#iran-us-tensions

#iran-us-tensions

We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup. Iran's football federation said this week it had opened talks with Fifa about potentially relocating the team's matches from the US to Mexico, though the global governing body has maintained that the tournament's schedule remains unchanged.

Increasingly we are seeing less indicators of large-scale organized, complex threats or attacks, and instead [have seen] efforts focused on individuals either who have been radicalized by Islamist propaganda and may not have ever had contact with ISIS or al-Qaida, for example; and others who have had contact, of which we are able to have more indications of.

I have not and won't divulge internal conversations. I will say that those of us within the intelligence community continue to provide the president with all of the best objective intelligence available to inform his decisions. This statement reflects Gabbard's consistent refusal to disclose specific intelligence briefings to Trump regarding Iran's likely responses to U.S. military action, despite Democratic senators' attempts to extract details about potential Iranian retaliation strategies.

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 US conducted strikes against Iran.

A powerful explosion, followed by another one likely triggered by the first, sets the ship ablaze and sends up a huge plume of smoke. It is an attack. The small boat filming the scene waits a few seconds before speeding off northeast toward Iran. One of the crew members shouts: God is the greatest. Destruction of an American oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf. At your service, Khamenei!

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed retaliation against Israel and the U.S. for its campaign against Iran. He also thanked Hezbollah in Lebanon, the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen for their support, suggesting the Houthis could be next to join the war.

Large parts of the Middle East, including Iran and Israel, currently feature on the list, and parts of the United Arab Emirates. Those choosing to ignore this advice risk inundating travel insurance and may struggle to access help from home if needed in certain locations.

Fuel prices have reached their highest level in more than 20 months, according to the latest data from RAC. Petrol prices have risen by 6.13p per litre, while diesel has jumped 12.74p per litre since Saturday, February 28, when the US launched strikes on Iran.

Within hours of the United States-Israeli attacks on Iran, US assets in Iraq's Kurdistan region came under retaliatory attacks from Tehran-backed groups, dragging the country into the conflict that has since expanded across the Middle East and beyond. Since then, US assets located in Iraq have come under multiple attacks from pro-Iran groups and Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC).

I've been absolutely flabbergasted that the US has not been a little bit more planned as to how they would deal with this very, very predictable situation. Starting a war in the Persian Gulf, a region that produces roughly a third of the world's oil, was bound to send shock waves through global markets.

About 20% of the world's oil and liquid natural gas pass through the strait, and the sudden traffic halt has sent prices soaring. But that spike also promises a massive payday for any ships willing to make their deliveries. Freight rates have soared to record highs, and a very large crude carrier heading from the strait to China can earn about $500,000 in revenue per day.

I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran's actions. Its temporary leadership council agreed to suspend attacks on nearby states unless strikes on Iran originated from their territory. Trump dismissed this as surrender while saying Iran would be hit very hard on Saturday and warned the U.S. could widen attacks to areas and groups not previously designated targets.

The S&P 500 fell 0.6 per cent and erased what had been a small gain for the year so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly dropped more than 1,100 points before finishing the day with a loss of 784, or 1.6 per cent. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3 per cent. The losses came as financial markets around the world keep following the cue of oil prices.

The ongoing United States-Israel attack on Iran, triggered by the assassination of Iran's supreme leader last Saturday, has rekindled military and political action between Lebanon and Israel, as Hezbollah again takes centre stage while facing the most existential crisis in its history. Every aspect of Hezbollah's political position in Lebanon, its military capabilities, and its war plans against Israel is now under intense scrutiny from regional and domestic actors.

QatarEnergy has suspended liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following a drone attack, straining the global LNG market. On Monday, Iranian drones struck two sites, according to Qatar's Ministry of Defence: a water tank at a power plant in Mesaieed Industrial City and an energy facility in Ras Laffan belonging to QatarEnergy, the world's largest LNG producer.