JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
WAR WITH IRAN - DAY 04 - MIDEAST WAR WIDENS.
RUSSIA,GERMANY, ARAB MUSLIMS COME AGAINST ISRAEL.
EZEKIEL 38:1-23
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say,(RUSSIA-ARAB-MUSLIMS) I will go up to the land of unwalled villages;(ISRAEL) I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil,(OIL IS IN SPOIL) and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDI-ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(SPAIN) with all the young lions thereof,(ENGLAND,AND ALL ITS ASSOCIATES-CANADA,AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND, USA, AND WESTERN ENGLISH SPEAKING NATIONS) shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?(OIL IS IN SPOIL-I BELIEVE THATS WHY RUSSIA,ARAB/MUSLIMS MARCH TO ISRAEL)
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 For in my jealousy and in the fire (atomic bomb) of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
22 And I will plead against him with pestilence (biological,chemical,nuclear) and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.(NUKED,THEN MIGRATING BIRDS EAT RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS FLESH)
23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
EZEKIEL 39:1-29
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13 Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye (MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL) shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.(RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS)
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I (GOD-JESUS) will set my glory among the heathen,(WORLD NATIONS) and all the heathen (WORLD NATIONS) shall see my judgment that I have executed,(AGAINST ISRAELS ENEMIES) and my (GODS) hand that I have laid upon them.(ISRAELS HATER ENEMIES)
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
Recent developments indicate significant, intensifying defense cooperation between Russia and Iran, along with expanding security ties between Russia and African nations including Ethiopia and Libya. Germany, conversely, is acting within the EU framework to support Ukraine and oppose Russian military actions.
Russia-Iran Defense Deals
Strategic Alliance: Russia and Iran have cemented a 20-year strategic partnership covering defense,, counter-terrorism, and energy.
Weapons Exchange: Russia is the chief supplier of arms to Iran, with Tehran providing hundreds of drones for use in Ukraine.
Advanced Capabilities: Russia is set to supply Iran with advanced Su-35 fighter jets, helicopters, and air defense systems.
Joint Manufacturing: Russia is transferring technology for the production of advanced missile capabilities in Iran.
Russia-Ethiopia Defense Ties
Active Expansion: Russia and Ethiopia are expanding bilateral relations, with a focus on enhancing economic and defense cooperation.
Military Cooperation: Both countries are focused on strengthening security ties, according to recent updates from November 2025.
Russia-Libya Defense Ties
Mediterranean Presence: Russia is expanding its foothold in the region, with reports suggesting Libya is a target for establishing a Mediterranean naval base, potentially replacing or complementing facilities in Syria.
Germany-Russia Relations
Opposing Sides: Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Germany and Russia are in a state of deep conflict, with Germany imposing sanctions and classifying Russia as an "unfriendly nation".
Support for Ukraine: Germany is part of a European alliance, with the EU providing €90 billion in military assistance to Ukraine for 2026-2027.
Other Relevant Activity
Sudan/Libya: Russia is actively securing a naval port in the Red Sea through deals with Sudan, and strengthening its presence in Libya.
Iran/Russia Cooperation: The two countries are collaborating to bypass US pressure, strengthening their defense industrial base.
THE NEXT US-ISRAEL HIT ON IRAN SHOULD BE VERSE 37. ALL OFFENSIVE NUKE SITES MISSLES,DRONES,AND OF COURSE KHEMENI AND THE IRGC GUARDS.THEN AFTER IRANS REGIME CHANGE. MUSLIMS COME TO JESUS BY THE MILLIONS.
JEREMEIAH 49:32-39 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITES AND ALL OFENSIVE WEAPONS DESTROYED IN IRAN)
Jeremiah 49:32-39
32 Their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners [of their hair] cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, says Yahweh.
33 Hazor shall be a dwelling-place of jackals, a desolation forever: no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.(Location & Size: It was strategically located along the Via Maris (Way of the Sea), a major trade route connecting Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia.)
34 The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(IRAN) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) the chief of their might.(MISSLES AND NUKE SITES)
36 On Elam (IRAN) will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of the sky, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(SINCE 1979 IRANIANS HAVE GOTTIN OUT OF IRAN BECAUSE OF KHEMENI AND HIS APOCOPOLIPTIC DEATH CULT BELIEF-BLACK HATER 12ERS)
37 I will cause Elam (IRAN) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before those who seek their life;(ISRAEL THE LITTLE SATAN AND THE U.S THE BIG SATAN) and I will bring evil on them, (MISSLES) even my fierce anger,(FIRE) says Yahweh; and I will send the sword after them,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) until I have consumed them; (DESTROYED THEM ALL NUKE SITES,MISSLES ETC)
38 and I will set my throne in Elam,(IRAN WILL BECOME A CHRISTIAN NATION) and will destroy from there king (KHEMENI, ISLAM) and princes, says Yahweh.(IRANIAN ARMY GUARDS)
39 But it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring back the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) says Yahweh.(WERE IN THE LATTER DAYS NOW)
JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)
Israel, US strikes hit building of body to elect new Iran supreme leader: media.
Tehran, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-Israeli and US strikes on Tuesday hit the building of a body tasked with electing Iran's new supreme leader, local media reported.Former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during a wave of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday."The American-Zionist criminals attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom," south of Tehran, according to the Tasnim news agency.The assembly is tasked with appointing, supervising and potentially dismissing the supreme leader.Local media showed footage of the building severely damaged in the strikes.There was no information on any potential casualties.The Mehr news agency reported that the building was no longer being used for meetings.Tasnim reported that strikes had already targeted the main headquarters of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran on Monday.Iran declared on Sunday the start of a transition process after confirming Khamenei's death.The plans include the formation of an interim leadership council including the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council, the body that oversees legislation and vets electoral candidates.Also playing a central role is Iran's top security chief Ali Larijani.The interim leadership council will lead the country while a permanent successor is found for the supreme leader.
Mideast war threatens to spark world energy crisis.
Paris, France, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-Asia and Europe's oil reserves can soften the immediate impact of the Middle East war sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, but a prolonged conflict could trigger major disruptions and sharp price increases, analysts warn.Here are facts and expert views on some of the possible impacts on the world energy market from the conflict in a key oil- and gas-producing region.- Gulf crisis -Saudi Arabia is the world's second?biggest oil producer after the United States, and Iran ranks among the top 10.Qatar, though small, is the world's second?largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), behind the United States. Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are also major producers.The Strait of Hormuz -- the gateway to the Gulf -- has been largely paralysed by the violence in the region.Usually around 20 million barrels of oil, roughly one?fifth of global consumption, pass through the strait every day.LNG exports from Qatar and the UAE, which together represent about 20 percent of global exports, must also pass through this chokepoint.- Asia exposed -Asian countries are the most exposed in energy terms: 80 percent of the oil and nearly 90 percent of the gas transiting through Hormuz is destined for them, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).China is the world's leading importer of crude oil and production from Gulf countries accounts for nearly half of its oil imports.India depends heavily on crude from Iraq and Saudi Arabia -- even more so since the United States pressed it to reduce its purchases of Russian oil.- Europe vulnerable on gas -Europe is less dependent on the oil that passes through Hormuz thanks to its diversified supply sources -- the United States, Norway, Africa and Kazakhstan.But it has turned massively toward LNG since the war in Ukraine and now depends on three major suppliers for 80 percent of its imports: the United States, Russia and Qatar.Qatar alone produces around eight percent of the EU's LNG imports. And the LNG market, concentrated among a handful of major exporters, is extremely sensitive to disruptions.Since Asia is also a major LNG consumer, Europe risks ending up in direct competition with it if Qatari gas becomes inaccessible."Prices will be higher because Europe will be importing some other gas that comes from somewhere else," Adi Imsirovic, director of consultancy Surrey Clean Energy, told AFP.Europe's TTF benchmark gas price has surged since the beginning of the week, after state?owned QatarEnergy announced on Monday that it was suspending LNG production due to strikes.- Oil reserves -Alternative routes exist: Saudi and Emirati pipelines can bypass the strait. But their capacity remains limited, and for LNG, there is no alternative route at all.IEA member states hold more than 1.2 billion barrels of emergency crude reserves, while China has roughly 400 million barrels in its strategic stockpile, according to analysis group Kpler."This oil is sitting out there. It's not going to disappear," Imsirovic said. "All of this is a big, big buffer for the next few weeks and that's why the market is not panicking."- Long?term risk -Beyond that, the picture is far more uncertain."The longer?term impact on energy prices will depend on how long hostilities last and their impact on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz," said Simone Tagliapietra of the Bruegel Institute think tank."A brief conflict would inject a geopolitical risk premium into oil and gas markets," he added."A prolonged disruption... would begin to erode inventories, constrain logistics and tighten global oil and gas balances, with much greater effects on prices."Credit rater Moody's said its baseline scenario was for the conflict to be "relatively short-lived, likely a matter of weeks".After that, it judged, "navigation through the Strait of Hormuz will then resume at scale."pml-nal/rlp/yad
Macron to address nation on Middle East war.
Paris, France, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-President Emmanuel Macron will on Tuesday speak to the nation about the war in Iran and its consequences, the Elysee said, after France vowed to protect its nationals and bases in the Middle East.Macron, who on Monday warned that a widening war between the United States, Israel, and Iran risks spilling over to Europe's borders, will deliver a televised address to the nation at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT).During a meeting of France's defence council on Sunday, the French president said France would raise its defence posture in the Middle East to protect its nationals and bases there, and to support countries in the region targeted by Iran in retaliation for the Israeli-US strikes.Earlier Tuesday Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that France had deployed Rafale fighter jets over the United Arab Emirates to protect its naval and air bases.France has hundreds of navy, air force and army personnel based in the UAE. Its Rafale aircraft are stationed at Al-Dhafra base near Abu Dhabi."These Rafales and their pilots are mobilised to ensure the security of our facilities," Barrot told broadcaster BFMTV in response to a question on French action in the UAE over the weekend to neutralise Iranian drones."They have carried out operations to secure the airspace above our bases."On Sunday, "a hangar at a French base in the United Arab Emirates was hit by a drone", Barrot said."Exchanges are multiplying to determine both how the country can defend itself against future attacks and how France can protect its interests there," he added.France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier was however in the North Atlantic, as part of a previously planned multinational exercise, Barrot said, after he was asked if it had been sent to the Mediterranean.The United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Saturday, killing Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.Iran has responded by targeting US allies in the Gulf region.Debris from a drone interception caused a fire that was contained at an oil industry zone in the Fujairah emirate on Tuesday, authorities said.In Abu Dhabi, a drone struck a fuel tank terminal on Monday, causing a fire though operations were not impacted.sv/ah-as/yad
France deploys aircraft carrier to Mediterranean over Iran war.
Paris, France, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-France is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday."I have ordered the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, its air assets, and its escort of frigates to set course for the Mediterranean," he said in a televised speech a day after he warned of the risk of the conflict spilling over Europe's borders.The Charles de Gaulle carrier has been pulled out of a deployment in the North Atlantic to head for the eastern Mediterranean. It made a stopover in the Swedish port of Malmo last week.Macron said he was also sending additional air defence units to Cyprus, a day after Iranian-made drones hit the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base of Akrotiri in the Mediterranean island."In addition to assets already in place, Rafale jets, air-defence systems and airborne radar aircraft have been deployed in recent hours" to the region, he said.He said the frigate Languedoc and the "additional air defence assets" would arrive off Cyprus on Tuesday, as the conflict spreads after the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on Saturday. Britain has also put a warship in position off Cyprus."The United States of America and Israel decided to launch military operations, conducted outside international law, which we cannot approve of," the French president said.But "the Islamic republic of Iran bears primary responsibility for this situation," he said, citing Iran's "dangerous" nuclear programme, support for regional proxies, and orders to shoot "its own people" during protests in January.Iran has responded by targeting Gulf states, Israel and US facilities across the Middle East, as well as threatening shipping in the area.- 'Self-defence' -The Charles De Gaulle is expected to take 10 days to reach the eastern Mediterranean. From there, the 20 Rafale fighter jets on board, along with two Hawkeye radar aircraft, will contribute to securing the airspace."Today, the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed. Around 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes through this strait," Macron said. "The Suez Canal and the Red Sea are also under strain and under threat.""We have taken the initiative to build a coalition in order to pool the necessary resources, including military ones, so that traffic can be restored and secured in these sea lanes that are essential to the global economy," he added.Macron said French forces had downed drones "in self-defence" during the opening hours of the conflict."We reacted immediately and shot down drones in self-defence in the early hours of the conflict to defend the airspace of our allies, who know they can count on us," Macron said, referring to defence agreements with Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.The Languedoc used its Aster missiles to shoot down drones fired from Yemen by Iran-allied Huthi rebels targeting vessels in the Red Sea in December 2023.Earlier, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France had deployed Rafale fighter jets over the UAE to protect its naval and air bases.As well as its 700 troops serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), France has 900 military personnel at air, naval and land bases in the UAE, along with Rafales, Leclerc tanks and Caesar artillery.Its Rafale aircraft are stationed at Al-Dhafra base near Abu Dhabi."These Rafales and their pilots are mobilised to ensure the security of our facilities," Barrot told BFMTV in response to a question on French action over the weekend to neutralise Iranian drones.Barrot said that a hangar at a French base in the UAE was "hit by a drone" on Sunday.In his speech, Macron said two French bases had sustained "limited strikes causing material damage" since the start of the conflict.vl/ah-ekf/db/tw
Drone attack sparks fire by Dubai's US consulate.
Dubai, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-A drone attack caused a fire by the US consulate in Dubai late on Tuesday as Iran ramped up its targeting of American diplomatic missions in the Gulf.Residents told AFP they heard a bang and one said she then saw the blaze. Police cordoned off roads nearby and shooed away passersby trying to see the damage."Dubai authorities have confirmed that a fire resulting from a drone-related incident near the US Consulate has been successfully contained," Dubai Media Office posted on X.The US embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones, setting off a small fire, in the early hours of Tuesday.The US embassy in Kuwait was struck on Monday, diplomatic sources told AFP after smoke was seen pouring from the building.The wealthy Gulf has been under Iranian bombardment since Saturday as part of the growing Middle East war, with airports and oil facilities among the targets hit.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the drone strike in Dubai and said all staff were safe."A drone unfortunately struck a parking lot adjacent to the chancellery building and then set off a fire in that place. All personnel are accounted for," he told reporters in Washington.Loud jet sounds could be heard on Tuesday over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates' commercial hub whose skyline features the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.Despite suffering over 1,000 attacks -- more than the combined total for the other targeted countries, according to the foreign ministry -- the UAE said it had no plans to hit back against Iran."The United Arab Emirates reaffirms that it has not taken any decision to alter its defensive posture in response to the repeated Iranian attacks," the foreign ministry statement said."The UAE reiterates that it is not a party to this war and has not permitted the use of its territory, territorial waters or airspace for any attack against Iran," it added.
Khamenei to be buried in holy city of Mashhad: Iranian media.
Tehran, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, the Fars news agency said Tuesday.Khamenei, who led the country for 36 years, was killed at 86 during a wave of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday.He was originally from Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where his father is buried at the Imam Reza shrine.Before the burial, a "large farewell ceremony" will be held in Tehran, the Revolutionary Guards said on their Telegram account.No date for the burial was disclosed.After Khamenei's death, power was entrusted to a three-man interim council until the Assembly of Experts elects his successor.It includes the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council, the body that oversees legislation and vets electoral candidates.Fars, citing an official familiar with the process, reported that "for security reasons", the assembly's final meeting could be postponed until after Khamenei's burial.Iranian media said the building housing the 88-member body in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, was hit Tuesday by US-Israeli strikes.Its main headquarters in the Iranian capital was also struck the day before.
CORRECTED: Israel army says struck 'covert underground' nuclear site in Iran.
Jerusalem, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it struck an underground nuclear site in Iran where it said scientists were "covertly" developing a key component for nuclear weapons."IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists' activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike on the covert underground compound," the military said, displaying a map showing the facility on the eastern outskirts of Tehran."In the site, a group of nuclear scientists operated covertly to develop a key component for nuclear weapons," it said, adding the scientists had been working at the underground location, identified as "Minzadehei," after Israel struck several Iranian nuclear sites during the previous war in June.
NATO 'welcomes' Macron's nuclear drive.
Brussels, Belgium, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-NATO on Tuesday said it welcomed "the opportunity to expand consultation on nuclear issues" with Paris after President Emmanuel Macron vowed to bolster France's nuclear arsenal.Macron said Monday France would expand its atomic arsenal and could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries for the first time, in a potential major shift for Europe's defence at a time of strained ties with the United States."France's nuclear deterrent already contributes to the security of the alliance, and we welcome the initiative by President Macron to enhance deterrence further," a NATO official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity."We welcome the opportunity to expand consultation on nuclear issues with France in order to ensure a coherent, coordinated approach."Macron updated France's nuclear doctrine as Russia's war against Ukraine grinds into a fifth year and NATO allies worry whether Washington's commitment to Europe is wavering.Reassurances from US officials that the American deterrent would continue to cover Europe under the NATO alliance have done little to quell European fears of fickleness under US President Donald Trump.Macron announced that eight European countries, including Britain, Germany, Poland and Sweden, had agreed to participate in what he called a "forward" nuclear deterrence scheme.NATO's nuclear deterrence relies on the United States, while France remains independent of the alliance's nuclear planning group.Macron said the efforts by France -- the only European Union country with nuclear weapons, and the only on the continent besides Britain -- would complement NATO's mission.NATO chief Mark Rutte insisted earlier this month that "nobody" was pushing to replace the US nuclear umbrella in Europe.
Iran missile and drone barrages create dilemma for Gulf states.
Doha, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-For four days, Iranian missiles and drones have swept Gulf states' cities and infrastructure, sundering ties with Tehran and placing the neighbours on a potential course for greater military confrontation, analysts said.After years of careful diplomatic rapprochement with the Islamic republic and weeks of publicly arguing against war, Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, now face a dilemma: to hit back and risk stiffer attacks, or maintain their defensive position and hope to absorb the blows."Arab Gulf states are on the frontlines of a war they sought to avert," Middle East expert Hasan Alhasan wrote for the International Institute for Strategic Studies."A debate is brewing in Gulf capitals about the merits of strategic patience and restraint."Qatar, the Gulf state seen as having the closest ties to Iran, downed two Iranian fighter jets -- notable for being the first time a Gulf country has hit manned Iranian planes since the war broke out.Farea Al-Muslimi, a researcher at the UK-based Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme, told AFP he would be "extremely shocked" if Saudi Arabia in particular "did not respond militarily"."Saudi Arabia, if not the whole Gulf, is preparing for some form of response to Iran. It cannot afford to do nothing after being attacked," Al-Muslimi said.Saudi Arabia's military raised its readiness levels in response to attacks by Iran, a source close to the army told AFP on Monday, while another warned of a possible military response if its oil infrastructure was targeted.On Monday, Saudi was forced to halt some operations on its massive Ras Tanura refinery due to Iran's attacks.Falling debris from an intercepted Iranian attack sparked a fire at the facility, according to the kingdom's energy ministry.- 'Angry as hell' -A 2019 attack -- claimed by Yemen's Houthis but blamed by Riyadh and Washington on Tehran -- hit a Saudi processing plant and oil field, prompting the kingdom to rethink its previous hardline response to Iran.In a landmark Chinese-brokered deal, Tehran and Riyadh agreed in March 2023 to restore ties and reopen their respective embassies, marking a significant improvement in relations between the longtime rivals.Hesham Al-Ghannam, a Saudi security analyst, said that ahead of Saturday's attacks, Riyadh "denied airspace and basing rights, signalling neutrality to Tehran", but "Iran struck Saudi territory anyway", wiping out the diplomatic investment.Drone strikes hit the UAE's Fujairah oil refineries on Tuesday, with falling debris from an intercepted drone sparking a fire in an oil field, authorities said.The UAE has been targeted by more than 800 drones and 200 missiles since Saturday, according to its defence ministry, bearing the brunt of Iran's retaliatory campaign across the Gulf.The attacks have killed three people in the Emirates, out of eight in total across the Gulf, and set fires at landmarks including The Palm and the Burj Al Arab, prompting Abu Dhabi to close its embassy in Tehran and recall its ambassador.The UAE fully reopened its embassy in Tehran in 2022 during a thaw in relations, after years of tensions and a tougher line taken during US President Donald Trump's first term.UAE-based political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla said that since Saturday, the relationship had reached "the lowest of the low", describing the barrages as "an aggression that takes us... to probably a new stage"."We are definitely angry as hell, and this is just the beginning of things to come."- 'Iran has become an enemy' -Despite being Iran's second-largest trade partner, the UAE was disproportionately targeted, Abdulla said, with 63 percent of projectiles aimed at the six Gulf states landing in the Emirates."There is an understanding now, a Gulf understanding, and a perception that Iran has become an enemy of a sort, has become an aggressor," he added.Before Qatar downed two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 warplanes on Monday, its state-run QatarEnergy, one of the world's largest producers of Liquefied Natural Gas, had been forced to suspend production after drones targeted two of its key facilities.Sharing the world's largest gas field with Iran, Qatar maintained relations with the Islamic republic despite being targeted by Iranian rockets in June 2025 during the last conflict between Israel and Iran.At a Tuesday news briefing, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said all Qatar's "red lines have already been crossed", calling the strikes "a blatant attack on our sovereignty"."We reserve the right to retaliate," he said, adding that leaders were "considering right now all the options".csp/smwQatarEnergy
Trump threatens to cut all trade ties with Spain over Iran war refusal, disses Starmer-‘We don’t want anything to do with Spain,’ says US president after Madrid barred use of its bases for strike; Trump also slams British PM: ‘This is not Winston Churchill’By Shaun Tandon Today, 11:05 pm-MAR 3,26
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran, while also lashing out at Britain for not cooperating more.Spain’s left-wing government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe’s most defiant leaders against Trump, has said that bases long used by US forces could only be allowed for activities consistent with the United Nations Charter.“Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters as he met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House.He also pointed to Sanchez’s refusal to join NATO allies in a pledge to boost defense spending to five percent of GDP, a level pushed by Trump, who says the United States bears too much of a burden.“So we’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain,” Trump said, adding that he had asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut off all dealings with Spain.”It remains unclear what power Trump would have to “end” trade with Spain, after the Supreme Court struck down his use of emergency powers to impose arbitrary tariffs.Musing on the legalities, the 79-year-old property tycoon turned president said, “I could tomorrow stop — or today, even better — stop everything having to do with Spain, all business.”“I have the right to… do anything I want with it,” he said.The Spanish government quickly responded that it had a “mutually beneficial” trading relationship with the United States and other countries.“If the US administration wishes to review this relationship, it must do so while respecting the autonomy of private companies, international law and bilateral agreements between the European Union and the US,” it said.“Our country has the necessary resources to contain possible impacts, help sectors that may be affected, and diversify supply chains.”Sanchez has called for dialogue to end the war on Iran, saying that “One can oppose a hateful regime and at the same time oppose an unjustified and dangerous military intervention.”Sanchez is also an outspoken critic of Israel, accusing it of carrying out genocide in its massive military operation in Gaza, an assertion Israel denies.US forces use the Rota naval base and Moron air base in Spain. During the 2003 Iraq invasion, Spain, then under conservative prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, staunchly backed the United States.Britain, a steadfast ally of the United States throughout the two World Wars and in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, also decided not to join the assault on Iran.“I’m not happy with the UK,” Trump said Tuesday, as he added of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”Starmer said US fighter jets could use two UK air bases — one in Gloucestershire in western England and the other at the joint UK-US Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean — for a “specific and limited defensive purpose.”But Starmer said the United States was not authorized to use UK bases in Cyprus, one of which was struck by an Iranian-made drone overnight between Sunday and Monday.“It’s taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land,” Trump said in apparent reference to Diego Garcia. “There would have been much more convenient landing there, as opposed to flying many extra hours.”Trump, after a series of flip-flops, has denounced Starmer for agreeing to return the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base and whose people were expelled by Britain, to Mauritius, and instead to lease the base.“I will say the UK has been very, very uncooperative with that stupid island that they have,” Trump said Tuesday.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
France to boost nuclear arsenal, could deploy atomic weapons to European allies.
Île Longue, France, March 2 (AFP) Mar 02, 2026-President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France will expand its atomic arsenal and could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries for the first time, as he unveiled an unprecedented plan to bolster security on the continent.Speaking from the Ile Longue nuclear submarine base as the clock ticks on his presidency, Macron announced that eight European countries including Germany, Poland, Sweden and Britain had agreed to participate in what he called a "forward" nuclear deterrence scheme."Today more than ever, independence cannot mean isolation," Macron said in his 50-minute speech, with one of France's four ballistic missile submarines in the background."We are currently experiencing a period of geopolitical upheaval fraught with risks," Macron said, speaking after the launch of US and Israeli attacks against Iran in a campaign that risks destabilising the Middle East.Macron said eight European countries had agreed to join his plan to use France's nuclear stockpile to bolster security on the continent."Germany will be a key partner in this effort," he said,In a joint statement following Macron's speech, France, the European Union's only nuclear power, and Germany said they had set up a "nuclear steering group", adding such an arrangement would "add to, not substitute for, NATO's nuclear deterrence".The countries -- including the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece and Denmark -- will be able to temporarily host French "strategic air forces", which will be able to "spread out across the European continent" to "complicate the calculations of our adversaries", Macron said.The scheme could also involve "the conventional participation of allied forces in our nuclear activities", such as recent military exercises in which British forces have been involved, Macron added.He stressed that France would maintain tight control over nuclear decision-making.France and Germany said they had agreed to take "first concrete steps beginning this year", including German conventional participation in French nuclear exercises.- 'Arming up with our friends' -Macron updated France's nuclear doctrine as Russia's war against Ukraine grinds into a fifth year and NATO allies worry about Washington's wavering commitment to Europe.Reassurances from US officials that the American deterrent would continue to cover Europe under the NATO alliance have done little to quell European fears of fickleness under US President Donald Trump.Macron stressed the new effort would be "in addition to NATO's nuclear mission".The United States stations nuclear bombs in five European countries - Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Turkey.He also said he ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads, but added France would no longer be disclosing any details on its stockpile.Macron listed the measures as France's allies fret that a possible win by the eurosceptic far-right National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen in next year's presidential election could undermine European cooperation.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland was in talks with France and other European allies on further steps. "We are arming up together with our friends so that our enemies will never dare to attack us," he said on X.Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson also said his country viewed Macron's initiative "positively".- 'Dispersing our assets' -France maintains the world's fourth-largest nuclear arsenal, with around 290 warheads. Britain, which is no longer a member of the EU, is the only other European nuclear power.By contrast, the US and Russia, the world's two main atomic powers, each have thousands of nuclear warheads.Jean-Marie Collin of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) said he envisaged "an increase of between 50 and 100 nuclear warheads within around ten years."He said an end to transparency announced by Macron was "contrary to the spirit" of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.Rafael Loss of the European Council on Foreign Relations warned that a far-right electoral victory next year "could walk back many or even most of these steps"."Electoral politics can have a great impact on the credibility of nuclear deterrence as perceived by allies and adversaries -- as developments since Trump's re-election demonstrate," he said.RN leaders Le Pen and Jordan Bardella took issue with Macron's "forward deterrence" plan."This new concept effectively means dispersing our nuclear assets across European territory," they said in a joint statement."Between now and the next presidential election, National Rally will defend the sovereignty and effectiveness of our nuclear force with the utmost vigour."bur-vl-fz-as/yad
S&P/TSX composite tumbles 2 per cent, U.S. markets also down on Mideast war fears.
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index dived, then pared back some of its losses to finish the day 2.2 per cent lower on Tuesday as investors worried about a widening of the war between Iran and the United States and Israel.“The big fear with this conflict, the social ramifications aside, is what's the impact going to be on energy and oil prices and how is that going to potentially translate into inflation?” said Michael Greenberg, head of Americas portfolio management at Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions.He said that higher energy prices could also raise costs for other goods, given the impacts on things like shipping, input and manufacturing costs.The cost of crude oil was up as Iran launched a series of retaliatory attacks, including a drone strike on the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia. The April crude oil contract was up US$3.33 at US$74.56 per barrel.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 756.33 points at 33,784.94.Canada’s index was weighed down by sharp losses in the basic materials sector as the April gold contract was down US$187.90 at US$5,123.70 an ounce.Greenberg said the rally in gold prices over the past year or two was largely driven by central banks buying the commodity, followed by interest among retail investors.“What we've seen in the last couple of months is central bank gold buying has really slowed down, which is no surprise. As prices got to very elevated levels, it makes a lot of sense that some of these central banks would slow their buying,” he said.Greenberg said declines in gold prices have a greater impact on the performance of the TSX compared to U.S. indexes.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 403.51 points at 48,501.27. The S&P 500 index was down 64.99 points at 6,816.63, while the Nasdaq composite was down 232.17 points at 22,516.69.Worries are particularly high about the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran, a narrow passageway where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes.Iranian Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, vowed that any ships that passed through the strait would be set on fire.“Any longer-term shutdown of that shipping lane will add dramatically to the cost to shipping oil globally, if not hampering the supply,” Greenberg said.Making things uncertain for markets is the question about how long this war may continue.A major attack by the United States and Israel has already killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Trump said late Monday night on his social media network, “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully” with the supply of munitions that the United States possesses.Some professional investors said again Tuesday they don’t think this is the beginning of a long-term down market and that stocks could rebound if the war doesn’t last that long. But they acknowledge it could take a while for that to become clear, and Tuesday’s swings for markets show how uncertain things are.Anish Chopra, managing director with Portfolio Management Corp., says fears of a longer conflict between the U.S. and Iran were driving a risk-off sentiment in Canadian and U.S. stock markets.“Markets are trading in a risk-off mode as investors are concerned by the conflict in the Middle East, the fact that it's escalating and the potential that it could last for longer than what people were anticipating,” Chopra said.“As a result of that, you're seeing significantly higher oil and gas prices, and the concern around oil and gas prices rising is a resurgence in inflation.”He added that higher inflation could impact the path of interest rates.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.08 cents US compared with 73.06 cents US on Monday.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2026.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)— With files from The Associated Press.Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press
Oil extends gains and stocks dive as Middle East war spreads.
Hong Kong, March 3 (AFP) Mar 03, 2026-Oil prices extended gains while the dollar and equities tumbled Tuesday as investors kept tabs on the widening war in the Middle East.The US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic republic have upended regional energy flows, with the crucial Strait of Hormuz -- through which about a fifth of global oil transits -- effectively closed off. The war has also fuelled fears of a fresh energy crisis that could ramp up inflation.Market moves have been comparatively mild amid hopes that the crisis will be short-lived and not cause a major problem for the global economy.But analysts warned that the longer it goes on the more painful it would be as supply chains are hit and prices surge.US President Donald Trump said the war, which began Saturday with a strike that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was going "substantially" ahead of schedule but warned it could go on for more than four weeks.He also for the first time laid out objectives -- destroying Iran's missiles, navy and nuclear programme, and stopping its support for armed groups across the region -- which notably did not include toppling the Islamic republic.The US State Department urged Americans to leave all of the Middle East from Egypt eastward.Iran has responded by unleashing missiles and drones across the Middle East, including at Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Dubai, while threatening explicitly to drive up global energy costs.That sent oil prices soaring nearly 14 percent Monday before slightly easing, while European natural gas prices spiked almost 40 percent after Qatar's state-run energy firm said it had halted liquefied natural gas production.Meanwhile, a general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened to "burn any ship" seeking to navigate the Strait of Hormuz."We will also attack oil pipelines and will not allow a single drop of oil to leave the region. Oil price will reach $200 in the coming days," he warned.Crude surged again Tuesday, with Brent up more than four percent and back above $80 a barrel, and WTI climbing more than three percent.The Dutch TTF natural gas contract, considered the European benchmark, shot up more than 33 percent.The rise in energy costs could give most central bankers a headache as they look to bring down inflation while also cutting interest rates to support their economies."A spike in energy prices creates a dilemma for central banks," said Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank. "Stagflation makes central banks very uncomfortable, a longer-lasting energy shock is inflationary and at the same time it weakens growth."And Chris Weston at Pepperstone added: "With the Strait of Hormuz temporarily constrained, the longer the disruption persists, the greater the risk that additional facilities and infrastructure across the Gulf region may be forced offline."Equity markets mostly retreated to extend Monday's losses in most of Asia, while the dollar gained on a push into safe havens.Seoul, which has surged more than 40 percent this year on the back of a tech rally, led the retreat by diving more than seven percent as investors returned from a long weekend.Chipmakers Samsung and SK hynix, which have soared this year on the back of the AI tech rally, were at the forefront of the selling. Samsung sank 9.9 percent and SK hynix 11.5 percent.Kim Dae-jong, professor of business at Sejong University, told AFP: "South Korea is a highly export-dependent economy, and signs of a widening war in the Middle East have added to market uncertainty."The country also relies entirely on energy imports, ... making some impact all but inevitable."Tokyo shed more than three percent while Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were also sharply lower.Europe also tumbled at the open, with London, Frankfurt and Paris off more than one percent.Airlines were again among the biggest losers, with Tokyo-listed Japan Airlines down more than six percent, Cathay Pacific down 2.8 percent in Hong Kong and Qantas losing 1.8 percent in Sydney.Air France-KLM shed three percent in Amsterdam."As long as oil flows continue, this remains a volatility event, not a systemic one -- but it confirms that geopolitics is now structurally embedded in the investment cycle," said Monica Defend at Amundi Investment Institute."In the short term, it feeds inflation risk, US dollar strength, and asset-class dispersion. Energy volatility, inflation uncertainty and regional dispersion are returning as defining market features."- Key figures at around 0815 GMT -West Texas Intermediate: UP 3.7 percent at $73.83 per barrel-Brent North Sea Crude: UP 4.3 percent at $81.06 per barrel-Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 3.1 percent at 56,279.05 (close)-Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.1 percent at 25,768.08 (close)-Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.4 percent at 4,122.68 (close)-London - FTSE 100: DOWN 1.3 percent at 10,641.69-Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1645 from $1.1688 on Monday-Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3340 from $1.3399-Dollar/yen: DOWN at 157.29 yen from 157.31 yen-Euro/pound: UP at 87.32 pence from 87.23 pence-New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 48,904.78 (close)-jug-stu-dan/lb
Syria deploys thousands of troops to border with Lebanon, officials say-Move aimed at preventing smuggling of arms, drugs and to block Hezbollah from infiltrating, Syrian officers say, after Iran-backed terror group attacked Israel in support of Tehran By Reuters and ToI Staff 4 March 2026, 12:34 am
Syria has reinforced its border with Lebanon with rocket units and thousands of troops, eight Syrian and Lebanese sources said Tuesday, after the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Tehran amid the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran on Saturday.The sources included five Syrian military officers, a Syrian security official and two Lebanese security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.The Syrian officers, including a senior member of the military, said the move was aimed at preventing arms and drugs smuggling, and at blocking Iran-backed Hezbollah and other armed groups from infiltrating Syria.A Syrian officer told Reuters that military formations from several Syrian army divisions, including the 52nd and 84th Divisions, have expanded their presence along the border in western Homs countryside and south of Tartus. The reinforcements include infantry units, armored vehicles and short-range Grad and Katyusha rocket launchers, the official said.The Syrian security official said Damascus had no plans for military action against any neighboring country. “But Syria is prepared to deal with any security threat to itself or its partners,” he said. Still, the move has fueled concern among some European and Lebanese officials over a possible incursion.The Syrian military officers vehemently denied any such plans, saying Syria wants balanced relations with its neighbor after decades of strained ties linked to Syria’s outsized influence in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s support for the former government of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad during a 14-year civil war. Syria had troops stationed in Lebanon from 1976 until 2005 including during Lebanon’s civil war that ended in 1990.A senior Lebanese security official said Syrian authorities told Beirut that Syria’s deployment of rocket launchers along the mountains that form Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria was a “defensive measure against any action or attack that Hezbollah might launch against Syria.”Hezbollah resumed firing at Israel on Monday more than a year after reaching a ceasefire to a months-long war in November 2024.The terror group cast the move as revenge for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the US-Israeli operation in the Islamic Republic, and as a warning to Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanon.Citing security concerns, Israel had held on to five border posts inside Lebanon, and it also carried out frequent airstrikes in Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of failing to vacate the country’s south as required by the ceasefire agreement.Following Hezbollah’s rocket barrage Monday, Israel ordered much of south Lebanon evacuated, displacing tens of thousands of people.Israeli airstrikes across Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon and southern Beirut have prompted thousands of people to flee towards Syria, and killed dozens, including senior operatives from Hezbollah and allied terror groups.The war against Iran came after US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to strike the Islamic Republic, first over its bloody crackdown on anti-regime protesters in January and more recently over its nuclear program.
Israel okays plan to slowly reopen airspace from Wednesday night for repatriation flights-Goal is to bring back some 10,000 stranded Israelis per day; for now, no outgoing passengers will be allowed on the flights amid security concerns By Sharon Wrobel-Today, 10:59 pm-MAR 3,26
Transportation Minister Miri Regev on Tuesday evening approved a framework to restart operations at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in a controlled and phased manner from Wednesday night as Israel seeks to bring home some 100,000 of its citizens stranded abroad.The country’s airspace has been shut since Saturday, when Israel and the US launched a major joint military strike on Iran and the Islamic Republic responded with barrages of missile fire.“Our mission is to bring back Israelis safely,” Regev said at a press conference. “According to the outline from the second day of the operation, we will be able to return about 10,000 passengers a day.”Under the presented framework, Ben Gurion Airport will operate 24 hours a day and will open in a controlled manner. In the first 24 hours, one passenger aircraft per hour carrying about 200 people will be permitted. After that, the frequency will be increased to two narrow-body aircraft every hour, or one wide-body, if security and operational conditions permit.“This means that at the peak of activity after 24 hours, if everything goes as it should and there are no security changes, we will be able to return about 10,000 passengers to Israel a day,” said Regev.Israel Airports Authority CEO Sharon Kedmi said that assuming there are no interruptions, Israelis stranded abroad will be home within a week to 10 days.As of now, no passengers will be allowed on planes that leave Ben Gurion Airport and are designated for the repatriation of Israelis abroad, in order to prevent crowding, shorten the time spent at the terminal, and reduce risks. Regev said outgoing civilian air traffic will be assessed in accordance with security developments and situation assessments.“We will consider humanitarian cases and ask the airlines to consider special cases, but we must remember that the safety of passengers is of utmost importance,” said Regev.Passengers arriving on the inbound repatriation flights will spend no longer than an average of 25 to 30 minutes on the ground between picking up their luggage and leaving Ben Gurion Airport. A bus and Israel Railways transportation system will be in place to help those arriving leave the airport swiftly.Israel’s flag carrier El Al said it has started to assign El Al and Sundor ticket holders stranded abroad to repatriation flights from 22 destinations back to Israel. Customers will be contacted automatically by the airline. The assignment will be carried out according to the date of the original flight ticket, and at no additional cost. Priority will be given to exceptional medical humanitarian cases, the airline added.Once the country’s airspace gradually reopens, El Al plans to pick up Israelis from New York, Miami, and Los Angeles in the US, and Bangkok and Phuket in Southeast Asia. Across Europe, flights will be operated from Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Milan, Paris, Budapest, Tbilisi, Sofia, Warsaw, Bucharest, Madrid, London, Barcelona, Geneva, Amsterdam, Munich, and Zurich.Flights will be opened for sale to the general public only after all El Al and Sun Dor customers have been repatriated.“I expect Israeli airlines to bring back passengers of foreign airlines, who decide not to travel through the Taba land border crossing with Egypt, or decide to reach another destination in Europe,” said Regev. “This is Israeli airlines’ opportunity to prove that in a time of crisis, they really understand the hardship and understand that they can profit but not to extort prices they charge.”Smaller Israeli airline Arkia said it is working on a schedule for repatriation flights, which will be operated once the airspace gradually reopens. At the same time, the airline will continue to operate special flights from various European cities, including Athens, Greece, Rome, Italy, and Larnaca, Cyprus, to Egypt’s Taba International Airport to help stranded Israelis return home via land border crossings.Arkia on Sunday launched flights using Electra Airways’ Airbus A320 aircraft to and from Taba airport. Travelers stuck in Israel left the country via this route. Since Sunday, 5,500 passengers passed through the border crossing with Egypt on these flights, the airline said.Rival Israir said it plans to operate repatriation flights to bring back customers from various destinations in Europe to Ben Gurion Airport starting March 5. The first Israir flight selected to land at Ben Gurion Airport will depart from Rome. In the following days, additional flights to Tel Aviv are set to leave from Berlin, Batumi, Athens, Tbilisi, Barcelona, Grenoble, Bergamo, Munich, and Rovaniemi.
