NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

For now, links to FIFTEEN-plus reports, commentaries, analyses and interviews (more than 19): from the Associated Press, the Cradle, National Public Radio, Antiwar.com, MintPress News, and ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 3-5-26 and today’s, CUBA, VENEZUELA and LEBANON so far.) — MCM

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* Frequent war updates from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor are HERE, HERE and HERE. AP reports in Spanish are HERE. *

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Intense Israeli strikes target Iran and Lebanon as U.S. warns bombardment to ‘surge dramatically,’ by Jon Gambrell, Russ Bynum and Sally Abou Aljoud | AP  DUBAI — Intense Israeli airstrikes pounded the capitals of Iran and Lebanon early today as the U.S. apparently struck an Iranian drone carrier at sea, intensifying its campaign targeting the Islamic Republic’s fleet of warships. READ MORE . . .

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Qatar energy chief says war disruptions will soon trigger ‘global economic collapse.’ From the Cradle. Qatar Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi says the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the logistical disruptions on Gulf energy exports will have devastating consequences for the global economy, according to an interview published by the Financial Times today. READ MORE . . .

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Trump calls on Iran to surrender and rules out taks as Israel bombs Lebanon, by Jon Gambrell, David Rising, Sam Metz and Sally Abou Aljoud | AP  DUBAI — U.S. President Donald Trump today appeared to rule out talks with Iran absent its “unconditional surrender.” Israeli warplanes bombed Beirut and Tehran as Iran launched more retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war. The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Trump to meet defence contractors to speed up weapons deliveries. From Middle East Eye. The White House said representatives from six companies were to attend attend the meeting today: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Honeywell, and L3Harris Technologies. READ MORE . . .

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U.S warplanes ‘likely responsible’ for Minab school massacre in Iran, internal probe shows. From the Cradle. U.S. investigators probing the deadly attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in the Iranian city of Minab believe a U.S. military strike is the most likely cause of the bombing that killed over 180 people, of whom at least 165 were children, according to U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters. READ MORE . . .

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Trump’s Iran endgame unclear as he weighs quick exit against losing leverage. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  President Trump hasn’t spelled out how he wants the Iran war to end. But ending the military campaign too early could mean losing leverage over what comes next. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. Click HERE for all five NPR reports from today’s “Morning Edition.”

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FROM MARCH 5  U.S.-Israeli war kills over 1,200 Iranians, destroys thousands of civilian buildings. From the Cradle. At least 1,230 Iranians have been killed since the joint US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic started six days ago, according to figures released by officials on 5 March, with thousands of civilian buildings targeted and confirmed strikes on more than a dozen medical facilities. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 5  Trump says he wants to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader as war ripples across the region, by Jon Gambrell, David Rising, Elena Becatoros and Samy Magdy | AP  DUBAI — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader as the U.S. and Israel hammered the country for a sixth day. Iran kept up retaliatory attacks on Israel, American bases and countries around the region. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for report from Antiwar.com.

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FROM MARCH 5  What it feels like to be in the middle of Iran’s widening war. Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Tom Bowman and Aya Batrawy | NPR  Kelly talks with Pentagon correspondent Bowman and international correspondent Batrawy about the war in the Middle East for the national security podcast Sources & Methods. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 5  U.S. radars destroyed: Iran writes handbook for modern war with empire. Mnar Adley of MintPress News speaks with Sharmine Narwani, political analyst and editor of the Cradle, “to break through the ‘fog of war’ and expose the reality of this military confrontation waged by the Epstein class.” Click HERE for video and more of intro.

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FROM MARCH 4  Kucinich: Iran could be the graveyard of U.S. power. Robert Scheer of ScheerPost talks with former Cleveland mayor and former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio. From intro: “one of the most urgent and unflinching conversations in Scheer Intelligence history.” Click HERE for audio and text of extensive print summary.

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FROM MARCH 4  Khamenie assassination, Strait of Hormuz closure & betrayal of Arab nations. Mnar Adley of MintPress News talks again with Seyeed Seyed Mohammad Marandi, professor of English literature and orientalism, speaking from the University of Tehran. Click HERE for video and an intro.   

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FROM MARCH 4  How European countries aid U.S. and Israel in the war on Iran, by Alan Macleod | MintPress News  European nations provide economic and diplomatic support and supply military assistance, actively participating in the U.S.-Israeli campaign to overthrow Iran’s government. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

First, a link to a report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for CUBA 3-5-26 and today’s IRAN and LEBANON so far.) — MCM

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* Frequent Iran war updates from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor are HERE, HERE and HERE. AP reports in Spanish are HERE. *

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FROM MARCH 5  Crews in Cuba rush to repair a damaged power plant to ease a blackout, by  Milexy Durán | AP  HAVANA  — Swaths of Cuba remained without power today nearly a day after a huge blackout hit the western part of the island in the latest outage blamed on a fragile electric grid and a lack of fuel. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

First, a link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 3-4-26, and up or down for today’s CUBA, IRAN and LEBANON so far.) — MCM

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* Frequent Iran war updates from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor are HERE, HERE and HERE. AP reports in Spanish are HERE. *

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As the U.S. and Venezuela mend relations, Trump touts it as a model for regime change. Reported by Eyder Peralta, and Steve Inskeep | NPR  Washington and Caracas moved to restore diplomatic ties, as President Trump comments on Venezuela’s post-Maduro transition as a model something similar in Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. 

NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 3-5-26. Scroll up for today’s IRAN, CUBA and VENEZUELA so far.  Since Feb. 27 I’ve temporarily suspended entries for subjects other than the Iran war except for VENEZUELA, CUBA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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* Frequent Iran war updates from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor are HERE, HERE and HERE. AP reports in Spanish are HERE. *

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Trump calls on Iran to surrender and rules out taks as Israel bombs Lebanon, by Jon Gambrell, David Rising, Sam Metz and Sally Abou Aljoud | AP  DUBAI — Israeli warplanes bombed Beirut and Tehran as Iran launched more retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war. The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the war now underway. More than 95,000 people have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for a report from Middle East Eye.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

Links to at least FIFTEEN reports, analyses and commentaries (more like 25): from Consortium News, the Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 3-4-26 and LEBANON and CUBA.  Since Feb. 27 I’ve temporarily suspended entries for subjects other than the Iran war except for VENEZUELA and, today, CUBA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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* Frequent war updates from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor are HERE, HERE and HERE. AP reports in Spanish are HERE. *

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FROM MARCH 4  Watch: CN Live! — ‘Mideast on Fire.’ Joe Lauria and Elizabeth Vos of Consortium News talk and jounalist and geopolitical analyst Patrick Henningsen consider an array domestic and foreign components of the war. The conversation was live-streamed by CN on Wednesday evening a week or so after Henningsen returned from six days in Iran. Click HERE for video and comments.

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Trump’s unjust & unconstitutional war, by Andrew P. Napolitano | Judging Freedom / Consortium News  No rational observer looking at 2,000-pound bombs being dropped on military targets and thousands of missiles being fired indiscriminately at both civilians and military personnel in Iran can conclude that these events constitute anything but a war. That recognition triggers a series of analyses — moral, constitutional and legal. READ MORE . . .

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Iran is pummeled by airstrikes as it launches a new wave of attacks against Israel and U.S. bases, by Jon Gambrell, David Rising, Elena Becatoros and Samy Magdy | AP  DUBAI — Iran today launched a new wave of attacks against Israel, American bases and countries around the region, while warning the U.S. would “bitterly regret” torpedoing an Iranian warship. Tehran’s expanding retaliatory strikes came even as Israel and the U.S. hammered Iran for a sixth day. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Plenty of photos from AP are HERE.

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Australia deploys military to Middle East as Canada does not rule out joining conflict. From Middle East Monitor. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said today he could not rule out his country taking part militarily in the ongoing Middle East conflict. Speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, he said: “One can never categorically rule out participation.” READ MORE . . .

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BULLETIN  Iran’s military says didn’t launch drones toward Azerbaijan. From Middle East Eye. Iran’s armed forces have rejected claims that they launched drones towards Azerbaijan after two unmanned aircraft reportedly crashed near the airport in Nakhchivan. READ MORE . . .

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U.S-Israeli strikes continue across Iran; Iranian drones hit Azerbaijan. From NPR.  The war with Iran continued to widen today as Azerbaijan, a key U.S. ally, said drones launched from Iran hit an airport in its Nakhchivan region, while U.S. and Israeli forces struck more targets inside Iran. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it demanded an explanation. Click HERE to read.

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U.S.-Israel strikes continue as Iran war enters sixth day. Reported by Ruth Sherlock and Michel Martin | NPR  Middle East war enters 6th day with Israel and the U.S. continuing to hit Iran as the conflict continues to spread across the region. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for all nine NPR reports, so far, on today’s  “Morning Edition” program.

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Iran launches new attacks and calls for ‘Trump’s blood’ while Israel attacks Iranian infrastructure, by Jon Gambrell, David Rising, Elena Becatoros and Samy Magdy | AP  DUBAI — Iran launched a new wave of attacks today at Israel, American bases and countries around the region, threatening that the United States would “bitterly regret” torpedoing an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean and calling for “Trump’s blood,” while Israel said it hit multiple targets in Iran. Israel announced . . .  READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM MARCH 4  Iranian civilians are now fleeing the relentless bombing for neighboring Turkey. Reported by Ruth Sherlock | NPR  As the U.S. military broadens its strikes in Iran, traumatized Iranians are reaching the border with Turkey. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for links to all five NPR Iran war reports on “All Things Considered” for March 4.

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NATO intercepts alleged Iranian missile over Syria–Turkiye border. From the Cradle. NATO missile defenses intercepted a ballistic missile allegedly fired from Iran toward Turkish airspace, the Turkish Defense Ministry revealed on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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The war on Iran has ignited rare civil unrest in Bahrain, by Rayhan Uddin | Middle East Eye  Hours after the U.S. and Israeli assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran was confirmed, protests spread across the Gulf island nation of Bahrain, a close western ally. READ MORE . . .

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White House denies reports Trump approved arming Kurdish groups against Iran. From Middle East Monitor. A White House spokesperson has described as “completely false” reports that U.S. President Donald Trump approved a plan to arm Kurdish groups in the region with the aim of triggering an uprising inside Iran. READ MORE . . .

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Iranian warship hit by U.S. torpedo did not carry ammunition, say Indian sources, by Peter McNamara | Middle East Eye  An Iranian warship destroyed in a U.S. torpedo strike on Wednesday was “defenceless” and participating in an international naval exercise as a guest of the Indian navy, according to reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 4  U.S. kills dozens of Iranian sailors returning from India in ‘first torpedo strike since WW2.’ From the Cradle. A U.S. military submarine attacked an Iranian naval vessel in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, killing at least 80 as the ship was returning from a maritime exercise in India. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine commented. READ MORE . . .

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A deal was on the table. They bombed it. by Zarqa Parvez | Middle East Monitor   On Feb. 27, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi gave a remarkable interview on CBS News’ Face the Nation, describing what diplomats had achieved after three rounds of indirect talks in Geneva as a historic breakthrough: Iran had agreed to zero stockpiling and zero accumulation of enriched nuclear material, with full verification. READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report from Common Dreams; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 2-22-26, and up or down for IRAN and CUBA.  Since Feb. 27 I’ve temporarily suspended entries for subjects other than the Iran war except for VENEZUELA and, today, CUBA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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‘Total panic’ across Beirut as Israel issues ‘unprecedented’ mass evacuation warning, by Brad Reed | Common Dreams / ScheerPost  The Israeli military today issued what the Times of Israel described as an “unprecedented” evacuation warning to residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs ahead of planned strikes against Hezbollah. READ MORE . . .

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NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

A link to a report from CodePink; other reports and news are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted above and below — different links. (Scroll down for CUBA 2-26-26. Scroll up for IRAN and LEBANON.  Since Feb. 27 I’ve temporarily suspended entries on subjects other than the Iran war except for VENEZUELA and, today, CUBA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Ramadan under the blockade: The women of Havana’s only mosque, by Danaka Katovich | CodePink  International Women’s Day is coming up on Sunday. Around the world, women and families are bearing the brunt of brutal U.S. sanctions and militarism, and Cuba is no different. Since leaving Cuba in 2022 I’ve kept in touch with the women of the Havana mosque through a collection of WhatsApp messages, phone calls, and voice notes. READ MORE . . .

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NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

For March 4. 2026, links to TWENTY-ONE-plus reports, analyses and commentaries (more like 29): from the Cradle, El País, the Jerusalem Post, National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Michael-Hudson.com, and CraigMurray.org.uk via Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 3-3-26 and VENEZUELA.) Entries for UKRAINE, WEST BANK, GAZA, SYRIA, LEBANON, CUBA, MEDIA, 9/11 TRUTH, etc., have been temporarily suspended since Feb. 27.) — MCM

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* Frequent war updates from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor are HERE, HERE and HERE. AP reports in Spanish are HERE. *

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Spanish PM fires back at Trump over threats to cut trade. From the Cradle. Spain will “not be complicit in something that is bad for the world — and that is also contrary to our values ​​and interests – simply out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a speech today. “You can’t respond to one illegality with another because that’s how humanity’s great disasters begin.” READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for report in English and Spanish from El País / El País.

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Hegseth: U.S., Israel about to have complete ‘uncontested’ control of Iranian airspace, by James Genn | The Jerusalem Post  U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted that the U.S. and Israel are about to have complete “uncontested” control of Iranian airspace during operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, during a statement at the Pentagon today. READ MORE . . .

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Pentagon says it has destroyed Iran’s Navy and killed all its senior leaders. Reported by Greg Myre and A Martínez | NPR  The U.S. Department of War says it has destroyed Iran’s Navy, and that all Iran’s senior leaders have been killed. Questions remain about the strategic objectives of the U.S.- and Israeli-led military campaign. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.  Click HERE for all 10 Iran war-related reports and interviews on NPR’s “Morning Edition” today.

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Iran reached out to CIA to discuss end of conflict, Trump is saying it’s too late: report. From the Jerusalem Post. Operatives from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence quietly reached out indirectly to the CIA with an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict, according to officials briefed on the outreach cited by The New York Times. READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Oman rescues 24 crew members after Strait of Hormuz. From Middle East Monitor. Oman’s navy today rescued the 24-person crew of a cargo ship after it came under attack by two missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Oman News Agency, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Report of a container ship struck off Oman, by Samy Magdy | AP  An agency of the U.K. military, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, says the ship had a fire in its engine room. It says the vessel was heading east through the Strait of Hormuz when it was hit by an unknown projectile. READ MORE . . .

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Sri Lanka recovers bodies after Iranian frigate sinks. From Middle East Eye. Sri Lanka’s navy says it has recovered several bodies after an Iranian naval vessel sank off the country’s southern coast following a reported explosion. Navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath said search teams located bodies near the area where the ship went down. READ MORE . . .

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Israel orders displacement of all Lebanese citizens below the Litani River. From the Cradle. The Israeli military released a statement today issuing forced displacement orders for the entire area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, marking a major escalation of the ground incursion launched a day earlier. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 3  Trump open to arming Kurdish separatist groups to serve as ‘boots on the round’ in Iran: report. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump is “open” to arming and backing Kurdish separatist organizations and anti-Iran Kurds based in Iraq, in order to “dislodge the regime,” the Wall Street Journal cited officials as saying today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 3  Insurance companies cancel war coverage for Strait of Hormuz as shipping grinds to a halt. From the Cradle. Major insurance companies have canceled their war risk coverage for vessels attempting to transit in the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s ongoing military operations in the Persian Gulf, according to notices posted on their websites on Sunday, effective March 5. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 3  As war widens in Middle East, the U.S. struggles to explain rationale for attacks. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Franco Ordoñez | NPR  President Trump took questions publicly on Tuesday for the first time since striking Iran as violence continues to unfold in the region. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. Click HERE for all six Iran war-related reports on Tuesday’s “All Things Considered.”

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The war in AP maps, graphics and images, by Phil Holm, Will Jarrett and Kevin Vineys | AP  This collection of visuals from the Associated Press — interactive maps, satellite imagery, sliding before-and-after shots — is designed to offer an alternative, or at least a companion to, the words that describe what’s happening. Click HERE for further intro and to access.

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Brics missing in action as war on permanent member Iran spirals, by Azad Essa | Middle East Eye  The way Brics responds to the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran, a permanent member, will have repercussions for how the group is perceived and understood — not only by its own members, but the whole world going forward, some analysts say. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 2  Negotiation to detonation, by Michael Hudson | Michael-Hudson.com  Last Friday the mediator of the U.S. and Iranian nuclear negotiations in Oman, that country’s foreign minister Badr Albusaidi, pulled the rug out from President Trump’s deceptive pretense for threatening war with Iran. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 1  The war for greater Israel, by Craig Murray | CraigMurray.org.uk / Consortium News  There has scarcely been an attempt to pretend any justification in international law for the attack on Iran and murder of its leader. The response of the UK government takes the Keir Starmer dishonesty meter further off the scale. READ MORE . . .

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NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .

For March 4, 2026, one link: to commentary from Peoples Dispatch; other articles are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 2-26-26.  Scroll up for IRAN.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 3  Tactical retreats: Why Venezuela’s revolution still stands, by Manolo De Los Santos | Peoples Dispatch  The early morning hours of Jan. 3, 2026, marked an inflection point in Venezuela and Latin America’s centuries-long struggle for self-determination and independence. READ MORE . . .

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Links to SIXTEEN-plus reports, analyses and commentaries (more than 25 at this point), with frequent updates from the Cradle, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor, and links to reports and articles of opinion from Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, WBUR, the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, Agence France-Presse, Common Dreams, ScheerPost, BreakThrough News, Consortium News, and the Floutist; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 3-2-26.) Entries for UKRAINE, WEST BANK, GAZA, SYRIA, LEBANON, CUBA, VENEZUELA, MEDIA, 9/11 TRUTH, etc., have been temporarily suspended since Feb. 27.) — MCM

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* War updates from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor are HERE, HERE and HERE. AP reports in Spanish are HERE. *

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Spanish PM fires back at Trump over threats to cut trade. From the Cradle. Spain will “not be complicit in something that is bad for the world — and that is also contrary to our values ​​and interests – simply out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Sanchez said in a speech today. “You can’t respond to one illegality with another because that’s how humanity’s great disasters begin.” READ MORE . . .

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Blasts rock Mideast for fourth day as conflict widens. Edited by Bridget Brown, Lorian Belanger and Brian P.D. Hannon | AP  Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital with a drone early today, as it continued to target areas around the region. Across Iran’s capital, Tehran, explosions rang out overnight as the U.S. and Israel pounded Iran with airstrikes. Iran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states and targets critical to the world’s oil and natural gas production. Click HERE for AP coverage including photos.

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U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia hit as Israeli troops enter Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. Saudi authorities said two drones struck the U.S. embassy in Riyadh early today, causing a limited fire and minor damage to the building. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. urges Americans across the Middle East to evacuate as war with Iran intensifies. Reported by Daniel Estrin and A Martínez | NPR  The United States evacuated diplomats across the Middle East and shut down some embassies as the war with Iran intensified today. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for seven other reports from today’s “Morning Edition.”

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Oil and gas facilities shut across Gulf as Iran conflict escalates. From Middle East Monitor. Oil and gas facilities across the Gulf have been shut down or suspended following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran, fueling concerns over energy security and pushing global crude prices higher. READ MORE . . .

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Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on Iran war. Indira Lakshmanan of WBUR speaks with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who was at a classified briefing Monday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Shaheen is the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. Click HERE to listen to interview, and HERE for WBUR’s “Here & Now” livestream.

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FROM MARCH 2  Trump claims ‘big wave’ coming against Iran, as Pentagon says more troops deployed to defend Israel. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump told the New York Post on Monday that he is not ruling out putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 2 and TODAY  Global energy prices spike after Iran shuts down Strait of Hormuz. From the Cradle. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has pushed commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz into “de facto closure,” according to data published by market intelligence firm Kpler on Sunday, with Brent crude prices jumping as much as 13 percent to above $82 per barrel. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for report this morning from AFP / AFP in English and French. 

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Netanyahu insists Iran assault is ‘not an endless war’ as U.S. sends more forces to Middle East, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted in a Fox News appearance late Monday that the intensifying assault on Iran “is not an endless war” . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. troops were told Iran war ‘anointed by Jesus’ to bring on Armageddon, watchdog says, by Oscar Rickett | Middle East Eye  U.S. commanders from every arm of the military have told their units that the war on Iran is “anointed by Jesus” and would bring about his return to Earth as part of the Armageddon, resulting in scores of complaints from serving members of the military. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu equates Iranian regime to ancient biblical foe. From Middle East Eye. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced a Torah command equating the Iranian regime to an ancient biblical foe on Sunday, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 2  The assassination that lit the fuse. Posted by Joshua Scheer | ScheerPost  The second day of the U.S.–Israeli assault on Iran has made one reality impossible to ignore. Click HERE for commentary, and for video of BreakThrough News interview in which Rania Khalek of BT talks with Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada.  

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FROM MARCH 2  Attack on Iran also an assault on UN, by Jeffrey D. Sachs and Sybil Fares | Common Dreams / Consortium News  On Feb. 16, one of us (Jeffrey Sachs) sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council warning that the United States was on the verge of tearing up the United Nations Charter. That warning has now come to pass. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 28  ‘A war in the Zionist cause, nothing more,’ by Patrick Lawrence | The Floutist  This is where Zionism, after all the decades agents of this pernicious ideology have spent infesting the republic’s institutions, social fabric, intellectual life, and public discourse, has led America. READ MORE . . .

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