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