TYB's
ALMA Detects Extremely Abundant Alcohol in Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
March 6, 2026
Comet 3I/ATLAS continues to make astonishing headlines, thanks to new findings from astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is a partner.
This new research reveals that 3I/ATLAS is packed with an unusually large amount of the organic molecule methanol – more than almost all known comets in our own solar system.
“Observing 3I/ATLAS is like taking a fingerprint from another solar system,” shares Nathan Roth, lead author on this research, and a professor with American University, “The details reveal what it’s made of, and it’s bursting with methanol in a way we just don’t usually see in comets in our own solar system.”
Using ALMA’s Atacama Compact Array in Chile, on multiple dates in late 2025, the team observed 3I/ATLAS as it approached our Sun. As sunlight warmed its icy surface, 3I/ATLAS released gas and dust, forming a glowing halo (or coma) around its core.
By analyzing this coma, astronomers revealed the chemical fingerprints of the material it is composed of, allowing them to study how objects might be made in another planetary system, without leaving our own.
The team focused on the faint submillimeter fingerprints of two molecules: methanol (CH₃OH), a type of alcohol, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a nitrogen-bearing organic molecule commonly seen in comets.
The ALMA data reveal that 3I/ATLAS is heavily enriched in methanol compared to hydrogen cyanide, far beyond what is typically seen in comets born in our own solar system.
On two observing dates, the team measured methanol‑to‑HCN ratios of about 70 and 120, placing 3I/ATLAS among the most methanol‑rich solar system comets ever studied.
These measurements imply that the icy material from 3I/ATLAS was formed by (or experienced) very different conditions than those that shape most comets in our own solar system.
Previous work with the James Webb Space Telescope has shown that 3I/ATLAS had a coma dominated by carbon dioxide when it was far from the Sun, and these new ALMA results add methanol as another unusual detail in its chemical inventory.
ALMA’s high resolution for imaging also allowed the team to see how different molecules move away from the comet, revealing surprising differences between methanol and hydrogen cyanide.
Hydrogen cyanide appears to come, for the most part, directly from the comet’s core, or nucleus, which is typical for comets in our solar system. Methanol, on the other hand, appears to come from both the nucleus AND from ice particles in the coma.
These tiny, icy grains act like mini-comets: as the object moves closer to the Sun, where ice turns into gas, they also release methanol.
Similar behavior has been observed in some solar system comets, but this is the first time the physics of such detailed outgassing has been traced in an interstellar object.
Comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed object ever seen passing through our solar system from interstellar space, after 1I/‘Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
Observations of these objects also revealed unusual properties. As astronomers continue to discover and study more interstellar objects, our understanding of planet formation in other planetary systems continues to grow more interesting.
https://astrobiology.com/2026/03/alma-detects-extremely-abundant-alcohol-in-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas.html
https://www.azernews.az/region/255362.html
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/comet-24p-schaumasse-c-2024-e1-wierzchos
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/where-is-comet-c-2024-e1-wierzchos-current-location-and-coordinates/ar-AA1TRIqU
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/space-companies-did-not-pollute-our-night-sky-for-billions-of-years-and-should-not-do-so-in-the-336d23e9d2bb
https://x.com/drew4worldruler/status/2030065916319248716
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op_wCAep23o (Ray's Astro: SOMETHING IS HAPPENING — We Are Detecting Anomalous Objects | What They Don’t Explain)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxm6xnMPDlg (Dobsonian Power: BABA VANGA WARNED US ABOUT THIS!)
https://astrobiology.com/2026/03/time-domain-photometry-and-activity-evolution-of-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-with-bhtom.html
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/dart/nasas-dart-mission-changed-orbit-of-asteroid-didymos-around-sun/
https://boingboing.net/2026/03/06/nasas-dart-probe-shifted-the-orbits-of-two-asteroids-not-just-one.html
NASA’s DART Mission Changed Orbit of Asteroid Didymos Around Sun
Mar 06, 2026
New research reveals that when NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft intentionally impacted the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in September 2022, it didn’t just change the motion of Dimorphos around its larger companion, Didymos; the crash also shifted the orbit of both asteroids around the Sun.
Linked together by gravity, Didymos and Dimorphos orbit each other around a shared center of mass in a configuration known as a binary system, so changes to one asteroid affect the other.
As detailed in a study published on Friday in the journal Science Advances, observations of the pair’s motion revealed that the 770-day orbital period around the Sun changed by a fraction of a second after the DART spacecraft’s impact on Dimorphos.
That change marks the first time a human-made object has measurably altered the path of a celestial body around the Sun.
“This is a tiny change to the orbit, but given enough time, even a tiny change can grow to a significant deflection,” said Thomas Statler, lead scientist for solar system small bodies at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“The team’s amazingly precise measurement again validates kinetic impact as a technique for defending Earth against asteroid hazards and shows how a binary asteroid might be deflected by impacting just one member of the pair.”
High impact
When DART struck Dimorphos, the impact blasted a huge cloud of rocky debris into space, altering the shape of the asteroid, which measures 560 feet (170 meters) wide.
Because the debris carried its own momentum away from the asteroid, it gave Dimorphos an explosive thrust — what scientists call the momentum enhancement factor. More debris being kicked out means more oomph.
According to the new research, the momentum enhancement factor for DART’s impact was about two, meaning that the debris loss doubled the punch created by the spacecraft alone.
Earlier research showed that the smaller asteroid’s 12-hour orbital period around the nearly half-mile-wide (805-meter-wide) Didymos shortened by 33 minutes.
The new study shows the impact ejected so much material from the binary system that it also changed the binary’s orbital period around the Sun by 0.15 seconds.
“The change in the binary system’s orbital speed was about 11.7 microns per second, or 1.7 inches per hour,” said Rahil Makadia, the study’s lead author at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“Over time, such a small change in an asteroid’s motion can make the difference between a hazardous object hitting or missing our planet.”
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Although Didymos was not on an impact trajectory with Earth and it was impossible for the DART mission to put it on one, that change in orbital speed underscores the role spacecraft — aka kinetic impactors in this context — could play if a potentially hazardous asteroid is found to be on a collision course in the future.
The key is detecting near-Earth objects far enough in advance to send a kinetic impactor.
To that end, NASA is building the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission. Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, this next-generation space survey telescope is the first to be built for planetary defense.
The mission will seek out some of the hardest-to-find near-Earth objects, such as dark asteroids and comets that don’t reflect much visible light.
How they did it
To prove DART had a detectable influence on both asteroids — not just on the smaller Dimorphos — the researchers needed to measure Didymos’ orbit around the Sun to exquisite precision.
So, in addition to making radar and other ground-based observations of the asteroid, they tracked stellar occultations, which occur when the asteroid passes exactly in front of a star, causing the pinpoint of light to blink out for a fraction of a second.
This technique provides extremely precise measurements of the asteroid’s speed, shape, and position.
Measuring stellar occultations is challenging: Astronomers have to be in the right place at the right time with several observing stations, sometimes miles apart, to track the predicted path of the asteroid in front of a specific star.
The team relied on volunteer astronomers around the globe who recorded 22 stellar occultations between October 2022 and March 2025.
“When combined with years of existing ground-based observations, these stellar occultation observations became key in helping us calculate how DART had changed Didymos’ orbit,” said study co-lead Steve Chesley, a senior research scientist at JPL.
“This work is highly weather dependent and often requires travel to remote regions with no guarantee of success. This result would not have been possible without the dedication of dozens of volunteer occultation observers around the world.”
Studying changes in Didymos’ motion also helped the researchers calculate the densities of both asteroids.
Dimorphos is slightly less dense than previously thought, supporting the theory that it formed from rocky debris shed by a rapidly spinning Didymos. This loose material eventually clumped together to form Dimorphos, a “rubble pile” asteroid.
More about DART
The DART spacecraft was designed, built, and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which oversees the agency’s ongoing efforts in planetary defense.
It was humanity’s first mission to intentionally move a celestial object.
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Track NASA’s Artemis II Mission in Real Time
Mar 06, 2026
As NASA invites the public to follow the Artemis II mission as a crew of four astronauts venture around the Moon inside the agency’s Orion spacecraft, people around the world can pinpoint Orion during its journey using the Artemis Real-time Orbit Website (AROW).
During the approximately 10-day mission, NASA will test how the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the deep space environment.
Using AROW, anyone with internet access can track where Orion and the crew are, including their distance from Earth, distance from the Moon, mission duration, and more. Access to AROW is available on:
NASA’s website (www.nasa.gov/trackartemis)
The NASA app (www.nasa.gov/nasa-app)
Using AROW, the public can visualize data that is collected by sensors on Orion and then sent to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during its flight.
It will provide constant information using this real-time data beginning about one minute after liftoff through Orion’s atmospheric reentry to Earth at the end of the mission.
Online, users can follow AROW to see where Orion and the crew are in relation to the Earth and the Moon and follow Orion’s path during the mission.
Users can view key mission milestones and characteristics on the Moon, including information about landing sites from the Apollo program.
The mobile app includes similar features to the website, with the addition of augmented reality tracker.
After a brief calibration sequence, on-screen indicators will direct users where to move their phone to see where Orion currently is relative to their position on Earth.
Mobile app tracking will be available once Orion separates from the rocket’s upper stage, approximately three hours into the mission.
State vectors, or data that describes precisely where Orion is located and how it moves, also will be provided by AROW, following a proximity operations demonstration to evaluate the manual handling qualities of Orion.
These vectors can be used for data lovers, artists, and creatives to make their own tracking app or data visualization. Also available for download will be trajectory data from the flight, called an ephemeris, found at the bottom of this page, after the mission begins.
The ephemeris data can be used to track Orion with your own spaceflight software application or telescope, or to create projects such as a physics model, animation, visualization, or tracking application.
Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed mission in the Artemis campaign, is a key step in NASA’s path toward establishing a long-term presence at the Moon and confirming the systems needed to support future lunar surface exploration and paving the way for the first crewed mission to Mars.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/track-nasas-artemis-ii-mission-in-real-time/
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5171/1
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nasa-mobile-launcher-artemis.html
NASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Station Resupply Launch
Mar 06, 2026
Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
A Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL spacecraft will launch in April to the orbital laboratory on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for NASA.
The mission is known as NASA’s Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services 24 (NASA’s Northrop Grumman CRS-24).
Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than Wednesday, April 8, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Following launch, astronauts aboard the space station will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture Cygnus and install the spacecraft to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading.
The spacecraft will remain at the space station until October. This is the company’s 24th spacecraft built to deliver supplies to the International Space Station under contract with NASA.
Credentialing to cover prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, March 18. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email following approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
For other questions, please contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center newsroom at: 321-867-2468.
In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Cygnus will deliver research to the space station, including a new module to advance quantum science that could improve computing technology and aid in the search for dark matter and hardware to produce a greater number of therapeutic stem cells for blood diseases and cancer.
Cygnus also will carry model organisms to study the gut microbiome and a receiver that could enhance space weather models that protect critical space infrastructure, such as GPS and radar.
Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations.
Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space.
For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth.
The station is an important testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.
As commercial companies concentrate on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a strong low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis program to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-northrop-grumman-crs-24-station-resupply-launch/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/ailing-megaberg-sparks-surge-of-microscopic-life/
Ailing “Megaberg” Sparks Surge of Microscopic Life
Mar 06, 2026
Iceberg A-23A has had a more eventful run than most of the large Antarctic icebergs that have calved from the continent's ice shelves in recent decades.
Over its winding, forty-plus-year journey, the "megaberg" spent decades grounded in the Weddell Sea before drifting north, twirling in an ocean vortex for months, and nearly colliding with an island in 2025.
By 2026, the iconic iceberg, sopping with meltwater and shedding smaller bergs as it moved into warmer ocean waters, put on one more show.
The chunks of ice and frigid glacial meltwater left in its wake appear to have fueled a surge in phytoplankton abundance, known as a bloom, observed in surface waters by NASA satellites.
Phytoplankton, which harvest sunlight to carry out photosynthesis, form the base of the marine food web.
They also produce up to half of the oxygen on Earth and serve as part of the ocean’s “biological carbon pump,” which transfers carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the deep ocean.
The VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite captured this image (left) of the splintering tabular berg on January 25, 2026.
The image was acquired after several large pieces had drifted northwestward and then curled toward the northeast following the iceberg breaking apart on January 9. A debris field full of brash ice, small icebergs, and bergy bits was visible east of the largest remaining pieces.
Also on January 25, the OCI (Ocean Color Instrument) on NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) satellite detected plumes of chlorophyll-a (right) drifting around the remaining bergs and debris field. Researchers use chlorophyll concentrations as a marker of phytoplankton abundance.
"This bloom is too big and too clearly spreading from the icebergs not to be strongly linked to them," said Grant Bigg, an emeritus oceanographer at the University of Sheffield. Bigg, who has studied how large icebergs have enhanced phytoplankton activity in this region, noted that while blooms unconnected to icebergs do occur regularly here, satellite imagery shows a connection that has persisted for weeks—increasing his confidence that the iceberg and phytoplankton bloom are related.
The primary factors that limit phytoplankton in this region are access to light and nutrients, explained Heidi Dierssen, an oceanographer at the University of Connecticut.
Light can be limiting even in the summer because phytoplankton are often mixed too deeply in the water column due to high winds and turbulence.
Melting icebergs can boost phytoplankton by both creating a stable surface layer with favorable growth conditions and releasing plumes of meltwater rich in iron—a key nutrient for phytoplankton that can be scarce in this part of the South Atlantic, she said.
Research indicates that icebergs also often contain significant amounts of manganese and macronutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, that can benefit phytoplankton.
These nutrients often accumulate on icebergs when they were part of the larger ice sheet through windblown dust or through contact with bedrock or soil.
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The Landsat 8 image above, captured by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on January 25, 2026, shows blue meltwater pooling on several of the larger fragments.
The linear patterns are likely related to striations that were etched hundreds of years ago when the ice was part of a glacier moving across Antarctic bedrock. Dark staining, perhaps cryoconite dust, is visible on some of the bergs.
Bigg also noted that the phytoplankton signal appears to be more concentrated near the smaller bergs, possibly because these are melting faster, releasing nutrient-rich material at a higher rate.
Dierssen added that it's also possible that chlorophyll concentrations may be higher near the largest bergs than they appear because algorithms sometimes overcorrect for "adjacency effects" near bright surfaces, like ice, when processing chlorophyll data.
Ivona Cetinić, a researcher on NASA's PACE science team, checked a database for clues about the smallest, or "pico," phytoplankton swirling around the bergs.
The tool, called MOANA (Multiple Ordination ANAlysis), taps into hyperspectral satellite observations of ocean color from PACE.
MOANA indicated that picoeukaryotic phytoplankton—microscopic eukaryotic organisms that respond quickly to changes in temperature or nutrient availability—were thriving in these waters when the image was captured.
The swirls to the west of the berg were made of a slightly larger group of cyanobacteria called Synechococcus, she said. The PACE team is currently developing additional tools that will help identify communities of larger types of phytoplankton, which were likely present as well.
Some research suggests that icebergs may have contributed significantly to phytoplankton blooms in this region in recent years, possibly accounting for up to one-fifth of the Southern Ocean's total carbon sequestration.
Other research teams have concluded that surface waters trailing icebergs were about one-third more likely to have increased amounts of phytoplankton compared to background levels.
How long Iceberg A-23A will enhance phytoplankton productivity before and after disintegrating completely remains an open question.
NASA scientists watching the berg say it continued to shrink and shed mass in February, but as of March 3, 2026, it remained just slightly above the size threshold required for naming and tracking by the U.S. National Ice Center.
Past research indicates that icebergs can sustain elevated chlorophyll concentrations for more than a month after passing through in trails that stretch for hundreds of kilometers.
Icebergs and the blooms surrounding them have also been known to attract fish, seabirds, and other types of marine life, highlighting the important ecological role they play.
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Where's Steve-O with the naked backflips?
Would you rather discuss the lizard video from the White House Tik Tok?
https://www.tiktok.com/@whitehouse/video/7613406980719283486
SpaceX Starlink Mission
March 8, 2026 03:58 - 07:58 PT
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 25 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
This will be the seventh flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Sentinel-6B, Twilight, and four Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97c69Gqv994
4 + 7 = 11, K = 11
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-groundwork-guardians-in-orbit/
extra Space Force
https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/rice-selected-lead-us-space-force-strategic-technology-institute-4
USSF Eyes ‘Dual-Use’ Ways to Boost Space Superiority, Prep for Guardians in Orbit
March 6, 2026
As the Space Force spends more time thinking about what it will need to look like in 2040, some of the service’s generals say they can lay the groundwork for Guardians launching and operating in orbit while still meeting the demand for space superiority now.
And during a panel discussion at AFA’s Warfare Symposium last week, experts warned that if the Space Force doesn’t pursue the idea, it risks ceding the advantage to China and its military-heavy spaceflight program.
“Unlike the United States’ separation of civil and military space efforts, China’s human spaceflight missions are conducted solely by active-duty service members under the purview of the [People’s Liberation Army],” noted retired Space Force Col. Kyle Pumroy, a senior resident fellow at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
“With this in mind, a future long-term presence of Chinese military members operating from low-earth orbit to the moon will likely become a reality.”
Such a possibility represents a real threat, argued retired Army Maj. Gen. Tom Ayers, who currently serves as general counsel for Starlab Space and previously served as general counsel for the Department of the Air Force.
“We can’t allow a gap with China on many things. … It’s a less safe world if PLA taikonauts are the only persons in low Earth orbit or if they’re the only persons at a Lagrange point or the moon or whatever,” he said.
That future could be coming sooner than one might think. Pumroy noted that the Chinese have already established their own space station in low Earth orbit and set a goal of landing on the moon by 2030 and building a lunar research station by 2035, or less than a decade from now.
While these aren’t inherently military moves, veteran astronaut Andrew Feustel, now with Vast Space, argued that exploration leads to economic development, which leads to military requirements.
“If we don’t move forward, we’re going to be left behind in what is going to be, not only research now in LEO, but extraction of resources from asteroids, Moon, and Mars,” he said.
Space Force generals on the panel were more circumspect in addressing how China’s ambitions might require some sort of U.S. military response.
But Maj. Gen. Robert W. Claude, director of Task Force-Futures on the Space Staff, did make clear that “China’s not going to wait for us.”
Claude was less certain that the U.S. must counter China by putting its own dedicated service members in orbit.
“I can’t sit here today and tell you that we will or we won’t have Guardians in space at any point in the future,” he said.
Count Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Shawn W. Bratton as a supporter of the idea—in January, he said at a conference that he doesn’t have a definite answer on the idea of military astronauts but “it’s on the to-do list.”
“Do we need to put Guardians in space? It would be tragic if that didn’t happen someday,” he added. “Is that day 2030, 2040, 2050? I don’t know the answer, but we owe work on that.
But again, we’re very focused right now on the near-term body of work in space superiority.”
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On the symposium panel, Brig. Gen. Matthew Cantore, deputy commander at Space Training and Readiness Command, said the short-term demand for space superiority and long-term considerations of Guardians in orbit won’t always be mutually exclusive.
“At some point, they are going to come together,” Cantore said. “It’s a question of when. As I look to the future, there will be a need for Guardians in space when there’s one of two things that happen; either there’s a need to control critical terrain, or the character of war shifts to the point where new technology requires that we go there to be able to maintain a military advantage.”
Ayers argued that such a need could eventually arise in low Earth orbit given the Space Force’s plans there for massive constellations transporting huge amounts of data for command and control of terrestrial forces.
“Thinking about latency, you can’t leave everything to AI and robots, if you’re going to have dazzled communications, degraded communications, and you might want a human agent making some decisions,” Ayers said.
Latency refers to the lag time it takes to transmit data.
There’s also a deterrence element—Ayers noted the moral implications of putting a human being in orbit versus an unmanned system, and another Mitchell Institute fellow, retired Space Force Col. Charles Galbreath, argued in a paper last fall that doing so has the potential “to raise the threshold of acceptability for hostile actions that may be lethal to humans.”
While senior leaders debate when and how Guardians may be used in space, there are ways the Space Force can start preparing right now, panelists said.
Claude called for the service to invest in dual-use functions that support USSF’s needs now while providing capabilities that could support manned operations in the future.
Those include the service’s work managing launch operations, manned and unmanned, alongside NASA and industry, and investments in space domain awareness, to track threats in orbit, Claude said.
There is also a “Guardian Liaison” office with NASA that is low-cost but high-impact, Cantore argued, exposing Guardians to creative problem-solving at the civil space agency and bolstering the institutional relationship between the two.
“We know that should we need to go into the domain, you can’t do that at the drop of the hat. It all depends upon relationships. And we have the initial starter seed, if you will, of that relationship, and we can scale that as needed,” he said.
The relationship between NASA and the military isn’t one-way. Brig. Gen. Nick Hague, Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, was the first Guardian to launch into space as a NASA astronaut, and he noted that NASA has historically relied upon military test pilots to fill out its astronaut corps.
“It’s not that I need a test pilot, but it’s the skillset that you get ingrained in you as part of the test community that makes you really adaptable to hard problems and managing risk and bringing complicated things together and working on small teams in pressure situations,” Hague said.
“And that’s the skill set that you learn in the crucible going through a test pilot school, whether that’s the Air Force Test Pilot School or the Navy Test Pilot School.”
To that end, the Space Force established its own “Space Test Course” at the Air Force Test Pilot School in 2023—something Hague said could also be a dual-use answer to the service’s near-term and long-term needs.
“We didn’t create that course at Test Pilot School because we needed Guardians to be astronauts,” he said.
“We need Guardians to be high-performing testers and contribute to helping us field capability quickly. It just so happens that you can get a twofer if you go there.”
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https://asiatimes.com/2026/03/taiwan-ramps-up-space-defense-drive-amid-beijing-threats/
Taiwan ramps up space-defense drive amid Beijing threats
March 7, 2026
To develop surveillance and defense systems that could be deployed in the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwanese government is working with dozens of international space‑technology startups while nurturing local firms.
Supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) and managed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a program called Taiwan Accelerator Plus (TAcc+) has supported 42 startups focused on space‑defense technologies since it launched its International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program in 2023.
These startups develop satellites, rocket engines and geospatial equipment and partner with Taiwan’s traditional Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) companies for manufacturing.
The Taiwanese government also provided financial support to some local startups.
Among them, BaseTech, founded in 2021, produces high-precision telescope mounts that can be used to track satellites from a few hundred to 2,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Its systems can also track a swarm of military drones.
“Our HawkView Monitoring System can be applied in airspace security, maritime and port security,” Henry Chen, a senior manager at Base Technology, told Asia Times in an interview during a recent London trade show.
“It can track drones, airplanes and birds at a distance over 15 kilometers and use artificial technology to scan the objects automatically.”
In a video, Chen demonstrated how HawkView tracks more than 300 Chinese sparrows in real time in Kenting at the southernmost tip of Taiwan. He added that the system can also track ships and create high-resolution footage for users to determine whether an approaching vehicle is a battleship.
“Another application is free-space optical (FSO) communication between a satellite and a ground station using lasers,” he said. “Many companies in Taiwan are making radio frequency communication systems, and only a few focus on FSO communications.”
FSO is considered a highly sensitive dual-use technology. A ground station can transmit laser beams to satellites for data transmission, supporting both civil and military applications. This requires high-precision mounting systems and specialized software.
Chen said BaseTech has received funding from the Taiwanese government and deployed its systems to the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) and Taiwan’s Air Force and Navy. He said the company is looking for customers in Europe.
Hellscape for Taiwan
The Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, said in a report on February 26 that Taiwan should adopt a so‑called “hellscape” strategy built around large numbers of drones and other uncrewed systems to counter a potential Chinese invasion.
Under the proposal, Taiwan would deploy thousands of aerial, surface and underwater drones to saturate the air and waters of the Taiwan Strait, striking Chinese forces before they reach the island.
The report outlines a layered defense to disrupt an invasion before forces reach Taiwan’s coast:
Outer layer (80–40 km): Long‑range aerial, surface and undersea drones strike Chinese vessels and drain interceptor stockpiles.
Middle layer (35–5 km): Sea mines slow and funnel landing craft into corridors where one‑way attack drones can strike.
Inner layer (within 5 km and beaches): Short‑range drones attack ships and landing forces during the final approach.
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Such a Hellscape strategy needs to be supported by strong space technology. In recent years, TAcc+ has encouraged international space technology firms to visit Taiwan and form partnerships with local companies.
“In the past, we focused mainly on ICT, but now we are shifting to the space sector,” said Jessi Fu, head of global partnership at ITRI.
“We have invited 42 companies to come to Taiwan for a one-month program. During the program, we have provided them with a lot of B2B (business-to-business) meetings and helped them understand our ICT ecosystem and look for business partners and component suppliers.”
For example, she said, five United Kingdom startups signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Taiwanese firms and secured new orders through the program last year. HEX20 and Slingshot Aerospace were among the program’s participants.
Last October, HEX20, an Indian-Australian maker of small satellites, signed an MoU with TaiCrystal International Technology Co, a Taiwanese firm specializing in space‑grade power chips.
“Taiwan is well known for high-end electronics and precision manufacturing. But all these electronics must go through some special finetuning before they are sent to space,” said Lloyd Lopez, co-founder and chief executive at HEX20.
“India’s more than 60 years of experience in space technology can be applied in Taiwan.”
Slingshot Aerospace, a US-based provider of AI‑powered solutions for satellite tracking, space‑traffic coordination, and space modeling and simulation, set up a unit in Taiwan to serve the Asia‑Pacific and Southeast Asian markets.
Localizing space technology
Calls for Taiwan to localize foreign space‑defense technology have intensified amid rising tensions between China and the United States.
The effort also comes amid uncertainty over US military support. On February 28, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration delayed announcing a roughly US$13 billion arms package for Taiwan, including air‑defense missiles, to avoid upsetting Beijing before President Donald Trump’s planned April meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
At the Space‑Comm Expo in London on March 4 and 5, space defense experts discussed what Taiwan should do to fight against China’s modern warfare.
“The great lesson from Ukraine is that communications is vital,” Shashank Joshi, defense editor at The Economist, told Asia Times at the event. “If you don’t have communications, you can’t stay functional on the battlefield. Ukraine’s ability to get messages out to the world on day one allowed it to sustain itself.”
However, he said a cyberattack against the California‑based ViaSat satellite network, launched shortly before Russia’s full‑scale invasion, was an important lesson. He said Taiwan may not want to rely entirely on an American company with different geopolitical priorities, and that Starlink has at times constrained how Ukraine can use its services.
“We know the Taiwanese are now talking to others, such as Eutelsat, and thinking about how they do this. But these programs are capital-intensive,” Joshi said, adding that Taiwan is still some way from being able to guarantee communications if a war breaks out.
Last June, Chunghwa Telecom secured approval to operate low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite services using Eutelsat OneWeb technology, allowing it to provide satellite communications to government agencies and commercial users in Taiwan.
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Hungary seizes millions in gold and cash linked to ‘Ukraine war mafia’
6 Mar, 2026 12:14
A Hungarian probe into money laundering has led to the detention of several Ukrainians who were transporting almost $100 million worth of cash and gold bars through the country in an operation the country's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has linked to a “Ukrainian war mafia.”
The detention, a move Kiev has described as kidnapping, was announced as Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky issued an open threat to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which has earned him a rare rebuke from his backers in Brussels.
How much cash and gold did Hungary seize?
Ukraine’s second-largest lender, state-owned Oschadbank, announced on Thursday that two vehicles with approximately nine kilograms of gold and some $80 million in dollars and euro, reportedly en route to Ukraine from Austria’s Raiffeisen bank, had been intercepted by Hungarian officials.
How much cash and gold has Ukraine shipped through Hungary?
“This year alone, more than $900 million, €420 million and 146 kilograms of gold in bars were transported through Hungarian territory to Ukraine,” Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV), stated on Friday.
Szijjarto then blamed “the Ukrainian war mafia,” for the flow of extraordinary sums of cash and bullion through his country.
Tension has risen between Ukraine and its EU-member neighbor over Budapest’s desire to critically assess military aid and “unending” loans to Kiev from the bloc, culminating in a spat over Kiev’s refusal to ship key Russian oil through its pipeline network to Hungary and Slovakia and Zelensky’s open threat against Orban.
Who was shipping the gold and cash through Hungary to Ukraine?
Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said the intercepted Ukrainian transfer was being supervised by a retired Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) general and a retired Air Force major as his right-hand man. All seven detainees will be deported, he added.
GPS tracking placed the vehicles next to the office of a local law enforcement agency, which Ukrainian media identified as the Hungarian Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK). Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) said Friday that the detention was part of a joint investigation with TEK targeting a major money laundering channel.
Since November, Kiev has been shaken by a series of corruption scandals involving longtime associates of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.
Hungarian officials denied claims by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga that Budapest has failed to provide explanations, saying Kiev’s consular services had been immediately informed.
Sibiga called for EU intervention, describing the incident as “Hungary taking hostages and stealing money.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who accuses Zelensky of trying to trigger a fuel crisis ahead of key parliamentary elections next month, has warned that he may use force over Kiev’s refusal to resume Russian oil transit.
He has already suspended the supplying of diesel to Ukraine and blocked a €90 billion EU loan to fund Zelensky’s government.
Zelensky responded with a personal threat, saying that unless Orban backs off, the Ukrainian military will be given his address and “speak to him in their own language.” Brussels has since condemned Zelensky's outburst.
https://www.rt.com/news/633991-hungary-ukraine-money-laundering/
https://www.rt.com/news/634091-european-commission-zelensky-threats-orban/
https://www.rt.com/news/633973-hungary-zelensky-military-threat/
Western energy pressure on Russia has backfired – Kremlin envoy
6 Mar, 2026 17:33
Western efforts to isolate Russian energy have proven counterproductive, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has said, noting that the pressure has only pushed Moscow to further develop its economy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week the shipping disruptions as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran could open opportunities for Russia to expand energy exports.
“Against this backdrop, we can look for new buyers who have lost supplies that previously moved through the strait,” he said, suggesting Moscow could redirect oil and gas shipments to alternative markets as Gulf flows face a halt.
Dmitriev, who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund and serves as the Kremlin's special representative for economic cooperation, stated that “Western energy pressure on Russia has failed and is backfiring,” in an X post on Friday.
“Countries that partnered with Russia on energy made a wise strategic choice” and will “overcome the energy shock best and will be best positioned for the future.”
Dmitriev was responding to a Wall Street Journal report that the US is preparing to press China to cut its purchases of discounted Russian oil and encourage it to buy more expensive American oil instead.
“Probably not good timing,” Dmitriev wrote, stating that “Russian energy partners always win.”
EU gas prices hit three-year highs this week, sparking renewed calls from politicians across the continent to drop what French opposition figure Florian Philippot called “idiotic” sanctions. Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, Germany, and France have all seen growing demands to resume Russian energy links.
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the US will also indefinitely exempt Rosneft's German subsidiaries, currently held by the German government, from sanctions, ensuring refining operations critical to Berlin’s fuel supply continue.
Washington has also temporarily eased sanctions to allow India to buy Russian oil to keep crude flowing in the global market.
https://www.rt.com/russia/634026-russia-dmitriev-energy-restrictions/
Ukraine Blasts Russian Shahed Drone Base at Donetsk Airport With US ATACMS Missiles
Mar 07, 2026 13:42
Ukrainian forces conducted a high-precision strike against a strategic Russian drone facility at the Donetsk International Airport on the morning of March 7.
According to official statements from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the operation targeted a specialized hub used for the storage, preparation, and launching of Shahed-type loitering munitions.
The assault was a coordinated effort involving the Missile Forces and Artillery of the Ground Forces alongside the Ukrainian Air Force.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed via Telegram that the strike utilized a combination of US-provided ATACMS ballistic missiles and French-British SCALP cruise missiles.
Local reports and footage shared by the “Typichny Donetsk” Telegram channel indicated the strike occurred at approximately 07:30. Following the impact, a large plume of black smoke was visible over the airfield.
“In the area of the Donetsk airport, ATACMS and SCALP missiles today hit a storage, preparation, and launch site for enemy 'Shahed' type strike UAVs,” the General Staff stated.
The military confirmed that the strike resulted in a large-scale fire and secondary detonation, suggesting the successful hit of stored explosives or fueled drones. Beyond the primary target in Donetsk, Ukrainian defense forces executed a series of additional strikes overnight.
These operations spanned multiple occupied regions, including the destruction of a Russian UAV control point near Dibrova in the Luhansk region and a strike on a command and observation post in the area of Kruhlyakivka in the Kharkiv region.
The General Staff also reported targeted fire on artillery positions and troop concentrations near Tavilzhanka, Voskresenka, Novopavlivka, Novohryhorivka, and Zaliznychne.
The infrastructure at Donetsk Airport has been a focal point for Russian drone operations for several months.
According to intelligence reports, specialized storage hangars and manual control points for Shahed and “Gerbera” drones were identified at the site in August 2025.
This is not the first time the facility has been targeted.
Earlier, in November 2025, Ukrainian forces conducted a similar operation at the airport, which reportedly resulted in the destruction of approximately 1,000 Shahed drones and associated launching equipment.
The March 7 strike represents a continued effort to degrade Russia’s ability to launch long-range aerial attacks from occupied territories.
https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraine-blasts-russian-shahed-drone-base-at-donetsk-airport-with-us-atacms-missiles-16604
other Russia and Ukraine
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/russian-drone-attack-hits-infrastructure-in-odesa-and-oblast-official-says-50589764.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/pentagon-officials-visited-ukraine-last-week-1772894713.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4099095-russian-drone-attacks-ambulance-in-mykolaiv-region-leaving-several-injured.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4099090-russian-drones-attack-civilian-cars-in-sumy-region-leaving-one-dead-and-two-wounded.html
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/03/07/8024343/
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4099010-air-defense-forces-destroy-19-russian-missiles-and-453-drones.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4098956-ukraines-drone-operators-wipe-out-russian-fpv-drone-crew-on-huliaipole-front.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4098913-ukrainian-forces-hit-drone-control-point-in-belgorod-region-enemy-targets-in-occupied-territories.html
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukraines-interceptor-drone-makers-look-at-exports-to-the-gulf-as-iran-war-flares
CRIPPLING BLOW: IDF Destroys 16 Quds Force Planes in Massive Tehran Air Raid
MAR 7, 2026 08:41
The IAF has wiped out 16 Quds Force aircraft at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport used to smuggle weapons and cash to Hezbollah.
In a precision overnight strike, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted and destroyed 16 aircraft belonging to the IRGC’s Quds Force at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport.
The operation, guided by IDF Intelligence (Aman), was part of an extensive wave of strikes launched Friday night across the Iranian capital.
Defense officials identified Mehrabad Airport as a primary logistical hub for the Quds Force. The facility served as a central point for arming and funding Iranian proxies throughout the Middle East.
According to the IDF, aircraft loaded with advanced weaponry and large sums of cash frequently departed from Mehrabad to supply various terror organizations.
The Friday night strike specifically targeted 16 of these transport aircraft used for smuggling operations, effectively neutralizing a significant portion of the Quds Force’s aerial transport fleet.
In addition to the transport fleet, the IAF targeted several Iranian fighter jets that posed a direct threat to Israeli aircraft operating in Iranian airspace.
This ensured continued air superiority for the Israeli mission throughout the multi-wave attack on Tehran's military infrastructure.
An IDF spokesperson confirmed the success of the mission, stating:
"The strike on military infrastructure at the airport disrupts the rearmament capabilities not only of the Iranian regime but of terror proxies across the entire Middle East.
The IDF continues to strike the infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime throughout Iran."
https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/idf-strikes-quds-force-aircraft-tehran
WATCH: IDF strikes Hezbollah infrastructure, Radwan Force command centers
Updated: MARCH 7, 2026 12:03
The IDF completed a wave of strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon overnight on Saturday, destroying terrorist infrastructure in various areas of Lebanon.
The strikes targeted Hezbollah rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities, and military sites belonging to the terrorist organization in the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon, the military announced.
On Friday, the IDF additionally struck two Hezbollah Radwan Force command centers and targeted Radwan Force commanders in the Majdal Selm area of southern Lebanon.
The commanders targeted were responsible for the planning of terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians, the IDF stated.
The IDF noted that significant steps were taken to mitigate harm for Lebanese civilians, including the issuing of advanced evacuation warnings and the use of precise munitions in the carrying out of the strikes.
IDF searches for Ron Arad's remains
The IDF carried out ground operations in Lebanon overnight Friday aimed at locating the remains of missing Israeli fighter pilot Ron Arad, according to a report from Lebanese news outlet An-Nahar.
According to An-Nahar, IDF helicopters were spotted landing near the Nabi Chit village in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon. The helicopters reportedly entered Lebanon from across the Syrian border.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-889136
https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/2030207884856836420
other Israel
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-03-07/news-1LjQDRiKUyk/p.html
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-03-07/ty-article/.premium/short-notice-rocket-alerts-are-due-to-operational-considerations-idf-says/0000019c-c7c8-d2c4-afde-f7cea4f60000
https://www.jns.org/idf-detains-over-200-wanted-terrorists-in-judea-and-samaria/
https://www.jns.org/eight-idf-troops-hurt-by-hezbollah-fire-as-zamir-vows-collapse-of-iranian-axis/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-has-demolished-2-km-of-gaza-tunnels-killed-5-operatives-in-past-week/
https://report.az/en/region/idf-launches-series-of-large-scale-strikes-against-iran
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-889123
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Hezbollah-says-it-thwarted-IDF-helicopter-landing/65823707
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/2-soldiers-moderately-wounded-in-hezbollah-missile-attack-on-troops-in-south-lebanon-idf-says/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-unintentionally-struck-un-agency-truck-in-gaza/
https://www.jns.org/idf-commando-raid-in-lebanon-fails-to-uncover-ron-arad-findings/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-military-drone-experts-expected-in-gulf-as-russia-said-supplying-iran-with-intel/
https://www.sentinelassam.com/more-news/international/50-israeli-fighter-jets-dismantled-ali-khameneis-underground-bunker-idf
https://www.luxtimes.lu/world/hackers-pose-as-idf-to-sneak-spyware-onto-israelis-phones/139719128.html
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202603053543
https://ir.usembassy.gov/security-alert-iran-march-7-2026-evening-update/
https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-activates-air-defences-amid-missile-and-drone-threats-from-iran-1.500466834
https://8am.media/eng/drone-attacks-target-saudi-arabia/
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/middle-east/dubai-airport-departures-iran-war-drones-b2933899.html
https://www.azernews.az/nation/255411.html
https://shafaq.com/en/Security/Drone-strike-hits-telecom-towers-near-Iraq-s-Halabja
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/nation-world/trump-to-attend-dignified-transfer-for-6-soldiers-killed-in-middle-east-drone-strike-department-of-war-pete-hegseth-conflict-iran-israel-united-states-dover-air-force-base
https://www.rt.com/news/633892-iran-crisis-oil-price/
Iran strikes UAE hours after apologizing for 'fire at will' attacks
March 7, 2026
Summary
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US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran “apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors” only after relentless US and Israeli attacks.
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to neighboring countries on Saturday for airstrikes targeting them, adding that armed forces were instructed to stop striking those countries unless attacks against Iran originated from them.
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Third carrier surge: USS George H.W. Bush heads to Middle East as Iran war escalates, Fox reports.
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Huge explosions rocked areas in western Tehran near Mehrabad Airport and Ekbatan neighborhood early Saturday, videos shared on social media.
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President Donald Trump said on Friday at the White House that the United States is performing “very well” in operations against Iran, adding the Iranian military has been largely destroyed and praising the US armed forces’ performance.
28 minutes ago
Video: Iranians celebrate Khamenei's death in Stockholm
1 hour ago
UAE president calls Iran ‘enemy’ in rare public remarks
United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a thinly veiled warning to Iran, saying his country is “not easy prey” and referring to Tehran as “the enemy” — a notable departure from the language the UAE has traditionally used toward its northern neighbor.
The president said he “wanted to send a message to the enemy of the UAE.”
Speaking during a visit to a hospital treating civilians wounded in the strikes, he cautioned Iran: “The UAE is beautiful, the UAE is a model to be followed, but I tell you, do not be deceived by that.”
“The UAE’s hand can reach and is strong, its flesh is bitter, and we are not easy prey.”
The comments — his first since the war began — were broadcast shortly after Emirati air defenses responded to a missile threat, despite Iran’s president having suggested earlier in the day that attacks across the Persian Gulf would stop.
“We are carrying out our duty toward our country, our people, and those who live among us. May God protect the UAE, protect its people and everyone in it, and bless it with security and safety,” MBZ added.
“I promise you that what is coming will show us stronger.”
1 hour ago
Trump departs for Delaware base to honor troops killed in Iran war
US President Donald Trump left Florida for Dover Air Force base in Delaware to attend the dignified transfer of six American service members killed in the war with Iran.
The remains of the soldiers are expected to arrive at the base at around 1:30 pm local time.
Earlier in the day, he described the deaths as a "very sad situation."
The president said he plans to "greet the families of the heroes coming home from Iran and coming home in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home."
"They're great heroes in our country, and we're going to keep it that way," he added. "When it comes to war, there's always that."
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1 hour ago
'Hit them Bibi': Iranian eyewitness cheers airstrikes in Bushehr
2 hours ago
Iran leadership selection meeting expected within 24 hours, cleric says
Ayatollah Mozaffari, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, expressed hope that a session to choose the country’s next supreme leader will take place within the next 24 hours, while stressing that no official meeting has yet been held and no decision has been made.
Informed sources earlier told Iran International that the Assembly of Experts' meeting to announce Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader was held on Saturday, with at least 14 members boycotting the session.
The meeting took place after the Assembly’s session on Friday — convened to present the candidate favored by the Revolutionary Guard — was left unfinished due to concerns over a possible US and Israeli attack.
2 hours ago
UAE says responding to missile and drone threats from Iran
The UAE air defenses are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran, the Emirati ministry of defense said, hours after Iran's president apologized for "fire at will" attacks on neighbors and said he'd instructed armed forces to stop.
3 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE
Iranian sailor killed on Dena told father US warned ship before strike
The Iranian navy warship's commander refused to allow the crew to abandon Dena despite the imminent threat, the source added.
The sailor’s father said some crew members argued with the commander, and the 32 crew members who survived were mainly sailors who managed to escape on lifeboats, according to the source.
A US submarine torpedoed Dena in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, about 19 nautical miles from the southern Sri Lankan port of Galle, killing dozens of sailors and significantly expanding Washington’s campaign against Iran’s naval forces.
The sinking of the Dena — described by US War Secretary Pete Hegseth as a “quiet death” — marked the first time since World War II that the United States had torpedoed an enemy warship, underscoring the widening geographic reach of the conflict with Iran.
An internal US State Department cable dated March 6 seen by Reuters said the US urged Sri Lankan authorities not to return the 32 surviving sailors from Dena and the 208 sailors Sri Lanka rescued from naval auxiliary ship IRIS Booshehr.
3 hours ago
Video: Airstrike damages aircraft at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport
4 hours ago
US hit desalination plant on Qeshm Island, Iran FM says
A US attack struck a freshwater desalination plant on Iran’s Qeshm Island, disrupting water supplies in 30 villages, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday.
"Attacking Iran's infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The US set this precedent, not Iran," he said in a post on X, calling the move a “blatant and desperate crime."
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