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The Iran war has entered its third week with no ceasefire in sight — Trump has ruled out a deal with Tehran, saying the terms aren't good enough, as Washington deployed 2,500 Marines and an assault ship to the region and called on allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Elsewhere, Poland has signaled ambitions for nuclear autonomy, Xi Jinping has widened China's military purge with a demand for absolute loyalty, and Pakistan has resumed airstrikes on Kabul and border provinces as the UN warns of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇵🇱 Poland signals ambition for nuclear autonomy: Prime Minister Donald Tusk indicated Poland intends to pursue independent nuclear capabilities over time, framing it as part of growing European deterrence amid uncertainty over U.S. commitments. Tusk is also in talks with France, Sweden, and Denmark over Macron's offer to deploy nuclear-capable jets to allied nations, with further discussions scheduled at a Paris nuclear energy summit on March 10.

2️⃣ 🇷🇺🛢️ Putin offers to resume European energy supplies amid Iran crisis: With oil prices surpassing $100 a barrel following Iran's effective halt of Strait of Hormuz shipping, Putin signaled Russia's willingness to resume long-term oil and gas supply to European buyers — contingent on cooperation free from political pressure. Europe, which has reduced Russian energy imports from over 40% of gas supply before the Ukraine war to just 13% by 2025, has not indicated any intention to reverse course, while the IEA cautioned against renewed dependence on Russian energy.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸🌎 Trump launches hemispheric anti-cartel military coalition: At the inaugural "Shield of the Americas" summit in Miami, Trump announced the "America's Counter Cartel Coalition," signed by at least 17 countries, committing to lethal military force against drug trafficking networks across Latin America. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was named special envoy to the initiative, with Senator Markwayne Mullin nominated to succeed her at DHS.

4️⃣ 🇿🇦🇺🇸 South Africa summons US ambassador over diplomatic breach: Pretoria called in Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III after he publicly declared an apartheid-era chant constituted hate speech, dismissing South African court rulings to the contrary, and compared post-apartheid employment policies to apartheid-era discrimination — comments he later walked back as a personal view. The incident deepens an ongoing rift between the two countries rooted in the Trump administration's claims of white Afrikaner persecution, which South African officials have consistently rejected.

5️⃣ 🇨🇳 Xi widens military purge with loyalty warning: Speaking at China's annual legislative meetings, Xi Jinping demanded absolute political loyalty within the military and pledged to press forward with his anti-corruption campaign, as the National People's Congress dismissed nine military officers — including two from the Central Military Commission — and three generals were removed from the top political advisory body. Analysts note the campaign, now in its second decade, also serves to eliminate potential rivals and consolidate Xi's control over the armed forces.

Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War Latest on Day 15

Hamas calls on Iran to spare Gulf states amid regional war: The group issued a statement affirming Iran's right to defend itself against U.S. and Israeli strikes while simultaneously urging Tehran to stop targeting neighboring Gulf countries and calling on regional nations to cooperate in ending the conflict. 

Iran strikes Gulf neighbors after U.S. hits Kharg Island: Following U.S. strikes on military facilities near Iran's primary oil export hub, Tehran retaliated by targeting the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, and Kuwait — including a strike on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad — claiming Washington had used UAE territory to launch its attacks, a charge the UAE denied. 

UN calls for diplomacy as Israel escalates assault on Lebanon: UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Beirut to launch a $325m humanitarian appeal for the more than 800,000 internally displaced Lebanese, warning that southern Beirut risked being "bombed to oblivion" and that evacuation orders now covering 14% of the country risked violating international humanitarian law. Lebanon is simultaneously preparing a negotiating delegation for potential talks with Israel — likely in Cyprus or Paris — though Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is demanding a ceasefire before any negotiations begin. Israel's cabinet was separately reported to be considering a ground invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River.

Iran threatens Netanyahu: Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened to "pursue and kill" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump calls on allies to help secure Strait of Hormuz as Iran war enters third week: Trump announced he would bomb Iran's shoreline and called on other nations to assist in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, as oil prices surged following Iran's disruption of the vital shipping lane.

U.S. deploys 2,500 Marines and assault ship to Middle East: Elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the region, marking a significant reinforcement of the American military presence already supporting operations against Iran. 

Trump rules out Iran deal as war widens on multiple fronts: In a wide-ranging NBC News interview, Trump said Iran was ready to negotiate but that he was unwilling to make a deal as "the terms aren't good enough yet," while declining to specify what those terms would be beyond a complete abandonment of nuclear ambitions. Trump also questioned whether Iran's newly named supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was "even alive," and dismissed concerns over rising U.S. gas prices.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan resumes strikes on Kabul and border provinces: Pakistani airstrikes hit residential areas of the Afghan capital and the provinces of Kandahar, Paktia, and Paktika, killing four and wounding 15 according to Kabul police, with fuel depots near Kandahar Airport also targeted. The strikes resume hostilities that had briefly quieted following Pakistan's declaration of open war on February 27, with the UN warning that up to 66,000 Afghans have been displaced and nearly half the country's population requires humanitarian assistance.

2️⃣ 🇭🇺🇺🇦 Hungary returns Ukrainian vehicles but keeps $82M in seized assets: Budapest handed back two armoured bank vehicles to Ukrainian diplomats but retained approximately $82 million in cash and gold, citing a money laundering investigation backed by newly passed legislation allowing authorities to hold the assets for 60 days. Kyiv has rejected the justification, calling it state theft linked to Hungary's pressure campaign over suspended Russian oil shipments — an allegation Budapest has not directly addressed.

3️⃣ 🇺🇦🇷🇺 Russia threatens escalation after Storm Shadow strike on military plant: Ukraine struck the Kremniy El microelectronics facility in Russia's Bryansk region — a major producer of missile guidance components — using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, prompting Moscow to threaten "a fundamentally new level of destruction" and hold Britain directly responsible. The warning came as U.S.-mediated peace talks are expected next week, with Russia accusing Western capitals of deliberately attempting to derail the negotiations.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇺 Trump floats Cuba "takeover" as island faces humanitarian crisis: Trump stated the U.S. is contemplating taking over Cuba, describing the country as running on "fumes" with no energy or money, and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is handling the matter — which he suggested could be a friendly takeover or otherwise. The Cuban government denied being in high-level talks with Washington but stopped short of dismissing reports of informal contact with a grandson of former President Raul Castro.

5️⃣ 🇰🇵 North Korea fires ballistic missiles amid U.S. military pressure: Kim Jong Un oversaw a drill involving 12 multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, with state media reporting more than 10 ballistic missiles were fired toward waters off North Korea's eastern coast. Kim framed the weapons as a deterrent but warned they could deliver a "massive, destructive strike" against military infrastructure if provoked, with the launches coming days after North Korea tested cruise missiles from a new warship.

6️⃣ 🇷🇸 Serbia buys Chinese missiles in European first: President Vucic confirmed the acquisition of CM-400AKG air-to-surface ballistic missiles from China days after images leaked online, with Serbia's MiG-29 fleet adapted to carry them. Croatia condemned the purchase as destabilizing, while the move underscores Serbia's balancing act between its Chinese and Russian ties on one hand and its NATO partnership and EU membership ambitions on the other.

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