Latest figures from thinktank show Russia received extra €672m in revenues from oil, gas and coal during March Russia has received €6bn (£5bn) from selling its fossil fuels in the fortnight since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, new data suggests. The revenues imply the country took an extra €672m in oil, gas and coal sales during March, as combined average daily prices have surged by 14% from February. Continue reading...
Muslim countries condemn Israel's 'unjustified' closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 13:10 Eight foreign ministers called the ban a 'flagrant violation to international law' and 'the historical and legal status quo' of the Muslim holy site The Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in the Old City of Jerusalem is pictured on 18 June 2023 (AFP) Off Eight Muslim-majority countries have condemned Israel 's "unjustified" closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying Israel has "no sovereignty" over the revered site and must lift the restrictions immediately. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates criticised Israel's decision to block access to the mosque compound and the surrounding Old City. The ministers said the restrictions constituted a "flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship".
New Supreme Leader says ‘Iran will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs’ In his first statement since taking over from his father, Iran's leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said the closure of Strait of Hormuz should be continued as a tool to pressure enemy. The Supreme Leader also said that all US bases in the region should be closed as they would be attacked demanding that Iran received reparations for "who suffered the damage" or it will destroy enemy assets. He added, "I would like to thank the brave fighters who are doing a great job at a time when our country is under pressure and under attack.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first message on Thursday, calling for continued military resistance and saying the Strait of Hormuz should remain a tool of pressure, even as questions persist about his health and whereabouts.
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.
UK government's new counter-extremism measures called 'Prevent on steroids' Submitted by Imran Mulla on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 10:49 Contentious 'community cohesion' proposals based on extremism definition introduced by former Conservative minister Michael Gove Britain's Housing Secretary Steve Reed speaks during a television interview at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on 28 September 2025 (AFP) Off The British government has announced contentious new counter-extremism measures inspired by an extremism definition championed by former Conservative minister Michael Gove and denounced by critics as authoritarian. Earlier this week considerable fanfare surrounded Communities Secretary Steve Reed announcing a new, non-statutory, definition of anti-Muslim hostility. The definition was widely attacked by Reform and Tory politicians who said it undermines free speech.
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.
The Iran war appears to be entering a new phase as attacks increasingly target checkpoints and street-level security units, while witness reports sent to Iran International suggest many of those positions are being moved or dismantled after their locations are exposed.
TEL AVIV, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A wave of Iranian strikes forced many Israelis to spend Wednesday night in shelters, with some crowding into subway stations. The attacks, in response to U. S.
New Delhi [India], March 12 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday warned that the ongoing conflict in West Asia and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could have serious consequences for India's energy security, saying that 'the pain has just started.
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.
Fossil fuel supply is more vulnerable to global shocks than renewable power sources and efforts to boost efficiencies Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Donald Trump’s war on Iran has triggered shocks in fossil fuel markets, exposing the perils of an agenda that prioritizes “drill, baby, drill” while sabotaging renewable power and energy efficiency in the US, experts and advocates say. The US-Israeli war on Iran has already led to hundreds of deaths, created an ecological crisis linked to strikes on oil depots and sent fossil fuel prices haywire across the globe. Continue reading...
Turkish foreign minister says there should be no regime change in Iran Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fida, has urged against regime change in Iran amid efforts from US and Israel to topple the regime. "There should be no questioning of Iran's territorial integrity, and no pursuit of regime change ," Fidan said during a press conference in Turkey. The minister also warned against inciting a civil war by toppling the regime saying, "We are against plans aimed at triggering a civil war in Iran and provoking conflicts along ethnic and religious fault lines".
A group of European countries, including Britain, France and Germany, have announced plans to release emergency oil stocks after the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommended a record drawdown from reserves to help calm surging energy prices amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
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.
