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Iran UN: Timing not suitable for any form of negotiation with US

Al Mayadeen | March 3, 2026

Iran’s UN envoy in Geneva dismissed the possibility of talks with the United States amid ongoing aggression, reaffirming Tehran’s defensive military focus and highlighting efforts by the US and “Israel” to provoke attacks in neighboring states

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Reza Bahreini, stated on Tuesday that “the only language to deal with the United States now is the language of defense.”

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva in response to questions from Al Mayadeen, Bahreini emphasized that Iran is currently focused on defense, adding that the timing is not suitable for any form of negotiation.

No engagement with US officials

He denied any engagement with US officials, describing the actions of US President Donald Trump as “fabrication and lies,” and added, “We are accustomed to the lies he fabricates.”

Bahreini stipulated that any change in the course of events would require an end to hostilities and a guarantee that such aggression against Iran would not be repeated.

Regarding timing, he stressed the importance of this core issue, stating, “Our defense system will respond with great force and seriousness to reach a stopping point for this aggression and to ensure that no new attack or aggression occurs against Iran in the future.”

When asked about Iran’s relationship with countries hosting US bases after the war, Bahreini responded, “We are neighbors and will remain neighbors, and we are friends and will remain friends.”

War is between US, ‘Israel’, and Iran only

He added, “This is not an attack launched by those countries against Iran, and what we are doing is not attacks against those countries. As I told you, this is a war between Iran, the United States, and Israel.”

Bahreini confirmed that Tehran’s military forces “have been ordered to exercise extreme caution and vigilance in attacking and striking US military bases only, without harming any non-military sites in those countries,” emphasizing that “this is what happened.”

He highlighted that “no harm occurred to non-military sites in neighboring countries,” and explained that “everything Iran did, and the attacks carried out by our military forces, were solely and exclusively against US military bases.”

Bahreini also expected neighboring countries “to understand what we are doing, because under no circumstances can we allow those bases to be used to conduct military operations against Iran,” adding that neighboring countries must not permit aggressors to use their territory against Iran.

He concluded by underscoring the principles at stake. “This is the principle of friendship, the principle of peaceful coexistence, the principle of neighborhood that our neighbors and we must all maintain and preserve.”

‘Israel’, US planning to incite neighboring countries on Iran

Bahreini additionally warned that “Israel” and the United States are attempting to carry out operations “against civilians or terrorist acts in neighboring countries and then attribute them to Iran, to provoke these countries against us.”

Bahreini added that he is “confident they will not succeed if neighboring countries show sufficient vigilance and are aware and prepared for any scenario, for any bad scenario that the United States and Israel may execute.”

He also reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to international law, stating, “We reiterate that our military forces remain committed to the principles of international law and the principles of international humanitarian law.”

Corroborating Bahreini’s remarks on provocations, on The Tucker Carlson Show, journalist Tucker Carlson reported that authorities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia had arrested “Mossad agents who were planning on committing bombings in those countries,” calling the development “weird” and questioning the logic behind it.

“Why would the Israelis be committing bombings in two Gulf countries, which are also being attacked by Iran? Aren’t they on the same side?” Carlson asked, before answering himself: “Israel wants to hurt Iran and Qatar and UAE and Saudi and Bahrain and Oman and Kuwait.”

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Deception, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Wars for Israel | , , , , , | Comments Off on Iran UN: Timing not suitable for any form of negotiation with US

Iran no longer has any reason for restraint

By Samuel Geddes | Al Mayadeen | March 3, 2026

Tehran may well refuse US-Israeli pleas for a ceasefire until the region is transformed.

Both Trump and Netanyahu find themselves in an extraordinarily vulnerable position. They have given their greatest ideological opponent the means and the justification to extract maximum damage from them, as well as ceasefire conditions that would truly make this conflict a turning point in modern history.

President Trump clearly believed, at Netanyahu’s encouragement, that assassinating Iran’s Leader would pressure it to soften its negotiating position on the nuclear file. What he did instead was to shatter nearly a decade of Iranian restraint in the face of relentless provocation.

Trump has rendered both Washington and Tel Aviv more desperate for an end to the war than Iran. In addition to retribution for the assassination of the Leader of the Revolution, Tehran is calling in the debts of Trump’s “maximum pressure strategy” in full.

Ever since Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, Tehran has attempted to limit the rate of escalation, especially following the assassination of Quds Force commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and others across various arenas since October 2023’s Al-Aqsa Flood.

Netanyahu’s domestic political interests have been the opposite, deliberately prolonging the genocidal onslaught in Gaza, expanding it to the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and from 2024, Iran, when it bombed the Damascus consulate. He followed up by assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and much of Lebanese Hezbollah’s leadership.

By June last year, he had attained his life-long goal of drawing Washington directly into hostilities with Iran when it bombed the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan nuclear facilities. Now he has obliterated the ultimate red line with the airstrike that martyred Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei.

As US and Israeli military sources themselves acknowledged, even before the outbreak of war, stockpiles of missile defense munitions were critically low. The 12 days of direct war between Iran and “Israel” last year cut deeply into the regime’s Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling systems before Washington stepped in to impose a ceasefire.

Now that Iran and Hezbollah are unleashing their arsenal, the ability of Israel, US forces and GCC states to avoid catastrophic blows is being measured in days rather than weeks. The global supply of these munitions has been further strained by shipments sent to Ukraine and will be insufficient to resupply the West Asian theatre well before the end of this week. This will critically expose western assets not just in the region but globally, for years to come.

As of just the third day of the war, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is effectively at a standstill. In Saudi Arabia, Ras Tanura, the most crucial oil refinery in the world, has sustained impact from drones and halted operations.

Even without direct hits on regional energy infrastructure, GCC oil producers will be forced to halt production within three weeks due to a lack of storage capacity. President Trump’s favorite metric of economic performance, the stock market, is staring down the barrel of an energy shock unseen since 1973, and which may well exceed that crisis. The frail state of the US economy, combined with the global blowback to its tariff policy, could easily tip into recession or even depression. This would be shattering to the petrodollar system as well as the very status of the US Dollar as the global reserve currency.

Once Iranian missiles are unimpededly striking vital military and economic targets in “Israel” daily and inflicting mass casualties on US forces from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea, the Islamic Republic will be able to impose extraordinary conditions merely in exchange for a halt to the war. It will plausibly be able to demand the unconditional lifting of all Western sanctions, not just against itself, but against Yemen, Lebanon, and Gaza. It will also be able to dictate the end of Netanyahu’s regional escalation spree, forcing “Israel’s” withdrawal from Gaza, Lebanese and Syrian territories, and re-establishing a balance of terror that ensures an indefinite calm, even if a limited one.

Alternatively, it could, in emulation of Ansar Allah in early 2025, agree a separate ceasefire with Washington, leaving them a free hand to continue full-scale bombardment of “Israel”.

Assuming the intensity of hostilities doesn’t achieve this first, it could also demand the definitive withdrawal of US forces from the Persian Gulf, ending America’s hegemony over the region and the world by extension.

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , | Comments Off on Iran no longer has any reason for restraint

US ‘stonewalls’ Gulf calls for more interceptors as supplies quickly run out: Report

The Cradle | March 3, 2026

Washington has been “stonewalling” its Gulf allies’ requests for a replenishment of air defense missiles, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported, coinciding with intensifying Iranian attacks on US bases and assets across the region.

“At least one Gulf state that has come under attack from Iran asked US officials about replenishing supplies that have been depleted since the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, but was brushed off,” a former US official familiar with the matter told MEE.

The former official said a separate Gulf state “responded to US requests to use air bases in their country with enquiries about the US’s commitment to their air defense systems,” and added that Washington’s Arab allies will “be left wanting if they expect new supplies of interceptors.”

“Whatever munitions were produced in the last couple of months, we have shot several years’ worth of production in the last few days,” the source went on to say.

The report also says pressure is growing on Arab states to join Israel and the US in their war against Iran.

Kelly Grieco at the Stimson Center think tank said, “The UAE has now burned through a significant chunk of an interceptor stockpile that took years to build.”

“US defenses focus on Israel … There is a sense of disappointment in the Gulf with our ally and partner, if we are describing that correctly, which focuses on Israel security and stability of Israel without attention to defending the Gulf states which are being subjected to Iranian attacks,” Saudi political analyst Suleiman al-Aqili told Al Jazeera.

Iranian missile and drone attacks against Israel, US military bases across the region, and major energy assets in the Gulf and Iraqi Kurdistan have not stopped since the start of the US-Israeli war. The Strait of Hormuz has also been closed.

The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base, in particular, is among the targets being relentlessly pounded. Six US soldiers have been killed over the past few days [as per US sources].

Iraqi resistance factions allied to Tehran have also joined the fight, along with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Despite the mass buildup of US defenses and Israel’s sophisticated network of interceptor systems, Iranian missiles continue to make direct hits on Israeli targets.

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , | Comments Off on US ‘stonewalls’ Gulf calls for more interceptors as supplies quickly run out: Report

US running out of stand-off munitions, copies Iranian drones to compensate

By Drago Bosnic | March 3, 2026

The American and Western style of warfare relies heavily on achieving complete air dominance, followed by devastating bombing attacks designed to cripple the military infrastructure of a targeted country. If that doesn’t work, the US/NATO then resorts to unadulterated terrorism, targeting noncombatants and civilian infrastructure. During the early stages of the (First) Cold War, this approach was used against Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and numerous other countries. However, it never resulted in a strategic victory. On the contrary, it only galvanized the resistance of the local populace, strengthening their resolve in the face of American/Western terror bombing strategy.

This military doctrine suffered a failure over Indochina, where the heroic resistance of the Vietnamese people resulted in a crushing and humiliating defeat for the invading Americans. With the help of Russia, which sent thousands of military advisors and the most advanced air defense systems of the time, the Vietnamese military managed to shoot down approximately 12,000 US aircraft, saving millions of lives in the process. Just like in Korea, Washington DC employed an indiscriminate terror bombing of Vietnamese cities. The estimates for the total number of casualties go upwards of 5 million for Indochina, as American occupation forces heavily bombed the entire region.

This is particularly true for Laos, which suffered devastation on 98% of its territory. From 1964 to 1973, the USAF launched nearly 600,000 sorties, dropping well over 2,000,000 tons of ordnance on the unfortunate country. This equates to one aircraft load every eight minutes, 24/7 for 9 years, making Laos the most heavily bombed country in history. Laos formally wasn’t even a party to the US-orchestrated conflict, but the Pentagon still dropped more bombs on it than on Germany and Japan during WWII, combined! With a population of only 3 million at the time, this equated to roughly one ton of bombs per person. This terror campaign left more than 80 million unexploded cluster munitions and other ordnance.

Needless to say, these American weapons kill civilians to this very day, well over half a century later. In addition, much of the land remains unusable, contributing to poverty in affected regions. The only reason the situation wasn’t as bad for Vietnam is that it had Russian-made SAM (surface-to-air missile) systems and fought back with unrelenting resolve. The US aggression on Indochina resulted in a change of tactics and doctrine, with the Pentagon placing all of its bets on precision warfare in subsequent conflicts. By the end of the (First) Cold War and afterwards, the US launched dozens of truly unprovoked wars of aggression, using this to great strategic effect.

However, even after adopting the new strategy, civilian casualties kept piling up. Tens of thousands were killed in US aggression on Serbia/Yugoslavia in the 1990s, culminating with the 1999 bombing. One would expect fewer civilian casualties as military technologies became more advanced, but this actually got worse in the Middle East, where US wars of aggression killed at least five million people from 2001 to 2021. The latest American war is no less bloody, with the USAF killing up to 200 Iranian schoolgirls on the first day of aggression on Iran. However, this resulted in yet another “Vietnam effect”, with the Iranian people demonstrating resolve to fight back and defend their country.

The USAF lost at least three “invincible” F-15 jets, while the Iranian military continues pounding American bases all across the Middle East. The Pentagon is already worried that it will soon run out of costly stand-off munitions, which were designed for “shock & awe” wars that would knock out a country in days or weeks. However, it’s perfectly clear now that’s not going to happen, so Washington DC is looking for alternatives to maintain a prolonged war. This includes the shameless copying of Iranian “Shahed 131/136” drones, dubbed LUCAS (Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System) in American service. These will be used to replace the exorbitantly expensive “Tomahawk” cruise missiles and similar weapons.

Much unlike the US, Russia and Iran jointly upgraded the latter’s “Shahed” designs, with Moscow providing significantly enhanced guidance systems, electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures, larger warheads, etc. The Kremlin is now also using this experience to improve its own long-range precision-strike capabilities, including with new cruise missiles that are more affordable than current munitions. Iran is also likely to receive such technologies from Russia, aiding its resistance efforts against US aggression. The stakes are high, especially for Donald Trump, whose political “skin” is in the game, particularly in a midterm election year.

Drago Bosnic is an independent geopolitical and military analyst.

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , | Comments Off on US running out of stand-off munitions, copies Iranian drones to compensate

How Close Were Iran Negotiations Before Trump Flipped the Table?

By Ted Snider | The Libertarian Institute | March 3, 2026

Iran has an “inalienable right” to enrich uranium for civilian use, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told the U.S. delegation with frustration in the final round of talks before the bombs started to fall on Iran.

And the United States has an “inalienable right” to stop you, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff answered with hubris.

Araghchi is right; Witkoff is wrong. Though the U.S. and its partners have presented the public with a war that was caused by Iran’s refusal to compromise on its civilian nuclear program, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has “the inalienable right to a civilian program that uses nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”

That Iran was enriching uranium for peaceful purposes has been verified by the multiple consecutive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that followed the JCPOA nuclear agreement with Iran and by the 2022 U.S. Department of Defense Nuclear Posture Review and, most recently, by the 2025 U.S. Annual Threat Assessment.

Despite their “inalienable right,” Iran made the major concession of negotiating significant limitations on its nuclear program that could have met U.S. redlines. Instead, the negotiations were interrupted by bombs falling on Iran in an attack that was neither necessitated by the immediate need to defend against an attack nor sanctioned by the Security Council. Negotiations on Iran’s legal nuclear program were answered by an illegal war.

Though the United States seems to have been willing to negotiate if negotiation meant Iran capitulating to its demands, they seem to have been unwilling to negotiate, not only on guarantees against a nuclear weapons program, but on the demand that Iran give up its enrichment program entirely. It was the American demand that Iran could not enrich uranium to any level for the next ten years that finally triggered Araghchi’s frustrated cry that Iran has the “inalienable right” to enrich uranium for civilian use.

Iran offered the Americans a compromise that could have been received by the U.S. as, what former Iranian nuclear negotiator and Ambassador Seyed Hossein Mousavian called in an email correspondence, “a historical JCPOA PLUS deal.” But Washington said no.

There is a long tradition of the U.S. passing up on peace plans and saying no, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Ukraine.

There were reportedly three areas in which Iran was unwilling to sufficiently capitulate to American demands. The first was zero enrichment. The U.S. demanded no enrichment for the next ten years. Axios reports that, in its place, the “U.S. offered Iran free nuclear fuel for a civilian nuclear program.” When Iran refused, the U.S. said it was “a big tell.”

Had the U.S. sent diplomats with a historical understanding of the issue they were negotiating, they would have known that there were other interpretations. Iran has always made clear that they would not accept a situation like the one offered because of bitter historical experience.

On more than one occasion in the past, when Iran relied on others to provide its enriched uranium, the U.S. exercised its power to block it and deprive Iran of enriched uranium. When Iran began its nuclear program, they were only enriching uranium to the 3.5% required by its power reactors to produce energy. For the 19.5% enriched uranium needed for medical isotopes for imaging and treating cancer and kidney disease, Iran relied on an agreement with Argentina to supply it. When the uranium was used up, Iran requested that the IAEA help it purchase more under that body’s supervision, which Iran has the right to do as a signatory to the NPT. But the United States and Europe put up roadblocks and prevented the purchase.

Two decades later, Iran again agreed in principle to a nuclear fuel swap that would send their low enriched uranium out of country to be returned as 19.5% enriched uranium for medical use. But it was a trick. The U.S. wanted all Iran’s uranium to be sent out at once before any uranium would be sent back much later. The U.S. was trying to empty Iran of its uranium. When Iran offered a counterproposal of sending out smaller batches of low enriched uranium while receiving simultaneous small batches of uranium for medicinal use, the U.S. ignored the offer and the deal died.

When, one more time, Brazil and Turkey tried to broker a deal with similar simultaneous swaps, Iran agreed, but the U.S. ignored it and reprimanded Brazil and Turkey. On another occasion, when Iran turned to France for enriched uranium, the U.S. pressured them not to provide it.

Iran has learned that relying on others to provide enriched uranium leaves them vulnerable to the United States cutting them off and leaving them with none. Hence the vow that Iran would never again yield their right to enrich their own uranium for civilian purposes.

But Iran was willing to negotiate a deal that would ensure that there could never be a path for that low enriched uranium to become the highly enriched 85% uranium needed for a nuclear weapon. They offered layered options. Mousavian catalogued them for me:

“Iran had accepted coercion verification by the IAEA, to resolve all technical ambiguities, zero stockpile, dilute high-level enrichment, reduce enrichment level to below 5%, suspend the enrichment for some years and even to go for a regional consortium.”

There were three options on the table. In the first, Iran was willing to put itself under maximum inspections, to convert its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, and cap its enrichment at the 3.67% needed for a civilian energy program.

In the second, Iran was willing to limit their role in the enrichment cycle by becoming a member of a nuclear enrichment consortium. The consortium could include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and perhaps others. Enrichment would be capped at the 3.67% required for civilian use and monitored by the IAEA. Most importantly, a consortium would allow Iran to enrich uranium but deny it access to the full enrichment process by distributing various roles in the process across different member states.

There are also reports that Iran proposed suspending enrichment for three to five years and then joining the regional consortium.

In the most recent, according to Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who was mediating the most recent talks between Iran and the United States, Iran “agreed not to stockpile excess nuclear material that could be used to build a bomb.” Since Iran would use all of its low enriched uranium for civilian purposes, leaving none to stockpile for any further use, that would ensure “that Iran will never ever have the nuclear material that will create a bomb.” Albusaidi clarified that that meant “there would be zero accumulation, zero stockpiling and full verification… by the IAEA.”

The pathway to a bomb was closed and a deal was “within our reach” when the bombs fell on Iran.

The other two areas of Iranian intransigence were over their program of military national defense. The United States insisted that Iran negotiate on its short and intermediate range ballistic missile program, but Iran refused. “We cannot continue to live in a world where these people not only possess missiles but the ability to make 100 of them a month,” an American official told Axios. Iran’s missiles are crucial to its national defense and possessing them is entirely legal. Every nation has a defense program, and at least thirty-one, including some that are potentially hostile to Iran, include ballistic missiles in that program, including the U.S. and several of its allies and partners, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Israel, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. There is no legal argument for compelling Iran to end its missile program and no legal reason to go to war to force them to do so.

The final reason was Iran’s refusal to address its network of proxies. Stripping Iran of its ballistic missiles and its partners is stripping Iran of any ability to defend itself. And, again, there is nothing illegal in Iran supporting regional partners. And they are not the only one, as the training and financing of the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK), a dissident Iranian opposition group, shows, to support proxy forces.

“A peace deal is within our reach if we just allow diplomacy the space it needs to get there,” the Omani foreign minister said. But the United States did not allow the diplomatic space and opted, instead, for a war that violates the United Nations charter and hastens the death of international law.

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Deception, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Timeless or most popular, Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on How Close Were Iran Negotiations Before Trump Flipped the Table?

War on Iran shifts to attrition phase: Bloomberg

Al Mayadeen | March 3, 2026

An analysis published by Bloomberg on Tuesday suggests that only days after open hostilities began, the confrontation between the United States and Iran has shifted into a prolonged war on attrition.

According to the report, waves of Iranian drones, particularly the Shahed-136, have continued targeting US military installations and infrastructure across the Gulf following the initial strikes launched by Washington and Tel Aviv. While Gulf officials claim interception rates exceeding 90% through US-supplied Patriot missile batteries, the economic imbalance of the battlefield tells a different story. Each PAC-3 interceptor costs millions of dollars, dramatically outweighing the comparatively modest cost of the drones they attempt to neutralize.

The disparity recalls lessons from previous conflicts, including the 12-day aggression on Iran in June 2025, where sustained barrages exposed the limits of even advanced air defense architectures. High-end Western interceptor systems can be placed under strain when deployed continuously against lower-cost aerial platforms. Analysts say this dynamic creates mounting financial and logistical pressure on US regional partners, raising persistent questions about the long-term sustainability of such defensive operations.

A strategic response to escalation

Observers cited in the report argue that Iran’s approach reflects deliberate operational planning rather than improvised escalation. By relying heavily on drones and calibrated missile deployments, Tehran appears to be managing its resources while imposing steady costs on foreign forces operating near its borders.

Kelly Grieco of the Stimson Center noted that an attritional approach “makes operational sense from Iran’s perspective,” suggesting Tehran is calculating that defensive stocks among US allies could be depleted while political pressure mounts across Gulf capitals.

Iran is believed to retain substantial reserves of ballistic missiles and loitering munitions. Reports indicate more than 1,200 projectiles have been launched since hostilities began, though heavier systems may be preserved for prolonged engagement. Analysts view this as evidence that Tehran is pacing its response rather than exhausting its capabilities prematurely.

Logistical Questions on Both Sides

Bloomberg also noted that Patriot interceptor supplies in some Gulf states, including Qatar, could last only days at the current rate of usage, prompting behind-the-scenes diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation. Production of PAC-3 interceptors remains limited, while the more advanced THAAD systems operated by Saudi Arabia and the UAE are generally reserved for high-speed ballistic threats and involve even greater financial cost.

These concerns echo remarks made separately to CNN by Shashank Joshi, defense editor at The Economist, who warned that high-intensity exchanges could quickly expose vulnerabilities in advanced interceptor stockpiles.

“But my supposition is that, after about sort of another week of this, we would begin to see very, very serious shortages, particularly of the most high-end interceptor munitions,” Joshi said.

Joshi further indicated that a sustained campaign would likely extend beyond intercepting incoming projectiles to targeting missile production networks and supply chains inside Iran, an approach designed to degrade long-term replenishment capacity rather than merely blunt immediate attacks.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sought to limit expectations about an extended campaign, stating: “This is not Iraq, this is not endless.”

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested that military units were operating under standing strategic directives. “Our military units are now in fact independent and somehow isolated and they are acting based on instructions, general instructions given to them in advance,” he told reporters.

If exchanges continue at the current intensity, both offensive and defensive arsenals could begin thinning within weeks.

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on War on Iran shifts to attrition phase: Bloomberg

Attrition Advantage: Why Iran Holds Upper Hand

By Ekaterina Blinova – Sputnik – 03.03.2026

The US cannot sustain a full-scale war of attrition in the Persian Gulf at the current pace of munition deliveries, veteran Russian combat pilot Maj. Gen. Vladimir Popov tells Sputnik.

“The Americans are operating ‘off the truck,’ [and are heavily dependent] ‘on resupply,'” veteran Russian combat pilot Maj. Gen. Vladimir Popov tells Sputnik. “This involves massive logistics—lengthy and time-consuming processes. And it’s far from easy to sustain that across an ocean from the American continent.”

The existing stockpiles in warehouses and arsenals of air and naval US bases across the region, including Israel, contain a limited number of shells, bombs and drones, according to the pundit.

  • “Without regular resupply from the US mainland—from the main weapons storage bases—their current stockpile would last roughly two weeks, no more than that”
  • Rotating troops could turn into a major headache for the Americans
  • Next comes the logistics of maintenance and rear-line support for supplying weapons to the region—extremely costly processes

“I think the advantage will clearly be on Iran’s side,” Popov says. “The calculations might suggest the Americans are in a far worse position than Iran. It’s also worth noting that the Israelis sparked this conflict—and their arsenal is similarly limited and unlikely to last long.”

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on Attrition Advantage: Why Iran Holds Upper Hand

EU gas prices surge 50% right as Germany and France face down lack of energy reserves after cold winter

Remix News | March 2, 2026

Natural gas markets across Europe experienced a violent price surge on Monday following news that Qatar has suspended operations at the world’s premier liquefied natural gas facility, which accounts for 20 percent of global output. EU leaders are reportedly preparing for a crisis scenario if the war drags on due to already low gas reserves in the biggest member states, particularly Germany and France.

Prices went as high as 50 percent before settling back down to the current level of 45 percent at the time of publication, resulting in the current price of €46 per megawatt-hour. Similar price jumps were seen in the United Kingdom’s NBP benchmark index.

Adding to a potential crisis, EU storage levels have dropped below 30 percent capacity at the end of the winter season, significantly lower than the 40 percent recorded at this time last year. However, some of the biggest countries are facing the lowest levels of gas. Gas Infrastructure Europe shows German storage at 20.5 percent and French reserves at 21 percent. These low inventories leave the bloc increasingly susceptible to price swings and supply shortages if an LNG crunch worsens.

Now, the EU is already considering scenarios where the war could drag on for a long period of time, including up to years. While President Donald Trump has cited the figure of “four weeks” in regard to wrapping up the war, it remains unclear how long the war could go on.

Politico reports that the EU’s efforts to wean itself off of Russian gas and oil have created a “panic moment.”

“For Europe, I think it creates a panic moment,”Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz, lead energy analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, told Politico. “Four years ago [following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine] we had these issues.” But this time, she said, “We are not just now concerned about Russia, but about Qatar, the U.S. … so I think now since we have increased dependencies on other sources, we have also increased our vulnerability.”

Noting Qatar’s role as the second-largest supplier of LNG in the world, she noted that if Qatar cannot deliver natural gas efficiently and on time, “Russia could be the big beneficiary.”

“We could also see Russian energy flowing to other countries. There could be an opportunity for Russia if this Qatar LNG is stopped,” said the analyst.

QatarEnergy has not disclosed extent of damage

The energy crisis intensified after U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran escalated regional instability. In response to an attack on its infrastructure, QatarEnergy confirmed it had halted production linked to the North Field gas reservoir. While the company acknowledged the suspension, it gave no further details about the state of the fields and the company’s operations.

The world is currently focusing its attention on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint largely under Iranian influence.

Following the recent strikes, Iran has moved to obstruct traffic through the narrow passage, which serves as a primary artery for Qatari LNG and global oil, the vast majority of which is destined for Asian markets. However, energy is a global market, and a bottleneck in one location leads to a surge in prices everywhere.

The price surge may be only temporary, but experts warn that any prolonged closure of the strait could lead to a long-term surge in energy prices. Some have even warned of oil surging to $120 a barrel, while most believe prices within the range of $80 to $90 are a realistic possibility.

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Economics, Wars for Israel | , , , , , , | Comments Off on EU gas prices surge 50% right as Germany and France face down lack of energy reserves after cold winter

Israel launches Bible study program targeting US evangelicals

The new initiative features Israeli soldiers, West Bank settlers, and a pastor of Messianic Judaism as key voices

By Nick Cleveland-Stout and Connor Echols | Responsible Statecraft | February 28, 2026

An Israeli-funded firm is hoping to boost evangelical support for Israel through a guided Bible study program that features interviews with Israel Defense Forces soldiers, theologians, and West Bank settlers, according to a new website uncovered by RS.

The firm, California-based Show Faith by Works, is launching a new initiative called “Hear from us,” featuring an eight-part series of lessons that mix typical Bible study prompts with stories about the importance of modern Israel.

Show Faith by Works previously sparked outrage among some evangelical communities after proposing a campaign to geofence churchgoers’ phones during worship hours to deliver pro-Israel advertisements. Since September, the Israeli government has invested over $3 million in the firm.

Republican strategist Chad Schnitger, who is overseeing the influence operation, hopes his initiative will shore up Gen Z support for Israel. While 70% of evangelicals over age 60 support Israel, only 39% of evangelicals between 18 and 29 do, according to a Marquette University Law School survey from late last year.

Schnitger says his funders at the Israeli Foreign Ministry want him to focus narrowly on religious issues. “They’ve not asked me to talk about politics, they’re not asking me to talk that much about the war,” Schnitger said. “This is here to be a champion for the Christian church and take the message to the American Southwest.”

But the materials on his website, reported here for the first time, suggest a blurry division between religion and politics. A sample booklet, for example, denies that “Hear from us” represents a “political movement” but appears to embrace controversial views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For instance, the pamphlet displays a map of Israel that shows full Israeli control over the Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights, which are internationally recognized as Syrian land.

The booklet’s release comes amid rising concern over possible expansion of Israel’s territorial claims. Just last week, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Tucker Carlson that “it would be fine” for Israel to take control of territories belonging to Arab states, including the West Bank and Gaza. Asked about the remarks, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that Israel’s borders should be “as broad as possible.”

Schnitger did not respond to a request for comment from RS.

‘GAZANS GOTTA GO’

Hear from us’ guided Bible study features interviews with several speakers whose views are controversial, both within Israel and among critics of its conduct in Gaza. One such interviewee is Chaim Malespin, an IDF Sergeant Major who runs an organization that helps Jewish immigrants move to Israel and “provides essential support” to Israeli soldiers.

Malespin has long faced criticism from anti-missionary groups in Israel, who have alleged that he seeks to evangelize Jews and convert them to Messianic Judaism, which follows some Jewish traditions but considers Jesus the Messiah. He drew criticism in 2022 for his viral claim that Lapid’s wife is secretly a Messianic Jew, which he later apologized for. On another occasion, the Jewish Agency cut its partnership with Malespin’s organization for having “created the perception” that it evangelizes.

Since October 7, Malespin has posted daily updates on the Gaza War. In one video posted after the United Kingdom recognized Palestine, Malespin said Palestinians “don’t want to do anything but destroy Israel.” Another video, titled “Cleanup on Aisle Palestine,” featured Malespin reacting to what sounded like Israeli bombing of Gaza. “Wow, loud explosions huh?” said Malespin, standing in front of an Israeli armored vehicle.

Perhaps most inflammatory are the views of Yishai Fleisher, who joins the program for a study session that carries “the story [of Israel] forward,” according to the sample booklet. Fleisher is among the most prominent advocates of Israeli annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, a policy that he has championed as the spokesperson for the settler community in the segregated West Bank city of Hebron.

Fleisher has long railed against the idea of a two-state solution, arguing that Israel should have full control of the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River and that Palestinians should have limited rights. In a recent video posted on his popular YouTube channel, Fleisher said that Carlson, in his interview with Huckabee, was “spitting on the God of Israel,” adding that the American political commentator “needs to be taken down” like the Biblical Goliath.

The prominent settler is also a frequent commentator on U.S. policy toward Israel. He has referred to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual conference as the “Fourth Pilgrimage Holiday,” after the traditional Jewish holidays of Sukkot, Shavuot and Passover. In a podcast episode entitled “GAZANS GOTTA GO,” he advocated for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and likened pro-ceasefire protestors on American college campuses to the Amalekites, who were massacred by the army of Saul, according to the Bible.

“Amalekites come for the Jews because they know that Jews represent civilization,” he said. “That’s what we’re seeing with the Jihadis on campus in the United States.”

Another interviewee is Messianic Jewish Pastor Avner Boskey. The preacher has written lengthy criticisms of Islam, warning in one pamphlet that “paganism and demonic worship are the spiritual matrix out of which Allah was elevated.” And, when Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City last year, Boskey wrote a piece with the subheading, “When The Upper West Side Turns Into The Lower West Bank.”

Destiny Magnett, Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace, told RS that the initiative contributes to the erasure of Palestinian culture, heritage, and history. Much of the sample booklet, for example, promotes a controversial new archaeological site called the Pilgrimage Road that cuts through a Palestinian neighborhood in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem and has caused structural damages to local homes.

“Pilgrimages to this land simply don’t exist in a vacuum detached from the everyday realities of people on the ground,” said Magnett. “Acknowledging that should be part of the responsibility undertaken by anyone working at the intersections of faith and Israel/Palestine.”

Shifting strategies

Show Faith by Works’ initial plan, filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), indicated that the firm would “geofence” the physical boundaries of major churches in the American Southwest during worship times in order to “track attendees and continue to target [them] with ads” on behalf of Israel.

But the campaign was met with backlash from many congregations. The Christian Life Commission of Baptist General Convention of Texas urged church leaders to sign a letter calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to prohibit foreign government use of tracking technologies at churches. A campaign and website called “show mercy and do likewise” was created as an interfaith project to support Christians being targeted by the campaign. Timothy Feldman, an attendee of one of the churches listed, told RS, “It was a strange feeling to see my local church directly targeted by a foreign country committing a genocide on the other side of the world.”

Show Faith by Works responded to the concerns by defending the geofencing campaign. Schnitger, the founder of the firm, told RS in an email at the time that “irresponsible” media outlets had “sensationalized” the firm’s use of geofencing. “It is a very common marketing tool that literally every person with a smartphone in America has experienced in one way or the other,” Schnitger explained. He later revealed that he was scrapping the geofencing campaign “due to security concerns.”

It is unclear whether this pivot will help Schnitger and the Israeli government win more support among Evangelicals. Uriesou Brito, presiding minister of counsel for the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches and senior pastor of Providence Church in Pensacola, told World — a media outlet that says it is “grounded in facts and biblical truth” — that he disagrees with Show Faith by Works’ approach. “My general principle has been that we should always be cautious when any government funds religious or theological outreach,” said Brito. “The concern in my estimation is not unique to Israel.”


Nick Cleveland-Stout is a Research Associate in the Democratizing Foreign Policy program at the Quincy Institute. Previously, Nick conducted research on U.S.-Brazil relations as a 2023 Fulbright fellow at the Federal University of Santa Catarina.

March 3, 2026 Posted by | Deception, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , | Comments Off on Israel launches Bible study program targeting US evangelicals

Douglas Macgregor: A New World Emerges: Iran Will Win & Israel May Not Survive

Glenn Diesen | March 2, 2026

Douglas Macgregor is a retired Colonel, combat veteran and former senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Col. Macgregor argues a new world is emerging with a new Middle East – in which Iran will win and Israel may not survive. Please like and subscribe!

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March 2, 2026 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Video, Wars for Israel | , , , , | Comments Off on Douglas Macgregor: A New World Emerges: Iran Will Win & Israel May Not Survive

Stuck in Another Disastrous Middle East War

By Ron Paul | March 2, 2026

Unfortunately, President Trump listened to the neocons and Benjamin Netanyahu instead of his MAGA base and other voices of caution as he launched a surprise attack on Iran over the weekend. For the second time in nine months, the US Administration used negotiations with Iran as a cover to launch a pre-planned attack.

Last week’s talks produced “progress” according to all sides, with technical teams set to meet this week to work out the details. President Trump, however, suddenly announced that he was not happy with the talks because the Iranian side refused to say “the magic words” that they would not pursue nuclear weapons.

But Iran has been insisting for decades that they have no interest in producing a nuclear weapon and our own intelligence has confirmed that they are not doing so.

Shortly after President Trump’s announcement, the US and Israel launched their attack, killing Iran’s religious leader along with some 40 other political and military leaders in a “decapitation” strike.

It was supposed to be like the Venezuela operation. Quick and painless for the US. Kill the leadership and the long-suffering people would take to the streets and reclaim their country. It may make a good plot for a Hollywood movie, but in real life these regime change operations have never worked. Millions did take to the streets in Iran, but it was to mourn the slain Ayatollah and to reaffirm support for their government.

Just like we “rallied around the flag” after the attacks on 9/11.

Quickly, Iranian retaliation for the attacks began to take their toll on US assets and Israel. US soldiers have been killed and US fighter jets have been shot down. US bases in the region are either damaged or destroyed. Likewise, US embassies and consulates have come under attack, including by Iraqis likely still furious over the US destruction of their country 20 years ago.

And, with the Pentagon warning that the operation may go weeks instead of days, we are quickly running out of missiles.

Billions of dollars have already been spent on this unprovoked attack, and when the smoke clears – if it does – we may see hundreds of billions or maybe much more having been wasted on yet another Middle East war. Just what President Trump promised he would not do.

The neocon “cakewalk” crowd, including Lindsey Graham and others, have been proven wrong again. Tragically, more American servicemembers may die while the neocons blame someone else for the fiasco they helped launch.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of the US/Israeli attack that “this combination of forces enables us to do what I have longed to do for 40 years…”

But the purpose of the US military is not to fulfill the decades-old wishes of foreign leaders. There is a good reason we have a Constitution that says only Congress can declare war.

Launching a military strike during negotiations will have lasting negative effects for the United States. Who would ever trust US diplomacy again if talks are used as a distraction for pre-planned attacks?

The Administration is doing its best to spin this unfolding disaster as all going according to plan, but what is the plan? No one knows. Do they know?

Here’s a plan: End this today. Return the destroyed US bases to the countries where they are located. And just come home. That is what a real “America first” movement looks like.

March 2, 2026 Posted by | Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on Stuck in Another Disastrous Middle East War

‘Trump’s Gift to Iran’: Iranian Media Shows 165 Graves for Minab School Bombing Victims

‘Trump’s Gift to the people of Iran’
Sputnik – 02.03.2026

Iranian media have published a shocking aerial photo showing the diggi9ng of 165 graves for the young victims of the Minab school attack.

The victims, girls aged between seven and 12, were killed in a devastating attack by US and Israeli forces.

The photo is captioned: “Trump’s gift to the people of Iran.”

The school in Hormozgan province was hit on Saturday morning in the first wave of US-Israeli missiles.

Iran has condemned the attack as a brutal act of terror, accusing the US and Israel of committing war crimes by targeting innocent children.

The attack has drawn widespread condemnation within Iran, with many calling it a violation of international law and a stab at the very heart of Iranian society.

March 2, 2026 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes, Wars for Israel | , , , | Comments Off on ‘Trump’s Gift to Iran’: Iranian Media Shows 165 Graves for Minab School Bombing Victims