[ToloNews] Following rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has announced that it carried out attacks on several key military bases across the hypothetical Durand Line.
According to officials from the ministry, the action was taken in response to Mighty Pak ArmyArclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s on Kabul and several other parts of the country.
The ministry said Afghanistan’s air force targeted military bases in Rawalpindi, Quetta in Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... , Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and other facilities, inflicting "significant damage" on these centers.
Enayatullah Khwarazmi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, said: "These attacks targeted the Noor Khan base in Rawalpindi, the 12th Corps in Quetta, Balochistan, the Khwizo camp in Mohmand Agency ... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. and Kunar... in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and several other key Pak military headquarters and installations."
Afghan defense forces at 11:45 a.m. today (Afghanistan time) reportedly targeted and destroyed an armored tank belonging to Pak militias across from the Angoor Ada base in Paktika ...which coincidentally borders North Wazoo and Kurram Agency... .
Meanwhile,
...back at the bunker, his Excellency called a hurried meeting of his closest advisors. It was to be his last. They discussed the officers's efficiency rating system... the festivities have not been limited to airstrikes. The Ministry of Defense said that last night Islamic Emirate defense forces also carried out retaliatory attacks in the Angoor Ada area against forces of Pakistain’s military regime.
According to the ministry, as a result of these operations, Pak forces were forced to withdraw from some positions.
Qudratullah Badloon, a political analyst, said: "Pakistain’s military regime attacked Afghanistan in violation of international law and targeted civilians; however, Islamic Emirate forces responded by targeting only military positions."
Another political analyst, Shahzada Masoud, emphasized that "Pakistain has repeatedly violated Afghanistan’s airspace in contravention of principles of good neighborliness and international law."
This comes as, since the start of the retaliatory attacks by Islamic Emirate forces, more than 100 Pak military personnel have reportedly been killed, and more than 25 of their outposts have been captured by the Islamic Emirate.
#1
Civilized peoples have tried to help both these societies repeatedly over centuries but it never lasts and always backfires on the helpers: I'm good with arming whomever is losing and popping some corn.
#BurkinaFaso 🇧🇫 | Ce 2 mars 2026, le JNIM revendique l’opération menée contre des militaires burkinabè le samedi 28 février dans les environs de #Titao.
30 soldats tués, des armes et du matériel militaire saisis, un bulldozer, un véhicule militaire et plusieurs motos détruits. pic.twitter.com/oQVFBYHxNg
Burkina Faso: On March 2, 2026, the JNIM claims responsibility for the operation carried out against Burkinabè soldiers on Saturday, February 28, in the vicinity of #Titao.
30 soldiers killed, weapons and military equipment seized, one bulldozer, one military vehicle, and several motorcycles destroyed.
Gaidam under attack as troops engage ISWAP in fierce gunbattle
Troops are engaged engaging fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in a fierce gunbattle following an attack on Gaidam town in Yobe. pic.twitter.com/xdAYBiul2M
Gaidam under attack as troops engage ISWAP in fierce gunbattle
Troops are engaged engaging fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in a fierce gunbattle following an attack on Gaidam town in Yobe.
[Breitbart] Iranian drones hit the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, causing a fire and damage to the building on Monday.
“The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was subjected to an attack by two drones according to initial estimates, resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” said the Saudi Ministry of Defense.
In a post on X, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said that a “shelter in place” order has been issued for Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran, along with limited “non-essential travel to any military installations in the region.”
“We recommend American citizens in the Kingdom to shelter in place immediately. The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia continues to monitor the regional situation,” it continued.
An official later told Fox that no officials were present at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh around the time of the strike. According to Kellie Meyer of News Nation, President Donald Trump said, “You’ll find soon what the retaliation will be for the attack on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh and for the U.S. service members killed.”
As Breitbart News reported on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Americans in over a dozen countries in the Middle East to leave as soon as possible due to serious safety concerns amid the escalating conflict in Iran. The order came after Iran escalated missile attacks in the Middle East when the United States and Israel killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack over the weekend. As the New York Times reported, Iran directed its fire onto various U.S. bases throughout the Gulf region:
Iran has struck at least six U.S. military facilities around the Middle East since the United States and Israel began attacking the country on Saturday, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery, verified videos and statements by U.S. military officials.
It’s unclear how many munitions Iran launched at the locations or how many attacks may have been thwarted, but the incidents raise questions about these sites’ abilities to defend against future strikes.
Facilities in Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, plus three sites in Kuwait, were hit on Saturday and Sunday. Several structures, including satellite communications equipment, were damaged or destroyed.
According to the Military Times, at least six U.S. service members have been killed, with another 18 wounded. President Trump said the death toll will likely rise as the conflict escalates over the next three to four weeks.
“Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” the president said in a six-minute video. “[W]e’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case, but America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization.”
#3
As was pointed out in Insty this am, it's noteworthy that while Iran lashed out at most of it's neighbors, Turkey was left alone in spite of the major US base at Incirlik.
#4
It's the responsibility of the host nation to protect its foreign embassies.
Saudi can't protect itself even as an important US ally. Don't think the rest of the Gulf allies like Qatar, Bahrain etc aren't sitting up and taking notice.
#5
Jarong, of course KSA can't protect every part of itself and its guests, but that does not mean they are helpless and harmless (same with the rest of the Gulf states.) Iran is hardening the 'alliance' of the rest of the Gulf with the US and Israel. (And as noted above, they would potentially do the same with NATO nations if they attacked non-belligerent locations in Turkey - again, states not capable of full self=defense, but not toothless.) Desperation? Hope that the well will spit out one to save them? Stalling to allow money transfers?
Frustratingly, I can’t find anything about this on either Breitbart or Deutsche Welle, so have no idea who the miscreant was.
[KhaamaPress] A 35-year-old Afghan man arrested over a knife attack on three people during a Christian religious gathering died by suicide Monday inside his prison cell in Wurzburg, Bavaria.
Police said initial findings indicate the man took his own life while in pre-trial detention, where he had been awaiting further court proceedings.
According to German media reports, his body was discovered inside the cell. A spokesperson for Bavarian police said available evidence points to suicide, but a formal investigation is ongoing to clarify the exact circumstances.
The suspect had allegedly attacked three men with a knife during a ceremony linked to the Jehovah’s Witness community. Authorities said it remains unclear whether the group was deliberately targeted, and the suspect had not publicly stated a motive before his death.
The Wurzburg public prosecutor’s office said there were no indications of drug involvement or substance-induced psychological disorder. He reportedly had no prior criminal record, though an investigation related to property damage had been underway.
Judicial officials added that the man had been living in Germany since 2023. His asylum application had been rejected, but he was granted temporary residence status.
Germany has witnessed several isolated violent mostly peaceful incidents in recent years involving asylum seekers, prompting renewed debate over migration policies and integration measures.
Bavaria, where Wurzburg is located, has previously experienced high-profile attacks, leading to tightened security and closer monitoring of individuals considered potential risks.
[HotAir] Get ready for the Protection Racket Media to treat a mass shooting this weekend in Austin, Texas as a "local news story."
Normally, stories like this attract national attention as gun-control groups latch onto them to argue for stricter firearm restrictions. Others might point to mental-health red flags, and the now-deceased perp did have a history that suggests a connection.
There were indicators on the suspect and in his vehicle that suggest a "potential nexus to terrorism," FBI Acting Special Agent Alex Doran said during a briefing Sunday, though he cautioned that it was too early to determine the motive.
Officials executed a search warrant at the gunman's home on Sunday and found an Iranian flag and pictures of Iranian leaders, according to an official with direct knowledge of the investigation. Sources told CBS News that the Quran was found in the gunman's vehicle.
And as the New York Times
...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... reports this morning, the FBI has more information than just a sweatshirt and Koran that points in the direction of a terror operation:
Around midday Sunday, authorities descended on a suburban Travis County neighborhood outside of Pflugerville, about 30 miles north of the shooting, where the shooter had a known address.
A neighbor described a swarm of vehicles, including some from the Austin Police Department and the F.B.I., and said a SWAT team had breached Mr. Diagne’s home to execute a search warrant.
Neighbors said Mr. Diagne had kept a low profile. “They kept very much to themselves,” said Chris Finch, who resides next door to the home that was searched. “They didn’t really say hi or anything.”
Eddie Garcia, a board member of the area’s homeowners association, said he had never interacted with the person in that home, but that he had always seen multiple cars in the driveway. Mr. Finch said that he had noticed the same thing.
Apparently, Diagne wasn't a loner, even if this was a "lone wolf" attack. Was he radicalized and recruited as a terror agent, or did he just flip out when Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu killed his Iranian heroes? The latter seems less likely, but still possible, if he had constant visitors at his residence.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Iraqi paramilitary groups announced strikes on neighboring Kuwait. This was reported on March 2 by the Al Hadath television channel.
According to the channel's source, the radicals confirmed their involvement in the attacks and claimed responsibility for them. Details about the attacks, including their scale, the means used, and possible damage or casualties, have not yet been released.
NEW: Israeli jets have begun striking border guard positions along the Iraq-Iran frontier in what appears to be an effort to weaken Iranian control over the region and potentially clear a path for armed Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq to move back into Iran. pic.twitter.com/srj7CWrGWr
NEW: Israeli jets have begun striking border guard positions along the Iraq-Iran frontier in what appears to be an effort to weaken Iranian control over the region and potentially clear a path for armed Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq to move back into Iran.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/03/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1800 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Rearranging national boundaries along ethnic lines (Turk, Arab, Kurd, Persian) rather than Euro-colonial lines?
[PJMedia] The Egyptian government continues to disproportionately arrest Coptic Christians on "blasphemy ...the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence to a deity, or sacred objects, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable. Some religions consider it to be a crime. In Pakistain you can commit blasphemy by looking cross-eyed at a Koran... " charges. Dialogue or debate regarding religious beliefs, criticism of Islam, or the Egyptian government often brings arrest, torture, and imprisonment.
Dr. Augustinos Samaan, 37, is a Coptic researcher arrested by masked special-forces officers on Oct. 1, 2025, for "derision of Islam" under Egypt’s "contempt of religion" laws. Samaan holds a Ph.D. in comparative religion and is engaged in Christian apologetics.
Through scholarly work and online educational content, Samaan peacefully discussed religious issues and responded to anti-Christian sentiment. These are all activities protected under international human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... law. Yet on January 3, Samaan was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labor. He was also assaulted by other detainees.
The Organization Coptic Solidarity (CS) is campaigning for Dr. Samaan's release.
During his detention, the officers confiscated his laptop, phone, books, and personal papers. Following national security investigations — an ordeal that reportedly included torture — he was initially charged with terrorism-related offenses. Prosecutors eventually amended the case to "contempt of religion" under Article 98(f) of the Penal Code.
The sentence was issued in a secret criminal trial without notification to his legal counsel or family, without public proceedings, and without granting the defense access to the case file or a meaningful opportunity to represent him.
Dr. Samaan was twice taken before the court without the knowledge of his lawyers or family, culminating in a secret conviction. On Jan. 6, 2026, his family and legal team expected a detention-renewal hearing. Instead, upon arriving at court, they learned that the case had already been tried and decided in their absence. Court officials later confirmed that the case was heard on Dec. 27, 2025. It was further adjourned and adjudicated on Jan. 3, 2026 — without notice to the defense and without public scrutiny.
The appeal hearing scheduled for January 26 was also postponed to February 2, reportedly due to "difficulties in bringing the defendant to court."
"This explanation raises serious concerns, given the stark inconsistency with prior proceedings," CS stated. "The sudden claim that he could not be transported for an appeal hearing is therefore both implausible and troubling."
To date, Dr. Samaan’s lawyers have not received access to the case file, undermining the most basic elements of due process and the right to defense.
“This is not a legitimate judicial proceeding—it is punishment by procedure,” Coptic Solidarity noted. “Secret trials and denial of defense rights place Egypt in clear violation of its constitutional and international commitments.”
"There is also growing concern for Dr. Samaan’s physical and mental well-being, following reports of torture and mistreatment in detention. The Egyptian government bears full responsibility to ensure his safety, humane treatment, and access to necessary medical care, in accordance with its domestic and international obligations."
The latest hearing took place on February 23. An Egyptian Misdemeanor Appeals Court upheld the five-year prison sentence with hard labor against Dr. Samaan, according to a statement by his legal counsel, Saeed Fayez.
The ruling confirmed the verdict of the lower court and also imposed the payment of all associated court costs. Following the decision, Fayez highlighted significant “procedural issues” that have plagued the case since its beginning. The defense team says that it was denied timely access to essential case files, a move they argue constitutes a violation of the constitutional right to a fair and effective defense.
The organization Coptic Solidarity urges legislators, governments, and international bodies to raise Dr. Samaan’s case urgently and to call on Egyptian authorities to immediately release Samaan, overturn his conviction, and end the use of blasphemy (“contempt of religion”) laws to silence peaceful expression. CS added:
These proceedings violate Article 96 of the Egyptian Constitution, which guarantees the presumption of innocence, the right to defense, and fair-trial standards. They also contravene Egypt’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including Article 14 (fair and public hearings) and Articles 18 and 19 (freedom of belief and expression).
Egypt is home to one of history’s earliest influential civilizations. The Copts are the indigenous people of Egypt and are currently over 15 million strong (12-15% of the population). They are the descendants of ancient Egyptians and have lived in their homeland for several millennia.
After centuries as a center of Christianity, the invasion of Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Egypt by Arab Muslim forces in the seventh century marked the beginning of Egypt’s gradual transformation into a predominantly Islamic society, with Arabic eventually replacing Coptic and Greek as the main language. Copts have since survived centuries of persecution at the hands of Arab Muslims and Ottoman Turks.
Dr. Samaan's case is not an anomaly. Coptic Christian journalist Ramy Kamel suffered similar injustices between 2019 and 2022 for his civil rights work and religious freedom advocacy.
Egypt is number 42 on the Open Doors World Watch List, which ranks the countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Christians in Egypt face long-standing, systematic persecution, including violent attacks on churches, abductions of women, mobs expelling Christians after alleged blasphemy, and societal discrimination.
Open Doors reports:
Despite promises from the President that a church will be built in every new neighborhood, construction of new churches is restricted… The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University (one of the most influential Islamic universities globally) has stated that Muslims may not convert to Christianity. Security services maintain a strong grip on converts from Islam to Christianity, regularly detaining and abusing them and forcing them into isolation. The state also makes it impossible for conversions to be officially recognized.
All over, there is considerable division between Christians and Muslims. Employment discrimination against Christians is still common, especially when it comes to sensitive government jobs. Christian businesses can be boycotted. Christians remain vulnerable to mob attacks, which can be triggered by a rumor of alleged blasphemy or the opening of a new church. Usually, the local authorities use so-called 'reconciliation sessions' to resolve a conflict, which often result in Muslim attackers going free and a culture of impunity for violence against Christians.
Christians in Upper Egypt often avoid visible symbols, such as car crosses, fearing harassment. Most Copts bear a tattooed cross marking their faith, but it also exposes them to discrimination… In rural areas, unemployment and bias against Christian names leave young men disadvantaged and vulnerable to financial incentives to convert to Islam… Church leaders, almost all male, are easily targeted for harassment, killings, or attacks on their families.
Christians often feel they are treated as second-class citizens and face unfair treatment when dealing with the state. The state is reluctant to respect and enforce the fundamental rights of Christians.
Christian women and converts from Islam bear the brunt of religious persecution in the country:
Christian women in Egypt, particularly in rural areas, face grooming, forced conversion, and sexual harassment, often within an honor-shame culture that stigmatizes their families. Some are stripped, beaten, or abused publicly, while perpetrators frequently enjoy impunity, leaving victims silenced and fearful. Coptic women face constant harassment for not veiling. Girls from vulnerable families are lured into early marriages with Muslim men, pressured to convert. Female converts from Islam are most at risk: they may be locked up, beaten, killed for 'honor,' divorced, and lose custody of children.
Lindsay Rodriguez, Coptic Solidarity's Director of Development and Advocacy, told PJ Media:
Dr. Samaan’s case is not isolated: the forced disappearance of minor Silvana Atef, the continued detention of convert Said Abdelrazek, mass arrests of Christians when peacefully seeking equal treatment, and preventing St. Catherine’s Monastery from legally defending itself against government-led efforts to overtake control and monastery property, all point to a widening pattern of repression. As one of Egypt’s largest providers of foreign aid, the US administration has the tools to secure meaningful protections of religious freedom —the question is whether it will use them.
[PJMedia] United States forces have now struck over a thousand targets in Iran, with Israeli forces hitting a thousand more, as Operation Epic Fury continues its devastating takedown of the current regime in Iran.
In the wee hours of Saturday morning, U.S. and Israeli forces began the strikes that have now eliminated numerous Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, former President Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad
... former president of Iran..., and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Chief Mohammad Pakpour. Besides high-profile targets like Khamenei’s residence, there were numerous other terrorist/military targets around Iran.
U.S. Central Command has been bombarding the Iranian regime, with three casualties on the U.S. side and many, many more on the Iranian side. Multiple Israeli and American officials have urged the Persian people to rise up and take back their country, as has exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper lauded his troops, saying: "The President ordered bold action, and our brave Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen are answering the call."
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, March 1:
Israel and the U.S. have struck 2,000 targets since the start of their joint military campaign in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... on Saturday morning, according to two people briefed on the operation. The Israeli military said it has fired thousands of munitions and flown more than 700 sorties in Iran since Saturday morning.
The Iranian regime has launched counterstrikes against civilian targets — including hotels and airports — in the Gulf states, infuriating even the Moslem regimes there. The targeted locations included Dubai International Airport, residential areas in Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... , Erbil International Airport (Iraq), and Kuwait International Airport. Iran also hit Beit Shemesh and Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Iranian navy is literally sinking into the ocean, however. Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... announced on Truth Social, "I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important. We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!"
The Times of Israel reported about the ongoing strikes:
In a fact sheet, Central Command lists "types of targets" including command and control centers, the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the headquarters of the IRGC’s Aerospace Forces.
Earlier, the IDF said Israeli planes targeted dozens of headquarters belonging to the IRGC.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society announced on Monday that at least 555 people have been killed following US and Israeli attacks across various parts of Iran.https://t.co/oEuxd7AlWTpic.twitter.com/f6GUMyrY35
The organization said the figures were based on field reports collected from affected areas, describing the casualties as the result of extensive aerial and missile strikes over the past three days.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, at least 131 counties have been targeted nationwide, indicating the broad geographic scope of the attacks.
The humanitarian body added that more than 100,000 rescue and relief personnel have been placed on full alert across the country to respond to emergencies and assist victims.
Officials said assessment operations are ongoing, warning that the death toll could rise as search-and-rescue teams continue working in heavily damaged areas.
Al Jazeera reports that attacks carried out by the Islamic Republic across the region have killed at least 51 people and wounded nearly 300 others, citing official data from affected countries, including 10 deaths in Israel, 31 in Lebanon, three in the United Arab Emirates, two each in Kuwait and Bahrain, two in Iraq, and three American soldiers stationed in the region.
The reported casualties come amid escalating military confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the United States, with cross-border strikes intensifying over recent days. Explosions have been reported in multiple Iranian cities as tensions sharply rise.
While Iranian authorities report heavy losses from foreign attacks, Israel and the United States say their operations are aimed at military infrastructure. Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult due to restricted access to impacted sites.
به گزارش جامعه هلال احمر ایران، تعداد کشتهشدگان حملات مشترک آمریکا و اسرائیل به این کشور از ۵۵۰ نفر فراتر رفته و به حداقل ۵۵۵ نفر رسیده است.
این آمار امرروز دوشنبه (۲ مارچ) اعلام شد و افزایش چشمگیر تلفات از زمان آغاز حملات در ۲۸ فبروری را نشان میدهد.
Translated from Persian
According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the number of fatalities from the joint US-Israel attacks on the country has exceeded 550 and reached at least 555.
This figure was announced today, Monday (March 2), and shows a significant increase in casualties since the attacks began on February 28.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society emphasized that 131 cities across Iran have so far been affected by these attacks. Rescue operations are continuing without interruption; rescue teams are present in the affected areas, and more than 100,000 relief workers across Iran are on full alert.
Additionally, a network of approximately four million volunteers is ready to provide humanitarian services, first aid, and psychosocial support.
This figure includes both civilian and military casualties and shows a significant difference from the Red Crescent's previous reports (201 killed up to Sunday), likely due to the ongoing attacks.
The attacks continue, and Iran is responding with missiles and drones. The Red Crescent has described these attacks as "terrorist" and called for their immediate cessation.
[HotAir] Yesterday and even today, Mojtaba Khamenei seemed likely to succeed his father as the next Supreme Leader. This morning, CNN ...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for... highlighted Mojtaba's odds in the succession battle, noting his strong links with the other mullahs, the IRGC, and the Basij, which took a major role in suppressing the protests last month and murdered thousand of Iranians:
Khamenei’s second son, Mojtaba, is a significant figure with strong links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite wing of Iran’s military, as well as the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force. But given that the regime swept to power to replace the Iranian monarchy, the Shiite holy manal establishment may want to avoid father-to-son succession.
The good news for the regime remnants is that they no longer need to worry about it. Western media have yet to report on this, but apparently Mojtaba will not be available for a leadership role in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... for, well ... ever.
Iranian media: Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has long been discussed as one of the potential successors, has been eliminated. pic.twitter.com/6Fy8mkHe47
This may be another case of 'dating' a report for a while before 'marrying' it. However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... the younger Khamenei's absence from any responses by the regime has been notable, considering his placement within it. This account usually does a credible job of reporting on Iranian and Arabic media, but I'll keep an eye on this as it develops.
Another major development tends to suggest that Mojtaba is not in the picture, too. Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... told The Atlantic today that the remnants of the regime's big shotship want to reopen negotiations, even while the Iranians continue to intensify their ballistic-missile volleys at practically anyone in the area:
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s new leadership wants to open talks with Washington, one day after US-Israeli strikes that Iranian state media and Israeli officials said killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In a phone call interview, Trump told The Atlantic that he agreed to speak with Iranian representatives, but declined to specify whether a conversation would take place on Sunday or Monday.
He added that some Iranian officials involved in recent contacts were “no longer alive,” following what he described as a major strike.
[NYPOST] The US military has sunk or destroyed Iran's entire navy in a matter of days, the Department of War revealed on Monday — as it released video of the Islamic regime's biggest ship getting pummeled.
''Two days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,'' US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.
''The Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over.
''Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years. U.S. forces will continue to defend it.''
The US military said that it had taken out Iran's large drone carrier ship, which the regime launched in February 2025.
The IRIS Shahid Bagheri, the first of its kind in Iran's navy, was hit on Saturday as US forces shot down rumors going viral on social media claiming that the Islamic Theocratic Republic had sunk an American aircraft carrier.
''The Iranian regime's false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a US aircraft carrier. The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier,'' CENTCOM said.
The IRIS Shahid Bagheri was deployed to the Persian Gulf last month as a response to the growing American naval fleet in the region before war broke out on Saturday.
The extent of the damage against the Iranian vessel remains unclear, with unverified reports claiming it was sunk.
The IRIS Shahid Bagheri was previously a merchant ship before being converted into a drone aircraft carrier in 2024, according to reports.
Images of the ship quickly went viral that year after Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) suggested that an Iranian drone ''mothership'' was operating off the coast of New Jersey. The Shahid Bagheri is believed to be one of at least three drone vessels that Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... controls, with the other two being the Shahid Roudaki and Shahid Mahdavi, both of which are smaller and less advanced.
Earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated it would destroy any vessel attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On March 1, the IRGC announced it had launched missile strikes on three US and British tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Fires broke out on the affected ships.
That same day, Iranian officials said the government was allowing ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice," but that U.S. military personnel and their equipment remained legitimate targets for the Iranian military.
Meanwhile, the largest container carrier, Maersk, suspended all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for an indefinite period, and a Palau-flagged oil tanker came under fire off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, caught fire, and began to sink. Several hundred tankers anchored at the entrance to the strait, through which approximately 15-20% of the world's oil passes.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/03/2026 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1873 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
But, but, we have speed boats!
Posted by: chris ||
03/03/2026 4:31 Comments ||
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#2
If you check Maritime Traffic, you will see that the Straits are actually closed. The insurance rates are tripled. The Iranian Navy was irrelevant. The shore launched drones are not. Hormuz is a lot narrower than the Red Sea and the Iranian coast is long and contains a lot of places to launch UAV attacks from. I’m sure we knew this would happen.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/03/2026 6:19 Comments ||
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#3
They didn't dawdle on their way back from naval exercises off South Africa. Didn't work out so well for them. I had wondered if they had tried docking at a neutral port for the duration. Not sure if that legalism is honored any more.
#5
Some remarkably bad luck, the 103rd flotilla of the Iranian Navy (IRIS Makran, IRIS Naqdi of the Iranian Navy and the Shahid Mahdavi helicopter carrier IRGC Navy) arrived back at their home port in Iran Friday, looks like shortly before the attacks began. They had recently participated in exercises off South Africa and the fleet gathering in India.
#9
***BREAKING***
“I have hereby declared that the area of water formerly known as the Persian Gulf will from now on be called the Donald J Trump Memorial Boating Pond
[🏳️🇸🇾] Syrie: Le groupe "Soldats de Jérusalem" avec une allégeance à al-Qaïda, a ciblé la base américaine de Hassaké avec des roquettes. pic.twitter.com/Vyy0GvypjT
…Over fifty villages with Hezbollah infrastructure were warned for evacuation ahead of future strikes.
Hezbollah again sided with Iran over the people of Lebanon. Anyone acting against Israel will pay a heavy price.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/03/2026 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1755 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
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Mohmand Agency
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