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Unverified reports circulating in regional media allege that Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, has been arrested and executed by the Iranian regime on suspicion of espionage for Israel.

The claims follow the joint US-Israeli airstrike last Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Qaani, aged 68, was the highest-ranking IRGC figure not present at the Tehran presidential palace when it was destroyed in the large-scale operation involving dozens of Israeli fighter jets.

According to unconfirmed reports, Qaani is suspected of providing vital intelligence that enabled the precise strike on Khamenei's underground command bunker. He has long ...

A recent discussion on Reports on China (@ReportsOnChina) examined the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, focusing on Iran’s military resilience, asymmetric warfare strategy, and the broader geopolitical implications of the conflict.

In the video titled “Ben Norton: Can Iran beat Israel and the US, and how?”, political economist Ben Norton argues that Iran has developed structures designed to withstand decapitation strikes against its leadership. According to Norton, Iran’s political and military institutions are organised so that leadership roles can be quickly replaced if senior figures are assassinated. He also points to what he describes as a decentralised “mosaic” defence structure intended to ...

Hungarian authorities have seized millions of euros in cash and gold from a Ukrainian convoy and detained seven Ukrainian nationals, sparking a diplomatic row between Budapest and Kyiv.

The national tax and customs administration intercepted two armoured bank vehicles carrying $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kilograms of gold. Officials launched a money-laundering investigation, noting that one of those detained was "a former Ukrainian intelligence service general."

Ukraine's state savings bank, Oschadbank, stated its employees were conducting a routine transfer between Austria and Ukraine, necessary due to restrictions on air travel. The bank insisted the shipment was supported by all required documentation ...

Oil prices have surged sharply after Qatar's energy minister warned that all oil and gas exports from the Gulf region could cease within days due to the escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.

Brent crude increased by 4.4% to $89.17 a barrel on Friday, following Qatar's warning that the crisis could "bring down the economies of the world." If shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, prices could escalate to $150 a barrel within weeks, according to the minister.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, typically handles about one-fifth of global oil supplies daily. ...

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a negotiated settlement with Iran as the best long- term solution to the escalating Middle East conflict, reaffirming his decision to prevent the UK from participating in initial US- Israeli strikes.

Speaking at a Downing Street news conference on 5 March, Starmer said the UK's longstanding position is that "the best way forward for the regime and the world is a negotiated settlement with Iran where they give up their nuclear ambition." He emphasised that Britain is doing "everything we can" to de-escalate the situation, a stance that contrasts with US President Donald Trump's ...

Israel has launched new and intense airstrikes on the capitals of Iran and Lebanon, targeting Tehran and Beirut, as the US-Israel conflict with Iran enters its seventh day with no sign of easing. The Israeli military described the operation as a "broad-scale wave" of strikes against what it called "regime infrastructure" in Tehran and Hezbollah command centres in Beirut's southern Dahieh suburb, a stronghold of the Iran-backed group.

The bombardment, which included 14 waves of strikes on Iran since Saturday, has prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran targeting Israel and multiple Gulf states hosting US forces. Overnight, Iran launched ...

China has unveiled a new five-year economic plan and policy agenda during the annual National People’s Congress (NPC), outlining Beijing’s priorities for growth, technology development, and economic stability in the coming years.

The Chinese government announced an economic blueprint that includes a GDP growth target of around 5%, along with measures aimed at boosting domestic demand and supporting key industries. Officials emphasised the importance of stabilising growth while addressing structural challenges such as the slowdown in the property sector, demographic pressures, and weaker global demand.

A major focus of the new Chinese economic strategy is technological self-reliance. Beijing signalled plans to increase ...

In an interview with Owen Jones (@OwenJonesTalks) published on his YouTube channel, foreign policy analyst Trita Parsi offered a critical assessment of the Trump administration's handling of the war with Iran, arguing that the United States has already lost strategic control of the conflict.

Parsi, co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, stated that the administration's initial plan "came crashing down within 48 to 72 hours of that war" and is now "scrambling to come up with a plan B." He pointed to shifting justifications, goals, and timelines as evidence that "Trump has already lost control of the war," while ...

The first UK government-chartered rescue flight aimed at bringing stranded British nationals home from the Middle East was delayed on March 5, remaining grounded in Muscat, Oman, due to what ministers described as "operational reasons" related to boarding passengers.

Home Office minister Alex Norris confirmed the flight would now depart on Thursday, though he could not specify a time. The delay affects one of several planned evacuation efforts as an estimated 138,000 British nationals in the region have registered for government assistance, with 112,000 of those in the UAE alone.

The government has confirmed two additional chartered flights will depart by the ...

Three men suspected of spying for China, including the husband of Labour MP Joani Reid, have been released on bail until May as the investigation continues, according to the Metropolitan Police.

David Taylor, 39, who is married to Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid, was detained on 4 March alongside two other men aged 43 and 68 during coordinated arrests across London and Wales. The investigation is led by counter-terrorism police under the National Security Act 2023, with all three accused of aiding a foreign intelligence service.

Following the arrests, searches were conducted at multiple addresses, including properties in London, Cardiff, and East ...