Message attributed to Iran’s supreme leader urges population growth

A US military investigation into a blast at an elementary school in Minab, a city in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, is “complex” because the school was located on an active Iranian cruise missile site, US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper told Congress on Tuesday.

Reuters previously reported that an initial internal US military investigation found US forces were likely responsible for the destruction of the school in Minab.

Iranian authorities say 168 students, most of them girls, were killed in the Feb. 28 blast, which took place on the first day of the war.

The United States imposed fresh sanctions on an Iranian exchange house, front companies in several countries and 19 vessels accused of shipping Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals.

The Treasury Department sanctioned Iran-based Amin Exchange and companies it said operated in the UAE, Turkey and Hong Kong on behalf of Iranian banks.

“Iran’s shadow banking system facilitates the illicit transfer of funding for terrorist purposes,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

The sanctions also targeted vessels including the Barbados-flagged LPG tanker Great Sail, the Palau-flagged products tanker Ocean Wave and the Panama-flagged chemical/oil tanker Swift Falcon.

FIFA plans to again prohibit fans from bringing pre-revolutionary Iranian flags and related apparel into World Cup stadiums, The Athletic reported.

The flag, featuring the lion and sun emblem used before the 1979 revolution, is widely displayed by members of the Iranian diaspora as a symbol of identity and protest against Iran’s government.

When asked by The Athletic whether the flags or related apparel would be allowed at venues during the 2026 tournament, FIFA responded by referring to its stadium code of conduct banning political or discriminatory materials.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, fans carrying the flag or anti-government messages were blocked from entering some stadiums.

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday its air defenses intercepted and neutralized six hostile drones over the past 48 hours, accusing them of attempting to target civilian and vital areas across the country.

The Emirati Defense Ministry said the interceptions caused no casualties and had no impact on the safety of vital facilities.

The UAE said it reserved the full right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and national security under international law, stressing that its armed forces were fully prepared to confront any threat to the country’s security and national assets.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday called on allies to more forcefully disrupt Iran’s financing networks.

“That will require, for example, our European partners to join the United States in taking action against Iran by designating its financiers, unmasking its shell and front companies, shuttering its bank branches, and dismantling its proxies,” Bessent said.

He said countries in the Middle East and Asia should also “root out Iran’s shadow banking networks.”

"To sharpen national security outcomes, Treasury is tailoring our sanctions program for the 21st century. We are reviewing outdated and obsolete designations to help financial institutions focus on the most sophisticated terrorist financing and sanctions evasion schemes," Bessent added.