UK Backs US in Middle East Conflict, Evacuations Underway

0:00On March 2nd, British newspapers are dominated by the escalating conflict in the Middle East for a second straight day. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has approved U.S. access to UK military bases for limited defensive actions reversing in earlier know. This shift follows intense bombings across the region. President Donald Trump vowed Sunday nights to keep strikes going at full strength until all goals are met. Iranian reports confirm 165 deaths from a single attack on a girls primary school in Minab Saturday with a nationwide toll. Likely to rise much higher. UK officials are preparing to evacuate hundreds of thousands of British tourists and expats from hot spots like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. Already 94,000 Brits have signed up with embassies and a shelter in place order is active amid revenge drone strikes in places like Dubai. Casualties mount elsewhere too, with three U.S. troops confirmed dead, more than 200 in Iran, and at least 11 in Israel.

1:05Iran flies a flag of revenge publicly after losing its supreme leader, though privately it signals openness to cooling tensions through mediators. Shipping in the strait of Hormuz has ground nearly to a halt, setting the stage for jumps in global energy costs. With bombings ongoing and evacuations looming, the region braces for what comes next.