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China's President Xi Jinping has intensified military purges dismissing nine officers while reinforcing political loyalty as he consolidates control in his 14th year in power.

This comes as Iran's newly selected supreme leader assumes office, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, and oil prices surge above $100 per barrel, triggering sharp declines across global markets.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇨🇳 Xi demands loyalty as military purge widens: China's President Xi Jinping emphasized political loyalty within the military and intensified anti-corruption efforts, resulting in nine officers dismissed by the National People's Congress. The ongoing campaign simultaneously eliminates potential rivals while reinforcing Xi's control as he enters his 14th year in power.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸🇰🇷 US and South Korea launch joint exercises amid Middle East pivot: The U.S. conducted military drills with South Korea involving roughly 18,000 troops while repositioning assets to support Middle East operations. North Korea has historically condemned such exercises as invasion rehearsals, though the allies maintain they are defensive in nature and follow recent North Korean signals suggesting openness to dialogue if denuclearization preconditions are removed.

3️⃣ 🇬🇳 Guinea junta dissolves 40 opposition parties: Guinea's military leader dissolved 40 political parties, including three major opposition groups, stripping them of legal status and asset control. The decree marks an escalation in political repression under junta leader Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in 2021 and won the presidency in December after barring opposition candidates.

4️⃣ 🇸🇸 South Sudan military offensive displaces thousands: Thousands fled the opposition stronghold of Akobo after the military issued an evacuation order preceding a planned assault, part of a counteroffensive displacing over 280,000 since December. The UN warned of potential full-scale civil war if leadership fails to address mounting crises as the government dismantles the 2018 peace agreement.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸🇱🇦 Trump unveils Americas counter-cartel coalition: President Trump announced a military coalition with at least 17 countries targeting drug trafficking and cartels across the region. Trump characterized recent strikes against Iran as necessary and referenced U.S. resource extraction from Venezuela, noting the interim government's cooperation with American interests.

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Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War Day 9:

Military 

Israel's military reported striking a fleet of F-14 fighter jets at Isfahan Airport south of Tehran, along with detection and air defense systems, though it did not confirm their destruction. The aircraft represent a historic component of Iran's air force acquired before the 1979 revolution.

Qatar's armed forces intercepted a missile attack as authorities urged residents indoors amid elevated security threats. Lebanon reported over 500,000 forcibly displaced persons and at least 394 deaths, including 83 children, as Israeli strikes continue targeting southern towns.

Zelenskyy offered Ukraine's drone-defense expertise to Saudi Arabia, while Ukrainian manufacturers report export capacity for interceptor drones.

Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi said the country is prepared to counter a potential US ground invasion, rejecting cease-fire negotiations and claiming no interest in talks with Washington, citing previous negotiations disrupted by military attacks. Araghchi stated Iran would not repeat past diplomatic attempts with an administration he characterized as negotiating in bad faith, contrasting with Trump's assertion that Iranian leaders wanted dialogue.

Diplomacy 

Iran's Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, as the new supreme leader following his father's death in recent US-Israeli strikes, with state media reporting the selection proceeded despite threats and damage to the assembly's offices.

The US State Department ordered nonemergency embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks, marking the first mandatory departure since the Iran war began February 28, amid escalating Iranian attacks on the kingdom. Saudi authorities reported at least two deaths from a projectile strike on a residential building and said they intercepted multiple missile and drone attacks on Riyadh, an airbase, and an oilfield.

The Arab League council convened to discuss Iranian attacks on member states' sovereignty and territorial integrity, characterizing the actions as violations of international law and threats to regional security and stability.

A classified National Intelligence Council report assessed that large-scale US military operations would be unlikely to oust Iran's entrenched clerical and military establishment, contradicting Trump's stated goal of regime change and installing a leader of his choosing. The analysis, completed before the war began, “and confirmed to The Washington Post by three people familiar with the report’s contents”, concluded Iran's opposition would remain "unlikely" to seize power regardless of campaign scope.

Economy/Oil 

Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 6.2 percent, South Korea's Kospi dropped 6.3 percent, and Australian and New Zealand shares declined over 3 percent following oil prices surging past $100 a barrel due to Middle East conflict disruptions, with US futures also declining 1.9 percent. Brent crude jumped to $108.77, its largest daily gain since 2020 and part of a 28 percent weekly rise, as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.

JPMorgan's chief economist projected near-term prices toward $120 per barrel followed by moderation if conflict subsides, with elevated $80 prices through mid-year absent political resolution, potentially reducing global growth by 0.6 percent and raising consumer prices 1 percent, while prolonged escalation could exceed $120 and trigger recession.

Trump characterized the oil price spike exceeding $100 per barrel as a "small price to pay" for neutralizing Iran's nuclear threat, asserting prices would drop rapidly upon completion of that objective. The surge represents the highest crude prices since mid-2022 and has prompted concerns about inflation and reduced US consumer spending.

Iraqi oil output collapsed nearly 60% to 1.3 million barrels per day as the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked, with storage at maximum capacity and southern exports halting due to lack of tankers; an Iraqi oil ministry official called it "the most serious operational threat Iraq has faced in more than 20 years."

Kuwait implemented precautionary production cuts citing Iranian threats to shipping through the Strait, while Qatar halted liquefied natural gas production as all Gulf energy producers face potential shutdown within weeks if the conflict continues.

US Energy Secretary Wright stated the US would not target Iran's energy infrastructure, downplaying Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots and asserting oil price spikes would be short-lived absent long-term conflict.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇻🇪 US authorizes Venezuelan gold exports under restrictions: The Trump administration granted a limited license allowing Venezuela's state mining company to export gold, barring transactions with Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Russia. The move reflects U.S. efforts to access Venezuelan resources following a January military operation that removed former President Nicolás Maduro, widely condemned internationally as violating international law.

2️⃣ 🇬🇧 Commonwealth leaders call for royal succession removal: Canada, Australia, and New Zealand's prime ministers called for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's removal from the royal line of succession following his arrest on misconduct charges tied to Jeffrey Epstein allegations. The UK government is considering legislation requiring parliamentary approval and support from 14 Commonwealth nations where the King holds constitutional authority.

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