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Category: Politics

The other global crisis stemming from the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz

The other global crisis stemming from the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz

Noah Gordon and Lucy Corthell write: The Gulf region is a key producer not only of liquified natural gas (LNG) and oil products but also of fertilizer. About one-third of global seaborne trade in fertilizers typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been nearly entirely closed since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. In particular, Gulf countries are important producers of nitrogen fertilizers, which depend primarily on natural gas burned at high pressure in the presence of hydrogen to synthesize ammonia. (The…

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War crimes: Strikes hit World Heritage sites in Iran

War crimes: Strikes hit World Heritage sites in Iran

The New York Times reports: In the city of Isfahan, Israeli airstrikes have damaged several of Iran’s most cherished cultural jewels, Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Heritage said. The Ali Qapu Palace and the Chehel Sotoun palace and garden, dating to the 17th-century Safavid dynasty, sustained serious harm, photos and videos released by the ministry show. The blast waves on Monday also sent the turquoise tiles of the iconic Jameh Mosque crashing to the ground, with ministry photographs showing a…

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How ‘Handala’ became the face of Iran’s hacker counterattacks

How ‘Handala’ became the face of Iran’s hacker counterattacks

Wired reports: Since the United States and Israel first unleashed a broad campaign of air strikes across Iran in late February, the cybersecurity industry has warned that the country’s retaliatory measures would include punishing, disruptive cyberattacks against Western targets. Late Tuesday night, the first of those attacks arrived in the US: a devastating breach of the medical technology firm Stryker that has reportedly disabled as many as tens of thousands of computers and paralyzed much of the company’s global operations—all…

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U.S. intelligence says Iran government is not at risk of collapse, say sources

U.S. intelligence says Iran government is not at risk of collapse, say sources

Reuters reports: U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran’s leadership is still largely intact and is not at risk of collapse any time soon after nearly two weeks of relentless U.S. and Israeli bombardment, according to three ​sources familiar with the matter. A “multitude” of intelligence reports provide “consistent analysis that the regime is not in danger” of collapse and “retains control of the Iranian public,” ‌said one of the sources, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss U.S. intelligence findings….

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Hegseth targets the lawyers

Hegseth targets the lawyers

Sarah Fitzpatrick and Missy Ryan write: One of Pete Hegseth’s first actions after taking charge at the Pentagon was to fire top lawyers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force—senior officers who the defense secretary said functioned as “roadblocks” to the president’s orders. The former National Guardsman has a history of hostility toward military lawyers and the legal restraints they impose on the use of military might. They are known as judge advocates general. Hegseth calls them “jagoffs.” This week,…

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Iran’s cheap, plentiful weaponry puts U.S. military under unprecedented strain

Iran’s cheap, plentiful weaponry puts U.S. military under unprecedented strain

Bloomberg reports: When the first cruise missiles began detonating inside Iran, the strikes had all the hallmarks of previous successful US military campaigns — unstoppable, overwhelming force delivered without warning. But as the conflict extends toward a third week, the US war effort is showing unexpected signs of strain against an adversary whose military budget is smaller than the GDP of Vermont — but which has an arsenal of missiles and drones unlike anything the US has ever faced. US…

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As it controls the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now exporting more oil than it was before the war

As it controls the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now exporting more oil than it was before the war

The Wall Street Journal reports: Iran is exporting more oil through the Strait of Hormuz than before the war, showing it is in control of a strategic waterway that it has closed off to the rest of the region’s oil producers. As Gulf Arab oil producers from Saudi Arabia to Iraq cut production and scramble for new routes that bypass the strait, Iran is conducting business as usual, according to data from tanker-tracking firm Kpler, throwing a financial lifeline to…

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Iranian drone strike hits Oman’s largest oil storage facility

Iranian drone strike hits Oman’s largest oil storage facility

OilPrice.com reports: Iranian drones struck oil storage facilities at the Port of Salalah in Oman on Wednesday, marking the latest attack on Gulf energy infrastructure as the regional war expands into a full-scale confrontation over global oil supply. Fuel storage tanks at the port were hit in the strike, according to maritime security firm Ambrey and Omani state media, though no merchant vessels in the area were damaged. OSINT account Visioner shared video footage of the oil storage facilities after…

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U.S. at fault in strike on elementary school in Iran, preliminary inquiry says

U.S. at fault in strike on elementary school in Iran, preliminary inquiry says

The New York Times reports: An ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the preliminary findings. The Feb. 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building was the result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part, the…

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The White House that didn’t foresee global oil supply disruption, isn’t panicking about oil prices

The White House that didn’t foresee global oil supply disruption, isn’t panicking about oil prices

Politico reports: The Trump administration believes it can withstand a brief spike in oil prices — for as many as four weeks, as one person close to the White House suggested — before the political hit does lasting damage. Administration officials’ confidence was bolstered Tuesday when oil dropped to $80 per barrel, down from $120 this weekend, reinforcing their view that the spikes are temporary and manageable. They have three to four weeks “where they can ride out what they…

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Undisclosed location: Bondi joins Miller, Rubio, Noem, and Hegseth in secret hideout

Undisclosed location: Bondi joins Miller, Rubio, Noem, and Hegseth in secret hideout

The New York Times reports: Attorney General Pam Bondi has quietly relocated to one of several military bases in the Washington area where other Trump administration officials also live, after facing threats from drug cartels and critics of her actions in handling the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to people familiar with the situation. Ms. Bondi moved from an apartment in the city within the past month in response to an array of threats flagged to her staff by federal law…

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Joe Rogan: Trump’s war against Iran is ‘crazy,’ ‘insane,’ and ‘nuts,’ leaving Americans feeling ‘betrayed’

Joe Rogan: Trump’s war against Iran is ‘crazy,’ ‘insane,’ and ‘nuts,’ leaving Americans feeling ‘betrayed’

The New York Times reports: Joe Rogan, the influential podcast host, said on his show Tuesday that the war in Iran was “crazy” and had left Americans feeling “betrayed” by President Trump, describing the conflict as a sharp reversal from the policies that the president had campaigned on. “It just seems so insane,” said Mr. Rogan, who endorsed Mr. Trump in 2024 and said he still texted with him on occasion. “He ran on no more wars: End these stupid,…

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AI auto-complete may subtly shape views on social issues

AI auto-complete may subtly shape views on social issues

Science News reports: Using AI to auto-complete written communications may be tempting. But the large language models may also auto-complete thoughts, researchers report March 11 in Science Advances. Few people realize that generative AI chatbots are pushing them to think a certain way, says information scientist Mor Naaman of Cornell University. “It’s the subtlest of manipulations.” Such manipulation may not matter much when letting AI agents such as ChatGPT and Claude auto-complete a banal email. But when people use an…

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Aramco sees ‘catastrophic consequences’ for oil markets if Hormuz strait remains blocked

Aramco sees ‘catastrophic consequences’ for oil markets if Hormuz strait remains blocked

Reuters reports: Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s top oil exporter, said on Tuesday there would be “catastrophic consequences” for the world’s oil ​markets if the Iran war continues to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil shipments have been largely blocked from using the shipping artery, where normally ‌roughly 20% of the world’s oil would pass through daily. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they would not allow “one litre of oil” to be shipped from the Middle East…

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U.S. and Israeli tactics and timelines diverge

U.S. and Israeli tactics and timelines diverge

Axios reports: The Trump administration asked Israel on Monday not to carry out further strikes on energy facilities in Iran, particularly oil infrastructure, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Why it matters: The U.S. request marks the first time the Trump administration has reined in Israel since the two countries launched their joint operation against Iran ten days ago. The Israeli strikes blanketed Tehran — a city of 10 million — in toxic black smoke and acid rain, raising urgent health warnings for ordinary Iranians. Driving…

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The U.S. built a blueprint to avoid civilian war casualties. Trump officials scrapped it

The U.S. built a blueprint to avoid civilian war casualties. Trump officials scrapped it

By Hannah Allam This story was originally published by ProPublica Images from the missile strike in southern Iran were more horrifying than any of the case studies Air Force combat veteran Wes J. Bryant had pored over in his mission to overhaul how the U.S. military safeguards civilian life. Parents wept over their children’s bodies. Crushed desks and blood-stained backpacks poked through the rubble. The death toll from the attack on an elementary school in Minab climbed past 165, most…

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