Author: Admin

Two brothers return daily to a pile of debris in Tehran, desperately searching for their missing sibling who vanished when his butcher shop was leveled during what witnesses described as a double bombing of a commercial building.

Mahdi Mirzahosseini, 41, had worked as a butcher’s assistant for two decades before launching his own meat shop approximately one year ago. His family says he was determined to keep the business open to supply customers preparing for Persian New Year celebrations.

The youngest of seven children hasn’t been spotted since Monday’s attack that demolished the mixed-use building containing residences, retail shops, and a laundry facility on the ground level. His older brothers have conducted daily searches at the destruction site ever since.

Recovery teams using heavy machinery have only located Mirzahosseini’s jacket and vehicle key during their continuous excavation efforts, the family reported to Reuters on Saturday. He remains the sole person unaccounted for from the incident.

Emergency responders have pulled six bodies from the wreckage along with 18 survivors, rescue officials confirmed. Both a local resident and rescue personnel stated the building had no military connections and was hit twice in rapid succession shortly after midday.

Pir-Hossein Kolivand, who leads Iran’s Red Crescent Society, reported this complex was among more than 80,000 civilian buildings damaged in American and Israeli bombardments during the current three-week conflict.

The Red Crescent chief also noted that strikes have impacted nearly 500 educational institutions and 266 healthcare facilities, encompassing hospitals, medical clinics, and pharmacies. Reuters was unable to independently confirm these casualty figures or verify details surrounding the commercial complex attack.

“Attacks targeting residential neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure are becoming more frequent,” Kolivand stated. Both Israeli and American officials maintain they do not deliberately target non-combatants.

Six days after the bombing, a massive crater marks where the commercial center once operated, encircled by towering heaps of concrete and debris. Charred fabric remnants still dangle from a bare tree nearby.

Red Crescent emergency responder Amir Saeed-Jamshidi described arriving at the scene within minutes of the explosions to discover blazing fires and enormous piles of rubble. Local residents informed his team that people buried beneath the debris were making phone calls pleading for rescue.

Saeed-Jamshidi explained his crew excavated two separate tunnels to reach trapped survivors, including several people caught deep within an underground parking structure.

The blast’s shockwave damaged all neighboring structures, with one building losing every window.

According to his brother Hamid, Mirzahosseini had shuttered his shop during the conflict’s first two weeks, but customers began requesting meat and poultry for holiday meals. Their mother had begged him to remain at home for safety.

“Customers are calling. I have to go do my work,” Mirzahosseini told his family, according to his brother’s account.

The missing man’s relatives maintain their optimism for his safe return.

“God willing we will find him safe,” declared another brother, Khalil, while standing near his former butcher shop’s location and cradling his baby. “There is no trace of him.”

Thirty-four people were wounded Saturday night when Iranian missiles targeted Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility, marking a dangerous escalation in Middle East tensions as Iran claimed the assault was revenge for recent attacks on its nuclear infrastructure.

The casualties included a 12-year-old boy and a woman in her thirties who suffered moderate wounds, though medical officials later upgraded the child’s condition to serious. More than twenty additional victims received treatment for shrapnel wounds, injuries from rushing to bomb shelters, and stress-related symptoms.

Warning sirens blared throughout Dimona as Iranian missiles hit a dozen sites in and around the city. Israel’s military acknowledged it failed to intercept the incoming projectiles and announced plans for a full investigation into the defensive breakdown.

Iran’s official Tasnim news agency said the bombardment came “after the US and Israel attacked the Bushehr power plant and the Natanz facilities.”

The agency issued a stark warning, stating: “The enemy has once again received an unforgettable lesson. The missile attack on the Dimona area has once again conveyed a clear message: no area is safe from Iranian missiles. The enemy must surrender before it is too late.”

Dimona serves as the hub of Israel’s suspected nuclear weapons program, with critical installations spread across the surrounding Negev desert. Israeli officials have long refused to confirm or deny the country’s nuclear weapons capabilities.

Iranian officials say American and Israeli forces targeted the Natanz nuclear complex on March 21, though authorities reported no radiation leaks occurred. The International Atomic Energy Agency verified the attack while confirming radiation measurements stayed normal. Last Wednesday, the same watchdog agency reported that a projectile destroyed a building roughly 350 meters from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor.

On Saturday, Israeli forces acknowledged striking a military research facility at Tehran’s Malek Ashtar University. Military officials described the target as a strategic development center where Iranian forces create components for nuclear weapons and ballistic missile systems.

Israeli commanders said the university operates under Iran’s Defense Ministry and faces international sanctions for advancing the country’s nuclear and missile programs.

PARIS, March 21 – Foreign ministers from seven major world powers announced Saturday their commitment to taking action when needed to safeguard international energy supplies while emphasizing the critical importance of protecting shipping lanes, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz.

Representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union’s chief diplomat, issued a joint declaration stating: “We … express support to our partners in the region in the face of the unjustifiable attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies.”

The Group of Seven officials also declared: “We condemn in the strongest terms the regime’s reckless attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure.”

Two skiers lost their lives Saturday when an avalanche swept through a mountainous area of Italy’s South Tyrol region, trapping 25 people on the slopes, according to Italy’s mountain rescue authorities.

The deadly slide occurred at approximately 7,874 feet elevation on Monte Tallone Grande (known locally as Hohe Ferse), a 8,757-foot peak located near Ratschings, just miles from the Austrian frontier.

Bolzano’s emergency operations center for the CNSAS rescue service confirmed that all 25 skiers were engulfed by the avalanche. Along with the two fatalities, five others sustained injuries – three described as serious and two with minor wounds.

The disaster struck at 11:40 a.m. local time, triggering an extensive search and rescue mission. ANSA, Italy’s national news service, reported that approximately 80 emergency personnel responded, including teams from CNSAS, the Alpine Association, law enforcement, and fire departments, supported by six helicopters.

This winter season has witnessed an alarming surge in avalanche-related deaths across Europe. Data from the European Avalanche Warning Services shows that while typical seasons average 100 fatalities, this year’s count reached 127 by mid-March since the season began October 1st. Italy has recorded 33 deaths, while France and Austria have seen 31 and 29 respectively.

February proved particularly deadly, with 13 Italian skiers perishing in a single week during the Winter Olympics period, including 10 in avalanche incidents.

Mountain safety specialists point to exceptionally unstable snow conditions and increased numbers of skiers venturing into unmarked backcountry areas following recent heavy snowfall as contributing factors.

Climate researchers suggest that warming temperatures combined with intensifying wind patterns are creating increasingly dangerous snow stability conditions.

AMSTERDAM – The European Union’s coordinator for combating racism delivered a stark warning Saturday that discriminatory practices continue to permeate institutions throughout the continent, calling on leaders to address the region’s colonial past.

Speaking at an Amsterdam conference focused on racial issues, Michaela Moua highlighted troubling statistics from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights revealing that approximately half of African-descended residents within EU borders report experiencing discriminatory treatment. Many qualified individuals with college educations still encounter significant employment obstacles, she noted.

During her address to the symposium attendees, Moua emphasized that eliminating these persistent disparities represents a fundamental requirement for maintaining democratic values.

“Racism is not a relic of the past. It’s a living structure. It’s very tangible for many of us. We feel and we sense the urgency, especially in these political times,” Moua stated, emphasizing the critical need for improved data collection on equality metrics, as member nations continue to show significant variation in gathering racial and ethnic information.

The coordinator outlined how the organization’s recently developed anti-discrimination framework seeks to strengthen implementation of current legislation, enhance national response plans, and address prejudicial practices within government agencies.

However, the January-adopted initiative has faced pushback from advocacy organizations. The European Network Against Racism has criticized the approach, arguing it lacks meaningful dedication to restorative justice or addressing the lasting impacts of Europe’s historical actions.

Four people died Saturday when Ukrainian military forces targeted a public facility in Russia’s Belgorod border area, according to regional authorities.

Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced via Telegram that the strike hit what he described as a “social site” in Smorodino village, though he did not provide additional specifics about the targeted building. Emergency responders recovered the remains of two women from beneath the debris, Gladkov reported.

The governor shared images showing flames engulfing structures in a developed area of the community.

The Belgorod region has experienced repeated Ukrainian military strikes throughout the ongoing four-year conflict that began with Russia’s comprehensive invasion.

PRAGUE — An estimated 200,000 demonstrators filled Prague’s streets Saturday in a massive show of opposition to Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and his government’s controversial direction.

The peaceful gathering took place at Letná park, a location with deep historical significance as the site of major demonstrations in 1989 that helped topple communist rule.

Demonstrators traveled from throughout the Czech Republic to voice alarm that the billionaire leader and his coalition partners pose a danger to democratic institutions, moving the nation away from Ukraine support and toward authoritarian governance.

Crowds displayed Czech flags while banners proclaimed messages like “Let’s defend democracy.”

“We’re here to clearly stand against dragging our country onto the path of Slovakia and Hungary,” declared Mikuláš Minář, chief organizer from Million Moments for Democracy, referencing those nations’ pro-Russia and authoritarian tendencies.

Babiš regained control following his ANO (YES) party’s strong showing in October elections, subsequently forming a governing alliance with the anti-immigration Freedom and Direct Democracy party and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves.

This partnership with groups holding extreme positions has enabled the administration to dramatically reshape both international and domestic policy approaches.

The prime minister has challenged major European Union environmental and immigration initiatives while refusing Ukrainian financial assistance and rejecting guarantees for EU loans to the war-torn nation, aligning himself with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Critics warn that proposed legislation mirrors Russian foreign agent laws, requiring nonprofit organizations and individuals engaged in broadly defined political activities who receive international funding to register or face substantial penalties.

“This law can easily be used to restrict personal freedom,” former Academy of Sciences director Václav Pačes told demonstrators.

Additional government plans include restructuring public broadcasting funding, which opponents argue would place state media under government influence.

Rally organizers cited parliament’s recent decision to maintain Babiš’s immunity from prosecution in a $2 million fraud case involving EU subsidies as motivation for the demonstration.

Parliamentary approval would have enabled immediate court proceedings, but the rejection means prosecution cannot occur until his legislative term concludes in 2029.

Legislators similarly blocked efforts to allow prosecution of lower house Speaker Tomio Okamura, who leads the Freedom party, on hate speech charges.

Million Moments characterized these decisions as creating two distinct groups: “the ordinary people and the untouchables.”

“I came to defend something that is extremely important to me,” explained Michael Černohlávek, a 19-year-old student. “I know that the system we have, our freedom, can’t be taken for granted and it is important for me to protect it.”

Additional demonstrations are scheduled to follow.

President Donald Trump has delivered a series of contradictory statements regarding the ongoing Iran conflict, creating uncertainty about his administration’s strategic direction over the past day.

During a span of just hours on Friday, the president spoke about potentially scaling back military operations while his administration simultaneously announced the deployment of additional forces to the Middle East. The White House also removed sanctions on certain Iranian oil shipments for the first time in decades, attempting to stabilize global energy markets by reducing economic pressure typically used as diplomatic leverage.

This combination of conflicting actions has intensified criticism from Trump’s opponents, who argue there is no coherent long-term plan for the military campaign that the United States and Israel initiated against Iran. The conflict, now entering its fourth week, continues along an uncertain trajectory with no clear resolution in sight, while global economic markets face ongoing disruption.

Following another difficult trading session, Trump posted on his social media platform Friday afternoon: “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.”

The president claimed that U.S. forces have successfully weakened Iran’s naval capabilities, missile systems, and industrial infrastructure while blocking Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Trump then indicated the United States might withdraw from the conflict without ensuring stability in the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway that handles approximately 20 percent of global oil transportation. Iranian forces have severely damaged this shipping lane through missile strikes, drone attacks, and naval mines throughout the war.

“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” Trump posted. However, contradicting himself again, he stated America would provide assistance if requested, “but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated.”

Although oil passing through the strait typically heads to Asia and other regions rather than North America, the disruption still impacts American consumers. Global oil markets mean that supply shortages affecting Asian nations drive up prices for American companies as well.

This situation, combined with an Israeli attack on Iran’s gas infrastructure and Iranian retaliation that damaged a major Qatari liquefied natural gas export facility, caused U.S. stock markets to plummet Friday, with the S&P 500 falling 1.5 percent. American fuel costs also rose sharply.

Despite Trump’s comments about scaling back the war effort, his administration revealed plans to send three additional warships carrying approximately 2,500 Marines to the Middle East. This marked the second troop increase announcement within the week, with military officials stating that roughly 50,000 personnel now support the conflict.

While Trump has rejected the possibility of ground combat forces, his administration has suggested potential special operations deployments or similar units might be considered.

The Marines heading to the region belong to an expeditionary force trained for rapid amphibious operations, though their deployment doesn’t guarantee a ground invasion. Military experts suggest that securing the strait may ultimately require American boots on the ground.

This troop buildup followed Thursday’s revelation that the Pentagon requested an additional $200 billion from Congress to finance the war effort. Such an enormous funding request contradicts any suggestion of scaling down operations.

The administration announced it would remove sanctions on Iranian oil sales, specifically for shipments already at sea as of Friday. This decision aims to reduce soaring energy costs by allowing freer distribution of oil that Iran has permitted through the strait, while also providing financial support to the Iranian government that Trump is simultaneously targeting.

Trump’s team has attempted various approaches to lower oil prices, including tapping strategic petroleum reserves and lifting certain Russian oil sanctions. Nevertheless, Brent crude remained at $112 per barrel Friday, with analysts predicting elevated prices for months regardless of future war developments.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained on X that while Iranian oil would eventually reach other countries, the United States and its allies can now compete for these supplies.

“At present, sanctioned Iranian oil is being hoarded by China on the cheap,” Bessent wrote. “By temporarily unlocking this existing supply for the world, the United States will quickly bring approximately 140 million barrels of oil to global markets, expanding the amount of worldwide energy and helping to relieve the temporary pressures on supply caused by Iran.”

However, 140 million barrels represents only a few days’ worth of global oil consumption.

Patrick De Haan, petroleum analysis chief at GasBuddy fuel-tracking service, said he doesn’t anticipate the temporary sanction suspension will significantly affect gas prices. The effective blockade of the strait has far greater impact, he noted. “Prices will likely still continue to rise so long as the Strait remains silent,” De Haan stated.

The contradictions became apparent in Bessent’s announcement, which described Iran as “the head of the snake for global terrorism.” He promised steps to prevent Tehran from profiting from these sales, though the implementation method remained unclear.

Even some Republicans expressed rare public doubt about these contradictory policies.

“Bombing Iran with one hand and buying Iran oil with the other,” Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina posted on X Saturday.

NICOSIA, March 21 — The United Kingdom has promised Cyprus that British military installations on the island nation will not serve as staging areas for offensive strikes during the ongoing Iran crisis, according to a Cypriot government official who spoke Saturday.

The assurance came during a telephone conversation between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, the government spokesperson revealed in a written statement.

“The British Prime Minister reiterated … that the security of the Republic of Cyprus is fundamental to the United Kingdom and, to that end, a decision has been taken to enhance the means contributing to the preventive measures already in place,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

“Finally, the Prime Minister reiterated that the British Bases in Cyprus will not be used for any offensive military operations.”

The conversation follows a March 2 incident where a Shahed-style drone, similar to Iranian models, struck Britain’s Akrotiri airbase in southern Cyprus, causing minor damage. Military forces successfully intercepted two additional drones during the same attack. No additional security breaches have been reported since that incident.

The UK maintained control over two military installations on Cyprus following the island’s transition from British colonial rule to independence in 1960.

Bahrain’s government disclosed Saturday that a U.S.-manufactured Patriot missile defense system successfully shot down an Iranian drone that was targeting a residential neighborhood earlier this month, contradicting earlier reports about the March 9 incident.

The kingdom’s officials revealed that Iranian forces launched multiple drone attacks that day, with the Patriot system managing to destroy one of the unmanned aircraft before it could strike homes in the Sitra district.

“During this incident, the Patriot air defence system intercepted an Iranian drone aerially,” a government spokesperson explained.

The official added that the successful interception likely prevented mass casualties, stating: “Had the Iranian drone impacted the residential area, it would have resulted in significant loss of life.”

Despite the successful shootdown, the March 9 attacks still resulted in injuries to 32 civilians, including children who needed medical care. U.S. military officials had initially described the incident as a direct strike by an Iranian drone on the residential area.

American Central Command previously rejected claims from Russian and Iranian media outlets suggesting that a U.S. Patriot missile had malfunctioned and accidentally hit civilian areas instead of stopping the incoming drone.

The Patriot defense system, manufactured in the United States, is specifically engineered to destroy incoming missiles, drones, and other airborne threats before they reach their targets.

Multiple Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar, have deployed these American-made systems to shield their cities, oil facilities, and military installations from ongoing Iranian aerial attacks during the current regional conflict.

PRAGUE – A massive crowd of Czech citizens filled Prague’s streets Saturday in what organizers called the nation’s most significant anti-government demonstration since 2019, with roughly 250,000 people voicing opposition to Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s policies.

The demonstration took place at Letna plain, which provides a sweeping view of Prague’s historic district. Participants began gathering hours ahead of the scheduled event, many carrying flags of the Czech Republic and European Union.

Young protester Tomas Chaloupka, 22, explained his motivation for attending: “I’m here because I care about my country’s future. It upsets me that the current government is trying to manipulate the free and independent media, and freedom and democracy are paramount.”

Babis and his populist ANO party regained control of the government this past December following a four-year period out of power, now governing alongside right-wing and far-right coalition partners.

The demonstration was organized by Milion Chvilek (Million Moments for Democracy), a group that has expressed alarm about potential authoritarian trends similar to those seen in neighboring Slovakia and Hungary, both of which have faced European Union criticism over rule-of-law violations.

Teacher Hana Malanikova voiced these concerns, stating: “We don’t want to be Hungary. We don’t want to follow the Slovak Republic’s path. So it’s time to wake up.”

The current administration has faced criticism for multiple policy changes, including reductions to defense spending and proposed modifications to public television funding that opponents argue could compromise editorial independence. Critics also point to new restrictions on disclosure requirements for non-governmental organizations.

This weekend’s rally follows a February demonstration supporting President Petr Pavel, who has publicly disagreed with Babis’s government on defense budget allocations and ministerial appointments. That earlier protest drew approximately 90,000 participants.

Babis, whose wealth stems from business ventures in food production, chemicals, and agriculture, previously served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021. The same organizing group staged comparable protests in 2019 that attracted more than 200,000 demonstrators.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for an “immediate cessation” of what he characterized as U.S.-Israeli military actions during a Saturday telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Iran’s embassy in India.

During their discussion, Pezeshkian emphasized the need for assurances that would prevent future occurrences of such “aggression” and urged the BRICS group of emerging economies to take an independent stance in stopping actions against Iran.

The Iranian leader put forward the idea of establishing a regional security arrangement involving West Asian nations to maintain peace without outside interference, the embassy reported on social media.

In his own social media statement from earlier Saturday, Modi expressed his condemnation of strikes targeting vital infrastructure throughout the Middle East during his conversation with Pezeshkian.

The Indian leader also stressed the critical need to protect maritime navigation rights and keep shipping routes open and safe for international commerce.

For the first time in nearly six decades, Muslim faithful were denied entry to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque during Eid al-Fitr celebrations on Friday, as Israeli officials implemented an extraordinary security lockdown of one of Islam’s most sacred locations.

The unprecedented ban forced thousands of Palestinian worshippers to conduct their holiday prayers in nearby streets under intense police surveillance, creating a dramatically different scene from the typical massive gatherings that characterize Eid observances at the holy site.

Friday afternoon brought the regional conflict directly to Jerusalem’s doorstep when pieces of an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile crashed into the Old City’s Jewish Quarter. Israeli military officials reported the projectile was successfully intercepted, though falling debris struck approximately 400 meters from both the Western Wall and Al-Aqsa complex, resulting in property damage.

This missile strike highlighted the dangerous security conditions that Israeli officials cited as justification for blocking access to the religious site, arguing such measures were essential to avoid potential mass casualties. Earlier incidents this week had already seen missile fragments land dangerously close to significant religious locations, including areas near Al-Aqsa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

However, the mosque closure during this important Islamic holiday sparked fierce condemnation from Palestinian leadership and religious authorities, who characterized the action as an infringement on religious liberty and a break from established protocols that have historically governed site access.

Eyewitnesses reported an unusually quiet and anxious mood throughout Jerusalem, where Eid prayers normally attract tens of thousands of worshippers to the compound. Instead, the faithful gathered near entrance points and security barriers, with some making unsuccessful attempts to reach the mosque before being turned away by law enforcement.

Reports indicate this represents the first prevention of Eid prayers at Al-Aqsa since 1967, making it a historically significant closure that underscores the severity of current regional tensions.

The dual impact of restricted religious access combined with active missile threats in Jerusalem has intensified concerns that the already precarious situation surrounding the city’s holy sites may worsen as broader regional hostilities persist.

Iran attempted to strike Diego Garcia, a distant Indian Ocean island hosting a vital joint US-British military installation, though British officials report the missile assault failed to reach its target.

British authorities denounced what they called Iran’s reckless missile strike on the remote outpost. Officials have not disclosed how near the projectiles came to hitting the island, positioned roughly 2,500 miles away from Iranian territory.

American defense officials have characterized the Diego Garcia installation as virtually essential for conducting security missions throughout the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa regions.

The facility houses approximately 2,500 personnel, predominantly Americans, and has provided logistical support for US military campaigns spanning from Vietnam through conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States admitted in 2008 that the base had also served as a location for secret prisoner transfer flights involving terrorism suspects.

During last year’s intensive bombing operations against Yemen’s Houthi forces, the US stationed multiple B-2 Spirit stealth bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons at Diego Garcia.

Initially, Britain declined to permit the installation’s use for joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran. However, following Iran’s aggressive actions toward neighboring countries, the UK authorized American aircraft to operate from Diego Garcia and another British facility for attacks on Iranian missile installations. On Friday, British officials announced this authorization extends to targeting sites used for assaults on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK maintains that British military facilities may only support what it terms “specific and limited defensive operations.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on social media platform X, warning that Prime Minister Keir Starmer “is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran.”

Iran has voluntarily restricted its ballistic missile capabilities to a maximum range of 1,240 miles. Diego Garcia sits well beyond this self-imposed limitation. Nevertheless, US intelligence officials have long suspected Iran’s space technology development could enable the construction of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Diego Garcia belongs to the Chagos Archipelago, a collection of over 60 islands situated in the central Indian Ocean near India’s southern tip. These islands have remained under British jurisdiction since 1814, when France surrendered control.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Britain forcibly relocated up to 2,000 residents from Diego Garcia to enable US military construction of the current base.

Recent years have brought increased condemnation of Britain’s administration of the archipelago and its forced removal of the indigenous population. Both the United Nations and International Court of Justice have called on Britain to terminate its colonial governance of the islands and transfer control to Mauritius.

Following extensive discussions, the British government reached an agreement last year with Mauritius to surrender sovereignty over the islands. Britain would subsequently lease the Diego Garcia facility back for a minimum of 99 years.

The UK government contends this arrangement will protect the base’s future operations, which currently face potential legal challenges. However, numerous British opposition leaders have criticized the agreement, arguing that relinquishing the islands creates opportunities for Chinese and Russian interference.

Several displaced Chagos residents and their families have also contested the arrangement, stating they received no consultation and remain uncertain whether they will ever be permitted to return home.

The US administration initially supported the agreement, but President Donald Trump reversed course in January, describing it as “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY.”

Starmer’s original refusal to allow US attacks on Iran from Diego Garcia further frustrated Trump, who stated earlier this month that “the U.K. has been very, very uncooperative with that stupid island that they have.”

British Parliament has suspended consideration of the UK-Mauritius agreement until American support can be restored.

TOKYO (AP) — High-ranking American and Japanese leaders typically avoid making public statements about Japan’s 1941 surprise assault on Pearl Harbor without extreme caution. That’s why officials in Japan felt uncomfortable and confused on Saturday when President Donald Trump casually referenced the World War II attack to explain his secrecy before initiating military action against Iran.

The awkwardness in Japan intensified because Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was uncomfortably seated next to Trump during his remarks.

The reaction stems partly from Japan’s dependence on the United States as its primary regional ally for security and economic support. Simply put, Japan must ensure its relationship with America remains strong. This necessity brought Takaichi to Washington in the first place.

The response also demonstrates how politically sensitive discussions about Japan’s World War II actions remain today, eight decades after the conflict concluded.

High-ranking officials, including Takaichi, have maintained that Japan has offered sufficient apologies for wartime actions. Takaichi has recently suggested she might visit Tokyo’s divisive Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japanese war criminals alongside 2.5 million war casualties.

Nevertheless, it remains surprising for Japan to witness these historical issues emerge during a White House meeting.

During Friday’s session, a Japanese journalist questioned why Trump failed to inform European and Asian allies before the American strike on Iran. Trump invoked Pearl Harbor to justify his choice, stating, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?”

The progressive Asahi newspaper declared in Saturday’s editorial that Trump’s remarks “should not be overlooked.”

“Making such a remark to justify a sneak attack and boast about its outcome is a piece of nonsense that ignores lessons from history,” Asahi said.

Online reactions varied from calling the American president ignorant and disrespectful to suggesting he doesn’t view Japan as an equal ally. Many demanded Japan formally object to Trump’s statements.

Tsuneo Watanabe, a senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, wrote in Saturday’s Nikkei newspaper that the remark showed Trump was “not bound by existing American common sense.”

“I get the impression that the comment was intended to bring the Japanese reporter (who asked the question) or Ms. Takaichi into complicity in order to justify his ‘sneak attack’ on Iran during diplomatic negotiations and without telling allied countries,” Watanabe said.

An unwritten agreement appears to exist between American and Japanese leadership to handle this topic delicately. Both nations depend on each other, with Washington counting on Japan to accommodate 50,000 military personnel and advanced weaponry, while Japan depends on American nuclear protection against threatening, nuclear-capable neighbors.

Japan’s postwar constitution prohibits using military force except for self-protection, though Takaichi and other leaders now want to broaden military responsibilities.

Regarding American-Japanese reconciliation, many Japanese citizens reference former leaders Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe, who jointly honored victims at Pearl Harbor’s Arizona Memorial and Hiroshima Peace Park in 2016.

Takaichi, known for her conservative positions, received praise for maintaining composure during Trump’s comments, responding only with an eye roll and glance toward nearby ministers.

Her summit’s purpose was strengthening ties with America, not relitigating World War II. She arrived after Trump indicated Japan was among countries slow to support his Strait of Hormuz protection initiative.

Some critics, however, faulted Takaichi for remaining silent.

Hitoshi Tanaka, a former diplomat and special adviser at the Japan Research Institute, posted on X that watching Takaichi flatter Trump embarrassed him.

“As national leaders, they are equals. … To make an equal relationship is not to flatter,” he said. “Just doing what pleases Trump and calling it a success if you are not hurt is too sad.”

Social media initially blamed the Japanese reporter whose question triggered Trump’s Pearl Harbor reference.

Reporter Morio Chijiiwa from TV Asahi later explained on a talk show that he posed the question representing Japanese citizens unhappy with Trump’s unilateral Iranian attack, especially since other nations including Japan were being asked to assist.

“So that’s why I asked the question. I was meaning to say, Why didn’t you tell us, why are you troubling us?” he said. “Then President Trump hit back with the Pearl Harbor attack. … I found it extremely awkward for him to change the subject.”

Junji Miyako, 53, said watching Takaichi flatter Trump bothered him more than the President’s Pearl Harbor comment.

“I was so frustrated to see Takaichi didn’t even say anything to Trump to stop the war,” he said. “I think Trump’s Pearl Harbor comment was stupid, but to me the war he started is a much bigger problem.”

Bahrain’s government has confirmed that a Patriot air defense system was used to intercept an Iranian drone that flew over a residential neighborhood on March 9, according to statements made to Reuters on Saturday.

A government spokesperson stated that the interception successfully prevented a drone strike and saved lives. However, the incident still resulted in injuries to civilians in the area.

The U.S. military had earlier reported that an Iranian drone had impacted a residential neighborhood on that same date, causing harm to civilians in the process.

The revelation provides new details about the March 9 incident and clarifies the role of the Patriot missile defense system in protecting the residential area from what officials describe as a potentially catastrophic attack.

LONDON — Authorities in Scotland have filed charges against two individuals who attempted to gain unauthorized access to a highly secure military installation housing Britain’s nuclear submarine fleet, officials announced Saturday.

A 34-year-old Iranian national and a 31-year-old Romanian woman are scheduled to make their first court appearance Monday at Dumbarton Sheriff Court, according to Police Scotland.

Following standard Scottish legal procedure, law enforcement officials have not disclosed the suspects’ identities or specified what criminal charges they will face prior to their scheduled hearing.

The two individuals were apprehended Thursday while attempting to gain entry to HM Naval Base Clyde, located approximately 40 miles northwest of Glasgow.

The military installation, commonly referred to as Faslane, serves as headquarters for Britain’s submarine operations, including vessels equipped with nuclear warheads.

The United Kingdom has maintained nuclear capabilities since the 1950s, with its current defense strategy centered on four Royal Navy submarines carrying Trident missile systems since the 1990s.

AL BASOUTA, Syria (AP) — Eight years ago, Abdul Rahman Omar was forced to abandon his home in Syria’s Afrin district when Turkish military forces launched an operation targeting Kurdish fighters throughout the region.

Today, Omar is part of hundreds of Kurdish families who have made their way back to Afrin. He participated alongside his community in marking Nowruz, the traditional spring celebration, for the first time since coming back from displacement and since Syria’s government officially recognized the festival as a national holiday.

The term Nowruz comes from Farsi and means “new year.” This 3,000-year-old celebration has Persian origins and is observed by Kurdish communities across Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. The festival features vibrant public gatherings and torch-lit marches that wind through mountainous terrain. With roots in Zoroastrianism, the ancient holiday brings together people of various faiths, including Zoroastrians, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and members of the Baha’i community, as well as millions living in diaspora communities worldwide.

On Friday evening, Omar participated in traditional line dancing with other young community members, moving to rhythmic music before climbing into the hills surrounding al-Basouta village. The group carried torches and Kurdish banners, using flames to create the word “raperin,” which translates to “uprising” in the Kurdish language.

Turkish military forces, working alongside Syrian opposition groups, captured Afrin in 2018 during a Turkey-supported campaign that drove out fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces along with thousands of Kurdish residents.

The Turkish government views the SDF as a terrorist entity due to its connections with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as the PKK, a separatist movement that conducted a multi-decade insurgency within Turkey. Currently, peace negotiations are taking place.

Kurdish residents who stayed in Afrin reported facing discrimination and violations of their human rights. Many who fled found themselves unable or too frightened to return, as Arab Syrian families displaced by the nation’s civil conflict had moved into their former residences.

During his displacement, Omar lived in Aleppo city’s Sheikh Maqsoud district. This area became a conflict zone in January when government troops clashed with the SDF, which had established a semi-independent territory in northeastern Syria during the civil war that started in 2011.

The Aleppo conflict, combined with a government campaign that captured much of the SDF’s former territory, led to an arrangement integrating the Kurdish-led forces into Syria’s national military and placing key northeastern institutions back under central government authority.

The government also committed to helping displaced Kurdish families return to Afrin, including a group of 400 families who departed from SDF-controlled Hassakeh province this month.

Omar described his return as emotionally complex.

“When a person is away from his home for eight years, of course he misses and longs for it,” he said. However, the community he found upon returning differed significantly from his memories. Many former friends and neighbors who left Syria have not come back.

“There’s a feeling of emptiness, but at the same time, you’ve returned to your own house, you’ve seen the atmosphere of your own village and your memories come back,” he said.

Angelia Hajima, a young Kurdish woman who joined the mountain procession, praised Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party — the leading Kurdish political organization in Iraq — for helping negotiate the agreement between the SDF and Damascus that enabled the displaced to return.

“I hope that everyone can go back to their homeland now,” she said.

While conducting ceasefire talks with the SDF in January, Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued an order expanding Kurdish rights. This action was interpreted as an effort to win support from the country’s Kurdish population, many of whom remain suspicious of his administration.

The order established Kurdish as an official language alongside Arabic and designated Nowruz as a national celebration. It also restored citizenship to tens of thousands of Kurds in northeastern Hassakeh province who had been stripped of their status during a 1962 population count.

Throughout the five-decade Assad family rule in Syria, which concluded when former President Bashar Assad was removed in December 2024, Kurdish communities faced marginalization and were prohibited from publicly celebrating Nowruz.

Omar remembered how Kurds previously had to light Nowruz torches in secret and sometimes faced pursuit by security personnel for these activities.

“This is the first time I go to the mountain and light the flame and I’m not afraid,” he said. “Of course it’s a feeling of joy that I, as a Kurd, am celebrating my holiday and speaking in my own tongue without being afraid.”

LONDON – Two foreign nationals are facing criminal charges following their alleged attempt to breach security at Britain’s primary nuclear submarine facility, according to Scottish authorities.

A 34-year-old Iranian citizen and a 31-year-old Romanian national were taken into custody Thursday after trying to gain unauthorized access to the highly secure naval installation, Police Scotland announced Saturday.

British news outlets have identified the pair as suspected intelligence operatives working for Iran.

The incident occurs during heightened tensions, coming three weeks after the start of military operations involving the United States and Israel against Iran. Though Britain has not directly participated in strikes against Iranian territory, British military forces have intercepted Iranian missiles and unmanned aircraft in Gulf waters.

The targeted facility, HM Naval Base Clyde, sits along Scotland’s western coastline and serves as a cornerstone of British national defense. The installation houses the nation’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines equipped with atomic weapons, along with conventional attack submarines.

Both defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearance at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on March 23, according to Police Scotland officials.

WASHINGTON, March 21 – As military operations against Iran enter their fourth week, President Donald Trump faces mounting challenges that appear to be spiraling beyond his control. Energy costs worldwide are climbing sharply, America finds itself without key allies, and additional military personnel are being readied for deployment despite Trump’s earlier assurance that the conflict would be merely a “short excursion.”

Taking a defensive stance, Trump criticized NATO partners as “cowards” for declining to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz and maintained that operations were proceeding as planned. However, his Friday statement claiming the conflict “was Militarily WON” contradicted ongoing realities of Iranian resistance, including disrupted Gulf energy shipments and continued missile attacks throughout the region.

The president, who campaigned on avoiding “stupid” military interventions abroad, now seems unable to dictate either the results or the narrative of a conflict he helped launch. The absence of a defined withdrawal plan poses risks to both his presidential record and his party’s electoral chances as Republicans work to maintain slim Congressional control in upcoming November midterm races.

“Trump has built himself a box called the Iran war, and he can’t figure out how to get out of it,” said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic administrations. “That’s his biggest source of frustration.”

A White House official disputed this assessment, pointing to the elimination of numerous Iranian leadership figures through targeted operations, the destruction of most of Iran’s naval fleet, and significant damage to its missile capabilities.

“This has been an undisputed military success,” the official said.

CONSTRAINTS ON PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY

The boundaries of Trump’s influence – in diplomatic, military and political spheres – became starkly apparent during the past week.

According to another White House official who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters, the president was surprised by NATO allies and other international partners’ refusal to contribute naval forces for Strait of Hormuz security operations.

To avoid appearing diplomatically isolated, some White House advisers have recommended Trump quickly identify an “off-ramp” and establish boundaries for the military campaign’s scope, according to someone familiar with these conversations. However, it remains uncertain whether this counsel will influence Trump’s decisions.

Some experts believe allies’ reluctance stems not only from their hesitation about joining an uncoordinated military action, but also from resentment over Trump’s dismissive treatment of traditional American partnerships since returning to office 14 months ago.

Tensions with Israel have also emerged, with Trump claiming no advance knowledge of Israel’s attack on Iran’s South Pars gas facility, while Israeli officials maintain the strike was coordinated with American forces.

Trump now stands at a critical juncture in Operation Epic Fury with no clear indication of his next moves, according to analysts.

He could escalate American military action, potentially capturing Iran’s Kharg Island oil facilities or positioning ground forces along Iran’s coastline to target missile installations. Such moves would risk long-term military involvement that most Americans would likely oppose.

Alternatively, with both nations currently rejecting diplomatic talks, Trump could declare success and attempt withdrawal, potentially alienating Gulf partners who would face a weakened but still hostile Iran – one that might continue pursuing basic nuclear capabilities and maintaining control over Gulf shipping routes. Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons.

Reuters confirmed Friday that thousands of additional Marines and sailors are being sent to the Middle East, though no final decision has been made regarding ground deployment into Iran.

The conflict has also revealed weakening in Trump’s previously solid control over his MAGA supporters, with notable influencers voicing opposition to the military action. While his core supporters have largely remained loyal, analysts suggest Trump’s authority could diminish in coming weeks if fuel costs continue rising and troops are deployed.

“As the economics play themselves out,” Republican strategist Dave Wilson said, “people will start to say: ‘Why am I paying high gas prices again? … Why is the Strait of Hormuz now determining whether or not I can take a vacation next month?’”

STRATEGIC ERRORS

Since operations began February 28, administration officials have increasingly recognized that the conflict and its ramifications should have received more thorough advance planning, according to two sources aware of White House discussions. However, the first White House official maintained that the campaign received extensive preparation and adequate resources for potential scenarios.

Experts identify Trump’s primary error as underestimating Iran’s response to what it views as a threat to its survival.

Tehran has fought back using surviving missiles and armed drone fleets to compensate for military disadvantages, targeting neighboring Gulf nations and largely blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which handles twenty percent of global oil transport.

Regardless of whether Trump and his team anticipated these risks, they have struggled to address them successfully.

“They failed to think through the contingencies around ways in which a conflict with Iran could go sideways, where it might not go according to the plan as they laid out,” said former U.S. ambassador John Bass, who served in Afghanistan and Turkey.

As fighting continues, Trump’s frustration with his limited narrative control has become increasingly evident. Recently, he has attacked news organizations, making unsubstantiated “treason” accusations against reporting he considers harmful to military efforts.

“He’s finding it difficult to drive the news cycle, as he’s accustomed to, because he still can’t explain why he’s taken this country to war and what comes next,” said Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser in the Obama administration who now heads the Situation Room strategic consultancy in Washington. “He seems to have lost his mojo on messaging.”

DAEJEON, South Korea — Emergency responders in South Korea pulled 14 bodies from the burned remains of an automotive parts manufacturing facility on Saturday, following a devastating blaze that also sent 59 people to area hospitals.

According to local fire department officials, 25 individuals sustained severe injuries in the incident, though authorities have not yet determined if any victims are fighting for their lives. Emergency teams numbering more than 500, including firefighters, law enforcement, and paramedics, were called in to battle the flames and search for survivors after the fire erupted on Friday afternoon.

Dramatic footage and images captured at the scene revealed massive plumes of dark smoke rising from the industrial complex, with some employees leaping from windows of the Anjun Industrial building to escape the inferno.

Nam Deuk-woo, the fire department chief for the city’s Daedeok district, explained that the flames completely gutted the factory structure, which rescue teams could not initially access due to concerns about structural collapse. Recovery efforts for missing workers commenced late Friday evening after crews used robotic firefighting equipment to cool the building and engineers completed safety assessments.

“Nine of the 14 dead were discovered in what is believed to have been a gym on the third floor, while three were found near a water tank on the second floor,” Nam stated. Officials confirmed that all previously unaccounted-for individuals have now been located.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung traveled to the disaster site on Saturday afternoon, where he met with families of those killed and emphasized the importance of safety protocols to prevent the weakened structure from collapsing during ongoing search efforts.

The emergency call came in at approximately 1:18 p.m. on Friday. While Nam indicated the origin of the fire remains under investigation, the flames appeared to have moved quickly through the building, with eyewitnesses describing hearing an explosion. Emergency crews concentrated on stopping the fire from reaching neighboring buildings and securing dangerous chemical materials. Nam reported that workers removed more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of highly volatile chemicals from the facility.

Injuries occurred when people jumped from the structure to flee the fire, while others were harmed by smoke inhalation, according to officials. By Saturday morning, 28 individuals remained in hospital care, with four requiring surgical procedures for fractured bones and other trauma.

The response effort involved approximately 120 emergency vehicles and specialized equipment, including aircraft, an unmanned water cannon truck, and two robotic firefighting units designed for dangerous areas, alongside hundreds of emergency personnel.

President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has delivered a formal written document to Hamas detailing how the Palestinian militant organization could surrender its arsenal, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations. This marks a significant development as the administration continues pursuing its Gaza peace initiative.

The document was delivered to Hamas representatives during negotiations held in Cairo within the past week, according to one source. The discussions included participation from Nickolay Mladenov, who serves as Trump’s Board of Peace representative for Gaza, and Aryeh Lightstone, an assistant to Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Gaza peace framework, which both Israel and Hamas accepted in October, calls for Israeli military forces to pull back from the territory while reconstruction efforts begin, contingent upon Hamas relinquishing its weapons.

Speaking on Thursday, Mladenov indicated that substantial progress was being made to provide assistance to the war-devastated region, with mediators having established a framework that could facilitate rebuilding efforts across the heavily damaged territory.

“It is now on the table. It requires one clear choice: full decommissioning by Hamas and every armed group, with no exceptions and no carve-outs. In this season of hope, may those responsible make the right choice for the Palestinian people,” Mladenov wrote on social media platform X during the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

Hamas representatives could not be reached for immediate response on Saturday, during the second day of the religious holiday. The disarmament discussions had been suspended when the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran commenced on February 28.

According to U.S. officials, the Iran-supported Hamas organization might receive amnesty as part of any agreement requiring them to surrender both heavy military equipment and smaller weapons including firearms.

Individuals with knowledge of Hamas’s position indicate the organization would probably decline to surrender their firearms due to concerns about attacks from competing armed groups within Gaza, some of which receive Israeli support. Hamas and rival factions have conducted lethal operations against each other following the October ceasefire agreement.

One source noted that much depends on what terms Israel finds acceptable, as Israeli leadership insists on Hamas’s total disarmament.

Several high-ranking Hamas officials have categorically dismissed any disarmament requirements in recent months.

Israel has given no indication of withdrawing its military personnel, who currently control approximately half of Gaza’s territory, while Hamas maintains authority over the remaining portion of the territory and its two million residents, most of whom have been displaced by two years of intense warfare.

The source indicated that amnesty provisions and targeted Gaza investment programs were being presented as incentives for Hamas, though uncertainty remains about whether the Board of Peace would have sufficient funding available.

Trump secured approximately $7 billion in commitments this February from various nations, including Gulf states, before those same countries faced Iranian attacks as Middle East tensions escalated.

According to the source, only a minimal portion of those promised funds have actually been delivered, though specific amounts were not disclosed.

BAGHDAD – A military officer died Saturday following a drone attack carried out by what Iraqi authorities described as “outlaw groups” targeting the area around Baghdad’s National Intelligence Service headquarters.

The National Intelligence Service confirmed the casualty in an official statement released following the March 21st incident. The attack represents the latest security challenge facing Iraqi government facilities in the capital city.

American military forces have established operations in Nigeria, sending several MQ-9 surveillance drones and 200 service members to support the country’s fight against Islamic extremist organizations, according to officials from both nations who spoke with Reuters.

The American personnel are not participating in frontline combat operations with Nigerian forces, and the unmanned aircraft are being used solely for intelligence collection rather than conducting strikes, officials confirmed.

This deployment marks America’s renewed engagement in combating Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliated insurgencies spreading throughout West Africa, following U.S. air operations against militants in Nigeria’s northwest region in late 2025.

The mission comes after the closure of America’s $100 million drone facility in neighboring Niger, which housed approximately 1,000 troops monitoring extremist activity across the Sahel region. That base was shuttered in 2024 when Niger’s military government demanded the departure of U.S. forces, reflecting a broader regional shift away from Western military partnerships.

Recent violence underscores the ongoing security challenges, including a suicide bombing attack on a northeastern Nigerian garrison town this week that demonstrated how the 17-year insurgency continues to threaten urban areas.

Extremist groups have also intensified operations in Nigeria’s northwest, along the borders with Benin and Niger, where existing criminal activity risks evolving into another stronghold for Islamic militants.

A U.S. defense official explained that Nigeria requested the drone deployment for intelligence gathering purposes. “We see this as a shared security threat,” the official stated.

Major General Samaila Uba, who serves as director of defense information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, verified that American assets are operating from Bauchi airfield in the country’s northeast.

“This support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders,” Uba explained to Reuters. “Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities.”

Uba indicated that both countries will jointly determine how long the American deployment will continue.

The MQ-9 aircraft, also called Reaper drones, can remain airborne at high altitudes for over 27 hours and serve dual purposes for both surveillance and strike missions.

While neither Uba nor the American official discussed specific instances where U.S. intelligence resulted in Nigerian operations against militants, Uba noted that American forces are assisting Nigeria to “identify, track and respond to terrorist threats.”

Reuters previously reported that aircraft operating from Ghana conducted intelligence missions over Nigeria for the U.S. military late last year.

The United States, which has maintained a longstanding military partnership with Nigeria through training programs and weapons sales, conducted air operations in the northwest on Christmas Day, stating the action was necessary to prevent attacks on Christians in the region.

However, Nigerian government officials and conflict analysts have disputed claims of systematic anti-Christian violence, arguing such characterizations oversimplify a multifaceted crisis.

The perpetrators of the March 16 garrison town attack remain unidentified and under investigation, according to Uba.

He noted that both Boko Haram militants and ISWAP, an Islamic State affiliate, continue posing significant threats while evolving their operational methods.

“We continue to assess that these organisations will seek opportunistic targets and may attempt to demonstrate relevance through high-visibility attacks,” Uba said.

Military conflict in the Middle East has created what experts are calling the most severe global energy crisis ever recorded, forcing nations worldwide to implement drastic conservation measures while consumers face dramatically higher fuel costs.

Since U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran commenced on February 28, the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway has been effectively blocked, halting the flow of approximately 20% of global oil and natural gas shipments through the Iranian coastal passage.

Continued military exchanges between Iranian and Israeli forces have also struck critical energy facilities throughout the region, inflicting damage to natural gas fields, petroleum refineries, and shipping terminals that energy sector experts estimate will require years to fully restore.

The International Energy Agency has declared this disruption surpasses even the 1973 Arab oil embargo in severity, which previously held the record for causing the most widespread economic harm from fuel shortages.

“You’re not going to conserve your way around this. What it’s going to translate to is price rises high enough that people stop consuming,” explained Dan Pickering, chief investment officer for Pickering Energy Partners.

The crisis has already eliminated approximately 400 million barrels from global markets – equivalent to four days of worldwide supply – driving price increases of roughly 50%.

Energy products derived from oil and gas serve essential functions across modern society, powering transportation systems, heating buildings, operating industrial facilities, and manufacturing everything from plastic goods to agricultural fertilizers.

“The breadth of what is at risk here in fuels, chemicals, LNG and fertilizer inputs is what makes this moment qualitatively different from previous episodes of Gulf tension,” noted Aditya Saraswat, senior vice president at consultancy Rystad Energy.

Rising energy costs typically drive broader inflation, creating financial strain for both consumers and businesses. This economic pressure has become a significant political challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump as he works to maintain public support for the military campaign.

Trump has criticized NATO member nations for insufficient backing of the U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran, publicly labeling the traditional American allies “cowards.”

International benchmark crude oil prices have climbed more than 50% to exceed $110 per barrel since hostilities began. Middle Eastern oil varieties, which Asian economies rely on heavily, have reached record highs near $164 per barrel.

These increases have resulted in steep transportation fuel price hikes worldwide, prompting governments to take emergency steps to preserve available supplies.

Thailand has directed government employees to reduce energy use by canceling international travel and taking stairs rather than elevators, while Bangladesh has shuttered its universities.

Sri Lanka has implemented fuel rationing systems, China has prohibited refined fuel exports, and the United Kingdom’s emergency energy plan includes lowered speed limits to reduce fuel consumption.

The International Energy Agency released additional demand reduction recommendations on Friday, including remote work arrangements and limiting air travel, which has already faced severe disruptions after the conflict forced major Middle Eastern aviation hubs to close.

Earlier this month, the IEA authorized the release of a record 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves. However, analysts consider this measure insufficient since 400 million barrels would only offset approximately 20 days of war-related supply losses.

JP Morgan analyst Natasha Kaneva emphasized that demand reduction represents the only viable solution when supply shortages occur.

“The market is facing an acute shortage of products (…) that cannot be consumed simply because they are not available,” she stated.

Prices continue climbing for all remaining available products.

European jet fuel prices have reached record levels around $220 per barrel – costs that airlines will likely pass directly to passengers through higher ticket prices. In the United States, which imports minimal Middle Eastern oil, retail gasoline prices have increased more than one dollar per gallon since February 28 to approximately $4 per gallon.

Natural gas prices across Europe and Asia are climbing after recent Israeli-Iranian strikes targeted Gulf region gas facilities. Consumer electricity costs could also rise substantially.

Israeli forces attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field on Wednesday, while Iranian forces struck Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan LNG complex the following day. QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi informed Reuters that Iranian attacks will eliminate 12.8 million tons annually of LNG production – roughly 3% of global supply – for three to five years.

The situation poses critical risks since oil and gas products are essential for manufacturing pharmaceuticals, plastics, and fertilizers, according to Menelaos Ydreos, secretary general of the International Gas Union representing worldwide gas producers.

“We, again, call for an immediate stop to the targeting of energy facilities and for the resumption of cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as fertilisers, petrochemicals for the pharmaceutical industry, oil, grain, and gas are all critical to our existence,” he stated.

The military conflict also threatens global food security by severely disrupting fertilizer markets, since approximately one-third of international fertilizer trade normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz and is currently blocked.

Nitrogen-based fertilizer products like urea, considered the most crucial fertilizer type, have seen price increases of 30% to 40% since fighting began. American farmers are already reporting empty store shelves as spring planting season approaches.

Fertilizer manufacturing facilities in India, Bangladesh and Malaysia are suspending orders, reducing production, or completely shutting down operations due to lack of raw materials.

If the conflict continues for just a few more weeks, global food supplies will face significant disruption, warned Maximo Torero, chief economist with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

“This will affect planting. … There will be a lower supply of commodities in the world – of staple cereals, of feed, and therefore of dairy and meat,” he explained.

Approximately half of the world’s food production depends on fertilizers, which in some nations account for up to half the cost of grain production.

The Middle Eastern conflict has now stretched into its fourth week, with President Trump indicating the United States may begin scaling back its military involvement in the region.

According to recent statements, the administration is exploring options to “wind down” its military operations while simultaneously addressing the ongoing energy crisis through potential policy changes regarding Iranian oil sanctions.

The President has suggested that lifting restrictions on Iranian oil currently stranded at sea could help alleviate energy supply concerns that have emerged during the prolonged conflict.

The conflict shows no signs of immediate resolution as it continues to impact both regional stability and global energy markets.

KYIV, Ukraine — Two civilians lost their lives when a Russian drone struck a residential home in Zaporizhzhia on Saturday morning, according to Ukrainian officials, as diplomatic efforts to revive peace negotiations continue.

Regional administrator Ivan Fedorov confirmed that both a man and woman died in the attack, while two children sustained injuries when the drone targeted the private residence.

The deadly assault occurred as Ukrainian and U.S. representatives prepared for discussions scheduled to take place in Miami later Saturday, according to Ukrainian state media reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday evening that he had dispatched an official delegation to America with the goal of restarting the currently suspended U.S.-facilitated peace negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s military invasion.

The three-way discussions that include Russia have been stalled recently as global focus has shifted to the Iran conflict, despite failing to achieve significant progress on critical issues.

White House officials have not verified any scheduled meetings with the Ukrainian representatives.

Zelenskyy outlined that the delegation’s primary objectives in the United States include getting the trilateral negotiations back on track and securing Washington’s continued authorization for NATO allies to buy American military equipment for transfer to Ukraine.

A top Kremlin representative suggested Friday that renewed U.S.-mediated discussions between Moscow and Kyiv could happen in the near future.

“The pause is temporary, we hope it’s temporary regarding the continuation of the trilateral format,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.

Over the past year, Western European leaders have consistently criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for stalling negotiations while attempting to leverage his larger military force to gain battlefield advantages and seize additional Ukrainian territory. Russian troops currently occupy approximately 20% of Ukraine.

The recent Middle East crisis that started February 28 with Israeli and American military actions against Iran has shifted global focus away from Ukraine’s situation.

Meanwhile, Russia benefits from a temporary U.S. exemption on petroleum sanctions, providing financial gains, while Ukraine faces severe budget shortfalls and continues awaiting a promised 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) European Union loan package.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards completely restructured Hezbollah’s military operations following the Lebanese group’s devastating losses to Israeli forces in 2024, according to sources with knowledge of the Iranian activities.

The unprecedented reorganization by the IRGC came after Israel decimated Hezbollah’s leadership structure, including the assassination of longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and numerous senior commanders throughout 2024.

Two sources familiar with the Iranian operations revealed that the Revolutionary Guards deployed officers to fill command gaps and completely overhaul the Shi’ite organization that Iran originally established in 1982.

This marked the first comprehensive restructuring in Hezbollah’s history, demonstrating Iran’s direct intervention following the severe damage inflicted during the previous conflict.

The Iranian investment appears to have succeeded in restoring Hezbollah’s capabilities in time for the current Middle East conflict, where the group has joined the fighting alongside Tehran after attacks by the United States and Israel.

According to the sources, IRGC personnel arrived in Lebanon to retrain fighters and supervise weapons replenishment efforts. The Iranian officers also redesigned command systems that Israeli intelligence had successfully penetrated, which had enabled the targeted killings of multiple Hezbollah leaders.

An Israeli military representative acknowledged on March 12 that despite three years of Israeli operations against it, Hezbollah continues to pose a significant threat.

Since joining the regional conflict on March 2, Hezbollah has launched hundreds of rockets toward Israel, triggering Israeli counterattacks that have resulted in over 1,000 Lebanese casualties. Ground fighting continues as Hezbollah militants engage Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanese territory.

However, questions remain about Hezbollah’s performance capabilities, as its strength has not yet returned to previous peak levels, particularly if facing a comprehensive Israeli ground invasion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in January that Hezbollah was actively working to rearm and reconstruct its infrastructure with Iranian assistance.

The IRGC officers assigned to assist Hezbollah’s recovery arrived shortly after the November 2024 ceasefire took effect, continuing their work despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes. One source indicated approximately 100 officers participated in the deployment.

The restructuring eliminated traditional hierarchical command in favor of a decentralized network composed of small, independent units with limited knowledge of other operations, enhancing security and operational secrecy.

Iranian officers also developed coordinated missile attack strategies targeting Israel that would be executed simultaneously from both Iran and Lebanon – a plan first implemented on March 11.

A senior Lebanese security official confirmed that Iranian commanders assisted Hezbollah in rehabilitating and reorganizing its military personnel. The official believes the Iranians are helping manage the pace of current hostilities rather than selecting specific targets.

Another informed source said the IRGC deployed officers to Lebanon in 2024 to conduct a comprehensive post-conflict assessment of Hezbollah and assumed direct oversight of its military operations.

Two additional sources confirmed that the IRGC embedded specialized advisers with Hezbollah throughout the previous year to guide military decision-making.

Andreas Krieg, a lecturer in security studies at King’s College London, explained that the IRGC “has basically reorganized Hezbollah as a far more flat system,” contrasting this with the political hierarchy that had developed around Nasrallah before his death.

“That decentralized model that they’ve now implemented is also a bit more like what Hezbollah looked like in the 1980s – very small cells,” said Krieg, who has studied the organization for 15 years. He characterized this as a “mosaic defence” strategy also employed by the IRGC within Iran.

The Iranian restructuring efforts proceeded simultaneously with attempts by Lebanon’s government and its U.S.-supported military to advance disarmament of the group, highlighting significant obstacles to achieving that goal.

Lebanon estimates approximately 100 to 150 Iranian nationals in the country maintain government connections extending beyond standard diplomatic roles, including IRGC affiliations, according to a Lebanese official.

The official said the government requested these individuals leave Lebanon in early March.

The sources familiar with IRGC activities confirmed that Guards officers were among more than 150 Iranians who departed Beirut on a March 7 flight to Russia.

IRGC personnel were among roughly 500 people killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon during the 15 months between the 2024 ceasefire and the outbreak of renewed fighting. Approximately twelve additional IRGC members have died in Israeli strikes since the current war began, including casualties from a March 8 attack on a Beirut hotel.

The Revolutionary Guards have maintained close involvement with Hezbollah since establishing the group in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley to spread Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and combat Israeli forces that invaded Lebanon in 1982.

Qassem Soleimani, the senior IRGC commander killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike, had collaborated with Nasrallah during Hezbollah’s 2006 conflict with Israel. When Israeli airstrikes killed Nasrallah in a bunker in Beirut’s southern suburbs, an Iranian general died alongside him.

BUCHAREST, Romania — A special runway show in Romania’s capital city featured numerous models with Down syndrome who took to the catwalk in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day.

The annual observance focuses on celebrating individuals with Down syndrome while advocating for equal rights and opportunities, as well as increasing public understanding and awareness.

The fashion event highlighted the talents and abilities of the participating models as they confidently walked the runway in Bucharest.

KYIV, Ukraine – A Russian drone assault on Saturday knocked out electricity across most of Ukraine’s Chernihiv region in the country’s north, according to regional governor Viacheslav Chaus.

Chaus reported that crews were working to restore power following the infrastructure damage. The affected region sits along Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus and was home to nearly one million people before the war began.

The regional capital city, which shares the same name as the region, lost all electrical service, city officials confirmed.

Since the conflict started, Russia has launched an extensive campaign targeting Ukraine’s power grid and energy infrastructure, resulting in frequent blackouts lasting several hours that affect communities nationwide.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered New Year greetings to Iranian leadership on Saturday, emphasizing Moscow’s unwavering commitment to its partnership with Tehran, according to Kremlin officials.

Putin extended his Nowruz congratulations to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, marking the Iranian new year celebration.

“Vladimir Putin wished the Iranian people to overcome the harsh trials with dignity and stressed that in this difficult time Moscow remains a loyal friend and reliable partner of Tehran,” the Kremlin said.

However, questions remain about the actual depth of Russian assistance. Iranian sources have indicated they’ve received minimal concrete help from Moscow during what some consider Iran’s most significant crisis since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-supported Shah.

Moscow has characterized recent U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran as destabilizing forces that have pushed the Middle East toward chaos and created a significant global energy crisis. Putin has also denounced the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a “cynical” killing.

Reports emerged that Russia offered the United States a potential intelligence-sharing agreement, proposing to halt information exchanges with Iran in return for Washington ending intelligence support to Ukraine regarding Russian operations. U.S. officials rejected this proposal, while the Kremlin has labeled these reports as false.

The loss of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as an ally has affected Russia’s regional partnerships, though Moscow has gained economically from elevated oil prices resulting from Middle Eastern conflicts involving its strategic partner Iran.

Despite their partnership agreement, Russia and Iran’s alliance lacks mutual defense provisions. Moscow has consistently opposed Iranian nuclear weapons development, expressing concerns that such weapons could spark widespread nuclear proliferation throughout the Middle East.

Iranian military forces launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles on Saturday aimed at the Diego Garcia military installation in the Indian Ocean, which houses both American and British personnel, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.

Earlier reporting from The Wall Street Journal confirmed that Iran had deployed the ballistic missiles in the direction of the strategic base, though the projectiles failed to make contact with the facility.

According to Mehr’s coverage, the missile strike represented a “significant step … that shows that the range of Iran’s missiles is beyond what the enemy previously imagined.”

BUCHAREST, Romania — A special runway show in Romania’s capital city featured dozens of young models with Down syndrome wearing custom-designed outfits to commemorate World Down Syndrome Day and celebrate what organizers called “atypical beauty.”

The SEEN Anonymous Seamstresses Gala took place Wednesday at Bucharest’s Romexpo center, bringing together clothing designers from throughout Romania who crafted garments “with great kindness, care and creativity” specifically for youth with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.

According to Georgeta Bucur, president of Down Plus Association Bucharest who organized the event, 50 volunteer seamstresses each designed and created an outfit for a young person they had never previously encountered.

“The costumes were created without anyone trying them on,” she explained. “But the most important thing is that the people gathered together again. This event is really special … it’s the most beautiful thing that could happen.”

Nineteen-year-old Antonia Voicu, dressed in a voluminous green netted gown and crowned with red roses, described taking the stage as fulfilling a longtime dream.

“I feel like I’m always fashionable, and I like to strike a pose, so I like to do like this,” she explained before walking the runway. “I’m not nervous at all.”

Diana Negres, Antonia’s caretaker, described the fashion show as “a big step” for Antonia, who had long fantasized about “being a star” performing on stage. “This event gives her exactly this,” Negres said. “This is her first time, we did no preparation at all, so everything will be spontaneous.”

Seamstress and event organizer Cristina Bucur explained that her inspiration for the fashion show stemmed from having a child with a disability.

“I wanted the other children to see what it’s like to wear a costume during a fashion show, what it’s like to be cheered on stage,” she said. “They enjoy it enormously because they see that someone looks at them, that someone does something for them.”

Statistics from the Romania Down Syndrome Federation indicate approximately 12,000 people in Romania have Down syndrome, while more than 6 million people worldwide live with the condition. Romanian data from 2022 showed one person with Down syndrome is born per every 847 births in the Eastern European nation.

Nine-year-old Marusika Burlaca, wearing a pink pearl-studded dress with styled hair, shared her excitement about the experience.

“On stage, us children go on a parade, and today I’m dressed in a nice dress and try to do some modeling,” she said.

Event organizer Larisa Bucur noted that while participants sometimes experience nervousness due to emotions, they genuinely enjoy being the focus of attention.

“We know that they want to be in the spotlight. I think it’s a very good opportunity for them,” she said. “Maybe they get a bit nervous at times, it’s the emotions, but they really like to be the center of attention.”

World Down Syndrome Day aims to celebrate the lives of individuals with Down syndrome while ensuring they receive equal rights and opportunities, and to increase public awareness. The United Nations General Assembly officially designated March 21 as the day of observance in 2011.

This year’s focus addresses combating loneliness, which the World Down Syndrome Day website notes affects people with Down syndrome disproportionately.

“Everyone feels lonely sometimes,” the organization states. “But for many people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, loneliness is a more common and painful experience.”

Russian government officials have employed creative justifications to shut down planned demonstrations against internet restrictions and the blocking of Telegram, the nation’s second-most popular messaging platform.

Local administrators cited everything from tree maintenance needs to snow clearing operations and lingering COVID-19 protocols to prevent rallies in nearly a dozen regions across Russia in recent weeks.

Their efforts largely succeeded. Aware of the harsh response to dissent following the invasion of Ukraine four years ago, protest organizers chose not to risk unauthorized gatherings, even for non-war related causes. Some pursued legal challenges to government denials of permits, while others shifted to smaller indoor meetings.

However, opposition continues to simmer across various political groups regarding restrictions on Russia’s second-most used messaging service, contributing to mounting public frustration over numerous national problems.

“Clearly the situation has changed, the laws have become stricter, but the protest hasn’t gone anywhere,” said Alexander Sustov, a legislator in Russia’s far eastern Primorye region where a pro-Telegram rally was blocked last month.

“Discontent remains. And any ban only fuels that discontent,” he said.

The Telegram restrictions represent Russia’s newest effort to bring internet communications under state oversight. Government censors have blocked thousands of websites and platforms, along with numerous virtual private networks that help users bypass restrictions. Extensive mobile internet shutdowns often leave only government-approved sites accessible.

Among Russian users, only WhatsApp surpasses Telegram in popularity, though it too faces severe limitations. Government agencies regularly use Telegram for official communications, as do pro-Kremlin commentators and military bloggers with massive followings.

Officials are promoting MAX, a government-supported messaging platform that critics describe as a surveillance mechanism.

Military bloggers have criticized the Telegram restrictions, contending the app serves as essential communication infrastructure for Russian forces in Ukraine and activists organizing fundraising efforts for Moscow’s military.

Initially, the government pledged not to limit Telegram access for battlefield use, but the Kremlin later sent mixed signals.

During an International Women’s Day meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a servicewoman labeled Telegram “an adversarial communications tool” and endorsed his statement that “the use of communications systems that are not ours, not under our control, poses a danger to personnel” in combat.

Unverified media accounts suggest complete blocking of the application may occur in coming weeks. Telegram recorded 93.6 million monthly Russian users in December 2025, representing 76% of the population according to monitoring organization Mediascope.

The Telegram blocking has mobilized diverse political factions, including war supporters and general Kremlin backers.

The broad dissatisfaction and absence of clear justification for the restrictions has made “people feel like they can afford to protest here,” explained political analyst Abbas Gallyamov.

Last month, Other Russia members, an ultranationalist, pro-war organization, secured the entrance to Roskomnadzor’s Moscow headquarters with bicycle cables and displayed a sign reading: “Give us an internet without supervision, (and) Russia without Roskom-disgrace.”

In December, the group displayed a banner at the agency’s St. Petersburg location stating, “Roskomnadzor, ban this banner.”

All participants faced arrest, with the Moscow demonstrators receiving criminal charges.

Communist Party regional offices, typically Kremlin-supportive, attempted to coordinate rallies in multiple locations. Altai region officials in Siberia rejected their request, claiming assertions of internet restrictions were “at odds with reality.” Southern Krasnodar has approved a late March rally on the city’s periphery.

Communist Party members successfully conducted pickets in northern cities Naryan-Mar and Syktyvkar, carrying signs declaring “It is not up to officials to decide what we read” and “The internet is not a prison.”

These represented rare exceptions, as authorities elsewhere denied rally permits or canceled them last-minute.

Perm organizers in the Ural Mountains secured approval for a March 15 demonstration, but received notice two hours beforehand of a “potential emergency situation” making the site unsuitable for gatherings.

Some attendees still appeared. Viktor Gilin, 80, displayed a banner reading, “Vladimir Putin! I demand that you bring back freedom of thought and speech — the internet!” He faced immediate detention and fines.

In Siberian Novosibirsk, authorities detained 16 individuals this month at a planned pro-Telegram gathering site. Despite not requiring authorization for protests at that location, participants found the area cordoned off for an alleged “tree inspection,” activist Roman Malozyomov reported.

Malozyomov and fellow activists, journalists and bystanders were held briefly before release. He immediately proceeded to Lenin Square for a solo demonstration with a sign expressing his desire to “stay connected,” featuring a crossed-out Roskomnadzor logo.

This week, activists in several regions submitted requests for March 29 rally authorization. Some faced immediate rejection.

Public demonstrations have become uncommon since violent suppression of anti-war protests in 2022, with political prosecutions surging and dissent-restricting legislation expanding.

Smaller protests have persisted in some areas, including unauthorized ones. Military wives demonstrated at the Kremlin and Defense Ministry in 2024, while over 1,000 people assembled that year in Bashkortostan to oppose a local activist’s imprisonment, leading to widespread arrests.

Siberian farmers protested this month against what they consider unnecessary cattle culling. In northern Komi, woodworking plant employees rallied for overdue wages.

Hundreds participated in an authorized October rally in Vladivostok opposing increased vehicle registration costs, marking one of the Pacific coast city’s largest gatherings in years.

In Siberian Tomsk, activist Anton Isakov recently organized approved demonstrations against blocking the popular gaming platform Roblox and another addressing animal cruelty.

When authorities permit protests, participants readily appear due to numerous issues “that people want to speak out about,” he explained. His attempts to secure pro-Telegram rally permits have been unsuccessful.

Malozyomov, the Novosibirsk activist, noted that small, authorized rallies addressing issues like high utility costs often receive approval because “the authorities are trying to give people an opportunity to vent, so that the tension doesn’t build up.”

Some are pursuing alternatives to rallies.

Konstantin Larionov in Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, and 41 others filed legal action against Roskomnadzor and government officials last year, claiming Telegram and WhatsApp restrictions violate free speech and privacy rights.

Larionov encouraged others to join through court email petitions, expanding the plaintiff count to 105. He found it encouraging to see people “from different parts of the country” willing to participate.

The court ruled in favor of authorities. Larionov appealed unsuccessfully but intends to pursue the case to the Supreme Court.

He acknowledges diminished protest capabilities in Russia but believes continued efforts remain important.

“We are, maybe, retreating a little bit, but we’re not giving up,” he said.

Analyst Gallyamov characterizes the Telegram protests as signaling popular discontent rather than “fighting the regime.”

However, “it is another crack in the foundation” of Putin’s rule, he said.

A young East African refugee thought he was finally safe when a California immigration judge granted him protection after 13 months in detention. Despite his asylum denial, the court ruled he couldn’t be sent home due to safety concerns.

“He told me: ‘Welcome to the U.S.,” the 28-year-old told The Associated Press, sharing his legal paperwork. “You are now protected by the U.S. law, so you can leave the center, work and stay in this country.”

Instead of freedom, the man found himself shackled aboard a charter flight bound for Equatorial Guinea, a West African oil-rich dictatorship that made a covert agreement with the Trump administration to accept deported migrants. The nation now serves as a holding station for people who cannot legally be returned to their homelands.

The refugee, who asked to remain unnamed due to safety fears, said he escaped his birth country after facing violence and imprisonment based on his ethnicity.

He joins 28 others sent to Equatorial Guinea, which Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has labeled “one of the most corrupt governments in the world.”

Seven African countries have made similar arrangements with the United States to accept third-country deportees, creating what legal advocates describe as a workaround to American protection laws. Most of those sent away had received court orders preventing their return home, according to their attorneys.

The Associated Press previously spoke with a Moroccan gay asylum-seeker who was flown to Cameroon and eventually felt pressured to return to Morocco, where homosexuality is criminalized.

During a telephone conversation, the 28-year-old described how Equatorial Guinea officials push him to leave despite filing an asylum request there, which AP reviewed.

“They told us there is no any asylum or any protection in this country for us,” he explained. “So the best option is to leave the country as soon as possible.”

However, he said going back to a nation torn by ethnic violence was “not an option.”

America is sending people to other nations “to circumvent laws that forbid sending a person to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened,” explained Meredyth Yoon, litigation director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, who has assisted deportees in Equatorial Guinea.

Yoon confirmed key details of the asylum-seeker’s story.

“Once deported, these individuals face impossible alternatives: indefinite detention without access to counsel, or forced deportation to the very countries they fled from,” she stated.

The 29 deportees originated from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mauritania, Angola, Congo, Chad, Georgia, Ghana and Nigeria, according to a visiting attorney who requested anonymity given the country’s poor human rights situation. Officials prevented him from meeting most detainees.

The refugee said his deportation occurred in January. Previously, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried forcing him to sign papers claiming he wanted voluntary return to his homeland. He said they seemed shocked he could read the document, quoting one officer as saying: “I never knew Black people could read and write.”

After refusing to sign, he was moved to Arizona, where he spent five months in a windowless room with several others. Sanitation was poor and medical care was “very difficult” to obtain.

“One guy in my room became crazy and started shouting and hitting himself because he wanted to go home,” he recalled.

A judge rejected his asylum petition but approved protection under American law and the U.N. Convention Against Torture, which blocks return home while permitting transfer to a supposedly safe third nation.

“All the people told me that we are going back to Africa,” he remembered. “I needed to speak with my lawyer, but these ICE officers started using force, they started beating me.”

Following moves through California, Texas and Louisiana, he was handcuffed and transported to an airport during overnight hours.

The aircraft was operated by Omni Air International, a charter company, carrying others in similar situations, he said.

Upon landing, he learned their destination was Equatorial Guinea.

A Department of Homeland Security representative denied his allegations, stating ICE officers “did NOT beat, coerce, or use racial slurs” against him, calling him “an illegal alien” who “was processed as an expedited removal and was removed to Equatorial Guinea.”

“All of these illegal aliens deported to Equatorial Guinea received due process and had a final order of removal,” they added.

The man and fellow deportees are held in Malabo, the former capital city.

“It’s an old closed hotel and there are no other customers,” he described. “Most of us were sick because of the food. I was hospitalized for two days. There is also malaria here, two guys were hospitalized with that.”

Yoon said 17 detainees have been forced back to their origin countries after being told no alternatives exist, since Equatorial Guinea lacks asylum procedures.

“Everyone who I’ve talked to since they left is not in a good situation,” she noted. “Many of them are in hiding.”

One deportee returned to Mauritania still attempted requesting asylum from the prime minister’s office, according to documents reviewed by AP. The visiting lawyer forwarded copies to the United Nations refugee agency.

However, on Christmas Day, Equatorial Guinea authorities restrained him and placed him on an outbound flight.

“He alerted (authorities) to the fact that he had applied for asylum, and we contacted the U.S. Embassy in Malabo about his case but didn’t receive a response,” Yoon said.

The UN refugee agency declined commenting on specific cases. Larissa Schlotterbeck, regional head of external engagement, said Equatorial Guinea is developing asylum procedures and UNHCR is assisting with identifying people needing protection meanwhile.

The Trump administration allocated at least $40 million for deporting roughly 300 migrants to nations other than their homelands, based on a February Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democratic staff analysis. Other African partners include South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and Cameroon.

Equatorial Guinea obtained $7.5 million, Senator Shaheen revealed.

In correspondence to Secretary of State Marco Rubio obtained by AP, Shaheen called the “highly unusual payment” concerning regarding taxpayer money usage, noting it surpassed American foreign aid to Equatorial Guinea during the previous eight years.

Last year, the State Department granted temporary sanctions relief allowing Teodorin Obiang, son of Equatorial Guinea’s president and the nation’s vice president, to visit America. Obiang met with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

Neither the State Department nor Equatorial Guinea officials responded to comment requests.

The 28-year-old asylum-seeker remains trapped in uncertainty. He considers this the most difficult aspect of his experience.

“Before, we were immigrants with hope,” he said. “But here, there is no more hope.”

LONDON (AP) — Recent Iranian strikes against Qatar’s natural gas production facilities have created a significant threat to worldwide technology manufacturing, as the disrupted helium output could impact everything from computer chip production to medical equipment operations.

While most people recognize helium as the substance that lifts party balloons, this gas serves critical functions in semiconductor manufacturing, rocket launches, and medical imaging equipment.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Qatar provides approximately one-third of global helium supplies, but the country was forced to suspend operations when conflict began three weeks ago. Following the most recent Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure, Qatar’s government-owned gas corporation announced helium shipments would decrease by 14%.

Understanding helium’s industrial significance:

Helium emerges as a secondary product during natural gas extraction through a process called cryogenic distillation. Qatar, which controls the planet’s largest individual natural gas reserve, generates roughly 30% of worldwide helium according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The nation’s helium comes from the Ras Laffan complex, recognized as the globe’s most extensive liquefied natural gas operation. However, the state-controlled energy firm QatarGas stopped LNG production and related materials on March 2 following Iranian drone strikes, then announced force majeure two days afterward, indicating contractual obligations cannot be met due to uncontrollable circumstances.

Following additional Iranian bombardments on Wednesday and Thursday that targeted Ras Laffan again, QatarGas documented widespread destruction requiring years of reconstruction and reducing yearly helium shipments by 14%.

“It makes the story worse,” said Phil Kornbluth, president of Kornbluth Helium Consulting. “Your best case scenario would be you’re back producing some helium in six weeks or something like that. As it looks right now, that’s highly unlikely.”

Market prices for helium have increased twofold since the crisis began and will likely climb higher, Kornbluth explained.

However, immediate market trading represents only approximately 2% of total transactions during typical periods, he noted. Helium operates as a specialty commodity primarily distributed through extended agreements.

Nevertheless, contract costs “could go up a lot,” Kornbluth stated. “There’s lots of room for price increase if this is an extended outage.”

Kornbluth explained the supply shortage hasn’t materialized yet, since helium shipments that should have been loaded when fighting started in early March would require additional weeks to reach Asian destinations.

“Nobody’s run out of helium yet. But it’s a few weeks out when the shortage really hits.”

Helium plays a vital role in semiconductor production, including advanced processors used in artificial intelligence systems manufactured at Asian facilities.

The gas excels at heat conduction and transfer, making it perfect for quick cooling applications.

Semiconductor manufacturers utilize helium to reduce temperatures of wafers — silicon disks containing microscopic electronic pathways. The gas is employed during etching procedures, when deposited materials are removed from wafers to create transistor formations, explained Jacob Feldgoise, an analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Throughout the etching procedure, “you really want to maintain a constant temperature over the wafer. And in order to do that, you need to be able to draw heat away from the wafer that’s being processed,” Feldgoise said. “Helium is an excellent thermal conductor. And so chip fabs will blow helium over the back of the wafer in order to speed heat removal and keep heat removal consistent.”

Current semiconductor production methods lack any practical alternative to helium for wafer cooling, according to Jong-hwan Lee, a professor of semiconductor devices at South Korea’s Sangmyung University.

Healthcare facilities depend on helium to cool superconducting magnets that operate magnetic resonance imaging equipment.

Space companies utilize helium to clean rocket fuel storage systems, with demand projected to increase due to more frequent missions by organizations like SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Helium’s molecular characteristics create storage and transportation challenges.

As a gas, helium’s microscopic particles easily escape storage systems by seeping through even tiny openings.

Qatar’s energy company typically freezes helium into liquid state and stores it in specialized insulated vessels for shipment through the Strait of Hormuz. These custom containers maintain helium for 35 to 48 days. Beyond that timeframe, they begin heating up, causing helium to return to gas form and escape through safety release mechanisms.

Approximately 200 of these vessels remain trapped in the Middle East, Kornbluth reported. Each container costs roughly $1 million, so additional units aren’t readily available elsewhere.

“It’s going to take a fair amount of time to get these containers out of Qatar and to get them somewhere else where they might be able to be filled with helium,” he explained.

“So this initial period when you lose Qatar supply and have to rejig the supply chain and reposition containers, that’s going to be the worst part of the shortage most likely.”

Only a limited number of nations manufacture helium.

The United States leads production, generating 81 million cubic meters annually. Qatar, Algeria and Russia represent other major suppliers, though Russian materials are prohibited under United States and European Union sanctions.

USGS calculations show the United States possesses 8.5 billion cubic meters of extractable helium in underground formations, while other countries hold 31.3 billion cubic meters.

The conflict emphasizes the extensive international supply networks supporting South Korea’s semiconductor sector, which has experienced increased worldwide demand for its processors during the AI expansion.

Fitch Ratings released a report this week indicating the country — headquarters to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the planet’s largest memory chip manufacturers — faces particular supply shortage risks because it imports approximately 65% of its helium from Qatar.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix probably maintain several months of stock, but they must urgently secure alternative sources, Lee emphasized, as the conflict could continue and potentially interrupt additional material supplies beyond helium.

Helium ranks among 14 semiconductor supply chain components the Seoul government monitors due to significant war-related vulnerability.

“Even disruptions affecting just a handful of materials could destabilize the entire semiconductor manufacturing process as each stage of production depends on the previous one,” Lee stated.

Nevertheless, a complete helium emergency remains unlikely, specialists indicated. During shortages, Kornbluth said the helium sector prioritizes distribution based on necessity, placing essential industries like chipmaking and healthcare first in line.

Since helium represents a minor portion of overall semiconductor production expenses, manufacturing facilities likely “would be willing to pay a higher price” to obtain supplies, Feldgoise noted.

Samsung and SK Hynix refused to answer questions regarding inventory levels or diversification strategies. The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association confirmed short-term supplies remain adequate and companies have been expanding their supply sources.

Major chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company also stated it does not “anticipate any significant impact at this time” but will continue monitoring developments.

President Donald Trump suggested Friday he may be ready to reduce American military involvement in the Middle East, posting this message at the same time his administration is deploying three additional amphibious assault vessels and approximately 2,500 more Marines to the area.

The president’s Friday social media statement came after Iran issued warnings about targeting tourist and recreational locations globally, amid another day of aerial bombardments and missile exchanges across the region.

These contradictory signals from Washington emerged following another surge in petroleum costs that sent U.S. markets tumbling, prompting the Trump administration to announce it would temporarily suspend sanctions on Iranian crude oil already aboard vessels in an effort to control rising fuel costs.

The conflict, now in its third week, continues to escalate without any indication of resolution, as Israel reported Iran launched additional missiles early Saturday morning, while Saudi Arabia announced it intercepted 20 unmanned aircraft within just hours in its eastern provinces where critical oil infrastructure is located.

These latest strikes occurred one day after Israeli warplanes targeted locations in Tehran during Iran’s celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, a traditionally joyous occasion now overshadowed by warfare.

American and Israeli officials have provided varying explanations for the military campaign, ranging from hopes of sparking internal rebellion against Iran’s government to destroying its nuclear and missile capabilities. No evidence of such an uprising has emerged publicly, and no conclusion to the hostilities appears imminent.

Trump wrote on social media: “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.”

This statement appeared to contradict his administration’s decision to increase military assets in the region while requesting an additional $200 billion from Congress for war funding.

According to an official who spoke with The Associated Press, the United States is sending three more amphibious assault vessels along with roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle East. Two other U.S. officials verified the ship deployments without specifying their destinations. All three sources requested anonymity when discussing classified military movements.

Earlier this week, the U.S. redirected another group of amphibious assault ships carrying an additional 2,500 Marines from Pacific operations to the Middle East. These forces will supplement more than 50,000 American troops already stationed in the region.

While Trump has stated he has no intention of deploying ground forces into Iran, he has also maintained that all military options remain available.

Iranian military spokesman Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi issued a warning Friday that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide would not be secure for the country’s adversaries. This threat has raised fresh concerns that Tehran might return to using militant attacks outside the Middle East as a strategy to apply pressure.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei commended Iranians’ resilience during wartime in a written message broadcast on Iranian television for Nowruz. Khamenei has not appeared publicly since assuming the supreme leadership role after Israeli attacks killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and allegedly injured him.

With limited information emerging from Iran, the extent of damage to its weapons, nuclear, or energy infrastructure from intensive U.S. and Israeli bombardments that started February 28 remains unclear, as does the question of who is actually governing the country. However, Iran’s counterattacks continue to disrupt oil supplies and drive up food and fuel costs well beyond the Middle East.

Israeli military forces announced early Saturday they had begun a series of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in southern Beirut neighborhoods.

Residents observed smoke rising, fires erupting, and heard powerful explosions throughout parts of central Beirut, following renewed Israeli military evacuation orders for seven districts.

Israeli operations against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon have resulted in more than 1,000 deaths and displaced over 1 million people, according to Lebanese government statistics.

Casualties in Iran during the war have exceeded 1,300 people. In Israel, Iranian missiles have killed 15 individuals, with four additional deaths in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. service members have lost their lives.

Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, has climbed dramatically during the fighting and was trading around $106 per barrel, up from approximately $70 before the conflict began.

The recently announced U.S. sanctions suspension covers Iranian oil loaded onto ships as of Friday and will expire April 19.

This measure does not increase production output, which is a key driver of the price increases. Iran has successfully circumvented U.S. sanctions for years, indicating that much of its exported oil already reaches international buyers.

In seeking methods to increase global oil availability during the Iran conflict, the Trump administration previously suspended sanctions on specific Russian oil shipments for 30 days, which opponents criticized as benefiting Moscow while providing only minimal market relief.

Iranian officials carried out the executions of three young men this week, including a 19-year-old wrestling champion, sparking concerns among international human rights organizations that authorities may be launching a broader campaign of state killings targeting protesters.

The deaths of these three individuals mark the initial executions from the tens of thousands of people detained during Iranian security forces’ January suppression of widespread demonstrations. Human rights advocates warn that more than 100 additional protesters may be facing potential death sentences.

Saleh Mohammadi, the teenage wrestler, was executed alongside Mehdi Qasemi and Saeed Davoudi early Thursday morning in the city of Qom, located south of Tehran, according to Iranian state media reports. The trio had received death sentences under charges of “moharabeh,” translated as “waging war against God,” for their alleged involvement in the deaths of two police officers during demonstrations in their city.

Amnesty International condemned the convictions, stating the three men and others detained during the protests were subjected to “grossly unfair trials” where authorities used confessions obtained through torture.

According to Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, who directs the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights organization, the executions were “intended to instill fear in society and deter new protests” during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

Amiry-Moghaddam expressed concern that numerous additional “executions of protesters and political prisoners may be imminent.”

His organization has verified at least 27 death sentences handed down to individuals arrested during the demonstrations. An additional 100 people face charges carrying potential death penalties, while Iranian state television has broadcast hundreds of coerced confessions to capital crimes, according to Amiry-Moghaddam.

The nationwide demonstrations that started in late December reached their peak during January’s first week, triggering the most lethal government response since the Islamic Republic’s establishment in 1979.

Determining an accurate casualty count has proven difficult due to government-imposed internet restrictions. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists New Agency, which maintains contacts throughout Iran, confirmed more than 7,000 deaths while investigating thousands of additional cases. The organization reported over 50,000 arrests within just six weeks. Iranian officials acknowledged more than 3,000 fatalities.

During the protest movement’s height, Iranian leadership indicated that rapid trials and executions would follow.

U.S. President Donald Trump had suggested military intervention might be necessary to halt the violent crackdown. However, he later announced that he had learned execution plans were suspended, indicating military action was no longer being considered.

One month afterward, Israel and the United States began an intensive aerial bombing campaign against Iran, striking military facilities and targeting senior political and security officials. The security agencies believed responsible for the protester crackdown are also being attacked.

Even during wartime, Iranian authorities have maintained their suppression of dissent. Officials report dozens of additional detentions since the war commenced on February 28, including some who participated in January’s protests.

Due to Iran’s internet shutdown, limited information is available about Thursday’s executed men. Amiry-Moghaddam noted that Davoudi was born March 20, 2004, meaning his execution occurred one day before his 22nd birthday. Qasemi’s age remains unknown.

Mohammadi had distinguished himself in wrestling, an extremely popular sport throughout Iran. He earned a bronze medal in 2024 at an international youth freestyle wrestling competition held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

His Instagram profile featured photographs and videos from competitions and training sessions, accompanied by motivational messages about perseverance. His final post in late December showed him exercising at a gym with the caption: “We endured beyond our imagination. Back again #bodybuilding #training #wrestling.”

“He was full of energy,” recalled Shiva Amelirad, an Iranian educator now living in Toronto who had spoken with Mohammadi in 2022 during his high school years.

Amelirad explained that Mohammadi had joined anti-government demonstrations that erupted earlier that year following Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody after her detention for improper headscarf wearing. Those protests also faced severe government suppression.

She said Mohammadi shared that exercise and eating ice cream were his only methods “to forget all this catastrophe that we are facing.”

“He always tried to show that he was happy,” Amelirad remembered.

Multiple human rights organizations report that Mohammadi, Qasemi and Davoudi were arrested in Qom on January 15. The details surrounding their arrests remain unclear, and it’s unknown whether they were previously acquainted.

They faced charges in connection with a police officer’s killing on January 8 and received convictions in early February, according to both Amnesty and Iran Human Rights.

While detained, Mohammadi suffered beatings and had one hand broken, Amnesty reported in a February 19 public letter to Iran’s judiciary criticizing the prosecution of numerous arrested demonstrators. Amnesty stated that Mohammadi rejected the charges and withdrew his confessions in court, claiming they were obtained through torture.

“Authorities have systematically subjected those arrested in connection to the protests to enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture to extract forced ‘confessions,’” Amnesty stated in their letter.

Mizan, the Iranian judiciary’s official news outlet, confirmed Thursday’s executions of the three men, broadcasting footage of them wearing prison clothing in court. The agency claimed they had admitted to killing two police officers using “knives and swords,” and displayed video purporting to show them recreating the killings for court officials.

Amiry-Moghaddam from Iran Human Rights said the Islamic Republic is fighting for survival “and is well aware that the main threat to its existence comes not from external actors, but from the Iranian people demanding fundamental change.”

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his support for President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative aimed at funding and implementing basic reconstruction efforts in Gaza, according to a Politico report published Saturday.

In an interview with the publication, Guterres indicated his organization is actively working alongside the board’s framework. “There is an objective there that was defined, approved by the Security Council, and we are cooperating actively with structures created by the Board of Peace,” Guterres stated.

However, the UN leader emphasized that he believes the board’s role should remain limited to Gaza’s rebuilding efforts. “This is not the effective way to address the dramatic problems that we have now. We need to be clear about international law, to be clear about the values of the Charter of the United Nations. That is essential in any peace initiative,” he explained.

During the interview, Guterres also addressed regional tensions, urging Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He proposed that the United Nations could play a role in safeguarding the crucial waterway and contribute to reducing ongoing attacks in the area.

The Secretary-General revealed he has not had direct communication with President Trump since the conflict began, though he has maintained contact with other members of the administration.

Israeli forces launched military strikes against Iran and Lebanon on Saturday while the United States announced plans to deploy thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump criticized NATO partners for their unwillingness to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The death toll has exceeded 2,000 since U.S. and Israeli forces began their offensive against Iran on February 28, with growing American concerns about the conflict’s potential expansion as it continues into its fourth week.

Saturday’s Israeli operations targeted Hezbollah positions in Lebanon’s capital city, marking an escalation in airstrikes against the Iranian-supported group. This represents the most significant expansion of the Iranian conflict since Hezbollah began attacking Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Tehran.

Israeli military officials confirmed they also conducted fresh strikes against Iranian targets Saturday, including locations within Tehran itself.

Critical energy facilities throughout Iran and neighboring Gulf nations have come under attack, causing oil prices to spike 50% since hostilities began and raising fears of worldwide economic disruption.

United Airlines responded to the crisis by announcing a 5% reduction in scheduled flights for the second and third quarters, anticipating continued elevated fuel costs.

The strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which handles approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has remained largely inaccessible to commercial vessels since the U.S.-Israeli military campaign commenced.

President Trump criticized American allies as “cowards” on Friday for refusing to participate in efforts to reopen the waterway while combat operations continue.

Multiple allied nations, who were not briefed prior to the conflict’s start, have committed to joining “appropriate efforts” to restore safe maritime passage through the strait. However, Germany and France have insisted that fighting must cease first. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated he would discuss the situation with Trump over the weekend.

Iran has signaled willingness to permit Japanese-affiliated ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to Kyodo News reports Saturday, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Japan relies on the strait for approximately 90% of its oil imports.

In an attempt to boost supply and reduce prices, the Trump administration announced a 30-day sanctions waiver allowing the sale of 140 million barrels of Iranian oil currently held on tankers due to the conflict. The administration had previously implemented similar relief measures for sanctioned Russian oil.

Before Saturday’s attacks, Israeli military personnel issued evacuation orders for seven neighborhoods in southern Beirut suburbs. Lebanese casualties have surpassed 1,000 deaths, with more than one million people displaced by Israeli strikes.

Friday saw Israeli forces execute two major bombing campaigns against Tehran and central Iran, while Israel endured several rounds of Iranian missile attacks, according to Israeli military reports.

As Muslims throughout the region began Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking Ramadan’s end Friday evening, and Iranians observed Nowruz, their traditional New Year, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a defiant statement.

Khamenei, who has remained out of public view since an Israeli attack killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the conflict’s opening day, declared that Iranians had responded with “unity and resistance” and “dealt a disorienting blow to the enemy.”

A U.S. intelligence official, speaking anonymously, suggested Khamenei’s written statement raises concerns about his wellbeing, noting his father traditionally delivered New Year messages via video.

Three U.S. officials informed Reuters Friday that 2,500 Marines, accompanied by the amphibious assault vessel Boxer and supporting warships, would be dispatched to the region, though their specific mission remains undisclosed.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey revealed nearly two-thirds of Americans expect Trump to authorize troops for large-scale ground combat, with only 7% supporting such action.

Two officials confirmed no final decision has been made regarding ground troop deployment into Iran. Sources previously told Reuters that potential targets might include Iran’s coastline or the Kharg Island oil export facility.

When questioned Thursday about troop deployment plans, Trump stated he was “not putting troops anywhere,” adding, “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”

Trump indicated the United States was approaching its military objectives, which include weakening Iran’s armed forces and preventing nuclear weapons development, and suggested the possibility of reducing military operations.

BEIRUT (AP) — Twelve healthcare workers died instantly when an Israeli airstrike hit a medical facility in southern Lebanon, with one person critically injured and four others trapped beneath debris for hours.

The March 13 attack on the village of Burj Qalaouiyah facility represents one of the most devastating single incidents since the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict erupted on March 2. The targeted medical center operated under Hezbollah’s healthcare division, the Islamic Health Society, which has now lost 24 staff members during the past two weeks of fighting.

Israeli forces have expanded their strategy beyond attacking Hezbollah’s military capabilities, now systematically targeting the organization’s civilian operations in what appears to be an effort to diminish the Iran-supported group’s influence and erode its popular support base.

The militant organization functions both as an armed faction and political entity, with its healthcare and community service programs serving as key pillars of its public backing throughout the years.

Beyond medical facilities, Israeli airstrikes have eliminated more than twelve locations belonging to Hezbollah’s banking operation, al-Qard al-Hasan. Additional bombardments have severely damaged the organization’s Al-Manar television headquarters and Al-Nour radio broadcasting centers.

The military campaign has also focused on the group’s Amana fuel stations and Sajjad discount retail outlets, where economically disadvantaged residents purchase heavily subsidized goods.

Wednesday’s Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Beirut resulted in the deaths of Mohammed Sherri, who directed political programming for Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television network, and his spouse.

Israeli officials claim Hezbollah operates military functions within healthcare facilities and assert that al-Qard al-Hasan — formally registered as a charitable organization providing no-interest loans — funds the group’s armed operations. Lebanon’s Health Ministry rejects Israeli allegations regarding military use of Hezbollah medical facilities.

“This represents a distinct conflict that will not conclude through ceasefire agreements,” stated Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at American University of Beirut. “This conflict will persist until Israel accomplishes its complete goal — eliminating Hezbollah not merely as a military force, but ultimately removing Hezbollah entirely from Lebanon’s political arena.”

Hezbollah faces mounting domestic and international demands to surrender its weapons and recognizes this current confrontation as pivotal. Fierce fighting along Lebanon’s southern frontier between Hezbollah militants and advancing Israeli forces has resulted in numerous Lebanese fighter casualties.

During Monday’s visit to the northern battlefront, Israeli army commander Gen. Eyal Zamir declared that Hezbollah now engages in “a conflict for its survival and faces severe consequences for joining this confrontation.” He emphasized that Israeli military pressure will continue to “escalate further.”

“This constitutes an existential struggle. It is neither limited nor straightforward,” Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem declared during a weekend televised address. Kassem pledged his organization would continue fighting indefinitely and never capitulate.

Israeli authorities maintain that Lebanon has failed to disarm the organization according to the Lebanese government’s own commitments, therefore Israel will complete this objective independently.

Contrasting with earlier Israeli conflicts, the current situation occurs while the Lebanese government has declared Hezbollah’s military operations unlawful and officials have arrested multiple group members for unauthorized weapons possession.

Similar to past conflicts, Hezbollah faces domestic criticism from Lebanese opponents who hold the Iran-backed organization responsible for initiating this war through rocket attacks on Israel. Hezbollah launched these rockets in retaliation for the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, occurring less than 48 hours after U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran commenced, sparking regional warfare.

Israel responded with extensive aerial bombardment campaigns across Lebanese territories, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities and displacing more than one million residents from southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut’s southern neighborhoods.

“Hezbollah executed a self-destructive action that will not alter the situation,” commented legislator Samy Gemayel, who leads the nationalist Kataeb Party, adding that Tehran exploits Lebanon “as a launching pad to protect Iran.”

The previous 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006 concluded without a clear victor. A 14-month conflict beginning in October 2023 — when Hezbollah fired rockets supporting Palestinians following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel — eliminated much of Hezbollah’s political and military leadership and significantly weakened but did not destroy the organization.

Following airstrikes against Hezbollah facilities even in central Beirut, local residents demonstrated and compelled the group to shut down an al-Qard al-Hasan branch in the capital’s center. Yielding to public pressure, employees removed the financial institution’s signage and dismantled automated teller machines, ending its presence in central Beirut.

Amnesty International has declared that al-Qard al-Hasan branches do not constitute legitimate military objectives under international humanitarian law and that these strikes warrant investigation as potential war crimes.

“The Israeli military appears to operate under the assumption that designating something as Hezbollah-connected, whether healthcare personnel, residences in border communities, or financial institutions, makes it a valid target. This approach is incorrect,” said Heba Morayef, regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

Mahmoud Karaki from Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Society reported that during the most recent 2024 conflict, his organization lost 153 members in Israeli attacks. However, he promised the group would maintain its operations as it has during previous wars.

“By attacking us, they target the support system for civilians and their resilience in areas under assault,” Karaki stated.

The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson has alleged that Hezbollah uses ambulances for weapons and fighter transportation, accusations the paramedic organization firmly denies.

Hezbollah and Iranian representatives have indicated that any cessation of U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran must also include ending Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qamati informed Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed television Monday that “Iran will not abandon Lebanon or the resistance, nor will it permit Lebanon to remain defenseless,” adding that “Lebanon will participate in this victory and will not be abandoned.”

When asked whether Tehran could accept a ceasefire halting strikes on Iran while continuing in Lebanon, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded: “I doubt that.”

“We reject ceasefire concepts; we support ending the war completely. And concluding the war means precisely that — terminating warfare on all battlegrounds,” Araghchi told Al Jazeera English, adding this encompasses Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Iran and “additional regional nations.”

While the United States dispatches additional warships and Marines to the Middle East, President Donald Trump announced his administration is exploring the possibility of reducing military operations in the region, despite Iran’s threats to target tourist destinations globally.

These conflicting signals from Washington emerged as rising oil costs sent U.S. stock markets tumbling, leading the Trump administration to announce it would remove sanctions on Iranian oil currently aboard vessels in an effort to combat skyrocketing fuel costs.

Combat operations continue to escalate without any indication of slowing down.

Israeli forces reported that Iran maintained its missile attacks against Israeli territory early Saturday morning, while Saudi officials confirmed they intercepted 20 drone attacks within just two hours in the kingdom’s eastern provinces, where critical oil infrastructure is located. Saudi defense officials reported no casualties or infrastructure damage from the attacks.

Casualty figures have climbed beyond 1,300 fatalities in Iran, over 1,000 deaths in Lebanon, 15 Israeli casualties, and 13 American service members killed in the region. The conflict has forced millions of Lebanese and Iranian civilians from their homes.

Recent developments include:

Israeli defense forces announced early Saturday they were conducting operations against targets in Tehran.

This announcement followed the military’s earlier statement that it had launched a series of strikes against Hezbollah installations throughout Beirut’s southern suburbs in Lebanon.

Earlier that day, Israeli forces issued fresh evacuation orders for seven Beirut suburban neighborhoods, causing some residents to discharge firearms as warning signals for families who had returned home to evacuate once again.

Initial reports indicated no immediate casualties from these operations.

United Airlines’ chief executive told company staff the airline is bracing for oil prices to remain near $100 per barrel through the end of 2025.

In a Friday message to United personnel, CEO Scott Kirby explained that jet fuel costs, which have more than doubled over the past three weeks, would result in $11 billion in annual expenses for the carrier if current price levels persist.

Brent crude oil has fluctuated dramatically from approximately $70 per barrel before the Iranian conflict began to peaks of $119.50 this week.

Regarding United’s contingency planning, Kirby stated, “I think there’s a good chance it won’t be that bad, but … there isn’t much downside for us to preparing for that outcome.”