UNOCHA report summary on Gaza

Posted on March 2, 2026 by borderslynn

You can read their reports every Friday at:

https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-humanitarian-response-situation-report-no-69

HIGHLIGHTS

  • A total of 260 out of 619 health service points (42 per cent) across the Gaza Strip are functioning, 90 per cent of them partially. All hospitals in Gaza remain fully dependent on back-up generators, with delays in the entry of related spare parts, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, transformers and critical electrical components impacting Intensive Care Unit, dialysis, operating theatre and laboratory functionality.
  • Between 11 and 23 February, around 2,500 cubic metres of accumulated waste had been relocated from Firas Market to the newly identified temporary dump site in Abu Jarad. Newly generated waste from Gaza city and North Gaza is now being sent directly to Abu Jarad.
  • Nine more Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces were established in Gaza city, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis during the reporting period, bringing the total to 68 across the Strip.
  • Between 18 and 24 February, Cash Working Group partners distributed multi purpose cash assistance to more than 3,500 households across the Gaza Strip through digital payment modalities.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Between 20 and 25 February, airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continued across the Gaza Strip, reportedly resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza (MoH), seven Palestinians were killed, and 33 others injured during this period, bringing the total casualty toll reported by MoH since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October 2025 to 618 killed and 1,663 injured.

Throughout the reporting period, the Rafah Crossing remained open for limited movement of people. Overall, since the crossing reopened in early February, WHO has facilitated the medical evacuation of 289 patients, alongside 521 caregivers. During the same time frame, the UN and humanitarian partners have also supported 804 returnees, providing them with protection, medical assistance, and transportation as well as basic supplies.

Efforts to address immediate weather‑ and accident‑related needs and provide critical services to underserved communities through joint humanitarian aid distributions continued during the reporting period. On 25 February, joint teams began distributing multi-sectoral assistance packages, comprising mostly shelter and hygiene items, to over 240 families affected by a rainstorm that struck Gaza between 23 and 24 February.

On 26 February, partners also distributed food assistance as well as shelter and hygiene items to over 400 families in the Bani Suhaila area of Khan Younis. The targeted families are residing in a hard-to-reach and underserved area and have experienced repeated displacement in recent months due to shifts of the “Yellow Line”.

According to the latest WFP Market Monitor, food consumption in Gaza continued to show encouraging signs of improvement in the first eleven days of February, sustaining the gains observed in January. While more accessible market prices and increased food availability have driven a noticeable recovery in food consumption patterns compared to pre‑ceasefire levels, significant gaps persist. Vegetables are still consumed on average two days per week, down from six before October 2023, while fruits are consumed just half a day per week, compared to three prior to October 2023. Protein (meat, poultry, eggs) consumption equally remains limited at one day per week, compared to three. Access to energy sources represents a persisting challenge, with over 50 per cent of the population still reporting relying on waste burning as an alternative to cooking gas in February. Encouragingly, however, in the northern governorates, the share of households able to use cooking gas reached 10 per cent, signaling gradual improvement.

On 11 February, OCHA, in coordination with operational partners, conducted a needs assessment of more than 1,800 families living in areas of Deir al Balah adjacent to the “Orange Line” where Israeli authorities recommend prior coordination for humanitarian movements. Field engagement with camp focal points from particularly underserved areas evidenced severely limited access to essential services. Priority needs include drinking water, food assistance, functioning water pumps, and emergency shelter solutions, such as dome tents, alongside key essential items like tarpaulins, kitchen kits, hygiene kits, and winter clothing. In response, a shelter partner is preparing targeted shelter materials and other essential items for these families. Additional underserved locations across the Strip will be also assessed.

HUMANITARIAN AID*

Between 20 and 26 February, based on data retrieved from the UN2720 Mechanism dashboard at 16:00 on 27 February, nearly 7,500 pallets of aid administered by the UN and partners were offloaded at Gaza’s crossings. About 66.5 per cent of these pallets contained food supplies, followed by shelter items (23 per cent), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance (5.5 per cent), health items (2 per cent), as well as operations, logistics and telecommunication material, nutrition and other items (less than 3 per cent cumulatively).

During the same period, just above 7,200 pallets of aid were collected at Gaza’s crossing. About 82 per cent of these pallets contained food supplies, followed by shelter items (9 per cent), nutrition supplies (8 per cent), and health (less than one percent).

Overall, between the announcement of the ceasefire on 10 October 2025 and 26 February 2026, at least 309,428 pallets of humanitarian cargo were offloaded, and nearly 312,00 pallets were collected from the operating crossings. Some 1,532 pallets, less than one per cent of all collected aid, were intercepted during transit within Gaza.

The above data does not include bilateral donations and the commercial sector.

Between 20 and 26 February, the United Nations coordinated 55 humanitarian missions with the Israeli authorities inside Gaza. Of these, seven (13 per cent) were denied outright. Of the remaining missions, 32 (58 per cent) were facilitated, and 15 (27 per cent) were approved but faced impediments, including long delays. Of these, 11 missions were eventually fully accomplished, two only partially and another two failed. One mission was also cancelled by the organizers.

UN and international NGO trucks manifested through the Egypt Corridor continued to face low offload rates during the reporting period. Overall, between 18 and 24 February, out of 244 trucks manifested by the Logistics Cluster, only 72 — 30 per cent — offloaded at Kerem Shalom. Since the start of the month, only 34 per cent of all 1,098 trucks manifested by the Logistics Cluster through the Egypt Corridor have been offloaded.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food Security

  • As of 23 February, Food Security Sector (FSS) partners had reached approximately 200,000 families (about one million people) with household-level general food assistance as part of the monthly distribution cycle. Since 5 February, ration sizes have been covering half of the minimum caloric needs.
  • As of 21 February, almost 1.73 million meals continued to be prepared and delivered daily by partners through 182 kitchens across Gaza – 565,000 meals through 54 kitchens in the northern governorates and 1.164 million meals through 128 kitchens in southern and central Gaza. Since the start of Ramadan, partners have adjusted cooked meal preparation and distribution timings to align with fasting hours. Partners also continue to enhance meal quality with additional fresh produce and/or protein products.
  • As of 25 February, approximately 160,000 two-kilogram (kg) bread bundles were produced daily through 19 UN-supported bakeries. One third of this bread is distributed for free, along with cooked meals, to more than 400 shelters and community sites, while two thirds are sold through 143 retailers at a subsidized price of 3 NIS ($0.95) per bundle.
  • If the current humanitarian aid truck offloading rates through the Egypt corridor continue to be low, the daily production of nearly one million meals, representing 55 per cent of all meals produced by humanitarian partners, as well as 300,000 loaves of bread, including the 13,000 meals and 32,000 loaves of bread delivered each day to health facilities across the Strip, is at risk of coming to a pause by early March. Humanitarian partners are working hard to bring in additional supplies during the last week of February to prevent any shutdown. For the March general food distribution cycle, partners may not have sufficient stock to sustain even the half-rations distributed since 5 February throughout the month.

Health

  • As of 23 February, 260 of 619 health service points were functioning across the Gaza Strip, 90 per cent of them only partially. These include 19 out of 37 hospitals, 12 field hospitals, 106 primary health care centers, and 123 medical points. Geographically, the largest concentration of services is in Deir al Balah (91), followed by Khan Younis (77), Gaza governorate (79) and North Gaza (7). Additionally, 22 ambulance centers are partially functioning with 10 in Deir al Balah, nine in Khan Younis, two in Gaza city, and one in Rafah.
  • All hospitals in Gaza remain fully dependent on emergency back-up generators. Dual-use restrictions continue to delay entry of generators/spare parts, uninterruptible power supply systems, transformers and critical electrical components, impacting Intensive Care Unit, dialysis, operating theatre and laboratory functionality.
  • Between 18 and 24 February, seven medical evacuation missions were conducted, enabling 123 patients, along with 201 companions, to leave Gaza to receive urgent medical treatment unavailable in the Strip. Of all patients, 72 were trauma cases, 26 were affected by ophthalmological disorders, three had cancer, nine had cardiovascular diseases, and the remainder were orthopedic, gastrointestinal, neurological, urological, congenital, and transplant cases. A total of 94 patients were evacuated to Egypt through the Rafah Crossing, while another 29 reached Jordan through the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Men represented 71 per cent of all evacuees, followed by children (32 per cent) and women (29 per cent).
  • Since the ceasefire in October 2025 and up to 16 February 2026, an additional 853 people have reportedly acquired new disabilities. This includes 496 new amputations, 186 spinal cord injuries, and 171 traumatic brain injuries. Despite rising needs, assistive products, including prosthetics, continue to be classified by the Israeli authorities as “dual-use” items, which severely restricts their entry into the Gaza Strip. During this period, only 300 artificial limbs were allowed to enter Gaza under the Health Cluster framework, while the cumulative number of amputations since October 2023 now exceeds 5,000, in addition to the 496 new amputations recorded since the ceasefire.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

  • Drinking water availability in Gaza city remains severely restricted and well below WASH emergency standards of 6 litres per person per day for thousands of vulnerable families. The principal water supply line, Mekorot north, has been damaged since middle of January, though several repair interventions have taken place, by both Palestinian and Mekorot contractors, there are still issues and currently the control valve is turned off. The next largest fresh water supply for Gaza city, the Safa well field, remains non-operational and WASH actors are requesting access to repair. In the meantime, WASH agencies have increased water trucking from private desalination sources and increased production from groundwater wells, but this does still not meet the needs.
  • The relocation of waste from Firas Market in Gaza city to the newly identified temporary dump site in Abu Jarad has resumed after a four-day suspension last week due to security concerns. As of 23 February, approximately 2,500 cubic metres of solid waste had been removed to this temporary dumping site. In addition, the new solid waste generated daily in Gaza city and North Gaza governorates is now being transferred directly to Abu Jarad to prevent further accumulation at Firas Market.
  • Between 19 and 24 February, WASH partners distributed 20,000 bars of soap, 11,280 jerrycans, 30,000 bars of soap, 3,850 hygiene kits, and 500 handwashing stations to approximately 3,500 households across the Gaza Strip.

Shelter

  • Between 18 and 24 February, Shelter Cluster partners reached 8,836 households with shelter assistance through in-kind and voucher-based modalities. In-kind distributions included 105 tents, 2,439 tarpaulins, 3,905 sealing-off kits, 1,995 bedding kits (each comprising four mattresses, four blankets, six mats and six pillows), 2,000 bedding items, 457 kitchen sets and 1,052 clothing kits and vouchers.
  • Some partners reported receiving limited new stock last week, including 31,700 tarpaulins, 16,375 bedding items, and 850 sealing-off kits; however, these quantities remain far below the overall level of need.
  • Rejections of timber and plywood sheets continue to hinder the scale‑up of the shelter response and are limiting progress toward transitional and more durable solutions.

Site Management

  • Over the past two weeks, Site Management Cluster partners continued the rapid displacement site review that started on 3 February, surveying a total of 900 sites or, 95 per cent of all active ones, to acquire a more in-depth understanding of living conditions and critical sectoral gaps. Findings show:
    • Approximately 539 sites (57 per cent) have drainage channels or water paths, while about 606 sites (64 percent) report rainwater accumulation.
    • Fire risk remains acute, with 57 per cent of the displaced people living in sites where visible fire hazards are present.
    • Shelter conditions are also concerning, with an estimated 2,927 people sleeping outdoors without any form of shelter across roughly 209 sites (22 per cent of those assessed). The sweep highlights critical service shortfalls affecting daily living conditions and dignity.
    • In about 199 sites (21 per cent), fewer than half of residents had sufficient drinking water in the last 30 days, and in approximately 227 sites (24 per cent), fewer than half of households had adequate soap to meet basic hygiene needs.
    • Access to safe and appropriate energy also remains limited: only 25 sites rely primarily on gas or diesel for cooking, whereas 39 sites primarily burn garbage or plastic, and five sites report no main power source at all, with most others dependent on firewood or agricultural residues.[1]

Protection

  • General Protection
    • Between 19 and 25 February, 14 partners reached nearly 18,000 people – children, caregivers, women, persons injured and with disabilities, frontline workers, and communities in displacement sites and shelters – with protection related services across Gaza. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), including Psychological First Aid (PFA), individual and group counselling, and emotional decompression, reached about 9,850 people, while specialized case management and follow‑up reached almost 800 people. More than 130 other people received legal counselling and assistance, while more than 600 people benefitted from 24 protection awareness sessions, and 40 protection committees received capacity-building by cluster partners. During the reporting period, partners also distributed cash-for-protection assistance to 299 households and distributed 2,000 winter clothing kits.
    • Protection monitoring was conducted in 24 different neighbourhoods, with 44 focus group discussions and 809 key informant interviews carried out with community members in accessible locations across all governorates. The Protection Cluster also conducted rapid field assessments in two displacement camps in Gaza city and Deir al Balah.
  • Child Protection
    • Between 19 and 25 February, Child Protection (CP) partners reached approximately 4,700 children and 2,500 caregivers with MHPSS interventions, individual and group psychological counselling, and psychological first aid for children experiencing acute distress.
    • Within the above activities, 1,857 caregivers participated in structured parenting and psychosocial support sessions, and an additional 20 caregivers engaged in Teaching Recovery Techniques interventions alongside their children.
    • Case management services reached at least 88 children, providing in‑depth assessments, follow‑up, referrals, and home visits for high‑risk cases. A further 150 children received physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medications, and assistive devices based on assessed needs.
    • As part of the winter-response effort, 700 children in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah received blankets and clothing kits.
    • Capacity‑strengthening efforts continued, with 160 case workers and psychologists completing a four‑day Child Protection Case Management training.
    • Throughout the reporting period, CP partners also implemented Ramadan sports and play‑based psychosocial support activities in at least 17 locations across the Gaza Strip. These included football sessions and mini‑leagues, basketball and volleyball for girls, chess competitions, and traditional games. These sports activities were integrated with child protection messaging and psychosocial support, targeting children and adolescents in displacement sites and community spaces. Coordination for league‑style competitions and additional activities is ongoing, with further scale‑up planned throughout Ramadan.
  • Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
    • Between 19 and 25 February, partners addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continued providing essential services to more than 18,000 people, primarily through Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces (WGSSs), safe shelters, and Designated Emergency Shelters. The number of WGSS increased from 59 to 68, with newly established locations in Gaza city, Deir al Balah, and Khan Younis. Overall, a total of 24 safe spaces are in Deir al Balah, 22 in Khan Younis, 20 in Gaza city and one in North Gaza and Rafah, respectively. Key services offered include group psychosocial support for women and girls, individual GBV case management with referrals, mental health care provided by psychiatrists, distribution of dignity kits and menstrual hygiene supplies, provision of winter items such as blankets, awareness-raising on GBV risks, and legal aid services.
    • Partners are currently reviewing the WGSS guidelines to ensure they reflect the local context as well as global minimum standards for GBV prevention and response. In addition, partners are participating in a capacity‑needs assessment survey that will inform training sessions planned for the next quarter.
    • During the reporting period, a GBV Officer participated in a mission to the Rafah Crossing to assess the needs of women and girls. Meanwhile, a GBV partner continued providing psychosocial support and referrals to returnees at the Nasser Hospital protection desk.
  • Mine Action
    • Between 18 and 24 February, partners conducted seven explosive hazard assessments (EHAs) in support of debris removal activities, including an assessment of a damaged mosque in Deir al Balah on 19 February. Of the assessed locations, only one site was categorized as low risk. UNMAS also carried out independent quality assurance (QA) visits to verify compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ensure operational standards are consistently upheld, which is an essential component of Mine Action interventions.
    • Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions for civilians continued throughout the reporting period. UNMAS also delivered one EORE training session to eight UN personnel, strengthening their capacity to safely conduct humanitarian operations in high‑risk environments.
    • No new explosive ordnance (EO) incidents were recorded during this reporting period. However, backdated data received since the start of the ceasefire indicates 34 EO-related incidents, resulting in 76 victims, including 18 children. Of these casualties, 67 were injured and nine were killed.

Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)

  • Between 18 and 24 February, Cash Working Group partners distributed Multi‑Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to more than 3,500 households across the Gaza Strip. Each household received 1,250 Israeli Shekels (US$378) through digital payment modalities in line with the agreed Minimum Expenditure Basket transfer value. In total, more than 165,000 households in Gaza have received at least one MPCA transfer in 2026.
  • Market monitoring by the Gaza Market Monitoring Committee indicates continued, although uneven, improvements in commodity inflows. Food markets were generally supplied, and prices for several staple items showed signs of stabilization compared with earlier peaks. However, short‑term price fluctuations continue. The Gaza Consumer Price Index for February, measured up to 22 February, reached approximately 146 per cent of the pre‑October 2023 baseline, showing that overall prices remain significantly elevated despite recent moderation. Availability of non‑food and winter‑related items, such as shelter materials and heating supplies, remains limited and costly, particularly in northern areas.
  • Household access to essential goods continues to be constrained primarily by reduced income and purchasing power rather than market availability. Cash‑out services remain functional, with commission fees fluctuating between 12 and 14 percent during the reporting period. Digital payments are the predominant transfer modality, supported by increasing vendor acceptance of e‑wallet transactions. The Cash Working Group continues to monitor financial access conditions closely.

Logistics

  • The Logistics Cluster continues to facilitate aid collection and transport services from the platforms of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. The volume of aid at Gaza crossings has been declining. Over the past week, the Cluster supported partners with the collection and transport of 1,430 pallets from both crossings, representing a 30 per cent decrease compared to the previous reporting period.
  • Between 18 and 24 February, Cluster common warehouses across Gaza received 1,414 pallets of aid for storage on behalf of four partners.
  • Through Jordan, the Logistics Cluster continues with Back-to-Back (B2B) convoys via both the King Hussein-Allenby and Sheikh Hussein Bridge-Jordan River crossings. Between 18 and 24 February, the Cluster facilitated access to four B2B convoys for three partners with 80 trucks offloaded at Gaza crossings.
  • Through Egypt, between 18 and 24 February, only 72 of 244 manifested trucks were offloaded (30 per cent). Return rates have remained high since the closure of Nitzana on 1 January, with recent figures showing persistently low levels of cargo being offloaded at the Gaza crossing.

Emergency Telecommunications

  • Since 19 February, the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) is deploying technical specialists to Jerusalem to reinforce the secure communications infrastructure supporting the humanitarian response. During the mission, the team has also met with partners to advance planned technical upgrades and ensure alignment with UN telecommunications and information security standards.
  • In parallel, the ETC is facilitating pre‑clearance, installation, and deployment of a data‑connectivity solution aimed at providing reliable, shared internet services for humanitarian responders operating in Gaza.

* All figures solely refer to UN and partner assistance dispatched through the UN-coordinated system and are preliminary. Supplies entering through bilateral donations and the commercial sector are not reflected.

[1]Figures should be treated as indicative estimates of conditions across the sites assessed to date, rather than finalized results.

27 February 2026

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Pride in ‘precision strikes’???

Posted on March 2, 2026 by borderslynn

US and Israeli attack on Iran: At least 153 girls killed in strike on school

Eyewitness tells MEE girls aged between seven and 12 seen lying dead across their school

Video posted on pro-government Telegram accounts shows Iranians searching through a destroyed school in Minab (Telegram)

By MEE correspondent in Tehran

Published date: 28 February 2026 11:21 GMT|Last update: 15 hours 17 mins ago

At least 153 people, almost all of them young girls, have been killed in an air strike on a primary school in southern Iran, according to the city’s governor.

The attack on Saturday morning hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school in the city of Minab, in Hormozgan province, as the United States and Israel began launching strikes on targets across Iran.

The victims were between seven and 12 years old, according to Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies.

A staff member at the Minab school, who asked not to be named, told Middle East Eye she remains in shock at the intensity of the attack.

Through tears, she said she used to watch the young girls playing at school every day. After today’s strikes, however, she saw their bodies lying on classroom benches and in different corners of the school.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/least-24-girls-killed-us-strike-elementary-school-southern-iran

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Greens push German Chancellor to investigate Epstein links

Posted on March 2, 2026 by borderslynn

Greens push Merz to probe Germany’s possible Epstein links

Berlin politics haven’t been roiled by the Epstein files, but Green party leaders say possible domestic ties still need urgent investigation.Listen

CHINA-GERMANY-DIPLOMACY

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government is being pushed to investigate potential links with the Epstein files, if only to instill confidence in members of the public. | Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

February 27, 2026 4:00 am CET

By Nette Nöstlinger

BERLIN — Germany’s opposition Greens are pressuring Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to launch an investigation into potential German links to the Epstein files.

The demands come as several other large European countries have set up task forces to investigate ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While the release of the files has shaken politics in the U.K., France and beyond, German politicians and business leaders remain relatively unscathed.

That doesn’t mean an investigation is unwarranted, say the center-left Greens, if only to instill confidence in the public that possible links to Epstein have been fully probed.

“It is extremely irritating that while all the other countries around us are taking action, pushing for clarification and taking measures, the German government has so far remained largely indifferent,” Irene Mihalic and Konstantin von Notz, senior lawmakers for the Greens, said in a joint written statement to POLITICO.

“The government must take matters into its own hands and do its part to investigate these truly horrific acts — for the sake of the victims, but also for the security interests of our country.”

Green party leaders note that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier this month that Warsaw would investigate whether any links exist between Epstein and Russian secret services, including to establish whether still-active European officials are at risk of blackmail. Tusk called the matter a serious concern “for the security of the Polish state.”

The Greens, hawkish on Russia, say Germany should follow Warsaw’s example, including by having domestic intelligence probe the matter.

“Investigative mandates or investigative needs are the responsibility of the competent authorities,” Stefan Kornelius, Merz’s spokesperson, said last week in response to a reporter’s question on whether Berlin would launch a special investigation. “In this respect, the federal government has nothing to add to the statements made so far on Epstein.”

In response to a yet-to-be published parliamentary inquiry from the Greens seen by POLITICO, the German interior ministry said it was “currently reviewing investigations” related to the Epstein files, and that it “does not comment publicly on measures taken by security authorities.”

Conspiracy theories proliferate

Green party leaders counter that the German public needs an open investigation in order to counter proliferating online conspiracy theories related to the Epstein files, many of them propagating antisemitic worldviews.

There was a “sustained surge” of antisemitic content across major social media platforms following the U.S. Department of Justice’s latest drop of documents related to Epstein and his crimes at the end of January, according to a study by Democ, a Berlin-based nonprofit that researches anti-democratic movements. In Germany, social media accounts associated with the extreme right have “adopted and amplified” such conspiracy theories, the study says.

“If you leave it to others to explain and comment, conspiracy theories and narratives will sprout up,” Mihalic and von Notz said in their statement to POLITICO. “The federal government must finally counter such wild and sometimes absurd speculation with decisive and transparent action.”

While no high-profile individuals in Germany have been directly connected to Epstein, German companies have been linked to the financier — most notably Deutsche Bank, which counted the convicted sex offender as a client.

Germany’s largest bank had said it would cut ties to Epstein at the end of 2018, according to a Reuters report based on U.S. documents, but the institution only cut those ties following Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, the report says.

“As repeatedly emphasized since 2020, the bank acknowledges its mistake in accepting Jeffrey Epstein as a client in 2013,” Deutsche Bank said in a statement sent to POLITICO. “Since then, the bank has invested substantially in training, controls, and improving its operational processes, and has significantly strengthened its controls to combat financial crime.”

“We deeply regret our business relationship with Epstein at that time.”

German lawmakers will discuss calls for an investigation during a Friday parliamentary debate initiated by the Greens.

Donald TuskFriedrich Merz

https://www.politico.eu/article/germanys-greens-push-merz-government-probe-possible-epstein-links/

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Russian oil export hub hit by Ukrainian drones

Posted on March 2, 2026 by borderslynn

Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Russian Oil Export Hub on Black Sea

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Mar 02, 2026, 2:07 AM CST

Ukrainian drones hit an oil terminal at the Russian port of Novorossiysk, setting the depot on fire, according to a report by Russian outlet Astra. 

Ukrainian outlet Exilenova Plus reported on Telegram that port infrastructure in Novorossiysk is on fire.  

An analysis by Astra from videos posted by Exilenova and eyewitnesses on social media suggests that it is the Transneft Sheskharis loading terminal on the east side of the bay that is on fire.  

This is not the first attack on the Sheskharis terminal—it was hit in November last year, along with Russian energy export infrastructure at the nearby Tuapse and Temryuk ports.

Novorossiysk is a critical oil hub and loading terminal for a large part of Russia’s oil exports from the Black Sea. It is also close to a terminal operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) which operates the pipeline and loadings of crude oil from Kazakhstan’s huge oilfields. 

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Ukrainian-Drones-Strike-Major-Russian-Oil-Export-Hub-on-Black-Sea.html

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Strait of Hormuz: LNG prices to soar (of course they will)

Posted on March 2, 2026 by borderslynn

Goldman: Asian and European LNG Prices Could Jump 130%

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Mar 02, 2026, 1:27 AM CST

The escalating conflict in the Middle East is delaying LNG shipments via the Strait of Hormuz from key exporters in the region, putting severe upward pressure on spot LNG prices in Asia and the European natural gas market. 

The key Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of global oil and LNG flows pass, is not formally closed. However, major shipping operators and oil and gas companies, and traders have effectively halted shipments through the narrow lane between Iran and Oman.   

At least a dozen empty tankers on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz have diverted in recent hours, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

The delay to LNG shipments from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would see natural gas prices spiking in Europe and Asia.  

A month-long halt to LNG exports via the Strait of Hormuz would push Asia’s spot LNG price to jump by 130% to $25 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), Goldman Sachs analysts say. 

Qatar, the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after the United States, accounts for about 20% of global supply, all transiting the Strait, according to Kpler data.  

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Goldman-Asian-and-European-LNG-Prices-Could-Jump-130.html

And oil

Analysts See $100 Oil on Strait of Hormuz Disruption

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Mar 02, 2026, 12:22 AM CST

Following the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, energy analysts and investment banks expect oil prices to surge this week to $90 with chances of hitting $100 per barrel if disruptions to traffic in the crucial Strait of Hormuz persist. 

Early on Monday in Asian trade, oil prices had already spiked by 10% to above $80 per barrel Brent. Seeing the scale of the conflict and the already disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, analysts expect further spikes at least this week. 

Citigroup expects Brent Crude to trade in the $80 to $90 per barrel range over at least the coming week in the bank’s base case. 

“Our baseline view is that the Iranian leadership changes, or that the regime changes sufficiently as to stop the war within 1-2 weeks, or the US decides to de-escalate having seen a change in leadership and set back Iran’s missiles and nuclear program over the same time frame,” analysts at Citigroup wrote in a note carried by Bloomberg. 

Goldman Sachs sees an $18 a barrel real-time risk premium in oil prices. However, if only 50% of flows through the Strait of Hormuz are halted for a month, the war risk premium to prices would moderate to $4 per barrel, according to Goldman.

Wood Mackenzie sees disruption in flows to push oil to above $100 per barrel. 

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Analysts-See-100-Oil-on-Strait-of-Hormuz-Disruption.html

Paul Krugman suggests, on his Substack today:

So any effect of the new war on inflation will probably be transitory.

So far, so reassuring. Yet there are, as I see it, at least two reasons — in addition to the threat to shipping — to be moreworried about a war in the Middle East than we would have been decades ago.

First is financial fragility. In 1979 the U.S. financial system was still highly regulated, so that there was little room for serious bank runs and other disruptions. Today many observers have been warning about potential risks to financial stability, most urgently from private credit. Could the Iran war trigger a broader financial crisis? I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem alarmist to be worried.

Also, might the war burst a market bubble? The next to last line in the table shows the price-earnings ratio for the S&P 500, which was low in 1978 but is very high now. Will those high valuations be sustainable if the fallout from the war causes significant economic damage?

Finally, one point I haven’t seen many observers emphasize is that the modern Middle East now plays an important role in the world economy that goes beyond its status as a major source of oil. Dubai in particular is an important node in the global financial system, as well as playing host to many extremely rich people who thought they had found a safe haven. One indicator of that changing status is the transformation of Dubai International Airport into one of the world’s most important travel hubs.

To the extent that the war disrupts this new role for the region, that will be another risk to the world economy.

I don’t want to engage in doomsaying. But I do worry that people are too complacent about the economic risks this war creates.

Reuters reported:

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Saudi Aramco shuts Ras Tanura refinery after drone strike; Kuwait refinery hit by debris

The Ras Tanura complex,includes one of the Middle East’s largest refineries with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day and also serves as a key export terminal for Saudi crude

Reuters

Mon 2 Mar 2026Share

Aramco has shut down its Ras Tanura refinery

Aramco shuts its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone strike. Image: @NedretErsanel

Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Aramco has shut its Ras Tanura refinery as a precautionary measure after it was hit by a drone, an industry source told Reuters on Monday, adding that the situation was under control.

The Ras Tanura complex, located on Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast, includes one of the Middle East’s largest refineries with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day and also serves as a key export terminal for Saudi crude.

Aramco did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/business/energy/saudi-aramco-shuts-ras-tanura-refinery-after-drone-strike-kuwait-refinery-hit-by-debris

But maybe this is the reason:

Saudi Arabia Denies Report Of Prince Salman Pushing US To Strike Iran

According to a Washington Post report, Mohammed Bin Salman made multiple phone calls to Donald Trump, pushing for a strike on Iran.

https://www.ndtvprofit.com/world/the-kingdom-did-not-lobby-to-make-us-attack-iran-saudi-arabia-maintains-it-supported-diplomatic-efforts-11158629

Moscow gloats over potential oil price spike from Iran war 

Putin may have lost an ally with the death of Khamenei but an oil price shock is good news for the Kremlin.

Free article usually reserved for subscribers

TOPSHOT-OMAN-IRAN-ISRAEL-MARKETS

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s key chokepoints for tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas. | Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images

March 1, 2026 9:15 pm CET

By Eva Hartog

Russian President Vladimir Putin may have lost another close ally after the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but an oil shock from conflict in Middle East spells potential good news for his war chest.

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway giving access to the Persian Gulf and one of the world’s key chokepoints for tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas. That is firing speculation that global crude prices could spike dramatically, boosting Russian revenues.

“$100+ oil per barrel soon,” Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev gloated on X Saturday evening. The current price of Brent crude is about $73 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate trades at about $67.

In addition to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken control of Venezuela’s oil. This mean major importers such as India and China could have to look to Russia to provide even more crude supplies, helping Moscow’s coffers as it enters its fifth year of war with Ukraine.  

“For our budget [the attack on Iran] is a big plus,” prominent Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov told his viewers.

“If Trump strikes Iranian oil fields, then, as unfortunate as it sounds, we [Russia] would become one of the few remaining [oil] producing countries.”

“So we are gaining a trump card in this complex game,” he concluded. 

On Telegram, one military blogger was even more blunt in rejoicing. 

“Rise up, oil, from your knees!” read a post on the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel MIG Rossii, which has more than five hundred thousand users, punctuated with a prayer-hands emoji.

At the highest level, the Russian authorities have expressed outrage over the attack against the the Islamic Republic. 

Putin on Sunday expressed his condolences over the death of Khamenei, denouncing it as “murder … committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.” 

Russia’s foreign ministry in a statement reiterated its call to end the fighting, warning that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could result in “significant disbalance on the global oil and gas markets.”  

https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-oil-price-iran-war-strait-of-hormuz/

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Stress on military

Posted on March 2, 2026 by borderslynn

United States F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes in Western Kuwait

United States F 15 Fighter Jet Crashes In Western Kuwait

By Waleeja Khan|8 minutes ago|

A United States Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed in western Kuwait on March 2, 2026, amid ongoing military operations in the Middle East. The pilot safely exited moments before the aircraft hit the ground and suffered minor injuries. Authorities confirmed there were no other casualties.

The incident occurred during a period of peak tensions in the region, following recent US and Israeli operations targeting Iranian assets.

Videos shared on social media show the jet descending rapidly and smoke rising from the crash site, with local residents assisting the pilot before he was taken for medical attention.

https://www.techjuice.pk/united-states-f-15-fighter-jet-crashes-in-western-kuwait/

Note:

The US has confirmed that three of their F-15 fighter jets were shot down by Kuwait in a friendly fire blunder – as video shows the $90million planes tailspinning in smoke to the ground. 

Kuwait’s Defence Ministry said crews are safe after the crashes this morning, which saw at least two pilots eject from their planes near a US military base in Kuwait. 

A US Central Command (CENTCOM) official confirmed that American military aircraft were ‘downed’ in Kuwait on Monday morning, as an Iraqi pro-militia outlet shared footage of a US pilot after ejecting from his aircraft in Kuwait City. 

US CENTCOM said that three of its F-15 jets, which were ‘flying in support of Operation Epic Fury’ – the name of the US military operation against Iran – ‘went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident’. 

It said all six crew ejected safely and have been recovered, evacuated and transferred to hospitals for health checks. 

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence said it was coordinating with the US regarding the ‘circumstances of the incident’ and is continuing investigations into the ’causes of the incident’. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15605649/Fighter-jet-crashes-Kuwait-US-air-base-Video-F-15-fire-tailspin.html

Four American service members were killed, and others were “seriously wounded” during U.S. military operations against Iran, U.S. Central Command officials said.

The deaths of three service members were initially announced over the weekend, but CENTCOM officials said early Monday that a fourth, who was “seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries.” 

Additionally, an official with U.S. Central Command told Task & Purpose that 18 U.S. troops had been seriously wounded as of 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday. The Command’s initial post on Sunday said that five had been “seriously wounded” and “several” other troops “sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions,” but were in the process of being returned to duty.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Monday at the Pentagon that the casualties were the result of an Iranian weapon hitting an American tactical operation center. He did not specify the location of the fatal strikes, though other publications have reported it was in Kuwait.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/casualties-operation-epic-fury/

Security

Sewage Problems and Sailors Who Want Out: Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Is Being Pushed To Historic U.S. Navy Limits

ByStephen Silver

February 26th 2026

Ford-Class

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully completes the third and final scheduled explosive event of Full Ship Shock Trials while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 8, 2021. The U.S. Navy conducts shock trials of new ship designs using live explosives to confirm that our warships can continue to meet demanding mission requirements under harsh conditions they might encounter in battle. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Novalee Manzella)

Summary and Key Points  – The USS Gerald R. Ford is heading toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran raise the possibility of a military confrontation, but the deployment is also exposing the human cost of keeping a carrier at sea for so long.

-Sailors and families are dealing with missed milestones, uncertainty, and rising fatigue as the ship moves toward what could become an 11-month deployment.

-Reports of sewage system problems and long waits for working toilets have added to frustrations on board. Even so, the Ford remains a central symbol of U.S. naval power, deterrence, and readiness during a volatile regional moment.

USS Gerald R. Ford Has a Message for Iran: The U.S. Navy’s Biggest Carrier Is Heading East

The USS Gerald Ford, in recent days, has been headed towards the Middle East, with the possibility of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran. 

Per The Jerusalem Post, the USS Gerald Ford, after crossing the Mediterranean, is set to dock in Haifa, Israel. 

“The Ford carrier strike group, officially known as Carrier Strike Group 12, entered the Mediterranean after transiting the Strait of Gibraltar, a movement reported by multiple outlets tracking US naval deployments. The US Navy has not formally confirmed when the carrier will dock,” the Jerusalem Post wrote. 

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2019) USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts high-speed turns in the Atlantic Ocean. Ford is at sea conducting sea trials following the in port portion of its 15 month post-shakedown availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Connor Loessin)

Haifa, including its port, was struck hard during the Israel/Iran war last summer. 

The USS Gerald Ford has been deployed since last June and was previously in the Caribbean, ahead of the January operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. That has led to one of the longest deployments in Naval history, and that, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal, is beginning to take a toll on sailors and their families. 

Also, there are long waits for the toilets. 

An Extra-Long Mission for USS Gerald R. Ford

According to the Journal story, there are all sorts of stories of the deployment taking a toll. 

“One sailor missed the death of his great-grandfather. Another is thinking about leaving the Navy after almost a year away from her toddler daughter. Two more said the ship had sewage problems,” the Journal story, by Lara Seligman and  Milàn Czerny, said. 

“President Trump’s decision to extend for a second time the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is taking a toll on the ship’s sailors and their families, and leading some to consider leaving the Navy when they return to home port, according to interviews with sailors on board the ship and their family members back home,” the story added. 

The ship, which has a crew of about 5,000 people and is the world’s largest aircraft carrier and the Navy’s newest, had been headed to the Mediterranean when it was rerouted to the Caribbean ahead of the Venezuela mission. 

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), transits the Caribbean Sea during Carrier Air Wing 8’s aerial change of command ceremony, Jan. 19, 2026. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), transits the Caribbean Sea during Carrier Air Wing 8’s aerial change of command ceremony, Jan. 19, 2026. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wing 8 aircraft fly in formation over the world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during Carrier Air Wing 8’s aerial change of command ceremony while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Jan. 19, 2026. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wing 8 aircraft fly in formation over the world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during Carrier Air Wing 8’s aerial change of command ceremony while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Jan. 19, 2026. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

NORFOLK (Nov. 26, 2022) The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) returns to Naval Station Norfolk after completing their inaugural deployment to the Atlantic Ocean with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), Nov. 26. The GRFCSG, returned to Naval Station Norfolk following a scheduled deployment with Allies and partners in an effort to build strategic relationships and contribute to a stable and conflict-free Atlantic region, while also showcasing the U.S. Navy’s most advanced class of aircraft carrier. (U.S. Navy Photo/Video by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Nathan T. Beard)

NORFOLK (Nov. 26, 2022) The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) returns to Naval Station Norfolk after completing their inaugural deployment to the Atlantic Ocean with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), Nov. 26. The GRFCSG, returned to Naval Station Norfolk following a scheduled deployment with Allies and partners in an effort to build strategic relationships and contribute to a stable and conflict-free Atlantic region, while also showcasing the U.S. Navy’s most advanced class of aircraft carrier. (U.S. Navy Photo/Video by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Nathan T. Beard)

“Carrier deployments during peacetime are typically six months long, with planners allowing for a few months of potential overrun if needed,” Mark Montgomery, a retired rear admiral, told the Journal. “But the Ford’s sailors have been away from home for eight months already, setting up a possible deployment of 11 months, he said. That would break the record for a continuous deployment by a U.S. Navy ship.” 

The Journal story implied that this is starting to be a problem. 

“Overtaxed crews can be a problem across the Navy’s fleet, beyond just the Ford,” the WSJ story said. “In April and May 2025, near the end of an eight-month deployment, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman lost several jet fighters while countering Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea. A Navy investigation blamed the high operational tempo of the mission.” 

The Aircraft Carrier Crew Members Speak 

The Journal talked to some sailors aboard the Gerald R. Ford. 

“One sailor on board the Ford told the Journal that many crew members are angry and upset, with some saying they want to leave the Navy at the end of the deployment,” the Journal reported. “The sailor said she was strongly considering quitting herself. She said she misses her toddler daughter, but the unpredictability of when she would see her family again hurt the most.” 

The Journal also obtained a letter that the carrier’s commanding officer, Capt. David Skarosi, sent in mid-February, after its deployment was extended. 

“I’ve spoken to many of your Sailors who are coming to terms with missing Disney World plans, weddings they already RSVP’d to attend, and spring break trips to Busch Gardens,” Capt. Skarosi wrote in the letter. However, he added that “when our country calls, we answer.” 

Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier.

Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Ford-Class

Ford-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Not everyone is necessarily complaining. 

“Other sailors on board the Ford see extended periods away from home as just a part of the job,” the Journal story said. “One told the Journal that although the extension was hard and everyone was tired, all sailors knew what they had signed up for. Their mission is to make sure that fighting never hits the home front, he said—and that can require long and stressful deployments.” 

Toilet Trouble on USS Gerald R. Ford

Back in January, even before USS Gerald Ford headed to the Middle East, NPR reported that “issues with the toilets on the USS Ford continue even as it continues its deployment to the Caribbean.” Long deployments often mean delayed repairs, and that appears to be the case with the Gerald Ford. 

Steve Walsh of the local station WHRO told NPR that the story first came from a soldier’s mother. 

“ I was contacted by the mother of a sailor on board USS Ford. She was concerned about sanitary conditions on the carrier, which had just deployed from its home port in Norfolk in June,” Walsh told NPR. “A number of toilets were out of commission, and she wanted to know why. NPR has obtained documents that include a series of emails that detail the ship’s effort to grapple with the breakdowns.”

Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completes the first scheduled explosive event of Full Ship Shock Trials while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, June 18, 2021. The U.S. Navy conducts shock trials of new ship designs using live explosives to confirm that our warships can continue to meet demanding mission requirements under harsh conditions they might encounter in battle. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley B. McDowell)

Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier U.S. Navy

The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) transit the Atlantic Ocean March 20, 2021, marking the first time a Ford-class and Italian carrier have operated together underway. As part of the Italian Navy’s Ready for Operations (RFO) campaign for its flagship, Cavour is conducting sea trials in coordination with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office’s Patuxent River Integrated Test Force to obtain official certification to safely operate the F-35B. Gerald R. Ford is conducting integrated carrier strike group operations during independent steaming event 17 as part of her post-delivery test and trials phase of operations.

The Journal story had an update on the toilet situation. 

“The Navy official said the Ford’s sewage system, which uses vacuum technology to transport waste from roughly 650 toilets on board, has experienced issues during the deployment, averaging about one maintenance call a day,” the Journal said. “But the situation is improving and the problems haven’t impacted the carrier’s ability to carry out its mission, the official said.” 

Danger? 

Meanwhile, a WION News story this week looked at an even worse potential problem: That Iran, following an attack, could retaliate against the USS Gerald R. Ford or the USS Abraham Lincoln. 

“The USS Gerald R. Ford is the largest and most advanced warship in the world. It recently entered the Mediterranean Sea after a long deployment. The massive 100,000-tonne carrier brings devastating firepower but also presents a highly valuable target,” the report said. 

About the Author: Stephen Silver 

Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.

In this article:Aircraft Carriers, Defense, Iran, Maduro, Military, Navy, supercarrier, U.S. Navy, USS Gerald R. Ford, Venezuela

Written ByStephen Silver

Recent Posts

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2026/02/sewage-problems-and-sailors-who-want-out-aircraft-carrier-uss-gerald-r-ford-is-being-pushed-to-historic-u-s-navy-limits/

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Pro Iran militias

Posted on March 1, 2026 by borderslynn

Pro Iran militias are mobilizing:

Pro-Iran group claims drone attack on US base in Erbil

13 hours ago

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A pro-Iran armed group in Iraq said Sunday it carried out a drone attack targeting US military sites in Erbil, as Iran vowed to retaliate for the killing of its supreme leader.

The pro-Iran Saraya Awliya al-Dam (Guardians of Blood Brigades) group said in a statement dated Sunday that its “mujahideen” conducted an operation “with a squadron of drones” against “American bases in Erbil.”

Early Sunday, a large plume of smoke rose over Erbil following the strike. Casualties and damage were not immediately clear.

The statement said the attack was “in fulfillment of our religious duty and in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Zionist-American aggression” and “defense of Iraq’s sovereignty.”

The claim came as pro-Iran armed groups vowed retaliation following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday. Other missiles and drones were intercepted by US-led coalition forces over the city on the same day.

Also on Saturday, the pro-Iran group Kataib Hezbollah said it would “soon begin targeting” American bases after a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) base it uses in Iraq’s central Babil province was struck several times the same day. On Thursday, the group warned the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) against cooperating with what it described as “hostile foreign forces.”

“This will impose additional burdens upon it that may threaten its security and future,” the group said, calling on its fighters to “prepare to wage a war of attrition that may be long-term, exceeding the estimates of the US administration.”

Iran began its response less than three hours after the start of the US and Israeli strikes on Saturday, targeting sites in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Kurdistan Region, according to Iranian state media.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/01032026

A few days ago:

Western forces in Erbil relocate ahead of possible US strikes on Iran

France, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Italy among countries that have repositioned troops in the region

German Soldiers receive a pre-flight brief before boarding the US Army Boeing CH-47 Chinook at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, 31 October 2025. (US Army photo by Capt. Bernard Jenkins Jr.)

In this file photo, German Soldiers receive a pre-flight brief before boarding the US Army Boeing CH-47 Chinook at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, 31 October 2025 (US Army photo by Capt. Bernard Jenkins Jr.)

By Wladimir van Wilgenburg in Erbil, Iraq

Published date: 24 February 2026 11:42 GMT|Last update: 4 days 8 hours ago

A few days ago, amidst heightened US–Iran tensions, a military helicopter landed at the Erbil airport in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. 

Although Western troops are rarely seen on the city’s streets, Erbil Air Base is heavily staffed with soldiers, and military helicopters fly overhead every day.

Now, this airport could potentially become a target for Iran if the situation escalates.

Since 2018, the Kurdistan region, including Erbil’s airport, has come under attack by drones, rockets and ballistic missiles from Iran and its proxies.

In July last year, a suicide drone was shot down above the airport amidst attacks on oil fields in the region. On 21 January, a drone also targeted an Iranian Kurdish opposition party, killing one Kurdish fighter.

=========

The Erbil base has a large target on it not only due to US withdrawal from other Iraqi bases but also because attacking it provides the Iranians with an opportunity to make a declaration to local US partners in the region as to the cost of working with the Americans,” Nicholas Heras, the senior director for the Strategy and Programs Unit in the Academic Division at the New Lines Institute, told MEE.

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The Clintons testify, Trump ‘not exonerated’then Israel and US go to war with Iran

Posted on February 28, 2026 by borderslynn

Clintons testify

Prince Andrew arrested

Bill Gates

Timeline

FBI investigation

Breaking News

Highlights: Bill Clinton’s testimony about Epstein ties concludes after more than 6 hours

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are renewing calls for President Donald Trump to testify about Jeffrey Epstein as former President Bill Clinton is deposed in New York. “We’re talking to the wrong president today,” said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam. (AP Video: Ted Shaffrey)

Edited By  BRIDGET BROWN, MICHAEL WARREN, LUENA RODRIGUEZ-FEO VILEIRA and JEFF McMURRAYUpdated 1:01 AM GMT, February 28, 2026

Former President Bill Clinton finished his testimony before members of Congress for their investigation over convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The closed-door deposition ended after more than six hours of questioning from lawmakers about his connections to the disgraced financier.

“I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” the former Democratic president said in an opening statement he shared on social media at the outset of the deposition.

The deposition in Chappaqua, New York, marks the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress.

It comes a day after Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sat for her own deposition, where she told lawmakers that she had no knowledge of how Epstein had sexually abused underage girls and had no recollection of even meeting him.

Neither Clinton has been accused of any wrongdoing.

https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-clintons-epstein-updates-2-27-2026

Extract from Terrence Goggin, Substack, Special Report:

WITH THE START OF THE WAR WITH IRAN WE REPUBLISH “THE U.S. MILITARY’S SILENT FURY AT QUANTICO” With A Forward Analyzing The Newly Launched 2026 American – Iranian War

A SPECIAL REPORT

Mar 1READ IN APP

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

GENERAL DAN “RAZIN” CAIN February 24, 2026

FORWARD: THE IRANIAN-AMERICAN WAR – A MILITARY DISASTER IN THE MAKING

Today in the midst of the opening salvos of a new war in the Middle East, it is appropriate to not only analyze the current situation (we will publish a number of Special Reports as the War develops) but republish the Special Report originally. published on September 30, 2025. That Report discussed the Military’s current contempt for President Trump’s judgement as Commander in Chief. I believe it is important background and puts this new War in context.

This new conflict is nothing less than the LBJ Vietnam War on steroids without boots on the ground, and no plausible path to defeat this Iranian Regime without them. There is no question, based on the past century and a quarter of American military experience, that boots on the ground, either ours or theirs, such as convincing the Iranian Army to smash the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and then setting up a new secular government, can achieve Trump’s proclaimed objective: destroy the current Islamic Republic. That appears far from doable, and would probably result in a massive civil war between Islamic zealots and the secular civil society.

Meanwhile the Persian Gulf oil shipments have been disrupted threatening an huge increase in oil prices according to the New York Times. All tanker oil traffic is avoiding the Strait of Hormuz. The owners of oil tankers and their insurance companies fear the destruction of their ships, Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) each one costing $130 million. This, in effect, closes the Strait. On top of this, while Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Commander in Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard guard and two other members of the National Defense Council have been killed, ten other key members of the Islamic Military establishment, including the Commander in Chief of the Army remain very much alive, according to the Times, quoting Israeli and U.S. sources.

The Military leadership, including the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, argued strongly against the launching of a massive air war because a Regime Change is not a military objective that an air war can achieve. Without an achievable objective the Military is wasting its resources, weapons and billions of dollars of expense to move carriers, planes and personnel, not to mention the inevitable casualties such a war will incur. This advice is similar to the advice the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the theater commander William Westmorland gave President Lyndon Johnson in 1966: the North Vietnam invasion of South Vietnam could not be broken from the air. Their only recommendation to win the war was a combined arms ground invasion advancing toward Hanoi and the North’s major port of Haiphong. Johnson rejected the Generals’ advice for fear of bringing China into the war, as happened in Korea. The war lasted another seven years.

As China, Russia and United States weild military power, here is a reminder of a quote of Dwight D Eisenhower:

Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1953 address emphasized that military expenditures detract from vital social services, warning of the moral and economic consequences of excessive militarization. His message urged a balance between security and investment in human welfare amidst global challenges.

Garvit Bhirani

Updated1 Mar 2026, 

https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/quote-of-the-day-by-dwight-eisenhower-every-gun-that-is-made-every-warship-launched-every-rocket-fired-signifies-11772343637463.html

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Great St James Island purchased in 2016 by Sulayem to conceal it was for Epstein

Posted on February 28, 2026 by borderslynn

Ellie Leonard, Substack, reports:

Sultan bin Sulayem, CEO of one of the world’s largest port operators, DP World, resigned from his position earlier this month after he showed up thousands of times in the files, linking him to conversations referencing sex trafficking, as well as signing his name on the sale of Jeffrey Epstein’s new island in 2016, Great Saint James, after the owner refused to sell to Epstein due to his criminal history.

Sulayem and Epstein cooking it up

The FBI did not search the island.

Les Wexner, Epstein and Maple Inc., company controlled by Epstein and based in the US Virgin Islands.

………..The 7-story, 40-room neoclassical mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is cited 14 times in Epstein’s federal indictment in 2019, with prosecutors alleging Epstein recruited and brought dozens of underage victims to the palatial residence. Originally built for Macy’s heir Herbert Straus in the 1930s, the house was purchased for $13 million in 1989 by retail tycoon Leslie Wexner, who was Epstein’s main client and business partner for decades starting in the late 1980s. (Wexner has said he severed ties with Epstein in 2007.)

In 2011, Wexner transferred the property to Maple Inc., a U.S. Virgin Islands-based company controlled by Epstein. Epstein’s executors valued the home at $56 million after his death in August 2019 and put it up for sale for $88 million; it ultimately sold for $51 million in March 2021 to Michael Daffey, a former Goldman Sachs executive. A lawyer for Epstein’s estate told Forbes at the time that just under $51 million from the sale was transferred to the estate and the victims’ compensation fund

============

Great St. James Island and Little St. James Island, U.S. Virgin Islands

An island with a mansion in the foreground, surrounded by palm trees, formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein, in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Epstein bought the 70-plus-acre Little St. James Island, located in the U.S. Virgin Islands, for nearly $8 million in 1998. It came to be known as “pedophile island” after Epstein allegedly used it as the center of his sex trafficking ring. In 2016, he also purchased the larger island right next to it, the 160-plus-acre Great St. James, for $22.5 million. Between 2001 and 2018, Epstein allegedly brought underaged girls and young women to Little St. James and forced them to engage in sexual acts and forced labor, according to a criminal case filed by the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2020. The complaint also alleged that Epstein had bought Great St. James to “further shield his conduct on Little St. James from view” and “prevent his detection by law enforcement or the public.””

Epstein’s estate valued the islands—which featured a helipad, a private dock, a main residence and several villas—at a collective $31 million after his death in 2019 but later listed them for an asking price of $125 million. The estate settled with the U.S. Virgin Islands government in December 2022, agreeing to pay $105 million in cash—including returning more than $80 million in tax benefits—plus pay an additional $450,000 to repair environmental damage around Great St. James, due to Epstein’s alleged razing of centuries-old structures built by enslaved workers on the island.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2025/07/22/epsteins-properties-were-allegedly-the-sites-of-sexual-exploitation-now-theyve-all-been-sold/

And Ruchard Branson, a neighbouring billionaire friend of Jeffrey Epstein:

Uncovering Richard Branson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

The discrepancies between the Virgin Group CEO’s statements and Paste’s comprehensive timeline of Branson’s presence in the documents raise questions that do not have answers.

By Casey Epstein-Gross  |  February 16, 2026 | 2:00pm

Photo courtesy of the Justice Department

 

Uncovering Richard Branson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

Ever since January 30, when the Justice Department released 3.5 million documents related to the Epstein case, many prominent figures—politicians, CEOs, professors, heads of the Nobel Prize committee—have come under renewed scrutiny for their ties to Epstein. The music world has hardly been immune, as can be seen in Paste’s thorough coverage of the Casey Wasserman revelations and the subsequent backlash he received from artists. Wasserman, however, was not the only music mogul named in the files. The founder of Virgin Records, the British billionaire Richard Branson, is featured at length, with 798 pings of his last name alone in Epstein’s emails. The inclusion is not particularly surprising, given that Branson’s famous private island in the Caribbean, Necker Island, is just 20 minutes away from Epstein’s own private island by helicopter and ten minutes by plane, according to Epstein himself. Epstein even had a framed photo of himself and Branson in his mansion. But the full extent of the relationship between Epstein and Branson has yet to be determined.

Richard Branson famously co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, which grew over the next 50 years to include the Virgin Atlantic airline, Virgin Trains and the Virgin Rail Group, the Virgin Galactic space tourism company, and crucially here for us at Paste, Virgin Records—one of the most predominant music labels of the past half-century, having signed everyone from the Rolling Stones to the Sex Pistols to Taylor Swift. While Virgin Records is no longer under Branson’s direct control (he sold the label to Thorn EMI in 1992, before Universal Music Group acquired it in 2012), it is still heavily associated with the English business magnate; it, like all other Virgin companies, features a quote from Branson himself at the bottom of its webpage: “Embedding purpose into your business will help it to stand out, and align it with customers who have the same values.”

Like many business magnates in this day and age, Branson has already faced scrutiny over his treatment of women. In 2017, Joss Stone backing singer Antonia Jenae accused Branson of sexually assaulting her on Necker Island. Janae alleged: “We were by the bar and he was saying bye to everyone. He came up to me and put his face in my breasts. He went ‘brrrrrr’ and just walked away. It was surreal, totally out of the blue. Joss and I were like, ‘What the hell was that?!’ Everyone was wondering why I wasn’t angry because I’m usually a firebrand. But I was just too shocked.” A spokeswoman for Virgin Management denied this: “Everyone appeared to enjoy their time on the island. Richard has no recollection of this matter and neither do his family and friends, who were with him on the island at the time. There would never have been any intention to offend or make anyone feel uncomfortable in any way and Richard apologises if anyone felt that way during their time on the island.”

While there has been coverage of Richard Branson’s inclusion in the files, much of it revolves around the same few quotes (an understandably eye-catching reference that Branson made to Epstein’s “harem” in 2013, as well as Branson’s offer of public relations advice to the then-already-convicted sex offender) and the official statement that was given to The Independent by Branson’s PR team. When Paste asked for comment for this piece, the Virgin Group again sent the same statement:

“Any contact Richard and Joan Branson had with Epstein took place on only a few occasions more than twelve years ago, and was limited to group or business settings, such as a charity tennis event. When Epstein offered a charity donation, the Bransons asked their team to carry out due diligence before accepting the donation, which uncovered serious allegations. As a result of what the due diligence uncovered, Virgin Unite did not take the donation and Richard and Joan decided not to meet or speak with Epstein again. Had they had the full picture and information, there would have been no contact whatsoever—Richard believes that Epstein’s actions were abhorrent and supports the right to justice for his many victims.”

The spokesperson then went on to provide us with the same explanation of Epstein and Branson’s relationship that was previously shared with The Independent. Essentially, the basic story is that Epstein and Branson had only minimal contact, limited primarily to a few “brief business meetings on Necker Island,” none of which Branson actually invited Epstein to, and that Branson “had no knowledge of the crimes that have since come to light.” However, a careful review of the released files produced discrepancies between the emails themselves and the official statements the Virgin Group gave to the press.

In response to Paste’s further inquiries, the Virgin spokesperson then provided information about additional interactions between Jeffrey Epstein and Richard Branson that were not included in their initial reply. When asked to clarify the claims made in that second response (that the pair’s first contact was in September 2013, for instance), the spokesperson provided information on further additional interactions. Yet even with three separate statements, each including more information than the last, inconsistencies remained between the information given to Paste by the Virgin spokesperson and the information made publicly available in the released files. This does not mean Branson himself is implicated in any wrongdoing, but rather, that significant questions remain about Branson’s exposure to Epstein and his inner circle, and the degree of his awareness of Epstein’s activities.

As such, Paste is providing a newly comprehensive timeline of Jeffrey Epstein and Richard Branson’s relationship as detailed in the files, including quotes from the statements received from Virgin’s spokesperson wherever relevant.

TIMELINE

January 10, 2006: First mention of a meeting between Epstein and Branson

None of the three sets of statements supplied by the Virgin Group make any mention of an official in-person meeting between Epstein and Branson prior to April 2013. However, in the emails, we see Epstein himself apparently discussing one such meeting as early as January 2006, seven years prior to the first meeting Branson’s spokesperson mentioned. As Epstein wrote to Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner on January 10, 2006: “sorry I missed you…. I met with Richard Bransn, who is working on creating what he terms an elder statesman council of the world… and asked who I thought might be appropriate… I told him i have no idea but he should contact you and inquire , about your work on trustees.”……………..

This itself seems to all be true, although Branson’s team (namely, Nicola Elliott, who was at one point Branson’s Executive Assistant) did play a role in facilitating this as well. On December 28, 2010, Bill Richardson’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Janis Hartley, contacted Elliott to inform her that “Jeffrey Epstein has volunteer [sic] to pickup the Governor at Necker Island on Friday, January 7th.” The two then went on to coordinate the specifics of the pick up.

On January 7, 2011, two important exchanges occurred: First, Epstein emailed the British politician and diplomat Peter Mandelson (who, it is worth noting, has been summoned to testify before the US Congress regarding his own ties to Epstein at this very moment) to say he “had breakfast with richard branson, he is also a big fan of africa.” Mandelson replied, inscrutably, “Let’s go for it.” Later that day, Epstein emailed Branson himself with a vaguely ominous-sounding message under the subject heading “a treat”: “dear neighbor, thanks for your hospitality this morning. Though its a little late to find new friends. I hope you and I can also meet that challenge.” Branson replied on January 10 with: “Dear Jeffrey, I’m sure we will. All the best, Richard.”

These emails suggest that what occurred on January 7 was not just Richardson being “collected by Epstein’s helicopter,” as the Virgin Group’s statements attest. Rather, it seems Branson and Epstein had a friendly breakfast, one that went well enough for Epstein to reach out to tell Mandelson about it, and for Epstein and Branson themselves to exchange warm (albeit oddly phrased) emails about the relationship that was formed.

Early 2011: Ongoing contact between Epstein and Branson, largely initiated by Epstein

For the next two or so months, Epstein contacted Branson frequently about his desire to get together, but Branson was never available. On January 13, Epstein told Branson he’d be in New York mid-month and Paris later if Branson was around; Branson was not, due to a leg injury. (Despite the apparent innocence of this exchange, Epstein then reassured Branson that “at the bottom of my emails I have always added a copyright notice. It gives great pause to publications that might get hold of them someday”). The next day, January 14, Epstein asked Branson if he wanted some company on Necker; Branson responded: “Dear Jeffrey, Sorry, would love to have done but had to go to Europe in the end. Love to the girls! Best, Richard.” Epstein told Branson he would be in Paris for the next week on January 21, but Branson was “sadly in San Diego.” On February 18, Epstein wrote Branson to say “fun people on the island,, both types,,are you here” but Branson “[v]ery sadly” was not. (The Virgin Group maintains that Branson did not understand what Epstein meant by that email, and thus replied with a “brush-off” in response.)

It is, of course, worth emphasizing that none of these emails indicate wrongdoing on Branson’s part, as he seemingly declined to meet with Epstein on any of these occasions. However, it is also worth emphasizing that there are multiple phrases throughout these emails that cast some doubt upon the Virgin Group’s insistence that Branson was utterly ignorant of Epstein’s doings. Virgin’s statements make it seem as though Branson did not know Epstein personally at this point, with the extent of their contact being Epstein picking up Richardson from Necker Island. And yet, as early as 2011, Epstein tried to coax Branson to come visit with the promise of “both types” of “fun people on the island,” and, elsewhere that same year, an unprompted Branson signed off with the phrase “Love to the girls!”  

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/epstein-files/uncovering-richard-bransons-extensive-relationship-with-jeffrey-epstein

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AI contracts with Pentagon

Posted on February 27, 2026 by borderslynn

Anthropic won’t budge as Pentagon escalates AI dispute

Rebecca Bellan

1:18 PM PST · February 24, 2026Image Credits:Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg / Getty Images

Anthropic has until Friday evening to either give the U.S. military unrestricted access to its AI model or face the consequences, reports Axios.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in a meeting Tuesday morning that the Pentagon will either declare Anthropic a “supply chain risk” — a designation usually reserved for foreign adversaries — or invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to force the company to tailor a version of the model to the military’s needs.

The DPA gives the president the authority to force companies to prioritize or expand production for national defense. It was recently invoked during the COVID-19 pandemic to compel companies like General Motors and 3M to produce ventilators and masks, respectively.

Anthropic has long stated that it doesn’t want its technology used for mass surveillance of Americans or for fully autonomous weapons — and is refusing to compromise on these points.

Pentagon officials have argued the military’s use of technology should be governed by U.S. law and constitutional limits, not by the usage policies of private contractors. 

Using the DPA in a dispute over AI guardrails would mark a significant expansion of the law’s modern use. It would also reflect an expansion of a broader pattern of executive branch instability that has intensified in recent years, according to Dean Ball, senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and former senior policy advisor on AI in Trump’s White House. 

“It would basically be the government saying, ‘If you disagree with us politically, we’re going to try to put you out of business,’” Ball said. 

https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/24/anthropic-wont-budge-as-pentagon-escalates-ai-dispute/

OpenAI strikes a deal with the Pentagon just hours after Trump orders the end of Anthropic contracts, and hours after a staff all-hands

By Sharon GoldmanAI ReporterFebruary 27, 2026, 5:43 PM ETAdd us on

https://fortune.com/2026/02/27/openai-in-talks-with-pentagon-after-anthropic-blowup/

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