URGENT • WAR • MIDDLE EAST • DEVELOPING NEWS — UPDATED: 1 MARCH 2026

  🔴 DEVELOPING NEWS — SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2026 🔴 

CONFIRMED: KHAMENEI DIED

Iran launches its "fiercest offensive in history"; explosions in Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Riyadh and Tel Aviv

118 girls killed in Minab • 7 Iranian generals killed • Burj Al Arab in flames • Trump: "Bombs will fall everywhere"

🗓️ Sunday, March 1, 2026   |   🕐 Last update: 10:13 am (Argentina time)   |   ⏱️ Reading Time: 7 minutes   |   ✍️ International Editorial Team

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran entered a new and more dangerous phase on Sunday, March 1. Iranian state television confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's supreme leader for 35 years, a victim of Saturday's bombardment of Tehran. With the fall of one of the most influential figures in contemporary political Islam, Iran vowed its most devastating revenge yet, as Israel and the U.S. launched a second wave of attacks and the fire spread to Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The world is holding its breath in the face of the greatest armed conflict of the twenty-first century.

💀 Confirmed: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died

Iranian public television broke its usual programming on Sunday to officially announce the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, 86, a victim of the US and Israeli bombings launched on Saturday on his compound in the heart of Tehran. The news was confirmed almost simultaneously by President Donald Trump on his Truth Social network — where he described Khamenei as "one of the most evil people in history" — and by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference. According to Israeli sources cited by Reuters and CNN, Israel even obtained a photograph of the ayatollah's body.

In the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities, tens of thousands of people came out to mourn the death of the supreme leader, while in other neighborhoods — according to CNN correspondents in the area — celebratory chants could be heard from the regime's internal opposition. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was confirmed as "safe and sound" by state television, although he did not make any public statements about it. The unknowns about who will lead Iran in the coming days generate deep geopolitical uncertainty at the global level.

⚔️ Second wave: new bombardments of central and western Iran

On Sunday, joint U.S.-Israeli forces launched a second battery of strikes against Iran, concentrated at key points in the west and center of the country, with missiles that again reached the heart of Tehran. The Israeli military released images of the destruction of what it described as "the headquarters of the Iranian terrorist regime" in the capital. According to an IDF statement, the operation eliminated 40 of the main leaders of the Iranian military leadership, including Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guard commander Mohamed Pakpur, although Tehran did not confirm these figures.

Trump, in a new communication through Truth Social, warned the Iranian people that "bombs will fall everywhere" and reiterated his call to take control of their government. The president also responded to a question from ABC News about who would lead Iran after the regime, noting that the U.S. has "a very good idea" about it. The Pentagon reaffirmed that Operation Epic Fury will run at least throughout the week.

🚀 "The fiercest offensive in history": the threat of the Revolutionary Guards

Following the confirmation of Khamenei's death, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement of the utmost gravity: "The fiercest offensive operation in the history of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will begin at any time." The body called the assassination of the supreme leader "a sign of open war against all Muslims in the world" and promised a "harsh and decisive" punishment. The speaker of Iran's parliament reinforced the message by saying that revenge is "a legitimate right" that will reach both Americans and Israelis.

Meanwhile, the sixth wave of Iranian missiles and drones confirmed on Saturday night was followed by new launches on Sunday. CNN crews in the area heard multiple explosions in Dubai, the financial capital of the United Arab Emirates, and saw plumes of smoke rising over the port of Jebel Ali, one of the world's largest. In Israel, alarms were set off in the centre and south of the country. The IRGC confirmed that its target is U.S. military bases in neighboring countries, clarifying that it does not seek to attack those nations per se: "Those bases are not the territory of those countries, they are the territory of the United States."

🌐 Fire Spreads: Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia Under Attack

Sunday's Iranian escalation extended the war to multiple Gulf countries. In Dubai, one of the icons of modern global capitalism, the remains of an intercepted drone caused a fire on the exterior façade of the Burj Al Arab hotel, one of the most famous structures in the world. The Emirati authorities clarified that there were no injuries in that incident, although the UAE already reports a fatality in Abu Dhabi due to falling debris from an intercepted missile. The Emirati Ministry of Defence indicated that, although it intercepted 195 drones, 14 managed to hit its territory. Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem al-Hashimy warned CNN that the UAE is "prepared" to take a more combative role if Iranian attacks continue.

Dubai's airport — one of the world's busiest — reported minor damage to one area of its terminal and four injuries, and advised passengers not to go to its facilities. Kuwait's airport was attacked with a drone that caused damage to Terminal 1 and minor injuries among workers. Qatar activated a national emergency alert. An Iranian missile hit a US base in Bahrain. Jordan reported shooting down 13 missiles and 36 drones in its airspace on Saturday. Iraq reported two deaths of the Popular Mobilization Forces from bombings southwest of Baghdad.

🌍 The world facing the abyss: condemnations, alarms and divided positions

The international community reacted quickly and in different directions. The European Union called Khamenei's death "a watershed moment in Iran's history," with European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas noting that "there is an open path to a different Iran." Russia urgently convened its Security Council and called the U.S.-Israeli attacks "a planned and unprovoked act of aggression" against a sovereign state, demanding a return to diplomacy. China joined the condemnation.

The leader of the Spanish opposition and president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, called on the West to be "united" to achieve "containment, avoid an escalation and return to negotiation". In the US, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Tim Kaine denounced that Trump acted unconstitutionally by not seeking authorization from Congress. The FBI raised the national anti-terrorism alert level and the Department of Homeland Security urged U.S. citizens abroad to "exercise extreme caution." The IAEA canceled technical discussions it had planned with Iran for Monday.

📈 Global economy on alert: oil at $110 and Hormuz in the crosshairs

Global markets operate in a state of maximum tension. The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil exceeded 110 dollars due to fears of a possible blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil flows. The U.S. government urged commercial vessels to move away from the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the waters of the strait. Air France, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, SWISS and Air India, among other airlines, suspended their flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh, with the consequent paralysis of tourism and trade throughout the region. Iran ordered the closure of all its universities until further notice.

📌 Why did we get here? The road to war

The attack did not come out of nowhere. Since the end of December 2025, Iran has been experiencing mass protests against the regime — the largest since the 1979 revolution — driven by the economic crisis and the collapse of the rial. The Iranian government responded with violent repression; The number of protesters killed is estimated at more than 6,400. Trump had warned of consequences if the regime attacked the protesters.

On February 27 — one day before the attack — the U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations brokered by Oman collapsed in Geneva. Washington demanded the dismantling of the nuclear sites of Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz and the export of all enriched uranium. Iran refused to negotiate its missile program. Trump declared Friday that Iran was "not willing to give us what we need." The IAEA had confirmed that Iran possessed uranium enriched to 60%, a few steps away from the capacity to make a nuclear bomb. That same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed Iran on a new blacklist for illegal detention of U.S. citizens.

Unlike the limited strikes of June 2025, in which the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities for just twelve days, Operation Epic Fury was planned for weeks of sustained operations and has as its stated goal – in Trump's and Netanyahu's own words – regime change in Tehran.

⚠️ DEVELOPING NOTE — Updated as conflict progresses

⏱️ Reading time: 7 minutes • 🗓️ 01/03/2026 — 10:13 am • International Newsroom

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URGENT • ARMED CONFLICT • MIDDLE EAST • DEVELOPING NEWS

  🔴 NEWS IN DEVELOPMENT — UPDATE 17:55 p.m. 🔴 

"OPERATION EPIC FURY":

U.S. and Israel Strike Iran in Largest Joint Operation in Its History

Khamenei's whereabouts unknown — 201 killed in Iran — Missiles over Israel, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait

🗓️ Saturday, February 28, 2026   |   🕐 Last updated: 17.55:50 p.m. (Argentine time)   |   ⏱️ Reading Time: 6 minutes   |   ✍️ International Editorial Team

The Middle East woke up to war. In the early hours of Saturday, February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched the most devastating coordinated attack in their joint history against Iran: the so-called "Operation Epic Fury" — called "Lion's Roar" by Israeli forces — hit more than 500 military, nuclear, and intelligence targets across six Iranian cities with hundreds of aircraft. Iran responded with an unprecedented counterattack: successive waves of missiles and drones hit Israel and U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. At press time, the situation remains in a state of maximum escalation and the fate of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the subject of intense international speculation.

⚔️ "Operation Epic Fury" and "Lion's Roar": anatomy of the attack

At dawn on Saturday, Israeli fighter jets — F-35, F-15, F-16 and F-22, accompanied by electronic warfare aircraft and radar planes — crossed the region's airspace and unleashed what Netanyahu himself called "the largest offensive in the history of the State of Israel." According to the Israeli Defense Ministry statement, more than 200 fighter jets were involved in the strikes and approximately 500 targets were hit, including air defense systems, missile launchers, nuclear program facilities and intelligence centers.

The targets hit included Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's residential and working complex in the heart of Tehran, the Supreme National Security Council, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and various Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities. The affected cities were Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Tabriz, Karaj and Kermanshah, according to media from both countries and international news agencies.

President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. involvement through a video posted on social media, monitoring the operation from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. He said the campaign is aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, adding that Tehran had continued to develop missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. He also urged the Iranian people to "take control of their government." The Pentagon confirmed that no U.S. combat casualties were recorded during the initial phase of the operation.

🔥 Did Khamenei die? The question that paralyzes the world

The point of greatest tension and uncertainty of the day revolves around the whereabouts and state of health of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1989. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cameras that there are "many indications" that Khamenei is no longer alive, after confirming that the joint forces destroyed "the tyrant's compound in the heart of Tehran". Israeli television channels said that both Trump and Netanyahu had seen a photograph of the ayatollah's body.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi assured in a live interview with NBC News that the supreme leader is alive: "As far as I know, the supreme leader is alive," he said from Tehran. Iranian intelligence sources quoted by France24 indicated that Khamenei was moved to a safe place before the start of the attacks. Among the deceased confirmed by Israeli sources is Ali Shamkhani, Khamenei's key adviser and a central figure in Iran's nuclear programme, although Tehran has not corroborated this either.

Netanyahu, for his part, called on the Iranian people on Saturday to "rise up and overthrow the regime", in what analysts read as confirmation that the political objective of the operation is not only military but also regime change, in line with Trump's statements.

🚀 Iran's retaliation: missiles over Israel and US bases across the region

Hours after the start of the bombings, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the beginning of its counteroffensive: successive waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeted Israel and US military bases in several Gulf countries. By Saturday night, the Israeli army reported the sixth wave of projectiles launched from Iranian territory, with air alert sirens activating in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and other cities in the north and center of the country.

The targets of the Iranian retaliation included the Al Udeid base in Qatar — the largest U.S. base in the region — the Al Salem base in Kuwait, the Al Dhafra base in the United Arab Emirates, and the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Iran announced that any base in the region that "supports Israel will be targeted." Kuwait and Qatar announced that they reserve the right to respond to Iranian attacks on their territories. Jordan reported shooting down 13 ballistic missiles and 36 drones heading for its territory.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the damage to its bases was slight and did not disrupt operations. The FBI raised the national anti-terrorism alert level, while the Department of Homeland Security urged U.S. citizens around the world to "exercise extreme caution."

💀 Victims: At least 201 killed in Iran, dozens of girls in school

The Iranian Red Crescent confirmed at least 201 dead and 747 wounded as a result of the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iranian territory, although local officials warn that the real toll could be significantly higher. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced on social networks that one of the missiles directly hit a girls' primary school in the city of Minab, Hormozgan province, in the south of the country. Later reports raised the number of minors killed in that specific attack to 51.

The U.S. CENTCOM confirmed that there were no U.S. casualties in the initial phase. Israel has so far not reported any civilians killed by Iranian missiles on its territory, attributing the results to the effectiveness of the Iron Dome defence system, although it acknowledged that the "defence is not airtight" and called on the population to maintain the instructions of the Home Front Command.

🌍 International reactions: between condemnation and support

The international community reacted quickly. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called an emergency meeting of the Security Council and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities. Russia described the attacks as a "planned and unprovoked act of aggression" against a sovereign state and demanded a return to diplomatic channels. Vladimir Putin urgently convened his Security Council. China also condemned the bombings.

Spain and France demanded de-escalation and respect for international humanitarian law. Turkey announced that it will not allow the use of its airspace. Saudi Arabia declared itself ready for "any measure" along with the Gulf countries. The African Union condemned Iran's missile attacks on the territories of Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, calling them a "violation of sovereignty." Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that Trump's decision to initiate military hostilities "violates the Constitution" without congressional authorization. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine called it a "colossal mistake."

Trump spoke by phone with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The president said he could withdraw "in two or three days" if the Iranians take control of his government, although his advisers confirmed that the operation will last at least four days.

✈️ The impact on the global economy and air transport

The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil exceeded 110 dollars in the reference markets due to fears of a blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil circulates. The U.S. government urged commercial vessels to avoid the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. Air France, Lufthansa and other European and Asian airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh. Iran announced the closure of all its universities until further notice.

📌 Context: Why now?

The escalation did not come out of nowhere. On February 27 — just one day before the attacks — new U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, mediated by Oman, concluded in Geneva. According to later reconstructions, Washington would have demanded the dismantling of Iran's three main nuclear sites — Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz — and the export of all enriched uranium. The IAEA had confirmed that Iran possessed uranium enriched to 60%, just steps short of the threshold needed to make a nuclear weapon. The breakdown of negotiations without an agreement would have precipitated the decision to attack.

In the history of the confrontation between Trump and Iran, it should be recalled that in January 2020 the then-president ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. In June 2025, during twelve days of open war between Israel and Iran, the US had already bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. "Operation Epic Fury" represents, according to analysts, a qualitative leap of enormous magnitude compared to those previous episodes.

⚠️ DEVELOPING NOTE — Updated with each official confirmation

⏱️ Reading time: 6 minutes • 🗓️ 28/02/2026 — 17:55 hs • International Newsroom

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URGENT • WORLD • ARMED CONFLICT

⚠️ DEVELOPING NEWS

U.S. and Israel Attack Iran: Explosions in Tehran, Iranian Missiles Over Israel and Region in Flames

🗓️ Saturday, February 28, 2026   |   🕐 Updated: 10:45 p.m. (Argentine time)   |   ⏱️ Reading Time: 4 minutes   |   ✍️ International Editorial Team

The Middle East is experiencing its most tense night in decades. In the last few hours, Israel launched the so-called "Operation Lion's Roar" against Iranian territory with direct support from the United States, hitting military and infrastructure targets in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah. Iran responded immediately with a massive missile and drone launch that is now in its sixth wave, as the world holds its breath at the risk of a regional war.

⚔️ The attack: "Operation Lion's Roar"

After midnight from Friday to Saturday, Israeli warplanes crossed the airspace of several countries in the region and began a series of coordinated bombardments on Iranian territory. The operation, confirmed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, was designed to target Iran's missile and nuclear infrastructure, and had logistical, intelligence, and military support from the United States.

President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. involvement in a video released on social media, in which he declared that the campaign aims to "destroy Iranian missiles and devastate its arms industry," and warned that the operation will last "days, not hours." Satellite images released by international media showed plumes of black smoke rising from facilities near the compound of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

🚀 The Iranian response: waves of missiles and drones

Hours after the start of the Israeli-American bombardments, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued an official statement announcing the beginning of its counterattack: "The first wave of large-scale missile and drone attacks towards the occupied territories has begun." By Saturday night, the Israeli army was already warning of a sixth wave of projectiles, with warning sirens sounding in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities in the north and center of the country.

International media correspondents in the region reported that the explosions were not limited to Israeli territory: impacts were reported in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where a missile would have hit a base with the presence of US troops. Yemen's Houthis, allies of Iran, announced for their part that they will resume their attacks on commercial sea routes and Israel in solidarity with Tehran.

💀 Casualties and Reported Damage

The Iranian authorities reported the death of civilians, including children, in different parts of the country. The most serious case reported so far is an attack on a school in the town of Minab, in Hormozgan province, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran says the number of civilian casualties continues to rise and holds Israel and the United States squarely responsible. Israel, for its part, confirmed the interception of multiple projectiles by its Iron Dome missile defense system, although it did not rule out hits in residential areas.

🌍 International reactions

The international community was quick to speak out. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres demanded an "immediate cessation of hostilities" and called an emergency meeting of the Security Council for tonight. Spain and France demanded de-escalation and respect for international humanitarian law, while Turkey announced that it will not allow the use of its airspace for attacks.

On the operational front, Air France suspended its flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh. Other European and Asian airlines announced similar measures in the face of the partial closure of regional airspace. Global oil markets operate with strong volatility: the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil exceeded 110 dollars due to fears of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world's oil flows.

📌 Context: how did it get here?

The escalation between Israel and Iran has deep roots in decades of regional hostility, but it has accelerated dramatically in recent years. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023, tension between Tehran and Tel Aviv has increased steadily, with attacks and counterattacks of different scales through their allies and, on some occasions, directly. The Trump administration's decision to back Israel militarily in this new level of open confrontation marks a historic turning point in U.S. foreign policy for the region.

Note in development • Updated with each new official confirmation

⏱️ Estimated reading time: 4 minutes • 🗓️ 28/02/2026 • International Writing

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🏛️ MARATHON SESSION IN THE SENATE

Special Coverage · February 26, 2026 · Chamber of Senators of the Argentine Nation

📅  BUENOS AIRES, FEBRUARY 26, 2026 |  NATIONAL POLICY

The Senate approves the Mercosur-EU agreement and stresses to the end with the Glacier Law on a historic day of high political voltage

With 40 senators in the chamber since 11 a.m., the ruling party consummated its penultimate extraordinary session with an explosive agenda: the ratification of the most ambitious trade agreement in the history of Mercosur and the controversial reform of the law that protects glaciers, a debate that divided blocs and revived the rift between extractive development and environmental protection.

⚡  THE QUORUM, THE BUZZER AND THE START

The session was scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 26 and started twelve minutes later than announced, but without the nervousness that characterized other days of this administration. With La Libertad Avanza, its allies and the surprise of the Justicialist bloc – which sat on their benches while the buzzer sounded – the quorum was achieved without any surprises. At the head of the venue, Vice President Victoria Villarruel presided over the session.

The day began with the approval of the list of Fernando Iglesias, former national deputy of La Libertad Avanza, as Argentine political ambassador to Belgium and the European Union. The appointment is interpreted as a strategic move by the Executive: Iglesias will take office in Brussels at the time of greatest activity linked to the Mercosur-EU agreement, and the Senate had to formally endorse his appointment.

🌍  MERCOSUR-EU AGREEMENT: 25 YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS REACH THE FLOOR

The treaty between Mercosur and the European Union has such a long history that it is already part of the political culture of the region. Negotiations formally began in 1999, were interrupted multiple times due to tariff differences and pressure from European agro-industrial lobbies, and finally reached their political closure in December 2019. However, the final signing only took place on January 17, 2026 in Asunción, with the presence of the presidents of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – Brazil participated but President Lula da Silva did not attend in person – and the European Commission's Commissioner for Trade.

The Chamber of Deputies had already given it half sanction on February 12. The urgency of the Senate, which brought forward the debate to this Thursday from the originally scheduled Friday, had a specific reason: the Uruguayan Parliament was moving quickly in its own ratification process and the Argentine government wanted to become the first country in the bloc to endorse the agreement, ensuring a differential advantage in access to trade quotas.

The text of the agreement cannot be modified: the Senate had to approve or reject it en bloc. There are no half measures. That simplified the debate on this point: opposition to the treaty existed, but it was marginal in the face of a broad and transversal parliamentary consensus. PRO Senator Martin Goerling described it as a historic event, while the president of the UCR bloc, Eduardo Vischi, said that the agreement exceeds trade and includes long-term political commitments.

📊  WHAT ARGENTINA GAINS: THE TARIFF MAP

The projected economic impact is of great magnitude. Argentine exports to the EU could grow by 76% in the first five years of the agreement's validity, going from the current 8,600 million dollars to more than 15,000 million. In a ten-year horizon, the projection rises to 122%. The EU will eliminate tariffs for 92% of Mercosur's exports and grant preferential access to another 7.5%, leaving out only 0.5%.

Source: Argentine Foreign Ministry / INAI Foundation / Infobae, February 2026

The wine sector also obtained historic recognition: the EU endorsed 96 geographical indications and traditional Argentine expressions such as 'reserva' and 'gran reserva', a claim that national winemakers had been demanding for more than two decades in each round of negotiations. Chambers such as the UIA, the SRA and the G6 celebrated the agreement, although the manufacturing industry warned that the opening of imports from Europe – gradual over 10 and 15 years – will require competitiveness adjustments.

🏔️  THE GLACIER LAW: THE DEBATE THAT DIVIDED EVERYTHING

If the Mercosur-EU agreement was the main course of the ruling party, the reform of the Glacier Law was the minefield. The current law, Law 26,639, was sanctioned in 2010 under the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and protects both visible glaciers and periglacial areas, that is, high mountain ecosystems with frozen or water-saturated soils that fulfill a critical water function. The reform promoted by the Government proposes a distinction that for its critics is a gap through which all Andean mining fits.

The key is in the seventh article of the majority opinion: it allows each province to determine its own enforcement authority to define which periglacial areas fulfill a water function and which do not. Only those who comply with it will continue to be protected. Those who do not, will be authorized for mining and hydrocarbon projects. For the Government and the governors of mountain provinces such as San Juan, La Rioja, Mendoza or Catamarca, this is legal predictability to attract investments. For environmentalists, it is a regression that empties the original protection of its content.

The additional complication came from the UCR, which at the last minute presented an alternative project to the majority opinion. The central difference between the two texts lies in who has the technical power to define which areas are protected: the ruling party grants it to the provinces; the UCR concentrates it in IANIGLA, the Argentine Institute of Nivology, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences, a national technical organization with decades of expertise in the field. This dispute, which at first glance seems administrative, has enormous consequences: a mining province could have incentives to declare that certain periglacial areas have no water function, facilitating extraction. IANIGLA, on the other hand, would act with exclusively scientific criteria.

⚠️ Technical warning: Environmental organizations pointed out in the last few hours that certain articles of the reform to the glacier law could collide with environmental commitments included in the text of the Mercosur-EU agreement itself, generating a legislative paradox in the same session.

🗳️  THE VOTE MAP: WHO SUPPORTED AND WHO REJECTED

The vote on the Mercosur-EU agreement was resolved with a large majority. The Glacier Law, on the other hand, showed the seams of the ruling coalition. The PRO arrived with divided positions: while Goerling announced his affirmative vote, the senator for Chubut rejected it and the representative of La Pampa arrived at the precinct without definition. The Justicialist bloc, for its part, gave freedom of action to its senators from mining provinces. Lucía Corpacci from Catamarca and Sergio Uñac from San Juan — both former governors of their districts — were identified as the most likely to accompany the ruling party.

📋  CONTEXT: THE AGENDA THAT CLOSES THE EXTRAORDINARY SESSION

This session is the penultimate of the extraordinary sessions convened by the Executive. On Friday, February 27, the Senate is scheduled to debate the labor reform and the Juvenile Criminal Regime, two issues that generate an even more heated union and social conflict: that same day there is a general strike by several unions and the United Trade Union Front (FreSU) marches to Congress.

On Sunday, March 1, President Javier Milei will formally open the ordinary session with a speech before the Legislative Assembly, where governors, deputies and senators will listen to the government's agenda for the year. In this context, this Thursday's session works as a preview of the disputes that will mark Argentine politics in the coming months: trade liberalization, federalism, the environment and extractive investments are braided into a single legislative day.

The appointment of Fernando Iglesias as ambassador to Belgium and the EU completes the strategic picture: the Executive is looking for a political interlocutor of maximum confidence in Brussels, just when the mechanisms for implementing the agreement will begin to be designed. Iglesias, who built his public profile as a combative and polemicist legislator, will assume in the Belgian capital a role that will demand other types of skills: technical negotiation, institutional representation and knowledge of the workings of the European community bureaucracy.

🏛️

One session, two destinations: the outside world and the glaciers within.

Argentina chose today to open up to global trade. The environmental cost of that opening is still being written.

Sources: Infobae · La Nación · APF Digital · InfoRegion · Textual Journal · Provincial Viewpoint · The Sun · Argentine Foreign Ministry · INAI Foundation · El Cronista · Agencia Noticias Argentinas

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✈  SPECIAL REPORT  ✈

The U.S. military plane in Ushuaia: secrecy, sovereignty and the South Atlantic in dispute

A U.S. Air Force Boeing C-40 Clipper landed at the Malvinas Argentinas International Airport without an official statement, coinciding with the controversial intervention of the strategic port of Tierra del Fuego. The Argentine Navy found out through the media. The opposition demands explanations.

📰 The landing that no one announced

No official statement, no disseminated agenda, no explanations. That was the scenario surrounding the arrival of a U.S. military plane at Ushuaia's Malvinas Argentinas International Airport during the last weekend of January 2026. The aircraft, identified as a Boeing C-40 Clipper operated under the U.S. Air Mobility Command's RCH call code, landed shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday, according to satellite trackers from civilian and military flights.

Just a day after landing, the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires confirmed that the aircraft was carrying a bipartisan delegation of members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. But the Argentine government remained silent.

🗺️ Why Ushuaia is not just any destination

The landing scenario is far from accidental. Ushuaia, capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands, is located almost 3,000 kilometers from Buenos Aires and is one of the most geopolitically sensitive points in the southern hemisphere. Its location makes it a gateway to Antarctica and a strategic passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

⚓  The port of Ushuaia mobilizes about 700 ships a year, including ships that supply Antarctic campaigns and international cargo vessels.

🏗️  The Argentine Navy's Integrated Naval Base has been under construction since 2022 in its vicinity, a project that has captured the explicit interest of the U.S. Southern Command.

🔬  Ushuaia operates as a scientific logistics center for expeditions to the South Pole and as a port of call terminal for intercontinental maritime routes.

💎  The Patagonian region is also home to critical mineral reserves and the Vaca Muerta formation, considered the world's second largest reserve of unconventional gas.

🪖 The context: port intervention and previous signals

The landing of the C-40 Clipper did not occur in a vacuum. Just three days earlier, on January 22, 2026 – the same day the aircraft took off from Joint Base Andrews – the national government ordered the administrative intervention of the Port of Ushuaia, displacing the Provincial Directorate of Ports that had administered it since 1992 and placing it under the orbit of the National Administration of Ports and Navigation (ANPyN).

The provincial government of Tierra del Fuego, headed by the opposition Gustavo Melella, rejected the measure and described it as an abuse of federalism and a violation of the National Constitution. In an official statement, the Fuegian authorities hinted at undeclared geopolitical motivations behind the national decision.

⚠️ The Argentine Navy found out through the media

One of the most resonant facts of the incident was revealed by La Política Online: the head of the Argentine Navy, Vice Admiral Juan Carlos Romay, learned of the arrival of the U.S. plane through the media, without having been previously notified by the national Executive Branch.

❗  Active military sources confirmed that the Argentine Armed Forces had no role in the arrival of the foreign aircraft.

🔐  The C-40 Clipper is considered an 'office in the sky': equipped with encrypted communications and areas for senior civilian and military commanders.

🌊  The aircraft operates under the U.S. Air Mobility Command (AMC), typically reserved for transporting high-ranking personnel.

🇺🇸 Washington's agenda and interest in the South Atlantic

The visit is not an isolated phenomenon. Since Javier Milei assumed the presidency in December 2023, Washington's interest in Argentina's extreme south has been manifested in a concrete way. In 2024, the then head of the Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, visited the Integrated Naval Base in Ushuaia. In September 2025, his successor, Admiral Alvin Holsey, repeated the visit accompanied by the embassy's chargé d'affaires, Abigail L. Dressel.

On both occasions, U.S. officials expressed concern about China's growing influence in the South Atlantic and Antarctica, a region where Beijing has systematically expanded its scientific and logistical presence. In this context, Milei authorized by decree the holding of joint military exercises and the entry of U.S. troops into Argentine territory.

The congressional delegation that transported the C-40 in January included representatives of the Energy and Commerce Committee. His stated agenda encompassed critical mineral processing, public health research, waste management and medical security — although no legislator was identified by name and there was no official exchange with the Argentine Congress or provincial authorities.

🏛️ The opposition demands answers

The arrival of the plane triggered chain reactions in the opposition political arc. From the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, legislators from different blocs presented requests for formal reports to the Executive Branch, demanding explanations about the identity of the passengers, the objectives of the mission and whether the arrival was coordinated from Buenos Aires.

📋  The opposition presented requests for a report due to the lack of notification to the Argentine Congress.

🗣️  Deputies from the UCR, the Frente de Todos and the Fuegian bloc agreed to describe the episode as a worrying precedent for national sovereignty.

🚫  The government did not publicly respond to journalistic inquiries about the episode during the days after landing.

📌 What does this episode mean?

Beyond the debate over whether there were formal irregularities, the incident exposes a deep tension in the foreign policy of the Milei administration: the strategic rapprochement with Washington, which the government presents as a natural alliance between free nations, generates internal fissures and conflicting readings in the Argentine armed forces themselves, in the provinces and in a large part of the opposition.

The question that remains floating over Ushuaia is not whether the plane landed – the satellite tracking data admits no doubt – but what the government negotiated in silence, what the intervention of the port implies in that context and what is the price of the strategic alliance with the United States in a territory where Argentine sovereignty is,  since 1833, a historically sensitive issue.

🔗 Sources: CNN en Español | Profile | Online Politics | BíoBíoChile | Page 12

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Prepaid medicine companies apply increases of 2.8% in February and have already reported increases of up to 3.2% for March. In a context of slowing inflation, the health sector continues to put pressure on the budgets of millions of Argentine families.

Sunday, February 22, 2026   ⏱ 5 min read

February began and those affiliated with private medicine already feel it in their pockets. The main prepaid health companies informed their users of an average increase  of 2.8% in this month's fees, an adjustment that also reaches co-payments. Without pause, a few hours into the month, the same companies already sent notifications for March: up to 3.2% more.

The cycle repeats itself with millimetric precision: the prepaid companies adjust their prices with two months of lag with respect to official inflation. Thus, February's increases reflect last December's price rise (2.8% according to INDEC), while March's increases take January's inflation (2.9%) as a reference. The formula, released since DNU 70 December 2023, turned monthly increases into a structural constant of the Argentine private health system.

📊 KEY FACTS

📅 FEBRUARY 2026

This month's adjustment: 2.8% across the board

As reported by the prepaid medicine companies to their affiliates, the February increase reaches 2.8% of the total value of the fee. The adjustment is part of the scheme of periodic updates that the providers have been implementing in line with the evolution of the system's operating costs.

Concrete impact: A fee of $100,000 in January went to $102,800 in February. A $300,000 plan went to $308,400. Added to this is the proportional increase in co-payments, making medical consultations, outpatient practices and studies that are not fully covered more expensive.

The increase has a special impact on retirees and families with fixed incomes, who allocate a growing portion of their income to maintaining private health coverage. Consumer associations warned that, even with moderate percentages, the monthly accumulation generates a significant effect on sustained access to coverage.

📈 MARCH 2026 — WHAT'S NEXT

Up to 3.2% more: companies have already notified

Just after the first half of February, the main prepaid medicine companies began to send notifications with the new tariff tables for March. The increases have already been officially uploaded to the digital system of the Superintendence of Health Services (SSS), which since July 2025 requires monthly reports differentiated by plan, age group and region of the country.

The scheme for the third month of the year shows that most large companies aligned themselves with inflation in January (2.9%), with the exception of Avalian, which will apply the highest increase in the sector: 3.2%.

🏥 TABLE OF INCREASES BY COMPANY — MARCH 2026

* OSDE applies a staggered scheme: between 2.4% and 2.9% depending on the type of plan and the region.

The companies justify the increase by arguing a sustained increase in the costs of the system: medical supplies, updating of professional fees, rents of facilities and outsourced services. In some cases, the update also applies to copays, depending on the health plan and the company.

💰 ECONOMIC CONTEXT

An item that does not rest even if inflation falls

The increase in prepaid does not happen in a vacuum. February arrived with a chain of increases that simultaneously put pressure on the family budget: collective (2.8% in CABA, 4.5% in the Province), rents (34.6% for contracts under the old law), AySA (+4%), telecommunications (2.8% to 3.5%) and energy.

In year-on-year terms, the cumulative increase in prepaid in Greater Buenos Aires already reaches 27.9%, while at the national level the average reaches 28.2%. Official inflation in the last twelve months is around 31.5%, which means that, according to measurements by the Superintendence of Health Services, four of the five largest prepaid companies in the country adjusted below the general price level in 2025.

The picture of the sector today: OSDE leads the market with 2.2 million affiliates, followed by Swiss Medical (1.03 million), Sancor Salud (672 thousand), Galeno (442 thousand) and Medifé (317 thousand). Outside the top five, companies such as Hospital Italiano (32.55%), Unión Personal (33.8%) and OMINT (36.25%) exceeded annual inflation.

🕰️ RECENT TIMELINE

How we got here

🏛️ REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

The Superintendence and the new tariff transparency

Since July 2025, prepaid medicine companies have been required to report their differentiated prices by plan, age group and region to the Superintendence of Health Services (SSS) on a monthly basis. This scheme, the result of the deregulation promoted by the Milei government, seeks to generate competition between providers and give clear information to users so that they can compare and choose.

In addition, in January 2025, Resolution 1 of the Ministry of Health put an end to the triangulation system: more than 1.3 million affiliates who channeled their contributions through intermediary social works began to link them directly to their provider. The government estimated that this eliminated a cash of more than $30,000 million per month that these social works retained without providing services.

What can the affiliate do? The Superintendence enabled an official digital platform where users can consult and compare plans, values and providers. The cancellation or change of plan is also enabled with prior notification from the company.

✍️ EDITORIAL

Private health, an expense that does not give a truce

The slowdown in inflation in Argentina is good news, but it does not translate into relief when it comes to private health. The prepaid ones adjust month by month, dragging down a system that, for millions of middle-class families, became the second heaviest expense after rent.

Deregulation brought order to the sector, eliminated intermediaries and generated more transparency. However, the equation for the affiliate's pocket did not necessarily improve: the increases are still automatic, the co-payments rise in parallel and the alternative – the union social work – does not offer the quality that many seek in the private sector either.

The underlying challenge is not regulatory but structural: how to sustain a private health system that works, that covers well and that is financially achievable for a middle class hit by years of accumulated inflation. For now, the response that arrives in the mail every month is always the same: another increase.

Tags: 💊 Prepaid 📈 Medicine Inflation 🏥 Private Health Domestic 💰 Economy 🇦🇷 Argentina

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The ruling party sealed the victory with the usual votes of the PRO, the UCR, the MID and the provincial blocs that respond to pro-dialogue governors. Peronism, as a bloc, voted against. The debate lasted from 2 p.m. on Thursday until early Friday morning, with fiery speeches, quorum maneuvers and an unusual emotional charge in the chamber.

The heart of the legislative conflict was Article 44, incorporated by the Senate, which established that a worker who suffered an accident or illness unrelated to his work duties would receive only between 50% and 75% of his basic salary during the period of leave. The combined pressure of the PRO, the UCR, provincial governors and allied union sectors led the government to accept its elimination before the session in the Chamber of Deputies.

The constitutional procedure is clear: for a bill to have the force of law, both chambers must approve it with identical text. As Deputies, he modified the articles – albeit minimally – the bill automatically returns to the Senate. The official agenda points to the week of February 24 for the final treatment.

The Labor Modernization Law, with more than 200 articles organized into five thematic axes, fundamentally modifies central aspects of the Labor Contract Law (No. 20,744). These are the most relevant changes for workers and employers:

The 135-115 result reflected the government's ability to sustain its expanded coalition, a direct result of the legislative triumph of October 2025. The agreements with opposition governors, who aligned their blocs with the ruling party, were decisive.

Since midnight on Thursday the 19th, Argentina experienced the fourth general strike against the government of Javier Milei. The CGT called for a 24-hour cessation of activities: transport, banks, shops and industry were practically paralyzed. The CGT leadership reported 90% adherence at the national level; the Association of State Workers (ATE) reported 98% compliance among its members.

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🛑 General strike in Argentina: a day of political tension, paralyzed transport and union conflict

⏱ Reading time: 4 min By Redacción | Updated as of February 19, 2026

📌 A country stopped in the midst of the conflict over labor reform

Argentina is experiencing a day marked by social and political tension. The CGT leads a 24-hour general strike in rejection of the labor reform promoted by the national government. The measure coincides with the debate of the bill in the Chamber of Deputies, which raised the climate of confrontation between the ruling party and the unions.

From the Executive, officials described the strike as "unnecessary" and "harmful to workers", while the labor federation maintains that the strike has a "massive compliance" and that the reform "cuts back on rights conquered."

🚇 Transport paralyzed and services affected

The most visible impact of the strike is felt in transport:

• Trains, subways or buses do not work.
• Airports operate with minimal services, with dozens of flights canceled.
• Taxis and remises work with low availability.

The streets of Buenos Aires woke up with reduced traffic and practically empty stations, a postcard that is repeated in the main cities of the country.

⚖️ Labour reform at the centre of the debate

The project promoted by the Government proposes changes in:

• Compensation
• Contracting modalities
• Licenses
• Working hours

While the ruling party defends the initiative as a step towards the "modernization of the labor market," the CGT warns that it is a "historic setback."

🏭 The closure of FATE aggravates the social climate

The conflict intensified after the closure of the FATE tire factory, which left more than 900 workers unemployed. The SUTNA union blames the government for "lack of industrial policies," while the Ministry of Labor dictated mandatory conciliation to stop dismissals.

At the San Fernando plant, the workers maintain a permanent vigil and denounce that the company "abandoned production".

🔥 A fragile economic scenario

The strike occurs in a context of:

• Fall in industrial activity
• Rising unemployment
• Small and medium-sized business closures

The unions maintain that the labour reform "will deepen precariousness", while the government insists that it is necessary to "reactivate the economy".

🧭 What can happen in the next few hours

• Deputies will continue the debate on the reform.
• The CGT is evaluating new measures of force.
• The Government maintains its position of not modifying the project.

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⚖️ Senate approves the labor reform promoted by Milei

42 votes in favor – 30 against – Marathon session between protests

📰 The fact

In a session that lasted more than 14 hours, the Senate of the Nation approved in general the labor reform proposed by President Javier Milei. The vote ended with 42 affirmative votes and 30 negative, with no abstentions. Outside Congress, clashes broke out between protesters and security forces, with several injuries reported.

The initiative now goes to the Chamber of Deputies, where the ruling party will seek its final sanction during the extraordinary sessions.

📊 Keys to the reform

• Flexibility of labor contracts and reduction of employer burdens.
• Changes in the system of compensation and sick leave.
• Adjustments in the system of contributions and contributions.
• Greater room for action for the security forces in union conflicts.

🗳️ How each senator voted

✅ In favor (42)

• The ruling bloc La Libertad Avanza en plenary.
• Majority of the UCR.
• PRO Senators.
• Sectors of federal Peronism and provincial allies.

❌ Against (30)

• Bloc of the Frente de Todos (Kirchnerist Peronism).
• Some provincial senators who rejected labor flexibility.
• Left-wing legislators and minority parties.

🟢 Votes in favor of the labor reform (42)

🔹 La Libertad Avanza (ruling party)

1. Bartolomé Abdala
2. Romina Almeida
3. Ivanna Arrascaeta
4. Ezequiel Atauche
5. Vilma Bedia
6. Joaquín Alberto Benegas Lynch
7. Patricia Bullrich
8. Pablo Cervi
9. Agustín Coto
10. Enzo Fullone
11. Juan Cruz Godoy
12. Gonzalo Guzmán Coraita
13. Nadia Márquez
14. Monte de Oca Nativity Scene
15. Agustín Monteverde
16. Bruno Olivera Lucero
17. María Emilia Orozco
18. Juan Carlos Pagotto
19. Francisco Paoltroni

🔹 Radical Civic Union (UCR)

20. Maximiliano Abad
21. Flavio Fama
22. Eduardo Galaretto
23. Mariana Juri
24. Daniel Kroneberger
25. Carolina Losada
26. Silvana Schneider
27. Rodolfo Suárez
28. Gabriela Valenzuela
29. Eduardo Vischi

🔹 PRO (Republican Proposal)

30. Andrea Cristina
31. Martín Goerling
32. Victoria Huala
33. Luis Juez

🔹 Provincial and Independent Blocs

34. Carlos Arce — Frente Renovador de la Concordia Social
35. Sonia Rojas Decut — Frente Renovador de la Concordia Social
36. Julieta Corroza — La Neuquinidad
37. Flavia Royón — First the Salteños
38. Edith Terenzi — Despierta Chubut
39. Beatriz Ávila — Independiente
40. Alejandra Vigo — United Provinces

🔴 Votes against the labour reform (30)

🔸 Union for the Homeland (Kirchnerism / traditional Peronism)

1. Guillermo Andrada
2. Adam Bahl
3. Daniel Bensusán
4. Jorge Capitanich
5. Lucía Corpacci
6. Eduardo "Wado" de Pedro
7. Juliana Di Tullio
8. Anabel Fernández Sagasti
9. María Celeste Giménez Navarro
10. María Teresa González
11. Alicia Kirchner
12. Marcelo Lewandowski
13. Carlos Linares
14. Candida Lopez
15. María Florencia López
16. Juan Luis Manzur
17. Ana Inés Marks
18. José Mayans
19. Mariano Recalde
20. Martín Soria
21. Sergio Uñac

🔸 Federal Conviction / Other Provincials (non-UCR/PRO opposition)

22. Guillermo Andrada — Federal Conviction
23. Sandra Mendoza — Federal Conviction
24. María Carolina Moises — Federal Conviction
25. Jesús Fernando Rejal — Federal Conviction
26. Fernando Salino — Federal Conviction
27. José María Carambia — Moveré por Santa Cruz
28. Natalia Gadano — Moveré por Santa Cruz
29. Gerardo Zamora — Others
30. Elia Moreno — Others
31. José Emilio Neder — Others

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