Middle East Watch

Watch: US destroys multiple Iranian minelayers in Strait of Hormuz– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser March 11, 2026 0

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The United States military has destroyed several Iranian vessels believed to be capable of laying naval mines near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to the US central command, as concerns grow around Tehran’s attempt to disrupt shipping in the critical waterway.In a post on X, the United States central command (CENTCOM) said US forces targeted and destroyed multiple Iranian naval vessels on Tuesday. “US forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz,” the command said, sharing a video showing some of the strikes.The claim followed comments by US president Donald Trump, who earlier said American forces had struck Iranian vessels capable of laying mines in the area. But interestingly, according to Trump 10 vessels were destroyed, contradictory to the military’s claim of 16. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!”

Hegseth Promises Iran War Will Not Turn Into Nation-Building– thefederalist.com

pgnewser March 11, 2026 0

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth promised Tuesday that the Iran war “is not 2003” and will not look like another nation-building, regime-change war like in Iraq.

Giving an update ten days into the war, Hegseth was joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine at the Pentagon.

“This is not 2003. This is not endless nation-building under those types of quagmires we saw under Bush or Obama. It’s not even close,” Hegseth said. “Our generation of soldier will not let that happen again, and nor will this president, who very clearly ran against those kinds of never-ending, nebulously scoped missions — those days are dead.”

6 of 7 Iranian soccer players granted asylum in Australia stay but rest of team heads home– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser March 11, 2026 0

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Gold Coast, Australia — The Iranian women’s soccer team left Australia minus seven of its members who were granted asylum, after tearful protests of their departure at Sydney Airport and frantic final efforts inside the terminal by Australian officials who sought to ensure the women understood they were being offered asylum.

As the team’s flight time drew nearer and they passed through security late Tuesday, each woman was taken aside to meet alone with officials who explained through interpreters that they could choose not to return to Iran.

Drones fall near Dubai airport, ships hit as Iran presses on with attacks– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser March 11, 2026 0

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DUBAI: Drones fell near Dubai airport, injuring four people, while ships were hit in or near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (Mar 11) as Iran kept up its campaign disrupting oil markets and air and maritime traffic.

The oil-rich Gulf has borne the brunt of Iran’s attacks in response to US-Israeli strikes that sparked the Middle East war, with Tehran targeting US assets but also civilian infrastructure.

Iran has also targeted Gulf energy infrastructure and choked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries nearly 20 per cent of global oil production, prompting wild swings in prices.

U.S. says 140 troops injured in Iran war as both sides sharpen threats – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser March 11, 2026 0

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Iran’s attacks on oil infrastructure and pledges to choke off a vital waterway left markets on edge Tuesday as the United States promised blistering new strikes. The war entered its 11th day with no end in sight as its effects rippled across the Middle East and beyond.

For the first time since the war began, the Pentagon released details on the number of American troops who have been injured, saying eight of the roughly 140 service members wounded are in serious condition.

Both sides sharpened their rhetoric as they dug in, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again promising the most intense strikes yet, while Iran’s leaders ruled out talks and threatened U.S. President Donald Trump.

Seventh U.S. Service Member Killed in Iran Strikes Honored at Dover Air Force Base– townhall.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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Over the weekend, the U.S. lost a seventh service member to injuries sustained in Operation Epic Fury. That service member has been identified as Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington of Glendale, Kentucky. Pennington was wounded in Iranian strikes in Saudi Arabia.

Vice President Vance boarded Air Force Two to attend the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force base.

He was joined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Insisting he has Iran on the ropes, Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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TRUMP: WAR TO CONTINUE ‘UNTIL THEY CRY UNCLE’: As the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran enters its tenth day, President Donald Trump is vowing to do “whatever it takes” to compel complete capitulation from whatever is left of Iran’s leadership.

“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” Trump posted on Truth Social, Friday. “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”

By Sunday, Iran had announced that 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — whom Trump had previously declared unacceptable — was named Iran’s next leader.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One Saturday before the new ruler was announced, Trump said the war was going so well, “at some point I don’t think there will be anybody left, maybe to say ‘we surrender.’ They’re being decimated.”

Asked what an “unconditional surrender” would look like, Trump said, “It is where they cry uncle or when they can’t fight any longer.” If there is “nobody around to cry uncle, because we have wiped out their leadership,” Trump said, it means, “they are rendered useless in terms of military.”

Iran shares ridiculous LEGO war propaganda vid showing Dubai being blown up and Britain’s RAF base in Cyprus blitzed– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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IRAN’S state media has published a warped propaganda video using Lego figures showing targets across the Middle East being blasted.

The unrealistic two-minute clip includes a Lego model of Donald Trump and barrages of missiles blitzing Britain’s RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

The propaganda video depicts Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu as Lego figuresCredit: X
It portrayed made-up claims a famed hotel in Dubai was blown up, when it was actually just hit by debrisCredit: X
The far-fetched clip also exaggerates Britain’s base in Cyprus being hitCredit: X

Shared by Tasnim News Agency, which is controlled by the IRGC, it depicts the US president and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu standing with the Devil before a red button is pressed – triggering strikes on Iran.

The far-fetched propaganda then shows Tehran furiously responding with blitzes across the Middle East – with Lego figures running for their lives.

Trump Demands Australia Save Iranian Women Who Defied Tehran’s Sharia Regime on the World Stage– gellerreport.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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Australia was sending those brave girls to a certain death. Until Trump stepped in.

During Iran’s national anthem at the Asia Cup in Australia, several members of Iran’s women’s soccer team stood silently with hands at their sides—refusing to sing. Subsequently, the women signed “SOS” signals as the team boarded a tour bus. They knew a target was on their back. Trump immediately responded: “I call on Australia to grant asylum to these brave women. If Australia won’t do it, the United States will” (Washington Examiner).

Australia responded: The federal government has confirmed five Iranian football players will remain in Australia after seeking asylum. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says he met with the women last night and told them they were “welcome to stay in Australia” (ABC.AU).

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2031037703521759371?s=20

Trump’s war spikes gas prices—and gets Iran a worse leader– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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Seven American service members are dead, dozens of Iranian children were murdered by a U.S. missile strike, oil is raining from the skies to poison the air for thousands of people living in Iran following an Israeli missile strike, and oil and gas prices worldwide are surging as the war has led to the blockade of a critical waterway used to transport oil.

But hey, at least we have a new Iranian leader who is in some ways worse than the murderous oppressor whom the United States killed a little over a week ago!

Indeed, Iran announced on Sunday that it replaced Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with his son Mojtaba Khamenei. The 56-year-old religious cleric lost his mother, wife, and a son, as well as his father, to U.S. strikes.

Given his relative youth, Iran’s new supreme leader could have many years left to rein over the nation with an iron fist. That means we spent billions, lost American lives, and potentially decimated the global economy only to put in someone who may in fact be more extreme than the previous guy who brutally oppressed both dissenters and women.

It Appears Ships are Sailing, Once Again, Through the Strait of Hormuz– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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My colleague Mary Chastain noted in her recent report that President Donald Trump’s team was weighing a takeover of the critical shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a vast amount of global oil supply flows.

This development follows on the heels of continuing military targeting covered by our talented Vijeta Uniyal.

I would like to focus on the Strait for a moment, as I noted in an earlier report that Trump ordered a US agency to provide insurance for companies willing to sail through the region. That plan is moving forward.

The U.S. will provide reinsurance ‌for losses up to $20 billion in the Gulf region, to help provide confidence for oil and gas shippers during the war on Iran, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation said on Friday.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered the DFC to provide political risk ​insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf after oil and liquefied natural gas ​tanker transit had ground to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz waterway off ⁠Iran, where ordinarily 20% of global oil moves daily.

Carney, Trump speak as Iran war escalates and oil prices soar – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke Sunday afternoon in response to escalating global tensions as the Iran war continues to escalate and spread across the region.

The two discussed “the economy, developments in the Middle East, and trade relations between the two countries,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The two also agreed to “remain in close contact.”

Also on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office said Carney gathered the Incident Response Group with ministers and senior officials to discuss the ongoing war in Iran and the Middle East.

How AI is turning the Iran conflict into theater– www.technologyreview.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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The author of that post on X was referring to an online intelligence dashboard following the US-Israel strikes against Iran in real time. Built by two people from the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, it combines open-source data like satellite imagery and ship tracking with a chat function, news feeds, and links to prediction markets, where people can bet on things like who Iran’s next “supreme leader” will be (the recent selection of Mojtaba Khamenei left some bettors with a payout).

I’ve reviewed over a dozen other dashboards like this in the last week. Many were apparently “vibe-coded” in a couple of days with the help of AI tools, including one that got the attention of a founder of the intelligence giant Palantir, the platform through which the US military is accessing AI models like Claude during the war. Some were built before the conflict in Iran, but nearly all of them are being advertised by their creators as a way to beat the slow and ineffective media by getting straight to the truth of what’s happening on the ground. “Just learned more in 30 seconds watching this map than reading or watching any major news network,” one commenter wrote on LinkedIn, responding to a visualization of Iran’s airspace being shut down before the strikes.

High Oil Prices ‘Small Price to Pay’ for ‘Peace,’ Trump Declares  – www.dailysignal.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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President Donald Trump says a sharp increase in high oil prices is a “small price to pay” in the fight against Iran.

“Short-term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, are a very small price to pay for the U.S. and world safety and peace,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!”

Oil prices have risen to more than $100 a barrel since the United States launched its attack on Iran in conjunction with Israel, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and striking hundreds of Iran’s military targets.

Crude oil futures in London and New York soared almost 30% to nearly $120 a barrel on Monday, one of the biggest one-day jumps on record in early trading, threatening to raise costs of products from gasoline to jet fuel.

BREAKING: Hegseth says Iran will see ‘most intense day of strikes’ as Operation Epic Fury continues | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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“On day 10 of Operation Epic Fury, we are winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said that the most intense day of strikes in Iran will be coming on Tuesday. This comes as the war in Iran has entered its tenth day after the US and Israel conducted strikes in Iran on February 28. “Today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran, the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligent, more refined and better than ever,” Hegseth said in a press briefing Tuesday morning.

“On day 10 of Operation Epic Fury, we are winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives, which are the same as the day I gave my first briefing here on Operation Epic Fury. They’re straightforward, and we are executing with ruthless precision. One, destroy their missile stockpiles, their missile launchers and their defense industrial base, missiles and their ability to make them. Two, destroy their navy. And three, permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons, forever,” Hegseth added.

US Not Happy with Israel Over Latest Iran Strikes: Report– www.westernjournal.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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The film was captivating, but the reviews were negative.

Israel launched a devastating attack Saturday night on oil storage facilities in Tehran, with results that residents told the U.K.’s Guardian were “apocalyptic.”

“Thick black smoke was still rising in the sky, soot covered the streets and cars, balconies filled with black gunk, and the toxic air had filled the lungs,” the Guardian said in describing the aftermath of the attack.

Multiple social media posts showed the extent of the damage.

Iran parliamentary leader vows military response to US and Israel– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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In Tehran’s latest signal that it will not blink, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the country is not looking to negotiate with the United States and Israel.

As the war enters its 11th day, Iran has struggled to mount an effective response to the blistering U.S.-Israeli air and missile strikes that have devastated its military. Despite this, Ghalibaf said the government was not seeking negotiations and hinted that Tehran would somehow hit its enemies with heavy military force.

“Absolutely, we are not seeking a ceasefire; we believe we must strike the aggressor in the mouth so that it learns a lesson and never again even thinks of aggressing against our dear Iran,” Ghalibaf said on X. “The Zionist regime sees its ignoble existence in perpetuating the cycle of ‘war-negotiation-ceasefire and then war again’ in order to consolidate its domination. We will break this cycle.”

Ghalibaf, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, is a longtime leader of Iran’s conservative faction, known as the “principlists.” He has consistently advocated for hardline policies against the U.S. and Israel, and played a central role in ordering the massacre of tens of thousands of protesters in January.

We Absolutely Cannot Take Any Refugees From The Iran War– thefederalist.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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The Iran war is still in its early days. Our operations against the Iranian regime have so far been swift and apparently devastating.

But those who remember Iraq know that Saddam Hussein’s conventional forces were destroyed in very quick order by U.S. troops in 2003. The trouble came afterward. Our attempts to stabilize the country, root out terrorists, and prop up an American-friendly regime bogged down into one of the “forever wars” Donald Trump campaigned against during the 2016 election cycle.

Our wars (sorry, “authorized armed conflicts”) in the Middle East didn’t bring us victory, but they did bring us a stream of “refugees” from the same Third World cesspits we were trying (and failing) to reform into proper nations.

We don’t know how the Iran War will end. It could be over in a few weeks, or it could be over by September. Or by September 2036. Regardless of how long it lasts or how devastating it is for Iran, we absolutely cannot take a single “refugee” from this conflict.

Mark Kelly Has Major Concern About Iran But Denies It Enriched Uranium To Build Nuke– dailycaller.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly raised concerns Monday about Iran’s nuclear ambitions while arguing that the country was not enriching uranium at weapons-grade levels.

During a discussion about U.S. policy toward Iran on “Anderson Cooper 360,” Kelly pointed to Trump’s 2018 decision to exit the deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama. The senator argued that the agreement limited Iran’s uranium enrichment at the time and suggested that abandoning it contributed to the current tensions.

“In 2018, when Donald Trump was in the White House, he tore up the Iran nuclear deal,” Kelly said. “They were not enriching uranium to the point where they could develop a nuclear weapon. But Donald Trump didn’t like it because it was something his predecessor put in place. And he tore it up.”

The Arizona senator said, however, that Iran’s nuclear capabilities remain a serious concern.

Trump Promises ‘Death, Fire, and Fury’ Should Iran Interfere With Oil Transportation– townhall.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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President Donald Trump has issued a warning to the Islamic Republic of Iran, stating that “death, fire, and fury will reign upon” the Persian state should they interfere with the transportation of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea trade route.

Trump claimed that American forces would strike the country “twenty times harder” and will “make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back,” he said in his post to Truth social. The IRGC still seems to think that they are in the driver’s seat, however. They claim that they will be the ones to determine the end of conflict, but that would only be true in the sense that they would choose the date of their surrender.

Trump’s message comes after an Iranian announcement claiming that they would allow nations who would expel American and Israeli diplomats to have free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

It’s Right to Hit ‘Shield’ Around Iran’s Enrichment Now ‘While They’re Weak’– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Arena,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) said that Iran was building up the means to protect its enrichment work and the choice was to wait until it was built or hit now “while they’re weak” and “I would have said, yeah, go now. We don’t want to have to get to a point where we have a larger, more complicated, more expensive, more deadly war. So, the strikes make sense.”

Host Kasie Hunt asked, “Where are you on the success or failure of what we’ve seen here? Do you think the world is currently better off today than it was before this started?”

Landsman answered, “We don’t know yet, right? The decision was, look, the Iranian regime wants to enrich uranium. They want to do it underground. We can stop that. But they were building up this shield to protect the enrichment work. At what point do you go in? Do you wait until it’s already up and running, this shield, which makes it difficult to penetrate, if not impossible? Or do you go now and do it while they’re weak? I would have said, yeah, go now. We don’t want to have to get to a point where we have a larger, more complicated, more expensive, more deadly war. So, the strikes make sense. But they need to get in, get them done, and then get out.”

Trump: Iran War Will Be Over ‘Very Soon’– gellerreport.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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The president is optimistic. Our joint operation is ahead of its own projected timelines. Wall Street Journal: President Trump said the Iran war will be over “very soon,” but that the U.S. military campaign still has further to go. At a Monday press conference, he said: “We’re achieving major strides toward completing our military objective. We could call it a tremendous success right now,” he added, “or we could go further, and we’re going to go further.” Earlier, he signaled in an interview with CBS News that the Iran war is “very complete, pretty much,” a sign that he may soon call an end to the bombing campaign (Wall Street Journal).

Mojtaba Khamenei Is Hardliner, Shows ‘Regime Isn’t Reformable’– www.dailysignal.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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The selection of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s new supreme leader sends a clear message that “the regime isn’t reformable,” one foreign policy expert says.

The 88 senior Shiite clerics who met to name Ali Khamenei’s successor could have chosen to largely hold to their “national priorities” and also “send something to [U.S. President Donald] Trump,” said Ilan Berman, senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, but “that’s not what’s happening here.”

Ali Khamenei did not leave a succession plan, but the son is someone who “the hardliners in the system can coalesce around,” Berman told The Daily Signal.

While Mojtaba Khamenei may have been the only clear choice still alive to take the role, his selection contradicts the doctrine of the regime, which opposes dynastic rule.

The Media Is Taking Iran’s Word on the School Strike – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth flatly denied that U.S. forces targeted civilians after a missile strike destroyed a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. Trump said the information he reviewed suggested Iran may have caused the explosion itself, while Hegseth repeated that U.S. forces don’t deliberately attack civilians and confirmed the Pentagon is reviewing the incident.

That didn’t stop Western media outlets from rushing to repeat Tehran’s accusations.

This may be a shock to you, but Iranian state media quickly blamed the United States and Israel for the February 28 explosion at Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school, which killed 168 people, injuring dozens more.

The claim rapidly spread through Western coverage, even though it came from the same government currently fighting the United States.

Europe’s Willful Irrelevance In Iran War Proves JD Vance Right– thefederalist.com

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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When Vice President J.D. Vance addressed the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, he delivered a blunt critique: Europe had retreated from fundamental values like free speech, pursued decades of progressive policies that eroded strength, and left the continent too weak to robustly defend the West. European leaders dismissed his criticism as “absurd” and “not acceptable.”

Yet the war against Iran has underscored Vance’s point.

The European Union has long-standing grievances against Tehran: decades of terrorism on European soil. Tehran has also taken numerous European visitors as hostages over the years, using them as leverage to extract concessions such as prisoner swaps, debt repayments, and asset releases. A striking example is the case of British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in 2016 and was only freed in 2022 after the UK government repaid a long-standing debt of nearly £400 million.

Facing this persistent threat, Europe had a clear opportunity to unite with allies against a common foe. Instead, major nations delivered lackluster, divided responses — slow, sidelined, or obstructive.

G7 won’t release oil reserves yet to quell surging oil prices amid Iran war – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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G7 nations said on Monday they were prepared to implement “necessary measures” in response to surging global oil prices but stopped short of committing to release emergency reserves, despite crude prices briefly surpassing $119 a barrel as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran continues.

“We are not there yet,” French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters in Brussels, after hosting a teleconference meeting of G7 finance ministers.

A final statement following the meeting said the ministers “will continue to closely monitor the situation and developments in the energy markets and will meet as needed to exchange information and to coordinate within the G7 and with international partners.”

“We stand ready to take necessary measures, including to support global supply of energy such as stockpile release,” it added.

Oil prices hit their highest levels since mid‑2022 on Monday, propelled by fears of prolonged shipping disruption and reduced output from some major producers wary of the conflict escalating. However, the market reversed late in the day, with benchmarks falling below $90 a barrel, after President Donald Trump told CBS News that the war was “pretty much” complete.

Tehran Tyrants Get the Soft Soap on Sunday– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser March 10, 2026 0

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Kristen Welker’s softball Sunday interview on NBC with the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi reminded everyone again of an anti-American double standard. The liberals inside newsrooms put enormous pressure on interviewers to question Trump fiercely, while representatives of mass-murdering Islamist regimes get open-ended softballs.