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EU leaders have called for a moratorium on strikes targeting energy and water infrastructure and urged the restoration of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while the UK, France, Germany, and Japan expressed readiness to help secure the waterway.

Elsewhere, US intelligence assessed China has no current plans to invade Taiwan, and Hungary's Viktor Orban continued to block a €90bn EU loan to Ukraine.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇨🇳🇹🇼 China not planning Taiwan invasion: US intelligence agencies assessed that China has no current plans to invade Taiwan in 2027 and no fixed timeline for unification, with Beijing preferring non-military means of control despite continued PLA capability development.

2️⃣ 🇩🇰🇬🇱 Denmark prepared for potential US invasion of Greenland: Denmark reportedly flew explosives to Greenland in January to destroy runways and prevent US aircraft from landing, while also transporting blood supplies in preparation for potential casualties, according to Danish public broadcaster DR. A multinational European force including Danish, French, German, Norwegian and Swedish soldiers was deployed to Greenland, with the stated aim of compelling the US to take a significant hostile action if it sought to occupy the territory.

3️⃣ 🇪🇺🇺🇦 Orban blocks Ukraine loan at EU summit: Hungary's Prime Minister continued to obstruct a €90bn EU loan to Ukraine at a Brussels summit, citing a dispute over the war-damaged Druzhba oil pipeline, with fellow leaders describing efforts to change his position as unsuccessful. Finland's prime minister accused Orban of weaponising the issue ahead of Hungary's April 12 election, while Belgium's raised the possibility the bloc may need to wait until after the vote to proceed.

4️⃣ 🇷🇺🇨🇺 Russia sends first energy shipments to Cuba in three months: Two Russian tankers carrying oil and gas are en route to Cuba, providing the island's first energy deliveries in three months amid a severe economic crisis driven by a U.S. oil blockade. The shipments follow Trump's suggestion that he could "take" Cuba, after which the Kremlin reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Havana.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇳 Supermicro executives charged over banned chip smuggling: Three individuals linked to server manufacturer Supermicro were charged with conspiring to smuggle approximately $510 million worth of servers containing banned Nvidia AI chips into China via a Southeast Asian intermediary. Two were arrested while a third remains a fugitive, with each facing up to 20 years in prison. Supermicro said it has placed the employees on leave and is cooperating with authorities.

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Major Story

MILITARY

1️⃣ Israel hits Tehran with airstrikes on Persian New Year: Israel struck Tehran with airstrikes on Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with Hegseth confirming the day would bring the largest strike package yet. 

2️⃣ Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib killed in air strike: Israel killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in an air strike on Tehran, confirmed by Iranian President Pezeshkian, marking the latest in a series of senior leadership killings that have included top security official Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani within the preceding 24 hours. 

3️⃣ Pentagon weighs sending more troops to Middle East: The Pentagon is considering expanding its roughly 50,000-strong regional troop presence, with three Navy ships carrying 2,200 Marines expected to arrive as soon as next week — potentially to secure Persian Gulf islands or seize Iran's main oil export hub at Kharg Island — despite Trump publicly stating he is "not putting troops anywhere." 

4️⃣ Hegseth says no 'timeframe' for war on Iran as Pentagon asks for $200bn: The Pentagon has requested an additional $200 billion from Congress to fund the war with Iran, with Hegseth declining to confirm the figure precisely but acknowledging it could change, and stating that Trump alone will determine when the conflict ends. 

5️⃣ Netanyahu says Iran no longer has uranium enrichment capacity: Netanyahu claimed that 20 days of U.S.-Israeli strikes have eliminated Iran's ability to enrich uranium and produce ballistic missiles. He also said it remained too early to determine whether Iranians would move to overthrow their government, describing that as a choice for the Iranian people to make.

DIPLOMACY

1️⃣ EU summit: Leaders urge 'moratorium' on energy strikes in Middle East: EU leaders called for de-escalation in the Middle East and a moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities, while agreeing that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should be urgently restored.

2️⃣ Europe and Japan ready to join efforts to secure Strait of Hormuz: The UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan issued a joint statement expressing readiness to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, condemning Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and energy infrastructure.

3️⃣ Netanyahu says conflict will end 'a lot faster than people think': Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended strikes on an Iranian gas field while asserting the war would conclude sooner than widely anticipated, as Trump separately reiterated he would not deploy ground troops to Iran. 

ECONOMIC/OIL

1️⃣ China offers to work with Southeast Asia on energy security: China has expressed readiness to cooperate with Southeast Asian nations on energy security following disruptions caused by the war in Iran, while simultaneously calling on all parties involved to halt military operations.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇷🇺 Russia militarises shadow fleet amid Baltic tensions: The Kremlin is preparing to deploy armed escorts and naval convoys to protect its shadow fleet, with senior official Nikolai Patrushev warning the Navy would forcibly break what he called illegal Baltic blockades if diplomacy fails. The move follows a March 3 attack on a Russian LNG tanker attributed to Ukrainian sea drones, with armed security personnel already confirmed aboard at least one detained vessel.

2️⃣ 🇸🇩 RSF launches coordinated offensives across Sudan: Sudan's Rapid Support Forces simultaneously attacked towns in the Kordofan region and along the Chadian border, targeting Bara and Dilling in a bid to isolate the strategic city of El-Obeid, with the RSF claiming to have retaken Bara while the army said it repelled the Dilling assault. The RSF also struck the border town of Al-Tina in North Darfur, where clashes since December have killed 15 Chadian soldiers and eight civilians amid worsening displacement and malnutrition.

3️⃣ 🇷🇺🇲🇩 Russian strike cuts water supply to tens of thousands in Moldova: A Russian attack on Ukraine's Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant on March 7 caused oil to contaminate the Dniester River, cutting water access for tens of thousands of Moldovans reliant on a facility that serves around 80% of the country's population. Moldovan President Maia Sandu directly attributed the pollution to Russia, calling it a threat to the EU candidate nation's water supply.

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