US regulator threatens broadcasters' licenses after Trump's Iran complaints

The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not," FCC Chairman Carr warned

US broadcast regulator has responded to a complaint by President Donald Trump about negative coverage of the Iran war, urging them to "correct course before their license renewals come up".

Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has previously launched investigations into networks he has said are unfairly partisan, most notably pressuring ABC to take late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air.

It was the first time Carr had addressed Iran coverage, although Trump and the White House have sharpened their attacks in recent days against coverage they perceive as being unduly critical or unfair.

"The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not," Carr warnedThe law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not," Carr warned in a social media post.

 

Iran's foreign minister calls on neighbours to expel foreign aggressors  Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the call on social media. He also noted Trump's message earlier Saturday urging other countries to send warships to help secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz off Iran, and described the president as "begging".

Israel offers condolences on the deaths of US service members  The Israeli military reacted for the first time Saturday to the deaths of six crew members on a US refuelling plane that crashed in Iraq.

"I convey my deepest condolences for the six lives lost," Israel's chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said on Saturday during a visit to a logistics centre in central Israel.

"Our partners in the United States are doing unprecedented work in this historic operation," he said.

Israel will relax some guidelines for citizens as war enters 3rd week  Israel will partially resume school in some of the more rural areas of the country starting Monday, the first time children will be in class since the war began with Iran. Schools with sufficient bomb shelters can open in rural areas, especially in the south, which has experienced far fewer missiles.

Schools are still closed in the more-populated parts of Israel's center, as well as northern Israel, which is experiencing heavy bombardment from Hezbollah.

Iran's top diplomat says Strait of Hormuz open  "It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with MS Now on Saturday.

Nearly all shipping is still avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, however, due to security concerns.

Araghchi also dismissed claims that Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is seriously injured.

"They will see soon that there is no problem with the new supreme leader," Araghchi said. "He is performing his duties according to the constitution, and he will continue to do that."  Kuwait and Saudi Arabia intercept more Iranian attacks  Kuwait's armed forces said Saturday evening that the sound of explosions was from ongoing interception efforts, while Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry said it downed three drones over the Kingdom's Eastern Province.

There was no immediate word on casualties or damage.

Iran launches missiles at Israel  Israel said it has detected missiles from Iran aimed at northern Israel and is working to intercept them.

UK is discussing options to help secure Strait of Hormuz    In response to Trump's calls for countries including the UK to send warships to help protect the Strait of Hormuz, the Defence Ministry said Saturday: "We are currently discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region."  Trump has suggested that other countries may provide military support to reopen Strait of Hormuz.

The president was spending Saturday morning at his golf club in Florida but posted that, "Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe."  But it was not clear if that effort was set to begin or if Trump only hoped it might because he also wrote, "Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected" will "send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer" be threatened by Iran.

It was the first time Trump has publicly suggested the US may not be able to reopen the waterway on its own, and without international support.

Iran has used the effective closure of the strait to disrupt the world's energy markets and put pressure on the United States and Israel.

It did not provide details.

Drones hit Kuwaiti military base, wound 3 soldiers  Three members of the Kuwaiti army sustained minor injuries when two drones damaged the Gulf nation's Ahmed Al-Jaber air base on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Kuwait's air defence system intercepted another three drones, and two drones fell outside what the ministry called "the threat area" and posed no danger.

Early in the war, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire during an Iranian attack. Kuwait is also where six US soldiers were killed in a drone strike on a command centre.

UN chief urges Israel, Hezbollah to stop fighting  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in Beirut on Saturday that there is no military solution to the Israel-Hezbollah war and called for diplomacy and full implementation of UN resolutions.

He urged the international community to step up efforts to end the conflict.

Lebanon's death toll from Israel-Hezbollah fighting rises to 826  The Lebanese Health Ministry said Saturday that at least 2,009 people have also been wounded since the latest round of fighting began on March 2.

The ministry said the dead include 106 children and 65 women.