Global oil prices spiked on Monday as the United States and Israel continued a joint military operation targeting Iran’s military infrastructure. Global benchmark Brent crude oil jumped from Friday’s close of $73.21 per barrel to more than $80 at one point before settling around $78.46, a gain of more than 7%. The prices could jump even more if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be disrupted. Every day, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait, according to Bloomberg.  Citigroup analysts said there was about a 20% chance that oil could jump to $120 a barrel if the war escalates and maritime flows are significantly disrupted.  The United States Maritime Administration issued a warning Saturday advising ships to stay clear of the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman.  “It is recommended that vessels keep clear of this area if possible. Any U.S.-flagged, owned, or crewed commercial vessels that are operating in these areas should maintain a standoff of 30 nautical miles from U.S. military vessels to reduce the risk of being mistaken as a threat,” the administration said.  Multiple oil tankers in the region have been damaged since fighting began, Reuters reported.  Oil producers in the region have also shut down operations amid strikes from Iran. In Saudi Arabia, Aramco shut down its Ras Tanura refinery as a precautionary measure after one of its storage facilities was reportedly struck by an Iranian drone. The facility produces around 550,000 barrels of oil per day. Other producers in the Iraqi-Kurdistan region have also paused production for precautionary purposes.  QatarEnergy announced that it was pausing production amid attacks on its facilities. QatarEnergy is the world’s largest liquefied natural-gas producer. That announcement came after a strike on Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex, where it processes natural gas. European natural gas prices jumped by as much as 50% following the announcement. It remains unclear how long the U.S.-Israel operation will continue, though President Donald Trump has said it could go on for weeks.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos gave his first interview since the company pulled out of their deal to acquire Warner Bros., saying contrary to the rumors, it wasn’t President Trump’s influence that killed the merger. The entertainment exec called the competing offer from Paramount “irrational” and claimed he had no regrets about how it all played out. Sarandos said it came down to having a set price amount they weren’t willing to go beyond and being outbid by David Ellison’s rival offer. “We had a very tight range that we’d be willing to pay and made that offer back when we closed this deal,” Sarandos told Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg in an interview published Saturday. “I’m happy where we got in and happy where we got out.” Rumors swirled that the Department of Justice may have influenced the breakdown, or that Trump himself may have had sway. But Sarandos said those narratives are false. “I don’t know that there was growing political resistance,” the Netflix exec said. “It was a growing narrative of political resistance. But we were on a normal regulatory path. … This story has been fed out for everybody, but it’s just not accurate. We were not only involved with the DOJ, we were involved with 50 regulatory bodies around the world. These things have been going exactly the way they should.” Sarandos told Shaw that Trump “stayed completely neutral on this.” “The truth of it is, someone was going to lose it for a dollar,” Sarandos said of the deal. “And the quicker you accepted that, the better.” Shaw described Paramount as being an “unusual other buyer,” which Sarandos agreed with. “Unusual, yeah, unusual, irrational, whatever words you want to use in that,” he replied. “It’ll be fascinating to see the next steps. I have been on the record a lot in the last two weeks talking about what I think the future looks like. I’m confident in our future that we’re not impacted by all that. In fact, maybe it’s to our advantage. But I hope I’m wrong for the sake of the industry.” Warner Bros. agreed in December to an $82.7 billion deal with Netflix. Paramount responded with several hostile takeover bids over the following months, culminating in a surprise twist as the streaming giant bowed out in February. “…this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” Sarandos and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in a statement at the time, as The Daily Wire previously reported.

As Israel faces mounting threats from rockets, drones, and mortar fire across multiple fronts following the weekend strikes on Iran, attention is turning to a new system poised to reshape modern air defense: Iron Beam. Israel’s highly anticipated laser-based defense platform is expected to be delivered to the military by the end of the month, according to Israeli officials. The system is designed to intercept short-range rockets, mortar rounds, and unmanned aerial vehicles using a high-powered directed-energy beam rather than traditional interceptor missiles. One of the most striking features of Iron Beam is its cost efficiency. Each laser interception is estimated to cost as little as $2 in electricity, a dramatic reduction compared to the interceptor missiles used by Israel’s existing layered defense systems — roughly $100,000 per missile fired by Iron Dome, which counters short-range rockets, and up to $1 million per interceptor launched by David’s Sling, designed to defeat longer-range missiles and aircraft. Iron Beam, first revealed to the public in 2014, has been heralded as the future of air defense and is capable of intercepting the ever-growing threat of suicide drones, unguided rockets, and even traditional kinetic ordnance such as mortars and artillery. Iron Beam was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the same firm behind Iron Dome, in partnership with U.S.-based defense giant Lockheed Martin. The system consists of an air defense radar, a command and control unit, and two High Energy Laser (HEL) systems, enabling it to track and destroy incoming threats at the speed of light. According to publicly available material from Rafael, Iron Beam is designed to integrate into Israel’s existing multi-layered air defense architecture, complementing systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. While missile interceptors remain essential for higher-altitude and long-range threats, a directed-energy platform offers a potentially transformative solution against short-range projectiles and drone swarms, particularly in scenarios involving sustained, high-volume attacks. According to missile defense analysts, Iron Beam is intended to relieve pressure on Iron Dome by handling lower-end threats, reserving expensive interceptors for more complex or long-range attacks. The system has reportedly demonstrated successful interceptions, particularly short trajectory targets during extensive testing, though operational details remain classified. These missile defense analysts have also long argued that directed-energy weapons represent the next phase of air defense evolution. Unlike traditional systems that require physical interceptors and complex resupply chains, laser platforms can, in principle, operate indefinitely as long as power is available, eliminating reloads and significantly reducing per-shot costs. The technology is also reportedly being shared with the U.S. Army’s directed energy program, according to Fox News, underscoring growing American interest in laser-based air defense capabilities. While questions remain about operational constraints, including weather limitations and line-of-sight challenges, Iron Beam’s imminent fielding marks a major milestone in the development of practical battlefield laser systems. If it performs as advertised, it could fundamentally alter the cost calculus of missile defense and provide Israel with a powerful new tool to counter the increasingly sophisticated arsenal of Iranian-backed proxy groups.

First Lady Melania Trump will “make history” on Monday as the United States takes over the United Nations Security Council presidency and she becomes the first sitting First Lady to control the gavel and address the body. Trump’s speech, set to focus on achieving peace through better education, will not just mark the first time an American First Lady has presided over the Security Council — it will also be the first time a sitting First Lady from any member nation has done so. The Office of the First Lady released a statement on Monday, declaring, “First Lady Melania Trump is set to make history at the United Nations, taking the gavel as the United States assumes the Security Council Presidency to emphasize education’s role in advancing tolerance and world peace.” The statement went on to say that Trump would preside over the council as members addressed topics relating to “education, technology, peace, and security.” First Lady Melania Trump to Preside Over U.N. Security Council Calling for Peace Through Education Today at 3PM ET pic.twitter.com/d2UXUdNmhh — Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) March 2, 2026 U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz gave a brief statement to Fox News Digital, saying that given Melania Trump’s long history of being “a passionate and tireless advocate for children,” it was only “fitting” that she address the Security Council to promote education and advocate for its use as a path to peace. “Her message of helping the helpless through education and technology fits exactly with our mission at the U.N., to achieve meaningful and lasting peace,” Waltz explained. “As a green beret and now diplomat, I have seen firsthand that peace prevails where children are taught and not terrorized.” Melania Trump’s personal initiatives have almost always been geared toward children, beginning with her BE BEST program announced in 2018 — which promoted online safety and anti-cyber-bullying programs for children, as well as efforts to combat opioid addiction. In her time away from the White House, she also introduced Fostering the Future to promote digital safety and AI education — and to provide scholarship funds for children in the foster care system.

At 3:38 p.m., President Donald Trump gave the order to strike Iran. ‘Operation Epic Fury’ was set in motion. Less than an hour later on Friday, standing on the tarmac in Corpus Christi, Texas, Trump faced the press — calm, relaxed, completely unreadable. A reporter asked him point-blank: “How close are you to making a decision on strikes?” Trump smiled. “I’d rather not tell you,” he said. “You would have had the greatest scoop in history, right?” What the world didn’t know: the decision had already been made. According to Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump had authorized the strikes while still aboard Air Force One. By the time he stepped onto the Texas runway, the machinery of war was already turning. Jets were moving. Plans were unfolding. Iran’s evil regime was hours away from feeling the full force of Operation Epic Fury. And Trump gave nothing away. No dramatic tone. No visible tension. No slip of the tongue. He delivered remarks. He greeted supporters. He even stopped at Whataburger. Behind the scenes, one of the most consequential military operations in decades was about to begin. It was a masterclass in restraint — a president holding the winning hand while the cameras rolled, never flinching, never tipping the table. Hours later, the strikes would land. The main target? Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the joint United States-Israel operation. The 86-year-old ayatollah, who ruled Iran for more than three decades and consolidated near-total authority over the judiciary, state media, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was eliminated alongside more than 40 senior regime figures and military commanders. Among those confirmed killed were Khamenei’s top security adviser Ali Shamkhani, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Khamenei’s chief military secretary Mohammad Shirazi, head of military intelligence Saleh Asadi, and senior figures tied to Iran’s nuclear research apparatus. Israeli officials said opening waves of Operation Epic Fury decimated the regime’s chain of command. The strike triggered an immediate succession crisis inside Tehran. Under Iran’s constitution, an interim council assumes authority while the Assembly of Experts selects a new supreme leader — but with key leadership figures dead, the path forward is uncertain. President Trump celebrated Khamenei’s death on Truth Social, calling him “one of the most evil people in History” and describing the killing as “justice” for Americans and others killed by Iran over decades of terrorism and proxy warfare. He said the United States intelligence played a direct role in tracking the ayatollah, writing that Khamenei “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems.” Trump warned that bombing would continue “uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary” to achieve what he called the goal of “peace throughout the Middle East and, indeed, the world.”