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Category: War

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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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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Trump running out of options in face of economic or naval catastrophe

Trump running out of options in face of economic or naval catastrophe

CNN reports: The Trump administration is currently trapped between the specter of a global economic recession and a naval catastrophe. As the conflict with Iran intensifies, the world’s energy arteries are constricting to a point of “nonlinearity,” where every day the Strait of Hormuz remains closed doesn’t just double the economic pain — it multiplies it exponentially. So, the Trump administration is working to resolve the oil crisis on several fronts: It’s scrambling to organize a complex military operation to…

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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. Navy contradicts Trump by telling shipping industry Hormuz escorts not possible for now

U.S. Navy contradicts Trump by telling shipping industry Hormuz escorts not possible for now

Reuters reports: The U.S. Navy has refused near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since ​the start of the war on Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high for now, according to sources familiar with the matter. The ‌Navy’s assessments spell continued disruption to Middle East oil exports and reflect a divergence from President Donald Trump’s statements that the U.S. is prepared to provide naval escorts whenever needed to restart regular…

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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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The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is by far the biggest oil supply disruption in history

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is by far the biggest oil supply disruption in history

CNBC reports: The U.S. war against Iran has triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history, more than double the previous record set during the Middle East crisis of the 1950s, according to an analysis by consulting firm Rapidan Energy. About 20% of the world’s oil supply has been disrupted for nine days now as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a standstill. Crude prices have surged above $100 per barrel in response. The biggest disruption before…

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Middle East oil crisis: What is America’s real ‘endgame’ in Iran?

Middle East oil crisis: What is America’s real ‘endgame’ in Iran?

  The war in Iran is already sending shockwaves far beyond the battlefield. Stock markets are sinking, Brent crude has jumped above $100 a barrel, and G7 governments are considering tapping emergency reserves to steady the markets. Missiles landing close to critical Gulf energy infrastructure have sharpened fears that what began as a regional confrontation could tip the global economy into something far more dangerous. The real question is whether this crisis can be contained, and if not, how vulnerable…

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In the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, Russia reaps the benefits

In the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, Russia reaps the benefits

The Associated Press reports: As U.S. and Israeli missiles and bombs rain on Iran, Russia has responded with words of indignation but no visible action to support its Middle Eastern ally. That cautious stance is driven by President Vladimir Putin’s focus on Ukraine and his apparent hope that the Iran war will play into Moscow’s hands by boosting its oil revenues and eroding Western support for Kyiv. Putin sent his condolences to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, condemning the killing of…

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