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Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and continue striking US bases, as Washington acknowledges it burned through years' worth of critical munitions since the conflict began.

This comes as Pakistan launched overnight strikes on Kabul and several Afghan provinces, and Somalia warned its territory cannot be used as a launching pad for external military operations following reports of a planned Israeli installation in Somaliland.

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1️⃣ 🇸🇴🇮🇱 Somalia warns against Israeli base in Somaliland: Somalia’s foreign affairs minister cautioned that its territory cannot be used as a launching pad for external military operations, following reports that Israel is planning an installation near the strategic port of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden. Somaliland’s presidency minister stopped short of confirming a base was being discussed, but said the possibility would be “analysed at some point.”

2️⃣ 🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan strikes Kabul and Afghan border provinces: Overnight strikes killed four and wounded 15 in the Afghan capital, with additional attacks reported in Kandahar, Paktia and Paktika, as well as fuel depots near Kandahar Airport. The assault comes weeks after Pakistan declared open war on Afghanistan, accusing the Taliban of sheltering terrorists.

3️⃣ 🇪🇺🇺🇦 EU seeks pipeline inspection as Hungary maintains loan veto: The European Commission formally requested Ukraine allow inspectors to assess damage to the Druzhba pipeline, a condition Hungary has set before lifting its veto on a €90 billion loan for Kyiv. Ukraine has yet to respond, with Budapest claiming the pipeline is operational and Kyiv attributing damage to a Russian drone strike.

4️⃣ 🇻🇪🇨🇴 Venezuela-Colombia summit cancelled without explanation: A planned border meeting between acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro was called off, with both governments citing unexplained “force majeure.” The summit would have been Rodríguez’s first official engagement with a Latin American leader since Nicolás Maduro’s capture.

5️⃣ 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russia threatens escalation after Storm Shadow strike on military plant: Moscow warned of “a fundamentally new level of destruction” following a Ukrainian strike on a major microelectronics facility in Bryansk, blaming the UK for direct involvement.

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Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War Update Day 13

Military 

▪️ Israel launched multiple waves of airstrikes across Lebanon including central Beirut and the southern suburbs after Hezbollah fired approximately 200 rockets and 20 drones into northern Israel in what the IDF called Hezbollah's largest cross-border attack of the conflict — carried out in coordination with an Iranian ballistic missile barrage.

▪️ Iran's IRGC warned that any attack on Iranian energy infrastructure or ports would trigger a "crushing and devastating response," threatening to destroy all regional oil and gas infrastructure in which the US and Western allies have a vested interest. The statement came as US Central Command reported striking over 5,500 targets inside Iran since the war began, including more than 60 ships.

▪️ The US has burned through "years" of critical munitions since the war began, including a "massive expenditure" of Tomahawk cruise missiles, as the Pentagon prepares to request up to $50bn in supplemental funding from Congress. A Democratic senator and Air Force veteran noted the cost asymmetry, pointing out the US is firing multi-million dollar interceptors against Iranian drones that cost roughly $30,000 each, adding: "the math on this doesn't work."

Diplomatic 

▪️ The UN Security Council passed a resolution 13-0 demanding Iran halt attacks on Gulf states and cease threats to Hormuz navigation, with no mention of US or Israeli strikes on Iran — Iran's ambassador calling it a "manifest injustice." A competing Russian draft calling on all sides to cease hostilities was rejected 4-2.

▪️ Netanyahu claimed at a press conference that the war has killed top Iranian nuclear scientists, severely damaged the IRGC and Basij, and prevented Iran from moving its nuclear and ballistic projects underground — adding that the conflict has enabled Israel to forge new regional alliances. Asked about Iran's new supreme leader and Hezbollah's Naim Qassem, he said he wouldn't take out "life insurance" on either figure, and described Khamenei as a "puppet of the Revolutionary Guards."

▪️ Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first message via state TV — read by an anchor rather than delivered live — vowing to keep Hormuz closed and continue attacking US bases. He demanded compensation for US strikes with a threat to destroy equivalent US assets if refused, while urging Gulf states to close American military bases on their soil. 

Economy / Oil 

▪️ Six vessels were attacked in Gulf waters over a 24-hour period, including two fuel tankers set ablaze by what Iraqi officials described as explosive-laden Iranian boats in Iraqi territorial waters. Iraq subsequently halted all oil port operations.

▪️ CNN reports the Pentagon and NSC told lawmakers in classified briefings they did not plan for Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, having assumed the move would hurt Iran more than the US — partly informed by Iran's inaction after strikes on its nuclear facilities last summer. 

▪️ Treasury Secretary Bessent told Sky News the US Navy will escort oil tankers through Hormuz "as soon as it is militarily possible," while the Energy Secretary separately told CNBC "we're simply not ready".

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇦🇺🇸 Ukraine awaits U.S. sign-off on drone production deal: Zelenskyy said a proposed joint drone and air defense agreement remains unsigned, suggesting the Iran war’s exposure of air defense shortcomings may prompt Washington to move forward. Russia’s oil revenues have meanwhile risen an average of 14% since the conflict began, boosted by spiking crude prices.

2️⃣ 🇳🇵 Rapper-turned-politician sweeps Nepal election: Balendra Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party secured a near two-thirds parliamentary majority, with Shah personally defeating four-time former prime minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli in his own constituency. The result follows a youth-led uprising last year that toppled the previous government amid protests over corruption and economic stagnation.

3️⃣ 🇨🇳 China passes sweeping ethnic unity law: A new law mandates Mandarin instruction for all children from before kindergarten through high school, replacing curricula previously taught in minority languages including Tibetan, Uyghur and Mongolian. Critics say it will accelerate cultural erosion, while Beijing argues it will improve job prospects and national cohesion.

4️⃣ 🇿🇦 South Africa deploys military to tackle crime: Some 550 soldiers have been sent to Gauteng, with additional troops deployed to Western Cape and Eastern Cape to combat illegal mining and gang violence, with parts of the operation expected to last more than a year. Critics warn the military is not trained for policing duties and may displace rather than reduce criminal activity.

5️⃣ 🇨🇦 Canada unveils $25.7 billion Arctic defense plan: Prime Minister Mark Carney announced major investment in Arctic military airfields and operational support hubs, stating Canada can no longer rely on any single nation for its defense. The plan comes amid strained ties with Washington over tariffs and annexation rhetoric, with Canada now pledging to hit NATO’s 2% spending target five years ahead of schedule.

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