US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • State television had called Khamenei a "wounded veteran of the Ramadan war" but never specified his injury. 
  • Here are the latest events in the Middle East war: - New leader 'safe and sound' - Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "safe and sound" despite reported injuries, the son of Iran's president said on Telegram.
  • State television had called Khamenei a "wounded veteran of the Ramadan war" but never specified his injury. 
Here are the latest events in the Middle East war:

New leader 'safe and sound'

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "safe and sound" despite reported injuries, the son of Iran's president said on Telegram.
"I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections. They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound," said Yousef Pezeshkian, who is also a government adviser.
State television had called Khamenei a "wounded veteran of the Ramadan war" but never specified his injury. 

Ship hit in Hormuz

An unknown projectile hit a cargo ship in the strategic Strait of Hormuz abutting Iran, causing a fire and forcing the crew to evacuate, a maritime security agency said.

Doha explosions

Several blasts rang out across the Qatari capital Doha, AFP correspondents said.

Israel hits Beirut

An Israeli strike hit an apartment in central Beirut, state media reported, the second targeting the heart of the Lebanese capital since the start of the latest war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Fresh Israeli strikes had earlier hit Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon after the Israeli army warned people to evacuate, with Lebanese authorities saying nearly 760,000 people had been registered as displaced.

Protester 'enemies'

Iranian protesters will be treated as enemies if they support Tehran's foes, the country's top police officer warned. 
"If anyone comes forward in line with the wishes of the enemy, we will no longer see them as merely a protester, we will see them as an enemy," national police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan, in comments aired by state broadcaster IRIB.

Ship struck off UAE

A container ship was hit off the coast of the United Arab Emirates by an unidentified projectile, a British maritime security agency reported, adding that the extent of the damage was unknown but all crew members were safe.

New Iran strikes

Israel's military said it had detected a new round of missiles heading towards the country from Iran and had activated air defences.
The barrage was "the most intense and heaviest since the start of the war", Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said, citing a statement from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.

Saudi intercepts missiles, drones

Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base and a seventh missile headed towards the country's east.
It said it had also intercepted seven drones heading towards an oil field in the southeast of the country and eight more in the country's east.  

Iran targets US base in Kuwait

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that at least two missiles targeted a United States base in Kuwait, according to Iranian news agencies Fars and Mehr.
Kuwaiti authorities have not yet commented on the reports.

Mine-laying vessels struck

The US military said it had destroyed 16 mine-laying Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump warned of a drastic escalation if Iran moved to mine the pivotal waterway.

Oil falls on reserve release report

Crude prices fell after a Wall Street Journal report, citing unnamed officials, said that the International Energy Agency has proposed its largest ever release of oil reserves to bring down prices in the wake of the Iran war.
At around 0040 GMT on Wednesday, Brent Crude was down to $87.06 while West Texas Intermediate was down at $82.60.

Iran women's football asylum seekers

Another player and a support member with the Iranian women's football team have claimed asylum in Australia after being branded "traitors" at home over a pre-match protest, the government said.
They join five other athletes who have sought asylum, while the rest of the team departed for Malaysia.

Iranian diplomats killed in Beirut

Iran accused Israel of killing four of its diplomats in a weekend strike on a seafront Beirut hotel in what it called a "terrorist attack".
The Israeli military previously said it had "conducted a precise strike targeting key commanders" in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, its foreign operations arm.
burs/sbk/yad

US

Iran women footballers evacuate from safe house in Australia

  • "As a result of that it meant the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was," Burke said.
  • Iranian women footballers claiming asylum in Australia evacuated from their safe house on Wednesday after one team member changed her mind and revealed their location to the Iranian embassy, Canberra said.
  • "As a result of that it meant the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was," Burke said.
Iranian women footballers claiming asylum in Australia evacuated from their safe house on Wednesday after one team member changed her mind and revealed their location to the Iranian embassy, Canberra said.
Seven members of Iran's visiting women's football delegation had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem. 
But one member of the group had second thoughts after speaking to other players who had turned down asylum in favour of returning to Iran, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said. 
The woman exposed the location of the other aslyum seekers when she contacted Iran's embassy in Australia. 
"As a result of that it meant the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was," Burke said. "I immediately gave them instructions for people to be moved and that has been dealt with immediately." 
Australian officials had "made sure this was her decision", Burke said.
There were fears male minders travelling with the team might try to prevent them seeking asylum. 

Change of heart

Burke said each player was separated from the squad at Sydney Airport and given time to mull the offer in private. 
The last-minute change of heart could inflame an already tense situation between Iran and Australia. 
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lauded the bravery of the women, vowing they would be welcomed with open arms. 
But Iran's governing football body has accused Australia of kidnapping the players and forcing them to forsake their home nation against their will. 
Iranian players fell silent as the national anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic. 
A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players "wartime traitors", fuelling fears they faced persecution, or worse, if they returned home. 
Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim asylum in Australia. 
Two more team members -- a player and a support staffer -- were granted asylum before the team flew out of Sydney on Tuesday evening. 
It was not immediately clear which of the seven had changed her mind. 
The Asian Football Confederation said the rest of the Iranian squad were at an unnamed hotel in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur while awaiting the next leg of their long journey home. 
The governing body said it would "provide all necessary support to the team during their stay until their onward travel arrangements are confirmed". 

'Strict surveillance'

Iranian-Australian migration agent Naghmeh Danai spoke to five players earlier this week to discuss their options to stay in Australia. 
"They were under lots of pressure here. They did not have permission to talk to anyone," she told AFP on Wednesday. 
"Under strict surveillance from the Iranian government officials within the team as team leaders or internal security," she said. 
Although the side sang Iran's anthem -- an ode to the glory of the Islamic republic -- in later matches, human rights activists warned the damage was done. 
"The members of the Iranian Women's National Football Team are under significant pressure and ongoing threat from the Islamic Republic," said Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran. 
"I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support," he said on social media.
sft/djw/jm

Iran

Seoul says can deter threats from North if US weapons shifted to Mideast

  • "Regardless of whether certain USFK assets are deployed overseas, there is no issue whatsoever with our deterrence posture against North Korea, given the level of our military capabilities," the defence ministry said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday, referring to the United States Forces Korea command.
  • South Korea said Wednesday it could deter threats from the North even if the United States relocated some of its military assets to the Middle East amid the war in Iran. 
  • "Regardless of whether certain USFK assets are deployed overseas, there is no issue whatsoever with our deterrence posture against North Korea, given the level of our military capabilities," the defence ministry said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday, referring to the United States Forces Korea command.
South Korea said Wednesday it could deter threats from the North even if the United States relocated some of its military assets to the Middle East amid the war in Iran. 
Washington, Seoul's key security ally, stations about 28,500 troops and a range of air and missile defence systems in the South to help deter aggression from the nuclear‑armed North.
The Washington Post reported this week that the United States was moving parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system from South Korea to the Middle East, citing unnamed officials.
"Regardless of whether certain USFK assets are deployed overseas, there is no issue whatsoever with our deterrence posture against North Korea, given the level of our military capabilities," the defence ministry said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday, referring to the United States Forces Korea command.
It declined to confirm the report.
The THAAD missile defence system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate‑range ballistic missiles using hit‑to‑kill technology.  
It was installed in South Korea in 2017, a move that sparked strong protests from China.
President Lee Jae Myung has said his government is unhappy with the reported asset move but acknowledged there was little it could do about it. 
"The government is opposing the USFK's withdrawal of some air defence weapons for its own military needs," he said on Tuesday. 
"But the stark reality is that we are unable to fully implement our opinions." 
A photo taken by Yonhap news agency last week and released on Tuesday appeared to show parts of the THAAD battery being dismantled in Seongju County, about 220 kilometres (136 miles) south of Seoul.
A presidential official told AFP it was "inappropriate" to comment on questions regarding any military asset redeployment and cautioned against media speculation.
"Speculative reports on militarily sensitive matters are undesirable in light of our security interests... and our relations with key Middle Eastern countries," he said.
kjk/lga

US

New wave of Iran attacks as oil reserve release weighed

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, DUBAI AND BEIRUT

  • Crude prices spiked five percent late Tuesday, before turning lower Wednesday after the reserve release report.
  • Iran unleashed a wave of attacks against Israel and Gulf nations on Wednesday, including targeting a Saudi oilfield, as reports of a proposed record release of oil reserves helped calm markets and prices.
  • Crude prices spiked five percent late Tuesday, before turning lower Wednesday after the reserve release report.
Iran unleashed a wave of attacks against Israel and Gulf nations on Wednesday, including targeting a Saudi oilfield, as reports of a proposed record release of oil reserves helped calm markets and prices.
The war sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran has spread across the region and beyond, causing spiking energy costs, fuel rationing, and even school closures.
G7 leaders will meet by video conference later Wednesday to discuss the war's economic consequences, particularly the "energy situation," the French presidency said, and the International Energy Agency will decide on a proposal for its largest-ever oil reserve release, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The United States on Tuesday said it was hitting Iranian ships capable of mining the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial passageway for oil that has been effectively closed by Iranian threats.
The US military posted video footage of Iranian boats blasted apart, saying it had destroyed 16 minelayers near the strait through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes.
"If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before," President Donald Trump wrote on social media.
Trump faces mounting political risks over the surging cost of oil, months before US elections. Crude prices spiked five percent late Tuesday, before turning lower Wednesday after the reserve release report.
Trump has said the US military could accompany tankers through the strait, but his administration acknowledged that a post by the energy secretary announcing a first such escort was untrue.
Early Wednesday, the UK maritime agency said a container ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates had been hit by an "unknown projectile," illustrating the ongoing risks to transport through the region.
With an eye on jittery markets, Trump on Monday said the war would be short, although his defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, then said Tehran would be hit by unprecedented fire on Tuesday.

'Not seeking ceasefire'

The Israeli-US attacks came weeks after Iranian authorities ruthlessly crushed mass protests, although the United States and Israel say they are not necessarily seeking to topple the Islamic republic.
Iranian authorities warned against dissent at home, with the country's police chief saying protesters will be be viewed and dealt with as "enemies".
"All our forces are also ready, with their hands on the trigger, prepared to defend their revolution," said national police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan in comments aired by IRIB.
Tehran also intensified its assault on targets in the region, with the government announcing it carried out its own "most intense and heaviest" salvo, firing missiles for three hours at cities across Israel.
AFP journalists heard air raid sirens and explosions in Jerusalem. Emergency services reported no immediate injuries, although Channel 12 said several people were hurt in Tel Aviv. New salvos were reported early on Wednesday, with no reports of injuries.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they also fired on Bahrain and Iraqi Kurdistan, both of which have a heavy US presence, and also targeted a US air base in Kuwait, Iranian media said. 
Kuwait said it had downed eight drones, without offering further details.
Drones and ballistic missiles were also intercepted elsewhere in the Gulf, including multiple drones heading to the Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia, its defence ministry said.
Earlier, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former top commander in the elite Revolutionary Guards, said in an English-language post on X: "Certainly we aren't seeking a ceasefire."
"We believe the aggressor must be punished and taught a lesson that will deter them from attacking Iran again," he added.
Seven US military personnel have been killed and about 140 injured since the start of the war, according to the Pentagon. 

Fright in Tehran

The United States and Israel launched the war on February 28 with an attack that killed Iran's veteran leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His son Mojtaba Khamenei has been named his successor, though he has yet to appear in public.
In Tehran, one woman in her 40s said she found some reassurance in her impression that the bombings "don't target ordinary buildings".
But she said, "The noise of the bombings is extremely disturbing."
Iran's health ministry said on March 8 that more than 1,200 people had been killed, and over 10,000 civilians injured.
The conflict has spread as far as Sri Lanka, where US forces torpedoed an Iranian ship, and Australia, which said Wednesday it granted asylum to two more members of the Iranian women football team.
Iraq and Lebanon, both home to Iran-backed fighters, have become proxy grounds in the war.
In Iraq, Iranian-linked groups said Tuesday that five of their fighters died in strikes they blamed on the United States.
In Lebanon, hundreds of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes following Israeli airstrikes and ground operations targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah. 
New Israeli strikes were reported in Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, with the health ministry saying another five people had been killed in the southern town of Qana.
An Israeli strike also hit a central Beirut neighbourhood on Wednesday morning, state media reported.
Iran complained to the United Nations that four of its diplomats died in a strike on a seafront hotel in central Beirut on Sunday, which Israel said was aimed at "key commanders" from Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
The effects of the war are being felt globally, with the UN trade and development agency warning of rising costs for essentials like fuel and food hitting the world's most vulnerable people.
In Egypt, which increased the cost of fuels by up to 30 percent, mother-of-six Om Mohamed fretted about the future.
"We were barely getting by as it is. I don't know how people will manage," she told AFP at a Cairo market.
burs-sah/hmn

Israel

Kharg Island: Iran's vital oil hub in the crosshairs?

BY SUSANNAH WALDEN

  • The island, located around 30 kilometres (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude exports, according to a JP Morgan note released Sunday. 
  • Kharg Island, a scrubby stretch of land in the northern Gulf, handles almost all of Iran's crude exports and any attempt to seize it would mark a major escalation in the conflict, analysts say.
  • The island, located around 30 kilometres (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude exports, according to a JP Morgan note released Sunday. 
Kharg Island, a scrubby stretch of land in the northern Gulf, handles almost all of Iran's crude exports and any attempt to seize it would mark a major escalation in the conflict, analysts say.
The US and Israel have so far treaded carefully around the island, but an Axios report over the weekend cited Trump administration officials saying capturing Kharg was on the table as the war in the Middle East persists.
The island, located around 30 kilometres (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude exports, according to a JP Morgan note released Sunday. 
Any move on the territory, which is about one-third the size of Manhattan, would have swift repercussions, experts say. 
"A direct strike would immediately halt the bulk of Iran's crude exports, likely triggering severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure," JP Morgan said. 
Iranian strikes have all but halted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass -- and have also impacted oil infrastructure in other Gulf states.  
But Iranian energy assets have not been degraded so far and targeting the island would be "a very risky move", Farzin Nadimi, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told AFP. 
Iran is not only "experienced in using alternatives" in wartime, it could "cause a lot more damage on the Gulf oil and gas installations if they want to and they can do a lot more very quickly, and everybody knows that". 
"I don't think that seizing the island will go any further than US Congressional debates," he added -- the prospect having been discussed in Washington since the hostage crisis that started in 1979 during the foundation of the Islamic republic. 
Kharg underwent key developments during Iran's oil expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, with much of the country's coast too shallow for supertankers. 
Iran has looked to diversify its export capabilities by opening the Jask terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint in the Gulf of Oman in 2021, but Kharg remains "a critical vulnerability" for Iran, JP Morgan said. 
"It is a cornerstone of Iran's economy and a major source of revenue for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard," JP Morgan added, referring to the well-resourced ideological branch of the Islamic republic's army. 

 'Very difficult'

The war has sent oil prices soaring, although US President Donald Trump's suggestion on Monday that the conflict could end soon has calmed the market. 
Over the weekend, the director of the White House National Energy Dominance Council Jarrod Agen told Fox News that "what we want to do is get such massive oil reserves in Iran out of the hands of terrorists". 
Also in recent days, the Washington Post reported heightened speculation that US ground forces could be being prepared to deploy, citing analysts saying Kharg Island would be an early target. 
Nadimi said Washington could move to seize the island when hostilities end, but that it was "not a wise move" during combat when Kharg is "almost an entire island of oil facilities and pipelines and tank farms". 
"It is very difficult to wage a military operation on that particular island," he said. 
But other oil infrastructure could be in the crosshairs, with Trump repeatedly referencing his operation to topple Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and gain access to the country's oil reserves in January as a blueprint.
Iran -- the fourth-biggest crude producer within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) -- vowed not one litre of oil would be exported from the Gulf while the war continues.
Any attack on its infrastructure would get an "eye for an eye" response, it said. 
On Saturday, Israel launched its first attack of the war on oil facilities in Iran, but it said they were used "to operate military infrastructure".
The same day, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid argued for stronger steps, saying in an X post: "Israel needs to destroy all of Iran's oil fields and energy industry on Kharg Island; that's what will crush Iran's economy and bring down the regime."
sw/adp/smw/jfx

vote

Bolsonaro brand fuels Flavio's rise in Brazil election polls

BY FRAN BLANDY

  • Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has been barred from running and was jailed last year on charges linked to a failed coup attempt.
  • Even Flavio Bolsonaro didn't seem to take his presidential candidacy very seriously when his father, Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, tapped him as a political heir from behind bars.
  • Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has been barred from running and was jailed last year on charges linked to a failed coup attempt.
Even Flavio Bolsonaro didn't seem to take his presidential candidacy very seriously when his father, Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, tapped him as a political heir from behind bars.
However the bespectacled 44-year-old senator, who is pitching himself as a more measured member of the far-right dynasty, has surprised many with a surge in opinion polls ahead of October elections.
"They always asked for a more moderate Bolsonaro, I've always been like this...balanced and level-headed," Flavio said after being tapped to lead his father's powerful conservative base.
Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has been barred from running and was jailed last year on charges linked to a failed coup attempt.
Flavio's presidential bid received a cool reception from conservatives and the market.
He also sparked confusion saying he might abandon the ticket for a "price," in what was seen as a bid to negotiate amnesty for his father.
But conservatives knew Flavio was not going anywhere and his ticket grew "even more than Bolsonaro supporters themselves believed," said political scientist Claudio Gonçalves Couto of the Getulio Vargas Foundation.
"I think it's the family brand that counts. This name (Bolsonaro) still has strength with a large segment of the electorate." 
Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, who beat Jair Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin in 2022, is seeking a fourth term in the election.
Pollsters Datafolha said Flavio's support had doubled in the first round since a previous survey in December.

A technical tie

Their data, released Saturday, showed a statistical tie in the second round with Lula scoring 46 percent and Flavio 43 percent.
Back in December Lula led by 15 points.
Both men face high levels of rejection from voters in the sharply polarized nation.
"I don't trust the Bolsonaro family. In the second round, I would vote for Flavio Bolsonaro because I vote for any candidate who opposes Lula," said sales director Bruno Cayres, 38.
Critics associate Lula, who has served almost 12 years in office over three terms, with major corruption scandals and a failure to reign in rampant crime.
Supporters point to social welfare programs, and record unemployment under his government.
Opinion polls have shown that crime and violence are the leading concerns of Brazilians, followed by corruption and the economy.
Several names were floated to lead from the right, including Jair's third wife and former first lady of Brazil Michelle Bolsonaro -- who faced family criticism for lukewarm support of her stepson, Flavio.
Seen as a market-friendly favorite, Sao Paulo governor Tarcisio de Freitas has denied seeking the presidency.
Candidates will be confirmed by mid-August.

'A great deal of humility'

Conservative lawmaker Evair de Melo said Flavio was "gradually introducing himself, including with a great deal of humility, acknowledging some of the mistakes his father may have made. This naturally humanizes his image."
The younger Bolsonaro, who was elected as a Rio de Janeiro deputy at 21, defends typical conservative positions, such as gun rights and Christian values.
During his time as a Rio legislator he was accused of involvement in a kickback scheme in which he took a portion of his aides' salaries, but the case was dismissed.
A hard-liner on security issues, he stirred controversy when he suggested on X that the US could bomb boats in Rio de Janeiro to fight drug trafficking.
In recent speeches, Flavio has focused on criticizing Lula's government while defending his father's legacy.
But he has tried to widen his appeal, with heartfelt videos on social media about issues affecting women, or posts about Brazilians going hungry.
In one post on X, he surprised many by using gender-inclusive language -- discouraged by his father's government which regularly slammed "gender ideology." 
Flavio's press advisor said he would seek a woman running mate, possibly from the poor northeast -- Lula's stronghold.
Jair Bolsonaro's term in office was marked by controversy -- including comments slamming gays and demeaning women -- but he was praised for economic reforms and fiscal responsibility. 
His 2019-2022 presidency is also largely remembered for rampant deforestation in the Amazon, downplaying the Covid-19 pandemic and questioning vaccines.
Flavio publically took the Covid shot.
"He is more educated, and trained in dealing with political elites and party backrooms," said Mayra Goulart, political science professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Flavio did not respond to AFP requests for comment.
bur-fb/sla

Kast

Kast: Who is Chile's new hard-right president?

BY PAULINA ABRAMOVICH

  • Unlike Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, Argentina's current leader Javier Milei or the United States's Donald Trump, Kast is seen as reserved and cautious. 
  • Jose Antonio Kast became Chile's president on his third attempt, becoming the country's most right-wing leader in over three decades by pledging a firm hand on security and order. 
  • Unlike Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, Argentina's current leader Javier Milei or the United States's Donald Trump, Kast is seen as reserved and cautious. 
Jose Antonio Kast became Chile's president on his third attempt, becoming the country's most right-wing leader in over three decades by pledging a firm hand on security and order. 
The 60-year-old lawyer and father of nine vowed to deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants, mostly Venezuelans. 
"Pack your things and leave," he told them on the eve of the vote.
Kast claims immigration is a plot by the "radical left" to end freedoms and that immigrants are taking homes, hospital beds and government funds from Chileans.
They "told us that they can't close the borders and now we can't open our windows for fear of violence," he said.
His message struck a chord with voters who blame a sharp increase in the migrant population for insecurity, even though statistics show Chile still being one of Latin America's safest countries.
Born in Santiago, Kast studied law at the city's Catholic university and has been a politician for 30 years.
His legislative achievements were limited to passing laws allowing the construction of statues, the sale of reading glasses without a prescription and the regulation of lotteries.

Opposed to abortion, same-sex marriage

A staunch Catholic, he broke from Chile's mainstream conservative party in 2016 to found the more radical Republican Party.
He opposes abortion in cases of rape, and is against emergency contraception, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia. 
He once forbade his lawyer wife, Maria Pia Adriasola, from using birth control pills.
He has expressed admiration for the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, a general who was responsible for the deaths of more than 3,000 Chileans.
The youngest of 10 siblings, Kast inherited a successful sausage business from his German immigrant parents.
Media investigations revealed his father to have been a member of the Nazi Party who fought in World War II.
Kast has said it was a forced conscription and he did not believe in Nazi ideology.
During the campaign, Kast has appeared behind bulletproof glass and admitted to carrying a revolver. 

More conservative, less charismatic

Still, biographer Amanda Marton described him as "sober, pragmatic, calm compared to other far-right leaders." 
Unlike Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, Argentina's current leader Javier Milei or the United States's Donald Trump, Kast is seen as reserved and cautious. 
"He's far more conservative and lacks charisma," said Robert Funk, a political scientist at the University of Chile. 
Supporters say a calm demeanor is part of his appeal.
But former colleagues describe him as authoritarian: "You're with him or against him," recalled journalist Lily Zuniga.
"He feels born for greatness," Zuniga said.
In his winning run, Kast downplayed his conservative agenda and focused on security and migration. 
But some of his cabinet picks have since spurred fears of a rollback in basic rights.
He named two lawyers that defended Pinochet to the defense and justice posts, and his incoming women's affairs minister is an evangelical anti-abortion activist.
His rise comes amid a conservative wave sweeping Latin America and after Trump's re-election in the United States. 
It also comes as Trump attempts to force Latin American countries to choose between close ties with China, Chile's closest trading partner, and the United States.
Kast was among 12 Latin American leaders who attended Trump's "Shield of the Americas" summit in Florida last weekend.
bur-arb/cb/sla

government

Chile's Kast, most right-wing president since Pinochet, takes office

BY AXL HERNANDEZ

  • Kast wants to give the police more firepower, deploy troops in crime hotspots and deport large numbers of undocumented migrants.
  • Chile's most right-wing president in over three decades, Jose Antonio Kast, will be sworn in on Wednesday on a promise to tackle surging rates of violent crime and carry out mass migrant deportations.
  • Kast wants to give the police more firepower, deploy troops in crime hotspots and deport large numbers of undocumented migrants.
Chile's most right-wing president in over three decades, Jose Antonio Kast, will be sworn in on Wednesday on a promise to tackle surging rates of violent crime and carry out mass migrant deportations.
Chile is the latest Latin American country to lurch to the right as voters back law-and-order candidates to fight the spread of organized crime.
Kast, 60, trounced Jeannette Jara, a communist, in December's election run-off to clinch the presidency on his third attempt.
He is Chile's most hardline leader since the brutal 1973-1990 dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet -- whom Kast greatly admires.
Last week, Kast was among a dozen right-wing allies of US President Donald Trump who gathered in Florida to seal a new US-led "Counter Cartel" military coalition.
The trained lawyer, whose election was cheered by Washington, has also amplified US concerns over Chinese investment in Latin America, where Trump insists on calling the shots.
The ultraconservative father of nine borrowed from Trump's playbook on the campaign trail, vowing to deport hundreds of thousands of mostly Venezuelan irregular migrants and seal the northern border.
The new president will represent "a conservative right wing unlike anything seen since the return to democracy (in 1990)," Rodrigo Arellano, a political analyst at Chile's University of Development, told AFP.

Cracking down

Kast has promised to moved fast to tamp down a surge in murders, kidnappings and extortion widely blamed on gangs from Venezuela and other Latin American countries.
The crime surge in what remains one of the region's safest countries has happened in tandem with a doubling of the immigrant population since 2017.
Kast wants to give the police more firepower, deploy troops in crime hotspots and deport large numbers of undocumented migrants.
His proposals resonate with Luis Lapierre, a 59-year-old telecommunications operator from the capital Santiago.
"When it gets dark, everything closes because you could get robbed. Kast is going to crack down because we need to crack down," Lapierre said. 
Kast will be sworn in before Congress in the central coastal city of Valparaiso. 
Several right-wing leaders will attend his inauguration, including Argentina's firebrand Javier Milei, Rodrigo Paz of neighboring Bolivia and gang-busting Daniel Noboa of Ecuador.
Brazil's left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva canceled his travel plans at the last minute, without explanation.

No quick solutions

The run-up to Kast's inauguration was clouded by a clash between him and outgoing left-wing president Gabriel Boric over a Chinese project to link Hong Kong and Chile via a submarine fiber optic cable.
Washington claims the project is a threat to regional security.
Kast last week accused Boric of withholding information about the project and briefly suspended cooperation with Boric on the transfer of power.
The spat caused unease in a country with a tradition of political cordiality, even between ideological foes.
On the campaign trial, Kast played it safe, dodging questions about his admiration for Pinochet and his stated opposition to abortion, including in cases of rape and risk to the mother's life.
He also refused to detail how he would fulfill his promise to expel more than 340,000 undocumented migrants and cut public spending by $6 billion without slashing social benefits. 
Arellano warned that Kast would face pressure to quickly produce results to problems that "don't have quick solutions."
Some of his cabinet choices sparked outcry from the opposition and rights groups.
He named two lawyers that defended Pinochet's rule to the defense and justice portfolios, and the incoming women's affairs minister is an evangelical anti-abortion activist.
Political scientist Alejandro Olivares, of the University of Chile, warned that Kast's cabinet has "very little experience in negotiation and political maneuvering" which could slow his agenda in Congress.
The campaign of former leftist president Michelle Bachelet (2006-2010 and 2014-2018) to become the next UN Secretary-General could also become a political football between the left and right.
Kast has so far given no indication of whether he will support her candidacy.
axl/pa/cb/jgc

fire

Police say deadly Swiss bus fire could be deliberate

BY FABRICE COFFRINI WITH ROBIN MILLARD IN GENEVA

  • The fire "left at least six dead and five injured, three of them seriously", Fribourg cantonal police spokesman Frederic Papaux told AFP. "The police are currently treating the fire as a man-made incident, and even a deliberate act," he said, without providing further details.
  • A bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring five others in what police said may have been a deliberate act.
  • The fire "left at least six dead and five injured, three of them seriously", Fribourg cantonal police spokesman Frederic Papaux told AFP. "The police are currently treating the fire as a man-made incident, and even a deliberate act," he said, without providing further details.
A bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring five others in what police said may have been a deliberate act.
The fire broke out on the bus in the main street of the small town of Kerzers, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of the Swiss capital Bern, at about 6:25 pm (1725 GMT).
Videos circulating on social media showed flames several metres high bursting out from the windows, and black smoke rising into the sky.
The fire "left at least six dead and five injured, three of them seriously", Fribourg cantonal police spokesman Frederic Papaux told AFP.
"The police are currently treating the fire as a man-made incident, and even a deliberate act," he said, without providing further details.
At a press conference, police would not be drawn on potential hypotheses including suicide or an act of terror.
"There were no other vehicles involved -- only the bus. And that bus caught fire... we are currently trying to determine the precise reason why this happened," Papaux told reporters.
He could not say how many people were on the bus at the time, adding that panicked and injured passengers were getting out when first responders arrived.

Call for witnesses

"Emergency services rushed to the scene and found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters carried out rescue and extinguishing operations. A security perimeter was set up," a police statement said.
Several ambulances and a helicopter were sent to the scene and three injured people were taken to hospital.
Two other people were examined on site but did not need hospital treatment.
A hotline has been opened for witnesses to come forward, as the authorities try to determine the exact circumstances of the fire.
Fribourg police said a criminal investigation had been opened by public prosecutors.
"At this time, we know the identities of the injured. If the appeal for witnesses leads us to identify others, it will allow us to move forward with the investigation," said Papaux.
"As for the on-site investigation, it will require several hours of work. You may have seen the state the bus is in."
The burnt-out shell of the bus was screened off behind white tarpaulins set up across the road, an AFP journalist saw. The scene was cordoned off, with police standing guard at the tape. Firefighters and fire trucks were also present.
Police appealed to the general public to stay away from the area.

President shocked

It is the second major multiple-casualty fire in Switzerland in less than three months. 
In the early hours of January 1, a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana caught fire as people celebrated the New Year. A total of 41 people died, with another 115 injured.
"I am shocked and saddened that people in Switzerland have once again lost their lives in a serious fire," Swiss President Guy Parmelin said on X.
"The circumstances are being investigated. I would like to express my condolences to the families of those who died in Kerzers. My thoughts are also with the injured and the emergency services."
The bus involved was a PostBus, a feature of Swiss rural life.
The distinctive yellow buses serve more remote areas, connecting them with towns, while carrying letters and parcels.
They are used by around half a million people every day, notably schoolchildren.
"This tragic news deeply affects us all. Our thoughts are with the injured and the families of the deceased. A psychological support team will be available to staff" as of Wednesday, PostBus said, according to Switzerland's Keystone-ATS news agency.
fc-ag-rjm/jfx

US

'Put our faith in God': Tehran residents adapt to wartime

  • For now, there's food in the shops; every day I go to buy greens and bread, that's all.
  • With daily attacks shaking the city, schools shuttered for days and many shops closed, Tehran residents are trying to adapt to wartime conditions under an Israeli-US assault seeking to determine the future of the Islamic republic.
  • For now, there's food in the shops; every day I go to buy greens and bread, that's all.
With daily attacks shaking the city, schools shuttered for days and many shops closed, Tehran residents are trying to adapt to wartime conditions under an Israeli-US assault seeking to determine the future of the Islamic republic.
Normal routine has been absent for some time in the teeming mega-city of millions of people, ever since the January protests against the clerical leadership.
But now Tehran and other Iranian cities have been plunged into a conflict of an intensity unseen in the country since the 1980s war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
Residents have taped up windows to prevent their homes from being damaged by flying debris from explosions. Security forces patrol the streets in armoured vehicles. Children are unable to go to school as people hunker down in their homes, relying on deliveries.
"People are calm," said a resident of the north of the capital, who spoke to AFP in Paris. "They are getting used to living despite everything and adapting -- as best they can -- to this situation."
Uncertainty is a constant as Tehranis receive no advance warning when US-Israeli air strikes are about to hit the capital.
A woman in her forties said she found some reassurance in her impression that the bombings "don't target ordinary buildings", but rather "police stations, mosques and military sites". 
"But imagine a police station is hit at the end of your street. All your windows shatter. That's what many people have experienced."
Beyond the damage, it's "the noise of the bombings that is extremely disturbing", she added.

'Not going very far'

In this situation, "people are staying in their neighbourhoods, they're not going very far, except for those who have to go to work", said another woman in her seventies.
"Generally speaking, people are helping each other a lot," she emphasised, giving the example of one family that offered accommodation to another that had lost its home.
One especially visible change has been the sudden appearance of billboards with the face of Iran's new number one Mojtaba Khamenei, the hitherto low-profile son of longstanding supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an air strike at the start of the war.
Authorities encouraged people to take to the streets Monday to celebrate the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei -- who has yet to appear in public since he was given the title. Otherwise, authorities warn residents to limit movements due to the risk of bombings. 
Communications remain severely restricted, with only the local intranet and its homegrown apps functioning, while contact with other countries remains virtually impossible.
"Buses are running, but they're mostly empty," added another resident, saying that traffic consisted mainly of delivery drivers in vans and on motorcycles.
Many shops and shopping centres are closed, at a time of year that normally sees intense commercial activity in the run-up to Iranian New Year Nouruz, which is celebrated in less than two weeks time.
But crucially corner shops and bakeries, which are critical to everyday life in Iranian neighbourhoods and churn our hot bread daily, remain open.

'Very stressed'

"We didn't do anything special: I just put a few documents and papers in my bag, and some cash, because the banks don't lend money for large sums," said Tehran resident Mahvash, 70, describing her emergency preparations.
"We've put our faith in God. For now, there's food in the shops; every day I go to buy greens and bread, that's all. We already have everything we need at home, thank God, especially since we still have running water and electricity, so we can live normally," she added.
Adelshah Mansoori, an Afghan national working in a supermarket in Tehran, said he was asked to deliver goods to customers' doorsteps as they would not leave their homes.
"I was delivering goods from the store to homes. Most people were not in Tehran. They had left. The few who remained were very stressed," he told AFP on the border in Afghanistan after crossing to return home.
"They had taped up the windows of their homes but had no shelter. Everyone was inside residential buildings."
bur-jri-sjw/smw

US

US says wouldn't be 'happy' if Russia giving Iran intel

  • Witkoff, a businessman who has led US talks with both Russia and Iran in recent months, said Russia should be taken at its word when it denied sharing intelligence with Tehran.
  • The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump would not be "happy" if Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran during the Middle East war, but it held back any strong criticism for Moscow.
  • Witkoff, a businessman who has led US talks with both Russia and Iran in recent months, said Russia should be taken at its word when it denied sharing intelligence with Tehran.
The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump would not be "happy" if Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran during the Middle East war, but it held back any strong criticism for Moscow.
The Washington Post reported on Friday that Moscow had passed sensitive intelligence to Tehran, including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the region.
But Washington has taken a restrained tone in response so far, with Trump saying President Vladimir Putin wanted to be "helpful" on the Middle East in a call on Monday, even as Putin offered "unwavering support" to Iran's new supreme leader.
Washington has also halted sanctions on some Russian oil as crude prices spiked because of the Iran war. The sanctions were originally imposed to cut Russia's funds for its war on Ukraine.
"The president and his special envoy (Steve) Witkoff have both said that, of course, they've sent a message to Russia that if that was taking place, it's not something they would be happy with and they hope that it is not taking place," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
Witkoff, a businessman who has led US talks with both Russia and Iran in recent months, said Russia should be taken at its word when it denied sharing intelligence with Tehran.
"I'm not an intel officer, so I can't tell you," Witkoff told CNBC when asked if the Russians had shared intel, and why Washington would still waive some sanctions on Moscow if so.
"I can tell you that yesterday on the call with the president, the Russians said that they have not been sharing. That's what they said. So, we can take them at their word."
The White House said that Trump's decision to waive sanctions on sales of Russian oil to India in particular was because New Delhi had previously complied with US sanctions.
"As we work to appease this temporary gap of oil supply around the world because of Iranians, we have temporarily permitted them to accept that Russian oil," Leavitt said.
"This short-term measure, we don't believe it will provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government at this time."
Trump has faced scrutiny throughout both his terms as president for his friendly relations with Putin, particularly since the Russian leader ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
The US president insists that he alone can persuade Putin to make a deal on Ukraine, even if his earlier boasts that he could do so within 24 hours of taking office have proven fruitless.
"We had a very good talk, and he wants to be very constructive," Trump said on Monday.
dk/jgc

fire

Police say deadly Swiss bus fire could be deliberate

  • The fire "left at least six dead and five injured, three of them seriously", Fribourg cantonal police sergeant Frederic Papaux told AFP. "The police are currently treating the fire as a man-made incident, and even a deliberate act," he said, without providing further details.
  • A bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring five others in what police said may have been a deliberate act.
  • The fire "left at least six dead and five injured, three of them seriously", Fribourg cantonal police sergeant Frederic Papaux told AFP. "The police are currently treating the fire as a man-made incident, and even a deliberate act," he said, without providing further details.
A bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring five others in what police said may have been a deliberate act.
The fire broke out on the bus in the main street of the small town of Kerzers, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of the Swiss capital Bern, at about 6:25 pm (1725 GMT).
Videos circulating on social media showed flames several metres high bursting out from the windows, and black smoke rising into the sky.
The fire "left at least six dead and five injured, three of them seriously", Fribourg cantonal police sergeant Frederic Papaux told AFP.
"The police are currently treating the fire as a man-made incident, and even a deliberate act," he said, without providing further details.
At a press conference, police would not be drawn on potential hypotheses including suicide or an act of terror.
In a statement, Fribourg police said a criminal investigation had been opened by  public prosecutors "to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy".
The burnt-out shell of the bus was screened off behind white tarpaulins set up across the road, an AFP journalist saw. The scene was cordoned off, with police standing guard at the tape. Firefighters and fire trucks were also present.
"Emergency services rushed to the scene and found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters carried out rescue and extinguishing operations. A security perimeter was set up," the police statement said.
Several ambulances and a helicopter were sent to the scene and three injured people were taken to hospital.
Two other people were examined on site but did not need hospital treatment.
Police said recovery and security operations were ongoing and appealed to the public to stay away from the area.
fc-ag/rjm/tw

US

Fresh Israeli strikes hit Lebanon after evacuation warnings

BY RICHARD SALAME

  • Authorities said Tuesday that 759,300 people had been registered as displaced, with 122,600 staying in shelters.
  • Fresh Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon on Tuesday after the Israeli army warned people to evacuate, with Lebanese authorities saying nearly 760,000 people had been registered as displaced.
  • Authorities said Tuesday that 759,300 people had been registered as displaced, with 122,600 staying in shelters.
Fresh Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon on Tuesday after the Israeli army warned people to evacuate, with Lebanese authorities saying nearly 760,000 people had been registered as displaced.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel, which kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, has launched waves of attacks across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported several strikes Tuesday on the capital's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah holds sway.
AFPTV footage showed smoke rising from the area. The Israeli military said it had begun "striking Hezbollah infrastructure" there.
Lebanon's health ministry said a strike on a motorcycle near the area killed one person.
In south Lebanon, NNA said "the Israeli enemy launched a strike" in Abbassiyeh, near Tyre, after the Israeli military said it would attack a building there and in the coastal city of Sidon.
In the southern town of Jwaya, the NNA said an Israeli attack killed the town's mayor and a municipal council member.
Hezbollah said in separate statements that its fighters had attacked Israeli troops near the southern border towns of Khiam and Odaisseh, and launched rockets at Israel including at a "missile defence site" south of Haifa.
It later said it was engaging an Israeli force near the border town of Aitaroun "with light and medium weapons".
Lebanese authorities said on Monday that Israel's attacks since March 2 have killed at least 486 people and wounded more than 1,300 others.
Authorities said Tuesday that 759,300 people had been registered as displaced, with 122,600 staying in shelters.
In Hennawiyeh, Tyre district, the health ministry said one Israeli strike wounded two people, and a follow up attack killed them with the rescuers who came to the scene.
The Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee said earlier that 15 of its rescuers had been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2.

'Starting from zero'

Among those taking refuge in Beirut's Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium was Fatima Shehadeh, 35, a mother of four who fled the southern suburbs last week.
"I was pushing my baby in a stroller. We left on foot at 2:00 am and spent the night outside" before coming to the stadium shelter, she said.
Shehadeh fears the impact of Israeli raids on her children, one of whom cowered inside their tent a day earlier. "He didn't come out because of the strikes. They were really close," she said.
Dozens of family-sized tents have been set up inside the stadium, with people sleeping on thin mattresses on the concrete floor.
Beirut mayor Ibrahim Zeidan said the site could shelter more than 3,000 people.
Malak Jaber, 35, a mother of three from south Lebanon's Nabatiyeh, said: "We spent two or three days living under a bridge, until they opened up this place."
"My home was bombed yesterday," she said. "If I want to go back... we'll be starting from zero."
The United Nations said it had noted "a faster pace of displacement compared to 2024", during Israel's last war with Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's office said that he and his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa had agreed on the need to control their border after Syria accused Hezbollah of firing artillery shells into its territory overnight.
A day earlier, Aoun accused Hezbollah of working to "collapse" the state and expressed Beirut's readiness for "direct negotiations" with Israel.
The head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad had vowed that his group would "defend our existence whatever the cost".
Also Tuesday, the last residents of the Alma al-Shaab, a Christian village near the Israeli border, finally fled, according to a UN source, the mayor and an AFP correspondent, after defying for several days an Israeli order to leave.
lk-ris-lg/nad/amj/tw

US

Will Trump blink on Iran as pressure mounts?

BY DANNY KEMP

  • "President Trump will determine when Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, when they no longer pose a credible and direct threat to the United States of America and our allies," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
  • US President Donald Trump has built a potential off-ramp by suggesting the Iran war could end soon, but the world is still guessing about whether he will take it -- and whether Tehran will let him.
  • "President Trump will determine when Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, when they no longer pose a credible and direct threat to the United States of America and our allies," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
US President Donald Trump has built a potential off-ramp by suggesting the Iran war could end soon, but the world is still guessing about whether he will take it -- and whether Tehran will let him.
With surging oil prices threatening the global economy and his political fortunes at home, Trump's tone appeared to shift abruptly on Monday as he called the war "very complete" and a "short-term excursion."
But the 79-year-old commander-in-chief continued to send mixed messages about when the war could end -- and what its goals are -- leaving it far from clear what he will ultimately settle for.
For Trump, that calculation will almost certainly involve November's US midterm elections, with gas prices likely to fuel voter anger at his Republican Party over the cost of living.
Polls so far show historically low support among Americans for the war.
"I think he's going to keep going until his advisers tell him that the economic pain is going to risk the midterms," Colin Clarke, executive director of the Soufan Center in New York, told AFP.
"He's going to make a political decision about a military operation."
For some, Trump's comments on a short Iran war timeline were evidence of what observers have dubbed the TACO phenomenon -- "Trump Always Chickens Out."
"What they did communicate clearly, to the delight of markets, was that Trump is looking for an exit," wrote Robert Armstrong, the Financial Times journalist who first coined the term TACO.
In the opening days of the US-Israeli strikes, Trump suggested the war could last four or five weeks, but markets surged at his hints on Monday that it could be shorter.
Clarke said he believed Trump would "go hard for the next two weeks tops, then things are so messy he's going to declare victory."

'Wounded animal'

Victory will then be in the eye of the beholder.
Both Trump and his administration have publicly given a panoply of shifting goals for the war, ranging from unconditional surrender, to regime change in all but name, to securing the flow of Gulf oil.
But on paper it has listed some core military objectives -- ensuring Iran has no nuclear weapon, eliminating its ballistic missiles and its navy, and curbing its regional proxies -- that could be easier for Trump to sign off on.
The White House said on Tuesday that Trump himself would define what "unconditional surrender" meant.
"President Trump will determine when Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, when they no longer pose a credible and direct threat to the United States of America and our allies," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
But Iran will likely see any such declaration as Trump blinking first.
Despite the significant damage from the US-Israeli air campaign, Tehran has stepped up its defiant tone since Trump's remarks, vowing to block Gulf oil supplies and mocking the US leader's claims to be in control of the timeline of the conflict.
Israel meanwhile has its own timeline, which Trump also has only limited control over. Differences have already emerged over both the long-term goals and Israel's strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure.
And while Trump insists he must have a role in choosing Iran's new leader, there is no sign yet of large-scale internal resistance to supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, chosen at the weekend to replace his slain father.
If Mojtaba Khamenei and the regime survive, Operation Epic Fury would be "remembered as the Mother of All Lawnmowers" for having only skimmed the surface of things, Walter Russell Mead wrote in The Wall Street Journal.
Trump could then leave an even more dangerous situation, the Soufan Center's Clarke said, with a "rump IRGC" going all out for a nuclear bomb, and the risk of various ethic groups launching a huge insurgency in the heart of the Middle East.
"If it's Khamenei's son or another hardliner, what's different?" said Clarke. 
"It's now like a wounded animal, which is arguably more dangerous." 
dk/des

US

Mideast tanker escort: high-risk mission for US Navy

BY W.G. DUNLOP

  • These include sea mines, fast-attack craft, missiles and one-way attack drones.
  • US Navy escorts could help increase the flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but American warships accompanying slow-moving commercial vessels would face threats including mines, missiles and drones in the narrow waterway bordering Iran.
  • These include sea mines, fast-attack craft, missiles and one-way attack drones.
US Navy escorts could help increase the flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but American warships accompanying slow-moving commercial vessels would face threats including mines, missiles and drones in the narrow waterway bordering Iran.
Iran has threatened to block oil exports via the key maritime chokepoint -- through which nearly 20 percent of the world's crude usually transits -- in response to the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.
President Donald Trump -- who warned of "Death, Fire, and Fury" if Tehran disrupted oil flows -- has also floated the idea of the US Navy accompanying commercial vessels, but Washington's forces have yet to begin the potentially risky mission.
"There are a number of threats that Iran...potentially could bring to bear against that type of escort mission," said Jonathan Schroden, chief research officer at the Center for Naval Analyses.
These include sea mines, fast-attack craft, missiles and one-way attack drones.
"If you put mines in the water and you can reinforce those with both surface and air threats as well, you create a layered threat that extends from under the sea all the way up through the surface into the air," Schroden said. "That just makes it much, much harder to defend."
Trump on Tuesday warned Iran against mining the strait, saying in a social media post: "If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before."
The United States has an array of ships deployed in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers.
But an escort mission would be carried out by smaller vessels such as destroyers or frigates -- possibly with warplanes or helicopters providing cover overhead -- that would accompany several tankers at a time, Schroden said.

'Global economic disruption'

US Navy ships would "provide a deterrent effect," and could also "respond if the tankers get fired upon," he said.
The Strait of Hormuz -- less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) across at its narrowest point -- is shared by Iran on one side and Oman on the other.
At least 10 oil tankers in or near the strait were struck, targeted, or reported attacks between March 1 and 10, according to data compiled by the UK Maritime Trade Organisation, the International Maritime Organization, and Iranian authorities.
In addition, three bulk carriers, two container ships, a tugboat, and an oil drilling vessel have reported explosions, strikes, or suspicious activity in the area.
"It's really a global economic disruption that could escalate very, very quickly if it's not addressed," Schroden said.
The United States previously carried out a tanker escort mission -- dubbed Operation Earnest Will -- in the same region to protect ships from attacks by Tehran's forces during the Iran-Iraq war, between 1980-88.
"The major difference is in the scope and scale of military capabilities of both sides," said Schroden.
"Iran didn't have drones, for example, they didn't have nearly the missile capacity that they have now," while US forces now have "much, much greater...ability to bring air and space and cyber effects" to bear that "didn't exist back in the '80s."
Daniel Schneiderman, an adjunct senior fellow in the Center for a New American Security's Middle East Security Program, said Iran's forces remain a danger despite more than 10 days of US-Israeli strikes.
"The threats are significant and very real, even (with) what the US military has been able to do, what the Israeli military has been able to do," Schneiderman said.
A US mission to escort tankers "is absolutely a very high risk, especially when you consider the number of ships that will be involved in this kind of mission -- it's very resource-intensive," he added.
wd/sla

US

At least five Iran women footballers take asylum in Australia

  • - 'Wartime traitors' - The head of the Iranian Football Federation on Tuesday claimed the players had been coerced into defecting.
  • At least five players from Iran's visiting women's football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.
  • - 'Wartime traitors' - The head of the Iranian Football Federation on Tuesday claimed the players had been coerced into defecting.
At least five players from Iran's visiting women's football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.
Iranian players fell silent as the anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic. 
US President Donald Trump was among those urging Australia to offer the players asylum, citing grave fears for their safety if they were forced to board a plane home.
Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim sanctuary from Australian officials, the government announced.
At least two more team members applied later in the day to stay in Australia, according to local media.
"We've been preparing for this for some time," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
"Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They're safe here and they should feel at home here."
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government had spent days in secret talks with the players, who were whisked to a safe house after leaving their hotel on the Gold Coast.
Pictures showed the players huddled around a table as Burke signed paperwork granting them special visas to stay in Australia on humanitarian grounds. 
The players broke out into chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie", Burke said, adding that the rest of the team would also be welcome to stay in the country if they wished.
Australian public broadcaster ABC quoted Burke as saying that more Iranian team members had since asked to stay, in addition to the initial five players.
The ABC said it understood at least seven team members had now sought asylum in Australia.
The Department of Home Affairs did not respond to requests for information on the report.
Other members of the Iran team left Australia on a flight from Sydney Airport, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, early Wednesday, an AFP photographer saw.
Supporters had gathered at Sydney Airport to greet the players after their arrival from the Gold Coast a few hours earlier, but they were unable to approach the team, local media said.

'Wartime traitors'

The head of the Iranian Football Federation on Tuesday claimed the players had been coerced into defecting. He also cast doubt on Iran's participation in this summer's men's football World Cup being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Mehdi Taj said the five women players had been kidnapped and the team had been obstructed as it tried to leave Australia.
"After the game, unfortunately, the Australian police came and intervened, removing one or two of the players from the hotel, according to the news we have," he said on Iranian state television.
A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players "wartime traitors" after they stood motionless during the anthem before a match against South Korea last week.
Although they sang the anthem -- an ode to the glory of the Islamic republic -- in later matches, human rights activists warned the damage was done.
"The members of the Iranian Women's National Football Team are under significant pressure and ongoing threat from the Islamic Republic," said Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran.
"I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support," he said on social media.
Pahlavi has billed himself as the person to lead a democratic transition to a secular Iran as the theocratic regime fights to survive.
Politicians, human rights activists and even "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling had called for Australia to offer the side protection.
Crowds gathered outside the Gold Coast stadium where the side played their last match over the weekend, banging drums and shouting "regime change for Iran".
Supporters surrounded the Iranian team bus, chanting "let them go" and "save our girls". On Monday, an AFP journalist saw members of the team speaking on phones from their hotel room balconies.
sft/djw/mjw/msp/des

US

White House says US Navy has not escorted tanker through Strait of Hormuz

  • In his deleted post, Wright said the "US Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets."
  • The United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said Tuesday, after the energy secretary's social media account posted and deleted a claim that it did so.
  • In his deleted post, Wright said the "US Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets."
The United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said Tuesday, after the energy secretary's social media account posted and deleted a claim that it did so.
The shift in narrative caused markets to swing, with oil dropping sharply after Energy Secretary Chris Wright's initial post.
Oil prices pared back some losses after Wright's post on X was deleted -- just minutes after publication.
"I can confirm that the US Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time, though of course that's an option," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards also said that no US Navy vessel has "dared" approach the Strait of Hormuz, calling Wright's claim a "pure falsehood."
An Energy Department spokesperson told AFP that "a video clip was deleted from Secretary Wright's official X account after it was determined to be incorrectly captioned by Department of Energy staff."
At least 10 oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz were struck, targeted or reported attacks between March 1 and 10, according to data compiled by the UK Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Iranian authorities.

Fluctuating prices

No US ships were confirmed to have escorted oil tankers in the key waterway since the war was launched on February 28. Wright's initial comments marked the first time a US official said this had occurred.
In his deleted post, Wright said the "US Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets."
Nearly a fifth of global oil production passes through the strait, with Tehran on Tuesday vowing that none would be exported from the Gulf while the war is ongoing.
Since March 2, more than 20 commercial vessels have been detected crossing the strait, according to AFP analysis of data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic.
Others have passed through with their transponders switched off to conceal their position, sometimes only reappearing on marine trackers once safely out of the area.
Before the war, a daily average of 138 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump's administration has taken steps to try and reassure global markets since launching the war, offering reinsurance to shipping companies and the US Navy's services to escort tankers.
Crude prices have fluctuated sharply due to supply disruptions, jumping 30 percent on Monday to nearly $120 per barrel before retreating.
They continued to fall after comments by Trump on Monday hinting that the war may end soon, even as his defense secretary vowed a day later to carry out the "most intense day of strikes inside Iran."
The war has seen strikes carried out on oil depots in Iran and attacks on energy infrastructure in wealthy Gulf countries, previously seen as safe havens in a turbulent Middle East.
dk-aha-bys/jgc

US

US satellite firm extends Middle East image delay

BY PATRICIO ARANA

  • Both major US satellite firms, Planet and Vantor, now delay or block the release of images from the Middle East because of the conflict that erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. 
  • American firm Planet Labs PBC on Tuesday said it now imposes a two-week delay for access to its satellite images of the Middle East because of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
  • Both major US satellite firms, Planet and Vantor, now delay or block the release of images from the Middle East because of the conflict that erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. 
American firm Planet Labs PBC on Tuesday said it now imposes a two-week delay for access to its satellite images of the Middle East because of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Both major US satellite firms, Planet and Vantor, now delay or block the release of images from the Middle East because of the conflict that erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. 
California-based Planet initially imposed a 96-hour delay last week for access to its high-resolution images, which are usually available a few hours after they are taken. 
"After consulting with experts inside and outside of government... Planet has decided to take additional, proactive measures to ensure our imagery is not tactically leveraged by adversarial actors to target allied and NATO-partner personnel and civilians," a statement said.
From now on, coverage of "all of Iran and nearby allied bases, in addition to the Gulf States and existing conflict zones" will be blocked for 14 days, it said.
Planet, founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists and whose images are widely used by media and researchers, did not say whether the decision was taken in response to an official US request.

Media reliance

For a zone running from Egypt to the Gulf states, Turkey and Djibouti the most recent images released by Planet date from March 6.
Under US legislation, any company headquartered in America that deals in high-resolution satellite images may be subject to restrictions for national security or foreign policy reasons. 
Industry leader Vantor (formerly Maxar) has had a long-standing policy of not distributing images of US or allied bases. But it denied in a statement that it had acted under any government order to hold back images. 
"During times of geopolitical conflict, Vantor may implement enhanced access controls to prevent the misuse of sensitive geospatial intelligence and to help protect allied forces and civilians," it said.
"These controls can include limiting who is able to task new imagery or purchase historical imagery over areas where US, NATO, and other allied and partner forces are actively operating, as well as over areas that are being actively targeted by adversaries."
Vantor said it "independently determines" the controls. 
"These decisions are not mandated by any government, military organisation, or third party."
During Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, started in October 2023 and running up to a ceasefire in October last year, Planet imposed a 30-day delay while still maintaining extensive coverage of the territory.
Many media, including AFP, use satellite images from sources such as Planet and Vantor to cover the major conflicts -- including Ukraine, Gaza or the Sudan civil war -- where on-the-ground access is made difficult or virtually impossible.
pa/ico/tw/rmb

US

Trump team's Iran war rhetoric fuels backlash

BY FRANKIE TAGGART

  • Top Democrats have accused the administration of sending contradictory messages about the conflict and demanded Tuesday that Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio testify before Congress on the war's objectives.
  • When the top US general spoke Tuesday of his "respect" for Iranian fighters, the remark underscored a striking divide between the restrained language of the military brass and the swaggering rhetoric used by President Donald Trump and his administration.
  • Top Democrats have accused the administration of sending contradictory messages about the conflict and demanded Tuesday that Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio testify before Congress on the war's objectives.
When the top US general spoke Tuesday of his "respect" for Iranian fighters, the remark underscored a striking divide between the restrained language of the military brass and the swaggering rhetoric used by President Donald Trump and his administration.
From Trump joking that it was "more fun" to sink Iranian warships than capture them, to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasting that US forces were "punching them while they're down," critics say the administration's messaging -- reveling in the destructive power of the US military -- has been jarring.
Professor Rachel VanLandingham, a retired Air Force judge advocate who teaches the law of war, said the tone amounted to a "crass trivialization" of combat operations that suggested a "bloodthirsty" administration that "revels in the carnage."
"This type of dangerous language is unusual for modern American leadership, and it demonstrates an extremely cavalier attitude toward the death and destruction that war entails," she told AFP.
The rhetoric has also been amplified online, where official accounts circulate slick videos celebrating US strikes, blending real combat footage with imagery drawn from Hollywood films and video games.
It has marked a departure from the more restrained language traditionally used by American leaders during wartime, even when describing battlefield success.

War as spectacle

Hegseth has emerged as the administration's most outspoken public voice since Washington joined Israel in launching the campaign against Iran.
At press briefings and public events, the former television host has adopted an at times boastful, mocking tone in describing the offensive.
"This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they're down, which is exactly how it should be," Hegseth said last week.
In a television interview, he described the sinking of an Iranian vessel as "a quiet death," while declaring that "the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they're going to live."
He has also mocked allies uneasy about the widening conflict, referring to those who "wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force."
Trump himself has used similarly combative language.
Recounting a discussion with a military official, the president said he had questioned why Iranian ships were sunk rather than seized.
"'We could have used it. Why did we sink them?'" Trump said he had asked.
"He said, 'It's more fun to sink them.'"
Critics say repeating the remark publicly reinforced the impression of a White House treating war as spectacle.

Military contrast

Pushback intensified after the official White House account posted a video montage celebrating US strikes.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, condemned the clip as turning real violence into entertainment.
"A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it's a video game -- it's sickening," he said.
"Hundreds of people are dead, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, including scores of children who made the fatal mistake of going to school that day."
Top Democrats have accused the administration of sending contradictory messages about the conflict and demanded Tuesday that Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio testify before Congress on the war's objectives.
Military leaders, by contrast, have largely maintained a more traditional tone.
General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, drew attention when he was asked for his assessment of Iran's military capability and noted the commitment of its fighters.
"I mean, I think they're fighting, and I respect that," he told reporters.
ft/des

US

Shifting sands? Trump and his elastic timeline for Iran war

  • - February 28: After stressing days earlier that he wanted a diplomatic solution, Trump announces the start of major combat operations in Iran, vowing to "raze their missile industry to the ground."
  • President Donald Trump announced he was sending US forces into war with Iran on February 28, kicking off a multidimensional regional conflict -- and a series of contradictory declarations on the American mission's scope and timeline.
  • - February 28: After stressing days earlier that he wanted a diplomatic solution, Trump announces the start of major combat operations in Iran, vowing to "raze their missile industry to the ground."
President Donald Trump announced he was sending US forces into war with Iran on February 28, kicking off a multidimensional regional conflict -- and a series of contradictory declarations on the American mission's scope and timeline.
He has argued "Operation Epic Fury" aims to eliminate Iran's military installations, or push regime change, or that he was acting to mitigate the country's nuclear threat -- despite boasting that US forces had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program with a punishing air raid last year.
In multiple press interviews Trump said the war could last days or weeks, and he had identified several possible successors to slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, but that the early air strikes had killed them all.
Here is a look at Trump's shifting war timeline and his various justifications for launching America's largest military operation in a generation.

'As long as necessary'?

February 28: After stressing days earlier that he wanted a diplomatic solution, Trump announces the start of major combat operations in Iran, vowing to "raze their missile industry to the ground."
He also sets out four objectives: eliminate Iran's ballistic missile capability, destroy their navy, ensure the Islamic republic never gets a nuclear weapon, and ensure Iranian proxy groups can no longer carry out attacks.
Later he posts on Truth Social that the bombings will continue "throughout the week, or as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD."
March 1: With attacks by US and Israeli forces in full swing, Trump predicts a quick war against Iran. "It'll take four weeks -- or less," Trump tells the Daily Mail.
March 2: The president does not rule out sending in ground troops "if necessary." He opens the door to a longer conflict, saying "we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, himself a military veteran, refuses to be drawn on the war's duration. "This is not Iraq. This is not endless."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before briefing congressional leaders, says the US "preemptively" attacked Iran after learning ally Israel was going to strike, which he says would have led to retaliation against US forces in the region.

Ground troops?

March 3: Trump swiftly contradicts his top diplomat. "It was my opinion that they (the Iranians) were going to attack first," he says. "I might have forced Israel's hand."
Trump also claims the strikes had largely destroyed Iran's military. "Just about everything's been knocked out."
March 5: Sending ground troops would be a "waste of time," Trump tells NBC News. But he also indicates "we want to go in and clean out everything."
March 6: Trump says only "unconditional surrender" by Iran will end the escalating war, and suggests he wants to be involved in choosing the country's next leader.
March 7: Trump offers more mixed messaging on ground troops, saying they may be necessary to help secure Iran's enriched uranium stocks. "At some point maybe we will," he says. "It would be a great thing."

'Very complete'?

March 9: The president tells CBS News that the war is "very complete, pretty much," a remark that sends sky-high oil prices tumbling. But on the same day he tells lawmakers he is pressing for "ultimate victory" against Tehran's clerical establishment.
March 10: The Pentagon says the war is still escalating. "Today will be yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran," Hegseth tells reporters. As for the timeline, Trump "gets to control the throttle," he adds. "It's not for me to posit whether it's the beginning, the middle or the end."
bdx-mlm/des