March 26, 2026 – Short News

Isfahan under fire - attacks on military sites and residential areas!

During the night into Thursday, as already on Wednesday afternoon, heavy attacks took place around Isfahan, about 330 kilometers south of Tehran. According to current information, the strikes are occurring in the vicinity of the city, which plays a strategically central role. Isfahan hosts an important air force base, several military facilities, and is among the locations that were already targeted in June by American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. At the same time, Iranian sources report that residential areas were also hit, without providing precise details. These claims cannot currently be independently verified, but they paint a picture of an attack that does not clearly separate military and civilian areas. In parallel, Israel’s military states that it has completed a large-scale wave of attacks across Iran, including targets in Isfahan. The intensity of the strikes suggests that the focus is increasingly shifting toward infrastructure that is critical for military operations, while the impact on the civilian population continues to grow.

U.S. reports massive destruction of Iranian arms production

The U.S. military states that more than two thirds of Iran’s production capacity for missiles, drones, and naval units have now been damaged or destroyed. This assessment comes directly from the command responsible for the region and is attributed to ongoing air and naval operations. Satellite images show strikes on shipyards and production facilities, although some of the imagery is delayed in time. Independent verification of the actual scale therefore remains limited, especially since Tehran does not officially acknowledge losses. Nevertheless, the statement marks a clear line: the attacks are no longer aimed only at individual facilities, but at the industrial foundation of Iran’s military. At the same time, it remains unclear how quickly damaged structures can be replaced and which parts of production remain intact. The military situation is therefore being decided not only on the battlefield, but increasingly in the question of how much industrial capacity is permanently lost.

Sánchez counters Iran debate - Pope against war, but no alliance with Tehran

Pedro Sánchez draws a clear line in the heated discussion surrounding Iran. The Spanish prime minister points to the Pope’s position against the war while at the same time asking why this is turned into a political accusation. Anyone who does not automatically place the Vatican on the side of the ayatollahs can also not categorize other critical voices in that way. Sánchez is thus addressing parts of the opposition directly, those who want to frame any form of opposition to the war as proximity to the Iranian regime. His statement is aimed at exposing and breaking this logic. In his view, criticism of the war does not mean support for Tehran, but follows an independent position. In the midst of the tense situation, Sánchez is trying to bring the political debate back onto a more factual basis without downplaying the reality of the conflict.

Trump wants a quick exit - objectives remain unmet

Donald Trump is reportedly saying internally that he does not want to prolong the war with Iran and intends to end it in the coming weeks. At the same time, it is clear that none of the declared war objectives have been achieved so far. These two points stand side by side and do not even contradict each other, they rather describe the current state. Military operations continue, attacks hit infrastructure, yet no clear political or strategic success is visible. Neither has the threat from missiles and drones been eliminated, nor has the situation in the Persian Gulf been stabilized. Free navigation also remains uncertain. Statements from Trump’s circle therefore show less a completed strategy than an attempt to end an open conflict quickly before it becomes further entrenched. The pressure is growing, not only militarily but also politically, because the fundamental question remains unanswered: what this war is meant to achieve and when it will actually end.

A gold statue for the man who makes America great again - at least according to Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson stood there, the golden statue in his hands, a smile on his face, and announced to the world the first “America First Award.” Created for the occasion. Named for the occasion. Created for one man whom Johnson clearly considers so significant that the existing awards of history were simply not enough. The statue shines. It is meant to stand for a new “Golden Era in America.” For a moment, one wonders whether the gold is real - and then decides it does not really matter.

Ein Preis, den man erfindet, um ihn sofort zu vergeben. Ein Award, dessen erste und wohl einzige Kategorie bereits beim Erfinden feststand. Das ist keine Ehrung. Das ist eine Unterwerfungsgeste mit Sockel. Johnson nannte es etwas, das man so noch nie gemacht habe. Das stimmt. Und es gibt Dinge, die man noch nie gemacht hat, weil man intuitiv spürt, dass man sie nicht machen sollte. Diese Intuition hat Johnson nicht gestört.

An award invented to be handed out immediately. A prize whose first and likely only category was already determined at the moment of its creation. This is not an honor. This is a gesture of submission with a pedestal. Johnson called it something that had never been done before. That is true. And there are things that have never been done because one instinctively senses they should not be done. That instinct did not trouble Johnson.

In all religions of this world, regardless of which one, there would likely be agreement on one thing - golden idols are well known in history. They never end well.

Rulings against Meta and YouTube - courts challenge the platforms’ business model

Within two days, two decisions are handed down in the United States that could have a tangible impact on tech companies. A jury in Los Angeles awards a young woman 6 million dollars because, according to her account, she was pushed into sustained use of Instagram and YouTube as a child and later suffered from anxiety and depression. Shortly before that, a court in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay 375 million dollars, also over endangerment of minors. The focus is not on the content of individual posts, but on the design of the platforms themselves. Endless scrolling, targeted engagement of young users, features designed to hold attention. That is what was put on trial.

The jury concludes that risks were known and that users were not sufficiently warned. The decision is reached by a 10 to 2 vote after days of deliberation. Meta rejects the allegations and announces an appeal. At the same time, thousands of additional lawsuits are pending, filed by affected individuals, parents, schools, and authorities. It is about money, but also about changes to the systems themselves. Observers see this as the beginning of a development in which courts, politics, and international regulations will interact more closely. Nothing is decided yet, but the direction is clear. The time in which platforms were barely subject to legal challenge has changed.

War drives oil prices - Moscow earns billions again

The war in the Middle East is directly affecting Russia’s revenues. Within a few weeks, daily income from oil exports has nearly doubled, from around 135 to about 270 million dollars. At the same time, shipment volumes have risen to their highest level since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Over the past four weeks, an average of 3.6 million barrels per day were exported, and in one week alone 37 tankers transported more than 28 million barrels. Particularly striking is the return of India as a major buyer with around 1.4 million barrels per day. The main driver of this development is rising global market prices, triggered by uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In some cases, the oil price is again exceeding the 100 dollar per barrel mark.

This is channeling billions into the Russian state budget and could temporarily prevent a deficit. At the same time, the economic situation remains strained. Additional revenues are not going into relief or growth, but primarily into stabilizing the budget and financing the war. Even from Moscow there are calls for companies to use their additional income to pay down debt. The key question remains how long price levels will stay elevated. Because only sustained high prices can close the budget gap, but not the structural problems of the Russian economy.

Illegal fishing - EU controls others, lets its own fleets operate

The European Union presents itself globally as an enforcer against illegal fishing, yet internally a different picture emerges. Documents from Brussels show that proceedings against member states are regularly halted, even when clear violations have been identified. The legal framework is clear. States are required to prosecute their own citizens, even when they fish under foreign flags. In practice, this rarely happens. Audit reports have shown for years that countries such as Spain, France, or Portugal do not properly monitor their own operators or fail to pursue violations. Catch volumes are not accurately recorded, activities abroad often go untracked, sanctions are not enforced. Instead of formal proceedings, the Commission relies on informal talks and closes them without consequences.

At the same time, Brussels takes a hard line against third countries, imposing sanctions and placing nations on blacklists. This imbalance creates a gap that is systematically exploited. Estimates suggest that European fleets are responsible for a significant share of illegal fishing in regions such as West Africa, causing damage in the billions. At the same time, only minimal penalties are imposed, if any. In some cases, fines are far below what other countries are required to pay. For operators, the risk becomes calculable. If there are hardly any consequences, there is little incentive to follow the rules. The result is a system that shows control outwardly, but reveals weaknesses internally. For consumers, this means that fish from problematic sources ends up on the plate without being identifiable. We have taken up this topic - the investigations are ongoing.

To be continued .....

In the end, what remains is what remains - the work continues

Investigative journalism is not a place where one rests. It is a state one remains in, even when it becomes uncomfortable. While others sleep, someone sits in front of a flickering screen, follows traces that no one wants to see, and keeps connections alive that can break at any moment. It is not a journey, it is endurance. Not a pause, but a quiet continuation. And yet many believe it simply happens, as if truth were something that writes itself.