Asia holds its breath as Iran war drags on

Zelensky visits eastern front as Ukraine and Russia complete POW swap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited frontline troops in eastern Ukraine on Friday as Kyiv and Moscow completed a two-day prisoner-of-war exchange involving 500 soldiers from each side. The swap was one of the few tangible outcomes of ongoing diplomatic talks aimed at ending the war....

Iran, Europe & Churchill: The View from a Former British Ambassador to Iran

In this edition of the Spotlight, we speak to Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Iran and Libya and a former consul general in Jerusalem, to unpack the first week of war and what may come next....

Winter Paralympics officially open, Russian athletes greeted with boos

Some spectators booed Russia's athletes as they marched under their own flag in the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics on Friday. The International Paralympic Committee in February lifted a long-running ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under their own flags a...

Iran war: A special edition

In a week that a major war broke out in the middle east when the US and Israel attacked Iran from the skies, with air strikes that assassinated the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and at least forty senior Iranian officials all reportedly within a five minute period at the start of the bombing campaign on S...

Iran's Azeris fear ethnic strife, sucking Turkey and Azerbaijan into the war

With ethnic brethren in northern Iran and a US outreach to Iran’s Kurds following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, Turkey and Azerbaijan are at risk of being drawn into the war. For Iran’s Azeris, the largest minority group in a multi-ethnic country, it could mean trouble as ethnic fault line...

Israel carries on targeting Hezbollah strongholds, causing heavy displacement

On day seven of the war - the Israeli army announced it carried out an intensive overnight bombing campaign in Lebanon - in the southern suburbs of Beirut - as it targets Hezbollah strongholds. The militant group is allied with Iran - and has continually clashed with Israel. On March 2, the group...

Polymarket faces allegations of insider trading after suspicious Iran war bets

The online betting company Polymarket is facing scrutiny over allegations of insider trading after bettors made more than 500 million dollars by accurately predicting the date (and time) of the first strikes on Iran last Saturday. Some accounts are being suspected of insider trading, particularly a...

Iran not 'a week away' from having a nuclear bomb as Trump administration claims

The main argument used by the Americans and Israelis to justify the war with Iran has been the country's nuclear program. But where does Iran's enrichment program stand today? On Tuesday the nuclear site at Natanz was hit by airstrikes. And just days ago the Trump administration claimed that Tehran...

White House criticised for gamifying Iran war on social media

The White House is facing criticism for its messaging over the Iran war. Social media trolling and memes were already a hallmark of Donald trump's presidency. But the White House's latest videos have proved particularly offensive, as US strikes in Iran struggle to garner support....

Trump demands Iran 'unconditional surrender' as Moscow helps Tehran target US forces

President Donald Trump said on March 6 that only Iran's "unconditional surrender" would bring an end to the Middle East war. ⁠this comes as The Washington Post reports that Russia is providing Iran ⁠with targeting information ​that includes locations of U.S. warships and aircraft in the Middl...

Europeans 'will be legitimate targets' if they join war, Iran's deputy FM warns

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran had "already informed the Europeans and everybody else that they should be careful not to be involved in this war of aggression against Iran". He warned that if any country "joins America and Israel in t...

Iran war divides US Congress over Constitution interpretation

The US House of Representatives narrowly rejected a resolution to curb President Donald Trump's powers in the Iran war, an early sign of unease in Congress over the rapidly widening conflict that is reordering U.S. priorities at home and abroad. It's the second vote in as many days, after the Senat...

'Purely defensive' posture: Europe’s reluctant role in an expanding Middle East conflict

Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome James J. Townsend Jr, the Atlantic Council's Senior Advisor in the Scowcroft Center's Transatlantic Security Initiative. He asserts that European military involvement in the widening Middle Eastern conflict should not be interpreted as entry into the war itself,...

Surge in GPS interference around Strait of Hormuz increases shipping risks

More than 1,100 vessels have been hit by GPS interference across the Middle East Gulf since the start of the conflict, according to maritime firm Windward. Experts warn these attacks pose severe risks to navigation and are contributing to the de facto blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz....

'Catastrophic': Humanitarian emergency unfolding in Lebanon as Israeli airstrikes intensify

Haxi Meyers-Belkin is pleased to welcome Kevin Charbel, Head of Première Urgence Internationale mission in Lebanon. From his vantage point, the current airstrikes in southern Lebanon are triggering a new humanitarian emergency exacerbating the prolonged national crisis. The new attacks are once ag...

Israel has 'freer hand in Lebanon' as US not involved

Ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon are the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the latest conflict. Tens of thousands have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Isra...

Information war: Journalists in Iran face bombs, blackouts and arrest

Truth is the first casualty of war. Amid an internet blackout and an ongoing crackdown by Iranian authorities, the job of independent journalists in Iran was already difficult but now with US-Israeli airstrikes, it is near impossible. A critical press offers nuance and is needed to combat state pro...

Ukraine to provide expertise on countering Shahed drones to Gulf countries

Various countries, including the United States have asked Ukraine for its expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones. Russia has fired tens of thousands of these drones at its neighbour since the war began just over four years ago. Ukraine's President Zelensky said they will provide assistance...

Israelis on border with Lebanon stay put despite Hezbollah strike threat

On March 6, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a wave of strikes targeting Israeli forces, in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Lebanon the day before. It also warned Israel residents to evacuate from area within 5km of the border. Just south of it, most Israelis are...

In Israel, a unique network of volunteer first responders

Israeli authorities say the number of ballistic missiles targeting the country is declining. Since the start of the war, there have been 10 deaths, 8 serious injuries, and nearly 400 minor injuries. To treat them in record time, Israel benefits from a network of volunteer first responders that is u...

Hezbollah has 'less wriggle room' as Lebanese 'lose their patience'

The war in the Middle East spread to Lebanon when Hezbollah launched a rocket attack at Israel early on March 2, to "avenge" the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli attack on Tehran. Now, over 100,000 people have been displaced due to retaliatory strikes from Israel, an...

Displaced Lebanese speak of their experience amid Israeli air strikes

About 100,000 ⁠people have fled to ​shelters in Lebanon, according to the UN. The number of displaced is expected to ​rapidly increase following "unprecedented" Israeli warnings ordering people out of large parts of the country. Over 120 have been killed in five days of war....

Israeli airstrikes pound Lebanon, displacing hundreds of thousands

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is calling on the international community to help Lebanon amid the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war as he warned '"a humanitarian crisis was looming". The fresh Israeli strikes have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee targeted areas. FRANCE 24's Renée Davis spoke...

US Congress rejects 'war powers resolution' that would halt strikes in Iran

In the US, Congress's lower house has narrowly rejected a resolution to curb President Donald Trump's powers in the Iran war. It's the second vote in as many days, after the Senate defeated a similar measure. While Democrats argue this is a war and needs congressional approval, the Trump administra...

Donald Trump seeks Kyiv's help in defending against Iranian drones

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Ukraine's partners, including the United States, had sought Kyiv's help in defending against Iranian drones during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. ...

'There doesn't seem to be a plan in Iran' for the Trump administation

US President Donald Trump said on March 5 it would be a "waste of time" currently to consider sending US ground troops into Iran. This comes amid growing criticism domestically and internationally that the Washington has unclear goals and strategies in Iran, as well as explanations for the war, as...

"There doesn't seem to be a plan in Iran" for the Trump administation

US President Donald Trump said on March 5 it would be a "waste of time" currently to consider sending US ground troops into Iran. This comes amid growing criticism domestically and internationally that the Washington has unclear goals and strategies in Iran,as well as explanations for the war, as i...

🔴 War in Middle East live: Israel orders evacuation of four towns in Lebanon's Bekaa region

Hundreds of thouands displaced in Lebanon amid Israeli airstrikes

Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on March 6, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that "a humanitarian disaster is looming" as a result of Israeli evacuation orders that are causing a massive displacement of the populatio...

Ukraine to provide drone protection support in Middle East at US request

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said that Ukraine would provide assistance to the US and other allies in ​response to requests for support in dealing with Iran's Shahed drones currently being used in the Middle East conflict....