Host: You were asked earlier in the week about this girls’ school. You said the U.S. was investigating it. Have you made any conclusions about whether or not the United States inadvertently or not was involved in any military strike at that school?

Hegseth: Well, we’re still investigating, and that’s where I’ll leave it today. But what I will emphasize to you and to the world is that unlike our adversaries, the Iranians, we never target civilians.

Host: There was a report late in the week from two officials that it was likely U.S. involvement. Is that report false?

Hegseth: I’ve already said we’re investigating.

Host: If you could tell the American public it definitively was not us, you would tell us, wouldn’t you?

Hegseth: I would say that it’s being investigated, which is the only answer I’m prepared to give.

Hegseth on Iran:

Things like this don’t happen without casualties. There will be more casualties.

Our generation knows what it’s like to see Americans come home in caskets. But that doesn’t weaken us one bit.

Hegseth on Iran:

I’m a man of faith who encourages our troops to lean into their faith. Rely on God. There’s no atheists in foxholes. Your mortality is right in front of you.

My Christian faith — faith in general — is important to Trump. It’s important in our fighting ranks to give them perspective on human nature, on their own humanity, on our own mortality.

We lost a lot of that with sort of self-help, self-esteem nonsense, which is not what troops need.

Hegseth on Iran:

I think part of the reason recruiting is so high in our military right now is they understand they’ve got leadership that has their back, that has walked in their boots, that’s not going to use them callously or recklessly or for some nebulous mission, but is going to pour into them and give them every authority they need to be successful.

NEW: Ukraine has sent interceptor drones and drone specialists to help defend U.S. military bases in Jordan from Iranian drone attacks, Zelensky said.

Source: NYT

Iran’s Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader after Ali Khamenei was killed in a Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli airstrike, while Iran’s armed forces pledged loyalty to the new leadership structure.

READ MORE

$100 oil is back. And the world may pay the price.

Oil prices rising above $100 per barrel are creating a major shock for the global economy.

Higher energy costs drive up prices for fuel, transportation, food, and manufacturing, pushing inflation higher while slowing economic growth.

Economists warn that sustained high prices act like a tax on consumers and businesses, reducing spending and squeezing company profits.

Central banks may be forced to delay interest-rate cuts or tighten policy, increasing financial pressure worldwide.

The impact is uneven: oil-importing economies such as Europe, China, and India are hit hardest, facing higher trade deficits and slower growth.

Oil exporters like Russia, and parts of the U.S. benefit from higher revenues.

Gulf states may not benefit from higher oil prices, as exports are heavily disrupted and much of their crude cannot leave the region due to restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The current surge is linked to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for about 20% of global oil shipments.

If prices rise further toward $120–150, analysts warn the world could face stagflation risks, market volatility, and a higher probability of recession.

Qatar’s Interior Ministry says 313 people of various nationalities have been arrested for filming and spreading misleading videos, rumors, and false information on social media related to the current situation.

Under Qatar’s Cybercrime Law (Law No. 14 of 2014), spreading false information online that threatens public order or security can lead to:

— Fines of up to 500,000 Qatari riyals (~$137,000).

— Prison sentences of up to 3 years, depending on the offense.

— Possible deportation for foreign nationals.

Syrian Kurds warn Iran’s Kurds against aligning with the U.S. to fight Tehran, citing their own experience of being “abandoned” by Washington after years of cooperation.

“I hope the Kurds of Iran will not ally themselves with America, because they will abandon them,” said Saad Ali in Qamishli.

Another Kurdish resident said Syrian Kurds had “a negative experience with the Americans… and their abandonment of Kurdish resistance movements.”

Source: Reuters

Erbil, Iraq saw four drone attacks near Erbil Airport and the U.S. Consulate about five minutes apart as air defenses responded.

READ MORE

BREAKING: Türkiye deploys 6 x F-16s and air defense systems to Northern Cyprus.

Turkish MoD added that additional measures may be taken if needed depending on how the situation evolves.

Crude oil prices surged past $105 per barrel and briefly reached $108 on March 9 after Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s supreme leader following his father’s death in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike, amid rising Middle East tensions and Strait of Hormuz uncertainty.

READ MORE

Guinea Dissolves 40 Political Parties by Decree

The dissolved parties include the main opposition groups UFDG, RPG & UFR. The decree strips parties of legal status & assets, prompting warnings from opposition leaders that the country is moving toward one-party rule.

READ MORE

US President Donald Trump said Kurds should not enter the war against Iran, warning it could make the conflict “more complex” and cause casualties.

READ MORE

If the Strait of Hormuz disruption persists, oil prices could surge toward an inflation-adjusted record near $215 per barrel.

Source: WSJ

US Pentagon officials say the first week of the Iran war cost $6B, including $4B on munitions and missile interceptors.

READ MORE

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Iran's attacks on Qatar:

It is a big sense of betrayal. This is the second time.

It appeared to have been pre-planned. Once the war started, maybe just an hour after it began, the Gulf countries were attacked right away.

Before this war, all of us repeatedly said that we would not take part in any attacks or wars against our neighbors. We wanted to see a peaceful neighborhood.

We were helping Iran and the United States reach diplomatic solutions.

But this miscalculation by the Iranians to attack the Gulf countries has destroyed everything.

Source: Sky News

BRICS Divided Over US-Israel War on Iran After India's Chairmanship

BRICS has not issued a collective response to the US-Israel war on Iran under India’s chairmanship. While China, Russia and South Africa criticized the strikes, India urged dialogue, highlighting divisions within the 11-member Global South alliance.

READ MORE