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In 47-52 procedural vote, a resolution to curtail Trump's powers was defeated, though a separate House vote is expected.

Iran grants interim leadership council expanded powers after Khamenei killing Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council has approved transferring key leadership powers to the country’s interim three-member leadership council, including authority over senior military and security appointments and decisions on war or peace, spokesperson Mohsen Dehnavi said on X. The temporary leadership council was formed after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on 28 February. It currently includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and a cleric representing the Guardian Council, until a permanent leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts. Under Article 111 of Iran’s constitution, such powers require the approval of three-quarters of the Expediency Council, which Dehnavi said was secured to prevent a leadership or command vacuum during the emergency.

France to provide armoured vehicles, operational support to Lebanese army French President Emmanuel Macron said France will support the Lebanese army and called on Israel “not to expand the war to Lebanon”. Macron announced on X that France would provide armoured transport vehicles along with operational and logistical support to the Lebanese army, and pledged his “full support” to the Lebanese government. He also said France would send several tonnes of medicines and aid for tens of thousands of civilians displaced from southern Lebanon, though details of the assistance were not specified. “Everything must be done to prevent this country, so close to France, from once again being drawn into war,” Macron wrote. “The Lebanese have a right to peace and security – like everyone in the Middle East.” The announcement comes after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked Macron to intervene over Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign.

Kuwait’s army says facing new missile attacks Kuwait’s army said its air defences are responding to missile and drone attacks in the country’s airspace. “The armed forces note that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of the air defenses intercepting the missile attacks and drones,” its general staff said in a statement on X.

Iran sees no reason to negotiate with US, foreign minister says In an interview with NBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is “not asking for a ceasefire” and sees no reason to negotiate with the US. “When we negotiated with them twice, every time they attacked us in the middle of negotiations,” he said. Araghchi also said Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz, adding that ships and tankers have chosen not to pass through the waterway. “We have no intention to close it right now, but as the war continues, we will consider every scenario,” he said. In a separate post on X, Araghchi addressed US President Donald Trump directly, saying Washington’s plan for “a clean rapid military victory” had failed. He added that the opportunity for a “unique deal” was lost during the latest negotiations, concluding: “‘Israel First’ always means ‘America Last’.”

US closes embassy in Kuwait after Iranian strikes The US State Department announced the closure of its embassy in Kuwait following retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks on the Gulf country. Iran has launched waves of strikes against Kuwait since the war began. Six US soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait on Sunday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Kuwait’s foreign minister, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah. According to a State Department readout, the two discussed joint efforts to counter Iran.

A Kurdish uprising in Iran is an uphill battle rife with strategic obstacles Ilya Roubanis on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 16:24 While there is an opportunity for Kurdish groups to make gains while Iran is under attack, there are greater risks of history repeating itself Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq, on 12 February 2026 (Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters) Off There is now a growing consensus that the US-Israeli coalition is supporting a Kurdish uprising in Iran. On 2 and 3 March, the Israeli army was targeting Iranian military positions in Iranian Kurdistan. In response, the Iranian-backed militia, Kataib Hezbollah, targeted transport and logistics infrastructure in Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) territory, Kurdish and Iranian sources on the ground have said.   According to Ali Mousawi, the Tehran-based editor of IR Diplomacy, the opening of an Iraqi front is now also an emerging consensus. However, the KRG on Thursday flatly denied that it is taking part in efforts to arm or send Kurdish opposition parties into Iranian territory. CNN reported on Wednesday that the CIA has been working to arm Kurdish forces to foment a popular uprising. The hope for the US and Israel is that the Kurdish nationalist movement will provide the boots on the ground that neither the US nor Israel is willing to commit. “Israeli planners have been scoping the possibility of encouraging Iranian Kurds, which, in effect, means mainly PJAK, the Iranian arm of the PKK, as an armed force in lieu of US ground troops to incite an uprising inside Iran,” Burcu Ozcelik, senior fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, told Middle East Eye.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); PJAK is the Kurdistan Free Life Party, a militant Kurdish group that has intermittently waged an armed struggle for autonomy from Iran. “This is plucked from the playbook of deploying the PKK and affiliates as a proxy to advance US interests in Syria,” she added. But the politics and operational realities of this Kurdish instrumentalisation are complicated for two reasons.  First, because this will garner opposition among partners of Israel and the United States in the region. Second, because the Kurdish political movement is experienced and resists instrumentalisation. Consolidation of Kurdish groups At first sight, Kurdish political and military mobilisation seems irreversible. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump held talks with two major political leaders of the Kurdish movement in Iraq, Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani. The consolidation of Kurdish leadership has been a process catalysed initially by the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June 2025, and has been accelerating since. MEE spoke to Golaleh Sharafkandi, a political activist and former vice president of the Socialist International Women for the Middle East, who hopes that this moment is a historic turning point for Kurdistan. Armed Iranian Kurds weigh role in potential US-backed ground assault Read More » Her uncle, Dr Sadegh Sharafkandi, was assassinated in Berlin on 17 September 1992 by Iranian agents while attending the Socialist International congress in Berlin. He was the secretary general of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan. Sharafkandi notes that five Kurdish parties formed the “Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan” on 22 February 2026. “The framework agreement commits the parties to a joint struggle for democracy, justice and the national rights of the Kurdish people, who account for nearly 12 percent of the Iranian population," Sharafkandi said. The alliance brings together the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), PJAK, the Society of Revolutionary Toilers of Kurdistan (Komala), and the Organisation of Iranian Kurdistan Struggle.  On Wednesday, an additional Komala faction joined the coalition. According to Sharafkandi, this coalition establishes a joint diplomatic committee for international engagement, an armed force, and a transitional framework of principles for the administration of areas to be liberated, complete with a plan for elections that will lead to a political transition. This policy strives to ensure that any military advance is followed by an orderly transition, with the explicit objective of avoiding a power vacuum. Asked whether these parties can really bring forward a power that could make a difference, she argues that thousands are ready to join. “This is not just those already enlisted,” Sharafkandi added. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Instrumentalisation and abandonment Ankara has contested the emergence of the KRG in Iraq and secured a victory against the Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria in January. It is unlikely that Turkey will accept the emergence of a new Kurdish entity in Iran near its border. According to Oral Toga, research fellow at the Centre for Iran Studies in Ankara, Turkey, there is no need to act at the moment. Toga argues that the combined force of 8,000 to 10,000 troops does not look like it could have a meaningful impact.  'Even if Iran’s security forces were dismantled through air strikes, it would be difficult for the Kurds to secure any active gains' - Oral Toga, Centre for Iran Studies “Even if Iran’s security forces were dismantled through air strikes, it would be difficult for the Kurds to secure any active gains,” Toga told MEE.  Toga notes that the resilience of Kurdish political unity is questionable, as Talabani’s power base in Suleymaniyah has economic ties to Tehran.  Religion, language and even class differences could divide the Kurdish coalition. Finally, the Kurdish movement itself suffers from painful past experiences of being instrumentalised and abandoned. The most famous precedent in recent history is when the Kurdish people were urged by the US to rise up in 1991 against Saddam Hussein in Iraq and were famously abandoned when US plans changed.  On Thursday, Iraqi First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed posted a statement on X titled "Leave the Kurds Alone. We Are Not Guns for Hire", where she brought up the events of 1991 and recent events in Syria, urging all parties to leave the Kurds out of it.  Toga also warns that recent history could repeat itself. “The fact that the US abandoned the SDF in Syria will be instructive to Kurds in Iraq and Iran. The air strikes will come to an end at some point, but Tehran will always be there,” Toga said. This view is echoed in Tehran.  “Syria, Iraq and Turkey will oppose Kurdish independence with Iran. That is the case, this has been the case,” Musawi, the editor from Tehran, said, adding that it was questionable whether the Kurdish movement was ready to burn all its bridges with the Iranian government.  Opposition in the neighbourhood There is one power in the Caucasus that has a strategic partnership with both Turkey and Israel, not to mention a sizable minority in Iran, namely Azerbaijan. Baku has publicly condemned the war against Iran and is, in effect, not supportive of Israel, counting on Ankara to step in to prevent the emergence of a Kurdish sovereign state across the Araks River. According to Konul De Moor of the International Crisis Group, Baku is against this intervention, saying that “Azerbaijani officials expressed serious concern about the escalation and its potential impact on regional and global security." President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to Iran’s leadership and hopes for peace and stability while visiting Iran's embassy in Baku this week. When it comes to the prospect of a Kurdish military offensive, the balancing act is harder. “Azerbaijan always made clear that it doesn't support any separatist movements… Ankara, by contrast, is chiefly concerned with PKK-linked Kurdish groups, and would feel the need to step in to protect its interests and prevent PJAK from posing a threat to its own security.” Baku is particularly attentive to Kurdish offensives that could "undermine border stability", particularly in proximity to regions with significant Azerbaijani populations, where unrest could spill over or inspire local tensions, and a refugee crisis, Konul said. “A large-scale Azerbaijani-Kurdish confrontation in northern Iran remains unlikely.” Strategic ambiguity  Wanting the demise of the Islamic Republic is one thing, but it is not the same as having a strategy to achieve it. Trump's betrayal of his Kurdish allies in Syria should have been no surprise Read More » Barak Seener, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), says the CIA has worked with Kurdish groups in Iraq continuously since 2003. However, neither the US nor Israel has a clear vision of what they aspire to: a unitary Iran, a federative Iran, or a dismembered Iran. In a recent HJS report, Seener argues that Iran’s neighbours may see an opportunity during a war of regime change “to extend their spheres of influence within Iran via secessionist groups”. But trying to carve out a piece of Iran would lead to a regional conflict. Seener argues that it makes sense for the US to "prevent spillovers to surrounding states”. The intention to prevent a spillover to neighbouring states, however, “does not answer how other ethnic secessionist groups will not seek their own autonomous regions, and how this may impact the prospect of establishing a new Iranian state”. Mobilising a Kurdish movement without the promise of sovereignty and troops on the ground in Iran could be seen as a tactical wish filled with strategic contradiction. The question of where Israel and the US stand on the matter is anyone's guess. The tendency to prioritise tactical gains over strategic planning is not a new question for Israel. In discussing the rise of Israel as an “Asymmetrical Geopolitical Power”, Seener notes that Israel "substitutes strategy for tactics and operational wins” and, subsequently, “fails to cement its gains”. The Kurdish movement has experience with this, Sharafkandi notes. “This is a political programme with an army, not the other way around.” War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli troops in northern Israel Hezbollah said it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers in the town of Kfar Yuval in northern Israel. In a statement, the group said its fighters fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Israeli forces at around 18:05 GMT. Hezbollah said the attack was carried out in response to Israel’s continued strikes on Lebanon.

Trump says he would support Kurdish offensive against Iran US President Donald Trump said he would back Kurdish forces launching an offensive against Iran, in comments made during an interview with Reuters. “I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that. I’d be all for it,” Trump said. The president declined to say whether the United States would provide air cover for such an operation. The comments come as Iranian Kurdish militias have recently held talks with US officials about the possibility of attacking Iranian security forces in western Iran, according to Reuters. The groups are based along the Iran-Iraq border in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Bahrain arrests several people over posts and protests after Khamenei assassination Bahraini authorities say they have made several arrests since the war began, including four men accused of filming attacks and pro-Iran demonstrations in the country. The interior ministry said the men posted videos online that misled the public, spread fear and undermined security and public order. “This constitutes treason and a clear violation of the nation’s values and principles,” the ministry said in a statement. Protests broke out across the Shia-majority, Sunni-ruled Gulf country hours after the US and Israel confirmed the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump says he would support Kurdish offensive against Iran US President Donald Trump said he would back Kurdish forces launching an offensive against Iran, in comments made during an interview with Reuters. “I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that. I’d be all for it,” Trump said. The president declined to say whether the United States would provide air cover for such an operation.  The comments come as Iranian Kurdish militias have recently held talks with US officials about the possibility of attacking Iranian security forces in western Iran, according to Reuters.  The groups are based along the Iran-Iraq border in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

'Funding peace or war?': UAE billionaire slams Trump for dragging Gulf into Iran war Sean Mathews on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:26 Dubai-based billionaire Khalaf al-Habtoor, who embraced the Abraham Accords and sealed deals with Israeli companies, lashes out at Trump A picture taken on 13 September 2017 shows Khalaf al-Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Group, attending the world premiere of La Perle in Dubai, UAE (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP) Off UAE billionaire Khalaf al-Habtoor accused US President Donald Trump of dragging the US’s energy-rich Gulf partners into “danger” by unleashing a war on Iran that they did not want and betraying the American people by putting war at the “top of your priorities”. The letter on X marks the highest-profile public censure of Trump from the Arabian Gulf since the war on Iran started on Saturday. Habtoor is not a government official, but the Dubai-based billionaire is close to ruling circles. Public expression in the UAE, particularly at this level, is tightly controlled by the government.  “A direct question: Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war with #Iran? And on what basis did you make this dangerous decision?” Habtoor wrote on X in a post addressed to “His Excellency President Donald Trump”. “Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger? And did you consider that the first to suffer from this escalation will be the countries of the region itself!” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Habtoor owns one of the UAE’s largest conglomerates, Al Habtoor Group. The censure is all the more notable because the UAE businessman has no record of criticising Trump or his policies. On the contrary, he publicly embraced Israel after Trump brokered the Abraham Accords. The UAE normalised ties with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, which also saw Morocco and Bahrain establish formal relations. The Habtoor Group was one of the first UAE companies to look at partnering with Israeli airlines. It also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Israeli tech company Mobileye. The UAE, in general, is seen as the Gulf state closest to Israel. Habtoor asked in his post whether Trump had been dragged into the war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'Are we funding peace initiatives or funding a war that exposes us to danger?' - Khalaf al-Habtoor “The peoples of this region have the right to ask as well: Was this your decision alone? Or did it come as a result of pressures from Netanyahu and his government?” he wrote. “You have placed the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab countries at the heart of a danger they did not choose,” he added. Habtoor’s letter underscores what Middle East Eye has reported as a deep sense of abandonment among Gulf ruling circles. The Gulf states have long been at odds with the Islamic Republic, and privately, many welcomed Israel’s degrading of groups aligned with Iran, like Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, the Gulf states have tried to manage relations with Iran, out of fear that their energy infrastructure and glitzy capitals would be pummelled in a wider war in the region. Habtoor specifically criticised Trump for starting a war with Iran when the US was lobbying Gulf states to contribute to his so-called "Board of Peace" to govern and reconstruct Gaza. Questions for Trump “Before the ink has dried on the Board Of Peace initiative that you announced in the name of peace and stability, we find ourselves facing a military escalation that endangers the entire region. So where did those initiatives go? And what is the fate of the commitments made in the name of peace?” Habtoor asked. “Most of the funding proposed in those initiatives came from the countries of the region themselves, and from Arab Gulf countries that contributed billions of dollars on the basis of supporting stability and development,” he said. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "These countries have the right to ask today: Where did this money go? And are we funding peace initiatives or funding a war that exposes us to danger?” 'Was this your decision alone? Or did it come as a result of pressures from Netanyahu and his government' - Khalaf al-Habtoor Habtoor did not constrain himself to criticising Trump from the Gulf’s angle. He accused Trump of betraying his pledge to the US public not to enter new wars. He said that Trump had ordered at least 658 air strikes in his first year in office, more than former President Joe Biden ordered in four years. “You have even broken your promises not to get involved in wars and to focus only on America and put it at the top of your priorities, as you ordered foreign military interventions during your second term that included seven countries: Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Iran, and Venezuela, in addition to naval operations in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean,” he wrote. He said that Trump's poll numbers had dropped nine percent since his first 400 days in office as a result of foreign intervention. “Even within The United States, there is growing concern about being dragged into a new war, and about exposing the lives of Americans, their economy, and their future to unnecessary risks,” he wrote. “True leadership is not measured by war decisions, but by wisdom, respect for others, and pushing toward achieving peace,” he added. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Judge blocks Florida governor from labelling Cair a terrorist organisation MEE staff on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:32 Such a move infringes on a US-based group's ability to exercise its rights, the judge said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, left, and US President Donald Trump speak to reporters outside the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on 1 July 2025 (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP) Off A federal judge has decided that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cannot unilaterally designate the largest Muslim-American civil rights organisation as a "terrorist" group because it infringes on First Amendment rights.  The temporary injunction on Wednesday blocks DeSantis's executive order signed in December, designating the Council on American Islamic Relations (Cair) as a terrorist organisation, and opening up a potential pathway for state prosecutions of anyone believed to be supporting them.  “The question before this Court is whether the Governor can, in a non-emergency situation, unilaterally designate one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in America as a ‘terrorist organization’ and withhold government benefits from anyone providing material support or resources to the group,” judge Mark Walker wrote in his order. “This Court finds he cannot.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); He said his decision is based on DeSantis's "coercion of third parties to cut ties with Plaintiff" because Cair had lost contracts with Florida companies while other advocacy groups severed ties with them. Cair hailed the judge's decision as a victory. “Amid widespread attempts by politicians to undermine our democracy, including attacks on free speech, religious freedom, immigrant rights, and due process, this federal court ruling serves as a reminder that the Constitution still matters," Cair's national executive director, Nihad Awad, said in a statement.  Columbia University, Cuny most 'hostile' campuses for Muslims: Cair Read More » Cair's lawsuit was led by The Southern Poverty Law Center, Akeel & Valentine, Cair Legal Defense Fund, and the Muslim Legal Fund of America.  DeSantis's executive order followed a similar proclamation signed by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott in November.  Cair is a US-based non-profit organisation that advocates for civil liberties and relies on donations to carry out its work. While the executive orders were in effect, Cair was prevented from buying land in Texas and from engaging in government contracts in Florida, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Cair's deputy director in Washington, DC, previously told Middle East Eye.  Both in Texas and in Florida, the Muslim Brotherhood was also labelled a terrorist organisation, despite it having no centralised headquarters or leadership.  Unlike in Cair's case, however, there is a terrorism designation at the federal level of Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, as ordered by President Donald Trump.  US Muslims News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Will the Iran war trigger a Saudi Arabia-Pakistan mutual defence pact? MEE staff on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:56 The agreement between the two seems deliberately ambiguous, but could become definitive if Saudi Arabia is thrust into a prolonged crisis A handout picture shows Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of their meeting in Riyadh, on 17 September 2025 (Saudi Press Agency/AFP) Off The recent turmoil in the Middle East has placed Pakistan in an unusually delicate strategic position. Following the coordinated strikes by the US and Israel against Iran and the killing of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran has retaliated by targeting several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia. However, amid the escalating crisis, Iranian missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets have raised fresh questions in Islamabad about the obligations embedded in Pakistan’s recently signed strategic mutual defence agreement with Riyadh.  Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday offered the clearest indication yet that the defence agreement may influence regional diplomacy. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad and later in parliament, Dar said he had directly raised the pact in conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. “We have a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, and I conveyed this to the Iranian side,” Dar said, describing recent diplomatic contacts. According to him, Tehran responded by seeking assurances that Saudi territory would not be used as a launchpad for attacks against Iran. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Dar also suggested that the understanding may already be shaping Iran’s calculations. “You can compare that the least attacks from Iran are against Saudi Arabia and Oman,” he said, crediting diplomatic engagement for preventing wider escalation. His comments marked one of the first public acknowledgements by a senior Pakistani official that the defence pact could apply in a confrontation involving Iran. First geopolitical test of the pact The crisis represents the first serious geopolitical test of the pact, signed during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Saudi Arabia in September.  Although the agreement was presented as a framework for defence cooperation, its core clause carries potentially far-reaching implications: aggression against one state is to be treated as aggression against both. 'Pakistan is in a standby mode and is not positioned to deny support to Saudi Arabia' - Zahid Shahab Ahmed, National Defense College UAE At the centre of the agreement is a principle similar in structure to Nato’s Article 5, which details the collective defence obligations.  Official statements from both governments describe the pact as stipulating that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”. In theory, such language suggests that Pakistan could be obliged to assist if Saudi Arabia comes under sustained attack. So far, neither Islamabad nor Riyadh has formally invoked the pact. But the current crisis has brought it into public discussion in ways that were previously avoided. For Pakistan, a country with close ties to Saudi Arabia, a long border with Iran, and a complex sectarian landscape at home, the stakes of that commitment are unusually high. Yet the agreement appears deliberately ambiguous in practice. Pakistani officials say it does not automatically require military intervention and allows each country to determine the form of support according to national interests and capabilities. Zahid Shahab Ahmed, an associate professor in security and strategic studies at the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, said that if the war is prolonged, Saudi Arabia might ask Pakistan to help militarily. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “In such a situation, Pakistan is in a stand-by mode and is not positioned to deny support to Saudi Arabia,” Ahmed told Middle East Eye. A section of experts also believes Pakistan was being used as a diplomatic channel between the two regional rivals, reflecting Islamabad’s longstanding ties with both Riyadh and Tehran. Ayesha Siddiqa, a London-based Pakistani defence analyst, said Saudi Arabia appeared “reluctant to become directly involved in the conflict despite Iranian strikes on its territory”. “And therefore Riyadh has been asking Islamabad to convey the message to Tehran not to attack our soil, as we are not involved in the conflict,” she said. The India threat Pakistan’s room to manoeuvre is also significantly shaped by its own security environment. Why Pakistan's war with India led to a boom in arms sales and defence ties Read More » The country is currently managing multiple internal and regional security pressures, including cross-border tensions with Afghanistan’s Taliban administration.  The conflict has required sustained military deployments along Pakistan’s western frontier, where militant attacks and border clashes have intensified in recent months. At the same time, the long-standing rivalry with India continues to dictate defence planning. Former military officials said that the bulk of Pakistan’s conventional military capability remains oriented towards the eastern border, where the armed forces maintain significant troop concentrations and high operational readiness.  Consequently, any substantial deployment to support Saudi Arabia would “require a risky reallocation of resources”, according to an Islamabad-based retired military official.  Security officials and experts remain divided over what specific assistance Riyadh might request. While some suggest a full military deployment is possible in extreme circumstances, most view limited support, such as intelligence-sharing, naval patrols in the Arabian Sea, or technical air defence cooperation, as far more realistic.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A high-stakes balancing act The partnership with Riyadh serves as a critical financial lifeline for Islamabad. More than four million Pakistanis working in the Gulf remit billions of dollars annually, providing a vital cushion for Pakistan’s depleted foreign exchange reserves.  Beyond these transfers, Saudi Arabia has frequently stabilised Pakistan’s recurring economic crises with central bank deposits, deferred oil payments, and ambitious investment pledges.  'If the government sides with Saudi Arabia against Iran, it will create deep resentment within the country' - Pakistani protester On Wednesday, Saudi officials pledged to continue supplying Pakistan with oil through the Red Sea route. The security dimension is equally entrenched. Pakistani military personnel have provided training and advisory support to the kingdom for decades. Importantly, the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition is currently headed by Pakistan’s former army chief, General Raheel Sharif. However, this “special relationship” is under increasing strain as regional tensions with Iran escalate.  For Islamabad, any military alignment against Tehran carries a high domestic cost. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of Pakistan’s 240 million people are Shia Muslims, many of whom maintain deep cultural and religious ties to Iran. In recent days, the government has faced domestic backlash over its perceived neutrality towards western and Israeli actions against Tehran.  Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, an opposition figure in Pakistan’s parliament and head of a major Shia political party, said that the government should issue “an explicit condemnation” of Israel and the United States and formally affirm “Iran’s right to defend its sovereignty”. Violent protests by Shia groups broke out in several Pakistani cities, including Karachi and Islamabad, on Sunday after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes. At least 23 people were killed during the unrest on that day.  At least 23 protesters killed in Pakistan after killing of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Read More » “If the government sides with Saudi Arabia against Iran, it will create deep resentment within the country,” said Askari, a protester in Islamabad who chose to use only his first name. But the threat of domestic sectarian unrest is an element Pakistan will have to balance when push comes to shove. “We understand the sentiments on the street,” a senior Pakistani security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But the state must act according to long-term national interests.” However, some analysts say Pakistan confronting Iran in defence of Saudi Arabia would not serve Islamabad’s interests. “Concerns were raised when Pakistan signed the security pact with Saudi Arabia, even as Pakistan’s rulers were celebrating the agreement,” said Siddiqa, the analyst. “Entering the factionalised politics of the Middle East is not in Pakistan’s favour.” “Don’t forget that after Iran, the largest population of Shias is in Pakistan,” she added, warning that opening multiple fronts would be a dangerous situation for the country. “This is not peacetime, this is wartime. How can Pakistan facilitate friendship [between Saudi Arabia and Iran] right now?” she said. War on Iran Islamabad News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Hezbollah fires missiles at Israeli base near Lake Tiberias Hezbollah said it launched a barrage of missiles at the Naftali base west of Lake Tiberias in northern Israel. In a statement, the group said the attack took place at about 18:45 GMT (20:45 local time) as a response to Israeli strikes on Lebanese cities and towns. Hezbollah also said it targeted a group of Israeli army vehicles at a site near the town of Markaba in southern Lebanon around 15:00 GMT (17:00 local time).

Lebanon’s death toll rises to 123 Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 123 people have been killed and 683 wounded in Israeli strikes since Monday. The death toll rose from earlier figures released shortly before 16:00 GMT, when the ministry said more than 100 people had been killed. Among the victims were a five-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, who were killed along with two others in an Israeli raid on a house in the town of Mashghara, the ministry said.

Does Mark Carney know where he stands on the US-Israeli war on Iran? Yasmine El-Sabawi on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 18:41 Canada's messaging has been almost as muddled as that of the US, even though it's not a participant Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at a defence, science and technology showcase with the Royal Australian Air Force in Canberra, Australia, on 5 March 2026 (Hilary Wardhaugh/AFP) Off Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has spent almost as much time abroad as he has at home since his election last year, reaffirming and rebuilding his country's international relationships as the US becomes less of a reliable partner.  On 28 February, while on a high-stakes visit to India as the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, Carney released a statement that made his position unabashedly clear. After four paragraphs, in which he outlined why Iran provoked the attack, he said: "Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security." The Trump administration, in fact, had not even fully settled on the nuclear issue as the key rationale for starting the war. But it seemed that Carney had.  This is despite the US not obtaining a United Nations mandate for its mission, which has usually set the trajectory for Canadian foreign policy.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Lawmakers from Carney's own Liberal Party took issue with his support for the war.  On Tuesday, Canada's premier polling agency, The Angus Reid Institute, revealed that fewer than half of all Canadians support air strikes on Iran, and only three in 10 believe those strikes will improve the lives of Iranians.  That same day, while on a visit to Australia, Carney shifted his position. "Canada stands with the Iranian people in their long and courageous struggle against the regime’s oppressive rule. Which is why we support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security," he said in a statement. "Because Canada is actively taking on the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be." "We take this position with regret," he added. Carney wants a new world order - but only for the West Read More » "The United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada," he acknowledged, and called for de-escalation by all sides.  When a reporter later asked the prime minister about his unusual but widely acclaimed Davos speech about a new world order, and how that squares with support for a war on Iran, Carney said he was not an international lawyer, so it was up to the US and Israel to make a case for the legality of their attacks.  "You know that we were not informed in advance [of the war]. We were not asked to participate," Carney said, adding that he wouldn't have been able to surmise if there were legal violations early on. "Prima facie, it appears that these actions are inconsistent with international law. So we would not have been in a position earlier this week or the weekend, I guess, to take a judgment that met our standards." UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, however, immediately condemned the US-Israeli attacks that began on Saturday.  'Contradictory statements' By Thursday, at a press conference alongside his Australian counterpart, Carney said he could not "categorically rule out" Canadian participation in the conflict. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "You've asked a fundamental hypothetical in a conflict that can spread very broadly," Carney said. "One can never categorically rule out participation. We will stand by our allies." Those remarks come after Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty said last month that there has been a surge in enlistment in the Canadian military, in light of US President Donald Trump's threats to annex Canada, and his ever-increasing tariffs on his northern neighbour.  Michael Bueckert, the vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, told Middle East Eye that Carney's willingness to potentially join the war "creates a pretty dangerous situation for us down the road". "The fact that he changes, he puts out contradictory statements every day... who knows what he will be saying about this tomorrow? So I don't know exactly how to interpret what he's thinking." Over the course of the week, the prime minister has spoken with King Abdullah of Jordan and Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the UAE, and Canadians in the region have been urged to shelter in place. There are no evacuation efforts being undertaken by the government.  War on Iran Washington News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Explosions heard in Tel Aviv as Iranian strikes hit central Israel Several buildings were damaged across central Israel during a new wave of Iranian strikes, according to emergency services cited by Haaretz. AFP journalists reported hearing two rounds of explosions in Tel Aviv shortly after 21:00 GMT. Sirens continued to sound across Tel Aviv, central Israel and the occupied West Bank, Haaretz reported.

NATO says alliance ready to defend members after Iranian strikes NATO said it is well-positioned to defend its members against potential attacks by Iran. At a meeting of the alliance’s 32 member states in Brussels, Secretary General Mark Rutte praised the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and allied personnel for their coordination, which led to an Iranian ballistic missile being identified, tracked and intercepted, according to a statement. NATO also “strongly condemned” Iranian strikes on member state Turkey on Wednesday and expressed full solidarity with Ankara. In a separate post on X, NATO spokesperson Martin O’Donnell said allies have strengthened the alliance’s ballistic missile defence posture following the incident in Turkey.

US says it struck 200 targets across Iran in past 72 hours US Central Command said it has carried out strikes on around 200 targets across Iran over the past 72 hours. According to CENTCOM, B-2 bombers dropped dozens of bunker-buster bombs within the last hour on deeply buried ballistic missile launch sites. The US military also said it struck what it described as Iran’s equivalent of a space command. CENTCOM said Iranian ballistic missile attacks have dropped by about 90 percent since the first day of the conflict. It added that more than 30 Iranian vessels have been sunk so far, including a drone carrier ship that is now on fire. The next phase of the operation will focus on dismantling Iran’s missile production capabilities, the command said.