Nuclear talks begin between Iran and US

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Nuclear talks

Iran and the US walked away from Tuesday's nuclear negotiations with "guiding principles" for future talks, according to Iran's foreign minister. This comes as the US military continues to build up its assets in the Middle East and as President Trump has warned Iran of a "very traumatic" outcome if they don't agree to a deal in the coming weeks. US officials also said "progress was made" during the discussions and that the US expects to receive detailed proposals from the Iranian government in the next two weeks to address gaps between their positions.

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💥 Trump huddles on Iran crisis

President Trump convened his top advisers yesterday for a meeting on the crisis with Iran, two U.S. officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid.

• Trump was briefed on the nuclear talks held earlier this week in Geneva and the group discussed next steps.

Behind the scenes: Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials attended the meeting.

• One U.S. official said the Iranians need to come back by the end of the month with steps that address the concerns the U.S. presented in Geneva about their nuclear program.
• A second U.S. official expressed deep skepticism and said the talks in Geneva were "a nothing-burger."

⚓ What to watch: U.S. officials say the arrival of the USS Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days will be a key factor in the timing of a possible military campaign against Iran.

• The U.S. is assembling the most air power in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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Iran and the US lean into gunboat diplomacy as nuclear talks hang in balance Tehran holding drills with Moscow and Washington bringing another aircraft carrier closer to the Mideast underscore the tensions between the nations. Read more.

Why this matters:  The movements of additional American warships and airplanes don't guarantee a U.S. strike on Iran — but give President Donald Trump the ability to carry out one should he choose to do so. He's so far held off on striking Iran after setting red lines over the killing of peaceful protesters and Tehran holding mass executions, while reengaging Tehran in nuclear talks earlier disrupted by the Iran-Israel war in June.   The drill saw Iranian forces and Russian sailors conduct operations in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. Iran also issued a rocket-fire warning to pilots in the region, suggesting they planned to launch anti-ship missiles in the exercise.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Rubio plans to update Netanyahu on US-Iran talks in Israel next week, officials say   Trump gathers members of Board of Peace for first meeting, with some US allies wary of new body   WATCH: Russian Navy releases footage of one of its warships docking in an Iranian port ahead joint drills

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Iran prepares nuclear counterproposal as US considers limited military strikes

Iran’s foreign minister has said he expects to have a draft counterproposal ready within days after nuclear talks with the US this week, while Donald Trump said he was considering limited military strikes.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/21/iran-nuclear-counterproposal-us-strikes-threat?

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🇮🇷 Top general's Iran warning

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine has been advising President Trump that a military campaign against Iran could be risky, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. One big threat: Getting stuck in a prolonged conflict. 🪖 Caine's position could be particularly influential. He's Trump's top military adviser, and the president highly respects him. One source said Caine is not advocating for a strike, but will support any decision Trump makes. Another said the chairman is not skeptical about a military campaign — but "clear-eyed and realistic" about the chances for success and what happens after war starts. 🤨 Vice President J.D. Vance has also raised concerns about Iran lately. One source confirmed the VP had been raising questions about the risks and complexity of the operation with military and national security officials, but denied he was outright opposed to striking Iran. Vance hopes the talks in Geneva on Thursday will produce a diplomatic breakthrough, but is not optimistic about the odds of a deal — a position shared by many other top officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been "sitting on the fence," per two sources. A senior administration official tells Axios: "Everyone has a job to do and does their job. Rubio isn't figuring out what planes to fly. Caine isn't worrying about diplomatic fallout. The decision to strike, when and how or if at all, has not been made." Go deeper.

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CIA offers tips to potential informants in Iran as Trump considers military action The Central Intelligence Agency provided Farsi-language instructions on ways to safely contact the spy agency as President Donald Trump mulls possible military strikes. Read more.

Why this matters: The social media outreach comes at an especially uneasy time in U.S.-Iran relations and as the Iranian theocracy faces new protests at home. The U.S. has assembled its largest military force in the Mideast in decades as tensions with Iran have risen. Another round of nuclear talks is planned for later this week.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Iran pushes back against Trump ahead of Geneva talks   Iranians worry over American military buildup as last-chance round of talks nears   Protest held on Greek island against docked US aircraft carrier as Iran tension builds

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Iran Talks Continue

The third round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations begins today in Geneva. Discussions come as the US has amassed its largest military force in the region in decades, with President Donald Trump threatening to strike by next week. Trump reiterated this week that he would never allow Iran to have access to a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains its nuclear ambitions are peaceful but has also enriched uranium to 60% purity, a threshold approaching the weapons-grade level of 90%. Satellite images show the country has fortified sites struck by the US last year, including by constructing a roof over part of the Natanz enrichment site. The US has meanwhile sent two aircraft carrier strike groups and dispatched F-22 fighter jets to Israel.  Military advisers reportedly believe it would be difficult to carry out a limited strike against Tehran. The negotiations do not cover Iran's ballistic missile program or crackdown on protests; those demonstrations have resumed in recent days.

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What Americans think about Trump’s judgment on military force as Iran talks resume: new AP-NORC poll

About half of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned that Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat to the United States, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 3 in 10 are “moderately” concerned and only about 2 in 10 are “not very” concerned or “not concerned at all.” Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Live updates: US-Iran nuclear talks wrap up with no announcement of a deal as risk of war looms Iran would be outgunned in any war with the US but could still inflict considerable pain US military builds up the largest force of warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades US moves to cut off a Swiss bank over alleged Iran and Russia money flows Pakistani man is on trial over Trump assassination plot with ties to Iran, US prosecutors say   Iran talks show "significant progress"   Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images Today's nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva resulted in "significant progress," Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said this afternoon. A senior U.S. official said the talks were "positive," but didn't immediately provide more details, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. ☢️ The meeting was seen by many in the Trump administration as a last chance for diplomacy before President Trump decides whether to launch a war over Iran's nuclear program. The talks — between Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — took place over several hours, in a morning and an afternoon session. 🇺🇸 The U.S. side was "disappointed" by Iran's positions during the early session, according to a source familiar. If Witkoff and Kushner report back to Trump that there was no breakthrough, a military strike would become more likely. The USS Gerald R. Ford leaves Crete today en route to support potential military action in Iran. Photo: Costas Metaxakis/AFP via Getty Images 🇮🇷 During the break, an Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran rejected the idea of permanently abandoning uranium enrichment, dismantling its nuclear facilities, and moving its uranium stockpiles abroad. Iran has proposed reducing its uranium stockpile to low enrichment levels under international supervision, the official said. ☢️ The U.S. came into the talks willing to show flexibility on Iran's desire to enrich uranium — but only if Tehran could prove there was no path to a bomb. What's next: Consultations in Washington and Tehran, then technical discussions between nuclear experts in Vienna next week. Go deeper. ps:Obviously not!!

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Iran’s supreme leader killed in major attack by US and Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday, throwing the future of the Islamic Republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-explosion-tehran-c2f11247d8a66e36929266f2c557a54c?

Iranian state media confirms death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed to the Iranian people to “take over your government.”

https://apnews.com/live/live-updates-israel-iran-february-28-2026?

ps:How would he feel if people here recommended the same thing?????

MS NOW's live breaking coverage with Rachel Maddow of U.S. attacks on Iran

Rachel Maddow joins MS NOW's ongoing live breaking coverage of the United States' attack on Iran.

Want more of Rachel? Check out the "Rachel Maddow Presents" feed to listen to all of her chart-topping original podcasts.
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https://www.radio.net/podcast/therachelmaddowshow

US and Israel strike Iran as Netanyahu says ‘many signs’ Khamenei ‘no longer alive’

Israel and the US have launched a war on Iran, unleashing waves of air attacks across the country in an attempt to bring about regime change and plunging the region into a conflict that could last weeks or months.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/28/israel-launches-attack-on-iran-as-explosions-heard-in-tehran?

US and Israel launch strikes on Iran: what we know so far

• Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has been killed as the US and Israel launch a war on Iran to trigger regime change, Donald Trump has claimed. The US president announced the death of the ayatollah, who has ruled Iran as supreme leader since 1989, in a post on Truth Social. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/28/us-israel-launch-strikes-attack-iran-what-we-know-so-far-latest?

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Operation Epic Fury

Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion today in Tehran, Iran. Photo: AP The U.S. and Israel began "major combat operations" in Iran overnight with the aim of destroying the country's military capabilities and fostering regime change, President Trump announced in an overnight video statement. Israel's Air Force conducted strikes against Iranian senior commanders and political leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in an effort to destabilize the regime, Axios' Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler report. Iranian media reported strikes nationwide. Smoke could be seen rising in Tehran, the capital. In a video statement on Truth Social at 2:30 a.m. ET, Trump accused Iran of conducting "mass terror" ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and declared: "We're not going to put up with it any longer." "We're going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. ... We're going to annihilate their navy, we're going to ensure that the region's terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces," Trump said. "And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon." Trump, who arrived at Mar-a-Lago last night, is expected to address the nation later today. Operation Epic Fury, as the Pentagon dubbed the attack, started exactly as Trump's 10-day deadline to Iran expired. Israel's name for the joint operation is Lion's Roar. Vehicles line up in Tehran during a traffic block after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency (WANA) via Reuters Retaliation was swift. U.S. bases in the region — in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE and Jordan — were attacked by Iranian missiles. Iranian state TV confirmed Iran was attacking U.S. bases. A senior U.S. official said that as of 7:10 a.m. ET, there were no casualties. 🏛️ Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who's hawkish on Iran and close to Trump, said on X after the attack: "The end of the largest state sponsor of terrorism is upon us. ... This operation is necessary and long justified." Get the latest.

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ISRAEL SAYS SUPREME LEADER DEAD

Black smoke rises today from Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's heavily damaged compound in Tehran. Satellite image: Pléiades Neo/Airbus via Reuters Bulletin: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike today as part of a massive joint military operation alongside the U.S., Israel's ambassador to Washington told U.S. officials, Axios' Barak Ravid and Avery Lotz report. An Israeli official confirmed that Khamenei is dead, according to Israeli intelligence. The 86-year-old Khamenei led Iran for 35 years, making him one of the world's longest-serving authoritarians. His death is a massive blow to the regime and could accelerate its collapse, which U.S. and Israeli officials say is their explicit goal. It also sets off an immediate succession crisis with no clear answer. (Khamenei: What to know) 📱 TRUMP INTERVIEW: President Trump has several "off ramps" from his extraordinary military campaign against Iran, he told Barak Ravid in a phone interview from Mar-a-Lago today. Trump tells Axios: "I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: 'See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding'" nuclear and missile programs. "In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack." A photo obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency shows an Iranian man walking past debris in Tehran today following a missile strike. Photo: Amir Kholousi/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images Trump cited two main reasons for launching the strikes: the failure of negotiations this week and Iran's historical conduct. Trump said: "The Iranians got close and then pulled back — close and then pulled back. I understood from that that they don't really want a deal." ☢️ Trump also claimed that Iran had begun rebuilding some of the nuclear facilities that the U.S. and Israel struck last June. Independent analysts pointed to building activity taking place at some of those sites, but didn't conclude that Iran has resumed nuclear activity. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a live interview from Tehran this morning. Image: NBC News What's next: The U.S.-Israeli plan envisions the massive bombing campaign against Iran lasting for at least five days, per a senior U.S. official. But, as Trump told Axios, that timeline could change based on developments on the ground — including Khamenei's death. Go deeper.

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🌐 World leaders react warily

People watch from their balcony amid explosions today in Doha, Qatar. The Defense Ministry says it has downed missiles targeting the country. Photo: Mohammed Salem/Reuters European leaders called for restraint and diplomacy, while U.S. adversaries condemned President Trump's decision to strike, Axios' Lauren Floyd reports. 🪧 Public demonstrations for and against the operation broke out in London, Munich, New York, Washington and elsewhere. In a joint statement, leaders of France, Germany and the U.K. reiterated their "commitment to regional stability" and called for a "resumption of negotiations." 🇫🇷 French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X: The "outbreak of war" between the U.S., Israel and Iran "carries grave consequences." The "ongoing escalation is dangerous for all," Macron added, calling for a UN Security Council meeting. 🇪🇺 Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union's chief executive, called on "all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law." An anti-war demonstrator during a protest in Parliament Square in London today. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said the country successfully intercepted Iranian attacks. The Saudis called on the international community to "take all firm measures necessary" to secure the region. 🇷🇺 The other side: Russia's Foreign Ministry called the attack "a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state." 🇨🇳 China's state news agency posted a caricature of Uncle Sam captioned: "Hegemonism is the only language I know." Go deeper.

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• 🛢️ The strikes on Iran will likely increase oil prices by threatening supplies from a region that's home to a huge chunk of global output and transit, Axios' Ben Geman reports. Go deeper.
• 🇮🇷 Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, is positioning himself as the "transitional" leader if the Islamic Republic collapses. Go deeper.

Seeking shelter as Iran retaliates

Photo: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images A person takes shelter in Jerusalem as sirens sound after today's U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran targeted Israel and other U.S. allies and bases across the Middle East in retaliation.

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US and Israel pound Iran as Trump signals willingness to talk to new leaders after Khamenei’s death

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on its ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensifying military campaign following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-01-2026-693bc30bbbc98660d81f4a13f65ca10f?

He never saw it coming

As Israeli bombs fell on the supreme leader's compound in Tehran on Saturday morning, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was meeting above ground with several of his top advisers.

• He never saw it coming, Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo report.

Why it matters: The joint U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Khamenei was the culmination of two months in which President Trump pursued both diplomacy and war on parallel tracks. On Friday, he chose war.

The crisis, which began with the public uprising in Iran in late December, was vintage Trump — full of twists, last-minute reversals and deliberate disinformation.

• In the end, the ambiguity was itself a strategic asset, leaving Iran's leadership vulnerable to the largest aerial attack ever conducted by the Israeli military.
• This account is based largely on statements by U.S. and allied officials in the aftermath of the strikes and couldn't immediately be verified by independent sources.

How it happened: The seeds of Saturday's operation were planted in late December, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

• Anti-regime protests had just begun in Iran, and it wasn't yet clear how significant they would become.
• Netanyahu used the meeting to discuss a follow-up to last year's joint strikes — mostly focused on Iran's ballistic missile capabilities — tentatively planned for around May.

Within days, the calculus changed.

• The regime cracked down with full force, killing thousands. "HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump wrote on Truth Social, urging protesters to take over government institutions.
• On Jan. 14, Trump was on the verge of ordering strikes but pulled back. Instead, he ordered a massive military buildup in the Middle East, and began secretly planning a joint operation with Israel.
• Over the following weeks, the Mossad director visited D.C. twice, followed by the Israeli military intelligence chief and the IDF chief of staff — all coordinating what would become Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion.

The other track: At the same time, Trump explored whether military leverage could produce a deal with Iran on his terms.

• The U.S. and Iran met in Oman in early February for the first time since last June's 12-day war.
• Days later, Netanyahu traveled urgently to Washington to discuss U.S. red lines in the negotiations — and whether the U.S. and Israel would launch a joint military operation if talks failed.

A U.S. Navy ship launches a missile yesterday in support of Operation Epic Fury. Image from video: U.S. Central Command via AP

From the start, Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, were skeptical about the chances of getting a deal — but three U.S. and Israeli officials stressed that nuclear talks in Geneva weren't a complete ruse.

• Trump wanted to try to reach an agreement, and the Iranians were told explicitly that military strikes "would occur if we did not see real progress on a real deal very quickly," a U.S. official said.

Between the lines: A week before the Geneva meeting, the U.S. and Israel agreed on a potential window for launching the attack — the coming Saturday, when Khamenei held a routine meeting with his top aides at his government compound.

• But they faced a specific challenge: keeping Khamenei from suspecting anything and retreating to his underground bunker.
• An Israeli intelligence official said an Axios story that mentioned the possibility of assassinating Khamenei created anxiety among military planners. But the Iranian leader didn't change his plans.

The final talks: When Kushner and Witkoff traveled to Geneva on Thursday, they already suspected there was no deal to be had — but still went through with the meeting. That kept the Iranians believing diplomacy was alive.

• "One of the rules of deal-making is that you have to know very quickly if there's a deal to do or not," a U.S. official said.
• In the room, the Iranians hadn't come close to even the most flexible U.S. position. After the first session, Kushner and Witkoff called Vice President Vance on a secure line and told him the gaps were still wide. A second round that evening changed nothing.

"Kushner and Witkoff saw that the Iranian proposal was bullsh*t and only meant to buy time," a senior U.S. official said. "There wasn't any 'there' there to work with."

• Another official summed up Iran's strategy as "games, tricks, stall tactics" from the start. "We reported this to the president, and obviously he weighed the different options," the official said.

U.S. officials said there were three areas they could not get Iran to agree on.

1. Nuclear program and enrichment activities: The U.S. offered Iran free nuclear fuel for a civilian nuclear program — indefinitely — in exchange for giving up enrichment. The Iranians said no. "It was a big tell," one official said.
2. Ballistic missile program: The Iranians refused "in every instance" to discuss their missile capabilities. "We cannot continue to live in a world where these people not only possess missiles but the ability to make 100 of them a month in perpetuity, to overwhelm any potential defenses," one official said.
3. Financing of regional proxies: Iran also refused to address its financing of militant groups across the region, which the U.S. and Israel say has destabilized the Middle East for decades.

Today's New York Post, New York Times. Iran confirmed the ayatollah's death after the final Times edition.

Behind the scenes: Before and during the talks, U.S. officials said intelligence made clear Iran was already rebuilding the nuclear facilities that Trump claimed were "obliterated" in Operation Midnight Hammer last June.

• When Kushner and Witkoff asked for a concrete proposal, the Iranians produced a seven-page document outlining enrichment needs they claimed were for civilian purposes.
• Trump's team checked the numbers with the UN's nuclear watchdog. "This would result in enrichment capability roughly five times more than laid out in the [2015 nuclear deal]," one official said.

Officials also said Iran had been secretly stockpiling enriched material at the Tehran Research Reactor under the guise of medical research.

• "Never once did they use any of the fissionable material there to make even a single medicine," one official said. "It was all designed to deceive."

The final hours: After Geneva, Oman's foreign minister flew urgently to Washington and met with Vance on Friday in a last-ditch attempt to delay Trump's decision.

• But the president had already made up his mind.
• When an Arab official asked Witkoff on Friday whether an attack was imminent, the White House envoy dodged the question.

On Saturday morning, Khamenei convened his aides as U.S. and Israeli planners had anticipated.

• Two other gatherings of Iranian security and intelligence officials were taking place above ground in Tehran at the same time. Minutes later, all three were struck simultaneously.

"If the Iranians had come to Geneva and given Trump what he wanted, he would have pulled the brakes on the military track," an Israeli intelligence official said. "But they were arrogant and thought he wouldn't take action. They were wrong."

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👀 Claude used in Iran strikes

Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios

The U.S. used Anthropic's Claude to support Operation Epic Fury against Iran yesterday, sources familiar with the Pentagon's operations tell Axios. Why it matters: The military's use of Claude to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro in January ignited the showdown between Anthropic and the Pentagon. Late Friday, the Pentagon said Anthropic will be designated a supply-chain risk. Anthropic vowed to fight in court. Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth said: "Anthropic will continue to provide the Department of War its services for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition." Four and a half hours after the Pentagon vowed to banish Anthropic, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced an agreement for military use of his models. "We think our agreement has more guardrails than any previous agreement for classified AI deployments, including Anthropic's," an OpenAI statement said yesterday. The backstory: OpenAI's new Pentagon deal doesn't explicitly prohibit collecting Americans' publicly available information — a sticking point that rival Anthropic says is crucial for ensuring domestic mass surveillance doesn't take place, Axios' Maria Curi reports. The Pentagon says mass surveillance is already illegal. 📱 Altman was asked thousands of questions about his Pentagon contract during an "ask me anything" on X last night, including whether he was worried there would be a dispute later on with the Pentagon over what's legal or not. Altman, who has 4.4 million X followers, replied: "Yes, I am. If we have to take on that fight we will, but it clearly exposes us to some risk." Share this story. Jo Ling Kent interviews Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei late Friday. Photo: CBS News Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says today on "CBS News Sunday Morning": "We are still interested in working with [the Defense Department] as long as it is in line with our red lines." The Pentagon still sees Anthropic's Claude as superior to other models. Amodei told CBS News' Jo Ling Kent late Friday: "If we can get to the point with the department where we can see things the same way, then perhaps there could be an agreement. ... For our part and for the sake of U.S. national security, we continue to want to make this work." Amodei said Anthropic has sought to deploy its AI models for military use because "we are patriotic Americans" and "we believe in this country." Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, told CBS News on Thursday: "At some level, you have to trust your military to do the right thing." Watch the Amodei video.

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US and Israel pound Iran as Trump signals willingness to talk to new leaders after Khamenei’s death

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. and Israel pounded targets across Iran on Sunday, dropping massive bombs on its ballistic missile sites and wiping out warships as part of an intensifying military campaign following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-01-2026-693bc30bbbc98660d81f4a13f65ca10f?

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Oil prices rise sharply after attacks in Middle East disrupt global energy supply

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose sharply Monday as U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory strikes against Israel and U.S. military installations around the Gulf sent disruptions through the global energy supply chain.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-prices-energy-strait-of-hormuz-21e634acba4c35801d28dfdbcc53824a?