War in Iran/Middle East/Gulf and beyond
(Al Arabiya) The UAE condemned the targeting on Wednesday of Iranian facilities in a gas field shared with Qatar, calling the attack attributed by Iran to the US and Israel a “dangerous escalation.” – UAE condemns targeting of South Pars gas field, after Iran blames US, Israel
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Israel’s military said Wednesday it had struck gas stations in south Lebanon belonging to a company owned by the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah. “Overnight, the IDF struck al-Amana Fuel Company gas stations in southern Lebanon”, the military said. – Israel says hit Hezbollah-controlled gas stations in Lebanon
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Iranian gas flows to Iraq were halted on Wednesday following an attack on Iran’s Pars gas field, a senior Iraqi official told Reuters. Tehran supplies between a third and 40 percent of Iraq’s gas and power needs. – Iranian gas flows to Iraq halted after attack on Pars gas field, Iraqi official says
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Iran’s government has been degraded since the war began on February 28, but it appears to be intact and Tehran and its proxies remain capable of attacking US and allies’ interests in the Middle East, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday. “The regime in Iran appears to be intact but largely degraded by Operation Epic Fury,” Gabbard said, referring to the US-Israel military campaign against Iran, in her opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on Worldwide Threats to the United States. – Iran government ‘intact’ and to rebuild if it survives, US intel chief says
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Three private planes parked at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv suffered “severe” damage after being hit by debris from Iranian missiles that were intercepted by Israeli air defense systems, the Israel Airports Authority said on Wednesday. The authority said the damage occurred over the past few days. It did not provide details on the aircrafts’ owners. – Three private planes at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport damaged by Iran missile
(AFP/Al Arabiya) President Donald Trump angrily suggested Wednesday that he could leave US allies to secure the Hormuz strait on their own since they have refused to fight alongside US forces against Iran in the crucial shipping lane. – Trump suggests US could leave allies alone to secure Hormuz
(AFP/Al Arabiya) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday that if the United States had consulted Berlin about the US-Israel war against Iran, “we would have advised against taking this course of action.”. “We share with Israel and the United States the objective that Iran should no longer pose a threat in future,” Merz told parliament. – Germany ‘would have advised against’ US-Israel war on Iran: Merz
(Al Arabiya) As the war between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other enters its 19th day, an Iranian Kurdish opposition leader has denied any contact between his party and Washington regarding a potential military role for Iranian Kurdish fighters inside Iran. Amir Karimi, co-chair of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told Al Arabiya in response to a question about his party’s position on the strikes against Iran: “We support peace and are not in favor of war. This is our principle – not only as a party but as a Kurdish nation.” – Iranian Kurdish opposition leader says it’s time for ‘change and freedom’ in Iran
(AFP/Al Arabiya) US-Israeli strikes hit Iranian facilities at a major Gulf gas field on Wednesday causing a fire, Iranian state television reported. “Moments ago, parts of the gas facilities located in the South Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in Asaluyeh were struck by projectiles fired by the American-Zionist enemy,” state television reported, citing Ehsan Jahanian, the deputy governor of the southern Bushehr province, where the facility is located. – Israel, US hit Iranian facility at major gas field: Iranian state media
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Germany would like to see a change within Iran, but that will not be brought about through military means from the outside, said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin on Wednesday. – German FM doubts military means will bring positive change to Iran
(AFP/Al Arabiya) The Israeli military said it planned to strike bridges and crossings over the Litani River in southern Lebanon on Wednesday to disrupt what it said were Hezbollah arms smuggling routes. – Israel military says plans to strike Litani River crossings in Lebanon
(Al Arabiya) US diplomat Tom Barrack on Tuesday denied reports that Washington had encouraged Syria to consider sending forces into eastern Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah. – US envoy denies claims Washington encouraging Syria to send forces to disarm Hezbollah
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Iranian media said on Wednesday that Israel and the United States had launched fresh strikes in across several areas of the country, including the capital Tehran. Among the locations hit were areas in Lorestan province and Hamedan city, both in the west of Iran, as well as Fars province in the south. – Israel, US strikes hit several parts across country: Iranian media
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) The Kremlin on Wednesday condemned what it called “the murder” of Iran’s leaders in US-Israeli airstrikes, a day after Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency confirmed that Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had been killed in Tehran. “We unequivocally condemn any actions aimed at harming the health of, or indeed murdering or eliminating, members of the leadership of sovereign and independent Iran, as well as those of other countries. We condemn such actions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Russia’s reaction to Larijani’s death. – Kremlin condemns US-Israeli ‘murder’ of Iran’s leaders after Ali Larijani killing
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Since February 28, US-Israeli strikes on Iran have killed several senior political and military figures, hitting the core of the Islamic Republic’s leadership in a war that has spread across the Middle East, disrupting energy markets and shipping routes. The attacks, launched in the midst of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran mediated by Oman, are the most significant assault on Iran in decades, following a long-running shadow conflict and a 12-day war in June 2025. – Which senior Iranian officials are confirmed killed in US-Israeli strikes?
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the country’s forces had killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, adding that the military was authorized to kill any high-ranking Iranian official in its sights without seeking further approval. – Israel kills Iran’s intel minister Khatib, authorizes strikes on other senior officials
(Ben German – Axios) President Trump has formally waived requirements that only U.S. ships can carry cargo between domestic ports as officials look to ease access to fuel and supplies while the Strait of Hormuz remains throttled. The White House is looking to pull multiple levers as the Iran war sends gasoline prices soaring and restricts access to goods needed by farmers and other industries. Trump issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, the White House confirmed Wednesday. – Trump waives shipping law as gasoline prices soar
(Barak Ravid, Marc Caputo – Axios) President Trump and Bibi Netanyahu have spoken almost every day since the war began. Trump told Axios that they’re “working great together.”. But U.S. officials realize the two countries’ endgames and risk tolerance may diverge as the 19-day-old war continues. Several U.S. officials described Trump as the most bullish person in the White House on going to war with Iran. He also appears more aligned with Netanyahu’s maximalist objectives than many of his aides. Officials in Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran all know any split between the allies could define the outcome of the war. – Trump aides foresee split with Israel on Iran endgame
Pakistan/Afghanistan
(Al Arabiya) Pakistan and Afghanistan said they were pausing their military operations against each other on Wednesday for the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Fitr, a surprise move two days after a drug rehab center in Kabul was hit in the deadliest strike in months. The Afghan Taliban government has said that more than 400 people were killed and 265 wounded in the airstrike that took place on Monday night, just as people and staff at the center were praying. – Pakistan, Afghanistan say they’re pausing military operations for Eid
Ukraine – Hungary
(Tim Zadorozhnyy – The Kyiv Independent) Half of Ukrainians consider Hungary a hostile nation, according to a survey conducted by Gradus Research Company and shared with the Kyiv Independent on March 18. The findings place Hungary alongside countries widely viewed in Ukraine as aligned with Russia’s war effort, including Iran (52%), North Korea (57%), and Belarus (72%). Russia itself was excluded from the list of potentially hostile nations in the poll. – 50% of Ukrainians now view Hungary as hostile nation, survey finds
US
(Neil Irwin – Axios) What the taxman giveth, the energy shock taketh away. That’s the upshot of the arithmetic around how much the average American household is on track to pay for higher gasoline prices this year. Forecasters have been betting on an economic tailwind this year from super-sized tax refunds, thanks to tax legislation passed last year. New calculations from the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, however, suggest that the benefits of higher tax refunds will be roughly offset by higher prices for crude oil and refined oil products in the wake of the Iran war. – Higher oil prices could offset tax refund benefits, economists say
(Hans Nichols – Axios) Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) has privately hinted to colleagues that he was involved in dangerous private security work in Middle East war zones before running for Congress in 2012, according to three people who have heard him discuss it. Why it matters: It’s a mystery likely to come up Wednesday at his Senate confirmation hearing, where he will face colleagues as President Trump’s nominee to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary. – Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s secret war zone past
(Andrew Solender – Axios) The left suffered a virtually total collapse in the Illinois Democratic congressional primaries on Tuesday night — even in races where the AIPAC-backed candidate lost. It’s a bad sign for the dozens of insurgent Democrats running in congressional races across the country, both in open seats and as primary rivals to older or more establishment-oriented incumbents. It’s great news for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who is most popular among the moderate and mainstream liberal wings of his party. Most of the Democratic House candidates who have refused to commit to supporting Jeffries for leader or speaker are leftist insurgents. – The “Squad” left faces complete wipeout in Illinois primaries
Technological Revolution
(DigWatch) North Lincolnshire Council has granted outline planning permission for the Elsham Tech Park, a proposed AI data centre campus that would rank among the largest of its kind in the UK. At full build-out, the site would include up to 15 hyperscale data centre buildings across 176 hectares, delivering more than 1.5 million square metres of floorspace and up to 1GW of computing capacity. The development is expected to cost between £5.5 billion and £7.5 billion to build and could attract up to £10 billion in private investment over its lifetime – Green light for massive UK AI tech park | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) Partnerships across the robotics sector are positioning NVIDIA at the centre of what is increasingly described as ‘physical AI’, a shift towards intelligent machines capable of perceiving, reasoning and acting in real environments. A new generation of tools, including NVIDIA Cosmos world models and updated NVIDIA Isaac simulation frameworks, aims to support developers in training and validating robots before deployment. These systems enable companies to simulate complex environments, reducing the risks and costs of real-world testing. – NVIDIA expands physical AI ecosystem to accelerate real world robotics | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) Unlike its predecessors, 6G is being designed from the ground up with AI as a core feature rather than a performance add-on. From user devices and base stations through to the network core, AI and machine learning will enable 6G networks to self-optimise, manage interference, predict user mobility, and make real-time decisions with minimal human intervention. – 6G will make wireless networks capable of thinking for themselves | Digital Watch Observatory
