Iran

Iran–Israel war redraws the Horn of Africa’s security map The joint United States–Israeli strikes on Iran last week, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior security officials, have vaulted the Middle East into a wider war with immediate spillover risks for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Iran has hit Israel and several Arab states that host U.S. military facilities — the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan — while Hezbollah’s barrage from Lebanon…

South Africa’s government on Monday urged citizens stranded in the Middle East to “take immediate advantage” of the resumption of limited commercial flights out of the region, while Kenya Airways announced special repatriation services between Nairobi and Dubai to help passengers displaced by days of attacks. The moves follow a period of disruptions that left many travelers unable to leave and prompted several African governments to coordinate emergency measures. South African officials appealed to nationals in affected…

Israel struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon before dawn and said it intercepted a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles, as a widening war waged by the United States and Israel rippled across the Middle East with new disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz to Iraq and Turkey. Explosions rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, hours after Israel warned residents to flee. The Israeli military said it was working to down missiles fired from Iran, despite recent U.S. claims that strikes had severely degraded Tehran’s…

U.S. names first troops killed in Iran conflict after Kuwait drone strike; death toll rises to six The U.S. military on Tuesday identified four of the six soldiers killed when an unmanned aircraft system evaded air defenses and struck a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday — the first American troop fatalities acknowledged since the United States launched a new war against Iran with Israel. U.S. Central Command initially reported three deaths in the attack. Officials said Monday the toll had risen to six after…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump launched a full-throttle media blitz to defend and define Operation Epic Fury on Monday, offering shifting timelines for the U.S.-led strikes on Iran even as his administration sought to project a unified mission and steady command of the campaign. After a weekend dialing into television interviews from Florida, Trump returned to the White House and appeared on CNN and Fox News before midday. He told one outlet the assault could end in “two or three days with a deal.” On CNN, he said the…

Strait of Hormuz disruption sends tanker and LNG shipping rates to records as U.S.-Iran tensions spike Global oil and gas shipping costs surged to fresh records as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill after Tehran targeted vessels transiting the key waterway, according to shipping data and industry sources. The choke point between Iran and Oman carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas. The strikes on ships, part of Iran’s retaliation to U.S. and…

Funerals take place following attack on Iran school Funerals were held in Iran following an attack on a school, underscoring a day of grief and somber reflection for families and communities confronting the loss. The rites drew mourners to pay respects to the victims as the country absorbed the shock of violence striking an educational setting. Details about the incident, including the full scope of casualties and responsibility, were not immediately available. In the absence of confirmed information, the focus remained on…

NAIROBI, Kenya — Iran’s ambassador to Kenya sought to calm fears on Tuesday, saying Nairobi is not at risk of retaliation as Tehran and its adversaries exchange fire across the Middle East and regional airspace closures ripple through airline schedules. At a press briefing in Nairobi, Iranian Ambassador Dr. Ali Gholampour said Kenya does not host a U.S. military installation of sufficient strategic value to draw Iranian fire. “This country does not provide a US military facility with a magnitude to attack Iran,” he said,…

As U.S. strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury entered a new day, the White House appeared determined to project clarity and resolve. Instead, a flurry of public remarks from senior officials — led by President Donald Trump himself — yielded shifting timelines and evolving justifications that sharpened questions about the mission’s scope, strategy and endgame. The president moved aggressively to frame the narrative, calling news outlets throughout the weekend from Florida and returning to Washington to blanket morning TV.…

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held separate telephone calls with the King of Jordan and the Amir of Qatar as regional tensions spiked following Iranian missile strikes, the presidency said Monday. In statements issued by Villa Somalia, the president and his counterparts discussed the deteriorating security climate across the Middle East and stressed the need to reduce tensions and intensify diplomatic efforts to preserve stability. The Somali leader reaffirmed Mogadishu’s support for both Jordan and…