Total shuts 15 percent of oil and gas output amid Israeli-US war TotalEnergies says it has halted around 15 percent of its global oil and gas production as the war in the Middle East disrupts energy operations across the region.
Who threatens the Arab world: Iran or the US and Israel? Submitted by Joseph Massad on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 11:11 It should be clear to Gulf Arab states hosting US bases that the American presence does not protect them but instead places them in danger US Air Force personnel load munitions onto bombers at RAF Fairford in southwest England ahead of strikes on Iran, on 10 March 2026 (Henry Nicholls/AFP) Off For the past month, US President Donald Trump and his secretaries of state and of war have emphasised a vision of the United States as a white Christian European nation at war with the non-Christian, non-white world. It was therefore unsurprising that, before they attacked Iran on 28 February, American commanders reportedly told their troops that this was a war for " Armageddon " and would bring about the "return of Jesus".
Base in Iraq hosting UK and US troops hit by Iranian drones A British base in Iraq has come under attack from Iranian drones, wounding a number of American soldiers. British air-defence troops destroyed two drones, but other devices evaded defences and struck an air base in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Wednesday night, defence chiefs revealed on Thursday. It marks the third successful strike against British forces since war began nearly two weeks ago.
Saudi Aramco in talks to buy Ukrainian drones Saudi Arabia's state oil company is currently in talks to buy Ukrainian drones to protect its oil fields from Iranian attacks, according to the Wall Street Journal. Ukrainian arms firms Wild Hornets and SkyFall are two names potentially involved in a deal. The arrangement, which could be worth millions, comes in the wake of the kingdom foiling an attack on its Shaybah oil field on Wednesday amid the war on Iran.
Iraqi official says air strike targeted Popular Mobilisation Forces' HQ An Iraqi security official told Al Jazeera that an air strike took place against Camp Saqr, which houses the headquarters of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Anbar, western Iraq. The attack on the paramilitary umbrella group, which has members who are backed by Iran, killed at least 30 people and injured dozens more on Thursday. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the attacks.
UK base in Iraq hit by Iranian drones Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 15:07 While some projectiles shot down, other devices evaded defences and struck an air base in Erbil, UK media reports Off A British base in Iraq has come under attack from Iranian drones, wounding a number of American soldiers, UK media reported on Thursday. UK air-defence troops destroyed two drones, but other devices evaded defences and struck an air base in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Wednesday night, defence chiefs revealed. It marks the third successful strike against British forces since war began nearly two weeks ago.
Iran's new supreme leader says US bases in Gulf must close or will be attacked Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 13:59 In his first statement since being appointed leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issues threat to US and says Tehran will 'take war reparations' In this picture obtained from Iran's Isna news agency, Mojtaba Khamenei looks on in Tehran on 13 October 2024 (Hamed Jafarnejad/Isna/AFP) Off In his first statement since becoming Iran 's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has said that all US bases must be immediately closed in the region or they will be attacked. The new leader, the son of slain leader Ali Khamenei, has not been seen since the war began. His statement was read aloud by a presenter on IRIB, Iran's state broadcaster.
German chancellor announces stepping up security over of fears of Iranian 'terrorist' attacks German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced the improvements in security for Israeli, Jewish and US insitutions in his country in light of three incidents in US and Europe since the war began. Merz did say in a speech in Wiesbaden that there is little evidence of a domestic threat in Germany but has advocated for German police to be given the power to carry out AI-based, automated analysis on the public. Iran has been accused by several intelligence agencies including Austria and Norway of running networks of organised criminals in order to carry out attacks.
Larijani warns region will 'go dark' if US destroys Iran's electricity infrastructure Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani has warned that if Washington follows through on its threats to target the country's electricity network, the "whole region will go dark". US President Donald Trump said that the US will target Iran's electricity production sites "if the Islamic Republic doesn't cooperate". “If we hit [those targets], it’s going to take many years for them to be rebuilt.
Iranians fear fragmentation as rumours swirl about US backing Kurdish groups Submitted by MEE correspondent on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 13:01 'I realise they are criminals too, just like the Islamic Republic,' an Iranian mother says of Trump and Netanyahu A fighter from the Iranian Kurdish armed faction Kurdistan Free Life Party near the border with Iran in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, on 8 March 2026 (AFP) Off For many Iranians , the war launched by Israel and the US has triggered fears that go beyond air strikes and missile attacks. Some now worry that the conflict will open the door to internal instability and even attempts to fragment the country along ethnic lines. Keyvan, 42, was born and raised in Tehran.
Israeli army issues expulsion orders for southern Lebanon The Israeli army has issued a forced evacuation order for Lebanese residents south of the Zahrani River, instructing them to flee north. The army's Arabic language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement on X that "any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may become a target," warning residents that "any movement south may put your lives at risk". #عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان 🔸إنّ نشاط حزب الله الإرهابي يُجبر جيش الدفاع على العمل ضده بقوة لا سيما في مناطقكم.
Israeli military reissues expulsion orders for Beirut southern suburbs The Israeli army has reissued an expulsion order for Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh. In a statement on X, the military instructed residents of the neighbourhoods of Haret Hreik, Ghobeiri, Laylaki, Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh, Tahwitat al-Ghadir and Chiyah to flee. Dahiyeh - home to hundreds of thousands of residents, many of them Hezbollah voters - has borne the brunt of Israeli attacks on the city since the military launched renewed air and ground operations in Lebanon.
US 'simply not ready' for escort operations for Strait of Hormuz US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said that Washington is "simply not ready" to launch an operation to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. “It’ll happen relatively soon but it can’t happen now,” Wright said on CNBC. “We’re simply not ready.
UN says 3. 2 million people now displaced in Iran as a result of US-Israeli war Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 11:15 Humanitarian needs look set to increase as the war continues, jeopardising millions of already vulnerable refugees Arafat Jamal (L), representative of the UNHCR in Afghanistan, speaks with Afghan nationals upon their arrival from Iran amid the Middle East war, 10 March 2026 (Mohsen Karimi/AFP) Off The number of people displaced within Iran since the start of the US and Israel’s war on the country has reached 3. 2 million, according to the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR.
Iranian press review: Larijani believed US was not seeking agreement before the war Submitted by MEE correspondent on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 10:46 Meanwhile, historic sites are damaged in several cities, athletes raise funds to rebuild a school destroyed by the US and Israel, and civilians in Tehran say they have nowhere to flee US special envoy Steve Witkoff arriving at his hotel during talks with Iran on its nuclear programme, in Geneva on 26 February, before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP) Off US was not seeking agreement in talks with Iran Saeed Laylaz, an economist and reformist activist, has revealed details about the last round of Iran–US negotiations that were underway before the US and Israel began the war in the Middle East. He said that no matter how many concessions the Iranian side offered, the US was not satisfied. In an interview with the Etemad daily, Laylaz said that in September, he and a group of political and economic experts were invited to a meeting with Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, to review the negotiations.
Death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises to 687 Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least 687 people since 2 March, Lebanon's information minister said on Thursday, as Israel threatened to expand its operations as it fights Hezbollah in the country. In a statement following a cabinet meeting, Paul Marcos said that "the number of killed reached 687, including 98 children and 52 women".
Israeli settlers in West Bank use cover of Iran war to attack and murder Palestinians Submitted by Katherine Hearst on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 09:34 At least six Palestinians have been killed in the past week alone, as activists report unprecedented violence Mousa and Omar Hamayel, both 39, at the site where Thaer Hamayel was killed during an attack by Israeli settlers near Ramallah, in March 2026 (Reuters/Ammar Awad) Off Early on Sunday morning, residents of Abu Falah, a small town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, spotted a group of around 100 Israeli settlers gathered on a hill near their homes. The masked men then descended on the town, with the intention of razing Palestinian homes and evicting their residents. The residents are used to continuous harassment by settlers from outposts dotting the surrounding hills, but say they have never experienced this scale of violence before.
UN Security Council condemns Iran attacks on Gulf without mentioning US and Israel Submitted by Rayhan Uddin on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 10:29 Iran says resolution is 'blatant misuse' of Security Council, as Russian draft calling for all sides to de-escalate is rejected Mike Waltz, US Ambassador to the UN and president of the Security Council for the month of March, at UN headquarters in New York City on 11 March 2026 (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images via AFP) Off The UN Security Council has voted to call for an end to Iranian attacks on the Gulf, in a resolution that did not mention US or Israeli attacks on Iran , prompting strong criticism from Tehran’s ambassador. The resolution was tabled by Iran's Gulf neighbour Bahrain and sponsored by 135 countries.
In photos: Aftermath of Israeli attacks on Lebanon Mourners attend the funeral of four family members killed overnight by Israeli air strikes that targeted the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on 12 March, 2026. (AFP) A man stands on the rubble of a destroyed building as firefighters work at the site of overnight Israeli strikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs on 12 March, 2026. (AFP) Firefighters work at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs on 12 March, 2026.
Iran 'not in danger of collapse', say US intelligence sources Submitted by Peter McNamara on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 10:18 After nearly two weeks of constant bombardment and the assassination of its Supreme Leader, Iran's administration remains intact A portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son and new Supreme Leader Mojtaba at the funerals of IRGC commanders, March 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP) Off US intelligence reports suggest that Iran 's leadership retains control of the country, several sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters. After two weeks of joint US- Israeli strikes on the country, including one that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, one source told the news agency that there is "consistent analysis that the regime is not in danger " of collapse and "retains control of the Iranian public". Following a “multitude” of intelligence reports that have reached this conclusion, the most recent coming in the last few days, President Donald Trump’s decision to end the bombardment, which he told CBS on Monday will end “soon, very soon”, could signal a costly failure for the administration.
