OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap · February 26

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"After Elon Musk’s SpaceX shut down access to Starlink satellite-internet terminals for Russian forces earlier this month, Russian troops lost crucial battlefield internet access, causing communication breakdowns and reduced military activity, according to radio transmissions intercepted by the Ukrainian reconnaissance unit. “On the Russian side, we observed on the very day Starlink was shut down that artillery and mortar fire dropped drastically,” a Ukrainian reconnaissance operator said, adding “coordination between their units has also become more difficult since then.” Ibrahim Naber reports for POLITICO.

Trump reiterated to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday that he wants to push for an end to the war as soon as possible, according to a Ukrainian official and two other sources. Trump also told Zelenskyy that he will work on making a trilateral leaders summit happen if the negotiating teams make some progress in early March. Yesterday’s 30-minute call was the first conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy since they met in Davos at the end of January. U.S. envoys Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to meet with Zelenskyy’s negotiating team in Geneva today. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap · February 27

Pakistan gets into it with the Taliban:

"Pakistan bombed Taliban government forces in Afghanistan’s major cities overnight, including its capital Kabul and the city of Kandahar. “Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and [Afghanistan],” Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said this morning. This is the first time that Islamabad has attacked the Taliban directly rather than militants allegedly backed by them. The strikes came hours after Afghan troops had attacked Pakistani border positions late on Thursday to retaliate for Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas on Sunday. Both sides reported heavy losses, issuing sharply differing figures that Reuters could not independently verify. Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Asif Shahzad report; Abdul Qahar Afghan and Munir Ahmed report for the Washington Post; Elian Peltier and Saifullah Padshah report for the New York Times. "

lousubcap · February 27

Friday Middle East update:

"Iran and the United States concluded a six-hour round of negotiations in Geneva yesterday without a diplomatic breakthrough. Iranian officials and Omani mediators said the two sides had agreed to continue talking next week in an effort to avert war. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al Busaidi said on social media that significant progress had taken place, without offering further details. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “More than ever there is seriousness on both sides to reach a deal.” One source said that the U.S. side was “disappointed” by the Iranian position during the morning session. A senior U.S. official said the talks were “positive.” Farnaz Fassihi and David. E. Sanger report for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

With a potential U.S. strike on Iran looming, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee emailed the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem this morning urging staff to leave Israel immediately if they wish, citing an “authorized departure” for nonessential personnel due to safety concerns. Natan Odenheimer and David M. Halbfinger report for the New York Times.

China has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Iran and urged those in the country to evacuate as soon as possible, citing the security situation, state news agency Xinhua reported today. Reuters reports.

President Trump’s claim in his State of the Union address that Iran was “working on missiles that will soon reach” the United States is not backed by U.S. intelligence reports, according to three sources. Two of the sources said there have been no changes to an unclassified 2025 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that Iran could take until 2035 to develop a “militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile” from its existing satellite-lofting space-launch vehicles. Jonathan Landay, Humeyra Pamuk, and Gram Slattery report for Reuters.

Vice President JD Vance told the Washington Post yesterday that there is “no chance” that the United States would be drawn into a prolonged war in the Middle East if Trump authorizes strikes on Iran. While acknowledging that military action in Iran remains possible, Vance said that Trump is being careful to avoid repeating past mistakes like the Iraq War. Natalie Allison reports."

lousubcap · February 27

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian and US officials again met in Geneva on Thursday to discuss post-war reconstruction, even as a deal to end the war remains elusive, the Reuters news agency reported.

Putin’s special economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev said Russian officials also held talks with US officials on Thursday, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Russia said on Thursday it would retaliate against a European Union decision to cut Moscow’s diplomatic representation in Brussels, and that the move showed the EU did not deserve to take part in negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the EU decision to limit the size of the Russian mission to 40 people was “discriminatory” and would not go unanswered.

Zakharova also said that any deployment of British troops in Ukraine would prolong the war and bring an “increase in the risk of a large-scale military confrontation involving many more states”, following a recent newspaper article by British Defence Minister John Healey.

French Ministry of Defence spokesperson Olivia Penichou told reporters that Russia’s accusation that Ukraine was developing a “dirty” nuclear bomb was “baseless”, accusing Russia of using “disinformation to foster a climate of mistrust”.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asked the EU to send a “fact-finding mission” to assess damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine, in a letter seen by Reuters. The request follows after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that repairs to the pipeline that supplies Hungary and Slovakia with oil were taking an extended period of time due to ongoing Russian attacks."

lousubcap · February 27

More on Iran from Politico today: (2/27)

MIXED SIGNALS: Looking for a clear answer on what’s happening with Iran? Good luck.

Trump told reporters today that he’s “not happy” with the way talks with Tehran are going, reiterating his warning that Iran can’t have nuclear weapons. “We haven’t made a final decision,” he said. As for the possibility of getting pulled into a long-term conflict, Trump acknowledged “there’s always a risk.”

Omani Foreign Minister and Iran talks go-between BADR ALBUSAIDI, who met with Vice President JD VANCE in Washington today, struck a more optimistic tone, saying that “peace is within our reach.”

Going into the weekend, there are lots of signs that a strike could be imminent. Citing “security risks,” the State Department is allowing non-essential staff to evacuate the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. The U.K. today said it was pulling staff out of Iran temporarily. And of course, there’s still the massive buildup of U.S. forces looming in the region.

But State also announced today that Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO would be in Israel from March 2-3, to “discuss a range of regional priorities including Iran, Lebanon and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza.” A senior official’s visit to Israel would normally indicate that the U.S. isn’t planning military action. The Trump administration wouldn’t want to make Rubio vulnerable should Iran retaliate by striking Israel — a likely outcome of a U.S. attack.

Keep an eye out for any itinerary changes, though. Trips can always be canceled. Also of note: Rubio won’t be traveling with reporters, a departure from usual practice.

Meanwhile, Israel is lobbying for hitting Iran on multiple fronts. Our colleague Constantin Schreiber, a member of Axel Springer’s Global Reporter network, writes in that Israeli officials have moved on from discussions of “pinprick” strikes against Tehran. Now, Jerusalem is pushing for a “comprehensive operation” targeting not only centrifuges, but Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control nodes, according to two Israeli government officials.

The United Arab Emirates is still urging for restraint to prevent a wider regional conflict. A person involved in the developments on behalf of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Constantin that the country is calling for “maximum restraint,” noting that “stability in the Gulf is a global public good that must not be gambled with.”

lousubcap · February 28

Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:

Bilateral talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Geneva concluded on Thursday, with Kyiv saying preparations are under way for the next round of negotiations aimed at ending the war.

Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said on X that discussions were held in two formats: separate meetings with the United States and a trilateral session involving the US and Switzerland.

Umerov said participants spoke with President Zelenskyy and were working to ensure the next three-sided meeting with Russia on a settlement is “as substantive as possible”.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said “diplomacy cannot succeed at the moment” with Russia, and that greater emphasis should be placed on defending Ukraine from Moscow’s aggression."

lousubcap · March 2

Middle East update:
Iran:

Saturday

U.S. and Israeli military forces launched a series of strikes against Iran on Saturday morning, bombing numerous sites in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, and Tabriz. President Trump announced in a video on social media that the United States has begun “major combat operations in Iran,” adding “our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” Lauren Floyd reports for Axios; AP News reports; Luc Bronner and Ghazal Golshiri report for Le Monde.

A senior U.S. official said on Saturday that the strikes were launched because the United States concluded that waiting for an imminent Iranian attack would have resulted in far higher U.S. casualties, though no evidence of such plans was provided. Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) told CNN he had seen no intelligence “that Iran was on the verge of launching any kind of preemptive strike. Trump, he said, has “started a war of choice.” Jack Detsch, Joe Gould, Eli Stokols, and John Sakellariadis report for POLITICO.

Iran retaliated against the strikes, aiming ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. bases and Israel. The retaliation campaign has spilled into neighbouring Arab states that host U.S. forces, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. Lauren Floyd reports for Axios.

The United States and Israel originally planned to attack Iran a week earlier, but the opening strike was delayed for operation and intelligence reasons, according to senior U.S. and Israeli officials. The officials said that a key reason for the delay was bad weather in the region. One Israeli official said that the talks in Geneva last week were intended to let time pass until the new strike date, keeping the Iranians believing that diplomacy was still Trump’s primary path. A second Israeli official said that talks were genuine and that if Trump had seen progress, he could have postponed the strikes again. Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report for Axios.

U.S.-Israeli strikes on Saturday on a school in southern Iran killed at least 153 people, including children, according to Iranian officials. U.S. Central Command said it was looking into reports of the incident, while Israel’s military said it was “not aware” of any IDF operations in the area. Ghoncheh Habibiazad and Robert Greenall report for BBC News.

Sunday

The Iranian government said yesterday that U.S.-Israeli strikes on Saturday killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump had announced Khamenei’s death hours earlier, calling on Iranians to take control of the government. Farnaz Fassihi, Ronen Bergman, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, and Richard Pérez-Peña reports for the New York Times.

Ahead of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Saturday, U.S. intelligence suggested that a complete change in government in Iran was unlikely if Khamenei was killed. It said that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were likely to assert a larger degree of control, but might be willing to curb the country’s nuclear program. It also said that whatever religious leader formally took over from Khamenei would be a hard-liner, according to sources. U.S. officials said that the joint strike on leadership targets and military sites in Iran created a high degree of uncertainty around all potential scenarios for political change in Iran. Julian E. Barnes and Tyler Pager report for the New York Times.

U.S. Central Command announced yesterday that three U.S. troops were killed in a strike against a U.S. base in Kuwait and five more “seriously wounded.”These are the first confirmed U.S. fatalities. In a video yesterday, Trump said there “would likely be more” U.S. casualties before the operation ends. In the second day of strikes on Iran, the U.S.-Israel operation hit more than 2,000 targets. Alex Gangitano reports for POLITICO; New York Times reports.

Trump told the New York Times yesterday that the U.S. military intends to sustain its assault on Iran for “four to five weeks” if necessary. Trump offered several contradictory views of how power in Iran might be transferred to a new government, saying he had “three very good choices.” One option, based on the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, involved removing the top leader while keeping much of the rest of the government in place. Earlier on Sunday, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani said an interim committee would run the country until a successor to Khamenei was chosen. Zolan Kanno-Youngs, David E. Sanger, and Tyler Pager report.

“[The Iranians] want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” Trump told The Atlantic yesterday. When asked when this conversation would take place, Trump said, “I can’t tell you that,” noting that some of the Iranians involved in negotiations in recent weeks were no longer alive. Michael Scherer reports; Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Tyler Pager report for the New York Times.

Monday

Israeli attacks in Beirut and southern Lebanon this morning have killed at least 31 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli military said it was responding to attacks from Hezbollah. BBC Newsreports.

Also:

Israel announced on Saturday that crossings into Gaza have been closed, as the U.S.-Israeli joint operation against Iran commenced. COGAT, the Israeli army unit responsible for facilitating aid into Gaza, said that enough food had been delivered to Gaza since the start of the ceasefire to provide four times the need of the population, without providing any evidence. It said, “the existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period.” Jaidaa Taha and Ahmed Tolba report for Reuters."

lousubcap · March 3

An interesting read about the advances in drones and warfare:

Shahed drone meets clone in US war on Iran

The Feb. 28 strikes saw the first combat use of the LUCAS, a near-copy of Iran’s cheap and effective Shahed-136.

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2026/02/shahed-drone-meets-clone-us-iran-exchange-strikes/411785/?oref=defenseone_today_nl&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Defense One Today: March 2, 2026&utm_term=newsletter_d1_today

lousubcap · March 3

Tuesday Iran war update:

The International Atomic Energy Agency said today that Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site sustained “some recent damage” amid the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign, which began on Saturday. The IAEA added that “no radiological consequence [was] expected.” Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.

Iranian drone strikes hit the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia this morning,the Saudi Defense Ministry announced. Yesterday, a drone attack caused a fire in the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait, according to two U.S. officials. The U.S. State Department has now closed both embassies and urged non-emergency personnel and families to leave 14 countries in the Middle East. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News; Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Aaron Boxerman, Helene Cooper, and Yan Zhuang report for the New York Times.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday that Iran is not at war with the region and is only targeting Israel and U.S. military bases.However, Iranian drones have struck civilian targets, such as tourist areas of Dubai. Arab sources told Axios that Iran’s actions are pushing several neighbouring countries to consider retaliating directly against Iran. Barak Ravid reports.

France plans to send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to Cyprus after RAF Akrotiri, a British air base, was targeted in two separate drone strikes,the Cyprus News Agency said today. A Cypriot government source confirmed the report. Senior Cypriot officials said that the attack was carried out by an Iranian Shahed drone, most likely fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Britain would not be joining the U.S.-Israeli strikes, and Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer stressed that “the U.K. is not at war.” Michele Kambas reports for Reuters; Jill Lawless and Menelaos Hadjicostis report for AP News.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters yesterday that “the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military,” echoing President Trump’s comments that the fighting in Iran may go on for “four to five weeks.” “The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now,” Rubio added, ahead of yesterday’s classified briefing with senior members of Congress in which he justified U.S. strikes as a response to an imminent threat from Iran. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. military was sending more troops and fighter jets to the Middle East. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that there are currently no U.S. troops in Iran, but did not rule out the possibility. Rubio, Hegseth, Caine, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will hold an all-Congress briefing today, according to the White House. Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times; Justin Papp reports for CNBC.

“I hear the people are saying you’re going to have an endless war. You’re not going to have an endless war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday during an interview with Fox News. Netanyahu also praised Trump, saying “there’s never been a president like him. His resoluteness, his decisiveness, his clarity of thinking, the way he gets things, gets right to the crux of things.” Aaron Pellish reports for POLITICO.

Trump on Sunday spoke by phone with Kurdish leaders in Iraq to discuss the U.S.-Israel war with Iran and what might come next, three sources told Axios. “It is the general view, and certainly Netanyahu’s view, that the Kurds are going to come out of the woodwork…that they’re going to rise up,” one official said. Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report.

Iran and its proxies could target the United States with attacks in response to Saturday’s killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment, dated Feb. 28, reviewed by Reuters. The report said that a large-scale physical attack was unlikely, adding that in the short term cyber-attacks are the main concern. Jana Winter reports.

A White House memo sent to Republican lawmakers yesterday set out four military objectives for the operation in Iran, including “annihilating” Iran’s navy and ensuring that Iran can never produce a nuclear weapon. The memo described the death of Khamenei as a “byproduct” of those aims. The memo also states, “though the regime has changed, this operation is about ending the threat posed to the United States by the Iranian regime.” Meredith Lee Hill reports for POLITICO. (Personal observation: This is a stretch given CHEETO's initial representation of the goals of the war...not a surprising pivot.)

lousubcap · March 3

More on Iran from Politico today:

POLITICO

National Security Daily
BY GISELLE RUHIYYIH EWING AND DANIELLA CHESLOW

President DONALD TRUMP seems to be looking for a DELCY RODRIGUEZ to emerge in Tehran. He’ll be hard pressed to find one.

The Trump administration has yet to clarify exactly what its longer term plan is with Iran. But amid varying timelines for military operations and avoiding the term “war” entirely, Trump has signaled repeatedly that he’s hoping for an Iranian leader to cooperate with the U.S. going forward — much like Venezuela’s interim president.

Speaking to press in the Oval Office today, Trump said that he’d like to work with “somebody from within” the existing government — in other words, not the controversial opposition voice and exiled son of Iran’s last shah REZA PAHLAVI, whom Trump said “looks like a very nice person.”

As for who could be under consideration, Trump indicated that options were running short.

“Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said. “We had some in mind from that group that is dead. And now we have another group. They may be dead also, based on reports. … Pretty soon we won't know anybody.”

In his next breath, the president talked about the success of his administration’s January Venezuela operation — and his working relationship with Rodriguez — a sign he’d like a similar relationship with Tehran’s next leader.

Finding someone still alive after continuous U.S.-Israeli strikes is only the first obstacle.

According to multiple experts and former U.S. officials experienced in dealing with Iran, identifying a person within the current regime willing to partner with the U.S. would be nearly impossible.

The idea is “highly unlikely, bordering on fanciful,” one former official, granted anonymity to speak on the matter, told your host.

Members of the regime have been so “schooled” in an ideology that’s fundamentally tied to “anti-American hatred” and “anti-Israel hatred” that “it would be 180 degrees counter to everything they’ve been taught for their entire lives to then accept a partnership of any kind with the United States,” argued DAN SHAPIRO, deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East from 2024-2025 and former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

And the roots of the nearly 50-year-old Islamic Republic run far deeper through the intertwined government, military and religious institutions, grounding its power in a structured web that has managed to weather the decades.

The Iranian government operates on a completely different mindset than Venezuela’s, TRITA PARSI, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, argued during an expert panel with ReThink Media on Monday. The regime won’t be so easily strong-armed into submission, because “they fear surrender far more than they fear aircraft carriers,” Parsi said.

Compounding the issue, the regime has been rapidly losing support, meaning that its remaining base — its most hardline elements — are even more critical for it to maintain. “Surrender from their standpoint is completely unacceptable,” Parsi argued, referring to that base.

Regime ideology aside, the Trump administration hasn’t laid the same practical groundwork for a transition the way he did with Caracas, Parsi argued. Unlike in the Venezuela operation, Parsi said, the Trump administration has not had the chance to “size up” potential candidates for leadership, and there have been no conversations between U.S. officials and any of the possible options — assuming they live to see a transitional government in the first place."

lousubcap · March 4

Wednesday Iran war:

“A container ship has reported being hit by an unknown projectile just above the water line causing a fire in the engine room”, in the Strait of Hormuz today, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre. The Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige was transiting eastbound in the Strait. The crew have now abandoned the vessel. Reutersreports.

A ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading into Turkish airspace was destroyed by NATO air and missile defense systems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea today, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. Gul Tuysuz and Catherine Nicholls report for CNN.

The Israeli military has begun “broad scale strikes targeting Iranian terror regime targets in Tehran,” it said this morning in a statement. This is the tenth wave of attacks since the U.S.-Israeli joint operation began on Saturday. Jessie Yeun, Leila Gharagozlou, and Eugenia Yosef report for CNN.

French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday announced that the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier was being deployed to the Mediterranean to bolster allied defenses amid the escalating conflict. Clea Caulcutt and Laura Kayali report for POLITICO; Samuel Petrequin reports for AP News.

Israeli airstrikes yesterday struck the building housing Iran’s Council of Experts in the city of Qom in an attempt to disrupt the process of appointing a new supreme leader, an Israeli defense official said. “There was another hit today on the new leadership, and it looks like it was pretty substantial,” President Trump said in the Oval Office. “So they’re getting hit very hard.” Iranian state media said the building was evacuated before the attack. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Adam Cancryn reports for CNN; Kara Fox and Oren Libermann report for CNN.

During the meeting of Iran’s Council of Experts yesterday, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, emerged as the leading candidate to become the next supreme leader, according to three Iranian officials. The officials said there were discussions about announcing him as successor as early as today, but some expressed concern that doing so could make him a target. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.

Iranian strikes in recent days have damaged structures that are part of or near communication and radar systems on at least seven U.S. military sites across the Middle East, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery and verified videos. Devon Lum, Haley Willis, and Riley Mellen report.

The United Arab Emirates is considering taking military action against Iran to stop strikes on the UAE, two sources told Axios. One of the sources said that the UAE has “endured 800 projectiles” since Saturday, adding “the view in the UAE is that no country in the world would fail to evaluate its defensive posture under such circumstances.” Barak Ravid reports.

Trump said yesterday that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation will provide insurance guarantees “at a very reasonable price” to help ensure the flow of energy and other commercial trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said the United States may provide naval escorts to ensure safe passage for oil tankers and other vessels. An Iranian official on Monday threatened to “set fire” to any ship trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian military has reportedly fired on several vessels in the area. Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Ben Bartenstein, and Ari Natter report for Bloomberg; Natalie Sherman reports for BBC News.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump last week and told him that Khamenei and his top advisers were all set to meet at one location in Tehran on Saturday morning, according to three sources. Netanyahu told Trump they could all be killed in a single strike. By Thursday, the CIA had “fully confirmed that these people were all going to be together, and we needed to take advantage of it,” a source said. Marc Caputo and Barak Ravid report for Axios.

Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. Ali Bahreini told reporters yesterday that Iran had not contacted the United States either directly or indirectly about holding talks to de-escalate the conflict. “For the time being we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation…The only language for talking with the United States is the language of defence,” Bahreini said. Olivia Le Poidevin reports for Reuters.

Macron said yesterday that the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Saturday were conducted “outside of international law,” adding that “Paris cannot approve of them.” He also blamed Iran’s nuclear and regional activities for fueling the crisis. Earlier this week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the war against Iran unjustified, dangerous, and illegal and refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran. This prompted Trump to threaten to cut off all trade with Madrid during a press conference yesterday alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “Spain has been very, very uncooperative, and so has the U.K.,” Trump said. Clea Caulcutt and Laura Kayali report for POLITICO; Aitor Hernandez-Morales reports for POLITICO; Nandita Bose, David Lawder, and Victoria Waldersee report for Reuters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday sought to walk back his earlier assertion that U.S. military action in Iran was precipitated by Israel’s plans to strike first. “The bottom line is this: The president determined we were not going to get hit first. It’s that simple, guys,” Rubio told reporters ahead of a pair of classified briefings. Rubio said it was the threat of Iran’s increasing military capability and growing arsenal of weapons that ultimately influenced Trump’s decision. Robert Jimison reports for the New York Times.

Lawmakers emerged from classified briefings with top administration officials yesterday with divergent assessments of the case they had made for war in Iran, falling largely along party lines. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the meeting was “very unsatisfying” and that the administration had “different answers every day” about why Trump ordered strikes on Iran. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), “This is really a very simple matter. It’s about the building of ballistic missiles…This created an imminent and serious threat.” Robert Jimison and Megan Mineiro report for the New York Times.

Several lawmakers said they expect Trump to request emergency supplemental funding for the military campaign in Iran as senior administration officials described a potentially open-ended operation that could exceed the nearly $1 trillion already allocated to the military. Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus report for POLITICO."

Botch · March 4

One news source just reported that the CIA have been re-arming the Kurds in preparation for the toppling of Iran, and they've been doing this for months. Maybe this whole thing has been planned longer than we currently know?

lousubcap · March 5

Thursday Iran war update:

"Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced today that the Strait of Hormuz is only closed to ships from the United States, Israel, Europe, and other Western allies. Iran also denied Turkey’s claim that it had fired a missile towards Turkish airspace yesterday. Jessie Teung reports for CNN; Yan Zhuang and Leily Nikounazar report for the New York Times.

Iranian drones today struck Nakhchivan, an autonomous territory of Azerbaijan, according to the Azerbaijani foreign ministry. Iranian missiles also struck the camp of an Iranian Kurdish force based in Iraq this morning, according to an official from the Komala Party. Georgi Kantchev reports for the Wall Street Journal; Erika Solomon reports for the New York Times.

“An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday. The Sri Lankan navy said it recovered 87 bodies from the attack in the Indian Ocean and rescued 32 people. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi today accused the United States of an “atrocity at sea,” adding, “Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set.” Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi report for AP News; Yan Zhuang and Leily Nikounazar report for the New York Times.

The Israeli army yesterday said it bombed a compound in Tehran housing Iran’s cyber warfare headquarters. It is unclear to what extent the military sites were damaged or whether there were any casualties. Iran has remained under an almost total internet blackout since the U.S.-Israeli joint operation began on Saturday, limiting the flow of information coming out of Iran. Maggie Miller reports for POLITICO.

Over 17,500 U.S. citizens have returned to the United States from the Middle East since Saturday, Assistant Secretary of the State Department Dylan Johson said late last night. Several countries, including the U.K., India, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Australia, are working to increase flights and safe border crossings from the region. Karina Tsui reports for CNN.

Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq are preparing armed units that could enter Iran, according to Iraqi officials and senior members of Iranian Kurdish groups. The CIA gave small arms to the Iranian Kurdish forces before the war began as part of a covert program to destabilize Iran, according to sources. Two U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios that Iranian Kurdish groups are backed by Mossad, as well as the CIA, adding that the goal is to take over a specific territory in the Kurdish region inside Iran in order to challenge the regime. Sources told the Washington Post that Trump offered Kurdish leaders “extensive U.S. aircover” to take over portions of western Iran during calls this week. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said yesterday reports that Trump had agreed to any plan for the Kurds to launch an insurgency in Iran were “completely false.” Erika Solomon, Julian E. Barnes, Christiaan Triebert, Parin Behrooz, and Farnaz Fassihi report for the New York Times; Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report; Karen DeYoung, Mustafa Selim, Ellen Nakashima, and Warren P. Strobel report.

U.S. Central Command is asking the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days but likely through September,according to a notification obtained by POLITICO. Nahal Toosi, Jack Destch, and Paul McLeary report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week asked the White House for clarifications after learning that U.S. officials might be communicating with the Iranian regime, two sources said. The sources added that Israeli intelligence had obtained information that raised suspicions that Iran and the United States had been in contact to discuss a ceasefire. “The White House told Bibi that the Trump administration wasn't talking to the Iranians behind his back,” one source said. An Iranian official said yesterday that Iran had not sent any messages to the United States, adding, “Iran’s armed forces have prepared themselves for a long war.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Reuters reports.

The White House said yesterday that Spain had agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military in its operation against Iran after Trump threatened to cut off all trade. Following Leavitt’s comments, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares denied that Spain had made such an agreement. Reutersreports."

lousubcap · March 6

Friday IRAN WAR update:

The Israeli military launched a new wave of strikes in densely populated areas of southern Beirut early this morning. The strikes targeted 10 high-rise buildings allegedly used by Hezbollah, as well as several command centers, the military said. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also launched a wave of drones and missiles at targets in Tel Aviv today. Overnight, Tehran was hit by heavy strikes. A medical clinic, a gas station, and two residential buildings were destroyed, according to Iranian state television. The Kuwaiti army said this morning that its air defenses were responding to missiles and drones that breached Kuwait’s airspace. It did not say where the strikes came from. The New York Times reports; CNNreports.

Israeli airstrikes have killed 123 people and wounded 683 others in recent attacks in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said yesterday. UNHCR said yesterday that more than 84,000 people have moved to collective shelters, citing Lebanese authorities. Dayana Iwaza, Euan Ward, Hwaida Saad, and Ephrat Livni report for the New York Times.

Russia is providing Iran with targeting intelligence to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East, according to three sources. “It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one of the sources said. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Moscow has called for an end to the war, which it labeled an “unprovoked act of armed aggression.” Two sources said that China does not appear to be aiding Iran’s defense. Noah Robertson, Ellen Nakashima, and Warren P. Strobel report for the Washington Post.

China is in talks with Iran to allow crude oil and Qatari liquefied natural gas vessels safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, three sources said. Crude tanker transits through the strait fell to four vessels on March 1, versus an average of 24 per day since January, Vortexa vessel-tracking data showed. Around 300 oil tankers remain inside the Strait. Jonathan Saul and Marwa Rashad report for Reuters.

The Kremlin said today that the war in Iran has fuelled demand for Russian energy products. The U.S. Treasury Department yesterday issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea, following months of U.S. pressure on New Delhi not to buy Russian oil. Anna Chernova and Christian Edwards report for CNN.

U.S. military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for a strike on an Iranian girls’ school on Saturday, which killed at least 175 people, but have not yet reached a final conclusion or finished their investigation, two U.S. officials told Reuters yesterday. Reuters was unable to determine more details about the investigation. Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali report.

The Israeli army is entering a second phase of the war that will see its fighter jets attacking ballistic missile sites buried deep underground, two sources said. One source said that Israel aimed to neutralise Iran’s ability to launch aerial attacks at Israel by the end of the war. Alexander Cornwell and Rami Ayyub report for Reuters.

The United Arab Emirates is weighing freezing billions of dollars of Iranian assets held in the Gulf state, according to several sources. Emirati officials have privately warned Iran of the possible action, the sources added. Officials said that prime targets would be accounts affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Emirati officials are also considering direct maritime action, such as seizing Iranian ships, two sources said. Summer Said, Georgi Kantchev, and Joe Wallace report for the Wall Street Journal.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said yesterday that Israel took the decision to kill Khamenei in November and was planning to carry out the operation around six months later. Katz said the plan was shared with Washington and brought forward in January after the protests in Iran broke out. Reuters reports.

The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, which began on Saturday, were clearly in breach of international law, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said yesterday. Crosetto said Italy was being forced to respond to a conflict that the United States and Israel had initiated without warning their allies and partners. “Today, the chaos we see around us in the Middle East is a direct consequence of the erosion of international law,” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said separately yesterday. Reuters reports; Reuters reports.

When asked how much influence he expects to have over Iran’s future leadership, Trump told POLITICO, “I’m going to have a big impact, or they’re not going to have any settlement, because we’re not going to have to go do this again.” Trump told Axios that he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran’s next leader, “like with Delcy in Venezuela.” Trump reiterated this position in a call with Reuters and said the next leader is unlikely to be the son of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump also said it would be “wonderful” if Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq were to cross the border to launch attacks in Iran. Dasha Burns reports; Barak Ravid and Zachary Basu report; Steve Holland reports.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has urged advisers to urgently propose ways to lower gasoline prices after the U.S.-Israeli joint operation in Iran pushed oil and fuel costs higher. A source said that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum “are getting screamed at to find some good news.” The source added, “folks are scrambling for announcements and messaging to counter the narrative” of rising prices. Ben Lefebvre reports for POLITICO."

lousubcap · March 6

Friday Russia-Ukraine and the Shahed drones update:

"According to defence ministries in the Gulf, as of March 5, 1,072 drones had been detected over the UAE, with 1,001 intercepted. Qatar reported 39 drones detected and 24 intercepted, while Bahrain said it had destroyed 123 drones. Kuwait reported monitoring and intercepting 384 drones.

It is here that Ukraine is positioning its battlefield experience and interceptor drones as part of the solution.

According to a spokesperson for Skyfall, one of the private Ukrainian manufacturers producing the drones, the interceptor system was first deployed about four months ago.

He spoke to Al Jazeera from their testing ground in Ukraine.

The weapons function as kamikaze drones, armed with a warhead and programmed to crash into a Shahed or any fixed-wing drone. The P1-SUN, Skyfall’s version of the interceptor drone, travels up to 310 km/hour (190 miles per hour).

The entire body, the antenna, head, wings, and payload compartment are 3D printed, making these weapons cheap and easy to produce at scale.

When it comes to repelling Shahed drones, the spokesman says Ukraine is uniquely suited to the task.

“We’ve been dealing with this problem for more than four years already. We know all the types of Shaheds that Russia deploys.”

That expertise comes from experience.

Iran-made drones have caused extensive damage across Ukraine. Over recent years, Ukraine has focused on intercepting them.

Over the winter alone, Russia launched more than 19,000 attack drones at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. In 2025, Moscow deployed 54,000 Shahed-type drones, renamed Geran-3, against the country.

Now Kyiv is offering that hard-earned experience abroad.

Since Monday, Ukraine has offered assistance to partners seeking cost-effective air defence technologies.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump told the Reuters news agency he would accept assistance from any country when asked about Ukraine’s offer to help defend against Iranian drones.

That same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had received a specific request from the US for help in dealing with drones in the Middle East.

“I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security,” he said on X."

lousubcap · March 7

Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:

As Washington’s Middle Eastern allies use US-made Patriot air defence systems to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones, Ukraine is about to face a dire shortage of ammunition for them.

Experts have told Al Jazeera that Russian President Vladimir Putin is sure to exploit the shortage of pricey guided missiles the truck-mounted Patriots launch at machinegun speed to down his pride and joy, Russia’s ballistic missiles that he once declared were “indestructible”.

The Patriots were developed in the 1970s to down Soviet missiles whose modifications Russia still rains on Ukraine.

Their supply to Ukraine began in 2023 and was initially limited to several batteries stationed in the capital, Kyiv. The location of the systems was constantly changed to protect them from Russian attacks.

The Patriots “have undoubtedly been the most important defence element, especially for cities with more than a million residents, Kyiv in particular, even though they couldn’t intercept all Russian missiles,” Nikolay Mitrokhin of Germany’s Bremen University told Al Jazeera.

But a shortage underscores a deeper problem – poor defence of Ukraine’s infrastructure, including power generation and transmission stations, against Russian strikes, he added.

With or without the guided missiles, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is “doomed,” because even though Russia would not dare strike Ukrainian nuclear power stations, the Patriot systems cannot protect all key transmission lines, he said.

“The key question is how to stop Russia from manufacturing and using missiles, not about how many more guided missiles or Patriot systems Ukraine needs,” he concluded.

INTERACTIVE_PATRIOT_AIR_DEFENCE_SYSTEM_DEC14

(Al Jazeera)

The Patriots utilise advanced radars to detect targets flying at supersonic speeds and launch their guided missiles with the sound that resembles super-fast electronic beats – up to 32 missiles per minute.

lousubcap · March 7

Iran War update:

It’s been a week since the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran, sparking a wider conflict across the Middle East that the United Nations warns could spiral out of control.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a remarkable televised address apologizing to neighboring Gulf nations and promising not to strike them – unless their territories are used to attack Iran. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) saw fresh drone and missile attacks Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the conflict, saying the US will strike Iran “very hard.”

Trump signals escalation: Trump wrote “today Iran will be hit very hard” in a Saturday morning post on Truth Social. He also indicated that Washington would widen its targets in the country, saying certain areas and groups of people are now at risk of “complete destruction and certain death.” In response to the warning, a senior Iranian official told CNN that Iran is looking for new US assets to strike.

Iranian president’s address: Pezeshkian gave a defiant speech on state media earlier Saturday, saying Iran would never surrender, as its military continued to trade strikes with Israel, and aim fire at a number of Gulf nations.

Firm response: Iran has also pledged a “decisive” response to any aggression from US bases in the region, after President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to Arab Gulf nations and said Tehran would stop its attacks on neighboring states unless strikes against Iran originated from those countries’ territories.

‘Unconditional surrender’: Pezeshkian’s defiance came less than a day after Trump said there would be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender,” but didn’t lay out any specific demands. Trump also told CNN he’s not concerned whether Iran becomes a democratic state, as long as the new leader treats the US and Israel well – contrasting with his previous calls for the Iranian public to “take over your government” and gain their “freedom.”

Fresh strikes: Israel and Iran have launched fresh strikes. Israel on Saturday deployed 80 jets to launch a “broad-scale wave of strikes” targeting military infrastructure in Iran. It comes after a heavy night of bombardment on Iran, with a Tehran resident describing recent attacks as “really intense.”"

lousubcap · March 9

Monday IRAN WAR update:

Friday

President Trump said on Friday that the United States had no shortage of munitions to carry on the war in Iran. After his meeting at the White House with executives from seven major defense contractors, Trump said the companies had agreed to quadruple their production of “‘Exquisite Class’ Weaponry.” Anton Troianovski, Farah Stockman, and Catie Edmondson report for the New York Times.

The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Friday night that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” to Israel of 12,000 bombs. Two U.S. officials said that an additional 10,000 bombs of 500 pounds each were also part of the emergency sale. Edward Wong reports for the New York Times.

Saturday

U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Iran or potentially another group could retrieve Iran’s primary store of highly enriched uranium, which was entombed under Iran’s nuclear site in Isfahan by U.S. strikes last year, several sources said. Officials said that Iran can now access the uranium through a very narrow entry point. U.S. officials said that the United States has constant surveillance of the Isfahan site. When asked on Saturday, Trump told reporters that for now the United States is “just decimating them, but we haven’t gone after [the Uranium], adding “but [that’s] something we could do later on. We wouldn’t do it now.” Four sources told Axios that Israel and the United States have discussed sending forces into Iran to secure its uranium stockpile at a later stage of the war. Any such operation would likely require U.S. and Israeli troops in Iran. Julian E. Barnes, Tyler Pager, Christiaan Triebert, Eric Schmitt, and Ronen Bergman report for the New York Times; Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report.

The Israeli military struck several Iranian fuel sites on Saturday, sending balls of fire and smoke into the air, according to videos reviewed by the New York Times. By Sunday morning, dark, oily smoke hung over Tehran. “The night turned into morning and the morning into night”, a resident said. The attacks appeared to be the first on Iran’s energy infrastructure since the U.S.-Israeli joint operation began on Feb. 28. Iran’s Ministry of Oil said in a statement that multiple oil storage depots in the provinces of Tehran and Alborz had been targeted. Farnaz Fassihi and Devon Lum report.

A report by the National Intelligence Council, dated before Feb. 28, assessed that even a large-scale military assault on Iran would be unlikely to topple its theocratic government, according to several U.S. officials. Julian E. Barnes reports for the New York Times.

An official with the Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party told Axios this weekend that so far, the Peshmerga, the Kurdish-Iraqi armed forces, were able to stop Kurdish-Iranian militias from launching an offensive from Iraq into Iran. Iraqi Kurdish leaders have decided to stay neutral in the war for now, partially out of concern that the United States might abandon them, the official said. Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report.

“I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran’s actions,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Saturday, urging them not to join the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. Pezeshkian also dismissed Trump’s earlier demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as “a dream,” but said its temporary leadership council had agreed to suspend attacks on nearby states unless strikes on Iran originated from that territory. Hours after Pezeshkian’s comments, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said their drones had struck a U.S. air combat centre near Abu Dhabi. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was also targeted with rockets on Saturday night. Maya Gebeily, Alexander Cornwell, Nandita Bose, and Paris Hafezi report for Reuters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday accused the United States of attacking a desalination plan on Qeshm Island, affecting the water supply of 30 Iranian villages. “The U.S. set this precedent, not Iran,” Araghchi said on social media. A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command said that U.S. forces were not responsible for the attack. A day later, Bahrain’s interior ministry said that an Iranian drone had “caused material damage” to a desalination plant there. Vivian Nereim reports for the New York Times.

Sunday

Israeli strikes on 30 Iranian fuel depots on Saturday went far beyond what the United States expected when Israel notified it in advance, according to a U.S. official, an Israeli official, and another source. “The president doesn't like the attack. He wants to save the oil. He doesn't want to burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices,” a Trump adviser told Axios. Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report.

A video released by Iranian state media yesterday showed what appears to be a U.S. cruise missile striking the compound where around 175 Iranian students and staff were killed at a girls’ school on Feb. 28.Analysts say the missile resembles a U.S. Tomahawk. Trump told reporters the previous day that, based on what he had seen, “I think it was done by Iran.” Geoff Brumfiel reports for NPR.

Monday

Iran today named Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the country’s late supreme leader, as his successor, according to Iranian State TV. CNN reports.

Oil prices have risen above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022.The price surge intensified this morning, with a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, trading at $119.50 per barrel before retreating to $105 a few hours later. Ben Geman reports for Axios; Alex Veiga and Elaine Kurtenback report for AP News.

French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters today that the G7 could dip into their emergency oil stockpiles in response to soaring energy prices, adding that G7 leaders may meet later this week. Separately, finance ministers from the G7 nations are meeting this afternoon to discuss the joint release of oil from emergency reserves to tackle the surge in oil prices, several sources told the Financial Times. John Leicester reports for AP News; Demetri Sevastopulo, Myles McCormick, and James Politi report."

lousubcap · March 10

Tuesday Iran war update:

"Turkey yesterday accused Iran of targeting it with a ballistic missile for the second time in a week. NATO defenses downed the missile, the Turkish defense ministry said, adding that debris from the missile fell near the city of Gaziantep. Ben Hubbard reports for the New York Times.

Artillery shells fired from Lebanon overnight landed near Damascus, according to a statement from the Syrian military this morning. The statement accused Hezbollah of targeting Syrian army positions and said military officials had observed Hezbollah reinforcements arriving along the Syrian-Lebanese border. Syria warned it would respond to any attack on its territory. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said today that it would not let any oil be shipped from the Middle East if the U.S.-Israeli attacks continue. Trump told reporters that U.S. attacks would increase sharply if Iran sought to block tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier on Monday, Trump said that the war in Iran would go on for at least another week, saying “we’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough.” At another news conference, Trump said the war would be over “very soon,” claiming major U.S. military successes after 10 days of fighting, but noted again it would not end this week. Several U.S. officials said such comments were aimed at calming energy markets. Parisa Hafezi, Enas Alashray, and Kanishka Singh report for Reuters; Luke Broadwater reports for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Internal deliberations over the timing and conditions for a U.S. Navy escort operation in the Strait of Hormuz have been a central focus for the Trump administration in the last week, several sources told CNN. Officials are focused on analyzing the risk of sending U.S. naval assets into an active conflict zone, with one source calling the strait “Death Valley.” U.S. intelligence suggests that Iran is unlikely to strike tankers entering the Gulf, but is expected to target them on the way out, once fully laden. Phil Mattingly and Zachary Cohen report.

Pakistani warships have begun escorting merchant vessels in the Middle East to ensure Pakistan’s access to energy supplies, the Pakistani government announced yesterday. Qasim Nauman reports for the New York Times.

The United States has intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that may serve as “an operational trigger” for “sleeper assets” outside of Iran, according to a federal government alert reviewed by ABC News. The alert said a transmission was relayed across multiple countries shortly after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The transmission was encoded and appeared destined for “clandestine recipients” who possess the encryption key. Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin report.

Missile fragments purporting to be from the deadly strike that hit a naval base and girls’ school in southern Iran on Feb. 28 bear the markings of a U.S. cruise missile, according to analysis by the New York Times. Photos of the fragments were posted online by Iran’s state broadcaster and characterized as showing “the remains of the American missile that landed on the children of Minab school.” It is not clear where or how the fragments were recovered, but they do contain serial numbers and other details consistent with how the Pentagon categorizes and labels munitions. Christiaan Triebert, Malachy Browne, and John Ismay report.

The U.S. military used $5.6 billion worth of munitions during the first two days of its assault on Iran, according to three U.S. officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said last week that the campaign will shift away from using precision munitions towards cheaper laser-guided bombs, while the United States also moves air-defense systems and weapons from other regions to the Middle East to sustain the conflict. Noah Robertson reports for the Washington Post."

lousubcap · March 11

Wednesday Iran War update:

"Three vessels were struck by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz today, maritime security agencies and sources said, taking the total number of ships hit since the start of the war to 14. Reuters reports.

The U.S. military yesterday destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying naval vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said on social media. A senior U.S. official told Axios the strike on the inactive ships was a preemptive measure that was a result of intelligence about Iranian plans to deploy mines in the strait. Barak Ravid reports; Alexandra White reports for the Financial Times.

Israel has rejected Lebanon’s demand for a complete end to airstrikes before negotiations can take place, three sources said. The Lebanese “are ready to talk to Israel, but under the condition of a cessation of fire. Not a ceasefire, but a cessation,” one of the sources said. “Israel so far refused and says it will only negotiate “under fire.” Neri Zilber, James Shotter, and Henry Foy report for the Financial Times.

Senior U.S. defense officials said that Iran has adapted its military strategy since the beginning of the conflict, targeting what it views as U.S. vulnerabilities: interceptors and air defense systems meant to guard troops and assets in the Middle East. The New York Times identified at least 17 damaged U.S. sites and other installations, several of which have been struck more than once since the war began. This is based on high-resolution, commercial satellite imagery, verified social media videos, and statements by officials. Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times; Bora Erden and Leanne Abraham report.

The Trump administration asked Israel on Monday not to carry out further strikes on energy facilities in Iran, particularly oil infrastructure, according to three sources. An Israeli official said the message was conveyed at a senior political level and to the Israeli military Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir. Another Israeli official said, “The U.S. asked that we notify them in advance of any future strikes on oil facilities.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

The Pentagon said yesterday that 140 U.S. service members have been wounded during 10 days of sustained attacks on Iran, including eight troops with life-threatening injuries. “The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said. POLITICO.

The International Energy Agency has proposed the release of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest-ever release of oil reserves, to counter crude price surges, officials said. The proposal was circulated at an emergency meeting of energy officials from the IEA’s 32 member countries yesterday. They are expected to make a decision today. Matthew Dalton, Bojan Pancevski, and Laurence Norman report for the Wall Street Journal. "

lousubcap · March 11

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

Ukraine is now producing drones without Chinese components, as part of a push for military self-sufficiency in the war with Russia, after earlier heavy reliance on Chinese parts, according to Maj. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned System Forces. Brovdi said that drones now account for more than 90 percent of Russian casualties. Maria Varenikova reports for the New York Times.
INTERACTIVE-WHO CONTROLS WHAT IN UKRAINE-1773224285

INTERACTIVE-WHO CONTROLS WHAT IN UKRAINE-1773224285

lousubcap · March 12

Thursday Iran war update:

"UNHCR today announced that up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced by the war. The agency said most have fled Tehran and other major cities towards the north of the country or rural areas. AP Newsreports.

“Get ready for oil to be $200 a barrel, because the oil price depends on regional security, which you have destabilized,” a spokesperson for Iran’s military command said yesterday in comments directed at the United States. Two sources said Iran had deployed about a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz in the last few days. Trump said yesterday, “The straits are in great shape. We’ve knocked out all of their boats. They have some missiles but not very many.” Parisa Hafezi, Alexander Cornwell, and Bo Erickson report for Reuters; Jonathan Landay and Erin Banco report for Reuters.

Two oil tankers were attacked and were burning off the coast of Iraq early this morning. Iraqi authorities said the vessels had been attacked overnight by Iranian boats laden with explosives. At least one crew member was killed. Hours earlier, three other ships had been struck in the Gulf. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for at least one of those attacks, on a Thai bulk carrier that was set ablaze, which the Guards said had disobeyed their orders. Oil prices have risen again, reaching $100 a barrel. BBC News reports; Parisa Hafezi, Alexander Cornwell, and Bo Erickson report for Reuters.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said yesterday that Trump had authorized the release of 172 million barrels from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves from next week. The U.S. release is part of an effort by the 32 members of the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels of oil held in emergency reserves. “This is a major action aimed to alleviate the immediate impacts of the disruption in markets,” IEA Director Fatih Birol said yesterday. James Bikales and Carlos Anchodo report for POLITICO; Rebecca F. Elliott, Abdi Latif Dahir, Eric Schmitt, and Michael Levenson report for the New York Times.

An ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian girls’ school, killing at least 175 people. The Feb. 28 strike on the elementary school was the result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part, according to the investigation. Officials emphasized that the findings were preliminary and that there were unanswered questions about why the outdated targeting information had not been double-checked. Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt, Tyler Pager, Malachy Browne, and Helene Cooper report for the New York Times.

A cyberattack, claimed by pro-Iran hackers, has caused a “global network disruption” to a major U.S. medical device maker, according to a statement from Stryker yesterday. The statement said there was no indication of malware or ransomware, and the company said the situation is contained to its internal Microsoft environment. The hacking group, Handala, said on social media that the hack was a retaliation for a missile strike against an elementary school in Iran. Sean Lyngaas reports for CNN.

More than 10 Iranian missiles with cluster-munition warheads have been fired at Israel since the war began on Feb. 28, according to Chief Superintendent Doron Lavi of the Israeli police’s bomb disposal unit. Cluster munitions have warheads that burst and scatter into bomblets, which can cause indiscriminate harm. Since 2008, more than 100 countries have signed an international agreement to prohibit them. Iran, Israel, and the United States have not adopted the ban. Adam Rasgon, Aaron Boxerman, and Sanjana Varghese report for the New York Times.

U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran’s leadership is still largely intact and is not at risk of collapse any time soon, according to three sources. Israeli officials have also acknowledged that there is no certainty the war will lead to the government’s collapse, a senior official told Reuters. U.S. intelligence reports also cast doubt on the ability of the Iranian Kurdish groups to sustain a fight against Iranian security services, according to two sources. Another source said that Iranian Kurdish groups had asked the United States to provide them with weapons and armored vehicles in recent days. Erin Banco and Jonathan Landay report.

The FBI warned law enforcement agencies last month that Tehran might try to retaliate for any U.S. strikes on Iran by launching surprise drone attacks in California, according to a security bulletin seen by Reuters. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said the bulletin was one of many security updates the state received daily, adding he was not aware of an “imminent threat” to California. Humeyra Pamuk, Jasper Ward, and Jana Winter report.

Pentagon officials told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Tuesday that the estimated cost of the war against Iran had exceeded $11.3 billion in the first six days, according to three sources. The estimate did not include costs such as the buildup of military hardware and personnel ahead of the first strikes. Lawmakers expect the number to grow considerably as the Pentagon continues to calculate the costs. Catie Edmondson reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap · March 12

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

“If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was feeling any pressure to negotiate before, and it’s not clear he was, it’s gone for now,” an EU official told POLITICO. “The U.S. is distracted and burning through some of the weapons Europe wants to purchase for Ukraine.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that the war against Iran was “decreasing the opportunity to get more [Patriot air-defense] missiles” for Ukraine, as production cannot keep up with the new level of demand. Paul McLeary, Jack Detsch, and Chris Lunday report."

lousubcap · March 13

Friday Iran War update:

"In his first message since becoming Iran’s new supreme leader after his father’s death, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed on Thursday to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz and to avenge “the blood of the martyrs.” His message was read out on state TV. He said Iran will continue to attack Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases. “I recommend that they close those bases as soon as possible,” he said in his statement. Patrick Wintour reports for the Guardian.

The Trump administration denounced CNN for airing a portion of his message. It was the second second time in three days that the administration has publicly targeted the network for reporting on the Iranian government’s response to the war, David Bauder reports for AP.

U.S.officials say Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Using small boats for the effort, Iranians “appear to be hoping that they can lay them faster than the United States can clear them and, therefore, create a further deterrent for ships to move through the strait.” Julian E. Barnes reports for the New York Times.

The Trump administration has already burned through what officials described as “years” worth of some key munitions since the Iran war began, including heavy use of long-range Tomahawk missiles, the Financial Times reported, citing three sources. One source called it a “massive expenditure of Tomahawks” that the Navy will feel “for several years.” Abigail Hauslohner, Steff Chávez, Lauren Fedor, and James Politi report.

To address the disruptions to shipping caused by the war, the White House said Thursday it was considering waiving the Jones Act, which would allow foreign-flagged ships to deliver oil and gas between U.S. ports. Experts said temporarily lifting Jones Act restrictions could bring down U.S. gas prices slightly but ultimately would be unable to “alter underlying market fundamentals.” Rachel Lerman and Evan Halper report for the Washington Post.

On Thursday, the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Russian oil already at sea in an effort to contain energy prices. The exemptions are temporary and will be in place until April 11. Alan Rappeport reports for the New York Times.

Russia is already benefiting from the war in Iran, bringing in $150 million a day in extra revenue from surging oil prices. The Financial Times reports.

From Kansas to India, the economic fallout from the war in Iran is spreading across the globe. “Cargo deliveries have been stranded, shipping charges have increased and insurance premiums have skyrocketed. Yes, the price of gas at the pump is affected. But so is the price of food, medicine, airplane tickets, electricity, cooking oil, semiconductors and more,” Patricia Cohen reports for the New York Times.

Israeli officials assess the Iranian regime is not likely to fall soon and that “conditions on the ground aren’t yet ripe for a popular uprising.” They believe it would take “many more weeks or months of fighting” to change the situation. Anat Peled, Dov Lieber, Margherita Stancati report for the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, Trump told G7 leaders in a virtual meeting Wednesday that Iran is “about to surrender.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

The Trump administration failed to fully anticipate that Iran might try to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S. strikes, sources told CNN. The same sources said Trump’s preference to rely on a small circle of advisers had sidelined the interagency analysis and debate that would have been central in past administrations. Zachary Cohen, Phil Mattingly, Kevin Liptak, and Kylie Atwood report.

The Iranian girls school the United States bombed on Feb. 28 had a yearslong online presence, a Reuters investigation found. Journalists discovered online photos of children in class and at play, and satellite images that show colored walls and playground markings. “The school’s online activity calls into question how the American military vets and reviews strike locations,” James Pearson and Ryan McNeill report.

Inside the White House, aides are competing to shape how President Trump defines and exits the Iran war, with economic and political advisers urging him to frame the operation as limited and nearly complete, while hawks push for sustained pressure on Tehran. Figures such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK), Mark Levin, Steve Bannon, and Tucker Carlson are pulling Trump in opposite directions over whether to escalate or wind down the conflict. Reuters reports.

Vice President J.D. Vance is trying to distance himself from Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran. Two Trump officials told POLITICO that the vice president “made his opposition known in the leadup” to the war and is now “worried about success.” Diana Nerozzi and Eli Stokols report."

lousubcap · March 16

Monday Iran war update:

"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday called for “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” during a press briefing. Legal experts have warned that any order resembling “no quarter” is illegal. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said on Friday, “‘no quarter’ isn’t some wanna be tough guy line - it means something,” adding, “it would be an illegal order. It would also put American service members at greater risk.” Lauren Floyrd reports for Axios.

The Pentagon is sending an amphibious assault ship, the USS Tripoli, and its Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East, a senior U.S. official said on Friday. The deployment will add thousands of Marines, several warships, and F-35 fighter jets to the region. The official said U.S. Central Command asked for the new force in order to expand its military options against Iran. Josephine Walker and Barak Ravid report for Axios.

President Trump on Saturday called on other countries to send warships to the Middle East to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump named China, Britain, France, Japan, and South Korea in his post on social media. On Sunday, Trump warned NATO that it faced a “very bad” future if members did not help reopen the strait. Trump also threatened to delay a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is expected to begin at the end of the month. Trump spoke with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday, but no details were disclosed about whether Britain would contribute ships. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said today that Japan has no plans to send warships. Ravi Mattu reports for the New York Times.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said yesterday that there were “no guarantees” that oil prices would fall in the coming weeks. Avery Lotz reports for Axios.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told CBS News yesterday that Iran was not ready to negotiate with the United States, despite Trump saying on Saturday that Iran wanted to make a deal. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.

“Fossil fuel dependency is ripping away national security and sovereignty, and replacing it with subservience and rising costs,” UNFCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell is set to tell EU policymakers today. Kate Abnett reports for Reuters.

Iran likely carried out the most significant wartime cyberattack on the United States, disrupting operations at medical-equipment company Stryker last week and forcing tens of thousands of employees offline. U.S. officials say the attack, claimed by the Iran-linked hacking group Handala, shows Iran’s growing cyber capabilities and warn that more cyberattacks on U.S. businesses could follow. Dustin Volz and Peter Loftus report for the Wall Street Journal."

lousubcap · March 17

Tuesday IRAN WAR update:

Israel targeted Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, in a strike on Tehran last night, according to an Israeli source. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today that Larijani had been “eliminated” and that the Israeli military has been instructed to “continue hunting down” Iran’s leadership. There has been no confirmation of Larijani’s death from Iran. Israel also said today that it killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ all-volunteer Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani. The IDF said it carried out a wave of simultaneous strikes yesterday evening against Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz. Tal Shalev and Eugenia Yosef report for CNN; John Gambrell reports for AP News.

Iran renewed attacks on U.S. Gulf allies overnight. The UAE shut down its airspace this morning in response to missile and drone threats from Iran, but the authorities have now lifted the closure. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted a dozen drones. A fire broke out in an industrial area in Qatar after a missile was intercepted. AP News reports.

President Trump yesterday criticized U.S. allies who have responded coolly to, or outright rejected, his call to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to escort merchant vessels. “You mean 40 years we’ve been protecting you, and you don’t want to get involved in something that’s very minor?”, Trump said at a White House event. Trump also said, “I’m almost doing it in some cases not because we need them, but because I want to find out how they react,” saying it was really a loyalty test. Germany, Japan, Italy, and Australia said yesterday that their countries would not participate. France, Britain, and South Korea were noncommittal. Anton Troianovski, Erica L. Green, David E. Sanger, and Aaron Boxerman report for the New York Times.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have reopened a direct communications channel in recent days, according to a U.S. official and another source. This is the first known direct communication since the war started. Drop Site News reported yesterday that Witkoff had sent messages to Araghchi and quoted Iranian officials saying that the Iranian foreign minister was ignoring them. The U.S. official claimed it was Araghchi who was attempting to engage. Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report for Axios.

U.S. intelligence assessments say that the Iranian regime is likely to remain in place for now, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exerting greater control, according to two sources. Trump has been receiving “very sobering briefings” on the U.S. intelligence, said one of the two sources, adding that Trump was told of the likelihood of a more entrenched IRGC before he gave the go-ahead to jointly launch the war with Israel. “It wasn’t just predictable,” they said. “It was predicted. He was told in advance.” Ellen Nakashima, Warren P. Strobel, and Susannah George report for the Washington Post.

Trump was also warned that attacking Iran could trigger retaliation against U.S. Gulf allies despite his claims yesterday that Tehran’s reaction came as a surprise, a U.S. official and two other sources said. Pre-war ‌intelligence assessments did not say that Iran’s response was "a guarantee, but it certainly was on the list of potential outcomes," said one source. Six foreign diplomats in the Gulf and wider Middle East told Reuters Tehran’s attack on Gulf states was widely anticipated. Jonathan Landay, Phil Stewart, and Erin Banco report for Reuters; Alexander Cornwell and Jonathan Landay report for Reuters.

Witkoff is planning to brief a small bipartisan group of senators on the war in Iran this afternoon, according to three sources. Hans Nichols and Marc Caputo report for Axios. "

lousubcap · March 18

Wednesday IRAN WAR update:

Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel this morning, killing at least two people. This followed the killing of two Iranian leaders in Israeli airstrikes around Tehran on Tuesday. Iranian state media confirmed the deaths of the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, and the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ all-volunteer Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today that Israel killed Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, in an overnight strike in Tehran. Iran has yet to confirm his death. Christina Goldbaum and Abdi Latif Dahir report for the New York Times; Tal Shalev reports for CNN.

An Iraqi military spokesperson said that Iran-backed militia groups had attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad again yesterday evening. A tanker anchored near a port in the United Arab Emirates was hit by a projectile early on Tuesday, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations. This was the first strike on a ship in and around the Strait of Hormuz in five days. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.

A State Department cable reviewed by the Washington Post relayed an Israeli assessment that Iran’s regime is “not cracking” and is willing to “fight to the end.” Senior Israeli officials told U.S. diplomats that Iranian protestors will “get slaughtered” if they take to the streets against their government, according to the cable circulated last week. Despite this assessment, Israeli officials said they hoped for a popular revolt and urged the United States to prepare to support protestors if that happens. John Hudson reports.

About 90 ships, including oil tankers, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the outset of the war, according to maritime and trade data platforms. Iran has managed to export well above 16 million barrels of oil since the beginning of March, trade data and analytics platform Kpler estimated. Chan Ho-Him and Sheikh Saaliq report for AP News.

“WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE” to open the Strait of Hormuz,Trump said yesterday on social media. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump claimed he was unbothered by the reluctance of NATO countries to support the war against Iran, while reiterating that the alliance is “making a very foolish mistake” by declining to help. AP News reports; Karoun Demirjian and David E. Sanger report for the New York Times; Gregory Svirnovskiy and Jacob Wendler report for POLITICO. "

lousubcap · March 18

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine and Iranian drone update:

More than 200 Ukrainian military experts are in the Gulf region and wider Middle East helping governments in their defence against Iran’s drone attacks, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

In an address to dozens of members of the United Kingdom Parliament in London on Tuesday, the Ukrainian leader said 201 Ukrainian anti-drone experts are in the region and another 34 “are ready to deploy”.

“These are military experts, experts who know how to help, how to defend against Shahed drones,” Zelenskyy said in his speech, referring to the Iranian-designed “kamikaze” drones that Russia has been using in its war against Ukraine since 2022.

“Our teams are already in the Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and on the way to Kuwait,” the Ukrainian leader said.

“We are working with several other countries – agreements are already in place. We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbours to succeed,” he said.

Last week, the Ukrainian leader said military teams had been sent to several Gulf states and Jordan.

Zelenskyy, who met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO chief Mark Rutte earlier on Tuesday, said Russia had received the Shahed-136 drones from the Iranians, who had “taught Russia how to launch them and gave it the technology to produce them”.

INTERACTIVE - SHAHED 136 drone

“Russia then upgraded them. And now we have clear evidence that Iranian Shaheds used in the region contain Russian components,” Zelenskyy said, describing the drones as designed for “low-cost destruction of expensive critical infrastructure”."

lousubcap · March 19

Thursday IRAN WAR update:

President Trump said yesterday that the United States had no advance knowledge of an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field that prompted Iran to retaliate against Qatar. However, Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios that the strike was coordinated with and approved by the White House. Trump also said there would be no more Israeli attacks on the South Pars gas field, while vowing to “massively blow up the entirety of the field” if Iran attacked Qatar again. The global oil benchmark price soared today to $118 per barrel, following tit-for-tat attacks on energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. Aaron Pellish reports for POLITICO; Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.

The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a more than $200 billion request to Congress to fund the war in Iran, according to a senior administration official. Noah Robertson, Jeff Stein, and Riley Beggin report for the Washington Post.

The Trump administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operations in the Middle East, a U.S. official and three other sources said. The administration has discussed options to send ground forces to Iran's Kharg Island or deploy forces to secure Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium. Phil Stewart, Idees Ali, Erin Banco, and Gram Slattery report for Reuters.

The foreign ministers of 12 Arab and Islamic states called on Iran to “immediately halt its attacks” and respect international law, in a joint statement released today after their meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The ministers also condemned Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and “reaffirmed support for the security, stability and territorial integrity of Lebanon.” Lex Harvey reports for CNN.

Three of Trump’s advisers told Axios that while Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are closely aligned over the war in Iran, Trump will want to end major operations against Iran before Netanyahu.“Israel doesn’t hate chaos. We do. We want stability. Netanyahu? Not so much, especially in Iran. They hate the Iranian government a lot more than we do,” a White House official said. Another official said, “Israel is going to try to kill [Iran’s] new leader. They’re much more interested in that than we are.” Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report for Axios. "

lousubcap · March 20

Friday IRAN WAR update:

"Iranian drones hit a Kuwaiti oil refinery early this morning. The refinery, which can process some 730,000 barrels of oil per day, was already damaged yesterday in an Iranian attack following Israeli air strikes on Iran’s South Pars offshore natural gas field. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel would hold off on any further attacks on the gas field at the request of President Trump. Israeli airstrikes over Tehran are ongoing today. Jon Gambrell and David Rising report for AP News.

Netanyahu also said yesterday that Iran no longer possessed the ability to enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles as a result of U.S.-Israeli strikes. He did not provide any evidence to support his claims. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, contended yesterday that the United States was hitting all of its targets in Iran. “To date we’ve struck over 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure,” Hegseth insisted, saying that Thursday would be “the largest strike package yet,” repeating his vow of “death and destruction from above.” Ashley Ahn reports for the New York Times; David. E. Sanger reports for the New York Times.

Iranian strikes have knocked out 17% of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue, QatarEnergy’s CEO and state minister for energy affairs told Reutersyesterday. Maha el Dahan, Andrew Mills, and Yousef Saba report.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said yesterday that the United States is considering suspending sanctions on Iranian oil already at sea in an effort to free up roughly 140 million barrels and clamp down on energy prices.“In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down for the next 10 or 14 days, as we continue this campaign,” Bessent added. He also said that the Trump administration is thinking about releasing more from the Strategic Oil Reserve. David. E. Sanger reports for the New York Times; Gregory Svirnovskiy and Ben Lefebvre report for POLITICO.

Trump and Hegseth confirmed yesterday that the Pentagon would ask Congress for more money to wage war in Iran, though Hegseth said the reported $200 billion figure “could move.” “Obviously it takes money to kill bad guys, so we're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded for what's been done,” Hegseth said. $200 billion is more than the annual defense spending of every country in the world except for the United States and China. Dave Lawler reports for Axios.

Seven nations yesterday announced their support for a potential coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial ships and oil tankers in a joint statement. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and Canada signed the statement. U.K. military officers have been sent to CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida to start working with the U.S. military to draw up options to reopen the strait, according to a British official. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Stephen Castle reports for the New York Times."

OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

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Shahed drone meets clone in US war on Iran

The Feb. 28 strikes saw the first combat use of the LUCAS, a near-copy of Iran’s cheap and effective Shahed-136.

The Patriots were developed in the 1970s to down Soviet missiles whose modifications Russia still rains on Ukraine.

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