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Friday, March 20, 2026
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US annual threat assessment focuses on Iran, Pakistan, China and Russia. What it says

2026 report of US Intelligence Community states that selective cooperation between China, Russia, Iran & North Korea is bolstering the threat each of them poses to the US. 

Israel’s ICL Group opens fertiliser plant in Maharashtra amid supply risk due to Iran war

Facility will cover an area of 28,000 sq m and replicate the ICL’s advanced production model, which is currently operating in Israel.

UAE looks at relaxing tax residency rules to retain expats leaving amid Gulf conflict—FT report

UAE’s tax authority is reluctant to issue blanket exemptions, but has advised addressing applications on case-by-case basis once the conflict ends, the report says.

US carrier leaves Iran fight after fire onboard, at least 2 sailors injured

US Navy declined to comment on condition of USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, or whether the guided-missile destroyers that accompany it will stay on in the region.

Free flight, $2,600 ‘exit bonus’: US clubs India, China & Columbia in latest ‘self deport’ campaign

DHS is offering free flights and $2,600 bonus to undocumented migrants from India, China and Colombia amid drop in illegal Indian immigrants and rising MAGA‑driven anti‑Indian rhetoric

Ascent of Ali Larijani, Iran’s ultimate insider talent-hunted by Ayatollahs

This is the transcript of 'Cut The Clutter' Episode 1811, published on 18 March 2026, examining what assassination of Iran’s most powerful political operator could mean for Tehran.

Iran’s ‘kingmaker’ intel chief Larijani confirmed dead in US-Israel strikes. Who can be next powerhouse

Disqualified twice from running for president, Larijani had key role in shaping Iran's nuclear & defence strategies. He leaves behind a divided legacy—of being both pragmatist & repressor.

US counterterrorism head Joe Kent resigns, says Iran war ‘manufactured by Israel’

In a letter to Trump, Joe Kent said ‘high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign...to encourage a war with Iran’.

Israel says Larijani killed in midnight strikes. Then comes Iran intel chief’s handwritten note

Note by him commemorating Iranian sailors killed in US attack on IRIS Dena was posted on his social media after Israel’s claim. Iran govt has made no official statement addressing this yet.

Latest tankers sailing out of Hormuz suggest Tehran maintaining free channel for friendly vessels

If the route taken by the ships, which hews close to Iran’s coast, continues to be used successfully, it could mean the country is imposing a traffic control system.

On Camera

How the US is rapidly reaching the limits of imperial over-reach

Beyond the immediate protection of Israel and its borders, which the USA could reasonably commit itself to, it did not need to get into every war in the Muslim world.

Why the US shouldn’t try to outsmart the oil market

Selling oil futures would be a desperate ploy, born of panic about rising US gasoline and diesel retail prices ahead of the midterm elections.

Israel’s tolerance for persistent threats on its borders has eroded: US intel on Iran war

When conflict with Iran ends, says the report, area’s key players are likely to reexamine longstanding assumptions & alliances as they determine how best to advance their interests.

Peaceful power transfers followed uprisings in India’s neighbourhood. It’s a sign of mature democracies

Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.