LIVE DEVELOPMENTS — updated Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Marco Rubio Directs Diplomats To Push Foreign Governments To Join Against Iran
WAR IN
ISRAEL
LIVE DEVELOPMENTS — updated Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Marco Rubio Directs Diplomats To Push Foreign Governments To Join Against Iran
WAR IN ISRAEL
- Since Oct. 7, over 1,600 Israelis (925 soldiers) have been killed, and 6,420 IDF soldiers wounded since the start of the war.
- On Oct. 7, 2023, one day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, thousands of Hamas gunmen invaded southern Israel, brutally murdering 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 251 to the Gaza Strip.
- On Oct. 8, 2023, the Israel Security Cabinet voted to officially declare war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
- On Oct. 27, 2023, the IDF began its Ground Operation in Northern Gaza
- Between October 7th, 2023, and March 31, 2024, the IDF made approximately 100,000 phone calls, dropped 9.3 million leaflets, sent 15.5 million text messages, and 17 million voice recordings in efforts to get Gazan civilians out of harm’s way during military operations.
- Between October 7th, 2023, and August 18, 2025, Israel has allowed and facilitated the entry of over 1.9 million tons of aid into Gaza.
- On June 13th, 2025, the 12 Day War began between Israel and the Iranian regime. Israel conducted massive airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure and leadership, weapons stockpiles, and nuclear scientists—as the regime rained ballistic missiles down, targeting locations of Israel’s largest civilian populations.
- On June 22, 2025, under the orders of President Trump, B2 Bombers dropped bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear facilities, thwarting the imminent danger of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
- On October 10th, 2025, a fragile ceasefire agreement, brokered by the Trump Administration, came into effect between Israel and Hamas.
- On January 27, 2026, after numerous delays, the body of the last remaining Israeli hostage in the Gaza Strip was returned to Israel.
Day 893 — Tuesday, March 17
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed American diplomats to urge foreign governments to take swift action against Iran and its proxy networks, citing an increased threat environment.
In a cable sent Monday to all diplomatic and consular posts, titled “Elevated Concern of IRGC Activity,” officials were directed to push their host countries to “move expeditiously to diminish the capabilities of Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist groups from attacking our respective nations and citizens” amid an “elevated risk of attack.”
The message, marked sensitive but unclassified, was to be delivered “at the highest appropriate level” by March 20, reported ABC News, which obtained a copy of the missive.
The directive emphasized coordinated international pressure, stating: “We assess that the Iranian regime is more sensitive to collective action than unilateral action, and that joint pressure is more likely to compel behavior change by the regime than unilateral actions alone.”
“We must act while international attention is focused now to end the Iranian campaign of terror in the Middle East and globally. Do not allow this critical movement to pass,” it added.
The cable further advised that “at post’s discretion, advocacy efforts should be coordinated with Israeli diplomatic counterparts,” while noting that the talking points “may not be left behind.”
Diplomats were also instructed to highlight Iran’s longstanding destabilizing activities, including support for groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Iraqi militias. And to explain the goals of “Operation Epic Fury,” which are to “neutralize Iran’s nuclear program, destroy its
ballistic missile program, disrupt its proxy networks, and diminish its naval capabilities.”
In addition, U.S. officials were told to press countries that have not designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah as
terrorist organizations to “swiftly” do so.
“Such a designation will intensify the pressure on the Iranian regime and limit its ability to sponsor terror activities across the globe that jeopardizes the safety and security of your populations,” the cable stated.
The cable comes as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to build a broader coalition against Iran. The Military Times reported he has requested seven countries to send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
“Some are very enthusiastic, and some are less than enthusiastic,” Trump told reporters on Monday. He said he would soon release a list of countries that have agreed to do so.
“Numerous countries have told me they’re on the way,” said Trump.
Day 893 — Tuesday, March 17
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani was targeted in the single most momentous targeted killing since the beginning of the war on February 28, three separate sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. Larijani’s death was confirmed by Defense Minister Israel Katz shortly after.
The IDF also confirmed it had assassinated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij paramilitary militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, and his deputy, Seyyed Karishi. The two were killed in a makeshift tent area, which had been set up to make it harder to follow them as opposed to in a known headquarters.
The military also announced that it killed the IRGC’s Aerospace Force chief.
Day 893 — Tuesday, March 17
A defiant Iranian regime is reeling from U.S. and Israeli military strikes, but one American who fled Iran as a child says some citizens are thanking the U.S. as a liberator.
Iranian American Armin Assadi said Iranians are dancing near where American bombs have landed, adding that for the first time in 47 years there is hope Iran may be free.
“You can literally see people singing and dancing in the streets, mere blocks away from where the first missile struck. That’s craziness to have [to] find hope in being bombed,” Assadi said on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“That’s how desperate these people are, and they’re thanking America for it,” he added.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has destroyed a majority of Iran’s missile and drone manufacturing sites as a result of Operation Epic Fury — a military campaign that has resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Assadi said that while few videos have emerged from Iran since the attacks, what he has seen suggests some people support the U.S. campaign. He said some Iranians who have never visited the United States are even doing the “Trump dance.”
Assadi added that the “underground church” is praying for America.
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
U.S. President Donald Trump described the scale of American airstrikes targeting Iran on Monday and called for more countries to assist in re-opening maritime energy supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters in the East Room of the White House at a meeting of the board of the Kennedy Center, Trump said that the U.S. military had carried out more than 7,000 strikes on the Islamic Republic since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.
“These have been mostly commercial and military targets,” Trump said. “We have achieved a 90% reduction in their ballistic missile launches and a 95% reduction in drone attacks. The missiles are trickling in now at very low levels, because they don’t have too many missiles left.”
The president said that the military was carrying out strikes on Monday against Iran’s missile and drone manufacturing sites and had sunk or destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels.
Despite the reduction in Iranian attacks and the sinking of much of Iran’s navy, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula remains largely stopped.
Oil prices declined slightly on Monday to around $100 a barrel amid signals from the Trump administration that it was increasing efforts to open the strait, which normally carries about 20% of the world’s energy supplies.
Trump pointed to the asymmetric nature of the threat, in which even the threat of inexpensive Iranian mines or anti-ship missiles can prevent the crossing of oil tankers that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“It’s a little unfair, you know. You win a war, but they have no right to be doing what they’re doing,” Trump said. “Today is a big day where we’re pounding a certain area that has very much to do with the strait, and I think we’ll get it going very soon.”
The president also claimed there are “numerous countries” on the way to assist in re-opening the strait but declined to name them. Other countries, he said, “weren’t that enthusiastic” about helping.
He singled out the United Kingdom as one country that has been “terrible,” while rating France’s President Emmanuel Macron an “eight” out of 10 in his handling of the conflict.
Australia and Japan, two countries that Trump has said should help with re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, have both said that they do not have plans to send naval forces to the Persian Gulf.
“We strongly encourage the other nations to get involved with us and get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm,” Trump said. “It wouldn’t matter if you’re targeted or not, because this is a paper tiger that we’re dealing with now.”
“It wasn’t a paper tiger two weeks ago,” he said. “It’s a paper tiger now.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
A Hezbollah rocket impacted in northern Israel on Monday evening, sparking a fire and wounding several people, hours after the IDF announced it was deploying troops further into southern Lebanon.
Rocket and drone fire from the Lebanese terror group rained down on northern Israel throughout the day, with a rocket impacting in Nahariya shortly after 6 p.m.
According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, the rocket in Nahariya wounded six people, including two adults and four minors who were treated for signs of smoke inhalation after a fire was sparked by the impact.
All six were listed in good condition after being treated.
At another impact site, near Kibbutz Kabri, a man in his 40s was listed in light-to-moderate condition after being hit by a blast, MDA said.
Throughout Monday morning, sirens had sounded in the Galilee Panhandle and in communities near the Lebanon border, amid rocket fire by the terror group. There were no reports of injuries in those attacks.
The IDF said earlier Monday that it had begun a “targeted ground operation against key targets” in southern Lebanon, pushing more forces deeper into the area as part of an expanded buffer zone, after Hezbollah began attacking Israel earlier this month amid the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation would continue until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to the residents of northern Israel, and said displaced Lebanese would not return to their homes until then.
The 91st “Galilee” Regional Division began a raid late Saturday in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, during which troops encountered and killed several Hezbollah operatives, according to the military.
The IDF said the operation was aimed at expanding “the forward defense area.”
“This operation is part of the effort to establish forward defense, including the destruction of terror infrastructure and the elimination of terrorists operating in the area, to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of the north,” the military said.
Before the troops pushed into the area, the IDF said it carried out massive airstrikes and artillery shelling “to remove threats.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday rejected claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it had destroyed several American fighter jets in the region, calling the claim false.
In a post on X, CENTCOM wrote, “Iran’s IRGC claims it recently destroyed several U.S. fighter jets based in the region using missiles and drones. LIE.”
“No U.S. fighter jets have been struck by Iran,” CENTCOM added. “In fact, U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps fighter aircraft continue to demonstrate unmatched lethality and air superiority during strike waves into Iran.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
President Donald Trump accused Iran of using artificial intelligence and sympathetic “fake news” U.S. media outlets to spread disinformation about the ongoing war, claiming Tehran is circulating fabricated images and false reports to exaggerate its military success.
In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said Iran is trying to mask its “ineffective and weak” military by pushing fake news using what he called the regime’s best weapon — AI.
“Iran has long been known as a Master of Media Manipulation and Public Relations,” Trump wrote. “Now, A.I. has become another Disinformation weapon that Iran uses.”
Trump said some reports circulating online show supposed Iranian attacks that he claims never happened, including images of “Kamikaze Boats” firing at ships and U.S. military assets allegedly damaged or destroyed.
“They showed phony ‘Kamikaze Boats,‘ shooting at various Ships at Sea, which looks wonderful, powerful, and vicious, but these Boats don’t exist — It’s all false information,” Trump wrote.
The president also disputed reports that U.S. refueling aircraft had been damaged in Iranian attacks.
“The five U.S. Refueling Planes that were supposedly struck down and badly damaged … are all in service, with the exception of one, which will soon be flying the skies,” Trump wrote.
Trump also dismissed claims that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had been attacked or set ablaze, calling such reports fabricated.
“Iran, working in close coordination with the Fake News Media, shows our great USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier, one of the largest and most prestigious Ships in the World, burning uncontrollably in the Ocean. Not only was it not burning, it was not even shot at — Iran knows better than to do that!” he wrote.
“The story was knowingly FAKE and, in a certain way, you can say that those Media Outlets that generated it should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information!”
Trump argued Iran is trying to offset battlefield losses by spreading false narratives online.
“The fact is, Iran is being decimated, and the only battles they ‘win‘ are those that they create through AI,” he wrote.
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
Troops from the IDF’s 91st Division on Monday carried out a dramatically deeper push into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Additional troops from the four IDF divisions redeployed to the north could join the expanded operation at a later stage, depending on developments on the ground.
While the move marks a dramatic escalation, it still does not amount to a full-scale invasion along the lines of the 2024 campaign, as forces are not advancing all the way to the Litani River at this stage.
The IDF said the operations were aimed at removing threats near the border and creating “an additional layer of security” for residents of northern Israel.
Ahead of the ground operations, the IDF said it carried out artillery barrages and Air Force strikes on multiple Hezbollah targets.
The military added that troops are continuing defensive missions in the Galilee to protect nearby Israeli communities.
IDF troops are also carrying out defensive missions to protect communities in the Galilee, the military said.
The IDF added that it will continue to operate against Hezbollah, which “chose to join the hostilities and operate under the sponsorship of the Iranian terror regime,” and said it “will not allow harm to Israeli civilians.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
The attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on March 12, 2026 should have been reported with moral clarity. A man drove a vehicle into a synagogue-one of the largest Reform congregations in the United States-and opened fire. The target was unmistakable: a Jewish house of worship filled with civilians, including children and educators.
Yet the coverage offered by The New York Times was striking not for the gravity with which it condemned the crime, but for the narrative contortions that followed. Instead of focusing squarely on the antisemitic nature of the attack, the newspaper chose to foreground the personal grievances of the perpetrator, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali-a 41-year-old naturalized American citizen originally from Lebanon-presenting a portrait that risked transforming a murderous terrorist into a tragic figure.
In doing so, the newspaper did not merely report a story. It constructed a framework that subtly shifted responsibility away from the attacker and toward Israel.
That framing deserves not only criticism, but deep moral scrutiny.
Central to the reporting was a statement by Mo Baydoun, the mayor of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where Ghazali lived. According to Baydoun, Ghazali had recently lost several family members in Lebanon, including his niece and nephew, who were reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The implication was unmistakable: Ghazali’s violence might be understood-perhaps even explained-by the trauma of that loss. But omitted from this sympathetic narrative were facts that complicate the story considerably. According to reporting from other outlets, Ghazali’s family connections were not merely incidental casualties of war.
An official told NBC News that two of the individuals killed in the Israeli strike were Ghazali’s brothers-men who were known members of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. On Sunday, this was confirmed and media outlets reported one of the assailant’s brothers was a Hezbollah commander who was killed in a strike last week. In a statement, the IDF said that Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali was in charge of managing weapons operations in Hezbollah’s Badr unit.
Hezbollah is not a humanitarian charity or a misunderstood political movement. It is an internationally designated terrorist organization responsible for decades of attacks against civilians, including bombings, kidnappings, and rocket attacks targeting Israeli population centers.
Moreover, sources told CNN that Ghazali himself had been flagged in U.S. government databases because of connections to Hezbollah members. Although authorities did not formally identify him as a member of the group, investigators reportedly questioned him multiple times during international travel, regarding potential ties.
These facts are not peripheral details. They are essential context. Yet the narrative most prominently advanced by The New York Times emphasized something else entirely: Israeli military action in Lebanon while omitting the reason for it.
The implicit argument embedded in that framing is deeply troubling. Is the Times trying to claim that If Ghazali’s relatives were killed in an Israeli strike targeting Hezbollah terrorists, and if that tragedy contributed to his rage, then perhaps Israel bears some indirect responsibility for the attack on a synagogue in Michigan?
This line of reasoning collapses the moral distinction between explanation and justification. It invites readers to see terrorism not as an act of hatred or ideological extremism, but as the predictable consequence of geopolitical grievance. In other words, the victims- children attending classes at a Jewish Day School-are subtly repositioned as participants in a cycle of violence that somehow implicates them.
Day 891 — Sunday, March 15
President Donald Trump said Iran must “surrender” to end the war and claimed he is hearing the country’s new supreme leader may already be dead.
“I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender,” Trump said of Mojtaba Khamenei in a phone interview with NBC News.
Trump added he is unsure whether the Iranian leader is still living.
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” he said.
The president also said Iran is seeking negotiations but that he is not ready to make a deal.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” Trump said.
Day 891 — Sunday, March 15
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that “many countries” will be dispatching warships to patrol the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, suggesting that it is “still easy” for its military to inflict damage on vessels there “no matter how badly defeated they are.”
Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated: “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. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are.“
The president continued, “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated.”
“In the meantime,” he added, “the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water,” Trump continued. “One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed on Thursday that an “international coalition” could escort oil tankers through the strait, something he said would have a “big effect.”
Day 891 — Sunday, March 15
Anti-Zionist protesters chanted for terrorist groups, accused Israel’s supporters of eating babies and raping children, and chanted for death to Israel and the US at a protest for Al Quds Day in New York City on Friday.
Al Quds Day is an annual, anti-Israel event held on the last Friday of Ramadan, established by Iran in 1979. The protest this year took place during heightened tensions due to the US-Israel war with Iran.
The protest on Friday drew several hundred participants and was backed by leftist and anti-Zionist activist groups, including Pal-Awda, the Bronx Anti-War Coalition and the Workers World Party.
“This Al Quds Day holds a special significance as the United States and its puppet Zionist regime wage full-out war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We proclaim our support for the Islamic Republic,” a speaker said, introducing the event.
“Iran is the central pillar in the struggle against US imperialism and Zionism,” he said. “A war against the Islamic Republic of Iran is a war against anti-imperialism, against anti-occupation, against anti-freedom.”
“We remind the enemies that martyrdom is our highest honor and the targeting of the leader only strengthens the resolve,” he said. “We renew our pledge to the path of the martyrs.”
The protesters held signs that said, “Victory to Palestinian and Iranian resistance,” “Free America from Israel,” and with pictures of the ayatollahs.
Several signs said, “Israel weaker than a spider’s web,” referring to threats made by Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah before Israel killed him. A child on the stage held up a photo of Iran’s late leader Ali Khamenei.
Around a dozen pro-Israel counter-protesters, Jews and allies, gathered across the street, chanting, “USA,” and shouting, “brainwashed,” and “terrorists.”
Day 890 — Saturday, March 14
President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had carried out a bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island, a strategically vital island in the Persian Gulf that serves as the country’s largest oil terminal and a crucial hub for its crude exports.
“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The island, located roughly 35 miles off Iran’s Bushehr province in the country’s southwest, is about the size of New York City’s Central Park but carries huge importance for Iran’s economy.
It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets.
That makes Kharg Island one of Iran’s most sensitive and strategically important pieces of infrastructure. Any military action there could have consequences well beyond Iran, raising the risk of disruptions to crude flows, shipping traffic and energy prices across the region.
Trump said the U.S. had deliberately avoided targeting the island’s oil infrastructure, while warning that could change if Iran moved to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump added.
The latest revelation comes as the widening conflict in the Middle East rattles global energy markets and raises fresh fears about the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil choke point.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and about one-fifth of the global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). When conflict flares in the region, even the threat of disruption can rattle markets because so much of the world’s energy moves through that single corridor.
Day 890 — Saturday, March 14
Five US Air Force refueling planes were struck and damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing two US officials.
The planes, which were hit during an Iranian missile strike on the Saudi base in recent days, were damaged but not fully destroyed and are being repaired, the WSJ said, adding that no one was killed in the strikes.
According to the WSJ report, this recent update indicates that at least seven US Air Force refueling planes have been damaged or destroyed in total since the begining of Operation Epic Fury.
This figure follows an incident on Thursday, where two KC-135 refueling planes collided, resulting in one aircraft crashing to the ground. All six crew members aboard the plane that crashed were killed, as confirmed by the Pentagon on Friday.
Day 890 — Saturday, March 14
The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right claims responsibility for this morning’s attack on a Jewish school in Amsterdam, publishing a video that appears to show the detonation of an incendiary device.
The newly formed extremist group has also been linked to several other antisemitic attacks in recent days, including a similar explosion yesterday outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that caused a brief fire and damage to the building, in which four suspects were arrested by Dutch police.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
The US government on Friday announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of key Iranian officials, including the newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
This bounty, issued by the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program, is part of the ongoing US and Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The State Department said it is specifically seeking information about Khamenei and his inner circle, including his deputy chief of staff, Ali Asghar Hejazi, his military adviser, Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, and his advisor, Ali Larijani. The list also includes Brig. Gen. Eskandar Momeni, Minister of the Interior, and Esmail Khatib, Minister of Intelligence and Security.
In addition to these individuals, the US is seeking information on four unnamed, unpictured officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The officials include the Secretary of the Defense Council, an Advisor to the Supreme Leader, the Military Office Chief in the Supreme Leader’s office, and the IRGC Commander.
“These individuals command and direct various elements of the IRGC, which plans, organizes, and executes terrorism around the world,” the notice from the State Department read.
A similar notice posted on social media emphasizes that individuals providing valuable information could not only be eligible for a monetary reward but may also be considered for relocation.
Mojtaba Khamenei was officially named Iran’s new Supreme Leader on Sunday, replacing his father Ali Khamenei, who was eliminated on the first day of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
He has not yet made a public appearance, and The New York Times reported earlier this week that he was injured on the first day of the war.
According to the report, Mojtaba Khamenei sustained injuries to his leg and is staying in a location with limited communications.
On Thursday, Iranian state media published a statement attributed to Khamenei, marking his first since taking over from his father.
The statement vowed revenge for US and Israeli actions, ordered forces to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, and threatened to open new fronts in the war. However, the statement was not accompanied by video or audio, leading to further speculation about Khamenei’s condition.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem says in a speech that the Israeli threats to assassinate him were “worthless.”
“We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and God willing, they (Israelis) will be surprised on the battlefield,” Qassem says in a televised address, adding that “the enemy’s threats do not frighten us.”
“This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle.”
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
The United States has deployed B-2 stealth bombers to participate in the US’s Operation Epic Fury against the Iranian regime, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday.
According to CENTCOM, the B-2s will be used to deliver long-range fire to “eliminate the threat from the Iranian regime today, [and] eliminate their ability to rebuild in the future.”
The US additionally dispatched the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, which includes about 2,200 Marines aboard three US Navy amphibious assault ships, according to an ABC News report on Friday.
This force includes a squadron of F‑35 fighter jets and tiltrotor MV‑22 Osprey aircraft, two US officials told ABC.
The deployment will contribute to the already heavy US military presence in the region, as the conflict with Iran continues to affect global trade routes and raise concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
After President Donald Trump warned recently about Iranian “sleeper cells” potentially operating in North America, Canadian opposition lawmakers are accusing their government of allowing operatives linked to Tehran’s regime to remain in the country.
Trump said Wednesday U.S. authorities were monitoring Iranian networks believed to have entered the United States in recent years.
“I have been (briefed), and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border,” Trump said in response to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy. “But we know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all of them.”
The remarks came amid growing concern among Western security officials about Iranian intelligence activities targeting critics abroad.
In Canada, senior Conservatives say the government has failed to act against Iranian regime officials despite identifying individuals linked to Tehran.
Deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman, immigration shadow minister Michelle Rempel, and Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Québec lieutenant, called upon the Liberal government, in a statement released in Ottawa, to table a plan within one week to take immediate action to stop Iranian regime activities in Canada.
“The Liberals have known for years that there are hundreds of Iranian regime officials in Canada, 239 of whom have had their visas“ canceled, the lawmakers said.
They added that government officials told a parliamentary immigration committee recently that only one person has been deported so far, citing legal obstacles, including asylum claims, the absence of direct flights to Iran and privacy protections.
“The presence of agents of the Islamic Republic in Canada is not a new issue,” Maryam Shariatmadari told Fox News Digital.
Shariatmadari is one of the faces of the “Girls of Revolution Street” protests against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws who fled Iran after being imprisoned and now lives in exile in Canada.
“For years, the people of Iran have expressed concern about the presence of these individuals and their children in Canada,” Shariatmadari added.
“A clear example is Mahmoud Reza Khavari and Marjan Al-Agha, who are known embezzlers,” she claimed. Iran Wire reported on the case in 2022. “What is striking is that an economic magazine that introduces entrepreneurs has presented the son of Mahmoud Reza Khavari — the former CEO of Bank Melli and a convicted criminal in Iran — as an ‘inspiring businessman’ in Canada and has described him as ‘a young leader.’”
“But these days we are seeing more of these individuals,” Shariatmadari added. “Their presence has become more visible, and they are organizing gatherings under the slogan ‘No to War,’ while expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, they remained completely silent about the killing of Iranians.”
Exiled Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, who now lives in Canada, told Fox News Digital that individuals linked to Iran’s regime often arrive in Western countries through several different channels.
“Some arrive as students, academics or ordinary immigrants but were already connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps through family ties or ideological affiliation,” he said. “They often try to identify activists and critics, so those individuals can face legal or judicial problems either in Iran or even abroad.”
Ghadimi said another category operates primarily through financial networks tied to the regime.
“Another group includes people who used to be members of the IRGC or other state institutions and later enter countries like Canada as private investors,” he said. “When someone brings several million dollars for investment, it raises questions about where that money came from.”
He added that wealthy business figures who move capital abroad may also do so with the approval of Iran’s security establishment.
“If someone is moving large amounts of money out of Iran and investing abroad, it is very difficult to do that without the approval of the IRGC and the security institutions of the Islamic Republic,” he said.
Ghadimi also pointed to past corruption scandals involving Iranian officials who moved large sums of money overseas, including the case of Khavari, who fled Iran after a major banking scandal and later settled in Canada.
The criticism comes as Canadian police investigate the disappearance of Iranian dissident Masood Masjoody, a mathematician and critic of Iran’s clerical leadership who vanished earlier this year in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, struck a defiant tone in his first message to the Iranian people since he was announced as the successor of his father as the regime’s supreme leader.
However, the written message was only read aloud by TV presenters, meaning there has still been no visual or audio footage of the new leader since his appointment. This has fueled speculation about his condition, after he had been wounded in airstrikes earlier during the war.
On Thursday, the British daily, The Sun, cited a source who said Khamenei is in “very serious” condition, having lost one or both legs, and being treated in a closed-off hospital.
The statement read out on Thursday afternoon contained no major surprises, confirming expectations that Khamenei is not likely to be ready for concessions after losing his parents, wife, and a son during the war, after having long been described as a radical true believer in the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary ideology.
According to the statement, the people’s “servant,” Mojtaba Khamenei, learned from TV reports that he had been chosen to succeed his father.
In a section addressing the “brave fighters,” Khamenei said it is “the will of the people” to continue “the determined and punishing defense” against the “leaders of the camp of global arrogance.”
“In addition, the lever of closing the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used,” he said, confirming that the regime wants to cut off the traffic through the strategic waterway. There have been several reports of ships being attacked near the strait over the past 24 hours.
In addition to the closure of the strait, the new leader in effect doubled down on threatening the neighboring countries, despite claiming that the regime “without seeking to establish domination or colonialism in the region, is fully prepared for unity and warm, sincere reciprocal relations with all its neighbors.”
This followed after he claimed that Iran’s neighbors had allowed the U.S. to use military bases on their territory during the war. “Therefore we attacked only those bases, without harming the countries themselves,” he claimed falsely. “If this continues – we will continue attacking the bases. I recommend that these countries close the American bases.”
Khamenei also threatened that “additional fronts where the enemy is vulnerable” could be attacked soon, without elaborating further.
He further thanked the members of the “Axis of Resistance,” including Hezbollah and the Iranian proxies in Iraq, for their assistance. Notably, he also thanked the Yemeni Houthis, who haven’t actively participated in the war so far.
“I assure everyone that we will not forgo revenge for the blood of your martyrs,” the supreme leader vowed, noting that the “crime that the enemy deliberately committed regarding the Shajareh-Tayyebeh school in Minab has a special status in this process.”
“We will take compensation from the enemy, and if it refuses, we will take from its property to the extent we deem appropriate; and if that is not possible, we will destroy its property to the same extent,” he warned.
The condition of Khamenei and, therefore, the authenticity of the statement attributed to him, remains unclear.
The Sun’s report that he was unconscious was based on information from a source in Tehran who reportedly “managed to dodge” the near‑total internet blackout to send a message to a London‑based exiled dissident.
He said his information came from a member of the trauma team treating Khamenei in intensive care in a sealed-off section at Sina University Hospital.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
A US KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq during a collision between it and a second aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday night.
CENTCOM assured that the incident occured in friendly airspace, and was not due to hostile or friendly fire.
The refueler went down near Turaibil, along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, CBS News reported, citing an Iraqi intelligence source.
Search and rescue efforts for the missing crew are currently underway, CENTCOM said in its statement, and that the public should be patient as it “gather[s] additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, saying it reflects the global threat of antisemitism.
“Antisemitism knows no limits or boundaries,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “Israel is attacked because it is the Jewish state. Temple Israel in Detroit was attacked today because it is a Jewish house of worship.”
Netanyahu also praised the synagogue’s security personnel for stopping the attacker.
“I salute the brave security personnel at the synagogue for their swift action. It saved lives,” he said.
The Israeli leader added that he is grateful to President Donald Trump for taking a firm stance against antisemitic attacks in the United States.
The suspect in Thursday’s attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, has been preliminarily identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, according to three law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the name to Fox News and provided details of his immigration history.
Officials said Ghazali was born in Lebanon in 1985 and entered the United States on May 10, 2011 on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen.
According to DHS, Ghazali applied for naturalization on Oct. 20, 2015 and became a U.S. citizen on Feb. 5, 2016. Authorities say Ghazali lived near Dearborn, Michigan.
Law enforcement officials cautioned the identification remains preliminary as investigators continue confirming the suspect’s identity following the attack.
The FBI said it is investigating the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”
Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, said the bureau has taken the lead in the investigation.
“I can confirm that we are leading the investigation right now as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” Runyan said during the Thursday evening press conference.
Authorities said one suspect was involved and is now deceased, and confirmed no congregants or children were killed in the attack.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the suspect drove a vehicle into the building, where security personnel engaged and stopped the threat.
Officials said a security guard was injured after being struck by the vehicle, and 30 responding officers were treated for smoke inhalation after the vehicle caught fire inside the building.
Runyan said the FBI deployed more than 100 agents and analysts, along with bomb technicians, SWAT teams and evidence response units to process the scene and pursue leads.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation with an active crime scene,” she said. “We ask for patience as we process the evidence and pursue every lead.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
If Lebanon’s government fails to prevent Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on Israel, Jerusalem will “take control of the territory and do it ourselves,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Thursday.
“The prime minister and I have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare to expand its operations in Lebanon and to restore quiet and security to the northern communities,” the defense minister stated.
“We promised quiet and security to the northern communities, and that is exactly what we will do,” Katz added in a Hebrew-language statement.
Hezbollah overnight on Wednesday launched its largest rocket barrage at the Jewish state since the start of the current war, in what the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said was a combined assault that also included several volleys of ballistic missiles launched by Iran.
According to the Magen David Adom emergency response group, two people sustained light wounds from “flying objects” during the attacks.
The two—a woman with a head injury and a man with a hand wound—were taken to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. In addition, several people were treated for injuries sustained while running for shelter.
Speaking during an operational briefing at IDF Northern Command on Monday morning, Katz said that the decision to advance into Lebanon following Hezbollah’s March 2 decision to join the war on Iran’s behalf was “morally and operationally correct, and enables what comes next.”
“It gives confidence to the communities that what happened will not return,” the minister stated, referencing Jerusalem’s past decision to evacuate northern communities for well over a year in response to Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks that started on Oct. 7, 2023, and paused following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024.
This time, he vowed, “There will be no evacuation, no abandonment.”
“Everyone remains on their land, in their home, wherever they are. This is the number one mission—to defend the communities and give them security against raids and against anti-tank fire,” continued Katz.
The evacuation of Southern Lebanon and large parts of Beirut will allow the IDF to “thwart threats we have not yet managed to thwart previously, making this region even safer than before ‘Operation Roaring Lion.‘”
Katz added, “We certainly must not only refrain from withdrawing in the face of Hezbollah, but take advantage of the opportunity to strike it.”
Lebanon’s official government has failed to live up to its commitments under the 2024 ceasefire, which forbade the presence of terrorists in the south and tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces with disarming them.
“They allowed Hezbollah to move south,” Katz charged. “The conclusion is always that what we do not do, no one else will do. They are obligated and they must act, and we must ensure that these things happen.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah and Iran of working to “collapse” the Lebanese state and expressed his openness to holding “direct negotiations” with Israel, per AFP.
“Whoever launched those missiles wanted to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese state, plunging it into aggression and chaos … all for the sake of the Iranian regime’s calculations,” he told European officials.
Aoun’s proposal reportedly called for “establishing a full truce” with the Jewish state, “logistical support” for the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hezbollah, and direct talks under international auspices.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned Beirut over the weekend that if it fails to uphold the ceasefire deal, the Iranian-backed aggression “will bring catastrophic consequences upon Lebanon.”
“It is time for you, too, to take your destiny into your hands,” he told the Lebanese government, declaring that “in any case,” Jerusalem will do “everything necessary to protect our communities and our citizens.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held his first press conference since the start of the war this evening (Thursday) via video conference.
During the press conference, Netanyahu addressed Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and stated that the Iranian proxy terror group would “pay a very heavy price.”
“This is no longer the same Iran, this is no longer the same Middle East, and this is also not the same Israel. We initiate and attack with force. Trump and I talk almost every day, exchange ideas and advice, and decide together,” Netanyahu said.
“We are crushing Iran and Hezbollah,” Netanyahu declared, adding, “We are becoming a regional power. Our roar is growing louder. We have achieved enormous achievements that are changing the balance of power beyond the Middle East.”
Regarding the campaign in the north, he said, “Hezbollah feels the comfort of our arm and will pay a very heavy price for its aggression.”
In response to a question about the threat from Lebanon and past statements that Hezbollah was defeated in the previous campaign against it, Netanyahu said: “We talked then about 150,000 rockets and missiles, about the destruction of the towers in Tel Aviv, about the eyes of ruins in the rest of the country, and about 15,000 to 20,000 dead. All of this did not materialize because we dealt them a tremendous blow, but that does not mean that they did not have any residual fire left.”
“Threats come and go, but we are strengthening our power compared to what was here,” the prime minister added. “Tomorrow they will be even weaker – both Iran and Hezbollah. We are changing the Middle East. Both against enemies and against friends. Israel is stronger than ever, the whole world understands that.”
He referred to the appointment of Ali Khamenei’s son as Iran’s supreme leader after his father’s assassination. “We have eliminated the old dictator, and the new dictator, the puppet of the Revolutionary Guards, cannot show his face in public. I say to the people of Iran: The moment is approaching when you can embark on the path of freedom. It is in your hands.”
However, he added that he cannot guarantee “that the Iranian regime will collapse, if we join forces, we will repel the enemies time and time again.”
The Prime Minister promised that “many more surprises are expected in the campaign. We have the upper hand, much more than we expected.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Hezbollah terrorists overnight on Wednesday launched their largest barrage of missiles and drones at Israel since the start of the current war, in what Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said was a combined attack from Lebanon and Iran.
Hezbollah fired approximately 200 projectiles at the Jewish state as part of what it dubbed “Operation Al-‘Asf al-Ma‘kul” (“The Eaten Chaff” or “Devoured Straw”), a Quranic reference that refers to the enemy being utterly defeated or destroyed. Around 120 missiles and drones crossed into Israel, Ynet reported.
According to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency response organization, two people sustained light injuries when they were struck by “flying objects” during an attack on the north.
The casualties—a woman in her 30s with a head injury and a man in his 50s with a hand wound—were evacuated to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, MDA said. In addition, several people were treated for minor injuries sustained while running for shelter.
The Hefer Valley Regional Council, which administers a group of communities along Israel’s central coastal plain, said a rocket from Lebanon directly struck the yard of a home in the area, “severely” damaging the house. No injuries were reported.
Air-raid sirens sounded throughout the night in central Israel, warning of ballistic missiles fired by Iran. The IRGC, in a statement carried by Iran’s state-run Tasnim News Agency, confirmed the attacks were a carried out in cooperation with Hezbollah.
Hezbollah began firing rockets and UAVs at Israel on the morning of March 2, in retaliation for Israel’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He was killed in the opening shot of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the regime on Feb. 28.
In response to the terrorist organization’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, ceasefire deal, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah, and ordered IDF troops to advance and take control of additional areas in Lebanon to halt cross-border fire.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday evening that the military was seeing attempts by Hezbollah to “increase its rocket fire toward the communities of the north while expanding the range of its attacks” to central Israel and beyond.
“Hezbollah is suffering heavy blows. We are deepening the damage to its capabilities with each passing day and increasing the pressure on it. The fire it is carrying out in order to harm Israeli civilians is a clear response to this,” said Defrin.
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Iranian explosive-laden boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member on Wednesday, after projectiles struck three vessels in Gulf waters, said port, maritime security, and risk firms.
The latest attacks mark an escalation in the conflict between Iran and United States-Israeli forces, raising the number of ships struck in the region since fighting began to at least 16.
Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world’s oil, has come to a near-standstill since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
The ships targeted in late-night armed boat attacks in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Zefyros, which had loaded fuel cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi port officials said.
“We recovered the body of a foreign crew member from the water,” one port security official said, as Iraqi rescue teams continued searching for other missing seafarers. It was not immediately clear which ship the person was linked to.
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that reports of a potential Iranian revenge plot involving drones launched from offshore targeting California are being investigated.
Speaking to reporters in an Air Force One underwing gaggle, Trump was asked by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy about a law-enforcement bulletin warning of a possible Iranian drone attack scenario.
“It’s being investigated,” Trump said. “You have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come.”
Trump also said he had been briefed about potential Iranian sleeper cells inside the United States, claiming authorities are monitoring them closely.
“We know where most of them are,” Trump said. “We’ve got our eyes on all of them.”
The president argued some entered the country during the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Trump also said the U.S. military campaign against Iran is overwhelming Tehran’s forces.
“Iran is being absolutely decimated,” he said.Trump added that Iranian naval and air capabilities have been largely destroyed and said the U.S. is monitoring the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict continues.“
“We’ve knocked out all of their boats,” he said. “I think we’re in very good shape.”
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
The United Nations Security Council, which includes the Arab representative Bahrain, voted 13-0 on Wednesday to condemn Iran for its strikes on its Gulf neighbors. The vote, from which Russia and China abstained, was a highly unusual rebuke of the Islamic Republic by Arab states.
Just before the vote, Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the global body, told reporters that “the atrocities that we’re seeing, the deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure, on ports, on airports, on energy production facilities, on hotels, on resorts across the Gulf is unacceptable.”
“It’s disgusting, frankly, and I, for one, am proud to see Bahrain lead its neighbors in condemning these actions,” the U.S. envoy said.
The resolution, which the Gulf Cooperation Council drafted, won support from 135 U.N. member states—a record-high, according to Loraine Sievers, co-author of “The Procedure of the UN Security Council” and former chief of the U.N. Security Council secretariat branch.
During the Security Council meeting, Waltz said that he wanted to be “perfectly clear and polite that there has been some misrepresentation here today.”
“The accusation that this resolution put forward by the Kingdom of Bahrain, supported by every member of the GCC, and I see all of them here today, and supported by 135 countries, the most co-sponsors of a U.N. Security Council resolution ever, was somehow manipulated by one or two countries is laughable,” the U.S. envoy said.
“We urge Iran to hear the voice of the council, of this resolution that saw no opposition today and of the entire international community,” Waltz said. “But more importantly, we urge Iran to listen to its own brave people and stop the indiscriminate attacks on civilians across the Middle East.”
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Assassinating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly all of Iran’s top military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers on the first day of the war was an incredible turning point in which all of the IDF’s air and intelligence power combined to change the course of history, an IDF senior officer told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
“Assassinating the supreme leader and all of the top echelon of the Iranian military and the IRGC in around half a minute was made possible by a giant and incredibly coordinated airstrike, which took months of planning,” the senior officer said.
In 40 seconds at around 8:15 a.m. on February 28, Khamenei, IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, military commander Abdolrahim Mousavi, defense minister Amir Nasirzadeh, National Defense Council secretary Ali Shamkhani, another top security aide to Khamenei for over a decade, and about 35 other top officials were killed.
Among the Israeli aircraft involved were F-16s, F-35s, and F-15s, although there were many others, including the US military’s involvement.
According to the IDF, the airpower and munitions used during the first day of attacks – both in those assassinations and in wider attacks on Iran’s air defenses and ballistic-missile apparatus – were unprecedented and far beyond any prior similar power used by Israel.
“With around 200 aircraft all carrying precision munitions and all flying 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers to strike hundreds of targets all in a short time period, the effect was to completely throw the Iranians off their game,” the senior officer said. “The total surprise we achieved was extremely deadly and effective.”
When adding in the contribution and profoundly close cooperation with the US military, some in the IDF view the assault and the current war as the most devastating short-term air war in history. The F-16s were flown back and forth to Iran in the early days of the war, essentially nonstop, and took an enormous part in the most critical missions.
By March 5, almost every aircraft had flown nine to 10 sorties back and forth to Iran, with each flight taking five to eight hours round-trip.
While the pace of the F-16s and other aircraft has remained frenetic, one change was that after the first couple of days, the IAF had achieved air supremacy. That allowed stand-in attacks in which Israeli aerial assets could strike from short range, with some even hovering over their targets.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel on Wednesday as a diplomatic standoff worsened between the two countries over Spain’s opposition to Israeli policies, exacerbated by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s regime.
Ambassador Ana Maria Salomon Perez was recalled to Spain last September amid a diplomatic row over Spanish measures banning aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel from its ports or airspace due to the war against Hamas in Gaza, a policy Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denounced as antisemitic.
On Tuesday, Spain published an announcement in its official gazette that the ambassador’s position had been terminated. Spain’s Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Tel Aviv will be led by a charge d’affaires for the foreseeable future.
Israel’s embassy in Spain is also run by a charge d’affaires after Israel in May 2024 recalled its ambassador, Rodica Radian-Gordon, in protest of Spain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
“The Foreign Ministry confirms the withdrawal of the ambassador to Tel Aviv, who was called back for consultations ‘indefinitely,’” Spanish Foreign Ministry sources told The Times of Israel, “leaving the Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv under the leadership of a chargé d’affaires, at the same level as the Israeli embassy in Madrid.”
The move marked the latest escalation in a diplomatic spat between the two countries, which have been heavily strained since the start of the Gaza war, which was triggered by the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Ties between Jerusalem and Madrid steadily deteriorated over the following two years as Spain’s government expressed increasing anger and frustration against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Madrid had prohibited sales and purchases of military equipment with Israel from the start of the war; however, last September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced measures to enshrine the prohibition in law. Sa’ar criticized Spain as leading “a hostile, anti-Israel line,” after which Madrid also recalled its ambassador.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Hezbollah and Iran launched a coordinated strike strategy Tuesday, a national security expert claimed, as reports emerged that deadly cluster munitions were hitting Israel in synchronized attacks.
The developments unfolded on day 11 of Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign targeting Iran, marking a potential escalation in the widening regional conflict.
“Hezbollah has fully joined the war, and it looks like they are now very well coordinated with Iran,” Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital while speaking from his bomb shelter near Tel Aviv.
“Most of Hezbollah’s rockets and drones are launched simultaneously with the Iranian missiles,” he said.
Israel confirmed Tuesday that Iran had been firing cluster munitions — adding a complicated and deadly challenge to Israel’s stretched air defenses, The Associated Press reported.
The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area. The smaller bombs, which at night can resemble orange fireballs, are difficult to intercept and have proven lethal.
Fox News correspondent Nate Foy also said despite Israel’s strong air defense, half of the missiles are hard to defend against because half of the missiles are cluster munitions.
“The Iranian use of cluster missiles and the idea that they deliberately target civilians and civil facilities must be considered as a use of non-conventional weapons, and the American-Israeli response must be appropriate,” Michael urged.
Banned by more than 120 nations under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapons are widely condemned for their broad-area, indiscriminate effects that often result in catastrophic civilian harm.
“Israeli citizens have to spend most of the time in the shelter rooms as Hezbollah and Iran deliberately target civilians and civilian facilities,” he said.
As of Tuesday night local time, the IDF said it had launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
This came after the military reiterated its warning to evacuate the area, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
President Donald Trump warned Iran on Tuesday to remove any naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. forces struck Iranian mine-laying vessels near the critical waterway, underscoring how control of the narrow passage has become a central flashpoint in the escalating conflict and a major concern for global oil markets.
Trump said U.S. forces had already destroyed Iranian vessels capable of laying mines in the area, part of an effort to keep the shipping lane open.
“I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!” Trump wrote Tuesday afternoon on Truth Social.
The U.S. military later said American forces had destroyed a total of 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
The strikes came as the Trump administration warned Iran that any attempt to block oil shipments through the strategic channel would bring an overwhelming military response.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Two Jewish men were beaten, and later briefly hospitalized, after they were heard speaking Hebrew in front of a restaurant in San Jose’s Santana Row in California, local media reported on Tuesday.
Footage of the incident, shot by local witnesses, shows the pair of victims attacked by three other individuals outside the Augustine restaurant, NBC Bay Area reported.
“I just turned around, and they literally started punching,” one of the victims, who wished not to be identified, told the outlet. “We got swarmed very badly. I’m in a lot of pain. I still cannot chew. My jaw hurts, my back is hurting.”
According to NBC, the victims said they did not recognize their assailants, and police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
According to ABC7 News, both Jewish men were waiting to be seated at the restaurant when the incident occurred.
“One of the witnesses said that they heard them saying, ‘don’t mess with Iran‘, which we don’t know why,” one of the victims told the outlet. “We don’t have any problem with them. But, I heard at the beginning of the fight, something with, ‘F the Jews’.”
ABC7 added that one of the victims had been knocked out and needed stitches after the assault.
In a statement, the Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council identified the pair of victims as Israeli Americans.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sounded the alarm on Tuesday about the rise of antisemitism in the Republican Party and the American right, warning that the tide may be turning against supporters of Jews and Israel.
Speaking to a symposium on Jew-hatred hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition and National Review, the Texas senator cited the difference in reaction among elected Republicans to former Fox News host and current podcaster Tucker Carlson, who turned sharply against Israel and its supporters in recent years, compared to neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes.
“I believe Tucker Carlson is the single most dangerous demagogue in this country,” Cruz said. “If you look at Republican politicians, Nick Fuentes is easy to denounce, and I actually think it’s a tell among the Republican politicians if they’ll denounce Fuentes but are scared to say Tucker’s name. That tells you a great deal.”
“Virtually every single one of my colleagues in the Senate on the Republican side agrees with me,” Cruz said. “Yet almost none of them will say Tucker’s name.”
Carlson hosted Fuentes on his video podcast for a friendly interview with the Holocaust denier in October.
Speaking to an audience of about 200 RJC and National Review members, administration officials, Hill staffers and Jewish leaders at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, Cruz warned that the anti-Israel and antisemitic politics of figures like Fuentes and Carlson are having a malign influence on young conservatives.
“The Christian church is asleep,” Cruz said. “I have seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime. A year-and-a-half ago, I could not have imagined we would be here having this conversation.”
“I’m not sure it is accurate as a descriptive matter that we are winning right now,” the senator said, of philosemitic conservatives. “We’re winning with folks in this room with some gray or salt-and-pepper in their hair, but in the college classroom I’m a lot less certain.”
Cruz noted that the model of success for opponents of Israel that has flourished on the Democratic left could be replicated in the Republican Party.
“I don’t want to wake up in five years and find myself in a country where both major political parties are unambiguously anti-Israel and unapologetically antisemitic,” he said.
Cruz’s keynote speech drew the loudest applause among speakers that included fellow Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and administration officials, including Leo Terrell, chair of the Department of Justice taskforce to combat antisemitism, and Yehuda Kaploun, a rabbi and U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
Cotton and Cruz both pushed back against claims from some on the right that U.S. military action against Iran primarily benefits and was at the behest of Israel.
“Before this war started, Iran had thousands and thousands of missiles, and this vast missile arsenal far, far exceeded the combined missile defenses of the United States, Israel and our Arab friends,” Cotton said. “That is an unacceptable threat to the United States.”
“If it’s an unacceptable threat to the United States, it’s an existential threat to Israel,” Cotton added.
“We are not bombing Iran for Israel,” Cruz said. “We are bombing Iran for America.”
Quick Facts
- Since Oct. 7, over 1,600 Israelis (925 soldiers) have been killed, and 6,420 IDF soldiers wounded since the start of the war.
- On Oct. 7, 2023, one day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, thousands of Hamas gunmen invaded southern Israel, brutally murdering 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 251 to the Gaza Strip.
- On Oct. 8, 2023, the Israel Security Cabinet voted to officially declare war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
- On Oct. 27, 2023, the IDF began its Ground Operation in Northern Gaza
- Between October 7th, 2023, and March 31, 2024, the IDF made approximately 100,000 phone calls, dropped 9.3 million leaflets, sent 15.5 million text messages, and 17 million voice recordings in efforts to get Gazan civilians out of harm’s way during military operations.
- Between October 7th, 2023, and August 18, 2025, Israel has allowed and facilitated the entry of over 1.9 million tons of aid into Gaza.
- On June 13th, 2025, the 12 Day War began between Israel and the Iranian regime. Israel conducted massive airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure and leadership, weapons stockpiles, and nuclear scientists— the regime rained ballistic missiles down, targeting locations of Israel’s largest civilian populations.
- On June 22, 2025, under the orders of President Trump, B2 Bombers dropped bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear facilities, thwarting the imminent danger of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
- On October 10th, 2025, a fragile ceasefire agreement, brokered by the Trump Administration, came into effect between Israel and Hamas.
- On January 27, 2026, after numerous delays, the body of the last remaining Israeli hostage in the Gaza Strip was returned to Israel.
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Day 893 — Tuesday, March 17
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed American diplomats to urge foreign governments to take swift action against Iran and its proxy networks, citing an increased threat environment.
In a cable sent Monday to all diplomatic and consular posts, titled “Elevated Concern of IRGC Activity,” officials were directed to push their host countries to “move expeditiously to diminish the capabilities of Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist groups from attacking our respective nations and citizens” amid an “elevated risk of attack.”
The message, marked sensitive but unclassified, was to be delivered “at the highest appropriate level” by March 20, reported ABC News, which obtained a copy of the missive.
The directive emphasized coordinated international pressure, stating: “We assess that the Iranian regime is more sensitive to collective action than unilateral action, and that joint pressure is more likely to compel behavior change by the regime than unilateral actions alone.”
“We must act while international attention is focused now to end the Iranian campaign of terror in the Middle East and globally. Do not allow this critical movement to pass,” it added.
The cable further advised that “at post’s discretion, advocacy efforts should be coordinated with Israeli diplomatic counterparts,” while noting that the talking points “may not be left behind.”
Diplomats were also instructed to highlight Iran’s longstanding destabilizing activities, including support for groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Iraqi militias. And to explain the goals of “Operation Epic Fury,” which are to “neutralize Iran’s nuclear program, destroy its
ballistic missile program, disrupt its proxy networks, and diminish its naval capabilities.”
In addition, U.S. officials were told to press countries that have not designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah as
terrorist organizations to “swiftly” do so.
“Such a designation will intensify the pressure on the Iranian regime and limit its ability to sponsor terror activities across the globe that jeopardizes the safety and security of your populations,” the cable stated.
The cable comes as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to build a broader coalition against Iran. The Military Times reported he has requested seven countries to send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
“Some are very enthusiastic, and some are less than enthusiastic,” Trump told reporters on Monday. He said he would soon release a list of countries that have agreed to do so.
“Numerous countries have told me they’re on the way,” said Trump.
Day 893 — Tuesday, March 17
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani was targeted in the single most momentous targeted killing since the beginning of the war on February 28, three separate sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. Larijani’s death was confirmed by Defense Minister Israel Katz shortly after.
The IDF also confirmed it had assassinated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij paramilitary militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, and his deputy, Seyyed Karishi. The two were killed in a makeshift tent area, which had been set up to make it harder to follow them as opposed to in a known headquarters.
The military also announced that it killed the IRGC’s Aerospace Force chief.
Day 893 — Tuesday, March 17
A defiant Iranian regime is reeling from U.S. and Israeli military strikes, but one American who fled Iran as a child says some citizens are thanking the U.S. as a liberator.
Iranian American Armin Assadi said Iranians are dancing near where American bombs have landed, adding that for the first time in 47 years there is hope Iran may be free.
“You can literally see people singing and dancing in the streets, mere blocks away from where the first missile struck. That’s craziness to have [to] find hope in being bombed,” Assadi said on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“That’s how desperate these people are, and they’re thanking America for it,” he added.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has destroyed a majority of Iran’s missile and drone manufacturing sites as a result of Operation Epic Fury — a military campaign that has resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Assadi said that while few videos have emerged from Iran since the attacks, what he has seen suggests some people support the U.S. campaign. He said some Iranians who have never visited the United States are even doing the “Trump dance.”
Assadi added that the “underground church” is praying for America.
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
U.S. President Donald Trump described the scale of American airstrikes targeting Iran on Monday and called for more countries to assist in re-opening maritime energy supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters in the East Room of the White House at a meeting of the board of the Kennedy Center, Trump said that the U.S. military had carried out more than 7,000 strikes on the Islamic Republic since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.
“These have been mostly commercial and military targets,” Trump said. “We have achieved a 90% reduction in their ballistic missile launches and a 95% reduction in drone attacks. The missiles are trickling in now at very low levels, because they don’t have too many missiles left.”
The president said that the military was carrying out strikes on Monday against Iran’s missile and drone manufacturing sites and had sunk or destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels.
Despite the reduction in Iranian attacks and the sinking of much of Iran’s navy, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula remains largely stopped.
Oil prices declined slightly on Monday to around $100 a barrel amid signals from the Trump administration that it was increasing efforts to open the strait, which normally carries about 20% of the world’s energy supplies.
Trump pointed to the asymmetric nature of the threat, in which even the threat of inexpensive Iranian mines or anti-ship missiles can prevent the crossing of oil tankers that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“It’s a little unfair, you know. You win a war, but they have no right to be doing what they’re doing,” Trump said. “Today is a big day where we’re pounding a certain area that has very much to do with the strait, and I think we’ll get it going very soon.”
The president also claimed there are “numerous countries” on the way to assist in re-opening the strait but declined to name them. Other countries, he said, “weren’t that enthusiastic” about helping.
He singled out the United Kingdom as one country that has been “terrible,” while rating France’s President Emmanuel Macron an “eight” out of 10 in his handling of the conflict.
Australia and Japan, two countries that Trump has said should help with re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, have both said that they do not have plans to send naval forces to the Persian Gulf.
“We strongly encourage the other nations to get involved with us and get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm,” Trump said. “It wouldn’t matter if you’re targeted or not, because this is a paper tiger that we’re dealing with now.”
“It wasn’t a paper tiger two weeks ago,” he said. “It’s a paper tiger now.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
A Hezbollah rocket impacted in northern Israel on Monday evening, sparking a fire and wounding several people, hours after the IDF announced it was deploying troops further into southern Lebanon.
Rocket and drone fire from the Lebanese terror group rained down on northern Israel throughout the day, with a rocket impacting in Nahariya shortly after 6 p.m.
According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, the rocket in Nahariya wounded six people, including two adults and four minors who were treated for signs of smoke inhalation after a fire was sparked by the impact.
All six were listed in good condition after being treated.
At another impact site, near Kibbutz Kabri, a man in his 40s was listed in light-to-moderate condition after being hit by a blast, MDA said.
Throughout Monday morning, sirens had sounded in the Galilee Panhandle and in communities near the Lebanon border, amid rocket fire by the terror group. There were no reports of injuries in those attacks.
The IDF said earlier Monday that it had begun a “targeted ground operation against key targets” in southern Lebanon, pushing more forces deeper into the area as part of an expanded buffer zone, after Hezbollah began attacking Israel earlier this month amid the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation would continue until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to the residents of northern Israel, and said displaced Lebanese would not return to their homes until then.
The 91st “Galilee” Regional Division began a raid late Saturday in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, during which troops encountered and killed several Hezbollah operatives, according to the military.
The IDF said the operation was aimed at expanding “the forward defense area.”
“This operation is part of the effort to establish forward defense, including the destruction of terror infrastructure and the elimination of terrorists operating in the area, to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of the north,” the military said.
Before the troops pushed into the area, the IDF said it carried out massive airstrikes and artillery shelling “to remove threats.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday rejected claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it had destroyed several American fighter jets in the region, calling the claim false.
In a post on X, CENTCOM wrote, “Iran’s IRGC claims it recently destroyed several U.S. fighter jets based in the region using missiles and drones. LIE.”
“No U.S. fighter jets have been struck by Iran,” CENTCOM added. “In fact, U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps fighter aircraft continue to demonstrate unmatched lethality and air superiority during strike waves into Iran.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
President Donald Trump accused Iran of using artificial intelligence and sympathetic “fake news” U.S. media outlets to spread disinformation about the ongoing war, claiming Tehran is circulating fabricated images and false reports to exaggerate its military success.
In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said Iran is trying to mask its “ineffective and weak” military by pushing fake news using what he called the regime’s best weapon — AI.
“Iran has long been known as a Master of Media Manipulation and Public Relations,” Trump wrote. “Now, A.I. has become another Disinformation weapon that Iran uses.”
Trump said some reports circulating online show supposed Iranian attacks that he claims never happened, including images of “Kamikaze Boats” firing at ships and U.S. military assets allegedly damaged or destroyed.
“They showed phony ‘Kamikaze Boats,‘ shooting at various Ships at Sea, which looks wonderful, powerful, and vicious, but these Boats don’t exist — It’s all false information,” Trump wrote.
The president also disputed reports that U.S. refueling aircraft had been damaged in Iranian attacks.
“The five U.S. Refueling Planes that were supposedly struck down and badly damaged … are all in service, with the exception of one, which will soon be flying the skies,” Trump wrote.
Trump also dismissed claims that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had been attacked or set ablaze, calling such reports fabricated.
“Iran, working in close coordination with the Fake News Media, shows our great USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier, one of the largest and most prestigious Ships in the World, burning uncontrollably in the Ocean. Not only was it not burning, it was not even shot at — Iran knows better than to do that!” he wrote.
“The story was knowingly FAKE and, in a certain way, you can say that those Media Outlets that generated it should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information!”
Trump argued Iran is trying to offset battlefield losses by spreading false narratives online.
“The fact is, Iran is being decimated, and the only battles they ‘win‘ are those that they create through AI,” he wrote.
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
Troops from the IDF’s 91st Division on Monday carried out a dramatically deeper push into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Additional troops from the four IDF divisions redeployed to the north could join the expanded operation at a later stage, depending on developments on the ground.
While the move marks a dramatic escalation, it still does not amount to a full-scale invasion along the lines of the 2024 campaign, as forces are not advancing all the way to the Litani River at this stage.
The IDF said the operations were aimed at removing threats near the border and creating “an additional layer of security” for residents of northern Israel.
Ahead of the ground operations, the IDF said it carried out artillery barrages and Air Force strikes on multiple Hezbollah targets.
The military added that troops are continuing defensive missions in the Galilee to protect nearby Israeli communities.
IDF troops are also carrying out defensive missions to protect communities in the Galilee, the military said.
The IDF added that it will continue to operate against Hezbollah, which “chose to join the hostilities and operate under the sponsorship of the Iranian terror regime,” and said it “will not allow harm to Israeli civilians.”
Day 892 — Monday, March 16
The attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on March 12, 2026 should have been reported with moral clarity. A man drove a vehicle into a synagogue-one of the largest Reform congregations in the United States-and opened fire. The target was unmistakable: a Jewish house of worship filled with civilians, including children and educators.
Yet the coverage offered by The New York Times was striking not for the gravity with which it condemned the crime, but for the narrative contortions that followed. Instead of focusing squarely on the antisemitic nature of the attack, the newspaper chose to foreground the personal grievances of the perpetrator, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali-a 41-year-old naturalized American citizen originally from Lebanon-presenting a portrait that risked transforming a murderous terrorist into a tragic figure.
In doing so, the newspaper did not merely report a story. It constructed a framework that subtly shifted responsibility away from the attacker and toward Israel.
That framing deserves not only criticism, but deep moral scrutiny.
Central to the reporting was a statement by Mo Baydoun, the mayor of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where Ghazali lived. According to Baydoun, Ghazali had recently lost several family members in Lebanon, including his niece and nephew, who were reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The implication was unmistakable: Ghazali’s violence might be understood-perhaps even explained-by the trauma of that loss. But omitted from this sympathetic narrative were facts that complicate the story considerably. According to reporting from other outlets, Ghazali’s family connections were not merely incidental casualties of war.
An official told NBC News that two of the individuals killed in the Israeli strike were Ghazali’s brothers-men who were known members of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. On Sunday, this was confirmed and media outlets reported one of the assailant’s brothers was a Hezbollah commander who was killed in a strike last week. In a statement, the IDF said that Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali was in charge of managing weapons operations in Hezbollah’s Badr unit.
Hezbollah is not a humanitarian charity or a misunderstood political movement. It is an internationally designated terrorist organization responsible for decades of attacks against civilians, including bombings, kidnappings, and rocket attacks targeting Israeli population centers.
Moreover, sources told CNN that Ghazali himself had been flagged in U.S. government databases because of connections to Hezbollah members. Although authorities did not formally identify him as a member of the group, investigators reportedly questioned him multiple times during international travel, regarding potential ties.
These facts are not peripheral details. They are essential context. Yet the narrative most prominently advanced by The New York Times emphasized something else entirely: Israeli military action in Lebanon while omitting the reason for it.
The implicit argument embedded in that framing is deeply troubling. Is the Times trying to claim that If Ghazali’s relatives were killed in an Israeli strike targeting Hezbollah terrorists, and if that tragedy contributed to his rage, then perhaps Israel bears some indirect responsibility for the attack on a synagogue in Michigan?
This line of reasoning collapses the moral distinction between explanation and justification. It invites readers to see terrorism not as an act of hatred or ideological extremism, but as the predictable consequence of geopolitical grievance. In other words, the victims- children attending classes at a Jewish Day School-are subtly repositioned as participants in a cycle of violence that somehow implicates them.
Day 891 — Sunday, March 15
President Donald Trump said Iran must “surrender” to end the war and claimed he is hearing the country’s new supreme leader may already be dead.
“I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender,” Trump said of Mojtaba Khamenei in a phone interview with NBC News.
Trump added he is unsure whether the Iranian leader is still living.
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” he said.
The president also said Iran is seeking negotiations but that he is not ready to make a deal.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” Trump said.
Day 891 — Sunday, March 15
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that “many countries” will be dispatching warships to patrol the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, suggesting that it is “still easy” for its military to inflict damage on vessels there “no matter how badly defeated they are.”
Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated: “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. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are.“
The president continued, “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated.”
“In the meantime,” he added, “the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water,” Trump continued. “One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed on Thursday that an “international coalition” could escort oil tankers through the strait, something he said would have a “big effect.”
Day 891 — Sunday, March 15
Anti-Zionist protesters chanted for terrorist groups, accused Israel’s supporters of eating babies and raping children, and chanted for death to Israel and the US at a protest for Al Quds Day in New York City on Friday.
Al Quds Day is an annual, anti-Israel event held on the last Friday of Ramadan, established by Iran in 1979. The protest this year took place during heightened tensions due to the US-Israel war with Iran.
The protest on Friday drew several hundred participants and was backed by leftist and anti-Zionist activist groups, including Pal-Awda, the Bronx Anti-War Coalition and the Workers World Party.
“This Al Quds Day holds a special significance as the United States and its puppet Zionist regime wage full-out war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We proclaim our support for the Islamic Republic,” a speaker said, introducing the event.
“Iran is the central pillar in the struggle against US imperialism and Zionism,” he said. “A war against the Islamic Republic of Iran is a war against anti-imperialism, against anti-occupation, against anti-freedom.”
“We remind the enemies that martyrdom is our highest honor and the targeting of the leader only strengthens the resolve,” he said. “We renew our pledge to the path of the martyrs.”
The protesters held signs that said, “Victory to Palestinian and Iranian resistance,” “Free America from Israel,” and with pictures of the ayatollahs.
Several signs said, “Israel weaker than a spider’s web,” referring to threats made by Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah before Israel killed him. A child on the stage held up a photo of Iran’s late leader Ali Khamenei.
Around a dozen pro-Israel counter-protesters, Jews and allies, gathered across the street, chanting, “USA,” and shouting, “brainwashed,” and “terrorists.”
Day 890 — Saturday, March 14
President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had carried out a bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island, a strategically vital island in the Persian Gulf that serves as the country’s largest oil terminal and a crucial hub for its crude exports.
“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The island, located roughly 35 miles off Iran’s Bushehr province in the country’s southwest, is about the size of New York City’s Central Park but carries huge importance for Iran’s economy.
It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets.
That makes Kharg Island one of Iran’s most sensitive and strategically important pieces of infrastructure. Any military action there could have consequences well beyond Iran, raising the risk of disruptions to crude flows, shipping traffic and energy prices across the region.
Trump said the U.S. had deliberately avoided targeting the island’s oil infrastructure, while warning that could change if Iran moved to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump added.
The latest revelation comes as the widening conflict in the Middle East rattles global energy markets and raises fresh fears about the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil choke point.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and about one-fifth of the global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). When conflict flares in the region, even the threat of disruption can rattle markets because so much of the world’s energy moves through that single corridor.
Day 890 — Saturday, March 14
Five US Air Force refueling planes were struck and damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing two US officials.
The planes, which were hit during an Iranian missile strike on the Saudi base in recent days, were damaged but not fully destroyed and are being repaired, the WSJ said, adding that no one was killed in the strikes.
According to the WSJ report, this recent update indicates that at least seven US Air Force refueling planes have been damaged or destroyed in total since the begining of Operation Epic Fury.
This figure follows an incident on Thursday, where two KC-135 refueling planes collided, resulting in one aircraft crashing to the ground. All six crew members aboard the plane that crashed were killed, as confirmed by the Pentagon on Friday.
Day 890 — Saturday, March 14
The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right claims responsibility for this morning’s attack on a Jewish school in Amsterdam, publishing a video that appears to show the detonation of an incendiary device.
The newly formed extremist group has also been linked to several other antisemitic attacks in recent days, including a similar explosion yesterday outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that caused a brief fire and damage to the building, in which four suspects were arrested by Dutch police.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
The US government on Friday announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of key Iranian officials, including the newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
This bounty, issued by the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program, is part of the ongoing US and Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The State Department said it is specifically seeking information about Khamenei and his inner circle, including his deputy chief of staff, Ali Asghar Hejazi, his military adviser, Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, and his advisor, Ali Larijani. The list also includes Brig. Gen. Eskandar Momeni, Minister of the Interior, and Esmail Khatib, Minister of Intelligence and Security.
In addition to these individuals, the US is seeking information on four unnamed, unpictured officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The officials include the Secretary of the Defense Council, an Advisor to the Supreme Leader, the Military Office Chief in the Supreme Leader’s office, and the IRGC Commander.
“These individuals command and direct various elements of the IRGC, which plans, organizes, and executes terrorism around the world,” the notice from the State Department read.
A similar notice posted on social media emphasizes that individuals providing valuable information could not only be eligible for a monetary reward but may also be considered for relocation.
Mojtaba Khamenei was officially named Iran’s new Supreme Leader on Sunday, replacing his father Ali Khamenei, who was eliminated on the first day of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
He has not yet made a public appearance, and The New York Times reported earlier this week that he was injured on the first day of the war.
According to the report, Mojtaba Khamenei sustained injuries to his leg and is staying in a location with limited communications.
On Thursday, Iranian state media published a statement attributed to Khamenei, marking his first since taking over from his father.
The statement vowed revenge for US and Israeli actions, ordered forces to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, and threatened to open new fronts in the war. However, the statement was not accompanied by video or audio, leading to further speculation about Khamenei’s condition.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem says in a speech that the Israeli threats to assassinate him were “worthless.”
“We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and God willing, they (Israelis) will be surprised on the battlefield,” Qassem says in a televised address, adding that “the enemy’s threats do not frighten us.”
“This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle.”
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
The United States has deployed B-2 stealth bombers to participate in the US’s Operation Epic Fury against the Iranian regime, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday.
According to CENTCOM, the B-2s will be used to deliver long-range fire to “eliminate the threat from the Iranian regime today, [and] eliminate their ability to rebuild in the future.”
The US additionally dispatched the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, which includes about 2,200 Marines aboard three US Navy amphibious assault ships, according to an ABC News report on Friday.
This force includes a squadron of F‑35 fighter jets and tiltrotor MV‑22 Osprey aircraft, two US officials told ABC.
The deployment will contribute to the already heavy US military presence in the region, as the conflict with Iran continues to affect global trade routes and raise concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
After President Donald Trump warned recently about Iranian “sleeper cells” potentially operating in North America, Canadian opposition lawmakers are accusing their government of allowing operatives linked to Tehran’s regime to remain in the country.
Trump said Wednesday U.S. authorities were monitoring Iranian networks believed to have entered the United States in recent years.
“I have been (briefed), and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border,” Trump said in response to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy. “But we know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all of them.”
The remarks came amid growing concern among Western security officials about Iranian intelligence activities targeting critics abroad.
In Canada, senior Conservatives say the government has failed to act against Iranian regime officials despite identifying individuals linked to Tehran.
Deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman, immigration shadow minister Michelle Rempel, and Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Québec lieutenant, called upon the Liberal government, in a statement released in Ottawa, to table a plan within one week to take immediate action to stop Iranian regime activities in Canada.
“The Liberals have known for years that there are hundreds of Iranian regime officials in Canada, 239 of whom have had their visas“ canceled, the lawmakers said.
They added that government officials told a parliamentary immigration committee recently that only one person has been deported so far, citing legal obstacles, including asylum claims, the absence of direct flights to Iran and privacy protections.
“The presence of agents of the Islamic Republic in Canada is not a new issue,” Maryam Shariatmadari told Fox News Digital.
Shariatmadari is one of the faces of the “Girls of Revolution Street” protests against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws who fled Iran after being imprisoned and now lives in exile in Canada.
“For years, the people of Iran have expressed concern about the presence of these individuals and their children in Canada,” Shariatmadari added.
“A clear example is Mahmoud Reza Khavari and Marjan Al-Agha, who are known embezzlers,” she claimed. Iran Wire reported on the case in 2022. “What is striking is that an economic magazine that introduces entrepreneurs has presented the son of Mahmoud Reza Khavari — the former CEO of Bank Melli and a convicted criminal in Iran — as an ‘inspiring businessman’ in Canada and has described him as ‘a young leader.’”
“But these days we are seeing more of these individuals,” Shariatmadari added. “Their presence has become more visible, and they are organizing gatherings under the slogan ‘No to War,’ while expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, they remained completely silent about the killing of Iranians.”
Exiled Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, who now lives in Canada, told Fox News Digital that individuals linked to Iran’s regime often arrive in Western countries through several different channels.
“Some arrive as students, academics or ordinary immigrants but were already connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps through family ties or ideological affiliation,” he said. “They often try to identify activists and critics, so those individuals can face legal or judicial problems either in Iran or even abroad.”
Ghadimi said another category operates primarily through financial networks tied to the regime.
“Another group includes people who used to be members of the IRGC or other state institutions and later enter countries like Canada as private investors,” he said. “When someone brings several million dollars for investment, it raises questions about where that money came from.”
He added that wealthy business figures who move capital abroad may also do so with the approval of Iran’s security establishment.
“If someone is moving large amounts of money out of Iran and investing abroad, it is very difficult to do that without the approval of the IRGC and the security institutions of the Islamic Republic,” he said.
Ghadimi also pointed to past corruption scandals involving Iranian officials who moved large sums of money overseas, including the case of Khavari, who fled Iran after a major banking scandal and later settled in Canada.
The criticism comes as Canadian police investigate the disappearance of Iranian dissident Masood Masjoody, a mathematician and critic of Iran’s clerical leadership who vanished earlier this year in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, struck a defiant tone in his first message to the Iranian people since he was announced as the successor of his father as the regime’s supreme leader.
However, the written message was only read aloud by TV presenters, meaning there has still been no visual or audio footage of the new leader since his appointment. This has fueled speculation about his condition, after he had been wounded in airstrikes earlier during the war.
On Thursday, the British daily, The Sun, cited a source who said Khamenei is in “very serious” condition, having lost one or both legs, and being treated in a closed-off hospital.
The statement read out on Thursday afternoon contained no major surprises, confirming expectations that Khamenei is not likely to be ready for concessions after losing his parents, wife, and a son during the war, after having long been described as a radical true believer in the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary ideology.
According to the statement, the people’s “servant,” Mojtaba Khamenei, learned from TV reports that he had been chosen to succeed his father.
In a section addressing the “brave fighters,” Khamenei said it is “the will of the people” to continue “the determined and punishing defense” against the “leaders of the camp of global arrogance.”
“In addition, the lever of closing the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used,” he said, confirming that the regime wants to cut off the traffic through the strategic waterway. There have been several reports of ships being attacked near the strait over the past 24 hours.
In addition to the closure of the strait, the new leader in effect doubled down on threatening the neighboring countries, despite claiming that the regime “without seeking to establish domination or colonialism in the region, is fully prepared for unity and warm, sincere reciprocal relations with all its neighbors.”
This followed after he claimed that Iran’s neighbors had allowed the U.S. to use military bases on their territory during the war. “Therefore we attacked only those bases, without harming the countries themselves,” he claimed falsely. “If this continues – we will continue attacking the bases. I recommend that these countries close the American bases.”
Khamenei also threatened that “additional fronts where the enemy is vulnerable” could be attacked soon, without elaborating further.
He further thanked the members of the “Axis of Resistance,” including Hezbollah and the Iranian proxies in Iraq, for their assistance. Notably, he also thanked the Yemeni Houthis, who haven’t actively participated in the war so far.
“I assure everyone that we will not forgo revenge for the blood of your martyrs,” the supreme leader vowed, noting that the “crime that the enemy deliberately committed regarding the Shajareh-Tayyebeh school in Minab has a special status in this process.”
“We will take compensation from the enemy, and if it refuses, we will take from its property to the extent we deem appropriate; and if that is not possible, we will destroy its property to the same extent,” he warned.
The condition of Khamenei and, therefore, the authenticity of the statement attributed to him, remains unclear.
The Sun’s report that he was unconscious was based on information from a source in Tehran who reportedly “managed to dodge” the near‑total internet blackout to send a message to a London‑based exiled dissident.
He said his information came from a member of the trauma team treating Khamenei in intensive care in a sealed-off section at Sina University Hospital.
Day 889 — Friday, March 13
A US KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq during a collision between it and a second aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday night.
CENTCOM assured that the incident occured in friendly airspace, and was not due to hostile or friendly fire.
The refueler went down near Turaibil, along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, CBS News reported, citing an Iraqi intelligence source.
Search and rescue efforts for the missing crew are currently underway, CENTCOM said in its statement, and that the public should be patient as it “gather[s] additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, saying it reflects the global threat of antisemitism.
“Antisemitism knows no limits or boundaries,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “Israel is attacked because it is the Jewish state. Temple Israel in Detroit was attacked today because it is a Jewish house of worship.”
Netanyahu also praised the synagogue’s security personnel for stopping the attacker.
“I salute the brave security personnel at the synagogue for their swift action. It saved lives,” he said.
The Israeli leader added that he is grateful to President Donald Trump for taking a firm stance against antisemitic attacks in the United States.
The suspect in Thursday’s attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, has been preliminarily identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, according to three law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the name to Fox News and provided details of his immigration history.
Officials said Ghazali was born in Lebanon in 1985 and entered the United States on May 10, 2011 on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen.
According to DHS, Ghazali applied for naturalization on Oct. 20, 2015 and became a U.S. citizen on Feb. 5, 2016. Authorities say Ghazali lived near Dearborn, Michigan.
Law enforcement officials cautioned the identification remains preliminary as investigators continue confirming the suspect’s identity following the attack.
The FBI said it is investigating the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”
Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, said the bureau has taken the lead in the investigation.
“I can confirm that we are leading the investigation right now as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” Runyan said during the Thursday evening press conference.
Authorities said one suspect was involved and is now deceased, and confirmed no congregants or children were killed in the attack.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the suspect drove a vehicle into the building, where security personnel engaged and stopped the threat.
Officials said a security guard was injured after being struck by the vehicle, and 30 responding officers were treated for smoke inhalation after the vehicle caught fire inside the building.
Runyan said the FBI deployed more than 100 agents and analysts, along with bomb technicians, SWAT teams and evidence response units to process the scene and pursue leads.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation with an active crime scene,” she said. “We ask for patience as we process the evidence and pursue every lead.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
If Lebanon’s government fails to prevent Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on Israel, Jerusalem will “take control of the territory and do it ourselves,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Thursday.
“The prime minister and I have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare to expand its operations in Lebanon and to restore quiet and security to the northern communities,” the defense minister stated.
“We promised quiet and security to the northern communities, and that is exactly what we will do,” Katz added in a Hebrew-language statement.
Hezbollah overnight on Wednesday launched its largest rocket barrage at the Jewish state since the start of the current war, in what the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said was a combined assault that also included several volleys of ballistic missiles launched by Iran.
According to the Magen David Adom emergency response group, two people sustained light wounds from “flying objects” during the attacks.
The two—a woman with a head injury and a man with a hand wound—were taken to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. In addition, several people were treated for injuries sustained while running for shelter.
Speaking during an operational briefing at IDF Northern Command on Monday morning, Katz said that the decision to advance into Lebanon following Hezbollah’s March 2 decision to join the war on Iran’s behalf was “morally and operationally correct, and enables what comes next.”
“It gives confidence to the communities that what happened will not return,” the minister stated, referencing Jerusalem’s past decision to evacuate northern communities for well over a year in response to Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks that started on Oct. 7, 2023, and paused following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024.
This time, he vowed, “There will be no evacuation, no abandonment.”
“Everyone remains on their land, in their home, wherever they are. This is the number one mission—to defend the communities and give them security against raids and against anti-tank fire,” continued Katz.
The evacuation of Southern Lebanon and large parts of Beirut will allow the IDF to “thwart threats we have not yet managed to thwart previously, making this region even safer than before ‘Operation Roaring Lion.‘”
Katz added, “We certainly must not only refrain from withdrawing in the face of Hezbollah, but take advantage of the opportunity to strike it.”
Lebanon’s official government has failed to live up to its commitments under the 2024 ceasefire, which forbade the presence of terrorists in the south and tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces with disarming them.
“They allowed Hezbollah to move south,” Katz charged. “The conclusion is always that what we do not do, no one else will do. They are obligated and they must act, and we must ensure that these things happen.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah and Iran of working to “collapse” the Lebanese state and expressed his openness to holding “direct negotiations” with Israel, per AFP.
“Whoever launched those missiles wanted to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese state, plunging it into aggression and chaos … all for the sake of the Iranian regime’s calculations,” he told European officials.
Aoun’s proposal reportedly called for “establishing a full truce” with the Jewish state, “logistical support” for the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hezbollah, and direct talks under international auspices.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned Beirut over the weekend that if it fails to uphold the ceasefire deal, the Iranian-backed aggression “will bring catastrophic consequences upon Lebanon.”
“It is time for you, too, to take your destiny into your hands,” he told the Lebanese government, declaring that “in any case,” Jerusalem will do “everything necessary to protect our communities and our citizens.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held his first press conference since the start of the war this evening (Thursday) via video conference.
During the press conference, Netanyahu addressed Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and stated that the Iranian proxy terror group would “pay a very heavy price.”
“This is no longer the same Iran, this is no longer the same Middle East, and this is also not the same Israel. We initiate and attack with force. Trump and I talk almost every day, exchange ideas and advice, and decide together,” Netanyahu said.
“We are crushing Iran and Hezbollah,” Netanyahu declared, adding, “We are becoming a regional power. Our roar is growing louder. We have achieved enormous achievements that are changing the balance of power beyond the Middle East.”
Regarding the campaign in the north, he said, “Hezbollah feels the comfort of our arm and will pay a very heavy price for its aggression.”
In response to a question about the threat from Lebanon and past statements that Hezbollah was defeated in the previous campaign against it, Netanyahu said: “We talked then about 150,000 rockets and missiles, about the destruction of the towers in Tel Aviv, about the eyes of ruins in the rest of the country, and about 15,000 to 20,000 dead. All of this did not materialize because we dealt them a tremendous blow, but that does not mean that they did not have any residual fire left.”
“Threats come and go, but we are strengthening our power compared to what was here,” the prime minister added. “Tomorrow they will be even weaker – both Iran and Hezbollah. We are changing the Middle East. Both against enemies and against friends. Israel is stronger than ever, the whole world understands that.”
He referred to the appointment of Ali Khamenei’s son as Iran’s supreme leader after his father’s assassination. “We have eliminated the old dictator, and the new dictator, the puppet of the Revolutionary Guards, cannot show his face in public. I say to the people of Iran: The moment is approaching when you can embark on the path of freedom. It is in your hands.”
However, he added that he cannot guarantee “that the Iranian regime will collapse, if we join forces, we will repel the enemies time and time again.”
The Prime Minister promised that “many more surprises are expected in the campaign. We have the upper hand, much more than we expected.”
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Hezbollah terrorists overnight on Wednesday launched their largest barrage of missiles and drones at Israel since the start of the current war, in what Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said was a combined attack from Lebanon and Iran.
Hezbollah fired approximately 200 projectiles at the Jewish state as part of what it dubbed “Operation Al-‘Asf al-Ma‘kul” (“The Eaten Chaff” or “Devoured Straw”), a Quranic reference that refers to the enemy being utterly defeated or destroyed. Around 120 missiles and drones crossed into Israel, Ynet reported.
According to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency response organization, two people sustained light injuries when they were struck by “flying objects” during an attack on the north.
The casualties—a woman in her 30s with a head injury and a man in his 50s with a hand wound—were evacuated to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, MDA said. In addition, several people were treated for minor injuries sustained while running for shelter.
The Hefer Valley Regional Council, which administers a group of communities along Israel’s central coastal plain, said a rocket from Lebanon directly struck the yard of a home in the area, “severely” damaging the house. No injuries were reported.
Air-raid sirens sounded throughout the night in central Israel, warning of ballistic missiles fired by Iran. The IRGC, in a statement carried by Iran’s state-run Tasnim News Agency, confirmed the attacks were a carried out in cooperation with Hezbollah.
Hezbollah began firing rockets and UAVs at Israel on the morning of March 2, in retaliation for Israel’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He was killed in the opening shot of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the regime on Feb. 28.
In response to the terrorist organization’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, ceasefire deal, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah, and ordered IDF troops to advance and take control of additional areas in Lebanon to halt cross-border fire.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday evening that the military was seeing attempts by Hezbollah to “increase its rocket fire toward the communities of the north while expanding the range of its attacks” to central Israel and beyond.
“Hezbollah is suffering heavy blows. We are deepening the damage to its capabilities with each passing day and increasing the pressure on it. The fire it is carrying out in order to harm Israeli civilians is a clear response to this,” said Defrin.
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
Iranian explosive-laden boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member on Wednesday, after projectiles struck three vessels in Gulf waters, said port, maritime security, and risk firms.
The latest attacks mark an escalation in the conflict between Iran and United States-Israeli forces, raising the number of ships struck in the region since fighting began to at least 16.
Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world’s oil, has come to a near-standstill since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
The ships targeted in late-night armed boat attacks in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Zefyros, which had loaded fuel cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi port officials said.
“We recovered the body of a foreign crew member from the water,” one port security official said, as Iraqi rescue teams continued searching for other missing seafarers. It was not immediately clear which ship the person was linked to.
Day 888 — Thursday, March 12
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that reports of a potential Iranian revenge plot involving drones launched from offshore targeting California are being investigated.
Speaking to reporters in an Air Force One underwing gaggle, Trump was asked by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy about a law-enforcement bulletin warning of a possible Iranian drone attack scenario.
“It’s being investigated,” Trump said. “You have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come.”
Trump also said he had been briefed about potential Iranian sleeper cells inside the United States, claiming authorities are monitoring them closely.
“We know where most of them are,” Trump said. “We’ve got our eyes on all of them.”
The president argued some entered the country during the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Trump also said the U.S. military campaign against Iran is overwhelming Tehran’s forces.
“Iran is being absolutely decimated,” he said.Trump added that Iranian naval and air capabilities have been largely destroyed and said the U.S. is monitoring the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict continues.“
“We’ve knocked out all of their boats,” he said. “I think we’re in very good shape.”
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
The United Nations Security Council, which includes the Arab representative Bahrain, voted 13-0 on Wednesday to condemn Iran for its strikes on its Gulf neighbors. The vote, from which Russia and China abstained, was a highly unusual rebuke of the Islamic Republic by Arab states.
Just before the vote, Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the global body, told reporters that “the atrocities that we’re seeing, the deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure, on ports, on airports, on energy production facilities, on hotels, on resorts across the Gulf is unacceptable.”
“It’s disgusting, frankly, and I, for one, am proud to see Bahrain lead its neighbors in condemning these actions,” the U.S. envoy said.
The resolution, which the Gulf Cooperation Council drafted, won support from 135 U.N. member states—a record-high, according to Loraine Sievers, co-author of “The Procedure of the UN Security Council” and former chief of the U.N. Security Council secretariat branch.
During the Security Council meeting, Waltz said that he wanted to be “perfectly clear and polite that there has been some misrepresentation here today.”
“The accusation that this resolution put forward by the Kingdom of Bahrain, supported by every member of the GCC, and I see all of them here today, and supported by 135 countries, the most co-sponsors of a U.N. Security Council resolution ever, was somehow manipulated by one or two countries is laughable,” the U.S. envoy said.
“We urge Iran to hear the voice of the council, of this resolution that saw no opposition today and of the entire international community,” Waltz said. “But more importantly, we urge Iran to listen to its own brave people and stop the indiscriminate attacks on civilians across the Middle East.”
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Assassinating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly all of Iran’s top military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers on the first day of the war was an incredible turning point in which all of the IDF’s air and intelligence power combined to change the course of history, an IDF senior officer told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
“Assassinating the supreme leader and all of the top echelon of the Iranian military and the IRGC in around half a minute was made possible by a giant and incredibly coordinated airstrike, which took months of planning,” the senior officer said.
In 40 seconds at around 8:15 a.m. on February 28, Khamenei, IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, military commander Abdolrahim Mousavi, defense minister Amir Nasirzadeh, National Defense Council secretary Ali Shamkhani, another top security aide to Khamenei for over a decade, and about 35 other top officials were killed.
Among the Israeli aircraft involved were F-16s, F-35s, and F-15s, although there were many others, including the US military’s involvement.
According to the IDF, the airpower and munitions used during the first day of attacks – both in those assassinations and in wider attacks on Iran’s air defenses and ballistic-missile apparatus – were unprecedented and far beyond any prior similar power used by Israel.
“With around 200 aircraft all carrying precision munitions and all flying 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers to strike hundreds of targets all in a short time period, the effect was to completely throw the Iranians off their game,” the senior officer said. “The total surprise we achieved was extremely deadly and effective.”
When adding in the contribution and profoundly close cooperation with the US military, some in the IDF view the assault and the current war as the most devastating short-term air war in history. The F-16s were flown back and forth to Iran in the early days of the war, essentially nonstop, and took an enormous part in the most critical missions.
By March 5, almost every aircraft had flown nine to 10 sorties back and forth to Iran, with each flight taking five to eight hours round-trip.
While the pace of the F-16s and other aircraft has remained frenetic, one change was that after the first couple of days, the IAF had achieved air supremacy. That allowed stand-in attacks in which Israeli aerial assets could strike from short range, with some even hovering over their targets.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel on Wednesday as a diplomatic standoff worsened between the two countries over Spain’s opposition to Israeli policies, exacerbated by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s regime.
Ambassador Ana Maria Salomon Perez was recalled to Spain last September amid a diplomatic row over Spanish measures banning aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel from its ports or airspace due to the war against Hamas in Gaza, a policy Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denounced as antisemitic.
On Tuesday, Spain published an announcement in its official gazette that the ambassador’s position had been terminated. Spain’s Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Tel Aviv will be led by a charge d’affaires for the foreseeable future.
Israel’s embassy in Spain is also run by a charge d’affaires after Israel in May 2024 recalled its ambassador, Rodica Radian-Gordon, in protest of Spain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
“The Foreign Ministry confirms the withdrawal of the ambassador to Tel Aviv, who was called back for consultations ‘indefinitely,’” Spanish Foreign Ministry sources told The Times of Israel, “leaving the Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv under the leadership of a chargé d’affaires, at the same level as the Israeli embassy in Madrid.”
The move marked the latest escalation in a diplomatic spat between the two countries, which have been heavily strained since the start of the Gaza war, which was triggered by the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Ties between Jerusalem and Madrid steadily deteriorated over the following two years as Spain’s government expressed increasing anger and frustration against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Madrid had prohibited sales and purchases of military equipment with Israel from the start of the war; however, last September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced measures to enshrine the prohibition in law. Sa’ar criticized Spain as leading “a hostile, anti-Israel line,” after which Madrid also recalled its ambassador.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Hezbollah and Iran launched a coordinated strike strategy Tuesday, a national security expert claimed, as reports emerged that deadly cluster munitions were hitting Israel in synchronized attacks.
The developments unfolded on day 11 of Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign targeting Iran, marking a potential escalation in the widening regional conflict.
“Hezbollah has fully joined the war, and it looks like they are now very well coordinated with Iran,” Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital while speaking from his bomb shelter near Tel Aviv.
“Most of Hezbollah’s rockets and drones are launched simultaneously with the Iranian missiles,” he said.
Israel confirmed Tuesday that Iran had been firing cluster munitions — adding a complicated and deadly challenge to Israel’s stretched air defenses, The Associated Press reported.
The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area. The smaller bombs, which at night can resemble orange fireballs, are difficult to intercept and have proven lethal.
Fox News correspondent Nate Foy also said despite Israel’s strong air defense, half of the missiles are hard to defend against because half of the missiles are cluster munitions.
“The Iranian use of cluster missiles and the idea that they deliberately target civilians and civil facilities must be considered as a use of non-conventional weapons, and the American-Israeli response must be appropriate,” Michael urged.
Banned by more than 120 nations under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapons are widely condemned for their broad-area, indiscriminate effects that often result in catastrophic civilian harm.
“Israeli citizens have to spend most of the time in the shelter rooms as Hezbollah and Iran deliberately target civilians and civilian facilities,” he said.
As of Tuesday night local time, the IDF said it had launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
This came after the military reiterated its warning to evacuate the area, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
President Donald Trump warned Iran on Tuesday to remove any naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. forces struck Iranian mine-laying vessels near the critical waterway, underscoring how control of the narrow passage has become a central flashpoint in the escalating conflict and a major concern for global oil markets.
Trump said U.S. forces had already destroyed Iranian vessels capable of laying mines in the area, part of an effort to keep the shipping lane open.
“I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!” Trump wrote Tuesday afternoon on Truth Social.
The U.S. military later said American forces had destroyed a total of 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
The strikes came as the Trump administration warned Iran that any attempt to block oil shipments through the strategic channel would bring an overwhelming military response.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Two Jewish men were beaten, and later briefly hospitalized, after they were heard speaking Hebrew in front of a restaurant in San Jose’s Santana Row in California, local media reported on Tuesday.
Footage of the incident, shot by local witnesses, shows the pair of victims attacked by three other individuals outside the Augustine restaurant, NBC Bay Area reported.
“I just turned around, and they literally started punching,” one of the victims, who wished not to be identified, told the outlet. “We got swarmed very badly. I’m in a lot of pain. I still cannot chew. My jaw hurts, my back is hurting.”
According to NBC, the victims said they did not recognize their assailants, and police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
According to ABC7 News, both Jewish men were waiting to be seated at the restaurant when the incident occurred.
“One of the witnesses said that they heard them saying, ‘don’t mess with Iran‘, which we don’t know why,” one of the victims told the outlet. “We don’t have any problem with them. But, I heard at the beginning of the fight, something with, ‘F the Jews’.”
ABC7 added that one of the victims had been knocked out and needed stitches after the assault.
In a statement, the Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council identified the pair of victims as Israeli Americans.
Day 887 — Wednesday, March 11
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sounded the alarm on Tuesday about the rise of antisemitism in the Republican Party and the American right, warning that the tide may be turning against supporters of Jews and Israel.
Speaking to a symposium on Jew-hatred hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition and National Review, the Texas senator cited the difference in reaction among elected Republicans to former Fox News host and current podcaster Tucker Carlson, who turned sharply against Israel and its supporters in recent years, compared to neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes.
“I believe Tucker Carlson is the single most dangerous demagogue in this country,” Cruz said. “If you look at Republican politicians, Nick Fuentes is easy to denounce, and I actually think it’s a tell among the Republican politicians if they’ll denounce Fuentes but are scared to say Tucker’s name. That tells you a great deal.”
“Virtually every single one of my colleagues in the Senate on the Republican side agrees with me,” Cruz said. “Yet almost none of them will say Tucker’s name.”
Carlson hosted Fuentes on his video podcast for a friendly interview with the Holocaust denier in October.
Speaking to an audience of about 200 RJC and National Review members, administration officials, Hill staffers and Jewish leaders at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, Cruz warned that the anti-Israel and antisemitic politics of figures like Fuentes and Carlson are having a malign influence on young conservatives.
“The Christian church is asleep,” Cruz said. “I have seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime. A year-and-a-half ago, I could not have imagined we would be here having this conversation.”
“I’m not sure it is accurate as a descriptive matter that we are winning right now,” the senator said, of philosemitic conservatives. “We’re winning with folks in this room with some gray or salt-and-pepper in their hair, but in the college classroom I’m a lot less certain.”
Cruz noted that the model of success for opponents of Israel that has flourished on the Democratic left could be replicated in the Republican Party.
“I don’t want to wake up in five years and find myself in a country where both major political parties are unambiguously anti-Israel and unapologetically antisemitic,” he said.
Cruz’s keynote speech drew the loudest applause among speakers that included fellow Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and administration officials, including Leo Terrell, chair of the Department of Justice taskforce to combat antisemitism, and Yehuda Kaploun, a rabbi and U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
Cotton and Cruz both pushed back against claims from some on the right that U.S. military action against Iran primarily benefits and was at the behest of Israel.
“Before this war started, Iran had thousands and thousands of missiles, and this vast missile arsenal far, far exceeded the combined missile defenses of the United States, Israel and our Arab friends,” Cotton said. “That is an unacceptable threat to the United States.”
“If it’s an unacceptable threat to the United States, it’s an existential threat to Israel,” Cotton added.
“We are not bombing Iran for Israel,” Cruz said. “We are bombing Iran for America.”
