Europe
(Clea Caulcutt – Politico) Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe is supposed to be the centrist candidate with the best chance of stopping the far right in next year’s French presidential election — but his political future is under threat in the gritty industrial port of Le Havre. Philippe, one of President Emmanuel Macron’s most popular former lieutenants, has been mayor of this city in Normandy since 2020, but polling suggests he now faces a make-or-break battle not to lose it to a Communist rival in the municipal elections of March 15 and 22. If he does lose his northern stronghold — which he also ran from 2010 to 2017 — Philippe’s loss will send shockwaves through France. The center-right politician has said that will mean he won’t run in the 2027 election against the candidate from the far-right National Rally (RN) party — either Marine Le Pen or Jordan Bardella, the current frontrunners for the presidency. – Bardella’s main rival for French presidency risks crashing out of race – POLITICO
(Zoya Sheftalovich and Koen Verhelst – Politico) Iceland could conclude accession talks with the EU within “a year and a half” and become its 28th member country, Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told POLITICO. Iceland will hold a referendum on Aug. 29 on whether to relaunch its aborted negotiations to join the EU. A recent Gallup poll pointed to a tight vote, with 52 percent of people in favor of the move and 48 against. “Sometimes you don’t have to let the poll lead, but lead yourself,” said Þorgerður, who heads the pro-EU Viðreisn party. – Iceland could be EU’s next member, foreign minister says – POLITICO
(Karl Mathiesen – Politico) Frank Furedi, one of the European populist right’s intellectual darlings, has a nagging anxiety. What if they gain power, then blow it? A Hungarian-born sociologist who spent decades on the political fringes himself, Furedi now runs MCC Brussels, a think tank backed by Viktor Orbán’s Budapest government. It aims to challenge what he calls the European Union’s liberal consensus — and help sharpen the ideas of a rising populist right. Speaking in his home office in the English market town of Faversham, where he was recovering from a recent illness, the 78-year-old professional provocateur — who has risen to prominence in Europe’s right-wing circles — hailed what he sees as the impending collapse of Europe’s political center. But he also questioned whether the insurgent movements benefiting from that upheaval have the discipline needed to govern if they win. – The populist right’s ‘worst enemy’: Itself – POLITICO
(Zia Weise – Politico) Europeans should eat less meat and farms must be taxed for their planet-warming pollution if the bloc is to reach its climate goals, the EU’s scientific advisers argue in a set of far-reaching recommendations that are unlikely to get a warm welcome from farmers. In a 350-page report published Wednesday, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change also calls on the EU to scrap farm subsidies for climate-damaging practices, arguing sweeping measures are necessary to reduce agriculture’s contribution to global warming. To aid farmers, they propose scaling up financial support to help them transition toward greener alternatives as well as aid to cope with increasing droughts and climate disasters. – EU climate advisers say eat less meat and tax farm emissions – POLITICO
(Eliza Gkritsi – Politico) The European Union says it’s determined to crack down on election disinformation. Hungary is testing just how far it’s willing to go. Ahead of the country’s election next month, deepfake videos and other misleading content targeting opposition leader Péter Magyar are spreading widely online, much of it amplifying narratives pushed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s allies. For Brussels, the surge poses an awkward problem: The EU has pledged to combat election interference but insists it won’t intervene in national votes. – EU in a bind as deepfakes flood Hungarian election campaign – POLITICO
UK
(Tim Ross – Politico) In the heart of historic Westminster, where kings and queens have been crowned in the same way for 1,000 years and 57 prime ministers have come and gone, the most venerable pillars of the British establishment are under unusual strain. The swirling international scandal over sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s network of wealth and influence detonated violently in the heart of the U.K. government, rocking both the center of power in Number 10 Downing Street and the British royal family. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is clinging onto his job amid dire polling, wretched election results and an outcry over his decision to appoint Epstein’s friend Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. The scandal already forced his closest aide to resign. – The golden triangle: Can 3 top officials save the British establishment from itself? – POLITICO
War in the Middle East/Gulf, and beyond
(Al Arabiya) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday said the military operations by Israel and the US against Iranian targets would end as soon as the objectives were achieved. “The operations will end when the commander in chief determines the military objectives have been met, fully realized, and that Iran is in a position of complete and unconditional surrender. Whether they say it or not,” she said during a press conference. – Iran war ends when Trump decides military objectives met: White House
(Al Arabiya) Two drones fell in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) on Wednesday but did not disrupt air traffic, Dubai’s media office said amid ongoing regional tension and Iranian aggression on neighboring Gulf countries. – Two drones fall near Dubai International Airport, air traffic not disrupted
(Al Arabiya) Saudi Arabia welcomed the US decision to designate the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Sudan as a terrorist organization, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call that also tackled continued Iranian aggression on the Kingdom, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. – Prince Faisal, Rubio discuss Iran aggression, designation of Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood
(AFP/Al Arabiya) An Israeli strike hit an apartment in central Beirut on Wednesday, state media reported, the second targeting of the heart of the Lebanese capital since the latest war with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. – Israel strikes apartment building in central Beirut, Lebanese state media say
(Al Arabiya) Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, the Kingdom’s defense ministry said on Wednesday. – Saudi Arabia intercepts, destroys six missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base
(Al Arabiya) An unknown projectile hit a cargo ship in the strategic Strait of Hormuz abutting Iran, causing a fire and forcing the crew to evacuate, a maritime security agency said on Wednesday. – Cargo ship hit in Strait of Hormuz, crew evacuating: UK maritime agency
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Australia has closed its embassies in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv as well as its consulate in Dubai, the foreign minister said on Wednesday, amid fears the conflict in the Middle East could intensify. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at least nine cities where Australian embassies and consulates are located have experienced missile and drone attacks. – Australia closes several embassies in Middle East amid fears of Iran war escalations
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Energy ministers of the G7 said on Wednesday they “stand ready” to take “all necessary measures” in coordination with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to tackle the rise in crude oil prices due to the Middle East war. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing officials familiar with the matter, that the IEA had proposed its largest ever release of oil reserves to counter soaring crude prices driven by the US-Israeli war with Iran. After a virtual meeting on Tuesday with the IEA’s executive director, they said in a statement: “G7 members will carefully consider the recommendations issued during these discussions.” – G7 energy ministers ‘ready’ to take ‘necessary measures’ on oil reserves
(Ray Furlong and Alex Raufoglu – RFE/RL) Driving past the gleaming skyscrapers of downtown Tel Aviv, a huge video billboard catches the eye as the advertisement switches from groceries to a giant portrait of the US president with the caption: “Thank you, God and Donald Trump!”. The tribute bears witness to Israeli gratitude for America’s role in the military strikes on Iran. Israeli officials have repeatedly stressed that the two countries are in lockstep. “The cooperation is historic between the US military and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and between the Israeli Air Force and the US Air Force,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 6 in an example of how the two countries are on the same page. There is indeed extremely close military and political coordination. But there are also areas where priorities differ. – US And Israel United In War, Divided On What Comes Next
(Mike Eckel – RFE/RL) Two days after the United States and Israel launched their massive air campaign on Iran, the US Embassy in Riyadh — 400 kilometers inland from the Persian Gulf — was hit by two Iranian drones. The attack caused no injuries and “limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” according to the Saudi Defense Ministry and the embassy itself. What was more significant was the apparent target: the CIA station for Saudi Arabia. Since the start of the war on February 28, Iran has retaliated with an expanding number of targets, hitting US military installations — in Kuwait and in Bahrain — with drones and missiles, as well as high-profile, high-visibility facilities in other countries — Dubai’s skyscrapers and airport; desalinization plants in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. But those targets take little military intelligence to strike. – If Russia Wants To Stay On Washington’s Good Side, Why Help Iran Target US Forces?
(Mike Eckel – RFE/RL) The radio signal first started broadcasting on February 28, about 12 hours after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran. On a scratchy shortwave signal almost twice a day — in the early morning and early evening on Coordinated Universal Time — a man’s voice can be heard speaking Persian, counting out a series of apparently random numbers. The numbers are read out for varying stretches of time, followed by a pause in which the word tavajjoh — which translates as “attention” — is spoken three times. The mystery of the transmission transfixed many in the global community of amateur radio sleuths, who have traded notes and tips on the signal, who’s behind it, and what its purpose might be. – Random Numbers, Persian Code: A Mysterious Signal Transfixes Radio Sleuths — And Intelligence Experts
(Zamira Eshanova – RFE/RL) Few bombs, missiles, or drones have hit Turkmensahra, the isolated northeastern region that is home to most of Iran’s ethnic Turkmen, across the border from Turkmenistan. Instead, residents told RFE/RL, the war that began with US-Israeli air strikes and the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 has come to the region in more indirect forms. Security has been tightened, and prices have skyrocketed for a population that is already poor and that community leaders say has been marginalized by the central government. The war has also brought a mix of hope for democracy and equality after decades of autocracy and trepidation about what the future may bring. – For Iran’s Isolated Turkmen Minority, War Brings Hope And Trepidation
(Ben Munster – Politico) The European Commission is under pressure from a growing chorus of countries to deploy emergency measures to tackle soaring energy costs triggered by the war in the Persian Gulf. Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia are among the nations openly pushing Brussels for a stronger answer to the crisis, with at least two other countries privately expressing frustration with the Commission’s slow response. Oil and gas prices have soared since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began 11 days ago, with oil passing $100 a barrel in the first week of the war before settling at $88 on Tuesday. – Pressure mounts on EU to propose ‘concrete’ response to energy crisis – POLITICO
(Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch – Politico) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has gutted the Pentagon oversight offices that would have investigated the recent strike on an Iranian girls’ school — a move that has degraded America’s ability to protect civilians amid its largest air campaign in decades. The Pentagon chief last year slashed offices that didn’t contribute to his goal of “lethality,” including the group that assists in limiting risk to civilians, known as the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. Around 200 employees who worked on the issue, including at that office, have been reduced by about 90 percent, according to two current and former officials and a person familiar with the effort. The team that handles civilian casualties at Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, has dropped from 10 to one. – Hegseth gutted offices that would have probed Iran school strike – POLITICO
(Daniella Cheslow – Politico) Donald Trump’s signature Board of Peace has run straight into the war in Iran, slowing what little progress it had made since the president — and a phalanx of world leaders — heralded its creation last month. So far, the board has set up its accounts at the World Bank and JP Morgan Chase, a Trump administration official said Tuesday. “We are currently working with countries that made the pledges to get them the wiring info,” added the official, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. Some two dozen member countries pledged more than $16 billion to the board in February, with the U.S. promising a $10 billion lion’s share. – Iran war threatens Board of Peace – POLITICO
