Eye on Extremism: March 11, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: EU envoys approve sanctions on 19 Iranian officials, entities over rights violations
European Union envoys have approved new sanctions targeting 19 Iranian officials and entities responsible for serious human rights violations, the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said on Wednesday. "As the Iran war continues, the EU will protect its interests and pursue those responsible for domestic repression," Kallas said on X, adding that "it also sends a message to Tehran that Iran’s future cannot be built on repression".
Washington Post: As Israel targets Iran, Gaza’s nascent recovery stalls and Hamas gains strength
Gaza’s 2 million citizens are accustomed to waiting for a world that has other things on its mind. But the attacks on Iran have led to a particularly cruel reprise of that script, closing the doors for now on perhaps the closest thing to progress Gaza had experienced in years. To feed the people, Israel said it has reopened one crossing with new security requirements for about 200 trucks a day. Officials would not say when the flow might rebound to prewar levels or when they would reopen the crossing into Egypt.
Analysis
Jerusalem Post: Iran’s Quds Day rallies uncertain amid war and leadership transition – analysis
In years past, the Iranian regime used to hold marches and events linked to what it called Quds Day. For instance, in 2025, the recently deceased Ayatollah Khamenei put out a statement about the Quds Day rallies that were expected on the last Friday of Ramadan in Iran. Iran also supported these rallies around the world.
Jerusalem Post: Trump is signaling an exit from Iran war, but Israel may not be ready – analysis
In a CBS interview on Monday, US President Donald Trump said the war is “very complete, pretty much.” The words had an immediate calming effect on markets. Oil prices, which had been hovering just above $100 a barrel amid fears of a prolonged conflict with Iran, dropped soon afterward. Stock markets around the world also rebounded.
Iran International: A leader no one has seen: The unusual debut of Mojtaba Khamenei
Two days after he was announced as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei remains absent from public view, raising questions his swift selection was meant to pre-empt. Supporters of the Islamic Republic have gathered in several cities to show loyalty to the new leader. The officialdom has congratulated him in unison. But Khamenei Jr is yet to appear.
Haaretz: Analysis Hamas and Islamic Jihad Caught in a Bind Between Iran and Gulf States
After receiving support from both Iran and Qatar, Hamas now waits to see how the war unfolds. The organization is worried about a regime change, which could lead to ending the military and financial support with potentially far-reaching consequences.
United States
The Trump administration, citing Iran, is taking more action against the Muslim Brotherhood—this time in one of the world’s worst conflicts: the civil war in Sudan. On Monday, the State Department declared the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood (SMB) to be a "Designated Global Terrorist and intends to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective March 16, 2026." The statement also contained a warning to Iran regarding its meddling in the conflict.
Some speakers struck a hopeful note during an antisemitism symposium on Tuesday morning hosted here by the Republican Jewish Coalition and National Review. Ted Cruz was not one of them. “Norm [Coleman, chair of the RJC] just said that we are winning. And I applaud him for that, because I want us to be winning,” Cruz said. “But I’m not sure it is accurate as a descriptive matter that we are winning right now.”
Jewish leaders in California are condemning an assault of Hebrew-speaking Israelis outside a San Jose cafe on Sunday that has sparked viral video and a police investigation. J. The Jewish News of Northern California obtained multiple videos of the assault and its immediate aftermath and spoke to the Israeli men, who said the two groups had not interacted before the incident. One of them said he recalled hearing one of the assailants say “f—ing Jew” during the attack.
The FBI said Tuesday that it found "explosive residue" in a Pennsylvania storage unit believed to be connected to an "ISIS-inspired terrorism" incident near New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence over the weekend.
Fox News: ISIS-inspired NYC bomb suspects could face death penalty, ex-FBI agent says
A pair of ISIS-inspired suspects accused of plotting a bomb attack in New York City could face the death penalty now that federal prosecutors have taken over the case. Retired FBI supervisory agent James Gagliano outlined how prosecutors could try to turn the suspects against one another.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned an alleged ISIS-inspired bomb plot outside Gracie Mansion but did not use the phrase "radical Islamic terror," reviving long-running criticism from the Obama era that some Democratic leaders avoid the term. Two suspects were arrested after allegedly throwing improvised explosive devices near the mansion during a protest Saturday, with one reportedly telling authorities he was inspired by ISIS. Mamdani later described the attempted attack as "terrorism" but did not reference radical Islam in his initial public remarks.
New York Times: Mamdani’s Latest Show of Support for Mahmoud Khalil: A Dinner Invitation
In June 2025, Zohran Mamdani, then still a relatively unknown state lawmaker, made a video calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil, an activist who had been detained under President Trump’s crackdown for his role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia. It was the starting point of a political alliance that appears to have morphed into a friendly rapport between Mr. Mamdani, now the mayor of New York City, and Mr. Khalil, one of more than 600,000 legal green card holders who live in the city.
Jewish Insider: ADL condemns Zohran Mamdani for hosting Mahmoud Khalil at mayor’s mansion
The Anti-Defamation League condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday for hosting Columbia University anti-Israel protest leader Mahmoud Khalil at his official residence. “Welcoming someone known for justifying the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks as an honored guest at Gracie Mansion — while some in the Mayor’s inner circle have amplified antisemitic content and posts dismissing the atrocities of that day — sends a deeply troubling message,” an ADL spokesperson told Jewish Insider.
Jerusalem Post: Teen charged in Teaneck 'Israel or Palestine' pellet‑gun incident
A 17‑year‑old was charged on Monday in connection with a drive‑by pellet‑gun shooting in Teaneck, New Jersey, where the victim was shot after ignoring a question posed by the perpetrator regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, authorities said.
Jewish Insider: Former Columbia law dean says Jewish students treated differently on campus
In trying to strike a balance between free expression and anti-discrimination, universities must do a better job at providing a consistent standard, David Schizer, the former dean of Columbia Law School, said during his keynote address at the fifth annual “Law and Antisemitism” conference at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law.
AZFamily: Rep. Schweikert accuses Rep. Biggs of ties to white supremacists
U.S. Rep. David Schweikert is accusing fellow Arizona Republican and congressional colleague Andy Biggs of associating with white supremacists and engaging in anti-Semitism, as the two compete for the GOP nomination to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Schweikert’s latest attack did not come through television or online advertising. It came in a campaign mailer with the headline: “Andy Biggs’ record on white supremacy and anti-Semitism.”
New York Times: Mosque Blames Islamophobia in Suburbs for Hostility to Its Expansion
During the holy month of Ramadan, services at a mosque on Long Island are so full that congregants spill from the two-story building to pray in the parking lot, dropping their mats to kneel as cars zoom past. The mosque, the Hillside Islamic Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., has for years tried to expand its facilities to allow everyone to pray indoors. Those attempts have been repeatedly obstructed by town regulations, according to a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the mosque, which argues that the rules unfairly target Muslims.
Courthouse News Service: Johnson refuses condemn Islamophobic posts by House Republicans
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday stopped short of condemning a group of Republican lawmakers who faced broad pushback over social media posts that many critics and Muslim advocacy groups said were blatantly Islamophobic. And though he said he’d use “different language” to discuss the subject the top House Republican claimed his colleagues — some of whom said Muslims do not belong in American society and compared them to dogs — were merely expressing “popular sentiment” about people practicing Islamic religious law in the U.S.
Germany
Naharnet: Germany jails man for supplying Hezbollah with drone equipment
A German court on Tuesday jailed a 35-year-old man for supplying Hezbollah with equipment for drones.
Sweden
Canadian Affairs: Right-wing extremism gaining traction among Swedish youth: report
Right-wing extremist ideology is gaining ground among youths in Sweden owing in part to social media and its algorithms, with primarily boys and young men openly spreading antisemitic memes and hatred online, anti-racism watchdog Expo said Tuesday. In its annual report, Expo said Sweden’s right-wing extremist environment had evolved, with traditional organized groups losing ground to more loosely-structured networks of youths.
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK police ban pro-Iranian London march due to 'extreme tensions'
British police said they had banned a pro-Iranian march due to take place in London on Sunday, citing the possibility of "extreme tensions" with counter-protesters and the risk posed by Tehran during the conflict in the Middle East. The Al Quds march in central London is organised annually by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, which the police said was supportive of the Iranian regime.
Reuters: UK prosecutors lose appeal to reinstate terrorism charge against Kneecap rapper
British prosecutors lost their bid on Wednesday to reinstate a terrorism charge against a member of Irish rap group Kneecap for displaying a flag of Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah at a London gig. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was accused of having waved the flag of the banned militant group Hezbollah during a November 2024 gig.
Bristol Live: Moment a Neo-Nazi shouts 'Heil Hitler' in middle of 'Bristol Patriots' march
This is the moment a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi shouted ‘Heil Hitler’ three times over the shoulders of a line of police protecting him, after he identified two Jewish men in a counter-protest during the ‘Bristol Patriots’ march through the city centre on Saturday.
Iran
Newly-appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was lightly injured but is continuing to operate, an Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday. The official did not give details about when he was injured or why he had not made any statement to the public since being appointed the new leader.
Reuters: Israel sees no certainty Iran’s government will fall despite war
Israeli officials in closed discussions have acknowledged there is no certainty the war against Iran will lead to a collapse of its clerical government, a senior Israeli official told Reuters, with no sign of an Iranian uprising amid the bombardment. However, despite commentary by U.S. President Donald Trump that the war may finish soon, Israel's assessment is that Washington is not close to instructing an end to the conflict, two Israeli officials said.
Three more vessels have been hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security and risk firms said on Wednesday, bringing the number of ships struck in the region since the Iran conflict began to at least 14. Shipping along the narrow strait, opens new tab has come to a near standstill since the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, preventing exports of around a fifth of the world’s oil supply and sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
Iranian Armed Forces spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi called on regional Muslims and countries to reveal the locations of US and Israeli military assets to enable Tehran to conduct more accurate attacks, the Iranian state-affiliated Defa Press reported on Wednesday. Shekarchi also framed the request as a way to ensure the safety of the people in the region.
IranWire: IRGC Warns U.S. and Israeli Banks in the Region Could Be Targeted
On Wednesday, March 11, the spokesperson for the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said that American and Israeli banks in the region could become potential targets. He stated: “People in the region should stay away from a one-kilometer radius of American and Israeli banks.”
Washington Examiner: Iran’s IRGC is down but not out — yet
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been degraded during the American and Israeli war against it, but remains far from neutralized. U.S. forces have hit more than 5,000 targets, according to American defense officials, though the campaign is continuing, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, “Today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran.”
Iraq
AFP: Shrapnel from bombing kills woman in Iraq — local officials
Shrapnel kills a woman following a strike on an arms depot belonging to an Iran-backed armed group in Iraq, health and security officials tell AFP.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Reuters: Israeli settler violence rises in West Bank under Iran war curbs
Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank are taking advantage of curbs on movement imposed during the war on Iran to attack Palestinians, with military roadblocks preventing ambulances reaching victims quickly, rights groups and medics say. Settlers have killed at least five Palestinians in the West Bank since the United States and Israel began airstrikes against Iran on February 28, according to the Palestinian health ministry. A sixth man died after inhaling teargas fired during an attack, according to Israeli rights group B'Tselem.
Israel
Times of Israel: IDF publishes footage of fighter jet intercepting Hezbollah drone
The IDF publishes new footage showing an Israeli Air Force fighter jet intercepting a Hezbollah drone launched at Israel from Lebanon.
Kuwait
News.AZ: Iran’s IRGC claims missile strike on US base in Kuwait
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that at least two missiles targeted a United States military base in Kuwait, News.Az reports, citing foreign media. The IRGC stated that the American base at Camp Arifjan was struck by two missiles launched by a missile unit of its Ground Force.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Lebanon's latest conflict brings rare public backlash against Hezbollah
The Lebanese mother of two had just awakened to prepare the pre-dawn meal before another day of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when Israeli warplanes began attacking southern Lebanon in retaliation for rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah. The family quickly packed up and headed toward Beirut, seeking safety from another deadly war between Israel and Hezbollah. With tens of thousands of others fleeing on that March 2 day, the usually one-hour trip from the southern city of Nabatiyeh took 15 hours.
Turkey
Times of Israel: Turkey’s Erdogan: Antisemitism is an ‘evil crime’ that cannot be legitimized
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemns antisemitism and Islamophobia in remarks at an interfaith iftar dinner in Ankara. “In recent years, the escalating Islamophobia is openly threatening both our people and the culture of living together,” Erdgogan says. “We have no tolerance for dark structures like ISIS that bomb mosques, churches, synagogues indiscriminately and show no respect even for places of worship,” he adds.
Congo
Reuters: Drones hit east Congo's biggest city, killing French aid worker, rebels and UN say
Drone strikes hit Goma in east Congo on Wednesday, killing at least three people including a French aid worker, the first such attack in the city since AFC/M23 rebels seized it last year, according to the group and the U.N. The AFC/M23 blamed the attack on the Congolese army, saying in a post on X that Kinshasa had launched drones against a densely populated urban area in the lakeside city.
Mali
Jurist News: Rights group reports ‘apparent war crimes’ of al-Qaeda-linked group in Mali
Human Rights Watch (HRW) confirmed Tuesday that an al-Qaeda-linked armed group summarily executed 10 long-haul truck drivers and two teenage apprentices in late January in southwestern Mali as part of the group’s attack on a fuel convoy and deemed the acts “apparent war crimes.” HRW called on the Malian government to “seek assistance from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights” for the effort to “protect civilians and hold those responsible for abuses to account.”
South Africa
Reuters: Trump says white South Africans are persecuted; some are returning to a better life
Andrew Veitch left South Africa after being held up at gunpoint in his car. But now he feels there are greater threats in the United States, he said, citing mass shootings in public places as well as violence by U.S. immigration officers. "People are being shot in broad daylight. American citizens are being shot and killed," said the 53-year-old, who moved to California in 2003. "I don't want to live in a place like this."
Sudan
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has supported fighters linked to Sudan's Muslim Brotherhood, US senior adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos said on Wednesday. The role of Iran in Sudan’s civil war has long been under scrutiny, but Mr Boulos’s direct confirmation sheds further light on the issue and draws a clearer link between Tehran and a conflict that has killed and displaced millions.
Sudan Tribune: Sudan calls for RSF terror listing after US moves against Islamists
Sudan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday the government has noted the U.S. designation of the Islamic Movement as a terrorist organization and called for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to be added to the list.
Hong Kong
China Daily HK: HK calls on UN to tackle definition of terrorism
All-China Youth Federation member Conrad Ho Pui-lam urged the United Nations to refine its definition of terrorism at the Human Rights Council's 61st session 26th meeting in Geneva on Wednesday. Drawing on Hong Kong's legal practice, Ho emphasized that terrorism offenses must be "accessible and sufficiently precise and certain”, enabling individuals to foresee liability.
Australia
Canberra Times: Racist attack on dining Muslims to be raised with AFP
An alleged Islamophobic attack on a Ramadan event will be raised with federal police as condemnation from political leaders mounts. The Muslim community of Ballarat in central Victoria is reeling after a 37-year-old man forced his way into an Iftar dinner at a community hall in the suburb of Alfredton on Sunday.
Technology
This Insight examines how extremist aesthetics and narratives inspired by jihadist groups are produced, circulated, and normalised within digital communities hosted on Discord. This platform is primarily designed as a communication space for gaming and social interaction. However, its structural features (including semi-private servers, flexible communication tools, and low barriers to entry) have increasingly positioned it as a space in which ideological content can be embedded in everyday online practices. This analysis focuses on how these environments facilitate the formation of closed communities that merge play, identity, and ideology, creating conditions conducive to early-stage radicalisation processes.
“Happy (and safe) shooting!” That’s how the AI chatbot DeepSeek signed off advice on selecting rifles for a “long-range target” after CCDH’s test account asked questions about the assassination of politicians. CCDH’s new report, based on research conducted in collaboration with CNN, shows that popular AI chatbots like Open AI’s ChatGPT, Meta AI, and Google Gemini make planning harm against innocent people easier for extremists and would-be attackers.
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