intelligence assessments. He also claimed it was close to developing a nuclear weapon, contradicting his own statement last summer that the US had \"obliterated\" Iran's nuclear sites.\nTrump believes that the US, with Israel, can cripple the regime in Tehran. If it does not capitulate, he sees it as being so smashed that the Iranian people will have their best chance in generations to take to the streets to seize power:\n\"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America's help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let's see how you respond.\"\nTransferring responsibility for regime change to the Iranian people, even when he is directly encouraging them to act, gives him a potential get out at a later date if the regime survives. But it can also be viewed as a moral responsibility for the US to see it through, though it's an open question as to how much that would sway a president who believes there is always a deal to be done.\nThere is no precedent for changing a regime or winning a war against a well-armed adversary simply by using air power. In 2003 the US and its allies including the UK sent major ground forces into Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein. In 2011, Libya's Col Muammar Gaddafi was removed by rebel forces armed by Nato and Gulf countries and protected by their air forces. Trump is hoping that the Iranian people can do the job themselves.\nTrump's plan is a huge gamble. The odds are stacked against bombing alone causing regime change.\nCould there be an internal pro-western coup? Not impossible, but highly unlikely viewed from day three of the war.\nIt is more likely that the men now running the regime will hunker down, fire more missiles, fuelled by ideology and the conviction that they can take more pain than the US, Israel or the Arab Gulf states. Most of the pain will be felt by the long-suffering Iranian people. But they do not have a say in the matter.\nNetanyahu's calculation\nLike Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu has also made statements encouraging Iranians to take matters into their own hands. But if they cannot overcome the regime's ruthless security forces, Netanyahu's priority is smashing Iran's military capacity and its ability to rebuild militias around the region that could threaten Israel.\nFor decades, Benjamin Netanyahu has seen Iran as Israel's most dangerous enemy. He believes that the Islamic Republic's rulers want to build a nuclear weapon to destroy the Jewish state.\nOn Sunday, day two of the war, he stood on a roof in Tel Aviv, perhaps the defence ministry building in the heart of the city, and stated how he saw the war ending.\nHe said that Israel and America together would be able \"to do what I've hoped to achieve for 40 years – to crush the regime of terror completely\".\nHe said it was a promise that he would make sure became a reality.\nWars always have a domestic political dimension. Like Trump, Netanyahu faces elections later this year. Unlike Trump, his own job is on the line. Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the security blunders that gave Hamas an opportunity to attack on 7 October 2023. He will take a giant step towards electoral forgiveness if he can say he has led Israel to a decisive victory over Iran. He might even be unbeatable.\nVictory through survival\nThe killing of the supreme leader and his top military advisers was a hammer blow to the regime. But it does not necessarily mean that it will collapse.\nAyatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and its other founders nearly 50 years ago designed its institutions to survive wars and assassinations. It is not a one-man show. The Syrian and Libyan states under Assad and Gaddafi were built around ruling families. When the families were removed – Gaddafi was killed and Bashar al-Assad fled – the regimes collapsed.\nIran's regime is a state system, resting on a complex and dense network of political and religious institutions with overlapping responsibilities. It is engineered to survive wars and assassinations.\nThat does not mean it will. The Islamic Republic's system faces its sternest test. But it has planned for this moment.\nThe regime's definition of victory is survival. To achieve that it surrounds itself with a formidable level of protection.\nIt has a powerful and ruthless apparatus of security, repression and coercion. In January its men went on to the streets, following orders to kill thousands of protestors. So far - and as I have said repeatedly, it's only day three of the war as I write this - there is no sign that the regime's armed forces are melting away, as Assad's did after he fled to Moscow in December 2024.\nAs well as conventional armed forces and well-armed police, there is the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, with an explicit mandate to protect the regime at home and abroad. It exists to be the muscle behind the velayat-e faqih, the guardianship of the jurist. That is the key doctrine of the Islamic revolution in Iran, which justifies the rule of Shia religious leaders.\nThe IRGC is believed to have 190,000 on active duty and as many as 600,000 reservists. Religious doctrine apart, it also runs much of the economy. Its leaders have financial as well as ideological reasons to stay loyal.\nThe IRGC is backed by the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force. Its estimated 450,000 members have a reputation for loyalty to the regime and for thuggery.\nI saw them in action in Tehran as the regime's first line of defence during the protests that followed the disputed 2009 election, threatening and beating protestors on the streets with clubs and rubber truncheons. Behind them were heavily armed police and IRGC men. The Basij also had flying squads on motorcycles that raced around the city dealing with outbreaks of dissent.\nDonald Trump has threatened the IRGC and the Basij with certain death - he said \"it won't be pretty\" - unless they lay down their arms. His threats are unlikely to change many minds among the regime's armed men.\nThe Islamic Republic and Shia Islam are imbued with the idea of martyrdom. When after hours of official claims on Sunday that the supreme leader was safe and well, the weeping newsreader on state TV announced Khamanei's death by saying that he had drunk the sweet pure draft of martyrdom.\nSome serious analysts of Iran suspect the Ayatollah went ahead with a meeting at his compound in Tehran with his senior advisors when much of the rest of the world believed an attack was imminent because he sought martyrdom.\nThe regime has a core of civilian loyalists. Thousands went onto the streets of Tehran after the killing of the supreme leader, on the first of 40 days of mourning. They gathered in public squares lighting candles and the torches of their mobile phones, despite the plumes of smoke rising from US and Israeli airstrikes.\nBad precedents\nThe Americans believe that this time, their raw power - along with Israel's - can impose regime change on an enemy without creating a disaster.\nThe precedents are not good. The removal of Iraq's Saddam Hussein in 2003 led to a catastrophe - long years of war that incubated jihadist extremist movements that still exist.\nLibya, a country with enough oil to give its small population western standards of living, is broken and impoverished, a failed state 15 years after Gaddafi was removed from power and killed. Western countries who celebrated his fall and made it happen essentially washed their hands of responsibility after the country broke up.\nIran is a big country, almost three times the size of Iraq with a multi-ethnic population of more than 90 million. If the regime in Iran does fall, the nightmare scenario is that the confusion, chaos and bloodshed that might follow could rival the civil wars that killed hundreds of thousands in Syria and Iraq.\nMilitary action by the US and Israel is pulverising Iran's military capacities. That changes the equation in the Middle East, even if the regime survives.\nMany, most likely most Iranians, would rejoice if it fell. But it would be an immense challenge to replace a regime removed by force with a peaceful, coherent alternative.\nTrump's gamble is that it will be possible, that this war will make the Middle East a better and safer place. The odds against that happening are challenging.\nTop picture credits: AFP via Getty Images\nBBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:30:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c178z0p902vo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_a23d424e3c51",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Trump criticizes Biden for transferring weapons to Ukraine but insists US is 'stocked' to win - Fox News",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump on Monday accused former President Joe Biden of failing to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles, though insisted that the U.S. is still \"stocked\" to win as Operation Epic Fury continues to devastate Iran.\nU.S. munitions at the medium and upper medium grades have \"never been higher or better,\" Trump said on Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform. He added that \"we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons.\"\n\"Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries (sic) finest arms!),\" the president’s post read.\nBut Trump noted that while the U.S. has a \"good\" supply of the highest munitions grade, it is \"not where we want to be.\"\n\"Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries,\" the post read. \"Sleepy Joe Biden spent all of his time, and our Country’s money, GIVING everything to P.T. Barnum (Zelenskyy!) of Ukraine - Hundreds of Billions of Dollars worth - And, while he gave so much of the super high end away (FREE!), he didn’t bother to replace it.\"\nThe U.S. delivered billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Biden approving an additional $500 million of military aid in a security package rushed out the door just days before Trump’s second term began.\n\"Fortunately, I rebuilt the military in my first term, and continue to do so,\" Trump added. \"The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!\"\n\"Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone,\" he wrote later. \"They want to talk. I said 'Too Late!'\"\nThe U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning, working with Israel in a joint military campaign that officials say targeted Iranian leadership and key military installations.\nEarlier Monday, Trump declared that the operation in Iran is \"ahead of schedule,\" stating that many of the regime's military leaders were eliminated in about an hour.\n\"We have the strongest and most powerful, by far, military in the world, and we will easily prevail,\" the president said. \"We're already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it's okay. Whatever it takes.\"\nTrump said that the operation is projected to last four to five weeks, noting that \"we have capability to go far longer than that.\"\n\"We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership,\" Trump added. \"And as you know, that was done in about an hour. So we're ahead of schedule there by a lot.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:31:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNMVFHMGxyeEY0clF4MDZiUnhZWmtTUXhwYUQ2VUFFRzg2UHYwZWJLemF2WEJqVGpBV0ZJX1BxQ3RYdFcwNnA1RkF6aFQxSG5MWXk5aGNLRUJfTHFGanplbmZ4bS01anNwZ1FXUmJFQXZIUnVKYmxDcmJkYkJNaTUzTHdKdkswSmtTUmVEQnBSVjA5dENOMWpZQ1k1N2FlQkdURzdqMlpuaXN3MUHSAbABQVVfeXFMTk1IdU9yM0RDNWh3cE00dWtGVXh0MHJNaGNwa2t1cGlJTnNOM0g0U3I3RXRmakpOTEZ5NGpEeWdSSFY1TWw3NkVqM2doZjdDbFY2b2tnRWpWdWJJSVRxT2U4Zm5aZDNYaWw3NkV4UENhOVNQWkxiQlRUU1FPWDEySWJKRzF6eUk4dkxhWXYzQUxnekpmeXQwQWlkZnFxMFgxWWE0dE1DUS1SLVdmWlNTNGQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_212602d34924",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Al Jazeera investigation: Iran girls’ school targeting likely ‘deliberate’ - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "On Saturday morning, February 28, 2026, dozens of girls gathered at the “Shajareh Tayyebeh” (The Good Tree) school in the city of Minab in southern Iran when Israel and the United States began initial strikes on the country.\nAs the students began their studies, missiles struck the school, destroying the building and causing the roof to collapse on top of the children and their teachers.\nIranian authorities have put the final death toll at 165 people, most of them girls aged between 7 and 12. At least 95 other people were wounded in the attack.\nAs the images of the carnage spread on social media platforms, Israeli and US authorities sought to distance themselves from the attack.\nSpokespeople for the US Department of Defense and the Israeli army told Time magazine and The Associated Press news agency that they were unaware that a school had been hit.\nSome websites and social media accounts linked to Israel claimed the site was “part of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base”.\nHowever, an analysis by Al Jazeera’s digital investigations unit of satellite imagery compiled over more than a decade, as well as recent video clips, published news reports and statements from official Iranian sources, tells a very different story.\nThe findings reveal that the school had been clearly separate from an adjacent military site for at least 10 years.\nThe investigation also shows that the strike pattern raises fundamental questions about the accuracy of intelligence information on which the bombing was based.\nIt may even raise questions about whether the strike was a deliberate targeting of the school.\nThe importance of Minab and the targeted military square\nTo understand the motives for including Minab in the first US-Israeli targets, the city must be placed within its broader geostrategic context.\nMinab is located in Hormozgan in southeastern Iran, a province of enormous military importance as it directly overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf waters, making it a key hub for the operations of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces, NEDSA.\nThe IRGC Navy embraces what is known as an “asymmetric warfare” strategy that relies on deploying fast boats, drones, and coastal missile platforms capable of disrupting shipping or targeting hostile naval vessels.\nIn this context, the “Sayyid al-Shuhada” military complex in Minab stands out; it includes key headquarters, most notably that of the “Asif Brigade”.\nThe Asif missile brigade is considered one of the most important strike arms of the IRGC Navy. By reviewing open sources and tracking official Iranian records, important details emerge about the school itself: The Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab is part of a broad network of schools structurally and administratively affiliated with the IRGC Navy.\nThese schools are classified as nonprofit institutions and are primarily intended to provide educational services to the sons and daughters of members of the IRGC Navy.\nRegistration messages posted on the channel on the Iranian messaging app, “Baleh”- a channel dedicated to communicating with parents of pre-school children at one school in the Shajareh Tayyebeh network – show that admission procedures give priority to the children of military personnel.\nIn more than one announcement, the children of IRGC Navy members are explicitly invited to attend on specific days to complete first-grade enrolment, with another notice stating that registration for children of non-members opens on different days.\nHowever, this administrative link (to the IRGC) or the identity of the parents does not change the schools’ legal status as civilian facilities under international humanitarian law, unless they were being used in military operations.\nAnd the children who attend them – whether they are the children of military personnel or civilians – remain protected people with special protection in armed conflicts, including the prohibition on intentionally targeting them or carrying out attacks that could harm them.\nThe Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has called the bombing of the school as a “horrific crime and a consolidation of the collapse of civilian protection”, stressing in a statement that the mere presence of military facilities or bases nearby does not change the school’s civilian character, and does not absolve US and Israeli forces of their legal obligation to carefully verify the nature of the target before striking it.\nThe Monitor emphasised that children and teaching staff remain, in all circumstances, “protected persons” under international humanitarian law, and that any attack that fails to distinguish between them and potential military targets constitutes a serious violation.\nWhat do we know about the strike and its timing?\nOn Saturday morning, the first day of the school week in Iran, US-Israeli strikes began on the country. Air raids started hitting various sites in the city of Minab and Hormozgan province.\nBut life in general was proceeding in a near-normal manner; children went to their schools, and photos and videos showed almost normal traffic on the roads surrounding the school.\nDocumented satellite images from that day show that the school building was still completely intact and had not been hit by any strike until 10:23am local time (06:53 GMT).\nLocal and official Iranian sources say that by 10:45am (07:15 GMT), the school was directly hit by a guided missile.\nTo verify the scope and nature of the strike, Al Jazeera’s Digital Investigations Unit analysed two video clips posted on Telegram shortly after the bombing, and precisely geolocated each by matching visible landmarks with satellite imagery.\nThe first clip was filmed from a point southwest of the complex (at coordinates: 27°06’28.43″ N, 57°04’26.17″ E) and documents the first moments of smoke rising from inside the military block affiliated with the Sayyid al-Shuhada base (Asif Brigade), proving that the military base was indeed among the targets hit.\nThe second clip, however, the most indicative in this investigation, was filmed from a point southeast of the complex (at coordinates: 27°06’23.77″ N, 57°05’05.97″ E) and provides a wide viewing angle encompassing the entire complex.\nThis clip clearly shows two separate columns of thick black smoke rising simultaneously: The first from deep inside the military base, and the second from the geographically independent site of the girls’ school.\nThe visible distance between the two columns matches the distance separating the two areas as shown by the satellite imagery. This refutes any claim that the damage to the school was caused by shrapnel flying from the adjacent base, and strongly indicates that the school building was subjected to a direct, separate strike.\nTimeline of separating the civilian building from the military base\nTo establish the architectural separation and rebut claims that the bombed building was an active barracks, the investigation team conducted a historical trace of archived satellite images via Google Earth covering the period from 2013 up to just before the 2026 attack. The school site coordinates are (27°06’35.4″N 57°05’05.1″E).\nThe chronological review reveals deliberate engineering to separate this part of the military complex and convert it entirely to civilian use over the past 10 years.\nThe images show that the school building and its surrounding area were a connected, integrated part of the main military complex. The outer perimeter wall was unbroken, and the complex was surrounded by five security watchtowers positioned around the corners of the entire compound. There was only one main entry gate serving the whole complex, and the internal road network connected all buildings without barriers.\nIt can be said with a degree of confidence that, in 2013, the site was used exclusively as a military barracks with a strict security character, as there was no indication of an independent civilian use of any part of the complex.\nBut this changed radically in 2016. Satellite images dated September 6, 2016 capture the main turning point, when new internal walls were created and built, fully and tightly separating the school building area from the rest of the military block.\nAt the same time, two of the watch towers overseeing this block were dismantled and removed. Most importantly, three new external gates were opened directly onto the public street to serve students’ and staff entry and exit.\nThis radical modification documents the construction process and the official removal of the building from the military barracks system, converting it to an independent civilian purpose with dedicated entrances that do not pass through military checkpoints and are 200 to 300 metres (650 to 1000ft) away.\nThe civilian use becomes clearer over time. Images taken on May 5, 2018 show intense civilian activity: Civilian cars can be seen lined up at the new external entrances. The internal courtyard was also equipped with a children’s sports field, and the internal walls were painted in multiple colours with bright mural drawings appropriate to the students’ age group.\nThis documentation can be regarded as definitive visual confirmation that the building was operating at full capacity as a primary school. These features (such as the playground, wall drawings, and the presence of civilian cars) are the same ones that later appeared in videos documenting residents storming the school on the day of the tragedy to search for their daughters.\nThe Martyr Absalan clinic as corroborating evidence\nTo prove that the attacking party was (or should have been) precisely aware of the site’s updated layout, we traced the newest construction projects in the same area.\nOn January 14, 2025 (just one year before the attack), the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major-General Hossein Salami, visited the city of Minab to inaugurate the Martyr Absalan Specialised Clinic.\nThe clinic, which cost 100 billion Iranian tomans (about $2m), was built on an area of 5,700 square metres (61,354 square feet) at another corner of the same original military complex – specifically on Resalat Street – to serve residents of eastern Hormozgan province.\nReports published to cover the clinic’s opening indicate it was equipped with the latest CT imaging devices, ultrasound equipment, and laboratories, and that it offered civilian medical specialities such as paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and dentistry – confirming its civilian nature.\nAs with the school years earlier, building the clinic required spatial separation from the military base. After the Martyr Absalan clinic opened in January 2025, a separate gate was opened to connect it directly to the external street to receive civilian patients, and a dedicated car park was established – measures mirroring what the school underwent when it was separated from the complex and given three independent gates.\nThus, what had been a single unified military complex became three independent sectors, clearly distinguishable in satellite imagery: The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school, separated since 2016 with its own walls and gates; the Martyr Absalan Specialised Clinic, separated since early 2025 with an independent civilian entrance; and the Sayyid al-Shuhada military complex, which remained a closed and active site.\nWhen the US-Israeli attack began on the morning of February 28, 2026, analysis of the strike locations revealed an odd pattern: Missiles hit the military base and the school, but bypassed the specialised clinic complex located between the two without touching it.\nThis exclusion cannot be explained as a coincidence; it strongly indicates that the executing party was operating with coordinates and maps that distinguished between the complex’s different facilities.\nHere lies the fundamental contradiction exposed by this investigation: If the intelligence was up to date enough to spare a clinic that had been open for only one year, how did it fail to identify an elementary school that had been separated from the military complex and had become a clearly defined civilian institution for more than 10 years?\nThis contradiction leaves only two possibilities: Either the bombing of the school was the result of a grave intelligence failure caused by reliance on outdated databases that did not keep pace with successive changes in the complex’s layout, or it was a deliberate strike based on a linkage that treats the school as part of the military system.\nMisleading claims\nNo sooner than when plumes of smoke began to rise from the school’s rubble than accounts on the X platform affiliated with, or sympathetic to, Israeli parties began circulating videos and images claiming the school had not been struck from the outside, but was destroyed after an Iranian air defence missile missed its target and fell back to the ground.\nThis narrative replicates the same tactic used during the bombing of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza in October 2023, when Israel rushed to accuse the Palestinian resistance of responsibility for the massacre via a rocket that missed its target.\nHowever, open-source verification tools – specifically reverse image searches and geolocation using visual landmarks – quickly revealed that the most widely shared image in this campaign, which is claimed to show the impact of a failed Iranian missile that fell on the school, has nothing to do with the city of Minab in the first place.\nBy matching the terrain and landmarks visible in the image – especially the snow-covered mountains in the background – with satellite imagery, it became clear that it relates to an incident that occurred on the outskirts of Zanjan in northwestern Iran, about 1,300km (808 miles) from Minab.\nThe irony is that the nature of the two locations alone is enough to refute the claim: Minab is a coastal city in the far southeast overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, with a tropical climate and no snowfall, while Zanjan is a mountainous city in the northwest that is covered with snow in winter.\nIranian sources said what happened in Zanjan that day was a successful interception operation carried out by air defence units affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during which two hostile drones were shot down. It was not possible to independently verify this information.\nThe Minab school incident is not an exception in the record of civilian facilities being targeted by the US and Israeli militaries; rather, it falls within a documented pattern stretching across decades of military operations and attacks, in which the same scene recurs: Strikes hit schools, hospitals, and civilian shelters, followed by immediate denial or shifting of blame to the other side, before independent investigations later reveal the falsity of official claims.\nIn April 1970, Israeli Phantom fighter jets bombed the Bahr al-Baqar elementary school in Egypt’s Sharqia governorate, killing 46 children out of 130 who were in their classrooms that morning.\nIsrael claimed the school was an Egyptian military facility, and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan said at the time that “the Egyptians may have put elementary school pupils in a military base.”\nBut an Israeli pilot who took part in the raid and was captured during the October 1973 war later revealed it had been a deliberate attack and that they knew it was merely a school.\nIn February 1991, the US Air Force dropped two “smart” bombs on the Amiriyah civilian shelter in Baghdad, killing at least 408 civilians – most of them women, children, and the elderly.\nWashington said the facility had been turned into a military command centre, but Human Rights Watch later showed that the building bore clear markings indicating it was a public shelter and that large numbers of civilians were using it throughout the air campaign.\nIn April 1996, the Israeli army shelled the headquarters of the Fijian battalion of the UNIFIL international force in the town of Qana in southern Lebanon, where about 800 Lebanese civilians were taking refuge inside the UN compound. One hundred and six people were killed and more than 116 wounded.\nIsrael claimed it was providing cover for a special unit that had come under mortar fire from near the compound, but a UN investigation later concluded the Israeli bombardment was deliberate, citing video recordings showing an Israeli unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over the compound before the shelling began.\nIn October 2015, a US AC-130 aircraft bombed a Doctors Without Borders (known by the French acronym, MSF) hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz, killing 42 people, including 24 patients and 14 staff members. The organisation had previously provided the hospital’s coordinates to all parties to the conflict. The US account changed several times – from describing the strike as “collateral damage” to claiming Afghan forces had requested it – before the US commander acknowledged that the decision was entirely American.\nIn the Gaza Strip, attacks on educational facilities have reached an unprecedented level since October 2023. By the early months of 2025, 778 of the enclave’s 815 schools had been partially or completely destroyed – about 95.5% of all schools. UNRWA reported that about one million displaced people sought refuge in its schools, which had been turned into shelters; nevertheless, at least 1,000 people were killed and 2,527 wounded inside these schools through July 2025. Journalistic sources also documented that the Israeli army set up a “special strikes cell” to target schools systematically, classifying them as “centres of gravity”.\nReturning to the school in Minab, testimony by Shiva Amilairad, a representative of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Unions, to Time magazine indicates that the decision to evacuate the school was made as soon as the US-Israeli attacks began. But, she said, the time between the warning issued by Iranian authorities (after detecting attacks on the city) and the moment the missile struck was far too short, and most parents were unable to reach the school to pick up their daughters.\nShe also confirmed that hospital morgue capacity was exhausted, forcing authorities to use mobile refrigerated trucks to preserve the bodies of the young girls; some families lost more than one child in the same incident.\nThe attackers’ ability to spare newly established adjacent facilities (such as the Martyr Absalan clinic) and their glaring failure to avoid an elementary school operating at full capacity and packed with 170 girls leaves us with two scenarios, both unequivocally condemnatory: Either US and Israeli forces relied, in striking the vicinity of the Asif Brigade, on a very old, outdated intelligence target bank (dating to before 2013), which would constitute grave negligence and reckless disregard for civilian lives; or the strike was carried out deliberately and with prior knowledge to inflict maximum societal shock and undermine popular support for Iran’s military establishment.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:32:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5293ea2b1c5e",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Israel advances into Lebanon in push to take more territory - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Israel authorises the army to seize additional areas in Lebanon to prevent cross-border fire on northern communities.\nDefence Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back an expanded posture while denying a ground invasion is under way.\nHezbollah launches drones and rockets, including a barrage towards the Occupied Golan Heights, claiming reprisals for strikes in Beirut and elsewhere.\nIsraeli forces intensify air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, with Lebanese authorities reporting at least 52 dead and 154 injured.\n“We're only at the borderline area in a defensive manner to prevent attacks against civilians,” the military spokesman said.\nIsraeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have authorised the army to advance and seize more land in Lebanon to prevent firing on Israeli border settlements.\nThe Israeli military has advanced a kilometre into Lebanese territory, seizing positions in at least three areas and prompting Lebanese troops to withdraw, a Lebanese army official told The National. “They’re advancing rapidly, and it’s changing every minute,” they said.\nIsrael bombarded Lebanon in response to strikes by Hezbollah, which had entered the war between Iran and US and Israel in support of Tehran.\nThe army “continues to operate with force against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon”, Mr Katz said.\n“To prevent the possibility of direct-aimed firing on the Israeli settlements, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have approved for the military to advance and seize additional controlling areas in Lebanon and to defend the border settlements from there,” he said.\nHezbollah announced three separate attacks between 5am and 6.30am on Tuesday. Two were carried out by drones and targeted at military positions in Israel. The third, a rocket barrage, was aimed at Israeli forces in the Occupied Golan Heights, Hezbollah said.\nAll came as reprisals to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Monday, Hezbollah said.\nAround dawn on Tuesday, the Israeli military bombed the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Nour radio station in Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to the group's TV station Al Manar. The attacks were part of several Israeli attacks on Beirut at the same time.\nBy Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli army was operating near the southern border villages of Kafr Kela, Yaroun and Al Qawzah, the Lebanese Armed Forces official said. Lebanese troops have had to withdraw from positions along the border “as a result of continuing Israeli escalation”.\n“There were only around eight soldiers stationed at each point, so they can’t defend themselves against the Israeli army’s advances,” the official added.\nMilitary spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said earlier on Tuesday that the military had sent additional forces to southern Lebanon overnight, to take up what he described as “defensive positions to protect Israeli civilians and strategic sites from any potential Hezbollah attack”.\n“We're only at the borderline area in a defensive manner to prevent attacks against civilians and very strategically important points,” Lt Col Shoshani said.\nBut in a statement a few hours later, Mr Shoshani said Israel is adopting an “advanced military posture” in southern Lebanon alongside its heavy bombing campaign in the country, but denied the new deployment was “ground manoeuvre”.\nHe said the move is “a tactical step to create an additional layer of security for the residents of northern Israel”.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah “made a very big mistake” in attacking Israel. He said the Israeli military would act in Lebanon with “even greater and additional force”.\n“The Lebanese government needs to understand, and the Lebanese people need to understand, that Hezbollah is dragging them into a war that is not theirs, just because of the death of that mass murderer they have nothing to do with,” Mr Netanyahu added.\nMeanwhile, a senior Hezbollah official warned that the “time for patience is over” and now the group was left “with no option but to return to resistance” and attacking Israel.\nThe vice president of Hezbollah's political bureau, Mahmoud Qamati, said the group's recent patience, by not responding to Israel’s repeated attacks and occupation of multiple points of south Lebanon, was meant to give space for diplomatic efforts to succeed – but they had failed.\nThe new front in the war opened on Monday when Hezbollah, one of Tehran's principal allies, launched missiles and drones towards Israel in response to the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamanei.\nIsrael responded with air strikes, which it said struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut and killed senior militants. The Lebanese state news agency NNA said at least 50 people had been killed and tens of thousands displaced.\nThe UN's refugee agency said at least 30,000 people have sought protection in shelters in Lebanon. “Many more slept in their cars on the side of roads or were still stuck in traffic jams on the roads,” said UNHCR representative Babar Baloch.\nIsrael declared Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem a “target for elimination”. Israeli officials said for now they were not considering a ground invasion of Lebanon, whose government on Monday banned all military activity by Hezbollah.\nIsraeli medics said one person was lightly injured from Hezbollah rocket fire in the Galilee, as the fighting expanded. The 64-year-old man was taken to hospital with wounds from glass shards.\nAt least 40 people have been killed and 246 wounded in Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Monday and Tuesday, a representative of Lebanon's Health Ministry said.\nThey said a death toll of 52 given by the ministry on Monday had been a technical error.\nLior Shelef, a farmer from Kibbutz Snir, in northern Israel, said the current fighting particularly since Hezbollah joined felt “no less scary” than the major conflict on the northern border during the Gaza War.\nTalking to The National from inside his bomb shelter, Mr Shelef said: “The feeling now that Hezbollah is involved is different. With the alerts from Iran we had a few minutes to get into the shelter. With the ones from Lebanon we have zero seconds basically.”\n“It feels no less scary than last time, because the kids are here,” he added.\nMr Shelef’s family, along with many thousands of Israelis across the north, were given government-funded accommodation in safer areas for a year and a half after the October 7, 2023, attacks in fear of barrages and ground invasion from Hezbollah. Now, no such evacuation is forthcoming.\n“I must admit that with all the years I’ve been studying Lebanon, I was very surprised Hezbollah stupidly joined this war,” Mr Shelef said.\n“I feel sorry for all the infrastructure in Lebanon the IDF will now have to bomb. It will take years to replace. The way to get stability here is to have strong countries around us,” he added.\nMr Shelef was briefly interrupted by his children trying to leave the shelter before the all-clear had been given.\n“The kids are very, very terrified. They’re going to sleep in the safe room and there’s no option of educational or cultural activity in the kibbutz,” he said, after shouting at his children to remain.\nMr Shelef was wary of another ground war in Lebanon, over which fears are mounting after Israeli defence leaders said the army would move into new positions in southern Lebanon.\n“When we finished the ground operation in Lebanon, we pushed Hezbollah about 10-12 km backwards That means boots on the ground this time means going very deep,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:40:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNQVhXOERDcGp4Q3hBTlZKcDZmdExEZGgyT0I1ZU9RMzBObGJ1bjZqWWRYN252VjJ1RmQ4QjhsdUZyVUdTYWJfUURPX3pfYnZFNnFZVVVKUzVkTk1YbVUwZzBsRy16TnFHcUM3VFgwbk9GRjNCX0dtTHpTSWZLZllHZlJNWm1kVVRocDJ1OENHc2k5V0JJSjl5VzJUemhodkNPZnc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2b943fdf8a87",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Zelensky fears Trump's Iran war could hurt Ukraine",
    "body_text": "Zelensky fears Trump's Iran war could hurt Ukraine\nPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the war in the Middle East could leave Ukraine struggling to source air defence missiles.\nHe also said there was \"a risk\" Ukraine's allies could be distracted by the conflict, and forget his country's defence against Russia's full-scale invasion.\n\"We could find ourselves having difficulty obtaining missiles and weapons to defend our skies,\" he told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. \"The Americans and their allies in the Middle East might need them to defend themselves, for example Patriot missiles.\"\nAsked if there was a risk the United States and the European Union could forget Ukraine's defence while focused on the Middle East, Zelensky replied: \"Of course, it's a risk. But I hope the Iranian crisis remains a limited operation and doesn't turn into a long war. We know first-hand how bloody it risks being.\"\nFor years Ukraine has become accustomed to being in the eyes of the world. Last week the streets of Kyiv thronged with Western leaders marking the grim, fourth anniversary of the moment Russia launched its all-out war.\nBut a few days later, people here in Ukraine's capital have felt an almost tangible shift of focus away to another conflict. Some here have pointed out the reaction of Gulf residents to drone strikes that in Kyiv would prompt no more than a shrug. But more fear what the fighting in the Middle East might mean for them.\nZelensky's remarks illustrate that uncertainty. On one hand he is gloomy, pointing to the risks that Ukraine's defence against Russia becomes a forgotten war. There is already uncertainty about whether the latest planned talks with the US and Russia will take place.\nHe is also aware the vast numbers of air defence interceptor missiles being fired off by Gulf countries could lead to a global shortage, making such weapons more expensive and harder to find.\nThat was certainly true last summer when Israel and the US attacked Iran's nuclear facilities. \"Israel was under Iranian attack then, and missile delivery programs for us were slowed down,\" Zelensky said. \"It hasn't happened yet, but I fear it could happen again.\"\nOn Truth Social, President Trump claimed the US had an \"unlimited supply\" of arms. But he also used his post to mock Zelensky as \"PT Barnum\", a 19th-Century US showman and hoaxer, suggesting Ukraine's leader had tricked President Joe Biden into giving away too many US weapons for free.\nNonetheless, Zelensky has also looked for positives. Iran has sold Russia tens of thousands of Shahed drones that almost nightly wreak deadly havoc on Ukraine. That may stop. \"I think attacking Iranian military targets was a good decision,\" he said. \"The Iranians produce a lot of weapons for Russia, especially drones and missiles, although I don't think they'll be able to do that anymore.\"\nAnalysts point out however that Russia now also produces Shaheds domestically, after taking Iran's design and modifying it for attacks on Ukrainian cities.\nKyiv may also benefit, financially and politically, if it could support Gulf partners with drone technology and expertise – but, as Zelensky has pointed out, that could probably happen only if Russia were to agree a ceasefire.\nUkraine's president also believes Vladimir Putin's failure to support Iran shows the Russian president's weakness: \"He talks, but doesn't act, demonstrating that he is a weak ally of the Iranians. Just as he was with Bashar Assad's Syria.\"\nThat optimistic note was echoed by Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the foreign relations committee in Ukraine's parliament. He told me that by supporting US attack on Iran, Ukraine could win favour in the White House: \"The US does not view us as allies, but as partners,\" he said.\n\"This gives us a chance to show that we are allies. We are fighting against the same coalition – Iran and Russia.\"\nMerezhko also said Moscow had lost influence with the US because it could no longer argue it had influence over Tehran and its nuclear ambitions. \"Iran does not have this leverage anymore, so it has become less useful in the eyes of Trump,\" the MP said.\nOthers are less sure. They point out Russia has no formal defence partnership with Iran and had made no commitment to come to its aid in event of a US attack. Some also suggest Putin is deliberately staying out of the conflict, apart from calling Gulf leaders to offer Russia's services as a mediator with Iran.\nJohn Lough, head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, said: \"Putin's priority is to preserve the relationship with Trump and to use it to help him out of the quagmire he has blundered into in Ukraine.\"\n\"In return for not standing in Trump's way in Iran, he can reasonably expect Washington to put more pressure on Ukraine to accept his terms for peace,\" Lough added.\nRussia may also gain if global oil prices continue to soar, fuelling its industrial war machine. The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank said: \"Sustained high oil prices could keep Russia economically afloat and allow Russia to fund its war in Ukraine in the medium term.\"\nBut crucially, it added: \"It is unlikely, however, that Iran can successfully and indefinitely impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz long enough for Russia to reap long-term benefits from the current surge in oil prices.\" Just one reason why Ukrainian policymakers are hoping the war in the Middle East does not sustain.\nThe biggest fear, perhaps, in Kyiv is that conflict in the Middle East fuels yet more war fatigue over Ukraine. One diplomat told me that despite rising temperatures as winter makes way for spring, the mood in the capital was grim.\n\"There is a lot of exhaustion,\" they said. \"The mood is almost brooding. There is a deep sense of betrayal from the Americans. And less trust in the Europeans. And now all this distraction. It's not great.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:41:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyv10dre79o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_edbcaa577590",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘Russian oil will be sought’: What are Moscow’s gains from the war in Iran?",
    "body_text": "Moscow for decades has been Iran’s main international backer, shielding it from United Nations resolutions while trying to soften Western sanctions and selling weaponry worth billions of dollars to Tehran.\nRussian President Vladimir Putin lambasted the killing on Saturday of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as a “cynical violation of all norms of human morals and the international law”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Azov’s hiring spree: How a controversial Ukrainian unit is luring fighters\n- list 2 of 4Ukraine claws back southern territory as Russia’s war enters fifth year\n- list 3 of 4Ukraine to help down Iran’s drones: How Russia’s war rewrote the playbook\n- list 4 of 4How much could the Iran war cost the US? Here’s what we know\nPutin’s former prime minister and one-time successor Dmitry Medvedev sardonically called United States President Donald Trump a “peacekeeper who showed his real face”.\nVyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly, compared the war to what he alleged were the collective West’s attempts to destabilise Russia in the 1990s, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said US-Iranian talks about Tehran’s nuclear programme “degraded to direct aggression”.\nBut as US and Israeli air strikes on Iran raged on for a fourth day on Tuesday, Russia appeared poised to benefit far more from the war than it looked to lose.\nMoscow’s most immediate gain is a boost in its oil revenues.\nThe price of Russia’s Urals crude plunged to a new low in late February at $40 per barrel because of deep discounts caused by Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.\nBut as the price of the international benchmark Brent crude jumped by 13 percent by Monday, reaching $82 per barrel, Urals was traded at $57.\n‘Russian oil will be sought after’\nRussia, Iran and Venezuela are the world’s top producers of heavy crude that is exported to dozens of nations to be processed by their refineries.\nVenezuela’s exports stalled after US special forces captured President Nicolas Maduro on January 3 and the White House gained control of Caracas’s oil trade.\nThe suspension of Iran’s exports means that oil refineries designed to process heavy crude will have to rely on the Urals oil from Russia.\n“It means that Russian oil will be sought after because the rebuilding of technological processes of oil refineries takes long and costs a lot,” Igar Tyshkevych, a political analyst based in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, told Al Jazeera. “It means that the discounts for Russian oil will change.”\nIf oil prices rise further, the Kremlin may propose to increase supply in exchange for Washington’s decision to partially lift the sanctions.\nRussia’s higher oil production would decrease petrol prices in the US before the midterm elections in November, he said.\nCould Russia be a mediator?\nA second, longer-term gain could be Moscow’s attempt to act as a mediator in peace talks between Tehran and Washington.\n“It has been tried several times during conflicts between the US and Iran,” Tyshkevych said. “It didn’t always work, but Russia can try.”\nIn March 2025, Putin offered to mediate US-Iranian negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear programme and three months later repeated the proposal while US and Israeli strikes were hitting Iran during a 12-day war.\nWashington ignored its offer both times.\nThe conflicts with Iran have distracted Trump from trying to reach a US-brokered settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war, which entered its fifth year on February 24.\nThe talks have stalled as Moscow has kept urging Ukraine to leave the Kyiv-controlled part of the Donetsk region in southeastern Ukraine.\nWashington will continue pressing both sides to settle, turning the talks into a “who blinks first” game, Tyshkevych said.\n“No one wants to say ‘no’ first but tries to create conditions for the opponent to loudly say ‘no’ and slam the door loudly,” he said.\nAnd as the attention of Washington and other Western powers is turned towards the war in Iran, Russia gets several weeks to come up with a new agenda for Trump, he said.\nMeanwhile, Ukraine could face a shortage of US-supplied missiles for Patriot air defence systems, which can shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, analysts warned.\nPatriot missiles are being redirected to Washington’s allies in the Middle East.\n“We felt a serious deficit before the war, and there is a high probability that the situation will only get worse,” Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, former deputy chief of the Ukrainian military’s General Staff, told Al Jazeera.\nPatriot missiles “are manufactured in very low numbers. Americans have tried to change it, but with such demand, it can’t be done fast,” he said.\nHowever, Putin faces a tough choice between Washington and Tehran, according to a Russian expert on Iran.\n“Moscow has to choose, and for Putin, it’s a very tough choice because on the one hand, he doesn’t want to have a falling-out with Trump, but on the other hand, the regime in Tehran is one of the few serious foreign partners for the Kremlin for now,” Ruslan Suleymanov, an associate fellow at the New Eurasian Strategies Center, a US-British think tank, told Al Jazeera.\n“Besides, there is the heaviest choice between Iran and Israel,” he said.\nThe Kremlin has tried to maintain a pragmatic partnership with Israel.\n“If we’re talking about immediate gains, then, yes, Russian propaganda can spin this episode with the killing of Khamenei as [an example of] Western treachery as in ‘Why can they do it and we can’t,’” Suleymanov said, referring to Khamenei’s killing and Moscow’s failed attempts to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.\n“In any case, this situation is a blow to Putin’s image that yet again shows that he is incapable of really helping his partners, his allies,” Suleymanov added.\nPutin has already lost two key allies. In November 2024, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, and Maduro’s abduction to the United States put an end to Moscow’s alliance with Venezuela.\nThe Iran war has further ruined the authority of international law, according to a London-based expert on Central Asia.\n“The main argument against the Russian aggression in Ukraine so far has been the rude violation of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty,” Alisher Ilkhamov, head of the Central Asia Due Diligence think tank, told Al Jazeera.\nThe Kremlin may also use Khamenei’s killing as a way to persuade men of fighting age in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan, a country that shares close cultural and linguistic ties with Iran, to fight in Ukraine against an alleged Western “conspiracy” against the wider Muslim community, he said.\nAnd if the war drags on, triggering an exodus of Iranian refugees to Europe, far-right parties that often favour Moscow will increase their electoral clout, Ilkhamov said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:44:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/russian-oil-will-be-sought-what-are-moscows-gains-from-the-war-in-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_46534f4250ed",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Photos show people fleeing and buildings wrecked after Israeli strikes in Lebanon - AP News",
    "body_text": "The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.\nMany people in Lebanon are fleeing their homes after Hezbollah launched missiles into Israel from Lebanon in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Israel retaliated with strikes on Lebanon.\nThis is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.\nDisplaced civilians fleeing Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, sit in traffic along a highway toward Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nA rescue worker checks the site where several buildings were hit by Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)\nSmoke rises from Israeli airstrikes that struck a building housing Al-Manar channel studios in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)\nRescue workers carry a dead body in a plastic bag from a building that was hit by Israeli strike, in Jnah neighborhood, south of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)\nA girl sits in a van as displaced families fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon arrive in the southern port city of Sidon, early Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nA displaced family fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon arrives in the southern port city of Sidon, early Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nIn this photo taken with a slow shutter speed, a Middle East Airlines plane flies over Beirut as smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh in Beirut’s southern suburbs, early Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)\nChildren sit on a sidewalk as displaced families fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon arrive in the southern port city of Sidon, early Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nCars sit in traffic as residents flee Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, early Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)\nDisplaced people fleeing Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon ride on a mini truck along a highway toward Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nDisplaced people fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit in traffic at a highway that links to Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nDisplaced people fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit on a pickup at a highway that links to Beirut, in the southern port city of Sidon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nDisplaced people carry their belongings fleeing Israeli strikes arrive in southern Lebanon arrive in the southern port city of Sidon, early Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)\nDebris covers a street beside an apartment building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburb, Lebanon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)\nA displaced family fleeing Israeli strikes in Dahiyeh south of Beirut, sits on a sidewalk on Beirut’s corniche, Lebanon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)\nDisplaced families fleeing Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon register their names as they arrive at a school turned into a shelter, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)\nA displaced family who fled Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon sits at a school turned into a shelter, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:52:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxORzRFeU5VQUx3RnVWdlNYR0k2OHUzTDBONGI3UHdlc3lhMFExSllPX0xKTGlWLXVLWEpBOFNDUkw2QVhEVlNWNFJqb2xfcUNxSzVIbXNMbHF6dGdYRjNHUGhoUEx3bHZrSTVTSURRM3pRS2tyQlAxQWY3ZERNMjhEQVpaMHlMM0ltdmMwVWd1anoyUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f233153c6330",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "New satellite images show fires, naval base damage across Iran after US-Israeli strikes - Fox News",
    "body_text": "New satellite images offer a stark look at the devastation inside Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes, while also revealing the damage left behind by Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the region.\nAccording to U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, U.S. forces struck more than 1,250 targets during the first two days of Operation Epic Fury.\nPlanet Labs satellite imagery captured burning ships and damaged facilities at the Konarak base in southern Iran, as well as significant destruction at Iran’s naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf, reflecting the scale of the strikes on military infrastructure.\nImagery from Vantor shows the Choqa Balk drone facility in western Iran was hit, along with damage to other key military and strategic sites targeted in the U.S.–Israeli strike campaign.\nRadar systems at the Zahedan air base in eastern Iran — near the country’s borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan — were also struck.\nThe two facilities are about 800 to 900 miles apart, underscoring the broad reach of the coordinated strikes.\nAdditionally, satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows thick smoke plumes rising above Tehran, signaling explosions and fires inside the Iranian capital.\nThe smoke underscores how the conflict has moved beyond isolated military sites and into the heart of Iran’s political center.\nIran responded with missile and drone strikes of its own, expanding the conflict across the region. Satellite images reveal damage to the port city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The city of Sharjah is the third most populous after Dubai and Abu Dhabi.\nThe Jebel Ali Port, the region’s largest maritime hub, was also targeted, underscoring how the retaliation extended beyond military sites to key infrastructure.\nThe U.S. has warned that further retaliation could follow, as both sides signal they are prepared for additional rounds of strikes. Pentagon officials said U.S. forces in the region remain on high alert and have publicly cautioned that any new attacks on U.S. citizens would prompt a forceful response.\nWith damage now visible from western Iran to the Persian Gulf, the coming days could determine whether the confrontation stabilizes — or spirals into a wider regional war.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:53:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_89b33c0c2aac",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Threat from Iran conflict spreads across Middle East in 72 hours - The Washington Post",
    "body_text": "Threat from Iran conflict spreads across Middle East in 72 hours    The Washington Post",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T13:59:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxPQnRtdjZNWTladk0wbDIzYXpQR2hzenhnbzhETFF4ak5XcFdOcmU1eFhjX1VDVmpnS1U5Tms0dFpoR3BrRkhhTldGb1ZPOXFDX0NHZ0M1Zm82bm5yZTV6NFdlSUZLQlRTMFNJcTZFUzFGYWVvNVQ2MkxKN1lNUmRJb3BfQl8yYjZlSUE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ec251499c6ac",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Donald Trump says he will do ‘whatever it takes’ to contain Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump says he will do ‘whatever it takes’ to contain Iran\nGood morning and welcome to White House Watch. In today’s edition, we’ll be looking at:\nUS and Israel’s attack on Iran\nTrump’s justifications for war\nOil markets tested by escalating crisis\nDonald Trump has said he will do “whatever it takes” to contain Iran, raising the real possibility that the US could find itself drawn into another protracted conflict in the Middle East.\nThe US and Israeli attack on Iran over the weekend has already claimed the lives of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, along with scores of Iranian civilians and six US service members.\nOn Monday, Trump said Washington would look to “destroy Tehran’s missile capabilities, annihilate its navy, stop it from developing nuclear weapons, and prevent Iran from supporting terrorist proxy groups abroad”.\n“Whatever it takes,” Trump said. “Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that . . . We haven’t even started hitting them hard.”\nThe war may also have severe economic consequences. The first three days have destabilised oil markets and sent freight costs soaring as Iran fired on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for crude oil flows.\nUS secretary of state Marco Rubio yesterday warned that Iran could “shut off 20 per cent of global energy” as he said the Trump administration would start to take steps to “mitigate” the impact of the threat.\n“This terroristic regime led by radical clerics has the ability to shut off 20 per cent of global energy. That’s the kind of leverage they have because of their navy,” he said, adding, “we’re going to destroy their navy”.\nThe initial attack has already escalated into a broader conflict. Iran has attacked cities in the UAE and Qatar, as well as a British Air Force base in Cyprus.\nIsrael, meanwhile, has launched a barrage of missiles across Lebanon — including some aimed at Beirut’s southern suburbs — after Hizbollah fired rockets towards Israel.\nAs of Monday evening, those strikes killed 52 people and injured 154, according to Lebanese authorities managing the disaster response.\nThe US military has remained defiant. “Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,” said the US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, in a post on X.\nThe latest headlines\nDonald Trump has attacked Sir Keir Starmer for allowing a “very sad” rupture to open up between the US and UK over the war in Iran.\nGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heading to Washington after justifying the US-Israeli campaign to topple Iran’s regime, in a bid to appease Trump.\nThe US government has dropped its legal effort to enforce punitive executive orders targeting top law firms.\nFrance has offered to deploy its nuclear deterrent across Europe for the first time.\nCanada and India will aim to sign a trade deal by the end of the year following a meeting between the two countries’ leaders.\nWhat we’re hearing\nTrump has so far offered conflicting messages about his goals in Iran, reports the FT’s US foreign affairs correspondent Abigail Hauslohner.\nOn Saturday, Trump described a regime change operation to give the Iranian people the chance to “take over your government” and “seize control of your destiny”.\nOn Sunday, the president told the New York Times that he had picked “three very good choices” among Iran’s officials to take over the country.\nBy Monday, he told ABC that the US and Israeli strikes had been “so successful” the candidates were “all dead”.\n“We don’t know who’s leading the country now. They don’t know who’s leading,” he told CNN.\nDemocratic senator Tim Kaine was critical of the US president’s lack of a plan.\n“It’s like we’re going to break all the china and you guys decide how to put it back together,” Kaine said on Sunday of Trump’s attitude towards the Iranian people. “It seems like that is the strategy.”\nAnd Maga figures were also concerned. This war is “going to uncork a significant can of worms and chaos and destruction in Iran now. Who takes over?” said Erik Prince, who founded the Blackwater private security firm during the Iraq war, on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s podcast. “I don’t see how this is in keeping with the president’s Maga commitment.”\nViewpoints\nPresident Donald Trump promised last year to be a “peacemaker” who ended wars of choice. He is now embroiled against Iran in the mother of all regime changes, writes Edward Luce.\nTrump has no realistic plan for Iran’s future, argues the FT’s chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman.\nRana Foroohar considers whether the US can really build more ships again.\nOil markets will be tested by the escalating crisis in the Middle East, writes energy analyst John Kemp.\nJames Holmes, chair of maritime strategy at the US Naval War College, explains how western navies can keep the Strait of Hormuz open.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:00:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1PdHhZWGRuLWZJTzlYLW9YeFJFX1VSUGNTdzVkNHBzSmEya3ExUVhYLUNRNU1ZQmptUlMzVlpCakNTYl9udm1lbGlPV0lUMnVwZHE2OHJWeW1xWWFWbmhDdktNSVl1eG83eHdPb3o1NHY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_73aa667391ea",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "This Was Not Supposed to Be an Iran Newsletter - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "This Was Not Supposed to Be an Iran Newsletter    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:05:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxQMnJqSUV6V3VCWkROQ3RkdGozYjFmVk9NOVNJTEhJNktSVWdYZnFwNzRkS1VwVDI1X3ZibmIwZnB4RXNpQ08xUHdOa0c0NUM2ZzNTQmg0eDQwSEZQbDJpTXM1TW5iNDdicWg4ekpROGZ2RWV4NVNZejk1RzVqb2hZeTJNN0VwbU9pM2kzN0ZGVnZ0Rm82dlh5YmpfNExFWHM3MEw0OEpRcVRvZTNY?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3f21b7b67cb3",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'They will get me killed': Mothin Ali slams Starmer and Tory MP over smears in parliament - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "'They will get me killed': Mothin Ali slams Starmer and Tory MP over smears in parliament\nThe Green Party's co-deputy leader, Mothin Ali, has told Middle East Eye he fears for his life and has faced death threats after a Conservative MP made a false claim about him in parliament which the prime minister appeared to agree with.\n\"They will get me killed,\" Ali told MEE on Tuesday morning, adding that \"over the last couple of days I've received about 20 death threats\".\nTory MP and former cabinet minister Alec Shelbrooke claimed, while asking a question to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in parliament on Monday, that Ali, a Leeds councillor, had been \"protesting in support of the ayatollah\".\nThe claims had circulated on social media after footage emerged on Saturday of Ali at an anti-war demonstration organised by the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) to protest the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.\nShelbrooke said: \"I was appalled - not shocked, I am afraid to say - as I am sure the PM was, to see at the weekend the deputy leader of the Green Party once again protesting in support of the ayatollah.\"\nHe added: \"The hatred and fear that runs through Leeds now, which has been whipped up at times by Councillor Mothin, is a disgrace.\"\nPrime Minister Keir Starmer responded: \"I think we were all shocked by the actions of the deputy leader of the Green Party - although perhaps not surprised, given that party’s recent turn of direction.\"\n'He's let down the British public'\nAli told MEE he noted that the MP was protected from defamation law by parliamentary privilege. \"He can say what he wants in there and get away with it. I want to see how brave he is. Will he repeat this outside parliament?\"\nAli added: \"The PM is just another coward and allied with the Tories.\n\"He's let down the British public and he needs to resign.\"\nMEE asked Downing Street whether the prime minister would clarify his comments, and did not receive a response.\nMEE asked Shelbrooke whether he would retract his statement and apologise to Ali, or if not, whether he would repeat the claim outside parliament, where he would be liable to legal recourse, and did not receive a response.\nAli said he is not a supporter of the Iranian government and attended the demonstration - at which some attendees held pro-Iran signs - after a strike on a school in Iran on Saturday morning.\nAt that point, dozens of girls were reportedly killed but now it is believed that the death toll was more than 153.\n\"A whole load of little girls had just been blown to bits,\" Ali said. \"I'm not supposed to feel anything about that?\"\n\"When black and brown kids get blown up no one cares.\"\nHe pointed out that false smears could also negatively impact him in the future. \"If I left politics and went for a job interview, this is the first thing people would see online.\"\nGreen Party leader Zack Polanski accused Starmer on Monday afternoon of \"blatant Islamophobia\" and of \"smearing a caring man of principle standing up for peace\".\nOn Tuesday morning, Polanski said: \"There's nothing the establishment is more scared of than a calm, kind, thoughtful gardener who happens to be a Muslim man in politics.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:07:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxQSm5sbUZGZ3VzSk92ako5N0NzcG9aX29pN2pmWjZoeG1PWmR5b09sV0RneGpMX3owS29jbVB3TlY3LUdXb1J6SVBUQV9CdXdjM25QTGdvUU80dGhUckc2V1JDc1pfWnRhb284Q2VyREtuNG5iekg3eXhEQ0ZfUWRJUTVQeW5yV1dramFNczJKc1pLNHZNcE53R2NHcXJtamJBdThjeGFvRWljUzVJc1FWWDFhZVZWVDR0NjhLWW15UVYwUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1b1fb6239f3a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US Embassy in Riyadh warns of 'imminent threat' as Americans urged to leave region - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain supreme leader, as successor\nIran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the recently killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader, according to a statement from the Assembly of Experts published by state media early Monday local time.\nMojtaba Khamenei, 56, is a cleric who has long operated behind the scenes within Iran’s political and religious establishment and maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Though he has never held a formal government post, he has for years been seen as a powerful figure within his father’s inner circle and a potential successor.\nThe development comes after Israel had warned it would target any replacement for the 86-year-old Khamenei who was killed in an Israeli strike during the first day of the war. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Sunday that Israel would pursue “the successor and everyone who tries to appoint him,” warning clerics involved in the selection process that they would also be targeted. Israeli forces struck offices linked to the Assembly of Experts earlier in the war.\nIn Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would intensify despite mounting regional tensions. In remarks broadcast by state media, he said Iran would not yield under pressure and suggested attacks on American-linked targets across the Middle East could escalate if strikes on Iran continue. “When we are attacked, we have no choice but to respond. The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be,” he said.\nThe comments marked a harder line after Pezeshkian sought to reassure Gulf neighbors on Saturday, apologizing for Iranian strikes that had alarmed countries across the region and urging them not to join US and Israeli operations against Iran. Hard-line figures within Iran’s leadership quickly pushed back, insisting that attacks would continue on locations used to support strikes against Iran.\nMeanwhile, hostilities are intensifying in Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said Sunday that 394 people have been killed since fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah escalated earlier in the week.\nEarly Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit a hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, according to the health ministry. Israel said the strike targeted commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force operating in the Lebanese capital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:11:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxOT19adDVCdE1NYlRkMmdjcG5KOWFjSEdnMW85ejRKcUlydW5JUHZ5RWlhclJhZUxpT1dXS2o4aVdZcWVFb1Q5Um5PM25tanZLZDZ0N0VuMVR4NWs1UTkzdnBaSHhCRXRRbm1xdUx6VmgwNm1Rc0NjZ2hvbElsZEw4YmlZOUhFeTVKMEtHOFNsNUd4bER3ZWx0VDJ5RFdiTV91aUtvMTFxM20?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_091c1fdc4fdd",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "OBR warns UK economy could face ‘very significant’ hit from Iran war - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "OBR warns UK economy could face ‘very significant’ hit from Iran war\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:11:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFB0M1E3ZDRITWJlMzM3OFNXOGJKdXFSRUZCSGNiQmZNcEdEMXFyanBYckR1YVZ6STJmLUJRcXhnVzI2dHpBMlVQQzVNR0hkQndxT1hpNU9zbW1fNXJ6NFlMR3dkN094YjB5bGRySmIwWkI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bc441a96587d",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Ambassador Huckabee describes 'best option' for Americans looking to flee Israel - Fox News",
    "body_text": "U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described what he believes is the \"best option\" for Americans looking to flee Israel amid the ongoing unrest across the Middle East.\nHuckabee said overnight, \"We are getting a lot of requests regarding evacuating from Israel from American citizens who are currently in Israel or who have family here,\" and that there are \"very limited\" options available.\n\"As of now, the best is utilizing Israel's Ministry of Tourism shuttle bus to Taba, Egypt and getting flights from there or going on to Cairo for flights back to the U.S.,\" Huckabee said on X. \"Not sure when Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv will reopen. Hopefully soon, but even when it does, there will be VERY limited flights with priorities to those who already were ticketed by El Al. Doubtful that other airlines will fly in/out for a while.\"\n\"The Ministry of Tourism is operating buses to Taba. That crossing is further away, but it’s open 24/7. There are some flights from Taba, but there are also options to get to Cairo, and it’s operating normally except to Middle Eastern countries. To get out, it’s the best option for now,\" Huckabee added.\nHuckabee also said he does not recommend Americans exit via Jordan at this time, as \"Flights are not consistent and access across the Allenby crossing has limited hours.\"\n\"All of our personnel from [the] embassy are sheltering in place, but I realize you may need to get people out and back home and not continue to incur hotel costs,\" the ambassador wrote.\nU.S. Embassy Jerusalem said in a statement early Tuesday morning that it is \"not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.\" It also mentioned the Israeli Ministry of Tourism’s buses to Taba.\n\"To be added to the passenger list for a shuttle, you must register via the Ministry’s evacuation form,\" it said.\n\"The U.S. Embassy cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle. If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety,\" it added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:18:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQVGJ0Zm5hYWNIWXVjRWJNZGtSMEFoemNZMGVmYUpzZmdIX2U3YUVaa0RSbjNBY2RGb3ZWamt6dHVZTVI1blBQZTViaTN5cGQtZjkxeEhpSTRvWFJlbldZTzBicFNHVkJUVGlHSndFZzlldTNTMmxGQkoxekJvMVlyTTVuSGhkQ3Z2MHZXMVNBdlJDOEpfeHFkQkEwaUluLWROdTBn0gGoAUFVX3lxTE9ObklISVdDVEdZM181eWI2TDAyRldhdUZUVDFEOUJHTTRsbEpldTVFS2NGQUpwcy1uN0xkVkthcXpqd1plbGEwYVlfY0JZdFlwTHZzeEtTZnpOY2QzQnF6Y0VESmFIRUJYSk9MdjhsQm4xcXlkaWZ4U09BeHgwdzlMMWhGT25ZZER3RVRVRzdlS2ZaYnBxdzh5U1JoQWJ6aWNvNkJPaUd2bA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3869329ba780",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Ambassador Huckabee describes 'best option' for Americans looking to flee Israel",
    "body_text": "Fox News correspondent Nate Foy reports on the latest updates on the conflict in the Middle East as Iran, Israel and the U.S. continue attacks on ‘Fox News @ Night.’\n\nU.S. Ambassadorto IsraelMike Huckabee described what he believes is the \"best option\" for Americans looking to flee Israel amid the ongoing unrest across the Middle East.\n\nHuckabee said overnight, \"We are getting a lot of requests regarding evacuating from Israel from American citizens who are currently in Israel or who have family here,\" and that there are \"very limited\" options available.\n\n\"As of now, the best is utilizing Israel's Ministry of Tourism shuttle bus to Taba, Egypt and getting flights from there or going on to Cairo for flights back to the U.S.,\" Huckabee said on X. \"Not sure whenBen Gurion Airport in Tel Avivwill reopen.  Hopefully soon, but even when it does, there will be VERY limited flights with priorities to those who already were ticketed by El Al. Doubtful that other airlines will fly in/out for a while.\"\n\n\"The Ministry of Tourism is operating buses to Taba. That crossing is further away, but it’s open 24/7. There are some flights from Taba, but there are also options to get to Cairo, and it’s operating normally except to Middle Eastern countries. To get out, it’s the best option for now,\" Huckabee added.\n\nU.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, left, and emergency personnel at the site of an Iranian missile strike on a residential building in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 1, 2026.(Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images; Ronen Zvulun/TPX Images of the Day/Reuters)\n\nHuckabee also said he does not recommend Americans exit via Jordan at this time, as \"Flights are not consistent and access across the Allenby crossing has limited hours.\"\n\n\"All of our personnel from [the] embassy aresheltering in place, but I realize you may need to get people out and back home and not continue to incur hotel costs,\" the ambassador wrote.\n\nNETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL'S STRIKES ON IRAN WON'T LEAD TO ‘ENDLESS WAR’\n\nPeople take shelter in Tel Aviv on Sunday, March 1, 2026, after Iran launched missile barrages following attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday.(Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)\n\nU.S. Embassy Jerusalemsaid in a statement early Tuesday morning that it is \"not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.\" It also mentioned the Israeli Ministry of Tourism’s buses to Taba.\n\n\"To be added to the passenger list for a shuttle, you must register via the Ministry’s evacuation form,\" it said.\n\nA firefighter works to put out a fire in Tel Aviv after Iran launched missiles into Israel on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(Tomer Appelbaum/Reuters)\n\n\"The U.S. Embassy cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle. If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety,\" it added.\n\nGreg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:18:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/ambassador-huckabee-describes-best-option-americans-looking-flee-israel",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_20a69b9e30ac",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel-US strikes hit building of assembly choosing new Iran leader in Qom - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israeli and US strikes on Tuesday hit the building of a body tasked with electing Iran's new supreme leader, local media reported.\n\"The American-Zionist criminals attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom,\" south of Tehran, according to the Tasnim news agency.\nLocal media showed footage of the building severely damaged in the strikes. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes on Saturday.\nReporting by AFP",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:22:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxPT2lRTnFMQWxMbVBVWTdxWncwNnRwdEJvT18xZDRWRExtN2labS1NOVR4NDRVd1dwejhUX3VXUDZBdFdwMzZXZEZTZVJhT3NHTG1oZ1lIN3UxTlJOMFB3b3c4UXVEY092RE1XTG9XSlVwRGZ4TGQyZVFEdzB4OGtodGVIcElLN3k2M2Q2a040cV9zYnR6cHBLY2ZhdmZvMzVpMXJQU3hxNk11QWdhWkdKMDFhckYzd3VFM3BkUEp1bGhqcEJicVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6f1d7b36373c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Is Iran expanding attacks to target energy and civilian sites in the Gulf?",
    "body_text": "Hours after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran on Saturday, Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel and US military assets located in several Gulf countries.\nIran has since struck targets in Israel as well as US military assets in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).\nWhile the Iranian attacks initially focused on US military assets, Gulf states said Tehran has expanded attacks targeting civilian infrastructure including hotels, airports and energy facilities.\nWhat sites has Iran hit in Gulf countries?\nUS military assets\nOn Saturday, Bahrain said that a missile attack targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, located in the capital, Manama.\nKuwait’s Defence Ministry said that Ali al-Salem airbase came under attack by a number of ballistic missiles, all of which were intercepted by Kuwaiti air defence systems.\nIn Qatar, the Defence Ministry says it “thwarted” attacks on the country in accordance with a “pre-approved security plan”, intercepting “all missiles” before they reached the country’s territory. On Saturday, Iran had targeted the Al Udeid airbase, which hosts the US forces, the government said.\nOver the past four days of the conflict, attacks on Gulf countries have intensified, and governments in the region say they have intercepted large numbers of Iranian missiles and drones.\nBahrain said its air defence systems have destroyed 73 missiles and 91 drones launched by Iran since the start of the latest conflict.\nThe UAE Defence Ministry spokesperson said that 186 missiles were launched and 172 of them were destroyed. One missile landed on UAE territory. Additionally, 812 Iranian drones were monitored, and 755 of them were intercepted.\nQatar’s Ministry of Defence said that three cruise missiles were detected and intercepted since Saturday. Additionally, 101 ballistic missiles were detected, and 98 were intercepted. Thirty-nine drones were detected, and 24 were intercepted. On Monday, the Qatari Defence Ministry said in a statement that the air force downed two Iranian SU-24 fighter jets.\nUS embassies\nEarly on Tuesday, a “limited fire” broke out at the US embassy in the Saudi capital of Riyadh after it was hit by two drones. The attack caused “minor material damage” to the compound, the Saudi Ministry of Defence said in a statement.\nBlack smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions, after the attack, the Reuters news agency reported.\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait released a statement on Tuesday saying that a “treacherous Iranian attack” targeted the US embassy building in Kuwait. This came a day after videos emerged that showed smoke emerging from near the embassy in Kuwait City.\nThe statement called the attack a “flagrant violation of all international norms and laws, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Vienna Convention of 1961 on Diplomatic Relations, which grant immunity to diplomatic buildings and their staff even in cases of armed conflict.”\nOn Monday, three US jets crashed in Kuwait. The US military blamed the crash on “friendly fire”, but a Kuwaiti statement did not give a reason for the incident.\nThe US embassy in Kuwait on Tuesday suspended operations until further notice, citing the “ongoing regional tensions”.\nEnergy infrastructure\nQatar’s state-run energy firm and the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), QatarEnergy, announced on Monday that it had halted LNG production following Iranian attacks on its operational facilities in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed in Qatar.\nIranian officials have publicly denied targeting QatarEnergy.\nSaudi Arabia shut down operations at the Ras Tanura plant, its biggest domestic oil refinery operated by Saudi Aramco, after a fire broke out at the facility that officials said was caused by debris from the interception of two Iranian drones.\nIran’s Tasnim News Agency quoted an unnamed Iranian military source as saying: “The attack on Aramco was an Israeli false flag operation,” adding that Israel’s goal was “to distract the minds of regional countries from its crimes in attacking civilian sites in Iran.”\n“Iran has announced frankly that it will target all American and Israeli interests, installations and facilities in the region, and has attacked many of them so far, but Aramco facilities have not been among the targets of Iranian attacks so far,” the source told the agency.\nTasnim quoted the source as saying: “According to data provided to us by intelligence sources, the port of Fujairah in the UAE is also one of the next targets of the Israelis in the false flag operation, and this regime intends to attack it.”\nAirports\nAirports have been targeted in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, and also in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq. Officials have blamed Iran for the strikes, though Tehran has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks on those facilities.\nAn Al Jazeera correspondent reported that Erbil International Airport was targeted twice on Saturday, with a drone attempting to target the airport and air defences intercepting and shooting it down.\nQatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told a news conference on Tuesday that there were attempts to attack Hamad International Airport, but they all failed.\nAt Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, at least one person was killed and seven wounded during what the facility’s authority called an “incident.”\nThe Dubai media office wrote in an X post that part of Dubai International Airport “sustained minor damage in an incident”, without specifying what the incident was or who was behind it.\nThe region’s airspace, one of the busiest in the world, has been closed in the wake of the conflict, stranding tens of thousands of travellers. About 20,000 passengers have been stranded in the UAE, while almost 8,000 people are also stuck in transit in Qatar as the airspace remains closed.\nQatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad, which together operate more than 1,000 flights daily, have suspended operations. Emirates on Monday announced limited flight resumption, but normal operations have not started.\nHotels and residencies\nThe Interior Ministry of Bahrain said on Saturday that several residential buildings in Manama had been hit, reporting on X that the civil defence was engaged in firefighting and rescue operations at the affected sites.\nOn Saturday, Iran fired 137 missiles and 209 drones across the UAE, its Ministry of Defence said, with fires and smoke reaching the Dubai landmarks of Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab.\nVideos circulating on social media showed smoke emerging from the entrance of a five-star luxury hotel, Fairmont The Palm, in the Palm Jumeirah area.\nQatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson al-Ansari said on Tuesday that Iranian targets are not just military, but all of the country’s territory. He did not go into detail about which parts of Qatar are specifically being targeted.\nAl-Ansari said that all red lines have been crossed; from the north to the south of Qatar, Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan reported from Doha, Qatar.\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had targeted a hotel complex in Bahrain because it was hosting US soldiers.\n“We are not targeting our brothers or neighbours in the Persian Gulf. But we are targeting US targets, and this is clear,” Araghchi said on Tuesday.\n“We started by attacking their military bases, and they evacuated their military bases and moved them to hotels and created human shields for themselves. We try to target military personnel, infrastructure and facilities helping the US and its army in launching operations against Iran.”\nWhy is Iran targeting civilian infrastructure in the Gulf?\nOne of the reasons why the Iranians are resorting to hitting civilian infrastructure in neighbouring countries is to “demonstrate their military capabilities,” Luciano Zaccara, Iran and Gulf analyst at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera.\n“Iran is retaliating against all the attacks, not in one place, but in almost 10 simultaneously,” he said.\n“The other thing is the political message they want to give that if Iran is attacked, the impact will be global,” Zaccara said, noting that the main message is that not only Iran, but the economy of the whole region, will be affected.\n“And neither the US, the region, nor the consumers of energy are able to continue this way,” he said.\nZaccara added: “But at this point, they [Iran] don’t care that much, considering that they have been under sanctions for a long time. So it’s not affecting the Iranian economy that much. And the fact that the oil price is going up – even though they export very little – means they are still surviving.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:23:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/is-iran-expanding-attacks-to-target-energy-and-civilian-sites-in-the-gulf?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8880c6734af2",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Lebanon’s ban on Hezbollah ‘activities’: bold but difficult to implement",
    "body_text": "Beirut, Lebanon – Hezbollah raised the stakes for the Lebanese government on Tuesday, when it launched an attack on Israel’s Ramat Airbase and a barrage of rockets another military facility in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a day after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s cabinet announced a ban on Hezbollah’s military and security activities.\nAnalysts said that the Lebanese government’s decision, while difficult to implement, might have a decisive impact on the future of Lebanon. Some say it was a necessary step to bring decisions related to security and defence under the central government’s control, while others argue it raises the spectre of internal strife.\nImad Salamey, a political scientist at the Lebanese American University, said that implementation of the government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah was “more plausible today than in previous years because the decision reflects unusually broad national backing, including from within the Shia political sphere”.\n“Amal’s vote in favour signals that support for consolidating arms under state authority is no longer framed purely as a sectarian or anti-resistance demand, but increasingly as a state-stabilisation necessity – especially amid economic collapse and regional escalation,” he said, referring to the other Lebanese Shia Muslim group headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.\nBut Michael Young, a Lebanon expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center, said the decision was easier said than done.\n“Implementation is going to he much more complicated. The army is not enthusiastic to enter into a fight with Hezbollah,” Young told Al Jazeera.\n“It’s good that the state has taken this decision, but it is not good that the army seems very reluctant to implement this decision,” he added.\nThe Iran-backed Hezbollah effectively joined the war that the United States and Israel started against Iran on Saturday when it launched a barrage of rockets and drones towards northern Israel on Monday, saying it was acting to avenge the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran and Israel’s near-daily attacks on Lebanon.\nIsrael responded by hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs with loud attacks that woke many of the city’s residents up, and issued evacuation warnings for more than 50 towns, displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes.\nHezbollah’s military actions banned\nAs this unfolded, Salam’s cabinet met and debated the events before the prime minister called an emergency news conference.\n“We announce a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities and restrict its role to the political sphere,” Salam said in a news conference on Monday after the meeting.\n“We declare our rejection of any military or security operations launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of legitimate institutions.”\nHe added that all of Hezbollah’s military or security activities are “illegal” and said security forces would “prevent any attacks originating from Lebanese territory” against Israel or other states.\n“We declare our commitment to the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of negotiations,” he said.\nThe statement was the strongest stance against Hezbollah to date and even gained the support of Parliament Speaker, and longtime staunch Hezbollah ally, Nabih Berri, who leads the Amal Movement.\nJustice Minister Adel Nassar, meanwhile, ordered the arrest of the people who ordered the attack.\nA ‘landmark’ decision\nHezbollah has been Lebanon’s strongest political and military force for decades. But the 2023-2024 war with Israel devastated the group. Hezbollah lost the majority of its military leadership, including longtime Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.\nSince the end of that war, a debate over Hezbollah’s weapons and role has ensued. Salam’s government has promised to disarm Hezbollah, while the group itself only accepted giving up its arms south of the Litani River that cuts across southern Lebanon.\nDespite a November 2024 ceasefire agreement, Israel continued to attack south and east Lebanon almost daily. But since Hezbollah’s retaliation, Israel has started bombing Beirut’s suburbs again. On Monday alone, Israel killed more than 52 people, wounded more than 150 others, struck targets all over Lebanon, and gave evacuation orders for more than 50 Lebanese towns.\nWhile Hezbollah’s first attack on Israel in over a year took many by surprise, Israel’s violent response did not.\nCritics of Hezbollah pointed out that the group had acted recklessly and gave Israel an excuse to unleash its fury on Lebanon. Israel has also spoken about a potential ground invasion.\nFor analysts, the Lebanese government’s decision was a clear indication of how far the group has fallen since 2024.\n“The government’s decision to officially ban all Hezbollah activities represents a landmark shift in the position of the government toward disarming Hezbollah,” Dania Arayssi, a senior analyst at New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, told Al Jazeera. “This is a further reaffirmation that Hezbollah has lost a lot, if not all, its political power and influence in the Lebanese government.”\nArayssi said Hezbollah’s diminished status since 2024 also meant that the likelihood of a clash between the group and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) was minimal.\n“I don’t think there is a possibility of this leading to internal strife,” she said.\nHezbollah challenges Salam’s government\nHezbollah did not welcome the announcement.\nThe head of Hezbollah’s Parliamentary Bloc, Mohammad Raad, dispelled rumours of his assassination on Monday evening when he released a statement dismissing the government’s decision.\n“We see no justification for Prime Minister Salam and his government to take bombastic decisions against Lebanese citizens who reject the occupation and accuse them of violating the peace that the enemy itself has denied and refused to uphold for a year and four months,” Raad said in a statement. “[Israel] has imposed a state of daily war on the Lebanese people.”\n“The Lebanese were expecting a decision to ban aggression, but instead they are faced with a decision to ban the rejection of aggression,” Raad added.\nJawad Salhab, a political researcher and analyst, called the government’s move “a grave betrayal of the Lebanese people and a grave betrayal of the Lebanese state, whose sovereignty has been violated for 15 months.”\n“Fifteen months of strategic patience have cost us more than 500 martyrs, while this Zionist enemy has persisted in its aggression against Lebanon and its sovereignty by air, land, and sea,” he said.\nOvernight on Monday, leading into Tuesday, Israel struck targets around Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut. In one strike, Israel targeted al-Manar, Hezbollah’s television station.\nThen, on Tuesday morning, Hezbollah attacked Israel again, in what will be interpreted as a clear challenge to Salam’s announcement.\nThe Lebanese army had been tasked with an earlier government decision to disarm Hezbollah and said in January that it completed the first phase south of the Litani River. But Hezbollah has refused to move along with phase two, set to take place between the Litani and the Awali River, which is near the city of Sidon.\nNicholas Blanford, a nonresident senior fellow with the US-based Atlantic Council, told Al Jazeera that the government’s move was a “bold step” but one that might be difficult to enforce.\n“How can they implement the decision?” Blanford asked, adding that it increased the potential for internal conflict.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:27:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/3/lebanons-ban-on-hezbollah-activities-bold-but-difficult-to-implement?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4ed7ca5300e4",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway essential for global energy supply - AP News",
    "body_text": "What to know about the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway essential for global energy supply\nWhat to know about the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway essential for global energy supply\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The widening war in Iran has ground tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a halt and oil prices have soared, highlighting the important role the narrow passageway plays in global energy supply.\nThe Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Tankers traveling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. Most of that oil goes to Asia.\nAny disruption to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is highly disruptive to the oil trade.\n“The scale of what is at stake cannot be overstated,” said Hakan Kaya, senior portfolio manager at investment management firm Neuberger Berman. He said a partial slowdown lasting a week or two could be absorbed by oil companies. But a full or near full closure lasting a month or more would push crude oil prices, trading above $75 on Tuesday, “well into triple digits” and European natural gas prices “toward or above the crisis levels seen in 2022.”\nHere’s what to know about the strait and the widening Iran war.\nA key waterway for global shipping\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a bending waterway, about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point. It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world. While Iran and Oman have their territorial waters in the strait, it’s viewed as an international waterway all ships can ply. The United Arab Emirates, home to the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai, also sits near the waterway.\nThe strait long has been important for trade\nThe Strait of Hormuz through history has been important for trade, with ceramics, ivory, silk and textiles moving from China through the region. In the modern era, it is the route for supertankers carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. The vast majority of it goes to markets in Asia, including Iran’s only remaining oil customer, China.\nWhile there are pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that can avoid the passage, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says “most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region.”\nThreats to the route have spiked global energy prices in the past, including during the Israel-Iran war in June.\nIs the strait closed?\nIran has attacked several ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened any ships that try to pass through, effectively closing it. But a move by Trump on Tuesday to protect tankers in the strait could get things moving again.\n“The Strait of Hormuz is closed,” declared Iranian Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, vowing that any ships that passed through it would be set on fire.\nPreviously, Iran temporarily shut down parts of the strait in mid-February for what it said was a military drill. Oil prices jumped about 6% in the following days.\nIn past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping though the narrows, and during the 1980s’ Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points. But Iran had not carried out repeated threats to close the waterway altogether since the 1980s, even during last year’s 12-day war when Israel and the U.S. bombarded Iran’s key nuclear and military sites.\nOn Tuesday, President Donald Trump pitched a plan aimed at getting oil and trade moving again through the Strait.\nTrump said on social media he ordered the U.S. development finance arm to provide political risk insurance for tankers carrying oil and other goods through the Persian Gulf “at a very reasonable price.”\nPolitical risk insurance is a type of coverage intended to protect firms against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions, or violence. Marine insurers had been canceling or raising rates for insurance in the region.\nTrump said that, if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy has at least eight destroyers and three, smaller, littoral combat ships in the region. These ships have previously been used to escort merchant shipping in the region and in the Red Sea.\nGlobal shippers suspend operations\nGlobal shippers have issued service alerts saying they have suspended operations in the area. Danish shipping company Maersk, the world’s biggest shipping company, said Sunday it is suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. Other ocean carriers including Hapag-Lloyd, CMA-CGM and MSC made similar announcements.\n“Those ships that got stuck in the Gulf are not going anywhere,” said Tom Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. “There’s also a whole host of ships that were heading into the Gulf to replace them, and of course they’re anchored or going elsewhere now.”\nAbout 3,200 ships, about 4% of global ship tonnage, are idle inside the Persian Gulf, according to estimates by Clarksons Research, which tracks shipping data. Yet that includes about 1,231 ships that likely only operate within the Gulf. About 500 ships, or 1% of global tonnage, are currently “waiting” outside the Gulf in ports off the coast of the UAE and Oman, according to the firm.\n__\nFatima Hussein and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report. Anderson reported from New York.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:30:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxNWDZOWTBYR1plLUJ1M0NTMHFSSGNQclYxcE40UFFJWTdjZTRDN0xiMFR5dk50OW5fMENIcjlaNGZ3aldQZ3kwNk1xQjU2UElXaGRLSDRoZ0lLWDhGR0o2TndEQWRSZ2NKbU1IdGdUQ0pZaThBM1JfOTZtbVpibzN6MlRSVDI4cEE5S3BjMHlYMXVSdTg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9e469a1c3af5",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran shows government buildings destroyed by US-Israeli strikes",
    "body_text": "Iran shows government buildings destroyed by US-Israeli strikes\nUS and Israeli strikes destroyed a diplomatic police centre and a state-owned cultural institute in Tehran, footage from an Iranian government-organised media tour shows. At least 787 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the attacks.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:31:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/iran-shows-government-buildings-destroyed-by-us-israeli-strikes?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_22e839c45a4f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The U.S.-Israel Conflict with Iran: Four Initial Takeaways - German Marshall Fund of the United States",
    "body_text": "The Conflict with Iran\nAs the US-Israel military operation against Iran’s clerical regime continues, it is too early to predict if the stated objective of regime change will prove achievable, or if the Islamic Republic will instead endure. Yet even amid the fog of war, four initial takeaways stand out.\n-\nA Narrow Opening for Change in Iran\nThe government in Tehran has maintained its grip on power despite long-term sanctions imposed by the world’s leading economic powers, last year’s US-Israel campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities, and widespread popular dissatisfaction erupting into regular popular protests. The regime’s unity and willingness to use widespread lethal force against its own population has underpinned its resilience, but the successful targeting of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior clerical and military leaders could disrupt a seemingly unshakeable system. For now, replacement of the clerics and their security forces with a democratic government in Iran appears improbable. More likely is regime alteration, with a badly mauled but still functioning Islamic Republic restraining its behavior at home and abroad as the price for ending the ongoing conflict. That alone would represent an incremental improvement for Iranians and the Middle East. To be sure, sharply negative outcomes are also possible. They range from the ascendance of a more ideologically extreme leader in Tehran to chaotic regime collapse that radiates instability beyond Iran’s borders.\n-\nPotential Upside for Global Order\nFrom an international legal perspective, the current military operation, which has occurred without UN Security Council endorsement, or even debate, further undermines the rules-based international order. Yet a more expansive definition of that order—one that prohibits governments from promoting terror with impunity or controlling their neighbors through proxy militias—puts the operation in a different light. Even if aspirations for regime change go unrealized, a deterred and diminished government in Tehran would yield a net gain for regional stability. Iran’s widening attacks against the Gulf states may also strengthen regional order by encouraging them to overlook past disputes and forge a new solidarity. There are potential benefits to global order as well. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Iran has functioned as a key part of Russia’s war machine by providing drone components and production expertise. That may now end. The operation against Iran is also unlikely to embolden Russia or China. The two countries may condemn the United States and Israel for violating international law, but their calculus of restraint versus aggression reflects assessments of raw power and the resolve of the United States and its allies.\n-\nAn Emerging Standard for U.S. Allies\nWhatever the outcome, the strikes against Iran will elevate Washington’s expectations of allies in other potential conflicts. The National Defense Strategy (NDS) released in January prioritizes cooperation with allies that “are spending as they need to and visibly doing more against threats in the regions, with critical but limited U.S. support”. The NDS explicitly cites Israel as a “model ally”. The level of coordination, interoperability, and battlefield contributions that Israel is delivering during the current Middle East conflict will further reinforce its benchmark status within the Trump administration. US allies worldwide, and particularly those in Europe given Washington’s scrutiny of NATO defense spending, should anticipate being held to the standard that Israel has set.\n-\nA Trump Administration Strategy of Consolidation\nThe operation against Iran illustrates a defining aspiration of the Trump administration’s foreign policy: consolidation. Under this approach, the United States seeks to reduce the number of conflicts and national security challenges that require its attention and resources. In Gaza, this was reflected in pressure on Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire that neither party initially wanted. In Venezuela, consolidation has taken the form of capturing Nicolás Maduro and compelling his de facto successor to align Caracas with US interests and move away from cooperation with extra-regional competitors. The Trump administration’s continued pursuit of a negotiated end to Russia’s war against Ukraine also reflects the logic of consolidation. Regarding Iran, the United States has for decades dedicated significant diplomatic attention and military resources to managing the challenges that the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile capabilities, nuclear program, and regional proxy networks pose. Short of regime change, a severely weakened and inward-focused Tehran would, in the short-to-medium term, enable the United States to limit its Middle East commitments.\nHistory will ultimately judge the wisdom of the ongoing operation. An outcome that is more than a short-lived threat reduction and less than a complete regime change may well be deemed a favorable inflection point for the Middle East.\nThe views expressed herein are those solely of the author(s). GMF as an institution does not take positions.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:31:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTE52cV9aMFQ2a0Jnc0ctZ3QtMFlPXzFMSVlvZmRMLVNDRF9tWF9aaW5JVW5XOFBvV3d5UFpjcXItci1WbGNwVXhHTkVLTkpVSmVqMVJuT1JKSjhJdFloc1NRMF9QNkx5WHg5VHFCdWtGc1M4SElaN1Y0Z05OYl9udw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c3125b48d757",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Qatar says it downed Iranian missiles targeting its airport",
    "body_text": "Qatar says it downed Iranian missiles targeting its airport\nQatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed al-Ansari says its military prevented Iranian missiles from attacking Hamad International Airport, adding that Iranian attacks are not limited to just “military installations or American interests”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:40:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/qatar-says-it-downed-iranian-missiles-targeting-its-airport?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bebfeb005ced",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran has not contacted US about possible peace talks, says Tehran's UN envoy - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran has not contacted US about possible peace talks, says Tehran's UN envoy    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:42:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxQUktzUTZRakdDRXB3eUFvSUZvX3hRS0pmckU0UEVFUWVxWWhpQUNMdEU1OEhacEpzOWZBZGpMYmh0WkdlMjJ5cGlpcll1Tm1ZNDVSM2RLME9KRTdjRXNjOW9sZXZ3T2hzRmlvd2ZxMGh5bEVIMGpwVjVxbDhPaGZrZDlfMzVZbXBoLVFzVHVSd2ZzSTRMNFBQMVV2M2FlWkFNVUdRRGRqb0R6UTN2OFQyU0pHVXE0RFBYcExFSlBfSUF3VGQwM1FZ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_708cf10d3549",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran has not contacted US about possible peace talks, says Tehran's UN envoy - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran has not contacted US about possible peace talks, says Tehran's UN envoy\nBy Olivia Le Poidevin\nGENEVA, March 3 (Reuters) - Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday ruled out for now any negotiations with the United States, three days after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on his country.\nExplosions rocked Tehran again on Tuesday, and financial markets around the world tumbled amid fears of a prolonged disruption to global energy supplies. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have given open-ended answers when asked how long the war might last.\nAli Bahreini, ambassador of the Iranian mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told reporters that Iran had not contacted the U.S. either directly or indirectly about holding talks to de-escalate the conflict or about resuming negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme.\nAsked about the prospects for any talks, Bahreini said: \"For the time being we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation... The only language for talking with the United States is the language of defence.\"\n\"I don't think it is a time for having any kind of negotiation from our side,\" he added.\nIranian and U.S. negotiators held talks in Geneva last Thursday which Oman, their mediator, said had produced progress, but the U.S. and Israel began their airstrikes on Iran two days later, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials and triggering a regional crisis.\nIran has retaliated by firing missiles and drones at neighbouring Gulf Arab states and at Israel and by strangling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil and huge volumes of gas skirt its coastline.\nTrump has suggested the war could take four or five weeks, while Netanyahu has said it is \"not going to take years\".\nA source familiar with Israel's war plan told Reuters on Tuesday that the Israeli campaign had been planned to last two weeks and was moving faster than expected.\n(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by Gareth Jones)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:43:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxNMTFDbmtDWE5CbnUtVHd6dWNWdWVTWDBEa3RJM2wyeGdWc2lRUGE5U2F5SEpVQ2twWnI2dUR4UWFpeEp5ZXJ4ODRCTXlLbUlDVjRWSXVkTUw1TFA2RThhMlNBVjlXVVNJMXRPRGhFdmQwcWItTVc3c0tZOXJia2pjREVwZWFFRTFPN3VDVzBQUlNldTZFODluVGNaYzI2S1FJc0FmdW1nZHY5TFlfRGduYUYzME9qcjkydkZB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_83a557bb75f8",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran war presents a different script for markets - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran war presents a different script for markets\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:47:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1MVFlRY0NIVXBXNFdIR1ZZTm5WVVJ0LUJGbEJWblhMR1h4YnoyQ0Rod2RkTmFzUFpUR2h6U1N3SjljQy1rRGluNEtRNVRWSkRfV20xV2ZTM1BlUWo1YV9uUTJPVTlfbFpNejBGbHNiMDc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e55ad053809e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Inside the US-Israel plan to assassinate Iran’s Khamenei",
    "body_text": "After more than three decades as Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated in US and Israeli air strikes on Saturday morning.\nThe man who led the country in two capacities since 1981 was a key figure in the Islamic revolution that overthrew the Iranian monarchy in 1979. He first served as president, then as supreme leader following the 1989 death of revolutionary leader Rohollah Khomeini.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Could the US run low on weapons for its assault on Iran?\n- list 2 of 4Photos: The aftermath of Israeli and US strikes on Tehran\n- list 3 of 4India, Europe feel fuel crunch as Gulf gas supplies disrupted amid war\n- list 4 of 4Photos: Iran mourns 165 people killed in school strike\nWhile credited with leading Tehran through a bloody, eight-year war against Iraq in the 1980s and fostering an economy that survived despite Western sanctions, his reign was racked by mass protests against rigged elections, human rights violations and economic hardship.\nMost recently, protests in December and January, which escalated from demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran over inflation to calls for regime change across the country, were violently suppressed by state forces, resulting in massacres.\nKhamenei was killed early in the strikes, along with several senior military officials, including from the elite army unit, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nAs of Monday, 787 people had been confirmed killed across the country, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. At least 165 schoolgirls and staff were killed in a strike on a school in southern Minab city on Saturday.\nHere’s what we know so far about how Khamenei’s assassination unfolded:\nHow did the Israel-US alliance know where to hit?\nThe air strikes, which targeted Khamenei and his top defence officials, took place on Saturday at around 9:40am in Tehran (06:10 GMT).\nKhamenei was killed in a central Tehran location that houses the offices and residence of the supreme leader, Iran’s president, and the country’s National Security Council.\nAccording to The New York Times, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the operation, the US’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had gathered information about a Saturday morning meeting there that would include Khamenei and the country’s senior military cadre. The CIA then shared the information with Israel.\nCBS, also citing an anonymous official, reported that the CIA shared Khamenei’s location data with Israel.\nIn US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social statement in the wake of Khamenei’s killing, he wrote that the late leader “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do”.\nIt is unclear if the US intercepted phone or other digital communications, used satellite imagery, or used covert human agents to obtain this information.\nIt is also unclear why the country’s most senior military leaders decided to gather in a predictable location while threats of a US-Israel attack were imminent.\nIt is known, however, that Israel has long recruited covert operatives in Iran and was watching Khamenei’s circle for years, gathering information as mundane as how and where they get food, an unnamed ex-CIA official told The Guardian. During the 12-day war last June, six Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated, some in their homes.\nAnalyst Rosemary Kelanic, speaking to Canadian public broadcaster CBC, said the US probably used a “combination of human intelligence on the ground, potentially through Israeli assets, as well as signals intelligence and the ability of the United States to use over-the-horizon and, in this case, local assets to target pretty much anywhere on the planet that it wants to hit”.\nThe CIA had also been tracking Khamenei’s location for months, according to The Times, even before the 12-day war. Since that conflict, the US had intensified its surveillance of Khamenei, as well as of the IRGC, in general, monitoring how officials communicated and moved during stress periods, the Times reported.\nTrump had also referred to US intelligence regarding the supreme leader’s location last year.\n“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump said on June 17, posting on his Truth Social platform amid the Iran-Israel conflict that lasted from June 13 to 24.\n“He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin,” Trump posted.\nAt the time, Israel presented a plan to assassinate Khamenei, but Trump rejected it, fearing wider regional conflict, according to reporting by the The Associated Press, which cited officials familiar with the talks.\nHow did the strike on Khamenei unfold?\nAlthough Israel and the US had planned to hit the country at night to take advantage of darkness, as was the method during the 12-day war’s Operation Midnight Hammer, the CIA’s information about the gathering moved up the timing of Saturday’s attacks, the Times reported.\nIt is understood that Israel unilaterally launched the attack on Khamenei, using US intelligence, according to reports by multiple US media outlets.\nSpeaking to CBS, Republican Congressman Mike Turner said the US was not directly involved in the assassination. Turner said he had confirmed from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who “was very clear in the answer that we did not target Khamenei, and we were not targeting the leadership in Iran”.\nAccording to media reports, Israeli fighter jets took off from a base in Israel around 6:00am local time (04:00 GMT) on Saturday. It is unclear how many aircraft were involved or how many bombs were dropped, but it was reported there had been “a few” fighter jets all armed with “long-range and highly accurate munitions”.\nTheir travel to Iran took about two hours, at which point they dropped bombs on the Tehran compound where Khamenei was located. While the top military officials had gathered in one building at the time of the hit, Khamenei was in another building nearby, The Times reported.\nSimultaneously, the US military’s Cyber Command division appeared to block communications signals in Iran. In his briefing after the assassination, Dan Caine, the US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said “the first movers were US Cybercom and US Spacecom, layering non-kinetic effects, disrupting and degrading and blinding Iran’s ability to see, communicate and respond.”\nSatellite imagery of the compound following the strikes showed smoke rising from the rubble of the buildings.\nOn Sunday, Iranian authorities announced a three-member leadership council to temporarily lead the country: President Masoud Pezeshkian; the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei; and a member of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.\nWhich other leaders were targeted?\nSeveral Iranian military leaders were assassinated alongside Khameini, as well as in follow-up strikes afterwards.\nAbout a dozen members of Khamenei’s family and close entourage, along with 40 other senior Iranian leaders, died in the Saturday attacks, military officials in Israel told The Guardian newspaper in the UK.\nAt least 13 top defence officials were confirmed killed at the Saturday meeting and in targeted strikes on other locations on the same day, including:\n- Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the IRGC.\n- Azis Nasirzadeh, Defence Minister.\n- Ali Shamkani, Head of the National Defence Council.\n- Seyyed Majid Mousavi, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force.\n- Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.\n- Mohammad Shirazi, Head of Military Office of the Supreme Leader.\n- Salah Asadi – Head of the Intelligence Directorate.\n- Hossein Habal Amelian – Chairman of the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND).\n- Reza Mozaffari Nia, Former SPND Chairman.\n- Mohammad Baseri, Senior Intelligence Official.\n- Bahram Hosseini Motlagh, Head of Operations Planning, General Staff of Armed Forces.\n- Gholamreza Rezian, Commander of Police Intelligence.\n- Mohsen Darrebaghi, Deputy for Logistics and Support, General Staff of Armed Forces.\nWho else has been targeted?\nJoint US-Israeli strikes have continued to hit locations across Iran since Saturday, striking several hospitals and schools in residential areas, including the Gandhi hospital.\nAt least 787 people have died according to the Iranian Red Crescent, and many hundreds more have been wounded.\nA strike which appeared to target former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the weekend hit a high school in Narmak, eastern Tehran, and killed at least two children.\nAhmadinejad, a nationalist who served between 2005 and 2013, was initially reported dead, but later on Sunday, Iran Wire said he was alive and unharmed. Three of his security detail, members of the IRGC, were killed, but Ahmadinejad’s residence was not damaged, Iran Wire said, quoting a source close to him.\nIn retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted Israel, as well as US military assets in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman.\nOn Monday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth justified the attacks as necessary to cripple Iran’s nuclear and missile ambitions. President Trump has also said the strikes will continue until the US’s objectives of what he called “peace in the Middle East” are met.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:48:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/inside-the-us-israel-plan-to-assassinate-irans-khamenei?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_83370aacd326",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "IAEA confirms buildings damaged at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility",
    "body_text": "The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has said the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Iran has suffered “some recent damage” as US-Israeli attacks on the country continue for a fourth day.\nIn a short statement on Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said damage was confirmed at entrance buildings to the underground fuel enrichment plant (FEP).\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3US and Israeli attacks on Iran prompt worldwide protests\n- list 2 of 3Trump admin offers scant evidence on Iranian threat in ‘America First’ war\n- list 3 of 3‘US president has the authority to act for imminent threats against the US’\n“No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself,” the agency said, adding the facility was “severely damaged” during the 12-day war Israel and the US waged on Iran last year.\nLocated outside the city of Qom, the FEP is one of Iran’s three uranium-enrichment plants that are known to have been operating when Israel and the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.\nThe country’s nuclear infrastructure was expected to be among the targets of the renewed military offensive that was launched by the US and Israel against Iran on Saturday, killing at least 787 people across the country, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.\nThe bombing campaign has sparked retaliatory attacks by Iranian forces across the wider Middle East, killing several people in a number of countries, including at least six US service members and 11 people in Israel.\nOn Monday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the agency was following the conflict “with concern”.\nThe agency’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) was “collecting information and assessing the situation”, said Grossi, adding that “so far, no elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran”.\nHe also said the IAEA had “no indication that any of the nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities have been damaged or hit”.\nThat was refuted by Reza Najafi, Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, who said Natanz was hit on Sunday.\n“Again, they attacked Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday. Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,” Najafi told reporters at the IAEA headquarters in Austria’s capital, Vienna.\nThe Institute for Science and International Security, a US-based think tank, said on Monday that satellite imagery showed two strikes on access points to the underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz.\nDavid Albright, a former UN nuclear inspector and founder of the institute, said the strikes appeared to have occurred sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning local time, based on the satellite imagery his group reviewed.\nHe was unable to identify whether the US or Israel hit the Natanz complex.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:49:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/iaea-confirms-some-damage-to-irans-natanz-nuclear-facility?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a7dc37e7f40b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Inside the US-Israel plan to kill Iran’s Khamenei - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "After more than three decades as Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US and Israeli air strikes on Saturday morning.\nThe man who led the country in two capacities since 1981 was a key figure in the Islamic revolution that overthrew the Iranian monarchy in 1979. He first served as president, then as supreme leader following the 1989 death of revolutionary leader Rohollah Khomeini.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Could the US run low on weapons for its assault on Iran?\n- list 2 of 4Photos: The aftermath of Israeli and US strikes on Tehran\n- list 3 of 4India, Europe feel fuel crunch as Gulf gas supplies disrupted amid war\n- list 4 of 4Photos: Iran mourns 165 people killed in school strike\nWhile credited with leading Tehran through a bloody, eight-year war against Iraq in the 1980s and fostering an economy that survived despite Western sanctions, his reign was racked by mass protests against rigged elections, human rights violations and economic hardship.\nMost recently, protests in December and January, which escalated from demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran over inflation to calls for regime change across the country, were violently suppressed by state forces, resulting in massacres.\nKhamenei was killed early in the strikes, along with several senior military officials, including from the elite army unit, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nAs of Monday, 787 people had been confirmed killed across the country, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. At least 165 schoolgirls and staff were killed in a strike on a school in southern Minab city on Saturday.\nHere’s what we know so far about how Khamenei’s killing unfolded:\nHow did the Israel-US alliance know where to hit?\nThe air strikes, which targeted Khamenei and his top defence officials, took place on Saturday at around 9:40am in Tehran (06:10 GMT).\nKhamenei was killed in a central Tehran location that houses the offices and residence of the supreme leader, Iran’s president, and the country’s National Security Council.\nAccording to The New York Times, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the operation, the US’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had gathered information about a Saturday morning meeting there that would include Khamenei and the country’s senior military cadre. The CIA then shared the information with Israel.\nCBS, also citing an anonymous official, reported that the CIA shared Khamenei’s location data with Israel.\nIn US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social statement in the wake of Khamenei’s killing, he wrote that the late leader “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do”.\nIt is unclear if the US intercepted phone or other digital communications, used satellite imagery, or used covert human agents to obtain this information.\nIt is also unclear why the country’s most senior military leaders decided to gather in a predictable location while threats of a US-Israel attack were imminent.\nIt is known, however, that Israel has long recruited covert operatives in Iran and was watching Khamenei’s circle for years, gathering information as mundane as how and where they get food, an unnamed ex-CIA official told The Guardian. During the 12-day war last June, six Iranian nuclear scientists were killed, some in their homes.\nAnalyst Rosemary Kelanic, speaking to Canadian public broadcaster CBC, said the US probably used a “combination of human intelligence on the ground, potentially through Israeli assets, as well as signals intelligence and the ability of the United States to use over-the-horizon and, in this case, local assets to target pretty much anywhere on the planet that it wants to hit”.\nThe CIA had also been tracking Khamenei’s location for months, according to The Times, even before the 12-day war. Since that conflict, the US had intensified its surveillance of Khamenei, as well as of the IRGC, in general, monitoring how officials communicated and moved during stress periods, the Times reported.\nTrump had also referred to US intelligence regarding the supreme leader’s location last year.\n“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump said on June 17, posting on his Truth Social platform amid the Iran-Israel conflict that lasted from June 13 to 24.\n“He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin,” Trump posted.\nAt the time, Israel presented a plan to kill Khamenei, but Trump rejected it, fearing wider regional conflict, according to reporting by the The Associated Press, which cited officials familiar with the talks.\nHow did the strike on Khamenei unfold?\nAlthough Israel and the US had planned to hit the country at night to take advantage of darkness, as was the method during the 12-day war’s Operation Midnight Hammer, the CIA’s information about the gathering moved up the timing of Saturday’s attacks, the Times reported.\nIt is understood that Israel unilaterally launched the attack on Khamenei, using US intelligence, according to reports by multiple US media outlets.\nSpeaking to CBS, Republican Congressman Mike Turner said the US was not directly involved in the killing. Turner said he had confirmed from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who “was very clear in the answer that we did not target Khamenei, and we were not targeting the leadership in Iran”.\nAccording to media reports, Israeli fighter jets took off from a base in Israel around 6:00am local time (04:00 GMT) on Saturday. It is unclear how many aircraft were involved or how many bombs were dropped, but it was reported there had been “a few” fighter jets all armed with “long-range and highly accurate munitions”.\nTheir travel to Iran took about two hours, at which point they dropped bombs on the Tehran compound where Khamenei was located. While the top military officials had gathered in one building at the time of the hit, Khamenei was in another building nearby, The Times reported.\nSimultaneously, the US military’s Cyber Command division appeared to block communications signals in Iran. In his briefing after the killing, Dan Caine, the US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said “the first movers were US Cybercom and US Spacecom, layering non-kinetic effects, disrupting and degrading and blinding Iran’s ability to see, communicate and respond.”\nSatellite imagery of the compound following the strikes showed smoke rising from the rubble of the buildings.\nOn Sunday, Iranian authorities announced a three-member leadership council to temporarily lead the country: President Masoud Pezeshkian; the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei; and a member of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.\nWhich other leaders were targeted?\nSeveral Iranian military leaders were killed alongside Khameini, as well as in follow-up strikes afterwards.\nAbout a dozen members of Khamenei’s family and close entourage, along with 40 other senior Iranian leaders, died in the Saturday attacks, military officials in Israel told The Guardian newspaper in the UK.\nAt least 13 top defence officials were confirmed killed at the Saturday meeting and in targeted strikes on other locations on the same day, including:\n- Mohammad Pakpour, Commander of the IRGC.\n- Azis Nasirzadeh, Defence Minister.\n- Ali Shamkani, Head of the National Defence Council.\n- Seyyed Majid Mousavi, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force.\n- Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.\n- Mohammad Shirazi, Head of Military Office of the Supreme Leader.\n- Salah Asadi – Head of the Intelligence Directorate.\n- Hossein Habal Amelian – Chairman of the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND).\n- Reza Mozaffari Nia, Former SPND Chairman.\n- Mohammad Baseri, Senior Intelligence Official.\n- Bahram Hosseini Motlagh, Head of Operations Planning, General Staff of Armed Forces.\n- Gholamreza Rezian, Commander of Police Intelligence.\n- Mohsen Darrebaghi, Deputy for Logistics and Support, General Staff of Armed Forces.\nWho else has been targeted?\nJoint US-Israeli strikes have continued to hit locations across Iran since Saturday, striking several hospitals and schools in residential areas, including the Gandhi hospital.\nAt least 787 people have died according to the Iranian Red Crescent, and many hundreds more have been wounded.\nA strike which appeared to target former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the weekend hit a high school in Narmak, eastern Tehran, and killed at least two children.\nAhmadinejad, a nationalist who served between 2005 and 2013, was initially reported dead, but later on Sunday, Iran Wire said he was alive and unharmed. Three of his security detail, members of the IRGC, were killed, but Ahmadinejad’s residence was not damaged, Iran Wire said, quoting a source close to him.\nIn retaliatory strikes, Iran has targeted Israel, as well as US military assets in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman.\nOn Monday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth justified the attacks as necessary to cripple Iran’s nuclear and missile ambitions. President Trump has also said the strikes will continue until the US’s objectives of what he called “peace in the Middle East” are met.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:50:40+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_3b737199e155",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US lawmakers slam State Dept over lack of help for Americans stuck in Mideast amid Iran war - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US lawmakers slam State Dept over lack of help for Americans stuck in Mideast amid Iran war    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:51:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxOSjcwSHZfSjZuclJ1Rm1TM1VlUFhZQXVnSTFmS1dBXzNhV2s2aXluWTNrZmxmT0N2M0NodkY3aGNNdVNoQkJRVE1oU2VkVVVVcVdpTW90b2s2eHZvazg0Tm1NX2luN290Q2xYVk9aQU9weFZqbkRlWlJpZFJpV0xaaDF1U0NFTXFHa2JaMVhiOVFNSkxXTjhMSVpoQkJrdjE0SV92MzJoN1lhcy1MZmVEMmZHSFRlSUhDWFE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_34b4633b683d",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Governments weigh repatriations as conflict grounds Middle East flights - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Governments weigh repatriations as conflict grounds Middle East flights    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:51:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxPSnJNVHRqTWRkZTE5LU1PODFOcjktdnMtRE5FeVN0czFLLTR4cWpQRzZYRDhtS1NqUTRpZXBqVlYtaF9tMF96bGYwQjV3RnZjVlQwUExZWU5lbU9iR2w5T1IxQlF6ODZxX0NtVjVZeGREM3NGZzBjVXJaZ2c0Vnk0blhjQnJscTJkRmVraXpMc0h2RXhuSFVlVEZ6aDVFQUxMZS1FLTNoRGdjd1Z1SHpyS0ZlbXF1UFhFRWtPM0xnMA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3fb558f0d55c",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?",
    "body_text": "Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?\nConflict has spread across the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, in which the country's supreme leader was killed.\nIran has responded by launching attacks on US-allied states in the Gulf, which have extended to non-military targets, including civilian sites and energy facilities.\nThe fighting has escalated quickly, pulling in Cyprus and Lebanon in recent days, and shows no sign of abating.\nWhat has been happening in Iran?\nThe US and Israel launched widespread strikes on 28 February, targeting Iran's missile infrastructure, military sites and leadership.\nIran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was killed during the first wave of strikes.\nIsrael's military said dozens more senior figures in the powerful Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) were also killed, including its commander-general and defence council secretary.\nThe death toll in Iran since the US-Israeli attacks began has reached 787, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. Meanwhile, US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reports that 742 civilians have died, including 176 children.\nUS and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets have continued since the weekend, including on the capital, Tehran, and Iran's naval capabilities.\nIran accused the US and Israel of launching a deadly attack on a school near an IRGC base in southern Iran on Saturday.\nThe US said it was looking into reports of the incident, while Israel said it was \"not aware\" of any military operations in the area.\nTehran has also accused the US and Israel of targeting nine hospitals in Iran. Israel said it received reports that a hospital in Tehran was damaged on Sunday after an attack on nearby military infrastructure but it said the hospital was not the target. The BBC has approached US Central Command (Centcom) for comment.\nInternet connectivity in Iran has been almost entirely restricted and its airspace has been closed.\nWhy have the US and Israel attacked Iran?\nThe US and Israel called the attacks \"pre-emptive\": the US said it knew Israel was about to attack and acted before Iran could retaliate against its bases in the region, while Israel said it attacked \"to remove threats\".\nBut there are also underlying reasons.\nIsrael and the US - its closest ally - have been arch-foes of Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. The Iranian leadership has consistently called for Israel's elimination and denounced the US as its greatest enemy.\nThe two countries have led Western opposition to Iran's nuclear programme, claiming Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb - something Iran has vehemently denied.\nThey attacked Iranian nuclear and military sites in June 2025 in a war which lasted for 12 days.\nSince then, they have claimed Iran has been trying to rebuild its nuclear programme and develop missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.\nTrump said these missiles could eventually reach the US, though this has not been supported by US intelligence assessments.\nFor its part, Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence and wants the complete removal of Iran's nuclear and missile programme, as well as regime change.\nThe US first openly talked in January about potentially attacking Iran when its security forces cracked down on protesters with deadly force.\nBut the US and Iran began negotiations and appeared to be making progress until Trump said he was \"not happy\" with the way the talks were going. Hours later the US and Israel began attacking.\nHow has Iran responded?\nIran has described the US and Israeli strikes as \"unprovoked, illegal and illegitimate\", and has carried out widespread missile and drone attacks in response.\nThe IRGC said it had targeted Israeli government and military sites in Tel Aviv and elsewhere.\nStrikes have also been reported in countries hosting US bases - Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait - and US-allied Oman and Saudi Arabia.\nIran has been accused of widening its attacks to include other targets in recent days, including on shipping, civilian sites - including hotels in Dubai - and the US embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh.\nThe US and its Arab allies issued a joint statement condemning Iran's attacks, saying \"the targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilising behaviour\".\nElsewhere, a British military base in Cyprus was struck by a drone, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, which the Cypriot president blamed on Iran.\nSeparately, three American jets were shot down over Kuwait in an \"apparent friendly fire\" incident, the US military said. The pilots survived.\nSix US servicemen have been killed and 18 injured in action as of Monday, according to Centcom.\nThe US state department has urged American nationals to \"depart now\" from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.\nWhat's happening in Lebanon?\nA new front in the conflict has opened in Lebanon.\nBeirut, and parts of southern Lebanon, have been hit by Israeli strikes, launched in response to what Israel said were rocket attacks from militant group Hezbollah.\nHezbollah is allied to Iran's government and said it was seeking to avenge Khamenei's assassination.\nOn Tuesday, Israel's defence minister said ground troops would \"advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon\" in order to stop attacks from Hezbollah.\nIn Israel, the defence minister says ground troops will \"advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon\" in order to stop attacks from Hezbollah.\nThe United Nations said more than 30,000 people had been forced to flee their homes since the escalation of hostilities.\nHow is the war affecting the economy and energy prices?\nInstability in the Middle East has begun to impact the global economy.\nTehran has been accused of attacking ships in the Gulf, forcing the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz - a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply.\nAttacks have also been reported on major oil and gas hubs, including in Oman's Duqm commercial port and the UAE's Fujairah terminal.\nThe strikes have prompted some of the world's largest producers of oil and gas to suspend production, including Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities and Saudi Arabia's largest domestic refinery.\nHow might Khamenei's successor be chosen?\nIran has said it will appoint a new supreme leader swiftly.\nA transitional leadership council has been formed to run the country temporarily, consisting of: President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and senior cleric Alireza Arafi.\nThe formal selection is decided by 88 senior clerics, known as the Assembly of Experts.\nUnder the country's constitution, these clerics must select the new supreme leader as soon as possible, but this may prove difficult while the country is under attack.\nThe IRGC has already named a new commander-in-chief, Ahmad Vahidi.\nIs it safe to travel to the region and how long could the war last?\nUS President Donald Trump on Monday said has said the attacks were projected to last for \"four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that\".\nOn Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the campaign would \"continue as long as it is needed\".\nThe war has prompted one of the most serious disruptions to global travel since the Covid-19 pandemic, with widespread airspace closures and thousands of flights grounded across the Middle East.\nSome services from carrier Emirates have resumed from Dubai. Flights have already departed for the UK and other European countries, although many more have been cancelled.\nEmirates has told passengers not to head for the airports unless they have been contacted directly.\nThe Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad says its scheduled services remain suspended until Thursday.\nFlights out of Qatar also remain suspended due to the closure of airspace in the region.\nWith additional reporting by Olivia Ireland, Robert Greenall, Hafsa Khalil, Gabriela Pomeroy and BBC Persian.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:53:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dyz6p3weo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_470391bc1a2f",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "War with Iran strains the US-UK relationship as Starmer and Trump disagree - AP News",
    "body_text": "War with Iran strains the US-UK relationship as Starmer and Trump disagree\nLONDON (AP) — Keir Starmer has never had a bad word to say in public about Donald Trump.\nThat is not being reciprocated now as the American president lambasts the British prime minister over his reluctance to join the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.\n“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said Tuesday at the White House, blasting Britain’s reluctance to let U.S. warplanes use its bases.\nThe dispute is roiling a relationship that Starmer worked hard to forge, and further straining trans-Atlantic ties frayed by Trump’s “America first” foreign policy and transactional approach to international relations.\nBritain is in Trump’s bad books\n“This was the most solid relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other countries in Europe,” Trump told British tabloid The Sun in an interview published Tuesday.\n“I mean, France has been great. They’ve all been great,” Trump said. “The U.K. has been much different from others.”\n“It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was,” he said.\nStarmer initially blocked American planes from using British bases for the attacks on Iran that started on Saturday. He later agreed to let the United States use bases in England and on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to strike Iran’s ballistic missiles and their storage sites, but not to hit other targets.\nEven after the British base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by an Iran-made drone over the weekend, Starmer said that the United Kingdom “will not join offensive action.” He said Tuesday that a Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Dragon, and Wildcat helicopters with counter-drone capabilities were being sent to the region as part of “defensive operations.” British forces have also shot down drones in Jordanian and Iraqi airspace, the government said.\nStarmer has offered a rare, though implicit, rebuke of the U.S. president, saying Monday that the U.K. government doesn’t believe in “regime change from the skies.”\n“Any U.K. actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan,” Starmer told lawmakers in the House of Commons on Monday.\n“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest,” Starmer added.\nThe Financial Times called it Starmer’s “Love Actually moment” — a reference to the 2003 movie scene in which a British prime minister played by Hugh Grant stands up to a bullying U.S. president played by Billy Bob Thornton.\nFriction has grown over Greenland and Diego Garcia\nFriction between the two leaders has been building for months. Trump’s threat to take over Greenland was denounced by Starmer and other European leaders earlier this year. Recently, Trump has condemned Britain’s agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius, despite his administration earlier backing the deal.\nPeter Ricketts, a former head of the U.K. Foreign Office, told The Observer newspaper that under Trump, “the Americans have effectively given up on any effort to be consistent with international law.”\nThat is a red line for the law-abiding Starmer, a barrister and former chief prosecutor for England and Wales.\nThe spat is a setback for Starmer’s efforts to woo Trump since the president’s return to office in 2025. The British government rolled out the red carpet to the president for a state visit as the guest of King Charles III, and Starmer consistently has praised Trump’s efforts — so far unsuccessful — to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.\nThe Iran war has also divided European leaders, who fall along a spectrum from condemnation to support.\nNATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that he unreservedly approves of Trump’s decision to attack Iran and kill its supreme leader, and called the war crucial for Europe’s security.\nThe U.K., France and Germany jointly said that they weren’t involved in the strikes, but were prepared to enable “necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.”\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the strikes as “unjustifiable” and “dangerous.”\nPolling suggests many Britons are skeptical of the U.S. justification for war. But politicians to the right of Starmer’s Labour Party slammed the prime minister for not joining the offensive. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said that her party “stands behind America taking this necessary action against state-sponsored terror.”\nForeign Office Minister Stephen Doughty denied the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship” was on the ropes.\n“Our relationship with the United States is strong,” he said Tuesday in the House of Commons. “It has endured, it continues to endure, and it will endure into the future on both the economic and the security fronts.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:57:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxNTEJJQ2o3c2tfQkNOc1I3T3BsUEg3OHJzNU5ZeHVGYkZkZmhLbG13SEVVMUtORjh0VFJuaEV0ZndLZUdxWjJrOGNrTUdKWktyUFZuM0t3Rk9EcG1JVFRmN2FVZW5xekRMcXhEUTc0SndNOTlqTnltUm1YXzEzOThCem5MZzVUa0hoemlvVjdwcVFNZXd2VkgtWkJ5aw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5bbaa2fa5565",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Lebanon’s leaders turn on Hezbollah as airstrikes hit Beirut and thousands seek shelter - AP News",
    "body_text": "Lebanon’s leaders turn on Hezbollah as airstrikes hit Beirut and thousands seek shelter\nLebanon’s leaders turn on Hezbollah as airstrikes hit Beirut and thousands seek shelter\nBEIRUT (AP) — The Israeli military on Tuesday struck a building housing Hezbollah-aligned Al-Manar channel studios in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an evacuation warning, the channel said. In a statement, the Israeli military said it targeted “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”\nFollowing the strike, plumes of smoke were seen billowing over the skyline. No immediate details on casualties were available.\nAl-Manar’s headquarters and transmission facilities in Beirut were last struck by Israel during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.\nThe renewed airstrikes that began Sunday prompted Lebanese civilians to flee the country’s south and Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday, seeking refuge in Lebanon’s capital following a new and deadly escalation between Israel and the Iran-allied Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that left more than 50 people dead.\nThe Hezbollah missile and drone attacks on northern Israel after midnight Sunday triggered waves of Israeli airstrikes and also brought the harshest criticism yet to the Iran-backed group from the country’s leaders.\nLebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least 52 people were killed and 154 wounded in overnight strikes in the Beirut suburbs and southern Lebanon. The Ministry of Education said that schools will also be closed Tuesday because of the situation.\nDuring the day, Israel’s military carried out dozens of airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs as well as southern and eastern Lebanon. Shortly after sunset, an Israeli airstrike in a Beirut neighborhood caused widespread damage and the Israeli military said it targeted a senior Hezbollah official.\nThe Israeli military earlier said it struck more than 70 weapons storage facilities, launch sites and missile launchers belonging to Hezbollah. The military also said it killed senior Hezbollah intelligence official Hussein Mokaled.\nAlso on Monday, the Israeli military launched a wave of strikes on branches of al-Qard al-Hasan, a Hezbollah-linked microfinance institution, that Israel said is being used to fund the group’s military wing.\nThe government heavily criticizes Hezbollah’s actions\nThe Palestinian Islamic Jihad group said the commander of its military wing in Lebanon was also killed in an airstrike south of Beirut overnight.\nThe Israeli military said that Hezbollah fired a drone toward northern Israel on Monday evening adding that it was successfully intercepted.\nEarlier on Monday, the Lebanese government slammed Hezbollah’s decision to enter Iran’s war with Israel and the United States, calling the militant group’s actions illegal and demanding it hand over its weapons.\n“There is a side that wants to drag the country to matters that we have nothing to do with,” the Lebanese information minister quoted President Joseph Aoun as saying during an emergency meeting of the Cabinet that discussed the escalation. Aoun was referring to Hezbollah.\nIn a statement early Tuesday, Hezbollah said “confrontation is a legitimate right,” describing its firing of rockets toward Israel as “a reaction to the aggression,” and adding that it had repeatedly warned that Israeli attacks “could not continue without a response.” Israel has continued near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon, since a ceasefire was reached with Beirut in late 2024.\nHighways were jammed overnight and into Monday with people fleeing after what was Israel’s deadliest barrage on Lebanon in more than a year, striking hours after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border for the first time in more than a year.\nAli Hamdan was stuck in gridlock on the road between his village in southern Lebanon, Deir al-Zahrani, and the port city of Sidon. What should have been a half-hour’s drive had taken seven hours, he said.\n“I don’t know how long it will take us to reach Beirut,” he said. “I’m headed toward Beirut, but I don’t know where yet. We don’t have a place to stay.”\nSeeking refuge in a school\nAt a public school in Beirut, hastily converted into a temporary shelter, families arrived carrying mattresses, plastic bags and bundles of clothing. Other families sat on sidewalks beside their belongings, some men smoking as they waited for space to become available inside.\nVolunteers moved through the crowd, registering names as families filled classrooms and gathered in the school courtyard.\nHussein Abu Ali, who fled a southern Beirut suburb with his wife and children, described the moment the strikes hit.\n“My son began shaking and crying,” he said. “Where are you supposed to go? I stepped outside, then back in because I was afraid of shooting in the air. I gathered my children and went down to the street.”\nNadia Al‑Salman, displaced from the southern town of Majdal Zoun, said they left their homes “not out of fear or terror of the United States, but to fulfill our religious and legal duty to protect ourselves.”\n“They do not intimidate or frighten us, and they will not make us retreat even an inch from the path of resistance,” she added.\nLebanon’s Minister of Social Affairs Hanin al-Sayed told reporters that 171 shelters have been opened throughout the country, adding that they are housing 29,000 displaced persons.\nDuring the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024, at one point, more than a million people were displaced in Lebanon. Many have been unable to return to their homes in the south, where villages along the border remain in ruins.\nHezbollah’s attack on Israel expands the war in the region\nHezbollah launched rockets into Israel a day after the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering the war in Gaza. After months of low-level fighting, the conflict escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024 before a U.S. brokered ceasefire nominally halted the fighting two months later.\nSince that ceasefire, Israel has continued to launch near-daily strikes in Lebanon, saying it aims to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding.\nMonday’s escalation also marked the first time in more than a year that Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for firing into Israel, saying the attacks were in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.\nBut Lebanon’s government said it considers Hezbollah’s military activities illegal and that the group should hand over its weapons. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said after the emergency Cabinet meeting Monday that only the state should decide on matters of war and peace.\nHe added that Hezbollah’s military activities were banned going forward and called on security agencies to prevent the firing of missiles or drones from Lebanon and detain those behind the launch. It was the harshest stance the Lebanese government has taken yet toward Hezbollah, which also has a political party with a parliamentary bloc in addition to its armed militants.\nSalam also called on the international community to work on getting a “clear and final commitment” from Israel to stop its strikes on Lebanon.\nThe Israeli military overnight issued a warning for residents of around 50 communities across southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel is keeping “all options on the table,” including a potential ground invasion of Lebanon and threatened that “Hezbollah will pay a very heavy price.”\nHe said Israel has called up more than 100,000 reservists since the war with Iran began on Saturday.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut, Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, Sally Abou AlJoud in Dahab, Egypt, and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T14:59:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxPOFpMdG12ZHNtRDY5QnBjVE9lSW9NR1ozRk1rSTBKY0pQTGNpaExpcjduQUN3b09MSFBHaXlJc2EzbWhBa3RROE4yTTIwU2t1TDJCUURkNWFONFVUUFQ0VkxvMGFWSnNWWmxQa1FwNWtCUmxCQm9fcFRSRVpRdVh4SGtWZGZTTEUzY192OA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ada4c5ec0289",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Russia Sees War in Iran Squeezing Vital Air Defenses for Ukraine - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Russia Sees War in Iran Squeezing Vital Air Defenses for Ukraine    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:03:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxOZHhLMm1XUU5Yb0FPNF9fLWk3ZGZGV19DdGVJN1hUeW5LM2pUazZDdmdob0NUVVZ1UHdKVXBQTWRSS3hQU2VNejY2ZzdUNGRoVFUzVDhiRGdYU2tsRjdNVmFkVUVTX2p2QjFBYjdsQ050YzhOZHVSaERsMmZtWGRXWUotZHRZeGJDcmhkTGcxRW1GaUg5TFRYUDZZRS00XzlKVlBRWWdqZkpSdWozQ2l0Q3RxQm9Hdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d687a2e17cdc",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump rebukes Starmer over UK refusal to back strikes on Iran - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump has criticised Keir Starmer again over the UK’s refusal to aid the offensive strikes on Iran, saying the “relationship is obviously not what it was”.\nStarmer had issued his strongest rebuke yet of Trump’s action in Iran, saying the UK did not believe in “regime change from the skies” and defended his decision not to allow the use of British bases to conduct the strikes.\nBut the prime minister said the UK would allow the use of its bases for defensive action to protect allied forces and nations in the Gulf and Middle East who have been hit by a wave of retaliatory strikes after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.\nSpeaking to the Sun, Trump compared Starmer’s actions unfavourably with France’s support for the strikes and with the backing of the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte. “He has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK,” he said.\n“It’s a different world, actually. It’s just a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before. It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.”\nStarmer has previously been praised for his ability to maintain a relationship with the volatile US president but on Monday in the House of Commons, the prime minister expressed doubt about the US action in Tehran and its legality.\n“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis, and a viable thought-through plan,” he said. “That is the principle that I applied to the decisions that I made over the weekend.”\nReacting to Trump’s comments, the chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, reiterated that the UK would not be involved in offensive strikes.\n“I think the president’s frustration, from the way he’s articulated it, has been that we were not involved in the initial American and Israeli strikes in Iran, but as the prime minister said to the House of Commons yesterday, we will only engage British armed forces when it’s in British interests with a clear plan and on a legal basis,” he said.\n“We’re now doing that for defensive action, but we’re not going to be getting involved in a wider conflict in the Middle East.”\nIn his interview, Trump said he wished Starmer “a lot of luck” and said he had a “great relationship” with the people of the UK. He said the UK was also “not such a recognisable country … I mean, you look at what happened over the last period of time and it’s very different.”\nHe said the UK’s collaboration in offensive action would not make much difference to the US objectives.\n“It’s not going to matter, but [Starmer] should have helped … he should have. I mean, France has been great. They’ve all been great. The UK has been much different from others,” he said. “You’ve seen the secretary general of Nato, the great things he said, Mark Rutte, he’s great.\n“No, they’ve all been pretty much great other than … we think Keir’s was just very different.”\nTrump said Starmer also needed to change course on the Chagos Islands deal – which the US had previously supported – as well as North Sea oil and gas exploration and immigration. “Stop people from coming in from foreign lands who hate you,” he said. Asked if Starmer was trying to court Muslim voters, Trump said it “could be” the case.\nJones said that interpretation was “not right”. He added: “The UK will act in the interests of British citizens, regardless of their faith or where they are in the United Kingdom.\n“I think the public would rightly say they don’t want to be involved in a wider war in the Middle East, but they would expect us to do whatever we can to defend British citizens.”\nSpeaking in the Commons on Monday, Starmer said the UK was deploying planes and allowing the use of bases for defensive purposes because of Iran launching strikes on the UK’s allies in the region in its retaliation.\nHe said the RAF had intercepted an Iranian drone strike heading for a coalition base in Iraq where UK forces were stationed. Two drones were also fired at the British base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, which Starmer said were launched before Sunday night’s statement on the US use of UK bases.\nStarmer had not previously expressed explicit opposition to Saturday’s initial wave of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, and other senior Iranian leaders.\nIran has since launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks on a range of targets in the Gulf and Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Oman.\nThe UK is expected to allow the US to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands to bomb Iran’s “missile cities”, sites where high-speed ballistic missiles, Iran’s most dangerous weapons, are stored and can be launched from.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxNU3U5blVUVlVwckZfNVFBczROZFpTMHQ5NnNzc2hwRnNpQXZ0U3JiM1FBS1NTbm9WZlZ1bHhDeGxCWjdGaXZTczFkeXlJMURZdFVUOGZzZS1uMmI2dzUxYW9BVHlodDAzTEZTUmhFU3ZJNzJxTUlFcWkyYlUtaHkxb2E2UmxGWDRGX0ZVUGxmbVVXQjM2?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7a592ea34272",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Bombardment unleashes terror in Tehran with no sign of protests - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Bombardment unleashes terror in Tehran with no sign of protests    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:05:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxONlAwcFhub3dpYzVxeXhPc1FmYk81eEdqNUMxQkdQcDJrQnBRZ0x1WVlZX3I0Yl81VERWMnpSTThsWXBYRHZFN0JSaWZYd1pmcFFSejUxMTZpNFM4b0V0bkRaLU52OTFTbGUyTXE3Njh3SngySGVmeGFyUmZ2Um5IeUpvTDlTVmJ5YS1iUzljeEVHOEJTMFpfejZuVEhlMFZLbzR1eHpubVpKV3l6ZDM0bg?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_10066fc6c40e",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Live Updates: Trump says Iran war could last weeks - PBS",
    "body_text": "Live Updates: Trump says Iran war could last weeks    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:07:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxNSTZ6RjFXaEJtRUdTVmtGYlpOcWVPMXpKLU1RTXR1M3c2T0RJY2t5cEdtQTRDVUdtM1o4R2g2Z2lCeXZXMUFDRV9fNWN1dUZUMzVQU2MtM0xPMk9acDVVM2ppeFdhdzZwaExGVjdFaUFQLWY3N2U0aXNPQ1hGX1QxMGdmOEVQYlZJZTJodNIBkgFBVV95cUxNcHR3bkJVMURwYnlfTERocXNzSUVEZEQzRFF3UVFVZWRBYUU3U3BLNVotR1F2Ym9INzRBa3V4UURGckhxbU5HYXgzUWUySG9KeFV2YmlESjg0OGdQU3Q1RHNQd0RJM3VJcjVYNjk3NExjc3Etd2JkaVY1X3FCeFVrZUxFbFdqZURmZ3dHWUtwZ1Zxdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bb22fbad1f64",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: Footage from across Iran shows scale of strikes",
    "body_text": "Watch: Footage from across Iran shows scale of strikes\nVideos filmed across Iran show large explosions in several cities as the conflict in the region reaches its fourth day.\nThe US and Israel struck Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nFootage shared on social media - verified by the BBC and news agencies - from the last few days show multiple explosions and destruction across the country.\nThe US has also shared video it says shows military targets being hit.\nIran has responded with a wave of attacks across the region.\n- More on this story: Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:08:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cd70zp0v3g4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9f87dfd35137",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Dow drops 1,000 as stocks sell off around the world and oil prices leap even higher on war worries - AP News",
    "body_text": "Dow drops 400 after trimming an early plunge of 1,200 as oil prices climb even higher\nDow drops 400 after trimming an early plunge of 1,200 as oil prices climb even higher\nNEW YORK (AP) — A sell-off for stocks wrapped around the world and hit Wall Street Tuesday, while oil prices climbed even higher on worries about the widening war with Iran. But the big moves that rocked markets in the morning eased substantially as the day progressed.\nBy the end of trading, the S&P 500 had sunk 0.9%. That would be a solid loss on a typical day, but the index had been down as much as 2.5% in the morning because of worries that the war may do more sustained damage to the economy than feared.\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 403 points, or 0.8%, after plunging more than 1,200 points earlier in the morning. The Nasdaq composite pared its loss to 1%.\nIt was just a day earlier that U.S. stocks opened the morning with a sharp loss, only to recover all of it and end the day with a tiny gain. Helping to drive that rebound was a record showing that past wars and conflicts in the Middle East have not usually meant long-term pain for U.S. stocks.\nThe AP’s Seth Sutel reports on the impact the Iran war is having on Wall Street.\nBut that was with the caveat that oil prices did not jump too high, like above $100 per barrel. On Tuesday, oil prices rose again and raised more alarms. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, briefly leaped above $84.\nThe jump lessened through the day, though, which helped moderate the losses for stocks. Brent settled at $81.40, up 4.7%. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 4.7% to $74.56.\nThe moves showed oil prices, and how much they’re set to worsen inflation, are among the central fears for investors. More expensive fuel will mean less money for U.S. and other households to spend. It would also raise expenses for companies worldwide, which would likewise hurt their profits. And corporate profits are the lifeblood of stock markets.\nTuesday’s climb for oil prices came after Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia, part of a widening of targets that also includes areas critical to the world’s oil and natural gas production. Worries are particularly high about the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran, a narrow passageway where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes.\nIranian Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, vowed that any ships that passed through the strait would be set on fire.\nThe fears about oil prices ebbed a bit later in the day as President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy could begin escorting tankers through the strait, “if necessary,” to “ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”\nMaking things uncertain for markets is the question about how long this war may continue.\nA major attack by the United States and Israel has already killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Trump said late Monday night on his social media network, “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully” with the supply of munitions that the United States possesses.\nSome professional investors said again Tuesday they don’t think this is the beginning of a long-term down market and that stocks could rebound if the war doesn’t last that long. But they acknowledge it could take a while for that to become clear, and Tuesday’s swings for markets show how uncertain things are.\nTuesday’s sell-off started in Asia, where the Kospi stock index in South Korea, a big energy importer, plunged 7.2% as markets reopened after a holiday on Monday. That was its worst day since two summers ago, and it had been setting records recently.\nTokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 3.1%, even as analysts said Japan has a sizable stockpile lasting more than 200 days. In Europe, where prices for natural gas have soared because of the war, France’s CAC 40 lost 3.5%.\nOn Wall Street, nearly three out of every four stocks within the S&P 500 dropped. Unlike a day before, influential Big Tech stocks weren’t able to prop up indexes, and Nvidia fell 1.3%.\nAmong the winners on Wall Street was Target, which rose 6.7% after the retailer reported a better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.\nAll told, the S&P 500 fell 64.99 points to 6,816.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 403.51 to 48,501.27, and the Nasdaq composite sank 232.17 to 22,516.69.\nIn the bond market, Treasury yields leaped in the morning with worries about inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly rose above 4.10% before pulling back just below 4.06%. It was at 4.05% late Monday and just 3.97% on Friday.\nHigher yields can make it more expensive for U.S. households and businesses to borrow money, affecting everything from mortgages to bond issuances. They also put downward pressure on prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments.\nWhen Treasurys are paying more in interest, they can also undercut the price of gold, which pays its investors nothing. Gold fell 3.5% Tuesday to settle at $5,123.70 per ounce, halting a strong run that had taken it above $5,300 as investors looked for safer places to park their money.\nHigh inflation could also tie the Federal Reserve’s hands and keep it from cutting interest rates. The Fed lowered rates several times last year and indicated more cuts were to come in 2026. That would help boost the economy and job market, but lower rates can also worsen inflation.\nTraders are now pushing back their forecasts further into the summer for when the Fed could resume cutting rates, according to data from CME Group. That’s even though Trump has been calling for Fed officials in angry and personal terms to cut rates now.\n___\nAP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Michelle Chapman contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:11:00+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_45e762089c63",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Minab school bombing: how the worst mass casualty event of the Iran war unfolded – a visual guide - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Above the pastel murals of trees, paintbrushes, crayons and microscopes, black smoke rises. The glass windows of the school have been blown out by the force of the blast, and its curtains hang shredded from the frames.\nAgainst one burned-out wall, the remains of a playground lie scattered: a red plastic slide, a jumble of child-sized chairs. On an overturned bookshelf a pair of pink plastic sandals have been neatly placed, now covered in dust from the blast.\nThe missile hit during the school’s morning session. In Iran, the school week runs from Saturday to Thursday, so when US and Israeli bombs began falling at around 10am on Saturday, classes were under way. At a point between 10am and 10.45am, a missile directly hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school, in Minab, southern Iran, demolishing its concrete building and killing dozens of seven to 12-year-old girls.\nPhotographs and verified videos from the site, which the Guardian has not published due to their graphic nature, show children’s bodies lying partly buried under the debris. In one video, a very small child’s severed arm is pulled from the rubble. Colourful backpacks covered with blood and concrete dust sit among the ruins. One girl wears a green dress with gingham patches on her pockets and the collar, her form partly obscured by a black body bag. Screams can be heard in the background.\nOne distraught man stands in the ruins of the school, waving textbooks and worksheets as rescuers dig by hand through the debris. “These are the schoolbooks of the children who are under these ruins, under this rubble here,” he shouts. “You can see the blood of these children on these books. These are civilians, who are not in the military. This was a school and they came to study.”\nAccording to Iranian state media, up to 168 people were killed by the strike and 95 injured – figures that the Guardian has not been able to verify. With independent reporting severely restricted in Iran, and much of the country still experiencing internet blackouts, the Guardian has used verified video footage, geolocated images, satellite imagery and interviews to piece together a more detailed account of the Minab girls’ school bombing – the worst mass casualty event of the US-Israeli-led attack so far – which has been described by Unesco as a “grave violation” of international law.\nThe Guardian cross-referenced verified videos from the site with satellite imagery to confirm the location of the primary school. Shajareh Tayyebeh school was adjacent to a cluster of buildings that form the local Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) barracks and support buildings. The complex next to the school includes a medical clinic and pharmacy, which has signage bearing the IRGC logo and reads “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Medical Command”. Also in the wider complex is what appears to be a gymnasium or concert space, which is marked “Seyyed al-Shohada Cultural Complex of the Revolutionary Guard”. The school’s location has also been verified by Osint (open source intelligence) researchers, the Iranian student network, and independent Farsi factchecking service Factnameh.\nThere is no indication, however, that the school is in any sense a military-use building: its classroom building and playground is walled off from the rest of the IRGC compound, and the colourful murals on its walls are visible in some satellite imagery.\nNor were its classes exclusively reserved for children of military families, Shiva Amelirad, a Canada-based representative of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, a network of teachers’ unions in Iran, told the Guardian. The school also enrolled many children from the local community, particularly those who could not afford private school fees. “Because its tuition was lower than many other private schools, and due to the high overcrowding in public schools, ordinary families had been compelled to enrol their children there,” Amelirad said. Early videos from the scene of the school bombing also show thick smoke rising from at least one nearby building.\nThe school’s location, the nearby smoke, and the timing of the bombing – in the first round of strikes by US and Israeli forces – all give credence to the assertion that the school was hit as part of a series of strikes by the US and Israel on or around the IRGC complex. The US military said it was “looking into” the bombing.\nCapt Tim Hawkins, the spokesperson for US Central Command, said the US was “aware of reports concerning civilian harm resulting from ongoing military operations. We take these reports seriously and are looking into them.” US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the Department of War “would be investigating that if that was our strike,” and that the US “would not deliberately target a school”.\nIranian authorities began issuing orders for schools to close shortly after the US-Israeli attack began at 9.40am. It is not clear whether the bomb hit the school before those warnings arrived in Minab, or just after them, with parents not having time to act. Amelirad, of the Teachers’ Council, said they had been told that “the time between the announcement of the school’s closure and the moment of the explosion was very short” so “families had not yet arrived to pick up their children”.\nIt is not yet clear how many of the total dead were teachers or school staff, although Isna (the state-affiliated Iranian Student news agency) has reported that the school’s headteacher was among the dead. According to human rights organisation Hengaw, the school’s morning session typically included 170 children. A local official told AP that the casualties from the Saturday strike included students, parents and school staff.\nAmelirad told the Guardian that the number of dead overwhelmed the local morgue, saying: “Due to the limited capacity of the hospital morgue, refrigerated vehicles have reportedly been used to store the bodies of the victims.”\nShortly after the attack, misinformation began to proliferate online. Some social media accounts claimed the footage of the school was old footage shot in Pakistan, a claim that has been debunked. Several X accounts also made viral claims that the school had been struck by a misfired IRGC missile, but the photographs of the misfire that they present as evidence were taken about 1,600km (994 miles) away from Minab, in the city of Zanjan.\nThe US-led war on Iran has already caused a high civilian toll. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Monday that at least 555 people had been killed across the country. The US-based Human Rights Activist news agency says at least 742 civilians have been reported killed, of whom 85 had been confirmed and verified. The number reported killed included 176 children.\nIn a statement, Unesco called for all parties to protect schools, students and teachers. “The killing of pupils in a place dedicated to learning constitutes a grave violation of the protection afforded to schools under international humanitarian law.”\nFor Minab – a relatively small town near the Sea of Oman, where the primary industries are agriculture, particularly the cultivation of dates and citrus groves – the loss of up to 168 of its young girls will be devastating. “Among the victims were children from [many] different families,” Amelirad said. “In some cases, more than one child from the same family lost their lives.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:11:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_aff6b2ba8320",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Babies evacuated from Iranian hospital damaged in US-Israeli strikes",
    "body_text": "Babies evacuated from Iranian hospital damaged in US-Israeli strikes\nFootage showed babies being evacuated from a hospital in Bushehr, Iran after the facility was damaged amid US-Israeli strikes. Staff and Iranian Red Crescent workers could be seen wheeling the infants needing specialised care from the neonatal unit to waiting ambulances.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:11:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/babies-evacuated-from-iranian-hospital-damaged-in-us-israeli-strikes?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6c197e7e9648",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "China's foreign minister tells Israeli counterpart that attacks on Iran must end - Reuters",
    "body_text": "China's foreign minister tells Israeli counterpart that attacks on Iran must end    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:14:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxOWWVudjY0NDZ4ajliQnM4cFVFb0xKVUNzbmhZV2xEYkNSNXBCSWhfblY1Rkd1UFhRN0p0aWhaM3M0d1FXdHFmOWZkWHBpOGphQlhCYXRwazBYWTlhencyWnZoSEIyejdKeHFTRG55SnZUa1dsc1pfX2h2SVhxM3lLTThXVU12NHNDUnVQSXEwdzRUb1o4bGR4dmdRdG1iR3lPLVRZZDNDQzI3eFc4RkRCSmpXT0sta05pZGp0UlY2QU4wdw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_340907e91043",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "What China’s response to the US attack on Iran says about its foreign policy - AP News",
    "body_text": "What China’s response to the US attack on Iran says about its foreign policy\nChina said it was “highly concerned” about the Iran attack — but stayed out of the fight. Here’s what that response signals about its foreign policy.\nBEIJING (AP) — The day the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, China waited several hours before taking its first official position. It said it was “highly concerned” and called for an immediate halt to military operations and the resumption of dialogue.\nThe next day, Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the strikes as unacceptable and again called for more talks.\nThere were no indications of direct intervention — but such an expectation wouldn’t be realistic. As in other recent conflicts, including last year’s attack on Iran, China has condemned the use of force while remaining on the sidelines, keeping in mind its long-term interests.\nThis time, those interests include a highly anticipated visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing, expected to take place around early April.\nWhy China is staying out of the fight\nChina’s military has grown rapidly. It has conducted military drills with Iran and established a base in Djibouti in East Africa in 2017. But its overwhelming focus is defending its interests in Asia, from Taiwan to the South China Sea.\nIt has waded into Middle East diplomacy where it sees an opportunity, helping to broker a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023. But it views the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as cautionary tales to be avoided, said William Yang, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.\n“China is reluctant to project military power beyond its immediate periphery and it is also unwilling to play the role of security guarantor in unstable regions like the Middle East,” he said.\nLikewise, it has provided diplomatic and economic support to Russia and Venezuela, but steered away from any military action in Ukraine or Latin America.\nChina’s position on the sidelines shows the limits to its influence in global geopolitics, said Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute.\n“Beijing’s response has been predictably restrained, underscoring China’s limited ability to shape events once hard power is in motion,” he said. “Beijing can signal unease; however, it cannot meaningfully deter or influence U.S.-Israeli military action.”\nTies with U.S. outweigh those with Iran\nChina’s unhappiness with the strikes against Iran is unlikely to upend ties with the U.S. or plans for Trump to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in about a month, analysts say.\nFor Chinese leaders, the relationship with the U.S. is much more crucial than with Iran on multiple fronts, from trade and the economy to Taiwan.\nBeijing may have a war of words with Washington over Iran, but the downside to creating a new conflict with Trump outweighs the upside, said George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group.\n“U.S.-China relations are already complicated enough for President Trump and Xi to handle,” he said. Adding Iran to the mix “won’t be something that both sides are keen to do.”\nStill, it is possible that Beijing could postpone the Trump visit, he said.\nEnergy concerns go beyond Iran’s oil\nChina is the top importer of oil from Iran, but the government is deeply concerned with energy security and has developed alternatives. What’s most worrisome is rising prices and potentially losing access to oil and natural gas from the broader Middle East.\nChina imported about 1.4 million barrels a day — or 13% of China’s total seaborne oil imports — from Iran last year, according to Kpler, a data and analytics company. But the firm estimates that enough oil is already in transit to last another four to five months. That would give China’s independent refineries time to adjust and seek alternatives, with discounted Russian oil as their primary option, said Muyu Xu, a senior analyst with Kpler.\nChina has spent years diversifying its supplies and building up its reserves, Singleton said. “The loss of Iranian oil appears marginal, not material, at least in the short-term,” he said.\nIran’s attempts to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow mouth to the Persian Gulf — is of greater concern, as are any attacks on liquefied natural gas facilities in the Gulf states.\nQatarEnergy, a major supplier, halted production of liquefied natural gas Monday after its facilities were attacked.\nWhy China may not help arm Iran\nChina is unlikely to send arms to Iran to help it fight the U.S. for several reasons, analysts say.\n“Tangible military aid, if any, would be limited to existing long-term defense trade arrangements rather than rapid battlefield support, and it would be constrained by Beijing’s interest in avoiding direct confrontation with the U.S. and its allies,” said Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, a researcher at the Center of Economic and Law Studies in Indonesia.\nChina has criticized the U.S. for supplying arms to Ukraine, saying it prolongs the fighting.\nIran’s missile program is based on Chinese technology, said James M. Dorsey, an adjunct senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. But he predicted that China would err on the side of caution rather than sell any missiles to the country’s military.\n“What China wants is this to end,” he said.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Kanis Leung in Hong Kong, Didi Tang in Washington, E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing and Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:16:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxPck5NYVFVMjM2UWMxZHBKc0xoWUxqNWhJMnhaMDZZN2I2YkdJdW9CY2FlcWJfM0hVZjFFc0NtWW9hT0hCYURSWS1iQnk5YVZZUDY2TkVmU1dQbktZb0FiY0p5SzkyZzNfaEJld0xYaVhEcWFYMnZhTEZfd2VrV1dib18xblNzRjZmbXhtclF6R095UEU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_201789082463",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Rally Builds as ‘Staggering’ Middle East War Jolts Energy - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "Oil Rally Builds as ‘Staggering’ Middle East War Jolts Energy    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:16:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxOc1MyNXZPb3NBVEFqVGpERGVuVS00S2h1MlkyLVQwMS1TT05oZWF1QmdlQUFPNW84dFFEVHU0cnZINEk3ZlZ4Vm9WWjcyVHJwSkRMQjhsMzc5b0FHSW9lT04tOVYxa0JSMkp4ak1GSk1OeGIyekZDYjZoSElVQ01nVEpQVnVZdk1vVjRqZktNS2ZPSlZBbF95dEk2QnBVM0E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5498f4a90c85",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Netanyahu takes a gamble on American support for Israel with the war against Iran - AP News",
    "body_text": "Netanyahu takes a gamble on American support for Israel with the war against Iran\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday defended the decision to go to war with Iran alongside the United States.\nThroughout his political career, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has steered his country along two pillars of foreign policy: an ironclad partnership with the United States and a relentless diplomatic and covert battle against the rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran.\nNow, with Israel and the U.S. in a joint war against Iran’s leadership, those two strategic paths risk clashing with each other. By enlisting the U.S. in what he views as Israel’s existential battle against Iran, Netanyahu is taking a gamble that could open up the relationship to the strain of a war with far-reaching consequences.\nTo be sure, persuading U.S. President Donald Trump to join the war was a coup for Netanyahu and highlights the strong ties between the two leaders. If they are successful, they could quickly realize their shared goal of toppling the Iranian government and spare the region a protracted conflict.\nBut if the war drags on, the two allies’ ties could again be tested.\n“A large part of the American public will view it as the Israeli tail wagging the American dog and that it is dragging the United States to a war in the Middle East that isn’t theirs,” said Ofer Shelah, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based think tank. The drop in public support that might unleash “will be very harmful for Israel in the medium and long term,” he said.\nBut, he added, in a nod to the Israeli leader’s political ambitions: “Netanyahu is not interested in the medium and long term.”\nUS public opinion has been evolving\nFor Netanyahu, successfully persuading Trump to strike Iran together is the apex of decades of proximity between the Israeli leader and Washington. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, speaks flawless English after having spent part of his youth in the U.S. and has always portrayed himself as Israel’s bridge to America.\nAlthough he boasts about his tight relationships with multiple American presidents and members of Congress, Netanyahu over the past two years has seen support for Israel among the American public drop. According to Gallup polling, American sympathies in the Middle East have shifted dramatically toward the Palestinians.\nThat shift in sentiment has been driven in large part by Democrats. But some Republicans, and even Trump’s own backers, have been more outspoken against the diplomatic and financial support the U.S. has continued to grant Israel throughout the past two and a half years, when it has been embroiled in a war on multiple fronts sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The devastating images from the war in Gaza deepened Israel’s international isolation.\nWith a new war against Iran — the second in less than a year — Netanyahu is tackling an enemy that he and many Israelis view as an existential threat, citing its support for anti-Israeli militias across the region, its ballistic missile arsenal, and its nuclear program. He has led the crusade against Iran on the world stage for much of his career.\nNetanyahu said Sunday in a statement that the U.S. involvement “allows us to do what I have been hoping to do for 40 years — to deliver a crushing blow to the terror regime.” Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.\nThe conflict could spiral\nDays into the war, Israel and the U.S. military appear to be working hand in glove to strike targets — from the initial attack that killed top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to assaults that allowed the forces free rein in Iranian skies.\nBut the conflict has already set off aftershocks that could reverberate in the American heartland. At least six U.S. troops have been killed. Travel was disrupted across the region, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded. Oil prices surged, raising the prospect of costlier gasoline for U.S. drivers as well as increased prices for other goods at a time when people have been stung by a rising cost of living.\nQuestions remain about the direction and aim of the war. It’s unclear whether the air power will be enough to topple Iran’s leadership, who or what should replace that leadership, and what role Israel or the U.S. will have in either. Every day presents new potential land mines.\n“Many people will blame Israel if things go badly wrong,” wrote Nadav Eyal, a commentator with the Israeli Yediot Ahronoth daily newspaper. “Israel cannot afford to lose the American public’s support under any circumstances. That is more important than striking any individual military facility.”\nStill, Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations over two decades, said that Netanyahu has little to lose from the war.\nWith elections scheduled for the fall, Netanyahu can use the war in Iran to divert attention away from the failures of the Oct. 7 attacks, the worst in Israel’s history. Instead, Netanyahu can set himself up as a brave wartime leader who fulfilled a pledge he has made much of his life to confront Iran.\nHe can say he did so with support from the American president, who Miller said can pull the brakes on the war whenever he pleases.\n“If Trump feels as if it’s going south, he’ll find a way to de-escalate,” he said, “and his good friend Benjamin Netanyahu will follow.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOQ2JKUlh4X3l2VnAxOUpEQmhHSGdpQjdTS1BtYklYMXRiRkV0TVV4ZVNOM1FDbFNHWk1CSThYZ3prb0tCYnl6VUxoczFBWk9yNk9DUWw1V3FQRWllRjBXUHBuRUdDekdFRFphNGZtbDFoSFZmZk56TlhSYWlmRzlDOWtVWW9CZ0hDQ2pVdlRwWUV5bEVfNnZv?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_22df55bb4652",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "War in the Middle East: what’s the end game? - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "War in the Middle East: what’s the end game?\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:27:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5zbEp4OGZfOW5RMTVKTWV6STQ5MlBzQ2lGd2xVZzNJVGNWblNTQjBjWTJBNm5nb094VUhvdEZVWkZDRDBHVzdQOTFhU3FTVDRMa19HWDhWQ055ZTY1TDEtbWNiOHFIWlNyelJBMTgtQ2Q?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_11ba5b0cb9c2",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "How many countries has the US bombed since 2001, and how much has it cost?",
    "body_text": "Despite promising to end United States involvement in costly and destructive foreign wars, President Donald Trump, together with Israel, has launched a massive military assault on Iran, targeting its leadership and nuclear and missile infrastructure.\nMuch like his predecessors, Trump has relied on military force to pursue US strategic interests, continuing a pattern that has defined US foreign policy for more than two decades.\nSince the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the US capital, the US has engaged in three full-scale wars and bombed at least 10 countries in operations ranging from drone strikes to invasions, often multiple times within a single year.\nThe graphic below shows all the countries the US has bombed since 2001.\nThese may not include all military strikes, particularly covert or special operations.\nThe cost of decades of war\nIn the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, President George W Bush launched what he called a “war on terror”, a global military campaign that reshaped US foreign policy and triggered wars, invasions and air strikes across numerous countries.\nAccording to an analysis by Brown University’s Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs, US-led wars since 2001 have directly caused the deaths of about 940,000 people across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other conflict zones.\nThis does not include indirect deaths, namely those caused by loss of access to food, healthcare or war-related diseases.\nThe US has spent an estimated $5.8 trillion funding its more than two decades of conflict.\nThis includes $2.1 trillion spent by the Department of Defense (DOD), $1.1 trillion by Homeland Security, $884bn to increase the DOD base budget, $465bn on veterans’ medical care and an additional $1 trillion in interest payments on loans taken out to fund the wars.\nIn addition to the $5.8 trillion already spent, the US is expected to have to lay out at least another $2.2 trillion for veterans’ care over the next 30 years.\nThis would bring the total estimated cost of US wars since 2001 to $8 trillion.\nAfghanistan war (2001-2021)\nThe first and most direct response to 9/11 was the invasion of Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.\nOn October 7, 2001, the US launched Operation Enduring Freedom.\nThe initial invasion succeeded in toppling the Taliban regime within just a few weeks. However, armed resistance groups mounted a prolonged resistance against US and coalition forces.\nThe war went on to become the longest conflict in US history, spanning four presidencies and lasting 20 years until the final withdrawal in 2021, after which the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan.\nAn estimated 241,000 people died as a direct result of the war, according to an analysis from Brown University’s Costs of War project. Hundreds of thousands more people, mostly civilians, died due to hunger, disease and injuries caused by the war.\nAt least 3,586 soldiers from the US and its NATO allies were killed in the war, which is estimated to have cost $2.26 trillion for the US, according to the Cost of War project.\nIraq war (2003-2011)\nOn March 20, 2003, Bush launched a second war, this time in Iraq, claiming that President Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction – a claim that proved to be false.\nOn May 1, 2003, Bush declared “mission accomplished” and the end of major combat operations in Iraq.\nHowever, the subsequent years were defined by violence from armed groups and a power vacuum that fuelled the rise of ISIL (ISIS).\nIn 2008, Bush agreed to withdraw US combat troops, a process completed in 2011 under President Barack Obama.\nThe drone wars: Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen\nAlthough not declared wars, the US has also expanded its air and drone campaigns.\nBeginning in the mid-2000s, the CIA launched drone strikes inside Pakistan’s tribal areas along the Afghan border, targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban figures believed to be operating there. These strikes marked the early expansion of remote warfare.\nObama dramatically expanded the drone strikes in Pakistan, particularly in the early years of his presidency.\nAt the same time, the US conducted air strikes in Somalia against suspected al-Qaeda affiliates, later targeting fighters linked to al-Shabab as that armed group grew in strength.\nIn Yemen, US forces carried out missile and drone strikes against al-Qaeda leaders.\nLibya intervention\nIn 2011 during an uprising against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the US joined a NATO-led intervention in Libya. American forces launched air and missile strikes to enforce a no-fly zone.\nGaddafi was overthrown and killed, and Libya descended into prolonged instability and factional fighting.\nIraq and Syria\nFrom 2014 onwards, the US intervened in the Syrian war with the stated goal of defeating ISIL. Building on its campaign in Iraq, the US conducted sustained air strikes in Syria while supporting local partner forces on the ground.\nIn Iraq, US forces advised Iraqi troops, fought ISIL remnants and tried to counter Iranian influence, highlighted by a Trump-ordered 2020 strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:29:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/how-many-countries-has-the-us-bombed-since-2001-and-how-much-has-it-cost?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b141cc66e36f",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Syria sends elite troops to border with Lebanon as Iran war spreads - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Syria has sent elite troops and heavy weapons to the border of Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, Middle East sources told The National on Tuesday, in a US-friendly move as the armed group enters the war.\nA security source in the region who follows Syria said that the Damascus government has moved hundreds of soldiers, tanks, troop carriers and field artillery from the front lines with Kurdish areas in eastern Syria to the border with Lebanon in the past three weeks.\nThe Syrian government has “brought in some of its best troops”, the source said. Among them are Uzbek and Uighur fighters who fought beside President Ahmad Al Shara in rebel forces and are now part of the armed forces, the source said.\nMr Al Shara, a former operative in Al Qaeda, led forces that ousted the former Assad regime in December 2024. Syria's new leader became friendly to the US soon after he took power, and was received by President Donald Trump at the White House in November.\nUnlike during wars in the past three decades, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah has no longer a base in Syria. Assad-ruled Syria played a big role in the creation of Hezbollah in the 1980s and later became a backup command and logistics centre for Hezbollah, as well as offering a supply route from Iran.\nThe source said that the Syrian deployment in recent days has concentrated on the Qusair region, across the border from Hermel in Lebanon, which is believed to house Hezbollah weapon stores. Parts of Lebanon's Bekaa valley, between Beirut and central Syria, are under de facto Hezbollah control.\nMembers of a newly created Syrian border guard have also arrived along a stretch of the border from Qusair to the coastal area of Tartus, the source said. They said the move appears intended as a show of force, without signs of offensive intent.\nIn the past 72 hours to Tuesday afternoon, Damascus has also sent Interior Ministry forces to the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, sources in the area said. Hezbollah's allies operated in the area until 2024 and occasionally attacked Israeli troops.\n“The objective is to prevent remnants of Iran's proxies from any action that could draw Israeli retaliation against Syrian territory,” a local Syrian security official said.\nThe security personnel set up roadblocks near the villages of Jabata Al Khashab, Khan Arnabeh, and an area formerly called Baath City to make sure that only the residents of these areas can enter, the official said.\nIsrael had not allowed Syrian security forces into these areas in the year before the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran, suggesting that the deployment may have been co-ordinated with Israel, another regional source said.\nDuring the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah played a crucial role in the survival of the former regime until the group itself could barely survive an Israel campaign in 2024, which wiped out many of its senior operatives in Lebanon and Syria.\nThe group oversaw other Iranian proxies in Syria, had access to Syrian army bases and storage, and used Iranian military hardware that was partly developed in Syria, according to regional security officials.\nParts of south Damascus, where Hezbollah was based near a Shiite shrine, formed its “backup southern suburb”, one of the source said, comparing the area to the group's nerve centre in the southern districts of Beirut.\nHowever, Israeli aerial bombing in the two months that followed the downfall of the former regime destroyed many weapon storage and manufacturing compounds in Syria.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:29:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMia0FVX3lxTE91ZllhUFVFVDJuVnVaMFZ2QTRQV0Q2T1V3ME1ybXpwVFlnbS1QNVBwdTA1cmhJRklNeHZZajFmUGtDTkZvaXVtaW0tUG5CSUR6NU5vbUk3dEdDMGI0T09pc2psQjI1UUNBMzRV?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_553037707e06",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "War disrupts sports with doubt over Messi’s ‘Finalissima,’ Ronaldo games and F1 races - AP News",
    "body_text": "War disrupts sports with doubt over Messi’s ‘Finalissima,’ Ronaldo games and F1 races\nWar disrupts sports with doubt over Messi’s ‘Finalissima,’ Ronaldo games and F1 races\nLionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton are among the sports stars whose schedules are in doubt because of the spreading war in the Middle East.\nCancellations and travel shutdowns are already affecting events since the United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran on Saturday. Organizers of Formula 1 and major soccer games will face decisions soon on whether the competitions can go ahead as scheduled.\nMiddle Eastern nations have become crucial to the world sports landscape over the last decade as event hosts, financial backers and employers for some of the world’s top athletes.\nKey upcoming events\nThe clock is ticking for a decision on whether to cancel or move the Finalissima soccer game on March 27 in Qatar between Spain and Argentina, the champions of Europe and South America. That match would offer Messi a chance to win yet another trophy in a glittering career.\nQatar suspended all soccer games until further notice Sunday. Argentina was also scheduled to play Qatar in a friendly on March 31.\n“UEFA is monitoring and carefully assessing all developments of the situation in cooperation with (South American soccer body) CONMEBOL and the (local organizing committee),” UEFA told the Associated Press on Monday.\nRonaldo’s soccer team, Saudi club Al-Nassr, has already been affected by a wave of cancellations of Asian Champions League games. The Saudi Pro League, which includes Ballon d’Or winners Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, was continuing to play.\nF1 has races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month. F1 and its teams typically start to fly in staff and freight weeks in advance, limiting the time to make a decision on whether to go ahead. Governing body the FIA says its priority is “safety and wellbeing.” F1 reportedly chartered flights to move hundreds of affected staff to Melbourne this week for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.\nThe FIA on Tuesday postponed the season-opener for its main sportscar competition, the World Endurance Championship, which had been set for March 28 in Qatar until “later in the year.”\nThe men’s and women’s tennis tours and golf’s European tour have just finished their Middle East tournament swings and aren’t due back for months. But at a second-tier challenger in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, play on Tuesday was suspended because of a security alert from fires caused by an intercepted drone.\nThe LPGA Tour is in China this week, then most of the players will head east back to North America so their travel should be unaffected.\nIran is set to play in US at the World Cup\nIran is due to send its men’s soccer team to the U.S. for the World Cup in just over three months, with a first game June 16 against New Zealand in Inglewood, California.\nThere’s doubt over whether Iran can or will take part in the tournament. Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj has said “we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope.”\nThe U.S. government has promised exemptions from its travel bans for athletes and coaches at events like the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.\nAthletes stranded\nEven if some events go ahead, a major concern for athletes and teams will be how they can travel in and out of the region safely.\nFormer U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev was among tennis players waiting in Dubai for a chance to fly out after a tournament there concluded last week. If they can’t travel soon, it will affect the BNP Paribas Open starting Wednesday in Indian Wells, California.\nThere were also travel difficulties for athletes heading to the Winter Paralympics, which start on Friday in Italy. The International Paralympic Committee says most teams are already in Europe for training and it’s helping out others with travel. Iran is due to have one skier at the Paralympics.\nCricket and basketball players were facing challenges, too, along with thousands of foreign tourists. The West Indies cricket team that participated in the Twenty20 World Cup has been stranded in India while awaiting clearance to head back to the Caribbean.\nA key region for world sports\nThe Middle East’s influence on world sports has surged in recent years as countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have hosted major events and become crucial financial backers.\nBesides soccer and auto racing, Qatar has a a MotoGP motorcycle race and a gymnastics World Cup next month and hosts the first Diamond League track meet of the year in May. Qatar also owns Champions League-winning soccer team Paris Saint-Germain.\nSaudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup in men’s soccer, has funded the LIV Golf breakaway league and become a major player in world boxing.\n___\nAP sports: https://apnews.com/sports",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:31:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOSHBhTUhQTzgxTDdrMFRkSEEyWXNRWnJyRWNsM1NQb2lCd0lmNXhrUlQweUN6N0V1alNrY0pTa21sSV91Y3U2UF9nakhnbXZ2d3ZzUUxYZVZFMGJ4LVF4cTFyR3F3NEdvakpHdlExdFNiVVVuRFlyNDBBb1ZveDhZbmkzMlJHMkdWTVc3eWJvdjU2dzh4a0Vj?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_432cb9be6878",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "'We are not the regime': Iranian artists grapple with fear, hope, conflict and exile - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "As the regional crisis deepens, Iranian artists are grappling with geopolitical shock waves and decades of personal history.\nFor creatives inside Iran and across the diaspora, the escalation has triggered a mix of relief, fear, guilt and fragile hope.\nAshkan Zahraei, a writer and curator of Tehran’s Dastan Gallery, says the military action runs counter to years of effort by Iranian artists to sustain cultural dialogue beyond politics.\n“It’s so sad to see politicians trying to break down the bridges we have been working to maintain across cultural landscapes,” he tells The National from Tehran. “But we keep having faith in the timeless message of art, its resilience and its power to establish mutual friendships and understanding.”\nZahraei, who has worked to place Iranian contemporary art within international conversations despite domestic constraints, including participating in Art Dubai, describes the moment as a rupture. While artists at home have long navigated censorship, they have also sought to maintain cross-border relationships – efforts now overshadowed by military escalation.\nIn Dubai, where a large Iranian community has built businesses, galleries and studios over decades, the emotional landscape is somewhat different.\nSahar Ghavami, an Iranian artist exhibiting a solo show at FN Designs in Alserkal Avenue, describes the past few days as a collision of long-held trauma and unexpected possibility.\n“At first it felt liberating,” she says. “All my friends and I had to leave the country for freedom of expression and safety for our families. The trauma I have from the regime goes back as early as I can remember. We thought we would never see the day that the suffocation ends.”\nFor many in exile, returning home – even to attend funerals or visit the graves of loved ones, some of whom they say died at the hands of the regime – has felt impossible, Ghavami explains. But that initial sense of release has quickly become complicated.\n“Seeing how it is retaliating and trying to bring other countries down with it is very upsetting and makes me anxious,” she says. “The UAE is where people have moved to have a safe home. To attack it like this makes me feel guilty. It’s not me doing it, but I feel guilty that the demon is unleashed outside its borders and is attacking our second home too.”\nCommunication with family members inside Iran has been sporadic, she adds, intensifying the emotional strain.\nThe crisis has also reshaped her artistic process. Ghavami had been working on a new body of work, processing what she describes as “the pain the regime inflicted” and her anger at recent events. Now, she says, that direction no longer feels sufficient.\n“The previous art I was working on was coming from a place of helplessness,” she says. “Now I have some hope that this would end. I want to honour the hope. My feelings are mixed, and I’m trying out new ideas to process the situation – that maybe this was all not for nothing.”\nIf there is one message she hopes audiences take away, it is a separation between people and state.\n“My whole life I had to feel shame when telling people I’m Iranian,” she says. “They would first relate me to the regime and be scared. I want people to understand that Iranians are brave, fighters, and have been living under this for almost 50 years. We are not the regime.”\nFor Iranian creatives, whether working under constraint in Tehran or in relative freedom abroad, the crisis has once again blurred the boundary between art and politics.\nYet, as Zahraei suggests from Tehran, the belief in art as a connective force persists – even as the region around it destabilises.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:31:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0gFBVV95cUxQZW1EX3NCeTdTQTFxYk9TNVg0MUVwWlM0V3ZDZ2xhckNWNWxSNzJUZmxpMXNmQWZvTm1nQnRrNWIxZEhCdElVVWVDVVBjMFNCSWtSeEVLR1JYUmpoN2pQMGh0MmxkM3JFSFRaVDFvTnE0NXJ5U1hSNWNpemo0TlV3YXo5bDRJbFphNHloWEN4akNUcWNVbzAwZDEwWC14TXVVdDlXbjRWWHU0WUtqZDR6R0hXcWdneDgyVE52dmlPblVtVzdNaFo0enU5b1VVX19va1E?oc=5",
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    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "White House rationale for war keeps shifting - The Washington Post",
    "body_text": "White House rationale for war keeps shifting    The Washington Post",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:32:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOMW5ONWQ5ZE5uT1A5OVhYbXBUZmV3WC14aFl2TWpCcnpDeU9ROWx2ei1sYlBKVUppU2dzUDJvbFdjc3RxODNMNlEtMjgxOURvZWdyTFNSMS1MR2dWam12X05sVHlpTlJyU2RKU1NOTnIxWVlvV19hcjh6UTBYTEVWZ0RnRVFZYkxvUjh6NFJQQWRmcWZ6eXd1bG5aOVU5cDhn?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_50d61a4594e2",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Tens of thousands of people are stranded in the Middle East as Iran war complicates routes home - AP News",
    "body_text": "Anxious travelers scramble as Iran war strands hundreds of thousands across the Middle East\nAnxious travelers scramble as Iran war strands hundreds of thousands across the Middle East\nFrustrated and anxious travelers searched Tuesday for any way out of the Middle East and beyond as the widening Iran war choked off commercial air traffic through the region for a fourth straight day, stranding hundreds of thousands of people.\nWhat began Saturday with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran quickly rippled far beyond the immediate conflict zone. With airspace closed or heavily restricted across much of the Gulf, passengers have been stranded not only in the region but also in cities far from the fighting after their connecting flights were canceled.\n“They say ‘Get out,’ but how do you expect us to get out when airspaces are closed?” said Odies Turner, a 32-year-old chef from Dallas who was stuck in Doha, Qatar. “They just have been canceling every flight. I want to go home.”\nThe U.S. told American citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the region right away using any available commercial transportation. The countries include Iran and Israel, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.\nBut commercial options remained limited.\nMore than 19,000 of the roughly 51,600 flights scheduled into and out of the Middle East between the start of the war and Friday have been canceled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.\nGovernments explore repatriation flights\nThe U.S. State Department said Tuesday it was “actively securing” military and charter aircraft to fly Americans out of the region. It said it was in contact with nearly 3,000 citizens seeking assistance or information.\n“We know that we’re going to be able to help them,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Tuesday, while cautioning that “it’s going to take a little time because we don’t control the airspace closures.”\nRubio urged stranded Americans to contact the State Department: “We need to know who you are.”\nEarlier in the day, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem was “not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.” He provided information ”as a courtesy to those wishing to leave” about an Israeli government shuttle bus to Egypt that Americans could try “as you make your own security plans.”\nIsrael’s airspace has been closed since Saturday, although some land crossings remain open.\nEl Al, Israel’s flag carrier, said it was launching a large-scale “recovery operation.” Transportation Minister Miri Regev said Ben-Gurion Airport is preparing to gradually reopen for limited incoming flights starting early Thursday.\nUnder the plan, one passenger flight per hour will be allowed in the first 24 hours — totaling about 5,000 people — with more possible depending on security conditions. It is unclear whether only Israelis will be permitted on the flights, and no commercial departures leaving Israel have been approved.\nAustralia said a commercial flight from Dubai to Sydney was scheduled Wednesday to start repatriating 24,000 Australians stranded in the UAE.\n“This is a consular crisis that dwarfs any that Australia has had to deal with in terms of numbers of people,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Australian Broadcasting Corp.\nWaiting and watching\nAcross the Middle East, travelers waited in terminals and hotels, or stayed inside because of airstrikes. Some cruise passengers were unable to disembark or reroute because ships could not sail through the Strait of Hormuz.\nMatt Carwell, an American staying in Dubai, was speaking with The Associated Press by phone from his hotel balcony when he suddenly stopped midsentence.\n“Wow,” the 46-year-old said. “There was just a boom.” A fighter jet roared overhead moments later.\nCarwell, who volunteers at a New Hampshire school, has flights booked and keeps waiting for one that doesn’t get canceled.\n“Right now, we’re safe and comfortable,” he said, but not everyone is. “Just feel for them and feel for the people who have either lost their lives or lost someone they’re close to.”\nAirspace across Iran, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria were still shut Tuesday, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. The UAE declared its airspace partially closed, and Jordan suspended flights daily from the mid-afternoon until 6 a.m. local time.\nThe geography of the war has magnified the disruption to air travel. Gulf airports connect Europe, Africa and Asia, and carriers routinely funnel long-haul passengers through hubs such as Dubai and Doha.\n“Within the Middle East, an eight-hour flying distance covers two-thirds of the world population,” said Anita Mendiratta, an aviation and tourism consultant who was stranded in Bangkok. When that corridor is blocked, Mendiratta said, it forces planes far north or south, which “puts huge pressure on the airlines.”\nSome of the aviation notices governing the closures allow authorities to reopen or restrict portions of airspace on short notice depending on security conditions, meaning flight schedules can change rapidly as the conflict continues to unfold.\nSome begin to leave\nDespite the uncertainty, some travelers have managed to catch flights.\nOman Airways advertised flights from Muscat International Airport for passengers able to reach the city from the UAE. Virgin Atlantic said it planned to resume limited service between London Heathrow and both Dubai and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.\nOman’s airspace remained open, while Saudi Arabia kept most of its airspace operating despite partial closures near its border with Iraq and along the Persian Gulf — making Muscat and Riyadh key staging points for repatriation efforts.\nSome wealthy travelers are paying large sums for luxury flights to Europe, first traveling overland to Muscat or to Riyadh to reach airports considered safe from Iranian drone and missile attacks. Prices for charter flights have soared since the start of the war.\nEmirates and Etihad operated a limited number of repatriation flights Tuesday, even as their regular commercial schedules remained suspended. Both carriers said the departures were focused on moving stranded passengers and operating cargo or repositioning flights with government approval.\n“We called our children at 3 a.m. to ask forgiveness because we might die and to tell them we love them,” said Mariana Muicaru, one of hundreds of Romanian pilgrims who had been stranded on a church trip to Israel. She described watching rockets streak across the sky, before eventually reaching Bucharest on Tuesday.\nIn Germany, passengers arriving in Frankfurt from Dubai on Tuesday were asked by reporters if they were glad to be home.\n“Yes, of course,” Wassim Mahlas said. “I’m breathing German air again.”\n___\nAssociated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report, including Danica Kirka, Daniel Niemann, Kristen Grieshaber, Nicolae Dumitrache, Samy Magdy, Jovana Gec, Josh Funk, Julie Walker and Rod McGuirk.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:39:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxPSTNiY2docGxMcHdCNjhHZjBJbWRTUmJDU1ZYR0tHVFdMc095a2VMSzBLaUxIa0hmdWFfM1NtaDgzcmlrUWE2QWFFSGNPelY1dWZET21NdWZlVENtU2VVVXZNdks0Rm91SU5FMVBDTUN0UGpxMXpjQkU1MUEteEpkZEFkdVVvbllmYlJPSC12WlQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d28d42055855",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "How the Iran war is affecting global travel - BBC",
    "body_text": "How the Iran war is affecting global travel\nAs the conflict quickly escalates, here's what travellers in the Middle East and those considering a trip there need to know.\nOn 28 February, a coordinated US-Israeli military offensive deemed \"Operation Epic Fury\" struck Iran, killing the country's ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since the initial strike, the conflict has rapidly expanded to affect a dozen countries – including drone attacks on the Royal Air Force (RAF) Base in Cyprus, an EU nation and all the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).\nThere have also been attacks on airports and civilian areas, especially in the economic and tourist hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Doha in Qatar. The Dubai Airport, the busiest in the world for international travel, was damaged by drone debris in the counter-strikes, leading it to be closed for three days in a row, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers. A projectile also hit the luxury Fairmont The Palm hotel in Dubai, causing a fire that was filmed and widely shared across social media.\n\"The retaliation, especially against areas like the UAE, surprised me and a lot of others,\" said Dr John Rose, Chief Risk Advisor at corporate travel management firm ALTOUR. While it was widely expected that nations like Israel might be hit in retaliation, the UAE has largely been considered a safe place to travel in the region, with Dubai alone attracting nearly 20 million travellers in 2025. He notes that safety for travellers remains paramount for the region; noting that no airport will reopen if it's under realistic threat.\nUS President Trump has said he expects the strikes to continue for several weeks. As the situation unfolds in real-time, many travellers are wondering if or when it will be safe to travel to the region. Countries around the world have issued increasingly escalating travel advisories – including a sweeping directive from the US State Department on social media site X for American nationals to \"depart now\" from 14 nations across the Middle East (including Egypt, which hasn't been directly impacted in the strikes or the offensive) as the conflict escalates.\nThe situation on the ground in each country is nuanced, changing rapidly (sometimes by the hour), and travellers should assess their own risk profile and reasons for going. Here's where things stand across the impacted countries at the time of publishing.\nMost recent updates:\nThe US is now sending charter flights to evacuate Americans from the UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The US State Department is encouraging Americans in the nations listed below to register here to receive the latest update from the nearest US embassy or consulate. The UK government has begun flying British nationals out of Oman, with additional flights to help citizens leave the UAE starting 4 March.\nIran\nAll civilian travel to and from Iran is closed. Airspace shut immediately after strikes began and remains closed. The US, UK, Canada and Australia all have their highest-level advisories in place, and Canada has warned its ability to assist citizens is \"extremely limited\". Overland border crossings into Turkey and Armenia remain open for those trying to leave.\nUnited Arab Emirates\nWhile Iranian strikes have hit both Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, the airports are both slowly starting to restart operations – with Etihad Airways resuming the first flights out of Abu Dhabi and Emirates resuming the first out of Dubai. Airlines are offering free rebooking for travellers, and the UAE government has said it will cover food and accommodation for the 20,200 travellers stuck in the country.\nThe US, UK, Canada and Australia are all advising against all but essential travel to the UAE right now, but Rose expects that could change quickly here since the nation is such an important economic and business hub, saying things could change or settle down as soon as this weekend.\nQatar\nThe Qatari foreign ministry has said that it has intercepted numerous Iranian attacks targeting civilians, including at the Doha Hamad International Airport – which remains closed due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The US and UK have both ordered a shelter-in-place advisory to US citizens as of 2 March, and Australia and Canada have issued \"do-not-travel\" warnings.\nOman\nMany travellers are driving from the UAE to Oman, where flights are still operating and the risk of attacks is slightly lower than other countries in the region, according to Rose. Oman's Duqm commercial port was hit by Iranian drones, which came as a surprise to many, as the country was helping to facilitate peace talks between the US and Iran.\nCompared to other countries in the region, Oman has slightly lighter travel advisories. The UK is advising nationals in Duqm to shelter in place, while advising those visiting Salalah or those within 100km (62 miles) of the city to leave by commercial means. Canada advises to avoid non-essential travel, while Australia suggests to \"reconsider your need to travel\". The US State Department has urged its citizens to depart from Oman immediately.\nIsrael\nAs part of the initial offensive, Israel continues to trade strikes with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Air raid sirens have sounded repeatedly across the country, including in Tel Aviv. The country's main international airport, Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, has been shut down due to Israeli airspace closures, but is expected to resume shortly with limited flights by Israeli carriers. The US, UK, Canada and Australia all have their highest-level warnings in place.\nLebanon\nLebanon was already at the US's highest advisory level before the current escalation, and the US State Department ordered departure of non-emergency embassy personnel days before strikes began citing threats from Hezbollah, whose leadership has publicly stated it will not remain neutral in a US attack on Iran.\nThe embassy is urging all Americans to depart \"while commercial flight options remain available\". Australia has raised its advisory to \"do not travel\", as has Canada, though the UK has regional-specific \"advise against all travel\" and \"advise against all but essential travel\" warnings. Rose says he doesn't see these advisories lifting \"for a considerable period of time\". The US State Department has urged its citizens to depart from Lebanon immediately.\nKuwait and Bahrain\nAirspace in both these countries remains closed as both were hit by Iranian strikes. The UK has a shelter- in-place advisory for both countries while advising avoiding all non-essential travel, while Canada and Australia all say to avoid all travel to both countries. The US State Department has urged its citizens to depart from both nations immediately.\nSaudi Arabia\nSaudi Arabia has been hit by retaliatory strikes, including two drone attacks at the US Embassy in Riyadh, leading the US to issue a shelter-in-place advisory to all US citizens, as well as urging all visitors to leave immediately. Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport is one of the few in the region still operating, so some travellers stranded in other Gulf countries have been making their way here over the past few days.\nAustralia has issued a \"reconsider-your-need-to-travel\" advisory, Canada has the country at \"avoid non-essential travel\" and the UK is advising to \"stay inside\" due to the threat of missile and drone activity.\nJordan\nThe US Embassy in Amman has been evacuated due to an \"unspecified\" security threat. The country has partially closed its airspace from 18:00 to 09:00. Australia has issued a \"reconsider-your-need-to-travel\" warning, while Canada and the UK advise to \"avoid non-essential travel\". The US State Department has urged its citizens and those visiting to depart from Jordan immediately.\nIraq\nIraq's airspace is closed. The US has a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) advisory in place and had already ordered the departure of non-emergency embassy personnel before the current strikes began. The UK, Canada and Australia all advise against any travel, while the US is urging its citizens to depart immediately.\nCyprus\nA drone struck the UK's RAF Akrotiri base early on 2 March, causing minor damage and no casualties but marking the first impact of the conflict in Europe. Paphos International Airport (a joint civil and military public airport) was evacuated after a suspect object appeared on radar, and around 60 flights were cancelled across the island. EasyJet suspended their UK-Cyprus services until 5 March.\nWhile the UK doesn’t have a travel warning in place for Cyprus, it is instructing British nationals near the base to follow local instructions.\nEgypt\nEgypt has not been directly targeted by retaliatory strikes, though the US State Department included the country on the list it shared on X, advising citizens to \"depart now via commercial means\". Australia and Canada both advise travellers to exercise a high degree of caution, and the UK has regional-specific advice.\nRose, who is planning his own family trip to Egypt this summer, sees no reason to postpone a trip here in particular. \"I'm not going to take my daughters somewhere I feel is high risk,\" he says. At the moment, he believes, \"It's not.\"\n--\nThis story was originally published on 3 March but is being updated as the situation develops.\nIf you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week.\nFor more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:41:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_a053af354cb8",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Battered and isolated, Hezbollah drags Lebanon into another war",
    "body_text": "Battered and isolated, Hezbollah drags Lebanon into another war\nThe Iranian-backed group Hezbollah has fired rockets from Lebanon into Israel for a second day while the Israeli military has sent troops into the south of the country, as Lebanon is dragged into the war between US, Israel and Iran. Israel has also carried out air strikes that have killed dozens of people, according to Lebanese health officials.\nOn Monday, after the regional conflict spread to Lebanon, thousands of residents fled villages in the south and, in Beirut, displaced families gathered in the city's Martyrs' Square and on the promenade along the Mediterranean.\nThe Israeli bombing was in response to rockets and drones that had been fired by Hezbollah, the Shia Muslim militia and political party, to avenge the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an attack on his compound in Tehran on Saturday.\nHezbollah's actions were largely symbolic, but Israel's retaliation came with force.\nAir strikes hit southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as the Dahieh - the heartlands of Hezbollah and of Lebanon's Shia community. And now, the Israeli military says it has expanded its military presence in southern Lebanon, indicating that this could be a prolonged operation.\nThis new cycle of violence was all too predictable. For months, Israeli officials had signalled an escalation of their campaign against Hezbollah. Despite a ceasefire that ended a devastating 13-month war in 2024, Israel had continued with its bombing of Lebanon almost every day, saying the group was trying to rebuild its capabilities. Hezbollah, however, had remained quiet, aware that any move would inevitably be met with a powerful retaliation.\nHezbollah's decision to respond led to a swift backlash from many Lebanese, a reflection of the diminished standing of a once-dominant group in a country exhausted by conflicts.\nUnderlining the recent shift in the balance of power, the Lebanese government announced a ban on Hezbollah's military activities and demanded the group hand over its weapons to the state. And in a strongly worded statement that symbolised a shared frustration, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Hezbollah's attack showed disregard for the \"will of the majority of Lebanese\".\nHezbollah, whose name means \"Party of God\" in Arabic, was created in the 1980s in response to Israel's occupation of Lebanon during the 15-year Lebanese civil war. Their latest conflict started when Hezbollah began firing rockets and missiles at Israeli positions a day after Israel launched its military response in Gaza to the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023. (Hezbollah is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the US, the UK and other countries.)\nThe war that followed was catastrophic for Lebanon and Hezbollah. The group's top leaders were assassinated, including long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah, many of its fighters killed, and part of its formidable arsenal destroyed. The conflict ended with a ceasefire deal in November 2024. Hezbollah was battered and isolated, blamed for a conflict which many, including some supporters, described as a miscalculation that brought only suffering to a country that was already deep in crisis.\nThis year, as tensions between the US and Iran mounted and President Donald Trump deployed what he described as an \"armada\" to the Middle East, threatening to strike Iran, concerns grew in Lebanon. For decades, Tehran invested billions of dollars in Hezbollah as part of an alliance of proxies in the Middle East it calls the \"Axis of Resistance\". With Iran vowing to turn any attack into a regional conflict, the Lebanese government warned Hezbollah against getting involved. In turn, according to reports, the group reassured the authorities that it would not intervene. But, in the end, possibly under pressure from its patron, it did.\nFor some time, there have been whispers of divisions inside Hezbollah about the way forward, as President Joseph Aoun pushes ahead with a disarmament plan laid out in the ceasefire agreement. Armed resistance is an essential part of the group's identity - its flag includes a hand holding an assault rifle - and, so far, Hezbollah has resisted calls to discuss the future of its weapons. Aoun has rejected the use force, warning that this could antagonise the Shia community and reignite sectarian divisions in a country .\nIt is unclear what is left of Hezbollah's arsenal or of its fighting force and, with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz describing the group's Secretary General, Naim Qassem, as a \"marked target for elimination\", some see this as a suicidal mission by the group.\nThe escalation in Lebanon means a second front for Israel in the war in Iran, as it continues to carry out frequent air strikes on Iran alongside the US. In both countries, there is no clear stated objective or timeline, though in Lebanon it is likely that Israel's aim is to permanently neutralise any military threat from Hezbollah and possibly force Lebanon into agreeing a new deal. The Israeli military's chief of staff has said Hezbollah will suffer a \"devastating blow\".\nThe expansion of Israel's ground invasion in south of Lebanon has raised fears of a wider campaign, similar to the one in 2024. Despite the ceasefire deal, which was brokered by the US and France, the Israeli military had remained in five locations inside Lebanon and enforced a de facto buffer zone along the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese soldiers had also been deployed there. Some are now being forced to retreat.\n\"Hezbollah is trapped – precisely where the Israelis want it to be,\" Michael Young, senior editor at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, wrote in the Diwan blog. \"Nothing can now stop Israel's intention to hit Hezbollah and its community hard, completing what was started in 2024.\"\nLast November, I visited southern Lebanese communities that remained in ruins - international donors have refused to fund reconstruction in part because of the impasse over disarmament - and saw that some people were already challenging long-held views. Hezbollah's move has been angrily denounced by critics as reckless. But it is possible that even some followers will ask what exactly the group is trying to achieve.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:42:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gq3ykg7pvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_567c57bc0f42",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Battered and isolated, Hezbollah drags Lebanon into another war - BBC",
    "body_text": "Battered and isolated, Hezbollah drags Lebanon into another war\nThe Iranian-backed group Hezbollah has fired rockets from Lebanon into Israel for a second day while the Israeli military has sent troops into the south of the country, as Lebanon is dragged into the war between US, Israel and Iran. Israel has also carried out air strikes that have killed dozens of people, according to Lebanese health officials.\nOn Monday, after the regional conflict spread to Lebanon, thousands of residents fled villages in the south and, in Beirut, displaced families gathered in the city's Martyrs' Square and on the promenade along the Mediterranean.\nThe Israeli bombing was in response to rockets and drones that had been fired by Hezbollah, the Shia Muslim militia and political party, to avenge the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an attack on his compound in Tehran on Saturday.\nHezbollah's actions were largely symbolic, but Israel's retaliation came with force.\nAir strikes hit southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as the Dahieh - the heartlands of Hezbollah and of Lebanon's Shia community. And now, the Israeli military says it has expanded its military presence in southern Lebanon, indicating that this could be a prolonged operation.\nThis new cycle of violence was all too predictable. For months, Israeli officials had signalled an escalation of their campaign against Hezbollah. Despite a ceasefire that ended a devastating 13-month war in 2024, Israel had continued with its bombing of Lebanon almost every day, saying the group was trying to rebuild its capabilities. Hezbollah, however, had remained quiet, aware that any move would inevitably be met with a powerful retaliation.\nHezbollah's decision to respond led to a swift backlash from many Lebanese, a reflection of the diminished standing of a once-dominant group in a country exhausted by conflicts.\nUnderlining the recent shift in the balance of power, the Lebanese government announced a ban on Hezbollah's military activities and demanded the group hand over its weapons to the state. And in a strongly worded statement that symbolised a shared frustration, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Hezbollah's attack showed disregard for the \"will of the majority of Lebanese\".\nHezbollah, whose name means \"Party of God\" in Arabic, was created in the 1980s in response to Israel's occupation of Lebanon during the 15-year Lebanese civil war. Their latest conflict started when Hezbollah began firing rockets and missiles at Israeli positions a day after Israel launched its military response in Gaza to the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023. (Hezbollah is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the US, the UK and other countries.)\nThe war that followed was catastrophic for Lebanon and Hezbollah. The group's top leaders were assassinated, including long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah, many of its fighters killed, and part of its formidable arsenal destroyed. The conflict ended with a ceasefire deal in November 2024. Hezbollah was battered and isolated, blamed for a conflict which many, including some supporters, described as a miscalculation that brought only suffering to a country that was already deep in crisis.\nThis year, as tensions between the US and Iran mounted and President Donald Trump deployed what he described as an \"armada\" to the Middle East, threatening to strike Iran, concerns grew in Lebanon. For decades, Tehran invested billions of dollars in Hezbollah as part of an alliance of proxies in the Middle East it calls the \"Axis of Resistance\". With Iran vowing to turn any attack into a regional conflict, the Lebanese government warned Hezbollah against getting involved. In turn, according to reports, the group reassured the authorities that it would not intervene. But, in the end, possibly under pressure from its patron, it did.\nFor some time, there have been whispers of divisions inside Hezbollah about the way forward, as President Joseph Aoun pushes ahead with a disarmament plan. Armed resistance is an essential part of the group's identity - its flag includes a hand holding an assault rifle - and, so far, Hezbollah has resisted calls to discuss the future of its weapons. Aoun has rejected the use of force, warning that this could antagonise the Shia community and reignite sectarian divisions in the country .\nIt is unclear what is left of Hezbollah's arsenal or of its fighting force and, with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz describing the group's Secretary General, Naim Qassem, as a \"marked target for elimination\", some see this as a suicidal mission by the group.\nThe escalation in Lebanon means a second front for Israel in the war in Iran, as it continues to carry out frequent air strikes on Iran alongside the US. In both countries, there is no clear stated objective or timeline, though in Lebanon it is likely that Israel's aim is to permanently neutralise any military threat from Hezbollah and possibly force Lebanon into agreeing a new deal. The Israeli military's chief of staff has said Hezbollah will suffer a \"devastating blow\".\nThe expansion of Israel's ground invasion in south of Lebanon has raised fears of a wider campaign, similar to the one in 2024. Despite the ceasefire deal, which was brokered by the US and France, the Israeli military had remained in five locations inside Lebanon and enforced a de facto buffer zone along the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese soldiers had also been deployed there. Some are now being forced to retreat.\n\"Hezbollah is trapped – precisely where the Israelis want it to be,\" Michael Young, senior editor at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, wrote in the Diwan blog. \"Nothing can now stop Israel's intention to hit Hezbollah and its community hard, completing what was started in 2024.\"\nLast November, I visited southern Lebanese communities that remained in ruins - international donors have refused to fund reconstruction in part because of the impasse over disarmament - and saw that some people were already challenging long-held views. Hezbollah's move has been angrily denounced by critics as reckless. But it is possible that even some followers will ask what exactly the group is trying to achieve.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:42:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE5yb1B5UDVrRlN2cFRuRVRHdmtNSF80VGxiOXJRV05VU1E3eUtNenlXVVdLcG9fMFJiZXBOMUhhc05JMW4tQVhOV2tfdzdOT0RTR05oUWR6eVFSQQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c3087be0c5fa",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Inside Hezbollah's decision to attack Israel and Berri's 'break' with the party - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Inside Hezbollah's decision to attack Israel and Berri's 'break' with the party\nHezbollah’s surprise strike on Israel on Monday did more than reignite a front that had largely lain dormant since the 2024 war. It has set off a sweeping Israeli retaliation, shaken Lebanese public opinion, and thrust the Lebanese state into one of its most consequential confrontations with the group in years.\nHezbollah launched rocket and drone strikes on northern Israel to avenge Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli operation on Tehran, and “in defence of Lebanon”.\nIt was the first time the group claimed responsibility for an attack on Israel since the ceasefire that ended the last war in November 2024.\nIsrael responded with a broad air campaign on Beirut’s southern suburbs as well as southern and eastern Lebanon. So far, at least 40 people have been killed and 246 wounded, while roads out of the targeted areas have been choked with fleeing families - scenes that recalled the mass displacement of late 2024.\nBut the deeper shock for the Lebanese came from inside Lebanon.\nIn an emergency session that same day, the cabinet went far beyond its customary language of distancing and restraint. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced a total ban on Hezbollah’s military and security activities and demanded that the group hand over its weapons. The decisions of war and peace, he said, rest solely with the state.\nThe government also ordered the army and security agencies to take all necessary measures to prevent rocket or drone launches from Lebanese territory and to arrest violators.\nNotably, the government's decision was backed by Nabih Berri, the influential parliament speaker.\nLeader of the Amal movement, Lebanon's other major Shia party, Berri has been a longstanding ally to Hezbollah and the move appeared to be a dramatic rupture between the two.\nBut according to people familiar with his position and Hezbollah’s internal discussions, the story inside the Shia political camp was more complicated.\nChallenging the ceasefire terms\nAccording to two sources close to Berri, the speaker and Hezbollah had been in close contact in the hours before the strike, amid a shared conviction that a fresh Israeli assault was increasingly likely.\nBerri’s view, the sources said, was that if war was coming anyway, Lebanon should not be the party to hand Israel the public pretext for launching it.\nHezbollah, however, is said to have argued internally that Khamenei’s killing made a response all the more necessary, and that an Israeli escalation was now seen as inevitable whether it acted or remained silent.\nThe assessment was not entirely disconnected from the party’s public messaging since the ceasefire. Hezbollah's secretary-general, Naim Qassem, said the group would coordinate with the Lebanese army to implement the deal even as he criticised concessions in the negotiations with Israel.\nIn later speeches, he warned that “missiles would fall” on Israel if it resumed a broad war on Lebanon.\nOne person close to Hezbollah told MEE: “After the blows it absorbed in the September war, the leadership believed it had to wait for a regional rupture big enough to alter the post-war balance.”\n“The attack on Iran was that rupture,\" the source added.\n“Staying out of the war would have made Hezbollah look passive, and it would have missed the chance to challenge the conditions imposed after the ceasefire.”\nOn Sunday, news reports said Israel was preparing to call up about 100,000 reservists under Operation Roaring Lion against Iran, reinforcing a perception in Lebanon that the conflict could spread beyond a limited border flare‑up.\nThe next day, Israeli troops moved across the border and occupied areas of south Lebanon.\nSources said Berri, aware that a renewed Israel-Hezbollah conflict was likely, sought to prevent the group from being seen as delivering the first blow, avoiding the political fallout of giving Israel a clear self-defence narrative.\nHowever, Hezbollah believed it had credible intelligence that a major Israeli escalation was coming regardless and decided to act.\nA source close to the group said the decision to attack Israel was made 48 hours earlier, with orders sent to units in handwritten messages to evade Israeli interception.\nA way out for Berri\nThe Hezbollah-Amal alliance is a calculated partnership that has formed the core of Lebanon’s “Shia duo” since the end of the civil war in 1990.\nBerri has led Amal since 1980 and served as speaker of parliament since 1992, the highest office allocated to a Shia under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system.\n'Staying out of the war would have made Hezbollah look passive, and it would have missed the chance to challenge the conditions imposed after the ceasefire'\n- Source close to Hezbollah\nHis rise as speaker coincided with Hezbollah’s rise under Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in the last war. Together, the two parties came to dominate the Shia community’s political representation and much of the state’s patronage network.\nEven amid tensions, Berri repeatedly acted as Hezbollah’s institutional interlocutor, including during the negotiations that produced the November 2024 ceasefire.\nAccording to people familiar with both Berri’s circle and Hezbollah’s internal thinking, the most politically significant element of the speaker's public support of the decision to ban Hezbollah military activity was not the apparent rupture itself, but the strategic value of appearing to create one.\nThe narrative that Berri backed the government out of anger over Hezbollah’s move was, in this view, less a genuine break than a politically calibrated posture, one that both sides understood could serve a deeper purpose.\nBy allowing Berri to appear publicly distanced from Hezbollah at the moment of escalation with Israel, the Shia political camp preserved a fallback line in the event of a worst-case military outcome.\nIf the confrontation were to end in a devastating blow to Hezbollah, Berri could still position himself as the institutional figure capable of negotiating terms, containing the fallout, and acting as a political safeguard for the Shia community.\nSources say the objective was not to signal a strategic split, but to ensure that even in the bleakest scenario, a military defeat would not cascade into the total political collapse of the sect’s leadership.\nA preemptive strike\nA source close to Hezbollah said the group believed an Israeli war cabinet meeting was on the verge of taking a major decision against it that same night, based in part on assessments circulating through Lebanese channels.\nIn that reading, the overnight barrage was not merely retaliatory but also preemptive: a way to force an immediate shift on the ground, clear personnel and civilians from vulnerable areas and blunt the scale of casualties ahead of an anticipated Israeli response.\nThat calculation helps explain the party’s apparent willingness to absorb the political cost of firing at Israel after months of restraint. It also sheds light on why the government’s decision, while historic, may not have come as a complete surprise within Hezbollah.\nFor many Lebanese, the latest escalation revived memories of the 66-day war, the devastating final weeks of a cross-border conflict between Hezbollah and Israel that raged since the group began launching attacks in solidarity with Palestinians being killed in Gaza.\nIts deadliest day, 23 September 2024, claimed 492 lives, and the two-day toll reached 569, marking one of Lebanon’s bloodiest episodes in decades.\nAgainst this backdrop, people familiar with Hezbollah’s thinking say that while this week’s casualties were severe, they remained below the group’s feared losses from a surprise Israeli assault.\nWhat happens next is likely to determine more than the fate of one military exchange.\nThe cabinet’s move marks the clearest attempt yet by the Lebanese state to assert a monopoly over military and security matters following Hezbollah’s heavy losses in the last war and against the backdrop of regional upheaval linked to the Iran conflict.\nBut it also ushers in a volatile new chapter.\nAny attempt to turn the cabinet’s decision into action risks confrontation - not just between the state and Hezbollah, but over Lebanon’s future internal balance of power.\nFor now, the message from Beirut is clear: the old formula, in which Hezbollah chose when to fight while the state managed the fallout, is under direct challenge.\nWhether that challenge sparks a genuine internal reordering or triggers a deeper rupture will depend on developments in the days ahead.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:44:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxNMXpaWGhZTUtLdHUwMHZFVE5JREZ6cEtPcTFjenFvTVhqOVJhUU1mMS02a29BSWRPS2dmWXEtSUUzMXhkUjJ3Q05yMDBRZFYxb0dWRFluWjNPYVc1c2NfVVF4WThBQmk3SUtkWG5RQlFCT09IeUI1akd1SHVZM1FNOTNJdkxjRV9BZHhwd0tzQXNBMVo4Tk55b0dHY3o?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e63eb041080c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel advances in south Lebanon as army withdraws, Quds leader killed - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:46:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOMkZiWk1SSThRQVNZbVVoRHdQUHIwQ1VJMG5tMVFhZ2NKNkdCNVZpTW5uLTZMMzlWYWU5RmgxQnFYVjZsTXo4UGg4a1A5dXpqUDFpS1ZUcC1zVFVpdXVxZldRUEFhc0ZjSEVsME1Ba2FBMHQ5UkhILVlSN2dndGFSNXU3S3I4QmlTSHFpNVJ1YUlFZm1iaWtzbUJha1Q1YnBiTTBxcF9CSnpfZ2o5?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fa1a7e28d106",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "UAE prepared to defend territory for duration of war - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "UAE prepared to defend territory for duration of war    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:48:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNdGhrcU1ROC1xWWdSNWpueDI1RVF0Z0wtQXpqbGprSEJ3UDFKUGE0NHJzU3FON3BDemZsanVlUjd2bmYzODVGSmh6Q0JOdmVxWGIxXzNoejBxRHFXOEtuS0VHTDFVdndTR2g3LUYzYUhOVVdZU2pwbXdlWlNBV2NMcVc0SkRibnBYR21HMmlTODB6YVJJZ3c2SkFRSkhlZ0thYmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7d7c2d19e70a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli-US strikes hit building of assembly choosing new Iran supreme leader - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israeli-US strikes hit building of assembly choosing new Iran supreme leader\nIsraeli and US strikes hit the building of a body tasked with electing Iran's new supreme leader in the city of Qom, local media reported on Tuesday.\n“The American-Zionist criminals attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom,” south of Tehran, reported the Tasnim news agency.\nThe assembly is tasked with appointing, supervising and potentially dismissing the supreme leader.\n“Israel struck while they were counting the votes for the appointment of the supreme leader,” a senior Israeli official told Fox News.\nFormer leader Ali Khamenei was killed during a wave of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday.\nLocal media showed footage of the building severely damaged in the strikes. There was no information on any potential casualties, AFP reported.\nThe Mehr news agency said that the building was no longer being used for meetings.\nTasnim reported that strikes had already targeted the main headquarters of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on Monday. The transition process following Khamenei's death began on Sunday, the day before.\nThese plans include the formation of an interim leadership council including the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council, the body that oversees legislation and vets electoral candidates.\nAlso playing a central role is Iran's top security chief Ali Larijani, who has emerged as a key powerbroker.\nThe interim leadership council will lead the country while a permanent successor is found for the supreme leader, AFP reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:49:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNMHJ0Vm1OLWtfelROdGY5TnpXbGZNbWVJQ3d0RThHaTZxa2dUUDlremt0cjBpV0kwdmxQUDBfbTJJcUoyY1NMMWoyOHFFenF0Y042NjBvX1lLcWUtV0ZBNDBLd1J3c1J6MGc2QWRaVVdna1lRbFl5NGNPVHQ5UzRoYTd2SXptRjZjeVkxejRaMUYwMGJyaFBLVjZIRFlPN1R4aERwczJNRGRsRjJu?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1aff64f48122",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "IEA Ready to Stabilize Oil Market Hit by Iran War, Document Says - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "IEA Ready to Stabilize Oil Market Hit by Iran War, Document Says    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:50:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPMlRtMGp0eksyMDY4VzBERDdRVnM0Y0U0VVZ5NUVEVnFfa0hSVW1NU2FHelhuQ2NMYkh6aUU5cjVvUGVIZXFaRUtLYVF3bm11RkJ3VU41VEtKUi12RGFlVmFDa0VMeTk5SERKeFRDVW5IUUZETXFVWHY3NlhoeW9WR3l0SUl1SGoxUzVYUm1jX09EcGxuOFd6TTNQVklNWEhYUzhMamQxRmlBYVVIM1JiLUNn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cf4b742ad4d2",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Middle East war could be decided by who runs out of missiles or interceptors first, analysts say - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The outcome and duration of the war in the Middle East may be decided by a grim calculus based on the size of Iran’s drone and missile stocks v vital air defence munitions held by the US, Israel and Gulf states, analysts and officials say.\nSince Saturday, Iran and its proxies have sought to counter the intensive joint US and Israeli offensive with more than 1,000 strikes against targets across almost a dozen countries spread over 1,200 miles. With its antiquated air force unable to compete with those of Israel and the US, Tehran has relied on its arsenal of missiles and drones.\nThe geographical extent of Iran’s retaliatory attacks have made the conflict the widest in the Middle East since the second world war. Israeli and US aircraft and missiles have struck hundreds of sites across Iran, without losing a plane to hostile fire.\nThe US and Israel are seeking to destroy as much of Iran’s missile stockpile and infrastructure as possibly, targeting launchers, stores and personnel.\nStacie Pettyjohn, the director of the defense program at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, said the conflict had become “a bit of a salvo competition”, a military strategic concept describing an exchange of simultaneous volleys of large numbers of precision-guided weapons between opposing forces.\n“The question is who has the deeper magazines of key weapons, and the big unknown is how deep Iran inventories are,” Pettyjohn said.\nSirens sounded again over Jerusalem on Tuesday, with multiple explosions as interceptor missiles destroyed incoming missiles, but Iranian attacks on Israel, where 11 people have been killed and more than 100 injured since the war began, have become less frequent over the past 36 hours.\nAnalysts suggest Iran, where the Red Crescent said more than 787 people have been killed, may be seeking to preserve its reserves of missiles, or is simply unable to fire more.\n“Iran has fewer weapons that can range Israel than hit the Persian Gulf, and a lot of drones heading to Israel are being intercepted,” said Petttyjohn.\n“There may also be an amount of disarray that the Iranians are dealing with as they are suffering decapitation strikes [killing senior commanders] and so are not operating in a coordinated way. They are just getting off what they can, when they can.”\nTehran’s strategy may be to attempt to wear down its enemies by undermining the morale of citizens and raising the financial costs of the conflict.\n“There is no such thing as 100% defence. It’s a war of attrition … If a single missile strikes something like a university, a hospital or a power plant it can be very costly,” said Tal Inbar, an Israel-based senior research fellow at the Missile Defence Advisory Alliance.\nDuring the 12-day war with Iran last summer, when massive barrages of missiles were fired at Israel, crucial weapons in Israel ran low, some reports have suggested.\n“In previous wars and clashes, the duration has been determined in part by the amount of [air defence missiles] that we had … You can never have enough interceptors,” Inbar said.\nAll involved in the current conflict recognise the significance of the bitterly contested aerial battle and are making strenuous efforts to reassure anxious citizens.\nThe United Arab Emirates issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday rebutting reports that it was running out of crucial interceptor missiles. “The UAE … maintains a robust strategic stockpile of munitions, ensuring sustained interception and response capabilities over extended periods,” it said.\nOn Monday, the UAE said it had so far destroyed 161 out of 174 ballistic missiles launched toward the country, while the rest had fallen into the sea. Of a total 689 Iranian drones, 645 were intercepted and eight cruise missiles destroyed, “causing some collateral damage”.\nIranian strikes have also been launched at US military and civilian infrastructure sites in Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Oman. International hotels in Dubai have been hit and set alight.\nOil infrastructure has been damaged in Saudi Arabia, and drones targeted a British military base in Cyprus.\nQatar, too, issued a statement, describing the “detection of multiple aerial and missile targets and the successful interception of the majority”. The defence ministry said it had shot down two Iranian fighter jets, three cruise missiles, 98 out of 101 ballistic missiles, and 24 out of 39 drones.\n“It is very hard to know the level of inventories [of these weapons] in the Gulf but they are burning through a lot of them and soon there will be some difficult decisions to make about what to protect”, Kelly Grieco, a strategic and military analyst at the Stimson Center in Washington, said.\n“The Iranians know this, and that is why their salvoes are not so large. They are aiming to keep the campaign running. It’s death by a thousand cuts, and so much the preferable strategy for the weaker [combatant] in the fight.”\nPettyjohn said that if air defences stockpiles ran out, that might push Israel and the US to stop offensive operations and try to reach some kind of negotiated settlement.\n“The US could withdraw its forces, Israel clearly cannot, but it’s the Gulf states who are now bearing the brunt and they might continue to be pummelled …. If Iran runs out of missiles … they may just have to sue for peace and try to survive and eventually rebuild their capabilities over time.” Pettyjohn said.\nThe sheer expense of the weapons involved, and their limited availability, is also pertinent. Grieco estimates intercepting a drone costs five times more than producing one, while stockpiles of the most advanced US-made weapons are very limited and can only be replenished slowly. Such munitions are in great demand elsewhere, such as in Ukraine or Taiwan.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T15:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxQZHFJdVd0WldybnZtTjNxa0dNUWZKYmVfc0toM0Vxa2l4c244ZHlfRks4NlM4OV9hVEdXTWoyZTF3WjR6UjR6MFZpckVtN3FoVVhqWWg3cXBtV0xMdkpQOW5aYlZRek9aZ1ZyV1pQZkxmRFZNODlFSzZMemdBREdMUm1yRUI1UUNtNEd0emlURm1BZm1WSFE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8d80fc79c01b",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US guarantees Israel will not strike Beirut airport but Hezbollah rockets test red lines - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "The US has indirectly assured Lebanon that Beirut’s airport and port will not be targeted, contingent on reduced Hezbollah attacks.\nIsraeli strikes have killed at least 52 people and focused on Hezbollah-dominated areas, avoiding national infrastructure so far.\nTransport Minister Fayez Rasamny confirmed Lebanese airspace remains open, amid evacuation orders for southern and eastern villages displacing more than 30,000 residents.\nPresident Joseph Aoun is engaging western partners to de-escalate, as the cabinet bans Hezbollah military activities and orders judicial action despite limited state control.\n“The only Israeli guarantees so far are that the airport will not be struck,” a western diplomatic source said.\nThe US has given Lebanon indirect guarantees that Israel will not attack Beirut’s airport and port, Lebanese political sources and western diplomats told The National, but continued Hezbollah attacks could shift those red lines and may widen the military campaign to include Lebanese infrastructure.\nIsrael has carried out extensive strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, as well as in southern and eastern Lebanon, in retaliation for rockets launched by the group on Monday after it entered the war against the US and Israel in support of Iran.\nHezbollah had not launched a single attack on Israeli territory since a ceasefire was agreed in November 2024 between the group and its sworn enemy, despite near-daily Israeli air strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon.\n“The only Israeli guarantees so far are that the airport will not be struck, to allow people to leave, and that the port will remain operational to ensure the flow of supplies,” a western diplomatic source told The National.\nA Lebanese official confirmed that “this was true as of yesterday”. “But today, we don’t know,” they added. “And there are no other guarantees.”\nWhile deadly, Israel has so far confined its strikes – which have killed at least 52 people, including civilians – to areas where Hezbollah holds sway, stopping short of targeting Lebanese infrastructure.\nDespite the fighting, Lebanese airspace has remained open so far – a decision that came after a meeting of the country’s Supreme Defence Council, according to Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny.\nLebanese authorities are hurrying to prevent the conflict from escalating, the Lebanese official said, adding that US-backed President Joseph Aoun has been in contact with western counterparts to do “whatever is possible to bring an end to the war”.\n“The Americans are trying to de-escalate but they consider that Hezbollah started this war and Hezbollah is still launching rockets today. The group wasted all of Lebanon’s peace efforts,” they added.\nDespite these efforts, the conflict has been escalating quickly on the ground. Israel’s campaign over the past two days has been widespread, with the military issuing bombing eviction notices for dozens of villages in the south and the east, forcing more than 30,000 residents to flee.\nOn Tuesday, the Israeli military advanced about a few kilometres into Lebanese territory, prompting fears of a broader ground invasion and leading Lebanese troops to withdraw before returning south of the Israeli border.\n“The Israeli response is not surprising. It is no secret that Israel has long prepared for every possible scenario in Lebanon, with plans ready to be activated, waiting for the slightest misstep,” the western diplomat said.\nMeanwhile, Unifil, the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, said dozens of Hezbollah rockets and missiles have been fired into Israel since Monday.\nA second diplomatic source said the Lebanese government has made clear requests to the Quintet for Lebanon, an informal group comprising the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, to convey to Israel that it is not in its interest to strike infrastructure, launch a ground invasion or drag the country into a wider war.\n“There is an active effort by Lebanon’s partners to prevent reaching that point and to preserve infrastructure,” the diplomatic source said, adding that any guarantees are conditional on the Lebanese government demonstrating real action to stop Hezbollah’s attacks.\n“But the more rockets Hezbollah fires, the weaker the guarantee becomes. And it could lead Israel to extend the scope of its strikes, as it seems ready to settle the matter with Hezbollah once and for all,” the diplomat added.\nWidespread condemnations\nHezbollah’s intervention has been widely condemned by Lebanese authorities. Following an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday, the government banned the group’s military and security activities and announced judicial measures against those responsible for the rocket launches.\nBut it remains unclear how the weakened Lebanese state would be able to implement the decision.\nA second Lebanese source said the cabinet's move was “no longer just about the confiscation of weapons, but also the person who holds them”. The Lebanese judiciary has already directed the security forces to track down and prosecute those who fired the initial rockets at Israel in the early hours of Monday.\nNo arrests linked to the initial attack have been made so far.\n“Now, this does not mean everything can be implemented immediately because we don’t have full control,” the Lebanese official said. “Does it mean we can arrest all of them? No. It will be progressive,” they added.\nHezbollah has condemned the cabinet's decision, saying its attacks are an act of self-defence against “continuing Israeli aggression”.\n“Confrontation is a legitimate right,” the group said in a statement, stating that what it has carried out is a “reaction to the aggression, primarily based on national considerations and on the right to secure safety and stability” for the Lebanese.\nIsrael has said the repeated strikes over the past 18 months, which have been widely condemned by rights groups and killed dozens of civilians, were aimed at Hezbollah.\nIn January, the Lebanese army announced the completion of the first phase of a US-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah, adopted under the 2024 ceasefire, the dismantling of the group’s arsenal south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres from the Israeli-Lebanese border.\nThe two diplomatic sources confirmed that the rockets were launched from south of the Litani River.\nIt was not clear if Hezbollah has been able to move back some of its arsenal south of the Litani, or if these are sites that have not been previously uncovered by the Lebanese army.\n“If the first ones were launched north of the Litani, now the scope has widened, across the deep south, the north and the Bekaa,” the western diplomat said.\n“With the prospect of a ground incursion on the table, all the counters have been reset to zero.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:00:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2gFBVV95cUxPQXNmMTVMRjh6a1MzMG80cUlsOFNZQXJtM25kN3BUc29UVzhDRnRXSlhxend3amRZWlhfQ01CdXJRS2Q4eWJaS1kta0k5NV9vbDNqb0lkQXFGbld3WVRSaHE3Y1BnOUN6a0haT2ZaalZneW5pM2tLM1Q0ek90Yk1lSndFUGw4dnBPVUNubjZ4aU1yV2F0bmpiRVJkdWs4UzRyUGo3SUkyZWNWQXdvOHRkVTlfMU91RHl5VklSb05UdlFMTU9SU3RVdGhGbENQSDFOLXluamxOM1FHUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_abbae6fdba7f",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Rachel Reeves sticks to ‘stability’ in face of Iran war and restive Labour MPs - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Rachel Reeves sticks to ‘stability’ in face of Iran war and restive Labour MPs\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:04:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5EWGc0TFgzeDB4WVNLYlRHUU1HYUx6UDRPVGxhN21waDZ2Y3NMVTNsdERxcThhUVJzQms3WmZQaHZrUmFQSmkyOFUxdVVMSnEzQldnd2ZRQVhFTnFqeXFId3FiMmczR0FHclJPb2RTOF8?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f882617397a1",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Hezbollah's strikes on Israel have ensured that few in Lebanon will regret the Iranian proxy's demise - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Michael Young is a Lebanon affairs columnist for The National\nMarch 03, 2026\nIn the first 24 hours after Hezbollah launched rockets against northern Israel, involving Lebanon in an unnecessary war, the group’s decision provoked widespread condemnation throughout the country. Even many people within Hezbollah or among its base of supporters found it incomprehensible that the group would enter a conflict for which it was wholly unprepared.\nIn a sign of how things have changed in Lebanon since the conflict began last Saturday, the Lebanese government took the decision on Monday to declare Hezbollah’s military and security activities illegal, and ordered the army to implement the decision. What was especially revealing is that two Shiite ministers appointed by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri voted in favour, despite Hezbollah’s anger.\nMr Berri’s break with the group on this occasion was a result of several developments in recent months, not least very different priorities when it comes to the future of the Shiite community. The Speaker, a premier political survivor, understands that his fellow Shiites suffered a devastating loss in the war of 2023-2024, and that any more such outcomes would have disastrous consequences for its power in Lebanon.\nHe also understood, as a political realist, that since the ceasefire deal of November 2024, many Shiites have been unable to return to their destroyed villages in the south and the Bekaa Valley, and that they are increasingly resentful. That’s why his main concern is to resume reconstruction in these areas, so that these people, among them many constituents, can return home. However, this won’t happen while Hezbollah remains armed.\nMr Berri took a risk in opposing the group, but for now the signs are that he may come out on top. Not only have the two Hezbollah ministers remained in the government – realising that if they withdrew, they would be held responsible for creating a rift in the Shiite community – but Mr Berri had a good sense of the pulse among his co-religionists, most of whom appear to view Hezbollah’s move as suicidal.\nThe Lebanese government’s decision came on a day when there was much speculation about what the Israelis would do. There is a growing belief in Beirut that Israel intends to invade more of the south, and on Tuesday Israeli officials announced that they were deploying more soldiers to the border area. The outcome could be dangerous, because the Israelis will not leave unless they can impose draconian conditions on the Lebanese.\nWhat are these conditions? Almost certainly that any ceasefire deal, when it comes, include steps likely to lead to an Israeli-Lebanese peace agreement, bringing Lebanon into a new Abraham Accord. It’s also very possible that Israel will look to impose a mechanism that allows it to have a say over security in the Lebanese-Israeli border area. Perhaps this would be an economic zone inside Lebanon, access to which would require Israeli approval, effectively filtering Lebanese entering their sovereign territory.\nSuch a situation could be put at the feet of Hezbollah, which in October 2023 embarked on a conflict with Israel it had no hope of winning. Yet the group doesn’t appear to have assessed the costs of its actions, mainly because its calculations today are not defined by Lebanon’s interests. Since the assassination of Hezbollah’s senior leadership, Iran has been in control and Lebanese considerations have been secondary.\nBy firing a handful of rockets at Israel on Monday morning, Hezbollah did precisely what the Israelis wanted the group to do. Reports also suggest that Hezbollah launched drones at the British sovereign base in Akrotiri, Cyprus. By committing such monumental errors, Hezbollah has ensured that virtually no one in Lebanon will regret its demise. On the contrary, the group is now navigating in hostile surroundings.\nThis is indeed a foundational moment for Lebanon, two decades after the withdrawal of Syrian forces from the country in 2005. Hezbollah succeeded in filling the void at the time, at the cost of a near-civil war in 2008 and numerous political assassinations. But it’s impossible today to imagine that it will be able to reconstitute what it has lost.\nIf Hezbollah cannot define its identity primarily as a Lebanese one, it will find itself increasingly divorced from the environment in which it operates\nThat is why the Lebanese government’s decision to assert its right to be the sole decider on matters of peace and war was so fundamental. It was necessary to claim some form of legitimacy against a group that has operated in a grey zone outside legitimacy. The group’s officials have angrily condemned the government’s decision, but the reality is that Hezbollah is more or less helpless today to do much about it.\nYet one thing to bear in mind is that Lebanon will not necessarily benefit if Iranian hegemony over the country, following Syrian hegemony, is replaced by a new Israeli hegemony. Perhaps this is where Hezbollah, and behind it Iran, have been so blameworthy and irresponsible in facilitating such an outcome. They are guaranteeing that Lebanon will face new calamities down the road.\nEven if Iran comes out of the current conflict stronger than before, Hezbollah is a different matter. The foundations of the group’s power – its influence over the state, its anchor in Lebanese society and the US and Israel’s willingness to accept the status quo – have all collapsed. The Lebanese government has shown it is committed to disarming Hezbollah, but even if this effort loses steam, the Israelis won’t stop.\nUnder these circumstances, Hezbollah’s war is not really one with the Lebanese state, but with itself. If it cannot define its identity primarily as a Lebanese one, it will find itself increasingly divorced from the environment in which it operates. No group can long survive if it is cut off from the realities surrounding it.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:04:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi8AFBVV95cUxNYTZ6RDlScUZheTNGTGpOa2Z5Tld0YjFIYXFXZTZpUVI4Uk1yTFNHNzN6ZVNyS0xUZ3BSYU0wYTUtWGFQR3hibC04ZWcyM2kyNkE4ZXpUbF9IYkJsZXlIdDdrSVhZSWt6SnVwZVpVS2dGdzdCT1ZJU1BJek4yWXZpTVRmSjBQdkZrQmNHU2VvUk5NUkM3WkNUMGVneUV1aTdPbUhmN1czNXNsOTBEMHFKTDlXTGh6U1BnWThZWnNZdzF3WGF2X1VkZnBwOXhrZ29BaVdVWGxLbGpQdTFrVlZnTFJwS3RFaGpTRXJLREduZ3E?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_be62f03c7837",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "US Treasuries Extend Fall as Iran War Fuels Global Bond Rout - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "US Treasuries Extend Fall as Iran War Fuels Global Bond Rout    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:05:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxObGtBcDltMjF4YWRqakRqUjJCTVNnNUtOdFJRZVVMeEk2b0tRNUhMR180SmtDSDZ2VS0wYlNLdXN2RnhTVzcyTUE2Q3dBdDBycktpRk9aU2E2aTJQX2pwU0R2TEZBV0FNZjhQVzhkZ2g2bUNxeTQ2d2wtbUpkTUI4Ylp0TlFFWnZCM19Md0p1MC0xOHZCUzNoQm5LN0EyWTdYT0wtVHJYTUpzQXVtT0hZUA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d3f3a14e8366",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iraq Starts Massive Oil Cuts as Hormuz Tensions Fill Storage - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iraq Starts Massive Oil Cuts as Hormuz Tensions Fill Storage    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:05:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPbjhVZ0xEaHN3NWZXakhkdENIQjFTREljNXc4T0FZZTRDck5DTFBlcUN0MC1qYnB0SzJsMS1abldieENYakM4VHBXNHZ0QnNickVxRW1yeHNReHZDX2g1YnhaMmJ4T001TTBFbjNGX3lVaVJuM2VNVDdxX21lemRNRlUtZk05WTNlUG8xVjRCWWExNjdLX1VYOTJ4a3N0cThxUEE1b1FJMlYzVTU3c0VDaTdlNA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ced4c684ff77",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Six US soldiers killed in Iranian strike on Kuwait base",
    "body_text": "Six US soldiers killed in Iranian strike on Kuwait base\nSix American soldiers were killed in an Iranian strike against a military facility in Kuwait on Sunday, the US has confirmed.\nUS Central Command originally said three soldiers died in the incident but officials confirmed on Monday that the death toll had doubled, after one person succumbed to their injuries and two more bodies were found in the rubble.\nDefence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed a US bunker in Kuwait was hit when a retaliatory strike launched by Iran evaded air defences. \"Every once in a while you might have one,\" he said in a briefing on Monday.\nThe six deaths are the only fatalities confirmed by the US military since it launched a new war against Iran with Israel.\nIn the briefing, Hegseth said a \"powerful weapon\" struck a \"tactical operations centre that was fortified\", without providing further details about the site's location.\nThree US military officials with direct knowledge of Iran's attack told the BBC's US partner CBS News that the service members killed in Kuwait were hit in an apparent drone attack. They had been working in a makeshift office space.\nThey questioned whether the building had been adequately fortified, telling CBS News a trailer was being used as an office, with 12ft (3.7m) steel-reinforced concrete barriers to shield it.\nThe US has a long-standing defence relationship with Kuwait, and more than 13,000 American soldiers are stationed in the Gulf nation.\nIran has responded to attacks against it by launching missiles at Gulf countries allied with the US. Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar have all also seen strikes.\nSeparately in Kuwait, the US confirmed three fighter jets were downed after what it described as an incident of \"friendly fire\" on Monday.\nIran state media claimed the Iranian military had shot down the jets, without providing evidence.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:08:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gq33ynl07o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_da54c1375126",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel strikes Iranian leadership meeting choosing Khamenei successor",
    "body_text": "Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports the latest on the war in the Middle East as the U.S. and Israel strike Iranian targets in Operation Epic Fury.\n\nIsraeli forces struck a meeting of Iran’s Supreme Council on Tuesday as officials gathered to choose a successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior Israeli official told Fox News.\n\n\"Israel struck while they were counting the votes for the appointment of the supreme leader,\" the official said.\n\nThe strike came just south of Tehran as Iran continued targeting Israeli population centers, with Israel signaling that continued attacks on civilians would not be tolerated.\n\nIsraeli officials believe multiple Iranian officials responsible for counting the votes in the succession process were killed in the strike. The officials were not among the ruling clerics or top mullahs, but the attack marked a substantial escalation as Israel continued expanding its target set inside Iran.\n\nSmoke rises over Tehran, Iran, on March 2, 2026, after explosions were reported in the city during the joint U.S.-Israel operation against Iran.(Contributor/Getty Images)\n\nThe strike underscored the depth of Israeli intelligence penetration inside Tehran and marked one of the most dramatic escalations yet in the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s political and military leadership from the top down.\n\nIt came asIran’s leadership structureappeared increasingly hollowed out.\n\nMore than 40 of Iran’s most senior leaders — including Khamenei — have been killed since the operation began, with 49 eliminated in theopening salvo of Operation Epic Furyearly Saturday, fracturing the regime’s command structure and dealing a crippling blow to its military leadership and command-and-control networks.\n\nIsraeli analysts estimated that more than 1,000 enemy combatants have been killed inside Iran since the United States launched Operation Epic Fury and Israel launched its parallel campaign, Operation Roaring Lion, on Saturday. The estimate came from Israel’s latest battle damage assessment, according to a senior Israeli official.\n\nIsraeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuframed the conflict as part of a broader effort to neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear ambitions.\n\nKEY MILITARY SITES TARGETED INSIDE IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-ISRAELI STRIKES\n\nPro-Iran protesters brandish weapons and signs depicting the late Iranian leader Ali Khamenei at a protest in Yemen.(Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)\n\n\"With these ballistic missiles, these weapons of mass death, these weapons, they bombed all these countries,\" Netanyahu said. \"And when they developed these ballistic missiles, they'll try and eventually they'll bomb you. This is what President Trump understood.\"\n\nVice PresidentJD Vancesaid the administration had set a clear, limited objective for the operation.\n\n\"There's just no way thatDonald Trumpis going to allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict, with no clear end in sight and no clear objective,\" Vance said. \"He's defined that objective as Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and has to commit long-term to never trying to rebuild the nuclear capability.\"\n\nThejoint U.S.-Israel assaultentered its fourth day Tuesday, with no signs of slowing down.\n\nA satellite image from Planet Labs shows a plume of smoke above Tehran, Iran, on March 1, 2026.(Planet Labs PBC)\n\nPresident Donald Trump said the plan was ahead of schedule following the early elimination of Iran’s top leaders.\n\nThe U.S. urged Americans to leave 14 countries across the Middle East as Iran’s counterattacks intensified. The State Department also closed two embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.\n\nThe Gulf Cooperation Council warned Iran it would take \"all necessary measures,\" including possible military action, in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks.\n\nMichael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.\n\nYou can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:10:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-strikes-iranian-leadership-meeting-choosing-khamenei-successor",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2c2cbc621bcf",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Gas and oil prices soar and shares tumble on fears conflict could escalate",
    "body_text": "Gas and oil prices soar and shares tumble on fears conflict could escalate\nGas prices have spiked and global stock markets tumbled as the conflict in the Middle East intensified and concerns grew over how long it will last.\nIn the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Index plunged by more than 2% in morning trade. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq saw similar declines, following sharp falls in Europe.\nSince Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran and Tehran retaliated, investors have been weighing the potential economic impact, including what it could mean for inflation and interest rates.\nThere are fears the fight in a region that plays a key role in global energy supplies and shipping routes could have a similar impact to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago which pushed up the cost of energy, causing price rises for businesses and consumers around the world.\nIn its latest fiscal outlook document, the UK's Office for Budget Responsibility said the escalation of the conflict could upset its forecasts, warning it could have \"very significant impacts on the global and UK economies\".\nMarket reaction, especially in the US, had been relatively muted on Monday - a bet that the conflict would prove short-lived.\nBut investors are now \"reassessing the situation\", as shipping traffic in the region comes to a standstill and the White House's timeline for the war remains uncertain, said Philip Palumbo, founder of Palumbo Wealth Management.\n\"As long as this war continues - which, it can continue longer than people think - it can be an issue for the price of oil... which can be impactful to an overall economy,\" he told the BBC. \"That's why you're seeing the markets de-risk at this moment.\"\nA prolonged rise in energy costs could scramble bets on the direction of interest rates, and weigh on the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, which has huge energy demands and had helped drive stock market gains, Thierry Wizman of Macquarie Group warned in a note.\n\"That the current war may be 'inflationary' is what's panicking traders today,\" he said.\nUK gas prices rose above 165p a therm on Tuesday, which it last traded at a year after the start of the Ukraine war. It fell back to 146p a therm by early afternoon.\nThe boost to the gas price came after QatarEnergy, one of the world's biggest exporters, halted production following \"military attacks\" on its facilities.\nIt subsequently announced that it would stop producing other materials including aluminium, methanol and urea used for fertiliser.\nUK gas prices have now doubled since the US and Israel began a wave of air strikes on Iran on Saturday.\nHigher gas prices could put pressure on household energy bills, although any impact would not be seen in the UK until July because a price cap has been put in place until then.\nOil prices have not risen as sharply as there is greater flexibility in sourcing additional crude compared to gas. Brent crude is 17% higher than Friday's close.\nNevertheless, rising oil prices can affect the economy by making things such as motor fuel, transport and food more expensive.\nIf inflation - the pace of price rises - picks up, then this may make central banks less likely to cut interest rates in the months ahead.\nIn the UK, the FTSE 100 was 2.9% lower. Germany's Dax fell 4% while in France, the CAC-40 slid by 3.5%.\nShipping through the Strait of Hormuz is crucial to the global economy, with about 20% of the world's oil and gas passing through the waterway. But traffic has come to a halt after several vessels were attacked in recent days.\nEbrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state TV that ships \"should not come to this region. They will certainly face a serious response from us\".\nAs well as pushing up prices on global energy markets, the conflict has triggered a rise in how much it costs to transport oil.\nHiring a supertanker to move oil from the Middle East to China reached an all-time high on Monday of more than $400,000 (£298,300) per day, almost double the cost last week, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group.\nSanne Manders, president of logistics technology platform Flexport, told the BBC the Strait of Hormuz was \"effectively closed\".\nIt is partly down to carriers not willing to take the risk, but also due to \"insurance companies not being willing to insure this risk anymore\", he told the Today programme.\nHe added that carriers were likely to start raising rates \"for any shipping in the world\" in anticipation of higher fuel prices.\nHe is scheduled to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday to discuss the issue.\nCrude oil prices could pass $100 a barrel if the disruption to shipments is prolonged, Srinivaasan Balakrishnan from risk research firm Avellon Intelligence said.\nHe predicted that if it held at that level US petrol prices could rise by up to 25 cents a gallon.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would announce plans on Tuesday to deal with rising energy prices\n\"We knew that going in would be a factor,\" Rubio said. \"You will see us rolling out those phases to try to mitigate against that.\"\nThe UK is also likely to see higher fuel prices if the cost of oil remains high, according to Alasdair Locke, chairman of Motor Fuel Group, the UK's largest independent forecourt operator.\n\"With the price of oil going up, that is inevitably going to feed through in due course to higher prices at the pump,\" he said.\n\"It will depend on how long and how high those prices go as to how high the price of fuel will be.\"\nIn Asia, Japan's Nikkei closed 3.3% lower, with shares in export‑reliant firms like Toyota, Panasonic and Sony among the hardest hit.\nHong Kong's Hang Seng and the Shanghai Composite in mainland China were also down. The Kospi in South Korea, which was shut for a public holiday on Monday, fell by more than 7%.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:18:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5lz0vgy52o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ed7c69532153",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel's military releases video showing obliteration of Iran's missile launchers, defense systems - Fox News",
    "body_text": "The Israel Defense Forces released a video Tuesday showing the Israeli Air Force destroying the \"Iranian regime’s missile launchers, defense systems, and live-fire arrays.\"\nThe IDF said more than 60 strikes recently were carried out in waves across western Iran, hitting targets including vehicles carrying ballistic missiles, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and loaded missile launchers.\nThe development comes as Iran \"once again\" fired missiles containing cluster sub-munitions toward Israeli civilians on Tuesday in central Israel, according to IDF international spokesperson Lt. Nadav Shoshani.\n\"The Iranian regime’s war crimes continue,\" he wrote on X.\nShoshani also said in a video that, \"Our forces, along with the U.S. armed forces, continue degrading the Iranian regime's military capabilities.\"\n\"Yesterday, Iran’s main terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, launched dozens of rockets and UAVs from southern Lebanon at Israeli civilians in northern Israel,\" he continued. \"Our forces have been prepared to strengthen and protect all borders as part of this operation and are more than ready.\"\n\"We are preparing for the possibility of Hezbollah expanding their attacks against Israeli civilians,\" Shoshani warned. \"This includes reinforcing aerial defense systems and troops presence.\"\n\"Overnight, IDF troops were positioned in southern Lebanon at several points near the border area as part of an enhanced forward defense posture. Let me be clear: this is not a ground maneuver into Lebanon. It is a tactical step to create an additional level of security for the residents of northern Israel,\" Shoshani added.\n\"Let me remind you, on Oct. 8th, the day after the Oct. 7 massacre, Hezbollah took control of vantage points near the northern border and fired RPGs and missiles indiscriminately towards Israeli civilians in the northern border. As a result, Israel had to evacuate around 60,000 civilians from their homes for many months. We will not let that happen again,\" he said. \"Overnight, we carried out a series of preventative strikes on Hezbollah military infrastructure across Lebanon in order to neutralize the continuous fire towards our civilians.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:18:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1879db01c8f7",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel's military releases video showing obliteration of Iran's missile launchers, defense systems",
    "body_text": "The Israel Defense Forces said the Israeli Air Force \"completed additional waves of strikes in western Iran targeting the Iranian regime’s missile launchers, defense systems, and live-fire arrays.\"\n\nThe Israel Defense Forces released a video Tuesday showing the Israeli Air Force destroying the \"Iranian regime’s missile launchers, defense systems, and live-fire arrays.\"\n\nThe IDF said more than 60 strikes recently were carried out in waves across western Iran, hitting targets including vehicles carrying ballistic missiles, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and loaded missile launchers.\n\nThe development comes as Iran \"once again\" fired missiles containing cluster sub-munitions toward Israeli civilians on Tuesdayin central Israel,according to IDF international spokesperson Lt. Nadav Shoshani.\n\n\"The Iranian regime’s war crimes continue,\" he wrote on X.\n\nThe IAF carried out further strike waves in western Iran, hitting the Iranian regime’s missile launchers, defense systems and live-fire arrays.(@IDF/X)\n\nShoshanialso said in a videothat, \"Our forces, along with the U.S. armed forces, continuedegrading the Iranian regime'smilitary capabilities.\"\n\n\"Yesterday, Iran’s main terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, launched dozens of rockets and UAVs fromsouthern Lebanonat Israeli civilians in northern Israel,\" he continued. \"Our forces have been prepared to strengthen and protect all borders as part of this operation and are more than ready.\"\n\nISRAELI MINISTER OUTLINES IRAN MISSION GOALS, SAYS IRANIAN PEOPLE NOW HAVE CHANCE TO ‘REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM'\n\nSmoke and flames are seen rising from a vehicle in Iran following a purported Israeli airstrike.(IDF)\n\n\"We are preparing for the possibility of Hezbollah expanding their attacks against Israeli civilians,\" Shoshani warned. \"This includes reinforcing aerial defense systems and troops presence.\"\n\n\"Overnight, IDF troops were positioned in southern Lebanon at several points near the border area as part of an enhanced forward defense posture. Let me be clear: this is not a ground maneuver into Lebanon. It is a tactical step to create an additional level of security for the residents of northern Israel,\" Shoshani added.\n\nFirst responders work at the site of an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AFP via Getty Images)\n\n\"Let me remind you, on Oct. 8th, the day after the Oct. 7 massacre, Hezbollah took control of vantage points near the northern border and fired RPGs and missiles indiscriminately towards Israeli civilians in the northern border. As a result, Israel had to evacuate around 60,000 civilians from their homes for many months. We will not let that happen again,\" he said. \"Overnight, we carried out a series of preventative strikes on Hezbollah military infrastructure across Lebanon in order to neutralize the continuous fire towards our civilians.\"\n\nGreg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:18:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/israels-military-releases-video-showing-obliteration-irans-missile-launchers-defense-systems",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bc867c48876d",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Video shows effects of debris falling on a building in Tel Aviv",
    "body_text": "Video shows damaging effects of debris falling on a building in the east of Tel Aviv\nNew footage shows debris falling onto a residential building in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, as air raid sirens sounded across the city on the fourth day of fighting between Israel and Iran. Israeli forces have intercepted waves of Iranian missiles.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:25:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/video-shows-effects-of-debris-falling-on-a-building-in-tel-aviv?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b2009f0e1e08",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Why Europe's leaders have struggled to speak as one on Iran",
    "body_text": "Why Europe's leaders have struggled to speak as one on Iran\nEurope knew this may be coming. For weeks, leaders and policy makers watched the US military build-up in the Middle East. They heard the threats of the Trump administration to Tehran: Give up all nuclear aspirations - or else!\nBut since the US-Israeli attack started on Iran three days ago, this continent has looked at best uncoordinated, if not fractured and decidedly without leverage, caught up in the maelstrom of events.\nEach European country is understandably angsting about its citizens in the region - whether and how they may need to evacuate what would be tens of thousands of people in total.\nEuropean governments worry too about the impact the unfolding Middle East crisis may have on consumers back home. On energy and food prices, for example. European gas prices have soared to an extent not seen since the launch of Russia's fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\nPolitically, Europe is clearly struggling to find a united voice on the fast-paced dizzying developments in the Middle East.\nThe continent's Big Three, France, Germany and the UK, did manage to issue a joint statement at the weekend, warning Iran they were ready to take \"defensive action\" to destroy its ability to fire missiles and drones unless Tehran stopped its \"indiscriminate attacks\".\nSince then, the UK has agreed to a US request to use two British military bases for \"defensive\" strikes on Iranian missile sites - although president Trump has been critical that the UK hasn't been more active. France is bolstering its Middle East presence after an Iranian strike hit a French base in the United Arab Emirates and Germany says its soldiers remain ready for \"defensive measures\" should they be attacked but nothing beyond that was being planned.\nAll three countries stopped short of questioning the legality under international law of the US-Israeli strikes. Querying Washington was also conspicuously absent from the raft of tweets the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has been posting.\nA top consideration of all these European leaders is not wanting to alienate Donald Trump. They desperately hope events in the Middle East will not be another distraction for the US president, preventing him - again - from engaging in finding a sustainable solution to another conflict, this one on their own continent: Ukraine.\nBut does the evasiveness of some leading European powers about the legality of recent US actions in Iran or Venezuela for example, muddy the waters? They often say this is a Europe of common values, that respects a rule-based international order. But what what exactly are the rules?\nSpain's prime minister says he's clear. Pedro Sanchez took to social media, proclaiming \"one can be against a hateful regime, as is the case with the Iranian regime… and at the same time be against an unjustified, dangerous military intervention outside of international law\".\nA number of US aircraft left Spain on Monday after Madrid said those bases could not be used for attacks on Iran.\nMeanwhile, the European Union has appeared totally uncoordinated. A statement by member states' foreign ministers stopped short of advocating regime change in Iran, while the president of the European Commission (the EU's main executive body) did just that on Sunday. \"A credible transition in Iran is urgently needed,\" its president Ursula von der Leyen said in a social media post.\nThis was hardly a show of speaking with one voice.\nAnd yet the declared ambition of European nations, in and outside the EU, including the UK - in this new, turbulent world of Big Power politics - is to work better together in areas of mutual interest, first and foremost in the arena of security and defence.\nBut the question is, are they really capable of doing so?\nA nuclear shift\nThe year 2026 has truly been one of turmoil: Venezuela, Greenland and Iran. Europe faces an expansionist Russia on its doorstep, an economically aggressive China and an increasingly unpredictable ally in Washington.\nOn Monday, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would be changing its nuclear doctrine and increasing its number of nuclear warheads, because, he said, \"our competitors have evolved, as have our partners\".\nRussia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal, China is rapidly expanding its capabilities and while the US - the second-biggest global nuclear power, just behind Russia - has for decades provided Europe with a nuclear umbrella, changing priorities in Washington have made Europeans nervous.\nSweden, Germany and Poland have directly approached France to ask for wider European cover on top of the protection already offered to Nato allies by the UK, the only other nuclear power in Europe.\nPresident Macron finds himself in the I-told-you-so position of having urged Europe for years to become more strategically autonomous in defence (including a big push into space, with dual-use satellites, for example, via the European Space Agency, of which the UK too is a member).\nBut coordination remains a huge challenge. Weapons procurement is a glaring example. While the United States employs around 30 different weapon systems, Europe has an often duplicated 178. \"Inefficient, expensive and slow,\" was the damning conclusion last week of the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.\nNato is trying to mitigate this by attempting to manage acquisition decisions across its 32 members but the problem here is that the defence alliance's guidelines are voluntary only. All Nato members (except Spain) bowed to pressure from Donald Trump last year and agreed to ramp up defence spending. But of equal importance is whether that money is then spent effectively.\nThe instinct of most national governments is to protect their own defence industries, even at the expense of their neighbours. France is often accused of this.\nPriorities shaped by history\nAs unfolding events in the Middle East throw into sharp relief, each country on this continent has its own priorities, strengths and weaknesses, shaped by its history and voter concerns.\nThe fact that Germany felt the need to spell out very clearly this week that it does not plan to boost its military presence in the Middle East, never mind take part in any offensive action, comes down to the fact that Germans are still very conflict-shy, largely based on their country's past.\nRemember how Germany was initially ridiculed and berated internationally for being slow to send tanks to Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion began four years ago? Then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was not displeased at all to be given the nickname \"Friedenskanzler\" (Peace Chancellor) in the German press. A large section of German society was initially deeply uncomfortable with the idea that German weaponry could be turned on Russians once again, as it had been during the two world wars last century.\nWhile still mindful of national sensitivities, the new German government of Friedrich Merz is going in a very different direction. It is now the single largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine.\nLike the rest of Europe, Germany leant on the United States for its security for decades. But with the Trump administration insisting that Europe now take over the lion's share of its own defence, Germany plans to spend more on its defence budget by 2029 than France and the UK combined, according to Nato.\nIt wants to build the largest conventional army in Europe, too - and 80 years after World War Two, and with Germany firmly entrenched in Nato and the EU, fellow European powers are welcoming the German military initiative, rather than seeming threatened by it.\nItaly's prime minister, by contrast, is having to perform the most excruciating dance - between Italian voter opinion and what she believes is in her country's and her own best interest on the world stage. So far, Giorgia Meloni has kept a very low profile on the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. She is one of the few leaders in Europe to have a truly warm relationship with Donald Trump.\nAs the third biggest economy on mainland Europe, you would expect Italy to play a prominent role in continental security. But until recently, it ranked amongst the lowest defence spenders in Europe. You have to take a look at Italian history to understand why.\nItaly was only unified in 1861. Before that, it was considered a \"battleground of Europe\", with foreign powers repeatedly exploiting its territories. Italians learned to rely and trust only the very few, rather than \"the state\", to look after them.\nItaly stood out in western Europe when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was the only country where, right from the start, a majority of the population opposed sending weapons to help Kyiv.\nItalians said they sympathised with Ukrainians but many questioned Italy's involvement in the conflict. They simply didn't trust their government to protect them from knock-on effects, like rising energy prices or potential reprisals by Russia.\nFour years on, only 15% of Italians say they believe the EU and US should continue to arm Ukraine until Russian forces are driven out, according to the Institute for the Study of International Politics.\nThat's why Italy's staunchly Ukraine-supporting prime minister is in a very uncomfortable position. Her big pledges to international allies when it comes to defence are out of sync with the majority of Italian voters. Most Italians also oppose Giorgia Meloni's pledge to her friend in the White House to boost defence spending significantly.\nAd-hoc coalitions\nBeing aware of allies' national tensions, and therefore where they can, or can't, fully be depended upon is key as Europe enters a self-declared era of closer cooperation.\nThe difficulties of acting \"as one\" , as we now see again over the Middle East, are giving rise to smaller ad-hoc coalitions of countries forming for mutual convenience around different issues: joint defence procurement projects such as the recent UK-Norway Defence Pact to track Russian submarines in the north Atlantic, or the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine, led by the UK and France, for example.\nIncreasingly these \"European\" or Western alliances include what are described as like-minded nations from outside the continent, such as Canada and also South Korea and Japan, both of whom are often now included in Nato military exercises too.\nFeeling squeezed by the new global climate where Might is Right, or at least Might takes centre stage, the family of nations for European cooperation is widening. But so is the challenge to understand what makes each family member tick, and whether they can work together effectively.\nCorrection: This article was amended to remove a suggestion that Canada is not part of Nato.\n----------------\nThe first episode of Europe on the Edge with Katya Adler airs on 3 March on BBC2 at 9pm\nBBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:26:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8z5zvlz5yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c7f3ffa0187d",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Construction worker guilty of 'senseless' murder of Saudi student in Cambridge - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "A man has been found guilty of murdering a Saudi student in Cambridge in what was described as an “unprovoked and senseless act of violence”.\nMohammed Algasim, 20, was stabbed in the neck outside his accommodation by Chas Corrigan, 22, who was a stranger.\nMr Algasim was on a 10-week placement studying English in the city when he was attacked by Corrigan on August 1 last year.\nCorrigan, a construction worker from Cambridge, denied the murder but was found guilty by a jury after two hours and nine minutes of deliberation.\nHe admitted being in possession of a knife and is scheduled to be sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday March 4.\nProsecutor Nicholas Hearn had told jurors that Corrigan had been drinking in a pub and may have taken drugs before stabbing Mr Algasim with a kitchen knife.\nMr Hearn said that the Saudi student “posed no threat to anybody” and was sitting on a wall with a bottle of water.\nHe said that the stabbing was “captured by a high-quality CCTV camera positioned outside the student accommodation”, and video of this was shown to the jury.\nIt showed Mr Algasim sitting on a low wall with a group of others around him as Corrigan, wearing in a hi-vis jacket, walks towards the group.\nMr Hearn said fellow student Abdullah bin Shuail, “heard the defendant say something to Mr Algasim but he could not hear what was said and he could not hear whether Mr Algasim said anything in reply”.\nHe said Corrigan walked away from the group towards the railway station. Mr bin Shuail heard Mr Algasim say something to the defendant but “could only make out one word – ‘centre’”.\nAt that point, Corrigan turned and started to walk back towards them, Mr Hearn said.\nThe prosecutor said the defendant said, “What did you say, what did you say?” and that this was “in a very angry and aggressive way”.\nHe said Mr bin Shuail “saw the defendant punch Mr Algasim hard to the left side of his neck” and “then saw that the defendant was holding a large knife in his right hand”.\nMr Algasim collapsed on to the pavement and despite the help of three off-duty doctors, members of the public and paramedics, died 54 minutes after the attack, at 12.19am on August 2.\nHe died of a single stab wound which cut across the carotid artery and jugular vein “causing massive bleeding”, Mr Hearn said.\nMr Algasim had suffered an 11.5cm deep wound to his neck, cutting a vital artery, which was inflicted by a 13cm kitchen knife. Police later found the knife in a bush.\nCorrigan claimed that he had the knife with him to frighten off any attacker. He claimed he did not realise he had made contact with Mr Algasim.\nHe was described in court by a friend as a “good boy” and someone who was more “like a baby” than aggressive.\nBut the jury rejected his defence and his denial means no explanation has ever been given for why he stabbed Mr Algasim.\nIn a statement, Mr Algasim's family described him as a “young man brimming with enthusiasm, brimming with chivalry and courage”.\n“He was a dutiful son, a loving brother, and the leader of the family in spirit, not in appearance. He was cheerful, chivalrous, pure of heart, quick to give, and passionate about others.\n“Over time, he became the family's charisma, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy in every gathering.\n“He was his father's support, his familiar companion, and the assistant to his uncles and maternal uncles. He was the most compassionate person to ever visit a mother's heart and the closest to his sisters' embrace.”\nDetective inspector Dale Mepstead, who led the investigation, said: “This was a senseless and devastating attack on a young man with his whole life ahead of him. Corrigan armed himself with a knife and chose to carry it on to the streets of Cambridge – a decision that had tragic consequences.\n“I want to thank the members of the public who came forward, as well as the medical professionals who tried desperately to save Mohammed’s life. Our thoughts remain with his family, who have shown incredible strength throughout this investigation.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:28:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxPc0RxNkhSa0FFVjZsYTlWSWNmTFlGNXh4YldJa25HWTNBN1loVFduVzJORlozbTA2WTltYVNCYW5sb29NM2NDM0FRa09nUUhkSnVfUGpjcV8yNzJNX2Nkc0lvM2tMaENsTFJDaTNITzdqaEtYX1VMb1VqV085NHdCTk53QWljOHlsd2xkOU9lV2J6LURRWVNuaDlGUldlemJXZGcxLTA0dkNGdDhGOHF6VTlOY2RtOWVMV1lScWNMMC1wcnVOLTRJTg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7f15b2fbfbb7",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘Ships now fear crossing the Strait of Hormuz’",
    "body_text": "'Ships now fear crossing the Strait of Hormuz'\n“Ships are now afraid to cross the Strait of Hormuz, and that has profound implications for the global economy.” Professor John Gong, an economics professor at Beijing University of International Business and Economics, warned of the repercussions of continued tensions in the Strait of Hormuz on global energy markets, emphasizing that major industrialized nations cannot sustain high oil prices for an extended period.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:30:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/quotable/2026/3/3/ships-now-fear-crossing-the-strait-of-hormuz?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_20ae2160f6db",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US-Israeli war on Iran causes major oil, gas disruptions - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US-Israeli war on Iran causes major oil, gas disruptions    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:32:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQY3hNMTZxNEF0cHJ3LXRtT0xoWDB6T3NaRjhjdDNPQ083RmpsMkpOcUtGQ1ljMkFiT1BvWFk0RWhxWXFCWnJlNk9RdHpiMlpMSkFqUGJsOGkzdFl3SVVtcTA3QVFnVDJEanFqcDBUcUJFVlhJc0RfR3FWeGo1X0VJX0h5c3p1Z09EcXZ5WnZQSTFGdS1KT29WWXowRDdMNzU3cDZsQVVnMA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e7bf34435488",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Top US Fed official says it's too soon to know economic impact of Iran war - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "A senior official at the US Federal Reserve said on Tuesday it is too soon to assess the economic impact of the Iran war, which threatens to disrupt the global energy supply chain.\n“It's still early to say … how big this will be and how persistent this will be,” New York Fed president John Williams told reporters after speaking to a conference in Washington. “Nobody can be sure how long this will last or the broader implications.”\nMr Williams also said the US economy is far less reliant on oil than it used to be, even as the recent conflict conjures memories of the oil crisis that gripped the nation in the 1970s.\n“Past experiences show that movements in oil prices of the kind that we've seen so far don't fundamentally shift the economy, but we'll wait and see,” he said.\nNobody can be sure how long this will last or the broader implications\nJohn C. Williams,\nNew York Fed president\nDue its proximity to Wall Street, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is a significant player in the global financial system and implements the Washington-based Fed board's monetary policy decisions. As president of the New York Fed, Mr Williams holds a permanent vote on the Federal Reserve Board's rate-setting committee.\nMr Williams addressed the Governmental Affairs Conference shortly after trading opened in the US. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had fallen by as much as 1,200 points before clawing back some of those losses to finish 400 points lower on the day.\nThe S&P 500 fell 0.94 per cent while the Nasdaq Composite shed 1.02 per cent - both indexes were trading more than 2 per cent lower earlier in the session. The CBOE VIX index, Wall Street's so-called fear gauge, was up more than two points at 23.57.\nMr Williams said he was in “wait-and-see” mode as he assesses the war's impact on the underlying strength of the US economy and the inflation rate.\nDan Katz, the number-two ranking official at the International Monetary Fund, expressed a similar sentiment at another event.\n\"We have a significant escalation in the Gulf and that certainly has the potential to be very impactful on the global economy across a range of metrics,\" he told the Future of Finance conference at the Milken Institute.\nThe Iran conflict has broadened to the wider Gulf since the US and Israel attacked Tehran on Saturday. Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at the UAE and Kuwait, and a smaller number of strikes on neighbouring Gulf countries.\nAnxiety abounds over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which one-fifth of the world's global oil supply passes each day. Recent attacks on energy sites throughout the Gulf suggest that energy supply concerns are increasing.\nSeveral Gulf energy sites have been hit by Iran in recent days, including fuel storage tanks at the UAE's Port of Fujairah. Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia's largest domestic refinery, shut down on Monday after it was bombed, although Iran denied the attacks.\nQatar, which accounts for 20 per cent of the world's liquefied natural gas supply, paused operations on Monday after its facilities were struck. Oman's Port of Duqm was attacked on Sunday.\nOil prices have steadily risen since trading resumed this week, with Brent crude touching $84 a barrel on Tuesday while West Texas Intermediate oil, the US metric for crude, rose past $76 a barrel. Some estimates suggest oil could surge to $120 a barrel in the event of a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which would rival the level oil prices rose to during after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\nA Wells Fargo analysis estimates that 10 per cent and 30 per cent sustained oil price increases “do not come close” to dragging the US economy into a recession or change the nation's core inflation outlook.\n“Central banks typically look through oil-driven inflation shocks, and we expect this time to be similar,” Wells Fargo chief economist Tom Porcelli wrote in a note.\nTraders still widely anticipate the Federal Reserve will hold its key benchmark rate to the target range of 3.50 to 3.75 per cent when it meets this month, according to CME Group data.\nThe US central bank, which paused its rate cuts in January, is not expecting to resume reductions until the third quarter of this year.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:42:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxQZF9QdFdrRDRIQUozZU9SUFZSc3BWY2w1UHJ3QTB4MEpOc2d5S3M2UTB1SEtFamtvWjJFQVE4X1ZQN1JTNEp1TWdFUktOMFg3OGI4SWZDWlBvUkRGbnVnMGdXQkpZNU51VzRvcTZENU1oWnVNUTZrU2xPR0k0WWo1UEI5SlEyUE45M3pCZ3JDYnB3V3NuN05zVUtkaUxSU0pSeU5IckRXRC1JSWNrMDVGcFgtcE9qM0RTWVAxaVB2TXhwWWpHMlU5Tk93S2M?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_37a3831c94fb",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US war on Iran: Starmer should have stood up to Trump - now he's complicit - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US war on Iran: Starmer should have stood up to Trump - now he's complicit\nWhen Benjamin Netanyahu launched his genocidal assault on Gaza in autumn 2023, Britain’s two main political parties formed a cross-party cartel in support of the bloodstained Israeli prime minister.\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak offered Netanyahu his \"unequivocal\" backing. Sir Keir Starmer, then leader of the opposition, went further when he gave his backing for Israeli plans for collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza. Starmer refused to back a ceasefire until February 2024, by which time tens of thousands of civilians had been slaughtered.\nOn the far right, both Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, and far-right agitator Tommy Robinson threw their weight behind the Israeli offensive, now viewed by most experts as a genocide.\nBritain’s main parties united once more in support of Israel when US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu launched their illegal assault on Iran on Saturday.\nBut this time there was a difference: we have full-throated opposition to the war.\nNot from the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, a frenzied supporter of Israel and the United States. Still less from Farage and the far right.\nThe British far right, which claims to stand up for British sovereignty, emerged over the weekend as an uncritical appendage of Donald Trump’s Maga movement in the United States.\nA new arrival\nOpposition comes from the dazzling new arrival on the political stage - Green Party leader Zack Polanski.\nLess than 48 hours after his party’s historic victory over Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election, Polanski emerged as the only frontline British politician calling for Britain to stay out of America and Israel’s illegal, stupid and barbarous war on Iran.\nWith Prime Minister Starmer frozen and the Tory leader warmongering for Trump, Polanski instantly warned that \"we now face being dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East.\" He added:\"People in this country do not want this and it must not be allowed to happen.\"\nLabour has labelled Polanski an \"extremist\" and there are the usual bad faith attempts to smear him as an antisemite - hard to do since Polanski is Jewish.\nDefining moments\nOpinion polls show the opposite. This week, a YouGov poll show that half of Britons do not want to be dragged into a war run by Trump, a convicted felon, and Netanyahu, still on the run from war crimes charges levelled by the International Criminal Court. Only 28 percent backed the war.\nStarmer made Britain complicit in the destruction of Gaza. Now he’s made Britain complicit in Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran\nThe public signalled this over the weekend as Polanski’s Green Party surged in the polls and now stand higher than Labour.\nThis is no surprise.\nIn the whirlwind of international crisis, moments arise that define a leader’s mettle.\nLet’s compare Polanski’s instant clarity with Starmer’s unhappy and bewildered weekend performance.\nPolanski rose to the occasion. Starmer dithered, hid behind equivocal statements, and only woke up when personally slighted by Trump.\nImagine the scene in the Commons on Monday had Starmer displayed Polanski’s clarity and moral courage.\nStarmer could have arrived in parliament not to defend a belated U-turn over US use of British bases - but to lay out a vision of international justice and decency.\n\"We will not commit our military personnel to unlawful action,\" he eventually declared - a line that arrived far too late.\nHad he uttered those words proactively Starmer could have galvanized public support, positioned the UK as a principled actor on the global stage, and given meaning to his premiership.\nStarmer is a mess of contradiction.\nWar of obliteration\nHis government won’t condemn the US and Israel for its illegal assault on Iran. It does condemn Iran for retaliating.\nStarmer won’t join Israel and the United States in bombing Iran. But he will allow the US to use UK bases to enable their war of aggression.\nStarmer says this is \"defensive\". There’s nothing defensive about permitting the United States to use British military bases.\nOne of them is Diego Garcia, which can be used to house B52 military bombers.\nSpain will not allow the United States to use its bases. Starmer could have done this. He lacked the courage, and Trump treats him with contempt all the same.\nThe British prime minister had plenty of time to work out his response, since Trump telegraphed what he wanted weeks ago when he namechecked which UK bases were vital for his illegal campaign.\nStarmer made Britain complicit in the destruction of Gaza. Now he’s made Britain complicit in Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran.\nIn the process he’s made Iranian retaliation against British soldiers (and UK allies which house our bases such as Cyprus) legal under international law.\nThis is turning into a war of obliteration as Israel and the United States target schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure, just as they did in Gaza. Courtesy of Starmer Britain is playing a role in this.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxONFA4ejI0dm1vRW9XTW5XQ0pHcHlMdDdTUko0ZVV3UzRUZ05tWkJUbGk2cnZRLURGcTIzVGllR0FBZGJXaGQ1YzltYndQMENVX0hhczNaejhtbEp0Rm84OGlHV0N3bUR1LU9TMW93dm90SnJfNElLbTl4SkJrTHRKUzYtdzZBTlhsekl6OXlLUzBhYU5BTFNtUVNqdHpoWE1f?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f23f7ee2eb20",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "NATO Chief welcomes Iran leader’s death",
    "body_text": "NATO Chief welcomes Iran leader’s death\nMark Rutte says the world is “better off” with Iran’s Supreme Leader gone, arguing that degrading Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities strengthens security in Europe and the Middle East. Rutte stressed NATO is not involved militarily but will defend “every inch” of its territory.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T16:57:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/nato-chief-welcomes-iran-leaders-death?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c769ed14fcd4",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Middle East war economic impact to depend on duration, damage, energy costs, IMF official says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Middle East war economic impact to depend on duration, damage, energy costs, IMF official says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:01:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxNcUd4bFYyaGZzbzRROVJIX1Y3ek5fMVdpN2tZM3BSdTJIYTc2TktSRkFWVk4xREY2eVRfa2cxdFhuUXJCalU0d2ktRUNiaXVtekd6YTBIeVJERlRRTDBhSE42V1dRdEV6TXk5T08zTE9ZcmpVLTBqN1VHQVFpR2FleVdhSlY3OFVjWEVicUQ1R3ZjTjhPSmFIWmxaTkZrbF9UQzhHTmYyYk83T2RyQmlTNzJwMUJTRXdtdzRCa3BwMHFzdzh6cWZPR1BLRmpmYW8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ae5718ab8b46",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump, Rubio offer conflicting reasons for US entry into Iran war - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump, Rubio offer conflicting reasons for US entry into Iran war    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:05:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQd2ZwSXpmeDVSbTJGdTFyT1hiLXFMUC1sdERsZTlNZkllOURQalJmVTRIQWZsVHMtMXFsMHZnMGl5Umx5bm94S283cklJOTJQRHJOWjhvSEMycFQ3ZjZKTV9HSEhwUUxTYWhVQjI4UjFVeEV3bTNqdk9YRDZXc2lCSWtwZDNybHFhSGphNmFiNWdCa01CN3VvMjNLZ3IzQnB3aVRRZnlocFZKc2VwQkE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0d2ac3083d9a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US says it wouldn't deliberately target a school after Iran said over 160 killed in strike - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US says it wouldn't deliberately target a school after Iran said over 160 killed in strike    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:08:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxOVEZ6MUpKVVdvaGVWbGhkYmFFenp3QjVFLU1wUFJuclRacDlRRS10ZUxIbHExOG5tUGJYMkltMnRUU3pTaElyQzZKQ2xTZHF3V2NUX3hSU1B5TUpsc21ldkZqQXJreHFucURWeDZ6VC1FWEFPQzBRUG9JcFctRkE1anNaUWdvS1hOTkZGQU1XbU1rWUd4MUZTNjYwTTNPX3NabU1VUUhBTnQ5VDNiS0t4RHNwYUoyZ1hiazJZ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d92ab77c8fbe",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran warns European countries from joining the war",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has warned European countries against joining the ongoing war with Israel and the US.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:13:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/iran-warns-european-countries-from-joining-the-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5ce4ce5f3b7a",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Belgium detains three suspected Cameroon separatists in war crimes probe",
    "body_text": "Money is reportedly being raised by them for the armed struggle, prosecutors say.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:15:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77ek5gpl7lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b99220ea9b1f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US stocks pull back as Iran war concerns deepen - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US stocks pull back as Iran war concerns deepen    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:16:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPcHE5WG5fQnFxcnljNXhQZWpGNDJvS1QzR2toYTlQbmlfZW5PeEVBa2dVVmpzWEVFNGJHczMzUk1TTHZ2M1BDbUpPRXFjY05zUVhOam9EQk1fWFJkcmtFTWcxWV9QZVhYcU1WY0ZyNGZ1d1JQckVTTHhvbjliQ3BsbzFGQy14bUIzZDFlWWJIMHVUQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e3d76674effa",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US petrol prices surge as Trump’s Iran war triggers inflation worries - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US petrol prices surge as Trump’s Iran war triggers inflation worries\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFA4V2piNkNJUC1oVS00Z1I0V0RxNWdyMUZ1SHdhMjZMem5VaXBfTmVSbTFRVGVvLTdVRF9tay1WeEhHYm5BM0FzbXFZQnM2TnJEVUw2QVp2TkE3LXZ0WXdvMGtVd3NfZWtIbVUyQVYyMS0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_030663862a7a",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "How the Iran War Is Disrupting Global Oil and Gas Supply - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "How the Iran War Is Disrupting Global Oil and Gas Supply    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:21:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxQekc2Z1c4RnVHNTR5NHhOcDlDQjRqTzNXTWpFVE5vMzdVMmJqMzJNWnlIbUlZUDZDN19wMV9SVjJidlpoSVFFcHJaSVpCbXZuOGhoMDJWdHBpaEVvZFpaMTVjZFJtQ0tmOFdhUmpWWjhqdlgxMGtmX0FiY1hxdml2dWY4YzA0V2xKSnc2UDFEaHpCNGdxaXMwcGNRbi04Q2p3T09aTVRSRDluWUlLWnpYN1dVSDFiOVlkUm9KQUx1d1lMNGF3elE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_00fea0444674",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Brics missing in action as war on permanent member Iran spirals - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Brics missing in action as war on permanent member Iran spirals\nThe way Brics responds to the US and Israel's war on Iran, a permanent member, will have repercussions for how the group is perceived and understood - not only by its own members, but the whole world going forward, analysts have told Middle East Eye.\nAnd so far, the signs are far from encouraging.\nWith more than three days since Israel killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as more than 550 others - including at least 165 children - the bloc, touted as a leader of the Global South, is nowhere to be found.\nIran, a permanent member of the grouping of 11 countries, joined Brics in 2024, when it comprised only the core members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.\nSeveral other countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, joined between 2024 and 2025.\nWhereas every member of the original core - besides India - has released individual statements either condemning or raising concerns about the killing of Khamenei, the bloc itself has yet to utter a word as a collective.\n\"Modi was basically in Israel, hugging Netanyahu and making it very clear that, seemingly, there's a much stronger solidarity or kinship between these two leaders, and this is going to extend officially into the respective bilateral relations, officially,\" Priyal Singh, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, told MEE.\nSingh said that India's closeness to Israel, as well as Iran's retaliatory attacks on the UAE, in particular, has likely made it even harder for Brics to reach a place of consensus.\nBrics is currently chaired by New Delhi, which last week upgraded India-Israel ties to \"a special strategic partnership\" and whose statements and actions since have been interpreted as being aligned with Israel's war on Iran.\nOn 1 March, India condemned Iran’s missile strikes on the UAE.\nThe bloc has been routinely divided and seemingly paralysed by differing agendas and a lack of alignment on global issues - from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Israel's genocide in Gaza.\nBut its inability to respond to an attack and attempt at the overthrow of the government of a permanent member of the bloc may just be the most damaging hit to its credibility yet.\n\"This conflict will have significant repercussions on how the group is perceived and understood, not just by its members, but by the whole international community,\" Singh said.\n'Banal hype'\nBrics is group of 11 countries: Brazil; Russia; India; China; South Africa; Saudi Arabia; Egypt; the United Arab Emirates; Ethiopia; Indonesia; and Iran.\nAnalysts have argued that the expansion of Brics has dented its ability to take clear and unified positions.\nOther observers note that it isn't necessarily the size of Brics, but the economic policies and investments of individual states - including significant trade ties with Israel - as well as the institutional design of Brics itself.\nNone of the collective decisions made by Brics are binding on individual states.\n'No Brics ruling class will come to Iran's aid when at the same time, their class interests are in Israel's prosperity, genocide or not'\n- Patrick Bond, Centre for Social Change, University of Johannesburg\n\"If the Brics don't break, it will probably be because for most, their commonality is more powerful, namely corporate profiteering in Israel,\" Patrick Bond, director of the Centre for Social Change at the University of Johannesburg, told MEE.\nBond said Brics countries' continued commitment to economic deals with Israel is ultimately likely to \"outweigh genuine solidarity with Iran, just as we have seen recently with Venezuela and probably soon in Cuba, too.\"\n\"No Brics ruling class will come to Iran's aid when at the same time, their class interests are in Israel's prosperity, genocide or not,\" he said.\nWhereas India has yet to issue a statement on Khamenei, China has reportedly sent weapons to Iran.\nOn Monday, Jeffrey Sachs, the Columbia economist, told an Indian news channel that the war on Iran could stop if the Brics countries stood up to American hegemony.\n\"This is the only way the world can be safe. And so this is actually a responsibility of the Brics right now, which is the only standing bulwark against America's global empire,\" Sachs said.\nBut Bond referred to Sachs' comments as \"banal hype\".\nLikewise, Singh, from the ISS in Pretoria, said there were so many geopolitical realignments occurring in the Middle East that it was unrealistic to expect Brics to easily find common ground.\n\"The UAE is bit of a wild card now within the grouping because of its normalisation of its relations with Israel ... and the broader strategic alignments when it comes to things like Somaliland,\" Singh said.\n\"So my feeling is that there are two emerging axes of power within the Middle East, centred around the UAE and the Saudis ... and those two axes are going to be emboldened based on a weakened Iran or a degraded regime, at the very least.\n\"I could be wrong, though we may get some kind of extraordinary meeting or something in which we get a statement, but I wouldn't be too confident of that,\" he added.\nBrics nations are expected to assemble again in New Delhi in September.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:25:00+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d5c04c5dbc82",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "From Karachi to Beirut, Khamenei’s death sends shockwaves across the Shiite world - AP News",
    "body_text": "From Karachi to Beirut, Khamenei’s death sends shockwaves across the Shiite world\nFrom Karachi to Beirut, Khamenei’s death sends shockwaves across the Shiite world\nBEIRUT (AP) — The killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend did not just shake Iran. It has reverberated across the Shiite Muslim world, raising the specter of a broader backlash in the Middle East and beyond.\nFor the Muslim world’s Shiite minority, 86-year-old Khamenei was more than just Iran’s theocratic ruler since 1989. He was also one of their most prominent religious and political figures. His death at the hands of a joint U.S.-Israeli operation has stoked fury across the Shiite world.\n“There is reason to be concerned about how Shia minorities across the Middle East, and in particular … the Shia majority in Iraq might respond to this,” said Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow for Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute, or RUSI, a UK-based defense and security think tank.\nShiite Muslims make up around 10% to 15% of the world’s Muslim population, concentrated mainly in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan, while there are also significant communities in Pakistan, Lebanon and Yemen.\nFor Mamoona Shirazi, a Shiite activist in Pakistan’s Punjab province, Khamenei “was not only our leader but a leader for all. He raised his voice against oppression. He never bowed to anyone; he spoke the truth and was like a father to us.”\nProtests erupt\nWithin hours of Khamenei’s death, thousands of infuriated protesters took to the streets in Pakistan. They tried to storm the U.S. Consulate in the southern city of Karachi and clashed with police outside the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad where the U.S. Embassy is located, while also attacking United Nations offices in northern cities. At least 34 people were killed in clashes with security forces. More than 120 were injured.\n“If the United States and Israel are not stopped, the entire world will turn into ruins. Peace-loving people must awaken,” said Syed Hussain Muqaddasi, head of the Pakistani Shiite political party Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafariya.\nIn Iraq, demonstrators clashed with police near the U.S. Embassy, while in Lebanon, the Iran-affiliated Hezbollah group fired missiles towards Israel for the first time in over a year. It triggered intense Israeli airstrikes on the country that killed dozens of people. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in the predominantly Shiite areas of southern and eastern Lebanon as Israel threatened more strikes, called up 100,000 reservists and sent troops into southern Lebanon.\n“I think there’s a psychological, emotional aspect to the killing of Khamenei and we are very much in the early days of trying to make sense of what that might look like,” said Ozcelik of the UK-based think tank.\nFrustration at Iran’s meddling in other countries\nStill, Ozcelik noted the potentially violent backlash could be tempered by growing frustration, even among Shiite populations, at Iran’s meddling in other countries’ affairs.\nOver the last five to 10 years, the young generation in Iraq in particular, she said, has shown resistance to Iran’s “overwhelming penetration” of Iraqi domestic affairs, including its security services, judiciary, politics and economy.\nInvolvement in countries with a significant Shiite population has been a defining feature of Iran’s foreign policy for decades. Tehran adopted a strategy of building alliances not only with states, but also with armed groups — the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, being just two, as well as armed groups in Iraq and Syria.\nIts interventions, generally presented as seeking to protect Shiites’ interests, often drew criticism of undermining countries’ sovereignty and fostering instability. One of the Trump administration’s key demands of Iran ahead of this conflict had been that it sever support to proxy groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen — a demand Iran rejected.\nGiven this frustration, Ozcelik suggested there is unlikely to be the “sharp, violent sectarianism that we saw after 2003,” when Iraq descended into a bloody, prolonged period of violence between the formerly dominant Sunni minority and Shiite majority in the wake of the U.S. invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim. The violence spilled across other countries in the region, most notably into the Syrian civil war.\nSince then, “the Middle East in many ways has moved on. I think there is a strong urge and desire for de-escalation at this point, particularly in the Gulf,” Ozcelik said.\nPrevious prominent targets\nOver the past years, the U.S. and Israel have assassinated some of the most prominent figures in the Iran-led regional alliance, including Shiite clerics. It began with the 2020 killing of Iran’s Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, along with veteran Iraqi militant Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.\nIn September 2024, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, the de-facto head of an Iranian alliance spread across Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon, was killed in a massive Israeli airstrike south of Beirut.\nBut Khamenei was by far the biggest blow.\n“After the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran says it has no red lines left,” said Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of American foreign policy think tank Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.\nA region in turmoil\nTehran’s backlash has brought turmoil across the region.\nHundreds of missiles and drones have flown across the Middle East and as far afield as Cyprus. Usually prosperous and peaceful countries like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar scrambled to shoot down Iranian weaponry as they shut their airspace, grounding commercial flights and stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers.\nMany Shiites perceive the strikes against Iran and Khamenei’s killing as aimed against their entire community.\n“There is targeting of Muslims in general, but the targeting is specifically directed at Shiites,” said Nasser Khazal, whose building was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike Tuesday in a suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.\nLebanese political analyst Qassim Qassir said Iran’s vehement retaliation is seen as a fight for Shiite survival against the U.S. and Israeli vision for the region.\n“There is targeting of the Shiite community and its political and religious leaders, and today it is an existential war, whether in Iran, Lebanon, or Iraq,” said Qassir, author of a book about Hezbollah. “The United States and Israel want to impose their project on the region.”\n___\nBecatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOU1paYkViVkdoNlZQcVk4WFMtQmhzbzJLUENieEx1bmk5WXdSV3c3UkdLSXJIeUNTWnJqTlFBT2VONHpBSXlCUlk3NVVrWVBud1F0SHV1OVlDWjhHUEJEYW94X2JHWUxKX19UV3BkOTRrUHdwaVRtc1h5TGdTMFBEaGw0eVgyajZnZDctd2ZxN2YtWkpLbEl4U3oxeTJVV2dVNFJQZ3ppWExTdUJ3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_101e1f87d0bc",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Supertanker Costs Near $500,000 a Day as Iran War Disrupts Flows - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Oil Supertanker Costs Near $500,000 a Day as Iran War Disrupts Flows    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:30:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOQVhWRUJUbnpRemROZE45M0U4TllDWGxvV3FyZy1fTjZQb1pWX01LdzU0SE9sX1BTUHhMdUUxbkRacWVuUGhTdTBvSkdUUkxlaEtSNFRsNnNqaWlPempQMmVaVjUwMUlyb3R4LXY4WWx6YjlSb25yaXR3YzZKTTkybkRJOTNiYXBoZzVTXzZ1aVY1MG9WOXg0czR4eXR4eEFqQzdCcklGZ0dlZks0cjBZTHJPQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_83a8ad3e73b4",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Sweeping assault on Iranian state leaves residents reeling - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Sweeping assault on Iranian state leaves residents reeling\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:33:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBJU0lNd19ReVp4cE1Jbzl6N1hybjdRWi1nVnNqSTVLcWRZa0lNbHhWYTZhWU9vdVN4VDZHTGFodXZVNFZKb3VtZmlnVkZBeFBENnh1WDcyUTZGTlk4U0g0b242LXNLRGlTcm13TThPRkU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fa4d9060aa58",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "How AI fakes are turning satellite images into war misinformation - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "How AI fakes are turning satellite images into war misinformation\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:34:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5zZndFNnNEYkIydGUtNzhEaGpmZmg5MW5mU1N6cUNNU01wdk0xUXQ0R0ljYlJJRWI3YWpvbG5KbGVIaVVqbXJ5LU1iQ1FLbEdSSkhmYmdCajA2MFRJZmdhMWJGc1RJU1lPVkFHalJtTGs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d7f002debc77",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump contradicts Rubio, says Israel didn’t force him to launch war",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump denied that Israel forced him into attacking Iran, contradicting his own Secretary of State.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:35:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/trump-contradicts-rubio-says-israel-didnt-force-him-to-launch-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_88a1060c3cdc",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Sudanese government says drone attack launched from Ethiopia - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Sudan accuses Ethiopia of cross-border drone launches, calling it a sovereignty breach and warning of consequences, without detailing targets, damage or casualties.\nThe accusation marks a sharp downturn after mediation efforts and a 2024 meeting between Abiy Ahmed and Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan in Port Sudan.\nMedia reports allege Ethiopia hosted an RSF training camp near the border, as RSF concentrations and skirmishes emerge around Kurmuk and Qaysan.\nThe Blue Nile region’s strategic position could enable supplies from Ethiopia to the RSF, amid historic Sudan-Ethiopia border disputes and tensions over the Blue Nile dam.\n\"Aggressive behaviour that’s both rejected and denounced. It constitutes a flagrant violation of Sudan’s sovereignty,\" the army-aligned Foreign Ministry said.\nSudan's army-backed government says drones have been launched into the country from neighbouring Ethiopia, the first such accusation since the civil war pitting the army against a paramilitary force began nearly three years ago.\nThe army-aligned foreign ministry described \"aggressive behaviour that's both rejected and denounced. It constitutes a flagrant violation of Sudan's sovereignty and a blatant aggression on the Sudanese state”.\nThe statement told Ethiopia that the attack will have \"consequences” and that Sudan reserves the right to defend its territory. It said the drones were launched from Ethiopia last month and the start of this, but did not say where they struck or mention material damage or casualties.\nThe ministry did not identify the attackers, or say why it took authorities in Sudan weeks to make the claim. But the claim coincides with growing signs that areas in south-eastern Sudan near Ethiopia's border could become a stage in the war between the army and the RSF.\nThere was no immediate reaction from Addis Ababa on Sudan's claim.\nSudan's accusation represents a dramatic shift in relations between its military-backed government and Ethiopia, which had tried in 2024 to mediate – without success – to end the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.\nEthiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was the first foreign leader to meet Sudan's army chief and de facto ruler Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan in July 2024 after he escaped from Khartoum, then controlled by the RSF. The two met in Port Sudan on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan.\nThe Sudanese claim follows media reports last month that Ethiopia was hosting a training camp for RSF fighters near the Sudan border.\nMilitary sources told The National that concentrations of RSF forces have been detected in the area and that limited clashes between the two foes had taken place in recent days in the areas of Kurmuk and Qaysan near the Ethiopian border.\nThe Blue Nile region in south-eastern Sudan where the RSF forces have been detected is a strategic region south of the capital Khartoum that could serve as a supply route from Ethiopia if Addis Ababa decides to back the paramilitary.\nThe area, parts of which are controlled by local rebels, has seen limited clashes between Sudanese and Ethiopian troops before the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023. The violence was triggered by Sudan's attempt to retake a border area whose ownership has been disputed by the two countries for years.\nSudan is also at odds with Ethiopia over a Blue Nile dam Addis Ababa built. It argues that Ethiopia refuses to share data on the operation of the dam so that it could protect its own, smaller, Nile dams and prevent deadly and destructive flooding.\nSudan's civil war, widely seen as a power struggle between Gen Al Burhan and RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo, has killed tens of thousands and created the world's worst humanitarian and displacement crises, with some 25 million facing hunger and at least 12 million fleeing their homes to escape the violence.\nWith the war close to entering its fourth year, the army controls Khartoum as well as the nation's central, northern and eastern regions. The RSF occupies Darfur, a western region roughly the size of France, and parts of neighbouring Kordofan, where most of the fighting has shifted after the army lost its last foothold in Darfur in October.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:49:03+00:00",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fceedea5a6b8",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "No easy way out for tens of thousands looking to leave Gulf amid Iran conflict - Reuters",
    "body_text": "No easy way out for tens of thousands looking to leave Gulf amid Iran conflict    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T17:56:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxNRTZ4ZDlqR3k4dFk0b0pPSGx4Y0hBa3RndjRzY2txWmlHMXBnNFRVdkdVSkZjcTlOVlc2RVdkWGkwT2M0ZlhRSDJldUcwel9qVWxSYWpJX2pBamxhcUZkNjJDa09objRLQ0xRX3BxWmlZRm83dkZUTWNsck8tTEpjVC03N01MMnpJYy1nVkNmNkhaTENmekphMUdPMkRMaFVMZE92Ump0ajAyWlRzdmJEZW94MTByWWhIVGxnOTM4QQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d374b0f14d59",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Tehran residents stock up on essentials as uncertainty over war grows",
    "body_text": "Locals tell BBC Persian they are worried about the availability of groceries and price increases as strikes continue to hit the capital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:01:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdr2ep48r33o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_abcc98e46dd3",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Experts react: How the world is responding to the US-Israeli war with Iran - Atlantic Council",
    "body_text": "The US-Israeli war against Iran has now escalated into a regional conflict, and consequences are already extending far beyond the Middle East. After asking our Mideast experts to assess the impacts of the war for nearby countries, we’ve turned to our global network to send us dispatches on how leaders in Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America are reacting to the spreading conflict. Here’s what they reported back to us.\nClick to jump to an expert analysis:\nChina: A restrained response borne of a bind\nWhile the war with Iran is not all about China, any analysis that neglects Beijing’s role in the war, or dismisses the great-power competition underlying it, is either incomplete or a deliberate red herring.\nChina’s own decisions have tied it to Middle Eastern geopolitics. In 2018, it proposed a new regional security architecture. In 2023, it brokered the Iran–Saudi rapprochement and hosted Hamas for mediation talks with its rival Palestinian faction Fatah. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative is presented explicitly as an alternative to the US-led order. Iran has received an economic lifeline from Beijing, secured a berth in the bloc of emerging economies knows as BRICS, and had the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operate within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Today China is the largest trading partner, the largest importer, and one of the largest foreign investors across much of the Middle East and North Africa. There are over 400,000 Chinese nationals in the United Arab Emirates alone. Now that population is subjected to attacks from Iranian drones and missiles that are most likely made with China-sourced precursor chemicals and components.\nYet China’s public response to the war has been characteristically limp: evacuation advisories for citizens near conflict zones and formulaic condemnations of Israel and the United States.\nBeneath that restraint lies an impossible bind. Iran is at its weakest, detested by its population at home and an exporter of radicalism abroad, yet it is also Beijing’s most reliable anti-Western bulwark and a source of deeply discounted oil. Meanwhile, China lacks the means to counterbalance US and Israeli military dominance. Oil prices rose by more than 5 percent on Monday and could spike toward one hundred dollars a barrel with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf states, which absorb much of China’s Belt and Road Initiative investment and supply roughly a third of China’s crude, are now coming under attack from Iranian missiles and drones.\nThe irony is acute. It was US military supremacy in the Iraq war and the shockwaves of the Arab Spring that first pushed Beijing toward a more proactive Middle East policy. Now it has gotten a possible regime change and another war in the region, and it is none the wiser.\nThe pivot point lies with the Gulf monarchies. If they enter the fight, China would face a situation it cannot finesse. But it would also present an opportunity that neither the United States nor Israel could generate alone: to make China a credible offer to stop propping up Tehran and allow for the development of a more stable and prosperous region in which to do business. Whether China is too blinkered by great-power ideology to recognize that opportunity remains the defining question.\n—Tuvia Gering is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub and a researcher at the Diane & Guilford Glazer Foundation Israel-China Policy Center at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).\nRussia: Not riding to the rescue—again\nWASHINGTON, DC—One of the knock-on effects of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran is that they have exposed—yet again—that Russia is an unreliable ally.\nIran’s rulers are now absorbing the same bitter lesson learned by the autocrats of Syria and Venezuela before them. For all its talk of establishing a multipolar world, for all of its bluster about leading an anti-Western bloc of states, Moscow lacks the will and the capacity to come to the aid of its alleged partners.\nSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the third Kremlin-backed autocrat to fall in the past fifteen months. When Syrian rebels ousted Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad from power in 2024, the Kremlin could only grant the deposed dictator asylum in Russia. Likewise, Moscow was helpless to aid Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro when the United States apprehended him in January.\nAnd as Politico reports, when US and Israeli bombs were pounding Iran on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “offered his Iranian counterpart sympathy and promised his—verbal—support.” And after Khamenei was killed, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Tehran little more than condolences.\nBeyond Latin America and the Middle East, the trend of the Kremlin abandoning allies and partners is also evident in the former Soviet space. When Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, launched a military campaign to take Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and 2023, Moscow failed to support its erstwhile ally Armenia.\nThe cold, hard reality is that the Putin regime is so consumed by its war of aggression against Ukraine that it lacks the bandwidth to defend its geopolitical interests elsewhere.\nBut while the Kremlin has yet again suffered reputational damage, Moscow still hopes to salvage some benefits from the war in Iran. The resulting higher oil prices will benefit Russia’s depleted war chest. Unrest in the Middle East will distract attention and media oxygen from Ukraine. And should the US-Israeli war against Iran turn into a quagmire, Moscow certainly hopes to be a beneficiary of the chaos. As Chatham House’s Grégoire Roos notes: “Until the situation in Iran is clarified, the keywords for Moscow will be ‘strategic hedging.’”\n—Brian Whitmore is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, an assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas-Arlington, and host of The Power Vertical Podcast.\nUnited Kingdom: Trying to stay out of it\nLONDON—The overwhelming view here is that military action taken by the United States and Israel on Saturday was not the right thing to do while negotiations were edging forward toward a deal. Comparisons are being made to US President George W. Bush’s catastrophic Iraq invasion and the lasting consequences for the region and interests of the United States and its closest ally, the United Kingdom.\nIn the United Kingdom, the stock of the Trump and Netanyahu administrations’ foreign policy in the Middle East is not high. The apparently premature abandonment of diplomacy for the military option will not have surprised many and has likely reinforced the view that both leaders are acting more for domestic political reasons and their own narrow interests. Military action does not—at least to British eyes—seem to have followed sufficient careful analysis of the US national interest and the broader interests of US allies.\nThe British political establishment, media, and public are highly critical and unsympathetic to the Islamic Republic of Iran. There was widespread outrage following the massacre of protesters in January. Nevertheless, what is likely to dominate public discourse in the coming days is the United States’ lack of clear, realizable objectives, a legal basis under international law, or new evidence to justify the rush to war and immediate regional destabilization. Those themes will overwhelm any attempt to justify action as a response to what happened in January and the despotic and brutal Islamic regime.\nSome commentators, including former Conservative members of parliament and Reform leader Nigel Farage, have argued that the United Kingdom should prioritize supporting its closest ally, the United States, over debate on the legality of military action or how things reached this point. So far, that argument does not seem to have resonated widely.\nPrime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour government are between a rock and a hard place given their championing of the primacy of international law. The lack of clarity from them on what the United Kingdom should do next adds to the general sense that this is not the United Kingdom’s conflict, and that the country would be wise to stay out of it. Of course, events on the ground (for example, Iran striking UK military assets defending allies in the region) may rapidly overtake this position. How Starmer and his government align over the coming days is likely to be highly significant for UK domestic politics.\n—Nicholas Hopton is a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and a former British ambassador to Iran.\nEuropean Union: Caught between defending the rules-based order and aligning with Washington\nBRUSSELS—Europe finds itself in a structurally uncomfortable position, partly because of events and partly because of its own past choices. For years, European Union (EU) policy toward Iran was centered on Tehran’s nuclear program and anchored in diplomacy backed by incremental pressure. The priority was containment through negotiation and de-escalation. That approach has long run its course. A coherent new strategy has yet to emerge.\nThe current crisis exposes both this strategic vacuum and the EU’s internal divisions. Competing logics are at play throughout the bloc.\nSome leaders are prioritizing international law, condemning the US-Israeli strikes as a war of choice. Failing to mention international law risks eroding Europe’s credibility as a defender of the rules-based order, particularly in the Global South where accusations of double standards resonate.\nAnother logic prioritizes transatlantic cohesion. Openly confronting Washington could carry risks at a moment of geopolitical volatility. Europe was just able to avoid US President Donald Trump’s grab for Greenland. Restraint on the Iran issue therefore seems prudent for some.\nA third logic concerns Iran itself. Many quietly hope that the strikes weaken a repressive regime, reduce nuclear-proliferation risks, and curb proxy warfare. At the same time, there is concern that escalation or spillover could produce something worse.\nEurope is trying hard to reconcile these three concerns, but finding common ground is difficult. Some, such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have attempted to bridge the divide by shifting the debate toward the “day after,” urging coordination with Washington and European partners on what follows. This forward-looking framing may paper over intra-European tensions. But it also risks bypassing the unresolved question of principle at the heart of the debate.\n—Roderick Kefferpütz is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. The views expressed in this article are his own.\nUkraine: A sense of schadenfreude—but also new risks\nKYIV—Iran’s Shahed drones have menaced Ukrainians for more than four years, striking our homes and murdering civilians far from the battlefield. So there was a certain amount of schadenfreude across Ukraine as the United States and Israel hobbled the Iranian regime with airstrikes of their own over the weekend. The display of decisive US force against a key Russian ally may have also applied some psychological pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was once again reminded how devastating US military power can be and may be reflecting on potential scenarios for how that could play out if his own regime came under direct attack. Iran’s response—drone and missile attacks across the Middle East—may also provide an opportunity to showcase Ukrainian anti-drone technology, which may be even more effective than some air defenses currently in the region.\nThe Iran strikes do pose some risks to Ukraine, too. Russian propagandists will likely have no problem warping the attacks on Iran into a justification for Moscow’s so-called “special military operation” against Ukraine. And retaliatory strikes by Iran place a premium on air-defense interceptors, which are already in short supply and which Ukraine desperately needs for its own defense. Finally, any increase in global oil prices means more revenue for the Kremlin to use to continue its war on Ukraine.\n—Major General (ret.) Volodymyr Havrylov is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and a former Ukrainian deputy minister of defense.\nCanada: Calibrated, cautious, and aligned with allies\nCALGARY—Ottawa’s response to the US–Israeli strikes on Iran and escalating regional tensions has been cautious, calibrated, and aligned with allies.\nSpeaking to media from a trade mission to India over the weekend, Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that “Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security,” while emphasizing that Canada is not militarily engaged. He coupled that support with a call for civilian protection and renewed diplomacy, signaling continuity in Canada’s position that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are destabilizing.\nThe Canadian Armed Forces are not participating in combat operations but maintain a regional footprint through liaison and intelligence roles under Operation FOUNDATION in Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has heightened vigilance amid concerns about potential Iranian cyber or proxy activity, though no specific domestic threat has been identified.\nDomestically, the conflict resonates deeply. Canada is home to approximately 280,000 Iranian-Canadians, ranking fifth globally among Iranian diaspora populations after the United States, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany. The community’s response reflects both fear for relatives abroad and apprehension about regional spillover. For Ottawa, the challenge is strategic balance: uphold alliance commitments, safeguard domestic cohesion, and preserve diplomatic space in a volatile Middle East.\n—Marcy Grossman is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs, and a former Canadian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.\nArgentina: A supportive response colored by a history of terror\nWASHINGTON, DC—It’s no surprise that Argentinian President Javier Milei has been the most vocal supporter in Latin America of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Since the attacks began, his foreign ministry has voiced strong support for the actions, calling Iran a “threat” to “long-term international stability and security.” After the killing of Khamenei, Milei put out a presidential statement commending the operation, calling the ruthless Iranian leader “one of the most evil, violent, and cruel individuals that human history has ever seen.”\nMuch of the rest of the region called for restraint or respect for international law (Brazil and Mexico, for example) or outright condemned the US and Israeli airstrikes (Colombia). Paraguay (whose foreign minister spoke with his Israeli counterpart on Sunday) stands out for joining Argentina in explicitly being supportive of this past weekend’s actions. There has been wider agreement, however, on condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Gulf countries, from Argentina and Brazil to Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama.\nArgentina’s firm stance in support of the US and Israeli actions is due not only to Milei’s strong support of Israel but also to the fact that Argentina has experienced the scourge of the Iranian regime firsthand. In the early 1990s, Argentina fell victim to two Iran-linked terror attacks that shook the country. In 1992, Hezbollah detonated a truck packed with explosives at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, killing twenty-nine people and wounding more than two hundred others. Two years later, a car bomb detonated at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association Jewish Community Center building in Buenos Aires. That day marked the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentine history, with eighty-five people killed and over three hundred wounded.\nThirty years later, Argentina’s highest criminal court found Iran responsible for this latter bombing. For Argentina, these heinous attacks will never be forgotten and are a constant reminder of the need to prevent Iran from continuing to pose threats to the world. Many of the people accused by the Argentine justice system of serving as the architects of the attacks have since risen through the ranks of Iran’s security and military services with impunity.\nSince taking office, Milei has also made a point of aligning his foreign policy with Israel and the United States, marking them as Argentina’s twin examples to follow. Given Argentina’s increasing economic alignment with the United States, and the sentiments of many in Argentina when it comes to Iran, expect Milei to continue to lead the region in supporting actions to dismantle the Iranian regime.\n—Jason Marczak is vice president and senior director at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.\nSpain: Defiance against the US driven by domestic politics\nAfter the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez denied the United States the use of jointly operated Spanish airbases and Trump responded by threatening to cut trade ties with Madrid. Sánchez’s decision to pick another fight with the Trump administration should be seen through the lens of Spain’s domestic politics and the prime minister’s attempt to placate the extreme left of his base. As his popularity wanes, Sánchez knows well that standing up to the United States and Israel will resonate with certain sectors of the electorate, as did his decision last year to make Spain the sole NATO member not to commit to increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product. This all plays well with Sánchez’s base as his Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party looks ahead to regional parliamentary elections this year and the 2027 national elections. By citing international law and the legacy of the 2003 Iraq war, Sánchez can prey on lingering passions of the Spanish left to solidify his own weak position.\nBut Sánchez will also open himself up to political attacks that question the coherence of these actions. Alberto Feijoó, leader of the center-right Popular Party, has already accused Sánchez of sacrificing Spain’s foreign policy credibility to partisan politics. The European Commission released a statement expressing its solidarity with Spain over Trump’s trade threat. But this issue will nevertheless add to a growing suspicion in European capitals about Spain’s reliability as a strategic partner as Europe prepares to act more independently. As calls for a “two-speed” Europe become louder, Sánchez’s decision to self-isolate Spain may give ammunition to those who prefer to leave Madrid in the second tier of any future multi-tier EU architecture.\n—Andrew Bernard is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:11:08+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_924d72c1e45c",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict threatens Gulf tourism, undermining years of investment - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict threatens Gulf tourism, undermining years of investment    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:12:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxPdUtwWGtwVV95UEh2NHhvODJybEZDRVBoRW1BdFFGY0lLRnVFdlB3NzRHTGpabkFJVlB3c2xmaEx2OXpfa24xYUdvcmt6bUtJVGVCVS1NRmVrSmtYaExGLUZ5VEVhQm9pRVdnZS1WVmJNcnQ1M0NDZ0VkQVBIbUxCOFM3Ymppa3NVMDQ5TjUxcmlGNFJIZm5MbU4tUU5fbmx0VEkyckpncmdDRFhxcEJaZklETDhEYjNYNDJN?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1d838266e14b",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Energy prices soar as stock and bond markets consider long Middle East war - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Energy prices soar as stock and bond markets consider long Middle East war\nThe US stock market plunged, bonds sold off, and energy prices continued to soar on Tuesday, in a sign that markets are increasingly alarmed by the escalating war on Iran after an earlier muted reaction.\nThe S&P 500 was down 2.25 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.3 percent in early trading on Tuesday. The decline is notable because when markets opened on Monday, the reaction to the US-Israeli attack on Iran was muted.\nEuropean stocks sold off at an even steeper rate, with the Stoxx Europe 600 down 3.6 percent.\nThe decline suggests that investors are shifting their expectations of a quick Middle East war to a longer conflict.\nBrent crude, the international benchmark, was trading up about eight percent on Tuesday at $83.88 per barrel. The price is up roughly fifteen percent since the US attacked Iran.\nAs the war enters its fourth day, Iran appears to be targeting more energy-related assets. A fire broke out at the UAE’s Fujairah oil terminal on Tuesday, following what the emirates said was debris falling on the facility. A fuel tank at Oman's Duqm Port was also hit.\nEnergy-producing states, including Qatar and Iraq, are halting production after Iran said that it would “set ablaze” vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The world’s largest insurers have already said they will not provide war-risk coverage to vessels transiting the waters, which by itself will discourage transit.\nNearly a quarter of the world's seaborne oil supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz.\nState-owned QatarEnergy said it was halting production at its Ras Laffan plant on Monday, after it was attacked by a drone.\nIraq, the second-largest oil producer in Opec, said that it had started shutting oil production at its biggest fields because storage tanks were full, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The vast majority of Iraqi oil is exported via the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq also has a small pipeline connected with Turkey via its autonomous Kurdish region, but Bloomberg reported that it has also been shut down.\nAsia is the most exposed to a halt in oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, but Europe is particularly vulnerable because of its dependence on Qatari Liquefied Natural Gas.\nRising energy prices could push up inflation. In a sign that investors see those risks rising, global bonds have sold off this week with yields rising. The relationship between bond prices and yields is inverse.\nInvestors are betting that higher energy prices will lead to higher inflation trends, which pushes short-term interest rates set by central banks up. Bond yields and borrowing costs rise as a result.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:13:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxOeVJkLWdjOHhrR1RFd0xSYU9MWUg4LUVqVHJTa0E5QzlwSDlTWlVBd3FMWmN5MGtGY2FMSFozU2xEZnZVVHZVeXAwOTJybGNrSWZCeHVMZExHMVIxRHdJOGlicjlVQnpQdFNDd0ZTaEdrd2U2WGJMaHVaT3B3YjFkWDE1Tk91eXEzQzBNV3lVOWNrNXdPZXY5NnFWSEowQkNHNm9VeA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bf8ed0c4fa4b",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iranian attacks force Iraq to shut largest oil field and halt exports - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iraq shut down oil production at Rumaila, its largest oil field, and halted crude exports through the Ceyhan pipeline on Tuesday as Iran’s widening regional strikes begin to choke supplies from Opec’s second-largest producer.\nThe BP-operated Rumaila field, which had been producing about 1.5 million barrels a day, was shut because of a shortage of tankers at Iraq’s southern export terminals, the oil ministry said. It cited the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has stopped vessels from calling at Iraqi ports and loading cargoes for international markets.\nThe halt removes roughly 36 per cent of Iraq’s output. The Opec member pumped 4.157 million bpd in January, according to Opec secondary sources, making it the group’s largest producer after Saudi Arabia. The disruption marks a sharp escalation in supply risks, following Iran’s recent attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, including facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, that have rattled global markets and pushed Brent crude above $80 a barrel.\nSecurity concerns are also mounting on the ground. “The closure of Rumaila most likely comes from legitimate concerns over the physical security of the oil facilities,” said Tamer Badawi, associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute.\n“A military post in Basrah has already been struck during the war. If that happened, a stray missile or a deliberately directed UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] can hit Iraqi oil fields as well.”\nThe shutdown compounds earlier disruptions in northern Iraq. Production at several major fields in the Kurdistan Region had already been halted as a precautionary measure on Monday. Exports through the Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey’s Mediterranean coast were suspended on Tuesday. The pipeline, which has a capacity of around 1.2 million bpd carries crude sourced from Iraq’s Kurdish oil fields to the Turkish port city of Ceyhan.\nIt also allowed Iraq to bypass Hormuz, which is the main passage for much of the crude exported via its southern terminal at Basrah. The closure effectively blocks northern crude flows to European markets.\nWith southern exports also hit, these developments will deal a severe blow to Iraq’s oil-dependent economy, where crude sales account for the vast majority of state revenues and pay for a bloated public sector.\n“If halting production and exports via Ceyhan and the Gulf persist for a single month, it is likely to lead to social and political upheaval in Iraqi streets, but also the Kurdistan Region,” Mr Badawi said.\nIran-backed armed groups are already fuelling unrest in Iraqi cities, protesting against US and Israeli attacks on Iran. A prolonged suspension of oil revenues and any delay in paying monthly public sector salaries could “turn the country into a powder keg”, Mr Badawi said.\nThe disruption to Iraqi supply comes as Iran broadens its campaign beyond tanker harassment in the Strait of Hormuz to direct strikes on energy infrastructure across the Gulf, opening a new front that now threatens the world’s largest oil and gas export hubs.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:21:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxPT0ljZUtiam54TXVwcVYwS0EtdURKZnJ3Y21fS3VuZm8zZV9wUzJGOE1WYzRsQkhTWHlNSnB6emoyNGR2RWpFMjFLb2xIcmVJa3c4d3ZUejhsLUJZTk1XX1p1RzRGbUtHSUNRZ1lqU3h2UExJRW1IbnJKaXpBM1JlOFNHeXlOczFSME1scTVIWDFseXBpVFpsbG9OaHNMNWJkQU5FVXBDYzVpSFNVcTY0R1RQbVc4Q0xtUm1PTmloRXU5NnhpazRvMQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_cd0b13a1c5ea",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel's war of regional supremacy will not end with Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israel's war of regional supremacy will not end with Iran\nIsraelis and some in the Iranian diaspora celebrated when the first blow in the third Gulf war was struck early on Saturday morning, as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other military and political leaders were wiped out.\nThe Iranian delegations at the talks in Geneva and Oman had just made a substantial offer, according to the chief negotiator, Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi. It was to dilute Iran’s entire stock of highly enriched uranium, with independent verification, thus making it unusable as bomb material.\nUS President Donald Trump responded with war.\nThe talks had been a sham all along, just as they had been last June, when the US and Israel attacked Iran for the first time.\nThe CIA had been tracking Khamenei’s movements for months, and the operation had been waiting for the moment when Iran’s top leadership was gathered. On Saturday, it came in two meetings in adjacent buildings - and Israel struck.\nAs if speaking from the same script, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Iranians to take to the streets and rise up against the regime, as they had attempted to do in January.\nBut that is not what happened. Within a couple of hours, Iran had replied with its first barrage of missiles.\nWhen confirmation of Khamenei’s death came through, Iranians did take to the streets, but they were full of mourners.\nThere were neighbourhoods of Tehran like Ekbatan, where people cheered from the relative anonymity of their apartments. But there were screams in other parts of Tehran, and plenty who did neither, but feared what was to come.\nRegime change\nFrom the first moments it became clear that this war was about regime change, not about Iran’s uranium enrichment or its missiles.\nRegime change was the very thing that Trump and the entire Maga movement campaigned against, both before he was elected president for the second time and afterwards.\nAs a presidential candidate at a speech in Derry, New Hampshire, in 2023, Trump vowed: “We will demolish the deep state. We will expel the warmongers, those horrible warmongers, from our government - those stupid, stupid people. They love seeing people die. We will drive out the globalists.”\nAs president, Trump said in Riyadh last May: “The so-called ‘nation-builders’ wrecked far more nations than they built - and the interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.”\nWhat Netanyahu has in mind is the destruction of Iran as a regional power. Liberation from autocracy is far down on his to-do list\nNow that he has started a major war in the Gulf, he is hard put to explain why. He has cited Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missiles, help for the protesters, and regime change.\nOn Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio added a fifth reason, claiming that the US attack was pre-emptive. The US attacked because it knew Israel was poised to attack, and if that happened, the US would bear the brunt of the retaliation.\nWas Rubio thus admitting that his commander in chief was led by the nose by Israel into a full-blown Gulf war? Trump sought to dispel the notion on Tuesday, telling reporters at the White House that “if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand”.\nRegardless, Netanyahu has been much more consistent about his desire to deal Iran, which he has called Amalek, a crippling blow.\nHe has been praying for this day for the better part of 47 years. As prime minister, then as opposition outcast (when I first talked to him), then as prime minister again, he has tried repeatedly to get his military and the US to mount an attack like the one which was launched on Saturday morning, but was rebuffed several times.\nNot a time-limited strike, as happened last June, but an all-out war to topple the Islamic Republic.\nDismantling Iran\nIn his speech on Saturday, Netanyahu was clear about Israel’s strategy. He pointedly addressed Iranians by their ethnicities, not their nationality: “Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Balochs, Ahwazis, and all other citizens of this wonderful nation”.\nThe bombs that had already fallen by then spoke to the same strategy. They targeted all currents of the Iranian political elite - reformists, leftists, past presidents, as well as the principlists.\nNeither Netanyahu’s words nor his actions were aimed at building a new elite that could take over after the fall of the Islamic Republic. Both were intended to permanently disable Iran by turning it into a weak confederation of ethnic cantons, just as Israel has tried, and so far failed, to do in Syria.\n“Take your destiny into your own hands,” Netanyahu said. “Hold your head high, look to the skies; our forces are there, the pilots of the free world, all coming to your aid. Help has arrived.”\nInstead, Iranian citizens have seen the pilots of the free world bombing a school and killing 180 people, most of them young girls and boys, while also attacking hospitals and most major cities.\nIsrael is setting about dismantling the cities of Iran in the same way that it has levelled Gaza, or parts of southern Lebanon and Beirut. As a consequence, the casualties of “pinpoint” bombing have soared to more than 750 deaths in Iran in just four days.\nWhat Netanyahu has in mind is the destruction of Iran as a regional power.\nLiberation from autocracy is far down on his to-do list. There has been no postwar planning. Minimal thought has been given to what sort of regime could replace the Islamic Republic if it falls, and what real popularity or following any Iranian political figure or movement in the diaspora has inside the country itself.\nThe destruction of Iran as a regional power is part of a bigger plan that would accommodate and sustain two words increasingly on the lips of Israeli leaders of all political shades: Greater Israel.\nAlliance with India\nIt is no coincidence that in the immediate run-up to this attack, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said to Tucker Carlson that it would be fine if Israel took all the land from the Nile to the Euphrates. Or that Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, immediately agreed.\n“I support anything that will allow the Jews a large, broad, strong land and a safe haven for us, our children and our children’s children. That I support,” Lapid told a Kipa News reporter, noting that Israeli territory could expand as far as Iraq.\nIt is also no coincidence that shortly before launching this war, Netanyahu rolled out the red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.\nThis is the dream that Zionists of many hues have harboured for decades: that Israel will one day run from the Nile to the Euphrates\nMy colleague and author of Hostile Homelands, Azad Essa, says that Delhi has emerged as Israel’s strongest non-western ally. “There is strategic cooperation and ideological convergence between the two, which actually strengthened during the course of [the Gaza] genocide,” Essa said, noting that on his recent visit, Modi promised to allow 50,000 more Indian citizens to work in Israel in the coming years.\n“India would bring a combination of economic scale, market access, labour, and technological expertise to such an alliance. In many ways it already has,” he added. “India is already co-producing weapons with Israel, meaning that it is being primed to become a factory for Israel. India will therefore back up Israeli shortfalls and become a form of labour replacement for Palestinians.”\nThe second point about this war is its timing.\nNetanyahu calculates correctly that Israel will never again have a US president as pliant and easy to manipulate as Trump. No Republican or Democrat will ever be as friendly to Israel as Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, have been. The genocide in Gaza has seen to that.\nBut Trump’s second term has already gifted Israel a prize of much higher value than the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, or the annexation of the Golan Heights, the gifts of his first term. Trump has now gifted Israel Washington’s blessing to expand its borders to any land it can control, whether in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq or Egypt.\nThis is the dream that Zionists of many hues have harboured for decades: that Israel will one day run from the Nile to the Euphrates.\nNew reality\nThis is thus the time not just to crush the Islamic Republic and shatter its regional network into shards, but to use this vacuum to expand Israel’s control over the region as a whole.\nIran as a regional power is the last and only obstacle to Netanyahu realising his dream of expanding Israel’s borders and establishing a new international alliance - his so-called hexagon of states - with India as its eastern wing, and Somaliland as its southern tip.\nThis alliance would underpin Israel’s position as the regional military hegemon, with air bases all over the region. The major Arab states whose support for Israel will never happen without a Palestinian state would be forced to accept a new reality: a diminution of their territory and sovereignty, as in Syria today and Lebanon tomorrow.\nWith support from India in place, Israel would become less dependent on its umbilical cord of funding, arms and political support from Washington. The future of this relationship is in any event far from guaranteed, if US opinion polls are any guide.\nIsrael knows that the Gaza genocide has destroyed its image as a noble project in the West. The war against Iran is its insurance policy.\nThe Islamic Republic is now fighting for its life. Its leadership, so often dubbed fundamentalist and reckless, has in reality been far too cautious.\nIt has realised too late in the day that the war of total annihilation Israel has been waging in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria would arrive on its doorstep. It got suckered into negotiations twice, and each time, the US treated the talks as cover for a military decapitation campaign.\nFatal mistake\nIran’s predicament goes all the way back to how it reacted to the events of 7 October 2023. Iran and Hezbollah’s immediate reaction was to reject the Qassam Brigades’ pleas to infiltrate Israel from the north and start a simultaneous second front.\nOctober 7 was conceived not as a limited campaign to strike an army base in the south, but as the start of a war of liberation. When both Hezbollah and Iran initially refused to get involved, each allowed themselves to be picked off one by one by Israel.\nIran made the fatal mistake of listening to the messaging it and Hezbollah were getting from the Biden administration. It took time for him to react, but when he did, the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the 7 October attacks by Hamas a “100 percent Palestinian operation”, noting that neither his organisation nor Iran was aware of what was coming: “It has no relation to any regional or international issues.”\nBy the time he spoke, Hezbollah had already lost 57 men in border exchanges, so it was not doing nothing. But it allowed itself to be gradually sucked into a war of Israel’s timing. Thus Hamas, Hezbollah and now Iran have all been picked off in turn. None of them acted in conjunction with each other.\nBelatedly, Iran has learned these lessons. It is now waging a different campaign to the one it fought during 12 days last June.\nThen, it concentrated all of its firepower in salvos of rockets towards Israel. Today, Iran’s main targets are the US and its allies in the Gulf.\nAs the Iranian commentator Trita Parsi posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Tehran has concluded that Israel’s pain tolerance is very high - as long as the US stays in the war. So the focus shifts to the US … Iran understands that many in the American security establishment had been convinced that Iran’s past restraint reflected weakness and an inability or unwillingness to face the US in a direct war,” he noted.\n“Tehran is now doing everything it can to demonstrate the opposite - despite the massive cost it itself will pay. Ironically, the assassination of Khamenei facilitated this shift.”\nHeavy price\nSo within 24 hours, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, pounded Dubai, halted Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil refinery and Doha’s production and export of liquefied natural gas. Ships at the mouth of the Gulf are aflame. Most flights have been suspended. Oil and gas prices have surged.\nIranian drones have also targeted a French military base in Abu Dhabi and the British Royal Air Force base Akrotiri in Cyprus. Iran seeks to internationalise Trump’s attack by making it as expensive as possible for the global economy.\nIf Iran folds, then we can be sure of the devastating consequences across the Gulf. A civil war in Iran has the capacity to send millions of refugees westwards\nUnder heavy and sustained fire, the Gulf states have - so far at least - avoided escalation. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman had been warning Trump for months not to strike Iran. He ignored their advice, and now they are paying a heavy price.\nWhen US Senator Lindsey Graham boasted that he had got Mohammed bin Salman “on board” for an attack on Iran, the Saudi crown prince was in fact doing the opposite. He told his Gulf neighbours to avoid taking any steps that could trigger a response by Tehran or its proxies and push the region towards a broader conflict.\nRiyadh has good reasons for caution. It has maintained a ceasefire with the Houthis in northern Yemen, and they have yet to get seriously involved.\nBut even after the US bombing campaign last year, the Houthis remain a fighting force, armed with missiles with ranges of 2,000 kilometres and aerial drones with ranges of up to 2,500 kilometres.\nSo, too, are the Iraqi militias: it was from their territory that drones were launched at Aramco’s oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais in eastern Saudi Arabia in 2019.\nRedrawing the map\nHow long the Gulf states can maintain this position is doubtful, as Iran is pushing the whole of the Gulf Cooperation Council up the escalation ladder.\nThere are two main scenarios now for Iran. Either the US-Israeli bombing campaign will engineer a total collapse of command and control, and the regime will fall - or the regime will retain control and steer the war successfully to a ceasefire.\nThe killing of Khamenei during Ramadan could in fact be the spark that rejuvenates the Iranian revolution, giving it new purpose. This in itself would constitute victory - because Iran knows that the weak link in this war is Trump himself.\nIf Iran continues the war for long enough, it will negatively impact Trump within his Maga constituency. It will expose the truth that Israel drafted Trump into a war that neither his backers, nor the US, needed.\nBut if Iran folds, then we can be sure of the devastating consequences across the Gulf. A civil war in Iran has the capacity to send millions of refugees westwards.\nNor will Netanyahu’s war have ended. Israel is betting on the weakness of the Arab states to defend themselves, and is seeking to weaken them further.\nFor it is only around the contours of a weakened neighbourhood that Israel can redraw the map of the Middle East and institute a new Sykes-Picot.\nThen, it is only a matter of time before Netanyahu declares Turkey to be Israel’s next Amalek.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:32:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxNcF9HdUk0WjAxOXJORXktYmtjVldMU2x5bWF1YlQ0NWFzbFRmaUtjOWFsMEJKZ3JlTTlyRHBlWWg1VmlyOHgyZENyOFpaX2RXSnYxZlZRV0NOZERNZjlYVmFfQWlBdE1aME16Wm94bjJBQmlYTjdLS1RVNnMyOExNY0tQWkNnaU9ucEVOVDNfaw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9713a748253b",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iranian strikes on Amazon data centers highlight industry’s vulnerability to physical disasters - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iranian strikes on Amazon data centers highlight industry’s vulnerability to physical disasters\nIsraeli-US airstrikes targeting Iran’s capital sent smoke billowing into the skies above Tehran on Tuesday, with the sound of explosions ringing out across the city as the sun was setting.\nLONDON (AP) — Damage to three Amazon Web Services facilities in the Middle East from Iranian drone strikes highlights the rapid growth of data centers in the region, as well as the industry’s vulnerability to conflict.\nThe company’s cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, said late Monday that two data centers in the United Arab Emirates were “directly struck” and another facility in Bahrain was also damaged after a drone landed nearby.\n“These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage,” AWS said in an update on its online dashboard.\nIt said by late Tuesday that recovery efforts at the UAE data centers were making progress.\nUnlike previous AWS disruptions involving software that resulted in widespread global outages, these attacks involving physical damage appear to have resulted only in localized and limited disruption.\nAmazon Web Services hosts many of the world’s most-used online services, providing behind-the-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to many government departments, universities and businesses.\nThe company advised customers using servers in the Middle East to migrate to other regions, and direct online traffic away from the UAE and Bahrain.\n“Amazon has generally configured its services so that the loss of a single data center would be relatively unimportant to its operations,” said Mike Chapple, an IT professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.\nOther data centers in the same zone can take over, and most of the time this happens seamlessly every day to balance workloads, he said.\n“That said, the loss of multiple data centers within an availability zone could cause serious issues, as things could reach a point where there simply isn’t enough remaining capacity to handle all the work.”\nAmazon doesn’t typically disclose the exact number of data centers it operates around the world.\nIt says only that its data centers are clustered in 39 geographic regions, with three such regions in the Middle East, covering the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel.\nEach AWS region is split up into at least three data center availability zones, with each zone isolated and physically separated “by a meaningful distance,” although they are all within 100 kilometers (60 miles) of each other and connected by “ultra-low-latency networks” that reduce the time lag for data transmission.\nAWS says its data centers have redundant water, power, telecom, and internet connections “so we can maintain continuous operations in an emergency.”\nThey also have physical security, but those measures, including security guards, fences, video surveillance and alarm systems, are designed to keep out intruders rather than defend against missile attacks.\nChapple said the attacks are a reminder that cloud computing isn’t “magical” and “still requires physical facilities on the ground, which are vulnerable to all sorts of disaster scenarios.”\nData centers run by AWS and other operators are massive facilities that are hard to hide, he added.\n“Organizations using services from any cloud provider in the Middle East should immediately take steps to shift their computing to other regions,” Chapple said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPUDJxWGc0WHZxM1E3SEdRWkkyOE43NElZbVExVlE1cmhOTUNEdGFIU05YN2ttN09PODQ3MC01ZjBxRTlyMDQtMzc5RDNuVWctSDlVOU1hZHpORmNYd0cwcEo1VnVQWGtJanZoNzVYalpmM2VqZTFSNUFHeHllV3hmSXlnZnJ6ZWtZYTJSeWxKY2o3SG9xNzUzaTdwc2RTdUhY?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_9e6fb289a8bd",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Diesel Soars All Over the World as Iran War Chokes Fuel Supplies - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Diesel Soars All Over the World as Iran War Chokes Fuel Supplies    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:38:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQSHhpSmx1cmFLZWZxZlhOUlJWaDFQb1FVWUt4M2RNaVV3UzNPMTYzS2FkZDRDYWswWGJFakFJdGZhdjlUcjhOak5tcjZBNjlDY1g4TExncTlCZHNOQ1NYYXdUWWNrMDBqOHJuRnhTWTlKbGdwREpUYXBsM2UwYURvOUhnR0dCT3ZEVzdiRWtnWVphcF9ISDA2MVVNQ1RicnVRVkQwbm5sYlNhcmZuMzVXUGIwalE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_803eb6e6e3f6",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Rachel Reeves faces hazardous fiscal picture even without Iran war - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Rachel Reeves faces hazardous fiscal picture even without Iran war\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:44:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBQQWtWSG0yNXVpYUd3TlJvdGx0U3lRQUNzMGNLQ2ZUMTlDbnE3UDM0X0IzRVcxdDZQblVQTndYTTBXR1RkM2t3OVVNcFotNnE2akRtYzVzNXVkbHlTV1Q5Z3NtWERxY3FkSzhlWW5iZGI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_129700abc95a",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Are US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal under international law?",
    "body_text": "Analysts say the joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran appear to breach the UN Charter's prohibition on aggression.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:46:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/are-us-israeli-attacks-against-iran-legal-under-international-law?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e7a9b187fdb7",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US troops were told Iran war 'anointed by Jesus' to bring on Armageddon, watchdog says - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US troops were told Iran war 'anointed by Jesus' to bring on Armageddon, watchdog says\nUS commanders from every arm of the military have told their units that the war on Iran is “anointed by Jesus” and would bring about his return to Earth as part of the \"Armageddon\", resulting in scores of complaints from serving members of the military.\nThe Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), an organisation dedicated to ensuring that all members of the US military are guaranteed religious freedom, told Middle East Eye on Tuesday that it had received more than 200 similar complaints from personnel serving in the army, navy, air force, marine corps, and space force.\nThe complaints received by the MRFF, first reported by journalist Jonathan Larsen, have come from more than 40 units and span at least 30 military installations.\nAccording to MRFF, one combat unit commander told non-commissioned officers (NCOs) at a briefing on Monday that the Israeli-US attacks on Iran are part of God’s \"plan\" and that US President Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth”.\nA US NCO who wrote to the MRFF said their commander had told them the war with Iran was “all part of God’s divine plan”. The commander referred repeatedly to the Bible’s Book of Revelation and to Armageddon, the story about the battle between good and evil, in which Jesus triumphs and establishes a lasting peace on Earth.\nThe commander is quoted by the NCO as saying: “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”\n“He had a big grin on his face when he said all of this, which made his message seem even more crazy,” the NCO wrote in his complaint. “Our commander would probably be described as a ‘Christian First’ supporter. He has been this way for a very long time and makes it clear that he desires all of us under him to become just like him as a Christian.”\nThe Pentagon did not respond to MEE's request for comment at the time of publication.\nChristian nationalism in US military\nMichael L Weinstein, founder of MRFF and a veteran of the US Air Force and Reagan White House, told MEE that his organisation was continuing to be inundated with complaints from serving US military personnel who had been told that they should be excited to be part of the war on Iran, as it would bring about \"Armageddon\" and the return of Jesus Christ.\n“This is not just one rogue commander,” Weinstein said, pointing to the growing influence of Christian nationalists and fundamentalists in the US military.\nUS Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, an ultra-conservative Christian nationalist who has been described as the Pentagon’s “holy warrior”, sponsors a weekly Bible study that preaches support for Israel.\nAs Larsen reported, while some Christians claim biblical prophecy requires Israel to exist for Jesus to return, Hegseth’s Bible study leader, Ralph Drollinger, teaches that Israel should be supported because God blesses Israel’s allies and curses its enemies.\nWeinstein said that MRFF received similar complaints about fundamentalist Christian, end-of-the-world theology in the wake of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.\nBack then, the organisation reported a complaint about an air force commander who said at a briefing that the “war between Israel and Hamas has all been foretold by the Book of Revelation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and no one can do anything about that”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxOSklkbFhYRFROQUNUQXhHalNkbHVvZWRabFowRVRpMVEwaXFfbk1yTy1GMXdlOVNXZkVGRTJWeWFBSklyU2dJYWJHaUw4VVNGYXpyQ0w1dDNUcW5Tek1zeHdtT3pmNjJfaWU0MnRwSFpQMWo0VGk1MDBwRW84T1E4NkJScXkySnBtYUc4UFh4UURYVTN1RFFKOE5oNjhjRjFBbXVBUFdqWQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4b9f3aa2d3e9",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Are US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal under international law? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "US and Israeli strikes against Iran, which have sparked a regional war, likely violate the UN Charter’s prohibition on aggression and lack any valid legal justification, experts say.\n“This is not lawful self-defence against an armed attack by Iran, and the UN Security Council has not authorised it,” the United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion of human rights and “counterterrorism”, Ben Saul, told Al Jazeera.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Qatar downs two Iranian fighter jets as conflict widens\n- list 2 of 3UK faces legal, military quagmire as Starmer allows US to use British bases\n- list 3 of 3Photos: Protests across India against Khamenei’s killing\n“Preventive disarmament, counterterrorism and regime change constitute the international crime of aggression. All responsible governments should condemn this lawlessness from two countries who excel in shredding the international legal order.”\nThe administration of United States President Donald Trump did not seek authorisation from the UN Security Council – or even from domestic lawmakers in Congress – for the war.\nAnd Iran did not attack the US or Israel prior to the strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other senior officials, as well as hundreds of civilians.\nYusra Suedi, assistant professor in International law at the University of Manchester, said there are grounds to believe that the attacks against Iran amount to a crime of aggression.\n“This was an act of use of force that was unjustified,” Suedi told Al Jazeera.\nInternational law is a set of treaties, conventions and universally accepted rules that govern relations between countries.\nImminent threat?\nThe Trump administration has argued that Iran posed a threat to the US with its missile programme and nuclear programme, arguing that military action was necessary.\nBut the UN Charter prohibits unprovoked attacks against other countries.\n“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations,” the founding document of the UN says.\nRebecca Ingber, a professor at Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University who previously served as an adviser to the US Department of State, said that the prohibition of the use of force is a “bedrock” principle of international law that allows for only limited exceptions.\n“States may not use force against the territorial integrity of other states except in two narrow circumstances — when authorised by the UN Security Council or in self-defence against an armed attack,” said Ingber.\nSuedi said one instance in which the use of force can be legal is when a country seeks to thwart an imminent attack by another state.\nTrump has said that the goal of the war is to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”.\nBut Suedi cast doubt over that assertion.\n“Imminence in international law is really understood to be something that is instant, something that is overwhelming, something that leaves really no other choice but to act first, something that is pretty much happening now,” Suedi said.\nShe noted that Trump himself had said repeatedly that the June 2025 US attacks on Iran “obliterated” the country’s nuclear programme, and that Tehran and Washington were holding talks when the war broke out on Saturday.\n“There really was no evidence of an imminent threat, and that the attack was a pre-emptive strike,” Suedi told Al Jazeera.\n“If it’s pre-emptive, it means that you are acting to counter something that is in the future, hypothetical, speculative, and that is not imminent, but that’s exactly what happened here. That is illegal under international law.”\nUS officials, including Trump, have said that Iran was building a ballistic missile arsenal to protect its nuclear programme and later build a nuclear bomb.\n‘Scattershot’ arguments\nTrump has also said that he is seeking “freedom” for the Iranian people, as the US president’s aides have described the regime in Tehran as brutal.\nIn January, Iran responded to a wave of anti-government protests with a heavy security crackdown. The violence killed thousands of people.\nTrump encouraged the demonstrators to take over government buildings at that time, promising them that “help is on the way”.\nExperts say a humanitarian intervention to help protesters in Iran would have required UN Security Council authorisation to cross the legal threshold.\n“The rationales have been scattershot,” Brian Finucane, a senior adviser for the US programme at the International Crisis Group, said of the US justifications for the strikes.\n“Certainly none of them amount to a serious international legal argument.”\nBeyond the possible breaches of the UN Charter, the US-Israeli attacks risk violating provisions of international humanitarian law that are meant to shield civilians from war.\nAn Israeli or US attack on a girls’ school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on Saturday killed at least 165 people, local officials have said.\n“Civilians are already paying the price for this military escalation,” Annie Shiel, US Director at Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), told Al Jazeera in an email.\n“We are seeing deeply alarming reports of attacks on schools and critical civilian infrastructure in Iran and across the region, with devastating casualties, including many children. These strikes risk igniting a wider regional catastrophe.”\nEmbrace of military power\nThe strikes on Iran are the latest instance yet of Trump’s reliance on the brute force of the US military power to promote his global agenda.\nDuring Trump’s second term, the US has threatened to use military force to seize the Danish territory of Greenland, killed at least 150 people in a campaign targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels in Latin America, and abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military attack that killed at least 80 people.\nThe legality of all of these policies has been questioned domestically and internationally, with UN experts saying that the boat strikes amount to extrajudicial killings.\nTrump told The New York Times in January that he is driven by his own morality.\n“I don’t need international law. I’m not looking to hurt people,” the US president said at that time.\nIn recent years, both Democratic and Republican US administrations have also continued to send Israel billions of dollars of weapons despite the Israeli military’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has been documented by rights groups and UN experts.\nIngber, the law professor, said that the use of wanton military force has contributed to a sense of impunity for powerful states and has degraded the international law system that has sought to place some constraints on conflict since the end of World War II.\n“The prohibition on the use of force is a relatively recent innovation in the span of things. This rule is policed through the actions and reactions of states, and it feels fragile right now,” she said. “Do we want to go back to a world where states could use force as a tool of policy?”\nIran itself has lashed out against countries across the region in response to the US strikes, launching missiles and drones at military bases as well as civilian targets – including airports, hotels and energy installations.\n“In the context of war, from the moment that the first strike was launched, the rules of warfare apply, and they’re very clear that civilian objects and spaces cannot be targeted,” Suedi said.\nShe said Iran also appears to have violated international law with its response.\nSuedi told Al Jazeera that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza have been showing the “unravelling fragility” of international law.\nThe war on Iran “is a next episode in that very worrying trend”, she said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T18:54:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxOTWRZT0VvaEVlblpvRzFBcDh1dHlmN09KTy1wRkFpMklQSnFJczFYNFJ6cm1rNDFzRkN2SVBhMGlJS2FhUDN0c0RZa1N4M0hOUGgxenNPMlZXNVJQMG9nXzBUcVZMTWgyS0ItZEtxTjRSOEc2SWxONGhOQnhYZ0NEbFR4Ul9RMWw1N1M4NExFZV9qeHZsOVd0TVRTTTlPS1VmY3l3SkVCcEPSAa4BQVVfeXFMTno5ZzNDMlhZRjhyVE80RVJzXzlWS1lSUTlVYW4zbWRJUHgxSThkeGdOQ1g3Vy1Qa2g4ZTdKSkEyX0Y0RGpFaEw2Vl9OU0FIMjluN2JET2JOYV9FLTFuVTlSanNtakFTZlJQVkRhTnNNcVFoWnJ3NDdXbVNPdXVWVlc5eGRlVHhUbVhuZ0hIOTcwanZ1Ulk0NUVjMnF0ZkE2UGhHdzBiUE92cEpnTXF3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4f85a64779ef",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Satellite images show damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility - AP News",
    "body_text": "Satellite images show damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility\nSatellite images show damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility\nSatellite images of Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility taken on Monday show several damaged buildings, compared with imagery from the previous day, along with additional damage across the facility’s complex.\nVantor, an imaging company based in Colorado and formerly known as Maxar Technologies, released images that it said showed damage to buildings housing personnel and to vehicle entrances to the underground fuel enrichment complex.\nEarlier Tuesday, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said the Natanz enrichment site sustained “some recent damage” following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.\nThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was “no radiological consequence expected.”\nThe nuclear facility at Natanz, located nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, is Iran’s main enrichment site. It had been targeted by Israeli airstrikes in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, and by the U.S.\nMonday’s attack on the Natanz facility marks the first confirmed strike against a nuclear site in Iran during the latest round of fighting.\nFollowing last summer’s brief war, U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration said that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been “obliterated”. But ahead of the current round of hostilities, Trump again warned of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He claimed on Monday that Iran was seeking to rebuild its nuclear program.\nIran has four declared nuclear enrichment facilities. The IAEA said last week in a confidential report, seen by The Associated Press, that due to lack of access it “cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts of the stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran.”\nIran has said it has not enriched since June, but it has blocked international inspectors from visiting the sites the U.S. bombed. Satellite photos analyzed by AP have shown new activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran was trying to assess and potentially recover material.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:04:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNRjNTUTZoX0c5RXlhNElmbVBHTGFQNHI1c1NzbGxqVHNSTVd1c05RMXlUNGNwUEI2S0JNU1F2T0tER0EwcXVCaHhHOFVzU0JvV0lDZmdWLXBfOHRjU09zWnVRYmdneHFhbXZRTThpUmM1SWJqREpOT1Npd1M1akNOVzlQWExGc1phV3RXY1o3a3JwS0NmMnNHZ05TZGxPWi03TldtNk9EcUtiaFJaUi02Nw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_16caaa304f2d",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "School turned into shelter for families displaced in southern Lebanon",
    "body_text": "School turned into shelter for families displaced in southern Lebanon\nFamilies displaced by Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon have taken refuge in a school in Sidon. At least 30,000 people have sought shelter since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated this week.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:12:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/school-turned-into-shelter-for-families-displaced-in-southern-lebanon?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_db3182b9cc63",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Country by country, here’s how the unfolding war is affecting the Middle East - AP News",
    "body_text": "Country by country, here’s how the unfolding war is affecting the Middle East and beyond\nJERUSALEM (AP) — The broadening Iran war has ricocheted across the region and beyond, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel. Many are reporting casualties, and key embassies, economic engines and passageways have closed down.\nOn Friday, the seventh day of war, Israeli warplanes struck Beirut and Tehran as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries. There was no sign of the war letting up, as U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to rule out negotiations with Iran and called for “unconditional surrender.”\nSince the war started with a joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, foreign governments have urged citizens to leave Middle East countries on any available commercial flight. Airspaces have closed, cruise ships and tankers have been unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and major airlines have canceled flights. Countries around the world have scrambled to organize repatriation flights to get their citizens out of the region.\nHere’s a country-by-country breakdown of the impact of the war so far.\nAll airspace information is for commercial flights, from the real-time flight-tracking service Flightradar 24, as of Friday, or national authorities.\nIran\nDeath toll: At least 1,230 according to Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. It’s unknown how many are civilians. That figure doesn’t include the latest Israeli strikes on the Iranian capital of Tehran. Witnesses described the airstrikes as particularly intense, shaking homes in the area. Others reported explosions around the Iranian city of Kermanshah, in an area home to multiple missile bases.\nIsrael’s military also said Friday that it had pummeled an underground bunker Iranian leaders had planned to use in emergencies, deploying more than 50 fighter jets and 100 munitions.\nMajor casualty incidents: More than 165 were killed by a strike on an elementary school in Minab, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Iran has blamed Israel and the U.S. for the blast. Neither has accepted responsibility. Satellite images, expert analysis, and information released by the U.S. and Israeli militaries suggest the explosion was likely caused by U.S. airstrikes that also hit an adjacent compound associated with the regime’s Revolutionary Guard. Asked Wednesday about the blast, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “All I can say is that we’re investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets.”\nDamage and impact: State TV and the Red Crescent Society of Iran say the U.S.-Israeli strikes have hit hospitals, pharmacies, schools, police stations, gyms, missile launchers, government buildings in Tehran and leadership compounds. Israel says it is also targeting nuclear infrastructure. Reports on state TV quote Iranians saying their homes have been damaged. The Red Crescent Society says the strikes have hit 174 cities in the country. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials have been killed.\nAirspace: Closed.\nIsrael and the Palestinian territories\nDeath toll: Eleven civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities. That includes three siblings, ages 16, 15, 13; a Filipina caretaker killed while escorting the woman in her charge to a shelter; and a mother of three who was a volunteer medic.\nMajor casualty incidents: A strike in Beit Shemesh left nine dead.\nDamage and impact: Several locations — among them a synagogue and public shelter in Beit Shemesh, an apartment building in Tel Aviv, a road in Jerusalem — have been hit by Iranian missiles. Israeli police also say an Iranian warhead landed close to Jerusalem’s Old City, close to many holy sites. The extent of damage to Israeli military bases and other sensitive locations is unknown; the military does not reveal that information.\nAirspace: Closed.\nLebanon\nDeath toll: The number of people killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the resumption of hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah has risen to 217, with 798 wounded, Lebanon’s health ministry said Friday. It was unclear how many were civilians.\nIsrael has launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate. Israel says it has struck only Hezbollah-linked targets.\nDamage and impact: The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, which fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the latest conflict. Israel has also sent ground troops into southern Lebanon border areas.\nHundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have been displaced, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.\nAirspace: Lebanon’s airspace is not fully closed. Flights are coming and going, but many airlines have canceled flights.\nKuwait\nCasualties: At least 10 people have died in Kuwait.\nMajor casualty incidents: Six American soldiers were killed at an operations center located at a civilian port in Kuwait, more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the main Army base, according to satellite images and a U.S. official.\nDamage and impact: On Monday, the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait was struck. On Thursday, the embassy closed — fully shutting down operations. A satellite image taken Monday and reviewed by AP shows the main building in the complex destroyed, with a trail of black smoke rising from it. It’s in Port Shuaiba, a working seaport south of Kuwait City.\nMissiles were shot toward Kuwait on Thursday evening, activating air defense systems, the army general chief of staff said in a statement.\nAirspace: Closed\nUnited Arab Emirates\nCasualties: Three civilians have been killed in the UAE, foreign workers from Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the country reported. At least 68 people have been injured.\nDamage and impact: The United Arab Emirates said three drones hit the country Friday but did not elaborate on where they fell or any damage caused. The UAE’s air defenses destroyed nine ballistic missiles and intercepted 109 drones Friday, according to the defense ministry. Since the start of the war, 205 ballistic missiles and 1,184 drones have been detected in UAE territory, with most destroyed, officials said.\nThe city of Dubai, with a global reputation as the safest place in the Middle East and a hub for global investment, has sustained damage to its international airport and, according to the U.S central command, known as CENTCOM, hotels along its coastline.\nAirspace: Technically open, but no flight activity due to restrictions.\nBahrain\nCasualties: One civilian, an Asian worker, was killed by a fire set by a strike Monday, according to Bahrain’s Interior Ministry. Two others were wounded.\nDamage and impact: Bahrain said a fire was started Thursday night by an Iranian missile that hit a state-run oil refinery in Maameer, south of the capital. It said the fire was extinguished without injuries and the refinery was still working.\nIts defense ministry said Thursday it had intercepted 75 Iranian ballistic missiles, destroying 65 while 10 fell inside its territory. It also reported intercepting 124 drones, downing 88.\nAirspace: Closed.\nSyria\nDamage and casualties: Several people, including children, suffered minor injuries in the countryside outside Damascus from Iranian missile debris, Syria’s state news agency SANA said. Some areas in Syria’s southern provinces also saw missile debris fall from Iranian projectiles fired toward Israel, with no additional injuries or material damage reported, SANA said.\nAirspace: Closed.\nIraq\nCasualties: Strikes on Iranian proxy sites by the U.S. or Israel have killed militia members, though it’s not clear how many.\nDamage and impact: A security official with Iraq’s navy said an oil tanker flying the Bahamas flag was hit by an explosion Thursday while docked near Khor al-Zubair port in southern Iraq. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.\nIt comes after a wave of drone and missile attacks intercepted over Irbil on Tuesday, the capital of northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region. Multiple drones targeted areas around the U.S. consulate building but did not hit it directly. Debris from the intercepted drones caused fires and property damage.\nIran-linked Iraqi militias have also claimed multiple attacks on the Kurdish region, which hosts bases with U.S. troops.\nProtesters also attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Sunday.\nIraq’s Ministry of Oil said Tuesday that it would stop production in a key oil field because of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused crude oil prices to surge worldwide.\nAirspace: Closed.\nJordan\nDamage and impact: Jordanian police announced Sunday that five people were injured by falling shrapnel after Iranian projectiles were intercepted in the kingdom’s airspace.\nAirspace: Open, but many airlines have canceled flights.\nSaudi Arabia\nDamage and impact: Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said Friday that four drones have been destroyed, three in the eastern areas of Riyadh and another to the northeast of the capital. It also said that a cruise missile was intercepted over the city of Kharj.\nEarlier this week, Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh with two drones, causing “limited fire” and minor damage, according to Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry. The embassy has urged Americans to avoid the compound.\nSaudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery also has come under attack from drones, but its defenses downed the aircraft, a military spokesman told the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The refinery has a capacity of over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.\nAirspace: Partially closed in the area bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf.\nEgypt\nDamage and impact: The ripple effects of the war have hit Egypt’s struggling economy, as global shipping firms decided to reroute vessel fleets away from the Suez Canal. The canal, which connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas, is a major source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped country.\nAirspace: Commercial flights are leaving the country, though there have been cancellations, and most countries are recommending residents travel through Taba and Sharm al-Sheikh instead of Cairo.\nQatar\nDamage and impact: Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said Thursday that 14 ballistic missiles and four drones were fired at the country. It said air defenses intercepted all the drones and 13 of the missiles, while the 14th fell in the sea. On Wednesday, it said Iran launched two ballistic missiles against it, with one hitting Al-Udeid Qatari Base, though it didn’t cause casualties.\nAirspace: Closed.\nOman\nCasualties: An Indian mariner was killed off the coast of Muscat, the sultanate’s capital, Monday, when a bomb-carrying drone boat exploded against a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker. Four more mariners were injured Sunday when their oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz came under attack, the state-run Oman News Agency said. It’s not clear who launched either attack, but Iran has been threatening vessels approaching the Strait.\nDamage and impact: Oman, long an intermediary between the West and Iran, has repeatedly come under attack by Iran. A vessel was hit by a projectile early Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates, according to an agency of the U.K. military. There were no reported casualties. Drone attacks have also targeted the country’s largest port of Salalah, as well as Duqm port.\nAirspace: Open, but many commercial flights are canceled. Muscat airport has become a base for evacuation flights.\nCyprus\nDamage and impact: A Shahed drone damaged a hangar at a British air base on Cyprus’ southern coastline. Cyprus says the drone was launched from Beirut.\nTurkey\nDamage and impact: NATO defense systems have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran as it headed toward Turkey’s airspace, the country’s defense ministry said. A ministry statement said the missile was detected after crossing the Iraqi and Syrian airspace and was intercepted by NATO units stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.\nDebris from the missile fell into a district of Hatay province, near the border with Syria. There were no casualties.\nAirspace: Open\nSri Lanka\nDamage and impact: A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters Wednesday. Sri Lankan officials say 87 bodies were recovered and 32 people rescued, with roughly 180 people believed to have been aboard the IRIS Dena.\nOn Thursday, the country said another Iranian ship arrived in its waters, with authorities informed that one of its engines suffered a failure and rescuers evacuating more than 200 sailors. None had health issues, officials said. Sri Lanka has taken custody of the ship.\nAirspace: Open\nAzerbaijan\nDamage and impact: The country said Thursday that Iranian drones had attacked its exclave of Nakhchivan, injuring four civilians and damaging an airport building. Iran denied launching the drone. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev called it “a groundless act of terror and aggression” and said the military had been instructed “to prepare and implement retaliatory measures.” The country’s diplomats are being evacuated from Iran in the wake of the drone attacks.\nAirspace: Southern sector closed\n___\nAP writers Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Kareem Chehayeb, Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Jon Gambrell in Dubai; Haratha Mallawarachi in Colombo, Sri Lanka; Sam Metz in Ramallah; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan; and Konstantin Toropin and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:13:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxQbzVKay1kMzZ0ai1DS2Q1TjlLTmZWLW5aWVpMWG1pOE56MmhJY1RXX1V2RllVRkd3dkZxaDB5Y21Jb1dsMm56UWdxX0xoQk1tdDFISDhiY3hsN3ViTFVybE54RHJaZE5JSWZaSHpZclY3a2pTS21PX0toNDhiSWRqZ01fMDEtVnpIcnJMNDVXVUdNMjlvSDFQTlFrQTE2RURyMUJmdA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_245542e702c4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Why is Iran striking Gulf Arab countries so hard?",
    "body_text": "Why is Iran striking Gulf Arab countries so hard?\nIran has been striking more than military targets across the Gulf region. It’s been hitting oil and gas facilities, as well as civilian sites. Al Jazeera’s Virginia Pietromarchi looks at what’s behind Iran’s strategy.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/why-is-iran-striking-gulf-arab-countries-so-hard?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_939051337cce",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "UAE projects normal life as missiles shake haven reputation - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "UAE projects normal life as missiles shake haven reputation\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:16:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFByWVY1Y3hBUVp0Vmh1VjFHcVZMTTNPNkdhdGN5X0t3dTRFOTIyRE84VV9ZZHZ3aE5OUzZJZjViaTNaWlNwNlBZMkxaZmR0THVCVnJFSmZicmtGVjY4Nm90TVlobVJ6VTFVWnFHUklvejA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ab36dc43190c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "No quick victory leaves Trump scrambling to define success in Iran",
    "body_text": "United States President Donald Trump enjoys being seen as unpredictable. But when it comes to the military campaign against Iran, his shifting messaging on the length and aims of the conflict obscures the failure to achieve his apparent goal: a quick conclusion that he can declare a victory.\nDespite the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday – the kind of brazen act that has become a Trump trademark – and the heavy bombing of Iran, the Islamic Republic’s leaders have publicly rejected the prospect of any immediate return to the negotiating table.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3UAE tennis tournament suspended after drone interception sparks fire\n- list 2 of 3How many countries has the US bombed since 2001, and how much has it cost?\n- list 3 of 3IAEA confirms buildings damaged at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility\nInstead, Iran is testing the will of its Gulf Arab neighbours with repeated attacks not just on US assets, but on civilian areas, and a threat to strike any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.\nThe Iranians’ message is clear: that they have the ability to fight back, and believe that they must impose some kind of deterrence before any talks to stop the fighting, whenever that may be.\nAnd so, with an Iranian state prepared for a protracted fight, Trump is in the kind of scenario he has typically avoided in his two terms as president. That perhaps explains why he has been so inconsistent in his messaging.\nTrump has said that the war could end in a few days, but has also given a timeline of up to five weeks, or even longer. He has framed the fight as one for the freedom of the Iranian people and in support of the country’s opposition, but also made clear that he is happy to make a deal with elements of the current state if they are willing to abide by his conditions.\nThe contradictions shroud the reality that Trump does not have the stomach for a lengthy fight. In his periods in power, Trump has been happy to use the US’s military strength to attack opponents, and even threaten allies. But he has largely done so when he has been able to secure a quick and easy win, or backed down if it became clear that was not possible.\nA military campaign against Yemen’s Houthis last year was evidence of that. When it became clear that fully degrading the Houthis’ offensive capabilities would take months, Trump agreed to a deal in which the Houthis agreed to stop attacks on US ships, even as the Yemeni group continued to attack Israeli interests.\nAn elongated conflict with Iran promises the opposite of a quick win – more US casualties, global economic damage, and a failure to protect regional allies. All for a fight that Trump has spent little time attempting to convince the US people to back, and which is already unpopular.\nIran down, but not out\nThe Iranian government is weak after years of economic troubles partly brought on by Western sanctions, and protests in January, when thousands were killed. But air power alone was always unlikely to topple a system that has embedded itself throughout Iran for decades.\nInstead, Trump says he prefers a Venezuela scenario, with the killing of Khamenei equating to the US’s January abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, and other establishment figures stepping in more to the liking of the US.\nFor now, the Iranian government is not interested. It believes that if it starts negotiating now and makes a deal without establishing deterrence, Israel and the US will find a new reason to attack in the foreseeable future, effectively taking the “mowing the lawn” strategy used against the Palestinians to Iran, in which threats are intermittently attacked to prevent them from getting stronger.\nThere is a good reason for that Iranian fear – Trump himself has spoken about it. “I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programmes]’,” he told the news website Axios on Saturday.\nAll of this ambiguity gives Trump the freedom to pivot and make an about-turn on the war if he wants. The US president will be more than willing to sell the killing of Khamenei and the images of devastation in Tehran and elsewhere as a victory if he decides the costs are too high.\nThe consequences, of course, will have been disastrous for so many others: more chaos in the region, damage to the assets and image of allies at the centre of the world economy, and an Iranian opposition promised much, which may yet receive very little.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:24:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/no-quick-victory-leaves-trump-scrambling-to-define-success-in-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ed0d4423fdba",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran war casts a pall over UK economic update as stocks tank and oil and gas prices surge - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran war casts a pall over UK economic update as stocks tank and oil and gas prices surge\nIran war casts a pall over UK economic update as stocks tank and oil and gas prices surge\nLONDON (AP) — Britain’s Treasury chief Rachel Reeves sought Tuesday to paint a rosy picture of the state of the U.K. economy even as oil and gas prices soared and shares slid in the wake of the fast-evolving Iran war that has cast a pall over the global economic outlook.\nUnveiling the latest U.K. economic forecasts compiled by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, Reeves insisted her policies since the Labour Party returned to power in the 2024 election are bearing fruit.\nThough economic growth this year is expected to be lower than predicted at the time of last November’s budget at 1.1%, it’s set to be higher than anticipated in both 2027 and 2028 at 1.6%. Inflation and borrowing are expected to fall more quickly than previously thought, she added.\n“The forecasts today confirm that the choices this government has made are the right ones,” she said.\nReeves had hoped her statement to the House of Commons would be a relatively low-key affair, but economists are warning that the Iran war could upend the forecasts, depressing growth, stoking inflation and increasing debt.\nThe price of Brent international oil standard has spiked by more than 15% this week to over $80 a barrel, while global gas prices, which the U.K. is particularly reliant on, have nearly doubled. If sustained, both would certainly lead to higher energy bills and prices at the pump, fueling inflation and keeping a lid on growth. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed down 2.75% on Tuesday.\n“The conflict in the Middle East is already pushing up oil prices, gas prices and expectations for interest rates,” said Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. “It could yet cause more far-reaching economic disruption.”\nReeves started off her speech by acknowledging that the world has become “yet more uncertain” in the past few days following the decision of the United States and Israel to launch strikes against Iran, which saw the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as other members of Iran’s leadership. However, she did not announce any tax or spending measures that could cushion any potential blow.\n“It is incumbent on me and on this government to chart a course through that uncertainty, to secure our economy against shocks, and protect families from the turbulence that we see beyond our borders,” she said.\nOpponents of the government said Reeves was in denial and that the British economy, the world’s sixth-largest, remains vulnerable to outside shocks.\nHer counterpart in the Conservative Party, Mel Stride, said Reeves has “undermined” the country’s potential with a slew of tax increases since she became chancellor of the exchequer.\n“The chancellor has the temerity to suggest that she is creating the conditions for renewed growth,” he said.\nBritain’s Labour government, which has lost significant support since it won the general election in 2024, has been hoping that 2026 would be the year that it was clear the British economy was on a sounder footing than it has been for years.\nSome recent economic indicators have pointed to a pickup in growth in the early part of 2026. Inflation is also set to fall sharply in the coming months, prompting the Bank of England to cut interest rates further. Last month, the bank kept its main rate unchanged at 3.75% and indicated there could be a cut in March.\nIt’s early days, but the Iran war may have put paid to that hope.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:38:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQVVVxUFNSUmtlZGIwTFJhdnhvcmRlUnp6bWdFSUUyRFZvRG9udEdMLUM4WEV4MVZTQlNCbENxdjZPUE0xYVlrQ0tnSHlqc1RfTDNHc0xObm1mYTM0bHhHeWMwT3ZMV2JPV3ltWnBKNVZVV3dDSmFRZlZqUDB2cnVFSEJlLVU0VGxjd3lFTUFPek16UVlEWTROdVhtWHJEUGJNSUJxQUVDLTdBUC15ZGJ6cA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_14d5864f3316",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump says Iran navy, air force destroyed, Germany ‘helping out’",
    "body_text": "US President Donald Trump has said his administration’s war against Iran “successfully knocked out” the country’s air force and navy.\n“We’re doing very well,” Trump said on Tuesday, during a news conference at the White House with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz before their meeting.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Inside the US-Israel plan to kill Iran’s Khamenei\n- list 2 of 3IAEA confirms buildings damaged at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility\n- list 3 of 3Babies evacuated from Iranian hospital damaged in US-Israeli strikes\n“They have no navy; it’s been knocked out. They have no air force; it’s been knocked out. They have no air detection – that’s been knocked out,” Trump said.\nTrump’s comments came on the fourth day of US-Israeli strikes on Iran as Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz and continued its retaliatory missile and drone attacks on US and allied targets across the Gulf region.\n‘Had a feeling’\nTrump said he had ordered the attack against Iran on Saturday because he “had a feeling” that Iran would strike first as negotiations over its nuclear programme stalled.\nAsked if Israel might have “forced” his hand on attacking Iran, Trump responded, “No, actually, I might have forced their hand.”\nOn Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said that the US attacked Iran because it knew Israel was about to bomb that country, and because the Trump administration believed that Iran would then strike US facilities in the region.\nReporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett said Trump’s comments are “going to have a tremendous place in the US because the US president doesn’t have the power to declare war unless there is a threat to the US.”\n“The US president has not offered any evidence of that,” she said.\nOil prices rise\nMeanwhile, Merz, who is in Washington, DC to discuss a trade deal with the US as well as Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine, voiced support for the US-Israeli war on Iran. But he said he hoped it would end soon, since it was hurting the global economy.\n“This is, of course, damaging our economies. This is true for the oil prices, and this is true for the gas prices, as well. So, that’s the reason why we all hope that this war will come to an end as soon as possible,” Merz told reporters.\nTrump said Germany had been “helping out” by allowing US forces to access certain bases, and drew a sharp contrast to the actions of two other European countries: the United Kingdom and Spain.\n“They’re letting us land in certain areas, and we appreciate it, and they’re just making it comfortable. We’re not asking them to put boots on the ground,” Trump said.\nMerz said Germany and the US shared a desire to get rid of Iran’s current regime and said he would discuss with Trump what happened once the military operation ended.\n“We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Iran away, and we will talk about the day after,” Merz said.\nThe war in Iran is politically sensitive for Merz, who faces potential backlash at home over Germany’s support for the US-Israeli operation.\nOn Sunday, he expressed no criticism of the US air strikes, but stopped short of endorsing an operation which Trump’s critics have said was undertaken without sufficient explanation and the required legal backing in international law.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:38:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/trump-says-iran-navy-air-force-destroyed-germany-helping-out?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_45ceb7cfe8be",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Iraq vows to stop militants dragging country into war - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iraq vows to resist efforts by Iran-linked militants to drag the country into the regional war, asserting state control over security decisions.\nAuthorities seized a nine-missile rocket launcher near Baghdad and downed a drone by a prison, amid heightened security threats.\nThe Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims drone and rocket attacks on US troops, while Saraya Awliya Al Dam says it struck a US base in Erbil.\nExplosions near Erbil followed apparent drone interceptions by the vast US consulate, as Baghdad pledges to defend airspace and waters.\n\"The state, through its institutions, alone possesses the right to decide on war and peace,\" the Prime Minister said.\nIraq says it will resist attempts to drag it into the regional war, amid fears of Iran-linked militants launching attacks from Iraqi territory.\nPrime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani told his cabinet on Tuesday that the Iraqi state alone will \"decide on war and peace\", official media said.\nAuthorities earlier announced they had seized a rocket launcher that could have fired nine missiles at Baghdad. They said a drone was shot down near the perimeter of a prison.\nIraq is home to an array of Iran-linked factions and has a US military presence, making it a potential flashpoint during the war. Since Iran came under attack by the US and Israel, a group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it has launched swarms of drones and rockets at US troops.\nAnother group, Saraya Awliya Al Dam, claimed responsibility for attacking a US base in Erbil. More explosions were heard in Erbil on Tuesday evening, in an apparent drone interception near a vast US consulate.\nA report by Al Arabiya claimed some attacks on Saudi Arabia were believed to have originated in Iraq. Authorities in the kingdom have made no such statement. They said the US embassy in Riyadh was attacked directly by Iran, calling the strike \"cowardly and unjustified\".\nAt the Iraqi cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr Al Sudani said the government was committed to defending Iraq's airspace and waters, and \"preventing their exploitation in any way in the ongoing regional conflicts\".\n\"The state, through its institutions, alone possesses the right to decide on war and peace, and the government will stand firmly against any party that attempts to drag Iraq into conflicts,\" he said.\nAddressing the Iran crisis, he told ministers to monitor food supplies, keep essential services running and address any attempts at price-gouging.\nIraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned of \"ongoing attacks\" on the Kurdistan region, on the fourth day of the regional war. \"Iraq is not a party to it, but its effects are becoming tangible on Iraqi soil,\" he said in a meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu.\nIraq is in the process of forming a new government, which highlights the competing influence of the US and Iran. President Donald Trump's administration has threatened sanctions if Nouri Al Maliki, a former prime minister seen as close to Iran, is reinstated as Iraqi leader. Mr Al Sudani withdrew his candidacy in January although some believe he still has designs on a second term.\nExperts have told The Nationalthat some Iran-linked groups may hold back to preserve their position in Iraqi politics, but the situation is moving quickly. Lebanon's Hezbollah, another group close to Iran, had indicated restraint before the conflict but has now exchanged fire with Israel for two days straight.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:40:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxPdnBQcWlWNVJwWXFvTndlTWkzNlRxTlY1VHVZbFB6MThvQTVwMTR1UWFCd0xWLXhjRjFlWC1EMU5BNGp4NTdTbGl5SUY3N3UzU2QxQjBsU0hDY3dmU3k1cXd2ZGtuUEZNUGZvOTBzWEhJNlFoVXZVMW1YMWxhbU56RmJwTVVwRkk5ZEdSSzBaX2pBMnR1cW14VzdwWUN4ZVg1OUdNNllSWVNrY2c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_260efe791d6a",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Top Israeli military official reveals operation against Iran involved 'strategic and operational deception'",
    "body_text": "Israeli Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin updates Fox News Digital on the latest developments in the military campaign against the Iranian regime.\n\nFIRST ON FOX:As Israel wages what it describes as an existential campaign against Iran, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the war has reinforced a fundamental strategic shift in how Israel sees itself and its alliances, particularly with the United States and regional partners.\n\n\"Israel was never part of this region. We thought we were part of Europe,\" he said. \"Since theAbraham Accordsstarted, we are having good relations with our neighbors. We are part of this region now.\"\n\nHe described the 2020 agreements as transformative, building on the peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. \"The military cooperation is great. Some of the things are overt and some covert,\" Defrin said in his first English-language media interview since the beginning of the conflict. \"Iran is a regional threat, and that is clear to everyone now.\"\n\nBut he stressed the campaign against Tehran is not only regional.\n\n\"It’s a worldwide problem, it’s a global problem, it’s a regional problem and it’s also an Israeli problem,\" he said. \"They are not hitting only Israel.\"\n\nBombing occurs in Tehran, Iran on Feb. 28, 2026.(Fatemeh Bahrami/Getty Images)\n\nThe spokesperson revealed that the operation was preceded by months of strategic deception.\n\n\"It was astrategic and operational deception,\" he said.\n\nOn the eve of the strike, senior officials deliberately maintained routine appearances.\n\n\"Friday night we went to dinner at home. Thechief of staffand I returned late in cars that were not our official vehicles. The official cars stayed at home, and we made sure that from satellite imagery it would not look like the Kirya (ministry of defense) was full while all the planes were armed and ready.\"\n\nHe said Iran was caught off guard. \"For many long months there was deception, so they were surprised. They fired what they had pre-planned in their preset response.\"\n\nThe spokesperson said thestrike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader,Ali Khamenei, was carried out in coordination with the Trump administration. \"It was a mutual operation,\" he said. \"The cooperation between us and the American military is amazing. We have mutual planning and mutual executing for the plans in Iran and beyond.\"\n\nHEGSETH LAYS OUT 'CLEAR' 3-PART MISSION AGAINST IRAN, SAYS WAR ‘IS NOT ENDLESS'\n\nPeople watch from a rooftop as a plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026.(Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)\n\nHe framed the operation as part of unprecedented U.S.-Israeli military coordination. The entire operation in Iran is a mutual andcoordinated campaign,\" he said.\n\nHe also described a broader international dimension. \"It’s a problem withthe United States of Americaas well,\" he said, citing attacks by Iranian-backed groups that have killed American service members and threatened shipping lanes.\n\n\"They are posing a threat to the Red Sea… the movement of naval ships in the Suez Canal dropped by 90% since the Houthis started shooting at ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait,\" he said. \"It’s a global problem. It’s a terror regime. They are acting all over the world. And again, we had to act.\"\n\nHe added that regional states increasingly understand the threat. \"Israel is here to stay. You see the countries of the region placing their trust in Israel.\"\n\nAddressing reports that dozens of senior Iranian figures were eliminated in a strike on Tuesday, including claims that 88 members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts were killed, he dismissed the figures.\n\n\"We struck a few targets involved in terrorism. We still don’t have any battle damage assessment. Once we have it, we will publish it. It’s too early.\"\n\nHe emphasized that the targets were military. \"Westruck military targets,\" he said. \"They are attacking population centers.\"\n\nAccording to the spokesperson, Israeli intelligence shows Iran is deliberately aiming at civilians \"to exact a price,\" including launches toward civilian infrastructure.\n\nEX-CIA CHIEF WARNS NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE IRAN’S RESPONSE AFTER OPERATION EPIC FURY EXPOSED REGIME ‘ARROGANCE’\n\nRescue workers and military personnel operate at the scene where several people were killed by an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, Israel Sunday, March 1, 2026.(Leo Correa/AP Photo)\n\nExplaining the decision to launch the campaign, the spokesperson described Iran as an imminent existential threat.\n\n\"We didn’t have another choice, unfortunately. It’s an existential imminent threat. This is a terror regime,\" he said.\n\n\"They declared it. Whatever they declared, they did.\"\n\nAsked whether regime change is an objective, he drew a distinction between military aims and political outcomes.\n\nTRUMP ADMIN WARNED LAWMAKERS ISRAEL WAS 'DETERMINED TO ACT WITH OR WITHOUT US' BEFORE MASSIVE IRAN STRIKES\n\nAn explosion is seen as an Iranian missile directly hits a building in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(Tomer Neuberg/AP Photo)\n\n\"As a member of the military, I cannot say we have an aim to remove the regime,\" he said. \"But definitely, we want to weaken it and create the conditions that one day this regime will be removed by its own people.\"\n\nAsfighting expands to Lebanonfollowing renewed Hezbollah fire, he reiterated Israel’s view of Iran as the head of a regional network.\n\n\"Hezbollah is an octopus. Thehead of the octopusis in Iran.\"\n\nA firefighter attempts to extinguish a burning car at the site of a direct hit from an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(Tomer Neuberg/AP Photo)\n\nFor Israel, he said, the campaign has clarified a strategic reality shaped by the Abraham Accords and deepened U.S. cooperation. \"We are part of this region now.\"\n\nEfrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent toefrat.lachter@fox.com.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:46:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/top-israeli-military-official-reveals-operation-against-iran-involved-strategic-operational-deception",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_08db757a7429",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "UK deploying warship, helicopters to Cyprus after drone strike",
    "body_text": "UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer provided an update Sunday on the situation in the Middle East prior to the Cyprus strikes. (Credit: @Keir_Starmer via X)\n\nBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that the United Kingdom is sending awarship and two Royal Navy Wildcat helicoptersto Cyprus after an Iranian drone hit the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base of Akrotiri Monday morning on the east Mediterranean island.\n\nIn a social mediapost, Starmer said he spoke with the president of Cyprus, and the U.K. is deploying helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and the air-defense destroyer HMS Dragon to the region.\n\n\"The UK is fully committed to thesecurity of Cyprus and British militarypersonnel based there,\" he wrote in the post. \"We’re continuing our defensive operations… We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies.\"\n\nThe strike, which came days after Starmer reaffirmed his country was not involved in the conflict, hit a runway at the air base just after midnight Monday morning.\n\nThe HMS Dragon moored in the Royal Navy Dockyard on Oct. 28, 2024, in Portsmouth, England. Keir Starmer confirmed Tuesday, March 3, 2026, that the Dragon will be deployed to Cyprus.(Matt Cardy/Getty Images)\n\nWhile there were no injuries, minor damage was reported.\n\nBritish Defense Secretary John Healey said the country is \"moving quickly\" to further reinforce its defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.\n\n\"HMS Dragon brings world-class air defence capability, and our Wildcat helicopters are armed with Martlet missiles to counter the growing drone threat,\" Healey wrote in a statement. \"I am deeply proud of the professionalism and bravery of our Armed Forces personnel who have, in recent days, successfully taken action across the region to protect our allies and defend British interests.\"\n\nThe HMS Dragon, a type 45 destroyer, will strengthen the U.K.’s ability to detect, track and destroy aerial threats — including drones.\n\nThe ship is fitted with the world-leading Sea Viper missile system, which can launch eight missiles in under 10 seconds and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously.\n\nThe deployment comes as the British armed forces successfully shot down multiple drones across the region over the last 24 hours.\n\nRAF F-35B jets shot down drones over Jordan — the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target on operations — supported by Typhoon jets and a Voyager tanker aircraft.\n\nA British counter-drone unit neutralized drones in Iraqi airspace heading toward coalition forces, while an RAF Typhoon operating with the joint U.K.-Qatar 12 Squadron shot down an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar using an air-to-air missile on Monday.\n\nPolice officers stand guard outside RAF Akrotiri base on Jan. 14, 2024, near Limassol, Cyprus. An Iranian-made drone hit the base on Monday, March 2, 2026, causing minimal damage and no injuries amid heightened tensions.(Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nPrior to the strike in Cyprus, Starmer released a video explaining thatIran launched sustained attacksacross the region, on countries that did not attack them.\n\n\"They've hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. This is clearly a dangerous situation,\" Starmer said. \"We have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region. Residents, families on holiday and those in transit. I ask all our people in the region to please register your presence. And follow foreign office travel advice. I know this is a deeply worrying time, and we will continue to do all we can to support you.\"\n\nGULF STATES CONDEMN IRANIAN RETALIATORY STRIKES ON THEIR TERRITORIES FOLLOWING US-ISRAELI OPERATION\n\nHe added that theBritish armed forcesare also \"at risk,\" noting Iran hit a military base Saturday in Bahrain, \"narrowly missing British personnel.\"\n\n\"The death of the supreme leader will not stop Iran from launching these strikes,\" Starmer said. \"Their approach is becoming even more reckless and more dangerous to civilians. Our decision that the U.K. would not be involved with thestrikes on Iranwas deliberate. Not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement — one in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon — but Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk, along with our allies across the region. That is the situation we face today.\"\n\nHe said partners in the Gulf asked them to \"do more\" to defend them, prompting a decision to allow the U.S. touse British air basesfor targeted strikes against Iranian missile launchers and storage depots.\n\nBritain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer amped up the military presence in Cyprus following an Iranian drone strike early Monday.(Kin Cheung/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)\n\n\"We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations, which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes. But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source — in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles,\" Starmer said. \"The basis of our decision is the collective self-defense of long-standing friends and allies, and protecting British lives… We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.\"\n\n\"I want to be very clear: We all remember themistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons,\" he continued. \"We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now. But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy. So we are supporting the collective self-defense of our allies and our people in the region because that is our duty to the British people. It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiraling further. This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.\"\n\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.\n\nAlexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.\n\nShe has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:47:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/uk-deploying-warship-helicopters-cyprus-after-drone-strike",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c86f5a619aa0",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Trump unenthusiastic about Pahlavi leading postwar Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Donald Trump plays down Reza Pahlavi leading Iran, favouring a figure from inside the country who is currently popular and more moderate.\nUS–Israel strikes on Iran continue for a fourth day, following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli strike in Tehran.\nThe exiled royal, living near Washington, retains strong diaspora backing, with Iranian Americans rallying and urging his leadership after the weekend strike.\nThe US President faces pressure over renewed military engagement, defending action as pre-empting an imminent Iranian attack during nuclear talks.\n“He looks like a very nice person… somebody from within… would be more appropriate,” the US President said of Mr Pahlavi.\nDonald Trump said on Tuesday that Reza Pahlavi looks like a “very nice person” but the US President did not seem enthusiastic about the exiled son of Iran’s last shah taking a leading role in any new Iranian government.\nAsked whether Mr Pahlavi was being considered to lead Iran, Mr Trump replied: “I guess he is”, before saying his preference would be for someone already in Iran. Mr Pahlavi lives in the US.\n“Some people like him, and we haven’t been thinking too much about that. It would seem to me that somebody from within, maybe, would be more appropriate.”\nPahlavi a 'nice person’ but Iran may need leader from within\n01:12\nMr Trump was speaking in the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.\n“He [Mr Pahlavi] looks like a very nice person,” Mr Trump added. “But it would seem to me that somebody who is there, who is currently popular – if there is such a person – would be more appropriate. More moderate.”\nMr Pahlavi, 65, whose father was deposed in the 1979 revolution, has long sought to position himself as an alternative leader should Iran’s clerical government fall.\nLiving in a suburb of Washington, he enjoys support among many in the Iranian diaspora, particularly in the US.\nAfter Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike on his headquarters in Tehran on Saturday, dozens of Iranian Americans took to the streets of Washington and other cities, celebrating and calling for Mr Pahlavi to take charge.\nMr Pahlavi’s media team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\nThe US and Israel launched strikes on Iran for a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday. Tehran has fired missiles at American embassies and military bases across the region.\nMr Trump said that most of the people his administration had considered as potential successors in Iran have been killed.\n“We have another group. They may be dead also,” he said.\nMr Trump said there is a “third wave” of possible candidates but “we don’t know those people\".\nMr Merz, who arrived in Washington late on Monday, said Germany and the US were “on the same page” on Iran and would discuss the future leadership in Tehran.\n“We will talk about the day after, what will happen then if [Iran's leaders] are out,” he said.\nMr Trump is facing pressure from progressives and members of his own Maga movement to explain why his administration – which campaigned on ending costly foreign conflicts – is again engaged in a distant war.\nSix American service members have been killed.\nA champion of “America first” foreign policy , Mr Trump said he ordered military action because he believed Tehran was preparing an imminent attack, even as nuclear talks were under way.\n“Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think they were going to attack first, and I didn’t want that to happen,” he said. “So if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand – but Israel was ready, and we were ready.”\nHe has called the operation a major success, claiming Iran’s navy suffered heavy losses and its missile power was significantly weakened.\nOn Tuesday, he also criticised US allies, saying he had ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to sever all trade with Spain after the nation's leaders said the US would not be allowed to use its military bases in their country for operations against Iran.\n“Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it,” Mr Trump said. “But we don’t have to.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:48:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQQ0lFaE5oeVZFNGF2cHAxeXRBbEFWZmkzdW04eVZsS1lTUm80MThic1d5UnRfaFhrVmxmaFJSM1F2RU12eTNqNlZ2OGpHSmpBUnREcExpTFBtRmZudWEwTXVUR19xSDlMSDFPbndvRlJwc2pxMWpNaUtrQy0xeG5XMnV6SEJ1a2hsOXVpWEdqM09iZDU4X2JIcGp4TTZXZFZWNWxFS0kyNC10YmZKZVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_acbb396afe54",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Trump threatens to halt trade with Spain over military base access",
    "body_text": "Trump threatens to halt trade with Spain over military base access\nUS President Donald Trump has threatened to halt all trade with Spain, after the country barred the US from using its military bases as part of its operation in Iran.\nIn comments at the White House, Trump said Spain had been \"terrible\" and suggested \"we're going to cut off all trade\". \"We don't want anything to do with Spain,\" he told reporters.\nIt is unclear whether the Trump administration will follow through on the threat, or how officials would move to block trade with a European Union member state.\nTrump's comments add to existing tensions between the two countries, including over the Spanish government's resistance to Trump's demand for NATO allies to raise their defence spending.\n\"I could tomorrow - or today, even better - stop everything having to do with Spain, all business having to do with Spain,\" Trump said on Tuesday.\nTrump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent both claimed that the US can legally place an embargo on products imported from Spain.\nBut US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was non-committal when asked by the president for his view on the plan.\n\"We're going to talk about it with you,\" Greer said.\n\"You have the strong power that the Supreme Court clarified - we know you can use it. And if you need to use it to assure national and economic security, we'll do it.\"\nThe White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the trade threat.\nOn Tuesday, Trump also expressed frustration with the Spanish government for refusing to increase its defence spending to 5% of its gross domestic product, in contrast to many other European countries that have acquiesced.\nTrump has previously suggested that Spain should face economic punishments.\nThe European Union allows goods to move freely between the 27 countries in the economic bloc, which would complicate any bid to impose trade restrictions on a single member state.\nThe Spanish government said that if the US administration wants to review its trade relationship Spain, it must respect the autonomy of private companies, international law and bilateral agreements between the EU and the US.\nGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who met Trump on Tuesday, said he told the president that Spain is part of the EU - and that any trade deals with the bloc must include Spain.\nIn 2025, the US exported roughly $26bn worth of goods to Spain and imports from the country amounted to about $21bn, according to data from the US Census Bureau. Spain's top exports to the US include pharmaceutical products and olive oil.\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, currently one of Europe's few left-leaning leaders, on Sunday called the US and Israel's attacks on Iran an \"unjustified, dangerous military intervention\" in violation of international law.\nOfficials in Madrid said they would bar the US from using military bases in southern Spain as part of the operation, arguing that doing so would violate the United Nations charter.\nTrump also criticised the UK for being \"very uncooperative\" with his push to use military bases to attack Iran. But he did not make an explicit threat to impose trade restrictions on the country.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:48:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r1mzd8vygo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1cf47c8a5914",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "UK allows US to use British bases for ‘defensive strikes’ on Iran",
    "body_text": "UK allows US to use British bases for ‘defensive strikes’ on Iran\nUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has allowed the US to use British bases for so-called “defensive strikes” targeting Iran, after Tehran started hitting civilian targets. Still, Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic explains why US President Trump says the US-UK relationship isn’t what it used to be.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T19:50:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/uk-allows-us-to-use-british-bases-for-defensive-strikes-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_bf32d3236b33",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Ukraine offers defence swap help to Gulf states",
    "body_text": "Ukraine offers defence swap help to Gulf states\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered Gulf states a ‘swap’ deal to enhance defence capabilities for both sides. He has proposed that the Gulf states exchange some of their air defence missiles with Ukraine’s drone interceptors.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:03:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/ukraine-offers-defence-swap-help-to-gulf-states?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a56a0be38e6f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Amid chatter of local uprisings, eyes turn to Iran's minorities: What to know - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:08:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxOanlzeGp4bExVUGttWjZwRjdCcjJnNjZSX2lBcm5LMmg3U011LW9yckNCUlVsZ3Z6QU80dm1qOC0tQWxabU1TR2VySkNqRXF3VllCTWZWMWF3bkVvajB1Sks4SDNsT1ZQRUpuTkNfQmcwWldxLXE3VURtVzlEY19fdVc5M3h6ZFhlTEhHV1VEeWpGaDhaT3JNbm5mSzhkaE95MExWdjNiZzM0bjBtcGxv?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ca74c089ee5d",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran mourns 165 girls, staff killed in US-Israel strike on Minab school",
    "body_text": "Iran mourns 165 girls, staff killed in US-Israel strike on Minab school\nThousands gathered in Minab, Iran, for the mass funeral of 165 schoolgirls and staff killed in what Tehran says was a US-Israeli strike on a primary school. Washington denies targeting a school. The UN and rights officials call for an independent investigation into the attack.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:12:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/iran-mourns-165-girls-staff-killed-in-us-israel-strike-on-minab-school?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_15320cb975ee",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Macron to Deploy Aircraft Carrier to Shield Mideast Shipping - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Macron to Deploy Aircraft Carrier to Shield Mideast Shipping    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:13:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNMzBwbmRWYXRKMExYbWtsZU43enBBUFo3VVMydmE1dFlOR2FlOC0zNm85TndYdm9iUFgxUkxKRTE1MzBkeDVXVGRJc3dqSGpmUmNHU083c2Iydk9WZnNOcDM2ck1PZG1tNjNBTEFuUDdDX0dwYU96SkZWMWNsOVhkUWthRi1MOVhzenloQ29OeXZ4NEZiZ3VWTVJTMGFTSnU0anV2enc1RVlVRmE2Wk9hYjRGUEYzQQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0329ee9bdacb",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Flames, smoke rise from US Consulate in Dubai after suspected attack",
    "body_text": "Flames, smoke rise from US Consulate in Dubai after suspected attack\nFlames and black smoke were seen rising from the US Consulate in Dubai after a suspected attack amid Iranian retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.\nPublished On 3 Mar 2026\nFlames, smoke rise from US Consulate in Dubai after suspected attack\nFlames and black smoke were seen rising from the US Consulate in Dubai after a suspected attack amid Iranian retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:15:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/flames-smoke-rise-from-us-consulate-in-dubai-after-suspected-attack?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7e26b1532d40",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "UK, France send warships, air defence assets to Cyprus after drone attack",
    "body_text": "The United Kingdom is deploying a warship and helicopters to Cyprus, the British government has said, as global concern continues to mount over the fallout from deadly US-Israel attacks on Iran and retaliatory Iranian strikes across the region.\nThe UK’s Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that it was sending the HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean along with two Wildcat helicopters “to bolster drone defence for our Cypriot partners”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3UK faces legal, military quagmire as Starmer allows US to use British bases\n- list 2 of 3British military base in Cyprus targeted in suspected drone attack\n- list 3 of 3Are the US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal under international law?\nOne of the Royal Navy’s six Type-45 air defence destroyers, the HMS Dragon is fitted with a Sea Viper missile system able to launch eight missiles in under 10 seconds and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously, the ministry said in a statement.\nIn a social media post announcing the deployment, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the country was “fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there”.\n“We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies,” he wrote on X.\nLater on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean. He said the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by its air wing and its escorting frigates.\nIn a prerecorded speech on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air defence systems, and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East.\n“And we will continue this effort as much as necessary,” Macron said. He cited Monday’s strike on a British air force base on Cyprus, adding that Cyprus and France have recently signed a strategic partnership agreement.\n“This requires our support. That is why I have decided to send additional air defence assets there as well, along with a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus later this evening,” Macron said.\nIranian attack\nThe announcements come a day after the Cypriot government and the British Defence Ministry said a surprise Iranian-made drone attack targeted the Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri, southwest of Cyprus’s coastal city of Limassol.\nThe country’s president, Nikos Christodoulides, said a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle caused minor damage when it crashed into the military facilities early on Monday.\nReporting from outside the base, Al Jazeera’s John Psaropoulos said about 1,000 residents were evacuated from their homes as authorities worked to put emergency procedures in place.\n“There are no sirens, for example. There’s no way to warn people of an incoming air attack,” he said. “They are trying to tally all of the transport means at their disposal, such as local municipal buses and other vehicles, to transport people in the event of another aerial attack.”\nIran has launched missiles and drones at several countries in and around the Middle East in response to attacks by the US and Israel, which began bombing Iran on Saturday amid international efforts to reach a deal on the Iranian nuclear programme.\nUS-Israeli attacks have killed at least 787 people across Iran since the conflict began, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, while a range of targets in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries have been targeted by Tehran.\nThe British armed forces have helped shoot down multiple drones across the region over the past 24 hours, according to the Defence Ministry, including over Jordan, Iraq and Qatar.\nStarmer initially refused to have any role in the US-Israeli war with Iran, but later agreed to a request from US President Donald Trump’s administration to use two British military bases for a “specific and limited defensive purpose”.\nThose bases are in Gloucestershire in western England and the UK-US Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, and Starmer has insisted that the Akrotiri base in Cyprus is not being used by US bombers.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:19:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/uk-sending-warship-helicopters-to-cyprus-after-drone-attack?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a3747e535a0c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US will provide insurance for ships in Gulf amid Iranian attacks: Trump",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump has announced that the United States government will offer insurance to ships in the Gulf after Iran largely succeeded in shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices soaring.\nThe US president added that the US military will accompany ships through Hormuz if necessary.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Are the US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal under international law?\n- list 2 of 3Trump seeks quick victory but faces prolonged conflict with Iran\n- list 3 of 3Trump says Iran navy, air force destroyed, Germany ‘helping out’\n“Effective IMMEDIATELY, I have ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.\nDFC is the US government’s development finance agency. Its mission is to “advance US foreign policy and strengthen national security by mobilising private capital” across the world.\nTrump added that the discounted risk insurance will be available for all shipping lanes.\n“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” he wrote.\n“No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”\nThe Strait of Hormuz is a vital trade artery that connects the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. Around 20 percent of the world’s oil flows through it.\nThe price of oil has shot up by more than 15 percent since the US and Israel launched strikes on Tehran that started a war with Iran three days ago.\nCosts are expected to rise even higher as oil supplies decrease as a result of Iran’s closure of the strait, as well as attacks on energy instalments in the Gulf.\nSome insurance companies were reported to have cut back coverage amid the Iranian attacks.\nAlthough the US is largely self-sufficient with its oil production, an uptick in prices globally could boost inflation and hike the cost for Americans at the gas or petrol pump.\nThe average price of one gallon of gas (3.8 litres) in the US jumped more than 11 cents overnight to $3.11 on Tuesday, according to an online price tracker run by the American Automobile Association, better known as AAA.\nEarlier on Tuesday, Trump stressed that the attack on Iran “had to happen” despite its human cost and the strain it is putting on the energy market.\n“We have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before,” he told reporters.\nOpinion polls show that the attack on Iran is unpopular among the US public. Increasing economic costs from the war could further diminish support for the war, months ahead of the US midterm elections.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:22:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/us-will-provide-insurance-for-ships-in-gulf-amid-iranian-attacks-trump?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1ad5e5d78478",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US midterm primary season kicks off in shadow of Iran war",
    "body_text": "The 2026 primary season, in which voters in the United States determine which candidates will represent the major Republican and Democratic political parties in the November midterm elections, has begun in earnest with votes in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas.\nThe polls kicked off just four days after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, sparking a regional war that has seen Iran launch retaliatory strikes across the Middle East. The fighting has so far left hundreds dead, including at least 787 in Iran, six members of the US military, and several civilians across the Gulf.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Trump admin offers scant evidence on Iranian threat in ‘America First’ war\n- list 2 of 3Inside the US-Israel plan to kill Iran’s Khamenei\n- list 3 of 3How many countries has the US bombed since 2001, and how much has it cost?\nAt the same time, the war has touched on several issues expected to dominate the US midterm season, with Democrats hammering concerns over US affordability and Republicans seeking to square US President Donald Trump’s “America First” vows with the latest military adventurism.\nThe outcome of Tuesday’s election will give an early temperature of the US electorate ahead of the midterm vote, which will determine whether Republicans maintain their slim control over both the US Senate and the House of Representatives.\nOne of the biggest tests will be in Texas, where Democrats have long hoped to win a statewide office, something they have not done since 1994.\nSome watching politics have suggested a match-up between Democratic hopeful James Talarico, who has pitched himself as a Christian liberal and centrist seeking to speak directly to Trump’s voters, and Republican challenger Ken Paxton, who has hewed closely to Trump, could give Democrats the best shot at turning a seat in the US Senate.\nTalarico, a seminary school student, has walked a careful line on Iran’s war, posting following Saturday’s strikes: “No More Forever Wars”, a reference to Trump’s own campaign pledge.\nIn a subsequent speech, Talarico referenced the US military members killed since the war began, but otherwise avoided wading deeply into the politically charged subject.\nHis primary election opponent in the Senate race, Democrat congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, has taken a more confrontational approach, in line with a fiery, forthright style she has said the party needs in the age of Trump.\n“The question is, how many more lives will have to be lost before people will heed the warnings?” she said in a video response to the strikes, pointing to the high population of US veterans in the state.\n“This president has engaged in lawlessness since the day that he took office, and unfortunately, it is us – us Americans – that are going to suffer.”\nPaxton, the current attorney general in Texas, has defended Trump’s attacks – but with an apparent eye towards growing unrest from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. In the final stretch of the race, he assured reporters that Trump was seeking a swift end to the fighting.\n“He wants to get this over with,” he said.\nIncumbent Senator John Cornyn has also said he was satisfied with Trump’s justifications for the strike, with the president portraying Iran’s ballistic and nuclear capabilities as an imminent threat to the US, claims for which he has provided little evidence.\n“It takes a lot of political courage, because these things are easier to start than they are to end,” Cornyn said in an interview with Face the Nation published on Monday.\nA test of party direction\nTo be sure, the war has overlain, rather than transformed, many of the issues already dominating the race, including the cost of living, immigration, artificial intelligence, housing, healthcare and civil rights under the Trump administration.\nIn North Carolina, progressive candidate Nida Allam was quick to connect the war to support received by her opponent, incumbent Representative Valerie Foushee, from defence contractors and artificial intelligence super PACs, as well as her past support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).\nThe issue dovetails with Allam’s opposition to an AI data centre in her district, in a race that has become the most expensive in the state’s history.\nIn an advertisement released on Monday, Allam focused on the bombing of a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, that left at least 165 dead, calling herself a “proudly un-compromised, pro-peace leader”.\nFoushee, meanwhile, has co-sponsored legislation to rein in Trump’s ability to strike Iran, accusing the president of “violating the Constitution and risking another open-ended war with no clear objectives and no exit strategy”.\nBoth parties will also select their candidates to run for the open Senate seat left by retiring Republican Thom Tillis. Democrats will be hoping for an upset in November in the so-called “purple” state. having a roughly equal makeup of Democrats and Republicans.\nFormer Governor Roy Cooper, who has warned of “another costly, drawn-out war that puts our troops in harm’s way and removes focus and resources from needs here at home”, is considered the frontrunner in the crowded Democratic primary race, which includes five other candidates.\nOn the Republican side, former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley, who has been endorsed by Trump and has vowed to remain the president’s “ally in the Senate”, is expected to take victory in a six-way Republican race.\nA wave of Democratic voter turnout on Tuesday would be a sign of strength heading into the November polls.\nOpposing parties typically perform well in US midterm elections, and polls have shown dismay over Trump’s immigration policies, his stewardship of the US economy, and his military actions in Venezuela and, most recently, Iran.\nRepublicans have sought to seize on Trump’s claims of policy success during a first term that has stretched presidential norms and transformed the government.\nAlso closely watched will be the US Senate race in Texas between 78-year-old Representative Al Green, who was kicked out of Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this month after holding up a sign accusing the president of racism, and 37-year-old Representative Christian Menefee.\nBoth incumbents have been forced to face off for the Democratic ticket following the latest round of congressional redistricting in the state.\nAnother indication of the potency of Trump’s continued hold over the party could be the Texas race between Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw and challenger, state lawmaker Steve Toth.\nCrenshaw has been a vocal supporter of many of Trump’s policies, including his decision to launch a war with Iran, but has been critical of several figures in the president’s orbit.\nHe is the only Republican House of Representatives incumbent running in Texas who has not been endorsed by Trump.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:30:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/us-midterm-primary-season-kicks-off-in-shadow-of-iran-war?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f8d33524f1ab",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "The US-Israeli war with Iran in maps, graphics and images - AP News",
    "body_text": "The US-Israeli war with Iran in maps, graphics and images\nAirstrikes destroy entire blocks and compounds. Missiles soar across borders. Drones rain lethal destruction. The major players, both human and organizational, are their own intricate story. As seen in the map above, the airstrikes from both sides have reverberated across the region for days.\nThe latest conflict in the Middle East is swift, violent, spread out and deeply complex. And with all the fast-moving developments, the escalating fighting between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran and its proxies on the other can be hard to understand, much less visualize.\nThis collection of visuals from The Associated Press — interactive maps, satellite imagery, sliding before-and-after shots — is designed to offer an alternative, or at least a companion to, the words that describe what’s happening.\nIn this space, we’ll show the ways that the war is unfolding, the people involved in it and the impact it’s having — physical, political and visceral. Some maps and other elements will be fixtures, evolving from day to day. Others will be subbed in and out as events warrant.\nTo the left: Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s compound before the morning of Feb. 28. To the right: the same location in the wake of airstrikes.\nThis is what graphics journalists call “a slider”: Swipe the arrows in the middle to see the full before-and-after — architecture before, mere rubble afterward.\nKhamenei and uncounted other Iranian leaders were killed in the strike, effectively severing the top of the theocratic government to a still-unknown extent. The photos show not only the destruction but the pinpoint accuracy of the aircrafts’ payloads in this attack: While the compound itself was leveled, many of the buildings around it remain visibly intact.\nThis graphic “carousel” shows the slate of contenders who might replace Khamenei as Iran’s senior spiritual leader.\nAmong them: Former President Hassan Rouhani, who reached the landmark nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that Trump scrapped; and Mojtaba Khamenei, the slain senior leader’s son. Though only a midlevel cleric, he is widely seen as a potential successor to his father, though he has never held political office.\nAlso on the list is a relative moderate, Hassan Khomeini, not known well outside of Iran and its religious and political circles. He is the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who orchestrated Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution and ruled as supreme leader for a decade before he died and was replaced by Khamenei.\nWhenever anything happens in the Middle East, especially the Persian Gulf, the question of oil is never too far away from the conversation — particularly where Iran is concerned.\nThis graphic shows the volatility in oil prices in the days after the first attacks on Iran before early Saturday. Oil prices are often volatile, but conflict tends to send them askew in more acute ways — and as long as the conflict continues, that could well be the case.\nNote in particular the spikes: The current price per barrel of U.S. crude oil, already on the way up this year as tensions with Iran increased, rose above $70 a barrel in the days after Saturday’s strike on Iran. It was the highest that US crude has been since July, when the 12-day Israel-Iran war jacked it to nearly $75 a barrel temporarily.\nA key element in any war related to the Persian Gulf is sea might and capability. This map shows the approximate location of destroyers under the command of the United States and the Trump administration.\nWhen Iran is attacked by the United States and its allies, it strikes back regionally against those hosting U.S. and allied operations.\nAs this map shows, a whole host of nearby nations have experienced attacks from Iran in recent days — including Israel, Cyprus, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai.\n___\nBookmark this as a one-stop shop to seeing and learning about what’s going on in the conflict as it unfolds. (And if you’re interested in the latest words on the matter, this hub is a good place to start.)\n___\nPanagiotis Mouzakis in London contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxQWm1TOGdTSmpTb3FHRzJjeGNZTDR0Y2pNaTVCeVNnbG9GRS1SRy1mb19IcFNuWE9hR1hXSkc2N2dvZU1Pd29Pdi1nWXZTQm1hME5aMkp2ZFNXWDJmbHRUMHhmNVZuN0FaSjV3Sk1mRTU0cXpOM18xWW1PXzFYS0hMRUFoakM1ckZIMVM0cTRlbXJPMUk1M1lHRThiQjhUYl9HZ3VqTE93dU0wdw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_8da80ac4304f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trapped Between U.S. and Iran, Gulf Countries Face Nightmare Scenario - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "Trapped Between U.S. and Iran, Gulf Countries Face Nightmare Scenario    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:35:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPR2RidkJETGNEazMyRGlON1RCdDNqdi1BcUp0YWotbjhmeXo4cHZNMURCQXZWdGZsSTdIbjRtYV9WRUtQdnNJT0NtWDVIU3poVmc4QW9vT053YXA4UWkyTnhVdE5MSGdrSkNaSmptQlM2RUdZMXRLZFhRNUwtZjI1d191cERQRWxVV1FOTEdBb3IyUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_db666090a449",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "AI videos about Iran war could lead to users being suspended from X - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "After much criticism over a proliferation of AI-generated videos depicting missile strikes across the Middle East, X has said users trying to pass such content off as real could face suspension from the platform.\nThe social media company's head of products, Nikita Bier, said the changes would mainly affect its creator revenue-sharing programme, which allows eligible people to earn money from posts.\n“During times of war, it is critical that people have access to authentic information,” Mr Bier wrote.\n“With today’s AI technologies, it is trivial to create content that can mislead people.”\nMr Bier said X users who create and share “AI-generated videos of an armed conflict – without adding a disclosure that it was made with AI”, would face suspension from the revenue-sharing programme for 90 days.\nA second offence could result in permanent suspension from Elon Musk's social media platform.\n“We will continue to refine our policies and product to ensure X can be trusted during these critical moments,” he said.\nOn Saturday, Israel and the US began a bombing campaign against Iran, leading Tehran to fire missiles into neighbouring countries with US military bases.\nAlthough many social media platforms have been flooded with AI-generated videos about the war in Iran, X has previously taken a casual approach to such content, resulting in controversies and revisions to policies.\nThis is not the first problem X has had with Iran-related news. It was accused of a “disturbing display of developer activism\" when it changed the Iran flag emoji to depict the country's pre-Islamic Revolution flag, featuring a lion.\nAI apps and tools such as OpenAI's Sora have also become plentiful over the past year, providing users with simple ways to create realistic videos from just a few lines of AI prompts.\nThe apps have generated controversy and concern from privacy rights activists, copyright holders and regulators around the world to try to blunt the impact of such content.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:42:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxQR0diSTM5U3prVXlnbzhOYXNKLXFKbHRBQklWV1lFdHFjR3dRMnFtc21RTWpuUm00d0JmSkUwQjRHaDF2c0NJdExZS09neE1DYkJRbzVmN29WZU5vemM2RmRjbE4tdzlxSkxWMFR4eDhHTC1jQndVSkNBQjdOSHdDem9fOGdfS1p2dFJPNXJDdHFzZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_b55026e0fb97",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US sends planes to evacuate nationals from Middle East as Iran conflict spreads - BBC",
    "body_text": "US sends planes to evacuate nationals from Middle East as Iran conflict spreads\nThe US is sending charter flights to evacuate Americans from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as the US-Israeli war against Iran widens.\nThe US State Department said Monday that Americans should \"depart now\" from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen due to \"serious safety risks\".\nBut many flights from the region have been cancelled or suspended since the US and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday.\nIran responded by firing missiles and drones at Middle Eastern nations allied to the US.\nThe State Department said it is actively working to secure military aircraft and charter flights for Americans seeking to leave the Middle East.\nIn another statement, the department said 9,000 US citizens have already successfully returned home from the region. The department said it is helping people book flights from countries where commercial air travel is still an option.\nFlorida resident Krista Jucknath Hickman, a US federal employee, said her anniversary trip through the region turned into \"chaos\" after the state department told Americans to leave. She and her husband had to spend the night at the Dubai airport.\nShe told the BBC that she is now driving from the UAE to Oman and has not yet received clear guidance on how to proceed.\n\"The orders are not realistic, not supportive,\" she said. \"The number provided by the State Department for support is unable to help. I called twice. Both times I was told there are no evacuation procedures in place.\"\nOther travellers have told the BBC that they have had to either shelter in place or look for alternative means out of the region.\nBetween 500,000 and one million US nationals are estimated to be living in the Middle East.\nExact official numbers are not available as Americans are not required to register with US authorities when they move abroad.\nAmerican citizens were urged to check \"the latest security updates\" with nearby embassies and consulates, and given hotlines for if they need help leaving the region.\nThe US embassy in Jerusalem said on Monday that it \"is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel\", adding that it would be closed on Tuesday.\nIt later said Israel had \"begun operating shuttles to the Taba Border Crossing [with Egypt]\" but warned that the embassy \"cannot make any recommendation (for or against)\" using it.\nOn Tuesday, France said it was ready to fly back those of its citizens who were most at risk in the Middle East.\nFrench Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the country's BFM TV broadcaster this could be done using both commercial and military flights.\nAbout 400,000 French nationals are thought to be in the Middle East.\nOn Monday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged all British citizens in the region to register their presence so the government could provide \"the best possible support\".\nForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC there were an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the region.\nShe said many of those trapped were holidaymakers, passengers transiting through the Gulf or people on business visits.\nThe UK government has previously used registration schemes to provide urgent updates to people affected by international crises - but the number of people and countries affected in this case is unprecedented.\nWith additional reporting from Sakshi Venkatraman.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:43:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE9DQzhlYVk4cWRBYTliN2FRdlBVcXBXZDJMTXM5M1lreU5XdDJyQ0g3YkN6c2JycThBZWFEOGZUc3VhUGg0OUJuNjBUVklhdWhnTUxGSFlVM0h5Zw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bc15f8c07cb9",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump mulls exiled Iranian dissident Reza Pahlavi as regime successor",
    "body_text": "Trump mulls exiled Iranian dissident Reza Pahlavi as regime successor\nUS President Donald Trump said he is not looking for somebody “who is no better” than Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran’s leader, as exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi is discussed as a possible alternative. Trump said he wants a leader who can “bring it back for the people”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:49:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/trump-mulls-exiled-iranian-dissident-reza-pahlavi-as-regime-successor?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_32393ae3976e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘Worst-case scenario’: Trump weighs replacing Khamenei as leader of Iran",
    "body_text": "United States President Donald Trump has publicly mused about the leadership he would like to see in Iran following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nDuring an Oval Office appearance on Tuesday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, one reporter asked Trump what plans he had made for a “worst-case scenario” in Iran, as the US and Israel continue to wage war on the country.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Trump seeks quick victory but faces prolonged conflict with Iran\n- list 2 of 3Trump says Iran navy, air force destroyed, Germany ‘helping out’\n- list 3 of 3US will provide insurance for ships in Gulf amid Iranian attacks: Trump\nTrump replied that he had few worries from a military standpoint, but he expressed concern that Khamenei could be succeeded by another leader unfriendly to US priorities.\n“I guess the worst case would be we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right? That could happen. We don’t want that to happen,” Trump said.\n“It would probably be the worst. You go through this and then, in five years, you realise you put somebody in who is no better.”\nShifting rationales\nThe US and Israel launched their military offensive on February 28, and Iran has responded with a barrage of attacks primarily aimed at Israel and US bases across the Middle East.\nThe death toll in Iran has reached at least 787 people. Injuries and deaths have also been reported across the region. At least six US service members have been killed in the fighting.\nThe Trump administration has offered a range of rationales to justify the attack, though experts have condemned the offensive as a violation of international law.\nOne of the rationales offered by Trump himself was the removal of Khamenei’s government.\nIn a prerecorded statement published over the weekend, Trump said the US military action was designed for “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”.\nHe added that he sought to “prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America” and issued a call for Iranian opposition members to “take over your government”.\nOther administration officials, however, attempted to downplay regime change as a motive for the ongoing attacks, including Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.\n“This is not a so-called regime change war,” Hegseth told reporters on Monday. “But the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it.”\nVenezuela a model for Iran?\nStill, in Tuesday’s remarks, Trump suggested a vision for Iran’s future that reflects the outcome of his recent military intervention in Venezuela.\nOn January 3, Trump authorised a military attack on the South American country that culminated with the abduction of then-President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The couple is currently in New York, where they await trial on charges related to drug trafficking.\nFollowing Maduro’s removal, his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim leader, with the Trump administration’s support.\nEver since, Rodriguez’s government has largely acceded to US demands, including by surrendering millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil.\nTrump, meanwhile, has warned that Rodriguez could “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro”, if she “doesn’t do what’s right”.\nBut on Tuesday, Trump once again indicated that the Rodriguez government has been cooperative, and he was satisfied with the results of January’s attack in Venezuela. He hinted it could be a model for Iran’s future, as well.\n“Venezuela was so incredible because we did the attack, and we kept government totally intact. And we have Delcy, who’s been very good. We have the whole chain of command,” Trump said.\nHe also underscored the economic benefits he hopes to extract, as the US continues to exercise control of Venezuela’s oil. He called the process “seamless”.\n“The relationship’s been great. We’ve taken out a hundred million barrels of oil already. And a big part of that goes to them, and a big part goes to us,” Trump said.\n“It’s been great. We paid for the war many times over, and we’re going to be running the oil. And Venezuela’s going to make more money than they ever made.”\nBarriers to Trump’s vision\nBut Trump nevertheless signalled that there were hurdles to implementing a Venezuela-style regime change in Iran.\nThe US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Trump indicated, had killed many of the alternative leaders he had hoped to see in power.\n“Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said. “We had some in mind from that group that is dead. And now, we have another group. They may be dead also, based on reports.”\nHe added that his options for replacing Khamenei were running low. “Pretty soon, we’re not going to know anybody.”\nStill, Trump has repeatedly expressed ambivalence about the leadership prospects of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, who was exiled during the 1979 revolution.\nPahlavi, 65, has pitched himself as a candidate to lead Iran on an interim basis, in a bid to restore democracy.\nBut critics have argued that Pahlavi is a divisive figure. His father oversaw human rights abuses during his time as monarch, and Pahlavi himself has been accused of attacking fellow dissidents and failing to build a coalition.\nWhen asked if Pahlavi could be an alternate leadership candidate, Trump demurred.\n“I guess he is. Some people like him,” Trump said, before adding, “We haven’t been thinking too much about that. It would seem to me that somebody from within, maybe, would be more appropriate.”\nTrump then explained he would prefer a moderate, “somebody that’s there, that’s currently popular, if there is such a person”. Still, he did offer light praise for Pahlavi, repeating a comment he had previously made about the shah’s son.\n“He looks like a very nice person,” Trump said of Pahlavi.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:50:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/worst-case-scenario-trump-weighs-replacing-khamenei-as-leader-of-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7b312b123af7",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Pakistan signals Saudi pact could draw it into Iran war - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Pakistan signals Saudi pact could draw it into Iran war\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T20:55:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBEelBKc1VaaGFGT0NSNXlvQk5Tb1VDUzd1V2JMcUlwZEF2YTFRLTg0RmJQbi1Da1UwWVdLaEpwUzBFQi0wS1VhZy05OFBrU2JVcUI2MmZ0WGhKN3pWaGhCRkNoR2ZnQkRmSkk5Wk5oTkc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cbd97326b22a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Factbox-How many people have been killed in the US-Israel war on Iran? - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Factbox-How many people have been killed in the US-Israel war on Iran?\nMarch 3 (Reuters) - Scores of people have been killed across the Middle East since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Gulf states that host U.S. military bases and personnel and Lebanon quickly drawn into the conflict.\nHere are the death tolls from the war so far as reported by involved countries as of March 3, the fourth day of the war. Reuters has not independently verified these deaths.\n* IRAN787 people killed, including 165 schoolgirls and staffkilled in a missile strike on a primary school in Minab in thecountry's south on the war's first day, according to thenon-profit humanitarian group Iranian Red Crescent Society. Itwas unclear if the death toll included Islamic RevolutionaryGuard Corps military casualties. * ISRAEL10 civilians killed, including nine people in anIranian missile strike on Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem on March1, according to Israel's ambulance service Magen David Adom. TheIsrael Defense Forces has reported no military casualties. * LEBANON40 people killed in Israeli missile strikes,according to Lebanon's health ministry. * BAHRAINOne person killed after fire broke out in Bahrain'sSalman Industrial City following missile interception, accordingto the interior ministry. * KUWAITOne person killed, according to Kuwait's healthministry. Separately, the Kuwaiti army said that two soldierswere killed \"in military operations,\" without providing detailson the circumstances of their death. * OMANOne person killed after a projectile hit the MarshallIslands–flagged product tanker MKD VYOM off the coast of Muscat. * UNITED ARAB EMIRATESThree people killed, according toUAE's defense ministry. * U.S. MILITARYSix U.S. service members were killed in astrike on a facility in Kuwait, according to U.S. CentralCommand.(Compiled by Jonathan Allen, Menna Alaa El Din, Maayan Lubell, Pesha Magrid; Editing by Don Durfee and Cynthia Osterman)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:09:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPVFVOc3pCd3ZYTlpuNmxSRzNwbFJ6T1dkYzFCS3hpbXo1ek85WV8wd2ZwWlNabWRPVlpQVVlFYThINHdzMjlvNVZILUVPLWtsa1lhNHRneXpEMUVkMHhXUVVvUkpuRTFxanRESmp0emd0UnduejlwYnJKdGN1Z1RRM2JjbEhTZDlUZHQySm05TmYwWG1XUi1iTXJaV1l3dEJWd1gtYmlMUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6ba9c3fef50a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "How many people have been killed in the US-Israel war on Iran? - Reuters",
    "body_text": "How many people have been killed in the US-Israel war on Iran?    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:09:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxOT3hFeXhjM3hLZ0JKcEhqbFlNMFg2MDdKa1IxVW91SnJSZExiamoxRldNd1kyM1lENU5xQ0JPeDVERWQyYW9xMFpwNUF5WW9XRjk5eG1YY29vVXpZWkZVSmVFN1NVT2ZPLUl0LWtoVjBKWUc0VzlXTjN5ZEhvOUV4cm45S2NaVHJZQzJmX2dpUzBvcGtZN0dvOHlfNkxOMEtxVjBvRkFFd3Y?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2bca9e072578",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Kurds see opening yet remain wary as Trump seeks help to oust Iran regime - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:10:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxPaDVqY3E1U2NQSENlSWlMbjREcGhEb2RaWEh4YXR3cUZVU1JTOVN3RjhuTmF4RzBiTTVzcEE5X1VzM3paRldVVTg1S0tPNmdGNEtDOVpwWDFxdHJ0OElHNGtlUEhMSDdfSlRacUQ3bHkxa3o0X2k0NnUxQWViNmVhRHR6MG9OSFZyUVc3RURTbkh3Ym9icGtQR3cwZlFBX08yV1Z0a1pRalBQdTRxa0N6eUFR?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0e7c9c65f9a9",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "What are the implications of Iran’s strikes on Gulf Arab states?",
    "body_text": "Iran is launching attacks across the Gulf region after the US-Israel operation against the country.\nIran has attacked the Gulf Arab states, hitting civilian buildings and energy infrastructure, as well as military bases hosting United States forces in the Gulf.\nThe impact of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran is being felt across the region.\nWhat does this mean for Gulf states’ relations with Iran and with the US?\nPresenter: Mohammed Jamjoom\nGuests:\nAbdulaziz Alghashian – Senior non-resident fellow at the Gulf International Forum\nBader Al-Saif – Professor at Kuwait University specialising in Middle East history and politics\nFoad Izadi – Professor in the faculty of world studies at the University of Tehran",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:13:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/inside-story/2026/3/3/what-are-the-implications-of-irans-strikes-on-gulf-arab-states?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9392bda00353",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Israel, US control almost all Iranian airspace, Israel's UN envoy says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Israel, US control almost all Iranian airspace, Israel's UN envoy says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:22:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxQN2ZvVE5yUDFVaGU1OWpJdWd2bXdKeTNwNnZhX0J1NlhhaWd0MHJJdUxIMlpkSGZUQVBwTnhEOVRzdW9USU5BZ1pvYVJwOHFONWJBdTlRbkRHekFHa1MxRTYxcFNXejFVVjVQUlJsTVlRczVPaFN4cmFXNV9CTnNPUjdTVzVWUjNfLUNzeEtJUEpsQU80YVYwMDRkY2hLSWRJM0c1eDh0Y0RyX3BkcEljbzBnOUttYjNHRlVPQ3lR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ce8ff325d32e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Oman renews push for diplomacy, says ‘off-ramps available’ in Iran war",
    "body_text": "Omani Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr al-Busaidi, who mediated the US-Iran talks before the war, has said that diplomatic options are still “available” to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East.\n“Oman reaffirms its call for an immediate ceasefire and a return to responsible regional diplomacy. There are off ramps available. Let’s use them,” he said on X on Tuesday.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3What we know on day four of US-Israeli attacks on Iran\n- list 2 of 3Could the US run low on weapons for its assault on Iran?\n- list 3 of 3Qatar says Iran didn’t warn of missile attacks, no comms with Tehran\nAl-Busaidi did not provide details on what the options to end the ongoing conflict between Iran and joint Israeli and US forces could be.\nOman had been mediating talks between Iran and the US and said that peace was “within reach” hours before the US-Israeli air strikes began on Saturday, plunging the region into a crisis.\nOn Tuesday, US President Donald Trump told journalists in Washington, DC, that the US had attacked Iran because “he had a feeling” that Iran would strike first, as negotiations over its nuclear programme stalled.\nHowever, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said on Monday that the US attacked Iran because it knew Israel was about to bomb the country, and because the Trump administration believed that Tehran would then strike US facilities in the region.\nBut Oman’s foreign minister pushed back on the Trump administration’s characterisation that Iran was an “imminent threat” to the US. He maintained that “significant progress” had been made in the nuclear talks before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran.\nIn its retaliatory strikes, Iran has attacked Israel and US forces across the Gulf region. While Oman does not host any US forces, it has also been struck and dragged into the conflict.\nThe Oman News Agency reported on Sunday that the Duqm commercial port, located in Al Wusta Governorate in central Oman, was struck by two drones. It said that an expatriate worker was injured in the attack.\nA fuel tank at Duqm Port was also hit in a drone attack on Tuesday, but there were no casualties.\nMajed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the strike on Oman was “an attack on the very principle of mediation”.\nTrump expressed solidarity with Gulf countries on Tuesday, saying, “Iran is hitting countries that had nothing to do with what is going on.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:22:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/oman-calls-for-immediate-ceasefire-says-off-ramps?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a58201529470",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "A trial seeks to tie Iranian paramilitary to alleged assassination plot in US - AP News",
    "body_text": "A trial seeks to tie Iranian paramilitary to alleged assassination plot in US\nNEW YORK (AP) — While the U.S. fights a widening war in Iran, American prosecutors are airing claims that Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was entangled in a foiled 2024 assassination plot that eyed then-candidate Donald Trump as a possible target.\nThe alleged scheme is at the center of a criminal trial that started in a federal court in New York last week, days before the Mideast combat that now looms in the background.\n“This trial is happening in interesting times,” Judge Eric Komitee told lawyers this week in the case of Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national accused of trying to hire hit men to kill a U.S. politician. Merchant didn’t name a target but searched online for Trump rally locations, according to prosecutors, who introduced evidence Tuesday that Merchant’s laptop contained photos of both Trump and then-President Joe Biden at a time when they were rivals for the presidency.\nAn FBI agent testified Tuesday that Merchant told her he had a Revolutionary Guard “handler” and believed the handler would help bankroll the plan. Merchant’s lawyer suggested the purported statements might not be accurate.\nMerchant, 47, has pleaded not guilty to attempted terrorism and other charges. His attorneys say prosecutors are trying to wedge evidence into a narrative that doesn’t fit.\nMerchant’s ties to Iran\nMerchant has children in Iran and has traveled there. His lawyers have portrayed his trips as religious pilgrimages and family time. But federal authorities have long suggested that he had ties to Iran’s theocratic government.\nWhen Merchant was indicted in 2024, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said the case was “straight out of the Iranian regime’s playbook.” Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland portrayed it as an example of “Iran’s lethal plotting against Americans.”\nIn court Tuesday, an FBI agent opened a window — though a narrow, constrained one — on the government’s basis for pointing a finger at Tehran.\nIt stems from what Merchant allegedly told agents in a July 2024 interview. The session wasn’t recorded, and the agents’ report on it is sealed. Only a few questions about it were allowed in court.\nAccording to agent Jacqueline Smith, Merchant said one of his cousins introduced him to a Revolutionary Guard handler at some point in Iran. Formally called the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the force has been prominent in Iran under the country’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S.-Israeli attack this weekend. The U.S. deems the Revolutionary Guard a “foreign terrorist organization.”\nMerchant said he expected his handler would reimburse $5,000 that Merchant had gotten from his cousin and had given to the supposed hit men, who actually were undercover FBI agents, Smith told jurors. She said Merchant also relayed some advice from the handler: “If he noticed he was being surveilled, he should act normal.”\nDefense lawyer Avraham Moskowitz underscored that the interview wasn’t recorded, and he described the agents’ report as “someone’s impression of what was said.”\n“I disagree with that characterization,” Smith said, but acknowledged the sealed document wasn’t a verbatim account.\nThe interview was what’s known as a proffer session, generally a time when defendants or suspects and their lawyers explore the possibility of cooperating with authorities. Moskowitz noted, while jurors weren’t in the room, that proffers can produce a mix of things “that may be true and other things that are said that may not be true.”\nWhile getting only a glimpse of that interview, jurors have seen and heard recordings of Merchant interacting with undercover FBI agents and with an acquaintance who flagged him to the agency in the first place.\nA recorded talk about a killing\nIn one June 2024 recording that was played in court this week, Merchant told the undercover agents that he and associates in Pakistan were looking for people to steal documents, create protests at political events, “and the last thing is: Maybe you can, say, kill someone.”\n“The third thing you wanted, like, that could be a big deal,” one of the agents observed. He dangled the possibility that “you want somebody’s wife killed?”\n“No, no.... maybe it’s some political person, maybe some other person,” said Merchant, who later explained that he didn’t yet know exactly whom.\n“Wow,” the agent said, adding: “That’s gonna cost.”\nAbout a week later, Merchant was recorded meeting the agents at a Manhattan rooftop restaurant and then, in a nearby car, handing them $5,000 in rolled-up, rubber-banded $100 bills.\nTrump points out alleged Iranian plots\nMerchant was arrested in Texas on July 12, 2024, as he was packing to fly back to Pakistan, authorities said in court documents.\nA day after Merchant’s arrest, a Pennsylvania man made an attempt on Trump’s life at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. Officials said it appeared the gunman acted alone but that they had been tracking a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, a claim that the Islamic Republic called “unsubstantiated and malicious.”\nThe president alluded to the alleged Iranian plots Sunday as he discussed Khamenei’s death.\n“I got him before he got me,” Trump told ABC News.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPY09UOVNDcXEtQml2SDdLdlJsUUJQZ29hTEV6VDhrVHFYSmNxc3ZTa3pIRHBjZnNQYXBPN19jd1ZtTmxrNnlQT0hLRVh6OFZUVkhZanY5emU4YS1wa3czNTF0cHhrWjRoUzM2aC1LLUpZNkF1emVjWWs2TUZ2ODJpR0V3Z0J4WUNMa29vZ1Nva3RJZ2NtY1BISEdmblpCMWlIRWE1cHZ4R0QybUVONHdLRlNmTko?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fea2a8b1e662",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Rubio says Iran was ‘playing’ US in negotiations",
    "body_text": "Rubio says Iran was ‘playing’ US in negotiations\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, saying “the world will be safer” if Tehran doesn’t have access to nuclear weapons. He says President Trump made the decision to strike because Iran was ‘playing’ the US in negotiations.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:28:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/rubio-says-iran-was-playing-us-in-negotiations?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c41195f90143",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Funerals held for students and staff after Iran school strike",
    "body_text": "Funerals held for students and staff after strike on Iran school\nFunerals have been held for students and staff killed in what Iranian authorities have said was a US-Israeli strike on a school in southern Iran.\nIranian officials said more than 160 people were killed when a girls' school was hit in the city of Minab on Saturday, as the US and Israel launched widespread strikes targeting Iran's military sites and leadership.\nBBC News has not been able to independently verify the Iranian authorities' death toll.\nThe school was located near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base.\nThe US military said it was looking into reports of the incident, while Israel's military said it was \"not aware\" of any operations in the area.\nHundreds of mourners packed the streets to pay their respects at the funeral which was broadcast on Iranian state TV.\nCoffins draped in the flag of the Islamic Republic were carried through the crowds, as a voiceover recounted the grief of mothers and fathers who had lost their daughters.\nIranian officials said the school was hit by three missiles on Saturday morning. It was located about 600m (1970ft) from an IRGC base.\nThe six-day working week in Iran runs from Saturday to Thursday, with Friday being the only official day of rest, meaning the school was likely occupied when it was hit.\nIran's President Masoud Pezeshkian called the incident a \"barbaric act\" and \"another black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors\".\nThe country's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted a photo on social media of graves being dug for 160 people, with the comment: \"This is how 'rescue' promised by Mr Trump looks in reality.\"\nThe BBC has verified clips of the aftermath of the explosion, which show smoke rising from a building as crowds gathered nearby, with some people screaming in panic.\nInternational news organisations are often refused visas to Iran which severely limits their ability to gather information there.\nOn Monday, the BBC asked the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio if the school building was struck by an American missile.\n\"The US would not deliberately target a school,\" Rubio said in response. \"We would have no interest, and frankly, no incentive to target civilian infrastructure.\"\n\"I don't have the details as to what led to it, but what is clear is that the United States would not target a school,\" he added.\nIn a statement reported in US media, Centcom spokesman Tim Hawkins said: \"We take these reports seriously.\"\n\"The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimise the risk of unintended harm,\" he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:30:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98qpz144nvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1888b41abc17",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran war taxes US diplomatic work and leaves Americans in the Mideast in limbo - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran war taxes US diplomatic work and leaves Americans in the Mideast in limbo\nIran war taxes US diplomatic work and leaves Americans in the Mideast in limbo\nWASHINGTON (AP) — The largest U.S. diplomatic drawdown in the Middle East since the Iraq War began more than two decades ago is creating an apparently unplanned-for crisis for the Trump administration as the United States and Israel strike Iran in a widening conflict.\nThe State Department has been forced to close several embassies to the public, shut down at least one consulate, order the departure of embassy staff and families from at least six nations, and advise Americans in 14 countries to leave the region immediately despite the war closing major airports and causing widespread flight cancellations.\nNonetheless, the department said Tuesday that more than 9,000 Americans had safely returned from the Middle East since the weekend, many of them without government assistance, and that it was actively assisting those who have reached out for help, including by securing military aircraft and charter flights.\n“We’ve had a couple instances in which we have planes in the air, and on the way, and unfortunately, the airspace gets closed, and they have to turn back around,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters.\nThe department has been in contact with nearly 3,000 Americans wanting to leave the region or seeking information about how to depart, Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for public affairs, said on X.\nRubio, who spoke on Capitol Hill before briefing lawmakers on the latest developments, said 1,500 people had actually requested help in leaving.\nCharter flights were being arranged from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In countries where airports or airspace was closed, the department said, it is organizing land travel to countries where flights are available, including Egypt and Oman.\nStill, emergency reductions in embassy staffing and post closures since the strikes on Iran began on the weekend have put a severe strain on the ability to help U.S. citizens in need of assistance that might usually be considered routine. Consular services are unavailable in many places and the personnel reductions have limited crucial official engagements with allied and partner governments during the war, including in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.\nBiggest US drawdown in region since Iraq War\nThe scale of the American drawdown in the region rivals if not exceeds what was done in the run up to and the immediate aftermath of the Iraq invasion in 2003. Back then, the State Department reduced its staffing in more than a dozen countries and advised U.S. citizens to leave or seriously consider leaving countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia from Morocco to Pakistan.\nOn Monday, Americans were told in a hastily drafted announcement posted on X to leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen even though commercial flights and other transportation have been disrupted.\nAmericans had been advised early Tuesday that the State Department had ordered nonessential diplomats and embassy families to leave Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.\nThe embassies in Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia also were closed to the public Tuesday. But only one diplomatic mission — the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan — had completely suspended operations.\nA drone attack on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh caused a “limited fire,” Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said.\nThe strike in Riyadh caused part of the embassy’s roof to collapse, although there were no reported deaths or injuries to staff, according to an internal State Department memo. It said there were no deaths or injuries after two drones hit the vicinity of the embassy in Kuwait City.\nConfusion leads to questions about preparations\nConfusion was playing out around the region, raising questions about the preparations for possible military action and its impact on travel and the safety of Americans overseas, which is the State Department’s primary responsibility.\n“If Americans are being instructed to leave but are given no viable pathway, that suggests one of two things: The system is not being activated, or the system has atrophied,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, a group that supports Afghan nationals seeking to come to the United States after having served with U.S. forces in Afghanistan.\nHe noted that during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Biden administration had organized the evacuation of 121,000 people in a matter of days.\n“Crisis response cannot be partisan,” he said. “It has to survive transitions. It has to be staffed, exercised, and protected. The oversight question is straightforward: Was the post-Afghanistan crisis response architecture sustained, or has it been weakened?”\nThe State Department did not immediately respond to a query about its planning for embassy and consulate staffing or providing assistance to American citizens in the event of a conflict with Iran.\nThe U.S. government cannot compel American citizens to leave any country. In rare circumstances, it can make it illegal for U.S. passports to be used for travel to a specific destination. The only such restriction is on North Korea. But before the strikes began, Rubio said Friday that the restriction might also be applied to Iran.\nTravel advice from the State Department, including admonitions not to visit a country or to leave it, often is not respected. Many people reside in or have close family living there and either ignore or decline to heed the advice.\nThere are large numbers of U.S. citizens living in or traveling throughout the Middle East. The State Department, however, refuses to offer an estimate because Americans are not required to report their presence in any country abroad. It says any estimate would be inaccurate.\nTens of thousands of U.S. citizens, many of them dual nationals, are believed to live in Israel, Lebanon, Egypt and Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:31:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxOcENuNTViQ1p0LXZ5dEtqYnBhOFJYYU9QU0cxZU0wTUV0aC1SdmI3SnIxQzVrVWhYdXdWTk1jQklQSEl4cTRwODJOS1pLQ2ozQ2dOVkRqeWRRMmR0SFExSWc2WUNvdHhsZ0E2ZFJuZEw4dm5OcEEtUm54TVRSWDdQQ2ZnbDYxenF1b0dfY0NmN3AzM3Y0b0lqcGJ5c0pIY0FyQjN0ZmM5OTV3QQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_747c286d6e1e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Canada PM Carney says Iran conflict a failure of the international order - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Canada PM Carney says Iran conflict a failure of the international order    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:48:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxQVlJGLUl4a2tXSVVPbWFnYjdfRGtMTS05NndYTy1uVm5GdkdJcjBxa3JjUU9VaHhfV1ZQMGl0NG11cEl0SEhnRm5ZdTVzQ2tNaGtiSHhyZnRwVnZ5QW96dW9tZHZyNWtjUEdYZmE0SDlDWkU5a244OEhpbl8wWUwzY08xSDdLT2FOYlduZDhGYjZGRkVR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fb1132931045",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates",
    "body_text": "The airline and tourism industries are scrambling to deal with the fallout from the escalating US and Israeli air war against Iran, while governments have rushed to bring stranded travellers home from the Middle East following the cancellation of more than 20,000 flights over a handful of days.\nMajor Gulf hubs, including Dubai, the world’s busiest international airport, remained closed or severely restricted for a fourth day on Tuesday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. According to Flightradar24, some 21,300 flights have been cancelled at seven major airports, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, since the strikes started.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3How many countries has the US bombed since 2001, and how much has it cost?\n- list 2 of 3US will provide insurance for ships in Gulf amid Iranian attacks: Trump\n- list 3 of 3‘Worst-case scenario’: Trump weighs replacing Khamenei as leader of Iran\nThe attacks have upended travel across a growing region that hosts several thriving business hubs and is trying to diversify away from oil-dominated economies. The turmoil also narrows an already slim flight corridor for long-haul flights between Europe and Asia, complicating operations for global air carriers.\nGulf airlines Emirates, flydubai and Etihad have been operating a limited number of flights since Monday, mostly to repatriate stranded passengers, who have rushed to secure seats.\n“It’s pretty well the biggest shutdown we’ve seen certainly since the COVID pandemic,” said Paul Charles, CEO of luxury travel consultancy PC Agency, adding that beyond passenger disruption, the cargo impact would run to “billions of dollars”.\n‘Depart now’\nThe United Arab Emirates said 60 flights had taken off, operating in dedicated emergency air corridors. The next phase will be operating more than 80 flights.\nThe US Department of State, meanwhile, has urged all Americans to leave more than a dozen countries in the region, while other nations have scrambled to arrange repatriation flights for their citizens even as explosions tore through Tehran and Beirut.\nBut with airspaces closed or restricted across the Gulf, many were not sure what to do.\n“They say, ‘Get out’, but how do you expect us to get out when airspaces are closed?” said Odies Turner, a 32-year-old chef from Dallas stuck in Doha, Qatar. “They just have been cancelling every flight. I want to go home.”\nUS Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar posted on X on Monday that Americans in Iran and Israel – as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territory, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen – should “DEPART NOW”, using any available commercial transportation.\nThe US is securing military and charter flights to evacuate Americans from the Middle East, a State Department official said on X on Tuesday, adding that it was in contact with nearly 3,000 US citizens. The department was under fire from US lawmakers who said the Trump administration should have advised people to leave before the attacks started.\nDemand for alternatives to Gulf airlines has surged, with bookings and ticket prices jumping on routes like Hong Kong-London, Reuters checks showed on Tuesday. Should the conflict linger, it could cost the Middle East billions in tourism dollars, analysts estimate.\n“We can’t get home, we can’t go back to work, we can’t get the kids back to school,” said Tatiana Leclerc, a French tourist stuck in Thailand, whose flight had been set to go via the Middle East hubs that are a key link between Asia and Europe.\nAnita Mendiratta, an international aviation and tourism consultant stuck in Bangkok, said the location of the war would inevitably upend travel and trade.\n“Effectively, within the Middle East, an eight-hour flying distance covers two-thirds of the world population,” she said. “When that corridor is blocked, it forces aviation to either move far north, which is going into potentially other conflict airspace, such as Russia, such as Pakistan, or fly south. That puts huge pressure on the airlines.”\nIn an early sign of thaw, Virgin Atlantic said on Tuesday that it would resume services as scheduled between London’s Heathrow airport and Dubai or Riyadh.\nAirline finances under pressure\nShares of air carriers worldwide fell on Tuesday, though US shares pared losses in afternoon trading. The operational and financial effect varies significantly among airlines, said Karen Li, JP Morgan’s head of Asia infrastructure, industrials and transport research.\n“There are important differences across carriers, in terms of hedging strategy, air cargo exposure, and network rerouting capabilities, that will shape the actual impact from the Middle East situation,” Li said.\nOil prices have surged amid the widening conflict. Benchmark crude is up roughly 30 percent so far this year, threatening to lift jet fuel costs and squeeze airline profits, as most airlines long ago gave up on hedging their fuel purchase, their second‑largest operating cost behind labour.\nIn its latest annual filing, Delta Air said every 1-cent increase in the price of jet fuel per gallon added about $40m to its yearly fuel bill; a 10 percent increase would add $1bn to Delta’s 2026 fuel bill, Third Bridge analyst Peter McNally said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T21:59:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/3/travellers-stranded-airlines-under-pressure-as-iran-war-escalates?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_36e8da762294",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Investors brace for energy shock, inflation fears from prolonged Iran conflict - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Investors brace for energy shock, inflation fears from prolonged Iran conflict    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:00:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxPb2o1dzlPVnJZVk9CajBfUkJRYUxBZ21aUTI1UjgtRUs5NXJVNzJmcHFELUxQWTJ3UVp0NGZIYXk2Ykk2VEpMSXRrMk4ydzNEVUtFVzVNcWl3enVzejAwemhfelV2Wkk1c0kwR29TUC13VzRKaGI3SHphaFVNbTFDTS1pdGtHMnFTRUI1ZHYyTG1Jc1ZJcFMwYkZHbFFDR3gtODBnbzQySGh2RjRhc3N2TjZndjdHczVaMUlMd0dxRQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8252734aa113",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance",
    "body_text": "Spain has said the US should be mindful of international law and bilateral trade agreements with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off all trade with the country for refusing to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.\n“We have the necessary resources to contain the possible impact of the trade embargo by the US,” the Spanish government said in a statement on Tuesday.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Iran mourns 165 girls, staff killed in US-Israel strike on Minab school\n- list 2 of 3Flames, smoke rise from US Consulate in Dubai after suspected attack\n- list 3 of 3UK, France send warships, air defence assets to Cyprus after drone attack\n“The US must comply with international law and bilateral EU-US trade agreements,” it added.\nAfter the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the attacks as a breach of international law. He called for dialogue to end the war on Iran, saying that “one can oppose a hateful regime and, at the same time, oppose an unjustified and dangerous military intervention”.\nOn Monday, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares said Madrid would not allow the country’s military bases, which are jointly operated by the US and Spain but are under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks on Iran.\n“Spanish bases are not being used for this operation, and they will not be used for anything not included in the agreement with the United States, or for anything that is not in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,” Albares said, speaking to Spanish broadcaster Telecinco.\nSubsequently, the US relocated 15 aircraft, including refuelling tankers, from the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain.\nOn Tuesday, before a meeting with German Chancellor Frederich Merz, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in Washington, DC, that “Spain has been terrible” for not allowing the US to use its bases.\nHe said that he had told his secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, to “cut off all dealings” with Spain.\n“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” the US president said.\nThis is not the first time Spain has angered Trump.\nIn 2024, Sanchez, one of a dwindling number of left-leaning voices in Europe, refused to let vessels transporting weapons to Israel dock in Spain.\nSpain has also refused to heed US calls for all NATO members to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035.\nSpain is the world’s top exporter of olive oil, and also sells auto parts, steel and chemicals to the US. But it is less vulnerable to Trump’s threats of economic punishment than other European nations.\nThe US had a trade surplus with Spain for the fourth year in a row in 2025, at $4.8bn, according to data from the US Census Bureau, with US exports of $26.1bn and imports of $21.3bn.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:00:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/spain-baulks-at-trumps-threat-to-cut-off-all-trade-over-nato-iran-stance?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_9caa44435c49",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "FirstFT: The battle for the Strait of Hormuz - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "FirstFT: The battle for the Strait of Hormuz\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:01:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBJWEhsR3c0MmVyX1htcVNuT2RDWUJ4R21DODJNLThtQUZCOWZVa1dOZG1WUzFkYlE0VXNMNWlUNUxXU2lQeUdxLUFpX3hUWnE0VWdlUlVVZ01sNVVTeW1GU0p1ZDA0eDBIRl92N085Y24?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_496f424d69a5",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Spain has said the US should be mindful of international law and bilateral trade agreements with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off all trade with the country for refusing to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.\n“We have the necessary resources to contain the possible impact of the trade embargo by the US,” the Spanish government said in a statement on Tuesday.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Iran mourns 165 girls, staff killed in US-Israel strike on Minab school\n- list 2 of 3Flames, smoke rise from US Consulate in Dubai after suspected attack\n- list 3 of 3UK, France send warships, air defence assets to Cyprus after drone attack\n“The US must comply with international law and bilateral EU-US trade agreements,” it added.\nAfter the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the attacks as a breach of international law. He called for dialogue to end the war on Iran, saying that “one can oppose a hateful regime and, at the same time, oppose an unjustified and dangerous military intervention”.\nOn Monday, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares said Madrid would not allow the country’s military bases, which are jointly operated by the US and Spain but are under Spanish sovereignty, to be used for attacks on Iran.\n“Spanish bases are not being used for this operation, and they will not be used for anything not included in the agreement with the United States, or for anything that is not in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,” Albares said, speaking to Spanish broadcaster Telecinco.\nSubsequently, the US relocated 15 aircraft, including refuelling tankers, from the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain.\nOn Tuesday, before a meeting with German Chancellor Frederich Merz, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in Washington, DC, that “Spain has been terrible” for not allowing the US to use its bases.\nHe said that he had told his secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, to “cut off all dealings” with Spain.\n“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” the US president said.\nThis is not the first time Spain has angered Trump.\nIn 2024, Sanchez, one of a dwindling number of left-leaning voices in Europe, refused to let vessels transporting weapons to Israel dock in Spain.\nSpain has also refused to heed US calls for all NATO members to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035.\nSpain is the world’s top exporter of olive oil, and also sells auto parts, steel and chemicals to the US. But it is less vulnerable to Trump’s threats of economic punishment than other European nations.\nThe US had a trade surplus with Spain for the fourth year in a row in 2025, at $4.8bn, according to data from the US Census Bureau, with US exports of $26.1bn and imports of $21.3bn.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:05:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQbkNKclZXdC15LWJsMGNUYnJrdEZGQlp4eHJVYTZvMFR1dUlNUzJRU29EcnRIa2hlX256NXVWdUp0UTA4NlozT3I1d0hUbTdrY2xnUVJ6aTdFTGpHLWdkUWc4YjJLNmdRelo1anNWcENqdlNVYkJQZEtuUVRuU1hsVE5xMDBGcVVMYVY1OVBVMjZ1d29CSzNvOTkyTUFreWUwMFJhLVdia1huQ25qMmpZOXVB0gG3AUFVX3lxTFB4LWVGOHd1ckFRTmlSaXl5eTBTWnd1bXpfaEpRZHBTODY2QWJUeFM2ZmdHYW5rLV9DNERrcDlUZHRhQXZFVWE1aXlmY0IwSkdZUXhpc2hkZElpUUVxOVVYQmM3YmVaaVYxWnBEZGwyVFpfdnhaYkI3WTRDTHU3Nk55aHA1ektzT2xFYTlaSjRUT25JTlBRc1BhbWdPVExQb25TYWo5d2FfcUtCTUg3bVRzTTBUYUp2TQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6ccf1f02ca1e",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "European allies rush to bolster Cyprus defences after drones target British base",
    "body_text": "European allies rush to bolster Cyprus defences after drones target British base\nEuropean allies are rushing warships and anti-drone defences to Cyprus after a British air base was hit on the island over the weekend.\nThe small Eastern Mediterranean nation has found itself unexpectedly drawn into the aftermath of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron confirmed in a televised address that a French frigate, the Languedoc, would arrive in Cyprus on Tuesday evening.\nGreece has already agreed to send four F-16 fighter jets as well as two frigates, including the ship Psara which is equipped with a Greek anti-drone system called Centauros.\nVisiting Nicosia on Tuesday, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias promised that \"Greece is present, and will continue to be present to assist in any way in the defence of the Republic of Cyprus\".\nSuch military assets, allies will hope, can prevent further drone incursions and avoid any casualties that could risk pulling Britain and the EU into a conflict from which they have so far tried to remain removed.\n\"The idea of sending a Type 45 [air defence destroyer] into the vicinity of Akrotiri is to build on a layered air defence system,\" said former military strategist Mikey Kay.\nThe \"very expensive equipment\" the UK is sending is \"highly capable\", Kay said.\n\"But how effective is it when it comes to cost-benefit ratio - and how many missiles do they have when it comes to multiple swarms of Shahed 136 drones?\"\nThe BBC team could hear the fierce roar of jets as we stood outside RAF Akrotiri which is used for training and as a mounting base for overseas operations in the Middle East.\nWhile Britain did not join US-Israeli strikes on Iran, British planes are taking part in what the government has described as \"defensive operations\" to protect UK citizens and allies in the Middle East.\nOn Tuesday night, the Ministry of Defence said that RAF F-35 jets flying over Jordan have shot down an Iranian drone.\nThe drone scare at Akrotiri on Sunday has led to British families being evacuated from the base, as well as hundreds of local Cypriots who live nearby.\nIt's all sparked anxiety amongst British military families and some local people while Cyprus has criticised the UK's handling of the situation.\nSpecifically, said a Cypriot government spokesman, an initial lack of clarity \"that the British Bases in Cyprus would under no circumstances be used for anything other than humanitarian purposes\".\nCyprus has stressed it has no involvement in the widening Middle East conflict, and isn't itself a target.\nLying off the coasts of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, Cyprus is the easternmost nation among the European Union's 27 member states.\nBritain's military presence in Cyprus is a legacy of the colonial past.\nWhen Cyprus gained its independence in 1960, the UK retained sovereignty over sites, including on the Akrotiri peninsula.\nAltogether, these sites cover just under 3% of land on the island, or 98 sq miles, and stretch beyond the restricted military zones.\nBut the British government is now facing questions over its readiness to protect its overseas bases.\nForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons that Britain has already brought in additional radar, air and counter-drone capabilities.\nA drone struck RAF Akrotiri on Sunday night causing minimal damage and no casualties before two further drones were apparently intercepted on Monday.\nThe UK has not said where it thinks the drone that hit the base came from, but the Cypriot government suspects the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon.\nBritish officials believe the first drone was launched before Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he would allow the US to use British bases for \"limited\" and \"defensive\" strikes on Iranian missile sites.\nBases in Cyprus are not being used by US bombers, Starmer has told the House of Commons.\nRAF Akrotiri was last attacked in 1986 by pro-Libyan militants, wounding three people.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:10:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g74npdwnyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_608a4e1a5e5c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Qatar announces arrest of Iran’s IRGC sleeper cells",
    "body_text": "Qatar has announced the arrest of what it called two cells operating for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nTen suspects were arrested in the cells, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) announced on Tuesday. Seven had been assigned to spy on “vital and military facilities” in Qatar, while three were tasked with carrying out sabotage operations.\n“During interrogation, the suspects admitted their affiliation with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and that they had been tasked with espionage missions and sabotage activities,” QNA reported.\nQatari authorities have found locations and coordinates of sensitive facilities and installations, as well as communication devices and technological equipment in their possession, the report said.\nTehran has launched multiple retaliatory attacks on Qatar and other Gulf Arab states since the US and Israel began joint strikes on Iran on Saturday. Iran says it is targeting US assets in the region with its attacks, but civilian infrastructure, including airports and hotels, has also been hit.\nDozens of explosions have been reported in Qatar over the past few days, and its Ministry of Defence said it detected the launch of three cruise missiles, 101 ballistic missiles and 39 drones towards its airspace since Saturday.\nWhile Qatar has intercepted and destroyed them, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it was caught off guard since Iran did not notify Doha of the attacks.\nForeign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told journalists that “Qatar was surprised by these unjustified attacks”.\n“There were attempts to attack Hamad International airport. They were all thwarted… The missiles were downed by our defensive measures, and none of them reached the airport,” al-Ansari said.\nThe spokesperson added that almost 8,000 people were stranded in Qatar due to airspace closures caused by the war.\nOn Tuesday, Oman, which had been mediating talks between Iran and the US before the conflict in the region began, pushed for a ceasefire.\nOmani Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr al-Busaidi said that there are options for diplomacy to prevail and for the war with Iran to de-escalate.\nMeanwhile, US President Donald Trump has expressed solidarity with Gulf countries and blamed Iran for attacking them, saying they have nothing to do with the conflict.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:13:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/qatar-announces-arrest-of-iranian-irgc-sleeper-cells?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_87c68f08ee04",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "War Is at Dubai’s Doorstep - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "War Is at Dubai’s Doorstep    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:20:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNVFhQbERjNzZiSzVWOVZ2N2k2UXEyRzJaRXFLOUMyYndNSHpjX2plWjhfMDZXeEF3eUpTVXBhTWc3TUFpcHFLTllMd0Nhdk1vb2FEY3k2ckVXZ1lVbjJTR081WmNUYUNIeF9FcmxaLXBsbjktX19WbWIycktfc3ZOeWEwbDdFUUY0c3c5clEwQmV5UQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1ddd2b5147e8",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "'Target for elimination': Israel threatens to kill next Iranian leader - NZ Herald",
    "body_text": "'Target for elimination': Israel threatens to kill next Iranian leader    NZ Herald",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:21:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi4wFBVV95cUxPWGs2a3RCNGNTLXJOX3ppUFY1TVRsLVdvMDBMY1lleGtrNUZmQ2ZKQzEzTmx0SGxoR1JITnlqeUJqRjZOODhSNE9xaDgwNy1BZkc1c3B6bmlXTUs2S3ZIeGxCZnFnQlZBTnRWUUxON1FJMjR6dUNEMld3OEFLOXo4cExFQ2oxV3RhUVBnMGVvSS1vdzFldVBIZFBFbzBRNWNWXzNGVFUta1dQWldZa1E4d2x3bnVJYS1NUEV0ZVdxNEpSNVRiZXdvU0JKREE4T2tBTzlsdlZQb3l2WjFWMEUyZzNGTQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_01ad21906e85",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "The Trump administration can't align on a reason for going to war with Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "The Trump administration can't align on a reason for going to war with Iran\nThe Trump administration's rationale for the US-Israeli war on Iran has been inconsistent at best, and incoherent at worst.\nIn what appeared to be a contradiction of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks just one day earlier, President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that \"if anything, I might have forced Israel's hand\" into a war on Iran.\n\"It was my opinion that [Iran was] going to attack first... based on the way the negotiation was going,\" he said.\nBut from Oman's standpoint - a reliable US ally that served as a mediator - the negotiations were in fact going too well. Iran, the Omani foreign minister said, had offered up concessions that were never even included in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.\n\"It’s clear that his (Trump's) negotiators were not prepared and did not have a clear objective that they were trying to achieve, and it’s not clear that anyone really took this process seriously,” Jeffrey Prescott, a former US diplomat and former national security aide to Vice President Joe Biden, told Middle East Eye.\nPrescott says Trump's use of force against Iran is \"unconnected\" to a grand strategy about the aftermath of that action and has displayed a \"remarkable lack of seriousness\" when it comes to the diplomacy surrounding the conflict.\nMixed messages\nTrump has frequently asserted that in its limited strikes in June of last year, the US \"obliterated\" Iran's nuclear capability.\nWhile Iran strongly rejected that claim, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said in a statement: \"We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.\"\nYet one week before this latest spate of US-Israeli attacks, Trump's lead negotiator, Steve Witkoff, said Iran was \"a week away\" from developing a nuclear bomb.\nThat phrase has been in use by US and Israeli officials since the turn of the century.\nOn Monday, however, the secretary of state's reasoning for why the US launched a war that has so far killed six Americans and more than 500 Iranians was different.\n\"I don’t understand what the confusion is. Let me explain it to you,\" Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill after briefing senior lawmakers.\n\"The assessment that was made was that if we stood and waited for that attack to come first before we hit [Iran], we would suffer much higher casualties. And so the president made the very wise decision\" to join the Israeli attack from the beginning, Rubio said.\n\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,\" he added.\nPreemptive action, however, indicates that there was an imminent threat to preempt.\n\"This operation needed to happen because Iran, in about a year or a year and a half, would cross the line of immunity, meaning they would have so many short-range missiles, so many drones, that no one could do anything about it because they could hold the whole world hostage,\" Rubio insisted.\nBut Democrats emerging from that closed-door briefing disagreed.\n\"I have seen no evidence, intelligence, that indicates an imminent threat to America,\" Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters.\nTo that end, the Senate is now planning a vote on Wednesday to curb Trump's war powers. The following day, the House will vote on its own measure.\n\"They're using that tool to ensure that everyone has to go on record,\" Prescott, who is currently a senior fellow in the \"American Statecraft Program\" at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.\n\"I don't think anyone has illusions that the minority can have an impact on the president's prosecution of this war through this one vote.\"\nCongress successfully passed a similar measure in 2020 after Trump assassinated Iran's top military commander, Qassem Soleimani, but the president vetoed it.\nUnless the Senate manages a two-thirds majority in support of the resolution this week - something highly unlikely - it cannot overcome a veto.\nRegime change, missiles and naval threats\nRubio laid out a number of other reasons for the administration's war.\n\"The United States is conducting an operation to eliminate the threat of Iran’s short-range ballistic missiles and the threat posed by their navy, particularly to naval assets,\" he said.\nThe issue of ballistic missiles was, at least publicly, not on Trump's radar until Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid him a visit on 29 December.\nThe naval threat was only emphasised early on Monday morning at the Pentagon by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.\n\"That was definitely not a focus previously,\" Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, told MEE.\nThe naval threat 'was definitely not a focus previously'\n- Jamal Abdi, National Iranian American Council\n\"I don't recall naval threats ever being on the table, and I assume this is because - now that we're in a war - there's a real concern about the Strait of Hormuz and how long Iran might be able to keep it shut down,\" he said.\n\"Any capacity for Iran to defend itself is being construed as a defence of a nuclear programme that maybe one day could get off the ground, and Israel and the United States would not have the capability to take it out, because Iran actually has capable defences.\"\nThose defences would also be employed to protect Iran's governing structures, even as the US and Israel claim to have killed dozens of senior leaders in addition to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nToo many leaders, perhaps, according to Trump, who told ABC News that his preferred picks to lead the country had also been killed.\n\"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations,\" Trump said as he announced the beginning of the war on his TruthSocial account in the early hours of Saturday morning.\nThe comments were reasonably construed to mean this is a war to prompt regime change in Iran.\nBut by Monday, Hegseth rubbished that notion. \"This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it,\" he told reporters.\nHegseth refused to attach a timeline to US military operations.\n\"President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back. We're going to execute at his command the objectives we've set out to achieve,\" he said.\nThere's much to contend with about the rationale the administration has given the troops.\nUS commanders from every arm of the military have told their units that the war on Iran is “anointed by Jesus” and would bring about his return to Earth as part of the \"Armageddon\", resulting in scores of complaints from serving members of the military.\nThe Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an organisation dedicated to ensuring that all members of the US military are guaranteed religious freedom, told MEE on Tuesday that it had received more than 200 similar complaints.\nHegseth famously sports a crusader's cross tattoo across his chest.\n'Poorly planned'\nThe US government on Monday warned all American citizens across 13 countries, plus Iran itself and the occupied West Bank and Gaza, to leave immediately via commercial flights.\nThat amounts to approximately one million people who are at risk in the region, as Iran retaliates with attacks on US military bases and embassies in the Gulf in particular.\nSeveral airports remain closed.\n\"Will you send planes to get people out?\" a reporter asked Trump on Tuesday.\n\"It happened all very quickly,\" Trump responded.\n\"We were going to be attacked. They were getting ready to attack Israel. They were getting ready to attack others,\" he added, without ever really answering the question.\nIn a video posted to X one day earlier, Rubio encouraged Americans to sign up for travel alerts, adding that he has surged resources to field questions and provide advice.\nUS ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee shared a lengthy post on X that pinpointed which crossings and airports Americans could use to fly out of the region. But if anything at all, it served more as a reminder of how difficult and stressful it can be to arrange for emergency travel in a war zone.\n\"My office is receiving panicked calls from Americans stuck in the Middle East, outraged that our government has provided zero evacuation support,\" Democratic Senator Andy Kim wrote on X on Tuesday.\n\"This Administration must immediately develop a plan to get our citizens out of harm's way, including by working with our allies and partners to secure transportation options for all Americans who wish to depart.\"\nLate on Tuesday, Rubio announced that some 9,000 Americans have left the region since the beginning of the war and that 1,600 more still needed assistance getting out.\nDemocratic Senator Chris Coons on Tuesday said Hegseth and Rubio \"must promptly appear before Congress and explain to the American people how they so poorly planned for the protection and evacuation of Americans from their war of choice,\" he wrote on X.\nBoth Rubio and Hegseth are expected to again brief lawmakers on the Iran war later on Tuesday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxONGc3bEEyQWlMVG5JSUxNOG1SUFhJSzM0U1NNVjhZTVljNXBaRUtBc0FoYW9lWm1RTm9MUzlVbFRQT2lsWmR2R3dyem9KdWlablVUUWVxbVVGQ25seUptNDVDSmU0Sm1VX3JvZXdmUWJDb1FOeEtsUkVob3FrRkVQa3IwcVZWNGUzNW8tQnFMaXdtc200MklEZQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_82aa3a35aa4c",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "As Iran’s leadership shifts amid war, Hezbollah moves to reset the balance: expert",
    "body_text": "Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared all Hezbollah actions 'illegal' and ordered the group to disarm after an overnight rocket barrage targeted Haifa. An Iranian ballistic missile strike in Be'er Sheva left at least 10 people wounded.\n\nHezbollah escalated its involvement in the widening conflict between Iran and the U.S. and Israel Tuesday, launching long-range missilesfrom Lebanonwithin 48 hours of coordinated strikes on Iran amid Operation Epic Fury.\n\nThe militant group also declared it was ready for an \"open war,\"The Associated Pressreported.\n\nThe Iranian-backed militant group fired rockets into northern Israel, prompting Israeli retaliation, according toThe Times of Israel. Two were intercepted by air defenses, the military said.\n\n\"Hezbollah is putting everything they have into the fight to add to the challenges Israel will face in this war,\"Ross Harrison, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.\n\nRockets launched from Lebanon towards Israel as seen from the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon after an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel.(Reuters/Gil Eliyahu)\n\n\"But Hezbollah also knows that if the Iranian regime falls, they could be degraded,\" he said before highlighting that \"Israel could not totally disarm Hezbollah.\"\n\nHezbollah was formed in the early 1980s with Iranian backing during Lebanon’s civil war and has grown into Tehran’s most powerful proxy.\n\nFor decades, Iran has funded, armed and trained the group as part of its broader strategy to confront Israel and expand its regional influence.\n\n\"Iran believes that it has to reestablish deterrence before the end of this war with the U.S. and Israel, so expanding it using Hezbollah and attacking Gulf Arab states and Cyprus is part of this,\" Harrison warned.\n\nIsrael responded to Hezbollah’s escalation with additional airstrikes on Beirut and expanded its ground operations, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) taking positions near the border.\n\nThe U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon reported seeing Israeli troops enter and exit Lebanese territory, though the IDF insisted its forces continue to operate there, according to The Associated Press.\n\nIRAN FIRES MISSILES AT US BASES ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AFTER AMERICAN STRIKES ON NUCLEAR, IRGC SITES\n\nHezbollah launches long-range missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel within 48 hours of strikes on Iran, escalating the widening conflict amid Operation Epic Fury.(Hadi Mizban/AP)\n\nThe U.S. Embassy in Beirut also announced Tuesday that it would close until further notice in a post on X.\n\nIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, \"To prevent the possibility of direct fire at Israeli communities, Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuand I have authorized the IDF to advance and hold additional dominant terrain in Lebanon and defend the border communities from there.\n\n\"The IDF continues to operate forcefully against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The terrorist organization is paying and will pay a heavy price for the fire toward Israel.\"\n\n\"Hezbollah, this is an octopus. The head of the octopus isin Iran. The arms are all over the region,\" IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"Last night, they launchedmissiles into Haifa, into a city center in Israel. They started it, they knew the consequences of that.\"\n\nThe IDF also announced that it had killed Daoud Ali Zadeh, commander of the Iranian Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps, in Tehran.\n\nTOP ISRAELI MILITARY OFFICIAL REVEALS OPERATION AGAINST IRAN INVOLVED 'STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL DECEPTION'\n\nIran rebuilds Hezbollah ties as Trump gives a 10- to 15-day deadline.(Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\n\nThe Quds Force acts as a key liaison between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, and Hezbollah leadership, facilitating the transfer of advanced weaponry and enhancing proxy firepower.\n\n\"The Quds Force is the arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, responsible for Iran’s relations with its allied militias, such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen,\" Harrison clarified.\n\n\"The Quds Force is the IRGC’s expeditionary force, designed to give Iran strategic depth,\" he said.\n\n\"They are (or were) significant in managing Iran’s relations with shadowy militia organizations, and it has been challenged over the last couple of years as Hamas and Hezbollah have been degraded.\"\n\nOn Saturday, theU.S.-Israeli airstrike campaignhad also targeted Iranian leadership in Tehran, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dramatically escalating tensions across the Middle East and triggering regional retaliation.\n\nKEANE WARNS IRAN STRIKE BECOMING ‘REGIONAL WAR,' SAYS THREE GULF STATES PREPARING FOR COMBAT\n\nIran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, was killed in an Israeli airstrike Saturday.(Getty Images)\n\nAn interim Leadership Council made up of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi is temporarily in charge of Iran, acting as the de facto head of state.\n\n\"If Iran ends the war prematurely, then they believe the U.S. and Israel can come back later,\" Harrison said.\n\n\"If they escalate, then they have a shot at recreating deterrence. It is a high risk, as it could bring them down. But the danger is they feel they have little choice, and Hezbollah is part of this for Iran.\n\n\"If the Iranian regime can hang on, they win. That said, Iran cannot win militarily, but if they can deny the U.S. a victory, they win.\n\n\"Fundamentally, the Iranian regime is trying to increase the pain of both Israel and the Gulf Arab states to be able to reestablish deterrence lost since the June 2025 war,\" Harrison added.\n\n\"Attacking civilian areas and economic pain points alongside Hezbollah is also part of this strategy.\"\n\nFox News' Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:33:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-leadership-shifts-war-hezbollah-reset-balance-expert",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_913b92b0da59",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Macron orders France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean - AP News",
    "body_text": "Macron orders France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday the Iran conflict has prompted France to reinforce its military posture and its defensive support for allies in the Middle East. Noting that a drone hit a hangar Sunday at a French naval base, he said France needs to ″be able to adapt our posture to the evolution of the last few hours.″\nPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the war in the Middle East.\nMacron said the Charles de Gaulle carrier will be escorted by frigates and its air wing. In a prerecorded speech on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defense systems and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East.\n“And we will continue this effort as much as necessary,” Macron said.\nFrance, the U.K. and Germany have previously said that they weren’t involved in the strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel that began late last week, but were prepared to take defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones.\nMacron, however, said that French forces had shot down drones “in legitimate self-defense in the very first hours of the conflict, to defend the airspace of our allies, who know they can rely on us.” He did not elaborate.\nIn explaining the need to move France’s aircraft carrier, Macron cited Monday’s strike on a British air force base on Cyprus, adding that Cyprus was a member of the European Union with which France has recently signed a strategic partnership.\n“This requires our support,” Macron said.\nMacron also said that France has defense agreements binding the EU nation to Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as strong commitments to Jordan and Iraq.\nNoting that the war had spread to Lebanon, Macron said the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group made “the grave mistake of striking Israel” and putting the Lebanese people in danger but warned against Israel launching a ground operation.\n“This, too, would be a dangerous escalation and a strategic error,” he said. “Hezbollah must imperatively cease all strikes, and I call on Israel to respect Lebanese territory and its integrity.”\nReflecting France’s traditional support for rules‑based international order, Macron noted that France “cannot approve” of the strikes by Israel and the U.S. on Iran because they were carried outside of the framework of “international law.”\nHe said it would it be “desirable” to end the strikes as quickly as possible, and that lasting peace in the region can only be achieved through the resumption of diplomatic negotiations.\n“And I also wish here to express the hope that the Iranian people may themselves freely decide their own destiny,” Macron added.\n“That said, history never weeps for the executioners of their own people, and none of them will be mourned,” he said in reference to the killings of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iran top officials.\nMacron also insisted on Iran’s responsibility for the conflict.\n“It is Iran that developed a dangerous nuclear program and unprecedented ballistic capabilities; that armed and financed terrorist groups in neighboring countries—Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Shiite militias in Iraq—and that supported Hamas, while always affirming its objective of destroying the State of Israel,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxPU2dlNTMzbW8tQV9hVWdTbWxOcXJEeUVxU1Ewd3ZxQUhMXzFMUTZfQ2JOVlZJb09PMXpMa3pQQXpoazVmZkluYXV6WkltSHZEb1Y4d2J5OE9YVUg1MGZScXBDS244T1BzdzlqR1dSYUQ1ZWM3ekU0a1ItWXhJX1RJVFNHUldrZXRoR1pCaXVLdHpheVJ1cTRFM0pBQ1o2YVk2RnZPd3VyZkZYc0lKUUQydGRHVEV1WFY0aUoxWlM2Yw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1ff272d158d2",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Cyprus becomes embroiled in another Middle Eastern maelstrom with UK military bases on its soil - AP News",
    "body_text": "Cyprus becomes embroiled in another Middle Eastern maelstrom with UK military bases on its soil\nCyprus becomes embroiled in another Middle Eastern maelstrom with UK military bases on its soil\nNICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — If the adage “geography is destiny” holds true, then Cyprus should be a prime candidate as its poster child.\nWhether it’s the Greeks, Persians, Romans, Ottomans or the British, tiny Cyprus has been a prized possession for many. That’s because of its proximity to arguably the world’s oldest hotbed of conflict, a region driven for centuries by faith as the birthplace of three great religions, and more recently by its vast energy resources.\nNow, after nearly 66 years as an independent nation, Cyprus has found itself embroiled in another Middle Eastern maelstrom primarily because it hosts two large and significant U.K. military bases, the vestige of its British colonial past.\nDrone strike reminds Cyprus trouble is always close\nMinutes after midnight on Monday, a Shahed drone managed to evade the Royal Air Force’s state-of-the-art radar installations at its base in Akrotiri. Typhoon fighters and six of the world’s preeminent warplane — the F-35 — were deployed to take out the drone, which officials said ultimately did limited damage to an aircraft hangar near the base’s runway.\nNo one was injured, but the attack signaled a troubling expansion of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran into European territory. It also signified the first time a third country mounted any type of attack on Cypriot soil since Turkey’s 1974 invasion that cleaved the island along ethnic lines.\nWarplanes intercepted a pair of drones in a second attempted strike on the base shortly after midday Monday, driving home the point that the initial strike was no accident.\nCypriot and British officials haven’t specified where the Shahed drone took off from, but speculation is that it was the work of Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. The U.K. government insisted the drone strike on the British base wasn’t an outcome of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to allow the U.S. to use is bases for its campaign against Iran, arguing that the UAV was launched before he made the announcement Sunday evening.\nBut that’s a moot point. If Iran or Hezbollah wanted to “punish” the U.K. it’s unlikely it would try to hit its base on Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean — it would opt for RAF Akrotiri only some 160 miles (260 kilometers) away.\nRAF Akrotiri, with its massive runway, is a prime component of the U.K.'s complex of bases in Cyprus, including Episkopi Garrison in the west and Dhekelia Garrison in the east. Its breadth measures some of 99 square miles (255 square kilometers).\nIn 2003, RAF Akrotiri served as a major logistical hub for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. It’s still home to the famed U2 spy plane that conducts high-altitude surveillance flights over the Middle East.\nCyprus forges its own path\nIn its first decades of independence, Cyprus had steered clear of taking sides in any regional conflict, opting instead for a “neutral” stance that tried and more often than not failed to strike a balance between East and West, Arab and Israeli. The country’s EU membership put it firmly in the Western camp. But the definitive turn came years ago with the election of President Nikos Christodoulides, a U.S. educated history and politics professor, who unequivocally declared Cyprus’ pro-Western, pro-U.S. orientation.\nChristodoulides has leveraged Cyprus’ geography to diplomatically position the island as the “bridge” linking the EU with the Middle East, pushing a humanitarian-centered foreign policy by assiduously building strong diplomatic, commercial and defense ties with Israel, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the region.\nAfter the RAF Akrotiri drone strike, Cypriot government officials from Christodoulides on down took pains to underscore that the country “has not, is not and will not take part in any military action.”\nHeeding Christodoulides’ plea for help to bolster the island’s own anti-drone defenses, Greece dispatched four F-16 fighter planes and two cutting-edge frigates, while France will send a frigate of its own and land-based anti-drone and anti-missile systems, according to officials. Germany is also expected to send a warship, while Starmer said he’s sending a warship and helicopters to help protect RAF Akrotiri.\nThe specter of Britain’s military bases\nDespite this, the British bases in Cyprus perpetually cast a shadow over any Cypriot government policy. The Cyprus government says U.K. authorities are obliged to inform it when they would use the bases for any military action, but that’s more of a courtesy than anything else.\nYale Fellow and president of the Politeia think tank Anna Koukkides-Procopiou likened Cyprus’ conundrum to the analogy of a billiards table where a ball sits undisturbed, almost forgotten in a corner of the table until it’s suddenly thrust into a pocket after other balls collide with it.\n“We’ve chosen sides and we have to face the music now,” Koukkides-Procopiou told The Associated Press, adding the priority for Cyprus now is what it must do to make itself less vulnerable to the vicissitudes of its geography.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:41:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQbnd2Z1NPa1dTaE5jZkx1ekdsU0NFM2FTT2JFZk1pWnNHZGJZTkEzaG45N0NSOFpkS1JsamsxYVI5Qk5oOTlqRGxTcEN6bExCbE82dGJ5bmpBRXEwQkdkYUdXOTlscmFvZnBaSXJuaV9aODgyRU5xam9zQktPZlVmMlJJVWJHVzhyamYycWFYSEdaWGpSMk5DUnVlV2pYOVlaSTdV?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3661846001a6",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'Asset or liability?': Gulf's US security dependence under scrutiny as Iran lands blows - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "'Asset or liability?': Gulf's US security dependence under scrutiny as Iran lands blows\nUS President Donald Trump said his “biggest surprise” since unleashing a war in the Middle East has been Iran’s attacks on the Arab Gulf states, which the US counts as some of its closest and richest partners.\n“Unbelievable,” a former US intelligence official told Middle East Eye in response to Trump’s comment.\n“It’s as if the US was operating and planning in a bubble for the last year. This is what Trump was warned of in conversations with Gulf rulers, and presumably his own intelligence briefings,” the person added.\nNot even a year has passed since Trump gave a speech in Riyadh praising the “gleaming marvels” of the oil and gas-rich region’s cities, and now Iranian drones and ballistic missiles are slamming into those very towers and the energy infrastructure that made them possible.\nIn his May speech, Trump also trashed “interventionists”. His remarks were welcomed not only by ordinary people in the Gulf but also by its wealthy rulers, who are increasingly seeking to manage the region on their own - sometimes through violent means, as in Sudan, and at other times through negotiation.\nNow, the US’s willingness to engage in an all-out war on the Islamic Republic as its Gulf allies take the retaliatory blows is shaking the foundations of their security partnership in the first place, analysts and officials in the Gulf say.\n“To my knowledge, the US has not spelt out to leadership what our gain is if we join a full-scale war on Iran,” a Gulf official told MEE. “But the cost is obvious.”\nIt’s not that the Gulf states are questioning the US’s military edge. They are effectively using the expensive air defence systems they purchased from the US to defend their cities.\nSome, like UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, have made public appearances amid the war as a vote of confidence in their armed forces operating US military hardware. The irony is that they purchased the gear to defend against Iran, but are using it to defend against strikes caused by a war the US launched.\n“Of course, Iran is the one attacking the Gulf states. It is exposing their vulnerabilities, but also the unreliability of their strategic ally, the US, which is not helping them,” Abdullah Baabood, an Omani political and security expert, told MEE.\n“I don’t think the Gulf, not only Oman but other Gulf leaderships, are happy about how the US is conducting itself in the region,” Baabood added.\n'Hit left and right'\nThe Gulf’s doubts about the US’s security commitments to them were crystallised as early as 2019, when the Trump administration failed to respond to an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations that emanated from Iran. A similar episode occurred when the Biden administration did not respond to Houthi attacks on the UAE.\nSaudi Arabia and the UAE then moved to patch up their acrimonious ties with Iran.\nThe Arab monarchs’ hopes that fostering better diplomatic ties with Iran would earn them goodwill in the event of an Israeli or US war with their neighbour have gone up in smoke, literally, because of Iranian attacks.\n'I don’t feel much sympathy [from the US] for the Gulf which is being hit left and right'\n- Cinzia Bianco, European Council on Foreign Relations\nBut the Gulf states were also unable to use their investments in the US, or business links to Trump’s family, to prevent the war or earn extra protection.\nGulf countries running low on interceptors are being “stonewalled” by the US, which is facing a global shortage of interceptors, MEE reported previously.\nTrump’s statement that he was “surprised” by attacks on the Gulf landed with a thud in the region, analysts and Arab officials told MEE.\nThe public remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have also been scant on praise for Gulf states facing down hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.\n“I don’t feel much sympathy [from the US] for the Gulf, which is being hit left and right,” Cinzia Bianco, at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told MEE. “They certainly had higher expectations for the US.”\nThe Gulf states are not in an enviable position, experts say.\nTo reestablish deterrence against Iran and draw their own red lines, they may need to join the US in its offensive, potentially being sucked into a regime-change war they do not want, and that leaves them exposed if the US pulls out.\nMEE revealed that Saudi Arabia acquiesced to the US attack on Iran after lobbying from the Trump administration. Saudi Arabia has yet to join the US’s offensive operations despite its capital, Riyadh, and its energy infrastructure being attacked by Iran.\nBut US and Arab officials tell MEE that it is inching closer.\n'Equations'\n“This war doesn’t change the questions we had about the reliability of the US’s security partnership. Episodes in the past decade have put the security guarantee parameters into question. But you are talking about the number one military power in the world, and the Gulf states have not achieved strategic autonomy yet,” Bader al-Saif, an expert at Kuwait University, told MEE.\n“[The Gulf] needs to work with what we have at the moment, including the US and this administration’s contradictions until [we] develop a solid independent path,” al-Saif added.\nAl-Saif said that this may actually lie in what Iran has achieved with its domestic arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones.\nThis bid for defence autonomy was already a festering sore point between Saudi Arabia and the US before the war, and is why people close to decision makers in Saudi Arabia said the kingdom was discussing coproduction of warplanes with Turkey.\nBaabood, the Omani analyst, said Gulf states are likely reassessing how valuable the security links with the US are now that countries like Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have found themselves in Iran’s crosshairs.\nAll these countries are home to US military bases, which mushroomed in the region after the first Gulf war.\n“Iran is making sure the Gulf states start to think that the US military bases in the region are not a strategic asset but a liability,” Baabood said.\nAl-Saif told MEE that the Gulf still saw value in US bases.\n“The Gulf states entered into defence agreements with the US after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. They were not in response to Iran. The bases serve various functions, including shared knowledge and capacity building. There is value in what those bases offer, and they do not undermine the Gulf’s sovereignty,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T22:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPdVloVnFUa184cWY3RXp6WjRqMUItekQtVmNfNTE3R0tqQ3hlR2FGOVVRdnZsZUFWUlh0S2gxVmFhRVZ0c3NfMlpKOWc1eEMxaXN2YWtnSk5fZHhkczNUbjhHS2lkRlJOaXdRT2hqSEQyOVdkVjB0Uzg0Vm5GdnlwNmtXNzlvUXg3VGJpbF9hclkybndDaVF3ZXNkalpUdzBrNUZDYU5yVmpmYzBZeVN1cUpjMDk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d8cbc7c1a045",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Pentagon releases names of first U.S. service members killed in Iran war - CBS News",
    "body_text": "The Pentagon has released the names of six\nkilled during the ongoing war with Iran. The service members died when an in Kuwait.The Defense Department identified them as:\n- Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida\n- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska\n- Sgt. 1st Class , 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota\n- Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa\n- Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa\nThe Pentagon also announced Wednesday that Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California, \"is believed to be\" the sixth soldier who \"perished at the scene\" in Kuwait, and that positive identification will be done by a medical examiner.\nMarzan's brother, Vic Marzan, told CBS News Sacramento in a statement: \"My brother died for our country. He was a lifetime serviceman. Loved his family and country.\"\nThe soldiers died Sunday in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack, the Defense Department said.\nThey were all assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines.\n\"We honor our fallen Heroes, who served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation. Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten,\" Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of the U.S. Army Reserve and commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, said in a news release Tuesday.\n\"To the families and teammates of these Cactus Nation Soldiers: you have my deepest sympathy and my respect,\" said Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, commanding general of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command. \"Our nation is kept safe by folks like these brave men and women who put it all on the line every single day. They represent the heart of America. We will remember their names, their service, and their sacrifice.\"\nKhork enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 and was commissioned as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014. He deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantanamo Bay in 2021 and Poland in 2024, the Army Reserve said. Amor enlisted in the National Guard in 2005 and transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006. She deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019. Tietjens enlisted in the Reserve in 2006 and had two deployments to Kuwait, in 2009 and 2019. Coady, who the Army Reserve said was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant, enlisted in the Reserve in 2023. O'Brien commissioned in the Army Reserve as a Signal Corps officer in 2012 and deployed to Kuwait in 2019.\nU.S. Central Command initially announced Sunday that three service members were killed in Kuwait, then said Monday that another had died of their injuries. Later, they said remains of two previously unaccounted-for service members were also recovered from a\nduring Iran's initial attacks.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said the deadly incident happened when an incoming munition hit a tactical operations center in Kuwait. The Pentagon said the incident is under investigation.\nAs of Tuesday morning, the number of seriously wounded in the U.S.-Iran conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, was down from 18 to 10 service members as they progressed through medical treatment, a U.S. official said.\nIn a statement, the Khork family described Cody as \"truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him.\"\n\"He was deeply patriotic and took great pride in serving something greater than himself,\" his family said in their statement. \"Above all, Cody found the love of his life and carried that same devotion into both his personal life and his service to this country. He lived with purpose, loved deeply, and served honorably. His legacy will endure in the lives he touched, the example he set, and the love of country and family that defined him.\"\nIn a\noffered his condolences to the families and warned that there will likely be more American casualties, saying combat operations \"will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.\"\"We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,\" Mr. Trump said. \"And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is.\"\nHegseth had called the service members who were killed \"the absolute best of America.\" \"May we prosecute the remainder of this operation in a manner that honors them,\" he said.\nThe U.S. and Israel launched a massive military operation early Saturday in Iran, including\nIran's 's compound in Tehran and killing him. The Israel Defense Forces said other Iranian officials and commanders were also killed, including an adviser to Khamenei.Iran's military has since launched retaliatory strikes on Israel and other U.S.-allied nations in the Middle East.\nOn Monday, Mr. Trump said the U.S.-Israeli military operation\nof addressing the threat posed by the Islamic Republic's ballistic missiles and nuclear program, and that the administration expects the campaign to last four to five weeks.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T23:04:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxNOFliVUJLZGh2N2E4eG1DdGIycFItY0pDa09USFgxSHd1RG9jX0FBd2RkNklKdUp2bVQzYXlHVmJtc0ZaMGgwUDJwUy0tVUJIeFA0azhiblRWRE1pVHpvNWF3SG9NRy0ySF9mUXdKaTROZHdxNXM5NVBpdVdaajIxd3BXc9IBiAFBVV95cUxQWHk1UHJweXoyNjZyWllKXzdYM3hCVzlSTFZ4UmY4SEZXWmoyOTNjY2hHZlJVR0tyRkpDRko2TjVRVGxaWEExVHk3Y3QxOE1tYkhMMTA5ekt0QmlJVDk2cEJmZHJaZDVVQXFJNEVCZmMwMzVNRUJ2N0diYloybWNUTGFjNVpVWTJX?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bf61e9a462b6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US and Israel bomb Iran for fourth day as Trump says air defences 'gone' - BBC",
    "body_text": "US and Israel bomb Iran for fourth day as Trump says air defences 'gone'\nThe US and Israel have bombed targets across Iran for a fourth day, as President Donald Trump declared that the country's air defences, air force, navy and leadership were \"gone\".\nThe Israeli military said it had struck Iran's presidential office, a covert nuclear compound, and a Revolutionary Guards commander in Tehran, while the US military said it had destroyed command facilities, missile launch sites and airfields.\nIranian authorities did not comment. But explosions were reported across Iran, where the Red Crescent has said 780 people have been killed since Saturday.\nIran has responded to the strikes by launching deadly missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases.\nA drone hit a car park adjacent to the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday evening and \"set off a fire in that place\", US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.\nIt came hours after two drones hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh and caused a \"limited fire\", according to the Saudi defence ministry.\nThe US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials in the first wave of strikes.\nTrump has said the US is seeking to destroy Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and navy, its ability to develop nuclear weapons, and its support for proxy groups in the region. He has also urged Iranians to use the attack to \"take back your government\".\nAt the White House on Tuesday, the president said: \"We've had a very powerful impact. Virtually everything they had has been knocked out now. Their missile count is going down.\"\nTrump also repeated a claim that 49 Iranian leaders were \"taken out\" on Saturday and said there was \"another hit today on the new leadership\", without giving any details.\nWhen asked by a reporter who he would like to take over after the conflict, Trump replied: \"Most of the people we had in mind are dead.\"\nNot long afterwards, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) put out a statement saying an air strike in Tehran had killed the temporary commander of the Lebanon Corps of the Quds Force, the IRGC's overseas operations arm.\nIt named the officer as Daoud Alizadeh and said he had recently pushed the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah to attack Israel. The IDF has carried out dozens of strikes in Lebanon since Monday, when Hezbollah launched rockets and drones over the border.\nThe IDF also said it had struck a covert compound on the outskirts of Tehran where it alleged a group of scientists working for the defence ministry had \"operated to develop necessary capabilities for nuclear weapons\".\nThere was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities, but they have repeatedly insisted that the country's nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and that it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons.\nThe global nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said separately that satellite imagery had allowed it to confirm \"some recent damage\" to entrance buildings at Iran's underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. \"No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself,\" it added.\nThe Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) also said there had been no recorded release of radioactive material at Natanz following what it called the \"criminal attack\".\nNatanz was severely damaged in a US strike during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel last June, and enriched uranium is believed to be buried underground. Enriched uranium can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons.\nNeither the US nor Israel have said they struck Natanz in recent days.\nEarlier on Tuesday, the IDF said it had dropped bombs overnight on the presidential office and the Supreme National Security Council's building in Tehran.\n\"This compound serves as the most central and significant headquarters of the Iranian terrorist regime. Its strike further degrades the functional continuity of the regime's command and control systems,\" the IDF added.\nSatellite images later released by Vantor showed extensive damage to the presidential office and other major political and military sites, including the judiciary complex, the ministry of intelligence, a building owned by state broadcaster IRIB, and the IRGC's headquarters.\nThe US military's Central Command said its forces had destroyed IRGC command-and-control facilities, air defence capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.\nThe office of the clerical body charged with choosing Khamenei's successor as supreme leader, the Assembly of Experts, was also bombed in the central city of Qom on Tuesday, Iranian media reported.\nTwo videos verified by the BBC showed that the building was almost completely destroyed. A nearby building was also heavily damaged.\nIRIB said the buildings had been evacuated beforehand and no casualties were reported.\nThe Iranian army said 13 personnel were killed in a missile attack on an army aviation base in the south-eastern province of Kerman, according to the hardline Tasnim news agency.\nThe Iranian Red Crescent said on Tuesday that at least 787 people had been killed in the country over the past four days in 1,039 reported US and Israeli strikes. It did not say how many of the dead were civilians or whether the figure included members of the armed forces.\nHowever, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA) said overnight that the deaths of 742 civilians, including 176 children, had so far been reported.\nOfficials have said at least 165 girls and staff died when Shajare Tayyebeh school was hit, and blamed Israel and the US.\nThe IDF said on Sunday that it was not aware of any Israeli or US strikes in the area. The US secretary of state told reporters on Monday that the US \"would not deliberately target a school\" but that the department of defence was investigating \"if that was our strike\".\n\"We would have no interest and, frankly, no incentive to target civilian infrastructure,\" Rubio said. \"The Iranians are, on the other hand, targeting civilian infrastructure.\"\nIran's armed forces have responded to the strikes by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and neighbouring Arab states which host US military installations.\nA spokesman for the IRGC warned of more intense attacks on Tuesday, telling state TV: \"The gates of hell will open more and more.\"\nThe IDF has said it has intercepted most of the missiles and drones heading towards Israel since the conflict began, but some missiles have landed and killed a total of 10 people.\nIn Kuwait, six US service personnel have been killed in Iranian attacks. Two Kuwaiti army soldiers and one other person have also died.\nAnother three people have been killed in the United Arab Emirates, one person has died in Bahrain, and one person has been killed on a tanker off Oman's coast.\nQatar's foreign ministry spokesman condemned the Iranian attacks on its territory and told reporters that they would \"not go unanswered\".\nIran has also declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil and gas shipments pass. \"We will burn any ship that tries to pass through the strait,\" IRGC Brig Gen Ebrahim Jabbari warned.\nUK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that he was sending an air-defence destroyer, HMS Dragon, to Cyprus after the runway of the RAF Akrotiri airbase was hit by an Iranian-made drone.\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron also said he had ordered the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group to deploy to the eastern Mediterranean to help protect Cyprus.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T23:12:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE1QS0pwRWN1OFE4ZDc1VUxBdzBvX0hHV0pIWHFIajZMREQzeDVaSFREQm9HWGd3dE5JZnhYckFvZk16QUdqWVN1c25nRUxjNW1wal82Q1ZnanFCQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8837aa94e49b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Unpacking US justification for Iran attacks",
    "body_text": "Unpacking US justification for Iran attacks\nUS officials confirmed the US didn’t attack Iran because of an ‘imminent threat’ but because Israel was planning to strike anyway. Al Jazeera’s Nada Qaddourah breaks down the Trump administration’s justifications for starting the war and examines whether they hold up.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T23:18:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/3/unpacking-us-justification-for-iran-attacks?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_79279627a443",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran War Oil Shock Threatens to Unleash Wave of Global Inflation - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iran War Oil Shock Threatens to Unleash Wave of Global Inflation    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T23:20:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNaG0yQjljTU1Wb0VCRlY2Q1hzQ1lid1RBeFgtMUZxRTRlb1RCTWlfVjBzcFhYT09aZzlCUFFjZklRSEFZaFVsWVB6T2liOWxBTlNPTUZVOWNXWkhIYUFnSG52aVdQWVlFNHNlZTVCbGdfX0NULTY5dXNpQ09KZ2ZmcHgtMXRHc1ZiVGlwU3hjaXpIN1ViVWlwUG5qY1BIc2pzcm4xdE44Qkgyb0d4Z2Y4UGln?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_49ab085c18a0",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "CIA station in Saudi Arabia struck by suspected Iranian drone, source says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "CIA station in Saudi Arabia struck by suspected Iranian drone, source says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T23:28:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxPb3lhYkVEZW1GX3lWb3ZGZkJ6aXo1dXh6dEFISkg1Vm9CVngxZ3dfeEItc2xBNmtnM2ZFbVJOWWUzeWNMWUFMVGtucHQ1TFJORTV1Mjlid0ZXY2xoSDNqbmE4XzZQT0o5TTBTNjFaWFZnSEkxd2lMUG1UNmo5UVY2OFdJWlFtM2VRbXgwRjE0TTN1ckluQkxXejJUWXZaYmZ0bktHMThPRklwTEt4dkZ3a3o0Wm5kRE9aUWlzNDBrQmZ1Zw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_92ced123808e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Saudi Arabia to take all necessary measures to defend its security, cabinet says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Saudi Arabia to take all necessary measures to defend its security, cabinet says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-03T23:33:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxOZDFMRHQ2dmQtei1Na0twZHdOVGxCcndOSzZmRzNKcjY0VUYwY1FKNEZVaFYyQkxScTJrd3l1aVZkdnZaM1B1amJCeUxJOVh6UEZKMmQwUWYzbXJnUVlid0xwSjJ2aXFvQ3RCVVVBRGFGSzJyVmQ1el9zNHU1WXI0dDZiVmlzUU9lVEFtc00wN05Na3BaRk0xYUN2MkljdGs4MkRMbHlzbEd3THBGaDVTSE9yVk5BWWlQaGsyQ3RlYnpzaWIzY0E?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_75eecb66c99c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran live news: US embassy in Dubai hit; Israel pounds Tehran, Beirut",
    "body_text": "As the conflict engulfs the region, Turkiye says a ballistic missile fired Iran was destroyed by NATO air and missile defence systems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The target of the missile was not immediately clear.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T00:00:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/3/4/iran-live-news-us-embassy-in-dubai-hit-israel-pounds-tehran-beirut?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7e10bddf100a",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Macron warns Israel against Lebanon invasion",
    "body_text": "Macron warns Israel against Lebanon invasion\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron has warned Israel against invading Lebanon, after the Israeli military said its troops had begun operating in the south of the country following Hezbollah attacks.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T00:06:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/macron-warns-israel-against-lebanon-invasion?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a2eaf9bd51af",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Rubio claim of Israeli role in US Iran attack reverberates, despite denial",
    "body_text": "Washington, DC – On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided a looping justification for the US launching a war against Iran: Israel was planning to strike Iran, which would have prompted Tehran to strike the US assets in the region, requiring Washington to launch preemptive strikes on Iran.\nEven as the administration of US President Donald Trump has sought to roll back claims made by several officials in recent days, they have continued to spark dismay across the political spectrum.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Iran mourns 165 girls, staff killed in US-Israel strike on Minab school\n- list 2 of 3‘Worst-case scenario’: Trump weighs replacing Khamenei as leader of Iran\n- list 3 of 3US midterm primary season kicks off in shadow of Iran war\nRubio’s statement was particularly notable, given the assessment by many Iran analysts that the US-Israel war, which has led to regional retaliation from Iran, serves the interests not of Washington, but of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.\nWashington is seen as having outsized leverage over Israel, to which it has provided more than $300bn in military aid since 1948, including $21bn during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.\nTrump, when asked about Rubio’s statement on Tuesday, appeared to offer a different characterisation, saying he launched the war because he “thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked”.\n“They [Iran] were getting ready to attack Israel. They were gonna attack others,” he said.\nThe US president has spent the days since launching the initial strikes on Saturday arguing that the holistic threat posed by Iran justified the US-Israeli strikes, a position that experts say likely stands in contravention of both US and international law. The administration has provided scant evidence of a planned attack on US assets or that either Iran’s nuclear or ballistic programmes offered an immediate threat.\nRubio on Monday also sought to distance himself from his statements, claiming his words had been taken out of context.\nRubio had, in earlier comments, pointed to the broader threat posed by Iran, including its ballistic missile and drone capacity. But then he turned to what he called the question of “why now?”\n“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,” he told reporters. “We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”\n‘Stunning admission’\nThe shifting messaging on Tuesday was unlikely to allay the condemnation from Trump critics and supporters alike, including several influential figures within Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base.\nKelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told Al Jazeera that “what he’s basically publicly acknowledging would be that the United States was entrapped by the Israelis”.\n“The notion that the Israelis were going to do it anyway, and so we had to do it as well – if that’s the case, then there’s a really serious conversation to be had here in the United States about US and Israeli interests, and where those are aligned and where they diverge,” Grieco said.\nKenneth Roth, a former executive director of Human Rights Watch, in a post on X, questioned: “Why is it in America’s interest to arm and fund Israel to draw America into an unnecessary war?”\nIn an earlier post, he said Rubio’s logic “isn’t even close to a legal rationale” for launching the war.\nThe Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), meanwhile, called Rubio’s words on Monday a “stunning admission”.\nIn a statement, it said Rubio had revealed “what was clear from the start: the United States did not attack Iran because Iran posed an imminent threat to our nation. We attacked under pressure from Israel for Israel’s benefit”.\nThe organisation called on Congress to pass war powers resolutions to rein in Trump’s ability to wage war.\nLooming war powers vote\nLawmakers have pledged to introduce the legislation in both the House of Representatives and Senate this week, although it is likely to face an uphill battle amid Republican opposition.\nTrump’s party maintains razor-thin majorities in both chambers, and most Republican lawmakers have rallied behind the war and the reasons the administration has given for launching attacks.\nWar powers resolutions would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a presidential veto, although advocates have long argued they offer an opportunity for lawmakers to put their stance on the record.\nIn a statement on Tuesday, progressive US Senator Bernie Sanders was among the lawmakers condemning the administration’s war.\n“Netanyahu wanted war with Iran. Trump just gave it to him,” Sanders said.\nThe Israeli prime minister has, for more than two decades, called for the toppling of Iran’s government, and has been a leading opponent to diplomacy related to Iran’s nuclear programme.\nDuring that time, Netanyahu has repeatedly pushed claims that Iran was on the immediate precipice of developing a nuclear weapon.\n“American foreign and military policy must be determined by the American people,” Sanders wrote. “Not the right-wing extremist Netanyahu government.”\nThomas Massie, a Republican representative who has spearheaded the war powers push, connected Rubio’s statement to Trump’s “America First” pledges to prioritise domestic issues in the US.\n“Before it’s over, the price of gas, groceries, and virtually everything else is going to go up,” Massie posted on X. “The only winners in [the US] are defence company shareholders.”\n‘Worst possible thing he could have said’\nSeveral influential figures in Trump’s MAGA base said Rubio’s statements were further inflaming the growing discontent over the war.\nDaily Wire podcaster Matt Walsh said Rubio was “flat out telling us that we’re in a war with Iran because Israel forced our hand. This is basically the worst possible thing he could have said.”\nResponding to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s reiteration of Rubio’s claims, former congressman and Trump attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz said: “In making these statements, which are undeniably true, America looks like such a supplicant.”\nPro-Trump brothers Keith and Kevin Hodge, who run the influential pro-Trump X account HodgeTwins, with 3.5 million followers, also decried the administration’s actions.\n“We did not vote for send[ing] Americans to die for Israel’s wars,” they posted on Tuesday. “We won’t stay silent about this.”\nAli Harb contributed reporting.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T00:18:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/rubio-claim-of-israeli-role-in-us-iran-attack-reverberates-despite-denial?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_aa93317cfedc",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "'All red lines have been crossed': Gulf states weigh response to Iranian strikes",
    "body_text": "'All red lines have been crossed': Gulf states weigh response to Iranian strikes\nGulf states have found themselves on the front line of the Middle East's newest war, and they are angry.\nIran has retaliated to US-Israeli air strikes by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at its Arab neighbours – targeting American military bases on their soil, but also civilian and energy infrastructure.\nThis is a war that the Arab governments didn't want and tried to prevent. The question is whether they'll be drawn into it by what they've called the \"treacherous\" Iranian attacks.\n\"All the red lines have already been crossed,\" said Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari at a press briefing on Tuesday.\n\"The attacks on our sovereignty are constant,\" he told journalists.\n\"There are attacks on infrastructure. There are attacks on our residential areas. And the effects of these attacks are very clear. When it comes to possible retaliation, all options are with our leadership. But we have to make it very clear that attacks like these will not go unanswered and cannot go unanswered.\"\nMostly the Iranian missiles are being intercepted across the region, but falling debris has started fires and killed people. Drones that are more easily able to get through air defences often cause minimal damage but still sow chaos that disrupts trade and travel.\nThat seems to be the Iranian strategy – to raise the stakes for its Arab neighbours in hopes they will increase pressure on the US to end the war.\nIran is believed to have fired almost as many drones and missiles at the United Arab Emirates, the gulf's dominant trade and tourism hub, as Israel, according to the Financial Times.\nThat also means Tehran's strategy could backfire. Iran risks pushing Gulf states closer to Washington, even having them join the war effort in some form.\nSo far, they've refused to let the US use their skies and territory to launch strikes on Iran.\nThat could change. At some point, they might decide to participate in military operations.\nThey're not there yet – for now the Arabs are focused on defence. But much depends on how long the war goes on.\nSome would be reluctant to appear to be taking Israel's side in the conflict.\nIsrael's deadly and destructive offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks of October 2023, as well as its military interventions in countries such as Lebanon and Syria, has increasingly strained relations with the Arabs. They were furious when it bombed Qatar last year in an attempt to assassinate Hamas leadership.\nWhat's clear is that Iran's attacks have strengthened unity among the Gulf states\nThe six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman – met in emergency session on Sunday to express solidarity and pledge to \"take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and to protect their territories, citizens, and residents, including the option of responding to the aggression.\"\nA senior diplomatic advisor to the Emirati president, Anwar Gargash, has urged Iran to come to its senses.\n\"Your war is not with your neighbours,\" he wrote in a post on X. \"Return to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours with reason and responsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T00:24:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrqqd8lw2wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_64c1d549d9a7",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Australian girl, 8, killed in snowmobile accident in Japan",
    "body_text": "Australian girl, 8, killed in snowmobile accident in Japan\nAn eight-year-old Queensland girl has been killed after she was seriously injured in a snowmobile accident at a Japanese ski resort.\nChloe Jeffries, from the Gold Coast, was riding on a snowmobile with her mother in Hakuba Valley, Nagano prefecture, on Saturday when it overturned, trapping her underneath. She was airlifted to hospital but later died.\nIn a tribute from her netball club, Jeffries was remembered for her \"beautiful nature\" and \"her cheeky, infectious smile\".\nTour operator Hakuba Lion Adventure said the vehicle flipped after going up an embankment along a forest road and that police were investigating. Jeffries is the fourth Australian to have died at a Japanese ski resort this year.\nIn a statement, the tour company's CEO Shinji Wada said the \"tragic accident\" happened just before 11:00 local time on Saturday.\nThe tour was made up of nine snowmobiles including three guides, he said.\n\"During the tour, near an uphill curve along a forest road, the snowmobile from the front left the course while navigating the curve and rode up onto the embankment at the side of the trail.\n\"The vehicle subsequently overturned back onto the course. As a result of the overturn, the passenger riding tandem on the snowmobile became trapped beneath the vehicle.\"\nWada said it had cancelled all its snowmobile and snowshoe tours until further notice and it would conduct a review of its operations and safety procedures.\nA spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the family.\nLast month, Melbourne man Michael 'Micky' Hurst, 27, died after he became separated from his group of skiers between two ski resorts in the Hokkaido region.\nIt's understood he collapsed suddenly and was taken to hospital but later declared dead.\nBrooke Day was using a chairlift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Nagano prefecture, when part of her backpack got tangled in the lift, leaving her suspended in midair.\nThe woman suffered a heart attack and was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead, officials said at the time.\nIn January, Australian-Indonesian teenager Rylan Henry Pribadi died while skiing at Niseko Ski Resort in Kutchan Town, Hokkaido.\nIt is believed he collided with a course boundary role. The cause of death was asphyxiation, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T00:53:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yk5yw49nqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c12186e8f894",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran-Israel war day 5 highlights: Air strike hits Hezbollah's Beirut stronghold after Israel warning; Hegseth says U.S. submarine sank Iranian warship off Sri Lanka - The Hindu",
    "body_text": "This live blog is closed. Follow the conflict updates on March 5 here\nA U.S. submarine attacked an Iranian warship, which sank in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday, bringing the West Asian conflict closer to the Indian subcontinent. At least 83 people were killed in the torpedo attack.\nAlso read: A day‑by‑day rundown of the escalating crisis\nU.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike at a press conference in Washington D.C. “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” Mr. Hegseth said, terming it a “quiet death” and the “first sinking of an enemy ship” by a torpedo since World War II. “Like in that war,” he said, “we are fighting to win”.\nA senior Iranian official said that Tehran would hold a public ceremony for citizens to pay their respects following the death of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, France 24 reported, citing state media. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall starting on Wednesday, but was “postponed”, state media said.\nAlso read: Iran-Israel war highlights on March 3, 2026\nIran is also “trying” to quickly appoint a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, despite the ongoing U.S.-Israeli bombardment, state TV reported on Wednesday (March 4, 2026). Meanwhile, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T00:56:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a14194fbef63",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "What to know about the 'two sessions',  China's biggest political meeting",
    "body_text": "What to know about the 'two sessions', China's biggest political meeting\nThe stage is set for China's biggest political gathering - carefully choreographed annual meetings of the political advisory body and the rubber-stamp national legislature.\nThe \"two sessions\", which started on Wednesday and typically run for one to two weeks, signal the priorities of the world's second-largest economy.\nObservers will be watching if China aims for ambitious growth targets despite struggling to lift domestic consumption, and will pore over its new Five Year Plan to understand Xi Jinping's roadmap for the country.\nLooming over the event are the recent purges of high-level military officials who have been dismissed as part of Xi's long-running anti-corruption campaign.\nHere's what you need to know about the gathering.\nWhat are the 'two sessions'?\nThe term refers to two different meetings.\nThe first is that of the advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which begins on Wednesday. It's 2,000-plus members are drawn from various sectors, and not just the Communist Party.\nIts discussions offer insight into key policy debates, but it has no legislative power.\nThat technically rests with the National People's Congress or NPC, which will convene on Thursday.\nAlthough its extensive authority includes making laws, amending the constitution and approving state budgets, it functions as little more than a rubber-stamp parliament, approving decisions made behind closed doors by the Communist Party.\nEstablished in 1954, the NPC meets only once a year. Some 3,000 delegates from all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and branches of the government, including the armed forces, will be in Beijing to attend the NPC.\nMost of them are party members or government officials, and they each hold office for a term of five years.\nReal influence lies within a smaller standing committee elected from congress delegates, which meets every couple of months.\nIs the NPC any more than a 'rubber stamp'?\nIn short, no.\nBut that does not mean it is not important to watch for those who want to understand where China is heading.\nAlthough it is a highly choreographed event featuring party-approved speeches and media conferences with questions screened beforehand, these messages still offer clues about the Party's goals and ambitions for China. And a rare glimpse into the workings of its government.\nIn the decades gone by, when the Communist Party initiated market reforms to open up the economy, its intentions came through at these annual meetings; the same can be said for when Xi began to expand greater state control over the economy.\nIn addition to economic policies, past reports have included a range of goals, from China's campaign to improve sanitary conditions as well as calls to boost the country's soft power.\nWhy does it matter to the rest of the world?\nFrom electric vehicles and solar panels to humanoid robots and AI apps, China's industrial and technological footprint has expanded at breathtaking speed in recent years. These developments follow a state-driven road map to transform the country's status from the world's factory floor to a global tech powerhouse.\nThis did not come about as an accident, but rather follows a deliberate government strategy. This became clear in the language used at previous NPCs, so analysts will be watching this year's congress for any clues as to what comes next.\nWhat may sound like small policy shifts in China can drive ripples, eventually creating tidal waves across the globe. While the speeches may seem long and dreary, they contain points of emphasis which may show, for example, greater focus and financial support for specific industries.\nMoreover, this year's NPC comes as world leaders appear to be seeking a steadier relationship with Beijing, given how unpredictable the second Trump presidency has been.\nWhat to expect this year\nOn the table this year is an \"ethnic unity\" law, which human rights monitors warn will be used to further entrench repression of minority groups.\nIt seeks to elevate the importance of Mandarin at the expense of other minority languages, even as officials in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia have already significantly reduced education in local languages.\nIt also encourages intermarriage between the Han Chinese majority and ethnic minorities, and bans any acts seen as damaging to \"ethnic unity\". According to the draft legislation, parents and guardians are required to \"educate and guide minors to love the Chinese Communist Party\".\nThe congress is also set to approve the Ecological and Environmental Code which covers pollution control, ecological protection and low-carbon development, among other aspects.\nThe main event at the NPC is the Government Work Report delivered by the premier, which reviews the previous year's performance and sets the policy agenda and economic targets for the year ahead.\nThe report will contain this year's economic growth target. In the last few years the target has been \"around 5%\". Anything lower than this signals a greater push for slower but better-quality growth in China.\nThis document will give the world a better idea of Beijing's longer-term economic goals, especially when it comes to the high-tech and renewable energy sectors, and its plans to boost sluggish domestic consumption.\nChina watchers will be looking out for empty seats at the congress. Delegates' absence from a major political gathering like this is sometimes a signal that they are in trouble.\nXi has already removed many officers in the upper levels of the military in recent months, including nine who lost their NPC delegate status last week and three who lost their CPPCC delegate status this week.\nOfficials in many other sectors have \"disappeared\" too, but the People's Liberation Army has seen the most removals and resignations across all NPC delegations this term.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:04:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lrxyke7kro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a8ab8a41865c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "UK to end study visas for Myanmar, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Sudan students",
    "body_text": "The United Kingdom says it will end study visas for students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, and work visas for Afghans, amid a rise in anti-immigration sentiment in the country.\nThe UK Home Office said in a statement on Tuesday that “an ’emergency brake’ on visas has been imposed for the first time on nationals from four countries”, following a surge in asylum claims by students on study visas.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson talks up US State Department visit\n- list 2 of 3US government asks Supreme Court to allow deportation of Syrian migrants\n- list 3 of 3Deadly journeys: Refugees, migrants risk everything to reach Europe\nThe Home Office said the number of asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan had “rocketed” by more than 470 percent between 2021 and 2025.\n“Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,” Secretary of State for the Home Department Shabana Mahmood said.\n“That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity,” Mahmood said.\nMigration has become a major issue in UK politics with the hard-right Reform UK surging in opinion polls with its anti-immigration stance.\nIn a bid to assuage public sentiment, which has hardened on migration and stem the rise of the Reform UK party, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has tightened the asylum process and sped up the deportations of those who arrive illegally.\nThe UK’s Press Association (PA) said the visa ban will be officially introduced via an immigration rules change on Thursday, and Home Secretary Mahmood is expected to lay out a tougher asylum process in a speech on the same day.\nAccording to the PA, in plans already flagged by the government, new rules are expected to come into force that will see asylum seekers in the UK face a review of their refugee status every 30 months, in what is seen as a way to make the country less attractive for those seeking asylum.\nThe Home Office said that although the government has “reduced student asylum claims by 20 percent over the course of 2025, further action is needed as those arriving on study visas still make up 13 percent of all claims in the system”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:18:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/uk-to-end-study-visas-for-myanmar-afghanistan-cameroon-sudan-students?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5fac906bad64",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Tensions flare as lawmakers question Iran war’s costs, risks and strategy - AP News",
    "body_text": "Tensions flare as lawmakers question Iran war’s costs, risks and strategy\nTensions flare as lawmakers question Iran war’s costs, risks and strategy\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Tensions flared as questions mounted at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday over the Trump administration’s shifting rationale for war with Iran as lawmakers demand answers over the strategy, exit plan and costs to Americans in lives and dollars for what is quickly becoming a widening Middle East conflict.\nTrump officials made their case at the Capitol during a second day of closed-door briefings, this time with all members of the House and Senate ahead of a looming war powers resolution vote intended to restrict Trump’s ability to continue the joint U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran.\n“The president determined we were not going to get hit first. It’s that simple,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a testy exchange with reporters at the Capitol.\nRubio pushed back on his own suggestion a day earlier that Trump decided to strike Iran because Israel was ready to act first. Instead, he said Trump made the decision to attack this past weekend because it presented a unique opportunity with maximum chance for success.\n“There is no way in the world that this terroristic regime was going to get nuclear weapons, not under Donald Trump’s watch,” he said.\nThe sudden pivot to a U.S. wartime footing has disrupted the political and policy agenda on Capitol Hill and raised uneasy questions about the risks ahead for a prolonged conflict and regime change after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least six U.S. military service personnel have died so far.\nThe situation has intensified the push in Congress for the war powers resolution — among the most consequential votes a lawmaker can take, with the war well underway — as administration officials are telling lawmakers they will likely need supplemental funds to pay for the conflict. It comes at the start of a highly competitive midterm election season that will test Trump’s slim GOP control of Congress.\nSenate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer left the closed hearing, saying he was concerned about “mission creep” in a long war.\nSenators demand answers, and some cheer Trump on\nSenators spent the morning grilling Trump officials during an Armed Services Committee hearing over Rubio’s claim Monday that the president, believing that Israel was ready to act, decided it was better for the U.S. to launch a preemptive strike to prevent Iran’s potential retaliation on American military bases and interests abroad.\nSen. Angus King, the independent from Maine, said it’s “very disturbing” that Trump took the U.S. to war because Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to bomb Iran. Past U.S. presidents, he said, “have consistently said, ‘No.’”\nDefense official Elbridge Colby told senators the president directed the military campaign to destroy Iranian missiles and deny the country nuclear weapons.\nTrump himself disputed the idea that Israel had forced his hand. In his own Oval Office remarks, he said, “I might might have forced their hand.”\nSen. Markwayne Mullin, a Trump ally from Oklahoma, said the president “did the world a favor.”\n“How about we say, ‘Thank you, Mr. President, for finally getting rid of this nuisance,’” he said.\nBut Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., demanded to know how this fits into Trump’s “America First” campaign promise not to commit U.S. troops to protracted military campaigns abroad.\nTrump has suggested the war could drag on, and has not ruled out sending American troops into Iran.\n“’America First’ and ‘peace through strength’ are served by rolling back — as the military campaign is designed to do — the threats posed,” Colby responded. “This is certainly not nation-building. This is not going to be endless.”\nWhat’s next for the Iranian regime and its people\nQuestions are growing over who will lead Iran after the death of Khamenei, who has ruled the country for decades, and worries of a leadership vacuum that creates unrest.\nDemocrats warned against sending U.S. military troops into Iran after more than two decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.\n“I am more fearful than ever we may be putting boots on the ground,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., after the closed briefing.\nAnd while House Republicans applauded in support of the Trump administration’s operations, warning signs flared.\nRep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said he supports the operation, for now. “My flag starts going up, the longer this goes, my flag starts going up, the more there’s boots on the ground,” he said.\nMany lawmakers expressed concern over the number of Americans calling their offices seeking help evacuating from the region as the war spreads. “It’s getting worse, not better,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger.\nTrump, in calling for Iranians to seize this opportunity to take back their country, has acknowledged the uncertainty.\n“Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said Tuesday. He also panned the idea of elevating Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran’s last shah, to take over in Iran.\nRepublicans insist it’s not for the Americans to decide the future of Iran.\n“That’s going to be largely up to the Iranian people,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican.\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson said flatly, “We have no ability to get into the nation-building business.”\nWar powers resolutions become a consequential vote\nBoth the House and Senate are preparing to vote on war powers resolutions that would restrain Trump’s ability to continue waging war on Iran without approval from Congress.\nUnder the U.S. Constitution, it’s up to Congress, not the president, to decide when the country goes to war. But lawmakers often shirk that duty, enabling the executive branch to amass more power to send the military into combat without congressional approval.\n“Why are we spending billions of dollars to bomb Iran?” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who said there would be strong support from Democrats for the resolution.\nBut Johnson has said it would be “frightening” and “dangerous” to tie the president’s hands at this time, when the U.S. is already engaged in combat.\nOther lawmakers have suggested that if Congress does not vote to restrain Trump, it should next consider an Authorization of the Use of Military Force, which would require lawmakers to go on record with affirmative support for the Iran operation.\n“The reason why there’s so much consternation on our side is because President Trump has not given us a clear reason why he is in Iran,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. “If he wants to declare war on Iran, that is the job and responsibility of Congress under the Constitution.”\nFormer President George W. Bush sought, and received, authorization from Congress to launch the post-9/11 wars.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Stephen Groves and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:22:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxNeDhLMVVBUXRVbnZGU2RZQk1FeUJkVGtwZ3JnQS1BRkVMbV94QUl5a2pMLUNaWlMtS0FxZEJNQWlBM0VlYkwxWVBHWW1uM2JWMGM1N1h4LUE1NDVGcXFlUklZUm5kZ0NhWDR1V3M2N2NsdnhrQkxJRTJqMnNtQXNWZXI3Q1lvLXlXS3R5NEdKTElQZFl2N2RN?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f243bea4140c",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US shale bosses warn they cannot replace war-hit Middle East oil - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US shale bosses warn they cannot replace war-hit Middle East oil\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:22:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9RZEpRcnZabGZGWDdfTUd5TjRmUFFubWRVQ2J4TDF0REJYRm51OVdXV2lPZUtuOTVlMWxPR1JpYVJGcHl3R1B4cDFVOFcwZS1zYXZxbWczZHFBdXFESDZVaElRZFRoSmJINnhmT25qeUs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3c9240c13760",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Oil on Fire: War impacts global energy markets",
    "body_text": "Oil on Fire: War impacts global energy markets\nAttacks on key energy facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, along with Iran blockading the Strait of Hormuz, are sending global oil and gas prices soaring. Analysts warn the disruptions could drive up energy costs worldwide, affecting gasoline, electricity, and heating. Al Jazeera’s Marah Rayan looks at the impact.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:25:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/oil-on-fire-war-impacts-global-energy-markets?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_9c7194a9ec82",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Protests in Venezuela against US-Israeli war on Iran",
    "body_text": "Protests in Venezuela against US-Israeli war on Iran\nProtesters in Venezuela have rallied outside the Iranian Embassy to condemn the US-Israeli war on Iran, joining global demonstrations against the escalating conflict.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026\nProtests in Venezuela against US-Israeli war on Iran\nProtesters in Venezuela have rallied outside the Iranian Embassy to condemn the US-Israeli war on Iran, joining global demonstrations against the escalating conflict.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:45:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/protests-in-venezuela-against-us-israeli-war-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a4f8c57813d7",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Saudi Oil Storage Fills Fast on Hormuz Disruption, Kayrros Says - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Saudi Oil Storage Fills Fast on Hormuz Disruption, Kayrros Says    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:57:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQU0xPbWdvZnQ1VlViZFBIc0k3LUVJMEtkbEhlbjV1a0ZDcjVBLXpkdFBxX1A3OU9IVDRuY0hmOUc3MmVuQXJnR0Z3MVZWN01uSTFEeTZidkNLaUtJQmtGUklOLTBzekRWRExZNmE0Rk1DbjFKU0RMMkM5QkFOQzVqSTRFNW1QRHN4UjkwRWFYZmpLRkdfUHJhdU9EOExvMGJvM2c3empIMmFQeU9JNzU1Z2t5NA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_88967add4bf5",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Oil near multi-month highs on Middle East conflict, pares gain on report of US-Iran talks - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Oil near multi-month highs on Middle East conflict, pares gain on report of US-Iran talks    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T01:58:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxQeVBxQi13WVd4ZXRyNnFFdHBOY0xMbDZoZ21BazVsYTRoUWdhSHRaam1TdGFpMXBOYmtGT0oyNHEzYmNHOHBYNkotZ3pjV1Vzb2JqTGJRQ29tTjVEbXR5dGVoR2lwSExYeF9sOHNDQUhDTmlSUUd3bUlxZ01PMHFWQVhtV0RkR2dlaXk1SW9sUk1SbkJ3bXhHNE4yMEJabVVjcHFkdGFwd2xUbXhJ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8087c73ac7e6",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Aluminum Traders Brace for Turmoil as Iran Crisis Chokes Supply - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Aluminum Traders Brace for Turmoil as Iran Crisis Chokes Supply    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNTzR4RVY4WE5OM0JOd0pZQjl4Tmd1NDdSUG83ZjJFQzZ5U2hzeGJYc3NiOWZ1azZkRENxeVQxd29qZjQ0Zko1OXhNejdIVFdyRHFsWFp2U3lOVWJpY0FHWUFQekYyMmstRmxZZjl0SkxrQzYwWF8xZkFMUkJyY0ZzaVVUNmZGUF8tcmJrbVV4T2dsU2VLLUx4RFhQQkJ2akx3cUlOczFra2duZnhxTTVNeVRlNFQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_514151b16a2f",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran’s drone swarm attacks unleash ‘exponential costs’ on US, prolonging war: 'Asymmetric capability'",
    "body_text": "Footage from Iranian state-affiliated FARS News Agency purportedly shows rows of drones stored underground. (FARS News Agency Telegram)\n\nIran is waging a mass drone campaign across the Middle East, unleashing waves of low-cost, one-way attack drones also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), against Western-linked targets to impose \"exponential cost on the U.S.,\" a defense expert has warned.\n\nAs Tehran reportedly launched thousands ofShahed dronesacross the region and Iranian state media shared footage of underground stockpiles, Cameron Chell, CEO of drone maker and tech companyDraganfly, said Iran's strategy is designed to force high-end defenses to counter cheap aerial threats.\n\n\"Even a hundred of these drones in the hands of a decentralized unit can cause terror in a neighboring state like never before imagined,\" Chell told Fox News Digital. \"The Iranians cannot win the war with these drones, but like the [communist] Viet Cong [during the Vietnam War], they have an asymmetric capability that can prolong this war and create political pressure.\"\n\nAn Israeli firefighter works to put out a fire in Tel Aviv after Iran launched missiles into Israel on Saturday.(Tomer Appelbaum/Reuters)\n\n\"Iran can drive terror in unimaginable ways and drive exponential costs on the U.S. side, having to target these small, very hard-to-detect drone units,\" he added.\n\nChell’s warning comes as tensions spiraled following Saturday'sjoint U.S.-Israel strikeson Iran targeting nuclear sites, missile facilities and leadership that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several commanders.\n\nThe Iranian drones have proved deadly,having killedsix U.S. service members in an attack on a tactical center in Kuwait earlier this week.\n\nA CIA station in the U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was struck in anIranian droneattack Tuesday, causing a limited fire but no reported injuries.\n\nAn example of an Iranian Shahed-class one-way attack drone being used by the regime to attack U.S. and Israeli sites in the Middle East.(Getty Images )\n\nIn Bahrain, drones reportedly identified as Iranian Shahed models smashed into the upper floors of the Era View Tower in Manama, about one mile from a U.S. Navy base.\n\nAn Iranian drone also struck a parking lot outside the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, while the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted Iranian missiles and drone attacks targeting the country.\n\n\"Based on the engine sound, the apparent attack angle and the implied speed, to the best of my knowledge, this was a Shahed-class one-way attack drone,\" Chell said of the Dubai consulate attack video before suggesting the drone footage showed \"a Shahed 191.\"\n\nTRUMP SAYS IRAN IS 'RUNNING OUT OF LAUNCHERS' AS REGIME IS 'BEING DECIMATED'\n\nA large fire and plume of smoke is visible after, according to the authorities, debris of an Iranian intercepted drone hit the Fujairah oil facility, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday.(Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)\n\nFars News Agency also released footage purporting to show scores of attack drones stockpiled in vast underground tunnels in Iran.\n\nThe video appeared to show rows of triangular-shaped drones on rocket launchers, missiles lined up, four to a launcher vehicle and walls adorned with Iranian flags and photographs of Khamenei. Outlets noted that the video’s timing and location remain unverified.\n\n\"It is hard to confirm that Iran has the capability now to produce these drones in these volumes during wartime,\" Chell said of the stockpiling footage.\n\n\"To the extent they were producing these in those numbers, a more-than-significant portion would have been for delivery to Russia — which does not seem impossible. That said, the drones in the underground propaganda video are Shahed 191 drones.\"\n\nIRAN ‘TOP TARGET’ HIT IN $10M PRECISION STRIKE, US KAMIKAZE DRONES USED TO 'OVERWHELM'\n\nFootage from Iranian state-affiliated FARS News Agency allegedly shows rows of drones stored underground.(FARS News Agency Telegram)\n\nA new report from theCarnegie Endowment for International Peace alsounderscored Chell’s comments on expense and range.\n\n\"Right now, Iran is using a mixture of ballistic missiles and attack drones,\" said senior fellow Dara Massicot. \"The methods are effective, but targeting drones in this way is resource-intensive and expensive, and it will drain certain types of interceptors quickly.\"\n\n\"Ground-based air defense interceptor missiles are not infinite, and the United States and its partners and allies have had stockpile challenges in this area for years,\" she added.\n\nAnother senior fellow, Steve Feldstein, added, \"An important point is that the world is entering a new age of drone war as unmanned aircraft are proliferating on the battlefield in major conflicts and smaller ones.\"\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:11:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/irans-drone-swarm-attacks-unleash-exponential-costs-us-prolonging-war-asymmetric-capability",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ba697304b2dc",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Chinese Oil and Shipping Shares Tumble After Warnings on Rally - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Chinese Oil and Shipping Shares Tumble After Warnings on Rally    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:24:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxPX2RMd1lXbzIwOWFORWFrdGhhQnZpa3FUUWh2eF9ydXZfTkFFeHhzQVJKUUJOOERzMl82Y3dMcWJkYWVEX0ZNNGV1YkpFR01qNjBQUEJXNWVnZzhGRUY5aUdQM05UWUN3VWwzTlg3dFdWRVJMOHhMTG1xeWN3Ui11bDBDODdHa09GR2RvWExpY09mTV9hX1prZUlWTTRDcXI3T1ZlWmh2OXRtT2hLdGlXeQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4d2e5c12a6bb",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Asian LNG Prices Surge to Three-Year Peak Over Iran Conflict - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Asian LNG Prices Surge to Three-Year Peak Over Iran Conflict    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:24:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNcEt0Wk9ld3ZpYjl5eDY1OVdhb0RCQVBEVElnYzlBZTV4TW5vaWhGc29zWVQyelo4Szl1amxxT0IwX0JYWkdqTWlQZE9iV1pMZlRLdGxKVnh0U0V6NWpkYVZfTU1XT21BdlBPYWtPTUNnNFUwc2lyTDBFaDd6MjVEcTNfVWdWUXQycmZQMGFPVVVDcUFkZHprM1prMzJQSVRfZkhSdWo2SnhuYlg1bkl5OQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8bdebe974b6f",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Is the US at war with Iran, and will it put boots on the ground?",
    "body_text": "The US launched a major military campaign against Iran on Saturday, striking targets across the country as part of what the administration of President Donald Trump has named Operation Epic Fury.\nThe escalation has already resulted in casualties, growing regional tensions and instability in the region.\nAs the strikes continue, we ask: Is the United States now effectively at war with Iran? Why did Washington decide to attack? And could the conflict expand to include US ground troops?\nHere is what we know so far:\nHow many people have died during the attacks?\nIn Iran, at least 787 people have been killed, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.\nSix Americans have been killed in action and 18 service members have been injured, as the US continues its strikes on Iran and Iran counterattacks, sending missiles and drones at Israel and US assets in the region.\nUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a projectile breached air defences and struck a fortified US military position. He did not disclose the location of the facility, but reports indicated that the casualties occurred in Kuwait.\n“You have air defences and a lot coming in, and you hit most of it, and we absolutely do. We have incredible air defenders,” Hegseth said.\n“Every once in a while, you might have one, unfortunately – we call it a ‘squirter’ – that makes its way through, and in that particular case, it hit a tactical operations centre,” he added.\nIn Iran, the deadliest single reported incident occurred in the southeastern city of Minab, where a strike hit an elementary school for girls. At least 165 students were killed.\nIs the US at war with Iran?\nThe US Constitution gives Congress the exclusive power to declare war, but the president serves as commander-in-chief with the authority to respond to immediate threats.\n“Our Constitution says in Article I, Section 8, that Congress has exclusively the authority to declare war,” David Schultz, a professor in the political science and legal departments at Hamline University, explained to Al Jazeera.\n“Article II, section 3, says that the president is commander in chief,” he added.\nIn fact, the last time the US formally declared war was World War II, Schultz explained, while conflicts such as in Vietnam and Iraq were fought without a formal declaration.\n“So I would argue that if we look at the history of the US, the vast majority of conflicts have not been formally declared wars, but presidents have dragged us into them,” he said.\nIn 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, which attempts to limit unilateral presidential military action to 60 days.\nUnder the law, the president must also notify Congress within 48 hours of hostilities beginning.\nTrump notified Congress of the strikes, telling lawmakers the threat from Iran had become “untenable” despite efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, even though Oman – which was mediating between the US and Iran – had said that the parties were close to a deal.\nDemocratic lawmakers have challenged the justification for the strikes and raised concerns about potential violations of the War Powers Resolution.\nUltimately, the difference between an “attack” and a “war” often comes down to duration and intensity, Paul Quirk, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, said.\n“Americans will call the situation an attack if it’s brief, and a war if – as appears likely – it goes on for weeks and months,” Quirk added.\nWhy did the US attack Iran?\nThe Trump administration has provided several key reasons for the attack:\nStopping Tehran’s nuclear programme\nTrump and Vice President JD Vance have explicitly stated that a primary goal is ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.\n“The goal of the strikes is to eliminate the Iranian nuclear programme once and for all,” Trump said.\nHowever, the administration has not provided evidence for the claim that Iran was close to having a nuclear weapon before the US launched its attacks. In fact, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said — as recently as yesterday — that it had no evidence that Iran even had a nuclear weapons programme.\nPreemptive defence:\nThe US argues that the strikes were a proactive, defensive measure to prevent Iran from attacking US troops, bases, and allies. In fact, the attacks have triggered a fusillade of missiles and drones fired by Iran against Gulf nations that host US troops.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that the US acted because Israel had been preparing its own military strike on Iran.\n“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action… and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” Rubio said.\nHowever, experts say the administration’s messaging has not been consistent.\nTrump himself has contradicted Rubio. At a media interaction on Tuesday, he said that the US attacked Iran because he thought Tehran was going to strike first.\n“We don’t know what the administration’s goals are. They’ve been all over the map,” Christopher Preble, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told Al Jazeera.\nRegime change:\nTrump has also openly called for the Iranian people to “take over” their government and “seize control of your destiny”.\nTargeting Iran-backed groups:\nAn objective of the campaign has also been to dismantle Iranian support for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza.\nWill there be US boots on the ground in Iran?\nSo far, the US has relied on air and naval strikes, and there has been no formal announcement of a ground invasion. But Trump has not ruled out the possibility.\nWhen asked directly whether US troops could be deployed in Iran, Trump said he would “never say never”, adding that the administration would do “whatever is necessary”.\nExperts say air strikes alone are unlikely to permanently end Iran’s nuclear programme, which Tehran insists has always been of a peaceful nature.\n“You cannot destroy, demolish, eradicate any country’s nuclear capabilities. They always have the ability to reconstitute,” Preble said.\nIf the US were to deploy ground troops, however, the scale of the challenge — whether Trump’s goal is targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, missiles, or imposing regime change — would be significant.\n“The difference, if you compare Iran to Iraq in 2003, is that it’s a country three to four times larger than Iraq was at the time,” Preble said.\n“The US never had sufficient troops in Iraq to pacify the country… and the US doesn’t have that many troops today to prevent the entire country from descending into chaos.”\nThe US 2003 invasion of Iraq toppled leader Saddam Hussein within weeks, but the subsequent occupation turned into a years-long insurgency that required more than 150,000 American troops at its peak.\nAny ground operation, experts say, would be extremely difficult.\n“It would make the US mission in Iraq look simple by comparison,” Preble added. “And of course, the Iraq mission was not simple. It would be extraordinarily costly and potentially very protracted – mostly for the people of Iran, but also for American servicemen and women.”\nHow long can the US sustain high-tempo air operations in Iran?\nThis depends on three main factors: military resources, funding and political will.\nLawmakers could compel the Trump administration to scale back or end operations by passing a resolution to block the continuation of the campaign.\n“Whether Democrats can persuade enough Republicans to break ranks remains uncertain, especially given the narrow Republican majority in both chambers,” Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reported from Washington, DC.\nMilitary capacity is another limiting factor. Stockpiles of missiles, precision-guided munitions, interceptor systems and other equipment are finite.\n“Unless defence contractors are actively producing and replenishing supplies under Pentagon contracts, those stockpiles will eventually be drawn down,” Jordan added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:32:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/is-the-us-at-war-with-iran-and-will-it-put-boots-on-the-ground?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_90be9a7753ed",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US senators fear ‘boots on the ground’ after Iran war briefing",
    "body_text": "US senators fear ‘boots on the ground’ after Iran war briefing\nDemocratic senators voiced alarm after a classified briefing on the US‑Israeli war with Iran, warning the Trump administration lacks clear objectives as lawmakers say they fear it could lead to a prolonged conflict and US ground troops.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:37:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/us-senators-fear-boots-on-the-ground-after-iran-war-briefing?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8b05eb76197c",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "How global energy security is being reshaped amid US-Israel and Iran attacks - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Missiles are flying overhead and being intercepted in the Gulf region. Days after the US and Israel attacked Iran, it fired back, sending waves of ballistic missiles and drones towards Israeli and US targets, including assets in the Gulf.\nThe escalation quickly spread to regional energy infrastructure. Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery halted operations of its 550,000-barrels-per-day production, after reported drone strikes.\nThe Mina Al Ahmadi refinery in Kuwait, with a capacity of around 346,000 bpd, was reportedly hit by debris. Qatar faced blows that led to a complete halt of LNG production, affecting 20 per cent of the world’s supply, with implications for Europe’s energy security and ripple effects across Asia.\nPorts have also been struck. The UAE’s Jebel Ali was targeted and Duqm in Oman was hit by drones, underscoring vulnerability even outside the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most contentious chokepoint and a passageway for about 20 per cent of global oil.\nIn this episode of Business Extra, host Salim A. Essaid looks at how quickly global energy markets are reacting and what wider repercussions could follow if assaults continue.\nHe is joined by The National’s Jennifer Gnana to unpack what is happening on the ground, and Robin Mills, chief executive of Qamar Energy, to examine the broader worldwide implications and the potential cross-industry impact.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:38:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi8AFBVV95cUxQWlQ1TjRqU3ZqNGhxNnMyaF9pbDVpcGhxUkFGTUNqLUJQdnNieEhGUndDcENvWTNrd1hXbGlRbFE3eWZmU3BSS2NFdVNUX2NSWUpNRk15V1B4NkFSb2VmTlpNRXJUWFgxM3dWV1hqaXI0S3hvWG50MXBMUjlHNWlKcDhxV3kzajZZZUozZDdsRzBjZ0otTzE2NWFLdzlrdHhRRlFsVzBGUEduUkN1X001Zmlma0ZQaDI4WHFsc1JiYUtUNDF1SnVvTWRIMkhUc0duZXZPUVJiZEVkMVVsZW93V01LQ1FNdEFvRVlsSFhaa04?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fa181568a05d",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "How is Turkey responding to the US-Israel-Iran war? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Ankara prioritises containment and de-escalation, opposing US-Israeli strikes on Iran while avoiding entanglement and preserving regional stability amid volatile power shifts.\nTurkey balances rivalry and pragmatism with Tehran, condemning attacks on both sides, safeguarding trade and border stability, and resisting use of its bases for offensive operations.\nLeaders intensify shuttle diplomacy, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan engaging Washington, Tehran and Gulf capitals to restore ceasefire prospects.\nSecurity concerns centre on PKK/PJAK spillover, refugee flows and potential indirect Iranian actions such as cyber operations, sabotage, or threats to shipping and energy routes.\n“Turkey is making every effort for peace and, primarily, a ceasefire,” a senior Turkish official said.\nLike many of the tens of thousands of Iranians living in Turkey, Ali was overjoyed when he heard the news of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death.\n“He’s gone to hell,” Ali said, asking that only his first name be published. “Little by little, Iran is being fixed.”\nOthers celebrated in the streets of cities such as Istanbul, seeing the supreme leader’s death as a route towards a different, better future for their homeland.\n“I am deeply saddened by the death of our neighbour Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, calling for a return to diplomacy in an attempt to steer the region towards some sort of stability.\nThat is not because Turkey’s leadership aligns with Iran's. The two countries have a precarious, pragmatic relationship: there are regional rivalries, including in post-Assad Syria, where Ankara’s influence has soared as Tehran’s has collapsed.\nTurkey is suspicious of what it sees as its neighbour’s support for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant group linked to Iranian proxies in Iraq and seen by Ankara as its number-one national security threat. At the same time, the two nations trade with each other and maintain diplomatic ties. Turkey imports natural gas from Iran and they share a 530km border. Both want it to remain stable.\nDespite its differences with Iran, Ankara opposed foreign military intervention, especially one that came as the US and Iran were attempting to negotiate a new nuclear deal as recently as last Thursday. Turkey was part of that backdoor diplomacy: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had held late-night phone calls with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, as well as with Oman, which was officially mediating the now-shelved nuclear negotiations.\nWith war having overtaken diplomacy, countries across the region, including Turkey, are confronted with a new balance of power. That includes an Israel appearing to seek regime change in Iran through gloves-are-off, brute military force, and a Tehran that burnt its bridges with its Gulf neighbours by attacking them in retaliation for the US and Israeli strikes.\nAnkara’s reaction\nSince war began on Saturday, Ankara has been seeking containment over a protracted military confrontation with unknown outcomes, analysts and officials say. Already surrounded by Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, it does not need another destabilised neighbour.\n“Turkey does not want any conflict in the region,” a senior Turkish official told The National, on condition of anonymity. He described the US and Israeli attacks on Iran as “completely illegal and illegitimate”. Turkey is “not a party to these conflicts and is not pleased with them”, he added.\nAnkara is also concerned about war, prompting large-scale flows of refugees. While such movements have yet to materialise, they would be deeply unpopular in a country already hosting millions of displaced people and struggling with years of economic difficulty. It wants to avoid a potential firing up of separatist ambitions among some groups in Iran, especially within its Kurdish population, which could endanger recent efforts in Turkey to dissolve and disarm the PKK.\nWhile recent canvassing by the Ankara-based Metropoll centre found nearly 60 per cent of Turks want regime change in Iran, their leadership is more cautious. The killing of Mr Khamenei does not mean the immediate the end of the Islamic Republic: the process for choosing the supreme leader’s successor is already under way in Tehran and further instability is precisely what Ankara wanted to avoid.\nFor Turkey, “the stakes go far beyond normal risk management, since it sits right in the crossfire”, Sinem Cengiz, a researcher at Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Centre, told The National.\nAs well as condemning Mr Khamenei’s killing, Mr Erdogan said he was “deeply saddened and concerned by the American-Israeli attacks” on Iran, which he blamed the latter for instigating. Relations between Mr Erdogan's government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's in Israel have nosedived over the Gaza war.\nTurkey believes that Israel is looking for regime change in Iran, so that the threats it sees there are \"eliminated, completely, both for today and for the future,\" Hakan Fidan said on Monday.\nBy the same token, Ankara sees this current crisis as \"part of Israel’s bid for regional hegemony,” Burcu Ozcelik, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, told The National.\n“That framing is inherently problematic for Turkey, especially given the depth of friction in the bilateral relationship, which is now at an all-time low.”\nMr Erdogan also condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks across the Gulf as “unacceptable, regardless of the reason”. Ankara has been working in recent years to repair sometimes strained relations with Arab Gulf partners, and has made trade growth a priority.\nLike others, Turkey sees attacks on oil, gas and shipping infrastructure in the Gulf as a way of disrupting energy markets, and as part of Iran's strategy in raising the cost of war for the US. \"Iran will think that by bombing these areas, they will put pressure on America to stop the war, but that won't happen,\" Mr Fidan said.\nSeeking de-escalation\nTurkey is now seeking de-escalation as quickly as possible. Much like the frantic diplomacy taking place before the current conflict broke out, Ankara is talking to other decision-makers to attempt to minimise the chances of more regional spillover.\n“Turkey is making every effort for peace and, primarily, a ceasefire,” the senior Turkish official told The National. “No results can be achieved as a result of these attacks. Diplomacy must be brought back into play.”\nIn the first two days of the war, Mr Erdogan confirmed he had spoken to US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Mr Fidan spoke to 15 other foreign ministers, including those from Iran, the UAE, Oman and Qatar. Calls “assessed steps that could be taken to end the attacks”, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said.\nWith Iran having angered Gulf partners who once played key mediating roles with the West, Ankara is in a position to mediate between them, Ms Cengiz said.\n“Turkey is now doing as it knows best: acting like a channel between parties, whether Iran and the US, or Iran and the Gulf monarchies,” she said. “I see Ankara’s role as very critical, particularly in this war, and this role is beyond just crisis management because the stakes are too high.”\nBut given the precedent of failures of diplomacy as recently as last week, there is no guarantee that such an exit route will emerge. “There are limits to what Ankara’s diplomatic overtures can achieve,” Ms Ozcelik said.\nWhy has Turkey avoided attack?\nNato member Turkey has so far also avoided the sort of retaliatory attacks from Iran that have hit the Gulf, despite the similarities in the countries’ pre-war positions: refusal to allow their airspace or territory to be used in US strikes against Iran, and seeking diplomacy and de-escalation. Incirlik airbase in the south-eastern Adana province is home to a US air force unit, as is a base in the western Izmir province, as part of a Nato mission. Turkey has the second-largest army in the alliance and is increasingly courted by Europe as part of its defence strategy against Russia.\nA deliberate Iranian strike on Turkish territory, for example at Incirlik, would be “an escalation of a far greater magnitude”, said Ms Ozcelik.\n“It would amount to a direct confrontation with a Nato member that has one of the Alliance’s largest militaries,\" she said. \"That raises the risk of this tipping from a regional war into a far wider international crisis, not just rhetorically but operationally, because it would create immediate pressure for a collective Nato response and for Turkey to retaliate.”\nNato Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke to Mr Erdogan and said “we are always ready to deter and defend against any threat, from any direction”, without expanding.\nAsked by journalists if Turkey is concerned about being attacked, Mr Fidan said the country, \"will always defend itself. We have both the necessary will and the ability to do so.\"\nAn alternative risk for Turkey, Ms Ozcelik said, is that Iran attacks it indirectly, using cyber activity, sabotage, proxy-linked attacks in third countries, or incidents that affect Turkish shipping and energy routes.\nMr Erdogan has a solid relationship with US President Donald Trump and the direct criticism of the campaign in Iran is a departure from normally more cautious positions on Washington’s actions.\nWhether Ankara will later align itself more firmly with Washington depends chiefly on the trajectory of escalation in the coming days, said Riccardo Gasco, foreign policy co-ordinator at IstanPol, an independent Istanbul-based think tank. “If Iran and Iranian-aligned proxies intensify attacks, Washington may seek deeper co-ordination with Turkey,” he told The National. That could come in the form of surveillance, early warning and situational awareness framed as assistance rather than direct involvement, he added.\nWhat is unlikely is Turkey allowing the US to use its bases for striking Iran, by launching or landing planes at them, for instance.\n“That would be a major political threshold for Ankara because it would potentially increase retaliation risks and domestic backlash, and undermine Turkey’s efforts to maintain a defensive, mediation-orientated posture,” he said.\nOthers see the prospect of Turkey getting involved as even less likely. “This is not Nato’s war: it is a US-Israeli war in which Turkey has neither responsibility nor interest, other than endorsing diplomacy to de-escalate it,” Ms Cengiz said. “I think Iran sees this clearly.”\nShould threats emerge from neighbouring Iran in terms of activity by the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the PKK’s Iran wing, Turkey does have countermeasures available, analysts believe.\n“Even if a broader Iran escalation creates a risk of PJAK or PKK-linked actors feeling emboldened, Turkey is not unprepared,” Mr Gasco said. “It has operational experience, a sustained cross-border security posture, and a well-developed intelligence and surveillance architecture that can be activated quickly if there are signs of movement, logistical build-up, or attempts to exploit the moment.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:40:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQbmZ1aEp4bHpxbWNkZlNjRVB0Wkc0ZzBRNkh4RlpjSEstRHY0Y2J1TzRaYnNrRjNiYkV1ampENkhmUmJuQkpOb2JEZFUyOHNBSW81X1dZYmdBTUNBN1lJMEdnX0x4UERWQ2FnMUUyQW1yLTZEQ0RUZWEtX3JWZHd1bmhjbUV1eDdUVjVWRUFhclVGaHFmVXMtaDQteFo0TjhSell2NS0zTQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0a83e972dbb7",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Is the US at war with Iran, why did US, Israel attack Tehran? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The US launched a major military campaign against Iran on Saturday, striking targets across the country as part of what the administration of President Donald Trump has named Operation Epic Fury.\nThe escalation has already resulted in casualties, growing regional tensions and instability in the region.\nAs the strikes continue, we ask: Is the United States now effectively at war with Iran? Why did Washington decide to attack? And could the conflict expand to include US ground troops?\nHere is what we know so far:\nHow many people have died during the attacks?\nIn Iran, at least 787 people have been killed, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.\nSix Americans have been killed in action and 18 service members have been injured, as the US continues its strikes on Iran and Iran counterattacks, sending missiles and drones at Israel and US assets in the region.\nUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a projectile breached air defences and struck a fortified US military position. He did not disclose the location of the facility, but reports indicated that the casualties occurred in Kuwait.\n“You have air defences and a lot coming in, and you hit most of it, and we absolutely do. We have incredible air defenders,” Hegseth said.\n“Every once in a while, you might have one, unfortunately – we call it a ‘squirter’ – that makes its way through, and in that particular case, it hit a tactical operations centre,” he added.\nIn Iran, the deadliest single reported incident occurred in the southeastern city of Minab, where a strike hit an elementary school for girls. At least 165 students were killed.\nIs the US at war with Iran?\nThe US Constitution gives Congress the exclusive power to declare war, but the president serves as commander-in-chief with the authority to respond to immediate threats.\n“Our Constitution says in Article I, Section 8, that Congress has exclusively the authority to declare war,” David Schultz, a professor in the political science and legal departments at Hamline University, explained to Al Jazeera.\n“Article II, section 3, says that the president is commander in chief,” he added.\nIn fact, the last time the US formally declared war was World War II, Schultz explained, while conflicts such as in Vietnam and Iraq were fought without a formal declaration.\n“So I would argue that if we look at the history of the US, the vast majority of conflicts have not been formally declared wars, but presidents have dragged us into them,” he said.\nIn 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, which attempts to limit unilateral presidential military action to 60 days.\nUnder the law, the president must also notify Congress within 48 hours of hostilities beginning.\nTrump notified Congress of the strikes, telling lawmakers the threat from Iran had become “untenable” despite efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, even though Oman – which was mediating between the US and Iran – had said that the parties were close to a deal.\nDemocratic lawmakers have challenged the justification for the strikes and raised concerns about potential violations of the War Powers Resolution.\nUltimately, the difference between an “attack” and a “war” often comes down to duration and intensity, Paul Quirk, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, said.\n“Americans will call the situation an attack if it’s brief, and a war if – as appears likely – it goes on for weeks and months,” Quirk added.\nWhy did the US attack Iran?\nThe Trump administration has provided several key reasons for the attack:\nStopping Tehran’s nuclear programme\nTrump and Vice President JD Vance have explicitly stated that a primary goal is ensuring Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.\n“The goal of the strikes is to eliminate the Iranian nuclear programme once and for all,” Trump said.\nHowever, the administration has not provided evidence for the claim that Iran was close to having a nuclear weapon before the US launched its attacks. In fact, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said — as recently as yesterday — that it had no evidence that Iran even had a nuclear weapons programme.\nPreemptive defence:\nThe US argues that the strikes were a proactive, defensive measure to prevent Iran from attacking US troops, bases, and allies. In fact, the attacks have triggered a fusillade of missiles and drones fired by Iran against Gulf nations that host US troops.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that the US acted because Israel had been preparing its own military strike on Iran.\n“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action… and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” Rubio said.\nHowever, experts say the administration’s messaging has not been consistent.\nTrump himself has contradicted Rubio. At a media interaction on Tuesday, he said that the US attacked Iran because he thought Tehran was going to strike first.\n“We don’t know what the administration’s goals are. They’ve been all over the map,” Christopher Preble, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told Al Jazeera.\nRegime change:\nTrump has also openly called for the Iranian people to “take over” their government and “seize control of your destiny”.\nTargeting Iran-backed groups:\nAn objective of the campaign has also been to dismantle Iranian support for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza.\nWill there be US boots on the ground in Iran?\nSo far, the US has relied on air and naval strikes, and there has been no formal announcement of a ground invasion. But Trump has not ruled out the possibility.\nWhen asked directly whether US troops could be deployed in Iran, Trump said he would “never say never”, adding that the administration would do “whatever is necessary”.\nExperts say air strikes alone are unlikely to permanently end Iran’s nuclear programme, which Tehran insists has always been of a peaceful nature.\n“You cannot destroy, demolish, eradicate any country’s nuclear capabilities. They always have the ability to reconstitute,” Preble said.\nIf the US were to deploy ground troops, however, the scale of the challenge — whether Trump’s goal is targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, missiles, or imposing regime change — would be significant.\n“The difference, if you compare Iran to Iraq in 2003, is that it’s a country three to four times larger than Iraq was at the time,” Preble said.\n“The US never had sufficient troops in Iraq to pacify the country… and the US doesn’t have that many troops today to prevent the entire country from descending into chaos.”\nThe US 2003 invasion of Iraq toppled leader Saddam Hussein within weeks, but the subsequent occupation turned into a years-long insurgency that required more than 150,000 American troops at its peak.\nAny ground operation, experts say, would be extremely difficult.\n“It would make the US mission in Iraq look simple by comparison,” Preble added. “And of course, the Iraq mission was not simple. It would be extraordinarily costly and potentially very protracted – mostly for the people of Iran, but also for American servicemen and women.”\nHow long can the US sustain high-tempo air operations in Iran?\nThis depends on three main factors: military resources, funding and political will.\nLawmakers could compel the Trump administration to scale back or end operations by passing a resolution to block the continuation of the campaign.\n“Whether Democrats can persuade enough Republicans to break ranks remains uncertain, especially given the narrow Republican majority in both chambers,” Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reported from Washington, DC.\nMilitary capacity is another limiting factor. Stockpiles of missiles, precision-guided munitions, interceptor systems and other equipment are finite.\n“Unless defence contractors are actively producing and replenishing supplies under Pentagon contracts, those stockpiles will eventually be drawn down,” Jordan added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:42:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxOclJva1h6UjlSTkIxNnpTV1ZyY0JVVGJCTnNxYWl6MmJlS2hSVThjUXFtOVhLbTVyc1hLdDJVN3VuWmw5Slg4cXZGX0wwWEVEaF8zc0x2ZlF1NExnSFNNaGQ1TFp1VE5NdE9qUG90cW1EMHNYRE8xQ2FXLU5YSkhPbWRqdExoSEZ1SHBldkpYWmo2UHlFdlNHNEtXMllWMUI4RWNsLdIBqgFBVV95cUxObklMZEtXM3FtR2xZaGw2VE41RDQ1dW8xYUNKSG96X3licUhlUHJJc0xWU0txM09NOXBRMnprVVV0MFc3X2pBUnJzZ2pZb0dqMzE4cGlEcVdXS0FVWTZPalNfT0JjNmNDNHhIVHNEelRaV3daMk54Z2ZBM04yak1jNzYzVXdQUTViV0tNRkZjTnFWOVFoRDVyakg0SEo4LUMyWXJNUGNKWVlBZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_43cfe937ab62",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "UAE resident makes epic 28-hour journey by air and road to return home as Iranian strikes disrupt travel - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "UAE resident Rowan Beard completed a 28-hour Jakarta–Muscat flight and 12-hour road journey to reach Abu Dhabi amid regional airspace closures.\nAuthorities shut UAE airspace on February 28 after Iranian missile, cruise missile and drone strikes that killed three and injured 68.\nLimited flights operated for stranded passengers, while many residents used the Oman land route, presenting passports and Emirates ID at border crossings.\n“UAE is our second home… I have full trust in the government,” the travel company owner said, highlighting confidence in national defence.\nEmirates accommodated disrupted travellers in Spain, as others, including families in Dubai, stressed resilience and mental wellbeing while awaiting loved ones’ return.\nA determined UAE resident has told how he completed an epic 28-hour journey by air and road to return to the Emirates, as Iranian air strikes cause widespread travel disruption across the region.\nAustralian citizen Rowan Beard eventually reached his Abu Dhabi home on Tuesday evening after flying from Indonesia on Monday afternoon.\nHe took an Oman Air flight from Jakarta to Muscat, followed by a 12-hour bus and taxi journey.\nThe UAE closed its airspace on February 28 after the onset of a barrage of Iranian missile and drone attacks across the country.\nLimited commercial flights operated from the UAE on Monday to support stranded passengers, even as airlines warned that only some “repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights” were available.\nGetting back home to his wife was a priority for Mr Beard, who has been living in the Emirates for four years.\n'Our second home'\n“I needed to get back to my wife who is shook up, I need to be there for her,” said Mr Beard, 38, who runs a travel company. “UAE is our second home and I know that despite what is going on, everything will be OK.\n“Also, me returning to the UAE lets other people know it's OK. It's not as scary as you might read online. I’m happy to come back. I have full trust in the government. They are restoring confidence in people, they’re doing their best to protect their citizens and residents. We [the UAE] have sophisticated military hardware, more so than other places in the world, so I'm not worried.”\nRoad route\nThe UAE government has said it maintains a “robust” stockpile of munitions to carry out sustained interceptions. Defence forces have tried to fend off nearly 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, eight cruise missiles and more than 800 drones that have killed three people and injured 68 since the attacks began three days ago.\nThousands of UAE residents overseas, working or on holiday, are checking various routes to return home. Most have returned by road from Oman and people need to show their passports and Emirates identity cards at the border crossing.\n“I did some research and found Oman Air was still operating and that there was a daily bus running from Muscat to Abu Dhabi,” said Mr Beard. “It’s a 10-hour journey minimum but it was a definite way to get back home.\n“I know bus is not the most popular means of transport but for now it was the way to get back to the UAE securely. There were only a handful of people on the flight from Jakarta to Oman and the bus back was less than half full. There were many different nationalities on the bus, [people] from Russia, Portugal, India and Pakistan.”\nUnprecedented situation\nHundreds of others have flights booked this week but many flights have been postponed as airlines cite safety as the “absolute priority” before services can resume.\nBritish TV producer Reza Kalamadeen, 53, landed in Barcelona last week on business and was due to return to Dubai on March 1. His flight to Dubai was cancelled but he hopes to return on Wednesday.\n“This is not a situation which the UAE is in complete control of, it's something unprecedented,” he said. “It feels similar to what happened during the pandemic and the way the UAE handled that was amazing, it was one of the reasons that I really respect the country.”\nEven when working in Spain, his mind was preoccupied with the air strikes on the UAE. He hopes to return to his cat in his Jumeirah Beach Residence apartment as soon as possible.\n“My mind was very distracted because of what was happening,” said Mr Kalamadeen, who has lived in the UAE for seven years.\nEmirates airline covered the cost of passengers heading to Dubai and checked them into in a hotel in Calafell, a coastal village about 50km from Barcelona.\n“There was a massive event in Barcelona so all hotels were booked. There was a whole load of passengers transiting in Dubai so Emirates put us all up in the same hotel,” he said. “I have a cat that's probably missing me quite a lot, so now I just want to get home.”\nTest for the family\nAnubha Srivastava sees the terrifying days and nights consoling her children as Iranian missiles were intercepted by UAE’s defence systems as a “test” for the family as they wait for her husband to return.\nOn a business project in Conakry, in Guinea, West Africa, he was due to return next week.\n“After the strikes, we want him to get back home as soon as possible. It has been unbelievable and scary for the children to hear the loud bangs, feel huge glass windows tremble,” said Ms Srivastava, 44.\nAfter staying with a friend for two nights, she decided to move with her children, aged nine and 16, back to their own home in Silicon Oasis on Monday.\n“It was a huge relief and support to stay with friends, who really took care of us,” said Ms Srivastava, who has lived in the UAE since 2006.\n“I feel it’s a test for us. I made a decision that we should go home. We trust the UAE. We have seen how they handled Covid, the floods [in April 2024].\n“I feel we are in safe hands. We need to take care of our mental health and protect our children who are scared by the sounds. We will get over this. We have faith in the UAE. This is a lesson that we have to be tough, we need to be strong.”\nHer family in India is constantly in touch in a bid to keep their spirits up. “I’m not in a state of panic,” she said. “I’ve told my family we have electricity, we are getting deliveries, we have access to the internet. It’s a time for our bonds as a family to strengthen, as we see through this time.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:44:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi7gFBVV95cUxOcWlBMWV4U1JRdE0zc1ZfSGhmODU5WUYtaTBMd08xS19ESDN2TzAzTEJrMUJGRFJWR2Y2aVZiR3dYR25JTV9QQjZUTmxjSkQ0NGR1b2RBLTRvdkhtYmEzMXkyTEZQRGxUMkdhamtkWm10cTZBNzhYOFg5VGxyMExoMFJZOUhkOENTOUJRR0VKbUFSUV9weXFYQnh0Uy1GUDRlMlAzMFFISjk2WnJvczRRMFRyT0h2dHRocHR5aXpzREhXQXQwbmlwSm8tYW5NSU5fQ183dFB4ZzZkazU0ZFg5eC1jZGN3djhYSDUwTk9n?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d2a1e70c7640",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trump’s no-win war - Dawn",
    "body_text": "AMERICA’S self-styled ‘peace president’ has unleashed a brutal war against a country that poses no direct threat to his own. The conflict marks Donald Trump’s second military venture in less than six months, cementing his place among America’s war presidents. The joint US-Israel aggression against Iran has come as no surprise. For weeks, Washington had been deploying massive naval fleets to the region even as it publicly engaged Tehran in nuclear negotiations. It marked the largest US military build-up in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.\nIt was becoming increasingly evident that Trump was not genuinely pursuing a deal; the talks appeared to serve merely as a cover for military preparations. The offensive was initiated despite reports of a breakthrough in ongoing negotiations. Trump’s decision to go to war and abandon diplomatic negotiations was reportedly driven by persistent pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as by what Trump saw as his success in Venezuela.\nAccording to media reports, the US and Israel had agreed to a war plan in December last year, which would target not only military installations but also senior Iranian leaders.\nThe US-Israel assassination of Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — the head of a sovereign state — along with members of his family, underscores the hubris and brazenness of the rogue leader at the helm of the world’s most powerful nation. The targeted attacks, according to Israel, killed more than 40 senior Iranian officials, including the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, the defence minister and the chief of staff of the armed forces. There are also reports of a large number of civilian victims, including 165 schoolgirls and staff, who were killed at a primary school by the strikes. Such actions are nothing short of a war crime.\nMeanwhile, Trump has continued to shift the stated objectives of his military campaign. He is now openly seeking regime change in Iran. Initially, he predicted a swift end to the war. He now concedes that the conflict could drag on much longer. The massive air strikes have so far failed to eliminate Iran’s missile capability, which continues to threaten targets deep inside Israel as well as US military bases across the Middle East.\nIranian missiles have reportedly broken through Israel’s formidable air defence system, striking sensitive security installations. There have also been missile attacks targeting a US aircraft carrier, killing and wounding American troops. Iran has raised the stakes by launching missiles and drones strikes targeting American military bases in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The US embassy in Riyadh has also been hit by an Iranian drone strike.\nTehran has declared these facilities legitimate targets in response to American aggression. The situation has become extremely serious with some strikes hitting civilian installations, intensifying the conflict and potentially expanding it to the entire region. Meanwhile, Israel has extended the fighting to Lebanon, targeting the pro-Iran Hezbollah.\nAs the conflict widens and sucks in other countries, Trump has not ruled out the possibility of deploying ground troops. Any such US military misadventure would further inflame the situation. The US attack on Iran and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was revered as a spiritual leader by millions of Shias across the world, has triggered widespread anti-US protests in many countries, threatening the stability of America’s regional allies. Pakistan, Iraq and Bahrain, which have large Shia populations, have witnessed most of these violent protests. In fact, a wider section of the population has joined the protests, cutting across sectarian lines.\nA prolonged American war with boots on the ground would further destabilise an already volatile regional situation. Despite its immense military power, the US cannot assume victory; Trump seems to have forgotten the lessons of America’s two-decade war in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. His warmongering has plunged the world into a deeper economic and geopolitical crisis.\nAs the war intensifies, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass — has nearly come to a standstill following Iran’s threat to block the waterway. Several of the world’s largest container shipping lines have suspended services, severely disrupting the global energy supply chain and triggering a sharp rise in oil and gas prices. The closure of regional airspace has not only disrupted travel but has also dealt a significant blow to the broader global economy. With no early end of the war in sight there is growing fear of a global economic recession.\nThe world is divided over the latest US military action. While China and Russia have strongly condemned the sweeping US-Israel military action against Iran and called for an immediate halt to hostilities, Western countries have refrained from directly condemning America’s illegal war against a sovereign state — a stance that, to many, exposes their hypocrisy.\nPakistan, which shares a long border with Iran, will be directly affected by an American war in its neighbourhood. Violent anti-American protests broke out in several cities following the assassination of Khamenei. With its close ties to the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia, the current dispensation finds itself in a tight corner. The killing of protesters in Karachi, reportedly by US Marines, Islamabad and Skardu, has inflamed anti-government sentiment. Many have begun questioning Pakistan’s decision to join Trump’s controversial ‘Board of Peace’. The US, in coordination with Israel, launched the attack on Iran soon after the BoP’s first meeting in Washington, which Israel also attended. All this has placed the military-backed government in an increasingly precarious position.\nIt will be hard for the US to extricate itself from a no-win war. Trump’s illegal war will certainly change the political map of Iran and the Middle East but not in the way he wants. The region will become far more chaotic, with consequences for the entire world.\nThe writer is an author and journalist.\nX: @hidhussain\nPublished in Dawn, March 4th, 2026",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:49:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiSEFVX3lxTE5xSEFXV2dMazRveXZwTHJEZzc1QzlaTEtMa1Nha25aVWhRdUFaM1p5RGFrYVBHU2JHNF9WVmMxSUtuZ1oxX0dGbNIBTkFVX3lxTE5vS3ppYURSZFhSU21oTzJTM2VkVG5FMEd3TkM5MEJ5ME9sQ21yVW0wZm4xckdMNjBZbVFVREY2WWdRc0piR01LVDJoX0tTQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b8434061f9e0",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "China’s Abrupt Yuan Reversal Reveals Anxiety Over War, Oil Shock - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "China’s Abrupt Yuan Reversal Reveals Anxiety Over War, Oil Shock    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:51:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNQk1qUzUzVFFaX2x2T3pfaUx6bk5CUnpxamJTekFHa1RXdUt4bEFNX3dQczREcUhtejJQTHhTQzNxUGtvSEhxZmJMczEwcElvcUtfNFdUWnRFUkF3cm4tZll0TTE0T3VZZDdSanRfZTd4V2ZybFBVR0c3QTRNRGphaU1Ha1hjU2FnZHU2VzI3Y2xlRDdaUlo1QWkxOWdnU3AxUnFNcWFDLU1kdDVNVHc0cWxscFY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_60aabc8bc12f",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran's senior clerics ‘exposed’ after building strike in Qom, succession choice looms",
    "body_text": "Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., assesses the Trump administration’s actions against Iran on ‘The Will Cain Show.’\n\nSenior Iranian clerics would have been left \"exposed\" after an Israeli airstrike hit a meeting place where they were supposed to be convening Tuesday — days after a strike leveled the Tehran compound of Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khamenei, a defense analyst has claimed.\n\nThe clerics, members of the Assembly of Experts, had reportedly planned to meet at the location in Qom to deliberatesuccession plans forKhamenei, who was killed in the strikes, according toThe Times of Israel.\n\n\"This second strike would be another embarrassment to what has been left of the regime,\"Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"It indicatesintelligence dominanceand superiority because any movement is detected, meaning they would feel exposed,\" Michael added.\n\nIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike Saturday.(Getty Images)\n\n\"As of now, the leadership would feel insecure and hunted, with all of their plans collapsing one after another.\"\n\n\"They would feel totally isolated and understand that the biggest risk might come from home — from a potential uprising next,\" he added.\n\nIsrael Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed that theIsraeli Air Forcestruck the building where senior clerics had planned to assemble, The Times of Israel reported.\n\nKHAMENEI’S DEATH OPENS UNCERTAIN CHAPTER FOR IRAN’S ENTRENCHED THEOCRACY\n\nA general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, Monday, in Iran.(Contributor/Getty Images)\n\nIt remains unclear how many of the 88 members were present at the time of the strike, according to an Israeli defense source cited by the outlet. The second strike on Iran's leadership comes amid abroader military campaign.\n\nAs previously reported by Fox News Digital, U.S. forces havestruck more than 1,700 targetsacross Iran in the first 72 hours of Operation Epic Fury, according to a U.S. Central Command fact sheet.\n\nThe campaign is aimed atdismantling Iran’s security apparatusand neutralizing what officials describe as imminent threats.\n\nAccording to U.S. Central Command, targets have includedcommand-and-control centers, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Joint Headquarters, the IRGC Aerospace Forces headquarters, integrated air defense systems and ballistic missile sites.\n\nFIREBRAND ANTI-AMERICAN CLERIC ALIREZA ARAFI SEEN AS CONTENDER TO REPLACE IRAN’S KHAMENEI\n\nThe USS Thomas Hudner fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury, Sunday, while at sea.(U.S. Navy/via Getty Images)\n\n\"We needstrategic patience and determination, and in several weeks most of the job will be accomplished,\" Michael added. \"Even if the regime does not collapse, Iran will not be like we used to know.\n\n\"I assume that theU.S. and Israelwill establish a very robust monitoring mechanism that will enable them to react whenever the regime tries to reconstitute its military capacities again.\"\n\nEmma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T02:54:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/iranian-senior-clerics-exposed-after-strike-qom-khamenai-succession-choice-looms",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d71d20d7e5bf",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Russia, China raise diplomatic voices against US-Israeli attacks on Iran",
    "body_text": "Russia and China have criticised the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, with Moscow saying it had seen no evidence that Tehran was developing nuclear weapons, and Beijing demanding an immediate halt to the joint attacks.\nChinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, on Tuesday that the attack on Iran came as negotiations between Washington and Tehran had “made significant progress, including addressing Israel’s security concerns”, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4‘Russian oil will be sought’: What are Moscow’s gains from the war in Iran?\n- list 2 of 4Are the US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal under international law?\n- list 3 of 4Trump says Iran navy, air force destroyed, Germany ‘helping out’\n- list 4 of 4Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates\n“Regrettably, this process has been interrupted by military action. China opposes any military strikes launched by Israel and the US against Iran,” Wang told the Israeli foreign minister during a phone call, according to the ministry.\n“China calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the further escalation and loss of control of the conflict,” Wang said.\n“Force cannot truly solve problems; instead, it will bring new problems and serious long-term consequences,” he added.\nAccording to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Saar agreed to a request from Wang to take “concrete measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions” in Iran.\nThe call on Tuesday with Israel and Beijing’s apparent efforts to stabilise the spiralling regional situation followed calls Wang made on Monday to discuss the conflict with the foreign ministers of Iran, Oman and France.\n‘US doesn’t attack those who have nuclear bombs’\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also criticised the US and Israel on Tuesday, saying their war on Iran could lead to the very outcome they claimed they wanted to prevent: nuclear proliferation.\nLavrov told a news conference that the logical consequence of the US and Israel’s actions could be that “forces will emerge in Iran… in favour of doing exactly what the Americans want to avoid – acquiring a nuclear bomb”.\n“Because the US doesn’t attack those who have nuclear bombs,” Lavrov said.\nLavrov also said that Arab countries could now join the race to acquire nuclear weapons, given the experience of recent days and “the nuclear proliferation problem will begin to spiral out of control”.\nIsrael is widely seen as the Middle East region’s only nuclear-armed state, which it neither confirms nor denies.\n“The seemingly paradoxical declared noble goal of starting a war to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons could stimulate completely opposite trends,” he said.\nLavrov, who said that Moscow had still seen no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons, spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Tuesday, and said that Russia stood ready to help find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, while rejecting the US and Israel’s use of “unprovoked military aggression” in the region.\nAs the US and Israel launched their first strikes on Iran on Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the close allies of carrying out a “premeditated and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state”.\nThe two countries had hidden their true intention of regime change in Tehran “under the cover” of negotiations to normalise relations with Iran, the ministry said.\nThe US and Israel were “swiftly pushing the region toward a humanitarian, economic, and potentially even radiological disaster”, the ministry warned.\n“Responsibility for the negative consequences of this manmade crisis, including an unpredictable chain reaction and spiralling violence, lies entirely with them,” the statement added.\nRussia has faced its own accusations of aggression against a sovereign state after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a war now in its fifth year.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T03:03:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/russia-china-raise-diplomatic-voices-against-us-israeli-attacks-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_9508614854c2",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Russia, China raise diplomatic voices against US-Israeli attacks on Iran - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Russia and China have criticised the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, with Moscow saying it had seen no evidence that Tehran was developing nuclear weapons, and Beijing demanding an immediate halt to the joint attacks.\nChinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, on Tuesday that the attack on Iran came as negotiations between Washington and Tehran had “made significant progress, including addressing Israel’s security concerns”, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4‘Russian oil will be sought’: What are Moscow’s gains from the war in Iran?\n- list 2 of 4Are the US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal under international law?\n- list 3 of 4Trump says Iran navy, air force destroyed, Germany ‘helping out’\n- list 4 of 4Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates\n“Regrettably, this process has been interrupted by military action. China opposes any military strikes launched by Israel and the US against Iran,” Wang told the Israeli foreign minister during a phone call, according to the ministry.\n“China calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the further escalation and loss of control of the conflict,” Wang said.\n“Force cannot truly solve problems; instead, it will bring new problems and serious long-term consequences,” he added.\nAccording to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Saar agreed to a request from Wang to take “concrete measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions” in Iran.\nThe call on Tuesday with Israel and Beijing’s apparent efforts to stabilise the spiralling regional situation followed calls Wang made on Monday to discuss the conflict with the foreign ministers of Iran, Oman and France.\n‘US doesn’t attack those who have nuclear bombs’\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also criticised the US and Israel on Tuesday, saying their war on Iran could lead to the very outcome they claimed they wanted to prevent: nuclear proliferation.\nLavrov told a news conference that the logical consequence of the US and Israel’s actions could be that “forces will emerge in Iran… in favour of doing exactly what the Americans want to avoid – acquiring a nuclear bomb”.\n“Because the US doesn’t attack those who have nuclear bombs,” Lavrov said.\nLavrov also said that Arab countries could now join the race to acquire nuclear weapons, given the experience of recent days and “the nuclear proliferation problem will begin to spiral out of control”.\nIsrael is widely seen as the Middle East region’s only nuclear-armed state, which it neither confirms nor denies.\n“The seemingly paradoxical declared noble goal of starting a war to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons could stimulate completely opposite trends,” he said.\nLavrov, who said that Moscow had still seen no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons, spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Tuesday, and said that Russia stood ready to help find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, while rejecting the US and Israel’s use of “unprovoked military aggression” in the region.\nAs the US and Israel launched their first strikes on Iran on Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the close allies of carrying out a “premeditated and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state”.\nThe two countries had hidden their true intention of regime change in Tehran “under the cover” of negotiations to normalise relations with Iran, the ministry said.\nThe US and Israel were “swiftly pushing the region toward a humanitarian, economic, and potentially even radiological disaster”, the ministry warned.\n“Responsibility for the negative consequences of this manmade crisis, including an unpredictable chain reaction and spiralling violence, lies entirely with them,” the statement added.\nRussia has faced its own accusations of aggression against a sovereign state after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a war now in its fifth year.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T03:05:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_22fbddd0e9bb",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "'Our stance remains measured': UAE rejects military solution with Iran and urges UN action - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "The UAE rejects a military solution with Iran, urging UN Security Council action to address attacks threatening regional security.\nReem Al Hashimy emphasises dialogue over escalation, linking concerns to Iran’s missile programme as well as the nuclear file.\nIran’s retaliatory strikes targeted the Emirates with drones and missiles, causing three deaths and 68 minor injuries, alongside hits on energy and civilian infrastructure.\nDefence officials report high combat readiness, reinforced deployments and sufficient munitions to sustain prolonged interception operations.\n\"Our stance remains measured,\" the Minister of State for International Co-operation said.\nThe UAE on Tuesday ruled out any military action against Iran, saying its “stance remains measured” while condemning Tehran’s missile and drone attacks and urging the UN to take action.\nReem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, called on the UN Security Council to assume responsibility in addressing the attacks, which she said pose a direct threat to regional security.\n\"Our message is clear. The Iranian attacks are not justified, and the military solution will only lead to further crises, \" Ms Al Hashimy told journalists during a briefing in Abu Dhabi, calling for \"serious and responsible dialogue”.\n\"The [UN] Security Council must take responsibility for condemning these attacks and take the necessary measures to prevent them from happening again,” she said. \"This issue is not only related to the Iranian nuclear file, but also extends to the missile programme, which poses a direct threat to Iran's neighbours and requires a comprehensive and responsible international attention.\n\"In conclusion, I would like to emphasise that despite the intensity of the events, our stance remains measured,” she added.\nIran has unleashed deadly retaliatory attacks since Saturday against Israel and Gulf countries, home to several American military bases, in response to US and Israeli attacks that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who dominated theocratic power for decades.\nGulf states bore the brunt of the retaliation, despite previously announcing that their airspace and territory would not be used against Iran. The UAE was the hardest hit, with Iranian forces targeting the country with 186 ballistic missiles, eight cruise missiles and 812 drones as of publication, most of which were intercepted, according to the country's Ministry of Defence.\nIran not only attacked US assets in the region but also civilian facilities like hotels and airports, including in the UAE. Energy infrastructure in the Gulf was also targeted. The attacks on the Emirates resulted in three fatalities and 68 minor injuries as of Tuesday afternoon.\n\"We do not seek to expand the circle of confrontation, and we do not believe that military solutions create permanent stability,” said Ms Al Hashimy. \"Our region does not need this escalation. Returning to the negotiating table is the only rational way forward.”\nDiplomatically, Ms Al Hashimy said that the country has taken \"firm” steps to close the embassy in Tehran and withdraw its ambassador, along with all diplomatic staff.\nShe noted that the UAE views the security of all Gulf Co-operation Council countries as integral to regional stability. \"The developments we have witnessed underscore that any violation of the sovereignty of a Gulf state constitutes a threat to regional security and stability as a whole,” she said.\n\"The right to self-defence is a legitimate right, and any attack on civilians is a blatant violation of international law,” she added.\n\"With this balance between firmness and responsibility, the UAE moves forward with confidence and resolve, defending its security, safeguarding regional stability and affirming that a secure future is built not by force alone, but through dialogue, vision and shared aspirations for greater prosperity,\" said Ms Al Hashimy.\n\"Let trust remain stronger than fear, and steady institutional action swifter than chaos, a calm and deliberate resolve amid the noise.\"\nThe briefing also included UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq, as well as representatives from the ministries of defence and interior and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA).\nHigh level of combat readiness\nMaj Gen Abdul Nasser Al Humaidi, official spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, said the UAE will never accept its sovereignty and security being compromised.\nHe said the country reserved the right to take all necessary measures to stop the Iranian attacks.\nThe sounds that have been heard across the Emirates are the result of missile interceptions, he added, noting that the armed forces remain at a high level of combat readiness and have reinforced their defensive deployments.\nUAE prepared to defend territory for duration of war\n00:49\n\"We affirm that the UAE is at the highest level of readiness and possesses a full spectrum of defence and military capabilities and systems, including advanced national industries, enabling it to defend its territory and protect its people regardless of the duration of the regional escalation,” said Gen Al Humaidi.\n\"The UAE has a sufficient strategic stockpile of munitions to ensure the sustained execution of defensive and interception operations against various types of aerial threats over long periods.”\nNo panic needed\nThe UAE has sufficient reserves of basic goods to cover its needs for between four and six months, Mr bin Touq said.\nThis ensures the stability of prices, the minister noted, adding that the UAE’s food security system is a red line.\n\"Essential goods are readily available, with the ability to secure alternative markets if necessary,” he said.\nMr bin Touq added that the authorities are making sure there is no unfair increase in commodity prices and there is strict monitoring.\nHe called on people to “avoid panic buying or over-purchasing, which may lead to price increases”.\nUAE has huge stockpile of essential goods, says Minister of Economy and Tourism\n00:35\nThe NCEMA spokesman said a comprehensive and continuous risk assessment is in place, supported by continuing strategic planning efforts.\n\"Daily life in the country continues as normal, with all essential services fully operational and reliably available,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T03:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1wFBVV95cUxNZ2IyQlFUaTNUd3FTaTlEQ2pDZWJjVFhtSk9XcllCdnl0cmFnZ25rQWpXRTBXQXJ5c1pFMlltS081ZHBMV3VsQ1hpSWQ5cGd0TzNMU0pURnZvcmJFeVQ1N3NzekRwbWNqSTRsQVhJdUotd0l2a0lmREtJR01PT19EUTZ5TFZ4TGFsVnVuM2lpMnk3MDQ0MEI3X2JPMUZuaEN5S0duMnlJYmFNQVdsQkNLaWdvXy1jWGlVbTVJVWNlRVRQZDNuRUhFOFFPSjhuWWtrSEo4SmhGZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bfc26248cb45",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Gold rises as Middle East conflict escalates, dollar rally pauses - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Gold rises as Middle East conflict escalates, dollar rally pauses    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T03:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOekQ3SUt0NWtReUlxVUxXdkhON1MwR3ZMMGZwRUtGTGtuNDNUZFRDWTZSZHVGVl9GMXVJUDV4Tzk2b0xVcWtvR1J6Mmhid1BRMzVteFpuNXJENVYyRHpYOFBOUkw2TlNNbTE3dnd4SDlINE5LNFBGaEJiRk5vNExKblFHTXFldjZoRlNiY1RDaXFaM0VRSFRGRWw1ZFJUdjlENVp1WEtPSW4tbldURm5WUTB3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3f36cbb39dd6",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "What the Iran War Means for Interest Rates, Inflation and Stocks - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "What the Iran War Means for Interest Rates, Inflation and Stocks    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T03:26:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxPMjhSTWZxQWdGRVNkY00tejhMeEw0ZmZncWtkR3EwUWdrR01KdXBrcWJIOFpraHpES2RSWGR4YUJROFNaTUpUN0JSV0RxUHllc09NUXVWbEVOTS1oVEVnSFotRmJkR0dxOUMyUnFZM2FsMEZyLTdVX1hnRmt5Yi1uWWNxcDBwRXBINENoeXA5TGI1YTZjRVM5VmJRYkVyU3RaNlZrdzJ2aGs1RFBqSnUzUWdKZE9aZTBiOU5LODRJVFBDQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3859f52fce44",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "JD Vance takes low profile on Iran after resisting foreign wars - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "What does JD Vance think about Trump’s Iran war?\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T03:51:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9YbkJibGljcFBxQlBtSlhKRGdyajFOSGQ5a2xmUGdhZWtwOUdMVXd1bEFnY2cwMXhkNF9maWpzVXZtUUFrVFRqaFI3OG1ZMmtMakxvZUpVelUtcG9aLXRfNGRTbWNldVViUU15X2V5UEY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_526a8a20f29c",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Polymarket and Kalshi’s Iran War Wagers Are Ghoulish — and Troubling - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Polymarket and Kalshi’s Iran War Wagers Are Ghoulish — and Troubling    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxOaHBzS0dlbTJBOVJGSDhWWGdhSmNSQnNrVEdqNFhYWXhndmZLbkZoSmdrX2hHdzJtWGxGSWtSMVF6eVN4bW92X1FZaU5USC1GN1FPbVQyRjN3bmNIYmRVZTRKbkoyWDJtY2RWRmFmMDZZeFJwenk3MjRGTzMxS0I1MVRFR05mX2IxX0VoZFRZUE9IdER3V0NoOTJRc1E2MnBKUjhGZXg3YXpRanFMVUlJdUZPNGFDZ1R5enR4Mw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7bbd52e41a0e",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "China to lean on Russian oil as Iran crisis chokes supply - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "China to lean on Russian oil as Iran crisis chokes supply\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:01:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9vSWV5bHJabmhIYmJuZkNuR1M0azhuTGJ3RnZ2T2F6UWlPRERmdzJPcXBENms1SGVwMVdJeFRsQnRTY1hTb285ek1HckgwdUNzdGhYZ1F6SUdPdjlGUXh0NG42Wnk0NGw0cWl3QmJiTUI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_069904b24fea",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran Optimism May Prevail, But It’s Not Free Money - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iran Optimism May Prevail, But It’s Not Free Money    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:02:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPa2pKNUUyLWpMYzBsRDVmbEZvWGNpRTVkaWFfWkwxRTZTSm9QQzRkNnhpZFRzM3VweEhRQUhweHBHeGdlVTdsUi0wV3lvN0VLQmFwdkd0NmotV2FZakN1a2VGNml0LXY0QmVlYWdVTXNnVng0VmM5clBnMThEbnVQZjNZS1BkbndXQ2x1a2dXOWV3V0ktcFZ4dG5CVzgycVZWal9RbGtWQ3RLUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8393fddc61c6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "U.S., Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation, sources say - Reuters",
    "body_text": "U.S., Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation, sources say    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:07:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxOeUlERk1ZeXR4YXlLdHVWNjdqUnBVbFFqSHYxRTl5NnNMQm1VanN1WWJTX0E3TGhFczRqR3dfalI3UkxiUHRyV3NpTm5nXy02RndXX2dYcnVEX3FIWXdLZzZCNTdpbEppR21uNk4zTFRTMHNYa3Zmb2hXRFBxQWZMNXozSTB0NS1TbDBsZkIyWjRMNWRrVDdPdEhLRS1fNmZ4czJFRDMtOEtUbW9MUGR6OVVOd2M2LXda?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9719bd9e6ab6",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "US and Ecuador forces launch operation to fight drug trafficking",
    "body_text": "US and Ecuador forces launch operation to fight drug trafficking\nEcuadorean and US forces have launched operations against what it said were designated terrorist organisations in the South American country, the US military's Southern Command said on Tuesday.\nThe Southern Command said the action was aimed at tackling illicit drug trafficking, but did not provide more details in a statement on X.\nThe announcement comes a day after Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa said the US was among \"regional allies\" taking part in a \"new phase\" of Ecuador's war on the drug cartels.\nNoboa says around 70% of the world's cocaine now flows through Ecuador's huge ports, making it a lucrative location for drug-trafficking gangs.\nIt also neighbours Colombia and Peru, the world's two largest producers of cocaine.\nThe latest operations come four months after Ecuadoreans dashed US hopes of expanding its presence in the eastern Pacific region by voting against allowing the return of foreign military bases in the country.\nIn recent years, the country has become one of the world's biggest drug-trafficking hotspots.\nOn Monday, Noboa held talks in Quito with US Southern Command chief Francis Donovan and Mark Schafer, head of US Special Operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean.\nDuring the meeting, they discussed plans for information sharing and operational coordination at airports and seaports, Noboa's office said in a statement.\n\"Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,\" the US Southern Command said on Tuesday.\nThe announcement comes three months after the Washington announced a temporary deployment of Air Force personnel to the former US base in the port city of Manta.\nTackling drug trafficking in the region is a key priority for the US.\nTrump has repeatedly accused Petro and his administration of failing to stem the flow of drugs to the US, suggesting that expanded strikes could also target Colombia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:07:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgjzz4gn64zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f98539bf008b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Everything we know on the fifth day of the US and Israel’s war with Iran - CNN",
    "body_text": "The latest Middle East conflict continues spiraling days after Israel and the US launched their joint operation on Iran, killing more than 1,000 people, triggering retaliatory strikes on Israel and neighboring Gulf states and plunging the region into fear and uncertainty.\nHere’s what to know on day five.\nWhat are the main headlines?\n- US sinks Iranian ship: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s navy said it has recovered “several bodies” but the toll is not yet clear.\n- Turkish interception: NATO air defense systems shot down an Iranian missile that was traveling towards Turkey’s airspace, the Turkish presidency said. This is believed to be the first time NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile traveling towards a member country’s airspace since the conflict in the Middle East broke out over the weekend.\n- Fresh strikes: The Israeli military said it again attacked Tehran, the tenth wave of strikes since the conflict began. US President Donald Trump has praised the joint operation, claiming Iran’s military installations had been essentially “knocked out,” from its navy to its air force and more. More strikes are expected; Hegseth said the US operation is still in its “early days.”\n- Markets roiled: Asian stocks fell sharply Wednesday, with a record selloff in Seoul, as investors fretted about rising oil prices in a region heavily dependent on imports from the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point, is effectively shut off. But oil prices paused their recent surge while US and European stocks rebounded.\n- In the US: Republicans rejected a resolution Wednesday aimed at requiring that President Donald Trump seek congressional approval for future US military action against Tehran. Earlier, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the US will start “striking progressively deeper” into Iran. The White House has given contradictory accounts on why the US attacked Iran.\nWhat’s happening in Iran?\n- Fresh Israeli strikes: Tehran residents again woke up to the aftermath of Israeli strikes. “They hit quite hard last night, it was a bad night,” a resident said. The Israeli military said one of its jets shot down an Iranian jet, in what it described as the first air-to-air combat kill of a piloted aircraft.\n- Death toll climbs: More than 1,000 people, including children, have been killed in Iran since Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The group said its report is preliminary, and the number could rise. Iran has been under an internet blackout for more than 100 hours, making it difficult for Iranians to communicate with the outside world.\n- Minab school strike: The White House didn’t rule out Wednesday that a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Southern Iran was carried out by US military personnel, but said the incident is being investigated and insisted that the US “does not target civilians.”\n- Next supreme leader: Senior Iranian officials have been meeting virtually to select a new supreme leader after the initial US-Israel strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – and his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is among a small handful of clerics tipped as likely successors. But timings are unclear. Israel warned that any new leader would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”\n- Funeral cancelled: The mourning ceremony for Khamenei, set to begin Wednesday evening, has been postponed, state media reported. Three days of mourning had previously been announced and the cancellation is a blow for a regime trying to project an image of stability and continuity.\n- Ships destroyed: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the US aims to completely eliminate Iran’s navy. To that end, Leavitt claimed that the US “destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including their top submarine.”\n- Arming the Kurds: The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN. Iranian Kurdish armed groups have thousands of forces operating along the Iraq-Iran border and some have hinted at imminent action. Several Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish leaders, however, have emphasized that they want nothing to do with that.\nWhat’s happening around the region and beyond?\n- Attacks on Lebanon: Israel is also striking Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and issuing evacuation orders for dozens of villages. At least 74 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 437 people have been injured since Israeli forces launched attacks on Monday, the country’s Ministry of Public Health said Wednesday.\n- Iran strikes back: Arab states in the Persian Gulf are bearing the brunt of Tehran’s ferocious retaliation. Countries such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones in recent days – raising questions about how long their air defenses can keep up, and how many more weapons remain in Iran’s depleted arsenal. The volume of Iran’s missile launches and drone strikes has dropped by 86% and 73% respectively since the first day of the war, top US general Dan Caine said Wednesday.\n- US facilities targeted: The US has closed embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon, after several were hit with Iranian strikes. A CIA station in Saudi Arabia, and a US military base in Qatar – the largest in the Middle East – were also hit. Non-emergency US government personnel in several Middle Eastern countries have been ordered to leave. And a CNN satellite image analysis of more than 60 bases has found Iranian strikes on US military bases and facilities across the Arabian Peninsula have targeted and damaged communications, radar and intelligence equipment in an apparent effort to disrupt their connectivity with the outside world.\n- Foreign powers: China’s foreign minister called for an “immediate cessation” of the US and Israeli action in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart, the ministry said. The country has lost two international allies this year through US action. France meanwhile has deployed Rafale fighter jets over the skies of the United Arab Emirates to protect its military bases there.\n- Senate vote: Republicans rejected a resolution aimed at requiring that Trump seek congressional approval for future US military action against Iran. The Senate voted 47 to 53 to put down the measure. Even if the measure had advanced, it faced an uphill battle, as it would have needed to withstand a full amendment process in the Senate before moving to the House, and then a likely presidential veto that requires a two-thirds vote to override.\n- Oil trade rocked: Oil and natural gas prices are jumping while stock markets are tumbling. The Middle East is a major producer of both oil and natural gas, but its energy exports have now been largely cut off from the rest of the world by an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.\nWhy did the US and Israel attack Iran?\n- US and Israel’s claims: Officials from both countries have put out different statements in recent days over why they launched their attack – including the need to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and the claim they were responding to potential preemptive attacks by Iran.\n- Fact check: The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has countered these claims – telling CNN that Iran was not days or weeks away from having atomic weapons. Trump himself has repeatedly said that Tehran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” by US strikes on Iran last summer. And US intelligence suggests Iran would need until 2035 to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, if it chose to pursue one.\n- Trump had a “good feeling”: Pressed for explanation on Wednesday, the White House said that Trump had a “good feeling” that Iran was about to attack US assets in the region and that to “sit back and watch” would have been unacceptable.\nThis story has been updated.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:08:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxNYzlXUzhQbUhCR1hyX01TR3QzbjJ4bkprOEdvck1lR2lrcjBWMlFTTjFibE1KTFVfS2h2SEwzRmIxVWFDZVZDMXBaeHJNYTRmUDdxYUkzcTZzUW9vZ09PYTkzWmdSYmRweFhzR1ZWX3FjeW5jOUZ6UG9McUtET3dZYkpvbW4?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4526d5ddbf12",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Goldman’s Solomon Says Market Reaction to War Is ‘Benign’ So Far - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Goldman’s Solomon Says Market Reaction to War Is ‘Benign’ So Far    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:22:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOR2tZVkg1ZU5Va1RCR0hwazAzMW9JMUlLaGhmaFNRUjlVUlRORmVCS193bmtJQXMzWHpHSXJ2SDk0NzJDc3VXYnkxZUFKYkZKUWN6LVV1TlVUdVpBSTNLclgySEwxdWpNR1BmZ1VObEFuTG96VnUydDRNclZiTVpfbHR3ODZESXNuTFp1THBRM0pJYlNPQU5SYTBEZE4ySDRiOFFoZTlZS1V2QURBQ0VHVEkzNA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c7bda40b4c79",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump Says US Will Escort, Insure Oil Tankers Amid the Iran War - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Trump Says US Will Escort, Insure Oil Tankers Amid the Iran War    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:23:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNQnRxNkk0cnI1MHBjT2R0Q0MyeW5RZU1KVm92LXpINGYyeDBfRDZBRnhzc2I0SnJ6bjFvNGdHbHQ2WFp4d1BQSkxzZTNjaVg2SVNaS0FKcEJESEJiLWlHUkg2ZjdsS3kzSVRyc0VkTVBHb3hKQzBCY2dmRHBMOFZMNEU0YWwzVnFmYVdfSkZIQ0hPcDdZSnVkMTc3MWcwaG5iMnBjRFl2cUZtdDlIX2c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_890690a8442f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran Escalates Retaliatory Strikes as U.S. Signals Long Battle - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "Iran Escalates Retaliatory Strikes as U.S. Signals Long Battle    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTE82Ym5OTm4waTQ1akFtS2dJbkszSnp4WXhIMUthZ3VEOTJoYlRZdHJvUFdDd3U2X1JmYmFvblZ5dXZhNDBpaUFqWHl6bWZWLWlFYnFPUEphY1ZrbF9zZVc0V2tlVU9NN2w0N0pqaUl3c0Q2UlRpa0VsNW5NZktOZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_e7a9f7a48684",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Investors turn away from yen as haven asset during Iran war - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Investors turn away from yen as haven asset during Iran war\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:46:32+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "NATO destroys Iranian missile heading for Turkey, frontrunner for supreme leader emerges - Reuters",
    "body_text": "NATO destroys Iranian missile heading for Turkey, frontrunner for supreme leader emerges    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQcW1SNjBFRllpOHRZd3MwRERLMTFnZXVGVHJzbmVOQm1WamFRUU0tdjlVUHE3bnhiY2dqaEEtdWxNTndfS3RRdXo2TF9HcllSSFZmSko1bGQ0YmVGYTJuRURxSU1VQVlJZ1JKZ2t6M0lPbF9haV8yVHBOTGhPWXRmN0Vld2hLcFRCY05pUUxNWVVucHRwVG10d3JGNmg0S01VYjg2RDNXLTVBWTdXT09INWRQSWE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6c0c4bd6189b",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US assault on Iran ahead of schedule, says US Middle East Commander - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "US assault on Iran ahead of schedule, says US Middle East Commander\nBy Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell\nDUBAI/TEL AVIV, March 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. assault on Iran was ahead of schedule, said the top American commander for the Middle East, as Israel and the U.S. targeted sites deep inside the country, and Iran carried out strikes around the Gulf.\nThe five-day-old war continued to rattle global markets, as airline and tourism industries scrambled to deal with more than 20,000 flight cancellations and governments rushed to bring stranded travellers home from the Middle East.\nThe Israeli military said early on Wednesday it had begun a wave of strikes targeting Iranian launch sites, aerial defence systems and infrastructure.\nIn Israel, air raid sirens sounded early on Wednesday warning of Iranian missiles, and loud blasts as the missiles were intercepted shook buildings, said witnesses.\nU.S. Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. forces in the Middle East as the head of Central Command, said the first 24 hours of the 'Operation Epic Fury' bombardment of Iran were \"nearly double the scale\" of the first 24 hours of the 'Shock and Awe' campaign that opened the Iraq War in 2003.\n\"We are seeing that Iran's ability to hit us, and our partners, is declining, while our combat power, on the other hand, is building,\" Cooper said in a video briefing released on Tuesday evening. \"My overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan.\"\nCooper said Iran's air defences had been badly degraded, its navy had no operational vessels on key waterways after 17 were sunk, and that more than 2,000 Iranian targets had been hit.\nSome 50,000 U.S. troops were taking part in operations, and that \"more capabilities\" were on the way, he said.\nThe U.S. military on Tuesday identified four of the first American soldiers killed in the war, as the Trump administration warned the intensifying conflict would lead to more U.S. casualties. Trump has not ruled out using ground forces.\nA source familiar with Israel's war plan told Reuters that the campaign had been planned to last two weeks and was going through its target list faster than expected, with early success in killing Iran's leaders - including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening salvos on Saturday.\nTrump said on Monday initial U.S. projections were for the operation to last four to five weeks.\nTEHRAN 'GHOST TOWN'\nIran said deaths from the attacks had reached 787 on Tuesday. That included 165 girls killed on the war's first day when their school was bombed, the highest toll among several civilian sites reported to have been hit.\nAs Iranians have fled cities, the capital Tehran has become a ghost town.\n“How long will this continue? Where are the shelters? Where is the government?” Bijan, 32, a bank employee, told Reuters by telephone from Tehran. “Every night my wife and I hide in the basement. The whole city is empty. There is smoke and blood everywhere.”\nIsrael continued to target the pro-Iran Hezbollah group in neighbouring Lebanon on Wednesday, after the militants fired on Israel in retaliation for the death of Khamenei, 86, who had ruled Iran for 37 years.\nThe Israeli military issued an evacuation warning on Wednesday to 16 villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to leave their homes, saying anyone near Hezbollah fighters, facilities or weapons would be putting their lives at risk.\nSeveral people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a four-storey residential building in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek, the state news agency NNA reported early on Wednesday.\nTrump has sought to justify the assault on Iran, saying he had ordered the campaign because he had \"a feeling\" Iran would attack after negotiations over its nuclear program stalled.\nIran has called the war an unprovoked attack.\n\"We have told the enemy that if you try to harm our main centres, we will hit all economic centres in the region,\" Revolutionary Guards adviser Ebrahim Jabari said in Iranian media.\nIran has fired missiles and drones at neighbouring Arab states that host U.S. bases, and strangled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas travel past its coast.\n(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Brad Brooks and Michael Perry; Editing by Kevin Liffey, William Maclean, Cynthia Osterman and Raju Gopalakrishnan)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T04:47:11+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Strait of Hormuz disruption threatens Middle East food imports - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Strait of Hormuz disruption threatens Middle East food imports\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:00:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9XZ0M4VGZCUHRna1dIaVlRZ0duaHRlZVVSRW4yQUl2RFl5QldtbGZkQWVJLUNsd2tMNXJVenc4Q0EtcnBvbFk4eXlFYURYMnZBS3UyRUZuYjBiQUtGcFJMalFKSnhYLUlzTHZfTk5pY0c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_f81a81badd5c",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Transcript: Iran crisis sends European gas prices soaring - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Transcript: Iran crisis sends European gas prices soaring\nThis is an audio transcript of the FT News Briefing podcast episode: ‘Iran crisis sends European gas prices soaring’\nVictoria Craig\nGood morning from the Financial Times. Today is Wednesday, March 4th, and this is your FT News Briefing. The war in the Middle East is causing another potential energy crisis for Europe, and it’s setting up another rift between the US and its European allies. Plus, China will lay out its five-year plan tomorrow. We’ll unpack what’s on deck. I’m Victoria Craig, and here’s the news you need to start your day.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nEuropean stocks and bonds sold off on Tuesday as concerns grow about an energy shock from the conflict in the Middle East. Global oil prices have been trading in the $80 per barrel range this week, while European natural gas prices have nearly doubled. Tehran’s retaliatory strikes are targeting energy production facilities in the Gulf. And its drone attacks have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which is a crucial oil and gas export route to Europe and Asia. The question now is: will Europe need to look for a new energy source the way it did after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022? Here to discuss that is the FT’s EU correspondent Ian Johnston. Hi, Ian.\nIan Johnston\nHello.\nVictoria Craig\nSo just walk us through how reliant Europe is on gas supplies from the Middle East.\nIan Johnston\nSo Europe is not overly reliant on gas supplies from the Middle East per se. It gets about 10 per cent of its liquefied natural gas from Qatar. But, it’s a global market, and those shocks to the gas supplies in Qatar have had a really damaging effect on prices shooting up about 78 per cent in this space of two days. And it sparked real concern over what the effect this will have on European businesses and consumers.\nVictoria Craig\nIs Europe in any way better positioned to absorb any energy shock than it was when Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2022?\nIan Johnston\nYes it is, and that’s partly because the nature of the shock is different. In 2022, Europe’s main gas supplier cut off pipeline gas effectively to the continent, and gas prices soared. But also, there are real concerns over how Europe would get supplies in response to that. Since then, they have started to import much more liquefied natural gas from Qatar, but also largely from the US. They’ve electrified quite a bit as well. So renewable energy sources have increased, and so that has been part of a plan really to reduce dependence on Russia.\nVictoria Craig\nAre these long-term solutions that Europe can rely on if the situation in the Middle East worsens? Or will they have to look to different possible suppliers down the line?\nIan Johnston\nWell, one challenge now is that we’ve come out of a very cold winter in Europe, and so the gas reserves are very low. Europe now needs to refill those gas supplies and it risks doing so at a time when prices are very high. And if that continues to be the case, it’ll be very expensive to do so. In terms of its options for doing that, the sources would be perhaps turning to the US. Other options that are unlikely, but could happen, would be to continue to import Russian gas. Europe has recently legislated to phase that out. There are other scenarios as well. Europe could fire up coal plants as a short-term measure.\nVictoria Craig\nSo how concerned are authorities in Brussels about a potential pass-through of these higher energy prices to consumers, and how are they preparing for that?\nIan Johnston\nI think yes, they are very concerned. That would effectively be a real drain on Europe’s economy. Political pressure on politicians as well if energy prices continue to stay high. And there are unfortunately not many levers that they can pull at this point in time to support customers and businesses. One thing that it could do is continue to allow heavily polluting industries, steelmakers, fertilisers, to continue to get free alliances for emitting carbon, which is a way of keeping those industries outside of its environmental measures. And another thing it could do is to enable more state aid. Those are the rules that Brussels puts on member states to prevent them from advantaging their businesses. And that’s something that it could do. It could loosen those restrictions temporarily.\nVictoria Craig\nReally interesting stuff. Ian Johnston is the FT’s EU correspondent. Thanks Ian for your time.\nIan Johnston\nThank you.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nVictoria Craig\nUS President Donald Trump tore into some of his European allies yesterday. During a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump lashed out at Spain over what he saw as a lack of co-operation. Madrid refused to let the US send jets and ships to attack Iran from two jointly operated military facilities in Spain.\nDonald Trump voice clip\nSpain has been terrible. In fact, I told Scott to cut off all dealings with Spain.\nVictoria Craig\nHe’s referring there to US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent. A Spanish government official fired back in a statement saying Spain was a quote, reliable trading partner. At the same White House press conference, Trump also expressed frustration that the UK had not allowed the US to launch its initial strikes on Iran from the small island of Diego Garcia, but the UK reversed course on Sunday. Here’s what Trump had to say about Prime Minister Keir Starmer.\nDonald Trump voice clip\nThis is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.\nVictoria Craig\nThe UK prime minister on Monday challenged the strikes on Iran saying, quote, this government does not believe in regime change from the skies.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nAir travel is being disrupted as a result of the Middle East conflict, and it isn’t just a problem for commercial airline passengers, it’s also a problem for metals trade. Dubai is an important hub for gold shipments. It accounted for about 20 per cent of global flows last year, and itself was the world’s second-largest exporter in 2024. Gold is usually transported on passenger planes, but some airlines are prioritising perishable goods instead. Now, some logistics carriers say they are the ones handling the gold shipments. Traders say longer term disruption could trigger more volatility in the price of gold. It’s down more than 4 per cent this week, but up nearly 20 per cent so far this year.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]\nChina’s National People’s Congress convenes tomorrow at the meeting Beijing will set its growth target for the year and unveil its latest five-year plan. These gatherings are carefully planned pieces of theatre. Leadership sets out its ambitions for the economy, and which sectors are lined up for funding and policy support. To tell us what’s on tap, I’m joined now by the FT’s Beijing bureau chief Joe Leahy. Hey, Joe. Thanks for being here.\nJoe Leahy\nThank you.\nVictoria Craig\nSo what are you looking out for from this meeting?\nJoe Leahy\nYeah, this is China’s annual political extravaganza, if you like. And one of the key things at this annual meeting is always the growth target. The government delivers the so-called work report, which details all of the activities that it’s been doing over the past year and its plans for the coming year, especially for the economy. And this year, we’ll be expecting them to perhaps even change the target, which will be the first time in a few years to around 4.5 to 5 per cent for this year. And that would compare to last year’s target, which was, in quotes, around 5 per cent. So that’ll be a pretty big change, acknowledging that China’s economy is gradually slowing. And then they’ll also release the 15th five-year plan. And we think that will be emphasising high-tech development first and foremost, and also with some hopes of fuelling consumption.\nVictoria Craig\nDoes China generally meet these targets?\nJoe Leahy\nThey always mysteriously do meet the target. There have been exceptions such as during COVID, but normally, they do meet it. And the way they do that is through economic stimulus. So, if they find that they’re falling short of the target, they’ll issue a whole lot more bonds and build a lot more infrastructure, undertake a lot more investment until they feel like they’ve met the target. But of course, China’s economic data has been heavily questioned by economists over the years. It’s always a little bit questionable whether they’re actually meeting the target, but they certainly say that they do.\nVictoria Craig\nYou mentioned that the tech sector is a focus for tomorrow. What are the other sectors you’re gonna be watching for?\nJoe Leahy\nOne of the really interesting things might be whether or not the government actually sets some targets for consumption, because the thing obviously that’s really missing in the Chinese economy at the moment is consumption. There is a lack of demand in the Chinese economy leading to huge exports. And that massive surplus last year that has upset China’s trading partners. So economists will be looking for more clarity on whether they’ll set targets for consumption, which also requires them to boost people’s incomes. But I’m not too optimistic that they’ll do much on that front. I think tech is still the highest priority, and that’s because of competition with the US. Above all, they want to win that contest.\nVictoria Craig\nWhat other policies are the delegates gonna discuss?\nJoe Leahy\nYeah. Another really interesting piece of legislation that’s supposed to be discussed, there is inheritance tax. With China’s demographic decline, we are going to see this large group of people who’ve benefited from the past 40 years of economic growth. They are going to hand over their wealth to a much smaller number of people in the next generation. So the party really wants to get a piece of this in terms of taxation, but still, they know that this is a very unpopular tax and they’ll be working very carefully on how they can get it through.\nVictoria Craig\nSo Joe, that’s what the government is prioritising, but people can also have their voices heard. So what’s on their minds heading into the Congress?\nJoe Leahy\nYeah. One of the features of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, which is the main advisory body, the delegates to this body are quite often people from the wider society. They’re not all officials. And they can actually put in proposals, basically ideas on how to improve society. And this year, one of those is to actually crack down on overtime so that couples and families have more time and there’s a greater willingness to actually have children as well.\nVictoria Craig\nJoe Leahy is the FT’s Beijing bureau chief. Thanks so much, Joe.\nJoe Leahy\nThanks very much.\nVictoria Craig\nYou can read more on all of these stories for free when you click the links in our show notes. This has been your daily FT News Briefing. Check back tomorrow for the latest business news.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:00:32+00:00",
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    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The Iran war’s troubling missile math - CNN",
    "body_text": "Four days into war with Iran, at least one of the United States’ Gulf allies is already running low on crucial interceptor munitions used to defend against Iranian missile and drone attacks, two sources told CNN.\n“It’s not panic yet, but the sooner they get here the better,” one regional source told CNN, referring to a request their government made to the US for more interceptors.\nThat mirrors concern across the region, including in Israel, about the stockpile of weapons needed to defend against Iranian attacks, especially as President Donald Trump has floated an extended timeline for the campaign. Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said the war was initially “projected” to last “four to five weeks” but added the US military has the “capability to go far longer than that.”\nQatar has enough interceptors for a long period of time but is still in touch with the US military’s Central Command in case the Qataris need to ask for more interceptors, a Qatari source told CNN, declining to specify what that time period was.\nBefore the war began, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and other military leaders warned Trump that a protracted military campaign could impact US weapons stockpiles – particularly those that support Israel and Ukraine, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.\nThe US has been “burning” through long-range precision-guided missiles over the last several days, according to a person familiar with the matter.\nNow that the war is expanding, it’s a numbers game: How many interceptors will the US and its regional allies need to continuously shoot down Iranian missiles and how many, if any, of those weapons will need to be redirected from other stockpiles earmarked for US forces in the Pacific? US rivals like China will be watching closely.\n“Each intercept represents hundreds of hours of training, readiness, and technology all coming together to work as designed,” Caine said at a press briefing on Monday on the US-Israel military operation against Iran.\nLater that day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran is “producing, by some estimates, over 100 of these missiles a month. Compare that to the six or seven interceptors that can be built a month.” He added that destroying Iran’s missile capacity is the goal of the US campaign.\nIn a post on Truth Social Monday night, Trump appeared to respond to concerns over dwindling stockpiles. He wrote that US munitions stockpiles “at the medium and upper medium grade” have “never been higher or better,” adding that the US has a “virtually unlimited supply of these weapons.”\n“Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies,” Trump continued. He didn’t specify exactly which munitions he was referring to.\n“At the highest end, we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be,” Trump said. He then criticized President Joe Biden for “giving” away “so much of the high end” to Ukraine in support of the country’s defense against Russian attacks. Biden administration officials often cited concern over depleting US stockpiles as a reason for their initial hesitancy in providing Ukraine with certain long-range air defense and strike munitions.\nTrump told Politico in an interview Tuesday that “The defense companies are on a rapid tear to build the various things we need. They’re under emergency orders.”\nAdm. Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, released a video statement on Tuesday evening, saying in part that the US military had struck nearly 2,000 Iranian targets with more than 2,000 munitions.\n“We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones,” Cooper added.\nHe acknowledged that the Iranian military had launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in response to the US and Israeli attacks.\n“We are seeing Iran’s ability to hit us and our partners is declining, while our combat power, on the other hand, is building,” Cooper claimed.\nConcern on Capitol Hill\nOn Capitol Hill, Democrats have grown increasingly uneasy about the amount of munitions that have already been used and what it could mean for US defense in the Middle East and beyond.\n“The Iranians do have the ability to make a lot of Shahed drones, ballistic missiles, medium range, short range and they’ve got a huge stockpile,” said Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. “So at some point … this becomes a math problem and how can we resupply air defense munitions. Where are they going to come from?”\nDemocrats believe the ongoing conflict raises the stakes that sooner rather than later, the administration will need to come to Congress to ask for supplemental funding.\nAlso on Tuesday, Trump officials told lawmakers during a closed-door briefing that Iran’s Shahed attack drones represent a major challenge and US air defenses will not be able to intercept them all, according to a source in the briefing.\nThe drones, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Caine acknowledged, are posing a bigger problem than anticipated, two sources in the briefing told CNN. They are known to fly low and slow – a feature that makes them more able to evade air defenses than ballistic missiles. Another source familiar with the briefing said the officials made an attempt to downplay concerns about the drones and noted that Gulf state partners had been stockpiling interceptors.\nOn Wednesday morning, Caine struck a positive tone during a briefing at the Pentagon, saying that Iran’s missile launches have dropped sharply since the start of the US-Israeli strikes, describing what he called “steady progress” by US forces in the region.\n“As of this morning, US Central Command is making steady progress. Iran’s theater ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting,” Caine said during a briefing at the Pentagon. He added that the decline has accelerated in recent hours.\nThere’s “a 23% decrease just in the last 24 hours, and their one-way attack drone shots are down 73%,” Caine added.\nDefensive supplies for Gulf allies\nThe immediate concern though is the stock of defensive weapons held by Gulf allies, not the US.\nIn the war’s early days, Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have in general tried to shoot down every missile or drone from Iran. Still, some have gotten through. An Iranian drone struck a high-rise residential building in Bahrain, causing a fiery explosion. Other Iranian drone strikes damaged two Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE.\nThe munitions crunch might force a change in tactics for Gulf countries, according to Becca Wasser, defense lead for Bloomberg Economics, who said that eventually they may have to become “more selective” in what they target, potentially focusing on shooting down things like large swarms of drones or short-range ballistic missiles.\nThe potential strain on Gulf countries’ defenses is prompting other US allies to step in.\nThe UK is flying aircraft from Cyprus and Qatar to intercept drones and missiles, a senior British official told CNN this week. The stock of missiles, launchers and interceptors will be a critical factor determining the length of this war, the official added.\nEven a relatively short war can significantly deplete the American missile supplies: The US blew through about a quarter of its supply of high-end Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile interceptors during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last June, thwarting attacks at a rate that vastly outpaces production, CNN previously reported. The American-made THAAD mobile antimissile system launches from a vehicle, with eight interceptors per launcher vehicle.\nThe Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, estimated that in 2025, the US fired up to 20% of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors it was expected to have on hand, and between 20% to 50% of THAAD missiles.\nThe report added that THAAD expenditures were “concerning,” as delivery data suggests that the US is firing THAAD missiles at a higher rate without increasing production to match.\n‘Ahead of the problem’\nBefore launching the attack on Iran over the weekend, one of the Trump administration’s biggest reckonings with the limits of US munition stockpiles involved Ukraine. Last July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth paused a weapons shipment to Ukraine amid a US review of military aid. Hegseth was acting on a memo from Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who has previously pushed to preserve more of the US stockpiles for a potential future war with China.\nColby, during a hearing with lawmakers Tuesday, responded to concerns about depleting weapons stockpiles for other potential conflicts. “I think we need to work hard on the defense-industrial complex, but nobody should get the wrong impression – we’re ahead of the problem,” Colby said.\nAny potential sustained US war with China faces daunting math. A study released in January by the Heritage Foundation, another think tank, found that the “initial stock” of US munitions would run out within 25 days of a high-intensity conflict with China.\n“U.S. forces will almost certainly be forced to enter the main phase of combat around Day 30 in a logistically degraded state, ultimately leading to systemic operational failure as platform losses, fuel bottlenecks, and munitions demand converge,” the report says.\nBut now that the US has air superiority in its conflict with Iran, “There’s not quite such a need for the higher end, very high-end long-range standoff weapons,” said retired Col. Mark Gunzinger, the director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies think tank and a former bomber pilot.\n“We can use JDAMs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions, against targets from much shorter ranges,” Gunzinger said. “We have a much, much larger stockpile – tens of thousands certainly – of JDAMs and small diameter bombs.” The precision-guided munitions have a range of up to 40 miles.\nGunzinger said there was greater concern for air-defense munitions running low because they have been “under-resourced for decades.”\n“Do we have enough? I think we do,” Gunzinger said of the conflict with Iran. “But I would be more concerned with some of our inventories of Patriot missiles, THAADs and others.”\nGunzinger added that ongoing offensive operations by the US could continue to limit Iran’s ability to fire its own missiles, and therefore, reduce the tax on air defense munitions.\nThe US and its allies could also save some of their more high-end air defense munitions by taking down Iranian drones with less expensive alternatives, Gunzinger said.\nFrank Kendall, the Air Force secretary under Biden, said that, in general, he wasn’t yet worried about depleting US munitions in the current conflict with Iran.\n“We can throttle which weapons we use to try to keep the ones that are more critical to us in the Pacific in suitable quantities,” Kendall told CNN. “The Pentagon will monitor all that and they’ll limit what gets used because of other considerations.”\nBut Kendall said concerns about US munitions could mount if the war drags on or involves American troops on the ground – an option that Trump wouldn’t rule out on Monday.\nLonger-range precision weapons can be effective in a war like the one with Iran, Kendall said.\n“These are the more expensive sophisticated weapons we don’t have as large a stockpile of,” he added. “Drawing these down substantially would increase risk in other theaters.”\nThe current conflict follows American military operations against the Houthis and Iran last year. Taken together, the bombing campaigns are taking a toll on the arsenal of US munitions.\nThe effort to build up supplies of interceptors for air defenses – known in Pentagon speak as “US magazine depth” – is “a nascent effort only just now getting underway,” said Mackenzie Eaglen, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “There will be a few quick wins, but for the most part, the effort to arrest the overall decline in munitions and rebuild stocks faster than they’re being expended in global operations will take one to three years.”\nThis story has been updated with new reporting.\nCNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Lauren Fox and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:00:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxONWNlcnNibmJqbmI5ZV9tWTF2ZDZHaWxzQWF5Y0syaGR5QkNVOE1VMGlvY19vSTZPWUF5Y1Z6RnFNT3VXQTdXT0E2WlIyNkhITV9RZUNQYWlKUENVeHB3dTVoaVFzMEVEQ1Z1Y25TM1U5ZDJma2RBVEdTZ09LLVRCSXZoV2Y?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_267fc4d80af1",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Military briefing: how Iran could wage a new ‘tanker war’ - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Military briefing: how Iran could wage a new ‘tanker war’\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:00:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5YN2JJVktvUUZ4ZFRkcVROeHN6dGhmLTFtTUdvcHduc1RnODVSVF9QNnZNRC1HSFJoSlplNF9LcWtFTWZEeWx5cU0ydFlwVjEzVFB2aTFKdmxOMzY5d0tsM2VJaGZXTGc0a3Z6UmhrdEo?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_1316a4aa7e12",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Gold and silver flows disrupted as Iran war grounds flights - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Gold and silver flows disrupted as Iran war grounds flights\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:00:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFAwYnVhYXhxUWVZQkhQUEtDcXYzN201dDFDVVoyQ0hCQWlZODNpVjlHNC1UaGlXaTNPUGxEUnNxeTR0RS1aREFSS2xzcENiMW9ZM05kdFk0cGtqZWpRc3UwYkR5aEYzUDZmQUU0dFJvTFQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_406609890f52",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran crisis sends European gas prices soaring - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran crisis sends European gas prices soaring\nRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.\nGas prices have soared on the back of the war in the Middle East, and US president Donald Trump criticised some European nations for not being helpful in the conflict. Plus, the ongoing crisis is disrupting precious-metals trade, and China will unveil its five-year plan during the National People’s Congress meeting on Thursday.\nMentioned in this podcast:\nNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts\nToday’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, edited by Marc Filippino, and produced by Fiona Symon and Saffeya Ahmed. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Michael Lello and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:14:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9fRk1fY3BiZ0d2UXVubFc1bVZGbG54QVZFWEpKM0VxRXhEYk92MUNKUVhOZ0hPdjZrUlI5al9tWWppM0w2YlRuTUlIb1dZZmpkQXJiZXFOdWpLR29PNXNOdFMzRDJhWUZoU2FqamdkM3Q?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_92927ff1349a",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Israel working to intercept missiles 'launched from Iran' - France 24",
    "body_text": "Israel working to intercept missiles 'launched from Iran'\nAn Iranian warship was sunk by a US submarine on Wednesday amid intensified bombardment by Israel. The US targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Iran’s military infrastructure. Follow our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.\nThis liveblog is no longer being updated.\n- The US military commander in the Middle East said Tuesday that American forces had struck nearly 2,000 targets so far in Iran as part of the largest firepower buildup in the region in a generation.\n- President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that “someone from within” the Iranian regime might be the best choice to take power once the US-Israel military campaign is completed – but said “most of the people we had in mind are dead”.\n- Syria's defence ministry said it reinforced its border with Lebanon, and eight Syrian and Lebanese sources said this included rocket units and thousands of troops as conflict spread in the region including between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.\n(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:17:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxPcGdfSklzX09GLWpkUWNtQlIyNHVhWU9pdEtncy1kRkZqM3psMU9tTVotZ3V1VkdqWHBOSDNYZGxrbl9fUEZ1a2tYaTIzSUdtTzJxU2p6eXdTRTdDMzN3cEpGTm5sX2xfbHRVMWRydUdvVy1mZHN1UjBiN1BGeEVxcmxJTHd0OEhjQzZGNno5OTAzT3NsS3lrUXBSdzA1VVpWdm9PSnJzTk91Y1p3bS1KS2N1cmVLUVk0M2FMNUVETm9MOE1PNFg4?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bdd46166a91c",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Indonesia Intervenes to Support IDR as Iran War Hits EM Assets - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Indonesia Intervenes to Support IDR as Iran War Hits EM Assets    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T05:57:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxOdXJSQ0lOeHRtV0J6QmJuRU1hbFE4NW5VRGhaUUFMQXJUQWJ3Wmx6cUpVS29zUTZqZXRfN0dYODNPa3l3d3R6eHVuS1hMQkt3TTVfTkNycTdXU1hnalpoUkVZd2cxajY5MHN5MVRINWE0by1GeVhCd3JLQzVXaW9jbjZXMy1MZVFFZmxHRDdxQ1Fxalg1ZHNhazVacVI2YWFaakVxemlzUmJ2bFBvQ2wzLXIxWGM4VlRjRW5ZNA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d9f2c34460ea",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "India Raises Concerns About Mideast War as Modi Faces Questions - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "India Raises Concerns About Mideast War as Modi Faces Questions    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQYlc0TzVyX2ZCVWl0VUZkempUQlJ6S1hQQzcwemIyenEzTU5pVVZIWjBKa3dUZFVoWWhzZ1pOVS1GdHowY1JmTVdpOVhEdVJ5THhXMzJjOHZrRlU2c0llMXZEZ1JXRFZFX1VmRXFMYTRvUkdpM255YVVPUnZOUm0xSlVDVldsb1QwbGQyMkZ0MUpGblpYdHFmRXVBeW5xNGFSalhObDQwWDZlWTFub1lsemhTREU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c856f8daeafe",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Middle East conflict offers economic lifeline to Russia’s flagging war machine",
    "body_text": "With much of the world’s oil supplies out of action, Russia could step in to meet demand in China and India\n\nA prolonged energy crisis triggered by the widening war in the Middle East could offer an economic lifeline to Russia’s war machine at a moment when it was beginning to show signs of strain.\n\nThe sharp weakening and possible collapse of the regime in Iran would deprive the Kremlin of one of its closest regional partners. But that setback could be outweighed by an economic windfall if disruption pushes buyers toward Russian energy, alongside a possible slowdown in western arms supplies toUkraine.\n\n“When a good fifth of global oil supply and roughly a quarter of seaborne trade is effectively locked up, that’s a boon for Russia,” said Sergey Vakulenko, a senior fellow at Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre and leading expert on Russia’s energy sector.\n\nBrent crude rose more than 7% on Tuesday to above $80 a barrel, adding to Monday’s 7.2% jump, after a halt to shipping in the strait of Hormuz followed by Iranian missile and drone strikes on regional infrastructure.\n\nThe surge pushed prices to their highest level since July 2024 and they are predicted to rise further.\n\nIndia and China – among the largest buyers of Middle Eastern crude – would be hardest hit by any extended disruption and could be forced to increase purchases from Moscow.\n\nWhile Beijing has long diversified its oil imports across the Middle East, Africa and Russia, any sustained disruption to Gulf supplies – particularly from Iran – could speed up a deeper tilt towards Russian barrels, Vakulenko said.\n\nIndia faces a more delicate balancing act. Until recently, Russia was its largest supplier of crude, a relationship that deepened after western sanctions reshaped global energy flows. But under a trade deal struck with Donald Trump last month, New Delhi began replacing some Russian cargoes with oil from the Gulf, cutting imports from Moscow to their lowest level since 2022.\n\nShould Middle Eastern supplies falter, Indian officials are likely to seek greater flexibility from Washington – reopening the door to increased Russian purchases.\n\nTaken together, such shifts will strengthen Russia’s hand in negotiations for higher prices.\n\nFor months, Moscow had been forced to offer steep oil discounts as a glut of global supply and lingering sanctions risks made traders wary of taking Russian barrels. Storage capacity was tightening and there were growing signs that Russia could eventually be forced to curb production as cargoes struggled to find takers.\n\n“Some of the Russian oil that’s been sitting on tankers will definitely find buyers now,” said Vakulenko.\n\nMuch depends on how long the crisis lasts. Importing countries typically hold about three months’ worth of oil in advance, and last summer’s 12-day fighting had only a fleeting impact on energy markets. Another question will be how severely the Gulf’s energy infrastructure – on all sides – is damaged by the time the fighting ends.\n\n“If it’s two weeks, it doesn’t matter much. If it’s longer, then things start to get interesting,” Vakulenko said.\n\nBeyond oil, Russia could also benefit from a gas shock. A halt to Qatari LNG exports would leave a gap in the global supply that Russian producers might partially fill, although gas flows are less flexible than oil and harder to reroute at short notice. Russian energy stocks have already reacted, with Gazprom and Novatek among the main gainers on the Moscow exchange.\n\nThe timing could scarcely be worse for Ukraine.\n\nRussia’s oil and gas revenues – vital to financing its war – fell to a five-year low in 2025 as crude prices softened and exports declined under sanctions. The downturn had raised hopes in Kyiv that Moscow might struggle to sustain its military campaign at the current intensity into 2026.\n\n“For our budget, the attack on Iran is a big plus,” the prominent Kremlin TV host Vladimir Solovyov gloated to his viewers on Monday. “If Trump strikes Iranian oilfields, then, as unfortunate as it sounds, we would become one of the few remaining oil-producing countries.”\n\nForEurope, too, the crisis risks reopening divisions over its approach towards Moscow. The EU has been moving to phase out Russian fossil fuels, a policy opposed by Moscow-friendly governments in Hungary and Slovakia and criticised by surging rightwing parties across the bloc.\n\nNorway’s energy minister, Terje Aasland, acknowledged on Tuesday that the escalation in the Middle East could revive debate within the EU over banning Russian gas imports.\n\n“The EU has been very clear that they want to liberate themselves from Russian oil and gas, but the events of the last three or four days have been difficult,” Aasland told a conference in Oslo. “With the geopolitical situation we see now, I believe the debate will be revived.”\n\nKyiv is also concerned about the knock-on military effects. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine could face difficulties securing air defence systems, particularly US-made Patriot missiles, if Washington and its regional allies prioritised their own needs.\n\n“We may have difficulties acquiring missiles and weapons to defend our airspace,” the Ukrainian president told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “The Americans and their allies in the Middle East may need them for self-defence.”\n\nHe added that Iran’s strikes on Israel last June had already delayed some deliveries.\n\nIn the Kremlin, the prevailing mood is one of “wait and see,” one Moscow insider said. “The world is in turmoil, but this time we’re not at the epicentre,” the source said.\n\nVladimir Putin has been careful not to criticise Donald Trump too harshly over the bombing of Iran, wary of antagonising a US president he sees as pivotal in putting pressure on Ukraine to accept peace terms on Moscow’s conditions.\n\nInstead, with every increase in oil prices, there is barely concealed satisfaction among Russia’s elite.\n\n“$100+ oil per barrel soon,” Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, wrote on X.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:00:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/middle-east-conflict-offers-economic-lifeline-to-russias-flagging-war-machine",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_74c4f9d9d29b",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Netanyahu's war alliance with Trump faces test as Iran crisis widens - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Netanyahu's war alliance with Trump faces test as Iran crisis widens    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQd1FETXFIR2RraGljNzZBNEkxWjQwa1BvY0lsQmZaNWsxOW5MdUx3RlVJX0pTOVlhM0JZTTFWelp5dExUc2czaEJrZjRXOGRvbFYzNkhGWm9zMFlCY1ROWmRiYnRWWXNteW1YZGlwbnktWGItSEk0WUw4LURGT09kT2VTRVRDd1lnYUJzYzV1XzV5N1UySmdWLXI4a0s4bWxlbEwtc3pXOUsxcC1NOUJKdmJwUE5pQ3dZcmc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_afb15871796c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Analysis-Netanyahu's war alliance with Trump faces test as Iran crisis widens - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Analysis-Netanyahu's war alliance with Trump faces test as Iran crisis widens\nBy Maayan Lubell and Rami Ayyub\nJERUSALEM, March 4, (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered on a career-long ambition to topple Iran's leadership, but his lockstep alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump faces a test as their joint military campaign threatens to drag on, with its goals potentially shifting in the coming weeks.\nAt the outset of the bombing campaign on Saturday, both Trump and Netanyahu said regime change was the goal. But in remarks at the White House on Monday, two days after Israeli air strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and much of his leadership, Trump did not mention overthrowing Iran's government as his top priority.\nThe U.S. goal, he said, was to destroy Iran’s missiles and navy, and to stop it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. His Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said at a press conference that same day that the operation was not a “so-called regime-change war.”\nNetanyahu, by contrast, has called on Iran's citizens to take to the streets and overthrow their rulers as recently as Monday night. \"We're going to create the conditions, first, for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny,\" he told Fox News.\nAsked about the U.S. and Israeli goals, a U.S. official familiar with the White House's objectives told Reuters that the two countries' military campaigns have different objectives. \"Regime change is one of theirs,\" said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.\nIn the build-up to war, Netanyahu successfully convinced Trump that it was a now-or-never moment to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and destroy its ballistic missile capabilities. Trump has said the operation could take “four or five weeks” or “whatever it takes.”\n“I don’t get bored, I never get bored,” he said at the White House on Monday in response to questions about his capacity for sustained focus.\nBut Israeli officials privately acknowledge that ultimately it will be Trump who decides when the war ends. Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel under the Obama administration, said that Trump may decide to seek an \"early off-ramp\" from the war.\n\"If President Trump decides that he's reached the end of this operation before Netanyahu wants it to end, he's still going to end it,\" said Shapiro, of the Washington-based Atlantic Council think-tank.\nPresident Trump faces domestic pressures that could affect his thinking as the war drags on and expands.\nThe operation is unpopular in the United States, with only one in four Americans saying they back U.S. strikes on Iran, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.Primary votes began Tuesday in the battleground states of Texas and North Carolina that may decide who controls Congress after the fall midterm elections.\nWith the crisis disrupting shipping and energy production, rising gas prices could become a daily reminder of the affordability crisis facing many Americans. Gas is up 11 cents per gallon in the U.S. this week, with much higher spikes in global markets suggesting more increases for American consumers.\nInside the U.S., support for Israel has become a partisan issue, with some 59% of Americans holding an unfavourable view of Israel's government, up from 51% a year ago, according to a Pew Research Center poll from October.\nThe White House and Netanyahu's office did not respond to requests for comment.\nPLANNING FOR WAR\nIn power for most of the last three decades, Netanyahu has often clashed with American leaders, notably publicly criticizing former Democratic President Barack Obama for negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran. Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration often clashed with Netanyahu and withheld some weapons from Israel during its military assault in Gaza.\nAfter Trump's return to office in 2025, Netanyahu met with the president seven times and repeatedly pushed in phone calls to focus his attention away from Israel's war in Gaza and toward Iran's ballistic missiles and nuclear ambitions, painting the clerical rulersin Tehran as a common enemy, a U.S. official with direct knowledge of their conversations said.\nThe officials and others who shared details about U.S.-Israeli planning and objectives spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive military discussions.\nEven as Trump dispatched envoys to nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva and Oman, the U.S. and Israel had been at work for months planning their military operation, and timing for the attack was decided weeks ago, an Israeli official said.\nNetanyahu’s last meeting with Trump was a hastily-arranged visit on February 11, 2026 which included a three-hour meeting at the White House, uncharacteristically closed to the press.\nThe day after that meeting, the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, the world’s largest warship, departed the Caribbean where it was supporting U.S. military action in Venezuela, for the Mediterranean.\n“I have tried to persuade successive American administrations to take firm action, and President Trump did,” Netanyahu told Fox News on Monday.\nTrump rejected the notion that Israel might have forced his country into war, telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday: \"Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think they were going to attack first, and I didn't want that to happen. So if anything I might have forced Israel's hand.\"\nA POLITICAL SURVIVOR\nFor the 76-year-old Netanyahu, his prosecution of a war that is supported by most Israelis represents an opportunity to seal his legacy ahead of elections, due by October, in which he faces formidable challenges.\nHis far-right coalition faces fissures, he's on trial for corruption he denies and Israelis are still reeling from a multi-front war that began in 2023 and which Netanyahu has promised will transform the Middle East.\nIsrael's longest-serving leader has shown remarkable political skill in the past. Despite successive polls showing that he will lose the ballot in October, Netanyahu still has a fair chance of victory if Israeli fatalities and the economic costs to Israel of the war remain low, said Udi Sommer, a political scientist at Tel Aviv University.\n\"If it succeeds, relatively quickly (like) in June 2025, it will work very much in his favour as Israel's protector and the one who had woven a particularly successful relationship with the administration in Washington,\" Sommer said.\nNetanyahu's security credentials were shattered on October 7, 2023, when Iran-backed Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.\nIt was followed by a two-year military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, where Israel's longest war has killed at least 72,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, left much of the enclave in ruins, and exacted the highest Israeli military fatalities in decades.\nNetanyahu has rejected responsibility for the security failures of October 7 and has pointed to Israel's subsequent gains in weakening Iran's proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Their ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria has also been ousted.\nEven if Israel achieves its military objectives in Iran, that will not wash away the outrage of many Israeli voters, including among Netanyahu's own right-wing base, said political analyst Amotz Asa-el of the Jerusalem-based Shalom Hartman research institute.\n\"The past three years' events have been so traumatic and so dramatic and so revolting to that swing vote that I don't think any kind of salvation in Iran will offset this,\" he said.\n(Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Rami Ayyub in Jerusalem with additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv. Editing by Michael Learmonth)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:06:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQM3NyUjg4dTRBVkttWk5fY2V6RHZnem54eE95TGZzSWU3VUpkTy04Z3V1Sml1bFFuWkF5MWw2MzRDc1dUdkpRZ2xlWWV0aXZvQnB0Y0RjOUN2UUJ4RWVzb1dnZk5hbWFGWC1qOGo2bVp4VnByRzdjT3QxMjJoR0pFZmpnQWJhRmFOVm5zVjV5aS1DTEpLLXFvUzR1OXBZMlFxRDhHV09PeU9JX2RLQUsxcUFmOA?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_5d43be12165b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "The Iran strikes could become a midterm reckoning – for Trump and Israel",
    "body_text": "It is clear that the latest United States-Israel-Iran war stands to fundamentally reshape the politics of the Middle East. Less obvious is its immediate impact on US politics, especially the 2026 midterm elections and the durability of US support for Israel.\nWhile the core of US President Donald Trump’s base has come out in support of the joint US-Israel strikes, some influential figures on the American right have denounced them. These condemnations have heightened tensions already at play within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) base, and dovetail with conservative concerns about Israel’s influence over US foreign policy.\nWith the midterm elections approaching, this is not a good time for intraparty division. Conservative quarrelling over war with Iran and broader support for Israel could cost Republicans in November.\nThe stakes for Republicans are high: All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of 100 Senate seats will be on the ballot, and Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress. Control of Congress will shape whether Trump’s agenda advances, how forcefully a Democratic majority might engage the White House through oversight, and how secure Israel’s position in Washington remains.\n‘Israel’s war’ and MAGA dissent\nIn the days leading up to Saturday’s initial strikes, influential right-wing journalist Tucker Carlson, a leading critic of Israel’s influence over the US government, repeatedly warned against military escalation.\nOn his Thursday programme, broadcast to tens of millions of social media followers, Carlson argued that Israel was pushing the US into conflict to secure absolute hegemony in the Middle East.\nOn Monday evening, Carlson commented on the war’s opening phase, doubling down on his pre-war analysis, calling the war “Israel’s war” and arguing that it only “happened because Israel wanted it to happen”.\nOther prominent conservatives have criticised the war. Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X that the strikes were “murdering [Iranian] children” and contrary to an “America First” agenda.\nConservative commentator Candace Owens has made more than a dozen posts arguing that Israel goaded the US into battle.\nThe views of Carlson, Greene and Owens matter. The three have tens of millions of social media followers between them and represent influential voices inside the MAGA movement. Their criticisms signal a widening split over the Republican policy programme.\nMegyn Kelly, Matt Walsh and the Hodge Twins, among other influential MAGA figures, have also condemned the war as a betrayal of “America First” principles.\nSocial media doesn’t forget\nOne undercurrent in recent conservative criticism is the assertion that Trump’s decision to go to war contradicts core MAGA principles. To make this point, commentators on the right have resurrected old statements and social media posts by Trump administration figures, including Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, among others.\nFor example, as president-elect in 2016, Trump said that under his leadership, the US would “stop racing to topple … foreign regimes”. Also, in numerous 2012 and 2013 tweets, Trump suggested that then-President Barack Obama would attack Iran to either distract from domestic problems, shore up his re-election bid or compensate for sagging poll numbers.\nIn 2023, Vance lamented the US invasion of Iraq as a “disaster” and said US “foreign policy is still held hostage by men… [who] will support the next war, and then the next one, until [the] country is hollowed out.” In 2024, Vance condemned the idea of war with Iran.\nIn both 2016 and 2020, Gabbard railed against “warmongers”. In a 2020 interview, Gabbard said an “all-out war with Iran would make the wars that we’ve seen in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic.”\nBy surfacing these archival statements, critics are arguing not just that the war with Iran is wrong, but that it violates the ideological commitments upon which the MAGA coalition was built.\nA fractured party\nEven before the Iran war, Republicans were more divided than at any point in recent memory. For the better part of two years, Carlson, Owens, Greene and a host of others have criticised Republican policy towards Israel and the Palestinians. The decision to go to war with Iran, ostensibly on behalf of Israel, has further amplified the divide.\nSome conservatives, including influential white nationalist Nick Fuentes, are so angry that they have suggested voting for Democrats rather than Republicans in the midterm elections.\nIf these calls gain traction, Republican prospects in the midterms could be jeopardised.\nRecent polling suggests Republicans have reason to be concerned.\nA Reuters news agency poll conducted after the start of military operations suggests that only about a quarter of Americans approve of Trump’s decision to go to war. More concerning for Trump, perhaps, is that only 55 percent of Republicans approve. This is a remarkably low figure, especially in comparison with the more than 90 percent Republican support that George W Bush had for his invasion of Iraq in March 2003.\nAll of this is significant because midterm elections have historically served as referendums on the sitting president and his party. All members of the House face voters every two years, and the president’s party almost always loses seats in midterm cycles, especially when a president’s approval rating is below 50 percent. Trump, whose approval rating has hovered between 36 percent and 38 percent, recently became the first president ever with a sub-50 percent approval rating in both his first term and during the first year of his second term.\nEven before the war with Iran, early electoral barometers favoured Democrats. In 2025, Democratic candidates racked up a series of victories, sweeping gubernatorial races and winning local contests in diverse areas, providing key midterm momentum.\nA shifting political landscape\nIran may prove to be the latest battlefield in a broader transformation of US public opinion about Israel.\nFor decades, Americans have sympathised much more with Israelis than Palestinians – on average, between 2001 and 2018, Israelis held a 43 percent advantage in Gallup polling.\nLast week, however, a Gallup poll suggested – for the first time in its history – that American sympathies lie more with Palestinians than Israelis.\nImportantly, the shift has been driven largely by changes in Republican sympathies. Since 2024, support for Israel has declined by 10 percent among Republicans.\nThis is crucial because Republican voters have long formed the backbone of Israel’s support in the US. If Republican support weakens, Israel’s unique protection in US politics could weaken along with it.\nWhen the dust settles on the war with Iran, many Americans may come to see the conflict through the same lens as Carlson, Owens, Greene and others – as a war waged on Israel’s behalf.\nIf the war is long and costly, as Trump indicated on Monday that it might be, that perception will harden.\nThe 2026 midterms, then, may not only serve as a referendum on Trump and Republicans, but also on the “special relationship” that the US has with Israel.\nTrump has called himself “the best friend to Israel … they’ve ever had”. He may believe he is helping an old friend, but a war pursued to achieve Israel’s absolute regional hegemony could, paradoxically, weaken its most important source of strength: US backing.\nIf Republican divisions over Iran translate to congressional losses, the consequences will not be limited to Trump’s agenda. A Congress reshaped by voter backlash may wind up less reflexively supportive of pro-Israel policies.\nIsrael’s genocide in Gaza has already transformed US public opinion on Israel and strained the foundations of US support in ways that were once unthinkable. The war on Iran could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back – not only for Trump’s party, but for the political consensus that has long guaranteed US support for Israel.\nThe views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:18:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/3/4/the-iran-strikes-could-become-a-midterm-reckoning-for-trump-and-israel?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2cade004fbdc",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The Positions of the EU, Russia, China, Arab Countries and Türkiye in the Iran War - Yetkin Report",
    "body_text": "First, let us note that there is no precedent in history for striking the initial blow against a target country by eliminating its top leadership cadres. What we are witnessing here is an entirely different concept of warfare. In the war against Iran launched by the US–Israel alliance, let us begin by examining the positions adopted by countries so far—starting with Türkiye, which is grappling simultaneously with the Russia–Ukraine war to its north, the Israel–Gaza crisis to its south, and the still-unsettled Syrian issue.\nSix countries stand apart in their response to this war. Alongside Türkiye, China, Russia, Pakistan, Oman, and Venezuela have opposed both the US and Israel’s attack on Iran and any Iranian strikes against Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.\nAt present, Türkiye is the country making the most intensive effort worldwide to halt this war and give diplomacy a chance. This can be inferred from the traffic of meetings between national leaders and foreign ministers and their counterparts regarding the Iran crisis.\nBreakdown of the Diplomatic Effort\nWe can place President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s February 28 conversation with US President Donald Trump in a separate category. After the first waves of attacks, Trump had also called UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Emir of Kuwait. This conversation did not alter Türkiye’s position—maintained from the outset—of being “against military intervention in Iran and in favor of diplomacy.” On the contrary, it accelerated that stance.\nOn February 28, Erdoğan also spoke (as publicly disclosed) with the leaders of Qatar and the UAE; on March 1 with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and the President of the European Commission; and on March 2 with the NATO Secretary-General and the German Chancellor.\nForeign Minister Hakan Fidan likewise held talks on February 28 with his counterparts from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, Egypt, Indonesia, the UAE, Spain, and Hungary, as well as with the EU’s High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy. On March 1 and 2, he spoke with the Foreign Ministers of Oman (the mediator of the suspended US–Israel talks), Iran (for the second time in 24 hours), Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Jordan, and France.\nSince February 28, Oman and Qatar have followed closely behind Türkiye in diplomatic efforts.\nThough they may not phrase it this way, opposition parties in Türkiye—from the CHP to the DEM Party and the İYİ Party—are in practice aligned with the government on the common ground of staying out of the war and pushing diplomacy to its limits.\nRussia and China in the Iran War\nThere had been expectations that Russia and China would back Iran in the war initiated by the US and Israel. Perhaps those most disappointed were the Eurasianists in Türkiye. Yet Moscow and Beijing have demonstrated they have no intention of opening a front against the US for the sake of the clerical regime in Tehran.\nRussia is already heavily preoccupied with Ukraine and could likely source the weapons it has obtained from Iran from China or North Korea if needed. Moreover, Russia has recently shown no desire to damage its ties with Israel—this was evident in both Syria and Gaza.\nChina, meanwhile, is watching to see whether the Iran crisis might yield leverage over Taiwan, while also observing how quickly the US is depleting its stockpiles of rockets and bombs against Iran. These munitions are expensive and difficult to produce. Ultimately, if the current regime in Iran falls, Beijing will seek to purchase oil from whatever government replaces it.\nFollowing the change of power in Syria, it has become evident in the US–Israel war that no capital wishes to stand alongside the Islamic Republic regime.\nThe Tragedy of the Arab Autocracies\nThe killing of Khamenei sent Shiite communities from Pakistan to Iraq, and from Yemen to Lebanon, into the streets.\nThis appears to concern neither the US nor Israel greatly, because Arab autocracies have begun, one by one, to fall into line in the Iran war. This is not solely due to Iranian rockets striking US bases—and now even cities—on their soil; they also fear alienating the US and are wary of tensions with their own Shiite populations. They seem to believe that maintaining alignment with Israel is the pathway to safeguarding those interests.\nAn example of the prevailing panic occurred on March 2 in Kuwait. Under heavy Iranian bombardment, a Kuwaiti air defense unit, with fingers on the trigger, shot down three US F-15E fighter jets in a “friendly fire” incident—using Patriot missiles.\nAs Iran’s rockets struck Saudi Arabia’s largest refinery, ARAMCO, Qatar halted operations at its LNG facilities. With tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz virtually grinding to a halt, oil and gas prices began rising rapidly. (This situation could adversely affect the Turkish economy and, through fuel, energy, transportation, and food costs, the well-being of citizens.)\nDepending on how the Iran war unfolds, some Arab autocracies may face destabilization.\nEurope’s Wavering\nEuropean leaders are wavering in the Iran war.\nHowever, just as during Israel’s massacre in Gaza, Spain stands apart in this war by opposing the US–Israel alliance and banning the use of its bases by US aircraft for operations against Iran; Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez is an exception.\nThe leaders of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—without mentioning the US and Israeli strikes on Iran or the killing of its leadership—condemned only Iran’s retaliation in their joint statements.\nIt is shameful that Europeans who rightly oppose the execution of 30,000 people and the killing of 70,000 protesters over 37 years under Khamenei’s rule in Iran close their eyes to the fact that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken only 37 months to kill 70,000 Palestinians.\nMigration Again, and Again Türkiye\nShortly after the United Kingdom softened its earlier decision not to allow its bases to be used in the Iran war—likely due to the brief time frame—an Iranian drone launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon fell on the sovereign British base of Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus. The UK scrambled its aircraft for “patrol purposes,” yet Prime Minister Keir Starmer—echoing what Fidan had said a week earlier—stated, “Regime change cannot be achieved by air operations,” and announced that Britain would not participate in operations beyond self-defense. Greece, believing it must protect Southern Cyprus, sent four F-16s and a frigate to the island.\nFears of the war’s expansion are spreading across the region. Even as Emmanuel Macron says he does not wish to enter the war, reports indicate that France’s sole aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, may be redeployed from the Baltic—where it had been stationed due to the Ukraine crisis—to the Mediterranean; Vladimir Putin must have smiled upon hearing that.\nAmid the Iran crisis, the European Union has once again remembered Türkiye. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that she had a productive discussion with President Erdoğan regarding a potential migration wave. Meanwhile, Türkiye has closed its border with Iran to daily crossings; as officials insist that all precautions have been taken against a migration surge, this pleases the EU. Yet when it comes to updating the Customs Union or visa facilitation, the Cyprus obstacle once again appears before Ankara.\nTrump Wants to Force Submission\nOn March 2, Trump made two significant statements. One was that they had killed 48 senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, though not all of these reports have yet been verified. The second was his claim that although they had planned to eliminate Iran’s top leadership within four weeks, they had done so within one hour.\nInterestingly, those targeted appear primarily to have been senior religious and military figures. However, it seems that figures who could serve as interlocutors if diplomacy resumes—such as President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani—have not, at least for now, been targeted. This fact, albeit faintly, keeps alive the possibility of a return to diplomacy.\nTrump wants to see Iran’s leadership kneel and accept whatever it had refused even to discuss a week earlier.\nThose who remain alive and in office in Iran may, despite political and social concessions, seek to preserve the “Islamic Republic” label. As seen in Venezuela, might they grant oil concessions to US companies? We shall see.\nBut Ankara must continue the correct course it followed in the Russia–Ukraine war: refraining from becoming a party to the conflict while striving to resolve it.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:18:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c2f0bea29111",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "South Korea’s stock market in meltdown amid US-Iran war",
    "body_text": "South Korea’s stock market has suffered its steepest fall in history amid the widening fallout of the United States-Israeli war on Iran.\nThe benchmark KOSPI index plummeted 12.06 percent on Wednesday, eclipsing the 12.02 percent single-day plunge triggered by the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Is the US at war with Iran?\n- list 2 of 4Russia, China raise diplomatic voices against US-Israeli attacks on Iran\n- list 3 of 4US senators fear ‘boots on the ground’ after Iran war briefing\n- list 4 of 4US Commerce Secretary Lutnick to testify before Congress about Epstein ties\nThe index recovered some losses in the afternoon and was down about 10 percent as of 05:00 GMT.\nSouth Korean financial authorities had earlier activated their 20-minute circuit breaker after losses passed the 8 percent threshold for triggering a halt to trading on the exchange.\nThe plunge followed a 7.2 percent fall in the KOSPI on Tuesday, cementing the worst two-day streak in decades.\nLosses were spread across the board, hitting corporate giants such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and LG Electronics.\nBut shipping and logistics firms suffered the steepest losses amid the effective halt of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of the oil consumed globally.\nShares of Pan Ocean, HMM and KSS Line plunged between 16 and 17 percent.\nSouth Korea’s economy depends heavily on foreign oil and gas, with about 98 percent of its fossil fuel needs coming from overseas, according to the US Energy Information Administration.\nSouth Korea’s stock market had an explosive start to 2026, with the KOSPI gaining more than 40 percent in the first two months of the year, far outpacing international peers.\nThe market meltdown is the latest example of economic shockwaves unleashed by the conflict in the Middle East.\nUS stocks dipped overnight, with the benchmark S&P500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite falling about 1 percent after Wall Street shrugged off the conflict in the previous session.\nThe US and Israel continued to bombard Iran and Lebanon overnight as the war entered its fifth day, while Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel and US allies in the Gulf region, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, also persisted.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:19:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/4/south-koreas-stock-market-in-meltdown-amid-us-iran-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b18b9f56d1e1",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Ueda Says Iran Conflict Could Hit Japan’s Economy Significantly - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Ueda Says Iran Conflict Could Hit Japan’s Economy Significantly    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPeFhVNXBObi15T1dPSUtoak1nanpEbVBwRGxLWTVPREZUd1dYX3NFRUJtQ1pDbEwxamxwM1FwcTBGMV9iOWFlOW9EMmR2bXhFNTB6MjNfX0pUdjgwRTNWWXZUS0wyNmtkdFJLb1NkZjN5NHk4OE1wU2ljSU5oVm1yeURJZUFZRTBXRGdsRE1ibkpJMVVVLWtVeFVpelIxYXppMUU2Ulo2ZDRtM05iOW1kdGF0MGg?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8e2951addabb",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "War, oil, growth and inflation - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "War, oil, growth and inflation\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:30:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9JbVNGYjRPTlVRNjN3SEpHbnFVbjJqcGFaZXNuS2NVdzZkZ1NnZDIwVXdyanM3Qm9iQ2VObFAxRkRRbWs5bktjS0d1MEdISk1NTWtpdkd1eE1lRkRkUGNBeHFzY0gxNTk5YmhrTVAxN2E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_978147e72c77",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Qatar says Iran's IRGC sleeper cells arrested - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Qatar has announced the arrest of members of two cells it said were operating for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as Iran strikes the region.\nTen suspects were arrested, the Qatar News Agency reported on Tuesday.\nOut of those, seven were said to have been spying on “vital and military facilities” in the country, while three others had carried out sabotage operations.\n“During interrogation, the suspects admitted their affiliation with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and that they had been tasked with espionage missions and sabotage activities,” QNA reported.\nIran has been launching attacks on Israel and on what it says are American bases in the Gulf following US-Israeli attacks on the country that killed hundreds of people and senior government figures including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, Iran's attacks have expanded to include embassies, ports and other civilian infrastructure across the region.\nOn Wednesday, a missile struck Al Udeid base “without causing casualties”.\nGulf countries have condemned the Iranian attacks – particularly their violation of Gulf sovereignty and their resulting loss of civilian life.\nMembers of the Gulf Co-operation Council said they will take “all necessary measures” to defend their security and territory, reserving the right to respond to what they described as “heinous” and “treacherous Iranian attacks”.\nNotably, the US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a joint statement in which they strongly condemned Iran's “indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks”. Gulf states had previously said they would not allow their territory to be used for attacks against Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:38:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxOQ2dFVjJWY1l4WDFZc0ZxSjZxSmtsOFltcVhVOGtPcU1iWU1heERMV0l2aHlBZG9TUC1lYlhEWHhNU1ZaZmNnQVh0T1V5X3pxQzFBMHhQaHF4bDdUbEdoSm5LVVVBM2NKUVVHQ0tRS1A1VVBkaVNtNzc1aGUtMkRYeVJGMXRBSERERUkxNlg0OEdvMXc3aXBQV2FMRWZJWWc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dad8f134d50b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israel, Iran continue attacks as war enters its fifth day, engulfs region",
    "body_text": "Multiple locations across Iran are being bombarded, and Tehran is carrying out retaliatory attacks across the region, as the United States-Israeli war on Iran entered its fifth day, with the death toll rising and no end to the conflict in sight.\nThe semiofficial Tasnim news agency said explosions were heard in different parts of the Iranian capital on Wednesday, and Iranian state television showed the rubble of a building in central Tehran. The holy city of Qom and several other cities were also targeted.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates\n- list 2 of 4Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance\n- list 3 of 4Qatar announces arrest of Iran’s IRGC sleeper cells\n- list 4 of 4Unpacking US justification for Iran attacks\nThe agency said the death toll from the US-Israeli attacks now stood at 1,045.\nAl Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said there had been what the Israelis were calling “the 10th wave of attacks against Iran”.\n“Tehran has been at the centre of that, but also Karaj and Isfahan, both east and west of the capital,” he said, adding that five people were killed, while there were also reports of schools being hit in these attacks.\nIn the meantime, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said damage was visible at two buildings near the Isfahan nuclear site, but there was no damage to facilities containing nuclear material and no risk of radiological release at this time.\nThe Russian Foreign Ministry also warned on Wednesday that Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was under threat from US-Israeli air strikes and that explosions could be heard just kilometres (miles) away from its perimeter.\nIn Israel, air raid sirens sounded across the country, with people rushing to shelters, as incoming Iranian missiles triggered loud blasts from interception attempts.\nEarlier in the day, Israel issued an alert, instructing residents to head to shelters as missiles had been launched from Iran and defence systems were working to “intercept the threat”.\nThe order to seek shelter covered Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas across the country. Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said it had received no reports of casualties.\n“From where we are right now in Ramallah, we heard very loud explosions, and they could be because of interceptions,” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reported.\nIbrahim said it appeared to be a wide salvo, complicating Israeli air defence efforts.\n“According to Israeli media, there has been shrapnel from interceptions that fell in the area of Beit Shemesh, the city near the west of Jerusalem, where shrapnel, or a missile, fell two days ago and killed nine Israelis,” she added.\nThe Israeli military had reported a previous missile launch from Iran several hours earlier as well.\nTehran has kept up its retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and across the Gulf, as US President Donald Trump claimed the conflict could last a month.\nAttacks on Iran continue\nExplosions sounded in Tehran on Wednesday as the Israeli military said it conducted a series of strikes across Iran’s capital targeting its forces.\nIt said it hit buildings associated with the Basij, the all-volunteer force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nThe Israeli military also said it hit buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command, which has also suppressed demonstrations in the past.\nEarlier, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from the Iranian capital, said massive explosions were heard in Tehran. “We have also received reports of blasts in different cities, including Karaj and Isfahan.”\nAsadi reported the IRGC announcing that “ground forces entered battlefield operations” in which 230 drones were engaged.\n“Also, they were talking about a naval operation targeting US military ships,” he added.\n“In Tehran, I see no sign of de-escalation, and escalation is the name of the game,” Asadi concluded.\nSigns of any potential ceasefire remained virtually non-existent as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slammed Trump on Wednesday, saying he had “betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him”.\n“When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met,” he said in a post on X.\n“The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:48:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/israel-iran-continue-attacks-as-war-enters-its-fifth-day-engulfs-region?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f58f179a992e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israeli forces bomb hotel in Beirut, residential building in Lebanon’s east",
    "body_text": "Israeli strikes have hit a hotel in a Beirut suburb and a residential complex in eastern Lebanon, killing at least 11 people, as Israel’s military issued more forced displacement orders across the country and advanced farther into Lebanese territory.\nIsraeli forces on Wednesday bombed the Comfort Hotel on the border of Hazmieh and Baabda, which are part of greater Beirut, Lebanese state media said.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Israel launches strikes on Beirut as troops advance into southern Lebanon\n- list 2 of 3Lebanon’s ban on Hezbollah ‘activities’: bold but difficult to implement\n- list 3 of 3School turned into shelter for families displaced in southern Lebanon\nFootage verified by Al Jazeera showed a building with blown-out windows and walls and debris strewn everywhere.\nAl Jazeera’s Heidi Pett, reporting from Beirut, said the attack happened without any warning, indicating that it could have been an attempted assassination.\n“The Israeli military is yet to say exactly who or what it was attempting to target,” Pett said.\nThere were further attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday. Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah in the densely populated civilian area.\nThe Israeli military said it is carrying out more attacks on what it called Hezbollah “infrastructure in Beirut”.\nLebanon’s National News Agency reported an Israeli air raid on the southern town of Khiam, shortly after Israel’s army said it had started to carry out another wave of strikes on Lebanon’s south.\nMore than 50 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since Monday, when Hezbollah launched its first strike on Israel in more than a year in response to the Israeli-US war on Iran.\nLebanese army officials told Al Jazeera that at least four people were wounded on Wednesday, including one in critical condition.\nMeanwhile, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson issued new forced displacement orders for residents of the Haret Hreik neighbourhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs.\nThe spokesperson released a map of the Lebanese capital with buildings marked in red and warned that people should flee the site, claiming it was “affiliated with Hezbollah”.\nThe Israeli military also issued an “urgent warning”, calling on people to leave 16 towns in southern Lebanon. It later called on residents in an additional 13 towns to evacuate.\nThis comes in addition to forced displacement orders issued on Tuesday for more than 50 towns across southern Lebanon, which would allow Israel to establish a larger buffer zone there.\nSources told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the Israeli army had advanced into Lebanese territory from seven positions along the border, a day after the Israeli military said it was conducting a ground incursion as part of a “forward defence” measure.\nLebanese state media reported that the Israeli military entered Khiam in southern Lebanon, about 6km (3.7 miles) from the border, as the town came under continuous shelling.\nIn the eastern city of Baalbek, which is close to the Syrian border, at least five people were killed and 15 were wounded in a strike on a residential building in the al-Matraba neighbourhood.\nFootage from the scene, verified by Al Jazeera, shows the debris of a collapsed multistorey building as rescue workers look through the rubble.\nSyria’s land and sea ports authority said it closed its border crossing with Lebanon for departures after receiving a warning from Israel that it might target the crossing.\nA media official at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying it remained open for arrivals as Syrians fled from Lebanon, which took in up to two million Syrian refugees during its neighbour’s 2011-2024 war.\nAl Jazeera Obaida Hitto, reporting from the Syria-Lebanon border, said Syrian officials recorded more than 25,000 people who crossed into the country over the last two days. “Most of the people we spoke to had been on the road for a day or two, trying to reach the border crossing,” Hitto said, adding that Syrian officials expected the inflow to continue.\nA separate Israeli air attack on Aramoun and Saadiyat in the Mount Lebanon area killed at least six people and wounded eight, according to Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen television.\nLebanese Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed told Al Jazeera that the government registered about 65,000 displaced people who were being accommodated in 350 shelters. Another 10,000 to 20,000 people were estimated to be living on the streets or with relatives or friends.\nSayed said that so far, the number was lower than during nearly two months of war with Israel in 2024 when up to 1.2 million people fled their homes. “We’re not there, and hopefully we won’t reach that number,” Sayed said.\nHezbollah fires at northern Israel\nHezbollah claimed early on Wednesday to have fired rockets at Israeli forces in the town of Metulla in northern Israel after carrying out a missile attack on the naval base in Haifa.\nIt later claimed to have carried out an attack targeting an Israeli military base near Israel’s northern city of Safed and to have struck an Israeli tank in the southern Lebanese town of Houla, near the border.\nThe group also said it launched a swarm of attack drones at the “Tel Hashomer base”, which it described as a General Staff headquarters southeast of Tel Aviv, at about 12:00 GMT (2pm local time).\nHezbollah said the attack was carried out “in response to the criminal Israeli aggression that targeted dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburbs of Beirut”.\nThe Israeli military said it identified several projectiles from Lebanese territory and most were intercepted, except for one that fell in an open area.\nIsrael’s Channel 12 reported that Israel came under simultaneous attacks from Hezbollah and Iran. Israeli defences intercepted a munition fired from Iran, causing shrapnel to fall in central Israel, according to local media.\nTwo Israeli soldiers were “moderately” wounded by anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon and were transferred to hospital, the military said.\nEarlier, the army said it would “not tolerate any presence of representatives of the Iranian … regime in Lebanon” and gave them 24 hours to leave the country or face attacks.\nHuman Rights Watch said people who are not directly involved in hostilities cannot be targeted under international law.\n“The suggestion that Israeli forces will target Iranian government officials who do not leave Lebanon is both deeply disturbing and an admission of an intent to commit a war crime,” the watchdog said in a statement.\nAl Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah appeared to be escalating.\n“There is no front line and no mediation or diplomatic effort to end it,” she said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T06:53:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/israeli-forces-bomb-hotel-in-beirut-residential-building-in-lebanons-east?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5f0329f343cd",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Indonesia Says Board of Peace Talks Paused as Iran Crisis Rises - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Indonesia Says Board of Peace Talks Paused as Iran Crisis Rises    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T07:13:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNSkFKVnJubGRFbjFzMHJRcWNxU2taSlhOTzJzR2RnM1BxUmV6Qld3U2dRd3dZX1BMR3ctTFY1d3BrQUpzclY3TjlyWlo0ZUs3dW1KM2ljVzBjb2VDOFN1cVROLWdYUTVNUXpPNW51RkljRTMxa0hqSWxsVzNsdlJpUHZlajdDNno1NHBxMzNpRnhCMHpLUzNteGNKVmZvQUFwcmR5TTJqYnBJNjNoTFRDa0lBTGo?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cdc07eccc6f7",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Video: Smoke seen rising after explosion near Baghdad airport",
    "body_text": "Smoke seen rising after explosion near Baghdad airport\nVideo shared by Iraqi media shows the moment of an explosion near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq’s capital. Attacks have been reported on US troops based there in recent days.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T07:16:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/video-smoke-seen-rising-after-explosion-near-baghdad-airport?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a7a27b88e1ea",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Opinion | Gasping In 4 Days? How Iran Humbled US-Israel's Million-Dollar War Inventory - NDTV",
    "body_text": "Opinion | Gasping In 4 Days? How Iran Humbled US-Israel's Million-Dollar War Inventory    NDTV",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T07:21:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxOVUd0NFFxNmszWUhWQjZqcTdQOWpvYW1XQmI1eUFnbGIxUGx2UGMtenZId2dmcGxhb0VCUnFfUm56cnY5MDBaMU9jT0xxVEN6eDlpc3E3OG5iVVdMdDFlX3hkTW9XLV8zNmtVSkxEb09OS2E3bmdXWGpzcWYwNmFoVHhiMFlnY0FjS0l6YUhkUmhSc2hkUVpOaEFrSzRaZzBvZlJJRmdsSlF1MEFlUHR6MDVRRDR3QlpadnJkeUtuLUtLd2s?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c41ecb8368c1",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "China set to release new five-year plan at National People’s Congress",
    "body_text": "China is set to unveil a sweeping economic agenda for the next five years during a meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) over the next week at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.\nChina’s 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030 will be released during the NPC, one of China’s most important political meetings of the year, which starts on Thursday in Beijing and typically runs for a week, drawing 3,000 delegates from across China.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4UK to end study visas for Myanmar, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Sudan students\n- list 2 of 4Oil on Fire: War impacts global energy markets\n- list 3 of 4Protests in Venezuela against US-Israeli war on Iran\n- list 4 of 4Nepal election: Is the monarchy still a force, two decades after ouster?\nThe last five-year plan was released in March 2021, as Beijing tackled the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.\nThis time around, analysts say, China’s leaders will need to explain their approach to new challenges, from the economic fallout of United States President Donald Trump’s trade war to the stalling of consumer confidence at home.\nThe NPC runs in parallel to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which began on Wednesday, and together, they are known as the “Two Sessions”.\nThe CPPCC does not have the power to pass legislation, but it can make policy suggestions, and its committees play an important role in providing feedback to the Chinese leadership.\nBut the NPC is known as China’s “supreme organ of state power”, the highest government body and though functionally separate from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in practice, the congress is guided by the CCP’s policy recommendations.\nAccording to Changhao Wei, founder of NPC Observer, an independent website monitoring the congress, this week’s gathering is due to codify its relationship with the CCP in the drafting of five-year plans under a forthcoming “Law on National Development Plan”.\nChinese Premier Li Qiang will also share the latest Government Work Report this week, outlining the state of China’s economy over the past 12 months and upcoming growth targets.\nChina is expected to announce a gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of 4.5 to 5 percent for 2026, according to the International Monetary Fund, plus desired adjustments of interest rates in light of inflation, unemployment and the fiscal deficit.\nAbsolute loyalty\nThis year’s delegate list for both events is notable for the absence of at least 19 delegates whose credentials were revoked last week, signalling they are under disciplinary action. The list of those disciplined, published last week by state media, included nine high-ranking members of the military.\nThey are among the more than 100 military officers who have been dismissed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in recent years on various charges, including corruption.\nThe dismissals have been interpreted as a strategic move by Xi, who removed presidential term limits in 2018, to consolidate his leadership and remove factions within China’s sprawling governance structures.\n“Xi is trying to ensure the Chinese Communist Party’s governance system is run by absolute loyalty to him and that no one else has enough power base independent of him to potentially challenge his authority,” said William Yang, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Northeast Asia.\nWhile China no longer relies on Soviet-style state planning, its tradition of five-year plans sets out a midterm roadmap for economic reform, government spending, fiscal policy, industrial and energy targets and more.\nYang told Al Jazeera that he expects “industrial self-reliance” to be at the top of the agenda as China continues to compete with the US for technological dominance.\n“The Chinese government is expected to outline a series of technology and science initiatives aiming at developing key sectors, including next-generation AI, advanced semiconductor production, industrial upgrades, and further expanding its renewable energy sector,” he said.\nThe five-year plan will address how officials can fight the problem of “involution” or excessive and self-defeating competition, said Fred Gao, who writes the Inside China newsletter from Beijing.\nThe practice has seen Chinese companies enter “relentless price wars, undercutting each other to grab market share while ignoring product quality and service improvement”, Gao said.\n“The end result is a vicious cycle of low price, low quality, and low margin that ultimately hollows out the competitiveness of entire industries,” he told Al Jazeera.\nAnother new concept to look out for at this week’s NPC will be mention of China’s “low altitude economy”, which refers to a plan to utilise drones and other low-altitude vehicles to expand China’s delivery and logistics networks.\nConsumer-led growth\nMore challenging this week will be for Chinese officials to outline how they intend to steer China’s economy towards consumption-led growth.\nChina’s economy has long been powered by sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and real estate, meaning the transition will be a long process, while consumer confidence and spending were shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic slowdown.\nLynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING Group, told Al Jazeera he expected to see policies targeted at domestic demand and promoting growth in China’s service sector.\nGao said he will be watching how China expands consumption-focused policies and measures that will narrow the income gap between urban and rural residents, from minimum wage adjustments to higher pension payments.\nBesides economic targets, the NPC also addresses social and environmental policies.\nOne new law that will be closely watched is the “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress”, which will codify China’s approach to its 56 ethnic groups.\nMore than 90 percent of the Chinese population is ethnic Han who use Standard Chinese as their main language, but the vast nation is home to scores of ethnicities, languages and dialects.\nNPC observer Wei said the law will require “the abandonment of ethnic privilege and distinction, and the proactive forging of a common culture, consciousness, and identity”, which could likely see further ethnic, social, and political assimilation.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T07:31:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/china-set-to-release-new-five-year-plan-at-national-peoples-congress?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c45295d70973",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Destruction seen after attack on Iran’s Assembly of Experts building",
    "body_text": "Destruction seen after attack on Iran's Assembly of Experts building\nVideos show the aftermath of an air attack on Iran’s Assembly of Experts building in the city of Qom, south of the Iranian capital Tehran. The Assembly is the body that will choose the successor to the assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T07:44:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/destruction-seen-after-attack-on-irans-assembly-of-experts-building?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_aa056276653e",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Macron says military operation to reopen Strait of Hormuz is on table - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "France’s President Emmanuel Macron says a military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is under consideration amid escalating regional tensions.\nThe leader condemned US-Israeli strikes as outside international law, while also blaming Iran as “the executioners of their people”.\nShipping through the Strait of Hormuz is “effectively closed,” disrupting global oil and gas flows, with plans for a coalition to secure key waterways.\nFrance is reinforcing regional deployments, sending the Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and Languedoc near Cyprus, alongside Rafale jets and air defences.\n“A new situation is emerging... The strikes are expected to continue in the coming days,” the President said.\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said that a military operation to reopen the Straits of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital oil export routes, which has been shut by Iran, is on the table.\nMr Macron's televised comments, which were broadcast during the evening news and dedicated solely to the Middle East, highlighted the conflict's dangerous escalation as Israel is reported to be preparing a ground offensive in Lebanon – plans he described as \"a strategic error\".\nHe started his speech by rebuking the US and Israel for launching attacks \"outside of international law, which we cannot condone\". He also strongly condemned Iranian leaders, calling them \"the executioners of their people\".\n\"The Islamic Republic of Iran bears primary responsibility for this situation,\" Mr Macron said.\n'Interests to protect'\nIran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after threatening to attack ships in the area, forcing them to reroute around South Africa. Speaking beside a map showing that 20 per cent of the world's oil and liquefied gas is shipped through the strait, Mr Macron said it was \"effectively closed\".\n\"The Suez Canal and the Red Sea are also under tension and threats,\" Mr Macron said.\"We are taking the initiative to build a coalition to pool resources, including military resources, to resume and secure traffic in these waterways essential to the global economy.\n\"We have economic interests to protect, because oil prices, gas prices and the international trade situation are being profoundly disrupted by this war.\"\nFrance also has a frigate, Aspides, in the Red Sea as part of a European defensive naval operation. It was launched in 2024 as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis launched a campaign of harassment of ships in the region amid the Israel-Gaza war.\nMr Macron announced that he had ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to be sent to the Mediterranean and the frigate Languedoc off the coast of Cyprus to help it fend off any further drone attacks, in co-ordination with Greece.\nUS President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has suggested the US Navy would help to protect ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.\n\"If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible,\" Mr Trump posted on the Truth Social media platform.\nHe also directed the Development Finance Corporation to provide political risk insurance for all maritime trade travelling through the Gulf \"at a reasonable price\".\nInsurance companies including Gard and London P&I Club have announced in recent days that cancellation of war risk covers would expire on Thursday.\n'New situation'\n\"A new situation is emerging,\" Mr Macron said. \"The strikes are expected to continue in the coming days to weaken Iran and destroy its retaliatory capabilities. In response, Iran is expected to launch further strikes throughout the region.\"\nWarning that \"no one can predict today\" when the war will end, he said that repatriations of \"vulnerable\" French citizens had started from the region, particularly from Gulf states. Two flights are scheduled to land in Paris later Tuesday.\nMr Macron highlighted his country's defence agreements with Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, and “strong commitments” with Jordan and Iraq.\n“We reacted immediately and shot down drones in legitimate self-defence from the very first hours of the conflict to defend the airspace of our allies, who know they can count on us,” he said. “In addition to the resources already in place, Rafale fighter jets, air defence systems, and airborne radars have been deployed in recent hours.”\nTwo French military bases in the region have been hit, Mr Macron said, without giving further details. The Foreign Ministry had previously said that a storage shed had been hit in France's naval base in the UAE without causing casualties. The UAE has \"been particularly targeted, and we owe them solidarity\", Mr Macron said.\nIn Lebanon, Hezbollah, one of Tehran's principal allies, launched missiles and drones towards Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nIsrael responded with air strikes, which it said struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut and killed senior militants. The Lebanese state news agency NNA said at least 50 people had been killed and tens of thousands displaced.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T07:47:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizgFBVV95cUxPM2pBanNYRll3ZzR1Z1U3LUlJamJOdWZvaVNRd0ZXeVI1dy01bFN2RXlQbjZHc1F3Zi1EUlBTMnA0U1dNdW1nbUFCb3NvY3B5amRyb0lTbUpEcVpQemt1cUJsdXRMaDBPSC1oSkdnTGtya1dNSS05MG1zQmQwblZCZ2g3ckVtNlFITnFNME5tVHdCcGV3OXhlOFIzbDVfQ3pBMTVvc2R0WURqbExlcU9xX1E5ZERNWC1sbFAtQnVKUjdHUkhoc19yQjhfdjhVdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8bf6cb495892",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Why the Iran War Has Morphed Into Panic Selling in Asia - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Why the Iran War Has Morphed Into Panic Selling in Asia    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T07:49:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQM1VSRFNMT25FaVR0akZMVEEydlJkd1Q4LU5nd2dCSFd6Q2lLSVhkeDhiSHA5THlqeWNxbFNUaDN0YjVLNEwtcEg3bGhJOGZCNXBCU2VkRm03RDI5dXZ1bkYwQ0RlQTYxb1FaS0d0TlpXRHZtVDJ5c1dDOFpIQTBzd0IyOElCUFR1TzloeXF1Z1lNTEpKTUdHb1kzbFBmNFpLaGt3M1RYaWlLZUwwcmc?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3921a5ca1ccc",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "The US and Israel gravely underestimated Iran’s response – here in the UAE, we are seeing the consequences | Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi",
    "body_text": "My family is in Tehran; I am in Abu Dhabi. Across the region, ordinary people are paying the price for these attacks\n\nSince Saturday, my mind has been torn between the place I live, Abu Dhabi, and Tehran, which has been the focus of my work and research for more than 15 years, and where I still have family. When I saw that Israel and the US had attacked Iran, I started worrying for family, thinking about potential consequences. But I barely had time to consider that before Donald Trump announced that this was about regime change. At that moment, I knew this was going to be big – worse thanlast June– and that it would lead into a regional schism. Predictably, Iran’s response started shortly after: first against Israel, then against states across the Gulf region, including the United Arab Emirates. It all followed the worst-case escalation scenarios we had been outlining since June, and especially since January, when – in themidst of protests– Donald Trump said “help” was on its way.\n\nI kept on trying to reach family when the internet there was working, which is, at best, for a few minutes a day. Each conversation is short, practical: are you OK? Is your area affected?\n\nMy main worry is for those in Tehran, the city targeted most so far. Relatives describe being asked to continue going to work as the authorities try to project a sense of “business as usual”, even though the reality is far from normal. Communication is patchy, there are no sirens or alerts before an attack, news arrives in fragments – and ordinary people navigate risks they did not choose, absorbing the consequences of external events. There is fatigue in their voices – not panic. And at times, they write to check on me, on us. Which is even more surreal.\n\nIn the UAE, the approach has been reassuringly methodical.Schools moved online. Workplaces shifted to remote arrangements to avoid risk. Air defence systems have been visible, with warnings and alarms as incidents occur. Life continues, but every day brings more questions: how long will this last? What will prolonged instability mean for our lives, for our children? Even in a city that is prepared, our daily routines are steeped in uncertainty.\n\nWhat has also been stark is how gravely administrations in Washington andIsraelunderestimated the response from Tehran, with Trump admitting that he was surprised by Iran’s retaliatory strikes on the Gulf – the very thing those of us who had modelled regional escalation warned of in the event that Tehran felt cornered or under existential threat.\n\nSo, the million-dollar question. What happens next?\n\nThis is unlikely to be decided by a single strike or statement, but by how long this pressure is sustained, how many red lines are crossed and how much damage accumulates before restraint re-enters the calculation. But for now, neither side seems ready or willing to de-escalate, using a maximalist position despite the regional spillover.\n\nForIran, the stakes are existential: regime survival, territorial integrity and the credibility of its deterrence capability are all on the line. For Israel, the calculus is strategic but uncompromising, shaped by the belief that this moment represents a narrow window to permanently degrade Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, even at the risk of wider escalation. For the United States, the stakes are geopolitical and systemic – balancing regime-change ambitions, alliance credibility and domestic political pressures against the costs of being drawn deeper into another prolonged Middle East conflict.\n\nFor the Gulf countries, the risks are structural, threatening internal security, economic stability and their hard-won positioning as nodes of global trade and investment. For global markets and supply chains, the consequences are systemic, as sustained instability in a region central to energy flows but subject tomaritime choke pointsreverberates far beyond the Middle East.\n\nMeanwhile, escalation rarely stays confined to one place. The wider region is watching. Gulf states are quietly recalibrating, strengthening defences and updating contingency plans. Traders and markets are alert, and governments around the world are preparing for potential spillovers. For ordinary people – in Tehran,in Beirut, in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, and increasingly across the Gulf – the cost is paid in uncertainty, disrupted lives and a constant recalibration of what “normal” now means.\n\nIran, the US and Israel will continue their fight. But we should remember this isn’t just about military strategy and deterrence; for those across the region, it is about human endurance.\n\nAniseh Bassiri Tabrizi is an associate fellow at the Chatham House Middle East and North Africa programme and senior analyst at Control Risks",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:00:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/04/us-israel-iran-attacks-uae-consequences",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_664c0ecff249",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?",
    "body_text": "Leaders in Israel and the United States have indicated that the conflict against Iran could continue for weeks.\nThe US, led by President Donald Trump, has emphasised that this will not be a problem, and that its military has the capacity to conduct an extended fight. But for Israel, already fatigued by the cost of having inflicted a genocide on Gaza, as well as wars or attacks in Lebanon, Syria, and a previous round with Iran, a lengthy conflict could be more costly.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance\n- list 2 of 3Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates\n- list 3 of 3Oman renews push for diplomacy, says ‘off-ramps available’ in Iran war\nSince it attacked Iran on Saturday, Israel has endured repeated missile and drone strikes, forcing widespread air raid alerts, school closures, and the mobilisation of tens of thousands of reservists.\nCities like Haifa and Tel Aviv have faced sustained attacks, emergency services are stretched, and a public, unused to war on the scale their government has inflicted upon others, has spent the past few days in and out of bomb shelters.\nFor now, enthusiasm for the war is high. Interviews with Israelis in most major cities show a hunger to confront an enemy that the public was told for decades was determined to exterminate them. With the exception of the far-left, politicians have rallied to the government banner.\n“As soon as the war started, Israel was swept in a wave of militarism,” Israeli political economist Shir Hever said.\n“It was not the same as [the June 2025 12-day war]. Then, it was mostly panic, an existential fear that Iran could destroy Israel. Now, it is gung-ho militarism and overconfidence. Even the war critics – who are few and far between – recommend that [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu keep the war ‘short’, as if Israel can decide when it ends.”\nSupport for the war is part of what many see as a radicalisation of Israeli society. Previously peripheral far-right politicians have made their way into the centre of government, with political polarisation and economic strain accelerating the flow of the young and talented out of the country.\nThose who remain are already conditioned to think of Iran as the fundamental enemy of their country, and weeks of war may militarise the society even further.\n“It’s like the UK blitz in World War II,” Daniel Bar-Tal, an academic at Tel Aviv University, said.\n“Then, the British accepted this bombardment because they saw themselves as fighting this ultimate evil. Israelis have the same feeling. We are indoctrinated into believing, almost from birth, that Iran is evil, which is reinforced through kindergarten, high school, and the army.”\nFor Bar-Tal, it is impossible to guess what kind of Israeli society might emerge from weeks of renewed war, only that the country’s past moral certitude in the righteousness of its establishment had not been dented by the massacres committed during the 1948 Nakba, nor the recent Gaza genocide.\n“Now, we have a generation who are still more militaristic and more rightist, with Netanyahu telling us we now need to live by the sword. It’s just more evidence that Israel needs enemies to survive.”\nBombs and guns\nBeyond the social impacts, Israel has military calculations to take into account if the war does drag on.\nMost pressing is determining how long Israel can sustain the current levels of warfare against an opponent of Iran’s scale and military heft. This will be affected by both the support it receives from its allies, such as those in the US and Europe, and whether its defences become exhausted before those of Iran, defence analyst Hamze Attar said.\n“In the first three days of the war, Iran launched more than 200 ballistic missiles at Israel,” he told Al Jazeera. “To put that into context, during the 12-day war, they launched around 500, each requiring that Israel counter by launching an interceptor rocket. That’s probably more than Israel has the capacity to counter, so, without US help, it would probably have lost control of its airspace by now.”\nIsrael has three different air defence systems: the Iron Dome, for short-range rockets and artillery; David’s Sling, to counter medium-range rockets and cruise missiles; and Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, designed to intercept ballistic missiles\nThe Israelis do not disclose the number of interceptors they have in stock, but Israel began to run low on interceptor stocks during the 12-day war, indicating that it will become more difficult to maintain a high level of interceptions if the war continues for a lengthy period. This would lead to a rationing of interceptors and a focus on defending military and political targets, potentially leading to more civilian casualties.\nAccording to Israeli and US sources, Iran has been producing ballistic missiles at a rate of 100 per month in the aftermath of June’s conflict, Attar said, which would suggest that Tehran had already amassed a significant stockpile.\nHowever, Attar was quick to point out that the Iranian threat is also based on the types of ballistic missiles they have.\n“We don’t know what type of ballistic missiles,” Attar said, outlining the different types of missiles: long-range, reaching as far as Greece and the Mediterranean; medium-range, reaching Israel; and short-range, which can target the Gulf states.\n“Likewise, we don’t know how many [missiles] they [Iran] had before the 12-day war, how many were destroyed during that war, or how many launchers they have,” Attar added. “If you don’t have the launchers, which the US and Israel are targeting, it doesn’t matter how many missiles you have. It’s like having bullets without a rifle.”\nEconomic considerations\nMore than two years of almost constant war have taken their toll on Israel’s economy, analysts warned, with the cost of munitions weighing on the Israeli purse, and the deployment of a reservist force numbered in their hundreds of thousands for periods far longer than any planners had originally conceived of.\nIsrael’s spending in 2024 on the wars in Lebanon and Gaza was reported to have reached $31bn, contributing to the country’s highest budget deficit in years. Preliminary figures from 2025 show spending on war reaching $55bn.\nThe pressure on the economy led to the downgrading of Israel’s sovereign credit rating in 2024 by all three major credit rating agencies.\n“Israel is experiencing a debt crisis, an energy crisis, a transportation crisis, [and] a health service crisis,” Hever said.\nBut none of these would be enough to halt Israel’s military campaigns on their own, the political economist cautioned. “This is not a question of economy, but a question of technology.”\n“If the US can keep supplying Israel with weapons that are so advanced that they can load themselves, aim themselves, and kill from such a distance that the soldiers don’t need to risk their own lives, I don’t see how the economic crisis inside Israel would be enough to stop Israel’s aggression,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:01:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/how-long-can-israel-sustain-a-military-conflict-with-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_33e56aad74ae",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Leaders in Israel and the United States have indicated that the conflict against Iran could continue for weeks.\nThe US, led by President Donald Trump, has emphasised that this will not be a problem, and that its military has the capacity to conduct an extended fight. But for Israel, already fatigued by the cost of having inflicted a genocide on Gaza, as well as wars or attacks in Lebanon, Syria, and a previous round with Iran, a lengthy conflict could be more costly.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance\n- list 2 of 3Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates\n- list 3 of 3Oman renews push for diplomacy, says ‘off-ramps available’ in Iran war\nSince it attacked Iran on Saturday, Israel has endured repeated missile and drone strikes, forcing widespread air raid alerts, school closures, and the mobilisation of tens of thousands of reservists.\nCities like Haifa and Tel Aviv have faced sustained attacks, emergency services are stretched, and a public, unused to war on the scale their government has inflicted upon others, has spent the past few days in and out of bomb shelters.\nFor now, enthusiasm for the war is high. Interviews with Israelis in most major cities show a hunger to confront an enemy that the public was told for decades was determined to exterminate them. With the exception of the far-left, politicians have rallied to the government banner.\n“As soon as the war started, Israel was swept in a wave of militarism,” Israeli political economist Shir Hever said.\n“It was not the same as [the June 2025 12-day war]. Then, it was mostly panic, an existential fear that Iran could destroy Israel. Now, it is gung-ho militarism and overconfidence. Even the war critics – who are few and far between – recommend that [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu keep the war ‘short’, as if Israel can decide when it ends.”\nSupport for the war is part of what many see as a radicalisation of Israeli society. Previously peripheral far-right politicians have made their way into the centre of government, with political polarisation and economic strain accelerating the flow of the young and talented out of the country.\nThose who remain are already conditioned to think of Iran as the fundamental enemy of their country, and weeks of war may militarise the society even further.\n“It’s like the UK blitz in World War II,” Daniel Bar-Tal, an academic at Tel Aviv University, said.\n“Then, the British accepted this bombardment because they saw themselves as fighting this ultimate evil. Israelis have the same feeling. We are indoctrinated into believing, almost from birth, that Iran is evil, which is reinforced through kindergarten, high school, and the army.”\nFor Bar-Tal, it is impossible to guess what kind of Israeli society might emerge from weeks of renewed war, only that the country’s past moral certitude in the righteousness of its establishment had not been dented by the massacres committed during the 1948 Nakba, nor the recent Gaza genocide.\n“Now, we have a generation who are still more militaristic and more rightist, with Netanyahu telling us we now need to live by the sword. It’s just more evidence that Israel needs enemies to survive.”\nBombs and guns\nBeyond the social impacts, Israel has military calculations to take into account if the war does drag on.\nMost pressing is determining how long Israel can sustain the current levels of warfare against an opponent of Iran’s scale and military heft. This will be affected by both the support it receives from its allies, such as those in the US and Europe, and whether its defences become exhausted before those of Iran, defence analyst Hamze Attar said.\n“In the first three days of the war, Iran launched more than 200 ballistic missiles at Israel,” he told Al Jazeera. “To put that into context, during the 12-day war, they launched around 500, each requiring that Israel counter by launching an interceptor rocket. That’s probably more than Israel has the capacity to counter, so, without US help, it would probably have lost control of its airspace by now.”\nIsrael has three different air defence systems: the Iron Dome, for short-range rockets and artillery; David’s Sling, to counter medium-range rockets and cruise missiles; and Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, designed to intercept ballistic missiles\nThe Israelis do not disclose the number of interceptors they have in stock, but Israel began to run low on interceptor stocks during the 12-day war, indicating that it will become more difficult to maintain a high level of interceptions if the war continues for a lengthy period. This would lead to a rationing of interceptors and a focus on defending military and political targets, potentially leading to more civilian casualties.\nAccording to Israeli and US sources, Iran has been producing ballistic missiles at a rate of 100 per month in the aftermath of June’s conflict, Attar said, which would suggest that Tehran had already amassed a significant stockpile.\nHowever, Attar was quick to point out that the Iranian threat is also based on the types of ballistic missiles they have.\n“We don’t know what type of ballistic missiles,” Attar said, outlining the different types of missiles: long-range, reaching as far as Greece and the Mediterranean; medium-range, reaching Israel; and short-range, which can target the Gulf states.\n“Likewise, we don’t know how many [missiles] they [Iran] had before the 12-day war, how many were destroyed during that war, or how many launchers they have,” Attar added. “If you don’t have the launchers, which the US and Israel are targeting, it doesn’t matter how many missiles you have. It’s like having bullets without a rifle.”\nEconomic considerations\nMore than two years of almost constant war have taken their toll on Israel’s economy, analysts warned, with the cost of munitions weighing on the Israeli purse, and the deployment of a reservist force numbered in their hundreds of thousands for periods far longer than any planners had originally conceived of.\nIsrael’s spending in 2024 on the wars in Lebanon and Gaza was reported to have reached $31bn, contributing to the country’s highest budget deficit in years. Preliminary figures from 2025 show spending on war reaching $55bn.\nThe pressure on the economy led to the downgrading of Israel’s sovereign credit rating in 2024 by all three major credit rating agencies.\n“Israel is experiencing a debt crisis, an energy crisis, a transportation crisis, [and] a health service crisis,” Hever said.\nBut none of these would be enough to halt Israel’s military campaigns on their own, the political economist cautioned. “This is not a question of economy, but a question of technology.”\n“If the US can keep supplying Israel with weapons that are so advanced that they can load themselves, aim themselves, and kill from such a distance that the soldiers don’t need to risk their own lives, I don’t see how the economic crisis inside Israel would be enough to stop Israel’s aggression,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:03:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxQek5XcGpRNVY4bTJaWWVXRjdyaWlrc21sY2FtNmlYQVg3bkJ5U2tEaTRYLUZJR0I4Wkh2RXFoOUJWRDVndHIzU3Z0VkJGQTRiak9rbXVwbFRuV084WDMwX3M3bnRRU2Uzb2c2cDZONHVLc0hxQ0VkeUxGYmFXdHFHWDNMaFdiVUFuU0U5emQzNHg0NHRGQmVkRi1ac0tQZ9IBowFBVV95cUxOY0VKX3JKcF9zMlFENm5faXZTa2xnN3h6dUhBV3FOQ1dBRWlRRVJkRW1kX1JoZGUwQ1JmODZ0THhhZ1ZzdG1PZzBOR1VBTlJfMThXVFctektlV3BwRmRqZWtrUXBJU3E0T0otTnlvRnVjVERuZGZoS3diTTFDVm9raFJVaEFnQlpYX2hjM21WcUljSzRkRUZhZnlYNTNzVzhIWmw0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a8e1b39d56d2",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israeli air attack targets hotel in Beirut",
    "body_text": "Israeli air attack targets hotel in Beirut\nAl Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from the site of an Israeli attack on a hotel in Beirut’s Hazmiyeh suburb, an area not considered a ‘Hezbollah stronghold’. Attacks in other Beirut suburbs suggest Israeli operations are expanding beyond the group’s traditional base.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:09:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/israeli-air-attack-targets-hotel-in-beirut?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5b095982af37",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Wall Street Strategists Warn Not to Bet on Trump Rescuing Stocks Rattled by Iran War - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Wall Street Strategists Warn Not to Bet on Trump Rescuing Stocks Rattled by Iran War    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:18:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQWjk4S3l3ZTduZkc1LWJYX04xanNrLXNYV1BqUHhIaVhUYmYzMm1Yd2dBa2lnU0ZwTTdKVmlZQzhMMUhTclJrNEpSd2ZiY2l6Uld3VUFIQ1ZhcjJERDRyaGJ0Ni1CVW1oVzR1eHhqc1V2RmsyWWIxWmFOSVVCcG5MUExIWjFSSmhtYnVpcUxHQzFiM3ozcWpkaWV1Z1Fiano3aUt4QzRXVmhpb05kQlNyMA?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6f18663dfd97",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump says Iran leader alternatives mostly killed",
    "body_text": "Trump says Iran leader alternatives mostly killed\nUS President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that most of the people he had considered as potential future leaders for Iran are now dead.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026\nTrump says Iran leader alternatives mostly killed\nUS President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that most of the people he had considered as potential future leaders for Iran are now dead.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:18:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/trump-says-iran-leader-alternatives-mostly-killed?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f484355337ae",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "IRGC says Iran in ‘complete control’ of Strait of Hormuz amid Trump threats",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said it maintains full control of the Strait of Hormuz, where United States President Donald Trump has said he is prepared to deploy the navy to escort tankers.\n“Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy,” IRGC Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said on Wednesday in a statement carried by Iran’s Fars news agency.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Shutdown of Hormuz Strait raises fears of soaring oil prices\n- list 2 of 3Maritime insurers cancel war risk cover in Gulf: Will it hike energy costs?\n- list 3 of 3India, Europe feel fuel crunch as Gulf gas supplies disrupted amid war\nAbout a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped through the all-important narrow passage of water.\nHowever, a Reuters news agency report said in a rare voyage, an oil tanker sailed through the Strait of Hormuz en route to a United Arab Emirates port to load crude.\nThe tanker, Pola, switched off its AIS tracker late on Monday, when it approached the strait, and the vessel reappeared on Tuesday off Abu Dhabi, according to sources and ship-tracking data, Reuters added.\nThe US-Israeli war on Iran is disrupting the global supply chain, with shipping closed in the vital Strait of Hormuz and planes carrying air cargo grounded by the closure of airspace in the Middle East.\nAl Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said the IRGC stated it was “impossible for any ships to pass through” and that more than 10 oil tankers were targeted.\nClarksons Research, which tracks shipping data, estimates that about 3,200 ships, or about 4 percent of global ship tonnage, are idle in the Gulf, although that includes about 1,230 that likely operate only within the Gulf, The Associated Press news agency reported.\nMeanwhile, about 500 ships, or 1 percent of global tonnage, are currently “waiting” outside the Gulf in ports off the coast of the UAE and Oman, according to the firm.\nAmid Iran’s stranglehold on tanker movement through the strait, Brent crude prices rose to more than $82 a barrel, up more than 13 percent since the start of the conflict and the highest since July 2024.\nTrump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday that the US Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible”.\n“No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD,” he added. “The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH — More actions to come,” he said.\nPakistan seeks alternatives\nIslamabad has asked Saudi Arabia to route oil supplies through the Red Sea port of Yanbu after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping, the Ministry of Energy of Pakistan said in a press release on Wednesday.\n“Saudi Arabian sources had assured security of supplies through the Port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, which can help meet energy requirements,” read the release, adding that one vessel has been arranged to sail to Yanbu to lift crude for Pakistan.\nRiyadh reaffirmed it would support Pakistan in meeting its emergency energy needs, it added.\nPetroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said most of Pakistan’s energy imports transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the government is monitoring the situation closely to ensure the continuity of supplies.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:20:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/irgc-says-iran-in-complete-control-of-strait-of-hormuz-amid-trump-threats?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_924e68f9c624",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "South Korean stocks hit hardest by Iran war as market plunges 12% - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "South Korean stocks hit hardest by Iran war as market plunges 12%\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:25:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1QcDRvSHUyVGxvMEhRZGVZRWl3emxONF9jU2lZekhDNTh4enRGSEVLZGsxVVpOV0Q2dHJwZ3NtT1NPMzk5VU1lem1kRzl3RWhiSkgtdU1oZEY3UFB1RURfOWg4Zl9lU3NEVjdIU0tCejc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_41991ca9cc74",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "What we know on day five of US-Israeli attacks on Iran",
    "body_text": "The United States and Israel have continued to carry out strikes on Iran, bombing government, military and civilian infrastructure as the conflict spreads to Lebanon, where Israel has been carrying out an intense bombardment.\nA fire broke out near the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday as Iranian retaliatory strikes continued in the Gulf, escalating tensions in the Middle East.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 1 itemend of listIran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones as it expanded its attacks to energy infrastructure and diplomatic compounds.\nThe conflict, which entered its fifth day on Wednesday, has also sparked political debate in the US, with the opposition Democrats questioning Trump’s decision to attack Iran.\nHere is what we know:\nIn Iran\n- Targeted locations: Joint Israel-US strikes have targeted western Tehran, with video footage showing thick plumes of smoke over the city.\n- Nuclear facilities: The Natanz nuclear facility was struck during the military operations, though Iranian media reports that no radioactive leakage has been recorded.\n- Iranian retaliation: According to US Admiral Brad Cooper, Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones in retaliation.\n- These attacks have hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia and struck near the US consulate in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.\n- Ongoing operations: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli pilots are flying over Iran and Tehran, stating that Israel will continue to strike the country “with force”.\n- Rising death toll: After four days of fighting, Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs reported that 1,045 people have been killed in US-Israeli attacks.\nIn Gulf nations and Turkiye\n- Regional security and infrastructure threats: Iran has launched strikes on energy infrastructure across the Gulf and warned that it will target “all economic centres in the region” if US-Israeli attacks continue.\n- Qatar: Qatari air defence systems intercepted projectiles in the skies over Doha, causing loud bangs.\n- The Gulf country has also said it has arrested 10 suspected spies operating for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\n- Saudi Arabia: Saudi authorities reported that two drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh, which caused a limited fire and minor damage.\n- Oman: Citing “ongoing activity,” the US embassy in Muscat instructed its staff and all American citizens in Oman to shelter in place and find secure locations until further notice.\n- Vessel Struck off UAE Coast: The British maritime security tracker (UKMTO) reported that a vessel was hit by an unknown projectile 7 nautical miles east of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Separately, a drone struck near the US consulate in Dubai.\n- China: Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Saudi Arabian and UAE counterparts that Beijing will send a special envoy to the Middle East for mediation purposes.\n- Turkiye: An Iranian ballistic missile that was fired from Iran and heading into Turkish territory was downed by NATO air defence systems, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said.\nIn Israel:\n- Attacks inside Israel: The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah claims to have fired rockets at Israeli forces in the northern town of Metula.\n- Additionally, the Iran-aligned Hezbollah announced that it has carried out a missile attack on a naval base in Haifa.\n- Israeli military operations: Israel is a primary actor in the continuing multi-front conflict, actively bombarding targets in both Iran and Lebanon. In Lebanon, Israeli air attacks have killed at least 50 people and wounded 335.\n- Israel’s military announced that two soldiers were “moderately injured due to anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon.\n- Air strikes on Hezbollah: The Israeli military has struck approximately 60 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, hitting weapons storage facilities, command centres and missile launchers.\nIn the United States\n- US political stance: Trump stated that “the big scale hitting goes now,” promising that Iran is “in for a lot of hurt”.\n- Despite the heavy military action, Trump maintains that a US-led regime change is not the primary goal, suggesting instead that “someone from within” the current Iranian government might be the best choice to take power once the war concludes.\n- General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news briefing that Iran was now firing fewer missiles than at the start of the war and that the US will “expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory”.\n- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the US was winning the war and confirmed that the military sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.\n- At least 80 people were killed in the US submarine strike on the Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister said in a statement to local television.\n- Political fallout: Domestically, the war has led to intense political debate due to shifting justifications from the Trump administration. Trump stated he ordered the attacks because he believed Tehran was preparing to strike first.\n- The US Senate is scheduled to vote on the War Powers Act in an attempt to test whether President Trump has the authorisation to wage these military operations.\n- US-UK diplomatic rift: Trump heavily criticised UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, stating, “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with.” This comes after Starmer refused to support the military operation or allow the US to launch attacks from the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia.\n- Lawmakers warn of a ground war: Following a three-hour briefing by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm that the US could be drawn into a prolonged ground war.\n- Death toll: The US identified four American soldiers who were killed during an Iranian retaliatory strike on a military facility in Kuwait, bringing the total confirmed US deaths to six.\nIn Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan\n- Lebanese government stance: The Lebanese government officially banned Hezbollah’s military activities on Monday and demanded that the group hand over its weapons to the state.\n- Officials in Lebanon said at least 50 people have been killed since Israel began attacks on the country on Monday.\n- Pressure from Israel: Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, agreed with the calls for Hezbollah to disarm, but urged the Lebanese government to “act now,” emphasising that “statements do not dismantle rockets… only action does.”\n- Iraq: Airstrikes have targeted sites used by pro-Iran armed groups, including Kataib Hezbollah and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, in western and northeastern Iraq.\n- Czech Evacuations: The first Czech government evacuation plane, a military Airbus carrying about 40 passengers, flew out of Jordan and successfully landed in Prague.\n- Slovak Evacuations: Similarly, the first two evacuation flights organised by the Slovak government flew out of Jordan and landed in Bratislava, bringing 127 people to safety.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:30:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/what-we-know-on-day-five-of-us-israeli-attacks-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_fa3996346860",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "India Households Face a Looming Fuel Crunch as Iran Crisis Drags - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "India Households Face a Looming Fuel Crunch as Iran Crisis Drags    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:33:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQaU81dzM3eENzRWhZd0gtamFtY3A2d2NDb0RUWFZHMWdrb29kbGh1eldEMUQ4VTBRcDhqODhSdkxVcEFiaDlLMlp6LXlMVVB6ajFvUS1NWkd4dTR5YjBRcjBrNXFWaVJLanRkeTJ3UTVZc25hWDBJVGhKb29PNUNSYUVFcFJ6QlhGcWt6Zk4zUWJWeDVxcjlFNzdGaWZCb2dYcUdIMmdxNlJJZm5VT1hWbnZKNmxUQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f296c8d3286b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Will the US put ‘boots on the ground’ in Iran?",
    "body_text": "When US President Donald Trump casually floated the idea of putting US “boots on the ground” in Iran, he openly defied a longstanding presidential taboo. “Like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground’. I don’t say it,” Trump declared amid the ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran.\nBut while the political rhetoric from Washington hints at a sprawling conflict, military experts argue that the reality on the rugged Iranian terrain will look vastly different from a traditional invasion.\nMilitary and strategic analyst Colonel Nidal Abu Zeid told Al Jazeera it is unlikely the US is contemplating a traditional ground invasion involving tanks and massed infantry, but rather a different pattern of warfare.\n‘Boots on the ground’ vs ‘pick-up’ operations\nIn his interview with The New York Post on Monday, Trump left the door open for the arrival of ground forces while expressing confidence in the current aerial campaign, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury“.\n“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground – like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump said following the strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other officials. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary’.”\nUS Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth echoed this at a Pentagon news briefing, confirming no US troops are currently inside Iran but leaving the option on the table. “You don’t have to roll 200,000 people in there and stay for 20 years,” Hegseth said.\nAccording to Abu Zeid, Hegseth’s and Trump’s comments align with what is militarily known as “pick-up” or selective operations. This involves limited efforts by special forces infiltrating specific points to execute precise sabotage or intelligence-gathering missions, followed by rapid extraction.\nA traditional invasion to occupy territory is not viable, Abu Zeid said, citing Iran’s complex geopolitical environment, rugged geography and demographic density, all of which provide Tehran with a distinct defensive advantage. He noted that Israel has also previously declared a ground operation in Iran to be impractical.\nThe nuclear pretext and a shifting timeline\nTrump revealed that the decision to launch the joint US-Israeli strikes came after “final talks” in Geneva collapsed on Thursday. The trigger, he claimed, was intelligence showing Iran had surreptitiously moved its nuclear enrichment programme to a “totally different site”.\nIn June last year, Trump had claimed that US strikes, known as “Operation Midnight Hammer,” had “obliterated” known Iranian nuclear facilities. “So then we found them working on a totally different area, a totally different site, in order to make a nuclear weapon through enrichment – so it was just time,” Trump said.\nTrump said the operation is “way ahead of schedule”. Originally estimating the war would last around four weeks, Trump said the primary objective of eliminating the leadership structure – killing 49 top officials – had been achieved in a single day.\nHowever, Abu Zeid pointed out that Trump’s initial reference to a four-week timeline is not merely operational; it is tied to US domestic law. The US Constitution restricts the president’s authority to wage war beyond 30 days without Congressional approval, making the “four-week” window a critical legal and political calculation.\nThe missile war and naval propaganda\nWhile the Iranian command structure has taken a severe hit, Tehran has continued to retaliate. At least six US service members have been killed in action during the conflict with Iran, according to the US military.\nSimultaneously, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have fired four cruise missiles at the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is stationed in waters close to Iran. Abu Zeid dismissed this claim as media “propaganda” designed to target the morale and prestige of the US military.\nHe explained that the carrier is protected by advanced RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile systems capable of high-altitude interception, backed by a multi-layered defensive umbrella from escorting destroyers. Furthermore, US reconnaissance aircraft, notably AWACS early-warning planes, maintain constant surveillance, making undetected missile launches highly improbable.\nApproximately 72 hours into the confrontation, Abu Zeid said, a drop to a medium-intensity level in Iranian missile attacks was observed. He attributed this decline to the likely destruction of Iranian launch platforms. While higher estimates suggest Iran possesses about 3,000 ballistic missiles, it relies on only a few hundred launchers. In a missile war, the destruction of platforms is just as critical as the depletion of the missile stockpile itself.\nDomestic pushback\nDespite the military momentum, Trump faces scepticism at home. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed only 27 percent of Americans approved of the strikes, while a CNN/SSRS poll placed approval at 41 percent.\nTrump dismissed the numbers, insisting a “silent majority” supports the preemptive action to prevent “crazy people” from acquiring a nuclear weapon and citing a 47-year history of Iranian hostility that includes the 1979 embassy hostage crisis and the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings.\nMeanwhile, Abu Zeid noted that US and Israeli intelligence may have underestimated Iran’s ability to quickly repair its chain of command. By adopting a doctrine of “centralised planning and decentralised execution”, Tehran has managed to absorb the initial shock and maintain its missile barrage despite heavy US electronic jamming and technological superiority.\nYet, how long Iran can sustain this strategy of “fire flooding” remains the defining question. As Trump boasts of completing a four-week leadership decapitation in a single day, the clock continues to tick for both sides. Ultimately, the next phase of this war may not be decided by tens of thousands of US boots marching across Iranian soil, but by which side runs out of time – and launch pads – first.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:36:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/4/will-the-us-put-boots-on-the-ground-in-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a06640b2e39a",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Analyst says interest in Epstein files plummeted after war on Iran launched",
    "body_text": "Before the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran five days ago, the fallout from files released by the US Department of Justice on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were reverberating around the world.\nThey ensnared a former British royal, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and the former United Kingdom Ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, with both being arrested, rocking the Keir Starmer government.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Epstein ties cast shadow over legacy of Oslo’s Palestine peace efforts\n- list 2 of 4US and Israeli interests may soon diverge on Iran\n- list 3 of 4Epstein & Africa: Did sex offender push Israel-Ivory Coast security deal?\n- list 4 of 4US Commerce Secretary Lutnick to testify before Congress about Epstein ties\nIsrael’s former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and numerous others have also faced intense scrutiny. Epstein’s deep links to Israel have prompted further allegations that he was an active Mossad spy.\nAnd several leading figures in the US have resigned posts over connections to the disgraced financier.\nUS Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has agreed to give testimony to lawmakers about his ties to Epstein, the head of a committee investigating the late sex offender has said Tuesday.\nLast week, Bill Clinton told lawmakers he “saw nothing that gave me pause” when he spent time with Epstein, as the former president gave closed-door testimony\nHis wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, testified before the same panel the day before.\nBut all those reverberations and revelations have sharply shifted once the bombs started raining down on Iran.\nOn Sunday, Republican US Congressman Thomas Massie, who helped push the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act through Congress last year, said, “Bombing a country on the other side of the globe won’t make the Epstein files go away.” He has also been critical of the war.\nShifting attention off the Epstein files\nAl Jazeera spoke to Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, an analyst with Atlas Global Strategies and a former Israeli diplomat, about the motives for the attack on Iran.\nHe said the attack and its timing are all about domestic politics in both the US and Israel, with “very little strategic rationale behind it”.\n“The current approval numbers for Trump are the worst they’ve ever been, some of the worst this early in a term I can remember. And there’s signs that the economy is going to get worse, so he really needs a distraction from that in the form of a war,” he said.\n“And if you look at searches on Google for the Epstein files, they’ve plummeted since this started. So, at least temporarily, it’s succeeding. It’s taking up Congress’ time and it’s taking up the media’s time,” he added.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be hoping the war boosts his own approval ratings before elections, which local media are reporting may be called as soon as June, Ben-Ephraim said.\n“The Gaza war of genocide wasn’t particularly successful in terms of getting Netanyahu public approval because the enemy there, Hamas, is kind of weak, and Israel didn’t do particularly well,” Ben Ephraim said, calling Iran “a more impressive enemy”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:38:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/analyst-says-interest-in-epstein-files-plummeted-after-war-on-iran-launched?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_531510804d67",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Spain's Pedro Sánchez hits back at Trump threat to sever trade saying 'no to war'",
    "body_text": "Spain's Pedro Sánchez hits back at Trump threat to sever trade saying 'no to war'\nPedro Sánchez has delivered a strong rebuttal to US President Donald Trump's threat to end trade with Spain by restating his opposition to war and what he called the \"breakdown of international law\".\nIn a 10-minute televised address, the Spanish prime minister reflected on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the Iraq War more than 20 years ago, and said the Spanish government's position could be summed up as \"no to war\".\nTrump threatened to impose a full trade embargo on Spain in response to its refusal to allow the US to use the jointly run bases at Morón and Rotafor to strike Iran.\n\"Spain has been terrible,\" Trump said during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday.\n\"We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain,\" he added.\nMerz said later he had told Trump very clearly that he could not conclude a separate trade agreement with Germany or all of Europe but not with Spain.\nIn response to the US economic threat, the Élysée Palace said French President Emmanuel Macron had conveyed his \"solidarity\" with Spain during a phone conversation with Sánchez on Wednesday. European Council President António Costa also said he had spoken to the Spanish leader \"to express the EU's full solidarity\".\nTrump accused Spain on Tuesday of being a \"terrible partner\" in Nato for failing to increase its defence budget in line with a target of 5% of economic output (GDP).\nEarlier this year, Sánchez drew Trump's ire by speaking out against the US military incursion into Venezuela.\nSánchez said in his televised address from the prime minister's official residence in Madrid on Wednesday that the government was studying economic measures to counter the impact of the conflict on Spaniards, though he avoided directly referring to Trump's trade threat.\n\"The question is not if we are on the side of the ayatollahs [Iran's clerical rulers] - nobody is. The question is whether we are in favour of peace and international legality,\" he said.\n\"You cannot answer one illegality with another, because that is how the great catastrophes of humanity begin.\"\nSpain's Socialist prime minister explained that the government's position was comparable to its stance on Ukraine and Gaza. Sánchez has been a vociferous critic of Israel's military response to the Hamas attacks in 2023.\nSpain has been among Europe's most outspoken governments on Gaza, describing Israel's actions there as \"genocide\" and acknowledging a Palestinian state before many other EU members did.\nThat position was in step with his coalition partners to his left and, broadly speaking, with Spanish attitudes toward the Middle East.\nLooking back to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which he said had failed to achieve its goals and had made life worse for ordinary people, he warned that the attacks on Iran could have a similar economic impact for millions.\nHis reference to the Iraq invasion will connect with many Spanish voters. Spain's support at the time from the conservative People's Party (PP) government was deeply unpopular, and triggered mass anti-war protests.\nMany believe it also lay the groundwork for the Socialist Party's surprise election victory in March 2004, days after Madrid had been hit by deadly jihadist bombings.\nSánchez reminded Spaniards of the \"Azores trio\" - the then-US President George W Bush, the UK's Tony Blair and Spanish conservative leader José María Aznar - who had met on a Spanish base in the region days before the Iraq invasion.\nHe said they had handed Europeans the \"gift\" of \"a more insecure world and worse life\".\nThe Spanish leader's stance contrasts strongly with that of Merz, who told German TV on Tuesday that regime change in Iran would leave the world \"a little better off\", though he also said this was \"not without risk and we would also have to bear the consequences\".\nUnlike Spain's fellow Nato allies - the UK, France and Greece - it has not yet committed to any military involvement in response to the war.\nThe Spanish prime minister said he wanted to express the solidarity of the Spanish people with countries that had been \"illegally attacked by the Iranian regime\".\nAside from the fierce criticism Sánchez is facing from the US, his coalition government has faced months of enormous political pressure, generating constant speculation that its collapse could be imminent.\nIt has been struggling to maintain its parliamentary majority, which includes an array of left-wing and regional nationalist parties.\nAllegations of corruption against several of his allies and inner circle have severely weakened his position.\nIn Spain's deeply polarised politics, much of the support for Sánchez is driven as much by concerns about the country's right and far-right as it is by endorsement of his leadership and policies.\nStanding up to the US president may have electoral benefits for the Socialist leader.\nA recent poll by the CIS research institute found that 77% of Spaniards had a \"bad\" or \"very bad\" opinion of Trump, suggesting that even many right-wing voters may back Sánchez on this issue.\nHowever, there is now uncertainty in Spain over whether Trump's threats will translate into some form of economic reprisals, and many Spaniards will be watching this drama nervously.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:52:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93wwq1n542o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6499b05ab2b4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Hundreds of drones target Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE amid Iran war",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday it has fired 230 drones at several facilities hosting US troops in the Middle East, including a base in Erbil in northern Iraq and the Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.\nThe IRGC said the attacks were among its “first powerful steps” in the war, despite Iran having attacked Gulf Arab states for days since Israel and the United States launched their coordinated offensive on Saturday.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Is the US at war with Iran?\n- list 2 of 3US senators fear ‘boots on the ground’ after Iran war briefing\n- list 3 of 3The Iran strikes could become a midterm reckoning – for Trump and Israel\nKuwait’s Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that an 11-year-old girl was killed after being hit by falling shrapnel. “Resuscitation was performed in the ambulance while the girl was being transported to the hospital, and attempts continued for nearly half an hour upon arrival at Al-Amiri Hospital. However, she passed away due to her injuries,” the ministry said on X.\nIn Iraq, Al Jazeera Arabic reported that a drone targeted a logistical support facility of the US embassy in Baghdad, located near the Baghdad international airport. It followed a similar foiled drone attack on Tuesday near the airport, according to Iraq’s security media cell.\nTwo drones also targeted a US military base and a hotel in Erbil, in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, security sources told Reuters.\nThis comes after a building in Sulaimaniyah, in the Iraqi Kurdish region, was hit by a drone strike on Tuesday evening. Footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed flames rising from a building amid reports of an explosion.\nSaudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it intercepted and destroyed a drone in the country’s Eastern Province. It did not immediately provide further details on the drone’s origin or whether the incident caused any damage or casualties.\nLater in the day, a projectile hit Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery, the biggest domestic oil refinery operated by Saudi Aramco, according to two sources cited by Reuters. The report comes after Saudi Arabia shut down operations at the plant several days ago after a fire broke out that officials said was caused by debris from the interception of two Iranian drones.\nStrikes were also reported in the United Arab Emirates at the US consulate in Dubai and a port in the city of Fujairah.\nThe UAE’s Defence Ministry said its defences downed three ballistic missiles and 121 drones, while eight drones landed inside the country.\nThe US embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in the UAE came under drone attacks on Tuesday, and the US State Department said on Wednesday that it had authorised nonemergency government personnel to evacuate.\nForeign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France’s Rafale jets have neutralised Iranian drones targeting the UAE, where hundreds of French navy, air force and army personnel are based.\nQatar’s Defence Ministry said it intercepted 10 drones and two cruise missiles launched from Iran. Qatar Airways said its flight operations remained “temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace”.\nIran began hitting targets in Israel as well as US military assets in Gulf states after initial US-Israeli strikes on February 28, and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nDespite the barrage of drones, Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Qatar’s capital Doha, said the volume and frequency of the attacks on the Gulf were decreasing.\nYet, “the issue is that it does not take too many attacks to close airspace or cause disruptions,” Basravi said.\n“So even if Iran is able to maintain a low level of attacks, that will continue being a problem for the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries caught up in this conflict.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:53:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/hundreds-of-drones-target-kuwait-iraq-saudi-arabia-uae-amid-iran-war?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_392ea469659d",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Manus on Markets: Iran war uncertainty sparks Asian selloff - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "From tariff turmoil and stock shocks to market meltdowns, the global financial system has never been in such flux.\nManus Cranny, The National's geo-economics editor, cuts through the noise and presents insights from the stories making headlines around the world.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T08:59:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxOSkMzdmRTZkZGakQ2WHZVbEZyTUhLVGJoNHZXU1pDbUhqSWplRjRjT0hVMWhmMUZDUzJjNG1UbDZaRUpfZmxLa0tPRlRNM3JncFdCNFJ2NHJ4WENpLXNkSTdCeGMyaG1XVy16dmdVczFEM0hXandoRzlmZDFFUUVfYVFnaTkyNndiXzAyYjZyY1FPOUVScXhXMXp1WUFOYzFaRGI1bllkOWdSQUZuZkNNU2FwdUYwcTZwV3Zr?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1b37dbe54a38",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘We never imagined this’: the Cypriot village on edge after RAF Akrotiri drone strike",
    "body_text": "Evacuations near RAF base have reignited debate as Cypriots question the risks of hosting western military sites\n\nAll his life, like his parents before him, Giorgos Konstantinos has learned to live next to RAF Akrotiri onCyprus.\n\nHe has dealt with the roar of planes, the comings and going of military vehicles and the war games. But never has Konstantinos, the village’s vice-mayor, witnessed anything quite like the events of the past two days.\n\n“We live here, we’ve got used to all the exercises, we’ve got used to all the planes, but what we never imagined is this,” the retired lawyer said on Tuesday, standing in front of the main gate to the facility. “Who would have thought of a drone flying through our skies, exploding on the other side of that fence and forcing all of us to leave?”\n\nIn a moment, he said, the dangers of living next to a British base, when conflict was raging not so very far away, had suddenly become very real. In the early hours of Monday, sirens had begun to sound afterthe unmanned one-way attack dronecrashed into RAF Akrotiri’s runway.\n\nThe next day, the village of low-level villas and houses was all but deserted; police cars parked in front of its church, its streets eerily empty, its school under lock and key – testament to a government-ordered evacuation overseen by civil defence forces.\n\n“There are over 1,000 of us in our community, but today not more than 30 have remained,” said Konstantinos. “They’ve all gone, either to hotels, the nearby monastery or relatives in Limassol. People don’t feel safe when there’s so much uncertainty. Even the British can’t answer the question everyone here is asking: why, when there are so many air defence systems on that base, was the drone not detected earlier?”\n\nIt is a question more and more Cypriots are asking.\n\nThe EU’s easternmost member state is barely a 20-minute flight from Lebanon, from where the Shia militia group Hezbollah is believed by Cypriot officials to have launched the Shahed-type drone and two others intercepted later on Monday morning.\n\n“I have a job on the bases, like many of us in Akrotiri,” said Michalis Georgiou, one of the few local people who, by Tuesday, had returned to the village. “What happened on Sunday was terrifying. I was asleep, then I heard the sirens, then suddenly my parents and I were packing and fleeing. I’m not at all sure I am going to stay. The same thing could happen again, right?”\n\nThe RAF base is all that Georgiou, 25, has ever known. He is the first to say that its presence on soil retained by Britain after the island nation became independent in 1960 is “very strange”.\n\nPart of an expanse in the south of the eastern Mediterranean island, the British-controlled territory sprawls across 99 sq miles. A landscape dotted by rugged fields and antennas – the most visible sign of the facility’s use as a listening post and spy station – surrounds the base’s barbed-wire perimeter.\n\nIn the distance, across a bay, lies Limassol, the coastal town known as “Moscow on the Med” because of its popularity among Russians.\n\nLate on Tuesday, as the sun set, hundreds amassed on Limassol’s seafront to protest against the US-Israeli offensive against Iran and demand the withdrawal of military fixtures seen increasingly as a danger for Cyprus.\n\n“Ours is a small country that must remain neutral,” said Tasos Kosteas, who heads the Pancyprian Peace Council, which organised the demonstration. “The bases are clearly a danger to Cyprus, because it is the bases that Iran is targeting. Our basic message tonight is that the interests of the US and Israel are not the same as ours. The big powers only care about Cyprus because of its geostrategic importance, they don’t care about its people.”\n\nThis week’s strike is the first against a British military installation on the island since 1986 and, in the minds of some Cypriot officials, is linked to the decision of the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, to allow the facilities to be used in a defensive capacity by the US – even if the UK maintains the attack happened before that policy was announced.\n\nOn Monday, Nicosia took the rare step of openly chastising London for its perceived failure to clarify the base’s role. In an address, Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, said the country had no intention of participating in any military operation.\n\nConcerns the island could be dragged into a widening regional war – at a time when it is also heading the EU presidency – are evident in the military hardware also heading to its shores. This week, France followed Greece in deploying military support to the country in the form of state-of-the-art frigates, F-16 fighter jets and anti-missile and anti-drone systems.\n\nThe move came as it was announced that Akrotiri, and several other areas, would remain under evacuation for several more days.\n\n“We think there should be a permanent shelter here,” said Konstantinos. “A refuge point where we would feel safe. It’s not a demand that we’ve had before, but now I think everyone would agree it’s become a priority.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:00:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/cypriot-village-on-edge-after-raf-akrotiri-drone-strike",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d3971349fba3",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Watch The Secret Kingpin Behind Iran’s Oil Empire - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Watch The Secret Kingpin Behind Iran’s Oil Empire    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:01:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNMkRyOHU3ZWdGN1ZhLUMwR3RKbkZwSE9xeU1GUUVoUk1TUnVTQThqek1vX3BtNDFaUGtwYWk3Q1dCaFlBNWk5ZEROZFJ0UEUxUDdjcVlBaWt1aHNMRnRzRlFhaTZIaWxaWWk5WHNJckVscUMwZDJDUVV5bXktSGV6VGl0RzMtUzY5NmhuWFJpLTdERTZ5Y29nZ3ZNZE9HRnM?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_97cb981799fd",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Pedro Sánchez calls US-Israeli war in Iran a ‘disaster’ amid spat with Trump - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Pedro Sánchez calls US-Israeli war in Iran a ‘disaster’ amid spat with Trump\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:01:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBwaUY0QUNSYm5Xc2ZPaVVpczlBSGhFOGg0TEtMbW4yRVNkd2EtZ1k1Y0J0NU5wVWk3anNxX3VSYnpMUUFjRXpIU3B5OFhlaWtEMUlKTDR0Xzd1RnQwMkJhN1NuN1NuV1lOVkdnMV91REM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2a8332fbf60f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "South Africa offers to mediate in Middle East conflict if asked - Reuters",
    "body_text": "South Africa offers to mediate in Middle East conflict if asked    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:20:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxQZzhFQnZvR2JsMnVvMUR4YW1kN1psNWYzbkZ2YzBhbVE0VHJmeHZEMzV5TllBR2NWQ0VtUjFFYzNRN29MWDM1bE91aS05UWN0RGdtQVJpV09UeE9YZjRicFhWQXhNUWRvVl9jdDBwSklvTEJ1bVM0Zmh3RHh0eWllVHdvY1kzeHVOTXRIREdqa3lVWHdQdl9hZXVWZ2Jtb1ZlU2lSejZzWDhWdw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_48afbb28b7f1",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "UN 'deeply disturbed' by strike on Iran school that killed 160 children - Reuters",
    "body_text": "UN 'deeply disturbed' by strike on Iran school that killed 160 children    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:25:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxONXNGejNJMF90R3lrenJLZG5lUk4zbmlQUmRRWnpEajZBR1FfdEV5N0xnQi1JLUZxa3VFOGVrTTVIc1MzbEpiZFM5X0o3T2x2c2FTQml2a0MzZlcxMTRXZnZYOW5oVHFJMnF3aUFmX2lTM3VJYlotMTVDRm9pcUdwd0J2bHk2czBJblFUcml6OXhobnBwMGxIUWpPcHd2Z1dvRFliZ28tWWNLcF9oeXExdTRkZm1YTXhRM2EzWHZUcmQtX2hKZWxRTg?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f61492e7f259",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iranians to bid farewell to Khamenei as Israel threatens to kill successor",
    "body_text": "A ceremony commemorating Iran’s late leader Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran has been postponed, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, days after he was assassinated along with family members in joint air strikes by Israel and the United States.\nThe news agency quoted an official citing logistical issues for the delay, including requests from people in different provinces to attend the ceremony.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3US and Israel step up attacks as war with Iran engulfs region\n- list 2 of 3Destruction seen after attack on Iran’s Assembly of Experts building\n- list 3 of 3How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?\nFuneral arrangements are ongoing and are expected to draw huge crowds, and, with them, the potential threat of US-Israeli attacks on a gathering of mass mourning. Some 10 million people attended Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s funeral in 1989.\nThe report comes hours after Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Islamic Propagation Council, has initially said the farewell ceremony would start at 10pm (18:30 GMT) at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall and continue for three days.\n“The prayer hall will be receiving visitors and the dear people can attend and take part in the farewell ceremony and mark a strong presence once again,” Mahmoudi said in comments carried by Iranian media.\nKhamenei was killed on Saturday, aged 86. He had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, succeeding Khomeini, the founder of the post-shah Iran, who steered the country’s 1979 revolution.\nThe supreme leader holds ultimate authority over all branches of government, the military and the judiciary, while also acting as the country’s spiritual leader.\nAyatollah Ahmad Khatami, a senior Iranian cleric who is a member of both the powerful Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts, said the country was close to choosing the late Khamenei’s successor.\n“The Supreme Leader will be identified in the closest opportunity, we are close to a conclusion, however the situation in the country is a war situation,” Khatami told state TV.\nThe 88-member Assembly of Experts is elected by the public every eight years. Candidates who run for the Assembly must first be vetted and approved by the Guardian Council, a powerful oversight body whose members are partly appointed by the supreme leader himself.\nA simple majority is sufficient to appoint the new supreme leader. As per Iran’s constitution, the candidate must be a senior jurist with deep knowledge of jurisprudence in Shia Islam, as well as qualities such as political judgement, courage, and administrative capability.\nKhamenei’s second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is among the top contenders to succeed his father. Two Iranian sources cited by Reuters news agency said Mojtaba has survived US-Israeli attacks on the country.\nIsrael’s Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Wednesday to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed Khamenei.\n“Any leader selected by the Iranian terror regime to continue leading the plan for Israel’s destruction, threatening the United States, the free world and countries in the region, and suppressing the Iranian people, will be a certain target for assassination, no matter his name or where he hides,” Katz said in a post on X.\nUS President Donald Trump on Tuesday publicly mused about the leadership he would like to see in Iran following Khamenei’s assassination. During an Oval Office appearance, he said the “worst-case scenario” in Iran would be another leader unfriendly to US priorities.\nLuciano Zaccara, a research associate professor in Gulf politics at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera that Iran’s political system has been prepared for the current situation, knowing that Khamenei’s killing was a real possibility.\n“The structures remain, the line of power [and] the line of command remain in place,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:27:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/iranians-to-bid-farewell-to-khamenei-as-israel-threatens-to-kill-successor?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c65569ae9c96",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Attacking Iran’s nuclear programme could drive it towards a bomb, experts warn",
    "body_text": "Fears US-Israeli onslaught could lead regime to push for bomb or embolden other groups to steal uranium stockpile\n\nThe US-Israeli onslaught against Iran is intended to resolve a 24-year standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme, but it runs the risk of backfiring and driving the regime towards making a secret bomb, proliferation experts have warned.\n\nThe regime in Tehran has long insisted that the programme is for civilian purposes and it has no intention of making a nuclear weapon. However, since two undeclared sites, for uranium enrichment and heavy water plutonium production, were discovered in 2002, the programme has been treated with intense suspicion.\n\nAnuclear deal in 2015imposed severe limits and thorough inspections on Iran but when Donald Trumpwalked out of the agreementin 2018, triggering its collapse, Iran ramped up its work on enrichment and other aspects of the programme.\n\nMost worryingly for the international community, Iran had by last summer produced a stockpile of just over440kg of highly enriched uranium(HEU), of 60% purity. In terms of technical difficulty, once at 60%, it is a relatively easy step to reach 90% – weapons-grade uranium that can be used to make a compact warhead.\n\nWith further enrichment and conversion of the uranium from gas to metal form, Iran’s 440kg stockpile would be enough to make more than 10 warheads.\n\nThe anxiety over this stockpile, accumulated since the torpedoing of the 2015 nuclear deal, was the motive forlast June’s US-Israeli strikeson Iran. The US role, Operation Midnight Hammer, was focused on dropping bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s nuclear sites.\n\nTrump claimed the bombardment had “obliterated” the nuclear programme, but it soon became apparentthis was not true. The bombs had wreaked extensive damage, but deep underground sites, burrowed beneath mountains in two sites in particular, Isfahan and Natanz, could not be destroyed.\n\nIn response to the attacks, Iran excluded UN inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from those and other sensitive sites, with the result that the watchdog lost track of what became of the 440kg HEU stockpile, and of what was being done in the deep tunnels in Isfahan and Natanz.\n\nIn its latest report, the IAEA conceded it could not verify whether Iran had suspended all enrichment-related activities, or the size of its uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities.\n\nDespite that uncertainty, the IAEA director general, Rafael Grossi, said on Monday that “we don’t see a structured programme to manufacture nuclear weapons”.\n\nHowever, nuclear proliferation experts worry that might change in the aftermath of an attack aimed at destroying the regime that has ruled Iran for 47 years, and the killing of its supreme leader,Ali Khamenei, who had issued a religious edict, a fatwa, against the building of a bomb.\n\n“That is what makes this such a tremendous roll of the dice,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a distinguished scholar of global security at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. “Because if the strike does not succeed in removing a regime, there remain thousands of people in Iran who are capable of reconstituting a programme like this.”\n\nLewis added: “The technology itself is decades old, and a vengeful Iran that survives this strike is likely to reach the same conclusion that North Korea reached, that it’s a dangerous world out there with the United States, and it’s better to go nuclear.”\n\nKelsey Davenport, the director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, agreed that in the aftermath of the attack there would be greater motivation within the remnants of the regime “pushing Iran towards weaponisation no matter how this conflict ends, because of the nature in which it started”.\n\nDavenport pointed out that if the regime collapsed or if a civil war broke out, the fate of Iran’s HEU stockpile would become a major global problem.\n\n“If we end up in a scenario where we have regime implosion, where Iran becomes so internally destabilised that there is a real risk that material is diverted, that it is stolen … there’s going to be a lot of pressure on the United States to put boots on the ground,” Davenport said.\n\n“There’s a real nuclear terrorism risk to Trump’s regime change objective that I have not heard the administration acknowledging.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:30:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/us-israel-strikes-iran-nuclear-program-could-backfire",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_85f164197827",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Russia says US attacked Iran on false pretext, condemns call for Iranians to seize power - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Russia says US attacked Iran on false pretext, condemns call for Iranians to seize power    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:51:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxQRktld3MzelF4X2hUb3FmNFNPQW11RjhKdkxqWWZlU1lKOF9idl9kOGIxbkk3UGVSN1hXTW1TZnBNMVdPMUFNR0IwNlZUUERUTDlycGgtS29CaGV2aGp6QVpRMjBsT1lZaEVUUHVMb3JOQ2cyVmhtNk9MQjFaRzQyZmZSLWRrUWRrWURxWFJDZXprMlVHRjlmbEVUREtoNjBTS2FjUHJ4OUJ0bV81NFBOUkNmZTlpa2RJUDRB?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a05dc0fe7c66",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Huge column of smoke seen over western Tehran",
    "body_text": "Huge column of smoke seen over western Tehran\nVideos shot by an eyewitness captured thick black smoke rising in western Tehran as air strikes by the US and Israel continue.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026\nHuge column of smoke seen over western Tehran\nVideos shot by an eyewitness captured thick black smoke rising in western Tehran as air strikes by the US and Israel continue.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:52:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/huge-column-of-smoke-seen-over-western-tehran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_33b9a11c15c4",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "More repatriation flights as Middle East airspace shutdown leaves thousands stranded - Reuters",
    "body_text": "More repatriation flights as Middle East airspace shutdown leaves thousands stranded    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:56:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxNQ2phVEQ0a2V1Mk9rSDlkZGlGMzBjM0lOZjVPT3hoVUQ5Ylg4YlI2MUlrYVFoVDlaWGRlMkZhcDNYeXRIcnJIQTgxZGJEVXdfUmp5MHJxWEQxVm1UMmZUZUJyTVVOemkxZHdtVHdJNTFTakRqWWduNWJNMnZON3ZaOFRWRndnZkMxeUhQWkYzQktlRVdIaFdMWmZ4VGxOMklzVGtfTHRQOXJybjVmWGdzQmcxbm1nVUljZUFpMC1MQ0lsZw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5ef66a9ffe10",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Discussions with Board of Peace 'on hold' due to Iran war, Indonesia says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Discussions with Board of Peace 'on hold' due to Iran war, Indonesia says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:57:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxPSWxUVTE0UGxjZU1odXR3cktmek1EVXJScnQ1MHZMMTEwVE4yYlljM3hGejVmcGNXTXhaUXFGU1V4ckNhc2lZeDhaSy1jclI5ZnFJT0NyVHNsbzBPOXdha3lYTndPZk5tZGxqUDZMU2xCWTUzNmxpSUhaX1RfOXU4UEpJNFh4N0VtcWU3QXkxNW14SHEyU1ZTUl84Tzg3T2daOTU0ZW02cEFIT3h3OVIyTmtHYmZaNHNTMG1j?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d03efdbbdba3",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘We were just praying’: Pakistani students recount escape from war-hit Iran",
    "body_text": "Islamabad, Pakistan – It was the first working day of the week and Muhammad Raza, a 23-year-old Pakistani medical student, was assisting the doctors treating patients at Tehran University of Medical Sciences hospital in the Iranian capital.\nA loud explosion brought the ward to a halt. Israel and the United States had began bombing Iran in a joint operation on the morning of February 28.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Will the US put ‘boots on the ground’ in Iran?\n- list 2 of 4Hundreds of drones target Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE amid Iran war\n- list 3 of 4Analyst says interest in Epstein files plummeted after war on Iran launched\n- list 4 of 4What we know on day five of US-Israeli attacks on Iran\n“We had been hearing about an imminent attack, and when it did strike, it sent a surge of anxiety and panic through my body,” Raza told Al Jazeera from inside a bus on his way to Islamabad on Tuesday.\nAs chaos and fear gripped Tehran following the bombings, Raza rushed to his hostel near the hospital compound and immediately called the Pakistani embassy, less than 2km (1.2 miles) away.\nThe mission instructed him and other students to gather with essential belongings by the evening before arrangements could be made to send them home.\n“It was really scary. All of us were afraid of what might happen and wanted to reach Pakistan at the earliest,” Raza said.\nMuhammad Tauqeer, another Pakistani medical student, told Al Jazeera he was on a field deployment away from the college campus when the strikes began.\n“The second we heard the first strike landing in Tehran, everything fell into chaos. People rushed outside. Our teachers told the foreign students to immediately seek assistance from our embassies and return to our hostels, which is what we did,” said the 24-year-old on Tuesday, speaking from another bus to his hometown of Jhang in Punjab province.\n“I called my family and told them about the situation,” Tauqeer added.\nThe Pakistani embassy in Tehran asked its nationals to report by Saturday evening. Hundreds arrived, carrying essentials including clothes, laptops, textbooks, documents and cash.\nFive buses left the embassy compound on Saturday night for Zahedan, a 1500km (932-mile) journey that took about 20 hours as the convoy cut through central Iran, passing cities such as Yazd, Isfahan and Kerman as they were being hit in the US-Israeli assault.\nDuring their journey, the students were also trying to get updates on the Iran war, which had soon escalated into a regional conflict, with Iran’s retaliatory attacks targeting US assets across the Gulf and Saudi Arabia.\nKainat Maqsood, another Pakistani student, said it was during the “deeply distressing” journey that she learned about the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n“It was such a devastating news for us,” she said as she waited to board her onward bus to Multan city in Punjab. “He was a leader many of us looked up to, and now he is gone.”\n‘Entire bus was silent’\nFrom Zahedan, the Pakistani border town of Taftan was about 100km (62 miles) away. For almost the entire stretch of their journey, the passengers had no mobile signal.\n“We were all so scared. The journey was at night and we had no idea what was going to happen,” said Tauqeer. “The entire bus was silent. Everyone was just praying.”\nThe buses crossed into Pakistan on Sunday evening. Pakistani officials on Tuesday night said nearly 1,000 citizens, including some 400 students, had returned to the country in the past three days through the Taftan border in Chagai district and the Gabd-Rimdan border in Gwadar district.\nBoth the border crossings fall in Balochistan, Pakistan’s most volatile province, where deadly separatist violence has spiked in recent months. The convoy from Iran was barred from any night travel by the local authorities over security concerns.\nBut now, the students were finally able to talk to their families. “Since I finally had my mobile working after entering Pakistan, I informed my family that I would join them soon,” said Raza, a resident of Skardu in the scenic Gilgit-Baltistan region.\n‘I want to go back’\nOn Monday morning, the buses left for Quetta, the capital of Balochistan – another arduous 12-hour trip through the barren expanse of Pakistan’s largest province. From Quetta, the students parted ways for their respective hometowns.\n“I am just very tired and want to get home to see my parents,” Tauqeer said on Tuesday evening, the repeated honking of his bus to Jhang audible over the telephone.\nIran hosts nearly 35,000 Pakistanis, according to officials, including some 3,000 students at various institutions in Tehran, Isfahan, Zanjan and Yazd, among other Iranian cities.\nAs the Pakistani students escaped the war in Iran, the fate of their careers weighed heavily on their minds.\n“I have just two to three months left before I complete my degree. I moved to Tehran in 2021, and there is no way I am letting my degree slip with so little time remaining,” said Tauqeer, who is in the final semester of his MBBS programme.\nRaza, who is in the penultimate semester of his MBBS degree, however, wondered if he would ever be able to go back to his college.\n“I need to go back. I want to go back, I have only one year left,” he said. “But I don’t know, realistically, if I will be able to. I really hope things improve and I get the chance to return. We just have to sit and wait.”\nLike Raza, Maqsood also has less than a year left in her programme. But she wants to return to Iran for more than just academics.\n“There is no other country fighting on behalf of Muslims the way Iran is. I want to go back to show my solidarity as well,” she said, before boarding her bus for Multan.\nAdditional reporting by Saadullah Akhter in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T09:58:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/we-were-just-praying-pakistani-students-recount-escape-from-war-hit-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_93f2508429be",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "The Iran War Is Dialing US Economic Danger Up to 11 - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "The Iran War Is Dialing US Economic Danger Up to 11    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:00:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxQUzY2YVVPOWFNMXdNTmJfaVdnWFlmcVN4cW1aeElOalgtcmdXQlREcC1pVTAyMWgtaWN0VWlHX1NPMWF4Nm9fcW5IZUZfamZ1aUhPYkNiU2QtTDdxVWp5ZzVnN3I3X0liZUtmSU5NZFh0YXNzT1BLWlFKOXFUV0hnZ2RhQmtfLS11VmlDRTdnelRMV00wNTA1S1ZBczI?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7cacbe0166ff",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iranian missile hits base housing US troops in Qatar",
    "body_text": "Iranian missile hits base housing US troops in Qatar\nAn Iranian missile has hit a military base housing US troops in Qatar. No casualties have been reported so far. Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi reports on the latest developments.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:00:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/iranian-missile-hits-base-housing-us-troops-in-qatar?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_fc88b6648839",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel, Iran launch fresh attacks as war spreads - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Israel, Iran launch fresh attacks as war spreads\nIsrael pounded Lebanon early Thursday and said it intercepted missiles from Iran as a widening war launched by the United States and Israel also brought fresh turmoil to Iraq.\nAn air strike in the pre-dawn hours struck a Beirut suburbs stronghold of Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed force that has vowed to avenge the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the war's first moments Saturday.\nIsrael, which had warned residents beforehand to flee, also said it was working to intercept a new barrage of missiles fired by Iran, even though the US military had boasted of crippling the Islamic republic's capacities.\nIran has vowed to exert a heavy price for the attacks and has fired missiles across the region, and its elite Revolutionary Guards claimed Wednesday to have closed the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint into the Gulf through which a fifth of the world's crude oil flows.\n\"The Americans' mischief and deceit could lead to the collapse of the entire military and economic infrastructure of the region,\" the Iranian military command warned in a statement.\nOil tanker transits through the strait have plunged by 90 percent, energy market intelligence firm Kpler said.\nBritain's maritime agency reported a large early-morning explosion near Kuwait, with oil spilling into Gulf waters.\nNearby Iraq was hit by a total electricity blackout though it was not clear if it was connected to the war, with the electricity ministry blaming a sudden drop in gas supplies to a key plant.\nIran struck Wednesday in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdish area, killing a member from an exiled Iranian Kurdish group, a representative said, amid reports that the United States was looking to arm the guerrillas to infiltrate Iran.\n\"Separatist groups should not think that a breeze has blown and try to take action,\" said Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. \"We will not tolerate them in any way.\"\nTwo pro-Iran fighters were killed in a separate strike on their base inside Iraq.\n- Iranian warship torpedoed -\nThe United States said that one of its submarines sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, the nation's first torpedoing of a vessel since World War II.\nThe IRIS Dena frigate had been on a friendly visit to India when it was hit.\nThe ship \"thought it was safe in international waters\", US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters.\nHegseth, who has previously boasted that the war would not be \"politically correct\", called the strike \"quiet death\" and said of the United States, \"We are fighting to win\".\nThe United States killed at least 87 people in the strike, Sri Lankan officials said, with 61 remaining missing. The island nation rescued 32 sailors, many of them wounded, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said.\nIran's official IRNA news agency said 1,045 military personnel and civilians had been killed since the war began, a toll AFP could not independently verify.\nIran says more than 150 people, many of them children, died in a strike on a school Saturday in the southern town of Minab, with state television showing a large crowd of mourners over bodies in white shrouds.\nAFP reporters could not independently access the site to verify the toll.\nUS authorities say six soldiers have died in the war.\n- Missile over Turkey -\nIn another first, a missile launched from Iran was destroyed by a NATO air defence system while heading towards Turkey's airspace, drawing condemnation from Ankara and NATO.\nA Turkish official told AFP that Turkey was not the target of the missile, which had been aimed at a British base in Cyprus and \"veered off course\".\nTurkey, which has criticised the war, summoned the Iranian ambassador, and its Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in a telephone call that \"any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict should be avoided\".\nIranian strikes have caused fear and damage in Gulf cities such as Dubai and Riyadh, which have long taken pride in their safety from the tumult of the region.\nThe UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar all said they had intercepted Iranian missiles on Wednesday, including a drone set to hit the Saudis' huge Ras Tanura refinery.\nKuwait has also been struck, with the health ministry announcing the death of an 11-year-old girl after she was hit by falling shrapnel.\nThirteen people, seven of them civilians, have been killed in countries around the Gulf since the war began, and air travel has been severely disrupted.\nThe United States said it sent its first charter flight to bring back Americans after urging them to leave the region, following similar moves by France and Britain.\n- Warning on Lebanon -\nIn Lebanon, which Hezbollah dragged into the war by firing rockets on Israel, Israeli strikes have killed 75 people and displaced more than 83,000 since the start of the new round of fighting, officials said Wednesday.\nIsrael urged people to leave the section of Lebanon south of the Litani river -- an area of hundreds of square kilometres -- as the army was \"compelled to take military action\".\nIsraeli air strikes also hit a hotel in Hazmieh, the first reported attack on the predominantly Christian area in Beirut's suburbs, which is near the presidential palace and several foreign embassies.\nThe strikes revived memories of previous long-term Israeli occupations in Lebanon, and AFP video footage showed what appeared to be two Israeli tanks amid residential buildings in Khiam, about six kilometres into Lebanon.\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron, in a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warned Israel against a ground offensive and to \"preserve Lebanon's territorial integrity\",\nIt was Macron's first conversation since last year with Netanyahu, who had voiced anger over France's historic recognition of a Palestinian state.\nThe French leader also said he spoke to Lebanese leaders to urge them to press Hezbollah to cease its attacks.\nIran's military threatened to target Israeli embassies worldwide if Israel were to attack Tehran's mission in Lebanon.\nburs/sct/js",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:01:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxPRWpxQjVITFNJRWpJSHc5ek9ENm9zcHRVWUxqMWlucG5LQV9KMmlyenY2UFJKU3hTVzAwWFhzUjl3djdpdUZyTDZVY1JoVFgxUF8zUHJ1WE9WaXRybUxfd1FPeDJ4N3NsaTZWcnJQd19JN0JwSzk5QkdKbmdBMDBwb0dZQzkzOEVZZzFPYVpaVUxBM1k?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_19e1db1c830b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "'No to war’: Spain PM hits back at Trump threat to cut trade over air base dispute - CNBC",
    "body_text": "Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday doubled down on his criticism of the U.S strikes against Iran, describing the escalating Middle East conflict as a \"disaster.\"\nHis comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to cut off trade with Madrid after Spain's government prevented two jointly operated bases in its territory from being used in the strikes.\n\"Spain has been terrible,\" Trump said on Tuesday, during a White House news conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. \"We're going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don't want anything to do with Spain,\" he added.\nIn a televised address on Wednesday morning, Sánchez said: \"Very often great wars start with a chain of events spiralling out of control due to miscalculations, technical failures, and unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, we must learn from history and cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions,\" according to a CNBC translation.\nSánchez warned of \"repeating the mistakes of the past,\" drawing a comparison with the invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s, and summarized the government's position as: \"No to war.\"\nSpain's socialist prime minister has emerged as one of the leading critics of the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran among leaders of EU nations.\nTrump's latest comments follow his condemnation of Madrid's refusal to meet the NATO defense spending target of 5% of GDP.\nSpain's Ibex 35 index traded 1.6% higher at around 12:41 p.m. London time (7:41 a.m. ET), reversing earlier losses amid U.S. trade jitters. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index, meanwhile, advanced around 1.1%.\nTrump's threat to punish Spain on trade would be challenging, given that the 27 EU nations negotiate trade agreements collectively.\nRead more\n\"It's naïve to believe that democracy or respect among nations can spring from ruins, or to think that blind and servile obedience is a form of leadership. On the contrary, I believe this position is leadership,\" Sánchez said.\n\"We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and contrary to our values and interests simply out of fear of reprisals from someone,\" he added.\nU.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused the Spanish government of putting American lives at risk, following the air base dispute.\n\"President Trump's frustration with the Spanish government is justified, that first of all, they have been terrible actors. They are the only NATO member not meeting their NATO requirement. That's known as a free rider,\" Bessent told CNBC's \"Squawk Box\" on Wednesday.\n\"And then it was unacceptable over the weekend that the Spanish were highly uncooperative regarding the U.S. bases and what we could do with our planes as we began executing on Operation Epic Fury,\" Bessent said.\n\"Anything that slows down our ability to engage and prosecute this war in the fastest, most effective manner puts American lives at risk. The Spanish put American lives at risk,\" he added.\nThe EU, for its part, has said it will ensure the interests of its member states are fully protected.\nEuropean Council President Antonio Costa said in a post on social media that he held a call with Spain's Sánchez to express the EU's \"full solidarity\" with Madrid.\n\"We reaffirm our firm commitment to the principles of international law and the rules-based order everywhere in the world,\" Costa said.\n— CNBC's Charlotte Reed contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:01:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxQcm55RDRPd1l1SUNJbHdFbENjY0RfalJPUDIycmQ5Q1BZSnVpU05FbHZOM1lEVEt3UHhHZEh2bTVrSG1hWEhEOTRVQi1MMHZTdnNqUDBMUFRoZUgtZTRfLW0xc0tycVduT00tX2w2SmI1WTl5RnJOTWttdXZwWnRvQ295a0huRlpZdFY4V1JnT3VMMEszdDRGNFFGMlBWQdIBowFBVV95cUxQUVhIay1pTmV1dFo2ZVJRZEdBbFZ0RU4yb2F4Yi1iSHlTX28yWjhFaWxOVkVjY1hMSWNFSTlEemxaeXUzbDQ3Nnp5bmctUHowWE5FWFc0ZFc3UnlCNEFnclZiT01tYXBlWHEtUkVOdFp3VWpOUTVjbUlKdmRzU25TeEY2YVBVNXZVc09TVWxSYkxPbXQ5eXBmVXZ6SlY4Smd5NUpF?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_68b4afb0dedb",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Qatari Typhoon shoots down Iranian jets using long-range Meteor missiles - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Qatar is understood to have used highly advanced long-range missiles fired by a Eurofighter Typhoon when it shot down two Iranian bombers close to their home shores late on Monday.\nThe Soviet-era Su-24s were the first known Iranian aircraft brought down over the Gulf since the regional war started on Saturday.\nQatar's Ministry of Defence said the planes were hit by the country's air force. Five Iranian drones and seven ballistic missiles were also intercepted.\nOfficials did not give details of where the Iranian-owned planes were shot down. Earlier they had said Iranian drones had attacked a power plant and a site belonging to oil and gas company QatarEnergy.\nThere have been reports that Qatar flew missions over Iran, but The National has been told that it was most likely that the Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers were airborne some distance from their Arabian Gulf shore when they were picked up on radar.\nTwo Typhoons on quick-reaction alert – warplanes ready to scramble within minutes – were launched to seek out the Iranian aircraft.\nUsing their advanced AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar the fighters quickly picked up the Su-24s.\nIdentifying them as enemy aircraft that were likely to pose a threat to Qatar – which has been hit by Iranian drones and missiles, including at its major gas plants – the Typhoon engaged using its Meteor air-to-air missiles.\nThe Meteor, built by MBDA, has the largest “no escape zone” of any air-to-air missile in the world, meaning once it is locked on from 60km it will hit the target. It travels at Mach 4, nearly 5,000kph, using a ramjet engine to keep a consistent speed and has a range of 200km. Once launched, its “kill probability” is very high.\n“When you look at the flight tracking, time stamps and tracks it very much looks like they were shot down somewhere over the sea,” retired air marshal Sammy Sampson, who is based in Bahrain, told The National.\nThe former RAF pilot, who was among the air force’s most decorated and experienced pilots, said it was “definitely not a dogfight” over Iran.\n“This was a long-range air-to-air missile, which may have been used in a slightly shorter range mode, and all the indications are that the engagement was over the sea.”\nHe said “fortune favours” a fourth-fifth generation fighter with a clean picture over the sea, without any ground clutter, facing a Su-24.\n“In the Meteor you have something that really is world beating and against that type of aircraft, frankly, unless the missile malfunctions there is only going to be one ending.”\nOn Wednesday, a missile struck the US’s Al Udeid base in Qatar “without causing casualties”.\nGulf countries have condemned the Iranian attacks – particularly their violation of Gulf sovereignty and the resulting loss of civilian life.\nMembers of the Gulf Co-operation Council said they will take “all necessary measures” to defend their security and territory, reserving the right to respond to what they described as “heinous” and “treacherous Iranian attacks”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:01:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxOQUswMF9sV2lsZ18tOWJSMlNnNUxNVXluaXNZOHpsQ09yTmRXbGx0cFVkalU3alhBVzVWTjRFU2hFODNhNUhhZGVDMjlWYzJGaFNJM2hwY0FwbG9OREZ0TTBUNnpWSmJvVG9RM3d0VXZ1WW82M2d5OUxsMmp3Q3ZpaXlOc3BRWXFZemNubXJrdzRGR0dpZVFYaDctWWpWNG45TnQ4R25pOE9MUTk1ZEcySG91dFl3aU1HemdiaGItdng?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_69cc3c1649e8",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "How Iran fights an imposed war",
    "body_text": "In Iranian political discourse, major conflicts are often described as “imposed wars” – wars that Iran believes have been forced upon it by external powers rather than chosen by Tehran. Iranian leaders identify three conflicts in these terms: The Iran–Iraq War (1980-1988), the Twelve-Day War launched by Israel in June 2025 and later joined by the United States, and the current war that began on February 28, 2026, when Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran.\nThe 45-year gap between the first and second conflicts reflects an important feature of Iran’s strategic outlook. Despite its rhetoric and displays of military preparedness, the country’s political and military leadership has historically sought to avoid direct war because of its heavy political and economic costs.\nThis pattern also reflects a deeper tendency within the leadership: An aversion to situations that take them by surprise or for which they feel unprepared. Iran’s response to the Arab Spring, for example, was marked by confusion because the uprisings caught the leadership off guard. A similar sense of surprise shaped its reaction to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.\nThis strategic culture helps explain Iran’s response to the current war: Rather than seeking outright victory, Tehran’s priority is to ensure that any attempt to overthrow it carries prohibitive regional and global costs.\nIran’s preference for avoiding direct military confrontation has also been evident in its dealings with Western powers. Concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme intensified in August 2002, when the first images of the Natanz nuclear facility were published. In the years that followed, Iranian officials engaged in numerous rounds of negotiations – first with the European powers: The United Kingdom, France and Germany, and later with the P5+1 group: The US, Russia, China, the UK and France, together with Germany. These negotiations reflected Tehran’s longstanding preference to manage confrontation through diplomacy rather than direct military conflict.\nThe situation changed dramatically when the US, under Donald Trump’s first administration, withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018. From that point onward, Washington adopted a far more aggressive posture towards Iran, while Israel strongly supported this harder line and continued to advocate military options against Iran’s nuclear programme.\nTensions escalated further in January 2020 with the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, widely seen as the architect of Iran’s regional strategy and its relationships with the so-called “axis of resistance”. The strike marked a dramatic escalation in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran and raised fears of a broader regional war.\nThe assassination was accompanied by an intensified economic campaign against Iran under the policy known as “maximum pressure”. The campaign did not only target Iran externally; it also reshaped the country’s internal political and economic landscape. Economic pressures deepened Iran’s domestic instability, prompting protests and intensifying tensions between the state and the public.\nTogether, these developments reinforced Tehran’s belief that the US and Israel were preparing the ground for military confrontation with it.\nThe acceleration of the military option can largely be traced to the events of October 7. After the attacks on Israel that day, Israeli leaders argued that Iran’s support for Hamas made it indirectly responsible and therefore accountable. From that point onward, Iran increasingly appeared on Israel’s list of primary strategic targets.\nIsrael began pushing to expand the conflict to include Iran directly, first weakening Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful regional ally. This was followed by a series of confrontations between Israel and Iran’s regional network.\nDirect tensions escalated in April 2024, after the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, widely seen as a direct Israeli strike on Iranian personnel.\nThese clashes resembled preparatory operations leading up to June 2025, when Israel, with US support, launched what Iran viewed as a real war against it. From Tehran’s perspective, the war represented an Israeli attempt to impose new rules of engagement based on the belief that Iran and its regional allies had weakened. The conflict ended with Israeli strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.\nAlthough the fighting stopped, tensions did not disappear. Israel and the US continued signalling that another round of confrontation was possible, and Israeli preparations for such a scenario intensified. Iran, for its part, also appeared to prepare for a second round.\nAt the same time, international pressure on Iran’s nuclear programme increased. Calls were raised for the elimination of uranium enrichment, the removal of enriched uranium, and the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme, similar to the Libyan model of 2003. Negotiations continued, but many in Tehran believed these talks were unlikely to produce meaningful results and were instead buying time for possible military arrangements.\nBy the time the third imposed war began, the objectives of Israel and the US appeared broader than in the previous confrontation. Iranian leaders increasingly concluded that any future war would ultimately aim not only to damage the nuclear programme but also to weaken or overthrow the political system itself.\nAs a result, Iranian leaders began preparing for such a scenario through a series of military and security measures. For the leadership in Tehran, survival was tied not only to political power but also to the preservation of a political system rooted in Shia Islamic ideology. Officials, therefore, attempted to make concessions during negotiations in the hope of avoiding a broader conflict, even as many doubted that diplomacy would succeed.\nThis calculation shaped Tehran’s preparations for the next confrontation. When the war eventually began, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated, along with several senior military commanders, Iran’s response made clear that it would approach this conflict differently.\nIran’s behaviour in this war is shaped by its belief that the conflict is existential. The core of Tehran’s strategy is therefore to raise the cost of war for all actors involved, not only for Iran itself.\nIn effect, Iran is signalling that if the objective of the conflict is to bring down the governing system, then the wider region – and potentially the international system – will not remain stable. This logic explains Iran’s targeting of economic and energy infrastructure, including oil resources, gas supplies and the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions in this corridor have already contributed to sharp fluctuations in global markets, and further disruptions could push prices significantly higher.\nThrough this strategy, Iran seeks to demonstrate that the fall of the government in Tehran will not come easily. At the same time, Iranian leaders believe that the US and Israel are pursuing a second strategy aimed at weakening the state from within.\nMilitary doctrine suggests that overthrowing a political system typically requires ground forces, as seen in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet such a scenario appears unlikely in the case of Iran.\nInstead, Israel and the US may attempt to destabilise Iran internally by encouraging political fragmentation and weakening the country’s security institutions. The objective would be to exhaust the leadership politically and militarily until it can no longer sustain itself.\nAs a result, increasing attention has focused on the possibility of arming opposition groups, including Kurdish groups and movements operating in Iran’s eastern border regions near Pakistan and Afghanistan. Tehran has responded by tightening its internal security apparatus and deploying greater military capacity to these areas.\nThe February 2026 war, therefore, appears to be moving in a clear direction: Either the overthrow of the Iranian political system or pushing it to the brink of collapse. While the US may not necessarily agree with Israel on every tactical detail, both appear to share the view that the current leadership should not survive unchanged.\nThe remaining Iranian leadership understands this clearly. It has therefore adopted a strategy of raising the costs of war, both economically and in terms of regional security.\nAt the same time, Israel appears concerned that Donald Trump could unexpectedly halt the conflict. This has encouraged Israel to accelerate strikes designed to weaken Iran’s leadership as quickly as possible. In turn, Tehran has escalated its own response using the military capabilities still available to it.\nThe result is an intensifying cycle of escalation that risks transforming a regional confrontation into a source of global economic and strategic instability.\nIn this sense, Iran’s strategy is not aimed at winning the war outright but at ensuring that the costs of regime change become too high for its adversaries to bear.\nThe views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:11:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/3/4/how-iran-fights-an-imposed-war?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8daae4c4b721",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba emerges as a leading candidate for supreme leader of Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba emerges as a leading candidate for supreme leader of Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:11:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9lVzFxSnl3QjVlbGxaLXV4U2loMGhEelZMc2pISThHWjdzMl92aWJ5a2NhcktPNmpjcG5zNHdWTjIwcVVQeHhDZkZPT1JZQkxvMVVac1h1akxGeElmdEtFMGhnVTVabVAzcjgxMFFtMjI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_cbdb3a252795",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israeli air attack hits Beirut during live report",
    "body_text": "Israeli air attack hits Beirut during live report\nAl Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr was reporting live when an Israeli air attack hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, as Israel continues to target what it describes as Hezbollah infrastructure. At least 50 people have been killed in Lebanon since the Israeli strikes began early on Monday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:13:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/israeli-air-attack-hits-beirut-during-live-report?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e2c5896a6211",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Pakistan Cuts Gas for Some Industry Buyers as War Upends Supply - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Pakistan Cuts Gas for Some Industry Buyers as War Upends Supply    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:13:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOMk5jX3JIQVNOXy13bU1jczZ1ZTBTT0EySlNSNVVocWZaWEgxalkySGZTX2pLZk9kb216bEhfTDFaOWluRGV6U0s1bmlJdnUyQTVpU21ZaUZfMlRMUXhoakJqLS1zWThKaWZNdTNJbjY1VzVjSjlhMGlMZWZtQlh6enJnSEt1aUk0SjREX25PVG1wMHFscXY2NHYtQVoxU1UxMEZBWDczU05Bb3cxRDNadmZuMmU?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d8e040fda669",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Middle East Oil Prices Soar After Platts Excludes Gulf Loadings - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Middle East Oil Prices Soar After Platts Excludes Gulf Loadings    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:13:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPNjFYZl9lVVRuMHUtS3ZPMjBmeGpENmxVUW9LeF80THAydVRSQ2g2OS1PQmZ3cURKbEJ2bjdSU3hsUHQwR29EQ1NHX2VmX2RzZHVJRVB0TGs3U3NGTkpRN19kNkdQWm5JR0V2NTJjU1d5Qjk2ZWZQcXNpRWNnekZMVUJBSkZKOS15TnJLbmxhR0NKQWFndzFRMC1DY0xlTFFrbWwyQjNFZEd5X0k4eWJXSzZpSWQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d8b640dfa40d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘No to war’: Sánchez doubles down after Trump threat to cut off trade with Spain",
    "body_text": "PM says his country will not be complicit in growing conflict in Middle East ‘simply out of fear of reprisals from someone’\n\nThe Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has responded to Donald Trump’sextraordinary threat to cut off all trade with Spainover his government’s refusal to facilitate the US’s ongoing attacks against Iran, comparing the growing conflict in the Middle East to playing “Russian roulette with the destiny of millions”.\n\nSánchez, who has beenone of the most vociferous European criticsof Israel’s conduct in Gaza, said his government’s position on the widening instability could be summed up in three words: “No to war.”\n\nIn a section of the speech that appeared to directly address Trump’s threats to end all trade withSpain, the prime minister said his country would “not be complicit in something that is bad for the world – and that is also contrary to our values ​​and interests – simply out of fear of reprisals from someone”.\n\nOn Tuesday, Trump had rounded on Madrid for refusing the US permission to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain to continue its attacks in Iran. “Spain has been terrible,” Trump said during a meeting with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, adding that he had told the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, to “cut off all dealings” with the European country.\n\nIn his address on Wednesday, Sánchez called on the US, Israel andIranto stop their war before it was too late, saying: “You can’t respond to one illegality with another because that’s how humanity’s great disasters begin.”\n\nHe added: “You can’t play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions … Nobody knows for sure what will happen now. Even the objectives of those who launched the first attack are unclear. But we must be prepared, as the proponents say, for the possibility that this will be a long war, with numerous casualties and, therefore, with serious economic consequences on a global scale.”\n\nHe pointedly invoked the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which was supported by his conservative predecessor José María Aznar, as a warning of the looming dangers. Sánchez said that while that war ostensibly had been intended “to eliminate Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction, to bring democracy, and to guarantee global security”, it had instead “unleashed the greatest wave of insecurity our continent has suffered since the fall of the Berlin Wall”.\n\nSánchez said a government’s prime responsibility was to protect and improve the lives of its citizens – and not to use geopolitics to cynical ends or to profit from war. “It is absolutely unacceptable that those leaders who are incapable of fulfilling this duty use the smokescreen of war to hide their failure and, in the process, line the pockets of a select few – the same ones as always; the only ones who profit when the world stops building hospitals and starts building missiles,” he said.\n\nDuring his meeting with Merz, Trump criticised Spain once again for refusing to accept Nato’s proposal for member states to increase theirdefence spending to 5% of their GDP. “Everybody was enthusiastic about it –Germany, everybody – and Spain didn’t do it,” Trump said. “And now Spain said we can’t use their bases – and that’s OK. We could use their bases; if we wanted, we could just fly in and use it [sic]. Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it. But we don’t have to. But they were unfriendly.”\n\nThe US president also launched a deeply personal attack on the UK prime minister,Keir Starmer, over his refusal to let the US use British bases for the strikes, telling reporters: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”\n\nMerz said later he had told Trump privately that Spain could not be excluded from a trade agreement reached between Brussels and Washington last year. “I said that Spain is a member of the European Union and we negotiate about tariffs with the United States only together or not at all,” he said. “There is no way to treat Spain particularly badly.”\n\nThe European Commission has also robustly defended Spain against Trump’s threat of commercial retaliation.\n\n“Any threat against member state is by definition a threat against the EU,” Stéphane Séjourné, the EU internal market commissioner, said on Wednesday.\n\nHe added: “I want to be very clear here, from this point of view, the EU’s competency on trade is actually dealt with by the commission. If you threaten one particular country … we’ve seen that about Greenland. I think we saw that there was a lot of unity.”\n\nTeresa Ribera, a former Spanish deputy prime minister who serves as the EU’s green transition chief, also drew parallels with Trump’s recent talk of seizing Greenland.\n\n“What we’re seeing is very similar to what happened just a month ago with those threats – also in a boastful tone – regarding Greenland,” she told Spain’s Cadena Ser radio.\n\n“And the truth is, there was an immediate reaction from our EU partners, from the European Commission, and from the markets. I think that the instability, the tension generated by this way of relating to, or speaking about third parties – whether it’s about Starmer, Macron, orPedro Sánchez– is deeply disruptive, not only for societies, for peace, for cooperation, but also for the economy. And it has immediate consequences for the overall economic activity of everyone.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:14:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/pedro-sanchez-donald-trump-threat-cut-off-trade-spain",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5114101a3b35",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Uncertainty faces China Inc's projects in Iran after US–Israeli strikes - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Uncertainty faces China Inc's projects in Iran after US–Israeli strikes    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:20:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQa25sd0lzMDY3RWxvUjV0c3NibGVOa2dlRlBYcGZ3dG90S1VNNjBtVU9JNUxoZ0VJTTQ4MFh2SGw4R1hzZ0FwR1hIeTdEWXVEYTJ3X1c2WHZnVXI4cGZzYlU5UmE3UXRVYTZuODg4QVR2T0Y1Tml4dC1SZnQ1UnJOdWZzU2cwRW5jRzVtVzY4eERXRkJPMkJkUEN3NzZOaGl6eEtjZ09PR2NuZTBIQUV2V3d6eFk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5f4a2c5061f4",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "How Iran fights an imposed war - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "In Iranian political discourse, major conflicts are often described as “imposed wars” – wars that Iran believes have been forced upon it by external powers rather than chosen by Tehran. Iranian leaders identify three conflicts in these terms: The Iran–Iraq War (1980-1988), the Twelve-Day War launched by Israel in June 2025 and later joined by the United States, and the current war that began on February 28, 2026, when Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran.\nThe 45-year gap between the first and second conflicts reflects an important feature of Iran’s strategic outlook. Despite its rhetoric and displays of military preparedness, the country’s political and military leadership has historically sought to avoid direct war because of its heavy political and economic costs.\nThis pattern also reflects a deeper tendency within the leadership: An aversion to situations that take them by surprise or for which they feel unprepared. Iran’s response to the Arab Spring, for example, was marked by confusion because the uprisings caught the leadership off guard. A similar sense of surprise shaped its reaction to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.\nThis strategic culture helps explain Iran’s response to the current war: Rather than seeking outright victory, Tehran’s priority is to ensure that any attempt to overthrow it carries prohibitive regional and global costs.\nIran’s preference for avoiding direct military confrontation has also been evident in its dealings with Western powers. Concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme intensified in August 2002, when the first images of the Natanz nuclear facility were published. In the years that followed, Iranian officials engaged in numerous rounds of negotiations – first with the European powers: The United Kingdom, France and Germany, and later with the P5+1 group: The US, Russia, China, the UK and France, together with Germany. These negotiations reflected Tehran’s longstanding preference to manage confrontation through diplomacy rather than direct military conflict.\nThe situation changed dramatically when the US, under Donald Trump’s first administration, withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018. From that point onward, Washington adopted a far more aggressive posture towards Iran, while Israel strongly supported this harder line and continued to advocate military options against Iran’s nuclear programme.\nTensions escalated further in January 2020 with the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, widely seen as the architect of Iran’s regional strategy and its relationships with the so-called “axis of resistance”. The strike marked a dramatic escalation in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran and raised fears of a broader regional war.\nThe assassination was accompanied by an intensified economic campaign against Iran under the policy known as “maximum pressure”. The campaign did not only target Iran externally; it also reshaped the country’s internal political and economic landscape. Economic pressures deepened Iran’s domestic instability, prompting protests and intensifying tensions between the state and the public.\nTogether, these developments reinforced Tehran’s belief that the US and Israel were preparing the ground for military confrontation with it.\nThe acceleration of the military option can largely be traced to the events of October 7. After the attacks on Israel that day, Israeli leaders argued that Iran’s support for Hamas made it indirectly responsible and therefore accountable. From that point onward, Iran increasingly appeared on Israel’s list of primary strategic targets.\nIsrael began pushing to expand the conflict to include Iran directly, first weakening Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful regional ally. This was followed by a series of confrontations between Israel and Iran’s regional network.\nDirect tensions escalated in April 2024, after the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, widely seen as a direct Israeli strike on Iranian personnel.\nThese clashes resembled preparatory operations leading up to June 2025, when Israel, with US support, launched what Iran viewed as a real war against it. From Tehran’s perspective, the war represented an Israeli attempt to impose new rules of engagement based on the belief that Iran and its regional allies had weakened. The conflict ended with Israeli strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.\nAlthough the fighting stopped, tensions did not disappear. Israel and the US continued signalling that another round of confrontation was possible, and Israeli preparations for such a scenario intensified. Iran, for its part, also appeared to prepare for a second round.\nAt the same time, international pressure on Iran’s nuclear programme increased. Calls were raised for the elimination of uranium enrichment, the removal of enriched uranium, and the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme, similar to the Libyan model of 2003. Negotiations continued, but many in Tehran believed these talks were unlikely to produce meaningful results and were instead buying time for possible military arrangements.\nBy the time the third imposed war began, the objectives of Israel and the US appeared broader than in the previous confrontation. Iranian leaders increasingly concluded that any future war would ultimately aim not only to damage the nuclear programme but also to weaken or overthrow the political system itself.\nAs a result, Iranian leaders began preparing for such a scenario through a series of military and security measures. For the leadership in Tehran, survival was tied not only to political power but also to the preservation of a political system rooted in Shia Islamic ideology. Officials, therefore, attempted to make concessions during negotiations in the hope of avoiding a broader conflict, even as many doubted that diplomacy would succeed.\nThis calculation shaped Tehran’s preparations for the next confrontation. When the war eventually began, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated, along with several senior military commanders, Iran’s response made clear that it would approach this conflict differently.\nIran’s behaviour in this war is shaped by its belief that the conflict is existential. The core of Tehran’s strategy is therefore to raise the cost of war for all actors involved, not only for Iran itself.\nIn effect, Iran is signalling that if the objective of the conflict is to bring down the governing system, then the wider region – and potentially the international system – will not remain stable. This logic explains Iran’s targeting of economic and energy infrastructure, including oil resources, gas supplies and the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions in this corridor have already contributed to sharp fluctuations in global markets, and further disruptions could push prices significantly higher.\nThrough this strategy, Iran seeks to demonstrate that the fall of the government in Tehran will not come easily. At the same time, Iranian leaders believe that the US and Israel are pursuing a second strategy aimed at weakening the state from within.\nMilitary doctrine suggests that overthrowing a political system typically requires ground forces, as seen in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet such a scenario appears unlikely in the case of Iran.\nInstead, Israel and the US may attempt to destabilise Iran internally by encouraging political fragmentation and weakening the country’s security institutions. The objective would be to exhaust the leadership politically and militarily until it can no longer sustain itself.\nAs a result, increasing attention has focused on the possibility of arming opposition groups, including Kurdish groups and movements operating in Iran’s eastern border regions near Pakistan and Afghanistan. Tehran has responded by tightening its internal security apparatus and deploying greater military capacity to these areas.\nThe February 2026 war, therefore, appears to be moving in a clear direction: Either the overthrow of the Iranian political system or pushing it to the brink of collapse. While the US may not necessarily agree with Israel on every tactical detail, both appear to share the view that the current leadership should not survive unchanged.\nThe remaining Iranian leadership understands this clearly. It has therefore adopted a strategy of raising the costs of war, both economically and in terms of regional security.\nAt the same time, Israel appears concerned that Donald Trump could unexpectedly halt the conflict. This has encouraged Israel to accelerate strikes designed to weaken Iran’s leadership as quickly as possible. In turn, Tehran has escalated its own response using the military capabilities still available to it.\nThe result is an intensifying cycle of escalation that risks transforming a regional confrontation into a source of global economic and strategic instability.\nIn this sense, Iran’s strategy is not aimed at winning the war outright but at ensuring that the costs of regime change become too high for its adversaries to bear.\nThe views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:21:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE9qMnJOZWRuR29PZW8wMDZETWlFUUtGZjZLWVVMMk1fQTJBempuMGV4RXQwVFpKbjY5Zjc4Yl9WR3FaOXc3ck1pMFpSWVkycUJMTDlBQjlMMW5TT2V6eGxybVNFUHpkV21NTEZBM0VGdmg1a1Jtam1mempacTdfaGfSAYQBQVVfeXFMTU1UOXdOQUpJbWt0UzVIZG9adTFaTGZSZHVhbV9XVnNNZVptR1pzemUzRU1nQ2JrUHZlNlJtY1haclR3NVhzY3dIMkxtWVVuZE03M1RINWFpaXp3U0RjUklrLXhsdTB1WklSYzJyRmpmWnhKUTlnMXJEZjJ0b3ZNMjNCZ1pk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b068dbaedb2d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Spain's PM says Trump playing 'Russian roulette' with lives of millions – video",
    "body_text": "The Spanish prime minister has doubled down on his opposition to the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, warning that Donald Trump was playing 'Russian roulette' with the lives of millions. Pedro Sánchez was responding after the US president threatened to cut trade with Madrid over its position on the conflict. 'The position of the Spanish government can be summarised in four words: no to the war,' he said in a televised address to the nation. Tensions between the two Nato allies increased after Sánchez denounced the US and Israeli bombings of Iran as 'unjustified and dangerous', anddenied the US permission to use jointly operated military baseson its territory to attack Tehran",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:32:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/mar/04/spain-sanchez-trump-russian-roulette-iran-video",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_40136440feb9",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "After Iran’s warning, Europe fails to unite on war launched by US, Israel",
    "body_text": "Athens, Greece – Iran has warned European leaders against joining the United States and Israel’s war that has destabilised the Middle East and upended economies around the world.\nWhile countries in Europe have found common ground in condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes on nonbelligerents in the Gulf, their positions have been confused and incoherent in reaction to the US-Israeli action that caused them.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Al Jazeera investigation: Iran girls’ school targeting likely ‘deliberate’\n- list 2 of 4‘US president has the authority to act for imminent threats against the US’\n- list 3 of 4‘Russian oil will be sought’: What are Moscow’s gains from the war in Iran?\n- list 4 of 4Is Iran expanding attacks to target energy and civilian sites in the Gulf?\nThe fact that Iran is a close ally of Russia, against whose war in Ukraine almost all members of the European Union are united in condemning and containing, and that a Russian antenna was reportedly found on Sunday to have been used in a drone that struck Cyprus, an EU member, has not been enough to rally Europeans against Iran as effectively as they have rallied against Russia.\nThere are two extremes at play. Spain has evicted US military aircraft from its bases, leading to a sharp rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday threatened to “cut off all trade” with Madrid. Meanwhile, Germany has decided to welcome US goals.\nIn between the two, the United Kingdom has allowed its military base at Akrotiri on Cyprus to be used by US aircraft for purely defensive purposes.\n“The mullah regime is a terrorist regime responsible for decades of oppression of the Iranian people,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday, two days before he met with Trump at the White House. “We share the interest of the United States and Israel in seeing an end to this regime’s terror and its dangerous nuclear and ballistic armament.”\nGermany’s position now breaks its alignment with the other members of the EU triad, the UK and France. The three countries had backed negotiations with Tehran even after Trump unilaterally revoked the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, former US President Barack Obama’s signature diplomatic achievement, which lifted sanctions on Iran in return for monitoring of its nuclear programme.\nSpain’s position is one of principle, said Jose-Ignacio Torreblanca, a distinguished policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.\n“The Spanish government has been consistently calling for the respect of international law both in Ukraine and Gaza, now in Iran,” Torreblanca told Al Jazeera, referring to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Israeli disregard for humanitarian law in Gaza and the strikes on Iran that are unsanctioned by the United Nations Security Council.\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro “Sanchez has clearly said that this military operation is not covered by international law,” Torreblanca said, pointing out that while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not initially authorise the US to use a military base on Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean, but is now backing the strikes, “Spain is keeping consistency.”\nDiego Garcia, home to a joint UK-US military base, is one of dozens of islands that make up the Chagos Archipelago. Starmer last month recognised that the Chagos islands should be sovereign Mauritian territory under international law.\nStarmer said the use of Akrotiri was strictly defensive.\n“The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the [Iranian] missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire missiles. The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” Starmer said. “We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region. … That is in accordance with international law. … We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.”\nCan Europe invoke NATO’s Article 5 for collective defence?\nUkraine, invited in December 2024 to become a future EU member, has gone further, applauding the demise of Russia’s supplier of Shahed drones, about 44,700 of which it downed over its cities last year. It is also planning to assist efforts to shoot them down.\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has again tried to build an EU consensus on the basis of negotiation. She called for containment, de-escalation, “a credible transition for Iran, the definite halt to both the nuclear and ballistic programmes, and an end to destabilising activities in the region”.\nEuropeans are beginning to rally around the idea of defensive action.\nThe Greek government on Monday dispatched four of its most sophisticated F-16 Viper fighter aircraft and two frigates to help defend Cyprus from possible further drone attacks.\nThe move is a bold one. One of the frigates, the Kimon, is the first of Greece’s new Belharra series of four, and was delivered from French shipyards only in December. It has not completed its personnel drills, a process estimated to take two years, and has not been officially commissioned by the Hellenic Navy.\nYet it is being sent into theatre with a green crew because it carries the state-of-the-art Sea Fire radar and targeting system, which is capable of scanning and identifying hostile targets over 25,000sq km (9,650sq miles), passing on strike coordinates to the Vipers.\nOn Tuesday, France announced it would join the fray, sending antimissile and antidrone systems to Cyprus. Britain followed, announcing it would send a warship to defend its base there.\nThe significance of these operations as the US withdraws from Europe and as the continent tries to live up to the task of defending itself could not be more potent. European preparations must include not only rearmament but also the legal options for mutual defence absent NATO, experts said.\n“Cyprus is an EU member but not a NATO member, so they can’t invoke NATO’s Article 5 for collective defence,” said Elena Lazarou, director general of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, a think tank.\n“What they can invoke is the European Union Treaty’s Article 42.7, which they haven’t done yet,” she told Al Jazeera. That article has come back into the spotlight after von der Leyen’s call to EU members to support progress towards an EU defence union.\n“What we’re seeing in Europe at the moment is a lot of bilateral and multinodal defence alliances, but Article 42.7 needs to be made more specific in terms of the threats it addresses and the level of member states’ obligation to help if it is invoked,” she said.\n“I believe the time has come to bring Europe’s mutual defence clause to life,” von der Leyen said at the Munich Security Conference last month. “Mutual defence is not optional for the EU. It is an obligation within our own treaty.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:33:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/amid-middle-east-crisis-europe-fumbles-towards-mutual-defence?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7588d04f154d",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "The Iran War’s Most Precious Commodity Isn’t Oil - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "The Iran War’s Most Precious Commodity Isn’t Oil    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:34:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxQYUJiRkkxa2xFMnFpeDUtNkZpakptSzFibGJGUFJIUG1UTUlEMXFpRUpMZGg4SkstSzlRSF82dl9mNElCWXA5N1VLSmEwZUxXR0JjWnBsSWNXYnhHMVNGOUlQTkgtMVRDc0VaQ2J2TGhHeDMzMk1xSGNzSmtvY2hhU0xNQjJQdFFJSXp6cWZoZVhHMjRzbDMxbTR3MllKTHFKb3kzOEphNWVxS2M?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_da33d0736c6b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran’s Women’s Asian Cup team have ‘so much concern’ for families back home",
    "body_text": "Iran coach Marziyeh Jafari says her team fear for their families at home as war rages, with players “fully disconnected” from them during the Women’s Asian Cup.\nThe Iranian team are preparing to face host nation Australia on the Gold Coast on Thursday after losing their opening game of the continental competition 3-0 to South Korea.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4‘We were just praying’: Pakistani students recount escape from war-hit Iran\n- list 2 of 4How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?\n- list 3 of 4The Iran strikes could become a midterm reckoning – for Trump and Israel\n- list 4 of 4US and Israel step up attacks as war with Iran engulfs region\nThey will kick off once more with their homeland being bombarded by the United States and Israel.\nAn internet blackout has made it near-impossible for players and staff to contact anyone, with Jafari thankful for the support they have received from Iranian Australians.\n“We are so happy that Iranian Australians here support us,” she told Australian media on Wednesday.\n“Obviously, we have so much concern for our families and our loved ones and all other people inside our country, which we are fully disconnected with.\n“Here, we are coming to play football professionally and we will do our best to concentrate on the match ahead.”\nStriker Sara Didar fought back tears as she spoke about their worries.\n“Obviously, we’re all concerned and we’re sad because of what has happened to Iran and our families and our loved ones,” the 21-year-old told reporters.\nAt least 787 people have been killed across Iran in joint US-Israeli attacks that began on Saturday, the Iranian Red Crescent Society says.\nAsian football chiefs have said they were offering “full support and assistance” to the team, who arrived in Australia just days before US-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\nJafari and her players – who did not sing the national anthem before the defeat to South Korea – declined to comment on the death of Khamenei when asked by reporters.\nA pocket of Iranian fans at Monday’s game waved the red, green and white national colours and some pre-Islamic revolution flags, and chanted support for the team.\n“We feel very good that we see many Iranians supporting us, it really encourages us and we really appreciate it,” Didar said. “I know the stadium will be full tomorrow, and hope that we have a great atmosphere.”\nAustralia midfielder Amy Sayer praised the Iranian team for their courage in playing under such difficult circumstances.\n“Our heart goes out to them and their families, it’s a difficult situation and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and to perform,” Sayer told reporters.\n“They put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through.\n“The best we can do to contribute is to just give them the best game of football [on Thursday] that we’re able and to show them the respect on the field. Hopefully, the situation improves and they can keep staying safe in Australia.”\nThursday’s game will be only the second meeting between the two women’s national teams, with Australia winning the previous match at Perth in 2023.\nAustralia, the 2010 Asian Cup champions and semifinalists at the 2023 World Cup they co-hosted with New Zealand, opened their 2026 Asian Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over the Philippines, and can secure a quarterfinal spot with a win over Iran.\nThe Iranians are in Australia hoping to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, which means they have to finish in the top eight in the Asian Cup.\nIran made their historic debut at the last Asian Cup in India in 2022, which made them national heroes in a country where women’s rights are severely restricted.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:37:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/3/4/irans-womens-asian-cup-team-have-so-much-concern-for-families-back-home?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1ba5abc00e15",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "India Urea Producers Trim Output as Iran War Disrupts LNG Flows - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "India Urea Producers Trim Output as Iran War Disrupts LNG Flows    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:38:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNbHBVMmpjVWxldXlUbklIT3BwZ084ZU9VYmVOblRMRkNPSVlTR1B4VVBhTWNEWHYwR1k2cUJ1NUxMUTdCaHdDT2lHTmtYWXB2TkZ3bU51LXFTUW15a2xaZV9SQW9rbC1kODVQeXJsbk1uTlJLSXF6ekh4NlhoQXhmMnV6VHA3QlhGWFFjZVN5RkwwdjFtajgySTZpTGVlUEpmay1UWFJST01ubmFoeVFiRTczeGI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_eb2565c78a32",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "After Iran’s warning, Europe fails to unite on war launched by US, Israel - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Athens, Greece – Iran has warned European leaders against joining the United States and Israel’s war that has destabilised the Middle East and upended economies around the world.\nWhile countries in Europe have found common ground in condemning Iran’s retaliatory strikes on nonbelligerents in the Gulf, their positions have been confused and incoherent in reaction to the US-Israeli action that caused them.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Al Jazeera investigation: Iran girls’ school targeting likely ‘deliberate’\n- list 2 of 4‘US president has the authority to act for imminent threats against the US’\n- list 3 of 4‘Russian oil will be sought’: What are Moscow’s gains from the war in Iran?\n- list 4 of 4Is Iran expanding attacks to target energy and civilian sites in the Gulf?\nThe fact that Iran is a close ally of Russia, against whose war in Ukraine almost all members of the European Union are united in condemning and containing, and that a Russian antenna was reportedly found on Sunday to have been used in a drone that struck Cyprus, an EU member, has not been enough to rally Europeans against Iran as effectively as they have rallied against Russia.\nThere are two extremes at play. Spain has evicted US military aircraft from its bases, leading to a sharp rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday threatened to “cut off all trade” with Madrid. Meanwhile, Germany has decided to welcome US goals.\nIn between the two, the United Kingdom has allowed its military base at Akrotiri on Cyprus to be used by US aircraft for purely defensive purposes.\n“The mullah regime is a terrorist regime responsible for decades of oppression of the Iranian people,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday, two days before he met with Trump at the White House. “We share the interest of the United States and Israel in seeing an end to this regime’s terror and its dangerous nuclear and ballistic armament.”\nGermany’s position now breaks its alignment with the other members of the EU triad, the UK and France. The three countries had backed negotiations with Tehran even after Trump unilaterally revoked the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, former US President Barack Obama’s signature diplomatic achievement, which lifted sanctions on Iran in return for monitoring of its nuclear programme.\nSpain’s position is one of principle, said Jose-Ignacio Torreblanca, a distinguished policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.\n“The Spanish government has been consistently calling for the respect of international law both in Ukraine and Gaza, now in Iran,” Torreblanca told Al Jazeera, referring to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Israeli disregard for humanitarian law in Gaza and the strikes on Iran that are unsanctioned by the United Nations Security Council.\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro “Sanchez has clearly said that this military operation is not covered by international law,” Torreblanca said, pointing out that while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not initially authorise the US to use a military base on Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean, but is now backing the strikes, “Spain is keeping consistency.”\nDiego Garcia, home to a joint UK-US military base, is one of dozens of islands that make up the Chagos Archipelago. Starmer last month recognised that the Chagos islands should be sovereign Mauritian territory under international law.\nStarmer said the use of Akrotiri was strictly defensive.\n“The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the [Iranian] missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire missiles. The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” Starmer said. “We have taken the decision to accept this request to prevent Iran from firing missiles across the region. … That is in accordance with international law. … We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.”\nCan Europe invoke NATO’s Article 5 for collective defence?\nUkraine, invited in December 2024 to become a future EU member, has gone further, applauding the demise of Russia’s supplier of Shahed drones, about 44,700 of which it downed over its cities last year. It is also planning to assist efforts to shoot them down.\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has again tried to build an EU consensus on the basis of negotiation. She called for containment, de-escalation, “a credible transition for Iran, the definite halt to both the nuclear and ballistic programmes, and an end to destabilising activities in the region”.\nEuropeans are beginning to rally around the idea of defensive action.\nThe Greek government on Monday dispatched four of its most sophisticated F-16 Viper fighter aircraft and two frigates to help defend Cyprus from possible further drone attacks.\nThe move is a bold one. One of the frigates, the Kimon, is the first of Greece’s new Belharra series of four, and was delivered from French shipyards only in December. It has not completed its personnel drills, a process estimated to take two years, and has not been officially commissioned by the Hellenic Navy.\nYet it is being sent into theatre with a green crew because it carries the state-of-the-art Sea Fire radar and targeting system, which is capable of scanning and identifying hostile targets over 25,000sq km (9,650sq miles), passing on strike coordinates to the Vipers.\nOn Tuesday, France announced it would join the fray, sending antimissile and antidrone systems to Cyprus. Britain followed, announcing it would send a warship to defend its base there.\nThe significance of these operations as the US withdraws from Europe and as the continent tries to live up to the task of defending itself could not be more potent. European preparations must include not only rearmament but also the legal options for mutual defence absent NATO, experts said.\n“Cyprus is an EU member but not a NATO member, so they can’t invoke NATO’s Article 5 for collective defence,” said Elena Lazarou, director general of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, a think tank.\n“What they can invoke is the European Union Treaty’s Article 42.7, which they haven’t done yet,” she told Al Jazeera. That article has come back into the spotlight after von der Leyen’s call to EU members to support progress towards an EU defence union.\n“What we’re seeing in Europe at the moment is a lot of bilateral and multinodal defence alliances, but Article 42.7 needs to be made more specific in terms of the threats it addresses and the level of member states’ obligation to help if it is invoked,” she said.\n“I believe the time has come to bring Europe’s mutual defence clause to life,” von der Leyen said at the Munich Security Conference last month. “Mutual defence is not optional for the EU. It is an obligation within our own treaty.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:39:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxNQkF1RlNYM1BhZVBZQkJQX2JxYzRHNnpFanB0eTJaX1B1NTd0YnhkajdYaUJCMmNCLURXWmxPVldBYXJqRGVGci1oLUFTTV90WDBDUWtNR01MUnNvTXJXYjFGV0JFTmZMam1ycEQ3eWlJR1ZDX0ZZNXlIaDNxcm9iNG1WaWl0ajdRdFdlTjBRYkVSLXJFdFd4V3VFSkRnbEcySUpF0gGoAUFVX3lxTE9hX1d3MmJKcFpaYmVZS0t4RE5GWDVWRFpnSG5ULXhBdW5XbDkweVFrRUJUTHJtVWUzUUFPZzZQS2dzOW5ZQWswTUpobGNEZ2UtOGlZcEdqT3VWZ1Zwczl3M0xBUHU4RC1EYzNsZ1VsMVZVbU94UnUzNTlzeU1pY3lVcXBwNk9QenlEQUZvT0t4OXBOeWtDRWZiVVpkQXZveUMteEw5a1V0UQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_13cf2a6c7b86",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Shock From Iran War Raises Risks for India’s Stock Market - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Oil Shock From Iran War Raises Risks for India’s Stock Market    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:39:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQQm11dWgxUF9MMGJDRUhYbUdkMkdtcEozQ2Zia0dibXd0WG1WZHlsTjIzQU1hR2xES3dlLXFCcWZxM3dmejJYYmExOXk2cTB2Z3J2TmRhZTJ6aDBicEwtcXU3MXBCYzEtZ2o3UWVmTGVmZmlocVBUa1Bad0g2THJWZjhpNkdyc2tCSWFJb2hMUFRaRW9FQ1Y1N0ZBaTFYbnIya0ZiZGp2eGRXQ1hVQ2NoS1hR?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_77529ed1f5b4",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Asian Energy Buyers Under Stress as Middle East War Drags On - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Asian Energy Buyers Under Stress as Middle East War Drags On    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T10:40:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNSzAtQWRoRng3WElHNXRzSFhEOGNoeE9jcHZMb2M3WXBaQWZTOEJjMUpfeVNtdnVlSndLN19PcXpJdVRoSmlHeEZpWTRVOE1rbl9xUEpJQ21MdlZrWkJXR1EyR3JIem5LRUtOTXVJN2REWUE4Q0t1WDN6dnF5WW04eXp4elVwaEg2VTdCNldRSXhrUHU1MzdIQVl3RS1aN1JQWHJxMnJ1Z2oxOVZGa1dzeg?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b317c90ebf4a",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike at a civilian port in Kuwait - AP News",
    "body_text": "US soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike at a civilian port in Kuwait\nUS soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike at a civilian port in Kuwait\nWASHINGTON (AP) — An operations center targeted by an Iranian drone strike that killed six American soldiers on Sunday was located in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, miles away from the main Army base, according to satellite images and a U.S. official.\nThe husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the hub was a shipping container-style building and had no defenses.\nThe development, reported earlier by CNN and CBS News, raises questions about the safety precautions that the U.S. military had in place as it, along with Israel, launched an attack on Iran, which has responded with retaliatory strikes against several countries in the region, including Kuwait. President Donald Trump and top defense leaders say more American casualties are likely.\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the six soldiers were killed in a “tactical operations center” when a projectile made its way past air defenses. A day later, the Pentagon confirmed it was a drone strike in Port Shuaiba when announcing the names of four of the soldiers who were slain.\nA satellite image taken Monday and reviewed by the AP showed the main building in the complex destroyed, with a trail of black smoke rising from it. It is located in the heart of Port Shuaiba, a working seaport and industrial area just south of Kuwait City. The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter under active investigation, confirmed the image depicted the location of Sunday’s attack.\nAP correspondent Ben Thomas reports on the deaths of U.S. Service members in Kuwait.\nThe Army base, Camp Arifjan, is more than 10 miles to the south. The operations center was just a little over a mile from some of the piers where merchant ships would offload cargo containers and was surrounded by oil storage tanks, refineries and a power plant.\nJoey Amor, husband of Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, said his wife was moved off-base to what he described as a shipping container-style building a week before the Iranian strike. The 39-year-old from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was one of the soldiers killed in the attack.\n“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked, and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separated places,” he said.\nAfter news reports about the operations center emerged, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on social media that the “secure facility was fortified with 6-foot walls.” He said the military has “the most extensive Air Defense umbrella in the world over the Middle East right now and control of the skies is increasing with every wave of airpower.”\nParnell’s office did not respond to questions about what role the walls would have played in defending against a drone attack or what air defenses were present in range of the command center at the port.\nCapt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said “it would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation.”\n___\nBoone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOLXhpOGVMdTdwa0lYN2dpTHJPejZWdjgzNkJTelBxSFF3Vmx6V0NPVDdNMVNVMlhoMWcwRHVILXZuUFkxV3RtQ2tLZzlYSF9JVmtnY2I4MEpPSjJNVXhwdEZVc3laRGVaeFRKalA1a1c0Q2lVMVdTSVVscmZqaHFJanZZQ01QWS1kX3lIRlBmRTFwRHB4M2RGMFVDWTM2aEZS?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_ff676e544c72",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US soldiers who died in Iran war remembered as devoted parents and reservists - AP News",
    "body_text": "US soldiers who died in Iran war remembered as devoted parents and reservists\nUS soldiers who died in Iran war remembered as devoted parents and reservists\nWEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor was just days away from returning home to her husband and two children when a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait killed her and five other U.S. service members.\n“She was almost home,” her husband, Joey Amor, said from their home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, on Tuesday. “You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts.”\nAmor was one of four U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war on Sunday and identified Tuesday by the Pentagon; two soldiers haven’t yet been publicly identified. The members of the Army Reserve worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment.\nThey died just one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.\nDeclan Coady was one of the servicemembers killed in Kuwait. AP’s Lisa Dwyer reports that his family is still trying to process the devastating news.\nThose killed also included Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist. No other names were released.\n“These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said.\nAll were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.\n“Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is,” President Donald Trump said of deaths.\nOne of the youngest in his class\nCoady had just told his father last week that he had been recommended for a promotion from specialist to sergeant, a rank he received posthumously.\nHe was one of the youngest people in his class but seemed to impress his instructors, his father Andrew Coady said Tuesday.\n“He was very good at what he did,” he said.\nCoady trained as an information technology specialist with the Army Reserves and was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines. He was taking online classes while in Kuwait and wanted to become an officer.\n“I still don’t fully think it’s real,” his sister Keira Coady said. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”\nA mother of two who loved gardening\nAmor, 39, was an avid gardener who enjoyed making salsa from the peppers and tomatoes in her garden with her son, a senior in high school. She also enjoyed rollerblading and bicycling with her fourth-grade daughter.\nA week before the drone attack, Amor was moved off-base to a shipping container-style building that had no defenses, Joey Amor said.\n“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places,” he said.\nHe last spoke to her about two hours before she was killed. He said she was working long shifts and they had been messaging about her tripping and falling the night before.\n“She just never responded in the morning,” he said.\nA calling to serve his country\nKhork was very patriotic and drawn from a young age to serving the U.S., his family said in a statement Tuesday.\nHe enlisted in the Army Reserve and joined Florida Southern College’s ROTC program.\n“That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” said his mother, Donna Burhans, father, James Khork, and stepmother, Stacey Khork, in a statement.\nKhork also loved history and had a degree in political science.\nHis family described him as “the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him.”\nOne of Khork’s friends, Abbas Jaffer, posted on Facebook on Monday that he had lost the best person he had ever known.\n“My best friend, best man, and brother gave his life defending our country overseas,” Jaffer said. Khork and Jaffer had been friends for more than 16 years.\nA loving father and husband\nTietjens lived with his family in the Washington Terrace mobile home park in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue, Nebraska. He was married with a son, according to a Facebook page.\nTietjens earned a black belt in Philippine Combatives and Taekwondo and was “an instructor who gave his time, discipline, and leadership to others,” the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance said in a Facebook post.\nOn the mat and as a soldier, “he carried the same values: honor, discipline, service, and commitment to others,” the organization said.\nNebraska Gov. Gov. Pillen paid tribute to the family Tuesday.\n“Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people from foreign enemies around the world — a sacrifice we must never forget,” he wrote.\n“We are holding the Tietjens family close in our hearts during this unbelievably difficult time and will keep them in our prayers,” he said.\n___\nBoone contributed from Boise, Idaho, and Toropin from Washington. Associated Press reporters Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Ed White in Detroit; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; David Fischer in Miami and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:02:00+00:00",
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    "article_id": "art_8a65c3c04716",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US lawmakers set to vote on war powers as Iran conflict widens - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "US lawmakers set to vote on war powers as Iran conflict widens\nBy Patricia Zengerle\nWASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate were set to begin voting on Wednesday on a bipartisan war powers resolution aiming to stop the military campaign against Iran and require that any hostilities against it be authorized by Congress.\nThe latest effort by Democrats and a few Republicans to rein in President Donald Trump's repeated troop deployments, sponsors describe it as a bid to take back Congress' responsibility to declare war, as spelled out in the U.S. Constitution.\n\"I do think it's really important to put every member of Congress on the record about this,\" Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a lead sponsor of the resolution, told a telephone press conference ahead of the afternoon's vote.\n\"If you don't have the guts to vote 'Yes' or 'No' on a war vote, how dare you send our sons and daughters into war where they risk their lives?\"\nTrump's fellow Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, and have blocked previous efforts for resolutions seeking to curb his war powers.\nRepublicans accused Democrats of playing politics with national security and said Trump had ordered only limited operations, such as the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, not full-scale wars.\nThe U.S.-Israel war on Iran, which began five days earlier, is already more extensive, leading to damage in Iran, Israel and throughout the Middle East, and claiming its first U.S. casualties.\nThe House vote on the measure is expected on Thursday.\nOn Tuesday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said he thought there were enough votes to defeat the resolution, describing it as an attempt to push something that could put U.S. troops in harm's way and inspire Iranian forces.\n\"Imagine a scenario where Congress would vote to tell the commander-in-chief that he was no longer allowed to complete this mission. That would be a very dangerous thing,\" he told reporters.\nHis remarks followed a classified briefing on the Iran conflict from top administration officials.\nEven if the resolution passes the Senate, it must also pass the House and garner two-thirds majorities in both chambers to survive an expected Trump veto.\nHowever, Kaine said that if the Iran conflict continued, he and the measure's other backers could try again.\n\"Sometimes people will see things that concern them, and they'll vote 'No,' but then later as events continue to develop they may vote 'Yes,'\" he said.\n(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:02:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxPcURUY0wweDVPMFFnYVpwb1FWS2lpdEU3NUU0T2dIWDBqRE9MeUV3Y1E3emlQcC1nXzliLTNBdmVMUUR6VHJXQUV0d3g3V1diXzNCOWFxbjNQT0ZGc0kteTFzNXFjUWdjQnpoYnZSQ196UGxTdGo4TGZtSndNXy1iUzJhVHRzOVBMVExZenNHNjBPalU4UzBmSkoxUi1BMFU?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_78484502b374",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Virgin Atlantic resumes Dubai and Riyadh flights as other airlines suspend Middle East routes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Airlines in the UAE and across the Middle East suspended and rerouted flights after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran, prompting several countries to restrict or completely close their airspace.\nThe escalating situation has led to cancellations, with airlines saying safety concerns and regulatory directives are behind the decision as they monitor developments.\nThis is how regional airlines are currently responding.\nCarriers in the Gulf\nQatar Airways\nQatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The airline said services will resume once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of the airspace, with a further update expected on March 9.\nFollowing temporary authorisation confirming a limited operating corridor, Qatar Airways said it intends to operate a number of flights arriving at Hamad International Airport on March 9 from Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Zurich and Muscat.\nThe airline said these flights are only for passengers whose final destination is Doha and do not signal a full resumption of scheduled commercial operations.\nQatar Airways also operated repatriation flights from Doha on March 8 to Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, London Heathrow and Zurich, prioritising stranded travellers, including families, elderly passengers and those with urgent medical or compassionate needs.\nPassengers are advised not to travel to the airport unless they hold a valid confirmed ticket or have received official notification from the airline. Qatar Airways said affected travellers will be contacted directly with their flight details and travel arrangements.\nOman Air\nOman Air has cancelled flights to several regional and international destinations due to ongoing airspace closures in parts of the Middle East.\nThe airline said all flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab will be cancelled from March 9 to March 15.\nOman Air said additional flights have been added to help accommodate affected passengers and travellers are advised to check the airline’s website for the latest schedule updates.\nPassengers can book available flights through the Oman Air website or mobile app. The airline said additional services may be added and travellers are advised to check schedules regularly for updates.\nSalamAir\nOman’s low-cost carrier SalamAir said several of its flights have been affected by regional airspace closures linked to ongoing developments in the Middle East.\nFlights to and from Kuwait, Sharjah, Doha and Dammam are suspended until March 20, while services to and from Iraq, Lebanon and Iran are suspended until March 28.\nThe airline said it continues to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as conditions evolve across the region.\nGulf Air\nThe national carrier of Bahrain has suspended its operations due to the closure of Bahraini airspace. An update is expected at 11am Bahrain time on March 8 (12pm GST).\nBahrain’s national carrier said it is closely monitoring official directives and will resume services once it is deemed safe to do so.\nSaudia\nSaudia has partially resumed flight operations to and from Dubai, operating a limited number of services from March 7.\nThe airline said flights between Riyadh and Dubai and between Jeddah and Dubai are currently operating on a reduced schedule, with additional services expected to be restored gradually.\nHowever, Saudia has extended the suspension of flights to and from Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain until 11.59pm GMT (3.59am GST) on March 9 due to the ongoing situation in the region.\nMeanwhile, cancellations of flights to and from Moscow and Peshawar have been extended until March 15.\nSaudia said it is evaluating the gradual resumption of services and will announce further updates once operational decisions are finalised.\nFlynas\nSaudi Arabia’s low-cost airline flynas has extended the suspension of flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria due to the continued closure of airspace in parts of the region.\nThe suspension will remain in effect until 11.59pm Saudi Arabia time on March 9 (12.59am GST on March 10).\nPassengers are advised to check the status of their flights on the airline’s website before heading to the airport. Flynas said it is continuing to monitor developments in co-ordination with the relevant authorities and will provide updates through its official channels.\nKuwait Airlines\nAll inbound and outbound commercial flights at Kuwait International Airport are currently suspended. The airport suffered damage after a drone strike targeted Terminal 1.\nHowever, Kuwait Airways announced on March 4 that it would be operating some flights exclusively for Kuwaiti nationals wishing to return to Kuwait via Saudi Arabia by land from the announced destinations: London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Istanbul, Sabiha, Cairo, Manila and Amman.\nInternational carriers\nVirgin Atlantic\nVirgin Atlantic is continuing to monitor the situation in the Middle East following recent airspace and airport closures in the region.\nThe airline cancelled several services between London Heathrow and Dubai, including VS400 from London to Dubai on March 6 and 7, and VS401 from Dubai to London on March 7 and 8. Affected passengers are being contacted directly with information about their travel arrangements.\nVirgin Atlantic said its security and operations teams conducted extensive safety and operational assessments after temporary airport and airspace closures in Dubai. Although the airport later reopened, the airline said the criteria required for it to operate flights into the region were not sufficiently met.\nSome flights are continuing to operate on adjusted routes, which may result in slightly longer flight times. The airline said it will continue to monitor developments and make further changes if required to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.\nBritish Airways\nBritish Airways remains unable to operate flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.\nThe airline has scheduled additional flights from Muscat to London Heathrow departing at 2.30am local time on March 9, 10, 11 and 12 for customers with existing bookings who are currently in Oman or the UAE.\nPassengers wishing to travel on these services are advised to contact the airline directly. British Airways said its teams will also contact affected customers by email and travellers should not go to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking.\nAir India\nAir India's flights between India and parts of the Middle East remain affected by airspace restrictions across the region.\nWith airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman remaining open, Air India and Air India Express continue to operate scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat.\nAir India is maintaining flights between Delhi and Mumbai and Jeddah, while Air India Express is operating services linking Muscat with several Indian cities, including Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Kannur, as well as routes between Jeddah and Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangaluru.\nBoth airlines are also operating additional non-scheduled flights on March 8 to assist stranded travellers. Air India is running extra services between Delhi and Mumbai and Dubai, while Air India Express is operating 30 additional flights between India and UAE cities including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah.\nHowever, scheduled Air India Express flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh remain cancelled until March 13, while Air India’s services to and from Dammam, Doha and Riyadh are suspended until March 10.\nPassengers affected by disruptions may rebook their travel at no additional charge or request a full refund, the airline said. Travellers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.\nIndiGo\nIndiGo is continuing to gradually restore flight operations as the situation in the Middle East evolves.\nThe airline said it will continue operating flights to eight destinations in the region – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, as well as Muscat in Oman and Jeddah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia – while also restarting services to Europe from March 8.\nGiven the dynamic nature of the situation, flight schedules may change at short notice and passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport.\nThe airline said it will continue to provide updates through its official channels as operations are progressively restored.\nTurkish Airlines\nTurkish Airlines said passengers travelling to or from Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Riyadh), Syria and the UAE until March 31, may make changes to their bookings free of charge. The policy applies to tickets issued on or before February 28, provided passengers take action by May 10.\nUnused tickets can be refunded free of charge, while partially used tickets will be refunded for any unused flight segments. Passengers may also extend the validity of their tickets until May 10, without additional fees or penalties.\nKLM\nKLM said it is currently avoiding the airspace over Iran, Iraq and Israel, as well as several countries in the Gulf region, meaning flights to, from or via destinations in the region have been cancelled or adjusted.\nThe airline has suspended the remainder of its winter season flights to and from Tel Aviv. Flights to and from Dammam, Dubai and Riyadh are suspended up to and including March 10.\nPassengers affected by the changes are being offered rebooking or refund options.\nLufthansa\nLufthansa Group airlines have suspended flights to several destinations.\nFlights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Dammam are suspended until March 10, while services to Amman and Erbil are suspended until March 15. Flights to Tel Aviv are suspended until March 22 and to Beirut until March 28. Services to Tehran remain suspended until April 30.\nThe airline also resumed flights to and from Larnaca in Cyprus on March 7.\nPassengers whose flights have been cancelled may request a full refund or rebook onto a later Lufthansa Group-operated flight. Travellers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.\nAmerican Airlines\nAmerican Airlines has issued a travel waiver for passengers flying to or through several destinations in the Middle East, including Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Larnaca.\nCustomers who purchased tickets by February 27 and were scheduled to travel between February 28 and March 15 can change their flights without a change fee, provided they travel by March 29 and retain the same origin and destination.\nPassengers can also cancel their trip and request a refund.\nUnited Airlines\nUnited has cancelled flights between the US, Tel Aviv and Dubai until and including March 31.\n“We’re continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with US and international aviation authorities as it evolves,” the airline said.\nRoyal Jordanian\nRoyal Jordanian said passengers affected by cancellations due to the regional situation will be offered flexible travel options.\nTravellers can change their flights free of charge without paying a fare difference, request a reroute within the same Iata zone, or opt for a non-refundable voucher valid for one year.\nPassengers transiting through Amman may also be rerouted on other airlines, subject to availability, provided the first flight segment is operated by Royal Jordanian.\nThe airline said flights will continue operating as long as Jordanian airspace remains open, and advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling.\nAir France\nAir France has cancelled its flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh until March 10, while its flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut remain suspended until March 11. The resumption of operations will remain subject to an assessment of the situation.\nThe airline added that it “regrets this situation, [but] the safety of its customers and crew is its top priority”.\nSwiss\nSwiss has suspended several flights in the region.\nAs part of the Lufthansa Group measures, flights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Dammam are suspended until March 10, while services to Amman and Erbil are suspended until March 15. Flights to Tel Aviv are suspended until March 22 and to Beirut until March 28. Services to Tehran remain suspended until April 30.\nFlights to and from Larnaca in Cyprus resumed on March 7.\nPassengers whose flights have been cancelled may request a full refund or rebook on to a later Lufthansa Group-operated flight. Travellers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as schedules may change at short notice.\nFinnair\nFinnair has cancelled flights to and from Doha and Dubai until March 29, with affected passengers being contacted directly by the airline.\nThe airline said it may not always be possible to reroute travellers because of limited availability on alternative flights, in which case customers can get a refund.\nThe airline has also temporarily stopped flying through the airspace over Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel.\n“We are monitoring the situation closely and will update any new information on this page,” said the airline on its website. “We are very sorry for the uncertainty and harm this situation may cause you, and we will do our best to minimise the impact on your journey.”\nCathay Pacific\nCathay Pacific has temporarily suspended flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh up to and including March 14.\nPassengers affected by the cancellations who have not already received a notification from the airline are advised to check the status of their booking through the Manage Booking portal.\nA ticket waiver policy has been implemented for customers booked to travel between Hong Kong and Dubai or Riyadh up to March 14, allowing passengers to rebook, reroute or request a refund without the usual fees.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:02:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi3AFBVV95cUxObzVteGJMd2FiZDRKQzdqSWF2SVd2aWRjeG9uV3RCVC1FbnhtS2RIM3JERGtQUlE5N1RlRXBwYnFzcjJXcElXUnZ5dmg3Y3R4NkpiQ1laOEpid3FXakhXcnBqU2Q0R01PTlpxV1MxODFtY2JuY0UwdU56dzFlVXloNmNrdXd5VTVRMmowdlFmNHBMOEdvX1NWX0paZnBJVThKbXlCTmVQNzJDem1Vd3p5SndNQ0pFU1RjemNkLW8zWWRDT3lIRW1rWDJmTHNoWlVCc19ESFUzWXU0LVli?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_7e755582fd6c",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "US lawmakers set to vote on war powers as Iran conflict widens - Reuters",
    "body_text": "US lawmakers set to vote on war powers as Iran conflict widens    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:02:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNNjRsZFMtZHhFRFRtdlprcldoLVE2eUlrSE9MdEZRNnJSUXExS3A2LTUwRHhyRnAzZWVvLTlURGVaazNjVDhzU0d1TXRTVDhKQXE5bWZaWjFYUmE3ZnlsQmtMWFRnOWxWOE1xTzBKY1NMUDJ1OFpmWVJxZ3ktVnpneV9wQmNTRy1lcmd5MVBLeGZobmNoZXh1aXZYUDVMU00?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_d0ab72e6dfb8",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The U.S. sinks Iran's ships and slams its missile launchers as the war enters Day 5 - NPR",
    "body_text": "The U.S. sinks Iran's ships and slams its missile launchers as the war enters Day 5\nThe war with Iran stretched into a fifth day Wednesday, with Israel launching a new wave of strikes in Tehran and the U.S. saying it torpedoed an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka. The U.S. also shot down an Iranian missile fired at Turkey.\nThe Iranian authorities postponed public mourning rituals for the killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that were set to begin Wednesday. According to Iran's state media, the ceremonies were postponed due to \"overwhelming response.\" A new date has not been specified.\nThe Iranian Health Ministry said more than 920 people have been killed by Israeli-U.S. strikes in the country and thousands injured.\nIran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said the war on Iran would end up costing \"the complete destruction of the region's military and economic infrastructure,\" according to the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.\nMeanwhile, the Senate failed to pass a resolution Wednesday that would require the Trump administration to get congressional approval before taking any further military action against Iran. The 47-53 vote was mostly along party lines.\nHere are more of the key updates NPR is reporting on.\nTo jump to specific areas of coverage, use the links below:\nU.S. strikes | Iran | Turkey | China |U.K. and Spain | Americans stranded | Lebanon | U.S. soldiers identified | U.S. evacuations | Trump reasoning\nU.S. torpedoed Iranian ship off Sri Lanka\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said the U.S. was behind the overnight sinking of an Iranian navy ship in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sri Lanka. He said the ship, which was hit by a U.S. submarine, was the first to be downed by a torpedo since World War II.\nSri Lanka's navy said it rescued 32 people and recovered 87 bodies from the sea where the ship sank, The Associated Press reported.\nLate Tuesday, Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said the military had destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including what he described as Iran's \"most operational\" submarine.\nIn a video posted on social media, Cooper said Iran's \"air defenses and hundreds of ballistic missile launchers and drones\" were \"severely degraded\" following U.S. and Israeli strikes on 2,000 targets.\nCooper said Iran has retaliated by launching more than 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones. The scale of the campaign — the largest buildup of U.S. forces in the region since the war in Iraq in 2003 — has sharpened questions in Washington about how far it could expand.\nThe U.S. has deployed 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials. Cooper said \"more capabilities were on the way.\"\nAfter a closed-door briefing with senior Trump administration officials Tuesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he was \"more fearful than ever\" that the U.S. could end up putting \"boots on the ground.\" Other senators, including Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., also raised concerns about escalation and called for greater public accountability.\nAcross the Gulf, U.S. diplomatic sites have come under attack in recent days. On Tuesday, drones hit near the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, in an attack that the Saudi Foreign Ministry said came from Iran. The embassy warned American citizens to shelter in place and avoid the embassy compound until further notice. The same day, a drone struck near the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, and the embassy in Kuwait was closed to the public following an attack.\nSpeaking in between meetings on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that U.S. embassies are under attack from a \"terrorist regime.\"\n\"A drone unfortunately struck a parking lot adjacent to the chancellery building and then set off a fire in that place,\" he said. \"All personnel are accounted for. As you're aware, we began drawing down personnel from our diplomatic facilities in advance of this.\"\nIsrael says it targeted the top body of Iran's clerics\nInside Iran, Israel said it had targeted on Tuesday the building housing the Assembly of Experts, the body of top Shia clerics whose job it is to choose a new supreme leader. It was not immediately clear whether the assembly was meeting at the time.\nThousands of Iranians gathered on Tuesday for the funeral of children killed in an elementary school that was struck Saturday. Over 160 students, mostly girls, and 14 teachers were killed, according to Iranian officials. Israel denies it hit the school, and the U.S. military says it's looking into it. Iran said the school was hit Saturday morning when the war began.\nIn Tehran, Shadi, a woman who identified herself to NPR without giving her last name out of safety concerns from the Iranian government, described government buildings, military bases and centers of Iran's Revolutionary Guard shattered by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes — a debris of mangled metal and concrete and broken glass.\nShe also witnessed an understaffed hospital, bread and gas waiting line and a once vibrant city gripped by anxiety and fear.\nFighting has also engulfed Lebanon since Monday. After Hezbollah fired missiles into southern Israel, Israel launched retaliatory strikes that Lebanese health officials said killed 50 people and displaced thousands.\nIn Israel, officials said Iranian strikes had killed 10 people. In Iran, the Health Ministry said more than 920 people were killed in strikes. The Pentagon said six U.S. service members were killed.\nPresident Trump said Tuesday the U.S. began striking Iran over the weekend because, he said, Iran was \"going to attack first.\"\nTrump had previously said the U.S. launched strikes on Iran because it was close to securing missiles that could reach the U.S.\n— Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Ruth Sherlock\nU.S. stopped a missile headed to Turkey\nA U.S. warship in the eastern Mediterranean shot down an Iranian missile that was heading toward Turkey Wednesday, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.\nTurkey's Defense Ministry said in a statement the \"ballistic munition\" launched from Iran, traveling over Iraqi and Syrian airspace before being shot down by a NATO missile defense system. Fragments from the interceptor landed in the southern Hatay province, about an hour's drive from the U.S. Incirlik Air Base.\nIt was the first time Turkey — a NATO member with a powerful military which borders Iran — has reported being targeted in an attack during the Iran war that began Saturday.\n\"We remind that our right to respond to any hostile act against our country remains reserved,\" the Turkish Defense Ministry statement said.\n— Tom Bowman and Durrie Bouscaren\nChina sends an envoy to mediate\nChina says it will send a special envoy to the Middle East for mediation as the war with Iran has led to a surge in oil and gas prices. China is the world's largest oil and gas importer and is among the most exposed to energy disruptions caused by the war.\nForeign Minister Wang Yi announced the move in separate phone calls with his counterparts in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Ministry's statements did not provide details about the envoy's mission.\nChina has been calling for all parties to cease military action and return to the negotiating table.\nWang told the Saudi foreign minister that no matter what the justification is, quote, \"the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable.\"\nIn a separate call with his UAE counterpart, China's foreign minister stressed that non-military targets should not be attacked.\nHe added that the security of shipping routes should be safeguarded.\n— Jennifer Pak\nTrump calls out the U.K. and Spain for their stance on the war\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his stance on the war in the Middle East on Wednesday in response to President Trump's threats to cut off trade with Spain.\nTrump said on Tuesday that he would cut off all trade with Spain after the Spanish government denied permission for two U.S. military bases to be used as part of the ongoing offensive in Iran.\nOn Wednesday, without naming Trump, Sánchez reiterated his government's position regarding the war in the Middle East. \"We say no to breaking the international law that protects us all, especially the most defenseless, the civilian population,\" Sánchez said.\n\"No to accepting that the world can only solve its problems through conflicts and bombs. And, finally, no to repeating the mistakes of the past. In short, the position of the government of Spain is summarized in four words: no to the war.\"\nSánchez demanded that the United States, Israel, and Iran look for a diplomatic exit to this conflict.\nSánchez's address comes a day after Trump complained publicly about the Spanish government denying permission for two U.S. military bases to be used as part of the offensive in Iran. The bases are located in the south of Spain, and have been used by the U.S. since 1953. The town of Morón de la Frontera houses an air base, while the coastal town of Rota is home to the U.S. Navy.\nOn Monday, Spain's defense minister, Margarita Robles, said the U.S. and Israel are acting unilaterally and without the support of an international resolution, and that therefore the bases are not available to them.\nSánchez had already come out against the U.S. and Israel's operation in Iran, on Saturday, demanding an \"immediate de-escalation, and respect of international law.\"\nIt's unclear if or when Trump will take any trade action against Spain. On Tuesday, Trump also expressed anger regarding Spain's refusal to spend 5% of its GDP on defense, a target NATO has set for 2035.\nOn Tuesday, Trump took aim at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying he was \"not happy with the UK\" after Starmer initially declined to allow U.S. forces to use British bases for offensive strikes on Iran.\n\"This is not the age of Churchill,\" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added: \"I will say the UK has been very, very, uncooperative.\"\n— Miguel Macias, Danielle Kurtzleben and Rebecca Rosman\nAmericans, urged to leave the Middle East, ask \"How?\"\nThe Trump administration says it is working to arrange military aircraft and charter flights to help evacuate Americans who've been stranded in the Middle East since the start of the Iran war. Thousands of U.S. citizens have been frustrated that other foreign nationals are being flown out, while Americans can't even get through to a help line.\nEvelyn Mushi, 52, is one of them. She was headed from Chicago to Bali for what was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime with her 82-year-old mother, and a group of other family and friends. But she arrived in Abu Dhabi to catch a connecting flight, only to realize she had landed in what was quickly becoming a war zone.\n\"I heard a bombing and I heard a noise and then everything started hitting, and I understood later that they were attacking the airport,\" she said in an interview from Abu Dhabi.\nShe was taken by bus to a hotel, where she says things got even scarier.\n\"I saw in the air missiles and lights and all that and everyone got on their knees and started praying,\" she said. \"We just kept on praying and praying.\"\nMushi says she repeatedly called numbers provided by the State Department for days, but was left on hold for hours. As instructed, she also signed up for State Department security updates, but those weren't much help either. Mushi says the emails she received were the same message as officials were posting on social media, imploring Americans to \"DEPART NOW.\"\n\"Yeah, but how?\" Mushi was left wondering. \"Where do you leave? Where? What do I do? This is cold to write me this email.\"\nMushi says she supports the U.S. military action in Iran, but calls it unacceptable for the administration to not have solid evacuation plans in place.\n\"I'm just very shocked and upset that I see other nations getting their citizens out and we're just stranded here,\" she said.\nThe State Department said Tuesday that it was facilitating charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and that the government would cover the cost. In a statement, a spokesperson said government call centers have been in touch with almost 3,000 Americans, and more than 9,000 have managed to leave on their own.\nWhen asked by a reporter Tuesday why evacuation plans were not in place sooner, President Trump suggested it was because the U.S. decided to strike sooner than expected.\n\"It happened all very quickly,\" Trump said. \"I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked.\"\nIn a separate briefing with reporters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said evacuations were going to take time \"because we don't control airspace closures.\"\nFor her part, Mushi says she's trying to remain optimistic, but she's running low on patience.\n\"I want to get out. I want to leave this place,\" she said. \"I need to get somewhere safe.\"\n— Tovia Smith\nIsraeli military hunts Hezbollah in Lebanon\nIsrael issued new evacuation orders to people living in southern Lebanese villages on Wednesday. The Israeli military began striking at what it says are Hezbollah operations there, after the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group launched rockets into Israel saying it was in solidarity with Iran for continued Israeli strikes.\nLebanese officials said more than 70 people have been killed in the recent Israeli strikes.\nLife in the village of Beit Leef in southern Lebanon had started to go back to normal since a ceasefire was reached with Israel more than a year ago.\nVillagers had to evacuate for months to avoid Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.\nAnd now, the 425 families of Beit Leef find themselves on the move again.\nFifty-two-year-old Mayor Hamiyyeh Mustafa says they received three Israeli evacuation orders in the past three days.\nThe remaining one or two people have now left, he says, \"our village is totally empty.\"\nThe Lebanese government says more than 80,000 people in Lebanon have been internally displaced since the war with Iran began.\n— Hadeel Al-Shalchi\nSix U.S. soldiers killed have been identified\nThe Pentagon released the names of all six U.S. soldiers that have been killed since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. They were in the Army Reserve and died on Sunday during a drone attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.\n- Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla.\n- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.\n- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn.\n- Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa\n- Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa\n- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif.\nAll six soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa. The department said the attack is under investigation.\n— Ayana Archie\nU.S. embassies hit; Americans urged to leave the region \"NOW\"\nThe U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged Americans to avoid the compound after the Saudi Defense Ministry said the embassy had been attacked by two drones. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry called it a \"flagrant Iranian attack\" in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.\nThere were no immediate reports of injuries. The Defense Ministry said the drone strikes caused \"limited fire and minor damage\" to the U.S. Embassy.\nLater Tuesday, the authorities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, said a fire resulting from a \"drone-related incident\" had broken out near the U.S. Consulate.\nU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said \"a drone unfortunately struck a parking lot adjacent to the chancellery building\" in Dubai and set it on fire. There were no injuries.\nThis comes after an Iranian attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait on Monday.\nIn Jordan, the State Department said Tuesday it had evacuated its large embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, after threats against it. Rubio said the department had also drawn down personnel at U.S. embassies in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Irbil.\nMora Namdar, the State Department's assistant secretary for consular affairs, wrote on X that Americans need to \"DEPART NOW\" from more than a dozen countries and territories in the Middle East because of the conflict. That was even as options to leave have narrowed, with flight cancellations and airport closures.\nThe @SecRubio @StateDept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks. Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from… pic.twitter.com/vdplAik2Sq\n— Assistant Secretary Mora Namdar (@AsstSecStateCA) March 2, 2026\nRubio said Tuesday afternoon that the State Department has been helping Americans evacuate from the Middle East for the last 72 hours, using military, commercial and chartered flights. He said at the time that 9,000 Americans had left the Middle East and that more than 1,500 had requested help in leaving.\n\"We've had a couple instances in which we have planes in the air and on the way and, unfortunately, the airspace gets closed and they have to turn back around,\" Rubio said. \"So we're working through those challenges.\"\nHe added: \"But rest assured, we are confident that we are going to be able to assist every American.\"\nIran has been striking Gulf countries that are normally considered safe in retaliation for U.S. attacks that started Saturday. Iran has also hit commercial targets after warning that it would attack American interests across the region.\nAmazon said Monday that two of its data centers in the UAE and one of its centers in Bahrain were hit by drones, affecting their operations.\n— Jane Arraf, Ayana Archie, Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Michele Kelemen\nTrump: \"They were going to attack first\"\nPresident Trump shared a new reason why the U.S. began striking Iran over the weekend: \"It was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack if we didn't do it, they were going to attack first. I felt strongly about that,\" he said in the Oval Office Tuesday. He did not cite any intelligence to that effect.\nTrump had previously said the U.S. launched strikes on Iran because it was close to having missiles that could reach the United States.\nHe also pushed back on claims that Israel pressured the U.S. to act. If anything, Trump said, it was the other way around.\n\"I might've forced their hand,\" Trump said about Israel. \"It was my opinion that these lunatics [in Iran] were gonna attack first.\"\nThe president's new rationale conflicted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks a day earlier, suggesting that the U.S. had followed Israel into war.\n\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces. And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,\" Rubio said Monday.\nThe U.S. and Israeli strikes began Saturday following weeks of a U.S. military buildup in the region — even as negotiations to try to reach a deal with Iran were ongoing.\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that Operation Epic Fury has a focused mission: \"Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure and they will never have nuclear weapons.\"\nOn Tuesday, Trump touted the success of the mission thus far.\n\"They have no navy. It's been knocked out. They have no air force, has been knocked out. They have no air detection that's been knocked out. Their radar has been knocked out, and just about everything's been knocked out,\" he said.\nHe said he has not outlined how he sees the war ending — but did say that \"lots of people\" are coming forward to negotiate a resolution.\n— Deepa Shivaram, Alex Leff\nPrevious news summaries on the Iran war:\n- March 3: President Trump offers new rationale for U.S. attack on Iran\n- March 2: 6 U.S. soldiers have been killed as the war with Iran further engulfs the region\n- March 1: 3 American troops killed, and Trump says more 'likely,' in war against Iran\n- Feb. 28: Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed\nJane Arraf and Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported from Amman, Jordan; Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Ruth Sherlock and Durrie Bouscaren from Turkey; Jennifer Pak from Beijing; Tovia Smith from Boston; Julia Simon from San Francisco; Jawad Rizkallah from Beirut; Jackie Northam from Maine; Michele Kelemen, Camila Domonoske, Deepa Shivaram, Ayana Archie and Alex Leff from Washington.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:02:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9xSDI4dFhkT2E1NklVZXNqMU1hdXJSNEUyMERzSW5xb3BKMm41ZlB1Mk56TFhJMFdzUlhWaGJDcTNmY3Y3YVpjNzZMc2hjR0xYeUdNZEYtQUdzWVdsNlhOdnM3TGdHRTlmX1pXenVraHM?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_2ed755dbc540",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Why Yemen’s Houthis are hesitating to join Iran war, for now - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Why Yemen’s Houthis are hesitating to join Iran war, for now\nYemen’s Houthi movement is likely to intervene sooner or later in support of Tehran, but the timing and scale of any involvement will depend on how the conflict between Iran, the US and Israel unfolds, analysts say.\nIf the Houthis conclude that Iran, their main backer, is losing ground or facing an existential threat, they are likely to escalate militarily, according to observers.\n“The Houthis are still studying the situation and will make their decision based on the challenges facing Iran,” Fatehi bin Lazreq, editor of the Aden al-Ghad newspaper, told Middle East Eye. “If they determine that the threat to the Iranian regime is existential, they will decide to fully engage in the war.”\nIn his first speech following US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on Saturday, the movement's leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, struck an unusually restrained tone, avoiding the fiery rhetoric that typically characterises his addresses. While expressing strong support for Tehran, he stopped short of explicitly pledging military backing.\nAfter Iran announced the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Houthi delivered another relatively brief speech, shorter than his usually lengthy appearances, offering condolences to the Iranian people. Again, he refrained from committing to military action.\nThe Houthis view themselves as part of what is often referred to as the “Axis of Resistance”, a regional alliance of Iran-aligned armed groups that include Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas in Palestine, and an array of armed groups in Iraq. Syria was also part of the alliance before President Bashar al-Assad was deposed by rebels in December 2024.\nThe movement has long been perceived by its adversaries as a key Iranian proxy. Tehran’s provision of drones, ballistic missiles and military advisory support has been widely credited with enhancing its capabilities.\nFor years, successive Yemeni governments have accused Iran of fuelling unrest in the country by supplying the Houthis with weapons and expertise, including support for cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia.\nLazreq said the Houthis understand that the fall of the Iranian establishment would likely halt weapons supplies, depriving the group of a strategic advantage over its domestic rivals.\n“The Houthis believe that if the Iranian regime falls, they would become exposed, as the supply of drones and missiles, a key element of their strength in recent years, would cease,” he added.\nInternal divisions\nIn late 2023, when Israel launched a brutal military campaign in Gaza, the Houthis swiftly entered the conflict, attacking international commercial vessels in the Red Sea and waters off Yemen. They later expanded their operations to other maritime routes and began launching drone and missile strikes towards Israel.\nThis time, however, their response has been more cautious.\nOn Saturday, shortly after the joint US-Israeli operation on Iran began, the Associated Press quoted two Houthi sources as saying the movement would resume its attacks on Red Sea shipping. Houthi officials later denied the claim on social media.\nAnalysts say the contradictory statements may reflect internal divisions.\nYemeni political analyst Saleh al-Baydani said the movement is experiencing “sharp” disagreements over how to respond.\nAccording to him, hardliners, whom he believes were behind the comments cited by AP, are pushing for direct military involvement in support of Iran, while other factions favour restraint.\n“The report of renewed attacks, only to be quickly denied by another faction within the group, reflects a state of confusion and disarray,” Baydani wrote on X.\nYemeni conflict analyst Hisham al-Omeisy echoed that assessment, noting visible frustration among parts of the Houthi base.\nHe wrote on X: “Houthi base not happy with lackluster response so far. Hardliners in movement pressing for action, more to capitalize on moment and assert position in axis of resistance than to aid Iran. While others urging restraint.”\nCalculated escalation\nDespite pressure from hardliners, the group appears to be carefully calibrating its response to avoid serious repercussions, both domestically and internationally.\nFarea al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, said the delay reflects domestic political calculations.\n“The Houthis cannot risk being perceived as fighting a war solely in service of Iran rather than Yemen’s own interests,” he said on his Facebook page.\n'The Houthis are still studying the situation and will make their decision based on the challenges facing Iran'\n- Fatehi bin Lazreq, Aden al-Ghad editor\nHe described the movement's approach as one of “calculated escalation”, should it decide to act, adding that any move would likely be framed as self-defence rather than solidarity with Tehran.\nAt the same time, the Houthis are wary of provoking retaliatory US strikes on areas under their control - regions still reeling from previous waves of US and Israeli attacks.\nIn August last year, an Israeli strike killed the prime minister and several ministers in the Houthi-run administration. Other strikes hit Hodeidah port, Yemen’s largest seaport, as well as oil storage facilities, power stations and cement factories.\n“The group is still recovering from major US strikes it suffered during the past year, which weakened an important aspect of its military structure, and entering into a new confrontation at this time carries obvious risks,” Muslimi said.\nHowever, the Houthis, who have been engaged in warfare for more than two decades, could defy analysts’ expectations and move quickly to join the conflict in support of Iran.\nSuch a decision, Muslimi said, would likely come only if the group faced direct military attacks, or if Iranian or Hezbollah figures supporting the movement took the initiative and escalated on its behalf.\n“The Houthis are not known for avoiding risks; the group is accustomed to operating in a war environment and has used conflict to sustain internal mobilisation, reinforce its ideological cohesion, and delay difficult political settlements,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxNaDdWanhRSmFSTEE2djdqa0FScjgzazUyS2ZyVW9iS2ZVR1NYR1JJZEhYdE4tUGpVeGxSeWVOeUlHRmhMZDhRWnF6cmctQW14cTVVazJCME9OTzlQMlJTS0ZsMVdOUkl6RHFKNWZSMmhHdU5qUHFQdTZzYVhOUFJ2TG54bHRRMWtiLW1DTQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_568abade5fe6",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Are the US attacks on Iran legal? - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Are the US attacks on Iran legal?    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:07:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxNNE96OWlKVkhEclVhSkJ1bnRnVFdMYlFxdnBqOXZUOWV5Z0NjTXMweHpZS2RWT3FxWUFYelZGbXVKV0xjQmlyWG9ab0lxV1ppem9EWVBxU19LNXhYNUxDNjBMQjhuUU1MOEpCSHYwcjZsSjYwTVBnQ1BSVEVoSDJnaDRWaHdsUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_3286d9c4df08",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Europe braces as Iran threatens to attack - politico.eu",
    "body_text": "LONDON — The Iranian regime is warning it will attack European cities in any country that joins Donald Trump’s military operation and governments across the region are stepping up security in response.\nSo far, Iranian drones have already targeted Cyprus, with one striking a British Royal Air Force base on the island, and others shot down before they could hit. That prompted the U.K., France and Greece to send jets, warships and helicopters to Cyprus to protect the country from further drone attacks.\nBut with the British, French and German leaders saying they are ready to launch defensive military action in the Middle East, Tehran threatened to retaliate against these countries with attacks on European soil.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:23:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxQbDJUWDdUVEFubTZVU2Y3RmQ4RTZpZ004SmU4em1YYTlUeG5wbnJxRWU2b1JSQXJtbTVqZXhlYWtUY2I0V19XYjU5Q0djQXVHZ3RjQ3JPTGJvdWVvMUhJQVpob19tZWQ1Y1k1bExMMFpVdGw3X1JHc183ZnlaNS0tMWI1eDNsSEd6eDUtZkFDYVpldEZpZ3pEOW4xcw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_6f7058da547a",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Hezbollah's entry into Iran crisis deepens its isolation at home - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Hezbollah's entry into Iran crisis deepens its isolation at home    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:36:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxORTdFSnctclo4eUZFOGhXTHYtbG10TDQzUG52RkREaTRNU2Q4LUlIR3A2aDRZb3V4VHV6MTFpRWxCZ1FzWk5qMWM1QUI5T2pVOTNUSjl2cExScDdsZ01wZUhlS2NfNGFzdFY1V2JMTU5hck9TcVFPR2RGOHg5d2JUSG43YUd1bDhsN0c1TkN4d3gtSmNFRHdnTUNVU2p2QVBEZFRTd1NkZjBxMFZhTjkyeWlOa0c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ee52cc3d820f",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Spanish PM says ‘no to war’ in Middle East",
    "body_text": "Spanish PM says ‘no to war’ in Middle East\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain opposes war against Iran and urged the United States, Israel and Iran to pursue a diplomatic resolution.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026\nSpanish PM says ‘no to war’ in Middle East\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain opposes war against Iran and urged the United States, Israel and Iran to pursue a diplomatic resolution.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:40:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/spanish-pm-says-no-to-war-in-middle-east?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_387a97d94e96",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Be glad of Starmer’s caution over Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Be glad of Starmer’s caution over Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:40:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9sbW9JcXhQeWJKb2w4aFJqaXRMWjNpbEMydkNrWGF1X0p6T0tKX2JFTjN2RlpvLUlyMVVLMThQRElhS3Q3OTFlYU1KcUZrTGc4aHB4cEZzdUtmZVNscml4UmtDdlUwZkp3SThGbFpIcUM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_947f3f97004f",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran intelligence operatives signalled openness to talks with CIA to end war, NYT reports - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran intelligence operatives signalled openness to talks with CIA to end war, NYT reports    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:42:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxPQ3B1YXhTRXZYdEhQNlJiZU8xM2xUZTRucUQ1Ym1IX21FVlBibXBqcU13eVZxNFlncVZobWIwdVh1dWEzMTdNUmVOMXBHQ0VKUG12RExjQ3dWb0wtb0h5OXdYZEFsSFRWejFMSzlHU2dBcjM5VVpWQ0k1M1B4ZnhkdWNsR05YU2dzNHoybm1YdnNXRHlpWjlYcTgxVkkyRFQzcjFMU2ZoNk1VSW50N2d1ay1zd0ZrdFJtV3h1Ri1WRXBqZ3R5UEZZ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ae943350df4b",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Turkey intercepts Iran-fired ballistic munition - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran’s targeting of Turkey unlikely to upend Ankara’s strategic balancing act\nAnkara said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran that was heading toward Turkish airspace, as Turkish officials called for restraint amid rising regional tensions.\nANKARA — After NATO air defenses intercepted an Iranian missile before it entered Turkish airspace, analysts say the incident is unlikely to upend Ankara’s careful balancing between Tehran and its Western allies.\nThe Turkish Defense Ministry said Wednesday that a ballistic missile fired from Iran was detected as it traversed Iraqi and Syrian airspace and was engaged and destroyed by NATO air and missile defense systems deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean before it could enter Turkish airspace.\n“A ballistic munition fired from Iran, which was detected heading toward Turkish airspace after passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace, was engaged in time and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense elements stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the ministry said in a statement.\nThe statement added that debris from the intercepted missile caused no casualties, landing in Turkey’s southern Hatay province.\nThe ministry also warned that Turkey would act decisively to defend its territory and airspace and reserved the right to respond to any hostile act directed against the country.\n“We warn all parties to refrain from steps that could lead to the further spread of conflict in the region,” it added, noting that Ankara would continue consultations with NATO and other allies.\nWhile the ministry did not provide further details on the targeting, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and regional officials, that the missile was intercepted by a US Navy destroyer in the Eastern Mediterranean and had been headed toward Turkey’s Incirlik air base, which hosts American forces.\nLater on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Ankara’s dismay to Tehran during a phone call with his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, a Turkish diplomatic source told reporters. The protest was later formally conveyed to Iran’s ambassador to Ankara, Mohammad Hassan Habibullahzadeh, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, the source told Al-Monitor.\nFidan urged all sides to avoid actions that could lead to broader regional escalation, the source added.\nSeparately, Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish presidency’s communications directorate, echoed a message of restraint, calling on all parties involved in the war to de-escalate.\n“Turkey will continue to fulfill its responsibilities with a constructive approach to help reduce tensions in the region and resolve disputes through peaceful means,” he said in a statement on the X platform.\nIranian authorities have yet to comment on the incident.\nThe incident marks a fresh escalation in the war, as Turkey is the first NATO member whose territory has been directly targeted by Iran since the war began on Saturday.\nTehran’s recent strikes have largely been aimed at Israel and US military and diplomatic assets across the Middle East and Gulf — including drone and missile attacks targeting the US Embassy compound in Riyadh and on US facilities in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states.\nIran’s targeting of Turkish territory raises the risk of NATO being drawn into the conflict, as a confirmed armed attack on one member could potentially trigger Article 5. Article 5 states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all members under the alliance’s collective defense principle.\nNATO also denounced the strike. “We condemn Iran’s targeting of Turkey. NATO stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,” NATO Spokesperson Allison Hart told journalists Wednesday.\nAnkara, however, is unlikely to invoke the article for now, given Turkish officials’ messages of restraint.\nThe incident “should not be seen as an action that would completely change Turkey’s more balanced approach toward Iran,” Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based think tank EDAM and a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, told Al-Monitor. “At least for now, the messages Ankara has been channeling do not point in that direction.”\nTurkey has sought to maintain a balancing act in the current war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as a “violation of international law.” Meanwhile, Fidan said the Iranian attacks on regional countries amounted to “an incredibly wrong strategy.”\nAnkara’s relatively measured reaction suggests it is exercising restraint rather than escalating tensions, according to Ulgen.\nAnkara’s messaging suggests it is taking a “wait-and-see approach,” he said, adding that the incident is still likely to prompt greater caution from Ankara, as a ballistic missile entering Turkish airspace represents growing risks for the country.\nWith reporting by Jared Szuba in Washington and Rina Bassist in Paris.\nThis story has been updated since first publication.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:44:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPYnl1Z1VTT3dfUWduT1czR29SdUEydXR5OEUzQS1yMl9YYTlIQlVrR3JVSV8zeWxzVmhHSlFiamNaUTByb1lpQkhISy15Q0F2Q09YZGZWNFhtYWpTYnBONFpGNHdoTjNXOUNJV0MtME1fbUw4UWFHRWRDLWdNcHQ1VXpzOU8tUHBfaFhqcElsTUppNXdoaEpV?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0320ad5015e9",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Chart Watchers See Risks of S&P 500 Correction Amid War Jitters - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Chart Watchers See Risks of S&P 500 Correction Amid War Jitters    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:46:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQWjJWRHptWWkyUnphLTA5b1E0cUJwOFAxdC1VdllZbW40SGp2SWZtdW5HRVdMNFBvLUxXeHo3VlYzUWluUkg0NVRES241NlhJQlNVaERRR21FVGczdl9rSHAzSVoyZ0J1bzNVRnU1aVVWdHlXSHNjS1d1a1ZWbzNFUGhXaUpjQWJ6bVVhOVFhNXBaOTc2TEpUNmlrbUgwOVJRX25aclJkZGNTdGpxNVhlVmJlcTE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_46e611f4a6d6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "U.S. Submarine Torpedoed Iranian Warship Off Sri Lanka as Conflict Widens - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "U.S. Submarine Torpedoed Iranian Warship Off Sri Lanka as Conflict Widens    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:48:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiAFBVV95cUxOMHlSdmYyQ2UtblNUMFpjQ3hQQWcweXdheDZRX3RXUHlVTDlITnpEMXptOVh1ekE1RWw4VE9PVDJBdmZGMUJtbE1pWDlVaUZ5RlN0a18zaUhPZE1ldEYxek5nUnhDLS1COURFVlZzMkhSaVppbGNxWmFfbmpqbkc5SGszSEgxNlBw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a734edcb20b5",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Turkey says NATO defences destroyed Iran missile, risking war expansion - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Turkey says NATO defences destroyed Iran missile, risking war expansion    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:50:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxPSXVOUzZEcFo4ZXQ1MGpGWm1ONktneEgtTHdrU1UxRVFHTDROcjRqUHBxZWtXakZ6LXdodktSOXJJSEwzQWZKMWdKRTRUZFEzODhHNHpuTG50U2JST0JkemF0dWlDLW5Hb2FTUnBIaXU4YTdTNG9acFE5bHNKQTZKRlN4SWJ2UlNVcGZLRXFCN3BsVFllRV80VThGVUwzVDNfNklQMHBiaGVHalgybXpLcEFNWXhEdHJ0cUFqNW1KeG1XQ2JNZkE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0f61107d6c0d",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Carney says he backs strikes on Iran ‘with some regret’ as world order frays - AP News",
    "body_text": "Carney says he backs strikes on Iran ‘with some regret’ as world order frays\nCarney says he backs strikes on Iran ‘with some regret’ as world order frays\nMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he supported the strikes on Iran “with some regret” as they represented an extreme example of a rupturing world order.\nCarney spoke at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank, during the Australian leg of a trade-focused, three-nation visit that began in India. He will address the Australian Parliament on Thursday, then fly to Japan on Friday.\n“Geostrategically, hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws, while others bear the consequences. Now the extremes of this disruption are being played out in real time in the Middle East,” Carney said.\nThe Canadian prime minister stressed his country was not apprised beforehand of the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, in his first remarks since the war broke out on Feb. 28.\n“We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate,” Carney told reporters traveling with him in Australia. “Prima-facie, it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law.”\nWhether the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes broke international law was “a judgment for others to make,” he said.\nCanada supported efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and from threatening international peace and security, Carney said. The two countries haven’t had relations for 15 years because of reported human rights abuses in Iran. Canada last year designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist entity.\n“We are actively taking on the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be. But we also take this position with some regret because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order,” he said.\nDespite decades of U.N. efforts, “Iran’s nuclear threat remains and now the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the U.N. or consulting with allies including Canada,” he added.\nCarney built on themes he laid out in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in a speech that garnered widespread attention. He argued the world order was undergoing a rupture and the old norms of the rules-based order were being erased.\nCanada and Australia aim to increase cooperation in critical minerals, artificial intelligence and defense technologies.\nCanada and Australia are both rich in critical minerals and worked together to build “the largest mineral reserve held by trusted democratic nations,” Carney said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:51:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxOTmY4M0twOE8tTldVaERfVEpRWjlZSG93RjB3NC00UnlCdm9COFBpT24yLXBSU2ttU3JfLUN0cjNGQzRTSnJPeW5pRUhnc0F2cDVzazFHOU5uYlJrV2pQaE5MVXpCbVloY01pMUt5SnFFRFFldnNrQnBldnVYSkpISHMxQUlyeGhYNXFtWk02TmZBLTJWSWJBUkJBSQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e9df119aa2b4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Drone targets military base in Bahrain",
    "body_text": "Drone targets military base in Bahrain\nEyewitness video shows a suspected Iranian drone attack on a military base in Bahrain. Iran has been targeting US forces in the Gulf region in response to US strikes.\nPublished On 4 Mar 2026\nDrone targets military base in Bahrain\nEyewitness video shows a suspected Iranian drone attack on a military base in Bahrain. Iran has been targeting US forces in the Gulf region in response to US strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:53:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/drone-targets-military-base-in-bahrain?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2958a2e110d6",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "UAE Stocks Slide As Trading Resumes After Iran Conflict Closure - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "UAE Stocks Slide As Trading Resumes After Iran Conflict Closure    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:55:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPVC13dEVUZXFWX3A5anlqNWpXX0x0NG5RRVlveE1IS0xvMzR4X0hWODh0enZ4ODRlMlVsaUQ2Y2dmcnJBbDlMUm83eS1rS3l5VTQ4aVJSdmVDYkRsNXdlN1VfeG82Vkx4VVRaS3FQX0t5YWNBTmxpWEFRTDI2UWljVDRFWnhsLTJXXzVYM1F3d2RkZTRhR2N5X1gzX0lzX2FFcDM5TUxpcjd3SUp5ZFB0c21UZFE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ef22fbe4da11",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US and Israel step up attacks as war with Iran engulfs region - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Multiple locations across Iran are being bombarded, and Tehran is carrying out retaliatory attacks across the region, as the United States-Israeli war on Iran entered its fifth day, with the death toll rising and no end to the conflict in sight.\nThe semiofficial Tasnim news agency said explosions were heard in different parts of the Iranian capital on Wednesday, and Iranian state television showed the rubble of a building in central Tehran. The holy city of Qom and several other cities were also targeted.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Travellers stranded, airlines under pressure as Iran war escalates\n- list 2 of 4Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance\n- list 3 of 4Qatar announces arrest of Iran’s IRGC sleeper cells\n- list 4 of 4Unpacking US justification for Iran attacks\nThe agency said the death toll from the US-Israeli attacks now stood at 1,045.\nAl Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said there had been what the Israelis were calling “the 10th wave of attacks against Iran”.\n“Tehran has been at the centre of that, but also Karaj and Isfahan, both east and west of the capital,” he said, adding that five people were killed, while there were also reports of schools being hit in these attacks.\nIn the meantime, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said damage was visible at two buildings near the Isfahan nuclear site, but there was no damage to facilities containing nuclear material and no risk of radiological release at this time.\nThe Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also warned on Wednesday that Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was under threat from US-Israeli air strikes and that explosions could be heard not far from its perimeter.\nIn Israel, air raid sirens sounded across the country, with people rushing to shelters, as incoming Iranian missiles triggered loud blasts from interception attempts.\nEarlier in the day, Israel issued an alert, instructing residents to head to shelters as missiles had been launched from Iran and defence systems were working to “intercept the threat”.\nThe order to seek shelter covered Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas across the country. Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said it had received no reports of casualties.\n“From where we are right now in Ramallah, we heard very loud explosions, and they could be because of interceptions,” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reported.\nIbrahim said it appeared to be a wide salvo, complicating Israeli air defence efforts.\n“According to Israeli media, there has been shrapnel from interceptions that fell in the area of Beit Shemesh, the city near the west of Jerusalem, where shrapnel, or a missile, fell two days ago and killed nine Israelis,” she added.\nThe Israeli military had reported a previous missile launch from Iran several hours earlier, as well.\nTehran has kept up its retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and countries across the Gulf, including Qatar, as US President Donald Trump claimed the conflict could last a month.\nQatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani demanded an end to the attacks on Gulf countries in a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, the Qatari foreign ministry said.\nDuring the call, Araghchi told Sheikh Mohammed that his country’s attacks were directed at US interests and did not target Qatar itself, the ministry said.\nSheikh Mohammed “firmly rejected these claims, stressing that the facts on the ground clearly show that the attacks struck civilian and residential areas inside the State of Qatar”.\nSheikh Mohammed called for the “immediate cessation” of Iran’s attack on Gulf countries and stressed that the attacks revealed “no goodwill on Iran’s part toward its neighbours”,\nHe said that while Qatar prefers dialogue and diplomacy, it will “confront any aggression … affirming that these attacks cannot go unanswered.”\nAttacks on Iran continue\nExplosions sounded in Tehran on Wednesday as the Israeli military said it conducted a series of strikes across Iran’s capital targeting its forces.\nIt said it hit buildings associated with the Basij, the all-volunteer force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nThe Israeli military also said it hit buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command, which has also suppressed demonstrations in the past.\nEarlier, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from the Iranian capital, said massive explosions were heard in Tehran. “We have also received reports of blasts in different cities, including Karaj and Isfahan.”\nAsadi reported the IRGC announcing that “ground forces entered battlefield operations” in which 230 drones were engaged.\n“Also, they were talking about a naval operation targeting US military ships,” he added.\n“In Tehran, I see no sign of de-escalation, and escalation is the name of the game,” Asadi concluded.\nForeign Minister Araghchi slammed Trump on Wednesday, saying he had “betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him”.\n“When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met,” he said in a post on X.\n“The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T11:58:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_432549c934ce",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Bond Traders Curb Rate Cut Bets as War Stokes Inflation Fear - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Bond Traders Curb Rate Cut Bets as War Stokes Inflation Fear    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:02:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPSEFWT1F4OEVYQk5XRkZfclpvRGJkaFZEcDcxOF9XbWZsUzZtenQyV2dudGVERXV5V2lvUUQ3MnNSSEM5Zjd2ekQyOFVZSDk0UG83aklrNDVHd1NsMzVlTXdxWVluUm9nUjIxN3VHRXpfS0RENzVtRm0zZURlWFpiMGZyN0dxNEUyTXVlcVhpaURvQ0hiM2RIZzI0VkZ6SWhMRGRiRjVMM29EMU1rTGE0YnlfVWE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c95f983f8cff",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "At least 100 people missing after Iranian military ship sinks off Sri Lanka",
    "body_text": "A United States submarine has sunk an Iranian warship with a torpedo in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast, says US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.\nIn a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said the strike on the Iranian warship was the “first such attack on an enemy since World War II”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Iran postpones Khamenei’s farewell as Israel threatens to kill successor\n- list 2 of 4Hundreds of drones target Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE amid Iran war\n- list 3 of 4‘We were just praying’: Pakistani students recount escape from war-hit Iran\n- list 4 of 4How Iran fights an imposed war\nSri Lanka’s government said it recovered several bodies and rescued 32 wounded sailors after an Iranian military ship sank just outside the island’s territorial waters.\nThe country’s deputy foreign minister told local television that at least 80 people were killed in the strike.\nAuthorities told Al Jazeera the frigate IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles (75km) off Galle in southern Sri Lanka, sent out a distress call between 6am and 7am (00:30 to 01:30 GMT) on Wednesday.\nThe ship had about 180 crew members on board, and a search and rescue operation was under way, Sri Lankan officials said.\nThe Iranian frigate was returning from having taken part in the 2026 International Fleet Review last month in eastern India’s coastal city of Vishakapatnam.\nSri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the navy received information that the ship was in distress and the government sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.\nA Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said no other ship or aircraft was observed in the area where the Iranian warship sank.\nReporting from outside a hospital in Galle, where the wounded crew members were taken, Al Jazeera’s Minnelle Fernandez said Sri Lankan officials were still trying to figure out what happened to the nearly 150 other crew members.\nFernandes said an Iranian embassy official in Colombo said two officers have been sent to Galle “to talk to the survivors to get a sense of what might have happened on the ship”.\nThe warship’s sinking occurred as the United States and Israel conduct air strikes on Iran for a fifth day after killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and nearly 800 other people, including dozens of schoolgirls.\nTehran has responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and US-linked assets in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities. Six US service members have been killed and many others injured.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:06:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/at-least-100-missing-after-iranian-military-ship-sinks-off-sri-lanka-coast?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_dced9cfed1c7",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba favourite to succeed him as Iran’s supreme leader",
    "body_text": "Choice of anti-western candidate would give signal that senior figures will not seek accommodation with US\n\nMojtaba Khamenei, the second son of theassassinated Ali Khamenei, is being heavily tipped to succeed his father as supreme leader of Iran, which would pitch a hardliner into the task of steering the Islamic republic through the most turbulent period in its 48-year history and offer a powerful signal that, for now, it has no intention of changing course.\n\nNo official confirmation has been given and the announcement may be delayed until after the funeral of Ali Khamenei, which was on Wednesday postponed.\n\nHis son is believed to have been the choice of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Israeli defence minister, Gideon Saar, has warned he will be assassinated.\n\nAyatollah Seyed Khatani, a member of the Assembly of Experts, the body that chooses the new supreme leader, said the assembly was close to selecting a leader.\n\nRigid in his anti-western views, Mojtaba Khamenei is not the candidateDonald Trumpwould have wanted. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said on Tuesday that Iran was run by “religious fanatic lunatics” – and Khamenei’s appointment is hardly likely to dispel that opinion.\n\nThe choice of supreme leader is made by the 88-strong Assembly of Experts, who in this case are picking from a field of six possible candidates. His election would be a powerful if unsurprising symbol that the government is not looking to find an accommodation with America.\n\nTrump has said the worst-case scenario would be if Khamenei’s successor was“as bad as the previous person”.\n\nThere has been speculation for more than a decade that he would be his father’s successor, which grew when Ebrahim Raisi, the elected president and favourite of Khamenei, waskilled in a helicopter crash.\n\nMojtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 and studied theology after graduating from high school. At the age of 17, he went to serve in the Iran-Iraq war, but it was not until the late 1990s that he came to be recognised as a public figure in his own right.\n\nAfter the landslide defeat of Khamenei’s preferred candidate, Ali Akbar Nategh Nuri, in the 1997 presidential election, where he won only 25% of the final vote, various conservative Iranian groups realised the need to make changes to their structures and Mojtaba Khamenei was central to that project.\n\nHe was also seen as instrumental by reformists in suppressing the protests in 2009 that came after allegations the presidential election had been rigged, with his name chanted in the streets as one of those responsible. Mostafa Tajzadeh, a senior member of Iran’s reformist parties who was imprisoned after the vote, alleged that his and his wife, Fakhr al-Sadat Mohtashamipour’s, legal case was under the direct supervision of Mojtaba Khamenei.\n\nIn 2022 he was given the title of ayatollah – essential to his promotion. By then he was a regular figure by his father’s side at political meetings, as well as playing an influential role in the Islamic Republic’s Broadcasting Corporation, the government’s official media outlet often criticised for churning out dull political propaganda that many Iranians reject in favour of overseas satellite channels. He has also played a central role in the administration of his father’s substantial financial empire.\n\nHis closest political allies are Ahmad Vahidi, the newly appointed IRGC commander; Hossein Taeb, a former head of the IRGC’s intelligence organisation; and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the current speaker of the parliament.\n\nHis rumoured appointment and its hereditary nature has long been resisted by reformists. The former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, referring to the long history of rumours about Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father as leader, wrote in 2022: “News of this conspiracy have been heard for 13 years. If they are not truly pursuing it, why don’t they deny such an intention once and for all?”\n\nThe Assembly of Experts, in response, denounced “meaninglessness of doubts” and said the assembly would select only “the most qualified and the most suitable”.\n\nIsrael on Tuesday struck the building in the Iranian city of Qom, one of Shia Islam’s main seats of power, where the assembly was scheduled, but the building was empty, according to IRGC-affiliated media.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:08:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/mojtaba-khamenei-son-of-former-supreme-leader-tipped-to-become-irans-next-head-of-state",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e76bb2c60aec",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "NATO defences destroy missile fired from Iran over Mediterranean: Turkiye",
    "body_text": "A ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading into Turkish airspace after passing over Syria and Iraq has been destroyed by NATO air defence systems, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence says.\nIt was not clear where the missile was aimed.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Will the US put ‘boots on the ground’ in Iran?\n- list 2 of 3Iran postpones Khamenei’s farewell as Israel threatens to kill successor\n- list 3 of 3Hundreds of drones target Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE amid Iran war\n“A ballistic munition launched from Iran, which was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading towards Turkish airspace, was engaged in a timely manner by NATO air and missile defence assets stationed in the eastern Mediterranean and rendered inactive,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.\nIt said there were no casualties or injuries, adding that Ankara reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions against it while warning parties to refrain from escalating the conflict.\nTurkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan conveyed in a call to his Iranian counterpart Ankara’s protest over a ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace, the Reuters news agency reported.\nDuring the call, Fidan also told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that any steps that could further widen the conflict must be avoided, Reuters added.\nNATO condemned Iran’s targeting of Turkiye, spokesperson Allison Hart said, adding that the organisation “stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkiye”.\n“Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence,” Hart said.\nUnited States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that there was “no sense” that the destruction of the ballistic missile would trigger NATO’s Article 5 clause, which outlines that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all members.\nIncirlik Air Base in Turkiye is used by foreign military forces, primarily the US and other NATO allies. The base is under the control of the Turkish air force but operates as a joint Turkish-US airbase.\nIncirlik was a critical logistics and air support location for US-led operations in Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War and later as a cargo hub for Iraq and Afghanistan operations.\nTurkiye denied the US permission to use it for the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, but it was heavily used for anti-ISIL (ISIS) strikes from 2014.\nCyprus temporarily closes airspace\nSeparately on Wednesday, also in the eastern Mediterranean, authorities in Cyprus closed the airspace above Larnaca after detecting what they said was a suspicious object.\nOn Sunday, an Iranian-made drone caused minor damage at a United Kingdom military base on the island. Another two drones were shot down on Monday.\n“Two Greek jets took off on Wednesday to shoot down a suspected drone just outside Cyprus’ airspace,” Al Jazeera’s John Psaropoulos reported from the Cypriot city of Limassol.\n“Greek frigates are also circling the waters around Cyprus to help provide targeting coordinates for two pairs of F-16s sent here by Greece that they’re supposed to operate in tandem.”\nPsaropoulos said the security situation in the country remained tense despite no strikes having taken place in the past couple of days.\n“The one on Sunday night was the only one, but because there have been other drones headed towards Cyprus, it has been deemed necessary to send all possible means here to make sure that those drones continue to be downed offshore,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:12:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/nato-defences-destroy-missile-fired-from-iran-over-mediterranean-turkiye?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_93d26b8edd06",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Is the CIA planning to arm Kurdish forces to spark an uprising in Iran?",
    "body_text": "The United States is in talks with opposition Kurdish forces in a bid to arm them and foment an uprising in Iran, according to multiple media reports, as the US-Israel war on Iran enters its fifth day.\nPresident Donald Trump’s administration is actively discussing with opposition Kurdish groups the possibility of arming them, according to CNN, citing Kurdish and US officials. As of Wednesday, it was unclear whether any deals had been struck.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?\n- list 2 of 4Trump says Iran leader alternatives mostly killed\n- list 3 of 4IRGC says Iran in ‘complete control’ of Strait of Hormuz amid Trump threats\n- list 4 of 4What we know on day five of US-Israeli attacks on Iran\nKurdish rebels have for years opposed Tehran and carried out numerous attacks in Iran’s Kurdistan province as well as other western provinces. They operate along the Iraq-Iran border, with Iran and Iraq’s Kurdish minorities sharing close ties.\nThe US spy agency CIA has a history of working with Kurdish groups in neighbouring Iraq, which the US invaded in 2003. Washington also funded, armed and trained Kurdish fighters in Syria against former President Bashar al-Assad. The CIA has funded rebels and armed groups in numerous countries over the past several decades to destabilise governments critical of US foreign policy.\nAmid the ongoing war, and as Iran hits US assets and personnel hosted in neighbouring Gulf countries, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also targeted Kurdish positions in the west.\n“Instinctively, it feels like a bad move,” analyst Neil Quillian of the United Kingdom-based think tank Chatham House told Al Jazeera of the plan, warning that it might cause more internal conflict in Iran.\n“It is an afterthought and has not featured in any major planning to support any broader endgame. It reveals that the US-Iran war against Iran has been poorly thought out,” he said.\nHere’s what we know so far:\nWhat is happening?\nCNN reported on Wednesday that the CIA is negotiating with multiple Kurdish groups to aid them in an uprising.\nUS officials told CNN the aim would be to use the Kurds to stretch Iranian forces and allow popular protests, or help them seize and control northern Iran, and thus create a buffer for Israel.\nTrump spoke with Mustafa Hijri, head of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), on Tuesday, CNN reported, quoting a Kurdish official. In the coming days, Kurdish groups in Iran are set to participate in ground operations in western Iran, the official told CNN.\nEarlier on Tuesday, US publication Axios also reported that on Sunday, a day after the US-Israeli bombing campaign on Iran began, Trump spoke to the leaders of two Kurdish groups in Iraq: Masoud Barzani, who leads the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).\nAxios cited sources with knowledge of the exchanges. The publication also reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had lobbied for the US-Kurds connection for months. Israel has established intelligence networks among Kurdish groups in Iran, Iraq and Syria.\nAt least one Kurdish leader, Bafel Talabani, has confirmed the call with Trump.\nIn a statement on Tuesday, the PUK said Trump “offered an opportunity to better understand US objectives and to discuss joint support for building a strong partnership between the United States and Iraq”.\nNo further details were given.\nAnalyst Quilliam said the plan could fuel domestic conflict inside Iran by pitching opposition groups against each other, rather than helping them team up to challenge “the remnants of the regime”.\n“There can be little trust or faith amongst Iran’s Kurdish groups that US support will be honoured,” he said.\n“Trump’s approach to regime change is very much a DIY approach, and although supporting Iran’s Kurdish groups might advance that goal, it would be doing so without any responsibility for what happens: the US can simply walk away and leave the mess behind.”\nWhat is the US’s history of arming Kurdish groups?\nKurds are an ethnic minority spread across the Middle East, but without a state of their own and with a history of marginalisation across countries. They share a common culture and language. Several Kurdish groups have for decades sought self-governance in Turkiye, Syria and Iran.\nWashington has been a historical ally, particularly of Iraqi Kurds. The US provided tactical support in the form of no-fly zones that protected Kurdish groups during the 1991 uprising, although Washington was criticised for prompting the revolt and then abandoning people as Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein responded violently.\nThe no-fly zone allowed the creation of a de facto Kurdish-controlled region, the Kurdish Regional Government, which was officially recognised in 2005.\nSince 2014, the US has also partnered militarily with the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to fight ISIL (ISIS) in Iraq.\nSimilarly, the US, under Trump’s first administration in 2017, trained and armed the People’s Protection Units (YPG) – a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkiye lists as a “terror” group due to links with the proscribed Turkiye-based Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – in its successful resistance to ISIL.\nThe group, which now forms the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), controlled Raqqa and other ISIL strongholds until very recently. However, Washington turned away from the group and backed the new government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which took power in December 2024. The SDF signed a deal with the Syrian government to integrate into the government forces. In return, the Syrian government recognised Kurdish rights.\nThe main Turkish Kurdish group has decided to lay down arms and engage with the Turkish state after four decades of bloody armed rebellion.\nWashington’s alliance with Iranian Kurds is therefore not strategic, analyst Quilliam noted. The US has demonstrated its ability to step back from alliances, he said, and from the viewpoint of important regional partners, Washington could cause anger.\n“It would be a major concern for Washington’s partners in the region, most notably Turkiye and Syria, and it would be a major headache for Iraq too,” he said.\nA brief history of the CIA’s arming and funding of rebel groups\nThe US spy agency has funded, trained and supplied weapons to rebels and armed groups across numerous countries over the past five to six decades.\nAfghanistan: Starting in the late 1970s, the CIA funded and trained Afghan mujahideen to fight the Soviet occupation.\nLibya: The US spy agency provided intelligence and other support to rebels fighting the longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.\nIran: The CIA, in a joint operation with the British spy agency MI6, helped groups, including military officers, to overthrow the country’s first democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, in 1953.\nNicaragua: In the 1980s, the CIA provided weapons and funds to the Contras against the socialist Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega. The CIA also backed armed groups in Guatemala (1954) and Cuba (1960-61) and El Salvador to destabilise the governments critical of US policy in Latin America.\nVietnam: Starting in the 1950s, the CIA began arming rebels in Vietnam. Later, it sent its army, making it one of the bloodiest US interventions of all time.\nIndonesia: In the late 1960s, the US spy agency armed rebels against President Sukarno.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:17:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/is-the-cia-planning-to-arm-kurdish-forces-to-spark-an-uprising-in-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_21642dc0952e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "An outlier for condemning Israel’s Gaza genocide, Spain says no to Iran war",
    "body_text": "Madrid, Spain – Spain has pledged to keep opposing the war waged by the United States and Israel on Iran after President Donald Trump said Washington would cut off all commercial links with Madrid.\nTrump’s rebuke on Tuesday came after Washington’s European ally refused to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Ukraine to help down Iran’s drones: How Russia’s war rewrote the playbook\n- list 2 of 4Spain refuses to let US use bases for Iran attacks\n- list 3 of 4Trump: ‘We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain’\n- list 4 of 4Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance\n“Spain has been terrible,” the president told reporters on Tuesday during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding, “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of the few left-wing leaders in Europe to condemn the US-Israel attack on Iran as “unjustifiable” and “dangerous”, said in a televised nationwide address on Wednesday that Spain’s position was “no to the war”.\n“This is how humanity’s great disasters start … The world cannot solve its problems with conflicts and bombs.”\nHis position cements Spain’s status as an outlier in Europe; Madrid has been one of the few European nations to consistently condemn Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.\nAt the Patron Bar in Malasana, Madrid, Gema Tamarit watched Sanchez’s address on the television in the restaurant, which turned up the volume.\n“That Trump is mad. We are not afraid of him. Good for Sanchez for sticking up to him. Some more leaders in Europe should do the same,” said Tamarit, 53, a software engineer. “Of course, Iran is an awful regime, but is this the way to change things, by going to war like this?”\nA series of opinion polls suggests that more than half of Spaniards oppose Trump’s foreign policy.\nAccording to a poll published by Eurobazuka in February, 53 percent said they opposed the US president’s policies, the third highest group by nationality after the French and Belgians, with 57 percent and 62 percent, respectively.\nIn another poll published in January, nearly 60 percent of Spaniards said they disagreed with the US president’s operation to arrest the former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to a survey published by GESOP for Prensa Iberica media group.\nThe Eurobazuka poll said 48 percent of Europeans considered Trump to be “an enemy of Europe”, compared with 10 percent who believed he was an ally.\nTrump’s trade threat\nAnalysts said the US may not be able to inflict much commercial damage on Spain, as it is part of the European Union.\nLast month, the US Supreme Court declared Trump’s threat to impose a range of tariffs worldwide as illegal.\nVictor Burguete, an expert in trade and economics at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs think tank, said the only way Trump could act against Spain would be to prove the US faced a situation of national emergency.\n“It is not likely that he can prove acting against Spain is a national emergency,” he told Al Jazeera. “I think this is more a threat than a real possibility of ending trade with Spain.\nThe dispute erupted when the US relocated 15 aircraft, including refuelling tankers, from the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain on Monday after the country’s socialist government said it would not allow them to be used to attack Iran.\nTrump has also referred to Spain’s refusal to raise spending on NATO from 2 to 5 percent of gross domestic product, saying “Spain has absolutely nothing that we need.”\nSanchez has provoked Trump’s anger with policies including refusing to let vessels transporting weapons to Israel dock in Spain and condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Spain was among the first European nations to recognise a State of Palestine in 2024, along with Ireland, Slovenia and Norway.\n“Trump is just angry because Spain has refused to raise NATO spending and condemned the technology companies connected with social media. And done this publicly,” said Burguete.\nSpain last month announced it was considering banning children under 16 from accessing social media, and was studying legal action against Grok, Instagram and TikTok.\nBruguete said he believed Sanchez took this stance against the war because he opposed the “strongman politics” of Trump, but also because it played well domestically before the general elections next year.\n“There is no doubt that the foreign policy of Trump is not popular in Spain,” he added.\nSpain is the world’s top exporter of olive oil and sells auto parts, steel and chemicals to the US, but is less vulnerable to Trump’s threats of economic punishment than other European nations.\nThe US had a trade surplus with Spain for the fourth year in a row in 2025, at $4.8bn, according to US Census Bureau Data, with US exports of $26.1bn and imports of $21.3bn.\nThe EU said on Wednesday it expected the US to abide by a trade deal with the EU, was “ready to act” to safeguard its interests, and stood in “full solidarity” with member states, but did not name Spain.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:22:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/spain-no-to-israel-us-war-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ee31df24970b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Here are all the countries now involved in the Iran conflict - Axios",
    "body_text": "Here are all the countries now involved in the Iran conflict    Axios",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:26:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTFBUbW1aRVM5N3RKMnJqSTVsSEFiVy1tXzRJYkNhUTlKQ05aVUN3MzZIdDNfTVFjVEYzRUs2SnhBVmFzZ3hUSEYxOEQzNWV0QTVyeXhMX0hoRnZlalJtR2hGSlFaUG5TdnM1UDREckw4M0c3WGs?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_89d94b8d050b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "An outlier for condemning Israel’s Gaza genocide, Spain says no to Iran war - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Madrid, Spain – Spain has pledged to keep opposing the war waged by the United States and Israel on Iran after President Donald Trump said Washington would cut off all commercial links with Madrid.\nTrump’s rebuke on Tuesday came after Washington’s European ally refused to let the US military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Ukraine to help down Iran’s drones: How Russia’s war rewrote the playbook\n- list 2 of 4Spain refuses to let US use bases for Iran attacks\n- list 3 of 4Trump: ‘We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain’\n- list 4 of 4Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance\n“Spain has been terrible,” the president told reporters on Tuesday during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, adding, “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of the few left-wing leaders in Europe to condemn the US-Israel attack on Iran as “unjustifiable” and “dangerous”, said in a televised nationwide address on Wednesday that Spain’s position was “no to the war”.\n“This is how humanity’s great disasters start … The world cannot solve its problems with conflicts and bombs.”\nHis position cements Spain’s status as an outlier in Europe; Madrid has been one of the few European nations to consistently condemn Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.\nAt the Patron Bar in Malasana, Madrid, Gema Tamarit watched Sanchez’s address on the television in the restaurant, which turned up the volume.\n“That Trump is mad. We are not afraid of him. Good for Sanchez for sticking up to him. Some more leaders in Europe should do the same,” said Tamarit, 53, a software engineer. “Of course, Iran is an awful regime, but is this the way to change things, by going to war like this?”\nA series of opinion polls suggests that more than half of Spaniards oppose Trump’s foreign policy.\nAccording to a poll published by Eurobazuka in February, 53 percent said they opposed the US president’s policies, the third highest group by nationality after the French and Belgians, with 57 percent and 62 percent, respectively.\nIn another poll published in January, nearly 60 percent of Spaniards said they disagreed with the US president’s operation to arrest the former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to a survey published by GESOP for Prensa Iberica media group.\nThe Eurobazuka poll said 48 percent of Europeans considered Trump to be “an enemy of Europe”, compared with 10 percent who believed he was an ally.\nTrump’s trade threat\nAnalysts said the US may not be able to inflict much commercial damage on Spain, as it is part of the European Union.\nLast month, the US Supreme Court declared Trump’s threat to impose a range of tariffs worldwide as illegal.\nVictor Burguete, an expert in trade and economics at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs think tank, said the only way Trump could act against Spain would be to prove the US faced a situation of national emergency.\n“It is not likely that he can prove acting against Spain is a national emergency,” he told Al Jazeera. “I think this is more a threat than a real possibility of ending trade with Spain.\nThe dispute erupted when the US relocated 15 aircraft, including refuelling tankers, from the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain on Monday after the country’s socialist government said it would not allow them to be used to attack Iran.\nTrump has also referred to Spain’s refusal to raise spending on NATO from 2 to 5 percent of gross domestic product, saying “Spain has absolutely nothing that we need.”\nSanchez has provoked Trump’s anger with policies including refusing to let vessels transporting weapons to Israel dock in Spain and condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Spain was among the first European nations to recognise a State of Palestine in 2024, along with Ireland, Slovenia and Norway.\n“Trump is just angry because Spain has refused to raise NATO spending and condemned the technology companies connected with social media. And done this publicly,” said Burguete.\nSpain last month announced it was considering banning children under 16 from accessing social media, and was studying legal action against Grok, Instagram and TikTok.\nBruguete said he believed Sanchez took this stance against the war because he opposed the “strongman politics” of Trump, but also because it played well domestically before the general elections next year.\n“There is no doubt that the foreign policy of Trump is not popular in Spain,” he added.\nSpain is the world’s top exporter of olive oil and sells auto parts, steel and chemicals to the US, but is less vulnerable to Trump’s threats of economic punishment than other European nations.\nThe US had a trade surplus with Spain for the fourth year in a row in 2025, at $4.8bn, according to US Census Bureau Data, with US exports of $26.1bn and imports of $21.3bn.\nThe EU said on Wednesday it expected the US to abide by a trade deal with the EU, was “ready to act” to safeguard its interests, and stood in “full solidarity” with member states, but did not name Spain.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:28:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiekFVX3lxTE9NSUhaTUJmVmNrR3VBdG1NNVNycmR1WGdFT3FBZF9wQ3RuLWhUYjBXaV9YZDI5ZVhvMmdKZG9Gd21hVmR6c2VjUGlNR2U5Wl9hdjc1S3F3Wk5neGp3eFIwVldvaGtsZEEzSWVVRGlqMFpNcHROSlA3TGV30gF_QVVfeXFMUFVCMEY1ZDNVX3B6YjJyaWRyWVRRZHZfbjB6ek50SFBjeWpHNS1DbXc1aXEydFlZbU9YY0hSanNKdU9aQmlPR1FxXzI1RGMxV3FDTEZTVnNZLTFFNXNCX1Nxck4zVEpZTDU4d0drMGZkckJQNnpvenlTbjY5YU9BNA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_11b890bac6a9",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "What’s the goal of America's war on Iran? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Almost 2,000 targets in Iran have been hit by the US in the first four days of the war.\nUS Central Command says it has severely degraded the country's air defences and destroyed hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.\nPeople in Iran, where the death toll is nearing 800, and across the Middle East are anxiously waiting for a resolution to the conflict.\nBut US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the war must now take its course, without clarifying what the end goal is.\nIs America’s war about the nuclear issue, the proxy project or even regime change? Some US politicians have expressed confusion over what the Trump administration’s justification is for launching this conflict alongside Israel.\nIn this update report for Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the US objectives in Iran and discusses the latest developments across the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:31:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOUDJZU2RfdTQwZWRFZ1E5YTZIdV9PWng2QlA0SGg1d1F4V0VDdDZnUm9UX0Z0OE5RRy1POUxzTkhhdUlOLW1EbG11RXJhU2ZDUVpxaHltWTVIMS1fR20wcWhtOWRvbXYzeHFqMzBjTVRjYkdPc0hIc2xPSWJrWjhEdlVFbFlqUm5ldFp2T2pFNGwwYWRoR1o2T2t2Yy1LOVVjeEM2cHFiNVBFVVRPQk9mUnh3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6c0f80b5c36f",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Three men arrested in UK on suspicion of spying for China",
    "body_text": "MP not seen anything to suspect husband has 'broken any law', after China spy arrests\nScottish Labour MP Joani Reid has said she has never seen anything to make her suspect her husband has \"broken any law\", after three men were arrested on suspicion of spying for China.\nEarlier, the Metropolitan Police said men, aged 39, 43 and 68, had been arrested in London and Wales as part of a counter-terrorism policing investigation under the National Security Act.\nThere is no \"imminent or direct threat to the public\", the Met added, and all three suspects are being held in custody.\nReid, who represents East Kilbride and Strathaven, said she is \"not part of\" her husband David Taylor's business activities.\nShe added: \"Neither I nor my children are part of this investigation, and we should not be treated by media organisations as though we are. Above all I expect media organisations to respect my children's privacy.\"\nReid added that she had never been to China nor had she ever spoken on any China-related matters in the House of Commons.\n\"I have never asked a question on China-related matters. As far as I am aware I have never met any Chinese businesses whilst I have been an MP, any Chinese diplomats or government employees, nor raised any concern with ministers or anyone else on behalf of, even coincidentally, Chinese interests.\n\"I am a social democrat who believes in freedom of expression, free trade unions and free elections. I am not any sort of admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist party's dictatorship.\"\nThe Met Police said a 39-year-old man was arrested in London; while a 68-year-old man was arrested in Powys, Wales and a 43-year-old man was arrested in Pontyclun, Wales.\nThe men have been accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service under section three of the National Security Act, which was introduced in 2023 to target suspects accused of working against UK interests.\nAll three have been detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and remain in police custody, the Met added.\nAs part of the investigation, searches were carried out in London, East Kilbride and Cardiff.\nThe Met said they were supported by counter-terror police in Wales and in Scotland.\nA Police Scotland spokesperson said: \"On Wednesday, 4 March, we carried out a search of an address in East Kilbride on behalf of an investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London.\"\nCommander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the force had seen a \"significant increase\" in national security casework in recent years, but officers were working to \"disrupt malign activity where we suspect it\".\nSecurity Minister Dan Jarvis said if Chinese interference in UK sovereign affairs were proven, \"severe consequences\" would be imposed.\n\"This government stands resolute in our resolve to counter foreign interference activity targeting the UK from any state actor,\" he told MPs.\nBritish officials had informed Chinese counterparts in London and Beijing about the allegations, he added.\nJarvis also said it would be \"naive\" for anyone to say that the UK should not have a \"functional working relationship with China\".\nIn response to Jarvis in the Commons, shadow cabinet office minister Alex Burghart said: \"Unless the United Kingdom stands up to these threats, our country will continue to be treated with disdain.\"\nBurghart referenced the previous collapsed spy scandal case involving China, and the recent approval of the Chinese mega-embassy in central London, despite opponents warning it could be used as a base for espionage and pose security risks.\nConservative leader Kemi Badenoch posted a video on X, saying: \"The spouse of a sitting Labour MP has reportedly been arrested for spying, alongside the partner of a former Labour MP.\n\"These men were arrested under the National Security Act, suspected of assisting a foreign intelligence service, directly targeting our democracy.\n\"China is targeting Britain, targeting our MPs. Enough.\nShe also criticised Sir Keir's decision to visit Beijing in January, and the government's approval to build a new Chinese embassy in London.\nAdditional reporting by Ella Kipling.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:34:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7955ewj7gwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_46cb9c2152b4",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Is the US-Israel-Iran war the beginning of World War III? | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah",
    "body_text": "While indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran regarding Tehran's nuclear facilities continue, the military operation code-named “Epic Fury” launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28 has seriously shaken the balance of power in the Middle East.\nIn the first phase of the operation, targets included key members of Iran's leadership, air defense capabilities, communications and intelligence centers, missile bases, the infrastructure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the navy.\nAmong the leaders who were killed were Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian defense minister, the chief of staff and the commander of the IRGC. U.S. President Donald Trump announced that since the large-scale combat operations started, 48 leading figures had been killed in the attacks.\nFollowing that, with Tehran retaliating by launching attacks across the Middle East, the war has rapidly escalated into a regional conflict. The Iranian military carried out attacks with ballistic and hypersonic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against Israel and U.S. military bases in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, southern Cyprus and Iraq.\nOn the other side, Israel, citing Hezbollah's attacks as justification, launched operations across Lebanon, targeting southern Beirut. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the army to advance into Lebanon and seize additional strategic points.\nUnlike the 1991 Gulf War and the 2013 Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the Pentagon used bases in the territories of Arab allies in the Gulf as forward attack platforms.\nWhile the U.S. destroyed missile bases and launch pads in southern and central Iran, Israel focused on the north of the country, showing a clear division of labor.\nAs the Israeli Air Force attacked with 200 fighter jets to destroy Western Iran's air defenses, the U.S. Army targeted the Revolutionary Guard Navy in the first wave to prevent the Iranian Navy from launching retaliatory attacks against international shipping and U.S. Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the operation against Iranian targets had destroyed and sunk nine Iranian warships and was going after the rest, adding that Iran's naval headquarters had also been largely destroyed.\nAs these developments are unfolding, the U.S. and Israel aim to support the Iranian opposition with intense attacks and firepower pressure, to bring about a planned mass uprising and implement a plan to change the regime.\nWhen developments are carefully analyzed, it is my opinion that U.S.-Israeli intelligence sought to force the IRGC, Basij, Hezbollah, Quds Force, proxy forces and security organizations to lay down their arms through internal turmoil and strategically aim to divide the country using a Trojan Horse tactic and seize control.\nHowever, the American public, which strongly supported the 1991 and 2003 Iraq wars, is reluctant to support this option, relying on their accurate intuition that no one knows what the consequences in Iran will be. In this context, polls conducted in February 2026 showed that only 21% of Americans supported attacks on Iran, while 49% considered them unnecessary and costly, and 30% were undecided.\nTrump, on the other hand, seems to believe that attacking Iran would be a political victory or at least distract attention from the Epstein files. U.S. Representative Ted Lieu stated that the entire Epstein file contains information about Trump, so he started a world war to distract the American public from his crimes.\nFollowing a closed-door session, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz stated: \"There are times when you go into a classified session, and you walk out with a better understanding about the gravity of the situation and the rationale behind the military action. This is not one of those times. We remain as confused as the American people are.”\nAnother senator, Ed Markey, said, ”I just came out of a closed briefing on Iran, and it only confirmed what we already knew: Donald Trump is waging an illegal war and has no plan for how to end it.\"\nThese statements reveal a serious rift between the legislative, executive and military branches of the U.S. government and point to the possibility of a new “Vietnam Syndrome” in the future, which is one of the most critical messages of this article.\nIndeed, as discussions about whether the “Crusades” are returning to the U.S. military come to the fore, events on the U.S. military front are leading to debates not only about a religious dispute but also about the systematic processing of a global “Armageddon” scenario within the military.\nMeanwhile, the U.S., considering the losses incurred after Iranian missile attacks, is closing its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and calling on Americans to leave 14 countries, following the first-ever downing of some F-15 fighter jets in combat by friendly fire from U.S. F-18 fighter jets.\nIran is directing its retaliation not only at Israel but also at the U.S. military bases in the Gulf countries and British bases on the divided island of Cyprus draw reaction.\nDespite Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi saying that Iran was not attacking its neighbors but rather the U.S. presence in these countries, Iran's targets included high-rise buildings, ports and oil infrastructure in densely populated Gulf cities.\nAmong all the targets, Iran has particularly focused on destroying the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, which has an extensive database of intelligence and logistics, warships, destroyers, submarines, aircrafts and aircraft carriers, with a total of 15,000 personnel and thousands of advanced missiles.\nHowever, Iran's attacks seem to be doing the opposite of creating a rift between the U.S. and its Gulf Arab allies. Gulf Arab countries, except Oman, issued a joint statement with the U.S., confirming their “unity” against Iran's attacks.\nFrom a political-military perspective, the priority for Iran is to ensure the survival of the state.\nTo overcome the shock of the initial attacks, maintain sufficient military and political unity and prolong the war to preserve the will to fight, it is necessary to initiate a new-scale “Tanker War” in the Persian Gulf, as seen in the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. This would aim to quickly secure a cease-fire with the support of the rest of the world amid a global energy crisis.\nTargeting the Gulf's oil and natural gas infrastructure, including successful attacks on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery, oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuzand Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, could affect the hydrocarbon export capabilities of the Arab Gulf states.\nIn response to Iran's attacks, Qatar has suspended LNG production. This critical development has caused European gas prices to rise by 50%.\nAs images circulate of Iranian UAVs crashing into tall buildings, the potential damage to their reputation as safe havens for investors and tourists could pose a long-term challenge to the Gulf countries' economic diversification vision.\nEven though Iran's missile war against U.S. bases and Israel has caused serious damage in Israel, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries, Iran's inventory of missiles, ammunition and launchers is insufficient to sustain the war against the heavy bombardment and absolute air superiority of American warplanes. It is also important to note that during the 12-Day War, the Iranian Air Force and air defense had already proved its inadequecy.\nTherefore, Iran is not fighting to achieve a victory against the U.S.-Israel onslaught in the context of traditional military doctrine, but rather to sustain the regime's existence.\nExceptionally, China is providing Iran with continuous signals intelligence (SIGINT) and terrain mapping using its fleet of over 500 satellites. This support helps Iran track the movements of U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf in real time.\nWhile the war is undoubtedly viewed with concern around the world, Ankara, as a neighboring country, is following developments with concern and maintaining contact with the parties for a diplomatic solution.\nPresident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that they are striving for a diplomatic solution and said, “We are mobilizing all our resources to free our region from this stranglehold.” Describing the attacks launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran as “Netanyahu's provocation,” Erdoğan called for common sense to prevent the region from being dragged into a ring of fire.\nErdoğan said: “As neighbors and brothers, we share the pain of the Iranian people. Our entire stance on the illegal attacks targeting Iran is in this direction. Iran is our neighbor. Our priority is to secure a cease-fire and open the door to dialogue. For this, the fire must be extinguished before it grows any further.”\nForeign Minister Hakan Fidan also stated that Türkiye has the capacity to defend itself and that the possibility of the war spreading to Türkiye is low. Fidan also noted that the duration of the attacks on Iran is uncertain, but that Türkiye is preparing for possible scenarios. Fidan stated that the necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of Turkish citizens in the region and that there is currently no possibility of migration from Iran to Türkiye.\nOn the international front, the U.N., NATO and the European countries have called for an end to the war.\nChina asserted that attacking Iran was part of the plan from the outset and that it was the U.S., not Iran, that closed the Strait of Hormuz. According to Beijing, Trump secured Venezuelan oil in advance, knowing that it would destabilize West Asia.\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow had seen no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons regarding the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.\nThe first scenario that stands out is that the airstrikes against the Iranian state's instruments could lead to popular uprisings and regime change. As a consequence, the U.S. could reach an agreement with the new administration on Gulf security and administrative reforms. Nuclear activities, missiles and military capacity would be weakened so as not to threaten Israel, leading to commercial cooperation in bringing Iranian oil and gas resources to world markets. Türkiye could take on the role of mediator for a cease-fire at this point.\nAccording to the second scenario, Iran may increasingly target energy infrastructure in Gulf countries. This would aim to impose costs on international markets to force the U.S and its allies into a cease-fire before achieving their goal of overthrowing the regime. Iran's attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure could lead to retaliation and involvement in the conflict by Gulf countries.\nIran's missile attack on Azerbaijan's Baku oil facilities may accelerate the energy wars. If the conflict spreads to the Caspian energy resources, Russia may take advantage of the shrinking energy market to open the door to lifting embargoes, which would allow it to enter the European energy market.\nThe third scenario is also energy-focused, whereby Iran could disrupt gas and oil shipments in the Persian Gulf, using the economic pressure of energy prices on the U.S. to reestablish a cease-fire and return to the negotiating table. However, Trump's statement that the U.S. Navy will escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and his order for Washington to provide insurance for shipping could signal the start of a new “Tanker War.”\nFourthly, within the framework of international law and Article 2 of the U.N. Charter, this conflict, based on legally controversial grounds, risks causing chaos in the Middle East and killing thousands of civilians, as well as potentially paving the way for new global-scale terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens in the coming years.\nIn the fifth and worst-case scenario, the U.S. may announce that the “big wave” of attacks on Iran is yet to come, not ruling out the possibility of sending U.S. ground troops to Iran. This would lead to a war that causes long-term instability in the whole Middle East. Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the conflict with Iran would not be an “endless war,” but could continue for some time, his attacks on Lebanon and Iran's strike on British bases on the island of Cyprus could lead to the war expanding. This pessimistic scenario could result in mass refugee flows, disruptions to trade and energy supplies, and unrest within Iran, potentially triggering the PKK's territorial demands.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:36:00+00:00",
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    "title": "Damage to Israeli economy from Iran war seen at about $3 billion a week - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Damage to Israeli economy from Iran war seen at about $3 billion a week    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:37:46+00:00",
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    "title": "Goldman Sachs Strategists Say Buy the Stock Dip From Iran and AI - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Goldman Sachs Strategists Say Buy the Stock Dip From Iran and AI    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:43:52+00:00",
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    "body_text": "Iran War Spurs Emerging Markets Rout, Threatens Investment Case    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:44:21+00:00",
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    "title": "Trump defends war with Iran as conflict widens, military names first service members who were killed - CBS News",
    "body_text": "Follow\n. See earlier developments below.What to know on Day 4 of the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran\n- President Trump is defending his decision to launch the , saying in the Oval Office Tuesday there would have been a nuclear war without intervention, and that Iran \"would have taken out many countries.\"\n- Israel sent troops into Lebanon as the war widened, and some of Iran's Gulf neighbors warned that Iran's retaliatory fire could draw them into the spreading conflict. The U.S. consulate in Dubai was hit by a drone.\n- Americans are being 14 countries in the region because of \"serious safety risks,\" and the U.S. embassies in Beirut, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are closed due to the conflict. Six . The Iranian Red Crescent said at least 787 people have been killed in Iran, but reports inside the country suggest the toll is more likely in the thousands.\n- The Pentagon of four U.S. service members who were killed in an Iranian counterattack in Kuwait. Two other Americans have not yet been named.\nHead of Iran's judiciary raises possibility of executing \"those who say or do anything\" backing U.S.-Israeli airstrikes\nIran's judiciary chief on Wednesday threatened \"those who say or do anything\" in support of the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign now targeting the Islamic Republic.\nGholam Hosseini Mohseni Ejehei made the comments in an interview with Iranian state television.\nHis remarks raised the possibility of those detained facing death-penalty charges, as cooperating with an enemy can carry execution if convicted.\n\"As we said during the unrest, riot cases are a priority,\" Ejehei said, referring to January's nationwide protests that Iran violently suppressed. \"We have now also announced that those who cooperate with the enemy in any way will be considered an enemy.\"\nHe added: \"Those who say or do anything in line with the will of America and the Zionist regime are on the enemy's side and must be dealt with on revolutionary, Islamic principles and in accordance with the time of war.\"\nIsrael says it shot down Iranian fighter jet over Tehran\nThe Israeli military said its air force shot down an Iranian fighter jet over Tehran on Wednesday.\n\"An Israeli Air Force F-35I fighter jet ('Adir') shot down an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter jet a short while ago over the skies of Tehran,\" the Israel Defense Forces said on social media.\n\"This is the first shootdown in history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35 \"Adir\" fighter jet,\" the statement pointed out.\nThe F-35 is the newsest fighter jet in the U.S. and Israeli arsenals.\nCBS/AFP\n\"No to war,\" Spain's prime minister tells Trump\nSpain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hit back Wednesday at President Trump's criticisms of Madrid's refusal to let U.S. planes use Spanish bases to attack Iran.\n\"The position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war,\" he said in a televised address, a day after Mr. Trump threatened to sever all trade with Spain.\n\"We will not be complicit in something that is harmful to the world and contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of retaliation,\" Sanchez said.\n\"This is how humanity's great disasters start. ... You cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions,\" Sanchez said, according to the Reuters news agency.\nCBS/AFP\nIsrael defense minister: Any successor to Khamenei would be \"target for assassination\"\nIsrael's Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Wednesday to assassinate any Iranian leader picked to succeed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran.\n\"Any leader selected by the Iranian terror regime to continue leading the plan for Israel's destruction, threatening the United States, the free world and countries in the region, and suppressing the Iranian people, will be a certain target for assassination, no matter his name or where he hides,\" Katz said in a post on X.\nAir strike hits Hezbollah bastion in Beirut after Israeli warning: AFPTV\nAn air strike hit Hezbollah's bastion in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Wednesday, AFPTV footage showed, after an evacuation order from the Israeli army.\nThe strike follows a series of deadly raids that, for the first time, targeted a Beirut neighborhood near the presidential palace, as well as areas south of the Lebanese capital and the ancient city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, leaving 11 people dead.\nState funeral for Ayatollah Khamenei to begin Wednesday evening\nIran will hold a three-day state funeral for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes, official news agency Irna said.\n\"The faithful will be able to pay a final homage to the body of the martyred guide of the nation, by visiting the Imam Khomenei grand mosque\" in Tehran, Irna said, citing a statement from the Islamic Development Coordination Council.\nKhamenei will be buried in his home city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.\nArrangements for the funeral procession to Mashhad will be announced when they are finalized, state media added, according to the Reuters news agency.\nKhamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.\nCBS/AFP\nIsrael launches fresh round of strikes on Tehran\nExplosions sounded in Tehran Wednesday as Iran's war with the U.S. and Israel entered a fifth day following earlier strikes on an Iranian nuclear site and retaliatory strikes by the Islamic Republic across the Gulf region.\nThe explosions around Tehran came at dawn, according to Iran state television, while Israel's military said its air defenses had been activated to intercept incoming Iranian missiles and explosions were heard around Jerusalem.\nIsrael Defense Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a social media post that Israel's strikes targeted \"regime-affiliated sites across Tehran.\"\nAdraee said the Israeli Air Force struck dozens of buildings belonging to Iran's Basij forces. The Basij is a paramilitary branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.\nMissile launch platforms and defensive systems were also targeted.\nIsrael issues warning to 16 Lebanese villages, indicating strikes coming\nThe Israeli military issued an \"urgent warning\" to the residents of 16 southern Lebanese villages and towns early Wednesday morning local time, indicating that it was likely planning to conduct strikes in their region.\nAvichay Adraee, a spokesperson for Israel Defense Forces, wrote in a social media post in Arabic that residents were urged, for their safety, to evacuate their homes immediately and stay at least 1,000 meters outside of the villages listed.\n\"Protect your safety and the safety of your loved ones, evacuate immediately, and do not return to the villages and towns at this stage,\" Adraee wrote.\nOn Tuesday, Israel had issued a similar warning to dozens of southern Lebanese towns to evacuate.\nThe militant group Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based proxy of Iran, began launching missiles and drones into northern Israel Monday.\nIsrael countered by sending troops into southern Lebanon Tuesday and launching its own wave of airstrikes, some of which were on the Beirut area.\nThe IDF said late Tuesday night that airstrikes had targeted 60 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, including \"weapons storage facilities, missile launchers, command centers, and additional terrorist infrastructure.\"\nSome of the sites hit also belonged to Hamas, the IDF said.\nCIA sites in Iraq and Saudi Arabia hit by drones, sources say\nCIA sites in Iraq and Saudi Arabia were attacked by drones over the last two days, according to an intelligence source and a Gulf source.\nThe Iraqi site was hit by two drones. No Americans were present at the time. There were no casualties at the CIA site in Saudi Arabia, the sources said.\nThe CIA and the Saudi Embassy in D.C. are not commenting.\nSpeaker Johnson says a war powers vote on Iran would be \"dangerous\"\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back on demands from some lawmakers — mostly Democrats — to hold a war powers vote restricting President Trump from continuing to strike Iran, arguing it \"plays right into the hands of the enemy.\"\n\"The idea that a few colleagues here would try to move a war powers motion and resolution to the floor right now is dangerous,\" the Louisiana Republican told reporters after a briefing by administration officials on the Iran operation. \"Imagine a scenario where Congress would vote to tell the commander in chief that he was no longer allowed to complete this mission, that would be a very dangerous thing.\"\nJohnson said he's supportive of the Iran strikes and believes Mr. Trump acted within his legal authority, saying Iran's ballistic missile program posed an \"imminent and serious threat.\"\nPelosi says Trump administration gave conflicting explanations for Iran strikes\nFormer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, was critical of the Trump administration after House lawmakers were briefed on the war with Iran, arguing that officials have given contradictory explanations for why the operation was necessary.\n\"We all agree that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. We want to know what the purpose of this is. [Secretary of State Marco Rubio] said we had to go in because Israel was going in. We had to go in next. The president said, 'No, that wasn't,'\" Pelosi told reporters. \"So we're hearing different things, and that's most unfortunate.\"\nRep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also said he believes lawmakers didn't get a clear explanation for why the conflict began when it did.\nHe told reporters that \"there was clearly no imminent threat to the United States of America.\"\nAlmost 2,000 targets struck in Iran operation, CENTCOM says\nThe U.S. operation against Iran has hit nearly 2,000 targets over the last 100 hours, according to Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command.\nCooper said on X that U.S. forces have destroyed hundreds of Iranian missiles, launchers and drones, and 17 naval vessels. He also said the strikes have degraded Iran's air defenses.\n\"In simple terms, we're focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us,\" he said.\nHe said Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones at U.S. forces and U.S.-allied countries in the region in retaliation. \"Iran's ability to hit us and our partners is declining, while our combat power, on the other hand, is building,\" he said, and argued the U.S. is \"ahead of our gameplan.\"\nMost say Trump administration still hasn't explained Iran goals, CBS News poll finds\nMost Americans feel the Trump administration has not clearly explained the U.S.' goals in the conflict with Iran, a new CBS News poll found.\nExplanation — or the perceived lack of one — is linked to whether people support it or not.\nThe longer Americans believe the conflict will last, the more they disapprove. Half the country believes it'll be months, or even years before it's over.\nWhen they don't think the administration has explained, they think it'll last longer or aren't sure.\nAnd perhaps the most immediate view is this: Right now, more Americans feel the military action will make the U.S. less safe than more safe.\nOverall, most Americans disapprove of the U.S. taking military action.\nBut the president's Republican — and especially MAGA — base is solidly behind the action. Most of them think it is making the U.S. more safe.\n.\nPentagon names first U.S. service members who were killed in Iran war\nThe Pentagon released the names of four Army Reserve soldiers who were killed in a drone attack in Kuwait over the weekend, marking the first U.S. deaths in the conflict with Iran.\nTheir names are:\n- Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida\n- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska\n- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota\n- Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa\nAll four were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines.\nA total of six U.S. service members were killed Sunday at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. The names of two others who were killed are being withheld until next of kin are notified.\n.\nSenate Democrat says Trump officials didn't take ground troops off the table\nDemocratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut says Trump administration officials \"refused to take off the table the insertion of ground troops\" in Iran during a briefing with senators on Tuesday.\nMurphy has\nfor not seeking authorization to use military force in Iran. In comments to reporters on Tuesday, he pushed back on the argument that authorization isn't necessary because the war is limited in scope. Murphy said lawmakers were told \"this is an open-ended operation that hasn't even really started in earnest yet.\"\"This is going to make the operation in Libya look like child's play,\" he said, referring to a 2011 air campaign against former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi that drew criticism because the Obama administration didn't get congressional authorization. At the time, Murphy voted against authorizing force in Libya.\n\"There is no question this is war,\" said Murphy, characterizing it as the largest war in the Middle East since the U.S.'s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which began more than 20 years ago.\nSen. Graham pushes Trump to strike Hezbollah\nRepublican Sen. Lindsey Graham urged President Trump to join Israel in striking Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group and close ally of Iran.\nIsrael's military said Tuesday it has struck Hezbollah targets and sent troops across the border into southern Lebanon, after the U.S.-designated terrorist group fired at Israel, seemingly joining in Iran's retaliatory attacks amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.\n\"I'm calling on President Trump today: Join Israel to attack Hezbollah. Avenge the Marines,\" Graham told reporters on Tuesday, referring to a 1983 suicide bombing of a U.S. barracks in Lebanon that killed hundreds of American service members, an attack the U.S. has blamed on Hezbollah.\nGraham, a Trump ally and Iran hardliner, defended Mr. Trump's military campaign against Iran, arguing the Iranian regime is in its \"death throes\" and \"the demise of this regime is at hand.\" He also pushed back on criticism from Democrats that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States.\n\"The idea that you're going to let a homicidal maniac get to the imminent stage, to me, is misplaced,\" the South Carolina Republican said, speaking to reporters after Trump administration officials briefed senators on the Iran operations.\nState Department hotline tells callers: \"Do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure\"\nThe State Department is urging Americans stranded in over a dozen countries in the Middle East to call a number to ask for help in securing transport out of the Middle East.\n\"[T]he State Department is actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East,\" Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary for global public affairs, wrote on X in a message reposted by other administration accounts.\nThe number Johnson posted, 1-202-501-4444, leads to a line for American citizens abroad. But on Tuesday afternoon, when a caller indicates they're calling about the crisis in the Middle East, what they first hear is, \"Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time. There are currently no United States evacuation points. Please continue to check the embassy's website for updated information.\"\nThere do, however, appear to be more options for callers who wait after a pause and indicate they are looking for help in a Middle East country other than Israel or Iran.\nAmericans in the Middle East have been urged to enroll in the Smart Traveller Enrollment Program, which helps them to get in touch with the U.S. government, and vice versa, more quickly.\nThe State Department in a press release Tuesday said the department is facilitating charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, \"and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow.\"\nWhat B-2 bombers are targeting in Iran\nTwo U.S. officials say B-2 stealth bombers have been targeting command and control nodes of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as weapon depots and an assembly facility for Iran's rocket program. Operations are ongoing now.\nRubio stands by statement about timing of U.S. strikes\nAt the Capitol on Monday, Rubio\nthe U.S. launched its attacks on Iran after it became clear that Israel would strike the ayatollah and senior Iranian leaders.\"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties and perhaps even higher [number of] those killed,\" Rubio said.\nPresident Trump seemed to contradict Rubio at the White House earlier Tuesday, saying he felt strongly that Iran was going to attack first based on how negotiations were going, and that \"if anything, I might have forced Israel's hand,\" not the other way around.\nRubio addressed the discrepancy to reporters in the basement of the Capitol in the afternoon.\n\"The president made a decision, and the decision he made was that Iran was not going to be allowed to hide behind its ballistic missile program, that Iran was not going to be able to hide behind its ability to conduct these attacks. That decision had been made. The president made a decision to systematically destroy this terroristic capability that they had. We carried that out,\" he said.\nHe continued: \"I was very clear in that answer. This was a question of timing, of why this had to happen as a joint operation. Not the question of the intent. Once the president made a decision that negotiations were not going to work, that they were playing us on the negotiations and that this was a threat that was untenable, the decision was made to strike them. That's what I said yesterday.\"\nRubio says drone hit parking lot of U.S. consulate in Dubai, with no one injured\nSpeaking to reporters at the Capitol, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the latest information he has indicates that a drone hit the parking lot of a U.S. consulate in Dubai, sparking a fire. He said no one was injured and all personnel are accounted for.\nState Department says 9,000 Americans have left Middle East\nThe State Department says more than 9,000 Americans have returned to the U.S. from the Middle East over the past several days, including more than 300 from Israel.\n\"The Department is facilitating charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan for American citizens, and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow,\" the department said. Its statement said commercial flights \"remain available in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Egypt, and the Department is actively helping American citizens book those tickets.\"\nThe department is encouraging Americans still in the Middle East to register at step.state.gov, or call 202-501-4444 for assistance.\nU.S. consulate in Dubai hit by drone\nA senior U.S. official and a source in the Middle East confirm the U.S. consulate in Dubai has been hit by a drone.\nThe Dubai government's media office confirmed on X that a fire from a \"drone-related incident\" near the consulate has been contained and that no one was injured:\nTrump says U.S. will offer insurance, possible Navy escorts for ships traveling through the Gulf\nWriting on Truth Social, President Trump says he has ordered a federal agency to offer insurance for ships traveling through the Persian Gulf.\n\"Effective IMMEDIATELY, I have ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf,\" he wrote. \"This will be available to all Shipping Lines.\"\nHe added that the U.S. Navy will, if necessary, \"begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible.\" The Strait of Hormuz is a key strategic chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean.\nAbout 20 million barrels of oil transit the strait per day, representing about 20% of the world's oil consumption, according to a government report from last year. Most of the oil is bound for Asia.\nSenior Trump official says Iran wasn't \"willing to make the type of deal that President Trump would have been satisfied with\"\nOn a call with reporters Tuesday afternoon, senior Trump administration officials described the negotiation process leading up to the president's decision to strike Iran.\nThe president for weeks has been insisting that Iran needed to reach a deal to abandon its nuclear program. But one senior Trump administration official on the call said \"it was very clear\" the Iranian regime was trying to get the U.S. into a long, drawn-out process. The officials only agreed to speak with reporters on the condition of anonymity.\n\"We really thought that they would show real movement toward creating a real deal, but all we got were games and tricks and denials,\" one official said.\n\"It was very clear they were just trying to buy time in order to preserve whatever they could to get past the term of President Trump, in order to, you know, get to a nuclear weapon,\" the official added.\nAfter the latest negotiations concluded in Geneva, the officials said they told the president it would take months to reach a deal that may not even be satisfactory.\n\"So basically, we came back to the president, we said, 'Look, if you want us to make, you know, a deal, like an Obama kind of deal, maybe it would be an Obama-plus deal, we could probably get one done,\" the same official said. \"It would take months.\"\n\"These guys definitely were not looking to make a quick deal,\" the official continued. \"And if you're asking us at the end of the day if we're going to look at you and say we've actually solved the issue, I said look, it's going to take a lot for us to get there. Because they're basically playing games with us all over the place. It's just very, very slippery. So we said, 'Look, if you decide that you want to do diplomacy, we'll go, we'll push as hard as possible, we'll get in the room, we'll fight for every point that we can.' But these guys, they just really were showing that they didn't want to, that they weren't willing to make the type of deal that President Trump would have been satisfied with.\"\nIsrael destroyed secret nuclear facility in Tehran, IDF says\nIsrael \"attacked and destroyed\" a secret nuclear facility in Tehran on Tuesday, according to Brigadier General Efi Defrin, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces.\nDefrin said the facility was partially underground and that \"a group of nuclear scientists secretly operated there who promoted and developed capabilities and knowledge for obtaining nuclear weapons.\" He said Iran moved some nuclear activities to underground bunkers after last year's U.S. and Israeli strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.\n\"The regime tried to restore its efforts and hide them, thinking that we would not notice. They were wrong,\" he said. \"The Intelligence Branch detected and mapped these movements, and now the Air Force is attacking these headquarters throughout Tehran.\"\nDefrin said pilots in the Israeli Air Force have flown roughly 1,600 individual missions and dropped about 4,000 bombs on Iran since the war began.\n\"In the past 24 hours, hundreds of Air Force fighter jets and aircraft have launched approximately 300 consecutive attack waves in Iran, Lebanon, Tehran, and Beirut. We have simultaneously attacked hundreds of strategic targets and assets of the Iranian axis,\" Defrin said in a statement.\n— Shir Levy\nFBI agents fired by Patel worked in counterintelligence, including cases involving Iran\nMost of the FBI agents\nlast week worked on counterintelligence cases, including cases pertaining to , multiple sources told CBS News.Approximately\n, including agents, analysts and support staff, were abruptly terminated over a two-day period last week after Patel lashed out over the discovery that his phone records and those of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were subpoenaed by the FBI as part of special counsel into President Trump.The toll records at issue, which include the originating phone and recipient phone, date, time and duration of the call, are commonly sought during criminal probes and do not contain details about the content of phone calls.\nMost of the people who were fired worked in some capacity on Smith's probe into Mr. Trump's retention of classified records after he left the White House in early 2021.\nIAEA chief says Iran was not days or weeks away from building nuclear bomb\nThe head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Tuesday that Iran was not days or weeks away from building a nuclear weapon.\nRafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was asked by CNN if \"the Iranians were days or weeks away from building a bomb,\" and he said, \"No,\" the outlet reported.\nHe said there were \"many elements\" in Iran that were \"of serious concern,\" including the \"unjustified accumulation of huge amounts of almost military-grade material\" and a \"lack of transparency in inspections.\"\nBut he said \"we never had information indicating that there was a structured systematic program to build or to construct a nuclear weapon.\"\nThe U.S. attacked nuclear sites in Iran last summer, which Grossi said caused \"considerable\" damage and left Iran's nuclear program \"perhaps we could say frozen, if not, almost stopped.\"\nNumber of seriously wounded U.S. service members down from 18 to 10\nAs of Tuesday morning, the number of seriously wounded in the operation was down from 18 to 10 service members as they progressed through medical treatment, according to a U.S. official.\nState Department says it's securing military, charter flights for Americans\nThe U.S. State Department says it is securing military aircraft and charter flights for Americans seeking to leave the Middle East.\n\"Yes, the State Department is actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East,\" Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, wrote on X.\nJohnson said they've been in \"direct contact\" with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad, and U.S. citizens in the Middle East should call 1-202-501-4444 \"for assistance with departure options.\"\nThe message comes over three days after the start of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, and a day after Americans were urged to \"depart now\" from 14 countries in the region \"using available commercial transportation.\"\nMoments earlier on Tuesday, President Trump didn't answer directly when asked if the U.S. would help evacuate Americans.\nTrump says Iran would have \"taken out many countries\" in \"nuclear war\" without U.S. intervention\nPresident Trump said there would be a \"nuclear war\" without U.S. intervention to stop Iran's nuclear program and ambitions.\n\"If we don't stop them or if we didn't stop them or if we didn't start, they've been decimated, but if we didn't do what we're doing right now, you would have had a nuclear war and they would have taken out many countries,\" he said. \"Because you know what? They're sick people. They're mentally ill, sick people. They're angry, they're crazy, they're sick.\"\nTrump on why there wasn't an evacuation plan for Americans: \"It all happened very quickly\"\nPresident Trump said in the Oval Office Tuesday that there wasn't an evacuation plan for Americans abroad because \"it all happened very quickly.\"\nAmericans are now being\nto leave 14 countries across the Middle East, while many commercial flights are canceled amid airport and airspace closures.\"I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked,\" he said. \"They were getting ready to attack Israel. They were getting ready to attack others.\"\nThe president didn't answer a question about whether the U.S. government will send planes to help evacuate Americans.\nTrump describes what would be \"worst-case scenario\" in Iran\nA reporter in the Oval Office asked President Trump on Tuesday what the worst-case scenario would be in Iran.\nAt first, the president didn't have an answer, saying \"I don't know if there's a worst case.\"\n\"We have them very much militarily from the military standpoint,\" he said.\nAfter a moment, the president said the worst-case scenario would be if someone just \"as bad\" as Iran's now-deceased leaders takes over in Iran.\n\"I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person, right?\" he said. \"That could happen. We don't want that to happen. That would probably be the worst.\"\nTrump says Israel didn't force his hand in Iran: \"If anything, I might have forced Israel's hand\"\nAmid speculation that Israel pushed the U.S. to attack Iran, President Trump was asked if Israel forced his hand. \"No,\" he said in an Oval Office meeting Tuesday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.\n\"I might have forced their hand,\" the president said of Israel.\n\"If anything, I might have forced Israel's hand,\" he added.\nTrump: Iran operation is coming along \"very well\"\nMeeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, the president said the two leaders will be talking about Iran.\n\"We'll obviously be talking a little bit about Iran today,\" Mr. Trump said. \"And he's been helping us out.\"\nThe president said the war in Iran is \"coming along, as you see, very well.\"\n\"They have no navy, it's been knocked out,\" he said. \"They have no air force, it's been knocked out. … Just about everything's been knocked out.\"\nFor his part, Merz said he and the U.S. are \"on the same page\" about getting the Iranian regime out.\n\"We will talk about the day after, what will happen then,\" Merz said.\nTrump says Iran is \"running out of launchers\"\nThe president told POLITICO Tuesday morning that Iranian forces are \"running out of launchers.\"\n\"They're running out and they're running out of areas to shoot them, because they're being decimated,\" he told the publication.\nBut he also said Iranian forces are expected to \"keep lobbing missiles for a while.\"\nMr. Trump said it isn't too late for him to consider working with someone in a new Iranian government, although he noted the U.S. has killed 49 senior Iranian leaders.\n\"Nope, not too late,\" he said. \"Forty-nine [senior Iranian leaders] were killed, don't forget, so that goes pretty deep, right? New ones are emerging. A lot of people want the job. Some of them would be very good.\"\nWitkoff: Iranians said they had enough enriched uranium for 11 nuclear bombs\nSteve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, told Fox News on Monday night that Iranian negotiators said they had enough enriched uranium to make 11 nuclear bombs.\nWitkoff said President Trump sent him and Jared Kushner to the negotiations to determine whether the Iranians were serious about a peace deal. He said the negotiators told them they had \"the inalienable right to enrich all their nuclear fuel that they possessed.\"\nHe said: \"That's how they opened up. We of course responded that the president feels we have the inalienable right to stop you dead in your tracks.\"\nAccording to Witkoff, Iranian negotiators told the U.S. with \"no shame\" that they controlled 460 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, \"and they're aware that that could make 11 nuclear bombs.\"\n\"They were proud that they had evaded all sorts of oversight protocols to get to a place where they could deliver 11 nuclear bombs,\" he said.\nWitkoff said it was clear by the second meeting that it would be \"impossible\" to make a fair deal. \"But we then went back for the third meeting just to give it the last college try.\"\nU.S. Embassy in Beirut closes\nThe U.S. Embassy in Beirut said Tuesday that it is closed.\n\"Due to ongoing regional tensions, U.S. Embassy Beirut will be closed until further notice,\" it said.\n\"All other regular and emergency consular appointments have been cancelled,\" it said. \"We will communicate when the Embassy returns to normal operations.\"\nThe U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are also closed.\nChina condemns U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran\nChina has condemned the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and is calling for the military operations to be halted.\nForeign Minister Wang Yi – in phone calls with Russian, Iranian, French and Omani foreign ministers – said it is unacceptable for the U.S. and Israel to launch attacks against Iran during ongoing negotiations and to blatantly attack and kill a sovereign country's leader.\nBeijing is calling for a stop to military operations, a return to dialogue and negotiation, and joint opposition to unilateral actions, according to information shared with CBS News by a Chinese official.\nWang stressed in calls that China supports Iran in defending itself.\nAmazon says drones struck 3 Middle East data centers\nAmazon said drones struck three of its Middle East data centers, causing outages.\nDrones directly struck two Amazon Web Services facilities in the United Arab Emirates, and a third Amazon data center in Bahrain was damaged by nearby drone activity, the company said in a post on Monday on AWS's health dashboard.\n\"These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage,\" AWS said.\nOperations in the Middle East remain \"significantly impaired,\" AWS said, noting that \"customers are experiencing elevated error rates and degraded availability for services.\"\nAmazon said it is working to restore services and repair physical damage to its facilities, while cautioning that the \"broader operating environment in the Middle East remains unpredictable.\"\nThe company encouraged its customers in the region to back up data and consider migrating workloads to servers in other regions.\nDow plunges 1,100 points\nStocks in the U.S. plummeted Tuesday as jittery investors reacted to the potential fallout from the war with Iran, including the impact on global oil supplies.\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1,110 points, or 2.2%, in early trading, while the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite each dropped 1.9%.\n\"Global financial markets are in disarray, anticipating a significant interruption in supplies of crude oil and natural gas because of President Trump's war against Iran,\" Carl Weinberg, chief economist at investment advisory firm High Frequency Economics, said in a note to clients. \"The conflict is spreading, and confidence in the continuity of energy supplies is declining in parallel.\"\nU.K. considers sending warship to Cyprus base after Trump lashes out at British leader\nThe U.K. is deciding whether it will deploy its HMS Duncan warship to protect its Royal Air Force base in Cyprus, after an\nat the base on Monday, CBS News' partner network BBC News reported Tuesday.The potential move comes after President Trump told Britain's Sun tabloid newspaper that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had taken a \"not helpful\" stance on the war with Iran.\nThe relationship between the U.S. and U.K. was \"not like it used to be,\" Mr. Trump told the Sun, as he praised other European countries, including France and Germany.\n\"I never thought I'd see that. I never thought I'd see that from the U.K.,\" Mr. Trump said.\nStarmer declined the Trump administration's request to use British bases for offensive operations in Iran, but gave permission for them to be used for what the prime minister\nof eliminating Iranian missile installations.On Monday, Starmer told U.K. lawmakers that \"the lessons of history have taught us that it is important when we make decisions like this, that we establish there is a lawful basis for what the United Kingdom is doing. That is one of the lessons from Iraq, and that there's a viable thought-through plan with an objective that can be achieved or has a viable prospect of being achieved. That is the principle that I applied to the decisions that I made over the weekend.\"\nWhen asked Tuesday whether the U.S. strikes in Iran were legal under international law, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said: \"It's not for me to comment on the legal basis of actions taken by other countries.\"\nIran says nobody killed in U.S. or Israeli strikes on suspected meeting to pick new supreme leader\nIran's state media played down an apparent attempt by the U.S. or Israel to blow up a gathering of senior clerics expected to soon pick the country's new supreme leader, following the\n.Iran's Fars news agency said strikes hit buildings in the capital Tehran and the holy city of Qom, but that the Tehran site had been evacuated and the Qom building was no longer in use.\n\"The grounds of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran (the former building of the Islamic Consultative Assembly) were also targeted by attacks from fighter jets of the terrorist armies of America and Israel,\" Iran's state-run Fars news agency said Tuesday. \"Despite the intensity of the attacks, these buildings had been evacuated in advance, and fortunately, this crime resulted in no loss of life.\"\nIran's Mehr news agency also played down the impact of the strike, calling the building that was hit in Qom \"an old, secondary structure\" no longer used for meetings of the Assembly of Experts. The assembly is composed of 88 members who, under Iran's constitution, are tasked with electing the country's supreme leader who alone has the ultimate say on all matters.\nBefore the strike, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency said in a post on social media, in the Farsi language used in Iran, that it did not \"matter who is chosen today; his fate has been decreed. Only the Iranian nation will choose their future leader.\" The message was accompanied by a graphic depicting senior Iranian clerics being toppled as dominoes.\nOn Sunday, one day into the war, Iran's Foreign Minister\nif the U.S. and Israel's goal was \"regime change, that is an impossible mission. The absence or death of the leader does not mean that.\"Araghchi told the Qatari TV network Al Jazeera that \"state institutions remain in place, and we have constitutional procedures. You may see the election of a new supreme leader within a day or two.\"\nGas prices rise in U.S. as Iran war widens\nThe national average for a gallon of gas in the U.S. climbed to $3.11 on Tuesday, according to AAA. It is the first time the average cost of a gallon has risen over $3 since early December.\nFuel costs had already edged higher this year on concern about flaring tension between the U.S. and Iran. The national average a month ago was $2.88, while a week ago it was $2.95.\nUAE warns Iran it will respond to \"aggression\" as it confirms 3 killed in ongoing missile, drone strikes\nThe United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense said the country's air defenses had intercepted 11 ballistic missiles and 123 drones on Tuesday alone as Iran continued lashing out at Gulf nations in response to the joint U.S.-Israeli assault.\nThe ministry said one missile landed in UAE territory but caused no human casualties.\nSince the start of what the UAE called \"the blatant Iranian aggression\" in response to the war, the ministry said a total of 186 ballistic missiles had been launched toward the country, 172 of which were destroyed, while 13 others fell into the sea.\n\"Additionally, 812 Iranian drones were detected and 755 intercepted, while 57 fell within state territory,\" the ministry said, adding that eight cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.\n\"The attacks resulted in three fatalities of Pakistani, Nepali, and Bangladeshi nationalities, and 68 minor injuries among Emirati, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, and Afghan nationals,\" the ministry said.\nThe statement said the UAE \"reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, people, residents, and to safeguard its sovereignty, security, stability, and national interests.\"\nTrump says Iran asked for talks, but he told them it's \"too late\"\nPresident Trump said Tuesday that it was \"too late\" for talks with what is left of Iran's ruling theocracy.\n\"Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said \"Too Late!\" he posted on his Truth Social platform.\nIn an interview with The Atlantic published on Sunday, one day into the war, Mr. Trump said Iran wanted to talk, \"and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them.\"\nIsraeli medics say 5 people hurt in latest Iranian missile salvo\nIsrael's national emergency medical response agency, Magen David Adom, said there were at least two sites in central Israel hit by Iran's latest missile attack, which an IDF spokesperson said earlier involved the use of cluster munitions.\nMDA said medics and paramedics were \"providing medical treatment to 5 injured, including: a 40-year-old woman in moderate condition with a blow to the head and 4 additional injured people in light condition from glass fragments and blows to the head.\"\nThe agency shared images of significant damage to residential buildings at the locations, which it did not give exact locations for.\nIsrael accuses Iran of war crimes with alleged launch of cluster bombs\nAn Israeli military spokesman accused Iran of committing repeated war crimes on Tuesday, citing what he said was a new attack on central Israel using \"missiles containing cluster sub-munitions\" targeting civilians.\n\"The Iranian regime's war crimes continue,\" Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in a social media post. He shared with the message a previous statement he posted on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, in which he also accused Iran of using cluster bombs to target \"a densely populated civilian area in Israel.\"\nThe IDF said Israel's Home Front Command had deployed search and rescue teams, along with other emergency response personnel, \"at the impact sites in central Israel,\" adding that the \"circumstances of the impact are under review.\"\nU.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia warns of \"imminent\" Iranian missile or drone attack on city of Dhahran\nThe U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, warned Tuesday of a threat of \"imminent missile and UAV attacks\" on the far eastern Saudi city of Dhahran, stressing that any Americans in the city should not attempt to come to the American consulate there.\n\"Take cover immediately in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows. Do not go outside,\" the embassy said in its alert. \"The U.S. Consulate in Dhahran urges U.S. citizens in Dhahran to shelter in place, review security plans in the event of an attack, and to stay alert in case of additional future attacks. U.S. Consulate personnel are sheltering in place.\"\nIAEA reports \"damage to entrance buildings\" of Iran's Natanz nuclear facility from latest strikes\nFor the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched their joint attack on Iran over the weekend, it has been confirmed that one of Iran's key nuclear sites was bombed.\nThe United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency issued a statement Tuesday saying that, \"based on the latest available satellite imagery, IAEA can now confirm some recent damage to entrance buildings of Iran's underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP). No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself, which was severely damaged in the June conflict.\"\nNatanz is one of the three major Iranian nuclear sites that the U.S. struck in its\nin June last year, which President Trump claimed had \"obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment program.\"The IAEA's director general Rafael Grossi warned about a week before the latest war started, however, that \"most of the material that Iran had accumulated up until June of last year, despite the [U.S.] bombings and the attacks,\nat the time of the strikes.\"\"Some of it may be less accessible, but the material is still there. From a non-proliferation standpoint, the material remains,\" he said, citing the hundreds of pounds of enriched uranium still believed to be underground in Iran as a reason for the U.S. and Iran to urgently reach an \"agreement that would prevent new military action in the region.\"\n2 U.S. embassies closed, Americans urged to leave 14 countries across Mideast\nThe State Department is urging Americans to leave 14 countries across the Middle East amid the ongoing , which has led to U.S. embassy closures in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.\nThe U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia was attacked by two drones, causing a small fire and limited damage, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said Monday on X. The embassy urged U.S. citizens in Riyadh and the key commercial cities of Dhahran and Jeddah to shelter in place. It said it would be closed Tuesday.\nThe U.S. Embassy in Kuwait said it was closed until further notice \"due to ongoing regional tensions,\" and that all consular appointments were canceled. It was closed a day after smoke was seen rising from the mission following Iranian attacks on the country.\nAmericans were urged late Monday to \"depart now\" from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. They were urged to leave \"using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks.\"\nThe State Department also told all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and the families of government personnel to leave Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.\n.\nQatar calls Iranian missile and drone fire a \"blatant violation,\" warns it \"will not go unanswered\"\nQatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman warned Tuesday that Iran's attacks on the country \"will not go unanswered, and today all options are open to Qatar.\"\nMajid Al-Ansari, in televised remarks, dismissed Iran's reasoning to defend its retaliatory fire at Persian Gulf nations that Tehran deems supportive of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack, saying the Iranian missile and drone fire at its neighbor could not be justified.\nAl-Ansari stressed that Qatar has consistently sought to avoid regional conflicts while facilitating dialogue between Iran and the international community. He expressed solidarity with other Gulf states and Jordan, which have all come under Iranian fire since Saturday, condemning the attacks as violations of their sovereignty.\n\"The attacks were targeted directly at Qatari interests and vital facilities inside the country; the targeting was not limited to military or American interests, but also struck Qatari territory,\" he said, rebutting claims by Iran's foreign minister.\nAl-Ansari stressed Qatar's right to self-defense under the United Nations charter and said the small Gulf state was focused on defending its territory.\n\"This represents a blatant violation of our national sovereignty, a direct threat to our security and territorial integrity, and an unacceptable escalation that threatens regional stability,\" he said of Iran's strikes. \"We retain our full right to respond.\"\nIran accuses U.S., Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity with alleged strikes on school, hospitals\nEsmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, accused the U.S. and Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity on Tuesday over alleged attacks on\nand a girls' school.He said the Gandhi Hospital in Tehran was damaged in an attack \"following the bombing of schools and the Massacre of 171 innocent girls in the city of #Minab.\"\nOn Monday, the World Health Organization said it understood \"patients were moved due to nearby explosions that caused collateral damage to the hospital,\" Reuters reported. The WHO also said it was working to verify reports of three other medical centers being hit.\nWitnesses told Reuters on Sunday that the Gandhi Hospital was hit by Israeli strikes.\nBaqaei wrote on X that the alleged attacks on civilian infrastructure came \"despite the aggressors' claims of possessing the most advanced military hardware and precision-targeting systems.\"\n\"The deliberate targeting and destruction of civilian infrastructure, medical facilities, schools, and media institutions by the #UnitedStates and #Israel, with the aim of paralyzing civilian life, constitute blatant war crime and crimes against humanity. No responsible state can remain silent in the face of these atrocities,\" Baqaei said.\nCBS News asked the Israeli and U.S. militaries again Tuesday for any comment on the strike that allegedly\n. The IDF did not reply, and the U.S. military's Central Command told CBS News it had no statement to share on the reports.Iran's retaliatory attacks on its neighbors could backfire, leaving it trapped in a wider regional war\nSix Persian Gulf nations appear to be on the verge of ending their neutrality in the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran, after accusing Tehran of \"reckless and indiscriminate attacks\" on their territories.\nThe Gulf Cooperation Council said Sunday that it maintained the \"option to respond to Iranian attacks\" to protect security in the region. It was just one sign of a potential major escalation in the conflict sparked Saturday by the joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran.\nSaudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh sustained \"minor material damage\" after being hit by two Iranian drones. That came a day after an Iranian attack targeted the vast Saudi Arabian oil refinery at Ras Tanura — the biggest such facility in the country and one of the biggest in the world.\nIran has shocked the region by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at every state across the Persian Gulf, hitting luxury hotels in Dubai and Bahrain, residential areas in Doha, Qatar, military sites and energy infrastructure in Kuwait, and vital seaports and waterways in Oman.\nAll these nations host major American military bases so, by default, they are in the American camp in Iran's view. Iran's foreign minister has said repeatedly that the Islamic Republic's fight is not against its neighbors, but against the U.S. military assets they welcome.\nTehran's aim with the missile and drone fire has likely been to pressure the Gulf's monarchies to push their allies in Washington to end the war, but the Iranian calculus appears to be backfiring.\nAfter Qatar's air force shot two Iranian bombers out of the sky for the first time, there was a clear risk that other countries would decide to join in a war threatening to spread quickly across the Middle East's long-peaceful Gulf region.\nWhy is the U.S. attacking Iran? Here's what the Trump administration has said motivated the strikes\nBefore the U.S. launched its joint attack on Iran, in close coordination with Israel, President Trump had expressed frustration with progress in what were ongoing talks over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.\nOn Monday, Mr. Trump articulated the reasons he said he had decided, despite the ongoing diplomacy, to order U.S. strikes on Iran, sparking what he says may well be a weeks-long war.\nIn his first live public remarks on the operation, he offered four core reasons for the campaign:\n- Destroying Iran's missile capabilities;\n- Annihilating Iran's navy;\n- Preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons;\n- Ensuring the regime can't continue to arm, fund or direct \"terrorist armies\" outside its borders.\nA senior administration official said the operation would continue until all four objectives are achieved.\nabout the Iranian capabilities and alleged ambitions, which Mr. Trump said had made this war a \"last best chance\" to deal with what he claims was an imminent threat to American security.Israel sends troops into Lebanon, tells residents in some 80 Lebanese communities to evacuate\nIsrael's military warned people in at least 80 southern Lebanese cities, towns and villages to evacuate and not return on Tuesday as it announced that troops had been sent across the border into the neighboring country \"to create an additional layer of protection for our towns.\"\n\"Forces have begun an operation to thicken the line of defense for northern communities. As part of this, we evacuated the Lebanese population for their own safety. We have deployed forces across the border, holding several strategic points along the border,\" the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, adding that it had \"achieved operational control in the area, with combatants prepared to act against any threat.\"\nIsrael has hammered the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon for years, and with the U.S.-designated terror group joining Iran's retaliatory attacks against perceived Israeli and U.S. interests across the region in the last few days, Israel had indicated that a new ground operation could be coming.\n\"We continue to strike Hezbollah's centers of gravity in Beirut. Overnight, we completed a wave of strikes on Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters,\" the IDF said Tuesday, adding that \"the ongoing activity, in cooperation with the U.S., will continue to deepen the damage, eliminate launchers, and reduce their numbers as part of the operation's goals.\"\nIsrael warns of another Iranian missile launch\nThe Israel Defense Forces warned Tuesday morning of a new Iranian missile launch and urged people to heed orders from the country's Home Front Command to seek shelter.\n\"Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat,\" the IDF said, repeating warnings that have been issued multiple times daily since the U.S. and Israel launched their blistering attacks on Iran Saturday morning.\nRed alert sirens were reportedly blaring across central Israel, including in the capital Tel Aviv, and there were unconfirmed reports of at least one impact but the nation's emergency MDA medical service said there were no immediate casualties confirmed.\nThe MDA said teams were treating two people injured \"on their way to a protected area,\" but it didn't indicate the injuries were serious, or the result of the Iranian fire.\nU.S., Israel hope to destroy up to 80% of Iran's ballistic missile launchers by week's end\nThe assessment by the U.S. and Israeli militaries as of Monday was that they had destroyed roughly half of the 500 or so missile launchers Iran had before the American \"Midnight Hammer\" attacks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities in June. They estimate that Iran could still have around 250, but they believe that by the end of the week, 70-80% of the country's launchers will likely have been destroyed.\nThe last of Iran's missile launchers may be harder to reach because many are underground.\nThe assessment was that Monday saw notably fewer ballistic missile barrages due to Iran's diminished launching capacity, but it was also likely that the country is trying to ration its stockpiles, given President Trump's remarks that the war could last five weeks or longer.\nAmerica's Gulf allies intercepting hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones\nU.S. allies in the Persian Gulf have faced a significant bombardment from Iran since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war on the Islamic Republic on Saturday.\nQatar's Ministry of Defense said that as of Monday it has successfully intercepted 90 ballistic missiles, 24 drones, three cruise missiles and two Su-24 fighter jets.\nKuwait's Ministry of Defense said Monday that it had detected 178 ballistic missiles and 384 drones since the start of the war, according to the country's official news agency. Some 27 members of the Kuwaiti army have been injured, the ministry said.\nSix American service members\nand 18 seriously wounded in the U.S. military's Operation Epic Fury as of Tuesday morning, according to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins.U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia attacked by drones\nThe U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia was attacked by two drones, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said on X, causing what the ministry described as a small fire and limited damage.\nThe apparent drone attack in the Saudi capital of Riyadh came as several U.S. allies in the Gulf region face days of retaliatory attacks by Iranian drones and missiles, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.\nThe embassy has urged U.S. citizens in Riyadh and the key commercial cities of Dhahran and Jeddah to shelter in place. It said it would be closed Tuesday.\nTrump says \"you'll be finding out very soon\" when asked who now controls Iran\nIn an interview Monday night, President Trump said that \"you'll be finding out very soon\" when asked who now controls Iran.\nSpeaking to NewsNation's Kellie Meyer, the president also reacted to the strike on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saying \"you'll find out soon\" when asked about retaliation for that attack.\nU.S. Embassy in Kuwait closed indefinitely over \"regional tensions\"\nThe U.S. embassy in Kuwait on Tuesday said it was closed until further notice, a day after smoke was seen rising from the mission following Iranian attacks on the country.\n\"Due to ongoing regional tensions, the US Embassy in Kuwait will be closed until further notice. We have cancelled all regular and emergency consular appointments,\" the embassy said in a statement on X.\nTrump says wars can be fought \"forever\" with U.S. weapons stockpiles\nPresident Trump said late Monday on Truth Social, \"The United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better,\" and that the U.S. has a \"virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. Wars can be fought 'forever,' and very successfully, using just these supplies.\"\n\"At the highest end, we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be. Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries,\" Mr. Trump added.\nMr. Trump has predicted the war in Iran could last at least five weeks, and he has not ruled out the possibility of putting American boots on the ground in Iran.\nU.S. adds UAE to nations where non-essential personnel being evacuated\nState Department evacuations of non-emergency personnel and family reached six nations Tuesday with the inclusion of the United Arab Emirates.\nThe other nations where that's happening are Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar.\nThe UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and long considered a safe corner of the Middle East, has been dragged into the Iran war with attacks on its territory and missile interceptions.\nIn addition, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has advised Americans there about what he calls \"VERY LIMITED\" options for leaving, mainly via bus to Egypt, using his X account, saying, \"We are getting a lot of requests regarding evacuating from Israel from American citizens who are currently in Israel or who have family here.\"\nCBS/AP\nTrump submits War Powers Resolution notice to Congress\nPresident Trump on Monday submitted a War Powers Resolution notification to Congress regarding the Feb. 28 military strikes against the government of Iran.\n\"Despite my Administration's repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran's malign behavior, the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable,\" Mr. Trump wrote to Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley in the March 2 letter, obtained by CBS News.\nMr. Trump writes that \"at my direction,\" U.S. forces conducted precision strikes against \"numerous targets within Iran,\" including ballistic missile sites, maritime mining capabilities, air defenses and command-and-control capabilities. The strikes, he writes, were undertaken to protect U.S. forces in the region, protect the homeland, ensure the free flow of maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and act in collective self-defense of U.S. allies, including Israel.\nThe president states that no U.S. ground forces were used and that the mission was designed to minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks and neutralize Iran's malign activities.\nHe acknowledges in the letter that \"it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,\" adding that U.S. forces remain postured to take further action as needed.\nThe president wrote that he directed the action pursuant to his constitutional authority as commander in chief and is submitting the report consistent with the War Powers Resolution.\nTrump says U.S. can go \"far longer\" than 4-to-5-week timeline in Iran\nPresident Trump reiterated in remarks at the White House on Monday that the U.S. is \"substantially ahead\" of its time projection for the operation in Iran, but added that the military was prepared for a longer campaign.\n\"Whatever it takes, we will always — and we have right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,\" he said. \"We'll do it.\"\nMr. Trump also rebuffed a claim from an unidentified person. The president said the person alleged he would soon get bored of the military operation.\n\"I don't get bored. There's nothing boring about this,\" Mr. Trump said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:45:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_43ecac733a62",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘Israel at its peak power in the Middle East and it’s downhill from here’",
    "body_text": "'Israel is at its peak power in the Middle East and it's downhill from here'\nShaiel Ben-ephraim of Atlas Global Strategies explains how the US public is reacting to US-Israeli war on Iran and what shifting public opinion could mean for future US support for Israel and its position in the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:50:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/quotable/2026/3/4/israel-is-at-its-peak-power-in-the-middle-east-and-its-downhill-from-here?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_56da3af28292",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Why are the US and Israel framing the ongoing conflict as a religious war?",
    "body_text": "As conflict in the Middle East enters its fifth day on Wednesday, American and Israeli officials are pushing rhetoric suggesting that the campaign against Iran is a religious war.\nOn Tuesday, Muslim civil rights organisation, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), condemned the Pentagon’s use of this rhetoric, deeming it “dangerous” and “anti-Muslim”.\nThe United States and Israel began their attack on Iran on Saturday and have continued to carry out strikes on Iran since then. In retaliation, Iran has hit back at targets in Israel, and US military assets in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Cyprus.\nA US watchdog has reported that US troops have been told the war is intended to “induce the biblical end of times”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also recently stated that Iran is run by “religious fanatic lunatics”.\nWhat are American and Israeli leaders saying?\nUS watchdog Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) said it has received emailed complaints that US service members were told the war with Iran is meant to “cause Armageddon”, or the biblical “end times”.\nAn unnamed noncommissioned officer wrote in an email to MRFF that a commander had urged officers “to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ”.\nThe MRFF is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to upholding religious freedom for US service members.\nThe officer claimed the commander had told the unit that Trump “has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth”.\nIsraeli and US leaders have also resorted to religious rhetoric in public.\nLast month, Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told conservative US commentator Tucker Carlson during an interview that it would be “fine” if Israel took “essentially the entire Middle East” because it was promised the land in the Bible. However, Huckabee added that Israel was not seeking to do so.\nSpeaking to the media on Tuesday this week, Rubio said: “Iran is run by lunatics – religious fanatic lunatics. They have an ambition to have nuclear weapons.”\nAnd, the previous day in a Pentagon news briefing, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said: “Crazy regimes like Iran, hell-bent on prophetic Islamic delusions, cannot have nuclear weapons.”\nIn its statement, CAIR claimed that Hegseth’s words are “an apparent reference to Shia beliefs about religious figures arising near the end times”.\nOn Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the Torah, comparing Iran with an ancient biblical enemy, the Amalekites. The “Amalek” are known in Jewish tradition as representing “pure evil”.\n“We read in this week’s Torah portion, ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’ We remember – and we act.”\nCAIR said: “We are not surprised to see Benjamin Netanyahu once again using the biblical story of Amalek – which claims that God commanded the Israelites to murder every man, woman, child and animal in a pagan nation that attacked them – to justify Israel’s mass murder of civilians in Iran, just as it did in Gaza.”\nThe statement added that every American should be “deeply disturbed by the ‘holy war’ rhetoric” being spread by the US military, Hegseth and Netanyahu to justify the war on Iran.\n“Mr Hegseth’s derisive comment about ‘Islamist prophetic delusions’, an apparent reference to Shia beliefs about religious figures arising near the end times, was unacceptable. So is US military commanders telling troops that war with Iran is a biblical step towards Armageddon.”\nWhy are US and Israeli leaders framing the conflict with Iran as a religious war?\nBy attempting to frame the conflict as a holy war, leaders are using theological beliefs to “justify action, mobilise political opinion, and leverage support”, Jolyon Mitchell, a professor at Durham University in the UK, told Al Jazeera.\n“Many on both sides of this conflict believe that they have God on their side. God is enlisted in this conflict, as with many others, to support acts of violence. The demonisation and dehumanisation of the enemy, the ‘other’, will inevitably make building peace after the conflict even harder,” Mitchell said.\n“There are several overlapping reasons, and they operate at different levels: domestic mobilisation, civilisational framing, and strategic narrative construction,” Ibrahim Abusharif, an associate professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera.\nDomestic mobilisation refers to rallying a country’s own people. Leaders can frame conflict as religious and hence morally clear and urgent, rallying public support, he said.\nIn a video circulating on social media this week, Christian Zionist pastor and televangelist John Hagee is seen delivering a sermon promoting the US assault on Iran. Hagee said that Russia, Turkiye, “what’s left of Iran” and “groups of Islamics” will march into Israel. He said that God will “crush” the “adversaries of Israel”.\n“Religious language mobilises domestic constituencies,” Abusharif said, explaining that in the US, this connects deeply with many evangelicals and Christian Zionists, because they already see Middle East wars as part of a religious “end times” story.\n“References to the ‘end times’, the Book of Revelation, or biblical enemies are not incidental; they activate a cultural script already present in American political theology.”\nCivilisational framing refers to the creation of an “us vs them” dichotomy, casting the conflict as a clash between whole ways of life or faiths, not just a dispute over borders or policy, he added. Hence, statements such as Hegseth’s reference to “prophetic Islamic delusions” simplify the terms of the war in the minds of ordinary people.\n“Wars are difficult to justify in technical strategic language,” Abusharif said.\n“Casting the conflict as a struggle between ‘civilisation and fanaticism’, or between biblical ‘good and evil’, transforms a complicated regional confrontation into a moral drama that ordinary audiences can easily grasp.”\n“Israeli leadership has long used biblical referents as political language. We all are familiar with it. The narratives have become globalised. In Israeli political discourse, this language situates contemporary conflict within a long historical narrative of Jewish survival, and it signals existential stakes,” Abusharif said.\nHave US or Israeli leaders made religious references before?\nNetanyahu and other Israeli officials have used the term “Amalek” before in reference to Palestinians in Gaza during Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.\nHistorically, during wars or military confrontations, US presidents and senior officials have also invoked the Bible or used Christian language.\nPresident George W Bush invoked similar language after the September 11, 2001 attacks.\nOn September 16, 2001, Bush said: “This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while.” The Crusades were a series of religiously framed wars, mainly between the 11th and 13th centuries, in which the papacy fought against Muslim rulers for territory.\nThe White House later tried to distance Bush from the word “crusade” to clarify that Bush was not waging a war against Muslims.\nAbusharif said that the war on Iran is about power and politics, but using religious rhetoric energises supporters and “moralises” the conflict.\n“The war itself is not theological. It is geopolitical. But the language surrounding it increasingly draws on sacred imagery and civilisational narratives. That rhetoric can mobilise supporters and frame the conflict in morally absolute terms,” Abusharif said.\n“Yet it also carries risks: once a war is cast in sacred language, political compromise becomes harder, expectations become higher, and the global perception of the conflict can shift in ways that complicate diplomacy.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:54:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/why-are-the-us-and-israel-framing-the-ongoing-conflict-as-a-religious-war?traffic_source=rss",
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    "article_id": "art_7fa589af9161",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Key takeaways from Texas primaries, as Talarico beats Crockett in Democratic race",
    "body_text": "Key takeaways from Texas primaries, as Talarico beats Crockett in Democratic race\nThe march to the US midterm elections, which will determine which party controls both chambers of Congress for the second half of Donald Trump's presidency, is officially under way.\nVoters in a handful of states headed to the polls on Tuesday to pick the Democratic and Republican candidates for the November general election.\nIt was Texas, and contested primary races for a US Senate seat, that attracted the lion's share of the attention. The races in the southern state could shed light on the directions that America's two major parties are taking in the coming election season.\nFor the Democrats, state representative James Talarico defeated Dallas-based US Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and will advance to the general election. The Republican race was not decided on Tuesday, as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and US Senator John Cornyn, the incumbent, each finished with less than 50% of the overall vote. The two men will advance to a run-off election on 26 May.\nHere are five takeaways from the voting in Texas - in what is just the start of months of primary campaigning across America.\nDemocrats opt for the big-tent candidate\nThe Democratic race for US Senate nominee was a study in contrasts. Crockett, who appears regularly on liberal television outlets, had built a national reputation as a pugnacious partisan who was unafraid to confront Republicans and the Trump administration.\n\"I went with Crockett solely because I believe she really has what it takes to fight for what we what I think we need as a community,\" said Vananh Tran, who voted on Tuesday at a precinct in central Dallas.\nThe winner Talarico, who has a Master of Divinity degree from a Christian seminary, offered a more genteel approach. While he shares many of Crockett's liberal positions, he emphasised finding common ground with disaffected Republicans and trying to reclaim religious values from the evangelical right.\n\"I really like his ability to reach across the aisle and make people on the other side hear him and recognise what he's saying,\" said Andrew Sterling, a Talarico supporter.\nCrockett performed well in Texas's major metropolitan areas - including her home city of Dallas as well as Houston - and the eastern portion of the state, with its large black population.\nBut Talarico carried suburbs with affluent white liberals and areas with large numbers of Hispanic voters – including San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley along the US-Mexico border.\n\"The people of our state gave this country a little bit of hope,\" Talarico said in his election night speech before the result came in. \"And a little bit of hope is a dangerous thing.\"\nLater, when his primary victory was called, Talarico said in a statement that \"we're about to take back Texas\".\nMany of the Democratic voters to whom the BBC spoke said they liked both candidates and would support whoever won. Democrats will need that kind of unity if they hope to win in November.\nCornyn lives to fight another day\nCornyn, who has served in the US Senate since 2002, has typically cruised to re-election.\nThat was decidedly not the case this year.\nPolls consistently showed him trailing Paxton despite outspending his opponent on television advertising by more than $70m (£52m), and setting a record for the most expensive Senate primary race. The Texas airwaves were full of Cornyn-backed ads attacking Paxton's past controversies.\nThere was plenty of material to work with. For example, in 2023, Paxton was impeached by the Texas legislature for fraud and obstruction of justices – but was acquitted in a state Senate trial. And recently his wife filed for divorce amid allegations that Paxton had multiple affairs.\nNone of it seemed to slow the attorney general, who characterised Cornyn as being old and out-of-touch with Texans, as being insufficiently supportive of Trump, of backing gun-control measures unpopular with many Texas conservatives, and of not doing enough to cut government spending.\nThe race appeared poised to be another case of an establishment politician felled by a right-wing insurgent.\nThat may yet be the case, but on Tuesday, Cornyn showed some surprising resilience. He finished neck-and-neck with Paxton, but well below the tally of 50% of votes that would have been necessary to avoid the run-off contest in May.\n\"Judgement day is coming for Ken Paxton,\" Cornyn said at press conference held after Tuesday night's election results were posted.\nThat may be overly optimistic for the senator, as Texas Republican run-off voters tend to be more conservative and more anti-establishment. But it sets up another three months of this gruelling, expensive campaign.\n\"We are not going to go quietly,\" Paxton said in his election night speech, adding a message directed to Cornyn: \"And we are not going to let you buy this seat.\"\nDay one voting difficulties\nIf Tuesday was the first stress test for US voting systems this year, the results were not entirely encouraging.\nRepublican-backed changes to the primary process in Dallas County – with its 2.7 million residents - required voters to cast their ballots in a precinct determined by their home address. In recent elections, voters had been able to use any vote centre in the county.\nAfter a request from local Democratic Party officials, a local judge on Tuesday evening ordered all county polling locations to stay open two extra hours. He cited voter \"mass confusion\" over proper polling locations that was \"so severe\" the county election website crashed due to heavy traffic.\nOn Tuesday evening, the Texas Supreme Court issued a ruling putting the lower court order on hold and ordering that ballots cast after the scheduled closing time be counted separately.\nShortly after the court announcement, Crockett took to the stage at her election party and said that voters in her city of Dallas were being disenfranchised.\n\"Unfortunately this is what Republicans like to do,\" she said. \"They specifically targeted Dallas County, and I think we know why.\"\nOutside a polling location on Tuesday afternoon, Lela Bodley told the BBC she and her mother had travelled to two polling places only to be turned away at both. She was able to cast her ballot at a third, but her mother was still trying to figure out her proper location.\n\"Whatever this new change they did to jurisdictions and voting here and voting there, it's a mess\" she said.\nEarly voting tally gives hope to frustrated Democrats\nIt has been 32 years since a Democratic candidate won a statewide election in Texas. Although Beto O'Rourke's 2018 Senate campaign came within 215,000 votes of ousting Senator Ted Cruz, with more than eight million ballots cast, the party has endured a long string of defeats.\nBut there are signs that Democratic voters are particularly engaged in this year's campaign. For the first time since 2020, more Democrats cast early vote ballots in a March primary than Republicans – including 400,000 who voted in a Democratic primary for the first time.\nDemocratic strategists and politicians have long talked about a day when the state becomes a political battleground, only to have their hopes dashed. But this time, they believe that an unpopular president, uncertain economic conditions and a highly motivated base of support could tip the balance.\n\"The grocery bill is higher in Texas,\" said Brandon Chase McGee, a city councillor in Denton who served as a senior official in the Texas Democratic Party. \"Gas isn't as cheap. We're still facing challenges to building more affordable housing for regular working people. Child care costs are high. The challenges that people are experiencing in other parts of the country, we're also getting them in Texas.\"\nIt's still a long road ahead for Democrats. Trump won the state in 2024 by 14 percentage points. But hope, like oil, springs eternal in Texas.\nIran not a pressing issue - yet\nMillions of Texans had already cast their ballots in early voting when the US launched the first of its attacks with Israel against Iran on Saturday morning. Although the bombing campaign is ongoing, the operation did not appear to substantively affect the political dynamics in the state.\nCandidates seldom brought up the military strikes in their last-minute campaign appearances, and voters to whom the BBC spoke on election day listed domestic issues – particularly the economy – as their main concerns.\n\"Talking to people on the ground, I'm not just hearing about Iran,\" said Chase McGee, the Denton city councillor. \"Having said that, I don't know that we have seen the rise in gas prices yet that we are likely to see as a result of the missions going on with Iran.\"\nIran may not be an issue yet, but with voters focused on cost of living and affordability concerns, a tangible political impact of the Iran war may be looming on the horizon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:55:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75ex543d4eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3c5551d7f3bf",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump administration waging illegal war on Iran, experts say",
    "body_text": "Administration offers shifting explanations as it acts without congressional approval or legal premise\n\nTheTrump administrationis waging an illegal war on Iran, one that defies both the US constitution and international armed conflict laws, according to several legal scholars and bipartisan lawmakers.\n\nThe Senate will vote Wednesday on whether to halt Donald Trump’s military offensive, which he launched on 28 February. Hundreds of people, including six USpersonnel, have been killed in a conflict that has now expanded to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Israel and the Persian Gulf.\n\nThe Trump administration has offered shifting explanations for its decision to launch attacks onIran, at times describing a more pre-emptive war of choice designed to degrade Iran’s offensive and nuclear capabilities, while at other times assertingthat the Iranians weren’t willing to renounce their nuclear ambitions, or that the US joined the attack to protect American interests after Israel had committed to launching a military offensive of its own.\n\n“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American,” the president said in his first public remarks from Washington on Monday. “We cannot allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons.”\n\nTrump has also described broader wartime objectives, including eliminating threats posed by Iran’s regional proxy forces. He has not set out a clear timeline for achieving his various goals.\n\nMarco Rubio, the US secretary of state, offered a slightly different explanation, saying that the White House was compelled to launch strikes on Iran because its close ally Israel was determined to act.\n\n“It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone – the United States orIsraelor anyone – they were going to respond, and respond against the United States,” Rubio told reporters gathered at the Capitol.\n\n“There absolutely was an imminent threat,” Rubio said.\n\nSeveral lawyers have challenged the legal basis for the administration’s wide-ranging explanations for waging war.\n\n“Those are military policy objectives,” said Wells Dixon, a senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights after reviewing Trump’s rationale. “They are not a legal basis to launch an armed attack against another country.”\n\nMarko Milanovic, a professor of International law at the University of Reading, agreed that Iran may pose a threat, but said that there are many ways to respond. “Using force would require a basis in self defense,” he said.\n\nThe Trump administration has previously touted its success in “obliterating” Iran’s nuclear facilities. But Trump revived the specter of an Iranian threat in his State of the Union address, saying that Iran was “working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”\n\nTrump has not provided public evidence of this threat.\n\nRubio’s statements invoked two legal concepts that could possibly justify waging war abroad – including the concept of an “imminent threat” posed to American lives, and the concept of launching preemptive strikes as an act of self defense.\n\nThere are carve outs within international law that permit states to act in their own self defense. And the concept of an “imminent threat” is measured against evidence of a clear, visible and impending risk.\n\nBut experts say that neither criteria was present in the case of Iran.\n\n“For something to be lawful self defense, it has to be necessary – in the sense that there’s no alternative,” said Brian Finucane, a former state department lawyer. “That’s not the situation here. There was another option: the US could have restrained Israel from attacking in the first place.”\n\nFinucane said that previous administrations have drawn this line with Israel.\n\n“Saying that, ‘Instead of stopping Netanyahu, we’re going to start it first’ – it’s a completely circular and crazy thing,” Milanovic chimed in.\n\nSeveral lawmakers shared in the lawyers’ assessment of Iran’s potential threat.\n\n“There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel,” said Mark Warner, the Democratic vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee. “If we equate a threat to Israel as the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States, then we are in uncharted territory.”\n\nSenator Tim Kaine said he has supported US efforts to defend Israel during previous Iranian attacks, “but that’s a very different matter than the US engaging in the affirmative initiation of war,” he said.\n\n“We shouldn’t be waging an affirmative war on behalf of any nation in the world, no matter how close we are,” Kaine said.\n\nAfter the Vietnam war, the US adopted new legal provisions that say the president should try to consult with members of Congress before committing troops to hostilities.\n\nLast week, Rubio only briefed the Gang of Eight, a group of bipartisan lawmakers privy to information on covert actions and classified intelligence, about US plans to attack Iran.\n\n“Their pattern, thus far, seems to be to take action, and then give [us] a briefing afterwards,” Kaine said. “They’re trying to consign Congress to the role of a spectator, but that’s not the role that Article 1 [of the constitution] assigns to us.”\n\nDixon said there was “a little bit of flexibility” on whether the president may commit troops without first consulting Congress. “But certainly he has to notify them within 48 hours,” Dixon said.\n\nThe White House submitted a War Powers report to Congress on Monday night.\n\nDixon noted that a separate requirement under the War Powers Act says that troops must be withdrawn from hostilities within 60 to 90 days unless Congress votes to authorize the operation.\n\nThis week’s war powers vote may shape how Trump proceeds with military action against Iran, even if it ultimately cannot sustain enough support to override a likely veto from Trump.\n\n“I think it can be an important political signal if there’s sufficient bipartisan support,” Finucane said.\n\nPrevious congressional votes have seemed to deter further US aggression.\n\n“The president announced after one of our previous votes that he was scrapping a second wave of strikes on Venezuela,” said Kaine, who has introduced similar legislation to govern US engagements in the Caribbean Sea and Venezuela. “The mere fact of the vote, even if it’s unsuccessful, can have an impact.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:57:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/trump-administration-illegal-war-iran-experts",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2edc66422728",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why are the US and Israel framing the ongoing conflict as a religious war? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "As conflict in the Middle East enters its fifth day on Wednesday, American and Israeli officials are pushing rhetoric suggesting that the campaign against Iran is a religious war.\nOn Tuesday, Muslim civil rights organisation, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), condemned the Pentagon’s use of this rhetoric, deeming it “dangerous” and “anti-Muslim”.\nThe United States and Israel began their attack on Iran on Saturday and have continued to carry out strikes on Iran since then. In retaliation, Iran has hit back at targets in Israel, and US military assets in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.\nA US watchdog has reported that US troops have been told the war is intended to “induce the biblical end of times”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also recently stated that Iran is run by “religious fanatic lunatics”.\nWhat are American and Israeli leaders saying?\nUS watchdog Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) said it has received emailed complaints that US service members were told the war with Iran is meant to “cause Armageddon”, or the biblical “end times”.\nAn unnamed noncommissioned officer wrote in an email to MRFF that a commander had urged officers “to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ”.\nThe MRFF is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to upholding religious freedom for US service members.\nThe officer claimed the commander had told the unit that Trump “has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth”.\nIsraeli and US leaders have also resorted to religious rhetoric in public.\nLast month, Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told conservative US commentator Tucker Carlson during an interview that it would be “fine” if Israel took “essentially the entire Middle East” because it was promised the land in the Bible. However, Huckabee added that Israel was not seeking to do so.\nSpeaking to the media on Tuesday this week, Rubio said: “Iran is run by lunatics – religious fanatic lunatics. They have an ambition to have nuclear weapons.”\nAnd, the previous day in a Pentagon news briefing, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said: “Crazy regimes like Iran, hell-bent on prophetic Islamic delusions, cannot have nuclear weapons.”\nIn its statement, CAIR claimed that Hegseth’s words are “an apparent reference to Shia beliefs about religious figures arising near the end times”.\nOn Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the Torah, comparing Iran with an ancient biblical enemy, the Amalekites. The “Amalek” are known in Jewish tradition as representing “pure evil”.\n“We read in this week’s Torah portion, ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’ We remember – and we act.”\nCAIR said: “We are not surprised to see Benjamin Netanyahu once again using the biblical story of Amalek – which claims that God commanded the Israelites to murder every man, woman, child and animal in a pagan nation that attacked them – to justify Israel’s mass murder of civilians in Iran, just as it did in Gaza.”\nThe statement added that every American should be “deeply disturbed by the ‘holy war’ rhetoric” being spread by the US military, Hegseth and Netanyahu to justify the war on Iran.\n“Mr Hegseth’s derisive comment about ‘Islamist prophetic delusions’, an apparent reference to Shia beliefs about religious figures arising near the end times, was unacceptable. So is US military commanders telling troops that war with Iran is a biblical step towards Armageddon.”\nWhy are US and Israeli leaders framing the conflict with Iran as a religious war?\nBy attempting to frame the conflict as a holy war, leaders are using theological beliefs to “justify action, mobilise political opinion, and leverage support”, Jolyon Mitchell, a professor at Durham University in the UK, told Al Jazeera.\n“Many on both sides of this conflict believe that they have God on their side. God is enlisted in this conflict, as with many others, to support acts of violence. The demonisation and dehumanisation of the enemy, the ‘other’, will inevitably make building peace after the conflict even harder,” Mitchell said.\n“There are several overlapping reasons, and they operate at different levels: domestic mobilisation, civilisational framing, and strategic narrative construction,” Ibrahim Abusharif, an associate professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera.\nDomestic mobilisation refers to rallying a country’s own people. Leaders can frame conflict as religious and hence morally clear and urgent, rallying public support, he said.\nIn a video circulating on social media this week, Christian Zionist pastor and televangelist John Hagee is seen delivering a sermon promoting the US assault on Iran. Hagee said that Russia, Turkiye, “what’s left of Iran” and “groups of Islamics” will march into Israel. He said that God will “crush” the “adversaries of Israel”.\n“Religious language mobilises domestic constituencies,” Abusharif said, explaining that in the US, this connects deeply with many evangelicals and Christian Zionists, because they already see Middle East wars as part of a religious “end times” story.\n“References to the ‘end times’, the Book of Revelation, or biblical enemies are not incidental; they activate a cultural script already present in American political theology.”\nCivilisational framing refers to the creation of an “us vs them” dichotomy, casting the conflict as a clash between whole ways of life or faiths, not just a dispute over borders or policy, he added. Hence, statements such as Hegseth’s reference to “prophetic Islamic delusions” simplify the terms of the war in the minds of ordinary people.\n“Wars are difficult to justify in technical strategic language,” Abusharif said.\n“Casting the conflict as a struggle between ‘civilisation and fanaticism’, or between biblical ‘good and evil’, transforms a complicated regional confrontation into a moral drama that ordinary audiences can easily grasp.”\n“Israeli leadership has long used biblical referents as political language. We all are familiar with it. The narratives have become globalised. In Israeli political discourse, this language situates contemporary conflict within a long historical narrative of Jewish survival, and it signals existential stakes,” Abusharif said.\nHave US or Israeli leaders made religious references before?\nNetanyahu and other Israeli officials have used the term “Amalek” before in reference to Palestinians in Gaza during Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.\nHistorically, during wars or military confrontations, US presidents and senior officials have also invoked the Bible or used Christian language.\nPresident George W Bush invoked similar language after the September 11, 2001 attacks.\nOn September 16, 2001, Bush said: “This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while.” The Crusades were a series of religiously framed wars, mainly between the 11th and 13th centuries, in which the papacy fought against Muslim rulers for territory.\nThe White House later tried to distance Bush from the word “crusade” to clarify that Bush was not waging a war against Muslims.\nAbusharif said that the war on Iran is about power and politics, but using religious rhetoric energises supporters and “moralises” the conflict.\n“The war itself is not theological. It is geopolitical. But the language surrounding it increasingly draws on sacred imagery and civilisational narratives. That rhetoric can mobilise supporters and frame the conflict in morally absolute terms,” Abusharif said.\n“Yet it also carries risks: once a war is cast in sacred language, political compromise becomes harder, expectations become higher, and the global perception of the conflict can shift in ways that complicate diplomacy.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:57:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_05c93cdee1fc",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Mojtaba Khamenei: Who is the man tipped to succeed slain father as Iran’s supreme leader? - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Mojtaba Khamenei is being tipped as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s potential successor, though there has been no official confirmation from Tehran.\nClerics reportedly met virtually, with some fearing appointing Mojtaba could make him a US and Israeli target and resemble a hereditary monarchy.\nIran International claimed the Assembly of Experts had already chosen Mojtaba, but Iran’s government has not confirmed the report.\nJoint US-Israeli strikes in Operation Epic Fury killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior Iranian military leaders, triggering vows of extensive retaliation.\n\"Any leader appointed by the Iranian terrorist regime... will be an unequivocal target for elimination,\" Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.\nMojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been appointed as his father's successor, according to Iranian state media.\nIran's Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba as the country’s next supreme leader in a “decisive vote\", according to the Fars news agency, despite Israeli warnings to \"pursue any successor\" to Mr Khamenei.\nThe vote took place hours before the result was made public.\nThere have been reservationsin the past about Mojtaba succeeding his father because it would mean the state resembles a monarchy, which the Islamic revolution of 1979 had toppled.\nWho is Mojtaba?\nMojtaba, the second-oldest son of the late Ayatollah, has long been seen as one of the most influential figures inside Iran’s ruling system and a potential successor to the supreme leader.\nBorn in Mashhad in 1969, he studied Islamic theology after high school and continued his religious studies in Qom in 1999 to become a mid-ranking cleric.\nEric Mandel, director of the Middle East Political and Information Network, describes Mojtaba, 56, as a central but opaque figure in Tehran’s power structure. \"Mojtaba has long operated behind the scenes in Tehran\", he told opposition outlet Iran International.\nOver the years, opposition figures and political rivals have accused Mojtaba of playing a role in shaping election outcomes and co-ordinating crackdowns on dissent.\nMojtaba reportedly has close ties to the IRGC dating back to the Iran-Iraq war, when he served in the Habib Battalion alongside volunteers connected to the Islamic Republic’s emerging revolutionary networks.\nThose wartime relationships are widely believed to have helped Mojtaba build lasting connections inside Iran’s powerful security establishment, Iran International says.\nMr Khamenei would become only the third person to lead Iran and the first example of hereditary succession since the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy in the 1979 revolution. He has never held government office and lacks the senior religious credentials typically expected of the role.\nKhamenei killing planned in November, says Katz\n00:34\nIsrael's warning\nThe Israeli army said it will pursue any successor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US and Israeli operation last month.\n\"I would like to emphasise that the long arm of the state of Israel will continue to pursue the successor and anyone who tries to appoint him,\" an army representative said amid state media reports that a consensus was reached on Mojtaba's appointment. \"We warn everyone planning to participate in the session to select the successor: We will not hesitate to target you as well.\"\nLast week, Israel issued a warning to Tehran, saying any leader appointed by the regime \"will be an unequivocal target for elimination\".\nIsraeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: “Any leader appointed by the Iranian terrorist regime to continue leading the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people – will be an unequivocal target for elimination. No matter what his name is or where he hides.\n“We will continue to act with all our might, together with our American partners, to crush the regime's capabilities and create the conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow and replace it.”\nUS involvement\nUS President Donald Trump has said he believes Washington should be involved in selecting Iran’s next ruler.\nIran was “wasting its time” if it tried to appoint a successor without US involvement, Mr Trump told Axios and Reuters last week. He acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei was widely regarded as the most likely successor but dismissed that possibility, calling him a “lightweight.”\n“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Mr Trump told Axios, warning that choosing a leader who continued the previous government’s policies could lead to renewed conflict with the US “in five years\".\nOne of the plans the Pentagon had presented to President Trump as he was considering his options against Iran, before deciding on war last month, included killing Mr Khamenei and his son Mojtaba, a Trump adviser said. “What the president chooses no one knows. I don't think he knows,” the adviser added.\nMr Trump chose to launch Operation Epic Fury on Saturday, in co-ordination with Israel. Joint US-Israeli strikes rained on Tehran, killing senior military commanders, including Mr Khamenei.\nThe attacks also killed Iran’s defence minister, commander-in-chief of the IRGC and the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces. The new defence minister was later killed just two days after taking office.\nThe IRGC announced what it said was the “most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, as Tehran pledged to retaliate for the killing of Mr Khamenei by launching “extensive missile and drone” attacks on Israel and 27 US bases across the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:58:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxPN1N3alo2V2s4My1qcDZuY2dKS3dqcEJ0RlRBNG5uM0dZNGFtZ2ZqV2pHbTJtdTdGMHBsLTVhekw2eEZ4dHRNcGZOTFU0Z0VNRHNzSUpaZE1yZGdibG80a2E3OUZib3VsbkFabHBIMkRPTmVTczVXRm93WVVNeEVzUnRXTkY3eWxFRWlMdnFEZ056VHdtTlhadzFVa1pTVGxGaElfbDVvNWY1YkZudzA4UW9JNjhGZXVQS3c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_70251794d53b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump Pledges Safe Mideast Oil Transit as Iran War Rages On - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Trump Pledges Safe Mideast Oil Transit as Iran War Rages On    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T12:59:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNV3k2UTdRMk1mZFFlTm5vUjNWVjRGemxPUFpjT1RtYUg1ZXRfcmtBRVZXY1lLVVVTOGp1cVpZbVoyU29EbUQtdVEzYVFkNFJ1UFIxelR4Q2RRVG5Zcy1EWnZscVVQVmtjT0k1WkxsVHIyNXFCRlpsQ0lhRkJsWjBjeG9lY1JFQ25yeU5kTDBrSzRWRGpNZllnQ0ZOX3VfbUJWbEdfdlZTNGJmVXhtNFlOVF9kdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_57046433480b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran’s $7.8 Billion Crypto Market Draws Fresh Attention in War - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s $7.8 Billion Crypto Market Draws Fresh Attention in War    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:00:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNN2ZJckFfRDhSRDczMkN1WWQ5RXRTSlB2cngzc0dpNnRoTk9XNFRoaUVXQm9FcHpjckVXMWxxM0tmcVdLaFl5dUJyNFhTWDU5NTdOZ181ck1jM3VaZ09lb003OVFKMTNMS1FDd2Z5bEpxemdGdmJJNEZHZ28tS0JBWjctT2pfQmszaFlMaVlnNFNfQzN1R0ZfWDQwTHhscldzMXBkcVBjYnNPaXRCRjRvdk1B?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_657eb0a3cb54",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran war breaks UN Charter, strike on school shocking, UN probe says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran war breaks UN Charter, strike on school shocking, UN probe says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:04:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxPb1YwUFdVYzZsV0hmT0xxYjVLUTNLbXBWOFN0bEJwaWZnbjRkc2N2RzdkWGp4RHJfR2tVbXQ4Z1AtcGxMUE5seVdRUVVKM1JtTXF6MnpJWFJ3ZDg0MXNLczluc01zMjZvcWw0U1k0bXAwMWRIX20xQjhBWDhPYXB4OUttT3pjeG1VeDAtX1d2RkxuOXpjc0kwNmt1TV9TMDdsc1FIRDBfR0tGZ2dWRHJDUjF5b0g3ZUt2?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c38c54b2585e",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Traders Look to Ukraine Conflict to Map Out Market Risks From Iran - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Traders Look to Ukraine Conflict to Map Out Market Risks From Iran    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:10:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNRGFZZnhlXzVKQTA3WXAzTlVib1ZRNElzeDlLZTB2UDFabG14LWtvb1lYb19KZjFYUU5FS21saXNpT3pwQVdkdXN2aHU0TnFNRjVRUW5kcjdWb19haU0zV1FkclNWWVlmYUV6SVQ5Rk9HVEZhYUkxVmo0STNLME5peHlpbUNaY0I4R0xrNGl6c3NmU3lZZktHenkxc0xJbFZXTkFsLTM4cUduTkVvRzRMNElGMms?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c38c8fa9cb5b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Russian Oil Remains Cheap Even as War Threatens Global Supplies - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Russian Oil Remains Cheap Even as War Threatens Global Supplies    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:17:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQOXd4VGhjWTBIaXUxQmdRUXotWUlqMnlSRTBJZlB2RTZDTFJ2M1ZCYkh5VWNyMTN6Zzl3aTQxTkJMRFZWbnpLbVdYdUkyZWhRb3huemVNVzEzWEhTMU9MY3VsTlRuRS1xWHV2VEdpcGprU0R3UVhJSl92dGFxX1BGM2FieEhWc2dMbEJlcFVxa1dwTUhHQ0pGT0Rid2F5X0NkQ094eW5QempRdlNzVzBoVTdTQTY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8af280066817",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel says fighter jet took down Iranian warplane, the first shootdown of its kind",
    "body_text": "Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.\n\nIsrael’s military said Wednesday that one of its F-35I \"Adir\" stealth fighter jets shot down an Iranian Air Force Yak-130, marking the first time the advanced aircraft has downed a manned fighter in combat.\n\n\"The historic shootdown over the Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of theIsraeli Air Forceand to your personal determination,\" said Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the commander of the Israeli air force.\n\n\"The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest,\" he toldthe pilots. \"The next mission is already waiting for you.\"\n\nThe F-35I is Israel’s customized version of the U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter that anchors the country’s air fleet.\n\nAn Israeli air force F-35I Adir multirole fighter aircraft flies over the Negev Desert after taking off from a military base en route to the Gaza Strip on Oct. 14, 2023.(Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nAccording to the F-35 program’s official website, Israel became the first country to select the aircraft through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales process, signing a letter of agreement in October 2010.\n\nThe site says the Israeli air force gave the jet the Hebrew name \"Adir,\" meaning \"Mighty One,\" and received its first F-35 on June 22, 2016.\n\nThe Yak-130 is a Russian-made, two-seat combat training aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, according to United Aircraft Corporation, the state-owned Russian aerospace company that manufactures the jet.\n\nTRUMP ADMIN WARNED LAWMAKERS ISRAEL WAS 'DETERMINED TO ACT WITH OR WITHOUT US' BEFORE MASSIVE IRAN STRIKES\n\nA Russian-made Yak-130 subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft maneuvers during a flying display on the third day of the Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire, England, on July 11, 2012.(Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nIt made itsmaiden flightin 1996 and is currently in active production.\n\nIran’s air force received its first Yak-130 training aircraft in September 2023, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster.\n\nIRAN'S DRONE SWARM ATTACKS UNLEASH ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ ON US, PROLONGING WAR: ‘ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY’\n\nF-4 and F-14 jets from Iran and Russian MiG-29 aircraft perform a demonstration flight at the 9th International Iran AirShow on Kish Island, Hormozgan, Iran, on Nov. 27, 2018.(Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)\n\nIn November 2023, Brig. Gen. Mahdi Farahi, Iran’s deputy defense minister, told Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, that plans had been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 trainers to join the country’s armed forces.\n\nTasnim reported that Iran previously acquired MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia in the 1990s.\n\nAshley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:18:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-says-fighter-jet-took-down-iranian-warplane-first-shootdown-its-kind",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8b11c4a05368",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran reached out to CIA for terms to end war with Israel - The Jerusalem Post",
    "body_text": "Iran’s surviving leaders have publicly projected defiance and refused to negotiate with US President Donald Trump to halt the American and Israeli assault on their country. But operatives from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence quietly reached out indirectly to the CIA with an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict, according to officials briefed on the outreach cited by The New York Times.\nThe contact, delivered through another country’s intelligence service, landed as Iran’s leadership structure was thrown into deeper disarray by continued Israeli strikes, complicating even the basic question of who can commit Iran to any ceasefire, the report said. US officials described the approach as not serious for now, and said they were skeptical that either Washington or Tehran is genuinely ready for an immediate offramp.\nThe White House and Iranian officials did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report. The CIA declined to comment.\nIsraeli officials, the report said, have urged Washington to disregard the overture as Israel pursues a sustained campaign aimed at inflicting maximum damage on Iran’s military capabilities and, potentially, bringing about the collapse of Iran’s government. In Washington, the approach is being treated with caution, in part because the conflict’s trajectory has become increasingly intertwined with leadership decapitation, succession uncertainty, and competing endgame theories.\nTrump, who had suggested in recent days that he was open to discussions, adopted a harder line publicly after the outreach was reported. In a social media post, he wrote that it was “too late” for talks, and later repeated the message in remarks to reporters.\nIn the same exchange, Trump underscored how quickly the pool of potential Iranian interlocutors is shrinking. “Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” he said, adding, “Pretty soon we are not going to know anybody,” according to the account cited by The New York Times.\nThat dynamic goes to the heart of the problem now confronting Washington: even if Iran’s security establishment decided it wanted a pause, it is unclear whether anyone can enforce it across Iran’s fractured power centers, or whether a deal could survive the pace of strikes and counterstrikes. The more the Iranian system is degraded, analysts say, the more a negotiation could resemble a scramble to identify a signatory rather than a classic bargaining process between intact governments.\nUS officials, according to the report, are expected to insist that any agreement to stop the bombing includes a pledge by Tehran to abandon or drastically curtail its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and end or sharply reduce support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah. Trump has indicated he could allow Iran’s surviving leaders to retain significant economic and political power in return, a formula that would prioritize compliance on strategic programs over sweeping internal political reform.\nTrump has repeatedly pointed to Venezuela as a preferred model, describing it as a scenario in which pressure and targeted action produce a controllable political outcome rather than prolonged instability. “What we did in Venezuela, I think, is the perfect scenario,” he said in an interview cited by The New York Times. “Leaders can be picked.”\nCritics of that approach argue that Iran is structurally different, with parallel chains of command, ideological institutions, and a security apparatus that can survive decapitation by redistributing authority downward. They also warn that a “picked” leadership outcome could amount to a rebranding of the same coercive networks, especially if the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps emerges as the dominant force in a weakened state.\nDo Israel and US see eye to eye on regime change?\nThe report also described growing signs of tension over war aims between Washington and Jerusalem, with analysts arguing that Israel does not want the United States to engineer a “Venezuela-like solution” that leaves core power structures intact under new faces. Steven A. Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations said Trump’s shifting statements could reflect that divergence, according to the account.\nBeyond the leadership question sits a second strategic risk: state fracture. Analysts cited by The New York Times warned that Iran could lose control over remote regions dominated by ethnic minorities, or collapse into chaos and violence resembling the civil wars in Syria and Libya, outcomes that would be harder to contain and could create new security vacuums.\nTrump initially leaned into the idea of popular revolt, urging Iranians in a video message to rise up and saying “the hour of your freedom is at hand,” according to the report. He later struck a more passive note, saying the decision would be “up to them,” language reflecting the uncertainty over whether Washington could shape, or even tolerate, the outcome of a bottom-up revolution.\nSome experts argue that even a successful uprising would not reliably produce a US-friendly successor government. “There’s a low likelihood that a successor state would be a liberal democracy friendly to the United States,” said Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities, in remarks cited by The New York Times, noting the legacy of a war with the United States would shape any new order.\nTrump himself acknowledged the risk of replacement without improvement. “The worst case would be we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person,” he said, according to the report.\nQuestions about alternative figures have also resurfaced, including Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah. Trump appeared unenthusiastic, describing him as someone who “looks like a very nice person,” while indicating a preference for “somebody that’s there that’s currently popular, if there’s such a person,” according to the report.\nThe broader context is a long, frustrated American debate about whether Tehran contains a workable “moderate” interlocutor within its existing political structure. Trump and some of his advisers have portrayed Iran’s current leadership as irredeemably ideological, with Trump branding them “radical lunatics” in recent remarks cited by The New York Times.\nAt the same time, past US administrations have tried negotiating through Iranian officials framed as more pragmatic, including the 2015 nuclear deal reached under President Barack Obama, which Trump later abandoned. Skeptics have long argued that Iran’s clerical system constrains any individual leader’s flexibility, a point often summarized by former US defense secretary Robert Gates’s quip about searching for the “elusive Iranian moderate.”\nFor now, the backchannel approach appears to have changed little in the immediate calculus in Washington. But it has sharpened the central dilemma: the harder the campaign hits Iran’s leadership, the more difficult it becomes to identify a counterpart capable of delivering the kind of sweeping strategic concessions the United States says it wants.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:19:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiakFVX3lxTE5SQzN1S19DN1pwc1FDNV9IWDlxT3NXdkxFZXF6YUdUcUFVdHBheGpaNlJlR2pUb1JSUGswd29IUkM1clFicU1zcmRsZ1JuU3d2MDJOOFJEdjVmRUZOT1Bfal9XUU5Va0FiY3c?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fc279188ff64",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Supply chain disruptions from the Iran war could raise prices for drugs, electronics and more - AP News",
    "body_text": "Supply chain disruptions from the Iran war could raise prices for drugs, electronics and more\nNEW YORK (AP) — The Iran war has effectively halted oil tanker movement in the key Strait of Hormuz. But it’s also disrupting the wider global supply chain beyond oil, affecting everything from pharmaceuticals from India, semiconductors from Asia and oil-derived products like fertilizers that come from the Middle East.\nCargo ships are stuck in the Gulf or making a much longer detour around the southern tip of Africa. Planes carrying air cargo out of the Middle East are grounded. And the longer the war drags on, the more likely that there will be shortages and price increases on a wide range of goods.\n“This is really causing some major impacts within the global supply chain,” said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. “As this conflict keeps progressing, you’ll start to see some shortages, you’ll see some major price increases.”\nStalled at sea\nClarksons Research, which tracks shipping data, estimates that about 3,200 ships, or about 4% of global ship tonnage, are idle inside the Persian Gulf, but that includes about 1,231 that likely only operate within the Gulf. About 500 ships, or 1% of global tonnage, are currently “waiting” outside the Gulf in ports off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, according to the firm.\nWhile those may seem like small percentages, they have a domino effect that will lead to congestion elsewhere, said Michael Goldman, general manager North America of CARU Containers.\n“The supply chain is kind of like a long train with many cars and each car represents, let’s say, a port in the world. Well, if one car gets derailed, it can very often have a domino effect to many other cars behind it or in front of it,” he said. “So although we only have a small number of ports affected by this military action, it can really have a big effect on the total supply chain.”\nOn Tuesday, President Donald Trump pitched a plan aimed at getting oil and trade moving again through the Strait.\nTrump said on social media he ordered the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. to provide political risk insurance for tankers carrying oil and other goods through the Persian Gulf “at a very reasonable price.”\nPolitical risk insurance is a type of coverage intended to protect firms against financial losses caused by unstable political conditions, government actions, or violence. Marine insurers had been canceling or raising rates for insurance in the region.\nHe said that, if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy has at least eight destroyers and three, smaller, littoral combat ships in the region. These ships have previously been used to escort merchant shipping in the region and in the Red Sea.\nComputer chips, pharmaceuticals and other goods face delays\nA wide range of products are shipped through the Mideast region. Along with about 20% of the worlds oil that comes from the region, products made with natural gas such as petrochemical feedstock — used to make plastic and rubber — and nitrogen fertilizer come from the Middle East. Pharmaceuticals exported from India and semiconductors and batteries exported from Asia to the rest of the world are all shipped through the region and could face delays.\nLimited routes, higher costs\nIn addition to constraints on the Strait of Hormuz, the instability has put a damper on transit in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, which had just begun to see more transit after years of instability due to Houthi attacks on ships in the region. Shipping company Maersk had resumed transit in the Suez Canal and Red Sea but said Sunday it was rerouting that traffic around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, a move other companies have been making to avoid the volatile region.\nThat journey adds 10 to 14 days to the trip and about $1 million extra in fuel per ship, Syracuse’ Penfield estimates.\nWith higher fuel prices, longer routes and higher risk in the region, shippers have begun adding fuel and “war risk” or “emergency conflict” surcharges to what they’re charging clients, leading to higher costs all around, he said.\nAir cargo under pressure\nAir cargo has also been constrained. Closed airspace and airports in countries including UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran have stranded tens of thousands of people - and cargo.\nEach of the three major Middle Eastern airlines — Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways — operate fleets of cargo aircraft, and the airlines also transport goods in the belly of their passenger planes.\nThe amount of goods that travels through the air typically accounts for less than 1% of all freight moving globally, but the products that do travel by air tend to be perishable or high-value goods like pharmaceuticals, electronics and produce that together account for about 35% of the world trade value, Boeing estimated in its World Air Cargo Forecast.\nThe longer these airports in the Middle East remain closed the greater the potential disruption to the economy if these sensitive shipments don’t arrive or have to be rerouted around the conflict. Even before the war in Iran began over the weekend, air freight and airlines were already contending with closed airspace over Ukraine and Russia.\nFlights through these Middle Eastern airport hubs are a key route for passengers and cargo from India. Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group, said it’s going to be hard to get to India now, and passengers may have to switch to different routes that fly west across Asia. Airlines may have to resort to longer flights, and in some case even add fuel stops on some routes.\n“Remember, there’s a lot of pharmaceutical products that are made in India and then exported to different countries around the world. If that’s disrupted, that has a huge, huge, huge impact,” Harteveldt said.\nAir cargo costs are expected to rise due to reduced capacity, increased demand, and surcharges.\nMaersk said in an operational update Tuesday that it expects air freight rates to rise due to capacity constraints.\n“Airlines are also introducing or reviewing the possibility of introducing war risk surcharges on shipments routed through or near the impacted regions,” Maersk said in a statement. “There may also be added costs linked to jet fuel which in turn can push up costs.”\nAn industry that ‘runs on disruption’\nDespite the supply chain upheaval, however, Michael Goldman, general manager North America of CARU Containers, said the industry will adjust. Over the past few years it has faced other major disruptions like COVID supply shortages and other recent Mideast conflicts and has become more nimble.\n“The specific situation that’s happening is pretty unprecedented, so it’s very unique from that perspective,” he said. “(But) for the last few years the industry just kind of runs on disruption. So in terms of our industry having disruption, that is nothing new. That’s more of the same.”\n___\nJosh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska and Fatima Hussein and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:28:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOSFRiV2NWUzh1cms5NlIyWHdScDVUMHFyLUJCWnVvMF9oaUJTMmx5bnA4Q21wM1F0ZF91cEhYc1YyUlJGYjVRR1ZlNFFiS1RoTFlPRXJpQ0ZXbGQ5ZllPVDRfQ19Dei1PT1hzMzQ2Wll5MnNLTWxWbmg2NHRjZ2k2WUdUNTdSbTBjRlNpZWtfb2RmU045eDk0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_0068d66b5a21",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "The Global Trading Empire Run by a Secretive Iranian Oil Tycoon - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "The Global Trading Empire Run by a Secretive Iranian Oil Tycoon    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:32:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxOcjRleUwzSWtBY016ODJVNlA4TldtYWxTOFVUTEJvV0Rxd196VGJtYWFkSWYyMFBkclBELUY3NGQ5d3NrNWVDc2RDRUVULXdpTDVGR3RsR3gwOEJyN1NSaVlKZTdpc2YxTXBLOVhhSUphdzdpSGNDNmU5bGFJRGJISndWQWNSeTJWVnNfTXRoUE0xRjdzUld6UVJaZXVLbmlsVVFYUEdOdWYzNHRXR1Z4VzF3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_76757e836487",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US submarine sank Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s coast, Hegseth says",
    "body_text": "Defence secretary confirms strike on Iris Dena in first US attack on Iranian forces outside Middle East during conflict\n\nThe US has carried out a submarine torpedo strike that sank an Iranian warship off the south coast ofSri Lanka, according to the US secretary of defence.\n\nPete Hegseth confirmed that the US was behind the deadly strike on an Iranian frigate that killed more than 80 people, as it was sailing close to the Sri Lankan coast.\n\n“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. He said the attack was carried out by a US navy submarine late on Tuesday night. It was one of the few instances of a submarine sinking a ship since the second world war.\n\n“It was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death – the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since world war II,” said Hegseth. “Like in that war, back when we were still the war department, we are fighting to win.”\n\nAccording to Sri Lanka’s foreign affairs minister, Vijitha Herath, the Sri Lankan coastguard received a distress call from an Iranian navy ship, the Iris Dena, at 5.08am on Wednesday. Crew members had described the incident as an explosion.\n\n“By 6am we dispatched a naval vessel and by 7am the second naval vessel,” Herath said. He said Sri Lanka had an obligation to respond to their call for help as the country was a signatory to the international convention on maritime search and rescue.\n\nThe Iranian ship was outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters but still within its economic zone, 44 nautical miles (81km) off the southern coastal city of Galle.\n\nAruna Jayasekara, Sri Lanka’s deputy minister of defence, confirmed that 83 bodies had been recovered from the site of the strike. According to officials, 32 of the crew were rescued alive and taken to a hospital in Galle.\n\nThe deadly strike comes amid the war in the Middle East, after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran over the weekend. The submarine strike marks an escalation in hostilities and is the first US attack on Iran’s military to take place outside the Middle East since the war began.\n\nThe Iris Dena warship was the newest frigate in the Iranian naval fleet and was equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, cannon, machine guns and torpedo launchers. The vessel was probably passing by Sri Lanka as it returned from the international fleet review, which was hosted by the Indian navy last week.\n\nThe Sri Lanka navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath said rescue efforts were continuing and the main focus of the operation was to “help survivors”.\n\nA senior Sri Lankan official told the Guardian the Iranian embassy in Colombo had indicated through back channels that they believed their ship had been targeted by a US strike.\n\nThe official said the Iranians claimed that the ship’s defence and counterattack capabilities were disabled by electromagnetic means before the attack. The Iranian government has yet to officially comment on the incident.\n\nAnother Sri Lankan defence source said it appeared that the vessel had been hit by two torpedoes that struck the middle of the ship.\n\nRohan Gunaratna, a well-connected Sri Lankan defence analyst, confirmed he had been informed that the ship had been targeted by the US in a torpedo attack from a submarine.\n\nThe main US naval base in the Indian Ocean is Diego Garcia, located in the Chagos archipelago, more than 1,000 miles (1,600km) away from Sri Lanka.\n\nThe US involvement in the targeting of the Iranian ship signals a further escalation of its military attacks on Iran. The heavy bombardment has already killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dozens of other high-ranking Iranian officials, as well as targeting Iran’s ballistic missile and air defence systems.\n\nIn response, Iran launched missile strikes across the Middle East and halted all shipments through the strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil-shipping corridor.The strikes continued into a fifth day on Wednesday, as Israel launched a further wave of strikes on the Iranian capital, Tehran.\n\nOn Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, tweeted his solidarity with the United Arab Emirates after it was targeted in retaliatory strikes by Iran, stating that Sri Lanka “stands firmly with the UAE and is ready to assist in any way it can”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:33:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/us-submarine-torpedo-iran-warship-sri-lanka-coast-pete-hegseth",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e26157a40391",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran war breaks UN Charter, strike on school shocking, UN probe says",
    "body_text": "GENEVA, March 4 (Reuters) - An independent United Nations probe investigating rights violations in Iran condemned on Wednesday attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran as well as Tehran's retaliatory strikes across the region, saying they violated the UN Charter.\n\nThe United Nations Charter bans the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.\n\n\"These attacks, which were followed by Iran's retaliatory strikes across the region, run counter to the UN Charter,\" the U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said in a statement.\n\nIt also expressed deep shock over a strike that hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls school in Minab in southern Iran on Saturday, the first day of the U.S. and ​Israeli attacks.\n\nMost of the victims appear to have been schoolgirls aged seven to 12, it said.\n\nEarlier on Wednesday a separate U.N. panel of experts said more than 160 children were killed, citing reports.\n\nThe U.N. fact-finding probe said the Iranian population was now caught between a large-scale military campaign that may go on for weeks and a government in Tehran which has a long record of human rights abuses.\n\nTens of thousands of people were detained and face torture and the death penalty, the U.N. probe said, following a brutal crackdown on protests that began on December 28, 2025, in response to the country's economic crisis.\n\nIt said protesters currently detained in prisons could be put at risk from any U.S.-Israeli strikes. A British couple jailed in Iran described on Tuesday explosions shaking Evin prison where they are being held and damage to their ​wing as the conflict intensifies.\n\nThe statement said the killing of dozens of Iranian officials - who have included Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - in the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes was not an acceptable means to deliver justice under international law.\n\n(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; editing by Matthias Williams)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:36:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-war-breaks-un-charter-strike-school-shocking-un-probe-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f1a495d65b5f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US says it is winning against Iran, can fight as long as needed",
    "body_text": "WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday the United States was winning in the war against Iran and that the U.S. military could fight as long as needed.\n\n\"Our air defenses and that of our allies have plenty of runway. We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to,\" Hegseth said.\n\n(Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Doina Chiacu and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Andrew Heavens)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:36:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/us-says-it-winning-against-iran-can-fight-long-needed",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6e2512007176",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Air defenses and arsenals: How long can the US, Israel and Iran sustain war? - Anadolu Ajansı",
    "body_text": "Air defenses and arsenals: How long can the US, Israel and Iran sustain war?\nAnalysts say the timeline ultimately depends on whether stockpiles, air defenses and political will can support a prolonged campaign\nIstanbul\n- ‘US interceptor stocks could genuinely hit critical lows within days, given the intensity and frequency of Iranian attacks,’ says Joze Pelayo of the Atlantic Council\n- ‘If Hezbollah and Iran are good at coordination, the Israeli air defense system will be tested,’ says Ryan Bohl of RANE Network\nISTANBUL\nFive days into the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, the focus is no longer only on the intensity of the strikes but on how long each side can keep fighting.\nBeneath the waves of missiles and airstrikes lies a more fundamental calculation – whether stockpiles, air defenses and political will can support a prolonged campaign.\nUS President Donald Trump has suggested the operation could last “four to five weeks” or longer, but analysts say the timeline will ultimately be determined by military inventories, economic pressures and the willingness of each side to absorb losses.\nRyan Bohl, a senior Middle East and North Africa analyst at the RANE Network, said historical precedent suggests the conflict may not last indefinitely.\n“Among past US air campaigns, the longest was the one against Serbia in 1999, which was for about 90 days,” he said.\n“I tend to think this one is going to be much shorter than 90 days because of the lack of political will in America. Trump’s four to five weeks timeline may be reasonable, but it could be even shorter than that, particularly if we see an energy that looks like it’s going to cause a shock.”\nUS munitions and military capacity\nThe US has mobilized significant firepower for the operation. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), more than 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers have been deployed for the joint campaign.\nIn a video statement on Tuesday, CENTCOM head Adm. Brad Cooper said US and Israeli forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets across Iran with more than 2,000 munitions.\nReports from US media outlets based on leaks from the Pentagon have suggested that American stocks of some critical missiles could start running low after a week or two at most.\nTrump, however, has dismissed concerns about American stockpiles, asserting that US supplies of mid- and high-grade munitions were stronger than ever.\n“As was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.\nThe US has relied on an extensive arsenal that includes B-2 stealth bombers, B-1 bombers, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, A-10 attack aircraft, EA-18G electronic warfare planes, MQ-9 Reaper drones, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and guided-missile destroyers, along with Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems.\nSome analysts warn that interceptor inventories could become a constraint if the conflict intensifies.\nJoze Pelayo of the Atlantic Council think tank described the issue as an “urgent concern” for the US and its allies.\n“US interceptor stocks could genuinely hit critical lows within days, given the intensity and frequency of Iranian attacks, which appears to be precisely Tehran’s strategy,” said Pelayo, associate director for strategic initiatives and policy at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative.\nBohl acknowledged reports of potential shortages, but believes that Washington retains the capacity to sustain intermittent strikes over a longer period if necessary.\n“There are strategic stockpiles inside Israel as well that the Americans can dip into. There’s also other stockpiles that they can rush to the region from Europe and from the US to replenish that, particularly if they slow down their pace of airstrikes.”\nIran’s missile and drone stocks\nIran, by contrast, is relying primarily on ballistic missiles and drones.\nCENTCOM says Tehran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in retaliatory strikes since the conflict began.\nAmong them are the Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones, which have a range of up to 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) and are relatively inexpensive to produce.\n“The drones are the most effective against the Gulf Arab states because they don’t have anti-drone defenses. These are cheap to produce and easy to launch,” Bohl said.\nBefore last year’s 12-day war with Israel, Iran’s stockpile of medium- and short-range ballistic missiles was estimated at between 2,500 and 3,000. Analysts believe roughly half were expended during that conflict, but reports suggest Tehran has worked to replenish its supplies.\nIran’s missile arsenal includes the Khorramshahr-4, Ghadr-110, Haj Qassem, Emad, Qasem Basir and Zolfagar, with ranges from a few hundred kilometers to as far as 2,000 kilometers (over 1,220 miles).\nAccording to Bohl, Iran’s shorter-range missile inventories remain relatively strong.\nHe said Tehran likely still has several weeks’ worth of short-range ballistic missiles available and could extend that supply by reducing the pace of launches.\nPelayo noted that Iran is unlikely to back down quickly, particularly because many of the weapons it deploys – such as drones and short-range missiles – are relatively cheap compared to the systems used by the US and Israel.\nIsrael’s defense systems\nIsrael has also been conducting extensive air operations while relying heavily on its layered air defense systems to intercept incoming missiles and drones.\nThe Israeli Air Force said on Tuesday that it has dropped over 4,000 munitions on Iranian targets since last Saturday, reaching the same number used in last June’s 12-day war.\nIsrael’s defensive network includes the Iron Dome system designed to intercept short-range rockets, David’s Sling for medium-range threats, and the long-range Arrow missile defense system. The country also operates US-made THAAD ballistic missile interceptors.\nWhile Israel does not share information on its supplies, Bohl believes it likely has sufficient interceptor stocks and munitions to sustain operations for now.\nThe Times of Israel reported on Wednesday that Israel’s military is “planning for at least one or two more weeks of operations in Iran.”\nHowever, Bohl pointed out that Hezbollah’s involvement and Israel’s shift toward Lebanon could prove to be a factor.\n“If Hezbollah and Iran are good at coordination, the Israeli air defense system will be tested. It will be a real question as to whether it will be able to defend itself from such coordinated attacks.”\nAnadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:45:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxPbm5qblR1RTlDY3FCcWdxSzkyMTNqYU50Nmc3RlVhWXJsaEVONEZ1dzdkUF95RFdTdjhwbWRrRmhxam16N0ZkN1h0cHl3b3BFRXVQN0g2ZDhqQWZjdnhPUmhLNDV3bkQ5MG5oMUhhbEF5a2h3WGxxOGRGUzd3NWxmOXlzeWlYd21hS0xDVHlabFcwOHBVTkFpNnZJYVFKeXRFVmlqRGNwY1JBcldXZnBSNXptbjBMMWplVnc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f2320d6becb6",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, possible successor to his father as Iran's supreme leader? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, possible successor to his father as Iran's supreme leader?\nFollowing the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive about his potential successor.\nWith the Assembly of Experts reportedly in session to decide on the new ruler - despite their buildings still coming under US-Israeli attack - one name that has circulated is that of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late leader.\nThe 56-year-old is widely seen as a hardliner within Iran, with opposition channel Iran International claiming he is being pushed for the top job by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\nHis appointment during the continuing onslaught by the US and Israel could be seen as an act of defiance, both against the killing of his father and in pushing back against calls for compromise.\nMojtaba was born in the city of Mashhad in 1969 as the second son of Ali Khamenei and Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, who also died following injuries sustained last week.\nAt the time of his birth, Iran was still ruled by Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who would be overthrown in mass protests largely led by Motjaba's father and the Islamic Republic's first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomenei, in 1979.\nHe would come of age during the Iran-Iraq war, a conflict that left up to a million Iranians dead, and would serve as part of the IRGC in the closing years of the war, before going on to study Islamic theology.\nMotjaba's time in the IRGC would prove influential.\nAs part of his service in the Habib Ibn Mazahir Battalion, a volunteer-linked faction in the IRGC, he built up a range of contacts with figures who would rise to senior positions in Iran's security and intelligence apparatus, including Hossein Taeb, the future head of the IRGC's Intelligence Organisation.\nCorridors of power\nKhamenei has generally maintained a relatively low profile in Iran, continuing to work as a teacher in Qom and shunning public office.\nHowever, behind the scenes he was reported to hold far more influence.\nIn the first decade of the 21st century, he became an ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and was accused of helping mastermind both the claimed rigging of the 2009 election and the crackdown on protesters that followed.\nEven at the time he was highly controversial in Iran's political establishment, with one politician telling the Guardian in 2009 that his alleged secretive influence was frustrating senior figures.\n\"Mojtaba is the commander of this coup d'etat. The basiji are operating on Mojtaba's orders, but his name is always hidden in all of this. The government never mentions him,\" the Iranian politician said, referring to an IRGC branch focused on internal security.\n\"Everyone is angry about this. The maraji [Iran's most senior ayatollahs] and the clerics are angry, the conservatives are very angry and strongly critical of Mojtaba. This situation cannot continue with so many people on the top against it.\"\nThere was also controversy over Khamenei's wealth.\nAccording to a Bloomberg investigation, Khamenei owns luxury houses in the UK worth more than $138m through shell companies, including 11 properties on The Bishops Avenue, a north London street nicknamed Billionaire's Row.\nHe also reportedly has investments in Tehran, Dubai and Frankfurt.\nControversial choice\nKhamenei being chosen as supreme leader would likely be controversial within Iran for a number of reasons.\nAs the son of the previous leader, some would see his appointment as going against republican principles, especially within a political establishment that came to power by overthrowing a monarchy and rejecting hereditary rule.\nHis lack of experience - he has never held public office - is another possible controversial factor.\nAn article released by the Tehran Times in January 2025 cited Ali Khamenei as being resolutely opposed to his son taking over from him in the case of his death.\nIt also cited an academic who claimed the West had continued \"to peddle this narrative of a dynastic succession\" with the goal of discrediting \"the legitimacy of Iran's institutions, fostering an image of an undemocratic state\".\nRegardless, with the situation in Iran as febrile as it is, making bets about any longterm ruler may be risky.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:50:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQTUpMT3lMNHMtMFdnanZBQ2lPd3AyM1h2eElMLWFlN25LMl9WTTNsRG9CSnctemxfTkptRnFPRlZnWE5XVjdIaE9CX29fMm5QcU1Ea1NHUHE5UXBfcGFrVVpPZDZITS1VczdYeHVVU19wb0NQY3pLWTh1dkFaYVhoR3VfRzJvcTQ4eUFhSTNEVnYtN2tFWVBtd21LcHlxUER4N2JR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1fbebca239e0",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Israel flagged Hezbollah threat before launching air attacks, leaked memo shows",
    "body_text": "US embassy cable said Israeli officials did not trust Lebanon or Syria to contain the group’s fighters\n\nAn internal US assessment indicates that Israeli officials had doubts that the Lebanese state could disarmHezbollaheven before Israel launched an aerial campaign against the group on Monday.\n\nThe leaked embassy cable shows that on the eve of the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Israeli officials had told Washington that Hezbollah was reconstituting its military capabilities faster than the Lebanese armed forces could degrade them. It said neither Beirut nor Damascus could be trusted to contain the threat on Israel’s northern borders.\n\nThe 27 February cable, seen by the Guardian, was sent to Washington a day before Israel and the US launched their aerial campaign against Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes across the region.\n\nThree days after the US cable was sent, Israel launched thefirst of a wave of airstrikesagainst Hezbollah-dominated areas in southern Beirut.\n\nThe cable indicated that Israel doubted Syria’s new leaders could control their own security forces and was “gravely” alarmed by Turkish military entrenchment inSyria, which it warned could create a strategic threat to Israel’s north. It also claimed that Turkish officials had “repeatedly incited against Israel in Syria” even while Israeli and Turkish national security officials maintained “de-confliction” agreements. The cable said this suggested Ankara was pursuing a dual track – managing relations with Tel Aviv privately while positioning itself militarily in Syria at Israel’s expense.\n\nThe cable was intended as a background briefing for the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, before a trip to Israel that was later cancelled. It was written under the auspices of the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. A self-avowed Christian Zionist, Huckabee had days earlier told the US journalist Tucker Carlson itwould be “fine”if Israel seized territory stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates, encompassing Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The remarks triggered a diplomatic scandal andcondemnation from 14 governments, prompting the embassy to say “US policy has not changed”.\n\nHuckabee also told Carlson that if Israel “ended up getting attacked by all these places and they win that war and they take that land, OK, that’s a whole other discussion”.\n\nThe embassy cable said Israeli officials had lost confidence in the Lebanese state ever moving against Hezbollah. Israel, according to the internal report, “harbours major doubts Hezbollah will agree to give up its weapons” and questions the Lebanese government’s “commitment to confront Hezbollah to take control of all Lebanese territory”.\n\nIranian funding was still reaching the group “through Turkey and elsewhere”, the cable said, despite the November 2024 ceasefire. The Israel Defense Forces, the cable added, had already been forced “to pick up military attacks on Hezbollah as a result”.\n\nThe Lebanese army announced in January that it had taken over security in southernLebanon– a move Israel greeted with scepticism. The office of the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said efforts toward fully disarming Hezbollah were “an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support”.\n\nThe ceasefire, brokered after months of cross-border exchanges, was already under strain before the Iran strikes began, with Israeli forces maintaining five military outposts north of a UN-demarcated blue line inside Lebanese territory.\n\nOn Syria, Israeli officials told embassy staff they doubted its president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, had the “ability and willingness to control his security forces”. They expressed what the internal report called “grave” concern over Turkish military entrenchment, warning it could “create a strategic threat to Israel”.\n\nIsrael has maintained a military presence in the UN buffer zone separating Israel and Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, a move widely condemned internationally but which Israel insists is a defensive necessity.\n\nThe cable was sent the day before US and Israeli strikes on Iran began. Within 72 hours, Hezbollah had fired rockets into northern Israel for the first time since the 2024 ceasefire, Israel had bombed Beirut and Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, had convened an emergency cabinet meeting demanding that Hezbollah disarm.\n\nIn January, Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, showed little sign he would heed that call, saying that any attack on Tehran was an attack on Hezbollah.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:54:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/israel-flagged-hezbollah-threat-before-launching-air-attacks-leaked-memo-shows",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f8c000fee4a7",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Fed’s Miran Says He Still Wants Rate Cuts Despite Iran War - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Fed’s Miran Says He Still Wants Rate Cuts Despite Iran War    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQVG1RUC1OVlpMcjFRMndNc1NqRmdEeEZ6VFdYQUZoMkNXLXdjdlNLbEYzYWJFVTZmLWNvTk9yRWpVMzNSUFZYcUxkbEpTaktJZGphWlF4SGM3dVA5b1FJYWJQd3FIMDBMNXppdUFodWV1QXducmFkYW9mY181S2Z4TWJxRHBZSGJ4cGR2WDUySXRRcTBuRDdUT1ZkNEE0dWFCb2NVcXJmYzdaNTZidUE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ed4cfd7d5e24",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Greens, Your Party and Labour backbenchers build anti-war alliance in parliament - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Greens, Your Party and Labour backbenchers build anti-war alliance in parliament\nAs fears grow of Britain becoming embroiled in the US-Israeli attack on Iran, an anti-war coalition is taking shape in parliament.\nThe alliance is between the insurgent Green Party, the new left-wing Your Party, the parliamentary Independent Alliance of independent MPs and Labour backbenchers.\nJeremy Corbyn, former Labour leader and parliamentary leader of the new Your Party, on Thursday tabled a parliamentary bill with cross-party backing that would require parliament's approval for the foreign use of British military bases.\nIt comes in response to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision on Sunday night to allow the US to use UK military bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites.\nThe bill, called the Military Action Bill, is co-sponsored by Green MPs Ellie Chowns and Hannah Spencer, who was elected last week in the Gorton and Denton by-election.\nIt is also co-sponsored by Corbyn's fellow Independent Alliance MPs Adnan Hussain and Ayoub Khan, as well as by Labour backbenchers Diane Abbott, John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Kim Johnson, Brian Leishman and Apsana Begum.\nThe bill is unlikely to pass, but it will pile political pressure on the government.\nStarmer is being hammered from the other side by Reform UK and the Conservative Party, urging him to back the US-Israeli attack and allow the US to use British bases as it pleases, not just to target missile sites.\nLeft-wing bloc in parliament\nThe Military Action Bill would require \"parliamentary approval for the deployment of UK armed forces and military equipment for armed conflict\".\nIt would additionally \"require parliamentary approval for the granting of permission by Ministers for use of UK military bases and equipment by other nations for armed conflict\".\nSignificantly, the bill would also \"require the withdrawal of that permission in circumstances where parliamentary approval is not granted\".\nIts tabling marks a new step in the development of a broad left-wing alliance in parliament. Your Party elected its central executive committee last week, with Corbyn as the parliamentary leader.\nMeanwhile, the Greens have surged to second in national polls following Spencer's historic win in the formerly Labour-held seat of Gorton and Denton in last Thursday's by-election.\nBoth Corbyn and Green leader Zack Polanski have led the charge in opposing British involvement in the US-Israeli attack.\nEarlier this week, Polanski condemned what he called \"Starmer's utter inability to stand up to Donald Trump\".\nHe said: \"We now face being dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East, which has now pulled in multiple countries. People in this country do not want this and it must not be allowed to happen.\"\nPolanski demanded that Starmer \"withdraw permission for the US to use UK bases to launch airstrikes on Iran\".\nMeanwhile, Corbyn said Britain is being \"dragged into another war because our Prime Minister would rather appease Donald Trump than stand up for international law\".\nYouGov polling released on Monday shows the British public opposes US military action against Iran by 49 percent to 28 percent.\nExactly half of the public also opposes the government allowing the US to use British airbases, with only 30 percent supporting the move.\nThe left-wing parliamentary bloc, rather than Reform and the Tories, appears to be representing public opinion in the House of Commons.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T13:58:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxPSmFCY3ktbGhieVBmVWYxLVVOZXNHMTc1cFNjeWRxT3h1WWJ3bnEtZkdGNkZYeGItMHRTT3JEVzNncmI4WVBGUXM0SjhrWUpqLUJNZi12Vl9xZlUtY0lnV2hmY01telNVbHphWVROX1ZZZGpCMnVnLTB2aVpVZmZaVE5kcWxwWURoQkpLVURBYm5WVW1obHFKeG4zSlZJQUh4S2ExYzlmWGJsVFhMRWY4ZQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ade7eb56caeb",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Labor says Australia won’t run out of fuel due to the Iran conflict. So how much do we have and how long will it last?",
    "body_text": "The amount of crude oil being refined locally has dwindled in recent years – but officials say Australia’s strategic reserve means there’s no need to worry\n\nFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updates\n\nThose words from the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, on Wednesday were a bid to reassure Australians that theUS-Israeli war on Irandid not mean our nation was about to run out of fuel.\n\nThere has been some breathless reporting of Costco service stations running out of petrol, and long lines at other servos as motorists rush to fill up before the anticipated price rises.\n\nThree days after the start of missile strikes on one of the world’s biggest oil producers, Chris Bowen, the energy minister, on Tuesday suggested thatthe only thing to fear was fear itself.\n\n“There are real challenges, but there is no need for panic-buying; that will just make the situation worse,” Bowen said, in advice reminiscent of the Covid toilet paper shortages.\n\nWhile there is no such thing as an official toilet paper stockpile, Australia does maintain a strategic reserve of petroleum products.\n\nSo what is this reserve, and is it enough? How worried should we be?\n\nThe ongoing attacks on Iran, alongside retaliatory attacks, have essentially closed the strait of Hormuz, restricting one-fifth of the world’s seaborne crude oil supply, and sendingenergy commodity pricessoaring.\n\nExpensive oil isbad newsfor motorists as it will make petrol more expensive. But price is one thing – availability is another.\n\nAustralia imports about 90% of its liquid fuel including petrol, diesel and aviation fuel.\n\nMost of those products come from refineries in Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. They, in turn, rely on Middle Eastern crude oil.\n\nThe number of Australian oil refineries has dwindled over the years from 12 to just two today – both of which are propped up by government support.\n\nThere were six refineries at the start of the Coalition’s most recent decade in power, and two by the time Labor was elected in May 2022. (Two refineries closed during opposition leader Angus Taylor’s tenure as energy minister).\n\nThat reflects the choice under governments of both persuasions to not intervene as locally refined products were replaced by cheaper –muchcheaper – imported fuels.\n\nBut in the current world where every country is focused on economic security, our overwhelming reliance on overseas fuel now appears a glaring vulnerability.\n\nThere’s no clear and present threat that petroleum and oil imports are about to dry up.\n\nA 2020 federal government liquid fuel security review – releasedunder freedom of informationin early 2024 – examined a scenario where the strait of Hormuz was closed.\n\nIt concluded that “fuel supplies in Australia are unlikely to be physically affected as long as the disruption is resolved within six months and IEA [International Energy Agency] countries release emergency stocks to maintain global supplies”.\n\nAnd even if oil shipments out of the Middle East were disrupted beyond that time frame, Australia would still be able to secure what we needed as long as we were prepared to pay, the review said.\n\nThat assessment may or may not be true, but it suggests we are a long way from finding out.\n\nSince 2023, importers and refiners have been required to maintain a baseline level of fuel stocks across petrol, diesel and jet fuel as part of Australia’s long-term fuel security framework.\n\nThis minimum stockholding obligation is set out in law: petrol refiners need to maintain reserves of at least equivalent to 24 days of usual demand, and 27 days for importers. The minimum for refiners of diesel is 20 days’ worth of supply, and 32 days’ worth for importers.\n\nThe businesses need to report their holdings weekly, and Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) reports average stockholding data on a quarterly basis.\n\n“Australia’s refineries and companies are required to keep a stock of fuel on hand in Australia just for this type of eventuality,” Bowen said.\n\n“And I’m pleased to say that we [have] 36 days’ worth of petrol, 34 days’ worth of diesel, and 32 days’ worth of jet fuel on hand as we speak.”\n\nSeparate DCCEEW petroleum statistics tracking fuel reserves go back to 2010.\n\nThese figures show that as at the end of last year, we had enough petrol reserves to cover 26 days of usual demand, diesel stocks to cover 25 days of consumption, and 20 days’ worth of jet fuel.\n\n(There’s also a second debate about whether we are meeting an obligation to hold fuel stocks equivalent to 90 days of imports as per an agreement with the International Energy Agency. The answer is: we never have.)\n\nSo if Australia was totally cut off from the world today, and assuming we just kept burning at the same rate, we could last until early April before running out of fuel.\n\nThe first thing to say, again, is that nobody is talking about a complete stop to international supply lines. It would take something like a regional conflict that shut down all shipping to Australia – not impossible, but not what we are talking about today.\n\nSo taking a bigger-picture view, are our stockpiles big enough?\n\nTony Wood, a senior fellow at the Grattan Institute’s energy and climate change program, says there’s no obvious answer to how much we need to be holding in strategic reserve.\n\nThe cost of stockpiling – the cost of insurance, essentially – is high, and both sides of politics have struggled with the question.\n\n“Clearly the geopolitical situation is less stable now than it was, and if the risks are increasing, it makes sense to take out more insurance,” Wood said.\n\n“This is a decision both sides had avoided. At least you’d think now’s the time to think carefully about whether 35 days of reserves is enough.”\n\nPatrick Commins is Guardian Australia’s economics editor",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:00:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/04/iran-oil-petrol-prices-panic-buying-fuel-reserve-how-much-do-we-have-and-how-long-will-it-last-explainer",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f11b9f502bf4",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Hormuz shutdown worsens after US hits Iranian warship; tankers stranded for fifth day",
    "body_text": "By Yousef Saba, Jonathan Saul and Anna Hirtenstein\n\nMarch 4 (Reuters) - The U.S.–Iran war widened on Wednesday after a U.S. strike hit an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, deepening a crisis that has paralysed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for a fifth day and choked off vital Middle East oil and gas flows.\n\nThe U.S. submarine strike on the Iranian vessel came as U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to provide insurance and navy escorts to ships exporting oil and gas from the Middle East in a bid to contain soaring energy prices.\n\nAt least 200 ships, including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers as well as cargo ships, remained at anchor in open waters off the coast of major Gulf producers includingIraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Reuters estimates based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.\n\nHundreds of other vessels remained outside Hormuz unable to reach ports, shipping data showed. The waterway is a key artery for around a fifth of the world's oil and LNG supply.\n\nThe Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige was also damaged by a projectile as it sailed toward the northern end of the Strait of Hormuz earlier, prompting the crew to abandon ship, shipping sources said.\n\nQatar suspended its gas output and Iraq cut its oil production as both ran out of storage for gas and oil, unable to load it in tankers. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait were also struggling to load oil but it was not yet clear if they cut output.\n\nDespite the gridlock, a rare voyage took place on Tuesday when the Suezmax tanker Pola sailed through the Strait of Hormuz to the UAE to load crude, according to industry sources and LSEG ship-tracking data.\n\nThe Pola had switched off its AIS transponder late on March 2 as it approached the Strait and reappeared the next day off Abu Dhabi.\n\nTrump on Tuesday said he had instructed the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide political-risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf.\n\n\"No matter what, the United States will ensure the free flow of energy to the world,\" he wrote in a social media post.\n\nOil prices dipped on Wednesday, having risen for the fourth day and gaining 12% since the war started on Saturday, as U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies. The pace of gains slowed from past sessions.\n\nOn Wednesday, Goldman Sachs raised its forecast for Brent crude oil in the second quarter by $10 to $76 per barrel. It also raised its prediction for WTI by $9 to $71 per barrel.\n\nThe bank said it sees longer-than-expected disruption to exports of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz and damage to oil production facilities as risks. It also assumes that low oil flows through Hormuz will lead to large declines in OECD inventories and Middle East production in March.\n\n\"Providing protection for all tankers operating in areas currently threatened by Iran is unrealistic as this would require a very high number of warships and other military assets,\" said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer with shipping association BIMCO.\n\nSome Asian refiners face output cuts because they are unable to get prompt replacement cargoes from their suppliers in the Gulf due to the shipping standstill, four traders and three analysts said.\n\nAsia sources 60% of its oil from the Middle East, leaving the region vulnerable to the disruptions. Refiners in Indonesia and Japan are sourcing more oil from the U.S. to replace the shortfall. India will consider buying more from Russia, sources at two companies have said.\n\nSaudi Aramco's largest domestic refinery and key crude export terminal Ras Tanura was struck on Wednesday, four sources said.\n\n(Reporting by Jonathan Saul. Writing by Anna Hirtenstein. Editing by Louise Heavens)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:01:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/hormuz-shutdown-worsens-after-us-hits-iranian-warship-tankers-stranded-fifth-day",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1359977a656b",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "At least 80 killed in US strike on Iranian warship, Sri Lankan minister says",
    "body_text": "March 4 (Reuters) - At least 80 were people killed in a U.S. submarine strike on an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister told local television on Wednesday.\n\n(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by YP Rajesh)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:01:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/least-80-killed-us-strike-iranian-warship-sri-lankan-minister-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a73bdaaf573d",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US says Iran firing fewer missiles, US strikes to expand inland",
    "body_text": "By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey\n\nWASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Iran is firing fewer missiles than it did at the start of the war on Saturday, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday, as he argued Iran's military capabilities were greatly diminished as the United States expands its strikes inside Iran.\n\n\"We will now begin to expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory, and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces,\" General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news briefing at the Pentagon.\n\nU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States was winning in its war against Iran, even as he lamented six U.S. troops killed so far in the conflict. He added the United States would outlast Iran.\n\nHegseth confirmed that the U.S. military sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, calling it the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War Two.\n\nThe U.S. sinking was first reported by Reuters.\n\n\"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,\" Hegseth said.\n\n(Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Donia Chiacu and Michelle Nichols)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:01:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/us-says-iran-firing-fewer-missiles-us-strikes-expand-inland",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0f43c31efd57",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran's Revolutionary Guards take wartime lead, ensuring harder line, sources say",
    "body_text": "DUBAI, March 4 (Reuters) - Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have tightened their grip on wartime decision‑making despite the loss of top commanders, senior sources say, driving a hardline strategy that is propelling Tehran's drone‑and‑missile campaign across the region.\n\nAnticipating the decapitation of their leadership, the Guards had already delegated far down the ranks before Saturday's U.S.-Israeli attack, a resilience-building strategy that could also risk miscalculation or a wider war with mid-ranking officers empowered to attack neighbouring states. On Wednesday, Iran fired on Turkey, a NATO nation.\n\nInside Iran, the Guards' central role at all levels of the system and draconian approach to security may also make it harder for protests to erupt, undermining any U.S. or Israeli hopes their attack will spur an uprising and regime change.\n\nThe choice of the next supreme leader, after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death on Saturday, could further cement their role, said Kasra Aarabi, head of research on the Guards at United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S.-based policy organisation.\n\nKhamenei's son Mojtaba, widely seen as a likely candidate, has very close ties with the Guards, exercising significant control over them and enjoying extensive support, including from more radical junior ranks.\n\n\"If the conflict suddenly stops and the regime survives, we can be certain the Guards will have an even more important role,\" said Aarabi.\n\nGUARDS' DECENTRALISATION STRATEGY KEY TO RESILIENCE\n\nReuters spoke to six Iranian and regional sources with close knowledge of the Guards for this article, with all confirming they had taken a far greater role in the hierarchy since the war began on Saturday and were now involved in every big decision.\n\nA security official close to the Guards said the Guards' new head, Ahmad Vahidi, was present in every high-ranking meeting and that its overriding objective was always the survival of Iran's Islamic revolutionary system and its goals.\n\nDeputy defence minister and Guardsman Reza Talaeinik spelled out the elite force's efforts to build resilience in a television interview on Tuesday, saying each figure in the command structure had named successors stretching three ranks down ready to replace them.\n\n\"The role of each unit and section has been organised in such a way that if any commander is killed, a successor immediately takes their place,\" he said.\n\nIsraeli strikes last year killed the Guards' overall head and the heads of their intelligence, aerospace and economic units. On Saturday an airstrike killed the latest Guards head, Mohammad Pakpour.\n\nDecentralisation has been part of the Guards' doctrine in case of attack for nearly 20 years and was developed after watching the collapse of Iraqi forces during the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Aarabi said.\n\n\"The whole idea was to decentralise so that if one particular province came under attack, it could defend itself and sustain the regime's authority and rule,\" he said.\n\nGUARDS AIM TO FIGHT BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL THREATS\n\nCrucially, the plan was designed to ensure that the Guards could continue to act as both the main spearhead of Iran's military response to external attacks, and as the enforcers of internal security inside the Islamic Republic, he added.\n\nThe approach appears to be holding for now, though sustained attacks that continue to pick off both senior and more junior Guards commanders could eventually test the Guards' ability to maintain strategic coherence.\n\nTo be sure, the Guards are not an entirely homogeneous unit, with their own factional rivalries, personal disputes and differences over the group's role. But one of the sources said they are more \"united than ever when Iran is under attack\".\n\nThere may also be signs, five days into the Israeli and U.S. strikes, of the command structure starting to degrade, said Aarabi, pointing to what he called increasingly wild attacks on civilian targets in Gulf monarchies.\n\nHow far that may also reflect a deliberate strategy to show the attack on Iran was a mistake with global implications is not certain.\n\nForeign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran's response to the attack had already been planned.\n\n\"These units are operating based on general instructions given to them in advance, rather than direct, real-time command from the current political leadership,\" he told Al Jazeera.\n\nWhile the Guards are now involved in almost every strategic decision taken in Iran - even beyond the central role they held before the war - they can also count on a surviving political leadership in which the three top men are former Guards members.\n\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was founded soon after Iran's 1979 revolution to defend the new republic against both internal and external foes, and as a counterweight to the regular armed forces.\n\nAnswering directly to the supreme leader, it has emerged as a state-within-a-state, combining military power, an intelligence network and economic might all focused on maintaining the survival of Iran's Islamic system of power.\n\nThat role was put to the test when Iraq invaded months after the revolution, unleashing an eight-year war of attrition that was a formative experience for many of the current generation of Iranian leaders.\n\nSenior Iranian figures who served with the Guards in the war include the three non-clerics occupying the most critical positions in Iran since Khamenei's death.\n\nPresident Masoud Pezeshkian was a battlefield surgeon, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf fought on frontlines before heading the Guards' air force unit, while Ali Larijani,  Khamenei's top adviser, was a staff officer behind the lines.\n\nFrom the early 2000s, as the wartime generation began moving into more leadership positions and as Iran's long confrontation with the West accelerated, the role of the Guards in the Iranian state also began to increase.\n\nThe Guards were put in charge of Iran's nuclear programme, a project Tehran has always maintained is for purely peaceful purposes, but which Western countries believe is cover for building an atomic bomb.\n\nAs sanctions imposed over the nuclear project bit, the Guards took a role in the economy, their construction arm Khatam al-Anbia winning major contracts including in the all-important energy sector.\n\nThe Guards increasingly also served as the conduit to Shi'ite proxies across the Middle East, while their volunteer paramilitary, the Basij, was used to crush internal unrest.\n\n(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by William Maclean)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:01:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/irans-revolutionary-guards-take-wartime-lead-ensuring-harder-line-sources-say",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b19d20e53090",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Maritime and port workers: how is the Middle East conflict affecting you?",
    "body_text": "With shipping routes disrupted and tensions rising across the region we want to hear from maritime workers, sailors and port workers and others working at sea who are affected\n\nThe conflict in the Middle East is disrupting shipping across the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.\n\nMaritime traffic through the strait, the narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, haseffectively been closedsince strikes on Iran began. Some vessels have been diverted or delayed and ports and shipping companies are dealing with heightened security concerns and uncertainty.\n\nMeanwhile,at least six major cruise ships, each carrying thousands of tourists, are anchored in or close to harbours across the region, their passengers confined to the ships\n\nWe would like to hear from maritime workers, port staff and shipping crews about how the situation is affecting your work.\n\nYou can get in touch with us confidentially by using the form below or by messaging us. We will not use your response without contacting you first.\n\nPlease include as much detail as possible.\n\nPlease include as much detail as possible.\n\nPlease note, the maximum file size is5.7 MB.\n\nYour contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.\n\nYour contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.\n\nIf you include other people's names please ask them first.\n\nContact us on WhatsApp at +447799249584 or Signal at +447766780300.\n\nFor more information, please see our guidance oncontacting us viaWhatsApp,For fully anonymous communication please use ourSecure Messagingservice instead.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:08:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/04/maritime-and-port-workers-how-is-the-middle-east-conflict-affecting-you",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a98c79eb4e5c",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Jet Fuel Prices Surge as Iran War Disrupts Middle East Exports - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Jet Fuel Prices Surge as Iran War Disrupts Middle East Exports    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:13:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOdjZLbm9fYlNxZzhFQUlXSjUwaEItRGZNWWdRaWFWX1pYOXpUQ2JxSlpxckVYSTI5YVRlU3ExbkNEeEJva0xlR2lKNS1lVFE0VmdaTDRJVEc0MThrMElsUjNDZm1YalowR2JaWm1rRWxZSXhuaUFZVDhtdVNCUEhfNmtmRkJpVVlmaDlSc0JrSV9ta010cU1LbE91V2tLOG5YLTNINUxOd01qRTRHUzNZYl9UWQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2df2a3a92580",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Hanging on to Trump’s latest words ‘is not the special relationship’, Starmer tells MPs",
    "body_text": "Prime minister says getting British nationals to safety is his priority as Badenoch attacks his approach at PMQs\n\nKeir Starmer has told MPs that “hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not the special relationship” after criticism of his stance on the Iran conflict.\n\nA day after Donald Trump dismissed Starmer as “not Winston Churchill”, angry that the US was denied use of British bases for initial strikes, the prime minister’s handling of the UK response to the conflict came under attack byKemi Badenoch, the opposition leader, at prime minister’s questions.\n\nDuring a clamorous and sometimes bad-temperedPMQs, Badenoch repeatedly pressed Starmer on his decision not to launch offensive strikes to destroy missile bases, asking: “Why is he asking our allies to do what we should be doing ourselves?”\n\nStarmer said it was “obviously an extremely serious situation” and the “whole country is worried about the potential for escalation”. He added: “They’re worried about the impact on their lives, particularly when they see what’s happening with energy, the family and friends of those who are caught in the region will be worried sick and, of course, we’ve got civilians and military personnel at risk in the region.”\n\nStarmer told MPs: “What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the UK to join a war, unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable thought-through plan.”\n\nBadenoch said it had been left to the US to destroy Iranian bases that were believed to have launched drones at an RAF base in Cyprus, telling the Commons: “Our bases have already been attacked.Iranis trying to kill our servicemen and women. He is catching arrows rather than stopping the archer.”\n\nWhen Badenoch pressed Starmer on why additional spending had not been released for defence, he said getting British nationals to safety was the priority of most people.\n\nThe first charter flight evacuating British nationals from the Middle East was due to leave Oman at 11pm local time (7pm UK time), with two more flights in the coming days, Starmer said.\n\nMore than 1,000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on Tuesday against the backdrop of continuing US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian attacks on states in the region, he added.\n\nA further eight commercial flights are due to leave the UAE for the UK today,MPs were told.\n\nStarmer said British military deployments had been under way for a number of weeks, in contact with the US, and told MPs British forces were in operation protecting US lives.\n\n“The American planes are operating out of British bases,” he said. “That is the special relationship in action. British jets are shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives in the Middle East on our joint bases. That is the special relationship in action. Sharing intelligence every day to keep our people safe. That is the special relationship in action. Hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not the special relationship.”\n\nThe British military resources being deployed included radar systems, ground-based air defences and counter-drone systems as well as fighter jets.\n\n“Since Saturday morning multiple F-35s and typhoons have been in operation, not just in the Middle East but across Cyprus,” Starmer added. “Further missions were flown overnight, typhoons defending in particular Qatar, and F-35s defending other regional parties.”\n\nThe prime minister’s spokesperson later added: “The PM has been crystal clear on that he will only take decisions that are in Britain’s national interests and which will keep British people safe.”\n\nWildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities would be in Cyprus this week and HMS Dragon, a warship that is yet to leave Portsmouth,would be deployed to the Mediterranean.\n\nA suspected Iranian drone hit the British base at Akrotiri overnight on Sunday, causing no casualties and “minimal damage”, according to the Ministry of Defence.\n\nTwo more drones heading for Akrotiri were intercepted on Monday, the Cypriot government said. There was also an alert on Wednesday morning.\n\nRachel Reeves, the chancellor, met oil and gas companies on Wednesday to discuss the volatility in oil and gas prices as a result of the conflict.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:17:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/starmer-hanging-trump-special-relationship-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d659b7a71969",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Spain’s Sánchez says ‘no to the war’ in Iran despite Trump’s trade threat - AP News",
    "body_text": "Spain’s government denies cooperating with US operations in Mideast, contradicting White House\nPresident Donald Trump said he wants to “cut off all trade with Spain” over NATO spending, adding “we don’t want anything to do with Spain.” His comments came during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.\nMADRID (AP) — A diplomatic tussle between the United States and Spain over the war in Iran intensified on Wednesday when the governments exchanged contradictory statements over the possible use of Spanish military bases by American armed forces for operations in the Middle East.\nMoments after a White House spokesperson said the Spanish government in Madrid had agreed to help the U.S., Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares came out and flatly denied that the European government had changed its position.\n“I can refute (the White House spokesperson),” Albares told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. “The position of the Spanish government regarding the war in the Middle East, the bombing of Iran and the use of our bases has not changed one iota.”\nThe disagreement broke out on Tuesday when Trump said that he was going to “ cut off all trade with Spain,” a day after Albares said that his government wouldn’t allow the U.S. to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain in any strikes not covered by the U.N. charter. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that his government wouldn’t “be complicit in something that is bad for the world.”\nAlbares denied that his government had reconsidered its posture on the use of the bases on Wednesday evening in Madrid shortly after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said “with respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear.\n“And it’s my understanding over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military,” Leavitt had said. “And so I know that the U.S. military is coordinating with their counterparts in Spain.”\nSpanish criticism of military action in Iran\nSánchez, widely regarded as Europe’s last major progressive leader, has called the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” military intervention.\nAP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports Spain’s prime minister has defended his government’s stance against the Iran war led by the US and Israel.\nSánchez again criticized the U.S. and Israel’s military actions in Iran early on Wednesday when he made a nationally televised address. While not mentioning Trump by name, Sánchez stood firm against trade threats from Washington and warning that the war in the Middle East risked “playing Russian roulette” with millions of lives.\n“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said.\nSánchez expressed concern that the attacks on Iran could lead to another costly military quagmire in the Middle East, similar to the past American interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.\n“In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summarized in four words,” Sánchez said. “No to the war.”\nAfter Spain denied U.S. use of its bases, Trump on Tuesday said “we could use their base if we want,” referencing the Rota and Morón installations in southern Spain that the U.S. and Spain share, but which remain under Spanish command.\n“We could just fly in and use it,” Trump said. “Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it, but we don’t have to.”\nU.S. chastises Spain\nIt wasn’t clear how Trump would have cut off trade with Spain, which is a member of the European Union. The EU negotiates trade on behalf of all its 27 member states.\nWhen asked in an interview with CNBC whether a trade embargo with Spain would be possible, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Wednesday “it would be a combination effort.” He didn’t explain further, but said Spain’s refusal to allow the U.S. to use its bases in the weekend attack on Iran endangered American lives.\n“Anything that slows down our ability to engage and prosecute this war in the fastest, most effective manner puts American lives at risk,” Bessent said. “The Spanish put American lives at risk.”\nThe EU said that it would protect its interests and work to stabilize its trade relationship with the U.S, with which it struck a trade deal last year after months of economic uncertainty over Trump’s tariff blitz.\nTrade threats\nTuesday’s threats from Washington were just the latest instance of the U.S. president wielding the threat of tariffs or trade embargoes as punishment. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs, saying emergency powers don’t allow the president to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs.\nHowever, Trump maintains that the court allows him to instead impose full-scale embargoes on other nations of his choosing.\nSpain’s main business groups expressed concerns over the trade threat, calling the U.S. a “key partner from an economic and political standpoint.”\n“We trust that our trade relations will ultimately not be affected in any way,” the Spanish business chambers CEOE, CEPYME and ATA said Tuesday.\nLast year, Spain’s central bank issued a report that concluded Europe’s fourth-largest economy was relatively cushioned compared with the EU average when it came to exposure to tariffs by Trump.\nSpain’s exports and imports with the U.S. accounted for 4.4% of gross domestic product, the Bank of Spain said, while trade with the U.S. for the EU as a whole was 10.1%.\nExports of Spanish goods to the U.S. accounted for 1% of Spain’s GDP, or 16 billion euros ($18.6 billion), the bank said, making it Spain’s sixth largest export market for goods. Pharmaceutical products, olive oil, refined gas and electrical transformers are among Spain’s main exports to the U.S., according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.\nSpain’s position on the Iran conflict is the latest flare-up in its relationship with the Trump administration.\nSánchez was an outspoken critic of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and attracted Trump’s ire last year when Spain backed out of NATO’s pledge to increase defense spending by members to 5% of GDP.\n___\nJoseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain, and Aamer Madhani from Washington. Sam McNeil contributed to this report from Brussels.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:18:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxNbWE4czMyZFNqdmg3ZVJfMWxwMXlTcm9aUzY3VDFyTF9YZExFUWdTd2RjblU1TXc4Tm9WUzZnaTNtc2VxVE14cF9LbnhSM3pzYmtydEtqV0tIMk56cUJ2czlZUDZEWHhYUWkzd2VTaDc1cEk1LS1KUmF1a3RHT3dQNTIwdTRyeVJ6SVVaN253eVIzZVRaQlUya1Vn?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7204aca6eae0",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Pentagon: US airstrikes in Iran 'accelerating' as war shifts to new phase",
    "body_text": "WASHINGTON — The US and Israeli air forces will have complete control overIran’s airspace in less than a week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, as the campaign shifted into a new phase.\n\n“We are just getting started. We are accelerating,” Hegseth said during a press briefing at the Pentagon. “Iran’s capabilities are evaporating by the hour.”\n\nUS strikes have destroyed what remained ofIran’s air force and all of the Iranian navy’s vessels in the Gulf, Hegseth said. The US has sunk 20 Iranian naval vessels since launching the war Saturday and has “effectively neutralized … Iran’s naval presence” in the region, the Pentagon’s top general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, said during a briefing.\n\nOn Wednesday, a US nuclear-powered submarine sank an Iranian navy frigate, the IRIS Dena, off the coast of Sri Lanka with an Mk-48 torpedo.\n\nThe rate of retaliatoryIranian ballistic missile launcheshas declined since the opening volleys of the war. Pentagon officials have attributed that trend to waves of strikes by US B-2 bombers and other strike aircraft targeting Iran’s so-called southern missile belt, which includes ballistic missile launchers and associated capabilities, that lies within range of Arab states along the Gulf coast.\n\nBut drone attacks emanating from Iran have continued. Iran’s aerial counterattacks have hit roughly a dozen countries, targeting civilian and energy infrastructure, military bases and diplomatic facilities in several Gulf states. On Tuesday, the US consulate in Dubai and the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia were each hit by drones.\n\nThe US air campaign is shifting from relying on so-called standoff strikes — longer-range precision strikes fired from outside the range of Iran's air defenses — to instead allow US F/A-18s and F-15s to operate within Iranian airspace around the clock, officials said Wednesday.\n\nThe shift is enabled by greater confidence among commanders in the degradation of Iran's air defenses. It is designed to allow the US to conserve valuable precision longer-range munitions while transitioning to gravity-dropped guided bombs such as laser-guided and JDAM-equipped GPS-guided bombs.\n\n“We have sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand,” Hegseth told reporters Wednesday, pushing back on reports of concerns within the Pentagon about the US’s limited supply of air defense interceptors.\n\n“Our stockpiles of those [high-end precision munitions] as well as Patriots remain extremely strong.”\n\nAsked whether Iran’s missile stockpiles could potentially outlast US interceptors in the region, Hegseth said, “Iran cannot outlast us. We're going to ensure through violence of action and our offensive capabilities and our defensive capabilities … that we set the tone and tempo of this fight.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:20:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/pentagon-us-airstrikes-iran-accelerating-war-shifts-new-phase",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0c35ce107cf8",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Israel launches new wave of strikes on Iran: what we know on day five of war",
    "body_text": "IDF targets Hezbollah in southern Lebanon; US defence secretary confirms strike on Iranian warship off Sri Lanka\n\nThe US and Israel’s strikes against Iran have continued,with the Israeli militaryannouncing a “broad wave of strikes”against Tehran’s security forces.\n\nA new front in the fighting has opened in Lebanon, where the Israeli militarysaid itwas targeting Hezbollah strongholds in the country’s south.The Israel Defense Forcesissued an “urgent warning”to residents of a swath of southern Lebanon urging them to evacuate to the north of the Litani River.\n\nIran hasstepped up its retaliatory strikes against Israel and US targets across the region.Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait all announced attacks by Iran on Wednesday.\n\nMore than 100 people were thought to be missing aftera US submarinesank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, in a torpedo strike confirmed by the US defence secretary.Authorities said 32 people had been rescued and the search for other survivors from the Iris Dena was continuing.\n\nClerics in Iransaid theywere close to choosing a successor to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,according to state media. It has been widely suggested that his second son,Mojtaba Khamenei,could replace him.\n\nThe funeral ceremony for Khamenei that was supposed to take placeon Wednesday night in Tehran has been postponed.State media, citing officials, reported that the funeral was delayed to allow time for expanded infrastructure because of “overwhelming demand”. No timeframe was given as to when the funeral would take place.\n\nThe death toll in Iranhas reached 1,045, according to Iranian officials.Iran’s foundation of martyrs and veteran affairs said the death toll represented the number of bodies that had been identified and prepared for burial, state media reported.\n\nTurkish authorities said a missile launched from Iran and headed towards Turkey’s airspace wasshot down by Nato air defence systems.The Turkish defence ministry said there were no casualties.\n\nThe Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez,has hit back at Donald Trumpafter the US president made scathing comments about Spain’s position that joint military bases could not be used for attacks on Iran. “The position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war [no a la guerra],” Sánchez said in a televised address.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:21:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/us-israel-iran-war-update-latest-news-day-five",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7d962777ee2a",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "US War on Iran Challenges China and 'Axis of Chaos' Partners - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "US War on Iran Challenges China and 'Axis of Chaos' Partners    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:23:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQRzJIVHY1WjdDSjRFa0xuejROZjFIbWhvc0FtMkdRcmRKM3QyLUotdmVTMXpLaGg2WGhkdnU5Ny1lWUpxaXNYSFFRQXdYM3Rtc2QzZG83SlRsTGUwcU1xdHhIQnBKM3dfenRFcS0ydjQ2bWlWd1Z1T3JRaXFTSGNWMndFU25nMnh4dHZtaURyelJBUlV4d1dHejhtTlA5MURsRG1tM2YwbG5Sd25hcDNR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5781b8ce9fd9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "UK: Piers Morgan says pro-Israel lawyer suing him for defamation - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "UK: Piers Morgan says pro-Israel lawyer suing him for defamation\nA pro-Israel lawyer is suing British presenter Piers Morgan for defamation over an interview on his YouTube show.\nNatasha Hausdorff, legal director of pro-Israel legal group UK Lawyers for Israel, sparred with Morgan on his programme Piers Morgan Uncensored in June 2025.\nDuring the interview, Morgan challenged Hausdorff after she said “every second house” Israeli forces encountered in Rafah was Hamas “terror infrastructure\".\n“I certainly wouldn’t take your word for it; sounds like a lot of old bullshit again,\" Morgan said.\nIn a statement on X, Morgan said he welcomed \"the opportunity for an open court test of Ms Hausdorff’s defence of the Israeli Govt’s claims about its actions in Gaza, not least because it continues to bar journalists from reporting freely there\".\nMorgan has repeatedly said he has given more space for pro-Palestine voices than any other mainstream western media figure.\nBut since 7 October, he has faced criticism for adopting a pro-Israel position and featuring a large number of pro-Israeli voices on his show.\nIn the immediate aftermath of the attack, Morgan declared: “I support Israel’s right to defend itself after the terror attacks of 7 October.\"\nPro-Palestinian activists have said that with certain guests, Morgan has often been combative and unwilling to discuss the background and context of Israel's genocide in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on 7 October.\nHowever, as the genocide progressed, Morgan's position appeared to shift.\nIn a heated exchange with the Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, last May, he snapped: “Don’t treat us like idiots. Your government has something to hide in Gaza.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:27:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxNQnVCd3NMS0hBZ2lITmdSN25WTWFLb3pLaXNCb0lxZ0tZVy1LTm91T2hGYmV3UHRNME1VTC1jbFZ3bzduZDk2ZThJTFNiR1pFODRyM1pya3V3aE51enlTZ016N2VBWHZEN09xeFNHd0lqYWRJT2xNdGJybUlJQXJzT1l6U1FvcTFfY2NleFhuejBPSXY4LXlEYndB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_023de5465c85",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US submarine sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US submarine sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:27:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9DVGtWNUNiclAyZXdJT2dfYTVzRmo2X2kwNElXS1RGOEI3TDhkYjNWSkJ1eVBpcHdYRTd4NVFpd1U1QWhuWHpvdTBFZUNJNjZpM1Vsalp6ZFA4NXhTVWltbFBuUjBvMFZEdzNIMHR2RmY?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d56e17048ac4",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Israel hammers Iranian internal security command centers to open door to uprising",
    "body_text": "The Israel Defense Forces said several Iranian security command centers were hit in a recent wave of airstrikes, dealing a serious blow to the regime. (Credit: IDF)\n\nThe Israeli military's latest wave of airstrikesin Irandealt a serious blow to the country's brutal internal security apparatus, opening the door for a potential uprising.\n\nDuring the strikes, Israel \"dropped dozens of munitions on the Basij and internal security command centers that are subject to the Iranian terror regime,\" the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Wednesday. \"The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran and maintain the regime’s situational assessments.\"\n\nSince the start ofOperation Epic Fury, the U.S. has hit nearly 2,000 targets as it carries out a sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling the regime's security apparatus and neutralizing threats. Adm. Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command confirmed the number of targets hit in a video message.\n\nThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia, Iran's volunteer paramilitary force, were behind the violent crackdown on protesters in January. The bloody crackdown saw regime actors firing on crowds and conducting mass arrests ofIranian protesters. Some had seen the protests as a sign that regime change in Iran was getting nearer, though it did not occur.\n\nSmoke rises from central Tehran following reported U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's capital, on March 3, 2026.(Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)\n\nIsraeli and U.S. officials have hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran as both countries take aim at Tehran's military and security sites.\n\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message announcing the launch of Operation Epic Fury, which Israel calls Operation Rising Lion, that it was time for Iranians \"to rid themselves of the yoke of tyranny.\" Similarly, PresidentDonald Trumpsaid in a message to the Iranian people on Feb. 28 that \"the hour of your freedom is at hand.\"\n\n\"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations,\" Trump said.\n\nPlumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran on March 3, 2026, after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, 2026.(Negar/Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)\n\nISRAELI MINISTER OUTLINES IRAN MISSION GOALS, SAYS IRANIAN PEOPLE NOW HAVE CHANCE TO ‘REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM'\n\n\"America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass,\" the president added.\n\nAli Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, toldThe Wall Street Journalthat the path to regime change through foreign airstrikes and popular uprising on the ground has \"a bet that rests on no clear historical model.\" Vaez also warned that the idea \"ignores the resilience of entrenched authoritarian systems like the Islamic Republic.\"\n\nThe IDF said on Monday that Israel had hit headquarters, bases and regional command centers that belonged to the regime's internal security apparatus.\n\n\"These bodies were responsible for, among other things, suppressing protests against the regime through violent measures and civilian arrests,\" the IDF said.\n\nA group of men inspects the ruins of a police station struck amid the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(Vahid Salemi/AP)\n\nIt is unclear who will lead Iran after Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khameneiwas killed on the first day of the operation. Since then, Israel and the U.S. have made it clear that regime leaders chosen to replace him would be targets. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that anyone chosen to replace Khamenei would be considered \"a target for elimination\" if they continued to threaten Israel, the U.S. and regional allies.\n\nThe killing of key leaders might not be enough to cause an uprising, as the regime has a monopoly on weapons in most of Iran, the WSJ reported, adding that Basij militants are still patrolling the streets.\n\nFox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.\n\nRachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.\n\nFox News' Antisemitism Exposed\" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.\"\n\nBy entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox NewsPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use, and\n        agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can\n        opt-out at any time.\n\nYou've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:27:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-hammers-iranian-internal-security-command-centers-open-door-uprising",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b230351272a5",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Turkey says missile launched from Iran destroyed by NATO",
    "body_text": "A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday.\n\nThe defence ministry said it had been \"engaged and neutralised by NATO air-and-missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean\".\n\nIt did not specify the missile's intended target.\n\nA Turkish official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the missile had been \"aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course\".\n\nOfficials said fragments that fell in the Dortyol district in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border, had been identified as pieces of the interceptor used to neutralise \"the threat in the air\".\n\nThe incident drew condemnation from NATO.\n\n\"NATO stands firmly with all allies, including Turkiye, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,\" NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said, using Turkey's official name.\n\n\"Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence\".\n\nAnkara summoned Iranian ambassador to convey \"our reaction and concerns\" over the incident while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Tehran against steps that could widen the conflict, a diplomatic source said.\n\nFidan told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that \"any steps that could lead to the spread of conflict should be avoided\", the source added.\n\nTurkey, a majority Sunni Muslim NATO member, shares a 500‑kilometre (315‑mile) border with Iran.\n\nPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who maintains good relations with US President Donald Trump despite his frequent criticism of Israel, has insisted that the US‑Israeli strikes on Saturday -- which sparked the war and prompted Tehran's retaliation -- were \"illegal\".\n\nIn an interview late Tuesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also criticised Iran's indiscriminate retaliatory strikes across Gulf states, calling them the \"wrong strategy\".\n\n\"The underlying strategy seems to be: 'If I am going to sink, I will take the region down with me',\" Fidan added.\n\nAnalysts say the trajectory of the Iranian missile and its destruction by NATO systems further raises the stakes for a widening regional war, even if there is no clear evidence Iran intended to strike Turkey.\n\n\"Turkey will not want to become embroiled in the US-Israel attack on Iran, which it has criticised, but if Iran launches more missiles clearly aimed at targets on Turkish territory, Ankara will consider its own direct retaliation,\" said Hamish Kinnear of risk‑intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.\n\nThe defence ministry said \"any steps necessary to defend our territory and airspace will be taken decisively and without hesitation\".\n\n\"We reiterate that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions directed at our country,\" it added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:30:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/turkey-says-missile-launched-iran-destroyed-nato",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ba84c8beec5a",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "The commander who keeps surviving: Mystery deepens around Iran's Qaani and the spy question - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Esmail Qaani has spent the past two years accumulating a reputation for his extraordinary ability to walk away unscathed while everyone around him dies.\nBut now that Iran is at war with the US and Israel, his fate is, once again, the subject of intense speculation, with unverified claims circulating online that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has detained or even executed the Quds Force commander on suspicion of spying for Israel.\n“Esmail Qaani, head of Iran’s Quds Force has been executed by IRGC. He has survived all assassination attempts so far & was even with Khamenei during US-Israel bombing but escaped. Earlier, he was taken into custody by the IRGC on suspicion of being a Mossad agent,” said one X account.\nMr Qaani, 67, took command of the IRGC's Quds Force in January 2020 after the US assassination of his predecessor, Qassem Suleimani, in Baghdad. The Quds Force is Iran's elite foreign operations arm, the unit that built, armed and co-ordinated the “Axis of Resistance” across the Middle East.\nDuring his tenure, that axis has been shattered. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is dead. Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh has been assassinated. Dozens of senior Iranian commanders have been eliminated. Most recently, on Saturday, a joint US-Israeli operation killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior figures from Iran's security establishment.\nMr Qaani, the commander directly responsible for managing the regional proxy network during a regional war, wasn't mentioned to be among those killed.\nThe pattern of his survival has driven suspicion as several reports, relying on unnamed security sources, suggested over the past two years that he was reportedly close to attending several of the strikes that killed Iran's most senior figures.\nDuring the 12-day Iran-Israel war, he was declared dead by multiple outlets before reappearing at a public celebration in Tehran in late June 2025, wearing civilian clothes and a baseball cap, in apparent good health. The same sequence played out in October 2024, when he was declared dead, but then reportedly interrogated, and then resurfaced on state television.\nAway from social media, and following Israel's devastating penetration of Hezbollah, which allowed it to systematically eliminate the group's leadership, Iran launched a formal security breach investigation. Unnamed sources across the region told regional outlets that Mr Qaani and his team were placed under isolation and interrogation.\nIsrael had published a list of Iranian and Iran-linked officials it wanted eliminated. Last weekend, that list was declared “complete”. Mr Qaani's name was not on it.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:32:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2wFBVV95cUxPQm9ES3hFcWtDNVAwTDYtQ1ZLdlRORklJM1AtNnNvR19nTnl4T2pTWkh6QVBBYVB6eUJvUGNkcmtRbnMyZXJ1cEY0WlNZYm5lTzdYWnJId0tPZzNPQWdkY1NxU1ZQbFJTU1lMZ2JCak9GMFo4S2hsajBNUTQ3RHNjeG45bkxVcXk3aEhJeXNsbUYzSnA3ZHFHeFhNTTRmZkJmVnJZV0g5enQwcXBlajIyeUxoZm5wOGU5UHRCd0JJbmpVUzg2YldaY2RUMXRWSEdzLVZFbU9UZDMtWVU?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": true,
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8bf1801c7a40",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Hegseth says more US forces arriving in Middle East as Iran war ramps up",
    "body_text": "US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said more United States forces are arriving in the Middle East, as the country’s war against Iran intensifies amid mounting concerns over the civilian toll of US-Israeli strikes.\nHegseth said during a news conference at the Pentagon on Wednesday that the US-Israeli campaign against Iran was “just getting started”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Is the CIA planning to arm Kurdish forces to spark an uprising in Iran?\n- list 2 of 3At odds with Europe: Why is Spain saying ‘no’ to US-Israeli war on Iran?\n- list 3 of 3Why are the US and Israel framing the ongoing conflict as a religious war?\n“We are accelerating, not decelerating … More bombers and more fighters are arriving just today,” he told reporters, adding that the US would be using a “nearly unlimited” supply of 226kg (500lb), 453kg (1,000lb) and 900kg (2,000lb) bombs.\nThe US and Israel, he said, would sow “death and destruction from the sky, all day long”.\nHegseth’s combative remarks come five days into the US-Israel war against Iran, which has killed at least 1,045 people across the country since Saturday, according to Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency.\nLegal experts have slammed the offensive as a violation of the United Nations Charter as well as a breach of international law, while humanitarian groups have raised alarm over the war’s effects on civilians in the Middle East.\nReporting from the Iranian capital Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said civilians “are bearing the brunt” of US-Israeli attacks.\n“[The] strikes are continuous,” he said on Wednesday evening, noting that three-quarters of Tehran’s residents have reportedly left the city.\n“The authorities here are accusing the Americans and the Israelis of chaotic strikes against the country, [and a] lack of precision and lack of clarity of targets in this campaign.”\nTehran’s response to the attacks also has drawn condemnation, as the country has fired missiles and drones across the region, killing at least six US service members and 11 people in Israel.\nThe Iranian firings have increasingly targeted oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf, prompting concerns about disruptions to global energy markets.\nIn a statement on Wednesday, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned that the war was having a “stark” impact on civilians across the Middle East.\n“This deadly escalation is compounding the suffering of people already hurt or impoverished by previous rounds of conflict,” said Jan Egeland, the humanitarian group’s secretary-general.\n“We call on all parties to de-escalate, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, and allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access. The people of this region have endured enough.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:32:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/hegseth-says-more-us-forces-arriving-in-middle-east-as-iran-war-ramps-up?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_da42e9aa7002",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Armed Iranian Kurds weigh role in potential US-backed ground assault - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Armed Iranian Kurds weigh role in potential US-backed ground assault\nIranian Kurdish opposition groups have neither confirmed nor denied reports of a possible ground advance from Iraq into western Iran amid the ongoing US-Israeli war.\nDespite reports that Washington is considering backing an opposition-led assault, the White House has yet to take a final decision on its next move, sources have told Middle East Eye.\nA source within the Komala party, which has waged an insurgency against the Iranian state for decades, told MEE that it was the \"right time now\" to return to their hometowns after 47 years in exile.\nSpeaking on condition of anonymity, he said people in the Kurdish region of Iran - known to Kurds as Rojhelat - were \"waiting for the peshmerga [fighters]\", but cautioned that \"we should wait and we need time\".\nSiamand Moeini, a senior figure in the armed Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told MEE: \"I am not sure I have enough information\", regarding the prospect of going to war with Tehran.\nAmanj Zebaii, the Erbil representative of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), another group long involved in insurgency against the Iranian state, said that if Iranian Kurdish fighters were inside Iran, \"everything is possible\".\nAnother senior Kurdish leader, speaking anonymously, said he could not confirm whether forces would soon cross into Iran.\nA senior Kurdish security source also said \"the time has not come yet\" when asked about the prospect of Kurdish-American military coordination on the ground.\nHe added that the five Kurdish opposition parties that recently allied to form the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan were pursuing a \"third way\" - aligning themselves neither with \"the mullahs' regime nor with the attacking forces\".\nArming the opposition\nReports in US media on Tuesday said the White House is exploring options to back Kurdish opposition factions as part of efforts to support regime change in Tehran.\nThe Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump is open to supporting armed groups inside Iran, including Kurdish factions in the country's northwest.\nCNN reported that the CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces in an attempt to spark an uprising. A senior Iranian Kurdish official reportedly told the network that armed groups \"are expected to take part in a ground operation in western Iran in the coming days\".\nAxios reported that there were calls between Trump and senior Iraqi Kurdish leaders, including Masoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Bafel Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The PUK later confirmed that a call had taken place.\nCNN further reported that the Trump administration had spoken with Mustafa Hijri, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI).\nSome Kurdish sources confirmed that discussions had taken place, while others suggested there had only been an online meeting between members of the US Congress and Kurdish leaders.\nThe reports coincide with intensified bombing in Iraqi and Iranian Kurdish areas since the US and Israel launched their offensive on Saturday.\nHeavy US-Israeli air strikes hit military and intelligence facilities along Iran's western border on Monday. Following the bombardment, detainees at the Central Prison of Marivan were released, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.\nZebaii said the strikes - in Mariwan, Urmiyeh, Sanandaj, Kermanshah and other cities - targeted intelligence bases and facilities belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\n\"In Mahabad, the intelligence service facility was reportedly completely taken down. In Sanandaj, the intelligence service was attacked twice,\" he said.\n\"Mariwan was also targeted. In several cities across Rojhelat, intelligence service bases appear to have been the primary targets. We understand that some of these bases have been destroyed,\" he added.\nBorder tensions\nAcross the border, Tehran has been targeting opposition groups in Iraq's Kurdistan Region with drone strikes, including a former PDKI camp.\nZhila Mostajer, co-founder of Hengaw, told MEE that Kurdish parties based in Iraq were targeted more than five times between Saturday and Monday in various locations.\nShe added that some of the attacks were intercepted and neutralised by US missile defence systems.\nTrifa Zarei, from the human rights organisation Hana, said the strikes should not be viewed simply as reactive measures.\n\"The repeated Iranian attacks cannot be analysed merely as a short-term military response,\" Zarei told MEE.\n'It appears that these operations... are part of a broader strategy to destabilise and ultimately weaken the Iranian regime'\n- Hana Yazdanpana, PAK foreign relations\n\"Rather, they are part of a long-term strategy of political containment.\n\"Over the past four decades, Tehran has defined any form of Kurdish political organisation outside its control as a potential threat to domestic stability, particularly in Rojhelat.\"\nTensions along the border had been building for weeks, even before the war began.\nSince January, Iran has reportedly deployed additional military equipment and reinforced ground troops along its western frontier.\nAs the US built up its forces in the region, five major Iranian Kurdish opposition parties established a new alliance on 22 February, just a week before the war began.\nThe Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan - comprising the PDKI, PJAK, Komala, the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) and the Khabat Organisation - was formed with the stated aim of working together towards the \"overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran\".\nMoeini of PJAK said Kurdish parties were \"united in fighting against tyranny\" and that his group was well prepared to withstand attacks from Tehran.\nHana Yazdanpana, a member of PAK's foreign relations department, told MEE that she understands the recent Israeli strikes in the border areas as being linked to Iran's militarisation of frontier cities and the presence of IRGC bases there.\n\"However, it appears that these operations are not aimed specifically at local groups; rather, they are part of a broader strategy to destabilise and ultimately weaken the Iranian regime,\" she said.\nTrust issues\nWhile exiled in Iraq, some of these groups have accumulated fighting experience in recent years, which could explain the US's interest in engaging with them.\nPAK was one of the few Iranian Kurdish groups that, with coalition support, fought against ISIS in Iraq. It also clashed with Iranian-backed armed groups and the Iraqi army in 2017.\nPJAK could similarly benefit from fighters who previously served with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against ISIS and are now leaving Syria under the January agreement between Damascus and the SDF. Many of these fighters have experience in drone warfare.\n\"The US would want to have a vanguard of Iranian Kurdish, or even foreign Kurdish, fighters to lead any potential uprising in Iran,\" Nicholas Heras, interim executive director at the US-based Middle East Policy Council, told MEE.\n\"Those fighters would be the key interlocutors with US or allied personnel supporting an armed uprising throughout northwest Iran.\"\nHeras added that a critical factor to watch is whether Kurdish fighters from Iraq and Syria - who have experience coordinating with the US air force - would form part of these forces.\n\"Those operatives are the most valuable potential local partners to the US in the scenario of a US-backed Kurdish armed uprising in Iran,\" he said.\nHowever, trust remains a major issue that would need to be addressed before any renewed cooperation with the US.\nWhen the Syrian government launched an operation to regain control of northwestern Syria from the SDF, Kurdish groups felt abandoned in favour of the new administration in Damascus.\nUS Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said during the operation that the SDF's role as the \"primary anti-ISIS force on the ground\" had \"largely expired\".\nThe Komala party source said that no guarantees have been offered to the Kurdish groups amid the reported plans to arm them.\n\"The Kurdish groups could also seek guarantees for Kurdish rights in a post-ayatollah Iran - broadly speaking, something like democratic federalism,\" Haidar Khezri, associate professor at the University of Central Florida, told MEE.\n\"Importantly, they would want assurances they will not be sidelined or 'sold out', as happened with Rojava [Kurdish region in northeast Syria], once the ayatollahs are gone,\" he added.\nIs an advance feasible?\nWhile opposition groups may feel they have grounds to fight Tehran in western Iran, many questions remain over their ability to achieve the long-term changes sought by Israel and the US.\nRyan O'Leary, an American who volunteered with various Iranian Kurdish armed groups from 2014 to 2018 and is now serving with the Ukrainian army, said the opposition could cross the border and take territory initially, but not without foreign support.\n\"The main challenge will be countering regime forces, which will ultimately be deployed against any concentrated Kurdish uprising,\" he told MEE.\nO'Leary explained that to withstand a counter-offensive from Tehran and establish a foothold, the groups would require concrete support from the US or Israel.\n\"Without drone teams, they need air support to counter large regime counterattacks and build-ups,\" he said.\nWithout such backing, the Kurdish forces cannot simply defend against what would likely be a substantial counter-assault.\n'If the central state fragments without fully collapsing, Kurdish forces could find themselves exposed'\n- Shamal Bishir, former member of PJAK\nShamal Bishir, a former member of PJAK, said that if Kurdish groups joined the assault, they would act both politically and militarily.\n\"If sustained bombardment were to significantly weaken Tehran's command-and-control structures, Kurdish parties might calculate that the window for intervention has opened,\" Bishir told MEE.\n\"In such a scenario, they would likely move quickly, reactivating civilian councils and local governance structures, drawing on historical precedents from the post-1979 period, when Kurdish cities organised themselves through grassroots councils.\"\nHowever, Bishir cautioned that holding territory would be far from easy.\nHe emphasised the disparity between the number of Kurdish forces and the scale of Iran's Kurdish region, which spans roughly 125,000 sq km.\n\"Intervention is one thing; protection is another,\" he said.\n\"Establishing local authority requires the capacity to defend cities and civilians, not only against remnants of the regime, but also against regional backlash and shifting international priorities.\n\"If the central state fragments without fully collapsing, Kurdish forces could find themselves exposed, holding territory without the means to secure it.\"\nAdditional reporting by Adam Chamseddine in Beirut",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQcXlIZkxLaTJKS192emlMY3kxQ0gyY0tiWmZkS0ZvREpQSTFmYUJxUzRVbXdLRUdqamNiZGN4Wjd1RmhZdWFCNjItTE1icHpJWkdxVGVveV9GQ2MwTFgtTEI4VGp6S3JQcDNQNDhLb1YtTXFmZkc3SlhsYTE3dlZMZzhNcElKR0VCWFFlLXk1RHh0c2NLOElac2xEZHc3Z210ZEFUaTJxVVpFb0J6WGZJUFVRdVc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e58da2e9d4ba",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Which oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been attacked?",
    "body_text": "Global energy markets remain in a state of high alert after several Gulf states suspended oil and gas production following escalating tensions in the region.\nSince Saturday’s attacks by the United States and Israel, Tehran has targeted various sites in Israel and across several Gulf countries.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?\n- list 2 of 4IRGC says Iran in ‘complete control’ of Strait of Hormuz amid Trump threats\n- list 3 of 4What we know on day five of US-Israeli attacks on Iran\n- list 4 of 4How Iran fights an imposed war\nInitially, these Iranian attacks focused primarily on US military assets, but Gulf states have reported that Iran has since broadened its scope to target civilian infrastructure, including hotels, airports and energy facilities. Iranian officials have publicly denied targeting Gulf energy facilities, however.\nThe Middle East remains the world’s dominant source of hydrocarbon reserves and a major driver of crude oil and natural gas output.\nHow much oil and gas does the Middle East have?\nNearly half of the world’s oil reserves and exports come from the Middle East, which contains five of the seven largest oil reserves in the world.\nOnce refined, crude oil is used to make various products, including petrol, diesel, jet fuel and a wide range of household items such as cleaning products, plastics and even lotions.\nAfter Venezuela, which has 303 billion barrels, Saudi Arabia holds the world’s second-largest proven crude oil reserves, estimated at 267 billion barrels.\nThe Middle East’s largest oil reserves:\n- Saudi Arabia: 267 billion barrels\n- Iran: 209 billion barrels\n- Iraq: 145 billion barrels\n- UAE: 113 billion barrels\n- Kuwait: 102 billion barrels\nSaudi Arabia is also the world’s top oil exporter with an estimated $187bn of crude in 2024, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).\nThe Middle East’s top oil exporters:\n- Saudi Arabia: $187bn\n- UAE: $114bn\n- Iraq: $98bn\n- Iran: $47bn – largely sold at a discount due to US sanctions\n- Kuwait: 29bn\nOther Middle Eastern countries with sizeable oil exports include: Oman ($28.9bn), Kuwait ($28.8bn) and Qatar ($21bn).\nIn addition to crude oil, the Middle East is a global powerhouse for natural gas, accounting for nearly 18 percent of global production and approximately 40 percent of the world’s proven reserves.\nNatural gas is primarily used for electricity generation, industrial heating, and in chemicals and fertilisers.\nThe heart of Middle Eastern gas is a single, massive underwater reservoir called the South Pars/North Dome field. It is the largest gasfield in the world, and it is shared directly between Qatar and Iran.\nGas is transported either through pipelines or by tankers. When using pipelines, the gas is pressurised and moved through steel networks. When pipelines are not feasible, such as across oceans, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is used.\nTo create LNG, the gas is cooled to approximately -162C (-260F), shrinking its volume and allowing it to be safely loaded onto specialised tanker ships for global transport.\nTo transport oil and gas, tankers from various Gulf states must navigate the narrow waterway known as the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas passes through this strait, primarily heading to major markets in Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea and India, as well as to Europe.\nWhich energy facilities have been attacked?\nHere are the facilities which have recorded damage as of Wednesday:\nSaudi Arabia – Ras Tanura oil refinery\nOn Monday, one of the world’s largest oil refining complexes, the Ras Tanura oil refinery owned by Saudi Aramco, was forced to halt operations after debris from intercepted Iranian drones caused a small fire.\nSaudi Aramco is one of the world’s largest companies, with a market capitalisation exceeding $1.7 trillion and revenue of $480bn. Headquartered in Dhahran, in eastern Saudi Arabia, Aramco controls 12 percent of global oil production, with a capacity of more than 12 million barrels per day (bpd).\nOn Wednesday, Saudi defence officials reported a second drone attempt on the facility but this was successfully intercepted with no damage or disruption to operations reported.\nQatar – Ras Laffan Industrial City LNG facilities\nOn Monday, Qatar’s Ministry of Defence reported that Iranian drones had targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan belonging to QatarEnergy, the world’s largest LNG producer.\nWhile no casualties were reported, QatarEnergy suspended the production of LNG and other products at the impacted sites.\nQatarEnergy’s 81 million metric tonnes of LNG exports are mostly bound for Asian markets, including China, Japan, India, South Korea, Pakistan and other countries in the region. The halt in production hiked global gas prices to a three-year high this week.\nQatar – Mesaieed Industrial City\nQatar’s Defence Ministry said the country was attacked by a second drone launched from Iran on Monday, targeting a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed, without reporting any casualties.\nOn Tuesday, QatarEnergy also stopped production of some downstream products like urea, polymers, methanol, aluminium and others.\nUAE – Fujairah and Mussafah oil terminals\nOn Monday, a fire broke out at Mussafah Fuel Terminal in southwest Abu Dhabi after it was struck by a drone.\nOn Tuesday, falling debris from a drone interception caused a fire at the Fujairah Oil Terminal along the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates. No injuries were reported.\nOman – ports of Duqm and Salalah\nOn Tuesday, multiple Iranian drones struck fuel tanks and a tanker at the port of Duqm, with at least one direct hit on a fuel storage tank, causing an explosion.\nOn the same day, a drone strike was recorded at the Port of Salalah, which handles fuel and industrial minerals.\nAthe Nova – oil tanker\nOn Monday, the Athe Nova, a Honduran-flagged tanker positioned off the coast of Khor Fakkan, UAE, was struck by Iranian drones as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze. Despite the fire, the vessel managed to exit the chokepoint into the Gulf of Oman, and no casualties were reported.\nIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the strike, identifying the Athe Nova as an “ally of the United States”.\nOn the same day as the attack, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, warning that any ship attempting to pass would be “set ablaze”.\nSince then, several other tankers have been hit.\nOther regional energy disruptions\nAlthough not directly targeted, the following energy sites suspended operations in response to Iranian retaliatory attacks:\nIsraeli offshore gasfields – Major gas production fields such as Leviathan and Tamar were shut down as a precaution following regional drone and missile launches linked to Iran.\nOil fields in semiautonomous Iraqi Kurdistan – Producers including DNO, Gulf Keystone and Dana Gas halted output as a safety measure amid the escalation.\nRumaila oilfield – Operations at Iraq’s largest oilfield – operated by BP – in southern Iraq were halted on Tuesday as a security precaution due to its proximity to the escalation zone.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:34:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/which-oil-and-gas-facilities-in-the-gulf-have-been-attacked?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c3a0653c1341",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: BBC asks Hegseth about reports of strike on school",
    "body_text": "Asked about the reported bombing of a school in Iran, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the US was \"investigating\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:38:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cn9eeylg5rvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0d4d102d66d7",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Turkey says Iranian missile over its airspace destroyed by Nato defences - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Turkey says Iranian missile over its airspace destroyed by Nato defences\nNato air defence systems have shot down an Iranian ballistic missile heading into Turkish airspace, the Turkish defence ministry said on Wednesday.\nThe ministry said the missile had crossed Iraqi and Syrian airspace and was \"neutralised in a timely manner\" by Nato's air and missile defences deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.\n\"The fragment of the missile that fell in Dortyol district of Hatay province has been identified as belonging to the air defence missile that intercepted the threat in the air,\" the ministry said. \"There were no casualties or injuries in the incident.\"\nThe ministry added that while Ankara wants regional stability and peace, it is capable of ensuring the safety of its citizens and territory \"regardless of who or where the threat comes from\".\n\"We remind all parties that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions against our country,\" it said. \"We warn all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation of conflicts in the region. In this context, we will continue to consult with Nato and our other allies.\"\nEarlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Iranian efforts to financially hurt Gulf countries in the hope of pushing the US to end the war were unlikely to succeed.\nSince the weekend, Iranian military officials have responded to the attacks with a decentralised strategy, following the removal of many of the country's senior leadership, hitting Gulf countries with missiles, damaging luxury hotels in Dubai, striking energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and prompting Qatar to temporarily halt its LNG exports.\nExperts close to Tehran say it has aimed to regionalise the conflict and demonstrate to the US and the international community that the repercussions from the attack would extend beyond Iran and affect the broader region.\nTurkey had tried for weeks to broker a deal between Washington and Tehran. But the US and Israeli attacks over the weekend, following several rounds of talks, scuppered Ankara's attempts to avoid war.\nFidan acknowledged that Turkey's efforts had failed, despite the Turkish government putting forward “creative solutions” to the disagreement over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programmes.\nFidan said that Turkey has been trying to find a way forward through talks with the relevant parties, but that negotiations would have to be multilayered, as it is unclear when the attacks might stop in a way that would satisfy the US and Israel.\nTurkey's pro-Kurdish party criticises war\nTurkey's pro-Kurdish party has criticised the US-Israeli attacks, saying it opposed “external designs” on Iran.\n“It is clear that global and regional powers are, as in other historical examples, seeking to establish a new order in Iran that would no longer pose a threat to themselves, rather than prioritising democracy and freedoms,” said the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (Dem) Party, which has ties to Kurds in Iran.\n“We are witnessing examples that demonstrate the ongoing air strikes do not create conditions that would correspond to the expectations of a new, free life for Kurds, Baloch, Christians, Azerbaijanis and Persian communities in Iran,” it added.\n“We have not forgotten and will not forget the killings of Jina Mahsa Amini, Mujahid Kurkur, Dr Qasimlo, Ramin Hossein Panahi, and tens of thousands of other Iranians of different identities by the Mullah regime,” the party said.\n“However, we continue to maintain that change in the current regime in Iran should come not through external designs but through the collective will of its peoples.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQcm1odFRBWnB4R1hlZnhEYlJzaENfOWJyNXljNjBEalRldGM5UzZ3Y0k1QVo2d0N1dldGM1pTWi0xQ2FVcG1qMDViZVhIeEl2bnFQX3ozTWZhRm9IekpFT0V3Mi1pSkdSdWdvZThSYjgwSkE0UjhuZ1k2LVNRV1BKc3NYdEVpYWJEeE5TdzVpemJxUGNuemR0VXYyY2FUREx0TlF4aXJFQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4ee207a92927",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Are the US and Israel planning an ethnic civil war in Iran?",
    "body_text": "Are the US and Israel planning an ethnic civil war in Iran?\nReports are emerging that the US and Israel are supporting separatist groups in Iran to launch attacks. The reports claim its part of an evolving US strategy to weaking Iran’s defences and possibly collapse the Islamic Republic. Soraya Lennie breaks it down.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:40:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/are-the-us-and-israel-planning-an-ethnic-civil-war-in-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cbe31b5ac8d1",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Nato forces shoot down Iranian ballistic missile heading towards Turkey - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Nato forces have shot down a ballistic missile that Iran fired towards Turkey, Ankara said, in an escalation of the Iran-US-Israel conflict spreading across the region.\n“A ballistic munition, fired from Iran and detected heading towards Turkish airspace after passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace, was neutralised in a timely manner by Nato air and missile defence elements deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Turkey's Defence Ministry said.\n\"One missile\" had been heading towards Turkish airspace over the country's south-eastern Hatay province, and \"was intercepted and destroyed by Nato air defence systems\", presidential communications chief Burhanettin Duran said.\nA senior Turkish official later told the AFP news agency that Turkey had not been the target of the missile.\n“We believe it aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course,” said the official, who wished to remain anonymous.\nIran previously hit the island on Monday, when a drone attack on the UK Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri caused limited damage and no casualties, British and Cypriot officials said.\nTurkey summoned Iran’s ambassador to Ankara, while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan immediately called his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi after Wednesday's interception, a Turkish official said. Mr Fidan said “any steps that could lead to the escalation of hostilities should be avoided”.\nPieces of interceptor missiles fell in the Dortyol area of Hatay, the Defence Ministry said. There were no casualties or injuries.\nA Nato spokeswoman, Allison Hart, condemned the Iranian attack. \"Our deterrence and defence posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defence,\" she said.\nNato member Turkey has the second-largest army in the alliance and also hosts US Air Force personnel, most of whom are based at Incirlik in south-eastern Adana province or at Izmir in the west.\nTurkey had until now avoided retaliatory strikes from Iran that have hit countries such as the UAE, Oman and Qatar, despite Ankara and Gulf nations holding similar positions before the aerial conflict began. All host US interests and had advocated diplomacy and de-escalation.\nTurkey is now ready to take “all necessary steps” to defend its territory and airspace “without hesitation”, Mr Duran said. “Necessary responses will be given within the framework of international law to any hostile actions that may be encountered.”\nAnalysts told The National earlier this week that an Iranian strike on Turkey would be a major escalation by Tehran.\nA deliberate Iranian strike on a base such as Incirlik would amount to “a direct confrontation with a Nato member that has one of the alliance’s largest militaries”, said Burcu Ozcelik, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.\n“That raises the risk of this tipping from a regional war into a far wider international crisis, not just rhetorically but operationally, because it would create immediate pressure for a collective Nato response and for Turkey to retaliate.”\nIran's retaliation to Israeli and US military attacks has drawn in the Gulf, as well as the wider region as European countries shore up defences.\nThe UK government said on Tuesday that it was sending HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, and Wildcat helicopters to the Eastern Mediterranean, \"to boost British defences in the region\" and help protect allies. It did not specify locations.\nHMS Dragon would strengthen the UK’s ability \"to detect, track and destroy aerial threats, including drones,\" the Ministry of Defence said.\n\"The decision comes as Iran’s reckless attacks continue to target British interests in the region, as the UK Armed Forces continue to adapt to the changing threats,\" it said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:40:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxOYVpwTnYwZDlhcFRZZXY0Ykt0bnVTQWJOQ0FrZFlxSlZfcE5OcjJkWjQ4X1JCZzFpWjhjSHN4VHRuNXNDOTFZUnYyTkR3Vi1pSXRybW9SZWVEMkpLQ2FORklDcUFvZjdjbEJPbnhEdFpjdXNIQnp6VXRQaTNkanZxZ3dPdmJRT09NS1oxbjBCUUlPUmREQVEzNTZhZlB2aWk3WDh0RjlPRWJobkV5RzZiRU5WMVRXREZMNHc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_189091e7f943",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Hegseth confirms US sinking of Iranian warship off Sri Lanka coast",
    "body_text": "US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the US military sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, calling it the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War Two.\n\n\"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,\" Hegseth said.\n\nHe said the US was winning in its war against Iran, while noting that six US troops had been killed so far in the conflict.\n\nMeanwhile, the top US general said Iran was firing fewer missiles than it did at the start of the war on Saturday, as he argued Iran's military capabilities were greatly diminished as the US expands its strikes inside Iran.\n\n\"We will now begin to expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory, and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces,\" Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news briefing at the Pentagon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:41:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/hegseth-confirms-us-sinking-iranian-warship-sri-lanka-coast",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_45a51f043d95",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran player Sara Didar holds back tears responding to a war-related question at Women's Asian Cup - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran player Sara Didar holds back tears responding to a war-related question at Women’s Asian Cup\nIran player Sara Didar holds back tears responding to a war-related question at Women’s Asian Cup\nGOLD COAST, Australia (AP) — Sara Didar choked back tears as she shared the concerns of the Iranian soccer team for their families and loved ones at home amid the war while they’re in Australia contesting the Women’s Asian Cup.\n“Obviously we’re all concerned and we’re sad at what has happened to Iran and our families in Iran,” Didar said in comments translated into English during a news conference Wednesday on the eve of a Group A game against Australia.\n“I really hope for our country to have good news ahead. And I hope that my country will be strongly alive.”\nThe 21-year-old striker was part of the squad that stood in silence as the Iran anthem played at the Gold Coast Stadium before their opening loss to South Korea on Monday.\nThe squad and management arrived in Australia well before the strikes by Israel and the U.S. on Saturday that led to the broader conflict.\nHead coach Marziyeh Jafari and players declined to comment on the war or the death of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during their first official news conference of the tournament on Sunday.\nOn Wednesday, an Asian Football Confederation moderator asked reporters before the scheduled pre-match news conference to stick with football questions and refrain from asking about the war.\nWhen a question was posed, Didar and Jafari each expressed concerns about the people in Iran.\n“Obviously we have so much concern regarding the health of our families and our loved ones and all other Iranian people inside our country, which we are fully disconnected with,” Jafari said, highlighting the limited contact because of blackouts in Iran.\n“But, here, we are coming to play football professionally and we will do our best to concentrate on our football and match ahead.”\nA pocket of Iranian fans at Monday’s game waved the red, green and white national colors and some pre-Islamic revolution flags, and chanted support for the team.\nJafari and Didar said the team was happy to have the support of Iranian-Australians.\n“We feel very good that we see many Iranians supporting us, it really encourages us and we really appreciate it,” Didar said. “I know the stadium will be full tomorrow, and hope that we have a great atmosphere.”\nAustralia coach Joe Montemurro said he wanted his team and supporters to greet the Iranian squad with compassion. Thursday’s game is expected to draw a capacity crowd at Gold Coast Stadium. It’ll be only the second meeting between the two women’s national teams, with Australia winning the previous match at Perth in 2023.\n“We want to give them the best tournament possible in terms of giving them the experience of a lifetime,” Montemurro said. “For us, it’s about just showing our human compassion, our respect and show them how beautiful we are as a country, and how beautiful we are as Australians.”\nAustralia, the 2010 Asian Cup champions and semifinalist at the 2023 World Cup it co-hosted with New Zealand, opened with a 1-0 win over Philippines and can secure a quarterfinal spot with a win over Iran. The Iranians are in Australia hoping to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, which means they have to finish in the top eight in the Asian Cup.\n___\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:42:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxPRnFuYWZ4UW5RVWdqN0VLT1B1RF8zeUcyMHR4S1NaS0IyOWctX19yWUtzb3N6Uk1nRk41LWdFV3M0Zkc1d241Zk5oLXh6X0dGNl81YmhNQm1IeDN5VzdOeW9Kald1YXpTMTdwMGJnQ0ZGR2hGQ1JUcFBnLWxZQ1RjS0tYMkpGbEtEbFF0c25RSFBZQXBGTkh0RE9oWkhtcVk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a81aa95d943b",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "From petrol to groceries: how Middle East crisis is driving up prices",
    "body_text": "Global supply chains are disrupted and prices are rising across sectors amid warnings worse is to come if conflict persists\n\nTheconflict in the Middle Easthas disrupted global supply chains and triggered price rises across a range of categories, prompting accusations of price gouging and warnings of worse to come if the conflict persists.\n\nHere we take a look at the impact so far.\n\nFuel pump prices have risen slightly across the UK and Europe sinceIsraeland the US started bombing Iran on Saturday and much higher rises are expected. Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, jumped 10% to $82 (£61) a barrel on Monday before easing on Wednesday to $78. Britain’s AA has said record prices could come within the next two weeks.\n\nThe Irish taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said there was “no excuse” for fuel price rises because Ireland’s oil came from the North Sea. “We don’t want any price gouging going on,” he added. Spain’s government said it wasmonitoring petrol pricesto avoid speculative movements.\n\nSome suppliers in Northern Ireland, where almost two-thirds of homes use oil for heating, have increased prices by more than a third. On 26 February the average price of 500 litres was £307 but some providers are now charging up to £425, theBBC reported.\n\nThe price of flights between Europe and Asia have jumped since the closure of large Middle East hubs led to thousands of flights being cancelled. Stranded passengers who have tried switching to other carriers and routes have encountered higher fares and limited availability.\n\nMichelle Wiese Bockmann, a commodities analyst, said on X that airlines were “gouging” people who were desperate to get home. She has been quoted fares ranging from €2,400 to €3,600 to get to London. “Governments need to step in and take control. This is worse than the pandemic. Disgraceful,” she added.\n\nPrivate jet operators have ratcheted up prices even further, with one charging £20,000 per seat on a jet leaving Oman for Milan on Monday, theFinancial Times reported. A charter from Oman to Paris was selling for €215,000 for a 13-seater aircraft, almost double standard rates.\n\nSupermarket bills have yet to increase but a knock-on effect is expected from the closure of the strait of Hormuz, disrupting shipping and in effect halting a fifth of global oil and gas supplies and a third of fertiliser supplies.\n\nGrain prices are rising and Asian shrimp, dried fruit and nuts will require longer, costlier routes to Europe, according to the commodity price reporting agency Expana. Disruption of Iran’s sizeable exports of pistachio, walnuts, almonds, saffron and dates could also drive up prices.\n\nHowever, if Brazil’s supply of beef and poultry to the Middle East is rerouted to Europe that could lead to lower prices for European consumers, according to the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers.\n\nLeading maritime insurers havecancelled war risk coverfor vessels operating in the Gulf with effect from Thursday, but many are expected to offer to reinstate war coverage at new terms. Mutual P&I cover offered by the insurers is unaffected. Marcus Baker, the global head of marine at the insurance broker Marsh, said insurance rates could go up by 50% to 100%, or even more, from 0.25% to 0.5% or 1% of the value of the insured asset.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:42:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/middle-east-crisis-petrol-groceries-rising-prices",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b82a435550e7",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "‘Isolated’ Iranian forces suspected of firing missile towards Turkey - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "‘Isolated’ Iranian forces suspected of firing missile towards Turkey\nAn Iranian ballistic missile that was heading towards Turkish airspace before being intercepted by Nato air and missile defence systems near the southern city of Hatay on Wednesday may have been fired by “isolated” Iranian elements, Middle East Eye understands.\nSince the beginning of the joint US-Israeli strikes over the weekend, Iran has avoided Turkish airspace, refraining from firing any missiles or drones toward the Nato ally, which hosts American forces and installations.\nThe downed missile, possibly intercepted by Nato ships deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean, was flying nearly 100km east of Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base, which previously hosted US military troops.\nSources familiar with the incident told MEE that the missile may have been launched by elements within the Iranian military operating under a decentralised system after US and Israeli strikes reportedly killed more than 40 high-ranking Iranian officials.\nOral Toga, an expert at the Ankara-based Centre for Iranian Studies, said it is now common knowledge that Iran designed a system known as the “Mosaic” doctrine to respond to challenges in cases of a breakdown in command and control.\n“Since the entire military response is currently functioning in a decentralised manner, there might have been some cliques within the Iranian forces that decided to fire missiles towards Turkey for reasons currently not known,” Toga told MEE.\nA separate report indicating another interception of a suspected Iranian missile on Wednesday in Syria’s Qamishli might suggest that “this was not an honest mistake”, Toga added.\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday that some military units had become “independent and somewhat isolated”, operating only on pre-issued general instructions.\nAraghchi added that strikes targeting Oman, for example, were not Iran's preference and that units had been warned to be careful about their targets. However, his warnings did not prevent another reported attack on Oman earlier this week, according to official statements from the Omani government.\nTurkish foreign ministry sources told MEE that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Turkey’s protest to his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Wednesday, warning that Tehran must refrain from steps that could expand the war across the region.\nTurkey also hosts an early-warning radar at Kurecik, a critical component of Nato's ballistic missile defence system, located some 700km west of the Iranian border.\nThe “Mosaic” doctrine - developed by Iran over the past two decades, particularly within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - disperses command structures, weapons systems and operational units across broad geographic and organisational nodes. The strategy empowers regional commanders to operate autonomously if communications with Tehran are disrupted.\nIn a similar spirit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this week delegated central government authority to provincial governors to ensure uninterrupted public services.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:45:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxPUTJ5UGVwS2FHNEVOY3BudFhvazRka0ZzVWZYTHRlS0tES3lWLTZpNzczNGdWdVFlclhTT1JhNXZVY2dSRXMtNTdXdkFJUFA0Njh2UUZrYktQV1AxSUE0al9FQWFWUFNGaURTQU1ySENjTGQwQVJLN21zUFRkTTAzRmZVWTNSeTNSWmU5NDlVUk5lMkxPU3c?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9c1b2ee953ee",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "‘Isolated’ Iranian forces suspected of firing missile towards Turkey",
    "body_text": "AnIranianballistic missile that was heading towardsTurkishairspace before being intercepted by Nato air and missile defence systems near the southern city of Hatay on Wednesday may have been fired by “isolated” Iranian elements, Middle East Eye understands.\n\nSince the beginning of the joint US-Israeli strikes over the weekend, Iran has avoided Turkish airspace, refraining from firing any missiles or drones toward the Nato ally, which hosts American forces and installations.\n\nThe downed missile, possibly intercepted by Nato ships deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean, was flying nearly 100km east of Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base, which previously hosted US military troops.\n\nSources familiar with the incident told MEE that the missile may have been launched by elements within the Iranian military operating under a decentralised system after US and Israeli strikes reportedly killed more than 40 high-ranking Iranian officials.\n\nOral Toga, an expert at the Ankara-based Centre for Iranian Studies, said it is now common knowledge that Iran designed a system known as the “Mosaic” doctrine to respond to challenges in cases of a breakdown in command and control.\n\n“Since the entire military response is currently functioning in a decentralised manner, there might have been some cliques within the Iranian forces that decided to fire missiles towards Turkey for reasons currently not known,” Toga told MEE.\n\nA separate report indicating another interception of a suspected Iranian missile on Wednesday inSyria’s Qamishli might suggest that “this was not an honest mistake”, Toga added.\n\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchisaidin an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday that some military units had become “independent and somewhat isolated”, operating only on pre-issued general instructions.\n\nAraghchi added that strikes targetingOman, for example, were not Iran's preference and that units had been warned to be careful about their targets. However, his warnings did not prevent another reported attack on Oman earlier this week, according to official statements from the Omani government.\n\nTurkish foreign ministry sources told MEE that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Turkey’s protest to his Iranian counterpart in a phone call on Wednesday, warning that Tehran must refrain from steps that could expand the war across the region.\n\nTurkey also hosts an early-warning radar at Kurecik, a critical component of Nato's ballistic missile defence system, located some 700km west of the Iranian border.\n\nThe “Mosaic” doctrine - developed by Iran over the past two decades, particularly within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - disperses command structures, weapons systems and operational units across broad geographic and organisational nodes. The strategy empowers regional commanders to operate autonomously if communications with Tehran are disrupted.\n\nIn a similar spirit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this week delegated central government authority to provincial governors to ensure uninterrupted public services.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:45:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/isolated-iranian-forces-suspected-missile-towards-turkey",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_bf30fb316887",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran war upends popular trades - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran war upends popular trades\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:47:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9iRXRaeFN3X2Q3QzdKU2tyNFp4ZDhIMHk4ek1GNEhOUGZGeEt6OFBZay1LM1RDcHBseE81cy1fcklRYVg1N000LXl0WkVPSmFxLVA4X251NDNfYjJvQ0gwcjdDMDdkQnJTV0hZY3RFQ0Q?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5b834543ba7b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump’s Hormuz Assurances Are Only a Partial Fix, Shippers Say - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Trump’s Hormuz Assurances Are Only a Partial Fix, Shippers Say    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:49:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQNVRMdEpzRE9GdUk2ZUJ4Qmx3d09KZVZqelU0N25YbGwyWU9DLTB1SzZtTXc0bUJfUmw1b3RYNmV6NXRmV1NsNTc3SjV1VUFPMzRNUlYydTVOV1N4bzlwY0dGZjNOcGhZX04telI1cDBwbTE0NEd1N0tmM1lXSUVtZmxOamp6R3ZnNE5JLXYyZVdzb1RTbEFjbmVoVk84MnlxSjNRZ2lpajltUzQ3ZVpMQ0R3?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_02a6d16b95cb",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Satellite images show Iranian navy and nuclear sites hit by US-Israeli strikes",
    "body_text": "US-Israeli strikes have destroyed at least 11 Iranian naval vessels, images reviewed by BBC Verify show.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:49:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxzzkkkwjqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4fd03773fa55",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "How Trump’s anger with Starmer over Iran may rattle the US-UK ‘special relationship’ - AP News",
    "body_text": "How Trump’s anger with Starmer over Iran may rattle the US-UK ‘special relationship’\nHow Trump’s anger with Starmer over Iran may rattle the US-UK ‘special relationship’\nLONDON (AP) — Opposition politicians accused U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday of weakening Britain’s “special relationship” with the United States by differing from U.S. President Donald Trump over Iran and drawing his ire.\nTrump on Tuesday called Britain “uncooperative” and slammed Starmer as “not Winston Churchill” after Starmer initially rebuffed a U.S. request to use U.K. bases for attacks on Iran. The prime minister later said American planes could use bases in England and on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia to strike Iranian missile systems that are targeting British allies in the Middle East.\nTrump remains annoyed, and Starmer is bracing to see whether the president’s anger has an impact on trans-Atlantic ties and trade.\nNot all smooth sailing\nChurchill set the tone for the post-World War II trans-Atlantic bond by declaring during a 1946 speech at Westminster College in Missouri that there was “a special relationship between the British Commonwealth and Empire and the United States.”\nWith lawmakers, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer explains why he said no to President Donald Trump’s request for full UK involvement in the war.\nThat relationship has been sustained over the decades by a common language, shared interests, military cooperation and cultural affection. Sometimes that has been bolstered by close personal bonds, such as the friendship between Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, or between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton in the 1990s.\nThere have also been periods of strain. In 1956, Israel, Britain and France attempted to seize control of the Suez Canal after its nationalization by Egypt. Their forces eventually withdrew after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration refused to back the effort and threatened sanctions. It was a stark reminder of Britain’s waning power and American ascendancy on the world stage.\nA decade later, relations hit a new low when British Prime Minister Harold Wilson resisted pressure from U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson to join the Vietnam War.\nBlair was seeking to avoid a similar rift when he sent British troops to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 based on what turned out to be faulty intelligence about Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction. The conflict killed 179 British troops, around 4,500 American personnel and many thousands of Iraqis. Blair’s decision remains one of the most controversial by a British leader in decades.\nStarmer keeping ‘cool head’\nCenter-left leader Starmer has forged surprisingly cordial relations with Trump since the president’s return to office in 2025, but friction between the two leaders has been building for months. Trump’s threat to take over Greenland was denounced by Starmer and other European leaders earlier this year.\nRecently, Trump has condemned Britain’s agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius, despite his administration earlier backing the deal.\nStarmer has strongly implied that he considers the war on Iran illegal and said his government doesn’t believe in “regime change from the skies.”\nCabinet minister James Murray said Starmer was acting with “a cool head,” and argued that Britain’s relationship with the U.S. remains “historic, long-lasting and deep.”\nBut political opponents and critics in the media claim that Starmer is sidelining the U.K. at a critical time, even after an Iranian-made drone struck a British air force base on Cyprus, causing no injuries. The right-leaning Daily Mail proclaimed: “Starmer takes the Great out of Britain.”\nConservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Wednesday in the House of Commons that Starmer should have declared support for the U.S.-Israeli offensive, and Conservative lawmaker Gareth Bacon accused the prime minister of a “dithering and equivocal response” to events.\nStarmer replied that “American planes are operating out of British bases. That is the special relationship in action.\n“British jets are shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives in the Middle East on our joint bases. That is the special relationship in action. Sharing intelligence every day to keep our people safe. That is the special relationship in action.\n“Hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not the special relationship in action.”\nUK hopes Trump’s anger is temporary\nThe U.S. president’s moods can be fleeting, and British officials hope this latest squall will blow over quickly.\nTrump’s threat this week to cut of trade with Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the strikes on Iran as “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” shows how high the stakes can be.\nThe U.K. deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, which Britain says is crucial to securing the future of the Diego Garcia base, is on hold until U.S. backing is secured. A trade deal signed by Trump and Starmer with great fanfare in May still hasn’t been finalized, and has been cast into doubt by Trump’s recent tariff pronouncements.\nPeter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser, said that Trump appears to want “completely blind loyalty” from allies, and had launched an “unfair” broadside against Starmer. But he said that British authorities shouldn’t overreact.\n“I think the prime minister should keep calm and carry on,” he told the BBC.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:50:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPWWtPcC0yNEdka2xkSjZoVmxtTmFWY21LOUFxM0JWSklaVzBZazhaLWd4V1EwRFZBZmlLZEVSLWtNc2NzazBTNDJWeTF3cFpzM3lER3gxM2FWMDNGMjRDUlNIeDdFT2VPa3FlaU9vT2NrSFhHNF94UzhPSU11MUlGZFh5TmxmSUZkQ2xyenE0ODY5Tmw1UWpNVE91VmdWTWFoQnBvS1BaOVI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a3ecbb0ae045",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies of Iranians from sunk warship",
    "body_text": "Sri Lanka's navy has recovered 87 bodies of sailors from an Iranian warship that was sunk on Wednesday by a US submarine off the island's southern coast, police and defence officials said.\n\n\"We have collected 87 bodies, and a search is still on for the others who are still missing,\" a navy official told AFP.\n\nPolice and navy spokespeople said 61 sailors were still missing. At least 32 have been rescued and are being treated at a hospital in the city of Galle, according to officials.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:55:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/sri-lanka-recovers-87-bodies-iranians-sunk-warship",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c166f96508d7",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Israel tells people in large parts of southern Lebanon to leave ahead of attacks",
    "body_text": "Israel tells people in large parts of southern Lebanon to leave ahead of attacks\nThe Israeli military has told civilians living in a large swathe of southern Lebanon to leave their homes immediately and move north of the Litani River because of intended military action against Hezbollah.\nThe sweeping orders came as hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed group continued to escalate. Hours after issuing the instruction, the military said it had begun \"a wave of strikes\" in the south.\nTens of thousands of people in Lebanon have already been displaced since fighting erupted on Monday.\nOne man still living in southern Lebanon told the BBC that he would not leave his home.\n\"Let them say whatever they want - I'm not going to Beirut to be on the streets,\" Mohamed, 25, said.\n\"I'm not next to Hezbollah or any of its infrastructure, so I should be fine,\" he said, adding that he would rather die in his home than flee.\nAnother man said he and his disabled wife had already moved this week and did not know whether they would be able to find shelter further north.\nIn the capital, Beirut, displaced civilians have been sleeping in shelters, on roadsides, in parks and in their cars.\nVolunteers at food kitchens and shelters told the BBC they were concerned they would not be able to keep up with the rising demand.\nThose displaced have fled from southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the Dahieh suburbs of southern Beirut - the heartlands of Hezbollah and of Lebanon's Shia Muslim community.\nAt one displacement camp on the outskirts of Beirut, hundreds of people got ready for Iftar - a meal eaten at sunset to break the Ramadan fast - on Tuesday evening.\nSome were still wearing the pyjamas they had on when they fled their homes.\nEveryone the BBC spoke to had been displaced multiple times before by hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a Shia militia and political party that is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the US, UK and other countries.\n\"Last time [I was displaced], I stayed for 26 days in a tent,\" 56-year-old Lamyaa said. \"We were humiliated. God knows how long [it will last this time].\"\nThe latest escalation comes after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel in response to US and Israeli strikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli military responded with air strikes and sent troops into southern Lebanon.\nHezbollah's rocket fire in the early hours of Monday morning was the first such action from the group since a November 2024 ceasefire that formally ended 13 months of war. Israel had continued to carry out near-daily strikes on Lebanon, which it said were aimed at Hezbollah targets.\nIn Beirut, strikes this week have largely targeted the Dahieh area, but one early on Wednesday hit a hotel in an upscale suburb in the east of the city.\nWitnesses said one person had been taken to hospital with serious injuries.\nLocals said they were shocked, describing the district as safe, with the hotel located in a Christian-majority area less than a mile from the presidential palace.\nThe Israeli military has not yet commented on the attack.\nAmong those displaced from their homes, views are divided over the war.\n\"If they [Hezbollah] can't end Israel, I think they should stop - but hopefully we will defeat it,\" said Lamyaa at the displacement camp, as she criticised the Lebanese military for pulling back from positions on the border with Israel.\nNearby, a mother and her two daughters discussed Hezbollah's actions and debated how weakened the group had been by the previous war with Israel.\n\"I'm not against what Hezbollah did because either way they [Israel] will hit us,\" said 33-year-old Batoul. \"Our guys will protect us.\"\n\"There are no more men - they all died,\" her mother, Zeinab, replied.\nAt a shelter elsewhere in Beirut, mother-of-two Fatima, 32, said she was angry at Hezbollah for pulling Lebanon back into war.\n\"I wish Hezbollah had not done it. Now we are homeless and humiliated. Who is happy now? What did they get out of this except for us having to leave our homes?\"\nOthers focused only on wanting the war to end.\n\"I want to go home. I hope to go back to my village. I hope there will never be war again,\" said 20-year-old Amal.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:55:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg11pne0rro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2a9941aaf358",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Armed Iranian Kurds weigh role in potential US-backed ground assault",
    "body_text": "Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have neither confirmed nor denied reports of a possible ground advance fromIraqinto westernIranamid the ongoingUS-Israeli war.\n\nDespite reports that Washington is considering backing an opposition-led assault, the White House has yet to take a final decision on its next move, sources have told Middle East Eye.\n\nA source within the Komala party, which has waged an insurgency against the Iranian state for decades, told MEE that it was the \"right time now\" to return to their hometowns after 47 years in exile.\n\nSpeaking on condition of anonymity, he said people in the Kurdish region of Iran - known to Kurds as Rojhelat - were \"waiting for the peshmerga [fighters]\", but cautioned that \"we should wait and we need time\".\n\nSiamand Moeini, a senior figure in the armed Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told MEE: \"I am not sure I have enough information\", regarding the prospect of going to war with Tehran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:57:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/armed-iranian-kurds-weigh-role-potential-us-backed-ground-assault",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_42f1bcb743e5",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Britain not ruling out future strikes on Iran missile sites, officials indicate",
    "body_text": "‘We just don’t know what will happen,’ western officials say, as UK bases prepare for arrival of US heavy bombers\n\nBritain has not ruled out participating in future strikes against Iranian ballistic missile launch sites, officials have indicated.\n\nUS heavy bombers are expected to reach UK bases at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands and Fairford in Gloucestershire in the next few days, from where they are expected to attack Iran’s underground “missile cities”.\n\nIt has also emerged that the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon, which Keir Starmer promised on Tuesday would be sent to Cyprus to defend the country and UK airbases there, is not expected to be ready to set sail from Portsmouth until next week.\n\nIn a briefing, western officials did not rule out the possibility that the UK could take part in striking missile depots. “I wouldn’t rule anything out at all because we just don’t know what will happen day to day, week to week as this progresses,” one said.\n\nDestroyingIran’s ballistic missile stockpilesand launch capabilities is one of the central goals of the joint US and Israeli bombing campaign, but many are buried below ground and hard to strike with more conventional weapons.\n\nOne option is to fly US air force B-2 or B-52 bombers armed with bunker-buster munitions from the two UK sites, and that could require additional support from the RAF beyond the simple provision of the bases.\n\nWestern officials believe that Iran has “several more days’” worth of ballistic missiles in its stockpile, if it is able to continue firing them at current rates. However, it may not be able to do so given the continuing US-Israeli attacks. Iran may also chose to conserve stocks in an effort to preserve some of its military capabilities.\n\nGulf states and other regional allies have fired “quite a lot” of their Patriot air defence interceptors in efforts to defend themselves, an official added. No figures were given but it was emphasised that the size of stockpiles would be a source of concern for countries coming under missile and drone attack from Iran.\n\nThat would justify an enhanced rate of attack on Iranian launch sites, an official added. “That’s why it is so important to speed up the rate at which those launches and launch sites are being targeted and destroyed,” they said.\n\nAt first the UK did not take part in the US-Israeli bombing campaign that began on Saturday with thekilling of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. But on Sunday night Keir Starmer partlychanged his mind.\n\nThe prime minister said he would allow the US to destroy Iranian missiles “at source” by flying missions from UK bases to target “their storage depots or the launchers which [are] used to fire the missiles”. It was, he added, a “specific and limited defensive purpose”.\n\nHMS Dragon had been in dry dock for maintenance and is now in the process of having weapons loaded on. The sailing time to Cyprus is between five and seven days, meaning it may not arrive until the end of next week, nearly two weeks after RAF Akrotiri first came under attack.\n\nA Shahed-type drone breached air defences at the base in Cyprus on Monday, causing minor damage when it crashed on the runway, even though counter-drone units were deployed on site. Two other drones were intercepted later that day.\n\nCypriot officials have indicated the drone that struck the runway came from an area of Lebanon controlled by Hezbollah. That has not been confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence, though a launch from Iran has been ruled out.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T14:58:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/britain-not-ruling-out-future-strikes-iran-missile-sites",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1d8b7701eb80",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US Senate likely to reject bid to curb Trump's Iran war powers<br />",
    "body_text": "The US Senate is set to vote Wednesday on a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump's authority to continue military strikes on Iran, in the first congressional test of support for a conflict launched without explicit approval from lawmakers.\n\nThe bipartisan measure, introduced by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Rand Paul, would require the withdrawal of US forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorizes the campaign.\n\nBut with Republicans holding a 53–47 majority in the upper chamber of Congress and largely backing the president's decision to attack Iran alongside Israel, the resolution is widely expected to fail.\n\nThe vote comes five days into a rapidly expanding conflict that has already killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior figures in Tehran, while US troops have died in Iranian strikes and a drone attack on a US base in Kuwait.\n\nDemocrats argue Trump unconstitutionally bypassed Congress when he ordered the air campaign and say the administration has offered shifting explanations for the war.\n\n\"Let me say it this way, there was no presentation of any evidence in that room...that suggested that the US faced any imminent threat from Iran,\" Kaine told AFP after a classified briefing from administration officials.\n\nRepublicans have largely rallied behind their leader, though some have signaled their support could erode if the war expands or drags on.\n\n\"Roadside bombs coming out of Iran have maimed and killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans,\" Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's top loyalists in the Senate and a longtime advocate of confronting Iran, posted on X.\n\n\"They mean it when they say 'death to America.' I'm glad we didn't let it go further. I'm glad we didn't let them build more missiles.\"\n\nFor the resolution to pass, Democrats would need at least four additional Republicans to join Paul if every senator votes. At least one Democrat, Pennsylvania centrist John Fetterman, has already said he will oppose it.\n\nEven if the measure cleared both the Senate and the House -- where a vote on a similar resolution is expected Thursday -- Trump could veto it, and Congress would need an almost certainly unattainable two-thirds majority in both chambers to override him.\n\nGovernments around the world have scrambled to evacuate citizens stranded by the war in the Middle East, triggered by the US-Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei and prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.\n\nCities such as Dubai and Riyadh -- long seen as insulated from the region's turmoil -- have been drawn into the crisis as the conflict spreads across Iran's neighborhood.\n\nThe debate in Congress over Trump's authority to wage war reflects broader unease on Capitol Hill about the scope and duration of the military campaign.\n\nAdministration officials told lawmakers in classified briefings this week that the operation could last weeks and may require additional funding from Congress.\n\nLawmakers from both parties say the Pentagon could soon seek emergency funds to replenish weapons stockpiles and sustain the campaign.\n\nThe war powers resolution invokes the 1973 War Powers Act, passed after the Vietnam War, which allows Congress to force votes on military engagements and limits unauthorized conflicts to 60 days.\n\nDemocrats acknowledge the measure faces steep odds but say forcing lawmakers to take a public position on the war is essential.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:00:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/us-senate-likely-reject-bid-curb-trumps-iran-war-powers",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5c3362d2201b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "European Gas Holds Gains as Traders Weigh US Plan for Hormuz - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "European Gas Holds Gains as Traders Weigh US Plan for Hormuz    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:00:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNR1Fnc3FvQVBsaC1jNzMta25TS0ktem9EV3RpUlhiR1JSenkwZzRmVWVoYmJUVWRWdHRJbWY5TGhwQlVmZHlHS0MwbE1rOHM2S0s1MFNhaVA1S2dYbXRiWDR4eW9QZzUtRVoxVzVFZzFZRHFZdlRmWUpwSlJKOGV1VGtCUDc3aEN6OTRnekk2MGdtbExULXpkS2l4VzVYRVAybHAtQ1F4d0JqNGx2Z3hYX01MTmdOUQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0abf27b0e431",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Turkey says Iranian missile over its airspace destroyed by Nato defences",
    "body_text": "Nato air defence systems have shot down anIranianballistic missile heading intoTurkishairspace, the Turkish defence ministry said on Wednesday.\n\nThe ministry said the missile had crossedIraqiandSyrianairspace and was \"neutralised in a timely manner\" by Nato's air and missile defences deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.\n\n\"The fragment of the missile that fell in Dortyol district of Hatay province has been identified as belonging to the air defence missile that intercepted the threat in the air,\" the ministry said. \"There were no casualties or injuries in the incident.\"\n\nThe ministry added that while Ankara wants regional stability and peace, it is capable of ensuring the safety of its citizens and territory \"regardless of who or where the threat comes from\".\n\n\"We remind all parties that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions against our country,\" it said. \"We warn all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation of conflicts in the region. In this context, we will continue to consult with Nato and our other allies.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:00:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/turkey-says-iranian-missile-over-its-airspace-destroyed-nato-defences",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a415da786414",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "China to send envoy to Middle East for mediation, foreign minister says",
    "body_text": "BEIJING, March 4 (Reuters) - China will send a special envoy to the Middle East for mediation,Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Saudi Arabian and UAE counterparts on Wednesday according to statements from his ministry, as conflict in the region continued to escalate.\n\nChina appreciates Saudi Arabia's restraint and insistence on resolving differences through peaceful means, Wang was quoted as saying in a phone call with the Saudi minister by the Chinese ministry.\n\nIn a separate phone call with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Wang said the \"red line\" of protecting civilians in conflicts must not be crossed, and that non-military targets, including those involving energy, should not be attacked. He also called for protecting the safety of shipping routes.\n\n(Reporting by Yukun Zhang and Ryan WooEditing by Mark Potter)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:01:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/china-send-envoy-middle-east-mediation-foreign-minister-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_206635cc2738",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran could disrupt the Strait of Hormuz with drones for months",
    "body_text": "By Anna Hirtenstein, Andrew Mills and Jonathan Saul\n\nMarch 4 (Reuters) - Iranian drone attacks could disrupt the Strait of Hormuz for months, but how long the Islamic Republic could sustain its missile barrage is less clear, according to intelligence sources and military analysts.\n\nSince the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and more than 1,000 drones at Gulf states allied with Washington. Most were intercepted by air defences, but some residential and commercial buildings, infrastructure and U.S. military bases have sustained damage.\n\nTehran is a major drone manufacturer and has the industrial capacity to produce around 10,000 per month, according to the Centre for Information Resilience, a non-profit research group funded by Britain's Foreign Office.\n\nThe size of its missile stockpile is unknown, with estimates ranging from 2,500 by Israel's military to around 6,000 according to other analysts. How much of Iran's arms cache remains could be a key factor in determining the course of the war.\n\nClosing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes, has been one of Iran's main objectives, and shipping through the crucial energy artery has ground to a near halt after Iranian hits on six vessels.\n\nEnergy prices have jumped, with Brent crude rising 12% and a European natural gas benchmark up about 50% so far this week.\n\n\"Iran is not going to fold easily or quickly, they have the means to make it unsafe for commercial traffic to flow through Hormuz,\" said Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group.\n\n\"The U.S. is prioritising attacking Iran’s munitions, bases and facilities that threaten the Strait. But all Iran has to do is show they can hit a few tankers and concern will take care of the rest, folks just won’t go through,” McNally said.\n\nStrategic missile supplies are a vulnerable point for Iran, according to a former director at Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency.\n\n“Russia is in no position to resupply and China will be quite cautious about this. If it became known that China was actually providing some sort of serious military hardware to Iran, that would play very badly with the GCC states,” he said, referring to members of the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.\n\nMissile stores may be lower because Tehran had been supplying Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, a second Western intelligence source said.\n\nStocks were also reduced during a 12-day war with Israel in June, but they have been partially restored, according to Israeli military intelligence.\n\nA key constraint may be launchers for the missiles. Supplies have at least halved over the last year due to strikes by Israel and the U.S. and further declined over the past five days, research by Britain’s CIR showed.\n\nDespite this, Iran is likely to be able to sustain a fight with its drones. The country’s latest generation of Shahed-136 drones have a range of 700 to 1,000 kilometres (435 to 620 miles), sufficient to reach anywhere in the southern Gulf coast when launched from the Iranian mainland or vessels, according to Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute.\n\nMany are produced at dual-use plants and other facilities could be retooled to ramp up production, a CIR analyst said.\n\nThese drones were able to penetrate Gulf states’ air defence systems, with 65 entering the UAE since the conflict broke out.\n\nThey struck Amazon’s data centres, Dubai International Airport and a Fairmont hotel. Bahrain has suffered material damage to infrastructure, a U.S. naval base and a tower containing a hotel and apartments from drones.\n\nOil traders are bracing for further price spikes as the length of the disruption to the Strait of Hormuz becomes clearer in the coming days.\n\n“I am very concerned, this risk is currently underpriced in oil markets,” said a senior executive at Vitol, a global commodity trading house. \"The prevalent theory is that Iran is using old missiles and drones first to deplete air defences. If so, their response is yet to start properly.\"\n\nAnd if missiles and drones start to run out, Iran could deploy sea mines. Tehran has an inventory of 5,000 to 6,000 such mines, according to Dryad Global, a maritime risk intelligence firm.\n\nThey can be moored to the seabed, rocket-propelled or drift in waters, exploding when a vessel comes into contact. There is no indication that mines have been laid in the Strait of Hormuz at this point, analysts said.\n\n“If sea mines are laid, it will take a long time to deal with them,\" said Cormac McCarry, director at Control Risks with a focus on maritime intelligence and security services. \"That's where we will be looking at months of destruction.\"\n\n(Reporting by Anna Hirtenstein and Jonathan Saul in London and Andrew Mills in Doha; Editing by Alex Richardson)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:01:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-could-disrupt-strait-hormuz-drones-months",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e5715253274c",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Watch: Heavy gunfire heard as BBC reports from border of Israel and Lebanon",
    "body_text": "Watch: Heavy gunfire heard as BBC reports from border of Israel and Lebanon\nFrom the small Israeli town of Metula right on the border with Lebanon, BBC reporter Jon Donnison heard what sounded like a full-on gun battle just a kilometre (0.6 miles) or so away.\nFor 10 minutes heavy bursts of machine gun fire echoed across the valley, interspersed with what sounded like artillery fire. The Israeli army says it is trying to push Hezbollah fighters - supported by Iran - back from the south of Lebanon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:04:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c0q338p7297o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_78a535ec6bf1",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Gold Rises as Traders Weigh Middle East Risk and Stronger Dollar - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Gold Rises as Traders Weigh Middle East Risk and Stronger Dollar    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:09:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQbzNZbVVjTFpEUnFxTlREUk0xbnd0ZWVhOVlTeFhKeU92NUMzSzZUNTVvcjd1UFJEV2d4WjAwQ0dDVko1SUJXYUhVUkJVU0NPX1A0Rm9GZmdQcVRObTBhZjZIalhDWG1uM1ZXWDhEaU1OSEptNHFOZEpVZm9ndWZmWTJXMjkyNkF3d1RWWDFIaTVlNlJyN2w5ZFM5TGU0bFJKTktrTVdtaDU1anVqWTk1akJOU1lfZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4d06542b2e85",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Explosions heard over Jerusalem: Report",
    "body_text": "AFP reported that fresh blasts were heard over Jerusalem following a missile alert issued by the Israeli military.\n\nThe explosions came shortly after a salvo of missiles was detected about two hours earlier.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:11:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/explosions-heard-over-jerusalem-report",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7e053960dc01",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Charting the US-Israel war with Iran - dw.com",
    "body_text": "Following weeks of negotiations between US and Iranian officials over Iran's nuclear program, the United States and Israel on February 28 launched a coordinated cooperation dubbed Operations \"Epic Fury\" and \"Roaring Lion\" against the Iranian regime.\nTo better understand the US-Israel war with Iran, here is a breakdown of what happened and its consequences in maps and charts.\n#1 Which locations have been hit by US-Israel strikes?\nThe US and Israel have struck several Iranian military bases and government buildings. Satellite images show the extent of the destruction caused by the joint attacks.\nFor instance, the residence of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was heavily damaged. Khamenei and other high-ranking officials were killed in the attack.\nIn Kermanshah, recent satellite images show damage to multiple buildings at a missile facility.\nThe access to an underground missile facility near Kangavar appears to have been destroyed.\n#2 Where have the US and Israel attacked and where has Iran retaliated?\nAs the US and Israel continue to attack targets in Iran, Tehran is retaliating with strikes against Israel and other countries, particularly those allied with Washington. Beyond the Gulf, the war has now spilled into Lebanon.\nAs US President Donald Trump met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the White House on March 3, Trump boasted that \"just about everything's been knocked out\" in Iran, including its navy, air force and air detection systems.\n#3 Why did the US and Israel attack Iran?\nTrump and other US government officials have given different reasons for the strikes.\nThe US leader said that a primary goal is \"to eliminate the Iranian nuclear program once and for all.\"\nWhen the bombing campaign began on Saturday, Trump also urged Iranians to \"take over your government\" once the bombardment was over. By Monday (March 2), US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, for example, claimed that the attacks on Iran are not a \"regime change war.\"\n#4 Iran's leaders: Who's been killed?\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader who ruled Iran for almost four decades, was killed on the first day of the coordinated US-Israeli attack. Other senior leaders were also targeted and killed.\nNow that the supreme leader is dead, who is running Iran? There are three men on the country's interim leadership council: President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei and Alireza Arafi, a clerical member of the Guardian Council.\nBefore his death, no successor to Khamenei had been named. Under Iran's constitution, that task falls on the Assembly of Experts, an elected body of 88 senior clerics.\nTrump said that the new waves of attacks had killed even Iranian figures who could have taken over as new leaders. \"Most of the people we had in mind are dead.\"\nCurrently, the power vacuum appears to be filled by Iran's top national security official, Ali Larijani.\n#5 How long can Iran keep fighting?\nWhile several high-ranking Iranian officials have been killed, Iran's regime is still intact. Trump projected the war to last four to five weeks but said he was prepared \"to go far longer than that\" if necessary.\nHere's how the military strength of Iran, the US and Israel stacks up.\nOn March 4, the Israeli military cautioned that Iran retains substantial capacity to launch missiles against Israel, despite ongoing strikes targeting missile launch sites in the Islamic Republic.\n\"We will continue to strike the missile launchers and reduce the firing, but the regime still has significant capacity, and I would like to remind you that our defence is not impenetrable,\" said military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin during a televised briefing.\nThe military also said in a statement it had struck a facility \"for the storage, production, and launch of ballistic missiles — including Ghadr missiles — in Isfahan in western Iran.\"\nRecent satellite images show that a building at a missile facility near Isfahan was hit.\n#6 How many people have died in the Iran war so far?\nCurrently, there are no reliable figures available to provide a definite number of people killed in the strikes.\nFor Iran, the estimates range from 500 to more than 800. For Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, fewer than 10 deaths have been reported so far.\nFigures for Lebanon range from 10 to more than 50. Six US soldiers were killed in a strike on a US air base in Kuwait. For Israel, 11 casualties have been reported.\n#7 What's the situation in the Strait of Hormuz?\nShipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil chokepoints, has been paralyzed. Revolutionary Guards General Ebrahim Jabbari declared that Iran will \"burn any ship\" that tries to pass through the vital shipping route.\nIn response, Trump said the US Navy could begin escorting oil tankers transiting the Strait if necessary.\nOn March 4, the Revolutionary Guards claimed the Strait is under the \"full control\" of Iran's navy, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.\n#8 How is the Iran war affecting oil prices?\nFollowing the escalating conflict in the Middle East, global oil prices, as expected, soared. Brent North Sea crude, the international benchmark, is reaching new record highs for the first time since July 2024 and is currently at just over $80 per barrel (March 4).\nJulian Peschel, Anne Serwas and DW's Infographics team contributed to this report.\nEdited by: Gianna-Carina Gruen and Rob Mudge\nMore data-driven stories by DW can be found here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:11:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMieEFVX3lxTE11R3g5SjR6RnYyN2kyeXBWVkREUmJoOVkxNkxjUTVSNVNkT1BJeW1jOWZGWUg2M3pfQm9sLVlIUFdOQjNBcUc5elVIX2xKc3BnVzBsSG1ueTRob1p2b1htX1FXdEJxRkJUUWw1dnhWXy1mX3hxbXRCatIBeEFVX3lxTE91bVB4Nld0UFVZUnYwYVZ2MTl5d0NLLVhVWmdwbEc2RWVfYlVBc0k3UExNNFgzbC1ra2VoLS1DSXBwTVVwajNvRkNpTXNVeEI0NkxRYm5fTGNfQnpFbzFOMmFEbjdFLXR2ZkI0eWdybjFNbDc5aUQyUg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_220b80b45745",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Over 100 people missing after US sinks Iranian military ship off Sri Lanka",
    "body_text": "Dozens missing after US sinks Iranian military ship off Sri Lanka\nRescue teams are looking for dozens of crew members who are still missing after a US submarine sank an Iranian military ship off Sri Lanka’s coast. Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez reports from Galle, where survivors are receiving treatment in hospital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:12:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/over-100-people-missing-after-us-sinks-iranian-military-ship-off-sri-lanka?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_09f3774c12a4",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "WATCH: U.S. sank Iranian warship, Hegseth announces - PBS",
    "body_text": "WATCH: U.S. sank Iranian warship, Hegseth announces    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:13:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxNR2Y2NUZVYUVkY3hISVV1Mmpjak1rQ2FjQ2JlRXU1M2g3MzEyT1RvZkdCQ0JLSG5wRUNidWFWa1AzZndfX0t4bnNENTJMbkltLWNadzZnenBOX1pXcGxIZl9aMG5SekFWcUJ5NUVEdWV1ZDE5RDNDVW5RMjVhdm9RMUpkVFJEdlNTR1k40gGQAUFVX3lxTFB3TjVsc3pBdWVIMW5qMW0zU3ZvVkRCQ2lhdGx3dWR2V0FFYW9xamUwNFhnNTNPcTZuNTM3d1FUSnJPYVNEYmdNY2dYTnZSazZwZ1FFcmpDc0VIU3U1cGZlTzI2bTJXR1FqWVBxblFyVHVrdy1ycjlWUDBXT0lMdGNxeFBWaUdvTWZNenZmcndnMQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c5b6aea647be",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Sudanese Islamist commander vows to send troops to Iran if US and Israel deploy soldiers - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "A Sudanese Islamist figure fighting alongside the national army has appeared in a video circulating online, voicing support for Iran and threatening to send fighters if US and Israeli ground forces enter the country.\nIn the clip, Al Naji Abdullah, described online as a figure within Sudan’s Islamic movement that supports the armed forces, says Sudanese “mujahideen” would stand with Tehran.\n“We support Iran and we say it from here in Sudan,” he says in the footage, using incendiary language.\n“If the Americans and the Zionists deploy ground forces in Iran, we will send forces from among us to confront them. We say this openly … we will send all our battalions to fight there.”\nThe undated video surfaced amid a broadening regional conflict following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and as Sudan’s civil war increasingly overlaps with wider regional rivalries.\nSince the war erupted in 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Islamist networks have mobilised fighters in support of the army and regained influence within the military camp.\nAt the same time, Sudan’s military leadership has strengthened ties with Tehran. Iran and Sudan restored relations in 2023 after years of rupture, and analysts say Tehran has since provided military support, including drones and other weapons, to help the army in its fight against the RSF.\nWestern officials and analysts have also warned that Islamist factions aligned with the army have been among the strongest opponents of international ceasefire initiatives aimed at ending the civil war in Sudan.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:15:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2gFBVV95cUxOT1lVbFlUVzdxU0Y2Y3d6cDI4aEUzQjcycF9GcVhDUVhzZzZHQzY3MFBWWkViZTIyNElFd2lremxxZTVrNjdaZkJjamRHRzh1LTBDVFVCaWdfTml2ekZBQk1MbDU5d3RHLXBtdnRudGtrNzZfS0VWWEZYRXppWk1XcHY3SGttQUlzR0ZvMTZCT3JqVjdOaDZTSDBDT19qYzFuUk9ETjlJQk1oZ2d3b2lrOXcxZ0tPU2VvRFE3SDFQbGJ3aXdrMFh6SDRlTGRzOWgxNzh1eDAyQWQxUQ?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_cb3be5c990d0",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Oman rescues 24 people from ship following attack",
    "body_text": "Oman’s navy has rescued 24 people from a Maltese-flagged cargo ship after it was attacked by missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, Oman’s news agency reported.The 24 crew members were rescued and given medical treatment, the report said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/oman-rescues-24-people-ship-following-attack",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_443a5c731ef5",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "European governments urged to support Iranian opposition ambitions - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iranian opposition groups in exile are hopeful they can soon return to their country as a result of US and Israeli air strikes, but they are urging European leaders to plan for the aftermath.\nMany of the dissidents are based in the UK and some have urged the British government to support a democratic transition in Iran if the regime cracks under military pressure.\nWhile Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Britain would not join the US and Israeli attacks on the regime, the American military can use its airbases to go after Iran-launched retaliatory attacks in the Gulf.\nPolitical activist Razgar Alani, the UK representative of the Democratic People’s Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), hopes British expertise could support reform in the event of a regime change.\n“The UK did not participate in the attacks on the regime but its soft power can help Iranians to devise a new constitution based on federalism and devolution that can make Iran a fair and voluntary union,” Mr Alani wrote in a letter to MPs.\n“We ask the British government to assemble external experts to advise the Kurds and others how to proceed on this. We ask the British government to discuss these issues with us,” he said.\nThe Iranian opposition faces immense challenges, with its disparate leaders either in exile or in prison. Although the most prominent figure to have emerged is the US-based Reza Pahlavi, son of the Iran’s deposed shah, there are concerns that his family’s legacy and Persian nationalism could divide the country.\nA conference planned at the end of the month in London by the newly formed Congress for Freedom in Iran will seek to unify these groups and agree a common agenda.\nOther coalitions have also gained momentum in recent weeks, including the Broad Solidarity for Freedom and Equality in Iran, which includes minorities and Iranian political groups. Kurdish and Ahwaz Arab groups have also formed ethnic coalitions, setting aside their political differences.\nBut analysts said the Iranian regime is likely to adapt to the demands for reform and inclusion as it seeks to nominate a new supreme leader. The building of the Assembly of Experts, the body tasked with the nomination, was targeted on Tuesday as they were due to meet, according to the Iranian state news agency, but the impact of the strike is not yet known.\nA new leadership in Iran is likely to give more space to a “grass roots” opposition, whose leaders are in prison, said Roxane Farmanfarmaian, director of international studies and politics at the University of Cambridge.\n“Now that Khamenei is gone and a change does need to take place, I wouldn't be surprised if there is more space given to some of these more grass roots leaders,” Ms Farmanfarmaian said, speaking at the European Leadership Network.\n“There are several opposition leaders that have been imprisoned over the last couple of years, and they don't have organised opposition groups behind them. That has been a strategy of this government is to ensure that there aren't organised opposition networks in place,” she said.\n“Those that are being promoted on the outside have little traction on the inside,” she said.\nThe exiled Balochistan People’s Party, which also has a base in the UK, called for “social unity” on Monday in the face of uncertainty.\n“Social unity must be regarded as the foremost strategic asset in times of instability,” the party said in a statement. “Strengthening local mutual aid networks, fostering reciprocal support among families and civil institutions, and preserving social cohesion play a decisive role in enhancing societal resilience against external pressures.”\nThe party is among those calling for federalism in Iran that could support the cultural rights of minority groups in the country. It also called on its followers to remember these “fundamental demands” and their alignment with other opposition groups.\n“Empathetic solidarity among the peoples of Iran, particularly among those historically subjected to discrimination over the past century, including the Baloch, Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Lurs, Turks, and others … is a decisive necessity for a post-Islamic Republic Iran,” the statement said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:17:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxPU3RnbXpGQ0tkRmU4ZzhDZ1U5U3gyNFhuMjBKT2xRMDgyZUQ0cjVxazhBSmZzbF94eE9HaWJCa2h2bGptb2RpU3hmRDJVTWE1NGpxUFRCUFladldRQzJFUWlaR1ZiZWFLNDZzSlREM3R0Znctd2d6UkdocFNFOUtqWW1pSVNJbmJzczhkLWozcTR6QWtxRUdQdEN4LXV6S0JPamlSbllNSUNPQW15ZHhDT2w2SlpVUGh6MkE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_15030d49fe97",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Turkey summons Iranian envoy over missiles fired towards airspace",
    "body_text": "The Turkish foreign ministry has summoned the Iranian ambassador to Ankara to express concerns over a ballistic missile fired from Iran into its airspace, a Turkish diplomatic source said.\n\nNato air defences destroyed the missile launched from Iran into Turkish airspace earlier on Wednesday, marking the first time a Nato member has been drawn into the conflict.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:22:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/turkey-summons-iranian-envoy-over-missiles-heading-towards-airspace",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e6a7b111aa06",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran’s place in World Cup 2026 in doubt amid conflict, Trump’s dismissal",
    "body_text": "Among the wide-ranging ramifications of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Iran’s participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 has become a key talking point, with the tournament less than 100 days away.\nThe global sporting event will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 to July 19, with Iran among the 48 nations expected to travel to North America at least a week prior to the opening game.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3UEFA and FIFA may get a red card at the ICC for ignoring Israeli violations\n- list 2 of 3FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket frenzy unfolds amid global unrest\n- list 3 of 3Will the US-Israeli attacks on Iran have an impact on the World Cup?\nUS President Donald Trump says he doesn’t care if Iran participates in the World Cup or not.\n“I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes,” Trump told the American news site Politico on Tuesday.\nThe US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Saturday that have killed at least 1,045 people, including its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and sparked a regional conflict that has spread to 12 countries.\nTehran responded by launching waves of missiles and drones at Israel and towards several military bases in the Middle East where US forces operate.\nFollowing the escalations, Iran’s spot at the World Cup has come under question, and officials from the Iranian football federation and FIFA have been noncommittal on the world’s 20th-ranked football nation’s participation.\n“After this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), told local sports portal Varzesh3 on Sunday.\nUncharted territory\nA leading expert on sports and geopolitics believes that Iran’s participation in the tournament is in serious doubt amid an armed conflict between one of the host nations and a participant.\n“Ultimately, the diplomatic solution [will be] that Iran itself just steps aside and withdraws from the tournament,” Simon Chadwick, a professor of Afro-Eurasian sport at the Emlyon Business School in Shanghai, told Al Jazeera.\nChadwick said it’s “very difficult” to see the US allowing players, backroom staff and officials to enter the country.\n“The US will not be keen to admit [Iranian] players, officials or medics – who normally travel alongside teams to tournaments.\n“Given that they [Iran] are going to have to play their games in the US, I find it unlikely that they will be there.”\nDespite the logistical quagmire and its unlikely resolution in a timely manner, Chadwick said withdrawal will not be an easy option for Iran, who will think “very long and hard before walking away”.\nThe last time a team pulled out of a FIFA World Cup due to political reasons was in 1950, when Argentina withdrew, citing disagreements with the Brazilian Football Confederation.\n“We are in uncharted territory here,” Chadwick explained.\n“We tend to associate boycotts and countries not participating in sport mega-events with the Olympic Games, where mass boycotts were seen in 1980 and 1984 during the Cold War.\n“Typically, that doesn’t tend to happen in World Cups.”\nChadwick, who has written several books on the economy and politics of sport, believes the impact of withdrawal will not just be political, but also financial.\n“On the one hand, we are living in very complex and sensitive times, and arguably there are reasons for a country either to withdraw or be banned,” he said.\n“But we’re [also] living in highly commercial times, and the financial consequences of unilaterally walking away from what is arguably the world’s biggest sport mega event is an act of self-harm. We also don’t know how FIFA might react if a nation were to unilaterally walk away from its qualifying spot.”\nCan sport diplomacy save the World Cup?\nDespite the tournament being spread across three host nations, all of Iran’s matches are allocated to venues on the US West Coast.\nThis could largely be due to the presence of a sizeable Iranian community, especially in Los Angeles, where Team Melli will play two of their three Group G games.\nAccording to Chadwick, had Iran been playing games in Canada or Mexico, the team could have swayed their decision to participate. But the organisers are unlikely to move the games out of the US now.\n“It would be extremely unusual to take games to another country to accommodate one particular country, particularly when the president of FIFA and the president of the US seem to be very close,” he said, adding, “the relationship between the US and Canada, and the US and Mexico is somewhat complicated, too.”\nWhile FIFA hasn’t made a clear statement on the issue, its Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom has said the world football governing body is monitoring the conflict and the situation emerging from it.\n“We had a meeting today, and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world,” he said last week.\nWith the tournament a little more than three months away, FIFA said it will “continue to communicate with the host governments”.\nChadwick believes that FIFA will try to avoid an outcome where Iran is excluded, as it would cause a logistical headache and set the wrong precedent.\n“What we’re more likely to see is sport diplomacy really kicking in,” he predicted.\n“The last thing that FIFA will want is for a country to be excluded or simply not turn up because that does set precedent and puts pressure on FIFA.”\n‘Sport’s cold war’\nWith the conflict raging on for the fifth day and spreading further across the Middle East, it is unclear when the Iranian football officials will take a call on sending their team to the US.\nHowever, if Iran does opt to withdraw from the World Cup, it could lead to a sporting crisis.\nChadwick thinks the consequences could be wide-ranging and long-term.\n“Politically, it would perhaps take us towards a new sports cold war, and what I find very interesting is that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia have been toying with the idea of creating a sports world championship called the Peace Games, that looks like the Olympic Games and sounds like the Olympic Games but it’s not the Olympic Games.\n“And Russia managed to recruit over 70 countries to participate in that sports event.”\nSuch an event could find support from Iran, should it be left with no choice but to withdraw from the World Cup. It may even lead to the creation of a tournament similar to it, according to Chadwick.\n“It’s not inconceivable that at some stage in the future, countries could create their own equivalent of a football World Cup, especially with FIFA being an organisation established by Europeans, having its headquarters in Europe, and its presidents typically being European.”\n“Some countries may take this as an opportunity to think about alternative ways of staging global football competitions – almost like a football cold war.”\nDespite the current scenario and the conflict’s expansion in the past few days, Chadwick believes organisers and leaders could still find a way to include Iran in the World Cup.\n“If, at the end of the conflict, a new Iran emerges – in which big apparel companies can sell their products without sanctions or broadcasters can win big contracts – then the World Cup could play a role in building that diplomacy between the US and Iran, as well as reintegrating Iran into the international community.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:23:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/3/4/irans-place-in-world-cup-2026-in-doubt-amid-conflict-trumps-dismissal?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2d5992727bfb",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US submarine sank Iran’s warship off Sri Lanka coast, says Hegseth - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "A United States submarine has sunk an Iranian warship with a torpedo in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast, says US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.\nIn a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said the strike on the Iranian warship was the “first such attack on an enemy since World War II”.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Iran postpones Khamenei’s farewell as Israel threatens to kill successor\n- list 2 of 4Hundreds of drones target Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE amid Iran war\n- list 3 of 4‘We were just praying’: Pakistani students recount escape from war-hit Iran\n- list 4 of 4How Iran fights an imposed war\nSri Lanka’s navy said 87 bodies had been recovered and 32 sailors were rescued after an Iranian military ship sank just outside the island’s territorial waters.\nAuthorities told Al Jazeera the frigate IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles (75km) off Galle in southern Sri Lanka, sent out a distress call between 6am and 7am (00:30 to 01:30 GMT).\nThe ship had about 180 crew members on board, and a search and rescue operation was continuing, Sri Lankan officials said.\nThe Iranian frigate was returning from having taken part in the 2026 International Fleet Review last month in eastern India’s coastal city of Vishakapatnam.\nSri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the navy received information that the ship was in distress and the government sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.\nA Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said no other ship or aircraft was observed in the area where the Iranian warship sank.\nReporting from outside a hospital in Galle, where the wounded crew members were taken, Al Jazeera’s Minnelle Fernandez said an Iranian embassy official in Colombo said two officers have been sent to Galle “to talk to the survivors to get a sense of what might have happened on the ship”.\nThe warship’s sinking occurred as the United States and Israel conduct air strikes on Iran for a fifth day after killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and nearly 800 other people, including dozens of schoolgirls.\nTehran has responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and US-linked assets in Gulf countries, causing multiple deaths. Six US service members have been killed and many others injured.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:28:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNWURHVWlCQzU5SVp1eDFLcm0zcGpFVGxhWVdZNm5xWDlIVnczZDR5NGNOT0xXWEhuVThTN28tNllHZVZnS2hSeHRTdk9LdmkxQ2ZvOFdRa3BQTDI3UzFOTjU3SkhZMURCS3pTaU13ZW83SG9xLUdwZWVBcEVaMEVmV1JuOEd2aUxtUG8zOUxQRWhaZHZLb1RKOUpwTk9YNDZraEZIY1BNRnZDc2RORlR5Z081MTjSAboBQVVfeXFMUGpkYmtGQlhkczgtY3NyQnFrSVdGd093TEhKY3RuQ1BoajdiNlRpVkRwX2VLcG9CUXNEZEFTajk1T2g1T2pmMEJsYVdFWUJldzNWeWd6YUdIMll4Y2hoVXB3d1VHUTNOZFhCWWVWNGU5c3BoWUFnR19pdTgtdEZXZ0tKU1VDLUUwSUJoOUNMMDAyd3k1SkF0UGdLMlJibXNmM0U4eVpFSDBpYWpNc191NjZ1V29GQWVaV0FB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_01e0b5fcc3c6",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Israel strikes Tehran and Beirut as Iran vows ‘complete destruction’ in region",
    "body_text": "Rapidly escalating war enters fifth day and spreads as far as Indian Ocean with sinking of Iranian vessel off Sri Lanka\n\nIsrael has carried out a wave of airstrikes on Iranian security targets and Hezbollah in Beirut as Tehran threatened the “complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure” as the rapidly escalating war entered its fifth day and reached as far as the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka.\n\nThe Israeli military said it had hit buildings inIranbelonging to the Basij, the volunteer police arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and buildings belonging to internal security forces. Police stations and IRGC headquarters in the Kurdish regions of north-western Iran were also razed by strikes, Kurdish media reported.\n\nIran’s security structures have been instrumental in putting down protest movements in the past, and the US has urged Iranians to overthrow the country’s government. Washington has also reportedly been exploring the possibility of using Kurdish separatist groups to invade parts of Iran and establish a safe zone in the predominantly Kurdish groups in the north-west.\n\nThe regional dimension of the conflict continued to expand, as Iranstruck Gulf states and Hezbollah fired on Israel and Cyprus. Turkey said Nato air defences had intercepted a ballistic missile heading towards its airspace, and the US said it had sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lankan authorities said at least 80 people had been killed and 23 rescued. There were thought have been 180 people on board.\n\nThe death toll in Iran has soared, as estimates of those killed by strikes in the five days of war rose to between 1,045 and 1,500 people.\n\nThe IRGC said on Wednesday that it would continue to hit US allies across the region in a statement to state media.\n\n“The continued mischief and deception by the United States in the region will come at the cost of the complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure,” it said.\n\nIran also threatened to target Israeli embassies worldwide if Israel struck its embassy in Beirut. Israel’s military gave 24 hours on Tuesday for any “representatives of the Iranian terror ministry” to leaveLebanonbefore they were targeted. It was unclear if it was referring to Iranian diplomats or other Iranian personnel.\n\nIsrael issued an evacuation order for all of Lebanon south of the Litani river, which constitutes roughly a quarter of the country. The order was unprecedented and larger in scope than any Israel had previously given, even at the height of its 13-month war with Hezbollah in 2024.\n\nDespite the regional escalation, US and Israeli officials said the war was so far going better than they expected, but it was unclear what the end goal of their campaign was as they had offered contradictory aims. TheTrump administrationhas said at various times that its goal was regime change, destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capacity and its navy, preventing it from getting a nuclear weapon, and putting a stop to its support for proxies across the region.\n\nThe US president,Donald Trump, said that some of the individuals he was considering as possible postwar leaders of Iran were killed in the opening days of the war. On Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late shah of Iran, Trump said he preferred “someone from within” Iran.\n\nIn Iran, funeral proceedings for the late supreme leaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei, were delayed as a result of the bombing. The ceremony, which had been scheduled to start in Tehran on Wednesday morning, was delayed indefinitely.\n\nThe postponement came as Iran’s senior clerics met to appoint a new supreme leader, a position that functions as both head of state and commander in chief of its vast military apparatus. The reported favoured candidate of clerics was Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of Ali Khamenei and preferred choice of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\n\nAnalysts have said that Mojtaba Khamenei is a hardliner and his choice as successor would signal an increasing role for the IRGC in Iran. His appointment would signify a doubling down on the Iranian regime’s authoritarian response to domestic calls for reform. Frustration with the government had exploded into weeks-long protests earlier in the year, put down by a brutalgovernment crackdownthat left at least 7,000 dead.\n\nIsrael said that whoever became the next supreme leader would be a potential target.\n\n“Every leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue and lead the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people – will be a target for elimination,” the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, wrote on X.\n\nIsraeli authorities said Iran launched missile barrages overnight and into the early morning at Israel, though most missiles were intercepted and no casualties were recorded.\n\nHezbollah also continued targeting Israel, shooting salvoes of rockets and suicide drones at military bases and gatherings of troops in northern Israel. Hezbollah media also said it had struck three Israeli Merkava tanks that entered southern Lebanon, and downed an Israeli drone in Lebanese airspace.\n\nIn response, Israel carried out wide-ranging airstrikes across Lebanon, particularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut, with explosions rattling the capital into Wednesday morning. Israel also struck a hotel without warning in Hazmieh, south-east of Beirut, about 700 metres from the presidential palace.\n\nLebanon’s health ministry announced that six people were killed in the strikes, bringing the total death toll since Monday to more than 50. At least 58,000 people were displaced around the country by the strikes, and a state of panic descended on the country, where rumours of evacuation orders resulted in people fleeing from certain areas and buildings en masse, mostly erroneously.\n\nThe US and Israel provided an optimistic assessment of their war so far, with Adm Brad Cooper, the head of US central command, saying the US has struck about 2,000 targets in the last few days. Cooper said the US has “severely degraded Iran’s air defences” and destroyed large weapons caches and ballistic missile launchers.\n\nThe Israeli military spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin said it had struck a building in the Iranian city of Qom, where religious authorities had been meeting to elect a new supreme leader. Iranian media claimed the building was empty when it was struck and Defrin said Israel was checking for casualties.\n\nThe Israeli military also said it struck sites in Iran that were being used to store ballistic missiles and that it had destroyed a secret underground facility used to develop “key components” for nuclear weapons. Iran has long maintained that it does not want a nuclear weapon and that its nuclear programme is for civilian use.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:28:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/israel-fresh-strikes-tehran-beirut-iran-targets-us-bases-gulf",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0cf761def9fc",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "European stock markets rally after report of ‘secret outreach’ by Iran to try to end war",
    "body_text": "UK’s FTSE 100 up by more than 50 points, while pan-European Stoxx 600 share index rises 1.2%\n\nEuropean stock markets have rallied on a report claiming Iran is engaging in a “secret outreach” to end the war in the Middle East, after several days of heavy losses on indices around the world.\n\nTheNew York Times reportedthat a day after the attacks began, operatives from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence indirectly contacted the CIA with an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict.\n\nOfficials briefed on the backchanneling are, however, sceptical – at least in the short-term – that either the Trump administration orIranis really ready for an off-ramp, the report said. There are also questions over whether any Iranian officials could negotiate a ceasefire agreement, as Israeli strikes have taken out many senior figures.\n\nThe report helped push up the UK’sFTSE100 share index by nearly 70 points, or 0.65%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose 1.5%, the German stock market gained 1.3%, the French bourse rose 0.8% and the Italian exchange climbed 1.7%.\n\nOn Wall Street, the Dow Jones lost 70 points, or 0.1%, in early trading while the Nasdaq climbed more than 100 points, or 0.5%, and the S&P 500 edged 10 points higher, a 0.15% gain.\n\nThe US dollar, which had been strengthening as investors sought out a safe haven asset, slipped 0.2%.Oilretreated, too, with the price of a barrel of Brent crude easing back to about $81.20, after jumping 3% earlier to more than $84.\n\nGas also reversed earlier gains. European natural gas futures fell as much as 9.5%, after soaring 60% over the past two days.\n\n“The report suggests Iranian openness to talk,” the Rabobank energy strategist Florence Schmit told Bloomberg News. “But an actual decline of prices back to pre-March levels hinges on a cessation of attacks.”\n\nThe world’s largest liquefied natural gas plant in Qatar remains shut, and uncertainty over its reopening is fuelling worries over a possible supply crunch.\n\nAsian stock markets tumbled earlier in the day despite Donald Trump’s offer to have the US navy escort tankers through the strait of Hormuz and the US military’s claim there was “not a single Iranian ship under way” in the crucial waterway.\n\nThe Middle East conflict has crippled the strait, which was in effect closed by Iran after strikes by the US and Israel at the weekend, raising fears of a sustained energy supply crisis that reverberated around the world.\n\nTrading in Seoul was brieflysuspended on Wednesdayas South Korea’s benchmark Kospi share index slumped 12%, its biggest single-day drop since 2008, after a 7% decline on Tuesday. The stock exchange of Thailand index was also suspended for a period after losses exceeded the 8% trigger point.\n\nJapan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 3.6%, while China’s CSI 300 lost 1.1% and India’s Nifty 50 declined 1.75%.\n\nIn the Middle East, the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges opened for the first time since the US and Israel struck Iran on Saturday, with the Dubai index sliding 4.9% and Abu Dhabi’s ADX down 3.3% during early trading.\n\nThe US military has destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including a submarine, since Saturday, Brad Cooper, the commander of the US Central Command, said late on Tuesday. “Today, there is not a single Iranian ship under way in the Arabian Gulf, strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” he said in a video statement.\n\nShipping through the strait of Hormuz – typically a vital artery of the world economy, with about a fifth of oil supplies and seaborne gas tankers passing through it – has largely ground to a halt.\n\nTrump sought to mitigate fears of long-term disruption to the global oil market on Tuesday, suggesting that the US military stood ready to protect ships moving through the strait, and offer political risk insurance “at a very reasonable price” to vessels navigating the Gulf.\n\n“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform. “No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”\n\nMohit Kumar, an economist at Jefferies, said: “A US insurance for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz could be a gamechanger, if successfully implemented.”\n\nMeanwhile, thousands more Britons stranded in the Middle East were returning home on Wednesday as airlines increased their flights from the region.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:28:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/04/stock-market-fall-trump-hormuz-oil-prices",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e3705049f892",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "War with Iran Is a Nightmare for Oil and Gas. How Will it Impact Clean Energy? - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "War with Iran Is a Nightmare for Oil and Gas. How Will it Impact Clean Energy?    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:29:12+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxObTNFLUxQWDFFdmk2aWQtMnY1a3M3RnJhV0tzSFhZdGNfR1ktWldIZW1NY1VFTy02czAtY3JELVR3UllUWHZDMEpvNUhhVHhVcVNqdjVoanBJOU0yc2ZLdEVhVnhLS3RWXzN3LU9LejZHX0doRjRBbVlMNXRDSldTMnlLdTdSdWE1NEh1Um5KQm5rUUFtc2xQYnN6NUVVZVA4dFd2ZDgweTdyVVVIb0tIZGtKYklycE1WeXF0eTVWN1l1YzJHdGc?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_145321e15044",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Nigeria halts Christian pilgrimages to Holy Land over Middle East conflict",
    "body_text": "Nigeria halts Christian pilgrimages to Holy Land over Middle East conflict\nNigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.\nThe decision was announced by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the national body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages.\nIn a statement, the commission said the measure was necessary to prioritise the \"safety and comfort\" of Nigerian pilgrims.\nThe conflict has spread across the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.\nMany flights to the Middle East have been cancelled, as countries across the region have shut their airspace, leaving passengers stranded.\nRev John Hayab from the Christian Association of Nigeria told the BBC that all of the Nigerian pilgrims in Israel and the West Bank - about 600 - had been evacuated to Jordan and then back to Nigeria since the conflict broke out on Saturday.\nThe suspension of Christian pilgrimages applies to all state-organised trips as well as those arranged by private tour operators. Officials said the ban would remain in place until the situation in the region stabilises.\nThousands of Nigerian Christians go on pilgrimages each year to Biblical sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. The journeys, often subsidised or coordinated by state governments, are a significant part of Nigeria's religious calendar.\nNigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is home to a large Christian population, particularly in the south of the country. The pilgrimages are widely regarded as being spiritually significant, with many saving for years to make the trip.\nEaster, which falls in a month, is one of the most popular times for Christians to go to Israel and the West Bank.\nMany Nigerian Muslims trying to get to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Umrah, also known as the \"lesser\" pilgrimage, have also been affected by the cancellation of flights to the region.\nUnlike the Hajj, which has fixed dates once a year, the Umrah can be performed at any time and involves a shorter set of religious rites.\nAlhaji Zaharaddeen Abubakar is one of those stranded in the northern Nigerian city of Kano after buying plane tickets and securing accommodation in Mecca.\n\"I wish to be there too but I can't at the moment. I'm still hoping,\" he told BBC Hausa.\nAlhaji Musa Rabi'u Muhammed, head of the Murna travel agency in Kano State, told the BBC: \"Some of our people had even boarded planes ready for take-off, but they had to be brought back down, and now they are at home.\"\nAdditional reporting from Badamasi Mukhtar and Makuochi Okafor",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:31:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly11z77wxxo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_88d47a649699",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Seth Meyers on Trump spilling military secrets: ‘He’s so excited to bomb people, he can’t help himself’",
    "body_text": "Late-night hosts on Tuesday addressed the war in Iran, the closing of Papa Johns restaurants and the upcoming White House correspondents dinner\n\nLate-night hosts criticizedDonald Trump’s attacks on Iran, the problem with advising Americans to evacuate the Middle East and the closure of many college students’ favorite pizza takeout spot.\n\nSeth Meyersdiscussed a recent Trump interview where the president described the Iran bombings as “knocking the crap” out of the country, adding: “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened, the big one is coming soon.”\n\n“Man, the commander in chief is supposed to be able to keep military secrets,” Meyers laughed. “He’s so excited to bomb people, he can’t help himself.\n\n“Maybe he’s not in theEpsteinfiles,” the host went on. “It honestly feels like he would have told us by now.”\n\nMeyers went on to discuss Trump’s recent speech at a medal of honor ceremony, where rambling remarks included comments about the White House drapes. The president added that he attempted to get a Medal of Honor for himself, but was told that it would “be bad protocol”.\n\n“I just want you to consider how many things he’s admitting here,” Meyers said. “He’s admitting he tried to give himself a medal of honor, he’s admitting it’s a bad look, and he’s admitting that he had to betoldit’s a bad look.\n\n“It’s one thing if you have a puppy that has to be told not to piss in the house,” said Meyers. “This is like a 16 year old dog that still has to be told not to piss in the house.”\n\nThe host then addressed the sad news that pizza chain Papa Johns would be closing 300 underperforming locations: “How do you tell which ones are underperforming when they’re all selling Papa Johns?”\n\nOn Tuesday night’s show,Jimmy Kimmelfocused on America’s war on Iran and reports that Donald Trump is aiming to complete the attacks before supplies of munitions run out.\n\n“We have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The war can be fought ‘forever’ and very successfully, using just these supplies.”\n\n“Oh good, the war can be fought forever,” the host said with a grim laugh. “Just like the war his stomach is fighting with his pants.”\n\n“I’m not an expert on this, but I’m pretty sure our military doesn’t have unlimited weapons,” Kimmel continued. “It’s a stockpile, it’s not a buffet at the Golden Corral.”\n\nTrump’s attacks onIrancome despite his prior promises not to start any wars while in office, resulting in what Kimmel called the president’s “nut jugglers” working overtime to justify the conflict. “Bibi and Trump are the modern Roosevelt and Churchill combination,” one Fox News commenter said. “Does it go by weight?” asked the host. “Trump would be Churchill, right?”\n\nKimmel then moved to news that Trump will be attending the White House Correspondents Dinner for the first time. The president found the invitation to be a ringing endorsement, saying: “These correspondents now admit that I am truly one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country, the Goat according to many.”\n\n“They call you the Goat … it isn’t an acronym, it’s an animal that eats garbage,” the host said.\n\nKimmel then directly addressed the president. “Mr President, please let me host this dinner. I’ve never asked you for anything before. Can you imagine? You, me, the commissioner of the FCC all at a table together? Think of the ratings.”\n\nOn The Late Show, Colbert addressed the US state department’s advice that Americans should leave the Middle East region in the wake of the war in Iran. The problem with this plan, laid out by secretary of stateMarco Rubio, is that flights are either extremely limited or grounded entirely.\n\n“If they can’t leave, then what are they supposed to do?” asked the host. “Just wander around the desert? We all know why that took Moses 40 years.”\n\nThe host went on to discuss a CNN poll finding that 59% of Americans disapprove of the Iran strikes, as well as reports that US commanders at military bases have told troops that “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause armageddon and mark his return to earth.”\n\n“That’s one exit strategy!” remarked Colbert, before dusting off a gold helmet with a “no slip rapture grip so the lid can yank me into heaven.”\n\nThe host continued by addressing Trump’s seeming lack of focus for the war in the wake of the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n\n“They’re going to have to post the job on Indeed,” joked the host. “Supreme leader qualifications: charismatic, proficient in Excel, not dead a plus.’\n\nTowards the end of his monologue, Colbert turned to secretary of defense Pete Hegseth’s comments about the conflict. “This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change.”\n\nThe host concluded: “You discount Dr Seuss douchebag.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:31:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/mar/04/seth-meyers-recap-trump-iran-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6c486697417d",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Shipping Has Collapsed Through Vital Strait of Hormuz - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Shipping Has Collapsed Through Vital Strait of Hormuz    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:34:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQdDZocGdEak5Ia2pwM2QwQjVtVjNfNXNrZ0NhektFc1lRNjQ3UXZ6b2hOb3lMajB2dW05YWFvWGtiZWoxMlRvTXZ0LVVhTEVSTnRXYUJfc0N6Qm5YTE9VTmpJeFpWQnJfWE5PMFBlY29yVnZ5dWUzd1hnWVVGNHdsRVMtNUlBSVh5al92a0dXaE00c0xVWUZmcnJLc2I1QkJVbnBNSGVXejZMN05QWERV?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3e12fd32f920",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US submarine sinks Iranian warship near coast of Sri Lanka – video",
    "body_text": "The US has carried out a submarine torpedo strike that sank an Iranian warship near the south coast ofSri Lanka, according to the US secretary of defence.\n\nPete Hegseth confirmed the US was behind the deadly strike on an Iranian frigate that killed more than 80 people\n\nUS submarine sank Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s coast, Hegseth says",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:36:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/mar/04/us-submarine-sinks-iranian-warship-near-coast-of-sri-lanka-video",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_709a3f11ea5a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Turkey says NATO defences destroyed incoming Iran missile",
    "body_text": "ANKARA, March 4 (Reuters) - Turkey said that NATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile headed into Turkish airspace on Wednesday, marking the first time the alliance member has been drawn into the Middle East conflict and raising the possibility of a major expansion involving its bloc allies.\n\nTurkey - Iran's neighbour that had sought to mediate U.S.-Iran talks before the air war that began at the weekend - warned \"all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation,\" suggesting it was not poised to call upon the trans-Atlantic defence bloc for support.\n\nBut Ankara could potentially invoke NATO's Article 4 after the airspace breach if it deemed the threat serious enough, a step that could lead to the alliance's Article 5, which would oblige members to come to its defence.\n\nIt was unclear where the missile was headed. A NATO spokesperson said it condemned Iran's targeting of Turkey, which has the bloc's second-largest military, and that it stood firmly with all allies.\n\nThe U.S. has air forces stationed at southern Turkey's Incirlik base, which is locatedin an area neighbouring Hatay province, where authorities said debris from the intercepting NATO missile had fallen.\n\nIran did not immediately comment on the incident.\n\nThe Turkish defence ministry said the missile had passed over Iraq and Syria before it was downed by NATO air and missile defence systems stationed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, adding there were no casualties in the incident.\n\n\"All necessary steps to defend our territory and airspace will be taken ... without hesitation. We remind all parties that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions against our country,\" the ministry said, adding: \"We will continue to consult with NATO and our other allies.\"\n\nStatements by senior Turkish officials did not mention Article 4 and Ankara did not comment when asked by Reuters.\n\nThe article states that NATO allies will \"consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security\" of a member is threatened.\n\nU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was no sense that the incident would trigger Article 5, which has only been invoked once before, after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and which would mark an major escalation in the conflict.\n\nTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed a protest to Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi in a call after the incident, a Turkish diplomatic source said.\n\nAnkara had sought to mediate between the sides in the weeks before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran, triggering missile and drone attacks by Tehran. Several countries in the Gulf and elsewhere have been caught in the fallout.\n\n(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Additional reporting by Daren Butler; Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Aidan Lewis)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:36:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/turkey-says-nato-defences-destroyed-incoming-iran-missile",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c53d08727bbd",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Will Trump’s Middle East war also engulf Friedrich Merz?",
    "body_text": "The war will have incalculable implications for Europe – and yet, the chancellor has held back from publicly challenging an increasingly erratic Donald Trump\n\nDon’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here\n\nYou could be forgiven for thinkingFriedrich Merzwould rather be anywhere but Germany of late.\n\nBut hopes that his stop in Washington this week would provide the chancellor even a brief respite from woes at home were dashed by Donald Trump’s riskyIrangamble.\n\nOnly just back fromhigh-stakes trade talks in China, theunpopular Merzboarded the Konrad Adenauer, the government’s jet, bound for the US after the weekend’s seismic events.\n\nThe US-Israeli military attack on the Middle East has left European leaders looking once again like spectators in the unsettling new landscape of great power politics. But the fact is the war will have incalculable economic, political and security implications forEuropetoo.\n\nAs thefirst European leaderto be granted an audience in the gold-adorned Oval Office since the war started, Merz was under pressure to perform what observers called a“high-wire act”– of defending European interests without antagonising the increasingly erratic Trump.\n\nDuring his brief perch in the White House hot seat, Merz was at pains to identify common ground while impressing upon his often distracted interlocutor the stakes of his actions. It also kept him from stepping in – at least in public –when Trump went on the attack against allies Spain and the UKfor purported failings. It also stopped him from mentioninginternational law.\n\n“We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Tehran away. And we will talk about the day after,” Merz said in response to one of the many open questions of what comes next inIran.\n\nBut the chancellor did not mince words about the knock-on effects of Operation Epic Fury, which has sent stock markets reeling andenergy prices soaring.\n\n“This is, of course, damaging our economies,” he said. “So that’s the reason why we all hope that this war will come to an end as soon as possible.”\n\nAlthough Trump was fixated on Iran, Merz repeatedly attempted to steer the conversation back toward Europe’s top concerns: the US’son-again, off-again tariff policiesandUkraine.\n\nGerman-American political scientist Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, who has just published a book on this fraught period in transatlantic ties, The American Wake-up Call, said the Europeans had precious few options for keeping Trump onside.\n\n“Merz is in a terrible situation, as are any European leaders at this point. They have very few areas of influence,” she told me. “We’re in a world where all areas are now weaponised.”\n\nOne limited course of action with Trump, she suggested, was stressing how Europe makes itself useful to the US, even as it’s had to endurestinging rebukesfrom the Trump administration on everything from defence and free speech to trade and immigration.This strategy includes makingmajor strides toward rearmamentand taking on more responsibility for Ukraine. Flexing Europe’s concerted economic muscle could also come in handy down the road – with an American domestic economy, which according to Ashbrook may be vulnerable to pressures down the line, contrary to Trump’sbullish take on US growthlast week.\n\nThe Europeans should “consider their economic influence as strategic influence” and maintain a united front against the US on industrial policy and in trade disputes going forward, she said.\n\nTrump and Merz are both facing economic headwinds with pivotal elections looming this year. The US midterms could be adisastrous referendumon his lame-duck presidency.\n\nAnd Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union is facing five tough state polls between this Sunday and September, with the far-rightAlternative für Deutschlandparty (AfD) surging in several races.\n\nMerz is often seen asmore sure-footed on the international stagethan at home. In terms of Iran, he knows many are celebrating the death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei who had the blood of so many of his compatriots on his hands.\n\nLast weekend, jubilant members of the large Iranian diaspora marched down Berlin’s Friedrichstraße, their Iranian, US and Israeli flags whipping in the spring sunshine. But the word Flächenbrand, or wildfire – a regional conflagration – is now on many lips in Berlin’s government quarter asthe conflict spreads to neighbouring countries.\n\nGerman officials are troubled at the US decision to attack: pushing back at the notion advanced by the Trump team that theynever took the threat posed by Iran seriously. Diplomats in Berlin, which calls itself Israel’s staunchest ally in Europe, point to the countless hours it invested in hammering out the 2015 accord curbing Iran’s nuclear activities.\n\nTrumppulled the US out of the dealduring his first term and disparaged it again at Tuesday’s meeting, saying military action was long overdue. Merz at the weekend ceded that the deal had failed to snuff out Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.\n\nBut the German electorate is clamouring for an economic recovery already under threat by Trump’s latest tariff threats and now imperilled by the Iran war. German shipping, insurance and tourism giants are on edge.\n\nMeanwhile the AfD, despitecosying up to the Trump administration, hascriticised the Iran actionand warned the Middle East turmoil could trigger another massive refugee influx.\n\nMerz may see a rare glimmer of good news out of Europe this week. After months ofbilateral tensions undermining EU cohesion, France and Germany agreed a landmark accord on nuclear deterrence. In the face of wavering US commitments, Germany will join French nuclear exercises and inspections of strategic sites, just as Paris announced an expansion of its nuclear arsenal, marking a significant stride toward Merz’s pledge of moresecurity independence on the continent. Perhaps president Trump will take notice.\n\nTo receive the complete version of This Is Europe in your inbox every Wednesday,please subscribe here.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:40:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/will-trumps-middle-east-war-also-engulf-friedrich-merz",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_94895c7cc7b6",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Pete Hegseth says US is ‘investigating’ deadly strike on girls’ school in Iran",
    "body_text": "US defense secretary was evasive when asked about the airstrike that Iranian officials say killed at least 165 students\n\nMinab school bombing: how the worst mass casualty event of the Iran war unfolded – a visual guide\n\nPete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, offered few details and was evasive when asked about the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran, saying only that the US was “investigating” the incident.\n\nIranian officials say the attack, which happened on Saturday, killedat least 165 students.\n\n“All I can say is we’re investigating that,” Hegseth said when asked about the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab. “We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”\n\nThe school was struck on the first day of US and Israeli attacks on Iran. In addition to the many killed, Iranian state media also reported that 96 others were injured, many of them students attending classes at the Shajarah Tayyebeh school in the town.\n\nOn Tuesday, the United Nations human rights office called on what it described as “the forces behind a deadly attack on a girls’ school in Iran” to conduct an investigation and provide information about the incident, though it did not identify who it believed was responsible.\n\nIran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, had previously raised the matter with Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, in a letter dated 1 March, describing the attack as “unjustifiable” and “criminal”.\n\nThe UN committee on the rights of the child said in a statement that “the Committee is alarmed by reports of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, which have injured and traumatised children, and claimed many young lives”. Children must be protected from war, the committee added.\n\nThe UN committee on the rights of the child is composed of 18 independent experts responsible for monitoring how countries implement the convention on the rights of the child, an agreement designed to protect children’s rights to education and shield them from violence.\n\nMarco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said on Monday that US forces “would not deliberately target a school”.\n\nOn Tuesday, thousands ofmournersgathered in the streets of Minab in southern Iran for the funeral of those killed in the airstrike on the girls’ elementary school.\n\nMore than 800 people have been killed in the conflict across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched their opening attacks on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with waves of retaliatory attacks against several countries in the region.\n\nThe US military has claimed that the number of strikes carried out on Saturday in the first 24 hours of its war on Iran was nearly double that of the “shock-and-awe” strikes on Iraq in 2003, and that nearly 2,000 targets had been hit so far in Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:41:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/pete-hegseth-denies-responsibility-iran-school-strike",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1f7eef328516",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Oil tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz plummets by 90 percent: Report",
    "body_text": "Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted by 90 percent since Israel and the US launched their five-day onslaught on Iran, energy market intelligence firm Kpler reported.\n\nThis comes after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had \"complete control\" over the passage, through which a fifth of the world's oil is shipped.\n\nOn Monday, Brigadier-General Ebrahim Jabbari, a senior adviser to the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, threatened to \"attack and set ablaze any ship attempting to cross\".\n\nThis has largely halted commercial maritime traffic through the all-important passage, with at least four tankers struck and key maritime insurers cancelling war-risk cover for vessels operating in the Gulf.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:42:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/oil-tanker-traffic-through-strait-hormuz-plummets-90-percent-report",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8c4a8bd5685a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli forces enter several Lebanese villages: Report",
    "body_text": "Israeli forces have entered several towns and villages in southern Lebanon, AFP is reporting, citing a source from the UN peacekeeping force in the country, Unifil.\n\nAccording to the source, troops were present in several villages, including Kfar Kila, Houla, Kfar Shouba, Yaroun and Khiam, which lies 6km from the border.\n\nThis follows an order by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday for forces to seize additional positions in southern Lebanon in a bid to establish a buffer zone against Hezbollah.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:48:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-forces-enter-several-lebanese-villages-report",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b3bbd56a6301",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Open University reverses UKLFI-influenced 'ancient Palestine' ban - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Open University reverses UKLFI-influenced 'ancient Palestine' ban\nThe Open University (OU) has appeared to reverse a commitment it made to pro-Israel lobby group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) to stop using the term \"ancient Palestine\", Novara Media reported.\nAccording to the report, on 30 November 2025, UKLFI wrote to the OU complaining that the term \"ancient Palestine\" could create a \"hostile or offensive learning environment for Jewish and Israeli students\".\nUKLFI claimed the OU could be breaching the Equality Act. An OU humanities module referred to the Virgin Mary as having been born in \"ancient Palestine\" and featured a map labelled \"Map of Ancient Palestine\".\nUKLFI said the term Palestine was not applied to the region until \"more than a century after Mary's lifetime\", when the Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed it \"Syria Palaestina\".\nOn 18 December, the university's head of the faculty of arts and social sciences, Adrienne Scullion, replied to UKLFI saying she understood the term \"ancient Palestine\" had become \"problematic in a way that, perhaps, it was not when the materials were written in 2018\".\nScullion said: \"We will not use the term again in future learning materials, and we will explain and contextualise its use in existing materials for current learners.\"\nUKLFI claimed victory on its website.\nLast week, the Index of Repression, compiled by the European Legal Support Centre in collaboration with Forensic Architecture, described UKLFI as an “initiating” or “escalating” actor against acts of Palestinian solidarity.\nAfter UKLFI publicised the OU's response, more than 600 academics and public figures signed an open letter earlier this year demanding an \"urgent public retraction\" of \"commitments\" the OU made to UKLFI.\nThe letter said: \"There is a significant risk that these commitments could be interpreted as inconsistent with the OU’s statutory duties under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 (HEFSA).\"\nIt continued: \"The commitments expose staff to harassment, set harmful precedents for further attacks on academic freedom, and make the OU complicit in the spread of disinformation and a politically motivated attempt to erase Palestine from history.\"\nThe letter was signed by Israeli historians Ilan Pappe and Avi Shlaim, as well as Palestinian historians Rashid Khalidi and Nur Masalha. It was endorsed by the OU's University and College Union branch.\nBut the OU now appears to have rowed back on its commitment not to \"use the term again in future learning materials\".\nNovara Media reported on Tuesday that an OU spokesperson said academics \"are free to use the term ‘ancient Palestine’ where scholarly appropriate in teaching and learning materials\", and that there is no requirement for academics to use a contextual note on the term \"ancient Palestine\" unless they think it is academically appropriate.\nThe spokesperson added that the university's commitment to UKLFI referred only to one unit of work, which was \"scheduled for replacement\".\nHowever, an unnamed staff member told Novara that there was a \"clear contradiction\" between the statement and previous commitments made to UKLFI.\nThe staff member said the OU's statement does \"not constitute a reasonable interpretation of the letter from 18 December\".\nBritish Museum scandal\nThis comes shortly after a controversy over the British Museum removing the term Palestine from exhibits on ancient Egypt and the Phoenicians, which UKLFI said was in response to a complaint it had made.\nA British Museum spokesperson denied that the move came in response to the UKLFI complaint.\nIn response to that scandal, academics told Middle East Eye that “ancient Palestine” is a historically accurate term for the region in antiquity.\n“I use the term 'ancient Palestine' frequently in my own research and will continue to do so,” said Marchella Ward, a lecturer in classical studies at the Open University.\nShe added that claims the term is late-coming or illegitimate are a “lie” aimed at “the erasure of Palestinians and in support of Israel’s ongoing genocide against them”.\nThe OU is just one of a slew of public institutions to be targeted by UKLFI.\nLast month, it was reported that Encyclopaedia Britannica had amended several entries to Britannica Kids relating to Palestine, including the removal of the term from maps of the region, following pressure from UKLFI.\nIn February 2023, London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital removed an artwork designed by schoolchildren in Gaza. UKLFI director Caroline Turner said the move came in response to \"patients' complaints\".\nHowever, a freedom of information request forced the hospital to admit that the only complaint submitted was by UKLFI.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:49:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxOcGRvZktLdm9qSExSSlVQNVlMQ1hvcWU2MVBEMExLT0ZwaGlKNnFVdGtmMzdWRHJnb1Z6YWtiblNCVzJsS0wzTFVkQTZzQ1JMdmRjdXg1YV9qaEN4S09xMVE2bGZvSkZzUFBCbXpSZVVqZEV1Q0dQeEpYaDdPZVVuVk1EVFJDUU1tck8xRFNfUnU4NGdRVzlMbFM1QnNQRzQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fd836ce49712",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Open University reverses UKLFI-influenced 'ancient Palestine' ban",
    "body_text": "The Open University (OU) has appeared to reverse a commitment it made to pro-Israel lobby groupUK Lawyers for Israel(UKLFI) to stop using the term \"ancient Palestine\", Novara Media reported.\n\nAccording to the report, on 30 November 2025, UKLFIwrote tothe OU complaining that the term \"ancient Palestine\" could create a \"hostile or offensive learning environment for Jewish and Israeli students\".\n\nUKLFI claimed the OU could be breaching the Equality Act. An OU humanities modulereferredto the Virgin Mary as having been born in \"ancient Palestine\" and featured a map labelled \"Map of Ancient Palestine\".\n\nUKLFIsaidthe term Palestine was not applied to the region until \"more than a century after Mary's lifetime\", when the Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed it \"Syria Palaestina\".\n\nOn 18 December, the university's head of the faculty of arts and social sciences, Adrienne Scullion,repliedto UKLFI saying she understood the term \"ancient Palestine\" had become \"problematic in a way that, perhaps, it was not when the materials were written in 2018\".\n\nScullion said: \"We will not use the term again in future learning materials, and we will explain and contextualise its use in existing materials for current learners.\"\n\nLast week, the Index of Repression, compiled by the European Legal Support Centre in collaboration with Forensic Architecture,describedUKLFI as an “initiating” or “escalating” actor against acts of Palestinian solidarity.\n\nAfter UKLFI publicised the OU's response, more than 600 academics and public figures signed anopen letterearlier this year demanding an \"urgent public retraction\" of \"commitments\" the OU made to UKLFI.\n\nThe letter said: \"There is a significant risk that these commitments could be interpreted as inconsistent with the OU’s statutory duties under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 (HEFSA).\"\n\nIt continued: \"The commitments expose staff to harassment, set harmful precedents for further attacks on academic freedom, and make the OU complicit in the spread of disinformation and a politically motivated attempt to erase Palestine from history.\"\n\nThe letter was signed by Israeli historians Ilan Pappe and Avi Shlaim, as well as Palestinian historians Rashid Khalidi and Nur Masalha. It was endorsed by the OU's University and College Union branch.\n\nBut the OU now appears to have rowed back on its commitment not to \"use the term again in future learning materials\".\n\nNovara Mediareportedon Tuesday that an OU spokesperson said academics \"are free to use the term ‘ancient Palestine’ where scholarly appropriate in teaching and learning materials\", and that there is no requirement for academics to use a contextual note on the term \"ancient Palestine\" unless they think it is academically appropriate.\n\nThe spokesperson added that the university's commitment to UKLFI referred only to one unit of work, which was \"scheduled for replacement\".\n\nHowever, an unnamed staff member told Novara that there was a \"clear contradiction\" between the statement and previous commitments made to UKLFI.\n\nThe staff member said the OU's statement does \"not constitute a reasonable interpretation of the letter from 18 December\".\n\nThis comes shortly after a controversy over the British Museumremovingthe term Palestine from exhibits on ancient Egypt and the Phoenicians, which UKLFI said was in response to a complaint it had made.\n\nA British Museum spokesperson denied that the move came in response to the UKLFI complaint.\n\nIn response to that scandal, academics told Middle East Eye that “ancient Palestine” is a historically accurate term for the region in antiquity.\n\n“I use the term 'ancient Palestine' frequently in my own research and will continue to do so,” said Marchella Ward, a lecturer in classical studies at the Open University.\n\nShe added that claims the term is late-coming or illegitimate are a “lie” aimed at “the erasure of Palestinians and in support of Israel’s ongoing genocide against them”.\n\nThe OU is just one of a slew of public institutions to be targeted by UKLFI.\n\nLast month, it wasreportedthat Encyclopaedia Britannica had amended several entries to Britannica Kids relating to Palestine, including the removal of the term from maps of the region, following pressure from UKLFI.\n\nIn February 2023, London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospitalremoved an artworkdesigned by schoolchildren in Gaza. UKLFI director Caroline Turner said the move came in response to \"patients' complaints\".\n\nHowever, a freedom of information request forced the hospital to admit that the only complaint submitted was by UKLFI.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:49:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/open-university-reverses-uklfi-influenced-ancient-palestine-ban",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6190462b680a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "At least 87 killed in US attack on Iranian warship off Sri Lanka's coast - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "At least 87 killed in US attack on Iranian warship off Sri Lanka's coast\nAt least 87 people were killed in a deadly US strike on an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka's coast, the country's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.\nThe Sri Lankan navy said rescue efforts are underway after a US submarine fired a torpedo at the Iranian frigate Iris Dena, which was manned by 180 people.\nUS Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed to reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday that a submarine had conducted the attack, adding that \"the Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf\".\nHegseth screened footage of the strike, which was the first attack on Iran's military to take place outside the Middle East since the war began.\nSri Lanka's police and navy spokespeople said 61 sailors were still missing. At least 32 have been rescued and were taken to hospital in the city of Galle where they are receiving treatment, according to officials.\nSri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the rescue mission had been launched after their forces had received a distress call from an Iranian ship.\nNavy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath reported that when rescue boats reached the site, the ship had already sunk, leaving only an oil slick. He added that no other ship or aircraft was observed nearby.\n\"We are hopeful we can rescue more people and will continue [operations] until we are sure,\" Sampath said.\nThe attack comes on the fifth day of Israeli-US attacks on Iran, which have killed over 1,000 civilians so far, including at least 153 school girls according to local reports confirmed by witnesses who spoke to Middle East Eye.\nIn response, Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel and US military targets across the Middle East.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:52:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxQWjRzelpOSlRmdXY4bl9NTXJhMWhzODA5amJuNUo1S0tHNGNLWV94eVBLazd0a3N0WGxsZ2xMSS02NkdvVTg0X3pfbGxKYW8tZEo5Sk8zcnFWc3ZjN2lYTWdDOFhuTGFuOWhSTEMwdTJHaG12M3c4ZDhqZEFyazJkc1QwSQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_79f54b572b34",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "At least 87 killed in US attack on Iranian warship off Sri Lanka's coast",
    "body_text": "At least 87 people were killed in a deadlyUSstrike on anIranianwarship off Sri Lanka's coast, the country's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.\n\nThe Sri Lankan navy said rescue efforts are underway after a US submarine fired a torpedo at the Iranian frigate Iris Dena, which was manned by 180 people.\n\nUS Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed to reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday that a submarine had conducted the attack, adding that \"the Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf\".\n\nHegseth screened footage of the strike, which was the first attack on Iran's military to take place outside the Middle East since the war began.\n\nSri Lanka's police and navy spokespeople said 61 sailors were still missing. At least 32 have been rescued and were taken to hospital in the city of Galle where they are receiving treatment, according to officials.\n\nSri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the rescue mission had been launched after their forces had received a distress call from an Iranian ship.\n\nNavy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath reported that when rescue boats reached the site, the ship had already sunk, leaving only an oil slick. He added that no other ship or aircraft was observed nearby.\n\n\"We are hopeful we can ​rescue more people and will continue [operations] until we are sure,\" Sampath said.\n\nThe attack comes on the fifth day ofIsraeli-US attacks on Iran, which have killed over 1,000 civilians so far, including at least 153 school girls according to local reports confirmed by witnesses whospoketo Middle East Eye.\n\nIn response, Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel and US military targets across the Middle East.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:52:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-attack-iranian-warship-sri-lankas-coast",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3f4601e1258c",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Governments scramble to bring citizens home during travel chaos caused by war in the Middle East - AP News",
    "body_text": "Repatriation flights ramp up as nations race to bring citizens home from Middle East\nRepatriation flights ramp up as nations race to bring citizens home from Middle East\nExplosions in the sky woke Cory McKane on Saturday, turning a quick visit to Dubai before a friend’s wedding in India into a tense, multi-day search for a way out of the United Arab Emirates as the Iran war expanded.\nWith few options, McKane and his friends eventually drove a rental car to the Oman border, where taxi drivers were charging up to $650 to take people to Muscat International Airport. The journey to Muscat took 10 hours but paid off: McKane secured a last-minute flight to India, arriving Wednesday exhausted but relieved.\nHundreds of thousands of travelers found themselves similarly stranded in the Middle East after Israel and the United States attacked Iran on Saturday and Iran struck back on Gulf states and Israel. With much of the region’s airspace closed and airstrikes intensifying, governments from North America and Africa to Europe and Southeast Asia continued their race Wednesday to bring their citizens home.\nOfficials chartered jets or deployed military aircraft, routing stranded travelers through Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia — key exit points where planes could land and take off.\nA plane carrying French citizens from Oman and then Egypt landed in Paris early Wednesday, the first of several expected repatriation flights organized by France. A group of students returned to Italy after their government evacuated them from Dubai. More than 200 people from 16 countries departed Iran by land through neighboring Turkmenistan despite the former Soviet country’s strict visa policies.\nEven as repatriation efforts gained momentum, many travelers faced the choice of waiting or trying to secure seats on the diminished number of commercial flights operating.\nMore than 23,000 of the roughly 44,000 flights scheduled to fly to or from the Middle East between the start of the war and Thursday have been canceled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported more than 2,400 flight cancellations worldwide on Wednesday, down from about 3,150 on Monday.\nRecovery flights underway\nFrance estimates about 400,000 of its citizens are in parts of the Mideast affected by the conflict, either as residents or travelers.\nEleonore Caroit, the minister responsible for French nationals abroad, said about 100 seats on the country’s first evacuation flight were reserved for vulnerable passengers, including families with children, older people and those with medical conditions. Two more flights were expected Wednesday — a military aircraft carrying 180 French citizens from the UAE city of Abu Dhabi and a charter bringing 205 people from Israel.\nThe U.S. State Department says 18,000 Americans have returned safely, including 8,500 on Tuesday. President Donald Trump’s top spokeswoman, meanwhile, pushed back Wednesday against criticism that the administration had not done enough to help Americans leave.\nKarolyn Leavitt, the press secretary, insisted that “there have been plans in place.”\n“We will help every single American who wants to come home if they’re making that request of the State Department,” she said, adding that a department hotline message advising callers not to rely on U.S. government assistance had been corrected.\nMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said nearly 280 citizens had been evacuated.\nAround 15,000 people have left Israel through land crossings into Jordan and Egypt. Israel’s Ministry of Tourism is running buses to the southern border with Egypt transport tourists.\nBritain said a charter flight would depart Oman late Wednesday to bring back some of the thousands of U.K. nationals in the Gulf. The U.K. Foreign Office said more than 130,000 British nationals in the Middle East had registered their presence with the government since Saturday, though officials said not all are trying to leave.\nIreland’s foreign minister said Emirates airline would operate a flight from Dubai to Dublin on Wednesday. A charter flight is also planned to evacuate 280 people from Oman in the coming days. Officials said an estimated 22,000 to 23,000 Irish citizens were in the Middle East.\nNorway said it was sending an “emergency team” to Dubai to reinforce a embassy staff assisting about 1,500 Norwegians registered in the city.\nOn Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, about 6,000 people were stranded after their flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, Qatar, were canceled. Many were tourists from Europe or the U.S. trying to connect through those Middle Eastern airports.\nSouth Africa’s Foreign Ministry urged citizens to take advantage of the limited commercial flights after putting its own evacuation plans on hold due to the airspace closures.\nScrambling for plane tickets\nAirspace closures and restrictions remained in place Wednesday across most of the Middle East, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Notices from Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria said the countries’ no-fly zones would last until at least early next week.\nThe United Arab Emirates’ airspace is partially closed, and Saudi Arabia continues to partially restrict routes near its border with Iraq and along the Persian Gulf. Israel prepared for a phased reopening that would allow incoming carrying returning citizens starting early Thursday. Jordan lifted its previous nighttime flight ban, restoring 24-hour operations.\nSome of the aviation notices governing the closures allow authorities to reopen or restrict portions of airspace on short notice depending on security conditions, meaning flight schedules can quickly change as the conflict continues to unfold.\nCommercial airlines have resumed limited service, but seats filled quickly. British Airways said its flights scheduled to depart Muscat through Saturday were fully booked and that it would add service “if we are able to.” Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, said their commercial flights were still suspended due to regional airspace closures, although both airlines operated a small number of repatriation and cargo flights.\nFabio Falasca, a 28-year-old entrepreneur from Rome, was stranded in Dubai with a friend when the conflict erupted over the weekend. He spent Saturday night sleeping in an underground parking lot.\nWhile in constant contact with the Italian Foreign Ministry’s traveler platform, Falasca learned he could take a bus to Oman and then fly home to Italy. Although he had already bought a direct ticket from Dubai to Rome, another sleepless night between Monday and Tuesday convinced him to accept the ministry’s offer.\nHe left Dubai by bus on Tuesday, heading to Oman where he could catch a flight back to Italy.\n“I can’t wait to get home and not be afraid of what’s outside,” Falasca said. “My only thought is to get home.”\n___\nYamat reported from Las Vegas and Rico from Atlanta. Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Samuel Petrequin in Paris; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Sylvia Hui, Brian Melley and Bridget Virgo in London; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Gerald Imray in Johannesburg, South Africa; and Alexander Vershinin in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxPWEl5TExBRlBoSjRFcmh6TzNtOGF2OUV2Z1ZTa3lJVnVaQXlLWXJsblp3V1NCdW16NlVYM0MtVEN4MzlHbmpKSS1kSW9ralRVQ0h2UmVIWlFwRlA1SHNpQ3N4d0kyTElla19MR042TzRxbzNCRnhRazdBT05YWVUxZGVtWlZJWWxHa3Z1QTBIOHZ2cUwtdU1FVUZKR3M?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7de8b040d0de",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Oil Extends Advance as Traders Weigh US Escort Plan for Hormuz - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Oil Extends Advance as Traders Weigh US Escort Plan for Hormuz    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:54:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxOdVVNRmdoREQ1ek9wSGh6b0RNLVFxTjlGWE9vUmVzYjh0OWlxMFJzVndZWk40VUJtS0FsUkgzS29HYlZxU0gyWDJ4Yng0ZXlSME00SF9yN3A4RDRwTGc5MWFMTFVqQkVZYmlmbGhzNWJQenE4b05HZ3MxT1RubDhJMTZhdHNVcWVlWjlyY3VNUmNwWmJNOHo0NUs2a1VLS28?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d40e54e25633",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iraqi women’s rights activist Yanar Mohammed killing spurs call for justice",
    "body_text": "The killing of prominent Iraqi women’s rights activist Yanar Mohammed has fuelled an outpouring of grief and calls for justice, with advocates from around the world remembering Mohammed as a “courageous” voice.\nMohammed, 66, was killed earlier this week after unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire outside her home in the north of Iraq’s capital, Baghdad.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Why hasn’t Iraq adopted any laws against domestic violence?\n- list 2 of 3As Iraq backslides on gender equality, where are its women MPs?\n- list 3 of 3Iraq war, 20 years on: Visualising the impact of the invasion\n“Despite being rushed to the hospital and attempts to save her life, she succumbed to her wounds,” the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, a group that Mohammed co-founded, said in a statement shared on social media.\n“We at the Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq condemn in the strongest terms this cowardly terrorist crime, which we consider a direct attack on the feminist struggle and the values of freedom and equality.”\nSeveral international rights groups also condemned Mohammed’s killing, with Amnesty International on Wednesday decrying the deadly attack as “brutal” and “a calculated assault to stifle human rights defenders, especially those defending women’s rights”.\nThe organisation, which said Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani ordered an investigation into the killing, also called on the Iraqi authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.\n“Yanar Mohammed … dedicated her life to defending women’s rights,” Amnesty’s Iraq researcher, Razaw Salihy, said in a statement. “The Iraqi authorities must stop this pattern of targeted attacks in their tracks, and take seriously the sustained smear campaigns designed to discredit and endanger activists.”\nMohammed was one of Iraq’s most prominent women’s rights activists, working since the early 2000s “to protect women facing gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, trafficking, and so-called ‘honour killings'”, Front Line Defenders said.\nHer work included the establishment of safe houses, which sheltered hundreds of women experiencing exploitation and abuse.\nIn a 2022 interview with Al Jazeera, Mohammed described her organisation’s efforts to support Iraqi women who survived violence at the hands of ISIS (ISIL), which had seized control of large swathes of the country.\n“Muslim-Arab women who were enslaved by ISIL and have not found a place to go back to, they are still living in the shadows of the society,” she said at the time.\n“Not less than 10,000 women were the victims of ISIL attack[s], and this femicide is not really acknowledged by the international community or dealt with in a way that keeps the dignity or the respect [of], or compensates, those who were the victims.”\nYears of threats\nMohammed had been the target of death threats for decades, “aimed at dissuading her from defending women’s rights”, Front Line Defenders said. “Yet she remained defiant in the face of threats from ISIS and other armed groups.”\nIn 2016, she was awarded the Rafto Prize “for her tireless work for women’s rights in Iraq under extremely challenging conditions”.\nThe Rafto Foundation, the Norway-based nonprofit group that administers the award, said it was “deeply shaken” by her killing. “We are deeply shocked by this brutal attack on one of the most courageous human rights defenders of our time,” the foundation said in a statement.\n“The assassination represents not only an attack on Yanar Mohammed as a person, but also on the fundamental values she dedicated her life to defending: women’s freedom, democracy, and universal human rights.”\nOther activists and human rights groups also paid tribute to Mohammed this week, with Human Rights Watch describing her as “one of Iraq’s most courageous advocates for women’s rights” for more than two decades.\n“Yanar was a dear colleague and friend to so many of us in the women’s rights and feminist community, one of our icons. She spent her life standing up for women’s rights in the most dangerous environment,” said Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International.\n“She faced constant threats, but she never stopped. And today we cry and mourn her energy, her commitment, her profound humanity, her amazing courage.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:54:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/iraqi-womens-rights-activist-yanar-mohammed-killing-spurs-call-for-justice?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_655beb0965c3",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US military claims to have struck or sunk over 20 Iranian ships",
    "body_text": "US forces have struck or sunk over 20 Iranian ships since the country launched its attacks on Tehran, the US Central Command said on Wednesday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T15:58:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/us-military-claims-have-struck-or-sunk-over-20-iranian-ships",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0f4dfd0eaf0a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Next week before UK warship heads to Cyprus: officials",
    "body_text": "A UK warship due to be sent to Cyprus amid the US and Israel's war with Iran will not set sail from Britain until next week, Western officials said Wednesday.\n\nPrime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that he was deploying HMS Dragon, a Type 45 defence destroyer to aid Britain's \"defensive operations\" in the region.\n\nStarmer also said he was sending two Wildcat helicopters with counter drone capabilities.\n\nThe announcement came after several drone attacks from Iran targeted UK allies in the Middle East and after the UK Royal Air Force base Akrotiri was struck overnight Sunday to Monday.\n\nOpposition lawmakers have accused the government of being too slow to deploy additional resources after the war started on Saturday with no British warship in the region.\n\nThe destroyer is being resupplied with ammunition and will sail next week, the officials told reporters in London.\n\nIts voyage to the eastern Mediterranean is expected to take several days.\n\nStarmer refused to allow the Americans to use UK air bases to launch the initial strikes on Iran on Saturday.\n\nHe later agreed to a US request to use two British military bases -- one in southwest England and the other in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean -- for a \"specific and limited defensive purpose\".\n\nThe officials said Wednesday that US bombers have not yet used it to launch missions but they are expected to do so in the coming days.\n\nThey also said that the drone, which caused little damage and no casualties when it hit the runway at Akrotiri, had not been launched from Iran.\n\nA Cypriot government source said Monday that the drones had been launched from Lebanon, \"most likely\" by Hezbollah, a historical ally of Iran in the Middle East.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:00:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/next-week-uk-warship-heads-cyprus-officials",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d193e4af1cc0",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "UK warship to leave for Cyprus next week: officials",
    "body_text": "A UK warship due to be sent to Cyprus amid the US and Israel's war with Iran will not set sail from Britain until next week, Western officials said Wednesday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that he was deploying HMS Dragon, a Type 45 defence destroyer to aid Britain's \"defensive operations\" in the region. Starmer also said he was sending two Wildcat helicopters with counter-drone capabilities.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:00:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/uk-warship-leave-cyprus-next-week-officials",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b67c401f1142",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Rising energy prices from the Iran war could help Russia pay for fighting in Ukraine - AP News",
    "body_text": "Rising energy prices from the Iran war could help Russia pay for fighting in Ukraine\nRising energy prices from the Iran war could help Russia pay for fighting in Ukraine\nFRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The Iran war’s disruption of Middle East oil and gas supplies and soaring prices are strengthening Russia’s ability to profit from its energy exports, a pillar of the Kremlin’s budget and a key to paying for its own war in Ukraine.\nPrices for Russia’s oil exports have risen from under $40 per barrel as recently as December to about $62 per barrel — first on fears of war and then due to interruption of almost all tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for some 20% of the world’s oil consumption.\nRussian oil still trades at a considerable discount to international benchmark Brent crude, which has risen above $82 from the closing price of $72.87 on Friday, the eve of the attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel. However, Russian crude is now above the benchmark of $59 per barrel that was assumed in the Russian Finance Ministry’s budget plan for 2026. Oil and gas tax revenues account for up to 30% of the Russian federal budget.\nAdditionally, the halt in production of ship-borne liquefied natural gas, or LNG, by major supplier Qatar will sharply increase global competition for available cargoes -- including those from Russia.\nA change in fortunes\nRussia had seen state oil and gas revenue fall to a four-year low of 393 billion rubles ($5 billion) in January and the budget shortfall of 1.7 trillion rubles ($21.8 billion) for that month was the biggest on record, according to Finance Ministry figures.\nThe lower revenue was due to weaker global prices and to deep discounts fueled by U.S. and European Union hindrance of Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers with obscure ownership used sell oil to its biggest customers, China and India, in defiance of a Western-imposed price cap and sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft.\nEconomic growth has stagnated as massive military spending has leveled off. President Vladimir Putin has resorted to tax increases and increased borrowing from compliant domestic banks to keep state finances on an even keel in the fifth year of the war.\n“Russia is a big winner from the war-related energy turmoil,” said Simone Tagliapietra, energy expert at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. “Higher oil prices mean higher revenues for the government and therefore stronger capability to finance the war in Ukraine.”\nAmena Bakr, head of Middle East and OPEC+ insights at data and analytics firm Kpler, writes: “With Middle East barrels facing logistical disruption, both India and China face strong incentives to deepen reliance on Russian supply.”\nAdditionally, the price of future delivery of natural gas has skyrocketed in Europe, raising questions about EU plans to put an end to imports of Russian LNG by 2027 -- reviving bad memories of a 2022 energy crunch after Moscow cut off most supplies of pipeline gas due to the war.\nLength of strait’s closure is the key factor\nMuch depends on how long the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to most ship traffic, said Alexandra Prokopenko, an expert on the Russian economy at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.\nA quick exit from the conflict would return Brent prices to roughly $65 per barrel and “a short-lived spike would not fundamentally change” Russia’s budget picture, she said. A middle scenario in which some shipping resumes and oil stabilizes at around $80 per barrel would give Russia “some fiscal relief,” depending on how long the higher prices last.\nA long-term closure with Iranian strikes damaging refineries and pipelines could send oil to $108 per barrel, accelerate inflation and push Europe to the edge of recession. “This scenario would bring the largest windfall to Russia,” she said.\nEven several weeks of interruption in Gulf LNG could lead to calls in Europe to suspend plans to ban new Russian supply contracts after April 25, said Chris Weafer, CEO of Macro-Advisory Ltd consultancy.\n“The EU is under even more pressure to work with the U.S. to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict and, very likely, to consider easing the plan for a total block for Russian oil and gas imports,” he said. “Countries such as Hungary and Slovakia and those who have been big buyers of Russian LNG, will press for that review.”\nIn any case “the Russian federal budget will have a much better result in March,” Weafer said, due to lower discounts on Russian oil and “because there are eager buyers of Russian oil and oil products.”\nPutin says European leaders have only themselves to blame\nPutin said European governments were to blame for their energy predicament.\n“What is happening today on the European markets, is, of course, above all the result of the mistaken policies of European governments in the energy sphere,” Putin said Wednesday on state TV.\nHe said that “maybe it would be more beneficial for us to halt (gas) supplies now to the European market, and leave for the markets that are opening and get established there,” adding that “it’s not a decision, but in this case what’s called ‘thinking out loud.’”\nPutin said he would have the government to look into the issue.\nRussia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday that Russian oil was “in demand” and that Russia was ready to increase supplies to China and India, the Tass news agency reported.\nThe head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev, took a dig at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, writing on X that “surely the wise Ursula and Kaja have a backup LNG plan. Or maybe not.”\nBelgium, France, the Netherlands and Spain have continued to import around 2 billion cubic meters of Russian LNG per month, and on top of that Hungary imports 2 billion cubic meters a month through the Turkstream pipeline across the Black Sea, Tagliapietra said. That would amount to 45 billion cubic meters in 2026, 15% of total gas demand for this year.\nIt’s “not easy to replace this in case the LNG market gets tighter with continued shutdowns in Qatar,” he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxNWDRMeHZkRHhxd3h3Z0U1ODBpenljbEtQeW8wYWNzNXpkdGszY3hpcVVzU0xCdm1BbGxVR1VnVUp3cHFHWmsycmNvSDNZTHFUSlRjelR4MmJLRWZONUhLcHdXcW9aYmpwbEhYZWlPRVZBT2xnbWtuR0tHdmxpdG1KOUxLek1uX084d3lDSElRNE9RVC1IcFVUY0NqNA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0b772569cd7e",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran FM says strikes targeted US, not Qatar; Doha rejects claim - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran FM says strikes targeted US, not Qatar; Doha rejects claim    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:06:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNcEZqZjltNENvWWluaERHYjNyQTZlZVJrcTlCV0RVcHlMeC1nZUVGbnJIX1VfM3o1U29BQWI3UTVYb053blVLYmVqUE5UeUJJam1mSUJtQkw0M1hFOHJITzNkMmdLTk5RX1Bhc3BwbU5oaXhWdWhGckRjR1d2WXZEbGFMSmNwRW0wclNoTV9JSHVFQXV4M1gyVFlIQTdpQ2dYWnlRb1h6bkJmSEJWVUxXenFuNnVHUQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2e3ffe5822e5",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Doha rejects Iran's claim that attacks only targeted US sites",
    "body_text": "Qatar's foreign minister \"categorically rejected\" statements by his Iranian counterpart that Iran's attacks had targeted only US assets in the country and not civilian infrastructure.\n\nQatar's foreign ministry said in a post on X that Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called for an immediate halt to the strikes.\n\nThe diplomat added that Qatar would confront any aggression with its \"right to self-defence\", stressing that Doha has always been inclined towards dialogue and diplomacy conducted in good faith.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:08:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/doha-rejects-iran-claim-attacks-only-targeted-us-sites",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_09971a58b9a0",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US Senate to vote on Trump's war powers as Iran conflict continues - BBC",
    "body_text": "US Senate vote fails to rein in Trump war powers on Iran\nA bipartisan resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's ability to wage war in Iran has failed in the US Senate, as the strikes continue.\nThe war powers measure was rejected in a 53-47 vote largely along party lines. It would have halted US military action in Iran without congressional approval.\nDemocrats argue that Trump has sidelined Congress and offered shifting reasons for the war. Most Republicans blocked the resolution, but some said they could change course if the war expands in the coming weeks.\nThe US and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday. The Islamic republic has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.\nWith no clear off-ramp in sight, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war could last eight weeks - almost double the duration mentioned by Trump at the weekend.\nTwo senators crossed the aisle in Wednesday's vote. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania opposed the measure, while Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted for it.\nOtherwise, everyone else voted along party lines.\nSenator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, voted against the measure, saying afterwards that passing the legislation would have sent the wrong message to Iran and US troops.\n\"At this juncture, providing unequivocal support to our service members is critically important, as is ongoing consultation by the administration with Congress,\" she said.\nSenate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said before voting in favour of the measure: \"Do you stand with the American people who are exhausted with forever wars in the Middle East or stand with Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth as they bumble us headfirst into another war?\"\nThe legislation will go to a vote on Thursday in the House of Representatives, where it faces an uphill slog.\nWhile the president has broad authority to launch military action without a formal declaration of war, Congress must be notified within 48 hours of hostilities beginning.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio has maintained the Trump administration complied with that requirement.\nTop congressional leaders were notified before the initial strikes began, and Trump informed Congress in a letter on Monday, even as he maintained that was not necessary.\nTrump has previously ordered military operations without congressional approval, such as the US strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities last year, and the seizing of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro in January.\n\"To begin with, no presidential administration has ever accepted the War Powers Act as constitutional – not Republican presidents, not Democratic presidents,\" Rubio, a former senator, said.\nCongress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 to constrain the ability of then-President Richard Nixon to wage war in Vietnam.\nIt requires lawmakers to be notified by the president within 48 hours of military action and for Congress to pass an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) within 60 days of hostilities breaking out.\nSince 2001, US administrations have relied on the AUMF passed after the 11 September 2001 attacks as justification for the use of military force in the Middle East.\nMultiple attempts to repeal that authorisation have been unsuccessful.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:09:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE53YjZmR3dyMnVRNWZFbm0zVkd1MVdqR3N6dC02dzY3MWd0VUNtU3c2aC1JN2Y4bE9Ic0R4bUNRUlFTcW9ZYlRTbDVDSXNJeHktMXhwNmtpdkk0QQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0269a481af45",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Maersk suspends bookings in Gulf 'until further notice'",
    "body_text": "Danish shipping giant Maersk has announced a temporary suspension of bookings in the Gulf following a risk assessment amid escalating tensions in the region.\n\n\"We are temporarily suspending cargo booking acceptance in and out of UAE, Oman (all ports apart from Salalah), Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail only) until further notice. This is with immediate notice. Exceptions will be made for critical foodstuff, medicine and other essential goods,\" Maersk said in a statement.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:17:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/maersk-suspends-bookings-gulf-until-further-notice",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_045f1aeab1ac",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Hakan Fidan reveals failed Turkish attempts to stop Iran war - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Hakan Fidan reveals failed Turkish attempts to stop Iran war\nTurkey's foreign minister on Tuesday disclosed repeated Turkish initiatives to prevent a war between the United States and Iran, saying Tehran had failed to understand the mood in Washington.\nHakan Fidan said Turkey took its first steps to bring Iran and the US back to negotiations after a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump on 27 January.\nMiddle East Eye previously reported that Erdogan had proposed holding a teleconference between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Although Trump was supportive of the idea, Pezeshkian declined the offer.\n“Had the proposal for a trilateral meeting between the United States, Turkey and Mr Pezeshkian been accepted by the Iranian side, it would have been a game-changing development,” Fidan said.\n“Because we were well aware that negotiations had reached an impasse on multiple fronts and that game-changing interventions were necessary.”\nFidan added that the atmosphere surrounding the US-Iran dispute grew extremely tense in January. He described Erdogan’s phone call with Trump as historic, saying the US was on the verge of deciding whether to carry out a military strike on Iran.\n“It became apparent that they were extremely serious and under considerable decision-making pressure,” Fidan said. “Those were truly dark days. Talk of war breaking out, of an imminent strike, was everywhere.”\nThree days after the Trump-Erdogan phone call, Turkey hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul.\nDuring the talks, Fidan said Turkey developed a diplomatic formula to satisfy both parties and conveyed it to the Americans, requesting a meeting based on those conditions, which he declined to disclose.\n“We divided the topics of negotiation into two categories, as the Americans were insisting on addressing four issues simultaneously with the Iranians, an approach the Iranians firmly rejected,” he said.\n“We proposed that two of the issues be negotiated directly between the United States and Iran, while the remaining two be addressed by regional countries, including ourselves. We essentially constructed a negotiation architecture in advance.”\nFidan said the Americans agreed to the idea and indicated they could meet the Iranians immediately.\nAraghchi, however, told Turkish officials that he would need to run the proposal by senior officials in Iran.\nTurkish officials told MEE in early February that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Saturday, opposed a multilateral meeting in Istanbul to discuss the Iran file.\nFidan said the Iranians eventually reverted to the previous format, opting for Oman as the venue for bilateral talks rather than engaging regional countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan.\nAfter several rounds of talks in Oman, Fidan said he realised on 27 February that things were not progressing in a positive direction. However, he believed that if the talks had continued longer, a resolution might have been reached.\n“The Americans, meanwhile, were operating under a time constraint imposed by their military build-up. On top of all this, there was enormous pressure from Israel,” Fidan said.\n“My own conviction is this: had the Iranians accurately assessed the decision-making pressure President Trump was facing and placed something in his hands earlier, Israel's pressure might not have proved as effective as it ultimately did.”\nFidan said the US had still not made up its mind about its endgame, whether it sought only to destroy Iran’s military capabilities or pursue regime change, adding that Ankara would prefer the former, as the latter would introduce far more complex risks into the region.\n“At the very least, we can begin here to explore halting military operations from this standpoint,” he said.\nFidan said the temporary leadership council selected to govern until Iran appoints a new supreme leader could represent an opportunity to bring the war to an end.\nPezeshkian, a member of the council, is seen by Ankara as someone it could work with to make progress on the issues raised by the Americans.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:24:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxNSDVtc2Z2ejV3X08teW5TeUZ1NDFFMmtOOUxPcG9QQXgyQjZ6S0VhejVEUVgtRTZmaWxIcGFaWnIzQnpxRDdDZTg3emUyLUlWLWIySlFJbXBmaTFEai1MYlRIQ3JFR1lKdFd4NXNsNzhBTXNqemJTVmYtbUNuWFRESVBKQ0tlNE5BNnQ0QzdjU0EyM2pOUDJOaGNB?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_92d87f204ef9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Hakan Fidan reveals failed Turkish attempts to stop Iran war",
    "body_text": "Turkey'sforeign minister on Tuesday disclosed repeated Turkish initiatives to prevent a war between theUnited StatesandIran, saying Tehran had failed to understand the mood in Washington.\n\nHakan Fidan said Turkey took its first steps to bring Iran and the US back to negotiations after a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump on 27 January.\n\nMiddle East Eye previouslyreportedthat Erdogan had proposed holding a teleconference between Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Although Trump was supportive of the idea, Pezeshkian declined the offer.\n\n“Had the proposal for a trilateral meeting between the United States, Turkey and Mr Pezeshkian been accepted by the Iranian side, it would have been a game-changing development,” Fidan said.\n\n“Because we were well aware that negotiations had reached an impasse on multiple fronts and that game-changing interventions were necessary.”\n\nFidan added that the atmosphere surrounding the US-Iran dispute grew extremely tense in January. He described Erdogan’s phone call with Trump as historic, saying the US was on the verge of deciding whether to carry out a military strike on Iran.\n\n“It became apparent that they were extremely serious and under considerable decision-making pressure,” Fidan said. “Those were truly dark days. Talk of war breaking out, of an imminent strike, was everywhere.”\n\nThree days after the Trump-Erdogan phone call, Turkey hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul.\n\nDuring the talks, Fidan said Turkey developed a diplomatic formula to satisfy both parties and conveyed it to the Americans, requesting a meeting based on those conditions, which he declined to disclose.\n\n“We divided the topics of negotiation into two categories, as the Americans were insisting on addressing four issues simultaneously with the Iranians, an approach the Iranians firmly rejected,” he said.\n\n“We proposed that two of the issues be negotiated directly between the United States and Iran, while the remaining two be addressed by regional countries, including ourselves. We essentially constructed a negotiation architecture in advance.”\n\nFidan said the Americans agreed to the idea and indicated they could meet the Iranians immediately.\n\nAraghchi, however, told Turkish officials that he would need to run the proposal by senior officials in Iran.\n\nTurkish officials told MEE in early February that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Saturday, opposed a multilateral meeting in Istanbul to discuss the Iran file.\n\nFidan said the Iranians eventually reverted to the previous format, opting forOmanas the venue for bilateral talks rather than engaging regional countries such asQatar,Saudi Arabia, theUnited Arab Emirates,EgyptandJordan.\n\nAfter several rounds of talks in Oman, Fidan said he realised on 27 February that things were not progressing in a positive direction. However, he believed that if the talks had continued longer, a resolution might have been reached.\n\n“The Americans, meanwhile, were operating under a time constraint imposed by their military build-up. On top of all this, there was enormous pressure from Israel,” Fidan said.\n\n“My own conviction is this: had the Iranians accurately assessed the decision-making pressure President Trump was facing and placed something in his hands earlier, Israel's pressure might not have proved as effective as it ultimately did.”\n\nFidan said the US had still not made up its mind about its endgame, whether it sought only to destroy Iran’s military capabilities or pursue regime change, adding that Ankara would prefer the former, as the latter would introduce far more complex risks into the region.\n\n“At the very least, we can begin here to explore halting military operations from this standpoint,” he said.\n\nFidan said the temporary leadership council selected to govern until Iran appoints a new supreme leader could represent an opportunity to bring the war to an end.\n\nPezeshkian, a member of the council, is seen by Ankara as someone it could work with to make progress on the issues raised by the Americans.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:24:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkeys-fidan-reveals-failed-turkish-attempts-stop-iran-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a0778a87b174",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli forces claim attack on major Iranian military compound",
    "body_text": "Israeli forces have claimed an attack on a major Iranian military compound in Tehran housing command centres of the Revolutionary Guards, the elite Quds Force and the Basij paramilitary force.\n\n\"A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force, precisely guided by IDF (military) intelligence, completed a wide-scale strike targeting a large... military compound in eastern Tehran\" that contained \"headquarters of all of the Iranian security organisations\", the Israeli military said in a statement.\n\nIt added that the compound also housed Iran's intelligenc directorate, internal security forces and Iran's cyber warfare unit.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:26:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-military-claims-attack-major-iranian-military-compound",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_25b10fb71552",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "QatarEnergy declares force majeure after Iran attacks halt supply - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "QatarEnergy has declared force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to affected buyers after halting production, following Iranian strikes on its large Ras Laffan complex.\nThe move formalises the suspension of cargo deliveries from the world’s largest LNG exporter at a time of escalating attacks on regional energy infrastructure by Iran. European gas prices rose by 52 per cent following the Iranian strike on Ras Laffan, marking the largest jump in price since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\nForce majeure clauses allow suppliers to suspend contractual obligations without penalty when events beyond their control prevent delivery.\nDoha accounts for about 20 per cent of global LNG supply, with an annual production of around 77 million tonnes per year. Most of QatarEnergy's supplies are delivered under long-term contracts to Asian buyers.\nSustained cuts immediately affect spot markets, freight rates and the petrochemicals industry.\nQatar also shut down its aluminium production, which relies on gas supply and halted petrochemicals output. The impact of the force majeure will be particularly acute for India, which relies on Qatar as its single largest LNG supplier.\nPre-war import data from Kpler shows the scale of exposure:\n- In January 2026, India imported 2.58 million tonnes of LNG, of which 1.06 million tonnes came from Qatar, equal to 40.9 per cent of total imports\n- In February 2026, just before the production halt, India imported 1.86 million tonnes, of which 0.76 million tonnes were from Qatar – a 41.2 per cent share.\n- Across 2025, India averaged 2.08 million tonnes per month, with Qatar supplying 0.95 million tonnes, or 45.6 per cent, of total imports.\nNearly half of India’s LNG intake has been anchored to Qatari supply. Many of those volumes are tied to long-term contracts with importers, including Petronet LNG, which operates large receiving terminals along India’s west coast. Reports suggest India has instructed its industry to cut gas supply by 10 to 20 per cent following the loss of Qatari supply.\nUnlike Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers, which can export crude through Red Sea terminals using pipelines, Qatar's LNG only moves through the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic along the strait has come to a standstill following attacks on tankers transiting the narrow waterway. According to S&P Global, Qatar accounted for 93 per cent of all LNG traffic through the strait, with the UAE accounting for the remainder.\nThe global LNG markets operate with limited spare capacity. Other suppliers, such as the US, which is the largest producer of natural gas and Australia, cannot fully offset a prolonged loss of Qatari supply.\nIndia will look to increase spot cargoes from the US and secure more long-term agreements from the UAE, Oman and some African suppliers.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:28:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxNNnBLQVZ5MHJ2R21reXpIQ1I4ZXprOHUzOGRhdnc0c2lWcGlLRzBpdnU5a1I2ak5CNm5UeW5Kc29QalhwWjlmNHYtUm1vdjNnUlVnRlVBVllmUkp6ZjNiQ28wRTVHTHdPMm5TNDREY0Z0ZnZoZ25tcjRCQlJwT2w0QkZEc2lCanQ3ZXlMMUZtY0FvNEFVbWNYeDlMX2xldC0xOEQ2RkU0d3VmTm5XeWw2WFdGbm54LWFrYWZyYnlvXzdfalE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_068631c66c98",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran war exiles describe terror of daily strikes",
    "body_text": "Terrified travellers fleeing war in Iran for the safety of neighbouring countries have described the extent of US and Israeli air strikes around the country, which have pummelled many regional cities as well as the capital Tehran.\n\nAFP spoke to Iranians as well as foreign students and traders at border crossings in Pakistan and Turkey, and was able to interview others trying to flee by phone or text messages despite widespread communication problems.\n\nTaken together, their testimonies offer insight into the scale of the air campaign over the last five days that the US military claimed Wednesday was bigger than the so-called \"shock and awe\" campaign against Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 2003.\n\nOn the Turkish side of the Kapikoy-Razi border crossing, groups of travellers with large suitcases and children clutching teddy bears were trickling through the security checkpoint to seek shelter.\n\nA woman from Tabriz, an economic hub in northwest Iran, reported a barrage of strikes around the city that had pushed her to leave her home and family.\n\n\"We sleep in fear and wake up with stress, so the situation is pretty awful,\" Sanaz, who gave only her first name, told AFP.\n\n\"After what we've been through all these years, we are hoping that maybe in two or three months' time, we will see major change in our country, politically, economically.\"\n\nAround 2,000 kilometres away (1,250 miles) in the far east of the country, Pakistanis are flooding back to their country through the Taftan border crossing, sharing stories about a war none of them expected to be caught up in.\n\nBasheer Ahmed, a 42-year-old trader, was returning from Bandar Abbas, a strategic naval city in southern Iran that lies just across from the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint of global shipping that Iran has effectively closed.\n\n\"The situation was very bad. There were five to 10 explosions during the day. We could not even tell where the bombs were coming from,\" he told AFP.\n\n\"The situation was extremely tense, and people were trying to leave the area by any means possible.\"\n\nFellow traveller Mushtaq Ahmed, 41, said he had passed through the central cities of Qom and Mashad in the east where he had witnessed pro-regime demonstrations.\n\n\"People were chanting and expressing their grief. It felt like a public holiday -- shops and offices were closed,\" he said.\n\nIn the north of Iran, others are also trying to flee to Armenia, one of seven countries bordering Iran.\n\nShahid Rashid, an Indian student at a medical university in the western Iranian city of Urmia, told AFP by text message that he had seen \"around eight strikes\" 200 metres away from his hostel on Tuesday.\n\nHis university is providing free meals to those trapped in their lodgings because all local shops are closed.\n\nWith nothing to do other than wait for the Indian consulate to organise visas for Armenia -- as they did during a 12-day war between Iran and Israel last June -- he is hoping for a quick reaction.\n\n\"All I can say is we are depressed here because of the current situation -- and that situation is deteriorating,\" he added.\n\nIsrael and the United States launched military action against Iran last Saturday, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in one of the first missile salvoes.\n\nThe two countries have given different objectives for the war, from regime change to destroying Iran's nuclear and long-range missile programmes, as well as its navy.\n\nAccording to the Iranian Red Crescent, the US and Israeli attacks have killed 787 people in Iran, a toll that could not be independently confirmed by AFP.\n\nNasim, a 35-year-old Iranian woman from central Isfahan, spoke to AFP having completed a perilous journey to Turkey via war-ravaged Tehran without any phone or internet connection, or Google Maps.\n\nFor her, the blasts were a source of fear, as well as hope.\n\n\"Even if you knew that you could get hit yourself, you were happy that they (the regime) would get what they deserve and that they won't be getting any sleep,\" she said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:30:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-war-exiles-describe-terror-daily-strikes",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d801bc25ac37",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Gavin Newsom likens Israel to ‘an apartheid state’ and decries war on Iran",
    "body_text": "California governor was asked if US should rethink military partnership with Israel while promoting his memoir in LA\n\nSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox\n\nGavin Newsom, the Democratic California governor, likened Israel to “an apartheid state” on Tuesday in comments sharply critical of the country’s joint war with the US against Iran.\n\nNewsom, seen as a frontrunner for his party’s presidential nomination in 2028, made the comment during an appearance in Los Angeles to promote his book, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery. He was asked if the US should rethink its military partnership withIsrael.\n\n“It breaks my heart, because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path, where I don’t think you have a choice about that consideration,” Newsom said.\n\n“To say this in America’s interest at a time when affordability is at crisis levels, where you have an administration that literally got elected saying this is exactly opposite of what they would ever consider doing, the fact that we are in this regional war [with] all these proxies, all the grift and the corruption that also marks a huge part of this, that’s a real conversation we need to have.”\n\nNewsom made the “apartheid” comment when he was asked by the event’s moderator, Pod Save America host Jon Favreau, about the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, known as Bibi. The governor cited New York Times opinion writer Thomas Friedman,who wrote on Tuesdaythat the war could propel Netanyahu to an election victory that would fuel even more extremism in Israel, against US interests.\n\n“The issue of Bibi is interesting because he’s got his own domestic issues,” Newsom said.\n\n“He’s trying tostay out of jail. He’s got an election coming up. He’s potentially on the ropes. He’s got folks on the hardline that want to annex the West Bank. Friedman and others are talking about it appropriately, [as] sort of an apartheid state.”\n\nIt is not the first time Newsom has been critical of Netanyahu, or Donald Trump’s decision to partner with Israel to attack Iran, during his book tour. On Saturday, heaccused the presidentof “doubling down on stupid” during his State of the Union address to Congress, and said Trump’s eagerness to engage the US military in Iran stemmed from “weakness masquerading as strength”.\n\nIn a Januaryconversationwith conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro, Newsom said he was “crystal clear in my love for Israel, and my condemnation of Bibi, and there’s a distinction”.\n\nHe said he could understand why people thought, from images of Israel’s war in Gaza, that Israel had committed genocide there, but did not share the opinion, even though he said Israel’s military action was “disproportionate”.\n\nHe said: “I have a lot of issues with the way Bibi ultimately conducted the war. I didn’t like the way he talked about the Palestinian people.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:30:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/04/gavin-newsom-israel-apartheid-state-iran-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_207eb44b4b54",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Starmer praises Muslims and defends Iran policy at iftar in Westminster",
    "body_text": "BritishPrime Minister Keir Starmer addressed Muslim MPs and community figures at a \"Big Iftar\" event in Westminster Hall, organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, on Tuesday night.\n\nStarmer spoke aboutGaza, theUS-Israeliattack onIranand rising anti-Muslim hostility.\n\nHe told the crowd that Ramadan strengthens \"the bonds of community and decency that unite us all\", describing it as a time \"of great generosity, of service and of celebration too\".\n\nHe also characterised the UK as \"a community of communities where Muslims are at the forefront of Britain's story\".\n\nThe prime minister addressed Gaza, saying: \"We must not lose sight of them and the need for peace, justice and security in Palestine and Israel.\"\n\nAfter his address, Starmer was seen embracing the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Hussam Zomlot.\n\nThe Labour government cooperated politically, economically and militarily with Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza.\n\nAlthough Starmer's government imposed a partial arms embargo on Israel and sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers, the UK continued to share intelligence with the Israeli military fromsurveillance flightsover Gaza during the war.\n\nIn his address on Tuesday night, Starmer also defended Britain's decision to allow the US to use UK military bases for the purpose of targeting Iranian missile sites.\n\n\"The UK was not involved in the offensive strikes of the US and Israel and that remains the case,\" Starmer said, to applause from the crowd.\n\n\"I never supported the Iraq war back in 2003,\" he said. \"And I'm determined we learn and follow the lessons today.\"\n\nPrime Minister@Keir_Starmerat The Big Iftar in Westminster Hall with Muslims: no regime changes from the skies, we have learnt lessons from the Iraq war; let me remind you that I had opposed the Iraq war 🚨pic.twitter.com/TK6RBCxrGi\n\n\"What we're now doing is to allow our bases to be used for the defensive purposes of preventing [Iranian] attacks and protecting innocent lives, because that is what we need to do to support our Middle Eastern allies who have asked us for support. And that is how we protect British citizens caught in the crossfires.\"\n\nOn Wednesday the Green Party, the new left-wing Your Party, the parliamentary Independent Alliance and Labour backbencherstableda parliamentary bill for the government to require parliament's approval for the foreign use of British military bases.\n\nStarmer's appearance at the Big Iftar came after Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemned what hecalled\"Starmer's utter inability to stand up to Donald Trump\".\n\nHe said: \"We now face being dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East which has now pulled in multiple countries. People in this country do not want this and it must not be allowed to happen.\"\n\nAt the Big Iftar, Starmer also denounced rising anti-Muslim hostility in Britain, saying: \"Reverberations from events like these always come home and they're exploited by people in this country who want to sow divisions, and frankly, people who want to target Muslims because they are Muslims.\"\n\nHours before the iftar, theGreenParty's co-deputy leader, Mothin Ali,toldMiddle East Eye he fears for his life and has faced death threats after a Conservative MP made a false claim about him in parliament, which Starmer appeared to agree with.\n\n\"They will get me killed,\" Ali said, adding that \"over the last couple of days I've received about 20 death threats\".\n\nTory MP and former cabinet minister Alec Shelbrooke claimed, while asking a question to Starmer in parliament on Monday, that Ali, a Leeds councillor, had been \"protesting in support of the ayatollah\".\n\nThe claims hadcirculatedon social media after footage emerged on Saturday of Ali at an anti-war demonstration organised by the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran to protest the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.\n\nStarmer responded: \"I think we were all shocked by the actions of the deputy leader of the Green Party - although perhaps not surprised, given that party's recent turn of direction.\"\n\nMEE asked Downing Street whether the prime minister would clarify his comments, and did not receive a response.\n\nAli said he is not a supporter of the Iranian government and attended the demonstration - at which some attendees held pro-Iran signs - after a strike on a girls school in Iran on Saturday morning killed over 150 people.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:31:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/starmer-praises-muslims-and-defends-iran-policy-iftar-westminster",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2ad23226d2f0",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran FM says strikes targeted US, not Qatar; Doha rejects claim",
    "body_text": "DOHA, March 4 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani that Iranian missile attacks were directed at U.S. interests and not at Qatar.\n\nQatar's top diplomat \"categorically rejected\" that claim and called for an immediate halt to Iran’s attacks, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said on X.\n\nSheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said his country would confront any aggression with its \"right to self-defence,\" stressing that Doha has always been inclined towards dialogue and diplomacy conducted in good faith.\n\n(Reporting by Andrew Mills, Writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Sharon Singleton)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:36:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-fm-says-strikes-targeted-us-not-qatar-doha-rejects-claim",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2a04fe1b438f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iranian government making case for demise with indiscriminate attacks, EU's Kallas says",
    "body_text": "WARSAW, March 4 (Reuters) - Iran's government is making a strong case for its demise by indiscriminately attacking its neighbours, EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas told reporters on Wednesday.\n\n\"Iran's strategy is to sow chaos and set the region on fire,\" Kallas said.\n\nTurkey said earlier on Wednesday thatNATO air defences destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile headed into Turkish airspace.\n\nAsked about the incident, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said: \"Iran is broadening the war to countries that did not attack it ... there is a well known saying it's worse than a crime, it's a mistake.\"\n\nKallas said the war in the Middle East is diverting attention from Ukraine, but it was important not to let the war in Ukraine recede into the background. She added that the conflict in Iran has cost Russia an ally, but cautioned that Russia could benefit from a spike in oil prices stemming from the crisis.\n\n(Reporting by Marek Strzelecki and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Writing by  Makini Brice; Editing by Sharon Singleton)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:36:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iranian-government-making-case-demise-indiscriminate-attacks-eus-kallas-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_dae9213db75e",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Iran postpones Khamenei funeral as US and Israeli bombardment continues",
    "body_text": "An official says more preparations are needed for the three-day ceremony in Tehran, where the supreme leader will lie in state.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:38:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clygglq6v9go?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cdbc367eb11a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Forty nations meet in The Hague to discuss measures against Israel’s West Bank annexation",
    "body_text": "Forty countries gathered in The Hague on Wednesday to discuss coordinated measures aimed at enforcing international law inPalestine, as governments warn thatIsrael’s expanding settlement activity in theoccupiedWest Bank amounts to de facto annexation.\n\nThe meeting, co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia and convened under the umbrella ofThe Hague Group, brought together governments from across the Global South and beyond to seek ways to translate political statements into concrete state action.\n\nFounded in January 2025,The Hague Groupwas established to coordinate international legal responses to Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories and itsgenocide in Gaza.\n\nTuesday’s gathering was the largest meeting organised by the group since its launch last year and comes amid mounting concern over Israel’s settlement expansion and military operations in the West Bank.\n\nIn a joint statement issued after the meeting, participating states reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter, the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force and the right of peoples to self-determination.\n\nThey agreed on three concrete measures that will be further developed and formally presented at a forthcoming ministerial meeting.\n\nAmong the measures were steps aimed at strengthening accountability for alleged international crimes, including possible disclosure requirements for travellers who have served in the Israeli military, which could subject them to additional screening under national war crimes legislation.\n\nAnother measure is to enforce non-recognition of Israeli settlements by banning imports of settlement goods and preventing domestic companies from operating in them. A third measure is to halt the transfer or transit of arms, military fuel and dual-use items to Israel and review public contracts to ensure state funds do not support the occupation.\n\nThis is extremely significant. When we founded The Hague Group in Jan 2025, nine states stood together. Today, 40 states at our meeting on accountability.It is clear: Only collective action can break the power of unilateral punishment meted to states that support Palestine.pic.twitter.com/ctV252y537\n\nThe statement said the measures discussed were designed to ensure there is “no safe haven” for perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or the crime of aggression.\n\nThe gathering brought together governments from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.\n\nStates represented are:Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Denmark, Djibouti,Egypt, Ghana,Iraq, Indonesia,Libya,Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, Pakistan,Qatar, San Marino,Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania,Tunisia,Turkey, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.\n\nParticipants met against the backdrop of Israel’s approval of the controversialE1 settlementproject and other policies that diplomats at the meeting said threaten the territorial contiguity required for a viable Palestinian state.\n\nOn 8 February, Israel's cabinet introduced sweepingmeasuresthat overhaul governance in the West Bank, expanding Israel’s civilian authority in areas it has ruled under military law for nearly six decades.\n\nIn practice, the steps extend what officials describe as Israeli “sovereignty” over the territory, a long-standing goal of right-wing and ultra-nationalist settler movements.\n\nThey also further weaken the Palestinian Authority’s limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank and dismantle the Oslo Accords framework.\n\nOfficials meeting in The Hague said the discussions focused on enforcing legal obligations outlined in a July 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice and a subsequent UN General Assembly resolution calling on states to avoid recognising Israel’s occupation as lawful and to prevent assistance that could sustain it.\n\nMauricio Jaramillo, Colombia’s vice-minister of multilateral affairs, said the meeting reflected growing frustration among governments over what they see as a lack of enforcement of international law.\n\n“Israel is carrying out dispossession in plain sight,” Jaramillo said in remarks shared with Middle East Eye ahead of the meeting.\n\n“After Gaza, entrenching its de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank is the next step in a project of permanent occupation.”\n\nHe added that governments now faced a choice between upholding international law or allowing impunity to prevail.\n\n“History will judge our actions. With the law - or with impunity. With the rights of a people - or with their erasure. Colombia chooses to act.”\n\nAmmar Hijazi, the Palestinian ambassador to the Netherlands, welcomed the meeting, describing it as a rare example of governments seeking to operationalise legal obligations under international law.\n\nHe said the legal framework surrounding Israel’s occupation was already well established.\n\n'By standing up for Palestine, The Hague Group is acting on behalf of the international community to defend the law-based order'\n\n“The legal framework is not in dispute,” Hijazi said.\n\n“The prohibition of annexation, the right to self-determination and the obligations of third states are firmly established in international law.\n\nHijazi said the initiative represented an effort by governments to defend the international legal order at a time when many Palestinians believe it is being undermined.\n\n“By standing up for Palestine, The Hague Group is acting on behalf of the international community to defend the law-based order, which is under threat, for the benefit of humanity,” he said.\n\nIn response to Israel's genocide in Gaza continuing with impunity, The Hague Group sponsored a two-day emergency summit in Bogota in July 2025, culminating in a joint declaration by states demanding international sanctions against Israel and legal accountability for what participants described as \"grave violations of international law\" in Gaza.\n\nSince then, many states have expressed support for the group's goals, without formally becoming members. These include Turkey, Spain and Ireland, which have imposed their own sanctions against Israel over the past year in line with The Hague Group's pledges.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:39:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/forty-nations-convene-hague-discuss-measures-against-israels-annexation-west-bank",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8b659ac64adb",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Could the Iran war spark a global economic crisis? – The Latest",
    "body_text": "Global oil and gas prices have skyrocketed as war halts energy exports from the Middle East. The strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage of water that facilitates the shipping of about a fifth of the world’s oil, has been in effect closed since the regional war began, prompting fears of a global economic crisis. According to reports, traffic has dropped by about 80%, but how long until we feel the effects? Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s head of business, John Collingridge–watch on YouTube",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:50:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/mar/04/could-war-in-middle-east-spark-global-economic-crisis-the-latest-podcast",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ad771908a8dd",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran to target Israeli embassies worldwide if Israel attacks Lebanon mission",
    "body_text": "Iran's military has threatened to target Israeli embassies worldwide if Israel attacks the country's mission in Lebanon.\n\nAbolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman of the Iranian armed forces said that the move would \"make all Israeli embassies around the world our legitimate target\".\n\nThe statement comes after the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee warned \"representatives of the Iranian terror regime who are still in Lebanon to leave immediately before being targeted”, giving them 24 hours to leave.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:51:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-target-israeli-embassies-worldwide-if-israel-attacks-lebanon",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_10f4534c772c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US-backed Kurdish forces poised to enter Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan 'within days'",
    "body_text": "The CIA has reportedly been in contact with Iranian Kurdish armed groups since last year, as Israel presses for Kurdish engagement.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:52:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/us-backed-kurdish-forces-poised-enter-iran-iraqi-kurdistan-within-days",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7da223b5c6ab",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Israeli military orders immediate evacuations in southern Lebanon as strikes on Beirut intensify - AP News",
    "body_text": "Israel warns residents in dozens of Lebanese border villages to evacuate as strikes intensify\nIsrael warns residents in dozens of Lebanese border villages to evacuate as strikes intensify\nBEIRUT (AP) — Israel’s military issued warnings to residents of dozens of border villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate “immediately” Wednesday as airstrikes on suburbs of Beirut intensified and Hezbollah claimed more attacks.\nLebanon was dragged into the broader war in the Middle East early Monday when Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel, triggering Israeli retaliatory airstrikes that killed more than 70 people, wounded more than 400 and displaced tens of thousands of people from southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs.\nThe ongoing conflict is not the first between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah began firing into Israel a day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza. After months of low-level fighting, a full-scale war erupted in September 2024 and Israel later launched a ground invasion of Lebanon.\nIsraeli forces withdrew from most of southern Lebanon after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the fighting in late 2024, but continued to occupy five points on the Lebanese side of the border. Israel also pressed on with near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah has been trying to rebuild its positions there, killing nearly 400 people while the ceasefire was in place.\nHezbollah Secretary-General Naim Kassem says the group had no choice but to fire rockets because of this. “As long as the occupation is present, then the resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right,” Kassem said in his first speech since this latest escalation.\nKassem slammed the Lebanese government’s criticism of Hezbollah’s rocket fire and its commitment to disarm the group, claiming that Israel cannot stop its attacks through diplomatic means alone.\n“Why did you make a big deal out of this salvo of rockets? The reason is the ongoing aggression,” he said.\nPeople in southern Lebanon ordered to immediately move north\nThe Israeli military issued a statement Wednesday telling people living in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel to evacuate and move “immediately” north of the Litani River.\nThe Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson warned on X that if people decide to move south of the river, they will be endangering their lives.\nThe area south of the Litani River, about 8% of the territory of Lebanon, is mostly along the border with Israel. The Lebanese government says it has cleared the area of Hezbollah’s military presence there over the past months.\nThe order came after airstrikes overnight on the predominantly Christian southeastern suburb of Hazmieh that struck a hotel. Others hit the towns of Aramoun and Saadiyat just south of Beirut’s international airport, killing six and wounding eight. Another strike hit the eastern city of Baalbek, killing six people and wounding 15, according to state media.\nThe four airstrikes came without a warning in advance, which usually implies targeted assassinations. Security officials speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations said the man targeted in Hazmieh was a local official in Beirut’s southern suburb of Ghobeiri, and that the official was wounded.\n“We live in a country where a missile can fall on your head at any moment,” said Maggie Shibli, wife of the owner of the Hotel Comfort in a Hazmieh neighborhood that was struck early Wednesday.\nAbbas Najdeh, who was displaced from the southern port city of Tyre and was staying at the hotel, said: “We were sleeping then suddenly I, my children and my wife were thrown” by the blast.\nAlso Wednesday, the Israeli military issued several warnings to people to evacuate buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which were struck shortly afterward.\nHezbollah said Wednesday that it carried out several attacks on Israel, including two in which the group claimed that it used precision-guided missiles.\nConcerns that shelling may lead to a wider Israeli ground invasion\nThe warning for people to leave the area south of the Litani River came a day after Israel sent additional troops into southern Lebanon. Israeli forces had already been occupying several border points in Lebanon since the November 2024 cease-fire ended the previous Israel-Hezbollah war.\nIt was not immediately clear if Israel was preparing for a wider ground invasion. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported Israeli artillery shelling on several Lebanese villages along the border, including Aid al-Shaab and Beit Lif.\nThe Lebanese military in a statement that it arrested 27 people for “illegally possessing weapons and munitions,” and that it had redeployed some forces in the south and further to the east along the border with Syria. It did not say whether the 26 Lebanese and one Palestinian apprehended were affiliated with Hezbollah or other militant groups.\nThe cash-strapped army’s move comes after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government and President Joseph Aoun urged state security agencies to pursue people firing rockets from Lebanon, as part of their broader policy of asserting the government’s full sovereignty over the country, while also criticizing Israel’s strikes and ground movements.\nIn eastern Lebanon, the main border crossing with Syria was briefly closed Wednesday after Lebanese officials received a warning of an impending Israeli strike, which officials later said turned out to be a false alarm.\nAnxieties have also been running high in Lebanon in recent days over a buildup of Syrian forces on the border. The current Syrian government is hostile to Iran and Hezbollah, as they were on opposite sides of Syria’s civil war that ended with the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in December 2024.\nA high-ranking Syrian official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the troop buildup was “purely defensive” and to “prevent smuggling and counter any unforeseen scenario.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly.\n—\nAssociated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:53:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxPZ0JmVk02U2RtM0JLTDRrYzl4ZVQ1ZzVoMXl6WGpPTUpaSTk3NzVLTUVuRlowUDRITmstOHB1NjhueTdtbDdtYy11UUtpbkFod3RHQWJON3FvS0hEYkttUi1vUTd6VFVSWFJfWnM0aVV6MVJYMVk5Qmdaa1B6aVJJYjBXOV9ZOVVqT1lMdUZmZlFUT3R6dzV3Qml1ZmZyX2NJTzBDUTZWbUNiQVptYUZ2alRSbFZ6cHZhSC1KWnR3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_97b5408251bb",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "US sub sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean, Hegseth says",
    "body_text": "Sri Lanka's navy says around 140 people are feared missing after a military vessel went down off its southern coast.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T16:56:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0e55g03v2zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5b0942d543be",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "US Senate to vote on Trump's war powers as Iran conflict continues",
    "body_text": "The measure, which is not expected to pass, would require the withdrawal of US forces from the operation until approved by Congress.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:01:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yjj28jjd0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_15b71fdcb45b",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Hardline cleric Arafi joins wartime leadership as Iran juggles conflict, succession",
    "body_text": "DUBAI, March 4 (Reuters) - Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has emerged as a central figure in Iran’s power structure at a moment of unprecedented turmoil, propelled into a leadership role from the ranks of top clerics after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n\nOnce known largely as a scholar‑administrator, the hardline cleric is now one of three senior officials entrusted with steering the state through its most volatile period since the 1979 revolution.\n\nArafi was appointed to an interim three-member leadership council to manage state affairs alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, following Khamenei's killing at the start of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.\n\nThe leadership's top priority, alongside responding to U.S.-Israeli attacks, is managing the leadership succession, a process subject to extraordinary pressure at a time of war: If a supreme leader is not named quickly, the clerical establishment risks being seen as weak and unable to guarantee continuity.\n\nArafi, in his late 60s, is lesser known abroad than other heavyweight clerics, but successive promotions by the fiercely anti-Western Khamenei have shaped his career and given him moments in the spotlight. Some clerics have even viewed Arafi as a potential successor to Khamenei.\n\nLACKS POLITICAL EXPERIENCE, BUT ALIGNED WITH KHAMENEI\n\nHowever, for Arafi to ascend to the role, he would need to clear several procedural hurdles. A committee within the 88-member Assembly of Experts — the body tasked with selecting the next leader — would first have to put his name forward at a session attended by at least two-thirds of its members.\n\nFrom there, he would still require the backing of two-thirds of those present — roughly 40 senior clerics. There are no guarantees at any stage of the process.\n\nAlthough he lacks hands-on political experience, Arafi, born in 1959, is widely seen as firmly aligned with Khamenei and his ideological vision. He has consistently argued that governance should be rooted in the comprehensive application of Shi'ite jurisprudence.\n\nHis clout is rooted chiefly in the powerful posts he has held: head of Al-Mustafa International University and dean of the seminary at the Iranian holy city of Qom. He is also a member of the Guardian Council, which approves all candidates for elected office, and a member of the Assembly of Experts — positions he secured with Khamenei’s backing and trust.\n\nHis credentials as a heavyweight within Iran's religious establishment date back to his early years as an 11-year-old student of Islam when he moved to the city of Qom, the epicenter of Shi'ite theological scholarship.\n\nOver the years Arafi, the son of an Ayatollah, completed advanced studies in jurisprudence and philosophy.\n\nArafi's career kicked off after Khamenei became supreme leader in 1989. He began his work in his hometown of Meybod as a Friday prayer leader at the young age of 33, one of the first signs that he had won the confidence of Khamenei, who strategically promoted loyalists.\n\nRAN UNIVERSITY PROMOTING IRANIAN SHI'ITE IDEOLOGY\n\nHe would later fill that same role in Iran's holy Shi'ite city of Qom, gaining religious authority and political clout in Iran's clerical system.\n\nArafi also became chairman of Al-Mustafa International University,which has affiliated religious seminaries and Islamic colleges in over 50 countries and seeks to promote the Islamic Republic's ideology overseas.\n\nWith over 50,000 foreign students enrolled, according to Al-Mustafa’s Persian-language website, students on its Iran campuses receive free housing, home loans and health care for themselves and their families.\n\nHe stepped down from the post in 2018. Two years later, the U.S. State Department formally labeled the Quds Force a foreign terrorist organization, highlighting its recruitment networks.\n\nIt said the force had enlisted Pakistani and Afghan students from Al-Mustafa International University into the Zaynabiyoun Brigade and the Fatemiyoun Division — militias deployed in Syria under the command of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force and previously sanctioned under U.S. counterterrorism and human rights measures.\n\nDuring his tenure, Arafi claimed that approximately 50 million people converted to Shi'ite Islam within eight years through the institution’s outreach. Critics questioned this assertion.\n\nIn 2016, he was appointed head of Iran's national seminary system.\n\nArafi advanced his political standing three years later when he was handpicked by Khamenei to join the Guardian Council, a powerful election watchdog body that reviews legislation and qualifies candidates for elections.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:01:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/hardline-cleric-arafi-joins-wartime-leadership-iran-juggles-conflict-succession",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_86eccaf3c3ad",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Middle East crisis live: US submarine sank Iranian warship, Hegseth says; Israel launches fresh strikes on Tehran",
    "body_text": "US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarinesunk an Iranian warship in the Indian oceanas he declared that the Iranian navy “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf” and that it was “ineffective, decimated, destroyed”.\n\nHe declared that“America is winning”and suggested that in under a week the US and Israel“will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace”.\n\nThe leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump in 2024 had been killedin the strikes, Hegseth said.\n\nDan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, who also spoke at the briefing, said more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, and that the US has“effectively neutralised Iran’s major naval presence”.\n\nHegseth said the US is able to continue the military action against Iran“for as long as we need to”,saying Iran “can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did”.\n\nThe Pentagoncontinued to deny responsibility fora strike on a girls’ school in Iranon Saturday that killed a reported 168 people. “All I can say is that we’re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets,” Hegseth said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:02:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/04/iran-war-live-updates-us-israel-latest-news-strait-of-hormuz-middle-east-crisis",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3044f6909aad",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Which 6 Kurdish groups could join the war in Iran?",
    "body_text": "Iranian Kurdish groups that recently formed an alliance could soon join the United States and Israel in their campaign against the Islamic Republic, Al-Monitor has learned.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:03:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/which-6-kurdish-groups-could-join-war-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_51228416dc6c",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Will war in the Middle East trigger a global economic crisis? - The Latest",
    "body_text": "Global oil and gas prices have spiked as the conflict in the Middle East halts energy exports from the region. The strait of Hormuz has been in effect closed since the war began, causing fears of a global economic crisis. About a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped through the narrow passage of water, but, according to reports, traffic has dropped by about 80%, with little sign of return. How long until we feel the effects? Nosheen Iqbal speaks to John Collingridge, the Guardian’s head of business.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:04:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/mar/04/will-war-in-the-middle-east-trigger-a-global-economic-crisis-the-latest",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3020399544ef",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Trump administration waging illegal war on Iran, experts say - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "The Trump administration is waging an illegal war on Iran, one that defies both the US constitution and international armed conflict laws, according to several legal scholars and bipartisan lawmakers.\nThe Senate will vote Wednesday on whether to halt Donald Trump’s military offensive, which he launched on 28 February. Hundreds of people, including six US personnel, have been killed in a conflict that has now expanded to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Israel and the Persian Gulf.\nThe Trump administration has offered shifting explanations for its decision to launch attacks on Iran, at times describing a more pre-emptive war of choice designed to degrade Iran’s offensive and nuclear capabilities, while at other times asserting that the Iranians weren’t willing to renounce their nuclear ambitions, or that the US joined the attack to protect American interests after Israel had committed to launching a military offensive of its own.\n“An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American,” the president said in his first public remarks from Washington on Monday. “We cannot allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons.”\nTrump has also described broader wartime objectives, including eliminating threats posed by Iran’s regional proxy forces. He has not set out a clear timeline for achieving his various goals.\nMarco Rubio, the US secretary of state, offered a slightly different explanation, saying that the White House was compelled to launch strikes on Iran because its close ally Israel was determined to act.\n“It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone – the United States or Israel or anyone – they were going to respond, and respond against the United States,” Rubio told reporters gathered at the Capitol.\n“There absolutely was an imminent threat,” Rubio said.\nSeveral lawyers have challenged the legal basis for the administration’s wide-ranging explanations for waging war.\n“Those are military policy objectives,” said Wells Dixon, a senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights after reviewing Trump’s rationale. “They are not a legal basis to launch an armed attack against another country.”\nMarko Milanovic, a professor of International law at the University of Reading, agreed that Iran may pose a threat, but said that there are many ways to respond. “Using force would require a basis in self defense,” he said.\nThe Trump administration has previously touted its success in “obliterating” Iran’s nuclear facilities. But Trump revived the specter of an Iranian threat in his State of the Union address, saying that Iran was “working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America”.\nTrump has not provided public evidence of this threat.\nRubio’s statements invoked two legal concepts that could possibly justify waging war abroad – including the concept of an “imminent threat” posed to American lives, and the concept of launching preemptive strikes as an act of self defense.\nThere are carve outs within international law that permit states to act in their own self defense. And the concept of an “imminent threat” is measured against evidence of a clear, visible and impending risk.\nBut experts say that neither criteria was present in the case of Iran.\n“For something to be lawful self defense, it has to be necessary – in the sense that there’s no alternative,” said Brian Finucane, a former state department lawyer. “That’s not the situation here. There was another option: the US could have restrained Israel from attacking in the first place.”\nFinucane said that previous administrations have drawn this line with Israel.\n“Saying that, ‘Instead of stopping Netanyahu, we’re going to start it first’ – it’s a completely circular and crazy thing,” Milanovic chimed in.\nSeveral lawmakers shared in the lawyers’ assessment of Iran’s potential threat.\n“There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel,” said Mark Warner, the Democratic vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee. “If we equate a threat to Israel as the equivalent of an imminent threat to the United States, then we are in uncharted territory.”\nSenator Tim Kaine said he has supported US efforts to defend Israel during previous Iranian attacks, “but that’s a very different matter than the US engaging in the affirmative initiation of war,” he said.\n“We shouldn’t be waging an affirmative war on behalf of any nation in the world, no matter how close we are,” Kaine said.\nAfter the Vietnam war, the US adopted new legal provisions that say the president should try to consult with members of Congress before committing troops to hostilities.\nLast week, Rubio only briefed the Gang of Eight, a group of bipartisan lawmakers privy to information on covert actions and classified intelligence, about US plans to attack Iran.\n“Their pattern, thus far, seems to be to take action, and then give [us] a briefing afterwards,” Kaine said. “They’re trying to consign Congress to the role of a spectator, but that’s not the role that Article 1 [of the constitution] assigns to us.”\nDixon said there was “a little bit of flexibility” on whether the president may commit troops without first consulting Congress. “But certainly he has to notify them within 48 hours,” Dixon said.\nThe White House submitted a War Powers report to Congress on Monday night.\nDixon noted that a separate requirement under the War Powers Act says that troops must be withdrawn from hostilities within 60 to 90 days unless Congress votes to authorize the operation.\nThis week’s war powers vote may shape how Trump proceeds with military action against Iran, even if it ultimately cannot sustain enough support to override a likely veto from Trump.\n“I think it can be an important political signal if there’s sufficient bipartisan support,” Finucane said.\nPrevious congressional votes have seemed to deter further US aggression.\n“The president announced after one of our previous votes that he was scrapping a second wave of strikes on Venezuela,” said Kaine, who has introduced similar legislation to govern US engagements in the Caribbean Sea and Venezuela. “The mere fact of the vote, even if it’s unsuccessful, can have an impact.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxQUmJjelRjUFIzZGNLNU9ab19GckZaS1JHOWJWWG5mbzN0bEFubWZyLUpqNjM2RDdGS1hicWxaVXVaYldOcTBHSUI5WWdOanpNbG56X296aEV6VTZkVXJLajNobVB5d09oQkIzOTJ1cDlWUy1LcmgwWXdMQXMzLVhUcXNnZzlTb1BoLTJ2MHFqazRvcUMzSWc?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_fdb9c50a7fd5",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US and Ecuador launch military operation against organized crime groups - AP News",
    "body_text": "US and Ecuador launch a joint military operation against organized crime groups\nQUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador and the United States have begun joint military operations against organized crime groups in the South American country, the U.S. military said, but neither government has given details of the location and scope of the operation.\nU.S. Southern Command said in a statement late Tuesday that Ecuadorian and U.S. military forces had launched operations in a “powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.”\nA 30-second video accompanying a post on X showed a helicopter flying over a group of men walking on the ground, but the footage stops without revealing more about the location.\n“We are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” the post added, without providing other details of the operation.\nGen. Henry Delgado, head of Ecuador’s Joint Command, said Wednesday during a Quito security forum that “certain operations” took place on Tuesday, but didn’t provide details of any operations on Ecuadorian soil.\n“We are certain that our actions are for the benefit of our beloved Ecuador, especially with the backing of international organizations and other nations,” he said.\nEcuador’s foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The operation was not mentioned Wednesday at the U.S. defense secretary briefing, which was focused on Iran.\nEcuadorian President Daniel Noboa had said earlier this week that his government was beginning joint actions with other countries as part of a new phase in the fight against organized crime, as Ecuador faces a sustained wave of violence linked to drug trafficking and illegal mining.\n“Ecuador demands security, our people need to live in peace,” said Noboa, adding that military and police forces will be involved in the operations he described as “very important.”\nEcuador maintains good relations with the United States, Israel and Italy, among other countries, often collaborating on security issues.\nIn February, Noboa ordered the foreign ministry to seek cooperation agreements with “allied nations” that would allow “the incorporation of special forces” on a temporary basis as support for the Ecuadorian police and armed forces.\nAuthorities identify Ecuador as a critical logistical hub in the global drug trade, where drugs — particularly cocaine — are stockpiled, stored and distributed, especially from the northern border with Colombia. The shipments are transported from its ports to Central America, the United States and Europe.\n___\nFollow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:06:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQcTRwdXlUbEVPX1dMdVBuNDJ0ZVVKTHF2V2JpZVQtUUJOZkpmcE41bkZIeUt3Tk84S0t1d3R4b0M2T3pCWWRQQlZyZ0ZYM29vUXVhMkZJRE1DWndHZ1JieVJsd2Vac1BsRnNfRjA5dkJfR2t5RnRtTlFCQV9DQ2pGZV95UTFLZkZpN19jUWU0RG5YQnNSM1lBajItZWlwWjEyYjB1ejE4WGNYYl9JYVFZZA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d32045ae82f1",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Why is the US at war with Iran? Answering key questions about the conflict - USA Today",
    "body_text": "Why is the US at war with Iran? Answering key questions about the conflict\nA new and geopolitically complex war between the United States and Iran is escalating and as the number of American service members killed since the initial attack on Feb. 28 grows, many people are asking: Why are we involved? What is really happening? And what comes next?\nTo help make sense of the rapidly evolving conflict, we invited readers to send in their questions and asked USA TODAY journalists to break down the answers.\nHere are some of the questions you asked USA TODAY:\nWhy is the US attacking Iran?\nThe United States and Israel began strikes on Iran early on Feb. 28, in a campaign that killed the nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dozens of top officials and hit more than 1,250 targets inside the country. President Donald Trump said the strikes were intended to eliminate \"imminent threats\" from Iran and prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.\nThe war, which Trump said could last for weeks, plunged the Middle East into a conflict that the president said would end a security threat to the United States and give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. Congressional Democrats are questioning whether Iran posed an imminent threat and are seeking a vote on the operation amid concerns it could spiral into an extended regional war.\nWhat are the chances of attacks in the states, or that this becomes a world war?\nSome expect a prolonged, messy regional war in which allies of Iran join the fight, and Iran’s military strikes against U.S. allies in the region lead to escalation. Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution told CNBC there will not be a quick end, because the Iranians are escalating across the region and that is their long-standing game plan.” And the Atlantic Council's expert reported that ''the consequences of the US-Israeli military campaign … will radiate across the region and the world.”The risk of attacks inside the United States is elevated, especially given Iran’s use of proxy terrorist groups and criminal organizations with footholds on U.S. soil, including Lebanese Hezbollah. However, law enforcement authorities say they are on the lookout for any suspicious activity. After Trump announced that he and his administration were behind the 2020 assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, the FBI disrupted several plots against Trump and his former national security adviser, John Bolton, in the United States.\nAccording to a Department of Homeland Security assessment reviewed by Reuters and several other news outlets, what is more likely is that Iran and its proxies will launch cyberattacks at the United States, including efforts to hack into and disrupt critical U.S. infrastructure like water treatment facilities.\nHow is it that the United States destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities last June, and, in a matter of months, they've become such a serious threat?\nWhile previous military actions in June 2025 targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, foreign policy officials say the current threat stems from the regime's efforts to rebuild those sites – and from its refusal to negotiate on its massive ballistic missile program.\nTrump and senior administration officials justified the Feb. 28 airstrikes by saying the country remained on the verge of developing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles capable of reaching the United States. Veteran Tehran watchers discount that and say last year’s attacks virtually destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities, at least in the short run, though its ballistic missile arsenal remains very potent.\nWhile Iran previously said it had halted uranium enrichment, its ballistic missile program remained an important part of its defense strategy that it refused to abandon.\nWhy did Israel need to attack Iran, drawing the United States into a war?\nIsrael and Iran have long been regional foes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has wanted to attack the country for decades.\nTrump's second term in office provided the ideal opportunity for Netanyahu to pressure the United States to support a larger war, especially after a previous round of strikes last year kneecapped Iran's nuclear facilities and as the country's proxies, such as Hezbollah, have been weakened.\nAs Iran has built up its defense capabilities, Netanyahu said Israel was facing an existential threat. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Netanyahu was determined to protect his country, and if the United States didn't join with Israel, Iran still would have struck American forces. \"The consequences of inaction on our part could have been devastating,\" Johnson said on March 3.\nHow was Trump able to attack Iran without the support of Congress?\nIt's complicated. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the sole power to declare war, a power last officially exercised in 1942 for World War II. Since then, presidents have often acted under the War Powers Act of 1973 or their authority as commander in chief to engage in military actions without formal Congressional approval.\nEvery president since Gerald Ford has used the resolution to initiate or justify military actions in conflicts, including Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Libya, Iraq and drone strikes in the Middle East.\nWas a nuclear power plant hit?\nRafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said March 2 that there was no indication that any of Iran’s nuclear installations, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor or other nuclear fuel cycle facilities had been damaged.\nThe Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Iran has suffered “some recent damage” at the entrance of buildings to the underground fuel enrichment plant, the agency said in a March 3 social media post. The facility was severely damaged by the U.S. and Israeli strikes last year.\n“No radiological consequence [is] expected and no additional impact detected at [the facility] itself,” the agency said.\nWho is responsible for bombing the school in Tehran?\nSo far, neither Israel nor the United States has confirmed or denied any role in the attack on the school; however, the Pentagon has indicated it will at least look into the issue of civilian deaths stemming from the Feb. 28 attack. The search for the dead in the apparent U.S. or Israeli missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh all-girls’ elementary school in Iran officially ended March 1. But the questions surrounding the attack that killed at least 175 people have just begun, as international condemnation and calls for investigations – and accountability – have escalated.\nInternational Federation for Human Rights, one of the world’s oldest human rights organizations, based in Paris, said in a March 2 statement: “All alleged violations − including indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, deliberate targeting of civilians or civilian infrastructure, and attacks on medical facilities and schools − must be promptly, independently, and transparently investigated.”\n“Where evidence of war crimes or other serious violations is found,” it added, “those responsible, regardless of rank or official capacity, must be held accountable in accordance with international law.”\nHow will the Iran war impact Americans?\nThere have been casualties and will likely be more: Six U.S. service members have been killed in action since the attacks started so far. The direct military attack on Iran by the United States and its allies can have broader adverse impacts for the United States, which include immediate military risks, economic instability and threats to Americans.\nOil prices are spiking and gas prices will likely climb in the wake of the war. Higher gas prices could also raise the costs of goods and other materials Americans rely on – costs businesses would need to shoulder and could potentially pass on to consumers, said Shikha Jain, from North America at Simon-Kucher, a commercial strategy consulting firm. If the war is short, American consumers may see higher prices at the gas pump for a few weeks, but if it drags on or escalates, American consumers may see skyrocketing energy costs that could push the U.S. economy toward stagflation, according to Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in economics at the Pacific Research Institute.\nWho's leading Iran now and what's next there?\nIran formed a three-man leadership council on March 1 to assume power until Khamenei’s successor is selected. Those key figures are Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi and Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, head of Iran's judiciary.\nIt's unclear how long Iran's succession plan will take to play out. Arafi, however, is a potential candidate to succeed Khamenei, according to Alex Vantanka, a senior fellow specializing in Iranian politics for the Middle East Institute. Arafi is also a member of Iran's Guardian Council, an Islamic legal authority that reviews Iran’s laws and policies to ensure they conform to Islamic principles. Arafi's rise to power came soon after Khamenei became Iran’s supreme leader in 1989, Vantanka said.\n\"He is somebody whom Khamenei shaped, groomed, and rose year after year from obscurity, putting this guy in various important positions of power,\" Vantanka said. \"He could very well be the next supreme leader, no doubt about it.\"\nWhat is the exit plan for the United States in this Iran war?\nAs of March 3, there is no publicly articulated exit plan to end the war, or even to define the parameters of a cease-fire, either by the United States and Israel – or Iran. No one is spelling out specific steps that they'd want to play out before they'd be prepared to end the hostilities.\nComplicating the scenario is the fact that the Trump administration has given conflicting answers as to why it is at war with Iran in the first place. Those include stopping Tehran’s alleged nuclear weapons program and crippling its ballistic missile capability before it builds missiles that could reach the United States.\nTrump has also warned that he wants regime change in Iran. And he has warned of a potentially prolonged, multi-week engagement – or something potentially even longer than that. “Whatever the time is, it's OK; whatever it takes,\" he said, saying they were running \"substantially\" ahead of the original projection of a campaign that would last four or five weeks.\nHow will the war in Iran impact the Ukraine-Russia war?\nPerhaps the most obvious impact is a political-diplomatic one. The war effectively takes some of the focus off American efforts to reach a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.\nMore concretely, as some European officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have pointed out, if the war in Iran drags on, it could have a material impact on U.S.-made weapons Ukraine needs to fight back against Russia. The Pentagon may, when push comes to shove, prioritize its stocks of some weapons for the battlefield in Iran.\nThere is also a flip side to the weapons issue. Iran has been supplying Russia with its Shahed drones. They have become a central part of its military campaign against Ukraine. It's unclear whether Iran's production of these drones will be affected by the U.S. and Israeli strikes on its territory. However, if they are, it could mean Russia will have reduced access to a key part of its arsenal.\nWhat does NATO have to say about the United States attacking Iran without having a discussion and consensus?\nThe leader of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization praised U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but said NATO would not be involved.\nNATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a televised statement that Iran posed a threat to both Israel and Europe.\n“We are all better off with him gone and with the nuclear and ballistic capability being beaten and degraded as it is,” Rutte said.\nWhy did Trump break the nuclear treaty with Iran?\nDuring Barack Obama's presidency in 2015, Iran and the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, Germany and the European Union agreed to ensure a peaceful nuclear program, and Iran agreed to limit its enrichment and uranium stockpiles in exchange for relief from many sanctions. In May 2018, Trump terminated U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, with Iran and reimposed energy, petrochemical and financial sanctions lifted under the deal. At the time, he said, “The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.”\nTrump said that Iran in 2015 was not honest about its nuclear weapons activity, that the deal didn’t address the threat of Iran’s missile program and did not include a strong enough mechanism for inspections and verification. He also said that it gave the regime a cash windfall that it used on a military buildup and to fund terrorism proxies like Hamas.\nPresident Joe Biden tried to revive U.S. participation during his term, but talks soon fizzled. The Trump administration was talking with Iran about a new deal before the 2026 strikes began.\nWhy are Democrats, in large part, united in their opposition to this Iran incursion?\nThe Democratic opposition to the war falls into a few camps.\nFirst, many believe there was no imminent danger to the United States, a prerequisite by law for the country to go to war without congressional approval. On those grounds, they opposed the war because they said it was illegal.\nSecondly, many are worried the war will broadly destabilize the Middle East. They think Trump was mistakenly emboldened by his intervention in Venezuela. But the Middle East is a far trickier place, and a prolonged regional war there carries a specific set of dangers that are arguably greater.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:06:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxQSVZ0d3lkNjhKdmdjUE1MQlVKcVczSC1Qbzd5RWZ5TWpXQjlMUVVJNjZGR0lhM2xISVVVQlNMcERBcFdMYWVRVEx1T3JMV2pTTnA0N1A2WVNfUlBCczF1LUY4cFRQempVZVN1N0I1TC1KNEU1ZWwxMG1MYU54Y3dpSnlacS1rSXd4T0p0THlkMm1KUWlKOHQ0?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_c660e876ba83",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel 'approved Lebanon attack' hours before Hezbollah rocket fire - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israel 'approved Lebanon attack' hours before Hezbollah rocket fire\nThe Israeli government approved an attack on Lebanon on Sunday night, hours before Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, Israel's Channel 12 News has reported.\nAccording to the report, senior Israeli security officials presented intelligence to the cabinet indicating that Hezbollah was planning to attack Israel.\nAs ministers weighed possible military responses, the report said their primary concern was securing international legitimacy for striking Lebanon.\nWithin minutes of discussion, the Israeli cabinet approved a military operation against Lebanon, but Hezbollah fired first on Sunday night.\nSources close to Hezbollah told Middle East Eye the group believed an Israeli war cabinet meeting was on the verge of taking a major decision against it that same night and decided to act first.\nThe sources added that Hezbollah viewed its attack on Israel as not merely retaliatory but also preemptive: a way to force an immediate shift on the ground, clear personnel and civilians from vulnerable areas and blunt the scale of casualties ahead of an anticipated Israeli attack.\nSince then, Israel has carried out widespread attacks in Beirut's southern suburbs, including Dahiyeh, and across southern and eastern Lebanon. At least 61 people have been killed and 335 wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry.\nChannel 12 reported that Israel's response \"will only intensify in the coming days, regardless of what Hezbollah chooses to do\".\nFor many Lebanese, the latest escalation revived memories of the devastating 66-day war Israel and Hezbollah fought in 2024.\nIts deadliest day, 23 September 2024, claimed 492 lives, and the two-day toll reached 569, marking one of Lebanon's bloodiest episodes in decades.\nAgainst this backdrop, people familiar with Hezbollah's thinking say that while this week's casualties were severe, they remained below the group's feared losses from a surprise Israeli assault.\nIsrael vows to destroy Hezbollah\nOn Monday, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz warned on X: \"Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for the firing toward Israel.\"\n\"Whoever follows in Khamenei's path will soon find himself together with him in the depths of hell, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil.\"\nAs Israel's aerial assault on Lebanon intensifies, the Israeli army has deployed additional troops to the south. The military has ordered residents across much of southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately and move north of the Litani River.\nLebanon's social affairs minister said on Wednesday that about 65,000 displaced people have registered at shelters across the country. Another 10,000 to 20,000 people have also been forced from their homes but are still travelling or staying temporarily with others while they register for assistance.\nOn Monday, the Lebanese government banned Hezbollah's military and security activities, as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the group to hand over its \"illegal\" weapons.\nThat day, Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned that war will not end \"before the threat from Lebanon is removed\".\n\"We will conclude the campaign when not only Iran is harmed, but Hezbollah also suffers a very heavy blow. We will continue to insist that Hezbollah be disarmed,\" Zamir said, adding that the Lebanese government did not do enough to disarm it.\nIsraeli news site Ynet reported on Wednesday that Hezbollah fired around 30 rockets at Israel overnight. No civilian casualties were reported.\nHowever, the army spokesperson said that two soldiers were wounded in a Hezbollah attack.\nRafi Milo, head of Israel's Northern Command, claimed that Hezbollah had \"fallen into a strategic trap\", as the army executes an attack plan for the northern front that it has prepared over the past eight months.\nAccording to the Northern Command, so far Israel attacked around 250 targets across Lebanon, killing senior commanders in Hezbollah.\nAs the Israeli army said that about 300,000 Lebanese were forced to flee their homes in south Lebanon following expulsion orders, Milo vowed to strike Hezbollah \"with force across all areas of Lebanon, whether in Beirut, Tyre or Sidon\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:09:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOMjRiWHFNZlRCZ0t4OXpJZkdpMWt1ZE9ObjUyQkxsc056NVdsSlNQckRfWVVPQXJaRzl1dHI1OS12WTJRYzFXTjNOWGs2bUt1Q3RyZnl0STJ3dzRIdHNpaXBKQnNLRFRuUVVBS1I4YjNDeHRmYUg5SzlINXlvSzFyang3blNKMzhqcU5JQUZKM2Y2SVVCV29nQ1E2T1dnLU1sR0E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_2dbc651cfddf",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel 'approved Lebanon attack' hours before Hezbollah rocket fire",
    "body_text": "Israel 'approved Lebanon attack' hours before Hezbollah rocket fire \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Nadav Rapaport \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 15:22 \n \n \n \n \n Sources close to Hezbollah tell MEE the group expected an imminent Israeli attack and decided to act first \n \n \n \n \n Israeli military vehicles at the Israel-Lebanon border, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from northern Israel, 4 March 2026 (Reuters) \n Off \n The  Israeli  government approved an attack on  Lebanon  on Sunday night, hours before Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, Israel's Channel 12 News has  reported . \n According to the report, senior Israeli security officials presented intelligence to the cabinet indicating that Hezbollah was planning to attack Israel. \n As ministers weighed possible military responses, the report said their primary concern was securing international legiti",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:09:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-approved-lebanon-attack-hours-before-hezbollah-rocket-fire",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b8e26c58d973",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran Kept Loading Crude at Kharg Island Two Days After US Air Strikes - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iran Kept Loading Crude at Kharg Island Two Days After US Air Strikes    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:11:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPTS1mMUZYUVF2ODJ2VXg4VmZIa2lXVTZRNXhwQVFRX2NmTk54eEZKVlRNcUdldkkyeVFKbGRyS3dhWUhkNDgzTjduNXZKa2RoelRuTE5CQTAyamRnZG95Y0xvdFZ0T2dRd1AtVHN2T2JEaTBDcWxwOHZtclB4ZWIxWldqZGR3aVFpd21NQnlEYldBVE5VN000OHhwdnUzWTY3QkIwWW5tX1Zab0tNcng1c3poOFM?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_179e1939d643",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli security forces believe Iran government 'not close to collapse' - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Israeli security forces believe Iran government 'not close to collapse'\nThe Israeli security forces believe that Iran’s ruling establishment, despite suffering heavy losses from US-Israeli bombardment, is not close to collapsing, Walla reports.\nA source within the security forces told the Israeli news site that \"the Iranians have learnt\" from the last war between Israel and Iran in June 2025.\n\"They are still functioning militarily at a level that is between moderate and weak, but they are functioning. There is confusion there, there are major difficulties, but there are no signs of collapse,\" the military source said, adding that Iran is ready to replace anyone that Israel and the US eliminate.\nThe report said that Iran faces difficulties in aiming missile attacks towards Israel, so instead many attacks are targeting Arab Gulf countries.\nWalla’s report comes against the backdrop of contradicting statements from Israeli and US officials about the purpose of the war they initiated.\nOn Saturday, US President Donald Trump said that \"it has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon\", in reference to the Iranian government.\nLater that day, Trump called on the Iranian people to topple their government. \"Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,\" he said.\nOn Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced similar rhetoric in an interview with the American news network Fox.\n\"This is going to be a quick and decisive action, and we’re going to create the conditions first for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny to form their own democratically elected government,\" he said.\nHowever, in the last four days, the US administration has made shifting statements on the objective of the war, as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said it is \"not a so-called regime change war\".\nBrad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, said on Tuesday that the US military carried out attacks on 2,000 targets across Iran. In addition, according to reports, the Israeli army attacked more than 1,500 targets.\nHowever, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an Israeli think tank affiliated with Tel Aviv University, said that Iran has managed to fire a large number of missiles and drones in response.\nAccording to the INSS report from Wednesday, Iran has launched some 200 ballistic missiles and around 100 drones toward Israel in 123 different waves of attacks since hostilities broke out on Saturday.\nIn addition, the Iranian military fired some 500 ballistic missiles and about 2,000 drones toward the Gulf Arab states.\nThe report said that despite the fact that Iran \"views Israel as its primary enemy, Tehran concentrates most of its firepower on its closer neighbours\".\nAccording to the INSS, Iran fired 812 drones and 186 ballistic missiles at Israel's close ally the UAE, with lower numbers directed at Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQTWgwMnRMRlJ4d2NSemxfcW9ELVQ3eGFoVTkwZXl1RTMtUld1TnhpUnpKMVlVZXhzTFNQS3FocjFCVHBNSTZlaFBSNnVKRExYR19pSWIwbGFrbmZiRC1CRlM4X0QtZ2w2azd3eVQzeGV3bmNGX1FBVEdMdVdqZHdsWEJOV09BeDNpY25BczF4RkxNVTVscTVIUi1fc19MdVpGSnlF?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_09d0fa964043",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli security forces believe Iran government 'not close to collapse'",
    "body_text": "Israeli security forces believe Iran government 'not close to collapse' \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Nadav Rapaport \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 16:51 \n \n \n \n \n Source tells Israeli news site Walla that Iran is functioning militarily despite heavy blows \n \n \n \n \n A flight deck crew member signalling an F‑35 jet on a US aircraft carrier (Centcom via Reuters) \n On \n The  Israeli  security forces believe that  Iran’s  ruling establishment, despite suffering heavy losses from  US -Israeli bombardment, is not close to collapsing, Walla reports. \n A source within the security forces  told  the Israeli news site that \"the Iranians have learnt\" from the last war between Israel and Iran in June 2025. \n \"They are still functioning militarily at a level that is between moderate and weak, but they are functioning. There is confusion there, there are major difficulties, but there are no signs of collapse,\" the military source said, adding that Iran is ready to replace anyone that Israel and the US e",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:15:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-security-forces-believe-iran-government-not-close-collapse",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_50595a9668c1",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli strikes killed 72 people since Monday: Lebanese health ministry",
    "body_text": "Israeli strikes killed 72 people since Monday: Lebanese health ministry \n \n \n \n Lebanon's health ministry is reporting that Israeli attacks across the country have killed 72 people and displaced over 83,000 since Israel renewed its assault on Monday. \n The ministry confirmed in a statement that another 437 had been wounded in the attacks, while the minister of social affairs said that 83,847 displaced people are now housed in official shelters. \n Israel launched strikes across Lebanon on Monday following retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah in response to the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. \n Israel's Channel 12 News  reported  that the Israeli government approved the attack on Lebanon on Sunday night, hours before Hezbollah launched its first rockets.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:18:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-strikes-kill-72-people-monday",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f48d1b2a1462",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "How the US-Israeli war on Iran created a massive hole in global airspace",
    "body_text": "Airlines are using long readied contingency plans, but bottlenecks have formed that no amount of planning can fix Middle East crisis – live updates A war engulfing the Middle East has cleared the region’s skies, forcing airlines to make drastic rerouting plans and leaving a massive void in usually busy global airspace. With Israel and the US bombing Iran day after day – and Tehran responding with  waves of missiles and drones attacks  – airlines have been forced to divert their passenger jets away from the Gulf or risk a catastrophic accident.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:21:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/how-the-us-israeli-war-on-iran-created-a-massive-hole-in-global-airspace",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_eaab16acfde6",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "The Iran war has upended flights across the Middle East. Here’s what travelers should know - AP News",
    "body_text": "The Iran war has upended flights across the Middle East. Here’s what travelers should know\nThe Iran war has upended flights across the Middle East. Here’s what travelers should know\nNEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. and Israel’s joint war against Iran has already upended travel across the Middle East, stranding hundreds of thousands of people. And the future is anything but certain.\nExperts stress that flights scheduled in the coming days and weeks could continue to see disruptions — causing ripple effects globally, especially as the war widens with retaliatory strikes in the Gulf states. Beyond the Middle East, airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia.\nAmid airspace closures across the region, many carriers have been forced to either cancel flights or shift to longer routes. That’s straining operating costs and ticket prices, both of which could become more expensive if airlines have to pay more for fuel the longer the war drags on. In the near future, experts recommend postponing unnecessary travel if possible, checking refund or insurance policies and, most importantly, monitoring safety advisories.\n“This is not a normal delay story. This is a conflict zone airspace story,” said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation — stressing that halted traffic and guidance from carriers, airports and governments may shift each day, if not by the hour. “Travelers should absolutely expect uncertainty.”\nHere’s what travelers should know about upcoming trips.\nMonitor advisories and other safety information\nSince the U.S. and Israel launched attacks over the weekend, retaliatory strikes and other developments have unfolded rapidly. Iran says more than 1,000 people have been killed in the war so far. For travelers across the region, experts stress the importance of following safety guidance and updates from government officials.\nA handful of governments have also issued travel advisories and emergency evacuation orders. The U.S. State Department urged all U.S. citizens to immediately leave Iran and Israel, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen using any available commercial transportation — and Secretary of State Marco Rubio pleaded for the media to publicize ways to help Americans evacuate. Meanwhile, countries like China, Italy, France and Germany moved to organize evacuation efforts for their citizens.\nExperts like Shahidi say travelers should monitor these travel advisories from governments and embassies to make sure they have the latest information. And because so many people are still stranded amid swaths of cancellations and airspace closures, it may be wise to reconsider upcoming trips, if possible.\n“If travel is optional, consider postponing it,” Shahidi said. “But if it’s necessary, then make sure that you get refundable or changeable fares.”\nTravelers should also monitor updates from airports and airlines. Long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with Doha-based Qatar Airways all temporarily suspended certain routes, citing airspace closures and safety requirements.\nPhysically getting to the airport has also been a challenge. And amid surges in demand, passengers have been instructed not to go to their airport unless their flight is confirmed. Oman Air also advised that guests who may be traveling through a nearby land border to connect to flights from Muscat arrive at the crossing at least 12 hours prior to their departure, “as traffic volumes remain high.”\nRead the fine print of refunds and insurance\nMany airlines are taking refund requests or offering free rebooking — but such options are often limited to specific dates or routes, so it’s important for travelers to check carriers’ individual websites for more information. For future trips, buying refundable tickets now may provide more flexibility.\nBeyond what individual airlines can offer, some may also seek travel insurance. But it’s important to read the fine print, particularly exclusions listed under specific policies.\n“Acts of war and civil unrest are typically excluded because they’re unpredictable,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of travel insurance agency InsureMyTrip. Consumers could still buy coverage for delays, she added, but travel insurance is “designed to make you whole,” and if an airline does everything to rebook you or offers a refund, you may not have an added claim.\nChristina Tunnah, of World Nomads Travel Insurance, reiterates that the majority of her firm’s policies excludes coverage for losses resulting from acts of war, although someone might be able to get compensation in certain scenarios — such as if they purchase a “cancel for any reason” plan. Still, the traveler would have to cancel within a certain time frame.\nTunnah adds that once an event is known, it’s unlikely to be covered. So if a consumer has not already purchased traveler insurance, many insurers may have added restrictions to impacted destinations.\nBrace for longer flights and higher ticket prices\nBeyond cancellations, many carriers are now taking longer routes to avoid closed airspace. Shahidi noted that includes not only closures stemming from this current war but also previous conflicts worldwide.\nLonger routes can be more expensive. It’s industry standard for carriers to pay “overflight fees” when flying through other countries’ airspace — which there could be more of now. And, of course, longer flights need more fuel.\n“Those costs will be passed on to the passengers,” explained Bryan Terry, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy. If the conflict continues, he said, travelers should “anticipate that some carriers will likely impose fuel surcharges” or increase existing fees.\nPassengers have already reported seeing sky-high ticket prices. Experts say those immediate hikes more likely reflect supply and demand as thousands of flights were canceled. But the costs of those longer routes — paired with oil prices that have already spiked since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks — could trickle down to consumers further ahead.\nThe price of crude oil is a key component for jet fuel, which accounted for about 30% of airlines’ operating costs as of 2024, according to research from the International Air Transport Association.\nMany routes within the next week are completely sold out or have exorbitant prices for last remaining seats. The market currently shows those costs, while still elevated, are lower for trips booked further out, Terry notes — but, again, if the war drags on or worsens, “those conditions could change at a moment’s notice.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxPRzhoMXdRQ3EtVnZZOWxLMkFWVVl1a1dsQS05NVFuLTRualBkZU5DT3BZdlV1YXZ3VTd3WkxwTFY0Z0pxQ0dwb2kzdUpHRzZGOW4wRWFDanVsdjE5ZXFrTzBGbTZ2czR3YWRoV2FFX29HV0d6alV4amR3X2U5OVJ0a3ZrSHc0dzBBSDhmckZILUtVV3BWamtKaEx3?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f7304a7aa8b6",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli troops near Lebanon's Khaim",
    "body_text": "Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli troops near Lebanon's Khaim \n \n \n \n Hezbollah has claimed an attack on Israeli troops near the southern Lebanese town of Khiam. \n In a statement, the group said its fighters detonated an explosive device, which was followed by clashes with Israeli troops. It added that there were casualties among Israeli soldiers. \n In a separate statement, the group claimed a rocket attack on Israeli soldiers gathered in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:28:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/hezbollah-claims-attack-israeli-troops-near-lebanons-khaim",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_93dc3e7068a2",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Congress is taking its first votes on the Iran war as debate rages about US goals - AP News",
    "body_text": "Senate Republicans vote down legislation to halt Iran war in Congress’ first vote on the conflict\nSenate Republicans vote down legislation to halt Iran war in Congress’ first vote on the conflict\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted down an effort Wednesday to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy.\nThe legislation, known as a war powers resolution, failed on a 47-53 vote tally. The vote fell mostly along party lines, though Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted in favor and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against.\nThe war powers resolution gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.\nUnderscoring the gravity of the moment, Democratic senators filled the Senate chamber and sat at their desks as the voting got underway. Typically, senators step into the chamber to cast their vote, then leave.\n“Today every senator — every single one — will pick a side,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote. “Do you stand with the American people who are exhausted with forever wars in the Middle East or stand with Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth as they bumble us headfirst into another war?”\nSen. John Barrasso, second in Senate Republican leadership, said during the debate that GOP senators were sending a message that Democrats are wrong for forcing a vote on the war powers resolution.\n“Democrats would rather obstruct Donald Trump than obliterate Iran’s national nuclear program,” he added.\nTrump administration scrambles for congressional support\nAP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on Congress weighing in amid the war against Iran.\nAfter launching a surprise attack against Iran on Saturday, Trump has scrambled to win support for a conflict that Americans of all political persuasions were already wary of entering. Trump administration officials have been a frequent presence on Capitol Hill this week as they try to reassure lawmakers that they have the situation under control.\nDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the war could extend eight weeks, a longer time frame than has previously been floated by the Trump administration. He also acknowledged that Iran is still able to carry out missile attacks even as the U.S. tries to control the country’s airspace.\nU.S. service members “remain in harm’s way, and we must be clear-eyed that the risk is still high,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same press conference.\nSix U.S. military members were killed over the weekend in a drone strike in Kuwait.\nRepublican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa acknowledged the human costs of the war in her floor speech. Two of the soldiers killed Sunday were from Iowa and a National Guard unit from her state was also attacked in Syria in December, resulting in the deaths of two other soldiers.\n“But now is our opportunity to bring an end to the decades of chaos,” said Ernst, who herself served as an officer in the Iowa National Guard for two decades.\n“The sooner the better,” she added.\nTrump has also not ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops. He has said he is hoping to end the bombing campaign within a few weeks, but his goals for the war have shifted from regime change to stopping Iran from developing nuclear capabilities to crippling its navy and missile programs.\n“We should be careful about opening a door into chaos in the Middle East when we cannot see the other side of it,” Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said in a solemn floor speech after the vote concluded.\nHe said he was praying for “grace to find a path forward together where more do not needlessly join those who have already fallen in this new war in the Middle East.”\nLawmakers go on record\nThe votes in Congress this week represented potentially consequential markers of just where lawmakers stand on the war as they look ahead to midterm elections and the consequences of the conflict.\n“Nobody gets to hide and give the president an easy pass or an end-run around the Constitution,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat leading the war powers resolution.\nRepublican leaders have successfully, though narrowly, defeated a series of war powers resolutions pertaining to several other conflicts that Trump has entered or threatened to enter. This one, however, was different.\nUnlike Trump’s military campaigns against alleged drug boats or even Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the attack on Iran represents an open-ended conflict that is already ricocheting across the region. Several senators who have voted for previous war powers resolutions noted that they opposed this one because it applied to a conflict that is already raging.\n“Passing this resolution now would send the wrong message to Iran and to our troops,” said GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. “At this juncture, providing unequivocal support to our service members is critically important, as is ongoing consultation by the administration with Congress.”\nHouse vote looms\nOn the other side of the Capitol, an intense debate over the war unfolded before a vote Thursday. The House first debated a resolution presented by GOP leadership affirming that Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.\nRep. Brian Mast, the GOP chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, publicly thanked Trump for taking action against Iran, saying the president is using his own constitutional authority to defend the U.S. against the “imminent threat” of Iran.\nMast, an Army veteran who worked as a bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan, said the Democratic resolution was effectively asking “that the president do nothing.”\nRep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs panel, said before the debate that the hardest votes he has taken in Congress have been to decide whether to send U.S. troops to war. “Our young men and women’s lives are on the line,” he said, his voice showing emotion as he emerged from a closed-door briefing late Tuesday with Trump officials.\nAt a news conference Wednesday, several Democratic members who are also veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars spoke about the heavy costs of those conflicts.\nOne of them was Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. “I learned when I was fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, that when elites in Washington bang the war drums, pound their chest, talk about the costs of war and act tough, they’re not talking about them doing it, they’re not talking about their kids,” Crow said. “They’re talking about working class kids like us.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:32:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxNLW1Gc21acldwa1JKNUx5U1VrcUo5UDMydW1jXy1UeGNkaE05ZVVDelVJUGxRZEtzby14T2l2Q0FnekJjX3R0TmUya1E1anVSOUR1MjBLQkFKQVZ4bjZvMmhFQ2JOZVhnTk5jblpFd3JjS3NiMXhsaDdDcFNSRGt1T2Q2dUxGTjhVb0hrU3VSMmZQQ0JXeEE?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_513b68cd00ab",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "74 retired US generals, admirals back Iran strikes, warn Tehran seeks to ‘spill American blood’",
    "body_text": "Seventy-four retired U.S. generals and admirals publicly endorse joint military operations with Israel targeting Iran's regional threats and capabilities.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:33:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/74-retired-us-generals-admirals-back-iran-strikes-warn-tehran-seeks-spill-american-blood",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4a82f1e7797a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Portuguese leader, in contrast with Spain, defends decision to let US use base in Iran campaign",
    "body_text": "LISBON, March 4 (Reuters) - Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro defended his decision to let the United States use the Lajes airbase on Portugal's Azores Islands during the Iran bombing campaign, a position at odds with that of neighbour Spain which refused such requests.  A longstanding agreement with the United States allows Washington to use the base without prior authorisation during peacetime, but required Portugal to give approval once hostilities began.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:36:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/portuguese-leader-contrast-spain-defends-decision-let-us-use-base-iran-campaign",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_06d950c3a17f",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "A son of Iran’s late supreme leader is a possible candidate to replace his father as war rages - AP News",
    "body_text": "A son of Iran’s late supreme leader is a possible candidate to replace his father as war rages\nA son of Iran’s late supreme leader is a possible candidate to replace his father as war rages\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has long been considered a contender to the post of the country’s next paramount ruler — even before an Israeli strike killed his father at the start of the war last week and despite the fact he’s has never been elected or appointed to a government position.\nA secretive figure within the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since Saturday, when the Israeli airstrike targeting the supreme leader’s offices killed his 86-year-old father. Also killed were the younger Khamenei’s wife, Zahra Haddad Adel, who came from a family long associated with the country’s theocracy.\nKhamenei is believed to still be alive and likely has gone into hiding as American and Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Iran, though state-run Iranian media have not reported on his whereabouts.\nProfile of Khamenei’s son rises after airstrike\nMojtaba Khamenei’s name continues to circulate as a possible candidate to replace his father, something that had been criticized in the past as potentially creating a theocratic version of Iran’s former hereditary monarchy.\nAP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports a son of Iran’s late supreme leader could replace him.\nBut now with his father and wife considered by hard-liners as martyrs in the war against America and Israel, Khamenei’s stock likely has risen with the aging clerics of the 88-seat Assembly of Experts who will select the country’s next supreme leader.\nWhoever becomes the leader will gain control of an Iranian military now at war and a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that could be used to build a nuclear weapon — should he choose to decree it.\nKhamenei had occupied a similar role to that of Ahmad Khomeini, a son of Iran’s first Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini — “a combination of aide-de-camp, confidant, gatekeeper and power broker,” according to United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S.-based pressure group.\nBorn into dissent\nBorn in 1969 in the city of Mashhad, some 10 years before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that would sweep Iran, Khamenei grew up as his father agitated against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.\nAn official biography on Ali Khamenei’s life recounts one moment when the shah’s secret police, the SAVAK, broke into their home and beat the cleric. Woken up after, Mojtaba and the rest of Khamenei’s children were told their father was going on vacation.\n“But I told them, ‘There is no need to lie.’ I told them the truth,” the elder Khamenei was quoted as saying.\nAfter the fall of the shah, Khamenei’s family moved to Tehran, Iran’s capital. Khamenei would go on to fight in the Iran-Iraq war with the Habib ibn Mazahir Battalion, a division of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard that would see several of its members ascend to powerful intelligence positions within the force — likely with the backing of the Khamenei family.\nHis father became supreme leader in 1989 — and soon Mojtaba Khamenei and his family had access to the billions of dollars and business assets spread across Iran’s many bonyads, or foundations, funded from state industries and other wealth once held by the shah.\nPower rises with his father’s\nHis own power rose alongside his father’s, working within his offices in downtown Tehran. U.S. diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks in the late 2000s began referring to the younger Khamenei as “the power behind the robes.” One recounted an allegation that Khamenei actually tapped his own father’s phone, served as his “principal gatekeeper” and had been forming his own power base within the country.\nKhamenei “is widely viewed within the regime as a capable and forceful leader and manager who may someday succeed to at least a share of national leadership; his father may also see him in that light,” a 2008 cable read, also noting his lack of theological qualifications and age.\n“Mojtaba is, however, due to his skills, wealth, and unmatched alliances, reportedly seen by a number of regime insiders as a plausible candidate for shared leadership of Iran upon his father’s demise, whether that demise is soon or years in the future,” it said.\nKhamenei has worked closely with Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, both with commanders of its expeditionary Quds Force and its all-volunteer Basij that violently suppressed nationwide protests in January, the U.S. Treasury has said.\nThe United States sanctioned him in 2019 during the first term of U.S President Donald Trump over working to “advance his father’s destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives.”\nThat includes allegations that Khamenei from behind the scenes supported the election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 and his disputed re-election in 2009 that sparked the Green Movement protests.\nMahdi Karroubi, who was a presidential candidate in 2005 and 2009, denounced Khamenei as “a master’s son” and alleged he interfered in both votes. His father reportedly at the time said Khamenei was “a master himself, not a master’s son.”\nPowers of supreme leader at stake\nThere has been only one other transfer of power in the office of supreme leader of Iran, the paramount decision-maker since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died at age 86 after being the figurehead of the revolution and leading Iran through its eight-year war with Iraq.\nNow the new leader will come on board after the 12-day war with Israel and as a U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is seeking to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat and military power, hoping also the Iranian people will rise up against the Iranian theocracy.\nThe supreme leader is at the heart of Iran’s complex power-sharing Shiite theocracy and has final say over all matters of state. He also serves as the commander-in-chief of the country’s military and the Guard, a paramilitary force that the United States designated a terrorist organization in 2019, and which his father empowered during his rule.\nThe Guard, which has led the self-described “Axis of Resistance,” a series of militant groups and allies across the Middle East meant to counter the U.S. and Israel, also has extensive wealth and holdings in Iran. It also controls the country’s ballistic missile arsenal.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:39:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNUHQ0VTA1V1NYNzBoNW5sSUdMdFhVRlpIN0RFNExrdVBKSzdVZE9GbTlBOUh2TDJIa0xNVDFlSThhRmVGZENKOGlLLVlYNi05cnlQOXA1MFpFVllwVGZKWFZqRFFSZ256LTdNUUVJcVVfTjRtYnQ3Qk53ZHI3XzFHVW5BQk5kWXlPdjdiSWJubmxCcEdETElScHQwbGhxWjJG?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5bca5130b884",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Ros Atkins on...how has President Trump's message on war changed?",
    "body_text": "The BBC's Analysis Editor Ros Atkins charts how the Trump administration’s messaging on war has shifted in his second term.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:43:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c4g00zngg13o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_fb53deb28ff6",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Energy bills could rise by £160 after Iran conflict pushes gas prices higher",
    "body_text": "Household costs could reach £1,800 a year from July as UK market hits three-year high Middle East crisis – live updates Household energy bills could climb by £160 a year from this summer after the war in Iran pushed the UK’s gas market to a three-year high. A typical combined household gas and electricity bill could reach £1,800 a year in Great Britain under the government’s quarterly price cap from July, according to analysis by Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:46:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/mar/04/iran-conflict-energy-bills-gas-prices",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_03b00ac0b8fb",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US soldiers who died in the Iran war remembered for their service and devotion to their families - AP News",
    "body_text": "Last 2 names of 6 US soldiers who died in Kuwait attack identified by the Pentagon\nSgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, was posthumously promoted from specialist after a strike at a command center in Kuwait killed him and five other U.S. service members. (AP video by Mark Vancleave)\nWEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The last two names of the six U.S. soldiers killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait were released Wednesday by the Pentagon, and they are from California and Iowa.\nThe soldiers identified Wednesday were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, and Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa.\nThe six members of the Army Reserve, who worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment, died Sunday when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.\nThe Pentagon said Marzan was at the scene when a drone strike hit the command center and is “believed to be the individual who perished at the scene,” according to the statement. A medical examiner will confirm identification, the Pentagon said.\nPublic records appeared to show Marzan living in Virginia but with family in the Sacramento area. Family members couldn’t immediately be reached or declined to comment.\nThe Pentagon listed O’Brien’s hometown as Indianola, a suburb of Des Moines. A person answering the door at a home address in Waukee, another suburb of Des Moines, did not comment, saying the family would release a statement.\nThe four soldiers previously identified by the Pentagon were: Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa,; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.\nAll were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.\n“Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is,” President Donald Trump said of the deaths. Trump will attend the dignified transfers of the soldiers when they arrive in the U.S., the White House said Wednesday. The ritual honors service members killed in action.\nIowa Gov. Kim Reynolds released a statement Wednesday offering prayers and condolences for the families of the Iowa residents killed.\n“Our hearts are broken by the deaths of Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sergeant Declan Coady, two brave Iowa soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure freedom and peace,” Reynolds said.\nNearly 15 years of service\nO’Brien was promoted to major in August 2024, according to a Facebook post, which shows him alongside two young children. He served in the Army Reserve for nearly 15 years, according to his LinkedIn.\nThe signal officer and information systems engineer in the Army Reserve was a manager of defensive cyber operations at an Iowa-based cybersecurity company, according to his LinkedIn. He had a career spanning two decades in information and cybersecurity.\nO’Brien is survived by a wife and children, according to his aunt, Mary Melchert, who posted on Facebook. Melchert said O’Brien “was the sweetest blue-eyed, blonde farm kid you’d ever know. He is so missed already.”\nLoving husband and father\nMarzan’s sister described him on Facebook as a “strong leader” and loving husband, father and brother.\n“My baby brother, you are loved and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart,” Elizabeth Marzan wrote.\nCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom and acting Gov. Eleni Kounalakis offered condolences to Robert Marzan’s wife and family in a statement Wednesday, saying flags at the state Capitol will remain at half-staff in his honor.\nThey described him as “a courageous Californian whose service to our nation was marked by honor and distinction.”\nA mother of 2 who loved gardening\nAmor was just days away from returning to her husband and children.\n“She was almost home,” her husband, Joey Amor, said Tuesday. “You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first — it hurts.”\nAmor was an avid gardener who enjoyed making salsa from the peppers and tomatoes she grew with her son, a high school senior. She enjoyed rollerblading and bicycling with her fourth-grade daughter.\nA week before the drone attack, Amor was moved off-base to a shipping container-style building that had no defenses, her husband said.\n“They were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places,” he said.\n‘He loved being a soldier’\nCoady had been checking in with his family from Kuwait every hour or two after the U.S. and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran, even as Iran launched retaliatory strikes.\nWhen he didn’t respond to messages Sunday, “most of us started to wonder,” Coady’s father, Andrew, told The Associated Press. “Your gut starts to get a feeling.”\nCoady recently told his father he had been recommended for a promotion from specialist to sergeant, a rank he received posthumously.\nHe was among the youngest people in his class, trained to troubleshoot military computer systems, but he impressed his instructors, Andrew Coady said Tuesday.\n“He trained hard, he worked hard, his physical fitness was important to him. He loved being a soldier,” Coady said. “He was also one of the most kindest people you would ever meet, and he would do anything and everything for anyone.”\nDeclan Coady, an Eagle Scout, was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines, and he wanted to become an officer.\n“I still don’t fully think it’s real,” his sister Keira Coady said. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”\nA calling to serve his country\nKhork was very patriotic and wanted to serve in the military from childhood, his family said in a statement Tuesday.\nHe enlisted in the Army Reserve and joined Florida Southern College’s ROTC program.\n“That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” his mother, Donna Burhans; father, James Khork; and stepmother, Stacey Khork; said in a statement.\nKhork, who loved history, had a degree in political science.\nHis family described him as “the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him.”\nAbbas Jaffer posted Monday on Facebook about his friend of 16 years.\n“My best friend, best man, and brother gave his life defending our country overseas,” Jaffer said.\nA dedicated instructor and mentor\nTietjens, who came from a military family, previously served alongside his father in Kuwait. When he returned home in February 2010, he reunited with his overjoyed wife in a local church’s gym.\nTietjens’ cousin Kaylyn Golike asked for prayers, especially for Tietjens’ 12-year-old son, wife and parents, as they navigate “unimaginable loss.”\n“We lost a brave soldier this weekend and many hearts are broken,” Golike wrote on Facebook Tuesday.\nTietjens earned a black belt in Philippine Combatives and Taekwondo and was “an instructor who gave his time, discipline, and leadership to others,” the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance said on Facebook.\nArmy Staff Sgt. Jeff Coleman said Tietjens was his mentor.\n“You could call him day or night,” Coleman told KETV. “He always took the time, you know, he made you feel important.”\n___\nBoone contributed from Boise, Idaho, and Toropin from Washington. Associated Press reporters Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Josh Funk and Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; David Fischer in Miami; Hallie Golden in Seattle; and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California, contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:48:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxQX0h4NDhrdDhDYVlSX19IbUYxN2s3N0RQQ0xfaDB5Tk1tOUxPbldnZzZxcnNMY1ppZU5oRzEzaEkxeHA3eW0yeG1Jb0lBNXd6WnFVS3JNOWUwVFV4b2VmRmtLQVRvLXIzbmVBZmNIZHFvREF4RmVHcS1hRVM4Mm1rUUotSXRzOWtMNVZ3?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_694b7c94696b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Dollar Slides Most in a Month After Report on Iran Outreach - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Dollar Slides Most in a Month After Report on Iran Outreach    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:48:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQT2VKWlNzeWNvam5HZHNKalphZmxqUk1OX3d0YnpQZ1VmWGZxWXpwcmtMQ1gtcnlweGdpSHFWUnk0QXFFZUZ0el9QWU9xaE5qRDNaMGxFVnBMVVM1NTFKbS1XYnkzXzkyT1NPZ2FJMHBQWkxaS3RFYTV0WEktc3Uza0k2SUV2SkF1RXVBbTNENUU5dFJCRmF4d0xXRUw4SzhLV3NBTEtyQlJIWWN0TnJR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_292f5b80b68e",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Lebanese army conducts arrest campaign targeting non-state actors, including Hezbollah - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Lebanon’s cabinet banned Hezbollah’s military and security activities, prompting arrests of members and other non-state actors for illegal weapons possession.\nThe Lebanese Armed Forces announced 27 arrests and “exceptional security measures” to curb armed displays amid heightened tensions.\nOfficials emphasised the campaign is not solely targeting Hezbollah to avoid perceptions that could trigger civil strife.\nImplementation will be gradual due to limited state control and an underfunded, overstretched military, even as border tensions with Israel escalate.\n“Success will depend on the authorities’ ability to enforce the ban on the ground,” a Western diplomatic source said.\nThe Lebanese army has begun arresting members of Hezbollah and other non-state actors in accordance with an unprecedented cabinet decision outlawing the Iran-backed group’s military and security activities, two security sources told The National on Wednesday.\nThe decision to ban Hezbollah’s military wing – an unprecedented move taken earlier this week – marks the first such step amid widespread anger over the group’s move to reignite war with Israel on behalf of its ally, Iran, after 15 months of relative stability.\nThe Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on Wednesday announced the arrests of 26 Lebanese and one Palestinian in several areas over the past two days for illegally possessing weapons and ammunition, saying \"exceptional security measures are being implemented to prevent armed displays in various regions\".\nOne security source described those detained as “a mix” of non-state actors, including Hezbollah members carrying Kalashnikov rifles.\n“Each case involves illegal, unlicensed weapons,” he said. A second source confirmed those arrested were carrying “individual and light weapons”.\nBoth sources stressed that the LAF was not “necessarily” conducting an arrest campaign against Hezbollah – a reflection of the political and security sensitivity surrounding the issue.\nHezbollah declined to comment.\nAny perception that the army is directly pursuing Hezbollah risks triggering civil war, pitting the military against the powerful paramilitary group.\nThe arrest campaign appears to be part of a broader effort to mitigate the damage from Hezbollah’s renewed confrontation with Israel and to signal that the state is attempting to reassert authority within its borders.\nA Western diplomatic source told The National that the success of the ban on the group’s activities would directly shape the efforts of western allies to prevent “a major expansion of the conflict”.\n“But success will depend on the authorities’ ability to enforce the ban on the ground.”\nHowever, the LAF is chronically underfunded and overstretched, raising questions about its ability to sustain or deepen the campaign against the more powerful Lebanese group.\nA senior judicial official acknowledged implementation of the ban would be gradual “because we don’t have full control”.\n“Does it mean we can arrest all of them? No. It will be progressive,” he said.\nThe developments come as the LAF withdrew this week from several positions along the southern border after Israel said its troops were authorised to advance into and seize Lebanese territory.\nThe decision to withdraw LAF troops was made because soldiers manning the checkpoints lacked the capacity to defend themselves against Israel’s advances, a security source told The National at the time.\nMeanwhile Hezbollah, which was meant to have disarmed south of the Litani River under the November 2024 ceasefire, appears to have quickly rearmed in the south and continues launching attacks against Israeli troops.\nUnder the terms of the ceasefire, Israel was to halt attacks on Lebanon and fully withdraw its troops. Instead, the Israeli military maintained positions at least five points inside Lebanese territory and continued striking the south and other areas of the country on a near-daily basis – although not with the intensity seen during the war.\nThousands of people were displaced in the last war, and the vast majority of people from villages near the border have not been able to return or rebuild due to Israeli strikes over the last year and a half. Meanwhile, the US and Gulf allies tied Lebanon’s reconstruction to Hezbollah’s nationwide disarmament – something which Hezbollah had explicitly and repeatedly rejected, despite its willingness to disarm south of the Litani.\nFor now, Lebanon is in the throes of yet another war between Hezbollah and Israel. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from south Lebanon, parts of Beirut, and the Bekaa. Israel is once more striking with ferocity across parts of the country, while Hezbollah, more unpopular than ever, appears to be fighting an existential war on two fronts: against Israel, and within Lebanon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:49:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1gFBVV95cUxNX3RpdGdQQlJLV0dFV19oTTgwRUhWdlNNUXlYcmJZN0dTRXkxV2I3cVg5VkhJZV9ScWlmSTBxSUw2UVZwQVFXMUF2Q05xUWhDVFV1R3k3ZDZpOXpTaW9hekVZZENubkxrVDNscHlmbmR0YU9BQVdzUWpYVHcybDd2UTVjNllaWFdJSnRyX1hvRHB0djc0TC1lYTAyYWMzYkY2WS1NQ0REdHUtdzRidi10NFFZTmlab2RWSEFEaTRHb3pqdnI4OVo3YXVDc0ttSzJzSjBxTlBB?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_bc836eaec714",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US sinks Iranian warship as Iran warns of widespread destruction in the Middle East - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran launches missiles at Israel and US bases as Israeli military begins new strikes in Lebanon\nIran launches missiles at Israel and US bases as Israeli military begins new strikes in Lebanon\nDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched new strikes against Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East as aerial attacks resumed early Thursday after an American submarine sank an Iranian warship and Iran threatened the destruction of military and economic infrastructure across the region.\nIsrael announced multiple incoming missile attacks, and air sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iranian state television said additional strikes also targeted U.S. bases. The Israeli military said it had begun new strikes in Lebanon targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Beirut’s southern suburbs.\nThe fighting continued after the U.S. and Israel intensified their bombardment of Iran on Wednesday.\nThe tempo of the strikes on Iran was so intense that state television announced the mourning ceremony for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the conflict, would be postponed. Millions attended the funeral of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.\nThe U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran’s leadership, missile arsenal and nuclear program while suggesting that toppling the government is a goal. But the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.\nPresident Donald Trump praised the U.S. military Wednesday for “doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly.” Fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate stood with Trump on Iran as they voted down a resolution seeking to halt the war.\nIran fired on Bahrain, Kuwait and Israel as the conflict spiraled. Turkey said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkey’s airspace.\nThe war has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. It has disrupted the supply of the world’s oil and gas, snarled international shipping and stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers in the Middle East.\nThreats expanding across the Middle East\nNeighboring countries braced for potential dangers Thursday, a day after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened “the complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure.”\nQatar’s Interior Ministry said authorities were evacuating residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precaution, without providing further details.\nFighter jets could be heard overhead in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai.\nAnd a new attack off the coast of Kuwait appeared to expand the area where commercial shipping was in danger.\nAn explosion rocked the area early Thursday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center run by the British military. It said a tanker apparently came under attack, but the agency did not offer a cause. Iran in the past has attacked ships by attaching limpet mines to them.\nPrior attacks since fighting began Saturday have happened in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped.\nOil prices have soared as Iranian attacks have disrupted traffic through the strait, and global stock markets have been hammered over worries that the spike in oil prices may grind down the world economy.\nBuildings of Iranian military and security forces targeted\nU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a torpedo from an American submarine sank an Iranian warship Tuesday night in the Indian Ocean.\nSri Lankan authorities said 32 crew members were rescued, while its navy recovered 87 bodies.\nIsrael said it hit buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command as well as the Basij, an all-volunteer force of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard whose bloody crackdown on protesters in January left thousands dead.\nIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country’s forces have decentralized leadership, with units acting largely on their own, which could blunt the effect of attacks on top command and control hubs.\nShifting timelines for U.S. operations\nDuring his Pentagon briefing, Hegseth did not give a definitive timeline for U.S. operations.\n“You can say four weeks, but it could be six. It could be eight. It could be three,” he said. “Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we’re going to keep them off balance.”\nU.S. and Israeli military officials say launches from Iran have declined as their attacks have taken out ballistic missiles, launchers and drones. Israel’s Homefront Command announced it was easing restrictions that closed workplaces nationwide. It said workplaces could reopen Thursday if there’s a shelter nearby. Schools would remain closed.\nStill, explosions sounded early Thursday in Israel, which said its defensive systems were moving to intercept Iranian missiles.\nAt least 1,045 people have been killed in Iran, the country’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday. Eleven people have died in Israel. Six U.S. troops have been killed.\nThe death toll has exceeded 70 in Lebanon, where the health ministry and state news agency said at least eight people had been killed in strikes since Wednesday.\nIsrael says its offensive had been planned for midyear\nIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the offensive against Iran was originally planned for mid-2026, but “the need arose to bring everything forward to February.”\nHe listed events inside Iran, Trump’s positions and the possibility of “creating a combined operation” as reasons.\nThe protests in Iran put unprecedented pressure on its leadership. Trump threatened military action in response to the crackdown before shifting his attention to Iran’s disputed nuclear program.\nWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the U.S. launched its operation partly out of concern Iran might strike American personnel and assets in the region first. A phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the airstrikes began was also “important with respect to the timeline,” she said.\nIran’s clerics are choosing a new supreme leader\nIran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen.\nPotential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement. Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son, has long been considered among them — though he has never held a government position.\nIn a sign that Iran’s leadership will only seek to consolidate its power, the head of the judiciary warned that “those who cooperate with the enemy in any way will be considered an enemy.”\nIsrael’s defense minister, Katz, said on X that Iran’s next supreme leader — if he continues to threaten Israel, the U.S. and others — “will be a target for elimination.”\n___\nBecatoros contributed from Athens, Greece, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers David Rising in Bangkok; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok; Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan; Bharatha Mallawarachi in Colombo, Sri Lanka; Giovanna Dell’Orto in Miami and Kevin Schembri Orland in Valletta, Malta, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:50:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPSHNncUlOcDBNNmVnOE04S3hLWW1MSWhjZlhPMVZabUlNUDl2a1FEemxZaGlwUUNMXzAzc19NS2RwLUYwQ2thSkdUZHBtZS1tSERJcjRuSmp4WmtCSS0yRGMzbUhYcnlyc1M1U1Q2cHpscUpLWGJSeHRqaDB1aE9RN0N4VnBFSGhXLUtENWZyQk1ldw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7b7d5808cbcf",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Iranian girls killed by ‘double-tap’ strikes on Minab school - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Iranian girls killed by ‘double-tap’ strikes on Minab school\nThe girls’ school in Iran, where 165 people were killed by an apparent US-Israeli attack, was hit with two strikes, with the second missile killing sheltering survivors, two first responders and the parent of a slain child have told Middle East Eye.\n“When the first bomb hit the school, one of the teachers and the principal moved a group of students to the prayer hall to protect them,” one of the Red Crescent medics said, citing conversations he had at the time with survivors.\n“The principal called the parents and told them to come and pick up their children. But the second bomb hit that area as well. Only a small number of those who had taken shelter survived.”\nAlmost all the 165 people killed in the attack were girls aged between seven and 12, according to local officials. There were around 170 girls at the school in southern Iran’s Minab at the time.\nPrevious reports have suggested that parents were asked to collect their children from the school when US-Israeli strikes began on Saturday morning.\nHowever, Rohollah, the father of a girl killed in the second attack, told MEE that he was contacted by the school after it had already been attacked.\nMEE is not disclosing the identity of any of its sources in Minab for security reasons, and all names given are false.\n“They told us the school had been attacked,” the father said. “They asked us to come as quickly as possible and take our daughter home.”\nAccording to Rohollah, his daughter survived the first strike and was moved to the prayer hall. The second strike hit before he could reach her.\n'We could only identify her from her school bag, which she was still holding. She was completely burned'\n- Rohollah, father of slain girl\n“My little girl was completely burned,” he said.\n“There was nothing left of her. We could only identify her from her school bag, which she was still holding. She was completely burned.”\nRohollah recalls how his daughter wanted to become a doctor.\n“She used to tell me, ‘I promise I will become a doctor so you won’t have to pay medical bills anymore.’ I would hold her and say, ‘You are already my little doctor’,” he said.\n“When I saw her smile after coming home from work, all my pain disappeared. Now I don’t know what to do with this pain. I don’t know how to live with this.”\nRepeated tactic\nTwo strikes on the same target are often characterised as “double-tap” strikes, particularly if there is a brief pause between them and medics and other civilians arriving at the scene are killed in the follow-up attack.\nSince the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on Saturday, some Iranians have reported attacks that resembled double-tap strikes.\nA video circulating on social media shows one woman in central Tehran in distress saying: “They dropped one bomb, people went inside, then they bombed again. They killed people.\"\nAnother shows two men on a motorcycle, with one of them describing a near-death experience.\n“We went to drag out people from under the rubble, and then the jet returned twice and pounded the same location four more times. We would have been dead if we weren’t still under the rubble,” he says.\n“Double-tap strike” is an informal term for a tactic that is a war crime. It appears to have been previously used by Israel in Gaza and the US in the Caribbean as recently as last year.\nThe US and Israeli militaries have not replied to Middle East Eye’s request for comment.\nUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said his country's forces \"would not deliberately target a school\".\nIsrael and the US have both said they are investigating the incident at the school, which is called Shajareh Tayyebeh, or “the good tree” in Persian.\nSome social media accounts have misleadingly suggested that the school was bombed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This has been debunked.\nVideo footage of the aftermath of the attacks shows people massing outside the school in shock and horror.\nBlack plumes of smoke can be seen billowing from windows on its northeastern side, with massive destruction on the opposite end of the building, where the roof has collapsed.\nSmoke can also be seen rising from the two buildings MEE and others have identified as IRGC sites, which satellite imagery shows are around 200 metres from the school.\nAt least two IRGC sites in Minab were struck around the same time.\nA satellite image of the site taken on Wednesday shows damage sustained by several buildings in the IRGC compound near the school.\nWhile some buildings, like the school, appear to have been struck so forcefully that they collapsed, others appear to have a single hole in the roof.\nBoth Red Crescent medics who arrived on the scene told MEE they are certain that more girls were killed in the first strike on the school.\nIdentifying remains\nA mass funeral for the children was held in Minab on Tuesday.\nImages show large crowds filling the streets to honour the victims and rows of small graves dug in a cemetery around 8km from the school.\nAccording to an education ministry spokesperson, the destruction was so severe that 69 schoolgirls are yet to be identified and their remains are currently undergoing DNA testing.\nOne of the Red Crescent medics described the scene as “unbelievable”.\n“We saw bodies without heads, without hands, without legs,” he said.\nThe medic described dozens of severed limbs scattered around the school grounds. Some children were so badly burned that identifying them was extremely difficult.\n“Some parents recognised their children only because of the gold bracelets they were wearing,” he says.\nThe medic said he and his colleagues tried to collect the remains before the parents arrived, hoping to spare them from the worst scenes. But some parents arrived too early.\nNoor, the mother of an 11-year-old pupil at the school, was one of them.\nShe told MEE her daughter dreamed of becoming a television presenter and would sit in front of the TV and listen carefully to the news.\n“She would then sit at her small desk and try to speak like a news anchor,” Noor said.\nWhen Noor arrived at the school, she only found traces of her daughter.\n“There was nothing left of my child,” Noor said. “She was completely burned. How can I continue living with this grief? She was my only hope in life. She was all my love, my today and my tomorrow.”\nAccording to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 1,097 civilians have been killed across Iran since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began on Saturday.\nThough strikes have targeted senior officials and military and nuclear infrastructure, hospitals, homes and businesses have also been hit.\nA UN panel of experts has called the attack on the school “deeply disturbing” and demanded an investigation.\nIran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, has written to UN human rights chief Volker Turk, calling the attack \"unjustifiable\" and \"criminal\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:51:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMingFBVV95cUxNR0t0NGhlRUdiS1BqTVR5R1ZvbnprMXBlcG5RUHA1ay1mVGRneElOMnY5ZXlwNXpEaFpDVlRmWTR5eDJkMTdhYTVHSEpzXzNSNXhuc0h3c2RzZzV1UGxyUGZYLUhNamNvbk5SV1ltWjBPTGx1TDZ1WkNrbjhRbGRCYWc1WDQ5bjZYZVRlVFFpbTdBY1pFaV9iMGhXdmtoQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_69dc881cbabb",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Nearly 66,000 Afghans displaced amid fierce fighting on Pakistan border: UN",
    "body_text": "UN migration agency warns that escalating violence on Afghanistan-Pakistan border risks further displacement.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T17:53:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/nearly-66000-afghans-displaced-amid-fierce-fighting-on-pakistan-border-un?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_34010b20ea44",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Names and ages of children killed in strike on Iranian school - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Names and ages of children killed in strike on Iranian school\nOn Saturday morning, at least 165 people, most of them young girls and boys, were killed in a US-Israeli air strike on Iran's Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in the city of Minab, in Hormozgan province.\nThe children were killed in an apparent \"double tap\" strike, with the second missile fired killing sheltering survivors, two first responders and the parent of a child killed told Middle East Eye.\n“When the first bomb hit the school, one of the teachers and the principal moved a group of students to the prayer hall to protect them,” one of the Red Crescent medics said.\n“The principal called the parents and told them to come and pick up their children. But the second bomb hit that area as well. Only a small number of those who had taken shelter survived.”\n“I felt like I had gone mute. I couldn’t speak,” one staff member told MEE. “You could hear the sound of children crying and screaming.”\nOn Wednesday, days after the strike, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the US was \"investigating\" the strike.\nUsing sources including Iran's Gymnastics Federation, a handwritten list and the Tasnim news agency, MEE has collected the names and ages of 61 of those killed in the strikes.\nThe list includes 25 boys, 26 girls, eight women, one man and a two-month-old baby. These names are listed below.\n1. Hana Dehqani, eight years old\n2. Fatemeh Salari, 34 years old\n3. Reza Habashian, seven years old\n4. Arya Bahadori, nine years old\n5. Ali Asghar Zaeri, eight years old\n6. Zahra Bahrami, seven years old\n8. Hamed Par-ashegh-nezhad, seven years old\n9. Fatemeh Yazdan-panah, young girl, age unknown\n10. Mahdis Nazari, seven years old\n11. Athena Chamani-nezhad, six years old\n12. Amirghasem Zaeri, seven years old\n13. Fatemeh Dorazehi, 10 years old\n14. Arad Ahmadizadeh, eight years old\n16. Fatemeh Shahdadi, age unknown\n17. Nadia Shahmiri, nine years old\n18. Parham Ranjbari, nine years old\n19. Mahmoud Gholamyani, 35 years old\n20. Fatemeh Rahdar, 10 years old\n21. Amir-Hassan Rasouli, eight years old\n22. Zahra Behrouzi, eight years old\n23. Mohammadhatam Raisi, 10 years old\n24. Asna Raisi, 12 years old\n26. Mohammad-Sadra Zarei, eight years old\n27. Maryam Pazark, 10 years old\n28. Liana Mohammadi, seven years old\n29. Mandana Salari, 29 years old\n30. Sara Shayesteh, five years old\n31. Zoha Pasand, eight years old\n32. Esra Zakeri, nine years old\n33. Salma Zakeri, six years old\n34. Fatemeh Taherifard, 29 years old\n35. Zahra Ansari, seven years old\n36. Fatemeh Fadavi, 10 years old\n38. Athareh Zarei, 10 years old\n39. Alireza Zarei, nine years old\n40. Mohammadreza Shahsavari, eight years old\n41. Samira Basarde, 38 years old\n42. Ehsan Saleminia, six years old\n43. Fatemeh Zahra Karimi, seven years old\n44. Zeynab Bahrami, 10 years old\n45. Mohammad Shah-dousti, eight years old\n46. Reza Barani, seven years old\n47. Athena Ahmadzadeh, 10 years old\n48. Khadijeh Darvishi, nine years old\n49. Roqayyeh Karimi, 42 years old\n50. Reza Ranjbar, six years old\n52. Mohammad-Mehdi Chegini, 10 years old\n53. Mohammadian Bahrami, 17 years old\n54. Ali-Akbar Karyani Pak, eight years old\n55. Hananeh Mehdikhah, seven years old\n56. Fereshteh Sangarzadeh, 44 years old\n57. Mohammad-Ali Karyani Pak, seven years old\n58. Parsa Mokhtari-nasab, 12 years old\n59. Arina Arab-Kish, eight years old\n60. Makan Nasiri, 12 years old\n61. Esra Farahi-Zadeh, young girl, age unknown",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxPaTlvaFBqTjFiUDlrWlRoMUE2WGxWbUc0SUtLU3hEc0RfWDVRbVNSRlpJQ09QUEVwSFNhdmphQU5ncFdzUlctdWNsMDREc2ppZmpocFlRelRJUEZOUkVOZE5McWJ4YVpKMlhOS0ViaEhRaU4yMEJGU0ptTnRRSy1GMVVaRVhiMms?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ab99685e9d0f",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Names and ages of children killed in strike on Iranian school",
    "body_text": "Names and ages of children killed in strike on Iranian school \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n MEE staff \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 15:54 \n \n \n \n \n MEE has collected the names and ages of some of those killed in the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school strike \n \n \n \n \n A collage of some of the children killed in the strike on a school in Minab (Iranian media) \n On \n On Saturday morning, at least 165 people, most of them young girls and boys, were killed in a  US - Israeli  air strike on  Iran 's Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in the city of Minab, in Hormozgan province. \n The children were killed in an apparent \"double tap\" strike, with the second missile fired killing sheltering survivors, two first responders and the parent of a child killed told Middle East Eye. \n “When the first bomb hit the school, one of the teachers and the principal moved a group of students to the prayer hall to protect them,” one of the Red Crescent medics said. \n “The principal called the parents and told them to",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:00:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/names-and-ages-children-iranian-school-strike",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2712ee85e18e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "The ripples of war: inside the 6 March Guardian Weekly",
    "body_text": "The global consequences of Trump’s big gamble.  Plus  Can the Louvre recover its joie de vivre? Get the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home address Some weeks I head out of the office on a Friday afternoon with an uneasy feeling that our best-laid plans for next week’s Guardian Weekly might not look quite the same by Monday. This was one of those weeks. While the scope and power of the US-Israel attack on Iran – not least the successful targeting of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other senior leaders – took many by surprise, the drums of war had been building for a while. With hindsight, last week’s failed nuclear talks may simply have been cover for what was to come.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:00:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/mar/04/the-ripples-of-war-inside-the-6-march-guardian-weekly",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_05d3c3f29658",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Israel expects weeks-long war against Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Israel expects weeks-long war against Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:04:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBhdVktazVlQ0V1RlItNGNZREJJNU1QS1lkOWNxMWJnNUlqMFI3eENiT3YzdTdNTlBPNFlrZE53aGtKQjJ2Nm9jNWVnSTRYRzVBeDE0MHNHdTNpYV9hZzFpd3VIRm93al9zbHQyX1JCalM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_efa60e5528a4",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Which countries are involved in the Iran-US war? What to know. - USA Today",
    "body_text": "Which countries are involved in the Iran-US war? What to know.\nThe war between the United States and Iran continues to escalate and pull in other Middle Eastern countries and beyond into the conflict, which launched when the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran early Feb. 28 in a campaign that killed the nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dozens of top officials and hit more than 1,250 targets inside the country.\nWhile the war began specifically between the U.S., Israel and Iran, other countries are entering the conflict as it becomes more geopolitically complicated. While some Middle Eastern U.S. military bases have been targets of strikes, other countries and U.S. allies are defending against drone attacks, including France, the United Kingdom, and Greece.\nHere's what we know about which countries are involved with the conflict.\nWhat countries are involved in the war?\nMore countries have quickly gotten involved with the war following the initial strikes on Feb. 28. Multiple areas in the Middle East, including Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Bahrain, Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, have been targets or intercepted attack drones, missiles and bombers.\nAs previously reported by USA TODAY, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. allies in the Middle East have been shooting down missiles and drones with precision, while Iran fired more than 500 missiles and launched 2,000 drones indiscriminately.\nJordanian air defenses intercepted a cluster of one-way attack drones headed to Oman, Caine said. Bahrain’s air defense forces shot down an in-bound drone heading toward the capital of Manama’s maritime infrastructure, to protect their shipping lanes. Saudi Arabia’s Patriot batteries stopped a salvo of ballistic missiles aimed at energy facilities. The United Arab Emirates neutralized multiple drones targeting Abu Dhabi’s industrial zone. Qatari fighters shot down two Iranian bombers.\n“Together these nations are helping to defend themselves and project power as required against the enemy,” Caine said.\nAttacks have also hit some of those countries' cities and U.S. bases including in Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait, where four American soldiers were killed in an unmanned aircraft attack on March 1 on Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. All four were with a Des Moines Army Reserve unit. U.S. military officials are investigating the attack.\nMultiple European countries have also pledged military aid after drones struck the British Royal Air Force Akrotiri base in Mediterranean Cyprus. The United Kingdom, France and Greece also pledged anti-missile and anti-drone systems as well as air defenses and warships.\nFollowing the attack, the Britian Ministry of Defense confirmed March 3 that forces shot down multiple drones in Iraqi, Jordanian, and Qatari airspaces.\nWhy is the United States at war with Iran?\nPresident Donald Trump said the strikes from the U.S. and Israel were intended to eliminate \"imminent threats\" from Iran and prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.\nThe military action also aims to give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers, Trump said previously. He added to reporters on March 3 that 'most of the people we had in mind are dead,' in reference to potential Iranian leaders slotted to take over the country following Khamenei's death.\nTrump has warned Americans the war could last for weeks and pledged there's more firepower on the way beyond the initial action. The U.S. advanced its efforts Wednesday as a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship with reports of at least 80 people killed, officials said.\nContributing: Bart Jansen, Michael Loria and Kathleen Palmer USA TODAY; Reuters\nThis story has been updated with new information.\nKate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:05:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPdElYNFViTng0RDBEUnJUaWdTVklsbFc1b3BIX0JLRWRabkc3dVZBU1lDYlJKOTAwMk5PYmp5N01XMmZhc0lQaHRIZ1QxT1dra1hmaXB6bW9jS1YzOUJOMG9JU3JWMWdoRXFkVC1xY3IwU3B3UnlJUVhCV1RmcjBJSGZUT0RpUnJVOVl1cXYxZUhFYnh6YXlHRTRaaEFDeVFyQ0xla25xczM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dd03c20ec798",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Is the UK's intervention in Iran war legal? - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Is the UK's intervention in Iran war legal?\nThe day after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, and the subsequent Iranian counterattack against US bases in the Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that the UK government would intervene in the conflict in two ways.\nFirst, by intercepting Iranian drones and missiles to protect states not previously involved in the conflict.\nAnd second, by allowing the US to use British bases for “specific and limited\" defensive action against Iranian missile sites used to attack Gulf partners.\nIn his speech on 1 March outlining the government’s position, Starmer explained that the only way to stop the threat from Iranian missiles \"is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles”.\nHe said that the UK would not join the US and Israel in their offensive strikes but would instead focus on “defensive actions”.\nStarmer told the UK parliament: “We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now, but in the face of Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones, we will protect our people in the region, and support the collective self-defence of our allies, because that is our duty to the British people.\n“It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat, to prevent the situation spiralling further, and support a return to diplomacy. It is the best way to protect British interests, and British lives. That is what this government is doing.”\nBut the US-Israeli strikes have already been widely viewed as unlawful under the United Nations Charter. Surely, the UK’s decision raises questions about the legality of taking part in the conflict.\nMiddle East Eye has previously explained that the US-Israeli strikes manifestly violate the rules governing the use of force under international law, being neither acts of self-defence nor authorised by the UN Security Council.\nSo, is the UK acting illegally in intercepting Iranian missiles and allowing US base access? The answer is less straightforward.\nTo get some clarity, MEE spoke to five leading international legal experts. But first, let’s unpack the UK’s legal arguments.\nWhat is the UK government’s official legal position?\nLondon has taken the unusual step of outlining its legal position to justify its intervention in the war on Iran.\nThe core of its argument is that its conduct is lawful, proportionate, and restricted to collective self-defence.\nOn 1 March, the UK prime minister’s office issued a legal summary which failed to address the legality of the initial US-Israeli strikes, but which did include an unequivocal condemnation of Iranian attacks on its Gulf neighbours.\nIt described Iran’s actions as “reckless”, “indiscriminate”, and requiring a coordinated defensive response “to restore peace and security and prevent further escalation of the conflict”.\nThe summary said that the UK is acting in collective self-defence of Gulf states that have formally requested support. It also said that international law permits such defensive action where force is the only feasible means to halt an ongoing armed attack, and that such use of force must be necessary and proportionate.\nBased on this, the UK stated it would take the following measures:\n-\nThe UK will use its military assets in the region to intercept drones/missiles targeting countries that had not been initially involved in the conflict.\n-\nIn response to a US request, the UK will facilitate specific and limited defensive action against missile facilities in Iran which were involved in launching strikes at the UK’s regional allies.\nThe UK emphasised that:\n-\nIt is not participating in the broader conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.\n-\nIts role is strictly defensive and aimed at preventing escalation.\n-\nIt will notify the UN Security Council under Article 51 of the UN Charter (more on that below)\nDoes Iran have the right to self-defence?\nTo assess the legality of the UK’s entitlement to collective self-defence against Iranian attacks, it’s necessary to determine whether Iran’s action was lawful in the first place and, by extension, whether Gulf states had a right to self-defence.\nArticle 51 of the UN Charter allows states to use force in individual or collective self-defence after an armed attack, provided the action is reported to the UN Security Council and continues only until the council takes measures to restore peace.\nThe five experts interviewed by MEE agree that Iran had a right to self-defence under international law, following the unilateral and unprovoked use of force by the US and Israel.\nJanina Dill, a professor of global security at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, told MEE: “Iran has such a right against the US and Israel as well as any state that has allowed its territory to be used for the initial aggression.”\nIran’s response, however, must adhere to the principles of “necessity” and “proportionality”.\n“Necessity” means that defensive force is required because no peaceful alternative can stop the attack. And “proportionality” means the force that is used should be limited in its scale, duration, and intensity to only repel the attack.\n“If Iran’s response no longer meets the criteria of necessity and proportionality, its use of force will cease to have a defensive character and will become an armed attack,” explains Marko Milanovic, a professor of public international law at the University of Reading School of Law.\nAnd, he says, Iran’s strikes in the Gulf appear to have exceeded lawful self-defence and constituted unlawful armed attacks for two reasons.\nFirst, Gulf states have not attacked Iran. Nor have US attacks been launched from their territory.\nSecond, Iran’s response was neither necessary nor proportionate. It struck US bases that played no role in attacks on Iran. It hit civilian areas far from legitimate military targets. It killed and wounded many civilians in breach of international humanitarian law.\n“Iran’s attacks on Gulf states are not justified; they exceed the scope of permissible self-defence, and themselves constitute armed attacks on those states, which are now entitled to respond to them by using force,” Milanovic told MEE.\nIn fact, this is similar to Iran's official legal argument before the International Court of Justice in 1993, in its case claiming that US naval forces unlawfully destroyed Iranian offshore oil platforms in the Persian Gulf in 1987–1988 during the final phase of the Iran–Iraq War.\nAt the time, Iran argued that self-defence must be directed at the specific forces carrying out the armed attack. A state may lawfully respond against the invading military units threatening its territory. But it cannot extend that response to separate targets elsewhere that are not directly involved in the attack, according to Iran’s submission to the court.\nBen Saul, professor of international law at the University of Sydney Law School, offers an alternate view. He suggests that Iran does have a right to strike US bases in neighbouring countries as part of its self-defence.\n“Iran’s right of self-defence against the US includes the right to strike US bases in Gulf countries, even if those bases were not themselves involved in the aggression against Iran,” he says.\nSaul told MEE that while Iran cannot violate the territory of neutral states by attacking US bases not involved in aggression, things become more complicated if such bases were violating their neutrality.\nWhat if, for example, such US bases were used as transit hubs for US forces, or sharing intelligence signals - even if not directly launching attacks on Iran?\nIn such a case, Saul says, “the host state must take action, and if it does not, then Iran could have a right to attack”.\nDo Gulf states have a right to self-defence against Iranian attacks?\nMilanovic argues that, under international law, “there is no right to self-defence against force being used in self-defence”.\nThis means that Gulf states have a right to self-defence so long as the Iranian attacks fall under the category of an unlawful armed attack.\n“In principle, Iran’s decision to target its neighbours is a separate act from the US/Israeli attack on it,” he says. “It chose to do this. It could have done something else, like focusing its fire solely on Israel or the US. It nonetheless decided to fire on civilian infrastructure in Gulf states.”\nDue to the unlawful manner of the Iranian response, Gulf states have a right to self-defence. They can do that individually, collectively as a bloc, or as a request for collective self-defence from a partner like the UK.\n“Gulf states are entitled to invite other states, including the UK, to help them defend themselves - this is what’s called collective self-defence,” says Milanovic.\nDoes the UK have a right to ‘collective self-defence?’\nThe UK has received a request from Gulf partners to help defend them in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.\nThe UK can therefore act in collective self-defence of Gulf partners facing unlawful Iranian attacks. This includes shooting down Iranian missiles and drones, and defending UK forces and assets in the region, says Milanovic.\nSaul, on the other hand, says that “collective self-defence by the UK does not extend to the protection of US bases in Gulf countries - only the countries themselves”. This is based on his argument, outlined above, that Iran has a right to strike US bases in Gulf countries.\n‘Collective self-defence by the UK does not extend to the protection of US bases in Gulf countries, only the countries themselves’\n- Ben Saul, University of Sydney Law School\nBut even if the UK takes part in collective self-defence, this must be, again, “necessary” and “proportionate”, according to Oona Hathaway, a professor at Yale Law School.\n“This is all made more difficult by the fact that the self-defence is necessitated by the ongoing unlawful attack by the US and Israel,” she told MEE.\n“Necessity is made more challenging to assess by the question of whether the unlawful threat to the Gulf states by Iran could be halted if the US and Israel halted their ongoing unlawful attacks against Iran.”\nThis analysis does not necessarily make the collective UK-Gulf self-defence unlawful, she argues.\nBut Hathaway says: “The concern is that, by assisting in the Gulf states' defence, the UK is enabling and prolonging the US and Israel’s unlawful attack on Iran.\n“At a minimum, the UK is under an obligation to call on the US and Israel to halt their attacks. Here, the UK has fallen far short.”\nCan the UK lawfully let the US use its bases to hit Iranian missile sites?\nHere, the scholars disagree. At its core is whether the defensive elements of the American use of force can be separated from its unlawful campaign.\nAccording to Milanovic, the UK’s decision to permit the use of its bases by the US is potentially lawful if strictly limited to the defence of Gulf states.\n“If, say Qatar, asks the US to help defend it, it has the right to do so,” he explained. “And the UK has the right to permit the US to use UK facilities to do so. What the UK mustn’t do is allow the US to use those facilities to further wage its aggressive campaign against Iran.”\nOther experts, however, do not share the same view as Milanovic.\nAdil Haque, a professor of law at Rutgers University, says allowing the US to use British bases for any attacks amounts to aiding US aggression and so would be unlawful.\nLike Hathaway, Haque believes that the criterion of the necessity of self-defence is not met, as the US can stop its unlawful attack on Iran, and that in turn would stop Iran’s attacks on the Gulf.\n“It follows that the US may not use force against Iran in collective self-defence of the Gulf States,” Haque says, “and therefore the UK may not assist the US in using force against Iran.”\n'It is not possible for the UK to facilitate US strikes that are aimed at defending the Gulf states without also facilitating US strikes that are part of its unlawful campaign'\n- Adil Haque, Rutgers University Professor\nSecond, Haque points out that the UK risks being involved in offensive action by the US, since the US is already carrying out strikes on Iran's missile facilities as part of its ongoing unlawful campaign against Iran.\n“It is not possible for the UK to facilitate US strikes that are aimed at defending the Gulf states without also facilitating US strikes that are part of its unlawful campaign,” Haque says. “The strikes are one and the same.\n“The UK would not be assisting the commission of lawful acts by an actor that is also, independently, committing unlawful acts. The UK would be assisting the commission of unlawful acts.”\nDill agrees.\n“The US cannot act in collective self-defence with the victims of Iran's disproportionate self-defence because the US is the aggressor,” she told MEE.\n“Since the US cannot act in collective self-defence with these states, the UK cannot assist it in collective self-defence.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:11:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxQOUZxdXZjcW9PMUZ4Y1NsdjYxMlNGT01pV0hhSXRmNmJGc3c2OFBoYlN0UUd0MnMybzdVNnQyTWR4UktGWlpBVEhKZWdQU0V3dGJ2YU41elVpeXYtWnlPUkFVVktRZ042QndEc0g1WDBVN1N4YmxzeUw1YlpsRGI1WTR5eFhUUE4zSEpXVFA1ZnVZVlU?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_79577d0177b8",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Is the UK's intervention in Iran war legal?",
    "body_text": "Is the UK's intervention in Iran war legal?  \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Sondos Asem \n on \n Tue, 03/03/2026 - 12:45 \n \n \n \n \n Starmer said Britain would intercept Iranian missiles and allow US to use its bases in defensive action. Does that make the UK complicit in an illegal war? \n \n \n \n \n Smoke rises above Doha, Qatar, following an Iranian attack, on 1 March 2026 (AFP) \n Off \n The day after the  US  and Israel launched their  war on Iran , and the subsequent Iranian counterattack against US bases in the Gulf, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that the  UK  government would intervene in the conflict in two ways. \n First, by intercepting Iranian drones and missiles to protect states not previously involved in the conflict. \n And second, by allowing the US to use British bases for “specific and limited\" defensive action against Iranian missile sites used to attack Gulf partners. \n In his speech on 1 March outlining the government’s position,  Starmer  explained that the only way",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:11:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/uk-intervention-iran-war-legal-international-law",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d663b6cb1177",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran conflict may divert US weapons from Ukraine - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran conflict may divert US weapons from Ukraine    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:12:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxQcmhHT25iSEhVUWdvZENaSWZBakhvVHJxYUViTlNFTEw0WkFLNXV1N0k0UlJxMjJIczFlSV92TExVazgxbzRGOWNEdGthQkx6ZmpEaXBCeGxaSl9ZR1puR1JtT3h6QW9IMUhuZHJSS0hKclhlaVJoLTU2M3FHY2pXRTlmV3BJNk1waG11NnNjZU01WGlScnJLQjh4X0w4ZjdhRXpJMEN5Zmhodw?oc=5",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f71fe1ec261a",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Russia blames Ukrainian naval drones as tanker sinks in Mediterranean",
    "body_text": "The Arctic Metagaz went down between Libya and Malta after it was hit by explosions and a fire, Libyan officials say.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:14:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5ll27z52do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_734b157e0023",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "What we know on day five of US-Israeli attacks on Iran - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "The United States and Israel have continued to carry out strikes on Iran, bombing government, military and civilian infrastructure as the conflict spreads to Lebanon, where Israel has been carrying out an intense bombardment.\nA fire broke out near the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday as Iranian retaliatory strikes continued in the Gulf, escalating tensions in the Middle East.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 1 itemend of listIran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones as it expanded its attacks to energy infrastructure and diplomatic compounds.\nThe conflict, which entered its fifth day on Wednesday, has also sparked political debate in the US, with the opposition Democrats questioning Trump’s decision to attack Iran.\nHere is what we know:\nIn Iran\n- Targeted locations: Joint Israel-US strikes have targeted western Tehran, with video footage showing thick plumes of smoke over the city.\n- Nuclear facilities: The Natanz nuclear facility was struck during the military operations, though Iranian media reports that no radioactive leakage has been recorded.\n- Iranian retaliation: According to US Admiral Brad Cooper, Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones in retaliation.\n- These attacks have hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia and struck near the US consulate in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.\n- Ongoing operations: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli pilots are flying over Iran and Tehran, stating that Israel will continue to strike the country “with force”.\n- Rising death toll: After four days of fighting, Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs reported that 1,045 people have been killed in US-Israeli attacks.\nIn Gulf nations and Turkiye\n- Regional security and infrastructure threats: Iran has launched strikes on energy infrastructure across the Gulf and warned that it will target “all economic centres in the region” if US-Israeli attacks continue.\n- Qatar: Qatari air defence systems intercepted projectiles in the skies over Doha, causing loud bangs.\n- The Gulf country has also said it has arrested 10 suspected spies operating for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\n- Saudi Arabia: Saudi authorities reported that two drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh, which caused a limited fire and minor damage.\n- Oman: Citing “ongoing activity,” the US embassy in Muscat instructed its staff and all US citizens in Oman to shelter in place and find secure locations until further notice.\n- Vessel struck off UAE coast: The British maritime security tracker (UKMTO) reported that a vessel was hit by an unknown projectile seven nautical miles (13km) east of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Separately, a drone struck near the US consulate in Dubai.\n- China: Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Saudi Arabian and UAE counterparts that Beijing will send a special envoy to the Middle East for mediation purposes.\n- Turkiye: An Iranian ballistic missile that was fired from Iran and heading into Turkish territory was downed by NATO air defence systems, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said.\nIn Israel:\n- Attacks inside Israel: The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah claims to have fired rockets at Israeli forces in the northern town of Metula.\n- Additionally, the Iran-aligned Hezbollah announced that it has carried out a missile attack on a naval base in Haifa.\n- Israeli military operations: Israel is a primary actor in the continuing multifront conflict, actively bombarding targets in both Iran and Lebanon. In Lebanon, Israeli air attacks have killed at least 50 people and wounded 335.\n- Israel’s military announced that two soldiers were “moderately injured” due to antitank fire in southern Lebanon.\n- Air strikes on Hezbollah: The Israeli military has struck approximately 60 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, hitting weapons storage facilities, command centres and missile launchers.\nIn the United States\n- US political stance: Trump stated that “the big scale hitting goes now,” promising that Iran is “in for a lot of hurt”.\n- Despite the heavy military action, Trump maintains that a US-led regime change is not the primary goal, suggesting instead that “someone from within” the current Iranian government might be the best choice to take power once the war concludes.\n- General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news briefing that Iran was now firing fewer missiles than at the start of the war and that the US will “expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory”.\n- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the US was winning the war and confirmed that the military sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.\n- At least 80 people were killed in the US submarine strike on the Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister said in a statement to local television.\n- Political fallout: Domestically, the war has led to intense political debate due to shifting justifications from the Trump administration. Trump stated he ordered the attacks because he believed Tehran was preparing to strike first.\n- The US Senate is scheduled to vote on the War Powers Act in an attempt to test whether President Trump has the authorisation to wage these military operations.\n- US-UK diplomatic rift: Trump heavily criticised UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, stating, “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with.” This comes after Starmer refused to support the military operation or allow the US to launch attacks from the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia.\n- Lawmakers warn of a ground war: Following a three-hour briefing by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm that the US could be drawn into a prolonged ground war.\n- Death toll: The US identified four US soldiers who were killed during an Iranian retaliatory strike on a military facility in Kuwait, bringing the total confirmed US deaths to six.\nIn Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan\n- Lebanese government stance: The Lebanese government officially banned Hezbollah’s military activities on Monday and demanded that the group hand over its weapons to the state.\n- Officials in Lebanon said at least 50 people have been killed since Israel began attacks on the country on Monday.\n- Pressure from Israel: Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, agreed with the calls for Hezbollah to disarm, but urged the Lebanese government to “act now,” emphasising that “statements do not dismantle rockets … only action does.”\n- Iraq: Air strikes have targeted sites used by pro-Iran armed groups, including Kataib Hezbollah and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, in western and northeastern Iraq.\n- Czech evacuations: The first Czech government evacuation plane, a military Airbus carrying about 40 passengers, flew out of Jordan and successfully landed in Prague.\n- Slovak evacuations: Similarly, the first two evacuation flights organised by the Slovak government flew out of Jordan and landed in Bratislava, bringing 127 people to safety.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:16:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQV0UySVFKQmRQOFNKTUpZX2xFbUFaT0Fpa3ZZdFJld0ZTU3o2V1VEWGlxbTJOYTRnTHNPSy1Ed3p5OXJjcWNjRVJsM2ZWeFctZE5mN3BmY3RVcF9mRDh6UEl4ZXNZTG1XLTZMRnVvNllrNldpT3g3M1R1VGxKOVFFa2M1cjNZVHJLbU1Ga2VUeVMwM3pkS21YUDR30gGfAUFVX3lxTFBiNVBqUnNhVGgyUGhqOVZFeEVlODdvcV90OEpjZnRpV1AxR0FzbXgtYkp2RVF0ZkFjajRVb3ZUaHhJS2dOS1FrRGtXS21GdFNaZjlheElfUkNGMlVTaFllWXJfRDRGelFPU0dBRm4wY1UwTWFoN19LSmI5YXI0d2xJc2V6LTAxanIzWVhSS21VOHdUWGFNTGJrMHMya0dZVQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5afc3f8c8d97",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump’s endgame in Iran: Regime change without US ‘boots on the ground’",
    "body_text": "Analysts say it would be difficult, if not impossible, to bring down the Iranian system with US-Israeli air power alone.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:16:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/trumps-endgame-in-iran-regime-change-without-us-boots-on-the-ground?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c11d06f3055d",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Putin hosts Hungary's foreign minister for energy supply talks as war in Mideast causes disruptions - AP News",
    "body_text": "Putin hosts Hungary’s foreign minister for energy supply talks as war in Mideast causes disruptions\nPutin hosts Hungary’s foreign minister for energy supply talks as war in Mideast causes disruptions\nRussian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hosted Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó for talks in Moscow, with oil and gas supplies high on the agenda, as Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, despite the war in Ukraine.\nSzijjártó said earlier on Wednesday that he was in Moscow seeking guarantees from Russian authorities that Hungary would continue to have access to Russian oil and gas amid disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East and interruptions to Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline.\nThe Hungarian government has recently accused Kyiv of deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the pipeline, which crosses Ukraine’s territory. Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, saying the pipeline, which feeds refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, was hit in a Russian drone attack.\nPutin assured Szijjártó at the meeting that the Russian authorities “have always fulfilled all our obligations, and, of course, we intend and are ready to do so.”\n“I understand that this is of concern to you, particularly oil supplies. We see what’s happening in the global and European gas markets. We’ll be happy to discuss all these issues,” Putin said.\n“Not everything is in our power,” he said.\nSzijjártó, in turn, said that the Russian president was “well aware that Ukraine has been blocking oil shipments to Hungary on the Druzhba oil pipeline for weeks, solely for political reasons and based on a political decision.”\nHe said that he’d come to Moscow to ensure Hungary’s continued access to Russian fossil fuels “at an unchanged price,” despite the disruption to pipeline deliveries and soaring energy prices in the wake of the war in the Middle East.\nPutin also announced that Russia was releasing two ethnic Hungarian prisoners of war who fought in the Ukrainian armed forces. Putin said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán asked him to consider releasing them in a phone call on Tuesday, and that Szijjártó will be able to bring them home “right on the plane that brought you here and that you will return to Budapest on.”\nSzijjártó thanked him in Russian. The minister has previously accused Ukraine of forcibly conscripting members of a roughly 75,000-strong community of ethnic Hungarians residing in the western Ukrainian region of Zakarpattia. Many in that minority group hold dual Hungarian and Ukrainian citizenship, and so do the two released POWs, according to Putin.\nThe agreement to release the two ethnic Hungarian prisoners of war comes as Orbán escalates an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign before tough elections scheduled for next month.\nTrailing in most polls to a center-right challenger who has promised to restore Hungary’s Western alliances and end its dependence on Russian energy, Orbán has ramped up unfounded accusations that Kyiv and the European Union seek to bankrupt Hungary by forcing it to financially assist Ukraine.\nHe has also sought to convince voters that if his party loses the election, his opponent will send Hungarian youth to die on the front lines of the war.\nLast week, Hungary blocked a new package of EU sanctions on Russia in response to interruptions in Russian oil supplies that pass through Ukraine, and vowed to block a major, 90-billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan destined for Kyiv until oil flows resume.\n___\nJustin Spike contributed to this report from Budapest, Hungary.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:18:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNSjRWLXktXzh1NW1hUnhtbU1PMk1TNGdpSnFkWkFmS3A2S2JPbEk3MW9wSERRd1NuRGVoR0VrZmpCR1cxY3VpX0pHc0RJWUhwZVNYT3ZHMnZUdEp2RzVydlV1NG5teER3YjktOEtDR3hLeEQ3WEQ4V0hXZVBnYl9wVFBvY3EwS1lNcUR1SGRJeFhHY29rT3J2NHZtUzByWFdOQ2c1NEJGLUZuZw?oc=5",
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    "article_id": "art_4f5f98e1b1bc",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Russia blames Ukrainian sea drones after tanker explodes and sinks in the Mediterranean - AP News",
    "body_text": "Russia blames Ukrainian sea drones after tanker explodes and sinks in the Mediterranean\nRussia blames Ukrainian sea drones after tanker explodes and sinks in the Mediterranean\nCAIRO (AP) — A Russian-flagged tanker carrying liquefied natural gas exploded and erupted in flames before sinking in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya, authorities in the North African country said Wednesday. Russia asserted that an attack by Ukrainian sea drones was to blame.\nThe Libyan Maritime Authority reported “sudden explosions, followed by a massive fire” on the Arctic Metagaz on Tuesday, when it was about 240 kilometers (150 miles) off the city of Sirte.\nThe tanker, carrying 61,000 tons of LNG, “completely sank” between Libya and Malta, a statement said. All 30 crew members were rescued and put on another vessel heading to the Libyan city of Benghazi, it said.\nRussia’s Transport Ministry said the vessel was hit by Ukrainian sea drones launched from the Libyan coast. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday evening called what happened to the tanker “a terrorist attack” that “exacerbates the situation on global energy markets, including gas markets.”\nUkrainian officials made no immediate comment on the accusation.\nPrevious Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships have reportedly come from the Libyan coast, though Kyiv officials haven’t publicly confirmed those reports.\nIn the past, Ukraine’s military has said it used sea drones to sink Russian vessels in the Black Sea as part of efforts to combat Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began just over four years ago.\nLast October, Ukraine’s state security service unveiled an upgraded sea drone, called the Sea Baby, which it said had a range of 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) and could carry a warhead up to 2,000 kilograms (about 4,400 pounds).\nThe tanker that sank was under Western sanctions, suspected to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet of energy tankers trying to bypass sanctions imposed on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.\nThe Metagaz had sailed from the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk on the Barents Sea and was bound for Port Said in Egypt, on the Mediterranean, the Libyan Maritime Authority said. Its last reported position was in the western Mediterranean off the coast of Malta, according to MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking platform.\nEgypt denied any links to the vessel and said the tanker was not en route to any Egyptian port, according to a statement by its petroleum ministry Wednesday evening.\n___\nAP writer Dasha Litvinova contributed to this report from Tallinn, Estonia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:26:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOMjNScXB5WDNnYlJvS2VkZWk2UVFwY0tuLXFvZkNSMmw1UlZzR21YTHo5N2FQNXdieEJLeUpXUko3U0VzYVdlNEgyVW5XY3g5dUM1QTFNa3hKZDdISUl5eW1OUjZsaUl3cVZ4OXdON3ZFeWNFamQwaVN3R0h3UzlNSnpIMWo2Wm1RM1ZvNS1pam1wM2FTNVZrX0E3SE55REZs?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6a4cda83f5cd",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Supertankers Begin to Back Away From Gulf as Hormuz Crisis Bites - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Supertankers Begin to Back Away From Gulf as Hormuz Crisis Bites    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:27:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxQTzNyalIzMko5bHNnNDFCRXFMNjNGOVpuMHlKZGZOd3VTd1piZ01BSUppNzlrVXdzWldKRW9PcUFudmpfM2o1RFNXVW1OenBxNFVkSzByN1kyS2tjdW5UNV9OX2J5bmYwV1A0TlFJT0JTblplZU83eDA3NGpvNG93bjhIMmwzeWIwSWZhRzFKRG1MY1NSYTJwUm00dGZsYVFTTDZFekZLNHhuTmViWVp6M2xZVHFKdw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_622896a00b6a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Fewer Israeli strikes but also less aid in Gaza as Iran war rages - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Fewer Israeli strikes but also less aid in Gaza as Iran war rages\nIn his makeshift tent in Gaza City, displaced Palestinian Jamal Abu Mohsen says the bombs are falling less often these days.\nSince Israel launched its military campaign against Iran -- which has since widened to Lebanon -- the 33-year-old Palestinian has noticed a lull in the devastated Palestinian territory.\n\"Air strikes have become fewer,\" Abu Mohsen told AFP from his tent in the north of Gaza.\nBut the quiet is only relative.\nDespite a US-brokered ceasefire in place since October 10, explosions still rock Gaza, Abu Mohsen said.\nBlasts from house demolitions and artillery shelling reverberate across the territory, alongside the constant hum of warplanes and reconnaissance drones overhead.\nAccording to Gaza's civil defence agency, Israeli forces killed one woman and injured another individual in the Al-Mawasi area Saturday, and injured \"several\" by live fire in the central Al-Bureij refugee camp.\nBut for Abu Mohsen and other Gazans, it is the daily living that has gotten more arduous, with borders once again tightened since the war on Iran began.\nOn Saturday, when the US-Israeli attacks on Iran started, Israel shut all entry points into the Palestinian territory for several days.\nThough the Kerem Shalom crossing reopened on Tuesday, Gaza's main gateway at Rafah, on the Egyptian border, remains closed.\n\"Israel is taking advantage of the world's preoccupation with the war on Iran and increasing restrictions on Gaza,\" Abu Mohsen said.\n- 'Want to live like human beings' -\nIn the southern coastal area of Al-Mawasi, 59-year-old Abdullah al-Astal said the drop in strikes had been overshadowed by a new squeeze on essentials.\n\"It's true that the Israeli bombardment has become much less, but Israel is preventing the entry of food aid and fuel,\" Astal told AFP.\nFor him, geopolitics were beside the point compared to his ability to live with dignity.\n\"Personally, I don't care\" about slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei or anyone else, he said. \"I don't support Iran, whether it supported Gaza or not.\"\n\"We want to live like human beings.\"\nGaza depends almost entirely on aid trucks for food, medicine and fuel. When the crossings close, even briefly, local markets react instantly.\nA source in Gaza's crossings authority confirmed to AFP that \"a small number of trucks\" were able to enter Gaza via Kerem Shalom Wednesday, but that his agency was not officially notified of the crossing's opening.\nIsraeli authorities informed them that Rafah would remain shut until further notice, the source added.\nThe office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, UNSCO, reported that 500,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom Tuesday.\nEven so, the damage had been done.\n\"What we saw is that immediately there was an increase in prices,\" Jonathan Crickx, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told AFP.\n\"Most basic necessity items, like food, soap, those sort of things, saw their prices increase by 200 or 300 percent,\" he said, adding that \"this really shows Gaza's extreme vulnerability and extreme dependency on outside aid\".\n- Panic-buying -\nFelipe Ribero, head of mission for the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the Palestinian territories, said that Gazans rushed to stock up on essentials when Kerem Shalom reopened on Tuesday.\n\"There was a hyperinflation of prices over a few days\", partly because storage capacity in Gaza is low, and a break in the flow of goods quickly creates shortages, he said.\nIn a displacement camp in Gaza City, retired teacher Safiya Hammouda described panic-buying as soon as the Iran war began.\n\"From the first day of the Iran war, people were afraid and began buying anything in the market. Basic goods are available but have started to run out,\" she told AFP.\nThough shelling has eased in recent days, she said, \"Gaza is completely neglected\".\n\"They want to destroy Iran and turn it into a devastated country like Gaza, incapable of providing food and life,\" she said, pointing to the utter destruction in the territory, where the UN said in October 2025 that 81 percent of all structures were damaged.\nIn a tent pitched inside a school compound, Mohammad al-Hilu said prices for some goods had doubled or more within days.\n\"I think the world will forget Gaza and no one will pay attention to our suffering,\" he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:29:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOc3NFM0Z2ZGdlVWVZeG80aElYVG9YV2ZueWlXZk1SQjlMMXlOcXktcUdJOGdUc0pEYU1YdktXMDdscnhrOHlaR2J0bFJ0NTBsX3dHZ1V3bjVzT05IRm80ZHNIX01nM1d6Wkt1QlRtYnRrT0UtODlUa2pzTEMwU3M4Q3ZSZlZqcEF5M1Z4NEo3Q19MV2JhSjhuNnBtMktyS19RNWc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0b62d550214a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Fewer Israeli strikes but also less aid in Gaza as Iran war rages",
    "body_text": "In his makeshift tent in Gaza City, displaced Palestinian Jamal Abu Mohsen says the bombs are falling less often these days. Since Israel launched its military campaign against Iran -- which has since widened to Lebanon -- the 33-year-old Palestinian has noticed a lull in the devastated Palestinian territory. \"Air strikes have become fewer,\" Abu Mohsen told AFP from his tent in the north of Gaza. But the quiet is only relative. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire in place since October 10, explosions still rock Gaza, Abu Mohsen said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:30:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/fewer-israeli-strikes-also-less-aid-gaza-iran-war-rages",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4becd52f94bd",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "The Guardian view on the US-UK relationship: Trump is pushing Britain closer to Europe | Editorial",
    "body_text": "An unreliable and volatile American president makes a compelling case for closer security and defence cooperation with continental allies There is truth to Donald Trump’s declaration earlier this week that the UK-US relationship is “ not what it was ”, although there is no indication that he understands the reasons for the change. The US president is “very disappointed” that Sir Keir Starmer has been “uncooperative” in the war against Iran, offering only limited logistical support to American forces. The prime minister’s  concession  that RAF resources can be involved in defensive operations does not compensate for the prior refusal to put Britain’s military assets at American disposal. It came too late for Mr Trump, whose irritation turned to culture-war jibes about “windmills” ruining British landscapes and a false claim about the prevalence of sharia courts. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by emai",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:30:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/04/the-guardian-view-on-the-us-uk-relationship-trump-is-pushing-britain-closer-to-europe",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_52e3afdaf4e7",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran War Fallout Bursts South Korea’s Bubble - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iran War Fallout Bursts South Korea’s Bubble    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:30:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxPbTZJTDBCa0JBMUxfNUdFSm5tejRvRFVpTTk0T0M0c0ZGUjY3dXVJZ3RLc3duSmRwTWJnamNwWXQ3NVBNcGhYejRFbEcyT0lqc0J1VmdzZE8tQnFwemFVQjdJaVUtZnR2UG9PaWQ5aDNiNUFyaUlVcEE4SXpfODZGNzlGVEdNUlI2U0tBRzBlNDlzcnB6VEVFWFhqSGhFLXM?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_ed6367e6a18f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran’s targeting of Turkey unlikely to upend Ankara’s strategic balancing act - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran’s targeting of Turkey unlikely to upend Ankara’s strategic balancing act\nAnkara said NATO defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran that was heading toward Turkish airspace, as Turkish officials called for restraint amid rising regional tensions.\nANKARA — After NATO air defenses intercepted an Iranian missile before it entered Turkish airspace, analysts say the incident is unlikely to upend Ankara’s careful balancing between Tehran and its Western allies.\nThe Turkish Defense Ministry said Wednesday that a ballistic missile fired from Iran was detected as it traversed Iraqi and Syrian airspace and was engaged and destroyed by NATO air and missile defense systems deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean before it could enter Turkish airspace.\n“A ballistic munition fired from Iran, which was detected heading toward Turkish airspace after passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace, was engaged in time and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense elements stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the ministry said in a statement.\nThe statement added that debris from the intercepted missile caused no casualties, landing in Turkey’s southern Hatay province.\nThe ministry also warned that Turkey would act decisively to defend its territory and airspace and reserved the right to respond to any hostile act directed against the country.\n“We warn all parties to refrain from steps that could lead to the further spread of conflict in the region,” it added, noting that Ankara would continue consultations with NATO and other allies.\nWhile the ministry did not provide further details on the targeting, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and regional officials, that the missile was intercepted by a US Navy destroyer in the Eastern Mediterranean and had been headed toward Turkey’s Incirlik air base, which hosts American forces.\nLater on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Ankara’s dismay to Tehran during a phone call with his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, a Turkish diplomatic source told reporters. The protest was later formally conveyed to Iran’s ambassador to Ankara, Mohammad Hassan Habibullahzadeh, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, the source told Al-Monitor.\nFidan urged all sides to avoid actions that could lead to broader regional escalation, the source added.\nSeparately, Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish presidency’s communications directorate, echoed a message of restraint, calling on all parties involved in the war to de-escalate.\n“Turkey will continue to fulfill its responsibilities with a constructive approach to help reduce tensions in the region and resolve disputes through peaceful means,” he said in a statement on the X platform.\nIranian authorities have yet to comment on the incident.\nThe incident marks a fresh escalation in the war, as Turkey is the first NATO member whose territory has been directly targeted by Iran since the war began on Saturday.\nTehran’s recent strikes have largely been aimed at Israel and US military and diplomatic assets across the Middle East and Gulf — including drone and missile attacks targeting the US Embassy compound in Riyadh and on US facilities in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states.\nIran’s targeting of Turkish territory raises the risk of NATO being drawn into the conflict, as a confirmed armed attack on one member could potentially trigger Article 5. Article 5 states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all members under the alliance’s collective defense principle.\nNATO also denounced the strike. “We condemn Iran’s targeting of Turkey. NATO stands firmly with all Allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,” NATO Spokesperson Allison Hart told journalists Wednesday.\nAnkara, however, is unlikely to invoke the article for now, given Turkish officials’ messages of restraint.\nThe incident “should not be seen as an action that would completely change Turkey’s more balanced approach toward Iran,” Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based think tank EDAM and a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, told Al-Monitor. “At least for now, the messages Ankara has been channeling do not point in that direction.”\nTurkey has sought to maintain a balancing act in the current war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as a “violation of international law.” Meanwhile, Fidan said the Iranian attacks on regional countries amounted to “an incredibly wrong strategy.”\nAnkara’s relatively measured reaction suggests it is exercising restraint rather than escalating tensions, according to Ulgen.\nAnkara’s messaging suggests it is taking a “wait-and-see approach,” he said, adding that the incident is still likely to prompt greater caution from Ankara, as a ballistic missile entering Turkish airspace represents growing risks for the country.\nWith reporting by Jared Szuba in Washington and Rina Bassist in Paris.\nThis story has been updated since first publication.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:30:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQX0xJeFYzQ1U1Y1NkMmktTkRpTklDaXBDUnNsSmpuZ0s0R3dyTmE1N2pvaFNxa3JuTDRDXzRFUmk1dmJBcWlzaHVSRUFFR1lEMW1Ib25LWkNUZDg2VXplWm80VjE4TGdrMGh0cE9DbDladUFfLU53eEJVLUdVcHhlOXQ3UlFpMTUyVkl2dnZsSnhLVzl4VG5RdDc5MEZSQ1h0S2lqamZ1V05oWW9JZUFDeGRwRlI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_076afd8c421a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Analysis-Iran conflict may divert US weapons from Ukraine",
    "body_text": "KYIV/WASHINGTON March 4 (Reuters) - With the United States focused on its conflict with Iran, Ukraine could face a critical shortage of U.S. air defence missiles at a time when Russia shows no signs of easing its campaign of striking Ukrainian cities. Since the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on Saturday, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Gulf countries. Most have been intercepted, including with the PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors that Ukraine relies on to defend its energy and military infrastructure from ballistic missiles.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:36:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/analysis-iran-conflict-may-divert-us-weapons-ukraine",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_caf9abac1015",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US shifting from precision munitions to 2,000-pound bombs in Iran war, Hegseth says - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "US shifting from precision munitions to 2,000-pound bombs in Iran war, Hegseth says\nThe US will begin using larger reserves of less-sophisticated weapons after assessing that Iranian air defences are degraded, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.\n“More bombers, fighters are arriving just today. And now with complete control of the skies, we will be using 500-pound, 1,000-pound, and 2,000-pound GPS and laser-guided precision gravity bombs, which we have a nearly unlimited stockpile,” he said.\nThe move comes after The Washington Post reported on Wednesday how the US is rapidly running through its stock of “precision weapons”.\nSo far, the US has relied on so-called standoff munitions like cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles fired from ships or the ground. These weapon systems are more expensive and time-consuming to produce but pose less risk for the US, as they do not expose pilots to enemy air defences.\nMiddle East Eye was the first to reveal that Iran turned to China to beef up its arsenal after the June 2025 US attack on its nuclear facilities. Iran has received shipments of Chinese surface-to-air defence systems.\nThe US appears to have freedom to manoeuvre in Iran’s skies, but some incidents suggest it is not as total as Hegseth states. For example, Iran was able to send a Yak-130 Russian jet trainer into the sky, but it was shot down by a vastly superior Israeli F-35 on Wednesday, according to Israeli media reports.\nHegseth said the move to 500-, 1,000-, and 2,000-pound bombs was because the US had successfully degraded Iran’s air defence systems.\nThe US wants to use cheaper and less sophisticated weapons to preserve its cruise and ballistic missile reserves. If the US has eliminated Iran’s air defence systems, switching to GPS and laser-guided gravity bombs would not pose a problem for their operations.\nPotentially more concerning for the US and its partners is the shortage of air-defence interceptors. The US’s Gulf allies are bearing the brunt of Iran’s retaliation for the US and Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic.\nThey are effectively using the expensive air defence systems they purchased from the US to defend their cities, but supplies are being depleted. Gulf states asking for refills are being “stonewalled” by the US, which is facing a global shortage of interceptors, MEE reported previously.\nIran also faces its own shortages. Experts say Iran has been firing cheaper Shahed drones at the Gulf to conserve its stock of more sophisticated ballistic missiles.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:40:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQeUlPNV95MkVQZEVTdUFRa0ZnOTc4Y2x2U2Y0VFNoeGNzMXhySWJhYmQ3NktlSGd5YXA1Tjl2QzgzQnNVdl9CeUtGYS1wd05yUVJTWmpmZWVJN3FRLVY5Vl9sb0dLLWtQR29CZkhESHlnbjZMQmNVazZJY3BTR0NjVU1nMjVFb3lpZkpuY0o3U0htWk9OU2V4SjkyY3N3T1ZBa0hR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_43113647420f",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US shifting from precision munitions to 2,000-pound bombs in Iran war, Hegseth says",
    "body_text": "US shifting from precision munitions to 2,000-pound bombs in Iran war, Hegseth says \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Sean Mathews \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 16:58 \n \n \n \n \n Secretary of War says decision comes as Iran's air-defence has been destroyed, but report says US running low on precision munitions \n \n \n \n \n US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, to deliver congressional briefings on Iran, on 3 March 2026 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images via AFP) \n Off \n The  US  will begin using larger reserves of less-sophisticated weapons after assessing that  Iranian  air defences are degraded, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday. \n “More bombers, fighters are arriving just today. And now with complete control of the skies, we will be using 500-pound, 1,000-pound, and 2,000-pound GPS and laser-guided precision gravity bombs, which we have a nearly unlimited stockpile,” he said. \n The move comes after The Washington Post  reported  on Wednesday h",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:40:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-shifting-precision-munitions-2000-pound-bombs-iran-hegseth-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a2807733ad94",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘He’s no Winston Churchill’: why Starmer can shrug off Trump’s insults over Iran",
    "body_text": "The prime minister’s cautious stance about helping the US against the Tehran regime mirrors that of the electorate Middle East crisis: live updates It was perhaps the most  attention-grabbing moment  of prime minister’s questions. Responding to yet another Conservative salvo about his approach to Iran and how it might affect ties with America, Keir Starmer was direct. “American planes are operating out of British bases – that is the special relationship in action,” he said. “Sharing intelligence every day to keep our people safe – that is the special relationship in action. Hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not the special relationship in action.”   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:41:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/starmer-confident-keeping-trump-at-arms-length-over-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f6185e846165",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran postpones Tehran farewell ceremony for Khamenei where large crowds were expected to gather",
    "body_text": "Iran has delayed a farewell ceremony for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his assassination, citing crowd size and infrastructure challenges.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:46:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-postpones-tehran-farewell-ceremony-khamenei-where-crowds-were-expected-gather",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8b75db5272ac",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "This Year’s Winning Stock Trades Take the Brunt of War Selloff - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "This Year’s Winning Stock Trades Take the Brunt of War Selloff    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:48:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxPMk5GazhRLU9kSzVlY2s1U3Z2ZHpSdW5NZERVa1NScXdxeXNQN3pwMWlaTm1hUFFkWERSLXpMUS1tVHFfMEZkejlidXlUQWJVNnVqSGY0YlMtRWVpYzhPTjJBUmpFMXRsSjh0SWtFREN6MGpEY2hJV3ZFdnpyMjM3X0w5MFg3WXg5aHV3WXQ5UllISXVmR0I2eDdYX0ZhYndRLW1yZV84T0NPRTVEZG1ublFKdHNTaVE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_9b57e6d251aa",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Prediction Markets Roll Out New War Bets Beyond Washington’s Reach - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Prediction Markets Roll Out New War Bets Beyond Washington’s Reach    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T18:52:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxOTmV3dm9odUFRVHZtV1dyMmpDZW5NMk1TTVBaUmVjTzVBZU92UktSdDJodURITWNydmxULXE1aDRMVDdUM0NOcnUtcUJudlN6Qy1BemRyZHM0dG0zOGhDSUZXWXhMVFlaVEJJT0x3bU0zUFY0aTJXSTZXUWNHdkhWQXIyREI1WFV1Nmo2LTl4ZU1DcDBkLWYzb3luaUhyS1ZQMVdkMUtlaUNRa25aWlVtSTRaekVidw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_284f1347dab1",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Ayatollah's whereabouts impacted timing of US operation, White House says",
    "body_text": "WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Information on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's whereabouts impacted the timing of the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran that killed the supreme leader, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.  (Reporting by Steve Holland and Ryan Patrick Jones; writing by Susan Heavey;Editing by David Ljunggren)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:01:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/ayatollahs-whereabouts-impacted-timing-us-operation-white-house-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1d6dcb860482",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "No plan to bring US ground troops into Iran war: White House",
    "body_text": "No plan to bring US ground troops into Iran war: White House \n \n \n \n There is currently no plan for US ground troops to be deployed as part of the US-Israeli war on Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. \n \"They're not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States,\" she told reporters. \n \"I know there's many leaders in the past who like to take options off of the table without having a full understanding of how things could develop, [but] it's not part of the current plan.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:13:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/no-plan-bring-us-ground-troops-iran-war-white-house",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_29e439d125c7",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "US in talks with Iranian Kurdish militants over anti-regime operations - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "US holds talks with Iranian Kurdish militants over anti-regime operations\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:13:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9ib2VpUF9helJwYW9TQTFXejROS3lXb21ZY3J6V2pQQkxrWUF1Uk1HRE04bmljUV85a0ZWOE84c05lOWpMcGZqMW9ESlpseFYxWlRYaFlFS1EtZGVtdDhxWlhEN183cFByTVBBLVFGeVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_59eec828c8fd",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "London marine insurers still offering Middle East cover as war risk rates rise, Gallagher says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "London marine insurers still offering Middle East cover as war risk rates rise, Gallagher says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:15:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxNV2lJa0k5ZXJDS3hzdHpTYnRlVGFWWTJwRF9USkJJdXZWeEU5Q2dRWHJyRFZ4bFFQdkw5cFJ4Y0F0Z1FUVThROHlHZHdka2lzWVdFcElGZ0JISHpsc09ESTRjV0pYS05Zb1BhaU1UakswWXFpYW8wVXhYTnotQVU1M0VLUnh5eG0tTk1jM29yRXdXNldESWRGellZLWU4RG1MdWFwaUdFZFRWaEF1VVJCT1RTekM1YVJ4eE5XWWJQZnN0U0ZQOEd6Tg?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_167c7e250ac4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, a contender for Iran’s leadership amid war?",
    "body_text": "Mojtaba Khamenei emerges as potential successor after death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israel attacks.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:17:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/4/who-is-mojtaba-khamenei-a-contender-for-irans-leadership-amid-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c1dfd5d72ae0",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Debris from NATO’s missile interception falls on Turkish soil",
    "body_text": "Debris from NATO’s interception of an Iranian ballistic missile has been pulled out of the water in Turkiye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:19:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/debris-from-natos-missile-interception-falls-on-turkish-soil-2?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_aa2153e41693",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Gulf nations 'commending' Trump for Iran war: White House",
    "body_text": "Gulf nations 'commending' Trump for Iran war: White House \n \n \n \n Despite reports of an erosion of trust between Washington and its Gulf partners as they come under a barrage of Iranian rockets, the White House said on Wednesday that those countries have praised the US president for starting the war and targeting \"the rogue Iranian terrorist regime\". \n \"We have seen all of the Arab partners in the region come together during this time on the phone with President Trump, many of them commending him for this bold and brave action to protect American troops and our bases in the region that are housed in many of these Arab and Gulf states,\" White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. \n \"And I know that many of these regional partners are contributing their air defence capabilities as well: Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait. The president continues to be engaged with all of them,\" she added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:24:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/gulf-nations-commending-trump-iran-war-white-house",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6790f013b11b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran war: Redrawing the map of the Middle East, Israeli style?",
    "body_text": "‘We already are in a scenario where the US has lost control of this war,’ argues political scientist Vali Nasr.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:24:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-bottom-line/2026/3/4/iran-war-redrawing-the-map-of-the-middle-east-israeli-style?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_345e57920613",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Trump weighing US role in Iran after conflict, White House says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Trump weighing US role in Iran after conflict, White House says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:25:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxOMVBUVVBSX1BaTTU4ajV4bFdtR2s2ZGlMYVJEbXFudjJ1bEdKbGhScjRGQVhTVmVNWnFRWTNNcFczSTBCcnJNSXlwTmJXak1JUFJDdTBlVDlVbUZmeDlaQVBHeXJsZlB6cktyNFJod1BYQjNSd2VyX25tWmdaSC1lM3FSZWk5WXBicWxHU1M0UHVJa1ZHMFhHVG1VaGE0aEdseTZaN01XWEFZRlhORE83SGNVQQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d69834c0a206",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "'Every day feels like a month': Iranians describe life under 'constant' US-Israeli strikes",
    "body_text": "Iranians are coping with daily strikes, internet blackouts, and security crackdowns - all while trying to stay in touch with loved ones.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:31:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4zze5lzjpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8a3fcdddc1d3",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Trump weighing US role in Iran after conflict, White House says",
    "body_text": "By Steve Holland and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is discussing with his advisors what role the U.S could have in Iran after the military campaign while U.S. intelligence is monitoring reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's slain supreme leader, has emerged as ‌a frontrunner to succeed him, the White House said on Wednesday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:37:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/trump-weighing-us-role-iran-after-conflict-white-house-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f857a147f99a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Heavy shelling, explosions spark fear along Pakistan-Afghanistan border",
    "body_text": "By Mushtaq Ali and Hedayatshah Hedayat LAL PUR, Afghanistan/PESHAWAR, Pakistan, March 4 (Reuters) - Several people living along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan said they were considering fleeing their homes as heavy shelling and explosions marked a seventh day of fighting between troops from both sides on Wednesday. The South Asian allies-turned-foes are in their worst fighting in years following Pakistani airstrikes on major Afghan cities last week, adding volatility to a region already on edge over U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:37:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/heavy-shelling-explosions-spark-fear-along-pakistan-afghanistan-border",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_42411a52dd1c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US Dems say Iran troop deployment ‘more likely’ ahead of war powers vote",
    "body_text": "Resolution aims to constrain Trump’s war capabilities, but faces uphill battle with veto likely if passed by Congress.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:42:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/us-dems-say-iran-troop-deployment-more-likely-ahead-of-war-powers-vote?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4fb116cd4096",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Starmer’s slow start in the war against Iran could leave UK playing catch-up",
    "body_text": "Prime minister’s initial refusal to help US could constrain Britain’s ability to protect its nationals in the Gulf and reassure allies Middle East crisis – live updates Britain knew that the US was considering attacking Iran from the moment Donald Trump told protesters that “help is coming” in the middle of January. It was obvious to the world that the White House was serious when the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was sent to the Arabian Sea in late January. But as Trump gradually built up his “massive armada”, reinforcing it with a second carrier strike group in mid-February, UK deployments were constrained and limited even though there was a recognition that it was likely allies and bases with British soldiers would be attacked in an Iranian retaliation.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:43:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/starmer-slow-start-war-against-iran-uk-playing-catch-up",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_771ff832928e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Spain denies White House claim it agreed to cooperate with US military",
    "body_text": "Spain reiterates its opposition to war on Iran despite Trump's threat of cutting off trade with the European country.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:53:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/spain-denies-white-house-claim-it-agreed-to-cooperate-with-us-military?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6652735a19d8",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Spain denies White House claim it agreed to cooperate with US military - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Spain has denied the White House’s claim that Madrid is now cooperating militarily with Washington amid the war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to use trade to punish the Spanish authorities for their stance.\nWhite House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt suggested on Wednesday that the Spanish position of refusing to allow the country’s military bases in the war against Iran has changed.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3‘Sports cold war’: How the Middle East conflict could disrupt the World Cup\n- list 2 of 3Trump’s endgame in Iran: ‘Regime change’ without US boots on the ground\n- list 3 of 3US Dems say Iran troop deployment ‘more likely’ ahead of war powers vote\n“With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear, and it’s my understanding, over the past several hours, they’ve agreed to cooperate with the US military,” Leavitt told reporters.\nThe Spanish government was quick to dismiss the assertion, with Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares saying that he denies the White House’s claim “categorically”.\n“Not a single comma has changed, and I have no idea whatsoever what they might be referring to,” Albares told Hora25 radio programme.\nOn Tuesday, Trump had lambasted Spain over its opposition to the war as “terrible”.\n“We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” the US president said.\nBut Madrid projected defiance in the face of Washington’s economic threat, reiterating its opposition to the war.\n“The world, Europe, and Spain have faced this critical moment before. In 2003, a few irresponsible leaders dragged us into an illegal war in the Middle East that brought nothing but insecurity and pain,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X on Wednesday.\nHe added that Spain’s position continues to be to reject war, violations of international law and “the illusion that we can solve the world’s problems with bombs”.\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised Spain’s stance on Wednesday.\n“Spain’s responsible conduct in opposing the Zionist-American coalition’s flagrant human rights violations and military aggression against countries, including Iran, shows that ethics and awakened consciences still exist in the West,” he said in a social media post.\n“I commend Spanish officials for their stances.”\nSpain has emerged as an outlier in Europe in unambiguously standing against the attack in Iran.\nThe European Union has vaguely called for de-escalation and protecting civilians without rejecting the US and Israeli assault against Iran.\n“Iran’s regime has killed thousands. Its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, along with support for terror groups, pose a serious threat to global security,” European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after the US and Israel started attacking Iran.\n“The EU has adopted strong sanctions against Iran and supported diplomatic solutions, including on the nuclear issue.”\nSpain has also been a vocal critic of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T19:58:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_af836b2ca17c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Iranian officials say Israel behind some of the drone strikes on Gulf energy sites - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Iranian officials say Israel carried out some of the drone strikes on Gulf energy sites\nIranian officials have accused Israel of carrying out some of the drone strikes on energy and civilian sites in the Arabian Gulf, calling the attacks a calculated bid to spark regional fury and pull Arab states into the war on Tehran.\nAn Iranian foreign ministry official told Middle East Eye that Israel was behind several of the drone strikes against Saudi Arabia and claimed that they were also responsible for at least one of the attacks on Oman.\n\"I can categorically say that some of the attacks were not carried out by us [Iran],\" the official, who requested anonymity, said.\nThe official declined to say which of the strikes Israel was responsible for, but Saudi Arabia has been struck at least five times by drones and missiles, with the Prince Sultan Air Base, the Ras Tanura oil refinery, and the US embassy in Riyadh among the facilities targeted.\nOman's Duqm Port has also been targeted twice, a sprawling site that the US Navy has had regular access to since 2019.\nThe Iranian official declined to say whether any Iranian proxy group could have been involved, but as of Wednesday, Shia Iraqi groups have not carried out any cross-border attacks, limiting their response to US targets in Iraq instead.\nIran has been targeting US assets across the Middle East since Saturday, in retaliation for a huge joint attack by the US and Israel that resulted in the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.\n'[The attacks are] an Israeli effort to sabotage regional peace and alliances between neighbours'\n- Iranian source\nInitially, the first wave of attacks focused on US military assets, but Gulf states have reported that Iran has since broadened its scope to target civilian infrastructure, including hotels, airports, and energy facilities.\nIranian officials, however, have publicly denied targeting Gulf energy facilities.\nThe five-day conflict has severely damaged Saudi Arabia and Qatar's ability to export oil and gas and shattered Dubai's image as a safe haven for foreign expatriates.\nMossad operating on Iranian soil\nTwo other Iranian sources told MEE that Israel's foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad, had carried out some of the drone attacks, adding that the Islamic Republic had detected their activity on Iranian soil.\nThey said that authorities were in the process of locating the warehouses used by the Mossad to store their drones and that Iran was committed to \"taking them all out\".\n\"We would not be surprised if there are such warehouses and operational rooms in other countries in the region that Israel would use to target our Gulf neighbours from,\" one of the sources said.\nMossad is known to have built up a deep network of agents, informants, and logistics in Iran, allowing Israel to carry out a series of attacks on high-value targets.\nPrevious attacks have included the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist travelling at high speeds in a car on an isolated road with a remote-controlled automatic machine gun; malware attacks on computers running key parts of Iran’s nuclear programme; and the theft of an archive of nuclear documents.\nAnother Iranian source told MEE that amid the latest attacks, Iran had \"made a clear statement\" to Saudi Arabia that it was not behind the strikes on Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura, which houses the kingdom's largest domestic refinery and is a key crude export terminal.\n\"This is an Israeli effort to sabotage regional peace and alliances between neighbours,\" the source added.\nThe sources spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorised to speak with the media.\nPezeshkian: Iran is defending itself\nThe admissions could serve as a major source of embarrassment for Iran, a year after Israeli officials released footage that showed Mossad agents deep inside Iran assembling missiles and explosive drones.\nBut the remarks come at a time when Gulf Arab capitals are facing increasing US pressure to join the war effort against Tehran.\nThe calls, some of which are being led by the United Arab Emirates from inside the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), are for the Arab states to act in self-defence against Iran.\nDuring a video meeting of GCC foreign ministers on Sunday, they said that the \"option to respond to Iranian attacks\" to protect regional security and stability remained on the table.\n'Israel is intent on destroying the bilateral relations that Iran has built up with Gulf Arab countries with these attacks'\n- Seyed Emamian, Tehran Polytechnic University\nOn Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to address Gulf concerns and said Tehran respected the sovereignty of neighbouring countries but was simply defending itself.\n\"Your Majesties, heads of friendly and neighboring states, we have strived alongside you and through diplomacy to avoid war, but the American-Zionist military aggression has left us no choice but to defend ourselves. We respect your sovereignty, and we believe that the security and stability of the region must be achieved through the collective efforts of its states,\" he said.\nSeyed Emamian, an assistant professor at Tehran Polytechnic University, said that given the long and painstaking process Iran and the Gulf states had taken to improve their diplomatic relations, there was every possibility that Israel was responsible for several of the attacks and sought to maximise the unrest.\n\"Israel is intent on destroying the bilateral relations that Iran has built up with Gulf Arab countries with these attacks,\" he told MEE.\n\"The Iranians have always said they are attacking US and Israeli bases of interest, but the attacks on civilian and non-US facilities is either by the Israelis or maybe because of, in some rare cases, technical mistakes,\" he added.\nDirect confrontation serves Israeli interests\nSeveral senior Gulf government figures have repeatedly called for restraint since the war erupted, with the officials in the kingdom telling their allies to avoid taking any steps that could trigger a response by Tehran or its proxies and push the region towards a broader conflict.\nThere have also been a growing number of voices within Saudi Arabia urging the kingdom and the GCC not to get duped into joining the war.\n\"The repeated targeting of sites in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries with drones raises many suspicions that go beyond Iran,\" Abdulaziz Altuwaijri, a veteran Saudi politician and secretary general of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said on Tuesday.\n\"I firmly believe that the Zionist entity [Israel] wants to drag these countries into the war for more destruction, to strike the economy, and to undermine security and stability in the region.\"\nQatar's former prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, has also repeatedly urged the GCC not to be dragged into a direct confrontation with Iran.\n\"There are forces that want the council's states to become directly embroiled with Iran, and they know that the current clash between the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other, will come to an end,\" he said earlier this week.\n\"But a direct clash between the council's states and Iran, if it occurs, will deplete the resources of both sides and provide an opportunity for many forces to control us under the pretext of helping us escape the crisis and halt the depletion,\" he said.\n\"The council's states have no choice but to act as a single, unified hand in confronting any aggression against them, rejecting any attempt to impose dictates or blackmail them,\" he added.\nSina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center of International Policy, said that Israel had long sought to align Gulf states more directly against Iran and had consistently framed Iran as the central regional threat.\n\"From that perspective, any escalation that pulls Gulf actors into direct confrontation with Iran would serve Israeli strategic interests by regionalising the conflict and further isolating Tehran,\" he told MEE.\n\"Iran's own approach toward Gulf states in recent years has generally been more calibrated. Tehran has incentives to pressure US interests and demonstrate regional reach, but it has also invested heavily in repairing relations with Gulf neighbours, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE,\" he said.\n\"An uncontrolled war with Gulf states would risk undermining those diplomatic gains and expanding the conflict in ways that could be highly damaging for Iran,\" he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNWUFxaWswZW1oMnBJeWUwWG8zTTRva3pBaTRIcThULW9mX2ZrMXFhYy1PY2NyVmFYTmdLWm44TjZvcFdWT2FKY1FYWE5TVXp4d2thZDZTOWV2N0hMQUxEbElOT2dWNjVhZ3ZOV3JSa3VVaUZBOU5IUkRoZ3p5RXV5S3E4Qk92QXgtTDFNMm1JeHFNSXBoTUFJbnlMQzBRNzVfVFE1WldPLUNrYkw2MUE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_de49a4d52b82",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Macron urges Netanyahu to avoid ground offensive in Lebanon",
    "body_text": "France's President Emmanuel Macron said he urged Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to \"refrain from a ground offensive\" in Lebanon in their first phone call since last summer. \"I called on the Israeli prime minister to preserve Lebanon's territorial integrity and to refrain from a ground offensive,\" Macron said on X, after Israeli ground forces pushed into several border towns and villages in southern Lebanon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:00:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/macron-urges-netanyahu-avoid-ground-offensive-lebanon",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7fdfa91f7707",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Iranian officials say Israel carried out some of the drone strikes on Gulf energy sites",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Iranian officials say Israel carried out some of the drone strikes on Gulf energy sites \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Faisal Edroos \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 17:50 \n \n \n \n \n Sources say that some of the attacks, namely on oil refineries, ports and civilian targets, were carried out by Israel to provoke Gulf states into entering war \n \n \n \n \n Smoke can be seen rising after an attack in the UAE's Sharjah, on 1 March 2026 (Amr Alfiky/Reuters) \n Off \n Iranian  officials have accused  Israel  of carrying out some of the drone strikes on energy and civilian sites in the Arabian Gulf, calling the attacks a calculated bid to spark regional fury and pull Arab states into the  war on Tehran . \n An Iranian foreign ministry official told Middle East Eye that Israel was behind several of the drone strikes against Saudi Arabia and claimed that they were also responsible for at least one of the attacks on Oman. \n \"I can categorically say that some of the attacks were not carried out by us",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:00:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-officials-say-israel-carried-out-some-drone-strikes-gulf-energy-sites",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_18d75ce0ae73",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Has the Iran war changed the Gulf forever? - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Has the Iran war changed the Gulf forever?    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:12:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxQLXFOZ3lzSDJlNG9iYXdsa05LLUdfTjFScnRSdUlkT0hTblp0TjlzR1N1TmNULTgwaVppS2R2SXVIS3R3RmFyVWFFbTFMZkFUWmpuQ0J4UWJyRzV2YVEwV0FNNkVVNmxQbGNVRG92a0FFRTg5ZkxiM1JSTEZ2ZGU2aUJrWG5la00zRHc3UnBwVDE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_916b52bfbcc1",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Not all attacks on Gulf states coming from Iran, prominent Saudi Arabian editor suggests - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Not all attacks on Gulf states coming from Iran, prominent Saudi Arabian editor suggests\nThe editor-in-chief of Independent Arabia suggested in a television interview on Tuesday that not all attacks on the Gulf states may be coming from Iran, and that the US and Israel could lure them into the war, only to later abandon them.\nAdhwan al-Ahmari, a Saudi journalist and political analyst, highlighted with Riyadh-based Asharq News the numerous unverified claims of false-flag attacks.\n\"Some believe this war is an American-Israeli trap to implicate the Gulf countries and draw them into a confrontation with Iran,\" Ahmari said.\n\"This hypothesis, I think, increases every day,\" he added, alluding to an erosion of trust between Washington and its allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).\n\"What if the US announces after a week, 10 days, or two weeks that it has achieved all its goals in this war and that the war is over and then leaves the Gulf states in an open confrontation?\"\nAhmari added that unless the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is dismantled, the killing of senior leaders and the destruction of nuclear and ballistic missile facilities will bring no substantial change to the region.\nThe IRGC is an elite military unit specifically designed to protect Iran's ruling structure. It is separate from Iran's conventional military.\n\"Killing the Iranian supreme leader without eliminating the IRGC is worthless. Dismantling the nuclear programme without eliminating the IRGC is worthless. The IRGC will come back stronger; it will rebuild its capabilities.\"\nFor that reason, he added, the US must explain to its allies in the Gulf exactly what its motives are for the war on Iran and how long it will take.\nUS President Donald Trump initially indicated a four- to five-day period. That has since turned into an expectation of four to five weeks. On Tuesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth suggested it was open-ended.\n\"It is the strangest military campaign in history,\" Ahmari said.\nThus far, the Trump administration's rationale for going to war and putting American lives at risk has been muddled, leaving not only regional partners in the dark but also members of Congress.\nAhmari called Iran's attacks on the Gulf nations hosting US military facilities \"suicidal behaviour\", because it is far weaker than the Iran of a decade ago, he said, citing the Women, Life, Freedom protests in 2022 and the severe economic crisis of last year.\nThat financial squeeze was notably spurred on by ramped-up US sanctions and a US-backed bank collapse.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:15:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPSlIzamp0YlpmNGlpNkNJXzhVZlUyVGk4bEh2TG0wZEg5TVBINHYxMVFISnlsUEdfaDJhMnBRMHluMkRaN1hidFBzWmU2RHp0cE1mbmU1UHNTZFd3cFVUbUg1S1FuNG5jenNQQmhXNTJDMVRQTnM0V2k2ZnMzNE5tcWRpTUp1OWJiMjd2a3Q1TjBOSzRDU18xaDFOc2ljemNZRGZ6M092WFBQbDJQZ0E?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_b63d12dc9b25",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Not all attacks on Gulf states coming from Iran, prominent Saudi Arabian editor suggests",
    "body_text": "Not all attacks on Gulf states coming from Iran, prominent Saudi Arabian editor suggests \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n MEE staff \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 17:33 \n \n \n \n \n Independent Arabia's Adhwan al-Ahmari raises concern that Gulf states could be left in open confrontation with Iran after US leaves \n \n \n \n \n Adhwan al-Ahmari, editor-in-chief of Independent Arabia, speaks to Asharq News in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 3 March 2026 (Screengrab) \n Off \n The editor-in-chief of Independent Arabia suggested in a television interview on Tuesday that not all attacks on the Gulf states may be coming from Iran, and that the US and Israel could lure them into the war, only to later abandon them. \n Adhwan al-Ahmari, a Saudi journalist and political analyst, highlighted with Riyadh-based Asharq News the numerous unverified claims of  false-flag attacks .  \n \"Some believe this war is an American-Israeli trap to implicate the Gulf countries and draw them into a confrontation with Iran,\" Ahmari said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:15:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/not-all-attacks-coming-iran-and-region-prominent-saudi-arabian-editor-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_970d896b183b",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Macron calls leaders to raise alarm about Lebanon spillover",
    "body_text": "Macron calls leaders to raise alarm about Lebanon spillover \n \n \n \n French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to discuss the Israel-Hezbollah hostilities in Lebanon, and urge them to deescalate. \n In a post on X, Macron said Hezbollah's strategy of escalation amid the US-Israeli war on Iran constitutes a major error that puts the entire region in danger. \n The Reuters news agency also reported on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump called Macron to discuss the developments in the now five-day-old war and that Macron raised the issue of spillover into Lebanon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:17:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/macron-calls-leaders-raise-alarm-about-lebanon-spillover",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_70658ede93d6",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israeli attacks, threats fuel mass displacement crisis in southern Lebanon",
    "body_text": "Tens of thousands have fled their homes in Lebanon's south as Israel issues forced evacuation order for entire area.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:22:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/israeli-attacks-threats-fuel-mass-displacement-crisis-in-southern-lebanon?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3cd21ed6b32c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran's supreme leader gone, but opposition still at war with itself",
    "body_text": "The US and Israel began their war on Iran by killing its most powerful figure and exhorting Iranians to seize the moment for change, but a fractured opposition and unclear American aims leave the future leadership of a post-clerical Iran an open question.   US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to rise up and \"take over your government\" as he launched \"Operation Epic Fury\", but his administration has since sent mixed signals about whether regime change is Washington's goal.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:30:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/irans-supreme-leader-gone-opposition-still-war-itself",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ba8d3005a008",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "How Iran war may accelerate the fall of US empire - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "How Iran war may accelerate the fall of US empire\nFor more than two decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been circling a single horizon.\nHe has warned about it, lobbied for it, and dramatised it at podiums from Washington to the United Nations. Now it is here.\nThe war he long argued was inevitable has arrived: a direct clash with Iran, carried not by Israel alone, but by the full military weight of the United States.\nThis is neither a limited strike nor a calibrated show of force. It is the most dangerous and reckless confrontation of its kind; a war not born of American necessity, not compelled by imminent threat, not sanctioned by Congress or the United Nations, but driven by an Israeli vision of regional remaking.\nFor years, Netanyahu and his circle have spoken openly of reshaping the Middle East. In their imagination, borders are not fixed. The region is a chessboard to be rearranged according to Israel’s strategic and ideological desires.\nThe language of “Greater Israel” has crept from the fringes into mainstream political discourse. Israeli officials - and many American voices echoing them - speak unabashedly of confronting “Shia extremism” today and “Sunni extremism” tomorrow, as if the entire Muslim world were merely a sequence of targets awaiting their turn.\nAnd now, with US firepower behind him, Netanyahu believes history can be forced.\nSame old script\nWe are told this war is about missiles, nuclear bombs and American national security. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeat the talking points with rehearsed certainty: Iran is on the verge, Iran is a threat, Iran must be stopped.\nWe have heard this before. We heard it from former US President George W Bush and his British counterpart, Tony Blair, about Saddam Hussein’s “weapons of mass destruction”. We watched as Iraq was invaded, destroyed and fractured - only to discover that the central pretext for war was a fabrication.\nThe consequences were not theoretical. They were measured in hundreds of thousands of lives, regional chaos, and a permanent stain on western credibility.\nFor the first time in decades, Israel and the US are confronting a properly organised military force, fully integrated within a political system capable of continuity\nNow the script has been dusted off and repurposed. Negotiating in Oman and Geneva, Iran signalled flexibility: a readiness to lower uranium enrichment and accept comprehensive oversight. There was space for de-escalation.\nInstead, negotiations became theatre. While diplomats spoke of compromise, fleets moved quietly through the Indian Ocean and Gulf waters. Mobilisation unfolded under the cover of dialogue. The choreography was familiar: talk peace, prepare war.\nThen came the strike: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assassinated, political and military leaders targeted, sovereign territory bombed, cities shaken. And yet, in the dominant western narrative, Iran is cast as the aggressor.\nFor decades, Israel has cultivated the image of military invincibility, a state that repeatedly defeated Arab armies in conventional war. But the historical record tells a far more complicated story.\nFighting alone\nIn 1948, the so-called Arab coalition was neither unified nor sovereign in any meaningful sense. Much of the Arab world was still emerging from direct European colonial rule.\nThe same British Empire that had administered Palestine had trained, armed and effectively commanded Transjordan’s Arab Legion. Its commander was a British officer, Glubb Pasha. The most capable Arab army in the field was not operating under an independent, unified Arab command structure.\nKing Abdullah of Jordan was focused less on defending Palestine in its entirety than on securing control over the West Bank. His political calculations shaped the limits of engagement.\nJordan’s army was constrained and redirected even while holding ground against Zionist forces, its battlefield momentum subordinated to territorial ambition, rather than deployed in a coordinated Arab strategy.\nEgypt’s performance in 1948 was shaped by dysfunction at the highest levels. Under King Farouk, the Egyptian army entered the war poorly prepared, with confused command structures and inadequate coordination.\nThe infamous “defective weapons” scandal later rocked Cairo, with allegations that soldiers had been supplied with faulty ammunition and unusable arms - a controversy that fuelled public outrage and helped pave the way for the Free Officers’ coup in 1952.\nMeanwhile, Palestinian fighters faced an even harsher reality. Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni, leading irregular forces around Jerusalem, pleaded repeatedly for weapons and reinforcements that never arrived. Before the Battle of al-Qastal in April 1948, he sent urgent appeals for ammunition.\nTwo days before his death, he wrote to the secretary general of the Arab League: “I hold you responsible after you have left my soldiers at the height of their victories without support or weapons.”\nHe and his men fought to the last bullet. He was killed in combat. His forces were not backed by a unified Arab command; they were fighting largely alone.\nIsraeli myth\nThere was no coordinated, sovereign, unified Arab conventional war machine in 1948. There were fragmented states, rival monarchies, colonial entanglements, competing ambitions, and uneven military capacity.\nIsrael did not defeat a cohesive pan-Arab army. It emerged in an Arab world still under the shadow - and often the direct influence - of European colonial power structures, while benefitting from superior organisation and international support.\nThe myth of having “defeated the Arab armies” was later polished into a national legend.\nIn 1967, Israel’s decisive advantage came from a pre-emptive air strike that destroyed Egypt’s air force on the ground within hours. Once air supremacy was secured, the outcome was largely predetermined. It was not a prolonged, balanced clash between evenly matched armies; it was a paralysing blow delivered before full conventional engagement could unfold.\nThe 1973 war complicates the myth further. In October of that year, the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal, breached the Bar Lev Line, and advanced into Sinai, in a surprise offensive that stunned the Israeli command and punctured the aura of invincibility established in 1967.\nFor the first time since Israel’s founding, an Arab army demonstrated planning, coordination, and battlefield competence on a scale that forced Israel onto the defensive. Yet the military momentum was not converted into a strategic transformation.\nA massive American airlift replenished Israeli losses and stabilised its position, altering the balance once more. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, eager to pivot towards Washington and secure a political settlement, moved quickly into negotiations.\nWhat began as a military shock evolved into a diplomatic realignment, culminating in the Camp David Accords.\nShared pattern\nSince then, Israel’s principal confrontations have been with non-state actors. In Lebanon, it faced Hezbollah and was forced to withdraw.\nIn Gaza, despite immense US backing and overwhelming firepower, it has not eliminated Hamas. Hostages were recovered through negotiated deals, not decisive battlefield annihilation.\nIsrael has grown accustomed to aerial bombardment against fragmented opponents, not sustained, attritional warfare against a large, organised army backed by unified political leadership.\nIran isn't merely fighting Israel. It is confronting the entire American system of power in the region: the patron, the supplier, and the guarantor of Israeli dominance\nThe US shares this pattern. In 2003, Iraq was already crippled, hollowed out by years of sanctions; its military was degraded, its infrastructure was battered, and its society was exhausted. Afghanistan pitted American forces against insurgents. Libya, Somalia and Syria involved fragmented theatres and fractured actors.\nWashington grew comfortable fighting weakened regimes or decentralised movements. Its playbook became familiar: rapid intervention, overwhelming force, and declaration of victory.\nThis is different. For the first time in decades, Israel and the US are confronting a properly organised military force, fully integrated within a political system capable of continuity and regeneration. Iran is not Iraq in 2003. It is not Afghanistan in 2001.\nIt possesses geographic depth, demographic weight, entrenched military institutions, and one of the region’s largest missile arsenals. It has invested decades into domestic weapons industries, drone technology and defensive infrastructure - all under sanctions meant to suffocate it.\nIran is the product of a revolution forged in profound anti-colonial sentiment: nationalist and ideological, fiercely independent. It overthrew a western-backed monarch. It has spent decades building autonomy under siege. It manufactures its own weapons. It forges its own alliances.\nTo dismiss its leadership casually as “the mullahs” is not analysis; it is a shallow caricature, emblematic of a broader American tendency to underestimate societies it does not understand.\nRhetoric and reality\nThat caricature was on display at the Pentagon news conference where Hegseth described the Iranian regime as “crazy” and “hell-bent on prophetic Islamist delusions”. Rubio, meanwhile, declared that Iran is led by “radical clerics” who make decisions not on geopolitics but on “apocalyptic” theology.\nThis is from an administration aligned with Christian Zionists and a far-right Israeli government steeped in biblical entitlement; one whose ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, routinely invokes scripture and divine promise as grounds for territorial claims.\nBut beyond the rhetoric lies a more consequential reality: Iran isn’t merely fighting Israel. It is confronting the entire American system of power in the region: the patron, the supplier, and the guarantor of Israeli dominance.\nTehran does not see Israel as an isolated adversary, but as the most fortified node in a broader structure of US hegemony. The line of force does not stop at Tel Aviv; it leads straight to the network of American bases that sustain Washington’s military reach, from Bahrain to Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq, and beyond.\nThis is no accidental escalation. Iran’s retaliation has deliberately targeted US assets and Gulf states hosting American forces, signalling that Tehran understands its enemy not as a single army, but as a global strategic system anchored in American logistical and military supremacy.\nIran is not engaged in a mirror-image conventional war. It is executing an asymmetric strategy: threatening Gulf infrastructure, energy flows, and strategic sea lanes that underpin global capitalism and the US-led financial order, particularly the petro-dollar system that fuels Wall Street and Washington alike.\nShould the Gulf destabilise, the ripple effects would extend into energy and currency markets, and the financial architecture upon which American power depends.\nWashington's Suez\nThis may yet prove to be Washington’s most perilous adventure, undertaken by one of its most reckless presidents.\nIt may not lead to the birth of a new Middle East in Israel’s image. It may instead follow a far more familiar pattern: the classic story of a superpower overreaching.\nEmpires at the height of their confidence begin to believe their own mythology. They mistake military superiority for strategic wisdom. They convince themselves that force can reorder history.\nMilitary capability without political legitimacy and force without restraint accelerate decline rather than prevent it\nBut empires rarely fall because they are weak. They falter because they overestimate their strength. They fall not from a scarcity of power, but from an excess of confidence - from hubris.\nBritain learned this lesson in 1956. Convinced of its enduring authority, certain it could still dictate events beyond its shores, London embarked on the Suez adventure: a display of force meant to discipline a defiant regional actor and restore imperial prestige.\nInstead, it revealed the limits of British power. Financial pressure mounted. International opposition hardened. The illusion of control dissolved. What was intended as a show of strength became the start of a strategic retreat.\nSuez did not end the British Empire overnight. But it exposed something fatal: that military capability without political legitimacy and force without restraint accelerate decline rather than prevent it.\nHistory rarely repeats itself in detail. But it does repeat its logic.\nIran may yet prove to be Washington’s Suez.\nThe views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:36:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxOU1I0aHFMYVJxNWI4Yk1BX0JGbjRqbHZWX05TLWFJOUFTRUxIVjBLX0lWR3l0eDNRQVZDQkpwUXRDNFNTa3JlRnZCVVY1TFdKUE1ESndHUnlKWnRYZ05QMUNHYV84ZzlzYjVpczZSVVB3emFQeTVwbzRaSThhZnF6ZWVtWEVNSXM?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_8e9ece377ace",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "How Iran war may accelerate the fall of US empire",
    "body_text": "How Iran war may accelerate the fall of US empire \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Soumaya Ghannoushi \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 19:21 \n \n \n \n \n This conflict could prove to be Washington's most perilous adventure yet - the classic story of a superpower overreaching \n \n \n \n \n A picture of US President Donald Trump is set on fire during a demonstration in front of the American consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on 1 February 2026 (Yasin Akgul/AFP) \n Off \n For more than two decades,  Israeli  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been circling a single horizon.  \n He has warned about it, lobbied for it, dramatised it at podiums from Washington to the United Nations. Now it is here. \n The war he long argued was inevitable has arrived: a direct clash with  Iran , carried not by Israel alone, but by the full military weight of the  United States . \n This is neither a limited strike, nor a calibrated show of force. It is the most dangerous and reckless confrontation of its kind; a war not born of A",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:36:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-iran-war-may-accelerate-fall-us-empire",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_bab690aa3e45",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Rubio spoke with Turkish foreign minister and pledged full US support, State Department says",
    "body_text": "March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday and pledged Washington's full support following missile attacks from Iran, the U.S. State Department said. Turkey on Wednesday said that NATO air defenses destroyed an Iranian ballistic missile headed into Turkish airspace. Rubio told Fidan that \"the attacks on Turkey’s sovereign territory were unacceptable and pledged full support from the United States,\" the State Department said in a statement.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:36:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/rubio-spoke-turkish-foreign-minister-and-pledged-full-us-support-state-department",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_27ab1e0b7250",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Why Iran’s system may endure the US–Israel strikes",
    "body_text": "Why Iran’s Islamic Republic is more prepared than Washington expected.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:44:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-take-2/2026/3/4/aje-onl-tt_irn_usirantuesday_av_v3-030326?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b80298bf38c4",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Video of US torpedo hitting Iranian warship released by Pentagon",
    "body_text": "US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US military has sunk \"an Iranian warship\" in the Indian Ocean with a torpedo.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:56:07+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cd6zzg2g7vno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3595fb81699c",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "How depleted weapons stockpiles could affect the Iran conflict",
    "body_text": "Weapons stocks will not alone decide the outcome of this conflict, but it's certainly a significant factor, writes the BBC's Jonathan Beale.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:57:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxzzqe82d2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_08548631582d",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "How depleted weapons stockpiles could affect the Iran conflict - BBC",
    "body_text": "How depleted weapons stockpiles could affect the Iran conflict\nUS President Donald Trump claims his country has a \"virtually unlimited supply\" of key weapons. Iran's defence ministry says it has \"the capacity to resist the enemy\" for longer than the US had planned.\nWeapons stocks and supplies alone will not decide the outcome of this conflict – Ukraine has long been outnumbered and outgunned by Russia – but it's certainly a significant factor.\nThe tempo of operations has been high from the start. Both sides will already be using up weapons faster than they can be produced.\nThe Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) estimates that the US and Israel have already carried out more than 2,000 strikes, each involving multiple munitions.\nThe INSS says Iran has already launched 571 missiles and 1,391 drones. Many will have been intercepted. For both sides, this level of combat will become harder to sustain the longer the war drags on.\nIran\nWestern officials say they have already seen a decrease in the number of missiles Iran is firing – down from hundreds in the first day of the war to dozens now.\nBefore the war, it was estimated that Iran had a stockpile of more than 2,000 short-range ballistic missiles. No military publishes precise numbers on how many weapons they have at their disposal, as such figures remain classified to keep adversaries in the dark.\nAmerica's top commander, Gen Dan Caine, said on Wednesday that Iran's ballistic missile launches were down 86% from the first day of the fighting on Saturday. US Central Command (Centcom) says there's been a 23% decrease in just the last 24 hours.\nIran was believed to have mass-produced tens of thousands of its Shahed one-way attack drones before the war. It's exported the technology to Russia – which has been using their version of the Shahed to devastating effect in Ukraine. Even the US has copied the design.\nBut Caine said Iran's drone launches had dropped by 73% since the first day of the conflict. Iran appears to be struggling to maintain a high tempo of operations.\nIt is still possible this dramatic decline may be an attempt to preserve stockpiles – but maintaining production will only become harder.\nUS and Israeli jets now have air supremacy over Iran. Most of Iran's air defences have been destroyed. It no longer has a credible air force. Centcom says the next phase of the war is focused on hunting down Iran's missile and drone launchers, its weapons stockpiles, and destroying the factories that produce them.\nIt may now be easier for the US and Israel to degrade Iran's ability to fight. But it'll be difficult to destroy all its weapons stockpiles.\nIran is a country three times the size of France. Weapons can still be hidden from the sky.\nRecent history also shows the limitations of wars fought from the air. Israel's military has still not destroyed Hamas in Gaza after two years of intensive bombing. Houthi rebels in Yemen survived a year-long US bombing campaign – as did some of their weapons.\nThe US\nThe US remains the world's most powerful military. Its conventional stockpiles will be deeper than any other country's.\nBut the US military still largely relies on expensive precision-guided weapons that are produced in limited quantities. Trump is reported to have called a meeting with defence contractors later this week to press them to speed up production. It's an indication that even America's resources might be stretched.\nSome of the pressure may have eased now that the US has relative freedom to carry out strikes at close range.\nCaine said the US had already moved from using \"stand-off weapons\" – more costly and sophisticated long-range weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles. The US Air Force is now using less expensive \"stand-in\" weapons – like JDAM bombs – which can be dropped above a target.\nMark Cancian, a former US Marine colonel with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), says that, after the initial attack from a distance, the US \"can now use less expensive missiles and bombs\".\nHe says the US could keep that level of fighting going on \"almost indefinitely\". The longer the war lasts, the list of targets also gets smaller – meaning a gradual slowing down in the tempo of operations.\nAir defences\nMark Cancian says the US has tens of thousands of JDAM bombs – but expensive air defence systems are in shorter supply. In the initial stages of the conflict, those have been essential to defeating the threat from Iranian retaliatory attacks.\nPatriot missiles have been in high demand – not just from the US but also its Arab allies and Ukraine. Each interceptor missile costs more than $4m (£3m) and the US is believed to currently produce around 700 a year. If Iran is still able to launch ballistic missiles, it will eat into these limited stockpiles.\nCSIS expert Cancian estimates that the US may have stockpiles of around 1,600 Patriot missiles – which in recent days will have been depleted. While he says the US can keep the air-to-ground war going for a \"long time\", the air defence war is \"more iffy\".\n\"If President Trump is willing to draw down on the number of Patriots, then I think we can outlast the Iranians – but it will come at a cost of risk in a potential Pacific conflict.\"\nThe fact that Trump is set to meet US defence firms later this week is a sign that there is some concern about weapons stocks. But the US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth insists \"Iran can't outlast us\". On this, he's probably right.\nCorrection 5 March: An earlier version of this story said Israel had bombed Hamas for more than three years. This has been changed to two years.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T20:57:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE9NQkRqeGpPUHNaMHlWY0JuZ1VYM0k2Uk05THFrRFlBbFA0bU44ZUxOblV0dEJMSGkzNUtfY2dadHhOZHNRZ1Q2M3JLMzdUY3VkZmhSREMydXdQUQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f02dde5317e0",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Rubio speaks with Saudi foreign minister about regional stability, US State Department says",
    "body_text": "March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Wednesday and discussed the threats from Iran to regional stability and other developments in the region, the U.S. State Department said. \"The Secretary expressed gratitude to the Foreign Minister for Saudi Arabia's response to the attack on U.S. Embassy Riyadh,\" State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:01:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/rubio-speaks-saudi-foreign-minister-about-regional-stability-us-state-department",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_877298fe5884",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attack as gas tanker sinks in Mediterranean",
    "body_text": "Russian President Vladimir Putin accuses Ukraine of carrying out a 'terrorist attack.'",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:04:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/russia-accuses-ukraine-of-drone-attack-as-gas-tanker-sinks-in-mediterranean?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c77d751b20c6",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Why Washington can’t stop Trump on Iran",
    "body_text": "Trump has launched strikes on Iran while Congress debates war powers.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:05:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-take-2/2026/3/4/aje-onl-tt_usa_usairanwed_av_v2-040326?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_eece6c7dfe3f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Trump rates Iran war as '15 out of 10'",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump on Wednesday rated the US performance in the war with Iran as a 15 on a scale of 10, saying the Islamic republic's leaders were rapidly being killed, and vowing to push on. Trump's comments came as the conflict expanded on its fifth day, with a US submarine sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka and fresh blasts across the Middle East. \"We're doing well on the war front, to put it mildly. Somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15,\" Trump told a gathering of tech bosses at the White House.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:30:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/trump-rates-iran-war-15-out-10",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7fb4543e51b7",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Spain denies cooperating with U.S. military operations in Middle East, contradicting White House - PBS",
    "body_text": "Spain denies cooperating with U.S. military operations in Middle East, contradicting White House    PBS",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:32:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c2459b3842c9",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Spain denies US claim of military cooperation on Iran as rift deepens - The Times of Israel",
    "body_text": "MADRID — Spain on Wednesday doubled down on its opposition to Washington’s use of its bases against Iran, after US President Donald Trump’s threats of trade reprisals over the spat deepened a rift between the NATO allies.\nSpain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defiantly repeated calls of “no to the war” on Wednesday after the weekend US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the regional conflict, in his latest policy clash with Trump.\nJust hours later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Madrid had “agreed to cooperate with the US military,” without providing details on what the cooperation would entail.\nBut Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Cadena SER radio shortly afterwards that “our position on the use of the bases, on the war in the Middle East, on the bombardment of Iran, has not changed at all.”\nTrump had lashed out at Sanchez’s government on Tuesday, calling Spain a “terrible” ally and threatening to sever all trade with one of the world’s most dynamic developed economies.\nSanchez defended his position on Wednesday, saying his government’s position “can be summed up in four words: no to the war.”\n“We will not be complicit in something that is harmful to the world and contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of retaliation,” he added in a televised address.\nSpain is part of the European Union, which allows goods to move freely between its 27 countries. This would complicate any bid to impose trade restrictions on a single member state.\n“Trump’s words don’t always become policy. We will have to see if he follows through, and how,” said Angel Saz Carranza, director of the Esade Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics, a Spanish think tank.\n‘Responsible conduct’\nIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian commended Spain on X for its “responsible conduct in opposing the Zionist-American coalition’s flagrant human rights violations and military aggression against countries.”\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Antonio Costa were among the allies rallying around Sanchez on Wednesday.\n“The EU will always ensure that the interests of its member states are fully protected,” Costa wrote on X.\nSanchez had already found himself in US crosshairs for refusing to join NATO allies in a pledge to boost defense spending to five percent of GDP as demanded by Trump.\nHe has also fiercely criticized Israel’s war in Gaza and the US military operation in January that captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.\nUS forces use the Rota naval base and Moron air base in southern Spain under an agreement signed in 1953 under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.\nDuring the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Spain, then led by conservative prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, staunchly backed the United States by sending troops.\nSpain’s participation in the Iraq war sparked huge street demonstrations and many Spaniards blame it for the March 11, 2004 Madrid train bombings that killed nearly 200 people.\nA branch of Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks and called for the withdrawal of Spanish forces from Iraq.\nRally his base\nSanchez, in power since 2018, has emerged as a prominent figure for Europe’s disillusioned progressives, who see him as one of the few remaining openly leftist voices in a continent increasingly dominated by right-wing politics.\nHis opposition to the use of the bases is seen by some analysts as an attempt to rally his supporters around an issue that unites the Spanish left.\nThe popularity of his minority government has taken a hit from a string of sexual harassment and graft scandals ahead of the next general election due in 2027.\nMany on Spain’s right consider Sanchez’s opposition to Trump as motivated more by domestic politics than by a moral compass.\nThe head of the main opposition conservative Popular Party, which tops opinion polls, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, accused Sanchez on X of using foreign policy for “partisan” purposes.\nIn contrast, neighboring Portugal authorized the United States to “conditionally” use an airbase on the Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean for the Iran strikes, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro told parliament on Wednesday.\nThe authorization was granted as long as “these operations are defensive or retaliatory, are necessary and proportionate, and exclusively target military objectives”, said the conservative leader.\nThe Times of Israel Community.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:33:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOeVd3ZXJVclNsTjBnWHVRbFdxcGIxcjVXVTZ2TG1iYVZmcmstQUQzaElyUUlsZjF4SDhWekVvWGhEajVQbngtelZaUFVMeVJxcEpTdWJaYzhYRFFjTGFKWmFURmNNOUNGRnFuOXAwaERNUGtNU3ZnT1dPSUNaMERuUW9adUNzTUJtV2lrdjFpVVBYSUpGVDZzZ3dJTE1sdmtqbFHSAacBQVVfeXFMT0U0dDRPTldTVWRKcGNlWkhGd2VZU0pvZG1oMGZsX0h0aXN4U19KdnhOeWxuUnBnbjU0VTJUMnh5VUhpbkZOX3lFSEtBV3BZY1B2ZjBpU180NTdCN1ZPX2dpa3FkQVRjejZmZWJBZHktSjhWMU1qajN1MDhCNTdBWjlIX083a0tkQXlHOWJqYmRNTHUyeFBJa0FuYU10dk1BcEROdEx3NG8?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_47016089cd72",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Zelenskiy spoke to leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait about Iran conflict",
    "body_text": "March 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he discussed the Middle East conflict on Wednesday with the king of Bahrain and the crown prince of Kuwait. Zelenskiy also said that his administration was in daily contact with the U.S. and once the security situation around Iran permitted it, trilateral talks with Moscow and Washington on a settlement of the war with Moscow would resume. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy added:",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:36:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/zelenskiy-spoke-leaders-bahrain-kuwait-about-iran-conflict",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6b18b27a0b14",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Rate of Iranian ballistic missile launches is declining, western officials say - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Rate of Iranian ballistic missile launches is declining, western officials say\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:46:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE5rWVpHdGgzOG9Yamd6cmpZSi14YXAwdy1GOUEtUzBNX0dDYVM0b3ZSR2d2ODJZbS1TVXpZeEJRZF84MUJBX2VLenhOQlJ1SU0zbUZqVFVQXzBCc1NCenViOXRxd2EzZ3p1bHhrcy1YRnI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_52abd05ca7cb",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "FirstFT: Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "FirstFT: Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T21:59:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFByalpXaUc2U3BpN0FOSDVyZm51RU9lR3NBa0llVk9MX2RCT0xHQ3VKRU1KNWNpekVFYWdYMkg2aGpwUVhyOEEzNVpMZzZpbC1yUmZ3NUJNRDg5T0lkbDNuWFFYbFBlbmFIRzBSWFZXS3M?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_731d69a414fc",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Hostage review – this portrait of a war reporter is jaw-dropping stuff",
    "body_text": "This documentary about British war correspondent John Cantlie – who was kidnapped by IS and is believed to have died in an airstrike – is full of remarkable yarns We need reporters on the ground to help us see through the fog of war, but that is always a messy task. In asymmetric early 21st-century conflicts in north Africa and the Middle East, almost all of them dealing at least in part with blowback from previous western interventions, it has become an awesomely difficult job. On battlefields with blurred frontlines, and multiple antagonists whose identities and motivations are obscure, journalists are as much of a target as everyone else. Donning a flak jacket and trying to send home a quote or image that makes sense of it all is not a job for everyone. So what sort of guy was John Cantlie, the British photographer and reporter who was, most likely, killed by an airstrike in Iraq in 2017, having been kidnapped in Syria in 2012? Hostage spends three episodes trying to work it out. Th",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:00:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/mar/04/hostage-review-this-portrait-of-a-war-reporter-is-jaw-dropping-stuff",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_9ac7f9fbeedb",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US-Israel-Iran war rocks global markets - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Why AL-Monitor?\nAL-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:03:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxOTTk2bkFWbk1jNUpqcjZuMUlrMEplTi00cHdVclUxTWwzZE5CWXE5b0RaUEN3RTYwSHFwOVZQa3VrektQYU9mMHFNSjRXOVlpTEN5NmhIWWZJalhRT25KUXV6dzk1Ny05YW1GamJIdnNkdlpXVGxOYXV5VXBvaXEzV2lialYtOG9HNnpJeWlxN25Kdw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e7fd1718e737",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran will target Israeli nuclear site if regime change is sought, Iranian official says - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran will target Israeli nuclear site if regime change is sought, Iranian official says    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:07:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxOaHpOODZoOHE1M0EySnE3a0U3STlLc2lhN1R1dG0tR0twVzNrNm53Y2tGRnQ4NGtvczVUb2FzbmdvTWVHeUthWEpoMkh4NG5uYVMxVXprc1dCdGNJanBYU3FhV2pBWnJITWF5bkV4WEI3ejF1Y0FQTHJPZV96SmxDWWFWX1pfX2U0RkZGV0JlWS1VbExHaHprRzZzTnF3VkVlUkNBNXZsbURHOGgybGU2ZURmb2J3YWJkYThxaUtYMWhMYzhi?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8b6df3c068c5",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "$4.2M US torpedo detonates under Iranian warship in historic ‘No Mercy’ strike",
    "body_text": "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Iranian warship sinking a message that 'gloves are off' as U.S. nuclear submarine demonstrates maritime dominance with torpedo strike.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:14:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/4-2m-us-torpedo-detonates-iranian-warship-historic-no-mercy-strike",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7f23fd0c5f5d",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Tensions soar as Hegseth and Rubio feud over US troops in Iran - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Tensions soar as Hegseth and Rubio feud over US troops in Iran\nTensions are rising between US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the US’s approach to the war on Iran, three former US officials and a senior regional official familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.\nRubio and Hegseth were described as “at each other's throats” over the question of whether the US should deploy troops to Iran at Israel’s request, the sources told MEE.\nHegseth is supportive of the position, while Rubio is deeply wary of entangling the US in a long war, the sources told MEE.\nThe US has mainly confined its operations to air strikes and standoff strikes using cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, but CNN reported this week that the CIA has begun training and arming Kurdish fighters to operate in Iran.\nOne Gulf official told MEE that US officials have discussed sending special operations teams into Iran to target senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials and people familiar with Iran's nuclear programme.\nBoth Rubio and Hegseth have defended the US’s war on Iran, but the US Secretary of War and former Fox News host has been especially combative when confronted by journalists with questions about the Trump administration’s timeline and potential deployment of troops.\n“No, but we’re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do,” Hegseth said this week, when asked about US troops on the ground.\n“Why in the world would we tell you, the enemy, anybody, what we will or will not do in pursuit of an objective,” he added.\nThe State Department did not reply to MEE's request for comment by the time of publication.\nThe Department of War first referred MEE to Hegseth's press conference on Wednesday, where he said the US military gains were being overshadowed by dead US service members.\n\"We've taken control of Iran's airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it's front-page news,\" he said.\nA day after this story was published, chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said on X that the report was \"complete and total 100% FAKE NEWS\".\n'We won't tell anybody'\nOne of the former US officials, a high-ranking military officer, who spoke with MEE, said Rubio was more attuned to the potential domestic opposition to putting US soldiers on the ground. He has also been irked with Hegseth’s public posture during press briefings, the source added.\nAs MEE reported on Tuesday, there have been complaints from US personnel across all branches of the military about commanders referring to the war on Iran as being a \"part of God's plan\" that will usher in the return of Jesus Christ. Hegseth, an ultra-conservative Christian, has a Crusader cross tattoo on his chest.\nTrump himself has been evasive on the matter of whether the US should put boots on the ground in Iran.\n“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground - like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” he told The New York Post on Monday. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ [or] ‘if they were necessary'.”\nAt least six US service members have been killed in the war.\nThe Trump administration has provided a variety of explanations for why it launched the war. Rubio said this week that the US attacked Iran because it feared Israel was going to attack it first. He then backtracked from that statement.\nThe Trump administration says it wants to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile, naval and nuclear programme, but at other times has said its goal is the toppling of the Islamic Republic.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:17:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxOd1lDa2c5d1JFWHZMUldLa19wZVAyUjZZUHU0cHVLMDE1ZFNIQ055ZVYwR3BCeVB4Q05WbjgyM3E2ajN1RFE4VFNzb3hlM0paVjl4YjEyYlg0cjJhY3dSTUl5amYyUnZ1VTVTWVJQMzU5QjNsQjZlY1JXV0k2b2xHSER5S0E0ZGlYYW1wZFhNT2kxa1ZkOFE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_3379f679fc92",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Tensions soar as Hegseth and Rubio feud over US troops in Iran",
    "body_text": "Tensions soar as Hegseth and Rubio feud over US troops in Iran \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Sean Mathews \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 21:30 \n \n \n \n \n US Secretary of State is warning against deploying troops as Hegseth takes a hawkish turn \n \n \n \n \n US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth look on during a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House, on 3 March 2026 (Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP) \n Off \n Tensions are rising between  US  Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the US’s approach to the  war on Iran , three former US officials and a senior regional official familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. \n Rubio and Hegseth were described as “at each other's throats” over the question of whether the US should deploy troops to Iran at  Israel’s  request, the sources told MEE. \n Hegseth is supportive of the position, while Rubio is de",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:17:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/tensions-soar-hegseth-and-rubio-feud-over-us-troops-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b5a03385ca45",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "As airstrikes rain down on the Iranian regime, can a fractured opposition unite to lead if it falls?",
    "body_text": "As U.S. strikes target Iranian facilities, experts examine fractured opposition groups and debate structured transition plans for post-regime Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:20:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/airstrikes-rain-down-iranian-regime-can-fractured-opposition-unite-lead-falls",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_67571317cb0e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Airstrikes hit Iran-Iraq border as US and Israeli plan to mobilise Kurds gathers pace",
    "body_text": "Experts say backing Iran’s ethnic communities could ‘open up a hornet’s nest’  and increase risk of chaotic civil war Intense waves of airstrikes have hit dozens of military positions, frontier posts and police stations along northern parts of Iran’s border with Iraq in what appears to be preparation by US and Israel for a new front in their war. A US official with knowledge of the discussions between Washington and Kurdish officials said the US was ready to provide air support if Kurdish peshmerga fighters crossed the border from northern Iraq.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:22:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/airstrikes-hit-iran-iraq-border-as-us-and-israeli-plan-to-mobilise-kurds-gathers-pace",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_9472b702dc79",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran denies Axios report that messages were sent to US",
    "body_text": "March 4 (Reuters) - An Iranian official said the country had not sent any messages to the United States, in response to an Axios report, Iran's Tasnim news agency said early on Thursday. \"No message has been sent from Iran to the US, nor will any response be given to US messages. Iran's armed forces have prepared themselves for a long war,\" the official, who was not named, was quoted as saying by Tasnim.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:36:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-denies-axios-report-messages-were-sent-us",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8258cbbe52f6",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Majority of US Senate votes to block bid to rein in Trump Iran war powers, voting continues",
    "body_text": "WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - A majority of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday backed President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran, voting to block a bipartisan resolution aiming to stop the air war and require that any hostilities against Iran be authorized by Congress. As voting continued, the tally in the 100-member chamber was 52-47 not to advance the war powers resolution.  (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Richard Cowan and Noland D. McCaskill; editing by Mark Porter)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:36:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/majority-us-senate-votes-block-bid-rein-trump-iran-war-powers-voting-continues",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_864b145f7174",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Australia says more flights from Middle East expected, situation still volatile",
    "body_text": "SYDNEY, March 5 (Reuters) - Australia said three more commercial flights were scheduled to depart the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as the first group of Australians stranded in the Middle East returned home overnight following the outbreak of the Iran conflict. Commercial air traffic remained largely absent across much of the region, with major Gulf hubs - including Dubai, the world's busiest airport for international passengers - largely shut for a fifth straight day, in the biggest travel disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:36:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/australia-says-more-flights-middle-east-expected-situation-still-volatile",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a724b517c33b",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian strike kills 11-year-old Iranian in Kuwait - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Iranian strike kills 11-year-old Iranian in Kuwait\nAn 11-year-old girl in Kuwait was killed in her home when the remnants of an Iranian rocket hit a residential building in Al-Asimah, the capital governorate.\nThe health ministry said doctors tried to resuscitate Alna Abdullah for nearly 30 minutes before she was declared dead in the early hours of Wednesday morning.\nFour other members of Abdullah's family present in the home did not sustain any serious injuries.\nLocal media only described them as being non-Kuwaiti. Videos and interviews from the funeral suggest they are Iranian.\nAmong Kuwait's citizens, up to 40 percent are Shia Muslims of Iranian origin.\nThis is the first known case of a child being killed in a Gulf country as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and Iran’s subsequent attacks on Gulf nations that host US military assets.\nIt comes just hours after Kuwait buried two members of its military after they were killed in Iranian attacks.\nSix American soldiers were also killed in Kuwait this week. The country plays host to three large US military bases, and up to five other smaller US-run sites.\nThe attacks on Kuwait have ignited a sense of unity after a tense couple of years since the emir dissolved the only parliament in the Gulf, and began stripping citizenship away from tens of thousands of people, alleging fraud.\nSome 16 percent of Kuwaitis have lost their citizenship as of last month.\nEarlier this week, Kuwait's minister of health was the subject of outrage online after he gave an interview about a group of people who were transferred to a hospital following an Iranian attack.\n\"None of them, thank God, are Kuwaiti,\" he said.\n\"Not surprising,\" someone commented, \"considering that Kuwaitis make up only about 30 percent of the population of his so-called 'country'. Nearly 45 percent are South Asian nationals.\"\nIn what appeared to be a bid to calm tensions, former speaker of the national assembly, Marzouq al-Ghanim, told reporters at Abdullah's funeral: \"All who live on the land of Kuwait, according to Kuwaitis, is a Kuwaiti.\"\nKuwait has sent formal requests to both the secretary general of the United Nations and the president of the UN Security Council to demand that they condemn Iran's \"heinous\" attacks, which Kuwait says violate its sovereignty and airspace, the Kuwait Times reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:37:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxNMi1TeVg2aU05OUxUaGU2YnBuck1UTWYzMjJGWUdjQ3gyM0tkRGpKbGs0TEh6YU93VnJwbjVFSnVPT0UtTTk2SkZZUUFRd3ZsTmM4QjVfZzN2cDBNaGVHN0ZmNWFTTzFWZXJDWm1uc1dmYWNtVy1UbXV6Y3B0aXBVMXhQdU4wZlBiSVE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9de076dcb4ca",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian strike kills 11-year-old Iranian in Kuwait",
    "body_text": "Iranian strike kills 11-year-old Iranian in Kuwait  \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n MEE staff \n on \n Wed, 03/04/2026 - 21:10 \n \n \n \n \n The incident marks a new phase in the US-Israeli war on Iran as Gulf nations face the brunt of Iran's retaliation \n \n \n \n \n Mourners carry the coffin of Alna Abdullah,11, ahead of her burial in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 4 March 2026 (Screengrab) \n Off \n An 11-year-old girl in Kuwait was killed in her home when the remnants of an  Iranian rocket  hit a residential building in Al-Asimah, the capital governorate.  \n The health ministry said doctors tried to resuscitate Alna Abdullah for nearly 30 minutes before she was declared dead in the early hours of Wednesday morning. \n Four other members of Abdullah's family present in the home did not sustain any serious injuries.  \n Local media only described them as being non-Kuwaiti. Videos and interviews  from the funeral  suggest they are Iranian.  \n Among Kuwait's citizens, up to 40 percent are Shia Muslims of I",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:37:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iranian-rocket-kills-11-year-old-iranian-kuwait",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_345a7110dde0",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Why is Israel is moving deeper into southern Lebanon?",
    "body_text": "Israel has ordered residents south of the Litani River to evacuate as its forces move deeper into Lebanon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:37:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/why-is-israel-is-moving-deeper-into-southern-lebanon?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_85ced32d9735",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump administration launches US military operation in Ecuador",
    "body_text": "Critics have questioned the increasing scope and deadly consequences of US anti-narcotics operations in Latin America.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:42:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/trump-administration-launches-us-military-operation-in-ecuador?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1a6055939b58",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Millions of Cubans plunged into darkness as fuel crisis deepens",
    "body_text": "Fuel shortages have been exacerbated by a US oil blockade since the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:46:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2ggpq1742o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1de368efe779",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US Senate fails to advance war powers measure to rein in Trump’s Iran war",
    "body_text": "In 47-52 procedural vote, a resolution to curtail Trump's powers was defeated, though a separate House vote is expected.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:51:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/us-senate-fails-to-advance-war-powers-measure-to-rein-trumps-war-with-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6558225c51f0",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US Senate fails to advance war powers measure to rein in Trump’s Iran war - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Washington, DC – The United States Senate has failed to pass a resolution seeking to rein in US President Donald Trump’s war with Iran.\nThe latest war powers resolution failed 47 to 53 in a procedural vote, marking another major setback for proponents of curtailing Trump’s military pursuits abroad and underscoring Republicans’ embrace of the president’s campaign.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Trump’s endgame in Iran: ‘Regime change’ without US boots on the ground\n- list 2 of 3Iran war: Redrawing the map of the Middle East, Israeli style?\n- list 3 of 3US Dems say Iran troop deployment ‘more likely’ ahead of war powers vote\nA separate resolution is set to be voted on in the US House of Representatives on Thursday, but it too faces stiff odds.\nLawmakers in the Senate had spent the day arguing for and against asserting Congress’s powers to authorise or end Trump’s military actions against Iran.\nSupporters of the resolution say Trump exceeded his constitutional authority by launching a war alongside Israel. Under Article II of the US Constitution, presidents can only launch such attacks in self-defence in response to an immediate threat. Otherwise, Congress has the sole power to declare war.\nSpeaking on the Senate floor, Senator Tim Kaine argued that, “even in a classified setting”, the Trump administration “could produce no evidence, none that the US was under an imminent threat of attack from Iran”.\n“You can’t stand up and say: This is a pinprick that doesn’t lead to the level that would be characterised as war,” Kaine said. “You can’t stand up and say: This is one and done, and no troops are engaged in hostilities against Iran.”\nRepublicans rally behind Trump\nSince launching its military offensive on February 28, the Trump administration has offered a carousel of rationales for why a war was needed now.\nTrump has suggested that Iran was seeking to rebuild its nuclear programme, which he has said was “obliterated” in strikes last year. He also said that Iran was seeking to develop a long-range missile to attack the US.\nSecretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, told reporters that Israel was planning to attack Iran, which would likely have led to retribution against US assets in the region. Trump later contradicted the claim, saying Iran was the one planning an imminent attack on Israel.\nTo undergird those claims, the Trump administration has also sought to frame the whole of Iran’s military and nuclear-energy programmes since the Islamic revolution in 1979 as an immediate threat to the US.\nSeveral Republicans spoke out against the resolution, arguing that the last 47 years of sabre-rattling from Iran justified the president’s military action.\nThe Constitution, according to Senator James Risch, “clearly gives the president not only the right, but indeed the duty, as does his oath to protect the United States”.\nRisch also pointed to Iran’s efforts to rebuild its nuclear energy assets after a US attack in June of last year, conducted as part of a 12-day war led by Israel.\n“The commander-in-chief ordered this attack because of the increase in the manufacturing of long, medium-range missiles — and after [Iran tried] to restart the nuclear programme that was decimated in the 12-day war,” Risch said.\nThe US and Iran had been in the middle of negotiations to scale down Iran’s nuclear programme in the lead-up to this month’s war, but Risch dismissed those efforts as performative.\n“All this time, they had us sitting at the table, dragging out and yakking away at negotiations that were going absolutely nowhere,” he told the Senate, calling on his fellow lawmakers to vote down Wednesday’s resolution.\nThe vote, which broke down largely along party lines save for one Republican and one Democrat breaking ranks, was the latest in a series of war powers resolutions to fail in Congress. Since the June 21 attack, Congress has introduced several measures to stop Trump from carrying out military campaigns in Iran and Venezuela, to no avail.\nUnder the 1973 War Powers Act, US presidents must seek congressional approval after committing US troops to military actions for more than 60 days.\nEarlier on Wednesday, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth argued that the US operation had just begun, with more US assets being sent to the region.\nThe duration and scope of the conflict remain unclear, though Trump himself has projected it could last “four to five weeks”. Still, Risch expressed optimism that the conflict would be resolved quickly.\n“This is going to end, and it’s going to end rapidly. This is not a forever war, indeed, not even close to it,” Risch said. “This is going to end very quickly.”\nWhy war powers votes still matter\nEven if Wednesday’s effort had passed, the Senate’s war powers resolution would have faced an uphill battle before it could become law.\nBoth chambers would have needed to pass the resolution for it to go to the president’s desk for a final signature — but even then, Trump could have vetoed the measure.\nOnly a two-thirds majority in both chambers can override a presidential veto.\nStill, advocates have long maintained that such resolutions force lawmakers to confront important questions about the limits of presidential power, even if they are long shots.\nThey also give constituents a reason to petition their elected officials and voice their concerns about the war.\n“While the outcome did not pass, this moment underscores a core truth: Congress must continually reassert its constitutional role to check executive power and prevent endless wars,” said Hassan El-Tayyab, the legislative director for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Washington-based nonprofit.\n“Our founders warned that unchecked authority leads to unchecked conflict. Senators and Representatives must keep forcing votes to curb US military engagement in unauthorised wars.”\nCavan Kharrazian, a senior policy adviser for the advocacy group Demand Progress, also pointed out that congressional votes can help inform the electorate about their representatives’ stances on key issues.\nThat, in turn, can have political consequences at the ballot box, particularly in an election year.\n“The American people will remember who voted to continue an illegal, unnecessary war,” Kharrazian said.\n“Every senator who voted against the war powers resolution also voted against the wishes of the American people and against the safety of the servicemembers they are sworn to protect. The stakes are clear, and there is no more time for political games.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T22:55:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_9ce1c6863ee5",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "US burning through interceptors to shoot down Iranian drones, officials say",
    "body_text": "Chair of joint chiefs of staff and others say US depleting supply, even as Trump administration claims otherwise Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Top military officials told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Tuesday that the United States was rapidly depleting its supply of defensive missile interceptors to shoot down Iranian attack drones, even as the  Trump administration  has publicly dismissed those concerns. The officials, including the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Dan Caine, said Iran had been deploying its drones in a way designed to force the US to use its sophisticated Patriot and Thaad interceptors while holding its own high-tech supersonic and ballistic missiles in reserve.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:02:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/us-interceptors-iranian-drones",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_dadd6476bfa1",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump: US forces doing ‘very well on the war front’ in Iran",
    "body_text": "US President Donald Trump said if he had to rate his war on Iran from one to ten, he would give it a fifteen.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:05:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/trump-us-forces-doing-very-well-on-the-war-front-in-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0b451b0b6763",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "How is the war playing out in Iran?",
    "body_text": "The US-Israeli assassination of Iran's top leadership has left a power vacuum in the country.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:15:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/inside-story/2026/3/4/how-is-the-war-playing-out-in-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7c9efa3c854d",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The U.S. insists the Iran conflict won't be a 'forever war.' Experts beg to differ - CNBC",
    "body_text": "Since the U.S. and Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last weekend, Washington has been keen to stress that the military action will be over in a matter of weeks and won't turn into a so-called forever war.\nBut experts say the U.S. could easily get bogged down in \"Operation Epic Fury\" if the Iranian regime proves more resilient than expected.\n\"What we're seeing is going to be more complicated than the White House may have hoped,\" Suzanne Maloney, Brookings Institution vice president and director of foreign policy, told CNBC Tuesday.\n\"Obviously, the start of the conflict appeared to be tremendously successful with the very quick announcement that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, had been killed, that was a huge breakthrough in many respects and the U.S. and Israel have been able to do immense damage to Iran's military capabilities.\"\n\"But the day after is going to be immensely complicated as well, and I am not optimistic that we're going to see a quick end to this conflict, because the Iranians are escalating across the region and that is their long-standing game plan,\" she said.\nWhen airstrikes began to target Iran's leadership and military sites last Saturday, killing Khamenei in his compound within hours, it quickly became apparent that the attacks would not be a case of \"one and done.\"\nBut U.S. President Donald Trump has said in the last week that the military operation in Iran would be over in \"four to five weeks\" and top officials, from Vice President JD Vance to Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth, have stressed that this will not be a prolonged, low-burn conflict of the type seen in Afghanistan or Iraq.\nSuch so-called \"forever wars\" have proved contentious and unpopular with the American public and are particularly frowned upon by Trump's MAGA fanbase who want the president to prioritize domestic rather than foreign policy. Just one in four Americans supports the attacks on Iran, a Reuters/IPSOS poll found in the last week, and there have been protests in Washington against the strikes.\nThe U.S. and Israel initially stated their primary aim was to obliterate Iran's nuclear program once and for all, but those war aims appear to have shifted this week, with the stated objectives ranging from destroying Iran's ballistic missile program to wanting to protect the American public from an imminent, but unspecified, Iranian threat.\nTrump will be very wary of public opinion when it comes to operations in Iran, according to William Roebuck, former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain and current executive vice president at the Arab Gulf States Institute.\n\"It's a risky proposition for him. There's a lot of possibility of disruption of the economy, which he's very focused on. This could cause jolts in the energy markets. It could cost jolts in the stock market which h's very focused on as well,\" Roebuck told CNBC Wednesday.\n\"He also hasn't really made the case in the United States for the cause of going into Iran and taking this military action. They've been a bit all over the place in [terms of] the rationales that they've offered, and polling indicates that only one in four Americans really get the rationale and supports it,\" Roebuck noted.\n\"It's a bit risky to his base for those reasons,\" he said.\nRead more\nOne of the biggest unknowns is whether the U.S. wants regime change in the Islamic Republic after the death of Khamenei and, if so, who or what should replace the supreme leader.\nHegseth has also stressed that the military operation is not about regime change, stating Monday: \"This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change,\" referring to Khamenei's death alongside other senior officials.\nTorbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said U.S. officials are looking for a \"very, very swift resolution to this conflict\" but as things stand now, \"we'll have to brace for potentially an extended conflict.\"\n\"We've heard President Trump talk about a four to five week operation, but Iran is a huge country with a huge population, very extensive security apparatus, so trying to untangle that and move towards some kind of interim solution is going to be extremely difficult. But those types of conversations are probably premature at this stage,\" he said.\nAnalysts agree that the U.S.' game plan — or rather, its endgame — is not clear and that means it's tricky to determine how long the military operation will take. Many liken the current operation in Iran to a \"gamble\" on Trump's part.\nIf the goal is regime change, experts say it's highly likely that it would require American boots on the ground in Iran — a commitment Washington could well balk at, given public opinion and the potential consequences for the Republican administration.\n\"There is no way American forces are going to be used to invade a country of the size of Iran. This is not some small country, it's a vast country,\" Malcolm Rifkind, the U.K.'s former foreign and defense secretary, told CNBC, warning, \"it would be an Iraq situation all over again, and that's not going to happen.\"\nWhile a reluctance to get bogged down in potentially protracted and bloody ground war still stands, analysts say a short and targeted military operation is possible — but it depends ultimately on what Trump wants, and how long Iran's leadership can survive a U.S.-Israeli onslaught.\nRobert Macaire, a former U.K. Ambassador to Iran, agreed that \"a 'forever war' is not a very likely scenario because Iran does not have the ability to continue retaliation \"indefinitely.\"\n\"Strikes are going after launchers, Iranian command, there must come a point where launches become sporadic and this can wind down,\" he said.\nSignum Global Advisors' Charles Myers said that there's only one outcome to the conflict: Iran loses.\n\"This is not a long term or a even a medium term war ... There is only one outcome here, which is Iran will lose. Iran is up against two of the most powerful, sophisticated militaries in the world and Iran will lose this war. The question is what does losing look like and how long will that take,\" he told CNBC Thursday.\nMyers expects the kinetic part of the war would \"be done in the next three to four days.\"\n\"And after that, you'll start to hear the U.S. president talk about off ramps or winning or victory. And I think from there, we start to see movement towards a trying to get to some kind of settlement or agreement ... This is not going to be a protracted military campaign,\" he said.\n— CNBC's Hui Jie Lim contributed to this story.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:17:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPY1FiUkpDOXZ5TVVhNXJEWlVmNXJ2YzlYa28zQWwtdDQ0Uk1mdmw3STgxZmpocC1sNWJWLVloRkQ2XzN6V2dncW5EUUNXMlhiTWdscTdOTlhRRzM3bnlzRkFxUl84Qy1hUnNvRnA5ejNBZ3hLN3hTM0NBQ0ZnSzJMME1wWjhkU0VzXy1ET2lsZkk0RXVRTVhZ0gGcAUFVX3lxTFBUR1JmWUU4MDV2blRCSXJ2QVRMUWI2VzhUVHFLdS14MGEtcTc3d3JILU9lWWZTSnB0a0dfTDl4dF9yUHBQS2dEU1lSS0sxZUVKcFZxU29sdGRiZUhsMHJOMzNDR3QtdWk5cm1XWXJDVG9vWk9aNXpFbDl6bUtMNDVDZmFmbkdKbHlMMmdNTExoYzgtRVFhZFhJWWtVMA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_5d2eeb2a07c3",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Death toll in Iran surpasses 1,000 as Israel-US strikes continue",
    "body_text": "A funeral for the country's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been postponed amid explosions.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:23:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/death-toll-in-iran-surpasses-1000-as-israel-us-strikes-continue?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7e218e993aef",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Death toll in Iran surpasses 1,000 as Israel-US strikes continue - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Israel has carried out air strikes targeting security forces across Iran on the fifth day of the US-Israeli assault, as the death toll surpassed 1,000 and Iran launched more counterattacks and warned of the destruction of military and economic infrastructure across the Middle East.\nIsraeli attacks on Wednesday struck the country’s capital Tehran, the holy city of Qom, western Iran and across Iran’s central Isfahan province, according to the country’s Tasnim news agency. The attacks also damaged residential units, the agency added.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 3 items- list 1 of 3Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader amid war?\n- list 2 of 3Debris from NATO’s missile interception falls on Turkish soil\n- list 3 of 3Iran war: Redrawing the map of the Middle East, Israeli style?\nIsrael said it hit buildings belonging to the Basij, a volunteer police paramilitary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as targeting buildings associated with Iran’s internal security command.\nThe death toll since the US-Israeli assault began on Saturday has reached 1,045, Iranian state media reported.\nReporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said civilians are bearing the brunt of these attacks, and noted that the country is under fire from every direction.\n“There is a continuous, sustained campaign across the country that is not sparing any region, city or area,” he said.\n“But we know 300 children and adolescents have been hospitalised … with more than 6,000 [people] wounded,” he added.\nMeanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said damage due to attacks was also visible at two buildings near the Isfahan nuclear site, but there has been no damage to facilities containing nuclear material and no risk of radiological release.\nAs explosions rocked the country, plans to hold a funeral ceremony for the country’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were postponed.\nIran’s Tasnim news agency quoted an official citing logistical issues for the delay in the ceremony, which had been due to begin late on Wednesday and last for several days.\nFuneral arrangements are ongoing and are expected to draw huge crowds, and, with them, the potential threat of US-Israeli attacks on a gathering of mass mourning. Some 10 million people attended Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s funeral in 1989.\nKhamenei was killed early on Saturday in the first wave of the United States and Israeli assault, which also killed other senior Iranian officials, including the country’s Defence Minister Amir Nasirzadeh.\nIn response, Tehran has launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and US military bases across the Gulf region.\nWhile Israel, the US and Gulf countries have intercepted most of these missiles, some have struck military assets and civilian infrastructure. Debris from those intercepted has also fallen on some civilian areas.\nFollowing the death of Khamenei, senior Iranian officials are working to elect his replacement, with potential candidates ranging from hardliners to reformers.\nAyatollah Ahmad Khatami, a senior Iranian religious leader who is a member of both the powerful Guardian Council and Assembly of Experts, said the country was close to choosing the late Khamenei’s successor.\n“The Supreme Leader will be identified at the closest opportunity. We are close to a conclusion; however, the situation in the country is a war situation,” Khatami told state TV.\nNo official announcement has been made by local authorities, but Israeli and Western media outlets have reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, a hardline Muslim leader, is the frontrunner to become the new supreme leader of the 47-year-old Islamic Republic.\nThe Israeli defence minister threatened whoever Iran picks to be the country’s next supreme leader.\n“Every leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue and lead the plan to destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people – will be a target for elimination,” Israel Katz wrote on X.\nUS President Donald Trump, who has suggested the conflict could last several weeks, said on Wednesday that the leadership in Tehran is now in disarray.\n“We’re in a very strong position now, and their leadership is just rapidly going. Everybody that seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead,” Trump said.\nAs the US, Israel and Iran continue trading fire, the United Nations has said that between February 28 and March 1, an estimated 100,000 people fled Tehran due to the conflict.\nOn Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyad Abbas Araghchi slammed Trump, saying he had “betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him”.\n“When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met,” he said in a post on X.\n“The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite.”\nLater on Wednesday, the US Senate voted against a resolution to curb President Trump’s ability to wage war on Iraan.\nBut Trump will face increasing domestic scrutiny as the war on Iran continues, while Israel will likely enjoy more long-term public support, Paul Musgrave, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera.\n“The political constraints on Donald Trump are greater than they appear,” he added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:26:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxPZzNDWGp5LWc4U0FDalVMQzdOdzctczZKTWRSemszWXdIMmdtbm56SWY4UlhjN0t3NmJpNWlyNlZ1UHhUY2R0c290MWNFMXpqeWwyelZ5UGpFLU1rUm05YmJtUUcySU9ZR095T3NDRmNsaFliQXo2d2M4eGNDSDdIaWVfcmxBWU1rNGJIem5XSzlEQ195aEtQWEZlR1o4X0Q1WmtudFBB0gGrAUFVX3lxTE0yQUc1aWdvZHZxdGVocWJUc0I3Mklhd1VrbjZLV256Mkc5eHpxdTV6YXhsaFlNaG02b2JlRWR3VjlqUlFpUzlFb0Q2YU40UE1uZHh5YkRIVUMzNGNxRGYwVlNZNFB3bE5UcUxxQ0Njdk9KTzJQSy1UVG1jRFNLbndvWGZySG9tR0JlMkYwMGp5UUppZGR2Z3BWN3pTS2JrV2x2VlNRM0VoemhRcw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c21d2746059f",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "White House formally nominates Warsh to be Federal Reserve chair - AP News",
    "body_text": "White House formally nominates Warsh to be Federal Reserve chair\nWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has formally nominated Kevin Warsh, a former top Federal Reserve official, to be the next Fed chair when Jerome Powell’s term ends in two months.\nWarsh’s nomination, which was initially announced Jan. 30, was forwarded to the Senate Wednesday, where it will be taken up by the Senate Banking Committee.\nYet the nomination could stall there. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican on the committee, has said he will oppose confirming Warsh until a criminal investigation into Powell is resolved. Powell revealed Jan. 11 that the Justice Department had subpoenaed the Fed over Powell’s Senate testimony last June about the central bank’s $2.5 billion building renovation project.\nTillis said last month that the committee could hold a hearing about Warsh’s nomination, but he would vote to block confirmation. If all Democrats on the committee voted against Warsh as well, the nomination wouldn’t pass out of the committee to the full Senate.\nWarsh has harshly criticized the Fed’s policies in recent years, including its low interest rate policies coming out of the pandemic, which he says contributed to the United States’ largest inflation spike in four decades in 2021-2022.\nYet Warsh now has echoed President Donald Trump’s demands for lower rates. Warsh says that productivity gains from artificial intelligence will help the economy grow more quickly without spurring inflation, enabling the Fed to reduce borrowing costs. Many Fed officials, however, disagree that AI’s development will support rate cuts.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:34:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxQYnk4aWZndHptTzJUU3Q2WWlLZ0ZVRmxSNHVKVHFFNWNITHp4eVIyWktXYXF3MHZrcWNYVkZocjZrUTBDUHZtLTFrMUpvMWZ2Z0ZmM0E3MVhWYUpIYVgza2RvODVNY1U0YmxoVkZ1RmdYVmFSRXFSUmhOQ3V6Y2swXzBlTF9mVExOZUdWbkpGV0xDM3hO?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_abe7590af347",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "US issues first commercial construction permit for a nuclear reactor in years to a Wyoming project - AP News",
    "body_text": "US issues first commercial construction permit for a nuclear reactor in years to a Wyoming project\nThe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday approved its first construction permit for a commercial nuclear reactor in eight years, one that will allow a Bill Gates-backed company to build a sodium-cooled reactor in western Wyoming.\nTerraPower filed for the permit in 2024 and construction is now set to begin within weeks. Completion of the up to $4 billion plant is targeted for 2030, according to TerraPower. Microsoft co-founder Gates, who is eyeing nuclear generation as a power source for the electricity-hungry data centers behind artificial intelligence, is a founder of TerraPower and its primary investor.\n“We have spent thousands of manpower hours working to achieve this momentous accomplishment,” TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque said in a statement.\nThe TerraPower plant is set to be built near a coal-fired power plant that is being converted to burn natural gas outside Kemmerer, a town of about 2,500 people some 130 miles (210 kilometers) northeast of Salt Lake City.\nGates and his energy company are seeking to develop a next-generation nuclear plant that would “revolutionize” how power is generated. The 345-megawatt reactor is expected to produce up to 500 megawatts at its peak, enough energy for up to 400,000 homes.\nConstruction at the TerraPower plant site — though not on the reactor itself — began in 2024.\nThe reactor construction permit for a TerraPower subsidiary is the NRC’s first approval for a non-light-water commercial reactor in more than 40 years, the NRC said in a statement.\nVirtually all of the world’s commercial nuclear reactors use water to control reactions and transfer heat to drive turbines and produce electricity.\nThe NRC last issued a construction permit for a conventional light-water reactor to Florida Power & Light Company for a power plant south of Miami in 2018. That project has yet to be built.\nThe TerraPower reactor would use molten sodium, not water, as a coolant.\nThe last commercial non-light-water reactor in operation in the U.S. was the Fort St. Vrain nuclear plant in northern Colorado. The problem-plagued, helium-cooled plant produced electricity from the mid-1970s until it was shut down in 1989.\nIn October, Gates told reporters he thinks nuclear power will be a “gigantic contributor” to powering data centers. He had recently met with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and various members of Congress and said the government was “very involved” in the TerraPower reactor.\n“I wish I could deliver nuclear fission like three years earlier than I can, because then we’d have a perfect match to the current demand pattern of these data center guys,” he said.\nThe plant would use a highly enriched form of uranium that in recent years has been obtainable only from Russia. TerraPower has been lining up other sources to produce the fuel domestically and in South Africa, according to the company.\nWhile the Trump administration pushes toward nuclear power, the federal government has yet to address the thousands of tons of spent fuel that have been piling up for decades at nuclear plants nationwide. New Mexico and Texas have dug in their heels to keep from becoming dumping grounds in the absence of a permanent solution.\nIn January, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it was taking what it called a first step toward possible partnerships with states to modernize the fuel cycle, including reprocessing spent fuel and disposing of waste. The agency gave states until April 1 to step forward if they’re interested in participating.\nThe TerraPower reactor would produce relatively less nuclear waste than conventional reactors, according to the company.\n___\nJennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:55:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxQS0VWWHZSMHhLV3N3MU8wTmt2d09hWmM5T2JYeGNxY05QUkpXdDRZSzBaV1B3bE1QeDFuem1jUks1T1dNd01zVzhmNzZkNEwwY2hzdC12OVh5cGpsd0pSOEdnbU5tekV6aVh2RHFlWlY3SHNoV0k4bWxsTUdqdEhZd1dHUVNqUXBHZHRr?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_7049a1029ae9",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US will ‘rain missiles’, ‘death and destruction’ on Iran, Trump aides say",
    "body_text": "US president says on a scale of one to 10, he would rate the war's success at 15, as Iran details civilian sites hit.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:57:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/us-will-rain-missiles-death-and-destruction-on-iran-trump-aides-say?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4ad0c4f736cc",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Traders mint money on betting platforms on US-Israel strike on Iran",
    "body_text": "Anonymous bets hours before attacks on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Khamenei have raised concerns of insider trading.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-04T23:57:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/4/traders-mint-money-on-betting-platforms-on-us-israel-strike-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_231488ab71ea",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran live: US Senate backs Trump’s attacks on Tehran, Israel pounds Lebanon",
    "body_text": "US and Israel bombard Iran as Israeli forces hammer Lebanon and the widening conflict causes energy prices to spike.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/3/5/iran-live-us-senate-backs-trumps-attacks-on-tehran-israel-pounds-lebanon?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ade895f98b7e",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "The devastating conflict where both sides have reasons to keep fighting",
    "body_text": "A strong supply of weapons and a history of long wars make Sudan's conflict particularly troubling.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:05:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx70y0l75wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_065bf6b5e365",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Kurdish dissident groups say they are preparing to join the fight against Iran with US support - AP News",
    "body_text": "Kurdish dissident groups say they are preparing to join the fight against Iran with US support\nKurdish dissident groups say they are preparing to join the fight against Iran with US support\nIRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq are preparing for a potential cross-border military operation in Iran, and the U.S. has asked Iraqi Kurds to support them, Kurdish officials told The Associated Press.\nThe Kurdish groups are widely seen as the most well-organized segment of the fragmented Iranian opposition and are believed to have thousands of trained fighters. Their entry into the war could pose a significant challenge to the embattled authorities in Tehran and could also risk pulling Iraq further into the conflict.\nKhalil Nadiri, an official with the Kurdistan Freedom Party, or PAK, based in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, said Wednesday that some of their forces had moved to areas near the Iranian border in Sulaymaniyah province and were on standby.\nHe said Kurdish opposition group leaders had been contacted by U.S. officials regarding a potential operation, without giving more details.\nAsked about reports that the Trump administration was considering arming Iranian Kurdish groups, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday: “None of our objectives are premised on the support or the arming of any particular force. So, what other entities may be doing, we’re aware of, but our objectives aren’t centered on that.”\nBefore the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, triggering a new war in the Middle East, the PAK had claimed attacks on the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for Tehran’s violent crackdown on protests. But an official with the group said it had not sent forces from Iraq into Iran.\nIf the Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish groups were to join the war, it would be the first entry of a significant ground force into the battle. The Kurdish groups have battle experience from the fight against the Islamic State group.\nAn official with Komala, another of the Kurdish Iranian groups, said Wednesday that their forces are ready to cross the border within a week to 10 days and were “waiting for the grounds to be suitable.” He spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns.\nKurds in Iran have a long history of grievances and uprisings against both the current Islamic Republic and the monarchy that preceded it. During the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Kurds were marginalized and repressed and sometimes rebelled.\nAfter Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the new theocracy also battled Kurdish insurgents. Iranian forces destroyed Kurdish towns and villages in fighting that killed thousands over several months.\nWhile they share a desire to see the current authorities ousted, the Kurdish groups have also butted heads with other opposition groups — notably the faction led by the former shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, who has accused the Kurds of being separatists aiming to carve up Iran.\nIraqi Kurds hesitant to join the fray\nThe potential operation has put leaders of the Iraqi Kurdish region in a delicate position.\nThree Iraqi Kurdish officials told the AP that a call took place Sunday night between U.S. President Donald Trump and Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani — the heads of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, or KDP, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, or PUK, the two main Kurdish parties in Iraq — to discuss the situation in Iran.\nThey spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.\nOne of the officials said Trump had asked the Iraqi Kurds to militarily support the Iranian Kurdish groups in operations in Iran and to open the border to allow the Iranian Kurdish groups to move freely back and forth.\nWhen asked about the call and reports that Trump has sought military support for Iranian Kurdish groups, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “He did speak to Kurdish leaders with respect to our base that we have in northern Iraq,” but denied that Trump had agreed to a specific plan.\nThe Iraqi Kurdish official said the Iraqi Kurds were concerned that getting directly involved in the conflict would draw a harsh Iranian response. Already the Kurdish region has seen a string of drone and missile attacks by Iran and allied Iraqi militias in recent days, targeting U.S. military bases and the U.S. Consulate in Irbil as well as the Kurdish groups’ bases.\nWhile most of the attacks have been intercepted, civilian homes have been damaged, and the region is suffering from electricity cuts after a key gas field halted operations due to security concerns.\nIn a statement, the PUK confirmed that Talabani had spoken by phone with Trump, who “provided clarification and vision regarding U.S. objectives in the war.” The statement said the PUK “believes that the best solution is a return to the negotiating table.”\nSpokespeople for the Kurdish regional government in Iraq and for Barzani declined to comment.\nThe news site Axios first reported the call between Trump and the Kurdish leaders, and CNN reported that the Trump administration was in discussions with Kurdish groups over providing military support.\nIraq moves to seal the border\nThe presence of armed Iranian Kurdish groups in northern Iraq has been a point of friction between the central Iraqi government in Baghdad and Tehran.\nIraq in 2023 reached an agreement with Iran to disarm the groups and move them from their bases near the border areas with Iran — where they potentially posed an armed challenge to Tehran — into camps designated by Baghdad.\nTheir military bases were shut down and their movement within Iraq restricted, but the groups did not give up their weapons.\nIraq’s National Security Adviser Qassim al-Araji said in a post on X that Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, had requested in a call between them “that Iraq take the necessary measures to prevent any opposition groups from infiltrating the border between the two countries.”\nAl-Araji said Iraq is committed to “preventing any groups from infiltrating or crossing the Iranian border or carrying out terrorist acts from Iraqi territory” and noted that security reinforcements had been sent to the border.\nIn addition to retaliation by Iran, any movement by Iraqi Kurds to join a cross-border attack would likely inflame tensions with Iran-backed Iraqi militias, which have already claimed missile and drone strikes on Irbil in recent days.\n——-\nAbdul-Zahra reported from Baghdad. Abby Sewell in Beirut and Konstantin Toropin and Michelle Price in Washington contributed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:13:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxPTHl1ZTBTUUpNdlNIcS1CbTJEQlhxbmd3S1l0RmUtRjNvMUJ3RE9QRGRnSXZjNVRkdm45aGRzaDRXRHQxdkdrTjlDNlhYME5VWnFQRjcyT0p0LVFJQlYtNjZhaUR2akJYLUlVcTZhcGQzZXlQUFpLT2FWWFZnVlFTZVo3cUc2MExKaERKcEpLS19OcURXV29BQXFDekl2V28?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d9707b05f480",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "UAE's property sector faces reckoning after Iran strikes - Reuters",
    "body_text": "UAE's property sector faces reckoning after Iran strikes    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:29:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQZWFPUmJzd25OY0xteGtNSzJOdXpYcmlYcHA4MjRkTEF5SUo5cTB2R0o2eExkZEtsVDBFU1Fsb3MtODhTWUxjSHVNVjF0UkhiWUFXeWNVTzFnel8ydHFpZndrVmViWXAybzVaUURSdWNRdDYyM09pQkpQSTFmNnBvenRra3k3NHA0UGxqWm9EYjVJS2x1LVFOdlVxQjlIMVZYeHZFWEtYVFpmUUxDYWc?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0090dc72c303",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran's ethnic fault lines offer path for US, Israel",
    "body_text": "Seeking to bring down Iran's Islamic republic, the United States and Israel could see a path by exploiting ethnic tensions, a strategy attractive to military planners but fraught with long-term risks. Just over half of Iran's population is Persian, but the country of 90 million has seen less strife along ethnic lines than many of its neighbors, despite plenty of discontent against the clerical Shia government that cracked down ruthlessly on protests weeks ago.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:30:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/irans-ethnic-fault-lines-offer-path-us-israel",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_77349cdfd7a2",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran Israel War | Trump weighing U.S. role in Iran after conflict, White House says - The Hindu",
    "body_text": "President Donald Trump is discussing with his advisors what role the U.S could have in Iran after the military campaign while U.S. intelligence is monitoring reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain supreme leader, has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed him, the White House said on Wednesday (March 4, 2026).\nFollow | Iran-Israel War\n“We’ve seen those reports as well, of course, and this is something that our intelligence agencies in looking at. We The truth is, we’ll have to wait and see,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.\nAyatollah Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed his late father as Iran’s supreme leader after years spent forging close ties with the elite Revolutionary Guards and building influence in the clerical establishment.\nMs. Leavitt added that Mr. Trump was actively considering and discussing with his national security team what role Washington may have in Iran’s future once the operation is over but the primary focus at the moment was the success of the military operation.\nMr. Leavitt also defended the U.S. goals of the joint Israeli-U.S. air war against Iran amid criticism that Washington has failed to provide evidence for the imminent threat that Tehran posed directly for the United States, while adding that Mr. Trump believed that the American people supported the war.\n“This decision to launch this operation is based on a cumulative effect of various direct threats that Iran posed to the United States of America,” Ms. Leavitt said.\n“Again, this is a rogue terrorist regime that has been threatening the United States, our allies and our people for 47 years and the American people are smart enough to know that,” Ms. Leavitt said.\nMr. Trump has rejected suggestions that Israel pushed the U.S. into the conflict, as his administration gave varying accounts and faced criticism from some supporters and Democrats who accused him of launching a “war of choice.”\nA Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this week showed that only one in four Americans approves of U.S. strikes on Iran that have plunged the West Asia into chaos, while about half — including one in four Republicans — believe Mr. Trump is too willing to use military force.\nPublished - March 05, 2026 06:16 am IST",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:46:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxQQWp6Zk9DVWs5Mkd5RzhFVDZhUDZIa01Tc1NaV3E1MzBvdFZycFNEWHI5aHlVaWhuZlVZRG03bWRXUTdablRuUS1iSklsdmNOVmdmTEsyaGNJdTVtSkt2UHhPZ2tyNHpwRjZHSlFHMXZIeHF6Y3ZXSW1PSUppWFVJSEFiaUtJdlFGWFRSR1pMTklMTThfeDhXckhMM3NmbVJuY2YtSDl2VjBBdG96YXVGeG1GR1lkMTZpTjZJVV9DNkFzcjRf0gHLAUFVX3lxTE1kTG1LLWJoZjFxSzd1QkhSa3lSZ0ZZZDZjallGMGYwODJRNzk0T0FsV2NPcl9LTVQ0VEZHWWdSNXZ2UDJjOHpGNUljRzdxSFlaV0RETmxxNE00OG5iMzA2d1dpaFdRZXBWQm1Ra2I5SV9FU3JRMURadDlheFpPQWhiU25WOWhJNkl2enhsOUw4dUF0TEMwQkN5YzV3d3VicTVkcmRGamxtcGFZb1JZZzRYSW9WSDFJVmg5UGdidTBIN3oxMnZJZFEwTWsw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bed69266987e",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "California governor Newsom questions US support for 'apartheid state' Israel",
    "body_text": "California governor Newsom questions US support for 'apartheid state' Israel \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Mera Aladam \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 00:07 \n \n \n \n \n Newsom criticises Israel's rationale in attempting a regime change in Iran, saying 'they haven’t even been able to solve the Hamas question' \n \n \n \n \n A Palestinian boy stands next to an Israeli military vehicle during a raid in Jenin, occupied West Bank, on 17 February, 2026 (AFP/Mohammed Mansour) \n Off \n California governor Gavin Newsom putting into question  US  military backing of  Israel  in their war on  Iran , likening it to an \"apartheid state\". \n Newsom on Tuesday criticised President Donald Trump's administration for its attack on Iran during an event in Los Angeles.  \n When asked by Pod Save America host Jon Favreau if Washington should consider rethinking its military support for Israel in the long term, the California governor aired his disappointment with the current Israeli government. \n \"It breaks my heart, bec",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:54:35+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/california-governor-newsom-questions-us-support-apartheid-state-israel",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_55f28203df73",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran crisis could disrupt supply of key chipmaking materials, South Korea warns - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran crisis could disrupt supply of key chipmaking materials, South Korea warns    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T00:59:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1AFBVV95cUxNSXFFZnBBUXF5MmhqeEwydWdXeWVLNDdnc21tVXNqQ1JCVmFsblVaeHRmeWJwWm83bllHOE00a2ppX0NxMjA2NXM2dndMWFJRZ1VZSmlQNFRJeHRBQmJNM2VyRld4V0g5ZEdJY1dWN1hYSTlDYUxYdy1ONmk1SUVMQXhvX3FzejhjcGplS0pGMGVuOXViT3dHdTQ3X1ZmR1RWQ0dzV215dXM5UjZVdVF5MnpQWElPaG5PUU9nN2VuRTJTSkc0UGNmWlRHa0pueFhmeTM0TA?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_384d4686fab6",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Canada working to repatriate more than 2,000 citizens from Middle East",
    "body_text": "By Ryan Patrick Jones March 4 (Reuters) - The Canadian government is working to repatriate citizens who are stranded in the Middle East by organizing seats on commercial flights, contracting charter flights and offering ground transportation options to neighboring countries, Canada's foreign affairs minister said on Wednesday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:01:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/canada-working-repatriate-more-2000-citizens-middle-east",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4820c9c1eeda",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Held at gunpoint at 9, Iranian refugee turned pastor now prays for Iran’s hour of freedom",
    "body_text": "Pastor David Nasser describes his family's harrowing 1979 escape from Iran and prayers for Iranians.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:18:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/held-gunpoint-9-iranian-refugee-turned-pastor-now-prays-irans-hour-freedom",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_bf4ea05e96df",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Iranian officials say Israel carried out some strikes on Gulf energy sites",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Iranian officials say Israel carried out some strikes on Gulf energy sites \n \n \n \n Iranian officials have accused Israel of carrying out some of the drone strikes on energy and civilian sites in the Arabian Gulf, calling the attacks a calculated bid to spark regional fury and pull Arab states into the war on Tehran. \n An Iranian foreign ministry official told Middle East Eye that Israel was behind several of the drone strikes against Saudi Arabia and claimed that they were also responsible for at least one of the attacks on Oman. \n \"I can categorically say that some of the attacks were not carried out by us [Iran],\" the official, who requested anonymity, said. \n The official declined to say which of the strikes Israel was responsible for, but Saudi Arabia has been struck at least five times by drones and missiles, with the Prince Sultan Air Base, the Ras Tanura oil refinery, and the US embassy in Riyadh among the facilities targeted. \n Read more:  Iranian officials say Israe",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:20:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/exclusive-iranian-officials-say-israel-carried-out-some-strikes-gulf",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_659752fec208",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Hegseth says US ‘can’t stop everything’ that Iran fires even as he asserts air dominance - AP News",
    "body_text": "Hegseth says US ‘can’t stop everything’ that Iran fires even as he asserts air dominance\nHegseth says US ‘can’t stop everything’ that Iran fires even as he asserts air dominance\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged Wednesday that some Iranian air attacks may still hit their targets even as he asserted that U.S. military superiority is quickly giving it control of the Islamic Republic’s airspace.\nThe United States has spared “no expense or capability” to enhance air defense systems to protect American forces and allies in the Middle East, Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon, days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in a war that has widened throughout the region.\n“This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense,” he said.\nThe acknowledgment that additional drone or missile strikes could cause damage and harm to troops comes as President Donald Trump and top defense leaders have warned that more American casualties were expected in a conflict that began Saturday and could last months. The U.S. and Israeli bombardment intensified and Iran hit back Wednesday, when the Trump administration revealed that a U.S. submarine fired a torpedo that sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.\n‘The risk is still high’ to American troops\nU.S. service members “remain in harm’s way, and we must be clear-eyed that the risk is still high,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the news conference with Hegseth.\nSix soldiers were killed when an Iranian drone strike hit an operations center Sunday in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, more than 10 miles from the main Army base. The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, says the center was a shipping container-style building and had no defenses.\nCaine declined to answer a question about the possibility of deploying ground troops in Iran, which Trump has not ruled out.\n“I’m not going to comment on U.S. boots on the ground,” Caine said. “I think that’s a question for policymakers. And I don’t make policy, I execute policy.”\nWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that it was “not part of the plan for this operation at this time” but noted that “I’m not going to remove an option for the president that is on the table.”\nHegseth suggests the conflict could last 3 weeks or up to 2 months\nHegseth also signaled a possible longer time frame for the conflict than has previously been floated by the administration, saying it could last eight weeks but that the U.S. has the munitions and the equipment to beat Iran in a war of attrition. He declined to set a specific time range, saying the specific duration of the war would depend on how it unfolds.\n“You can say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three,” Hegseth said. “Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we’re going to keep them off balance.”\nMore forces are arriving in the region, including jet fighters and bombers, Hegseth said, and the U.S. “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”\nHegseth and Caine say US forces have enough munitions\nSupplies of weaponry are not an issue, Hegseth and Caine said, with the defense secretary noting that the military used more advanced weapons at the start of the campaign but was switching to gravity bombs now that the U.S. has gained control of the Iranian sky. Stockpiles of the advanced weapons remain “extremely strong,” Hegseth said.\nCaine said U.S. attacks on Iranian missile sites and other offensive targets have been successful enough that forces can strike deeper inland, allowing for the shift from sophisticated weapons that can be launched from far away to more traditional, precision bombs dropped by aircraft.\nCaine said the U.S. has “sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand, both on the offense and defense.” He noted that the military would not be releasing quantities, citing operational security.\n“Our air defenses and that of our allies have plenty of runway,” Hegseth said. “We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.”\nTrump said this week the campaign is likely to last four weeks to five weeks but he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”\nTehran has pledge to completely destroy Iran’s military and economic infrastructure, signaling the war was nowhere near over and could expand further. But Iran’s use of missiles and drones is putting a dent in its arsenal.\nThe number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran is down 86% from the first day of the U.S. military’s campaign, with a 23% drop in the past 24 hours, Caine said Wednesday, and Iran’s use of one-way attack drone shots is down 73% from the opening days. The decrease could indicate that Iran is holding some weapons in reserve to prolong the conflict.\nAmericans scramble to depart the Mideast\nThe administration promoted its efforts to help Americans depart the region. It had abruptly advised those in 14 countries to leave immediately even as the threat of missiles and drones closed airspace in the region and caused widespread flight cancellations.\nThe State Department said it has assisted nearly 6,500 Americans since the start of the war and has began charter flights and other transportation. Caine said the military has opened up available seats as military transport planes arrive “to try to help folks get out.”\nThe State Department said one charter flight departed the Middle East for the U.S. on Wednesday. It did not say where the flight originated, though it has said it is arranging charter aircraft from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel.\nMore than 17,500 Americans have returned to the U.S. from the region since Saturday, including more than 8,500 on Tuesday alone, the department said. It acknowledged that the vast majority of those used commercial transportation without any government assistance.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Ben Finley, Meg Kinnard, Matthew Lee and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:24:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxNamtTbVJjWDg3WF9xRVdwMTRsRk9taXdLejNrT2tQeURnRWVyMzFHTXR3X2J0VGNUVnJsYnBwQ2FnOUd1dnZ4YzB1QndhN21ZUXZCWjVtUTNRc1FHVXdDTDd2N2dpZlRydXBYeGt2M1dUaGVzQXlSRENGN013MmVjNmR6MmJVd2VwaE80Q3ZoSWVjc2ZmUklj?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d35ce5aa3df8",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran and Israel exchange a new barrage of attacks",
    "body_text": "Iran and Israel exchange a new barrage of attacks  \n \n \n \n Reports of strikes on Iranian and Israeli soil has been reported after nearly seven hours of calm.  \n According to the Israeli military, missiles launched from Iran have triggered alerts in several areas including Tel Aviv, with no immediate reports of casualties. \n Meanwhile, an Al Jazeera correspondent reported the sounds of explosions in Tehran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:26:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-and-israel-exchange-new-barrage-attacks",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d9493fb12337",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israel tightens siege on Gaza amid Iran war",
    "body_text": "Israel closes Gaza crossings amid war with Iran, raising fears of famine. Tareq Abu Azzoum explains.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:33:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/israel-tightens-siege-on-gaza-amid-iran-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b78d46365c8a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Canadian PM says 'can never categorically rule out participation' in war on Iran",
    "body_text": "Canadian PM says 'can never categorically rule out participation' in war on Iran \n \n \n \n Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated on Thursday that he could not rule out the country's military participation in the escalating war on Iran.  \n \"One can never categorically rule out participation,\" he said, adding that Canada \"will stand by our allies\". \n This comes a day after Carney said he supported efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while simultaneously characterising the US-Israeli war on Iran as the “failure of the international order”.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:44:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/canadian-pm-says-can-never-categorically-rule-out-participation-war-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2215f166a625",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Stranded travelers in the Middle East share their accounts of being stuck during the war - AP News",
    "body_text": "Stranded travelers share firsthand accounts from the Middle East\nThe U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran has stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers amid flight cancellations and airspace closures. In a matter of days, the conflict has continued to escalate — particularly with strikes in the Gulf states where, beyond the Middle East, airports serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia.\nHundreds of thousands of people have been stranded across the Middle East amid the U.S. and Israel’s joint war against Iran. And between swaths of flight cancellations and airspace closures, many are still scrambling for next steps.\nIn a matter of days, the conflict has continued to escalate — particularly with strikes in the Gulf states where, beyond the Middle East, airports serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia. Despite ongoing evacuation efforts, flights remain deeply disrupted. Many tourists, business travelers, migrant workers and others are navigating it all.\nSome travelers shared their stories with The Associated Press. Here’s a glimpse of what they’ve experienced.\nA European couple stranded with their children\nViktoriia Lokhmatova, who lives in Serbia, and Michael Crepin, who lives in Belgium, had traveled to Dubai with their children for a special milestone.\nViktoriia Lokhmatova, who lives in Serbia, and Michael Crepin, who lives in Belgium, had traveled to Dubai with their children for a special milestone.\nAlthough the couple have been together for more than a year, the trip was the first time their children — her 8-year-old daughter, Anny, and his 13-year-old son, Gabriel, — would meet in person. And all four were celebrating their birthdays in February.\nBut their plans changed when their return flight was canceled amid regional airspace disruptions with the outbreak of the war. A rebooking was also canceled, leaving the group scrambling to find a way home while facing the cost of extending their stay.\n“We stayed on calls with the airline for almost two days trying to figure out another flight,” Lokhmatova said.\nWhile searching for options, she discovered an initiative by local vacation-home operators offering temporary accommodation to stranded travelers. The couple and their children were offered a free stay for one night in an apartment managed by AraBnB Homes, a Dubai-based luxury rental company that had opened vacant units to passengers unable to leave the city.\nThe temporary stay gave them time to regroup and make arrangements for the rest of their extended trip. During the first few days, they occasionally heard explosions from air defense systems intercepting missiles or drones — but “we tried to stay calm because the kids were there,” Crepin said.\nBut, he said, they’ve felt safe and have been grateful to be together throughout the experience. They now hope to leave Dubai on Saturday, if their latest flight goes ahead. They will then travel together to Istanbul before separating — Lokhmatova and Anny returning to Serbia and Crepin and Gabriel to Belgium.\nMidflight turnaround impacts tech entrepreneur\nTwo hours into his flight over the weekend from the Qatari capital of Doha to Barcelona, Varun Krishnan says it became clear the aircraft was no longer heading toward Spain. Krishnan, who runs the Indian technology business Fone Arena, was on the final leg of his flight from India to a telecommunications conference, Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona.\nTwo hours into his flight over the weekend from the Qatari capital of Doha to Barcelona, Varun Krishnan says it became clear the aircraft was no longer heading toward Spain.\nKrishnan, who runs the Indian technology business Fone Arena, was on the final leg of his flight from India to a telecommunications conference, Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona.\n“It seemed something was off,” Krishnan said, noting that he had been tracking the flight and realized it didn’t seem to be proceeding on course.\nBreakfast had just been served when the captain announced that Baghdad airspace was closed due to security issues. Instead of continuing across Iraq towards Europe, the aircraft began circling around the United Arab Emirates.\nKrishnan said the captain provided updates about what was happening, “but still people were panicking.”\nAs the aircraft prepared to land back in Doha, emergency notifications sounded across the cabin. Once on the ground, long lines formed as departure boards filled with cancellations.\nKrishnan said he’s been staying at a hotel since. And on Wednesday, he was still waiting for airlines to confirm when flights might resume.\nUS tourists stuck in Dubai\nLouise Herrle, a retiree from Pittsburgh, and her husband got stranded in Dubai, where the couple had been vacationing when the war broke out.\nLouise Herrle, a retiree from Pittsburgh, and her husband got stranded in Dubai, where the couple had been vacationing when the war broke out.\nShe told the AP that they’ve had several flights canceled and are now scheduled to leave early Thursday morning, but don’t know if that flight will be canceled as well.\nThey’ve heard fighter jets flying overhead “from time to time,” as well as some explosions, she said. But despite the “extremely stressful” situation, she’s found support from fellow travelers.\n“It’s not a great experience, but it’s, you know, a shared experience and it brings people together,” she said.\nHong Kong expat recounts search for safety\nAgnes Chen Pun, a Hong Kong expatriate who moved to Dubai with her husband and their 1 1/2-year-old last year, said she has tried to keep her family safe amid escalating tensions in the United Arab Emirates. They have moved twice — first to a resort about an hour and a half away in Fujairah, then to one near the port city of Sharjah — after worrying about potential attacks.\nAgnes Chen Pun, a Hong Kong expatriate who moved to Dubai with her husband and their 1 1/2-year-old last year, said she has tried to keep her family safe amid escalating tensions in the United Arab Emirates. They have moved twice — first to a resort about an hour and a half away in Fujairah, then to one near the port city of Sharjah — after worrying about potential attacks.\n“We were so nervous, so anxious,” said Chen, a partner at Asia Bankers Club, a Hong Kong- and Dubai-based investment company.\nShe finally secured commercial tickets for $2,200 per person to Singapore, although her departure is still uncertain. Despite the disruption, Chen said she plans to return to the UAE once the situation stabilizes, viewing the country as an attractive place to live and work.\n“I think the scare, the fears, will be short-term. Definitely now, safety is the most important,” she said. “I will go to Hong Kong ... wait (until) the war is over, and then I probably, definitely would come back again.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:47:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOMEVha0hOa0UwVkJsRUJFZXJ6MXM3cUJLWnppdnhwS0VFbUVCNzEtUHhwUTZZYnMtNVdVTjIyc0NLcGZGWkJyLVpLSFVNVnRoRmVoNWhwTDFVYlhrX0dXQUpCSzFJbHp5RzFWaWtPaG1lUHdmVjNQaGVySllEQnVQQWloZXVNNzBzQU11dmRUYV9CdzRIQnhhaThTenczNm9s?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_6633e4fba5ce",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Reports of large explosion 60 km away from Kuwait port",
    "body_text": "Reports of large explosion 60 km away from Kuwait port \n \n \n \n The master of a tanker reported seeing a large explosion nearby Kuwait's Mubarak al-Kabeer port, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. \n \"There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact, the vessel has taken on water, there are no fires reported and the crew are safe,\" UKMTO noted in an advisory note. \n Kuwait's interior ministry said in a later statement that the incident occurred outside the country's territorial waters, at least 60 km (37 miles) from the port.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:48:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/reports-large-explosion-60-km-away-kuwait-port",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_e643e5af7349",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Oil leaps 3% on supply concerns as Iran conflict widens - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Oil leaps 3% on supply concerns as Iran conflict widens    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:53:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxQTk9USTU0R1pQbWI3SEVmeXZ3ZkU4d0hINks1WFhaWGJsVC1RTXlCbldHdHVidVc3OXBDZnBiaFpMeFhMTUtLTEdHd0xFRFVqem1CMFNRU1ZnZjZGb3lXY2FIbk52X003YXh2eEU3TlZOVzlTSmw5a3VQc3pEMmU1VUIwTzZlSlpMdzVJb2xBQnJnZw?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_84fec60bd468",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "US Senator helps police drag anti-war protester from meeting",
    "body_text": "US Senator Tim Sheehy joined police in forcefully ejecting anti-war protestor and former Marine Brian McGinnis.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T01:59:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/us-senator-helps-police-drag-anti-war-protester-from-meeting?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_16c72427841d",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Trump Says US Doing ‘Very Well’ as Iran War Shakes Region - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Trump Says US Doing ‘Very Well’ as Iran War Shakes Region    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPNFhtemlXSDhuanpYVzhNcF9RZ3JXQzhoejFQZjR6aF84LUUyVE1Ya2U1SmFuVmwwbWowa1dSb0ZWRll2ZnJkeTR5LUhad2FIUDZBc3gzM2cwdWR6ekR2VUgyVkVZSzhheFRPaW1QTEQwNTgwbGVCUkpZTlhvN2dXTXhNejUtRU51ckw4QWlpMmk3eDBoSTRJYU1aMFFKNmhpMndiWHJiTkdVLWd3YVM3dW5FSjU?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_1889484e1d8d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Trump news at a glance: Pentagon ‘taking a look’ at deadly strike on girls’ school in Iran as UN office demands answers",
    "body_text": "US military has not taken responsibility for the strike, which killed at least 165 students, according to Iranian officials – key US politics stories from Wednesday 4 March at a glance Pete Hegseth , the US defense secretary, offered few details and was evasive when asked about the deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran, saying only that the US was “investigating” the incident. Iranian officials say the attack, which happened on Saturday, killed  at least 165 students . “All I can say is we’re investigating that,” Hegseth said when asked about the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab. “We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:00:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/04/trump-news-at-a-glance-latest-updates",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a60ddc4f5a9d",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Trump had a ‘good feeling’ Iran would strike the US: White House",
    "body_text": "White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said US President Donald Trump had a “good feeling” Iran was about to attac",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:15:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/trump-had-a-good-feeling-iran-would-strike-the-us-white-house?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8c797cdf1884",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Stealth bombers landing at UK bases 'in days' after Trump pressures Starmer: report",
    "body_text": "B-2 stealth bombers deployment to U.K. military bases signals escalation in U.S.-Israel operations against Iran. RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia prepared for strategic bombers.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:23:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/stealth-bombers-landing-uk-bases-in-days-trump-pressures-starmer-report",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_889ea88b5357",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel launches more strikes on Lebanon, killing three",
    "body_text": "Israel launches more strikes on Lebanon, killing three \n \n \n \n Israel has launched attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting Haret Hreik, Bir al-Abed and Ghobeiri, state-owned National News Agency reported.  \n Another strike targeted a car on a road near the town of Al-Qlailah, southern Lebanese city of Tyre, resulting in the death of three.  \n The latest Israeli assault comes hours after heavy strikes were reported in Qabrikha, south Lebanon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:24:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-launches-more-strikes-lebanon",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_21325a83ace1",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship sunk off its coast by a US submarine - AP News",
    "body_text": "Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship sunk off its coast by a US submarine\nSri Lanka recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship sunk off its coast by a US submarine\nGALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — A torpedo fired by a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, whose navy said Wednesday it recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people.\nThe Iranian vessel sunk in the Indian Ocean was the Islamic Republic’s “prize ship,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. It was one of the few instances of a submarine sinking a ship since World War II.\nThe sinking of the IRIS Dena illustrates a U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran that is stretching beyond its borders. U.S. President Donald Trump has said one of the key objectives of the war is to wipe out Iran’s navy.\n“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon news briefing. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.”\nAfter Sri Lanka’s navy received a distress signal from the IRIS Dena, which had 180 people on board, it sent ships and planes on a rescue mission, the country’s foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, told Parliament.\nBut by the time Sri Lanka’s navy reached the location, there was no sign of the ship, “only some oil patches and life rafts,” navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said. “We found people floating on the water.”\nA video released by the U.S. Department of Defense on X showed the moment of the torpedo attack. The Iranian ship appears to be hit by an underwater explosion that causes it to break apart, as a large plume of water rises up in the air.\nThe 32 people rescued were admitted to a hospital in Galle, a town on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, Sampath said. The bodies recovered were also being brought to land, he said.\nAt the National Hospital in Galle, Iranian sailors’ bodies were arriving in trucks and being stored in a makeshift mortuary. The hospital was guarded by Sri Lankan police and naval personnel, as workers unloaded bodies away from view.\nDr. Anil Jasinghe, a top health ministry official, said one of those rescued is in critical condition, seven are receiving emergency treatment and others are being treated for minor injuries.\nThe IRIS Dena — one of Iran’s newest warships — patrolled in deep water, and was armed with heavy guns, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. It carried one helicopter.\nThe ship had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in February 2023, along with eight executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer that supplied weapons to Russia for use against civilian targets in Ukraine.\nAt least 17 Iranian naval vessels have been sunk during the ongoing war, said U.S. Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the American military’s Central Command.\n——\nAssociated Press journalists Adam Schreck in Bangkok, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Ben Finley and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, contributed to this report.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxOS0RMal9URWI2REU1eG5sMnZ6VS04MTNTMFFPaGlxSjE5RDZ2QS1wSU1Lb2kwSE1XYm4tdlB6VFRYdjVsMFRLRlUta3VUcmJfbkJSelVrNjdEU2lQNWdTSEQ4Z1NSaWxOa0tUR2czRVl4S1VSWWp4Q21yd3MtX0hjNHVlMkF1Wk9tY29lMG0tVmVhNVJqWnRkTUpBeGhUVEZI?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_c2e3f6555a21",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Senate Republicans block war powers resolution on Iran",
    "body_text": "Senate Republicans, joined by a Democrat, voted down a war powers resolution on President Donald Trump's war with Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:32:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/senate-republicans-block-war-powers-resolution-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_bf1aae3d3291",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "US Senate blocks bill that would have halted Trump's attack on Iran - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "The US Senate on Wednesday blocked a bill that would have stopped President Donald Trump continuing the military campaign against Iran without congressional approval.\nThe vote was 53 to 47, mostly along party lines.\nThis is the latest attempt by Democrats to block Mr Trump from engaging American forces in conflicts abroad. A similar bill was put to a vote after the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January. That also failed.\nBefore the vote, Republican senator Lindsey Graham likened the conflict with Iran to stopping the rise of Nazi Germany.\n\"How many chances did you have to stop Hitler, and you just blew it because you thought he really didn't mean to kill all the Jews, that he could be reasoned with?\" he asked. \"We're not going to do that again.\"\nMr Graham accused Iran of being run by \"religious Nazis\" and added that the US would bring \"them down with our Arab partners\".\n\"The Arabs in the region have been terrorised by the Iranian regime, and they're going to join the fight, I hope soon,\" he said.\nMr Graham also railed against what he called an \"unconstitutional\" rule that requires a president get congressional approval to start an armed conflict that lasts longer than 60 days.\nUnder the US Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war, but he said that the President is the commander-in-chief and therefore is the one who should possess the power to engage the country in a conflict. He said that Congress could instead express its disapproval for a conflict by cutting off funding.\nDemocratic Senator Chris Murphy opposed Mr Graham's claims that compared the current conflict to a battle between good and evil.\n\"Not everything is World War Two,\" he said, adding that trillions of US taxpayer money has been spent on regime change action abroad. \"When are we going to learn? … Six American troops have already died in an illegal war that nobody wants.\"\nMr Murphy added that the region is in chaos, while \"American consumers are paying the price\".\n\"And for what? We still don't know the reason for this war.\"\nA sister resolution in the House of Representatives is expected to be put to a vote.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:34:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxOOUU1ejFoamNQZ2JSbHQ1NUxzS096UkVDb2s3Z3AtdWI3Zm5abGc0UTN3MGEzUjh3SW52c29FOFhxRW5tMTBmWnQ2R0JLVkh1cGVkUE5xOHVmVkRaT3g4YzVlMk43NVF2NnBPeE1tZFkwUUN4T1duWldHX2w2aTlZLUw5cWxtSV9uMnJHcVZETFBUQmlZMGdSRy1fdkNqWDRrT0RheEJaUzZBMkJkN3l1NGFWTm1zem5YbFE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_dfef47876034",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Demonstrators across Iran condemn US-Israeli war",
    "body_text": "Iranian media shared footage from several cities showing demonstrators condemning the US-Israeli war.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:37:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/demonstrators-across-iran-condemn-us-israeli-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_d0b165af4740",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Warning over mental toll of sleepless nights as Iran strikes persist - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Iran’s ongoing missile and drone strikes on the UAE are disrupting routines, fuelling anxiety and causing widespread sleep disturbances across the population.\nExperts warn disrupted sleep impairs memory, immunity and hormone regulation, undermining decision-making, emotional processing and overall resilience.\nJasmine Ceus, a sleep consultant at Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital, Al Qusais, highlights prolonged sleep disruption raises stress hormones, fatigue, cognitive decline and mood disturbances.\nAbu Dhabi health authorities launched the 24-hour bilingual Sakina hotline (800 725462) to support residents experiencing anxiety, panic, stress or sleep difficulties, said Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi.\nThe daily barrage of Iranian missiles and drones fired at the UAE has taken a heavy toll on millions across the country, upending routines and bringing anxiety and sleepless nights.\nLoud bangs from missile interceptors and the blare of mobile phones delivering alerts have become familiar sounds since Iran launched its offensive against the Emirates and other Gulf countries on Saturday.\nStress levels are high among the population as people check their phones for updates, and sleep is essential to maintaining good mental and physical health, say experts.\nIt is also vital for recovery and capacity to carry out everyday tasks. The bangs have become more intermittent but the randomly occurring aerial explosions during the day or night are still disruptive.\nFighting fatigue\n“Sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, immune function and hormone regulation, making it an essential part of daily health,” said Jasmine Ceus, a sleep consultant at Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital, Al Qusais.\n“Disrupted sleep can affect mental health by contributing to irritability, reduced concentration and increased stress levels.\n“Over time, repeated interruptions in sleep may make it more difficult to manage emotions, cope with daily challenges, and maintain positive mood.”\nClear thinking\nThe optimum amount of sleep depends on factors such as age, sex and physical health.\nWhile doctors suggest anything from seven to nine hours, the cumulative affects of poor sleep can hamper clear decision-making and emotional processing.\nGenerally, children and adolescents require more sleep, often between 9 and 12 hours, to support healthy growth and development.\nSleep quality also matters. Uninterrupted cycles through deep and REM sleep are particularly important for feeling fully rested.\n“Prolonged sleep disruption can worsen its effects. Chronic sleep difficulties may lead to higher stress hormone levels, fatigue, reduced cognitive function and mood disturbances,\" said Ms Ceus.\n“This can affect overall resilience and quality of life, and in children, irregular sleep over time impacts behaviour, learning and development.\n“This highlights the importance of establishing consistent sleep habits early and maintaining them whenever possible.”\nChildren taking up home schooling across the country have been offered mental support. Teachers receive guidance on how to discuss the situation with pupils in age-appropriate ways.\nCounselling support is available, with safe spaces for young people to talk about their concerns with teachers and well-being specialists.\nHealth authorities in Abu Dhabi have set up a 24-hour helpline for people feeling the strain of the recent days’ events.\nResidents can call the bilingual Sakina hotline, on 800 725462, for support and guidance from mental health professionals on concerns such as anxiety, panic, stress or difficulty sleeping.\n“The hotline aims to ensure that no one in Abu Dhabi feels that they have to face their worries alone, whether they have lived here all their lives or have recently arrived from abroad,” said Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi\nBedtime routines\nTo help them get to sleep at this difficult time, children benefit from predictable bedtime routines that signal that it is time to wind down. Keeping lights dim, reducing noise and avoiding overstimulation before bed help children to settle.\nPositive reinforcement and consistent routines encourage healthy sleep habits, while comforting items, soft music, or quiet activities encourage a sense of calm.\nEven during periods of overnight disruption, these strategies help children sleep more soundly, supporting their growth, emotional balance and overall well-being, experts said.\n“During periods of uncertainty, one of the first things many people notice changing is their sleep patterns,” said Haya Bitar, a therapist and personal transformation expert. “Unexpected noise, worry or shifts in routine can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night.\n“One way to calm this heightened alertness is through the language we use with ourselves and our children. Our nervous system responds strongly to the stories we tell ourselves about what is happening around us.\n“If the inner dialogue focuses only on uncertainty and danger, the body remains activated. But when uncertainty is acknowledged alongside reassurance, the nervous system begins to settle.”",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:44:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivgFBVV95cUxQcU5TQU8wY0w5ZmdJYm5rZVNGaU9BbHY4OS1Tc1k3MGdRNEM1SnRSQTgzRTlqaUJsaVJyQ2daZ1gwTWdvZjBOM3dYTjlWTWZQeXlYX2NJTFhsb0JUUEh0RjRZTHp1VjViTmdPOU1JdWEzcmtPNllaR241TVRwN09RVjkwUDBVVkJGZHJqR3hFZ3pCc2o3RlUxVnpYV3lGWkR2VmNDbUQwSTdfMnlvdHRGaDNtVW82OWVGTHpoN0tR?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_85c6c68a0513",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iraq facing World Cup playoff difficulties as Iran war closes embassies and airspace - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iraq facing World Cup playoff difficulties as Iran war closes embassies and airspace\nBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s hopes of World Cup qualification are being impacted by the Iran war because players cannot secure visas for the playoff tournament in Mexico and the team’s coach is stranded in the United Arab Emirates.\n“Because of airspace closures, our head coach, Graham Arnold, is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates,” the Iraqi soccer federation said in a statement on Instagram on Wednesday. “In addition, several embassies remain closed at the present time, preventing several professional players, technical and medical staff members from obtaining entry visas to Mexico.”\nMexico’s foreign affairs ministry said late Wednesday in a statement that the visa complications arose because Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq, but the Mexican embassy in the United Arab Emirates has been in contact with the Iraqi federation.\nThe statement added that the visas could be granted in any European country and that they have asked Iraq’s federation for the names of the people traveling to Mexico to expedite visa issuance procedures.\nIraq is scheduled to play either Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey, Mexico on March 31 for one of the last two qualification places for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.\nThe federation said it is in “constant communication with FIFA regarding the arrangements for our national team’s participation” in the match. It said the Asian Football Confederation is also “fully aware of every development regarding our team’s situation.”\nIf Iraq fails to qualify through the playoff, it could take another path if Iran is unable to take part in the tournament because of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on the country.\n“We cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Iran’s top soccer official Mehdi Taj said.\nShould Iran pull out — still hugely speculative — Iraq or the United Arab Emirates would be likely replacements as the ninth and 10th-ranked Asian teams in qualifying.\nBut FIFA’s legal regulations are vague and appear to give FIFA president Gianni Infantino wide powers to shape any decision.\nIraq’s most certain hope of qualifying remains winning the playoff later this month.\n___\nAP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:46:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxPQTB2TW96Y0I3SzVGa2R3Wnh6UjJLSm5NTmNQX1lCNkZjNWdCZzdtSlhjOFluSVVRRVB4U2NvWXlhVHRWaXZnVE5pUG04bW53bnotOUttTkxTWWZUUHJ6UWU3TGNJYmZMV05ZN0ZlWWhkeDVBSVhTcjc2Uk5IT2hySzdrdkttcElwMEJuSEhDMnJEdkxGSzVtc0dtQQ?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_0b63a2063a3d",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel kills at least two in attacks on residential building in northern Lebanon",
    "body_text": "Israel kills at least two in attacks on residential building in northern Lebanon \n \n \n \n An Israeli strike on the Beddawi refugee camp in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, has killed two and wounded another, according to the country's health ministry. \n The attack on Thursday morning targeted a residential building.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:52:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-kills-least-two-attacks-northern-lebanon",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f5b334d04a0c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran’s succession question: Rouhani’s name resurfaces amid leadership void",
    "body_text": "Rouhani's legacy of pragmatism and moderation gains renewed relevance amid Iran's sensitive leadership transition phase.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:58:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/5/irans-succession-question-rouhanis-name-resurfaces-amid-leadership-void?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_787e56074256",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Rockets, missiles and drones fly across Iran and Israel; Middle East remains tense — how the war is unfol - The Times of India",
    "body_text": "Israel launched pre-dawn strikes on Lebanon Thursday and said it was intercepting fresh missiles from Iran, as a war launched by the United States and Israel widened across the Middle East.\nThe escalation comes as a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean and the US Senate voted down a War Powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's military action, 'Operation Epic Fury', against Iran.\nThe conflict entered its sixth day after US and Israeli strikes on Saturday killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other key figures, triggering retaliation from Tehran across the region.\nMore than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials. US and Israel said they targeted Iran’s leadership, missile arsenal and nuclear program, while suggesting that toppling the government is a goal. However, shifting statements on objectives and timelines have pointed to what could become an open-ended conflict.\nFollow US-Israel-Iran War Live UpdatesIran launches fresh missiles at Israel\nIran launched a fresh round of missiles at Israel early Thursday, triggering alerts in several areas including Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli military and Tehran's state media.\nThere were no immediate reports of casualties.\nIran has been hitting sites across the region in retaliation after the United States and Israel launched strikes against it on Saturday. Iran also fired on Bahrain, Kuwait and Israel as the conflict spiraled.\nIran’s elite Revolutionary Guards claimed to have closed the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that “The Americans' mischief and deceit could lead to the collapse of the entire military and economic infrastructure of the region.\" IRGC claimed Wednesday “the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic's Navy.”\nA ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading towards Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by Nato air defense systems, Turkish officials said.\nThe Saudi ministry of defense announced that it successfully intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles outside the city of Al-Kharj.\nAir strike hits Hezbollah stronghold\nAn airstrike hit the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut early Thursday, after Israel had issued a warning to residents.\nElsewhere, three people were killed in a pair of Israeli strikes on vehicles along Beirut's airport highway, Lebanon's health ministry said. Prior to these strikes, officials had said 72 people had been killed and more than 83,000 others displaced since the start of a new round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.\nIsrael also traded fire with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.\nIsrael said it also hit buildings associated with Iran's Basij, the all-volunteer force of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard whose bloody crackdown on protesters in January left thousands dead.\nUS submarine sinks Iranian warship\nA US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, as Washington and Israel intensified their bombardment of Iran's security forces and other symbols of power.\nUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a torpedo from an American submarine sank the vessel Tuesday night. Sri Lankan authorities said 32 people were rescued from the ship, while the country's navy said it recovered 87 bodies.\nThe tempo of the strikes on Iran was so intense that state television announced the mourning ceremony for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the conflict, would be postponed. Millions attended the funeral of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.\nSenate backs Trump\nThe US Senate voted down a War Powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's military action, 'Operation Epic Fury', against Iran, with the measure failing 47-53 on mostly party lines, Fox News reported.\nOnly Senator Rand Paul voted in favour of the resolution, while Jon Fetterman was the lone Democrat to cross the aisle in support of a move that helped the GOP defeat the measure. Democrats argued that Trump's actions were another instance of him disregarding Congress' authority to use military force, that they lacked a clear strategy going forward and, further, that they were yet another campaign promise he had broken, Fox News reported.\nPolls showed that eight in 10 Republicans approve of the current US use of force, while nearly eight in 10 Democrats disapprove and six in 10 independents disapprove. Among voters who have served in the military, 59 per cent approve of the US strikes on Iran.\nPresident Donald Trump hailed the US performance in the war and said Iran's leaders were rapidly being killed. \"We're doing well on the war front, to put it mildly. Somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15,\"\nEnergy supplies in the crosshairs\nIran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued its most-intense threat yet, saying the strikes against it would result in \"the complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure.”\nTanker traffic through the strait has fallen by around 90% compared to prewar levels, shipping tracker MarineTraffic.com said. Oil prices have soared and global stock markets have been hammered over worries that the spike in oil prices may grind down the world economy.\nA tanker anchored off the coast of Kuwait was hit by a \"large explosion\" on Thursday, causing an oil spill in the Persian Gulf. The British maritime security agency UKMTO said the incident took place in the Mubarak Al-Kabeer area. The vessel’s Master reported hearing a loud blast on the port side, after which a small craft was seen leaving the area. The tanker has taken on some water but there are no fires onboard, and all crew members are safe.\nIran’s clerics choose new supreme leader\nIran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen.\nPotential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement. Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son, has long been considered among them — though he has never been elected or appointed to a government position.\nIn a sign that Iran’s leadership will only seek to consolidate its power as it faces its biggest crisis in decades, the head of the judiciary warned that \"those who cooperate with the enemy in any way will be considered an enemy.\"\nIsrael's defense minister, Katz, said on X that Iran's next supreme leader, if he continues to threaten Israel, the US and others, \"will be a target for elimination.”\nDiplomatic reactions and mediation efforts\nSpain doubled down on its opposition to Washington's use of its bases against Iran, after Trump's threats of trade reprisals. The White House said Madrid had now agreed to cooperate, but Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said its stance on \"bases, on the war in the Middle East, on the bombardment of Iran, has not changed at all.\"\nChina will send a special envoy to mediate in the Middle East, foreign minister Wang Yi said. Beijing is a close partner of Iran and has said it backs Tehran in defending its sovereignty, while urging the United States and Israel to cease their attacks.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T02:59:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_15b8b7bbaacc",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Starmer, Trump and the shaky ‘special relationship’",
    "body_text": "Rafael Behr on why Donald Trump’s war on Iran presents a strategic dilemma for Keir Starmer  When the US and Israel unleashed coordinated strikes on Iran, Keir Starmer initially held back on allowing the US to use UK military bases. But then, on Sunday evening, the prime minister agreed that the US could use two of its military bases  – but maintained that the UK did not believe in “regime change from the skies”.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:00:48+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/mar/05/starmer-trump-and-the-shaky-special-relationship",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_caadeda93571",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "A 900% Fare Hike Shows Asian Carriers Can Weather Iran War Chaos - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "A 900% Fare Hike Shows Asian Carriers Can Weather Iran War Chaos    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOTi1FbDVGcTJLNmV1U1R6alpDS1YxMHpOcGJMRm1PVGQ3WDdZVWRXY3p3Smk1UlJnank2cmh3TnVsQ01zVDdFVGtPMUpLTjBxSXZNQ3djZjBPY0NySi1qa25TVWdrclhpTzc5X2phbFY0MWJyc1R3ODExVGYzR2hwazE2YUNkS3lpZ3Y1SHpybmVSOWpDa0xMZXJkaDUxVnZDODcxMUJXbjlMS2RmSDlVUHZQaGc?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f25a36c9ed37",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "War with Iran chokes flows of oil and natural gas, highlighting energy security risks for Asia - AP News",
    "body_text": "Energy shock fears rise as the Iran war chokes supplies to Asia\nEnergy shock fears rise as the Iran war chokes supplies to Asia\nBANGKOK (AP) — Global energy trade is in turmoil as war around the Persian Gulf chokes off oil and natural gas shipments, causing prices to soar.\nAsia is the most exposed since it relies heavily on imported fuel, much of it shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passageway that carries a fifth of global trade in crude oil and liquified natural gas, or LNG.\nAbout 13 million barrels of oil per day moved through the corridor in 2025, according to energy consultancy Kpler. That’s about a third of all seaborne crude, the unrefined petroleum that is processed into fuels such as gasoline and diesel.\nRoughly a fifth of the world’s LNG, natural gas cooled into liquid form for easier storage and transport, also flows through the straits. More than 80% of the LNG shipped through the strait in 2024 went to Asia, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.\nSince the Iran war began, the price of Brent crude, the international standard, has jumped 15% to about $84 per barrel, the highest level since July 2024.\nU.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. will offer risk insurance to shippers and may deploy its navy to protect vessels if needed. But the disruptions are cascading beyond the region. When supply tightens, richer nations outbid poorer ones for scarce cargoes, leaving more vulnerable economies short of fuel. This was seen during past energy shocks caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\n“The crisis, with the closure of the Hormuz Strait as the latest development, would not only raise oil and gas prices but also grind global economic activity to a halt,” said Zulfikar Yurnaidi, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ’ Centre for Energy.\nChina and India potentially face big risks\nFor Asia’s two most populous countries, their huge scale magnifies the risks.\nChina is the world’s largest crude oil importer and India comes in third. Sustained spikes in oil prices would ripple through their broader economies, straining transport, industry and households.\nChina is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, but Beijing has prioritized energy security and has alternatives, including major use of renewables. It imported about 1.4 million barrels per day from Iran last year, roughly 13% of its total seaborne crude imports, according to Kpler.\nMost of those shipments are already at sea and will cover another four to five months of demand, Kpler estimates. China also has substantial strategic petroleum reserves, though the exact amount is a state secret.\nIt can buy more from Russia: China’s independent refiners – also known in the industry as ‘teapots’ – have been the key buyers for Iranian, Russian and Venezuelan oil, often at big discounts due to risks associated with Western sanctions. Despite war-related disruptions, global supplies are sufficient overall.\n“It is therefore unlikely that China would struggle to source enough crude to power its economy or meet domestic demand,” said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at Kpler. “The real question is at what price.”\nIndia might resume purchases of Russian crude oil, despite pressure from Trump not to.\nIt has enough crude reserves to last less than a month. The next two weeks will be critical and the situation could could deteriorate quickly, driving up fuel costs and broader inflation if the conflict drags on, according to energy analyst Vibhuti Garg with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA, in Delhi.\n“It is a very, very volatile situation,” Garg said.\nThe main risk is higher prices for perishable foods vulnerable to supply shocks. At the same time, a weaker rupee and higher borrowing costs could slow the economy, she said.\nJapan, South Korea and Taiwan are most exposed\nFew regions are as exposed to Middle East energy flow disruptions as East Asia.\nJapan imported 2.34 million barrels of crude per day in January, about 95% of its total imports that month, according to its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Japan is often ranked as the world’s second-largest LNG importer.\nSouth Korea relies nearly entirely on energy imports. The Korea International Trade Association says it gets around 70% of its crude oil and 20% of its LNG from the Middle East.\nTaiwan also imports nearly all of its LNG. It has been trying to reduce its reliance on the Middle East but still sources about one-third from Qatar, which halted LNG production after attacks on its facilities.\nJapan and South Korea have large energy supply stockpiles. While Taiwan announced that it has enough supplies for March and contingency plans for the future.\nBut analysts say reserves are temporary buffers and energy-intensive industries, like Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, remain vulnerable.\nGovernments are in “hope for the best, prepare for the worst” mode, said Grant Hauber, with IEEFA, warning some may regret not diversifying sooner into renewables, a “natural hedge” against disruption.\nFossil fuels dominate the energy mix in all three East Asian economies. Renewables provide under 10% of power in South Korea and Taiwan and about 22% in Japan, according to the International Energy Agency.\nSoutheast Asia\nbraces for energy issues\nDeveloping, energy-hungry countries in Southeast Asia face the risk of being outbid by richer nations as supplies tighten.\nIn Singapore, officials have warned businesses and households to brace for higher energy bills.\nIn Manila, authorities banned non-essential travel and personal use of government cars to cut fuel use.\nIn Thailand, officials have urged the public to save energy, as motorists lined up at filling stations as prices climbed.\nFull-time delivery riders and drivers — essential to keeping goods and people moving through Thailand’s congested urban centers — depend on fuel to earn a living. In the northern city of Chiang Rai, 64-year-old taxi driver Sommit Sutar said he can’t see how to conserve fuel and still work.\n“Gasoline was already expensive. This war will make the problem even worse,” Sutar said.\nThe government has suspended petroleum exports to shore up domestic reserves, which it says can last up to 61 days while ramping up natural gas production from the Gulf of Thailand and Myanmar.\nThailand relies heavily on spot-market LNG, leaving it “highly exposed to price and geopolitical volatility,” said Amy Kong, with the Brussels-registered research group Zero Carbon Analytics. That makes it vulnerable to bidding wars with wealthier nations.\n___\nGhosal reported from Hanoi, Vietnam. Associated Press business writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report.\n___\nThe Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:07:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxNaXA4aktHTG8zR1J1Z1I1UGV5cXQyN1o4WmtDRDlGdVRTeFVrRTlqSlNRU3Y3Zzh2SlAtRC1ucDlYTnowMkNubkwtWE5wb0JWbHpuM3ZtbDYweGVzNnF4WkRJX2d0WmpwcUYwbmVJY3RNQ0JtUHg5SGpiMlBidlNaS1hkenI4cmpRbW02UVZzS3VwOFJMeWlEdVg5VFE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_48da87c2c382",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "These American Service Members Died in the Iran Conflict - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "These American Service Members Died in the Iran Conflict    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:09:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFBVV95cUxOcmVrS2FybHdFeFJYdTd0bG5Zb0E0TXdhNmpMRzBpb0hRSGVJaFJOaWVtVnJVVzdwWE5HOGt4QmxPVHgxVnpkdUx1bWFFNnIzVEwyeFo2X0M1VG9hVEdqMkMyZFMwUjg0cTFoWUVjRERCRl9fTVhNdndKZ2JLRHZrbTU4NVNsYkN2amNlSg?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_618dec56fa01",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iranian rockets intercepted over central Israel",
    "body_text": "Interceptors were seen lighting up the sky over central Israel as sirens blared in response to Iranian rockets.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:11:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/iranian-rockets-intercepted-over-central-israel?traffic_source=rss",
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  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8a9264288364",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "US-Israel vs Iran war enters Day 6: Australia deploys military assets, Tehran accuses US of ‘atrocity at s - The Economic Times",
    "body_text": "From Tel Aviv to Beirut, from the Strait of Hormuz to Sri Lanka’s coast, the conflict is no longer confined to a single front.\nYou can follow our live coverage of the Iran-Israel war here\nWhat began with US and Israeli strikes on Saturday has now evolved into a multi-theatre confrontation, with Iran intensifying retaliation, regional actors on alert, and major global powers weighing in.\nItaly to send air-defence aid to Gulf countries, says PM Meloni\nItaly will provide air-defence support to Gulf nations affected by Iranian strikes in response to US-Israeli attacks, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced Thursday.Azerbaijan warns retaliation after Iranian drones hit airport, school\nAzerbaijan accused Iran of launching two drones into its territory, injuring two people and damaging infrastructure, and warned that the attacks “will not go unanswered.”The strikes targeted Nakhchivan, the Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran and separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenia. According to the foreign ministry, one drone hit the terminal building of Nakhchivan Airport, while a second struck near a school in the village of Shekerabad.\n\"One drone fell on the terminal building of Nakhichevan Airport, while another drone fell near a school building in the village of Shekerabad,\" the ministry said, adding that the aircraft wounded two civilians and damaged the airport.\nIn an official statement, Baku condemned the attacks, saying it had summoned Iran’s ambassador to deliver a strong protest. The ministry demanded an explanation from Tehran and emphasised that Azerbaijan reserves the right to take “appropriate response measures.”\nThe defence ministry added that it was \"preparing the necessary retaliatory measures to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country and to ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure.\"\nThe midday attacks involved at least two drones crossing from Iran into Nakhchivan. There was no immediate response from Iranian authorities.\nAustralia, New Zealand move assets as evacuations intensify\nAs the conflict deepened, countries accelerated evacuation and contingency planning for their citizens in the region.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday that “military assets” had been deployed to the Middle East as part of contingency preparations.\nCountries have rushed to evacuate their citizens from the Middle East this week after US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sparked a regional war.\nAlbanese told the Australian parliament that the government had sent six crisis response teams to the region.\n“And we've already deployed military assets as part of our contingency planning earlier this week,” he said.\n“I thank those Australians going into a dangerous situation in order to help their fellow Australians,” he added.\nHe did not provide details about the assets, though local outlet SBS News reported they were planes. Australia has said it has 115,000 citizens in the region.\nNew Zealand also ordered two military aircraft to the Middle East on Thursday in preparation for possible evacuations of its citizens.\nAlso read: Iran says Frigate Dena, 'Indian Navy's guest', was struck 'without warning' by US in international waters\nIran alleges US naval “atrocity” after strike near Sri Lanka\nThe maritime dimension of the war further escalated after a US submarine strike targeted an Iranian vessel off Sri Lanka’s southern coast — far from the Gulf and thousands of miles from Iran’s shores.Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi levelled a grave allegation against Washington, claiming that Frigate Dena, “a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning”.\n“The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores. Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X.\nFresh Iranian missile barrage on Israel\nIn the early hours of Thursday, Iran launched a new round of missiles at Israel, setting off alerts in several areas, including Tel Aviv.- The Israeli military confirmed missile fire from Iran.\n- Tehran’s state media also reported the launches.\n- Journalists heard explosions in Jerusalem following warnings of incoming missiles.\n- Israel’s emergency services said there were no known casualties.\nStrikes in Lebanon: Hezbollah strongholds hit\nThe war’s spillover into Lebanon deepened as Israeli strikes targeted areas linked to Hezbollah.- An air strike hit the Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut early Thursday after Israel issued a warning to residents.\n- Lebanon’s health ministry said three people were killed in two Israeli strikes on vehicles along Beirut’s airport highway.\n- Prior to these attacks, officials reported 72 people killed and more than 83,000 displaced since the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began.\nMaritime flashpoints: Oil spill off Kuwait and Hormuz tensions\nThe maritime domain has become another flashpoint.- A tanker was struck by a “large explosion” in waters off Kuwait, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO.\n- The agency warned: “There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact”.\nIn the Strait of Hormuz\n- The Omani navy rescued 24 crew members from a container ship hit by missiles.\n- Iranian forces claimed “complete control” of the strait.\n- The claim came a day after President Donald Trump said the US Navy was ready to escort tankers through the crucial shipping lane.\nRegional air defense alert: Turkey intercepts missile\nTurkey said a ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading toward Turkish airspace via Iraq and Syria was destroyed by NATO air defense systems.- The defense ministry did not specify the intended target.\n- The foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador.\n- A Turkish official told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the missile had been “aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course”.\nPolitical rhetoric hardens: Israel and US hail “historic gains”\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declared that Israel and the United States had made “historic gains” in the war against Iran.Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, said the attack was necessary because Iran was using “new underground bunkers” to rebuild its atomic bomb program.\nAcross the Atlantic, President Donald Trump struck a triumphant tone.\n“We're doing well on the war front, to put it mildly. Somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15,” Trump told a gathering of tech executives, adding that Iranian leaders were being killed rapidly and vowing to push on.\nDiplomatic rifts and global positioning\nAs fighting intensifies, international alignments are shifting.Canada signals possible role\nCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he could not “rule out participation” in the escalating conflict.“We will stand by our allies,” he said alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra.\nSpain pushes back\nSpain rejected US claims that it had agreed to cooperate in the use of its bases.Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Madrid’s position on “bases, on the war in the Middle East, on the bombardment of Iran, has not changed at all.”\nChina steps in\nChina announced it would send a special envoy to mediate.Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would take diplomatic steps, even as it reiterated support for Iran’s sovereignty and urged the United States and Israel to halt attacks.\nQatar tensions\nQatar began evacuating residents living near the US embassy in Doha as a precautionary measure following Iranian strikes.Separately, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani sharply criticized Iran’s foreign minister in a phone call, accusing Tehran of attempting to drag neighboring states into the war.\nGlobal shipping crisis deepens\nGlobal shipping giants are recalibrating operations.- Denmark’s Maersk and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd suspended Gulf bookings until further notice after risk assessments.\n- China’s Cosco had earlier announced a similar halt.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:15:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_a3c38ba28579",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Tourism on hold as Middle East war casts uncertainty",
    "body_text": "Cancelled flights, postponed trips and a great deal of uncertainty: the war in the Middle East is casting a long shadow over the tourism outlook for a region that has become a prized destination for travellers worldwide. \"My last group of tourists left three days ago, and all the other groups planned for March have been cancelled,\" said Nazih Rawashdeh, a tour guide near Irbid, in northern Jordan.  \"This is the start of the high season here. It's catastrophic,\" he told AFP. \"And yet there's no problem in Jordan. It's perfectly safe.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:30:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/tourism-hold-middle-east-war-casts-uncertainty",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8374701e7c7b",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran conflict's impact on energy temporary and a 'small price,' US energy secretary says",
    "body_text": "By Ismail Shakil March 4 (Reuters) - The impact of the Iran conflict on energy markets will be temporary and a \"small price\" to pay for U.S. military goals, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News on Wednesday.  U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent response by Tehran have widened regional tensions and paralyzed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting vital Middle East oil and gas flows and sending energy prices higher. Oil prices rose on Thursday in Asia amid growing concern over the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. [O/R]",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:36:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-conflicts-impact-energy-temporary-and-small-price-us-energy-secretary-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_843ab7faa264",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Pakistani man says Iran forced him into plot to kill Trump, media say",
    "body_text": "March 4 (Reuters) - A Pakistani man accused of planning to kill President Donald Trump told jurors on Wednesday that he did not willingly work with Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to devise the plot, media said. The Justice Department accused Asif Merchant of trying to recruit people in the United States in the plan targeting Trump and other U.S. politicians in retaliation for Washington's killing of the Corps' top commander, Qassem Soleimani.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:36:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/pakistani-man-says-iran-forced-him-plot-kill-trump-media-say",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_41d2269e2134",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Pentagon identifies two soldiers killed in Iran war",
    "body_text": "LOS ANGELES, March 4 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday identified two more soldiers who were killed in the war against Iran. The two Army Reserve soldiers died on Sunday in a drone attack on a U.S. military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait that also killed four other reservists. The Pentagon said Major Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Iowa, was killed in the attack and announced the \"believed death\" of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California. Positive identification of Marzan will be completed by the medical examiner, the Pentagon said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:36:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/pentagon-identifies-two-soldiers-killed-iran-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d720d02c4525",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran war briefing: US reportedly ready to provide support to Kurdish fighters if they enter conflict",
    "body_text": "Experts say US backing armed groups could ‘open up a hornet’s nest’;  son of Ayatollah Khamenei tipped to succeed his father as leader. What we know on day six Middle East crisis – live updates   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:37:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/iran-war-briefing-israel-us-support-kurds-conflict-what-we-know-so-far-day-six",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3b4d44abca85",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "A drawn-out war in the Middle East has no winners - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Despite the UAE’s best – and ongoing – efforts to promote a diplomatic solution to the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran, this week has seen war that has broken out between them thrust upon the Emirates and its millions of residents. Iran has lobbed hundreds of deadly projectiles at UAE cities and infrastructure. Although there have been some tragic casualties, more than 90 per cent of these have been intercepted.\nA sober assessment of the UAE’s reaction to these waves of bombardment from Iran reveals an important fact: when stress-tested in real-time conflict, the Emirates has proved more than capable of defending itself.\nSo far, the UAE has been the hardest hit of all the countries Iran has targeted – including Israel. As of the last official count released by the UAE Ministry of Defence yesterday, Tehran’s forces have targeted the Emirates with nearly 190 ballistic missiles, eight cruise missiles and more than 900 drones.\nThere is no sign of the country’s drone and missile defence capability waning. At a briefing in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Maj Gen Abdul Nasser Al Humaidi, official spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, said the UAE has a “sufficient strategic stockpile of munitions to ensure the sustained execution of defensive and interception operations against various types of aerial threats over long periods”.\nHowever, long periods of conflict are the last thing the government wants to see. This current war is already costing the entire region lives, affecting millions of civilians across the region, and the shadow it is casting over energy supplies could affect the global economy. And new fronts are already opening, as seen in Lebanon.\nDiplomacy is not the easy option. Trust between the US and Israel on one hand, and Iran on the other, is close to zero. Similarly, Gulf states that worked to maintain lines of diplomacy with Tehran are understandably aghast at how their efforts have been rewarded with indiscriminate missile and drone attacks. Nonetheless, speaking at the Tuesday briefing in Abu Dhabi, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation, described a return to the negotiating table as “the only rational way forward”.\nThere is no sign of the UAE drone and missile defence capability waning\nAt the same time, the Iranian attacks are proving ineffective both at intimidating the Gulf countries and deterring further Israeli and American attacks. Instead, they only amplify the message that Tehran’s leaders are reckless in their behaviour and willing to risk the lives and livelihoods of the Iranian people.\nThe UAE is proving that it can endure, adapt and recover; its reputation as a world leader in crisis management is assured. But, like just about everyone else, the country wants to see an end to war. The UAE has the strategic patience and planning to endure different conditions, but it is incumbent on the main protagonists in this war to bring it to an end as possible.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:37:52+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxQWG41UHZkclAzalAyWkZuNUVFb0E4eWliLTU4WkU4cUU2R25BclF1X29CVUhEWjltWXBoVVc4QWpmb2NLMlNidFR5dFJxZWhZZUVXZFJJRG0xRTBvd2VRRGhqQmVFbVhEX0hJbjJrX3NvNUE0ek8wcjJNMU94OUI0cGJaVjY3U3o5aXlNbmJGZXBTZ3BabURCRE5rSnE?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_33eee75a8b8f",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Isaac Herzog: 'Israel does not drag America into war'",
    "body_text": "Isaac Herzog: 'Israel does not drag America into war' \n \n \n \n Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Wednesday that Tel Aviv and the US did not have \"much of a choice\" but to \"take action\" and attack Iran.  \n In an interview with CBS, Herzog was asked by anchor Tony Dokoupil whether it was President Donald Trump or Israeli leaders who made the decision to carry out the assault on Iran. \n \"Israel does not dictate to President Trump anything, and Israel does not drag America into a war, God forbid,\" the Israeli president responded.  \n \"This decision of his [Trump] is out of clear considerations and professional decision-making process,\" he said, adding that Israel was \"a factor because Israel is an ally.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:39:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/isaac-herzog-israel-does-not-drag-america-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c920d76adac4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Who is choosing Iran’s next Supreme Leader?",
    "body_text": "Iran’s Assembly of Experts is now tasked with choosing the next Supreme Leader. It elected Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 198",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:48:18+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/who-is-choosing-irans-next-supreme-leader?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0e063d763f11",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Millions lose power across Cuba as Trump sanctions continue to fuel ongoing energy crisis",
    "body_text": "Massive blackout leaves millions without power across western Cuba, affecting Havana and surrounding areas after electrical grid failure.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:54:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/millions-lose-power-across-cuba-trump-sanctions-continue-fuel-ongoing-energy-crisis",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1a954ab1b252",
    "source_name": "Reuters",
    "title": "Iran launches wave of missiles at Israel; US Republicans block measure to halt US air campaign - Reuters",
    "body_text": "Iran launches wave of missiles at Israel; US Republicans block measure to halt US air campaign    Reuters",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:58:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiygFBVV95cUxNZG9GNmpWbEZQTDU2Ul9jQzE0Tkw0anFFQ3Fackh1R1k4VVNzWVNKZ203Sk1nZzRJLXNUWmFRZUI0MzEtcmJjVGNzZ0VTcFdTYXRxbkpiY0d6UV9qQ2FhaUJQVWlwYkhXM0l1WVdwYWJJRU55NGxoX09fNkctZjBmUUFNdlpMWlU5ckU4WS1uVGI5VlU1c2MwZDdxTjJIZVNNbnJ3dm0zRnNoMVpfODlzRTdpcmRoQ09TYm1iRmZwWE9MeW5TbmJIdUhn?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7bb7336ca7d6",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran launches wave of missiles at Israel; US Republicans block measure to halt US air campaign - AL-Monitor",
    "body_text": "Iran launches wave of missiles at Israel; US Republicans block measure to halt US air campaign\nBy Parisa Hafezi, Pesha Magid and Tuvan Gumrukcu\nDUBAI/JERUSALEM/ANKARA, March 5 (Reuters) - Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel early on Thursday, sending millions of residents into bomb shelters as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran entered its sixth day and just hours after moves to halt the U.S. air assault were blocked in Washington.\nRepublican senators in Washington voted against a motion aimed at stopping the air campaign and requiring that military action be authorised by Congress, leaving President Donald Trump's power to direct the war largely unbound, as the conflict continues to widen across the Middle East and beyond.\nThe U.S. Senate voted 53 to 47 not to advance the resolution, largely along party lines, with all but one Republican voting against the procedural motion and all but one Democrat supporting it.\nTheU.S.–Iran war has widened sharply, with a U.S. submarine sinking an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing at least 80 people, and NATO air defences destroying an Iranian ballistic missile fired towards Turkey.\nThe escalation came as the powerful son of Iran's slain supreme leader emerged as a frontrunner to succeed him, suggesting Tehran was not about to buckle to pressure from the United States and Israel's military campaign that has killed hundreds and convulsed global markets.\nThe missile incident is the first time that Turkey – which borders Iran and has NATO's second-largest military – has been drawn into the conflict, but U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was no sense that it would trigger the Atlantic alliance's collective-defence clause.\nThe war continued to paralyse shipping through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, choking off vital Middle East oil and gas flows. Trump has pledged to provide insurance and naval escorts for ships to contain soaring costs, with oil prices rising on Thursday. At least 200 vessels remain anchored off the coast, according to Reuters estimates.\nThe U.S. Navy will escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz \"as soon as it can\" but is focused on the conflict for now, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Fox News on Wednesday.\n\"No, not yet ... We'll do that as soon as we can. Right now, our Navy, and of course, our military, is focused on other things, which is disarming this Iranian regime,\" Wright said, when asked if any commercial vessels had requested U.S. Navy assistance in the Gulf.\nAsian shares rallied on Thursday after days of sharp losses,whileU.S. stocks closed up on Wednesday on hopes that the war might end soon. Some traders said the improved sentiment followed aNew York Times reportthat Iranian intelligence had reached out to the CIA early in the war about a path towards ending it.\nA source from the Iranian intelligence ministry rejected the article as \"absolute lies and psychological warfare in the midst of war\", Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.\nRepatriation flights departed the Middle East on Wednesday as governments rushed to bring home tens of thousands of citizens stranded by the war.\nCommercial air traffic remained largely absent across much of the region, with major Gulf hubs including Dubai, the world's busiest airport for international passengers, affected.\nKHAMENEI'S FUNERAL POSTPONED\nPlans were in doubt for a funeral for Ayatollah AliKhamenei, 86, killed by Israeli forces on Saturday in the first assassination of a nation's top ruler by an airstrike.\nThe body had been expected to lie in state in a vast Tehran mosque from Wednesday evening,but Iran announced that three days of farewell ceremonies had been indefinitely postponed and no funeral date had been announced.\nTwo Iranian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters thatMojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran's slain supreme leader, was not in Tehran when his father was killed.\nIran said the Assembly of Experts that will select the new leader would announce its decision soon, only the second time it has done so since the Islamic Republic's founding in 1979.\nAssembly member Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told state TV the candidates had already been identified but did not name them.\nIsrael said it would hunt down whoever was chosen.\nOther candidates for supreme leader includeHassan Khomeini, grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder and a champion of the reformist faction sidelined in recent decades.\n(Reporting by Reuters bureaus, Writing by Peter Graff, Timothy Heritage, Crispian Balmer, Jonathan Allen and Brad Brooks, Editing by Aidan Lewis, Gareth Jones, Diane Craft and Michael Perry; Editing by Stephen Coates)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T03:58:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxOUF9FNEk2NENWYWdWbzBURWRqUUJBVEJTekRqSmJkU3cxdlRHRm41QUJqSGhsbU9qV2hYckxKUGdyZ0dKTmVyRjBWYXBJbEUzTmNiRXpsUXFETk5kMXhwMVdnb3plMlFRbFkwa1ZZcU11V18xdFc0ZDBFY2JlY2xXWjU2U1pRSk1vSmhhYlhudEkwbndaU3FWOW5QVTREaFdKNHFyeXBrQlNXTDktOHdDVWNfbE54T3F5T0N2WA?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_4cd9337f29c4",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran launches wave of missiles at Israel; US Republicans block measure to halt US air campaign",
    "body_text": "By Parisa Hafezi, Pesha Magid and Tuvan Gumrukcu DUBAI/JERUSALEM/ANKARA, March 5 (Reuters) - Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel early on Thursday, sending millions of residents into bomb shelters as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran entered its sixth day and just hours after moves to halt the U.S. air assault were blocked in Washington.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T04:01:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-launches-wave-missiles-israel-us-republicans-block-measure-halt-us-air",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_73818a3c8713",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iranian sailors recovering in Sri Lankan hospital after US submarine attack, authorities say",
    "body_text": "By Uditha Jayasinghe GALLE, Sri Lanka, March 5 (Reuters) - Iranian sailors who survived a U.S. submarine strike in the Indian Ocean were recovering at a hospital in the Sri Lankan port city of Galle, authorities said on Thursday, a day after at least 87 were killed in the attack. Authorities at the National Hospital in Galle and navy sources said 87 bodies were brought in by military rescuers who responded to an early-morning distress call from the IRIS Dena on Wednesday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T04:01:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iranian-sailors-recovering-sri-lankan-hospital-after-us-submarine-attack",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1da77556853a",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran war live updates: Mark Carney doesn’t rule out Canada joining war; Israel launches fresh strikes on Tehran",
    "body_text": "Canadian PM says the US-Israeli strikes on Iran were ‘inconsistent with international law’ but that his country ‘will stand by our allies’. Follow the latest news  Airstrikes hit Iran-Iraq border as US and Israeli plan to mobilise Kurds gathers pace US may not have capacity to take down full barrage of Iranian drones, officials warn   Hello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Canadian prime minister  Mark Carney  said on Thursday that he couldn’t rule out his country’s military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East. An airstrike hit the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut early on Thursday , after Israel had issued a warning to residents. Elsewhere, three people were killed in a pair of Israeli strikes on vehicles along Beirut’s airport highway, Lebanon’s health ministry said. Israel has urged people to leave the section of Lebanon south of the Litani river – an area of hundreds of square kilometres – as the army was “compelled t",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T04:06:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/05/iran-war-latest-updates-canada-carney-trump-israel-tehran-strikes",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3702800cb701",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Russian Oil Cargoes Swing Back to India as Iran War Hits Supply - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Russian Oil Cargoes Swing Back to India as Iran War Hits Supply    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T04:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNWG9zY3hzeVVYcVhoSTFCd0hXeGJOdUo0aUk4RGNkX21IWG93RU9SRjRQTzVKOXpwV1ZGMWxyNVBOMDZWWlpObzNxLWc5UzdEaVNTanBmdTRTajViZm1mSlpXNks5a0YyQ0xVaXBHNXpxb0pSVXFXeWV5MG5zcU0xVUFqUHhxWThPbGtSOV9IRkczLWtoczFMVXhGZF92YW9VVlZoU0JKcW0ydktJNXhFY0RrbEE?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
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  {
    "article_id": "art_990b1ded9b64",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "North Korea’s Kim oversees cruise missile tests from new naval destroyer",
    "body_text": "Kim Jong Un supervised the launch of sea-to-surface 'strategic cruise missiles' from country's new naval destroyer.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T04:26:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/north-koreas-kim-oversees-cruise-missile-tests-from-new-naval-destroyer?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_eb942a68604d",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Canada PM Carney says unable to rule out military role in Iran war",
    "body_text": "Canadian leader also said the US-Israeli attacks on Iran appear to be 'inconsistent with international law'.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T04:44:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/canada-pm-carney-says-unable-to-rule-out-military-role-in-iran-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
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  {
    "article_id": "art_54802531efee",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Canada PM Carney says unable to rule out military role in Iran war - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he could not rule out his country’s military participation in the escalating war in the Middle East, after earlier saying that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran were “inconsistent with international law”.\nSpeaking alongside Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Thursday, Carney was asked whether there was a situation in which Canada would get involved.\nRecommended Stories\nlist of 4 items- list 1 of 4Death toll in Iran surpasses 1,000 as Israel-US strikes continue\n- list 2 of 4US will ‘rain missiles’, ‘death and destruction’ on Iran, Trump aides say\n- list 3 of 4Senate Republicans block war powers resolution on Iran\n- list 4 of 4Who is choosing Iran’s next Supreme Leader?\n“One can never categorically rule out participation,” Carney said, noting the question was “hypothetical”.\n“We will stand by our allies,” he said, adding that “we will always defend Canadians”.\nCarney said earlier that he supported the strikes on Iran “with some regret” as they represented an extreme example of a rupturing world order.\nThe Canadian prime minister also stressed that his country was not informed in advance of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, in his first remarks since the war was launched on Saturday.\n“We were not informed in advance, we were not asked to participate,” Carney told reporters travelling with him in Australia on Wednesday.\n“Prima facie, it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law,” he said.\n“The United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada,” he added, according to Australia’s SBS News, while also condemning strikes on civilians in Iran and calling for “all parties … to respect the rules of international engagement”.\nWhether the US and Israeli attacks on Iran had broken international law was “a judgement for others to make”, he added.\nCanada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday that efforts were under way to help more than 2,000 Canadians who have requested assistance from the government to leave the Middle East region since the war broke out on Saturday.\nAnand said about half of all inquiries for help were from Canadians in the United Arab Emirates, more than 230 from Qatar, at least 160 from Lebanon, more than 90 from Israel and 74 from Iran.\nCanada’s Foreign Ministry has been instructed to contract charter flights out of the UAE in the coming days, contingent on approval from the UAE government to use its airspace, the minister said.\nCommercial air traffic remains largely absent across much of the region, with major Gulf hubs – including Dubai, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers – largely shut amid the conflict, in the biggest travel disruption since the COVID pandemic.\nRepatriation flights chartered by foreign governments, including Britain and France, were due to leave on Wednesday and Thursday, while the UAE opened safe air corridors to allow some citizens to return home.\nUnder normal circumstances, thousands of commercial flights would depart the region each day.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T04:48:17+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxPR19Vb245aUkxV0xZMzNCU3d5T1BScXRPM3VVSHV4TmFjMW84b3c1cWx1NjBSc0ZmbXkxRm1rYWNDQVhYQ1YyLU9zZ3N2SDBNOUNhS1lfOFlIUXhrSGFfNzhjUXhrSWFIVnplR1NrOUFyRmJ0SDBtcnpsVUduQXQ3bjRVbDkyRjFRTVRPQzk0ekpCaDdGZWF3c05sdDd6X2NSVTBsQVpteHZVd9IBrwFBVV95cUxPVHo1MWFhRW9XWlUtbFFESEZUXzhuYkcyS3pQYkRBUzVpZW5XUmdPQVA5OHRUbkVqXzJaS0oxa3g1aEZSaWNRZVRIdWZHRFotX1VEMk1PNzVMQl92WDVrMlVmX0M2Mno3b0xPVjBvdkdQSWhZYURIZll3UXlsMWt6elRGbWlKakY2ek9Fb0dDUmtFWmZ3X3N0RWRBWXpXazhKeFhuSmVuRU5SeGJNdFVF?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_041c4718ba1e",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iran - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iran\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:00:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE1xcGRnRi1lZGtqZlRiZlJlTUxWb2wtalVOZ2tqSm90NEpmYzBGZnRha2UyVmxHSURIYTgzc3N0RFFQRTlrUWd1MzA3SEFwTUJUSzZ4VUw5ZExKWDkzemN1OWQyZG5LMHRlSk1wdDJHU1I?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_f16dc74f7674",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Power without a throne: how Khalifa Haftar controls Libya – and is answerable to no one",
    "body_text": "When Nato helped overthrow Gaddafi in 2011, there were hopes of a new beginning. A decade later, this former CIA asset runs the country – and Libya has become yet another lesson in the unintended consequences of foreign intervention In July 2025, four of Europe’s most senior officials landed in eastern Libya for an urgent meeting. Italy’s interior minister had watched migrant arrivals surge during the previous six months. Greece’s migration chief was reeling after 2,000 people reached Crete in a single week. Malta’s home minister feared his island was next. And the EU’s migration commissioner was scrambling to rescue an  agreement worth many hundreds of millions  that was visibly failing to stop the boats. Libya is a place where crises converge. Its 1,100-mile coastline, the Mediterranean’s longest, has become the main departure point for migrants heading north. Since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, the country has been torn apart by successive civil wars. Russia, Turkey, Egypt an",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:00:51+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/mar/05/power-without-a-throne-how-khalifa-haftar-controls-libya-and-is-answerable-to-no-one",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6fc38ba227ff",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Fertiliser disruption from Iran conflict prompts global food shortage warnings - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Fertiliser disruption from Iran conflict prompts global food shortage warnings\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:00:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBlTFl5UVU4UDVHR0o2dVE3ckNrVVVhaVlydFp3bEVWczl5NFVYWjE5bUc3ZWpzaERFQlJScDAtYUZNV2wtdnNvQmJKT2Zwd2pVd2ZsMVJFVnZLXzV6WVgySjVJeEsyYm1kVWpwVjNlWnk?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_48f9ff014373",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Iran attacks show the perils of following America’s economic lead - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Iran attacks show the perils of following America’s economic lead\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:00:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE02Skg1VnJ3b2RsOGttMFowbUVkVjZFZW5UQ0VwclZrckhVMVd4YkEtYzVWUXV6akU0QWtETl9RT09FNHpFaGk2c1FvT1ZmRVhodU1HdkZQVTUxSkJuOHNobndILWFWcHNlMGxjR1Facy0?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_83f678f11d80",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "Europe braced for Middle East refugee wave, says UN migration chief - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "Europe braces for Middle East migration surge\nSubscribe to unlock this article\nTry unlimited access\nOnly $1 for 4 weeksThen $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.\nExplore more offers.\nExplore our full range of subscriptions.\nFor individuals\nDiscover all the plans currently available in your country",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:00:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTFBhYkdXc3FUZGh5RjA3T29wMFcyMFRFa1FDYnNYUjY4MDk5S0EtX1hqQjFEV3I3dnFvNGc2Rk55LWxHV1JGcXkzOGZrd3BoS2I0amF6N2IwN01VSjJaRkVRTkEtXzhBT2FLd1E5d3dER2g?oc=5",
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  {
    "article_id": "art_37fec9041c00",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran war briefing: US reportedly ready to provide support to Kurdish fighters if they enter conflict - The Guardian",
    "body_text": "Iran war briefing: US reportedly ready to provide support to Kurdish fighters if they enter conflict    The Guardian",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:02:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxOVEpBTnRTb2FER0E3aDFHbl9ZREdPOEtjNmU4NUF4T0tSOEk3QjBFYm9qaVdJODdaZkJXU0hFTk9CV2JKNzBQVlEzNTRzbDBZenhGdXFJalFJelVmZTVxWmY4Mll3ZkZUV1MtMmRFdFpSbENITHNrZGh1cjVURVFVeVhIdUdlWWhhQ0lOSUdOTlllVjJ0N3BqZEVMY3FUTEVfa1p6TWtjTmZTQkU0a0dFcTQ5MVplVDlXNTU2cUsyS2x4UQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_926eae618d37",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "House to vote on Iran war powers resolution in a test of Trump’s strategy - AP News",
    "body_text": "House to vote on Iran war powers resolution in a test of Trump’s strategy    AP News",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:04:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxNVW41THZjcGlfRm1uTGc1b19rRnF2dEZJM0NFenNlS1NTdHllZ3g1akxEQWI3UDl1blVZZDBELTZ2QmRjTUtKSll6bTFwMzRkNW1wdFJIdURxY2ctQTdOc0ZSUW5HOW1JUm9RVEprTHQyMUVRTXpvcTlwaUlCM0pjTnhXcFhQbm9iX0pTOXZCSXA4b3l4Q3hFYktpcTQyeFRpdkpYeUlR?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_87d5f906b23a",
    "source_name": "AP News",
    "title": "Iran launches new wave of attacks on Israeli and US bases while Israel begins new strikes in Lebanon - AP News",
    "body_text": "Iran launches new wave of attacks on Israeli and US bases while Israel begins new strikes in Lebanon    AP News",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:23:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxNSXBBS0pyN0ZDWGR3aEMtWUsxLWRsVzl2RGUzM1JLVDVjbzU1ZVNKaHlRd21sc2FkUUpvejJ0QmQ3ZDZrcGo1S3M0ek1yS2xXbnFEcEVydmxFcEJ1U1RFNV9iRWlIa1lqUEljQjRtSG8wN09oMW8zdWJEc0NWSG1aamxlc0RnT2hWd2JQLURoR1Radw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_948de38ec514",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US congress official: Cost of war on Iran estimated to be a billion dollars daily",
    "body_text": "US congress official: Cost of war on Iran estimated to be a billion dollars daily \n \n \n \n The preliminary Pentagon cost estimate of the war in Iran is a billion dollars daily, The Atlantic reported based on a US congress official.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:24:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/us-congress-official-cost-war-iran-estimated-be-billion-dollars-daily",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0579a806680c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran announces targeting of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan",
    "body_text": "Iran announces targeting of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan \n \n \n \n Iran said it had targeted headquarters of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, state media reported.  \n \"We targeted the headquarters of Kurdish groups opposed to the revolution in Iraqi Kurdistan with three missiles,\" Iran's official IRNA news agency wrote, quoting a military statement. \n The announcement follows strikes on Kurdish regions in both Iran and Iraq.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:30:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-announces-targeting-kurdish-forces-iraqi-kurdistan",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_54f751eb73ab",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Perishables to plane parts stranded as Middle East conflict hits air cargo",
    "body_text": "By Allison Lampert, Lisa Baertlein and Julie Zhu March 5 (Reuters) - Shipments ranging from fresh produce to airplane parts are in limbo as an escalating Middle East conflict reduces the world's air cargo capacity by more than one-fifth and pushes up freight rates, with executives bracing for backlogs of goods. The U.S. and Israeli air war against Iran has grounded passenger and freighter flights across the region, including in key global air cargo hubs Doha and Dubai.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:36:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/perishables-plane-parts-stranded-middle-east-conflict-hits-air-cargo",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_af5e7c7f2338",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Video: Intense US-Israeli bombardment across Iran",
    "body_text": "Intense US-Israeli bombardment sent flames and plumes of smoke into the night sky across Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:36:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/video-intense-us-israeli-bombardment-across-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4c52deb4bac6",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel kills first Hamas official since start of war on Iran: Lebanese state news",
    "body_text": "Israel kills first Hamas official since start of war on Iran: Lebanese state news \n \n \n \n An Israeli strike in Lebanon killed a senior Hamas official early on Thursday, the state-owned National News Agency (NNA) reported, making him the first reported killing of the Palestinian movement since the war on Iran began.  \n According to NNA, Wassim Atallah al-Ali and his wife were killed when an Israeli drone targeted their home in the Palestinian Beddawi refugee camp, located in the coastal city of Tripoli.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:47:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-kills-first-hamas-official-start-war-iran-lebanese-state-news",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_54de2b31e26d",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Modi Sides With Might in the Middle East - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Modi Sides With Might in the Middle East    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:54:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiygFBVV95cUxQb0R3bmpLWVZWcWNlSVFYaHhsQllBQXVRblhpdV9BNEotZVJmMk8yd2ZVQ3o5QnY5bTdXQmJWLWNsb2dtbUJ5YUxZeTBBSWpiYjdWU3JIWVhLYWJHcnFtZXNKRDNRUEdhWW1yZ3Z1emJQeE8tRFdUQVI4OWRQXzFQY2NqUThHM20tZTZfOUk2UTQzNmlyRWlUNVFrS05JNWp6Rk5Na09RT2J5eENTbjBja2toM1VoMjJKbnprdGx6ZWNrdmJhSjYzTzNR?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_af677a9635ae",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "American-Israeli attacks on Iran recorded across 29 provinces and 172 cities",
    "body_text": "American-Israeli attacks on Iran recorded across 29 provinces and 172 cities \n \n \n \n The head of Iran's emergency services reported that US and Israel launched assaults on 29 provinces and 172 cities in the country since the war began over the weekend.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T05:56:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/american-israeli-attacks-iran-recorded-across-29-provinces-and-172",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d4d9b0c06f55",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘A big burden for farmers’: Gulf shipping crisis threatens food price shock",
    "body_text": "Iranian blockade of the strategic strait of Hormuz is hitting global fertiliser supply chain The global fertiliser supply chain could face significant disruption if the effective closure by Iran of the  strait of Hormuz  persists, prompting concerns from analysts about crop production and food security. Passage through the waterway, located off Iran’s southern coast, has mostly stopped since the US and Israel launched their attacks at the weekend.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:00:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/05/big-burden-for-farmers-gulf-shipping-crisis-threatens-food-price-shock",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_7e76830f5b28",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Australia declares deployment of 'military assets' to the Middle East - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Australia declares deployment of 'military assets' to the Middle East    Middle East Eye",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:04:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNR2RyTWtJeFNEWF9CVG5wRElRNEVIR3kwMVM3d1NmQ3BJYTdfd1JVczZ4M3JQNjNENUhUS0JOZ09adEpnU0RZTm03MzRqRDh1UVdsQU1oRi1lNlQ3dWhSZnRQOU53MzFIdzFXdlNsZXZXTzNNTThHZDJxeVpGYUxSSnpzREphYTBkQXdOZFJ1NHZTXzVRRjlqa1NkeHdQcF81cHUtVGZKS2RaNHJRWHkwclJyTQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_973e4212391d",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Australia declare deployment of 'military assets' to the Middle East",
    "body_text": "Australia declare deployment of 'military assets' to the Middle East \n \n \n \n Australia's Prime Minister told parliament on Thursday that \"military assets\" had been deployed to the Middle East as a contingency plan. \n \"I thank those Australians going into a dangerous situation in order to help their fellow Australians,\" Anthony Albanese said, without giving further details on the nature of the assets.  \n According to local news outlet SBS News, the assets were planes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:04:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/australia-declare-deployment-military-assets-middle-east",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_48d9667a68a3",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Iranian girls killed by ‘double-tap’ strikes on Minab school",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Iranian girls killed by ‘double-tap’ strikes on Minab school \n \n \n \n The girls’ school in  Iran , where 165 people were killed by an apparent  US - Israeli  attack, was hit with two strikes, with the second missile killing sheltering survivors, two first responders and the parent of a slain child have told Middle East Eye. \n “When the first bomb hit the school, one of the teachers and the principal moved a group of students to the prayer hall to protect them,” one of the Red Crescent medics said, citing conversations he had at the time with survivors. \n “The principal called the parents and told them to come and pick up their children. But the second bomb hit that area as well. Only a small number of those who had taken shelter survived.” \n Almost all the 165 people killed in the attack were girls aged between seven and 12, according to local officials. There were around 170 girls at the school in southern Iran’s Minab at the time. \n Previous reports  have suggested that par",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:17:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/exclusive-iranian-girls-killed-double-tap-strikes-minab-school",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_835877fdf4df",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran War Punctures Favored Strategy of ‘Sell America, Buy Asia’ - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iran War Punctures Favored Strategy of ‘Sell America, Buy Asia’    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:22:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNWXBTS2FROVBqMkxYTm91NW1WR19hNklaM2EtWWY0aThEVElmcVJzWG9lamtsSmNTcTExaEhYOG4yZm81cXBFb19xLW5nZ3R6TURNTERXVUhwNGZjY3dscDBoWkFmeWFPMndoY3BfeXFQUnh1VXJqeUZONTBQdDcxbkxZUUdZOFhYNmthREpBR1BpWlBWYWY3WlZ2WFFBeTREN1RDX2pSN3RVbkp0cU5pMQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_37d57a14dfa3",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran denies firing missile towards Turkiye after NATO interception",
    "body_text": "Turkiye's Defence Ministry had said a ⁠ballistic missile ⁠was destroyed ⁠by NATO over ‌the eastern Mediterranean.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:24:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/iran-denies-firing-missile-towards-turkiye-after-nato-interception?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_97c016b3e315",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran hits Kurdish groups in Iraq as conflict widens",
    "body_text": "Fresh blasts were reported in Iran's capital on Thursday as Tehran said it had targeted Kurdish groups in Iraq and warned \"separatist groups\" against action in the widening war. The conflict that began Saturday with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader has spread across much of the region, sparking global economic pressure, energy disruptions and travel chaos. Iran's retaliatory strikes have targeted many of its Gulf neighbours which host US military bases, while Israel has hit Lebanon and moved forces across the border.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:30:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-hits-kurdish-groups-iraq-conflict-widens",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1efeb67feb43",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Middle East war spirals as Iran hits Kurds in Iraq",
    "body_text": "Israel pounded Tehran with fresh strikes and Iran targeted Kurdish guerrilla groups in Iraq on Thursday as a spiralling war engulfed the Middle East. A conflict ignited Saturday with US-Israeli attacks that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has spread rapidly since, snarling global shipping and energy markets, and sowing panic and chaos in previously safe-haven Gulf nations. In Lebanon, AFPTV images showed buildings in rubble and plumes of black smokes drifting over Beirut after Israeli strikes aimed at Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:30:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/middle-east-war-spirals-iran-hits-kurds-iraq",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c66fe97baa37",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran denies firing missile towards Turkey",
    "body_text": "Iran denies firing missile towards Turkey \n \n \n \n Iran’s armed forces say they did not launch any missile towards Turkey. In a statement carried by Iranian state media on Thursday, the military said it respects Turkey’s sovereignty and denied targeting the country with any projectile. \n The response came after the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said a ballistic missile reportedly launched from Iran on its way towards Turkish airspace.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:33:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-denies-firing-missile-towards-turkey",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f4eeeb3a1bb1",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran's foreign minister vows US will 'bitterly regret' targeting its ship",
    "body_text": "Iran's foreign minister vows US will 'bitterly regret' targeting its ship  \n \n \n \n In response to a US attack on an Iranian warship, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that Washington \"perpetrated an atrocity at sea\". \n He added that the Iranian frigate Iris Dena was \"struck in international waters without warning\". \n \"Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,\" he vowed.  \n At least 87 people were killed on Wednesday in a deadly US strike on an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka's coast. \n Sri Lanka's police and navy spokespeople said 61 sailors were still missing. At least 32 have been rescued and were taken to hospital in the city of Galle where they are receiving treatment, according to officials. \n \n The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores. \n \nFrigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning. \n \nMark my words: The U.S. will",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:35:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/irans-foreign-minister-vows-us-will-bitterly-regret-targeting-its-ship",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_82cd27e9e3db",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran targets Kurdish groups in Iraq, begins wave of attacks on Israel",
    "body_text": "Iranian Kurdish armed groups have reportedly consulted with the US in recent days about whether to attack Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:44:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/iran-targets-kurdish-groups-in-iraq-begans-fresh-wave-of-attacks-on-israel?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e9235425a1a1",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Morning recap",
    "body_text": "Morning recap \n \n \n \n Good morning, Middle East Eye readers. \n \nUS senators have voted down a measure that sought to curb President Donald Trump’s authority to launch a war against Iran. \n The proposal aimed to require the withdrawal of US forces involved in the conflict unless Congress formally approved continued attacks. \n The United States Senate rejected the motion by a vote of 47 to 53, with the outcome largely split along party lines. \n Here is what else has happened: \n \n \n Iran said it had targeted headquarters of Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan, state media reported.  \n \n \n The head of Iran's emergency services reported that US and Israel launched assaults on 29 provinces and 172 cities in the country since the war began over the weekend. \n \n \n US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the US military sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, calling it the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War Two. \n \n \n Sri Lanka's navy has recovered",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:51:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/morning-recap-133",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b11704269777",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Iran War Latest: Trump Lauds US War Effort as Iran Vows to Escalate Retaliation - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Iran War Latest: Trump Lauds US War Effort as Iran Vows to Escalate Retaliation    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T06:58:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQWG1ERklkbWItUVZxWGg3dkthTUxoMlk4N1VDMGI4b1lwbTFsQkpxdzc5b3Y1Nm53SzNMY1pZQ3QzV3N3NXEwM1dsX2tqRGNuYXpBaDJ3ZW1scHRLVTFaam8yS2VDWmljR0twMHdEQzQ0eWQ0c1RoZWU2b1lUYk9SZzg4bFd5OVdLdTZJTVRabzFCcDlMeC04NnVJUUEtY0pqSU9NcmU4YjBxNS1odG5QR3Y2Zw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_30688e2f14d9",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "War in the Middle East: latest developments",
    "body_text": "Here are the latest main events related to the war in the Middle East: - Fresh Israeli strikes across Tehran - Israel's military said in a statement Thursday it had \"just begun a large-scale wave of strikes against infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran\". Iranian news agency Tasnim and local media reported several explosions had been heard in Tehran Thursday morning. It said the country had activated its defences in response. - Iran hits Kurdish groups in Iraq -",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:00:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/war-middle-east-latest-developments-0",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3ec94ef9a850",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israeli air strike kills Lebanese mayor and his wife: Report",
    "body_text": "Israeli air strike kills Lebanese mayor and his wife: Report \n \n \n \n An Israeli air strike on Thursday morning targeting al-Kfour, in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, resulted in the killing of its mayor Tawfiq Safa and his wife, the National News Agency reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:02:33+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-air-strike-kills-lebanese-mayor-and-his-wife-report",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cfbfad4974d3",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israeli strikes hit Beirut amid threats on Iranian officials in Lebanon",
    "body_text": "Israeli forces pound Beirut's southern suburbs as Iran warns against targeting embassy.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:05:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/israeli-strikes-hit-beirut-amid-threats-on-iranian-officials-in-lebanon?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3c5547725da4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran war: What is happening on day six of US-Israel attacks?",
    "body_text": "On the sixth day of US-Israeli offensive against Iran, the conflict is escalating while regional tensions are rising.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:10:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/iran-war-what-is-happening-on-day-six-of-us-israel-attacks?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_866f7b54b42b",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Japanese Stocks Rebound From Market Rout After Iran Attack - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Japanese Stocks Rebound From Market Rout After Iran Attack    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:12:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxNZzFBNEJJS05jdnVxeGh6c1pYVFRZc2hHZGVPOVdOakZzS1o4M0puZjFXOHduZElMcUoxV3RHTGh0c0J6bHRQTWpBMFBHTjRWZlpjWEFsdlBYamo4cThZck43VjJiQmRWdWlSMTh5M19uZGFGdndOOGpaMGpYbG95NDdSaGVJSzRCc1RsTTgwSWtobV9BRnc1bE8wLU1jTGlBeF9BTXZpWnluaGNCcHdxekFB?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6a69436cd12f",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran war: What is happening on day six of US-Israel attacks? - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Iran war: What is happening on day six of US-Israel attacks?    Al Jazeera",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:12:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxPMHRQNVg0ejJkZ2xlRG5DQ1BxR0lmbm5feHdab2pQS29Jd01uYXB6dEQ4eHhKWXRSQlN3Y052WHBkMDJiY0NzdHZaTWJKV0RIbXpVX3NVY1dmay1paXJuMlN4a3FDYkR6ekVhQnpLMmNEZTFzZEF1RzJWc0haVUFQSnZsRE9qOFRCSzR2RlhIZklybWZNR2lhc2VhZ2o5ZXPSAaQBQVVfeXFMUEVMMUVZSDBNZXNkSmh4RHQ3c19oazQxSVAySWhFOE04OURySHVUb1hFM25iekViQzlrM251UnliYzJVOTRLZk1xNmFXdmFuaHdKTkUtc241b0cxS2o5WTZEdmFMOFQ1VGM5bFVQUU0tZTdHN0tZS2hjekRlYVQ2THBnM1JmRGhELWVYaFNrRGdtZlM5bUJPNG1jeFJTVG54ZGtuM3Y?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_165aa1a52a2e",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran says it repelled separatist militants near western border",
    "body_text": "Iran says it repelled separatist militants near western border \n \n \n \n Iran’s intelligence ministry says security forces have struck positions linked to “separatist groups” attempting to enter the country through its western frontier. \n In a statement carried by Iranian state media on Thursday, the ministry said the groups suffered heavy losses during the operation. \n Officials also said that Iranian Kurdish armed factions had recently held discussions with the United States about potential attacks on Iranian security forces in the country’s western regions. \n The ministry said Iranian forces were coordinating with what it described as “noble Kurds” to block an Israeli-American plan to launch attacks on Iranian territory.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:17:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-says-it-repelled-separatist-militants-near-western-border",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ee8e5d45892a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "US Secretary of Defense to Katz: 'Continue to the end, we are with you'",
    "body_text": "US Secretary of Defense to Katz: 'Continue to the end, we are with you' \n \n \n \n During overnight talks between Defence Minister Israel Katz and his American counterpart Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defense assured Katz to \"continue to the end, we are with you\". \n The Israeli defense minister noted that cooperation with the US against Iran is \"changing regional and global history,\" and thanked Hegseth for extensive US assistance in \"defending\" Israeli citizens against Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:18:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/us-secretary-defense-katz-continue-end-we-are-you",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_49c230f646a9",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "Europe Gas Resumes Scorching Rally as War Disrupts Energy Flows - Bloomberg.com",
    "body_text": "Europe Gas Resumes Scorching Rally as War Disrupts Energy Flows    Bloomberg.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:25:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNX2p3UGN1b01Ed0l1c3I3RDljSTR6M2ZhR0Z5SHBKbFhIRXFfUXNwOGg1RTZYUVg1Z0t6d2VEMmVPRlM0dnZfMldzcGo0RHN6SWdOMjl0S1RvV1lSMlBfTFh5cndZV3lQaWxEQklpWHJwdHluMkVwbG0tdXhKUUNzTGpBdjJXd2F0bWt3WnNHSWxLRVZ1bWViZ1RzQmFsbHZXaHYybmN6b2RobEd2SWZKaVFzajU?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_349eb72b7888",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Sri Lanka attempts rescue of another Iranian ship off its coast",
    "body_text": "Sri Lanka attempts rescue of another Iranian ship off its coast \n \n \n \n Sri Lanka is attempting to \"safeguard lives\" on another Iranian ship off its coast, the country's cabinet spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said on Thursday. \n \"We are doing our utmost to safeguard lives,\" Jayatissa said, adding that the vessel was in the economic zone beyond the country's territorial waters.  \n This is the second Iranian vessel to end up near Colombo's shore this week. On Wednesday, at least 87 people were killed in a deadly US strike on an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka's coast.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:31:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/sri-lanka-attempts-rescue-another-iranian-shop-its-coast",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8e4ceb41b2dd",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Sri Lanka says trying to 'safeguard lives' on another Iranian ship off its coast",
    "body_text": "GALLE, Sri Lanka, March 5 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is trying to \"safeguard lives\" on another Iranian ship off its coast, the country's cabinet spokesperson said on Thursday, adding that the vessel was in the economic zone beyond the South Asian island nation's territorial waters.  \"We are doing our utmost to safeguard lives,\" spokesperson  Nalinda Jayatissa said.   (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh)",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:36:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/sri-lanka-says-trying-safeguard-lives-another-iranian-ship-its-coast",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f9ca29751033",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "IRGC says it hit US tanker in northern Gulf, ship set ablaze",
    "body_text": "IRGC says it hit US tanker in northern Gulf, ship set ablaze \n \n \n \n Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that they struck a US tanker in the northern part of the gulf, adding that the ship is now on fire.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:43:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/irgc-says-it-hit-us-tanker-northern-gulf-ship-set-ablaze",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c85488581992",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran-backed Iraqi Kataeb Hezbollah announce killing of commander",
    "body_text": "Iran-backed Iraqi Kataeb Hezbollah announce killing of commander \n \n \n \n The Iran-backed Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah said that one of its commanders was killed in a strike in southern Iraq on Wednesday.  \n Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the secretary-general of the armed faction, mourned the loss of a \"great commander\", Ali Hussein al-Freiji. \n A strike hit a vehicle near the group's main base in southern Iraq, two sources from the faction told AFP, killing three. One source described the attack as a \"Zionist-US strike\".",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:50:25+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-backed-iraqi-kataeb-hezbollah-announce-killing-commander",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4f93a9c74280",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Italy set to send air defence aid to Gulf countries",
    "body_text": "Italy set to send air defence aid to Gulf countries \n \n \n \n Italy is planning to send air defence assistance to Gulf countries, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday. \n \"Like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Italy intends to send assistance to Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defence and in particular air defence,\" Meloni told radio station RTL 102.5. \n \"This is not only because they are friendly nations, but above all because tens of thousands of Italians live in the region and around 2,000 Italian troops are deployed there – people we want, and must, protect,\" she added.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T07:56:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/italy-set-send-air-defence-aid-gulf-countries",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_05cb6d350bd4",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Africa 'exposed' to Middle East war",
    "body_text": "Africa hosts military bases within reach of Iranian missiles and is feeling the impact of rising oil prices and threats to shipping, as the continent again suffers from events largely beyond its control. The continent is \"structurally exposed\" to the Middle East war, said Hubert Kinkoh, senior researcher at the CARPO think tank. \"Energy imports, foreign military bases, and its proximity to maritime chokepoints mean the war's effects reach African shores quickly.\" - Targets -",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:00:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/africa-exposed-middle-east-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a04e7d68acf3",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Analysis-Anger among Pakistan's Shi'ites underlines its Iran-U.S. tightrope walk",
    "body_text": "By Mubasher  Bukhari and Saad Sayeed LAHORE, March 5 (Reuters) - Pakistan's efforts to preserve close ties with President Donald Trump are being put to the test after protesters stormed the U.S. consulate in Karachi last week and poured onto streets elsewhere over the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:01:42+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/analysis-anger-among-pakistans-shiites-underlines-its-iran-us-tightrope-walk",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d45be9999cc1",
    "source_name": "The National (UAE)",
    "title": "Middle East flight updates: Global airlines that have cancelled or suspended UAE routes - thenationalnews.com",
    "body_text": "Middle East flight updates: Global airlines that have cancelled or suspended UAE routes    thenationalnews.com",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:03:45+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0wFBVV95cUxNRXlFVGdCSEFWWHR2TXdJNmEwY2ZmSjlEX3k1MmQ2OGhPNkR3WGdabUNyNTJRWDMyN0lIM3BGWlQ3Ui1MMnZ3OURfbEYyTS1SNFczcnZuV1p0aTdLamZLTzQ2R29PcDE4dVZuY2RYT2dMT2EyUXBDR0wtaXpjLWI3VDU5SXVTWE5ZRk9JYXVzSmxlVTZRRTh3ejRwTHN0WFRFdGQ4cDVGR09tbWdqbGM0N0ZrSFlKTWcyVWF1NVlXVUhYVmU2cWg5bWFVN0tpUS00bnV3?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_54d220833a9e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Under cover of Iran war, Israeli settlers terrorise Palestinian communities",
    "body_text": "Amid rocket sirens and explosions in the sky, the regional war feels distant compared with the terror on the ground.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:07:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/5/under-cover-of-iran-war-israeli-settlers-terrorise-palestinian-communities?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5d50039b5357",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Middle East conflict threatens Iraq’s participation in World Cup playoffs",
    "body_text": "Iraq are scheduled to play in the playoff final on March 31 in Mexico but the team's participation remains uncertain.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:09:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/3/5/middle-east-conflict-threatens-iraqs-participation-in-world-cup-playoffs?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5c8205c3b1a6",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Iran-Israel war poses near-term challenges to Indian economy: RBI MPC member - The Hindu",
    "body_text": "Iran-Israel war poses near-term challenges to Indian economy: RBI MPC member    The Hindu",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.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?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e06469faa584",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Pentagon prepares for Israeli-US war on Iran that could last until September: Report - Middle East Eye",
    "body_text": "Pentagon prepares for Israeli-US war on Iran that could last until September: Report    Middle East Eye",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:14:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxNTmxrdWw3VlotWjF1aTlFM01ySVNQUHZpbHFUMzJ1T1diaFJYTTQ0NktVNHJ2MWVCektYS0Z0VHVLN1kwYTNraXF3WnNDMEk5dE9IWVdORFVDTDIzTVFLbEt6TVc0UUZzVVN6ZGpuTUFFdUYzQk5TVEFmaWp5LXhrSURteTl4WDViUno5OHFQN3pVdWdSYXdvQTBSYjJnY1N3NDMxT2l3UWVJQQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4b68589d1138",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Pentagon prepares for Israeli-US war on Iran that could last until September: Report",
    "body_text": "Pentagon prepares for Israeli-US war on Iran that could last until September: Report \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n MEE staff \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 07:47 \n \n \n \n \n A conflict expected to last 'weeks' is now stretching into months and threatening to dominate Donald Trump’s presidency \n \n \n \n \n A man holds an Iranian flag amid the debris of a destroyed building following airstrikes in central Tehran on March 4, 2026. (AFP) \n Off \n The Pentagon is rushing to expand intelligence operations as Washington prepares for a prolonged war on  Iran  launched alongside  Israel , with military planning now stretching well into the autumn. \n A report by the US outlet Politico on Wednesday revealed that  US  Central Command has asked the Pentagon to deploy additional military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida. The reinforcements would support operations against Iran for at least 100 days and potentially until September. \n The request marks the first known move by the Trum",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:14:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pentagon-prepares-israeli-us-war-iran-could-last-until-september-report",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c0c38a25c4c2",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Iran targets headquarters of Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq",
    "body_text": "Tehran's strikes come amid speculation that the US wants Iranian Kurdish groups to join the fight against Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:18:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2k88y1147jo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e83c07891e2d",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Report: Iranian missiles, drones fall nearby Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Airport",
    "body_text": "Report: Iranian missiles, drones fall nearby Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Airport \n \n \n \n Missiles and drones flying from Iran fell nearby the Nakhchivan International Airport, according to Reuters based on a source close to the Azerbaijani government.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:25:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/report-iranian-missiles-drones-fall-nearby-azerbaijans-nakhchivan",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_49c96886dd10",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Globalisation is under threat from Iran war – and Britain is uniquely vulnerable",
    "body_text": "The economic ripples from the US-Israel attacks will soon become waves, engulfing everything from energy prices to food supplies In retaliation for the US-Israeli missile attacks, Iran has launched what amounts to all-out economic warfare. Should the conflict continue even for another week, its impacts will start to be felt around the world as the third  price   surge  since the pandemic washes through global markets. For Britain, a further turn of the screw on living standards arrives just as political instability mounts at home, with the Labour and Conservative parties facing existential challenges to their left and right.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:34:32+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/globalisation-under-threat-britain-economy-iran-conflict",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cee3e77273fb",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Hezbollah leader pledges to continue fight against Israel",
    "body_text": "Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has pledged to continue the group’s fight against Israel, which continues to bomb Lebanon.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:36:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/hezbollah-leader-pledges-to-continue-fight-against-israel?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a1119aa4b2c4",
    "source_name": "Financial Times",
    "title": "South Korea leads rebound from market rout after Iran attack - Financial Times",
    "body_text": "South Korea leads rebound from market rout after Iran attack    Financial Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:39:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicEFVX3lxTE9SMEVHNWNPUEtsUUVxMHRHa2JMX1pWengtVS1yVTdqQTRGeTlVOHd6RDBFbUZYeVAzSzhTTXJMV0x2Q2FoYk1wNXlPa2dLTmUySG8tWTI3V2lpNlRMblZBcFJCM2daWWJYc0ktSFhiN1o?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_551e740b1ed2",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Is Francesca Albanese being punished for being principled?",
    "body_text": "Is Francesca Albanese being punished for being principled? \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Ahmed Abu Artema \n on \n Fri, 02/27/2026 - 06:51 \n \n \n \n \n Falsely accused of antisemitism over a doctored clip, the UN rapporteur remains under attack for demanding sanctions and accountability for Israel's genocide in Gaza \n \n \n \n \n United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, attends a press conference at the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, on 15 September 2025 (Pierre Albouy/Reuters) \n Off \n On 11 February,  French  Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot issued a statement demanding the  resignation  of  Francesca Albanese , the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied  Palestinian  territories since 1967. \n He claimed that Albanese described  Israel  as the \" common enemy of humanity \". \n The call came two days after a group of French MPs sent Barrot a letter denouncing Albanese and de",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:45:19+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/francesca-albanese-being-punished-being-principled",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_59ed27fced9b",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "The U.S. and Israeli War With Iran, Explained - Time Magazine",
    "body_text": "The U.S. and Israeli War With Iran, Explained    Time Magazine",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:47:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifEFVX3lxTE94ZVFjbG1meG1rSzJNR1lDa2RycVo3emhTOFRJUnA3YkMyNWJzalZnVkRCV2d1ZDVfbk1RbWN5RVBWeVFfTXFoeVdkZHoxSll4aHpVVGZxZERrYXFpcWl0eTJGNWstcDd2eVNGSVAweENVci12THZuN3Z4amI?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_352cd9df0a64",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Drone targets US base in Iraq as Iran attacks hit region amid US-Israel war",
    "body_text": "Iran continues to strike US assets in the region as Gulf Arab states report explosions, downing of drones.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:49:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/drone-targets-us-base-in-iraq-as-iran-attacks-hit-region-amid-us-israel-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c97d98dc358f",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Spain rejects White House comments that it now backs US-Israel war on Iran – Europe live",
    "body_text": "The White House press secretary earlier said Spain had agreed to ‘cooperate with the US military’ after Donald Trump threatened to cut trade to Spain Spain has emphatically dismissed US suggestions that it changed its view on the Iran war and is now prepared to let the US use its bases to support the mission. The White House press secretary,  Karoline Leavitt,  suggested to reporters last night that Madrid now backed the US’s military action after facing public criticism from Trump, who threatened to “cut off all dealings with Spain.” “Our ‘no to war’ stance remains  clear and unequivocal. She may be the White House press secretary, but I’m the foreign minister of Spain and I’m telling her that  our position hasn’t changed at all. ”   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:49:49+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/05/spain-us-israel-war-iran-white-house-trade-evacuations-latest-news",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c777b7847d43",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Italy plans air defence aid to Gulf following expansion of Israeli-US war",
    "body_text": "Italy plans air defence aid to Gulf following expansion of Israeli-US war \n \n \n \n \n Italy plans to provide air defence support to Gulf countries as a result of the ongoing Israeli-US war on the Iran, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said. \n Speaking to RTL 102.5 on Thursday, Meloni said Rome would join other European powers in assisting regional partners. \n \"Like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Italy intends to send assistance to Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defence and in particular air defence,\" she said. \n The prime minister also addressed questions about the potential use of US military bases located on Italian territory. \n If Washington sought broader access for military operations, she said the Italian government would review the request but any decision would involve parliament. \n \"As of today, however, we have received no such requests,\" she said. \"We are not at war and we do not want to enter a war.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:49:58+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/italy-plans-air-defence-aid-gulf-following-expansion-israeli-us-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ccad6324c223",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Where are Iran’s allies? Why Moscow, Beijing are keeping their distance",
    "body_text": "Russia and China have condemned the US-Israeli attack on Iran but stopped short of offering military support.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T08:58:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/5/where-are-irans-allies-why-moscow-beijing-are-keeping-their-distance?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1a762630309d",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Where are Iran’s allies? Why Moscow, Beijing are keeping their distance - Al Jazeera",
    "body_text": "Where are Iran’s allies? Why Moscow, Beijing are keeping their distance    Al Jazeera",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:01:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQaUEzZ0JXdzdhUDBud3VyZ19xQWRDdVhVQVZ3SGxXM3RON2JidFVGRURFN2dCUjYwOUhXVUJlemlmemNlREhLNG5kSFlscWpUVTE2TGt6OUEwek4xS253YlcxMEEzNFAybnFjZFFiSnMwQ1dpY1lSYlRGT1drXzIxVS10TzhCT1pNVEc5azRvb0YyYjY2OFRsV2lGN2h0TE5FOHJQYnRINkszcFlzT1BNX2RR0gG3AUFVX3lxTE1mcWYzMEw3LVQzU0tVOG9rOEdpRWgzcWEwYzgzN0oxa1Uzdmlqd1JHQmlPV3huMGlEN3gyR3hvalUyOXd3RDM1eXlxZWR2aVhwMkNjaUFvVEFpczFxWU9UcE5VbkNfNFBVeTNiMHVKblpmM2w0SkxETm5Pd3FVbFRLbXk4RFNWRTJjT0NxYUVNVkY1RTlCbTZZaUVYc0NBVFhIaG1HT0VRMmlEMTU3SVphNDJFLTlqbw?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ea0b044c03e9",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Turkey says PJAK militants threaten Iran and regional stability",
    "body_text": "Turkey says PJAK militants threaten Iran and regional stability \n \n \n \n Turkey says it is closely monitoring the activities of the Kurdish militant group PJAK, warning that its operations risk undermining Iran’s security and wider regional stability. \n Officials in Ankara made the remarks on Thursday amid reports that Iranian Kurdish armed groups have held discussions with the United States about the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. \n According to sources cited earlier this week, Iranian Kurdish militias have consulted with Washington on whether - and how - they might target Iranian security forces in the country’s western regions, Reuters reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:05:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/turkey-says-pjak-militants-threaten-iran-and-regional-stability",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d20e9b6dac4d",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Canada PM unable to rule out military involvement in Iran war",
    "body_text": "Mark Carney said he wants de-escalation of the Iran attacks but said he couldn’t rule out military participation.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:15:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/canada-pm-unable-to-rule-out-military-involvement-in-iran-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_9deef4d6f666",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Pentagon prepares for Israeli-US war on Iran that could last 'until September'",
    "body_text": "Pentagon prepares for Israeli-US war on Iran that could last 'until September' \n \n \n \n The Pentagon is rushing to expand intelligence operations as Washington prepares for a prolonged war on  Iran  launched alongside  Israel , with military planning now stretching well into the autumn. \n A report by the US outlet Politico on Wednesday revealed that  US  Central Command has asked the Pentagon to deploy additional military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida. \n The reinforcements would support operations against Iran for at least 100 days and potentially until September. \n The request marks the first known move by the Trump administration to increase intelligence personnel for the war and signals that Washington is preparing for a far longer campaign than initially presented to the public. \n Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump suggested the military campaign might last four to five weeks but warned it could “go far longer than that”. \n Read more:  Pentago",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:18:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/pentagon-prepares-israeli-us-war-iran-could-last-until-september",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_275f6ab849af",
    "source_name": "Bloomberg",
    "title": "The Iran War in Five Charts - Bloomberg",
    "body_text": "The Iran War in Five Charts    Bloomberg",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:19:34+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxPTFQycF9WdjQ3ZnFtTHlkYzVQSlpfNW1meWJNX3NuNU55blFLUEtGeHUwbWhrRE55enpUc2Z0OFoxS2Jmd0QxcS1GOVh2TzREQVJsbzBhUjhGRnZidDlvR3Q2azZrWE8wQV9VN1gzZnIweVVrM2ZWa2RmWUt1TGREWHVKN1lYT1RaSEFXZEE4M2pEY2JEdkJ3MjRoNFZwR2JHbC1sTklGbjMxUG00VHA4TWRiZjZUVHdX?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_75aec0620d9c",
    "source_name": "Google News",
    "title": "Israel Begins ‘Broad Wave of Strikes’ on Iran’s Infrastructure - The New York Times",
    "body_text": "Israel Begins ‘Broad Wave of Strikes’ on Iran’s Infrastructure    The New York Times",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:28:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFBVV95cUxNaFM1X0dITWZ2b2lSOEluZjVabjJnOVA0dmM3VmNWbTFpbFp4TnFOQ1huOWxSeWNZMHlWaTBYakFwX0psTkJJVEo2M3M4X3NudmJQLUdKTFhLa1ZUd2wzOXE5Zl80NDlBX2dGcHVTR1NCOGdlckQ0R0xFQmxZZS11NQ?oc=5",
    "body_has_extra_info": false
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b88a72025a0c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Turkey says it is closely following actions of Iranian Kurdish PJAK militant group",
    "body_text": "ANKARA, March 5 (Reuters) - Turkey said on Thursday that it was closely following the actions of the Iranian Kurdish PJAK militant group, which it said threatened Iran's security and regional stability, amid reports of discussions between Iranian Kurdish militias and Washington about the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. On Tuesday, sources told Reuters that the Iranian Kurdish groups had consulted with the U.S. about whether, and how, to attack Iran's security forces in the western part of the country.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:36:39+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/turkey-says-it-closely-following-actions-iranian-kurdish-pjak-militant-group",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_4b2e236cbb91",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Explosions rock skies over Doha as air defences intercept missiles",
    "body_text": "Explosions rock skies over Doha as air defences intercept missiles \n \n \n \n \n Multiple explosions are being heard across the skies above Qatar’s capital, Doha, as air defence systems respond to an apparent missile attack. \n Blasts have continued to echo over the city, with repeated detonations reported closer to central districts. \n The Qatar Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems are intercepting incoming missiles. \n The ministry confirmed that defensive systems are actively engaging the attack as explosions continue to be heard across the capital.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T09:45:44+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/explosions-rock-skies-over-doha-air-defences-intercept-missiles",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c246e2531f0e",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "The future of war? US-Israel blitz on Iran unveils next-gen allied combat",
    "body_text": "Operation Roaring Lion sees Israeli jets strike Iranian missile sites as U.S.–Israel alliance reportedly achieves unprecedented military coordination.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T10:00:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/future-war-us-israel-blitz-iran-unveils-next-gen-allied-combat",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c2dcbca14718",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Oil price continues to rise amid Middle East crisis but stock markets rebound across Asia",
    "body_text": "Reports of attack on US registered tanker in Gulf lifts crude by 3% to $84 a barrel as gas price also starts to climb Business live – latest updates Middle East crisis – live updates Stock markets have rebounded in Asia after days of heavy losses driven by the  war in the Middle East , but oil and gas prices have continued to climb amid disruption to supplies. South Korea’s KOSPI, which posted its biggest ever fall on Tuesday of 12%, rose by almost 10% on Thursday, while Japan’s Nikkei climbed by 1.9%. MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan jumped by 2.7%.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T10:01:13+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/05/oil-price-continues-to-rise-amid-middle-east-crisis-but-stock-markets-rebound-across-asia",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_26ee8e167de5",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran denies its drones hit airport in Azerbaijan’s exclave as war widens",
    "body_text": "Azeri president seeks Iran's apology for the drone attack in Nakhchivan, but Tehran denies role in the incident.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T10:22:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/iranian-drones-hit-airport-in-azerbaijans-exclave-as-us-israel-war-widens?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c4bbb8b963d6",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran drone attack at Azerbaijan airport",
    "body_text": "Eyewitness videos from an airport in Azerbaijan captured the moment of a suspected Iranian drone attack.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T10:41:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/iran-drone-attack-at-azerbaijan-airport?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d219a2ca6c98",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "In a Trump war, with great power comes no responsibility | Jamil Smith",
    "body_text": "When presidents ask the country to support a war, honesty is not optional The bombs fell in our name before any of us knew. Then the president saw fit to inform us. Legal scholars and politicians alike began debating whether they were constitutional. Markets responded within hours. Cities across the United States moved to heightened alert amid fears of retaliation.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T11:00:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/05/trump-iran-war-responsibility",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a686b3a8ea68",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘Everyone’s calling’: demand for private jets from UK firm soars by up to 300% amid Iran war",
    "body_text": "Insider says demand is far outstripping supply and calls for creation of air bridges to evacuate people from Middle East Middle East crisis live – latest updates Planes are always urgently sought out when a crisis strikes somewhere in the world. Since the US-Israel war against Iran started on Saturday, demand has outstripped supply with thousands of people stranded in the Middle East frantically searching for an exit route. While many are reliant on governments to dispatch aircraft to evacuate them, those with the financial means can look at a more expensive and much speedier option –  a private jet . Matt Purton, the director of aviation services at UK-based global company Air Charter Service, is the man some of them have on speed dial.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T11:00:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/demand-private-jets-iran-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1cfce7c7f695",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Hezbollah’s risky return to the battlefield",
    "body_text": "The US-Israel attack on Iran and mounting pressure inside Lebanon have pushed the group into a strategic gamble.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T11:10:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/3/5/hezbollahs-risky-return-to-the-battlefield?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ce11c44fb9f6",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "A long and troubled trail: Qatar’s IRGC cell arrests strain Iran relations",
    "body_text": "Arrests will cause deep rift in Iran's relationship with Qatar, one of its closest interlocutors in Gulf, analysts say.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T11:21:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/5/a-long-and-troubled-trail-qatars-irgc-cell-arrests-strain-iran-relations?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8ebe1611c075",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Sri Lanka trying to ‘safeguard lives’ on second Iran ship after US attack",
    "body_text": "Second warship is heading to same area where a US submarine destroyed an Iranian frigate, killings dozens of sailors.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T11:21:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/sri-lanka-trying-to-safeguard-lives-on-second-iran-ship-after-us-attack?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e539cf22d2a9",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "How will the Middle East conflict affect global energy prices?",
    "body_text": "Energy supplies in the Middle East are being choked off as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran escalates.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T11:22:29+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/counting-the-cost/2026/3/5/how-will-the-middle-east-conflict-affect-global-energy-prices?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_947624658650",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘It’s up to the United States Congress, not any president, to declare war’",
    "body_text": "'It's up to the United States Congress, not any president, to declare war’\nNiall Stanage, White House Columnist for The Hill, discusses where the powers lie after the US Senate failed to pass a resolution to limit Trump’s military powers over US war on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T11:29:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/quotable/2026/3/5/its-up-to-the-united-states-congress-not-any-president-to-declare?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true,
    "fulltext_fetched": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_764a91f52d0e",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "The US-Israel relationship is finally facing a reckoning. It doesn't need to slide into antisemitism | Joel Swanson",
    "body_text": "Israel’s role in drawing the US into a war on Iran is attracting healthy scrutiny. It’s also creating a permission structure for antisemitism The joint US-Israel military  strikes on Iran  have forced a reckoning that American political culture has been approaching for years, but has perhaps never had to face as head-on as it does right now. It is a reckoning that contains two urgent, legitimate, and partially contradictory imperatives – and neither should be abandoned. Let us start with one simple truth. Israel’s role in drawing the United States into military action against Iran warrants serious scrutiny. Whatever one believes about the strategic logic of the strikes, the process by which the United States came to participate in them raises profound questions about the relationship between the two countries. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has  claimed  that the US struck Iran partly because it knew Israel was going to act unilaterally and feared the blowback. In other words,",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T12:00:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/05/us-israel-iran-antisemitism",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ed23abff37e7",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran, The US, and the World Cup",
    "body_text": "The 2026 World Cup is nearly here, but Iran’s spot in the tournament may be in doubt. Can sport ever be neutral?",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T12:00:37+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/game-theory/2026/3/5/aje-onl-iran-wc_v5-050326?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_caeced723963",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iranians get by as US, Israeli bombs rain down, internet blocked",
    "body_text": "Officials say some water, electricity facilities damaged amid US-Israel bombing, but no widespread outages reported yet.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T12:22:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/iranians-get-by-as-us-israeli-bombs-rain-down-internet-blocked?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e0d2f9512e24",
    "source_name": "BBC",
    "title": "Timelapse shows change in the flow of ships in the Strait of Hormuz",
    "body_text": "A timelapse of marine traffic shows the flow of ships has decreased in the Strait of Hormuz.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T12:38:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cze004wywz3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_99cef8cc53c2",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Gaza flotilla activists confronted by Tunisian police",
    "body_text": "Global Sumud Flotilla activists say they were beaten by Tunisian police after being blocked from Sidi Bou Said port.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T12:39:56+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/gaza-flotilla-activists-confronted-by-tunisian-police?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8a73ddcebc9b",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Video shows IDF F-35I ‘Adir’ shooting down Iranian fighter jet over Tehran",
    "body_text": "The Israel Defense Forces released video of an F-35I “Adir\" stealth jet downing an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran, calling it a historic first for the aircraft.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T12:50:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/video-shows-idf-f-35i-adir-shooting-down-iranian-fighter-jet-over-tehran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_bbf948b4aaf4",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Will the US benefit from the oil crisis sparked by the war on Iran?",
    "body_text": "Attacks on energy sites in the Gulf and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz give Western exporters a chance to profit.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T12:59:04+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/will-the-us-benefit-from-the-oil-crisis-sparked-by-the-war-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_be9c33106fa3",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Aftermath video shows damage to buildings as US-Israeli strikes intensify across Iran – video",
    "body_text": "US-Israeli strikes have continued to hit Iran, leaving a second police station in rubble and damaging residential buildings in Tehran. Intense waves of airstrikes have also hit dozens of military positions, frontier posts and police stations along northern parts of Iran’s border with  Iraq  in what appears to be preparation by the US and Israel for a new front in their war Middle East crisis: latest updates Airstrikes hit Iran-Iraq border as US and Israeli plan to mobilise Kurds gathers pace   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:03:55+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/mar/05/residential-buildings-damaged-us-israeli-strikes-iran-video",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cb1cf960e50c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Barrage of Iranian missiles target Qatar",
    "body_text": "A wave of loud missile explosions was heard over the skies of Doha on Thursday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:09:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/barrage-of-iranian-missiles-target-qatar?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e99b4adf5afb",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "'Dahiyeh will look like Khan Younis': Israel orders Lebanese to leave Beirut suburbs",
    "body_text": "'Dahiyeh will look like Khan Younis': Israel orders Lebanese to leave Beirut suburbs \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n MEE staff \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 13:03 \n \n \n \n \n At least 102 people have been killed since Israel renewed its assault on the country on Monday, the health ministry is reporting \n \n \n \n \n Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 5, 2026 (REUTERS/Claudia Greco) \n Off \n Israel' s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, \"will look like Khan Younis,\" after the military instructed its tens of thousands of residents to leave immediately or risk being attacked. \n \"Two years ago we evacuated the residents of the north. Today we issued evacuation notices to the residents of southern Lebanon and the Dahiyeh district, while on the Israeli side the communities are returning to flourish and thrive",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:10:38+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/lebanon-israel-orders-everyone-beiruts-dahiyeh-leave",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f070d939fd4b",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Finalissima, F1 races: Middle East conflict disrupts global sports events",
    "body_text": "With tournaments postponed and players stranded away from home, major sport events have been struck by crisis and chaos.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:12:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/3/5/finalissima-f1-races-middle-east-conflict-disrupts-global-sports-events?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2b23999bbe56",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Western diplomats urged to seek shelter in Riyadh",
    "body_text": "Western diplomats urged to seek shelter in Riyadh  \n \n \n \n Western diplomats in Riyadh  were urged to seek shelter on Thursday, diplomats told AFP. \n Speaking on condition of anonymity, they told the news agency they had received messages from their embassies asking them to seek shelter. \n Another witness told AFP that the diplomatic quarter of the Saudi capital had been sealed off by security forces.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:16:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/western-diplomats-urged-seek-shelter-riyadh",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b3ce146fa633",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel orders everyone in Beirut's Dahiyeh to leave",
    "body_text": "Israel orders everyone in Beirut's Dahiyeh to leave \n \n \n \n The Israeli army has ordered all Lebanese in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, to leave immediately or risk being attacked. \n “You are prohibited from heading south. Any movement south may put your lives at risk,” Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:18:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-orders-everyone-beiruts-dahiyeh-leave",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f0df60c9726e",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Israel puts a target on the back of the rules-based order",
    "body_text": "Israel suggests those seeking to enforce international law on Gaza will meet the fate of a destroyed Iranian warship.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:26:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/3/5/israel-puts-a-target-on-the-back-of-the-rules-based-order?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_8b89a6c6369c",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Missiles fired by US, Israel hit two schools near Tehran: Iranian media",
    "body_text": "The latest attack comes six days after the deadliest single one during the war on Iran, which killed 165 people.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:29:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/missile-attack-hits-two-schools-in-irans-parand-iranian-media?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_12a8e5d8cb30",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "Iran continues firing missiles, drones at neighboring states, with multiple interceptions reported",
    "body_text": "Iran launches a new wave of attacks targeting Israel, U.S. bases and countries in the region as it continues to retaliate against Operation Epic Fury.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:32:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-continues-firing-missiles-drones-neighboring-states-multiple-interceptions-reported",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6065d4e32ca1",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "While US encourages Kurds to attack Iran, history serves darker warning",
    "body_text": "Kurds weigh Washington's push for a rebellion on Iranian soil against a history of betrayals and pragmatic alliances.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:33:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/5/while-us-encourages-kurds-to-attack-iran-history-serves-darker-warning?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cd1ddc43ec4b",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Turkey 'strongly condemns' drone attacks on Azerbaijan: ministry",
    "body_text": "Turkey 'strongly condemns' drone attacks on Azerbaijan: ministry \n \n \n \n Turkey's foreign ministry on Thursday roundly condemned a series of drone attacks on Azerbaijan which Baku blamed on Iran, calling for such attacks to end \"immediately\".  \n \"We strongly condemn the drone attacks carried out today on Azerbaijan,\" a ministry statement said, adding that such attacks \"increase the risk of the war spreading\" and insisting that they \"must end immediately\". \n Reporting by AFP",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:47:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/turkey-strongly-condemns-drone-attacks-azerbaijan-ministry",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_2a151e873336",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Map shows how big Iran is compared with the 50 US states",
    "body_text": "Iran is roughly the same size as Alaska, 2.5 times the size of Texas and covers about one-sixth of the US land area.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:53:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/map-shows-how-big-iran-is-compared-with-the-50-us-states?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_537f53bd3e81",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Azerbaijani president slams 'act of terror' after four injured in alleged Iran drone strike",
    "body_text": "Azerbaijani president slams 'act of terror' after four injured in alleged Iran drone strike \n \n \n \n Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev denounced a suspected Iranian drone strike on an airport on Thursday as an \"act of terror\" that left four people injured. \n \"We will not tolerate this unprovoked act of terror and aggression against Azerbaijan. Our Armed Forces have been instructed to prepare and implement appropriate retaliatory measures,\" he told a meeting of his Security Council. \n \"We are ready to demonstrate our strength against any hostile force - and they should not forget this in Iran.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T13:55:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/azerbaijani-president-slams-act-terror-afte-four-injured-alleged-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1911b1f9f42f",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘The scale of war is getting bigger’: joy turns to worry for Iranian Australians cut off from family",
    "body_text": "While many welcomed the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, they now have grave concerns about relatives amid an internet blackout Get our  breaking news email ,  free app  or  daily news podcast In a social media video, Ehsan Hakimi watches Iranians wade through rubble in the neighbourhood of Tehran he grew up in. He sees the aftermath of an airstrike in the residential area of Narmak – where the former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was known to have lived – from the first few days of the US-Israel war on Iran.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:00:03+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/06/iran-war-bombings-cut-off-contact-iranian-australians-ntwnfb",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_69b216f6f7f1",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘There’s no safe place any more’: inside Tehran under attack – photo essay",
    "body_text": "Photojournalist Stefanie Glinski speaks to Iranian photographer Mohammad Mohsenifar, who has been documenting the attacks on the Iranian capital over the past week Middle East crisis – live updates Iranians woke up on Thursday to a new round of explosions in Tehran, on the sixth day of war since the US and Israel launched attacks that have so far killed more than 1,200 people, including the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. The casualties include 168 children who were killed at a school in the southern province of Hormozgan; thousands more people have been injured. People mourn the killing of Ali Khamenei along Enghelab Street in Tehran on Sunday   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:03:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/inside-tehran-under-attack-photo-essay",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_a87543c52902",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘This is a needless war’: Americans share their thoughts on the US-Israel attacks on Iran",
    "body_text": "The Guardian asked US readers about the military action in Iran – their responses were largely disapproving Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox As  hundreds of civilians  and some US service members  have been killed  in the aftermath of the 28 February strike against Iran by the United States and Israel, the Guardian asked readers in the US what their thoughts are on the latest military action in Iran. Their responses were largely disapproving, with some acknowledging that the Iranian regime needed to be toppled, even with a high cost.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:04:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/guardian-readers-us-israel-war-on-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f1d94fa2e76c",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "The war on Iran has ignited rare civil unrest in Bahrain",
    "body_text": "The war on Iran has ignited rare civil unrest in Bahrain \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Rayhan Uddin \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 12:05 \n \n \n \n \n Bahraini authorities are cracking down violently on protesters angry at US role in the state, and detaining people for posting videos of Iranian attacks    \n \n \n \n \n A building burns after an Iranian drone strike in Seef district, Manama, Bahrain on 28 February 2026 (Reuters/Hamad I Mohammed) \n Off \n The  US  and  Israel  have suggested their war could bring about regime change in  Iran . Some are now  joking  that they might have sparked it in  Bahrain , a close western ally, instead.  \n While revolutionary fervour may be far off, tensions in Bahrain are palpable.  \n Hours after the US and Israeli assassination of Ayatollah  Ali Khamenei  was confirmed, protests against the killing of a man who was a Shia spiritual leader as well as Iran’s supreme leader spread across the Gulf island. \n “There were demonstrations in many cities and villages. Th",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:15:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-iran-ignited-civil-unrest-bahrain",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ed84726e69e3",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Which Kurdish groups is the US rallying to fight Iran?",
    "body_text": "US President Donald Trump has spoken to at least three Kurdish groups in Iran and Iraq in recent days.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:17:02+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/which-kurdish-groups-is-the-us-rallying-to-fight?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_fe6777110b28",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "UK embassy says 'temporarily' withdrawing some staff from Bahrain",
    "body_text": "UK embassy says 'temporarily' withdrawing some staff from Bahrain \n \n \n \n The United Kingdom said on Thursday it was \"temporarily\" withdrawing some staff and their dependants from its Bahrain embassy as Iran presses on with its retaliation campaign in the Gulf. \n \"Due to the ongoing security situation, the UK has taken the precautionary step of temporarily withdrawing some Embassy staff\" and their families, it said in a statement on Instagram. \n \"Our Embassy continues to operate,\" it said, adding that \"the situation is serious and we do not expect it to end in the coming days\". \n Reporting by AFP",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:25:54+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/uk-embassy-says-temporarily-withdrawing-some-staff-bahrain",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_eaa9664eed76",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "More than 20,000 Israelis return since start of Iran war, ministry says",
    "body_text": "By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM, March 5 (Reuters) - More than 20,000 Israelis have returned to the country since the start of the Iran air war that began on Saturday, the Transportation Ministry said on Thursday, adding that about 120,000 more Israelis currently abroad are seeking to come home. Israel began to open its airspace on Thursday and allowed a handful of flights to land at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/more-20000-israelis-return-start-iran-war-ministry-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c9b51106f5e6",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Four medics killed in Iran, ambulances damaged, WHO says",
    "body_text": "(Clarifies Iranian ambassador's title) GENEVA, March 5 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization chief said on Thursday that it has verified 13 attacks on health infrastructure in Iran amid a U.S.-Israeli campaign, killing four health care workers and injuring 25 others. \"WHO has verified 13 attacks on health care in Iran and one in Lebanon,\" World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference, without attributing blame.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/four-medics-killed-iran-ambulances-damaged-who-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_f8c576acbaa0",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "As Iran conflict rages, Pope Leo asks God to help leaders renounce war",
    "body_text": "By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY, March 5 (Reuters) - Pope Leo released a video on Thursday praying that God would help world leaders renounce war as a means of resolving conflicts in an unusual appeal as the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran pressed on for the sixth day. \"Lord, enlighten the leaders of the nations, so they may have the courage to abandon projects of death,\" the pontiff said in the video message. \"Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy,\" he said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-conflict-rages-pope-leo-asks-god-help-leaders-renounce-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_18e2085fa002",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Greek seafarers strike over crews stranded in the Gulf by Iran war",
    "body_text": "PIRAEUS, Greece, March 5 (Reuters) - Greek seafarers began a 24-hour strike on Thursday, halting local ferry services, as they protested over vessel crews stranded in the Gulf amid the escalating Middle East war, and demanded the area is declared a war risk zone to enable their repatriation.   The Iran conflict threatens Gulf ports and has already disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery accounting ​for about 20% of global oil and gas supply. Although the Strait is not shut, Iran has warned that it will fire on ⁠any ship trying to pass through.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/greek-seafarers-strike-over-crews-stranded-gulf-iran-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_06a01d08db8d",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Azerbaijan accuses Iran of ‘terrorist’ drone attack on airport that injured four people",
    "body_text": "Tehran denies responsibility but strike raises prospect of US-Israel war on Iran spreading beyond Middle East Middle East crisis – live updates Azerbaijan has accused Iran of a “terrorist” drone attack that struck an airport and injured four civilians, raising concerns the conflict could spread beyond the Middle East. Azerbaijan’s defence ministry said Iran fired four drones at the country, one of which hit the terminal building at the only airport in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran. A second drone fell close to a school in a nearby village, the ministry said.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:47:41+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/azerbaijan-accuses-iran-drone-attack-airport-injured-people",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_c832dc1df659",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel's propaganda directorate being sued by unpaid activists claiming millions",
    "body_text": "Israel's propaganda directorate being sued by unpaid activists claiming millions \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Nadav Rapaport \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 13:48 \n \n \n \n \n Former Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy is not part of the lawsuit - but says he is owed money by Israel's public diplomacy directorate \n \n \n \n \n Former Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy, pictured in 2024, is one of a number of influencers who say they are owed money by Israel's Hasbara directorate (AFP) \n Off \n Former employees of  Israel ’s national public diplomacy directorate, which oversees Israeli propaganda, are demanding millions of shekels for unpaid work carried out since October 2023,  according  to Israeli daily Calcalist.  \n Known by its Hebrew name, Hasbara, the national public diplomacy directorate is being sued by companies and contractors who provided their services in the first months of Israel’s  genocide in Gaza , which followed the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023. \n Two private companies, which prov",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:53:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israels-hasbara-directorate-being-sued-unpaid-activists-claiming-millions",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b49a49d88651",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Iran women’s football team salute, sing national anthem in Asian Cup match",
    "body_text": "Players chose to sing the anthem before their game against Australia, in contrast to their silence during the previous tie.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T14:56:43+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/3/5/iran-womens-football-team-salute-sing-national-anthem-in-asian-cup-match?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e92a06ec959c",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "US House set to reject bid to curb Trump's Iran war powers",
    "body_text": "The US House of Representatives was expected Thursday to reject an effort to curb Donald Trump's authority to wage war against Iran, as the president faces fierce criticism over launching the conflict without seeking approval from Congress. Lawmakers are due to vote on a bipartisan resolution led by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna that would require Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations against Tehran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:00:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/us-house-set-reject-bid-curb-trumps-iran-war-powers",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0a15cd254f8a",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Israel orders residents to leave southern Beirut",
    "body_text": "BEIRUT, March 5 (Reuters) - Israel warned residents to leave Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs on Thursday, sparking panic as people fled a swathe of the Lebanese capital on the fourth day of full-scale hostilities between the Iran-backed group and Israel. An Israeli military spokesperson, in a post on X, ordered residents of the southern suburbs to move east and north, posting a map showing four sprawling districts of the capital he said they must leave, part of the area is adjacent to Beirut airport.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:01:46+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/israel-orders-residents-leave-southern-beirut",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ac97e34d9639",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "HSBC, Nationwide and Coventry raise rates on fixed mortgages amid Middle East crisis",
    "body_text": "Experts say Iran war could cause energy price shock that pushes up UK inflation, in turn forcing up interest rates HSBC, Nationwide and Coventry building societies are the first big UK lenders to announce an increase in rates on their fixed mortgage deals as a result of the Middle East crisis, with brokers predicting others are likely to follow. Experts have said the war  could trigger an energy price shock  that pushes up UK inflation, which may in turn force the Bank of England  to increase interest rates .   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:01:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/mar/05/hsbc-coventry-raise-rates-fixed-mortgages-iran-middle-east-crisis",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_900edac7e1c2",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "After Israel's ultimatum, Lebanon orders arrest of Iran IRGC members",
    "body_text": "The Lebanese government has instructed military and security agencies to arrest IRGC members in Lebanon, after Iranian-backed Hezbollah joined the conflict between Iran on the one hand and the US and Israel on the other, by launching attacks against Israel.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:02:28+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/after-israels-ultimatum-lebanon-orders-arrest-iran-irgc-members",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_32ad7a0cacce",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "‘Our children were sold off’: The South Africans sent to fight Russia’s war",
    "body_text": "Men 'lured' into fighting in the Ukraine war say Africans were subjected to worse treatment on the front lines.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:13:59+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/5/our-children-were-sold-off-the-south-africans-sent-to-fight-russias-war?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_913c5c1c61ee",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Videos show destruction after US and Israeli strikes on Iran",
    "body_text": "New videos show destruction across Iran after US and Israeli air strikes.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:14:30+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/5/videos-show-destruction-after-us-and-israeli-strikes-on-iran?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_251fdb084af0",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Wary Europeans pledge 'defensive' military aid in Mideast war",
    "body_text": "Wary of getting directly involved in the US-Israeli war with Iran, European countries are nevertheless being drawn into the conflict following attacks on Cyprus and Western allies in the Gulf. While underlining their \"defensive\" aims, several European countries have now pledged military assistance to EU member Cyprus as the Middle East conflict intensifies and widens. Some are also allowing the US military to use their bases under certain conditions, such as not using them to launch bombing raids.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:30:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/wary-europeans-pledge-defensive-military-aid-mideast-war",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_05b737c4c21b",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Iran warns people who dare defy internet blackout",
    "body_text": "Iranian authorities were issuing warnings to people connecting to the internet in defiance of a communications blackout that had left the Islamic republic largely cut off from the outside world, witnesses told AFP on Thursday. Iran's internet connectivity was currently running at \"around 1 percent of ordinary levels\", monitor group Netblocks said on Thursday, leaving most Iranians struggling to access basic information, navigation tools or communication apps.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:30:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/iran-warns-people-who-dare-defy-internet-blackout",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_1861262758a0",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Lebanon says death toll from Israeli strikes up to 102",
    "body_text": "Lebanon says death toll from Israeli strikes up to 102 \n \n \n \n Lebanon says the number of people killed in Israeli air strikes Monday has risen to 102. \n The health ministry also said 638 had been wounded in the attacks.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:42:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/lebanon-says-death-toll-israeli-strikes-102",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_510fc65bd746",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Pakistani man on trial in Brooklyn for Trump assassination plot says he was recruited by Iran",
    "body_text": "Asif Merchant testified that Revolutionary Guard coerced him into scheme by threatening his family in Tehran A Pakistani businessman accused of plotting to kill  Donald Trump  told a federal jury on Wednesday that he was coerced into the scheme by  Iran ’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, which he said had threatened his family to secure his participation. Asif Merchant, 47, took the unusual step of testifying in his own defense at  Brooklyn  federal court, where he faces terrorism and murder-for-hire charges. Speaking through an Urdu translator, he told jurors he went along with the plot only out of fear for his wife and adopted daughter in Tehran.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:43:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/05/pakistani-man-trial-trump-assassination-plot-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6d8e10d78485",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "EU leaders express solidarity with Gulf countries amid Iranian attacks",
    "body_text": "EU and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders condemn 'unjustifiable Iranian attacks' across region after talks in Brussels.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:53:50+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/eu-leaders-express-solidarity-with-gulf-countries-amid-iranian-attacks?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_021679aca941",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Keir Starmer says UK sending more fighter jets to Middle East – video",
    "body_text": "The UK is sending four additional Typhoon jets to Qatar, while Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities are being sent to Cyprus, the British prime minister has said.   Keir Starmer said the US had been allowed to use British airfields to carry out defensive missions and that HMS Dragon was heading for the Mediterranean UK politics live – latest updates   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T15:58:00+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2026/mar/05/keir-starmer-uk-sending-fighter-jets-middle-east-us-israel-iran-conflict-video",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_28c0494ce53a",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iran’s internet blackout could worsen human toll of war, say rights groups",
    "body_text": "Experts say government’s shutdown means civilians are not seeing evacuation warnings before bombs hit Middle East crisis – live updates As US and Israeli bombs continue to rain down on Iran, civilians are enduring the bombardment in the dark – cut off from comprehensive information about where strikes have happened, which medical facilities are affected and where new rounds of bombings are about to occur. As state media broadcasts limited or contradictory information about airstrikes, and evacuation orders from the attacking countries remain invisible to most civilians, the internet shutdown risks worsening the human toll of the war, human rights groups say.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:00:10+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/05/iran-internet-blackout-human-toll-war-rights-groups",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d39f49134769",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iranian government says 1,230 people killed in US-Israeli strikes",
    "body_text": "Iranian government says 1,230 people killed in US-Israeli strikes \n \n \n \n The Iranian government said that 1,230 people have been killed in US-Israeli air strikes since Saturday. \n The Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs announced in a statement that the attacks by the \"criminal America and the usurping Zionist regime\" had killed 1,230 \"martyrs.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:05:05+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iranian-government-says-1230-people-killed-us-israeli-strikes",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_ee0721d5cc2c",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Senators demand investigation after ninth American killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in West Bank",
    "body_text": "Lawmakers cite ‘consistent pattern’ in which Americans are being killed ‘without justice or accountability’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox More than 30 US senators have signed  a letter  demanding that the  Trump administration  open an independent investigation into the February killing of a 19-year-old American in the occupied  West Bank , the ninth US citizen killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers since 2022. The letter, led by the senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and addressed to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio; the US attorney general, Pam Bondi; and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, asks for a US-led investigation and a full accounting of where all nine cases stand, and for the administration to brief  Congress  on the killing by 5 April. None of the cases have resulted in a criminal conviction.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:13:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/investigation-americans-killed-israeli-settlers-soldiers-west-bank",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_65ea4094a805",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Iranian ship asks to dock in Sri Lankan port after US sinking of frigate",
    "body_text": "Urgent request submitted by vessel after US submarine sank Iranian warship in  same area with torpedo on Tuesday Middle East crisis – live updates A second Iranian ship has been reported in waters close to Sri Lanka and has sought emergency permission to dock, a day after a US submarine sank an Iranian frigate, killing more than 80 people onboard. The Sri Lankan minister Nalinda Jayatissa told parliament that another Iranian vessel was sailing close to Sri Lanka’s territorial waters on Thursday morning. “We are making necessary interventions to resolve this issue, restrict the threat to lives and to ensure regional security,” said Jayatissa.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:28:11+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/iran-ship-sri-lanka-port-after-us-sinking-of-frigate",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_e1902f74fbe1",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Families of Iranian political prisoners fearful of bombs, illness and secret executions",
    "body_text": "Families of Iranian political prisoners fearful of bombs, illness and secret executions \n \n \n \n As  Israeli  and  US  bombs continue to  pummel  Iran , the friends and families of political prisoners in the Islamic Republic have grown increasingly fearful for their safety. \n There have been reports of bombs falling around the many facilities housing political prisoners,  including  the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, which are often close to military installations and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) bases. \n On top of the damage caused by the air strikes and the consequent depletion of food, water and healthcare for prisoners, some are also concerned about what the authorities might do to their jailed relatives under the fog of war. \n Families of Iranian political prisoners fearful of bombs, illness and secret executions \n \n \n   \n \n A demonstrator holds a placard reading \"free the political prisoners in Iran\" prior to a march denouncing Tehran's deadly crackdown on anti-gove",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:28:21+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/families-iranian-political-prisoners-fearful-bombs-illness-and-secret",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_38839a158cf7",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Middle East war halts work at WHO's Dubai emergency hub",
    "body_text": "The Middle East war has forced the World Health Organization to suspend operations at its global emergency logistics hub in Dubai, the UN agency's chief said Thursday. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the impact of the conflict, sparked by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran on Saturday, \"goes beyond the immediately affected countries\". \"Operations at WHO's logistics hub for global health emergencies in Dubai are currently on hold due to insecurity,\" he told a press conference.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:30:40+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/middle-east-war-halts-work-whos-dubai-emergency-hub",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_37558fc93f4e",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Afternoon recap",
    "body_text": "Afternoon recap \n \n \n \n Good afternoon Middle East Eye readers. \n The US and Israel are continuing their strikes against Iran, while the war has increasingly spilled out into other countries in the region. \n Here's a round-up of all the latest: \n \n \n Iranian government says 1,230 people killed in US-Israeli strikes since Saturday \n \n \n Lebanon says death toll from Israeli strikes up to 102 \n \n \n Azerbaijani president vows response after four injured in alleged Iran drone strike \n \n \n Israel orders everyone in Beirut's Dahiyeh suburb to leave or risk attack \n \n \n Iran says Israeli and US attacks have struck multiple civilian and medical facilities since the conflict began.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:34:06+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/afternoon-recap-4",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_0f82bd380013",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Exclusive-NATO's Rutte 'not deaf' to criticism of his Trump praise, offers more",
    "body_text": "By Andrew Gray BRUSSELS, March 5 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday he was \"not deaf\" to criticism that he goes overboard in praising Donald Trump but argued the U.S. president deserved it. However, in an interview with Reuters, Rutte also offered praise for Spain - a target of Trump's ire for refusing to allow U.S. military bases on its soil to be used in the American-Israeli assault on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/exclusive-natos-rutte-not-deaf-criticism-his-trump-praise-offers-more",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_aa2b5c4f080f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Anti-war protester injured in Capitol Hill struggle with US Senator Sheehy",
    "body_text": "By Katharine Jackson WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - A man protesting the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran was injured in a struggle with U.S. Capitol Police and Republican Senator Tim Sheehy on Wednesday. The man, Brian McGinnis, a former Marine who is a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, interrupted a Senate Armed Services hearing shouting \"Israel is the reason for this war, America does not want to fight for Israel.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/anti-war-protester-injured-capitol-hill-struggle-us-senator-sheehy",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_51eeee38f753",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Trump says he needs to be involved in selecting Iran's next leader, Axios reports",
    "body_text": "March 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday that he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader. \"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,\" Axios quoted Trump as saying in an interview. \"I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy (Rodriguez) in Venezuela,\" Trump said.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/trump-says-he-needs-be-involved-selecting-irans-next-leader-axios-reports",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_af33e472479f",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Seafarers can refuse to sail through Mideast Gulf region, main union says",
    "body_text": "LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - Seafarers have the right to refuse to sail on ships passing through the Middle East Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, after the threat level for the region was raised to its highest level, the leading labour union and shipping industry groups said on Thursday. Around 300 ships are anchored on both sides of the Strait while the U.S.-led war against Iran escalates. Since February 28, nine ships have been damaged and at least one seafarer has been killed.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:36:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/seafarers-can-refuse-sail-through-mideast-gulf-region-main-union-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_256770c94d3d",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israelis celebrate Purim with biblical comparisons as Iran war spirals",
    "body_text": "Israelis celebrate Purim with biblical comparisons as Iran war spirals \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Nadav Rapaport \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 15:38 \n \n \n \n \n Palestinian bus driver attacked in Jerusalem as holiday celebrations linked to story of the Persian empire \n \n \n \n \n Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people celebrate Purim in Jerusalem, 4 March 2026 (Amir Cohen/Reuters) \n Off \n As  Israeli  and  US  attacks on  Iran  intensify and the conflict spreads across the Middle East, Israelis celebrated Purim this week by drawing parallels with the holiday's story, which tells of the attempt to wipe out the Jews of the Persian empire. \n Thousands of Israelis  ignored  police and military restrictions on public gatherings to dress up in costumes and celebrate on the streets of Jerusalem on Tuesday and Wednesday. \n Avner Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s youngest son, was seen celebrating in Jerusalem on Wednesday, escorted by his bodyguards. \n On the same day, a  Palestinian  bu",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:38:15+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israelis-celebrate-purim-biblical-comparisons-iran-war-spirals",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5d60c3ed6b9a",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Exclusive: Iranian authorities prepare for civil war scenario",
    "body_text": "Exclusive: Iranian authorities prepare for civil war scenario \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n MEE correspondent \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 14:59 \n \n \n \n \n The establishment is preparing for inter-Iranian fighting and separatist unrest as US and Israel target municipalities, police stations and civil service centres, sources say \n \n \n \n \n People pray following a strike on a police station in Tehran, Iran, on 4 March 2026 (Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters) \n On \n As  Israeli  and  US  attacks on  Iran  continue, Iranian political and military leaders are preparing for the possibility of a civil war, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. \n Two sources within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that after the end of the 12-day war with Israel and the US in June last year, senior security and military officials concluded that another conflict was likely. \n Since then, they have been preparing for a potential civil war scenario. \n A source inside the IRGC told M",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:38:20+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-iranian-authorities-prepare-civil-war-scenario",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_cf894547958c",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Pentagon releases names of final two soldiers of six killed in Kuwait",
    "body_text": "Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, and Maj Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, were from California and Iowa, respectively The Pentagon has released the names of the final two of the six soldiers who were killed during a recent drone strike in Kuwait. They were killed on Sunday, the day after the  US and Israel launched strikes against Iran . Their names were released by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday. The two soldiers were identified as Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, and Maj Jeffrey O’Brien, 45. They were from Sacramento, California, and Indianola, Iowa, respectively.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:38:31+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/soldiers-killed-kuwait",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_d916d3fb537f",
    "source_name": "Fox News",
    "title": "'Quiet Death': What to know about the American torpedo that sank Iranian warship, killing 87",
    "body_text": "After a U.S. submarine sank Iran’s IRIS Dena with a Mk 48 torpedo, attention turned to the Navy’s primary undersea weapon that first entered operational service in 1972.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:42:14+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.foxnews.com/world/quiet-death-what-know-about-american-torpedo-sank-iranian-warship-killing-87",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_677017472b97",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "The US and Israel are waging war on an Iran they think they know. The reality is very different | Ali Vaez",
    "body_text": "Is the Islamic Republic a messianic theocracy or a brittle dictatorship? It’s neither – as those attacking it are finding out When the US and Israel  launched coordinated strikes  against Iran on 28 February, the campaign was structured like a textbook air war: destroy defences, degrade retaliatory capabilities and decapitate leadership. Iranian air defences – already battered in last summer’s war – were further dismantled to secure uncontested skies. Missile factories, drone infrastructure and naval assets were hit to erode Iran’s ability to retaliate. And a steady cadence of precision strikes removed senior commanders in what amounted to a sustained attempt to disorient Tehran’s decision-making. From a purely operational perspective, the advantages have been stark. Once skies are open, the war becomes cheaper: plentiful, relatively inexpensive munitions can replace the long-range systems that defended airspace typically demands. Ali Vaez is Iran project director and senior adviser to",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:45:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/05/us-israel-war-iran-islamic-republic-theocracy-dictatorship",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_de1ecad0090b",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Bahrain reports limited damage after facility targeted in oil and industrial town",
    "body_text": "Bahrain reports limited damage after facility targeted in oil and industrial town \n \n \n \n Bahraini officials said that a facility was targeted in Maameer, a town south of the capital that includes oil refinery facilities and factories, but suffered only limited damage. \n The interior ministry said a fire that broke out at the site was brought under control and confirmed that no casualties were reported.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:46:08+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/bahrain-reports-limited-damage-after-facility-targeted-oil-and",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_87d1bdc8a2a7",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Why does Trump want Kurdish fighters to join the war in Iran? – The Latest",
    "body_text": "Intense waves of airstrikes have hit dozens of military positions, frontier posts and police stations along northern parts of Iran’s border with Iraq in what appears to be preparation by the US and Israel for a new front in their war. Iran has warned ‘separatist groups’ in this region against joining the widening conflict and launched strikes against Iraq-based Kurdish groups it described as ‘opposed to the revolution’. Could the involvement of these militant groups increase the risk of a civil war in Iran if the regime collapses? Nosheen Iqbal speaks to deputy head of international news Devika Bhat  –  watch on YouTube   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:50:01+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/mar/05/why-does-trump-want-kurdish-fighters-to-join-the-war-in-iran-the-latest",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_dd6ae6c8c0c0",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Delayed UK rescue flight takes off from Oman with British nationals",
    "body_text": "Keir Starmer describes Middle East evacuation operation as one of the biggest of its kind Middle East crisis – live updates The first charter flight taking British nationals back to the UK from the Middle East has taken off as the prime minister described the ongoing evacuation operation as one of the biggest of its kind.   Keir Starmer announced that the delayed plane from Oman, which was originally scheduled to leave at 7pm on Wednesday, had taken off minutes before he addressed a Downing Street press conference.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T16:57:27+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/05/delayed-uk-rescue-flight-oman-british-nationals",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5335efed2036",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "More flights take off despite continued fighting in Middle East",
    "body_text": "Fewer commercial flights were cancelled Thursday in the Middle East despite continued military strikes, with more than 100 flights taking off from the United Arab Emirates, according to a specialist data firm. The United States and Israel launched a campaign of air strikes against Iran on Saturday, killing its supreme leader and sparking retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the Gulf, with airports also targeted.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:00:23+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/more-flights-take-despite-continued-fighting-middle-east",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_9e6810c99201",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Nearly 25,000 flights cancelled across Middle East since start of war on Iran",
    "body_text": "Nearly 25,000 flights cancelled across Middle East since start of war on Iran \n \n \n \n Nearly 25,000 of the roughly 44,000 flights scheduled to operate in and out of the Middle East between Saturday and Thursday were cancelled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Dubai International Airport, one of the region’s main hubs, saw the highest number of disruptions. \n As some airspace began reopening, the UAE said on Thursday it was resuming a limited number of flights to and from Dubai. \n Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport is also reopening gradually. Tel Aviv-based El Al said it had begun proactively assigning passengers currently abroad to recovery flights back to Israel, though outbound flights remained suspended as of Thursday.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:01:09+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/nearly-25000-flights-cancelled-across-middle-east-start-war-iran",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_b89e1f39e106",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Middle East chaos stems from erosion in international law, EU's Kallas says",
    "body_text": "ZURICH, March 5 (Reuters) - The current turmoil in the Middle East is a direct result of the erosion in international law, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday. In a speech at the University of Zurich, Kallas said the international order has been undermined by major powers acting unilaterally, pointing the finger particularly at Russia, but also directing criticism at China and the United States.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:01:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/middle-east-chaos-stems-erosion-international-law-eus-kallas-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6a86f8d132bc",
    "source_name": "Al-Monitor",
    "title": "Ukraine brings back 200 POWs in latest swap with Russia, Zelenskiy says",
    "body_text": "KYIV, March 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine returned 200 prisoners of war in its latest swap with Russia, including troops captured in Moscow's siege of Mariupol in early 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday. \"Every time our people come home, it proves that Ukraine is working to bring everyone back. No one is forgotten,\" he said on X.  \"We involve mediators. I am grateful to everyone who helps Ukraine. I thank the United States for its support in making this exchange possible.\"",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:01:47+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/ukraine-brings-back-200-pows-latest-swap-russia-zelenskiy-says",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_6c7034ae4364",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Trump demands to choose next Iran supreme leader",
    "body_text": "Trump demands to choose next Iran supreme leader \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n MEE staff \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 16:54 \n \n \n \n \n US president says Mojtaba Khamenei, son of leader killed in US-Israeli strike and frontrunner for office, is a 'lightweight' \n \n \n \n \n Off \n US President Donald Trump has said he must be directly involved in choosing the new ruler of Iran. \n Speaking to the Axios news outlet, he referenced his involvement in kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his negotiations in the aftermath as precedent. \n He also dismissed the idea of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, taking over in Iran. \n \"They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela,\" Trump said. \n More to follow... \n \n War on Iran \n \n   \n   \n   \n   \n \n   \n News \n \n Post Date Override \n 0 \n \n \n Update Date \n Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 \n \n \n \n Update Date Override \n 0",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:01:57+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/trump-choose-new-iran-leader",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_04a6e1230ff3",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran war: 15,000 cruise ship passengers trapped in Gulf waters",
    "body_text": "Iran war: 15,000 cruise ship passengers trapped in Gulf waters \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Peter McNamara \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 16:19 \n \n \n \n \n The near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has left tourists and seafarers stranded as war continues to rage \n \n \n \n \n Cruise ships are seen anchored at the old port of Doha on 4 March 2026 (Karim Jaafar/AFP) \n \n Off \n Thousands of cruise ship passengers remain stranded in the Gulf as a result of the  war  on  Iran . \n The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a  UN -run agency, told AFP on Thursday that around 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise ship passengers were trapped as the conflict has frozen travel. \n \"Beyond the economic impact of these alarming attacks, it is a humanitarian issue. No attack on innocent seafarers is ever justified,\" Arsenio Dominguez, the IMO’s secretary general, said. \n \"I reiterate my call for all  shipping  companies to exercise maximum caution when operating in the affected region,\" he added. \n Th",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:03:22+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-war-15000-cruise-ship-passengers-trapped-gulf-waters",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3464410716b7",
    "source_name": "Al Jazeera",
    "title": "Emotional turmoil grips Iranians watching conflict unfold overseas",
    "body_text": "As conflict engulfs Iran, its diaspora feels anguish, reflecting on memories of home and uncertainty about the future.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:07:24+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/5/emotional-turmoil-grips-iranians-watching-conflict-unfold-overseas?traffic_source=rss",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_3354c4d2e91d",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Israel planned this war on Iran for 40 years. Everything else is a smoke screen",
    "body_text": "Israel planned this war on Iran for 40 years. Everything else is a smoke screen \n \n \n \n \n        Submitted by \n Jonathan Cook \n on \n Thu, 03/05/2026 - 07:22 \n \n \n \n \n The embers of resistance – in Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen - have not been snuffed out. With the attack on Iran, they are being fanned into a fire \n \n \n \n \n Protesters burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu during a rally following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, in Quezon City, Philippines, on 2 March 2026 (Noel Celis/Reuters) \n Off \n It is near impossible to make sense – at least from the justifications on offer – of what  US  President  Donald Trump  really hopes to achieve with his and  Israel 's blatantly illegal  war  of aggression on  Iran . \n Is it to destroy an  Iranian nuclear  weapons programme for which there has never been any tangible evidence, and which Trump claimed just a few months ago to have \"completely and totally obliterated\" in an  earlier lawbreaking attack ? \n Or is it intended",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:14:53+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/israel-planned-war-iran-40-years-everything-else-smoke-screen",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_dc97a0fa58d5",
    "source_name": "Middle East Eye",
    "title": "Iran thanks Saudi Arabia for keeping airspace closed to attacks",
    "body_text": "Iran thanks Saudi Arabia for keeping airspace closed to attacks \n \n \n \n Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati says his country welcomes Riyadh’s pledge not to allow its territory or airspace to be used in the ongoing Israeli-US war on Iran. \n “We appreciate what we have repeatedly heard from Saudi Arabia – that it does not allow its airspace, waters, or territory to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Enayati told AFP. \n Before the war began, Saudi Arabia had backed diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Tehran and Washington and said its airspace would not be used for attacks on Iran.",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:18:16+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-thanks-saudi-arabia-keeping-airspace-closed-attacks",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_5ae5862bf2a7",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "‘Best way forward’ for Iran would be negotiated settlement, says Starmer",
    "body_text": "PM defends decision not to join initial strikes by US and Israel and says UK is doing ‘everything we can’ to de-escalate situation UK politics live – latest updates Middle East crisis – live updates Keir Starmer has said the Iran conflict engulfing the Middle East could continue “for some time” as he urged Donald Trump that the “best way forward” longer term was a negotiated settlement with Tehran. The prime minister said the UK was doing “everything we can” to de-escalate the situation, a clear contrast to the US president who is focused on regime change and has said it was “too late” for the Iranian regime to negotiate.   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:28:26+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/05/best-way-forward-for-iran-would-be-negotiated-settlement-says-starmer",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  },
  {
    "article_id": "art_67952d00a66a",
    "source_name": "The Guardian",
    "title": "Donald Trump says he ‘must be involved’ in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader, reports say – US politics live",
    "body_text": "US president tells Axios Iranians are ‘wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight’; House to vote on war powers after Senate effort fails Senate votes down resolution to prevent Trump from continuing Iran war Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Donald Trump said that he would endorse a candidate in the heated Texas GOP runoff “soon”. This comes as neither the four-term incumbent, senator  John Cornyn , or the state attorney general,  Ken Paxton , received 50% of the votes  in Tuesday’s primary .   Continue reading...",
    "published_at": "2026-03-05T17:28:36+00:00",
    "source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/mar/05/donald-trump-war-powers-latest-news-updates",
    "body_has_extra_info": true
  }
]