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MIDDLE EAST WAR
Quote:Nobody wanted impotent nepo baby Mojtaba Khamenei to be Iran’s next supreme leader — not President Trump, and not even Khamenei’s own father, who held the job until he was blown up in airstrikes earlier this month.
But the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had other ideas.
Assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was so opposed to his son taking power that he noted it in his will, experts told The Post.
“In Khamenei’s will, he explicitly asked Mojtaba not to be named as successor,” said Khosro Isfahani, a research director for the opposition group National Union for Democracy with ties to Iranian intelligence.
“Mojtaba is an impotent young cleric who has achieved nothing in terms of political life,” Isfahani said, explaining that the late Khamenei felt his son lacked the experience or capability to run Iran.
“All these years, he has been nothing without his father’s name,” he added.
And Mojtaba wasn’t even properly selected by Iran’s succession council — but the IRGC coerced the Assembly of Experts as it deliberated last week before finally forcing a vote.
Mojtaba didn’t even win a majority in that vote, Isfahani said, citing sources in Iran — but the IRGC made sure it appointed him anyway, reportedly prompting many clerics to boycott the meeting where the selection was announced.
“The Assembly of Experts that was supposed to pick the replacement of Khamenei didn’t vote for Mojtaba,” Isfahani said. “There was a lot of pushback against him, but under pressure from the IRGC, he was named as the successor.”
And the late Khamenei wasn’t the only one whom Iran defied by appointing Mojtaba.
Trump had earlier signaled that Mojtaba was an “unacceptable” choice, and doubled down on his dissatisfaction in a call with The Post after Mojtaba’s appointment Sunday.
“I’m not happy with him,” the president told The Post from Florida.
Trump previously signaled that Tehran was not to pick a leader without seeking his approval first, telling Axios that nobody would hold power in Iran unless he gave permission.
Quote:Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, included a disturbing threat of attacks on US soil in his first message to the world — but he was clearly either too hurt or too incompetent to deliver it himself, experts said.
In his inaugural address to the people of Iran, Khamenei said the Islamic Republic would “obtain compensation” from its enemies following the joint US-Israeli strikes that killed his father, his wife, and other top leaders.
“If it refuses, we will take from its assets to the extent we deem appropriate, and if that is not possible, we will destroy its assets to the same extent,” he said.
The message was a clear call for Iran’s allies abroad to take revenge, according to Khosro Isfahani, the research director for the Washington-based National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI) think tank.
“It hints at activating terror cells, like the warnings that have come out of Europe and the US, and the reports of preparing strikes on the West Coast,” Isfahani told The Post.
“These are desperate measures by a collapsing regime that sees no other choice but to escalate.”
Since the war began, law enforcement officials around the world have issued warnings about the possibility of sleeper cell attacks from Tehran’s agents and supporters.
President Trump said Wednesday that he had been briefed on those threats after an alarming FBI alert warned that Iran could deploy drones from a vessel off the California coastline to attack the mainland.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified Thursday that the California alert was “based on one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip.”
Khamenei’s message demonstrated that he would maintain his father’s hardline position against the US and Israel, but the method used to put out the statement suggests it may not have been the supreme leader’s words, Isfahani noted.
“It’s clear that he has not written this himself, or we would have seen him on air or in a recorded message,” he said. “They clearly know he’s not capable of stringing these lines together or even reading them on a teleprompter.”
Quote:Iran’s military claimed Thursday it has an enormous supply of suicide drone boats, which it is using to choke off crucial Strait of Hormuz, in chilling footage taken from its underground “missile city.”
Footage from Iranian state media purportedly shows underground tunnels full of naval drones, anti-ship missiles, and sea mines, with dramatic footage also showing some of them being fired.
It is not clear when the footage was recorded, or if the depot has since been hit by US and Israeli forces.
The naval drones have already proved to be a massive threat to tanker and shipping vessels trying to make it through the chokepoint at Hormuz. They were responsible for striking two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
Also known as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), these small drone boats either operate just below or on the surface of the water.
They are packed with explosives for their kamikaze mission, and are particularly difficult to defend against, especially at night.
On March 1, a crude oil tanker 44 miles off the coast of Oman was hit, killing one crew member.
Just days later, Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe was hit by a drone near Iraq’s Khor al Zubair port.
Dramatic video shared online shows what appears to be a naval drone slamming into the side of a tanker, triggering a huge explosion and sending a plume of smoke into the sky.
Iranian-made USVs have been used by the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen, targeting trade vessels passing through the crucial Red Sea waterway.
USVs have also been used with great effect by Ukraine in its war with Russia.
USVs are particularly difficult to defend against because established methods used to prevent aerial drone attacks don’t always apply, according to a study from UK-based security, defense, and cybersecurity analysts, Westland Advisory.
For instance, radio frequency detection, geolocation, and jamming have all been well-developed for aerial drones, but, waterborne targets require different tacitics to target.
Utilizing advanced radar and sonar systems to detect USVs, developing better capabilities to intercept and jam USV communication links, and deploying autonomous underwater vehicles with the specific purpose of neutralizing USVs have all been suggested as possible countermeasures.
Quote:Anti-Israel protests created and backed by the Iranian regime are planned across America this weekend, expected to attract people “glorifying terrorists.”
Al Quds Day, which translates from Arabic as “Jerusalem Day,” is billed as a day of solidarity with Palestinians, advertised with posters calling for an end to Israel with slogans such as “Palestine resists — Zionism ceases to exist.”
Both federal and local law enforcement are already on high alert amid the backdrop of the Iran war, which has increased threats of terrorism and violence, particularly against Jewish people, as seen at the synagogue attack in Michigan Thursday.
In New York City, the Black Alliance for Peace is organizing an Al Quds day “mobilization” in Times Square, scheduled for Friday — the last day of the Islamic holy month Ramadan — and Saturday.
In San Francisco, Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) are holding a “Quds day: no to US intervention” rally against “US and Israel warmongering.” In Chicago, radical anti-Israel groups such as the ANSWER Coalition, Students for Justice in Palestine and PYM, have scheduled a protest outside the Israeli Consulate on Friday.
In many places, they will be met by counterprotests from thousands of Iranians who support the US military action against the country’s hardline regime.
US Senator Tom Cotton (R. Ark.) warns the protests involving PYM are “dangerous” to Americans, and called on the FBI to investigate the radical PYM and its leader Aisha Nizar.
He told The Post Wednesday that the PYM’s “violent rhetoric threatens Americans’ safety.
“I’ve repeatedly asked the FBI to investigate, and trust that they are taking the necessary steps to protect our citizens, including those working in our embassies and consulates abroad, from this dangerous organization,” said Cotton.
Jewish groups said they will be watching the protests closely and working with authorities to monitor them.
“Quds Day protests, originally conceived by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, have historically served as a platform for antisemitic rhetoric and open support for US-designated terrorist organizations including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Palestinian Islamic Jihad … we are particularly concerned about the potential for inflammatory rhetoric at this week’s demonstrations,” Oren Segal, Anti Defamation League’s Senior Vice President on Counter-Extremism and Intelligence told The Post.
In London, the city’s Metropolitan Police banned an annual march and counter protests for Al Quds day, which were set to begin on Friday, citing heightened antisemitic incidents and tensions in the Middle East.
Trump monitoring possible terror sleeper cells and potential for Iranian drone attacks in California
Quote:President Trump revealed Wednesday that he’s been briefed on the possibility Iranian terrorist sleeper cells could be activated to attack Americans.
The president indicated he was aware of an alarming FBI memo issued to law enforcement in California, warning that Iran could deploy drones from a vessel off the Golden State coastline to attack the mainland.
“It is being investigated but you have a lot of things happening, and all we could do is take them as they come,” Trump told reporters after arriving back in Washington after a trip to Kentucky.
“The war itself is being prosecuted as well as anyone has ever seen,” the president added.
He blamed former President Joe Biden for the potential presence of Iran-aligned terrorists in the US.
“I have been [briefed on Iranian sleeper cells] and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border, but we know where most of them are,” Trump said.
“We got our eye on all of them, I think.”
The FBI had alerted state officials of the Iranian-originated threat in February, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t let that stop him from criticizing Trump’s military operation.
The Bureau’s alert said: “We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United State Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran.”
“Drone issues have been top of mind,” Newsom said during a news conference Tuesday to announce new funding for mental health and drug treatment as it relates to homelessness.
“We’ve been aware of that information, we’ve been working collaboratively with the [State Operations Center],” he said.
The 58-year-old, seen as a frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, said he has not spoken to the commander in chief directly about the threat.
“I haven’t talked to the president directly about this and I wish the president would talk to the American people about what this is all about, what’s the end game?” Newsom said.
“We’ve seen no real end game in sight when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz,” Newsom said. “Uncertainty is the most certain feature of the Trump administration.”
The “critical” threat comes as the Iranian regime works to rebuild after a large portion of its leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and 40 senior military officials, were wiped out on the first day of the joint US-Israel operation.
Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, was elevated to succeed his deceased father, but the nepo-leader has not been seen.
Conflicting reports state that the younger Khamenei was either critically injured in the strike that killed his father or that he is in hiding, fearing for his life.
Quote:Iranian American activists said the terror threat that emerged Wednesday — alerting to the possibility of an Iranian drone strike — serves as a wake-up call to the country, as it was never a war limited to regional security, but one over homeland security as well.
“I think it’s a great wake-up call to those who believe that this was either a war of choice or a war to distract from other political dealings,” Lisa Daftari, a foreign policy analyst with a specialization in Middle Eastern policy and counterterrorism, told The Post.
As the community continues to celebrate the US-Israeli airstrikes that wiped out Iran’s supreme leader in late February, activists say the threat has failed to shake the resolve of Iranians in LA — who remain steadfast on the front lines of Westwood.
“We’re going to continue to fight,” said Arezo Rashidian, an activist and one of the organizers behind the Los Angeles demonstrations.
It was revealed Wednesday that the FBI had been monitoring foreign threats against California, issuing a stark warning to law enforcement: “We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran.”
Rashidian added, “This is very targeted to the protesters because we make a lot of noise. We know, we’ve dealt with it before. They’re scare tactics. We’re not intimidated.”
Amid the shocking reveal, the community refuses to succumb to terror threats.
California has the highest concentration of Iranian dissidents in the U.S., up to 500,000, but it is unclear if that is why the state could be targeted.
Daftari said she’s had threats made against her throughout her entire career, so it’s “nothing new.”
“The Iranian regime has used propaganda and cyber warfare against the West for years. Many of us here are working closely with law enforcement to report any threats or anything that’s, you know, out of the ordinary to keep the entire community safe.”
Quote:California residents spotted another ominous plane, the Navy’s “submarine hunter,” zooming over Fresno Tuesday night.
The intelligence aircraft made its flight days after the “Doomsday” plane, the Boeing E-6B Mercury, also flew over the city.
It also came a day after a leaked FBI memo warned of an “unverified” report of a possible way Iranian drones could attack California from a ship. The White House and Bureau were quick to play it down.
The latest plane, a Boeing P-8 Poseidon, is used as a “multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft excelling at anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, maritime domain awareness and search and rescue,” according to Boeing.
The Poseidon flew over the city for about 30 minutes before heading back north, KMPH reported. Residents told the outlet that they saw the plane before they heard it.
In the video, a large plane is seen flying overhead, cutting through the blue sky before passing through the sun’s light.
Witnesses told KMPH the plane is large, loud and flying unusually low. It was performing what appeared to be touch-and-go landings, the outlet reported, and had few visible markings.
The plane took off from the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, flight data shows, and the plane regularly conducts training exercises along the West Coast, KMPH reported.
The “Doomsday” plane is a more worrisome sighting than the “submarine hunter.” The plane serves as a nuclear control platform and strategic command post. If the plane had to execute its mission, the US could be heading for a nuclear war.
Quote:Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) called for Israel to assassinate Iran’s newly appointed ayatollah and “every last member of their leadership” — as the regime’s new supreme leader has yet to appear in public.
“They should kill him, too,” Fetterman said on NewsNation Wednesday, referring to Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei — the eldest son of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who succeeded him as Iran’s supreme leader — adding that the world is “100%” better with his father dead.
Khamenei has yet to appear publicly since the 88-member Assembly of Experts appointed him as Iran’s new supreme leader on Sunday.
He also missed a rally in Tehran marking his succession. Iranian officials have said he was injured during the initial wave of airstrikes by the US and Israel on Feb. 28.
“He hasn’t been able to produce a video or seen in public at all. Why?,” Fetterman asked. “Maybe they’re seriously injured. It could be even harder for him to sit down and do a video and have them put that out.
“Hopefully, he is significantly wounded. And if he does recover, I do absolutely support having Israel just eliminate him, along with any other members of the leadership.”
“I’m always going to support that,” the senator added.
Fetterman also said President Trump gave Iran the opportunity to negotiate an end to the war — which it declined — and “avoid all of these things.”
The Iranian president rejected Trump’s call for the country’s unconditional surrender Friday and later scoffed at the proposal as a “dream.”
The supreme leader sits at the center of Iran’s Shiite theocracy with final authority over state affairs and serves as commander-in-chief of the military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a paramilitary force that the US designated a terrorist organization in 2019.
While Khamenei has yet to appear in public, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said online Thursday the war could end if Iran’s “legitimate rights” are recognized, reparations are paid and guarantees against future attacks are put in place.
Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran not to pick a new leader without his approval, blasting Khamenei as an “unacceptable” candidate.
Quote:An armed wannabe car bomber plowed a vehicle loaded with explosives into the preschool of a Michigan synagogue Thursday in a “targeted attack on the Jewish community,” investigators said.
A vehicle registered to a Lebanon-born US citizen smashed through the doors of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield just before 1 p.m. and sped through the building housing 140 students, according to cops and reports.
Heroic security guards opened fire and stopped the driver, who died at the scene, Oakland Sheriff Mike Bouchard told reporters.
All students and staff were evacuated to safety but one security guard was injured in the antisemitic attack.
The explosive-laden truck sparked a blaze, with aerial footage from local outlets showing smoke wafting from the building in the aftermath as authorities swarmed the synagogue.
The unidentified driver — found dead inside the car and burned beyond recognition — was armed with a rifle, and mortar shells were discovered in the vehicle’s rear, sources told The Post.
The vehicle at the center of the attack is registered to a naturalized US citizen from Lebanon who lives in Dearborn, Michigan, law enforcement sources told Fox News.
Due to the condition of the suspect’s charred remains, police could only confirm the vehicle’s registration and will need to ID the body through dental records, sources told The Post.
“We can’t say what killed him at this point,” Bouchard said. “But security did engage the suspect with gunfire.”
The temple’s head security guard was hit by the car and knocked unconscious in the chaos. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment and is expected to recover, police said.
At least 30 emergency responders are also being treated for smoke inhalation at local hospitals.
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The FBI, which is leading the probe, classified the incident as a “targeted attack on the Jewish community” but did not provide information on the driver or a motive.
“This is a deeply disturbing and tragic incident, and our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their families, and the entire Jewish community,” said Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office.
Quote:The antisemitic maniac who plowed his explosive-laden car into a Michigan synagogue’s preschool Thursday carried out the targeted attack after his family was killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, according to a report.
Ayman Ghazali — a 41-year-old naturalized US citizen from Lebanon — had at least four relatives, including a sibling, killed days earlier in military strikes in Machghara amid escalating tensions in the Middle East over the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, sources close to the investigation told The Detroit News.
The Israel Defense Forces launched a deadly wave of attacks on Hezbollah leaders in Beirut on Saturday, killing at least 217 Lebanese civilians and injuring nearly 800 more.
Ghazali, who died in the brazen attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Thursday afternoon, lived in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and worked at Hamido Restaurant, a local Middle Eastern eatery, the outlet reported.
The wannabe car bomber, who was born in Lebanon in January 1985, became a naturalized US citizen more than a decade ago under the Obama administration after entering the country through Detroit on May 10, 2011, on an immigrant visa as the spouse of an American citizen, the Department of Homeland Security told The Post.
He was granted citizenship on Feb. 5, 2016, federal officials said.
Ghazali shares at least one child with his ex-wife, who filed for divorce in Wayne County Circuit Court in August 2024, according to court records, the outlet reported.
The divorce was finalized seven months later.
The armed suspect was found dead inside the car, which was loaded with mortar shells, after the temple’s heroic security guards opened fire and stopped him when he rammed through the preschool’s entrance and barreled through the building housing 140 students, police and sources said.
The bomb-packed car sparked a blaze, and he was found inside burned beyond recognition, sources said.
No children or staff members were injured in the attack, but the temple’s head security guard was hit by the car and knocked unconscious in the chaos.
Emphasis is mine.
Quote:The Army is offering a fat reward for the capture of two thieves who stole drones from a base — amid fears of a possible Iranian drone strike on US soil.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division is offering a $5,000 reward for info leading to the arrest of the thieves who lifted the drones from Kentucky’s Fort Campbell in November.
The drones were stolen between Nov. 21 and 24, but officials didn’t reveal when they were discovered missing.
The drones were Skydio X10D systems — light, long-range quadcopters used for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance.
These use AI to avoid obstacles and can connect to 5G cellular networks, giving them nearly unlimited signal range, according to the Skydio website.
They’re worth nearly $30,000 apiece, according to ABJ Drone Academy.
Army investigators released images of a pair of suspects wearing gloves, light jackets, and winter hats. One wore a mask.
Officials also released images of two suspicious vehicles: a four-door sedan and a pickup truck.
Quote:Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made clear Tuesday that Russia should not intervene in the US and Israel’s war against Iran, one day after President Trump spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
“I was not on it, but those that were said it was a strong call, reaffirming, hopefully, the opportunity for some peace in Russia and Ukraine, and also a recognition that as pertains to this conflict, they should not be involved,” Hegseth told reporters Tuesday during a Pentagon press briefing.
Late last week, multiple reports citing US officials stated that the Kremlin has been feeding Iran intelligence about US assets and positions, which Tehran is believed to have used to attack American defense systems in the Middle East.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff has underscored Russia’s denials of reports that it has been feeding Iran critical intelligence.
“We can take them at their word,” Witkoff told CNBC’s “Money Movers” on Tuesday when asked about those reports.
“I can tell you that yesterday, on the call with the president, the Russians said they have not been sharing,” Witkoff added. “That’s what they said.”
Trump told reporters during a press conference in South Florida on Monday that while Putin “wants to be helpful” in ending the war with Iran, “I told him, ‘You can be more helpful by ending the war in Ukraine.'”
The president also boasted that the notorious Kremlin strongman was awed by the display of American military might unfolding in Iran.
“We talked about that with President Putin. He was very impressed with what he saw,” Trump recounted of his conversation with the Russian leader about Operation Epic Fury. “You know, Iran [had] quite a powerful military.”
Publicly, Putin has expressed solidarity with Iran and recently congratulated the regime’s newly minted supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on his appointment, despite Trump criticizing the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “lightweight” who he doesn’t believe “can live in peace.”
Iranian state media have indicated that the Khamenei scion may have been seriously injured in US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which also killed his father, mother and wife. Hegseth declined to comment on those reports.
Iran and Russia have long been close allies, with Tehran supplying Moscow with Shahed drones that have unleashed havoc and misery on Ukrainian civilians since Russia invaded that country in February 2022.
Quote:The Trump administration temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil “stranded at sea” Thursday in an effort to contain skyrocketing energy prices due to Iranian threats against tanker ships.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the move as one of President Trump’s “decisive steps to promote stability in global energy markets” and keep oil prices low amid the “threat and instability posed by the terrorist Iranian regime.”
“To increase the global reach of existing supply, [Treasury] is providing a temporary authorization to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea,” Bessent wrote on X.
The treasury secretary noted that the “narrowly tailored, short-term measure” will only apply to oil “already in transit.”
There are an estimated 124 million barrels of oil originating from Moscow at sea, which is enough for about five to six days of supply, according to CNBC.
Bessent also asserted that it “will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government,” adding that the Kremlin “derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction.”
“President Trump’s pro-energy policies have driven U.S. oil and gas production to record levels, contributing to lower fuel prices for hardworking Americans,” the treasury secretary continued.
“The temporary increase in oil prices is a short-term and temporary disruption that will result in a massive benefit to our nation and economy in the long-term.”
The exemptions will be in place until April 11.
As the war against Iran continues, oil prices surged to $100 per barrel on Thursday.
The price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 9.2% to settle at $100.46.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, meanwhile, vowed Thursday to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed as a “tool to pressure the enemy.”
Quote:The pace of Iran’s retaliatory strikes against the US and Israel appears to be slowing 13 days into the war, with most attacks successfully intercepted by American-made air defense systems, statistics and experts say.
After launching nearly 100 separate attacks against the Jewish state on Feb. 28 and March 1, the Islamic Republic’s rate of fire has dropped to only a handful a day, according to the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
The Islamic Republic fired 44 projectiles toward Israel on the first day of the war and 55 on the second, according to INSS’s data.
As of Thursday evening, however, Iran had fired only five projectiles, one fewer than the amount launched from Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and a reduction of more than 95% from the first two days.
Similarly, the United Arab Emirates went from fending off more than 100 drone strikes a day early in the conflict to just 35 over March 9-10.
The UAE’s defense ministry has recorded no cruise missile launches from Iran toward its territory since March 1, along with just six to 12 ballistic missiles per day after 165 were launched during the first two days of the war — a decline of up to 96%.
A similar drop was seen in Bahrain, where the military reports approximately six missile attacks per day compared to 45 on the first day of the war — a drop of nearly 87%.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed earlier this week the dip was evidence that the US strikes against Tehran’s missile and launcher manufacturing facilities were working.
“Our strikes mean we’ve made significant progress in reducing the number of missile and drone attacks out of Iran,” Hegseth touted Tuesday.
“Ballistic missile attacks continue to trend down 90% from where they’ve started,” he added. “And one-way attack drones have decreased 83% since the beginning of the operation, a testament to our air defenders and our air-defense systems.”
US-made THAAD batteries have intercepted the vast majority of the missiles fired at the UAE since the war began, putting the air defense system on par with Israel’s much-lauded Iron Dome interceptors, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War think tank.
Quote:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the people of Iran to rebel against the oppressive Islamic regime as the war continues to escalate.
It was Netanyahu’s second call to rally Iranians this week.
“People of Iran, we are waging a historic war for liberty. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to remove the Ayatollah regime and gain your freedom,” Netanyahu said in a statement Tuesday.
“Together with the United States, we are hitting the tyrants of Tehran harder than ever,” he added.
The call came after a video message the prime minister put out on Sunday urging Iranians to topple the regime from the inside.
“To the Iranian people, I say I have been speaking to you and for you for decades. The moment of truth is approaching, for we seek not to divide Iran, we want to free Iran, to liberate it from the yoke of tyranny and live in peace with it,” he said.
Netanyahu’s statement echoed Trump’s statement after the war began, where he called on Iranians to take reins of the government once the war is over.
“This will probably be your only chance for generations. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach,” the president said.
It remains to be seen whether Iranians will take up the leaders’ calls, or if they even heard them, given widespread internet outages across the country.
Israel has been pummeling Tehran with strikes since the conflict began more than a week ago.
Quote:TEL AVIV — Hezbollah’s decision to step up attacks on Israel from Lebanon reflects just how badly the Jewish state and the US have battered Iran’s regime, weapons stockpiles and military infrastructure, the Israel Defense Forces claimed Thursday.
The Tehran-backed terror group lobbed 200 rockets at Israel Wednesday night after being pushed into the fight by the “heavy blows” suffered by the Islamic Republic since the war began Feb. 28, IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
“Hezbollah, before Operation Roaring Lion, put out statements saying, ‘If the situation is really dire and the Iranian regime is in danger, we’ll jump in,’” said Shoshani, using the Israeli name for what the Trump administration has dubbed Operation Epic Fury. “They did not jump in in June — and they did jump now.”
“The Iranian regime pushed them heavily to the fighting against Israel,” he added. “That tells you about the situation the Iranian regime was in the first days of this operation.”
US-Israeli strikes have hammered military and political targets across Iran during the campaign, which entered its 13th day on Thursday.
According to US Central Command, more than 5,500 targets had been hit inside Iran as of early Wednesday, including more than 60 ships damaged or destroyed.
Israeli officials say the campaign has already neutralized roughly 80% of Iran’s air defense systems and two-thirds of its ballistic missile launchers, sharply limiting Tehran’s ability to fire large salvos at Israel and other countries in the region.
“The numbers [of projectiles fired] toward the entire region went from hundreds a day to very few dozens a day,” Shoshani said, describing a “real bottleneck” limiting Iran’s missile capabilities.
The IDF also estimateed that more than 1,900 Iranian soldiers and commanders have been killed during Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion.
Since entering the fight alongside Iran, Hezbollah has launched more than 1,000 ballistic drones, missiles and rockets toward Israel, the military said.
Following Wednesday night’s rocket attack on northern Israel, the IDF said its surveillance aircraft quickly identified the launch sites and struck many of them.
“We were able, the moment they started firing, to find them and strike successfully more than half of these launchers,” said Soshani, crediting the rapid response with preventing a much larger attack.
Quote:At least three vessels were attacked along the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as Iran vowed to launch its “most intense” assault of the war so far.
Three separate attacks were recorded along the key trade route, with one ship, the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree, reporting a fire in its main engine room that forced the crew to evacuate, according to the Oman News Agency.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack on the cargo ship, claiming the ship “ignored the warnings” from Iran to stay away from the Strait of Hormuz.
“Any vessel that intends to pass must obtain permission from #Iran,” the IRGC said in a social media post. “American aggressors and their partners have no right of passage.”
Iran’s attacks triggered a warning from US Central Command, warning civilians to steer clear of ports along the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran’s military actions leave the area as “legitimate military targets under international law.”
“CENTCOM urges civilians in Iran to immediately avoid all port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating. Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel, and commercial vessel crews should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment,” the warning read.
“Although the U.S. military also cannot guarantee civilian safety in or near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes, American forces will continue taking every feasible precaution to minimize harm to civilians,” CENTCOM added.
Quote:Dramatic footage shows an Australian woman mocking panicked Iranian goons after they realized that five players from the Iranian women’s national soccer team had escaped and sought asylum.
Anxious-looking Iranian handlers, security staffers and coaches were seen running down the stairs of a hotel frantically searching for the five stars who had fled the premises, footage obtained by “Fox & Friends” shows.
“You’re in Australia now. You’re in Australia, motherf–ker,” the brazen woman taunts two men and a woman in Muslim headwear in the clip.
“You better run,” she continues, pursing them in the stairwell. “Yeah, we’re going to get you now.”
“What cowards,” she says.
“Get the f–k out of our country, IRGC,” she adds, referring to the notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the primary branch of the Iranian military.
The Iranian soccer players had just finished a tournament in Australia on Sunday when the players escaped their hotel and requested assistance from the Australian government to remain in the country after their refusal to sing the national anthem at an Asia Cup match last week.
The protest sparked massive backlash at home, with Iranian state media branding them “wartime traitors” for refusing to sing the anthem.
Five women on the Iran Women’s National Soccer Team — Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi — were each granted asylum in Australia on Monday.
Striker Mohaddeseh Zolfi, 21, and support staffer Zahra Solton Moshehkar had both joined the five others in accepting an offer to stay in safety Down
However, one of the two later changed her mind and decided to go back to Iran, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Wednesday.
It’s unclear who decided to go home.
Quote:Shiva Amini, a former Iranian women’s professional soccer player who was banned from the team and later forced to leave the country after she was photographed playing without a hijab around her head, suggested Wednesday that the players coming back to the country faced an uncertain future.
Six Iranian women’s national soccer team players received asylum in Australia after the team was bounced from the Women’s Asian Cup.
The Australian government stepped in and worked with some players to attain a humanitarian visa.
Amini appeared on Fox News Channel’s “The Story” and said she understood what the players are going through.
“I can totally understand what those Iranian soccer players are going through because I’ve been in their shoes,” she said.
“The Iranian regime put you in this situation. You have to say goodbye to everything that you have in Iran … Anything could happen to you when you go to Iran. You can face prison, you can face rape, you can face execution. … The regime don’t care about who you are.”
Amini was granted asylum in Switzerland over threats from the Islamic regime in Iran.
She broke down in tears as she recalled being unable to see her father for nearly ten years and missing his funeral when he died.
“I was in Switzerland and the regime put me in a situation,” she said. “I just simply play soccer with my friends without my hijab on and the regime saw my social media and used that against me because they wanted to make an example of me for the other athletes in Iran.
“They took everything from me. I lost my family, I lost my home, I lost my safety. I remember after six, seven years when I was in Italy I just wanted to invite my parents, my family, my mom and my dad because my dad was like restless. He was like, ‘Hey, I wanna see you.’ I tried to get a visa for them. This is so sad because I tried so hard with a lawyer but the regime didn’t give a visa to my dad, but (only) my mom.
Quote:Iran has accused Australia of taking athletes “hostage” as it emerged that one of the women who claimed asylum has changed her mind and will return to the Middle East.
Esmail Baghaei Hamaneh, an Iranian diplomat and current Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran made the extraordinary claim on social media as news emerged that one of the women had backflipped.
“They slaughtered more than 165 innocent Iranian schoolgirls in a double-tap Tomahawk attack in the city of Minab, and now they want to take our athletes hostage in the name of “saving” them?,‘’ he said.
“The audacity and hypocrisy are staggering.”
“To Iran’s Women’s football team: don’t worry — Iran awaits you with open arms. Come home.”
In Parliament, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed that one of the two members of the Iranian women’s football squad who were granted humanitarian visas overnight has changed her mind and will return home.
“I was advised that one of the two who had made the decision to stay last night had spoken to some of the teammates who had left and had changed her mind,” he said.
“In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel. So, we respect the context in which she has made that decision.”
Burke said that as a result of the disclosure the remaining women had been moved to protect the women from Iranian Government operatives in Australia.
USA
Quote:A local government clerk who was on leave over a voter-fraud scandal has now been fired after punching bags were found in her office with pictures of politicians’ faces taped to them.
Rana Faraj had been on leave from the city of Hamtramck since November when unopened ballots that could have decided the mayoral election were found in her office, according to the Detroit News.
She later sued the city, claiming she was being punished for being a whistle-blower who raised the alarm about non-election personnel being in her office.
Faraj was fired not over that but for “the discovery of partisan punching bags featuring candidates’ faces inside” her office, Mayor Adam Alharbi said Tuesday, calling it “a gross violation of the non-partisan neutrality required by law.”
One punching bag had the face of former city councilman Muhith Mahmood — the candidate who lost to Alharbi by just 11 votes, helped by the unopened ballots, according to the Michigan Advance. Another bag had an unidentified city council candidate’s face taped to it.
The mayor insisted to Votebeat that the decision to fire Faraj had nothing to do with her lawsuit but was necessary due to “a clear lack of professional neutrality in office.”
Faraj filed a lawsuit in December, claiming she was placed on leave in retaliation for previously reporting voter fraud. Her city job had been “on hold for legal reasons” due to the suit, according to the mayor, who said she was assured by attorneys she could ax the clerk.
Faraj was placed on leave after 37 uncounted ballots were discovered in her office after the Nov. 4 election. The ballots could have swung the tight race in Mahmood’s favor, but were left out of the final count even after they were found.
Faraj claims in her lawsuit against the city that five non-election personnel entered her office before the ballots were found, breaking the chain of custody.
Neither Faraj nor city officials have explained how the ballots got there, according to the Detroit News.
In December, Faraj filed a lawsuit alleging that several officials were retaliating against her for flagging “ongoing election integrity issues” going back to 2023. She had reported the allegations of ballot-harvesting, intimidation of election workers to the state attorney’s office.
Hamtramck council member Muhtasin Sadman and mayor pro tempore Mohammed Hassan were investigated for allegedly conspiring to fill out empty ballots signed by recently naturalized citizens.
Sadman pleaded guilty in February to a reduced charge of disorderly person loitering about an illegal business.
Hassan, who is charged with forgery and breaking other election laws, is set to go to trial in April, according to the Detroit News.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:The Kremlin quietly tried to delete footage of Russian President Vladimir Putin having a coughing fit and struggling to breathe mid-speech — as rumors of his health woes ramp up.
Putin, 73, was caught on camera repeatedly spluttering and trying to clear his throat as he was filming a pre-recorded address to mark International Women’s Day over the weekend.
In the unedited clip, Putin could be seen pausing mid-sentence and repeatedly coughing as he gestured to someone out of frame.
“You know, let me say that again, because … my throat’s a bit scratchy. Yes, a bit scratchy. I almost started coughing. I’ve been talking a lot today,” the dictator said, according to the Moscow Times.
The footage was posted on the Kremlin’s official social media accounts but was abruptly wiped just minutes later.
It was quickly replaced with a shorter version without any signs of Putin’s coughing fit.
The Kremlin insisted the original clip was posted by accident.
Still, the Russian strongman has been plagued by rumors about his ailing health in recent years — including reported strokes, multiple bouts of cancer and even Parkinson’s disease.
Quote:MOSCOW (AP) — A court in Moscow on Thursday convicted 19 people of involvement in the 2024 shooting rampage at a Moscow concert hall that killed 149 people and wounded over 600 in one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in years.
A faction of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the March 22, 2024, massacre at the Crocus City Hall concert venue.
Authorities said four gunmen, identified as citizens of Tajikistan, shot people who were waiting for a show by a popular rock band and then set the building on fire.
All 19 defendants were handed lengthy prison terms: 15 received life sentences, one got 22 1/2 years, and three were given 19 years and 11 months each.
Those with life sentences will serve part of them in a prison and the rest in a special regime penal colony, according to the verdict.
They were also ordered to pay fines ranging from 500,000 rubles (about $6,300) to 2.7 million rubles ($34,000).
The trial began in August 2025 in a military court, as is customary for terrorism charges, and took place behind closed doors, with authorities citing security concerns. Three military court judges presided.
President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have claimed, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine had a role in the attack. Kyiv has strongly denied any involvement.
The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top criminal investigation agency, said the attack was “planned and carried out in the interests of the current leadership of Ukraine in order to destabilize the political situation in our country.”
It also noted that the four suspected gunmen tried to flee to Ukraine.
They were arrested hours after the attack and later appeared in a Moscow court with signs of being severely beaten.
Quote:KYIV — Andrii Vovk is back from the front lines for the first time in nine months — and after a shower and a quick trip to the mechanic to fix a window shattered in a drone blast, he will soon return.
He is one of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian troops still fighting in Russia’s war, now entering its fifth year.
There are no weekends in the military; no days off to rest or relax. Life becomes like the movie “Groundhog Day,” Vovk said, with one day of combat blending into the next.
Still, Vovk said he and many other Ukrainians who have been serving since the war’s start are not ready to give up the fight — unless peace actually lasts.
Asked about a floated peace deal that would see Kyiv freeze the conflict at the current battle lines, leaving Russia with the roughly 15-20% of Ukraine’s Donbas that it has been unable to fully occupy militarily, Vovk shook his head.
“I think, if Ukraine and Russia make peace now without hard guarantees, without huge losses for the Russian army, it will be the same scenario,” he said.
“It will be paused for maybe half a year, maybe a year, and after Russia builds up bigger stocks of drones, this will be the second war.”
But if Russia is unwilling to stop the war — neither is he.
“A real stop to the war will come when Russia is taking too many losses in troops, armored vehicles and planes,” he said.
It’s a sentiment US negotiator Special Envoy Steve Witkoff indicated in a recent address to Ukrainians on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.
“There is no deal here unless Ukraine and its people can believe that they will be able to live in peace if, in fact, there is a diplomatic solution,” Witkoff said in a virtual address to the Yalta European Strategy conference. “That has to be the end result here — a reality that peace is there.”
Quote:Russia is supporting Iranian forces with drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as strikes across the Middle East continue into a twelfth day.
It's not clear whether the Ukrainian leader was referring to drone supplies or technology sharing to enhance the country's existing stockpiles.
Russia has extensively used Iranian-designed Shahed drones against Ukrainian cities in more than four years of full-scale war in eastern Europe. Ukrainian officials and experts have reported frequent upgrades and changes to the designs of the notorious one-way attack drones, known for the distinctive low buzzing they emit as they near a target.
Publicizing his interview with Irish journalist Caolan Robertson on social media, Zelensky said Russia had "started supporting the Iranian regime with drones" and warned Moscow would also provide assistance to Tehran with missiles.
The Ukrainian president then said the Kremlin was providing help for Iran's air defenses—many of which were purchased from Russia before being extensively targeted by Israel and the U.S.—and could deploy troops on the ground in Iran. U.S. media have reported Russia is providing Iran with intelligence on U.S. military bases, which have repeatedly come under Iranian fire.
Zelensky had said in separate remarks on Tuesday that Ukraine had sent teams specializing in air defense to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. The three nations are among the dozen countries targeted by Iranian attacks since February 28.
Kyiv is well-versed in tackling Iranian drones while attempting to conserve expensive, often scarce, interceptor missiles. Often costing several million dollars each, these missiles are best suited to taking out ballistic and cruise missiles, rather than far cheaper, disposable drones.
The U.S. and Qatar are considering buying interceptor drones from Ukraine to take down Shaheds, Reuters reported earlier this month.
Iran has launched thousands of drones at U.S.-aligned countries in the Middle East in close to two weeks as U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran continue.
Russia has sidled closer to countries like Iran and North Korea since launching its invasion of Ukraine.
North Korea sent upwards of 10,000 troops to southern Russia in 2024 to battle Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region as Kyiv sustained a monthslong incursion over the border.
"The same could happen in Iran—Russia could send troops there," Zelensky said.
Iran launched fresh strikes across the Middle East on Wednesday, including on Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. and Israel carried out new attacks on Iran after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged to unleash the most powerful U.S. strikes yet on the country. Israel also announced new waves of attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, including in the capital, Beirut.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said its consulate in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, which also hosts one of Tehran's major nuclear sites, had been damaged in a strike over the weekend, but that no one was injured.
Quote:NATO nation Norway scrambled F‑35 fighter jets on two consecutive days this week after Russian reconnaissance aircraft were detected operating near and inside a NATO exercise area off the country's north coast.
Why It Matters
These interceptions highlight how Norway's Quick Reaction Alert operates to identify foreign military aircraft near NATO airspace.
Identifying Russian aircraft allows NATO to track flight patterns and maintain oversight during heightened military activity in large‑scale exercises such as Cold Response 2026.
What To Know
On Tuesday, a Russian Ilyushin Il‑20M surveillance aircraft from the Severomorsk‑1 airbase flew in international airspace off Norway's Finnmark region.
The Norwegian Armed Forces said the aircraft "turned north from Sørøya and returned to the Kola Peninsula around noon."
Sørøya lies close to the northern edge of a large area over the Norwegian Sea where NATO has warned of increased military activity due to the alliance's ongoing Cold Response 2026 military training exercise.
A similar incident was reported on Wednesday, when another Russian Il‑20M aircraft flew west and south‑west from Norway's North Cape into the NATO exercise area.
Norwegian authorities said the aircraft was detected over the Barents Sea around 9:30 a.m. and "was flying with its transponder switched off."
"Two Norwegian F‑35 fighter jets on standby took off from Evenes Air Station. They identified and shadowed the aircraft along the Norwegian coast before it turned northwards off Vesterålen," the armed forces said.
The plane later flew south twice more, reaching as far as Lofoten, before returning to the Kola Peninsula around 1:30 p.m.
Norwegian military officials said the appearance of Russian surveillance aircraft was expected. "The Russian flights are most likely intended to gather situational awareness of allied activity in connection with Cold Response 2026," the statement said.
Quote:WASHINGTON — A battle is brewing inside the US intelligence community over explosive evidence that Russia may be behind the mysterious “Havana Syndrome” illness that has sickened hundreds of US officials — as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard pushes to make the findings public after the Biden administration allegedly buried them.
Multiple sources familiar with the case told The Post that US intelligence agencies internally concluded Moscow was responsible for the attacks dating back to 2016, but all declined to disclose the determination publicly.
US officials are also believed to have obtained at least one of the devices used in the incidents, former intelligence officials say — a potential smoking gun reported by CBS News’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday.
Victims of Havana Syndrome, so named because it was first reported by US diplomats in Cuba, have reported the sudden onset of symptoms including vertigo, hearing loss, migraines, blindness and cognitive impairment.
A classified report produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence criticizes the Biden administration’s intelligence community for conducting a cover-up, according to a source who has seen the report. However, its public release has so far been delayed.
CBS News reported that Russia was the likely culprit, but some officials worry that formally blaming Moscow could complicate delicate negotiations to end the Ukraine war and deepen economic ties with Russia, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Others say the biggest resistance to Gabbard is coming from the Central Intelligence Agency.
Asked for a response to the allegation, the CIA said, “Director [John] Ratcliffe supports DNI Gabbard’s efforts to review the AHI issue and looks forward to her report on this important matter.”
“The health and security of CIA personnel is of the utmost importance to the Director,” the agency added.
In a covert operation, American agents secretly purchased a miniaturized microwave weapon from a Russian criminal network for roughly $15 million as part of a Pentagon-backed effort to better understand the mysterious attacks, according to CBS.
Tests conducted at a US military laboratory on animals, including rats and sheep, produced neurological injuries similar to those seen in Havana Syndrome patients.
Quote:MIAMI — A House Republican chairman accused US intelligence agencies on Tuesday of “definitely” being implicated in a “cover up” concerning “Havana Syndrome,” the strange illness that has afflicted hundreds of US officials — both at home and abroad.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) told The Post that his inquiry into the Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) has also led him to conclude that “at least some of those attacks were perpetrated by a foreign entity.”
“I definitely think there’s been a cover up,” Crawford said during an interview at the House GOP’s annual retreat at the Trump National Doral resort in Florida when asked about the Intelligence Community’s handling of employees reporting Havana Syndrome.
Since 2023, the House intel panel has been probing complaints from federal employees hit with sudden symptoms of vertigo, migraines, hearing loss, blindness or other cognitive impairment — but Crawford’s interest in the health issues stretches back at least 10 years.
The name “Havana Syndrome” took hold after the incidents were first reported by American diplomats at the embassy in Cuba in 2016.
Crawford said that initially the House investigations had focused on why the diplomats and other federal employees weren’t being properly treated for their injuries — and having their concerns dismissed.
“Some people,” he noted, “viewed it as a career-killer.” Several were also “threatened to some degree” from disclosing symptoms, according to Crawford.
Those findings were previously noted in a December 2024 interim report from the Intelligence Committee that faulted intel agencies for having “tried to impede” lawmakers’ inquiries “at every turn” and producing a “misleading” assessment of the syndrome that was “developed in a manner inconsistent with analytic integrity and thoroughness.”
The interim report also stated that it was “increasingly likely a foreign adversary is responsible for some portion of reported AHIs.”
“We’re still aggressively investigating this,” Crawford added, saying the obfuscation by the Intelligence Community has created “recruiting and retention problems” for the workforce.
“The fact remains that the agencies have not been forthcoming with the nature of these attacks, their role in how they responded to individuals who had reported being attacked,” he said.
“And in the process of that investigation we actually did uncover some things that have caused us to now expand the scope of our investigation.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has also been pushing to make internal findings public about prior assessments stemming from the attacks in Cuba a decade ago to now, sources familiar with the matter have said.
In April 2025, Gabbard blamed the Biden administration’s intelligence leaders for having authored an “incomplete and in some cases contradictory” assessment on AHIs.
Quote:ISIS-supporting ex-National Guard member Mohamed Bailor Jalloh shouted “Allahu Akbar” before launching his deadly attack at Old Dominion University on Thursday, federal officials revealed.
Jalloh, 36, busted into a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) classroom at the Virginia college and yelled the Arabic phrase, which translates to “God is Great,” before opening fire, killing a retired military officer and injuring two others, FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans said at a press conference.
The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.
Evans wasn’t sure how many students were in the classroom during the shooting, or if the ROTC program was targeted.
But sources previously told The Post that Jalloh asked if the class was for the ROTC, and opened fire after someone confirmed it was.
Jalloh, a naturalized US citizen originally from Sierra Leone, fatally shot the course’s instructor. Two other ROTC members injured in the attack are both in stable condition.
Evans praised the students who showed “extreme bravery and courage in containing the shooter and stopping further loss of life.”
Law enforcement sources told The Post that one heroic ROTC cadet fatally stabbed Jalloh.
Horrified students described the harrowing moment their classmates started pouring out of ODU’s Constant Hall.
“All of a sudden, I hear like just a bunch of bodies hitting each other like this loud altercation,” one student, only identified as Calvin, told 13NewsNow.
Calvin said he observed “a person in a tan coat” lying prone on the ground near
the campus’ Starbucks cafe while others took cover in any accessible building.
“People started running out of the building…there was yelling, screaming,” he said.
He said an employee hauled him and his girlfriend into the Webb University Building, a student center, where they locked down until authorities swept the scene hours later.
Juliet Grossman, another ODU student, told WAVY that she “heard a thing pop” followed by a cacophony of screams.
“I thought first it was like boys, you know, playing around, you know how they chase each other, but then I started hearing people say ‘Shooter. Shooter’,” Grossman recounted.
Grossman hid in the Diehn School of Music for a half-hour, frantically texting her loved ones until she was given the all-clear.
ODU junior Christian Scruggs, who hunkered down in the Student Recreation and Well-Being Center, said he only hid for half an hour, but noted those who rushed inside the Webb Building had to wait much longer.
The FBI said it will be opening a tipline for the investigation.
UNITED KINGDOM
Quote:The British government said it would publish files related to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US on Wednesday, as police investigate potential misconduct stemming from the ex-diplomat’s ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Lawmakers have forced Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to disclose thousands of files about the decision to name Mandelson to the key diplomatic post at the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term, despite a past friendship with the convicted sex offender.
The government has said the files will show that Mandelson misled officials about the extent of the relationship.
Mandelson, 72, a former Cabinet minister, ambassador and elder statesman of the governing Labour Party, was arrested Feb. 23 at his London home on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He has been released without bail conditions as the police investigation continues.
He has previously denied wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged.
He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.
Cabinet minister Darren Jones said the “first tranche of documents” will be published Wednesday afternoon.
The documents are being published in batches after review by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee.
Police have asked the government not to release files that could compromise their criminal investigation into Mandelson.
Starmer fired Mandelson in September after earlier revelations about his Epstein ties, but is facing a political storm over his decision to give him the Washington job in the first place.
Documents in a huge trove of Epstein files published by the US Department of Justice in late January suggested that Mandelson sent market-sensitive information to the convicted sex offender when he was the UK government’s business secretary after the 2008 financial crisis.
That includes an internal government report discussing ways the UK could raise money, including by selling off government assets.
NORWAY
Quote:Three Norwegian brothers of Iraqi descent were arrested Wednesday for allegedly carrying out a “terror bombing” at the US embassy in Oslo over the weekend — as investigators probe whether it was done on behalf of a foreign state.
The three suspects, who have not yet been publicly identified, are accused of setting off an IED that damaged the entrance to the embassy’s consular section around 1 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to authorities.
“They are suspected of a terror bombing,” Police Attorney Christian Hatlo told reporters at a news conference.
The three siblings, all in their 20’s, are Norwegian citizens of Iraqi descent. Police had not previously investigated the trio.
One of the brothers is believed to have planted the improvised explosive, while the other two were involved in plotting the attack, where nobody was injured, Hatlo added.
“We believe they detonated a powerful bomb at the US embassy with the intention of taking lives or causing significant damage,” Hatlo said, adding that none of the suspects had been interrogated yet.
Authorities had released eerie images on Monday of one of the hooded suspects with his face hidden and carrying a backpack.
Before the suspects were arrested, investigators had said that the bombing was possibly an “act of terrorism” linked to the escalating war in the Middle East after US-Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran.
“It’s natural to see this in the context of the current security situation and that this could be an attack deliberately targeting the US embassy,” Frode Larsen, head of the Oslo police investigation unit, previously told reporters.
Hatlo added on Wednesday that cops are now probing whether the bombing was done on behalf of a foreign state, but are also investigating other possible motives.
“Although it is early in the investigation, it is important that the police have achieved what they characterise as a breakthrough in the case,” Norway’s Minister of Justice and Public Security Astri Aas-Hansen said in a statement to Reuters.
LATIN AMERICA
Quote:Chinese shipping giant COSCO Shipping has halted arrivals and departures at Balboa port, the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The state-owned company from Shanghai issued the order in a client notice dated March 10. All confirmed bookings at the terminal now face cancellation. Clients must contact sales representatives for alternative arrangements.
The notice, published by Panamanian newspaper La Prensa, states that import releases will proceed normally. Shippers must return empty containers only to the Manzanillo International Terminal or the Colon Container Terminal, both in Colon province. Balboa will accept no empty containers.
COSCO did not specify a reason for the suspension or indicate whether it is temporary or permanent. The company also rerouted some transshipment activity to Buenaventura in Colombia.
The decision follows Panama’s takeover of Balboa and the Atlantic-side Cristobal port last month. Authorities acted after the Supreme Court annulled the operating concession held by Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings. The company had run both terminals since 1997.
Panama Maritime Authority officials assigned temporary 18-month contracts to new operators. APM Terminals, part of Denmark’s Maersk group, now manages Balboa. Terminal Investment Limited, linked to Mediterranean Shipping Company, handles Cristobal. The two ports processed nearly 10 million containers across Panama’s terminals last year. Balboa and Cristobal together accounted for 38 percent of that volume.
The takeover unfolded amid broader friction between Washington and Beijing over the canal. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed without evidence that China exerts control over the 80-kilometer waterway. Panama has repeatedly rejected that assertion and denied any Chinese oversight.
China responded sharply to the court ruling. Officials warned Panama of a heavy price and promised all necessary measures to protect Chinese interests. On the same day COSCO issued its notice, China’s Ministry of Transport summoned executives from Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company to discuss their international maritime practices.
COSCO Shipping ranks among the world’s largest container operators and forms part of China’s dominant state-backed shipping sector. The suspension affects services that include its associated line OOCL.
Panama authorities reported no disruption to canal transits after the February takeover. Trade flows continued normally under the interim operators. The notice leaves open questions about longer-term effects. Industry observers note that shipping lines often share vessel space through alliances, which could soften immediate impacts on cargo routed through Balboa.
Panama plans to launch a full tender for permanent operators after the 18-month transition. CK Hutchison has filed for international arbitration and seeks more than $2 billion in damages over the concession cancellation. No immediate comment came from COSCO’s global headquarters or Panamanian officials on the suspension. Canal traffic volumes remain stable so far.
Quote:El Salvador President Nayib Bukele brushed aside accusations from human rights organizations that his government holds political prisoners and has committed crimes against humanity in its campaign against street gangs. Bukele said after two reports detailed alleged abuses under the state of emergency that has shaped his security policy for nearly four years.
“It is amusing to see all the NGOs, think tanks, media outlets, and paid journalists of (George) Soros attacking in unison and in such an obviously coordinated way,” the president wrote, referring to the American billionaire without providing evidence of coordination. “I would be worried if it were not so. It means we are on the right path. Thank God,” he added.
The accusations surfaced this week as Bukele’s government faces growing international scrutiny over mass arrests carried out without judicial warrants. A report by the Salvadoran humanitarian organization Cristosal, presented March 5 in Guatemala, identified at least 86 people currently held as political prisoners. The group said the cases mark the first such detentions since the 1992 peace accords ended the country’s civil war.
Cristosal research director René Valiente told reporters the pattern of persecution targets human rights defenders, journalists, union leaders and environmental activists critical of the anti-gang crackdown. He compared the situation to conditions in Venezuela and Nicaragua. The report also documented a broader strategy of criminalization since 2021, including surveillance, stigmatization and prolonged pretrial detention.
A second assessment came from an international group of experts known as GIPES, backed by the International Commission of Jurists, the International Federation for Human Rights and other organizations. Presented March 10 during Inter-American Commission on Human Rights sessions, the report concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe crimes against humanity are occurring.
The experts documented systematic acts including torture, enforced disappearances and deaths in custody as part of a state policy promoted at the highest levels of government. Data cited in the assessment pointed to 403 deaths in state custody, including four children, and 540 cases of forced disappearance under the emergency measures.
Bukele’s offensive began after a spike in gang violence in March 2022. Authorities have detained more than 90,000 people since then. The president has publicly acknowledged that about 8,000 of those arrested were later released for lack of evidence. The state of emergency suspends certain constitutional rights and has been extended dozens of times. It remains in force.
Quote:Nicaragua maintains an extensive transnational network to surveil and intimidate opposition figures in exile, affecting hundreds of thousands of people, the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua warned. A report prepared by the experts details an extensive transnational architecture of surveillance and intelligence used to monitor, intimidate and attack the hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans living abroad, the group said in a statement.
In the report, which will be presented March 16 to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the experts said the structure sustained by the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo includes the army, police, migration authorities and diplomatic missions.
According to the statement, the government has arbitrarily stripped 452 Nicaraguans of their nationality, left thousands more exiles in a state of de facto statelessness by refusing to renew or provide documents, and prevented many from returning to Nicaragua.
The statement added that since 2018, public funds have been diverted to finance repression through the creation of a parallel structure within the ruling party. Jan-Michael Simon, president of the group of experts, said in the statement that repression and institutional corruption have become the method of government in Nicaragua.
Political persecution is financed by the state, carried out through its institutions, and extends beyond the country’s borders to ensure that no one, absolutely no one, stands in the way of the regime, Simon added. The statement said at least a dozen cases of killings or attempted killings against critics in exile have been reported, including the June 2025 killing in Costa Rica of retired army major and government critic Roberto Samcam.
Another member of the expert committee, Reed Brody, said the misuse and diversion of public resources have directly contributed to the commission of serious human rights violations. This investigative group is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.
It was created in March 2022 and is tasked with carrying out thorough investigations into abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018, when protests against the government were violently repressed.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
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Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
