SANTA FE, N.M. — Democratic-led states alarmed by the prospect of federal immigration officers patrolling the polls during this year’s midterm elections are taking steps to counter what they see as a potential tactic to intimidate voters.
New Mexico this week became the first state to bar armed agents from polling locations in response to President Trump’s immigration crackdown, a step being considered in at least half a dozen other Democratic-led states.
The moves highlight a deep distrust toward the Trump administration from blue states, which have been the target of his aggressive immigration tactics while threatened with military deployments and deep cuts in federal funding. Their concerns were heightened after the president suggested he wants to nationalize U.S. elections, even though the Constitution says it’s the states that run elections.
The Trump administration said it has no plans to deploy immigration agents to polling locations. Last month, the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol told a congressional committee “No, sir” when asked if they had any plans to guard polling places. The Department of Homeland Security’s deputy assistant secretary for election integrity, Heather Honey, recently told secretaries of state it “is simply not true” that immigration agents will be at the polls this year.
But a group of eight secretaries of state wants that in writing from the nominee to succeed Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter Monday to Trump’s new pick to lead the agency, Markwayne Mullin, the group pressed for assurances “that ICE will not have a presence at polling locations during the 2026 election cycle.”
Federal law already prohibits the deployment of armed federal forces to election locations unless “necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States,” but Democratic lawmakers, election officials and governors remain concerned.
“The fear is that the Trump administration will attempt to evoke a national emergency or execute some other deployment of federal agents or military troops in order to interfere with elections and intimidate voters,” said Connecticut Democratic state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, co-author of a state bill to establish a 250-foot buffer from federal agents at local polls and other restrictions on federal intervention. “And we’re not going to let that happen.”
A potential clash between states and the federal government
Other bills seeking to ban immigration agents at the polls are pending in Democratic-led states, large and small, from California to Rhode Island.
In Virginia, lawmakers are weighing legislation that could prevent federal civil immigration officials from making arrests within 40 feet of any polling place or courthouse. But the provision on polling sites remains under negotiation, and it’s unclear whether it will be in the final bill.
The newly signed law in New Mexico prohibits orders that put any armed person in the “civil, military or naval service of the United States” at local polling locations and related parking areas, or within 50 feet of a monitored ballot box, from the start of early voting.
Under New Mexico’s new law, which takes effect in May and will be in place for the state’s June 2 primary, people who experience intimidation or obstruction at the polls from federal agents or military personnel can file a civil lawsuit seeking relief in state courts. State prosecutors and local and state election officials also can sue, and the courts can apply fines of up to $50,000 per violation.
It also prohibits changes to voting qualifications and election rules and procedures that conflict with New Mexico law, as Trump prods the U.S. Senate to approve a bill to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements in elections nationwide.
Any state measures intended to counter federal election law will face legal hurdles because of the supremacy clause in the U.S. Constitution, which says federal law supersedes state law.
“It could set up a direct clash between state governments and the federal government. We don’t know exactly how that’s going to go,” said Richard Hasen, director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at the UCLA School of Law. “Given the supremacy clause, there’s only so much states can do.”
‘We will hold free and fair elections’
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said her own distrust of the Trump administration in election oversight stems from ongoing Department of Justice efforts to get detailed state voter data without explaining why and Trump’s continuing false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
“Do I believe the federal government and people in the White House? No,” said Lujan Grisham, who terms out of office at the end of 2026.
“We are sending a message to everyone: We will hold free and fair elections, and New Mexicans will be safe in every ballot location and that’s our responsibility,” the Democrat said Tuesday during a news conference. “The Constitution says the states run their elections, and that bill makes that painfully re-clear to the federal government.”
Federal seizure of ballots and election records is a growing concern
New Mexico Republicans, who are in the minority in the legislature, voted in unison against the bill.
“I would question strongly why we have to do this other than just to have to poke the president in the eye,” state GOP Sen. Bill Sharer of Farmington said during floor debate.
State Sen. Katy Duhigg, an Albuquerque Democrat who was a co-sponsor of the legislation, said it’s “better safe than sorry with democracy.” She said she wanted to “make sure that there was some sort of tool that our local law enforcement would have at their disposal if something does happen, if the federal government does in some manner try to interfere with our elections.”
Connecticut’s bill, scheduled for a hearing later this week, also takes aim at federal attempts to seize ballots or other election material. It would require that state officials receive notification of such a move.
Blumenthal said state lawmakers can’t prevent seizures such as the January search by the FBI on an election center in Fulton County, Ga., a Democratic stronghold that includes Atlanta. But he said, “there might be an opportunity for our state attorney general’s office or the secretary of the state’s office to challenge that.”
Lee and Haigh write for the Associated Press. Haigh reported from Hartford, Conn. AP writer Oliva Diaz in Richmond, Va., and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Mo., contributed to this report.
International Energy Agency chief says talks aim to assess conditions as US-Israel war on Iran fuels global uncertainty.
Published On 10 Mar 202610 Mar 2026
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) is set to hold an emergency meeting to assess the situation in the Middle East as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to roil global energy markets.
Fatih Birol, the agency’s executive director, said representatives of IEA member states would meet on Tuesday to assess “the current security of supply and market conditions” amid the conflict.
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“I have convened an extraordinary meeting of IEA member governments, which will take place later today to assess the current security of supply and market conditions to inform a subsequent decision on whether to make emergency stocks of IEA countries available to the market,” Birol said.
This week, oil prices hit their highest levels since mid‑2022 amid concerns of prolonged shipping disruptions linked to the war and reduced output from some key producers in countries that have been targeted by retaliatory Iranian strikes.
While the market reversed late in the day on Monday, with benchmarks falling below $90 a barrel, uncertainty persists around how long the United States-Israel war will drag on.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies passes, has effectively been shut down as a result of the war.
“If this drags on, it is not just going to be energy prices” that are affected, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid explained. “It is going to have an impact on global economies.”
Bin Javaid noted that the extraordinary IEA meeting comes after Group of Seven (G7) countries met to discuss possible actions to help stabilise global energy markets.
European governments have been on edge about the prospect of a repeat of the energy crisis they faced in 2022, when prices surged to record peaks after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The IEA will be presenting an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of releasing stocks now,” the European Union’s Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said before the agency’s meeting.
Earlier on Tuesday, G7 energy ministers stopped short of deciding on the release of strategic oil reserves in a call, instead asking the IEA to assess the situation before acting.
“Everyone is willing to take measures to stabilise the market, including the United States,” French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters after the latest talks.
“We have asked the IEA to elaborate scenarios for a potential oil stock release; we need to be ready to act at any moment,” he added.
EU leaders also will discuss competitiveness, including energy prices, on a call later in the day with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, and others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Kyiv could provide defensive systems as well as assistance to civilians and American soldiers “deployed in certain countries” in the Middle East as the war in Iran continues.
He has reportedly proposed an exchange of Ukrainian defensive technology to combat Iranian drones in return for advanced US defensive systems to use in the war against Russia.
The US-Israel-Iran conflict, which started 10 days ago when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran and killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has continued to escalate. Iran has responded with strikes on Israel and US military assets and other infrastructure in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
As Gulf and other Middle Eastern states continue to attempt to intercept incoming drones and missiles with US-supplied air defences, the US has asked Ukraine to contribute some of its own air-defence systems.
Here is what we know.
What has the US requested from Ukraine and why?
The US has asked for Ukraine’s help in defending Washington’s allies in the Middle East against Iranian missile attacks on infrastructure and US military assets, Ukraine’s president confirmed last week.
At the moment, the US is using air defence systems such as the Patriot, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries and Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, to intercept Iranian drones and missiles targeting its military assets in the region. The Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) and PAC-3 are advanced surface-to-air missile defence systems.
However, these types of systems are extremely expensive, costing millions of dollars for each interceptor missile fired, and there are concerns that supplies of US interceptor missiles could run low.
“We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against ‘shaheds’ in the Middle East region,” Zelenskyy wrote in an X post on March 5.
Shahed drones, particularly the Shahed-136, are Iranian-designed “kamikaze” or loitering munitions which are very low cost compared to the interceptors being used by the US. Costing roughly $20,000-$35,000 each, these GPS-guided drones are about 3.5m (11.5 feet) long and fly autonomously to pre-programmed coordinates to strike fixed targets with explosive payloads. They blow up as they hit their targets.
Over the course of the Iran war, Shahed-136 drones have targeted Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE where US military assets and troops are hosted. Experts estimate that Iran has thousands of these drones.
Iran has also been supplying Moscow with many thousands of Shahed drones during Russia’s war on Ukraine.
During the course of Russia’s four-year war on Ukraine, Ukraine’s domestic arms industry has been forced to innovate, building low-cost interceptor drones priced at roughly $1,000 to $2,000 to counter Russian attacks with imported Iranian Shahed-136s.
Kyiv is now mass-producing these low-cost interceptor drones.
“The role of Shahed-type drones in long-range attacks has become more prominent in Ukraine after Russia took Iranian technology, improved it, and built it in previously unimaginable numbers,” Keir Giles, a Eurasia expert for the UK-based think tank Chatham House, told Al Jazeera.
A man rides a motorcycle past a Shahed drone in Tehran’s Baharestan Square on September 27, 2025, as part of an exhibit to mark the ‘Sacred Defence Week’ commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War [Atta Kenare/AFP]
What has Zelenskyy said?
Zelenskyy has posted several statements on social media confirming that he is ready to help Middle Eastern countries defend their territories by providing technical expertise.
“Ukrainians have been fighting against ‘shahed’ drones for years now, and everyone recognises that no other country in the world has this kind of experience. We are ready to help,” he wrote on X on March 5.
“I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security.
“Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people.”
It is understood that Ukraine is in talks with several Middle Eastern countries about this.
On Monday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has deployed interceptor drones and a team of specialists to help protect US military bases in Jordan.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that he has also spoken directly to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) about “countering threats from the Iranian regime”.
He also said he had spoken with the leaders of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine must not weaken its own air defences. However, it is mass-producing this equipment now, and may well be able to afford to share.
“The fact that there are surplus capabilities ready to be sent to the US and the Middle East is unsurprising because Ukraine has led this innovation,” Giles said.
Zelenskyy has therefore proposed an exchange of air defence systems with the US ones being used in the Middle East.
“We ourselves are at war. And I said, completely frankly, that we have a shortage of what they have. They have missiles for the Patriots, but hundreds or thousands of ‘shaheds’ cannot be intercepted with Patriot missiles – it is too costly,” Zelenskyy said.
“Meanwhile, we have a shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. So, when it comes to technology or weapons exchange, I believe our country will be open to it.”
Zelenskyy may also have good political reasons for extending help, analysts say.
“The US has declined support for Ukraine on the ground that it had insufficient supply of air defence munitions, and now more of those Patriots have been fired in the Middle East in a few days, than have been supplied to Ukraine in four years,” Giles said.
“Zelenskyy will be aware that in providing this assistance, he is not only shaming the US, but also directly supporting potential friends and partners in the Middle East, who before now have been ambivalent to the situation in Ukraine,” Giles said.
Who else has sent defensive backup to the Gulf?
European countries including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy have pledged to provide defensive backup to Gulf nations over the past week. Additionally, Australia said it was deploying military assets to the region.
Wary of becoming directly involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran, European countries have nevertheless been drawn into the conflict by attacks on a British base on Cyprus in the Mediterranean and Iranian strikes on Western allies in Gulf countries that host US troops in military bases.
What will happen next?
Just as Ukraine is getting involved in the war, Russia might too, say experts.
“We should not be surprised if before long, as well as Russian technology in Iranian drones, we see Iran launching Shaheds manufactured in Russia,” Giles said.
He described Russia as a “primary beneficiary of current US actions,” pointing to how the surge in oil prices, the relaxation in US curbs on Russian energy exports to keep crude and gas prices under control, and the diversion of air defence munitions from Europe to the Middle East all helped Moscow. These, he said, “are all lifelines for Russia”.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — While the U.S. Senate remains deadlocked over President Trump’s call for strict citizenship voting requirements, Republicans in some states are pressing ahead with their own measures that could require documentary proof of citizenship to join or remain on the voter rolls.
Proof-of-citizenship legislation won final approval this week in South Dakota and Utah, already has passed one chamber in Florida and received a committee hearing in Missouri. In Michigan, supporters of voter citizenship documentation submitted 750,000 petition signatures this week in a bid to get a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections, with violators subject to fines, imprisonment and potential deportation.
When people register to vote, they affirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. But Trump contends that’s not enough. He wants prospective voters to show proof of their citizenship.
Democrats and voting rights advocates say the Republican measures amount to voter suppression, as they may prevent many eligible voters from casting ballots. Similar laws have been overturned by courts as an unconstitutional burden on voting rights.
What would the federal legislation do?
The federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE America Act, would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. That could be satisfied with such things as a U.S. passport, citizen naturalization certificate or a combination of a birth certificate and government-issued photo identification.
The federal bill also would require a photo identification to cast a ballot, which some states already mandate. The Republican-led House approved the legislation last month on a mostly party-line vote, but it has stalled in the Senate under a filibuster threat from Democrats.
South Dakota and Utah
Legislation passed in South Dakota and Utah would create a two-tier voting system. People who provide documentation of their citizenship could vote in all elections. Those who don’t could vote only in federal elections for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House.
The bifurcated voting system is modeled after Arizona, where tens of thousands of voters who have not provided proof of citizenship can cast ballots only in federal elections. Arizona implemented its system after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that the state could not require citizenship documentation for federal elections.
The bills in South Dakota and Utah would take effect upon a governor’s signature, meaning they could be in place for newly registered voters ahead of the November elections.
Utah’s bill also directs election officials to use an online service from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to check the citizenship status of existing voters. Those flagged would be sent notices asking for proof of citizenship to remain eligible to vote in all elections.
Florida and Michigan
Neither the Michigan initiative nor legislation passed by the Florida House would require people to submit proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Instead, the measures would create a behind-the-scenes review that could result in some people being asked for citizenship documentation.
Under the Michigan measure, the secretary of state would review driver’s license records, juror records and federal Homeland Security and Social Security data to determine whether registered voters are citizens. Those flagged would be removed from the voter rolls if they cannot provide proof of citizenship.
The Florida legislation would require election officials to verify the citizenship of all registered voters using the state’s driver’s license database. Anyone whose citizenship could not be verified would be required to submit documentary proof.
Why are some pushing for proof of citizenship?
Trump and some fellow Republicans have complained for years about noncitizens voting in U.S. elections, although evidence of doing so is rare. The few cases found are not nearly enough to affect an election result, studies have shown, and those caught face severe penalty.
In 2024, a student from China was charged with perjury and attempted illegal voting after registering to vote by showing a University of Michigan student ID and signing a document asserting he was a U.S. citizen. He later contacted a local clerk’s office requesting to get his ballot back, and ultimately fled the country.
The case provided part of the impetus for the Michigan ballot initiative, said Paul Jacob, chairman of Americans for Citizen Voting, which is backing the measure.
“We want a system we can have confidence in,” Jacob said. “The way you avoid big problems in elections is to fix the small problems when they rise up and present themselves.”
Voting rights advocates’ concerns
Constitutional amendments limiting voting to “only citizens” have won widespread support when placed on state ballots. But voting rights advocates note that requiring documentary proof can get complicated.
During a recent debate in the Florida House, Democratic state Rep. Ashley Gantt recounted how her aunt was born in a South Carolina home at a time when some hospitals didn’t accept Black patients. As a result, she has no birth certificate and has had difficulty trying to demonstrate her citizenship, Gantt said.
A proof-of-citizenship law “would stop many thousands — if not more — U.S. citizens from voting in Florida,” said Michelle Kanter Cohen, policy director and senior counsel at the nonprofit Fair Elections Center. “It requires documentation that a lot of eligible citizens don’t have, or don’t have access to.”
Nationwide, about 21 million people — 9% of voting-age citizens — lack documentary proof of citizenship or cannot easily obtain it, according to a 2024 report by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland.
Other states
Legal challenges are common when states pass proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters.
After Kansas adopted a proof-of-citizenship law 15 years ago, more than 31,000 U.S. citizens ended up getting blocked from registering to vote. Federal courts declared the Kansas law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn’t been enforced since 2018.
Two years ago, New Hampshire and Louisiana both passed proof-of-citizenship laws, prompting lawsuits. New Hampshire’s law went to trial last month and is awaiting a ruling. Louisiana’s election commissioner acknowledged in a December court filing that the requirement has not been enforced.
A nonprofit group also filed a legal challenge to a Wyoming proof-of-citizenship law passed last year. But a federal court dismissed that case while ruling the group lacked standing to sue.
Supporters of the United States and Israeli military campaign against Iran argue that weakening Tehran by degrading its missile capabilities, crippling its navy and reducing its ability to project power through regional allies will make the Middle East safer. But this strategy rests on an assumption that a weaker Iran would produce a more stable region. In reality, destabilising one of the Middle East’s largest and most strategically important states could unleash forces far more dangerous than the status quo.
According to briefings provided to congressional staff in Washington, DC, there was no intelligence suggesting Iran was planning to attack the US. Yet military escalation continues in the belief that weakening Iran will ultimately serve US interests. If that assumption proves wrong, the consequences could be severe not only for the region but also for American strategic interests.
The first danger is internal fragmentation. Iran’s population is ethnically diverse. While Persians form the majority, the country is also home to large Azeri, Kurdish, Arab and Baloch communities, among others. Several of these groups already have histories of political tension or insurgency, including Kurdish militant activity in the northwest and a long-running Baloch insurgency in the southeast.
A strong central state has largely kept these fault lines contained. But if Iran’s governing structures weaken significantly, those tensions could intensify. The result could resemble the fragmentation seen in other Middle Eastern states after external military pressure or regime collapse.
Recent history offers sobering examples. In Iraq, the dismantling of state institutions after the 2003 US invasion created the conditions for years of sectarian violence and ultimately the rise of ISIL (ISIS). Libya’s state collapse in 2011 left the country divided between rival governments and armed militias, a crisis that persists more than a decade later. Syria’s civil war produced one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the century while turning large swaths of territory into battlegrounds for militias and extremist groups. At the height of the conflict, ISIS was able to seize and govern territory across eastern Syria, declaring a so-called caliphate that controlled millions of people.
Iran’s collapse would produce an even more dangerous scenario. Its population is far larger than Iraq, Libya or Syria, and its territory borders multiple conflict-prone regions. The emergence of armed factions, ethnic militias or insurgent groups inside Iran could quickly transform the country into another arena of prolonged instability.
Such instability would not remain local. Iran sits at the heart of the Gulf, one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors. Roughly a fifth of global oil supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz along Iran’s southern coastline. Armed factions, rival militias or uncontrolled naval forces operating along Iran’s coast could disrupt shipping lanes, attack tankers or try to block access to the strait, turning a regional crisis into a global energy shock. That would have consequences far beyond the Middle East. Higher energy prices would ripple through global economies, affecting everything from transportation costs to inflation. American policymakers often view energy instability as a regional problem, but in reality, it quickly becomes a global one.
The strategic consequences would extend further. Iran currently serves as a central node in a network of regional alliances and proxy groups that includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, various militia groups in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. These actors operate within a framework influenced, to varying degrees, by Tehran. If the Iranian state weakens dramatically, that structure could fragment. Some groups might operate independently, others might compete for influence, and still others could radicalise further without central coordination. The result would be a far more unpredictable security environment across the Middle East, which would make diplomatic engagement more difficult and military conflicts harder to contain.
Another risk lies in leadership uncertainty. Some policymakers assume that weakening the current Iranian leadership will produce a more moderate political order. But regime change rarely follows a predictable script.
Iran’s political system contains multiple competing factions, including conservative clerical networks, reformist politicians and powerful elements within the security establishment such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran’s leadership transition is less about a single successor than about the balance of power between clerical institutions, elected offices and the security apparatus. If the existing leadership were weakened or removed during wartime conditions, that balance could quickly unravel. The IRGC, which already commands vast military and economic resources, could try to consolidate authority, potentially pushing Iran towards a more overtly militarised political order. In such an environment, more radical actors, particularly those who view compromise with the US as impossible, could gain influence.
There is also little evidence that sustained military strikes will generate pro-American sentiment among the Iranian population. History suggests that external pressure often strengthens nationalist sentiment rather than weakening it. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, for example, did not produce pro-American attitudes but instead fuelled resentment and insurgency. Similarly, repeated Israeli military campaigns in Lebanon have tended to strengthen support for Hezbollah rather than weaken it.
Beyond the Middle East itself, instability in Iran could also trigger significant migration flows. Iran already hosts millions of refugees from neighbouring countries, particularly Afghanistan. If internal conflict were to erupt inside Iran, even a small share of Iran’s population of more than 90 million people seeking refuge abroad could produce migration flows far larger than those seen during recent Middle Eastern crises.
Many of those migrants would likely move towards Turkiye and eventually Europe, placing additional pressure on governments already grappling with migration crises. While this may appear distant from American shores, the political consequences for US allies in Europe would inevitably affect transatlantic relations and Western cohesion.
Taken together, these risks illustrate a broader strategic problem. Weakening Iran may appear attractive to the US from a narrow military perspective, but destabilising a large regional power rarely produces orderly outcomes.
The United States has confronted similar dynamics before. The collapse of state authority in Iraq after 2003 did not eliminate threats in the region; it produced new ones. Libya’s fragmentation after 2011 created an enduring security vacuum. Syria’s civil war turned into a multisided conflict that reshaped the politics of the entire region.
For Washington, the question should be whether the long-term consequences of destabilising Iran would ultimately make the region and the world more dangerous. If recent history offers any guidance, destabilising Iran may ultimately create the very threats Washington hopes to eliminate.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
March 4 (UPI) — Venezuela state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. announced signing new contracts to supply crude oil and refined products for the U.S. market.
The agreements were signed with several international trading companies to ensure a stable flow of energy to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to a statement from the company.
Although PDVSA did not disclose the names of the parties, the contracts add to existing operations involving major companies such as Chevron, which plans to increase exports to about 300,000 barrels per day this month.
PDVSA said the agreements maintain a “historic commercial relationship” with the United States and reaffirm the company’s “commitment to the stability of the international energy market.”.
The newly signed contracts mark the official return of Venezuelan crude to U.S. refineries after the United States captured former President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.
The agreements were facilitated after the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued licenses, signaling significant changes in Washington’s licensing policy this year.
The authorizations allow U.S. entities to participate in lifting, transporting, storing and refining Venezuelan oil. The current regulatory framework favors companies from the United States and Western countries, while maintaining strict restrictions on entities from countries such as China, Russia and Iran.
In addition to Chevron, four other oil companies — BP, Eni, Shell and Repsol — have received authorization to resume operations and sign investment agreements in Venezuela.
In its statement, PDVSA reiterated the Venezuelan government’s call for the removal of sanctions on the country’s energy industry.
“The Venezuelan nation reiterates the need for a hydrocarbon industry free of sanctions in order to boost national production and strengthen international trade,” the company said.
Through these contracts, PDVSA aims to restore its position as a strategic supplier in a global market that continues to demand heavy crude, while Washington seeks to use Venezuelan oil to stabilize domestic fuel prices and reduce dependence on other suppliers.
During his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump highlighted the arrival of 80 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, describing Venezuela as a “new friend and partner” in energy cooperation.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Venezuela on Wednesday, marking a new step in the energy and diplomatic agenda between Washington and Caracas.
Since January, Burgum has led discussions with executives from Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips aimed at granting general licenses that would allow private operations in the country, local outlet Efecto Cocuyo reported.
The plan aligns with Trump’s “Energy Dominance” policy, a central strategy of the administration designed to position the United States as a global energy superpower.
Under the approach, U.S. companies would provide private capital without federal subsidies, while the government would guarantee security and stability for investments.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Iran appears to be increasingly focusing its retaliatory attacks against energy production infrastructure in Gulf Arab States. The U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran is also continuing at a significant tempo, including a major new wave of Israeli strikes going after leadership targets in Tehran.
Readers can catch up on previous developments in the ongoing conflict in our previous rolling coverage here.
Increased targeting of Gulf Arab States’ oil and natural gas production is part of a clear Iranian strategy to put pressure on those countries to, in turn, create complications for the United States. As the economic pressure builds, the idea is that these countries will seek to end the conflict, and/or that relations with the U.S. will sour. The prospect of major, long-term disruptions in energy exports from the region has global ramifications, as well, which could bring immense external pressure to end the conflict. There is also the aspect of drawing Arab countries into the conflict, which would complicate it politically and militarily. In addition, some energy targets are not as well defended as U.S. bases in the region, for instance, and scoring hits with the now finite weapons Iran has on hand becomes easier.
Iranian attack drones struck oil storage infrastructure in Fujairah, UAE, this morning, causing a large fire.
Notably, Fujairah is the only major oil export terminal in the UAE that avoids the now-closed Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/DdAbVOyRoc
So, it’s not surprising that Iran has morphed its tactics in this manner. How this will all play out is unknown. But if the war continues on for a prolonged period, and interceptors run low while Iran’s stocks of drones and missiles don’t dry up, this entire issue could become greatly magnified.
So far, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the United States, have pushed back on reports that interceptor stocks are dwindling and the U.S. is resisting replenishing them due to its own stockpile concerns. It isn’t clear if this is a case of strategic counter-messaging or if indeed stockpiles remain in the green, although from everything we understand about the stockpile issue overall, the former seems far more likely.
Gulf states are in a race against time: will their air-defense interceptors, with their impressive success rates so far, have to be rationed before Iranian drones and missiles run out? The calculation also depends on how fast the U.S. and Israel keep destroying Iranian launchers.…
Impacted energy-related targets are relatively wide-ranging and the scope of attacks appears to be becoming larger with time.
A large fire broke out today in the Oil Industry Zone in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reportedly caused by falling debris from the interception of an Iranian drone. The port of Fujairah sits on the Gulf of Oman, on the other side of the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz.
UAE intercepted a drone over Fujairah today, a hub just outside the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC is trying to cause a real energy crisis by shutting all routes. Debris caused a fire in the Oil Industry Zone, which was ultimately put out.pic.twitter.com/5GlbGuyzOm
According to state-run Oman News Agency, two Iranian drones were shot down today above the Dhofar governorate in southern Oman, while a third came down close to the port of Salalah. No casualties or damage were reported.
The Port of Duqm in Oman was also targeted by several drones, according to the country’s state news agency. One of these is said to have struck a fuel tank.
Several ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz have also come under attack, as you can read about here. Yesterday, U.S. Central Command denied Iranian claims that the Strait was closed. Online ship tracking data shows a major slowdown in traffic overall, but there is still some movement through this highly strategic waterway. Imagery is also emerging showing a backlog of ships waiting to pass through.
Minimal vessel traffic seen in Strait of Hormuz amid reported closure
The latest #MarineTraffic playback shows visibly reduced transit density, alongside holding patterns, slower speeds, and vessels remaining outside the strait as operators reassess risk. pic.twitter.com/pfqk5rcbg8
Oil production at Iraq’s largest oil field, in Shafaq, has reportedly been halted, as has the flow of oil through a pipeline that links its northern Kurdish autonomous region with Turkey. There are reports that Iraqi oil exports, overall, have slowed dramatically due to the ongoing conflict.
BREAKING: Production suspended at Iraq’s largest oil field – Shafaq
IMPORTANT: Basrah crude exports are running on thin ice.@Kpler data shows ~8.7Mb of effective headroom — just ~3 days of cover if tanker constraints persist. No inbound crude tankers into the Gulf on March 2 raises the risk of ballast shortages and potential Iraqi production…
This all follows Iranian attacks yesterday that caused a halt to some operations at the Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia and a shutdown in liquid natural gas production by state-owned QatarEnergy in that country.
QatarEnergy to stop downstream production
Further to the decision by QatarEnergy to stop production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products, QatarEnergy is stopping the production of some downstream products in the State of Qatar, including urea, polymers,…
Further rolling coverage can be found below, with the newest updates at the top.
We have concluded our rolling coverage in this piece. We will be back soon to continue our reporting.
UPDATE: 7:46 PM EST –
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper provided a video update on Epic Fury. Here are some of the highlights:
50,000 troops, 200 fighters, two aircraft carriers and bombers from the United States are participating in this operation, and more capabilities on the way.
100 hours into this operation, and we’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions.
..we’ve destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including the most operational Iranian submarine that now has a hole in that side. Today, there’s not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman.
In retaliation, the Iranian regime has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones. To be clear, Iran is indiscriminately targeting civilians as they launch these missiles and drones. You’ve seen it on TV. The evidence is crystal clear and overwhelming.
Also for the first time, U.S. Central Command’s drone task force, called Task Force Scorpion Strike, launched countless one-way attack drones achieving massive effects. I’d like to point out these drones were originally an Iranian design. We took them back to America, made them better, and fired them right back at Iran.
UPDATE: 7:03 PM EST –
“The scene here in [Tehran] was dominated by the sound of airplanes and massive explosions across the city, and the smell of smoke drifting in the air,” Al Jazeera reported. “This is very massive, and this is heavier bombardment compared to the first days of the initiation of these strikes.”
You can get a sense of what these attacks have been like in the following video.
A screencap from a video released by CENTCOM shows the loadout on a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle. TWZ Editor-in-Chief Tyler Rogoway breaks it down.
USAF F-15E in full counter drone loadout for Epic Fury. 4 X AIM-120, 4X AIM-9, 28 FALCO APKWS laser-guided rockets + the 20mm. Jet is clean aside from that, so likely has nearby tanker support and can get to where it needs to go fast.
As Epic Fury rages on, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is calling for Senate debate on an authorization for the use of military force against Iran.
“This is as serious as it gets,” he told reporters after a closed-door briefing. “This is war and peace. They told us in that room that there are gonna be more Americans that are gonna die, that they’re not gonna be able to stop these drones…We have to have a debate in the US Senate on an authorization of military force.”
Chris Murphy: “This is as serious as it gets. This is war and peace. They told us in that room that there are gonna be more Americans that are gonna die, that they’re not gonna be able to stop these drones. We have to have a debate in the US Senate on an authorization of military… pic.twitter.com/VvcQTsBMmV
The Pentagon announced the names of four of the six troops killed in an Iranian drone attack on a U.S. facility in Kuwait. The four were Army Reserve soldiers.
“Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla.; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn.; and Sgt. DeclanJ. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, died on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack. All Soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa. The incident is under investigation.”
Video emerged of Israeli AH-64 Apache attack helicopters using their M230 chain guns to shoot down several Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.
Footage of Israeli AH-64 Apache attack helicopters shooting down Iranian Shahed attack drones using their M230 chain guns. pic.twitter.com/kjH7AZv9Q3
B-2 Spirit stealth bombers “have been targeting command and control nodes of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as weapon depots and an assembly facility for Iran’s rocket program,” CBS News reported on X.
Two U.S. officials say B-2 stealth bombers have been targeting command and control nodes of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as weapon depots and an assembly facility for Iran’s rocket program.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that attacks against Iran will intensify.
“We’re going to unleash Chang on these people in the next few hours and days,” Rubio said. “You’re going to really begin to perceive a change in the scope and intensity of these attacks as, frankly, the two most powerful air forces in the world take apart this terroristic regime.”
The term “unleash Chang” reportedly dates back to “Unleash Chiang,” an inscription on a sword former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush gave Rubio two decades ago.
The term was “the rallying cry of John Birchers in the 1950s, who urged the United States to arm Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese Nationalist leader of Taiwan, so he could retake Red China from Mao,” Politico reported in 2015.
.@SecRubio: “We’re going to unleash Chang on these people in the next few hours and days. You’re going to really begin to perceive a change in the scope and intensity of these attacks as, frankly, the two most powerful air forces in the world take apart this terroristic regime.” https://t.co/j7DxkxPiFqpic.twitter.com/2AhXGnj1UI
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 3, 2026
UPDATE: 6:04 PM EST –
After a closed-door briefing about Epic Fury, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal told reporters that “I am more fearful than ever after this briefing, that we may be putting boots on the ground, and that troops from the United States might be necessary to accomplish objectives that the administration seems to have.
UPDATE: 5:53 PM EST –
After Spain refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to attacks on Iran, Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo.
“Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He also told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings” with Spain.
“That’s all right,” Trump exclaimed. “We can use their bases. If we want, we can just fly in and use it.”
As we have reported in the past, the U.S. has used the Rota and Moron bases as transit points for fighter aircraft, electronic attack jets and aerial refueling tankers.
.@POTUS: “Some of the European nations have been helpful, and some haven’t—and I’m very surprised. Germany’s been great… Spain has been terrible. In fact, I told Scott to cut off all dealings with Spain.”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 3, 2026
UPDATE: 5:38 PM EST –
The IDF said Tuesday it struck a secret underground nuclear complex in Tehran, describing it as a key site where Iran was developing components for a nuclear weapon. Fighter aircraft targeted the covert “Minzadehei” compound, an underground facility where Iran’s nuclear weapons group operated under the country’s Defense Ministry.
UPDATE: 5:32 PM EST –
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters today that new attacks against Iran are imminent and that there is a growing coalition of allies willing to take part in the fight against Iran.
🚨 BREAKING: Lindsey Graham confirms MASSIVE new attacks on Iran are IMMINENT
“The amount of firepower coming in the next day or two from us is gonna be OVERWHELMING”
“I’ve never felt better about how this ends. It’s not IF they fall, it’s WHEN they fall.” pic.twitter.com/CAkJWTqv5o
The IDF released details of its Operation Roaring Lion attack on Iran. It claims that more than 200 fighters flew more than 700 sorties. There were 47 senior leaders killed, while 600 “terror sites” were “dismantled.” The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims.
UPDATE: 5:06 PM EST –
Hundreds of Iranian university professors and tech experts have reportedly signed a statement declaring the Constitution of the Islamic Republic illegitimate. The statement also calls for the immediate transfer of power to the people, while endorsing Prince Reza Pahlavi’s democratic transition plan.
In the past few hours, hundreds of Iranian university professors and tech experts have signed a statement declaring the Constitution of the Islamic Republic illegitimate and calling for the immediate transfer of power to the people, while endorsing Prince Reza Pahlavi’s… pic.twitter.com/oihXPHvBy5
French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the eastern Mediterranean amid the ongoing war.
Macron is also working to build a coalition that would help secure maritime traffic imperiled by the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
In a televised address to the nation, Macron said that action needed to be taken with the Straits of Hormuz closed and the Suez Canal and Red Sea shipping routes threatened by the widening conflict.
French President Macron:
We have defense agreements with Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. We must stand by their side. I have decided to send a warship to Cyprus for protection. I have given the order to send the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its… pic.twitter.com/Tox01M1TFi
A suspected Iranian drone attack hit the CIA’s station in Saudi Arabia “in what would amount to a significant symbolic victory for the Islamic Republic,” The Washington Post reported.
“An internal State Department alert obtained by The Washington Post said the attack ‘collapsed’ part of the embassy’s roof and ‘contaminated’ the inside with smoke,” the publication stated. “The notice said the embassy sustained ‘structural damage’ and personnel ‘continue to shelter in place.’”
The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, the Post added. There was no indication that any CIA personnel were wounded.
SCOOP: A suspected Iranian drone attack hit the CIA’s station in Saudi Arabia in what would amount to a significant symbolic victory for the Islamic Republic as it lashes out at U.S. targets and personnel across the Middle East, sources tell @nakashimae and me
Officials in Dubai say the fire near the US Consulate in Dubai has been fully extinguished with no injuries recorded. The area had been hit by an Iranian drone.
بالصور: إخماد الحريق بالكامل في محيط القنصلية الأمريكية بدبي دون تسجيل أي إصابات؛ والجهات المختصة في دبي تؤكد حرصها على ضمان أمن وسلامة الجميع. pic.twitter.com/3fqjHkEHMl
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 3, 2026
UPDATE:2:46 PM EST-
The IDF says it has now destroyed 300 Iranian missile launchers since the start of the conflict. Israeli authorities also say the country’s fighters have flown more than 1,600 sorties and dropped more than 4,000 munitions.
The IDF says Israeli airstrikes have taken out 300 Iranian missile launchers since the start of the current conflict.
“As part of the offensive effort, the air force continues to launch continuous waves of strikes against the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile arrays and [air]… pic.twitter.com/62xy3luzuE
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
The Israeli Air Force has dropped over 4,000 bombs in strikes on Iran since the start of the campaign which began four days ago, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says in a press conference.
“Today we crossed the amount of munitions that the IDF dropped during the entire…
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
The IDF says it has targeted an Iranian facility on the outskirts of Tehran where scientists “worked secretly to develop capabilities required for nuclear weapons.”
The Israeli Air Force struck a secretive Iranian nuclear site on the outskirts of Tehran earlier today, the military says.
In a press conference, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says at the partially-underground facility, a group of nuclear scientists “worked secretly to… pic.twitter.com/ollEsROFT9
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
The IDF is also still assessing the results of its strike targeting Iran’s Assembly of Experts in Qom. There are reports that none of the 88 clerics who make up this group were in the building when it was hit. Iranian quasi-state media claims a vote for the next Supreme Leader of the country was held remotely for security reasons.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin in a press conference says the results of the Israeli strike on the Iranian Assembly of Experts building in Qom are still under review.
According to reports, none of the 88 clerics were at the building at the time of the strike, rather only… https://t.co/8qweTwYKCj
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
NEW: Iran’s Assembly of Experts is holding final voting to choose a new Supreme Leader.
Although the Assembly’s building in Qom was reportedly hit, no session was held there.
Voting is being conducted remotely for security reasons.
The satellite imagery below shows damage to Iranian leadership targets in Tehran from Israeli strikes earlier today.
Thread: New high-resolution satellite images released by @vantortech show the aftermath of US/Israeli strikes on several major political and military sites in Tehran.
Iran presidential complex, Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council
U.S. Central Command has also released new footage showing strikes targeting Iranian kamikaze drone capabilities.
The Iranian regime’s killer drones have been a menace in the Middle East for years. These drones are no longer a tolerable risk. pic.twitter.com/76yhDKI6OW
Imagery has emerged that is said to show a fire at a U.S. diplomatic facility in Dubai following an Iranian drone attack.
There are reports that President Donald Trump’s administration is considering using military assets to escort oil and natural gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Any warships supporting these operations would also have to operate in the Strait, with all the potential risks entailed. The report says that the U.S. government could also seek to back maritime insurance, where some rates have been hiked and some policies outright cancelled as a result of the current conflict.
(Reuters) – The Trump administration is considering providing military protection to oil and gas tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz, Politico reported on Tuesday.
BIG: The Trump administration is considering using U.S. military forces to protect oil and gas tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran threatened ships in the area.
Officials are discussing naval escorts for tankers and possibly having the U.S. government back… pic.twitter.com/kthwYVQYiO
Iraqi authorities say that all refineries “are operating continuously and at their full design capacity to produce various petroleum derivatives,” according to the country’s Rudaw news outlet.
President Donald Trump has said that “it would seem to me that somebody from within [Iran] maybe would be more appropriate” when asked if Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, is someone the U.S. might look to as part of a new Iranian government.
Reporter: Reza Pahlavi, is he an option at all in your mind?
Trump: It would seem to me that somebody from within maybe would be more appropriate. I’ve said that he looks like a very nice person, but it would seem to me that somebody that’s there, that’s currently popular if… pic.twitter.com/vRYgQXuDU7
“Yes, the State Department is actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East,” Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson has written in a post on X in response to questions about what steps are being taken to help American citizens depart the Middle East. However, at the time of writing, the phone number he has given out starts with a recorded message advising callers not to rely on the U.S. government.
UPDATE:1:29 PM EST-
The Israel Defense Forces have confirmed strikes in Isfahan and elsewhere in Iran. In Isfahan, the targets are said to have been related to the Iranian ballistic missile arsenal rather than the nuclear facility there.
⭕️ OPERATIONAL UPDATE: Targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in Tehran and Isfahan were struck.
📍Throughout Iran, industrial sites used by the Iranian regime to produce weapons, particularly ballistic missiles, were targeted.
Israel has now also issued an explicit threat to strike Iranian officials in Lebanon if they do not leave within 24 hours. The IDF said earlier that it killed Daoud Alizadeh, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force’s acting commander in charge of operations in Lebanon, in strikes on targets in Tehran. The IDF has also continued to target Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
The Israeli military issues an unusual threat against Iranian regime officials in Lebanon, warning that they will be targeted if they do not leave the country within 24 hours.
“The IDF warns representatives of the Iranian terror regime who are still in Lebanon to leave…
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
Alizadeh had taken responsibility for the IRGC Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps from Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Damascus in April 2024, making him “the highest-ranking Iranian commander responsible for Lebanon,” according to the military.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
The IDF issues new evacuation warnings ahead of airstrikes on Hezbollah sites in coastal Lebanese city of Tyre. pic.twitter.com/xf03b1qUox
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
The IDF issues an evacuation warning for a building in Sidon, ahead of an airstrike against Hezbollah infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/sFgggvkYGv
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
A British F-35B Joint Strike Fighter has shot down an Iranian drone while flying over Jordan. This is the first time one of the United Kingdom’s F-35Bs has shot down an aerial target in combat, at least that we know of. The U.K. Ministry of Defense now also says it is sending Wildcat helicopters to Cyprus, primarily to support counter-drone operations. The Wildcat has a demonstrated ability to knock down drones using the Martlet missile.
The UK’s F-35 fleet has scored its first kill, shooting down an Iranian attack drone over Jordan.
British fighters are now conducting combat air patrols over Jordan, Qatar, and the Eastern Mediterranean. pic.twitter.com/EDxQbONjTZ
The UAE Ministry of Defense showcased debris and remnants of Iranian missiles and drones recently intercepted during attacks on the country.
The display included Shahed 136 and Shahed 107 drones, as well as Qaim short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) and Paveh long-range cruise… pic.twitter.com/5CzZ5Fq13P
The UAE says now that it has successfully intercepted 172 ballistic missiles, 8 cruise missiles and 812 kamikaze drones launched by Iran, in total. One ballistic missile and 57 drones have “impacted within state territory.” Another 13 ballistic missiles have come down in the sea around the country.
Axios has reported that the UAE is now considering taking “active defense measures against Iran” in the face of continued attacks.
“The UAE is considering taking active defensive measures against Iran,” a source familiar w/Emirati policy discussions said. “The UAE view is that no country in the world would fail to evaluate its defensive posture under such circumstances.” @BarakRavidhttps://t.co/x91PFdYBqX
“To the very large numbers of people who have been in touch from all 4 corners of the globe: Oman appreciates the support you have shown for our efforts to stop the war,” Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who had been helping mediate U.S.-Iran talks before the conflict erupted, has written in a post on X. “Strengthened by your solidarity, Oman reaffirms its call for an immediate ceasefire and a return to responsible regional diplomacy. There are off ramps available. Let’s use them.”
OMAN FOREIGN MINISTER: THERE ARE OFF RAMPS AVAILABLE, LET’S USE THEM
U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers have joined the air campaign against Iran, according to a new fact sheet from U.S. Central Command seen below. American forces have now struck more than 1,700 targets in total.
CENTCOM
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran “is running out of [missile] launchers” and “running out of areas to shoot them, because they’re being decimated,” according to Politico‘s Sophia Cai.
Trump also told Cai that it is “not too late” to work in some fashion with a new Iranian government. He pushed back again on concerns about low stocks of anti-air interceptors, as well.
🚨NEW: Trump tells me in an interview that Iran “is running out of launchers” and that U.S. defense companies are “under emergency orders” to build weapons.
Q: Is it too late for you to want to work with someone in the new government?
During a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House today, Trump pushed back on reports that the Israeli government had pressured him into attacking Iran. He also reiterated previous comments that “most of the people we had in mind” as potential partners in a new Iranian government “are dead.”
“We will see what happens, but first we have to finish off the military,” he added.
Reporter: Did Israel and Netanyahu force your hand to attack Iran?
Trump: No. I might’ve forced their hand. It was my opinion that these lunatics were going to attack first. pic.twitter.com/VMuyPEknlp
President Trump has also said that he has ordered an end to “all dealings” with Spain. Spanish authorities have blocked access to military bases in the country to U.S. forces supporting Operation Epic Fury.
President Donald Trump has also now said that the reason why various U.S. embassies in the region were not evacuated ahead of the start of U.S.-Israeli strikes this past weekend was that the situation moved too fast to allow for it. The U.S. State Department has now issued evacuation orders for embassies in several Middle Eastern countries.
Reporter: Thousands of Americans are stranded. Why wasn’t there an evacuation plan?
Trump: Well, because it happened all very quickly. We thought — and I thought maybe more so than most. I could ask Marco — but I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to… pic.twitter.com/wlRmjBgWSc
Imagery has emerged showing what looks to show the aftermath of strikes on facilities belonging to the naval army of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the port of Jask. U.S. authorities have said the destruction of Iran’s naval capabilities is a top objective of Operation Epic Fury.
“We don’t see a structured program to manufacture nuclear weapons,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has reiterated today. “Countries have either other information or political considerations, which are not for me to validate, as I said, or invalidate.”
IAEA Chief Grossi on Iran:
We don’t see a structured program to manufacture nuclear weapons.
Countries have either other information or political considerations, which are not for me to validate or invalidate. pic.twitter.com/zKaRe1zEp1
The IAEA has also now confirmed new damage to Iran’s Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) based on satellite imagery, which has also been circulating online. “No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself, which was severely damaged in the June conflict,” the IAEA added in a statement.
Based on the latest available satellite imagery, IAEA can now confirm some recent damage to entrance buildings of Iran’s underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP). No radiological consequence expected and no additional impact detected at FEP itself, which was severely… pic.twitter.com/7CS7BRZo1s
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) March 3, 2026
We have prepared an overview slide summarizing the visible damage at the Natanz uranium enrichment site from the recent attack, pulling together multiple images showing before and after satellite images of the two personnel entrances and the sole vehicle entrance with comparable… pic.twitter.com/mMGvOyHgkQ
Alexey Likhachev, head of Russia’s state-run nuclear company Rosatom, has said he has lost all contact with his counterparts in Iran and that operations at the country’s Bushehr nuclear power plant had been halted. Russian personnel assist with operations at Bushehr.
⚡️Russia lost ‘all contact’ with the leadership of Iran’s nuclear industry, Rosatom chief Likhachev confirms
Operations at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant have been halted
639 Russian staff remain on site, with hourly check-ins as the only line still open pic.twitter.com/VKQPackUip
U.S. Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces have shared more video clips showing strikes on Iranian missile launchers.
The Iranian regime is using mobile launchers to indiscriminately fire missiles in an attempt to inflict maximum harm across the region. U.S. forces are hunting these threats down and without apology or hesitation, we are taking them out. pic.twitter.com/gv1SfKCrk4
✈️🎯60+ strike flights: The IAF completed additional waves of strikes in western Iran targeting the Iranian regime’s missile launchers, defense systems, and live-fire arrays. pic.twitter.com/I1rRLBJlUR
The Ministry of Defense in the United Arab Emirates has released footage, which looks to have been shot via targeting pods on aircraft, of intercepts of incoming Iranian missiles and drones.
The video below is said to show munitions impacting a target in the Iranian city of Urmia as part of ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Imagery is emerging showing new strikes on Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran.
Reported strikes within the last few minutes against military infrastructure located at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran. pic.twitter.com/m7QjmIoyBA
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) March 3, 2026
The national flag of Iran flies in the wind as debris lies scattered in the aftermath of an Israeli and U.S. strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS pic.twitter.com/sULKiGc6Vg
The video below shows a commercial airliner taking off from Beirut International Airport in Lebanon amid Israeli strikes.
A commercial plane takes off from the Beirut International Airport in Lebanon as smoke from Israeli airstrikes can be seen rising over the city on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/tgaRHJzxMb
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) March 3, 2026
Qatari authorities are pushing back on reports that they have conducted strikes on targets in Iran.
Breaking news:
Western sources — Qatar carried out an attack in Iran in the past 24 hours.
An Iranian drone strike overnight on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, reportedly caused part of the roof to collapse. Saudi authorities had initially said the resulting damage to the building was minimal. The Saudi government has also condemned that attack.
The damage inflicted in the attack is more significant than initial assessment conveyed by Saudi’s ministry of defense yesterday https://t.co/9blsrO8TF2
#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its rejection and condemnation in the strongest terms of the flagrant Iranian attack that targeted the U.S. Embassy building in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/pzSSEUEiyO
Despite pushback elsewhere, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has warned that demand for air defense capabilities in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could upend deliveries of U.S.-made systems globally, including to Ukraine. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper in South Korea has also published a story raising questions about whether U.S. air defense assets in that country could be redeployed to the Middle East, but it does not say such movements are imminent.
WARSAW, March 3 (Reuters) – A prolonged conflict in the Middle East could disrupt deliveries of U.S.-made air defence systems and other arms supplies to European countries including Ukraine, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Monday.
Iranian authorities say the current death toll from U.S.-Israeli strikes is now 787, but how many of those individuals are members of the country’s military or security forces is unclear. Lebanese authorities also say that 40 people have been killed and 246 more wounded in Israeli strikes on that country over the past two days.
Iran death toll from US-Israel strikes rises to 787, state media reports.
DUBAI, March 3 (Reuters) – At least 40 people have been killed and 246 wounded in Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Monday and Tuesday, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s health ministry said.
U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran continue. The Israel Defense Forces say a wave of 100 jets dropped 250 munitions on leadership targets in Tehran earlier this morning. A building in the city of Qom, where Iran’s Assembly of Experts was reportedly meeting as part of the process of choosing a new Supreme Leader, was also struck.
Overnight, the Israeli Air Force struck Iran’s “leadership complex” in Tehran, the military says.
The IDF says around 100 fighter jets dropped over 250 bombs on the complex.
The buildings targeted at the complex included Iran’s presidential bureau, the headquarters of Iran’s… pic.twitter.com/CQYMx0gww0
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2026
The Israeli Air Force has attacked the “Assembly of Experts” meeting in Qom, Iran as they were gathering to choose the new Supreme Leader. The council is comprised of 88 religious leaders from around Iran who choose the Ayatollah. pic.twitter.com/kZ68nJE9tb
The Israelis just struck the meeting of the Iranian Supreme Council where officials were gathering to choose a new Supreme Leader, a senior Israeli official told Fox News.
“Israel struck while they were counting the votes for the appointment of the supreme leader.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a statement regarding the delegation of authorities to regional officials to enable “quick decision making” amid ongoing strikes targeting the country’s leadership.
Message from the President of Iran delegating powers to the country’s Governors for “quick decision making.” https://t.co/gvyDIhvBdH
French fighters are now flying over the United Arab Emirates to help bolster that country’s defenses. France is also reportedly sending anti-air and anti-drone capabilities to help protect Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean.
France will send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to Cyprus, as the U.S.-Israel-Iran war heightens tensions in the Middle East, two senior Cypriot government officials have told POLITICO.https://t.co/OCVkZDVS02
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also announced the deployment of the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon to bolster the defense of Cyprus.
Iranian media reports say the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has targeted dissident groups in northern Iraq. Axios has also reported that President Donald Trump spoke with Iraqi Kurdish leaders this past week about “what might come next.” There have been reports raising the possibility of armed Iranian Kurdish groups in Iraq launching a ground incursion even before the current conflict began.
IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS SAYS IT TARGETED DISSIDENT GROUPS PLANNING TO ATTACK IRAN FROM IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION – IRANIAN MEDIA
Zoom in: Trump spoke to leaders from the two main Kurdish factions in Iraq – Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani – a day after the war started, two of the sources said. A source with knowledge of the calls said they were “sensitive” and declined to give details on their content https://t.co/1UN9dPkm5l
U.S. President Donald Trump has now said that it is “too late” to negotiate with Iran’s new leadership, according to Fox News. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who took part in negotiations in the lead-up to the current conflict, claims that Iranian officials say they “have enough enriched uranium for 11 nuclear bombs.”
Witkoff says the Iranian negotiators walked into the room and said, “We have enough enriched uranium for 11 nuclear bombs.”
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — To receive Medicaid health coverage, some adults will soon have to show they are working, volunteering or taking classes. But to gather that proof, many states first will have to spend millions of dollars improving their computer systems.
Across the nation, states face an immense task and high costs to prepare for the Jan. 1 kickoff of new Medicaid eligibility mandates affecting millions of lower-income adults in the government-funded healthcare program.
The first half of a $200-million federal allotment has already begun flowing to states to help implement the new requirements. But the tab for the needed technology improvements and additional staff is likely to exceed $1 billion, according to an Associated Press analysis of budget projections in more than 25 states. That extra cost will be borne by a mixture of federal and state tax dollars.
The task is not as simple as pushing through a software update on your smartphone or personal computer. That’s because each state has its own system for managing Medicaid, often requiring experts to make customized changes.
“Our current eligibility systems are pretty old, and the ability to change them is very, very difficult,” said Toi Wilde, chief information officer for the Missouri Department of Social Services.
As a consequence of states’ new financial burden, some eligible people may lose their healthcare coverage, officials warn.
New requirements affect millions, but not all
The Republican tax and spending law signed last year by President Trump is financed, in part, by sweeping Medicaid changes intended to cut government spending. Two of the most prominent will apply in four-fifths of the states, affecting Medicaid enrollees ages 19 through 64, without young children, whose incomes are above the typical eligibility cutoff.
Those Medicaid participants will have to work or do community service at least 80 hours a month, or enroll at least half-time as a student. They also will face eligibility reviews every six months, instead of annually, meaning they could lose coverage more quickly when their circumstances change.
The two provisions together are projected to save the federal government $388 billion over the next decade, resulting in 6 million fewer people with health insurance, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
But states first must update their online portals used by Medicaid participants, their aging computer systems used by state workers and their methods of verifying information through various databases.
Most will have to turn to private contractors to meet the time crunch. At least 10 companies have agreed to offer discounted services, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Making those technology upgrades “is going to be a lift. It’s not something straightforward. It’s not easy,” said Jason Reilly, a partner at Guidehouse, a firm that is advising several states on the Medicaid requirements.
Most states don’t currently collect employment or education information about Medicaid participants. So states are looking to tap into outside sources to verify job and school data. But there’s no database of community volunteers.
And states are still waiting on federal rules — not due until June — to define some of the exceptions to the work requirements, such as how to determine who qualifies as “medically frail.”
States face extra pressure to get it right because the federal government will start penalizing states with too many Medicaid payment errors in October 2029.
Congress guaranteed all states a share of the $200 million allotted for Medicaid work and eligibility changes. But states must apply for additional federal money. The federal government covers up to 90% of states’ costs to develop systems for determining Medicaid eligibility, 75% of costs to maintain those systems and half of most other administrative costs.
Missouri won early approval for the 90% federal funding rate. State lawmakers now are fast-tracking a $32-million appropriation needed to solicit bids for vendors to start upgrading technology platforms and improving a chatbot for Medicaid participants. Over the next year, the state’s social services agency expects to need about 120 additional workers — at a cost of $12.5 million — to handle the extra administrative workload.
Other states also project large costs. Maryland expects to spend over $32 million in federal and state funds to implement the Medicaid changes, Kentucky more than $46 million, and Colorado over $51 million. Arizona estimates it could cost $65 million — and require 150 additional staffers — to implement the new federal requirements.
Some states surveyed by the AP reported even higher expected costs, though they didn’t always provide a breakdown for how much is due to new Medicaid mandates and how much pertains to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program changes also contained in Trump’s massive law.
Several states, including Arkansas, said they are still working on cost estimates for the Medicaid changes. Arkansas instituted a Medicaid work requirement in 2018-19, and thousands of people were dropped from the rolls before a federal court ended it. Many of the technology changes required by the new federal mandates could be covered under an existing vendor contract and have “a minimal financial impact on our Medicaid budget,” the Arkansas Department of Human Services said in an email.
Nebraska has said it plans to launch Medicaid work requirements in May, seven months ahead of the federal deadline. But the state has not detailed any associated costs and did not respond to inquiries from the AP.
Georgia’s work requirement prompts concerns
Georgia is currently the only state requiring some Medicaid recipients to work, after receiving special federal approval several years ago to expand coverage to some adults not otherwise eligible.
The Georgia Pathways to Coverage program racked up more than $54 million of administrative costs from 2021 through the first part of 2025 — twice the amount of medical assistance paid out over that same period, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Almost all of those costs came from technology changes to its eligibility and enrollment system.
Some Medicaid analysts point to Georgia’s costs and Arkansas’ enrollment losses as reasons for caution as work requirements roll out in other states.
“A huge amount of funding is going to go to vendors to construct these complicated red-tape systems that prevent people who need it from getting healthcare,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University.
Feb. 27 (UPI) — The Justice Department has sued another five states, including three led by Republicans, for their unredacted voter registration lists, amid the Trump administration’s the information ahead of November’s midterms.
The Trump administration has now sued 29 states and the District of Columbia for voter information, heightening Democrats’ concerns that it is seeking to meddle in the elections.
The five states sued Thursday were Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia and New Jersey. The litigation effort has so far disproportionately targeted Democratic-led states, with Utah, Oklahoma and West Virginia among the few GOP-led states sued for their voter registration lists.
Attorney General Pam Bondi argues she is charged by Congress with authority to request the sensitive election data under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, though courts have ruled against the government in the three cases that have reached decisions: California in mid-January and Michigan and Oregon earlier this month.
Courts that have so far rejected Bondi’s argument found either that she lacks the authority to compel disclosure of the unredacted voter lists, as in Oregon, or the laws she cites do not permit the government to obtain them, as in Michigan. The judge in the California case also ruled her demand “stands to have a chilling effect on American citizens like political minority groups and working-class immigrants” worried about how their information will be used.
“As several courts have already held, the Department of Justice’s request for voters’ personal information, including their driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers, is baseless,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement Thursday rejecting the Trump administration’s lawsuit.
“We are committed to protecting the privacy of our state’s residents, and we will defend against this lawsuit in court.”
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson of Utah said the Justice Department sued her state after federal prosecutors declined Utah’s previous offer to share publicly available lists with them. The Trump administration’s lawsuit was expected, she said.
“Neither state nor federal law entitles the Department of Justice to collect private information on law-abiding American citizens,” she said in a statement. “Utahns can be assured that my office will always follow the Constitution and the law, protect voters’ rights and administer free and fair elections.”
Attorney General Gentner Drummond of GOP-led Oklahoma even responded to the lawsuit by stating that they are willing to “fully cooperate with any lawful requests related to voter fraud.”
“Oklahomans should have confidence that their state remains firmly committed to both election integrity and the protection of personal information,” he said in a statement.
The Trump administration has argued it requires the lists for election integrity purposes, raising concerns from Democrats already concerned about Trump attempting to interfere in the midterm elections as he has repeatedly expressed worries that he will be impeached if his Republican Party loses control of Congress.
Democrats and civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Common Cause and the NAACP, have each echoed warnings that the Trump administration wants to use voter registration lists to undermine the upcoming election.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division acknowledged Thursday that many states are choosing to fight them in court, but they will not be dissuaded.
“We will not be deterred, regardless of party affiliation, from carrying out critical election integrity legal duties,” Dhillon said in a statement.
The 10th summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held on November 3 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The main theme of this year’s summit was ‘Turk Time’. The organization, which has set goals such as the long-term Vision of the Turkic World 2040 and the short-term Strategic Roadmap of the OTS 2022-2026, has added a new vision with ‘Turk Time’. So, is the Turk Age possible in the 21st century? Could Turks become an effective political center in the new era? Is Turk Time just a slogan? Or is it based on reality?
Turmoil in the Current Global System gave birth to the Organization of Turkic States
The 2008 economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the weakening of United States (US) hegemony that emerged with its military withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq left great chaos and a vacuum in international order.[1] Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic and the US debt ceiling crisis, the US hegemony tool, dollar hegemony, has suffered a major shake-up and has become controversial.[2] This vacuum and chaotic environment triggered an effort to build a new alternative order for countries that were uncomfortable with the existing international order, and to gain a position in the new order to be established. As the rise of Asian economies continued in the global economy, organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS accelerated the construction of an alternative multipolar order. The world was divided into two camps: defenders of the old unipolar world order and proponents of the new multipolar world order. The weakening of US hegemony and global chaos paved the way for the OTS. The transformation of the organization in 2021 coincided with the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Turkey, in particular, plays a decisive role in the OTS. In recent years, Turkey has experienced sharp ruptures in its relations with the US, EU, and NATO. The weakening of Turkey’s relations with the West is a reflection of the decline of US hegemony in the global order. At the same time, Turkey’s increasing cooperation and friendship with Russia and China played a positive role in the establishment of the OTS. The organization should be seen as an attempt to become part of a multipolar world order. For example, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that the world is bigger than five is an expression of the need to build a just multipolar world order. As the Turkic states increase cooperation, trade, and prosperity among themselves, they serve regional peace and the establishment of a just order. With the OTS, Turkey aims to increase prosperity in the region, improve infrastructure, maintain a common culture, and increase its defense and counter-terrorism cooperation capabilities. Turkey’s objectives in the OTS in Central Asia are an effort to take part in a multipolar world that will strengthen peace and prosperity. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aims to continue the Turk Time with Turkey and for the Turkic world to become the world’s rising power.[3] Turkey wants to be a subject, not an object, in the multipolar order. In sum, Turkey is trying to play a stronger role in the new international system to be established by establishing good relations with the advocates of the multipolar world order.
Organization Strengthens by Institutionalizing
After the transformation of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States into the OTS with the Istanbul summit in 2021, the organization entered the process of building a stronger institutional infrastructure. Analyzing the outcomes of the Astana Summit, efforts to complete the institutionalization of the organization stand out. This year, the organization continued to increase institutionalization in areas such as the Civil Protection Mechanism, the Turkic Judicial Training Network, the Union of Notaries of the Turkic World, the Turkic Investment Fund, and the Organization of Trade Unions of Turkic States. The final declaration expresses satisfaction with the activities carried out within the framework of the organization in one year.[4] For example, the Alliance of Turkic News Agencies (ATNA) was established after the summit between Turkey’s news agency Anadolu Agency (AA), Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC), Kyrgyz National News Agency (Kabar), Uzbekistan National News Agency (UzA), and Kazakhstan’s news agency Qazcontent. After the establishment of ATNA, Binali Yıldırım, Chairman of the OTS Council of Elders, said: “We aim to bring the truth to the people in the fastest way and to prevent colonialist countries from covering the events. Serdar Karagöz, who was elected president of ATNA, emphasized the importance of combating disinformation.[5] In short, in the field of media, OTS has placed establishment of a media network that will challenge the media of the unipolar world and represent the oppressed at its center. During the next few years, it is possible to predict that the organization will institutionalize in various fields.
The organization Aims to Strengthen Trade
There are two important cooperation areas between the member states of the OTS. The first is the development of cooperation in the energy field. Turkic states are rich in valuable minerals such as energy, natural gas, oil, and uranium. Therefore, the member states of the organization tend to deepen their cooperation in the field of energy. The second meeting of the OTS Working Group on Energy Cooperation of the Ministers Responsible for Energy of the OTS was held on September 28, 2022, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The parties adopted the OTS Energy Cooperation Program and the related action plan for 2023-2027, which includes the exchange of information and ideas on legislation and national programs in the energy sector, renewable and alternative energy sources, fossil fuel energy, nuclear energy, energy efficiency, dissemination of new technologies, capacity-building programs, and enhancing cooperation in the international arena. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the importance of making efforts to make the Middle Corridor even more attractive for investment and to transport trans-Caspian resources, particularly Turkmen gas, to Turkey and Europe. Strategic energy infrastructure projects such as the Organization, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Southern Gas Corridor, Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP), and Trans Adriatic Pipeline Project (TAP) contribute to the prosperity of Turkic states and European and global energy security. [6]
The second is to take steps to strengthen trade along the Silk Road belt. The member states of the OTS had a trade volume of $ 700 billion. However, only $ 18 billions of this trade volume is carried out among the member states themselves. This situation is the main driving factor in the establishment of the organization. Because Turkey and the member states are determined to develop trade among themselves. The member states of the organization focus on removing or facilitating trade barriers among themselves. Eliminating trade barriers and providing infrastructure investments on roads. In this respect, there is no other way but to work in harmony with the Belt and Road Initiative of the OTS. The implementation of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the 2023-2027 OTS Transport Connectivity Program adopted at the Astana summit is expected to significantly increase the transit potential of the Middle Corridor and make Caspian transits smoother.
The establishment of the Turkish Investment Fund was on the agenda at the Istanbul Summit. During the two-year period of the organization, sub-commissions carried out infrastructure work to establish the Turkish Investment Fund. On March 16, 2023, the Agreement on the Establishment of the Turkish Investment Fund was signed at the Extraordinary Summit of the OTS held in Ankara. Before the Astana summit, Turkey voted the proposal for the establishment of the Turkish Investment Fund as a law in its parliament: “The capital participation commitment of the Republic of Turkey to the Turkish Investment Fund and the payments to be made within the framework of this commitment cannot exceed the equivalent of USD 100,000,000.[7] The President is authorized to increase the amount up to five times. Thus, the OTS has gained an institutional structure to finance its investments among itself. All of these developments are efforts to increase the economic trade volume of the organization and strengthen economic cooperation.
Russia, Iran, and China should be part of the OTS
The fate of Turkic states depends on the revival of the Silk Road and the Belt and Road Initiative. Historically, trade flowing from China to Europe via the Silk Road played an important role in enriching Turks and building powerful states. Today, China, the world’s second-largest economy, has regained its historical position. The revival of the historical Silk Road plays an important role in the revival of the Turkic world. There must be an air of unity in Eurasia in order for the OTS to succeed. In this respect, the accession of Iran, Russia, and China, which have Turkic-speaking peoples, to the OTS will add significant strength to the organization. There is already such an expectation in the OTS. Chairman of the Council of Elders of the OTS Binali Yıldırım stated that China and Russia are natural members of the OTS.[8]
The sanctions against Russia in the aftermath of Russia’s operation in Ukraine have highlighted the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor.[9] Moreover, although 96 percent of the trade from China to Europe is by sea, the US continues to blockade the South China Sea. Currently, the Middle Corridor is the safest port for trade flow. The most important goal of the OTS is to make the Middle Corridor more active. “We should also pay special attention to the development of transport networks between our countries. With this understanding, we continue our efforts to activate the Caspian Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor. We should strengthen our cooperation in removing obstacles to transportation and trade, enriching transportation networks, facilitating border crossings, and visa procedures”.[10]
Conclusion
The world is on the brink of a global rupture, and OTS is an organization that emerged on the brink of this global rupture. Shortly after the Republic of Turkey celebrated its 100th anniversary on October 29, the OTS organized a summit with the theme of ‘Turk Time’, which reflects the expectation of Turks to become a global actor for the 200th year. To achieve this goal, the Organization of Turkic States must unite in Eurasia. In this respect, it is vital for the OTS to strengthen its cooperation with China, Iran, and Russia. These states are the leading powers of Asia and home to Turkic-speaking peoples. Economically, the Middle Corridor is vital for the OTS. Trade between China and Europe passes through Central Asia via railroads, which indicates the revival of the historic Silk Road. Controlling the Silk Road, the OTS can regain its historical role, gain a geopolitical advantage, and become an important figure in world politics. Turks have always had their own special goals, called the ‘Red Apple’. The Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror set the conquest of Istanbul and the establishment of a new Roman Empire as the Red Apple. In the 16-18th centuries, the Ottoman Sultans identified the conquest of Vienna and Rome as the Red Apple. In the 20th century, Turkist ideologues had the Red Apple of establishing a Turan State. In the 21st century, it is clear that the Turks’ Red Apple is the greatest ideal to be a center in the multipolar world order under the slogan of ‘Turk Time’.
The views contained in this article are the author’s alone and do not represent the views of Shanghai University.
[1] Francis Fukuyama, Francis Fukuyama on the end of American hegemony, 8 November 2021, https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2021/11/08/francis-fukuyama-on-the-end-of-american-hegemony
[2] CFR, The Future of Dollar Hegemony, 22 August 2023, https://www.cfr.org/blog/future-dollar-hegemony
[3] Türkiye Yüzyılı’nda ‘Türk Devri’ başlıyor, 3 November 2023, https://www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem/turkiye-yuzyilinda-turk-devri-basliyor-809286.html
[4] Organization of Turkic States, “Declaration of the Tenth Summit of the Organization of the Turkic States”, 3 November 2023, https://www.turkicstates.org/assets/pdf/haberler/astana-declaration-3113-215.pdf
[5] AA, “Türk Haber Ajansları Birliğinin ilk genel kurulu yapıldı”, 6 November 2023, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kurumsal-haberler/turk-haber-ajanslari-birliginin-ilk-genel-kurulu-yapildi/3045736#
[6] Türkiye İletişim Başkanlığı, 21. Yüzyılın Parlayan Yıldızı: Türk Devletleri Teşkilatı, İstanbul, Cumhurbaşkanlığı İletişim Başkanlığı Yayınları: 2023
[7] Resmî Gazete, Türk Yatırım Fonu Kuruluş Anlaşmasının Onaylanmasının Uygun Bulunduğuna Dair Kanun, 11November 2023, https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2023/11/20231111-1.htm
[8]Sputnik, Aksakallılar Konseyi Başkanı Yıldırım: Rusya ve Çin Türk Devletleri Teşkilatı’nın doğal üyesidir, https://tr.sputniknews.com/20211126/aksakallilar-konseyi-baskani-yildirim-rusya-ve-cin-turk-devletleri-teskilatinin-dogal-uyesidir-1051186836.html
[10] Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanlığı, “Türk dünyasının barışı, refahı ve güvenliği yönünde adımlar atmayı sürdüreceğiz”, 3 November 2023, https://www.tccb.gov.tr/haberler/410/150055/-turk-dunyasinin-barisi-refahi-ve-guvenligi-yonunde-adimlar-atmayi-surdurecegiz-
Feb. 24 (UPI) —Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the United States, was released on bail in the early hours of Tuesday after being arrested in London on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Metropolitan Police said in a news update that it released a 72-year-old-man arrested at an address in the Camden area of north London earlier on Monday evening, pending further investigation.
The force said the man had been taken to a London police station for questioning after search warrants were executed at two addresses in Wiltshire and Camden on Feb. 6.
Mandelson is 72-years-old and owns homes in Wiltshire and Camden.
The Met launched an investigation amid allegations that Mandelson passed details of confidential government documents when he was serving as Business Secretary in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009 after the latest tranche of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice show email exchanges in which Mandelson appears to share market-sensitive information.
In one email in 2009, Mandelson appeared to send Epstein information regarding Britain’s response to the then-financial crisis, including an “asset sales plan.”
In 2010, he apparently shared information about a “tax on bankers’ bonuses” and gave Epstein advance notice of a bailout package for the Euro, a day before it was announced.
The alleged emails were sent after Epstein’s conviction for sex offenses in the United States in 2008.
The BBC said it understands that Mandelson denies he acted in a criminal way or for personal financial gain in his relationship with Epstein, although he has not commented publicly in months.
Mandelson’s arrest came four days after the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested and released under investigation by Thames Valley Police in a parallel but separate misconduct in public office probe in connection with his friendship with Epstein.
Mandelson was fired as Britain’s U.S. ambassador by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September after files from the U.S. House Oversight Commttee emerged showing the “depth and extent” of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was “materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”
Andrew, who settled a sexual assault civil suit brought by the late Virginia Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed eight figure sum out-of-court, has also denied any wrongdoing — but has remained silent on the latest slew of allegations from 2010 and 2011 when he was Britain’s Trade Envoy.
Seven other police forces across the country are running live investigations into Epstein’s links to Britain including allegations he trafficked women and girls to and via Britain on private aircraft after Prime Minister Brown spoke about Epstein’s “Lolita Express” and its use of U.K. airports.
At least 87 flights that were related to Epstein arrived at or departed from U.K. airports between the early 1990s and 2018, according to an investigation by the BBC.
Sky Roberts and Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law, praised Britain’s proactive approach in investigating possible wrongdoing revealed in the files and criticized U.S. authorities for not doing more.
“As Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family, we commend the British authorities for taking meaningful action and treating the Epstein files with the urgency they demand. While these arrests aren’t for the underlying exploitation, they are a crucial step toward truth and accountability,” they said in a statement Monday.
“The contrast with the continued inaction in the United States is undeniable. Survivors deserve transparency, swift investigation, and real justice, no matter who is implicated.”
Former South African president Nelson Mandela speaks to reporters outside of the White House in Washington on October 21, 1999. Mandela was famously released from prison in South Africa on February 11, 1990. Photo by Joel Rennich/UPI | License Photo
SAN FRANCISCO — While united against a common political enemy in the White House, the California Democratic Party remains deeply divided over how to address the state’s affordability crisis and who is best suited to lead the state in this turbulent era of President Trump.
Those fractures revealed themselves during the party’s annual convention in California’s liberal epicenter, San Francisco, where a slate of Democrats running to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom pitched very different visions for the state.
Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and wealthy financier Tom Steyer were among the top candidates who swung left, with Porter vowing to enact free childcare and tuition-free college and Steyer backing a proposed new tax on billionaires. Both candidates also support universal healthcare.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, the newest major candidate to enter the race, hewed toward partisan middle ground, chastising leaders in Sacramento for allowing the state budget to balloon without tangible improvements to housing affordability, homelessness and public schools.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), a vociferous critic and constant target of the Trump administration, emerged from the convention with the greatest momentum after receiving the most votes for the California Democratic Party’s endorsement, with 24% of delegates backing him.
“The next governor has two jobs: one, to keep Donald Trump and ICE out of our streets and out of our lives, and two, to lower your costs on healthcare, on housing, on utilities,” Swalwell said. “Californians need a fighter and protector, and for the last 10 years, I’ve gone on offense against the worst president ever.”
Still, none of the top Democrats running for governor received the 60% vote needed to capture the endorsement, indicating just how uncertain the race remains just months away from the June primary.
Betty Yee, a former state controller and party vice chair, placed second in the endorsement vote with 17%; former U.S. Health and Human Services Sec. Xavier Becerra had 14%; and Steyer had 13%. The remaining candidates had single-digit levels of support from among the more than 2,300 delegates who cast endorsement votes.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) takes a selfie with supporters during the California Democratic Party’s annual convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on Saturday.
“We’re going to win the House. There’s absolutely no question we will win the House,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) at a Young Dems event on Friday evening. “We’re going to protect the election, we’re going to win the election, and we’re going to tell people the difference that we will make.”
Thousands of delegates, party allies and guests attended the weekend California Democratic Party convention at Moscone Center in the South of Market neighborhood. The gathering included a tribute to Pelosi as she serves her final term.
Party leaders did coalesce behind one of the Democrats running to replace Pelosi, Scott Wiener, a liberal state senator who is vying be the first openly gay person to represent San Francisco in Congress.
The convention comes as party members and leaders continue to soul search after Trump’s second election. California remains a stronghold of opposition to the president, but its next governor will also have to face a growing cost-of-living crisis in a state where utility costs keep climbing and the median single-family home price is more than double what it is nationally.
Under growing pressure, the candidates for governor went on the offensive at the party gathering. Candidates sniped at each other — though rarely by name — for being too rich, too beholden to special interests or for voting in the past in support of ICE and border wall funding.
While largely panned by delegates who tend to lean further left than the typical California Democratic voter, Mahan has jolted the race by quickly raising millions from tech industry leaders and targeting moderate voters with a message of getting the state “back to basics.”
“We are at risk of losing the trust of the people of California if we don’t hold ourselves accountable for delivering better results on public education, home building, public safety,” Mahan said. “We’re not getting the outcomes we need for the dollars we’re spending.”
Mahan has raised more than $7.3 million since entering the contest in late January, according to campaign finance disclosures of large contributions. Many of the donors are tied to the tech industry, such as Y Combinator, Doordash, Amazon and Thumbtack. Billionaire Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso has also contributed the maximum allowed to Mahan’s campaign.
Technology businessman Dennis Bress, from Newport Beach, wears a pin supporting Planned Parenthood and a Yes on Proposition 50 shirt at the California Democratic Party convention at the Moscone Center on Friday in San Francisco.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Other candidates have raised concerns about the cash infusion, particularly Steyer, who has already dropped more than $37 million into his self-funded campaign and is pitching himself as a “billionaire who will take on the billionaires.”
“Here’s the thing about big donors: If you take their money, you have to take their calls,” Steyer said during his floor speech.
Delegates and party leaders said California’s next governor will have to continue leading the state’s aggressive opposition to Trump while dealing with the issues at home.
“I think people want a fighter,” said Rep. Dave Min (D-Irvine), who represents Porter’s former congressional district and has endorsed her in the governor’s race. “They want someone who’s going to stand up to Donald Trump but also fight to help average people who feel like they’re getting a raw deal in today’s America.”
Several of the candidates made the case that they could do both.
During her speech, Porter held up a whiteboard — her signature prop when grilling CEOs and Trump administration officials while she served in Congress — with “F— Trump” written on it.
“I’ll stand up to Trump and his cronies just like I did in Congress,” she said. “But this election for governor is about far more than defeating Trump.”
Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, called on Democrats to “send a message about democracy by rejecting billionaires and corporate-backed candidates.” She also rolled out a long list of “true affordability measures” including free child care, free tuition at public universities, and single-payer healthcare, though she did not specify how she would pay for them.
Fighting back against Trump is “the floor,” said 29-year-old Gregory Hutchins, an academic labor researcher from Riverside. “We need to go higher than the floor — what can you do for the people of California? We all recognize that this is a beautiful and wonderful state, but it is very difficult to afford living here.”
Even some delegates — often the most politically active members of a party — have yet to make up their minds in the governor’s race. Nearly 9% opted not to endorse a particular candidate at the convention.
“You want that perfect candidate. You want that like, yes, this is the person,” said Sean Frame, a school labor organizer from Sacramento who is running for state Senate. “And I don’t feel like there is one candidate for me that fits all that.”
For all the focus on affordability, there were undertones of growing frustration from even reliable Democratic allies over a lack of tangible results in a state where the median home price is more than $823,000. SEIU California president David Huerta said workers have “been deferring our power to elected leadership” for too long.
“I think we need to be the ones who set the agenda and hold them accountable to that agenda,” Huerta said. “And they need to be leading from the direction of working people.”
It’s a constant battle with Democrats at state and local levels to get fair pay, said Mary Grace Barrios, who left a career in insurance to take care of her disabled adult daughter.
Barrios makes $19 an hour as an in-home caregiver to other clients in Los Angeles County. When Newsom signed a law to raise wages for most healthcare workers to $25 an hour by 2030, in-home support staff like Barrios were not included.
“It’s so important that we be given the respect and pay we need to live because we can’t live on that amount,” she said, adding that it feels like a “constant attack by people in our own party that we supported, that forgot us.”
“As citizens, you get what you vote for, right? So we have to do it. We have to make the change.”
Feb. 21 (UPI) — Blizzard conditions are anticipated across a dozen states, from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, with coastal areas especially vulnerable amid a severe weather outlook.
Communities situated near the Atlantic Ocean’s shoreline are most vulnerable to severe winter weather. Some of the nation’s largest cities, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston, are located well within areas that could experience major winter storm conditions.
Those conditions include a blizzard caused by a powerful offshore low-pressure system that is producing high winds and heavy snowfall near its outer edges while centered off the Eastern Seaboard.
Blizzard warnings are in effect into Monday along coastal areas, from New Jersey and Delaware to the southern New England states.
New York City is subject to its first blizzard warning since 2017, and the city’s iconic Central Park could see its first snowfall total of more than 12 inches in at least five years.
Locations situated east of Interstate 95 and between Philadelphia and New York City are expected to see the most snowfall, which would make road travel dangerous.
Forecasters said at least a foot of snow could cover the ground in Philadelphia, New York City and Boston, along with other communities, and affect flights at airports in those locales and others that lie within the winter storm’s path.
Baltimore and other cities in the Mid-Atlantic are predicted to get several inches of snow, and a high potential for power outages exists anywhere affected by the winter storm system that packs winds capable of gusting to 40 mph and more.
The nor-easter’s strong winds also will increase the storm surge that could cause localized flooding in coastal areas from Delaware and New Jersey to southern New England throughout Sunday and into early Monday morning.
The low-pressure system was located off the coast of the Carolinas on Saturday afternoon and is projected to move to the northeast through Sunday, leaving heavy, wet snow and high winds in its wake.
Those who have flights scheduled should pay close attention to likely delays and cancellations that might affect their respective travel schedules.
Actress Michelle Yeoh sits beside her star during an unveiling ceremony honoring her with the 2,836th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on February 18, 2026. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
UN warns that Israel’s plan will lead to widespread dispossession of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
More than 80 United Nations member states have condemned Israel’s plan to expand control over the occupied West Bank and claim large tracts of Palestinian territory as Israeli “state property”.
“We strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel’s unlawful presence in the West Bank,” Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said on Tuesday, speaking on behalf of the coalition of 85 member states and several international organisations.
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“Such decisions are contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law and must be immediately reversed. We underline in this regard our strong opposition to any form of annexation,” Mansour said.
“We reiterate our rejection of all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem,” he said.
“Such measures violate international law, undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region, run counter to the Comprehensive Plan and jeopardise the prospect of reaching a peace agreement ending the conflict”, he added.
The Comprehensive Plan is a November agreement between Israel and Hamas to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which includes a halt to Israel’s illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
Signatories to the joint statement on Tuesday include Australia, Canada, China, France, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye , the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The joint statement follows Israel’s decision to implement land registration in Section C of the West Bank for the first time since 1967, when Israel began its occupation of Palestinian territory.
Section C makes up about 60 percent of the West Bank’s territory, according to the illegal settlement monitoring organisation Peace Now.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, earlier this week, warned that Israel’s land registration plan could lead to the “dispossession of Palestinians of their property and risks expanding Israeli control over land in the area”.
Guterres warned that the process could be both “destabilising” and unlawful, citing a landmark 2024 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that stated Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is unlawful and must end.
Israel’s “abuse of its status as the occupying power” renders its “presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful”, the ICJ said in its ruling.
“Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law,” the court added.
According to the ICJ, approximately 465,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, spread across some 300 settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.
Separately on Tuesday, a 13-year-old Palestinian child was killed, and two other children were seriously injured, in the occupied West Bank’s central Jordan Valley area by ammunition discarded by the Israeli military, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
The injured children, aged 12 and 14, are receiving treatment in hospital, Wafa said.
