AI and jobs
Downplays AI concerns: "No need to reduce recruitment"
Several law students at Uppsala University express to Dagens Industri a concern that AI tools will make their future careers more difficult. However, the law firm Mannheimer Swartling provides reassuring news in a comment to the newspaper. Partner Henrik Dock believes that the efficiency-enhancing tools that Legora has contributed to rather increase the workload.
- We see no need to reduce the recruitment rate. AI creates new business opportunities and allows us to continue to take on the most complex cases
Middle East crisis Crypto market
Bitcoin retreats after the Iran attack: "Plays the role of a safety valve as usual"
This morning's American-Israeli attack on Iran has caused investors to downgrade their risk appetite, notes Bloomberg.
This is evident, among other things, in bitcoin, whose price plunged as much as 4 percent to around $63,000 during the morning, before stabilizing around $64,000.
– As usual when important events occur during the weekends, bitcoin has to play the role of a safety valve, Arctic Digital's head of analysis Justin d'Anethan told the news agency.
The second largest cryptocurrency, ether, simultaneously lost up to 4.5 percent to $1,836.
In total, $128 billion of the crypto market's value is estimated to have gone up in smoke during the morning.
At the same time, gold prices are expected to climb when trading reopens, as investors around the world seek protection in safe havens, Wealth Club's chief strategist Susannah Streeter told Bloomberg.
The new space race
Sources: Space X may file for an IPO in March
Space X may file a confidential application for an IPO with the SEC as early as March, according to information provided to Bloomberg. The listing itself could be completed in June.
The space company is said to be aiming for a valuation of $1.75 trillion – which would have made the company one of the ten most highly valued in the world. At the same time, it is said to be aiming to raise up to $50 billion, which would have made the listing the largest ever.
lördag 28 februari 2026
Economy
Middle East Crisis Oil Market
Expert: Then discontent and hyperinflation are a risk
It is difficult to assess the economic consequences of this weekend's attack on Iran, according to several analysts that the Financial Times spoke to. In the short term, the market can compensate for the loss of Iranian oil production. The big question is where the conflict will go and whether Iran will respond with attacks on oil facilities in the Middle East.
– They reason that “if we can’t have an energy system, you can’t have one either,” says Richard Nephew of Columbia University’s Center for Global Energy Policy.
Dan Marks, who works at the British think tank Royal United Services Institute, believes that Iran has several options available to it. One of them is to close the Strait of Hormuz. He believes that the world economy can withstand a crisis that lasts for a couple of weeks without any problems.
– But if there were to be more military activity, dissatisfaction would grow among neighboring countries, currencies would skyrocket and hyperinflation would be a risk, Marks tells the FT.
Iran reportedly closing Hormuz: “No ships are allowed to pass”
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for oil trade, according to Reuters. The Revolutionary Guard has announced over the VHF marine communication system that “no ships are allowed to pass,” according to an anonymous EU source from Operation Aspides.
Such a move could, according to Bloomberg calculations, have enormous consequences for the price of oil on the world market. The news agency’s economists believe that a closure could push the price of crude oil above $100 per barrel – from the current level of around $70.
There has been no official confirmation from Iran that traffic through the strait is closed.
Data shows: Traffic jam outside the Strait of Hormuz – oil tankers have stopped
A large number of oil and fossil gas tankers appear to have stopped on their way into the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday afternoon, hours after the US and Israel launched their offensive against Iran.
Data from the website Marine Traffic shows that ships have stopped just outside the strait, on their way into the Persian Gulf.
Bloomberg interprets the data as shipping lines pulling the brakes and looking for other shipping routes. The news agency spoke to five shipowners who all said they were frantically considering other options.
An unnamed manager at a commodities trading desk told Reuters that their ships would be “grounded for several days.”
The Strait of Hormuz is often described as the lifeblood of global oil and gas transport, as the narrow strait is the main route from the Middle East to the rest of the world. A quarter of the world’s seaborne oil is estimated to pass through the strait each year.
Expert: Iran strongest opponent since the 1950s
Iran
is the strongest opponent the US has faced since the 1950s. This is
what international law expert Cecilie Hellestveit, working at the
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, tells the Norwegian
newspaper DN after Saturday's attacks on Iran by the US and Israel.
-
This is the biggest war that the Americans have started in several
generations. Iran is the strongest military opponent that the Americans
have gone to war against since North Korea in the 1950s, she says.
Several explosions in the Middle East
Updated 15.21 | Published 13.17
Israel and the US have attacked Iran.
At the same time, reports are coming in about explosions around the Middle East.
"All US bases, resources and interests in the region are legitimate targets for retaliatory attacks," the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced, according to Sky News.
Iran was attacked by the US and Israel on Saturday morning.
According to the official state news agency Fars, four US bases were attacked simultaneously by Iran with multiple missile attacks.
These were Al Udeid air base in Qatar, Al Salem base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates and the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain.
Rockets have also been shot down in Jordan.
There have also been reports of explosions heard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reports, citing AFP.
An explosion in the water outside Haifa in Israel this morning.
"Many countries attacked"
Middle East expert Anders Persson explains that the attack on Iran has had a major regional impact.
- Many of the neighboring countries have been attacked. Either by Iran in their retaliatory attacks or by the US and Israel, says Anders Persson.
At the same time, all countries have closed their airspace.
One person is reported to have been killed in the attack on the United Arab Emirates, according to Al Jazeera.
And that “they reserve their full right to react to the escalation”.
Even before the attacks, the US embassy in Qatar, Israel and the United Arab Emirates had gone on high alert and urged their employees to seek protection.
According to Sky News, the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has also said that they consider “all US bases, resources and interests in the region as legitimate targets” for retaliatory attacks.
They say that they will attack the US and Israel – more powerfully than during the 12-day war.
“Can use criminal networks”
Anders Persson says that the conflict may also affect Sweden and Europe.
– It may have an indirect impact in the form of increased oil prices and financial unrest and instability in financial markets and disruptions in shipping. That type of indirect impact. Then we can also see direct impacts on Sweden if Iran chooses to use terrorist attacks through its proxy actors or criminal networks around Europe of the kind we saw in Sweden against Israeli and Jewish targets earlier during the war in Gaza.
Mellanösternkrisen Irans svar
Iran: Flera hundra amerikaner dödade i svarsattacker
Flera hundra amerikanska soldater har dödats i iranska svarsattacker, det hävdar en talesperson för Irans revolutionsgarde enligt Reuters.
Siffrorna har inte bekräftats av USA.
14 amerikanska militärbaser i Irans grannländer ska ha attackerats. Enligt talespersonen kommer attackerna att fortsätta, och i framtiden bli ”mer slående och omfattande”.
– Den här operationen kommer att fortsätta obevekligt tills fienden är besegrad, säger talespersonen enligt Al Jazeera.
Irans UD: Ayatolla Ali Khamenei är vid god hälsa
Irans högste ledare ayatolla Ali Khamenei lever. Det säger en talesperson för landets utrikesdepartement efter att uppgifter förekommit om att regimledaren dödats i USA:s och Israels attacker. Talespersonen tillägger även att landets president Masoud Pezeshkian lever.
– De är båda trygga och vid god hälsa.
Uppgifterna om Khameneis död kommer från en israelisk uppgift. Khamenei har inte gjort något uttalande och har inte setts sedan attacken. Enligt Reuters väntades han framträda i statlig tv ”inom några minuter” vid 16-tiden, men det har ännu inte hänt.
Mellanösternkrisen Iranattacken
Netanyahu: Planerar tusentals attacker mot Iran
Den
militära kampanjen mot Iran kommer att fortsätta ”så länge som krävs”.
Det säger Israels premiärminister Benjamin Netanyahu i ett tal efter
dagens attacker.
– De kommande dagarna kommer vi att attackera tusentals mål från terrorregimen.
Enligt den israeliska premiärministern är syftet med attackerna att få till ett regimskifte i Iran.
Källor: Ayatolla Khamenei är död – kroppen hittad
Ayatolla Khamenei är död och kroppen har lokaliserats, uppger israeliska källor för Reuters.
Tidigare
på kvällen sa Israels premiärminister Benjamin Netanyahu att det finns
”allt fler tecken” på att Khamenei dödats i de israeliska och
amerikanska attackerna under dagen.
Enligt israeliska medier ska Donald Trump och Benjamin Netanyahu ha fått se en bild på den döde iranske ledaren.
Enligt Jerusalem Post ska Khameneis kropp ha hittats i rasmassorna efter en förstörd byggnad i Teheran.
Trump's USA Reactions to the attacks
Conservative profiles angry after the attack: "Sick fucking liars"
Several conservative profiles are strongly attacking Donald Trump's decision to attack Iran, which they believe is a betrayal of a campaign promise not to start any new wars. This is reported by Rolling Stone.
Journalist and activist Tucker Carlson, who visited the White House as recently as last week, calls the attack "completely disgusting and evil".
Marjorie Taylor Greene, formerly a loyal Trump supporter in the House of Representatives, now an activist and debater, calls the administration "sick fucking liars".
“We voted for America First and zero wars,” she writes on X.
Further out on the conservative fringes, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and the male influencer Andrew Tate accused of rape and trafficking are also raging.
Broad Republican support for Trump's attack on Iran
Most Republicans in Congress – with a few exceptions – have rallied behind Donald Trump's attack on Iran, writes the New York Times.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson tells the newspaper that Trump has “exhausted his peaceful and diplomatic options” and that Iran threatens not only the United States, but the entire Western world.
Democrats, on the other hand, have largely agreed to condemn the attack. One exception is Senator John Fetterman, who often finds himself at odds with his party colleagues because of his relatively benign attitude towards the president and his very strong support for the state of Israel.
"President Trump has been willing to do what is right and proper to bring about real peace in the region," he writes.
Iran expert: The regime will not be overthrown with bombs
To overthrow Iran's Islamist regime requires more than killing the top leadership. Iran expert Rouzbeh Parsi tells TT.
According to him, the country's system of government is designed to survive external attacks. Leaders who are killed can be replaced, even Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is replaceable.
- With bombs you can kill a minister and his ten closest men, but you cannot take over the ministry. That requires someone to go in with a gun in hand, says Parsi.
Trump has called on the Iranian people to overthrow the regime in connection with the American-Israeli attacks. Parsi says that "an incredible number of people" want to overthrow the regime, but that the question is how organized they can be and how tough the resistance will be.
- Trump himself probably thinks that now the Iranian people have the chance and if they miss it, it's their problem, he adds.
Middle East crisis • Iran attack
Sources: US plans more attacks - wanted to surprise the regime with a morning attack
The US is planning a series of escalating attacks against Iran over a period of time. This is stated by a high-ranking American source to CNN anchor and security commentator Jim Sciutto.
Each wave of attacks will last between two to three days and between them the US will regroup and assess the damage.
He, like the Wall Street Journal, also has information about why the attack took place during the day. Attacks like these often occur in the dark of night, but the US and Israel chose to strike during the morning hours when they had intelligence that several Iranian leaders would gather at that time. The timing of the attack was also part of the element of surprise.
According to unconfirmed assessments that Israeli media have taken note of, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attacks. According to CNN, Iran was attacked in the morning hours precisely because Khamenei felt more secure during the day.
According to the channel's sources, it is hopeful that the Iranian leader is dead, but no deaths of officials have yet been confirmed. Iran denies that Khamenei was killed.
The Iran attack — that's the point
- Israel and the US carried out a major missile attack on Iran shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, with powerful explosions in Tehran and several other Iranian cities.
- Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel. Attacks have also been carried out against US military bases in several countries in the Middle East, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.I
- Several high-ranking commanders in Iran's Revolutionary Guard were killed, according to Iranian sources. Large parts of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's palace in Tehran were leveled.
- Donald Trump says the bombings will continue. He urges Iranians to seek shelter, but also to exploit the situation to overthrow the regime.
- A long list of airlines have canceled flights to the region and the Swedish Foreign Ministry has expanded its travel advice to Israel.
- Experts warn that the attacks could be the starting point of a larger war in the Middle East.
Will be a bloody fight – and could be the beginning of the end
Johan Mathias Sommarström
This is a commentary text. This is a commentary text. Analysis and positions are the writer's.
A new war has begun.
In a region where peace never has a chance.
A massive military operation. Rockets against several cities. Ayatolla Ali Khamenei has been taken out of Teheran, to be protected at all costs. High-ranking military personnel are attacked, key individuals are knocked out. It's war – again.
In the largest military escalation since 2003, the US, together with Israel, wants to destroy Iran's missile program and fleet. They want to make sure that Iran never succeeds in developing nuclear weapons. But they also want to overthrow the regime.
US President Donald Trump urging the Iranians to seize power, to seize the opportunity to overthrow their tormentors. But it will not be easy.
Once again, news from Iran will be difficult to verify, once again the internet and communications have been shut down.
During the large demonstrations against the regime at the beginning of the year, thousands of protesters were killed by the regime's militias and police. The US even threatened to bomb them.
Now the mullahs could face a two-front war, one against Israel/the US and one against critics at home. But even if the regime is pressured, they are still the ones with the weapons in Iran, they are the ones who have the monopoly on violence. They will do everything to fight back, both against Israel and the US and against democracy seekers at home.
Overthrowing the regime will not be done in a flash, despite foreign bombs. But it is also a situation that has not existed before, a door that has been opened ajar.
It is difficult to know how strong the Iranian military really is. During the Twelve Day War last summer, Israel was able to knock out Iranian air defenses without much difficulty and then own the airspace over the country. But despite the setbacks, the regime did not let itself be moved.
Bombing a regime is not easy, the successful examples are few while the deterrent ones are all the more numerous. A lot can go wrong and, as always, civilians will have to pay a high price.
The war against Iran could also spread to the region.
With explosions now heard all over the Middle East, the coming days or even hours will be impossible to predict. So much can go wrong.
It is a region where peace is never given a chance. Where war and bombs have become the solution and the answer.
This time, Iran stands alone.
Its allies are weakened, the Assad regime in Syria is no more, Iraqi Shia militias lack muscle and Hizbollah is only a shadow of what it once was.
So be sure that the attacks are shaking the Iranian regime. Maybe now the cracks in the hardline rule are starting to grow. Maybe this is the beginning of the end. But just maybe.
Because while the Iranians are trying to protect themselves from the explosions of missiles, air raid sirens are also sounding in Israel and at American bases in the Gulf.
Iran is being pressured, they have been pushed up against the wall with their throats exposed, but they will not give up without a fight. And it will be bloody.
Trump's USA Pentagon's AI efforts
Anthropic vows to fight back against US "scare tactics"
Anthropic will sue the US government after the blacklisting. The AI company announced this after the Defense Department banned the military from using its models.
"Neither scare tactics nor punishment from the Department of War will change our position on widespread domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. We will challenge any classification as a supply chain risk in court," the company said in a statement, according to AFP.
Earlier in the night Swedish time, US President Donald Trump ordered the country's federal authorities to stop using AI company Anthropic's products and blacklisted the company as a national security risk.
The US blacklists AI company Anthropic for refusing to use weapons – signs agreement with Open AI
US President Donald Trump is ordering the country's federal authorities to stop using AI company Anthropic's products and blacklisting the company as a national security risk. This after Anthropic refused to agree to give the US military free rein to the company's AI technology and instead set limits on mass surveillance and autonomous weapons systems, writes Axios.
"We don't need it, we don't want it and will not do business with them", writes Trump on Truth Social tonight.
Just hours later, Open AI CEO Sam Altman announces that his company has signed an agreement with the US Department of Defense. In a post on X, Altman claims that the department has shown a "deep respect" for the safe use of AI.
"We remain committed to serving all of humanity as best we can. The world is a complex, messy and sometimes dangerous place", writes Altman.
Anthropic vs Trump — the real issue
- The US Department of Defense and AI company Anthropic have clashed over military uses for the AI model Claude.
- The Pentagon demanded that Anthropic’s technology be used for all lawful military purposes, which the AI company fears also includes mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.
- Anthropic has wanted to limit its use. The company refused to ease its restrictions and rejected the Pentagon’s final offer after several meetings.
- President Donald Trump ordered Anthropic to be blacklisted as a national security risk and banned federal agencies from using the company’s products.
- Open AI soon signed a deal with the Pentagon to provide AI services to the US military.
Middle East crisis Iran's response
Explosions in several countries in the Middle East – attacks on US military bases
Loud explosions were heard in several countries in the Middle East on Saturday morning – including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. According to several media outlets, these are Iranian attacks on US military bases.
Bahrain is reporting repeated explosions during the morning. According to state media, a US naval base was one of the targets.
There are also reports from Dubai that explosions were heard during the morning.
Iran responds with rocket attacks on Israel – people take refuge in shelters
Iran is firing rockets at Israel. The counterattacks, which have been confirmed by both countries, are taking place in waves on several occasions on Saturday morning.
Explosions have been heard in Jerusalem, among other places, according to AFP. Residents in certain areas of Israel are being urged to take shelter.
"Aircraft alarms sounded in several locations around the country," the Israeli military IDF wrote on X.
Early this morning, the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran. Shortly afterwards, an Iranian official told Reuters that Iran's counterattack would be "crushing."
- Iran may not be a military superpower like the US, but if there's one thing they have a lot of, it's ballistic missiles, military analyst Sean Bell told Sky News
Middle East Crisis Reactions to the Attacks
von der Leyen urges “maximum restraint”
The EU is urging “maximum restraint” after the US and Israeli attack on Iran, and the subsequent counter-attacks, reports AFP.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen describes the turn of events as “deeply concerning”. In a joint statement with European Council President António Costa, she calls on all parties to protect civilians and respect international law.
French President Emmanuel Macron wants the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting and warns that a war would have serious consequences for international security.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide believes that the attack violates international law. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares condemns the actions of Israel and the US, as well as Iran.
"Violence only causes chaos. De-escalation and dialogue are the path to peace and stability," he writes in a post on X.
Analysis: Trump's words about overthrowing the regime change everything – the response will be powerful
Donald
Trump's message to the Iranian people about taking advantage of the
situation to overthrow the regime greatly increases the risk of strong
retaliation from Iran. Jared Malsin writes in an analysis in the Wall
Street Journal.
Now the regime probably sees it as "fighting for its survival," he continues.
"Trump's
broad goals are expected to worry US allies in the region, including
the Gulf states and Turkey, who are concerned about a broader regional
war that could bring instability right to their own borders."
The
only question is who will overthrow the regime. The administration has
not explained how it will be done, writes Dan de Luce in NBC.
"Although the regime is deeply unpopular, there is no organized and coherent political opposition on the ground."
Trump's
message proves that this is much bigger than an attempt to bring Iran
to the negotiating table, writes Keir Simmons, who also works at NBC. In
his speech, the president said that it is a historic moment. There are
many former American presidents who can testify to how crucial such a
decision can be for his future and legacy, writes Simmons.
In the
BBC, Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson, who is in Tel Aviv,
writes that Israelis are waking up on Saturday to a new war with Iran -
the second in less than a year. Israel sees a great opportunity to
strike against a weakened enemy, she writes. But:
"Iran's
weakness could be a reason for the country to react more forcefully than
before. Israelis across the country are waiting."
Several airlines cancel flights to the Middle East
Several airlines have taken action after this morning's American-Israeli attack on Iran, Reuters reports.
One of them is Norwegian, which announced that it was canceling all flights to and from Dubai.
A spokesperson for the airline told the news agency that it could not yet say how long the suspension would last.
German Lufthansa has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman, NRK reports.
British Virgin Atlantic has, for its part, rerouted its traffic to avoid airspace over Iraq. Flights between London and Dubai are also being canceled.
The Iran attack — it's relevant
- Israel and the United States carried out a large-scale missile attack on Iran shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, with powerful explosions in Tehran and several other Iranian cities.
- Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israel. Attacks have also been carried out against US military bases in several countries in the Middle East, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
- Several high-ranking commanders in Iran's Revolutionary Guard were killed, according to Iranian sources. Large parts of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's palace in Tehran were razed to the ground.
- Donald Trump says the bombings will continue. He urges Iranians to seek shelter, but also to exploit the situation to overthrow the regime.
- A long list of airlines have canceled trips to the region and the Swedish Foreign Ministry has expanded its travel advice to Israel.
- Experter varnar för att attackerna kan vara startskottet på ett större krig i Mellanöstern.
Middle East crisis Iran attack
Israel and US attack Iran with several missiles – smoke clouds visible over Tehran
Israel has attacked Iran. This is stated by the country's Defense Minister Israel Katz, writes Reuters. The minister describes it as a "preventive attack" to protect the Israeli people. The United States is also participating in the attack, the Americans confirm later on Saturday morning.
From the Israeli side, the operation is called "Roaring Lion", while the Americans call the operation "Epic Fury".
Witnesses tell the AP that they have heard explosions in the capital Tehran. Smoke is also visible in the city. According to state-owned media, several missiles have hit. Telephony and internet have been knocked out to some extent.
The attacks are said to have taken place near the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A spokesman for Khamenei tells Reuters that he has been taken to safety. The attacks are said to have targeted several different ministries.
Iran has closed its airspace.
Panic and chaos reign in Tehran, writes the New York Times. Saturday is the first day of the week in Iran and millions of people are at work and at school.
At the same time, the air raid sirens are sounding in Israel with a warning that there is a risk of missile attacks from Iran in the near future. A state of emergency has been declared in Israel. The airspace has been closed and all flights have been canceled, writes the Times of Israel.
Panic in Tehran: “The girls hid under the stairs”
Residents in Tehran describe panic and chaos on the streets in connection with the US and Israeli missile attack. Saturday is the first day of the week in Iran, and millions of people are at work and at school, reports the New York Times.
Ali Zeinalipoor, who lives in Tehran, immediately ran to school to pick up his daughter.
“The girls were hiding under the stairs and crying,” he wrote in a text message to the NYT.
From her rooftop in northern Tehran, Golshan Fathi saw several fighter jets.
“People were standing on the roof and pointing down. You can hear women screaming. Some of my neighbors are running to their cars. It feels like we’re in a movie,” she wrote.
The US and Israeli attack comes after widespread protests against the Iranian regime earlier this year that were met with deadly violence by the regime. Arian, who lives west of the capital, says some of his relatives are celebrating the attacks on Iran.
Earlier this morning, Donald Trump urged Iranians to revolt against the government when the bombing stops.
“The only thing we’re thinking about is getting to safety. No one’s thinking about demonstrating right now,” says lawyer and mother of two Laleh.
Sources: Several high-ranking commanders in Iran's Revolutionary Guard were killed
Several high-ranking politicians and commanders in Iran's Revolutionary Guard were killed in this morning's Israeli and American attacks, an Iranian source close to the regime told Reuters, who could not independently confirm the claim.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials say that both Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were targeted in the attacks. Iran, however, says both have been taken to safety.
According to Iran's semi-state news agency Isna, thousands of members of the Revolutionary Guard have been killed or wounded, but this information is unconfirmed.
Israel has attacked Iran
Israel has attacked Iran, according to Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz.
At the same time, an explosion has occurred near the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.
According to the New York Times, the United States is also participating in the attack.
Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday morning. The country's Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a state of emergency in Israel and air raid sirens have sounded over parts of the country.
According to the Israeli military, the air defense sirens were a preventive measure to prepare the population for possible Iranian missile attacks, reports Reuters.
The New York Times states that the United States is involved in the attack.
Explosion near the Supreme Leader's office
The Iranian news agency Fars reports that several missiles have hit areas around Republic Street in Tehran. Smoke has been seen rising over the city, according to a correspondent on site for Al Jazeera.
The BBC reports at least three explosions.
According to the AP, one of the explosions occurred near the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, according to Reuters, the 86-year-old Khamenei was not in the capital. He has not been seen in public for several days as tensions with the United States have increased, writes the AP.
The attack comes at a time when the United States has gathered fighter jets and warships in the region to pressure Iran into an agreement on its nuclear energy program.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that the attack was carried out to "prevent a preemptive strike on Iran to eliminate threats".
fredag 27 februari 2026
Latest news
Greenland crisis US threat
Trump's hospital ship heads south – not to Greenland
The US hospital ship that President Donald Trump wanted to send to Greenland has left port in Alabama – and headed south to the Caribbean. This is reported by DN.
The ship is on its way to a six-month service, Johan Granholm, a teacher at the Swedish National Defense University, told the newspaper.
Even if it were to make it to Greenland, the island's ports are too shallow for the world's largest hospital ship, which would also need more icebreaker resources than are available, according to the maritime website Gcaptain.
"Anchoring a 270-meter non-ice-rated ship in icy waters with strong winds would involve major operational risks," writes Gcaptain, pointing out that the US Navy has never done anything like this.
Donald Trump has not mentioned the ship since Greenland turned it down on Sunday.
Terrorist threats in Europe
Boy suspected of planning to blow up Norwegian NATO base
A 17-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of a terrorist offense in Norway on Thursday had plans to blow up a NATO base outside Stavanger. This is what the Norwegian security police PST told the country's media.
According to information to NRK, the PST suspects that the boy has been radicalized and sympathizes with IS. He is said to have brought the terrorist sect's flag to his school, among other things.
The boy has been detained but denies the charges.
- It is tough to be prosecuted for such things, his defense lawyer Knut Lerum tells VG.
Security in Europe
Poland strengthens defense with multi-billion dollar loan from the EU
Poland is upgrading its defense with the help of an EU loan of 44 billion euros, over 450 billion kronor. The parliament will decide on this on Friday, according to AFP. The money is earmarked for air defense, police and border guarding, among other things.
President Karol Nawrocki now has three weeks to approve or veto the decision. He has previously criticized the plan, which has become the main point of conflict between the ruling center-left coalition and the right-wing conservative opposition to which Nawrocki belongs, according to Polish Gazeta Wyborcza.
EU money influences the direction of the Polish military, and the opposition had submitted several amendments that were rejected by parliament.
Tram crash in Milan – two dead and 39 injured
A tram has derailed and crashed into a building in Milan, reports AFP. Two people have died and 39 have been injured, several of them seriously, Italian media write.
The tram is of a new model that was put into service a few weeks ago. The driver was experienced and had been on duty for an hour.
“One possibility is a case of illness,” Mayor Beppe Sala told Corriere della Sera.
Another possibility is a switch failure. An investigation has been opened into involuntary manslaughter, according to La Stampa.
Middle East crisis Tensions Iran-US
Several countries urge people to leave Israel and Iran
Several countries are stepping up their warnings and urging their citizens to leave Israel and Iran, several media outlets report. The background is the US threat to attack Iran if the nuclear energy negotiations fail – and Iran's threat of counterattacks on US allies, according to TT.
The US and Germany are urging all their citizens to leave Israel as soon as possible, according to The Guardian and AFP. China is urging its citizens to leave Iran, and those in Israel to strengthen their preparedness and avoid going out, according to AFP.
Britain has recalled all its consular staff from Iran, writes Reuters.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry remains at the same level as before for both countries: an advice against all travel to Iran, to the border areas in Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.
Trump: Would have preferred not to attack Iran – but sometimes you have to
US President Donald Trump says he “would have preferred not” to attack Iran, CNBC reports.
– But sometimes you have to, he tells reporters outside the White House, according to the television channel.
Trump has not yet made a final decision, but is “not very happy” with how Iran is negotiating with the US about the country’s nuclear energy program, he says, according to the AP. The talks are expected to continue on Friday.
The president also has time to air the idea of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba before boarding a helicopter to Texas, Reuters writes.
Economy
The future of free trade
Despite protests – EU moves ahead with Mercosur deal
The EU will provisionally apply the Mercosur agreement with South America, overruling concerns from some MEPs who have referred the agreement to the European Court of Justice.
Bloomberg News reports.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen justified the move by stating that the trade agreement “gives Europe a strategic advantage to be the first to act in a world of fierce competition and short horizons.”
Provisional application is by its nature provisional, she continued, adding that the agreement will only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its approval.
The future of Open AI
Open AI raises 995 billion in new capital
Open AI raises $110 billion – equivalent to 995 billion kronor – in new capital at a valuation of $730 billion. CNBC reports.
Investors include Amazon, which is investing $50 billion, and Nvidia and Softbank, which are each investing $30 billion.
Information about the funding round has been circulating in recent weeks. Open AI last raised new capital in October – at a valuation of $500 billion.
Russian invasion Sanctions
LVMH closed stores – but kept hotels in Russia
The French luxury conglomerate LVMH – which owns brands such as Louis Vuitton and Dior – closed its stores in Russia after the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
However, the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg remains within LVMH’s sphere through the Belmond hotel chain, Reuters reports.
The hotel is not on any sanctions list and is therefore operated legally. However, the business has continued to accept payments from customers who are blacklisted by both Europe and the UK. The customers include major Russian transport companies, as well as banks and subcontractors to the military, according to the news agency’s review.
According to LVMH, the Belmond group is managed “completely independently” from the rest of the conglomerate. Hotel manager Julia Pashkovskaya has declined to comment.
Latest news
Trump's USA Midterm elections
The call to Trump: Declare a state of emergency and take control of the elections
Trump supporters are urging the president to declare a national emergency to gain expanded power over voting during the midterm elections. The Washington Post reports.
A draft of a presidential decree circulating among Trump loyalists claims that China manipulated the 2020 election, when Trump lost, and that this means that the nation is in danger.
- We have a situation where the president knows that a foreign power is interfering in our elections. It is a national emergency and the president must be able to act, lawyer Peter Ticktin told the newspaper.
The decree would give the president the right to introduce the bans on postal voting and requirements for ID documents that he has urged Congress to vote on.
The White House does not want to comment on the proposal, but says that it is in regular contact with grassroots groups and listens to their opinions.
Donald Trump has previously said that if Congress does not vote for his proposal for stricter voting rules, he will act on his own to push through them.
There is no evidence that China manipulated the 2020 election.
Middle East crisis Reactions
After 20 years: US sympathizes more with Palestinians
The American people as a whole feel more sympathy for Palestinians than for Israelis for the first time, writes AFP.
41 percent of Americans sympathize more with Palestinians and 36 more with Israelis.
70 percent of Republicans, however, say they support Israel first and foremost.
The Gallup pollster has asked the same question for over twenty years, and the American people have always answered in favor of Israel. As recently as last year, Israelis had 46 percent support compared to 33 percent for the Palestinians.
Epstein affair Investigation
Analysis: Clinton's interrogation becomes trouble for Trump
When US President Donald Trump's allies force the Clintons to testify about their connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, they are creating a practice - which could affect Trump himself.
This is what CNN's Stephen Collinson writes in an analysis after Hillary Clinton's and before Bill Clinton's interrogation in the Congressional Oversight Committee on Friday. He calls the interrogations with the couple political theater.
"If the standard for being forced into interrogation is being named in the Epstein documents, why aren't prominent Republicans who are also mentioned called?" Collinson writes.
The interrogations also set a new standard for first wives, according to Annie Karnie's analysis in the New York Times:
"After eight years in the Senate, four as Secretary of State and two presidential candidacies, Hillary Clinton is once again forced into the uncomfortable role of being accountable for her husband's actions," she writes.
Middle East crisis Iran-US tensions
US recalls personnel from Israel
The US is recalling most of its personnel in Israel, citing security risks, the US embassy in Jerusalem announced.
Personnel who do not have emergency responsibilities and their families will be able to choose whether to stay in Israel or not, Reuters reports.
The announcement comes after the Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran. Iran, in turn, has threatened to retaliate against nearby US targets.
In an email to embassy staff, Ambassador Mike Huckabee wrote that anyone who wants to leave Israel should do so immediately. According to the New York Times, he is urging staff to book any flight.
“The highest priority is to get out of the country quickly,” Huckabee wrote late at night in an email that the newspaper has seen.
Sources: Trump Considering Options for Iran Attack
Donald Trump was briefed last night on possible options for an attack on Iran, sources with knowledge of the matter told ABC News and CNN.
According to reports in several media outlets, several senior Republicans are pursuing a plan in which Israel initiates the attack on Iran, and is then backed by the US. It is unclear whether such a scenario was among the options presented to Trump on Thursday.
– The media can continue to speculate about what the president is thinking as much as they want, but only President Trump knows what he will or will not do, White House press secretary Anna Kelly told ABC News.
Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations
Pakistan: Now it's open war with Afghanistan
Pakistan is now in open war with Afghanistan. This is what Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif says according to Reuters.
- Our cup of patience has run out. Now it's open war.
Tensions between the two countries escalated during the night towards Friday into battles with heavy losses on both sides.
Kabul residents: Thought it was an earthquake – then we heard the explosion
The Pakistani bombings spread terror in the Afghan capital Kabul last night, according to witnesses who spoke to the BBC.
A Kabul resident testified that he had not slept all night.
“At first we thought it was an earthquake, because there was an earthquake in Kabul a few days ago. Then we heard a loud explosion,” he said.
A woman in the city told CNN that she was woken up by the flash of light from the explosions.
“I am convinced that all Kabul residents are terrified of being hit by a bomb,” she said.
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan escalated overnight into a situation that Pakistan's defense minister described as "open war."
Analysis: Pakistan superior by far - but the Taliban are used to guerrilla warfare
Pakistan
and Afghanistan are in a very serious situation after the night's
mutual attacks, which prompted Pakistan's Defense Minister to declare
"open war". Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder writes.
"This is really a serious escalation, probably the worst since the Taliban took power."
According
to a compilation of the countries' respective military capabilities
made by Reuters, Pakistan has the clear advantage in terms of equipment,
training and manpower. Pakistan also has 170 nuclear weapons.
However,
analysts who spoke to BBC Urdu said it was unlikely that Afghanistan
would fight a full-scale war. They pointed out that the Taliban had
extensive experience in guerrilla warfare.
Political situation in the UK
Starmer “disappointed” – but does not intend to resign
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer admits that the loss in the by-election in Gorton and Denton is “a big disappointment”, writes Sky News.
The traditional Labour stronghold fell last night to the Greens, who won by a good margin.
Starmer is already deeply unpopular among voters and Labour’s opinion figures have imploded since the landslide victory in the 2024 election.
According to The Telegraph, Starmer said after last night’s loss that he understands that voters are frustrated, but that he does not plan to resign.
– I will continue to fight for them as long as I breathe.
A spokesperson for the Tory Party, which finished even further down than the government party in last night’s election, tells the BBC that Keir Starmer “has killed Labour”.
Analysis: Green victory is Labour's worst fear
The Greens' victory in a by-election in the Gorton district in northern England last night may not seem like a huge deal at first glance. But it is, writes The Independent's Sean O'Grady.
"It's hard to overstate how good this was for Zack Polanski's rebels - and how bad it was for Labour and Keir Starmer, therefore."
For a century of British politics, Labour has been largely unthreatened by left-wing upstarts. Now, for the first time, that trend appears to have been seriously broken, and it could be a historic turning point for Britain, according to O'Grady.
The Guardian's Kiran Stacey writes that the night's outcome was Labour's worst fear. Not only because they lost a seat, but also because the Greens also beat Nigel Farage's right-wing populist Reform UK.
“It sends a clear signal to progressive voters that they do not need to vote for Labour to defeat Reform – a signal that could be disastrous for the government.”
The Greens win in the north of England for the first time
The Green Party defeated both Labour and Reform last night, thus taking its first parliamentary seat in the north of England, writes The Guardian.
Labour’s loss of the by-election in Gorton and Denton, an old party stronghold, is described as another severe blow to party leader Keir Starmer.
Plumber Hannah Spencer will now become the Greens’ fifth MP.
– Instead of working for a better life, we work to line the pockets of billionaires. We are being exploited. And I don’t think it is extreme or radical to believe that if you work hard you can have a good life, she says in her acceptance speech.
Political situation in the UK
The Greens win in northern England for the first time
The Green Party defeated both Labour and Reform last night, thus taking its first parliamentary seat in northern England, writes The Guardian.
Labour's loss of the by-election in Gorton and Denton, an old party stronghold, is described as another hard blow to party leader Keir Starmer.
Plumber Hannah Spencer will now become the Greens' fifth MP.
- Instead of working for a better life, we work to line the pockets of billionaires. We are being exploited. And I don't think it is extreme or radical to believe that if you work hard you can have a good life, she says in her acceptance speech.
torsdag 26 februari 2026
The political situation in Denmark
Frederiksen may consider governing with the left or the right: “It depends”
As leader of the largest party, it is likely that Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen will also form the next Danish government after the election on March 24.
With the liberal Venstre and the Moderates, with whom she is governing now? Or with the left, with whom she is close to a majority of her own, according to the first election poll? She does not want to answer that.
– It depends on the political content, she tells Politiken.
Both Politiken and TV2 note that Frederiksen’s statements about increased wealth tax, increased resources for schools and a stop to raising the retirement age indicate cooperation with the left.
– These are policies that she can more easily agree on with the red parties than with the blue ones, says TV2’s political editor Hans Redder.
Close to red majority in first Danish poll
Prime
Minister Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats would be close to a red
majority together with the other left-wing parties if there were an
election in Denmark today. This is shown by the first opinion poll
commissioned by TV2 after Frederiksen called the election today.
-
If you dream of a red parliament that pursues redder policies than the
current government, then it has been a good first day of campaigning.
This makes Mette Frederiksen and Pia Olsen Dyhr feel the blood, says the
channel's political editor Hans Redder.
Olsen Dyhr leads the
Socialist People's Party, which together with the Unity List and the
Radikale Venstre can be counted in a possible left-wing bloc. They have
all increased their support, while the Social Democrats have retreated
in public opinion.
Security around the Baltic Sea
Defense Minister: “Probably a Russian drone”
The incident in Öresund was “probably a Russian drone,” says Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) to SVT Nyheter.
According to information to SVT Nyheter, the suspected drone is said to have taken off from a Russian ship and was then observed at the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is in Malmö.
– By all accounts, there is a strong connection between the Russian military ship and this drone, Jonson tells the TV channel.
The Armed Forces confirmed earlier on Thursday that they are investigating a drone incident in Öresund.
Expert: Serious – but not an attempt at a third world war
The drone incident in Öresund is serious but not a Russian “attempt to start a third world war.” This is what defense expert Oscar Jonsson says in an interview with SVT Nyheter.
– It is most likely a reconnaissance drone with the purpose of gathering intelligence and provocation, says Jonson, who has a doctorate in Russian warfare at the Swedish National Defense University.
The fact that the drone was managed to be disrupted from a long distance is a good indication of the defense's ability, he also says.
Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) stated on Thursday that drones observed at the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle likely came from Russi