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Lina Khan — Pakistani-American co-chairing Mamdani’s transition team

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Lina Khan — Pakistani-American co-chairing Mamdani’s transition team


This collage shows New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (right) and former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan. — Reuters
This collage shows New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (right) and former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan. — Reuters

New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed former US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairperson Lina Maliha Khan, a renowned Pakistani-American legal scholar, to co-chair his transition team, he announced on Thursday.

Maamdani, 34, the first Muslim and a South Asian, will be sworn in on January 1, 2026. He will lead the biggest city in the US, a job which comes with a $116 billion budget and global scrutiny.

Khan, 36, who led the FTC during the Biden administration, will co-lead the Mamdani transition team with three other veterans of New York City Hall, the seat of the local government, the mayor-elect announced in a statement.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani attends a press conference at the Unisphere in the Queens borough of New York City, US, November 5, 2025. — Reuters
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani attends a press conference at the Unisphere in the Queens borough of New York City, US, November 5, 2025. — Reuters

“New Yorkers sent a clear message this week that it’s time to build a city that working people can actually afford. I’m excited to help Zohran build a team that will usher in a new era for New York City and set a new model for Democratic governance,” Khan said in a statement.

Khan played a significant role in former president Joe Biden’s antitrust and consumer protection agenda.

As FTC chairperson, she ramped up scrutiny of corporate mergers while spearheading administration efforts to defend Americans from unfair business practices, such as “junk fees” and mandatory arbitration clauses.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference at the Unisphere in the Queens borough of New York City, US, November 5, 2025. — Reuters
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference at the Unisphere in the Queens borough of New York City, US, November 5, 2025. — Reuters

While progressives applauded Khan’s efforts to crack down on corporate power, the Biden administration’s aggressive stance toward Big Tech companies also played a role in antagonising several major Silicon Valley figures.

As FTC chairperson, Khan was willing to take on major corporations such as Amazon and Microsoft to combat monopolies, earning praise from Democrats as well as Republicans, including conservative J D Vance, now vice president, and Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist.

Khan’s action against Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketing company, drew bipartisan support for a Justice Department lawsuit against the company in May last year.

Khan was born in London to Pakistani parents who immigrated to the United States in 2000. She is married to Dr Shah Rukh Ali, a cardiologist at Columbia University.





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Iran’s response to mediation efforts is ‘clear’: President Pezeshkian

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Iran’s response to mediation efforts is ‘clear’: President Pezeshkian



Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has affirmed that several countries have initiated mediation efforts to halt the brutal, imposed war waged against the Islamic Republic by the United States and the Israeli regime.

In a post on the social media platform X on Friday, President Pezeshkian said, “Some countries have begun mediation efforts and our response to them is clear.”

He stressed that these efforts must target the true aggressors, the US and Israel, who launched this unprovoked aggression.

He reiterated Iran’s unwavering commitment to “lasting” peace in the region, declaring, “Yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity, sovereignty, and the rights of our great people.”

The president emphasized that any genuine mediation must confront those who underestimated the resilience of the Iranian nation and deliberately ignited this war through their criminal attacks.

The US and the Israeli regime unleashed a new wave of savage aerial aggression against Iran on February 28, barely eight months after their previous unprovoked assaults on the country.

These barbaric strikes resulted in the martyrdom of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei—a profound loss for the Islamic Ummah and a heinous crime against humanity.

In response, the Iranian government declared 40 days of national public mourning and seven days of official holidays to honor the Supreme Leader’s martyrdom and rally the nation in unity and resolve.

These latest aggressions came even as Tehran and Washington had engaged in three rounds of indirect negotiations in the Omani capital of Muscat and the Swiss city of Geneva, with plans underway for technical talks in Vienna, Austria—demonstrating Iran’s consistent pursuit of diplomacy despite relentless hostility.

Unyielding in the face of this aggression, Iran has launched powerful and precise retaliatory barrages of missiles and drones targeting military sites in the Israeli-occupied territories and US bases across the region, exercising its legitimate right to self-defense and sending a clear message that the Iranian nation will never submit to bullying or occupation.

 



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Iran destroys US radars in UAE, Jordan, satellite images show

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Iran destroys US radars in UAE, Jordan, satellite images show



Satellite images show that several US military radars in the UAE and Jordan have been successfully hit by Iranian missiles and drones as the Iranian Armed Forces continue a retaliatory campaign against American and Israeli aggression.

New images from several military installations across the Arabian Peninsula suggest that Iran has focused on disabling the radar infrastructure that forms the backbone of US-supplied missile systems.

One such radar, supporting an American THAAD missile battery at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, appears to have been hit and destroyed in the opening days of the war, according to satellite imagery captured Monday.

The base lies more than 500 miles from Iran, underscoring the reach of Tehran’s retaliatory operations.
Similar damage has also been detected in the United Arab Emirates.

Satellite analysis shows that buildings housing radar-related infrastructure were struck at two locations—near Ruwais and Sader—between February 28 and March 1.At least three structures in Ruwais and four in Sader sustained visible damage, including pull-through vehicle sheds typically used to store radar systems linked to THAAD batteries.

The radar component is considered a critical element of the high-end missile interceptor system, enabling the detection and tracking of incoming ballistic missiles and drones. Without it, the interceptor batteries’ ability to respond to threats is significantly degraded.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) earlier said such strikes were part of its expanding Operation True Promise 4, a campaign launched in retaliation for the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression.

“With the successful destruction of more than seven advanced radars, the eyes of the US and the usurping Zionist regime in the region have been blinded,” the IRGC said in a statement on Wednesday, announcing the 17th stage of the operation.

The latest developments come after the United States and Israel launched a new round of aggression against Iran on February 28, eight months after earlier unprovoked attacks against the country.

The strikes has led to the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and more than 1,200 civilians, including women, children and senior military commanders.

Iran responded swiftly, unleashing waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli-occupied territories and US bases across the region.

Iranian officials insist the war was imposed on the country and say their ongoing military campaign is a legitimate act of self-defense aimed at neutralizing the infrastructure used to sustain further aggression.



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Russia ‘providing Iran intelligence’ to target US forces: report

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Russia ‘providing Iran intelligence’ to target US forces: report


Aircraft are staged for flight operations on the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 3, 2026. — Reuters
Aircraft are staged for flight operations on the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 3, 2026. — Reuters
  • US refrains from commenting on alleged Russian support.
  • Officials say information includes locations of US warships.
  • Russia says it was in dialogue with representatives of Iran.

Russia is providing Iran with targeting information that includes locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.

The extent of Russia’s support to Iran was not entirely clear, but the Iranian military’s own ability to locate US forces has been degraded since the US and Israel launched strikes against Tehran last week, the Washington Post reported.

The war has since escalated, triggering retaliatory strikes by Iran, and ensnared its neighbours as it seeks to impose a high cost on the US, Israel and their allies.

The US military has identified six reserve soldiers killed in Kuwait when a drone slammed into a US military facility in Port Shuaiba. Trump and other senior officials have warned the conflict will likely result in more US military deaths.

A White House spokesperson did not directly comment on the alleged Russian support to Iran.

“The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed. Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, responding to questions from Reuters.

Russia was in dialogue with representatives of Iran’s leadership, the Kremlin said on Friday. It declined to provide details when asked by reporters whether Moscow was helping Tehran.

The conflict has been an unexpected shot in the arm for Russia, with a significant bump in demand for its oil and gas, boosting exports battered in recent years by sanctions linked to its war in Ukraine. The United States has given Ukraine intelligence information during its war with Russia.

The Russian Embassy in Washington and Russia’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.





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