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Donald Trump has admitted Russia may be assisting Iran in its war with the US and Israel, despite lifting oil sanctions on Moscow to address skyrocketing crude prices.
“I think he might be helping them a little bit, yeah, I guess, and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump said to Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade Friday interview.
“So he [Vladimir Putin] says that, and China would say the same thing, you know,” Trump said. “It’s like, hey, they do it and we do it, in all fairness. They do it and we do it.”
Trump’s remarks come after US envoy Steve Witkoff said Putin and other Russian leaders had denied sharing intelligence with Iran, in a phone call with the US president.
The admission also brings into question Trump’s decision to drop sanctions on Russian oil in an attempt to mitigate the impact of steeply rising oil prices, which have hit record highs after an Iranian blockade of the critical Strait of Hormuz waterway.
Earlier today, US Central Command confirmed that six US servicemen have died after a US refuelling tanker crashed in western Iraq.
Alex Croft13 March 2026 20:55
The United Nations has appealed for more than $300m to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon due to ongoing Israeli strikes.
“Solidarity in words must be matched by solidarity in action,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said as he announced the campaign from Beirut.
Aid organisations say funding constraints have already forced them to ration supplies and that substantial new contributions are essential.
“We’re only targeting those who are really on the verge of starvation or in starvation,” said Carl Skau, the World Food Programme’s deputy executive director.
“There isn’t any more margin, so with needs going up, resources will have to come up – and they can certainly not drop,” Skau told Reuters.
Rebecca Whittaker13 March 2026 20:49
The US is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including its new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
The reward targets 10 officials associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the State Department website.
Mojtaba Khamenei recently succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s supreme leader after the elder Khamenei was killed along with several other top Iranian officials in the joint US and Israeli strikes that began on February 28.
The younger Khamenei, believed to have been injured in the strikes, hasn’t been seen publicly since, although he released his first statement on Thursday.
In addition to the supreme leader, the US is seeking information about Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and two officials in Khamenei’s office.
Alex Croft13 March 2026 20:33
An Israeli attack on southern Lebanon has killed six people, including a girl, Lebanon’s National News Agency is reporting according to Al Jazeera.
The news agency said the incident was a “massacre”.
Alex Croft13 March 2026 20:11
Israel destroyed a bridge in southern Lebanon on Friday and dropped leaflets in Beirut threatening Gaza-scale devastation, as it deployed more troops to fight Iran-backed Hezbollah.
As Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut’s suburbs with air strikes, Lebanon’s interior minister said authorities were unable to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people who have sought refuge in the capital.
Israeli strikes have killed 773 people in Lebanon since March 2, Lebanon’s state news agency said on Friday, citing the health ministry.
Israel launched its offensive against Hezbollah after it opened fire on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Making a visit to Lebanon on Friday, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said he was seeking $308 million in emergency funding to help authorities grapple with the humanitarian fallout. At least 800,000 people have been uprooted in Lebanon.
“Solidarity in words must be matched by solidarity in action,” Guterres said.
Alex Croft13 March 2026 19:49
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a speech on Friday that the Israeli threats to assassinate him were “worthless”.
“We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation and they will be surprised in the field”, he added.
Israel launched an offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah after it opened fire on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Alex Croft13 March 2026 19:33
Alex Croft13 March 2026 19:09
Donald Trump has admitted that Russian president Vladimir Putin could be helping Iran in its military efforts agains the U.S., contrary to claims made previously by his envoy to the Middle East.
“I think he might be helping them a little bit, yeah, I guess, and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump said, speaking to Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade Friday interview. “Yeah, we’re helping them also.”
The two nations have been at war since Russian invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“So he [Putin] says that, and China would say the same thing, you know,” Trump said. “It’s like, hey, they do it and we do it, in all fairness. They do it and we do it.”
The president’s comments come after U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who said Trump had spoken to Putin and other Russian leaders Monday, and they had denied sharing intelligence with Iran.
Alex Croft13 March 2026 18:47
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey would not get dragged into the war between Iran, Israel and the US.
But he added that it was prepared for all threats after a third Iranian ballistic missile fired towards Turkey was intercepted.
“During this process, we are engaging in all preventative actions against any threats towards our air space, just as we did last night,” Mr Erdogan told a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner.
“Our main priority is to keep our country away from this pit of fire,” he added.
(AP)
Alex Croft13 March 2026 18:31
Next month’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One Grands Prix are set to be cancelled over the weekend due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Reuters news agency cites sources saying an announcement is expected by Monday at the latest with a March 20 deadline looming for freight that has to be transported to Bahrain for logistical reasons.
Sky Sports television, which has the broadcasting rights in Britain where most of the 11 teams are based, said it understood the races would be called off by Sunday night.
US and Israeli attacks on Iran are continuing while Iranian drones and missiles have hit some Middle Eastern capitals including Bahrain’s Manama, where most team personnel would be staying in hotels.
Formula One is racing in China this weekend for the second round of the season after the opener in Australia last weekend.
Alex Croft13 March 2026 18:18