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Mar 8, 2026 - World

Two men are in custody in connection with incident after anti-Islam demonstrators clashed with counterprotestersNew York police have confirmed that an improvised explosive device was thrown outside Zohran Mamdani’s official residence on Saturday when anti-Islam demonstrators, led by rightwing influencer Jake Lang, clashed with counterprotesters.New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that a preliminary bomb squad analysis of the device that was ignited and thrown during the protest had “determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb”. Continue reading...

Mar 8, 2026 - World

State media in Iran reported early Monday that Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been named his father's successor.

Mar 8, 2026 - World

Even some conservatives are sounding the alarm after a report revealed that Donald Trump apparently threw away a "golden opportunity" to de-escalate a global conflict and bring an end to the Iran war.It started with a report from Trita Parsi, an Iranian-Swedish writer and political analyst, who sought to reveal what happened with Iran issuing a reconciliation video to its neighboring nations. When that dropped, Trump seized on the opportunity to humiliate Iran, but Parsi shows how that could have been the wrong move."Speaking to several people involved on all sides, I believe I have gotten to the bottom of the story about Pezeshkian's video message - and how Trump blew up a golden opportunity to de-escalate the war," he wrote. "Here's what happened: Regional efforts at de-escalation in the war had convinced Iran to gradually adjust its regional retaliation conduct. In a first step, the Iranian President, as head of the interim leadership council, announced that attacks on neighboring countries would cease as long as their territories wouldn't be used to attack Iran. This is why Pezeshkian issued that video statement."According to the analyst, "Regional states were then expected to respond in kind. This would, understandably, take a few hours, as they were monitoring whether Iran's attacks were being reduced."Then Trump entered the situation."But before they could reciprocate the reconciliatory tone and take regional de-escalation to the next level, Trump issued his Truth Social post that declared victory, insulted and humiliated Iran, and even issued further threats of 'complete destruction and certain death'. To make matters worse, the US also crossed another red line shortly thereafter by attacking the water desalination plant at Qeshm Island. (This is incidentally a war crime according to Article 54 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions)," according to the political expert.He then added, "Trump's actions deliberately or inadvertently sabotaged the sensitive de-escalation talks in the region, which is why there was also an uptick by prominent GCC accounts blaming Trump for the war. Had Trump not done this, chances are that, at a minimum, the regional widening of this war would have been halted and reversed. With last night’s attacks by Israel on Iran‘s oil infrastructure, we can only assume how Iran may retaliate. We’ve entered a new phase of this high-intensity war."Former Republican John Jackson shared that analysis and added, "Trump blew it, if this is correct." That post from Jackson was also shared by another former Republican, attorney George Conway.

Mar 8, 2026 - World

By Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. The conflict in the Middle East continues, and is showing no sign of letting up. Israeli and US warplanes have continued to strike targets inside Iran, which has prompted retaliatory attacks throughout the region. An American submarine has also sunk an Iranian navy ship off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing at least 80 people, while Nato defences intercepted a missile heading towards Turkey.US officials, who initially envisioned the conflict in Iran lasting four to five weeks, are now warning it may go on far longer. “We are accelerating, not decelerating,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on March 4, adding that “more bombers and more fighters are arriving just today”. We asked Middle East expert Scott Lucas how dangerous the situation has become.You’ve called this ‘uncontained war’. What do you mean by that?Once the Iranian regime retaliated, hours after initial US-Israel airstrikes that it was later revealed killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, this was no longer just an American-Israeli war on Iran. Tehran, which had refrained from retaliation beyond Israel in the 12-day war in 2025, was taking this across the region.This was a war in the Gulf states, where Iran fired not only on American bases but also industrial areas, ports and tankers. This was a war in Lebanon, where Israel responded to Hezbollah rocket fire with airstrikes and an expansion of its occupation in the south of the country. This was the possibility of war spreading to Iraq, where the US military and CIA may be supporting Iranian Kurds for a cross-border incursion.It is now possibly also a war beyond the Middle East. A drone attacked the UK’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus and an Iranian missile has been intercepted flying towards Turkey. Drones have struck an airport and school in Azerbaijan. Iran has denied responsibility but the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev, has put his armed forces on high readiness.How dangerous a moment is this?War is always dangerous, of course, but this conflict is compounded by the shattering of any international “rules of the game”. The US and Israel have blatantly violated international law. They have assassinated the head of another country and his senior officials.The United Nations can condemn the strikes, but this will be easily disregarded by Israel and the US. Donald Trump has historically taken little notice of UN criticism, and said in January that his power is limited only by his “own morality”. European countries can call for deescalation, but almost all have now prioritized working with the US on the defense of positions threatened by the Iranians.China is maintaining a cautious position and Russia will be grateful that attention is being taken away from its invasion of Ukraine. If the Iranian regime does not surrender, there does not appear to be anyone or anything capable of checking the US and Israeli attacks — and thus the retaliatory shocks across the region and beyond.Is there a risk that Nato will be drawn in?Nato is already drawn in. Once Iran went beyond the Middle East to threaten Cyprus and Turkey, then the bloc had to take action. However, while Nato forces downed the missile heading towards Turkish airspace, the alliance is not yet discussing invoking Article 5 (the agreement that an attack on one Nato member is considered an attack on all).The alliance has also become involved in the conflict verbally to ensure the Trump camp does not abandon Ukrainian and European security at a sensitive point in talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, already known for calling Trump “daddy”, has given fulsome praise to the war even as some Nato members like Spain condemn it.In a recent interview with a German television channel, Rutte said: “It’s really important what the US is doing here, together with Israel, because it is taking out, degrading the capacity of Iran to get its hands on nuclear capability.”Where are the Gulf states in this? What happened to Qatar’s attempts to mediate?The Gulf states are likely to be happy that Iran’s supreme leader and others in his circle have been assassinated. For decades, Khamenei had pursued a strategy of expanding Iran’s influence across the Middle East — directly threatening Gulf monarchies. However, they are loathe to see regime change, fearing the disorder and instability that marked Iraq after the 2003 US invasion.They have been trying to pull back the Trump administration — an initiative by Qatar to persuade Trump into finding an off-ramp is notable — but they have to do so quietly. Open opposition to the US president risks even more serious disruption of the political and economic situation, with no guarantee that a triggered Trump will listen.There is a further complication because of division among the Gulf states. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait put some of the blame for the rising hostilities in the Middle East on the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, for their policy of normalising relations with Israel. They claim this has emboldened the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu.So far, the quiet push for deescalation does not appear to have succeeded. Without naming Qatar or another Gulf partner, Trump said on March 3 there will be no talks with Tehran.The US and Israel are reportedly arming Kurdish groups. How could that change things?With Plan A for regime surrender not succeeding so far, the Trump camp has had to consider what to do next. More bombing and an incursion by ground forces are two options, as is supporting an insurrection by Iranian Kurds.It appears the US president and his senior advisers (along with their Israeli allies) may opt for the Kurdish option. According to reports, Trump has in recent days called Kurdish minority leaders to offer them “extensive US air cover” and other backing if they enter the conflict.But the Iranian regime will undoubtedly unleash its military against the insurgents, throwing the west of the country into further turmoil. And it will have a justification to rally Iranians around the nation, despite the mass protests that were crushed in January.Even if the US can support the insurgency in splitting off part of Iran, what happens to the rest of the country? What does Plan B offer other than instability and fragmentation that could parallel post-2003 Iraq?This does not bring an assurance that the regime’s retaliation will be halted soon. Meanwhile, the US military is facing a shortage of interceptors which — if Iran’s firepower has not been expended — maintains the threat facing the Gulf states.Scott Lucas joined University College Dublin in 2022 as Professor of International Politics, having been on the staff of the University of Birmingham since 1989. He began his career as a specialist in US and British foreign policy, but his research interests now also cover current international affairs — especially North Africa, the Middle East, and Iran – New Media, and Intelligence Services. A professional journalist since 1979, Professor Lucas is the founder and editor of EA WorldView, a leading website in daily news and analysis of Iran, Turkey, Syria, and the wider Middle East, as well as US foreign policy.

Mar 8, 2026 - World

Senator Lindsey Graham issued a stark warning during a Fox News interview, suggesting the United States and Israel are planning significant military escalation in the coming weeks."You just wait to see what comes the next two weeks," Graham told host Maria Bartiromo, refusing to elaborate on his cryptic statement.When Bartiromo pressed for clarification, Graham responded bluntly: "We're going to blow the hell out of these people."The South Carolina Republican's comments represent an escalation in rhetoric from the Trump administration regarding military operations in the Middle East. Graham has consistently been among the most hawkish voices calling for aggressive military action against Iran and its allies.The senator's vague but menacing language suggests coordinated planning between Washington and Tel Aviv, though he provided no specific details about targets, timing, or scope of potential operations.Graham's remarks come as the Iran conflict enters its second week, with military analysts already warning of "mission creep" beyond the initial stated objectives. The senator's comment also contradicts Trump's 2024 campaign messaging about avoiding foreign entanglements.His threat of additional military action could further erode support among Trump's voter base, which expressed initial skepticism about the Iran conflict's necessity and cost.