By Samia Nakhoul
DUBAI, March 10 (Reuters)- - Iran is wagering it can outlast the United States and Israel--not militarily, but by grinding the war into a brutal contest of endurance. Its strategy is stark: Unleash drones and missiles, cut vital energy routes and jolt global markets hard enough to force Washington to blink first.
By David Brunnstrom
March 9 (Reuters) - Despite what it called a humanitarian "disaster" in Afghanistan, the U.S. said on Monday international assistance to the country should be evaluated, given Taliban "intransigence" and its exclusion of the female population from basic rights.
By Jason Lange
WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - Most Americans think gasoline prices are going to rise in coming months following President Donald Trump's decision to launch military strikes on Iran, and many expect a protracted conflict, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.
By Nandita Bose and Bo Erickson
DORAL, Florida, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters he had a "very good call" with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.
"There's tremendous hatred between President Putin and (Ukraine's) President Zelenskiy. They can't seem to get it together, but I think it was a positive call on that subject," Trump said.
Trump added that Putin "wants to be helpful" with the Iran conflict.
DORAL, Florida, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was "disappointed" that Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the supreme leader of the country.
"We think it's going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country," Trump told reporters at a press conference in Florida.
When asked whether the new leader had a target on his back, Trump said it would be "inappropriate" to say whether or not he does.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Ryan Patrick Jones)
SYDNEY, March 10 (Reuters) - Australia will deploy a military surveillance aircraft to the Middle East and send missiles to the United Arab Emirates but will not put troops on the ground in Iran, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.
Australia's military support would help the Gulf countries defend themselves against unprovoked attacks from Iran, Albanese said, stressing Australia was "not a protagonist".
By Kanishka Singh
March 9 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Monday about avoiding a wider conflict in the Middle East, Carney's office said.
Here are some details:
• They "underscored the importance of intensifying diplomatic engagement to avoid a wider conflict with global consequences," Carney's office said in a statement.
• The statement said the leaders condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks on Qatar and Carney expressed Canada's solidarity with Qatar.
Ten days after attacking Iran together, the United States and Israel have seen a public divergence, with President Donald Trump facing political pressure and not sharing Israel's long-term goals.
The allies face a stark divide in how their publics view the war, with historically low support by Americans for an offensive enthusiastically backed by most Israelis.
Argentine President Javier Milei, a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump and Israel, on Monday hailed the benefits of the Iran war for his country's exports and foreign currency reserves.
The libertarian Milei, who has backed Washington and Israel's strikes on Iran, said he expected an "improvement" in oil and agricultural exports as a result of the 10-day-old conflict.
MOSCOW, March 9 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a telephone conversation on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, put forward proposals for a quick settlement of the conflict around Iran, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Ushakov, giving an account of the conversation to reporters, said the two leaders also discussed the conflict in Ukraine and noted that Russian gains should prompt Kyiv's negotiators to move towards a settlement.
