Iran escalated attacks on civilian infrastructure and transport networks across the Gulf on Wednesday, targeting commercial ships and Dubai’s international airport as strikes continued from US and Israeli warplanes.
Iran Escalates Attacks in the Gulf
Senior Iranian officials warned of a long “war of attrition” and a potential global economic crisis stemming from Tehran’s disruption of regional energy supplies. Oil prices briefly topped $100 a barrel on Thursday before falling to $98. Violence continued across the Middle East, with Israel bombarding Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched drones and rockets at northern Israel on Wednesday night.
As the conflict nears the two-week mark, Israeli security sources have indicated that Israel did not have a realistic plan for regime change when it attacked Iran, and that expectations of a popular uprising were based on “wishful thinking,” not intelligence.
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More than two-thirds of Iran’s attacks have been directed at the UAE. Dubai, a global finance and tourism hub, is facing an existential threat as foreigners flee the region.
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A review of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s public statements revealed he has voiced strong antipathy towards Iran for years.
Trump Criticizes Senate Majority Leader
Donald Trump lashed out at Republican Senate majority leader, John Thune, over his refusal to change rules to force a vote on the Save America Act, a bill that would curtail voting access.
Trump urged Thune to “be a leader” on Wednesday. The president has previously threatened to veto any bills until Congress passes the legislation, ahead of midterm elections expected to be challenging for the Republicans.
Call for International Criminal Court for Crimes Against Children
Former UK prime minister Gordon Brown has called for the creation of an international criminal court for crimes against children, stating that “no child should ever become collateral damage in a conflict.”
Writing for the Guardian, Brown focused on the missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school at the start of the Iran conflict, which killed 168 people, primarily schoolgirls. A preliminary US military investigation reportedly determined that Washington was responsible. Brown also discussed Israel’s killing of Palestinian schoolchildren in Gaza, where 18,069 have been killed, and the killing of more than 200 children by Iranian security forces.
Brown argued that “schools deserve the same moral status as hospitals – protected places – and the same protection under international law”.
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International law already prohibits assaults on schools and children, but Brown argues that a dedicated international criminal court for crimes against children is needed to emphasize the seriousness of these crimes as schools are “increasingly being drawn into war”.
Other News
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A judge in Afghanistan rejected a woman’s divorce request, despite her claims of being beaten with a cable wire, revealing the level of physical violence against women permitted under the Taliban.
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Tech billionaires are funding opposition to a proposed tax on billionaires and contributing millions to California’s race for governor.
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The head chef and co-founder of Noma has resigned following allegations of physically abusing staff, with claims of punching employees and slamming them against walls.
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Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainians of plotting to attack his family, as tensions between Kyiv and Budapest escalate.
Stat of the Day: San Francisco Air Pollution Reduction
San Francisco cut levels of two key air pollutants by more than 20% between 2010 and 2024. It was the only US city to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) by more than 20%, according to an analysis of nearly 100 cities globally. Beijing and London also achieved “remarkable reductions” in air pollution.
The Filter Recommends: Best Sleep Products
From mouth taping to the potato bed trend, people are seeking ways to improve their sleep. Investing in sleep doesn’t have to be expensive. This week, during sleep awareness week, many of the Filter US’s favorite brands are offering discounts. Here are 11 deals, from affordable mattresses to popular wake-up methods.
Don’t Miss This: AI Surveillance in Africa
AI-powered mass surveillance is being rapidly introduced across Africa, violating citizens’ right to privacy, human rights experts have warned. At least $2bn has been spent by 11 African governments on Chinese-built surveillance technology that recognizes faces and tracks movements, with concerns that surveillance systems were used to monitor Ugandan activists and to crack down on protests in Kenya last summer.
Climate Check: Australian Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Australian federal and state government subsidies for fossil fuels have risen by almost 10% and will reach $16.3bn this year, according to a new analysis. This amounts to governments paying or forgoing the equivalent of $31,020 each minute to subsidize companies producing and using coal, gas and especially oil.
Last Thing: Fox Stowaway Finds New Home
An English fox has found a new home at the Bronx zoo after stowing away on a cargo ship and traveling 3,400 miles from Southampton to New York.
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