Saturday, March 14, 2026

Cape Town Rallies for Quds Day as US-Israel Strikes Rock Tehran

Pro-Palestinian protesters march to parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday April 14, 2023 on Al-Quds Day, an annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan.

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies

US-Iran crisis

As explosions echoed over Tehran and the United States vowed to intensify strikes against Iran, hundreds gathered in Cape Town- South Africa on Friday for an annual Quds Day rally, waving Iranian flags and voicing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Quds Day, observed on the last Friday of Ramadan, drew demonstrators to the streets of Cape Town.

Khaled Sayed, Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, told the crowd: "The only crime the people of Iran have committed is to stand with Palestine.

Their crime in the eyes of Western powers is solidarity—a similar crime we are committing as South Africans."

Another speaker called for unity against injustice: "People suffering under white supremacy, the billionaire classes—we as ordinary people must stand together irrespective of creed or persuasion."

Conflict intensifies

Meanwhile in Tehran, AFP journalists reported loud explosions as Israel's military said it had carried out 7,600 strikes since the war began on February 28, mostly targeting Iran's missile program.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to bombard Iran "more heavily than any other day so far."

Escalating rhetoric

President Donald Trump posted on social media that he viewed killing Iran's rulers "a great honour," calling them "deranged scumbags." He later told Fox News Radio the US would be "hitting Iran hard over the next week."

The hardline stances and renewed strikes show no let-up in the conflict engulfing the Middle East and roiling global energy markets.

Scores of Pro-Iran Shias Defy Ban to Rally in Nigeria's Capital

Shiite Muslims attend the annual Al-Quds Day rally in solidarity with Palestinian and Iranian people in Kano, Nigeria, Friday, March 13, 2026.

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies

Nigeria

Scores of pro-Iran Shia Muslims gathered at the Abuja National Mosque on Friday, defying a heavy security presence to mark Quds Day with anti-Israel and anti-US chants.

Around 200 faithful assembled after afternoon prayers, carrying images of Iran's late supreme leader and voicing solidarity with Palestinians as US and Israeli bombardments continue to pummel Iran.

The protest, which lasted about 15 minutes, appeared to catch security forces off-guard.

Outlawed but active

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), which led the rally, has been outlawed since 2019 for advocating an Islamic revolution.

However, researchers have characterized the group as more focused on protest than political violence.

"The United States should withdraw its military assets from the Middle East," demonstrator Abdullahi Musa told AFP, adding of Iran's slain leader: "To those people who killed him, I'm sure they'll regret it."

Risk of crackdown

The government has previously cracked down harshly on the IMN. Last year, clashes at a protest left 11 protesters and one soldier dead, according to an intelligence report.

Friday's march followed similar demonstrations in northern cities on March 1, immediately after the US-Israeli bombing campaign began.

Senegal Makes $471 Million Debt Payment But Faces Tough Times Ahead

FILE - Senegal's top opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, right, and his key ally Bassirou Diomaye Faye address supporters in Dakar, Senegal, Friday March 15, 2024.

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies

Senegal successfully paid nearly half a billion dollars in debt obligations on Friday, avoiding default, but spending cuts, delayed payments to other lenders, and growing civil unrest cast doubt on how much time the effort buys the West African nation.

The Central Bank of West African States transferred 380 million euros to eurobond holders and $33 million for dollar-denominated bonds, covering principal and coupons.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's government mobilized local resources via regional markets after the IMF suspended its program following the discovery of $13 billion in undeclared debt—the largest ever hidden debt in a country with an IMF program, according to investors.

Growing pains

But the payment comes with sacrifices. A university student died during protests over aid last month, teachers have struck, and unions say construction alone lost tens of thousands of jobs.

Senegal is also falling behind on payments to France, Britain, Italy and Spain, sources told Reuters—delays longer than before and more worrying.

Long road to recovery

Senegal plans to raise 4.1 trillion CFA francs on regional markets in 2026, but analysts warn it needs billions in affordable long-term financing.

With debt at 132% of GDP and $9.7 billion in interest and amortization due this year, "difficult choices" lie ahead.

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has rejected IMF restructuring proposals as a "disgrace," leaving the government to navigate a narrow path between solvency and social stability.

France Renews Ties with CAR in First Ministerial Visit in Eight Years

CAR President Faustin Archange Touadera, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017.

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies

Central African Republic

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot arrived in Bangui on Friday for the first high-level French visit in eight years, declaring the "full restoration" of relations with the former colony as it navigates deepening ties with Russia.

"This is the first time in eight years that a Foreign Minister is here in Bangui," Barrot said after meeting President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.

"My visit marks the full restoration of relations between our two countries following a period of tension—brief in the context of our shared history."

France and CAR relaunched diplomatic ties in April 2024 after a falling-out over Moscow's growing influence in the mineral-rich nation of 5.3 million.

Russia's shadow looms

Barrot's visit comes just days after Touadéra returned from a week-long trip to Moscow, where he met President Vladimir Putin.

Since independence in 1960, France maintained influence and soldiers in CAR but has gradually lost ground to Russia.

Touadéra has increasingly relied on mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group, who secure lucrative contracts in gold, diamond and logging industries in return.

Stabilization efforts

Touadéra, serving his third term after taking power amid civil war in 2016, said Friday that security had improved but remained "fragile."

Barrot noted that a two-year roadmap is already "having a significant impact" as the country pursues peace and economic development, with France standing "shoulder to shoulder" alongside it.

Comrade Kim Jong Un’s Speech in Congratulation of Women Across Country on Occasion of March 8 International Women’s Day

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a speech in congratulation of the women across the country on the occasion of the March 8 International Women’s Day.

The full text of his speech is as follows:

Greeting March 8, I, with my warmest feelings, extend congratulations to all our Korean women, for whom I have affection and respect all the time.

My hearty congratulations also go to all the overseas Korean women.

As they have always done, our women add harmony, beauty, warmth and affection to our society.

Today it is a joyful holiday, when the whole country brims over with the tender feelings of gratitude, blessing and respect for our women.

As we were to greet the women’s day some days after the Ninth Congress of our Party, in which we reviewed the precious successes achieved for the good of the country, I was reminded of all the exceptional and unknown efforts the women of this country had made for those successes. And I wanted to express my special thanks to them for what they had done, so I have decided to make a brief remark today, on the occasion of this opportunity.

I make a deep bow as an expression of my thanks to our women for the unknown efforts and sincerity they have devoted for the country and men.

However, I think that thanks is too simple a word and it would not be enough to encourage and repay them even a little for the extraordinary troubles and difficulties our women have experienced.

I can picture in my mind’s eye the looks of the women in this country, who would wear a gentle smile, as if they had gained all the reward for their silent efforts, after receiving a simple congratulatory remark, a greetings card or a flower from their dear husbands, children, boyfriends, relatives, acquaintances and disciples.

For these women, I cannot find any other better expression than really beautiful.

This expression does not simply imply the beautiful looks of Korean women.

Though physically weak, they are obviously strong-willed, their plain faces assuming courage and the wrinkles on them denoting their strenuous exertion and thus arousing much greater respect. So, they look incomparably beautiful, and I think this is a charm unique to our Korean women.

In the images of our grandmothers’ and mothers’ generations we can see the signs of the severe hardship which they have undergone, the tenacity with which they have gone against all odds, and the strength of genuine love and benevolent affection which they have cherished while working hard to develop this country.

Also, when seeing the faces of our contemporary women of a new generation, we can feel the fresh vigour with which they are working to advance this country towards a bright future, and the optimism and self-confidence they show in overcoming trials cheerfully.

I want to say proudly that all the Korean women who are dear to us–mothers, wives, daughters and girlfriends–are really beautiful and great, as compared with women in other countries.

Korean women, who have remained honest in times of difficulties, stout-hearted in moments of sorrow and courageous even in the face of death, have recorded remarkable exploits in the annals of the revolution and in the pages of history. These exploits still remain in our memory, serving as our strong spiritual mainstay.

Korean women are by nature pure-hearted, upright and strong-willed, and these qualities have been purely inherited for generations. Our contemporary women, too, have become a solid buttress of the revolution bringing affection and delight to all the other people in this country and inspiring them with strength, courage and victory.

In all the positions of our revolution, be they posts for national defence, sites of socialist construction, factories or farms, wherever we go in the country, we can see our women, strong-willed, tenacious, pure-hearted and honest, who are unwilling to show their physical weakness and lag behind men.

The distinguished services rendered by our countless heroes, both known and unknown, as well as the meritorious persons and innovators in this country, are associated with the immeasurable pains that our women, who are their mothers or wives, have taken without expecting any reward.

Our women devote themselves without seeking self-interest or reward, and they find the worth of their life in doing so. Such a fine mind constitutes the basis of a spiritual strength that engenders boundless love and encourages others to defy death unhesitatingly in defence of the love.

Our soldiers are so brave in the life-and-death battles, because they are determined to bring not an iota of shame on their dear mothers, wives, girlfriends or daughters, whom they associate with the sacred appellation motherland.

Women have such incredible strength.

With the passage of time, wrinkles will appear on their beautiful faces. However, the genuine beauty of our Korean women will not fade forever, as they are so honest and upright to endure everything while concerning themselves more about the country and revolution than about their families.

Encouraged by the warm care of such excellent women, their husbands and children achieve innovations at their workplaces, and our revolution is progressing much faster thanks to their peculiar strength, talent and most ennobling self-sacrificing devotion.

In the future, too, our women will play a significant role in making this country more harmonious and prosperous.

So important and irreplaceable are their responsibility and role in developing the socialist society of our own style and finding proper solutions to many big and small social problems.

When they always behave as a role model for their children, encourage their husbands and become a source of happiness and pride for their parents, and when they carry forward the tradition of patriotism as faithfully as ever, our society will become more beautiful, more powerful and more prosperous.

Availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to extend my special thanks and greetings to all the mothers across the country.

Indeed, the sacred appellation mother is a source of great spiritual strength for everyone.

Woman is weak but mother is strong, as the saying goes. Our mothers cherish genuine maternal affection as they make unassuming efforts to bring up their children to be excellent persons, so this country has so many patriots. As such strong-willed mothers constitute the solid foundations, our rosy future is fully guaranteed.

I am hardening my resolve to make unsparing and strenuous efforts to do much more for the sake of these admirable mothers, for the wellbeing of our women.

I earnestly request all our women to fulfil the sacred mission and duty they have assumed before the times, history and the motherland in achieving the prosperity and development of our country and promoting the harmony and unity of our society.

Hoping that all the Korean women will be happy and healthy and remain beautiful for the good of our country, the revolution and the future, I once again extend my warm affection and best wishes to them.

KCNA

2026-03-09

Five US Refueling Planes Damaged in Iranian Missile Strike in Saudi Air Base: Report

Saturday, 14 March 2026 6:24 AM

US Air Force aerial refueling tanker KC-135 Stratotanker (Photo by AP)

Five US Air Force refueling planes have reportedly been damaged in an Iranian missile strike at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

The planes were struck and damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia in recent days, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing two US officials.

The WSJ added that no one was killed in the strikes.

The recent update indicates that at least seven US Air Force refueling planes have been damaged or destroyed in total since the beginning of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran on February 28.

This figure follows an incident on Thursday, where six American troops were killed after the Iraqi resistance downed US aircraft, as confirmed by the Pentagon on Friday.

The collision occurred near Turaibil, along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, CBS News reported, citing an Iraqi intelligence source.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the deaths in a post on the social media platform X on Friday, hours after it reported that the KC-135 refueling aircraft had gone down in western Iraq.

CENTCOM also claimed that “the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.

”The aircraft, however, was targeted and struck by a missile fired by the Resistance Front in western Iraq, according to a statement issued by the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of Iran on Thursday night.

In a separate statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the aircraft was intercepted and destroyed while it was in the middle of a refueling mission for an “aggressor fighter jet.”

The incident has brought the number of US troops killed, as per the Pentagon data, to at least 13 since the beginning of the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran.

Ever since, Iraqi resistance groups have been carrying out daily attacks on US assets in Iraq and across the region.

The KC-135 is at least the fourth known US military aircraft lost during the war with Iran.At least three F-15 aircraft were also shot down over Kuwait.

‘Do Not Trust Illusion of US Power’: Iranian Military Warns Regional States

Saturday, 14 March 2026 10:59 AM

The spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi (Photo by Fars news agency)

The spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces has called on Leaders of Muslim countries not to put trust in the illusion of US power, and unite against hypocrisy led by the United States and Israel.

“Do not trust the so-called power of the United States. Americans cannot even defend their own faltering army, let alone the security of Muslim countries and the region,” Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi said on Saturday.

He said that the Iranian Armed Forces disabled the US warship USS Abraham Lincoln, whose name once caused fear and facilitated the plundering of Muslim resources, and forced it to retreat in a historical defeat.

Shekarchi noted that all US bases in the region, which have been built over decades with Muslims’ resources under the pretext of ensuring regional security while stealing the wealth of Muslim nations, have been destroyed in Iran’s retaliatory operations.

The general said Iran is well capable of reconstructing schools, houses, state buildings, supermarkets and public infrastructure damaged and destroyed in the US-Israeli onslaught.

But what cannot be rebuilt is the US credit, hollow power, and its defeated military, besides the helplessness of the Israeli regime, Shekarchi underlined.

On February 28, the United States and the Israeli regime launched an unprovoked military assault on Iran, assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several top commanders.

Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the criminal aggression by launching barrages of missile and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on the US bases in regional countries.

US Air Defense Station at Embassy in Baghdad Targeted: Report

Saturday, 14 March 2026 8:47 AM

The image shows the air defense systems station located on the territory of the US diplomatic mission in the Iraqi capital, March 14, 2026.

The United States Embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad reportedly came under attack in the early hours of Saturday, Al Hadath television channel reported.

According to unconfirmed information, the target was the air defense systems station located on the territory of the US diplomatic mission in the Iraqi capital.

The Iraqi security services confirmed the strike.

Iraqi security forces have cordoned off marking the “green zone” in the center of Baghdad, where most Iraqi government offices and embassies of many countries, including the United States, are located.

This comes after the US-Israeli aggressors targeted a house in central Baghdad. The Iraqi Covenant Network reported that the rescue teams are providing aid to the victims of the assault.

It added that at least two citizens have been martyred and several others injured in the terrorist attack so far.

On February 28, the United States and the Israeli regime launched unprovoked military assault on Iran, assassinating former Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several top Iranian military commanders.

Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the criminal aggression by launching barrages of missile and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on the US bases in regional countries.

Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it only targets American positions and bases in the region and does not seek conflict with Arab countries.

Six Civilians, Including 6-month-old Baby, Killed in US-Israeli Drone Strike on Western Iran

Saturday, 14 March 2026 9:34 AM

This picture shows the aftermath of a US-Israeli drone strike against a residential building in the town of Ivan, Ilam Province, western Iran, early on March 14, 2026. (Photo by IRNA)

At least six civilians, including a six-month-old baby, have been killed in a US-Israeli drone strike against a residential building in Iran's western province of Ilam, as children bear the brunt of the indiscriminate attacks.

The deputy director of political and security affairs at the provincial office stated that at least 31 individuals were also slightly wounded in the aerial assault, which was carried out in the wee hours of Saturday in the town of Ivan.

Tajuddin Salehiyan noted that a six-month-old baby was among the fatalities, becoming one of the youngest martyrs of the US-Israeli onslaught.

He added that the attack caused a massive explosion that caused damage to nearby buildings and houses.

Salehiyan further said that aid and rescue operations were underway to recover the dead bodies and those trapped under the rubble.

The Iranian Ministry of Health confirmed on Friday that the relentless attacks on civilian areas have injured more than 16,000 people, with 14,904 already treated and discharged and 1,448 remaining in hospitals.

Among the martyrs, 11 children under the age of five have been killed, while another 200 martyrs were under 18 years old.

Tragically, 41 of the wounded are toddlers under two years old, and over 1,100 injured are children under 18. The toll on women had been equally severe, with 2,500 injured and 220 martyred in the vicious strikes.

Why Has the US Targeted Iran's Kharg Island?

Alys Davies and Frank Gardner

BBC Security Correspondent, Riyadh

Donald Trump has said the US military has bombed a small island off the coast of Iran - home to a major oil terminal that is considered the country's economic lifeline.

The US president said Kharg Island's military facilities were "totally obliterated" but that it had held off targeting its oil infrastructure.

Trump, however, warned that he would reconsider the decision not to target oil facilities on the island should Iran or others "do anything to interfere" with the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most important shipping channels, located south of Iran's coast.

Iran's military said oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms working with the US would "immediately be destroyed" should Kharg's oil infrastructure be attacked.

Why is Kharg Island important to Iran?

Graphic titled "Iran oil and gas facilities" showing their locations on a map of Iran. The location of Kharg Island, off the coast of Iran, is labelled with the words: "Iran's largest terminal - Kharg Island". Above the map is written: "Iran holds 10% of world's proven oil reserves and 15% of its gas".

Kharg Island is a small rocky outcrop just 15 nautical miles (24km) off the coast of Iran.

Despite its size, it is one of the most critical pieces of Iran's energy infrastructure.

The US striking this small but vital island in the northern Gulf is like going for Iran's economic jugular vein.

Ninety percent of Iran's crude oil comes through a terminal on the island - transported through pipes from the mainland.

Very large tankers - capable of carrying up to 85 million gallons of oil - are able to come up to the island's long jetties to pick up the oil. The island's coast is close enough to deep waters, unlike the shallower coast of the mainland.

The tankers then come back down the Gulf and out of the Strait of Hormuz, to China - the main buyer of Iranian oil.

A terminal for the export of Iranian oil, the island provides a major source of revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

What has the US and Iran said about the attack?

On Friday, Trump said the US Central Command had "executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran's crown jewel, Kharg Island".

He added that, "for reasons of decency", he had "chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island".

Iranian state media reported that no damage was done to the island's oil facilities. The Fars news agency said US attacks targeted air defences, a naval base, airport control tower and a helicopter hangar.

Ehsan Jahanian, political deputy to the governor of Bushehr province in southern Iran, said "no military personnel, oil company employees, or island residents suffered casualties in the attack, and all sectors are continuing their routine activities".

Jahanian said the process of exporting oil from Kharg was "fully under way", and the "activities of companies based on the island are continuing without interruption", according to a report by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.

Following the strikes, the country's military warned that oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms working with the US would "immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes" if its energy facilities were attacked.

Why didn't the US target the island's oil facilities?

Military action to destroy the island's infrastructure would be hugely damaging to Iran.

It would also present a significant escalation to the conflict.

It would likely send global oil prices soaring even higher and could also lead to Iran targeting more oil infrastructure across the Middle East.

Two weeks into the war, Iran still has the capacity to launch large numbers of low-cost, high explosive drones at its Gulf Arab neighbours as well as at shipping vessels.

It could, potentially, expand those targets to include vital infrastructure like desalination plants that provide drinking water to millions.

Iran war live updates

Justin Crump, a military analyst and former British Army officer, said the bombing was an attempt by Trump to deter Iran from escalating the conflict further.

"He's showing it as being merciful but saying he could be more punishing to the IRGC" by targeting the oil facilities, Crump, who is also CEO of intelligence consultancy Sibylline, told BBC Radio 4' s Today programme.

Trump previously stated that the aim of the war was so that Iran's people could rise up and overthrow the Islamic Republic's regime.

While he has since expressed other motivations for the war, Crump said targeting the island's oil infrastructure was "difficult" as it would destroy the country's economic lifeline for a long period of time.

"That doesn't really say much for their [the Iranian people's] future", he said, adding that when the island's oil infrastructure was destroyed during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, it took a long time to rebuild.

Will the US try to seize the island?

There has been speculation about whether US forces would at some point attempt to take over Kharg Island.

It seizure would not only choke off Iran's oil exports but could also provide a platform from which to carry out attacks against the mainland.

US media reports that amphibious ships carrying up to 5,000 Marines and sailors are now being sent to the Gulf, adding to that speculation.

The Pentagon has declined to comment.

Taking the island would effectively cut off the IRGC's economic lifeline, impacting its ability to be able to conduct war, security analyst Mikey Kay, from the BBC's Security Brief, says.

Friday, March 13, 2026

Iran Launches 47th Wave of True Promise 4, Pounds US, Israeli Bases

By Al Mayadeen English

Iran’s IRGC carried out the 47th wave of Operation True Promise 4, striking US and Israeli targets with Kheibar Shekan and Qadr missiles in a defensive operation.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the 47th wave of its Operation True Promise 4, targeting US and Israeli positions.

According to the IRGC statement, the operation struck locations in the Naqab Desert, Beer al-Sabe, and Nevatim, as well as Komala separatist group hideouts in al-Lydd, all in the occupied Palestinian territories. The American Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar was also targeted.

The attacks were reportedly carried out using Kheibar Shekan solid-fuel missiles and Qadr liquid-fuel missiles.

Previous wave commemorated Iranian martyrs

Earlier on Friday, the IRGC executed the 46th wave of Operation True Promise 4, striking targets in the occupied territories with numerous advanced, destructive missiles with large warheads, including the Khorramshahr, Kheibar Shekan, Emad, and Qadr missiles.

The operation honored the memory of Martyr Major General Gholam Ali Rashid and Martyr Mohammad Bagheri.

Regarding the 46th wave specifically, the IRGC highlighted that its missiles targeted “more than ten hideouts of the Zionist entity’s army commanders” and three locations where US forces were concentrated in the region.

Reports of fire aboard US aircraft carrier Gerald Ford

Separately, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said that a fire that occurred on the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) was deliberately started by its crew, who were redeployed to West Asia following a long deployment in the Caribbean. The carrier had also experienced sewage flooding at an earlier time when it was sailing near Greece.

According to the statement, the vessel, reportedly redeployed from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman to reinforce US forces, sustained a fire allegedly started deliberately by several US soldiers due to fear among the carrier’s crew. The headquarters added that no further details are currently available regarding the condition or operational status of the vessel.

Drone Strike in Sudan Near the Border with Chad Kills 4, Injures Many More

Refugees arrive at the border between Chad and Sudan before going to the Tine transit camp in Chad's Wadi Fara province Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Caitlin Kelly, file)

By FATMA KHALED

4:57 PM EDT, March 12, 2026

CAIRO (AP) — Massive explosions caused by a drone strike at a market in the Darfur region near Sudan ’s border with Chad on Thursday killed four people and wounded over two dozen civilians, a medical group said.

Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF, blamed the strike on the army, saying the drone hit fuel reserves at the Adikong border market in West Darfur, marking the second fatal drone strike in Adikong in less than a month.

Gado Mahamadou, MSF head of mission in Chad, said 23 people were injured, including seven children and four women.

ٍSudan plunged into war in April 2023 after simmering tensions between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and the army broke out into fighting in Khartoum and spread across the country. The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

The Darfur and Kordofan regions became the epicenters of the war, with deadly drone attacks frequently reported in Kordofan. A surge in drone strikes in the Sudanese region of Kordofan has taken a growing toll on civilians and hampered aid operations, analysts and humanitarian workers previously said.

The Sudanese military hasn’t released an official statement about the Thursday strike, but two officials said there were military operations in the area meant to target the RSF. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to brief the media.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA, warned on Thursday that increasing drone strikes across Sudan “are exacting a growing toll on civilians.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Thursday in a statement that he’s appalled by the increasing drone attacks, citing reports that more than 200 civilians have been killed by drones since March 4 alone in the Kordofan region and in White Nile state.

On Wednesday, a drone blamed on the RSF struck a secondary school and a health care center in southern Sudanin the White Nile province on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, mostly schoolgirls.

——————

Associated Press freelancer Yasir Abdalla in Khartoum contributed to this report.

France Returns a Sacred Drum Looted During the Colonial Era to Ivory Coast

10:52 AM EDT, March 13, 2026

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — France returned a sacred talking drum looted during the colonial period to Ivory Coast on Friday as part of a nearly decade-old effort by the French government to return cultural artifacts to African nations.

It was the first such return by France to Ivory Coast, and was part of a broader campaign among European and Western governments to return treasured objects after decades of resistance.

The Djidji Ayôkwé, a massive carved wooden drum once used by the Atchan people of the Abidjan region to communicate between villages, was looted by French colonial authorities in 1916 and is among at least 140 looted artifacts Ivory Coast has asked France to return.

“This is a historic day and a moment of justice and remembrance,” Ivory Coast Culture Minister Françoise Remarck said at an event to receive the artifact at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport.

The wooden drum — whose name means “panther-lion” — measures about 11.5 feet (138 inches) long and weighs roughly 950 pounds. Historians say it played a key role in warning villages about forced labor recruitment organized by colonial authorities.

French President Emmanuel Macron first announced plans to repatriate cultural artifacts to African nations in 2018 following a report he commissioned from academic researchers that recommended doing that. The French Parliament last year adopted a special law allowing the Ivory Coast artifact to be removed from French collections, as part of the broader efforts.

The repatriation process required consultations with Atchan traditional leaders, who traveled to Paris to perform rituals lifting the drum’s sacred status so it could be restored and transported.

For Atchan leaders attending Friday’s ceremony, the drum’s return carries deep symbolic significance.

“After a long stay far from its land, our sacred drum is finally returning to its people,” said Aboussou Guy Mobio, chief of the village of Adjamé-Bingerville. “It is like the missing piece of our history coming back,” Mobio added.

The artifact will undergo a monthlong acclimatization period in a secure location to allow the wood to gradually adjust from Paris’s dry climate to Abidjan’s humid tropical conditions, preventing cracks in the centuries-old wood.

It is expected to go on public display in April at the newly renovated Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan.

Ethiopia Declares 3 Days of Mourning After Landslides in the South Kill 80 People

1:09 PM EDT, March 13, 2026

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia on Tuesday declared three days of mourning as the death toll from this week’s landslides in the country’s south climbed to 80.

Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives Tagesse Chafo said the three days of mourning would begin Saturday.

At least 80 bodies have been recovered from the Gamo Zone area in southern Ethiopia where landslides triggered by heavy rains killed dozens of residents.

Many other people remained missing since the tragedy struck the Gamo Zone area on Tuesday, officials said. Search and recovery efforts have taken place for days and have been hampered by heavy rain still pounding the area.

Regional government communications head Hailemariam Tesfaye said that the search for remaining victims was intensified.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission on Friday said that 3,461 people were displaced by the landslides.

The Government Communication Service said Thursday the government is mobilizing resources in coordination with regional authorities.

Donations from private citizens and business organizations are flowing into a fund announced by the regional government to provide relief items to those affected.

Heavy rains have pounded countries in East Africa, and in neighboring Kenya the death toll from Saturday’s flash floods rose to 62.

The region is expected to see more rain given the rainy season and governments have urged residents to exercise caution.

Last month, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre said the March–April–May rainy season has a 45% chance of above-average rainfall across most countries in the region, including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Northern Somalia, and Djibouti.

Drone Strikes and Clashes in Eastern DR Congo Threaten Region’s Peace Efforts

A U.N peacekeeper guards a house hit by a drone strike in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

By OPE ADETAYO and RUTH ALONGA

3:33 PM EDT, March 13, 2026

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels on Friday accused each other of violating terms of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending decadeslong fighting and bringing a permanent peace in the conflict-battered region.

Recent drone strikes and clashes have cast doubt over the peace deal and a separate minerals deal that Congo signed with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to enable the U.S. access Congo’s rich minerals.

Trump helped negotiate a peace deal between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, seen as an indirect but key player in the conflict, while Qatar and other partners have championed similar efforts involving direct negotiations between the government and the M23.

But neither track has halted the fighting.

On Tuesday, a drone strike that the M23 blames on Congolese forces killed a French United Nations staffer in the key city of Goma, less than a month after a similar strike killed the rebel group’s spokesperson and injured several others.

Residents continue to report clashes between the M23 and Congo’s forces sometimes joined by the local Wazalendo militia group, with thousands displaced in recent weeks.

M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka told The Associated Press that the group is still committed to peace efforts if Congo’s army “refrains from attacking our positions and assassinating our leaders, soldiers, and innocent civilians.”

Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said the government is investigating this week’s strike that killed a French aid worker, but did not elaborate on other drone strikes.

He blamed the M23 for violating the ceasefire, but said that the government side would like to “reaffirm our commitment to respecting the ceasefire” and other agreements.

The AP could not independently verify events in affected localities in the region. The attacks have, however, complicated peace efforts in the region where mass graves were recently found.

The conflict has precipitated one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with at least 7 million people displaced in eastern Congo.

Despite the peace talks, at least 60 drone strikes have been attributed to the Congolese military in 2026 and less than 5% of drone strikes in the region have been attributed to the rebels in the last year, according to a report by the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), which gathers data on conflict around the world.

“You still have people losing their lives to this crisis, and you still have displacement,” said Christian Rumu, a senior campaigner with Amnesty International, adding that Congolese “do not feel any positive change” from the peace deals.

“Heavy artillery has been used on densely populated areas throughout the conflict since 2021, and we see that in the latest attack in Goma,” Rumu said.

—-

AP writer Saleh Mwanamilongo contributed to this report. Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

Eswatini Receives Third Batch of Migrants Deported by the US

By NOKUKHANYA MUSI and MICHELLE GUMEDE

1:21 PM EDT, March 12, 2026

Johannesburg (AP) — Four more African migrants deported from the United States arrived in Eswatini, authorities said Thursday.

This is the third batch of deportees that the Trump administration has sent to Eswatini. They are the latest of more than 40 deportees sent to Africa as part of largely secretive agreements with at least seven African nations that rights groups and others have protested.

Others that have struck third-country deportation deals with the Trump administration include Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan.

The latest group of deportees that arrived in landlocked Eswatini included a Tanzanian, a Sudanese and two Somali nationals who would be repatriated to their respective countries of origin, the government said in a statement. It didn’t name them or say where they are being held.

Since last July, the U.S. has sent at least 19 people in three batches to Eswatini as part of its hard-line approach toward immigration. The U.S. said the first group of five men sent to Eswatini in July were convicted criminals who had deportation orders. A Jamaican man in that first group was repatriated to his home country in September.

The Eswatini government on Thursday said another third-country national had since received his travel documents and “will be departing the country shortly.” It added that talks with other countries of origin for the remaining third-country nationals are ongoing.

After the arrival of the latest deportees, the Eswatini government said it “reiterates its commitment to ensuring that the rights and dignity of the third-country nationals are upheld while they remain in the country.”

The deportations to Eswatini, a tiny kingdom bordering South Africa, where the king has full power and has been accused of suppressing pro-democracy movements, have sparked protests from civic groups there.

The Trump administration has spent at least $40 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to countries other than their own in Africa, Central America and elsewhere, according to a report compiled by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and released last month.

South African Soldiers Dismantle Illegal Mining Operations Near Johannesburg as Miners Flee

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and THEMBA HADEBE

4:42 AM EDT, March 13, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African soldiers deployed to high-crime areas have dismantled illegal gold mining operations in a community near Johannesburg, forcing some illegal miners to flee and abandon their equipment.

Police and the army recovered various tools used by illegal miners, including generators and drill machines — equipment documented by an Associated Press photographer on Thursday.

Makeshift trenches with food supplies and utensils belonging to the miners were also dismantled, with clothing items left behind after the miners fled the site in Randfontein, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the west of Johannesburg.

The operations were part of a rare move by the government to deploy soldiers in some of the country’s most crime-ridden areas, including in the Western Cape province that includes the city of Cape Town and the economic hub province of Gauteng.

With dozens of abandoned mine shafts lining the outskirts of Johannesburg, illegal mining is rife in the area as heavily armed crime syndicates and informal miners known as “zama zamas” enter the shafts in search of leftover deposits of gold or other precious minerals.

It is illegal to mine without a government license, and in some places, the conditions are dangerous.

Other provinces with abandoned shafts, like the North West and Mpumalanga, have also experienced high levels of illegal mining, sometimes with tragic consequences.

Authorities say there are an estimated 30,000 illegal miners in South Africa, operating in some of its 6,000 abandoned mine shafts.

The government has noted an increase in illegal mining, which it estimates is worth more than $4 billion a year just in gold lost to criminal syndicates.

The trade is believed to be predominantly controlled by migrants from neighboring Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, stoking anger among South African communities against both the criminal bosses and foreigners living in the local community.

Responding to questions from lawmakers on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the deployment of the troops would take place alongside other measures, such as strengthening anti-gang units and illegal mining task teams.

“The police will also be working with the National Prosecuting Authority on multi-disciplinary task teams to target the leadership, finances, firearms and logistics of these criminal networks,” Ramaphosa said.

IRGC: ‘Considerable Part of Israel’s Airspace Under Our Control’

Friday, 13 March 2026 6:04 PM

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on March 11, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

The commander of Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it launched a massive retaliatory operation against Israel, effectively disrupting the regime’s aerospace monitoring capabilities.

Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi said in a post on X on Friday that 30 super-heavy ballistic missiles—carrying warheads weighing between 1 and 2 tons — have been fired “at specified targets in the occupied territories" on the "night of destiny" — which was observed on Thursday night in Iran.

The operation has successfully disrupted and destroyed key aerospace monitoring and surveillance systems of the regime, he said.

As a result of this operation, added the commander, “a considerable part of the regime's airspace is now under our control.”

IRGC hits Israeli military sites, US bases in major offensive

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched the 44th phase of its Operation True Promise 4, targeting a series of key military sites in Israeli occupied lands and US bases across West Asia.

The US and Israel launched an unprovoked war against Iran on Feb.28. Iranian armed forces have vowed to keep the war on with the United States and Israeli regime until they regret launching the aggression against the Islamic Republic.

The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said last week that Iran is in possession of advanced weapons with high precision, which are beyond the enemy's assessment of the country’s military power.

True Promise 4: Iran and Resistance Axis Ops. Against US-Israeli Assets on Mar. 13

Friday, 13 March 2026 8:13 PM

Press TV Website Staff

Iranian armed forces and resistance groups across the region continue to carry out retaliatory military operations against the United States and the Israeli regime.

On Friday, March 13, 2026, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army conducted multiple operations as part of Operation True Promise 4, which was launched immediately after the US-Israeli coalition carried out an unprovoked act of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran on February 28.

Iranian armed forces have so far carried out 46 waves of missile and drone strikes with advanced weaponry targeting Israeli military facilities in the occupied territories, as well as US occupation bases and assets scattered across the West Asia region.

The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have also joined the front against the external aggressors, inflicting heavy blows on the enemy.

Hezbollah’s operations have been primarily focused on Israeli military sites in the occupied territories. Its operations are both in response to the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and the relentless ceasefire violations by the Israeli regime over the past year.

Iraqi resistance groups have also been carrying out daily operations, primarily against American military assets in Iraq and other Arab countries.

Following is a list of operations carried out by the Iranian armed forces, as well as resistance movements in Lebanon and Iraq, against the US and the Zionist regime on Friday, March 13:

Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC):

In cooperation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, it downed an American military KC-135 refueling aircraft with six crew on board, targeting it with air defense systems in western Iraq near the Saudi border.

The 43rd wave of Operation True Promise 4 code-named "Ya Shadid al-Iqab" (O, Severe in Punishment) was launched in honor of the martyrs of the path to Al-Quds, specifically the commander of the True Promises, Lieutenant General Martyr Hossein Salami, against the US Navy's Fifth Fleet base and other bases of the US military in the region, the heart of Tel Aviv in the north of the occupied territories, and Eilat.

The operation was executed using precision-guided, heavy Khorramshahr missiles with two-ton warheads, Qadr missiles with multiple warheads, Emad missiles with one-ton warheads, Kheibar Shekan missiles with one-ton warheads, and a number of suicide drones.

The US aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" sustained significant damage after being targeted by missiles and drones. After the attack, it withdrew from the region.

The 44th wave of Operation True Promise 4 was launched with the blessed code name "Ya Sadiq al-Wa'd" in commemoration of the martyrs on the path to Al-Quds, especially resistance martyrs Haj Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar.

The operation was carried out against the bases of the American-Israeli enemy in the north of the occupied territories, "Kiryat Shmona", "Hadera", and Haifa, the US Fifth Fleet, and other bases of the US military in the region.

The operation involved a mass of precision-guided and super-heavy Khorramshahr, Kheibar Shekan, Fattah, Emad, and Qadr missiles, and precision-guided suicide drones on the night of the 23rd of the holy month of Ramadan.

The 45th wave of Operation True Promise 4 was carried out with the blessed codename Ya Sahib Al-Zaman following the amazing response of the Iranian people to the new Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s message and their participation in the International Al-Quds Day rallies on Friday.

The operation was executed in memory of Martyr Hajizadeh and Martyr Mahmoud Bagheri against the targets of the American and Israeli regimes, using a large number of Khaibar-shekan solid-fuel precision missiles, and with the cooperation of the IRGC Navy, the drone units of the Army and the IRGC, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

An armed MQ9 drone was intercepted and destroyed in Firuzabad, Fars Province, and another aircraft was intercepted and destroyed in the skies of Tabriz by the new advanced air defense system of the IRGC, under the control of the integrated national air defense network. The total number of downed drones since the aggression started on February 28 has reached 111.

The 46th wave of Operation True Promise 4 was carried out under the blessed code name "Ya Sahib al-Zaman" and in memory of the martyred IRGC Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Gholamali Rashid against targets in the occupied territories using super-heavy Khorramshahr, Kheibar Shekan, Emad, and Ghadr missiles.

An armed MQ9 drone was intercepted and destroyed in Bandar Abbas by the IRGC's new advanced air defense system and under the control of the country's integrated air defense network.

A Hermes armed drone was intercepted and destroyed in Andimeshk by the IRGC's new advanced air defense system, under the control of the country's integrated air defense network. The total number of drones destroyed so far is 113. The IRGC air defense shot down 4 drones of various types on Friday.

Iranian Army:

The headquarters of the Israeli regime’s military forces in Bir Al-Sabi was targeted with a barrage of suicide drones. The operation was carried out in the memory of Martyr Lieutenant General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi. Bir Al-Sabi' is the location of strategic military installations and infrastructure of the Israeli military, including bases related to ground and air forces.

Targeted and destroyed five more invading enemy drones in the past 48 hours. The total number of drones destroyed since the beginning of the aggression, using the air defense systems of the Army and the IRGC, under the command of the country's Joint Air Defense Headquarters, has reached 109.

Hezbollah:

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, and the southern suburb of Beirut, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted the newly established site in Nimr Al-Jamal, opposite the border town of Alma Al-Shaab, with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburb of Beirut, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli army soldiers in the border town of Maroun al-Ras with rocket barrages and artillery shells.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the warning issued by the Islamic Resistance to the "Kiryat Shmona" settlement, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted it with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns and the southern suburb of Beirut, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli army soldiers at the Hadab al-Ajal and Qibal al-Qamh sites north of the "Kfar Yuval" settlement with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns and the southern suburb of Beirut, the Islamic Resistance fighters launched an aerial attack with swarms of attack drones on the "Shraga" and "Yiftah" barracks.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, and the southern suburb of Beirut, and in the framework of the Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted Israeli regime soldiers at the Al-Marj site opposite the border town of Markaba with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli army soldiers near the Khiam detention center with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, and the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli regime soldiers at the newly established site on Tel Al-Hamames south of the city of Khiam, with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli regime soldiers in Khallat al-Asafir, south of the city of Khiam, with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli regime soldiers at the Al-Marj site opposite the border town of Markaba with a rocket barrage for the second time.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, and the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli regime soldiers in "Kfar Giladi" with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the Quds Day operations, and the warning issued by the Islamic Resistance to the "Kiryat Shmona" settlement in northern occupied Palestine, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted it with a swarm of attack drones.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, including the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the Quds Day operations, and the warning issued by the Islamic Resistance to the "Nahariya" settlement in northern occupied Palestine, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted it with a swarm of attack drones.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, and the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Meron" base for surveillance and air operations management in northern occupied Palestine with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, and the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of the Al-Quds Day operations, and the warning issued by the Islamic Resistance to a number of settlements in northern occupied Palestine, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Even Menachem" settlement with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns, as well as the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Kabri" settlement in northern occupied Palestine with a rocket barrage.

In response to the Israeli aggression that affected dozens of Lebanese cities and towns and the southern suburb of Beirut, and within the framework of Al-Quds Day operations, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Givat" drone control base east of the occupied city of Safad, with a rocket barrage.

Islamic Resistance in Iraq:

In cooperation with the IRGC, it downed an American military KC-135 refueling aircraft with six crew on board, targeting it with air defense systems in western Iraq near the Saudi border.

Targeted a second KC-135 refueling aircraft belonging to the American military west of Iraq. Its crew managed to escape with it after it was struck, and it made an emergency landing at one of the Israeli airports.

Targeted Israeli-American interests in Erbil, northern Iraq, with an attack carried out by drone aircraft.

Millions of Iranians Rally on International Quds Day Amid US-Israeli Strikes

Friday, 13 March 2026 11:32 AM

People participate in Quds Day rallies in Tehran on March 13, 2026. (Photo by Tasnim)

Millions of Iranians have poured into the streets across the country to mark International Quds Day, a significant annual event aimed at expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause and condemning US and Israeli actions in Palestine and beyond.

The event, which takes place on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, is commemorated through mass rallies that saw citizens from all walks of life gathering in major cities, including Tehran, to demonstrate their unwavering support for Palestinians.

This year’s International Quds Day is particularly poignant, occurring amid the ongoing military aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran.

The attacks, which have lasted for over two weeks, have claimed over 1,300 Iranian lives and left more than 10,000 injured, with a significant number of casualties being women, children, and students.

In response, Iranians have rallied in vast numbers, holding Iranian and Palestinian flags, and displaying images of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly elected leader of the Islamic Revolution.

In Tehran’s Enqelab Square, participants chanted "God is Great" in response to explosions that were heard during the rally amid US and Israeli airstrikes which have targeted schools, hospitals, police stations, and historical landmarks.

The atmosphere of defiance and solidarity was palpable, with people pledging their loyalty to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, and his vision for the liberation of Palestine.

A notable feature of this year’s events has been the demonstrators’ allegiance to Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei. Many rally participants carried his images, signaling their support for his leadership and commitment to the ideals of the revolution.

Some participants even signed petitions and gathered in groups to affirm their loyalty to him

Top officials attended the rallies, with President Masoud Pezeshkian seen walking alone on the street, without any security escort.

Speaking at the rally in Tehran, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani stated that US President Donald Trump "does not understand" the resolve of the Iranian people.

"The Iranian people are a determined and capable nation, and the more pressure Trump applies, the stronger our will becomes," Larijani said.

Responding to a question about Israeli attacks on Quds Day participants, Larijani said that such actions are driven by "fear and desperation," adding that the Israeli regime’s aggression demonstrates its weakening position.

In a statement issued by the Islamic Development Coordination Council, the significance of this year's Quds Day was noted.

"The security equations of the region and the world have changed with the power of resistance," the statement declared.

It further described how "the Middle East, once envisioned by enemies as a space for expansion, has transformed into a 'resistant Middle East.'

The statement called for continued unity, saying: "We are resolute in our commitment to the ideals of Imam Khomeini and the martyred leader Ayatollah Khamenei. We will stand by our leaders until the last drop of our blood."

It also condemned US and Israeli actions, calling them "clear war crimes" that must be addressed by international bodies.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a post on social media, urged Iranians to disappoint the country's enemies through massive participation in the Quds Day marches.

Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf emphasized that this historic occasion has turned into a nightmare for the "fake and child-killing Zionist regime."

The significance of this year’s International Quds Day rallies is further underscored by the ongoing US-Israeli aggression against Iran, which began two weeks ago.

The violent campaign has sparked outrage among Iranians and bolstered their resolve to defend the Palestinian cause.

Ayatollah Khamenei, in his first public message on Thursday, called for participation in Quds Day events, describing them as a unifying force for people worldwide.

Reports from across Iran reveal that the participation in this year’s Quds Day is more widespread and determined than ever.

The mass rallies, which are also taking place in over 900 cities and dozens of towns and villages, are a clear statement of defiance against the external forces that seek to weaken Iran and its allies in the region.

Even in adverse weather conditions—heavy snow and rain and cold temperatures—Iranians are flooding the streets to voice their unwavering support for Palestine under Israeli and US military aggression.

The central rally in Tehran, which began at multiple points across the capital and converged at the University of Tehran, featured Qur’an recitations, speeches, and chanting of slogans condemning US and Israeli atrocities in Gaza and other Palestinian territories.

International Quds Day was first proposed by Imam Khomeini in 1979, who designated the last Friday of Ramadan as a day of global solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The initiative is aimed at preventing the Palestinian cause from being forgotten amid other global issues. 

Over the years, Quds Day has become a symbol of resistance against the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel, with rallies held in numerous countries worldwide, including across West Asia, North Africa, and in Western nations like the US, the UK, France, and Germany.

Iran’s mass participation this year carries particular significance, occurring amidst a campaign of terrorism by the US and Israel against Iran, aimed at stifling the only beacon of hope for the world’s oppressed peoples and resistance movements.

The brutal attacks on Iran, including bombings that have targeted civilian infrastructure, schools, and hospitals, have served to deepen the public’s resolve to confront the Zionist regime and its supporters.

The Quds Day rallies in Iran are not only a display of political opposition but also of national unity. From north to south, east to west, the Iranian people have united across ethnic and religious lines to voice their anger at the US-Israeli war of terrorism.

In cities such as Ahvaz, Shiraz, and Mashhad, participants from diverse backgrounds, including Shia, Sunni, and ethnic minorities, have gathered in solidarity with Palestinians. They are joined by Iranians who are mourning the recent slaughter of their loved ones in the Israeli-US airstrikes.

The rallies also carry a personal dimension for many Iranians, particularly in light of the recent bombing of a girls’ school in the town of Minab, which resulted in the deaths of 175 students and teachers.

The spirit of Quds Day transcends national borders, with similar events taking place across the globe.

In countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of people have joined in rallies to demonstrate their support for Palestine and denounce Israeli aggression.

Even in Western capitals, where political pressures often limit public demonstrations, Muslims and activists have gathered to show their solidarity with Palestinians.

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Global Responses to the US-Israeli War Against Iran and Lebanon

Mass demonstrations have occurred internationally while other imperialist states have expressed reluctance and even rejection of becoming embroiled in the genocidal onslaught in West Asia due to the economic shocks and security concerns

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Thursday March 12, 2026

Geostrategic Review

A United Nations Security Council resolution (2817) condemning Iran for its attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states since the beginning of the United States and Israeli war against the Islamic Republic was presented by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

This resolution passed in a 13-0 vote with the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China having abstained.

The UNSC resolution encapsulates the contradictions prevailing within the international community surrounding the role of the U.S. and the State of Israel and the failure to reign in these governments which have historically acted with impunity. Since February 28, Tel Aviv and Washington have killed several thousand people in Iran and Lebanon, yet the UNSC has done absolutely nothing to condemn the imperialists and zionists and sanction them for initiating these aggressions which have displaced hundreds of thousands in Lebanon and Iran.

After the passage of the UNSC resolution condemning Iran for its strikes against imperialist bases and economic structures in the Persian Gulf Arab Monarchies propped up by the U.S., the same council rejected a comprehensive resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities throughout the region. These actions by the UNSC did not halt the military operations of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which continued to launch attacks on the occupied territories and numerous imperialist-controlled outlets in West Asia.

Xinhua News Agency said of the second vote: 

“The UN Security Council on Wednesday failed to pass a draft resolution urging all parties to immediately stop their military activities and refrain from further escalation in the Middle East and beyond and condemning all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. The council rejected the draft resolution, sponsored by Russia, with four votes in favor, two against and nine abstentions. Russia, China, Pakistan and Somalia voted for the draft resolution, while the United States and Latvia voted against it.” (https://english.news.cn/20260312/34fb210428b042c59db939b59360b38c/c.html)

Consequently, the defensive operations of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its allies continue unrelentingly. Targets deep inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been hit in Tel Aviv, Haifa and other areas. These missile strikes are coming from both the Islamic Republic of Iran and neighboring Lebanon.  

On the first day of the latest round of aggression, the U.S. launched tomahawk missiles which struck a primary school in the southern city of Minab killing approximately 175 girls and other personnel. Since February 28, spokespersons for the Trump administration and the Pentagon have not accepted responsibility for the execution of these children, teachers and administrators at the school. 

In response, the Iranian authorities have strongly denounced this massacre. People throughout the international community have criticized the U.S. and Israeli actions overall due to their indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure, residential areas, businesses, schools, media outlets, oil depots and government buildings.  

Although members of the Trump administration said during the first days of their war of aggression and attempted regime-change that the bombing would not take long to reach their “objectives”, as the fighting continued more Pentagon personnel have been negatively impacted. Official claims from the Pentagon said that seven soldiers have died since February 28. However, the White House stated on March 10 that 140 U.S. soldiers have been injured since the beginning of what the imperialists call “Operation Epic Fury.” 

Iran has pledged to continue the war saying the fighting would not end until its own objectives were met. One leading academic in Iran said that the days of access to cheap oil while the people in the Islamic Republic were suffering, are over. 

Despite going to the UNSC, the Arab Monarchies as represented by Bahrain and Qatar and the other members of their Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have no reinforced protections to continue their collaboration with U.S. imperialism and zionism. These partners in the capitalist exploitation of their people and many others throughout the region are starting to realize that Washington, Tel Aviv and Brussels cannot guarantee their security. 

Economic Impact on Energy and Financial Markets

With the emergence of a new leader to replace the martyred Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, represents the continuity of the Iranian administration. Those leaders which have emerged in the aftermath of the early days of the war when many high-ranking political and military officials were killed, are taking a hardline against U.S. imperialism and zionism. 

The new Supreme Leader in an address on March 12 called for the expulsion of U.S. military forces from the Persian Gulf. Mojtaba Khamenei expressed the desire to maintain good relations with the Gulf Monarchies while he insisted that their territory should not be utilized by imperialism against the Islamic Republic.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a leading U.S. corporate media outlet that the Iranian government was not asking for a ceasefire. President Masoud Pezeshkian in a post on X gave three conditions for the ending of the war on March 11: the payment of reparations for the damage done by the U.S. and Israel; assurances that Iran will not be attacked in the future; and guarantees to respect the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic. (https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-israel-us-war-iran-outlines-3-conditions-to-end-war-with-us-israel-11203516)

IRGC soldiers have shut down the Straits of Hormuz where an estimated 20 percent of the world’s oil and other energy resources travel. Numerous vessels were hit on March 11-12 while traveling off the coast of Iraq. 

The economic impact of the escalation of the war has been described by the London-based Financial Times on March 12, emphasizing:

“Oil prices jumped on Thursday after a new wave of attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf reignited fears of prolonged disruption to global supply and briefly sent Brent crude back above $100 a barrel. In a sign of the heightened volatility in energy markets, Brent crude, the international benchmark, shot up as much as 10 per cent to $101.59 before giving up some of the gains to trade up 5 per cent at $96.35. As the war entered its 13th day, two oil tankers were on fire off the coast of Basra in Iraq following suspected Iranian strikes and a container vessel was struck near Dubai’s Jebel Ali. In Bahrain, fuel tanks at an oil storage facility in Muharraq were set ablaze, with the government blaming ‘Iranian aggression’. The renewed attacks came just a day after the International Energy Agency launched a record release of its oil reserves in an attempt to ease the severe global energy shock sparked by the conflict.” (https://www.ft.com/content/524462de-174c-4f0e-a0c7-e7bfaf647867)

Trump announced that he would send naval ships to escort vessels from imperialist-allied states through the Straits of Hormuz. However, this had not materialized after nearly two weeks of the war.

Inside the U.S., there has been much trepidation over the foreign policy of the Trump administration. They were dealt a legal blow when the Supreme Court struck down his tariffs project in a 6-3 decision. 

During the first week of March, statistics revealed that 92,000 jobs had been lost in the U.S. labor market. In the auto industry, the Stellantis corporation said it did not have enough money to issue profit sharing checks to its hourly employees. Overall small and medium-sized businesses are closing while the cost of living continues to rise.

Hostility Grows Against the U.S. and Israel Internationally

Even prior to the latest round of imperialist warmongering in West Asia, anger towards the U.S. and the State of Israel had risen sharply. The genocide in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 Palestinians as mass demonstrations and other forms of protests have spread globally.

The existing imperialist regional order for West Asia and North Africa is being brought into serious question. If the apartheid occupation regime in Tel Aviv along with the Pentagon and the CIA cannot guarantee the security of oil, natural gas, commercial, banking and tourist industries to extract profits, the economic and geostrategic impact could prove disastrous to the Group of 7 states. 

People in the U.S. and Europe have already expressed their opposition to the unprovoked and genocidal war against Iran. The imperatives for the antiwar, anti-imperialist, peace and social justice movements operating within the western capitalist states is to not only end the war on Iran, Lebanon and Palestine, they must also remove the capacity of Washington and Wall Street to fund and coordinate these failed military operations.

Congo-Brazzaville Heads into March 15 Vote as Turnout Looms

President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, is widely considered the favorite

Days before Congo's presidential election on Sunday, its streets were filled with campaign posters and banners urging the country’s 2.6 million registered voters to head to the polls.

The Republic of Congo, home to 6 million people and one of Africa’s major oil producers, continues to face persistent economic challenges, including a youth unemployment rate of 40% and a low standard of living for much of the population.

President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, is widely seen as the frontrunner. In power since 1997, he is seeking another term against six other candidates. Few voters expect any major surprise, and many believe the head of state could win outright in the first round.

In Brazzaville’s markets and working class neighborhoods, the election is generating little enthusiasm. Residents interviewed cite the same priorities, creating jobs for young people, reviving the economy, and improving living conditions in a country where many households struggle to make ends meet.

“Many young people are unemployed," said Gédéon, a resident of Brazzaville. "Young people (with degrees) drive motorcycle taxis."

For observers, the main issue is not the outcome of the vote but voter turnout. About 2.6 million people are registered for this election, and their participation will determine the perceived credibility of the process in a context where the ruling power has been firmly established for nearly three decades.

“The entire administration is campaigning (for the incumbent candidate), claiming that their candidate must win the election in the first round," said Dr. Etanislas Ngodi, a political analyst and Professor at the University of Brazzaville. "Opposite them, we see that we have candidates, some of whom are considered outsiders...but who have achieved well-known results."

As voting day approaches, the streets shine with electoral promises. The question now is whether Congolese voters will show up in large numbers to turn those promises into a political choice.