Brussels [Belgium], March 11 (ANI): The European Union on Wednesday moved to intensify pressure on Tehran amid the conflict in West Asia by approving new sanctions targeting 19 Iranian regime officials and entities accused of serious human rights violations.
Iran’s state media has moved quickly to frame the leadership transition not as a rupture but as proof of institutional resilience, shifting its messaging from wartime urgency to carefully managed continuity.
Madrid has permanently terminated the diplomatic position as the rift with West Jerusalem deepens over the attack against Iran Spain has permanently withdrawn its ambassador from Israel, formally downgrading the level of diplomatic relations with the country. The long-strained relations between Madrid and West Jerusalem have deteriorated amid the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran.
IEA to release one-third of total oil reserve stock to combat energy crisis Submitted by Sean Mathews on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 16:12 Vessels carrying Iranian crude for China have been passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but it's effectively closed for western ships A general view shows Ras Tanura's oil production plant near Dammam in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, on 27 December 2004 (Bilal Qabalan/AFP) Off The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday that its member countries agreed to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves, as the US-Israeli war on Iran cut off supplies from the Gulf. "The oil market challenges we are facing are unprecedented in scale; therefore, I am very glad that IEA member countries have responded with an emergency collective action of unprecedented size," IEA executive director Fatih Birol said. The release is a historic record for IEA member countries and far exceeds the 182 million barrels of oil they released in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine jolted energy markets.
UK government loses appeal over Kneecap terror charges Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 16:16 Singer Liam Og O hAnnaidh had been accused of showing support for Hezbollah at a London gig Liam Og O hAnnaidh (R) arrives for a press conference with bandmate JJ O Dochartaigh (L) at the Conway Mill in Belfast on 11 March 2026 (AFP) Off The British government has lost an appeal against a court's decision to throw out a terrorism charge against a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was initially charged over allegations that he waved the flag of Hezbollah during a concert in London in November 2024. The Lebanese group is a proscribed organisation in the UK and the 28-year-old was charged last May under the Terrorism Act, which says it is a criminal offence to display an article which arouses reasonable suspicion that someone supports a proscribed organisation.
Fire at Abu Dhabi airport under control after interception Authorities in the UAE said a fire that broke out at Abu Dhabi’s old airport has been brought under control. The blaze followed what officials described as a successful interception by air defence systems, the Abu Dhabi media office reported. It did not specify the type of projectile involved or where it originated.
March 11, 2026 — The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran warned in a statement that Iran’s deepening human rights crisis could further deteriorate as military escalation following U. S. –Israeli strikes and Iran’s retaliatory attacks unfolds across the region.
The US president might learn that starting wars is much easier than ending them, writes the BBC's international editor.
Antes del ataque estadounidense-israelí, el presidente de EE. UU. consideró los riesgos para los mercados energéticos como una preocupación que no debía eclipsar la misión de acabar con el régimen iraní.
Iraq shoots down drones near Baghdad airport Four drones were shot down near Baghdad International Airport, Iraq’s state news agency reported. A US State Department official said a drone struck a US Embassy operations centre at the airport overnight. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity as the investigation continues, said the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center was targeted by Iran-backed military groups based in Iraq.
'If I don't work, I go hungry': The migrant workers risking their lives to keep the Gulf running Submitted by Areeb Ullah on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 13:54 Migrant workers from across the Gulf share the experience of having no choice but to work despite the threat posed by Iranian missile strikes Migrant workers sit on a wall against the backdrop of the city skyline as they take a break in Dubai on March 11, 2026 (AFP) Off The day after the missiles struck the Gulf, a Bangladeshi delivery rider in Dubai was back on his bike. The roads were quieter than usual, but the tips were better. But for a Pakistani rider who has spent four years working 12-hour shifts in the same city, there was never really a choice.
According to information obtained by IranWire, the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly p ...
Strike that killed at least 175 people, most of them children, reportedly due to targeting mistake by US military planners Minab school bombing: a visual guide A preliminary US military investigation has reportedly determined that Washington was responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school in February that killed scores of children. According to the New York Times, quoting unnamed US officials and others familiar with the initial findings, the investigation has concluded that the strike on 28 February on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building was the result of a targeting mistake by the US military planners. Continue reading...
Iran is not in a position to participate in the 2026 World Cup, says the country's Minister of Sports and Youth.
BBC Verify examines the impact of new image restrictions from major satellite provider Planet Labs.
Over $430 billion has been spent to service the debt, which is approaching $39 trillion, the Congressional Budget Office states The US government has borrowed some $1 trillion in the five months since October, adding to the ballooning federal deficit, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reported.
U. S. officials say the country’s weapons have been diminished, slowing its attacks on Gulf nations and Israel.
Iran war and Hormuz shock fuels cost-of-living crisis across South Asia Submitted by Tauseef Ahmad on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 15:00 India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka all suffering from spike in energy and fuel costs Indians queuing for fuel, March 2026 (Junaid Bhat/MEE) Off When tensions erupted around the Strait of Hormuz in early March, the impact was felt far beyond the Gulf’s narrow shipping lanes. Within days, the shock from the world’s most important energy chokehold rippled across South Asia, from petrol pumps in Karachi to vegetable markets in Dhaka and taxi stands in Mumbai. With oil prices surging as the US - Israeli war on Iran escalated, governments across the region scrambled to contain rising fuel costs while millions of households began bracing for higher transport fares, food prices and electricity bills.
(Photo credit: West Asia News Agency via Reuters) Iran's sports minister said there is no way that the nation's soccer team will compete in this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America. Ahmad Donyamali addressed the situation in the wake of combined American and Israeli attacks against his Middle East nation in an interview with state television.
Iran deploys mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources tell Reuters Iran has deployed around a dozen naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially complicating efforts to reopen the crucial shipping route, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, corroborating earlier reporting by CNN. The strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, has effectively been shut to exports since the war between the US, Israel and Iran began nearly two weeks ago. According to the sources cited by Reuters, the locations of most of the mines are known, though it remains unclear how the US plans to deal with them.
