Airstrikes hit Iran-Iraq border as US and Israeli plans to mobilise Kurds gathers pace | First Thing

Experts warn backing Iran’s ethnic communities could increase the risk of a chaotic civil war. Plus, Pam Bondi subpoenaed by US House in Jeffrey Epstein investigationGood morning.Intense waves of airstrikes have hit dozens of military positions, frontier posts and police stations along northern parts of Iran’s border with Iraq, in what appeared to be preparation by the US and Israel for a new front as their war entered its sixth day.What blowback could result from backing armed groups from Iran’s ethnic communities? Experts have warned it may heighten the risk of a chaotic civil war if the current regime collapses.What is the latest on US military operations? Top military officials told lawmakers that the US may not have the capacity to shoot down every Iranian drone being launched against its military assets, according to two people familiar with the matter. As a result, the US is focused on rapidly destroying the launch sites for Iran’s drones and conventional missiles.Who else has criticized the Department of Justice and why? Lawmakers on both sides have condemned the department’s handling of the documents, which has included accidentally publishing the names of survivors and redacting, without explanation, the names of those who may have committed crimes. Continue reading...