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Iran has escalated drone and missile strikes across the Gulf and warned US-linked industries across the region to evacuate ahead of imminent attacks. EU foreign ministers rejected Trump's calls for help securing the Strait of Hormuz as Middle East oil exports have collapsed by over 60%.

Elsewhere, Trump declared his intent to "take" Cuba, Pakistan struck a drug treatment hospital in Kabul, and suspected suicide bombings hit Nigeria's Borno state.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇺 Trump declares intent to "take" Cuba amid blackout: Trump stated he expects to have "the honour of taking Cuba," claiming he could do "anything he wants" with the country as a US oil blockade plunges it into a total power blackout. The New York Times separately reported, citing unnamed sources, that US officials demanded Cuba remove President Díaz-Canel during recent negotiations.

2️⃣ 🇷🇺🇪🇺 Russian shadow fleet tanker threatens Mediterranean ecological disaster: The crewless Arctic Metagaz, reportedly struck by Ukrainian naval drones, is drifting between Malta and Italy carrying 700 metric tons of fuel and a substantial amount of natural gas. Several EU states warned the vessel poses an imminent ecological threat, while cautioning that intervention risks undermining sanctions against Russia.

3️⃣ 🇧🇪🇷🇺 Belgian PM condemned for urging Russia normalisation: Prime Minister Bart De Wever called for restoring relations with Russia to regain access to cheap energy, drawing pushback from his own foreign minister, who said it would give Putin exactly what he wants. De Wever claimed European leaders privately agreed with him but were unwilling to say so publicly.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇳 US-China trade talks conclude in Paris ahead of Trump summit: China warned that new US tariff investigations risk damaging bilateral trade relations, while Treasury Secretary Bessent described the meetings as constructive and said any postponement of Trump's planned China visit would be due to the Iran war, not pressure over the Strait of Hormuz.

5️⃣ 🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan strikes drug treatment hospital in Kabul, scores feared dead: An airstrike hit a hospital treating around 2,000 people for drug addiction in the Afghan capital, with BBC journalists observing more than 30 bodies being removed from the site. Pakistan denied targeting the facility, saying it had struck militant infrastructure, while the Taliban government blamed Islamabad for the attack.

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Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War: Day 17

Military

1️⃣ Iran escalates Gulf drone and missile attacks: Iran escalated its attacks on Gulf states, firing drones that sparked a fire near Dubai International Airport and forced a temporary suspension of flights, while Abu Dhabi reported one fatality and a separate fire broke out in Fujairah. The UAE has faced more than 1,800 missile and drone strikes since the war began on February 28, with Gulf states collectively reporting over 2,000 attacks.

2️⃣ Israel launches ground operations in southern Lebanon: Israel launched ground operations in southern Lebanon, with Israeli media reporting thousands of troops from three divisions now operating in the country. Proposed peace talks involving France were reportedly postponed after Israel withdrew from the plan.

3️⃣ Drone strikes hit Baghdad's Green Zone and US Embassy: A drone struck the top floor of Baghdad's Al-Rasheed Hotel in the Green Zone with no casualties reported, while Iraqi air defences separately intercepted rockets fired near the US Embassy. In a subsequent attack described as the most intense since hostilities began, officials reported that drones and rockets struck the embassy compound itself, with at least one drone reportedly landing inside.

4️⃣ Iran warns US of "another Vietnam" if ground troops deployed: Iran warned the US it risked "another Vietnam" if it deployed ground troops, with deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh saying Iran was prepared to fight indefinitely and was not currently pursuing a diplomatic solution. He also accused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of drawing Washington into the conflict to serve Israel's own interests.

Diplomacy

1️⃣ EU rejects Trump's call to help secure Strait of Hormuz: EU foreign ministers rejected Trump's call to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, with top diplomat Kaja Kallas saying there was "no appetite" among member states to expand the EU's Aspides naval mission to cover the strait. Several countries, including Germany, Luxembourg and France, pushed back on US pressure, with Luxembourg's foreign minister accusing Washington of "blackmail."

2️⃣ Trump asks China to delay Beijing summit amid Iran war: Trump has asked China to delay his planned Beijing summit by roughly a month, citing the Iran war, while stressing the postponement was not linked to pressure on Beijing over the Strait of Hormuz. China said the two sides were in communication about the visit but has declined to address Trump's requests for countries to send warships to the strait.

Oil/Economic

1️⃣ Middle East oil exports drop over 60% amid Hormuz closure: Daily oil exports from eight Persian Gulf nations dropped by at least 61% in the week to March 15 compared to February, according to shipping data from Kpler, with a separate dataset from Vortexa showing a steeper fall of 71%. The disruption, driven by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has sent crude prices to their highest in four years and pushed some fuel prices to record highs.

2️⃣ EU eyes gas price cap and state aid changes to tackle energy crisis: The European Commission signalled it may cap gas prices and loosen state aid rules to help member states manage rising energy costs driven by the Iran war, according to a letter from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The measures, described as targeted and temporary, mirror steps taken during the energy crisis that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

3️⃣ Iran's IRGC warns US-linked industries across region to evacuate: Iran's Revolutionary Guard issued a statement urging workers and residents near US-linked factories and industries across the region to evacuate, warning the facilities would be targeted "in the coming hours." The statement, carried by Iranian state-affiliated outlet Fars, also called on people living near any facilities in which US entities hold shares to leave surrounding areas immediately.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇪🇺🇷🇺 Slovakia unblocks EU sanctions on Russia at the eleventh hour: Bratislava dropped its demand to remove two oligarchs from the EU sanctions list, allowing the restrictions to be extended for another six months until September 15. Had Slovakia not backed down, the sanctions would have expired on March 15.

2️⃣ 🇫🇷🇦🇿 French national sentenced to 10 years in Azerbaijan on spying charges: Martin Ryan was convicted of collecting military intelligence and helping recruit Azerbaijanis for French intelligence, charges both he and France deny. The case has unfolded against a backdrop of deteriorating diplomatic relations between Paris and Baku.

3️⃣ 🇨🇱 Chile's new president begins border barrier construction: Less than a week after his inauguration, President José Antonio Kast oversaw the start of construction on a northern border barrier, part of his "Border Shield" plan involving ditches, fences, drones, and military patrols. He also issued emergency decrees aimed at ramping up deportations and curbing irregular migration.

4️⃣ 🇫🇷 France's National Rally strong in first round but faces familiar second-round hurdle: The far-right party performed strongly in Sunday's municipal elections, particularly in southern cities, but rival parties are already coordinating to block it in key runoffs on March 22. The party's leadership was careful to temper expectations, aware of its recurring inability to convert first-round gains into outright victories.

5️⃣ 🇳🇬 Suspected suicide bombings kill scores in Nigeria's Borno state: Explosions struck a hospital entrance and two markets in Maiduguri on Monday, with emergency services describing them as likely suicide attacks. No group has claimed responsibility, though the region has long been the epicentre of Nigeria's insurgency against Boko Haram and affiliated extremist groups.

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