World - Daily Politics

First Lady Melania Trump presided over a United Nations Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on 2 March, delivering a humanitarian message that intersected with the escalating US-Israeli military action in Iran. Her appearance marked the first time a spouse of any world leader has chaired a Council session.

Speaking as the US holds the rotating monthly presidency, Trump focused her remarks on the importance of protecting education and children's welfare during wartime. "The US stands with all of the children throughout the world," she said. "I hope soon peace will be yours." She also offered condolences to ...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that the timing of US military strikes on Iran was directly influenced by a planned Israeli attack, a rationale that sparked sharp debate during a classified Congressional briefing on 2 March.

Speaking to reporters after the closed-door session with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, Rubio explained that Washington was aware Israel intended to launch its own operation. He stated that US intelligence indicated Iran would retaliate against American interests regardless of who carried out the initial strikes.

"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action," ...

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine held a Pentagon press conference on March 2 to address the widening US-Israeli conflict with Iran, seeking to reassure Americans while acknowledging the operation's gravity. Hegseth stressed the administration is wary of comparisons to past Middle East wars, declaring, "This is not Iraq. This is not endless."

The briefing confirmed Operation Epic Fury's objectives: eliminating Iran's ballistic missile capability, destroying its navy, and ensuring it cannot obtain nuclear weapons. Hegseth denied the mission is "regime change," though he noted "the regime sure did change" following the strike that killed Supreme ...

The Pentagon has given its first detailed public briefing on the ongoing US military operation against Iran, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine outlining the strategy and aims while warning that the conflict will not end quickly.

"We didn't start this war but under President Trump we're finishing it," Hegseth told reporters on March 2, framing the action as a response to years of Iranian attacks on US interests. The briefing confirmed the operation is called "Epic Fury" and began after President Trump gave final approval on Friday at 3:38 p.m. ET, authorising more than ...

A new and devastating front has opened in the expanding Iran-Israel conflict, with Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon killing at least 31 people and injuring 149 others, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The strikes on Monday, 2 March 2026, have caused mass displacement, with thousands of civilians fleeing their homes in the southern suburbs of Beirut and villages in the south.

The escalation followed Hezbollah's launch of missiles and drones towards Israel, a direct retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in earlier US-Israeli strikes. The militant group's intervention dramatically widens the conflict, which began ...

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed senior Iranian officials, including the defence minister and a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to multiple sources. The region prepares for further escalation following Saturday's large-scale attacks.

The strikes, conducted jointly with US forces, targeted leadership positions across several Iranian cities, with initial attacks focusing on areas near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Iranian state media reported more than 200 people killed nationwide, with damage reported in 24 of Iran's 31 provinces.

Questions about Khamenei's fate arose following the intensity of strikes near his offices, although Iran's ...

President Donald Trump has voiced dissatisfaction with the latest nuclear negotiations with Iran, warning that military action remains a possibility if Tehran does not agree to extensive concessions on its enrichment programme.

"I'm not happy with the fact that they're not willing to give us what we need. So I'm not thrilled," Trump told reporters on Friday following indirect talks in Geneva that concluded without a deal. While indicating he would give negotiators more time, Trump reiterated that Iran "cannot have nuclear weapons" and said "sometimes you have to" use force.

The talks, mediated by Oman, saw "significant progress" according to Omani ...

The United States has authorised the departure of non-essential staff and family members from its embassy in Israel, citing "safety risks" amid rising tensions with Iran and speculation that President Donald Trump may order military strikes.

The State Department updated its travel advisory on Friday, advising that "persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available." Ambassador Mike Huckabee reportedly emailed staff, urging those who wish to leave to do so "TODAY," warning that commercial flights could become scarce. The embassy will continue operating with essential personnel remaining.

The decision follows the evacuation of non-essential staff from the US ...

A maritime incident off Cuba's northern coast has resulted in the deaths of four individuals and wounded six others, sharply escalating tensions between Havana and Washington. Cuba's interior ministry stated that its border guards engaged a US-registered speedboat after it allegedly entered Cuban territorial waters near Cayo Falcones and opened fire on a patrol vessel, wounding its commander.

According to the Cuban government, all 10 people on board were Cuban nationals living in the United States. The ministry claimed they were armed with handguns, assault rifles, and improvised explosive devices, and that initial statements from the six survivors who were detained ...

France and the United States are navigating a diplomatic rift after Ambassador Charles Kushner failed to appear for an official summons and was subsequently barred from meeting with French government officials. The incident has introduced tension into transatlantic relations, raising questions about diplomatic protocol and bilateral conduct.

The dispute originated from public statements by the Trump administration regarding the beating death of Quentin Deranque, a young far-right activist in Lyon. The U.S. State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau posted on X, linking the death to "violent radical leftism," a post the U.S. Embassy in Paris amplified. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned this ...