New posts
00:59
Trump Says Does Not Want Iranian Kurds To Launch Offensive
US President Donald Trump on March 7 said he did not want ethnic Kurds to launch a ground offensive against the regime in Iran, saying he did not want to see them get hurt and killed.
"We're not looking to the Kurds going in," he told reporters aboard Air Force One on March 7.
"We're very friendly with the Kurds, as you know, but we don't want to make the war any more complex than it already is."
Iranian Kurdish fighters train in Iraq (file photo).
Yeah, I have ruled that out. I dont want the Kurds going in. I dont want to see the Kurds get hurt and killed, he added.
Theyre willing to go in, but Ive told them I dont want them going in. The wars complicated enough without getting the Kurds involved.
Two days earlier, Trump had told Reuters that he would be "all for" an offensive by Iranian Kurdish fighters in support of the US-Israeli war.
"I think it's wonderful that they want to do that. I'd be all for it, he told the news agency at the time.
Several Iranian opposition Kurdish groups are based in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region and have been waging a low-level insurgency against Tehran for years. Some have demanded autonomy within Iran while others are fighting for secession from the Islamic republic.
Kurds make up around 10 percent of Iran's population and primarily live in the country's west along the border with Iraq. Iran has long been accused of suppressing and discriminating against the country's ethnic minorities, including Kurds.
Share
ShareCopy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email
22:49
7.3.2026
US Forces Begin Using British Air Bases For 'Defensive Operations'
US forces have begun using bases in Britain for "defensive operations" in the Middle East as attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel enter their second week.
The British Defense Ministry said the United States has started utilizing the facilities for "specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region."
The island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, home to British and US forces.
US President Donald Trump had expressed anger with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially refusing to assist with offensive operations in the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Starmer defended his initial decision by saying any British action "must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan."
He later granted a US request to use two British military bases for a "specific and limited defensive purpose" -- Fairford in southwestern England, and the UK-US Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
Air Chief Marshal Knighton, chief of the Defense Staff, indicated that Britain could play a more active role in the future, saying campaigns and conflicts evolve over time.
Share
ShareCopy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email
22:28
7.3.2026
Trump Attends Return Of Slain Troops To US Soil
US President Donald Trump on March 7 attended the return of the remains of the first six US soldiers killed in Kuwait during the US and Israeli war against Iran.
Accompanied by several Cabinet members and Vice President J.D. Vance, Trump saluted as each flag-draped case was transported from military aircraft at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The base is the traditional sites where the remains of US troops killed overseas are returned to United States.
The Pentagon said the soldiers were killed on March 1 when a drone struck a US command center in Kuwait, a day after the US and Israeli militaries launched a massive air campaign against Iran.
US President Donald Trump salutes as members of a US Army team carry the flagged-draped transfer case containing the remains of US soldier killed in the Middle East.
Share
ShareCopy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email
22:21
7.3.2026
Israel Strikes Iran's National Oil Reserves, Igniting Massive Blaze
Israel's military on March 7 struck Iran's national oil reserves in Tehran for the first time, with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) saying the attack was part of measures targeting assets belonging to Iran's leadership.
An IDF spokesman said about 30 oil tanks were attacked. Video images from Iran shared on social showed massive flames bursting from the oil facility.
"The military forces of the Iranian terrorist regime make direct and frequent use of these fuel tanks to operate military infrastructure. Through them, the Iranian terrorist regime distributes fuel to various consumers, including military entities in Iran," the IDF said.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB quoted the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as confirming the bombing of an oil refinery near the capital.
SEE ALSO:
Iran War Sends Economic Ripples Through Central Asia, Turkmenistan Most Exposed
The official IRNA news agency reported that "oil depot in southern Tehran was targeted by the US and Zionist regime."
The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) said all necessary measures were being implemented to minimize damage to the country's oil reserves.
It added that fuel supply to Tehran and Alborz Provinces was being stabilized by produce from other sources.
Videos and images from Tehran showing massive flames were shared on social media.
The IRGC said it fired missiles at an Israel oil facility in the city of Haifa in retaliation.
Share
ShareCopy link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Email
21:30
7.3.2026
Iranians Continue To Cross Into Armenia Amid Air Attacks
-
By
RFE/RL's Armenian Service
Iranians cross the border into Armenia as air strikes pound Tehran and other parts of the country. After entering Armenia, one woman said Iranians had "lost everything" amid the destruction and dwindling resources.
