Mike Eckel

Putin expresses condolences for the death of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, calling his killing "a cynical violation all norms of human morality and international law."

The U.S. Senate must be clear: no war with Iran.

Members of U.S. Congress Are Divided on U.S. Strikes in Iran As explosions rocked Tehran, Republicans largely voiced support as Democrats warned about a costly and unauthorized conflict.

Reactions to the U.S. attack on Iran largely broke along party lines on Saturday, with Republicans praising President Trump while Democrats warned that he was dragging the country into another protracted war in the Middle East.

Where have the US and Israel hit Iran?

Several of the locations targeted by US and Israeli strikes are near important sites in Iran, including nuclear and oil industry installations.

🔗: aje.news/pi5hds

МИД России 🇷🇺 ⚡️Заявление МИД России в связи с вооружённой агрессией США и Израиля против Ирана Утром 28 февраля вооружённые силы США и Израиля приступили к нанесению военно-воздушных ударов по территории Ирана. ...

Russian Foreign Ministry, on the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran:
"This is a premeditated and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state, in violation of the fundamental principles and norms of international law."
(No irony detected)
t.me/MID_Russia/7...

United States and Israeli forces have launched military strikes against Iran, with President Donald Trump calling the attacks a “major combat operation” against the Iranian regime.

🔗 www.wired.com/story/us-ira...

Live updates: Israel confirms attack on Iran with US help as explosions are heard in Tehran Israel launched a daylight attack Saturday on Iran's capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city's downtown near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

BREAKING: Iran's Foreign Ministry says the "time has come to defend the homeland" after the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. Follow AP's live coverage.

Live updates: The U.S. and Israel are striking Iran Follow the latest news and live updates after Israel says it has launched a preemptive strike against Iran.

JUST IN: Trump vows "certain death" if Iranian regime doesn't surrender, telling Iranians: "When we are finished, take over your government."

😶

Live updates: Israel says it has launched strikes on Iran, as explosions are heard in Tehran Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the attack was a preemptive strike launched “in order to remove threats to the state of Israel.”

Breaking: President Donald Trump, in a video posted on Truth Social, confirmed that the U.S. has begun “major combat operations in Iran." He said the objective of the operation is to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

Read more:

Israel Starts Attack on Iran, With Reported US Backing

Israel launches attack on Iran, with reported backing from the US

Get the latest in our live blog: bloom.bg/4r6kAOS

Live updates: Israel says it has launched strikes on Iran, as explosions are heard in Tehran Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the attack was a preemptive strike launched “in order to remove threats to the state of Israel.”

Breaking: Israel has launched a “preemptive strike against Iran,” Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz said, declaring a special state of emergency across the country. Several explosions were heard in Tehran, according to Iranian state media.

Read more:

Live updates: Israel confirms attack on Iran with US help as explosions are heard in Tehran Israel launched a daylight attack Saturday on Iran's capital, with a cloud of smoke rising from the city's downtown near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

BREAKING: President Trump says the U.S. has begun "major combat operations in Iran." Follow AP's live updates.

Sweden's Defense Minister:

👀Sweden's armed forces, confirming that a Russian drone, launched from a Russian naval intelligence vessel, was intercepted as it tried to fly at the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle near Malmo.

Drone footage released today by Ukraine's 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade (initially to Libkos), showing Russian forces dropping phosphorus on the embattled town of Kostyantynivka -- followed by a heavy "glide" bomb. (some grim images toward the end).
(source: t.me/ombr_28)

Alas, it does not appear that Investgative Committee director Alexander Bastryskin made the cut:

Putin has appointed a new Kremlin commission on the development of AI (which Russia is lagging WAY behind in). Among the members: 74-year-old FSB director Alexander Bortnikov, and former Putin bodyguard Alexei Dyumin. (@meduza.io apt description: "old farts with big ideas.")

Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers More citizens are replanting overseas, drawn by a quality of life made easily affordable by the U.S.’s enviable salaries.

"Last year the U.S. experienced something that hasn’t definitively occurred since the Great Depression: More people moved out than moved in....America’s own citizens are leaving in record numbers." www.wsj.com/us-news/amer...

Mike Johnson: "If we lost the midterms -- heaven forbid, if we lost the majority in the House -- it would be the end of the Trump presidency in a real effect."

4 years ago this morning, Ukrainians anxiously looked for trains at Kyiv's main station, as Russian paratroopers approached from the north. In the Kyiv subway, I met this mother and daughter sheltering from Russian air strikes. I never found out what happened to them. I hope they're safe.

Iran students resume anti-government protests Student protesters honoured thousands of those killed when nationwide mass protests were put down by Iranian authorities last month.

A large part of what BBC Verify and Persian do is support other News output.

This weekend has seen a fresh wave of protest in Iran, centred on the universities of Tehran.

Working with @paulybrown.bsky.social, @emmapengelly.bsky.social and @shayan86.bsky.social.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bollocks. sorry

What happens when you drunk-text the FBI about Russian spies and prostitutes at 4 a.m.? The curious case of Nomma Zarubina. — Meduza In this week’s episode, host Kevin Rothrock sits down with RFE/RL senior international correspondent Mike Eckel to discuss his January 28 investigation into the bizarre case of Nomma Zarubina: The FSB...

I chatted about the (fascinating) nuances of this case -- and others like it -- with @kevinrothrock.me and @meduzaproject.bsky.social's Naked Pravda podcast recently:
meduza.io/en/episodes/...

The FSB, Lies, And Drunk Texting The FBI: The Curious Case Of Nomma Zarubina Nomma Zarubina's case is one of several that has popped up in recent years: Russians building networks among think tanks, activists, politicians, journalists -- and then being charged by US authoritie...

backstory here:
www.rferl.org/a/russia-nom...

Nomma Zarubina, the Russian woman charged with lying to the FBI about her (alleged) ties to the FSB -- who then had her bail revoked because she was drunk-texting an FBI agent -- has changed her plea, now pleading guilty. She'll be sentenced in June.
www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr...

best I can tell, non-US/UK outlets aren't being targeted the same way. (i.e. Anglos... not Saxons). But not 100 percent certain.

Agree that not being able to travel in/around Russia is a major problem for a media outlet. But that's not exactly a voluntary decision for most outlets. (Also not all Russia correspondents are based in Berlin; lots are in the Baltics)

looks like the participation of revisionist historian Vladimir Medinsky, as head of the Russian negotiating team in Geneva, didn't go over so well...