Iran’s willingness to escalate this high-stakes war is its greatest weapon Regime will do whatever it takes to cling on to power – including sacrificing economies of other Gulf states The Guardian - UK · Mar 21
The Latest: US deploys more troops to Mideast as Trump considers ‘winding down’ military operations President Donald Trump says his administration is considering “winding down” military operations in the Middle East even as the United States announces it is sending more warships and Marines to the region and Iran threatens to attack tourist sites worldwide The Independent UK · Mar 21
Israel strikes Hezbollah's civilian as well as military wings in an attempt to crush the group An Israeli strike has hit a Hezbollah-run health center in southern Lebanon and killed 12 medical workers, as Israel widens its campaign beyond fighters The Independent UK · Mar 21
Projectile strikes vessel off coast of UAE - as it happened This blog is now closed The Guardian - UK · Mar 21
Trump states five objectives he says US is close to meeting in Iran war In a Truth Social post, President Trump addressed the objectives of the Iran war and stated the US is “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran.” The objectives included… The Independent UK · Mar 20
Allowing Trump to use UK bases is ‘putting British lives in danger’, top Iran official warns Iran’s foreign minister has said Keir Starmer is "putting British lives in danger" by allowing Donald Trump the use of UK military bases during the Iran war. Abbas Araghchi warned Iran would exercise its right to self-defence as a result. In a post on social media, he said Starmer is… The Independent UK · Mar 20
Trump’s ‘knew nothing’ defense just crumbled as the president threatened a level of total destruction against Iran that has the entire world on edge President Donald Trump has issued a severe threat, stating the US will “massively blow up the entirety” of Iran’s South Pars Gas Field if Iran attacks Qatar again. This alarming declaration comes after a series of escalating strikes in Arab nations, pushing regional tensions to a perilous new level. The Mary Sue · Mar 20
Americans want answers on the Iran War — Benjamin Netanyahu just offered a clue: He wants oil and gas flowing through Israel This is robbing Peter to pay Paul. We Got This Covered · Mar 20
A multi billion dollar demand from the Pentagon just backfired against Hegseth as he is forced to admitted the Iran war is worse than we all thought The Pentagon is reportedly asking Congress for a whopping additional $200 billion to keep the United States–Israel war with Iran going, a conflict Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says has no clear “timeframe” for ending. This is a massive demand, especially coming after the Defense Department already snagged an extra $150… The Mary Sue · Mar 20
US stock markets dip for fourth straight week over US-Israel war on Iran Markets seem particularly attuned to increasing oil prices, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq down 1.5% and 2% respectively The Guardian - US · Mar 20
How the Iran war has sent shocks rippling across the globe From restaurant closures in the Philippines and petrol rationing in Sri Lanka, to Asian food production crises due to fertiliser shortages, the effects of the US-Israeli war on Iran reverberate around the world The Guardian - UK · Mar 20
4 pivotal questions that could define the Iran war's next phase A major question surrounding the war right now is what happens to the Strait of Hormuz. Axios · Mar 20
Trump Calls NATO 'Cowards' as Alliance Balks at Direct Role in Iran War President Donald Trump has called NATO allies in Europe "cowards" for refusing to directly support the U.S. and Israel's efforts in the Middle East. International Business Times · Mar 20
Slovenia decides not to join ICJ case against Israel as political scandals deepen Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said she regretted the government's move not to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, claiming that external "pressure" had contributed to the decision. Euronews · Mar 20
The Guardian - UK · Mar 20 Attacks on synagogues and Jewish shops in the UK, Europe and the US don’t hurt Netanyahu. They just hurt ordinary Jews Too many want to cast acts of violence and antisemitism as blows against Israel’s government. But the fear and terror land on real people, thousands of miles away, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian - US · Mar 20 Trump administration sues Harvard again over accusations of antisemitism Lawsuit alleges Ivy League university violated civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people in aftermath of war in Gaza
Euronews · Mar 20 Iran issues global threat as Israel's regime kill list grows with help from the inside Israel eliminated three top Iranian commanders on Friday as it continues its relentless strikes on Tehran's repression forces, with help from ordinary Iranians who are rising up against the regime.
The Times of India · Mar 20 'Enemy has been defeated': Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei claims victory over US, Israel Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei claimed victory over US and Israel in a written message for the Persian New Year, Nowruz on Friday.
The Guardian - UK · Mar 20 ‘Not our war’: Gulf states weigh up options as existential threat from Iran conflict grows Arab states have so far only acted defensively, but there is growing fear war is entering new, more dangerous phase
Radio France Internationale · Mar 20 French FM Barrot urges Iran to make ‘major’ concessions during Israel visit French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Friday during a visit to Israel that Iran must make major concessions as part of any long-term political solution after the Middle East war. He also repeated a call for Israel and Lebanon to hold direct talks over ground operations targeting Hezbollah.
The Times of India · Mar 20 'Oil not well' between Don and Bibi? Decoding Donald Trump's anger at Benjamin Netanyahu for South Pars strike South Pars is not simply an Iranian asset. It is part of the world’s largest natural gas field, shared with Qatar, whose LNG exports underpin energy supply chains across Europe and Asia. When Israel struck that field, it was not just hitting Iran’s revenues. It was destabilising a system tied…
The Independent UK · Mar 20 Iran threatens world tourism sites after death of another Iranian leader Iran’s top military spokesman warned Friday that ‘parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations’ worldwide won’t be safe
International Business Times UK · Mar 20 Donald Trump's WW3 Warning: POTUS Vows to 'Massively Blow Up' Iran Gas Field Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to threaten Iran, which recently launched a retaliatory attack on Qatar.
The Times of India · Mar 20 'Parks, tourists sites not safe': Iran vows to hunt down US, Israeli officials worldwide Iran's armed forces have issued a severe threat, vowing to hunt down US and Israeli officials globally, even in recreational areas. This warning comes amid ongoing airstrikes from the US and Israel, which Iran claims have weakened its military. The remarks raise concerns about potential militant operations beyond West Asia…
The Conversation · Mar 20 How active have Iran’s proxy groups been since the start of the war? One of the most notable aspects of the war in Iran so far has been the extent of Tehran’s isolation in the region. This has been exemplified not only by the widening divide between Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbours, but also by the highly variable responses to the conflict…