Eye on Extremism: March 4, 2026
Top Stories
Jewish Insider: Day 5: Israel vows to eliminate Khamenei’s successor
Any replacement selected to replace Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by Israel on the first day of the war with Iran on Saturday, will be in Israel’s crosshairs, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday. “Any leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime will be a clear target for elimination,” Katz said. “The prime minister and I instructed the IDF to prepare and act by all means to accomplish the mission … We will continue acting with full force, together with our American partners, crush the regime’s abilities and create the conditions for the Iranian people to topple and replace it.”
Iran International: Larijani says Trump will pay a 'heavy price' for killing Khamenei
Killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will carry a heavy price for Donald Trump, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani said in a message he posted on X. “Mr. Trump, with Netanyahu’s clownish games you dragged the American nation into an unjust war with Iran,” Larijani wrote.
CEP Mentions
Newsweek: US-Israel War on Iran Is ISIS’ Moment to Shine
Some among ISIS' digital support network have even celebrated the current U.S.-Israeli bombardment. The Counter Extremism Project monitor counted a dozen Telegram channels reveling in the news of the battle now consuming much of the Middle East, with one calling on followers to “rejoice in the good news."
Berliner Morgenpost: Saudi Arabia faces a difficult decision
The aim is to drive up the political and economic costs for the Americans and Israelis," Middle East expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. "The Iranians hope that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states will put pressure on the US and Israel to end the war."
ZDF: CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler Interviewed for frontal - das Magazin
Terrorism expert and CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler quoted about the situation in Iran and the terrorist threat in Germany. [At 5:12]
ZDF Heute: “The regime in Iran was completely infiltrated”
On Saturday, the US and Israel began their war against Iran. One of their stated goals is to overthrow the regime in Tehran. The allies have also relied on intelligence information in this endeavor. ZDFheute spoke live with Middle East expert [CEP Senior Director] Hans-Jakob Schindler about the role intelligence agencies are playing in the preparations for military action.
Stern: What the war in Iran means for the threat of terrorism in Germany
CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler on the risk of terrorism in Germany as a consequence of the war against Iran.
Analysis
Iran International: A wartime succession in Iran: why the IRGC backed Mojtaba Khamenei
A Supreme Leader has been killed. A son has been chosen. And the Revolutionary Guards are driving the process. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday morning in US and Israeli air strikes. On Tuesday, according to exclusive information obtained by Iran International, Iran’s Assembly of Experts, under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), chose his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the next Supreme Leader. The decision has not been made public and is expected to be announced after Ali Khamenei is buried.
United States
Reuters: Hegseth says Iranian behind plot to kill Trump has been killed
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the leader of an Iranian unit behind an effort to assassinate Trump had been killed. "The leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed. Iran tried to kill President Trump. And President Trump got the last laugh," he told reporters.
Times of Israel: Trump says he may have forced Israel’s hand into war with Iranian ‘lunatics’
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday denied that Israel dragged the US into war with Iran, insisting that if anything, the opposite could be true and that he felt Iran was going to attack first. Speaking at a press conference in the Oval Office alongside visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump also asserted that Iran’s military capabilities have been “knocked out” and speculated on who could lead the country following the death of supreme leader Ali Khamenei in an Israeli strike.
Jewish Insider: After classified briefing, senators reject claims Israel forced U.S. into Iran war
Following a classified briefing on Tuesday, Senate Republicans strongly rejected claims that Israel had effectively forced the U.S.’ hand into war with Iran or dictated the timeline of the conflict, claims that were fueled by comments on Monday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top lawmakers who were briefed on the Trump administration’s plans.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio inflamed critics of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran on Monday when he suggested that Israel had pulled the United States into the conflict. “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action, we knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” Rubio told reporters in Washington, D.C.
New York Times: Justice Department Sues University of California Over Antisemitism
The Trump administration sued the University of California on Tuesday, accusing its Los Angeles campus of endemic antisemitism that compromised the civil rights of Jewish employees.
In the increasingly heated Illinois Democratic Senate primary, one claim has become a familiar refrain from Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and her allies, that Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) “voted to thank” Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But the criticisms don’t tell the full story. They refer to a resolution that was principally focused on condemning the firebombing attack on an Israeli hostage awareness march in Boulder, Colo., last summer, which also included language about immigration enforcement.
Far-right commentator Candace Owens posted a new round of conspiracy claims on X in the past 24 hours, accusing Israel of orchestrating “false flags,” invoking Mossad in sweeping allegations, and suggesting shadowy pro-Israel influence inside US conservatism as Israel and the US carry out military operations connected to Iran.
Canada
New York Times: Toronto Synagogue Is Damaged by Gunfire on Night of Jewish Holiday
A Toronto synagogue was damaged by gunfire on Monday night, the beginning of the Jewish holiday Purim, the police said. Police officers responded to calls of gunfire at Temple Emanu-El in the North York neighborhood just before 11 p.m., Deputy Robert Johnson said on Tuesday during a news conference held by the Toronto Police Department.
A boxing gym owned by an Iranian-Canadian political activist and vocal critic of the Islamic Republic was struck by gunfire early Sunday morning near Toronto, raising concerns within the community about possible intimidation targeting dissidents in Canada. York Regional Police said officers responded shortly after 3 a.m. on March 1 to reports of gunfire at a commercial plaza north of Toronto, where investigators found damage consistent with multiple rounds fired at a business. The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported.
France
RFI: French police arrest two more suspects over killing of far-right activist
The suspects, aged 22 and 26, were arrested in the Lyon area and in the Aube region, police sources told French news agency AFP. "We now believe we have all those who were directly involved in the attack on Quentin Deranque," they said.
Associated Press: Protests in France over death of far-right activist as Macron calls for calm
About 3,000 people joined a march organized by far-right groups on Saturday after a nationalist activist died from a beating in the French city of Lyon, in an incident that highlighted a climate of deep political tensions ahead of next year’s presidential vote. French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm ahead of the tribute to Quentin Deranque, 23, who died of brain injuries in a hospital last week.
Greece
RFI: Greek court upholds convictions of neo-Nazi Golden Dawn leaders
The court confirmed earlier guilty verdicts against dozens of party members over crimes including the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013 and attacks on migrant workers and trade unionists.
United Kingdom
BBC: Culture strategy can help tackle 'neo-Nazi ideas'
A new cultural strategy for York can play a key role in the push to confront reemergence of the far-right and "neo-Nazi ideas," the city's deputy council leader has said. Labour's Pete Kilbane spoke out as councillors agreed to back the plan which aims to make culture "accessible to all".
More than half of Reform UK members believe non-white British citizens born abroad should be deported or encouraged to leave, according to the first publicly available poll of those in Nigel Farage’s party.
Reuters: Britain launches review into school-related antisemitism
Britain's government on Wednesday launched an independent review into antisemitism in England's schools and colleges, responding to data showing classroom-related incidents have doubled since before Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Attacks on Jews have risen globally since Hamas' assault on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war. Britain reported a 4% annual increase in cases of antisemitism in 2025 - the second-highest total on record - including a sharp spike after a deadly synagogue attack in northern England in October.
Afghanistan
Clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan entered a sixth day on Tuesday, in what has become the most intense direct confrontation between the two sides in recent years. The fighting began after what the Taliban described as retaliatory cross-border attacks and has since escalated despite several countries signalling readiness to mediate. So far, however, there is no clear prospect of negotiations or a political settlement.
Afghanistan International: 481 Taliban Fighters Killed in Ongoing Clashes, Says Pakistan
Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s minister for information and broadcasting, said at least 481 fighters from the Taliban have been killed since the start of the clashes between the two sides. Tarar said 696 Taliban fighters have been wounded during the fighting and that 226 Taliban checkpoints have been destroyed.
Afghanistan International: Pakistani Border Forces Strike Taliban Positions In Zabul
Sources say Pakistani border forces have attacked Taliban checkpoints along the frontier in Zabul Province. According to the sources, the assaults caused casualties among Taliban fighters and destroyed several of the group’s border posts.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Signals Preparedness For Extended Conflict
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban, said the group is prepared for a prolonged conflict if fighting continues. Speaking at a news conference in Kabul, Fitrat said war had never been the Taliban’s first option. However, he said that if the opposing side persisted in confrontation, the group was ready for a sustained fight to defend the people and its territory.
Iran
The Straits Times: Iran's Revolutionary Guards take wartime lead, ensuring harder line, sources say
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have tightened their grip on wartime decision‑making despite the loss of top commanders, senior sources say, driving a hardline strategy that is propelling Tehran's drone‑and‑missile campaign across the region.
Reuters: Khamenei's son Mojtaba is alive and favoured to succeed him, Iranian sources say
Mojtaba Khamenei, the powerful son of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is alive and favoured to emerge as his father's successor, two Iranian sources told Reuters on Wednesday. As new explosions rang out in Tehran, plans were in doubt for a funeral for the elder Khamenei, 86, killed by Israeli forces on Saturday in the first assassination of a nation's top ruler by airstrike. His body had been scheduled to lie in state in a vast Tehran mosque from Wednesday evening but state media reported the farewell ceremony was postponed.
Iran International: From shadow to power: who is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Iran’s clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, has elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic’s new Supreme Leader, according to his informed sources who spoke to Iran International on condition of anonymity.
Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi asserted on Wednesday that if Israel decides to attack Iran's embassy in Beirut, all Israeli embassies around the world would become targets, the semi-official Tasnim News quoted him as saying.
The Mossad has posted a video on social media in Farsi with the message essentially that the Iranian regime is like a house of cards, which is ready to fall.
AFP: Iran postpones state funeral for Khamenei, citing expected turnout, not security situation
Iran announces that a state funeral for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which had been planned for this evening in Tehran, has been postponed “in anticipation of unprecedented turnout,” state television reports. “The farewell ceremony for the martyred Imam has been postponed. The new date will be announced later,” Iranian television reports after Khamenei was killed at 86 in US-Israeli strikes over the weekend.
Israel
Ynet: Iran and Hezbollah launch simultaneous barrages on Israel in first coordinated strike of war
Air raid sirens sounded across central Israel on Wednesday without prior warning after rockets were launched from Lebanon and additional projectiles were fired from Iran, marking the first coordinated barrage by Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic in the war.
Times of Israel: Hezbollah fires on Tel Aviv as Israel threatens Iranian officers in Lebanon
Hezbollah fired on central Israel on Tuesday, the terror group’s first long-range attack since the start of the Iran war, as Israeli airstrikes hammered the organization and Israel threatened Iranian officials in Lebanon. Tehran-backed Hezbollah reprised its rocket and drone attacks on Israel on Monday, after a long hiatus, in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a wave of joint US-Israeli strikes.
Sirens sounded across central Israel on Wednesday afternoon as Iran launched another volley of ballistic missiles. Jerusalem District Police and Border Guard officers are currently conducting scans to detect any possible fallen shrapnel, according to Israel Police.
Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for attack from Yemen as Houthis rearm with Iran's help
A senior military official recently cautioned in a closed meeting that the IDF must be prepared for a potential surprise attack from the Houthis, according to a Tuesday Walla report. The terror group from Yemen is one of the biggest uncertainties in the current campaign. Despite escalating threats in recent months, the group has stayed out of the Israeli-American efforts against Iran, remaining “sitting on the fence” and not yet intervening.
The Guardian: Israel flagged Hezbollah threat before launching air attacks, leaked memo shows
An internal US assessment indicates that Israeli officials had doubts that the Lebanese state could disarm Hezbollah even before Israel launched an aerial campaign against the group on Monday. The leaked embassy cable shows that on the eve of the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Israeli officials had told Washington that Hezbollah was reconstituting its military capabilities faster than the Lebanese armed forces could degrade them. It said neither Beirut nor Damascus could be trusted to contain the threat on Israel’s northern borders.
Naharnet: Hezbollah says targeted military base near Tel Aviv with drone swarm
Hezbollah said Wednesday it had targeted an Israeli military base near Tel Aviv in central Israel and a naval base in Haifa in the north with swarms of attack drones.
Naharnet: Hezbollah says targeted the headquarters of Israel Aerospace Industries
Hezbollah said on Wednesday it had targeted the headquarters of Israel Aerospace Industries, in central Israel, overnight with a drone attack while also saying it launched a missile at a drone control base.
Naharnet: Hezbollah claims at least 11 attacks on Israeli bases, tanks
Hezbollah said Tuesday it targeted several Israeli military bases and tanks in response to Israeli strikes on the group's strongholds in Lebanon, including the south Beirut suburbs.
Lebanon
Reuters: Hezbollah's entry into Iran crisis deepens its isolation at home
Hezbollah’s decision to enter the Middle East war in support of its patron Iran has opened a rift with its main political ally at home in Lebanon, leaving the group deeply isolated as the country lurches into another devastating conflict with Israel.
Three hundred thousand mostly Shi'ite Lebanese supporters of Hezbollah have been evacuated from at least 50 villages in southern Lebanon due to IDF counterattacks following Hezbollah firing rockets on Israel on Monday.
Naharnet: Israel army says killed Iran Quds Force officer responsible for Lebanon
The Israeli military said it killed a senior commander of Iran's elite Quds Force on Tuesday in a strike on Tehran, adding that he was responsible for its operations in Lebanon.
United Arab Emirates
Israel conducted a covert extraction of part of its embassy staff in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after two Iranian terror plots targeting the diplomatic team were foiled in recent days, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel, confirming Hebrew media reports.
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