War in Iran/Middle East/ Gulf and beyond
(AFP/Al Arabiya) The Israeli military on Wednesday announced it had struck two naval cruise missile production facilities operating under Iran’s ministry of defense in Tehran. “In recent days, the Israeli air force acting on IDF intelligence struck two key naval cruise missile production sites in Tehran,” the military said. – Israel says struck two naval missile production sites in Tehran
(The Associated Press/Al Arabiya) An Iranian military spokesperson mocked US attempts at a ceasefire deal Wednesday, insisting that the Americans were only negotiating with themselves. Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for the Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, made the statement in a prerecorded video aired on state television. – Iranian military official tells the US ‘ you are negotiating with yourselves’
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Israel launched strikes on south Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday, Lebanese state media said, as Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said it kept up attacks on Israeli troops. Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei. – Israel strikes south Lebanon, Beirut suburbs as Hezbollah keeps up attacks
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) The United Nations’ top rights official on Wednesday urged states to end the Iran conflict, describing the situation in the Middle East as extremely dangerous and unpredictable. – UN rights chief urges states to end extremely dangerous Iran conflict
(Reuters/AFP/Al Arabiya) Two Iraqi army soldiers were killed and around 20 people, most of them military personnel, wounded in airstrikes on a site belonging to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces near an army medical center in western Anbar, security sources said on Wednesday. Smoke rose from the location following the attack, the sources added. “Two missiles were fired from a fighter jet” at the same base in Anbar province that was struck on Tuesday, the official said. – New strike targets former paramilitaries in western Iraq, killing two
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Iran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organization that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, according to a note seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The US-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipments of about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas through the strait, causing oil supply disruption. – Iran tells UN: ‘Non-hostile’ ships can transit Strait of Hormuz
(Al Arabiya) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday. – UK’s Prime Minister Starmer condemns Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia
Russia/Ukraine
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Russian attacks damaged two energy facilities in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, leaving close to 212,000 consumers without power, a regional electricity distribution company said on Wednesday. Chernihivoblenergo said nearly 150,000 consumers in the city of Chernihiv and the surrounding district were without power after a Russian attack damaged an energy facility in the Chernihiv district. – Russian attacks knock out power for thousands in Ukraine’s north
US
(Zachary Basu – Axios) California Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Elon Musk as this generation’s Thomas Edison — then accused the Tesla CEO of surrendering the electric vehicle market to China. “It breaks my heart,” Newsom said on a new episode of “The Axios Show,” describing Musk as “one of the great disappointments” of our time. China already holds 70% of the global EV market. Newsom argues Musk — the man who pioneered America’s EV industry — is now accelerating that dominance by pivoting Tesla toward robotics. – Exclusive: Newsom calls Musk “one of the great disappointments” of this era
(Alex Isenstadt – Axios) Democrats on Tuesday flipped a Republican-leaning Florida state House seat that encompasses President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, per AP. Democrat Emily Gregory beat the Trump-endorsed Republican Jon Maples in a special election in the Palm Beach County-based district that the president won by 11 points. Trump voted for Maples by mail, despite repeatedly railing against mail-in voting. Republicans have been getting creamed in dozens of state legislative elections since Trump took office last year. – Democrats flip Florida state seat in Trump’s backyard
US/Venezuela
(Marc Caputo – Axios) International intrigue. An assassination plot. Millions of secret dollars. Code names. Secret meetings. Venezuela’s shadowy dealings with the first Trump administration were laid bare by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday when he testified against his longtime friend, David Rivera. The former Miami congressman is on trial in federal court for allegedly acting as an unregistered foreign agent in a $50 million scheme. Rivera’s trial is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Venezuela’s push to manipulate the U.S. into normalizing relations by throwing around big money and promises for government reforms before Nicolas Maduro established himself as an election-rigging dictator in 2017. – Rubio testimony sheds light on friend’s shadowy Venezuela play
