Oil prices hit four year high: Latest news on the Middle East conflict on 9 March
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has showcased advanced military capabilities during its “Great Prophet 19” drills, unveiling a new loitering munition, the "Rezvan" drone, and the “358 missile defence system” designed to protect strategic facilities like the Natanz nuclear plant.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled its latest loitering munition and missile defence system during the ongoing “Great Prophet 19” military drills which many believe is aimed to show off Iran's ability to respond to and defend against an attack from outside the country.
On Thursday, the Iranian Army announced that it will be equipped with 1,000 new drones which were designed and manufactured jointly by the IRGC and the Ministry of Defence.
The drone, called “Rezvan”, with a range of 20 kilometers and an endurance of 20 minutes, is designed for rapid deployment and targeted attacks, particularly in complex terrain, according to Iranian media report referring to the IRGC.
"Our drones carried out several rounds of firing and drone operations, and in our scenario, we successfully destroyed hypothetical enemies and terrorists attacking Iranian bases," said Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, on the sidelines of the exercise in the Azgeleh region in the western Kermanshah province.
Two days ago, the so-called “358 missile defence system” was unveiled during the air-defence exercise, codenamed Eqtedar (Authority) 1403 that was arranged in the air perimeter of the Natanz nuclear plant.
IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami said various real-world scenarios were designed and implemented during a large-scale military exercise to protect the strategic nuclear facility located in Iran’s central province of Isfahan.
“We tried to perform what we could expect from the enemies in case of in real war conditions,” he stated and added that “quite valuable achievements” were gained.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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