CrossFireArarbia

Defiant: FM Aragchi Says Iran is ‘Fully Prepared’

CrossFireArabia
March 9, 2026

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Washington on Monday that Tehran is “fully prepared” for further escalation as tensions continue to shake global markets.

Araghchi said through US social media company X: “Nine days into Operation Epic Mistake, oil prices have doubled while all commodities are skyrocketing.”

He added that “the US is plotting against our oil and nuclear sites in hopes of containing huge inflationary shock,” stressing “Iran is fully prepared.”

Araghchi also issued a warning, saying “we, too, have many surprises in store.”

Regional escalation flared up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to the Pentagon, more than 50,000 US troops are involved in what it calls Operation Epic Fury.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.

First Week of War on Iran Costs The USA $6 Billion

CrossFireArabia
March 9, 2026

The first week of the US military campaign against Iran has cost roughly $6 billion, Pentagon officials told Congress, with about $4 billion spent on munitions and advanced missile interceptors.

According to the New York Times, about $4 billion of that total alone was spent on munitions expenditures and advanced interceptors designed to shoot down Iranian missiles.

According to the American daily, about 4,000 Iranian targets have been struck, including missile launchers, naval vessels, and air defenses, significantly eroding Tehran’s ability to retaliate.

Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said Iran’s ballistic missile launches have dropped 90% since the first day of fighting, while drone attacks are down 83% as reported in The figures were disclosed during discussions in Congress this week, where senior defense officials also indicated that further funding will be required to sustain operations and replenish depleted stockpiles according to Anadolu.

Yet the country retains a formidable weapons arsenal, including an estimated 50% of its missile program.

Rising costs and budget concerns

Lawmakers are bracing for a supplemental budget request from the administration in the coming weeks.

The rapid expenditure has drawn scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle.

Critics argued that costly interceptors, some worth millions of dollars each, are being consumed at rates that could strain the US defense industrial base and leave shortfalls in other strategic theaters.

The war erupted with joint US and Israeli strikes against Iranian military targets, but the conflict has since widened across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating via ballistic missiles and drone barrages that require expensive defensive responses.

As debates over war funding intensify in Washington, Pentagon officials emphasized the need to maintain momentum against Iranian capabilities while balancing long‑term national defense priorities.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the United States and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials.

Iran has retaliated with sweeping barrages of its own that have targeted US bases, diplomatic facilities, and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities. The attacks have continued to escalate.

The conflict has raised concerns about global energy supplies amid a sharp drop in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route that carries about 20 million barrels of oil daily.

Analyses

Expert: Mojtaba Election Means More Escalation

CrossFireArabia
March 9, 2026

Military and strategic expert Nidal Abu Zeid stated that the election of Mojtaba Khamenei to a prominent position within the Iranian decision-making apparatus is a clear indication of the escalating trend being pursued by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at present.

In a statement to Jordan 24, Abu Zeid explained that the developments on the ground that followed the announcement of Mojtaba’s appointment within hours—namely, the launching of missile barrages toward neighboring countries—reflect a direct message that the hardline military faction has seized control of the political and security landscape in Tehran.

He added that Mojtaba Khamenei, whose name rose to prominence during the events of 2009 when he played a key role in suppressing the protests led by the reformist movement known as the “Green Movement,” is known for his rigid approach to managing domestic affairs. He noted that at that time, Khamenei directly confronted reformist opposition leaders such as Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Abu Zeid explained that this political history suggests Mojtaba may be heading towards managing Iran’s internal affairs with an iron fist, while dealing with regional and international issues with a more radical and hardline mindset, especially given the escalating regional tensions.

He pointed out that Mojtaba’s initial appearance in a position of power might witness a clear show of support from Revolutionary Guard generals and religious figures, a message reflecting the Iranian regime’s hardline establishment’s commitment to escalation on both the regional and international levels.

Conversely, Abu Zeid noted that the reformist movement’s stance within Iran remains unclear regarding this appointment, while Iranian social media platforms have begun to witness a significant wave of criticism. This reflects indications of popular rejection of the radical mindset’s dominance in running the state, particularly in light of what he described as the existential political and economic crisis the Iranian regime is currently experiencing.

News

Mojtaba Election in Iran as New Leader Irks Trump

CrossFireArabia
March 9, 2026

Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has been elected the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics, on Sunday night officially appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, 56 years old, as the new Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei is the son of martyred Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the assembly said in a statement. Press TV.

Culture

Palestine Mourns a Giant

CrossFireArabia
March 8, 2026

By Dr Hussan Zomlot

We bid farewell to Dr. Walid Khalidi — a national treasure, a guardian of memory, and a mentor to generations.

Born in Jerusalem in 1925, he was one of the most commanding Palestinian voices of the modern era. For more than seven decades, he dedicated his life to bearing witness — documenting what happened to Palestine in 1948 with unflinching honesty and scholarly precision, and ensuring that new generations understand Palestine as it was, as it is, and as it must one day be again. He was the teller of our history and the keeper of our collective memory.

I first had the honour of meeting Dr. Khalidi in 2008 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. By then, he had long made Cambridge his home after decades of teaching and research at institutions including Oxford, the American University of Beirut, and Harvard.

Over the years that followed, his home in Cambridge became a place of refuge and reflection. We would sit for hours speaking about Palestine — its past, its wounds, and its future. He gave generously of his time, wisdom, and spirit. Even through the darkest years — and none have been darker than these last two — he remained a source of steadiness and moral clarity. His emails, arriving with the care and weight of a mentor who never stopped believing, were a lifeline. The last came only weeks ago.

Dr. Khalidi’s extraordinary impact was not only in his scholarship but in his refusal to allow Palestine to be erased. Through landmark works such as Before Their Diaspora and All That Remains, and through the institutions he helped build — most notably the Institute for Palestine Studies — he ensured that the story of our people would be preserved with rigour and dignity for generations to come.

He devoted his life entirely to Palestine — through scholarship, diplomacy, and mentorship. To countless Palestinian researchers, students, and public servants, he was a teacher and a guiding light.

Today, as news of his passing reaches us, I was honoured to speak with his son, Dr. Ahmed Khalidi — himself a distinguished Palestinian scholar — to share my condolences and memories. What I felt most was a proud sadness: proud of everything Dr. Khalidi gave to Palestine and to all of us who followed his path, and sad because the world is immeasurably diminished without him.

Today, Jerusalem mourns one of its most distinguished sons, as it once mourned Edward Said. Jaffa mourns as it did with Ibrahim Abu-Lughod. Nablus mourns as it did with Fadwa Tuqan. Palestine mourns a giant.

We shall honour Dr. Walid Khalidi in the only way he would have wanted — by continuing the struggle for truth, for justice, and for liberation, until the day scholars walk freely through the gates of a great university in Jerusalem that bears his name, and the Palestine he devoted his life to documenting stands free.