France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks with Amir Amiri and Parisa Karimi, two Iranian musicians who now live in canada. They discuss the difficulties and hopes of being refugees and artists from a war-torn country.

Voters are going to the polls Sunday in the first round of municipal elections to choose leadership teams across France, from small villages to the biggest cities — a test for political parties' electoral machines before next year's presidential election for the successor to President Emmanuel Macron. Details by FRANCE 24 journalist Antonia Kerrigan.

Israel says it's carrying out fresh strikes on western Iran - as the war enters its third week. Israeli officials say the bombing campaign is wide-scale and targeting regime infrastructure. This comes as the IDF says it has detected missiles fired from Iran. Details by Hoda Abdel-Hamid, journalist in Doha.

President Donald Trump has threatened to get the Strait of Hormuz opened "one way or another" and has called on a number of countries including France, the United Kingdom and China to send ships to the area to overcome Iran's blockade on the vital trade artery. It comes as global oil supplies are skyrocketing and supply continues to be strangled with Iran blockading the strait and targeting the Gulf's energy infrastructure in retaliation to US strikes. Story by Shirli Sitbon and Eliza Herbert.

As the conflict in the Middle East continues to take a significant toll on the world's oil supply, Nigeria's foreign minister has invited the Gulf countries and oil producers to look at Nigeria as a partner in supplying the global market. Story by Clémence Waller and Gabrielle Nadler.

More than two weeks ago, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, Iran has retaliated against targets across the Gulf and effectively halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Global oil prices have surged as a result. Did the United States factor this risk into its plans to strike Iran? How long is the spike in oil prices likely to last? FRANCE 24’s Alison Sargent asked Michael Bradshaw, professor of global energy at Warwick Business School in England.

Yasmen Almashan’s life was shattered when five of her brothers disappeared during Syria’s war. Now a member of the Syrian National Commission for Transitional Justice, she is speaking at the UN to push for answers and national reconciliation. More than 130,000 Syrians went missing under the Assad regime. Story by Jessica Lemasurier.

What role does human intelligence gathering have to play in the war in Iran? In a conflict defined by sophisticated weaponry, secret agents operating on the ground across the Middle East are still crucial to Western efforts to combat Iranian forces.

President Donald Trump has threatened to get the Strait of Hormuz open "one way or another" and has called on a number of countries including France, the United Kingdom and China to send ships to the area to overcome Iran's blockade on the vital trade artery. It comes as global oil supplies are skyrocketing and supply continues to be strangled with Iran blockading the strait and targeting the Gulf's energy infrastructure in retaliation to US strikes. Details by Eliza Herbert.

After months of expensive campaigns, the Oscars finally arrive Sunday, with all eyes on the race between "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners" for best picture, Hollywood's most coveted prize.

Attacks on northern Israel have been “constant” and “relentless”, says FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky, reporting from Jerusalem. Iranian missiles combined with Hezbollah rocket attacks are making regular life in Israel “simply impossible”, she explains, noting that most residents of northern Israel have “simply fled”.

France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks with Azar Nafisi, Iranian-American writer, whose best-selling book "Reading Lolita in Tehran" remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over one hundred weeks. They discuss the role of literature and its subversive power in a time of war.

⁠The Israeli military warned ​on Saturday that it may strike ambulances and medical facilities which it said were being used unlawfully by Hezbollah in Lebanon, ​though it did not provide evidence for the claim. At least 26 medics and first responders have been killed in Israeli strikes since March 2 according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The Israeli military says it ​takes precautions to try to reduce any harm to civilians. More details with FRANCE 24 Senior Reporter in Beirut, Catherine...

An overnight Israeli strike killed a dozen medical staff at a clinic in south Lebanon, health authorities said earlier Saturday, after Iran-backed Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem said his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when the militant group attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. Details and analysis by Dr. Shawky Amine Eddine, humanitaian aff...

Some oil-loading operations have been suspended in the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah emirate, ​a major ‌bunkering hub and crude export terminal, after a drone attack and fire ⁠on Saturday, industry and trade sources said. The suspension comes hours after the US attacked military targets on Iran's Kharg Island oil export terminal ‌and Iran's Revolutionary Guards responded by saying that US interests in the UAE - including ports, ⁠docks and military locations - were legitimate targets. Details...

Cuba's government says it has been holding talks with the US - confirming ongoing speculation - as officials try to find a way forward amidst a severe energy crisis. President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to see the island nation's leadership change. Details by Catherine Viette.

The French officer killed by an Iranian-made drone on Thursday was part of a Western military contingent working to combat potential jihadists in Iraqi Kurdistan. The killing of Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion marks France's first military death in the Middle East war.

Two weeks after the US and Israel attacked Iran, prompting Tehran to block the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged France, Britain, China, Japan and South Korea to help secure the shipping lane through which 20% of global oil and gas travels. Iranian strikes hit the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility, sending further shockwaves to the industry.

Four people were killed and at least 15 injured by a combined Russian missile and drone attack in the Kyiv region overnight into Saturday, a local official said. Russia continues to launch almost daily attacks on Ukraine as US-brokered peace talks between the two nations have stalled amid the war in the Middle East.

Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire was in the lead ahead of former culture minister Rachida Dati after the first round of voting for Paris mayor, pollsters indicated Sunday as a coalition of left-wing parties bids to extend its 25 years at the French capital's helm.

French voters cast ballots in municipal elections marred by low turnout on Sunday, in the last major test of the public mood ahead of next year’s all-important presidential election. The run-up to the vote was largely overshadowed by the Iran war and its fallout, notably the impact on fuel prices.

The head of the Federal Communications Commission, which oversees US media outlets, has warned that some broadcasters risk losing their licenses over their news coverage of the Iran war. Brendan Carr – a Trump appointee – wrote in a social media post that broadcasters must operate in the public interest and those that are running hoaxes and fake news have the chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. Free speech groups blasted Carr's warning, calling it outrageous. A...

In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced by war, just over a year since the last conflict uprooted over a million Lebanese from their homes. Israeli strikes have killed 826 people, including 106 children and 65 women, since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2, according to the Health Ministry. Details by Kevin Charbel, head of Première Urgence Internationale mission in Lebanon.

From deadly strikes in Iran and Lebanon, to trouble in the Strait of Hormuz and a statue of US President Donald Trump with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a pose from the movie "Titanic", FRANCE 24 takes a look at some of the week's most striking images.

In the third week of war, who is leading the country? And to what extent have those still in place been destabilised and weakened by the US and Israeli strikes on the country? A veil of mystery surrounds a man who remains out of sight: Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Another figure, Ali Larijani, meanwhile appeared centre stage at a pro-government demonstration.

Ukraine is recovering from a wave of Russian strikes that killed six people and wounded dozens across multiple regions on Saturday. Authorities say residential buildings, educational institutions, businesses and critical infrastructure were hit – particularly in Kyiv where about 30 sites were damaged. President Volodymyr Zelensky is concerned that Russia is benefiting from the war in Iran, which has shifted global attention. Story by Eliza Herbert.

Missiles intercepted in Qatar; two drones causing damage at an airbase near a major US military site in Kuwait; an oil facility hit and ports threatened in the UAE... Gulf countries continue to pay the price of war every day, more than two weeks after the start of Operation Epic Fury launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. Story by Morgan Ayre and Loïc Chalavon.

Overnight strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least four people, Lebanese state media and the government said on Sunday. Israel is fighting a second front in the war in the Middle East in southern Lebanon, against Hezbollah, alongside the air campaign against Iran it launched with the United States more than two weeks ago. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israel struck "an apartment in a residential building" in a northern district of the coastal city of Sidon, killing on...

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said they would “pursue and kill” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu “with full force”. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he was not willing to agree a deal with Iran to end the war "because the terms aren't good enough yet". Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Thomas Ramos kicked a penalty after the final hooter to win the Six Nations for France with a mind-blowing 48-46 victory over a rejuvenated England on Saturday.

A UN peacekeeping base near the village of Mais al-Jabal in southern Lebanon came under fire, sparking a blaze that wounded one peacekeeper. UNIFIL is investigating the incident, said spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel, noting that "the situation here in South Lebanon is precarious and volatile, not just for peacekeepers, but also for the civilians who live here and who have had to leave this area as well".

The US embassy in Baghdad was hit by an attack on Saturday following strikes that killed three members of a powerful Iran-backed group in the capital, security sources said. A cloud of black smoke rose above the US diplomatic mission shortly after the sound of explosions on Saturday morning. Two security officials told AFP the embassy complex was struck by a drone.

President Donald Trump said US forces “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island. The piece of land is the beating heart of Iran’s oil export system, strategically located in the Persian Gulf. For decades, it has been essential in connecting Iran’s vast oil reserves with the global market. Donald Trump threatened to attack its oil infrastructure if Teheran continues attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Explosions rocked cities across the Middle East on Saturday as the US embassy in Baghdad was hit by a drone strike and Tehran warned Emiratis to stay away from ports as it targets the world's energy supply lines. Details by Caroline Baum.

US authorities have deported an Ethiopian national after immigration investigators determined that his online activity supported the FANO, an armed militia fighting against Ethiopia’s government forces. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, said Solomon Bogale posted messages calling for violence against Tigrayans and advocating ethnic persecution. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Addis Ababa, Tom Canetti.

This Saturday marks two weeks since the US and Israel launched their first attacks on Iran. Where are we at in this conflict, what has it taught us, and where does it go from here? Scott Lucas, a Professor of US and International Politics at University College Dublin's Clinton Institute helps us tackle some of those questions.

President Donald Trump said the US destroyed military sites on an island vital to Iran’s oil network and warned that its oil infrastructure could be next if Iran continues to interfere with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Fars news agency, citing sources on Kharg Island, said there had been no damage to oil facilities and that only military targets had been destroyed by the US strikes. Story by Peter O'Brien and Lou Kisiela.

As Israel has ramped up attacks on south Lebanon it has called for residents to evacuate – but some in the Hezbollah stronghold of Tyre are refusing to leave their homes and businesses despite the danger.

Iran on Saturday threatened to launch attacks on US oil infrastructure after President Donald Trump claimed that the US had "obliterated" military targets on Iran's Kharg Island and warned that oil infrastructure there could be targeted next. The small island off Iran's south coast is the main transit point for the country's oil exports. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks with Guy Laron, Senior lecturer in international relations, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, about the economic consequences of the ongoing war in Iran, from rising oil prices to how the strategic Strait of Hormuz can be used as an economic weapon.

Sandstorms swept through tent camps in southern and central Gaza, tearing down shelters and burying belongings under sand as thousands of displaced Palestinians struggled to hold onto their makeshift homes. Families in areas like Khan Younis and Gaza City say powerful winds repeatedly collapsed tents, worsening already dire living conditions after months of conflict. Meanwhile, violence has continued despite a ceasefire, with casualties reported in recent weeks.

Israel's military said it began a broad wave of strikes on western Iran on Sunday. As the war progresses into the third week, further retaliatory strikes from Iran are likely to occur. So far, Iran has launched strikes across nine countries in the Gulf region. Most of these attacks have been intercepted but at least 19 people have been killed. The US and Israel started this war but it seems the Gulf states are bearing the brunt of Iran's retaliation. Could this affect the United States' strat...

North Korea launched multiple rockets toward a target 360 km away while Kim Jong Un observed with his daughter. The test coincides with joint US–South Korea military exercises and rising concerns about regional security. Story by Camille Corcoran.

Cubans took to the streets in the city of Moron on Saturday to protest worsening economic conditions since the US oil blockade. The island, known for harsh government repression, rarely sees protests. Authorities said five people were arrested in what it called vandalism acts. The NGO Justicia11, which monitors Cuban demonstrations, said gunfire was heard in the area and one person may have been shot. Story by Gabrielle Nadler.

A cloud of orange-tinted, thick dust spread across the Gaza Strip on Saturday as first responders told Palestinians to stay home, especially those with respiratory illness. People were also urged to secure their tents to prevent them from being blown away. Israel’s war with Hamas has left most of Gaza’s 2 million residents displaced, living in tents and damaged buildings with little protection from the elements such as rain, wind and sand. Story by Catherine Viette.

Voters are going to the polls Sunday in the first round of municipal elections to choose leadership teams across France, from small villages to the biggest cities — a test for political parties' electoral machines before next year's presidential election for the successor to President Emmanuel Macron. Details by FRANCE 24 journalist Antonia Kerrigan.

In a breathtaking showdown, France held on to their Six Nations crown after edging England 48–46 on Saturday at the Stade de France. Thomas Ramos drilled the winning penalty at the buzzer, while Louis Bielle-Biarrey etched his name into the record books, sealing a dramatic victory that gives Les Bleus back-to-back titles.

France holds municipal elections on Sunday – including for the mayor of Paris – less than a year before the 2027 presidential vote, with some candidates looking to use the polls as a springboard for higher office. The votes will be held in two rounds on consecutive Sundays, with the second set for March 22. Here's what to know.

North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported on Sunday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of around 10 ballistic missiles.

France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks with Mahsa Alimardani, associate director at WITNESS, about the challenges the militaries, but also the societies as wholes, face in a time of AI-generated content and misinformation spreading through social media.

An overnight Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a dozen health workers at a clinic, with health authorities saying 26 paramedics have been killed since March 2. Israel and Lebanon ​are expected to hold direct talks in the coming days, their first since the start of ​the ‌Iran war that has ⁠drawn Lebanon deeper into conflict, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on ‌Saturday. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Jerusalem, Noga Tarnopolsky.

The islands off Iran have become the latest focus of the war after a U.S strike destroyed military sites Friday on Kharg Island, which is vital to Iran's oil network. The US strike on the island in the Persian Gulf left its oil infrastructure intact, but President Donald Trump warned that if Iran or anyone else interferes with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he will reconsider his decision not to wipe it out. Although they account for only a small share of Iran’s territory,...

Lebanon's health ministry said Saturday that Israeli strikes had killed 26 paramedics and wounded 51 others since conflict erupted between Israel and Hezbollah. The ministry statement also accused Israel of repeatedly "targeting ambulance crews while they were performing rescue duties", after the Israeli military on Saturday accused Hezbollah of using ambulances militarily. Details and analysis by Iva Kovic-Chahine, head of L'Orient Today in Beirut.

Turkey's defence ministry says a ballistic missile fired from Iran and heading into Turkish airspace after passing Syria and Iraq was destroyed by NATO air and missile defence systems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It's the third such incident since the war began. Turkey's president Erdogan says his priority is to keep his country out of the war in the Middle East. Details by Morgan Ayre.

The US is sending an amphibious assault ship, the USS Tripoli, and its Marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East according to a report by Axios quoting a senior US official. This includes personnel, F-35 fighter jets and warships. The decision comes as both President Trump and his defense secretary Pete Hegseth say the war is going very well for the United States. Story by Morgan Ayre.

Scientists warn that proposed shark nets for protecting swimmers near a new €100 million Club Med resort in South Africa could threaten a host of endangered species, calling for a full environmental impact assessment to prevent endangered marine life from becoming casualties of the luxury resort project, on track to open in July.

Since the 2017 embargo, one of Qatar’s greatest nightmares has been that a war or geopolitical crisis would isolate Doha from the rest of the world. In late February, renewed tensions following the Israeli-American offensive against Iran brought these concerns to the fore once again. Over the past nine years, Qatar has built up strategic reserves, but has mostly invested heavily in boosting local food production. This has been a major challenge, given the country’s harsh climate. Yet today, t...

First, an Ethiopian national is deported from the US after American Immigration Services says he's linked to the Ethiopian paramilitary movement Fano. Also, the Republic of Congo is about to head to the polls. President Denis Sassou Nguesso promised new infrastructure upgrades but many are still struggling to get access to running water. Finally, a sacred talking drum returns to Ivory Coast, more than a century after being looted by the French during the colonial era.